Air conditioner

Abstract

This application discloses an air conditioner, belonging to the field of air handling technology. The air conditioner includes a heat exchanger, a wetted membrane, a water supply system, a drip tray, a drainage system, and a controller. The water supply system supplies water to the wetted membrane and includes a water supply solenoid valve for opening or closing the system. The drip tray is located below the heat exchanger and the wetted membrane, with the bottom of the wetted membrane higher than the bottom of the heat exchanger. The drainage system includes a drain pump and a water level detection module. The controller is configured to: in dehumidification mode, control the drain pump to drain water from the drip tray; when the water level in the drip tray reaches the minimum water level detected by the water level detection module, output an alarm signal indicating a drainage system fault; in humidification mode, control the water supply solenoid valve to open; when the water level in the drip tray reaches the level detected by the water level detection module (higher than the bottom of the wetted membrane), control the water supply solenoid valve to close, thereby shutting off the water supply system's supply to the wetted membrane. This air conditioner can reduce system complexity and cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of air handling technology, and more particularly to an air conditioner. Background Technology

[0002] An air conditioner is a unit designed to appropriately control indoor airflow, temperature, humidity, or cleanliness for intended use. To meet users' demands for high-quality indoor air, some air conditioners are equipped with a humidification module to improve indoor air humidity.

[0003] In existing technologies, air conditioning systems control the water levels of the humidification module's inlet / outlet water and the condensate generated by the heat exchanger separately, leaving room for optimization in the relevant water level control systems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides an air conditioner that combines the control of condensate generated by the heat exchanger with the inlet / outlet of the humidification module, which can reduce system complexity and cost.

[0005] An air conditioner includes: a casing having at least one air inlet and an air outlet, wherein the air inlet is either a return air inlet or a fresh air inlet, the return air inlet is for supplying indoor air, and the fresh air inlet is for supplying outdoor fresh air; the internal space of the casing is divided into a fan zone and a heat exchange zone by a partition, the fan zone being connected to the air inlet and the heat exchange zone being connected to the air outlet; a fan disposed within the fan zone; a heat exchanger disposed within the heat exchanger zone; a wetted membrane disposed between the heat exchanger and the air outlet for humidifying the air; a water supply system for supplying water to the wetted membrane, the water supply system including a water supply solenoid valve for opening or closing the water supply system; a water collection tray disposed below the heat exchanger and the wetted membrane, wherein the bottom end of the wetted membrane is higher than the bottom end of the heat exchanger in the height direction of the water collection tray; and a drainage system including: a drain pump for draining water from the water collection tray; and a water level detection module for detecting the water level in the water collection tray. The controller is configured to: in dehumidification mode, control the drain pump to drain water from the water tray; when the water level in the water tray reaches the minimum water level detected by the water level detection module, output an alarm signal for a drainage system fault. In humidification mode, the water supply solenoid valve is opened. When the water level in the water receiving tray reaches the level detected by the water level detection module, which is higher than the bottom of the wet membrane, the water supply solenoid valve is closed to shut off the water supply system to the wet membrane.

[0006] In this technical solution, by placing the water receiving tray below the heat exchanger and the wet membrane, the same water level detection module can be used to control the water level of the condensate generated by the heat exchanger during dehumidification and the water level of the inlet water to the wet membrane during humidification. This optimizes the control logic and avoids the problems of system complexity and high cost caused by setting separate water level detection modules at the heat exchanger and the wet membrane.

[0007] In some embodiments, the water level detection module includes two float switches. When the water level reaches the trigger level of the float switch, the float switch opens; when the water level is lower than the trigger level of the float switch, the float switch closes. The two float switches are a first float switch and a second float switch, respectively. The trigger levels of both float switches are higher than the bottom of the wet film, and the trigger level of the first float switch is lower than the trigger level of the second float switch. The controller is specifically configured to: in dehumidification mode, output an alarm signal for drainage system failure when the first float switch is open; in humidification mode, control the water supply solenoid valve to close when the first float switch is open; and output an alarm signal for water supply system failure when the second float switch is open.

[0008] This technical solution utilizes two float switches to achieve dual-level safety protection in humidification mode. The first float switch performs closed-loop water inlet control, while the second float switch provides overflow redundancy alarm, improving safety in humidification mode and avoiding the risk of water overflowing from the drip tray in case of water supply system failure. The first float switch is reused as both a dehumidification overflow redundancy alarm node and a humidification water inlet control node, optimizing hardware resources and reducing system complexity and cost. Furthermore, this application also achieves cross-mode safety isolation, issuing a drainage fault alarm signal during dehumidification and a water supply fault signal during humidification. The two alarm signals are output independently, avoiding malfunctions caused by confusion between humidification and dehumidification states.

[0009] In some embodiments, the water level detection module includes three float switches, which open when the water level reaches the trigger level of the float switch and close when the water level is below the trigger level of the float switch. The three float switches are the first float switch, the second float switch, and the third float switch; the trigger water level of the first float switch is lower than the bottom of the wet film, the trigger water level of the second float switch is higher than the bottom of the wet film, and the trigger water level of the third float switch is higher than the trigger water level of the second float switch. The controller is specifically configured as follows: in dehumidification mode, when the first float switch is open, an alarm signal for a drainage system fault is output; in humidification mode, when the second float switch is open, the water supply solenoid valve is closed; when the first float switch is closed, the water supply solenoid valve is opened; and when the third float switch is open, an alarm signal for a water supply system fault is output.

[0010] In this technical solution, because the trigger water level of the first float switch is lower than the bottom of the wet film, compared to when the trigger water level of the first float switch is higher than the bottom of the wet film, drainage faults can be detected in time at lower water levels in dehumidification mode, enabling early overflow warning and improving safety. In humidification mode, the water supply solenoid valve closes when the water level in the receiving tray reaches the trigger water level of the second float switch, and opens when the water level in the receiving tray drops to the trigger water level of the first float switch. The water supply solenoid valve is controlled in a closed loop by the first float switch and the second float switch, thereby stabilizing the water level in the receiving tray within a preset range and achieving precise water level maintenance in humidification mode.

[0011] In addition, this application adopts a cross-mode reuse strategy. The first float switch is used as a non-initial water inlet node in humidification mode and as a trigger alarm node in dehumidification mode, which simplifies the system structure and reduces the system cost.

[0012] In some embodiments, the controller is also configured to control the start of the drain pump while outputting a water supply system fault alarm signal.

[0013] The float switch at the highest trigger water level simultaneously serves as both an overflow alarm and a drain pump trigger in humidification mode, simplifying the system structure and reducing system costs.

[0014] In some embodiments, the state of the drain pump and the water supply solenoid valve is controlled according to the running time of the humidification mode in order to periodically change the water in the drain pan.

[0015] This technical solution periodically refreshes the water body, inhibits the enrichment of dissolved solids, breaks through the bottleneck of ion enrichment, and completely solves the problem of ion concentration imbalance caused by long-term operation, avoiding problems such as scaling in the water receiving pan and the decline in the humidification efficiency of the wet film caused by ion enrichment.

[0016] In some embodiments, periodic water replacement specifically includes: when the humidification mode runs for a preset duration T, controlling the drain pump to start to drain water, and then entering the next water replacement cycle.

