Air conditioner and its control method

Abstract

The present invention discloses an air conditioner and its control method. The air conditioner includes: a housing, a refrigerant circulation circuit, a refrigeration system, an indoor fan, an indoor blower, a wind deflector, an odor concentration detection sensor, an indoor coil temperature sensor, a sterilization and purification module, and a controller. The controller is configured to: obtain the current operating mode of the air conditioner, the concentration of odor molecules at the air outlet, and the temperature of the indoor coil; when the air conditioner is currently operating in a cooling or dehumidifying mode, determine whether the concentration of odor molecules exceeds a first preset concentration; when it is determined that the concentration of odor molecules exceeds the first preset concentration, control the rotational speed of the indoor blower to be reduced to a preset rotational speed, and control the wind deflector to rotate upward or downward to a preset opening degree; when it is determined that the concentration of odor molecules does not exceed a second preset concentration, do not control the rotational speed of the indoor blower and the opening degree of the wind deflector, so as to alleviate the impact of odor enrichment on users and thus improve the user experience.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] At present, when the indoor unit of the air conditioner operates in a refrigeration condition, water vapor molecules in the indoor environment, acidic substances in human metabolites, pungent odor molecules produced by mildew and corruption of organic matter, and toxic substances such as formaldehyde whose volatilization point is lower than the surface temperature of the evaporator will condense onto the surface of the evaporator. Among them, human metabolites contain acidic substances such as lactic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, valeric acid, and isovaleric acid. The corruption of organic matter will produce substances such as hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, methane, ethanol, methyl mercaptan, methylamine, and methyl sulfide. These substances will not only cause discomfort to people in a closed indoor environment at low concentrations for a long time, but also when the air conditioner is in refrigeration operation, the above substances will be enriched on the surface of the evaporator with the air flow circulation. As the refrigeration time increases, the enriched odor molecules will increase. When the air conditioner is cooling or the compressor stops but the indoor fan is still running, the odor molecules will gradually emit as the evaporator temperature rises, and will be blown out from the air outlet of the air conditioner, emitting a strong sour smell, which will drastically reduce the user experience. In addition, when the air conditioner is heating or supplying air, the components will breed mold and other odors. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a method to solve the problem of odor accumulation in air conditioners. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner and a control method thereof.

[0004] An air conditioner proposed by the present invention includes: a housing provided with an air inlet, an air outlet and a return air outlet; a refrigerant circulation circuit disposed inside the housing to circulate the refrigerant in a circuit composed of a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, an evaporator, a four-way valve and a pressure reducer; a refrigeration system disposed inside the housing, which performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and indoor air in the compression refrigeration cycle of the refrigerant circulation circuit. The refrigeration system includes the compressor, and the compressor is used to compress the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant gas into a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas and discharge it to the condenser; an indoor fan for driving the indoor air to pass through the indoor heat exchanger so that the refrigerant exchanges heat with the indoor air; an indoor blower for driving the indoor fan to rotate; a wind deflector rotatably mounted on the housing and located at the air outlet for controlling the air outlet direction of the air outlet; an odor concentration detection sensor disposed at the air outlet for detecting the concentration of odor molecules at the air outlet; an indoor coil temperature sensor disposed inside the housing for detecting the temperature of the indoor coil; a sterilization and purification module disposed inside the housing for emitting positive and negative ions and / or ultraviolet rays to decompose the odor molecules; the controller is configured to: obtain the current operating mode of the air conditioner, the concentration of odor molecules at the air outlet and the temperature of the indoor coil; when the air conditioner is currently operating in a cooling or dehumidifying mode, determine whether the concentration of odor molecules exceeds a first preset concentration; when it is determined that the concentration of odor molecules exceeds the first preset concentration, control the rotational speed of the indoor blower to decrease to a preset rotational speed, and control the wind deflector to rotate upward or downward to a preset opening degree, where the preset opening degree is greater than the rated minimum opening degree of the wind deflector and less than the opening degree when the wind deflector is in a horizontal position; when it is determined that the concentration of odor molecules does not exceed the second preset concentration, do not control the rotational speed of the indoor blower and the opening degree of the wind deflector, so that the concentration of odor molecules at the air outlet does not exceed the second preset concentration, where the first preset concentration is greater than the second preset concentration.

[0005] In addition, the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention may further have the following additional technical features:

[0006] Further, after controlling the wind deflector to rotate upward or downward to a preset opening degree, the controller is further configured to: control the sterilization and purification module to start running, and control the indoor blower to increase the rotational speed at a first preset rate.

[0007] Further, when controlling the indoor fan to increase its rotational speed at a first preset rate, the controller is further configured to: determine whether the temperature of the indoor coil exceeds a preset temperature; when it is determined that the temperature of the indoor coil exceeds the preset temperature, control the indoor fan to stop increasing its rotational speed; when it is determined that the temperature of the indoor coil does not exceed the preset temperature and the rotational speed of the indoor fan reaches the maximum rotational speed, control the compressor to decrease its operating frequency at a second preset rate.

