Plasma PTC component, air conditioner indoor unit and sterilization method

Abstract

The present invention discloses a plasma PTC component, an air conditioner indoor unit and a sterilization method, wherein the plasma PTC component comprises a mounting shell, a conductive body and an electric auxiliary heating element, wherein the mounting shell is provided with an emission port; the conductive body is arranged in the mounting shell, and the conductive body is provided with an ion emission end facing the emission port; the electric auxiliary heating element is arranged on the mounting shell, and the electric auxiliary heating element is located on a side of the conductive body away from the ion emission end. The present invention can solve the problem that ozone generated by an ion generator during sterilization affects human health, and can eliminate condensed water on the ion generator, avoid damage caused by short circuit breakdown of the ion generator, and ensure safe use.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of air conditioners, and in particular to a plasma PTC component, an air conditioner indoor unit and a sterilization method. Background Art

[0002] At present, conventional sterilization devices mainly use ultraviolet sterilization technology, high temperature sterilization technology, positive and negative ion group sterilization technology, ozone sterilization technology and antibacterial coating technology on objects to achieve the purpose of sterilization.

[0003] However, these sterilization technologies have limitations. For example, ultraviolet surface sterilization is only effective within the effective irradiation area, and it seriously accelerates the aging of plastic panels. Antibacterial coatings are prone to aging or dust accumulation, and the cost is high. High-temperature (steam) sterilization consumes a lot of energy and has a strong plastic smell. The ozone concentration required for surface sterilization is high, which is easy to oxidize air conditioning structural parts, and a large amount of ozone affects human health.

[0004] Using positive and negative ion groups to sterilize is a relatively safe and efficient sterilization method. However, when the plasma generator generates a plasma electric field, in addition to producing a large number of ions, it also produces trace amounts of ozone, which is harmful to human health if used for a long time. Summary of the invention

[0005] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a plasma PTC component, an air conditioner indoor unit and a sterilization method, aiming to solve the problem that ozone generated by the ion generator during sterilization affects human health, and can eliminate condensed water on the ion generator, avoid short circuit breakdown and damage of the ion generator, and ensure safe use.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a plasma PTC component, the plasma PTC component comprising:

[0007] A mounting shell, wherein the mounting shell is provided with a launching port;

[0008] a conductive body, the conductive body being disposed in the mounting shell and having an ion emission end facing the emission port; and

[0009] The electric auxiliary heating component is arranged on the mounting shell, and the electric auxiliary heating component is located on a side of the conductive body away from the ion emission end.

[0010] Optionally, the mounting shell is provided with a plurality of emission ports distributed at intervals along the length direction, the conductive body is provided with a plurality of ion emission ends distributed at intervals along the length direction, and the plurality of ion emission ends are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of emission ports.

[0011] Optionally, the ion emission end is protruding from the conductive body, and the thickness of the ion emission end is gradually reduced in a direction away from the conductive body.

[0012] Optionally, the conductive body includes a metal component and an insulating layer wrapping the metal component, and the ion emission end is protruding from the metal component and penetrates through the insulating layer to be exposed outside the insulating layer.

[0013] To achieve the above object, the present invention further provides an air conditioner indoor unit, the air conditioner indoor unit comprising:

[0014] shell;

[0015] A fan, the fan being installed in the housing;

[0016] an indoor heat exchanger, the indoor heat exchanger being installed in the housing and located on the air inlet side of the fan; and

[0017] The plasma PTC component as described above is arranged between the fan and the indoor heat exchanger, and the ion emission end of the plasma PTC component faces the fan.

[0018] Optionally, the indoor heat exchanger includes a first heat exchange part and a second heat exchange part, the first heat exchange part and the second heat exchange part are arranged at an angle, the tip formed by the connection of the first heat exchange part and the second heat exchange part faces the air inlet side, and the plasma PTC component is arranged in the angle area between the first heat exchange part and the second heat exchange part.

[0019] Optionally, the emission direction of the ion emission end of the plasma PTC component is located within the angle range between the first heat exchange part and the second heat exchange part.

