Blower and with controller controlling a motor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12066207-B2
Application number	US-202318384478-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2023
Priority date	Apr 28, 2021
Publication date	Aug 20, 2024
Grant date	Aug 20, 2024

Abstract

A blower includes a motor with variable rotational speed, and a first controller. The motor has a shaft supported by a bearing with a lubricant sealed in. The first controller rotationally drives the motor. The first controller executes first control to decrease the rotational speed of the motor when a first temperature, which is the temperature of the bearing, decreases during operation in which the motor is rotated in a predetermined low rotational speed range. This air conditioner includes: an indoor unit having the blower, a temperature sensor that measures the first temperature, and a heat exchanger; and a second controller that controls the blower to perform air conditioning operation in a space to be air-conditioned in which the indoor unit is installed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A blower comprising:
a motor with variable rotational speed, having a shaft that is supported by a bearing with a lubricant sealed inside; and
a first controller that rotationally drives the motor,
wherein
the first controller executes a first control to decrease the rotational speed of the motor when a first temperature (T 1 ) decreases during operation in which the motor is rotated in a predetermined low rotational speed range, the first temperature (T 1 ) being a measured or calculated temperature of the bearing.

2. The blower according to claim 1 , wherein the first controller decreases the rotational speed of the motor by decreasing a lower limit rotational speed of the low rotational speed range, in the first control.

3. The blower according to claim 2 , wherein the first controller decreases the rotational speed of the motor to or below a user-selectable rotational speed of the motor, in the first control.

4. The blower according to claim 2 , wherein the first controller decreases the rotational speed of the motor in a case that an amount of change in the first temperature falls within a predetermined range (ΔT) for a predetermined period (D 1 ) after the first temperature (T 1 ) decreases, in the first control.

5. The blower according to claim 2 , further comprising a temperature sensor that measures the first temperature (T 1 ),
wherein the temperature sensor is attached to the bearing.

6. An air conditioner comprising:
an indoor unit having the blower according to claim 2 , a temperature sensor that measures the first temperature (T 1 ), and a heat exchanger; and
a second controller that controls the blower to perform air conditioning in a space to be air-conditioned in which the indoor unit is installed.

7. The blower according to claim 1 , wherein the first controller decreases the rotational speed of the motor to or below a user-selectable rotational speed of the motor, in the first control.

8. The blower according to claim 7 , wherein the first controller decreases the rotational speed of the motor in a case that an amount of change in the first temperature falls within a predetermined range (ΔT) for a predetermined period (D 1 ) after the first temperature (T 1 ) decreases, in the first control.

9. The blower according to claim 7 , further comprising a temperature sensor that measures the first temperature (T 1 ),
wherein the temperature sensor is attached to the bearing.

10. An air conditioner comprising:
an indoor unit having the blower according to claim 3 , a temperature sensor that measures the first temperature (T 1 ), and a heat exchanger; and
a second controller that controls the blower to perform air conditioning in a space to be air-conditioned in which the indoor unit is installed.

11. The blower according to claim 1 , wherein the first controller decreases the rotational speed of the motor in a case that an amount of change in the first temperature falls within a predetermined range (ΔT) for a predetermined period (D 1 ) after the first temperature (T 1 ) decreases, in the first control.

12. The blower according to claim 11 , further comprising a temperature sensor that measures the first temperature (T 1 ),
wherein the temperature sensor is attached to the bearing.

13. The blower according to claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor that measures the first temperature (T 1 ),
wherein the temperature sensor is attached to the bearing.

14. An air conditioner comprising:
an indoor unit having the blower according to claim 1 , a temperature sensor that measures the first temperature (T 1 ), and a heat exchanger; and
a second controller that controls the blower to perform air conditioning in a space to be air-conditioned in which the indoor unit is installed.

15. The air conditioner according to claim 14 , wherein
the second controller controls the blower by instructing the first controller on a required rotational speed of the motor, and
the first controller prioritize the first control over the required rotational speed instruction from the second controller.

16. The air conditioner according to claim 14 , wherein a rate of decrease in the rotational speed of the motor in the first control is set so that a temperature of the heat exchanger in the first control is set to be equal to or lower than a predetermined second temperature (T 2 ).

17. The air conditioner according to claim 16 , wherein an absolute value of a rate of increase in the rotational speed of the motor after the first control is completed is greater than an absolute value of the rate of decrease in the rotational speed of the motor in the first control.

18. The air conditioner according to claim 14 , wherein the rotational speed of the motor in the first control is decreased in stages.

19. The air conditioner according to claim 14 , wherein the temperature sensor is attached to the heat exchanger.

20. The air conditioner according to claim 14 , wherein the temperature sensor is attached to a suction port of the indoor unit.

Assignees

• Daikin Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Nakano Akihiro
• Takayama Yoshinori

Classifications

• F24F11/74

  for controlling air flow rate or air velocity · CPC title

• F24F1/0018

  characterised by fans (with secondary air induced by injector action of the primary air F24F1/01) · CPC title

• F24F2110/10

  Temperature · CPC title

• F04D29/063

  specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title

• F04D25/08

  the working fluid being air, e.g. for ventilation · CPC title