KR20080065034A - Control method for air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

An air conditioner control method is provided to cool a display unit by a fan of an air conditioning unit without using any additional cooling elements by driving the fan even when the display unit is driven alone. In an air conditioner control method, a fan is rotated when any one or more of a display unit and an air conditioning unit are turned on(S12,S13). The rpm of the fan is controlled according to the wind volume of the air conditioning unit when the air conditioning unit is turned on(S14), and according to the internal temperature of the display unit when the display unit is turned on alone(S31-S33). The fan is stopped rotating when all the units are turned off(S15,S16).

Description

Control method for air conditioner

1 is a block diagram showing an air conditioner according to the present invention.

2 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the first embodiment of the air conditioner according to the present invention.

3 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the air conditioner of FIG.

4 is a perspective view illustrating the air conditioner of FIG. 2.

5 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the air conditioner according to the present invention.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

11: compressor 12: outdoor heat exchanger

13 outdoor blower 14 expansion valve

15: sensor unit 20: cabinet

22: front panel 24: base

25: suction part 26: discharge part

30: indoor blower 50: indoor heat exchanger

60: filter 70: control box

80: drain plate 90: discharge unit

100: air conditioning unit 200: display unit

210: signal receiver 220: signal converter

250: image panel 251: display window

270,280: thin film speaker 300: power supply

400: operation unit 410: operation panel

500: control unit 501: temperature sensor

The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly, to a control method of an air conditioner.

In general, an air conditioner is a device for ventilating or heating an indoor space. The air conditioner includes an air conditioner and an air conditioner according to a system of a refrigerant.

Also, a display device is a device for displaying an image and sound in general. The display apparatus includes a CRT (Cathod Ray Tube) for scanning an image and a liquid crystal display (LCD) for implementing an image by applying a current to the liquid crystal.

Since the display device is electrically and electronically controlled, heat is generated in a printed circuit board (PCB) controlling the display device. Therefore, a separate cooling device and a cooling space are required to prevent the PCB from malfunctioning. In addition, as the cooling device and the cooling space are provided, the volume of the display device is inevitably increased.

In addition, since the air conditioner and the display device are arranged as individual products in the indoor space, the indoor space has been narrowed when the devices are installed. Recently, various researches have been conducted on devices having a display function and an air conditioning function to minimize the installation space.

An object of the present invention for solving the above problems is to provide a control method of an air conditioner that can efficiently control the display unit and the air conditioning unit.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a control method of an air conditioner that can be efficiently controlled and downsized.

According to an aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object, a display unit for receiving an image signal from the outside and outputting it to the image panel is a structure coupled to the air conditioning unit, at least one of the display unit and the air conditioning unit is turned on ON provides a control method of the air conditioner for rotating the fan of the air conditioning unit.

When the air conditioning unit is turned on, the rotation speed of the fan may be adjusted according to the air volume of the air conditioning unit.

When only the display unit is ON, the rotation speed of the fan may be adjusted according to the internal temperature of the display unit.

When both units are OFF, the fan may be stopped.

When both units are turned on, the fan may be stopped when the indoor space is less than or equal to a temperature selected by the air conditioning unit and the internal temperature of the display unit is less than or equal to a preset temperature.

According to another aspect of the present invention, when at least one of the display unit and the air conditioning unit is ON, rotating the fan of the air conditioning unit; Adjusting the rotation speed of the fan according to at least one condition of the air volume of the air conditioning unit and the internal temperature of the display unit; And stopping the rotation of the fan when the two units are turned off.

When both units are ON, the indoor space is lower than the temperature selected by the air conditioning unit, and when it is determined that the internal temperature of the display unit is lower than or equal to the preset temperature, the fan may be stopped. have.

The rotation speed of the fan may be determined in preference to the air volume set for the heat dissipation of the display unit.

Depending on whether at least one of the display unit and the air conditioning unit is turned on, it is determined whether the fan is operated or the speed of the fan may be variably controlled.

Hereinafter will be described an embodiment of an air conditioner according to the present invention that can achieve the above object.

1 is a block diagram showing an air conditioner according to the present invention, Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the first embodiment of the air conditioner according to the present invention, Figure 3 is a configuration of the air conditioner of Figure 2 4 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 4 and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the air conditioner of FIG. 2.

