KR20090028856A - Air conditioning apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

An air-conditioner is provided to implement the refrigerant circulation cycle by circulating indoor air in the evaporator and the condenser without a separate outside air inflow structure. A case(11) of an air-conditioner includes an indoor air inlet, an indoor air outlet, exhaust holes for discharging the indoor air, and a ventilation fan(12) and a compressor(13) installed inside. The internal space of the case is divided by a partition wall(16) into a first space in which a first heat exchanger is installed and a second space in which a second heat exchanger is installed with a dehumidification unit. A switching valve is installed on the outlet side of the compressor in order to change the circulation direction of refrigerant according to the operation mode.

Description

[0001]

The present invention relates to an air conditioner.

Generally, the air conditioner is a device for cooling or heating the air introduced into a room while the refrigerant performs a refrigeration cycle such as a compression process, a condensation process, an expansion process, and a evaporation process so that the room is kept in a cooling state or a heating state .

Recently, an air conditioner having a dehumidifying device for controlling the indoor humidity together with the cooling / heating function has appeared.

The air conditioner includes an air conditioner for keeping the room in a cooling state, and a heat pump for keeping the room in a heated state. The air conditioner and the heat pump are provided with an evaporator and a condenser. In the case of the air conditioner, the room air is changed to the low temperature state while passing through the evaporator, and in the case of the heat pump, the room air is changed to the high temperature state while passing through the condenser. Both the air conditioner and the condenser are provided with a flow path structure in which the outdoor air and the refrigerant undergo heat exchange.

In recent years, a need has arisen for a new concept of an air conditioner that allows indoor air to pass through a condenser and an evaporator so that a refrigerant circulation cycle is performed and the room is maintained in a cooling state or a heating state.

In addition, there is a need for an air conditioner capable of performing ventilation functions such as dehumidification and deodorization in the process of performing the air-conditioning function.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an air conditioner comprising: an air inlet for sucking indoor air; a discharge port through which indoor air is sucked; A case in which an exhaust port is formed; A blowing fan provided inside the case; A partition wall partitioning the inside of the case into a first space and a second space; A compressor provided inside the case and compressing the refrigerant; A first heat exchanger provided in the first space; A second heat exchanger provided in the second space; A switching valve provided on the compressor outlet side for selectively switching the circulation direction of the refrigerant according to the operation mode, and a dehumidifying unit provided in the second space.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an air conditioner comprising: a first space defined by a first space and a second space, the first space having a suction port, a first discharge port formed on a bottom surface of the first space, A case including a second discharge port formed on the bottom surface of the space and an exhaust port formed on the front surface of the first hole; A blowing fan disposed on the suction port side to suck indoor air; A partition wall partitioning the inside of the case into a first space and a second space; A first heat exchanger provided in the first space, a second heat exchanger provided in the second space, and a second heat exchanger for switching the flow direction of the refrigerant so that the refrigerant flows from the second heat exchanger to the first heat exchanger in the pure water heating mode A refrigerant circulation cycle in which at least a switching valve is provided; A desiccant disposed in front of the second heat exchanger; A regenerating unit for regenerating the desiccant, and a damper for selectively shielding at least the first discharge port and the discharge port according to the operation mode.

According to the air conditioner of the present invention, since indoor air is used for heat exchange in the evaporator and the condenser, there is no need for a separate flow path structure for inflow of outdoor air.

Further, since the dehumidification process can be selectively performed in the cooling or heating process, indoor air can be maintained in a pleasant state.

In addition, there is an advantage that the functions of cooling and dehumidifying, heating and dehumidifying, pure cooling, pure heating and air conditioning are freely adjustable.

Further, there is no need to provide a separate outdoor unit, and the air conditioner can be more compactly designed, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost.

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

≪ Embodiment 1 >

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

Referring to FIG. 1, the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention can be installed indoors, and in particular, it can be installed in a high-humidity space such as a bathroom, and a high dehumidification effect can be obtained. In other words, the air conditioner is a hybrid air conditioner capable of selectively performing a dehumidifying function in accordance with indoor humidity in a cooling or heating process.

In detail, the air conditioner (10) is provided with a case (11) forming an outer appearance, a partition wall (16) dividing the inside of the case (11) And a dehumidifying unit for dehumidifying the indoor air to be sucked in, and a refrigerant circulation cycle for cooling or heating the indoor air to be sucked.

