KR102443524B1 - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an indoor unit of an air conditioner and a method for controlling the same, and provides humidified air to the room by generating steam, mixing the generated steam with filtered air to generate humidified air, and spraying the humidified air through a discharge port and a humidification module to reduce the temperature of the water stored in the steam generator when the humidification operation is completed.

Description

air conditioner {Air conditioner}

The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly, to an air conditioner capable of providing humidified air to a room and a control method thereof.

In the separate type air conditioner, an indoor unit is disposed indoors, an outdoor unit is disposed outdoors, and the indoor air may be cooled, heated, or dehumidified through a refrigerant circulating between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit.

The indoor unit of the separate type air conditioner includes a stand-type indoor unit installed upright on an indoor floor, a wall-mounted indoor unit installed by hanging on an indoor wall, and a ceiling-type indoor unit installed on an indoor ceiling according to an installation type.

Conventional stand-type indoor units can dehumidify indoor air during cooling, but cannot humidify indoor air during heating.

In Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2013-0109738 (referred to as Prior Art 1), a stand-type indoor unit equipped with a humidifier capable of providing humidification is known. The stand-type indoor unit of the prior art 1 is provided with a humidifying device inside the main body forming the exterior of the indoor unit. And, the humidifier of Prior Art 1 has a structure in which water from the drain pan is stored in a water tank, the absorbent member is wetted with the stored water, and the water absorbed by the absorbent member is naturally evaporated.

The humidifier of the prior art 1 does not use clean water, but uses condensed water flowing down from the heat exchanger. The water stored in the water tank may contain a large amount of foreign substances separated from the surface of the heat exchanger, and there is a problem that there is a very high probability that mold or bacteria will propagate from the foreign substances.

Since the humidifier of Prior Art 1 evaporates water inside the main body, the evaporated water may be attached to parts or inner walls inside the main body, and there is a problem in causing the growth of mold or bacteria inside the main body. In addition, in the humidifier of Prior Art 1, water evaporates inside the main body, and even when the blowing fan is operated, all the moisture evaporated by the blowing fan is not discharged into the room, and when the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger is low, the surface of the indoor heat exchanger There was a problem with reattachment.

Since the humidity of the indoor air is low when the room temperature is low, this humidification is generally required during heating. There was a problem in that humidification could not be provided because condensed water is not generated during heating.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2013-0109738

An object of the present invention is to provide an indoor unit of an air conditioner that can be operated in at least one mode of cooling, heating, air cleaning, or humidification.

An object of the present invention is to provide an indoor unit of an air conditioner that heats stored water or supplied water to sterilize it, and converts the sterilized water into steam to provide humidification.

In the present invention, an independent flow path structure capable of providing filtered air to the steam generator is arranged, steam is generated using the filtered air, and humidified air generated in the steam generator can provide humidified air to the outlet through an independent flow path. An object of the present invention is to provide an indoor unit of an air conditioner.

An object of the present invention is to provide an indoor unit of an air conditioner that provides humidified air using clean water by setting the use time of stored water and draining it.

An object of the present invention is to provide an indoor unit of an air conditioner that sterilizes a flow path through which humidified air flows after humidification.

The problems of the present invention are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

The present invention generates steam, mixes the generated steam with filtered air to generate humidified air, and injects the generated humidified air from a discharge port through an independent flow path to provide humidified air to the room. , may be operated in at least one mode of cooling, heating, air cleaning, or humidification.

In the present invention, a steam generator converts stored water into steam to generate humidified air, a humidifying fan supplies the filtered air that has passed through a filter assembly to the steam generator, and a steam guide is the humidified air discharged from the steam generator. is guided to the discharge port through an independent flow path, so that the generated humidified air can be directly discharged into the room.

In the present invention, after the humidified air flows through an independent flow path to the discharge port, it may be discharged from the discharge port.

The present invention can sterilize the flow path through which the humidified air flows by performing a steam sterilization operation after the humidification operation for generating the humidified air.

The present invention can determine whether to perform the steam sterilization operation by detecting the amount of stored water.

The present invention counts the use time of the stored water and can automatically drain the water that has elapsed for a predetermined time or more.

The present invention, a cabinet assembly in which the inlet and the outlet are disposed; a water tank disposed in the cabinet assembly and storing water; a steam generator disposed in the cabinet assembly, receiving the water stored in the water tank, and converting the water stored therein into steam to generate humidified air; a humidifying fan coupled to the steam generator and supplying filtered air to the steam generator; a steam guide coupled to the steam generator and guiding the humidified air discharged from the steam generator to the discharge port through an independent flow path; and a humidification module control unit for performing a steam sterilization operation of sterilizing the steam guide and the discharge port by additionally operating the steam generator and the humidification fan for a set time when the humidification operation for discharging the humidified air is completed.

The present invention comprises the steps of: performing a humidification operation for discharging the humidified air generated by the steam generator; determining whether a sterilization mode is set when the humidification operation is completed; starting a steam sterilization operation in response to the water level in the water tank when the sterilization mode is set; sterilizing the steam guide and the outlet by additionally operating the steam generator and the humidifying fan for a set time; terminating the steam sterilization operation by stopping the operation of the steam generator after a set time; and allowing the temperature of the water of the steam generator to decrease.
The air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention forms an inner space, a case in which an inlet and an outlet are disposed, a water tank disposed in the inner space and storing water, is disposed in the inner space, and is disposed in the water tank. A steam generator including a steam housing receiving stored water, converting the water stored in the steam housing into steam to generate humidified air, a drainage pump discharging the water of the steam housing to the outside, and the steam generator and the drain and a control unit for controlling the pump, wherein when the temperature of the water stored in the steam housing is equal to or higher than a set temperature, the water cooling operation is performed to control the drain pump to drain the water after cooling the water.
The control unit of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention may operate the drain pump when the temperature of the water stored in the steam housing decreases below the set temperature.
In the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the drain pump operates, water in the steam housing and water in the water tank may be mixed and introduced into the drain pump.
The control unit of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention may perform the water cooling operation after completing the humidification operation of controlling the steam generator to generate humidified air.
The air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a humidifying fan for supplying the air sucked in through the suction port to the steam housing, and a steam guide for guiding the humidified air discharged from the steam generator to the discharge port. have.
When the sterilization mode is set and the water level in the water tank is higher than the reference water level, the control unit of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention performs a steam sterilization operation of additionally operating the steam generator and the humidifying fan for a set time. and after completing the steam sterilization operation, the water cooling operation may be performed.
When the sterilization mode is set and the water level in the water tank is lower than the reference water level, the control unit of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention may perform the water cooling operation without performing the steam sterilization operation. have.
When the sterilization mode is not set, the control unit of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention may perform the water cooling operation without performing the steam sterilization operation.

The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the present invention has one or more of the following effects.

The present invention has the advantage that it can be used for four seasons by operating in at least one mode of cooling, heating, air cleaning, or humidification.

The present invention heats stored or supplied water to sterilize, converts sterilized water into steam, and provides humidified air by mixing sterilized steam and filtered air, thereby minimizing the possibility of contamination of the generated humidified air, It has the advantage of securing the reliability of humidified air.

The present invention has the advantage of minimizing the growth of bacteria or mold because humidified air is supplied with sterilized steam and filtered air.

The present invention counts the use time of the stored water and automatically drains the water so that the water is not stored for more than a predetermined time, so that clean humidified air can be generated and the possibility of contamination of the humidified air can be minimized.

The present invention has the advantage of minimizing the growth of mold by sterilizing the flow path through which the humidified air flows through steam sterilization after the humidification operation.

The present invention has the advantage of generating clean humidified air because the humidifying fan sucks the filtered air that has passed through the filter assembly and supplies it to the inside of the steam generator.

The present invention has the advantage of preventing the growth of bacteria or mold inside the cabinet assembly due to the humidified air because the humidified air generated by the steam generator flows to the outlet through the independent flow path structure.

According to the present invention, since humidified air is loaded and diffused by the wind discharged from each side outlet, the humidified air can flow farther away from the cabinet assembly, thereby minimizing the occurrence of dew on the surface of the cabinet assembly. There is this.

1 is a perspective view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a state in which the door assembly is removed in FIG. 1 ;
3 is a front view showing the interior of the lower cabinet shown in FIG.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the humidification assembly and the water tank shown in FIG. 3 .
5 is a block diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a processor for controlling an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a humidification module of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a diagram illustrating a flow of an operation for providing humidified air of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a flowchart illustrating a steam sterilization operation method of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a flowchart illustrating a preparation operation for a steam sterilization operation of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a flowchart illustrating a method of draining water after a steam sterilization operation of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Advantages and features of the present invention and methods of achieving them will become apparent with reference to the embodiments described below in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but may be implemented in various different forms, and only these embodiments allow the disclosure of the present invention to be complete, and common knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains It is provided to fully inform those who have the scope of the invention, and the present invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

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

1 is a perspective view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a state in which the door assembly is removed in FIG. 1 ;

The air conditioner according to the present embodiment includes an indoor unit (not shown) connected to the indoor unit through a refrigerant pipe and circulating a refrigerant.

The outdoor unit includes a compressor (not shown) for compressing the refrigerant, an outdoor heat exchanger (not shown) for receiving and condensing refrigerant from the compressor, an outdoor fan (not shown) for supplying air to the outdoor heat exchanger, and the indoor unit and an accumulator (not shown) that provides only gaseous refrigerant to the compressor after receiving the refrigerant discharged from the .

The outdoor unit may further include a four-way valve (not shown) to operate the indoor unit in a cooling mode or a heating mode. When operating in the cooling mode, the refrigerant is evaporated in the indoor unit to cool the indoor air. When operating in the heating mode, the refrigerant is condensed in the indoor unit to heat the indoor air.

