KR20200062905A - Air conditioner and method for controlling the same - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a control method of an air conditioner. The control method of an air conditioner comprises the steps of: driving a compressor of an outdoor unit disposed outside a predetermined space, and an indoor fan of an indoor unit disposed within the predetermined space in a cooling mode; stopping, when an end command for ending of the driving is received from a user interface, the driving of the compressor and the driving of the indoor fan; entering a drying mode for drying an indoor heat exchanger provided in the indoor unit based on a driving period of the cooling mode; driving the indoor fan for a predetermined drying unit period corresponding to the drying mode; ending the drying mode based on the indoor absolute humidity of the predetermined space and the absolute humidity of a discharge stream discharged from the indoor heat exchanger to the predetermined space; and stopping the operation of the indoor fan according to the end of the drying mode. According to the present invention, effectiveness of the drying mode can be improved.

Description

AIR CONDITIONER AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME

The present invention relates to an air conditioner driven in a drying mode for drying an indoor heat exchanger provided in an indoor unit at the end of driving of the cooling mode and a control method thereof.

An air conditioner is a device for maintaining an environment in a predetermined space in a comfortable state. The air conditioner may provide a cooling function, a heating function, and a purification function to realize environmental conditions selected by the user. By such an air conditioner, the temperature, humidity, purification and airflow distribution in the space can be controlled.

In general, while the air conditioner is driven in a cooling mode, since heat exchange between indoor air and refrigerant is generated in the indoor heat exchanger provided in the indoor unit, the surface of the indoor heat exchanger is exposed to condensate due to heat exchange. At this time, moisture remaining on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger causes various dust, germs, mold, and odors. Thereafter, when driving the air conditioner, various dust, germs, mold and odors generated on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger are discharged to a predetermined space, thereby deteriorating the indoor environment. Therefore, after the air conditioner is driven in the cooling mode, drying the surface of the indoor heat exchanger is essential for indoor hygiene.

In this regard, Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2005-0092802 (published on Sep. 23, 2005, filed with Konkuk University) results in the conversion of cooling air to a cooler or a duct near the cooler or indoor filter when the air conditioner is stopped. In order to completely remove the water, the heater wire is wound around the cooler body or the duct around the cooler and allowed to generate heat for a predetermined period of time. Disclosed is a device for preventing odor/bacterial generation of a vehicle air conditioner to be removed.

And, Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2016-0050298 (2016.05.11 published, LG Electronics Co., Ltd. application), when the cleaning operation for removing the moisture on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger begins, during the first set time, the compressor Is stopped and the indoor fan is driven, and when the first preset time has elapsed, during the second preset time, the outdoor unit and the indoor unit start an air conditioner operating in a heating mode.

The air conditioner according to these prior documents is driven in a drying mode for removing moisture in the indoor heat exchanger for a predetermined period of time after receiving the input of the end of driving. However, the amount of condensate generated on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger corresponds to the driving period and driving intensity of the cooling mode, while the driving period of the drying mode is fixed. Therefore, there is a problem that moisture removal of the indoor heat exchanger is not efficiently performed.

That is, the driving of the drying mode may be terminated even though the moisture of the indoor heat exchanger is not completely removed. In this case, there is a problem in that the effectiveness of the drying mode is deteriorated by the moisture remaining in the indoor heat exchanger even after the driving of the drying mode.

Alternatively, the driving of the drying mode may be maintained unnecessarily even after the moisture of the indoor heat exchanger is completely removed. In this case, there is a problem that unnecessary power consumption and user inconvenience may occur.

In addition, the air conditioner according to the prior documents applies a heating mode to a drying mode for drying the heat exchanger surface. Accordingly, after the air conditioner finishes the operation of the cooling mode, there is a problem that the temperature in the room may be increased.

An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner and a method for manufacturing the same, after examining that the moisture of the indoor heat exchanger is completely removed, and ending the driving of the drying mode.

An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner and a method for manufacturing the same, which can prevent driving of an unnecessary drying mode after the moisture of the indoor heat exchanger is completely removed.

An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner and a method for manufacturing the same, which can prevent an increase in the temperature in the room due to the driving of the drying mode.

The objects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned objects, and other objects and advantages of the present invention not mentioned can be understood by the following description, and will be more clearly understood by embodiments of the present invention. In addition, it will be readily appreciated that the objects and advantages of the present invention can be realized by means of the appended claims and combinations thereof.

A control method of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes driving a compressor of an outdoor unit disposed outside a predetermined space and an indoor fan of the indoor unit disposed within the predetermined space in a cooling mode; Stopping the driving of the compressor and the driving of the indoor fan when an end command instructing to end the driving is received from the user interface; Entering a drying mode for drying the indoor heat exchanger provided in the indoor unit based on the driving period of the cooling mode; Driving the indoor fan for a predetermined drying unit period corresponding to the drying mode; Ending the drying mode based on the absolute humidity of the room in the predetermined space and the absolute humidity of the discharge stream discharged from the indoor heat exchanger to the predetermined space; And stopping driving of the indoor fan according to the end of the drying mode.