[0017] In this technical solution, periodic water replacement is mainly achieved by draining water through a drain pump. During the drain pump's operation, the water level drops, automatically triggering the inlet float switch, and the water supply system supplies fresh water to the wet membrane.

[0018] In some embodiments, the bottom wall of the water receiving tray includes: a heat exchange support portion, on which a heat exchanger abuts; a wet film support portion, on which a wet film abuts, the height of which is higher than that of the heat exchange support portion; and a drain pump disposed at one end of the heat exchange support portion near the wet film support portion.

[0019] In this technical solution, the bottom of the wet film is made higher than the bottom of the heat exchanger by using a height difference design on the bottom wall of the water pan.

[0020] In some embodiments, a float bracket is connected to the drainage pump, and a float switch is installed on the float bracket; the float bracket is provided with a plurality of mounting parts corresponding one-to-one with the float switch, and the plurality of mounting parts are arranged in a stepped shape at different heights, and the float switch is connected to different mounting parts.

[0021] In this technical solution, multiple float switches are connected to a float bracket, which simplifies the product structure.

[0022] In some embodiments, the air conditioner further includes: a wet film water storage tray disposed within a water receiving tray, wherein the bottom of the wet film is located within the wet film water storage tray, and the top of the side wall of the wet film water storage tray used to separate the heat exchanger and the wet film is lower than the top of the water receiving tray. The drainage pump includes: a first drainage pump, located outside the wet film water storage pan, for draining water from the water storage pan; and a second drainage pump, located inside the wet film water storage pan, for draining water from the wet film water storage pan. The water level detection module includes two float switches. When the water level reaches the trigger level of the float switch, the float switch opens; when the water level is lower than the trigger level of the float switch, the float switch closes. The two float switches are a first float switch and a second float switch. The first float switch is located outside the wet film water storage pan, and the second float switch is located inside the wet film water storage pan. The controller is specifically configured to: in dehumidification mode, control the first drain pump to start, and when the first float switch is opened, output an alarm signal for a drain system fault; In humidification mode, when the second float switch is open, it controls the water supply solenoid valve to close; when the first float switch is open, it outputs an alarm signal for a water supply system fault and controls the second drain pump to start.

[0023] In this technical solution, the second float switch is used for closed-loop control of the water inlet of the wet film reservoir, preventing overflow. The first float switch simultaneously serves as a redundant alarm for both dehumidification and humidification overflow, and also as a trigger point for the second drain pump to drain water from the wet film reservoir during humidification, achieving independent installation and protection for both the water inlet and wet film reservoir containers. This solution uses only two float switches to achieve monitoring and drainage triggering for both containers, simplifying the hardware system and reducing costs.

[0024] In some embodiments, the state of the second drain pump and the water supply solenoid valve is controlled according to the running time of the humidification mode to periodically change the water in the wet film water storage pan.

[0025] In this technical solution, the second drainage pump is reused for both safe discharge and metabolic water exchange. On the one hand, it discharges accumulated water when the humidification water intake is abnormal, and on the other hand, it periodically exchanges the water in the wet film water storage pan. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 A perspective view of an air conditioner according to some embodiments is shown; Figure 2 An internal structural diagram of an air conditioner according to some embodiments is shown; Figure 3 A diagram of the refrigerant circulation system of an air conditioner in isothermal dehumidification mode according to some embodiments is shown; Figure 4 A diagram of the refrigerant circulation system of an air conditioner in heating and humidification mode according to some embodiments is shown; Figure 5 A perspective view of a heat exchanger, drip tray, and wet film in an air conditioner according to some embodiments is shown; Figure 6 A side view of a heat exchanger, drip tray, and wet film in an air conditioner according to some embodiments is shown; Figure 7 A three-dimensional view of a drainage system in an air conditioner according to some embodiments is shown; Figure 8 A side view of a float support in an air conditioner according to some embodiments is shown; Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a drainage system and wet membrane at the water tray in an air conditioner according to some embodiments is shown; Figure 10 A flowchart illustrating water level control in a drip tray of an air conditioner according to some embodiments is shown; Figure 11 A schematic diagram of a drainage system and wet membrane at the water tray in an air conditioner according to some other embodiments is shown; Figure 12 A flowchart illustrating water level control in a drip tray of an air conditioner according to some other embodiments is shown; Figure 13 A schematic diagram of a drainage system and wet membrane at the water tray in an air conditioner according to some other embodiments is shown; Figure 14 A flowchart illustrating water level control in a drip tray of an air conditioner according to some other embodiments is shown.

[0027] In the above figures, 10 is the casing; 10a is the air inlet; 10b is the return air inlet; 10c is the fresh air inlet; 10d is the fan area; 10e is the heat exchange area; 11 is the partition; 20 is the heat exchanger; 30 is the water collection tray; 31 is the heat exchange support; 32 is the wet film support; 33 is the wet film water storage tray; 40 is the fan; 51 is the coarse filter; 52 is the high-efficiency filter; 60 is the humidification module; 61 is the wet film; 62 is the water supply solenoid valve; 70 is the electrical box; and 81 is the silver ion sterilization module. 82. Negative ion module; 901. First drain pump; 902. Second drain pump; 91. Drain pump; 911. Support plate; 93. First float switch; 94. Second float switch; 96. Float bracket; 961. First mounting part; 961a. First mounting hole; 961b. First notch; 962. Second mounting part; 962a. Second mounting hole; 962b. Second notch; 963. Fixing part; 9631. Tongue; 964. Third mounting part. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To make the objectives and implementation methods of this application clearer, the exemplary implementation methods of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the exemplary embodiments of this application. Obviously, the exemplary embodiments described are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments.

[0029] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0030] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0031] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0032] In this application, the air conditioner performs a refrigeration cycle by using a compressor, condenser, expansion valve, and evaporator. The refrigeration cycle includes a series of processes involving compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation, and supplies refrigerant to the conditioned and heat-exchanged air.

[0033] The compressor compresses refrigerant gas at a low temperature and low pressure and discharges the compressed refrigerant gas. The discharged refrigerant gas flows into the condenser. The condenser condenses the compressed refrigerant into a liquid phase, and heat is released to the surrounding environment through the condensation process.

[0034] The expansion valve expands the high-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant condensed in the condenser into a low-pressure liquid refrigerant. The evaporator evaporates the expanded refrigerant in the expansion valve, returning the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant gas to the compressor. The evaporator achieves its cooling effect by utilizing the latent heat of refrigerant evaporation to exchange heat with the material being cooled. Throughout the cycle, the air conditioner regulates the temperature of the indoor space.

[0035] The outdoor unit of an air conditioner refers to the part of the refrigeration cycle that includes the compressor and the outdoor heat exchanger. The indoor unit of an air conditioner includes the indoor heat exchanger, and an expansion valve can be provided in either the indoor or outdoor unit.

[0036] The indoor and outdoor heat exchangers function as either condensers or evaporators. When the indoor heat exchanger is used as a condenser, the air conditioner functions as a heater in heating mode; when the indoor heat exchanger is used as an evaporator, the air conditioner functions as a cooler in cooling mode.

