KR20090096274A - Air conditioning apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

An air-conditioner is provided to circulate the air, discharged from the air-conditioner, in the whole inner side evenly. An air-conditioner comprises a main body, a heat exchanger, a drain fan, a fan assembly and a humidifying module. The main body comprises an air inlet and an air outlet. A lower-end part of the heat exchanger is accommodated in the drain fan. The drain fan receives the condensed water formed on the heat exchanger. The fan assembly is received inside the main body to inhale the indoor air. The humidifying module comprises a discharge cell(10) for ionizing the water through the in-water discharging.

Description

Air conditioning apparatus

The present invention relates to an air conditioner.

Entering the recent hydroxyl group (OH) as active oxygen _{^{(O -, O 2, O}} 3) and hydrogen peroxide by sterilizing contains a strong base in water, such as (H ₂ O ₂₎ and sterile water as a primary, and thus sterilization Many sterilization methods and sterilizers for disinfecting and supplying purified water to specific spaces or objects have been released. Such disinfectant sterilized water is usefully used in places where sterilization treatment is required, such as food processing, food industry, animal husbandry or hospital.

In recent years, efforts have been made to keep indoor air clean by incorporating underwater discharge technology into household appliances such as air conditioners, air cleaners, and humidifiers to remove bacteria and viruses contained in water.

The method of generating bubbles of active oxygen and ozone through the underwater discharge is based on the bubble mechanism theory, and includes a discharge cell having an electrode in water, and forms an instant strong electric field in the discharge cell. Discharge heat is generated at. Then, bubbles are formed while water is vaporized by the heat of discharge. Such bubbles are easily discharged even by a weak electric field, which leads to rapid destruction of the water dielectric. In this process, radicals, that is, hydroxyl groups, active oxygen and hydrogen peroxide, are generated.

The radicals generated during the underwater discharge process oxidize heavy metals contained in the water, and also sterilize bacteria and viruses contained in the fire and at the same time remove spores of bacteria and viruses.

In addition, when the discharge continues through the discharge cell in the state that the various harmful substances contained in the water is removed, the radicals are accumulated in the water. Eventually, the water itself contains the sterilizing power, and this sterilizing water is used for various sterilization washing operations as sterilizing sterilizing water.

However, the conventional underwater discharge device has the following problems.

* In conventional underwater discharge, fine bubbles must be injected from the outside in order to facilitate discharge in water. That is, fine bubbles are injected from outside to make the surroundings of the discharge electrode into an oxygen atmosphere, and then a high voltage is applied to cause a discharge phenomenon.

In addition, the conventional underwater discharge is oxygen bubbles inside the dielectric tube through electrolysis first by using a needle electrode surrounded by a dielectric tube such as a glass tube inside the tank as a high voltage electrode, and water in the tank as a ground electrode. Generates. Then, when the bubble is filled inside the tube and becomes an oxygen atmosphere, the water discharge takes place. As such, the high voltage electrode having a single needle electrode has a disadvantage in that it is difficult to generate a large amount of fine bubbles by electrolysis without oxygen injection from the outside.

In addition, the conventional underwater discharge method that generates discharge in water using a mechanical high-speed rotary spark gap without generating oxygen bubbles through injection of oxygen or electrolysis is difficult to miniaturize for industrialization and difficult to apply to home appliances. have.

In addition, the conventional underwater discharging technique using electrolysis requires a high voltage electrode and a corresponding electrode (ground electrode) to be separated, and requires a separate electric field strength reinforcing device to use bubbles generated by the high voltage electrode. In addition, a problem of oxidation of the high voltage electrode due to electrolysis occurs, and thus the durability of the electrode is inferior.

On the other hand, conventional humidifiers are mainly used in the ultrasonic method or steam method, and recently, a natural evaporative humidification device using a nonwoven fabric or a paper material has been commercialized.

However, the conventional humidifier using the above method has the following problems.

First, in the case of the ultrasonic humidification method, there is a disadvantage that whitening occurs around the vibrator when used for a long time.

In addition, if the water in the water tank is left without being consumed for a long time, air pollutants enter the water tank and contaminate the water in the storage tank, thereby causing hygiene problems.

In addition, in the case of the steam system, as well as the whitening and hygiene problems, there is a disadvantage that excessive power consumption for steam generation.