[0008] Further, when controlling the compressor to decrease its operating frequency at a second preset rate, the controller is further configured to: determine whether the temperature of the indoor coil exceeds the preset temperature; when it is determined that the temperature of the indoor coil exceeds the preset temperature, control the compressor to stop decreasing its operating frequency; when it is determined that the temperature of the indoor coil does not exceed the preset temperature and the compressor shuts down, control the air conditioner to operate in heating mode until the temperature of the indoor coil exceeds the preset temperature.

[0009] Further, the controller is further configured to: when the air conditioner is currently operating in heating or air supply mode, determine whether the concentration of odor molecules exceeds a first preset concentration; when it is determined that the concentration of odor molecules exceeds the first preset concentration, control the air deflector to rotate upward or downward to a preset opening degree, and control the sterilization and purification module to start operating; when it is determined that the concentration of odor molecules does not exceed the second preset concentration, do not control the opening degree of the air deflector and the sterilization and purification module.

[0010] Further, after controlling the sterilization and purification module to start operating, the controller is further configured to: when the concentration of odor molecules does not exceed the second preset concentration, or when the startup operation time of the sterilization and purification module reaches a preset time, control the sterilization and purification module to stop operating, and control the operating frequencies of the air deflector, the indoor fan, and the compressor to operate according to the parameters when the concentration of odor molecules does not exceed the second preset concentration.

[0011] Further, the controller is further configured to: when the concentration of odor molecules exceeds the first preset concentration, control the display unit to display an anti-odor prompt message.

[0012] Further, when controlling the display unit to display an anti-odor prompt message, the controller is specifically configured to: control the anti-odor indicator light to light up and / or control the display panel to display text information about anti-odor.

[0013] Further, the sterilization and purification module includes an ion ozone purification module and / or an ultraviolet sterilization module.

[0014] For the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the air conditioner is currently operating in a cooling or dehumidifying mode, it is determined whether the concentration of odor molecules exceeds a first preset concentration; when it is determined that the concentration of odor molecules exceeds the first preset concentration, the air deflector is controlled to rotate upward or downward to a preset opening degree, so that the air outlet blows air upward, entering the "air avoiding people" mode. This can prevent the user from being assailed by a strong odor when the air conditioner switches from cooling to air supply or the compressor stops while the indoor fan is still running, alleviating the impact of odor enrichment on the user, and thus enhancing the user experience. Further, controlling the rotational speed of the indoor fan to decrease to a preset rotational speed can stably adsorb the odor molecules on the evaporator and prevent them from being easily dispersed into the indoor environment, thereby reducing the concentration of odor molecules at the air outlet and further reducing the impact of odor enrichment on the user. When it is determined that the concentration of odor molecules does not exceed a second preset concentration, the rotational speed of the indoor fan and the opening degree of the air deflector are not controlled. Here, the preset opening degree is greater than the rated minimum opening degree of the air deflector and less than the opening degree when the air deflector is in the horizontal position, and the first preset concentration is greater than the second preset concentration. Further, after controlling the air deflector to rotate upward or downward to the preset opening degree, the sterilization and purification module is controlled to start operating, and the indoor fan is controlled to increase its rotational speed at a first preset rate, which can gradually increase the temperature of the evaporator, so that the odor molecules on the evaporator are concentrated and blown to the sterilization and purification module for decomposition, preventing the odor molecules from being released into the room and achieving the purification of indoor air.

[0015] To address the above problems, the present invention also proposes a control method for an air conditioner, which is used for the air conditioner described in any of the above embodiments. The method includes the following steps: obtaining the current operating mode of the air conditioner, the concentration of odor molecules at the air outlet, and the temperature of the indoor coil; when the air conditioner is currently operating in a cooling or dehumidifying mode, determining whether the concentration of odor molecules exceeds a first preset concentration; when it is determined that the concentration of odor molecules exceeds the first preset concentration, controlling the rotational speed of the indoor fan to decrease to a preset rotational speed and controlling the air deflector to rotate upward or downward to a preset opening degree; when it is determined that the concentration of odor molecules does not exceed the second preset concentration, not controlling the rotational speed of the indoor fan and the opening degree of the air deflector, so that the concentration of odor molecules at the air outlet does not exceed the second preset concentration, where the first preset concentration is greater than the second preset concentration.

[0016] According to the control method of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the air conditioner is currently operating in cooling or dehumidifying mode, it is judged whether the concentration of odor molecules exceeds a first preset concentration; when it is judged that the concentration of odor molecules exceeds the first preset concentration, the air deflector is controlled to rotate upward or downward to a preset opening degree, so that the air outlet blows air upward, entering the "air avoiding people" mode, avoiding the situation that when the user uses the air conditioner, due to the change from cooling to air supply or the compressor stops running while the indoor fan is still running, the pungent odor comes, alleviating the impact of odor enrichment on the user, and thus improving the user experience; further, the rotational speed of the indoor fan is controlled to decrease to a preset rotational speed, so that the odor molecules can be firmly adsorbed on the evaporator and are not easily dispersed into the indoor environment, thereby reducing the concentration of odor molecules at the air outlet and further reducing the impact of odor enrichment on the user. When it is judged that the concentration of odor molecules does not exceed a second preset concentration, the rotational speed of the indoor fan and the opening degree of the air deflector are not controlled, where the preset opening degree is greater than the rated minimum opening degree of the air deflector and less than the opening degree when the air deflector is in the horizontal position, and the first preset concentration is greater than the second preset concentration. Further, after controlling the air deflector to rotate upward or downward to the preset opening degree, the bactericidal purification module is controlled to start running, and the indoor fan is controlled to increase the rotational speed at a first preset rate, so that the temperature of the evaporator gradually rises, so that the odor molecules on the evaporator are concentrated and blown to the bactericidal purification module for decomposition, avoiding releasing the odor molecules into the room and realizing the purification of the indoor air.