[0037] This application relates to an air conditioner for conditioning the air in an indoor space. In the following text, for convenience, the indoor unit including the indoor heat exchanger is referred to as an air conditioner, and the indoor heat exchanger is referred to as a heat exchanger.

[0038] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figures 1-14 The implementation methods of this application will be described in detail.

[0039] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The air conditioner includes a housing 10, which constitutes the general appearance of the air conditioner. The housing 10 may be arranged in the form of a cuboid and includes a bottom wall, a top wall, and four side walls connecting the bottom wall and the top wall.

[0040] An air inlet can be provided on one side wall of the housing 10 for supplying air into the housing 10; an air outlet 10a can be provided on the side wall of the housing 10 opposite to the air inlet, and the air is processed in the air conditioner and then sent to the room through the air outlet 10a.

[0041] When there is only one air inlet and it is connected to the indoor space, the air inlet is a return air inlet 10b, which is used to allow indoor air to flow into the casing 10. When there is only one air inlet and it is connected to the outdoor space, the air inlet is a fresh air inlet 10c, which is used to allow outdoor air to flow into the casing 10, and the air conditioner is a fresh air unit.

[0042] In some embodiments, there are at least two air inlets, one of which is a return air inlet 10b and the other is a fresh air inlet 10c. The return air inlet 10b and the fresh air inlet 10c are located on the same side wall of the housing 10. In other embodiments, the return air inlet 10b and the fresh air inlet 10c may be located on side walls in different directions of the housing 10.

[0043] In the current example, the air conditioner is a ducted air conditioner, and the air inlet and / or air outlet 10a are connected to the target space through the air duct. Therefore, an air outlet flange can be provided at the air inlet and / or air outlet 10a for connection to the air duct. However, the embodiments of this application are not limited to this.

[0044] Specific reference Figure 2 The air conditioner may include a heat exchanger 20. The heat exchanger 20 may be disposed inside the housing 10 and may be positioned along a movement path from the air inlet to the air outlet 10a. The heat exchanger 20 is used to absorb heat from the introduced air or transfer heat to the air. A drip tray 30 may be disposed below the heat exchanger 20 to collect moisture condensed in the heat exchanger 20. The drip tray 30 may be connected to a drain hose (not shown) connected to the outside of the housing 10 and may discharge condensed moisture to the outside of the housing 10.

[0045] The air conditioner may include a fan 40. The fan 40 may be located inside the casing 10. The fan 40 drives airflow so that air flows from the air inlet, through the heat exchanger 20, to the air outlet 10a. The fan 40 may be a centrifugal fan, capable of generating high static pressure to accommodate the duct resistance of duct-mounted installations.

[0046] The air conditioner may include an air inlet filter, which is installed inside the housing 10 corresponding to the air inlet, to filter the air introduced into the air inlet in order to avoid the problem of dust accumulation inside the unit after long-term operation.

[0047] The fresh air inlet 10c and the return air inlet 10b are located on the same side wall of the housing 10, and the inlet filter may be in the shape of a regular cuboid. The inlet filter may include at least one of a coarse filter 51 and a high-efficiency filter 52.

[0048] In some embodiments, a coarse filter 51 and a high-efficiency filter 52 are arranged sequentially along the airflow path.

[0049] The coarse filter 51 uses non-woven fabric filter material, which can filter large particles of dust and insects in the air. The high-efficiency filter 52, also known as the HEPA filter, uses glass fiber filter material and melt-blown non-woven filter material, which can intercept particulate matter, bacteria, and viruses.

[0050] In some embodiments, the air conditioner may include a humidification module 60 for humidifying the air to increase the humidity of the indoor air. The humidification module 60 may be disposed near the air outlet 10a. In humidification mode, the air is processed by the heat exchanger 20 and then humidified by the humidification module 60 before being sent into the room.

[0051] In some embodiments, the housing 10 includes a partition 11. The partition 11 divides the space within the housing 10 into a fan zone 10d and a heat exchange zone 10e. The fan zone 10d communicates with an air inlet, and the heat exchange zone 10e communicates with an air outlet 10a.

[0052] The fan 40 can be installed within the fan zone 10d. The heat exchanger 20 can be installed within the heat exchange zone 10e. The humidification module 60 can be installed in the heat exchange zone 10e and located between the heat exchanger 20 and the air outlet 10a.

[0053] The fan 40 is fixedly installed on the partition 11 and located on the air outlet side of the air inlet filter. The exhaust port of the fan 40 is connected to the heat exchange zone 10e through the through hole on the partition 11.

[0054] In some embodiments, the electrical box 70 of the air conditioner is located in the fan zone 10d to avoid adverse effects from moisture in the heat exchange zone 10e. If the electrical box 70 is in a humid environment, condensation is likely to occur; that is, condensation will form on the electrical box 70, and if this condensation seeps into the electrical box 70, it can cause a short circuit in the electrical components, affecting the normal operation of the air conditioner. Therefore, placing the electrical box 70 in the fan zone 10d ensures its reliability and allows the air conditioner to function normally.

[0055] In addition, in related technologies, the electrical box 70 is located on the outside of the casing 10, which can ensure that the electrical box 70 is not affected by moisture. However, having the electrical box 70 on the outside will cause the overall appearance of the air conditioner to be inconsistent and its size to be large. Therefore, in this application, the electrical box 70 is located in the fan area 10d, which can make the appearance of the air conditioner more regular and reduce its size.

[0056] This application implements dry and wet separation in the layout of various components inside the air conditioner. That is, the fan area 10d is a dry area and the heat exchange area 10e is a humid area. The fan 40, electrical box 70, etc. are located in the dry area, which can reduce the risk of condensation on key components and avoid problems such as short circuits and reduced lifespan caused by the moisture in the humid area, thereby ensuring the long-term stable operation of the air conditioner.

[0057] Furthermore, the fan 40 is positioned in the middle of the casing 10, which effectively reduces the noise level of the unit. In related technologies, the fan 40 is often positioned opposite the air outlet 10a. However, with the fan 40 close to the edge of the casing 10, the noise transmitted outward through the casing 10 is relatively large, which can lead to a poor user experience. In this application, the fan 40 is positioned in the middle of the casing 10. On the one hand, the fan 40 is not directly connected to the side wall of the casing 10, which reduces some of the noise. On the other hand, the longer path for the noise to be transmitted outward by the fan 40 is conducive to noise attenuation, thereby reducing the noise level.

[0058] In some embodiments, a silver ion sterilization module 81 may be installed in the water receiving tray 30 for sterilizing and inhibiting the bacteria in the water stored in the water receiving tray 30. A negative ion module 82 may be installed at the air outlet 10a for sterilizing and inhibiting the bacteria in the supplied air.

[0059] In some embodiments, the heat exchanger 20 includes a main heat exchanger and an auxiliary heat exchanger. Along the air's path, the main heat exchanger and the auxiliary heat exchanger are arranged sequentially, with the auxiliary heat exchanger located on the leeward side of the main heat exchanger and the main heat exchanger located on the windward side of the auxiliary heat exchanger.

[0060] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 In the refrigeration cycle system, the main heat exchanger and the auxiliary heat exchanger are connected to the outdoor unit via three pipes.

