KR20190127097A - Air conditioner and controlling method the same - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a control method of an air conditioner comprises the following steps of: detecting types of dust included in sucked air by using a dust sensor; and controlling a current direction of discharged air based on the detected types of the dust.

Description

Air conditioner and controlling method {Air conditioner and controlling method the same}

The present invention relates to an air conditioner and a control method thereof.

An air conditioner is a device for maintaining air in a predetermined space in a state most suitable for use and purpose. In general, the air conditioner includes a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator, and a refrigeration cycle for performing the compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation processes of the refrigerant is driven to cool or heat the predetermined space. .

The predetermined space may be variously proposed according to the place where the air conditioner is used. For example, when the air conditioner is disposed 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 performs an evaporator function. On the other hand, when the air conditioner performs a heating operation, the indoor heat exchanger functions as a condenser, and the outdoor heat exchanger performs an evaporator function.

Air conditioners can be divided into upright, wall-mounted or ceiling type, depending on the installation location. The upright air conditioner is an air conditioner of a type installed so as to stand in an indoor space, and the wall-mounted air conditioner is understood as an air conditioner of a type installed to be attached to a wall surface. And the ceiling type air conditioner is understood as an air conditioner of the type installed on the ceiling.

On the other hand, recently, air conditioner products with enhanced air purification function for fine dust have been released.

In this regard, the prior art document Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2014-0056194 (May 09, 2014) discloses an air conditioner using the density difference of the indoor air.

The prior art document discloses an air conditioner using a natural convection phenomenon by sucking and purifying hot air remaining in an indoor upper space, and discharging the cooled air to an indoor lower space. That is, the upper part of the air conditioner is provided with a suction port for sucking air, and the lower part is provided with a discharge port for discharging air, thereby circulating the air staying in the indoor space.

However, the air conditioner disclosed in the prior art document has the following problems.

First, since the purified and cooled air is discharged through the lower discharge port of the air conditioner, there is a problem that the cooling air does not reach far. Therefore, there exists a problem that the cooling performance of an air conditioner falls.

Second, among the dust present in the indoor space, the ultra fine dust is relatively lighter than the fine dust, and thus is classified in the indoor upper space. In the conventional case, since the air is discharged toward the indoor lower space, the purification function for the ultra fine dust is There was a significant drop.

1.Publication number (published date): 10-2014-0056194 (May 9, 2014) 2. Name of invention: Air conditioner using density difference of indoor air

An embodiment of the present invention is proposed to solve the above problems, the air conditioner that can effectively remove the dust by grasping the type of dust contained in the indoor air, and controlling the air flow direction according to the type of dust It is an object to provide a control method.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner and control method that can create a comfortable indoor space by appropriately adjusting the air flow direction, even if different types of dust mixed in the indoor air.

In the control method of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention, the type of dust included in the air to be sucked using the dust sensor, and based on the type of the detected dust, the direction of the air flow of the discharged air It is characterized by controlling.

The detecting of the type of dust may include detecting a particle size of the dust included in the inhaled air and determining the type of the dust according to the detected particle size of the dust.

And, controlling the air flow direction of the discharged air includes adjusting the opening angle of the vane provided in the air discharge portion of the air conditioner according to the type of the determined dust.

Further, according to the present invention, the larger the particle size of the detected dust, the opening angle of the vane is controlled to increase, and the smaller the particle size of the detected dust, the control can be controlled to reduce the opening angle of the vane. Therefore, the airflow direction can be appropriately adjusted according to the type of dust.

In this case, it may be further determined whether or not there is dust in the inhaled air, and if there is no dust in the inhaled air, the vane may be maintained at the initial opening angle for a predetermined time.

Further, it is further determined whether the type of dust included in the inhaled air is changed, and when the type of dust is changed, the opening angle of the current vane may be changed to the opening angle corresponding to the changed type of dust. . Therefore, even if relatively light dust and relatively heavy dust are mixed in the indoor space, the dust can be effectively removed by appropriately adjusting the airflow direction correspondingly.

