CN103620313B - Dehumidification-type air cleaner and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided are a dehumidifying air cleaner and a control method thereof. A dehumidification type air cleaner includes: an air purification operation that sets a rotation speed of an intake fan according to a preset purification mode and filters pollutants from introduced external air according to the rotation of the intake fan; Dehumidification operation signal input operation, the dehumidification operation signal input operation receives the dehumidification operation signal, the dehumidification operation signal is used to operate the dehumidification unit to remove moisture contained in the external air; dehumidification operation, the dehumidification operation is the general purification mode in the purification mode , reset the rotation speed of the intake fan according to the dehumidification operation signal, and operate the dehumidification unit to perform a dehumidification operation and a functional purification operation that maintains the rotation speed of the intake fan when the purification mode is the functional purification mode and Dehumidification operation is not performed.

Description

Dehumidification type air purifier and control method thereof

technical field

The present invention relates to a dehumidifying air cleaner and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to controlling the air flow force (or air volume) of the dehumidifying air cleaner so as to effectively provide the air purification function and the dehumidification function through the dehumidifying air cleaner ) control method, and a dehumidifying air cleaner using the method.

Background technique

Generally, an air purifier takes in polluted indoor air to filter out pollutants such as dust, odorous particles, etc. contained in the air, thereby generating purified air. The purified air is discharged to the outside of the air cleaner, that is, the indoor area to purify all the air in the indoor area. Here, however, the air cleaner cannot remove moisture contained in the air, so that a separate dehumidifier needs to be provided.

Therefore, recently, a dehumidification type air cleaner in which a dehumidification function is added to the air cleaner to allow the air cleaner to simultaneously perform an air purification function and a dehumidification function has been actively developed.

However, the magnitude of the airflow force used during air purification and the magnitude of the airflow force used during dehumidification are different, causing problems regarding control of the airflow force in the dehumidification type air cleaner.

In particular, when the air purification function is performed with the air force for dehumidification, the air purification performance of the dehumidification type air cleaner decreases, and when the dehumidification function is performed with the air force for air purification, the dehumidification function cannot be properly performed. Realized, reducing the reliability of the dehumidification air cleaner.

Contents of the invention

technical problem

An aspect of the present invention provides an air flow control method and a dehumidifying air cleaner using the method.

Technical solutions

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling the airflow force of a dehumidifying air cleaner, including: air cleaning operation, the air cleaning operation setting the rotation speed of the intake fan according to the preset cleaning mode and according to the progress The rotation of the air fan filters out pollutants from the introduced outside air; the dehumidification operation signal input operation receives the dehumidification operation signal for operating the dehumidification unit to dehumidify the air contained in the external removal of water vapor in the air; dehumidification operation, which resets the rotation speed of the intake fan according to the dehumidification operation signal when the purification mode is the general purification mode, and operates the dehumidification unit to perform the dehumidification operation; and functional purification operation, so The functional cleaning operation maintains the rotation speed of the intake fan and does not perform the dehumidification operation when the cleaning mode is the functional cleaning mode.

In the dehumidification operation signal input operation, when the humidity of the outside air is equal to or greater than the reference humidity value, the dehumidification operation signal may be received.

During the dehumidification operation, the rotation speed of the intake fan may be reset to a preset dehumidification operation speed according to the humidity value of the outside air.

The method may further include: when the humidity of the outside air falls below a reference humidity value, resetting the rotation speed of the intake fan to a preset cleaning driving speed according to the pollutant content in the outside air measured by the dust sensor. The air purge returns to operation.

The method may further include: when the measured lighting value is lower than a reference lighting value, measuring an external lighting value (i.e., a lighting intensity value or a lighting level value), stopping the operation of the dehumidification unit, entering a sleep mode, and switching the intake fan to The sleep mode changes the rotation speed to reset to noiseless speed operation.

The method may further include: when the laundry drying signal is input, a laundry drying operation of increasing a rotation speed of the intake fan to a laundry drying operation speed while operating the dehumidification unit.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dehumidification-type air cleaner, comprising: a filter unit that filters out pollutants contained in air introduced thereto; a dehumidification unit that filters out removal of water vapor contained in the introduced air; an intake fan which is rotated by a motor so that outside air can be introduced into the dehumidification-type air cleaner; and a controller in which the The dehumidification-type air cleaner operates in the purification mode in which the intake fan does not drive the dehumidification unit to filter out pollutants, and when a dehumidification operation signal for operating the dehumidification unit is input, determines whether to operate the dehumidification unit and according to The type of purge mode resets the rotation speed of the intake fan.

The controller may receive a dehumidification operation signal when the humidity of the outside air is equal to or greater than a reference humidity value.

When the purification mode is the general purification mode, the controller can set the operation of the dehumidification unit and the rotation speed of the intake fan according to the dehumidification operation signal, and when the purification mode is the functional purification mode, the controller can set the dehumidification unit according to the functional purification mode can maintain operation.

The controller may receive an external lighting value, and when the received lighting value is lower than a preset value, the controller may stop the operation of the dehumidification unit and operate the dehumidification air cleaner in a sleep mode.

When the laundry drying signal is input, the controller may operate the dehumidification unit while increasing the rotation speed of the intake fan to the laundry drying speed.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dehumidification-type air cleaner, comprising: a filter unit that filters out pollutants contained in air introduced thereto; a dehumidification unit that filters out Moisture contained in the introduced air is removed; an intake fan is rotated by a motor so that outside air can be introduced into the dehumidification type air cleaner; a lighting sensor is included to measure the lighting value, the humidity of the air is measured A humidity sensor for the humidity value and a sensor unit for measuring the amount of dust in the air; and a controller for controlling the intake fan to operate at a number of revolutions per minute (RPM) set in proportion to the humidity value and the amount of dust, wherein the control The controller measures the lighting value, the humidity value and the amount of dust, and when the measured lighting value is equal to or greater than the reference lighting used to determine the day and night, the controller controls the intake fan to and when the measured illuminance is lower than the reference illuminance, the controller controls the intake fan to run at the lowest RPM speed based on the measured humidity value and the reference humidity.

In the case where the controller controls the intake fan to operate at the lowest RPM speed, when the measured humidity value is equal to or greater than the preset reference humidity, the controller controls the intake fan to operate at a rate set in proportion to the humidity value. The lowest RPM speed among the RPM speeds, and when the measured humidity value is lower than the reference humidity value, the controller can control the intake fan to the lowest RPM speed among the multiple RPM speeds set in proportion to the amount of dust run.

The controller may drive the intake fan for a certain period of time after the RPM control of the intake fan according to the comparison result ends.

The filter unit may include a first filter unit that removes a large amount of dust particles from the air, a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter that removes fine dust particles and microorganisms, and a deodorization filter that removes odors from the air.

The dehumidification unit may include: an evaporator that evaporates liquid refrigerant; a compressor that compresses gaseous refrigerant evaporated from the evaporator; and a condenser that condenses the refrigerant compressed by the compressor and recirculates the condensed refrigerant to the evaporator device.

The condenser and the evaporator may be arranged spaced apart from each other on a path along which air introduced by the intake fan is exhausted.

The condenser and the evaporator may be arranged on the same plane perpendicular to the path along which the air introduced by the intake fan is exhausted.

The filter unit may be disposed in front of the dehumidification unit on a path along which air introduced by the intake fan is exhausted.

The first filter unit and the second filter unit may be separately arranged on the path along which the air introduced by the intake fan is discharged, so that the first filter unit is arranged at the front of the dehumidification unit and the second filter unit is arranged at the dehumidification unit the next level of the.

The deodorizing filter may be disposed in front of the HEPA filter on a path along which air introduced by the intake fan is exhausted.

The filter unit may be disposed in front of the dehumidification unit on a path along which air introduced by the intake fan is exhausted.

The first filter unit may be arranged at the front of the dehumidification unit on a path along which air introduced by the intake fan is exhausted, and the second filter unit may be arranged at a rear stage of the dehumidification unit.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a dehumidification-type air cleaner, the dehumidification-type air cleaner comprising: a filter unit for filtering pollutants contained in air introduced thereinto, Dehumidification unit for removal of moisture from the introduced air, intake fan rotated by a motor so that outside air can be introduced into the dehumidification air cleaner, containing lighting sensor for measuring lighting value, humidity sensor for measuring air humidity value and measuring A sensor unit for the amount of dust in the air, and a controller that controls the intake fan to operate at a number of revolutions per minute (RPM) speeds set proportional to the dehumidification value and the amount of dust, said method includes: measuring lighting values, humidity values and the amount of dust; compare the measured lighting value with the reference lighting used as a reference for determining day and night; according to the comparison result, when the measured lighting value is equal to or greater than the reference lighting, control the intake fan to match the measured operating at multiple RPM speeds proportional to the humidity value; and according to the comparison result, when the measured lighting value is lower than the reference lighting value, controlling the intake fan to run at the lowest RPM speed based on the measured humidity value and the preset reference humidity.

Controlling the intake fan to operate at a minimum RPM speed may include: comparing the measured humidity value with a baseline humidity; and based on the comparison, when the measured illumination value is equal to or greater than the baseline illumination, controlling the intake fan to be proportional to the humidity value. The lowest RPM speed among the multiple RPM speeds set proportionally, and when the measured humidity value is lower than the reference humidity, control the intake fan to the lowest among the multiple RPM speeds set in proportion to the amount of dust RPM speed to run.

The method may further include driving the intake fan for a certain period of time after the RPM control of the intake fan according to the comparison result ends.

The filter unit may include a first filter unit that removes a large amount of dust particles from the air, a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter that removes fine dust particles and microorganisms, and a deodorization filter that removes odors from the air.

The dehumidification unit may include an evaporator that evaporates liquid refrigerant; a compressor that compresses gaseous refrigerant evaporated from the evaporator; and a condenser that condenses the refrigerant compressed by the compressor and recirculates the condensed refrigerant to the evaporator .

The condenser and the evaporator may be arranged spaced apart from each other on a path along which air taken in by the intake fan is discharged.

The condenser and the evaporator may be arranged on the same plane perpendicular to the path along which the air introduced by the intake fan is exhausted.

The filter unit may be disposed in front of the dehumidification unit on a path along which air introduced by the intake fan is exhausted.

The first filter unit and the second filter unit may be separately arranged on a path along which the air introduced by the intake fan is exhausted so that the first filter unit is arranged at the front of the dehumidification unit and the second filter unit is arranged at the rear of the dehumidification unit. next level.

The deodorizing filter may be arranged in front of the HEPA filter on a path along which air introduced by the intake fan is exhausted.

The filter unit may be arranged in front of the dehumidification unit on a path along which air introduced by the intake fan is exhausted.

The first filter unit may be arranged at the front of the dehumidification unit on a path along which air introduced by the intake fan is exhausted, and the second filter unit may be arranged at a rear stage of the dehumidification unit.

Beneficial effect

In the case of the dehumidifying air cleaner and the control method thereof according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the range of air flow force used for air purification and the range of air flow force used for dehumidification are different, the air purification function can be effectively implemented according to the corresponding environment and dehumidification function, and can implement the reliable operation of the dehumidification air cleaner.

Also, with the dehumidifying air cleaner and the control method thereof of the embodiment of the present invention, since the dehumidifying air cleaner can operate in a sleep mode in which noise generation is minimized, a user may not be disturbed by it while sleeping. That is, the noise can be reduced according to the surrounding environment, such as nighttime, where the sleep mode is applied by appropriately controlling the RPM of the intake fan according to the lighting value (ie, lighting intensity value or illuminance value), thereby maintaining pleasant comfortable indoor environment.

Furthermore, in the case of a dehumidifying air cleaner and a control method thereof, according to an embodiment of the present invention, an excellent laundry (or clothes) drying function can be provided by providing atmospheric air flow.