In addition, the ultrasonic humidification method or the steam method and the natural evaporative humidifier has a disadvantage that there is only a local humidification effect. That is, the humidifier is not effectively performed on the side away from the space where the humidifier is located, and the indoor humidity is not maintained uniformly.

Particularly, in the case of the ultrasonic humidification method, when the size of the water particles to be sprayed is large, the bottom surface of the humidifier is wetly wet, and there is a risk of mold or slipping on the floor or wall.

In addition, in the case of the conventional humidifier there is no device for sterilizing the water stored in the water tank, there is a disadvantage that a separate sterilization solution must be added in the process of filling the water tank.

In addition, in the case of the conventional natural evaporative humidification apparatus using a non-woven fabric or a paper humidification element, there is a disadvantage that the life of the humidification element is short.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to improve the disadvantages of the prior art presented above, and the high voltage electrode and the corresponding electrode are made in one piece, so that it is possible to provide an underwater discharge device that can ensure miniaturization and ease of installation of the discharge device. The purpose.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide an underwater discharge device having enhanced durability by preventing oxidation of a high voltage electrode during an electrolysis process.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide an underwater discharge device that can be easily applied to household appliances such as home air conditioners, air cleaners, and humidifiers by miniaturizing the underwater discharge device.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a humidifier with an underwater discharge device according to the present invention as described above.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a humidification device in which the durability of the humidification element is improved and power consumption is reduced while improving the material of the humidification element applied to the conventional natural evaporative humidification device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner equipped with an underwater discharge device and a humidifier.

In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioning system that allows the humidification device with an underwater discharge device according to the present invention to be interlocked with an air conditioner so that not only an indoor humidification function but also indoor air can be circulated smoothly.

A main body provided with an air inlet and an air outlet; A heat exchanger accommodated inside the body; A drain pan accommodating a lower end of the heat exchanger to receive condensate formed on a surface of the heat exchanger; A fan assembly accommodated in the main body to suck indoor air; Humidification module is accommodated inside the main body, and includes a discharge cell for ionizing the water through the underwater discharge.

By the underwater discharge device according to the embodiment of the present invention constituting the configuration as described above, the high voltage electrode and the corresponding electrode can be manufactured in a single unit has the advantage that the device can be easily downsized.

In addition, it is possible to prevent the oxidation of the high voltage electrode in the electrolysis process for underwater discharge, there is an advantage that the durability of the electrode is enhanced.

In addition, since it is possible to miniaturize the underwater discharge device according to an embodiment of the present invention, it can be mounted on various home appliances such as air conditioners, air cleaners, humidifiers, etc., there is an advantage that the function of the home appliance is diversified.

In addition, the underwater discharge device according to an embodiment of the present invention has an effect that can be applied to industrial water treatment (water treatment) apparatus.

In addition, by the humidification device with an underwater discharge device according to an embodiment of the present invention, since the sterilized clean water is sprayed into the indoor space there is a hygienic safe effect. In addition, since the floor on which the humidifier is installed does not get wet, there is an effect of removing the risk of mold formation or user's safety accident. And, even if the water remaining in the water tank is left for a long time because the water is not contaminated there is a hygienic safe advantage.

In addition, the water supplied to the humidification device according to an embodiment of the present invention is a sterilization process is performed, there is an advantage that does not need to add a separate sterilization solution.

In addition, by using a humidification element made of a ceramic material, the durability of the humidification element is improved and power consumption is reduced as compared with the conventional spontaneous evaporative humidification apparatus using a nonwoven fabric or paper humidification element.

In addition, by adopting a natural evaporative humidification method using a ceramic humidifying element, there is an advantage that the whitening phenomenon does not occur, and the diffusibility is improved by miniaturization of the humidifying particles. In addition, there is an advantage that the problem of local humidification is improved by improving the diffusion through the miniaturization of the humidifying particles.

In addition, by using the ceramic humidifying element, there is an advantage that the porosity (porosity) is superior to the conventional humidifying element of the nonwoven fabric or paper material, and the water absorption ability is significantly improved.

In addition, the humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided in a module form inside the air conditioner, there is an advantage that the air conditioning function is performed along with the humidification function. Furthermore, since the humidification device is provided in the form of a module, the utilization of indoor space is increased, and there is an advantage of producing a multifunctional low cost air conditioner.

In addition, the humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention can operate in conjunction with the air conditioner, there is an advantage that the air discharged from the air conditioner is evenly circulated throughout the room. And, since the humidified air is circulated evenly throughout the room, there is an advantage that the problem of local humidification is solved.