1 and 2, the air conditioner according to the present invention is an air conditioning unit 100 for air conditioning indoor air, and a display unit 200 disposed on the front of the air conditioning unit 100 to display an image. ).

The air conditioning unit 100 is configured with an indoor unit and an outdoor unit in the present embodiment, and performs air conditioning such as cooling / heating, dehumidification, and air cleaning of indoor air. In addition, the display unit 200 implements a video such as an aerial TV image, a satellite / terrestrial DMB image or a movie.

The detailed configuration of the air conditioning unit 100 is as follows.

The air conditioning unit 100 is divided into an outdoor unit and an indoor unit.

The outdoor unit includes a compressor (11) for compressing a refrigerant, an outdoor heat exchanger (12) for exchanging heat with the outdoor air, and an outdoor blower (13) for blowing air to the outdoor heat exchanger (12).

The indoor unit blows air into the expansion valve 14 for condensing the refrigerant discharged from the compressor, the indoor heat exchanger 50 for exchanging indoor air and the refrigerant, and the indoor heat exchanger 50. It includes an indoor blower (30) for circulating air.

In addition, the air conditioning unit includes a sensor unit 15 for sensing the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger 12 and the indoor heat exchanger 50, the temperature of the room, and the like. The sensor unit 15 includes a temperature sensor 501 (see FIG. 3) disposed on the control unit 500 which is a printed circuit board.

2 to 4 show only the indoor unit of the air conditioning unit. Hereinafter, a detailed configuration of the indoor unit will be described.

2, the indoor unit includes a cabinet 20 composed of a front panel 22 and a base 24. In the cabinet 20, a filter 60, an indoor heat exchanger 50, an orifice 40, a control box 70, and an indoor blower 30 are sequentially disposed. In addition, a drain plate 80 is disposed below the indoor heat exchanger 50.

The suction part 25 is formed in the front panel 22. An indoor heat exchanger 50 is disposed at the rear side of the suction unit 25 of the front panel 22. In this case, a plasma filter 60 is installed on the front surface of the indoor heat exchanger 50 to collect and filter dust or foreign matters of air flowing through the suction unit 25. In addition, a drain unit 80 is installed below the indoor heat exchanger 50 to store and discharge the condensed water generated by the indoor heat exchanger 50.

An orifice 40 is disposed on the rear side of the indoor heat exchanger 50. The control box 70 constituting the control unit of the air conditioner is disposed above the orifice 40.

An indoor blower 30 is disposed at the rear side of the orifice 40. The indoor blower 30 includes a fan 31 and a motor 32. The fan 31 presents a centrifugal fan for discharging the air sucked in the axial direction in the radial direction.

The base 24 is disposed at the rear side of the indoor blower 30. At this time, the motor of the indoor blower 30 is fixed to the base 24.

Discharge parts 26 are formed at both sides and the lower side of the base 24, respectively. A partition wall 24a is formed at the center of the base 24 to prevent the air discharged from the respective indoor blowers 30 from colliding with each other. Air guides 24b are respectively provided on the upper side of the base 24 to guide the air discharged upward from the indoor blower 30 to the discharge parts 26 on both sides.

A discharge unit 92 is installed to open and close the discharge portion 26 of the base 24. The discharge unit 92 is configured to include a vane 92 to open and close the discharge unit 26, and a motor (not shown) to operate the vane.

Next, the display unit will be described.

The display unit 200 includes an image panel 250 installed inside the case 20 of the air conditioner 100 to display an image. The display unit 200 is an image display device composed of a flat display panel, for example, an LCD TV or a PDP TV.

3 and 4, the case 610 of the display unit 200 is provided on the front cover 611 installed to surround the front edge of the image panel 250 and the rear surface of the front cover 611. It includes a front base 613 is positioned and coupled to the front cover 611.

The rear surface of the image panel 250, the control unit 500 for controlling the air conditioning unit 100 and the display unit 200 together, the signal receiver 210 for receiving an image or / and audio signal, and the received The signal conversion unit 220 for converting the signal to be output is disposed. The audio output unit 260 (see FIG. 1) is connected to the controller 500.

The controller 500 includes a printed circuit board (PCB) on which a plurality of devices are mounted.

The signal converter 220 is connected to an external input terminal 614. The external input terminal 614 includes DVI, RGB, component, S-Video, composite, optical, AV terminal, HDMI, DVI, and the like.