More specifically, the refrigerant circulation cycle includes a compressor (13) for compressing refrigerant, a condenser (14) for condensing the compressed refrigerant, an expansion valve (P) for expanding the condensed refrigerant, an evaporator (15). Since the refrigerant circulation cycle has the same configuration as the refrigerant circulation cycle of the general air conditioner, the signatures of the functions of these configurations will be omitted.

The dehumidifying unit includes a desiccant 17 for performing a dehumidifying function and a regeneration unit 20 provided above and below the desiccant 17 for regenerating the desiccant 17 . The regeneration unit 20 is provided with a regeneration suction duct 21 through which a part of the air passing through the condenser 14 is sucked and a regeneration exhaust duct 23 through which regeneration air is discharged, And other structures. The detailed structure of the regenerating unit 20 will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

On the other hand, a suction port 111 for sucking indoor air is formed on the bottom surface of the case 11, particularly at the bottom surface of the point where the blowing fan 12 is located. The inside of the case 11 is partitioned into a heating space through which high-temperature air flows by the partition wall 16 and a cooling space through which low-temperature air flows.

In addition, a discharge port through which the inhaled indoor air is discharged is provided on the front bottom surface of the case 11, and a discharge port 112 formed on the bottom surface of the heating space is formed in the discharge port, And a second discharge port 113 formed therein. An exhaust port is formed in the front surface of the case 11 so that the sucked air is exhausted to the outside. The exhaust port includes an exhaust port 114 formed on the front surface of the heating space, And a regeneration exhaust port 115 to which the regeneration exhaust port 115 is connected.

A sealing member is provided around the inner wall of the case 11 and the components so that all the air sucked by the blowing fan 12 passes through the condenser 14 or the evaporator 15 and the dehumidifying unit do. Reference numerals 40 and 41 denote dampers, which will be described later.

The indoor air sucked by the blowing fan 12 passes through at least one of the condenser 14 or the evaporator 15 and the dehumidifying unit to be heated, cooled or dehumidified, Discharged or exhausted outdoors. The indoor air flow structure will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings.

2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line I-I 'in Fig.

Referring to FIG. 2, the case 18 of the air conditioner 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is divided into a heating space and a cooling space by the partition wall 16. A condenser 14 is disposed in the heating space, and an evaporator 15 is disposed in the cooling space. Both side surfaces of the condenser 14 and the evaporator 15 are surrounded by a sealing member 18 for preventing air leakage. The indoor air sucked through the blowing fan 12 may be discharged to the room without passing through the condenser 14 or the evaporator 15 when the sealing member 18 is not provided.

The condenser 14 and the evaporator 15 are surrounded by only the side surfaces of the condenser 14 and the evaporator 15. However, the present invention is not limited thereto and the condenser 14 and the evaporator 15 may be entirely surrounded by the condenser 14 and the evaporator 15 to prevent the inhaled air from leaking. This can be appropriately designed according to the structure inside the air conditioner 10. [

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II 'of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a plan view of a dehumidifying unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 and 4, a dehumidifying unit is provided in the case 11 of the air conditioner 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, specifically, in a cooling space to control the humidity of the air to be inhaled .

In detail, the dehumidifying unit includes a desiccant 17 for absorbing moisture and a regeneration unit 20 for regenerating the desiccant 17.

More specifically, the regeneration unit 20 is provided with a regeneration suction duct 21 into which high-temperature air having passed through the condenser 14 flows, a lower container 22 formed at an end of the regeneration suction duct 21, An upper container 24 through which the air that has absorbed the moisture collected in the desiccant 17 is collected while passing through the desiccant 17, A regeneration exhaust duct 23 and a heater 25 provided inside the lower container 22 for heating air sucked therein. Here, the regeneration suction duct 21 and the lower container 22 are referred to as regeneration and suction sections, and the regeneration exhaust duct 23 and the upper container 24 are referred to as regeneration and exhaust sections.

The regeneration suction duct 21 and the regeneration exhaust duct 23 pass through the partition wall 16 and are placed in the heating space. The regeneration suction duct 21 and the regeneration exhaust duct 23 are symmetrically disposed on the upper and lower surfaces of the desiccant 17, respectively.