[0020] To achieve the above object, the present invention further provides a sterilization method, which is applied to the air conditioner indoor unit as described above, and comprises:

[0021] Applying a detection voltage to the ion emission end;

[0022] Acquiring a current value of the ion emission end based on the detection voltage feedback;

[0023] When the current value is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, turning on the electric auxiliary heating element;

[0024] When the current value is less than the preset threshold, a working voltage is input to the ion emission end.

[0025] Furthermore, after the step of inputting a working voltage to the ion emitting end, the method further comprises:

[0026] When an air conditioner start-up instruction is received, the input of the working voltage to the ion emitting end is stopped, and the humidification component of the air conditioner indoor unit is started.

[0027] Furthermore, before the step of inputting a detection voltage to the ion emission end, the method further comprises:

[0028] The fan and compressor of the air conditioner indoor unit are controlled to be turned off, and the panel of the air conditioner indoor unit is controlled to be closed.

[0029] In the technical solution provided by the present invention, a plasma generator and an electric auxiliary heating element are combined into one, which can save structural space. The plasma generator includes a mounting shell and a conductive body arranged in the mounting shell. The mounting shell is provided with an emission port for the ion emission end on the conductive body to communicate with the outside world. After the conductive body is applied with high voltage, the ion emission end generates an electric field through the emission port and excites ions, thereby achieving a sterilization effect. Based on the fact that a certain amount of ozone will be generated during the operation of the plasma generator, the plasma generator of the present invention will turn on the electric auxiliary heating element in time when it is started. Ozone at high temperature can be quickly decomposed into oxygen, thereby reducing ozone emissions and preventing the occurrence of excessive ozone concentrations, which is beneficial to ensuring human health. Moreover, combining the plasma generator with the electric auxiliary heating element also facilitates the timely evaporation of condensed water at the ion emission end, ensuring that the ion emission end remains dry when the plasma generator is running to avoid damage due to short circuit breakdown, so as to ensure safety in use. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a plasma PTC component provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a plasma generator of a plasma PTC component;

[0032] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A front view of a plasma generator of a plasma PTC component;

[0033] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure at AA in the middle;

[0034] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the enlarged structure at B in the middle;

[0035] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of an air conditioner indoor unit provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 7 for Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the enlarged structure at C in the middle;

[0037] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a process flow of a first embodiment of a sterilization method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of a second embodiment of a sterilization method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Fig.10 A schematic flow chart of a third embodiment of the sterilization method provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040]

[0041]

[0042] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention, and are not used to limit the present invention.

[0044] In order to better understand the above technical solution, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to enable a more thorough understanding of the present disclosure and to fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0045] The present invention provides a plasma PTC component 100 , which includes a plasma generator and an electric auxiliary heating element 130 that are assembled into one body.

[0046] For details, please refer to Figures 1 to 5 The plasma generator includes a mounting shell 110 and a conductive body 120. The mounting shell 110 has a mounting cavity therein. The conductive body 120 is mounted in the mounting cavity of the mounting shell 110, and the length direction of the conductive body 120 is parallel to the length direction of the mounting shell 110. The electric auxiliary heating element 130 is mounted outside the mounting shell 110, and the length direction of the electric auxiliary heating element 130 is parallel to the length direction of the mounting shell 110.

[0047] Optionally, both ends of the mounting shell 110 in the length direction are respectively provided with fixing brackets 122, and the two ends of the conductive body 120 in the length direction are respectively fixedly connected to the two fixing brackets 122 of the mounting shell 110, so that the conductive body 120 is installed in the mounting shell 110. At the same time, the fixing brackets 122 can also be used to install the mounting shell 110 (plasma generator) on equipment, such as an air conditioner or a sterilization device. The fixing bracket 122 includes a first fixing plate and a second fixing plate vertically connected to each other. The first fixing plate can be fixed to the end face of the mounting shell 110 by welding or screwing, and a mounting hole can be opened on the second fixing plate to fix the second fixing plate to the air conditioner and other equipment (such as the electric auxiliary heating element 130).

