KR20080079482A - Air conditioner and operating method for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

An air conditioner and a method for operating the same are provided to change a desired temperature into a limitation temperature if the desired temperature is beyond the range of the limitation temperature. An indoor unit(IU) includes a communication unit(22), a first controller(23), a temperature detecting unit(26), and a second controller(21). The communication unit makes data communication with an outdoor unit(OU). The first controller controls the operation of a heat exchanger, an indoor fan, and an expansion valve. The temperature detecting unit includes a plurality of temperature sensors to measure an indoor temperature and a pipe temperature of the indoor unit. The indoor unit includes an input unit(24) and a display unit(25).

Description

Air conditioner and operating method {Air conditioner and operating method for the same}

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioner according to the present invention;

2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the indoor unit and the remote control of the air conditioner according to the present invention;

3 is a view showing the configuration of a remote control of the air conditioner according to the present invention;

4 is a flowchart illustrating a first embodiment of a method for setting a limit temperature of an air conditioner according to the present invention;

5 is a flowchart showing a second embodiment of the method for setting a limit temperature of an air conditioner according to the present invention; and

6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating an air conditioner according to the present invention.

<Brief description of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

IU: Indoor unit OU: Outdoor unit

RC: remote control

11: remote control control unit 12: remote control communication unit

13: input part 14: display part

21: indoor unit control unit 22: indoor unit communication unit

23: indoor unit operation control unit 24: input unit

25: display unit 26: temperature detection unit

The present invention relates to an air conditioner and a method of operating the same, and more particularly, to an air conditioner and a method of operating the same within a limited temperature range during a heating and cooling operation.

In general, an air conditioner is a device that provides a comfortable indoor environment by discharging cold / hot air into an indoor space such as a living space or an office and performing air purification. The air conditioner includes an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, and cool and cool air is discharged to the indoor space through the indoor unit through the circulation of the refrigerant. This conventional air conditioner measures the current temperature of the indoor and outdoor, and is cooled or heated to reach the desired temperature input.

However, in a season when the temperature difference between the indoor and outdoor is large, such as summer or winter, the air conditioner may be overloaded to reach the desired temperature, and the power consumption is also greatly increased.

In addition, since the conventional air conditioner is provided with a plurality of indoor units in a plurality of rooms to individually set the desired temperature of the room, it is difficult to limit this and can be changed by another user even if the user individually limits, there is a difficulty in temperature limitation. .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner and a method of operating the same, which sets the limit temperature so that the setting of the desired temperature outside the set limit temperature is impossible, so that the cooling or heating operation is performed within the set temperature range.

In the air conditioner according to the present invention, an air conditioner including a remote controller connected to an outdoor unit, an indoor unit, and an indoor unit, wherein the remote controller is provided with a plurality of buttons, and an input unit for inputting operation settings for an operation mode, temperature, wind direction, and air volume; In response to a button operation of the input unit, a remote control unit for setting the input temperature to the limit temperature, and transmits the data on the limit temperature and the operation setting to the indoor unit.

In the operating method of the air-conditioning simultaneous multi air conditioner according to the present invention, a limit temperature including at least one of a minimum limit temperature and a maximum limit temperature is set, and if the desired temperature is a value within the limit temperature range, the current mode is used. And operating if the desired temperature is out of the limit temperature range by changing the desired temperature to the limit temperature.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioner according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner according to the present invention includes at least one outdoor unit (OU) and a plurality of indoor units (IU, IU01 to IU06) connected to the outdoor unit (OU) and discharging cold air into the room. ). Also, a plurality of remote controllers RC, RC01 to RC06) for inputting desired temperature input, operation selection, air volume, and wind direction setting are connected to each indoor unit IU01 to IU06.

At this time, the air conditioner is an example of one outdoor unit, which is just an example, and the number of indoor units may vary according to the space and place where the air conditioner is installed, and the number of outdoor units and distributors may also vary. The air conditioner may further include a distributor connected between the outdoor unit OU and the indoor unit IU to distribute the refrigerant supplied to the indoor unit IU. In addition, in some cases, a central controller for monitoring and centrally controlling the operation of the outdoor unit (OU) and the indoor unit (IU) may be further included.

The outdoor unit OU is provided with at least one compressor to circulate the high temperature and high pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor according to the set operation mode, and to deliver the refrigerant to the indoor unit IU. The outdoor unit OU controls driving of the compressor in response to the number of the indoor units IU operated, thereby performing a cooling operation or a heating operation.

The indoor unit IU discharges cold air into the room according to the refrigerant supplied from the outdoor unit OU. At this time, the indoor unit IU is connected to the outdoor unit OU according to a predetermined communication standard to transmit and receive mutual control commands and data, and discharges cold / hot air into the room according to the set operation mode. At this time, the air conditioner is connected to a predetermined communication line or wireless, and transmits and receives data to each other, and performs the set operation. The outdoor unit OU controls the driving of the compressor according to the operation setting input through each indoor unit IU, and the refrigerant is supplied to the indoor unit IU.

