KR20170051263A - Air Conditioner and Controlling method for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an air conditioner capable of measuring and displaying water level of a water tank in multiple stages for storing water for humidification, and a control method thereof. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the air conditioner comprises: a water tank for storing water; a visual body disposed on an upper portion of the water tank and formed of a transparent material to allow the inside to be viewed from the outside; a watering housing for pumping the water stored in the water tank to spray the water to the visual body; a water level sensor for measuring the water level of the water tank in multiple stages; a top cover assembly disposed above the visual body and having a water supply hole for supplying water to the water tank; and a water level display unit disposed near the water supply hole of the top cover assembly to display the water level measured by the water level sensor in multiple stages.

Description

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

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner and a control method thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to an air conditioner for measuring the water level of a water tank for storing water for multi-stage humidification.

The air conditioner is a device that changes the air conditioner into a pleasant environment by cooling, heating, air cleaning or humidifying. Such an air conditioner has a water tank for storing water for humidification. If the user notifies the user only when there is no water in the water tank, he / she can not know in advance when the water should be replenished. If the water tank is filled with water when the water tank is filled, There is a problem that overflow occurs.

An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner that measures and displays the water level of a water tank in multiple stages and a control method thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner and a method of controlling the same, wherein the water level measurement of the water tank is segmented and continuously measured.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner that accurately displays the water level of a water tank and a control method thereof.

The problems of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an air conditioner comprising: a water tank for storing water; A visual body disposed on the upper portion of the water tank and formed of a transparent material capable of viewing through the inside of the water tank; A watering housing for pumping the water stored in the water tub and injecting the water into the visual body; A water level sensor for measuring the water level of the water tank in multiple stages; A top cover assembly disposed above the visual body and having a water supply hole for supplying water to the water tank; And a water level indicator disposed in the vicinity of the water supply hole of the top cover assembly for displaying the water level measured by the water level sensor in multiple stages.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method for an air conditioner, including a water tank for storing water, a water level sensor for measuring the water level of the water tank in a multi- The air conditioner includes a water level display unit for displaying the water level measured by the water level sensor in a multi-stage, the air conditioner comprising: a hall sensor provided in the water tank for sensing a magnetic force generated by a floater moving up and down according to a water level, Determining a water level of the water tank by a Hall sensor for outputting the signal if the water level is 1; And a controller for determining a water level of the water tank by the hall sensor disposed at a higher one of the two hall sensors for outputting a signal when there are two hall sensors for sensing a magnetic force generated by the floater among the plurality of hall sensors and outputting a signal .

The details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and drawings.

According to the air conditioner and the control method of the present invention, one or more of the following effects can be obtained.

By displaying the water level of the water tank in a multi-stage, there is an advantage that the user can predict the water replenishment timing or easily know that it is close to full water.

There is an advantage that the water level can be recognized without moving the eye when the user views the water hole by indicating the water level of the water tank around the water hole for water supply.

Using a number of hall sensors, it is possible to measure the water level of the water tank continuously from the empty water in the water tank to the full water in the water tank.

When water is poured from the upper side, water level is measured without interruption when the water is supplied to the water tank, so there is an advantage that water overflow can be prevented.

When the signal is output from the two Hall sensors, it is judged by the high Hall sensor to prevent the erroneous operation due to the erroneous determination of the empty number, and it is possible to prevent the water overflow at the time of the user's water supply.

There is also an advantage that the water level can be accurately displayed by compensating the difference between the measured water level and the actual water level due to the operation of the aberration.

There is also an advantage that it can wait for the calculated time after measuring the water level drop in the water tank and change the water level display to inform the user of the correct water level.

There is also an advantage that the time to wait for changing the water level display after measuring the water level drop of the water tank can be calculated relatively accurately.

It also has the advantage of preventing the user from unnecessarily supplying water to the water tank by notifying the water tank that there is no water.

There is an advantage that it is possible to prevent water flooding from occurring at the time of user's water supply due to improper release of water tank display.

There is also an advantage that the water level of the water tank rises when the water turbine stops rotating and confusion occurs in the water level display.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

1 is a perspective view of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is an exploded perspective view of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a cross-sectional view of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a partial cross-sectional view of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a view showing a water level sensor of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a block diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a view showing that a water level of a water tank is displayed on a water level indicator of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling the water level of the air conditioner according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The advantages and features of the present invention, and the manner of achieving them, will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. To fully disclose the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art, and the invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings for explaining an air conditioner and a control method thereof according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig.