[0048] In one embodiment, the plasma PTC component 100 further includes an electric auxiliary heating element 130 (a PTC heater may be used), the fixed bracket 122 and the bracket of the electric auxiliary heating element 130 are installed together, and the plasma generator and the electric auxiliary heating element 130 form a composite part of an air conditioner, and then are installed together in the air conditioner. Among them, the ion emission end 121 faces the side away from the electric auxiliary heating element 130, and there is a heat dissipation gap x between the plasma generator and the electric auxiliary heating element 130, and the heat dissipation gap is different based on different types of air conditioners. This heat dissipation gap can ensure that the electric auxiliary heating element 130 (PTC) operates alone and improves the heating efficiency (when the electric auxiliary heating element 130 operates alone, the heat can be quickly dissipated with the wind through the heat dissipation gap, and the heating efficiency will not be lost too much).

[0049] At the same time, the plasma generator is combined with the electric auxiliary heating element 130. Based on the fact that a certain amount of ozone will be generated during the operation of the plasma generator, the plasma generator of this embodiment will turn on the electric auxiliary heating element 130 in a timely manner when it is started, and the ozone at high temperature can be quickly decomposed into oxygen. In this way, the emission of ozone can be reduced. Even if the plasma generator is provided with multiple ion emission ends 121, the ozone concentration will not exceed the standard, which is beneficial to ensure human health. In addition, combining the plasma generator with the electric auxiliary heating element 130 can save structural space, and it is also convenient to evaporate the condensed water of the ion emission end 121 in time, ensuring that the ion emission end 121 remains dry when the plasma generator is running to avoid damage due to short circuit breakdown, thereby ensuring safety in use.

[0050] The mounting shell 110 is a protective shell of the conductive body 120, and can protect the conductive body 120. Optionally, a plurality of ion emission ends 121 are arranged on the conductive body 120 in this embodiment, and the plurality of ion emission ends 121 are arranged and distributed at intervals along the length direction of the conductive body 120, each of the ion emission ends 121 extends in a direction perpendicular to the conductive body 120, and the plurality of ion emission ends 121 are located on the same side of the conductive body 120, and a plurality of emission ports 111 connected to the mounting cavity are provided at positions corresponding to the ion emission ends 121 on the mounting shell 110, and each of the ion emission ends 121 is exposed to the mounting shell 110 based on the corresponding emission ports 111, and the conductive body 120 generates ions toward the outside of the plurality of emission ports 111 through the plurality of ion emission ends 121.

[0051] Optionally, the conductive body 120 includes a metal component and an insulating layer, the insulating layer wraps the metal component, the ion emission end 121 extends in a length direction perpendicular to the metal component and penetrates the insulating layer, the ion emission end 121 is exposed outside the insulating layer, and is arranged based on the emission port 111 on the mounting shell 110, so that the ion emission end 121 is in contact with the external air based on the emission port 111, and the insulating layer can prevent the metal component of the conductive body 120 from leaking electricity and ensure discharge concentrated at the multiple ion emission ends 121 of the conductive body 120.

[0052] When a high voltage is applied to the conductive body 120, an uneven electric field is generated in the space around the ion emission end 121 and a discharge phenomenon occurs, and the gas is ionized in the electric field, ions are excited, and a trace amount of ozone is generated. Based on the fact that the conductive body 120 in this embodiment has multiple ion emission ends 121, the amount of ions generated can be increased. When the ion density reaches a preset threshold, an ion wind (corona) can be formed in the space around the ion emission end 121, thereby accelerating the local diffusion of ions. In this way, the amount of ions is increased while accelerating the diffusion of ions and improving the sterilization efficiency.

[0053] Optionally, in order to make the distribution of ions and micro-ozone more uniform, the ion emitting ends 121 on the conductive body 120 are evenly distributed along the length direction of the conductive body 120, each of the ion emitting ends 121 extends in a direction perpendicular to the conductive body 120, and multiple ion emitting ends 121 are located on the same side of the conductive body 120, and the distance between two adjacent ion emitting ends 121 is controlled to be less than or equal to 10 cm. Based on the fact that the ion generating end generates ions while generating ozone byproducts, in order to avoid the ion emitting ends 121 being arranged too closely and resulting in a large amount of ozone generated, and to avoid excessive ozone concentration causing harm to the human body, the distance between two adjacent ion emitting ends 121 is controlled to be greater than or equal to 2 cm.