An air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a case in which an air inlet port and an air outlet port are formed, a dust sensor installed at the air inlet port, and detecting a type of dust included in the air to be sucked, and the air outlet port. And a vane installed to adjust the direction of the air flow, a vane driving unit to control the opening and closing of the vane, and a control unit to adjust the opening angle of the vane based on the type of dust detected by the dust detection sensor.

According to the air conditioner and the control method according to the configuration of the present invention described above has the following effects.

First, since the direction of the airflow can be adjusted by grasping the type of dust included in the indoor air and controlling the opening angle of the vanes according to the type of dust, there is an advantage of effectively removing the dust present in the indoor space.

Second, since the direction of discharge airflow can be properly adjusted according to the particle size of dust, the air cleaning action is actively performed in the indoor lower space where relatively heavy fine dust is classified and the indoor upper space where relatively light ultra fine dust is classified. Can be done. That is, in consideration of the characteristics of each dust type can be induced to circulate the air, there is an advantage that can quickly create a comfortable indoor environment.

Third, when the type of dust detected for the first time is changed, the vanes can be controlled by the opening angle corresponding to the changed type of dust. Therefore, even if a plurality of dust types are mixed in the indoor space, all the dust types can be effectively removed. There is an advantage.

1 is a side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a view showing a state in which the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed on the interior wall surface.
3 is a block diagram showing a block configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a flow chart showing a method of controlling the air flow according to the type of dust in the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a flow chart showing in detail the airflow control method according to the type of dust in the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a flow chart showing a method of controlling the air flow according to the type of dust in the air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail through exemplary drawings. In adding reference numerals to the components of each drawing, it should be noted that the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components as much as possible even though they are shown in different drawings. In addition, in describing the embodiments of the present invention, when it is determined that a detailed description of a related well-known configuration or function interferes with the understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In addition, in describing the components of the embodiment of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used. These terms are only for distinguishing the components from other components, and the nature, order or order of the components are not limited by the terms. If a component is described as being "connected", "coupled" or "connected" to another component, that component may be directly connected or connected to that other component, but between components It will be understood that may be "connected", "coupled" or "connected".

Hereinafter, as an air conditioner, an example of the wall-mounted air conditioner will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the wall-mounted air conditioner, it is noted that it is also applicable to the air conditioner of the upright or ceiling type.

1 is a side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1, the air conditioner 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, for example, may be a wall-mounted indoor unit. That is, the air conditioner 10 may be installed to be attached to a wall surface (see FIG. 2) forming an indoor space.

The air conditioner 10 may suck air in the indoor space through the front and / or the top surface, and discharge the air through the bottom and / or the bottom of the front surface.

The air conditioner 10 has an outer shape and forms an inner space, a front panel 16 coupled to the front surface of the case 11, and a heat exchanger mounted inside the case 11. And a cross flow fan 20 provided below the heat exchanger 12 and discharging air passing through the heat exchanger 12 into the room.

In detail, the case 11 forms a predetermined internal space, and at least one surface thereof may be opened. In addition, the front panel 16 may be coupled to an open surface of the case 11 to shield the inner space of the case 11.

The front panel 16 is provided with a plurality of suction ports 111 and 112 through which indoor air is sucked. The plurality of suction ports 111 and 112 may include an upper surface suction port 111 formed on an upper surface of the front panel 16, that is, a portion corresponding to an upper end of the case 11, and a front surface of the front panel 16. A front suction port 112 formed at a portion corresponding to the front surface of the case 11 may be included.

In some cases, the front panel 16 and the case 11 may be integrally formed. In this case, the front suction port 111 is formed on the front surface of the case 11, and the case 11 is formed. The front suction port 112 may be formed on an upper surface of the upper suction port 112. That is, the plurality of suction ports 111 and 112 may be formed in both of the cases 11.

The heat exchanger 12 may be configured to have at least one heat exchanger connected thereto. The heat exchanger 12 exchanges heat with air introduced through the plurality of suction ports 111 and 112. The heat exchanger 112 may be disposed on the suction side of the cross flow fan 20 based on the air flow.

In addition, the air conditioner 10 may further include a filter 13 to filter foreign matter contained in the air sucked into the suction ports 111 and 112.

