Air conditioner and air conditioner defrosting method

Abstract

The present application discloses an air conditioner and an air conditioner defrosting method, which are applied to an air conditioner including a refrigerant circulation loop, a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger and an indoor heat exchanger, a four-way valve, and a controller. The controller is configured to obtain the shutdown time of the air conditioner when the air conditioner is in a heating mode and reaches a preset defrost condition; when the current time is not greater than the difference between the shutdown time and a first preset time, control the air conditioner to perform a defrost operation; when the current time is greater than the difference between the shutdown time and the first preset time, do not perform a defrost operation, and control the air conditioner to operate according to the current heating mode.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent applications filed with the Patent Office of China on September 24, 2020, with application number 202011017917.4 and application name “An air conditioner and air conditioner defrosting method” and the Chinese patent application filed with the Patent Office of China on September 24, 2020, with application number 202011017946.0 and application name “An air conditioner and air conditioner defrosting method”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the technical field of air conditioning, and more specifically, to an air conditioner and an air conditioner defrosting method. Background Art

[0004] Air conditioners, as cooling or heating devices, have become a part of people's lives, improving their comfort. However, air conditioners consume a significant amount of electricity to operate. When an air conditioner is in heating mode for extended periods, frost forms on the outdoor heat exchanger, severely impacting its heat transfer efficiency and heating performance, resulting in significant energy waste. To remove frost from the outdoor heat exchanger during heating, the outdoor heat exchanger typically undergoes defrosting when certain conditions are met. Only after defrosting is complete can the air conditioner resume normal heating operation.

[0005] Traditional defrosting methods start defrosting after defrosting conditions are met within a certain period of time. However, in actual use, users often turn off the air conditioner just after defrosting is completed or within a short period of time. This last defrost step is a complete waste of energy.

[0006] Therefore, how to reduce the last defrost before the user shuts down to reduce energy waste is a technical problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present application provides an air conditioner to solve the technical problem in the prior art that the last defrost before the user shuts down the air conditioner cannot be avoided, thereby causing energy waste, including:

[0008] The refrigerant circulation loop allows the refrigerant to circulate in the loop consisting of the compressor, condenser, expansion valve, evaporator, and four-way valve;

[0009] The compressor is used to compress the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant gas into high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas and discharge it to the condenser;

[0010] An outdoor heat exchanger and an indoor heat exchanger, wherein one works as a condenser and the other works as an evaporator;

[0011] A four-way valve is used to control the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit so that the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger can be switched between serving as a condenser and an evaporator;

[0012] The controller is configured to

[0013] When the air conditioner is in heating mode and reaches a preset defrost condition, obtaining a shutdown time of the air conditioner;

[0014] When the current time is not greater than the difference between the shutdown time and the first preset time, controlling the air conditioner to perform a defrost operation;

[0015] When the current time is greater than the difference between the shutdown time and the first preset time, the defrost operation is not performed, and the air conditioner is controlled to operate in the current heating mode.

[0016] In some embodiments, the shutdown time of the air conditioner is obtained specifically by:

[0017] Obtaining a shutdown time of the air conditioner based on a scheduled shutdown time input by a user, or;

[0018] determining a shutdown time of the air conditioner based on historical shutdown data of the user, or;

[0019] The shutdown time of the air conditioner is determined based on the user's behavioral habit information.

[0020] In some embodiments, the controller is specifically configured to:

[0021] When the current time is greater than the difference between the shutdown time and the first preset time and the shutdown time of the air conditioner is obtained based on the scheduled shutdown time input by the user, determining whether to shut down the air conditioner based on the shutdown time;

[0022] If the current time reaches the shutdown time, shutting down the air conditioner;

[0023] If the current time does not reach the shutdown time, the air conditioner is controlled to operate based on a preset mode.

[0024] In some embodiments, the preset mode is specifically:

[0025] The compressor operating frequency of the air conditioner is reduced by a preset frequency, and / or the indoor wind speed is reduced by a first preset wind speed, and / or the angle of the indoor unit air guide strip is adjusted by a preset angle, and / or the outdoor unit wind speed is increased by a second preset wind speed.

[0026] In some embodiments, the controller is specifically configured to:

[0027] When the air conditioner is running in a preset mode and no shutdown command is received within a preset duration, determining whether the current time is less than the sum of the shutdown time and a second preset time;

[0028] If so, controlling the air conditioner to perform a defrost operation, and after the defrost is completed, controlling the air conditioner to operate in the original heating mode;

[0029] If not, the air conditioner is controlled to maintain the preset mode operation.

[0030] Accordingly, the present application also proposes an air conditioner defrosting method, the method comprising:

[0031] When the air conditioner is in heating mode and reaches a preset defrost condition, obtaining a shutdown time of the air conditioner;

[0032] When the current time is not greater than the difference between the shutdown time and the first preset time, controlling the air conditioner to perform a defrost operation;

[0033] When the current time is greater than the difference between the shutdown time and the first preset time, the defrost operation is not performed, and the air conditioner is controlled to operate in the current heating mode.