<<Configuration of indoor unit>>

The indoor unit includes a cabinet assembly 100 having an open front surface and an intake port 101 formed on the rear surface thereof, assembled to the cabinet assembly 100 , covering the front surface of the cabinet assembly 100 , and the cabinet assembly 100 . ), a door assembly 200 for opening and closing the front surface, and a fan assembly 300, 400, which is disposed in the inner space S of the cabinet assembly 100 and discharges air from the inner space S into the room. and a heat exchange assembly 500 disposed between the fan assembly 300 and 400 and the cabinet assembly 100 and heat-exchanging the sucked indoor air and refrigerant, and disposed in the cabinet assembly 100, indoors A humidification assembly 2000 providing moisture, a filter assembly 600 disposed on the rear surface of the cabinet assembly 100 and filtering the air flowing into the suction port 101, and the filter assembly 600 along the It moves in the vertical direction and includes a moving cleaner 700 that separates and collects foreign substances in the filter assembly 600 .

The indoor unit includes a suction port 101 disposed on the rear side of the cabinet assembly 100 , side discharge ports 301 and 302 disposed on a side surface of the cabinet assembly 100 , and the cabinet assembly 100 . It includes a front discharge port 201 disposed on the front side.

The suction port 101 is disposed on the rear surface of the cabinet assembly 100 .

The side discharge ports 301 and 302 are respectively disposed on the left and right sides of the cabinet assembly 100 . In this embodiment, when viewed from the front of the cabinet assembly 100 , the side discharge port disposed on the left is defined as the first side discharge port 301 , and the side discharge port disposed on the right side is defined as the second side discharge port 302 . .

The front outlet 201 is disposed on the door assembly 200 , and the door assembly 200 further includes a door cover assembly 1200 that automatically opens and closes the front outlet 201 .

The door cover assembly 1200 may be moved downward along the door assembly 200 after opening the front discharge port 201 . The door cover assembly 1200 is movable in the vertical direction with respect to the door assembly 200 .

After the door cover assembly 1200 is moved downward, the remote fan assembly 400 may pass through the door assembly 200 and move forward.

The fan assemblies 300 and 400 include a short-distance fan assembly 300 and a long-distance fan assembly 400 . The heat exchange assembly 500 is disposed behind the local fan assembly 300 and the remote fan assembly 400 .

The heat exchange assembly 500 is disposed inside the cabinet assembly 100 and is located inside the suction port 101 , and the heat exchange assembly 500 covers the suction port 101 and is vertically disposed.

The local fan assembly 300 and the remote fan assembly 400 are disposed in front of the heat exchange assembly 500 . The air sucked into the suction port 101 passes through the heat exchange assembly 500 and then flows to the local fan assembly 300 and the remote fan assembly 400 .

The heat exchange assembly 500 is manufactured to have a length corresponding to the heights of the near fan assembly 300 and the remote fan assembly 400 .

The short-distance fan assembly 300 and the long-distance fan assembly 400 may be stacked vertically. In the present embodiment, the remote fan assembly 400 is disposed above the near fan assembly 300 . By locating the remote fan assembly 400 on the upper side, the discharge air can flow to a far place in the room.

The short-distance fan assembly 300 discharges air laterally with respect to the cabinet assembly 100 . The short-distance fan assembly 300 may provide an indirect wind to the user. The short-distance fan assembly 300 simultaneously discharges air to the left and right sides of the cabinet assembly 100 .

The long-distance fan assembly 400 is positioned above the short-distance fan assembly 300 , and is disposed inside the cabinet assembly 100 .

The remote fan assembly 400 discharges air in a forward direction with respect to the cabinet assembly 100 . The remote fan assembly 300 provides direct air to the user. In addition, the remote fan assembly 400 discharges air to a far place in the indoor space to improve the circulation of indoor air.

In this embodiment, the remote fan assembly 400 is exposed to the user only during operation. When the remote fan assembly 400 is operated, the remote fan assembly 400 passes through the door assembly 200 and is exposed to the user. When the remote fan assembly 400 is not operated, the remote fan assembly 400 is hidden inside the cabinet assembly 100 .

In particular, the remote fan assembly 400 may control the air discharge direction. The remote fan assembly 400 may discharge air in an upper, lower, left, right, or diagonal direction with respect to the front of the cabinet assembly 100 .

The door assembly 200 is positioned in front of the cabinet assembly 100 and is assembled with the sawing cabinet assembly 100 .

The door assembly 200 may slide in the left and right directions with respect to the cabinet assembly 100 , and a part of the front surface of the cabinet assembly 100 may be exposed to the outside.

The door assembly 200 may be moved in any one of the left or right direction to open the inner space (S). In addition, the door assembly 200 may be moved in any one of the left or right direction to open only a part of the inner space S.

In this embodiment, the opening and closing of the door assembly 200 is configured in two steps.

The opening and closing of the first stage of the door assembly 200 is only partially opened, and is for water supply of the humidification assembly 2000, and exposes only an area sufficient to expose the water tank 2100 of the humidification assembly 2000.

The two-stage opening and closing of the door assembly 200 is opened to the maximum, and is for installation and repair. To this end, the door assembly 200 includes a door stopper structure that limits the opening and closing of the two stages.

The filter assembly 600 is disposed on the rear surface of the cabinet assembly 100 . The filter assembly 600 may be rotated toward the side of the cabinet assembly 100 while being disposed on the rear surface of the cabinet assembly 100 . A user may separate only the filter from the filter assembly 600 moved to the side of the cabinet assembly 100 .

In this embodiment, the filter assembly 600 is composed of two parts, each of which can be rotated left or right.

The moving cleaner 700 is a device for cleaning the filter assembly 600 . The moving cleaner 700 may clean the filter assembly 600 while moving in the vertical direction. The moving cleaner 700 can separate foreign substances attached to the filter assembly 600 by sucking air while moving, and the separated foreign substances are stored therein.

The moving cleaner 700 is installed in a structure that does not interfere with the rotation of the filter assembly 600 .

The humidification assembly 2000 may provide moisture to the inner space S of the cabinet assembly 100 , and the provided moisture may be discharged into the room through the short-distance fan assembly. The humidification assembly 2000 includes a detachable water tank 2100 .

In the present embodiment, the humidification assembly 2000 is disposed on the inner lower side of the cabinet assembly 100 . A space in which the humidification assembly 2000 is disposed and a space in which the heat exchange assembly 500 is disposed are partitioned.

The humidification assembly 2000 performs humidification by using the air filtered through the filter assembly 600 and sterilized steam, thereby preventing harmful substances such as bacteria or mold from coming into contact with the water tank.

<<Configuration of cabinet assembly>>

The cabinet assembly 100 includes a base 130 seated on the ground, a lower cabinet 120 disposed above the base 130, and an upper cabinet 110 disposed above the lower cabinet 120 . include

A short-distance fan assembly 300 , a long-distance fan assembly 400 , and a heat exchange assembly 500 are disposed inside the upper cabinet 110 .

A humidifying assembly 2000 is disposed inside the lower cabinet 120 .

The door assembly 200 is disposed in front of the cabinet assembly 100 , and the door assembly 200 may slide in a left and right direction with respect to the cabinet assembly 100 .

When the door assembly 200 is moved, a part of the left or right side of the cabinet assembly 100 may be exposed to the outside.

A discharge grill 150 is disposed on the front side edge of the upper cabinet 110 . The discharge grill 340 is located on the rear side of the door assembly 200 .

The discharge grill 150 may be manufactured integrally with the upper cabinet 110 . In this embodiment, the discharge grill 150 is separately manufactured through injection molding, and then assembled to the upper cabinet 110 .

In this embodiment, the cover 160 is disposed in front of the upper cabinet 110 and the lower cabinet 120 , and blocks air inside the cabinet 100 from directly contacting the door assembly 200 .

When cold air is in direct contact with the door assembly 200 , dew condensation may occur, and there is a problem of negatively affecting an electric circuit constituting the door assembly 200 .

Therefore, the cover 160 is disposed in front of the upper cabinet 110 and the lower cabinet 120, and the air inside the cabinet 100 through the cover 160 is discharged through the front outlet 201 or the side outlet 301, 302 ) can only be fluidized.

The cover 160 includes an upper cover 162 covering the front surface of the upper cabinet 110 , a lower cover 164 covering the front surface of the lower cabinet 120 , and the remote fan assembly 400 . It includes a remote fan cover 166 that covers the front of the.

When the door assembly 200 is opened at the first stage, only the lower cover 164 having the water tank opening 167 is exposed to the user, and when the door assembly 200 is opened at the second stage, the open surface 169 is also exposed to the user.

The door assembly 200 is slid left and right by the operation of the door slide module 1300 . A state in which the entire water tank opening 167 is exposed by the sliding movement of the door assembly 200 is defined as one-stage opening, and a state in which the open surface 169 is exposed is defined as two-stage opening.

When the first stage is opened, the exposed front surface of the cabinet assembly 100 is defined as a first open surface OP1 , and when the second stage is opened, the exposed front surface of the cabinet assembly 100 is defined as a second open surface OP2 .

<<Configuration of short-distance fan assembly>>

The short-distance fan assembly 300 is configured to discharge air laterally with respect to the cabinet assembly 100 . The short-distance fan assembly 300 provides an indirect wind to the user.

The short-distance fan assembly 300 is disposed in front of the heat exchange assembly 500 .

The short-distance fan assembly 300 is installed by stacking a plurality of fans 310 in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the three fans 310 are provided and stacked in the vertical direction.

In this embodiment, the fan 310 is a four-flow centrifugal fan. The fan 310 sucks in air in an axial direction and discharges air in a circumferential direction.

<<Configuration of remote fan assembly>>

The remote fan assembly 400 is configured to discharge air forward with respect to the cabinet assembly 100 . The remote fan assembly 400 provides direct air to the user.

The remote fan assembly 400 is disposed in front of the heat exchange assembly 500 . The remote fan assembly 400 is stacked on an upper side of the short-distance fan assembly 300 .