[0017] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be given in part in the following description, become apparent in part from the following description, or be understood through the practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and be readily understood from the following description of the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the air deflector in the air avoiding people mode according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 is a control flow chart of a controller according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 is a control flow chart of controlling the indoor fan to increase the rotational speed at a first preset rate according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 is a control flow chart of controlling the compressor to decrease the operating frequency at a second preset rate according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 6 is a control flowchart when the air conditioner is in the current heating or air supply operation according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 7 is a flowchart of the control method of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed implementation manners

[0026] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0027] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus cannot be understood as a limitation to the present invention.

[0028] The terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more.

[0029] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installation", "connection" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, and it may be the internal communication of two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific situations.

[0030] In the present invention, the air conditioner performs the refrigeration cycle of the air conditioner by using a compressor, a condenser, an electronic expansion valve and an evaporator. The refrigeration cycle includes a series of processes, involving compression, condensation, expansion and evaporation, and supplying refrigerant to the air that has been conditioned and heat-exchanged.

[0031] The compressor compresses the refrigerant gas in a high-temperature and high-pressure state and discharges the compressed refrigerant gas. The discharged refrigerant gas flows into the condenser. The condenser condenses the compressed refrigerant into a liquid phase, and heat is released to the surrounding environment through the condensation process.

[0032] The electronic expansion valve expands the liquid-phase refrigerant in a high-temperature and high-pressure state condensed in the condenser into a low-pressure liquid-phase refrigerant. The evaporator evaporates the refrigerant expanded in the electronic expansion valve and returns the refrigerant gas in a low-temperature and low-pressure state to the compressor. The evaporator can achieve a refrigeration effect by using the latent heat of evaporation of the refrigerant to perform a heat exchange with the material to be cooled. In the whole cycle, the air conditioner can adjust the temperature of the indoor space.

[0033] The outdoor unit of the air conditioner refers to the part of the refrigeration cycle including the compressor and the outdoor heat exchanger. The indoor unit of the air conditioner includes the indoor heat exchanger, and the electronic expansion valve can be provided in the indoor unit or the outdoor unit. The outdoor unit of the air conditioner further includes an outdoor blower and an outdoor fan. Among them, the outdoor blower is used to drive the outdoor fan to rotate, and the outdoor fan is used to drive the outdoor air to pass through the outdoor heat exchanger so that the refrigerant exchanges heat with the outdoor air. The indoor unit of the air conditioner further includes an indoor blower and an indoor fan. Among them, the indoor blower is used to drive the indoor fan to rotate, and the indoor fan is used to drive the indoor air to pass through the indoor heat exchanger so that the refrigerant exchanges heat with the indoor air.

[0034] The indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger serve as condensers or evaporators. When the indoor heat exchanger serves as a condenser, the air conditioner serves as a heater in the heating mode. When the indoor heat exchanger serves as an evaporator, the air conditioner serves as a cooler in the cooling mode.

[0035] The following refers to Figures 1 - 7 Describe the air conditioner and its control method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. As Figure 1As shown in the figure, an air conditioner includes: a housing 10, a refrigerant circulation circuit 20, a refrigeration system 30, a wind deflector 40, an indoor coil temperature sensor 50, an indoor fan 60, an indoor blower 70, an odor concentration detection sensor 80, a sterilization and purification module 90, and a controller 100. Among them, the housing 10 is provided with an air inlet, an air outlet, and a return air outlet; the refrigerant circulation circuit 20 is arranged inside the housing 10 to enable the refrigerant to circulate in a circuit composed of a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, an evaporator, a four-way valve, and a pressure reducer; the refrigeration system 20 is arranged inside the housing 10, and it conducts heat exchange between the refrigerant and indoor air in the compression refrigeration cycle of the refrigerant circulation circuit 20. The refrigeration system 20 includes a compressor, and the compressor is used to compress the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant gas into a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas and discharge it to the condenser; the indoor fan 60 is used to drive the indoor air to pass through the indoor heat exchanger so that the refrigerant exchanges heat with the indoor air; the indoor blower 70 is used to drive the indoor fan 60 to rotate; the wind deflector 40 is rotatably installed on the housing 10 and is located at the air outlet, and is used to control the air outlet direction of the air outlet; the odor concentration detection sensor 80 is arranged at the air outlet and is used to detect the concentration of odor molecules at the air outlet; the indoor coil temperature sensor 50 is arranged inside the housing 10 and is used to detect the temperature of the indoor coil; the sterilization and purification module 90 is arranged inside the housing 10 and is used to emit positive and negative ions and / or ultraviolet rays to decompose the odor molecules; the controller 100 is configured to: obtain the current operating mode of the air conditioner, the concentration of odor molecules at the air outlet, and the temperature of the indoor coil; when the air conditioner is currently operating in the cooling or dehumidifying mode, determine whether the concentration of odor molecules exceeds a first preset concentration; when it is determined that the concentration of odor molecules exceeds the first preset concentration, control the rotational speed of the indoor blower 70 to decrease to a preset rotational speed, and control the wind deflector 40 to rotate upward or downward to a preset opening degree, where the preset opening degree is greater than the rated minimum opening degree of the wind deflector 40 and less than the opening degree when the wind deflector 40 is in the horizontal position; when it is determined that the concentration of odor molecules does not exceed a second preset concentration, do not control the rotational speed of the indoor blower 70 and the opening degree of the wind deflector 40, so that the concentration of odor molecules at the air outlet does not exceed the second preset concentration, where the first preset concentration is greater than the second preset concentration.

