AIR CONDITIONER OUTDOOR UNIT AND VENTILATION METHOD USING SAME

BACKGROUND
Field

The disclosure relates to an air conditioner, and for example, to an outdoor unit of an air conditioner and a ventilation method using the same.

Description of Related Art

An air conditioner is a device that cools or heats air using a refrigeration cycle and discharges the cooled or heated air to control the indoor temperature.

Generally, the air conditioner may include an outdoor unit configured to exchange heat with outside air and an indoor unit configured to exchange heat with indoor air.

The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the prior art may include a dust senor and a dust collecting device.

The dust sensor is configured to measure indoor dust concentration, and the dust collecting device is configured to purify indoor air by filtering dust contained in indoor air.

Therefore, the air conditioner may detect the indoor dust concentration, identify the degree of contamination of the indoor air, and operate the dust collecting device according to the degree of contamination. In detail, when the indoor dust concentration exceeds the reference concentration, the air conditioner may operate the dust collecting device to collect dust contained in the indoor air, thereby purifying the indoor air.

However, because the air conditioner according to the prior art has the dust sensor disposed in the indoor unit, it may detect the high duct concentration of the indoor air and purify the indoor air only after dust enters the room and the dust concentration of the indoor air increases.

In other words, the air conditioner according to the prior art has a problem in that when the dust concentration of outside air is high, it cannot prevent the dust concentration of the indoor air from rising by preemptively operating the dust collecting device of the indoor unit.

SUMMARY

The disclosure has been developed in order to address the above drawbacks and other problems associated with the conventional arrangement.

Embodiments of the disclosure provide an outdoor unit of an air conditioner that can preemptively prevent and/or reduce indoor air from being contaminated by providing a dust sensor capable of measuring dust concentration of outside air in the outdoor unit.

Embodiments of the disclosure provide a ventilation method using an air conditioner including an outdoor unit equipped with a dust sensor.

According to an example embodiment of the disclosure, an outdoor unit of an air conditioner may include: a cabinet including a heat exchanger, a compressor, and a fan; an internal cabinet provided inside the cabinet; a passage provided at a lower portion of the internal cabinet and in through which air flows; a vent provided at an upper portion of the internal cabinet and configured to discharge introduced air therethrough; an air guide duct disposed inside the internal cabinet; and a dust sensor disposed in the air guide duct and configured to detect dust concentration of the air passing through the internal cabinet.

A movement direction of air inside the internal cabinet may be from a lower surface to an upper surface of the internal cabinet. The air guide duct may be provided so that some of the air passing through the internal cabinet flows into the air guide duct in a direction perpendicular or inclined to the movement direction of air, and the air passing through the dust sensor is discharged from the air guide duct in parallel to the movement direction of air.

The air guide duct may be disposed parallel to the lower surface of the internal cabinet.

The air guide duct may be disposed at an angle with respect to the lower surface of the internal cabinet.

The dust sensor may include: an air flow path including an entrance and an exit; a sensing unit comprising a sensor disposed in the air flow path and configured to detect dust concentration of air flowing through the air flow path; and a sensor fan causing the air to flow in the air flow path.

The dust sensor may be disposed inside the air guide duct.

The air guide duct may include an inflow portion connected to the entrance of the air flow path of the dust sensor; a discharge portion connected to the exit of the air flow path; and an inner partition wall configured to divide the inflow portion and the discharge portion.

The discharge portion may include a chimney protruding beyond the inflow portion.

The dust sensor may be disposed on an outer surface of the air guide duct.

The air guide duct may include: an inflow hole provided on one surface of the air guide duct and corresponding to the entrance of the air flow path of the dust sensor; a discharge hole provided on the one surface of the air guide duct and corresponding to the exit of the air flow path and spaced a specified distance from the inflow hole; and an inner partition wall configured to block an inside of the air guide duct between the inflow hole and the discharge hole.

According to an example embodiment of the disclosure, an outdoor unit of an air conditioner may include: a cabinet including a heat exchanger, a compressor, and a fan; an internal cabinet provided inside the cabinet; a passage provided at a lower portion of the internal cabinet and in through which air flowing inside the cabinet flows; a vent provided at an upper portion of the internal cabinet configured to discharge introduced air; an air guide duct disposed inside the internal cabinet and having an L-shape; and a dust sensor disposed inside the air guide duct and configured to detect dust concentration of the air passing through the internal cabinet.

According to an example embodiment of the disclosure, a ventilation method using an air conditioner including an outdoor unit equipped with a dust sensor may include: transmitting, by an air monitor, indoor air quality information; transmitting, by the air conditioner, outdoor air information measured by the dust sensor and temperature sensor of the outdoor unit; and identifying, by a ventilation device, indoor air quality using the indoor air quality information, and based on the indoor air quality being lower than a specified level, performing ventilation using the outdoor air information.

The performing ventilation using the outdoor air information may include: based on an indoor and outdoor temperature difference being less than a reference temperature and the outdoor air quality being lower than a specified level, performing, by the ventilation device, the ventilation by allowing the outdoor air to bypass an energy recovery ventilator and to pass through an air purifier.

The performing ventilation using the outdoor air information may include: based on an indoor and outdoor temperature difference being greater than a reference temperature and the outdoor air quality being lower than a specified level, performing, by the ventilation device, the ventilation by allowing the outdoor air to pass through an energy recovery ventilator and an air purifier.

The performing ventilation using the outdoor air information may include: based on an indoor and outdoor temperature difference being less than a reference temperature and the outdoor air quality being greater than a specified level, performing, by the ventilation device, the ventilation by allowing the outdoor air to bypass an energy recovery ventilator and an air purifier.

The performing ventilation using the outdoor air information may include: based on an indoor and outdoor temperature difference being greater than a reference temperature and the outdoor air quality being greater than a specified level, performing, by the ventilation device, the ventilation by allowing the outdoor air to bypass an air purifier and to pass through an energy recovery ventilator.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example refrigerant circuit of an air conditioner according to various embodiments;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to various embodiments;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an internal cabinet disposed in the outdoor unit of the air conditioner of FIG. 2 according to various embodiments;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a front view illustrating the internal cabinet of FIG. 3 according to various embodiments;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state in which an air guide duct is disposed at an angle in an internal cabinet according to various embodiments;

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which an air guide duct is disposed at an angle in an internal cabinet according to various embodiments;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a dust sensing device according to various embodiments;

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a front view of the dust sensing device of FIG. 7 according to various embodiments;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the dust sensing device of FIG. 7 taken along line I-I according to various embodiments;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a dust sensing device according to various embodiments;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the dust sensing device of FIG. 10 taken along line II-II according to various embodiments;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating the air guide duct of FIG. 10 turned over according to various embodiments;

FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of an air conditioner according to various embodiments;

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating air flow in an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to various embodiments;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view illustrating an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to various embodiments;

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a front view of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner of FIG. 15 according to various embodiments;

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example ventilation system using an air conditioner equipped with an outdoor unit according to various embodiments;

FIG. 18 is a table illustrating an example operation of a ventilation device according to states of indoor air and outside air according to various embodiments;

FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an operating state of a ventilation device according to outside air quality and indoor and outdoor temperature difference according to various embodiments;

FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating an operating state of a ventilation device according to outside air quality and indoor and outdoor temperature difference according to various embodiments;

FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating an operating state of a ventilation device according to outside air quality and indoor and outdoor temperature difference according to various embodiments;

FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating an operating state of a ventilation device according to outside air quality and indoor and outdoor temperature difference according to various embodiments; and

FIG. 23 is a flowchart illustrating an example ventilation method using an air conditioner according to various embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Descriptions below, referring to the accompanying drawings, are provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of various example embodiments of the disclosure. Although various specific details are included to assist in the understanding herein, the above are to be understood as merely example embodiments. Accordingly, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications may be made to various embodiments described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. In addition, descriptions on well-known functions and configurations may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

Terms and words used in the description below and in the claims are not limited to its bibliographical meaning, and are used merely to assist in a clear and coherent understanding of the disclosure. Accordingly, the description below on the various embodiments of the disclosure are provided simply as examples and are not for limiting the disclosure.

Terms such as first and second may be used in describing various elements, but the elements are not limited by the above-described terms. The above-described terms may be used simply for the purpose of distinguishing one element from another element. For example, a first element may be designated as a second element, and likewise, a second element may be designated as a first element without exceeding the scope of protection.

The terms used in describing the various example embodiments of the disclosure may be understood to have meanings generally understood to one of ordinary skill in the art unless otherwise defined.

In addition, terms such as ‘tip end,’ ‘back end,’ ‘upper part,’ ‘lower part,’ ‘upper end,’ ‘lower end,’ and the like used in the disclosure may be understood based on the drawings, and forms and locations of each element are not limited by these terms.

Hereinafter, an air conditioner according to various example embodiments of the disclosure will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example refrigerant circuit of an air conditioner according to various embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 1, an air conditioner may include an indoor unit 1 and an outdoor unit 2.