[0061] The gas-side end of the main heat exchanger is connected to the main gas-side shut-off valve, and the liquid-side end of the main heat exchanger is connected in series with the main electronic expansion valve and then to the liquid-side shut-off valve; the gas-side end of the auxiliary heat exchanger is connected to the auxiliary gas-side shut-off valve, and the liquid-side end of the auxiliary heat exchanger is connected in series with the auxiliary electronic expansion valve and then to the liquid-side shut-off valve.

[0062] In the outdoor unit, the main gas side shut-off valve is normally connected to port E of the four-way valve, the liquid side shut-off valve is normally connected to the outdoor electronic expansion valve, and the auxiliary gas side shut-off valve is connected to the discharge end of the compressor.

[0063] The compressor's discharge port is connected in series with a check valve, which then connects to port D of a four-way valve. Port C of the four-way valve connects to the gas side of the outdoor heat exchanger. The liquid side of the outdoor heat exchanger is connected in series with an outdoor electronic expansion valve, which then connects to a liquid-side shut-off valve. Port S of the four-way valve is sequentially connected to the gas-liquid separator and the compressor's suction port. The auxiliary gas side shut-off valve is connected on the outdoor side between the check valve and port D of the four-way valve.

[0064] The air conditioner can operate in isothermal dehumidification mode: In this mode, the main heat exchanger acts as an evaporator to cool and dehumidify the air, while the auxiliary heat exchanger acts as a condenser to reheat the dehumidified cold air.

[0065] Specific reference Figure 3The high-temperature, high-pressure gas discharged from the compressor is divided into two parts. One part condenses and releases heat in the outdoor heat exchanger via a four-way valve, then flows to the indoor side via the outdoor electronic expansion valve, and continues to flow to the main heat exchanger via the main electronic expansion valve. The other part flows directly to the auxiliary heat exchanger, condenses and releases heat, and then flows to the main heat exchanger via the auxiliary electronic expansion valve and the main electronic expansion valve. After the two paths merge, the gas is cooled and dehumidified in the main heat exchanger and then returns to the compressor via the four-way valve.

[0066] The air conditioner can operate in heating and humidification mode: In this mode, both the main heat exchanger and the auxiliary heat exchanger are used as condensers to heat the air. The heated air then flows through the humidification module 60 to complete the humidification process.

[0067] Specific reference Figure 4 The high-temperature and high-pressure gas discharged from the compressor is divided into two parts. One part flows to the main heat exchanger through the four-way valve, and then flows to the outdoor side through the main electronic expansion valve. The other part flows directly to the auxiliary heat exchanger, and then flows to the outdoor side through the auxiliary electronic expansion valve. After the two paths merge, they pass through the outdoor electronic expansion valve, evaporate and absorb heat at the outdoor heat exchanger, and return to the compressor through the four-way valve.

[0068] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 The humidification module 60 includes a wet film 61. The wet film 61 is disposed on the air movement path between the heat exchanger 20 and the air outlet 10a. The wet film 61 can be made of a water-absorbing material, such as cellulose paper or non-woven fabric. When air flows through the wet film 61, the moisture on the wet film 61 evaporates, thereby achieving the effect of humidifying the air. Humidification demand mostly occurs in heating and humidification mode. When the high-temperature air passing through the heat exchanger 20 passes through the wet film 61, the moisture on the wet film 61 evaporates, and the evaporated moisture is carried into the room with the air.

[0069] The air conditioner may include a water supply system disposed above the wet membrane 61 for spraying water onto the wet membrane 61. The water supply system may be connected to an external water source, and the water sprayers of the water supply system are disposed above the wet membrane 61 to spray external water onto the wet membrane 61.

[0070] The water supply system may include a water supply solenoid valve 62, which is connected to the pipeline of the water supply system and is used to turn the water supply system on or off to control the water supply to the wet membrane 61.

[0071] In some embodiments, within the heat exchange zone 10e, the wet film 61 may share a water receiving tray 30 with the heat exchanger 20. That is, the lower parts of both the heat exchanger 20 and the wet film 61 are located within the water receiving tray 30, with a portion of the water receiving tray 30 used to receive the heat exchanger 20 and another portion used to receive the wet film 61.

[0072] The water tray 30 and the wet film 61 share the same water tray 30, which can increase the cross-sectional area of ​​the water tray 30. Under the condition that the design volume of the water tray 30 is fixed, the height of the water tray 30 of this application can be reduced compared with the water tray 30 with a smaller cross-section, thereby reducing the obstruction of the bottom air field by the water tray 30, thereby optimizing the air field of the air conditioner and increasing the air volume of the air conditioner.

[0073] In some embodiments, the bottom of the wet film 61 is higher than the bottom of the heat exchanger 20. When cooling or dehumidification suddenly stops, the condensate produced by the heat exchanger 20 flows into the drip tray 30. Because the wet film 61 is relatively high, its bottom is not submerged in the water in the drip tray 30, thus avoiding problems such as reduced humidification effect and shortened lifespan caused by soaking. When humidifying, the water supply system sprays water onto the wet film 61, and some of this water flows into the drip tray 30. The water in the drip tray 30 evaporates into water vapor under the high temperature of the heat exchanger 20. This water vapor enters the room with the air conditioning system, helping to increase the humidification capacity and improve the humidification effect.

[0074] In some embodiments, the water receiving tray 30 is designed with a height difference between the positions where the heat exchanger 20 and the wet film 61 are installed. The bottom wall of the water receiving tray 30 includes a heat exchange support 31, with the heat exchanger 20 located above the heat exchange support 31. The bottom wall of the water receiving tray 30 also includes a wet film support 32, with the wet film 61 located above the wet film support 32.

[0075] The height of the wet film support 32 is higher than that of the heat exchange support 31. This allows for a height difference design of the water receiving tray 30, and by setting the height of the wet film support 32 to be higher than that of the heat exchange support 31, the bottom of the wet film 61 can be higher than the bottom of the heat exchanger 20.

[0076] When the air conditioner is humidifying, the water supply system sprays water onto the wet film 61, and some of the water flows downwards to the heat exchange support 31. Under the influence of the high temperature of the heat exchanger 20 at the heat exchange support 31, the water evaporates, further increasing the humidification capacity of the air conditioner. When the dehumidification suddenly stops, the condensate is stored in the area corresponding to the heat exchange support 31. Because the wet film support 32 is relatively high, the condensate will not soak into the wet film 61.

[0077] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 5 and Figure 7 The air conditioner includes a drainage system. The drainage system includes a drain pump 91, which is located in the drip tray 30 and is used to force the water in the drip tray 30 to be discharged.

[0078] In this application, for ease of description, the fan area 10d and the heat exchange area 10e are arranged along the first direction X, and the direction perpendicular to both the first direction X and the height direction Z is defined as the second direction Y.

[0079] In the first direction X, the drain pump 91 is located on the side of the heat exchanger 20 closest to the wet film 61. In the second direction Y, the drain pump 91 is located on the side where the branch pipe, connecting pipe, etc., connected to the heat exchanger 20 are located.

[0080] In some embodiments, the drainage system includes a water level detection module for detecting water level information in the water receiving tray 30.