And, the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided in an outdoor unit disposed outside a predetermined space compressor for compressing the refrigerant; An indoor heat exchanger provided in the indoor unit disposed in a predetermined space and connected to the compressor through a refrigerant pipe guiding the flow of the refrigerant; An indoor fan provided in the indoor unit and generating an airflow corresponding to the indoor heat exchanger; At least one absolute humidity sensor provided in the indoor unit and disposed in a path of the air flow; And a control unit controlling driving of the compressor and driving of the indoor fan based on a command received from a user interface. Here, after the control unit drives the compressor and the indoor fan in a cooling mode for a period that has passed a predetermined cooling threshold period, and receives an end command instructing to end the driving from the user interface, the compressor is driven and the Stop the operation of the indoor fan, enter the drying mode by drying the indoor heat exchanger, and based on the absolute humidity of the room in the predetermined space and the absolute humidity of the discharge stream discharged from the indoor heat exchanger to the predetermined space. End the drying mode.

As described above, the drying mode is terminated after checking whether the indoor heat exchanger is dried based on the indoor absolute humidity and the absolute humidity of the discharge stream. Thereby, the effectiveness of the drying mode can be improved.

And, after the moisture of the indoor heat exchanger is removed within a predetermined threshold range, the driving of the drying mode is ended, thereby preventing unnecessary power consumption and user inconvenience due to the driving of the drying mode.

In addition, when entering the drying mode, by driving the indoor fan that does not affect the room temperature, the temperature rise in the room due to the driving of the drying mode can be minimized.

The air conditioner according to each embodiment of the present invention and a control method therefor stop driving the compressor and driving the indoor fan when the shutdown command is received from the user interface while driving the compressor and the indoor fan in the cooling mode, and stop the driving of the compressor and the indoor fan. Enter the drying mode for drying the indoor heat exchanger based on the driving period. By doing this, when the drying of the condensate generated on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger is required according to the driving period of the cooling mode, the driving is performed in the drying mode, so that unnecessary driving of the drying mode can be prevented. Accordingly, there is an advantage that can minimize the user's inconvenience caused by driving the drying mode.

The air conditioner and control method according to each embodiment of the present invention, after driving the indoor fan for a drying unit period corresponding to the drying mode, ends the drying mode based on the absolute humidity in the room and the absolute humidity of the discharge air stream. That is, after verifying that the surface drying of the indoor heat exchanger has been completed using the absolute humidity of the room and the absolute humidity of the discharge stream, the drying mode is terminated. In this way, the driving of the drying mode may not be performed for a predetermined fixed period, but the driving of the drying mode may be maintained for a period until the drying of the surface of the indoor heat exchanger is completed.

Therefore, the surface drying of the indoor heat exchanger according to the driving of the drying mode can be performed completely. Thus, there is an advantage that the effectiveness of the drying mode can be improved.

In addition, after the drying of the surface of the indoor heat exchanger is completed, the operation of the unnecessary drying mode can be prevented by ending the drying mode. This has the advantage of preventing unnecessary power consumption and user inconvenience.

Then, when entering the drying mode, the heating mode is not driven, and the indoor fan is driven during the drying unit period. That is, as the indoor heat exchanger is dried only in the blowing mode that drives only the indoor fan, there is an advantage that the temperature rise in the room due to the driving of the drying mode can be minimized.

The air conditioner according to each embodiment of the present invention and a control method thereof enter a drying mode, and before driving the indoor fan for a drying unit period, adjacent to the air outlet of the indoor unit while maintaining the indoor fan stopped. The first measured value is received from the installed absolute humidity sensor, and the indoor absolute humidity is detected based on the first measured value. In this way, it is not necessary to separately arrange an absolute humidity sensor for detecting the indoor absolute humidity in the indoor unit. Therefore, there is an advantage that can be advantageous in simplifying the structure of the indoor unit and lowering the manufacturing cost.

In addition to the above-described effects, the concrete effects of the present invention will be described together while describing the specific matters for carrying out the invention.

1 is a view showing an air conditioner according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a view showing an example of a refrigerant cycle by the air conditioner of FIG. 1.
3 is a view showing the indoor unit and the outdoor unit of FIG. 1.
4 is a view showing a method of controlling the indoor unit and the outdoor unit by the control unit of FIG. 3 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
5 to 9 are views showing examples of the difference between the absolute humidity and the humidity of the absolute air flow and the indoor air flow when entering the drying mode.
10 is a diagram illustrating a method of controlling the indoor unit and the outdoor unit by the control unit of FIG. 3 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a view showing an indoor unit and an outdoor unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a view showing a method of controlling the indoor unit and the outdoor unit by the control unit of FIG. 10 according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings are used to indicate the same or similar components.

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

1 is a view showing an air conditioner according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a view showing an example of a refrigerant cycle by the air conditioner of FIG. 1.

3 is a view showing the indoor unit and the outdoor unit of FIG. 1. 4 is a view showing a method of controlling the indoor unit and the outdoor unit by the control unit of FIG. 3 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

5 to 9 are views showing examples of the difference between the absolute humidity and the humidity of the absolute air flow and the indoor air flow when entering the drying mode.

As shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes an outdoor unit 11 disposed outside a predetermined space (OS; OutSide) and an inside space (IS; InSide). And an indoor unit 12 to be disposed. In addition, the air conditioner 10 may further include a remote controller 13 for receiving a user's command.

The outdoor unit 11 may include a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, and an outdoor fan.

The indoor unit 12 may be connected to the outdoor unit 11 through a refrigerant pipe 14 that guides the movement of the refrigerant.

The indoor unit 12 includes a frame forming an exterior. The frame of the indoor unit 12 is an air intake port 121 which is a path for inhaling indoor air, an air discharge port 122 that is a path for discharging air to a predetermined space, and a vane 123 for opening and closing the air discharge port 122. ).