In addition, the end of the regeneration suction duct 21 is bent toward the room air inlet, and the end of the regeneration exhaust duct 22 is bent in the opposite direction to communicate with the outside. Then, the indoor air to be sucked is introduced into the regeneration unit 20 by the natural flow and then discharged to the outside of the room.

In detail, when air is introduced into the case 11 by the blowing fan 12, the inside of the case, that is, the inlet portion of the regeneration suction duct 21, becomes a higher pressure than the atmospheric pressure. The end portion of the regeneration exhaust duct 23 is in a state of atmospheric pressure since it communicates with the outside. Therefore, the regeneration function can be smoothly performed even if a separate regeneration blower fan is not mounted, due to flow characteristics flowing from a high pressure to a low pressure. Further, since the high-temperature air having passed through the condenser 14 flows into the regeneration unit 20, the energy required for preheating the air required for regeneration is saved. As a result, the energy is reduced, and at the same time, the structure of the product is simplified, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost.

The lower container 22 and the upper container 24 are formed to have a size covering a part of the upper and lower surfaces of the desiccant 17. Accordingly, the indoor air sucked by the operation of the blowing fan 12 is dehumidified while passing through the surface of the desiccant 17 except for the area of the upper container 24. [ Then, the desiccant 17 rotates while passing through the upper container 24, and a regeneration process is performed in which moisture seeping into the desiccant 17 is evaporated.

On the other hand, a rotating shaft 171 extends from the center of the desiccant 17 and is rotatably fixed to the bottom surface of the case 11. A sealing member 18 is provided between the outer circumferential surface of the desiccant 17 and the case 11 so as to prevent a part of the sucked air from leaking without passing through the desiccant 17.

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III 'of FIG.

Referring to FIG. 5, a blowing fan 12, an evaporator 15 and a dehumidifying unit are disposed in order from the rear side in the cooling space inside the case 11.

In detail, the evaporator 15 and the desiccant 17 are mounted inside the case 11 at a predetermined angle from a vertical plane. As shown in the drawing, the evaporator 15 and the desiccant 17 are mounted at an angle to the evaporator 15 so that the evaporator 17 and the desiccant 17 having a larger capacity can be mounted.

More specifically, at the lower end of the evaporator 15, a drain pan 19 for collecting condensed water is provided. A second damper 41 is mounted on the side of the second discharge port 113 to selectively open and close the second discharge port 113. A deodorization filter 50 is installed in the second discharge port 113 so that the air discharged into the room can be purified.

The rotating shaft 171 of the desiccant 17 is rotatably fixed to the bottom surface of the case 11. Of course, the rotary shaft 171 should be fixed in an inclined manner. A driving body for rotating the desiccant 17 at a predetermined speed is provided and the driving body 30 is provided with a driving gear that rotates in engagement with the outer circumferential surface of the desiccant 17, (Not shown). As shown in the figure, since the desiccant 17 is inclined, the driving body 30 should also be mounted on the bottom surface of the case 11 in an inclined manner. Here, the means for rotating the desiccant 17 is not limited to the drive gear structure, and the drive motor may be directly connected to the rotation shaft 171. That is, the driving means and the mounting structure for rotating the desiccant 17 are not limited to the embodiments shown in the present invention.

The reason why the evaporator 15, the desiccant 17 and the driving body 30 are surrounded by the sealing member 18 is as described above.

6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV 'of FIG.

Referring to FIG. 6, the regeneration suction duct 21 and the regeneration exhaust duct 23 pass through the partition wall 16 and are positioned in a heating space, and the ends are bent in directions opposite to each other.

In detail, a first discharge port 112 is formed in the bottom surface of the heating space, which is sucked by the blowing fan 12 and discharged through the condenser 14 while being heated. An exhaust port 114 is formed on the front surface of the heating space to discharge the heated air to the outside. A first damper 40 for selectively shielding the first discharge port 112 and the discharge port 114 may be installed at the bottom edge of the front surface of the case 11. The first discharge port 112 is provided with a deodorization filter 50 to purify the air discharged into the room.

FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view showing a state in which an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed in a room, and FIG. 8 is a plan perspective view showing a state in which the air conditioner is installed in a room.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the air conditioner 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a ceiling of a room.