The filter 13 is disposed inside the front panel 16 and may be provided to correspond to the size and shape of the suction ports 111 and 112. For example, the filter 130 may be disposed to cover some or all of the suction ports 111 and 112.

In addition, the air conditioner 10 may further include a discharge guide 14 for guiding suction or discharge of air passing through the crossflow fan 20.

The discharge end of the discharge guide 14 is in communication with the discharge port 113 formed in the lower side of the case 11, the air sucked into the cross flow fan 20 is discharged into the room through the discharge port 113.

In addition, the air conditioner 10 may further include a discharge louver 115 and a discharge vane 114 for guiding the flow of air directed to the discharge port 113.

The discharge louver 115 may be understood as a configuration for guiding the left and right flow of the discharge air, the discharge vane 114 guides the vertical flow of the discharge air. The discharge vane 114 may also perform a function of selectively shielding the discharge port 113.

In the present embodiment, the discharge vane 114 may be set to the opening angle within the range of 0 degrees to 90 degrees, the opening angle may be changed in stages according to the setting.

For example, the opening angle of the discharge vane 114 may be controlled within a range of 15 to 75 degrees in units of 15 degrees. Alternatively, the opening angle of the discharge vane 114 may be set in three to nine steps depending on the setting.

Here, the opening angle of the discharge vane 114 to 0 degrees may mean that the discharge vane 114 is rotated to completely shield the discharge port 113.

That is, the larger the opening angle of the discharge vane 114 is, the larger the opening degree of the discharge port 113 is, and the smaller the opening angle of the discharge vane 114 is, the smaller the opening port 113 is. ) Means that the degree of opening decreases.

As the opening angle of the discharge vane 114 increases, the end of the discharge vane 114 faces downward, and in this case, the air passing through the crossflow fan 20 may be discharged toward the lower space of the room. .

On the contrary, as the opening angle of the discharge vane 114 decreases, the end portion of the discharge vane 114 faces horizontally or upwardly, and in this case, the air passing through the crossflow fan 20 passes through the upper space of the room. Can be discharged toward.

In addition, the air conditioner 10 may further include a drain pan 15 for collecting condensate generated by the heat exchanger 12.

The drain pan 15 may be coupled to an inner surface of the front panel 16 and may support a lower portion of the heat exchanger 12. For example, the drain pan 15 may support a lower side of the heat exchanger 12 positioned at the lowermost end of the plurality of heat exchangers constituting the heat exchanger 12.

The discharge guide 14 may include a stabilizer 142 formed at a position spaced apart from one edge of the cross flow fan 20 and a rear guide formed at a position spaced apart from the other edge of the cross flow fan 20. 141 may include.

The stabilizer 142 may be connected to the drain pan 15 coupled to the inner surface of the front panel 112 to cover one side of the crossflow fan 20.

The rear guide 141 may be coupled to an inner surface of the case 11 to cover the other side of the crossflow fan 20.

The stabilizer 142 and / or the rear guide 141 extend in the longitudinal direction of the case 11 and guide the flow of air passing through the crossflow fan 20. In this case, the stabilizer 142 may be designed to determine the position and strength of the vortex that may occur during the flow of the air passing through the crossflow fan 20.

The air conditioner 10 configured as described above is installed above the wall surface W of the room in order to evenly distribute the heat exchanged air throughout the room and to utilize the space.

When the cross flow fan 20 of the air conditioner 10 is rotated, air is introduced into the case 11 through the inlets 111 and 112 formed on the front panel 16, and the inflow is performed. The purified air is purified and heat exchanged while passing through the filter 13 and the heat exchanger 140. At this time, the heat-exchanged air is guided to the discharge port 113 by the rear guide 141 and the stabilizer 142, and the louver 115 and the discharge vane 114 respectively disposed in the discharge port 113 region. The wind direction is controlled by).

2 is a view showing a state in which the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed on the interior wall.

Referring to FIG. 2, as described above, the air conditioner 10 may be attached to an upper portion of a wall surface W forming an indoor space. In addition, the air conditioner 10 may suck air in the indoor space through the front and / or the top surface, and discharge the air through the bottom and / or the bottom of the front surface.