Hereinafter, an underwater discharge device, a humidifier having an underwater discharge device, an air conditioner having a humidification device, and an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The spirit of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and drawings presented, it is to be understood that the spirit of the present invention includes the range that can be substituted, changed, added and deleted by those skilled in the art.

1 is an external perspective view of an underwater discharge device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II 'of FIG.

Note that the discharge cell described below is interpreted in the same manner as the underwater discharge device. Since the principle of underwater discharge has already been mentioned above, further description thereof will be omitted.

1 and 2, the discharge cell 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention has a rectangular shape and is detachable to any one side of the water tank. One side of the discharge cell 10 forms a high voltage electrode surface, and the other side forms a corresponding electrode, that is, a ground electrode surface.

In detail, the discharge cell 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes an insulating substrate 11 made of a ceramic material, a high voltage electrode portion 12 provided on the high voltage electrode surface of the insulating substrate 11, and a ground electrode surface. Ground electrode portion 15 provided to the first insulating layer 13 which prevents the high voltage electrode portion 12 from being oxidized in contact with water, and the first insulating layer 13 provided on the surface of the first insulating layer 13. 2 insulating layers 14 are included.

In more detail, the insulating substrate 11 prevents the high voltage electrode portion 12 and the ground electrode portion 15 from being energized and functions as a dielectric provided between the two electrodes. Therefore, the insulating substrate 11 may be tempered glass or the like in addition to the ceramic material.

Meanwhile, the high voltage electrode part 12 forms a thin film with a micrometer thickness by coating a metallic conductive material on one surface of the insulating substrate 11. In addition, silver (Ag) is included in the conductive metal material for the high voltage electrode part 12. Platinum or nickel may be used in addition to silver, but hereinafter, silver which is advantageous in terms of manufacturing cost will be described.

In addition, the ground electrode part 15 may also be coated with a metallic conductive material to form a thin film on the whole or part of the other side of the insulating substrate 11. In addition, a power line for applying power is connected to the high voltage electrode unit 12 and the ground electrode unit 15, and a high voltage is instantaneously applied through a power line connected to the ground electrode unit 15. do.

In addition, the first insulating layer 13 formed by coating ruthenium (RuO ₂ ) material on the surface of the high voltage electrode part 12 to prevent the high voltage electrode part 12 from being directly contacted with water and oxidized. ) Is formed. In addition, a second insulating layer 14 formed by coating glass powder to further insulate the high voltage electrode part 12 is further formed.

In detail, pores 141 having a minute size are formed in the coating film of the second insulating layer 14, and when a voltage is applied to the high voltage electrode part 12, a large amount of micro bubbles are generated through the pores 141. Done. As the amount of the fine bubbles increases, discharge occurs at this site.

When a voltage is applied to the high voltage electrode part 12 while the discharge cell 10 having the above configuration is immersed in the water tank, a large amount of fine particles are formed near the voids 141 formed in the second insulating layer 14. Bubbles are formed. As a discharge occurs between the fine bubbles, a large amount of radicals, that is, hydroxyl groups and active oxygen, are generated. And, some of the hydroxyl groups in the large amount of radicals are recombined to produce hydrogen peroxide. The radicals remove bacteria and viruses contained in the water.

Since the discharge cell 10 having the above configuration is very thin in size and thickness, the discharge cell 10 can be easily mounted in a small household appliance. In addition, since the high voltage electrode and the ground electrode are formed in a single body, there is an advantage of easy installation.

3 is an external perspective view of a humidifier having an underwater discharge device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the humidifier.

3 and 4, in the humidifying apparatus 20 equipped with the underwater discharge device according to the embodiment of the present invention, an indoor air inlet 211, a display 212, an operation button 213, and the like are provided on a front surface thereof. The front cover 21 is provided, the frame 27 provided on the rear side of the front cover 21, and the filter assembly mounted on the front of the frame 27 to filter dust and other impurities contained in the indoor air ( 28).

The humidifier 20 includes a fan housing 22 fixed to the rear surface of the frame 27, a fan 24 accommodated in the fan housing 22, and the fan 24. A motor 25 for driving, a humidifying element 26 provided in front of the fan housing 22, and a back cover 23 covering the rear surface of the fan housing 22 are further included.