In detail, indoor air is sucked through the suction port 111 with the bottom surface of the air conditioner 10 facing the floor of the room, and cold air or warm air is blown through the first discharge port 112 and the second discharge port 113 Allow air to be discharged into the room. An exhaust duct connected to the exhaust port 114 and the regeneration exhaust duct 23 is formed on the wall surface. When an exhaust port is formed on the entire surface of the cooling space of the air conditioner 10, the exhaust duct corresponding to the exhaust port may be further formed on the wall surface.

A humidity sensor 70 for sensing room humidity is installed in the vicinity of the inlet 111 so that the operation of the dehumidifying unit and the operation status of the dampers 40 and 41 are automatically controlled according to the sensed humidity. . Here, the mounting position of the humidity sensor 70 is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, and may be mounted on one side or one side of the bottom surface of the air conditioner 10.

9 is a view showing the air flow when the heating process is performed in the air conditioner according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 9, when the user selects the heating mode, the first damper 40 operates to open the first discharge port 112 and shield the exhaust port 114. Then, the second damper (40) is operated to keep the second discharge port (113) open.

In addition, as the blowing fan 12 rotates, the refrigerant circulation cycle operates to perform compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation processes. Then, the desiccant 17 is rotated at a predetermined speed by operating the dehumidifying unit.

Particularly, when the blowing fan 12 rotates, indoor air is sucked through the suction port 111, a part of the sucked air moves to the heating space, and the remaining part of the sucked air moves to the cooling space. And the air moving to the heating space is increased in temperature as it passes through the condenser (14). The air moving to the cooling space passes through the evaporator 15, and the temperature is lowered. At the same time, the moisture contained in the air is condensed and collected in the drain pan 19. Therefore, the air passing through the evaporator 15 is condensed and the absolute humidity is lowered.

Most of the air passing through the condenser 914 is again discharged to the room through the first discharge port 112 and a part of the air is sucked into the regeneration suction duct 21. The air moving along the inside of the regeneration suction duct 21 is heated again by the heater 25 in the lower container 22. The heated air passes through the desiccant 17 and moves to the upper container 24. The air collected in the upper container 24 is discharged to the outside through the regeneration exhaust duct 23.

The condensed air passing through the evaporator 15 passes through the desiccant 17 and is dehumidified. That is, dehumidification occurs while passing through the desiccant 17, and the air that has undergone the dehumidification process is discharged to the room again through the second discharge port 113.

Here, the temperature of the air discharged to the first discharge port 112 is higher than that when the air is sucked through the suction port 111 while passing through the condenser 14. On the other hand, the temperature of the air passing through the second discharge port 113 is lower than that of the suction. However, when the air discharged to the first discharge port and the air discharged to the second discharge port are mixed, temperature correction occurs. The temperature of the air after the temperature correction is maintained to be higher than the temperature of the air sucked into the suction port 111, so that the indoor heating action generally occurs.

Meanwhile, the operation of the heater 25 can be controlled according to the humidity of the room air during the heating process. In other words, if the room humidity is not much higher than the preset level and no further dehumidification is required, the desiccant 17 and the heater 25 may be kept stationary. Then, the sucked indoor air passes through the evaporator (15) and only the primary dehumidification by condensation is performed. The control unit controls the operation of the dehumidifying unit according to the indoor humidity value sensed by the humidity sensor 70.

10 is a view showing the air flow when the cooling process is performed in the air conditioner according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 10, when the user selects the cooling mode, the coolant circulation cycle is activated and the blowing fan 12 is rotated. Then, the first damper (40) operates to shield the first discharge port (112), and the discharge port (114) is opened. Then, the second damper (41) is operated and the second discharge port (113) is opened.

In detail, the air passing through the condenser 14 is directly discharged through the air outlet 114 to the outside of the room. The air passing through the evaporator (15) is dehumidified while passing through the desiccant unit (17), and is then discharged to the room through the second discharge port (113). The high-temperature air sucked into the regeneration unit 20 is regenerated and then discharged to the outside through the regeneration exhaust port 115.

In the above process, whether or not the dehumidifying unit is operated can be determined according to room humidity detected by the humidity sensor 70. That is, when the humidity is not high, the dehumidifying unit may not be operated, and only dehumidification by condensation may be performed while passing through the evaporator 15. In the case of high temperature and high humidity as in the summer, the dehumidifying unit is operated so that condensation through the evaporator and dehumidification through the dehumidifying unit are performed together.

