KR101653877B1 - Air conditioner and controlling method of the same - Google Patents

Abstract

An air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: an outdoor unit having a compressor, an outdoor fan, and an outdoor heat exchanger; Wherein the compressor is stopped and the indoor fan is driven for a first set time when a cleaning operation for removing moisture from the surface of the indoor heat exchanger is started, the indoor fan including an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor fan, And the outdoor unit and the indoor unit operate in a heating mode for a second set time when a set time has elapsed.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioner and a control method thereof,

The present invention relates to an air conditioner and a control method thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to an air conditioner capable of automatically removing moisture remaining on the surface of an indoor heat exchanger after operation of the air conditioner, and a control method thereof.

In general, an air conditioner is a device that operates to regulate the temperature of an indoor space. In order to maintain the optimum conditions such as temperature, humidity, air flow, and purification, various operating modes or user- Performs the cooling, heating or purifying function so as to correspond to the air volume and the wind direction.

When the air conditioner is operated for cooling, condensed water formed by heat exchange between the room air and the refrigerant is generated on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger provided in the indoor unit. Therefore, the surface of the indoor heat exchanger is always exposed to moisture during operation of the air conditioner, and such moisture is often left unremoved even after the air conditioner stops operating.

Moisture remaining on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger even after the operation of the air conditioner is stopped is a major cause of propagation of various dusts, germs and fungi along with the elapse of a long time. In the state where the germs and fungi When the air conditioner is restarted, various kinds of germs and fungi which have propagated on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger as well as the smell of mold can be discharged to the room. Therefore, it is necessary for indoor hygiene to remove moisture from the surface of the indoor heat exchanger.

On the other hand, Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2005-0032667 (published on April 8, 2005), which is a prior art document, discloses a method for removing moisture in an air conditioner.

However, according to this prior art, since the indoor heat exchanger is dried only by blowing air, it takes a long time and it is difficult to completely remove moisture.

It is an object of the present invention to propose an air conditioner and its control method which shortens the drying time of the indoor heat exchanger and increases the drying efficiency.

An air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: an outdoor unit having a compressor, an outdoor fan, and an outdoor heat exchanger; Wherein the compressor is stopped and the indoor fan is driven for a first set time when a cleaning operation for removing moisture from the surface of the indoor heat exchanger is started, the indoor fan including an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor fan, And the outdoor unit and the indoor unit operate in a heating mode for a second set time when a set time has elapsed.

Also, during the second set time, the indoor fan can be continuously driven.

In addition, the rotational speed of the indoor fan can be varied according to the surface temperature of the indoor heat exchanger during the second set time period.

In addition, the compressor and the outdoor fan may be turned on or off according to the surface temperature of the indoor heat exchanger during the second set time.

Also, during the second set time, the compressor, the indoor fan, and the outdoor fan may operate in a period in which the temperature of the surface of the indoor heat exchanger is lower than the first set temperature.

When the temperature of the surface of the indoor heat exchanger becomes equal to or higher than the first set temperature during the second set time, the outdoor fan is stopped and the indoor fan and the compressor can be operated.

During the second set time, the indoor fan operates in a period in which the temperature of the surface of the indoor heat exchanger is equal to or higher than a second set temperature that is higher than the first set temperature, and the outdoor fan and the compressor are stopped have.

In addition, the second set time may be shorter than the first set time.

The remote controller may further include a remote controller for remotely inputting commands to the indoor unit, and the remote controller or the indoor unit may be provided with a display unit for displaying a cleaning notification for informing that the cleaning operation is being performed.

A control method of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention is a control method of an air conditioner for removing moisture on a surface of an indoor heat exchanger, the method comprising: cooling the air conditioner; Driving the indoor fan for a first set time after the cooling operation of the air conditioner is terminated; Heating the air conditioner for a second set time when the first set time has elapsed; And stopping the operation of the air conditioner when the second set time has elapsed.

Further, during the heating operation, the indoor fan can operate continuously.

Further, during the heating operation, the outdoor fan and the compressor can be turned on or off according to the surface temperature of the indoor heat exchanger.

A control method of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present invention is a control method of an air conditioner for removing moisture on a surface of an indoor heat exchanger, the method comprising: cooling the air conditioner; A step of heating the air conditioner for a predetermined period of time to remove moisture on a surface of the indoor heat exchanger when cooling operation of the air conditioner is completed; And stopping the operation of the air conditioner when the predetermined time has elapsed.