[0054] Optionally, the ion emitting end 121 extends in a direction perpendicular to the length of the metal component, and the thickness of the ion emitting end 121 is gradually reduced in a direction away from the conductive body 120. For example, the ion emitting end 121 is in a cone, filament or needle shape. A pointed ion emitting end 121 is more conducive to the generation of ions.

[0055] Further, based on the above-mentioned ion PTC component 100, an embodiment of the present invention provides an air conditioner indoor unit 200, please refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7 The housing 230 of the air conditioner indoor unit 200 has an air inlet 231, an air outlet 232, and an air duct 233 connecting the air inlet 231 and the air outlet 232; the fan 210 is arranged in the air duct 233 of the housing 230; the indoor heat exchanger 220 is located on the side of the fan 210 facing the air inlet 231; the ion PTC component 100 is arranged between the fan 210 and the indoor heat exchanger 220. The specific structure of the ion PTC component 100 is as described above. The ion PTC component 100 includes a plasma generator and an electric auxiliary heating component 130 assembled into one body.

[0056] Optionally, the ion emission end 121 of the plasma generator faces the fan 210 to minimize the possibility that the ions emitted by the plasma generator come into contact with the indoor heat exchanger 220 and become ineffective.

[0057] It should be noted that, at present, positive and negative ion group sterilization is mainly used for space sterilization, because the ion density required for sterilization is relatively large, and increasing the voltage can increase the amount of ions within a certain range, but when it exceeds a certain amount, continuing to increase the voltage will increase the byproduct ozone much more than the amount of ions, and by increasing the ion emission end, this threshold voltage can be increased, and a certain distance is required between two adjacent ion emission ends to prevent local electric sparks, so the ion generator with multiple emitters is often large in size, and when the ion generator is applied to the air conditioner, it is often installed at the air inlet or outlet of the air conditioner to achieve the space sterilization effect through circulating air; under this installation method, the ions cannot penetrate the indoor heat exchanger, resulting in the inability to kill the air duct, and the air duct of the air conditioner is relatively humid, easy to accumulate dust and breed bacteria, which is the place where the inner surface bacteria need to be killed the most, but the air duct space is narrow and the structure is complex, which is not suitable for installing a large-volume ion generator, which results in insufficient ion amount, and the ions themselves have a short survival time and slow diffusion, and cannot be evenly distributed in the air duct, so the plasma sterilization efficiency is low and there are many sterilization dead corners.

[0058] Based on this, this embodiment combines a plasma generator capable of generating a large amount of ions with an electric auxiliary heating element 130, and installs it between the fan 210 and the indoor heat exchanger 220. The ion emission end 121 of the plasma generator faces the side of the fan 210 to minimize the generated ions from contacting the indoor heat exchanger 220 and causing failure. Based on the large space between the indoor heat exchanger 220 and the fan 210, the plasma generator is arranged along the axial direction of the fan 210. The plasma generator can evenly distribute multiple ion emission ends 121 in the length direction to increase the amount of ions, and based on the simultaneous generation of ions by multiple ion emission ends 121, ion wind is formed, thereby eliminating sterilization dead corners. At the same time, ion wind can accelerate the diffusion of ions in the fan 210 and the air duct, achieve sterilization of the surface of objects in the air duct, and achieve a better sterilization effect.

[0059] In addition, since the plasma generator is close to the indoor heat exchanger 220, the plasma generator can be cleaned in time based on the condensed water on the indoor heat exchanger 220 to avoid dust accumulation on the ion emission end 121 of the plasma generator and improve the stability of the ion excitation amount.

[0060] Optionally, the plasma generator is combined with the electric auxiliary heating element 130, which can save internal space on the one hand, and facilitate timely evaporation of the condensed water at the ion emission end 121 on the other hand, ensuring that there is no condensed water at the ion emission end 121 when the plasma generator is running, so as to avoid damage due to short circuit breakdown. And by combining the plasma generator and the electric auxiliary heating element 130 together, the electric auxiliary heating element 130 can be started to heat at an appropriate time, quickly decompose the generated ozone, and avoid excessive ozone concentration.

