KR100585411B1 - Sensing structure of auto shutter for air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a structure for detecting the stop position of an auto shutter for an air conditioner. The present invention relates to an air conditioner having an outer casing provided with a louver frame having a discharge port therein and an auto shutter for opening and closing the discharge port, A drive motor installed in the louver frame for providing a driving force for opening and closing the shutter and capable of rotating in the normal and reverse directions, a rotation rod coupled to the rotation motor, And a hinge member coupled to the bushing, the hinge member having one end coupled to the shutter and the other end coupled to the bushing; A proximity sensor provided on one side of the louver frame, a sensing bar formed integrally with the bushing or the lower end of a hinge member coupled to the bushing, and sensing means formed on the upper end of the rear side of the shutter, And determines the stop position of the shutter, that is, the stopping point of the drive motor.

A plurality of proximity sensors provided at one side of the louver frame at regular intervals in the up and down direction and a sensing bar sensing means formed integrally with the bushing or the lower end of the hinge member coupled to the bushing.

Air conditioner, auto shutter, shutter, detection means, proximity sensor, detection bar

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to an automatic shut-

1 is a perspective view showing an air conditioner equipped with an auto shutter according to the present invention,

FIGS. 2A and 2B are a perspective view and a perspective view, respectively, showing a configuration of a louver frame and an auto shutter, in which the auto shutter is mounted,

FIGS. 3A and 3B are perspective views showing the sensing structure in a state where the auto shutter according to the first embodiment of the present invention is closed; FIG.

4A and 4B are perspective views showing the sensing structure in a state in which the auto shutter according to the first embodiment of the present invention is opened,

5A and 5B are perspective views showing an auto shutter in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention in a state in which a discharge port is closed;

6A and 6B are perspective views showing an auto shutter in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention in a state in which a discharge port is closed;

Description of the Related Art [0002]

10: outer casing 20: front cover

21: inlet 22: outlet

30: operation panel 40: louver frame

46, 47: proximity sensor 50: shutter

53, 63d: detection bar 60: feed device

61: rotation rod 62: bushing

63: hinge member 70: drive motor

The present invention relates to a stop position sensing structure for an air conditioner, and more particularly, to an auto shutter for opening and closing a discharge port of an air conditioner, in which the stop position of the shutter when the shutter is moved up and down, The present invention relates to a stop position sensing structure for an auto-shutter for an air conditioner, which can sense the sensor accurately and stop driving the sensor, and reduce the size of a part for sensing.

As known, the air conditioner is divided into a wall-mounted type air conditioner and a stand type air conditioner according to the installation type, and is divided into an integrated air conditioner in which an indoor unit and an outdoor unit are integrally provided, and a separate type air conditioner in which an indoor unit and an outdoor unit are separately separated.

In the separate type air conditioner, a compressor for compressing the refrigerant at a high temperature and a high pressure and a condenser for condensing the compressed refrigerant are installed in the outdoor unit, and an evaporator for exchanging heat of the condensed refrigerant is provided in the indoor unit.

The indoor unit of the conventional detachable air conditioner has a cabinet type external casing in which predetermined device parts are mounted, and a front cover that forms a front surface of the external casing.

In the lower region of the front cover, a suction port for sucking indoor air is formed, and a discharge port for discharging heat-exchanged air is provided in an upper region of the suction port.

The discharge port is provided with an auto shutter that can move between an open position for opening the discharge opening and a closed position for closing the discharge opening.

When the air conditioner is operated, the auto shutter releases the discharge port to discharge the heat-exchanged air from the discharge port, and closes the discharge port when the operation of the air conditioner is stopped.

On the other hand, there are a number of techniques for driving the auto shutter, for example, Korean Patent Application No. 2000-32181.

The disclosed technique opens and closes the auto shutter by the mutual action of the rack and the pinion by the motor.

However, in most air conditioners known in the art, the auto shutters are driven by the interlocking operation of the rack and the pinion, and the relatively complicated structure is employed. Therefore, the failure rate is relatively high, .

