A sterilization method for an air conditioner and an air conditioner

Abstract

The present application relates to air conditioning technical field, specifically provide a kind of sterilization method and air conditioner for air conditioner, the sterilization method of the present application includes: S10, when detecting that indoor temperature is less than first temperature threshold, control the inner fan by positive rotation state changes into stop state and reaches first preset time length, wherein in the first preset time length, the air conditioner is in heating state;S20, after passing the first preset time length, judge whether the temperature of the evaporator is greater than second temperature threshold;S30, if the temperature of the evaporator is greater than second temperature threshold, control the inner fan by stop state changes into reverse state and reaches second preset time length, so that air in air duct blows to the evaporator.The sterilization method of the present application does not cause air conditioner high load operation and sterilization effect is better.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of air conditioning technology, specifically providing a sterilization method for air conditioners and an air conditioner. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of society, people's requirements for air conditioning have gone beyond simply improving heating and cooling effects; they also have high demands for health. However, bacteria inevitably accumulate on indoor air conditioners, making air conditioner sterilization essential. Because of the dry autumn weather and the high frequency of air conditioning use in summer, dirt, dust, and bacteria can breed and accumulate inside the air conditioner. If not cleaned in time, this can lead to poor cooling performance, low airflow, and even system malfunctions, and can also affect human health.

[0003] Currently, when air conditioners perform high-temperature self-cleaning, the sterilization temperature during self-cleaning is a relatively difficult problem to solve. If the sterilization temperature is too low, it cannot effectively perform high-temperature sterilization. If the sterilization temperature is too high, it will put a heavy load on the compressor, which may cause the air conditioner to shut down due to high load during self-cleaning.

[0004] There is a need to develop an air conditioner sterilization method that does not cause the air conditioner to operate under high load and has a better sterilization effect. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To overcome the above-mentioned defects, the present invention provides a sterilization method and an air conditioner for air conditioners. The sterilization method does not cause the air conditioner to operate under high load and has a better sterilization effect.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a sterilization method for an air conditioner, the air conditioner comprising an evaporator and an indoor fan, the method comprising:

[0007] S10. When the indoor temperature is detected to be lower than the first temperature threshold, the indoor fan is controlled to change from forward rotation to stop for a first preset time, wherein the air conditioner is in heating mode during the first preset time.

[0008] S20. After the first preset time has elapsed, determine whether the temperature of the evaporator is greater than the second temperature threshold.

[0009] S30. If the temperature of the evaporator is greater than the second temperature threshold, control the internal fan to change from a stopped state to a reverse state for a second preset time, so that the air in the duct blows towards the evaporator.

[0010] Furthermore, the control of the internal fan to change from a stopped state to a reverse state for a second preset time includes:

[0011] The internal fan is controlled to rotate in reverse at a first speed for a first reverse duration.

[0012] The internal fan is controlled to reverse at a second speed for a second reverse duration.

[0013] Wherein, the first rotational speed is greater than the second rotational speed, and the sum of the first reversal duration and the second reversal duration is the second preset duration.

[0014] Furthermore, while controlling the internal fan to be in reverse for the second preset time period, the method further includes:

[0015] S40. Turn on the electric heater to heat the air in the duct.

[0016] Furthermore, if the temperature of the evaporator is not greater than the second temperature threshold, the method further includes: repeating step S10 until it is determined that the temperature of the evaporator is greater than the second temperature threshold.

[0017] Further, determining whether the temperature of the evaporator is greater than the second temperature threshold includes:

[0018] Obtain the temperature measured by the inner coil connected to the evaporator;

[0019] The measured temperature is compared with the second temperature threshold as the temperature of the evaporator.

[0020] Furthermore, the method also includes:

[0021] Repeat steps S10-S30 until the third preset duration is reached.

[0022] Furthermore, prior to step S10, the method further includes:

[0023] Set the air conditioner to cooling mode to cause the evaporator to frost;

[0024] When the evaporator reaches a preset frost level, the air conditioner is set to heating mode to defrost the evaporator.