A control method of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present invention is a method of controlling an air conditioner for removing moisture on a surface of an indoor heat exchanger, the method comprising: cooling the air conditioner; Operating the air conditioner in a first mode for a first set time period to remove moisture on a surface of the indoor heat exchanger when cooling operation of the air conditioner is terminated; Operating the air conditioner in a second mode when the first set time elapses; And stopping the operation of the air conditioner when the second set time has elapsed.

According to the present invention, it is possible to completely remove the moisture formed on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger due to the operation of the air conditioner. Therefore, it is possible to prevent fungi, bacteria and the like caused by moisture from being propagated. Therefore, unpleasant odor such as mold odor can be remarkably reduced when the air conditioner is restarted.

Also, since the indoor heat exchanger dries the heating cycle during drying, the high temperature refrigerant flows into the indoor heat exchanger, so that the temperature of the surface of the indoor heat exchanger increases to a certain level or more, thereby sterilizing the surface of the indoor heat exchanger.

In addition, since the air conditioner is separated and cleaned separately without being cleaned separately, the user can be comforted.

1 is a perspective view of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a block diagram of a refrigerant cycle of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a flowchart showing a control method of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a view showing a control method of the indoor fan, the outdoor fan, and the compressor according to the temperature change of the indoor heat exchanger in the heating mode.
6 and 7 are views showing a remote controller according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention.

1 is a perspective view of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an indoor unit 10.

The indoor unit 10 may include a frame 11, 13 forming an outer appearance of the main body. The frame 11, 13 may include a suction port 14 and a discharge port 16.

For example, the frames 11 and 13 may include a front frame 11 and a rear frame 13 coupled to the front frame 11. In this embodiment, The structure is not limited.

The suction port 14 may be opened and closed by a suction panel 12 as an example. Or the inlet 14 may be kept open.

The discharge port 16 can be opened and closed by the discharge vane 15. In addition, the discharge vane 15 can control the direction of the air discharged from the discharge port 16.

The air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention can be cooled and / or warmed, and the cycle configuration of the air conditioner will now be described in detail.

2 is a block diagram of a refrigerant cycle of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2, the air conditioner according to the embodiment includes a compressor 21 for compressing a refrigerant, a four-way valve 22 for regulating the direction of flow of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 21 according to a heating or operation mode An outdoor heat exchanger 23 serving as a condenser during a cooling operation and serving as an evaporator during a heating operation, an outdoor fan 26 for blowing air to the outdoor heat exchanger 23, An indoor heat exchanger 25 functioning as a condenser during a heating operation and an indoor fan 27 for blowing air to the indoor heat exchanger 25 and an indoor heat exchanger 25 and an outdoor heat exchanger 23 ) To expand the refrigerant. ≪ Desc / Clms Page number 7 >

The indoor heat exchanger 25 and the indoor fan 27 may be installed in the indoor unit 10 and the compressor 21 and the outdoor heat exchanger 23 may be installed in an outdoor unit have.

Hereinafter, the operation of the above-described air conditioner during the cooling operation and the heating operation will be briefly described.

First, in the cooling operation, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor (21) flows to the outdoor heat exchanger (23) by the flow control of the four-way valve (22). The refrigerant having passed through the outdoor heat exchanger (23) is condensed and thereafter is reduced in pressure while passing through the expansion mechanism (24). The refrigerant passing through the expansion mechanism 24 is evaporated while passing through the indoor heat exchanger 25, and then flows to the compressor 21.

On the other hand, during the heating operation, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor (21) flows to the indoor heat exchanger (25) by the flow control of the four-way valve (22). The refrigerant that has passed through the indoor heat exchanger (25) is condensed and thereafter is reduced in pressure while passing through the expansion mechanism (24). The refrigerant passing through the expansion mechanism (24) is evaporated while passing through the outdoor heat exchanger (23), and then flows to the compressor (21).

When the air conditioner performs the cooling operation, the indoor heat exchanger 25 acts as an evaporator, so that condensed water is formed on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 25 by heat exchange between the indoor air and the refrigerant. The surface of the indoor heat exchanger 25 may include a surface of a cooling fin (not shown) of the indoor heat exchanger 25 and a surface of a heat exchange tube (not shown).