In addition, the indoor unit IU is connected to the remote controller RC and performs cooling or heating operation according to an operation setting input from the remote controller RC.

Here, look at the configuration of the indoor unit (IU) and the remote control (RC) as follows. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the indoor unit and the remote control of the air conditioner according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the indoor unit (IU) includes an indoor heat exchanger, an indoor fan, and an expansion valve, and an indoor unit communication unit 22 that transmits and receives data with the outdoor unit OU, and an indoor heat exchanger, an indoor fan, and an expansion unit. Indoor unit operation control unit 23 for controlling the operation of the valve, a temperature sensing unit 26 for measuring the indoor temperature, the indoor unit piping temperature, including a plurality of temperature sensors, and control the input and output data of the indoor unit and control according to the set operation It includes an indoor unit controller 210 for generating a command.

In addition, the input unit 24 and the display unit 25 may be further included according to the type and shape of the indoor unit IU and the installed position. For example, when the indoor unit is installed on the ceiling, a separate input unit or display unit may not be provided. The display unit 25 of the indoor unit IU outputs operation state information, room temperature, and operation setting data, and the input unit 24 of the indoor unit is provided with a plurality of buttons to input setting data.

Remote controller RC is connected to the indoor unit (IU) remote control communication unit 12 for transmitting and receiving data, the input unit 13 is provided with a plurality of buttons to input the operation settings, and the display unit 14 for displaying the indoor unit operation status It includes. In this case, the remote controller RC is connected to the indoor unit by wire or wirelessly, and in some cases, the display unit may not be provided.

In addition, the remote control unit RC transmits data input through the input unit 13 to the indoor unit IU through the remote control communication unit 12, and outputs the data received from the indoor unit IU through the display unit 14. It includes a remote control control unit 11 for controlling, and a data unit 15 for storing the operation setting input through the input unit 13.

The remote controller 11 receives the operation settings for the operation mode, the desired temperature, the air volume, and the wind direction according to a plurality of button operations of the input unit 13, and stores them in the data unit 15, and through the remote controller communication unit 12 Transmit to indoor unit (IU). In particular, when at least one of the plurality of buttons is input for more than a predetermined time, the remote controller 11 sets a limit temperature input mode and inputs a minimum limit temperature and a maximum limit temperature according to the button operation of the input unit 13. Received, stored, and transmitted to the indoor unit (IU).

At this time, when the limit temperature is set, the remote controller 11 limits the input of the desired temperature outside the range of the limit temperature when the desired temperature is input later. At this time, the limit temperature of the cooling operation is the minimum limit temperature as the lower limit of the desired temperature, and the limit temperature of the heating operation is the maximum limit temperature as the maximum value of the desired temperature that can be set. For example, if the limit temperature of the cooling operation, that is, the minimum limit temperature is set to 26 degrees, the desired temperature should not be set to 26 degrees or less in the cooling operation state, and if the maximum limit temperature is set to 22 degrees, the desired temperature during the heating operation is desired. Do not enter the temperature above 22 degrees.

The indoor unit IU transmits data to the outdoor unit OU when the operation setting is input through the input unit 24 provided therein or when the operation setting is received from the remote controller RC through the indoor unit communication unit 22. The indoor unit IU is operated by cooling or heating by driving a refrigerant supplied from the outdoor unit OU, an expansion valve, a heat exchanger, an indoor fan, or the like.

At this time. When the indoor unit IU receives the limit temperature from the remote controller RC, the input of the desired temperature of the self-equipped input unit 24 is also limited according to the limit temperature value. In addition, the indoor unit IU may transmit the limit temperature input from the remote controller RC to other indoor units and outdoor units in some cases, so that the limit temperature setting may be applied to other indoor units.

In this case, the outdoor unit OU includes at least one compressor, an accumulator, a switching unit, a plurality of sensors, a plurality of valves, an outdoor heat exchanger, and an outdoor unit fan. The outdoor unit OU supplies the refrigerant to the indoor unit IU by operating the compressor in response to the driving amount of the indoor unit IU.

In addition, the outdoor unit OU drives the compressor in response to the received operation setting, and in particular, supplies the refrigerant to the indoor unit IU by driving the compressor in response to the desired temperature set within the limited temperature range.

3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a remote controller of an air conditioner according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, as described above, the remote controller RC includes a display unit 14 for outputting an operating state of the indoor unit and set driving information, and an input unit 13 including a plurality of buttons.

The display unit 14 displays data 14a and 14b according to a current room temperature, a desired temperature set through the input unit 13, an operation mode, and the like.

