KR20180086944A - Ceiling type air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a ceiling type air conditioner. The ceiling type air conditioner according to the present embodiment comprises: a case installed in a cover member and housing a dust sensor; an auxiliary chamber provided at one side of the case and storing air sucked through a cover inlet; and a connection duct extending from the auxiliary chamber to the case and guiding the air stored in the auxiliary chamber to the dust sensor. Therefore, the flow rate of the air sucked into the dust sensor can be reduced.

Description

Ceiling type air conditioner

To a ceiling type air conditioner of the present invention.

The air conditioner is a device for keeping the air in a predetermined space in a most suitable condition according to the purpose of use and purpose. Generally, the air conditioner includes a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator, and a refrigeration cycle for compressing, condensing, expanding, and evaporating the refrigerant is driven to cool or heat the predetermined space .

The predetermined space may be variously proposed depending on the place where the air conditioner is used. For example, when the air conditioner is installed in a home or an office, the predetermined space may be an indoor space of a house or a building.

When the air conditioner performs the cooling operation, the outdoor heat exchanger provided in the outdoor unit functions as a condenser, and the indoor heat exchanger provided in the indoor unit functions as an evaporator. On the other hand, when the air conditioner performs the heating operation, the indoor heat exchanger functions as a condenser and the outdoor heat exchanger functions as an evaporator.

Depending on the installation position, the air conditioner can be classified into an upright type, a wall-mounted type, or a ceiling type. The upright type air conditioner is an air conditioner installed to stand up in an indoor space, and the wall-mounted type air conditioner is understood as an air conditioner installed to be attached to a wall surface.

The ceiling-type air conditioner is understood as an air conditioner of a ceiling type. For example, the ceiling-type air conditioner includes a casing embedded in a ceiling, and a panel coupled to a lower side of the casing and defining an inlet and an outlet.

The air conditioner may be provided with a dust sensor. The dust sensor can sense the amount or concentration of dust contained in the air sucked into the air conditioner, and the operation of the air conditioner can be controlled based on the sensed information.

The present applicant has filed a patent application (hereinafter, referred to as "prior art") in connection with an air conditioner equipped with a dust sensor. The information of the preceding documents is as follows.

1. Public number (public date): 10-2006-0016003 (February 21, 2006)

2. Title of the invention: Operation of a separate type air conditioner

The separate type air conditioner disclosed in the preceding document constitutes a wall-mounted type air conditioner. In the case of the wall-mounted type air conditioner, the air is sucked through the suction port formed on the front surface and discharged through the discharge port formed on the upper surface or the lower surface. According to this structure, the suction passage and the discharge passage are separated from each other, and the dust sensor can be installed on the suction passage side without being influenced by the discharge passage. Accordingly, a relatively accurate dust amount can be detected through the dust sensor.

However, in the case of the ceiling type air conditioner, the suction port and the discharge port are formed adjacent to the front panel. Therefore, a phenomenon that the air discharged from the discharge port flows toward the suction port again occurs, so that the amount of dust contained in the air can not be accurately detected. The air discharged from the discharge port is air filtered through dust while passing through the air conditioner.

In the case of the ceiling type air conditioner, the flow rate of the air toward the suction port is relatively high. Therefore, when the dust sensor is installed on one side of the suction port, the suction speed of the dust sensor is relatively high, so that dust suction into the dust sensor is not properly performed and the dust amount is not easily detected even if dust is sucked .

In order to solve the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a ceiling-type air conditioner having a sensor device for easily detecting the amount of dust in an indoor space.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a ceiling-type air conditioner provided with a structure capable of reducing the flow velocity of air flowing into a sensor device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner in which the pressure on the side of the discharge port discharged from the sensor device is made low and the flow of air from the dust sensor toward the discharge port can be easily performed.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a ceiling-type air conditioner in which dust can be easily sucked into a sensor device by providing a flow resistance portion at a cover suction port of a cover member to reduce an air flow rate at the cover suction port.