The applicant of the present invention has proposed a method of opening and closing an auto shutter in a new way so that the auto shutter can be driven more effectively than the power used.

That is, in the patent application No. 2004-118412 (filed on December 31, 2004, entitled AUTO-SHUTTER OPERATION DEVICE OF AIRCONDITIONER), which is a patent application filed by the present applicant, a ball screw (hereinafter referred to as a " (Hereinafter, referred to as " bushing ") and a shaft such as a shaft and a lifting / lowering member (hereinafter referred to as " bushing ").

In this case, when the rotary shaft rotates due to the rotational force of the driving motor, the shutter is opened and closed by the shutter when the threaded bushing inserted in the rotary bar is moved up and down will be.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a sensing structure capable of determining a perfect position in a shutter for opening and closing a discharge port when the auto shutter is operated, One can say.

Particularly, the accurate stopping position of the shutter coincides with the stopping point of the drive motor. If the stopping point of the drive motor is not accurately determined, there is a possibility that a problem in the opening and closing function of the auto shutter is extremely increased.

Conventionally, various methods for determining the stopping point of the shutters and the driving motor by using a software method or a mechanical mechanism through the driving time of the driving motor have been proposed, Which is somewhat complicated and inferior in precision.

 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an auto shutter which opens and closes a discharge port of an air conditioner, and a stop position of the shutter when the shutter is moved up and down, that is, The present invention provides a stop position sensing structure for an auto-shutter for an air conditioner, which can precisely sense sensing by a proximity sensor to stop driving and relatively reduce a size of a sensing part.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an air conditioner having an outer casing provided with a louver frame having a discharge port therein and an auto shutter for opening and closing the discharge port,

A shutter for opening and closing the discharge port, a drive motor installed in the louver frame to provide a driving force for opening and closing the shutter, a drive motor rotatable in the forward and reverse directions, a rotation rod coupled to the drive motor, And a hinge member coupled to the rotation shaft, the hinge member having one end coupled to the shutter and the other end coupled to the bushing; A proximity sensor provided on one side of the louver frame, a sensing bar formed integrally with the bushing or the lower end of a hinge member coupled to the bushing, and sensing means formed on the upper end of the rear side of the shutter, Wherein the stop position of the shutter, that is, the stopping point of the drive motor, is determined.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a louver frame comprising: a plurality of proximity sensors provided at one side of the louver frame at regular intervals (opening / closing position spacing of the shutters), and a lower end of the bushing or a hinge member The stop position of the shutter, that is, the stopping point of the drive motor, may be determined through the sensing means constituted integrally with the sensing bar.

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

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an air conditioner equipped with an auto shutter according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 2a and 2b are perspective views illustrating a configuration of a louver frame and an auto shutter, respectively, 3A and 3B are perspective views showing an auto shutter according to a first embodiment of the present invention in a state in which a discharge port is closed, and FIGS. 4A and 4B are perspective views showing a first embodiment of the present invention 5A and 5B are perspective views showing a sensing structure in a state in which the auto shutter according to the second embodiment of the present invention is closed when the discharge port is closed, And FIGS. 6A and 6B are perspective views showing an automatic shutter according to a second embodiment of the present invention in a state in which the discharge port is closed. FIG.

1, an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an outer casing 10 having a predetermined device component mounted therein and having a front surface, And a front cover 20 which forms the front face of the air conditioner.

Here, a suction port 21 for sucking indoor air into the outer casing 10 is formed in a lower side area of the outer casing 10.

In the upper region of the front cover 20, a discharge port 22 for discharging cold air formed by heat exchange by a heat exchanger (not shown) is formed.

An auto shutter (S) for selectively opening and closing the discharge port (22) is installed in the discharge opening (22) so as to be movable up and down when the air conditioner is operated and stopped.

An operation panel 30 is provided between the suction port 21 and the discharge port 22 for operating and stopping the air conditioner and for operating the intensity and direction of the heat exchanged air and the operation of the auto shutter S .