The input unit 13 is provided with a temperature control button 13a, an operation / stop button, a flow rate and a wind direction control button, and also a reservation button 13c, a cancel button, a reservation time setting button, a wind direction and Air volume control buttons, air blowing buttons and the like.

At this time, when at least two buttons of the plurality of buttons of the input unit 13 are operated at the same time for more than a predetermined time, the remote controller 11 switches to the limit temperature setting mode and displays the temperature value 14a displayed on the display unit 14. Blinks a predetermined number of times. For example, when the reservation button 13c and the operation selection button 13b are operated at the same time, it is possible to set the limit temperature.

When the temperature control button 13a is operated, the remote controller 11 increases or decreases the temperature displayed on the display unit 14 according to the up / down button operation. At this time, when the cooling / heating operation mode is input, the remote controller 11 sets the input limit temperature to the maximum limit temperature or the minimum limit temperature according to the operation mode.

On the other hand, when the at least one button is operated for a predetermined time or more in a state where a predetermined temperature is input by the temperature control button 13a, for example, the remote control controller 11 reserves the reservation button 13c and the operation selection button 13b. In the case where pressing is operated simultaneously for this predetermined time, the temperature input by the temperature control button 13a is set to the limit temperature. At this time, it is set to the maximum limit temperature in the case of heating operation, and set to the minimum limit temperature in the case of cooling operation.

After setting the limit temperature, the remote controller 11 releases the limit temperature setting when at least one button pressed during the limit temperature setting operation is pressed for a predetermined time or more.

When the limit temperature is set as described above, the remote controller 11 transmits the set data to the indoor unit IU through the remote controller communication unit 12.

Looking at the operation of the present invention configured as described above are as follows.

How to set the limit temperature is as follows. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a first embodiment of a method for setting a limit temperature of an air conditioner according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the operation setting is transmitted to the indoor unit IU by an operation of the remote controller RC connected to the indoor unit IU of the air conditioner. The indoor unit IU transmits data on the operation setting inputted by the outdoor unit OU to the outdoor unit OU to operate in the cooling or heating mode.

At this time, when at least one button of the plurality of buttons included in the remote controller RC is operated at the same time (S100), it is recognized as the temperature limit key and is changed to the temperature limit mode (S110). For example, when two buttons of a plurality of buttons included in the input unit are operated simultaneously, the key may be recognized as a temperature limit key.

After the temperature limit mode is set, when the temperature control button 13a is operated, correspondingly, the temperature value displayed on the display unit 14 of the remote controller is increased or decreased. When the limit temperature is input according to the operation of the temperature control button 13a (S120), the operation mode currently set is checked.

When the current operation mode is the cooling mode (S130), the input limit temperature is set as the minimum limit temperature as the lower limit value of the cooling temperature (S140). During the cooling operation, the desired temperature cannot be entered below the minimum limit temperature. Even if the desired temperature is input below the minimum limit temperature, the indoor and outdoor units are cooled by operating the minimum limit temperature as the desired temperature.

On the other hand, when the operation mode is the heating mode (S150), the input limit temperature is set to the maximum limit temperature which is the upper limit temperature during heating (S160). That is, during heating operation, it will not operate more than the maximum limit temperature.

In some cases, it is possible to select the heating / cooling mode according to the limit temperature setting according to a predetermined button operation.

When the limit temperature is set as described above, the limit temperature data is stored (S170). At this time, if a predetermined button among a plurality of buttons is input or when the operated button is pressed in the limit temperature setting mode, the input limit temperature is stored and the limit temperature setting mode is released.

The remote controller 11 transmits the limit temperature data to the indoor unit IU (S180).

5 is a flowchart illustrating a second embodiment of a method for setting a limit temperature of an air conditioner according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, another setting example will be described.

When the temperature control button 13a of the remote controller is operated, the temperature value displayed on the display unit is increased or decreased and displayed on the screen (S200).

At this time, when the at least one button is pressed for a predetermined time or more (S210), it is recognized as the temperature limit key, and the limit temperature setting mode is set. On the other hand, if there is no separate temperature limit key input, the input temperature is input as the desired temperature and transmitted to the indoor unit (IU), and operates in response to the set desired temperature (S220).

When the operation mode is the cooling mode (S230), the input temperature is set to the minimum limit temperature (S240), and when the operation mode is the heating mode (S250), the input temperature is set to the maximum limit temperature ( S260).

Store the limit temperature (S270), and transmits the limit temperature data to the indoor unit (S280).

At this time, when at least one button recognized as the temperature limit key is operated again, the limit temperature setting is released.