≪ Embodiment 2 >

11 is a view showing an air flow when a pure water heating process is performed in the air conditioner according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Here, pure heating means that the room temperature is raised without a separate dehumidification process.

In detail, the air conditioner 10 according to the second embodiment of the present invention has the same structure as that of the first embodiment except that a separate air outlet is formed on the entire surface of the air space. For convenience, the exhaust port formed on the front surface of the heating space is referred to as a first exhaust port 114a, and the exhaust port formed on the entire surface of the cooling space is referred to as a second exhaust port 114b.

In this embodiment, when the user selects the pure heating mode, the first exhaust port 114a is shielded by the first damper 40, and the second discharge port 113 is shielded by the second damper 41 . Therefore, the air heated while passing through the condenser 14 is discharged to the room through the first discharge port 112. The air passing through the evaporator (15) passes through the dehumidifying unit, and then is discharged to the outside through the second exhaust port (114b). Here, whether or not the dehumidifying unit operates is not an important factor. This is because both the air flowing into the regeneration unit 20 and the air passing through the evaporator 15 are discharged outdoors. Therefore, it is advantageous from the energy saving standpoint that the dehumidifying unit is not operated in the pure heating mode.

 More specifically, the air having passed through the condenser 14 is discharged back to the room through the first discharge port 112, and the air having passed through the evaporator 15 and the air flowing into the regeneration unit 20 The second exhaust port 114b, and the regenerated exhaust port 115, respectively.

Also, the heating mode and the cooling mode described in the first embodiment can be performed by adjusting the operation of the damper 40, 41.

In other words, when the second exhaust port 114b is shielded by the second damper 41 and the first exhaust port 114a is shielded by the first damper 40, The same heating mode can be performed. When the first discharge port 112 is shielded by the first damper 40 and the second exhaust port 114b is shielded by the second damper 41, It is possible. It goes without saying that the operation of the dehumidifying unit or the operation of the heater 25 can be controlled according to the room humidity sensed by the humidity sensor 70.

≪ Third Embodiment >

FIG. 12 is a view showing air flow when a pure water heating process is performed in the air conditioner according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

In detail, the air conditioner 10 according to the third embodiment of the present invention has the same structure as that of the first embodiment except that a four-way valve V is mounted on the compressor outlet side so that the refrigerant can be circulated reversely , And there is no need to form a separate exhaust port on the entire surface of the cooling space of the case (11).

Referring to FIG. 12, when the user selects the pure heating mode, the controller controls the four-way valve V to reverse the refrigerant. In other words, the refrigeration cycle is switched to the heat pump cycle. Then, the condenser 14 functions as an evaporator, and the evaporator 15 functions as a condenser.

In Fig. 12, the evaporator 15 is provided on the left side of the partition wall 16, and the condenser 14 is provided on the right side.

In detail, when the user selects the pure heating mode, the refrigerant circulation cycle performs the heat pump cycle, and the second discharge port 113 is opened by the operation of the second damper 41. Then, The first discharge port 112 is shielded by the operation of the first damper 41.

Accordingly, the intake air passing through the condenser 14 passes through the dehumidifying unit, and then is discharged to the room through the second discharge port 113. [ The air passing through the evaporator (15) is discharged to the outside through the air outlet (114).

In order to prevent the low temperature air having passed through the evaporator 15 from flowing into the regeneration unit 20, that is, the regeneration suction duct 21, a damper member is installed at the inlet of the regeneration suction duct 21 . The damper member may be controlled by a control unit. In detail, although there is no difference in the heating effect even if there is no damper member at the inlet of the regeneration suction duct 21, high temperature air passing through the condenser 14 causes heat exchange at the surface of the regeneration unit 20, The damper has the meaning of existence.

 According to such a configuration, the pure water heating process in which the dehumidification process is not performed while the heating process is performed can be performed as in the second embodiment.

It is also possible to perform the same operation mode as the first embodiment by controlling the four-way valve V to switch to the refrigeration cycle and controlling the operation of the first damper 40 and the second damper 41 Of course it is. Since the above description has been described above, the description thereof will be omitted.

<Fourth Embodiment>

 FIG. 13 is a view showing the air flow when the pure water cooling process is performed in the air conditioner according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

In detail, the air conditioner 10 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, except that there is no dehumidifying unit. In other words, there is no desiccant 17 and the regenerating unit 20, and only the refrigerant circulation cycle and the blowing fan 12 are present.