Therefore, a series of controls such as the operation of the air conditioner related to cooling can be performed through a button provided on the operation panel 30 or a remote controller or the like.

2A and 2B, a louver frame 40 having the discharge port 22 is separately provided in an upper region of the outer casing 10, which is an upper region of the front cover 20, do.

A horizontal blade 42 and a vertical blade 43 for adjusting the direction of the heat-exchanged air are provided in the region of the discharge port 22.

4A) for opening the discharge port 22 and a closed position (see FIG. 3A) for closing the discharge port 22 are formed in the front discharge port 22 of the horizontal and vertical blades 42, The movable auto shutter (S) is provided.

The auto shutter S is divided into a shutter 50, a transfer device 60, and a drive motor 70 as components.

That is, the shutter 50 is moved between the open position of the discharge port 22 and the closed position of the discharge port 22 by the interaction of the transfer device 60 and the drive motor 70 will be.

A plurality of guide rail projections 51 extending outward are formed at the upper and lower ends of both sides of the shutter 50. On both sides of the louver frame 40, guide rails 51 for receiving and guiding the guide rail projections 51 are formed. A rail portion 41 is formed.

At this time, the guide rail portion 41 includes a vertical section 41b and a horizontal section 41a extending slightly forward at an end of the vertical section 41b.

That is, when the guide rail projection 51 of the shutter 50 is located in the horizontal section 41a through the vertical section 41a of the guide rail section 41, the shutter 50 slightly protrudes forward The discharge port 22 is completely closed.

The conveying device 60 as a means for driving the shutter 50 includes a screw type rotating rod 61 coupled to the driving motor 70 and inserted into the rotating rod 61, And a hinge member 63 which is coupled to the shutter 50 at one end and to the bushing 62 at the other end.

The rotary shaft 61 has a rod shape having a predetermined length and is formed with a screw groove 61a and is screw type so that it is seated on a rotary rod seating part 44 provided in the louver frame 40. [

Screw projections (not shown) are formed on the inner circumferential surface of the bushing 62 so as to be engaged with the screw grooves 61a of the swinging rod 61 so that the screws can rotate.

In addition, the hinge member 63 may have a structure in which one end is formed as a rectangular body so as to be hinged to the shutter 50, hinge pins are provided on the right and left sides of the body, Shaped link portion extending in the middle and slightly bent.

At this time, a fitting groove is formed in the link portion for coupling the bushing 62, and a fixing protrusion is provided on the bushing corresponding to the fitting groove.

The bushing 62 and the hinge member 63 may be separately manufactured and assembled together as described above, but the bushing 62 and the hinge member 63 may be integrally formed.

The drive motor 70 is a normal motor rotatable in the forward and reverse directions that can be commonly accessed in the vicinity, and is mounted on a drive motor mounting portion 45 provided in the louver frame 40.

In the auto shutter having the above configuration, the present invention provides a sensing structure for determining the stop position of the shutter 50, that is, the stopping point of the drive motor 70, when the shutter 50 is moved up and down In this case, the stopping time of the shutter is precisely sensed to stop driving, and the size of a part for sensing can be relatively reduced.

3A to 4B, the first embodiment of the present invention includes a proximity sensor 46 provided at one side of the louver frame 40, a hinge member (not shown) coupled to the bushing 62 A sensing bar 63d integrally formed at the lower end of the shutter 50 and a sensing bar 53 provided at an upper end of the rear side of the shutter 50. [

That is, the sensing structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes one proximity sensor 46 and a plurality of sensors 50, which are sensed by the proximity sensor 46, And detection bars 63d,

3A and 3B) of the shutter 50 when the shutter 50 completely closes the discharge port 22 and the shutter 50 is positioned at the lower end (See Figs. 4A and 4B) of the shutter 50 when the shutter 22 is fully opened.