The remote fan assembly 400 discharges air through the front discharge port 201 formed in the door assembly 200 . The remote fan assembly 400 provides a structure rotatable in up, down, left, right, or diagonal directions. The remote fan assembly 400 may improve the circulation of indoor air by discharging air to a far side of the indoor space.

The remote fan assembly 400 further includes a tilting assembly that freely rotates the discharge grill 450 relative to the fan housing assembly in all directions, such as upper, lower, left, right, and diagonal lines.

<<<Configuration of door assembly>>>

The door assembly 200 includes a front panel 210 having a front discharge port 201 formed therein, a door cover assembly 1200, a door slide module 1300, and a camera module 1900 for photographing an image of the room. include

The front discharge port 201 is disposed on the front panel 210 and is opened in the front-rear direction.

The display module 1500 may be disposed on the rear surface of the front panel 210 and may transmit visual information to the user through the front panel.

In contrast, the display module 1500 is partially exposed through the front panel 210 and may provide visual information to the user through the exposed display.

The door cover assembly 1200 is configured to open and close the front discharge port 201 disposed in the door assembly 200 .

The door cover assembly 1200 expands the movement path of the remote fan assembly 400 by opening the front discharge port 201 . The remote fan assembly 400 may protrude to the outside of the door assembly 200 through the open front discharge port 201 .

The door cover assembly 1200 is located on the movement path of the remote fan assembly 400 , and moves out of the movement path of the remote fan assembly 400 when the front outlet 201 is opened.

When the first front is opened, the remote fan assembly 400 is covered by the door cover 1210 and is not exposed to the user. When the first front opening is performed, air inside the cabinet may be discharged into the room through a gap between the door cover 1210 and the front panel 210 .

When the first front opening is performed, the remote fan assembly 400 is positioned at the rear of the door cover 1210 . When the first front opening is performed, the door cover 1210 is located behind the front panel body 212 .

When the second front opening is performed, the door cover 1210 is located below the front discharge port 201 and the remote fan assembly 400 . When the second front is opened, the door cover 1210 is located behind the front panel body 212 .

When the second front opening is performed, the remote fan assembly 400 is exposed to the user through the front discharge port 201 . When the second front opening is performed, the remote fan assembly 400 moves forward and may protrude out of the front outlet 201 , and in a state in which the remote fan assembly 400 protrudes out of the front panel 210 . Air can be discharged toward the room.

The door slide module 1300 is for moving the door assembly 200 in the left and right direction of the cabinet assembly 100 . The door slide module 1300 may reciprocate the door assembly 200 in the left and right directions.

* The door slide module 1300 is installed in either the door assembly 200 or the cabinet assembly 100, and implements a slide movement through mutual interference with the other one.

The door detection sensor 207 detects the sliding movement distance of the door assembly 200 . The position sensing factor 208 is disposed on the door assembly 200 .

The position detection factor 208 corresponds to the door detection sensor 207 . The position sensing factor 208 is disposed on the rear surface of the door assembly 200 , and specifically installed on the rear surface of the loafer panel module 1120 .

In this embodiment, a hall sensor and a permanent magnet are used to detect the left and right movement distance of the door assembly 200 . Therefore, a Hall sensor is used as the door sensor 207, and a permanent magnet is used as the position detection factor 208.

Unlike the present embodiment, a photosensor may be used as the door detection sensor, and a rib disposed on the door assembly may be used as a position detection factor. When the rib blocks the optical signal of the photosensor, the left-right movement distance of the door assembly may be determined.

<<Configuration of camera module>>

The camera module 1900 is disposed on the door assembly 200 (upper panel module 1110 in this embodiment), and is selectively operated. The camera module 1900 is exposed outside the door assembly 200 only during operation, and is hidden inside the door assembly 200 when not operated.

3 is a front view showing the interior of the lower cabinet shown in FIG. 4 is a view showing the humidification assembly and the water tank shown in FIG. 3 .

<<<Configuration of humidification assembly >>>

The humidification assembly 2000 may provide moisture on the discharge passages of the fan assemblies 300 and 400 , and the provided moisture may be discharged into the room. The humidification assembly 2000 may be selectively operated by the operation signal of the control unit.

In this embodiment, the moisture supplied from the humidification assembly 2000 may be directly supplied to the side outlets 301 and 302 . The moisture supplied from the humidification assembly 2000 may be in an atomized state or in a steam state. In this embodiment, the humidification assembly 2000 converts the water in the water tank 2100 into steam and supplies it to the discharge passage.

In the present embodiment, the humidification assembly 2000 is disposed below the interior of the cabinet assembly 100 , and specifically located inside the lower cabinet 120 .

The humidification assembly 2000 is installed on the base 130 , and is wrapped through the lower cabinet 120 . A drain pan 140 is positioned above the humidification assembly 2000, and the steam generated in the humidification assembly 2000 flows directly to the side outlets 301 and 302 through a steam guide (not shown). That is, the space in which the humidification assembly 2000 is installed and the space inside the upper cabinet 110 are partitioned.

The humidification assembly 2000 is disposed in the cabinet assembly 100 and includes a water tank 2100 in which water is stored, and a water tank 2100 disposed in the cabinet assembly 100 and supplied with water stored in the water tank 2100 . and a steam generator 2300 for generating humidified air by converting the water stored therein into steam, disposed in the cabinet assembly 100, coupled with the steam generator 2300, and the filter assembly 600 A humidifying fan 2500 for supplying the filtered air that has passed through to the steam generator 2300, and the humidified air disposed in the cabinet assembly 100 and generated by the steam generator 2300 through an independent flow path to the cabinet assembly It includes a steam guide 2400 for guiding to the side discharge ports 301 and 302 of (100).

Also, a humidification assembly is disposed on the cabinet assembly 100, the water tank 2100 is detachably mounted, and a water supply assembly that provides water from the water tank 2100 to the steam generator 2300 ( 2200) and the cabinet assembly 100 or the water supply assembly 2200, the water tank 2100 is selectively tilted forward according to an electrical signal, and the water tank tilted forward is returned to its original position. It includes a tilting assembly for returning, and a drain assembly connected to the water supply assembly 2200 and the steam generator 2300 and draining the water of the water supply assembly 2200 and the steam generator 2300 to the outside.

<<Configuration of water tank>>

The water tank 2100 is exposed to the outside when the first stage of the door assembly 200 is opened, and is not exposed to the outside when the door assembly 200 is not opened.

The door assembly 200 is slid left and right by the operation of the door slide module 1300 . A state in which the entire water tank opening 167 is exposed by sliding movement of the door assembly 200 is defined as one-stage opening, and a state in which the open surface 169 is exposed is defined as two-stage opening.

In this embodiment, at least a portion of the front surface of the water tank 2100 is formed of a material that can see the water inside. The water tank 2100 is positioned on the first open surface OP1 , and more specifically, it is positioned on the water tank opening 167 . The water tank 2100 is inserted into the lower cabinet 120 through the water tank opening 167 .

The water tank 2100, the tank lower body 2110 mounted on the water supply assembly 2200, the upper and lower sides are opened, the tank lower body 2110 is coupled to the upper side, the kantroa body ( 2110), the tank middle body 2120 in which water is stored, the upper and lower sides are opened to form a water tank opening 2101, and the upper side of the tank middle body 2120 is formed. A tank upper body 2130 coupled thereto, a water tank handle 2140 rotatably assembled to the tank upper body 2130, and the water stored therein are supplied to the tank lower body 2110. and a water tank valve 2150 for selectively supplying the assembly 2200 .

The tank lower body 2110 provides the bottom of the water tank 2100 . The tank lower body 2110 has a valve hole 2111 penetrating in the vertical direction, and the water tank valve 2150 is assembled to the valve hole 2111 . The valve hole 2111 is located on the rear side when viewed from the side of the water tank 2100 .

The distance from the center of the valve hole 2111 to the front surface of the water tank (a tank front wall to be described later in this embodiment) is a distance from the center of the valve hole 2111 to the rear surface of the water tank (a first to be described later in this embodiment). The distance to the rear wall) is formed longer. By locating the valve hole 2111 on the rear side of the water tank 2100 , leakage of the water tank valve 2150 can be minimized when the tilting assembly is operated.

When the tilting assembly is operated, the water tank 2100 must be quickly separated from the water supply assembly 2200 to quickly close the water tank valve 2150 . Since the water tank 2100 is tilted forward with respect to the lower end, the water tank valve 2150 is preferably located on the rear side.

The tank upper body 2130 is coupled to the upper end of the tank middle body 2120 . The tank upper body 2130 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from a top view.

The tank upper body 2130 is opened in the vertical direction. The tank upper body 2130 forms an upper body opening 2131 communicating with the middle body upper opening 2121 . The middle body opening 2121 is disposed below the upper body opening 2131 .

The water tank handle 2140 is rotatably assembled to the tank upper body 2130 .

The water tank handle 2140 is disposed inside the tank upper body 2130 and is hidden from the user when stored in the lower cabinet 120 .

The water tank valve 2150 functionally functions as a check valve and is structurally optimized for the structure of this embodiment.

When the water tank valve 2150 installed in the water tank 2100 is mounted on the water supply assembly 2200 , the lower end of the valve core 2152 is in contact with a valve supporter 2250 to be described later.

When the valve core 2152 is supported in contact with the valve supporter 2250 , the water tank valve 2150 including the diaphragm 2154 is positioned in the valve supporter 2250 , and the water tank valve 2150 . The remaining components of the water tank 2100 except for are moved to the lower side.

Therefore, when the water tank valve 2150 is supported by the valve supporter 2250 , the diaphragm 2154 opens the valve hole 2111 . On the other hand, when the water tank 2100 is separated from the water supply assembly 2200, the diaphragm 2154 closes the valve hole 2111 by the pressure of water.

