KR20080043552A - Air conditioner and control apparatus and control method of the same - Google Patents

Abstract

An air conditioner and a control method thereof are provided to determine whether to carry out cleaning of an indoor heat exchanger by using any one of a timer and a humidity sensor, thereby sensing optimum cleaning condition for the indoor heat exchanger. An air conditioner includes a timer(15) for accumulating operation time of cooling or dehumidifying operation, and a control part(18) determining whether to carry out cleaning operation for an indoor heat exchanger(2) according to the accumulation result of the timer after the cooling or dehumidifying operation is finished. As the cleaning operation condition is determined, the control part controls to the cleaning mode for cleaning the indoor heat exchanger by heating the heat exchanger. A humidity sensor measures humidity of the indoor heat exchanger and the control part determines whether to carry out the cleaning mode according to the measured humidity.

Description

Air conditioner and control apparatus and control method of the same}

1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a refrigerant flow when a first embodiment of an air conditioner according to the present invention is a cooling operation;

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing a refrigerant flow when the indoor air conditioner is cleaned after the air conditioner first embodiment according to the present invention is finished.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a first embodiment of a control method of an air conditioner according to the present invention;

4 is a graph showing an experiment result of removing mold and the like on the surface of an indoor heat exchanger according to a first embodiment of a method for controlling an air conditioner according to the present invention according to time, temperature, and humidity;

5 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a refrigerant flow when the second embodiment of the air conditioner according to the present invention is a cooling operation;

6 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a refrigerant flow when the air conditioner according to the second embodiment of the present invention cleans the indoor heat exchanger after the cooling operation is completed;

7 is a flowchart illustrating a second embodiment of a control method of an air conditioner according to the present invention;

8 is a schematic block diagram showing a refrigerant flow when the air conditioner according to a third embodiment of the present invention is a cooling operation;

9 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a refrigerant flow when the air conditioner according to the third embodiment of the present invention cleans the indoor heat exchanger after the cooling operation is completed;

10 is a flowchart illustrating a third embodiment of a control method of an air conditioner according to the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols on main parts of the drawings>

2: indoor heat exchanger 4: outdoor heat exchanger

6,7: compressor 10: four way valve

12: indoor blower 13: outdoor blower

15: Timer 16: Humidity Sensor

17: temperature sensor 18: control unit

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner and a control method thereof, and in particular, air for removing mold caused by microorganisms that receive organic condensate and air generated on the surface of an indoor heat exchanger after cooling or dehumidifying an air conditioner. A harmonic and a control method thereof.

In general, an air conditioner is an apparatus for air conditioning an indoor room using a refrigeration cycle of a refrigerant including a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion device, and an indoor heat exchanger to create a more comfortable indoor environment for a user.

The air conditioner using the refrigeration cycle is divided into a cooler and a heat pump according to whether or not the heating operation, the heat pump is the refrigerant discharged from the compressor during the cooling operation is circulated to the compressor after passing through the outdoor heat exchanger and expansion mechanism and the indoor heat exchanger to the indoor heat exchange The gas cools the indoor air, and the refrigerant discharged from the compressor during the heating operation circulates through the indoor heat exchanger, the expansion mechanism, and the outdoor heat exchanger to the compressor, thereby heating the indoor air.

On the other hand, the air conditioner as described above, during the cooling operation, condensed water is generated by condensation / condensation of moisture in the air on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger, and the generated condensate is discharged to the outside through a drain mechanism installed under the indoor heat exchanger. However, residual moisture that is not condensed water remains in the indoor heat exchanger, and mold is generated in the indoor heat exchanger when the air conditioner is not used for a certain period of time.

The mold generated as described above is discharged of unpleasant air through the outlet when the air conditioner is used again after a certain period of time, thereby giving the user a bad smell and discomfort.

Conventionally, after removing the mold of the air conditioner to open the cabinet of the air conditioner in order to remove the mold in the indoor heat exchanger using a spray for removing the mold, the mold has been removed by covering the cabinet of the air conditioner.

On the other hand, Patent Publication No. 2001-0104026 has a separate spray for removing the mold in the interior of the cabinet, a separate button for pressing the spray for removing the mold and a separate door for installing a spray for removing the mold An apparatus and method for removing a mold of an air conditioner are disclosed.

However, the air conditioner according to the prior art has the inconvenience that the user must press the button manually to remove the mold, and the inconvenience of having to open the door and replace the mold removal spray with a new one after using the mold removal spray. There is this.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems of the prior art, the object of the present invention is to automatically clean the indoor heat exchanger to facilitate the user's convenience and to remove the air conditioner that can always be kept clean.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a control method of an air conditioner that can optimally remove mold and the like by cleaning an indoor heat exchanger only when conditions such as mold are mainly grown after cooling operation.

Another object of the present invention, since the refrigeration cycle itself cleans the indoor heat exchanger without a separate mechanism by operating the air conditioner in a heating operation after the cooling operation, since a separate spray to remove mold and the like of the indoor heat exchanger is not necessary It is to provide a control method of an air conditioner that can simplify the structure of the conditioner.

