Dust removal device, air conditioner, and dust removal method

Abstract

The application discloses a dust removal device, an air conditioner and a dust removal method, which comprise the following parts: an outer frame, which is installed on an air conditioner outdoor unit and is provided with guide rails on opposite sides; a guide vane support, which is installed on the outer frame and can slide along the guide rails; a guide vane assembly, which is partially located on an air duct of the air conditioner outdoor unit and can be driven by air power on the air duct of the outdoor unit to drive the guide vane support to slide back and forth along the guide rails; and a dust removal brush, which is installed on the guide vane support and moves with the guide vane support to clean a heat exchanger of the air conditioner outdoor unit. The dust removal device is provided with the outer frame, the guide vane support, the guide vane assembly, the dust removal brush and a locking device, the air power generated by the operation of an outdoor fan drives the guide vane of the guide vane assembly to drive the guide vane support and the dust removal brush to move up and down, the condenser can be kept clean, the system capacity is not affected, and a good working state is maintained.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automatic dust removal, and in particular to a dust removal device, an air conditioner, and a dust removal method. Background Technology

[0002] Air conditioner outdoor units are installed on the exterior of building walls and are exposed to the outdoor environment for extended periods. This makes it easy for dust to accumulate on the unit and condenser. Furthermore, due to their installation location, it's difficult to clean the dust adhering to the condenser fins. The large amount of dust deposited on the condenser fins affects heat exchange between the condenser and the air, leading to a decrease in the air conditioning unit's capacity and increased power consumption.

[0003] Most existing automatic dust removal devices for condensers require motor drive, which reduces the capacity of the air conditioning unit and increases its power consumption. To solve these problems, an automatic dust removal and energy-saving device that does not increase the power consumption of the unit is now adopted, so as to keep the unit in the best working condition. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to solve the technical problem of high energy consumption in the existing dust removal devices, the present invention proposes a dust removal device, an air conditioner, and a dust removal method.

[0005] The technical solution adopted in this invention is:

[0006] This invention proposes a dust removal device, comprising:

[0007] The outer frame is installed on the outdoor unit of the air conditioner and has guide rails on both sides.

[0008] The air guide plate bracket is mounted on the outer frame and can slide along the guide rail;

[0009] The air guide assembly is partially located on the air duct of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner. It can be driven by the airflow in the air duct of the outdoor unit to move the air guide plate bracket back and forth along the guide rail.

[0010] The dust removal brush is mounted on the air guide plate bracket and moves with the air guide plate bracket to clean the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner.

[0011] Furthermore, the air guide plate bracket includes:

[0012] A sliding rod, mounted on the outer frame, can slide along the guide rail;

[0013] The mounting base is connected to the slide rod and has a rotating shaft that is parallel to the slide rod and can rotate at a preset angle.

[0014] Furthermore, the air guiding assembly includes:

[0015] An air guide plate is installed on the rotating shaft. When the air guide plate rotates to the first state, it is driven by the wind to provide upward force, and when the air guide plate rotates to the second state, it is driven by the wind to provide downward force.

[0016] Deflecting baffles are installed at the top and bottom of the outer frame. The top deflecting baffle moves the air guide plate from the first state to the second state when the air guide plate moves to the top of the outer frame, and the bottom deflecting baffle moves the air guide plate from the second state to the first state when the air guide plate moves to the bottom of the outer frame.

[0017] Furthermore, it also includes a locking device that restricts the movement of the air guide plate bracket after it is opened.

[0018] Furthermore, the locking device includes: a metal baffle mounted on the outer frame that can pop out into the guide rail, and a coil mounted on the outer frame to attract the metal baffle.

[0019] Furthermore, the outer frame is located between the heat exchanger and the fan inside the outdoor unit of the air conditioner, and is parallel to the surface of the heat exchanger to be cleaned.

[0020] The present invention also proposes an air conditioner including the aforementioned dust removal device.

[0021] The present invention also proposes a dust removal method for an air conditioner using a dust removal device, comprising the following steps:

[0022] When the fan is running, determine if the heat exchanger is clogged. If so, activate the locking device for a first preset time; otherwise, return to the judgment step.

[0023] Furthermore, after the locking device is opened for a preset time, it accumulates one cleaning cycle and determines whether the current cleaning cycle is greater than the preset cycle. If so, it issues a maintenance prompt; otherwise, it returns to the step of determining whether the heat exchanger is clogged.

