Air conditioner and control method thereof

Abstract

The present invention discloses an air conditioner and a control method thereof. The air conditioner comprises: a water tank, the water tank is used to store condensed water generated by the air conditioner, and the water tank is provided with a water inlet for the condensed water to enter the water tank; a water tank filter is arranged at the water inlet, and is used to filter the condensed water before the condensed water enters the water tank; a self-cleaning spray assembly is used to clean the water tank filter to ensure the quality of the condensed water entering the water tank. The present invention improves the air conditioner, and adds a self-cleaning spray assembly at the water tank filter on the front side of the water tank inlet of the air conditioner, so that the water tank filter can be automatically cleaned, thereby ensuring the effectiveness of the water tank filter and preventing secondary pollution caused by poor condensed water quality when cleaning the air conditioner filter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field related to air conditioner cleaning, and in particular to an air conditioner and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] At present, in order to conveniently solve the cleaning problem of dust accumulation on the air conditioning filter, there are air conditioners on the market that use condensed water to clean the air conditioning filter. At the same time, considering that the condensed water may contain bacteria and impurities, directly using condensed water to clean the air conditioning filter may cause secondary pollution of the air conditioning filter, further causing the air flow blown out by the air conditioner to affect the indoor air quality. Now, a detachable water tank filter is set in front of the water tank that stores condensed water in the air conditioner. The condensed water is filtered by a filter (such as a water tank filter, etc.) before entering the water tank to ensure that the water that has cleaned the air conditioning filter is clean and sterile. The problem that follows is that although the filter can be easily and quickly disassembled to remove the filter element for cleaning to ensure the effectiveness of the filter, the user needs to manually disassemble and clean it, and there is no reminder set for this situation, and automatic cleaning cannot be achieved, affecting the user experience. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of this, the present invention discloses an air conditioner and a control method thereof, which are used to at least solve the problem that the water tank filter of the air conditioner cannot achieve self-cleaning.

[0004] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] A first aspect of the present invention discloses an air conditioner, the air conditioner comprising:

[0006] A water tank, the water tank is used to store condensed water generated by the air conditioner, and the water tank is provided with a water inlet for the condensed water to enter the water tank;

[0007] A water tank filter, arranged at the water inlet, for filtering the condensed water before the condensed water enters the water tank;

[0008] The self-cleaning spray assembly is used to clean the water tank filter to ensure the quality of condensed water entering the water tank.

[0009] Further optionally, the air conditioner further includes:

[0010] A shell having a mounting cavity and a water outlet communicating with the mounting cavity;

[0011] The water outlet is connected to the water inlet, and is used to cooperate with the water inlet to guide the condensed water generated by the air conditioner into the water tank when collecting the condensed water, and to discharge the sewage generated by cleaning the water tank filter and / or the water in the water tank after cleaning the water tank filter.

[0012] Further optionally, the housing comprises: a bottom housing,

[0013] A water channel is formed on the bottom shell and is located below the position where the evaporator in the air conditioner is arranged. The water channel is used to collect condensed water generated by the air conditioner.

[0014] Further optionally, the water outlet is arranged on the bottom shell and is connected to the end of the water channel.

[0015] Further optionally, the self-cleaning spray assembly includes:

[0016] A nozzle, wherein the outlet of the nozzle is arranged toward the water tank filter;

[0017] A water pipe, two ends of which are respectively connected to the nozzle and the water tank;

[0018] A water pump is arranged on the water pipe.

[0019] Further optionally, the air conditioner further includes:

[0020] An air conditioning filter is movably disposed in the installation cavity, wherein the air conditioning filter has a working position corresponding to the air inlet of the housing and a cleaning position away from the air inlet;

[0021] A cleaning component is arranged in the installation cavity and is used to clean the air conditioning filter by utilizing condensed water in the water tank.

[0022] Further optionally, the water tank filter is detachably arranged at the water inlet.

[0023] A second aspect of the present invention discloses a control method for an air conditioner, wherein the control method is used to control any of the above-mentioned air conditioners to perform self-cleaning of a water tank filter and recovery of condensed water.

[0024] Further optionally, the control method includes:

[0025] Record the time interval since the last cleaning of the air conditioner water tank filter;

[0026] When the interval time is greater than the preset cleaning interval period, the self-cleaning spray assembly is controlled to flush the water tank filter;

[0027] After the flushing is completed, the drain port of the air conditioner is opened to discharge the sewage generated by the flushing and the condensed water in the water tank.

[0028] Further optionally, the control method further includes:

[0029] Using a dirty blockage detection sensor to detect the dirty blockage of the water tank filter;

[0030] When dirt and blockage are detected at the water tank filter, the self-cleaning spray assembly is controlled to flush the water tank filter.

[0031] Beneficial effect: The present invention improves the air conditioner by adding a self-cleaning spray assembly at the water tank filter on the front side of the water tank inlet of the air conditioner, which can automatically clean the water tank filter, thereby ensuring the effectiveness of the water tank filter and preventing secondary pollution caused by poor quality of condensed water when cleaning the air conditioner filter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail its exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other accompanying drawings can be obtained based on these accompanying drawings without creative work.