[0034] In some embodiments, the shutdown time of the air conditioner is obtained specifically by:

[0035] Obtaining a shutdown time of the air conditioner based on a scheduled shutdown time input by a user, or;

[0036] determining a shutdown time of the air conditioner based on historical shutdown data of the user, or;

[0037] The shutdown time of the air conditioner is determined based on the user's behavioral habit information.

[0038] In some embodiments, when the current time is greater than the difference between the shutdown time and the first preset time, the defrost operation is not performed, and the air conditioner is controlled to operate in the current heating mode, further comprising:

[0039] When the current time is greater than the difference between the shutdown time and the first preset time and the shutdown time of the air conditioner is obtained based on the scheduled shutdown time input by the user, determining whether to shut down the air conditioner based on the shutdown time;

[0040] If the current time reaches the shutdown time, shutting down the air conditioner;

[0041] If the current time does not reach the shutdown time, the air conditioner is controlled to operate based on a preset mode.

[0042] In some embodiments, the preset mode is specifically:

[0043] The compressor operating frequency of the air conditioner is reduced by a preset frequency, and / or the indoor wind speed is reduced by a first preset wind speed, and / or the angle of the indoor unit air guide strip is adjusted by a preset angle, and / or the outdoor unit wind speed is increased by a second preset wind speed.

[0044] In some embodiments, after verifying the data bit information and controlling the air conditioner to operate based on a preset mode if the current time has not reached the shutdown time, the method further includes:

[0045] When the air conditioner is running in a preset mode and no shutdown command is received within a preset duration, determining whether the current time is less than the sum of the shutdown time and a second preset time;

[0046] If so, controlling the air conditioner to perform a defrost operation, and after the defrost is completed, controlling the air conditioner to operate in the original heating mode;

[0047] If not, the air conditioner is controlled to maintain the preset mode operation.

[0048] Compared with the prior art, this application has the following beneficial effects:

[0049] The present application discloses an air conditioner and an air conditioner defrosting method, which are applied to an air conditioner including a refrigerant circulation circuit, a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger, a four-way valve, and a controller. The controller is configured to, when the air conditioner is in heating mode and reaches a preset defrost condition, obtain the air conditioner's shutdown time; when the current time is not greater than the difference between the shutdown time and a first preset time, control the air conditioner to perform a defrost operation; when the current time is greater than the difference between the shutdown time and the first preset time, do not perform a defrost operation, and control the air conditioner to operate in the current heating mode. Through the above-mentioned air conditioner and air conditioner defrosting method, it is determined whether it is the last defrost before the user shuts down the air conditioner, thereby reducing energy loss. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0050] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0051] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of an air conditioner proposed in an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0052] Figure 2 The schematic diagram of the air conditioner defrosting method proposed in the embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 1 ;

[0053] Figure 3The schematic diagram of the air conditioner defrosting method proposed in the embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 2 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0055] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on this application.

[0056] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. Throughout this application, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0057] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; mechanical connections or electrical connections; direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and internal connections between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0058] To further describe the solution of this application, Figure 1 Shown is a structural schematic diagram of an air conditioner of the present application.

[0059] This application protects an air conditioner, such as Figure 1 As shown, specifically:

[0060] The refrigerant circulation loop 101 allows the refrigerant to circulate in a loop consisting of a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, an evaporator, and a four-way valve.

[0061] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the air conditioner performs a refrigeration cycle of the air conditioner by using a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and an evaporator. The refrigeration cycle includes a series of processes involving compression, condensation, expansion and evaporation, and supplies refrigerant to the air that has been conditioned and heat exchanged.

[0062] The compressor 102 is used to compress the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant gas into high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas and discharge it to the condenser.

[0063] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a compressor compresses high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas and discharges the compressed refrigerant gas. The discharged refrigerant gas flows into a condenser. The condenser condenses the compressed refrigerant into a liquid phase, releasing heat to the surrounding environment through the condensation process.

[0064] The outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger 103, one of which works as a condenser and the other works as an evaporator.

[0065] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, the outdoor unit of the air conditioner includes a portion of the refrigeration cycle including a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger, the indoor unit of the air conditioner includes an indoor heat exchanger, and the expansion valve can be provided in the indoor unit or the outdoor unit.

[0066] The expansion valve expands the high-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant condensed in the condenser to a lower-pressure liquid. The evaporator evaporates the refrigerant expanded in the expansion valve and returns the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant gas to the compressor. The evaporator achieves cooling by utilizing the latent heat of evaporation to exchange heat with the material being cooled. Throughout this cycle, the air conditioner regulates the temperature of the indoor space.

[0067] The indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger function as a condenser or an evaporator. When the indoor heat exchanger functions as a condenser, the air conditioner functions as a heater in heating mode, and when the indoor heat exchanger functions as an evaporator, the air conditioner functions as a cooler in cooling mode.