[0081] The water level detection module can be a sensor used to trigger the water level, such as a float switch. The float switch opens when the water level reaches its trigger level and closes when the water level is below its trigger level. When the float switch is open, it indicates that the water level in the receiving pan 30 has reached its trigger level; when the float switch is closed, it indicates that the water level in the receiving pan 30 is below its trigger level.

[0082] In some embodiments, the float switch is mounted within the housing 10 via a float bracket 96. The float bracket 96 includes a mounting portion for mounting the float switch. The float bracket 96 includes a fixing portion 963, which is connected to the drain pump 91.

[0083] The fixing part 963 can be inverted "L" shape, and its horizontally extending top plate can be connected to the support plate 911 on the drain pump 91 by screws. The top of the fixing part 963 can be provided with an upwardly extending latch 9631, which is inserted into the support plate 911 to achieve positioning between the support plate 911 and the float bracket 96, and then the two are fastened by screws. The mounting part is connected to the bottom end of the vertically extending side plate of the fixing part 963.

[0084] In some embodiments, there are two float switches, namely a first float switch 93 and a second float switch 94.

[0085] The mounting section includes a first mounting section 961 on which a first float switch 93 is mounted; and a second mounting section 962 connected to the first mounting section 961 and at a higher height than the first mounting section 961, on which a second float switch 94 is mounted.

[0086] By mounting the two float switches on the same float bracket 96, the product structure can be simplified. Different height settings for the first float switch 93 and the second float switch 94 can be achieved through the first mounting part 961 and the second mounting part 962, which are configured at different heights.

[0087] Specifically, the second mounting part 962 is connected to the bottom end of the vertically extending side plate of the fixing part 963.

[0088] The first mounting section 961 and the second mounting section 962 extend generally laterally. The second mounting section 962 and the first mounting section 961 are stepped to achieve a staggered arrangement of their heights.

[0089] The first mounting portion 961 extends from the end of the second mounting portion 962 that is away from the fixing portion 963 in a direction away from the fixing portion 963.

[0090] In some embodiments, see specific references Figure 7 The first mounting part 961 is provided with a first mounting hole 961a. The first mounting hole 961a has a first notch 961b that communicates laterally with the outside of the first mounting part 961. The first float switch 93 is installed in the first mounting hole 961a from the first notch 961b.

[0091] The second mounting part 962 is provided with a second mounting hole 962a, and the second mounting hole 962a has a second notch 962b that communicates laterally with the outside of the second mounting part 962. The second float switch 94 is installed in the second mounting hole 962a from the second notch 962b.

[0092] The first notch 961b and the second notch 962b are oriented in opposite directions. This balances the structural strength of the mounting part and avoids the problem that the mounting part is less strong and more prone to deformation when the notches are oriented in the same direction.

[0093] In some embodiments, the first mounting hole 961a and the second mounting hole 962a may be U-shaped. The first float opening is inserted into the first mounting hole 961a from the U-shaped opening end of the first mounting hole 961a, and the second float switch 94 is inserted into the second mounting hole 962a from the U-shaped opening end of the second mounting hole 962a.

[0094] The first float switch 93 is fastened to the first mounting part 961 by bolts, and the second float switch 94 is fastened to the second mounting part 962 by bolts.

[0095] In some embodiments, there are three float switches, namely a first float switch 93, a second float switch 94, and a third float switch 95.

[0096] Reference Figure 8 Unlike the embodiments described above, the mounting portion includes a third mounting portion 964, which is connected between the bottom end of the fixing portion 963 and the second mounting portion 962. The third mounting portion 964 and the second mounting portion 962 are arranged in a stepped manner, and the height of the third mounting portion 964 is higher than that of the second mounting portion 962. A third float switch 95 is mounted on the third mounting portion 964.

[0097] In some embodiments, the controller is used to control the operating state of the drain pump 91 and the water supply solenoid valve 62 according to the signal from the float switch.

[0098] When the air conditioner is in dehumidification mode, condensate will be generated on the main heat exchanger as it cools and dehumidifies the air. Therefore, during dehumidification operation, the drain pump 91 will discharge the condensate generated by the heat exchanger 20 by default. When the water level in the drip tray 30 reaches the minimum trigger level of the water level detection module, it indicates a malfunction in the drainage system and failure to drain properly. At this time, an alarm signal will be sent to the user, and the air conditioner can be automatically forced to shut down.

[0099] Under normal circumstances, the drain pump 91 continuously discharges condensate, and no water accumulates in the water tray 30. If the test shows that there is water accumulation, it indicates that the drain pump 91 or the water level detection module is faulty and needs to be repaired.

[0100] When the air conditioner is in humidification mode, the water supply solenoid valve 62 is open by default, and the water supply system supplies water to the wet membrane 61. When the water level in the water tray 30 reaches the trigger water level of the water level detection module above the bottom of the wet membrane 61, it indicates that there is sufficient water at the wet membrane 61 and no further water supply is needed. The water supply solenoid valve 62 then closes to shut off the water supply system to the wet membrane 61.

[0101] The control mechanism of the water level detection module, which has a float switch, is described below: In some embodiments, the heat exchanger and the wet film 61 share a single drip tray 30, thus a single drain pump 91 can be used for humidification and dehumidification drainage. A float switch is provided, the trigger water level of which is higher than the bottom of the wet film 61.

[0102] When the air conditioner is running in dehumidification mode, the drain pump 91 starts. When the float switch is turned on, it indicates that the water level in the water tray 30 has reached the trigger level of the float switch, indicating a fault in the drainage system and sending an alarm signal to the user.

[0103] The air conditioner can be forced to shut down automatically while issuing an alarm signal to prevent condensate from overflowing from the unit.

[0104] When the air conditioner is in humidification mode, the water supply solenoid valve 62 is open by default, and the water supply system supplies water to the wet membrane 61. When hot air passes through the wet membrane 61, it evaporates the moisture on the wet membrane 61, and the water vapor enters the room, thereby increasing the humidity of the indoor air. After the moisture on the wet membrane 61 evaporates, the wet membrane 61 will continue to absorb water. When the water supply is greater than the water absorption of the wet membrane 61, the water in the drip tray 30 gradually increases. When the water level rises to the trigger level of the float switch, the float switch opens, and the water supply solenoid valve 62 can be closed, and it is not necessary to continue supplying water to the wet membrane 61. When the moisture at the wet membrane 61 evaporates, the wet membrane 61 will absorb the water accumulated in the drip tray 30, and the water level in the drip tray 30 will drop. When the water level in the drip tray 30 drops below the trigger level of the float switch, the water supply solenoid valve 62 opens, and the water supply system supplies water to the wet membrane 61 again.

[0105] To avoid frequent switching between opening and closing of the water supply solenoid valve 62 during humidification mode, a minimum closing time for the water supply solenoid valve 62 can be set. The water supply solenoid valve 62 opens when the closing time of the water supply solenoid valve 62 reaches the preset minimum closing time and the water level in the water tray 30 has not reached the trigger level of the float switch.