According to the present invention, the air conditioner 10 is characterized by determining the type of dust contained in the air to be sucked, and adjusts the air flow in the discharge direction of the discharged air according to the type of dust.

Specifically, the air conditioner 10 may control the discharge direction of air in the first direction when the type of dust included in the air to be sucked is the first type of dust, and when the second type of dust is air, Can be controlled in the second direction.

The dust may be classified in various ways, and the discharge direction of the air may also be classified in various ways.

In this embodiment, the type of dust may be divided into a plurality of pieces according to the particle size (diameter) of the dust. For example, the type of dust includes "fine dust" meaning dust of 10 micrometers or less in diameter, "ultrafine dust" meaning dust of 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter, and 1.0 micrometer in diameter. It can be classified as "ultrafine dust" which means dust below a meter.

In general, the fine dust is relatively heavy in weight, it is classified in the lower space of the room, the ultra-fine dust is relatively light in weight, it may have a tendency to class in the upper space of the room. In addition, the ultrafine dust may be classified in the space between the lower space and the upper space of the room.

Accordingly, the indoor space in which the air conditioner 10 is installed is defined as a space in which the fine dust m1 is classified and includes a lower space A corresponding to the lower area of the indoor space and ultrafine dust m2. ) Is defined as a space that is classified as an intermediate space (B) corresponding to the middle region, and a space where the ultrafine dust (m3) is classified and may be divided into an upper space (C) corresponding to the upper region.

In another aspect, the indoor space in which the air conditioner 10 is installed includes a lower space A corresponding to a horizontal line L1 passing through a point spaced a predetermined height upward from the ground, and the horizontal line L1. ), An intermediate space B corresponding to the extension line L2 passing through the lower end of the air conditioner 10, and an upper space C corresponding to the ceiling wall C from the extension line L2. It may include.

For example, the lower space A, the intermediate space B, and the upper space C may have the same or similar area / volume, but are not limited thereto, and the area / volume of each space may be different from each other. Can be defined.

When the type of dust included in the air to be sucked is fine dust, the air conditioner 10 faces the discharge direction of the discharged air toward the lower space A. The discharge direction of the air to be directed toward the intermediate space (B), in the case of ultra-fine dust, the discharge direction of the discharged air can be controlled to face the upper space (C).

That is, the present invention is characterized by identifying the type of dust contained in the air, to recognize the space (upper space, intermediate space or lower space) is expected to classify the dust, and to induce the air to be discharged to the corresponding space do.

3 is a block diagram showing a block configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, the air conditioner 10 according to the present invention includes a control unit 100, a display unit 40, a fan driver 50, a memory 60, a vane driver 70, and a dust sensor ( 80) and some or all of the temperature sensor 90 may be included.

The controller 100 controls the overall operation of the air conditioner 10 and a plurality of components. That is, the controller 100 may control each of the display unit 40, the fan driver 50, the vane driver 70, the dust sensor 80 and the temperature sensor 90.

In this embodiment, the control unit 100 may check the type of dust included in the air by the dust sensor 80, and control the vane driving unit 70 according to the identified dust type.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2, when it is determined that the type of dust included in the air is fine dust through the dust sensor 80, the control unit 100 controls the vane driving unit 70. The discharged air may be discharged to the lower space (A).

Alternatively, when the controller 100 determines that the type of dust included in the air is extremely fine dust through the dust detection sensor 80, the air discharged by controlling the vane driver 70 is discharged to the intermediate space B. ) To be discharged.

Alternatively, when the controller 100 determines that the type of dust contained in the air is extremely fine dust through the dust sensor 80, the air discharged by controlling the vane driver 70 is discharged to the upper space C. ) To be discharged.

The display unit 40 displays current operation information or state information of the air conditioner 10. In addition, the display unit 40 may further display the current temperature, humidity, dust level, and the like. The display unit 40 may further include various buttons that can be physically manipulated by the user, and thus may receive various commands for operation information of the air conditioner from the user.

The fan driver 50 provides a driving force for rotating the cross flow fan 20. The fan driver 50 may rotate the cross flow fan 20 at a predetermined RPM according to the input driving mode. The fan drive unit 50 includes a motor connected to the rotation shaft of the cross flow fan 20.