In addition, in the case of the dehumidification type air cleaner and the control method thereof according to the embodiment of the present invention, since the High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter and the deodorization filter are arranged at the rear end of the dehumidification module, it is possible to simultaneously prevent Reduced performance and shortened life of HEPA filters and deodorizing filters.

Furthermore, in the case of the dehumidifying air cleaner and the control method thereof according to the embodiment of the present invention, frost generated on the evaporator can be removed without additional parts by adjusting the driving speed of the intake fan.

Also, in the case of the dehumidifying air cleaner and the control method thereof according to the embodiment of the present invention, the dehumidifying unit can be dried quickly and efficiently in terms of humidity and dehumidifying unit temperature.

In addition, in the case of the dehumidification-type air cleaner and the control method thereof according to the embodiment of the present invention, even in a high-temperature environment such as summer, the dehumidification function can be stably provided, and whether in the dehumidification-type air cleaner The resulting overload without additional construction.

Furthermore, in the case of the dehumidifying air cleaner and the control method thereof according to the embodiment of the present invention, noise and vibration are not suddenly generated during the dehumidification operation of the dehumidifying air cleaner. Thereby, the user can be prevented from being startled by noise and vibration, and the user can have confidence in the performance of the dehumidification-type air cleaner and whether the air cleaner operates normally. Also, since the user has confidence in the operation of the dehumidification-type air cleaner, user satisfaction can be improved.

Description of drawings

1 is a schematic diagram showing a dehumidifying air cleaner according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a schematic diagram showing a dehumidifying air cleaner according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

3 is a schematic diagram showing a dehumidifying air cleaner according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

4 is a schematic diagram showing a dehumidification-type air cleaner according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

5 is a flow chart of the process of the method for controlling a dehumidifying air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

6 is a flow chart of the process of the method for controlling the dehumidification air cleaner according to another embodiment of the present invention;

7 is a flow chart of the process of the method for controlling a dehumidifying air cleaner according to another embodiment of the present invention;

8 is a flow chart of the process of the method for controlling the airflow force of the dehumidifying air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the process of a method for defrosting a dehumidifying air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

10 is a flow chart of a process for a method of drying a heat exchanger of a dehumidifying air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

11 is a flowchart of a process for a method of drying a heat exchanger of a dehumidifying air cleaner according to another embodiment of the present invention;

12 is a flow chart of the process of a method for controlling overload of a dehumidifying air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

13 is a flowchart of a control process for reducing compressor noise of a dehumidification-type air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

detailed description

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. In describing the present invention, if a detailed explanation of a related known function or construction is considered to unnecessarily deviate from the gist of the present invention, such explanation will be omitted but will be easily understood by those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the shapes and dimensions of elements may be exaggerated for clarity, and the same reference numerals will be used throughout to designate the same or like parts.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is designated as being "directly connected to" another element, there are no intervening elements present. Furthermore, unless clearly stated to the contrary, the term "comprising" and variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" should be understood to imply the inclusion of stated elements but not the exclusion of any other elements.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a dehumidification-type air cleaner according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 , a dehumidifying air cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a filter unit 110 , a dehumidifying unit 120 , an intake fan 130 , sensor units S1 , S2 , S3 and a controller 140 . Here, the path P shown in FIG. 1 represents an air path introduced into the dehumidification-type air cleaner 100 . The introduced air may then pass through the filter unit 110 and the dehumidification unit 120 .

A dehumidification-type air cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1 .

The filter unit 110 may filter pollutants contained in air introduced thereinto. The filter unit 110 may remove the pollutants so that it absorbs the pollutants in the air introduced by the intake fan 130 .

The filtering unit 110 may be divided into first filtering units 111 and 112 and second filtering units 113 and 114 . Each filter unit may include a plurality of filters.

Specifically, the first filter units 111 and 112 may include a pre-filter 111 , a functional filter 112 , etc., while the second filter units 113 and 114 may include a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter 113 , a deodorizing filter 114 Wait.

The pre-filter 111 can be used to remove relatively large dust particles, pet hair, etc., while the functional filter 112 can be used to remove pollen, rat mites, harmful microorganisms, bacteria, yellow dust, etc. Here, the functional filter may perform various other functions in addition to the function of filtering out pollutants contained in the air, and may include a vitamin filter that introduces vitamin ingredients into exhausted air, and the like.

In addition, the filtering unit 110 may include various types of filters and is not limited to the number of filters shown in FIG. 1 .

The dehumidification unit 120 may remove steam contained in the introduced air. The dehumidification unit 120 may employ a cooling scheme that cools the incoming air to reduce the amount of vapor that may be contained therein.

Specifically, the dehumidification unit 120 may include an evaporator that evaporates liquid refrigerant, a compressor 122 that compresses gaseous refrigerant evaporated by the evaporator 121 , and a condenser that condenses the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 122 and recirculates it to the evaporator 121 . device 123, and adjust the humidity in the introduced air.

Regarding the working principle of the dehumidification unit 120, when the evaporator 121 evaporates the liquid refrigerant into a gaseous refrigerant, the heat of the surrounding environment is absorbed to cool the ambient air, and the compressor 122 sucks the gaseous refrigerant evaporated by the evaporator 121 and makes The refrigerant is raised to saturation pressure and the refrigerant is discharged. Thus, when the refrigerant passes through the compressor 122, the refrigerant may become to have a high temperature and a high pressure. Also, the condenser 123 allows the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant that has been compressed by the compressor 122 to exchange heat with ambient air having a relatively low temperature and condense to have room temperature and high pressure, thereby being reliquefied. Thus, the liquefied refrigerant is supercooled to have a temperature lower than a normal condensation temperature and is discharged from the condenser 123 .

Meanwhile, liquid refrigerant discharged from the condenser 123 passes through an expansion valve (not shown) to have a low pressure to be in a state where evaporation can easily occur, and the low-pressure liquid refrigerant is recycled to the evaporator 121 to cool the evaporator 121 the surrounding air. During this process, steam contained in the air is condensed (or condensed) on the surface of the evaporator 121 and discharged through a discharge hose (not shown) to reduce the humidity in the air. In this way, through the dehumidification unit 120 including the evaporator 121, the compressor 122, and the condenser 123, the air is exhausted to the indoor area through the evaporator 121 and the condenser 123, and the indoor air is reintroduced to the evaporator 121, and the cycle The process is repeated to dehumidify the indoor area. Here, the compressor 122 may compress refrigerant by using a motor, and the operation of the compressor, that is, the motor, may be controlled by the controller 140 .

The intake fan 130 is rotated by a motor to introduce external air into the interior of the dehumidifying air cleaner 100 . Specifically, as shown in the figure, air introduced by the intake fan 130 passes through the filter unit 110 and the dehumidification unit 120 . The motor that rotates the intake fan 130 may be another motor than the motor that operates the compressor 122 . The rotation speed (or rotation rate) of the intake fan 130 may be controlled by the controller 140, and the amount of external air introduced into the dehumidification type air cleaner may vary according to the rotation speed.

The dehumidification-type air cleaner 100 may operate in a purification mode in which pollutants in the air are removed by using the filter unit 110 without using the dehumidification unit 120 , or in a dehumidification mode in which vapors in the air are removed by using the dehumidification unit 120 run. Here, the rotational speed of the intake fan 130 may vary according to the mode of the dehumidifying air cleaner 100, and specifically, when the dehumidifying air cleaner 100 operates in the cleaning mode, it may be faster than the dehumidifying air cleaner 100. 100 runs at a higher spin speed when operating in the usual dehumidification mode.

For example, the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 in the purification mode may be set within a range of about 300rpm to 1000rpm, and the intake fan 130 may have a rotation speed ranging from 400rpm to 650rpm. The dehumidification performance of the dehumidification unit 120 may vary depending on the amount of outside air supplied to the dehumidification unit 120, and if an extremely small or large amount of outside air is supplied to the dehumidification unit 120, the dehumidification performance of the dehumidification unit 120 may be greatly reduced. reduce. Thus, when the dehumidification-type air cleaner 100 operates in the dehumidification mode, the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 can be set within a narrower range than in the purification mode.

The purification mode can include a normal purification mode and a functional purification mode. In the normal purification mode, the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 is set according to the airflow force (or air volume) required by the user and the air introduced by the intake fan 130 The pollutants are removed by the filter unit 110. In the functional purification mode, the intake fan 130 operates according to the rotation speed of the intake fan 130, which is set according to the corresponding function to perform the corresponding function. The functional purification mode may include, for example, a yellow dust mode, a laundry drying mode, a night sleep mode, and the like.

In the case of the yellow dust mode, the rotational speed of the intake fan 130 may be set to quickly remove the yellow dust introduced into the indoor area and toxic substances such as various heavy metals, harmful microorganisms, etc. contained in the yellow dust . That is, in case of the yellow dust mode, the rotational speed of the intake fan 130 is set high so as to quickly remove pollutants. On the contrary, for the user, regarding the dehumidifying air cleaner 100, the sleep mode at night requires quietness, so according to the operation of the dehumidifying air cleaner 100, the intake fan 130 is set to have a low rotation speed, thereby generating a small amount of noise. That is, for a corresponding functional cleaning mode, the rotational speed of the intake fan 130 may be appropriately set in advance according to the aforementioned corresponding function.

Also, the dehumidifying air cleaner 100 can operate in an automatic mode. That is, when the humidity in the air exceeds a humidity reference level (for example, 50%) and the dehumidification-type air cleaner 100 operates in the purification mode, the dehumidification-type air cleaner 100 can be changed to operate in the dehumidification mode, and thereafter, when the humidity decreases When the humidity is below the reference level, according to the dehumidification operation of the dehumidification unit 120, the dehumidification-type air cleaner 100 may become operated in a purification mode.

In addition, the rotational speed of the intake fan 130 is controllable according to a corresponding function performed by the controller 140 . Specifically, the rotational speed may be set with respect to air flow control, defrosting, heat exchange drying, overload control, and compression start noise reduction control. A specific algorithm for setting the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 according to the corresponding function will be described below.

The sensor units S1, S2 and S3 include: a humidity sensor S1 for measuring the air humidity value, a dust sensor S2 for measuring the amount of dust in the air, and a lighting sensor S3 for measuring the lighting value. The measured values of humidity, dust amount and lighting are delivered to the controller 140 . Although not shown, the sensor unit may further include sensors that measure the surface temperature and humidity of the evaporator 121 . In addition, the sensor unit may also contain various types of sensors.

The controller 140 may adjust the rotational speed of the intake fan 130 according to various functions required to be performed, and to adjust the rotational speed, the controller 140 may receive a humidity value, an amount of dust, an illumination value, etc. from a sensor unit. Specifically, the controller 140 performs various functions such as air flow control, defrosting, heat exchange drying, overload control, compressor startup noise reduction control, and a specific control algorithm of the controller 140 will be described below.

According to the foregoing configuration shown in FIG. 1 , the filter unit 110 and the dehumidification unit 120 are separated, so that the dehumidification-type air cleaner 100 has the technical effect that it can be easily assembled and managed. In addition, since the HEPA filter 113 is positioned at a previous stage of the dehumidification unit 120 on the path P, accumulation of dust in the heat exchangers 121 and 123 of the dehumidification unit 120 can be prevented.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a dehumidification-type air cleaner according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2 , unlike the dehumidifying air cleaner 100 , the dehumidifying air cleaner 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention has a structure in which the first filter unit 110A and the second filter unit 110B are separated based on the dehumidification unit 120 . Thus, the air introduced by the intake fan 130 then passes through the first filter unit 110A, the dehumidification unit 120 and the second filter unit 110B as indicated by the path P. Specifically, since the deodorizing filter 114 is disposed at a subsequent stage of the dehumidifying unit 120 , as shown in the path P, after removing odors through the heat exchangers 121 and 123 of the dehumidifying unit 120 , the air is exhausted. Thus, compared with the dehumidifying air cleaner 100 of FIG. 1 , better indoor air can be obtained by the dehumidifying air cleaner 200 . Also, since the deodorizing filter 114 is arranged in front of the HEPA filter 113, as shown in the path P, the HEPA filter 113 can be prevented from being penetrated by odor. In addition, since the HEPA filter 113 is disposed at the rear stage of the dehumidification unit 120, the dehumidified dry air can pass through the HEPA filter 113, achieving the technical effect of preventing performance degradation of the HEPA filter 113, especially during summer.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a dehumidification-type air cleaner according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Unlike the dehumidifying air cleaner 200 of FIG. 2, the dehumidifying air cleaner 300 of FIG. The air introduced is expelled along path P. Meanwhile, similar to the dehumidification type air cleaner 200 of FIG. 2 , based on the dehumidification unit 120 , the first filter unit 110A and the second filter unit 110B 120 are separated to obtain the same advantages described above with reference to FIG. 2 .

