KR100187230B1 - Airconditioner and its control method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an air conditioner and a method of controlling the same, wherein by installing a discharge opening / closing member made of a shape memory alloy in the discharge port, the discharge port is opened during the air conditioner operation and the discharge port is closed when the air conditioner is stopped. Through this, it is possible to prevent foreign substances from entering the indoor unit, thereby improving the performance of the product and improving the cleanliness of the product.

Description

Air conditioner and its control method

1 is an external perspective view of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention with the discharge port closed.

Figure 2 is an external perspective view of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention with the discharge opening open.

3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG.

4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main portion of FIG.

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG.

6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line C-C in FIG.

7 is a control circuit block diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

8 is a flowchart of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

9 is an external perspective view of an air conditioner according to the prior art.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

8 discharge port 12 key input means

16,18: discharge opening and closing member 20,21: heater

22: shape memory alloy 24: support panel

32: indoor fan 34: control means

42: indoor fan motor

The present invention relates to an air conditioner and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to an air conditioner for opening and closing a discharge port using a shape memory alloy and a control method thereof.

As an air conditioner according to the prior art, there is, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-19778 filed in Japan on April 25, 1988. As shown in FIG. 9, the air conditioner disclosed in the publication includes an intake port 74 formed in the indoor unit 72 to suck indoor air, a heat exchanger for exchanging indoor air, and a discharged indoor air. The discharge port 78 is formed. On the side surface of the indoor unit 72, a handle 80 for operating the damper to move the filter in the indoor unit 72 is provided. The front surface of the indoor unit 72 is provided with a power switch 82 for connecting an external AC power supply and an electrical circuit in the indoor unit 72 to supply power to the electrical circuit in the indoor unit 72.

In the conventional air conditioner configured as described above, when indoor air is sucked into the indoor unit 72 through the suction port 74, the indoor air sucked into the indoor unit 2 is heat-exchanged in the indoor unit 72. Heat exchange in the machine. Next, the heat-exchanged air is discharged from the discharge port 78 into the room. The room is then cooled, for example.

By the way, in the conventional air conditioner as described above, even when the room is not air-conditioned, the discharge port 78 is always open. Therefore, foreign matter such as dust enters the indoor unit 72 through the discharge port 78 and adheres to the surface of the heat exchanger, thereby degrading the performance of the heat exchanger. There is a problem in that the cleanliness of the indoor unit 72 is lowered by the foreign matter such as dust entering the indoor unit 72 through the discharge port 78.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner and control method capable of improving the performance of the product, and improve the cleanliness of the product.

In order to achieve the above object, the air conditioner according to the present invention can be operated in accordance with a control means, a key input means for inputting a user's operation command to the control means, and the operation of the air conditioner according to the control signal output from the control means. When the discharge port is opened, the discharge opening and closing member for closing the discharge port when the operation of the air conditioning is stopped.

Further, the control method of the air conditioner according to the present invention determines whether an operation start command is input to the control means, and when it is determined that the operation start command is input to the control means, turns on the heater to open the discharge port, and then And driving an indoor fan to harmonize the indoor air, and determining whether an operation stop command has been input to the control means, and when determining that an operation stop command has been input to the control means, stopping the operation of the compressor and the indoor fan. Next, the heater is turned off to close the discharge port.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the suction grille 4 is provided in the lower part of the indoor unit 2 so that indoor air may be sucked from the room into the indoor unit 2. The suction grille 4 is formed with a suction port 6 to suck indoor air from the room into the indoor unit 2. In the upper part of the indoor unit 2, a discharge port 8 is formed to discharge the heat exchanged air in the indoor unit 2 from the indoor unit 2 to the room. The front panel of the indoor unit 2 is provided with a control panel 10 to input a user's operation command to the control means described later and to display the air conditioning state output from the control means.

The control panel 10 comprises a key input means 12 for inputting a user's operation command to a control means described later, and a display means 14 for displaying an air condition state output from the control means described later. The display means 14 comprises a light emitting diode and a liquid crystal display panel (LCD) to display the current air conditioning state according to the display signal of the air conditioning state output from the control means described later.