Air conditioner according to the present invention for solving the above problems is a timer for integrating the operation time during the cooling or dehumidification operation of the air conditioner; After the cooling or dehumidifying operation of the air conditioner is finished, whether or not to clean the indoor heat exchanger is determined according to the result of the timer, and when the cleaning operation condition is determined, the air conditioner is cleaned to heat and clean the indoor heat exchanger. It is configured to include a control unit for controlling by operation.

Air conditioner according to the present invention and the humidity sensor for measuring the humidity of the indoor heat exchanger; After the cooling or dehumidification operation of the air conditioner is terminated, it is determined whether to clean the indoor heat exchanger according to the detection result of the humidity sensor, and when the cleaning operation condition is determined, the air conditioner is cleaned to heat and clean the indoor heat exchanger. It is configured to include a control unit for controlling by operation.

The air conditioner according to the present invention includes a timer for integrating the operation time during the cooling or dehumidification operation of the air conditioner; A humidity sensor for measuring humidity of an indoor heat exchanger; After the cooling or dehumidification operation of the air conditioner is finished, it is determined whether to clean the indoor heat exchanger according to the result of the timer and the humidity sensor, and when the cleaning operation condition is determined, the air conditioner is heated to clean the indoor heat exchanger. And a control unit controlling the cleaning operation.

The air conditioner according to the present invention includes a timer for integrating the operation time during the cooling or dehumidification operation of the air conditioner; A temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the indoor heat exchanger; After the cooling or dehumidification operation of the air conditioner is terminated, it is determined whether to clean the indoor heat exchanger according to the result of the timer, and when the cleaning operation condition is determined, the air conditioner is operated as a cleaning operation to heat and clean the indoor heat exchanger. In addition to the control unit is configured to include a control unit for controlling the compressor in accordance with the detection result of the temperature sensor.

Air conditioner according to the present invention and the humidity sensor for measuring the humidity of the indoor heat exchanger; A temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the indoor heat exchanger; After the cooling or dehumidification operation of the air conditioner is terminated, it is determined whether to clean the indoor heat exchanger according to the detection result of the humidity sensor, and when the cleaning operation condition is determined, the air conditioner is cleaned to heat and clean the indoor heat exchanger. In addition to controlling by the operation is configured to include a control unit for controlling the compressor in accordance with the detection result of the temperature sensor.

The air conditioner according to the present invention includes a timer for integrating the operation time during the cooling or dehumidification operation of the air conditioner; A humidity sensor for measuring humidity of an indoor heat exchanger; A temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the indoor heat exchanger; After the cooling or dehumidification operation of the air conditioner is finished, it is determined whether to clean the indoor heat exchanger according to the result of the timer and the humidity sensor, and when the cleaning operation condition is determined, the air conditioner is heated to clean the indoor heat exchanger. And a control unit for controlling the compressor according to the sensing result of the temperature sensor and controlling the cleaning operation.

A control method of an air conditioner according to the present invention includes a cooling or dehumidifying operation step of performing an air conditioner in a cooling operation or a dehumidification operation; After the end of the cooling or dehumidifying operation step, if the integrated time of the completed cooling or dehumidifying operation step and the time of the previous cooling or dehumidifying operation step is equal to or greater than a set time, an indoor heat exchanger cleaning for cleaning the indoor heat exchanger It consists of steps.

The control method of the air conditioner includes a blowing step of driving an indoor blower to blow air to the indoor heat exchanger when the integration time is less than a predetermined time.

A control method of an air conditioner according to the present invention includes: a cooling or dehumidifying operation step in which an air conditioner performs a cooling operation or a dehumidification operation; After the end of the cooling or dehumidifying operation step, if the humidity of the indoor heat exchanger is more than the set humidity, and comprises an indoor heat exchanger cleaning step for cleaning the indoor heat exchanger.

The control method of the air conditioner includes a blowing step of driving the indoor blower to blow air to the indoor heat exchanger when the humidity of the indoor heat exchanger is less than the set humidity.

A control method of an air conditioner according to the present invention includes: a cooling or dehumidifying operation step in which an air conditioner performs a cooling operation or a dehumidification operation; After the end of the cooling or dehumidifying operation step, if the humidity of the indoor heat exchanger is equal to or higher than the set humidity and the time obtained by integrating the time of the completed cooling or dehumidifying operation step and the time of the previous cooling or dehumidifying operation step is equal to or greater than the setting time. And an indoor heat exchanger cleaning step of cleaning the indoor heat exchanger.

The control method of the air conditioner includes a blowing step of driving the indoor blower to blow air to the indoor heat exchanger when the humidity of the indoor heat exchanger is less than the set humidity or the integration time is less than the set time.

The control method of the air conditioner resets the integration time to O if the heating operation is performed while the time of the cooling operation or the dehumidification operation step is integrated.

