Air conditioner control method and air conditioner

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of air conditioner protection accessories, in particular to an air conditioner control method and an air conditioner. The air conditioner comprises an outdoor unit, the outdoor unit comprises a unit body and a protective cover, an air inlet allowing ambient air to enter and an air outlet allowing ambient air to be exhausted are formed in the unit body, and the protective cover is connected with a driving mechanism so that at least part of the protective cover can shield at least part of the air inlet in the unfolded state and expose at least part of the air inlet in the folded state; the control method comprises the steps that the environment humidity of the outdoor space is detected; and according to the environment humidity of the outdoor space, the driving mechanism is controlled to promote the protective cover to be unfolded or folded. The problem that dust easily enters an outdoor unit with a protective cover in the prior art is solved, meanwhile, the service life of a filter in the outdoor unit can be prolonged, and the purpose of improving user experience is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] The outdoor unit of the combined air conditioner and the outdoor unit of the air handling unit are generally placed on an open outdoor platform, so that the air inlet is also directly exposed to the outdoor environment. In particular, the air inlet of the general outdoor unit is on the vertical surface of the cabinet. Therefore, when encountering severe weather such as rain, snow, sand and dust, environmental harmful substances such as rain, snow, sand and dust will be sucked into the air inlet of the outdoor unit, causing damage to the outdoor unit, or even causing the outdoor unit to fail to operate normally.

[0003] In order to meet the air inlet protection requirements of the above-mentioned outdoor unit, the prior art proposes a solution of adding a protective cover to the outdoor unit. The protective cover is formed by sheet metal and is directly fixed on the outdoor unit to form a fixed eaves structure on the upper side of the air inlet of the outdoor unit, and form a downward or oblique air guide duct in front of the air inlet to prevent environmental harmful substances from directly entering the air inlet.

[0004] However, the downward or diagonally downward air duct will cause the air inlet of the outdoor unit to be too close to the ground of the outdoor platform, resulting in that when the outdoor weather is good, the dust and floating dust on the outdoor platform will easily be sucked into the air inlet of the outdoor unit, reducing the service life of the filter in the outdoor unit. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present invention is proposed to provide an air conditioner control method and air conditioner that overcome the above problems or at least partially solve the above problems, which can solve the problem that dust easily enters the outdoor unit with a protective cover, thereby achieving the purpose of improving user experience.

[0006] Specifically, the present invention provides a control method for an air conditioner, the air conditioner comprising an outdoor unit, the outdoor unit comprising a body and a protective cover, the body forming an air inlet for taking in ambient air and an air outlet for discharging ambient air, the protective cover being connected to a driving mechanism to cause at least a portion of the protective cover to cover at least a portion of the air inlet in an extended state, and to expose at least a portion of the air inlet in a retracted state; and

[0007] The control method comprises:

[0008] Detect the ambient humidity of outdoor spaces;

[0009] The driving mechanism is controlled according to the ambient humidity of the outdoor space to promote the deployment or folding of the protective cover.

[0010] Optionally, controlling the driving mechanism according to the ambient humidity of the outdoor space includes:

[0011] Get humidity threshold;

[0012] determining whether the ambient humidity is not lower than the humidity threshold,

[0013] If so, the driving mechanism is controlled to run in the direction of unfolding the protective cover.

[0014] Optionally, in response to the ambient humidity being lower than the humidity threshold, determining whether the protective cover is in an expanded state,

[0015] If so, the driving mechanism is controlled to run in the direction of folding the protective cover.

[0016] Optionally, controlling the driving mechanism according to the ambient humidity of the outdoor space includes:

[0017] Get weather forecast data;

[0018] Determine whether the weather conditions meet the set conditions according to the weather forecast data,

[0019] If not, the driving mechanism is controlled to cause the protective cover to be in a folded state.

[0020] Optionally, in response to the weather forecast data determining that the weather condition reaches a set condition, determining whether the air inlet humidity of the outdoor unit reaches a standard according to the ambient humidity,

[0021] If so, the driving mechanism is controlled to run in the direction of unfolding the protective cover.