[0061] Optionally, the indoor heat exchanger 220 includes a first heat exchange portion 221 and a second heat exchange portion 222, which are arranged in a "V" shape, with the tip formed by the connection of the two facing the air inlet side, and the plasma generator is arranged within the angle.

[0062] The first heat exchange part 221 and the second heat exchange part 222 are arranged in a "V" shape, with the tip facing the air inlet 231 of the air conditioner. The plasma generator is arranged in the "V" shape and at a certain distance from the tip to minimize the failure of the generated ions contacting the metal indoor heat exchanger 220.

[0063] Optionally, the adjustable angle range of the ion emission end 121 of the plasma generator is less than or equal to the angle between the first heat exchange part 221 and the second heat exchange part 222. That is, the emission direction of the ion emission end 121 of the plasma generator is away from the indoor heat exchanger 220, and the adjustable angle of the emission direction is less than or equal to the angle between the first heat exchange part 221 and the second heat exchange part 222. Figure 7 For example, in a specific embodiment, the angle between the first heat exchange part 221 and the second heat exchange part 222 is 65 degrees, and the plasma generator can rotate at an angle of 65 degrees; further, the angle between the first heat exchange part 221 and the vertical direction (i.e., the direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane) is -31 degrees, and the angle between the second heat exchange part 222 and the vertical direction (i.e., the direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane) is 34 degrees. Correspondingly, when the plasma generator is installed, the emission direction of the ion emission end 121 can deviate from the vertical direction (i.e., the direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane) to -31 degrees to 34 degrees.

[0064] Optionally, this embodiment further provides an air conditioner, which includes the air conditioner indoor unit 200 and an outdoor unit, and the air conditioner indoor unit 200 is connected to the outdoor unit.

[0065] The air conditioner includes the above-mentioned air conditioner indoor unit. The air conditioner in this embodiment has the same effects as the above-mentioned air conditioner indoor unit, which will not be described in detail here.

[0066] Based on the above hardware architecture, the present invention provides a sterilization method, which is applied to the air conditioner indoor unit as described above. Figure 8 In a first embodiment of the present invention, the sterilization method comprises:

[0067] S11, inputting a detection voltage to the ion emission end;

[0068] S12, obtaining a current value of the ion emission end based on the detection voltage feedback;

[0069] S13, when the current value is greater than or equal to the preset threshold, turning on the electric auxiliary heating element;

[0070] S14. When the current value is less than a preset threshold, inputting a working voltage to the ion emission end.

[0071] Specifically, the sterilization method is applied to an air conditioner, which includes an air conditioner indoor unit 200 described in any one of the above embodiments and an air conditioner outdoor unit connected to the air conditioner indoor unit 200. In the air conditioner indoor unit 200, the fan 210 and the indoor heat exchanger 220 are arranged in the air duct 233 of the housing 230, and the indoor heat exchanger 220 is located on the air inlet side of the fan 210, and the plasma PTC component 100 is arranged between the fan 210 and the indoor heat exchanger 220. The air conditioner involved in the embodiment of the present invention includes: a processor, such as a CPU, a memory, and a communication bus. Among them, the communication bus is used to realize the connection and communication between these components. The memory can be a high-speed RAM memory or a stable memory, such as a disk memory. The memory as a computer storage medium can include a self-sterilization program of the air conditioner; and the processor can be used to call the self-sterilization program of the air conditioner stored in the memory, and when the processor receives the sterilization instruction, the sterilization method can be automatically executed.

[0072] During the use of the air conditioner, condensed water will be collected inside the air conditioner indoor unit 200 between the ion emission end 121 of the plasma generator and the grounding plate. If the plasma generator is turned on at this time, the plasma generator will have the risk of breakdown and burning. Moreover, when the plasma generator is working, the ion emission end 121 of the plasma generator will continue to generate ions, and the static electricity accumulation generated by a large number of ions will burn other electrical components of the air conditioner. Based on the above considerations, the present invention chooses to supply power to the conductive body 120 of the plasma generator alone when the air conditioner is turned off, so that the plasma generator can operate alone.