The indoor heat exchanger cleaning step may include: a blowing process of driving an indoor blower to blow air into the indoor heat exchanger; After the blowing process includes driving the indoor blower to blow air to the indoor heat exchanger, and the blower / heating process for driving the compressor to heat the indoor heat exchanger and controlling the four-way valve in the heating mode.

In the indoor heat exchanger cleaning step, the time of the blowing / heating process is set longer than the time of the blowing process.

The blowing process is carried out for a blowing set time longer than the time the compressor is stabilized.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a schematic block diagram showing a refrigerant flow when the first embodiment of the air conditioner according to the present invention is a cooling operation, Figure 2 is an indoor heat exchange after the first embodiment of the air conditioner according to the present invention is finished cooling operation The schematic flow diagram shows the refrigerant flow when cleaning the machine.

1 and 2 includes an indoor heat exchanger (2) for cooling / dehumidifying or heating indoor air by heat exchange with a refrigerant; An outdoor heat exchanger (4) serving as a condenser for condensing refrigerant when the indoor heat exchanger (2) acts as a cooling / dehumidifier and an evaporator for evaporating refrigerant when the indoor heat exchanger (2) serves as a heater; A compressor (6) (7) for compressing a low temperature low pressure gas refrigerant to supply a high temperature and high pressure gas refrigerant to an indoor heat exchanger (2) or an outdoor heat exchanger (4), an indoor heat exchanger (2) and an outdoor heat exchanger It is comprised between the expansion mechanism 8 provided between (4) and expanding a refrigerant | coolant to low temperature low pressure, and a four-way valve (10: 10-way valve) which is a flow path switching valve which switches the flow of a refrigerant | coolant.

Here, the indoor heat exchanger (2), the outdoor heat exchanger (4), the compressors (6, 16), and the expansion mechanism (8) are connected to the four-way valve (10) by a refrigerant circuit that is a refrigerant pipe (11) to constitute a refrigeration system. do.

In the air conditioner as described above, the indoor heat exchanger (2) is provided in the indoor unit (I), and the outdoor heat exchanger (4), the compressor (6), the expansion mechanism (8), and the four-way valve (10) are the outdoor unit (O). It is also possible to comprise a separate air conditioner provided in the), the indoor heat exchanger (2), the outdoor heat exchanger (4), the compressor (6) (7), the expansion mechanism (8) and the four-way valve (10) It is also possible to consist of an integrated air conditioner provided together in the cabinet.

Hereinafter, for convenience of description, it will be described by being limited to the split type air conditioner.

The indoor unit (I) has a drain mechanism (3) for receiving condensed water condensed on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger (2) and discharged therein, and the indoor air is sucked into the indoor unit (I) to exchange heat with the indoor heat exchanger (2). After the indoor blower 12 for discharging back to the room is provided.

The outdoor unit O is provided with an outdoor blower 13 which sucks outdoor air into the outdoor unit O to exchange heat with the outdoor heat exchanger 4 and then discharges the outdoor air back to the outdoor unit O.

Since the outdoor unit O has a variable compression capacity of the refrigerant, a plurality of compressors 6 and 7 may be provided to selectively drive / stop the plurality of compressors 6 and 7 according to the load. It is also possible for the compressor to consist of an inverter compressor whose compression capacity varies with frequency change.

Hereinafter, a plurality of compressors 6 and 7 are installed in the outdoor unit O, but the operating capacity of the compressors 6 and 7 is different from each other, and the large-capacity compressor 6 which is responsible for 60% of the total compression capacity is provided. And the small capacity compressor 7 which is responsible for 40% of the total compression capacity.

In the outdoor unit (O), if liquid refrigerant that has not been evaporated from the indoor heat exchanger (2) or the outdoor heat exchanger (4) enters the compressor (6) (7), it may cause a failure of the compressor (6) (7). Therefore, a common accumulator 14 is provided to which suction pipes 6a and 7a of each of the plurality of compressors 6 and 7 are connected so that the liquid refrigerant can be stored.

The outdoor unit O is mounted on the discharge pipes 6b and 7b of each of the compressors 6 and 7 and the compressor discharged from the compressor being driven (for example, the large capacity compressor 6) is stopped. Reverse displacements 6c and 7c are provided so as not to flow into the small capacity compressor 7 side.

Meanwhile, the four-way valve 10 is connected to the discharge pipes 6b and 7b of the compressors 6 and 7, the indoor heat exchanger 2, the outdoor heat exchanger 4, the common accumulator 14, and the refrigerant pipe to be cooled. The high temperature and high pressure gas refrigerant compressed by the compressor (6) (7) during operation or dehumidification operation is led to the outdoor heat exchanger (4), and the high temperature and high pressure gas refrigerant compressed by the compressor (6) (7) during the heating operation. To the indoor heat exchanger (2).

In addition, the air conditioner operates the air conditioner in any one of various operations such as cooling operation, dehumidification operation, and heating operation according to a user input. In particular, after the completion of the cooling operation or the dehumidification operation, It is configured to include a control device that performs an operation (hereinafter referred to as "cleaning operation") to automatically remove mold and the like.