A memory slot 612 (eg, MMC / SD, CF, XD, MS, etc.) to which an external memory is connected is installed in the case 610, and an internal memory is installed in the case 610. .

The external memory and the internal memory are the memory unit 270 illustrated in FIG. 1, and the memory slot 612 or the external input terminal 614 may be connected to the air conditioning unit according to the installation position of the controller 500. 100 may be installed in the cabinet 20.

The signal receiving unit 210 is for receiving a frequency such as a TV tuner, DMB.

The signal converter 220 is for decoding and amplifying the received signal so that the received signal can be displayed on the image panel 200. The signal converter 220 converts the received analog signal into a digital signal.

The audio output unit 260 outputs the sound signal converted through the signal converter 220.

On the other hand, the air conditioner to the power supply unit 300 for supplying power to the components of the air conditioning unit 100 and the display unit 200, the air conditioning unit 100 and the display unit 200 An operation unit 400 for inputting a user's operation command, and a control unit 500 for controlling the air conditioning unit 100 and the display unit 200 according to an operation command input through the operation unit 400. It is composed.

The power supply unit 300 supplies power to the air conditioning unit 100 and the display unit 200, respectively. Voltages used in the air conditioning unit 100 or the display unit 200 are different from each other. Therefore, the power supply unit 300 converts the input power to boost or reduce the current suitable for the air conditioning unit 100 or the display unit 200.

For example, in the case of the PDP panel of the image panel 250 of the display unit 200, the power supply unit 300 may be configured to control the reset voltage, the scan voltage, and the sustain voltage for the discharge process performed in the PDP panel. In addition to transmitting to the drive board constituting the 500, the voltage of the compressor 11 required for driving the air conditioning unit 100, the voltage of the motor 32 of the indoor / outdoor blowers 13, 30, the discharge unit ( The voltage necessary for the operation of the controller 90 and the respective voltages required for the operation of the sensor unit 15 and the expansion valve 14 are controlled.

The rear side of the image panel 250 is shielded by the front base 613. In this case, the front base 613 is exposed to the air intake passage. In addition, the front surface of the front base 613 may be in contact with the control unit 500 which is a printed circuit board. Therefore, since the front base 613 is cooled by the air sucked into the suction unit 25 when the air conditioning unit 100 is operated, the front base 613 cools the control unit 500 which is a printed circuit board. Let's do it. The front base 613 may be made of a material such as aluminum having excellent thermal conductivity.

Meanwhile, the case 610 of the display unit 200 and the front panel 22 of the air conditioning unit 100 are coupled by the connection unit 600. Therefore, when the filter 60 is replaced or cleaned, the display unit 200 may be easily opened or closed.

The connection unit 600 includes first and second links 620 and 630 hingedly connected to the rear surface of the case 610 and the front panel 22, respectively, and the second link 630 is the The lower side of the first link 620 is longer than the first link 620.

Brackets 623 and 632 are formed on the rear surface of the case 610 so that one end of the first and second links 620 and 630 are hinged.

The other end of the second link 630 is formed to slide along the bracket 633. In particular, when the display unit 200 and the air conditioning unit 100 are separated, the other end of the second link 630 is moved along the bracket 633 to be separated from the front panel 22.

In addition, the case 610 and the front panel 22 are fitted to each other. For example, a hook 642 is formed on a rear surface of the case 610, and a hook bracket 644 is formed on the front panel 22 to be fitted to the hook 642.

In addition, the rear surface of the case 610 is formed with a grill 650 to maintain the separation interval.

Hereinafter, the operation of the display unit and the operation of the air conditioning unit in the air conditioner according to the present invention will be described in detail.

First, when a user inputs an operation command through the wireless remote control 420 or the operation panel 410, the control unit 500 according to the operation command input through the operation unit 400 or the air conditioning unit 100 or the At least one of the display units 200 is controlled. Hereinafter, the operation of the air conditioning unit and the display unit will be described separately.

First, the operation of the air conditioning unit will be described.

1, 2 and 4, when the air conditioning unit 100 is operated, the indoor blower 30 is driven, and the indoor air is driven by the indoor blower 30. Cycles through).

Here, in this embodiment, the indoor blower 30 of the air conditioning unit 100 is a centrifugal fan, and is sucked through the suction part 25 of the cabinet 20, and then each discharge part 26 of the cabinet 20 is provided. Air is discharged through.