[0022] Optionally, obtaining the humidity threshold comprises:

[0023] Get weather forecast data;

[0024] Determine whether the weather conditions meet the set conditions according to the weather forecast data,

[0025] If so, the humidity threshold is modified according to the weather forecast data.

[0026] Optionally, the step of correcting the humidity threshold according to the ambient humidity includes:

[0027] In response to the weather condition reaching a set condition, obtaining the ambient humidity of the outdoor space and storing it as a historical ambient humidity;

[0028] The humidity threshold is modified according to the historical ambient humidity.

[0029] Optionally, the step of correcting the humidity threshold according to the historical ambient humidity includes:

[0030] Obtaining a periodic time for recording the historical ambient humidity;

[0031] In response to the current time being at a set time node of the regular time, the humidity threshold is corrected according to the historical environmental humidity within the set regular time.

[0032] The present invention also provides an air conditioner, comprising:

[0033] an outdoor unit, the outdoor unit comprising a body and a protective cover, the body forming an air inlet for taking in ambient air and an air outlet for exhausting ambient air, the protective cover being connected to a driving mechanism so as to cause at least a portion of the protective cover to cover at least a portion of the air inlet in an extended state and to expose at least a portion of the air inlet in a retracted state; and

[0034] A controller, the controller comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a machine executable program, and the machine executable program, when executed by the processor, implements any one of the above control methods.

[0035] Optionally, the protective cover comprises:

[0036] A flexible cover body, wherein both ends of the flexible cover body respectively form an opening, wherein one opening is sleeved and fixed on the air inlet;

[0037] A rigid bracket is connected to the edge of the other opening of the flexible cover body and is connected to the machine body via the pitch and swing of the driving mechanism, so that when the driving mechanism drives the rigid bracket to rise, the flexible cover body is folded together; when the driving mechanism drives the rigid bracket to fall down, the flexible cover body is unfolded.

[0038] In the control method of the air conditioner of the present invention, since the protective cover is movable, the driving mechanism can be controlled to drive the protective cover to be unfolded according to the ambient humidity of the outdoor space, and the driving mechanism can be controlled to drive the protective cover to be folded according to the ambient humidity of the outdoor space. Therefore, when the weather is good and there is no need to protect the air inlet, the protective cover can be placed in a folded state, thereby avoiding dust collection on the outer surface of the protective cover. Therefore, the present invention solves the problem of dust easily entering the outdoor unit with a protective cover in the prior art, and at the same time can increase the service life of the filter in the outdoor unit and achieve the purpose of improving user experience. In addition, the control method of the present invention has the beneficial effect that the control procedure is simple and easy to execute.

[0039] In the air conditioner of the present invention, since the outdoor unit is provided with a movable protective cover, the protective cover can be unfolded or folded under the action of a driving mechanism. When the protective cover is in an unfolded state, it can prevent or reduce environmental harmful substances such as rain, snow, sand and dust from being sucked into the air inlet of the outdoor unit, causing damage to the outdoor unit, or even causing the outdoor unit to be unable to operate normally. When the weather is good and there is no need to protect the air inlet, the protective cover can be folded to avoid dust collection on the outer surface of the protective cover. The present invention solves the problem of dust easily entering the outdoor unit with a protective cover in the prior art, and at the same time can increase the service life of the filter in the outdoor unit and achieve the purpose of improving user experience.

[0040] Based on the following detailed description of specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will become more aware of the above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] Hereinafter, some specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail in an exemplary and non-limiting manner with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the accompanying drawings indicate the same or similar components or parts. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the accompanying drawings:

[0042] Figure 1 is a schematic flow chart of an air conditioner control method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 2 is a schematic flow chart of an air conditioner control method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 3 is a schematic flow chart of an air conditioner control method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 4 is a schematic flow chart of an air conditioner control method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 5 is a schematic flow chart of an air conditioner control method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 6 is a schematic flow chart of an air conditioner control method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 7 is a schematic flow chart of an air conditioner control method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 8 is a schematic structural diagram of an outdoor unit in an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] Refer to the following Figures 1 to 8 To describe the air conditioner control method and air conditioner of the embodiment of the present invention. In the description of this embodiment, it should be understood that 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 number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features, that is, include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "multiple" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined. When a feature "includes or contains" one or some of the features it covers, unless otherwise specifically described, this indicates that other features are not excluded and other features may be further included.