[0025] In a second aspect, the present invention provides an air conditioner, comprising:

[0026] The first monitoring device is used to obtain the indoor temperature;

[0027] The second monitoring device is used to obtain the evaporator temperature;

[0028] The aforementioned control device.

[0029] In a third aspect, a control device is provided, comprising a processor and a storage device, the storage device being adapted to store a plurality of program codes, the program codes being adapted to be loaded and run by the processor to perform the sterilization method described in any of the above-described sterilization methods.

[0030] In a fourth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein a plurality of program codes are stored therein, the program codes being adapted to be loaded and run by a processor to perform the sterilization method described in any of the above-described sterilization methods.

[0031] The above-described technical solutions of the present invention have at least one or more of the following beneficial effects:

[0032] (1) The present invention first accumulates heat by stopping the internal fan, which can ensure that the heat is effectively accumulated without increasing the burden on the compressor. The internal fan reverses so that the heat flows through the evaporator fins to achieve the effect of high-temperature sterilization.

[0033] (2) When the internal fan reverses, it reverses at different speeds. The purpose of first reversing at high speed and then reversing at low speed is to run at high speed first so that the large amount of heat accumulated in the air duct can pass through the evaporator fins as soon as possible for sterilization, and then slowly pass through the evaporator fins to sterilize, thereby improving the degree of sterilization.

[0034] (3) After reversing, the electric heater is turned on to heat the air in the air duct and increase the temperature in the air duct. This allows the present invention to sterilize in the high-temperature environment inside the air conditioner, which is difficult to achieve in the prior art, greatly improving the sterilization effect and realizing the use of dual heating to qualitatively improve the temperature of the airflow passing through the evaporator fins. Attached Figure Description

[0035] The disclosure of this invention will become more readily understood with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that these drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this invention. Furthermore, similar numbers in the drawings are used to denote similar components, wherein:

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of some components of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating S10-S30 according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of controlling an internal fan to change from a stopped state to a reverse state for a second preset duration, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating S10-S40 according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the repetition of S10-S30 according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a process including frosting and defrosting according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] List of reference numerals :

[0044] 1. Evaporator, 2. Coil, 3. Electric heater, 4. Air duct and 5. Internal fan. Detailed Implementation

[0045] Some embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical principles of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0046] In the description of this invention, "module" and "processor" can include hardware, software, or a combination of both. A module can include hardware circuitry, various suitable sensors, communication ports, memory, and may also include software components, such as program code, or a combination of software and hardware. A processor can be a central processing unit, microprocessor, image processor, digital signal processor, or any other suitable processor. The processor has data and / or signal processing capabilities. The processor can be implemented in software, in hardware, or a combination of both. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media includes any suitable medium capable of storing program code, such as magnetic disks, hard disks, optical disks, flash memory, read-only memory, random access memory, etc. The term "A and / or B" means all possible combinations of A and B, such as only A, only B, or A and B. The terms "at least one A or B" or "at least one of A and B" have a similar meaning to "A and / or B" and can include only A, only B, or A and B. The singular terms "a" or "this" can also include plural forms.

[0047] This invention provides a sterilization method for air conditioners, referring to... Figure 1 The air conditioner includes an evaporator 1 and an indoor fan 5. Figure 1This illustration shows a common air conditioning structure in the prior art. The main differences between different brands and models of air conditioners lie in their appearance, while the relative positions and connections of the core components—air conditioner 1, coil 2, electric heater 3, air duct 4, and indoor fan 5—are essentially the same. Those skilled in the art can refer to this for further information. Figure 1 The relative positional and connection relationships of the above components can be understood.

[0048] This invention applies to a split-type air conditioner system, which consists of one outdoor unit and one indoor unit.

[0049] Figure 1 In the attached diagram, reference numeral 1 shows the finned structure of evaporator 1. The evaporator of the indoor unit of a split-type wall-mounted air conditioner is located inside the indoor unit; it can be seen after opening the air intake grille and air filter of the split-type wall-mounted air conditioner. Finned coil evaporators are commonly used in air conditioners. They are made by expanding fins onto copper tubes bent into an S-shape. The fin thickness is generally around 0.12-0.2 mm. The function of the fins is to increase the heat transfer area, thereby enhancing air turbulence and improving the heat transfer efficiency of the evaporator. This type of evaporator is a forced convection evaporator, relying on a fan to accelerate airflow through forced convection to complete heat exchange. It features robustness, high reliability, and good heat exchange performance.