The control device includes a timer (15) for integrating the operation time during the cooling or dehumidification operation of the air conditioner; A temperature sensor 17 for sensing the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 2; When the cooling operation or the dehumidification operation of the air conditioner is terminated by the user's input or reservation, etc., it is determined whether or not the indoor heat exchanger 2 is cleaned or not according to the result of the timer 15. And a control unit 18 for controlling the air conditioner in the cleaning operation to clean the heat exchanger 2 in a heating manner.

Here, the timer 15 is a kind of cleaning detection mechanism for detecting whether or not the indoor heat exchanger 2 is cleaned. The timer 15 counts time by a signal of the controller 18 and outputs the counted time to the controller 18. .

3 is a flowchart illustrating a first embodiment of a method for controlling an air conditioner according to the present invention.

The control method of the air conditioner according to the present embodiment includes the cooling or dehumidifying operation steps (S1 to S4), the indoor heat exchanger cleaning determination steps (S5 and S6), and the subsequent indoor heat exchanger cleaning steps (S7 to S4). S11) is configured.

First, in the cooling or dehumidifying operation steps S1 to S5, when the cooling or dehumidifying operation is input by a user or the like, the controller 18 drives the indoor blower 12 and the outdoor blower 13, and the compressors 6 and 7 are applied. ) And control the four-way valve 10 to the cooling mode. (S1) (S2)

In the air conditioner, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor (6) (7) passes through the four-way valve (10), the outdoor heat exchanger (4), the expansion mechanism (8), the indoor heat exchanger (2), and the four-way valve (10). 6) circulated to (7), the refrigerant is condensed by releasing heat to the surroundings when passing through the outdoor heat exchanger (4), take the heat of the surroundings when passing through the indoor heat exchanger (2) to evaporate the indoor air Cool or dehumidify.

When the cooling operation or the dehumidification operation is terminated by the user's input or reservation during the cooling operation or the dehumidification operation as described above, the controller 18 controls the indoor blower 12, the outdoor blower 13, and the compressor 6, 7. (S3) (S4).

Then, the timer 15 accumulates the time of the cooling operation or the time of the dehumidification operation. (S5)

Here, the timer 15 sums not only the time of the stopped cooling or dehumidifying operation but also the time of the cooling operation and the dehumidifying operation which were performed before.

For example, when the air conditioner is terminated after 2 hours of dehumidification operation, stops for 1 hour without cooling operation or no dehumidification operation, and again after cooling operation for 3 hours, the timer 15 is dehumidified. The total of dehumidified operation time and cooling operation time is summed up to 5 hours by subtracting the stop time between operation and cooling operation, and the air conditioner is terminated after 3 hours of cooling operation, and is not operated for 2 hours for cooling or dehumidification operation. After stopping in the non-operation state, and after the cooling operation for one hour is finished, the timer 15 subtracts the stop time between the cooling operations and adds all the cooling operation times to 4 hours.

Here, when the heating operation is performed by a user or the like, the control unit 18 is heated by the refrigerant during the heating operation, and removes moisture, mold, etc. on the surface by the heat, thereby causing a miracle in the timer 15. Reset the calculated run time to zero.

For example, if the heating operation is performed by a user or the like while the integration time of the cooling operation and the dehumidification operation is accumulated in a total of 17 hours, the accumulated 17 hours are reset to 0, and the cooling operation or dehumidification is performed again after the heating operation. When the operation is performed, the time of the cooling operation or the dehumidification operation performed after the heating operation is accumulated again from the beginning.

On the other hand, the control unit 18 compares the integration time of the above-described cooling operation or dehumidification operation with the set time. (S6)

Here, the set time is a reference time set to determine whether or not to perform the cleaning operation, it is preferably set to be shorter than the time that the mold on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger (2) is multiplied to adversely affect the human body, It is preferably set to about 20 hours in consideration of bacterial growth time such as mold.

If the integrated operation time is more than the set time, the control unit 18 determines the indoor heat exchanger cleaning operation steps (S7 to S11), and if not, determines the blowing steps (S12 to S14).

In the indoor heat exchanger cleaning operation steps S7 to S11, air is blown through the indoor heat exchanger 2 while the indoor heat exchanger 2 is heated with a high temperature refrigerant to remove mold and the like on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 2. As a step, it is also possible to stop the indoor blower 12, etc., which were driven during the cooling operation or the dehumidification operation, and then drive some of them again, while cooling or dehumidifying the step while continuing to drive the indoor blower 12 and the like. It is also possible to carry out continuously.

Hereinafter, the cooling or dehumidification step and the indoor heat exchanger cleaning operation step will be described as being performed in succession.

On the other hand, the indoor heat exchanger cleaning operation step is a blowing process (S7) for blowing only air to the indoor heat exchanger (2), and after the blowing process (S7) while blowing the air to the indoor heat exchanger (2) while heating the flow of the refrigerant It is composed of a blowing / heating process (S8), S9, S10, and S11, which are switched as in operation and heat-drys the indoor heat exchanger 2 with the high temperature and high pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressors 6 and 7.