[0051] Unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the terms "set", "install", "connect", "connect", "fix", "couple" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral one; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. A person skilled in the art should be able to understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0052] In addition, in the description of this embodiment, the first feature being "above" or "below" the second feature may include the first and second features being in direct contact, or may include the first and second features not being in direct contact but being in contact through another feature between them. That is, in the description of this embodiment, the first feature being "above", "above", and "above" the second feature includes the first feature being directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. The first feature being "below", "below", or "below" the second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0053] In the description of the present embodiment, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0054] Figure 1is a schematic flow chart of the air conditioner control method, such as Figure 1 As shown, and refer to Figures 2 to 8 , an embodiment of the present invention provides a control method for an air conditioner.

[0055] The air conditioner includes an outdoor unit, and the outdoor unit includes a body 10 and a protective cover 20 .

[0056] The housing 10 forms an air inlet 11 for taking in ambient air and an air outlet 12 for exhausting ambient air.

[0057] The protective cover 20 is connected to the driving mechanism 40 to enable at least a portion of the protective cover 20 to cover at least a portion of the air inlet 11 in an unfolded state, and to expose at least a portion of the air inlet 11 in a folded state.

[0058] The control method comprises the following steps:

[0059] Step S10, detecting the ambient humidity of the outdoor space.

[0060] Step S20, controlling the driving mechanism according to the ambient humidity of the outdoor space to cause the protective cover to be expanded or collapsed.

[0061] Specifically, since a movable protective cover 20 is provided at the air inlet 11 of the outdoor unit, that is, the protective cover 20 is a flexible device, the protective cover 20 has at least a deployed state and a folded state. Under the action of the driving mechanism, the protective cover 20 can move from the deployed state to the folded state, and can also move from the folded state to the deployed state.

[0062] When the protective cover 20 is in the unfolded state, the protective cover 20 can cover a portion of the air inlet 11, or can cover the entire air inlet 11. At this time, the protective cover 20 can prevent or reduce environmental harmful substances such as rain, snow, and dust from being sucked into the air inlet of the outdoor unit, causing damage to the outdoor unit, or even causing the outdoor unit to be unable to operate normally.

[0063] When the protective cover 20 is in the folded state, a part of the air inlet 11 may be exposed, or the entire air inlet 11 may be exposed. When the weather is good and there is no need to protect the air inlet 11, the protective cover 20 may be in the folded state, thereby preventing dust from collecting on the outer surface of the protective cover. Therefore, dust is not easy to enter the interior of the body 10 of the outdoor unit, thereby increasing the service life of the filter in the outdoor unit.

[0064] In this embodiment, by “detecting the ambient humidity of the outdoor space”, the weather conditions of the outdoor space can be determined according to the ambient humidity, such as whether it is rainy, snowy or sunny.

[0065] In the control method of the air conditioner of the present invention, the driving mechanism can be controlled to drive the protective cover to unfold according to the environmental humidity of the outdoor space; or the driving mechanism can be controlled to drive the protective cover to fold according to the environmental humidity of the outdoor space. Therefore, when the weather is good and the air inlet 11 does not need to be protected, the protective cover 20 can be in a folded state. The present invention solves the problem that dust easily enters the outdoor unit with a protective cover in the prior art, thereby achieving the purpose of improving user experience.

[0066] Furthermore, if Figure 2 As shown, in some optional embodiments of the present invention, controlling the driving mechanism according to the ambient humidity of the outdoor space includes the following steps:

[0067] Step S21, obtaining a humidity threshold.

[0068] Step S22, determining whether the ambient humidity is not lower than the humidity threshold.