<<Configuration of water supply assembly>>

The water supply assembly 2200 supplies water from the water tank 2100 to the steam generator 2300 . The water supply assembly 2200 supplies water to the steam generator 2300 by opening the water tank valve 2150 of the water tank 2100 only when the water tank 2100 is mounted.

The water supply assembly 2200 supports the water tank 2100 and provides a flow path from the water tank 2100 to the steam generator 2300 . Also, the water supply assembly 2200 may open and close the water tank valve 2150 according to the level of water stored in the steam generator 2300 . In this embodiment, the opening and closing of the water tank valve 2150 is implemented through a mechanical arrangement instead of being operated by an electrical signal. When the opening and closing of the water tank valve 2150 is implemented electrically, the electric wiring may be exposed to moisture or water, which may cause malfunction and safety issues.

In the present embodiment, since the opening and closing of the water tank valve 2150 is implemented through a mechanical coupling relationship, it is possible to minimize the use of electricity in the part that comes into contact with water, thereby preventing malfunction and safety accidents.

Also, the water supply assembly 2200 has a function of providing a tilting angle of the water tank 2100 when the water tank 2100 is tilted by the tilting assembly. In addition, the water supply assembly 2200 prevents the water tank 2100 from tilting excessively.

The water supply assembly 2200 is disposed in the cabinet assembly 100 (base in this embodiment), temporarily stores the water supplied from the water tank 2100 in the supply chamber 2211, and the supply chamber 2211 ) is disposed in the supply chamber housing 2210 for supplying water stored in the steam generator 2300 to the steam generator 2300, and the supply chamber 2211 of the supply chamber housing 2210, above the water level stored in the supply chamber 2211. The supply floater 2220 moving in the vertical direction according to the A supply support body 2230 in which a part of the supply passage 2231 guiding to the chamber 2211 is formed, and supporting the water tank 2100 to provide a tilting angle when the water tank 2100 is tilted; It is disposed on the supply support body 2230 and comes into contact with the water tank valve 2150 of the water tank 2100 when the water tank 2100 is mounted to open the water tank valve 2150, and the water tank valve A valve supporter 2250 providing a part of the supply passage 2231 guiding the water discharged from 2150 to the supply chamber 2111, and the water tank 2100 are detachably mounted,

It is disposed between the water tank 2100 and the supply support body 2230, and is rotatable relative to the supply support body 2230 when the water tank is tilted, and the water supply valve of the water tank is disposed to pass through. It is disposed between a supply tilting cover 2260 for providing water from the water tank to the supply chamber 2111, and the supply tilting cover 2260 and the supply support body 2230, and the supply tilting cover 2260 and the supply The support body 2230 is connected, the valve supporter 2250 is disposed therein, and the water supplied from the supply tilting cover 2260 is supplied through the supply passage 2231 of the supply support body 2230. Includes water bellows 2240 guiding to chamber 2211 .

The water tank valve 2150 is disposed below the water tank 2100, and a valve supporter 2250 and a supply support body 2230 are disposed below the water tank valve 2150, and the valve supporter ( 2250) The supply floater 2220 is disposed on the lower side, and the supply floater 2220 moves up and down within the height of the supply chamber 2211 .

The water in the water tank 2100 flows to the supply chamber 2211 through the water tank valve 2150 , the water bellows 2240 , and the supply passage 2231 . The supply chamber 2211 temporarily stores the supplied water, and the water flows to the steam generator 2300 by potential energy due to its own weight.

<Configuration of supply chamber housing>

The supply chamber housing 2210 is installed on the upper surface of the base 130 of the cabinet assembly 100 . The supply chamber housing 2210 temporarily stores the water supplied from the water tank, and provides the stored water to the steam generator 2300 . The supply chamber housing 2210 provides an installation space for the supply floater 2220 , and the supply floater 2220 may move up and down in the supply chamber housing 2210 .

In order to tilt the water tank 2100 , the tilting assembly utilizes an installation structure of the supply chamber housing 2210 . The supply chamber housing 2210 is a component to which a tilting assembly to be described later is assembled, and the structure thereof will be described in more detail when the tilting assembly is described.

When the humidification assembly 2000 is not used (for example, when the humidity is high in summer or when the storage period is long in the water tank), all the water in the humidification assembly 2000 including the water tank 2100 is inside. It does not remain and is drained to the outside.

To this end, in the present embodiment, the water supplied from the water tank 2100 does not remain in the flow process, but provides a structure that can be moved by its own weight.

The valve supporter 2250 is disposed below the water tank valve 2150 . The valve supporter 2250 interferes with the water tank valve 2150 when the water tank 2100 is mounted on the water supply assembly 2200 and opens the water tank valve 2150 .

The valve supporter 2250 has a pointed upper side, and supports the valve core 2152 of the water tank valve 2150 .

When the water tank 2100 is mounted on the water supply assembly 2200, the valve supporter 2250 interferes with the valve core 2152 to push up the water tank valve 2150 upward, and the same process is performed. The valve hole 2111 is opened through.

When the valve hole 2111 is opened, water from the water tank 2100 flows to the supply support body 2230 .

In this embodiment, since the water tank 2100 is tilted forward, the second supporter part 2236b provides a tilting slope 2237 with a high rear and a low front. The tilting inclined surface 2237 is formed on the upper surface of the second supporter part 2236b. The tilting inclined surface 2237 is formed to be inclined toward the lower front from the rear.

The tilting inclined surface 2237 forms a predetermined tilting angle with the bottom surface of the water tank 2100 . The tilting inclined surface 2237 may be formed to be at least 10 degrees and less than or equal to 45 degrees. When the water tank 2100 is supported on the tilting inclined surface 2237 , the water tank 2100 should not be overturned. In addition, when the water tank 2100 is supported on the tilting inclined surface 2237, the water tank handle 2140 is exposed to the user and rotates upward to be deployed.

The water bellows 2240 is formed of an elastic material. The water bellows 2240 is fixed to the supply tilting cover 2260 and the supply support body 2230 , and provides water discharged from the water tank to the supply support body 2230 .

The water bellows 2240 prevents water discharged from the water tank 2100 from leaking. When the water tank 2100 is tilted, the water bellows 2240 is elastically deformed and stretched. The water bellows 2240 connects between the supply tilting cover 2260 and the supply support body 2230 even when the water tank is tilted.

In this embodiment, the water bellows 2240 is formed in the form of a corrugated pipe.

The supply floater 2220 is disposed in the supply chamber 2211 and moves in the vertical direction according to the water level of the supply chamber 2211 .

When the water level in the supply chamber 2211 rises above the reference value, the supply floater 2220 closes the valve hole 2258 . When the valve hole 2258 is closed, water is not supplied to the supply chamber 2211 , and the water in the supply chamber 2211 moves to the steam generator 2300 through the chamber housing pipe 2214 .

As water moves from the supply chamber 2211 to the steam generator 2300, the water level in the supply chamber 2211 is lowered, and the height of the supply floater 2220 is lowered so that the valve hole 2258 can be opened. have.

In this embodiment, the water flowing from the water tank 2100 to the supply chamber 2111 undergoes two intermittent processes.

First, the water tank valve 2150 opens and closes the valve hole 2111 to control the flow of water. Next, the floater valve 2270 opens and closes the middle hole 2258 to control the flow of water.

Since the water discharged from the water tank 2100 flows into the supply chamber 2111 through two opening and closing processes, it is possible to prevent oversupply of water. Specifically, since the supply floater 2220 additionally controls the supply of water, it is possible to prevent oversupply of water to the steam generator 2300 .

In addition, a water level sensor for detecting the water level may be disposed inside the supply chamber 2211 .

<<Steam Generator Configuration>>

The steam generator 2300 generates steam by receiving water from the water supply assembly 2200 . Since the steam generator 2300 generates steam by heating water, it is possible to provide sterilized steam.

The steam generator 2300 includes a steam housing 2310, a steam heater 2320 disposed inside the steam housing 2310, and a steam heater 2320 for generating heat by applied power, and the steam housing 2310, and , a water supply part 2314 connected to the chamber housing pipe 2214 of the water supply assembly 2200 to receive water, and disposed in the steam housing 2310, and connected to the steam guide 2400, inside A steam discharge part 2316 for supplying the steam generated in It includes an air suction unit 2318 receiving the filtered air inside the cabinet assembly 100 .

The steam housing 2310 has a closed structure from the outside. Only the water supply part 2314 and the steam discharge part 2316 communicate with the inside of the steam housing 2310 . The steam housing 2310 is installed on the base 130 .

In this embodiment, the water supply part 2314 is disposed in the lower steam housings 2310 and 2312 , and the steam discharge part 2316 is disposed in the upper steam housings 2310 and 2311 .

The water supply unit 2314 protrudes from the upper steam housings 2310 and 2311 toward the water supply assembly 2300 . The water supply part 2314 is connected to the chamber housing pipe 2214 and is disposed in the transverse direction. In the present embodiment, the water supply unit 2314 has a hollow pipe shape.

Water in the supply chamber 2211 is introduced into the water supply unit 2314 by its own weight. To this end, the water supply part 2314 is disposed lower than the chamber housing pipe 2214 . In particular, the water supply part 2314 is disposed equal to or lower than the outer end 2214b of the chamber housing pipe 2214 .

In particular, the water supply part 2314 is connected to the lowermost side of the lower steam housings 2310 and 2312 . In this embodiment, a separate valve is not disposed in the water supply unit 2314 .

Since the water supply unit 2314 and the chamber housing pipe 2214 communicate with each other, the water level of the supply chamber 2211 and the water level of the steam housing 2310 may be the same.

Specifically, when sufficient water is supplied to the inside of the steam housing 2310 , the water level in the supply chamber 2211 and the water level in the steam housing 2310 are formed to be the same, and the supply of the water supply assembly 2200 is The floater 2220 may rise as the water level rises, and the supply floater 2220 may close the middle hole 2258 to which water is supplied.