It is clear that the present embodiment is included in the spirit of the present invention as a structure that can be easily replaced or changed from the first to third embodiments. In addition, when compared with conventional air conditioners in which the air passing through the condenser and the air passing through the evaporator are different, the present invention clearly shows a technical difference in that heat exchanges with the room air both in the condenser and the evaporator.

 Referring to FIG. 13, when the user selects a process of pure cooling mode, that is, a process of performing only cooling without performing a separate dehumidification process, the first discharge port 112 is operated by the operation of the first damper 40 And the exhaust port 114 is opened. The second discharge port is opened by the operation of the second damper (41). Then, the blowing fan 12 and the refrigeration cycle operate together.

The indoor air sucked by the blowing fan 12 is condensed while passing through the evaporator 15 and is discharged to the room through the second discharge port 113 after the absolute humidity is lowered. The indoor air having passed through the condenser (14) is discharged to the outside through the air outlet (114).

It can be seen that the pure cooling mode is performed in the room by the above-described flow path structure.

FIG. 14 is a view showing the air flow when a heating process is performed in the air conditioner according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

14 shows a state in which the dehumidifying unit is removed under the same conditions as in Fig.

Referring to FIG. 14, in the air conditioner 10 shown in this embodiment, when the user selects the heating mode, the refrigeration cycle with the blowing fan 12 operates, and the first and second discharge ports 112, 2 discharge ports 113 are all opened. The exhaust port (14) is shielded by the first damper (40).

The air having passed through the condenser 14 is discharged to the room through the first discharge port 112 and the air having passed through the evaporator 15 is discharged through the second discharge port 113 And is discharged into the room. Then, the air discharged into the room is mixed in the room, and temperature correction is performed. As described with reference to FIG. 9, even if the temperature correction occurs, the temperature is corrected to a temperature higher than the initial room temperature. Since there is no dehumidifying unit, the dehumidification process is not practically performed, but the absolute humidity is lowered by the process of the inhaled air being condensed while passing through the evaporator 15, so that the humidity control effect can be obtained .

<Fifth Embodiment>

15 is a view showing an air flow when a pure water heating process is performed in the air conditioner according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the structure is the same as that of the fourth embodiment, but a separate exhaust port is provided on the entire surface of the cooling space. The separate vent is provided as described in FIG. Hereinafter, the exhaust port formed on the front surface of the heating space will be referred to as a first exhaust port 114a, and the exhaust port formed on the entire surface of the cooling space will be referred to as a second exhaust port 114b.

Referring to FIG. 15, when the user selects the pure heating mode, the cooling fan and the blowing fan 12 operate. The first discharge port 112 and the second discharge port 114b are opened by the operation of the dampers 40 and 41 and the second discharge port 113 and the first discharge port 114a are shielded.

Accordingly, the intake air having passed through the condenser 14 is discharged to the room through the first discharge port 112, and the suction air passing through the evaporator 15 is discharged to the outside through the second discharge hole 114b do. It can be seen that the dehumidification process for lowering the humidity of the indoor air is not performed and the pure heating mode for raising the temperature of the indoor air is performed by the flow path structure.

In addition, when the first discharge port 112 is shielded by the first damper 40 and the second exhaust port 114b is shielded by the second damper 41, a pure air cooling mode can be performed . In this case, however, no dehumidification process is performed, but moisture contained in the air sucked into the suction port 111 is condensed while passing through the evaporator 15 during the cooling process, so that the dehumidification that lowers the absolute humidity is possible.

Also, when the first exhaust port 114a is shielded by the first damper 40 and the second exhaust port 114b is shielded by the second damper 41, heating is performed in combination with dehumidification. This is the same as in the case where the dehumidifying unit does not operate in the first embodiment. That is, when the air passing through the condenser 14 and the air passing through the evaporator 15 are discharged to the room through the first discharge port 112 and the second discharge port 113, the temperature is corrected while being mixed with each other, It is possible to obtain an effect of reducing the room humidity while increasing the room temperature.

<Sixth Embodiment>

16 is a view showing an air flow when a pure water heating process is performed in the air conditioner according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the structure is the same as that of the third embodiment, except that there is no dehumidifying unit.