The indoor unit 1 may be located in a room where air conditioning is to be performed. For example, the indoor unit 1 may be disposed indoors in a home or an office.

The outdoor unit 2 may be disposed outdoors where air conditioning is not performed.

The air conditioner includes a refrigerant circuit that circulates refrigerant between the indoor unit 1 and the outdoor unit 2. The refrigerant circulates between the indoor unit 1 and the outdoor unit 2 along the refrigerant circuit, and may absorb or release heat during state changes (e.g., changing state from gas to liquid, or changing state from liquid to gas).

In order to induce a change in the state of the refrigerant, the refrigerant circuit may include a compressor 10, an outdoor heat exchanger 11, an expansion valve 3, and an indoor heat exchanger 4.

The compressor 10 compresses gaseous refrigerant into a high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant. The high-temperature/high-pressure gaseous refrigerant discharged from the compressor 10 flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 11. In the outdoor heat exchanger 11, the high-temperature/high-pressure gaseous refrigerant becomes a liquid refrigerant by outside air and releases heat. The liquid refrigerant discharged from the outdoor heat exchanger 11 flows into the expansion valve 3.

The outdoor unit 2 may include an outdoor fan 13 for sucking in outside air and allowing the outside air to pass through the outdoor heat exchanger 11. The outdoor fan 13 may be configured to rotate by an outdoor fan motor 14.

In addition, the outdoor unit 2 may include a dust sensor 50 that may detect the concentration of dust contained in the outside air sucked by the outdoor fan 13.

In the following description, for convenience of explanation, the outdoor heat exchanger 11 is referred to as a heat exchanger, and the outdoor fan 13 and the outdoor fan motor 14 are referred to as a fan and a fan motor, respectively.

The expansion valve 3 lowers the pressure and temperature of the liquid refrigerant to generate a low-temperature and low-pressure liquid refrigerant. The low-temperature/low-pressure liquid refrigerant discharged from the expansion valve 3 flows into the indoor heat exchanger 4.

In the indoor heat exchanger 4, the low-temperature/low-pressure liquid refrigerant absorbs heat from the surrounding hot air and evaporates into gaseous refrigerant. The gaseous refrigerant discharged from the indoor heat exchanger 4 flows into the compressor 10 and circulates through the refrigerant circuit again.

The indoor unit 1 may include an indoor fan 5 for sucking in indoor air and allowing the indoor air to pass through the indoor heat exchanger 4. The indoor fan 5 may be configured to rotate by the indoor air fan motor 6.

In addition, the indoor unit 1 may include an indoor dust sensor 7 and a dust collecting device 8. The indoor dust sensor 7 may be configured to measure the concentration of dust contained in indoor air. The dust collecting device 8 is configured to purify indoor air by filtering dust contained in the air sucked in by the indoor fan 5.

As described above, the refrigerant may emit heat in the heat exchanger 11 and absorb heat in the indoor heat exchanger 4. The indoor heat exchanger 4 may be disposed in the indoor unit 1 together with the expansion valve 3, and the heat exchanger 11 may be disposed in the outdoor unit 2 together with the compressor 10. Therefore, the indoor unit 1 may cool the indoor air.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an example outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to various embodiments. For reference, FIG. 2 illustrates a state in which a front cover of a cabinet 20 is removed so that the inside of the cabinet 20 may be seen.

Referring to FIG. 2, the outdoor unit 2 of the air conditioner may include a cabinet 20, a heat exchanger 11, a compressor 10, a fan 13, and an internal cabinet 30. The cabinet 20 forms the outer shape of the outdoor unit 2 and is formed in an approximately hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape. The heat exchanger 11, the compressor 10, the fan 13, and the internal cabinet 30 may be provided inside the cabinet 20.

Air inlets 21 through which outside air flows in may be provided at the rear surface 20a, the left surface 20b, and the right surface 20c of the cabinet 20. The air inlets 21 may be formed as a plurality of openings.

The front surface of the cabinet 20 may be provided with a front opening 22 where a front cover is disposed. The front cover may be detachably disposed in the front opening 22 of the cabinet 20. The front cover may include a plurality of openings through which air flows in.

An air outlet 23 through which air introduced into the cabinet 20 is discharged may be provided on the upper surface 20d of the cabinet 20.

The heat exchanger 11 may be disposed inside the cabinet 20 adjacent to the left surface 20b, the rear surface 20a, and the right surface 20c of the cabinet 20. Accordingly, the air flowing into the air inlets 21 may pass through the heat exchanger 11 and move to the center of the cabinet 20.

The heat exchanger 11 may be formed so that the refrigerant flowing inside the heat exchanger 11 exchanges heat with outside air passing through the heat exchanger 11.

The compressor 10 is disposed inside the cabinet 20. For example, the compressor 10 may be disposed on the lower surface of the cabinet 20. The compressor 10 may be connected to the heat exchanger 11.

The compressor 10 is configured to compress gaseous refrigerant into high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant. The high-temperature/high-pressure gaseous refrigerant discharged from the compressor 10 flows into the heat exchanger 11.

The fan 13 is disposed at the upper portion of the cabinet 20. The fan 13 may be disposed adjacent to the air outlet 23 provided on the upper surface 20d of the cabinet 20. The fan 13 is configured to rotate by the fan motor 14.

When the fan 13 rotates, air flow is generated. In other words, when the fan 13 rotates, outside air flows into the air inlets 21 provided on the front surface, the rear surface 20a, the left surface 20b, and the right surface 20c of the cabinet 20, passes through the fan 13, and is discharged to the outside of the cabinet 20 through the air outlet 23 provided on the upper surface 20d of the cabinet 20.

Because the fan 13 is disposed at the upper portion of the cabinet 20, when the fan 13 rotates, an upward moving air flow is generated inside the cabinet 20.

The internal cabinet 30 is provided inside the cabinet 20. The internal cabinet 30 may be disposed at the upper portion of the cabinet 20. The internal cabinet 30 may be formed separately from the cabinet 20. The compressor 10 is not disposed inside the internal cabinet 30.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an internal cabinet disposed in the outdoor unit of the air conditioner of FIG. 2 according to various embodiments. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a front view of the internal cabinet of FIG. 3 according to various embodiments. For reference, FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a state in which an internal cover 31 of the internal cabinet 30 is separated.

Referring to FIG. 3, the internal cabinet 30 may be formed in a substantially hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape.

Electrical components for supplying power to the compressor 10 and the fan motor 14 and a printed circuit board for controlling the compressor 10 and the fan motor 14 may be accommodated inside the internal cabinet 30. The internal cabinet 30 is formed to protect the electrical components and printed circuit board from rain and snow.

The front surface of the internal cabinet 30 is open. An internal cover 31 may be disposed in an opening 32 of the front surface of the internal cabinet 30. The internal cover 31 may be detachably disposed at the front surface of the internal cabinet 30.

The internal cabinet 30 may be formed so that air introduced into the cabinet 20 by the fan 13 flows from the bottom to the top. For this purpose, an adit (or passage) 33 through which air flows in may be provided at the lower side of the internal cabinet 30, and a vent 34 through which air is discharged may be provided at the upper side of the internal cabinet 30.

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the adit (or passage) 33 may be provided on the lower surface 30a of the internal cabinet 30, and the vent 34 may be provided on the upper surface 30d of the internal cabinet 30.

When the fan 13 operates, air in the cabinet 20 may flow into the internal cabinet 30 through the adit (or passage) 33. The air introduced into the internal cabinet 30 may be discharged to the outside of the internal cabinet 30 through the vent 34.

In other words, when the fan 13 operates, outside air flows into the inside of the cabinet 20 through the air inlet 21 of the cabinet 20, and then is discharged to the outside of the cabinet 20 through the air outlet 23. At this time, some of the air introduced into the cabinet 20 may pass through the internal cabinet 30.

For example, when the fan 13 operates, air flows into the inside of the internal cabinet 30 through the adit (or passage) 33 of the internal cabinet 30, and the air introduced into the internal cabinet 30 is discharged to the outside of the internal cabinet 30 through the vent 34. Accordingly, the direction of the air flow flowing inside the internal cabinet 30, that is, the moving direction of air in the internal cabinet 30, is from the lower surface 30a to the upper surface 30b of the internal cabinet 30.

The electrical components and printed circuit board disposed in the internal cabinet 30 may be cooled by air passing through the internal cabinet 30.

In addition, because some of the outside air flowing into the cabinet 20 passes through the internal cabinet 30 and moves to the fan 13, the air flow inside the internal cabinet 30 is slower and more stable than the air flow inside the cabinet 20, which is formed by the outside air flowing into the cabinet 20 and moving directly to the fan 13 without passing through the internal cabinet 30. In other words, the air flow in the internal cabinet 30 is slower and more stable than the air flow in the cabinet 20.