In this embodiment, the chamber housing pipe 2214 is disposed within the height of the steam heater 2320 . The chamber housing pipe 2214 is disposed lower than the maximum water level of the steam generator 2300 .

The middle hole 2258 is disposed higher than the maximum water level of the steam generator 2300 . In this embodiment, the middle hole 2258 forms a separation distance H from the upper end of the steam heater 2320 .

The steam discharge part 2316 communicates with the inside of the upper steam housings 2310 and 2311 . The steam discharge part 2316 penetrates the upper steam housings 2310 and 2311 in the vertical direction. The steam discharge part 2316 protrudes upward from the upper side surfaces of the upper steam housings 2310 and 2311 for connection with the steam guide 2400 .

The air suction part 2318 is disposed in the steam housing 2310, more specifically, disposed in the upper steam housings 2310 and 2311. The air suction part 2318 communicates with the inside of the upper steam housings 2310 and 2311 , and the air supplied from the humidifying fan 2500 is introduced.

The air suction part 2318 protrudes upward from the upper side surfaces of the upper steam housings 2310 and 2311 for connection with the humidifying fan 2500 .

In the present embodiment, the air intake part 2318 is disposed behind the steam discharge part 2316 . The air suction part 2318 is disposed closer to the humidification fan 2500 than the steam discharge part 2316 .

The air suction unit 2318 is connected to the humidifying fan 2500 and receives filtered air from the humidifying fan 2500 . The air suction part 2318 is supplied with air filtered through the filter assembly 600 . The filtered air supplied to the air suction unit 2318 is introduced into the steam housing 2310 and is discharged to the steam discharge unit 2316 together with the steam inside the steam housing 2310 .

When general air, not filtered air, is introduced into the steam housing 2310 , mold and the like are highly likely to grow inside the steam housing 2310 .

In this embodiment, since the air supplied to the inside of the steam housing 2310 is limited to filtered air, it is possible to minimize contamination of the inside with bacteria or mold when the steam generator 2300 is not operated.

In the steam generator 2300 according to the present embodiment, the air flow of the humidifying fan 2500 is supplied to the inside to push the steam out of the steam housing 2310, so that the flow pressure of steam can be maximized.

Unlike the present embodiment, when the humidification fan has a structure in which the steam is sucked out of the steam housing 2310 , the steam inside the steam housing 2310 may not be smoothly discharged.

When the steam generated by the steam generator 2300 does not flow to the side discharge ports 301 and 302 quickly, dew condensation may occur during the movement of the steam.

In this embodiment, since the humidifying fan 2500 supplies air from the air intake side of the steam generator 2300, dew formation generated during the flow of steam can be minimized. In addition, in the present embodiment, since the air of the humidifying fan 2500 pushes the steam inside the steam housing 2310 out of the steam housing 2310 , it is possible to secure a sufficient flow velocity of the air.

In particular, in the case of the present embodiment, even if dew condensation occurs during the flow of steam, since the flow rate of the air for flowing the steam is sufficiently secured, the condensed water may be naturally evaporated by the flow speed of the air.

The steam guide 2400 supplies the steam of the steam generator 2300 to the discharge passage. The discharge passage includes an air passage flowing by the remote fan assembly 400 and an air passage flowing by the local fan assembly 300 .

In the present embodiment, the discharge flow path is disposed in the cabinet assembly 100 and is defined as until the air that has passed through the filter assembly 600 is discharged out of the cabinet assembly 100 .

In this embodiment, the steam guide 2400 guides the steam generated by the steam generator 2300 to the side outlets 301 and 302 . The steam guide 2400 provides a separate flow path separated from the air inside the cabinet assembly 100 . The steam guide 2400 may be in the form of a tube or duct.

In the present embodiment, the diffuser is disposed at the side discharge port, but may be installed at the front discharge port. That is, the installation position of the diffuser is not limited to the side discharge port.

The side outlets 301 and 302 discharge air toward the front right and front left, and the humidified air is discharged toward the front of the side outlets 301 and 302 . When the humidified air is discharged to the front of the side outlets 301 and 302, the humidified air can flow further.

The humidification assembly 2000 according to the present embodiment does not depend only on the output of the humidifying fan 2500 for the arrival distance of moisture when providing humidification. When relying only on the output of the humidifying fan 2500 to move moisture further, the capacity of the humidifying fan 2500 must be increased or the humidifying fan 2500 must be operated at high speed.

In this embodiment, when the humidification assembly 2000 is operated, moisture can be loaded into the air flow of the short-distance fan assembly 300 to flow further. In this case, even by using the humidifying fan 2500 having a small output capacity, it is possible to provide humidification to a distant place in the room.

If the diffuser outlet 2431 is disposed in the front rather than the rear of the side outlets 301 and 302, the humidified air may flow further.

<<Configuration of humidification fan>>

The humidification fan 2500 sucks the filtered air that has passed through the filter assembly 600 and supplies it to the steam generator 2300, and the filtered air together with the steam generated by the steam generator 2300 is fed to the steam guide 2400. make it flow

The humidifying fan 2500 generates an air flow for discharging steam and filtered air (referred to as humidified air in this embodiment) from the diffusers 2430 and 2440 .

The humidifying fan 2500 has a humidifying fan housing 2530 that sucks in the filtered air that has passed through the filter assembly 600 and guides the sucked in filtered air to the steam generator 2300, and the lower side of the humidifying fan housing A clean suction duct 2540 connected to 2530, the upper side of which is disposed in front of the filter assembly 600, and provides filtered air passing through the filter assembly 600 to the humidifying fan housing 2530; A humidifying impeller 2510 disposed inside the humidifying fan housing 2530 and flowing the filtered air of the humidifying fan housing 2530 to the steam generator 2300, and disposed in the humidifying fan housing 2530, the It includes a humidification motor 2520 for rotating the humidification impeller (2510).

The clean suction duct 2540 provides the filtered air that has passed through the filter assembly 600 to the humidification fan housing 2530 .

Since the filter assembly 600 is disposed in the upper cabinet 110 and the humidifying fan 2500 is disposed in the lower cabinet 120 , there is a difference in height. That is, the filter assembly 600 is located above the humidifying fan 2500 .

In particular, the filtered air passing through the filter assembly 600 flows to the short-distance fan assembly 300 , and the filtered air does not flow or is difficult to flow into the lower cabinet 120 . Specifically, since there is no air outlet in the lower cabinet 120 , the filtered air does not flow or circulate into the lower cabinet 120 unless air is artificially supplied.

In addition, since the drain pan 140 that supports the heat exchange assembly and collects condensed water is disposed on the lower side of the upper cabinet 110, the filtered air inside the upper cabinet 110 flows to the lower cabinet 120 is limited. many.

The upper end of the clean suction duct 2540 is located inside the upper cabinet 110 , and the lower end is located inside the lower cabinet 120 . That is, the clean suction duct 2540 provides a flow path for flowing the filtered air inside the upper cabinet 110 into the lower cabinet 120 .

The humidifying fan housing 2530 is coupled to a clean suction duct 2540, filtered air is sucked, and a first humidifying fan housing 2550 having a first suction space 2551 formed therein; and the first humidifying fan. Combined with the housing 2550 to receive filtered air from the first humidifying fan housing 2550, a second suction space 2561 is formed therein, the humidifying impeller 2510 is disposed therein, and the A second humidifying fan housing 2560 for guiding filtered air to the steam generator 2300 by the operation of the humidifying impeller 2510, and the first humidifying fan housing 2550 are formed, and the first suction space ( 2551), a first suction opening surface 2552 that is open toward one side (upper side in this embodiment), is formed in the second humidifying fan housing 2560, and the second suction space 2561 and The second suction opening surface 2562 communicated and opened toward the other side (lower side in this embodiment) and the first humidifying fan housing 2550 and the second humidifying fan housing 2560 pass through, and the first The first suction space discharge part 2553 for communicating the suction space 2551 and the second suction space 2561, and the second humidification fan housing 2560, the humidification motor 2520 is installed. and an installation part 2565 .

The first humidifying fan housing 2550 is formed with a first suction opening surface 2552 toward the upper side. The clean suction duct 2540 is connected to the suction opening surface 2552 . On the other hand, the second humidifying fan housing 2560 is formed with a second suction opening surface 2562 toward the lower side.

In this embodiment, the opening direction of the first suction opening surface 2552 and the opening direction of the second suction opening surface 2562 are opposite to each other.

The lower surface 2554 of the first humidifying fan housing 2550 is formed in a round shape, and is located lower than the first suction space discharge part 2553 . The upper surface 2564 of the second humidifying fan housing 2560 is formed in a round shape, and is located above the first suction space discharge part 2553 .

A motor shaft (not shown) of the humidification motor 2520 passes through the second humidification fan housing 2560 , and is assembled to the humidification impeller 2510 .

The motor installation unit 2565 protrudes from the second humidifying fan housing 2560 to the rear side, and the humidification motor 2520 is inserted and installed in the motor installation unit 2565 .

The first humidifying fan housing 2550 in which the first suction space 2551 is formed and the second humidifying fan housing 2560 in which the second suction space 2561 is formed may be respectively manufactured and then assembled.

In this embodiment, the humidifying fan housing 2530 is manufactured by assembling three parts in order to simplify the assembly structure and reduce manufacturing costs.

The humidifying fan housing 2530 is formed to surround the front of the first suction space 2551 and comprises a first humidifying fan housing part 2531 constituting a part of the first humidifying fan housing 2550; It is formed to surround the rear of the first suction space 2551, is formed to surround the front of the second suction space 2561, the first suction space discharge part 2553 is formed, and the first humidification fan housing ( 2550) and a second humidifying fan housing part 2532 constituting a part of the second humidifying fan housing 2560, is formed to surround the rear of the second suction space 2561, and the motor installation part ( 2565) is disposed, and a third housing part 2533 constituting the remainder of the second humidifying fan housing 2560 is included.