[0037] Specifically, when the air conditioner is operating in the cooling or dehumidifying mode, the temperature of the evaporator body of the indoor unit 70 begins to decrease. When the temperature of the evaporator surface drops below the dew point of water vapor molecules in the indoor environment, acidic substances in human metabolites, pungent odor molecules produced by mildew and corruption of organic substances, and odor molecules such as formaldehyde, these odor molecules will, under the action of the return air of the air conditioner, slowly accumulate on the evaporator surface in a liquid or solid state when passing through the gaps between the evaporator fins. Moreover, as the cooling or dehumidifying operation time lengthens, more and more odor molecules will accumulate. At this time, if the air conditioner switches from cooling to air supply or the compressor stops while the indoor fan is still running, the temperature of the evaporator continuously rises. When the temperature of the evaporator rises to a certain extent and reaches the evaporation point of the odor molecules, the solid or liquid odor molecules accumulated on the evaporator will be emitted into the indoor environment along with the air outlet of the air conditioner. When the concentration of the odor molecules at the air outlet exceeds the first preset concentration, a strong odor will be generated. If the air deflector 40 faces the user directly when the evaporator releases the odor, it will cause a great negative user experience and discomfort to the user. Therefore, when the air conditioner is in the cooling or dehumidifying mode, the opening degree of the air deflector 40 can be controlled according to the concentration of the odor molecules detected by the odor concentration detection sensor 80 at the air outlet, that is, when the concentration of the odor molecules at the air outlet exceeds the first preset concentration, the air deflector 40 is controlled to rotate upward or downward to the preset opening degree so that the air outlet blows upward. After accumulating more odor molecules on the evaporator, the air deflector 40 is controlled to enter the "air avoiding people" mode (as Figure 2 shown), to prevent the user from being assailed by strong odors when the air conditioner switches from cooling to air supply or the compressor stops while the indoor fan 70 is still running, and to alleviate the impact of odor accumulation on the user, thereby enhancing the user experience.

[0038] Furthermore, when controlling the air deflector 40 to rotate upward or downward to the preset opening degree, the rotation speed of the indoor fan 70 is simultaneously controlled to decrease to the preset rotation speed, so that the odor molecules are firmly adsorbed on the evaporator and are not easily dispersed into the indoor environment, thereby reducing the concentration of the odor molecules at the air outlet and further reducing the impact of odor accumulation on the user.

[0039] It should be noted that the first preset concentration is the concentration corresponding to a relatively high concentration of odor molecules at the air outlet, while the second preset concentration is the concentration corresponding to a concentration of odor molecules at the air outlet that is close to zero. In the embodiment of the present invention, when the odor concentration at the air outlet is relatively high, the rotation speed of the indoor fan 70 is controlled to be reduced to a preset rotation speed, and the air deflector 40 is controlled to rotate upward or downward to a preset opening degree. When the concentration of odor molecules at the air outlet is reduced to the second preset concentration, the various operating parameters of the air conditioner are controlled to return to the original parameters. For example, the air deflector 40 resumes its up-and-down flipping, and the rotation speed of the indoor fan 70 resumes to the rotation speed before it was reduced to the preset rotation speed. In a specific embodiment, the second preset concentration is, for example, 1 / 10 of the first preset concentration, and the preset rotation speed is, for example, a low rotation speed.

[0040] In an embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 3 shown, after controlling the air deflector 40 to rotate upward or downward to a preset opening degree, the controller 100 is further configured to: control the sterilization and purification module 90 to start operating, and control the indoor fan 70 to increase its rotation speed at a first preset rate.

