Unitary air conditioner

• US 7,513,124 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2005
• Issued: 04/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Jeong Taek, Hyun, Seung Youp, Lee, Won Hee, Hwang, Yoon Jei
• Primary Examiner(s): JIANG, CHEN WEN
• Application Number:
  US11/319,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20060156746A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 621/78, 622/31, 621/57, 621/15, 622/281, 622/284
• US Class Current: 62/178
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/70 Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/77 by controlling the speed of ventilators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/86 by controlling compressors within refrigeration or heat pump circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/871 by controlling outdoor fans
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

A unitary air conditioner comprises a 1-stage thermostat for generating an operation signal for the unitary air conditioner or a stop signal for the unitary air conditioner, a 1-stage indoor unit having an indoor fan, which is rotated according the operation signal from the 1-stage thermostat, a variable-capacity outdoor unit configured to be operated according to the 1-stage thermostat, the variable-capacity outdoor unit having a compressor and an outdoor fan, the operation stage of which is changed according to the operation state of the variable-capacity outdoor unit, and an indoor fan control device for controlling the indoor fan according to the operation stage of the variable-capacity outdoor unit to change the operation state of the indoor fan. The 1-stage indoor unit is operated along with another unit having different stages, and variable control is accomplished, although the 1-stage indoor unit is used, so long as the indoor fan control device is added to the unitary air conditioner. Consequently, a more efficient air conditioning system is accomplished.

Claims

1. A unitary air conditioner, comprising:

a 1-stage thermostat which generates an operation signal to operate the unitary air conditioner or a stop signal to stop the unitary air conditioner;

a 1-stage indoor unit having an indoor fan, the indoor fan being rotated according to the operation signal generated by the 1-stage thermostat;

a variable-capacity outdoor unit configured to be operated according to the 1-stage thermostat, the variable-capacity outdoor unit having a compressor and an outdoor fan, an operation stage of the compressor and the outdoor fan being changed according to an operation state of the variable-capacity outdoor unit; and

an indoor fan control device configured to control the indoor fan according to the operation stage of the compressor of the variable-capacity outdoor unit to change an operation state of the indoor fan, the indoor fan control device being provided in the 1-stage indoor unit to control the indoor fan according to a signal generated by an outdoor unit control device provided in the variable capacity outdoor unit.

2. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 1, wherein the indoor fan is configured to be rotated at least in a high or low operation stage by an indoor fan motor.

3. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 1, wherein the 1-stage indoor unit has an indoor unit control device configured to receive a signal from the 1-stage thermostat, output a control signal to an indoor fan motor which rotates the indoor fan, and transmit a signal to the variable-capacity outdoor unit.

4. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 1, wherein the compressor of the variable-capacity outdoor unit comprise one of an inverter type compressor or a plurality of constant-speed compressors.

5. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 1, wherein the outdoor unit control device is configured to variably control the operation stage of the compressor and the outdoor fan according to the operation state of the variable-capacity outdoor unit.

6. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 5, wherein the outdoor unit control device comprises:

a signal input part which receives the signal from the 1-stage thermostat through an indoor unit control device provided in the 1-stage indoor unit;

an operation state determination and control part which recognizes a signal from the signal input part and the operation state of the compressor or the outdoor fan so as to change the operation stage of the compressor and the outdoor fan; and

a signal output part which outputs a signal to the indoor fan control device based on a signal from the operation state determination and control part.

7. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 6, wherein the operation state determination and control part is configured to store or recognize the previous operation state or the current operation state of the compressor or the outdoor fan and to select one of operation stages for the compressor or the outdoor fan, which include high, middle, and low operation stages, according to a control algorithm, based on the previously stored or recognized operation state in the next operation.

8. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 1, wherein the indoor fan control device comprises a relay switch configured to control the operation state of the indoor fan.

9. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 1, wherein the indoor fan control device comprises a 2-speed kit having a relay switch, the relay switch being configured to control the indoor fan motor to be driven in a high or low operation stage.

10. A unitary air conditioner comprising:

a 2-stage thermostat which generates one of plural operation signals to operate the unitary air conditioner or a stop signal to stop the unitary air conditioner;

a 1-stage indoor unit having an indoor fan, the indoor fan being rotated according to an operation signal generated the 2-stage thermostat;

a variable-capacity outdoor unit having a compressor and an outdoor fan, an operation stage of the compressor and the outdoor fan being changed according to the signal generated by the 2-stage thermostat; and

an indoor fan control device configured to control the indoor fan according to the operation stage of the variable-capacity outdoor unit to change an operation state of the indoor fan, the indoor fan control device being provided in the 1-stage indoor unit to control the indoor fan according to a signal generated by an outdoor unit control device provided in the variable capacity outdoor unit.

11. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 10, wherein the indoor fan is configured to be rotated at least in a high or low operation stage by an indoor fan motor.

12. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 10, wherein the 1-stage indoor unit has an indoor unit control device configured to receive a signal from the 2-stage thermostat, output a control signal to an indoor fan motor which rotates the indoor fan is rotated, and transmit a signal to the variable-capacity outdoor unit.

13. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 10, wherein the compressor of the variable-capacity outdoor unit comprises one of an inverter type compressor or a plurality of constant-speed compressors.

14. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 10, wherein the outdoor unit control device is configured to control the operation stage of the compressor and the outdoor fan according to the operation state of the variable-capacity outdoor unit.

15. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 14, wherein the outdoor unit control device comprises:

a signal input part which receives the signal from the 2-stage thermostat through an indoor unit control device mounted in the 1-stage indoor unit;

an operation state determination and control part which recognizes the signal from the signal input part and the operation state of the compressor or the outdoor fan so as to change the operation stage of the compressor and the outdoor fan; and

a signal output part which outputs a signal to the indoor fan control device based on a signal from the operation state determination and control part.

16. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 15, wherein the operation state determination and control part is configured to store or recognize the previous operation state or the current operation state of the compressor or the outdoor fan and to select one of operation stages for the compressor or the outdoor fan, which include high, middle, and low operation stages, according to a control algorithm, based on the previously stored or recognized operation state in the next operation.

17. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 10, wherein the indoor fan control device comprises a relay switch configured to control the operation state of the indoor fan.

18. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 10, wherein one of the plural operation signals is directly transmitted to the outdoor unit control device from the 2-stage thermostat, and not through the 1-stage indoor unit.