Here, the blowing process (S7) is a process of driving only the indoor blower 12 without driving the compressors 6 and 7 and the outdoor blower 13, and the indoor air is driven when the indoor blower 13 is driven. Some of the water on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 2 is separated from the indoor heat exchanger 2 while hitting the heat exchanger 2 and then discharged to the room together with the moisture.

On the other hand, the blowing process (S7) is preferably carried out with the amount of air and time that separates the moisture on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger (2) as much as possible from the surface of the indoor heat exchanger (2), if the air conditioner is operated too long ( That is, the driving time of the indoor blower) may be too long to decrease the reliability, and if too short, the separation rate of the water may be lowered, and subsequent blow / heating processes (S8) (S9) (S10) (S11). The system such as the compressor becomes unstable as a whole when the refrigerant flow is switched in the same manner as in the heating operation, so that the entire system such as the stationary compressors (6) and (7) is preferably longer than the stabilization time. It will be described as being limited to being performed only during the blow setting time set longer than the time that the whole is stabilized.

Here, the blow setting time is a time when the system is stabilized in a conventional air conditioner, and in the case of a conventional air conditioner, the system is generally designed to be stabilized within about 3 minutes.

That is, the controller 18 independently drives only the indoor blower 12 during the blow setting time, and when the blow setting time elapses, performs the subsequent blow / heating process.

The controller 18 drives the compressors 6 and 7 and the outdoor blower 13 while continuously driving the indoor blower 12 after the blowing process S7 is performed for the blow setting time, and the four-way valve 10 ) To the heating operation mode.

Here, the controller 18 preferably heats the indoor heat exchanger 2 at a temperature and a time at which mold and the like on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 2 are optimally removed.

The control unit 18 controls the compressor 6 and 7 to be turned on / off so that the indoor heat exchanger 2 maintains the set temperature range (for example, 60 ° C. to 65 ° C.) during the blowing / heating setting time.

Here, the blowing / heating setting time is a time during which the blowing / heating process is performed, and is set to a time at which mold and the like are minimized by experiments, and the set temperature range is a target temperature of the indoor heat exchanger during the blowing / heating process. By the time the mold is minimized.

The controller 18 compares the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 17 with the upper limit temperature and the lower limit temperature of the set temperature range, and if the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 17 exceeds the upper limit temperature, the compressor 6, 7 is turned on. The compressor 6 and 7 are turned on when the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 17 is lower than the lower limit temperature.

On the other hand, the control unit 18 may turn on / off all of the plurality of compressors 6 and 7 when the compressors 6 and 7 are formed in plural, or may turn on or off only one of the two, When the compressor is composed of an inverter compressor, it is also possible to adjust the frequency of the compressor in response to the temperature change of the indoor heat exchanger (2).

The control unit 18 is composed of a plurality of compressor (6) (7), when the capacity of the compressor (6) (7) is different, the power consumption is not increased and the large-capacity compressor (6) is often turned on / It is most desirable to control only the small capacity compressor 7 on / off in order not to be off.

In the air conditioner, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor (6) (7) passes through the four-way valve (10), the indoor heat exchanger (2), the expansion mechanism (8), the indoor heat exchanger (4), and the four-way valve (10). Circulated to the compressor (6) (7), the refrigerant is condensed while releasing heat to the surroundings when passing through the indoor heat exchanger (2), takes the surrounding heat when passing through the outdoor heat exchanger (4) and evaporates.

When the refrigerant flows as described above, mold and the like on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 2 are removed by the heat transferred from the refrigerant, and moisture on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 2 is evaporated by the heat transferred from the refrigerant and the indoor blower 12 Is moved into the room together with the air blown to the indoor heat exchanger (2).

That is, the indoor heat exchanger (2) is heated and dried by heat and air to remove the mold and the like on the surface, and the surface moisture is reduced, and until the next cooling operation or dehumidification operation is carried out, The possibility is minimized.

The controller 18 drives the compressors 6 and 7 and switches the four-way valve 10 to the heating mode, and when the blow / heat setting time elapses, the compressor 6 and 7 and the indoor blower 12 ) And the outdoor blower 13 are stopped and the outdoor heat exchanger cleaning step is finished.

On the other hand, in the blowing steps S12 to S14, when the integrated operation time is shorter than the set time, since the mold and the like on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 2 do not have a great influence on the human body, the indoor heat exchanger 2 is heated. Instead, only air is blown into the indoor heat exchanger (2).

That is, the controller 18 drives only the indoor blower 12 alone without driving the compressors 6 and 7 and the outdoor blower 13.