In addition, the humidifier 20, the water tank 29 provided on one side of the fan housing 22, the container 31 provided below the water tank 29, and the container 31 ) And a drip tray 30 extending below the humidifying element 26, a discharge cell 10 mounted on one side of the container 31, and a water level provided on one side of the container 31. The sensor 32 is further included.

In detail, indoor air is sucked through the suction port 211 formed at one side of the front cover 21, and the sucked indoor air is guided to the humidification element 26 via the filter assembly 28.

In addition, the filter assembly 28 mounted on the front of the frame 27 performs a function of filtering out dust, odor particles and bacteria contained in the air, so that different types of purifying step by step to purify the air. May be arranged sequentially. That is, prefilters that filter out large foreign matters in the air, hepa filters that are high-performance filters that filter out fine dust, nanofilters excellent in deodorization and antibacterial performance, optional filters such as optional yellow dust filters and deodorization filters, and nonwoven fabrics. At least two or more of a hybrid filter including a plurality of polyurethanes having different densities and the like, and a plasma electrostatic precipitator which ionizes and collects dust may be disposed in the front-rear direction.

In addition, the frame 27 is opened on the inside, and the filter assembly 28 is seated on the opened portion. The fan housing 22 is fixedly mounted to the rear surface of the frame 27.

In addition, since the humidifying element 26 is made of a ceramic material, it has excellent porosity and water absorption ability as compared with a conventional humidifying element of a nonwoven fabric material. Material and configuration of the humidifying element 26 will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings.

The fan housing 22 includes an air guide 221 for guiding the discharge direction of the sucked indoor air, and a grill 222 provided at an inlet formed in front of the air guide 221. In addition, the humidifying element 26 is positioned in front of the grill 222. In addition, a plurality of ribs may be provided in the grill 222 in a grid form. The fan 24 mounted inside the fan housing 22 may be a centrifugal fan that sucks air in an axial direction and discharges it in a radial direction. That is, a turbo fan or sirocco fan may be applied. In addition, a discharge port 223 is formed at the upper side of the fan housing 22 to discharge air containing moisture while passing through the humidifying element 26 to the room. In detail, the discharge port 223 is designed to face upward or slightly forward of the humidifier 20, so that the wet air is discharged at a predetermined angle upward from the horizontal plane. Then, the indoor air can be smoothly circulated by the flow of air discharged through the discharge port 223. In addition, when the air conditioner is installed on the opposite wall surface of the humidifier 20, the circulation of air may be made more active.

In addition, a drip tray 30 is provided on a lower front surface of the fan housing 22, and a container 31 in which sterilized water is stored through an underwater discharge is connected to one edge of the drip tray 30.

In detail, a groove 301 having a predetermined depth is formed at an upper side of the drip tray 30, and a bottom surface of the groove 301 may be formed horizontally, or may have a shape that becomes deeper as it moves away from the container 31. . A portion of the lower end of the humidifying element 26 is accommodated in the groove 301 to be immersed in water flowing into the groove 301. Therefore, the water absorbed from the lower end of the humidifying element 26 is propagated upward.

In addition, the water tank 29 is connected to the upper side of the container 31, the solenoid valve may be mounted to the discharge port formed on the lower side of the water tank (29). The discharge cell 10 is mounted on one side of the inner circumferential surface of the container 31, and the water supplied to the container 31 is ionized through underwater discharge. The water level sensor 32 may be mounted on the other side of the inner circumferential surface of the container 31. Accordingly, the solenoid valve may be selectively driven according to the quantity of the inside of the container 31 sensed by the water level sensor 32, so that the water supply to the container 31 may be properly performed.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a humidifying element according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the humidifying element 26 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is a ceramic material including alumina (Al ₂ O ₃ ), silica (SiO ₂ ), and zirconia (ZrO ₂ ) in a component ratio of 38:47:15. It is a moisture absorption element.

In detail, the humidifying element 26 has a cylindrical shape in which a flat base 261 having a rectangular shape and a corrugated plate 262 provided on an upper side of the base 261 are wound several times. In addition, indoor air passes through the space between the corrugated plates 262 and is guided to the fan housing 22. Then, the moisture permeated into the base 261 and the corrugated plate 262 is evaporated while passing through the space formed between the corrugations and the corrugations.

Although the gap of the wrinkles is widely shown in the figure, in reality, the wrinkle gaps are very tightly connected. In fact, the average void of the humidifying element 26 is approximately 17-18 microns.

