Patent Publication Number: US-7902486-B2

Title: Air conditioner, method of controlling the same, temperature setting device and method of controlling the same

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an air conditioner that is equipped with an operating device having an analog operating member and sets a set temperature of an indoor unit in accordance with an operation of the analog operating member, a method of controlling the air conditioner, a temperature setting device for the air conditioner, and a method of controlling the temperature setting device. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     There is known an air conditioner for air-conditioning each guest room of a hotel or the like that is equipped with an operating device having a temperature adjusting dial, detects an analog value (for example, a voltage value) continuously-variable in accordance with an operation of the temperature adjusting dial and sets the set temperature of a room to be air-conditioned on the basis of the thus-detected analog value (JP-A-7-305882, for example). In this type of air conditioner, the setting of the set temperature is carried out by each of plural indoor units to which respective operating devices are connected, and required power of each indoor unit determined on the basis of the set temperature and the room temperature is transmitted to an outdoor unit through data communication, and the outdoor unit drives a compressor with the driving power corresponding to the required power from each indoor unit. 
     In the construction of the air conditioner described above, the relationship between an analog value indicating the rotational position of the temperature adjusting dial and the set temperature set on the basis of the analog value is fixed to one-to-one correspondence relationship, and when the operable temperature range of each indoor unit is varied in accordance with the operation mode, for example when it is set to the range from 18° C. to 30° C. under cooling operation and also set to the range from 16° C. to 26° C. under heating operation, the variable range of the set temperature corresponding to the variable range of the analog value is set to the range from 16° to 30° C., that is, the range from the minimum temperature to the maximum temperature of all the operation modes. 
     However, if the variable range of the set temperature is set to the range from the minimum temperature to the maximum temperature of all the operation modes, an unchangeable range in which the set temperature is not changeable because the set temperature is out of the set temperature range to which the indoor unit is adaptable even when the temperature adjusting dial is operated occurs every operation mode. For example, when the operable temperature range under cooling operation is from 18° C. to 30° C., the set temperature is fixed to 18° and unchangeable from this temperature even when the temperature adjusting dial is operated to the position corresponding to the temperature from 16° C. to 18° C. Furthermore, when the operable temperature range under heating operation is from 16° C. to 26° C., the set temperature is fixed to 26° C. and unchangeable from this temperature even when the temperature adjusting dial is operated to the position corresponding to the temperature from 26° C. to 30° C. 
     As described above, when the unchangeable range in which the set temperature is unchangeable occurs, an operation range which can be allocated every set temperature is narrowed by the amount corresponding to the unchangeable range, and thus the frequency at which the temperature adjusting dial is located at a set temperature switching point is increased. In this case, when the temperature adjusting dial is located at a set temperature switching point, the set temperature concerned is repetitively changed between the temperatures before and after the switching point irrespective of the non-operation of the temperature adjusting dial, and thus the transmission processing of the required power is frequently executed in accordance with the change of the set temperature, so that the communication line between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit is congested. 
     Furthermore, the operable temperature range of the indoor unit is also varied in accordance with the type of the indoor unit. When the set temperatures satisfying the operable temperature ranges of these types are allocated within the operation range of the temperature adjusting dial in order to adapt to all the types as described above, there occurs an unchangeable range in which the set temperature is unchangeable even when the temperature adjusting dial is operated, resulting in occurrence of the congestion of the communication line. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner that can eliminate an unchangeable range in which set temperature is unchangeable despite variation in the operation mode or the type of the air conditioner even when an analog operating member is operated, a method of controlling the air conditioner, a temperature setting device for the air conditioner, and a method of controlling the temperature setting device. 
     In order to attain the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an air conditioner including an outdoor unit and at least one indoor unit comprising: an operating device provided to the indoor unit, the operating device being equipped with an analog operating member for setting a set temperature of the indoor unit and outputting an indication value that is associated with the set temperature and continuously varies in accordance with an operation of the analog operating member; and a set temperature adjusting unit for changing a variable range of the set temperature corresponding to a variable range of the indication value on the basis of at least one of an operation mode of the indoor unit and the type of the indoor unit. 