The air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a clean module 100 for cleaning the air after sucking outside air and a humidifying module 200 for humidifying the clean air .

The cleaning module 100 includes a base body 130 supporting an air conditioner from the floor and forming an outer appearance, a filter assembly 10 detachably installed in the base body 130 to clean the air, An air blowing unit 20 disposed inside the base body 130 to flow air and a cylindrical mounting body 140 disposed inside the base body 130 and into which the water tub 30 is inserted.

The base body 130 forms the appearance of the air conditioner. The upper portion of the base body 130 is formed of a transparent material through which the user can see. The base body 130 is formed with a suction port 101 through which the outside air is sucked. The base body 130 is formed at one side with a filter installation opening 133 into which the filter assembly 10 is inserted. An air blowing unit (20) is disposed above the filter installation opening (133) in the base body (130). A mounting body 140 is disposed above the air blowing unit 20 in the base body 130. The stationary body 140 is disposed above the watering motor 42. A display module 160 is disposed above the stationary body 140. An annular space is formed between the outer surface of the stationary body 140 and the inner surface of the base body 130 so that the air blown by the blowing fan 24 of the blowing unit 20 flows upward. The water tank 30 and the visual body 210 are inserted into the base body 130.

The air blowing unit 20 is disposed inside the base body 130 so that air is sucked through the suction port 101 and flows through the discharge port 107 to discharge the air. The blowing unit 20 is disposed between the filter assembly 10 and the injection unit 40. The air blowing unit 20 blows clean air from the filter assembly 10 to the lower humidifying medium 51 and the upper humidifying medium 55. The air blowing unit (20) includes a blowing fan (24) for blowing air and a blowing motor (22) for rotating the blowing fan (24). The air blown from the blowing fan 24 flows to the humidification module 200. The air blowing fan 24 blows air to the lower humidifying medium 51 and the upper humidifying medium 55, which will be described later. The blowing motor 22 is a BLDC (Brushless DC) motor whose rotational speed can be adjusted. The blowing motor 22 can rotate the blowing fan 24 at various rotational speeds.

The filter assembly 10 is detachably disposed within the base body 130 to clean the air sucked into the suction port 101. The filter assembly 10 is disposed at the bottom of the blowing unit 20. The clean air in the filter assembly 10 flows into the air blowing unit 20.

The filter assembly 10 includes a filter cover 13 for shielding the filter installation opening 133 when installed in the base body 130 and an electric dust collection module 15 for cleaning the air by charging foreign substances ). The filter assembly 10 may further include a pre-filter (not shown) for filtering foreign substances in the air sucked into the suction port 101, and a deodorization filter (not shown) for deodorizing the odor in the air. The filter cover 13 may have a sensing opening 13a opened to allow external air to flow into the air condition sensor unit 135 to be described later.

The humidification module 200 includes a visual body 210 detachably coupled to the clean module 100 and formed of a transparent material through which a user can see the inside of the humidification module 200, a cylindrical body 210 coupled to the visual body 210, A watering unit 40 for sucking and spraying the water stored in the water tank 30 and a water supply unit 40 for humidifying the air that contains water and passes through the water sprayed from the watering unit 40 A lower humidifying medium 51 and an upper humidifying medium 55, and a top cover assembly 230 disposed at the top of the visual body 210.

The visual body 210 is disposed within the top of the base body 130. The visual body 210 is disposed on the upper portion of the water tub 30, and the lower end thereof is coupled to the water tub 30. The visual body 210 reflects and disperses the water jetted from the watering unit 40. The visual body 210 is disposed on the upper part of the base body 130 so that the user can see the water scattering inside the visual body 210 through the transparent part of the upper part of the base body 130. A lower humidifying medium 51 is detachably disposed below the visual body 210 and an upper humidifying medium 55 is detachably disposed above the visual body 210.

The water tank 30 stores water. The water tank 30 is disposed inside the base body 130. The water tank 30 is inserted into the stationary body 140 of the base body 130. The upper end of the water tank 30 may be coupled with the visual body 210 and separated from the clean module 100 together with the visual body 210. A space is formed between the visual body 210 and the water tub 30 so that the air blowing fan 24 of the air blowing unit 20 blows air that has passed between the base body 130 and the stationary body 140.