[0024] Furthermore, the specific steps for determining whether the heat exchanger is clogged include: detecting the current and power of the fan, determining whether the current is greater than or equal to a preset current value, or whether the current power is greater than or equal to a preset power value; if so, determining that the heat exchanger is clogged; if not, determining that the heat exchanger is normal.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the present invention, by setting an outer frame, air guide plate bracket, air guide assembly, dust removal brush and locking device, uses the wind force generated by the operation of the outdoor fan to make the air guide plate of the air guide assembly drive the air guide plate bracket and dust removal brush to move up and down, which can keep the condenser clean and the system capacity unaffected, maintaining a good working condition. Attached Figure Description

[0026] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the dust removal device installation in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the dust removal device structure in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the upward force in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of downward force application in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a specific method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of a method for determining condenser blockage according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] 1. Heat exchanger; 2. Baffle plate; 3. Guide rail; 4. Air guide plate; 5. Dust removal brush; 6. Locking device; 7. Air guide plate bracket; 9. Outer frame. Detailed Implementation

[0034] To make the technical problems to be solved, the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0035] The principles and structure of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0036] Air conditioner outdoor units are installed on the exterior of building walls and are exposed to the outdoor environment for extended periods. This makes it easy for dust to accumulate on the unit and condenser. Furthermore, due to their installation location, it's difficult to clean the dust adhering to the condenser fins. The large amount of dust deposited on the condenser fins affects heat exchange between the condenser and the air, leading to a decrease in the air conditioning unit's capacity and increased power consumption.

[0037] Most existing automatic dust removal devices for condensers require motor drive, which reduces the capacity of the air conditioning unit and increases its power consumption. To solve these problems, an automatic dust removal and energy-saving device that does not increase the power consumption of the unit is now adopted, so as to keep the unit in the best working condition.

[0038] like Figure 1-6 As shown, this invention proposes a dust removal device, an air conditioner, and a dust removal method, specifically including an outer frame 9, an air guide plate bracket 7, an air guide assembly, a dust removal brush 5, and a locking device 6. The outer frame 9 has guide rails 3 on its left and right inner sides. The air guide plate bracket 7 is mounted on the guide rails 3 of the outer frame and can slide up and down. The air guide plate bracket 7 is equipped with the dust removal brush 5 and part of the air guide assembly. The locking device 6 is installed on the inner side of the air guide plate guide rail 3.

[0039] The outer frame 9 is installed on the outdoor unit of the air conditioner, located between the heat exchanger 1 and the fan inside the outdoor unit of the air conditioner, and is parallel to the surface of the heat exchanger 1 to be cleaned. The outer frame 9 is rectangular, and the left and right frames are provided with guide rails 3 on their inner sides to limit the range of motion of the air guide assembly, so that the air guide plate bracket 7 can move up and down smoothly along the guide rails 3.

[0040] The air guide plate bracket 7 includes a sliding rod and a mounting base. The sliding rod has sliders at both ends, is mounted on the guide rail 3 of the outer frame, and can slide within the guide rail 3. The mounting base is connected to the sliding rod. A long rod parallel to the sliding rod and capable of rotation passes through the middle of the mounting base, serving as the pivot of the air guide plate 4. The pivot can rotate at a preset angle, causing the air guide plate 4 of the air guide plate assembly to be in either a first or second state. Specific limiting structures are common in existing technologies. For example, a protruding strip that follows the rotation of the pivot is provided on the outer side of the pivot. Two limiting pins are located near the pivot on the mounting base, restricting the movement of the protruding strip to between the two limiting pins, limiting the pivot's rotation to between 45° forward and 45° backward (the axis is the vertical line of the pivot's end face). A dust removal brush 5 is horizontally fixed at the end of the mounting base. The dust removal brush 5 is rectangular in shape, and its slender structure can extend into the fin gaps of the condenser. Driven by the air guide plate bracket 7, it moves up and down to achieve vertical dust removal.

[0041] The fan speed of an air conditioner outdoor unit is generally above 1000 rpm. The static pressure inside the outdoor unit is high, so the wind force acting on the air guide plate provides enough upward or downward thrust to push the air guide plate bracket back and forth.

[0042] The air guiding assembly includes an air guide plate 4 and a deflector baffle 2. The air guide plate 4 is mounted on the rotating shaft of the air guide plate bracket 7 and is located on the air duct of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner. When the air guide plate 4 rotates to the first state, it is provided with upward force by the wind. When the air guide plate 4 rotates to the second state, it is provided with downward force by the wind. The air guide plate 4 consists of three small rectangular air guide plates. Each small air guide plate has a central hole in the middle part for fixing to the rotating shaft of the air guide plate bracket 7. After fixing, the air guide plate 4 can move with the air guide plate bracket 7. For example, the air guide plate 4 can only rotate 45° forward (first state) and 45° backward (second state) under the restriction of the rotating shaft. Since the air field at the condenser has a suction characteristic when the unit is running, the air blows from the outside to the condenser. Thus, the wind force generated by the operation of the outdoor fan causes the air guide plate 4 to be driven by the air guide plate bracket 7 and the dust removal brush 5 to move in the guide rail 3.