[0106] In this application, the float switch has multiple functions: firstly, it serves as an overflow alarm node in dehumidification mode; secondly, it serves as an inlet water shut-off node in humidification mode. In other words, the float switch is reused as both a dehumidification alarm node and a humidification inlet water control node. Dynamic water level management in both dehumidification and humidification modes is achieved through a single float switch, fulfilling the differentiated needs of both modes and reducing system complexity and cost.

[0107] In some embodiments, the drain pump 91 is controlled to drain water from the water tray 30 according to the running time of the humidification mode, so as to periodically replace the water in the water tray 30. By periodically replacing the water, the concentration of dissolved solids is suppressed, the bottleneck of ion enrichment is broken, and the problem of ion concentration imbalance caused by long-term operation is completely solved, avoiding the problems of scaling and humidification efficiency reduction of the wet film 61 caused by ion enrichment in the water tray 30.

[0108] In this application, the drain pump 91 has multiple functions: firstly, it is used for drainage in dehumidification mode; secondly, it is used for drainage during overflow in humidification mode; and thirdly, it is used for drainage during periodic water changes in humidification mode. By reusing the drain pump 91, the system complexity and cost are reduced.

[0109] The air conditioner uses a timer to keep track of the continuous humidification operation time. When the timer reaches the preset water replacement cycle T, the drain pump 91 is activated to perform forced drainage, the timer is reset to zero, and the next water replacement cycle begins. Due to the drainage of the drain pump 91, the water level in the water receiving pan 30 will be lower than the trigger level of the float switch, causing the float switch to close. At this time, the water supply solenoid valve 62 opens, and the water supply system supplies new water to the wet film 61 to automatically complete the water replacement of the water receiving pan 30.

[0110] The control mechanism of the water level detection module with two float switches is described below: In some embodiments, refer to Figure 9 and Figure 10 There are two float switches, and the trigger water level of both float switches is higher than the bottom of the wet membrane 61. The two float switches are a first float switch 93 and a second float switch 94, and the trigger water level of the first float switch 93 is lower than the trigger water level of the second float switch 94.

[0111] When the air conditioner is running in dehumidification mode, the drain pump 91 starts. When the first float switch 93 opens, an alarm signal for a drain system malfunction is sent to the user. Simultaneously with the alarm signal, the air conditioner can be forcibly shut down automatically to prevent condensate from overflowing the unit.

[0112] When the drainage pump 91 is turned on, there will be no water accumulation in the water receiving pan 30. If the first float switch 93 is turned on, it means that the water level in the water receiving pan 30 has reached the trigger level of the first float switch 93, indicating a malfunction in the drainage system.

[0113] When the air conditioner is running in humidification mode, the water supply solenoid valve 62 is open by default, and the water supply system supplies water to the wet membrane 61. When the first float switch 93 is opened, the water supply solenoid valve 62 is closed.

[0114] When high-temperature air from heat exchanger 20 passes through the wet membrane 61, it evaporates the moisture on the wet membrane 61, and the water vapor enters the room, thereby increasing the humidity of the indoor air. After the moisture on the wet membrane 61 evaporates, the wet membrane 61 continues to absorb water. When the water supply exceeds the water absorption of the wet membrane 61, the water in the water receiving tray 30 gradually increases. When the water level rises to the trigger level of the first float switch 93, the first float switch 93 opens, and the water supply solenoid valve 62 can close, so there is no need to continue supplying water to the wet membrane 61. When the moisture at the wet membrane 61 evaporates, the wet membrane 61 absorbs the water accumulated in the water receiving tray 30, causing the water level in the water receiving tray 30 to drop. When the water level in the water receiving tray 30 drops below the trigger level of the first float switch 93, the first float switch 93 closes, the water supply solenoid valve 62 opens, and the water supply system supplies water to the wet membrane 61 again.

[0115] In some embodiments, when the water supply solenoid valve 62 is closed, the second float switch 94 opens, sends a water supply system fault alarm signal, and the drain pump 91 starts to drain water from the drain pan 30.

[0116] Under normal circumstances, the water supply solenoid valve 62 is closed, and the water supply system no longer supplies water to the wet membrane 61. The water level in the receiving pan 30 will not continue to rise. If the second float switch 94 is opened, it indicates that the water level in the receiving pan 30 has reached the trigger level of the second float switch 94, and the water level in the receiving pan 30 has risen. If the water level in the receiving pan 30 can still rise from the trigger level of the first float switch 93 to the trigger level of the second float switch 94 when the water supply solenoid valve 62 is closed, it indicates that there is a fault in the water supply system, such as a fault in the water supply solenoid valve 62, and an alarm signal for a water supply system fault is sent to the user. At the same time as the water supply system fault alarm signal is sent, the drain pump 91 starts to drain water from the receiving pan 30 to prevent water from overflowing.

[0117] This embodiment utilizes two float switches to achieve dual-level safety protection in humidification mode. The first float switch 93 performs closed-loop control of water inlet, and the second float switch 94 provides overflow redundancy alarm, which improves safety in humidification mode and avoids the risk of water overflowing from the water tray 30 when the water supply system fails.

[0118] In this application, the first float switch 93 is reused as both a dehumidification alarm node and a humidification water inlet control node, while the second float switch 94 simultaneously performs the dual functions of humidification overflow alarm and triggering of the drain pump 91, thus optimizing hardware resources and reducing system complexity and cost.

[0119] In addition, this application also achieves cross-mode safety isolation, issuing an alarm signal for drainage failure during dehumidification and a water supply failure signal during humidification. The two alarm signals are output independently and distinctly, avoiding malfunctions caused by confusion between humidification and dehumidification states.

[0120] In some embodiments, the drain pump 91 is controlled to force drainage according to the duration of the humidification mode, so as to periodically change the water in the drain pan 30. The air conditioner uses a timer to keep track of the continuous humidification operation time. When the timer reaches the preset water change cycle T, the drain pump 91 is started to perform forced drainage, the timer is reset to zero, and the timer is restarted to enter the next water change cycle.

[0121] Due to the drainage pump 91, the water level in the receiving pan 30 will be lower than the trigger level of the first float switch 93, causing the first float switch 93 to close. At this time, the water supply solenoid valve 62 opens, and the water supply system supplies new water to the wet membrane 61 to complete the water replacement of the receiving pan 30.

[0122] The control mechanism of the water level detection module with three float switches is described below: In some embodiments, refer to Figure 11 and Figure 12 There are three float switches: a first float switch 93, a second float switch 94, and a third float switch 95. The trigger water level of the first float switch 93 is lower than the bottom of the wet film 61, the trigger water level of the second float switch 94 is higher than the bottom of the wet film 61, and the trigger water level of the third float switch 95 is higher than the trigger water level of the second float switch 94.

[0123] When the air conditioner is running in dehumidification mode, the drain pump 91 is turned on. When the first float switch 93 is turned on, a drain system fault is detected, and an alarm signal for the drain system fault is sent to the user.

[0124] Under normal circumstances, there should be no water accumulation in the water tray 30 due to the drainage operation of the drain pump 91. When the first float switch 93 opens, it indicates that there is water accumulation in the water tray 30 and the water level in the water tray 30 has reached the trigger level of the first float switch 93, which can be identified as a drainage system malfunction. The air conditioner can be forced to automatically shut down at the same time as issuing an alarm signal to prevent condensate from overflowing from the unit.

