JPS602836A - Switching mechanism of air flow rate regulator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a damper switching mechanism capable of automatically regulating the air flow rate of a diffuser of an air conditioner by elevationally moving an inner cone by a shape memory alloy for an outer cone disposed in the diffuser. CONSTITUTION:A blower motor 13 is driven by a signal from a control circuit 12 in the state that a damper switching mechanism 20 is opened, and the blown air is passed between an outer cone 6 and an inner cone 4. Since the energization of a power source input terminal 9 is not performed by the circuit 12 at this time, an electric heater 2 is not operated, an a coiled shape memory alloy 1 maintains a compressed state. When the motor 13 is stopped, the terminal 9 is simultaneously energized, and the alloy 1 heater 2 is elongated upwardly by the shape memory effect. Thus, the cone 4 is raised. Then, the cone 6 is closed by a packing 8 provided in the cone 4.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an opening/closing mechanism for an air volume regulator.

Conventional 1. Among air conditioners in buildings, etc., in particular,
The current situation is that the air volume at the outlet is adjusted and set during a trial run, but then the system is operated without any adjustments being made. Therefore, the situation at the time of trial operation is different from that at the time of actual operation. Moreover, adjusting all the air outlets each time according to the actual operation is time-consuming and almost impossible, and there is a problem that sufficient air conditioning cannot be achieved for each chapter. be.

By the way, regarding the air conditioning system for the air outlet of an air conditioner, there are two types: a duct type air conditioner and a ductless large air conditioner. Each of these employs a different air volume adjustment method. In other words, for air conditioners equipped with tact-type air conditioners, a method is adopted in which the static pressure is adjusted using a damper in the main or branch duct, or a method is adopted in which the rotational speed of the blower is controlled according to the static pressure. ing.

However, in the case of a duct type air conditioner, the air volume adjustment at the outlet is as described above, but it is rarely adjusted during operation, and when making adjustments, you have to go to the outlet and blow it by hand. I had to adjust the exit windshield damper.

The methods of adjusting the air flow at the outlet of a ductless air conditioner include manual ring damper control, manual fan motor rotation speed control, and stepless control of the number of rotations using a thyristor. methods are being adopted. In the case of manual and thyristor-based rotation speed control, it can be operated remotely using a switch or room thermostat, but in the case of a link damper,
As with the duct system, the air outlet is heavy and must be operated by hand.

In addition, with this tactless type, no measures are taken against static pressure in the ceiling, so if the indoor thermostat stops the outlet fan motor, the static pressure in the ceiling will act and the fan will idle. The problem is that air corresponding to the pressure difference between the internal pressure and the internal pressure is naturally blown into the room, making it difficult to adjust the room temperature. The present invention provides an opening/closing mechanism for an air volume regulator that can automatically adjust the air volume of an air outlet in response to an external command from a control circuit, a smoke detector, a thermostat, or the like. Furthermore, when the air blowing at the outlet of a ductless air conditioner stops, the flow of air at the damper part is completely stopped, thereby eliminating the problems of the prior art and preventing a drop in the static pressure in the ceiling. At the same time, it is an object of the present invention to provide an opening/closing mechanism for an air volume regulator that has the effect of sufficiently blowing air to the end portions of each room or to rooms where the room temperature does not reach the specified temperature.

The features of this invention include: an air volume regulator having a colored external cone at the outlet of an air conditioner and at least one internal cone disposed below the external cone; An opening/closing mechanism for an air volume regulator that moves an internal cone up and down and adjusts air volume by comprising a shape memory alloy that moves up and down with respect to the external cone and a heater that heats the shape memory alloy. .

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view of a so-called damper opening/closing mechanism 2 (1), which is an opening/closing mechanism of an air volume regulator showing an embodiment of the present invention.

The damper opening/closing mechanism 20 includes a damper 14 (airflow regulator) fixed to the ceiling panel 11 (or the same applies to ceiling decorative panels), a control circuit 12 for controlling opening/closing of this damper 14, and a control circuit 12 arranged at the rear of the damper 14. The air blower motor 13 and its fan 1'3a are constructed.

Here, the tamper 14 includes an inner cone 4 and an outer cone 6, and the outer cone 6 is fixed to a ceiling frame or a support member on the ceiling side (not shown) with a hanging fitting or the like. The external cone 6 is attached to a bracket 7 as shown in the figure.
The decorative bottom plate 5 is supported via (fixed support wings). A mounting base 3 is installed on the medium heat section of the decorative bottom plate 5, and a cylindrical electric heater 2 is installed on the mounting base. A shape memory alloy 1 wound into a coil is disposed on the outside of this cylindrical shape, and its upper tip side supports the center portion of the inner cone 4 via an insulator 2a. Therefore, the inner cone 4 moves upward due to the upward expansion of the shape memory alloy, returns to the illustrated state, and moves downward, and returns to the illustrated state of the damper. Become.