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a dehumidification-type air cleaner according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. Unlike the dehumidification-type air cleaner 100 of FIG. 1, the dehumidification-type air cleaner 400 of FIG. Air introduced at 123 is expelled along path P. Meanwhile, similar to the dehumidification type air cleaner 100 of FIG. 1 , the first filter unit 110 including the first filter unit 110A and the second filter unit 110B is arranged in the previous stage of the dehumidification unit 120 to obtain the same as described above with reference to FIG. 1 . advantage.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a process of a method for controlling a dehumidifying air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein, specifically, the dehumidifying air cleaner is controlled by using an illumination value measured by an illumination sensor S3. Of course, the control method described with reference to FIG. 5 is applicable to all devices having the aforementioned configurations shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 .

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5 , first, the sensor units S1 , S2 and S3 measure an illumination value L0 , a humidity value H0 , and an amount of dust D0 ( S500 ). The measured illumination value L0 , humidity value H0 and dust amount D0 are transmitted to the controller 140 .

Next, the controller 140 compares the measured illumination value L0 with the reference illumination L1 (S501). According to the comparison result, when the measured illumination value L0 is equal to or greater than the reference illumination L1, the controller 140 determines that it is daytime and executes step S502, and when the measured illumination value L0 is less than the reference illumination L1, the controller 140 determines that it is nighttime And execute step S505. Here, the reference illumination L1 is an illumination value as a reference for determining daytime and nighttime.

In step S502, the controller 140 compares the measured humidity value H0 with the reference humidity H1. According to the comparison result, when the measured humidity value H0 is equal to or greater than the reference humidity H1, the controller 140 determines that the humidity value is high and executes step S503, and in the case that the measured humidity value H0 is smaller than the reference humidity H1, the controller 140 Step 140 executes step S508.

When it is daytime, step S503 is performed and the intake fan 130 is controlled in an environment with a high humidity level. Specifically, the controller 140 may control the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 according to the measured humidity value H0, and the speed of the intake fan 130 may be controlled to have any one of preset RPM values. For example, when the measured humidity value H0 is 30% or more higher than the reference humidity value, the controller 140 controls the intake fan 130 to rotate at a speed of R5 revolutions per minute (RPM). When the measured humidity value H0 is 20% to less than 30% higher than the reference humidity value, the controller 140 controls the intake fan 130 to rotate at a speed of R6 revolutions per minute (RPM). When the measured humidity value H0 is higher than the reference humidity value by 10% to less than 20%, the controller 140 controls the intake fan 130 to rotate at a speed of R7 revolutions per minute (RPM). Here, the relationship R5>R6>R7 is established. Specifically, after the controller 140 controls the intake fan 130 to rotate at a specific RPM (one of R5, R6, and R7), the controller 140 may supply power to the compressor 122 of the dehumidification unit 120 during a period of time, for example, after 3 seconds have elapsed. (S504). In this way, although a period of time is provided (waited) after the intake fan 130 is controlled, the dehumidification unit 120 may operate after the intake unit 130 rotates at a steady-state RPM.

Specifically, when the intake fan 130 operates first and the dehumidification unit 120 operates subsequently, noise uniquely generated when the compressor 122 of the dehumidification unit 120 is started may be drowned in noise generated by the intake fan 130 . Then, it is possible to prevent the user from being startled by abrupt noise and vibration caused by the operation of the compressor 122 .

The preceding humidity values (reference humidity values of 10%, 20% and 30%) are merely illustrative and may of course be changed if desired according to an embodiment. Also, in another embodiment of the present invention, power may be supplied to the compressor 122 first (S504) and the rotational speed of the intake fan 130 may then be controlled (S503).

Meanwhile, when it is daytime, step S508 is performed and the intake fan 130 is controlled in an environment with a low humidity level. In this case, the controller 140 turns off the power of the controller 122 . The reason is that the dehumidification unit 120 does not need to operate because the measured humidity value H0 is smaller than the reference humidity H1. Thus, in this case, the controller 140 performs the air cleaning work by controlling the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 in proportion to the measured dust amount D0. For example, when the measured dust amount H0 is higher than the reference dust amount D1, the controller 140 controls the intake fan 130 to rotate at the RPM of R1. When the measured dust amount D0 decreases at a relatively uniform rate relative to the reference dust amount D1, the controller 140 may control the intake fan 130 to rotate at gradually decreasing RPMs, such as from R2, R3, and R4. Here, the relationship R1>R2>R3>R4 is established.

At the same time, when the measured illumination value L0 is smaller than the reference illumination L1 (eg nighttime), the controller 140 compares the measured humidity value H0 with the reference humidity H1 ( S505 ). According to the comparison result, when the measured humidity value H0 is equal to or greater than the reference humidity H1, the controller 140 executes step S506, and when the measured humidity value H0 is smaller than the reference humidity H1, the controller 140 executes step S507.

When it is nighttime, step S506 may be performed and the intake fan 130 is controlled in an environment with a high humidity level. In this case, the controller 140 operates the dehumidification unit 120 and controls the intake fan 130 to flow at the lowest RPM speed, ie, R7, among the plurality of RPM speeds (R5 to R7) set according to the humidity value. That is, at night, the user may sleep so that the dehumidification operation may be performed in a sleep mode in which noise generated by the dehumidification type air cleaner is minimized.

When it is nighttime, step S507 is performed and the intake fan 130 is controlled in an environment with a low humidity level. The controller 140 may control the intake fan 130 to operate at the lowest RPM speed among the multi-level RPMs (R1 to R4) set according to the amount of dust, that is, R4. That is, the air cleaning operation is performed in the sleep mode in which noise generated by the rotation of the intake fan 130 is minimized.

Meanwhile, the controller 140 may control the intake fan 130 to be driven for a certain period of time even after the driving of the dehumidification unit 120 is terminated. That is, in order to dry the water vapor remaining in the dehumidification unit 120, external air is supplied to the dehumidification unit 120 through the intake fan 130 to accelerate evaporation of the remaining water. Specifically, if water remains in the dehumidification unit 120, such as water remains on the surface of the evaporator 121 or the like, harmful microorganisms, mold, etc. that are not removed after the dehumidification operation may spread to contaminate the inside of the dehumidification-type air cleaner and produce bad odor, etc. Thus, even after the operation of the dehumidification unit 120 is terminated, the controller 140 may drive the intake fan 130 for a certain period of time to remove moisture remaining in the dehumidification unit 120 .

As described above, even when the measured humidity value H0 is high, if the measured illumination value L0 is smaller than the reference illumination L1, the intake fan 130 is controlled to rotate at the lowest RPM speed in an environment such as nighttime, thereby reducing noise and Maintain a good and comfortable indoor environment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a process of a method for controlling a dehumidification-type air cleaner operated to perform only a dehumidification function according to another embodiment of the present invention. Of course, the control method described with reference to FIG. 6 is applicable to all devices having the aforementioned configurations shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 .

Referring to FIG. 6 , first, the sensor units S1 , S2 and S3 measure an illumination value L0 and a humidity value H0 ( S600 ). The measured lighting value L0 and humidity value H0 are transmitted to the controller 140 .

Next, the controller 140 compares the measured illumination value L0 with the reference illumination L1 (S601). According to the comparison result, when the measured illumination value L0 is equal to or greater than the reference illumination L1, the controller 140 determines that it is daytime and executes step S602; Step S610. Here, the reference illumination L1 is an illumination value as a reference for determining daytime and nighttime.

In step S602, the controller 140 compares the measured humidity value H0 with the reference humidity H1. According to the comparison result, when the measured humidity value H0 is equal to or greater than the reference humidity H1, the controller 140 determines that the humidity is high and executes step S603, and in the case where the measured humidity value H0 is smaller than the reference humidity H1, the controller 140 140 execute step S620.

When it is daytime, step S603 is performed and the intake fan 130 is controlled in an environment with a high humidity level. Specifically, the controller 140 may control the intake fan 130 to rotate at a multi-level RPM ( R5 to R7 ) according to the measured humidity value H0 . For example, when the measured humidity value H0 is 30% or more higher than the reference humidity value, the controller 140 controls the intake fan 130 to rotate at a speed of R5 revolutions per minute (RPM). When the measured humidity value H0 is 20% to 30% or lower than the reference humidity value, the controller 140 controls the intake fan 130 to rotate at a speed of R6 revolutions per minute (RPM). When the measured humidity value H0 is higher than the reference humidity value by 10% to less than 20%, the controller 140 controls the intake fan 130 to rotate at a speed of R7 revolutions per minute (RPM). Here, the relationship R5>R6>R7 is established. Specifically, after the controller 140 controls the intake fan 130 to rotate at a specific RPM (one of R5, R6, and R7), the controller 140 may supply power to the compressor 122 of the dehumidification unit 120 during a period of time, for example, after 3 seconds have elapsed. (S604). In this way, although a period of time is provided (waited) after the intake fan 130 is controlled, the dehumidification unit 120 may operate after the intake unit 130 rotates at a steady-state RPM. The preceding humidity values (baseline humidity values of 10%, 20% and 30%) are examples only and may be changed if desired according to an embodiment.

Meanwhile, when it is daytime, step S620 is performed and the intake fan 130 is controlled in an environment with a low humidity level. In this case, the controller 140 turns off the power of the controller 122 . The reason is that the dehumidification unit 120 does not need to operate because the measured humidity value H0 is smaller than the reference humidity H1.

At the same time, when the measured lighting value L0 is smaller than the reference lighting L1 (eg nighttime), the controller 140 compares the measured humidity value H0 with the reference humidity H1 ( S610 ). According to the comparison result, when the measured humidity value H0 is equal to or greater than the reference humidity H1, the controller 140 executes step S611, and when the measured humidity value H0 is smaller than the reference humidity H1, the controller 140 may execute step S612.

When it is nighttime, step S611 may be performed and the intake fan 130 is controlled in an environment with a high humidity level. In this case, the controller 140 may control the intake fan 130 to rotate at R7, which is the lowest RPM speed among the plurality of RPM speeds (R5 to R7) set with respect to the humidity value.

Similarly, when it is nighttime, step S612 is performed and the intake fan 130 is controlled in an environment with a low humidity level. In this case, the controller 140 turns off the power of the controller 122 . The reason is that the dehumidification unit 120 does not need to operate because the measured humidity value H0 is smaller than the reference humidity H1.

Meanwhile, the controller 140 may control the intake fan 130 to be driven for a certain period of time even after the operation of the dehumidification unit 120 is terminated. Through this control, the effect of drying the moisture remaining in the dehumidification unit 120 can be achieved.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a process of a method for controlling a dehumidification-type air cleaner operated to perform only a cleaning function according to another embodiment of the present invention. Of course, the control method described with reference to FIG. 7 is applicable to all devices having the aforementioned configurations shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 .

Referring to FIG. 7, first, the sensor units S1, S2, and S3 measure an illumination value L0 and an amount of dust D0 (S700). The measured illumination value L0 and dust amount D0 are transmitted to the controller 140 .