The ceiling type air conditioner according to the present embodiment includes a case installed in a cover member and housing a dust sensor; An auxiliary chamber provided at one side of the case and storing air sucked through the cover inlet; And a connection channel extending from the auxiliary chamber to the case and guiding the air stored in the auxiliary chamber to the dust sensor, so that the flow rate of the air sucked into the dust sensor can be lowered.

In the auxiliary chamber, a chamber inlet formed in a lower portion of the auxiliary chamber and communicating with the cover inlet may be included, and the air sucked in the cover inlet may be stored in the auxiliary chamber.

And a chamber outlet formed on one surface of the auxiliary chamber and to which the connection passage is connected, so that air having a reduced flow rate in the auxiliary chamber can be easily introduced into the connection passage.

At least a part of the main flow f1 flowing forward from the corner portion of the front panel toward the suction portion is sucked into the cover suction port and the cover suction port is formed on the bottom surface of the cover member, Can be easily performed.

The auxiliary chamber is provided on the upper surface of the cover member and extends upward from the cover suction port.

Since the volume of the auxiliary chamber is formed to be larger than the volume of the connection passage, airflow of the connection passage from the auxiliary chamber can be smoothly performed.

The case is provided with a case inlet through which the connection passage is connected. The case inlet is formed at a height corresponding to the heater provided in the dust sensor, so that airflow from the connection passage to the heater can be smoothly performed.

The cover intake port includes a flow resistance section for reducing a flow rate of air sucked into the cover intake port.

The flow resistance portion extends upward from the bottom surface of the cover member and is arranged to be inclined rearward, so that the flow rate of the air sucked into the cover suction port can be reduced.

The case further includes a case discharge port located above the case suction port and discharging air that has passed through the dust sensor.

The case and the auxiliary chamber are spaced apart from each other.

And a discharge passage formed between the case and the auxiliary chamber and through which the air discharged from the case discharge port flows, so that the air flow from the dust sensor to the discharge passage can be smoothly performed.

According to the above-described embodiment, since the sensor device is installed on the cover member provided on the side of the front panel of the ceiling-mounted air conditioner, the sensor device is sucked into the sensor device while reducing the influence of air discharged from the air outlet of the air conditioner. So that the air flow can be easily formed.

Particularly, the cover member is provided with a cover suction port for guiding the suction of the air by the sensor device, and the cover suction port is disposed at one point toward the suction port of the air conditioner at the corner portion of the front panel, At least a portion of the flowing main flow can be sucked into the sensor device through the sensor inlet.

Further, the auxiliary chamber is provided at one side of the case where the dust sensor is installed, and the air sucked through the cover suction port can be sucked into the dust sensor via the auxiliary chamber, so that the flow rate of the air sucked into the dust sensor is reduced So that it is possible to easily detect the amount of dust contained in the air.

Particularly, since the auxiliary chamber is formed to be large enough to reduce the flow rate, the flow rate of the air introduced into the auxiliary chamber can be appropriately reduced. For example, the volume or flow cross-sectional area of the auxiliary chamber may be greater than the volume or flow cross-sectional area of the connection channel between the auxiliary chamber and the case.

In addition, the case is formed with a case discharge port through which air having passed through the dust sensor is discharged, and air can be discharged to the outside through a discharge path formed between the case discharge port and the auxiliary chamber.

At this time, since the discharge passage is formed relatively narrow as a space between the auxiliary chamber and the case, the flow rate of the air discharged through the discharge passage becomes relatively fast, and accordingly the pressure in the discharge passage can be lowered. Therefore, the airflow from the dust sensor toward the discharge passage can be easily performed, and thus the dust amount can be easily detected.

In addition, since the flow rate of the air sucked into the dust sensor is reduced by providing the flow resistance portion in the cover suction port, the amount of dust in the dust sensor can be easily detected.

1 is a bottom view showing a configuration of a ceiling-type air conditioner according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II 'of FIG.
3 is a side view showing a configuration of a ceiling-type air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is an enlarged view of the portion "A" in Fig.
5 is a perspective view showing a part of a ceiling-type air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a perspective view showing a state in which a sensor device according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed on a cover member.
7 is a plan view showing a state in which a sensor device according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed on a cover member.
8 is a front view showing a configuration of a dust sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI 'of FIG.
10 is a cross-sectional view showing a flow of air passing through a sensor device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the spirit of the invention is not limited to the embodiments shown and that those skilled in the art, upon reading and understanding the spirit of the invention, may easily suggest other embodiments within the scope of the same concept.