[0033] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of an air conditioner according to an embodiment is shown;

[0034] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 An exploded view of the internal structure of the air conditioner;

[0035] Figure 3 A logic diagram of the self-cleaning of the air conditioner water tank filter according to an embodiment is shown.

[0036] 1. Bottom shell; 11. Water channel; 12. Water outlet; 2. Self-cleaning spray assembly; 21. Nozzle; 3. Water tank; 31. Water inlet; 4. Water tank filter. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0038] The terms used in the embodiments of the present invention are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The singular forms "a", "said" and "the" used in the embodiments of the present invention and the appended claims are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates other meanings, and "multiple" generally includes at least two, but does not exclude the inclusion of at least one.

[0039] It should be understood that the term "and / or" used in this article is only a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0040] It should also be noted that the terms "include", "comprises" or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a product or system including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such a product or system. In the absence of more restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprises a ..." do not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the product or system including the elements.

[0041] At present, the condensed water generated when the air conditioner is running may contain impurities, which may cause the water tank filter to be contaminated, causing secondary pollution when the air conditioner filter is cleaned, and even the water tank filter may be blocked after long-term use, resulting in the condensed water being unable to be collected in the water tank. The present invention filters the condensed water by adding a filter between the water outlet of the air conditioner bottom shell and the water tank, and after designing a nozzle at the front end of the water tank filter, clean water in the water tank is used to clean the water tank filter, thereby ensuring the effectiveness of the water tank filter and preventing secondary pollution when cleaning the air conditioner filter.

[0042] To further illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, the following specific embodiments are provided.

[0043] Example 1

[0044] In this embodiment, an air conditioner is provided, the air conditioner comprising:

[0045] A water tank 3, which is used to store condensed water generated by the air conditioner, and is provided with a water inlet 31 for the condensed water to enter the water tank 3;

[0046] A water tank filter 4 is provided at the water inlet 31, and the condensed water is filtered by the water tank filter 4 before the condensed water enters the water tank 3;

[0047] The self-cleaning spray assembly 2 is used to clean the water tank filter 4 to ensure the water quality of the condensed water in the water inlet tank 3.

[0048] It should be noted that the water tank 3 in this embodiment can also store cleaning water manually added by the user, which can be used to clean the air conditioning filter of the air conditioner, and can also provide water for cleaning the water tank filter 4.

[0049] In some optional embodiments, the air conditioner further comprises: a housing having an installation cavity, and a water outlet 12 communicating with the installation cavity is provided on the housing. The water outlet 12 is communicated with the water inlet 31, and is used to cooperate with the water inlet 31 to guide the condensed water generated by the air conditioner into the water tank 3 when collecting the condensed water generated by the air conditioner, and to discharge the sewage generated by cleaning the water tank filter 4 and / or the water in the water tank 3 after cleaning the water tank filter 4.

[0050] Further, the housing comprises: a bottom shell 1, on which a water channel 11 is formed below the evaporator arrangement position in the air conditioner, and condensed water generated by the air conditioner can be collected through the water channel 11. Preferably, a water outlet 12 is arranged on the bottom shell 1 and communicated with the end of the water channel 11.

[0051] In some optional embodiments, the self-cleaning spray assembly 2 includes: a spray head 21, the outlet of which is disposed toward the water tank filter 4; a water pipe, the two ends of which are respectively connected to the spray head 21 and the water tank 3; and a water pump disposed on the water pipe. The spray head 21 can be fixed to the bottom shell 1 by a bracket or the like.

[0052] In this embodiment, the air conditioner also includes: an air conditioning filter, which is movably arranged in the installation cavity, wherein the air conditioning filter has a working position corresponding to the air inlet of the shell and a cleaning position away from the air inlet; a cleaning component, which is arranged in the installation cavity and is used to clean the air conditioning filter using condensed water in the water tank 3.

[0053] It should be noted that the water tank filter 4 in this embodiment is detachably arranged at the water inlet 31. The air conditioner adopts this design so that when a self-cleaning failure occurs or there is no water in the water tank 3 and self-cleaning cannot be achieved, manual cleaning can also be adopted, that is, the water tank filter 4 can be manually removed by the user for cleaning.

[0054] Example 2

[0055] In this embodiment, a control method for an air conditioner is provided, and the control method is used to control any air conditioner in Embodiment 1 to perform self-cleaning of the water tank filter 4 and recovery of condensed water.

[0056] In this embodiment, the control method includes: recording the interval time from the last cleaning of the water tank filter 4 of the air conditioner; when the interval time is greater than the preset cleaning interval period, controlling the self-cleaning spray assembly 2 to flush the water tank filter 4; after the flushing is completed, opening the drain port of the air conditioner to discharge the sewage generated by the flushing and the condensed water in the water tank 3. It should be noted that the drain port can be a drain nozzle set on the bottom shell 1 of the air conditioner. When the drain nozzle is opened, the condensed water collected in the water channel 11 can be directly discharged to the outside of the air conditioner instead of being stored in the water tank 3; when the drain nozzle is closed, the condensed water in the water channel 11 can be introduced into the water tank 3 for storage through the water outlet 12 on the bottom shell 1 and the water inlet 31 of the water tank 3.