[0125] When the air conditioner is in humidification mode, the water supply solenoid valve 62 is open by default, and the water supply system supplies water to the wet film 61. When the second float switch 94 is opened, the water supply solenoid valve 62 is closed, and the water supply system stops supplying water.

[0126] When the high-temperature air from the heat exchanger 20 passes through the wet membrane 61, it evaporates the moisture on the wet membrane 61, and the water vapor enters the room, thereby increasing the humidity of the indoor air. After the moisture on the wet membrane 61 evaporates, the wet membrane 61 will continue to absorb water. When the water supply is greater than the water absorption of the wet membrane 61, the water in the water receiving tray 30 gradually increases. When the water level rises to the trigger level of the second float switch 94, the second float switch 94 opens. At this time, the water supply solenoid valve 62 can be closed, and it is not necessary to continue to supply water to the wet membrane 61.

[0127] When the first float switch 93 is closed, the water supply solenoid valve 62 is opened again, and the water supply system supplies water to the wet membrane 61.

[0128] When the water supply system stops supplying water, as the water at the wet membrane 61 evaporates, the wet membrane 61 will absorb the water accumulated in the water receiving pan 30, and the high temperature of the heat exchanger will cause the water in the water receiving pan to evaporate, causing the water level in the water receiving pan 30 to drop. When the water level in the water receiving pan 30 drops below the trigger level of the first float switch 93, the first float switch 93 closes, the water at the wet membrane 61 is insufficient, the water supply solenoid valve 62 opens, and the water supply system supplies water to the wet membrane 61 again.

[0129] While the water supply solenoid valve 62 is closed, when the third float switch 95 opens, a fault in the water supply system is confirmed, and an alarm signal for the water supply system fault is sent to the user. At the same time as the water supply system fault alarm signal is sent, the drain pump 91 starts to drain water from the receiving pan 30 to prevent water from overflowing from the receiving pan 30.

[0130] Under normal circumstances, when the water level in the receiving pan 30 reaches the trigger level of the second float switch 94, the water supply solenoid valve 62 is closed, and the water supply system no longer supplies water to the wet membrane 61. The water level in the receiving pan 30 will not rise. If the water level in the receiving pan 30 can still rise from the trigger level of the second float switch 94 to the trigger level of the third float switch 95 when the water supply solenoid valve 62 is closed, it indicates that there is a fault in the water supply system, such as a fault in the water supply solenoid valve 62. An alarm signal for a water supply system fault will be sent to the user.

[0131] In this embodiment, since the trigger water level of the first float switch 93 is lower than the bottom of the wet film 61, compared to when the trigger water level of the first float switch 93 is higher than the bottom of the wet film 61, drainage faults can be detected in time at lower water levels in dehumidification mode, achieving early overflow warning and a higher level of safety. In humidification mode, when the water level in the water receiving tray 30 reaches the trigger water level of the second float switch 94, the water supply solenoid valve 62 closes; when the water level in the water receiving tray 30 drops to the trigger water level of the first float switch 93, the water supply solenoid valve 62 opens. Through the closed-loop control of the first float switch 93 and the second float switch 94, the water supply solenoid valve 62 is stabilized in the water receiving tray 30 within a preset range, achieving precise water level maintenance in humidification mode. The third float switch 95 simultaneously performs the dual functions of overflow alarm and drainage pump 91 triggering in humidification mode, simplifying the system structure and reducing system costs.

[0132] In addition, this application adopts a cross-mode reuse strategy, in which the first float switch 93 is used as a non-initial water inlet node in humidification mode and as a trigger alarm node in dehumidification mode.

[0133] In some embodiments, the drain pump 91 is controlled to force drainage according to the duration of the humidification mode, so as to periodically change the water in the drain pan 30. The air conditioner uses a timer to keep track of the continuous humidification operation time. When the timer reaches the preset water change cycle T, the drain pump 91 is started to perform forced drainage, the timer is reset to zero, and the timer is restarted to enter the next water change cycle.

[0134] Due to the drainage pump 91, the water level in the receiving pan 30 will be lower than the trigger level of the first float switch 93, causing the first float switch 93 to close. At this time, the water supply solenoid valve 62 opens, and the water supply system supplies new water to the wet membrane 61 to complete the water replacement of the receiving pan 30.

[0135] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 13 and Figure 14 The air conditioner may include a wet film reservoir 33. The wet film reservoir 33 is disposed within the water receiving pan 30, and the bottom of the wet film 61 is located within the wet film reservoir 33. The heat exchanger 20 is located outside the wet film reservoir 33, and the top of the side wall separating the heat exchanger 20 and the wet film 61 on the wet film reservoir 33 is lower than the top of the water receiving pan 30.

[0136] The drainage pump 91 includes a first drainage pump 901, which is located inside the water receiving pan 30 and outside the wet film water storage pan 33, and is used to drain water from the water receiving pan 30. The drainage pump 91 also includes a second drainage pump 902, which is located inside the wet film water storage pan 33 and is used to drain water from the wet film water storage pan 33.

[0137] There are two float switches: a first float switch 93 and a second float switch 94. The first float switch 93 is located outside the wet film water storage pan 33 and is used to detect the water level in the water receiving pan 30. The second float switch 94 is located inside the wet film water storage pan 33 and is used to detect the water level in the wet film water storage pan 33.

[0138] In dehumidification mode, the first drain pump 901 starts, draining the condensate from the drip tray 30. When the first float switch 93 opens, a problem with the drainage system is detected, and an alarm signal for a drainage system malfunction is issued. Simultaneously with the alarm signal, the air conditioner can be forcibly shut down to prevent water from overflowing from the drip tray 30.

[0139] Under normal circumstances, the first drainage pump 901 drains water from the receiving pan 30, and no water will accumulate in the receiving pan 30. If the first float switch 93 is opened, it means that the water level in the receiving pan 30 has reached the trigger level of the first float switch 93, and water will accumulate in the receiving pan 30. At this time, it can be determined that there is a problem with the drainage system, and an alarm signal for drainage system failure will be output.

[0140] In humidification mode, the water supply solenoid valve 62 is open by default, and the water supply system supplies water to the wet membrane 61. When the second float switch 94 is opened, the water supply solenoid valve 62 is closed, shutting off the water supply system to the wet membrane 61.

[0141] When the water level in the wet membrane water storage pan 33 reaches the trigger level of the second float switch 94, the wet membrane 61 is sufficiently moist, and the water supply system to the wet membrane 61 can be shut off.

[0142] With the water supply solenoid valve 62 closed, when the first float switch 93 opens, a water supply system malfunction is confirmed, and an alarm signal for the water supply system malfunction is issued. The second drain pump 902 can then be turned on to drain the wet film water storage pan 33 to prevent water from overflowing the unit.

[0143] Under normal circumstances, after the water supply solenoid valve 62 is closed, the water level in the wet membrane storage pan 33 will not continue to rise because the water supply system no longer supplies water. If the first float switch 93 is opened, it means that the water supply system is still supplying water, and water overflows from the wet membrane storage pan 33 into the receiving pan 30, causing the water level in the receiving pan 30 to reach the trigger level of the first float switch 93. At this time, it can be determined that the water supply system is faulty and an alarm signal for the water supply system fault is issued.