[0050] An air conditioner evaporator is a type of evaporator. The function of an air conditioner evaporator is to utilize the easy evaporation of liquid low-temperature refrigerant under low pressure, turning it into vapor and absorbing heat from the medium being cooled, thus achieving the purpose of cooling. It relies on a fan to force air in the storage room to flow through cooling coils inside the unit for heat exchange, cooling the air and thus lowering the storage temperature. Among them, a dry-type air cooler is one where the refrigerant or heat transfer fluid flows inside the coils, cooling the air outside the coils through the coil walls; a wet-type air cooler is one where the sprayed liquid heat transfer fluid directly exchanges heat with the air; a mixed-type air cooler, in addition to cooling coils, also has a heat transfer fluid spraying device.

[0051] Figure 1 In the attached drawing, reference numeral 2 shows the coil 2, which is connected to the evaporator 1. In existing air conditioners, an indoor unit coil sensor is installed on the coil 2. The indoor unit coil sensor mainly detects the indoor unit coil temperature, prevents cold air in winter, and defrosts the outdoor unit (sometimes defrosting is done by the outdoor unit coil temperature).

[0052] To achieve intelligent control, air conditioners employ numerous negative temperature coefficient thermistors as sensors, installed in various parts of the unit. These sensors are broadly categorized into two types: temperature sensors and other sensors. Among them, the temperature sensor (temperature sensor) is essential in all types of air conditioners. The indoor unit coil temperature sensor is installed on coil 2.

[0053] Figure 1In the figure, reference numeral 3 shows the electric heater 3, which is located inside the evaporator 1. While its structure is not easily visible from the figure, its installation location will be understood by those skilled in the art. During winter heating, the medium is heated by the electric heater before entering the indoor terminal equipment, outputting heat. However, during summer operation, the medium does not need to flow through the auxiliary heater and directly enters the indoor terminal equipment, outputting cooling.

[0054] Figure 1 In the figure, reference numeral 4 indicates air duct 4.

[0055] Figure 1 In the attached diagram, reference numeral 5 shows the indoor fan 5, which is an integrated fan in the air conditioner. This indoor fan is a DC motor, and its speed and direction can be adjusted. It is controlled by a computer board. The main components of the indoor fan 5 include the casing, impeller, air inlet, and external rotor motor. The fan casing is made of galvanized steel sheet with a seam, and sometimes cold-rolled steel sheet is used. These materials and manufacturing processes result in a smoother appearance for the air conditioner and also extend its service life. The impeller needs to be aligned during manufacturing to achieve stable operation. The air inlet and external rotor motor are also manufactured using appropriate techniques.

[0056] Reference Figure 2 The method includes:

[0057] S10. When the indoor temperature is detected to be lower than the first temperature threshold, the indoor fan is controlled to change from forward rotation to stop for a first preset time, wherein the air conditioner is in heating mode during the first preset time.

[0058] During this process, the air conditioner heats up and accumulates heat within the first preset time period. This not only saves energy but also stores heat, making it more efficient to further increase the temperature later.

[0059] In one embodiment, the air conditioner is put into heating mode by activating the compressor to heat up.

[0060] In one embodiment, the first temperature threshold is set to 20°C. This is because when the indoor temperature is less than 20°C, the indoor temperature is low, and it is very difficult to perform high-temperature sterilization of the air conditioner at such a low temperature. This is because if the air conditioner wants to reach a higher temperature in a low-temperature environment, the load on the air conditioner compressor needs to be greatly increased. Therefore, this invention provides a technical solution to this technical difficulty.

[0061] Therefore, this invention is applicable to scenarios where low-temperature sterilization is difficult in the prior art, namely, application scenarios where the indoor temperature is below 20°C. It represents a major breakthrough in the field of air conditioning sterilization technology, achieving high-temperature sterilization at low room temperature.