[0069] Step S23: If yes, control the driving mechanism to run in the direction of unfolding the protective cover.

[0070] In this embodiment, based on the humidity threshold and the ambient humidity of the outdoor space, the driving mechanism 40 is controlled, thereby controlling the working state of the protective cover 20. If the ambient humidity of the outdoor space is greater than or equal to the humidity threshold, the driving mechanism 40 is controlled to operate in the direction of unfolding the protective cover 20, so that the protective cover 20 is in the unfolded state, thereby protecting the air inlet 11 and preventing rain or snow from entering the interior of the outdoor unit through the air inlet 11.

[0071] Furthermore, in some optional embodiments of the present invention, controlling the driving mechanism according to the ambient humidity of the outdoor space includes the following steps: in response to the ambient humidity being lower than the humidity threshold, determining whether the protective cover is in the expanded state, and if so, controlling the driving mechanism to operate in the direction of folding the protective cover.

[0072] Specifically, Figure 3 As shown, controlling the driving mechanism according to the ambient humidity of the outdoor space includes the following steps:

[0073] Step S21, obtaining a humidity threshold.

[0074] Step S22, determining whether the ambient humidity is not lower than the humidity threshold.

[0075] Step S24: if the ambient humidity is lower than the humidity threshold, determine whether the protective cover is in the deployed state.

[0076] Step S25, if the protective cover is in the unfolded state, control the driving mechanism to run in the direction of folding the protective cover.

[0077] In this embodiment, when the ambient humidity is lower than the humidity threshold and the protective cover is in the expanded state, the driving mechanism is controlled to run in the direction of folding the protective cover to fold the protective cover, thereby avoiding dust collection on the outer surface of the protective cover in good weather conditions.

[0078] In some other optional embodiments of the present invention, Figure 4 As shown, the step of obtaining the humidity threshold (step S21) includes the following steps:

[0079] S211, obtaining weather forecast data.

[0080] S212: Determine whether the weather conditions meet the set conditions according to the weather forecast data.

[0081] S213: If yes, modify the humidity threshold according to the weather forecast data.

[0082] Specifically, the weather forecast data can be real-time weather forecast data or weather forecast data for a future time period, such as weather forecast data for the next 0.5 hour, 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, 0.5 day, 1 day, 2 days or 3 days. The future time period can be set according to actual needs.

[0083] Weather forecast data includes sky conditions (sunny, few clouds, cloudy, overcast), temperature, weather phenomena (rain, snow, frost, fog, thunder and lightning), rainfall, ambient humidity, air pressure, wind speed, etc.

[0084] The set conditions include: rain, snow, and return of the south wind, etc.

[0085] "Return of the South Wind" is a phenomenon of damp weather, which usually occurs in February and March in southern China when the spring is particularly humid. This is mainly because after the cold air leaves, warm and humid air currents quickly counterattack. When some cold objects encounter warm and humid air currents, water droplets are easily produced, which is similar to the "plum rain season", but its humidity exceeds that of the plum rain season. Not only are indoor items susceptible to moisture and mold damage, but slightly shady places such as the ground and walls will also have large areas of condensation, which is extremely destructive to the ground and walls.

[0086] “Judging whether the weather conditions have reached the set conditions according to the weather forecast data” specifically means: judging whether the weather conditions have reached any one of rain, snow or return of the south wind according to the weather forecast data.

[0087] In this embodiment, the humidity threshold is corrected based on weather forecast data. If the weather forecast data reaches any weather state of rain, snow or return of the south wind, the humidity threshold is corrected according to the ambient humidity in the weather forecast data corresponding to the corresponding weather state, so that the humidity threshold can meet the personalized needs under different weather states such as rain, snow or return of the south wind, so that the protective cover can be adjusted more accurately and misjudgment can be reduced.

[0088] Furthermore, if Figure 5 As shown, in some optional embodiments of the present invention, the step of correcting the humidity threshold according to the ambient humidity (step S213) includes the following steps:

[0089] Step S31, in response to the weather condition reaching a set condition, the ambient humidity of the outdoor space is obtained and stored as historical ambient humidity.

