Inverter air conditioner

• US 5,371,645 A
• Filed: 10/14/1992
• Issued: 12/06/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Mochizuki, Shoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Pellinen, A. D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Medley, Sally C.
• Application Number:
  US07/960,699
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 361/23, 361/31, 361/33, 361/30, 361/93, 361/88, 361/22, 62/228.1, 62/230
• US Class Current: 361/22
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/0833 for electric motors with control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/53875 with analogue control of three-phase output
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 27/06 using dc to ac converters or inverters H02P27/05 takes precedence

Abstract

An inverter air conditioner controller includes an ac/dc converter for changing ac power into dc power, a dc/ac inverter for changing dc power into ac power having a desired frequency and a desired voltage to drive a compressor, compressor lock presumption unit for preliminarily determining whether a compressor lock occurs, and frequency increasing unit for increasing an operational frequency to a desired value. When it is presumed that compressor lock occurs, the operational frequency is increased. If the operational current value then reaches an overcurrent detection level, a lock protection unit for activates an overcurrent breaker to stop the compressor.

Claims

1. An inverter air conditioner comprising:

an ac/dc converter means for changing input ac power into dc power;

a dc/ac inverter means for changing said dc power into ac power having a desired frequency and a desired voltage;

a compressor driven by said ac power;

compressor lock presumption means for preliminarily determining whether or not compressor lock has occurred;

frequency increasing means for increasing an operational frequency of said compressor to a predetermined value when it is preliminarily determined that compressor lock has occurred, said predetermined value being such that an operational current value reaches an overcurrent detection level if compressor lock has occurred; and

lock protection means for activating an overcurrent breaker to stop the compressor when the operational current is detected by an overcurrent detection circuit to reach said overcurrent detection level after increasing said operational frequency to said predetermined value.

2. An inverter air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the compressor lock presumption means preliminarily determines the compressor lock according to an operational frequency and an inverter input current value.

3. An inverter air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the compressor lock presumption means preliminary determines the compressor lock according to a correction quantity of an input voltage to the compressor.

4. An inverter air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the compressor lock presumption means preliminary determines the compressor lock according to an output signal from either one of a speed detector and a position detector.