The memory 60 stores operation information for various operation modes in which the air conditioner 10 can be driven. The memory 60 stores not only the RPM number of the fan according to each operation mode of the air conditioner 10 but also information on the opening angle of the discharge vane 114 corresponding to the type of dust.

The vane driver 70 controls the opening and closing of the discharge vane 114 in response to a control signal of the control unit 100. The vane driver 70 is understood as a configuration for adjusting the opening angle of the discharge vane 114.

For example, the vane driving unit 70 may include a rotation shaft and a motor for controlling the opening and closing of the discharge vane 114. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the vane driving unit 70 may include various known mechanisms for adjusting the opening and closing angles (opening angles) of the discharge vanes 114.

The vane driver 70 may adjust the opening angle of the discharge vane 114 within a range of 0 degrees to 90 degrees in response to a control signal of the controller 100.

The dust sensor 80 is a sensor for detecting dust contained in the air. The dust sensor 80 may be installed in the case 11, for example, may be disposed on the inner surface of the front panel 16. The dust sensor 80 may be installed around the suction ports 111 and 112 where the indoor air is sucked.

The dust sensor 80, the light transmitting unit for irradiating light to the air flowing into the sensor flow path formed inside the dust sensor 80, and measures the sensitivity of the light scattered by the dust contained in the air It may include a light receiving unit.

The dust sensor 80 may detect the amount of dust contained in the air or the size of the dust particles (diameter) through the information obtained from the light receiving unit. In addition, the dust detection sensor 80 may determine the type of dust through the measured amount of dust or the size of dust particles. The dust sensor 80 may provide the determined type of dust to the controller 100.

For example, the light transmitting unit may include a light emitting diode (LED), and the light receiving unit may include a photodiode detector. The greater the amount of dust contained in the air or the larger the particle size of the dust, the lower the sensitivity of light received by the light receiving unit, and the output voltage value may be higher. The sensitivity of light and the output voltage can be inversely proportional.

The temperature sensor 90 is a sensor for detecting the temperature of the room. The temperature sensor 90 may measure the temperature of the room in real time and provide the temperature to the controller 100.

Hereinafter, a control method of an air conditioner according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling air flow according to the type of dust in the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, in step S1, the controller 100 determines the type of dust included in the inhaled air.

Specifically, when the air conditioner 10 is driven, the control unit 100 operates the dust detection sensor 80 and is introduced into the dust detection sensor 80 through the dust detection sensor 80. Determine the type of dust in the air.

At this time, the dust sensor 80, after irradiating the light to the air introduced, by measuring the sensitivity of the light scattered by the dust, it can measure the particle size or diameter of the dust. Then, the type of dust is determined based on the measured dust particle size, and this is provided to the controller 100.

For example, the type of dust can be divided into a number of pieces according to the particle size (diameter) of the dust, "fine dust" means a dust of less than 10 micrometers (㎛), dust less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter It can be divided into "ultra fine dust" which means, and "ultra fine dust" which means dust having a diameter of 1.0 micrometer or less.

Next, in step S3, the controller 100 determines the air flow direction of the discharged air based on the detected dust type.

Specifically, the controller 100 determines, for example, the air flow direction as the “first direction” when the detected dust type is recognized as “fine dust”. Here, the first direction may be a direction in which the discharged air is directed toward the lower space (A). That is, when the type of dust is fine dust, the air flow direction may be a lower direction.

As another example, when the detected dust type is recognized as "ultrafine dust", the air flow direction is determined as the "second direction". Here, the second direction may be a direction in which the discharged air faces the intermediate space (B). That is, when the type of dust is ultrafine dust, the air flow direction may be a stop direction.

As another example, when the detected dust type is recognized as "ultrafine dust", the air flow direction is determined as "third direction". Here, the third direction may be a direction in which the discharged air faces the upper space (C). That is, when the type of dust is very fine dust, the air flow direction may be the upper direction.

As described above, the air flow direction corresponding to the detected dust type may be predetermined, and the controller 100 controls to discharge air in a predetermined air flow direction.

Next, in step S5, the controller 100 adjusts the opening angle of the vane corresponding to the determined air flow direction.

