CN111465810A

CN111465810A - Filter unit for air conditioner

Info

Publication number: CN111465810A
Application number: CN201780097637.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 郑超; 张锋; 巴里斯·坦耶尔德兹
Original assignee: West Technology Co ltd
Current assignee: West Technology Co ltd; Electrolux Appliances AB
Priority date: 2017-12-13
Filing date: 2017-12-13
Publication date: 2020-07-28
Also published as: BR112020011561A2; WO2019114951A1

Abstract

A filter unit (102) configured to be mounted on an air conditioner is provided. The filter unit comprises a moving member (106) holding at least one filter. The moving member is configured to be driven between at least a first position and a second position. Thereby, the filter of the moving part can be driven between a position in which air is filtered to a higher degree and a position in which air is filtered to a lower degree. The filter unit (102) may be part of an air conditioner, and the invention also relates to such an air conditioner.

Description

Filter unit for air conditioner

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an air conditioner. In particular, the present invention relates to a filter unit for an air conditioner.

Background

Air conditioning is a common expression for conditioning air to a desired state. It can heat air during cold periods, cool air during warmer periods, or be used to purify air if the air contains undesirable particles. However, the expression air conditioning is most often used when emphasis is given to cooling. As a product, air conditioners may look and be used in various forms and in various ways, but they all share the same basic technology. The air conditioner includes a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and generally an expansion device.

There are different types of air conditioners. One type of air conditioner may be referred to as a split air-conditioner. In a split type air conditioner, a condenser and an evaporator are located in two different separate units, which are connected to each other via pipes to circulate refrigerant from one unit to the other.

Another type of air conditioner may be referred to as a Packaged air conditioner. An integrated Air Conditioner (AC) may be said to be a self-contained type of system in which all cooling cycle components, such as the compressor, condenser, expansion device, evaporator, and control system, are enclosed in a single package.

Most air conditioners are provided with an air filter for filtering air passing through the air conditioner. In particular, when the air conditioner is of a split type, the air may be filtered in an indoor portion of the air conditioner. Filters are typically located inside or above (but before) the heat exchanger to collect dust or particles to provide better air quality in the indoor space in which the air conditioner is located. While providing better air quality, filters also typically have the negative effect of reducing the air flow through the air conditioner, which negatively impacts the performance of the air conditioner.

For example, CN 201476182U shows a filter unit that can be attached to an indoor unit of a split type air conditioner.

There is a continuing desire for improvements in air conditioners. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved air conditioner.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved air conditioner. In particular, it is an object to improve the filtration in air conditioners.

These objects and other objects are achieved by the air conditioner and filter unit as set out in the appended claims.

As the inventors have recognized, existing filter air filter mechanisms for air conditioners are designed to be small in size or rendered inefficient to avoid air flow rate drops. As a result, the filtering performance is very limited so as not to degrade the performance of the air conditioner. However, this is not desirable, particularly in areas subject to harsh air conditions such as smoke. Another example when compromising the air filtration is not desired is in indoor spaces with high requirements on air quality, such as hospitals or dwellings where people with high requirements on air quality live.

As the inventors have further recognized, conventional air conditioners are provided with a fixed filter solution pre-inserted or installed on the air conditioner. In such a fixed installation, the filter mechanism cannot take into account variations in air quality, and the filtration provided is constant even though the air quality may vary over a wide range.

Thus, according to the present invention, a filter unit is provided which can change the filtering function by switching the filter unit on or off, thereby enabling the filtering to be different at different points in time.

According to the present invention, there is provided a filter unit configured to be mounted on an air conditioner. The filter unit includes a moving member that holds at least one filter. The moving member is configured to be driven between at least a first position and a second position. Thereby, the filter of the moving part can be driven between a position in which air is filtered to a higher degree and a position in which air is filtered to a lower degree. In other words, the filtering may be changed by moving the moving member between at least a first position and a second position. The at least one filter may be implemented by a filter module placed in the moving part.

According to one embodiment, in the first position, the filter unit is configured in a fully closed position in which all air passing through the filter unit passes through the moving part. Thereby, a mode with a high degree of filtering can be obtained.

According to an embodiment, the moving part is configured to rotate between the at least first position and the second position. Thus, an efficient movement mechanism may be provided which is easy to implement and which may move the filter between an open position in which no or relatively little air passes through the filter and a closed position in which all or relatively much air passes through the filter.

According to one embodiment, the moving member is configured to move continuously between an open position and a closed position. Thus, only a portion of the air passing through the air conditioner may be filtered, while another portion enters the air conditioner unfiltered.