     According to the above construction, the variable range of the set temperature corresponding to the variable range of the indication value continuously varying in accordance with the operation of the analog operating member can be changed on the basis of at least one of the operation mode of the indoor unit and the type of the indoor unit. Therefore, an unchangeable range in which the set temperature is not changed even when the analog operating member is operated can be eliminated. 
     In the above construction, the set temperature adjusting unit may make the variable range of the set temperature corresponding to the variable range of the indication value substantially coincident with an operable temperature range of the indoor unit. 
     In the above construction, the set temperature adjusting unit may set the lower limit temperature of the operable temperature range of the present operation mode of the indoor unit as the set temperature when the indication value is the minimum value, and set the upper limit temperature of the operable temperature range of the present operation mode of the indoor unit as the set temperature. 
     In the above construction, the set temperature adjusting unit may convert the indication value to the corresponding set temperature according to a conversion rule in which the correlation between the indication value and the set temperature has a linear characteristic. 
     In the above construction, the set temperature setting unit may be equipped with a communication unit for transmitting a set temperature set on the basis of the indication value to the indoor unit at a time interval, and a transmission cancel unit for monitoring a variation amount of the set temperature and canceling transmission of the set temperature from the communication unit when the variation amount of the set temperature is equal to a predetermined set value or less. 
     According to the above construction, when the variation amount of the set temperature is not more than the predetermined set value, the transmission of the set temperature is canceled and thus there can be avoided such a case that the set temperature is transmitted under the state that the analog operating member is kept to be stopped at the set temperature switching point. Therefore, the congestion of the communication line between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit can be avoided. 
     In the above construction, the transmission cancel unit may further monitor at least one of whether a predetermined set time has not yet elapsed from the setting time of the set temperature and whether the operation mode is changed or not, and cancel the transmission of the set temperature from the communication unit when the predetermined time has not yet elapsed or the operation mode is unchanged, and also when the variation amount of the set temperature is equal to the predetermined set value or less. 
     In the above construction, the analog operating member may be a temperature adjusting dial. 
     According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling an air conditioner including an outdoor unit and at least one indoor unit equipped with an operating device for outputting an indication value varying continuously in accordance with an operation of an analog operating member, comprising the steps of: setting a set temperature of the indoor unit on the basis of the indication value of the operating device; and changing a variable range of the set temperature corresponding to a variable range of the indication value on the basis of at least one of the operation mode of the indoor unit and the type of the indoor unit. 
     According to the above method, the variable range of the set temperature corresponding to the variable range of the indication value can be changed on the basis of at least one of the operation mode of the indoor unit and the type of the indoor unit, and thus the unchangeable range in which the set temperature is not changed even when the analog operating member is operated can be eliminated. 
     According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a temperature setting device for setting a set temperature of equipment comprising: an operating device equipped with an analog operating member for setting a set temperature of the indoor unit, the operating device outputting an indication value that is associated with the set temperature and continuously varies in accordance with an operation of the analog operating member; and a set temperature adjusting unit for changing a variable range of the set temperature corresponding to a variable range of the indication value on the basis of at least one of an operation mode of the equipment connected to the temperature setting device and the type of the equipment. 
     According to the above construction, the variable range of the set temperature corresponding to the variable range of the indication value that continuously varies in accordance with the operation of the analog operating member can be changed on the basis of at least one of the operation mode of the connected equipment and the type of the connected equipment, and thus the unchangeable range in which the set temperature is not changed even when the analog operating member is operated can be eliminated. 