Referring to FIG. 16, when the user selects the pure heating mode, the controller controls the four-way valve V to reverse the refrigerant. In other words, the refrigeration cycle is switched to the heat pump cycle. Then, the condenser 14 functions as an evaporator, and the evaporator 15 functions as a condenser. This has already been explained in the third embodiment.

In detail, when the user selects the pure heating mode, the refrigerant circulation cycle performs the heat pump cycle, and the second discharge port 113 is opened by the operation of the second damper 41. Then, The first discharge port 112 is shielded by the operation of the first damper 41.

Accordingly, the intake air heated while passing through the condenser 14 is directly discharged to the room through the second discharge port 113. [ The air passing through the evaporator (15) is discharged to the outside through the air outlet (114).

In this state, when the four-way valve V is controlled to be switched to the refrigeration cycle, the refrigerant mode will be performed since the heat exchanger existing on the right side of the partition wall 16 becomes the evaporator. In other words, the air that has passed through the evaporator is discharged to the room, and the air that has passed through the condenser is discharged to the outside. Of course, the dehumidification by the evaporator is performed in the cooling process as described above.

On the other hand, when both the first discharge port 112 and the second discharge port 113 are opened by operating the first damper 40 and the second damper 41, regardless of the state of the refrigerant circulation cycle, Heating is performed.

In other words, since the air passing through the condenser and the air passing through the evaporator are both discharged to the room, the heating process by the temperature correction is performed.

<Seventh Embodiment>

17 is a perspective view schematically showing a configuration of an air conditioner according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 17, the air conditioner 10 according to the seventh embodiment has the same structure as the first embodiment except that the regenerative exhaust duct 23 is connected to the evaporator 15, As shown in Fig.

  Since the regeneration exhaust duct 23 is located in front of the evaporator 15, a condensing device for condensing the air discharged to the outside through the regeneration exhaust duct 23 is not required, It is not necessary to have a water receiver for collecting the condensed water passing through the condenser 23.

In other words, the air discharged from the regeneration exhaust duct 23 firstly falls in temperature while being in contact with the intake air sucked through the suction port 111, and is condensed while passing through the evaporator 15. Accordingly, the water contained in the air passing through the regenerative exhaust duct 23 is condensed while passing through the evaporator 15, and the condensed water is collected in the drain pan 19, so that a separate water bath is not required.

In addition, since the regenerative exhaust duct 23 is not connected to the outside, there is an advantage that an outdoor exhaust duct 60 connected to the regenerative exhaust duct 23 is not needed. Therefore, the installation cost can be reduced.

In the structure of the air conditioner 10 according to the present embodiment, both the first discharge port 112 and the second discharge port 113 are opened to perform mixed heating.

In other words, the mixed air of the intake air that has passed through the condenser 14 and the intake air and the regeneration air that has passed through the evaporator 15 is discharged into the room. Then, the heating is performed while the temperature correction is performed in the mixing process of the discharged air.

Also, although not shown, various operation modes can be performed if an exhaust port (corresponding to the second exhaust port in the previous embodiment) is formed on the front surface of the heating space where the dehumidifying unit is seated.

In detail, when the first discharge port 112 is shielded by the first damper 40 and the second discharge port 113 is opened, the cooling mode will be performed. When the dehumidifying unit is operated, the cooling and dehumidifying mode will be performed, and the dehumidifying intensity will be adjusted depending on whether the heater 25 in the regenerating unit 20 operates.

When the second discharge port 113 is shielded by the second damper 41 and the exhaust port formed on the front surface of the cooling space is opened and the exhaust port 114 is blocked by the first damper 40 , Only air passing through the condenser (14) is discharged into the room, so that the pure water heating mode can be performed. In this mode, all the air passing through the evaporator 15 will be discharged outdoors, so that the operation of the dehumidifying unit will be unnecessary.

1 is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of an air conditioner according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line I-I 'of Fig. 1; Fig.

3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II 'of FIG.

4 is a plan view of a dehumidifying unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III 'of FIG.

6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV 'of FIG. 1;

7 is a bottom perspective view showing a state in which an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed in a room.

8 is a plan perspective view showing a state in which the air conditioner is installed in a room.