The lower humidifying medium 51 is disposed between the visual body 210 and the water tub 30. [ The lower humidifying medium 51 is detachably coupled to the lower end of the visual body 210 so that water stored in the water tub 30 is not directly contacted. The lower humidifying medium 51 is sprayed by the watering unit 40 to wet the scattered water. The lower humidifying medium 51 is formed of a material capable of containing moisture. In the lower humidifying medium 51, air introduced into the space between the visual body 210 and the water tub 30 is passed through. The lower humidifying medium 51 contains moisture to humidify the passing air.

The watering unit 40 includes a rotatable watering housing 44 for sucking and spraying the water inside the water tub 30 and a watering motor 42 for rotating the watering housing 44. The water ring housing 44 is rotated by the water ring motor 42 to suck and discharge water in the water tub 30. [ The water ring housing 44 supplies water to the upper humidifying medium 55 and the lower humidifying medium 51 by spraying water to the visual body 210. The water ring housing 44 can be disposed inside the water tank 30 and separated from the water tank 30 together. The watering motor 42 is disposed on the lower side of the water ring housing 44 and on the upper side of the blowing motor 22. The watering motor 42 is a BLDC (Brushless DC) motor whose rotational speed can be adjusted. The watering motor 42 can rotate the watering housing 44 at various rotational speeds.

The water ring housing 44 fills the water inside the water tank 30 during rotation and the water sprayed from the water ring housing 44 is present on the inner surface of the visual body 210 and on the inner surface of the water tank 30, The water level of the water tank 30 is lowered at the start of rotation of the housing 44. When the water ring housing 44 stops rotating, the water level of the water tank 30 becomes higher.

The top cover assembly 230 is disposed on top of the visual body 210 to cover the upper side of the visual body 210. The top cover assembly 230 is detachably coupled to the visual body 210 to cover the water bath 30. [ The top cover assembly 230 is formed with an annular discharge port 107 through which the humidified air is discharged to the outside through the lower humidifying medium 51 and the upper humidifying medium 55. A circular water supply hole 109 for supplying water to the water tank 30 is formed at the center of the top cover assembly 230. The user can pour water into the water supply hole 109 of the top cover assembly 230 to supply water to the water tank 30. [

An operation module 240 is disposed between the discharge port 107 of the top cover assembly 230 and the water supply hole 109. A water level indicator 250 is disposed around the water supply hole 109 of the top cover assembly 230.

The upper humidifying medium 55 is disposed below the top cover assembly 230. The upper humidifying medium 55 is detachably disposed on the upper side of the visual body 210. The upper humidifying medium 55 is sprayed by the watering unit 40 to wet the scattered water. The upper humidifying medium 55 is formed of a material capable of containing moisture. The upper humidifying medium 55 passes air discharged to the discharge port 107 of the visual body 210. The upper humidifying medium 55 contains moisture to humidify the passing air.

The air condition sensor unit 135 measures the air condition at the place where the air conditioner is installed. The air condition means the relative humidity of the air, the dust condition or the smell condition. The air condition sensor unit 135 detects a humidity sensor that senses the temperature and humidity of the air and measures the relative humidity, a dust sensor that measures the dust concentration in the air to measure the dust condition, And an odor sensor for measuring the odor state.

The operation module 240 receives a command from the user. The operation module 240 is disposed on the top surface of the top cover assembly 230. Through the operation module 240, the user inputs various commands for controlling the operation of the air conditioner.

The display module 160 displays the condition of the air conditioner. The display module 160 is formed in an annular shape and disposed inside the base body 130. The display module 160 is disposed so that the display module 160 can be viewed by a user through a transparent portion above the base body 130. The user can check the air condition through the display module 160 or check the current operation mode and other setting statuses. A mounting body 140 is disposed below the display module 160.

The display module 160 includes a status display unit 163 for displaying the status of the air conditioner with icons or characters and a lighting unit 165 for displaying the status of the air conditioner in various colors. The status display unit 163 displays an air condition, an operation mode or other setting status by an icon or character. The lighting unit 165 illuminates light of various colors to display an air condition.