The air guide duct 40 may be disposed inside the internal cabinet 30. The air guide duct 40 may be formed to guide air to the dust sensor 50. In addition, the air guide duct 40 may be formed to discharge air discharged from the dust sensor 50 to the internal cabinet 30.

The air guide duct 40 may be fixed to one side surface of the internal cabinet 30. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the air guide duct 40 is fixed to the left surface of the internal cabinet 30. However, the installation position of the air guide duct 40 is not limited thereto. The air guide duct 40 may be disposed anywhere where it does not interfere with the electrical components and printed circuit board disposed in the internal cabinet 30.

The air guide duct 40 may include an inlet 41 through which air is introduced and an outlet 42 through which air is discharged.

The air guide duct 40 may be formed so that some of the air passing through the internal cabinet 30 flows into the air guide duct 40 in a direction perpendicular to or oblique to the movement direction of air in the internal cabinet 30. In addition, the air guide duct 40 may be formed so that air that has passed through the dust sensor 50 may be discharged from the air guide duct 40 in parallel with the movement direction of air in the internal cabinet 30.

In other words, the inlet 41 of the air guide duct 40 may be formed perpendicular to the movement direction of the air in the internal cabinet 30. Then, the air in the internal cabinet 30 may flow into the air guide duct 40 in a direction perpendicular to the movement direction of the air in the internal cabinet 30. As a result, the air flow inside the air guide duct 40 may have a slower flow rate and be more stable than the air flow inside the internal cabinet 30.

The outlet 42 of the air guide duct 40 may be formed parallel to the movement direction of the air in the internal cabinet 30. Because the outlet 42 of the air guide duct 40 is formed parallel to the movement direction of the air in the internal cabinet 30, the air in the air guide duct 40 may be smoothly discharged into the internal cabinet 30 through the outlet 42.

As another example, the inlet 41 of the air guide duct 40 may be formed to be inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the movement direction of the air in the internal cabinet 30, and the outlet 42 of the air guide duct 40 may be formed parallel to the movement direction of the air in the internal cabinet 30.

Then, the air in the internal cabinet 30 may flow into the air guide duct 40 in an inclined direction with respect to the movement direction of the air in the internal cabinet 30. As a result, the air flow inside the air guide duct 40 may have a slower flow rate and be more stable than the air flow inside the internal cabinet 30. In addition, the air in the air guide duct 40 may be smoothly discharged into the internal cabinet 30 through the outlet 42.

The air guide duct 40 may be formed in the shape of a square pipe with a rectangular cross-section. At this time, the inlet 41 may be formed at one end of the air guide duct 40, and the outlet 42 may be formed on the upper surface of the air guide duct 40 so as to contact the other end. The other end of the air guide duct 40 is closed.

Referring to FIG. 3, the outlet 42 of the air guide duct 40 may be formed as a chimney 46. In other words, the outlet 42 of the air guide duct 40 may be formed as the chimney 46 having the shape of a square pipe that protrudes from the upper surface of the air guide duct 40. When the outlet 42 is formed as the chimney 46 in this way, the air discharged from the air guide duct 40 may smoothly move to upper portion of the internal cabinet 30.

The air guide duct 40 may be disposed parallel to the lower surface 30a of the internal cabinet 30. In other words, the lower surface of the air guide duct 40 may be disposed parallel to the lower surface 30a of the internal cabinet 30 as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4.

When the air guide duct 40 is disposed in this way, the inlet 41 of the air guide duct 40 is oriented perpendicular to the flow direction (arrow A) of the air in the internal cabinet 30. Accordingly, the air may flow into the inlet 41 of the air guide duct 40 in a direction perpendicular to the flow direction A of the air in the internal cabinet 30 (arrow B).

In addition, the outlet 42 of the air guide duct 40 is oriented parallel to the flow direction A of the air in the internal cabinet 30. Accordingly, air may be discharged from the outlet 42 of the air guide duct 40 in a direction parallel to the flow direction A of the air in the internal cabinet 30 (arrow C).

As another example, the air guide duct 40 may be disposed slightly inclined rather than parallel to the lower surface 30a of the internal cabinet 30, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state in which an air guide duct is disposed at an angle in an internal cabinet according to various embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 5, the air guide duct 40 may be disposed in the internal cabinet 30 so that the lower surface of the air guide duct 40 is inclined downward at a predetermined angle with respect to the lower surface 30a of the internal cabinet 30. In other words, the lower surface of the air guide duct 40 disposed in the internal cabinet 30 may form a predetermined angle θ with a virtual plane VP parallel to the lower surface 30a of the internal cabinet 30.

When the air guide duct 40 is disposed in this way, the inlet 41 of the air guide duct 40 is inclined at the predetermined angle with respect to the flow direction A of the air in the internal cabinet 30. Accordingly, the air may flow into the inlet 41 of the air guide duct 40 in a direction inclined at the predetermined angle with respect to the flow direction A of the air in the internal cabinet 30 (arrow B′).

In addition, the outlet 42 of the air guide duct 40 is also inclined at the predetermined angle with respect to the flow direction A of the air in the internal cabinet 30. Accordingly, air may be discharged from the outlet 42 of the air guide duct 40 in a direction inclined at the predetermined angle with respect to the flow direction A of the air in the internal cabinet 30 (arrow C′).

The installation slope of the air guide duct 40 is limited so that the air in the internal cabinet 30 may stably flow into the inlet 41 of the air guide duct 40 and the air introduced into the air guide duct 40 may be discharged smoothly through the outlet 42. For example, the air guide duct 40 may be disposed in the internal cabinet 30 so that the angle θ with the virtual plane VP is 30 degrees or less.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which an air guide duct is disposed at an angle in an internal cabinet according to various embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 6, the air guide duct 40 may be disposed in the internal cabinet 30 so that the lower surface of the air guide duct 40 is inclined upward at a predetermined angle with respect to the lower surface 30a of the internal cabinet 30. In other words, the lower surface of the air guide duct 40 disposed in the internal cabinet 30 may form a predetermined angle θ with the virtual plane VP parallel to the lower surface 30a of the internal cabinet 30.

The dust sensor 50 may be disposed in the air guide duct 40. For example, the dust sensor 50 may be disposed inside the air guide duct 40. Accordingly, the dust sensor 50 may be fixed to internal cabinet 30 by the air guide duct 40. In other words, the air guide duct 40 may serve to fix the dust sensor 50 to the internal cabinet 30.

The dust sensor 50 may be disposed inside the air guide duct 40. The dust sensor 50 and the air guide duct 40 may form a dust sensing device.

Hereinafter, the dust sensing device in which the dust sensor 50 is disposed inside the air guide duct 40 will be described in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a dust sensing device according to various embodiments. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a front view of the dust sensing device of FIG. 7 according to various embodiments. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the dust sensing device of FIG. 7 taken along line I-I according to various embodiments.

Referring to FIGS. 7 to 9, the dust sensing device may include the air guide duct 40 and the dust sensor 50.

The outlet 42 of the air guide duct 40 may be formed as a chimney 46. In other words, the outlet 42 of the air guide duct 40 may be formed as the chimney 46 having the shape of a square pipe that protrudes from the upper surface of the air guide duct 40.

That is, the air guide duct 40 may be formed in an approximately L-shape. As described above, when the outlet 42 of the air guide duct 40 is formed as the chimney 46, the air discharged from the air guide duct 40 may smoothly move to upper portion of the internal cabinet 30.

An inner partition wall 43 is disposed to partition an entrance 52 and an exit 53 of an air flow path 51 provided in the dust sensor 50 inside the air guide duct 40. In detail, the inner partition wall 43 is formed so that the space of the air guide duct 40 where the entrance 52 of the air flow path 51 of the dust sensor 50 is located is blocked from the space of the air guide duct 40 where the exit 53 of the air flow path 51 is located. Therefore, the space of the air guide duct 40 where the entrance 52 of the air flow path 51 of the dust sensor 50 is located and the space of the air guide duct 40 where the exit 53 of the air flow path 51 is located do not communicate with each other.

In other words, the air guide duct 40 may be divided into an inflow portion 44 and a discharge portion 45 by the inner partition wall 43. That is, the air guide duct 40 may include the inflow portion 44 connected to the entrance 52 of the air flow path 51 of the dust sensor 50, the discharge portion 45 connected to the exit 53 of the air flow path 51 of the dust sensor 50, and the inner partition wall 43 dividing the inflow portion 44 and the discharge portion 45.

In addition, the discharge portion 45 may include the chimney 46 that protrudes beyond the inflow portion 44. In other words, the discharge portion 45 may include the chimney 46 that protrudes above the upper surface of the air guide duct 40 forming the inflow portion 44. The chimney 46 may be formed with the same rectangular cross-section as the air guide duct 40.