[0068] A four-way valve 104 is used to control the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit so that the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger can be switched between serving as a condenser and an evaporator;

[0069] The controller 105 is configured to:

[0070] When the air conditioner is in a heating mode and reaches a preset defrosting condition, a shutdown time of the air conditioner is obtained.

[0071] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, when the air conditioner is in heating mode, the operating status of the air conditioner is constantly monitored, and after a preset defrosting condition is reached, the shutdown time of the air conditioner is obtained.

[0072] It should be noted that the above-mentioned preset defrost conditions are the conditions for determining whether to defrost in existing air conditioners, which belong to existing technical features, so they will not be repeated here. After the preset defrost conditions are reached, it means that the air conditioner can defrost. However, in order to further optimize the defrost process or improve user experience, the defrost process will be further controlled after the defrost conditions are reached. For example, the shutdown time of the air conditioner will be further obtained in the solution of this application.

[0073] In order to obtain the shutdown time of the air conditioner, in a preferred embodiment of the present application, the shutdown time of the air conditioner is obtained specifically by the following method:

[0074] Obtaining a shutdown time of the air conditioner based on a scheduled shutdown time input by a user, or;

[0075] determining a shutdown time of the air conditioner based on historical shutdown data of the user, or;

[0076] The shutdown time of the air conditioner is determined based on the user's behavioral habit information.

[0077] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, the shutdown time can be obtained by inputting a scheduled shutdown time, such as a scheduled time set by a user through a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone or a remote control. When the scheduled time is reached, it means that the air conditioner needs to be shut down. The acquisition method can also be to infer the shutdown time of the air conditioner based on the user's previous shutdown data. For example, the user often turns off the air conditioner at six o'clock in the morning, so six o'clock can be used as the shutdown time based on historical shutdown data. The shutdown time of the air conditioner can also be inferred through the user's behavioral habit information. For example, if the camera senses that the user leaves home at seven o'clock, seven o'clock can be used as the shutdown time.

[0078] It should be noted that the above-mentioned method of obtaining the shutdown time of the air conditioner is only a preferred implementation method of the present application. Those skilled in the art can determine other acquisition methods based on actual application scenarios. The difference in acquisition methods does not affect the protection scope of the present application.

[0079] When the current time is not greater than the difference between the shutdown time and the first preset time, controlling the air conditioner to perform a defrost operation;

[0080] When the current time is greater than the difference between the shutdown time and the first preset time, the defrost operation is not performed and the air conditioner is controlled to operate in the current heating mode.

[0081] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, when the current time is not greater than the difference between the shutdown time and the first preset time, it means that the current time is far from the shutdown time, and the system directly enters defrosting mode. After the defrosting is completed, the system operates according to the original heating mode. On the contrary, if the current time is greater than the difference between the shutdown time and the first preset time, it means that the current time is short from the shutdown time. At this time, defrosting is no longer performed, but the system operates according to the original heating mode, thereby avoiding defrosting before shutdown and wasting resources.

[0082] In order to shut down the air conditioner, in a preferred embodiment of the present application, the controller is specifically configured to:

[0083] When the current time is greater than the difference between the shutdown time and the first preset time and the shutdown time of the air conditioner is obtained based on the scheduled shutdown time input by the user, determining whether to shut down the air conditioner based on the shutdown time;

[0084] If the current time reaches the shutdown time, shutting down the air conditioner;

[0085] If the current time does not reach the shutdown time, the air conditioner is controlled to operate based on a preset mode.

[0086] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, when the current time is greater than the difference between the shutdown time and the first preset time and the shutdown time of the air conditioner is obtained based on the scheduled shutdown time input by the user, it is determined whether to shut down the air conditioner based on the shutdown time, that is, the current time is close to the shutdown time.

[0087] If the shutdown time is reached, the air conditioner will be shut down directly. If the scheduled shutdown time is not reached, the air conditioner will be controlled to run in the preset mode.

[0088] In order to control the air conditioner to operate in a preset mode, in some embodiments, the preset mode is specifically:

[0089] The compressor operating frequency of the air conditioner is reduced by a preset frequency, and / or the indoor wind speed is reduced by a first preset wind speed, and / or the angle of the indoor unit air guide strip is adjusted by a preset angle, and / or the outdoor unit wind speed is increased by a second preset wind speed.

[0090] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, when the air conditioner needs to enter a preset mode, the operating frequency of the compressor of the air conditioner is reduced by a preset frequency, and / or the indoor wind speed is reduced by a first preset wind speed, and / or the angle of the indoor unit air guide strip is adjusted to a preset angle, and / or the outdoor unit wind speed is increased by a second preset wind speed. It should be noted that the scheme of the above preferred embodiment is only a specific implementation scheme proposed in this application, and other preset modes are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0091] The above preset mode can slow down the frosting process of the air conditioner, thereby further reducing energy loss when the air conditioner is about to shut down.