Specifically, the control unit 100 controls the vane driving unit 70 so that the discharge vane 114 is adjusted to an opening angle corresponding to the airflow direction.

Here, the opening angle of the vane corresponding to the air flow direction may be set in advance, for example, the opening angle of the vane corresponding to the "first direction" is 80 to 90 degrees, the vane corresponding to the "second direction" The opening angle of the vane corresponding to 40-50 degrees and the "third direction" may be 20-30 degrees. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the opening angle of the vane corresponding to the airflow direction may be variously designed.

According to the configuration of the present invention, it is possible to determine the type of dust contained in the indoor air, and by adjusting the opening angle of the vanes according to the type of dust, it is possible to induce the circulation of air in consideration of the characteristics of each dust type This has the advantage of effectively removing dust.

5 is a flow chart showing in detail the airflow control method according to the type of dust in the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, in step S11, the controller 100 starts indoor unit operation.

Specifically, the control unit 100 receives a cooling operation command from the user, and performs the input cooling operation. At this time, the heat exchanger 12 of the indoor unit may function as an evaporator, and the heat exchanger (not shown) of the outdoor unit installed outside the indoor space may function as a condenser.

When the indoor unit is cooled and cooled, the cross flow fan 20 may be rotated while the fan driving unit 50 is driven. Therefore, the indoor air may be sucked into the indoor unit, and then purified and cooled to be discharged.

At this time, when the indoor unit is operated, the dust sensor 80 may be driven together. That is, the control unit 100 may sense the dust contained in the indoor air by turning on the dust detection sensor 80 while receiving a cooling operation command from a user.

Alternatively, the control unit 100 may receive a separate command, thereby driving the dust detection sensor 80.

Next, in step S12, the controller 100 determines whether there is dust in the inhaled air.

Specifically, when the operation of the indoor unit starts, the control unit 100 drives the dust sensor 80, the dust sensor 80, the sensor flow path formed inside the dust sensor 80 Detects dust in the air introduced into the furnace.

As described above, the dust sensor 80 may detect the amount of dust contained in the air by irradiating light to the air introduced into the sensor flow path and through the sensitivity of light scattered by the dust. For example, when the amount of dust contained in the air exceeds the reference amount, it is determined that the dust exists, and when it does not exceed the reference amount, it may be determined that the dust does not exist.

If there is no dust in the inhaled air, in step S13, the controller 100 controls the vanes at an initial opening angle for a predetermined time.

That is, when it is determined that the amount of dust included in the air is not large, the controller 100 may control the vane driver 70 to adjust the opening angle of the discharge vane 114 to the initial opening angle. Here, the initial opening angle may mean an opening angle of the discharge vane 114 basically set when the indoor unit is operated.

On the contrary, if there is dust in the inhaled air, in step S14 and S15, the control unit 100 detects the particle size of the dust contained in the air by using the dust detection sensor 80, The type of dust is determined by the particle size.

That is, the controller 100 determines whether the type of dust included in the air is fine dust, ultrafine dust, or ultrafine dust, thereby removing dust in a certain area (eg, lower space, upper space, etc.) of the room. You can expect that many classes. Therefore, the controller 100 may determine the airflow direction of the discharged air corresponding to the type of dust.

Next, in step S16, the control unit 100 controls the vanes at an opening angle corresponding to the type of dust determined for a predetermined time.

Specifically, when the controller 100 determines the type of dust included in the air, the controller 100 may determine the airflow direction corresponding to the type of dust. The opening angle of the discharge vane 114 may be controlled according to the determined airflow direction.

The memory 60 may store in advance airflow directions and / or vane opening angle information corresponding to each type of dust.

That is, when the type of dust is fine dust, the opening angle of the vane is matched to 80 to 90 degrees, and when it is ultra fine dust, the opening angle of the vane is matched to 40 to 50 degrees, and when the ultra fine dust is used, the opening angle of the vane is May match 20 to 30 degrees.

By the above-described configuration, the controller 100 may control the vanes for a predetermined time at an opening angle corresponding to each type of dust.

Next, in step S17, the controller 100 determines whether the type of dust has been changed.