The sensing bars 63d and 53 are integrally formed on the back surface of the hinge member 63 and the shutter 50, respectively. As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the hinge member 63 The detection bar 63d provided at the lower end of the hinge member 63 extends in one direction from the lower end of the hinge member 63 in a direction in which the shutter 50 can contact the proximity sensor 46, The proximity sensor 46 can be detected by the sensor 46 when the sensor is completely closed.

At this time, the sensing bar 63d may be formed integrally with the bushing 62 rather than the hinge member 63. [

This is because the lower end of the hinge member 63 and the bushing 62 can be placed on the same line so that the sensing bar 63d is integrally extended at the lower end of the hinge member 63, The sensing position is the same regardless of whether the sensing structure is formed or not.

That is, when the shutter 50 is moved upward to close the discharge port 22, the sensing bar 63d provided on the bushing 62 or the hinge member 63 approaches and closely matches the proximity sensor 46 The drive motor 70 is stopped so that the movement of the shutter 50 is stopped.

4A and 4B, the sensing bar 53 protruding from the back surface of the shutter 50 moves the shutter 50 completely downward to completely open the discharge port 22 The proximity sensor 46 can be detected.

That is, when the shutter 50 descends to open the discharge port 22, when the sensing bar 53 provided on the shutter 50 approaches and matches the proximity sensor 46, the shutter 50 The driving motor 70 is stopped so that the movement of the driving motor 70 is stopped.

The operation of the auto shutter (S) in the air conditioner having such a sensing structure will be described below.

3A and 3B, if it is desired to use the air conditioner in the stopped state of the air conditioner (FIG. 3A to FIG. 4A), the discharge port 22 The auto shutters S that have been closed are operated and the discharge port 22 is opened, so that the air conditioner can be used.

To this end, the user first drives the air conditioner through the operation of the operation panel 30 using a manual or remote controller.

Accordingly, the driving motor 70 starts driving to rotate the rotating rod 61 in one direction.

Then, the bushing 62 inserted into the rotation shaft 61 is lowered through a screw action, and at the same time, the shutter 63 connected to the bushing 62 and the hinge member 63 starts to descend.

The guide rail protrusion 51 of the shutter 50 positioned in the horizontal section 41a of the guide rail part 41 corresponding to the closing position of the discharge port 22 is guided by the horizontal section 41a of the guide rail part 41, And starts to move from the vertical section 41a toward the vertical section 41b.

At this time, the shutter 50 and the hinge member 63 of the hinge member 63 are rotated while the guide rail protrusion 51 of the shutter 50 moves out of the horizontal section 41a of the guide rail section 41 and reaches the vertical section 41b. The moving path of the shutter 50 is compensated for smoothly as the shutter 50 is rotated while hinging the shutter 50 by a predetermined angle.

When the guide rail protrusions 51 of the shutter 50 reach the vertical section 41b of the guide rail portion 41, the rotation of the rotation rod 61 by the operation of the drive motor 70 causes the bushing 62 and the hinge member 63 are lowered, the shutter 50 can open the discharge port 22 as shown in FIG. 3B.

At this time, when the shutter 50 stops moving, the sensing bar 53 provided on the shutter 50 approaches the proximity sensor 46 and senses that the sensing bar 53 is aligned, .

4A and 4B, when the user operates the operation panel 30 to stop the operation of the air conditioner (see FIG. 4A, FIG. 3A) , The rotating rod 61 is rotated by the driving of the driving motor 70 as described above.

At this time, at this time, the drive motor 70 rotates in a direction opposite to the rotation of the drive motor 70 when the shutter 50 is lowered, and accordingly, the shutter 50 is also lowered And rotate in a direction opposite to that of FIG.

When the rotation shaft 61 rotates in the opposite direction, the bushing 62 moves upward along the rotation shaft 61 and moves the hinge member 63 upward.

Then, the shutter 50 is lifted up as the guide rail protrusions 51 of the shutter 50 start to move upward along the vertical section 41b of the guide rail portion 41.

The guide rail protrusions 51 of the shutter 50 are positioned in the horizontal section 41a through the vertical section 41b of the guide rail section 41 by the operation of the drive motor 70, (Fig. 3A) of the discharge port 22. In this case, as shown in Fig.

