Outdoor unit for air conditioner and operation method thereof

Abstract

Provided are an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, and an operation method thereof. The outdoor unit of the air conditioner includes: a case including an outlet; and an outlet door installed at the case to open/close the outlet, and guiding the air being discharged when opened. Thus, the air being discharge can be guided in a desired direction when the outlet is opened, and foreign substances can be prevented from flowing into the case when the outlet is closed.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner in accordance with related art;

FIG. 2 is a plan sectional view of the outdoor unit of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a plan sectional view of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an opened state of an outlet door of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a control block diagram of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner of FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing an opened state of a outlet door of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a control block diagram of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a flow chart for describing an operation method of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner of FIG. 8;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a cross sectional view showing an opened state of an outlet door of FIG. 12; and

FIG. 15 is a control block diagram of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner.

Claims

1. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner comprising: a case including an outlet; andan outlet door installed at the case to open/close the outlet, and guiding the air being discharged when opened.

2. The outdoor unit of claim 1, further comprising an outlet door driving unit driving the outlet door to open/close the outlet.

3. The outdoor unit of claim 1, wherein the outlet door is installed to be rotatable upwardly and downwardly about a lower end, and is inclined downwardly so as to guide the air in an upward direction when opened.

4. The outdoor unit of claim 2, wherein the outlet door driving unit comprises a solenoid.

5. The outdoor unit of claim 4, wherein the outlet door comprises a protrusion protruding inwardly from a rear surface of the outlet door, and the solenoid is connected to the protrusion.

6. The outdoor unit of claim 2, wherein the outlet door driving unit comprises a drive motor.

7. The outdoor unit of claim 6, wherein the outlet door driving unit further comprises a gear interposed between the outlet door and the drive motor, and transferring a rotary force of the drive motor to the outlet door.

8. The outdoor unit of claim 2, wherein the outlet door is configured in plurality, and the outlet door driving unit comprises a transmitting member connected to the outlet door to simultaneously interwork therewith, and a transmitting member driving unit driving the transmitting member.

9. The outdoor unit of claim 8, wherein the transmitting member driving unit comprises: a drive motor;a pinion coupled to a rotation shaft of the drive motor; anda rack part formed at the transmitting member and engaged with the pinion.

10. The outdoor unit of claim 2, further comprising: an opening detector detecting opening of the outlet; anda controller controlling the outlet door driving unit on the basis of a detection result of the opening detector.

11. The outdoor unit of claim 10, wherein the case includes a blower therein, and the controller controls the blower on the basis of a detection result of the opening detector.

12. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner comprising: a case forming a receiving space therein, and including an inlet introducing the air, and an outlet formed at a front side of the case and discharging the air;a heat exchanger disposed toward the inlet in the case;a blower disposed at one side of the heat exchanger;an outlet door coupled to the case to be rotatable between a closing location where the outlet door closes the outlet, and an opening location where the outlet door is inclined downwardly so as to guide the air being discharged in an upward direction; andan outlet door driving unit driving the outlet door to open/close the outlet.

13. The outdoor unit of claim 12, further comprising: an opening detector detecting opening of the outlet; anda controller controlling the outlet door driving unit and the blower on the basis of a detection result of the opening detector.

14. A method of operating an outdoor unit of an air conditioner comprising a case having an outlet, a blower disposed in the case, an outlet door opening/closing the outlet, and an outlet door driving unit driving the outlet door, the method comprising: controlling the outlet door driving unit to open the outlet; anddriving the blower.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the outdoor unit further comprises an opening detector, the method further comprising detecting opening of the outlet by the opening detector before the driving of the blower,wherein in the driving of the blower, the blower is driven when the outlet is opened, and the blower is stopped when the outlet is closed.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the outdoor unit further comprises an indicator indicating information including error to the outside, the method further comprising controlling the indicator to indicate an error the outside in a state where the blower is stopped when the outlet is closed, after the detecting of the opening of the outlet.