[0090] Step S32: correcting the humidity threshold according to the historical ambient humidity.

[0091] Specifically, when the weather conditions reach the set conditions, the ambient humidity of the outdoor space is obtained and stored as the historical ambient humidity; then, the preset humidity threshold is corrected according to the historical ambient humidity so that the humidity threshold meets the personalized needs under different weather conditions such as rain, snow or return of the south wind, so that the protective cover can be adjusted more accurately and misjudgment can be reduced.

[0092] Furthermore, if Figure 6 As shown, in some optional embodiments of the present invention, the step of correcting the humidity threshold according to the historical ambient humidity includes the following steps:

[0093] Step S41, obtaining a regular time for recording the historical ambient humidity.

[0094] Step S42, in response to the current time being at a set time node of the regular time, the humidity threshold is corrected according to the historical environmental humidity within the set regular time.

[0095] Specifically, in step S42, it is determined whether the minimum ambient humidity in the previous cycle is not less than the humidity threshold. If not, the minimum ambient humidity in the previous cycle is used as the new humidity threshold.

[0096] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the step of obtaining the humidity threshold (step S21) includes the following steps:

[0097] S221, obtaining weather forecast data.

[0098] S222: Determine whether the weather conditions meet the set conditions based on the weather forecast data.

[0099] S223: If yes, the ambient humidity in the weather forecast data corresponding to the weather condition under the set condition is directly used as the humidity threshold.

[0100] Specifically, the weather forecast data may be weather forecast data for a future time period, such as weather forecast data for the next 0.5 hour, 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, 0.5 day, 1 day, 2 days or 3 days. The future time period may be set according to actual needs.

[0101] "Using the ambient humidity in the weather forecast data corresponding to the weather conditions under the set conditions directly as the humidity threshold" means: using the ambient humidity when it is predicted to rain directly as the humidity threshold; or using the ambient humidity when it is predicted to snow directly as the humidity threshold; or using the ambient humidity when it is predicted to return to the south directly as the humidity threshold.

[0102] Therefore, this embodiment assigns the humidity threshold in advance based on weather forecast data, which can achieve the effect of early perception and reduce misjudgment.

[0103] like Figure 7 As shown, in some other optional embodiments of the present invention, in step S20, controlling the driving mechanism according to the ambient humidity of the outdoor space specifically includes the following steps:

[0104] Step S201, obtaining weather forecast data.

[0105] Step S202, judging whether the weather conditions meet the set conditions according to the weather forecast data.

[0106] Step S203: if not, control the driving mechanism to cause the protective cover to be in a folded state.

[0107] Specifically, the weather forecast data can be real-time weather forecast data or weather forecast data for a future time period, such as weather forecast data for the next 0.5 hour, 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, 0.5 day, 1 day, 2 days or 3 days. The future time period can be set according to actual needs.

[0108] Weather forecast data includes sky conditions (sunny, few clouds, cloudy, overcast), temperature, weather phenomena (rain, snow, frost, fog, thunder and lightning), rainfall, ambient humidity, air pressure, wind speed, etc.

[0109] The set conditions include: rain, snow, and return of the south wind, etc.

[0110] "Return of the South Wind" is a phenomenon of damp weather, which usually occurs in February and March in southern China when the spring is particularly humid. This is mainly because after the cold air leaves, warm and humid air currents quickly counterattack. When some cold objects encounter warm and humid air currents, water droplets are easily produced, which is similar to the "plum rain season", but its humidity exceeds that of the plum rain season. Not only are indoor items susceptible to moisture and mold damage, but slightly shady places such as the ground and walls will also have large areas of condensation, which is extremely destructive to the ground and walls.

[0111] “Judging whether the weather conditions have reached the set conditions according to the weather forecast data” specifically means: judging whether the weather conditions have reached any one of rain, snow or return of the south wind according to the weather forecast data.