Of course, at this time, when the shutter 50 stops moving, the sensing bar 63d formed on the bushing 62 or the hinge member 63 approaches the proximity sensor 46, The driving motor 70 is stopped.

5A and 6B, a sensing structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of proximity sensors 46 and 47 provided at upper and lower sides of the louver frame 40 at regular intervals And a sensing bar 63d integrally extended to the lower end of the hinge member 63 coupled to the bushing 62 or the bushing 62 itself.

That is, two proximity sensors 46 and 47 and one sensing bar 63d whose position is changed between the proximity sensors 46 and 47 due to the upward and downward movement of the shutter 50, will be.

5A and 5B) of the shutter 50 when the shutter 50 completely closes the discharge port 22, as described in the first embodiment, And the shutter 50 is disposed on the louver frame 40 which can be located inside the shutter 50 (see Figs. 6A and 6B) when the discharge port 22 is completely opened.

Further, another proximity sensor 47 is disposed on the louver frame 40 at a predetermined interval at the lower end of the proximity sensor 46.

5A and 5B, when the shutter 50 is moved upward to close the discharge port 22, the bushing 62 or the hinge member 63 is moved in the upward direction, The proximity sensor 47 serves to stop the driving motor 70 so that the shutter 50 stops moving while sensing the sensing bar 63d provided in the proximity sensor 63. As shown in Figures 6A and 6B, When the shutter 50 is moved downward to open the discharge port 22, the sensing bar 63d provided on the bushing 62 or the hinge member 63 is sensed to stop the movement of the shutter 50 And serves to stop the motor 70.

In the sensing structure of the auto shutter S composed of the plurality of proximity sensors 46 and 47 and the sensing bar 63d, the operation itself is the same as the operation described in the first embodiment, The sensing position is different and has the same relationship with each other, so the overall operation process is omitted.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It will be understood that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a louver frame that includes one proximity sensor installed in the louver frame, a plurality of sensing bars formed in the bushing or the hinge member, or two proximity sensors installed in the louver frame at regular intervals And a stopping position of the shutter, that is, a stopping point of the driving motor, through a sensing means formed of one sensing bar formed on the bushing or the hinge member. By detecting the stop position of the shutter according to the rising and falling of the shutter, The stopping point of the motor can be precisely sensed by the proximity sensor to stop the driving and the sensing structure itself for sensing is very simple and easy to structure, There is an effect that can be reduced.

Claims (2)

An air conditioner having an outer casing provided with a louver frame having a discharge port inside thereof and an auto shutter for opening and closing the discharge port, A shutter for opening and closing the discharge port, a drive motor installed in the louver frame to provide a driving force for opening and closing the shutter, a drive motor rotatable in the forward and reverse directions, a rotation rod coupled to the drive motor, And a hinge member coupled to the rotation shaft, the hinge member having one end coupled to the shutter and the other end coupled to the bushing; A proximity sensor provided on one side of the louver frame, a sensing bar formed integrally with the bushing or the lower end of a hinge member coupled to the bushing, and sensing means formed on the upper end of the rear side of the shutter, Wherein the stop position of the shutter, that is, the stopping point of the drive motor, is determined. An air conditioner having an outer casing provided with a louver frame having a discharge port inside thereof and an auto shutter for opening and closing the discharge port, A shutter for opening and closing the discharge port, a drive motor installed in the louver frame to provide a driving force for opening and closing the shutter, a drive motor rotatable in the forward and reverse directions, a rotation rod coupled to the drive motor, And a hinge member coupled to the rotary shaft, the hinge member having one end coupled to the shutter and the other end coupled to the bushing; A plurality of proximity sensors provided on one side of the louver frame at regular intervals (opening / closing position intervals of the shutters), and a detection sensor formed integrally with the bushing or the lower end of the hinge member coupled to the bushing Wherein the stopping position of the shutter, that is, the stopping point of the driving motor, is determined through the means for stopping the stopping position of the shutter.

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