Next, the controller 140 compares the measured illumination value L0 with the reference illumination L1 (S701). According to the comparison result, when the measured illumination value L0 is equal to or greater than the reference illumination L1, the controller 140 determines that it is daytime and executes step S702; Step S704. Here, the reference illumination L1 is an illumination value as a reference for determining daytime and nighttime.

In step S702, the controller 140 compares the measured dust amount D0 with the reference dust amount D1. According to the comparison result, when the measured dust amount D0 is equal to or greater than the reference dust amount D1, the controller 140 determines that the dust amount is large and executes step S703, and in the case that the measured dust amount D0 is less than the reference dust amount D1 , the controller 140 terminates the process.

When it is daytime, step S703 is executed and the intake fan 130 is controlled in an environment with a large amount of dust. Specifically, the controller 140 controls the intake fan 130 to rotate at multi-level RPM speeds ( R1 to R4 ) according to the measured amount of dust D0 . For example, when the measured dust amount D0 is greater than the reference dust amount D1, the controller 140 controls the intake fan 130 to rotate at R1 RPM. Similarly, the controller 140 may control the intake fan 130 to rotate at progressively lower RPMs, such as from R2, R3, and R4, when the measured dust amount D0 decreases at a relatively uniform rate relative to the reference dust amount D1. Here, the relationship R1>R2>R3>R4 is established.

Step S704 is performed when it is nighttime and the intake fan 130 is controlled in an environment in which the measured dust amount D0 is smaller than the reference dust amount D1. In this case, the controller 140 may control the intake fan 130 to rotate at the lowest RPM speed among the multi-level RPM speeds ( R1 to R4 ) set relative to the amount of dust, that is, R4 .

As described above, according to an embodiment of the present invention, by appropriately controlling the RPM of the intake fan 130 according to the lighting value, noise can be reduced according to the surrounding environment, such as nighttime during which sleep mode is adopted, and the technical effect of maintaining a good and comfortable environment can be achieved. . Also, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the foregoing control method can be applied to devices having various configurations, and in particular, since the HEPA filter and the deodorizing filter are arranged in the rear stage of the dehumidification unit, it is possible to prevent the HEPA Reduced filter and deodorizing filter performance and shortened life.

Meanwhile, the controller 140 may perform various functions including the foregoing functions. Specifically, the controller 140 may perform functions such as air flow control, defrosting, heat exchanger drying, overload control, compressor start-up noise reduction control, and the like. Hereinafter, the operation of the controller 140 performing the foregoing corresponding functions will be described in detail.

First, airflow force control will be described.

Although the dehumidification type air cleaner operates in the purification mode in which pollutants are filtered out by adjusting the rotational speed of the intake fan 130 without driving the dehumidification unit 120, when a dehumidification operation signal for operating the dehumidification unit 120 is input, the controller 140 It may be decided whether to operate the dehumidification unit 120 or to reset the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 . That is, in case the dehumidification type air cleaner operates in the purification mode, if the humidity of the outside air is higher than a reference humidity value, or according to user input, a dehumidification operation signal to operate the dehumidification unit 120 may be input to the controller 140 .

As described above, the operating range of the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 of the dehumidification-type air cleaner is larger than that of a conventional dehumidification device. Thus, when the dehumidifying air cleaner operates in the cleaning mode, the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 may be set out of the range of the rotation speed of the dehumidification device. In this case, whether to adjust the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 to the speed previously set in the purification mode or whether to adjust the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 according to the dehumidification operation may be a problem.

If the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 is adjusted to the speed previously set in the purification mode, the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 is fast enough to greatly reduce the dehumidification effect of the dehumidification unit 120, if the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 Set according to the dehumidification operation signal, the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 is changed, especially in the functional purification mode, potentially causing the effect expected to be achieved by the functional purification mode to not be achieved.

In order to prevent this situation, the purification mode is divided into a general purification mode and a functional purification mode, and in the case of the general purification mode, the controller 140 can set the operation of the dehumidification unit 120 and the operation of the intake fan 130 according to the dehumidification operation signal. rotation speed, and when the purification mode is a functional purification mode, the controller 140 can maintain the operation of the functional purification mode.

The general cleaning mode may be a mode in which air cleaning or the like is performed on the introduced air based on the airflow force set by the user, and in this mode, any other function or effect cannot be expected under the airflow force set by the user. Also, the input of the dehumidification operation signal means that the dehumidification operation needs to be performed currently, so that the dehumidification function can be performed preferentially. Thus, when the dehumidification operation is input while the dehumidification type air cleaner is operating, the dehumidification function may be performed by the dehumidification unit 120, and the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 may be reset to the dehumidification operation speed according to the dehumidification operation signal.

Meanwhile, the functional purification mode is a mode for performing preset functions (yellow dust mode, clothes drying mode, sleep mode, etc.), and the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 and the corresponding airflow force are crucial for performing each function. important. Thus, in the functional purification mode, the rotational speed of the intake fan 130 set in the functional purification mode may be maintained as it is regardless of the dehumidification operation signal.

Also, relative to the operation of the dehumidification unit 120, the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 according to the dehumidification operation and the rotation speed of the intake fan set in the functional purification mode are different. Therefore, when the dehumidification unit 20 operates at the rotational speed of the intake fan 130 set in the functional purification mode, the dehumidification effect of the dehumidification unit 120 may be greatly reduced. This may reduce the reliability of the dehumidification type air cleaner for users expecting a dehumidification effect, so it may be configured such that no dehumidification function is provided in the functional purification mode.

Here, after the dehumidification-type air cleaner enters the dehumidification mode, the humidity of the outside air may be reduced below a reference humidity value through the dehumidification operation. In this case, the controller 130 may stop the dehumidification operation and return to the purification mode, and in this case, may reset the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 according to the amount of pollutants in the outside air measured by the dust sensor S2.

In addition, the controller 140 can receive the external lighting value from the lighting sensor S3, and when the received lighting value is lower than a preset value, the controller 140 can run the dehumidification air cleaner into a sleep mode, thereby stopping the dehumidification unit 120. run. Here, the controller 140 may receive the external lighting value measured by the lighting sensor S3 and identify brightness outside the dehumidifying air cleaner.

When the external lighting value is lower than the preset value, the controller 140 determines that it is nighttime and operates the dehumidifying air purifier into a sleep mode. The sleep mode is a mode in which the dehumidifying air cleaner operates by minimizing noise generated by the dehumidifying air cleaner. Here, most of the noise generated by the dehumidification type air cleaner may be caused by noise from rotation of the intake fan 130 and sound generated when refrigerant is compressed by the compressor 122 of the dehumidification unit 120 by using a motor.

Thus, when the dehumidifying air cleaner is in the sleep mode, the controller 140 can stop the operation of the dehumidification unit 120, especially the operation of the compressor 122, and can set the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 so that the intake fan 130 Run at a speed lower than the preset noise-free speed.

However, here, when the user directly inputs the dehumidification operation signal, although the external illumination value of the illumination sensor S3 is lower than a preset value, the dehumidification air cleaner may not be operated into the sleep mode. That is, in this case, the controller 140 may operate the dehumidification unit 120 to perform a dehumidification function according to a user's intention to remove moisture from air.

Specifically, the dehumidification-type air cleaner may be operated in a manual mode in which a user directly inputs a dehumidification operation signal so that the dehumidification-type air cleaner performs a dehumidification operation, and in which the indoor humidity level is measured when the user inputs a target humidity and when Operates in the auto mode in which the dehumidification operation is automatically performed when the measured indoor humidity level is higher than the target humidity. Thus, when the dehumidifying air cleaner is operating in the automatic mode, it can be changed to operating in the sleep mode, and in the case where the dehumidifying air cleaner is operating in the manual mode, the dehumidifying air cleaner can perform the dehumidification function without changing to sleep mode.

The defrosting operation will be described below.

When the dehumidification-type air cleaner performs a dehumidification operation in a low-temperature environment, moisture in the air condensed on the evaporator 121 may frost on the surface of the evaporator 121 . That is, the surface of the evaporator 121 may be frosted and the dehumidification performance of the evaporator 121 may be reduced.

In the related prior art, in order to remove the frost formed on the evaporator 121 , the operation of the intake fan 130 is stopped and the hot refrigerant generated in the compressor 122 is directly diverted to the evaporator 121 . However, in order to directly divert the hot refrigerant to the evaporator 121, other components are required, and abnormal noise is generated when the evaporator 121 is defrosted with hot refrigerant, which may cause users (or consumers) to mistakenly think it is a malfunction Wait.

Thus, in this embodiment, the controller 130 can determine whether to change the dehumidification-type air cleaner to the defrost mode to remove frost formed on the evaporator 121 (or to defrost the evaporator 121), and when the dehumidification When the type air cleaner changes to the defrosting mode, the controller 140 may cut off the power of the compressor 122 and increase the rotational speed of the intake fan 130 to a defrosting driving speed, thereby removing frost.

First, the controller 140 may receive a temperature signal from a temperature sensor that measures the surface temperature of the evaporator 121 . When the received temperature signal is lower than the defrosting reference temperature, the controller 140 may change the dehumidification-type air cleaner to the defrosting mode. Here, when the temperature signal remains below the defrosting reference temperature for a reference time period or longer, the dehumidifying air cleaner may change to the defrosting mode, or the dehumidifying air cleaner may repeatedly change to the defrosting mode at a predetermined cycle to perform defrost operation. In addition, in general, whether to change the dehumidification-type air cleaner to the defrosting mode can be determined based on the temperature signal, and when the temperature signal is not input or the input temperature signal is outside a preset range, the dehumidification-type air cleaner can press The predetermined cycle changes to the defrost mode. Here, when no temperature signal is input or when the input temperature signal is outside a preset range, it may be determined that there is an error in the temperature sensor generating the temperature signal.

For example, when the surface temperature of the evaporator 121 measured by the temperature sensor for measuring the surface temperature of the evaporator 121 is maintained at a temperature below the defrosting reference temperature (for example, −1° C.) for a reference time period (for example, 5 seconds) or For longer periods, the dehumidifying air cleaner can be changed to defrost mode. That is, when the evaporator 121 is maintained at a temperature lower than the defrosting reference temperature for a certain duration or longer, moisture of the outside air liquefied in the evaporator 121 is frosted on the surface of the evaporator 121 to generate frost.

When the dehumidified air cleaner enters the defrosting mode, the controller 140 may cut off power to the compressor 122 to stop the phase change of the refrigerant. In the absence of a phase change of the refrigerant, the condensation of water vapor on the evaporator 121 stops, thereby preventing additional frosting on the evaporator 121 .

Next, the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 may be increased to a defrosting driving speed faster than the dehumidification operation speed for the dehumidification operation. When the rotational speed of the intake fan 130 increases, a large amount of external air may be introduced into the evaporator 121 . Here, the external air may have a temperature higher than the surface temperature of the evaporator 121, transfer heat to the evaporator 121, and frost may be frequently exposed to the external air supplied by the intake fan 130, thereby being immediately evaporated to form water vapor. Accordingly, the temperature of the evaporator 121 is increased to defrost the surface of the evaporator 121 (that is, when the temperature of the evaporator 121 is increased, the frost formed on the surface of the evaporator 121 can disappear due to the increased temperature ).

Thereby, the defrosting function can be performed without other components, and since the defrosting function is performed in a state where the power supply of the compressor 122 is cut off, power consumption can be reduced. Also, in this case, since defrosting is performed by increasing the rotational speed of the intake fan 130, only noise due to the operation of the intake fan 130 and no other noises are generated.

Next, when the temperature signal becomes higher than the defrosting reference temperature while the dehumidifying air cleaner is operating in the defrosting mode, the controller 140 may power the compressor 122 and reduce the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 to a dehumidifying run speed. That is, after the surface of the evaporator 121 is defrosted in the defrosting mode, the dehumidifying air cleaner may need to operate again in the dehumidifying mode removing humidity from the outside air. Thus, when the surface temperature of the evaporator 121 measured by the temperature sensor is higher than the defrosting reference temperature, the dehumidifying air cleaner may change from the defrosting mode to the dehumidifying mode. That is, the controller 140 may monitor the temperature of the evaporator 121 by using a temperature sensor, and when the temperature of the evaporator 121 is higher than the defrosting reference temperature, the controller 140 may determine that the frost formed on the evaporator 121 has been completely removed. dehumidification, and the dehumidification air purifier returns to the dehumidification mode again.