[0062] If the temperature is above 20°C, a conventional high-temperature sterilization process will be performed.

[0063] In one embodiment, the first preset duration is 30 seconds.

[0064] S20. After the first preset time period, determine whether the temperature of the evaporator is greater than the second temperature threshold.

[0065] The judgment process in this step is very important, as it is a crucial link between the previous and subsequent judgments. If the second temperature threshold is not checked, the compressor will be overloaded if it runs for too long, and it will not be able to accumulate heat energy if it runs for too short a time.

[0066] In one embodiment, the second temperature threshold is 65°C. At this specific temperature, effective heat accumulation is achieved without increasing the burden on the compressor. The accumulated heat is the basis for subsequent processing steps and effective sterilization. Conventional air conditioners using forward-rotating compressors for heat sterilization can generally reach 56°C. This invention can determine whether the temperature is greater than 65°C at S20, thereby increasing the temperature and improving the sterilization effect.

[0067] S30. If the temperature of the evaporator is greater than the second temperature threshold, control the internal fan 5 to change from the stop state to the reverse state for a second preset time, so that the air in the air duct 4 is blown toward the evaporator 1.

[0068] The air conditioner can only kill bacteria when the temperature inside is relatively high, so the internal fan is controlled to change from a stopped state to a reverse state.

[0069] When the internal fan 5 is working normally, if it rotates forward, the hot air inside the air conditioner flows from the evaporator 1 fins to the electric heater to the air duct and then to the air outlet. If it rotates backward, the hot air flows from the air outlet to the air duct to the electric heater and then to the evaporator fins. It can be seen that rotating in both directions increases the effective sterilization of the evaporator.

[0070] In one embodiment, reference is made to Figure 3 The control of the internal fan to change from a stopped state to a reverse state for a second preset time includes:

[0071] The internal fan is controlled to rotate in reverse at a first speed for a first reverse duration.

[0072] The internal fan is controlled to reverse at a second speed for a second reverse duration.

[0073] In this invention, the first rotational speed is greater than the second rotational speed, and the sum of the first and second reverse rotation durations is the second preset duration. This invention organically combines high-speed and low-speed reverse rotation to achieve highly efficient sterilization.

[0074] In one implementation, the indoor fan first reverses at 800 rpm for 1 minute, then reverses at 650 rpm for 3 minutes. The purpose of this high-speed-then-low-speed reverse rotation is to quickly pass the large amount of heat accumulated in the air duct through the evaporator fins for sterilization, and then to slowly pass the accumulated heat through the evaporator fins for sterilization, thus improving the thoroughness of sterilization. If it runs at a low speed continuously, the indoor coil temperature may become too high, causing the compressor to receive a heating overload transmitted from the indoor coil, limiting the compressor frequency, and consequently resulting in an excessively low temperature. Conversely, if it runs at a high speed continuously, the airflow temperature passing through the evaporator will not be high enough. Therefore, this invention creatively proposes a technical solution combining high speed followed by low speed, which can improve the sterilization effect without increasing the burden on the air conditioner or causing heating overload.

[0075] In one embodiment, while controlling the internal fan to be in reverse state for a second preset time period, the method further includes:

[0076] S40. Turn on the electric heater to heat the air in the duct.

[0077] To facilitate a complete understanding of the technology of this invention, Figure 4 A flowchart of the present invention, including steps S40, is shown, and the flowchart includes steps S10-S40.

[0078] As shown in the figure, the method in this embodiment first utilizes heating to control the internal fan to reverse, allowing air with a relatively high temperature to pass through the evaporator inside the air conditioner. Then, the electric heater is turned on to further increase the air temperature inside the air conditioner. This allows the present invention to perform sterilization in a high-temperature environment inside the air conditioner that is difficult to achieve in existing technologies, greatly improving the sterilization effect. The use of a compressor plus an electric heater, aided by the reverse rotation of the internal fan, achieves dual heating, resulting in a significant increase in the temperature of the airflow passing through the fins. If only single heating is used, the temperature cannot be achieved to such a high level. Therefore, the present invention achieves a breakthrough in sterilization temperature.