The water level display unit 250 is disposed around the water supply hole 109 of the top cover assembly 230 to display the water level of the water stored in the water tank 30 in multiple stages. A detailed description thereof will be described later.

The ion generating module 137 generates ions to remove bacteria or viruses. The ion generating module 137 is disposed inside the base body 130. The ion generating module 137 is disposed on a flow path of air flowing by the blowing fan 24 of the blowing unit 20. The ion generating module 137 is applied with a high voltage to ionize the molecules. The ions generated in the ion generating module 137 are flowed to the lower humidifying medium 51 by the blowing fan 24 of the blowing unit 20. Since the generation of persistent ions may be harmful to the user, the ion generating module 137 is preferably operated only in a specific mode or user setting.

The ultraviolet ray module 170 irradiates ultraviolet rays to remove bacteria or viruses. The ultraviolet module 170 irradiates ultraviolet rays toward the water stored in the water tub 30 to remove bacteria or viruses that propagate in the water stored in the water tub 30. [

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a water level sensor of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The water tank 30 includes a floater 33 that moves in the vertical direction in accordance with the height of water contained in the water tank 30 and a floater cover 31 that is disposed on the inner wall surface of the water tank 30 and accommodates the floater 33 . The plotter 33 is provided with a permanent magnet for generating a magnetic force therein. The floater 33 moves in the vertical direction in accordance with the water level of the water tank 30 in the floater cover 31. [ In the present embodiment, the up and down direction means gravity direction.

The plotter cover 31 is disposed on the inner wall surface of the water tub. The plotter cover 31 is formed with a path of movement of the floater 33, which is elongated in the vertical direction. The cover 31 has a cover hole 31a through which water stored in the water tray 30 can be introduced. The portion 30e where the plotter cover 31 is disposed in the bottom surface of the water tank 30 is deeper than the portion 30d without the plotter cover 31 of the water tank 30 being disposed. The portion 30e where the plotter cover 31 is disposed in the bottom surface of the water tank 30 is drawn down and the central portion of the plotter 33 is positioned at the center of the bottom portion of the water tank 30 when the floater 33 is positioned at the lowermost side. (30d).

The air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a water level sensor cover 141 disposed on the outer wall surface of the mounting body 140 and receiving the water level sensor 142, And a water level sensor 142 for measuring the water level of the water stored in the water tank 30 in multiple stages. The water level sensor cover 141 is disposed in correspondence with the movement path of the floater 33 on the outer wall surface of the stationary body 140. The water level sensor cover 141 is formed with a cylindrical water level sensor boss 145 which fixes the water level sensor 142. In this embodiment, two water level sensor bosses 145 are formed and arranged in the vertical direction. The water level sensor cover 141 is provided with a cover terminal 147 for supplying power to the water level sensor 142 and receiving a signal from the water level sensor 142. [

The water level sensor 142 measures the water level of the water tank 30 in multiple stages. The water level measured by the water level sensor 142 is displayed in multiple levels in the water level indicator 250.

The water level sensor 142 is arranged in correspondence with the movement path of the floater 33 of the water tub 30. [ The water level sensor 142 is disposed inside the water level sensor cover 141. 5, the water level sensor 142 includes a plurality of hall sensors 142a for sensing the magnetic force generated by the floater 33, and a plurality of sensor sensors 142a, And a sensor terminal 142d which is disposed on the sensor substrate 142b and receives power from the cover terminal 147 and transmits a signal to the cover terminal 147. [

The plurality of hall sensors 142a are arranged on the sensor substrate 142b at regular intervals in the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the number of the Hall sensors 142a is five, and the first Hall sensor 142a-1, the second Hall sensor 142a-2, the third Hall sensor 142a-3, The four Hall sensors 142a-4 and the fifth Hall sensors 142a-5 are arranged in this order. That is, the second hall sensor 142a-2 is disposed on the first hall sensor 142a-1, the third hall sensor 142a-3 is disposed on the second hall sensor 142a-2, The hall sensor 142a-4 is disposed on the third hall sensor 142a-3 and the fifth hall sensor 142a-5 is disposed on the fourth hall sensor 142a-4. In this embodiment, Since the water level sensor 142 includes five hall sensors 142a, the water level sensor 142 can measure the water level of the water tank 30 in five steps. The hall sensor 142a outputs a signal when it senses the magnetic force of the floater 33, and the signal at this time is a voltage value.