The dust sensor 50 is configured to measure the dust concentration of outside air. The dust sensor 50 may be configured to output the measured dust concentration as an electrical signal. The dust sensor 50 may be configured in various ways as long as it can detect the concentration of dust. The dust sensor 50 may include the air flow path 51 through which air passes and a sensor fan 55 that generates suction force and causes air to pass through the air flow path 51. A sensing unit 56 that measures the concentration of dust contained in the air passing through the air flow path 51 may be disposed in the air flow path 51.

The air flow path 51 may be formed inside the dust sensor 50. The entrance 52 and exit 53 of the air flow path 51 may be formed on the outer surface of the dust sensor 50. The entrance 52 and exit 53 of the air flow path 51 may be formed on one surface of the dust sensor 50. As another example, the entrance 52 and exit 53 of the air flow path 51 may be formed on different surfaces of the dust sensor 50, respectively. In the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the entrance 52 and exit 53 of the air flow path 51 are formed on the upper surface of the dust sensor 50.

The sensor fan 55 may be disposed in the air flow path 51 inside the dust sensor 50. The sensor fan 55 is formed to generate suction force. Accordingly, when the sensor fan 55 rotates, air may flow into the entrance 52 of the air flow path 51, pass through the sensor fan 55, and be discharged through the exit 53 of the air flow path 51. The sensing unit 56 may be disposed inside the dust sensor 50. The sensing unit 56 may be configured in various ways as long as it can measure the concentration of dust contained in the air.

For example, the sensing unit 56 may include a light emitting part that emits light and a light receiving part that receives the light emitted from the light emitting part. The light emitting part may be formed of an infrared light emitting diode (LED) or a laser. The light receiving part may be formed of a diode capable of receiving infrared rays or a diode capable of receiving laser.

The light emitting part is disposed on one side of the air flow path 51, and the light receiving part is disposed on the other side of the air flow path 51 facing the light emitting part. Accordingly, the sensing unit 56 may measure the concentration of dust contained in the air passing through the air flow path 51 using the light emitting part and the light receiving part.

Air in the internal cabinet 30 may flow into the inflow portion 44 through the inlet 41 of the air guide duct 40.

When the sensor fan 55 of the dust sensor 50 rotates, the air in the inflow portion 44 flows into the air flow path 51 through the entrance 52 of the air flow path 51 provided in the dust sensor 50. The air flowing into the air flow path 51 is discharged to the discharge portion 45 through the exit 53 of the air flow path 51.

The air in the discharge portion 45 may be discharged to the outside of the air guide duct 40 through the outlet 42 of the discharge portion 45, that is, the chimney 46. Because the inflow portion 44 is blocked from the discharge portion 45 by the inner partition wall 43, the air in the inflow portion 44 does not move directly to the discharge portion 45, but moves to the discharge portion 45 through the air flow path 51 of the dust sensor 50.

As described above, when the dust sensor 50 is disposed inside the air guide duct 40 provided in the internal cabinet 30, the influence of the fan 13 disposed in the cabinet 20 on the air around the dust sensor 50 may be minimized and/or reduced. In other words, the flow rate of the air flow around the dust sensor 50 slows down and becomes stable. Accordingly, the accuracy of the dust concentration measured by the dust sensor 50 may be increased. When the air flow around the dust sensor 50 is unstable or the flow rate of the air flow is high, the accuracy of the dust concentration measured by the dust sensor 50 may decrease.

In an embodiment, the dust sensor 50 may be disposed on the outer surface of the air guide duct 40. Hereinafter, a dust sensing device in which the dust sensor 50 is disposed on the outer surface of the air guide duct 40 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a dust sensing device according to various embodiments. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the dust sensing device of FIG. 10 taken along line II-II according to various embodiments. FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating the air guide duct of FIG. 10 turned over according to various embodiments.

Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, the dust sensing device may include the air guide duct 40 and the dust sensor 50.

As described above, when the outlet 42 of the air guide duct 40 is formed as the chimney 46, the air discharged from the air guide duct 40 may smoothly move to upper portion of the internal cabinet 30.

The air guide duct 40 may include an inlet hole 47 formed on one surface of the air guide duct 40 to correspond to the entrance 52 of the air flow path 51 provided in the dust sensor 50 and a discharge hole 48 formed on the one surface of the air guide duct 40 correspond to the exit 53 of the air flow path 51. The discharge hole 48 may be provided at a certain distance from the inlet hole 47.

Referring to FIG. 12, two holes, that is, the inlet hole 47 and the discharge hole 48, may be provided on the lower surface of the air guide duct 40. The dust sensor 50 may be disposed on the lower surface of the air guide duct 40. When the dust sensor 50 is disposed on the lower surface of the air guide duct 40, the entrance 52 and exit 53 of the air flow path 51 of the dust sensor 50 coincide with the inlet hole 47 and discharge hole 48 of the air guide duct 40, respectively.

An inner partition wall 43 may be provided inside the air guide duct 40 to partition the inside space of the air guide duct 40 between the inlet hole 47 and the discharge hole 48. In detail, the inner partition wall 43 is formed inside the air guide duct 40 so that the inner space of the air guide duct 40 where the entrance 52 of the air flow path 51 provided in the dust sensor 50 is located is blocked from the inner space of the air guide duct 40 where the exit 53 of the air flow path 51 is located.

Therefore, the inner space of the air guide duct 40 where the entrance 52 of the air flow path 51 is located and the inner space of the air guide duct 40 where the exit 53 of the air flow path 51 is located do not communicate with each other.

In other words, the air guide duct 40 may be divided into an inflow portion 44 and a discharge portion 45 by the inner partition wall 43. That is, the air guide duct 40 may include the inflow portion 44 connected to the entrance 52 of the air flow path 51 of the dust sensor 50, the discharge portion 45 connected to the exit 53 of the air flow path 51, and the inner partition wall 43 dividing the inflow portion 44 and the discharge portion 45.

The dust sensor 50 may include the air flow path 51 through which air passes and a sensor fan 55 that generates suction force and causes air to pass through the air flow path 51. A sensing unit 56 that measures the concentration of dust contained in the air passing through the air flow path 51 may be disposed in the air flow path 51.

The air flow path 51 may be formed inside the dust sensor 50. The entrance 52 and exit 53 of the air flow path 51 may be formed on the outer surface of the dust sensor 50. The entrance 52 and exit 53 of the air flow path 51 may be formed on one surface of the dust sensor 50. As another example, the entrance 52 and exit 53 of the air flow path 51 may be formed on different surfaces of the dust sensor 50, respectively. In the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the entrance 52 and exit 53 of the air flow path 51 are formed on the upper surface of the dust sensor 50.

The sensing unit 56 may be disposed inside the dust sensor 50. The sensing unit 56 may be configured in various ways as long as it can measure the concentration of dust contained in the air. The sensing unit 56 has been described above. Therefore, a detailed description thereof is not repeated here.

Air in the internal cabinet 30 may flow into the inflow portion 44 through the inlet 41 of the air guide duct 40.

When the sensor fan 55 of the dust sensor 50 rotates, the air in the inflow portion 44 flows into the air flow path 51 through the inlet hole 47 of the air guide duct 40 and the entrance 52 of the air flow path 51 provided in the dust sensor 50. When the introduced air passes through the sensing unit 56 provided in the air flow path 51, the sensing unit 56 measures the dust concentration of the air.

The air that has passed through the sensing unit 56 is discharged to the discharge portion 45 through the exit 53 of the air flow path 51 and the discharge hole 48 of the air guide duct 40. The air in the discharge portion 45 may be discharged to the outside of the air guide duct 40 through the outlet 42 of the discharge portion 45, that is, the chimney 46.

Because the inflow portion 44 provided with the inlet hole 47 is blocked from the discharge portion 45 provided with the discharge hole 48 by the inner partition wall 43, the air in the inflow portion 44 does not move directly to the discharge portion 45, but moves to the discharge portion 45 through the air flow path 51 of the dust sensor 50. As described above, when the dust sensor 50 is disposed on the outer surface of the air guide duct 40 provided in the internal cabinet 30 and the entrance 52 and exit 53 of the air flow path 51 of the dust sensor 50 are connected to the inlet hole 47 and discharge hole 48 of the air guide duct 40, the influence of the fan 13 disposed in the cabinet 20 on the air around the dust sensor 50 may be minimized and/or reduced. In other words, the flow rate of the air flow around the dust sensor 50 slows down and becomes stable. Accordingly, the accuracy of the dust concentration measured by the dust sensor 50 may be increased.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of an air conditioner according to various embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 13, an air conditioner may include a user input part (e.g., including input circuitry) 92, a display 93, an indoor temperature sensor 94, a humidity sensor 95, an indoor dust sensor 7, an indoor fan motor 6, a fan motor 14, a compressor 10, a dust sensor 50, a temperature sensor 60, a communication part (e.g., including communication circuitry) 96, and a processor (e.g., including processing circuitry) 90.