     According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a temperature setting device equipped with an operating device for outputting an indication value varying continuously in accordance with an operation of an analog operating member, comprising the steps of: setting a set temperature of equipment on the basis of the indication value of the operating device; and changing a variable range of the set temperature corresponding to a variable range of the indication value on the basis of at least one of the operation mode of the equipment connected to the temperature setting device and the type of the equipment. 
     According to the above method, the variable range of the set temperature corresponding to the variable range of the indication value can be changed on the basis of at least one of the operation mode of the connected equipment and the type of the connected equipment, and thus the unchangeable range in which the set temperature is not changed even when the analog operating member is operated can be eliminated. 
     According to the present invention, the variable range of the set temperature corresponding to the variable range of the indication value that continuously varies in accordance with the operation of the analog operating member can be changed on the basis of at least one of the operation mode of the connected equipment and the type of the connected equipment, and thus the unchangeable range in which the set temperature is not changed even when the analog operating member is operated can be eliminated even when the operation mode or the type of the equipment (indoor unit) is changed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram showing the construction of an air conditioner according to an embodiment according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram showing an appearance of an operating device; 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram showing an electrical construction of the operating device; 
         FIG. 4  is a diagram showing table data; 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart showing the operation of the operating device; 
         FIG. 6A  is a diagram showing an example of the correlation between the voltage value and the set temperature under cooling operation, and  FIG. 6B  is a diagram showing an example of the correlation between the voltage value and the set temperature under heating operation; and 
         FIG. 7  is a diagram showing table data according to a modification. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Preferred embodiments according to the present invention will be described hereunder with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram showing the construction of an air conditioner  1  according to an embodiment of the present invention. The air conditioner  1  is set up in a building having plural rooms to be air-conditioned such as a hotel or the like, for example, and it comprises one outdoor unit  10 , plural indoor units  20  set up in the respective rooms to be air-conditioned, and a refrigerant pipe comprising inter-unit pipes  2  and  3 . 
     The outdoor unit  10  is set up outdoors. The outdoor unit  10  comprises a compressor  11  for compressing refrigerant, a four-way valve  12  for reversing the circulating direction of the refrigerant, an outdoor heat exchanger  13  for heat-exchanging the refrigerant with outdoor air, an outdoor expansion valve  14  for reducing the pressure of the refrigerant, an accumulator  15 , and a receiver tank  16  which are connected to one another through a pipe, and also it further comprises an outdoor air blower  17  for blowing the outdoor air to the outdoor heat exchanger  13 , and an outdoor controller  18  for controlling the above elements. 
     The indoor unit  20  is set up on the ceiling, wall or the like of a room to be air-conditioned. The indoor unit  20  comprises an indoor heat exchanger  21  and an indoor expansion valve  22  which are connected to each other through a pipe, and it further comprises an indoor air blower  23  for blowing indoor air to the indoor heat exchanger  21 , and an indoor controller  24  for controlling the indoor expansion valve  22  and the indoor air blower  23 . The outdoor controller  18  and the indoor controller  24  are connected to each other through a communication line L 1  so that data communications can be performed therebetween, and an operating device (temperature setting device)  30  is connected to the indoor controller  24  through a communication line L 2 . 
     In the above-described air conditioner  1 , the four-way is switched so that the refrigerant flows in the direction of an arrow of solid line, whereby the outdoor heat exchanger  13  is made to function as a condenser and the indoor heat exchanger  21  is made to function as an evaporator to carry out cooling operation and dry operation. In addition, the four-way is switched so that the refrigerant flows in the direction of an arrow of dashed line, whereby the outdoor heat exchanger  13  is made to function as an evaporator and the indoor heat exchanger  21  is made to function as a condenser to carry out heating operation. 
