Outdoor device and air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10145596-B2
Application number	US-201514845330-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2015
Priority date	Sep 26, 2014
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

An outdoor device of an air conditioner includes a compressor, an outdoor fan, and an outdoor control board. The outdoor device includes: a control unit that controls the compressor and the outdoor fan; and a temperature detector that detects an ambient temperature of an electric component provided on the outdoor control board. The control unit, when the compressor is stopped, stops the outdoor fan and then determines whether a temperature detected by the temperature detector is equal to or higher than a threshold, and, when it is determined that the temperature detected by the temperature detector is equal to or higher than the threshold, operates the outdoor fan at a protective rotation number that is lower than a rotation number of the outdoor fan while the compressor is in operation so as to circulate air, thereby cooling the outdoor control board.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An outdoor device of an air conditioner including a compressor, an outdoor fan, and an outdoor control board, the outdoor device comprising:
a controller on the outdoor control board, the controller is configured to control the compressor and the outdoor fan; and
a temperature detector that detects an ambient temperature of an electric component provided on the outdoor control board, wherein the ambient temperature is the temperature around the electric component inside the outdoor device, wherein
the controller is configured to:
determine whether the compressor is stopped,
responsive to determining that the compressor is stopped,
first, stop the outdoor fan and
next, determine whether a temperature detected by the temperature detector is greater than or equal to a first threshold, the first threshold being a predetermined ambient electric component temperature to begin protective operation mode, and
then,
responsive to determining that the temperature detected by the temperature detector is greater than or equal to the first threshold, start to operate the outdoor fan that has been stopped at a predetermined protective RPM that is lower than a normal operation mode RPM of the outdoor fan so as to circulate air, thereby cooling the outdoor control board, and
responsive to determining that the temperature detected by the temperature detector is not greater than or equal to the first threshold, maintain the outdoor fan as stopped.

2. The outdoor device according to claim 1 , wherein
the electric component includes a capacitor.

3. The outdoor device according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is further configured to
when an operation of the compressor and the outdoor fan is not started after the outdoor device is switched on,
determine whether a temperature detected by the temperature detector is greater than or equal to the first threshold, and,
responsive to determining that the temperature detected by the temperature detector is greater than or equal to the first threshold, operate the outdoor fan at the predetermined protective RPM so as to circulate air, thereby cooling the outdoor control board, and
responsive to determining that the temperature detected by the temperature detector is not greater than or equal to the first threshold, maintain the outdoor fan as stopped.

4. The outdoor device according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is further configured to
responsive to a predetermined time elapsing after operation of the outdoor fan is started at the predetermined protective RPM,
stop the outdoor fan and then determine whether a temperature detected by the temperature detector is greater than or equal to the first threshold, and
responsive to determining that the temperature detected by the temperature detector is greater than or equal to the first threshold, operate the outdoor fan at the predetermined protective RPM, and
responsive to determining that the temperature detected by the temperature detector is not greater than or equal to the threshold, maintain the outdoor fan as stopped.

5. The outdoor device according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is further configured to
when the controller starts operating the outdoor fan at the predetermined protective RPM, keep operating the outdoor fan at the predetermined protective RPM until a temperature detected by the temperature detector becomes less than or equal to a second threshold that is lower than the first threshold.

6. The outdoor device according to claim 1 , further comprising a supply voltage detector that detects a supply voltage, wherein
the controller is further configured to
determine whether power supply is stopped on the basis of a supply voltage detected by the supply voltage detector,
responsive to determining that the power supply is stopped, stop the compressor and the outdoor fan.

7. The outdoor device according to claim 1 , further comprising an outdoor-device-status display unit that displays an operation status of the outdoor device, wherein
the outdoor-device-status display unit, when the outdoor fan is in operation at the predetermined protective RPM, displays that the outdoor fan is in operation at the predetermined RPM.

8. The outdoor device according to claim 1 , comprising a power converter having an element including a wide-bandgap semiconductor.

9. An air conditioner comprising:
the outdoor device according to claim 1 ; and
an indoor device that is connected to the outdoor device.

10. The air conditioner according to claim 9 , wherein
the indoor device includes a display unit that displays an operation status of the outdoor device, and
the display unit, when the outdoor fan is in operation at the predetermined protective RPM, displays that the outdoor fan is in operation at the predetermined protective RPM.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Umehara Shigeo

Classifications

• F24F1/24 Primary

  Cooling of electric components · CPC title

• F24F11/30

  for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring · CPC title

• F25B13/00

  Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle (defrosting cycles F25B47/02) · CPC title

• F24F2110/10

  Temperature · CPC title

• F25B49/02 Primary

  for compression type machines, plants or systems · CPC title