[0057] Further preferably, the control method further comprises: detecting the dirtiness and blockage of the water tank filter 4 by using a dirtiness and blockage detection sensor; and when dirtiness and blockage are detected at the water tank filter 4, controlling the self-cleaning spray assembly 2 to flush the water tank filter 4.

[0058] By adding a self-cleaning spray component 2, the air conditioner can realize automatic cleaning of the air conditioning filter in combination with corresponding program control, thereby ensuring that the water tank filter 4 will not be contaminated by condensed water; at the same time, it can ensure that the water tank filter 4 will not be contaminated by condensed water in the water tank after long-term use, thereby causing secondary pollution when the air conditioning filter is cleaned or being blocked, resulting in the condensed water being unable to be collected in the water tank 3.

[0059] Now, in combination with the air conditioner in Embodiment 1 and the control method in this embodiment, a working process of the air conditioner is described.

[0060] When the air conditioner is in cooling operation, the condensed water flows along the water channel 11 on the bottom shell 1 through the water outlet 12 of the bottom shell 1, is filtered by the water tank filter 4, and then enters the water tank 3 body through the water inlet 31 of the water tank 3, waiting for the system's instruction to clean the air conditioner filter. The water tank filter 4 can ensure that the condensed water entering the water tank 3 is free of bacteria and impurities, and the air conditioner filter can be cleaned.

[0061] During the operation of the air conditioner, the air conditioner system will also determine whether the system needs to perform self-cleaning of the water tank filter 4 by detecting the time since the last use of the nozzle 21. When the system determines that the time T since the last use of the nozzle 21 to clean the water tank filter 4 is less than the preset cleaning interval T0 set by the system for the water tank filter 4, the system waits to enter the next detection. When the system determines that the time T since the last use of the nozzle 21 is greater than the preset cleaning interval T0 set by the system for the water tank filter 4, the air conditioning system enters the automatic cleaning mode of the water tank filter 4, and the water pump draws water from the water tank 3 to clean the water tank filter 4 through the nozzle 21. After the cleaning is completed, the nozzle 21 stops spraying water, and all the water in the water tank 3 is discharged to ensure the cleanliness of the water in the water tank 3. The system enters and waits for the next detection to determine whether to perform automatic cleaning of the water tank filter 4.

[0062] The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are specifically shown and described above. It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the detailed structures, configurations or implementations described herein; on the contrary, the present disclosure is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent configurations included in the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An air conditioner, characterized in that: The air conditioner comprises: A water tank, the water tank is used to store condensed water generated by the air conditioner, and the water tank is provided with a water inlet for the condensed water to enter the water tank; A water tank filter, arranged at the water inlet, for filtering the condensed water before the condensed water enters the water tank; A self-cleaning spray assembly, used to clean the water tank filter to ensure the quality of condensed water entering the water tank; The air conditioner also includes: A shell having a mounting cavity and a water outlet communicating with the mounting cavity; The water outlet is connected to the water inlet, and is used to cooperate with the water inlet to guide the condensed water generated by the air conditioner into the water tank when collecting the condensed water, and to discharge the sewage generated by cleaning the water tank filter and / or the water in the water tank after cleaning the water tank filter; The drain port is arranged on the shell, and is used to discharge the sewage generated by flushing and the condensed water in the water tank when it is opened, and to introduce the condensed water into the water tank through the water outlet and the water inlet when it is closed.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing comprises: a bottom housing, A water channel is formed on the bottom shell and is located below the position where the evaporator in the air conditioner is arranged. The water channel is used to collect condensed water generated by the air conditioner.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 2, characterized in that: The water outlet is arranged on the bottom shell and communicated with the end of the water channel.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The self-cleaning spray assembly comprises: A nozzle, wherein the outlet of the nozzle is arranged toward the water tank filter; A water pipe, two ends of which are respectively connected to the nozzle and the water tank; A water pump is arranged on the water pipe.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air conditioner also includes: An air conditioning filter is movably disposed in the installation cavity, wherein the air conditioning filter has a working position corresponding to the air inlet of the housing and a cleaning position away from the air inlet; A cleaning component is arranged in the installation cavity and is used to clean the air conditioning filter by utilizing condensed water in the water tank.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water tank filter is detachably arranged at the water inlet.

7. A method for controlling an air conditioner, characterized in that: The control method is used to control the air conditioner described in any one of claims 1 to 6 to perform self-cleaning of the water tank filter and condensate recovery.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 7, characterized in that: The control method comprises: Record the time interval since the last cleaning of the air conditioner water tank filter; When the interval time is greater than the preset cleaning interval period, the self-cleaning spray assembly is controlled to flush the water tank filter; After the flushing is completed, the drain port of the air conditioner is opened to discharge the sewage generated by the flushing and the condensed water in the water tank.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 8, characterized in that: The control method further comprises: Using a dirty blockage detection sensor to detect the dirty blockage of the water tank filter; When dirt and blockage are detected at the water tank filter, the self-cleaning spray assembly is controlled to flush the water tank filter.

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