To return the dehumidifying air cleaner to the dehumidifying mode, the controller 140 may power the compressor 122 and reduce the rotational speed of the intake fan 130 to the dehumidifying operating temperature. When power is supplied to the compressor 122, the continuous phase change of the refrigerant may be restored, and accordingly, the air introduced into the evaporator 121 is cooled and water vapor may be re-condensed. Also, in order to effectively remove moisture contained in the air introduced into the evaporator 121, the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 may be reduced to a dehumidification operation speed.

Next, the dry operation of the heat exchanger will be described.

When the dehumidification operation of the dehumidification type air cleaner ends, moisture remains in the heat exchangers 121 and 123 of the dehumidification unit 120 . If the moisture remaining in the heat exchangers 121 and 123 is not removed immediately, harmful microorganisms, mold, etc. may spread therein, and the inside of the heat exchangers 121 and 122 may be polluted by the propagation of harmful microorganisms, mold, etc., and may It produces an unpleasant odour.

Thus, the controller 140 may determine whether to change the dehumidification-type air cleaner to the heat exchanger drying mode to remove residual moisture, especially moisture in the heat exchangers 121 and 123 of the dehumidification unit 120 . When the dehumidifying air cleaner changes to the heat exchanger drying mode, the controller 140 may control the operation of the intake fan 130 to supply external air to the heat exchangers 121 and 123 .

First, whether the dehumidification-type air cleaner is in the heat exchanger drying mode may be determined according to whether a control signal for stopping the operation of the compressor 122 is input to the controller 140 .

The heat exchanger drying mode is an operation mode in which the heat exchangers 121 and 123 are immediately dried to prevent the spread of harmful microorganisms, mold, etc. in the dehumidification unit 120 when the user stops the dehumidification function of the dehumidification type air cleaner. That is, the heat exchangers 121 and 123 are dried while stopping the dehumidification function, thereby preventing unpleasant odors due to harmful microorganisms, mold, etc. when the dehumidification type air cleaner is driven again later. Thus, since the heat exchanger drying mode should be performed after the dehumidification function is stopped, it is necessary to recognize whether the dehumidification function has been stopped. In order to perform the dehumidification function, the refrigerant should first be compressed. Thus, it is possible to identify whether the dehumidification function has stopped by determining whether the refrigerant is compressed.

Thus, when a control signal for stopping the operation of the compressor 122 is input, the controller 140 determines that the dehumidification function has been stopped, and changes the dehumidification-type air cleaner to the heat exchanger drying mode.

However, here, in the case of the dehumidification-type air cleaner, it may happen that the dehumidification operation is terminated and the dehumidification-type air cleaner is then operated in the purification mode. That is, the heat exchangers 121 and 123 may be dried according to the rotation of the intake fan 130 used in the purification mode. Thus, the controller 140 may consider whether a control signal for stopping the operation of the intake fan 130 is input and whether a control signal for stopping the operation of the compressor 122 is input.

In addition, the controller 140 may receive a control signal to stop the operation of the compressor 122 from a protection circuit or the like for preventing the compressor 122 from being overloaded, except during a user-input or pre-programmed operation time.

When the dehumidifying air cleaner changes to the heat exchanger drying mode, the controller 140 may set the operating speed and operating time period of the intake fan 130 according to the heat exchanger temperature value and the heat exchanger humidity value.

Specifically, when the heat exchanger temperature value and the heat exchanger humidity value are higher than the reference temperature value and the reference humidity value, the controller 140 may set the intake fan 130 to operate at the first operating speed during the first operating time. Here, when the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 is divided into three speed levels of high, middle and low from fast to slow, the first operating speed may correspond to the middle speed level, and when the intake fan 130 operates during When divided into three levels of high, medium, and low from longer to shorter, the first operation duration may correspond to a high level. That is, when the heat exchanger temperature value and the heat exchanger humidity value are high, the intake fan 130 may operate rapidly for a long period of time to sufficiently dry the heat exchangers 121 and 123 .

Next, when the heat exchanger temperature value is lower than the reference temperature value but the heat exchanger humidity value is higher than the reference humidity value, the intake fan 130 may be set to operate at a second operating speed for a second operating duration. Here, the second operating speed may correspond to a low speed level, and the second operating duration may correspond to a medium level.

Finally, when the heat exchanger temperature value is lower than the reference temperature value and the heat exchanger humidity value is lower than the reference humidity value, the intake fan 130 may be set to operate at a third operating speed for a third operating duration. Here, the third operating speed may correspond to a low speed level like the second operating speed, and the third operating duration may correspond to a low level.

Here, a case where the heat exchanger temperature is higher than the reference temperature value but the heat exchanger humidity value is lower than the reference humidity can also be considered. In this case, the operation of the drying heat exchangers 121 and 123 may be omitted.

The controller 140 according to another embodiment of the present invention may set the operation speed and operation duration of the intake fan 130 only through the humidity value of the heat exchanger. That is, the operation speed and operation duration of the intake fan 130 may be set by comparing the heat exchanger humidity value with a preset minimum humidity value and a preset maximum humidity value.

Specifically, when the humidity value of the heat exchanger is greater than the preset minimum humidity value, the operating speed of the intake fan 130 can be set to a middle speed level, and the operation duration of the intake fan 130 can be set to a high level or higher. A large amount of water vapor present in the heat exchangers 121 and 123 is reliably removed.

Moreover, when the humidity value of the heat exchanger is less than the preset maximum humidity value but greater than the preset minimum humidity value, the operation speed of the intake fan 130 can be set to a low speed level, and the operation duration of the intake fan 130 can be is set to Intermediate. That is, the operating speed and operating duration of the intake fan 130 are slightly lowered or reduced to effectively remove humidity.

Finally, when the heat exchanger humidity value is greater than or less than the preset minimum humidity value, the operating speed of the intake fan 130 can be set to a low speed level and the operation duration of the intake fan 130 can be set to a low level to The operation of the intake fan 130 is controlled according to a situation with a small amount of humidity.

The overload control will be described below.

When the dehumidification operation is performed by using the dehumidification unit 120, specifically, when the dehumidification operation is performed in a high-temperature environment such as summer, heat exchange may not be performed smoothly in the heat exchangers 121 and 123, possibly causing the compressor 122 to overheat. and damage, or possibly stop the operation of the compressor 122. To prevent this, the controller 140 may determine whether to change the dehumidification-type air cleaner into an overload mode to address the overload applied to the dehumidification unit 120 . When the dehumidifying air cleaner changes to the overload mode, the controller 140 may increase the rotational speed of the intake fan 130 to the overload driving speed.

Specifically, the controller 140 may determine whether to change the dehumidification-type air cleaner into overload by using the external temperature of the dehumidification-type air cleaner measured by a temperature sensor measuring the external temperature or the magnitude of current introduced into the motor of the compressor 122. model. That is, when the input external temperature value is greater than the overload reference value, the controller 140 may determine that the dehumidification unit 120 is overloaded, and when the current magnitude is greater than the reference current value, the controller 140 may determine that the dehumidification unit 120 is overloaded. When the controller 140 determines that the dehumidification unit is overloaded, the controller 140 may change the operation mode of the dehumidification-type air cleaner to an overload mode. In addition, even when the temperature of the heat exchanger is higher than a preset temperature value, the controller 140 may determine an overload and change the dehumidification-type air cleaner into an overload mode.

When the operation mode of the dehumidification-type air cleaner corresponds to the overload mode, the dehumidification-type air cleaner may preferably perform the operation of the dehumidification unit 120 for solving the overload. That is, the controller 140 may increase the rotational speed of the intake fan 130 to an overdrive speed. The overload driving speed is a rotation speed exceeding that of a general dehumidification operation. When the intake fan 130 operates at the overdrive speed, the dehumidification unit 120 may be cooled. An overload condition of the dehumidification unit 120 may be resolved when the dehumidification unit, specifically, the compressor 122 is cooled.

In addition, the controller 140 may operate in a recommended humidity mode according to a recommended humidity operation command input by a user by using an interface unit (not shown), which may be attached to the outside of the dehumidifying air cleaner. That is, when a user inputs a recommended humidity operation command, a recommended humidity operation signal may be input to the controller 140 .

When a recommended humidity operation signal is input, the controller 140 may receive an external humidity value measured by the humidity sensor S1. When the external humidity value exceeds a reference humidity value such as 60%, the controller 140 may operate the dehumidification unit 120 to control moisture in the air so that the external humidity value is reduced below 60%. When the external humidity value is within the recommended humidity range, such as 40% to 60%, the dehumidification operation can be stopped. Here, the reference humidity value and the recommended humidity range may be limited to the aforementioned values and ranges, and may be variably set.

The compressor startup noise reduction control will be described below.

When the dehumidification operation signal is input, first, the controller 140 may increase the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 to a preset rotation speed. Next, the dehumidification unit 120 may be driven only when the rotation speed is higher than a preset rotation speed.

In order for the dehumidifying air cleaner to perform a dehumidifying function, both the intake fan 130 and the dehumidifying unit 120 are required to operate. Here, when the dehumidification unit 120 just starts to operate, noise and vibration may be generated due to the operation of the dehumidification unit 120, and here, the user may be startled by sudden noise and vibration caused by the operation of the dehumidification unit 120 and determine that the dehumidification air There is a malfunction in the operation of the purifier.

Meanwhile, in general, the noise generated by the rotation of the intake fan 130 is less audible than the noise generated by the operation of the dehumidification unit 120, and the user may be familiar enough not to be intimidated by the noise generated by the rotation of the intake fan 130. one jump.

Thus, the controller 140 may drive the intake fan 130 prior to the operation of the dehumidification unit 120 . Through the noise generated by driving the intake fan 130, the user can recognize that the dehumidification type air cleaner has started to operate, and then, although the dehumidification unit 120 operates to generate noise and vibration, the user can recognize it as a dehumidification type air cleaner normal operation of the device. Also, the noise generated due to the operation of the dehumidification unit 120 may be drowned out by the noise generated by the driving of the intake fan 130 so that a user can recognize relatively low-level noise due to the operation of the dehumidification unit 120 .

Specifically, in order to properly achieve the effect of driving the intake fan 130 for the first time, the dehumidification unit 120 may operate after the intake fan 130 operates at a preset speed or higher. That is, because the magnitude of the noise generated by the rotation of the intake fan 130 should be sufficient to cover the noise generated by the dehumidification unit 120, the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 can be set in advance to produce Amplitude of noise.

After receiving the dehumidification operation signal, the controller 1400 may operate the intake fan 130, and after receiving the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 from the intake fan 130, the controller 140 may repeatedly compare the received rotation speed with a preset value. Rotation speed comparison. Next, when the measured rotation speed of the intake fan 130 is higher than a preset rotation speed, the controller 140 may transmit a control signal to the dehumidification unit 120 to start the operation of the dehumidification unit 120 . Alternatively, a period of time it takes for the intake fan 130 to reach a preset rotation speed is set in advance, and the controller 140 may operate the dehumidification unit 120 when the preset period of time has elapsed.

Here, the controller 140 may specifically control the operation of the compressor 122 of the dehumidification unit 120 . As discussed above, the compressor 122 may be used to compress refrigerant by using an electric motor, so noise and vibration generated by the dehumidification unit 120 may originate from the electric motor of the compressor 122 .

Thus, when the rotation speed, specifically, the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 is higher than a preset rotation speed, the controller 140 can drive the compressor 122 . Here, when the intake fan 130 is operated at a preset rotation speed, noise having a level equal to or greater than that generated when the compressor 122 to be operated is started may be generated.