[0112] In this embodiment, the ambient humidity of the outdoor space is obtained based on the weather forecast data, and the driving mechanism is controlled based on the weather forecast data, thereby controlling the working state of the protective cover. If the weather state is neither raining, nor snowing, nor returning south wind, it means that the weather condition is good at this time, and the driving mechanism is controlled to operate in the direction of folding the protective cover to fold the protective cover, thereby avoiding dust collection on the outer surface of the protective cover under good weather conditions.

[0113] Furthermore, if Figure 7 As shown, in some optional embodiments of the present invention, in response to the weather forecast data, it is judged that the weather conditions have reached the set conditions, and it is judged whether the air inlet humidity of the outdoor unit meets the standard according to the ambient humidity. If so, the driving mechanism is controlled to run in the direction of unfolding the protective cover.

[0114] Specifically, controlling the driving mechanism according to the ambient humidity of the outdoor space further includes the following steps:

[0115] Step S201, obtaining weather forecast data.

[0116] Step S202, judging whether the weather conditions meet the set conditions according to the weather forecast data.

[0117] Step S204: if the weather condition reaches the set condition, it is determined whether the air inlet humidity of the outdoor unit reaches the standard according to the ambient humidity.

[0118] Step S205: If the inlet air humidity reaches the standard, the driving mechanism is controlled to run in the direction of unfolding the protective cover.

[0119] That is to say, when the weather conditions reach the set conditions, for example: the weather conditions are raining, snowing or returning south wind, and the inlet air humidity reaches the standard, the driving mechanism is controlled to run in the direction of unfolding the protective cover, so that the protective cover is in the unfolded state, thereby protecting the air inlet 11 to prevent rain or snow from entering the outdoor unit through the air inlet 11.

[0120] In the embodiment, since the above two judgment conditions are adopted, and the driving mechanism is controlled to run in the direction of unfolding the protective cover only when the above two conditions are met at the same time, thereby reducing misjudgment and improving the control accuracy of the control method, thereby further avoiding dust accumulation on the protective cover.

[0121] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the humidity threshold is a preset value, which is a fixed value.

[0122] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the air conditioner further includes an outdoor humidity detection device 30 .

[0123] The outdoor humidity detection device 30 is used to detect the ambient humidity of the outdoor space.

[0124] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the outdoor humidity detection device 30 is an outdoor temperature and humidity sensor.

[0125] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the outdoor humidity detection device 30 is a hygrometer.

[0126] like Figure 8 As shown, in some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the outdoor humidity detection device 30 is disposed inside the body 10 .

[0127] In this embodiment, the outdoor humidity detection device 30 is arranged inside the body 10, and the body 10 can protect the outdoor humidity detection device 30 to prevent the outdoor humidity detection device 30 from being damaged by foreign objects, thereby increasing the service life of the outdoor temperature and humidity sensor, and improving the detection accuracy, which can effectively avoid misjudgment.

[0128] Furthermore, the distance between the outdoor humidity detection device 30 and the air inlet 11 is smaller than the distance between the outdoor humidity detection device 30 and the air outlet 12 .

[0129] Specifically, the distance between the outdoor humidity detection device 30 and the air inlet 11 is a first distance.

[0130] The distance between the outdoor humidity detection device 30 and the air outlet 12 is a second distance.

[0131] The first distance is smaller than the second distance.

[0132] In this embodiment, since the outdoor humidity detection device 30 is relatively close to the air inlet 11, the ambient humidity data detected by the outdoor humidity detection device 30 is more accurate, which can further reduce misjudgment and further improve the control accuracy of the control method.

[0133] Figure 8 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an outdoor unit in an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. The present invention further provides an air conditioner comprising an outdoor unit and a controller.

[0134] The outdoor unit includes a body 10 and a protective cover 20, the body 10 forms an air inlet 11 for taking in ambient air and an air outlet 12 for exhausting ambient air, and the protective cover 20 is connected to a driving mechanism 40 to cause at least a portion of the protective cover 20 to cover at least a portion of the air inlet 11 in an unfolded state, and to expose at least a portion of the air inlet 11 in a folded state.

