Air conditioner and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10139119-B2
Application number	US-201615338112-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2016
Priority date	Oct 30, 2015
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

Provided is an air conditioner. The air conditioner includes a humidification medium, a watering housing to spray water to supply moisture to the humidification medium, a watering motor to rotate the watering housing, a blower fan to blow air, a blower motor to rotate the blower fan, an operation module receiving an instruction from a user, a sterilization module to sterilize the humidification medium, and a control unit to control the watering motor, the blower motor, and the sterilization module according to an instruction inputted to the operation module. Herein, the control unit stops an operation of the watering motor according to the instruction inputted to the operation module, operates the blower motor and the sterilization module when the sterilizing dry mode is set, and stops the operation of the sterilization module after a predetermined sterilizing dry time elapses.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air conditioner comprising:
a water tank to store water;
a humidification medium disposed above the water tank;
a watering housing to draw and spray the water stored in the water tank to supply the water to the humidification medium;
a watering motor to rotate the watering housing;
a visual body coupled to an upper part of the water tank to reflect and scatter the water sprayed from the watering housing;
a top cover assembly disposed at an upper end of the visual body, the top cover assembly having an outlet through which air is discharged;
a blower fan to blow air to the humidification medium;
a blower motor to rotate the blower fan;
an operation module to receive an instruction from a user and to set a sterilizing dry mode for sterilizing and drying the humidification medium;
a sterilization module to sterilize the humidification medium; and
a control unit to control the watering motor, the blower motor, and the sterilization module according to an instruction inputted to the operation module,
wherein the humidification medium comprises a material that is capable of containing moisture,
wherein the control unit stops an operation of the watering motor according to an instruction inputted to the operation module, operates the blower motor and the sterilization module when the sterilizing dry mode is set, and stops the operation of the sterilization module after a predetermined sterilizing dry time elapses,
wherein the watering housing comprises a nozzle for spraying water to an inner side surface of the visual body to supply moisture to the humidification medium,
wherein the nozzle is disposed higher than the humidification medium, and
wherein when blower motor is operated, air blown by the blower fan flows into a space formed between the visual body and the water tank, passes the humidification medium, and is discharged through the outlet.

2. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein:
the sterilization module comprises an ion generation module to generate ions;
the control unit operates the ion generation module when operating the sterilization module; and
the control unit stops an operation of the ion generation module when stopping an operation of the sterilization module.

3. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein:
the sterilization module comprises an ultraviolet module to emit ultraviolet rays;
the control unit operates the ultraviolet module when operating the sterilization module; and
the control unit stops an operation of the ultraviolet module when stopping an operation of the sterilization module.

4. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein when an operation time of the watering motor is longer than a predetermined humidification operation time before the control unit stops an operation of the watering motor, the control unit operates the blower motor and operates the sterilization module.

5. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein when an operation termination instruction is inputted to the operation module, the control unit stops an operation of the watering motor; and the control unit stops an operation of the blower motor when stopping an operation of the sterilization module.

6. The air conditioner of claim 5 , further comprising an electrostatic precipitation module to charge foreign materials in air with electricity to clean the air, wherein the control unit stops an operation of the electrostatic precipitation module when stopping an operation of the watering motor.

7. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein when a humidification termination instruction is inputted to the operation module, the control unit stops an operation of the watering motor.

8. The air conditioner of claim 1 , further comprising a display unit to display a state of the air conditioner, wherein when the sterilizing dry mode is set through the operation module, the control unit displays on the display unit that the sterilizing dry mode is set.

9. A control method of an air conditioner of claim 1 , the method comprising:
stopping an operation of a watering motor to stop supplying water to a humidification medium is formed of a material that is capable of containing moisture;
blowing air to the humidification medium and sterilizing the humidification medium, when a sterilizing dry mode for sterilizing and drying the humidification medium is set; and
stopping the sterilizing of the humidification medium after a predetermined sterilizing dry time elapses.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the sterilizing of the humidification medium comprises generating ions to sterilize the humidification medium.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the sterilizing of the humidification medium comprises emitting ultraviolet rays.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising, when an operation time of the watering motor is longer than a predetermined humidification operation time before an operation of the watering motor stops, blowing air and sterilizing the humidification medium.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising, when an operation termination instruction is inputted, stopping an operation of the watering motor, and when the sterilization stops, stopping an operation of the blower motor.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising, when an operation of the watering motor stops, stopping an operation of an electrostatic precipitation module to stopping charging foreign materials in air.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising, when a humidification termination instruction is inputted, stopping an operation of the watering motor.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc
• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Choi Jieun
• Moon Sunyoung
• Kim Ahram
• Park Hyungho
• Kim Taeyoon
• Kim Jinuk
• Son Daegeun
• Son Sanghyuk
• Lee Kyoungho

Classifications

• A61L2/10

  Ultraviolet [UV] radiation · CPC title

• F24F11/30

  for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring · CPC title

• F24F11/52

  Indication arrangements, e.g. displays · CPC title

• F24F2003/1667

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F24F6/04 Primary

  using stationary unheated wet elements · CPC title