6 is an installation diagram of an air conditioning system including a humidifier and an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a control configuration for the operation of the air conditioning system.

6 and 7, the humidifier having an underwater discharge device according to an embodiment of the present invention may be linked to an air conditioner.

In detail, the humidifier 20 may be mounted on one side of the indoor wall, and the air conditioner 30 may be mounted on the wall of the side opposite to the wall on which the humidifier 20 is installed. Here, the air conditioner 30 includes an air conditioner performing a cooling function, a warm air fan performing a heating function, a combined air conditioning and air conditioner, or an air cleaning device, and the air conditioner is a wall-hung type wall mounted on a wall, and a wall surface. It may be any one of the indoor and outdoor air type installed through the ceiling, the ceiling type mounted on the ceiling, or the upper teeth type installed on the indoor floor. In addition, the humidifier 20 may be installed at a position spaced apart from the indoor floor by a predetermined height. As mentioned above, the humid air discharged through the discharge port of the humidifier 20 may be discharged toward the space where the air conditioner is installed, so that the circulation of indoor air may be smoothly performed. That is, the humidifying device 20 has an advantage that an air circulation function is added as well as a humidifying function.

In addition, the user may select the humidifier 20 alone operation mode, the air conditioner 30 alone operation mode, or the humidifier 20 and the air conditioner 30 interlocking operation mode by using a remote controller. . In addition, the air conditioner 30 and the controller of the humidifier 20 are electrically connected to each other so that the operating conditions of the humidifier 20 may vary according to the operation mode of the air conditioner 30. have. For example, the humidification device (eg, the air volume of the air conditioner 30 and the indoor humidity sensed by a humidity sensor (not shown) provided on one side of the air conditioner 30) may be determined. 20 may be allowed to vary depending on the situation.

Hereinafter, the control configuration of the air conditioning system will be described.

Here, the control unit of the air conditioner 30 is referred to as a main control unit 500 for convenience, and the control unit of the humidifier 20 is referred to as a sub control unit 100.

In detail, the humidifier 20 includes a sub controller 100, a key input unit 101 for inputting an operation condition of the humidifier 20, the main controller 500, and the remote controller 40. And a memory 102 for storing and receiving a signal transmitting and receiving unit 105 for transmitting and receiving a wireless signal, information received through the signal transmitting and receiving unit 105 and various data for determining an operating condition of the humidifier 20 and A water level detector 103 for detecting the water level of the container 31, a fan driver 104 for driving the fan 24, and a display 212 displaying an operation state are included.

In more detail, the key input unit 101 includes the operation button 213 described with reference to FIG. 3, and the fan driving unit 104 includes the motor 25 described with reference to FIG. 3. In addition, the water level detecting unit 103 includes the water level sensor 32 described with reference to FIG. 3.

Meanwhile, the air conditioner 30 includes a main controller 500, a signal transmitting and receiving unit 503, a fan driver 504, and a fan 34 operated by signals transmitted from the fan driver 504. 8, a memory 502, a key input unit 501, and a display 505.

In detail, the components of the same name as the components of the humidifier 20 has the same function, but differs only in relation to the operation of the air conditioner 30, and thus redundant description is omitted.

The signal transmission and reception between the signal transmission and reception unit 1056 and 503 and the remote controller 40 may be performed through a wireless transmission / reception method such as infrared transmission / reception, RF (radio frequency) wireless communication, or Bluetooth.

In addition, the main controller 500 of the air conditioner 30 may be electrically connected to a humidity sensing unit 506 for sensing indoor humidity and a temperature sensing unit 507 for sensing indoor temperature.

In the air conditioning system having the above configuration, the user may manually input a driving condition and a driving command through the key input unit 101 provided in the humidifier 20 and the air conditioner 30, respectively. In addition, single operation or interlocking operation of the humidifier 20 and the air conditioner 30 may be selected. As another method, the operating conditions of the humidifier 20 and the air conditioner 30 may be wirelessly input using the remote controller 40.

