EP1319900B1

EP1319900B1 - Air conditioner and method for controlling the same

Info

Publication number: EP1319900B1
Application number: EP02011773A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ho Sun Choi; Kwan Shik Cho
Original assignee: LG Electronics Inc
Current assignee: LG Electronics Inc
Priority date: 2001-12-13
Filing date: 2002-05-27
Publication date: 2011-09-14
Anticipated expiration: 2022-05-27
Also published as: EP1319900A1; KR20030048919A; CN1425882A; JP3105119U; CN1209584C; JP2003185227A; KR100452350B1

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a ceiling-mounted type air conditioner according to the preamble of claim 1 and a method for controlling the same, and more particularly to a ceiling-mounted type air conditioner, which is capable of calculating a comfort degree of each of plural areas within a room and controlling a supply of the conditioned air into the room according to the calculated comfort degrees, thereby uniformly conditioning air in the room, and a method for controlling the air conditioner.

Description of the Related Art

Air conditioners are apparatuses capable of processing air and supplying the processed air into an indoor room, thereby uniformly conditioning air in the room. Currently, ceiling-mounted type air conditioners are widely used in many places such as restaurants, classrooms, etc.
As compared with conventional air conditioners, which are installed at a certain area of a room, the ceiling-mounted type air conditioners, which are attached to a ceiling of a room, can more uniformly condition air in the room.
Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional ceiling-mounted type air conditioner 1.
As shown in Fig. 1, the conditioned air from the ceiling-mounted type air conditioner 1 is uniformly supplied into the room by properly regulating angles of vanes a, b, of the ceiling-mounted type air conditioner 1, thereby keeping the room temperature more uniform than any other type of air conditioner, such as a wall-mounted type air conditioner, etc.
However, in the case that the room installed with the ceiling-mounted type air conditioner 1 has a window 2 on its wall, as shown in Fig. 1, as compared with an aisle-sided area adjacent to an aisle 3 opposite to the window 2, the room temperature around a window-sided area adjacent to the window 2 is more easily changeable. Therefore, with this conventional ceiling-mounted type air conditioner 1, it is difficult to uniformly maintain the room temperature throughout the room.
The conventional ceiling-mounted type air conditioner 1 measures the room temperature, and controls the supplied air direction and velocity according to the measured room temperature. That is, the conventional ceiling-mounted type air conditioner 1 does not measure a temperature of each of plural areas within the room, but measures a temperature of one area, in which the ceiling-mounted type air conditioner 1 is installed, and controls the supplied air direction and velocity according to the measured temperature of this area. Therefore, the conventional ceiling-mounted type air conditioner 1 cannot offset the temperature differences among plural areas within the room.
US-A-5 467 606 discloses an air conditioner which comprises two radiation temperature sensors on its lower surface. These temperature sensors can detect two different zones of the room below the air conditioner. This embodiment allow static measurements of the two room zones and is expensive due to the need of two separate sensors.
JP-A-08.100 943 discloses a ceiling-mounted type air conditioner wherein vanes of discharge slots can be regulated according to the signal of a temperature sensor provided inside of the air conditioner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a ceiling-mounted type air conditioner comprising a radiation temperature sensor, and a method for controlling the ceiling-mounted type air conditioner. The ceiling-mounted type air conditioner measures radiation temperatures of plural areas in a room and calculates comfort degrees of the areas according to the measured radiation temperatures, thereby uniformly conditioning air throughout the room.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the above and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of a ceiling-mounted type air conditioner according to claim 1 comprising a main body including a heat exchanger and a fan, and fixed to a ceiling, a front panel connected to the bottom surface of the main body and having intake slots and discharge slots for sucking and discharging air, a radiation temperature sensor attached to a designated area of the front panel and sensing the radiation temperature of the room, and a microcomputer for calculating a comfort degree of the room by the radiation temperature sensed by the radiation temperature sensor and for regulating the angles of vanes of the discharge slots, wherein the radiation temperature sensor is attached to a vane of the discharge slot and moves from side to side according to the movement of the vane, thereby measuring the radiation temperature of the room.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling a ceiling-mounted type air conditioner with the features of claim 5, the method comprising the steps (i) measuring a radiation temperature of a room, where the ceiling-mounted type are conditioner is installed, (ii) calculating a comfort degree of the room, and (iii) attaching a radiation temperature sensor to a vane of a discharge slot of the air conditioner so that the radiation temperature sensor moves from side to side according to the movement of the vane, thereby measuring the radiation temperature of the room and (iv) regulating angles of vanes of discharge slots according to the calculated comfort degree, wherein the comfort degree in step (ii) is an average value of the radiation temperature, measured instep (i) and a temperature of the room.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional ceiling-mounted type air conditioner;
Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a ceiling-mounted type air conditioner in accordance with the present invention;
Fig. 3 is a plan view of a ceiling-mounted type air conditioner, in which a radiation temperature sensor is installed on a panel, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 4 is a plan view of a ceiling-mounted type air conditioner, in which a radiation temperature sensor is installed on a wind vane, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 5 is a block diagram of the ceiling-mounted type air conditioner of the present invention; and
Fig. 6 is a flow chart of a method for controlling the ceiling-mounted type air conditioner of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a ceiling-mounted type air conditioner in accordance with the present invention. The ceiling-mounted type air conditioner comprises a main body 10 with an opening on its bottom surface, and a front panel 20. The main body 10 is inserted into a ceiling 1 and includes an indoor heat exchanger 15, an indoor pan 16, and a motor 16a. The front panel 20 is formed on the bottom surface of the opening of the main body 10. The front panel 20 includes an intake grill 22 exposed to the indoor room and sucking room air, and discharge slots 24 formed on four sides of the circumference of the intake grill 22. The discharge slots 24 serve to discharge heat-exchanged air.
The indoor heat exchanger 15 is square in shape and surrounds the circumference of the indoor pan 16 and the motor 16a. A bell mouth 18 is installed between the indoor pan 16 and the intake grill 22. The bell mouth 18 serves to guide the sucked air within the main body 10 by the rotation of the indoor pan 16. A drain pan 19 is formed on the bottom of the indoor heat exchanger 15. The drain pan 19 serves to catch refrigerant of the indoor heat exchanger 15 and condensate water generated on the outer surface of the indoor heat exchanger 15 during the heat exchange processing of air.