According to one embodiment, the filter unit is a separate unit with a separate power supply. Thus, the filter unit may be a stand-alone unit that may be purchased and installed separately from the air conditioner itself. It would then be possible to supplement an existing air conditioner with a filter unit, thereby providing all of the benefits provided by the filter unit as described herein.

According to one embodiment, a motor for driving the moving part is provided in the filter unit. Thereby, the filter unit can be automatically driven without relying on a drive device from an external source.

According to one embodiment, a particle sensor and or a gas sensor may be provided in the filter unit. Thus, filtering can be performed in response to existing air conditions, and only when it is determined that filtering is needed. According to one embodiment, a visual indicator may be used to indicate air quality. According to an embodiment, the filter unit is configured to set the position of the moving part in response to an output from the particle sensor and or gas sensor.

According to one embodiment, a remote control input is provided that is configured to receive an input signal to control a position of the moving part. Thereby, the user can set a desired position of the filter unit. For example, a user may wish to increase air conditioning at some point at the expense of air quality, and vice versa.

According to one embodiment, the filter unit is configured to be mounted on an air intake of an indoor unit of a split type air conditioner. Thus, the filter unit can be easily installed on an existing air conditioner without having to modify the existing air conditioner.

The invention also relates to an air conditioner with a filter unit according to the above. In particular, the air conditioner may be a split type air conditioner in which the filter unit is mounted on an air inlet of an indoor unit of the split type air conditioner.

Drawings

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

figures 1a and 1b show an overview of an openable filter unit for an air conditioner,

fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a filter unit installed at an indoor unit of an air conditioner, and

fig. 3 is an exploded view of the filter unit depicted in fig. 2.

Detailed Description

The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which certain embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. For example, the same or similar components of different embodiments may be interchanged between different embodiments. For example, the filter unit as described herein is shown mounted on an indoor unit of a split-type air conditioner, but the filter unit could equally be mounted on any type of air conditioner. Also, the filter unit is described as being placed on the air intake of the air conditioner, but it is also contemplated that the filter unit may be located at the air outlet. Some components may be omitted in different embodiments. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

As has been realized, it may be advantageous to adapt the air filtration to the current air filtration needs. This is obtained by a filter unit which can be placed in a first position, in which the filtering is performed, or in a second position, in which no filtering is performed or at least to a lesser extent than in the first position. Hereby is achieved that the filtering can be adapted to the current air filtering needs in the air conditioner.

In fig. 1a and 1b, an overall view of a filter unit 102 for an air conditioner is depicted. The filter unit 102 includes a frame 104 that holds the components of the filter unit 102. The filter unit 102 further comprises moving means 106 comprising at least one air filter 103 and a motor 108 for moving the moving means 106. By moving the moving part 106, air entering the air conditioner may be forced to pass through the at least one filter 103 of the moving part when the moving part is in the first position, or air may at least partially enter the air conditioner without passing through the filter of the moving part 106 when the moving part is in the second position. Thus, by moving the moving part between at least two positions, air entering the air conditioner is passed or not passed through the filter 103 of the filter unit. Thereby making it possible to perform filtering only when needed. In particular, the first position may be a fully closed position in which all air entering the air conditioner needs to pass through the filter. The second position may be a fully open position in which air entering the air conditioner does not pass through the filter. In fig. 1a and 1b, the moving part is opened and closed using a rotating mechanism, and the existing fan and airflow of the split type air conditioner are used. The filter unit may comprise a filter, a motor, e.g. a stepper motor. Further, a particulate matter measurement sensor may be provided to provide input to a controller configured to turn the filter unit on and off in response to measured particulate matter values. Furthermore, according to some embodiments, the filter unit may have a remote control that may be used to turn the filter unit on and off. The filters used may be electret and low pressure drop filters to provide better air purification. When the purified air is not required, the filter unit may be opened by rotating upward, and the air conditioner may continue to cool or heat without any performance loss.

Although a rotating mechanism is described herein, other mechanisms for changing the position of the moving member and thus the position of one or more filters are possible, such as other mechanisms that move the moving member back and forth between two positions, or any other known mechanism for changing the position of a moving member that can hold an air filter such that air passes through or around the filter as it enters the air conditioner. Further, according to some embodiments, the moving member may be continuously moved between an open position where air is not filtered and a closed position where all air entering the air conditioner is filtered. In one embodiment, the moving member may be placed in any position between the open position and the closed position.