On the other hand, the sub-control unit 100 of the humidifier 20 and the main control unit 500 of the air conditioner 30 is electrically connected, the operation information is wirelessly transmitted through the signal transmission and reception unit 105, 503 I can receive it. Therefore, the driving state information of the air conditioner 30 may be transmitted to the signal transceiver 105 of the humidifier 20, and the transmitted information may be input to the sub controller 100. In addition, the sub controller 100 uploads necessary data from the memory 102, compares the uploaded data with the information transmitted from the air conditioner 30, and determines an operation state of the humidifier 20. Can be changed. That is, regardless of the user's command input, the operating condition of the humidifier 20 may be automatically adjusted according to the operating state of the air conditioner 30 or the indoor air state.

As an example, the operating conditions of the humidifier 20 with respect to the operating condition of the air conditioner 30 may be stored in the memories 102 and 502 as shown in Table 1.

Room temperature (℃) Room humidity (%) Air conditioner air volume (m ³ / hour) Humidifier Fan Speed (rpm)       20 to 25      71-80  Special Lecture a b c  River d e f  medium g h i  about j k l 60 to 70 Special Lecture : :

Table 1 shows a part of a data table for determining the fan speed of the humidifier according to the room temperature, the room humidity, and the air volume of the air conditioner in operation.

In other words, there will be various distributions of indoor humidity within a certain temperature range, and there will be a possible operating condition of the air conditioner within a certain humidity range of the various indoor humidity. And the fan speed of the humidifier according to what state the air conditioner is operating is set. The data information of Table 1 may be stored in the memory 502 of the air conditioner 30 and / or the memory 102 of the humidifier 20.

According to Table 1, the fan speed of the humidifier is automatically determined when the current room temperature, the room humidity, and the operating condition (air volume) of the air conditioner are known.

For example, the main control unit 500 transmits data on the current room temperature, room humidity, and air volume of the air conditioner 40 through the signal transmission / reception unit 503 through the signal transmission / reception unit of the humidification device 20. 105). Then, the sub controller 100 of the humidifier 20 receives the data, and uploads the data information of Table 1 from the memory 102 to calculate the fan speed of the humidifier 20. The sub controller 100 transmits a driving signal to the fan driver 104 according to the calculated fan speed, and the fan driver 104 drives the fan 24 to rotate at a set speed.

Table 1 presented above outlines an example that may be presented to allow the humidifier 20 to operate in conjunction with the air conditioner 30, and various types of data values may be determined according to a driving method. Could be. That is, the indoor temperature and the indoor humidity may not be distinguished with a certain range, but may be classified in detail by specific temperatures.

8 is a perspective view showing an air conditioner equipped with a humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 9 is a side cross-sectional view of the air conditioner, and FIG. 10 is a state in which the underwater discharge device and the humidifier are mounted in the air conditioner. Is an enlarged perspective view showing.

8 to 10, the embodiment is characterized in that the underwater discharge device and the humidifier are provided inside the air conditioner 30 in the form of a module.

In detail, the air conditioner 30 includes a main body 31 forming an outer shape, a front panel 32 provided on the front surface of the main body 31 so as to be rotatable, and an upper portion inside the main body 31. A heat exchanger 31 to be mounted, a drain pan 38 supporting a lower end of the heat exchanger 31, and a fan assembly provided below the heat exchanger 33 to suck indoor air ( 34 and a filter assembly 35 provided in front of the fan assembly 34. The filter assembly 35 may be the same as the filter assembly provided to the humidification device 20.

In addition, an inner cover 36 and a shielding cover 37 are provided between the main body 31 and the front panel 32 to prevent the internal parts from being exposed while the front panel 32 is open. In addition, an inlet 312 through which indoor air is sucked is formed at both lower sides of the main body 31, and an outlet 311 is formed at an upper portion thereof. In addition, a discharge port 311 may be further formed on the upper surface of the front portion of the main body 31. In addition, the suction port 312 and the discharge port 311 are selectively shielded by a louver.

On the other hand, the inner cover 36 is provided to be rotatable on one side, the water tank 60 for the humidification is mounted on the back of the inner cover 36. In addition, the same humidifying element 62 as the humidifying element provided in the humidifying device 20 is seated on the front surface of the heat exchanger 33. The lower end of the humidifying element 62 is kept submerged in water accumulated in the drain pan 38. In addition, a tube 61 extends at the lower end of the water tank 60, and extends to the bottom surface of the drain pan 38. The discharge cell 10 is mounted on one side of the drain pan 38, and the water level sensor 32 is mounted on the other side. In addition, a solenoid valve (not shown) may be mounted at an inlet of the tube 61 to selectively open and close the valve according to a sensing value detected by the water level sensor 32. That is, when only the condensate flowing down from the surface of the heat exchanger 33 reaches the set level of the drain pan 38, water does not need to be supplied from the water tank 60, otherwise the solenoid valve May be opened to allow water to be supplied from the water tank 60. For example, since the condensate does not occur when the air conditioner 30 is operated in the heating mode, water should be supplied from the water tank 60 to the drain pan 38 in the heating mode. .