As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerant cycle of the air conditioner 10 includes a compressor 111 connected through a refrigerant pipe 14, a main valve 112, an outdoor heat exchanger 113, an expander 114 and It includes an indoor heat exchanger (124).

The compressor 111 compresses the refrigerant introduced through the refrigerant pipe 14.

The main valve 112 controls the flow direction of the refrigerant. That is, the main valve 112 flows the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 111 to the outdoor heat exchanger 113 side.

When the air conditioner 10 is driven in a cooling mode, the outdoor heat exchanger 113 functions as a condenser condensing the refrigerant. Here, the outdoor fan 115 disposed adjacent to the outdoor heat exchanger 113 generates airflow between the outdoor air and the outdoor heat exchanger 113.

The expander 114 expands the refrigerant discharged from the outdoor heat exchanger 113.

When the air conditioner 10 is driven in a cooling mode, the indoor heat exchanger 124 functions as an evaporator that evaporates the refrigerant transferred from the expander 114. Here, the indoor fan 125 disposed adjacent to the indoor heat exchanger 124 generates airflow between the indoor air and the indoor heat exchanger 124. The heat exchange between the refrigerant and the indoor air is generated by the indoor heat exchanger 124 and the indoor fan 125, and cold air may be discharged into the room after heat exchange.

On the other hand, when the air conditioner 10 is driven in a cooling mode, heat is generated between the refrigerant and the indoor air on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 124, thereby forming condensed water. Due to the condensate, the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 124 is continuously exposed to moisture, and thus, it can become a hotbed of bacteria and odor.

Accordingly, the air conditioner 10 according to each embodiment of the present invention, after driving in a cooling mode, receives an end command instructing to end the operation of the air conditioner 10 from the remote control 13, etc., the indoor heat exchange It is driven in a drying mode for drying the group 124.

As shown in FIG. 3, the air conditioner 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is provided in the outdoor unit 11 and is provided in the compressor 111 for compressing the refrigerant, the indoor unit 12 and the flow of the refrigerant The indoor heat exchanger 124 connected to the compressor 111 through the refrigerant pipe 14 guiding the indoor heat exchanger 124, the indoor fan 12 provided in the indoor unit 12 and generating an airflow corresponding to the indoor heat exchanger 124, At least one absolute humidity sensor (126a, 123b) provided in the indoor unit (12) and disposed in a path of airflow between the indoor heat exchanger (124) and the indoor unit, a user interface (127) for input/output of user's driving control, And a control unit 128 for controlling the driving of the compressor 111 and the driving of the indoor fan 125 based on the command received from the user interface 127.

The air conditioner 10 may further include an outdoor heat exchanger 113 and an expander 114 provided in the outdoor unit 11.

The air conditioner 10 may further include a vane 123 provided in the indoor unit 11 to open and close the air discharge port 122.

The air conditioner 10 may be provided in the indoor unit 11 and further include a temperature sensor 129 disposed in a path of air flow between the indoor heat exchanger 124 and the indoor unit.

When the control unit 128 receives a cold protection command instructing cooling operation from the user interface 127 connected to the remote controller 13 or the like, the control unit 128 drives the compressor 111 and the indoor fan 125 in a cooling mode based on the cold protection command. At this time, the control unit 128 based on at least one of the temperature command and the intensity command received from the user interface 127, the compressor 111, the main valve 112, the outdoor fan 115, the indoor fan 125 and the vane (123) can be driven.

Thereafter, when the control unit 128 receives an end command instructing the termination of the air conditioner 10 from the user interface 127, the control unit 128 stops driving the compressor 111 and the indoor fan 125 operating in the cooling mode. do.

After stopping the operation of the compressor 111 and the indoor fan 125, when the driving period of the cooling mode has passed a predetermined cooling threshold period, the controller 128 is a drying mode for drying the indoor heat exchanger 124 To enter.

When entering the drying mode, the controller 128 drives the indoor fan 125 for a predetermined drying unit period corresponding to the drying mode.

For example, the drying unit period may be 1/2 times the maximum driving period of the drying mode that is acceptable to the user. That is, assuming that the user can easily take the drying mode if the driving period is within 10 minutes, the drying unit period may be 5 minutes. However, this is only an example, and the drying unit period may be 1/n times the maximum driving period of the drying mode that can be tolerated by the user (where n is a natural number of 2 or more).

In addition, when entering the drying mode, the control unit 128 may change the opening/closing angle of the vane 123 to a predetermined drying angle corresponding to the drying mode before driving the indoor fan 125. Here, the drying angle may be selected as a range corresponding to the direction of the earth current to avoid the user among the opening and closing angle of the vane 123. For example, the drying angle may correspond to an upward discharge airflow. Alternatively, the drying angle may be a minimum opening and closing angle.

The controller 128 ends the drying mode based on the absolute humidity of the room in the predetermined space IS in which the indoor unit 12 is disposed and the absolute humidity of the discharge stream discharged from the indoor heat exchanger 124 to the predetermined space IS. . At this time, when the drying mode is ended, the controller 128 stops driving the indoor fan 125.

Specifically, after driving the indoor fan 125 during the drying unit period, the control unit 128 ends the drying mode if the difference in humidity, which is the difference between the absolute humidity in the room and the absolute humidity in the discharge stream, is equal to or less than a predetermined drying threshold. do. Here, the drying threshold may be 0.5g/kg. However, this is only an example, and the drying threshold value may be selected as long as the absolute humidity of the discharge air stream can be recognized as the indoor absolute humidity and a similar range according to the manufacturer or the user of the air conditioner.