In particular, in the present embodiment, the suction unit 25 is formed on the front panel 22, and the suction air is moved between the case 610 and the front panel 22 of the display unit 200. The filter 60 is moved to the indoor blower 30.

On the other hand, each discharge unit 90 installed in the discharge unit 26 is controlled by the control unit 500, the vane 92 is rotated only when the air conditioning unit 100 is operated while the discharge unit ( 26) open.

Thus, in this embodiment, the suction air is sucked from the side and then discharged to the side again, thereby minimizing the exposure of the suction / discharge portions 25 and 26 for air conditioning to the user.

In addition, when the air conditioning unit 100 operates, the air sucked into the suction unit 25 is moved to the suction unit 25 while being in contact with the rear surface of the front base 613. In this case, since the front base 613 is cooled by intake air, the inside of the display unit 200 and the control unit 500 are simultaneously cooled by the front base 613. Therefore, when the display unit 200 is operated during the operation of the air conditioning unit 100, the temperature inside the display unit 200 and the controller 500 is suppressed from being raised.

In addition, in the present invention, since the display unit 200 is located at the rear side of the air conditioner unit 100, the air conditioner is minimized to the user.

In addition, since the heat generated in the display unit 200 is cooled by the air flowing by the air conditioning unit 100 when the air conditioning unit 100 is operated, it should be installed in the display unit 200. There is no need for a cooling device to do this, which can simplify the components of the display unit 200.

Next, the operation of the display unit will be described.

When the user inputs an operation command to turn on the TV, the controller 500 receives a signal through the TV tuner and then displays a video signal received on the image panel 250 through signal conversion.

In particular, when the image is displayed during the operation of the air conditioning unit 100, the image displaying the operating state of the air conditioning unit 100 is displayed on the screen part of the image panel 250. -Picture, picture in picture (PIP).

In addition, when the display unit 200 is operated, the user may turn off the display of the operation state of the air conditioning unit 100 by an operation command through the operation unit 400.

Meanwhile, the signal receiving unit 210 of the display unit 200 receives an image signal and an audio signal through a host or a broadcasting network. The image signal and the audio signal data received by the signal transceiver 210 may be stored in the memory unit 620. In addition, the image signal received by the signal transceiver 210 is output to the image panel 250. In addition, the audio signal received by the signal transceiver 210 is output by the audio output unit 260.

The control method and the operation of the embodiment according to the present invention configured as described above will be described.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of the air conditioner of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 5, the air conditioning unit and the display unit may be selectively operated either one or both at the same time. The air conditioning unit and the display unit are in a standby state for power input.

When both the air conditioning unit and the display unit are selected to operate, power is supplied to the air conditioning unit and the display unit (S11).

In this case, the control unit, which is a printed circuit board, receives an image signal from a broadcast or a host and outputs the image signal to the image panel.

In addition, the fan of the indoor blower is rotated (S13). The fan of the indoor blower is controlled to the rotation speed of the fan according to the air volume of the air conditioning unit (S14). In this case, the rotation speed of the fan corresponding to the air volume of the air conditioning unit is preset. In this case, the fan is controlled at a predetermined rotation speed based on the air volume of the air conditioning unit. As the fan is rotated, the air sucked through the suction part flows into the indoor heat exchanger. The air heat-exchanged in the indoor heat exchanger is discharged into the room through the discharge unit after cooling the front base. At this time, the front base cools the inside and the control unit of the air conditioning unit.

In addition, when the indoor space is less than the temperature selected by the air conditioning unit and the internal temperature of the image display unit is less than the preset temperature, the fan can be stopped. At this time, when the indoor space is above the selected temperature or the internal temperature of the display unit is above the preset temperature, the fan is restarted.

In addition, the rotation speed of the fan may be determined in preference to the air volume set for the heat dissipation of the display unit. That is, when the air conditioning unit and the display unit are rotated at the same time, the number of rotations of the fan is determined according to the air volume of the air conditioning unit regardless of the temperature of the control unit which is a printed circuit board.

It is determined whether both the air conditioning unit and the display unit are selected to be off (S15).

At this time, if both the air conditioning unit and the display unit are selected to be off, the air conditioning unit and the display unit are turned off. Then, the fan is stopped (S16). In this case, the fan may be further rotated for a predetermined time after the air conditioning unit is stopped and then stopped.