The plurality of Hall sensors 142a are disposed at appropriate equally spaced intervals so as not to detect the magnetic force generated by the floaters 33. [ At least one of the plurality of hall sensors 142a sets the interval between the plurality of hall sensors 142a and the magnetic force of the plotter 33 so as to detect the magnetic force generated by the floater 33. [ When the floaters 33 are disposed between two adjacent hall sensors 142a among the plurality of hall sensors 142a, the two hall sensors 142a are provided with a plurality of hall sensors 142a, And the magnetic force of the plotter 33 are set. The intervals between the plurality of hall sensors 142a and the magnetic force of the plotter 33 are set so that three or more hall sensors 142a among the plurality of hall sensors 142a in the steady state can not simultaneously sense the magnetic force of the floater 33 do. That is, only one or two Hall sensors 142a among the plurality of hall sensors 142a detect the magnetic force of the plotter 33.

At least one of the plurality of hall sensors 142a of the water level sensor detects the magnetic force of the floater 33 so that the water level sensor 142 detects the water level in the water tank 30 from the empty water in the water tank 30, The water level of the water tank 30 can be measured without interruption.

The sensor substrate 142b is coupled to the inside of the water level sensor cover 141. [ The sensor substrate 142b is formed with a boss hole 142c at a position corresponding to the water level sensor boss 145 of the water level sensor cover 141. [ In this embodiment, two boss holes 142c are formed, one boss hole 142c is disposed on the lower side of the first hall sensor 142a-1 and another boss hole 142c is provided on the fifth hall sensor 142c 142a-5.

The sensor terminal 142d is disposed so as to be in contact with the cover terminal 147. The sensor terminal 142d receives power and transfers the received power to a plurality of hall sensors 142a. The plurality of hall sensors 142a may output different voltage values to be distinguished from each other when the magnetic force of the floater 33 is sensed. Each of the plurality of hall sensors 142a outputs different signals when sensing the magnetic force of the floater 33 and the output signal is transmitted to the cover terminal 147 through the sensor terminal 142d.

6 is a block diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

An operation module 240, an air condition sensor unit 135, a water level sensor 142, an electric dust collecting module 15, a blowing motor 22, a water ring motor 42, an ion generating module 137, 170, the lighting unit 165, the status display unit 163, and the water level display unit 250 will not be described.

The communication module 180 is connected to the portable device of the user so as to be able to communicate with the portable device of the user and transmits the state of the air conditioner to the portable device of the user. The communication module 180 receives a command of the user input through the portable device of the user. The communication module 180 may be configured to communicate with a mobile device such as a user's mobile phone or tablet with wireless communication such as WLAN (Wireless LAN, Wi-Fi), 3G or 4G LTE, Bluetooth, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Data Association).

The buzzer module 150 alerts the condition of the air conditioner. The buzzer module 150 alerts the user of an air condition or a trouble in the air conditioner.

The control unit 190 controls the operation of the electric dust collecting module 15 and the blowing motor 15 based on the user's command input through the operation module 240 or the communication module 180 and / The status indicator 163, the water level indicator 250, the buzzer module 150, and the buzzer module 150 are controlled by controlling the controller 220, the water ring motor 42, the ion generating module 137, and / And / or the communication module 180 to display or inform the user of the air condition, the setting or condition of the air conditioner, and the water level of the water tank 30. [

In this embodiment, the controller 190 receives the signal from the water level sensor 142 to determine the water level of the water tank 30, and displays the determined water level in the water level indicator 250 in a multi-stage manner. When the controller 190 determines that the measured water level has dropped, the control unit 190 calculates the water level change time, waits for the calculated water level change time, and displays the changed water level on the water level display unit 250. The control unit 190 can determine the water level of the water tank 30 in five levels. The control unit 190 may display the water level of the water tank 30 in the water level display unit 250 in five levels. The control unit 190 outputs sound through the buzzer module 150 when the water level of the water tank 30 is judged to be empty (no water in the water tank 30). The control unit 190 stops the operation of the watering motor 42 or does not operate the watering motor 42 in the humidifying command of the user when the water level of the water tank 30 is judged to be empty. The control unit 190 can notify the user of the water level of the water tank 30 determined by the user through the communication module 180.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling an air conditioner according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a view illustrating that a water level of a water tank is displayed on a water level indicator of an air conditioner according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to be.