On the other hand, after the control unit 128 drives the indoor fan 125 during the drying unit period, and the humidity difference value exceeds the drying threshold, the control unit 128 drives the indoor fan 125 during the additional drying unit period.

Alternatively, after driving the indoor fan 125 during the drying unit period, if the humidity difference value exceeds the drying threshold, the controller 128 varies the intensity of the indoor fan based on the humidity difference value, and then additional drying unit period During this, the indoor fan 125 may be driven with a variable intensity.

In addition, the at least one absolute humidity sensor (126a, 126b) provided in the indoor unit 12 is a first absolute humidity sensor (126a) disposed adjacent to the air intake 121 of the indoor unit 12, and the indoor unit (12) It may include a second absolute humidity sensor (126b) disposed adjacent to the air discharge port (122).

The first absolute humidity sensor 126a senses the absolute humidity of the indoor air, ie, the indoor air, which moves through the air intake 121 toward the indoor heat exchanger 124.

The second absolute humidity sensor 126b senses the absolute humidity of the discharge stream moving from the indoor heat exchanger 124 to the indoor IS through the air discharge port 122.

The control unit 128 drives the indoor fan 125 during the drying unit period, and then maintains the driving of the indoor fan 125 for generating intake air and discharge air from the first absolute humidity sensor 126a. The first measurement value is received, and the second measurement value is received from the second absolute humidity sensor 126b.

The control unit 128 detects the absolute humidity in the room based on the first measured value, and detects the absolute humidity in the discharge air stream based on the second measured value. Subsequently, the controller 128 derives a difference in humidity, which is a difference between the indoor absolute humidity and the absolute humidity of the discharge air stream.

At this time, if the difference in humidity is less than or equal to the drying threshold, the controller 128 ends the drying mode and stops driving the indoor fan according to the finished drying mode.

On the other hand, if the humidity difference value exceeds the drying threshold, the controller 128 repeats driving the indoor fan 125 during the drying unit period.

4, the control method of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment of the present invention drives the compressor 111 of the outdoor unit 11 and the indoor fan 125 of the indoor unit 12 in a cooling mode. Step (S111), when receiving an end command for instructing the end of the air conditioner 10 from the user interface 127 (S112), stopping the driving of the compressor 111 and the driving of the indoor fan 125 (S113), entering a drying mode for drying the indoor heat exchanger 124 provided in the indoor unit 12 based on the driving period of the cooling mode (S120), during a predetermined drying unit period corresponding to the drying mode Step (S130) of driving the indoor fan 124, ending the drying mode based on the absolute humidity of the room in the predetermined space and the absolute humidity of the discharge stream discharged from the indoor heat exchanger 124 to the indoor space (S140), and And stopping the driving of the indoor fan upon completion of the drying mode (S150).

The controller 128 drives the compressor 111 and the indoor fan 125 in a cooling mode based on a cold protection command received from the user interface 127. In this case, the controller 128 further drives the main valve 112, the outdoor fan 115, and the vane 123 in a cooling mode, in addition to the compressor 111 and the indoor fan 125, based on the cold protection command. can do.

In addition, the control unit 128 based on at least one of the temperature command and the intensity command received from the user interface 127, the compressor 111, the main valve 112, the outdoor fan 115, the indoor fan 125 and the vane (123) can be driven.

Upon receiving the end command from the user interface 127 (S112), the controller 128 stops the compressor 111 and the indoor fan 125 running in the cooling mode. (S113)

Although not shown separately, the control unit 128 changes the intermediate valve (not shown) disposed at the refrigerant input terminal of the indoor heat exchanger 124 to a blocking state instead of stopping the operation of the compressor 111 based on the end command. It might be. In addition, the control unit 128 may change the main valve 112 to the shut-off state based on the end command, and stop driving of the outdoor fan 115. In this way, even in a structure in which several indoor units 12 are connected to one outdoor unit 11, the drying mode may be driven for each indoor unit 12.

In the step of entering the drying mode (S120), the controller 128 detects a driving period of the cooling mode using a count or the like, and when the driving period of the cooling mode has passed a predetermined cooling threshold period (S121), drying Enter the mode. (S122)

Here, the cooling critical period may be a critical period until condensate is generated on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 124 due to the operation of the cooling mode.

Upon entering the drying mode (S122), the controller 128 may change the opening/closing angle of the vane 123 to a predetermined drying angle corresponding to the drying mode. Here, the drying angle may be selected in a range corresponding to the direction of the discharge air stream that avoids the user among the opening and closing angles of the vanes 123.

Subsequently, the controller 128 drives the indoor fan 125 for a predetermined drying unit period based on the entered drying mode. (S130).

That is, when entering the drying mode, the controller 128 starts driving the indoor fan 125 (S131), and until the driving period of the indoor fan corresponding to the drying mode passes the drying unit period, Keep driving. (S132) Here, the drying unit period may be 1/n times the maximum driving period of the drying mode that can be tolerated by the user (where n is a natural number of 2 or more). For example, assuming that the user can easily understand the drying mode if the driving period is within 10 minutes, the drying unit period may be 5 minutes.