The controller 140 may receive a dehumidification operation signal. When the controller 140 receives the dehumidification operation signal, the controller 140 may control the dehumidification air cleaner so that the dehumidification unit 120 performs a dehumidification function. The dehumidification operation signal may be input by the user through an interface unit (not shown) provided outside the dehumidification air cleaner or may be input when the humidity value of the external air is higher than the reference humidity value.

After driving the compressor 122, the controller 140 may reset the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 to a dehumidification operation speed. When the compressor 122 is driven, noise and vibration may be reduced compared to when the compressor 122 is activated. Thus, when the compressor 122 starts to be driven, the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 may be reduced to rotate at a speed suitable for a dehumidification operation, that is, a dehumidification operation speed.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a process of a method for controlling airflow force of a dehumidifying air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8 , the method for controlling the airflow force of a dehumidifying air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an air cleaning step ( S810 ), a dehumidification operation signal input step ( S820 ), a purification mode type driving step ( S830 ), A dehumidification step (S840) and a functional purification step (S850).

Next, a method for controlling airflow force of a dehumidifying air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

In the air purification step (S810), the rotation speed of the intake fan may be set according to a preset purification mode, and pollutants contained in external air introduced due to the rotation of the intake fan may be filtered out. The purification mode may include a general purification mode and a functional purification mode. The general purification mode may be a mode in which the rotation speed of the intake fan is set according to the airflow force required by the user and pollutants contained in the air introduced by the intake fan are removed through an appropriate filter. The functional cleaning mode may be a mode in which the intake fan operates according to each rotation speed thereof which is previously set according to the corresponding function to thereby perform the corresponding function. The functional purification mode may include, for example, a yellow dust mode, a laundry drying mode, a night sleep mode, and the like. In the case of the yellow dust mode, the concentration of yellow dust introduced into the indoor area during the yellow dust season and the concentration of various harmful pollutants contained in the yellow dust may be high, so that the yellow dust mode may be the one in which the dehumidification type air purification is introduced. Hazardous materials in the container can be quickly disposed of mode. The sleep mode may be a mode in which the dehumidifying air cleaner operates such that noise thereof is minimized. In sleep mode, the rotation speed of the intake fan is set to the minimum.

In the dehumidification operation signal input step (S820), a dehumidification operation signal for operating a dehumidification unit to remove moisture contained in external air may be received. The dehumidification-type air cleaner may receive a dehumidification operation signal when operating in a purification mode, and here, the dehumidification operation signal may further include information on a rotational speed of an intake fan. In this case, whether to set the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 to the speed previously set in the purification mode or whether to set the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 according to the intake fan rotation speed of the dehumidification operation signal may be a problem . That is, if the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 is adjusted to the speed previously set in the purification mode, the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 is fast enough to greatly reduce the dehumidification effect of the dehumidification unit 120, and conversely, if The rotation speed of the air fan 130 is set according to the dehumidification operation signal, and the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 is changed, especially in the functional purification mode, which may cause the expected effect of the functional purification mode to not be achieved. Here, the dehumidification operation signal may be directly received from the user, and the dehumidification operation signal may be received even when the humidity of the outside air is higher than a reference humidity value.

In the cleaning mode type determining step (S830), it may be determined whether the cleaning mode is a general cleaning mode or a functional cleaning mode. As discussed above, the purification mode can be divided into a general purification mode and a functional purification mode, so that it can be distinguished which mode the dehumidification-type air cleaner currently corresponds to. Here, when the purification mode is the general purification mode, the dehumidification step (S840) may be performed, and when the purification mode is the functional purification mode, the functional purification step (S850) may be performed. The aforementioned problems can be solved by differentiating the steps to be performed in the purge mode.

In the dehumidification step (S840), when the purification mode is the general purification mode, the rotation speed of the intake fan may be reset according to the dehumidification operation signal, and the dehumidification unit may be operated to perform the dehumidification operation. The general cleaning mode is a mode or the like in which air cleaning is performed on the introduced air based on the air force set by the user, and in this mode, any other function or effect cannot be expected under the air force set by the user. Also, the input of the dehumidification operation signal means that the dehumidification operation needs to be performed currently, so it may be considered that the dehumidification function is performed preferentially. Thus, when the dehumidification operation is input while the dehumidification type air cleaner is operating, the dehumidification function may be performed by the dehumidification unit 120, and the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 may be reset to the dehumidification operation speed according to the dehumidification operation signal. In the dehumidification step (S840), the dehumidification air cleaner may perform a dehumidification operation and remove moisture from air. Here, the rotation speed of the intake fan may be reset to a previously set dehumidification operation speed according to the humidity value of the outside air.

In the functional purification step (S850), when the purification mode is the functional purification mode, the rotation speed of the intake fan may be maintained and the dehumidification operation may not be performed. The functional purification mode may be to perform preset functions such as yellow dust mode, laundry drying mode, sleep mode, etc., and in order to perform these functions, it is important to maintain the rotation speed of the intake fan at the set value in the functional purification mode. spinning speed. Thus, in the functional purification mode, the rotational speed of the intake fan set in the functional purification mode may be maintained as it is regardless of the dehumidification operation signal. Also, compared to the dehumidification operation, when the dehumidification operation is performed while the rotation speed of the intake fan set in the functional purification mode is maintained, the dehumidification effect may be greatly reduced and this may damage the reliability of the user of the dehumidification type air cleaner. . Thus, when the dehumidification-type air cleaner operates in the functional purification mode, the dehumidification-type air cleaner may not perform a dehumidification operation regardless of the dehumidification operation signal. Here, the dehumidification-type air cleaner may display the fact that it cannot perform the dehumidification operation on a display, which may be provided in a housing of the dehumidification-type air cleaner.

In addition, although not shown, the method of controlling the airflow force of a dehumidification-type air cleaner may further include an air purification return step in which when the humidity of the outside air decreases below a reference humidity value after the dehumidification step (S840), the dehumidification The air purifier returns to the purifying mode. That is, the user may want to maintain a certain level of humidity and air purification, and in this case, after the dehumidification step ( S840 ), the dehumidification-type air cleaner may need to return to the purification mode. Here, in order to set the rotation speed of the intake fan, the amount of pollutants in the external air may be measured by a dust sensor, and the rotation speed of the intake fan may be set based on the amount of pollutants. Specifically, the purge driving speed of the intake fan corresponding to the amount of dust measured by the dust sensor may be set in advance, and the rotation speed of the intake fan may be reset based on the purge drive speed.

Also, in the method of controlling the air flow force of a dehumidifying air cleaner, an external lighting value is measured, and when the measured lighting value is lower than a reference lighting value, the dehumidifying air cleaner changes to a sleep mode, thereby stopping the dehumidifying unit. running. The external lighting value may be a value measured by a lighting sensor provided outside the dehumidifying air cleaner. When the external lighting value measured by the lighting sensor is lower than a preset value, it may be determined that it is nighttime and the dehumidifying air purifier is operated to enter a sleep mode.

The sleep mode is a mode in which the dehumidifying air cleaner operates so that the user's sleep is not disturbed by noise generated by the dehumidifying air cleaner, and in this mode, the dehumidifying air cleaner can to run. In particular, most of the noise generated by the dehumidification-type air cleaner may be caused by noise from rotation of an intake fan and sound generated when refrigerant is compressed by a compressor of the dehumidification unit by using an electric motor. Thus, when the dehumidifying air cleaner is in the sleep mode, the operation of the compressor of the dehumidification unit may be stopped and the intake fan may be operated at a rotation speed lower than a preset sleep mode rotation speed.

However, here, when the user directly inputs the dehumidification operation signal, although the external illumination value of the illumination sensor is lower than a preset value, the dehumidification air cleaner may not be operated into the sleep mode. That is, in this case, the dehumidification unit may operate to perform a dehumidification function according to a user's intention to remove moisture from air.

Specifically, the dehumidification-type air cleaner may operate in a manual mode in which a user directly inputs a dehumidification operation signal so that the dehumidification-type air cleaner performs a dehumidification operation, and in which the indoor humidity level is measured when the user inputs a target humidity, And when the measured indoor humidity level is higher than the target humidity, the dehumidification operation is automatically performed in the automatic mode. Thus, when the dehumidifying air cleaner is operating in the automatic mode, it can be changed to operating in the sleep mode, and in the case where the dehumidifying air cleaner is operating in the manual mode, the dehumidifying air cleaner can perform dehumidification function without changing to sleep mode.

Also, in the method of controlling the air flow force of the dehumidification type air cleaner, when a laundry drying signal is input, the dehumidification unit is operated and the rotation speed of the intake fan is simultaneously increased to the laundry drying speed. The laundry drying speed may be input through an interface unit, which may be provided on a housing of the dehumidifying air cleaner. When a laundry drying signal is received, the operation of the dehumidifying air cleaner may be controlled to quickly dry the laundry.

Specifically, a method of simultaneously operating the dehumidification unit and increasing the rotation speed of the intake fan to the laundry drying speed may be used. In general, when the airflow velocity is too fast while the dehumidification device performs the dehumidification function, the dehumidification function may not be normally performed. However, regarding drying of laundry, it may be more effective to supply a large amount of air to remove humidity contained in laundry. Thus, the rotation speed of the intake fan may be set to a laundry drying rotation speed higher than a maximum rotation speed for performing a dehumidification function. That is, although the dehumidification performance may decrease according to the performance of the dehumidification function of the dehumidification unit, the laundry may be dried quickly by increasing the amount of air supplied to the laundry.

For reference, in the above description, it is expressed that the corresponding steps are executed sequentially, but these steps may be executed in parallel or the execution order of the corresponding steps may be changed.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart of the process of a defrosting method for a dehumidifying air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 9 , a defrosting method according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a dehumidification operation ( S910 ), a defrosting mode change operation ( S920 ), a defrosting operation ( S930 ), and a dehumidification mode sharp return ( S940 ).

Next, a defrosting method of a dehumidifying air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 9 .

In the dehumidification operation (S910), the refrigerant is compressed by the compressor, liquefied by the condenser and evaporated by using the evaporator to thereby cool the introduced air, whereby the dehumidification type air cleaner can be in the introduced air Run in dehumidification mode where the humidity is removed. The dehumidification operation ( S910 ) may be a general dehumidification method of removing humidity in air by using a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator.

In the defrosting mode changing operation (S920), it may be determined whether to change the dehumidifying air cleaner to the defrosting mode to remove frost formed on the evaporator. When dehumidification is performed in a low-temperature environment, humidity in the air is frozen on the surface of the evaporator, thereby forming frost on the surface of the evaporator. When the surface of the evaporator is frosted, the humidity cannot be smoothly removed from the evaporator, so it is necessary to remove the frost. Here, the dehumidification-type air cleaner may change from a dehumidification mode in which humidity is removed in the same manner as in a dehumidification operation to a defrosting mode to remove frost.

In the defrosting mode change operation (S920), when the surface temperature of the evaporator is lower than the defrosting reference temperature, the dehumidifying air cleaner may change to the defrosting mode. In order to effectively remove humidity, it is preferable to perform a defrosting operation only in evaporator frosting, so it may be important to determine a point in time when the dehumidifying air cleaner changes to the defrosting mode. In order to determine the point in time when the dehumidifying air cleaner changes to the defrosting mode, the surface temperature of the evaporator may be utilized, and the surface temperature of the evaporator may be measured by a temperature sensor. Specifically, the surface temperature of the evaporator may be measured by using a temperature sensor, and when the measured surface temperature is lower than a defrosting reference temperature, the evaporator may be considered to be defrosted. The defrosting reference temperature may be a temperature at which liquefied water vapor starts to frost in the evaporator. Also, when the temperature signal is maintained at the defrosting reference temperature for a reference time period or longer, the dehumidifying air cleaner may change to the defrosting mode, or the dehumidifying air cleaner may repeatedly change to the defrosting mode at a predetermined cycle to Perform defrost operation. In addition, in general, whether to change to the defrosting mode can be determined based on the temperature signal, and when the temperature signal is not input or the input temperature signal is outside a preset range, the dehumidification-type air cleaner can change to the defrosting mode at a predetermined cycle model. When no temperature signal is input or when the input temperature signal is outside a preset range, it can be determined that there is an error in the temperature sensor that generates the temperature signal.