The user input part 92 may include various input circuitry and receive user input related to an operation of the air conditioner from the user, and output an electrical signal corresponding to the received user input to the processor 90.

The user input part 92 may include a plurality of buttons provided on the indoor unit 1. For example, the user input part 92 may include a button for setting an indoor target temperature, a button for selecting one of a cooling mode, a dehumidifying mode, and a purifying mode, and the like.

The plurality of buttons may include push switches and membrane switches that are operated by the user pressing them, touch switches that are operated by being touched by a part of the user's body, and the like.

The user input part 92 may include a receiver that receives a wireless signal from a remote control. The remote control may include a plurality of buttons that perform the same function as the plurality of buttons provided in the user input part 92. The display 93 may receive information about the operation of the air conditioner and information about the indoor environment from the processor 90, and display the received information. For example, the display 93 may display the indoor target temperature, the measured indoor temperature, the operation mode, the wind strength, etc. In addition, the display 93 may display indoor dust concentration and outdoor dust concentration.

The display 93 may be provided in the indoor unit 1. The display 93 may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, a light emitting diode (LED) panel, and the like.

The indoor temperature sensor 94 may be configured to measure the indoor temperature and transmit the measured temperature information to the processor 90 as an electrical signal. For example, the indoor temperature sensor 94 may include a thermistor whose electrical resistance value changes depending on temperature. The indoor temperature sensor 94 may be provided in the indoor unit 1.

The humidity sensor 95 may be configured to measure indoor humidity and transmit the measured humidity information to the processor 90 as an electrical signal. The humidity sensor 95 may be provided in the indoor unit 1.

The indoor dust sensor 7 may be configured to measure indoor dust concentration and transmit the measured indoor dust concentration information to the processor 90 as an electrical signal. The indoor dust sensor 7 may be provided in the indoor unit 1.

The indoor fan motor 6 may be configured to rotate the indoor fan 5 under the control of the processor 90. The indoor fan motor 6 may adjust the rotation speed of the indoor fan 5 under the control of the processor 90. When the indoor fan 5 rotates, the indoor heat exchanger 4 provided in the indoor unit 1 may exchange heat with indoor air.

The fan motor 14 may be configured to rotate the fan 13 under the control of the processor 90. The fan motor 14 may adjust the rotation speed of the fan 13 under the control of the processor 90. The fan 13 and the fan motor 14 are disposed in the outdoor unit 2. When the fan 13 rotates, the heat exchanger 11 provided in the outdoor unit 2 may exchange heat with outside air.

The fan 13 rotated by the fan motor 14 may generate a flow of air (air flow) passing through the heat exchanger 11.

For example, when the fan 13 rotates in one direction, outside air is sucked into the inside of the cabinet 20 through the air inlet 21 provided in the cabinet 20, and the sucked air may exchange heat with the heat exchanger 11 while the sucked air passes through the heat exchanger 11. The heat exchanged air may be discharged to the upper side of the cabinet 20 through the fan 13 and the air outlet 23.

The compressor 10 operates under the control of the processor 90 and causes refrigerant to circulate along the refrigerant circuit. In detail, the compressor 10 may compress gaseous refrigerant and discharge high-temperature/high-pressure gaseous refrigerant. The refrigerant discharged from the compressor 10 circulates through the heat exchanger 11, the expansion valve 3, and the indoor heat exchanger 4, discharges heat in the heat exchanger 11, and absorb heat in the indoor heat exchanger 4.

The dust sensor 50 is configured to measure the dust concentration of outside air flowing into the cabinet 20. Because the dust sensor 50 has been described above, a detailed description thereof may not be repeated here.

The temperature sensor 60 may be configured to measure outdoor temperature and transmit the measured temperature information to the processor 90 as an electrical signal. For example, the temperature sensor 60 may include a thermistor whose electrical resistance value changes depending on temperature. The temperature sensor 60 may be provided in the outdoor unit 2.

Because the compressor 10, the fan motor 14, the dust sensor 50, and the temperature sensor 60 are disposed in the outdoor unit 2, they are physically located away from the processor 90 provided in the indoor unit 1. Accordingly, the compressor 10, the fan motor 14, the dust sensor 50, and the temperature sensor 60 may be configured to communicate with the processor 90.

The processor 90 may include a control circuit, and is electrically connected to the user input part 92, the display 93, the indoor temperature sensor 94, the humidity sensor 95, the indoor dust sensor 7, the indoor fan motor 6, the fan motor 14, the compressor 10, the dust sensor 50, and the temperature sensor 60. The processor 90 may control the indoor fan motor 6, the fan motor 14, and the compressor 10 based on the signals input from the user input part 92, the display 93, the indoor temperature sensor 94, the humidity sensor 95, the indoor dust sensor 7, the dust sensor 50, and the temperature sensor 60.

The processor 90 may include a memory 91 that stores and/or memorizes programs and/or data for generating control signals.

The processor 90 may include various processing circuitry and process user input information received through the user input part 92, indoor temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 94, indoor humidity information detected by the humidity sensor 95, indoor dust concentration information detected by the indoor dust sensor 7, and outside air dust concentration information detected by the dust sensor 50 based on programs and data stored and/or memorized in the memory 91. In addition, the processor 90 may output a control signal for controlling the indoor fan motor 6, the fan motor 14, and the compressor 10 based on the programs and data stored and/or memorized in the memory 91.

The processor 90 may include an operation circuit, a memory circuit, and a control circuit. The processor 90 may include at least one chip. In addition, the processor 90 may include at least one core. The processor 90 may include various processing circuitry and/or multiple processors. For example, as used herein, including the claims, the term “processor” may include various processing circuitry, including at least one processor, wherein one or more of at least one processor, individually and/or collectively in a distributed manner, may be configured to perform various functions described herein. As used herein, when “a processor”, “at least one processor”, and “one or more processors” are described as being configured to perform numerous functions, these terms cover situations, for example and without limitation, in which one processor performs some of recited functions and another processor(s) performs other of recited functions, and also situations in which a single processor may perform all recited functions. Additionally, the at least one processor may include a combination of processors performing various of the recited/disclosed functions, e.g., in a distributed manner. At least one processor may execute program instructions to achieve or perform various functions.

The memory 91 may store and/or memorize programs and/or data for processing user input information, indoor temperature information, indoor humidity information, indoor dust information, outdoor dust information, and outdoor temperature information. In addition, the memory 91 may store and/or memorize programs and/or data for controlling the indoor fan motor 6, the fan motor 14, and the compressor 10.

The memory 91 may include volatile memory such as static random access memory (S-RAM), dynamic random access memory (D-RAM), etc. and non-volatile memory such as read only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), flash memory, etc.

The communication part 96 may be connected to an external device and may including various communication circuitry configured to transmit and receive data with the external device. In detail, the communication part 96 may be configured to transmit information about the operation of the air conditioner to the external device or receive control commands from the external device. For example, the communication part 96 may be configured to transmit the dust concentration of indoor air and the dust concentration of outdoor air to a smartphone.

The communication part 96 may communicate with the external device using various communication methods. For example, the communication part 96 may be implemented as one of Bluetooth, infrared data association (IrDA), ZigBee, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi direct, ultra-wideband (UWB), and near-field communication (NFC), and the like. Hereinafter, when the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the disclosure having the above structure operates, the air flow in the outdoor unit 2 will be described in greater detail with reference to FIG. 14.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating example air flow in an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to various embodiments.

When the air conditioner is turned on, the processor 90 operates the fan motor 14 of the outdoor unit 2. Then, the fan 13 provided at the upper portion of the cabinet 20 rotates.

When the fan 13 rotates, as illustrated in FIG. 14, outside air flows into the cabinet 20 through the air inlet 21 of the cabinet 20 (F1).

Most (F2) of the outside air introduced into the cabinet 20 moves upward and is discharged to the outside of the cabinet 20 through the fan 13 and the air outlet 23 (F7).

Some (F3) of the outside air introduced into the cabinet 20 flows into the inside of the internal cabinet 30 through the adit (or passage) 33 provided at the bottom of the internal cabinet 30.

Most of the air flowing into the internal cabinet 30 moves upward and is discharged to the outside of the internal cabinet 30 through the vent 34 of the internal cabinet 30 (F6).

Some (F4) of the air introduced into the internal cabinet 30 flows into the inlet 41 of the air guide duct 40. The air flowing into the air guide duct 40 passes through the air flow path 51 of the dust sensor 50 and is then discharged through the outlet 42 of the air guide duct 40 (F5).

The air discharged from the air guide duct 40 moves upward and is discharged to the outside of the internal cabinet 30 through the vent 34 of the internal cabinet 30 (F6).

The air discharged from the vent 34 of the internal cabinet 30 passes through the fan 13 and the air outlet 23 together with most (F2) of the outside air and is discharged to the outside of the cabinet 20.