[0041] Specifically, after controlling the air deflector 40 to rotate upward or downward to a preset opening degree, more and more odor molecules are firmly adsorbed on the evaporator. At this time, the sterilization and purification module 90 starts operating, and the indoor fan 70 is controlled to increase its rotation speed at a first preset rate, which can gradually increase the temperature of the evaporator, so that the odor molecules on the evaporator are concentrated and blown to the sterilization and purification module 90 for decomposition, avoiding releasing the odor molecules into the room and achieving the purification of the indoor air. In a specific embodiment, the first preset rate can be determined through experiments and will not be elaborated here. Exemplarily, the first preset rate is 100 revolutions per minute.

[0042] In an embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 4 shown, when controlling the indoor fan 70 to increase its rotation speed at a first preset rate, the controller 100 is further configured to: determine whether the temperature of the indoor coil exceeds a preset temperature; when it is determined that the temperature of the indoor coil exceeds the preset temperature, control the indoor fan 70 to stop increasing its rotation speed; when it is determined that the temperature of the indoor coil does not exceed the preset temperature and the rotation speed of the indoor fan 70 reaches the maximum rotation speed, control the compressor to reduce its operating frequency at a second preset rate.

[0043] Specifically, the temperature of the indoor coil can be detected by the indoor coil temperature sensor 50 as the temperature of the evaporator. While increasing the rotational speed of the indoor fan 70, the temperature of the evaporator gradually rises. To raise the temperature of the evaporator to the temperature corresponding to the evaporation point of the odor molecules and improve the purification effect of the sterilization and purification module 90, it is necessary to continuously increase the rotational speed of the indoor fan 70 until the temperature of the indoor coil (the temperature of the evaporator) exceeds the preset temperature (the temperature corresponding to the evaporation point of the odor molecules). However, when the rotational speed of the indoor fan 70 reaches the maximum rotational speed and the temperature of the indoor coil still does not exceed the preset temperature, it is necessary to control the compressor to reduce the operating frequency so that the temperature of the indoor coil further rises. In a specific embodiment, the compressor can be controlled to reduce the operating frequency at a second preset rate, and the second preset rate is, for example, 5 Hz / min.

[0044] In an embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 5 shown, when controlling the compressor to reduce the operating frequency at a second preset rate, the controller 100 is further configured to: determine whether the temperature of the indoor coil exceeds the preset temperature; when it is determined that the temperature of the indoor coil exceeds the preset temperature, control the compressor to stop reducing the operating frequency; when it is determined that the temperature of the indoor coil does not exceed the preset temperature and the compressor stops operating, control the air conditioner to operate in heating mode until the temperature of the indoor coil exceeds the preset temperature.

[0045] Specifically, when controlling the compressor to reduce the operating frequency at a second preset rate, the temperature of the evaporator further rises. At this time, it is necessary to determine whether the temperature of the indoor coil exceeds the preset temperature. When the temperature of the indoor coil exceeds the preset temperature, it is only necessary to control the compressor to stop reducing the operating frequency. However, when the compressor stops operating and the temperature of the indoor coil still does not exceed the preset temperature, it is necessary to control the air conditioner to operate in heating mode so that the temperature of the indoor coil further rises until the temperature of the indoor coil exceeds the preset temperature to improve the purification effect of the sterilization and purification module 90.

[0046] It should be noted that when the present invention embodiment controls the rotational speed of the indoor fan 70, the operating frequency of the compressor, and the heating operation to increase the temperature of the evaporator, the control order of the three is not limited. The above embodiments only give one control order, and other control orders are also within the protection scope of the present invention embodiment and will not be elaborated here.

[0047] In an embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 6As shown, the controller 100 is further configured to: when the air conditioner is currently operating in heating or air supply mode, determine whether the concentration of odor molecules exceeds a first preset concentration; when it is determined that the concentration of odor molecules exceeds the first preset concentration, control the air deflector 40 to rotate upward or downward to a preset opening degree, and control the sterilization and purification module 90 to start operating; when it is determined that the concentration of odor molecules does not exceed a second preset concentration, do not control the opening degree of the air deflector 40 and the sterilization and purification module 90.

[0048] Specifically, when the air conditioner is operating in heating or air supply mode, the indoor environment is closed for a long time, and odor molecules such as mold or the odor of the materials of the components in the air conditioner will grow, and the odor molecules will be blown out from the air outlet along with the operation of the air conditioner. Therefore, when the concentration of odor molecules at the air outlet exceeds the first preset concentration, it indicates that the odor is relatively large. At this time, control the air deflector 40 to rotate upward or downward to a preset opening degree so that the air outlet blows air upward, control the air deflector 40 to enter the "air avoiding people" mode, avoid the strong odor when the user uses the air conditioner, relieve the impact of the odor molecules generated by the components in the air conditioner on the user, thereby improving the user experience, and at the same time control the sterilization and purification module 90 to start operating to decompose the odor molecules in the components through the sterilization and purification module 90, avoid releasing the odor molecules into the room, and achieve the purification of the indoor air. When it is determined that the concentration of odor molecules does not exceed the second preset concentration, do not control the opening degree of the air deflector 40 and the sterilization and purification module 90, and operate according to the parameters set by the user.