The discharge port 8 is opened and closed to open the discharge port 8 when the operation of the air conditioner is started in accordance with a control signal output from a control means to be described later, and close the discharge port 8 when the operation of the air conditioner is stopped. (16,18) are provided.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the outlet opening / closing members 16 and 18 receive a voltage from a power supply means described later in accordance with a control signal output from a control means described later and emits heat. And a shape memory alloy 22 which receives a heat emitted from the heater 20 and forms a predetermined shape to open the discharge port 8, and the heater 20 and the shape memory alloy 22. It consists of a support panel 24. The shape memory alloy 22 forms a flat panel shape as shown in FIG. 3 in an operation stop state in which the heat is not received from the heater 20, and in the operating state in which the heat is received from the heater 20, the shape memory alloy 22 is formed. As shown in FIG. 5, the heater 20 is fixed to the heater 20 to form a U shape. The heater 20, the shape memory alloy 22, and the support panel 24 are fixed to each other so as to have the same shape at all times. The support panel 24 is a panel of spring steel that is elastically bent and unfolded. The support panel 24 is fixed to the indoor unit 2 by the support members 26 and 28 so as to support the discharge port shielding members 16 and 18 so as not to fall in the direction of gravity.

As shown in FIG. 6, the heat exchanger 30 which exchanges heat with indoor air is provided in the center of the indoor unit 2. As shown in FIG. An indoor fan 32 is installed in the indoor unit 2 below the heat exchanger 30 to circulate indoor air.

As shown in FIG. 7, the control means 34 is a microcomputer controlling the air conditioning operation and the opening and closing operation of the discharge port 8 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The power supply means 36 receives an AC voltage from an external AC power supply, supplies an AC voltage of 220V to a load driving means described later, and supplies a DC voltage of 12V to a heater driving circuit to be described later, and the control means 34 And a transformer, rectification, and voltage adjustment circuit for supplying a DC voltage of 5V to a key input means described later, an indoor temperature detection means described later, and a display means described later.

The room temperature detecting means 38 is a thermistor for detecting the room temperature to input the room temperature to the control means 34.

The load driving means 40 includes an indoor fan motor 42 and a compressor for rotating the indoor fan 32 the alternating voltage output from the power supply means 36 according to the control signal output from the control means 34. It is a switching circuit which applies to (not shown) and drives the said indoor fan motor 42 and the said compressor.

The heater driving circuit 46 is a switching circuit which connects / blocks the DC voltage of 12V output from the power supply means 36 to the heater 20 in accordance with the control signal output from the control means 34.

Hereinafter, a control method of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention configured as described above.

In FIG. 8, S denotes a step.

First, as an initial condition for explaining the operation, it is assumed that the power supply means 36 is not yet supplied with an AC voltage of 220V from an external AC power source. It is also assumed that the discharge port 8 of the indoor unit 2 is closed, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG.

First, when the user inserts a plug connected to the power supply means 36 into an outlet, an AC voltage of 220V is output to the power supply means 36 from an external AC power source. Next, an AC voltage of 220V is output from the power supply means 36 to the load driving means 40 and at the same time, 12V is supplied from the output terminal VCC of the power supply means 36 to the heater driving circuit 46. DC voltage is output. At the same time, a DC voltage of 5 V is output from the power supply means 36 to the control means 34, the key input means 12, the room temperature detection means 38, and the display means 14.

Next, a high level initialization command is output from the initialization circuit (not shown) to the control means 34. The control means 34 then initializes the parameters specified in the memory of the control means 34 for the air conditioning operation to harmonize the indoor air and the opening and closing operation of the inlet 6.

The user then enters one of the operating modes of 'cooling', 'heating', 'blowing' and 'stop' into the key input means 12, and then the user enters the room temperature into the key input means 12. Enter the operating conditions for the set temperature. Then, the driving mode and the driving condition are output from the key input means 12 to the control means 34.

Next, in step S1, the control means 34 determines whether an operation start command has been input from the key input means 12 to the control means 34. As a result of this determination, one of operation modes of 'cooling', 'heating' and 'blowing' is input from the key input means 12 to the control means 34, and the control means (from the key input means 12) ( If it is determined in step 34) that the operation command has been input (YES), the flow proceeds to step S2.