In the defrosting operation (S930), when the defrosting type air cleaner is changed to the defrosting mode, power to the compressor may be cut off and the driving speed of the intake fan may be increased to the defrosting driving speed. When it is determined that frost is formed on the surface of the evaporator, the dehumidifying air cleaner may change to a defrosting mode to defrost the evaporator. In defrost mode, cooling of the air introduced in the evaporator can be stopped by cutting off the power to the evaporator. This is to prevent additional formation of frost by cooling of the evaporator. Also, the driving speed of the intake fan may be increased to a defrosting driving speed to allow a large amount of external air to be supplied to the evaporator. The outside air can have a temperature higher than that of the evaporator so that it can transfer heat to the evaporator. The surface temperature of the evaporator may increase due to heat transferred by the external air, and accordingly, frost formed on the surface of the evaporator may be removed.

In the defrosting mode return operation (S940), when the evaporator is defrosted in the defrosting mode, the dehumidifying air cleaner may return to the dehumidifying mode. That is, after the frost formed on the evaporator is removed, the dehumidification type air cleaner needs to return to the dehumidification mode to remove humidity from the introduced air. Specifically, in the defrosting mode return operation S940, when the surface temperature of the evaporator increases to be higher than the defrosting reference temperature, the compressor may be powered and the driving speed of the intake fan may be reduced to the dehumidification operation speed. When the surface temperature of the evaporator is higher than the defrosting reference temperature, frost does not exist on the surface of the evaporator, so that it can be considered that the frost on the surface of the evaporator has been removed. Thus, when the surface temperature of the evaporator is higher than the defrosting reference temperature, the dehumidification-type air cleaner may return to the dehumidification mode. To return to dehumidification mode, the compressor can be powered and the evaporator can cool the incoming air to remove moisture therefrom. Also, for effective dehumidification, the driving speed of the intake fan may be reduced from the defrosting driving speed to the dehumidifying operation speed.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart of a drying method for a heat exchanger of a dehumidifying air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a flow chart of a process of a drying method for a heat exchanger of a dehumidifying air cleaner according to another embodiment of the present invention.

A method of drying a heat exchanger (or a heat exchanger drying method) will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11 .

Referring to FIG. 10 , a heat exchanger drying method according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a dehumidification stop operation (S1010), a sensor measurement operation (S1020), an operation setting operation (S1030), and an intake fan driving operation (S1040).

In the dehumidification stop operation (S1010), the dehumidification operation of the dehumidification-type air cleaner may be stopped. Since the drying of the heat exchanger should be performed after the dehumidification operation of the dehumidification-type air cleaner is completed, the dehumidification operation of the dehumidification-type air cleaner may be stopped first. The dehumidification operation may be stopped according to user input, or may be stopped when a preset dehumidification operation time has elapsed. Alternatively, when the humidity level of the outside air is lower than the reference humidity value, the dehumidification operation may be stopped.

In the sensor measurement operation ( S1020 ), when the dehumidification operation is stopped, the internal temperature and humidity of the dehumidification air cleaner may be measured by using a temperature and humidity sensor provided in the dehumidification air cleaner. Here, temperature and humidity sensors measure the temperature and humidity of the heat exchanger. The operation of the intake fan for drying the heat exchanger can be controlled based on the measured temperature and humidity values.

In the operation setting operation (S1030), the operation of the intake fan may be set according to the measured temperature and humidity values. Here, in the operation setting operation (S1030), the operation mode of the intake fan may be set according to temperature and humidity, and the operation speed and operation time of the intake fan may be determined according to the corresponding operation mode. Specifically, in the operation setting operation (S1030), first, when the heat exchanger temperature value (T sensor) is greater than the reference temperature value (T reference) and the heat exchanger humidity value (H sensor) is greater than the reference humidity value (H reference ), the dehumidifying air cleaner may be set to the first operation mode (S1031). When the heat exchanger temperature value (T sensor) is lower than the reference temperature value (T reference) and the heat exchanger humidity value (H sensor) is greater than the reference humidity value (H reference), the dehumidifying air cleaner can be set to the second The second operation mode (S1032). When the heat exchanger temperature value (T sensor) is lower than the reference temperature value (T reference) and the heat exchanger humidity value (H sensor) is lower than the reference humidity value (H reference), the dehumidification air cleaner can be set to The third operation mode (S1033). That is, the operation mode of the intake fan can be set according to the corresponding temperature value and humidity value of the heat exchanger.

In the intake fan driving operation (S1040), the intake fan may be driven according to a preset operation of the intake fan. Specifically, in the first operation mode, the intake fan may be operated at a first operation speed during a first operation duration ( S1041 ). Here, when the rotation speed of the intake fan 130 is divided into three speed levels from fast to slow, high, middle and low, the first operation speed may correspond to the middle speed level, and when the operation time of the intake fan 130 When the periods are divided into three levels of high, medium, and low from longer to shorter, the first operation duration may correspond to the high level.

Next, in the second operation mode, the intake fan may be operated at a second operation speed during a second operation duration ( S1042 ). Here, the second operating speed may correspond to a low speed level, and the second operating duration may correspond to a medium level.

Next, in the second operation mode, the intake fan may be operated at a second operation speed during a second operation duration ( S1042 ). Here, the third operating speed may correspond to a low speed level, and the third operating duration may correspond to a low level.

Referring to FIG. 11, a heat exchanger drying method according to another embodiment of the present invention may include dehumidification stop operation (S1110), sensor measurement operation (S1120), operation setting operation (S1130), and intake fan driving operation (S1140). .

The dehumidification stop operation (S1110), the sensor measurement operation (S1120), and the intake fan driving operation (S1140) have been described above, and thus detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

Here, in the operation setting operation ( S1130 ), unlike the operation setting operation of FIG. 7 , the operation of the intake fan can be set only by the humidity value of the heat exchanger. That is, the operation mode of the intake fan may be set by comparing the heat exchanger humidity value (H sensor) with a preset minimum humidity value H-min and a preset maximum humidity value H-max. Specifically, when the heat exchanger humidity value (H sensor) is greater than the preset minimum humidity value, the intake fan may be set to the first operation mode (S1131), and when the heat exchanger humidity value (H sensor) is less than the preset When the maximum humidity value is set and is greater than the preset minimum humidity value H-min, the intake fan can be set to the second operating mode (S1132). Finally, when the heat exchanger humidity value (H sensor) is less than a preset minimum humidity value such that the intake fan does not correspond to the first and second operation modes, the intake fan may be set to a third operation mode.

When the operation mode of the intake fan is set in the operation setting operation ( S1130 ), the intake fan may be driven in the corresponding operation mode during the corresponding operation duration in the intake fan driving operation. That is, when the intake fan corresponds to the first operation mode, the intake fan may be operated at the first operation speed during the first operation duration ( S1141 ). When the intake fan corresponds to the second operation mode, the intake fan may be operated at the second operation speed during the second operation duration ( S1142 ). When the intake fan corresponds to the third operation mode, the intake fan may be operated at a third operation speed during a third operation duration ( S1143 ).

The intake fan driving operation ( S1140 ) is the same as described above with reference to FIG. 10 , and thus its detailed description is omitted.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart of a process of a method for controlling overload of a dehumidified air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 12 , the method for controlling overload of a dehumidifying air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes filtering operation (S1210), dehumidification operation (S1220), overload mode change operation (S1230), overload operation (S1240), The dehumidification mode returns to operation (S1250) and the recommended humidity operation operation (S1260).

Next, a method for controlling overload of a dehumidifying air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

In the filtering operation (S1210), regarding the air introduced due to the airflow formed by the intake fan, pollutants contained in the air may be filtered out by using the filtering unit. The filter unit may be divided into a first filter unit for filtering out pollutants when the air is introduced into the dehumidification type air cleaner, and a second filter unit for dehumidifying when the introduced air is exhausted. Filters out pollutants when placed outside the air purifier. A corresponding filter unit may comprise a plurality of filters. The first filter unit may include a pre-filter, a functional filter, etc., and the second filter unit may include a HEPA filter, a deodorizing filter, and the like.

In the dehumidification operation (S1220), the refrigerant is compressed by the compressor, liquefied by the condenser and evaporated by using the evaporator to thereby cool the introduced air, whereby the dehumidification type air cleaner can be introduced in Operates in dehumidification mode where humidity in the air is removed. When the dehumidification-type air cleaner performs a dehumidification operation to remove moisture from air, the dehumidification-type air cleaner may operate in a dehumidification mode using a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and the like. However, the heat exchange in the evaporator may be significantly affected by the external temperature of the dehumidifying air cleaner, and when the external temperature is equal to or higher than the overload temperature, the heat exchange in the evaporator may not be smoothly performed. In this situation, the compressor may overheat to allow high levels of airflow into it, and to protect the compressor, operation of the compressor may be stopped. Because the heat exchange in the evaporator is not smooth, the condition in which the compressor is overheated to operate with a high level of air flow in it can be called overloading.

In the overload mode changing operation ( S1230 ), it may be determined whether to change to the overload mode to solve the overload applied to the compressor. When the compressor stops operating due to overload, the dehumidifying air cleaner may stop the dehumidifying operation, so in order to prevent this, control may be performed. First, in order to determine whether the compressor is overloaded, the external temperature of the dehumidification-type air cleaner may be measured or the magnitude of air flow supplied to the compressor may be measured, and the measured value may be compared with a reference value. That is, when the measured external temperature of the dehumidifying air cleaner or the magnitude of the airflow supplied to the compressor is greater than the overload reference temperature value and the reference airflow value, it may be determined that the compressor is overloaded. When it is determined that the compressor is overloaded, the dehumidified air cleaner may be controlled to operate in an overload mode to solve the overload of the compressor.

In the overload operation (S1240), when the dehumidifying air cleaner is changed to the overload mode, the rotation speed of the intake fan may be increased to the overload driving speed. The intake fan is used to allow outside air to be introduced into the dehumidifying air cleaner and can be rotated to form an airflow. The intake fan may perform an air purification function as well as a dehumidification function, so that it may have a wider rotation speed range than that of a general dehumidifier. Thus, in the overload mode, the intake fan can operate at an overload driving speed faster than the rotation speed of a general dehumidifier, and the outside air supplied by the intake fan can absorb heat from the compressor to thereby cool the compressor . As discussed above, when the compressor is cooled, there is no need to stop the operation of the compressor to protect the compressor, so that the dehumidification operation can be continuously performed.

In the dehumidification mode return operation (S1250), when the overload applied to the compressor is resolved in the overload operation (S1240), the dehumidification type air cleaner may return to the dehumidification operation. Since in the overload operation (S1240), the speed of the intake fan is increased to the overload driving speed to cool the compressor, the dehumidification performance of the dehumidification air cleaner may be reduced compared to the general dehumidification operation. Thus, the dehumidifying air cleaner can return from the overload mode to the dehumidification mode when the outside temperature value drops to the overload reference temperature or when the airflow supplied to the compressor drops below the reference airflow value.

In the recommended humidity operation operation (S1260), when the recommended humidity operation signal is input, external humidity is measured. When the measured humidity exceeds a reference humidity value such as 60%, a dehumidification operation may be performed (S1220). The dehumidification-type air cleaner may operate in a recommended humidity mode, and in this case, a user may perform an input by using an interface unit, which may be attached to the outside of the dehumidification-type air cleaner. In the recommended humidity mode, an external humidity value measured by a humidity sensor may be received, and when the external humidity value exceeds 60%, a dehumidification operation may be performed (S1220). Next, when the external humidity value is within a recommended humidity range, for example, 40% to 60%, the operation of the dehumidification operation (S1220) may be stopped.