In addition, a top end of the water tank 60 is provided with a stopper, so that the user can directly supply the water by opening the inner cover 36, the water tank 60 from the inner cover 36 I can make it removable.

Alternatively, the water pipe can be connected directly to the water tank 60.

In detail, a separate level sensor is provided in the water tank 60, and a solenoid valve is mounted on a connection portion between the tube and the water tank 60 extending from the water pipe. Then, the water supply from the water pipe may be selectively made according to the water level in the water tank 60.

As described above, since the discharge cell 10, the humidifying element 62, and the water tank 60 are provided inside the air conditioner, the humidifying function may be simultaneously performed together with the cooling or heating function. In addition, when the humidification function is not required, water stored in the drain pan 38 may be drained. In order for this function to be performed, a drain pump for draining the water of the drain pan 38 will need to be mounted on one side of the air conditioner 30. Of course, any method for natural drainage without using a drain pump is applicable.

According to the configuration as described above, since the humidity of the indoor air can be controlled by using the condensed water generated in the heat exchanger 33, there is an advantage that can be utilized.

In addition, the water accumulated in the drain pan 38 is sterilized by the discharge cell 10, there is an advantage that the humid air supplied to the room can be maintained in a clean and sanitary state.

Here, it is found that the humidifying element 62 and the discharge cell 10 are not provided to the drain pan 38, but a separate drip tray may be provided at a position spaced a predetermined height upward from the drain pan 38. Put it. That is, a separate drip tray on which the humidifying element 62 and the discharge cell 10 are mounted may be provided, and the water tank 60 may be tube-connected to the drip tray.

As described above, since the humidifier and the underwater discharge device are provided in the form of one module in the air conditioner 30, there is no need for a separate humidifier.

1 is an external perspective view of an underwater discharge device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II ′ of FIG. 1.

Figure 3 is an external perspective view of the humidifier with a water discharge device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is an exploded perspective view of the humidifier;

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a humidifying element according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6 is an installation of the air conditioning system consisting of a humidifier and an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a block diagram showing a control configuration for the operation of the air conditioning system.

8 is a perspective view showing an air conditioner equipped with a humidification device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

9 is a side cross-sectional view of the air conditioner.

10 is an enlarged perspective view showing a state in which the underwater discharge device and the humidification device are mounted in the air conditioner.

Claims (9)

A main body provided with an air inlet and an air outlet; A heat exchanger accommodated inside the body; A drain pan accommodating a lower end of the heat exchanger to receive condensate formed on a surface of the heat exchanger; A fan assembly accommodated in the main body to suck indoor air; And a humidification module accommodated in the main body and including a discharge cell that ionizes water through underwater discharge. The method of claim 1, The discharge cell is air conditioner, characterized in that mounted on one side of the drain pan. The method of claim 1, The humidification module, A water tank for supplying water to the drain pan, The air conditioner further comprises a humidification element made of a ceramic material is partially submerged in the water accumulated in the drain pan. The method of claim 3, wherein The water tank is air conditioner, characterized in that provided detachably to the cover member rotatably mounted on one side of the body. The method of claim 3, wherein One side of the water tank is provided with a stopper for water supply, or the air conditioner, characterized in that the water tank and the water pipe is directly connected. The method of claim 3, wherein One side of the drain pan is equipped with a water level sensor, the air conditioner characterized in that the amount of water supplied from the water tank is adjusted according to the level detected by the water level sensor. The method of claim 1, The discharge cell is an air conditioner, characterized in that the high voltage electrode portion and the ground electrode portion is provided on the surface facing each other. The method of claim 1, The humidification module, A drip tray provided inside the main body, containing water therein, and having the discharge cell mounted on one side thereof; A humidification element made of a ceramic material and partially submerged in the drip tray; A water tank for supplying water to the drip tray; And a water level sensor provided in at least one of the water tank and the drip tray. The method according to claim 3 or 8, And the humidifying element is positioned on a flow path of air discharged from the fan assembly.

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