[0043] The deflector 2 is a right-angle deflector. One deflector 2 is installed in the middle of the upper frame and the middle of the lower frame of the outer casing to control the force direction of the air guide plate 4. Because the airflow at the heat exchanger 1 has a suction characteristic, the air blowing from the outside towards the heat exchanger 1 exerts a force on the air guide plate 4. When the air guide plate 4 is at a positive 45° angle, it is driven upwards by the wind. When the air guide plate bracket 7 slides to the upper end of the guide rail 3, the deflector 2 presses against the air guide plate 4, and the air guide plate 4 is continuously subjected to the force of the wind, causing it to rotate to a negative 45° angle. When the air guide plate 4 is at a negative 45° angle, it is driven downwards by the wind. When the air guide plate bracket 7 slides to the bottom of the guide rail 3, the deflector 2 again changes the force direction of the air guide plate 4, causing the air guide plate bracket 7 to slide upwards. This cycle repeats continuously, achieving a cleaning effect.

[0044] The dust removal device also includes a locking device 6, which can restrict the movement of the air guide plate bracket 7 when closed, and does not restrict the movement of the air guide plate bracket 7 when opened.

[0045] In a specific embodiment, the locking device 6 includes a metal sheet, a spring, a coil, and a relay. A rectangular metal sheet is located inside the lower right side of the outer frame 9 of the air deflector. One end of the metal sheet is connected to a spring, which controls one end of the metal sheet to pop out into the guide rail 3. The coil is mounted on the outer frame 9, corresponding to the position of the metal sheet, and is connected to a relay. The unit uses the relay to control the coil's energization to control the metal sheet's attraction and release. When cleaning is not required, the locking device 6 is closed, the coil is de-energized, and the metal sheet is popped out by the spring into the guide rail 3, locking the air deflector bracket 7 and the air deflector 4 at the bottom, preventing them from moving up and down. When cleaning is required, the locking device 6 is opened, the coil is energized to control the metal sheet's attraction, allowing the air deflector bracket 7 and the air deflector 4 to move up and down, driving the dust removal brush 5 to clean the condenser.

[0046] The dust removal device can also be equipped with a pull-out dust collection box that can be placed at the bottom of the air conditioner to collect the dust swept down by the dust removal device, preventing the dust from running around and making cleaning easier.

[0047] The present invention also proposes an air conditioner that includes the above-described dust removal device.

[0048] An air conditioner specifically includes an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, with a dust removal device installed on the outdoor unit.

[0049] The present invention also includes a dust removal method using the above-mentioned air conditioner, specifically comprising the following steps:

[0050] When the air conditioning unit is turned on, the cleaning count is reset to zero, and the second preset time is run while the fan is running, it is determined whether the heat exchanger is dirty or clogged. If so, the locking device is opened for the first preset time, allowing the air guide plate bracket to slide back and forth along the guide rail to clean the heat exchanger; if not, the process returns to the step of determining whether the fan is running.

[0051] Specifically, when the air conditioner is in cooling or heating mode, the fan is running. When in defrosting mode, the outdoor unit's fan is off. Therefore, it can be directly determined whether the air conditioning unit is defrosting. If so, it means that the fan is not running, and the process returns to the second preset time. If not, it means that the fan is running.

[0052] Furthermore, after the locking device 6 is opened for the first preset time in the above steps, the number of cleaning times is accumulated, and it is determined whether the current number of cleaning times is greater than the preset number. If so, a maintenance prompt is reported; otherwise, the process returns to the step of determining whether the heat exchanger 1 is clogged.

[0053] Specifically, the steps for determining whether heat exchanger 1 is clogged include: detecting the real-time current and real-time power of the fan, determining whether the current real-time current is greater than or equal to the current preset value, or whether the current real-time power is greater than or equal to the power preset value. If yes, the heat exchanger 1 is determined to be clogged; if no, the heat exchanger 1 is determined to be normal.

[0054] The specific implementation examples are as follows:

[0055] When the air conditioner is turned on, it starts running, and the cleaning cycle is reset to zero. After 10 minutes, the unit's main program determines whether the unit is defrosting. If defrosting is in progress, it indicates that the fan is not running, and the determination is repeated every 10 minutes. If the unit is not defrosting, it indicates that the fan is running. The main board monitors the fan's real-time current and power to see if they exceed preset values. If the fan's real-time current and power are not higher than preset values, the determination is repeated continuously. If the fan's real-time current and power exceed preset values, it indicates that the condenser is clogged, and the locking device is activated for 10 minutes. Because the unit is running, the airflow at the condenser has a suction characteristic, blowing air from the outside towards the condenser. This utilizes the airflow generated by the outdoor fan to drive the air guide plate 4. The air deflector bracket 7 and the dust removal brush 5 move within the guide rail 3. When the air deflector 4 moves to the upper end, it encounters the deflector baffle 2 and continues to be subjected to the force of the wind, causing the direction of the force on the air deflector 4 to change downward at 45°. When the air deflector 4 moves to the lower end, it encounters the deflector baffle 2 and continues to be subjected to the force of the wind, causing the direction of the force on the air deflector 4 to change upward at 45°. The air deflector 4 drives the air deflector bracket 7 and the dust removal brush 5 to move up and down repeatedly within the range of the guide rail 3 to clean the dust on the condenser fins. After cleaning the dust on the condenser fins for 10 minutes, the condenser is re-evaluated for whether it is clogged. If it is still clogged after three consecutive dust removals, the dust removal is stopped, the locking device 6 is closed, the automatic dust removal device is disengaged, and the user is prompted that the outdoor unit is clogged and that after-sales personnel can be contacted for repair.

[0056] This invention, by setting up an outer frame 9, an air guide plate bracket 7, an air guide assembly, a dust removal brush 5, and a locking device 6, utilizes the wind force generated by the operation of an outdoor fan to cause the air guide plate 4 of the air guide assembly to move up and down, thereby keeping the condenser clean and ensuring that the system capacity is not affected, maintaining a good working condition. It should be noted that the terminology used above is for describing specific embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments of the invention. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0057] It should be noted that the terminology used above is for describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments of the present invention. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0058] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention. It should also be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Techniques, methods, and devices known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and devices should be considered part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0059] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by directional terms such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" is generally based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention; the directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0060] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above," "on top of," "on the upper surface of," "above," etc., are used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature as shown in the figures to other devices or features. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations in use or operation beyond the orientation of the device as described in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures were inverted, a device described as "above" or "on top of" other devices or structures would subsequently be positioned as "below" or "under" other devices or structures. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." The device may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0061] Furthermore, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to define components is merely for the purpose of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this invention.

[0062] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A dust removal device, characterized in that, include: The outer frame is installed on the outdoor unit of the air conditioner and is equipped with guide rails; The air guide plate bracket is mounted on the outer frame and can slide along the guide rail; The air guide assembly, the moving part of which is located on the air duct of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner, can be driven by the air force on the air duct of the outdoor unit to drive the air guide plate bracket to slide back and forth along the guide rail; A dust removal brush, mounted on the air guide plate bracket, moves with the air guide plate bracket to clean the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner.

2. The dust removal device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The air guide plate bracket includes: A sliding rod, mounted on the outer frame, can slide along the guide rail; The mounting base is connected to the slide rod and has a rotating shaft that is parallel to the slide rod and can rotate at a preset angle.

3. The dust removal device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The air guide assembly includes: An air guide plate is installed on the rotating shaft. When the air guide plate rotates to the first state, it is driven by the wind to provide upward force, and when the air guide plate rotates to the second state, it is driven by the wind to provide downward force. Deflecting baffles are installed at the top and bottom of the outer frame. The top deflecting baffle moves the air guide plate from the first state to the second state when the air guide plate moves to the top of the outer frame, and the bottom deflecting baffle moves the air guide plate from the second state to the first state when the air guide plate moves to the bottom of the outer frame.

4. The dust removal device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a locking device that restricts the movement of the air guide plate bracket after it is opened.

5. The dust removal device as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The locking device includes: a metal baffle mounted on the outer frame that can pop out into the guide rail, and a coil mounted on the outer frame to attract the metal baffle.

6. The dust removal device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The outer frame is located between the heat exchanger and the fan inside the outdoor unit of the air conditioner, and is parallel to the surface of the heat exchanger to be cleaned.

7. An air conditioner, characterized in that, Includes the dust removal device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A dust removal method, characterized in that, Using the air conditioner of claim 7 includes the following steps: When the fan is running, check if the heat exchanger is clogged. If so, open the locking device for a first preset time to allow the air guide plate bracket to slide back and forth along the guide rail to clean the heat exchanger. If not, return to the judgment step. The locking device can restrict the movement of the air guide plate bracket when closed, and does not restrict the movement of the air guide plate bracket when opened.

9. The dust removal method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, After the locking device is activated for a first preset time, it accumulates one cleaning cycle and determines whether the current cleaning cycle is greater than the preset cycle. If so, it issues a maintenance prompt; otherwise, it returns to the step of determining whether the heat exchanger is clogged.

10. The dust removal method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The specific steps for determining whether the heat exchanger is clogged include: detecting the current and power of the fan, determining whether the current is greater than or equal to the current preset value, or whether the current power is greater than or equal to the power preset value. If yes, the heat exchanger is determined to be clogged; if no, the heat exchanger is determined to be normal.

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