The controller 190 determines whether the hall sensor 142a outputting the signal is one (S310).

Each of the plurality of Hall sensors 142a outputs different signals when sensing the magnetic force of the floater 33. The controller 190 receiving the signal from the level sensor 142 can determine how many signals are input have.

If the control unit 190 determines that the number of the Hall sensors 142a outputting the signal is one, the controller 190 sets the water level judged to be the water level of the water tank 30 to be the water level And displays it on the display unit 250 (S320).

The control unit 190 determines that the water level of the water tank 30 is a first water level (an empty water number, W1) when the input signal is the signal of the first hall sensor 142a-1, It is determined that the water level of the water tank 30 is the second water level W2 higher than the first water level W1 and the input signal is the signal of the third hall sensor 142a-3 It is determined that the water level of the water tank 30 is a third water level W3 higher than the second water level W2 and when the input signal is the signal of the fourth hall sensor 142a-4, The fourth water level W4 is higher than the third water level W3 and the water level of the water tank 30 is higher than the fourth water level W4 when the input signal is the signal of the fifth hall sensor 142a-5 And the fifth water level (high water level, W5).

If the control unit 190 determines that the number of the Hall sensors 142a outputting the signal is not one, it is determined whether there are two Hall sensors 142a outputting the signal (S330).

When the controller 190 determines that the number of the Hall sensors 142a outputting the signal is not two, the controller 190 does not determine the water level. As described above, the water level sensor 142 is designed such that one or two hall sensors 142a of the plurality of hall sensors 142a detect the magnetic force of the floater 33, and the Hall sensors 142a ) Or there are three or more Hall sensors 142a outputting a signal, it is in an abnormal state, so no water level judgment is made. The buzzer module 150 and / or the communication module 180, when the determination that the number of the hall sensors 142a outputting the signal is not two is continued for a predetermined time, The user is notified of an error.

The control unit 190 determines the water level of the water tank 30 by the hall sensor 142a located at a higher position than the hall sensor 142a to which the signal is inputted And displays the determined water level on the water level display unit 250 (S340).

When the water level of the water tank 30 is judged by the low hall sensor 142a among the hall sensors 142a to which the signal is inputted and the water level is judged as the water level W1, the water ring motor 42 A problem of stopping occurs. When the water level of the water tank 30 is judged by the hall sensor 142a of the Hall sensor 142a to which the signal is inputted and the water level is judged as the fourth water level W4, the actual water level is lower than the fourth water level W4 The water overflow may occur when the user pours water into the top cover assembly 230 to supply water. Accordingly, when the control unit 190 determines that the number of the hall sensors 142a outputting the signal is two, the control unit 190 determines the water level of the water tank 30 with the hall sensor 142a among the hall sensors 142a to which the signal is inputted.

The control unit 190 determines the water level of the water tank 30 as the second water level W2 when the input signal is the signal of the first hall sensor 142a-1 and the second hall sensor 142a-2, When the input signal is a signal of the second hall sensor 142a-2 and the third hall sensor 142a-3, the water level of the water tank 30 is determined as the third water level W3, The signal level of the water tank 30 is determined as the fourth water level W4 in the case of signals of the hall sensors 142a-3 and the fourth hall sensor 142a-4, And the fifth hall sensor 142a-5, the water level of the water tank 30 is determined as the fifth water level (full water, W5).

The control unit 190 performs control according to the determined water level (S350).

The control unit 190 displays the determined level in the level display unit 250 in five levels as shown in FIG. The control unit 190 can notify the user of the water level of the water tank 30 determined by the user through the communication module 180 in five steps.

The control unit 190 displays an empty number W1 in the water level display unit 250 and outputs a sound through the buzzer module 150 when the water level of the water tank 30 is determined to be empty, The rotation of the water ring housing 44 is stopped or the water ring motor 42 is not operated so that the water ring housing 44 is not rotated.

If the control unit 190 determines that the water level of the water tank 30 has decreased, it performs a control method to be described later.