FIG. 1 is a bottom view showing a configuration of a ceiling-type air conditioner according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view cut along II-II 'of FIG.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a ceiling-type air conditioner 10 (hereinafter referred to as an air conditioner) according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a casing 50 and a panel 20. The casing (50) is embedded in the inner space of the ceiling, and the panel (20) is positioned at a substantially ceiling height and can be exposed to the outside. Inside the casing (50), a number of parts can be provided.

The plurality of components include a heat exchanger 70 for heat exchange with the air sucked into the casing 50. The heat exchanger 70 may be arranged to be bent many times along the inner surface of the casing 50 and surround the blowing fan 60.

The plurality of components further include a blowing fan 60 driven for suction and discharge of indoor air and an air guide 68 for guiding air sucked toward the blowing fan 60. A motor shaft 66 of a fan motor 65 is coupled to the blowing fan 60 and the blowing fan 60 can be rotated by driving the fan motor 65. The air guide 68 is disposed on the suction side of the blowing fan 60 and guides the air sucked through the suction port 34 to the blowing fan 60 side. For example, the blowing fan 60 may include a centrifugal fan.

The panel 20 may be mounted on the lower end of the casing 50 and may have a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from below. The panel 20 may be configured to protrude further outward than the lower end of the casing 50 so that the periphery thereof contacts the lower surface of the ceiling.

The panel 20 includes a panel body 21 and a discharge port 22 through which air passing through the internal space of the casing 50 is discharged. The discharge port 22 may be formed at a position corresponding to four sides of the panel main body 21 by forming at least a part of the panel main body 21. The discharge port 22 may be elongated along the longitudinal direction of each side of the panel 20 and may be configured to be opened and closed by a discharge vane 25 mounted on the panel 20.

A suction grill (30) is mounted at the center of the panel (20). The suction grille 30 forms a lower outer appearance of the air conditioner 10, and may have a substantially rectangular frame shape. The suction grille 30 includes a grill body 32 having a lattice shape and having a suction port 34. On the upper side of the grill body 32, a filter member 36 for filtering the air sucked through the suction port 34 is provided. In one example, the filter element 36 may have the shape of a substantially square frame.

The discharge port 22 may be disposed in four directions outside the suction grille 30. In detail, the discharge port 22 is disposed outside the suction port 34, and four discharge ports 22 may be provided in all four directions. The air in the indoor space is sucked into the casing 50 through the central portion of the panel 20 to be harmonized by the arrangement of the suction port 34 and the discharge port 22, And can be discharged in four directions outside the panel 20 through the discharge port 22.

At four corners of the panel body 21, a cover mounting portion 27 is formed. At least a part of the panel main body 21 may be formed by perforating the cover mounting portion 27. The cover mounting portion 27 may be configured to open or close a cover member 40 for servicing a plurality of components mounted on the back surface of the panel 20 or confirming the operation of the air conditioner 10. [

The cover member 40 includes a first cover member 40a and a second cover member 40b. The first cover member 40a is disposed on one of the four corners of the panel body 21 and the second cover member 40b is disposed on the other one of the four corners of the panel body 21. [ .

A controller (not shown) may be disposed above the second cover member 40b to indicate the operation state of the air conditioner 10 and to receive an operation of the remote controller. The controller includes a window (44) capable of receiving a signal from the remote control. The window 44 may be disposed inside a cover hole formed in the second cover member 40b.

The sensor device 100 may be installed on the first cover member 40a. The sensor device 100 will be described later.

The air flow in the air conditioner 10 will be briefly described. When the fan motor 65 is driven and a rotational force is generated in the blowing fan 60, air in the indoor space is sucked through the suction port 34 and is filtered by the filter member 36. The sucked air flows to the blowing fan (60) through the inner space of the air guide (68), and the flow direction changes while passing through the blowing fan (60).