[0073] Furthermore, when the air conditioner is turned off, condensed water may still exist between the ion emitting end 121 of the plasma generator and the grounding plate. When there is condensed water between the ion emitting end 121 of the plasma generator and the grounding plate, when the ion emitting end 121 of the plasma generator is detected using a detection voltage (low voltage), the detected current will be larger. Therefore, when the current value of the plasma generator based on the detection voltage feedback is greater than the threshold value, it can be determined that there is condensed water between the ion emission end 121 of the plasma generator and the grounding plate. At this time, the ion emission end 121 of the plasma generator cannot be directly turned on, but the electric auxiliary heating component 130 is turned on to heat the plasma generator to quickly remove the condensed water on the plasma generator; when the current value of the plasma generator based on the detection voltage feedback is less than or equal to the threshold value, it can be determined that there is no condensed water between the ion emission end 121 of the plasma generator and the grounding plate. At this time, the plasma generator can be turned on, that is, the working voltage (high voltage) is applied to the conductive body 120, so that the ion emission end 121 generates a plasma electric field and excites ions, thereby sterilizing the air conditioner. Therefore, by detecting the conductive body 120 of the plasma generator with a low detection voltage and comparing the detected current value with the preset threshold value, it is possible to more accurately determine whether the conditions for starting the plasma generator are fully met, thereby ensuring the normal operation of the plasma generator, preventing the plasma generator from breaking down and burning, and effectively protecting the plasma generator and other components of the air conditioner.

[0074] In addition, when the plasma generator is working, the electric auxiliary heating component 130 can also be turned on synchronously. By timely heating the plasma generator, the ozone generated by the plasma generator can be quickly decomposed, and the higher the heating temperature, the shorter the ozone half-life, and the faster the speed of decomposition and re-conversion into oxygen. The ozone concentration can be effectively controlled within a low value range, which is beneficial to ensuring human health and convenient for users to stop sterilization in the self-sterilization mode and quickly restart the air conditioner.

[0075] Please refer to Fig. 9 Based on the first embodiment, a second embodiment of the sterilization method of the present invention is proposed. In the second embodiment of the present invention, after the step of inputting the working voltage to the ion emission end, the method further includes:

[0076] S20, when receiving an air conditioner start-up command, stop inputting the working voltage to the ion emitting end, and start the humidification component of the air conditioner indoor unit.

[0077] Specifically, the air conditioner indoor unit 200 of the air conditioner is equipped with the humidifying component. If the user turns on the air conditioner in advance when the plasma generator is working, the processor automatically controls to turn off the plasma generator and turns on the humidifying component to humidify the interior of the air conditioner indoor unit 200. The humidification operation can quickly eliminate the static electricity accumulation during the sterilization process, ensure the safety of the electronic components of the air conditioner, and dissolve and precipitate ozone, so that the air blown out by the air conditioner remains clean and fresh.

[0078] Please refer to Fig.10 Based on the first embodiment or the second embodiment, a third embodiment of the sterilization method of the present invention is proposed. In the third embodiment of the present invention, before the step of inputting the detection voltage to the ion emission end, it also includes:

[0079] S10, controlling the fan and compressor of the air conditioner indoor unit to shut down, and controlling the panel of the air conditioner indoor unit to close.

[0080] During the use of the air conditioner, condensed water will accumulate inside the air conditioner indoor unit 200 between the ion emitting end 121 of the plasma generator and the grounding plate, and the plasma generator will be at risk of breakdown and burning. Moreover, when the plasma generator is working, the ion emitting end 121 of the plasma generator will continue to generate ions, and the static electricity accumulation generated by a large number of ions will burn other electrical components of the air conditioner. Therefore, the present invention chooses to execute the sterilization method when the air conditioner is turned off to sterilize the inner surface of the air conditioner, which can effectively inhibit the growth of mold and eliminate moldy odors.

