AIR CONDITIONER AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20130239596A1
• Filed: 02/27/2013
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Daehee, Song, Joonkeol, Kim, Sunghwan
• Granted Patent: US 9,429,352 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/80
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/42 of outdoor units
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 21/004 Control mechanisms F25D21/006 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 21/006 with electronic control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 21/02 Detecting the presence of frost or condensate
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 21/08 by electric heating

Abstract

An air conditioner and a method for controlling the same for securing reliability and increasing efficiency are provided. The air conditioner and the method of controlling the same detect freezing occurring in the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit, determine a time of the defrosting operation according to a freezing degree such that the defrosting operation is performed, thereby preventing cooling/heating operation efficiency and capability due to a frequent defrosting operation from being deteriorated. The air conditioner and the method of controlling the same according to the present invention provide comfort of a predetermined level to the user to solve deterioration of convenience, and remove freezing due to a defrosting operation to thereby improve efficiency during cooling/heating operations.

Claims

1. An air conditioner comprising:

a compressor;

a heat exchanger performing heat exchange between a refrigerant and air through movement of the air;

a frost formation detector provided in the heat exchanger for detecting a frost formation degree in the heat exchanger to output a detection signal; and

a controller configured to compute a frost formation level due to freezing in the heat exchanger according to the detection signal inputted from the frost formation detector, and to perform a defrosting operation according to the frost formation level.

2. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the controller configured to classify a magnitude of the detection signal into a plurality of levels and to determine a frost formation level as one if the levels.

3. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the frost formation detector comprises:

a plurality of switches,

wherein the switches are preferably arranged in a body, which is longitudinally provided at the heat exchanger;

wherein each switch comprises;

a plurality of electrodes protruding from the body in one direction; and

insulation parts for isolating electric contacts between the electrodes and the heat exchanger, respectively.

4. The air conditioner of claim 3, wherein the frost formation detector comprises a circuit arrangement comprising a plurality of resistors and the plurality of switched, wherein the resistance of the circuit arrangement is changed according to whether any one or several switches is turned on so that detection signals having different magnitudes are outputted to the controller.

5. The air conditioner of claim 3, wherein one terminal of each of the electrodes is fixed to the body, and another terminal of each electrode is inserted into the heat exchanger, so that the electrodes are configured to be bent.

6. The air conditioner of claim 5, wherein the electrodes are configured to be bent to a central portion so that the electrodes are configured to make contact with each other to act as a switch due to the freezing in the heat exchanger.

7. The air conditioner of claim 5, wherein the electrodes are a plurality of layers formed from a lower end of the body to an upper end of the body.

8. The air conditioner of claim 7, wherein at least two of the electrodes are provided on one layer and the electrodes are provided parallel to a longitudinal pipe of the heat exchanger.

9. The air conditioner of claim 7, wherein the electrodes are frozen by layers from the lower end of the body to the upper end of the body so that the number of contact electrodes is increased.

10. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein when the frost formation level is equal to or greater than a preset reference value, the controller performs the defrosting operation for a predetermined time and then returns to a general operation.

11. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the controller performs the defrosting operation when the frost formation level is equal to or greater than a preset reference value, and the controller returns to a general operation when a frost formation level detected by the frost formation detector is less than a predetermined value.

12. A method of operating an air conditioner comprising a compressor, a heat exchanger performing heat exchange between a refrigerant and air through movement of the air, a frost formation detector provided in the heat exchanger and a controller and wherein the method comprises the steps of:

Detecting a frost formation degree in the heat exchanger to output a detection signal by using the frost formation detector; and

Computing a frost formation level due to freezing in the heat exchanger according to the detection signal inputted from the frost formation detector to the controller, and performing a defrosting operation according to the frost formation level using the controller.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a detection signal from a frost formation detector installed in a heat exchanger while the air conditioner is operating;

computing a frost formation level corresponding to the detection signal;

performing a defrosting operation when the frost formation level is equal to or greater than a reference value; and

returning to a general operation when the defrosting operation is performed for a predetermined time or when the frost formation level is less than the reference value.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

returning to a general operation when the computed frost formation level is equal to or greater than the reference value and the defrosting operation is performed for the predetermined time during the defrosting operation.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

computing the frost formation level according to the detection signal periodically inputted during the general operation to perform the defrosting operation.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

changing the reference value or an operation time of the frost formation operation when the number of times of defrosting operations within a predetermined time is equal to or greater than a reference number of times.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the detection signal is changed according to contacts between a plurality of electrodes of the frost formation detector.