2, the direction in which the motor shaft 66 of the fan motor 65 extends toward the blowing fan 60 is referred to as an "axial direction", and a direction perpendicular to the axial direction It can be called radial direction. The air sucked through the suction port 34 flows upward in the axial direction, flows into the blowing fan 60, and flows radially outward through the blowing fan 60.

The air passing through the blowing fan 60 is heat-exchanged while passing through the heat exchanger 70, and the heat-exchanged air flows downward and can be discharged through the discharge port 22. That is, the air is sucked through the suction grille 30 located at the center of the panel 20, flows outwardly of the suction grille 30 from the inside of the casing 50, and is discharged through the discharge port 34 Can be discharged.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing the construction of a ceiling-type air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the "A" 2 is a perspective view showing a part of an air conditioner.

3 to 5, the air conditioner 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a sensor device 100 capable of detecting the degree of contamination or dust of the air to be sucked into the air conditioner 10 .

The sensor device 100 may be installed on the side of the casing 50. The casing 50 may have the shape of a polyhedron with an empty interior. In detail, the casing 50 is provided with a plurality of first surface portions 51 extending in a direction corresponding to the tetragonal shape of the panel 20 and two adjacent first surface portions 51 of the plurality of first surface portions 51, And a second surface portion 53 connecting the first surface portion 51 and the second surface portion 53.

That is, the first surface portions 51 are spaced apart from each other, and the second surface portion 53 is disposed in the spaced space. The second surface portion 53 forms an edge portion of the casing 50 and may be provided at a corner portion of the panel 20, that is, at a position corresponding to the cover member 40.

The sensor device 100 may be disposed outside the second surface portion 53 of the casing 50. The sensor device 100 is installed on the upper surface of the cover member 40.

In detail, the cover member 40 includes a sensor seating portion 42 for supporting the sensor device 100. [ The sensor seating part 42 forms the upper surface of the cover member 40 and has a flat surface for supporting the lower portion of the sensor device 100. [

The cover member 40 is formed with a cover intake port 43 for bypassing at least a part of the air sucked into the suction port 34 of the air conditioner 10 and sucking the air into the sensor device 100 do.

The flow of the air sucked into the suction port 34 is referred to as a main flow f1 and a flow which is bypassed from the main flow f1 and flows into the sensor device 100 through the cover suction port 43 It can be called branch flow or sensor flow (f2).

The main flow f1 is understood as a flow from the corner portion of the air conditioner 10, that is, the corner portion of the panel 20, toward the suction grille 30 located at the central portion of the panel 20. Therefore, the main flow f1 may generate relatively less interference with the discharge flow discharged through the discharge port 22 in the outer four directions of the panel 20. As a result, it is possible to prevent the discharge flow from interfering with the sensor flow f2 flowing into the sensor device 100.

The cover suction port (43) is formed on the bottom surface of the cover member (40). At least a portion of the flow f2 of the main flow f1 generated below the cover member 40 flows upward toward the cover intake port 43 and flows into the sensor device 100 do. Then, the amount of dust contained in the air can be detected by the dust sensor 170 (see Fig. 10).

At this time, the direction of flow to the dust sensor 170 through the cover suction port 43 may be opposite to the direction of the main flow f1. In detail, the cover intake port 43 is provided with a flow resistance portion 49, and the flow resistance portion 49 may be inclined upward from the lower end portion of the cover member 40.

In other words, if the direction in which the main flow f1 is generated is referred to as "forward ", the direction in which the flow resistance portion 49 extends upwardly from the cover intake port 43 may be referred to as & . The flow rate of the air sucked into the dust sensor 170 can be reduced by forming the flow f2 branched from the main flow f1 in the direction opposite to the direction of the main flow f1.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state in which a sensor device according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed on a cover member, FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a state in which a sensor device according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed on a cover member, FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI 'of FIG. 6; FIG. 9 is a front view showing a configuration of a dust sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention;

6 to 9, a sensor device 100 is installed on the upper surface of the cover member 40 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The cover member 40 includes a cover body 41 coupled to a cover mounting portion 27 provided at an edge portion of the panel 20. The cover main body 41 includes a cover edge portion 41a which provides a corner shape of the air conditioner 10.