[0049] In an embodiment of the present invention, after controlling the sterilization and purification module 90 to start operating, the controller 100 is further configured to: when the concentration of odor molecules does not exceed the second preset concentration, or when the start-up operation time of the sterilization and purification module 90 reaches a preset time, control the sterilization and purification module 90 to stop operating, and control the operation frequencies of the air deflector 40, the indoor fan 70, and the compressor to operate according to the parameters when the concentration of odor molecules does not exceed the second preset concentration.

[0050] Specifically, when the concentration of odor molecules does not exceed the second preset concentration, or when the start-up operation time of the sterilization and purification module 90 reaches a preset time such as 30 minutes, it indicates that the decomposition of the odor molecules is completed. At this time, control the sterilization and purification module 90 to stop operating, and control the operation frequencies of the air deflector 40, the indoor fan 70, and the compressor to operate according to the parameters when the concentration of odor molecules does not exceed the second preset concentration, that is, exit the anti-odor mode, no longer consider the impact of the release of odor molecules on the user, and the air conditioner operates according to the parameters set by the user.

[0051] In an embodiment of the present invention, the controller 100 is further configured to: when the concentration of odor molecules exceeds the first preset concentration, control the display unit to display an anti-odor prompt message.

[0052] Specifically, when the concentration of odor molecules exceeds the first preset concentration, the air conditioner enters the mode of releasing a large amount of odor molecules. At this time, the control display unit displays an anti-odor prompt message to prompt the user that the air conditioner is in the state of releasing odor molecules, warning the user to stay away from the air outlet of the air conditioner or to open the window for ventilation, so as to further purify the indoor environment and improve the user experience.

[0053] In an embodiment of the present invention, when the control display unit displays the anti-odor prompt message, the controller 100 is specifically configured to: control the anti-odor indicator light to light up and / or control the display panel to display the text information of anti-odor.

[0054] In a specific embodiment, if the display unit is an indicator light for example, when the display unit displays the anti-odor prompt message, the controller 100 controls the anti-odor indicator light to light up; in some other embodiments, if the display unit is a display panel for example, when the display unit displays the anti-odor prompt message, the controller 100 controls the display panel to display the anti-odor text information such as "CL" to prompt the user that the air conditioner is in the state of releasing odor molecules, warning the user to stay away from the air outlet of the air conditioner or to open the window for ventilation.

[0055] In an embodiment of the present invention, the sterilization and purification module 90 includes an ion ozone purification module 91 and / or an ultraviolet sterilization module 92.

[0056] Specifically, the ion ozone purification module 91 can release positive and negative ions or ozone to purify the odor molecules enriched in the air conditioner. The sterilization and purification module 90 can also include an ultraviolet sterilization module 92 to purify the indoor air by releasing ultraviolet rays. Both are prior arts and will not be elaborated here.

[0057] For an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the air conditioner is currently operating in cooling or dehumidifying mode, it is determined whether the concentration of odor molecules exceeds a first preset concentration; when it is determined that the concentration of odor molecules exceeds the first preset concentration, the air deflector 40 is controlled to rotate upward or downward to a preset opening degree, so that the air outlet blows upward, entering the "air avoiding people" mode, avoiding the situation that when the user uses the air conditioner, due to the air conditioner switching from cooling to air supply or the compressor stopping while the indoor fan is still running, a pungent odor comes, alleviating the impact of odor enrichment on the user, and thus improving the user experience; further, the rotation speed of the indoor fan 70 is controlled to decrease to a preset rotation speed, so that the odor molecules can be firmly adsorbed on the evaporator and are not easily blown into the indoor environment, thereby reducing the concentration of odor molecules at the air outlet and further reducing the impact of odor enrichment on the user. When it is determined that the concentration of odor molecules does not exceed a second preset concentration, the rotation speed of the indoor fan 70 and the opening degree of the air deflector 40 are not controlled, where the preset opening degree is greater than the rated minimum opening degree of the air deflector and less than the opening degree when the air deflector 40 is in the horizontal position, and the first preset concentration is greater than the second preset concentration. Further, after controlling the air deflector 40 to rotate upward or downward to the preset opening degree, the bactericidal purification module 90 is controlled to start running, and the indoor fan 70 is controlled to increase the rotation speed at a first preset rate, so that the temperature of the evaporator gradually rises, so that the odor molecules on the evaporator are concentrated and blown to the bactericidal purification module 90 for decomposition, avoiding releasing the odor molecules into the room and realizing the purification of the indoor air.

[0058] A further embodiment of the present invention also discloses a control method for an air conditioner, which is used for the air conditioner as described in any of the above embodiments, as Figure 7 shown, the method includes the following steps:

[0059] Step S1: Obtain the current operating mode of the air conditioner, the concentration of odor molecules at the air outlet, and the temperature of the indoor coil.

[0060] Step S2: When the air conditioner is currently operating in cooling or dehumidifying mode, determine whether the concentration of odor molecules exceeds a first preset concentration.

[0061] Step S3: When it is determined that the concentration of odor molecules exceeds the first preset concentration, control the rotation speed of the indoor fan to decrease to a preset rotation speed, and control the air deflector to rotate upward or downward to a preset opening degree.