After driving the indoor fan 125 during the drying unit period, the controller 128 ends the drying mode based on the indoor absolute humidity and the absolute humidity of the discharge air stream. (S140)

Specifically, the control unit 128 receives the first measurement value from the first absolute humidity sensor 126a while maintaining the driving of the indoor fan 125 and detects the indoor absolute humidity based on the first measurement value. . (S141) Here, the first absolute humidity sensor (126a) is disposed adjacent to the air intake 121, which is a passage for inhaling indoor air toward the indoor heat exchanger (125), and measures a value corresponding to the absolute humidity of the intake air stream. to provide.

Subsequently, the control unit 128 receives the second measurement value from the second absolute humidity sensor 126b while maintaining the driving of the indoor fan 125 and detects the absolute humidity of the discharge air stream based on the second measurement value. do. (S142) Here, the second absolute humidity sensor 126b is disposed adjacent to the air discharge port 122 which is a passage for discharging air into the predetermined space from the indoor heat exchanger 125, and the measurement corresponds to the absolute humidity of the discharge air stream. Provide the value.

The controller 128 derives a difference in humidity, which is the difference between the absolute humidity in the room and the absolute humidity of the discharge air stream. Then, when the derived humidity difference value is less than the predetermined drying threshold value (S143), the control unit 128 ends the drying mode. (S144) Here, the dry threshold may be selected as any as long as the absolute humidity of the discharge stream can be recognized as a similar range to the indoor absolute humidity according to the manufacturer or the user of the air conditioner. For example, the dry threshold may be 0.5 g/kg.

That is, the humidity difference value below the drying threshold value means a state in which the absolute humidity of the discharge stream corresponding to the humidity of the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 124 is similar to the indoor absolute humidity. Therefore, a state in which the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 124 is completely dried can be inferred by the difference in humidity values below the drying threshold. As described above, the controller 128 verifies the drying state of the indoor heat exchanger 124 based on the absolute humidity of the room and the absolute humidity of the discharge air stream, and ends the drying mode based on the difference in humidity below the drying threshold.

Subsequently, the controller 128 stops driving the indoor fan 125 according to the end of the drying mode. (S150) Thus, the operation of the air conditioner 10 is completely ended.

On the other hand, if the derived humidity difference value exceeds the predetermined drying threshold value (S143), the controller 128 additionally drives the indoor fan 125 during the drying unit period. (S131) That is, the humidity difference value exceeding the dry threshold value means a state in which the absolute humidity of the discharge stream is different from the indoor absolute humidity. Therefore, a state in which the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 124 is not completely dried can be inferred by the humidity difference value exceeding the drying threshold. In this case, in order to completely dry the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 124, it is necessary to maintain the drying mode. That is, the controller 128 repeats driving the indoor fan 125 during the drying unit period based on the humidity difference value exceeding the drying threshold. (S131)

5 and 6 are examples showing a case where the air conditioner according to the first embodiment of the present invention is a stand-type air conditioner, and after receiving an end command, changes in the absolute humidity of the room, the absolute humidity of the discharge stream and the difference in humidity It is a graph showing. In the example of FIGS. 5 and 6, after entering the drying mode, it is assumed that the indoor fan 125 is driven with strong wind strength during the drying unit period in the driving step S130 of the indoor fan 125 corresponding to the drying mode. do.

5 and 6, in the case of a stand-type air conditioner, the time required from receiving the end command until the difference in humidity is 0.5 g/kg is about 9 minutes 30 seconds and about 10 minutes. can confirm.

7, 8, and 9 are examples showing the case where the air conditioner according to the first embodiment of the present invention is a wall-mounted air conditioner, after receiving the end command, the absolute humidity in the room, the absolute humidity in the discharge stream and the humidity difference It is a graph showing the change of value.

In the example of FIGS. 7 and 8, after entering the drying mode, it is assumed that the indoor fan 125 is driven at a strong wind strength during the drying unit period in the driving step S130 of the indoor fan 125 corresponding to the drying mode. do.

In addition, in the example of FIG. 9, after entering the drying mode, it is assumed that the indoor fan 125 is driven at a weak wind strength during the drying unit period in the driving step S130 of the indoor fan 125 corresponding to the drying mode. .

7 and 8, in the case of a stand-type air conditioner, it can be confirmed that the time required from receiving the end command until the difference in humidity is 0.5 g/kg is about 7 minutes.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9, in the case of a stand-type air conditioner, when the indoor fan 125 is driven at a weak wind strength during the drying unit period based on the drying mode, the difference in humidity from the time when the end command is received It can be seen that the time required to reach 0.5 g/kg is about 12 minutes.

As described above, depending on the indoor environment conditions such as temperature and humidity, the driving period in the cooling mode, and the intensity of the indoor fan 125 corresponding to the drying mode, the driving period in the drying mode required for drying the indoor heat exchanger 124 is different. It can be done.

Accordingly, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the driving period of the drying mode is not fixed to a certain period, but the humidity difference value corresponding to the absolute humidity of the indoor air and the absolute humidity of the discharge air is dried until a critical drying value or less is achieved. Keep the mode running. Accordingly, while maintaining the drying mode only for a period required for drying the indoor heat exchanger 124, reliability in the drying state of the indoor heat exchanger 124 may be improved.

Meanwhile, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, when driving the indoor fan 125 corresponding to the drying mode, the driving intensity of the indoor fan 125 is fixed to a predetermined intensity. In addition, the time spent for drying the indoor heat exchanger 124 corresponds to the amount of condensate generated on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 124, the driving period of the indoor fan 125, and the driving intensity.

However, the user expects that the air conditioner 10 is immediately terminated when the end command is input. However, as the termination of the air conditioner 10 is delayed by a period of time required for driving the drying mode for drying the indoor heat exchanger 124, user convenience may be deteriorated.