[0092] To ensure the operation of the preset mode, in some embodiments, the controller is specifically configured to:

[0093] When the air conditioner is running in a preset mode and no shutdown command is received within a preset duration, determining whether the current time is less than the sum of the shutdown time and a second preset time;

[0094] If so, controlling the air conditioner to perform a defrost operation, and after the defrost is completed, controlling the air conditioner to operate in the original heating mode;

[0095] If not, the air conditioner is controlled to maintain the preset mode operation.

[0096] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, when the air conditioner is running in a preset mode and no shutdown command is received within a preset duration, in order to ensure the operating status of the air conditioner and the user experience, it is further determined whether the current time is less than the sum of the shutdown time and the second preset time. If so, the air conditioner is controlled to perform a defrost operation, and after defrosting is completed, the air conditioner is controlled to run in the original heating mode. If not, the air conditioner is controlled to maintain operation in the preset mode.

[0097] The present application discloses an air conditioner, which includes a refrigerant circulation loop, a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger and an indoor heat exchanger, a four-way valve, and a controller. The controller is configured to obtain a shutdown time of the air conditioner when the air conditioner is in a heating mode and reaches a preset defrost condition; when the current time is not greater than the difference between the shutdown time and a first preset time, control the air conditioner to perform a defrost operation; when the current time is greater than the difference between the shutdown time and the first preset time, do not perform a defrost operation, and control the air conditioner to operate in the current heating mode, thereby reducing the last defrost before the user shuts down the air conditioner, thereby reducing energy waste.

[0098] Based on the above air conditioner, this application also proposes an air conditioner defrosting method, such as Figure 2 , applied to an air conditioner including a refrigerant circulation loop, a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger, a four-way valve, and a controller, the method comprising:

[0099] Step S201 , when the air conditioner is in a heating mode and reaches a preset defrosting condition, obtaining a shutdown time of the air conditioner.

[0100] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, when the air conditioner is in heating mode, the operating status of the air conditioner is monitored at all times, and after the preset defrost condition is reached, the shutdown time of the air conditioner is obtained.

[0101] It should be noted that the above-mentioned preset defrost conditions are the conditions for determining whether to defrost in existing air conditioners, which belong to existing technical features, so they will not be repeated here. After the preset defrost conditions are reached, it means that the air conditioner can defrost. However, in order to further optimize the defrost process or improve user experience, the defrost process will be further controlled after the defrost conditions are reached. For example, the shutdown time of the air conditioner will be further obtained in the solution of this application.

[0102] For example, taking the prior art as an example, the air conditioner is running in heating mode, and the user sets it to shut down after running for 3 hours. When it has been running for 2 hours and 52 minutes, the defrosting conditions are met. The conventional practice is to enter defrosting, and the defrosting time is calculated as 5 minutes. After running for 2 hours and 57 minutes, the original heating operation is continued. At 3 hours, it is shut down after running for only 3 minutes. In this way, the last defrosting process is completely unnecessary, so we need to further control the defrosting process after meeting the defrosting conditions to reduce the defects of the above-mentioned prior art.

[0103] In order to write the EEPROM information into the FLASH interval, in some embodiments, the shutdown time of the air conditioner is specifically obtained by:

[0104] Obtaining a shutdown time of the air conditioner based on a scheduled shutdown time input by a user, or;

[0105] determining a shutdown time of the air conditioner based on historical shutdown data of the user, or;

[0106] The shutdown time of the air conditioner is determined based on the user's behavioral habit information.

[0107] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, the shutdown time can be obtained by inputting a scheduled shutdown time. The user can set the scheduled shutdown time through a remote control, a wired controller, an IoT app, etc. The shutdown time can also be inferred based on the user's previous shutdown data, or by learning a predicted shutdown time based on the user's usual shutdown habits. The shutdown time can also be inferred based on the user's behavioral habit information, such as detecting movements before leaving home, such as wearing cotton clothes or hats, through cameras / infrared sensors / radar sensors. Another example is to detect the voice "What time will I go out" and learn the predicted shutdown time.

[0108] It should be noted that the above-mentioned method of obtaining the shutdown time of the air conditioner is only a preferred implementation method of the present application. Those skilled in the art can determine other acquisition methods based on actual application scenarios. The difference in acquisition methods does not affect the protection scope of the present application.

[0109] Step S202: When the current time is not greater than the difference between the shutdown time and the first preset time, control the air conditioner to perform a defrost operation.

[0110] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, in a preferred embodiment of the present application, when the current time is not greater than the difference between the shutdown time and the first preset time, it means that the current time is much different from the shutdown time, then the defrosting mode is directly entered, and after the defrosting is completed, the operation is carried out according to the original heating mode.

[0111] Step S203: When the current time is greater than the difference between the shutdown time and the first preset time, the defrost operation is not performed, and the air conditioner is controlled to operate in the current heating mode.

[0112] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, if the current time is greater than the difference between the shutdown time and the first preset time, it means that the current time is short from the shutdown time. At this time, defrosting is no longer performed, but the original heating mode is used instead, thereby avoiding defrosting before shutdown and wasting resources.