Since the second humidifying fan housing unit 2532 is commonly used in the first humidifying fan housing 2550 and the second humidifying fan housing 2560, it is possible to simplify the number of parts and reduce manufacturing costs.

A first suction space discharge part 2553 is formed in the second humidification fan housing part 2532 . The first suction space discharge part 2553 is formed to pass through the second humidification fan housing part 2532 in the front-rear direction.

The first suction space discharge part 2553 protrudes toward the humidification impeller 2510 and is formed in a circular shape.

The second humidification fan housing part 2532 forms the first suction space discharge part 2553 , and an orifice part 2534 protruding toward the humidification impeller 2510 is formed.

A first suction space 2551 is disposed at the front of the second humidifying fan housing unit 2532 and a second suction space 2561 is disposed at the rear.

The humidification impeller 2510 is a centrifugal fan that sucks air toward the center and discharges air in the circumferential direction. The air discharged from the humidifying impeller 2510 flows to the steam generator 2300 through the second humidifying fan housing 2560 .

The flow of filtered air according to the driving of the humidification motor 2520 is as follows.

When the humidification motor 2520 is driven, the humidification impeller 2510 coupled to the humidification motor 2520 is rotated. When the humidifying impeller 2510 is rotated, air flow is generated in the humidifying fan housing 2530 , and filtered air is sucked through the clean suction duct 2540 .

The filtered air sucked through the clean suction duct 2540 passes through the first suction space 2551 and the first suction space discharge part 92553 of the first humidifying fan housing 2550 to the second humidifying fan housing 2560. is moving The air that has flowed into the second humidifying fan housing 2560 is pressurized by the humidifying impeller 2510, and flows downward along the second humidifying fan housing 2560, and then the second suction opening surface 2562. Through the steam generator 2300 flows into the inside.

The filtered air flowing into the steam housing 2310 through the air intake 2318 of the steam generator 2300 is discharged to the steam discharge unit 2316 together with the steam generated in the steam generator 2300 .

The humidified air discharged from the steam discharge unit 2316 is branched from the main steam guide 2450 to the first branch guide 2410 and the second branch guide 2420 .

The humidified air flowing to the first branch guide 2410 is discharged to the first side outlet 301 through the first diffuser 2440, and the humidified air flowing to the second branch guide 2420 is a second diffuser. It is discharged to the second side discharge port 302 through 2450 .

The humidified air discharged from the first side discharge port 301 is diffused to the left side of the cabinet assembly 100 together with the wind generated through the short-distance fan assembly 300 , and the humidified air discharged from the second side discharge port 302 . Air is diffused to the right side of the cabinet assembly 100 together with the wind generated through the short-distance fan assembly 300 .

5 is a block diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the air conditioner includes a sensor unit 3215 , a power supply unit 3299 , a driving unit 3280 , a manipulation unit 3230 , a display module 3292 , a memory 3256 , a communication unit 3270 , and an audio output. It includes a unit 3291 , an audio input unit 3220 , a vision module 3210 , a cleaning module 4400 , a humidification module 2000 , and a controller 3240 for controlling overall operations.

The power supply unit 3299 supplies operating power to the main body. The power supply unit 3299 rectifies and smooths the connected commercial power to generate and supply voltages required by each unit. The power supply unit 3299 prevents inrush current and generates a constant voltage. Also, the power supply unit 3299 may supply operating power to an outdoor unit (not shown).

The driving unit 3280 provides a driving force to rotate the remote fan assembly 400 . In addition, the driving unit 3280 provides power to a moving means (not shown) so that the remote fan assembly 400 can move. In addition, the driving unit 3280 controls opening and closing of a valve installed therein. In some cases, the driving unit 3280 may provide a driving force so that the front panel 11 slides to the left or right. The driving unit 3280 may be divided into a remote fan assembly driving unit, a moving means driving unit, a valve driving unit, and a front panel driving unit.

The manipulation unit 3230 includes at least one of a button, a switch, and a touch input means to input a user command or predetermined data to the indoor unit.

The display module 3292 is composed of display means such as LCD, LED, and OLED, and may include a touch screen in which a touch pad is layered. The display module 3292 displays the operation setting or operation information of the indoor unit as a combination of at least one of a character, an image, a special character, a symbol, an emoticon, and an icon. In addition, the display module 3292 may further include a lighting unit for outputting an operating state according to whether lighting is on, lighting color, or blinking.

The audio output unit 3291 outputs voice guidance, a predetermined warning sound, and an effect sound. The audio output unit 3291 includes a buzzer or a speaker. The audio input unit 3220 receives and recognizes the user's voice, and inputs a corresponding command to the control unit 3240 . The audio input unit 3220 includes at least one microphone.

The memory 3256 includes control data for controlling the operation of the indoor unit, data on the operation mode, data sensed by the sensor unit 3215, data transmitted/received through the communication unit, data input by the operation unit, output data, and operation data. Data for determining whether there is an abnormality is stored. The memory 3256 stores data that can be read by a microprocessor, and includes a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state disk (SSD), a silicon disk drive (SDD), ROM, RAM, CD-ROM. , magnetic tape, floppy disk, and optical data storage devices.

The communication unit 3270 includes at least one communication module to transmit and receive data in a wired or wireless communication method.

The communication unit 3270 transmits/receives data to and from an outdoor unit (not shown) and receives data from a remote controller (not shown). Also, the communication unit 3270 may be connected to a predetermined network to communicate with an external server or terminal. The communication unit 3270 transmits and receives data including communication modules such as Wi-Fi and WiBro as well as short-range wireless communication such as Zigbee, Bluetooth, and infrared.

The sensor unit 3215 inputs measured data including a plurality of sensors to the control unit 3240 . The sensor unit 3215 includes a proximity sensor 17 , a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, and a humidity sensor, and includes a water tank detection unit.

The proximity sensor 17 detects a person or an object approaching within a predetermined distance. The proximity sensor 17 may be installed in the lower part of the main body, the front part of the base, and may be installed adjacent to the display module 3292 . The proximity sensor inputs an approach signal to the control unit 3240 when a predetermined object or person approaches within a predetermined distance.

The temperature sensor is installed at the inlet to measure the indoor temperature, installed inside the body to measure the heat exchange temperature, installed on either side of the outlet to measure the temperature of the discharged air, and installed in the refrigerant pipe to measure the refrigerant temperature can do. The humidity sensor measures the humidity of the indoor air.

The vision module 3210 includes at least one image acquisition unit to photograph an indoor environment, and detects a user's location. In addition, the vision module can detect indoor intrusion according to the operation mode. The vision module 3210 is installed on the front panel 11, and in some cases, may be installed on the upper panel of the cabinet.

The cleaning module 4400 is installed in the filter unit to clean foreign substances in the filter unit. The cleaning module includes a cleaning robot (not shown). The cleaning robot moves along the surface of the filter unit and sucks in foreign substances from the filter unit. Also, the cleaning robot may sterilize the filter unit using a sterilization lamp while cleaning the filter unit. The cleaning module 4400 may further include a position sensor for detecting the position of the robot cleaner.

The humidification module 2000 receives water from the water tank 2100, performs humidification to provide moisture, and discharges humidified air to the outside. The humidification module 2000 humidifies the air by generating steam, and the humidified air is discharged into the room through the outlet along with the conditioned air.

The humidification module 2000 may use a vibration type using vibration, a heating type, or a spray method for spraying water, and various other humidification methods may be used. The humidification module may include a humidification assembly. It is specified that the same reference numerals are used for the humidification module and the humidification assembly.

The control unit 3240 processes input/output data, stores the data in a memory, and controls data to be transmitted and received through the communication unit. The control unit 3240 sets the air conditioner to operate according to the setting input through the operation unit, transmits and receives data to and from the outdoor unit, and controls the driving unit 3280 so that the cold and hot air conditioned by the refrigerant supplied from the outdoor unit is discharged into the room. .

In response to the set operation mode or data measured from the sensor unit 3215, the control unit 3240 operates the humidification module 2000 to discharge humidified air, and detects occupants through the vision module 3210, In addition, the cleaning module 4400 is controlled to clean the filter.

The control unit 3240 monitors the operating state of each module, and outputs the operating state through the display module 3292 according to applied data.

6 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a processor for controlling an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the controller 3240 may include one or a plurality of microprocessors.

The control unit 3240 includes a main control unit 3241, a vision module control unit 3242, a power supply control unit 3243, a lighting control unit 3244, a display module control unit 3245, a humidification module control unit 3246, a cleaning module according to functions. a control unit 3247 .

Each control unit may be composed of one microprocessor, and may be respectively installed in each module. For example, the vision module 3210, the cleaning module 3400, and the humidification module can be controlled through one microprocessor. In addition, a microprocessor is installed in each module, the vision module 3210 is provided with a vision module control unit 3242 , and the humidification module is provided with a humidification module control unit to control its operation.

The main control unit applies a control command to each control unit, and receives and processes data from each control unit. The main control unit and each control unit are connected in a bus (BUS) format to transmit and receive data.

7 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a humidification module of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 7 , the humidification module 2000 includes a humidification assembly 2000 .

The humidification module 2000 is a steam generator 2300, a water level sensor 3330, a water tank detection unit 3340, a drain pump 3350, a temperature sensor, a humidification fan 2500, and controls the overall operation of the humidification module. It includes a humidification module control unit 3310, 3246.

The steam generator 2300 includes a steam generator 2300 that generates humidified air by changing the water supplied from the water tank 2100 into fine particles.

The steam generator 2300 includes a temperature sensor to prevent overheating, and a second water level sensor 332 is installed.

The steam generator 2300 is a heating type that heats water to generate steam, an ultrasonic type that generates humidified air by making water into fine particles through vibration using an ultrasonic vibrator, a composite type combining heating type and ultrasonic type, and humidification by spraying water Any one of a centrifugal spray type that provides air that has been cleaned, and a filter vaporization type that evaporates water using a wet filter can be applied.