[0144] In some embodiments, the second drain pump 902 is controlled to force drainage according to the running time of the humidification mode, so as to periodically change the water in the wet film water storage pan 33. The air conditioner uses a timer to keep track of the continuous operation of humidification. When the timer reaches the preset water change cycle T, the second drain pump 902 is started to perform forced drainage, the timer is reset to zero, and the timer starts to start again to enter the next water change cycle.

[0145] Due to the drainage of the second drainage pump 902, the water level in the wet membrane storage pan 33 will be lower than the trigger water level of the second float switch 94, causing the second float switch 94 to close. At this time, the water supply solenoid valve 62 opens, and the water supply system supplies new water to the wet membrane 61 to complete the water replacement of the wet membrane storage pan 33.

[0146] In this embodiment, the second float switch 94 is used for closed-loop control of the water inlet of the wet film water storage pan 33 to prevent overflow of the receiving pan 30. The first float switch 93 simultaneously serves as both a dehumidification overflow alarm and a humidification overflow alarm, and also as a trigger point for the second drain pump 902 to drain water from the wet film water storage pan 33 during humidification, thus achieving independent installation and protection for the two containers, the receiving pan 30 and the wet film water storage pan 33. This embodiment uses only two float switches to achieve monitoring and drainage triggering of the two containers, simplifying the hardware system and reducing costs.

[0147] The second drainage pump 902 is reused for both safe discharge and metabolic water exchange. On the one hand, it discharges accumulated water when the humidification water intake is abnormal, and on the other hand, it performs periodic water exchange on the wet film water storage pan 33.

[0148] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

[0149] For ease of explanation, the above description has been provided in conjunction with specific embodiments. However, the above exemplary discussion is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the specific forms disclosed above. Various modifications and variations can be obtained based on the above teachings. The selection and description of the above embodiments are for the purpose of better explaining the principles and practical applications, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to better utilize the described embodiments and various different variations of embodiments suitable for specific use considerations.

Claims

1. An air conditioner, characterized in that, include: The casing has at least one air inlet and one air outlet, wherein one of the air inlets is a return air inlet or a fresh air inlet, the return air inlet is used to allow indoor air to flow in, and the fresh air inlet is used to allow outdoor fresh air to flow in. The internal space of the casing is divided into a fan area and a heat exchange area by a partition, the fan area is connected to the air inlet, and the heat exchange area is connected to the air outlet. The fan is located within the fan area; A heat exchanger is located within the heat exchange zone; A wet film is disposed between the heat exchanger and the air outlet to humidify the air; A water supply system for supplying water to the wet membrane, the water supply system including a water supply solenoid valve for opening or closing the water supply system; A water receiving tray is located below the heat exchanger and the wet film, with the bottom end of the wet film higher than the bottom end of the heat exchanger in the height direction of the water receiving tray. Drainage system, including: A drain pump is used to drain the water from the water receiving tray. The water level detection module is used to detect the water level in the water receiving tray; The controller is configured as follows: In dehumidification mode, the drain pump is controlled to drain water from the water tray. When the water level in the water tray reaches the minimum water level detected by the water level detection module, an alarm signal for a drainage system fault is output. In humidification mode, the water supply solenoid valve is opened. When the water level in the water receiving tray reaches the level detected by the water level detection module, which is higher than the bottom of the wet membrane, the water supply solenoid valve is closed to shut off the water supply system to the wet membrane.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water level detection module includes two float switches. When the water level reaches the trigger level of the float switch, the float switch opens; when the water level is lower than the trigger level of the float switch, the float switch closes. The two float switches are a first float switch and a second float switch; the trigger water level of both float switches is higher than the bottom of the wet film, and the trigger water level of the first float switch is lower than the trigger water level of the second float switch; The controller is specifically configured as follows: In dehumidification mode, when the first float switch is turned on, an alarm signal for a drainage system fault is output. In humidification mode, when the first float switch is open, it controls the water supply solenoid valve to close; when the second float switch is open, it outputs an alarm signal for a water supply system fault.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water level detection module includes three float switches. When the water level reaches the trigger level of the float switch, the float switch opens; when the water level is lower than the trigger level of the float switch, the float switch closes. The three float switches are a first float switch, a second float switch, and a third float switch; the trigger water level of the first float switch is lower than the bottom of the wet film, the trigger water level of the second float switch is higher than the bottom of the wet film, and the trigger water level of the third float switch is higher than the trigger water level of the second float switch. The controller is specifically configured as follows: In dehumidification mode, when the first float switch is turned on, an alarm signal for a drainage system fault is output. In humidification mode, when the second float switch is open, the water supply solenoid valve is closed; when the first float switch is closed, the water supply solenoid valve is opened; when the third float switch is open, an alarm signal for a water supply system fault is output.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The controller is also configured to control the start of the drainage pump while outputting a water supply system fault alarm signal.

5. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The state of the drain pump and the water supply solenoid valve is controlled according to the running time of the humidification mode in order to periodically change the water in the water receiving tray.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 5, characterized in that, The periodic water exchange specifically includes: when the humidification mode runs for a preset duration T, the drain pump is turned on to drain the water, and then the next water exchange cycle begins.

7. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The bottom wall of the water receiving tray includes: A heat exchange support portion, wherein the heat exchanger abuts against the heat exchange support portion; A wet film support portion, wherein the wet film abuts against the wet film support portion, and the height of the wet film support portion is higher than that of the heat exchange support portion; The drainage pump is located at one end of the heat exchange support near the wet film support.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The drainage pump is connected to a float bracket, and the float switch is installed on the float bracket; the float bracket is provided with multiple mounting parts that correspond one-to-one with the float switch, and the multiple mounting parts are arranged in a stepped shape at different heights, and the float switch is connected to different mounting parts.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air conditioner also includes: A wet film water storage tray is disposed inside the water receiving tray. The bottom of the wet film is located inside the wet film water storage tray. The top of the side wall of the wet film water storage tray, which separates the heat exchanger and the wet film, is lower than the top of the water receiving tray. The drainage pump includes: The first drainage pump is located outside the wet film water storage pan and is used to drain water from the water storage pan. The second drainage pump is located inside the wet film water storage pan and is used to drain the wet film water storage pan. The water level detection module includes two float switches. When the water level reaches the trigger level of the float switch, the float switch opens; when the water level is lower than the trigger level of the float switch, the float switch closes. The two float switches are a first float switch and a second float switch. The first float switch is located outside the wet film water storage pan, and the second float switch is located inside the wet film water storage pan. The controller is specifically configured as follows: In dehumidification mode, the first drain pump is turned on. When the first float switch is turned on, an alarm signal for a drain system fault is output. In humidification mode, when the second float switch is open, it controls the water supply solenoid valve to close; when the first float switch is open, it outputs an alarm signal for a water supply system fault.

10. The air conditioner according to claim 9, characterized in that, Based on the running time of the humidification mode, the states of the second drain pump and the water supply solenoid valve are controlled to periodically change the water in the wet film water storage pan.

Images