For example, it is known that the driving time of the drying mode acceptable to the user is within 10 minutes. However, as the driving intensity of the indoor fan 125 corresponding to the drying mode is fixed to a predetermined intensity, when the amount of condensate generated in the indoor heat exchanger 124 is relatively large, the driving time in the drying mode is 10 minutes or more. Can be long.

Accordingly, the second embodiment of the present invention provides a control method of an air conditioner that varies the driving intensity of the indoor fan 125 corresponding to the drying mode according to the amount of condensate generated in the indoor heat exchanger 124 .

10 is a diagram illustrating a method of controlling the indoor unit and the outdoor unit by the control unit of FIG. 3 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

10, the control method of the air conditioner 10 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, if the humidity difference value exceeds the drying threshold value (S143), the indoor fan based on the humidity difference value ( Except for further including the step (S160) of varying the intensity of 125), since the same as the first embodiment shown in Figure 4, a duplicate description will be omitted below.

As illustrated in FIG. 10, when the controller 128 enters the drying mode, the control unit 128 starts driving the indoor fan 125 (S131), and the driving period of the indoor fan corresponding to the drying mode passes the drying unit period. The driving of the indoor fan 125 is maintained. (S132)

After driving the indoor fan 125 during the drying unit period, the controller 128 detects the indoor absolute humidity based on the first measured value received from the first absolute humidity sensor 126a (S142). 2 The absolute humidity of the discharge air stream is detected based on the second measurement value received from the absolute humidity sensor (126b). (S143)

Subsequently, the control unit 128 derives a difference in humidity, which is a difference between the absolute humidity in the room and the absolute humidity in the discharge stream, and if the humidity difference value exceeds the drying threshold value (S143), the indoor fan 125 is based on the humidity difference value. The intensity of the variable. (S160) And, the control unit 128 drives the indoor fan 125 with a variable intensity for an additional drying unit period. (S131)

Here, the intensity of the indoor fan 125 corresponding to the additional drying unit period may be proportional to the difference in humidity. That is, if the humidity difference value is greater than the threshold, the intensity of the indoor fan 125 may be changed to a stronger intensity.

For example, when the intensity of the indoor fan 125 corresponding to the initial drying unit period is selected as the weak wind strength, the intensity of the indoor fan 125 corresponding to the next subsequent second drying unit period is greater than the weak wind strength. Or it can be changed to strong wind strength. Here, when the humidity difference value exceeds the drying threshold value even after the second drying unit period, the intensity of the indoor fan 125 corresponding to the third drying unit period may be changed to a super strong wind strength greater than the strong wind strength.

Alternatively, when the intensity of the indoor fan 125 corresponding to the first drying unit period is selected as the strong wind strength, the intensity of the indoor fan 125 corresponding to the next subsequent second drying unit period is changed to a super strong wind strength greater than the strong wind strength Can be.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, when the humidity difference value is greater than the threshold, the intensity of the indoor fan 125 corresponding to the next sequential drying unit period is the indoor fan 125 corresponding to the current sequential drying unit period. ).

Therefore, when the amount of condensate generated in the indoor heat exchanger 124 is relatively small, the intensity of the indoor fan 125 corresponding to the drying period is kept relatively weak, so that the user's inconvenience caused by driving the drying mode can be minimized. have.

On the other hand, when the amount of condensate generated in the indoor heat exchanger 124 is relatively large, the intensity of the indoor fan 125 corresponding to at least a part of the drying unit period during the drying period is gradually changed so that the driving period of the drying mode is changed. It can be prevented from becoming longer than a threshold. Therefore, inconvenience of a user due to long-time driving of the drying mode for drying the indoor heat exchanger 124 can be prevented.

On the other hand, according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention, the drying mode is terminated based on the indoor absolute humidity and the absolute humidity of the discharge air stream. To this end, at least one absolute humidity sensor provided in the indoor unit 12 includes a first absolute humidity sensor 126a disposed adjacent to the air intake 121 and a second absolute disposed adjacent to the air discharge outlet 122. And a humidity sensor 126b. Here, the first absolute humidity sensor 126a is for measuring the absolute humidity of the indoor air flowing into the indoor heat exchanger 124, and the second absolute humidity sensor 126b is discharged from the indoor heat exchanger 124 into the room. It is for measuring the absolute humidity of the discharged air stream.

In this way, the indoor unit 12 of the air conditioner 10 according to the first and second embodiments must have at least two absolute humidity sensors disposed adjacent to the air intake 121 and the air discharge port 122. , There is a problem that the manufacturing cost increases. In addition, the indoor unit 12 includes a temperature sensor 129 for measuring the temperature of the airflow, a humidity sensor (not shown) for measuring the relative humidity of the airflow, and a pollution sensor (not shown) for measuring the degree of contamination of the airflow. In addition to various sensors, as two absolute humidity sensors are additionally provided, there is a problem in that a simple structure is implemented.

Accordingly, the third embodiment of the present invention provides an air conditioner for detecting the absolute humidity of the room and the absolute humidity of the discharge stream with only one absolute humidity sensor, and a manufacturing method thereof.

11 is a view showing an indoor unit and an outdoor unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention. And, Figure 12 is a view showing a method of controlling the indoor unit and the outdoor unit control unit of Figure 10 according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

11, the air conditioner 10 according to the third embodiment of the present invention is adjacent to the compressor 111, the indoor heat exchanger 124, the indoor fan 125, and the air outlet 122 It includes an absolute humidity sensor 126c disposed and a control unit 128 for controlling the driving of the compressor 111 and the driving of the indoor fan 125.

