Air Conditioner Selection Mechanism for Standby Mode Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air conditioners are not designed to handle indoor units that cannot transition to a standby mode, leading to unreliable operation when an outdoor unit tries to start from a standby mode.
Innovation Solution
A selection mechanism that adapts the outdoor unit to either transition to a standby mode or remain operational based on the indoor unit's capability, using switches, auxiliary circuits, and relays to ensure smooth operation even if the indoor unit cannot reduce standby power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the outdoor unit transitions to standby mode to reduce power consumption, then energy efficiency is improved, but the system becomes unreliable when the indoor unit cannot support standby mode
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts the outdoor unit's standby capability based on the indoor unit's support status. When the indoor unit supports standby mode, the outdoor unit transitions to standby mode (disconnecting power supply). When the indoor unit does not support standby mode, the outdoor unit maintains operational state (keeping power supply connected). This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by making the standby function conditional rather than fixed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the power supply parameter (connected or disconnected) based on the compatibility between indoor and outdoor units. The selection mechanism determines whether the outdoor unit should be in standby state (power disconnected) or operational state (power connected) according to the indoor unit's capabilities, thereby optimizing energy consumption while ensuring reliable operation.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the outdoor unit is adapted to transition to standby mode for power saving, then energy efficiency is improved, but smooth operation cannot be achieved when the indoor unit cannot transition to standby mode
Solution Approach 1:
The selection mechanism dynamically determines the outdoor unit's operational state based on real-time compatibility assessment. When incompatibility is detected (indoor unit cannot support standby), the system automatically prevents the outdoor unit from entering standby mode, ensuring smooth operation. This dynamic decision-making process eliminates operation failures while maintaining energy efficiency when compatibility exists.
Solution Approach 2:
The selection mechanism acts as an intermediary between the indoor and outdoor units, mediating the power supply connection based on their compatibility. It determines whether to allow the outdoor unit to disconnect power (standby mode) or maintain power connection (operational mode), thereby ensuring smooth operation while achieving energy savings when appropriate.
3Reliability
If a selection mechanism is introduced to adapt the outdoor unit based on indoor unit capability, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The selection mechanism is designed to be universal, handling both compatible and incompatible unit combinations through a single control logic. It determines the appropriate power supply state (standby or operational) based on the indoor unit's capabilities, providing a unified solution that improves reliability without requiring separate control mechanisms for different scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The selection mechanism automatically determines the appropriate operational state based on the indoor unit's capabilities without requiring manual intervention. The system self-adjusts the power supply connection status according to the detected compatibility, thereby improving reliability while keeping the control mechanism simple and automatic.
Data Source
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AI summary
An object of the present invention to enhance reliability with smooth operation in the presence of a standby power reduction unsupporting model that cannot transition to a suspended state. An air conditioner (1) includes a selection mechanism (16) that prevents a current flow in a power supply wiring (1a) in an operation stop period and determines whether to adapt an outdoor unit (10) to a unit that is able to transition to a suspended state in which no electric power is supplied to the outdoor unit (10). The selection mechanism (16) is provided in the power supply wiring (1a), and includes a relay (K13R) that prevents a current flow in the power supply wiring (1a) in the operation stop period to cause the air conditioner to transition to the suspended state in which no electric power is supplied to the outdoor unit (10), an auxiliary circuit (16a) provided in parallel with the relay (K13R) and configured to always supply electric power to the outdoor control circuit (13), and an opening/closing unit (17) provided in the auxiliary circuit (16a) and configured to open and close the auxiliary circuit (16a). The opening/closing unit (17) is a connector.