If the moisture on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger (25) is not removed, molds, bacteria, and the like will propagate and inconveniences the user. Hereinafter, an air conditioner for removing moisture and a control method thereof will be described in detail.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a control structure of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 and 4, the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention further includes an input unit 31 and a control unit 30 for controlling the air conditioner using the information input from the input unit 31 can do.

In addition, the air conditioner may further include a panel driving unit 32 for driving the suction panel 12. Of course, when the suction panel 12 is omitted, the panel driving unit 32 may be omitted.

The air conditioner includes a vane driving unit 35 for driving the discharge vane 15, an outdoor fan motor 36 for driving the outdoor fan 26, And may further include a fan motor 37.

The control unit 30 can open or close the suction port 14 by rotating the suction panel 12 or rotate the discharge vane 15 to open or close the discharge port 16 according to the input information. However, the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is a control operation for opening and closing the suction port 14 or the discharge port 16.

The control unit 30 may switch the four-way valve 22 to operate the compressor 21 to drive the cycle or to convert it to a cooling or heating cycle or to switch the four-way valve 22 or the indoor heat exchange The outdoor fan motor 36 or the indoor fan motor 37 may be operated to increase the heat exchange efficiency of the fan 25.

The input unit 31 may be provided in the indoor unit 10. Alternatively, the input unit 31 may include a remote controller (see 100 in FIG. 6) that can input commands to the indoor unit 10 remotely.

When the user inputs a cooling command through the input unit 31, both the suction port 14 and the discharge port 16 are opened and the indoor air is sucked into the suction port 14 by the operation of the indoor fan 27 Start. The indoor air sucked into the air conditioner is heat-exchanged through the indoor heat exchanger 25 to change its temperature. Then, the indoor air is discharged to the room through the discharge port 16 to adjust the room temperature.

The user can input an operation start command, an operation stop command, a temperature control command, a wind direction control command, an air flow rate control command, an automatic cleaning operation command, and the like through the input unit 31.

At this time, the automatic cleaning operation command is inputted to remove the moisture on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 25. Herein, the operation for removing moisture from the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 25 is called 'automatic cleaning operation'. When the user inputs the operation stop command of the air conditioner while the automatic cleaning operation command is inputted through the input unit 25, the controller 30 performs the control for the automatic cleaning. The automatic cleaning operation is divided into a blowing mode (referred to as a 'first mode') and a heating mode (referred to as a 'second mode') in two stages. Hereinafter, the control method of the automatic cleaning will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

When the user inputs an operation stop via the input unit 31 to stop the operation of the air conditioner while the air conditioner is in the cooling operation mode, the operation stop command is input to the controller 30 (step S1) .

Then, the control unit 30 stops the compressor 21 and the outdoor fan 26 without completely stopping the air conditioner, thereby completing the cooling operation of the air conditioner. (Step S2).

Next, the controller 30 determines whether an automatic cleaning command has been input (step S3). Here, the automatic cleaning command may be input before the operation stop command is input. If the automatic cleaning command is input before the operation stop command is input, information indicating that an automatic cleaning command has been input to a memory not shown may be stored. As another example, it is also possible that the automatic cleaning command is inputted after the stop command is inputted.

If the automatic cleaning reservation is not made, the operation of the air conditioner is stopped as the user inputs (step S8).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S3 that the automatic cleaning command has been input, the controller 30 operates the indoor fan 27 of the air conditioner, in particular, the indoor heat exchanger 25 (Step S4). ≪ / RTI > In this specification, a mode in which only the indoor fan 27 operates is called a 'blowing mode'. That is, the control unit stops the compressor and the outdoor fan that are in operation, and controls the indoor fan to operate only.

Only the indoor fan 27 is operated in a state in which the cooling cycle is not operated so that no additional moisture is generated by the condensed water formed on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 25, Remove moisture.

The controller 30 maintains the inlet 14 in an opened state and adjusts the angle of the outlet vane 15 to adjust the direction of the air discharged to the outlet 16 in the blowing mode , Only the indoor fan (27) can be operated.

The blowing mode continues until a predetermined first set time elapses (step S5).

When the first set time has elapsed and the blowing mode is terminated, the control unit 30 switches the four-way valve 22 and drives the compressor 21 to operate the heating cycle in step S6. This is called 'heating mode'.