       FIG. 2  is a diagram showing the outer appearance of the operating device  30 , and  FIG. 3  is a diagram showing the electrical construction of the operating device  30 . The operating device  30  is a device for notifying the set temperature to the indoor controller  24 , and it comprises a setup panel  31  for setting up the operating device  30  itself on the wall of the room to be air-conditioned, and a temperature adjusting dial  32  mounted on the setup panel  31  through a variable-resistance portion  35  ( FIG. 2 ) so as to be freely rotatable around the center C thereof. Here, the variable resistance portion  35  is fixed to a circuit board (not shown) fixed to the setup panel  31 , and the resistance value is variable in accordance with the rotational operation of the temperature adjusting dial  32 . 
     The setup panel  31  are marked with calibrations containing “OFF” indicating the operation stop instructing position of the indoor unit  20 , “MIN” indicating the lower limit position of the resistance adjustable range of the variable resistance portion  35 , “MAX” indicating the upper limit value, etc. Furthermore, an index portion  32 A is marked on the temperature adjusting dial  32 , and the range from “OFF” to “MAX” in which the index portion  32 A indicates is restricted to the operable range of the temperature adjusting dial  32 . 
     Furthermore, the range AR 1  from “MIN” to “MAX” indicated by the index portion  32 A of the temperature adjusting dial  32  corresponds to the variable range in which the resistance value of the variable resistance portion  35  is continuously variable. At the position where the index portion  32 A is set to indicate “OFF”, the variable resistance portion  35  is set to an operation stop instruction state which is allocated to the variable resistance portion  35 . For example, in the above construction, under this state, electrical wires  36 A and  36 B are kept to be disconnected to each other. 
     In addition to the variable resistance portion  35 , a voltage detector  36 , a controller (set voltage adjusting means)  37 , a memory  38  and a communicating portion  39  are provided on the circuit board of the operating device  30  as shown in  FIG. 3 . The voltage detector  36  is connected to the variable resistance portion  35  through two electrical wires  36 A and  36 B. One of the electrical wires is supplied with current to generate the voltage corresponding to the resistance value of the variable resistor portion  35 , and the voltage occurring between the electrical wires  36 A and  36 B is detected to thereby detect a voltage value (indicated value) V 1  which is continuously varied in accordance with the operation of the temperature adjusting dial  32 . Accordingly, the voltage detector  36  functions as an operation detecting unit for detecting the operation of the temperature adjusting dial  32 . In this embodiment, the operating device is designed so that when the index portion  32 A of the temperature adjusting dial  32  is moved within the range AR 1 , the voltage value V 1  is set to continuously vary between 0V and 10V. 
     The controller  37  controls each of the parts of the operating device  30 , and it reads out various kinds of data such as program data, etc. stored in the memory  38  and carries out conversion processing of converting the voltage value (indicated value) V 1  detected by the voltage detector  36  to a set temperature TS, communication processing, etc. Furthermore, the communicating portion  39  carries out data communications with the indoor controller  24  through the communication line L 2  under the control of the controller  37 . 
     In this construction, table data D 1  indicating the operable temperature range of each operation mode of the indoor unit  20  are stored in a non-volatile memory of the indoor controller  24 . More specifically, the upper limit value Ak (k=1 to 4) and the lower limit value (k=1 to 4) of the operable temperature range of each of all the operation modes (cooling operation, heating operation, dry operation, cooling/heating automatic operation) of the indoor unit  20  are stored in the table data D 1  as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     Next, the operation of the operating device  30  will be described.  FIG. 5  is a flowchart showing the operation of the operating device  30 . When a power-on operation is carried out in this operating device  30 , that is, the temperature adjusting dial  32  is rotated from the “OFF” position to another position “any position in the range AR 1  between “MIN” and “MAX”), the controller  37  detects the operation concerned through the voltage value V 1  notified from the voltage detector  36  and communicates with the indoor controller  24  (step S 1 ). 
     When the communication (initial communication) is carried out after the power-on operation described above, the controller  37  requests the information of the operable temperature of each operation mode of the indoor unit  20  to the indoor controller  24 , and achieves the information of the upper limit value AK and the lower limit value Bk of the operable temperature of each operation mode described in the table data D 1  stored in the non-volatile memory of the indoor controller  24 . 
