Air-conditioner and controlling method thereof

• US 9,266,049 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2014
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jun, Jihoon, Yang, Dongkeun
• Primary Examiner(s): MCKENZIE, THOMAS B
• Application Number:
  US14/164,504
• Publication Number:
  US 20140216251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 95 1- 24, 95273-287, 55282-305
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/76 involving vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/762 involving sonic or ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/0047 mounted in the ceiling or at the ceiling
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/0063 by the mounting or arrangement of the heat exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/0073 characterised by the mounting or arrangement of filters
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/28 Arrangement or mounting of filters
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/108 using dry filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/90 Cleaning of purification apparatus

Abstract

Provided are an air-conditioner and a controlling method thereof. The air-conditioner includes a blower fan forcibly generating a flow of air, a filter disposed on a flow path of the air that forcibly flows by the blower fan, and a vibration actuator disposed on a side of the filter. The method for controlling an air-conditioner includes disposing a collection part under a filter of an air-conditioner, vibrating a vibration actuator disposed on a side of the filter, and separating the collection part from a lower side of the filter.

Claims

1. An air-conditioner, comprising:

a blower fan that generates a flow of air;

a filter disposed in a flow path of the air that flows due to the blower fan;

a vibration actuator disposed at a first end of the filter, that vibrates the filter to separate dust from the filter;

a collection part disposed under the filter to collect the dust separated from the filter by the vibration of the filter;

a plurality of collection part guides disposed under the filter to guide movement of the collection part;

a collection roller that selectively winds or unwinds the collection part onto or off of the collection roller according to a rotational direction of the collection roller;

a brush disposed adjacent to a side of the collection roller to contact one surface of the collection part wound onto the collection roller; and

a recovery box disposed under the collection roller and having a dust receiving space to receive the dust separated from the collection part, wherein the plurality of collection part guides is spaced a predetermined distance from each other in a longitudinal direction of the filter, wherein, when the brush contacts the one surface of the collection part while the collection roller rotates, dust on the collection part is removed from the collection part, and wherein the removed dust is collected into the recovery box.

2. The air-conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the collection part selectively overlaps the filter in a vertical direction.

3. The air-conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the collection part is formed of a flexible material.

4. The air-conditioner according to claim 3, wherein the collection roller rotates in a first direction to allow the collection part to vertically overlap the filter, and wherein the collection roller rotates in a second direction to prevent the collection part from vertically overlapping the filter.

5. The air-conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the collection roller recovers the collection part so that a top surface of the collection part faces outside.

6. The air-conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the recovery box is detachably disposed on a front panel.

7. The air-conditioner according to claim 1, wherein a portion at which the brush contacts the collection part vertically overlaps the dust receiving space.

8. The air-conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the vibration actuator is an ultrasonic vibrator.

9. The air-conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the filter comprises an antistatic coating layer.

10. The air-conditioner according to claim 2, wherein each of the filter and the collection part is disposed in parallel with the ground, and wherein the collection part has a width equal to or greater than that of the filter.

11. The air-conditioner according to claim 2, further comprising:

a body comprising the blower fan, the filter, and the vibration actuator therein;

a front panel disposed on a bottom surface of the body; and

a suction hole defined in the front panel, wherein the filter is disposed above the suction hole, and wherein the collection part is disposed between the filter and the suction hole.

12. The air-conditioner according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of collection part guides is fixed to an inside of the body.

13. The air-conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of collection part guides is disposed under the collection part when the collection part is in an unwound state.

14. The air-conditioner according to claim 3, wherein the collection roller is disposed adjacent a second end of the filter.