[0079] In one application scenario, the compressor is first used to heat the air, and the internal fan is controlled to reverse. Then, the electric heater is turned on to further increase the temperature of the air inside the air conditioner. By using a specific method to heat the air in conjunction with the compressor and the electric heater, a sterilization temperature much higher than that of existing air conditioners is achieved, thus resulting in a superior sterilization effect.

[0080] In one embodiment, if the temperature of the evaporator is not greater than a second temperature threshold, the method further includes: repeating step S10 until it is determined that the temperature of the evaporator is greater than the second temperature threshold.

[0081] In one embodiment, determining whether the temperature of the evaporator is greater than a second temperature threshold includes:

[0082] Obtain the temperature measured by the inner coil connected to the evaporator;

[0083] The measured temperature is compared with the second temperature threshold as the temperature of the evaporator.

[0084] The indoor unit coil temperature sensor is installed on the coil 2 to obtain the temperature of the indoor unit coil. Since the evaporator and the indoor coil are connected in close proximity, the temperature of the indoor coil is approximately the same as that of the evaporator. Considering the convenience and cost of data acquisition, it is preferable to use the indoor unit coil temperature sensor that is commonly found in conventional air conditioners to obtain the temperature of the coil 2, which is approximately considered to be the temperature of the evaporator.

[0085] In one embodiment, reference is made to Figure 5 Repeat steps S10-S30 until the third preset duration is reached.

[0086] In one embodiment, the third preset duration is 60 minutes. The purpose of achieving the third preset duration is to ensure sufficient high-temperature sterilization time. Only when high-temperature gas flows through the air conditioner for a certain period of time can bacteria, fungi, microorganisms, etc., in the air conditioner be fully inactivated, thus achieving a sterilization effect.

[0087] The purpose of repeated operation is to stop the indoor fan, raise the temperature inside the air duct, and ensure that the hotter airflow passes through the evaporator fins. If it runs continuously, the electric heating will not be able to achieve a higher temperature because it operates at a single power. The purpose of repeated cycle heating is not to increase the burden on the compressor and to avoid local overheating of the internal components of the air conditioner, which could lead to damage.

[0088] Generally, higher temperatures result in better sterilization. However, excessively pursuing high temperatures does not meet energy conservation and environmental protection requirements and can easily damage the lifespan of the air conditioner. Similarly, repeatedly executing steps S10-S30 will continuously increase the sterilization effect, but if sterilization reaches a certain level, further repetition is unnecessary. Therefore, this invention sets a third preset duration. This third preset duration is not a simple, isolated setting, but rather complements the aforementioned method. Operating at a specific temperature for the third preset duration ensures both sterilization effectiveness and maximum energy saving, while better protecting the internal components of the air conditioner from damage. This has significant value for widespread application.

[0089] In one implementation scenario, the method of the present invention further includes step S50, controlling the internal fan to rotate forward for a first forward rotation duration.

[0090] In one implementation scenario, when the internal fan is controlled to rotate in the forward direction for the first forward rotation time, the method further includes step S60, turning on the electric heater to heat the air in the duct.

[0091] The forward rotation is used to kill bacteria in the air duct. Combined with the previous reverse rotation, it can more thoroughly and completely sterilize the air conditioner.

[0092] In one implementation scenario, the first forward pass lasts for 3 minutes.

[0093] In one implementation scenario, steps S10-S50 are repeated until the fourth preset time is reached. In this application scenario, the electric heater provides heat, which can substantially increase the air temperature inside the air conditioner, and the forward rotation, as a supplement to the reverse rotation, expands the sterilization range.

[0094] Compared to traditional self-cleaning sterilization, this invention makes better use of the heat provided by electric heating for high-temperature sterilization, and rotates at different speeds and directions. Different directions can more comprehensively sterilize all parts of the air conditioner indoor unit at high temperatures.

[0095] In one embodiment, prior to step S10, the method further includes:

[0096] S01 Sets the air conditioner to cooling mode to cause the evaporator to frost;

[0097] S02 When the frost level of the evaporator reaches the preset frost level, the air conditioner is set to heating mode to defrost the evaporator.