Here, the absolute humidity sensor 126 may be disposed to be exposed to indoor air while being adjacent to the air discharge port 122. The absolute humidity sensor 126 may provide one of the first measurement value corresponding to the indoor absolute humidity and the second measurement value corresponding to the absolute humidity of the discharge air stream depending on whether the indoor fan 125 is driven. .

That is, when the driving of the indoor fan 125 is stopped, the absolute humidity sensor 126 disposed adjacent to the air outlet 122 contacts the indoor air instead of the discharge air stream, so that the first measurement value corresponding to the indoor air is obtained. Output. On the other hand, when the driving of the indoor fan 125 is maintained, that is, when a discharge air stream is generated, the absolute humidity sensor 126 outputs a second measurement value corresponding to the absolute humidity of the discharge air stream.

As shown in FIG. 12, the control method of the air conditioner 10 according to the third embodiment of the present invention is to control the indoor fan during the drying unit period, not after the step S130 of driving the indoor fan during the drying unit period. Except for including the step (S170) of detecting the absolute indoor humidity prior to the step of driving (S130), since the same as the first and second embodiments, a duplicate description will be omitted below.

Upon receiving the end command from the user interface 127 (S112), the controller 128 stops the compressor 111 and the indoor fan 125 running in the cooling mode. (S113)

The control unit 128 detects a driving period of the cooling mode, and when the driving period of the cooling mode has passed a predetermined cooling threshold period (S121), enters the drying mode. (S122)

When entering the drying mode (S122), the controller 128 detects the indoor absolute humidity based on the first measured value received from the absolute humidity sensor 126c disposed adjacent to the air outlet 122 of the indoor unit 12. do. (S170)

Specifically, in step (S170) of detecting the indoor absolute humidity, the control unit 128 detects a period in which the operation of the indoor fan 125 is stopped according to an end command, and a period in which the operation of the indoor fan 125 is stopped When the predetermined rest period has elapsed (S171), the first measurement value is received from the absolute humidity sensor 126c disposed adjacent to the air discharge port 122 while maintaining the driving stop of the indoor fan 125. . Subsequently, the control unit 128 detects the absolute indoor humidity based on the first measurement value. (S172)

Here, the rest period may be set as a minimum period of time from the time when the operation of the indoor fan 125 is stopped until the influence of the discharge air flow by the indoor fan 125 in the air around the air outlet 122 disappears. . For example, the rest period may be selected as 1 minute.

The absolute humidity sensor 126c disposed adjacent to the air discharge port 122 is exposed to discharge air or indoor air. That is, if there is no discharge airflow by the indoor fan 125, the absolute humidity sensor 126c is exposed to indoor air, not the discharge airflow.

Accordingly, the control unit 128 maintains a stoppage of the operation of the indoor fan 125 for a predetermined rest period in order to detect the indoor absolute humidity, and then receives the first measurement value from the absolute humidity sensor 126c. Then, the control unit 128 detects the absolute indoor humidity based on the first measurement value. (S170)

Thereafter, the controller 128 drives the indoor fan 125 during the drying unit period based on the drying mode. (S130)

When the driving of the indoor fan 125 is completed during the drying unit period, the control unit 128 ends the drying mode based on the indoor absolute humidity and the absolute humidity of the discharge air stream. (S140')

Here, according to the third embodiment, since the control unit 128 detects the absolute indoor humidity before the step (S130) of driving the indoor fan 125, after completing the driving of the indoor fan 125 during the drying unit period In only the absolute humidity of the discharge stream is detected.

That is, the control unit 128 receives the second measurement value from the absolute humidity sensor 126c while maintaining the driving of the indoor fan 125 and detects the absolute humidity of the discharge air stream based on the second measurement value. (S142)

Next, the controller 128 derives a difference in humidity, which is a difference between the absolute humidity in the room and the absolute humidity in the discharge stream, and if the humidity difference is less than a predetermined drying threshold value (S143), the drying mode ends. (S144)

As described above, according to the third embodiment, even if an absolute humidity sensor for detecting indoor absolute humidity is not separately provided, it is possible to detect both the indoor absolute humidity and the absolute humidity of the discharge air stream with only one absolute humidity sensor. Thereby, the structure of the indoor unit 12 can be simplified, and there is an advantage that the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

The above-described present invention, the above-described embodiments and the accompanying drawings because it is possible for a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains to various substitutions, modifications and changes without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention It is not limited by.

10: air conditioner 11: outdoor unit
12: indoor unit 13: remote control
14: refrigerant pipe
121: air intake 122: air outlet
123: Bain
111: compressor 112: main valve
113: outdoor heat exchanger 114: expander
115: outdoor fan
124: indoor heat exchanger 125: indoor fan

Claims (15)