[0062] Step S4: When it is determined that the concentration of odor molecules does not exceed a second preset concentration, do not control the rotation speed of the indoor fan and the opening degree of the air deflector, so that the concentration of odor molecules at the air outlet does not exceed the second preset concentration.

[0063] In an embodiment of the present invention, after controlling the air deflector to rotate upward or downward to the preset opening degree, the method further includes: controlling the bactericidal purification module to start running, and controlling the indoor fan to increase the rotation speed at a first preset rate.

[0064] In an embodiment of the present invention, when controlling the indoor fan to increase the rotation speed at a first preset rate, the method further includes: determining whether the temperature of the indoor coil exceeds a preset temperature; when it is determined that the temperature of the indoor coil exceeds the preset temperature, controlling the indoor fan to stop increasing the rotation speed; when it is determined that the temperature of the indoor coil does not exceed the preset temperature and the rotation speed of the indoor fan reaches the maximum rotation speed, controlling the compressor to decrease the operating frequency at a second preset rate.

[0065] In an embodiment of the present invention, when controlling the compressor to decrease the operating frequency at a second preset rate, the method further includes: determining whether the temperature of the indoor coil exceeds a preset temperature; when it is determined that the temperature of the indoor coil exceeds the preset temperature, controlling the compressor to stop decreasing the operating frequency; when it is determined that the temperature of the indoor coil does not exceed the preset temperature and the compressor shuts down, controlling the air conditioner to operate in heating mode until the temperature of the indoor coil exceeds the preset temperature.

[0066] In an embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes: when the air conditioner is currently operating in heating or air supply mode, determining whether the concentration of odor molecules exceeds a first preset concentration; when it is determined that the concentration of odor molecules exceeds the first preset concentration, controlling the air deflector to rotate up or down to a preset opening degree, and controlling the sterilization and purification module to start operating; when it is determined that the concentration of odor molecules does not exceed a second preset concentration, not controlling the opening degree of the air deflector and the sterilization and purification module.

[0067] In an embodiment of the present invention, after controlling the sterilization and purification module to start operating, the method further includes: when the concentration of odor molecules does not exceed the second preset concentration, or when the start-up operation time of the sterilization and purification module reaches a preset time, controlling the sterilization and purification module to stop operating, and controlling the operating frequencies of the air deflector, indoor fan, and compressor to operate according to the parameters when the concentration of odor molecules does not exceed the second preset concentration.

[0068] In an embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes: when the concentration of odor molecules exceeds the first preset concentration, controlling the display unit to display an anti-odor prompt message.

[0069] In an embodiment of the present invention, when controlling the display unit to display an anti-odor prompt message, the method further includes: controlling the anti-odor indicator light to light up and / or controlling the display panel to display anti-odor text information.

[0070] In an embodiment of the present invention, the sterilization and purification module includes an ion ozone purification module and / or an ultraviolet sterilization module.

[0071] It should be noted that when the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention is controlled, its specific implementation manner is similar to that of the control method of the air conditioner controller according to the embodiment of the present invention. For specific details, please refer to the description in the method part. To reduce redundancy, it will not be elaborated here.

[0072] According to the control method of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the air conditioner is currently operating in a cooling or dehumidifying mode, it is judged whether the concentration of odor molecules exceeds a first preset concentration; when it is judged that the concentration of odor molecules exceeds the first preset concentration, the air deflector is controlled to rotate upward or downward to a preset opening degree, so that the air outlet blows upward, entering the "air avoiding people" mode, avoiding the situation that when the user uses the air conditioner, due to the air conditioner switching from cooling to air supply or the compressor stopping while the indoor fan is still running, a strong smell comes, alleviating the impact of odor enrichment on the user, and thus improving the user experience; further, the rotational speed of the indoor fan is controlled to decrease to a preset rotational speed, so that the odor molecules can be firmly adsorbed on the evaporator and are not easily dispersed into the indoor environment, thereby reducing the concentration of odor molecules at the air outlet and further reducing the impact of odor enrichment on the user. When it is judged that the concentration of odor molecules does not exceed a second preset concentration, the rotational speed of the indoor fan and the opening degree of the air deflector are not controlled, where the preset opening degree is greater than the rated minimum opening degree of the air deflector and less than the opening degree when the air deflector is in the horizontal position, and the first preset concentration is greater than the second preset concentration. Further, after controlling the air deflector to rotate upward or downward to the preset opening degree, the sterilization and purification module is controlled to start running, and the indoor fan is controlled to increase the rotational speed at a first preset rate, so that the temperature of the evaporator gradually rises, so that the odor molecules on the evaporator are concentrated and blown to the sterilization and purification module for decomposition, avoiding releasing the odor molecules into the room and realizing the purification of the indoor air.

[0073] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to terms such as "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example.