[0098] Reference Figure 6 In order to demonstrate the method of the present invention, Figure 6 Steps S01, S02, and S10-S30 are shown. The self-cleaning frosting and defrosting process in S01-S02 removes dust from the air conditioner, but cannot completely and effectively sterilize it. Steps S10-S30 perform deep sterilization. The frosting and defrosting process in S01-S02 provides a cleaning foundation for subsequent high-temperature sterilization.

[0099] Traditional self-cleaning systems rely solely on the heat from the heat exchange copper tubes for sterilization. However, in low-temperature indoor environments, it is difficult to achieve a high enough temperature within the air duct for effective sterilization. This invention first accumulates heat by stopping the internal fan. The internal fan then reverses at different speeds, allowing heat to flow through the evaporator fins, thus achieving high-temperature sterilization. More preferably, the electric heating is briefly activated to raise the temperature within the air duct. After the reverse rotation ends, the internal motor rotates forward to use the heat generated by the air conditioner and the electric heating to sterilize the bacteria within the air duct at high temperature.

[0100] Compared to traditional self-cleaning sterilization, it makes better use of the heat provided by electric heating for high-temperature sterilization; and it rotates at different speeds and directions. Different directions can more comprehensively sterilize all parts of the air conditioner indoor unit at high temperatures, and different speeds can better protect the internal components of the air conditioner from damage.

[0101] Comparative Example 1

[0102] Chinese Patent Application No. 201910555544.7 discloses an air conditioner and its cleaning and sterilization method. This Comparative Example 1 is cleaned and sterilized according to the method of the patent.

[0103] The advantages of this invention and Comparative Example 1 are that, although Comparative Example 1 reverses the heat discharge so that dust, impurities and bacterial residues in the indoor unit can be accurately blown to the surface of the indoor heat exchanger, its heating method cannot achieve high-temperature sterilization and cannot effectively sterilize. Therefore, this invention makes better use of the heat provided by electric heating for high-temperature sterilization. Moreover, through specific logic control of the sterilization method, by using specific speed and direction, it can more comprehensively sterilize all parts of the air conditioner indoor unit at high temperature. Different speeds can better protect the internal components of the air conditioner from damage.

[0104] The comparative method provides a single reverse sterilization process, which cannot protect the internal components of the air conditioner from damage and is also difficult to achieve the ideal high temperature.

[0105] The key point of Comparative Example 1 is to use gas at a certain temperature and an internal fan to blow air, so as to achieve dynamic cleaning and shallow sterilization of dust, impurities and bacterial residues. However, the core sterilization effect of this invention is not cleaning. The key technical point is to provide a high temperature that the air conditioner can just withstand, and this high temperature environment can be scientifically accumulated and released without damaging the components.

[0106] Reference Figure 7 The present invention also provides an air conditioner, comprising:

[0107] The first monitoring device is used to obtain the indoor temperature;

[0108] The second monitoring device is used to acquire the evaporator temperature; in one embodiment, the second monitoring device is an indoor unit coil temperature sensor installed at the coil location. Since the air conditioner evaporator has a built-in temperature sensor at the coil location, the coil temperature can be detected without increasing costs; the coil temperature is approximately equal to the temperature of the evaporator fins, because the fin temperature is the heat transferred from the inner coil.

[0109] The control device described above in this invention.

[0110] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the processes in the method of the above embodiment of the present invention can also be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed by a processor, it can implement the steps of the various method embodiments described above. The computer program includes computer program code, which can be in the form of source code, object code, executable file, or some intermediate form. The computer-readable storage medium can include any entity or device capable of carrying the computer program code, a medium, a USB flash drive, a portable hard drive, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a computer memory, a read-only memory, a random access memory, an electrical carrier signal, a telecommunication signal, and a software distribution medium, etc. It should be noted that the content included in the computer-readable storage medium can be appropriately added or removed according to the requirements of legislation and patent practice in the jurisdiction. For example, in some jurisdictions, according to legislation and patent practice, the computer-readable storage medium does not include electrical carrier signals and telecommunication signals.