The steam housing 2310 receives water automatically supplied from the water tank 2100 .

The water level sensor 3330 is installed in the water tank 2100 and the steam housing 2310, respectively, and detects the level of input water. A first water level sensor 331 may be installed in the water tank 2100 , and a second water level sensor 332 may be installed in the steam housing 2310 .

The water level sensor 3330 detects the water level according to the amount of water in the water tank 2100 and outputs a full water signal when there is more than a certain amount of water in the water tank, and outputs an empty water level signal when there is no water in the water tank. have.

The water level sensor 3330 may measure a water level value by at least one vertically arranged electrode. When there is water in the water tank, the water level sensor may measure the water level as the resistance value is changed by the water.

In addition, the water level sensor 3330 may sense the water level through electrodes to which signals are input according to the water level using a plurality of electrodes having different lengths, and based on the vertical axis of any one surface of the water tank or steam housing 2310 . By arranging a plurality of sensors in a row, the water level can be detected through a signal detected, the water level can be detected using a signal such as ultrasonic waves, and a hose installed in the water tank 2100 or the steam housing 2310 The water level can be detected by inserting a magnet into the water level and changing the position of the magnet according to the water level.

The water level sensor 3330 senses the water level by mixing at least one method or a plurality of methods.

The water tank detection unit 3340 detects the mounting state of the water tank 2100 .

The water tank detection unit 3340 detects that the water tank 2100 protrudes to the front and the inlet is opened or that the water tank is separated from the body. In response to the signal detected by the water tank detection unit 3340, the humidification module control unit 3310 sends a signal to the control unit 3240 through the display module 3292 to output an error indicating that the water tank is not normally mounted. can be authorized

In response to the detection signal of the water tank detection unit 3340 , a water tank icon or a water tank image may be displayed on the display module 3292 , a lamp for a water tank error is turned on, or a guide for inducing installation of a water tank A message may be output.

The drain pump 3350 is installed in a drain hose connected to the steam housing 2310 of the steam generator 2300 to discharge water from the steam housing 2310, which is a water tank for steam, to the outside. The drain pump 3350 starts an operation according to the control command of the humidification module control unit 3310 and stops the operation when the drainage is completed.

When the drain pump 3350 operates, water is drained. In addition, during the operation of the drain pump 3350 , water from the steam housing 2310 is drained, and water supplied from the water tank to the steam housing 2310 through the water supply assembly 2200 is mixed and introduced into the drain pump. and drained through the drain hose by the drain pump.

As the water in the steam housing 2310 is mixed with the water in the water tank, the temperature may decrease.

The water supply assembly 2200 is configured such that a flow path for supplying water to the steam housing 2310 and a flow path drained from the steam housing to the drain pump are interconnected, so that the heated water of the steam housing 2310 and the water tank The water is arranged to mix.

The humidification control unit may control the drain pump to drain the water after cooling the water, if the water temperature of the steam housing 2310 sensed through the temperature sensor is equal to or higher than the set temperature during drainage. If the temperature of the water in the steam housing 2310 is higher than the set temperature, the drain hose or the drain pump may be damaged, so that when the temperature of the water in the steam housing 2310 decreases below the set temperature, the drain starts.

Even if the water temperature of the steam housing 2310 is less than the set temperature, as the water supply assembly 2200 is installed so that it mixes with the water in the water tank and flows into the drain pump, water at a temperature lower than the water temperature of the steam housing 2310 is It can flow into the drain pump.

The humidification module control unit 3310 controls to generate humidified air according to a control command of the control unit 3240 . When the humidification operation is set, the control unit 3240 applies a control command according to the humidification operation to the humidification module control unit 3310, and the humidification module control unit 3310 operates the steam generator 2300 in response to the water level, temperature, and set mode. Operate so that humidified air is discharged.

The humidification module control unit 3310 checks the state of the sensor during the humidification operation, and performs the humidification operation after the water cutoff operation is preceded. In addition, the humidification module control unit 3310 may perform steam sterilization after the humidification operation, and control the overall humidification operation by allowing water to cool after the humidification operation or steam sterilization.

The humidification module control unit 3310 detects whether a water tank is installed through the water tank detection unit 3340 .

The humidification module control unit 3310 determines the amount of water in the water tank through the water level sensor 3330 . The humidification module control unit 3310 outputs a notification indicating that there is no water so that water is supplied when there is no water in the water tank or when the water level is below a certain level.

In addition, when a water level display unit (not shown) is provided on a part of the inner panel 141 or the water tank 2100 , the humidification module control unit 3310 controls the water level detected by the water level sensor to be displayed on the water level display unit.

When the water tank is opened or separated from the main body and then installed, the humidification module control unit 3310 determines that new water has been supplied to the water tank, sets the use time for water, and sets the water usage time based on the time the water is added. The time remaining in this water tank is counted.

In addition, when the water tank is mounted, the humidification module control unit 3310 may determine whether new water is added by comparing the water level before and after the water tank is installed.

The humidification module control unit 3310 controls the drain pump 3350 to drain the water when the water in the water tank remains for a predetermined time or longer. The humidification module control unit 3310 allows the water to be drained when the water in the water tank remains until the set use time. In addition, the humidification module control unit 3310 may extend the use time when the use time is reached during the humidification operation.

The humidification module control unit 3310 outputs a notification according to water drainage through the display module, and outputs a notification indicating that there is no water when drainage is complete. In addition, the humidification module control unit 3310 initializes the use time when drainage is completed.

When water is normally supplied to the water tank, the humidification module control unit 3310 controls the first valve to supply water to the steam housing 2310, and controls the steam generator 2300 to generate humidified air.

The humidification module control unit 3310 checks whether water is supplied from the water tank to the steam housing 2310, and when the steam generator operates, checks whether the steam heater 2320 operates normally through a change in water temperature, and corrects an error accordingly. can be printed out.

The steam heater 2320 includes a plurality of heaters having different capacities, that is, the calorific value per hour. The steam heater 2320 may include a first heater having a first capacity and a second heater having a second capacity. The first heater may be set to have a larger capacity than the second heater.

In addition, when humidified air is generated, the humidification module control unit 3310 discharges the humidified air to the discharge port through the steam guide 2400 connected to the steam discharge unit 2316 of the steam housing 2310 . The steam guide 2400 is connected to the outlet or the auxiliary vane and is configured so that the humidified air is also discharged indoors with the heat-exchanged air. In addition, the steam guide 2400 may be connected to a flow path through which the heat-exchanged air flows, and is discharged together with the conditioned air through the outlet.

The humidification module control unit 3310 controls the steam generator to stop its operation according to the water level in the water tank and the water level in the steam housing, and outputs a notification for no water.

The humidification module control unit 3310 generates a predetermined signal to output a notification about the installation of the water tank, drainage, and no water, and transmits it to the display module. You can have this output.

In addition, the humidification module control unit 3310 generates a predetermined signal to output a notification regarding the installation of the water tank, drainage, and no water, and applies it to the control unit, and the control unit controls the display module 3292 to output a notification corresponding to the signal can make it happen

8 is a diagram illustrating a flow of an operation for providing humidified air of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 8 , the humidification module 2000 sets the humidification operation. The amount of water required for the humidification operation is checked by detecting the water level in the water tank (S310). The humidification module can detect the water level in the water tank and check whether the water tank is installed.

In addition, the humidification module 2000 senses the water supplied to the steam housing, that is, the steam level (S320). Check whether water is supplied to the steam housing and check whether the water level is at which the heater can operate.

The humidification module 2000 may perform a preparatory operation before starting the humidification operation in the water boiling operation (S330) when the water level is at a level at which the heater is operable.

When the water temperature reaches a set temperature, for example, 100 degrees, the humidification module 2000 starts a humidification operation.

When the humidification operation is finished, the humidification module 2000 performs a steam sterilization operation of sterilizing a flow path through which steam flows by generating steam according to whether a sterilization mode is set (S350).

When the sterilization mode is not set or when the steam sterilization operation is completed, the humidification module 2000 lowers the temperature of the water in the steam housing through the water cooling operation (S360).

The humidification module 2000 generates humidified air by driving the steam generator 2300 from the boiling operation to cooling the water, and controls the rotation speed of the humidification fan 2500 . In addition, the humidification module 2000 may discharge humidified air into the room by changing the capacity of the heater or the number of operation of the heater according to the operation.

In addition, the humidification module 2000 may count the time for the water contained in the water tank, and automatically drain the water when it remains for a predetermined time or more (S370).

9 is a flowchart illustrating a steam sterilization operation method of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 9 , the air conditioner according to the present invention may perform a steam sterilization operation for sterilizing the steam guide 2400 through which the humidified air flows after the humidification operation.

The humidification module 2000 performs a humidification operation after the water boiling operation (S410) so that the humidified air generated from the steam generator 2300 is discharged by the humidification fan 2500.

When the humidification operation is finished (S420), the humidification module control unit 3310 determines whether a sterilization mode is set (S430). The sterilization mode can be set as an option according to the humidification operation setting. When the sterilization mode is set by the operation unit 3230, the control unit 3240 applies a control command for setting the sterilization mode together with the control command according to the humidification operation to the humidification module control unit.

When the sterilization mode is set, the humidification module control unit 3310 detects the water level of the water tank 2100 (S440), and determines whether the water level of the water tank is equal to or higher than the first water level (S450).

The humidification module control unit 3310 determines that steam sterilization is possible when the water level of the water tank is higher than or equal to the first water level, and determines that steam sterilization is impossible when the water level of the water tank is lower than the first water level. The first water level is a water level at which humidification operation is possible, and a water level including about 500 ml for steam sterilization.