The upper surface of the cover body 41, that is, the sensor seating portion 42, is provided with main body coupling portions 46a, 46b, 46c and 46d which are engaged with the panel main body 21 of the panel 20. The main body engaging portions 46a, 46b, 46c, and 46d may protrude from the cover main body 41. [ The main body engaging portions 46a, 46b, 46c and 46d have a bent shape and are configured to engage with at least a part of the panel main body 21. The main body coupling portions 46a, 46b, 46c, and 46d may be provided in plural numbers, and the plurality of main body coupling portions 46 may be disposed on the front and rear sides and both sides of the sensor device 100. [

In detail, the main body engaging portions 46a, 46b, 46c and 46d are provided with a first main body engaging portion 46a disposed on the rear side of the sensor device 100, a second main body engaging portion 46b disposed on the front side of the sensor device 100, A main body engaging portion 46b, a third main body engaging portion 46c disposed on the right side room, and a fourth main body engaging portion 46d disposed on the left side room. The cover member 40 is firmly coupled to the panel 20 by the structure of the main body coupling portion, so that the sensor device 100 can be stably supported.

The sensor seating part (42) is provided with a retaining rib (47) for supporting the sensor device (100). The latching rib 47 protrudes upward from the sensor seating portion 42 and may be engaged with the cover engagement portion 118 of the sensor device 100. [ For example, the latching rib 47 may be arranged to be inserted into the cover engagement portion 118.

The sensor device 100 includes a case 110 and a dust sensor 170 installed inside the case 110.

The case 110 has a substantially hexahedral shape and may have a receiving space in which the dust sensor 170 is received. The cover coupling portion 118 may be provided on a side portion of the case 110 and may be disposed to protrude laterally.

The sensor apparatus 100 further includes an auxiliary chamber 130 disposed at one side of the case 110 and having an internal space (or a storage space) in which air sucked through the cover intake port 43 is stored . The auxiliary chamber 130 is disposed above the cover intake port 43.

The auxiliary chamber 130 may be spaced apart from the case 110. A connection channel 140 is provided between the auxiliary chamber 130 and the case 110. The connection passage 140 connects the auxiliary chamber 130 and the case 110 to transfer the air stored in the auxiliary chamber 130 to the interior of the case 110. For example, the connection passage 140 may include a duct.

In other words, one side of the connection channel 140 is connected to the chamber outlet 135 of the auxiliary chamber 130 and the other side of the connection channel 140 is connected to the case inlet 112 of the case 110 .

The auxiliary chamber 130 may be formed to a sufficient size to reduce the flow rate of the air sucked through the cover suction port 43. For example, the volume of the auxiliary chamber 130 may be larger than the volume of the connection channel 140. Further, the flow cross-sectional area of the auxiliary chamber 130 may be larger than the flow cross-sectional area of the connection channel 140.

Therefore, when the heater 183 in the dust sensor 170 is driven, the internal pressure of the auxiliary chamber 130 is higher than the internal pressure of the connection passage 140, An air flow toward the dust sensor 170 via the flow path 140 may be generated. According to this configuration and operation, the air sucked through the cover suction port 43 flows into the auxiliary chamber 130, the flow rate of the air can be reduced and then flow into the dust sensor 170 The air flow rate inside the dust sensor 170 may be lowered to such an extent that the amount of dust can be easily sensed.

The auxiliary chamber 130 may be coupled to the sensor seating part 42 and disposed to extend upward. The auxiliary chamber 130 includes a chamber suction port 133 communicating with the cover suction port 43. The chamber inlet 133 may be formed at a lower end of the auxiliary chamber 130. The air sucked in the cover suction port 43 may flow into the auxiliary chamber 130 through the chamber suction port 133.