     Subsequently, on the basis of the thus-achieved information, the controller  37  creates a conversion table for converting the voltage value V 1  detected by the voltage detector  336  to the corresponding set temperature TS every operation mode (step S 2 ). This conversion table is a conversion table for setting the variable range of the voltage V 1  to the operable temperature range of each operation mode. For example, when the operable temperature range under cooling operation is from the lower limit value 18° C. to the upper limit value 30° C., a conversion table having the correlation between the voltage value V 1  and the set temperature TS shown in  FIG. 6A  is created. In the conversion table concerned, the minimum value 0V of the voltage value V 1  is set to correspond to the lower limit temperature 18° C. of the cooling operation, the maximum value 10V of the voltage value V 1  is set to correspond to the upper limit temperature 30° C. of the cooling operation and the other values of the voltage value V 1  other than the above values are equally shared to the respective operable temperatures of the cooling operation. When the operable temperature range under heating operation is from the lower value of 16° C. to the upper limit value 26° C., there is created a conversion table for setting the variable range of the set temperature TS corresponding to the variable range of the voltage value V 1  to the range from 16° C. to 26° C. as shown in  FIG. 6B . 
     That is, according to the above construction, a conversion table having such a conversion rule that the variable range of the set temperature TS corresponding to the variable range of the voltage value V 1  is substantially coincident with the operable temperature range inherent to the operation mode and the correlation between the voltage value V 1  and the set temperature TS has a linear characteristic is created every operation mode. The present invention is not limited to the above method of creating the table data associating the voltage value V 1  and the set temperature TS as the conversion table, but the conversion table may be calculated by using a calculation method for calculating the set temperature TS from the voltage value V 1 . 
     The controller  37  judges at a predetermined time interval which one of cooling operation, heating operation, dry operation and cooling/heating automatic operation the present operation mode corresponds to, and the controller  37  starts the set temperature setting processing for setting the set temperature TS from the voltage value V 1  by using the conversion table corresponding to the present operation mode (step S 3 ). In this set temperature setting processing, when change of the operation mode is detected, the present conversion table is switched to the conversion table corresponding to the operation mode after the change of the operation mode, and the processing described above is executed by using the conversion table adapted to the present operation mode at all times. 
     In this set temperature setting processing, the controller  37  carries out the processing of detecting the voltage value V 1  every 5 msec, truncating the maximum and minimum values from these detected voltage values after the voltage value V 1  is detected ten times, calculating the average value V 1 A the residual eight detected voltage values and setting the set temperature TS from the average value V 1 A by using the conversion table. The controller  37  carries out the above processing ten times, and if the same set temperature TS is detected at at least eight times out of the ten times in the above ten-times processing, the controller  37  judges that the value is valid. That is, the controller  37  sets an effective set temperature TS once per 500 milliseconds at earliest. 
     The set temperature thus set is successively stored in the memory  38 , and at least the last (just preceding) set temperature TS and the last-but-one set temperature TS are held in the memory  38  at all times. In the following description, the last (just preceding) set temperature TS is represented by TS- 1 , the last-but-one set temperature TS is represented by TS- 2 , and the present set temperature TS is represented by TS- 0  for the sake of convenience of description. 