[0135] The controller includes a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a machine executable program, and when the machine executable program is executed by the processor, the control method of the air conditioner as described in any of the above embodiments is implemented.

[0136] In the air conditioner of the present invention, since the outdoor unit is provided with a flexible protective cover, the protective cover can be unfolded or folded under the action of the driving mechanism.

[0137] When the protective cover is in the unfolded state, it can prevent or reduce the environmental harmful substances such as rain, snow, sand and dust from being sucked into the air inlet of the outdoor unit, causing damage to the outdoor unit, or even causing the outdoor unit to fail to operate normally.

[0138] When the weather is good and there is no need to protect the air inlet, the protective cover can be in a folded state to avoid dust collection on the outer surface of the protective cover. The present invention solves the problem of dust easily entering the outdoor unit with a protective cover in the prior art, and at the same time can increase the service life of the filter in the outdoor unit and achieve the purpose of improving user experience.

[0139] Furthermore, in some optional embodiments of the present invention, the protective cover includes a flexible cover body 21 and a rigid bracket 22 .

[0140] Both ends of the flexible cover 21 form openings, one of which is sleeved and fixed on the air inlet 11 .

[0141] The rigid bracket 22 is connected to the edge of the other opening of the flexible cover 21, and is connected to the body 10 via the driving mechanism 40 for pitch and swing, so that when the driving mechanism 40 drives the rigid bracket 22 to rise, the flexible cover 21 is folded together; when the driving mechanism 40 drives the rigid bracket 22 to fall, the flexible cover 21 is unfolded.

[0142] In this embodiment, the flexible device is lighter and more beautiful than the sheet metal device, and can automatically open and close according to whether it is raining or snowing, thereby preventing the sheet metal rain cover from being opened all the time, causing too much dust on the ground to be sucked into the unit, and extending the service life of the filter.

[0143] Furthermore, in some optional embodiments of the present invention, Figure 8 As shown, when the protective cover 20 is in the unfolded state, the inlet of the protective cover 20 is tilted downward, and the end of the inlet of the protective cover 20 away from the air inlet 11 is higher than the end close to the air inlet 11.

[0144] In this embodiment, through the above arrangement, the air inlet 11 can be well protected, and the air intake effect of the air inlet 11 will not be hindered.

[0145] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the outdoor humidity detection device 30 is disposed inside the machine body 10 .

[0146] In this embodiment, the outdoor humidity detection device 30 is arranged inside the body 10, and the body 10 can protect the outdoor humidity detection device 30 to prevent the outdoor humidity detection device 30 from being damaged by foreign objects, thereby increasing the service life of the outdoor temperature and humidity sensor, and improving the detection accuracy, which can effectively avoid misjudgment.

[0147] Furthermore, the distance between the outdoor humidity detection device 30 and the air inlet 11 is smaller than the distance between the outdoor humidity detection device 30 and the air outlet 12 .

[0148] Specifically, the distance between the outdoor humidity detection device 30 and the air inlet 11 is a first distance.

[0149] The distance between the outdoor humidity detection device 30 and the air outlet 12 is a second distance.

[0150] The first distance is smaller than the second distance.

[0151] In this embodiment, since the outdoor humidity detection device 30 is relatively close to the air inlet 11, the ambient humidity data detected by the outdoor humidity detection device 30 is more accurate, which can further reduce misjudgment and further improve the control accuracy of the control method.

[0152] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the driving mechanism 40 is an electric angle adjuster for adjusting the deployment angle of the protective cover 20 .

[0153] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the air conditioner further includes a temperature and humidity analysis module.

[0154] The temperature and humidity analysis module is connected to the outdoor humidity detection device 30 , and the temperature and humidity analysis module is connected to the driving mechanism 40 .

[0155] The temperature and humidity analysis module is used to receive the ambient humidity data detected by the outdoor humidity detection device 30, analyze the ambient humidity data, and transmit the analysis result to the driving mechanism 40 through a signal. The driving mechanism 40 controls the protective cover 20 according to the received signal.