When the indoor blower 13 is driven, the indoor air collides with the indoor heat exchanger 2 to separate some of the water on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 2 from the indoor heat exchanger 2, and then is discharged together with the water. S12)

The controller 18 independently drives the indoor blower 12 during the blow setting time, and stops driving the indoor blower when the blow setting time has elapsed. (S13) (S14)

Figure 4 is a graph showing the results of the experiment to remove the mold and the like on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger in accordance with the control method of the air conditioner according to the time and temperature and humidity.

As shown in Figure 4, the mold and the like on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger (2) is rapidly reduced until the heating time reaches 5 minutes when the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger (2) is approximately 60 ℃ to 65 ℃ After 5 minutes, the temperature is gradually decreased, and it is preferable to perform about 3 to 7 minutes while controlling the on / off of the compressors 6 and 7 so that the surface temperature of the indoor heat exchanger reaches about 60 to 65 ° C. .

In addition, in the case of wet air having a high moisture content of the air, mold, etc., is more reduced than in the case of a dry air having a relatively low moisture content of the air.

On the other hand, the air conditioner consumes more power when the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 2 is heated to 65 ° C. than when heated to 60 ° C., as shown in FIG. 4, the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 2 is increased. Compared to the case of heating at 60 ° C. for about 5 minutes and the case where the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 2 is heated at 65 ° C. for about 5 minutes, the survival rate of mold and the like does not show a large difference. Considering this, it is most preferable to heat the indoor heat exchanger to about 60 ° C. for about 5 minutes.

5 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a refrigerant flow when the second embodiment of the air conditioner according to the present invention is a cooling operation, and FIG. 6 is an indoor heat exchange after the second embodiment of the air conditioner according to the present invention is finished. The schematic flow diagram shows the refrigerant flow when cleaning the machine.

The control apparatus of the air conditioner according to the present embodiment includes: a humidity sensor 16 for measuring humidity of an indoor heat exchanger 2; After cooling or dehumidifying operation of the air conditioner, it is determined whether or not the indoor heat exchanger 2 is cleaned according to the result of the humidity sensor 16. If the cleaning operation condition is determined, the indoor heat exchanger 2 is heated and cleaned. And a control unit 18 for controlling the air conditioner in the cleaning operation.

The humidity sensor 16 is a cleaning detection mechanism, which is installed on or around the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 2 to measure the humidity of the surface or ambient of the indoor heat exchanger 2.

The control device of the air conditioner according to the present embodiment determines whether or not the cleaning operation by using the humidity sensor 16 in place of the timer of the first embodiment of the present invention. Same as or similar to the first embodiment of the invention, detailed description thereof is omitted.

7 is a flowchart illustrating a second embodiment of a control method of an air conditioner according to the present invention.

The control method of the air conditioner according to the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment of the present invention, the cooling or dehumidification operation step (S1 to S4), the indoor heat exchanger cleaning determination step (S5 ', S6'), And an indoor heat exchanger cleaning step (S7 to S11) and a blowing step (S12 to S14).

The cooling or dehumidifying operation steps S1 to S4, the indoor heat exchanger cleaning steps S7 to S11, and the blowing steps S12 to S14 are the same as or similar to those of the first embodiment of the present invention, and thus detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

The humidity sensor 16 measures the humidity of the surface or the surroundings of the indoor heat exchanger 2 and outputs the humidity to the controller S5 ′, and the controller 16 ends the cooling or dehumidification operation, that is, the indoor blower 12. ) And the outdoor blower 13 and the compressor 6 and 7 are stopped, and the humidity measured by the humidity sensor 16 is compared with the set humidity S6 ′).

Here, the set humidity is a reference humidity set to determine whether or not to perform the cleaning operation, it is preferably set to less than the humidity that mold and the like easily on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger (2).

If the humidity measured by the humidity sensor 16 is greater than the set humidity, the control unit 18 determines the indoor heat exchanger cleaning operation steps S7 to S11 to perform the indoor heat exchanger cleaning operation step. It determines with S12-S14), and performs a blowing step.

8 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a refrigerant flow when the third embodiment of the air conditioner according to the present invention is a cooling operation, and FIG. 9 is an indoor heat exchange after the third embodiment of the air conditioner according to the present invention is finished. The schematic flow diagram shows the refrigerant flow when cleaning the machine.

An apparatus for controlling an air conditioner according to the present embodiment includes a timer 15 that integrates an operation time during cooling or dehumidification operation of an air conditioner; A humidity sensor 16 for measuring humidity of the indoor heat exchanger 2; After the cooling or dehumidification operation of the air conditioner is terminated, the cleaning operation of the indoor heat exchanger 2 is determined according to the results of the timer 15 and the humidity sensor 16. When the cleaning operation condition is determined, the indoor heat exchanger ( And a control unit 18 for controlling the air conditioner by the cleaning operation to heat and clean 2).

Here, the timer 15 and the humidity sensor 16 are a cleaning detection mechanism, and since the timer 15 is the same as the first embodiment of the present invention, the same reference numerals are used and detailed description thereof will be omitted, and the humidity sensor 16 will be omitted. Since the same as the second embodiment of the present invention, the same reference numerals are used, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The control unit 18 controls the air conditioner according to the result of one or both of the timer 15 and the humidity sensor 16.

