Humidity control apparatus

Abstract

A humidity control apparatus ( 10 ) includes: a casing ( 11 ); exhaust and air-supplying fans ( 25, 26 ) and dampers ( 41 - 48, 83, 84 ) for exchanging the outside air and the room air with each other via air passageways ( 31 - 34, 37, 38, 81, 82 ) of the casing ( 11 ); and a refrigerant circuit ( 50 ) for controlling the humidity of the air passing through the air passageways. The humidity control apparatus ( 10 ) further includes a controller ( 60 ) for monitoring an abnormality inside the apparatus and determining the type of the detected abnormality. When the detected abnormality is an abnormality related to the refrigerant circuit ( 50 ) and is not an abnormality related to the exhaust and air-supplying fans ( 25, 26 ) and the dampers ( 41 - 48, 83, 84 ), the controller ( 60 ) stops the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerant circuit ( 50 ) to shut down the humidity-controlling mode, and keeps the ventilation mode available.

1 . A humidity control apparatus comprising:
 a casing including an air passageway formed therein; a ventilation mechanism for exchanging an outside air and a room air with each other via the air passageway of the casing; and   a refrigerant circuit for controlling a humidity of the air passing through the air passageway, wherein   a humidity-controlling mode is performed in which an air, of which a humidity is controlled by actuating the ventilation mechanism and causing the refrigerant circuit to perform a refrigeration cycle, is supplied into a room,   the humidity control apparatus further comprises an abnormality determination means for monitoring an abnormality inside the apparatus and determining a type of the detected abnormality,   when the detected abnormality is an abnormality related to the refrigerant circuit and is not an abnormality related to the ventilation mechanism, the abnormality determination means stops the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerant circuit to shut down the humidity-controlling mode and keeps available a ventilation mode in which the ventilation mechanism is actuated to exchange the outside air and the room air with each other.   
     
     
         2 . The humidity control apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 when the detected abnormality is an abnormality related to the ventilation mechanism, the abnormality determination means shuts down the ventilation mechanism and stops the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerant circuit to shut down the humidity-controlling mode.   
     
     
         3 . The humidity control apparatus of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein
 the ventilation mechanism includes an exhaust fan provided in the casing for discharging an air to an outside, and an air-supplying fan provided in the casing for supplying an air into the room, and   the abnormality related to the ventilation mechanism includes an abnormality of the exhaust fan and the air-supplying fan.   
     
     
         4 . The humidity control apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein,
 the ventilation mechanism includes an open/close mechanism provided in the casing for connecting/disconnecting the air passageway, and   the abnormality related to the ventilation mechanism includes an abnormality of the open/close mechanism.   
     
     
         5 . The humidity control apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 a compressor, a four-way switching valve and an expansion valve are connected to the refrigerant circuit and   the abnormality related to the refrigerant circuit includes an abnormality of the compressor, the four-way switching valve and the expansion valve.