Driving the compressor of the outdoor unit disposed outside the predetermined space and the indoor fan of the indoor unit disposed within the predetermined space in a cooling mode;
Stopping the driving of the compressor and the driving of the indoor fan when an end command instructing to end the driving is received from the user interface;
Entering a drying mode for drying the indoor heat exchanger provided in the indoor unit based on the driving period of the cooling mode;
Driving the indoor fan for a predetermined drying unit period corresponding to the drying mode;
Ending the drying mode based on the absolute humidity of the room in the predetermined space and the absolute humidity of the discharge stream discharged from the indoor heat exchanger to the predetermined space; And
And stopping driving of the indoor fan upon completion of the drying mode.
According to claim 1,
In the step of ending the drying mode, if the humidity difference value, which is the difference between the absolute humidity of the room and the absolute humidity of the discharge air stream, is less than or equal to a predetermined drying threshold, the control method of the air conditioner for ending the drying mode.
According to claim 2,
And if the humidity difference value exceeds the drying threshold value, further comprising driving the indoor fan during the drying unit period.
The method of claim 3,
And when the humidity difference value exceeds the dry threshold value, varying the intensity of the indoor fan based on the humidity difference value and driving the indoor fan at the variable intensity during the drying unit period. How to control the harmony.
According to claim 1,
After the step of driving the indoor fan during the drying unit period,
Receiving a first measurement value from a first absolute humidity sensor installed adjacent to the air intake of the indoor unit while maintaining the driving of the indoor fan, and detecting the indoor absolute humidity based on the first measurement value; And
While maintaining the operation of the indoor fan, receiving a second measurement value from a second absolute humidity sensor installed adjacent to the air outlet of the indoor unit, and detecting the absolute humidity of the discharge air stream based on the second measurement value The control method of the air conditioner further comprising a step.
According to claim 1,
Before the step of driving the indoor fan during the drying unit period,
When the period in which the operation of the indoor fan is stopped according to the termination instruction passes a predetermined rest period, the first measurement is made from the absolute humidity sensor installed adjacent to the air outlet of the indoor unit while the operation of the indoor fan is stopped. And receiving a value and detecting the indoor absolute humidity based on the first measured value.
The method of claim 6,
After the step of driving the indoor fan during the drying unit period,
Controlling the air conditioner further comprising receiving a second measurement value from the absolute humidity sensor while maintaining the driving of the indoor fan, and detecting the absolute humidity of the discharge air stream based on the second measurement value. Way.
According to claim 1,
In the step of entering the drying mode,
When the driving period of the cooling mode passes a predetermined cooling critical period, the control method of the air conditioner entering the drying mode.
According to claim 1,
In the step of entering the drying mode,
A control method of an air conditioner that varies an opening/closing angle of a vane that opens/closes an air discharge port, which is a passage of the discharge stream, at a predetermined drying angle corresponding to the drying mode.
A compressor that is provided in the outdoor unit disposed outside the predetermined space and compresses the refrigerant;
An indoor heat exchanger provided in the indoor unit disposed in a predetermined space and connected to the compressor through a refrigerant pipe guiding the flow of the refrigerant;
An indoor fan provided in the indoor unit and generating an airflow corresponding to the indoor heat exchanger;
At least one absolute humidity sensor provided in the indoor unit and disposed in a path of the air flow; And
It includes a control unit for controlling the driving of the compressor and the driving of the indoor fan based on the command received from the user interface,
The control unit
After driving the compressor and the indoor fan in a cooling mode for a period that has passed a predetermined cooling threshold period, when receiving an end command instructing to end the driving from the user interface, driving the compressor and driving the indoor fan are performed. Stop, and enter the drying mode by drying the indoor heat exchanger,
An air conditioner for ending the drying mode based on the absolute humidity of the room in the predetermined space and the absolute humidity of the discharge stream discharged from the indoor heat exchanger to the predetermined space.
The method of claim 10,
The control unit
When entering the drying mode, the indoor fan is driven for a predetermined drying unit period corresponding to the drying mode,
When the drying mode ends, the air conditioner stops driving the indoor fan.
The method of claim 11,
The control unit
After driving the indoor fan during the drying unit period, if the difference in humidity, which is the difference between the absolute humidity of the room and the absolute humidity of the discharge air, is equal to or less than a predetermined drying threshold, the drying mode is terminated,
After driving the indoor fan during the drying unit period, if the humidity difference value exceeds the drying threshold, an air conditioner for driving the indoor fan during the drying unit period.
The method of claim 12,
The control unit
After driving the indoor fan during the drying unit period, if the humidity difference value exceeds the drying threshold value, the intensity of the indoor fan is varied based on the humidity difference value, and the varied intensity during the drying unit period Air conditioner for driving the indoor fan.
The method of claim 11,
The at least one absolute humidity sensor
A first absolute humidity sensor installed adjacent to the air intake of the indoor unit; And
It includes a second absolute humidity sensor installed adjacent to the air outlet of the indoor unit,
The control unit
After driving the indoor fan during the drying unit period, the first measurement value is received from the first absolute humidity sensor while the indoor fan is driven and the second measurement value is received from the second absolute humidity sensor. And
The absolute humidity of the room is detected based on the first measured value,
An air conditioner for detecting the absolute humidity of the discharge stream based on the second measurement value.
The method of claim 11,
The at least one absolute humidity sensor is installed adjacent to the air outlet of the indoor unit,
The control unit
When the drying mode is entered and the period in which the driving of the indoor fan is stopped according to the termination instruction has elapsed a predetermined rest period, the indoor fan is installed adjacent to the air outlet of the indoor unit while maintaining the driving stop. Receiving a first measurement value from an absolute humidity sensor, detecting the indoor absolute humidity based on the first measurement value,
After driving the indoor fan during the drying unit period, a second measurement value is received from the absolute humidity sensor in a state in which the indoor fan is driven, and the absolute humidity of the discharge air stream is based on the second measurement value. Air conditioner to detect.

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