That is, the controller 18 may determine whether or not the cleaning operation is performed regardless of the integration time of the timer 15 when the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 16 is greater than or equal to the set humidity. If the time is more than the set time, it is also possible to determine whether or not the cleaning operation regardless of the humidity measured by the humidity sensor 16, the time detected by the timer 15 is more than the set humidity and accumulated in the timer 15 If it is more than this set time, it is also possible to determine whether or not cleaning operation is performed.

Hereinafter, the controller 18 performs the indoor heat exchanger cleaning step S7 when both conditions are satisfied, that is, when the humidity detected by the timer 15 is greater than or equal to the set humidity and the time accumulated in the timer 15 is greater than or equal to the set time. S11), and if one of the two conditions is not satisfied, that is, if the humidity sensed by the timer 15 is less than the set humidity or if the time accumulated in the timer 15 is less than the set time, the blowing step ( It demonstrates only to implementing S12-S14).

10 is a flowchart illustrating a third embodiment of a control method of an air conditioner according to the present invention.

The control method of the air conditioner according to the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment of the present invention, the cooling or dehumidification operation step (S1 ~ S4), the indoor heat exchanger cleaning determination step (S5 ", S6"), And an indoor heat exchanger cleaning step (S7 to S11) and a blowing step (S12 to S14).

The cooling or dehumidifying operation steps S1 to S4, the indoor heat exchanger cleaning steps S7 to S11, and the blowing steps S12 to S14 are the same as or similar to those of the first embodiment of the present invention, and thus detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

The indoor heat exchanger cleaning determination step (S5 ″, S6 ″) consists of a humidity sensing and comparing process 5 ″ and a timer integration and comparison process 6 ″.

The humidity sensor 16 measures the humidity of the surface or the ambient of the indoor heat exchanger 2 and outputs it to the controller 18, and the controller 18 ends the cooling or dehumidifying operation, that is, the indoor blower 12. And the outdoor blower 13 and the compressor 6 and 7 are stopped, and the humidity measured by the humidity sensor 16 is compared with the set humidity (S5 ″).

If the humidity measured by the humidity sensor 16 is greater than or equal to the set humidity, the controller 18 compares the time accumulated in the timer 15 with the set time. (S6 ″)

If the humidity measured by the humidity sensor 16 is greater than or equal to the set humidity and the time accumulated in the timer 15 is greater than or equal to the set time, the controller 18 determines the indoor heat exchanger cleaning operation steps S7 to S11. To perform the indoor heat exchanger cleaning operation step, and set the time accumulated in the timer 15 when the humidity measured by the humidity sensor 16 is less than the set humidity or the humidity measured by the humidity sensor 16 is higher than the set humidity. If less than time, it determines with blowing steps S12-S14, and performs a blowing step.

The control device of the air conditioner of the present invention configured as described above, by using any one of the timer and the humidity sensor to determine whether the cleaning operation can optimally detect the cleaning conditions of the indoor heat exchanger, and automatically Cleaning by means of convenience for the user and has the advantage that can always be kept clean.

The control method of the air conditioner of the present invention can simplify the structure of the air conditioner, since an additional heater or spray for heating the indoor heat exchanger is not required by operating the air conditioner in a heating operation after the cooling or dehumidifying operation. There is an advantage.

In addition, the control method of the air conditioner of the present invention, there is an advantage that the mold and the like can be optimally removed by cleaning the indoor heat exchanger when the humidity, such as mold is mainly multiplied after the cooling or dehumidification operation or the operation integration time.

In addition, the control method of the air conditioner according to the present invention minimizes the moisture on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger by blowing air to the indoor heat exchanger even if the mold is not humidified or the time of operation integration after the cooling or dehumidification operation. Therefore, there is an advantage of minimizing the possibility of growth of mold and the like.

In addition, the control method of the air conditioner of the present invention has the advantage that if the heating operation is performed in the middle of the time of the cooling operation or the dehumidification operation step, the integration time is reset to 0 so that unnecessary cleaning operation is not performed.

In addition, the control method of the air conditioner of the present invention, by removing the moisture by blowing the air to the indoor heat exchanger to remove the moisture during the cleaning operation conditions, and then to remove the mold and the like by blowing the air while heating the indoor heat exchanger, There is an advantage that the system can be run stably while efficiently removing the back.

In addition, the control method of the air conditioner of the present invention, there is an advantage that the mold and the like can be optimally removed by heating the indoor heat exchanger in the set temperature range determined by the experiment or the like during the blowing / heating set time determined by the experiment.