In step S2, a control signal is output from the control means 34 to the heater drive circuit 46. Then, no voltage is applied to the heater 20 from the heater driving circuit 46 so that a DC voltage of 12V is applied to the heater 20. Subsequently, the heater 20 generates heat. When the heater 20 generates heat, heat is transferred from the heater 20 to the shape memory alloy 22. Then, the shape memory alloy 22 is bent in a U shape. Then, the heater 20 and the support panel 24 fixed integrally with the shape memory alloy 22 are bent in a U-shape in the same manner as the shape memory alloy 22. As a result, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the discharge opening / closing members 16 and 18 are bent in a U shape, and the discharge opening 8 is opened.

Next, in step S3, a control signal is output from the control means 34 to the load driving means 40. Then, an AC voltage is applied to the compressor and the indoor fan 32 by the load driving means 40 so that the compressor operates and the indoor fan 32 rotates. Then, the indoor air is circulated so that the room is air conditioned according to the operation mode input by the user to the key input means 12.

Next, in step S4, the control means 34 determines whether an operation stop command has been input from the key input means 12 to the control means 34. As a result of this determination, when it is determined that the operation stop command is input from the key input means 12 to the control means 34 (if YES), the processing proceeds to step S5.

In step S5, a drive stop signal is output from the control means 34 to the load drive means 40. Then, since no voltage is applied to the compressor and the indoor fan 32 from the load driving means 40, the operation of the compressor is stopped and the operation of the indoor fan 32 is stopped.

Next, a driving stop signal is output from the control means 34 to the heater drive circuit 46 in step S6. Then, the heat generation of the heater 20 is stopped from the heater driving circuit 46. Then, heat is not transferred from the heater 20 to the shape memory alloy 22, and the shape memory alloy 22 is flattened as it is. Next, the heater 20 and the support panel 24 fixed integrally with the shape memory alloy 22 are flattened in the same manner as the shape memory alloy 22. As a result, the ejection opening 8 is closed with the ejection opening / closing members 16 and 18 flat as shown in Figs.

Next, in step S7, the control means 34 determines whether an AC voltage of 220 V is being supplied to the power supply means 36 from an external AC power supply at present. As a result of this determination, the level of the voltage supplied from the power supply means 36 to the control means 34 is smaller than the level preset to the control means 34, so that the power supply means 36 is supplied from an external AC power source. When it is determined that the AC voltage of 220V is not supplied (NO), the control program for the air conditioning operation and the opening / closing operation of the discharge port 8 is terminated.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S1 that the start operation command is not inputted from the key input means 12 to the control means 34, the flow proceeds to step S6 so that the heater 20 is not generated to heat the discharge port. Keep closing (8).

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S4 that the operation stop command is not input from the key input means 12 to the control means 34 (NO), the process proceeds to the step S2 and continues as described above. The discharge port is opened by turning on (20).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S7 that 220V AC voltage is being supplied from the external AC power source to the power supply means 36 (YES), the process proceeds to step S1 and the user as described above. Waiting for input of an operation start command to the key input means 12. FIG.

According to the air conditioner and control method according to the present invention as described above, by discharging the opening and closing member made of a shape memory alloy in the discharge port, the discharge port is opened during the operation of the air conditioner, and the discharge port is closed when the operation of the air conditioner is stopped. Thus, by preventing foreign substances from entering the indoor unit through the discharge port, it is possible to improve the performance of the product and have a very excellent effect of improving the cleanliness of the product.

Claims (4)

An air conditioner, comprising: control means, key input means for inputting a user's operation command to the control means, a heater for receiving heat from a power supply means in accordance with a control signal output from the control means, and dissipating heat; And a shape memory alloy whose shape is deformed to open the discharge port in response to the heat emitted from the heater, and a support panel for supporting the heater and the shape memory alloy. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the shape memory alloy returns to its original shape when the driving of the heater stops and heat is not dissipated, thereby closing the discharge port. In the control method of the air conditioner, when the operation start command is input to the control means, and when it is determined that the operation start command is input to the control means, a shape memory alloy is deformed so as to open the discharge port when heat is received. After heating with a heater to open the discharge port, the compressor and the indoor fan are driven to harmonize the indoor air, and it is determined whether an operation stop command is input to the control means, and when it is determined that the operation stop command is input to the control means. And stopping the driving of the compressor and the indoor fan, and then turning off the heater to close the discharge port. 4. The control method of an air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein when it is determined that an operation start command has not been input to said control means, said heater is turned off to close a discharge port.