In the outdoor unit 2 of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the disclosure as described above, the internal cabinet 30 is disposed inside the cabinet 20, the air guide duct 40 is provided inside the internal cabinet 30, and the dust sensor 50 is disposed inside the air guide duct 40. Accordingly, the air around the dust sensor 50 is hardly affected by the air flow formed by the fan 13 of the outdoor unit 2. Therefore, the dust sensor 50 disposed in the air guide duct 40 may accurately measure the dust concentration of outside air flowing into the cabinet 20.

In the above, the case where the internal cabinet 30 is formed separately from the cabinet 20 and the compressor 10 is not disposed inside the internal cabinet 30 has been described. However, the structure of the internal cabinet 30 is not limited thereto.

The internal cabinet 30 may be formed as a portion of the cabinet 20, and the compressor 10 may be disposed therein. Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16, an outdoor unit 2 according to an embodiment having an internal cabinet 30 with a different structure will be described in greater detail.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view illustrating an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to various embodiments. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a front view of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner of FIG. 15 according to various embodiments. For reference, FIGS. 15 and 16 show a state in which a front cover of a cabinet 20 is removed so that the inside of the cabinet 20 can be seen.

Referring to FIGS. 15 and 16, the outdoor unit 2 of the air conditioner may include a cabinet 20, a heat exchanger 11, a compressor 10, a fan 13, and an internal cabinet 30.

The cabinet 20 forms the outer shape of the outdoor unit 2 and is formed in an approximately hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape. The heat exchanger 11, the fan 13, and the internal cabinet 30 may be provided inside the cabinet 20.

Air inlets 21 through which outside air flows in may be provided at the rear surface 20a and the left surface 20b of the cabinet 20. The air inlets 21 may be formed as a plurality of openings.

The front surface of the cabinet 20 may be provided with a front opening 22 where a front cover is disposed. The front cover may be detachably disposed in the front opening 22 of the cabinet 20. The front cover may be provided with an air outlet through which air introduced into the cabinet 20 is discharged. The air outlet may be formed as a plurality of openings.

The heat exchanger 11 may be disposed inside the cabinet 20 adjacent to the left surface 20b and the rear surface 20a of the cabinet 20. Accordingly, the air flowing into the air inlet may pass through the heat exchanger 11 and move to the air outlet of the cabinet 20.

The heat exchanger 11 may be formed so that the refrigerant flowing inside the heat exchanger 11 exchanges heat with outside air passing through the heat exchanger 11.

The fan 13 is disposed on the left side of the inside of the cabinet 20. The fan 13 may include two fans 13 arranged vertically. The fan 13 is configured to rotate by a fan motor.

When the fan 13 rotates, air flow flowing from the rear to the front of the cabinet 20 is generated. In other words, when the fan 13 rotates, outside air flows into the air inlets provided on the rear surface 20a and the left surface 20b of the cabinet 20, passes through the fan 13, and is discharged to the outside of the cabinet 20 through the air outlet provided on the front surface of the cabinet 20.

Because the fan 13 is disposed between the front surface and the rear surface 20a of the cabinet 20, when the fan 13 rotates, an air flow moving from the rear to front is generated inside the cabinet 20.

The internal cabinet 30 is provided inside the cabinet 20. The internal cabinet 30 may be provided on the right side of the cabinet 20. The internal cabinet 30 may be formed by dividing the inner space of the cabinet 20 with a partition wall 70. In other words, the fan 13 and the heat exchanger 11 are disposed in the space of the cabinet 20 on the left side of the partition wall 70, and the space of the cabinet 20 on the right side of the partition wall 70 forms the internal cabinet 30.

The compressor 10 is disposed inside the internal cabinet 30. For example, the compressor 10 may be disposed on the lower surface of the internal cabinet 30. The compressor 10 may be connected to the heat exchanger 11.

The compressor 10 is configured to compress gaseous refrigerant into a high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant. The high-temperature/high-pressure gaseous refrigerant discharged from the compressor 10 flows into the heat exchanger 11. Electrical components for supplying power to the compressor 10 and the fan motor and a printed circuit board for controlling the compressor 10 and the fan motor may be accommodated inside the internal cabinet 30. The electrical components and the printed circuit board may be arranged on the upper side of the compressor 10. The internal cabinet 30 is formed to protect the electrical components and printed circuit board from rain and snow.

The front surface of the internal cabinet 30 is open. The opening of the front surface of the internal cabinet 30 may be covered by the front cover of the cabinet 20. That is, when the front cover is disposed on the front surface of the cabinet 20, the front surface of the internal cabinet 30 is also covered by the front cover.

The internal cabinet 30 may be formed so that air introduced into the cabinet 20 by the fan 13 flows from the bottom to the top. For this purpose, an adit (or passage) 71 through which air flows in may be provided at the lower portion of the internal cabinet 30, and a vent 72 through which air is discharged may be provided at the upper portion of the internal cabinet 30.

For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 15, the adit (or passage) 71 may be provided at the lower portion of the partition wall 70, and the vent 72 may be provided at the upper portion of the partition wall 70.

When the fan 13 operates, as illustrated in FIG. 15, air in the cabinet 20 may flow into the internal cabinet 30 through the adit (or passage) 71 of the partition wall 70. The air introduced into the internal cabinet 30 may be discharged to the outside of the internal cabinet 30, that is, to the cabinet 20, through the vent 72 of the partition wall 70.

In other words, when the fan 13 operates, outside air flows into the inside of the cabinet 20 through the air inlet of the cabinet 20 and then is discharged to the outside of the cabinet 20 through the air outlet. At this time, some of the air introduced into the cabinet 20 may pass through the internal cabinet 30.

For example, when the fan 13 operates, some of the outside air introduced into the cabinet 20 flows into the inside of the internal cabinet 30 through the adit (or passage) 71 of the partition wall 70 (arrow F1), and the air introduced into the internal cabinet 30 is discharged to the outside of the internal cabinet 30 through the vent 72 of the partition wall 70 (arrow F2). Accordingly, the direction of the air flow flowing inside the internal cabinet 30, that is, the moving direction of air in the internal cabinet 30, is from the lower surface to the upper surface of the internal cabinet 30.

The electrical components and printed circuit board disposed in the internal cabinet 30 may be cooled by air passing through the internal cabinet 30.

In addition, because some of the outside air flowing into the cabinet 20 passes through the internal cabinet 30 and moves to the fan 13, the air flow inside the internal cabinet 30 is slower and more stable than the air flow inside the cabinet 20, which is formed by the outside air moving directly to the fan 13 without passing through the internal cabinet 30. In other words, the air flow in the internal cabinet 30 is slower and more stable than the air flow inside the cabinet 20.

The air guide duct 40 may be fixed to one surface of the internal cabinet 30. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 14, the air guide duct 40 is fixed to the partition wall 70. However, the installation position of the air guide duct 40 is not limited thereto. The air guide duct 40 may be disposed anywhere where it does not interfere with the electrical components and printed circuit board disposed in the internal cabinet 30.

The air guide duct 40 may include an inlet 41 through which air is introduced and an outlet 42 through which air is discharged.

The air guide duct 40 and the dust sensor 50 are the same as the air guide duct 40 and the dust sensor 50 of the outdoor unit 2 according to the above-described embodiment, detailed descriptions thereof may not repeated here.

As in the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the disclosure having the structure described above, the dust sensor 50 is disposed on the inside or outside of the air guide duct 40 disposed in the internal cabinet 30 provided inside the cabinet 20, and the entrance 52 and exit 53 of the air flow path 51 of the dust sensor 50 are formed to communicate with the air guide duct 40, so that the influence of the fan 13 disposed in the cabinet 20 on the air around the dust sensor 50 may be minimized and/or reduced. In other words, the flow rate of the air flow around the dust sensor 50 slows down and becomes stable. Accordingly, the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the disclosure may increase the accuracy of the dust concentration measured by the dust sensor 50 disposed in the outdoor unit 2.

When the dust sensor 50 is provided in the outdoor unit 2, as in the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the disclosure, the dust concentration of outside air in the place where the air conditioner is disposed may be measured. Then, the air conditioner may prevent and/or reduce the indoor air from being polluted by preemptively operating the dust collecting device 8 of the indoor unit 1 before the indoor air is polluted by outside air, that is, before the dust concentration in the indoor air increases.

In addition, by transmitting the dust concentration of the outside air measured by the dust sensor 50 of the outdoor unit 2 to a remote control or smartphone, the user may open and close the window for ventilation according to the dust concentration. In addition, the user may check the dust concentration of outdoor air transmitted to a mobile device such as a smartphone and prepare a mask when going out.

In addition, when the dust concentration of the outside air is bad and the air conditioner is not operated for a long time, dust may accumulate in the heat exchanger 11 of the outdoor unit 2. In this case, the processor 90 may rotate the fan 13 of the outdoor unit 2 in the reverse direction to remove dust accumulated in the heat exchanger 11 of the outdoor unit 2.