Claims (16)

A timer for integrating the operation time during the cooling or dehumidification operation of the air conditioner; After the cooling or dehumidifying operation of the air conditioner is finished, whether or not to clean the indoor heat exchanger is determined according to the result of the timer, and when the cleaning operation condition is determined, the air conditioner is cleaned to heat and clean the indoor heat exchanger. Control device for an air conditioner comprising a control unit for controlling by operation. A humidity sensor for measuring humidity of an indoor heat exchanger; After the cooling or dehumidification operation of the air conditioner is terminated, it is determined whether to clean the indoor heat exchanger according to the detection result of the humidity sensor, and when the cleaning operation condition is determined, the air conditioner is cleaned to heat and clean the indoor heat exchanger. Control device for an air conditioner comprising a control unit for controlling by operation.  A timer for integrating the operation time during the cooling or dehumidification operation of the air conditioner; A humidity sensor for measuring humidity of an indoor heat exchanger; After the cooling or dehumidification operation of the air conditioner is finished, it is determined whether to clean the indoor heat exchanger according to the result of the timer and the humidity sensor, and when the cleaning operation condition is determined, the air conditioner is heated to clean the indoor heat exchanger. And a control unit for controlling the cleaning operation.  A timer for integrating the operation time during the cooling or dehumidification operation of the air conditioner; A temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the indoor heat exchanger; After the cooling or dehumidification operation of the air conditioner is terminated, it is determined whether to clean the indoor heat exchanger according to the result of the timer, and when the cleaning operation condition is determined, the air conditioner is operated as a cleaning operation to heat and clean the indoor heat exchanger. And a control unit for controlling the compressor according to the detection result of the temperature sensor. A humidity sensor for measuring humidity of an indoor heat exchanger; A temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the indoor heat exchanger; After the cooling or dehumidification operation of the air conditioner is terminated, it is determined whether to clean the indoor heat exchanger according to the detection result of the humidity sensor, and when the cleaning operation condition is determined, the air conditioner is cleaned to heat and clean the indoor heat exchanger. The control device of the air conditioner, characterized in that it comprises a control unit for controlling the compressor in accordance with the detection result of the temperature sensor and the operation.  A timer for integrating the operation time during the cooling or dehumidification operation of the air conditioner; A humidity sensor for measuring humidity of an indoor heat exchanger; A temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the indoor heat exchanger; After the cooling or dehumidification operation of the air conditioner is finished, it is determined whether to clean the indoor heat exchanger according to the result of the timer and the humidity sensor, and when the cleaning operation condition is determined, the air conditioner is heated to clean the indoor heat exchanger. And a control unit for controlling the compressor according to the sensing result of the temperature sensor and controlling the cleaning operation. A cooling or dehumidifying operation step in which the air conditioner performs cooling operation or dehumidification operation; After the end of the cooling or dehumidifying operation step, if the integrated time of the completed cooling or dehumidifying operation step and the time of the previous cooling or dehumidifying operation step is equal to or greater than a set time, an indoor heat exchanger cleaning for cleaning the indoor heat exchanger Control method of an air conditioner, characterized in that comprises a step. The method of claim 7, wherein The control method of the air conditioner comprises a blowing step of driving an indoor blower to blow air to the indoor heat exchanger when the integration time is less than a set time. A cooling or dehumidifying operation step in which the air conditioner performs cooling operation or dehumidification operation; And controlling the indoor heat exchanger to clean the indoor heat exchanger if the humidity of the indoor heat exchanger is equal to or greater than a set humidity after the completion of the cooling or dehumidifying operation step. The method of claim 9, The control method of the air conditioner comprises a blowing step of driving the indoor blower to blow air to the indoor heat exchanger when the humidity of the indoor heat exchanger is less than the set humidity. A cooling or dehumidifying operation step in which the air conditioner performs cooling operation or dehumidification operation;   After the end of the cooling or dehumidifying operation step, if the humidity of the indoor heat exchanger is equal to or higher than the set humidity and the time obtained by integrating the time of the completed cooling or dehumidifying operation step and the time of the previous cooling or dehumidifying operation step is equal to or greater than the setting time. And an indoor heat exchanger cleaning step of cleaning the indoor heat exchanger. The method of claim 11, The control method of the air conditioner comprises a blowing step of driving the indoor blower to blow air to the indoor heat exchanger when the humidity of the indoor heat exchanger is less than the set humidity or the integration time is less than the set time. Control method of air conditioner. The method according to claim 7 or 11, The control method of the air conditioner, the control method of the air conditioner, characterized in that the integration time is reset to O if the heating operation is performed during the time of the cooling operation or dehumidification operation step is integrated. The method according to any one of claims 7 and 9 and 11, The indoor heat exchanger cleaning step may include: a blowing process of driving an indoor blower to blow air into the indoor heat exchanger; Control of an air conditioner including a blower / heating process of driving an indoor blower to blow air to the indoor heat exchanger after the blowing process, driving a compressor to heat the indoor heat exchanger, and controlling a four-way valve in a heating mode. Way. The method of claim 14, In the indoor heat exchanger cleaning step, the time of the blowing / heating process is greater than the time of the blowing process. The method of claim 14, The blowing process is a control method of the air conditioner, characterized in that carried out for a set blow time longer than the time the compressor is stabilized.

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