     Next, when the controller  37  achieves the set temperature TS- 0  judged as being valid (step S 4 ), the controller  37  executes the transmission judging processing as to whether the set temperature TS- 0  should be transmitted to the indoor controller  24  (steps S 5  to S 8 ). Described in more detail, the controller  37  first judges whether the operation mode in the set temperature setting processing of the last set temperature is coincident with the operation mode in the set temperature setting processing of the last-but-one set temperature (a condition  1  is satisfied) or not (step S 5 ). If the condition C 1  is not satisfied, that is, the operation mode is changed (step S 5 : NO), the present set temperature TS- 0  is transmitted to the indoor controller  24  by the communicating portion  39  (step S 10 ), and then the processing shifts to the processing of step S 4 . Accordingly, after the operation mode is changed, the set temperature TS- 0  is certainly transmitted to the indoor controller  24  for a while. Therefore, after the operation mode is changed, the information indicating the required power of the indoor unit concerned on the basis of the set temperature TS- 0  achieved from the present rotational position of the temperature adjusting dial  32  and the indoor temperature is transmitted to the outdoor controller  18 , and the outdoor controller  18  can rapidly operate the compressor  11  with the operation power satisfying the required power of the indoor unit  20 . 
     On the other hand, if the condition C 1  is satisfied, that is, the operation mode is unchanged (step S 5 : YES), the controller  37  judges whether the variation amount between the last set temperature TS- 1  and the last-but-one set temperature TS- 2  is equal to a set value (1° C.) or less (a condition C 2  is satisfied) (step S 6 ). If the controller  37  judges that the condition C 2  is not satisfied, the controller  37  can judge that a user is operating the temperature adjusting dial  32 , and thus shifts the processing to step S 9  to transmit the present set temperature TS- 0  to the indoor controller  24 . On the other hand, if it is judged that the condition C 2  is satisfied, the controller  37  judges whether the variation amount between the last-but-one set temperature TS- 2  and the present set temperature TS- 0  is equal to zero (a condition C 3  is satisfied) (step S 7 ). 
     Here, when the condition C 3  is not satisfied (step S 7 : NO), the controller  376  judges that the user is operating the temperature adjusting dial  32 , and thus the controller  37  shifts the processing to step S 9  to transmit the present set temperature TS- 0  to the indoor controller  24 . On the other hand, if the condition C 3  is satisfied (step S 7 : YES), it is judged whether a predetermined set time (for example, 30 seconds) does not elapse from the setting time of the last set temperature (a condition C 4  is satisfied) (step S 8 ). 
     If the controller  37  judges that the condition C 4  is not satisfied (step S 8 : NO), the controller  37  shifts the processing to step S 9  to transmit the present set temperature TS- 0  to the indoor controller  24  and then shifts the processing to step S 3 . On the other hand, if the controller  37  judges that the condition c 4  is satisfied (step S 8 : YES), the controller  37  shifts the processing to step S 4 , so that the controller  37  newly executes the set temperature setting processing without transmitting the present set temperature TS- 0  to the indoor controller  24 . That is, when the controller  37  judges that all the conditions C 1  to C 4  are satisfied, the controller  37  functions as a transmission cancel unit for ceasing the transmission processing of the present set temperature TS- 0 , and thus canceling the transmission of the set temperature. The foregoing operation is the operation of the operating device  30 . 
     In this construction, the operating device  10  achieves the information of the operable temperature of each operation mode of the indoor unit by communicating with the indoor control device  24 , and on the basis of the information concerned the operating device  10  creates a conversion table for each operation mode in which the variable range of the set temperature TS corresponding to the variable range of the voltage value V 1  indicating the operation of the operating device  10  is made substantially coincident with the operable temperature range of each operation mode. Therefore, the variable range of the set temperature TS corresponding to the variable range of the voltage value V 1  can be changed in accordance with the operation mode. Therefore, any unchangeable range in which the set temperature is not changeable even when the temperature adjusting dial  32  is operated can be eliminated, and thus each operation range allocated every set temperature can be broadened. Accordingly, the frequency at which the temperature adjusting dial  32  is located at a set temperature switching point can be reduced. 