Next, it is determined whether one of the air conditioning unit and the display unit is off.

If it is determined that the air conditioning unit is operating among the two units (S21), the fan is operated (S22). At this time, the fan speed is adjusted according to the air volume of the air conditioning unit (S23). At this time, the air sucked through the suction unit is discharged to the room through the discharge unit after passing through the indoor heat exchanger.

Then, when the air conditioning unit is selected to be operated (S24), the fan is stopped (S16). In this case, the fan may be further rotated for a predetermined time after the air conditioning unit is turned off and then stopped.

In addition, if the display unit of the two units is selected to be operated (S31), the controller receives an image signal from the outside and outputs the image signal to the image panel.

Then, the fan is rotated (S32). At this time, the temperature sensor senses the temperature of the control unit which is a printed circuit board. In addition, the rotation speed of the fan corresponding to the temperature of the controller is preset in the controller. At this time, the higher the temperature of the control unit is set the higher the rotational speed of the fan.

If it is determined that the temperature of the printed circuit board is greater than or equal to a preset temperature, the rotation speed of the fan is adjusted to correspond to the temperature of the printed circuit board. At this time, the air sucked through the suction unit cools the front base via an indoor heat exchanger. The printed circuit board is cooled as the front base and the control unit which is the printed circuit board are heat exchanged. In addition, the front base cools the inside of the display unit. Here, the air passing through the indoor heat exchanger is not heat exchanged because the air conditioning unit is not operated.

At this time, if it is determined that the temperature of the printed circuit board is less than the predetermined temperature, the fan may be stopped.

When the display unit is turned off (S34), the fan is stopped (S16). In this case, the fan may be further rotated for a predetermined time after the display unit is turned off and then stopped.

On the other hand, depending on whether at least one of the display unit and the air conditioning unit (ON) of the operation of the fan can be determined or the rotation speed (speed) of the fan can be controlled variable. For example, when one of the air conditioning unit and the display unit is operated, the fan is rotated. In addition, when only the air conditioning unit is operated, the fan may be rotated at a relatively high speed than when only the display unit is operated. In addition, when both units are rotated, the fan may be rotated at a relatively high speed than when any one unit is rotated.

According to the embodiment of the present invention by the above-described configuration has the following advantages.

According to the present invention, since the fan of the air conditioning unit is rotated even when only the display unit is operated, there is an effect that the printed circuit board of the display unit can be cooled by air.

According to the present invention, since the printed circuit board is cooled by the fan of the air conditioning unit, there is an effect that it is not necessary to install a separate cooling device for cooling the printed circuit board. Furthermore, there is an effect that it is not necessary to provide a separate space for cooling the printed circuit board. As a result, the air conditioner can be further miniaturized.

Claims (9)

The display unit which receives an image signal from the outside and outputs it to the image panel is a structure coupled to the air conditioning unit And when at least one of the display unit and the air conditioning unit is turned on, rotating the fan of the air conditioning unit. The method of claim 1, And when the air conditioning unit is turned on, the rotation speed of the fan is adjusted according to the air volume of the air conditioning unit. The method of claim 1, And when only the display unit is turned on, the rotation speed of the fan is controlled according to an internal temperature of the display unit. The method of claim 1, And the fan is stopped when both units are turned off. The method of claim 1, Control of the air conditioner for stopping the fan when the indoor space is less than the temperature selected by the air conditioning unit and the internal temperature of the display unit is less than the preset temperature when both units are ON. Way. Rotating at least one fan of the air conditioning unit when at least one of the display unit and the air conditioning unit is turned on; Adjusting the rotation speed of the fan according to at least one condition of the air volume of the air conditioning unit and the internal temperature of the display unit; And Stopping the rotation of the fan when both units are OFF. The method of claim 6, When both units are ON, the air space for stopping the fan is determined when the indoor space is below the temperature selected by the air conditioning unit and the internal temperature of the display unit is below the preset temperature. Control method of harmonics. The method of claim 6, And the rotation speed of the fan is determined in preference to the set amount of air required for heat dissipation of the display unit. The control method of the air conditioner is determined whether the operation of the fan or the variable speed of the fan depending on whether at least one of the display unit and the air conditioning unit.

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