[0113] In order to shut down the air conditioner, in some embodiments, when the current time is greater than the difference between the shutdown time and the first preset time, the defrost operation is not performed, and the air conditioner is controlled to operate in the current heating mode, further comprising:

[0114] When the current time is greater than the difference between the shutdown time and the first preset time and the shutdown time of the air conditioner is obtained based on the scheduled shutdown time input by the user, determining whether to shut down the air conditioner based on the shutdown time;

[0115] If the current time reaches the shutdown time, shutting down the air conditioner;

[0116] If the current time does not reach the shutdown time, the air conditioner is controlled to operate based on a preset mode.

[0117] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, when the current time is greater than the difference between the shutdown time and the first preset time and the shutdown time of the air conditioner is obtained based on the scheduled shutdown time input by the user, it is determined whether to shut down the air conditioner based on the shutdown time. If the shutdown time is reached, the air conditioner is directly shut down. If the shutdown time is not reached, the air conditioner is controlled to operate in the preset mode.

[0118] In order to control the air conditioner to operate in a preset mode, in some embodiments, the preset mode is specifically:

[0119] The compressor operating frequency of the air conditioner is reduced by a preset frequency, and / or the indoor wind speed is reduced by a first preset wind speed, and / or the angle of the indoor unit air guide strip is adjusted by a preset angle, and / or the outdoor unit wind speed is increased by a second preset wind speed.

[0120] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, when the air conditioner needs to enter a preset mode, the operating frequency of the compressor of the air conditioner is reduced by a preset frequency, and / or the indoor wind speed is reduced by a first preset wind speed, and / or the angle of the indoor unit air guide strip is adjusted to a preset angle, and / or the outdoor unit wind speed is increased by a second preset wind speed. It should be noted that the scheme of the above preferred embodiment is only a specific implementation scheme proposed in this application, and other preset modes are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0121] The above preset mode can slow down the frosting process of the air conditioner, thereby further reducing energy loss when the air conditioner is about to shut down.

[0122] In order to ensure the operation of the preset mode, in some embodiments, if the current time does not reach the shutdown time, then after controlling the air conditioner to operate based on the preset mode, the method further includes:

[0123] When the air conditioner is running in a preset mode and no shutdown command is received within a preset duration, determining whether the current time is less than the sum of the shutdown time and a second preset time;

[0124] If so, controlling the air conditioner to perform a defrost operation, and after the defrost is completed, controlling the air conditioner to operate in the original heating mode;

[0125] If not, the air conditioner is controlled to maintain the preset mode operation.

[0126] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, when the air conditioner is running in a preset mode and no shutdown command is received within a preset duration, in order to ensure the operating status of the air conditioner and the user experience, it is further determined whether the current time is less than the sum of the shutdown time and the second preset time. If so, the air conditioner is controlled to perform a defrost operation, and after defrosting is completed, the air conditioner is controlled to run in the original heating mode. If not, the air conditioner is controlled to maintain operation in the preset mode.

[0127] In some embodiments of the present application, the controller 105 is configured to:

[0128] Determine the next defrost time based on the last defrost cycle;

[0129] After the preset defrost condition is met, when the current time is greater than or equal to the difference between the next defrost time and the first preset time and less than or equal to the sum of the next defrost time and the second preset time, determining whether to perform the defrost operation based on the indoor user information;

[0130] The last defrost cycle is the time from when the air conditioner starts heating to when it starts defrosting.

[0131] The indoor user information includes whether there is someone indoors or no one indoors.

[0132] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, when the air conditioner is in heating operation, the controller calculates the next defrost time based on the last defrost cycle. The last defrost cycle is specifically the time from the start of heating to the start of defrosting of the air conditioner. After the preset defrost conditions are met, it is determined whether the current time is within the interval corresponding to the estimated next defrost time, that is, whether the current time is greater than or equal to the difference between the next defrost time and the first preset time and less than or equal to the sum of the next defrost time and the second preset time. If the current time falls within the above-mentioned interval, it is further determined whether there is someone in the room. If there is no one in the room, defrost is performed directly to avoid direct defrosting when there is someone, which affects the user's comfort.

[0133] It should be noted that the above-mentioned preset defrost conditions are the conditions for determining whether to defrost in existing air conditioners, which belong to existing technical features, so they will not be repeated here. This application further judges the indoor personnel information on the basis of conventional preset defrost conditions, thereby avoiding the impact of the defrost process on the comfort of indoor personnel.

[0134] In order to accurately determine the next defrost cycle, in some embodiments, the controller is specifically configured to:

[0135] If the last defrost is the first defrost, the next defrost time is the sum of the time when the heating is turned on next time and the last defrost cycle, and the last defrost cycle is used as the reference cycle;

[0136] When the last defrost is not the first defrost, the next defrost time is the sum of half the sum of the last defrost cycle and the reference cycle and the time when the heating is turned on next time.

[0137] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, the next defrost cycle is determined by the previous defrost cycle. When the previous defrost is the first defrost, the next defrost time is the sum of the time when the heating is turned on next time and the previous defrost cycle. At the same time, if the previous defrost cycle is the first defrost, we will use the previous defrost cycle as the reference cycle.