When the water level of the water tank is higher than the first water level, the humidification module control unit 3310 starts the steam sterilization operation (S460). The humidification module control unit 3310 sets the humidifying fan to operate as a sterilizing wind for steam sterilization and causes a plurality of heaters to operate.

As a result, air humidified at a high temperature flows through the steam guide and is discharged through the outlet, and the steam guide is sterilized by the high temperature.

The humidification module control unit 3310 counts the steam sterilization time, performs steam sterilization for a set time, and then ends the steam sterilization operation (S480).

The humidification module control unit 3310 reduces the temperature of the water accommodated in the steam housing through the water cooling operation (S500) after the steam sterilization operation.

On the other hand, when the water level of the water tank is less than the first water level, the humidification module control unit 3310 displays a notification about the lack of water through the display module. The humidification module control unit 3310 applies a notification indicating that steam sterilization is impossible due to water shortage to the control unit, and the control unit controls the display module so that the notification is displayed in the form of text, emoticon, icon, or the like.

When the sterilization mode is not set, or when the water level of the water tank is lower than the first water level, the humidification module control unit 3310 may perform a water cooling operation without performing steam sterilization (S500).

10 is a flowchart illustrating a preparation operation for a steam sterilization operation of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 10 , the humidification module 2000 operates as follows during the steam sterilization operation.

The first water level sensor 3331 detects the water level in the water tank and applies it to the humidification module control unit 3310, and the humidification module control unit 3310 determines whether a humidification operation is possible or a steam sterilization operation is possible according to the water level. have.

The water level of the water tank can be divided into a plurality of stages from the empty water level to the humidification operation possible water level (second water level), steam sterilization operation possible water level (first water level), full water level, and the like. The step according to the water level determination may be subdivided according to the setting and divided into a plurality of steps, may be determined by the amount of water, and may be changed without being limited to the present invention.

The humidification module control unit 3310 determines whether the water level of the water tank 2100 is above the first water level (S450), determines whether steam sterilization is possible, and outputs a water shortage notification when the water level is less than the first water level (S490) ).

When the water level of the water tank 2100 is higher than or equal to the first water level, the humidification module control unit 3310 detects the water level of the steam housing 2310 through the second water level sensor 3332 (S500).

The humidification module control unit 3310 determines whether the water level of the steam housing 2310 is equal to or higher than the eleventh water level (S510), and operates the heater (S540). The eleventh water level is the lowest water level at which the heaters are all submerged by the received water and the steam generator 2300 can start operation.

The second water level sensor 3332 continuously senses the water level and applies it to the steam generator 2300 .

The humidification module control unit 3310 compares the water level in the steam housing 2310 at predetermined time intervals, and determines whether water supply is normally performed according to the change in the water level in the steam housing.

Water in the water tank 2100 is automatically supplied to the steam generator 2300 and accommodated in the steam housing 2310 . Therefore, when the water level of the water tank 2100 is higher than the first water level, it is common that the steam housing is at the full water level. In consideration of this newly supplied case, the humidification module control unit 3310 may determine the water level change at predetermined time intervals.

The humidification module control unit 3310 may first determine whether the steam water level is equal to or higher than the eleventh water level, and may secondarily determine the water level after waiting for the first time. The first time may be set based on a time required for water to be supplied from the water tank to the eleventh water level based on the empty water level in the steam housing.

The humidification module control unit 3310 may determine the water level change a plurality of times in a second time unit shorter than the first time after the first time (S520).

The humidification module control unit 3310 determines the water level change multiple times, determines whether the steam level is above the 11th water level, and when the steam level detected multiple times is less than the 11th water level, it is determined that the water supply assembly 2200 is abnormal. do. The display module outputs an error according to the water supply according to the control command of the controller (S530).

When the water level of the water tank does not reach the eleventh water level to elapse for more than a first time in a situation where the water level in the water tank is equal to or higher than the first water level, it may be determined that water is not supplied from the water tank to the steam housing.

The humidification module control unit 3310 starts a steam sterilization operation when water above the 11th water level is accommodated in the steam housing (S540).

The humidification module control unit 3310 sets the humidifying fan 2500 to operate with sterilizing air.

The humidification module control unit 3310 operates both the first heater and the second heater having different capacities included in the steam generator 2300 to perform a steam sterilization operation.

The humidifying fan 2500 may operate in three modes of a sterilizing wind, a humidifying wind, and a drying wind during the humidification operation. The rotation speed of the humidifying fan is set to increase in the order of the sterilization wind, the humidification wind, and the drying wind.

When setting the sterilization wind, the humidifying fan operates at the minimum air volume and can rotate in the range of 1000 to 15000 rpm. For example, the humidifying fan may rotate at about 1120 rpm. At this time, the air volume of the humidified air discharged through the outlet is about 0/.25CMM.

During the steam sterilization operation, as both the first and second heaters operate to generate humidified air, the temperature of the humidified air reaches a high temperature in a short time. In addition, as the steam sterilization proceeds while the temperature of the water in the steam housing rises due to the humidification operation, the temperature of the humidification guide and the discharge port also rises, making sterilization possible. On the other hand, safety accidents can occur as the temperature of the discharge pipe rises, so the blowing force can be minimized to prepare for safety accidents.

The humidification module control unit 3310 counts the operation time of the steam sterilization operation, and when the set time is reached (S470), the steam sterilization operation is terminated (S480).

Steam sterilization is discharged when the temperature of steam reaches a high temperature in a short time, and can be performed for about 15 minutes. When steam sterilization is performed for 15 minutes, about 99% of sterilization is possible.

11 is a flowchart illustrating a method of draining water after a steam sterilization operation of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 11 , the steam module 2000 counts the usage time of the water contained in the water tank ( S550 ) so as not to remain in the water tank for more than a predetermined time.

The humidification module control unit 3310 may count the use time of water based on the time when water is newly supplied. For example, the humidification module control unit 3310 may count the usage time based on the water level sensed when the water tank is removed and then installed.

The humidification module control unit 3310 determines whether the water contained in the water tank reaches a set water use time (S560), and when the water use time is reached, determines whether the humidification operation is in progress (S570). At this time, the humidification operation includes the entire operation from boiling water to cooling water.

The humidification module control unit 3310 may extend the water use time when the current humidification operation is in progress when the water use time is reached (S580). In some cases, the humidification module control unit 3310 may drain water when the humidification operation is finished.

When the humidification module control unit 3310 is not in the humidification operation or the humidification operation is completed, the water whose use time has elapsed is drained.

The humidification module control unit 3310 detects the temperature of the water contained in the steam housing through the temperature sensor before operating the drain pump (S590).

When you start draining, the water contained in the steam housing flows into the drain pump. If high-temperature water flows into the drain pump, the drain hose may be damaged by the high temperature. Check the water temperature and then operate the drain pump. .

The humidification module control unit 3310 compares the water temperature with the set temperature (S600), and if the temperature is higher than the set temperature, the water is drained after cooling (S610).

The humidification module control unit 3310 operates the drain pump when the water temperature is less than the set temperature (S620).

When the drain pump operates, the water in the steam housing flows into the drain pump and the water in the water tank also flows into the drain pump to drain the water from the steam housing and the water tank (S630). At this time, as the water in the steam housing and the water in the water tank are mixed and introduced into the drain pump, the temperature of the water decreases, and the drain pump can discharge the water to the outside without being damaged by the high temperature.

The humidification module control unit 3310 determines whether the drainage is complete (S640), and when the drainage is complete, a signal for no water is applied to the control unit. Accordingly, the display module outputs a water-free notification (S650).

The humidification module control unit 3310 may determine whether drainage is complete according to the water level in the water tank and the water level in the steam housing.

In addition, since water may remain in the drain hose, etc., the humidification module control unit 3310 may maintain the operation of the drain pump for a predetermined time after the water tank and the steam housing are sensed to be above the empty water level.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, but may be manufactured in various different forms, and those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features of the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive.

100: cabinet assembly 200: door assembly
300: short-distance fan assembly 400: far-distance fan assembly
600: filter assembly
1200: door cover assembly 1500: display module
1900: camera module 2000: humidification assembly
2100: water tank
2200: water supply assembly 2300: steam generator
2400: steam guide 2500: humidifying fan

Claims (8)

a case which forms an inner space, and in which an inlet and an outlet are disposed;
a water tank disposed in the inner space and storing water;
a steam generator disposed in the inner space, comprising a steam housing receiving the water stored in the water tank, and converting the water stored in the steam housing into steam to generate humidified air;
a drain pump for discharging water from the steam housing to the outside; and
and a control unit for controlling the steam generator and the drainage pump, wherein the control unit controls the drainage pump to drain the water after cooling when the temperature of the water stored in the steam housing is greater than or equal to a set temperature. air conditioner.
According to claim 1, wherein the control unit
An air conditioner for operating the drain pump when the temperature of the water stored in the steam housing decreases below the set temperature.
According to claim 1,
When the drain pump operates, the water in the steam housing and the water in the water tank are mixed and introduced into the drain pump.
According to claim 1, wherein the control unit
After completing a humidification operation of controlling the steam generator to generate humidified air, the water cooling operation is performed.
5. The method of claim 4,
a humidifying fan supplying the air sucked in through the suction port to the steam housing; and
The air conditioner further comprising a steam guide for guiding the humidified air discharged from the steam generator to the discharge port.
The method of claim 5, wherein the control unit
If the sterilization mode is set and the water level in the water tank is higher than or equal to the reference water level, a steam sterilization operation of additionally operating the steam generator and the humidification fan for a set time is performed, and the water cooling operation is performed after the steam sterilization operation is completed An air conditioner that performs
The method of claim 6, wherein the control unit
When the sterilization mode is set and the water level of the water tank is less than the reference water level, the air conditioner performs the water cooling operation without performing the steam sterilization operation.
The method of claim 6, wherein the control unit
When the sterilization mode is not set, the air conditioner performs the water cooling operation without performing the steam sterilization operation.

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