In fig. 2, an exemplary embodiment having a filter unit 102 mounted on an indoor unit 101 of a split type air conditioner is shown. According to some embodiments, the filter unit 102 may be a separate unit that may be placed separately on top of the indoor unit 101. Thus, according to one embodiment, the filter units may be individually powered. To this end, a separate power supply line 107 may be provided on the filter unit 102. The filter unit 102 is installed to cover an air inlet of the indoor unit 101. Therefore, when the moving member 106 is in the closed position as shown in fig. 2, the air entering the indoor unit 101 must pass through the filter of the moving member 106. On the other hand, when the moving member 106 is opened, air may at least partially enter the indoor unit without passing through the filter of the moving member 106.

In fig. 3, a view similar to the view on fig. 2 is shown, but wherein the filter unit 102 is shown in an exploded view. The filter unit 102 comprises a frame with a bottom part 117, which is here formed by two bars. The frame may also comprise two

side portions

121, 122. According to some embodiments, the frame may be attachable to the air conditioner by some suitable attachment means (e.g. screws or the like). In fig. 3, the attachment means is an adhesive tape 119.

In the embodiment of fig. 3, the moving part comprises 106 a top cover 109. The top cover may have a grill for allowing air to pass through. Furthermore, at least one filter may be provided. The at least one filter may be formed by one or more filter modules. For example, the filter module 111 may be provided in a moving part. The filter module 111 may for example comprise an IDF filter (strong dielectric filter) or any other kind of electrical filter. Some other kind of conventional particle filter may also be used to capture small particles in the moving parts. Another filter module, such as a HACD (contaminant gas adsorption carbon filter) or an activated carbon filter 113, may also be provided in the moving part. Thus, the moving part comprises at least one

filter

111, 113. The moving member may be held in the cover bottom 115. Furthermore, a seal 116 may be provided between the cover bottom 115 and the bottom part, such that when the cover bottom of the openable moving part rests on the bottom part, a seal is provided to only allow air to enter the air conditioner via the one or more filters of the filter unit. In other words, when the moving member 106 is closed, the air does not miss the filtering provided by the filter unit.

To control the position of the moving parts, a controlled motor 108 may be provided in some embodiments. The motor 108 may be, for example, a stepper motor. The input signals to the controlled motor may be received from different sources and the controlled motor may be operated in different operating modes. For example, a particle sensor 140 or a gas sensor may be provided to output a signal indicative of air quality. The output from the particle sensor 140 may be displayed and the user may control the position of the moving part, e.g. via a remote control and a corresponding remote control sensor 150 of the filter unit 102. In another mode of operation, the position may be automatically set based on a signal from the particle sensor 140.

When used in an air conditioner, the use of the filter unit described herein may provide effective air purification. The filter unit may effectively purify the air of harmful or undesired particles. Meanwhile, when air purification is not required or efficiency of high performance of the air conditioner is prioritized, the efficiency of the air conditioner may be high because the filter unit allows high airflow. This can be achieved without the need to manually manipulate the filtration.

Claims

1. A filter unit (102) configured to be mounted on an air conditioner, the filter unit comprising:

-a moving part (106) holding at least one filter (103),

wherein the moving member is configured to be driven between at least a first position and a second position.

2. The filter unit (102) according to claim 1, wherein in the first position the filter unit is configured in a fully closed position in which all air passing through the filter unit passes through the moving part.

3. The filter unit (102) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the moving member is configured to rotate between the at least first position and the second position.

4. The filter unit (102) according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the moving member is configured to continuously move between an open position and a closed position.

5. The filter unit (102) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the filter unit is a separate unit having a separate power supply (107).

6. The filter unit (102) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a motor (108) for driving the moving member (106).

7. The filter unit (102) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a particle sensor (140) and or a gas sensor.

8. The filter unit (102) of claim 7, further comprising a visual indicator indicating air quality.

9. A filter unit (102) according to any of claims 7-8, wherein the filter unit is configured to set the position of the moving part in response to an output from the particle sensor and or gas sensor.

10. The filter unit (102) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a remote control input configured to receive an input signal to control the position of the moving part.

11. A filter unit (102) according to any of claims 1-10, wherein the filter unit is configured to be mounted on an air intake of an indoor unit of a split air conditioner.

12. Filter unit (102) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the at least one filter (103) is implemented by a filter module (111, 113).

13. An air conditioner having the filter unit according to any one of claims 1 to 12 mounted thereon.

14. The air conditioner according to claim 13, wherein the air conditioner is a split type air conditioner, and wherein the filter unit is installed on an air inlet of an indoor unit of the split type air conditioner.