Here, the bracket 7 is screwed to the external cone B. The electric heater 2 is also attached to the mounting base 6 installed at the center of the decorative bottom plate 5 supported by the bracket 7 using screws. Note that this mounting base 6 is made of an insulating material with heat insulation properties.

Now, with this configuration, the shape memory base metal 1 and the electric heater 2 can be removed, and can be easily replaced if the exercise performance deteriorates.

The cylindrical electric heater 2 attached to this mounting base 3 is
It has a heater wire inside and is wound into a cylindrical shape. The connection of this heater wire is that it is led from a source input terminal 9 arranged on the external cone 6 and guided to the bracket 7.

Here, a nichrome wire or the like is used as the heater wire (heating element), and is wound around the electric heater 2 in order to uniformly heat the shape memory alloy 1, which is the object to be heated.

On the other hand, when the heat generation temperature of the electric heater 2 becomes higher than the shape memory temperature of the coiled shape memory alloy 1, the coiled shape memory alloy 1 expands upward until the inner cone 4 comes into close contact with the periphery of the outer cone. Here, the electric heater 2 also serves as a guide column, and includes a shape memory alloy 1 and an insulator 2a provided above the shape memory alloy 1 so as to be movable up and down with respect to the electric heater 2.

Then, the inner cone 4 attached to this insulator 2a is guided. This is shape memory alloy 1. This configuration is to ensure accurate vertical movement of the insulator 2a and the internal cone 4.

Note that a packing 8 is wound around all the outer edges of the inner cone 4 attached to the upper part of the shape memory alloy 1.

The control circuit 12 also has a power input terminal for heating the aforementioned heater wire when a stop signal is sent to the fan motor 16 or when power supply to the fan motor 16 is stopped by a thermostat or a manual switch. 9 is arranged to be energized.

By configuring as described above, the damper opening/closing mechanism 20 can operate the electric heater 2 in response to a control signal from the control circuit 12.
The internal cone 4 moves up and down to open and close when the cone generates heat or stops generating heat.

In addition, when controlling the opening degree of the internal damper 4 in stages, a plurality of shape memory alloys 1a are used, as shown in the next embodiment.

By dividing it into 1b and 1c and supporting and operating it,
Step-by-step control is now possible.

Next, its overall operation will be explained.

FIG. 1 shows the damper opening/closing mechanism 20 in an open state. The blower motor 13 is activated by a signal from the control circuit 12.
is driven, and the sent air passes between the outer cone 6 and the inner cone 4. Therefore, when the damper opening/closing mechanism 20 is in the open state, the power supply input terminal 9 is not energized by the control circuit 12. the result,
The electric heater 2 does not operate, and the coiled shape memory alloy 1
maintains its contracted state.

FIG. 2 shows the damper opening/closing mechanism 20 in a closed state. By energizing the power input terminal 9 at the same time as the blower motor 13 stops, the electric motor 2 uniformly generates heat in each part of the electric heater 2 at the shape memory temperature 1 of the coiled shape memory alloy 1. Then, the coiled shape memory alloy 1 that has been uniformly heated to the shape memory temperature by the electric heater 2 has a shape memory effect, which causes it to try to return to its original shape, and is guided by the electric heater 2. It grows upwards.

Here, the inner cone 4 has a concentric seal 8 formed on the outer end of the inner cone 4 and rises above the shape memory alloy 1 in a groove inscribed in the outer cone 6. The outer cone 6 is then closed by the packing 8 applied to the inner cone 4.

From the closed state of the damper opening/closing mechanism 20 shown in FIG.
The transition to the open state shown in FIG. 1 occurs when the control circuit 12 detects the starting signal of the blower motor 16 and stops energizing the power input terminal 9, causing the heat exchanger 2 to stop generating heat. This is done by finishing the heating of the shape memory alloy 1.

Due to the shape memory temperature, the shape memory alloy 1, which maintains its original shape of an elongated coil, is cooled by the airflow from above, and when it reaches a certain temperature, it begins to change shape and shrinks, as shown in Figure 2. Return to shape.

The inner cone 4 is guided by the shape memory alloy 1 and the electric heater 2 and gradually descends, as shown in FIG.
The damper opening/closing mechanism 2o is in the open state, and the blower motor 1
The air sent from '1 passes between the outer cone 6 and the inner cone 4.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in which the same reference numerals indicate the same components as in the previous embodiment.

The difference in structure from the previous embodiment is that the electric heating heel 2 of the damper opening/closing mechanism 20 is of a split type.

FIG. 4 is a wiring diagram of a split type electric heater 2. FIG.

By dividing the electric heating heater i2 into three parts, a coiled shape memory alloy 1a.
, 1b, 1c are three heater wires 21. of the electric heater 2.
Corresponding to 22 and 23, a heat insulator 2b.

2c.

The stepwise opening/closing control of the damper opening/closing mechanism 20 configured as described above is carried out by the control circuit 12, and the electric heater 2 is controlled by the control circuit 12 according to the rotational speed of the blower motor 16, as shown in FIG. Switches 21a, 22a.