The cover intake port 43 is provided with a flow resistance section 49 for guiding the air sucked through the cover intake port 43 to the auxiliary chamber 130. It is understood that the cover suction port 43 includes a plurality of suction ports, and the plurality of suction ports are partitioned by the flow resistance portion 49. For example, the flow resistance portion 49 may include at least one grill included in the cover suction port 43. [

The flow resistance portion 49 may extend obliquely rearward and upward from the bottom surface of the cover body 41. That is, the flow resistance portion 49 can guide the flow of air so that the branch flow f2 flows backward to the auxiliary chamber 130 with respect to the forward flow main flow f1 have. With this configuration, the effect of lowering the flow rate of the air introduced into the auxiliary chamber 130 is shown.

The auxiliary chamber 130 includes a chamber outlet 135 for discharging the air stored in the auxiliary chamber 130 to the connection passage 140. The chamber outlet 135 may be formed on the front surface of the auxiliary chamber 130. The connection passage 140 may extend forward from the chamber outlet 135 and may be connected to the case 110.

The case 110 may be formed with a case inlet 112 connected to the connection channel 140 to suck air flowing through the connection channel 140. The case inlet 112 may be positioned at a height corresponding to the position of the heater 183. For example, the case inlet 112 may be formed at a lower portion of the case 110.

The case 110 includes a case discharge port 113 through which the air having passed through the dust sensor 170 is discharged. The case outlet 113 may be located above the case 110, that is, above the case inlet 112. The air sucked into the case 110 through the case inlet 112 passes through the dust sensor 170 while flowing upward. In this process, the amount of dust contained in the air can be detected.

A discharge passage 160 through which the air discharged through the case discharge port 113 flows is formed between the case 110 and the auxiliary chamber 130. The discharge passage 160 may form a part of the internal space of the ceiling.

Since the discharge passage 160 is formed in a relatively narrow space between the case 110 and the auxiliary chamber 130, the pressure of the discharge passage 160 may be relatively low. Accordingly, the flow of air from the dust sensor 170 toward the discharge passage 160 is facilitated, and thus the dust amount can be easily detected.

The dust sensor 170 includes a sensor substrate 171 having a terminal portion 185 and a sensor case 172 coupled to the sensor substrate 171 and having a heater 183 and optical transmitting / receiving portions 181 and 182 . The terminal portion 185 can be understood as a configuration in which an electric wire or a predetermined connector to which the electric wire is connected can be connected.

The sensor case 172 may include an air flow path through which the amount of dust is detected, that is, a sensor flow path 179. The sensor case 172 further includes a sensor suction unit 173 through which air sucked through the case suction port 112 flows. The sensor suction portion 173 is disposed below the sensor case 172 and may be configured to penetrate the front surface of the sensor case 172.

A heater 183 may be disposed at one side of the sensor suction portion 173. The heater 183 functions to raise the ambient air temperature of the sensor suction portion 173. When the heater 183 is driven, the temperature of the air around the sensor suction portion 173 rises, and the density decreases, and the pressure decreases accordingly. Accordingly, since the internal pressure of the connection passage 140 is relatively higher than the pressure around the heater 183, an air flow from the connection passage 140 toward the sensor suction portion 173 can be generated. The air stored in the auxiliary chamber 130, which has a higher pressure than the connection passage 140, may flow into the connection passage 140.

The air sucked through the sensor suction portion 173 tends to flow upward by the reduced density. Accordingly, the sensor passage 179 may extend upward from the sensor suction portion 173. [

A sensor discharge portion 174 for discharging air may be formed on the sensor passage 179. The sensor discharging part 174 may be configured to pass through one surface of the sensor case 172. That is, the sensor discharge portion 174 is disposed above the sensor suction portion 173. The sensor flow path 179 can be understood as an air flow path extending from the sensor suction part 134 to the sensor discharge part 174.

The optical transceivers 181 and 182 may be disposed on both sides of the sensor channel 179. The light transmitting and receiving units 181 and 182 include a light transmitting unit 181 disposed at one side of the sensor channel 179 and emitting light. For example, the optical transmitter 181 may include a light emitting diode (LED).

The optical transmission and reception units 181 and 182 are disposed on the other side of the sensor flow path 179 and when the light emitted from the optical transmission unit 181 acts on the air flowing through the sensor flow path 179, And a light receiving section 182 for measuring the sensitivity of the light scattered by the dust. For example, the light receiving unit 182 may include a photodiode detector. The greater the amount of dust contained in the air, the lower the sensitivity of the light received by the light receiver 182 and the higher the output voltage value. That is, the sensitivity of light and the output voltage value can be inversely proportional.