A wind vane 30 is rotatably formed on each discharge slot 24 of the front panel 20. The wind vane 30 serves to control the direction of cool or warm air, which is heat-exchanged through the indoor exchanger 15 and then supplied into the room.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the ceiling-mounted type air conditioner, in which a radiation temperature sensor is installed on the panel, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in Fig. 3, a vane motor 40 is installed on the bottom surface of the front panel 20. The vane motor 40 serves to rotate the wind vanes 30. A spindle 44 for driving a plurality of the wind vanes 30 at the same time is positioned between the wind vanes 30.
The wind vane 30 comprises a controller 31 in a flat rectangular form for guiding the direction of the heat-exchanged air to be discharged via the discharge slot 24, and a holder 32 formed on both ends of the controller 31 and driven by a driving force of the vane motor 40.
As shown in Fig. 3, the ceiling-mounted type air controller of the present invention comprises a radiation temperature sensor (S), which is attached to a designated area of the front panel 20. The radiation temperature sensor (S) serves to measure radiation temperatures of at least two areas of the room, where the main body 10 of the ceiling-mounted type air conditioner is installed. A microcomputer of the ceiling-mounted type air controller 10 serves to uniformly condition air in the room according to the radiation temperatures of plural areas of the room, which are measured by the radiation temperature sensor (S).
Herein, the radiation temperature sensor (S) has a sensing range of at least 120 degrees so that the radiation temperatures of a window-sided area and an aisle-sided area in the room can be measured.
Fig. 4 is a plan view of a ceiling-mounted type air conditioner, in which the radiation temperature sensor is installed on the wind vane, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in Fig. 4, the radiation temperature sensor (S) of the present invention may be attached to one out plural wind vanes 30 of the ceiling-mounted type air conditioner. In this case, the radiation temperature sensor (S) need not have the sensing range of at least 120 degrees. Nevertheless, the radiation temperature sensor (S) can measure the radiation temperatures of plural areas in the room.
That is, the radiation temperature sensor (S) moves from side to side by the motion of the wind vane provided with the radiation temperature sensor (S), thereby measuring the radiation temperatures of plural areas in the room. Therefore, the radiation temperature sensor (S) can measure the radiation temperatures of the window-sided area and the aisle-sided area according to the movement of the wind vane.
After the radiation temperatures of plural areas within the room are measured, the microcomputer of the ceiling mounted-type air conditioner calculates a comfort degree of each area of the room according to the measured radiation temperatures.
Fig. 5 is a block diagram of the ceiling-mounted type air conditioner of the present invention.
As shown in Fig. 5, the ceiling-mounted type air conditioner comprises a room temperature sensor 55 for measuring a room temperature of the room, the radiation temperature sensor (S) for measuring the radiation temperatures of plural areas in the room, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and the microcomputer 56 for calculating the comfort degrees of plural areas by the measured room temperature and the measured radiation temperatures and for controlling the driving of the motor 40 according to the calculated comfort degrees.
Herein, the microcomputer 56 averages the radiation temperature measured by the radiation temperature sensor (S) and the room temperature measured by the room temperature sensor 55, thereby calculating the comfort degree of each area in the room. That is, the comfort degree of the window-sided area is an average value of the radiation temperature of the window-sided area and the room temperature. Further, the comfort degree of the aisle-sided area is an average value of the radiation temperature of the aisle-sided area and the room temperature.
The microcomputer 56 compares the comfort degree of the window-sided area with the comfort degree of the aisle-sided area, and controls the motor 40 for driving the wind vanes according to the compared result, thereby regulating the angles of the wind vanes 30.
When the comfort degree of the window-sided area is lower than that of the aisle-sided area, the microcomputer 56 controls the motor 40 so that the supplied air toward the window-sided area increases, thereby properly regulating the angle of the window-sided wind vane. Further, when the comfort degree of the aisle-sided area is lower than that of the window-sided area, the microcomputer 56 controls the motor 40 so that the supplied air toward the aisle-sided area increases, thereby properly regulating the angle of the aisle-sided wind vane.
Hereinafter, the operation of the ceiling-mounted type air conditioner of the present invention is described with reference to Fig. 6.
First, the radiation temperature sensor measures the radiation temperatures of plural areas within the room by the driving of the ceiling-mounted type air conditioner. (S1)
The microcomputer of the ceiling-mounted type air conditioner calculates the comfort degrees of the window-sided area and the aisle-sided area using the measured radiation temperatures. (S2) Herein, the comfort degree of the window-sided area represents an average value of the radiation temperature of the window-sided area and the room temperature. Further, the comfort degree of the aisle sided area represents an average value of the radiation temperature of the aisle-sided area and the room temperature.
Then, the comfort degrees of two areas are compared. (S3)
If the comfort degrees of two areas, i.e., the window-sided area and the aisle-sided area, are the same, the process is returned to (S1).
If the comfort degrees of two areas are not the same, the microcomputer of the ceiling-mounted type air conditioner confirms whether the comfort degree of the window-sided area is higher than that of the aisle-sided area or not. (S4)
If the comfort degree of the window-sided area is lower than that of the aisle-sided area, the microcomputer then increases the supplied air toward the window by regulating the angle of the window-sided wind vane. (S5)
Otherwise, if the comfort degree of the window-sided area is higher than that of the aisle-sided area, the microcomputer increases the supplied air toward the aisle by regulating the angle of the aisle-sided wind vane. (S6)
As apparent from the above description, the present invention provides a ceiling-mounted type air conditioner and a method for controlling the ceiling-mounted type air conditioner. The ceiling-mounted type air conditioner of the present invention comprises a radiation temperature sensor for measuring radiation temperatures of plural areas with a room. The radiation temperature sensor is attached to a front panel formed on the bottom surface of a main body of the air conditioner or to a vane of a discharge slot of the air conditioner. Therefore, the ceiling-mounted type air conditioner measures radiation temperatures of plural areas with a room by the radiation temperature sensor, calculates comfort degrees of the areas, and controls the supplied air according to the calculated comfort degrees, thereby uniformly conditioning air throughout the room and improving the amenity of the room.
Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims

A ceiling-mounted type air conditioner, comprising:
- a main body (10) including a heat exchanger (15) and a fan, and fixed to a ceiling (1);

- a front panel (20) connected to the bottom surface of the main body (10), and having intake slots and discharge slots (24) for sucking and discharging air;

- a radiation temperature (S) sensor attached to a designated area of the front panel (20) and sensing the radiation temperature of the room; and

- a microcomputer (56) for calculating a comfort degree of the room by the radiation temperature sensed by the radiation temperature sensor (S) and for regulating the angles of vanes (30) of the discharge slots (24);
characterized in that
the radiation temperature sensor (S) is attached to a vane (30) of the discharge slot (24) and moves from side to side according to the movement of the vane (30), thereby measuring the radiation temperature of the room.
The ceiling-mounted type air conditioner as set forth in claim 1, wherein said microcomputer (56) calculates the comfort degree of each area in the room by averaging a radiation temperature measured by the radiation temperature sensor (S) and a room temperature measured by the room temperature sensor (55).
The ceiling-mounted type air conditioner as set forth in claim 2, wherein said microcomputer (56) compares the comfort degrees of plural areas in the room, and regulates the angles of the vanes (30) so that the discharged air is supplied toward an area with the lower comfort degree.
The ceiling-mounted type air conditioner as set forth in claim 2, wherein said microcomputer (56), if the comfort degrees of plural areas in the room are the same, regulates the angles of the vanes (30) so that the discharged air is uniformly supplied throughout the room.
A method of controlling a ceiling-mounted type air conditioner, said method comprising the steps of:
(i) measuring a radiation temperature of a room, where the ceiling-mounted type air conditioner is installed;

(ii) calculating a comfort degree of the room;
characterized by

(iii) attaching a radiation temperature sensor to a vane of a discharge slot of the air conditioner so that the radiation temperature sensor moves from side to side according to the movement of the vane, thereby measuring the radiation temperature of the room; and

(iv) regulating angles of vanes of discharge slots according to the calculated comfort degree;
and in that
the comfort degree in step (ii) is an average value of the radiation temperature, measured in step (i) and a temperature of the room.
The method for controlling the ceiling-mounted type air conditioner as set forth in claim 5, wherein the step (i) is a step of measuring radiation temperatures of at least two areas within the room.
The method for controlling the ceiling-mounted type air conditioner as set forth in claim 5, wherein the step (iii) comprises the sub-steps of:
- comparing the comfort degrees calculated in the step (ii); and

- regulating the angles of the vanes, so that, if the comfort degree of one area is lower than the comfort degrees of other areas, the discharged air is supplied toward the area with the lower comfort degree, and if the comfort degree of one area is higher than the comfort degrees of other areas, the discharged area is not supplied toward the area with the higher comfort degree.