9 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling the water level of the air conditioner according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

The controller 190 operates the watering motor 42 to rotate the watering housing 44 (S410). When the user operates the operation module 240 to select an operation mode in which the humidification is performed or inputs a humidification command, the controller 190 operates the watering motor 42. When the watering motor 42 is operated, the water ring housing 44 is rotated to suck and discharge the water in the water tub 30. [ In operation of the water ring motor 42, the water level sensor 142 measures the water level of the water tank 30. [

The water level sensor 142 measures a water level drop of the water tank 30 (S420).

When the water level sensor 142 is lowered by one level, the signal output from the level sensor 142 is output to any one of the hall sensors 142a, Is changed to a signal of the hall sensor 142a located below the hall sensor 142a.

The control unit 190 controls the water level sensor 142 when the signal input from the water level sensor 142 is changed from the signal of the hall sensor 142a to the signal of the hall sensor 142a located below the hall sensor 142a ) Measures the fall of the water level of the water tank 30. The control unit 190 preferably determines that the measured water level has dropped when the signal of the changed hall sensor 142a is continuously input for a preset time (3 seconds in this embodiment).

For example, when the input signal is changed from the signal of the fourth hall sensor 142a-4 to the signal of the third hall sensor 142a-3 and continued for more than 3 seconds, the control unit 190 controls the water level sensor 142 ) Determines that the water level of the water tank 30 has decreased by one level.

The controller 190 controls the amount of water (hereinafter, referred to as a non-measured amount) existing in the water tank 30, the visual body 210 and / or the water ring housing 44 and the amount of water evaporated due to humidification The water level change time is calculated (S430). The non-measured amount is the amount of water recovered into the water tank 30 after the water ring motor 42 stops operating.

The control unit 190 calculates the water level display change time by dividing the non-measured amount by the evaporation amount.

The non-measured amount is relatively constant according to the rotation speed of the water ring housing 44 and / or the rotation speed of the blowing fan 24, and the controller 190 refers to the lookup table for the non- The non-measured amount is obtained. According to the embodiment, the control unit 190 can obtain the non-measured amount through the water level change of the water tank 30 due to the start of operation of the water ring motor 42. [ The amount of evaporation is relatively constant according to the rotation speed of the water ring housing 44, the rotation speed of the air blowing fan 24, and / or the relative humidity measured by the air condition sensor unit 135, The evaporation amount in the current operating condition is obtained by referring to the lookup table. According to the embodiment, the control unit 190 can obtain the evaporation amount through the change value of the water level of the water tank 30 during the operation of the water ring motor 42. [

In this embodiment, when the nonmeasurement amount is m and the evaporation amount is n, the water level change time T = m / n.

The control unit 190 waits for the water level change display time calculated after the water level sensor 142 has measured the water level drop. The control unit 190 waits for the water level change display time calculated from the time when the water level sensor 142 measures the water level drop of the water tank 30. [ The control unit 190 waits for the water level display change time from the time when the inputted signal is changed from the signal of one hall sensor 142a to the signal of the hall sensor 142a located below the hall sensor 142a.

In this embodiment, assuming that the water level at the time when the water level sensor 142 measures the drop in the water level is V, the amount of water that can be contained in the actual water tank when the water level drop is measured is V + m. Since the water level change time is T = m / n, the amount of water evaporated during the water level change time is (m / n) * n = m. When the water level change time has elapsed, the amount of water corresponding to the water level of the water tank 30 is V-m, so that the amount of water actually contained in the water tank becomes V-m + m = V increased by m. That is, the water level sensor 142 measures the water level drop and waits for the water level change time, and the actual water level becomes the water level at the water level drop measurement.

The control unit 190 changes the water level of the water tub 30 displayed on the water level indicator 250 after the water level change time has elapsed (S450). The control unit 190 determines that the water level of the water tank 30 before the water level drop in the water tank 30 is the third water level W3 and the water level of the water tank 30 displayed on the water level indicator 250 is the second water level W2). The control unit 190 cancels the display of the water level W5 of the water level indicator 250 and the water level of the water tank 30 to the fourth water level W4 on the water level display unit 250. [ The control unit 190 displays the water level W1 in the water level display unit 250 while the water level of the water tank 30 before the water level drop in the water tank 30 is the second water level W2.