     Furthermore, in the above construction, the operating device  10  cancels the transmission of the set temperature TS- 0  when the following four conditions C 1  to C 4  are satisfied: the operation mode under the setting processing of the last set temperature and the operation mode under the setting processing of the last-but-one set temperature are coincident with each other (the condition  1 ); the variation amount between the last set temperature TS- 1  and the last-but-one set temperature TS- 2  is equal to the set value (1° C.) or less (the condition C 2 ); the variation amount between the last-but-one set temperature TS- 2  and the present set temperature TS- 0  is equal to zero (the condition C 3 ); and a predetermined set time (for example, 30 seconds) has not yet elapsed from the setting time of the last set temperature (the condition C 4 ). Therefore, the set temperature is not transmitted when the operation mode is unchanged, the variation amount of the set temperature is not more than the predetermined value and also the set time has not yet elapsed from the setting time of the last set temperature. 
     Here, the state where the variation amount of the set temperature is not more than predetermined value corresponds to a case where the temperature adjusting dial  32  is kept to be stopped at a position other than the set temperature switching points and the variation amount of the set temperature is equal to zero or a case where the temperature adjusting dial is kept to be stopped at a set temperature switching point and the set temperature is repetitively changed between the temperatures before and after the set temperature switching points (for example, 24° C.→25° C.→24° C.→, . . . ). In this construction, under the above state, the set temperature is not transmitted until the operation mode is changed or the predetermined time (30 seconds) elapses from the time when the last set temperature is set, so that the transmission frequency of the set temperature can be reduced. 
     In this case, when it is assumed that the set temperature is transmitted under the state that the temperature adjusting dial  32  is kept to be stopped at the set temperature switching point, the set temperature frequently varies within the range of 1° C. and thus this variation of the set temperature is treated as a variation of the required power in the indoor controller  24 . Therefore, the communication amount between the indoor unit  20  and the outdoor unit  10  is increased, which causes congestion of the communication lines among the outdoor unit  10  and the plural indoor units  20 . On the other hand, according to the construction of the present invention, under the above state the transmission interval of the set temperature is increased, and thus the congestion of the communication lines among the outdoor unit  10  and the plural indoor units  20  can be avoided. 
     The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, in the above-described embodiment, when the four conditions C 1  to C 4  are satisfied, the transmission of the set temperature is canceled. However, the transmission of the set temperature may be canceled at least under the state that the temperature adjusting dial is set so that the set temperature is kept to be stopped at a switching point, and for example when the variation amount of the set temperature is not more than a predetermined value (for example, 1° C. or less), the transmission of the set temperature may be canceled at all times, or the above condition may be suitably changed. 
     Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the information indicating the operable temperature range of each operation mode for each of plural types of indoor units  20  (for example, a four-way cassette type, a built-in cassette type, etc.) may be stored in the table data D 1  as shown in  FIG. 7 . In this case, the operating device  30  specifies the type of the indoor unit  20  by communicating with the indoor controller  24 , and creates the conversion table corresponding to the specified type. According to this construction, the operating device  30  may be commonly used for an air conditioner having different types of indoor units  20  or an air conditioner in which different indoor units  20  are mixed. 
     Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the table data D 1  indicating the operable temperature range of each operation mode of the indoor unit  20  is stored in the non-volatile memory of the indoor controller  24 . However, the table data D 1  may be stored in the memory  38  of the operating device  30 . Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the voltage V 1  varying continuously in accordance with the operation of the temperature adjusting dial  32  is detected. However, the resistance value varying continuously in accordance with the operation of the temperature adjusting dial  32  may be detected. Furthermore, a rotation detector for detecting the rotational position of the temperature adjusting dial  32  may be provided so that the rotational position of the temperature adjusting dial is directly detected through the rotation detector. Still furthermore, in place of the temperature adjusting dial  32 , another type of analog operating member which can carry out an analog operation may be applied. 
     In the above-described embodiment, the present invention is applied to the operating device of the air conditioner. However, the operating device of the present invention may be broadly applied to a temperature setting device used for general refrigerating apparatuses such as a gas heat pump type air conditioner, an absorption type refrigerating machine, a refrigerator, an automatic dispenser, a showcase, etc.