Multi-air conditioner

• US 20100186441A1
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jung, Han Su, Lee, Chung Hun, Hwang, Sun Ho, Park, Gwi Guen
• Granted Patent: US 8,245,523 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/507
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/20 Electric components for separate outdoor units
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/22 Arrangement or mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/40 Vibration or noise prevention at outdoor units for outdoor units compressors F24F1/12
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/46 Component arrangements in separate outdoor units
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/68 Arrangement of multiple separate outdoor units
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/021 Inverters therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

An air conditioner is provided. A control unit of an outdoor unit of the air conditioner is divided into a plurality of blocks according to a set of rules. Then, the blocks are mounted on different substrates. Therefore, it is possible to simplify wiring, facilitating the interconnection of the blocks and enable the control unit to be managed in units of the blocks. In addition, it is possible to improve user convenience.

Claims

1. An air conditioner comprising:

a plurality of indoor units; and

at least one outdoor unit,

wherein the outdoor unit includes a control unit which has a first block comprising a compressor inverter for controlling a compressor motor, a second block comprising at least one fan motor inverter for driving at least one fan motor, a third block comprising a system controller for controlling the operation of the outdoor unit, a fourth block comprising a filter for removing noise from input three-phase power, and a fifth block to which the input three-phase power is applied, the first, second, third, fourth and fifth blocks being mounted on different substrates.

2. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the first block further comprises a power factor compensation (PFC) circuit which compensates the power factor of the input three-phase power.

3. The air conditioner of claim 2, wherein the fan motor inverter is connected to the PFC circuit and converts direct current (DC) power output by the PFC circuit into power for controlling the fan motor.

4. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the fourth block further comprises a plurality of inductors.

5. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the fifth block comprises a terminal port to which a three-phase four-wire system power source is connected.

6. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the fifth block comprises a connection terminal to which a constant-rate compressor is connected.

7. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the compressor inverter is connected to the PFC circuit and converts DC power output by the PFC circuit into power for controlling the compressor motor.

8. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the system controller controls the compressor inverter and the fan motor inverter.

9. The air conditioner of claim 2, wherein the system controller controls the compressor inverter, the fan motor inverter, and the PFC circuit.

10. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the first and second blocks are disposed close to each other.

11. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the fourth and fifth blocks are disposed close to each other.

12. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the first and third blocks are disposed close to each other.

13. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the fourth block is disposed below the third block.

14. An air conditioner comprising:

a plurality of indoor units; and

at least one outdoor unit,

wherein the outdoor unit includes a control unit which controls the operation of the outdoor unit and comprises a PFC circuit that converts AC power provided by a commercial AC power source into DC power and a compressor inverter that drives a compressor motor by converting the DC power into AC power, the PFC circuit and the compressor inverter both being mounted on a first substrate.

15. The air conditioner of claim 14, wherein the control unit further comprises at least one fan motor inverter which drives at least one fan motor by converting the DC power into AC power, the fan motor inverter being mounted on a second substrate.

16. The air conditioner of claim 15, wherein the control unit further comprises a system controller which controls the operation of the outdoor unit, the system controller being mounted on a third substrate.

17. The air conditioner of claim 16, wherein the control unit further comprises a filter which removes noise between the commercial AC power source and the PFC circuit, the filter being mounted on a fourth substrate.

18. The air conditioner of claim 17, wherein the control unit further comprises a terminal port to which the commercial AC power source is connected, the terminal port being mounted on a fifth substrate.

19. The air conditioner of claim 18, wherein the control unit further comprises a connection port to which a constant-rate compressor is connected, the connection port being mounted on the fifth substrate.

20. The air conditioner of claim 16, wherein the system controller controls the compressor inverter and the fan motor inverter.

21. The air conditioner of claim 16, wherein the system controller controls the compressor inverter, the fan motor inverter and the PFC circuit.

22. The air conditioner of claim 15, wherein the first and second blocks are disposed close to each other.

23. The air conditioner of claim 16, wherein the first and third blocks are disposed close to each other.

24. The air conditioner of claim 18, wherein the fourth and fifth third blocks are disposed close to each other.

25. The air conditioner of claim. 17, wherein the fourth block is disposed below the third block.

26. The air conditioner of claim 18, wherein the first, third and fourth substrates are disposed on a first lateral side of the control unit, and the second and fifth substrates are disposed on a second lateral side of the control unit, the second lateral side being opposite to the first lateral side.

27. The air conditioner of claim 26, wherein the first and second substrates are disposed on a third lateral side of the control unit, the third lateral side perpendicularly intersecting the first lateral side.

28. The air conditioner of claim 27, wherein the third and fourth substrates are disposed on a fourth lateral side of the control unit, the fourth lateral side being opposite to the third lateral side.