Specifically, while the indoor unit is in operation, the discharge vane 114 may be maintained at a predetermined opening angle for a predetermined time, and accordingly, dust contained in the air may be gradually reduced.

However, a plurality of types of dust may be present in the indoor space.

In this case, one kind of dust among a plurality of kinds of dust may be removed first, and the other kinds of dust may be classified in the indoor space. Therefore, in the present invention, even if there are a plurality of dust types, it is determined whether the dust type is changed in order to remove all of the dust types.

If the dust type is not changed, in step S18, the control unit 100 maintains the current vane opening angle.

For example, when the first detected dust type is fine dust and the current vane opening angle is 80 degrees, if the dust type is not changed, the current vane opening angle is maintained at 80 degrees, and the fine dust contained in the air is kept. Can be removed continuously.

On the other hand, when the type of dust is changed, in step S19, the control unit 100 controls the vanes at an opening angle corresponding to the changed type of dust.

For example, when the first detected dust type is fine dust and the current vane opening angle is 80 degrees, if the dust type is changed from fine dust to ultrafine dust, the current vane opening angle of 80 degrees corresponds to ultra fine dust. To 45 degrees.

In this case, it may be understood that a plurality of dust types exist in the indoor space, and the first detected fine dust is purged first, and then the second ultrafine dust is later detected.

Therefore, according to the configuration of the present invention described above, even if a plurality of dust types are mixed in the indoor space, there is an advantage that can effectively remove all the dust types.

Hereinafter, a control method of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling air flow according to the type of dust in the air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, in steps S21 and S22, the controller 100 starts operating the indoor unit, and maintains the opening angle of the vane as the basic opening angle.

Specifically, the controller 100 may receive a cooling operation command from a user and perform the input cooling operation. That is, the heat exchanger 12 of the indoor unit may function as an evaporator, and the heat exchanger (not shown) of an outdoor unit installed outside the indoor space may function as a condenser.

When the indoor unit is cooled and cooled, the cross flow fan 20 may be rotated while the fan driving unit 50 is driven. Therefore, the indoor air may be sucked into the indoor unit, and then purified and cooled to be discharged.

In this case, the controller 100 may control the vane driver 70 to adjust the opening angle of the discharge vane 114 to the initial opening angle. Here, the initial opening angle may mean an opening angle of the discharge vane 114 basically set when the indoor unit is operated.

In addition, when the indoor unit is driven, the dust sensor 80 may be driven. That is, the control unit 100 may sense the dust contained in the indoor air by turning on the dust detection sensor 80 while receiving a cooling operation command from a user.

Next, in step S23, the controller 100 determines whether there is dust in the inhaled air.

Specifically, when the operation of the indoor unit starts, the control unit 100 drives the dust sensor 80, the dust sensor 80 is a sensor flow path formed inside the dust sensor 80 Detects dust contained in the incoming air.

As described above, the dust sensor 80 may detect the amount of dust contained in the air by irradiating light to the air introduced into the sensor flow path and through the sensitivity of light scattered by the dust. For example, when the amount of dust contained in the air exceeds the reference amount, it is determined that the dust exists, and when it does not exceed the reference amount, it may be determined that the dust does not exist.

If there is no dust in the inhaled air, in step S28, it is determined whether or not the indoor unit operation is finished. Keep going.

On the other hand, if there is dust in the inhaled air, in step S24, the control unit 100 determines the type of dust contained in the air using the dust sensor (80).

As described above, the dust sensor 80 may determine the particle size of the dust contained in the air to determine the type of dust.

Next, in step S25, the controller 100 determines whether the determined dust type is the first dust type or the second dust type.

In this embodiment, the dust type may be classified into two types according to the particle size of the dust, and may include, for example, a first dust type and a second dust type.

Here, the first dust type may be fine dust, and the second dust type may be ultra fine dust and / or ultra fine dust. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the first dust type and the second dust type may be variously defined.

If the determined type of dust is the first type of dust, in step S26, the controller 100 controls the vanes so that the air flow direction of the air discharged for a predetermined time becomes the first direction.

For example, the first dust type may be fine dust, and the first direction may be a direction in which the discharged air is directed toward the lower space of the room.