The heating mode continues until a predetermined second set time elapses (step S7). The second set time may be a time optimized to prevent the rise of the room temperature due to the heating while removing the moisture on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger that can not be removed in the blowing mode. At this time, the second set time is shorter than the first set time.

In the heating mode, the control unit 30 continuously operates the indoor fan 27 and selectively turns on the compressor 21 and the outdoor fan 26 according to the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 25 Off.

Unlike the above, the automatic cleaning operation may be performed only in the heating mode without performing the blowing mode. The control unit 30 stops the indoor fan 27 and closes the suction port 14 and the discharge port 16 to stop the operation of the air conditioner when the second set time has elapsed, (Step S8). If not, the process proceeds to step S6.

4, the automatic cleaning operation may be performed by directly inputting the automatic cleaning operation during the operation of the air conditioner without inputting the operation stop of the air conditioner, . In this case, the cooling cycle is stopped by the automatic cleaning operation input and the blowing mode is immediately started.

The controller 30 may control the air conditioner so that the indoor temperature is not excessively increased while removing the moisture more effectively in the heating mode. Hereinafter, the control method of the air conditioner according to the temperature of the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 25 in the heating mode will be described.

5 is a view showing a control method of the indoor fan, the outdoor fan, and the compressor according to the temperature change of the indoor heat exchanger in the heating mode.

5, when the compressor 21 is operated at the start of the heating mode, the temperature of the refrigerant flowing into the indoor heat exchanger 25 increases, and as a result, the temperature of the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 25 rises .

It is effective to increase the temperature of the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 25 by driving the heating cycle for a long time in view of moisture removal of the indoor unit 10 and surface sterilizing effect of the indoor heat exchanger 25. [ However, if the driving time of the heating cycle becomes long, the room temperature may rise excessively, which may cause a user inconvenience. This is because it is common in summer to remove the moisture generated by the cooling cycle drive.

Accordingly, in the heating mode, the controller 30 may control the operation of the compressor 21, the outdoor fan 26, and the indoor fan 27 according to the surface temperature interval of the indoor heat exchanger 25.

Specifically, when the temperature of the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 25 at the start of the heating mode is taken as the starting temperature t0, the control unit 30 determines that the temperature of the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 25 The compressor 21 and the outdoor fan 26 can be controlled to be driven by rotating the indoor fan 27 to the first RPM (one-stage driving in the figure) until the first set temperature t1 is reached.

When the surface temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 25 reaches the first preset temperature t1, the control unit 30 rotates the indoor fan 27 to the second RPM larger than the first RPM Driving), the compressor (21) continues to be driven, and the outdoor fan (26) can be controlled to stop. This is continued until the temperature of the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 25 reaches the second set temperature t2.

When the heating cycle is continued and the surface temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 25 reaches the second preset temperature t2, the controller 30 rotates the indoor fan 27 to the second RPM, The compressor 21 and the outdoor fan 26 can be controlled to be stopped. This is to prevent the surface temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 25 from excessively increasing beyond the second set temperature t2.

It is possible to determine the first set temperature t1 and the second set temperature t2 in order to prevent the room temperature from becoming excessively high while obtaining the drying and sterilizing effect.

The surface temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 25 can be raised and lowered between the first set temperature t1 and the second set temperature t2 as shown in FIG. have. The heating mode may be continued for a second predetermined time period as described with reference to FIG. 4, thereby removing moisture from the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 25. FIG.

6 and 7 are views showing a remote controller according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, FIG. 6 shows the remote control when the automatic cleaning operation is not performed, and FIG. 7 shows the remote control when the automatic cleaning operation is performed.

6 and 7, the input unit 31 may include a remote controller 100 that can input commands to the indoor unit 10 remotely.

The remote controller 100 may include an operation unit 110 for receiving various commands from a user and a display unit 120 for displaying a current operation state of the air conditioner or a set value input by a user. At this time, some or all of the information that can be displayed on the display unit 120 may be displayed on a display unit (not shown) provided in the input unit 31 of the indoor unit 10 or the indoor unit.

The operation unit 110 may include a power on / off button, a temperature control button, an air cleaning button, a wind intensity control button, and the like, as shown in FIG. It is to be noted that, in the present specification, there is no limitation on the type of buttons included in the operation unit 110. [

In addition, the operation unit 110 may further include an automatic cleaning button 111.