A ventilation system may be formed using the air conditioner equipped with the dust sensor 50 in the outdoor unit 2 as described above.

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example ventilation system using an air conditioner equipped with an outdoor unit according to various embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 17, a ventilation system 100 according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include an air conditioner 101, an air monitor 110, a ventilation device 120, and a wireless repeater 130.

The air conditioner 101 includes an indoor unit 1 and an outdoor unit 2. The indoor unit 1 is disposed indoors, and the outdoor unit 2 is disposed outdoors.

The indoor unit 1 may include an indoor dust sensor 7 capable of detecting the dust concentration of indoor air and an indoor temperature sensor 94 capable of measuring the indoor temperature. The indoor unit 1 may be provided with a processor 90 capable of controlling the indoor unit 1 and the outdoor unit 2.

The outdoor unit 2 may include a dust sensor 50 capable of detecting the dust concentration of outdoor air and a temperature sensor 60 capable of measuring the outdoor temperature. When the air conditioner 101 is in standby mode and is not operating, the dust sensor 50 of the outdoor unit 2 may sense the outdoor dust concentration. In other words, the dust sensor 50 of the outdoor unit 2 may sense the outdoor dust concentration 24 hours a day.

The structure of the air conditioner 101 is the same as the above-described air conditioner. Therefore, a detailed description thereof may not be repeated here. The processor 90 may receive the dust concentration of outdoor air and outdoor temperature from the dust sensor 50 and the temperature sensor 60 of the outdoor unit 2, and generate outdoor air information including the outdoor dust concentration and outdoor temperature using this.

In addition, the processor 90 may receive the dust concentration of indoor air and the indoor temperature from the indoor dust sensor 7 and the indoor temperature sensor 94 of the indoor unit 1, and generate indoor air information including the indoor dust concentration and indoor temperature using this.

The processor 90 may continuously detect indoor dust concentration using the indoor dust sensor 7 and generate an accumulated value. In addition, the processor 90 may continuously detect outdoor dust concentration using the dust sensor 50 and generate an accumulated value. The processor 90 may calculate average dust concentration difference based on the accumulated values.

The processor 90 may wirelessly transmit the outdoor air information and the indoor air information to the wireless repeater 130 through the communication part 96.

The air monitor 110 is configured to monitor indoor air quality. For example, the air monitor 110 may be configured to measure the amount of carbon dioxide CO₂and the amount of volatile organic compounds VOC indoors in real time. The volatile organic compounds may include benzene, toluene, xylene, styrene, ethylbenzene, etc.

In addition, the air monitor 110 may be configured to measure the dust concentration and the amount of radon indoors.

To this end, the air monitor 110 may include a carbon dioxide sensor 111, a VOC sensor 112, a radon sensor 113, and a dust sensor 114. In addition, the air monitor 110 may include a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor to measure indoor temperature and humidity. As another example, when the air conditioner 101 includes the indoor dust sensor 7, the air monitor 110 may not include the dust sensor 114.

The air monitor 110 may include a monitor display 115 that displays the status of carbon dioxide, VOC, radon, fine dust, etc. The air monitor 110 may display the status of carbon dioxide, VOC, radon, and fine dust in four levels: good, normal, bad, and worst.

The air monitor 110 may wirelessly transmit indoor air quality information including the status of carbon dioxide, VOC, and radon to the wireless repeater 130. For this purpose, the air monitor 110 may include a monitor communication part 116. For example, the monitor communication part 116 may transmit indoor air quality information to the wireless repeater 130 via Wi-Fi.

The ventilation device 120 is configured to discharge indoor air to the outdoors and introduce outdoor air into the room. To this end, the ventilation device 120 may include a ventilation fan, an exhaust duct, and an inflow duct.

In addition, the ventilation device 120 may include an energy recovery ventilator (ERV) 121 and an air purifier 122.

The energy recovery ventilator 121 is configured to minimize and/or reduce energy loss occurring during ventilation by transferring heat contained in the discharged indoor air to the incoming outdoor air. Therefore, when the difference between the indoor temperature and the outdoor temperature is large, outdoor air may pass through the energy recovery ventilator 121 and be introduced into the room.

The energy recovery ventilator 121 may be configured to operate when the indoor and outdoor temperature difference is greater than or equal to the reference temperature. For example, the energy recovery ventilator 121 may be configured so that when the indoor and outdoor temperature difference is 10° C. or higher, outdoor air and indoor air pass through the energy recovery ventilator 121.

In addition, the energy recovery ventilator 121 may include a bypass function. In this case, when heat exchange between indoor air and outdoor air is not necessary because the indoor and outdoor temperature difference is less than the reference temperature, the outdoor air may not pass through the energy recovery ventilator 121, that is, the outdoor air may bypass the energy recovery ventilator 121 and flow into the room.

The air purifier 122 is configured to remove dust contained in outdoor air. Accordingly, when the dust state of the outdoor air is bad, the outdoor air may pass through the air purifier 122 and be introduced into the room. The outdoor air that passes through the air purifier 122 is free of dust and becomes good.

In addition, the air purifier 122 may include a bypass function. In this case, when the dust state of the outdoor air is good, the outdoor air may not pass through the air purifier 122, that is, the outdoor air may bypass the air purifier 122 and be introduced into the room.

In addition, the ventilation device 120 may include a ventilation display 123 that displays the operating state of the ventilation device 120, a ventilation communication part 124 that wirelessly exchanges information with the wireless repeater 130, and a ventilation processor 125 that controls the ventilation device 120.

The ventilation device 120 may receive indoor air quality information and outdoor air information through the ventilation communication part 124.

The ventilation processor 125 may identify indoor air quality from the indoor air quality information received through the wireless repeater 130. The ventilation processor 125 may identify the indoor air quality based on the worst state among carbon dioxide, VOC, and radon states included in the indoor air quality information.

For example, when the state of at least one of the information about carbon dioxide, VOC, and radon included in the indoor air quality information is bad, the ventilation processor 125 identifies the indoor air quality to be bad. When the state of at least one of the information about carbon dioxide, VOC, and radon is worst, the ventilation processor 125 identifies the indoor air quality to be worst.

When the indoor air quality is good and normal, indoor ventilation is not necessary. Therefore, the ventilation processor 125 does not operate the ventilation device 120.

However, when the indoor air quality is bad and worst, the ventilation processor 125 operates the ventilation device 120 to perform ventilation by discharging indoor air to the outside and introducing outdoor air into the room.

The ventilation processor 125 may identify outdoor air quality from the outdoor air information received through the wireless repeater 130. The ventilation processor 125 identifies the outdoor air quality based on the dust concentration of the outdoor air included in the outdoor air information.

For example, when the dust concentration of the outdoor air is bad, the ventilation processor 125 identifies that the outdoor air quality is bad.

The ventilation processor 125 may perform ventilation by variously controlling the energy recovery ventilator 121 and the air purifier 122 according to the outdoor air quality and the indoor and outdoor temperature difference. This will be described in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 18 to 22 below.

The wireless repeater 130 is configured to relay air quality information between the air conditioner 101, the air monitor 110, and the ventilation device 120. The wireless repeater 130 may be configured to wirelessly exchange information with the air conditioner 101, the air monitor 110, and the ventilation device 120 through Wi-Fi communication.

The wireless repeater 130 may be wirelessly connected to a mobile device 140 such as a smartphone. The wireless repeater 130 may be connected to the smartphone 140 through a mobile communication network. For example, the wireless repeater 130 may be connected to the smartphone 140 through 5G communication. In addition, the wireless repeater 130 may be connected to the smartphone 140 via Wi-Fi.

An air management application configured to display air quality and control the air conditioner 101, air monitor 110, and ventilation device 120 may be installed on the smartphone 140.

The user may check indoor air quality and outdoor air quality through the air management application installed on the smartphone 140. In addition, the user may control the air conditioner 101, the air monitor 110, and the ventilation device 120 through the air management application on the smartphone 140.

Hereinafter, the operation of the ventilation device 120 according to the outdoor air quality and the indoor and outdoor temperature difference will be described in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 18 to 22.

FIG. 18 is a table for illustrating an example operation of a ventilation device according to the states of indoor air and outdoor air according to various embodiments.

When the indoor air quality is bad or worst, the ventilation processor 125 operates the ventilation device 120.

Referring to FIG. 18, when the outdoor air quality is bad and the difference between the indoor temperature and the outdoor temperature, that is, the indoor and outdoor temperature difference is less than 10° C., the ventilation processor 125 operates the ventilation device 120 to allow the outdoor air OA to bypass the energy recovery ventilator 121 and flow into the room through the air purifier 122.

FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an example operation of a ventilation device when the outdoor air quality is bad and the indoor and outdoor temperature difference is less than the reference temperature according to various embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 19, indoor air RA is sucked in through an intake port 201 of the room and is discharged outdoors through the ventilation device 120. Outdoor air OA is sucked in through the ventilation device 120, passes through the air purifier 122, and then flows into the room 200 through an exhaust port 202 of the room 200. At this time, the outdoor air OA in a bad state has fine dust removed as it passes through the air purifier 122, becomes good, and is introduced into the room 200.