In this case, the controller 100 may control the vane driver 70 to adjust the opening angle of the discharge vane 114 so that the discharged air may face the lower space of the room.

Therefore, since the fine dust that falls in the lower space of the room can be effectively removed, it is possible to create a comfortable indoor environment.

On the contrary, when the determined dust type is the second dust type, in step S27, the controller 100 controls the vanes so that the air flow direction of the air discharged for a predetermined time becomes the second direction.

For example, the second type of dust may be ultrafine dust or ultrafine dust, and the second direction may be a direction in which the discharged air is directed toward the upper space of the room.

In this case, the controller 100 may control the vane driving unit 70 to adjust the opening angle of the discharge vane 114 so that the discharged air may face the upper space of the room.

Therefore, the ultrafine dust or the ultrafine dust classifying the upper space of the room can be effectively removed, thereby creating a comfortable indoor environment.

On the other hand, when the vane is controlled for a predetermined time, in step S29, the control unit 100 determines whether the indoor unit operation is finished, and if the indoor unit operation is not finished, performs step S23 again.

10: air conditioner 12: heat exchanger
13: filter 14: discharge guide
15 drain pan 16 front panel
20: cross flow fan 50: fan drive unit
70: vane drive unit 80: dust detection sensor
100 control part 114 discharge vane

Claims (13)

Detecting a type of dust included in the air sucked in using the dust sensor; And
And controlling the direction of air flow of the discharged air based on the detected type of dust. The method of claim 1,
Detecting the type of dust,
Detecting a particle size of dust included in the air to be sucked; And
And determining the type of dust according to the detected particle size of the dust. The method of claim 2,
Controlling the air flow direction of the discharged air,
And controlling the opening angle of the vanes provided in the air discharge part of the air conditioner according to the determined type of dust. The method of claim 3, wherein
As the particle size of the detected dust increases, the opening angle of the vane is controlled to increase.
The control method of the air conditioner to control to reduce the opening angle of the vane, the smaller the particle size of the detected dust. The method of claim 3, wherein
Determining whether there is dust in the inhaled air;
If there is dust in the inhaled air, it detects the type of dust contained in the inhaled air,
The control method of the air conditioner to maintain the vane at the initial opening angle for a predetermined time, when there is no dust in the intake air. The method of claim 3, wherein
Determining whether the type of dust included in the inhaled air is changed;
And when the type of dust is changed, changing the opening angle of the current vane to an opening angle corresponding to the changed type of dust. The method of claim 2,
Detecting the particle size of the dust contained in the sucked air,
Irradiating light on the air sucked into the dust sensor;
Measuring the sensitivity of light scattered by the dust contained in the air; And
And controlling the particle size of the dust according to the measured sensitivity. A case having a fan therein and having an air inlet and an air outlet;
A dust detection sensor installed at the air inlet and detecting a type of dust included in the air to be sucked;
A vane installed at the air discharge port to adjust a direction of air flow;
A vane driver for controlling opening and closing of the vanes; And
And a controller for adjusting the opening angle of the vanes based on the type of dust detected by the dust sensor. The method of claim 8,
The dust detection sensor, the air conditioner for detecting the particle size of the dust contained in the air sucked into the air inlet, and determines the type of dust according to the detected particle size of the dust. The method of claim 8,
The control unit,
As the particle size of the detected dust is larger, the vane driver is controlled to increase the opening angle of the vane.
The air conditioner controls the vane driver to reduce the opening angle of the vane as the particle size of the detected dust is smaller. The method of claim 8,
The control unit,
The air conditioner determines whether there is dust in the air sucked into the air inlet, and if there is no dust in the sucked air, maintains the vane at an initial opening angle for a predetermined time. The method of claim 8,
The control unit,
It is determined whether the type of dust included in the air sucked into the air inlet is changed, and when the type of dust is changed, the air for changing the opening angle of the current vane to the opening angle corresponding to the type of the changed dust. Conditioner. The method of claim 8,
The dust sensor,
The air conditioner for irradiating light to the air sucked by the dust sensor, and measuring the sensitivity of the light scattered by the dust contained in the air, to detect the particle size of the dust in accordance with the measured sensitivity.

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