When the user presses the automatic cleaning button 111, the remote controller 100 transmits the automatic cleaning operation command signal to the indoor unit 10.

On the other hand, the control of the air conditioner may be varied depending on the number of times the automatic cleaning button 111 is pressed. For example, if the user presses the automatic cleaning button 111 once, the automatic cleaning operation is performed. If the user presses the automatic cleaning button 111 twice, only the blowing mode is performed. If the user presses the automatic cleaning button 111 three times, have.

The display unit 120 may include a battery remaining amount display unit, an on / off status display unit, a current temperature and a desired temperature display unit of the remote controller 100, and the like.

The display unit 120 may include a cleaning notification unit 121 for notifying that the air conditioner is undergoing an automatic cleaning operation. The cleaning notification unit 121 may have a sun shape as shown, but is not limited thereto.

The cleaning notification unit 121 displays the first state as shown in FIG. 6 when the air conditioner is stopped or in the cooling mode. When the automatic cleaning operation command is input, the cleaning notification unit 121 may display the second state as shown in FIG. . As another example, when the air conditioner is stopped or in the cooling mode, the cleaning notification unit 121 is not displayed on the display unit 120, and when the automatic cleaning operation command is input, have.

In addition, the display unit 120 may further include a heating operation notification unit 122 for indicating that the air conditioner is heating operation. The heating operation informing unit 122 may be displayed as shown in FIG. 7 when the air conditioner drives a heating cycle.

When the heating mode is started during the automatic cleaning operation, the cleaning notification unit 121 and the heating operation notification unit 121 may be simultaneously displayed.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, but, on the contrary, It will be understood that various modifications and applications other than those described above are possible.

Claims (14)

An outdoor unit having a compressor, an outdoor fan, and an outdoor heat exchanger; And
And an indoor unit having an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor fan,
When the cleaning operation for removing the moisture on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger is started,
During the first set time, the compressor is stopped and the indoor fan is driven,
After the lapse of the first set time, the outdoor unit and the indoor unit operate in the heating mode during the second set time,
During the second set time,
When the temperature of the surface of the indoor heat exchanger is lower than the first set temperature, the compressor, the outdoor fan, and the indoor fan are operated,
When the temperature of the surface of the indoor heat exchanger is equal to or higher than the first set temperature and lower than the second set temperature, the outdoor fan is stopped, the compressor and the indoor fan continue to operate,
Wherein when the temperature of the surface of the indoor heat exchanger is equal to or higher than the second set temperature, the outdoor fan and the compressor are stopped, and the indoor fan continues to operate. delete The method according to claim 1,
During the second set time,
Wherein the indoor fan is rotated faster than when the temperature of the surface of the indoor heat exchanger is lower than the first set temperature when the temperature of the surface of the indoor heat exchanger is equal to or higher than the first set temperature. delete delete delete delete The method according to claim 1,
And the second setting time is shorter than the first setting time. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a remote controller capable of remotely inputting commands to the indoor unit,
Wherein the remote controller or the indoor unit is provided with a display unit for displaying a cleaning notification unit for informing that cleaning operation is being performed. A control method for an air conditioner for removing moisture on a surface of an indoor heat exchanger,
A step in which the air conditioner performs cooling operation;
Terminating a cooling operation of the air conditioner and driving an indoor fan for a first set time;
Heating the air conditioner for a second set time when the first set time has elapsed, continuously operating the indoor fan, and selectively operating the compressor and the outdoor fan; And
And stopping the operation of the air conditioner when the second preset time has elapsed,
During the second set time,
When the temperature of the surface of the indoor heat exchanger is lower than the first set temperature, the compressor and the outdoor fan are operated,
When the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger surface is equal to or higher than the first set temperature and lower than the second set temperature, the outdoor fan is stopped, the compressor continues to operate,
And stops the outdoor fan and the compressor when the temperature of the surface of the indoor heat exchanger is equal to or higher than the second set temperature. 11. The method of claim 10,
During the second set time,
Wherein the indoor fan is rotated faster than when the temperature of the surface of the indoor heat exchanger is lower than the first set temperature when the temperature of the surface of the indoor heat exchanger is equal to or higher than the first set temperature.
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