[0138] If the last defrost is not the first defrost, the sum of half the sum of the last defrost cycle and the reference cycle and the time when the heating is turned on next time is taken as the next defrost time.

[0139] It should be noted that the above-mentioned acquisition of the next defrost time is only a preferred implementation method of the present application, and other methods of determining the next defrost time based on the previous defrost cycle all fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0140] In order to accurately determine the time range for the next defrost, in a preferred embodiment of the present application, the controller is specifically configured to:

[0141] When the last defrost cycle is less than a first preset cycle, the first preset time is a first preset value, and the second preset time is a second preset value;

[0142] When the last defrost cycle is greater than or equal to the first preset cycle and less than or equal to the second preset cycle, the first preset time is the third preset value, and the second preset time is the fourth preset value;

[0143] When the last defrost cycle is greater than the second preset cycle, the first preset time is the fifth preset value, and the second preset time is the sixth preset value;

[0144] Among them, the first preset value is smaller than the third preset value, the third preset value is smaller than the fifth preset value, the second preset value is smaller than the fourth preset value, the fourth preset value is smaller than the sixth preset value, and the first preset period is smaller than the second preset period.

[0145] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, the first preset value and the second preset value can be adjusted according to the size of the first preset cycle and the second preset cycle to ensure that the estimated interval of the next defrost time is accurate. Specifically, when the previous defrost cycle is less than the first preset cycle, the first preset time is the first preset value, and the second preset time is the second preset value; when the previous defrost cycle is greater than or equal to the first preset cycle and less than or equal to the second preset cycle, the first preset time is the third preset value, and the second preset time is the fourth preset value; when the previous defrost cycle is greater than the second preset cycle, the first preset time is the fifth preset value, and the second preset time is the sixth preset value. It should be noted that the first preset value is less than the third preset value, the third preset value is less than the fifth preset value, the second preset value is less than the fourth preset value, the fourth preset value is less than the sixth preset value, and the first preset cycle is less than the second preset cycle.

[0146] It should be noted that the size of the above-mentioned preset value can be flexibly adjusted according to actual application, and the different sizes of the preset value do not affect the protection scope of this application.

[0147] In order to improve user comfort, in some embodiments, the controller is specifically configured to:

[0148] When there is someone in the room, the current operating state is maintained;

[0149] When no one is in the room, the air conditioner is controlled to perform a defrosting operation.

[0150] In the preferred embodiment of the present application, since defrosting when the user is indoors will bring a bad user experience, in the preferred embodiment of the present application, by detecting whether the user is indoors, if the user is not indoors, defrosting is performed directly; if the user is indoors, the air conditioner is controlled to continue operating according to the original operating mode, thereby improving the user experience.

[0151] It should be noted that whether the user is indoors can be detected through various methods such as infrared detection, camera detection, sound detection, etc. The difference in the detection method does not affect the scope of protection of this application.

[0152] In order to ensure defrosting of the air conditioner, in some embodiments, the controller is further configured to:

[0153] When the current time is less than the difference between the next defrost time and the first preset time or greater than the sum of the next defrost time and the second preset time, the air conditioner is controlled to perform a defrost operation.

[0154] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, after the preset defrost conditions are met, if the current time is less than the difference between the next defrost time and the first preset time or is greater than the sum of the next defrost time and the second preset time, that is, the current time does not reach the estimated time interval, the air conditioner is directly defrosted.

[0155] The present application discloses an air conditioner comprising a refrigerant circulation loop, a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger, a four-way valve, and a controller. The controller is configured to determine a next defrost time based on a previous defrost cycle; when a current time is greater than or equal to the difference between the next defrost time and a first preset time and less than or equal to the sum of the next defrost time and a second preset time, determine whether to perform a defrost operation based on indoor user information; wherein the previous defrost cycle is the time from when the air conditioner starts heating to when defrosting begins; and the indoor user information includes whether the room is occupied or unoccupied. Through the above-described air conditioner and air conditioner defrosting method, the defrost process can be controlled according to the indoor occupant status, thereby improving the user experience.

[0156] Based on the above air conditioner, this application also proposes an air conditioner defrosting method, such as Figure 3 , applied to an air conditioner including a refrigerant circulation loop, a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger, a four-way valve, and a controller, the method comprising:

[0157] Step S301, determining the next defrost time based on the last defrost cycle, where the last defrost cycle is the time from when the air conditioner starts heating to when it starts defrosting.

[0158] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, when the air conditioner is in heating operation, the controller calculates the next defrost time based on the last defrost cycle. The last defrost cycle is specifically the time from when the air conditioner starts heating to when it starts defrosting.

[0159] In order to accurately obtain the next defrost time, in some embodiments, the next defrost time is determined based on the previous defrost cycle, specifically:

[0160] If the last defrost is the first defrost, the next defrost time is the sum of the time when the heating is turned on next time and the last defrost cycle, and the last defrost cycle is used as the reference cycle;

[0161] When the last defrost is not the first defrost, the next defrost time is half of the sum of the last defrost cycle and the reference cycle.