Again, referring to FIG. 18, when the outdoor air quality is bad and the indoor and outdoor temperature difference is 10° C. and higher, the ventilation processor 125 operates the ventilation device 120 so that the outdoor air OA passes through the energy recovery ventilator 121 and the air purifier 122 and flows into the room 200, and the indoor air RA passes through the energy recovery ventilator 121 and is discharged outdoors.

In other words, because the indoor and outdoor temperature difference is greater than the reference temperature, the ventilation device 120 allows the outdoor air OA to pass through the energy recovery ventilator 121 and flow into the room 200, and allows the indoor air RA to pass through the energy recovery ventilator 121 and be discharged outdoors. Then, heat from the indoor air RA is transferred to the outdoor air OA, thereby reducing energy loss due to ventilation.

FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating an example operation of a ventilation device when the outside air quality is bad and the indoor and outdoor temperature difference is greater than the reference temperature according to various embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 20, indoor air RA is sucked into the intake port 201 of the room 200 and is discharged outdoors through the energy recovery ventilator 121 of the ventilation device 120. Outdoor air OA is sucked into the ventilation device 120, passes through the energy recovery ventilator 121 and the air purifier 122, and then flows into the room 200 through the exhaust port 202 of the room 200.

The outdoor air OA in a bad state has fine dust removed as it passes through the air purifier 122, becomes good, and is introduced into the room 200. In addition, because both indoor air RA and outdoor air OA pass through the energy recovery ventilator 121, heat from the indoor air RA is transferred to the incoming outdoor air OA, thereby reducing energy loss due to ventilation.

Again, referring to FIG. 18, when the outdoor air quality is good and the indoor and outdoor temperature difference is less than 10° C., the ventilation processor 125 operates the ventilation device 120 so that the outdoor air OA bypasses the energy recovery ventilator 121 and the air purifier 122 and flows into the room 200.

In other words, because the indoor and outdoor temperature difference is small below the reference temperature, the ventilation device 120 allows the outdoor air OA to flow into the room 200 without passing through the energy recovery ventilator 121, and allows the indoor air RA to be discharged outdoors without passing through the energy recovery ventilator 121. In addition, because the outdoor air quality is good, the outdoor air OA is allowed to flow directly into the room 200 without passing through the air purifier 122.

FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating an example operation of a ventilation device when the outside air quality is good and the indoor and outdoor temperature difference is less than the reference temperature according to various embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 21, indoor air RA is sucked into the intake port 201 of the room 200 and is discharged outdoors through the ventilation device 120. Outdoor air OA is sucked in through the ventilation device 120 and introduced into the room 200 through the exhaust port 202 of the room 200. At this time, because the outdoor air quality is good, the outdoor air OA may be directly introduced into the room 200 without passing through the air purifier 122.

Again, referring to FIG. 18, when the outdoor air quality is good and the indoor and outdoor temperature difference is 10° C. or more, the ventilation processor 125 operates the ventilation device 120 so that the outdoor air OA passes through the energy recovery ventilator 121 and flows into the room 200, and the indoor air RA passes through the energy recovery ventilator 121 and is discharged outdoors.

In other words, because the indoor and outdoor temperature difference is greater than the reference temperature, the ventilation processor 125 allows the outdoor air OA to pass through the energy recovery ventilator 121 and flow into the room 200, and allows the indoor air RA to pass through the energy recovery ventilator 121 and be discharged outdoors. Then, heat from the indoor air RA is transferred to the outdoor air OA, thereby reducing energy loss due to ventilation. In addition, because the outdoor air quality is good, the ventilation processor 125 allows the outdoor air OA to flow directly into the room 200 without passing through the air purifier 122.

FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating an example operation of a ventilation device when the outside air quality is good and the indoor and outdoor temperature difference is greater than the reference temperature according to various embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 22, indoor air RA is sucked into the intake port 201 of the room 200 and is discharged outdoors through the energy recovery ventilator 121 of the ventilation device 120. Outdoor air OA is sucked into the ventilation device 120, passes through the energy recovery ventilator 121, and then flows into the room 200 through the exhaust port 202 of the room 200.

Because the outdoor air OA is in a good state, the outdoor air OA may flow directly into the room 200 without passing through the air purifier 122. In addition, because both indoor air RA and outdoor air OA pass through the energy recovery ventilator 121, heat from the indoor air RA is transferred to the incoming outdoor air OA, thereby reducing energy loss due to ventilation.

In an embodiment, the ventilation device 120 may not include the air purifier 122. In this case, when both the outdoor air quality and the indoor air quality are bad, the ventilation device 120 may not perform ventilation.

The processor 90 of the air conditioner 101 may operate the indoor unit in the purifying mode and purify the indoor air RA using the dust collecting device 8. In other words, when the ventilation device 120 does not perform ventilation in a state of bad indoor air quality, the processor 90 of the air conditioner 101 may cause the air conditioner 101 to perform a purifying operation to remove dust contained in the indoor air.

Hereinafter, a ventilation method using an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the disclosure will be described in greater detail with reference to FIG. 23.

FIG. 23 is a flowchart illustrating an example ventilation method using an air conditioner according to various embodiments.

The air monitor 110 transmits indoor air quality information (S10). For example, the air monitor 110 uses the carbon dioxide sensor 111 and the VOC sensor 112 to measure the amount of carbon dioxide and VOC contained in indoor air RA, and generates indoor air quality information including this. The air monitor 110 transmits the indoor air quality information to the wireless repeater 130 through the monitor communication part 116.

The air conditioner 101 transmits outdoor air information measured by the dust sensor 50 and the temperature sensor 60 of the outdoor unit 2 (S20). For example, the air conditioner 101 measures the outdoor dust concentration using the dust sensor 50 provided in the outdoor unit 2, and measures the outdoor temperature using the temperature sensor 60. The air conditioner 101 generates the outdoor air information including the measured dust concentration and outdoor temperature of the outdoor air OA. The air conditioner 101 transmits the outdoor air information to the wireless repeater 130 through the communication part 96.

The ventilation device 120 identifies the indoor air quality using the indoor air quality information received from the air monitor 110. When the indoor air quality is bad, the ventilation device 120 performs ventilation using the outdoor air information (S30).

For example, the ventilation device 120 may identify the indoor air quality using the indoor air quality information received through the wireless repeater 130.

When the indoor air quality is good or normal, the ventilation device 120 does not perform ventilation.

When the indoor air quality is bad or worst, the ventilation device 120 performs ventilation. At this time, the ventilation device 120 may perform various ventilation operations using the outdoor air information received through the wireless repeater 130. For example, when the indoor and outdoor temperature difference is less than the reference temperature and the outdoor air quality is bad, the ventilation device 120 may perform ventilation by allowing the outdoor air OA to bypass the energy recovery ventilator 121 and pass through the air purifier 122. At this time, the ventilation device 120 allows the indoor air RA to be discharged outdoors by bypassing the energy recovery ventilator 121.

In addition, when the indoor and outdoor temperature difference is greater than the reference temperature and the outdoor air quality is bad, the ventilation device 120 may perform ventilation by allowing the outdoor air OA to pass through the energy recovery ventilator 121 and the air purifier 122. At this time, the ventilation device 120 allows the indoor air RA to pass through the energy recovery ventilator 121 and then be discharged outdoors.

In addition, when the indoor and outdoor temperature difference is less than the reference temperature and the outdoor air quality is good, the ventilation device 120 may perform ventilation by allowing the outdoor air OA to bypass the energy recovery ventilator 121 and the air purifier 122. At this time, the ventilation device 120 allows the indoor air RA to be discharged outdoors by bypassing the energy recovery ventilator 121.

In addition, when the indoor and outdoor temperature difference is greater than the reference temperature and the outdoor air quality is good, the ventilation device 120 may perform ventilation by allowing the outdoor air OA to bypass the air purifier 122 and pass through the energy recovery ventilator 121. At this time, the ventilation device 120 allows the indoor air RA to pass through the energy recovery ventilator 121 and then be discharged outdoors.

The ventilation system and ventilation method including an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the disclosure as described above may automatically perform indoor ventilation using the dust concentration of outdoor air measured using a dust sensor provided in the outdoor unit.

While the disclosure has been illustrated and described with reference to various example embodiments, it will be understood that the various example embodiments are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. It will be further understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications in form and detail may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure including the appended claims and their equivalents. It will also be understood that any of the embodiment(s) described herein may be used in conjunction with any other embodiment(s) described herein.

	Number	Date	Country
Parent	PCT/KR2023/002243	Feb 2023	WO
Child	18767322		US

AIR CONDITIONER OUTDOOR UNIT AND VENTILATION METHOD USING SAME

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