The control unit 190 outputs sound through the buzzer module 150 and stops the operation of the watering motor 42. When the watering display unit 250 displays the empty water W1, It is preferable to stop the rotation of the housing 44.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, but, on the contrary, It should be understood that various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

10: filter assembly 15: electric dust collecting module
20: blowing unit 22: blowing motor
24: blower fan 30: water tank
31: Plotter cover 31a: Cover hole
33: Plotter 40: Watering unit
42: Water ring motor 44: Water ring housing
51: Lower humidifying medium 55: Upper humidifying medium
100: clean module 130: base body
135: air condition sensor unit 137: ion generating module
140: mounting body 141: water level sensor cover
142: Water level sensor 142a: Hall sensor
160: Display module 163: Status display
165: lighting unit 170: ultraviolet module
180: communication module 190:
200: Humidification module 210: Visual body
230: top cover assembly 240: operation module
250: water level indicator

Claims (11)

A water tank;
A visual body disposed on the upper portion of the water tank and formed of a transparent material capable of viewing through the inside of the water tank;
A water ring housing for pumping the water stored in the water tank and spraying the water to the visual body;
A water level sensor for measuring the water level of the water tank in multiple stages;
A top cover assembly disposed above the visual body and having a water supply hole for supplying water to the water tank; And
And a water level indicator disposed in the vicinity of the water supply hole of the top cover assembly to display the water level measured by the water level sensor in a multi-stage manner. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the water tank includes a floater that moves in a vertical direction according to a water level and generates a magnetic force,
Wherein the water level sensor includes a plurality of hall sensors arranged in a vertical direction for sensing a magnetic force generated by the floater and outputting a signal,
Wherein at least one of the plurality of hall sensors senses a magnetic force generated by the floater and outputs a signal. 3. The method of claim 2,
Further comprising a control unit for receiving a signal from the water level sensor and determining a water level of the water tank,
Wherein the control unit judges the water level of the water tank by the hall sensor that outputs a signal when there is one hall sensor for outputting a signal among the plurality of hall sensors and displays the water level to be judged on the water level display unit,
Wherein the control unit judges the water level of the water tank by the hall sensor disposed at a higher one of the two hall sensors for outputting a signal when there are two hall sensors outputting signals among the plurality of hall sensors, The air conditioner displays on the display unit. The method of claim 3,
Further comprising a water ring motor rotating the water ring housing,
Wherein the control unit stops the operation of the watering motor when it is determined that there is no water in the water tub. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising: a controller which waits for the water level change time after the water level sensor measures the water level drop and changes the water level displayed on the water level indicator. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the control unit calculates the water level display change time from a non-side low volume which is the amount of water recovered into the water tank after the operation of the water ring motor is stopped and an evaporation amount which is a quantity of water per hour of water which is generated due to humidification. 1. An air conditioner comprising: a water tank for storing water; a water level sensor having a plurality of hall sensors for measuring the water level of the water tank at multiple stages; and a water level indicator for displaying the water level measured by the water level sensor in multiple stages,
Determining a water level of the water tank by a hall sensor for outputting the signal when the hall sensor is provided in the water tank and detects a magnetic force generated by a floater moving up and down according to a water level and outputs a signal; And
When the number of hall sensors for detecting a magnetic force generated by the plotter and outputting a signal is two among the plurality of hall sensors, a level of the water tank is determined by the hall sensor disposed at a higher one of the two hall sensors for outputting a signal And controlling the operation of the air conditioner. 8. The method of claim 7,
And a water level indicator disposed at a periphery of a water supply hole for supplying water to the water tank and displaying the water level measured by the water level sensor in a multi-stage display. 8. The method of claim 7,
Measuring the water level of the water tank by the water level sensor;
Waiting for a water level change time from a time point when the water level of the water tank is measured to be lowered; And
Further comprising the step of: displaying a water level change on a water level indicator disposed in the vicinity of a water supply hole for supplying water to the water tank after the water level change time has elapsed. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the water level display changing time is calculated from a non-side low amount which is the amount of water recovered into the water tank after the operation of the watering motor is stopped and an evaporation amount which is a quantity of water per hour of water which is generated due to humidification. 8. The method of claim 7,
And stopping the rotation of the water ring housing for spraying the water stored in the water tank when it is determined that there is no water in the water tank.

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