[0156] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the air conditioner further includes a weather information feedback system and a temperature and humidity information storage module.

[0157] The weather information feedback system can extract the real-time temperature and humidity information when it rains, snows or returns to the south wind and feed it back to the temperature and humidity information storage module. The temperature and humidity analysis module regularly feeds back the corresponding temperature and humidity when it rains to the controller for correcting the humidity threshold, that is, for correcting the set reference temperature and humidity value "X".

[0158] At this point, those skilled in the art should recognize that, although multiple exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail herein, many other variations or modifications that conform to the principles of the present invention can still be directly determined or derived based on the content disclosed in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be understood and recognized as covering all these other variations or modifications.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an air conditioner, characterized in that: The air conditioner comprises an outdoor unit, the outdoor unit comprises a body and a protective cover, the body forms an air inlet for taking in ambient air and an air outlet for discharging ambient air, the protective cover is connected to a driving mechanism so as to cause at least a portion of the protective cover to cover at least a portion of the air inlet in an extended state and to expose at least a portion of the air inlet in a retracted state; as well as The control method comprises: Detect the ambient humidity of outdoor spaces; The driving mechanism is controlled according to the ambient humidity of the outdoor space to promote the deployment or folding of the protective cover.

2. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step of controlling the driving mechanism according to the ambient humidity of the outdoor space includes: Get humidity threshold; determining whether the ambient humidity is not lower than the humidity threshold, If so, the driving mechanism is controlled to run in the direction of unfolding the protective cover.

3. The control method according to claim 2, characterized in that: In response to the ambient humidity being lower than the humidity threshold, determining whether the protective cover is in an expanded state, If so, the driving mechanism is controlled to run in the direction of folding the protective cover.

4. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step of controlling the driving mechanism according to the ambient humidity of the outdoor space includes: Get weather forecast data; Determine whether the weather conditions meet the set conditions according to the weather forecast data, If not, the driving mechanism is controlled to cause the protective cover to be in a folded state.

5. The control method according to claim 4, characterized in that: In response to the weather forecast data, it is determined that the weather condition reaches the set condition, and according to the ambient humidity, it is determined whether the air inlet humidity of the outdoor unit reaches the standard. If so, the driving mechanism is controlled to run in the direction of unfolding the protective cover.

6. The control method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The step of obtaining the humidity threshold comprises: Get weather forecast data; Determine whether the weather conditions meet the set conditions according to the weather forecast data, If so, the humidity threshold is modified according to the weather forecast data.

7. The control method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The step of correcting the humidity threshold according to the ambient humidity includes: In response to the weather condition reaching a set condition, obtaining the ambient humidity of the outdoor space and storing it as a historical ambient humidity; The humidity threshold is modified according to the historical ambient humidity.

8. The control method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The step of correcting the humidity threshold according to the historical ambient humidity includes: Obtaining a periodic time for recording the historical ambient humidity; In response to the current time being at a set time node of the regular time, the humidity threshold is corrected according to the historical environmental humidity within the set regular time.

9. An air conditioner, characterized in that: include: An outdoor unit, the outdoor unit comprising a body and a protective cover, the body forming an air inlet for taking in ambient air and an air outlet for discharging ambient air, the protective cover being connected to a driving mechanism so as to cause at least a portion of the protective cover to cover at least a portion of the air inlet in an extended state and to expose at least a portion of the air inlet in a retracted state; as well as A controller comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a machine executable program, and when the machine executable program is executed by the processor, the control method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is implemented.

10. The air conditioner according to claim 9, characterized in that: The protective cover comprises: A flexible cover body, wherein both ends of the flexible cover body respectively form an opening, wherein one opening is sleeved and fixed on the air inlet; A rigid bracket is connected to the edge of the other opening of the flexible cover body and is connected to the machine body via the pitch and swing of the driving mechanism, so that when the driving mechanism drives the rigid bracket to rise, the flexible cover body is folded together; when the driving mechanism drives the rigid bracket to fall down, the flexible cover body is unfolded.

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