As described above, when the limit temperature is set for the cooling operation and the heating operation, input of a temperature value other than the set limit temperature range is restricted when the desired temperature is input through the input unit of the remote controller RC and the indoor unit IU. In other words, the desired temperature below the minimum limit temperature is not input during the cooling operation, and the desired temperature above the maximum limit temperature is not input during the heating operation.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating an air conditioner according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, when data on a limit temperature is received from the remote controller RC (S300), the indoor unit IU stores the limit temperature data and transmits the limit temperature data to the outdoor unit OU (S310).

In some cases, the indoor unit IU may transmit the limit temperature to at least one indoor unit of the plurality of indoor units IU in addition to the outdoor unit OU. At this time, the indoor unit installed in the same room is transmitted to the indoor group of the same group, so that the same limit temperature value is applied. In addition, the same limit temperature value may be applied to the entire indoor unit.

At this time, the current desired temperature is compared with the limit temperature, and it is determined whether the limit temperature is a temperature value within the desired temperature range (S320). At this time, the limit temperature includes at least one of the minimum limit temperature and the maximum limit temperature.

If the desired temperature is included in the limit temperature range, the desired temperature value is maintained to maintain the current operating state (S330). If the desired temperature is outside the limit temperature range, the desired temperature is changed to the limit temperature.

At this time, when the indoor unit and the outdoor unit are operated in the cooling mode (S340), if the desired temperature is less than the minimum limit temperature, the desired temperature is changed to the minimum limit temperature (S350). In operation S360, the desired temperature is changed to the maximum limit temperature when the desired temperature is higher than the maximum limit temperature (S370).

According to the operation mode, the indoor unit and the outdoor unit are operated by cooling or heating at a desired temperature set within a limit temperature range (S380).

As described above, the air conditioner and its operation method according to the present invention have been described with reference to the illustrated drawings. However, the present invention is not limited by the embodiments and drawings disclosed in the present specification, and it is applied within the scope of the technical idea. Can be.

The air conditioner and its operation method of the present invention set the limit temperature during the heating and cooling operation, limit the input of the desired temperature outside the set limit temperature range, and by cooling or heating operation within the limit temperature range, It can save energy by preventing overload and reducing power consumption. In addition, by sharing the set limit temperature through communication, it is possible to limit the actual temperature or the overall temperature has the effect of improving the convenience of the user.

Claims (12)

In the air conditioner including an outdoor unit, a indoor unit and a remote controller connected to the indoor unit, The remote control is provided with a plurality of buttons input unit for inputting the operation setting for the operation mode, temperature, wind direction and air volume; And And a remote controller to set the input temperature to the limit temperature and transmit data regarding the limit temperature and the operation setting to the indoor unit in response to a button operation of the input unit. The method according to claim 1, The remote controller controls the air conditioner to set the desired temperature as the limit temperature when a desired temperature other than the limit temperature range is input when the desired temperature is input according to a button operation of the input unit. The method according to claim 1, The remote control unit is an air conditioner, characterized in that for limiting the input of the desired temperature outside the temperature range according to the limit temperature. The method according to claim 1, The remote control unit is configured to set the maximum limit temperature in the heating mode, the air conditioner, characterized in that for setting the minimum limit temperature in the cooling mode. The method according to claim 1, The remote controller may set the input temperature to a limited temperature when at least one button of the plurality of buttons of the input unit is pressed for a predetermined time. The method according to claim 1, The indoor unit transmits a limit temperature and an operation setting received from the remote controller to the outdoor unit, and the air conditioner is cooled or heated in response to a desired temperature set within the limit temperature range. Setting a limit temperature including at least one of a minimum limit temperature and a maximum limit temperature; If the desired temperature is within the above limit temperature range, it operates in the current mode. And operating if the desired temperature is a value outside the limit temperature range by changing the desired temperature to the limit temperature. The method according to claim 7, In the cooling mode, when the desired temperature is below the minimum limit temperature, the desired temperature is changed to the minimum limit temperature. In the heating mode, when the desired temperature is above the maximum limit temperature, the desired temperature is changed to the maximum limit temperature. Operation method of the air conditioner, characterized in that. The method according to claim 7, The limit temperature setting step Changing to a limit temperature setting mode when at least one button of the plurality of buttons is pressed for a predetermined time; And a step of setting an input temperature value as a limit temperature in response to the operation mode. The method according to claim 7, Process of inputting temperature; And when at least one button of the plurality of buttons is pressed for a predetermined time or more, setting the input temperature to a limit temperature. The method according to claim 9 or 10, The operating method of the air conditioner, characterized in that in the heating mode, the input temperature value is set to the maximum limit temperature, and in the cooling mode, the input temperature value is set to the minimum limit temperature. The method according to claim 9 or 10, If the at least one button of the plurality of buttons is pressed for more than a predetermined time, the operation of the air conditioner further comprising the step of setting the limit temperature.

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