[0162] For example, if the air conditioner starts heating at 8:00 and meets the defrost conditions after running for 1 hour, and enters defrost for the first time (9:00), then the previous defrost cycle T = 1 hour, and the reference cycle T0 = 1 hour. The defrost time is 10 minutes, and the next heating time is 9:10. The next defrost time t0 is calculated as 9:10 + 1 hour = 10:10.

[0163] If the previous defrost cycle was not the first defrost, and the air conditioner starts heating at 6:00 AM and meets the defrost conditions after 1 hour, the first defrost cycle begins at 7:00 AM. At this time, the base cycle T0 = 60 minutes. From the time the previous defrost ended (8:25 AM) to the time the defrost begins (9:35 AM), the previous defrost cycle T is 70 minutes. Defrost is completed at 9:45 AM and heating starts again. (70 minutes + 60 minutes) / 2 = 65 minutes. Therefore, the next defrost time t0 is calculated as 9:40 + 65 minutes = 10:45 AM.

[0164] Step S302: When the current time is greater than or equal to the difference between the next defrost time and the first preset time and is less than or equal to the sum of the next defrost time and the second preset time, determine whether to perform the defrost operation based on indoor user information, and the indoor user information includes whether there is someone indoors or no one indoors.

[0165] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, after the preset defrost conditions are met, it is determined whether the current time is within the interval corresponding to the estimated next defrost time, that is, whether the current time is greater than or equal to the difference between the next defrost time and the first preset time and less than or equal to the sum of the next defrost time and the second preset time. If the current time falls within the above-mentioned interval, it is further determined whether there is someone in the room. If there is no one in the room, defrost is performed directly to avoid direct defrosting when there is someone, which affects the user's comfort.

[0166] In order to accurately determine the time range for the next defrost, in a preferred embodiment of the present application, the method further includes:

[0167] When the last defrost cycle is less than a first preset cycle, the first preset time is a first preset value, and the second preset time is a second preset value;

[0168] When the last defrost cycle is greater than or equal to the first preset cycle and less than or equal to the second preset cycle, the first preset time is the third preset value, and the second preset time is the fourth preset value;

[0169] When the last defrost cycle is greater than the second preset cycle, the first preset time is the fifth preset value, and the second preset time is the sixth preset value;

[0170] Among them, the first preset value is smaller than the third preset value, the third preset value is smaller than the fifth preset value, the second preset value is smaller than the fourth preset value, the fourth preset value is smaller than the sixth preset value, and the first preset period is smaller than the second preset period.

[0171] In order to control defrosting according to indoor user information, in some embodiments, whether to perform a defrost operation is determined based on the indoor user information, specifically:

[0172] When there is someone in the room, the current operating state is maintained;

[0173] When no one is in the room, the air conditioner is controlled to perform a defrosting operation.

[0174] In order to ensure defrosting of the air conditioner, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0175] When the current time is less than the difference between the next defrost time and the first preset time or greater than the sum of the next defrost time and the second preset time, the air conditioner is controlled to perform a defrost operation.

[0176] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, after the preset defrost conditions are met, if the current time is less than the difference between the next defrost time and the first preset time or is greater than the sum of the next defrost time and the second preset time, the air conditioner is directly defrosted.

[0177] In the description of this specification, specific features, structures, materials or characteristics may be combined in an appropriate manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0178] The above are only specific embodiments of the present application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. An air conditioner, characterized in that: include: The refrigerant circulation loop allows the refrigerant to circulate in the loop consisting of the compressor, condenser, expansion valve, evaporator, and four-way valve; The compressor is used to compress the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant gas into high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas and discharge it to the condenser; An outdoor heat exchanger and an indoor heat exchanger, wherein one works as a condenser and the other works as an evaporator; A four-way valve is used to control the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation loop so that the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger are switched between serving as a condenser and an evaporator; The controller is configured to When the air conditioner is in heating mode and reaches a preset defrost condition, obtaining a shutdown time of the air conditioner; When the current time is greater than the difference between the shutdown time and the first preset time and the shutdown time of the air conditioner is obtained based on the scheduled shutdown time input by the user, determining whether to shut down the air conditioner based on the shutdown time; If the current time reaches the shutdown time, shutting down the air conditioner; If the current time does not reach the shutdown time, controlling the air conditioner to operate based on a preset mode; The controller is further configured to: Determine the next defrost time based on the last defrost cycle; After the preset defrost condition is met, when the current time is greater than or equal to the difference between the next defrost time and the first preset time and less than or equal to the sum of the next defrost time and the second preset time, determining whether to perform the defrost operation based on the indoor user information; The last defrost cycle is the time from when the air conditioner starts heating to when it starts defrosting. The controller is specifically used for: If the last defrost is the first defrost, the next defrost time is the sum of the time when the heating is turned on next time and the last defrost cycle, and the last defrost cycle is used as the reference cycle; When the last defrost is not the first defrost, the next defrost time is the sum of half the sum of the last defrost cycle and the reference cycle and the time when the heating is turned on next time.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein: The preset mode specifically includes reducing the operating frequency of the compressor of the air conditioner by a preset frequency.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein The preset mode specifically reduces the indoor wind speed to a first preset wind speed.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein Adjust the angle of the indoor unit's air guide strip to the preset angle.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein: Increase the outdoor unit fan speed to the second preset fan speed.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is specifically used to: When the air conditioner is running in a preset mode and no shutdown command is received within a preset duration, determining whether the current time is less than the sum of the shutdown time and a second preset time; If so, controlling the air conditioner to perform a defrost operation, and after the defrost is completed, controlling the air conditioner to operate in the original heating mode; If not, the air conditioner is controlled to maintain the preset mode operation.

7. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein The controller is specifically used for: When the last defrost cycle is less than a first preset cycle, the first preset time is a first preset value, and the second preset time is a second preset value; When the last defrost cycle is greater than or equal to the first preset cycle and less than or equal to the second preset cycle, the first preset time is the third preset value, and the second preset time is the fourth preset value; When the last defrost cycle is greater than the second preset cycle, the first preset time is the fifth preset value, and the second preset time is the sixth preset value; Among them, the first preset value is smaller than the third preset value, the third preset value is smaller than the fifth preset value, the second preset value is smaller than the fourth preset value, the fourth preset value is smaller than the sixth preset value, and the first preset period is smaller than the second preset period.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 7, wherein: The controller is specifically used for: When there is someone in the room, the current operating state is maintained; When no one is in the room, the air conditioner is controlled to perform a defrosting operation.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 7, wherein: The controller is also specifically used to: When the current time is less than the difference between the next defrost time and the first preset time or greater than the sum of the next defrost time and the second preset time, the air conditioner is controlled to perform a defrost operation.

10. An air conditioner defrosting method, characterized in that: Applied to an air conditioner including a refrigerant circulation loop, a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger, a four-way valve, and a controller, the method comprises: When the current time is greater than the difference between the shutdown time and the first preset time, the defrost operation is not performed, and the air conditioner is controlled to operate in the current heating mode, further comprising: When the current time is greater than the difference between the shutdown time and the first preset time and the shutdown time of the air conditioner is obtained based on the scheduled shutdown time input by the user, determining whether to shut down the air conditioner based on the shutdown time; If the current time reaches the shutdown time, shutting down the air conditioner; If the current time does not reach the shutdown time, controlling the air conditioner to operate based on a preset mode; The controller is further configured to: Determine the next defrost time based on the last defrost cycle; After the preset defrost condition is met, when the current time is greater than or equal to the difference between the next defrost time and the first preset time and less than or equal to the sum of the next defrost time and the second preset time, determining whether to perform the defrost operation based on the indoor user information; The last defrost cycle is the time from when the air conditioner starts heating to when it starts defrosting. The controller is specifically used for: If the last defrost is the first defrost, the next defrost time is the sum of the time when the heating is turned on next time and the last defrost cycle, and the last defrost cycle is used as the reference cycle; When the last defrost is not the first defrost, the next defrost time is the sum of half the sum of the last defrost cycle and the reference cycle and the time when the heating is turned on next time.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein The preset mode is specifically: The compressor operating frequency of the air conditioner is reduced by a preset frequency, and / or the indoor wind speed is reduced by a first preset wind speed, and / or the angle of the indoor unit air guide strip is adjusted by a preset angle, and / or the outdoor unit wind speed is increased by a second preset wind speed.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein If the current time does not reach the shutdown time, after controlling the air conditioner to operate based on the preset mode, the method further includes: When the air conditioner is running in a preset mode and no shutdown command is received within a preset duration, determining whether the current time is less than the sum of the shutdown time and a second preset time; If so, controlling the air conditioner to perform a defrost operation, and after the defrost is completed, controlling the air conditioner to operate in the original heating mode; If not, the air conditioner is controlled to maintain the preset mode operation.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein The controller is specifically used for: When the last defrost cycle is less than a first preset cycle, the first preset time is a first preset value, and the second preset time is a second preset value; When the last defrost cycle is greater than or equal to the first preset cycle and less than or equal to the second preset cycle, the first preset time is the third preset value, and the second preset time is the fourth preset value; When the last defrost cycle is greater than the second preset cycle, the first preset time is the fifth preset value, and the second preset time is the sixth preset value; Among them, the first preset value is smaller than the third preset value, the third preset value is smaller than the fifth preset value, the second preset value is smaller than the fourth preset value, the fourth preset value is smaller than the sixth preset value, and the first preset period is smaller than the second preset period.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein The controller is specifically used for: When there is someone in the room, the current operating state is maintained; When no one is in the room, the air conditioner is controlled to perform a defrosting operation.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein The controller is also specifically used to: When the current time is less than the difference between the next defrost time and the first preset time or greater than the sum of the next defrost time and the second preset time, the air conditioner is controlled to perform a defrost operation.

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