[0111] Furthermore, the present invention also provides a control device. In one embodiment of the control device according to the present invention, the control device includes a processor and a storage device. The storage device can be configured to store a program for executing the sterilization method of the above-described method embodiments, and the processor can be configured to execute the program in the storage device. The program includes, but is not limited to, the program for executing the sterilization method of the above-described method embodiments. For ease of explanation, only the parts related to the embodiments of the present invention are shown; for specific technical details not disclosed, please refer to the method section of the embodiments of the present invention. This control device can be a control device device comprising various electronic devices.

[0112] Furthermore, the present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium. In one embodiment of the computer-readable storage medium according to the present invention, the computer-readable storage medium can be configured to store a program for performing the sterilization method of the above-described method embodiments, the program being loaded and run by a processor to implement the sterilization method. For ease of explanation, only the parts related to the embodiments of the present invention are shown; for specific technical details not disclosed, please refer to the method section of the embodiments of the present invention. The computer-readable storage medium can be a storage device comprising various electronic devices. Optionally, in the embodiments of the present invention, the computer-readable storage medium is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

[0113] Furthermore, it should be understood that since the various modules are only provided to illustrate the functional units of the device of the present invention, the physical devices corresponding to these modules may be the processor itself, or a part of the processor's software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. Therefore, the number of modules shown in the figures is merely illustrative.

[0114] Those skilled in the art will understand that the various modules in the device can be adaptively split or combined. Such splitting or combining of specific modules will not cause the technical solution to deviate from the principles of the present invention; therefore, the technical solutions after splitting or combining will fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0115] The technical solution of the present invention has been described above with reference to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of protection of the present invention is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the principles of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make equivalent changes or substitutions to the relevant technical features, and the technical solutions after such changes or substitutions will all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A sterilization method for an air conditioner, the air conditioner comprising an evaporator and an indoor fan, characterized in that, The method includes: S10. When the indoor temperature is detected to be lower than the first temperature threshold, the indoor fan is controlled to change from forward rotation to stop for a first preset time, wherein the air conditioner is in heating mode during the first preset time. S20. After the first preset time has elapsed, determine whether the temperature of the evaporator is greater than the second temperature threshold. S30. If the temperature of the evaporator is greater than the second temperature threshold, control the internal fan to change from the stop state to the reverse state for a second preset time, so that the air in the air duct blows towards the evaporator. The control of the internal fan to change from a stopped state to a reverse state for a second preset time includes: The internal fan is controlled to rotate in reverse at a first speed for a first reverse duration. The internal fan is controlled to reverse at a second speed for a second reverse duration. Wherein, the first rotational speed is greater than the second rotational speed, and the sum of the first reversal duration and the second reversal duration is the second preset duration; The method further includes: Repeat steps S10-S30 until the third preset duration is reached.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Within the second preset time period during which the internal fan is controlled to be in reverse rotation, the method further includes: S40. Turn on the electric heater to heat the air in the duct.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, If the temperature of the evaporator is not greater than the second temperature threshold, the method further includes: repeating step S10 until it is determined that the temperature of the evaporator is greater than the second temperature threshold.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of determining whether the temperature of the evaporator is greater than the second temperature threshold includes: Obtain the temperature measured by the inner coil connected to the evaporator; The measured temperature is compared with the second temperature threshold as the temperature of the evaporator.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Prior to step S10, the method further includes: Set the air conditioner to cooling mode to cause the evaporator to frost; When the evaporator reaches a preset frost level, the air conditioner is set to heating mode to defrost the evaporator.

6. A control device, comprising a processor and a storage device, said storage device being adapted to store a plurality of program codes, characterized in that, The program code is adapted to be loaded and run by the processor to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. An air conditioner, characterized in that, include: The first monitoring device is used to obtain the indoor temperature; The second monitoring device is used to obtain the evaporator temperature; The control device according to claim 6.

8. A computer-readable storage medium storing a plurality of program codes, characterized in that, The program code is adapted to be loaded and run by a processor to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 5.

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