[0081] Moreover, when the plasma generator is working, the plasma generator will produce a large amount of ions and trace amounts of ozone. Ozone is a byproduct that has an enhanced bactericidal effect, but is also harmful to the human body. Since the conductive body 120 of the plasma generator has multiple ion emission ends 121, the ozone concentration escape is likely to exceed the standard (50ppb). Therefore, before turning on the plasma generator, the air conditioner is turned off, the compressor and the fan 210 are turned off, and the panel (such as the air guide plate at the air outlet 232) is closed, so that the air duct 233 of the air conditioner indoor unit 200 forms a relatively isolated space. The panel has a certain degree of sealing, and there is no stirring, so the free diffusion of ozone is slow, which can effectively prevent the risk of ozone overflow exceeding the standard.

[0082] In addition, since the plasma generator is close to the indoor heat exchanger 220, the plasma generator can be cleaned in time based on the condensed water on the indoor heat exchanger 220 to avoid dust accumulation on the ion emission end 121 of the plasma generator and improve the stability of the ion excitation amount. The specific method is: the processor first turns off the conductive body 120 of the plasma generator, and then the processor controls the air conditioner to operate in a cooling mode, so that condensed water is generated on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 220, and the condensed water drips onto the plasma generator, which can achieve a cleaning effect on the plasma generator.

[0083] It should be noted that the above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A plasma PTC component, applied to an air conditioner indoor unit, the air conditioner indoor unit comprising a processor, characterized in that: The plasma PTC component comprises: A mounting shell, wherein the mounting shell is provided with a launching port; a conductive body, the conductive body being disposed in the mounting shell and having an ion emission end facing the emission port; and An electric auxiliary heating element, which is arranged on the mounting shell and is located on a side of the conductive body away from the ion emission end; The processor is capable of inputting a detection voltage to the ion emitting end, and is capable of acquiring a current value of the ion emitting end based on feedback of the detection voltage; When the current value is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, the processor turns on the electric auxiliary heating element; When the current value is less than the preset threshold, the processor inputs a working voltage to the ion emission end.

2. The plasma PTC component according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting shell is provided with a plurality of emission ports distributed at intervals along the length direction, the conductive body is provided with a plurality of ion emission ends distributed at intervals along the length direction, and the plurality of ion emission ends are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of emission ports.

3. The plasma PTC component according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ion emission end is protrudingly arranged on the conductive body, and the thickness of the ion emission end is gradually reduced in a direction away from the conductive body.

4. The plasma PTC component according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conductive body comprises a metal component and an insulating layer wrapping the metal component. The ion emission end is protrudingly arranged on the metal component and penetrates through the insulating layer to be exposed outside the insulating layer.

5. An air conditioner indoor unit, characterized in that: The air conditioner indoor unit comprises: shell; A fan, the fan being installed in the housing; an indoor heat exchanger, the indoor heat exchanger being installed in the housing and located on the air inlet side of the fan; and The plasma PTC component according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the plasma PTC component is disposed between the fan and the indoor heat exchanger, and an ion emission end of the plasma PTC component faces the fan.

6. The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 5, characterized in that: The indoor heat exchanger includes a first heat exchange part and a second heat exchange part, the first heat exchange part and the second heat exchange part are arranged at an angle, the tip formed by the connection of the first heat exchange part and the second heat exchange part faces the air inlet side, and the plasma PTC component is arranged in the angle area between the first heat exchange part and the second heat exchange part.

7. The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 6, characterized in that: The emission direction of the ion emission end of the plasma PTC component is located within the angle range between the first heat exchange part and the second heat exchange part.

8. A sterilization method, characterized in that: The sterilization method is applied to the air conditioner indoor unit according to any one of claims 5 to 7, and the sterilization method comprises: inputting a detection voltage to the ion emission end; Acquiring a current value of the ion emission end based on the detection voltage feedback; When the current value is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, turning on the electric auxiliary heating element; When the current value is less than the preset threshold, a working voltage is input to the ion emission end.

9. The sterilization method according to claim 8, characterized in that: After the step of inputting the working voltage to the ion emission end, the method further includes: When an air conditioner start-up instruction is received, the input of the working voltage to the ion emitting end is stopped, and the humidification component of the air conditioner indoor unit is started.

10. The sterilization method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that: Before the step of inputting the detection voltage to the ion emission end, the method further includes: The fan and the compressor of the air conditioner indoor unit are controlled to be turned off, and the panel of the air conditioner indoor unit is controlled to be closed.

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