For reference, in the above description, the corresponding operations are described as sequential execution, but when these operations are actually executed, these operations may be executed in parallel or the order of these operations may be changed.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of a control process for reducing compressor noise of a dehumidification-type air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 13 , the dehumidification method of the dehumidification air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a dehumidification operation signal input operation (S1310), an intake fan operation (S1320), a rotation speed detection operation (S1330), and a dehumidification unit Drive operation (S1340).

Next, a dehumidification method of a dehumidification-type air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 13 .

In the dehumidification operation signal input operation ( S1310 ), the dehumidification unit of the dehumidification type air cleaner may receive a dehumidification operation signal for controlling the dehumidification unit to perform a dehumidification operation to remove moisture from air. The dehumidification operation signal may be a signal to operate a dehumidification unit of the dehumidification-type air cleaner to remove moisture from the dehumidification-type air cleaner. The dehumidification operation signal from the user can be received through the interface unit (position in the figure) arranged outside the dehumidification air cleaner. The dehumidification-type air cleaner may perform a dehumidification function of removing moisture from air and an air purification function of removing pollutants in the air independently or may perform both functions simultaneously. The dehumidification operation signal may be input only when the dehumidification function is performed or when the dehumidification function and the air purification function are performed simultaneously.

In the intake fan operation (S1320), when the dehumidification operation signal is input, the intake fan may be operated to allow external air to be introduced into the dehumidification type air cleaner. When the dehumidification operation signal is input, the intake fan may be operated, and here, noise may be generated due to the operation of the intake fan. In order to perform the dehumidification operation, the intake fan should operate together with the dehumidification unit provided in the dehumidification type air cleaner, and here, only the intake fan may be operated before operating the dehumidification unit.

In the rotation speed detection unit (S1330), it may be determined whether the rotation speed of the intake fan is equal to or faster than a preset rotation speed. After the intake fan is operated, the rotational speed of the intake fan may be determined. As mentioned above, rotating the intake fan first is to generate the noise firstly generated by the operation of the intake fan and then operate the dehumidification unit. Thus, the rotation speed of the intake fan can be gradually increased until it reaches a preset rotation speed. In general, the amount of generated noise increases as the rotational speed of the intake fan increases, so the rotational speed of the intake fan may be detected to determine whether the noise generated by the intake fan increases to reach a target noise level. Here, the target noise level may be equal to or greater than noise generated when the dehumidification unit is operated.

In the dehumidification unit driving operation (S1340), when the rotation speed of the intake fan is equal to or faster than a preset rotation speed, the dehumidification unit of the dehumidification type air cleaner may be driven. That is, when the rotation speed of the intake fan is equal to or faster than a preset rotation speed, the amount of noise generated by the intake fan may be equal to or greater than the target noise. Thus, at this point in time, although the dehumidification unit of the dehumidification type air cleaner is driven, the user may not be startled by the noise and vibration of driving the dehumidification unit and may not mistakenly think it is a malfunction of the dehumidification type air cleaner. Here, driving the dehumidification may specifically mean that the compressor, a constituent element of the dehumidification unit, is driven. The compressor compresses refrigerant, and since the compressor compresses the refrigerant by using a motor, a lot of noise and vibration may be generated while the compressor is operating. Thus, when the intake fan operates at a rotation speed equal to or faster than a preset rotation speed, specifically, the compressor of the dehumidification unit may start to be driven.

Although not shown, after the dehumidification unit is driven, a dehumidification operation speed resetting operation of resetting the rotation speed of the intake fan to the dehumidification operation speed may be additionally performed. After the dehumidification unit, in particular, the compressor is driven, noise and vibration generated by the compressor can be reduced. Thus, when the compressor starts to be driven, the rotation speed of the intake fan can be reduced and the intake fan can be rotated at a speed suitable for the dehumidification operation, that is, at the dehumidification operation speed.

While the present invention has been shown and described in connection with various embodiments, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (24)

1. A method for controlling the airflow force of a dehumidifying air cleaner, said method comprising: an air purification operation that sets the rotation speed of the intake fan according to a preset purification mode and filters pollutants from the introduced external air according to the rotation of the intake fan; a dehumidification operation signal input operation, the dehumidification operation signal input operation receives the dehumidification operation signal, and the dehumidification operation signal is used to operate the dehumidification unit to remove moisture contained in the external air; Purification mode type determination operation, the purification mode type determination operation determines whether the purification mode is a general purification mode or a functional purification mode dehumidification operation; a dehumidification operation that resets the rotational speed of the intake fan and operates the dehumidification unit to perform the dehumidification operation according to the dehumidification operation signal when the purification mode is the general purification mode; and A functional cleaning operation that maintains the rotational speed of the intake fan and does not perform a dehumidification operation when the cleaning mode is the functional cleaning mode. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the dehumidification operation signal input operation, when the humidity of the outside air is equal to or greater than a reference humidity value, the dehumidification operation signal is received. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein during the dehumidification operation, the rotation speed of the intake fan is reset to a preset dehumidification operation speed according to the humidity value of the outside air. 4. The method of claim 2, further comprising: air cleaning return operation based on the pollutant content in the outside air measured by the dust sensor when the humidity of the outside air falls below a reference humidity value Reset the rotation speed of the intake fan to the preset purge drive speed. 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: a sleep mode change operation that measures an external lighting value, stops operation of the dehumidification unit, enters sleep mode when the measured lighting value is lower than a reference lighting value. mode and reset the rotation speed of the intake fan to a noiseless speed. 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising a laundry drying operation that increases the rotation speed of the intake fan to the laundry drying operation speed while operating the dehumidification unit when the laundry drying signal is input. 7. A dehumidifying air cleaner, comprising: a filter unit that filters out pollutants contained in the air introduced into it; a dehumidification unit that removes moisture contained in the air introduced; an intake fan rotated by a motor to allow external air to be introduced into the dehumidifying air cleaner; and a controller operating the dehumidification-type air cleaner in a purification mode in which pollutants are filtered out by adjusting the rotation speed of the intake fan without driving the dehumidification unit, and the input for operating the dehumidification unit Determine whether to run the dehumidification unit and reset the rotation speed of the intake fan according to the type of purification mode when the dehumidification operation signal of Wherein, when the purification mode is the general purification mode, the controller sets the operation of the dehumidification unit and the rotation speed of the intake fan according to the dehumidification operation signal, and when the purification mode is the functional purification mode, the controller sets the dehumidification unit according to the function Purge mode to maintain operation. 8. The dehumidifying air cleaner according to claim 7, wherein when the humidity of the external air is equal to or greater than a reference humidity value, the controller receives a dehumidification operation signal. 9. The dehumidifying air cleaner according to claim 7, wherein the controller receives an external lighting value, and when the received lighting value is lower than a preset value, the controller stops the operation of the dehumidification unit And run the dehumidifying air purifier in sleep mode. 10. The dehumidification type air cleaner according to claim 7, wherein when a laundry drying signal is input, the controller operates the dehumidification unit and simultaneously increases the rotation speed of the intake fan to a laundry drying speed. 11. A dehumidifying air cleaner, comprising: a filter unit that filters out pollutants contained in the air introduced into it; a dehumidification unit that removes moisture contained in the air introduced; an intake fan rotated by a motor to allow external air to be introduced into the dehumidifying air cleaner; a sensor unit comprising a humidity sensor for measuring the humidity value of the air and a dust sensor for measuring the amount of dust in the air; and a controller that operates the dehumidification unit when the measured humidity value is greater than a reference humidity, sets the rotation speed of the intake fan according to the measured humidity value, and stops dehumidification when the measured humidity value is lower than the reference humidity operation of the unit and setting the rotational speed of the intake fan according to the measured amount of dust, wherein the sensor unit further comprises an illumination sensor for measuring external illumination, Wherein, when the measured illumination value is lower than the reference illumination, the controller stops the operation of the dehumidification unit. 12. The dehumidifying air cleaner according to claim 11, wherein when the measured illumination value is lower than the reference illumination, the controller resets the rotation speed of the intake fan to a noiseless speed. 13. The dehumidifying air cleaner according to claim 11, characterized in that the rotation speed range of the intake fan controlled according to the measured humidity value is different from that of the intake fan controlled according to the measured dust amount. Rotation speed range. 14. The dehumidifying air cleaner as claimed in claim 13, wherein the rotation speed range of the intake fan controlled according to the measured humidity value is included in the range of the intake fan controlled according to the measured dust amount. in the rotation speed range. 15. The dehumidifying air cleaner according to claim 11, wherein the controller changes the dehumidifying air cleaner to the defrosting mode when the surface temperature of the dehumidifying unit is lower than the defrosting reference temperature , and in the defrosting mode, the controller stops the operation of the dehumidification unit and the rotation speed of the intake fan is set to a defrosting driving speed. 16. The dehumidifying air cleaner according to claim 15, wherein when the measured surface temperature of the dehumidifying unit is outside a preset range, the controller repeatedly turns the dehumidifying unit on a preset cycle. air cleaner to change to defrost mode. 17. The dehumidification-type air cleaner according to claim 11, wherein when a control signal for stopping the operation of the dehumidification unit is input, the controller changes the dehumidification-type air cleaner to heat An exchanger drying mode, and in the heat exchanger drying mode, the controller sets the rotation speed and operation duration of the intake fan according to the temperature and humidity of the dehumidification unit. 18. The dehumidifying air cleaner according to claim 17, wherein when the temperature of the dehumidification unit is greater than the reference temperature value and the humidity of the dehumidification unit is greater than the reference humidity value, the controller sets the intake fan to operating at a first operating speed during a first operating duration, the controller sets the intake fan to operate at a second operating speed for a second operating duration when the temperature of the dehumidifying unit is lower than a reference temperature value and the humidity of the dehumidifying unit is greater than the reference humidity value, and The controller sets the intake fan to operate at a third operation speed during a third operation duration when the temperature of the dehumidification unit is lower than the reference temperature value and the humidity of the dehumidification unit is lower than the reference humidity value. 19. The dehumidifying air cleaner according to claim 11, wherein when the temperature value of the introduced air is equal to or greater than the overload reference temperature or when the magnitude of the current supplied to the dehumidification unit is equal to or greater than the reference current value, The controller changes the dehumidifying air cleaner to an overload mode, and in the overload mode, the controller sets the rotational speed of the intake fan to an overload driving speed. 20. The dehumidification type air cleaner according to claim 11, wherein when a dehumidification operation signal for operating the dehumidification unit is input, the controller increases the rotation speed of the intake fan to a preset rotation speed, and when the rotation speed of the intake fan reaches a preset rotation speed, the controller operates the dehumidification unit. 21. A method for controlling a dehumidification-type air cleaner comprising a filter unit for filtering out pollutants contained in air introduced thereinto, A dehumidification unit for removing water vapor from air and a controller for controlling the rotational speed of an intake fan and the operation of the dehumidification unit, the method comprising: Measure the humidity value and dust amount of the air introduced by using a humidity sensor and a dust sensor; When the measured humidity value is equal to or greater than the reference humidity, run the dehumidification unit and set the rotation speed of the intake fan according to the measured humidity value; When the measured humidity value is less than the reference humidity, stop the operation of the dehumidification unit and set the rotation speed of the intake fan according to the measured amount of dust; and The external lighting is measured by using a lighting sensor, and the operation of the dehumidification unit is stopped when the measured lighting value is lower than the reference lighting. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the rotational speed of the intake fan is reset to a noiseless speed when the measured illuminance value is lower than a reference illuminance. 23. The method of claim 21, wherein the range of rotation speed of the intake fan controlled according to the measured humidity value is different from the range of rotation speed of the intake fan controlled according to the measured amount of dust. 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the rotation speed range of the intake fan controlled according to the measured humidity value is included in the rotation speed range of the intake fan controlled according to the measured dust amount.