The sensor case 172 includes a cleaning hole 175 that can be accessed by a user for cleaning the dust sensor 170. The cleaning hole (175) is formed by opening at least a part of the front surface of the sensor case (172). The cleaning hole 175 may be formed on one side of the sensor passage 179. When the case 110 is opened, the cleaning hole 175 may be exposed to the outside, and the user may easily clean the dust sensor 170 through the cleaning hole 175.

Hereinafter, the air flow of the dust sensor according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.

10 is a cross-sectional view showing a flow of air passing through a sensor device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 10, when a blowing fan 60 according to an embodiment of the present invention is driven and a suction force is generated in the air conditioner 10, indoor air flows toward the suction port 34 of the suction grille 30 do.

When such an air flow is defined as a main flow f1, at least a part of the main flow f1 is sucked through the cover intake port 43 and flows into the auxiliary chamber 130. At this time, as the air passes through the flow resistance portion 49 provided in the cover suction port 43, the flow rate is primarily reduced and can be reduced secondarily as it flows into the auxiliary chamber 130.

When the heater 183 of the dust sensor 170 is driven, air stored in the auxiliary chamber 130 is sucked into the case 110 via the connection path 140. Then, And may be introduced into the dust sensor 170 through the sensor suction unit 173. [

The air flows upward through the sensor suction unit 173, and the light transmission / reception units 181 and 182 act on the air, so that the amount of dust in the air can be detected. The air having the detected amount of dust can be discharged to the discharge passage (160) through the case discharge opening (113).

According to this operation, since the air flow rate around the cover suction port can be lowered, dust can be sucked into the sensor device easily, and the air flow rate from the auxiliary chamber to the dust sensor can also be lowered. The effect can be easily achieved.

10: ceiling type air conditioner 20: panel
22: Discharge port 25: Discharge vane
30: suction grille 34: suction port
40: cover member 43: sensor inlet
50: casing 100: sensor device
110: Case 112: Case inlet
113: Case discharge port 130: auxiliary chamber
140: connecting channel 160: discharging channel
170: Dust sensor

Claims (12)

A front panel having a suction portion and a discharge portion;
A cover member provided at a corner of the front panel and having a cover inlet port;
A case installed in the cover member and housing a dust sensor;
An auxiliary chamber provided at one side of the case and storing air sucked through the cover inlet; And
And a connection channel extending from the auxiliary chamber to the case and guiding air stored in the auxiliary chamber to the dust sensor. The method according to claim 1,
In the auxiliary chamber,
A chamber inlet formed at a lower portion of the auxiliary chamber and communicating with the cover inlet; And
And a chamber outlet formed on one side of the auxiliary chamber and connected to the connection passage. The method according to claim 1,
At least a portion of the main flow (f1) flowing forward from the corner of the front panel toward the suction portion is sucked into the cover inlet,
And the cover intake port is formed on a bottom surface of the cover member. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the auxiliary chamber comprises:
And a ceiling type air conditioner provided on an upper surface of the cover member and extending upward from the cover suction port. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the volume of the auxiliary chamber
Wherein the volume of the connecting passage is larger than the volume of the connecting passage. The method according to claim 1,
The case is provided with a case inlet through which the connection channel is connected,
Wherein the case inlet is formed at a height corresponding to a heater provided in the dust sensor. The method of claim 3,
In the cover inlet,
And a flow resistance portion for reducing the flow velocity of the air sucked into the cover suction port. 8. The method of claim 7,
The flow-
Wherein the cover member extends upward from the bottom surface of the cover member and is disposed rearwardly inclined. The method according to claim 6,
In the case,
Further comprising a case discharge port located above the case suction port and discharging air passing through the dust sensor. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the case and the auxiliary chamber are spaced apart from each other. 11. The method of claim 10,
And a discharge flow path formed between the case and the auxiliary chamber, the discharge flow path through which the air discharged from the case discharge port flows. The method according to claim 1,
And the duct is included in the connection duct.

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