This is done by selectively supplying electricity sequentially from the upper part, the middle part, and the lower part through 23a. That is, as the electric heater 2 sequentially generates heat upward from the upper part 2a1 to the middle part 2b and the lower part 2C, the shape memory alloys 1a, 1b, and 1c also extend upward in stages from the upper part. As a result, the upward movement of the internal cone 4, which has been added above the upper shape memory alloy 1a, is a heating stage for the shape memory alloys 1a, 1b, and 1c arranged according to the respective heat generating parts of the electric heater 2. This means that it can be controlled in stages. Also, internal cone 4
On the contrary, the downward movement of the shape memory alloy 1a is controlled by gradually stopping the current supply to each heat generating part of the electric heater 2 and gradually contracting the upper shape memory alloy 1a.

Since the configuration is as described above, the following effects can be obtained in the embodiment.

(1) When the blower motor is stopped, the flow of air from the blower outlet can be completely blocked, thereby preventing a drop in the static pressure in the ceiling and producing an energy saving effect.

(2) Since the static pressure in the ceiling does not decrease, it is easy to control the air volume near the end rooms of the air conditioner, and at the same time, it reduces errors in temperature distribution in each room, and at the same time prevents air from being blown to rooms that do not reach the specified room temperature. Be able to do it fully.

(3) By using a split type electric heater in the damper opening/closing mechanism, the air passing through the damper can be controlled in stages. Furthermore, in this duct type air conditioner, the air volume can be adjusted remotely using a switch installed in the room.

(4) If the temperature around the damper opening/closing mechanism rises abnormally such as when a fire occurs, the damper will automatically close as it will exceed a certain operating temperature, fulfilling the role of fire prevention and smoke prevention.

Although there is one inner cone 4 of the above-mentioned component, a plurality of inner cones 4 may be provided, if necessary, corresponding to the coiled shape memory alloy. In addition, the shapes of the external cone and internal cone are
It is not limited to a circular shape.

For electric heaters, a separate thermal shield cover shall be installed over the spring when the ambient temperature exceeds the permissible temperature range for operation. Of course, the divided type of electric heater is not limited to the three divided type of the second embodiment. In the example, an example of closing due to heat is given, but it may be controlled to open when the shape memory alloy is stretched. This is especially effective when expelling smoke.

The damper opening/closing mechanism according to the present invention can be made into a fire-proof and smoke-proof damper with the same configuration as the above-mentioned embodiment if the structure and material of the damper are selected so as to be fire-proof and smoke-proof. In this case, the damper opening/closing mechanism may be configured to be activated by a smoke detector and a heat sensor. Therefore, the damper opening/closing mechanism according to the present invention is also applicable to various fire prevention, smoke prevention, and smoke exhaust dampers (reverse operation).

The present damper opening/closing mechanism is applicable not only to a damper provided at an air outlet as a terminal of an air conditioner, but also to a damper for an air outlet in which the inside of the ceiling is an air chamber.

The present invention provides a damper having an external cone disposed at the outlet of an air equalization device and at least one internal cone disposed below the external cone, and a damper that includes an external cone disposed below the external cone. It is equipped with a shape memory alloy to move it up and down and a heater to heat this shape memory alloy, so it can be used from outside.

The damper can be easily opened and closed according to commands. the result,
This is particularly useful in hospitals, laboratories where animal experiments are carried out, etc., since the air volume can be easily adjusted during operation and errors in temperature distribution can be reduced in each room.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view of a damper opening/closing mechanism in an open state showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front sectional view of the damper opening/closing mechanism in a closed state, and FIG. 3 is a front sectional view of the damper opening/closing mechanism in a closed state. FIG. 4, a front sectional view of a damper opening/closing mechanism showing another embodiment, is a wiring diagram of the electric heater shown in FIG. 3. 1.1a, 1b, 1c... coiled shape memory alloy,
2. Frost, thermal heater and guide support, 2a, 2b. 2c...Insulator, 4...Internal cone, 5...Decorative bottom plate, 6...External cone, 7...Bracket, 8...
Packaging, 9...Power input terminal, 11...Ceiling, 12
...Control circuit, 16...Blower motor patent applicant Taisei Corporation Representative Patent attorney Tetsuya Mori Patent attorney Yoshiaki Naito Patent attorney Shimizu Seibu Kajiyama Bei Kore

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) An air volume regulator that adjusts an external cone disposed at an air outlet of an air conditioner and at least one internal cone disposed below the external cone, and an air volume controller that adjusts the internal cone above and below the external cone. An opening/closing mechanism for an air volume regulator, characterized by comprising a shape memory alloy for moving the shape memory alloy, and a heater for heating the shape memory alloy. (2) It has a coiled shape on the shape memory alloy, the heater is arranged as a guide inside this coiled shape memory alloy, and the inner cone is attached to the outer cone or the ceiling frame or ceiling to which the outer cone is attached. The opening/closing mechanism for an air volume regulator according to claim 1, wherein the opening/closing mechanism for an air volume regulator is supported by a side supporting member or the like via a bracket so as to be movable up and down.