[0074] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An air conditioner, characterized in that, it includes: an indoor fan for driving indoor air to pass through an indoor heat exchanger so that a refrigerant exchanges heat with the indoor air; an indoor blower for driving the indoor fan to rotate; a wind deflector rotatably installed on a housing and located at an air outlet for controlling the air outlet direction of the air outlet; an odor concentration detection sensor provided at the air outlet for detecting the concentration of odor molecules at the air outlet; an indoor coil temperature sensor provided in the housing for detecting the temperature of the indoor coil; a sterilization and purification module provided in the housing for emitting positive and negative ions and / or ultraviolet rays to decompose the odor molecules; a controller is configured to: obtain the current operating mode of the air conditioner, the concentration of odor molecules at the air outlet, and the temperature of the indoor coil; when the air conditioner is currently operating in a cooling or dehumidifying mode, determine whether the concentration of odor molecules exceeds a first preset concentration; when it is determined that the concentration of odor molecules exceeds the first preset concentration, control the rotational speed of the indoor blower to be reduced to a preset rotational speed, and control the wind deflector to rotate upward or downward to a preset opening degree, control the sterilization and purification module to start operating, and control the indoor blower to increase the rotational speed at a first preset rate, wherein the preset opening degree is greater than the rated minimum opening degree of the wind deflector and less than the opening degree when the wind deflector is in a horizontal position; when it is determined that the concentration of odor molecules does not exceed a second preset concentration, do not control the rotational speed of the indoor blower and the opening degree of the wind deflector so that the concentration of odor molecules at the air outlet does not exceed the second preset concentration, wherein the first preset concentration is greater than the second preset concentration; wherein, when controlling the indoor blower to increase the rotational speed at a first preset rate, the controller is further configured to: determine whether the temperature of the indoor coil exceeds a preset temperature; when it is determined that the temperature of the indoor coil exceeds the preset temperature, control the indoor blower to stop increasing the rotational speed; when it is determined that the temperature of the indoor coil does not exceed the preset temperature and the rotational speed of the indoor blower reaches the maximum rotational speed, control the compressor to reduce the operating frequency at a second preset rate.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, when controlling the compressor to reduce the operating frequency at a second preset rate, the controller is further configured to: determine whether the temperature of the indoor coil exceeds the preset temperature; when it is determined that the temperature of the indoor coil exceeds the preset temperature, control the compressor to stop reducing the operating frequency; when it is determined that the temperature of the indoor coil does not exceed the preset temperature and the compressor shuts down, control the air conditioner to operate in a heating mode until the temperature of the indoor coil exceeds the preset temperature.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, the controller is further configured to: when the air conditioner is currently operating in a heating or air supply mode, determine whether the concentration of odor molecules exceeds a first preset concentration; When it is determined that the concentration of the odor molecules exceeds the first preset concentration, control the air deflector to rotate upward or downward to a preset opening degree, and control the sterilization and purification module to start running; When it is determined that the concentration of the odor molecules does not exceed the second preset concentration, do not control the opening degree of the air deflector and the sterilization and purification module.

4. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that after controlling the sterilization and purification module to start running, the controller is further configured to: when the concentration of the odor molecules does not exceed the second preset concentration, or when the start running time of the sterilization and purification module reaches a preset time, control the sterilization and purification module to stop running, and control the operating frequencies of the air deflector, the indoor fan, and the compressor to operate according to the parameters when the concentration of the odor molecules does not exceed the second preset concentration.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 4, characterized in that the controller is further configured to: when the concentration of the odor molecules exceeds the first preset concentration, control the display unit to display an anti-odor prompt message.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 5, characterized in that when controlling the display unit to display an anti-odor prompt message, the controller is specifically configured to: control the anti-odor indicator light to light up and / or control the display panel to display anti-odor text information.

7. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that the sterilization and purification module includes an ion ozone purification module and / or an ultraviolet sterilization module.

8. A control method for an air conditioner, characterized in that for the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1-7, the method includes the following steps: Obtain the current operating mode of the air conditioner, the concentration of odor molecules at the air outlet, and the temperature of the indoor coil; When the air conditioner is currently operating in a cooling or dehumidifying mode, determine whether the concentration of the odor molecules exceeds a first preset concentration; When it is determined that the concentration of the odor molecules exceeds the first preset concentration, control the rotational speed of the indoor fan to decrease to a preset rotational speed, control the air deflector to rotate upward or downward to a preset opening degree, control the sterilization and purification module to start running, and control the indoor fan to increase the rotational speed at a first preset rate; When it is determined that the concentration of the odor molecules does not exceed the second preset concentration, do not control the rotational speed of the indoor fan and the opening degree of the air deflector, so that the concentration of the odor molecules at the air outlet does not exceed the second preset concentration, where the first preset concentration is greater than the second preset concentration; Among them, when controlling the indoor fan to increase the rotational speed at a first preset rate, it further includes: Determine whether the temperature of the indoor coil exceeds a preset temperature; When it is determined that the temperature of the indoor coil exceeds the preset temperature, control the indoor fan to stop increasing the rotational speed; When it is determined that the temperature of the indoor coil does not exceed the preset temperature and the rotational speed of the indoor fan reaches the maximum rotational speed, control the compressor to decrease the operating frequency at a second preset rate.

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