9 is a view showing the air flow when the heating process is performed inside the air conditioner according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

10 is a view showing an air flow when a cooling process is performed inside the air conditioner according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

11 is a view showing an air flow when a pure water heating process is performed in an air conditioner according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

12 is a view showing an air flow when a pure water heating process is performed in the air conditioner according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

13 is a view showing an air flow when a pure water cooling process is performed in the air conditioner according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a view showing an air flow when a heating process is performed inside an air conditioner according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

15 is a view showing an air flow when a pure water heating process is performed inside an air conditioner according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

16 is a view showing an air flow when a pure water heating process is performed in the air conditioner according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention.

17 is a perspective view schematically showing a configuration of an air conditioner according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (20)

A case which forms an appearance and has a suction port through which the room air is sucked, a discharge port through which the sucked indoor air is discharged, and an exhaust port through which the sucked room air is discharged outdoors; A blowing fan provided inside the case; A partition wall partitioning the inside of the case into a first space and a second space; A compressor provided inside the case and compressing the refrigerant; A first heat exchanger provided in the first space; A second heat exchanger provided in the second space; A switching valve provided on the compressor outlet side for selectively switching the circulation direction of the refrigerant according to the operation mode; And a dehumidifying unit provided in the second space. The method according to claim 1, In the dehumidifying unit, In order to absorb moisture, And a regeneration unit for regenerating the desiccant. 3. The method of claim 2, In the reproducing unit, A regeneration suction unit into which a part of the air sucked into the first space flows, And a regeneration exhaust unit for allowing the air introduced into the regeneration suction duct to pass through the desiccant to be discharged to the outside. The method of claim 3, And the suction end of the regeneration suction unit and the discharge end of the regeneration exhaust unit are placed in the first space. The method of claim 3, And a heater provided inside the regeneration suction unit. The method according to claim 1, Further comprising a humidity sensor provided at one side of the case for sensing the humidity of the room. The method according to claim 1, And a damper selectively shielding the discharge port and the discharge port. The method according to claim 1, And the dehumidifying unit is disposed in front of the second heat exchanger. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the dehumidifying unit is mounted in an inclined manner at a predetermined angle within the case. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the air conditioner further comprises an air purifier provided in the discharge port. The method according to claim 1, When the first heat exchanger functions as a condenser, both the heating operation and the cooling operation are possible, Wherein when the first heat exchanger functions as an evaporator by switching the switching valve, only the heating operation without dehumidification is possible. A first discharge port formed on a bottom surface of the first space, a second discharge port formed on a bottom surface of the second space, and a second discharge port formed on the bottom surface of the first space, A case including an exhaust port formed on a front surface of the case; A blowing fan disposed on the suction port side to suck indoor air; A partition wall partitioning the inside of the case into a first space and a second space; A first heat exchanger provided in the first space, a second heat exchanger provided in the second space, and a second heat exchanger for switching the flow direction of the refrigerant so that the refrigerant flows from the second heat exchanger to the first heat exchanger in the pure water heating mode A refrigerant circulation cycle in which at least a switching valve is provided; A desiccant disposed in front of the second heat exchanger; A reproducing unit for reproducing the desiccant; And a damper for selectively shielding at least the first discharge port and the discharge port according to the operation mode. 13. The method of claim 12, Further comprising a driving body for rotating the desiccant in a state in which the desiccant is inclined by a predetermined angle. 14. The method of claim 13, In the driving body, A gear rotating in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the desiccant, And a motor for driving the gear. 14. The method of claim 13, Wherein the driving body includes a motor provided on a rotating shaft of the desiccant. 13. The method of claim 12, In the reproducing unit, A regeneration suction unit which is in close contact with one side surface of the desiccant and allows the air that has passed through the condenser to flow, And a regenerative exhaust unit that is in close contact with the other side of the desiccant and discharges the air that has absorbed moisture while passing through the desiccant from the regeneration suction unit to the outside.  17. The method of claim 16, The suction end of the regeneration suction portion is directed to the first heat exchanger through the partition wall, And the discharge end of the regenerative exhaust unit passes through the front surface of the case. 13. The method of claim 12, Further comprising a deodorization filter provided in the first discharge port and the second discharge port. 13. The method of claim 12, Wherein in the pure water heating mode, the second heat exchanger performs a function of a condenser by the switching operation of the switching valve, and the first heat exchanger performs a function of an evaporator. 20. The method of claim 19, Wherein the first discharge port is shielded by the damper in the pure heating mode.

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