Air conditioner and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11035583-B2
Application number	US-201815992699-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2018
Priority date	Sep 30, 2015
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

An air conditioner includes a housing having a suction port and a discharge port, a main fan configured to draw air into the housing through the suction port and discharge air from the housing through the discharge port, an auxiliary fan configured to draw, into the housing, air discharged by the main fan and a controller configured to control a rotational speed of the auxiliary fan to change a direction in which air is discharged from the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air conditioner comprising:
a housing provided with a suction port and a discharge port;
a main fan configured to flow air so that the air is drawn through the suction port and discharged through the discharge port;
a first auxiliary fan configured to draw, through a first inlet provided near the discharge port, at least a portion of the air discharged through the discharge port by the main fan;
a second auxiliary fan configured to draw, through a second inlet provided near the discharge port, at least a portion of the air discharged through the discharge port by the main fan; and
a controller configured to control a rotation speed of the first auxiliary fan and a rotation speed of the second auxiliary fan so that a discharging direction of air by the first auxiliary fan is different from a discharging direction of an air by the second auxiliary fan,
wherein the first auxiliary fan and second auxiliary fan are configured to pull an airflow of the air discharged by the main fan toward the first and second inlet, respectively.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to increase the rotational speed of the first auxiliary fan to pull the airflow of the air discharged through the discharge port by the main fan toward the first inlet and increase the rotational speed of the second auxiliary fan to pull the airflow of the air discharged through the discharge port by the main fan toward the second inlet.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to rotate the first auxiliary fan at a first rotational speed so that the air is discharged in a first direction and rotate the second auxiliary fan at a second rotational speed so that the air is discharged in a second direction.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to change the rotational speed of the first auxiliary fan from the first rotational speed to a third rotational speed while changing the rotational speed of the second auxiliary fan from the second rotational speed to a fourth rotational speed.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to change the rotational speed of the first auxiliary fan from the first rotational speed to the second rotational speed while changing the rotational speed of the second auxiliary fan from the second rotational speed to the first rotational speed.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the rotational speed of the first auxiliary fan so that the air is vertically discharged out of the housing and control the rotational speed of the second auxiliary fan such that the air is horizontally discharged out of the housing.

7. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to rotate the first auxiliary fan and the second auxiliary fan alternately at a first rotational speed, while cyclically changing the rotational speed of the first auxiliary fan and the rotational speed of the second auxiliary fan.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to cyclically change the rotational speed of the first auxiliary fan and the rotational speed of the second auxiliary fan while rotating the first auxiliary fan at the rotational speed being different from the rotational speed of the second auxiliary fan.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to alternately stop a rotation of the first auxiliary fan and a rotation of the second auxiliary fan.

10. An air conditioner comprising:
a housing provided with a suction port and a discharge port;
a main fan configured to flow air so that the air is drawn through the suction port and discharged through the discharge port;
a first auxiliary fan and a second auxiliary fan configured to pull an airflow of the air discharged by the main fan toward thea first inlet and thea second inlet, respectively, by drawing, through athe first inlet and athe second inlet provided near the discharge port, at least a portion of the air discharged through the discharge port by the main fan;
a display disposed on the housing; and
a controller configured to control a rotation speed of the first auxiliary fan and a rotation speed of the second auxiliary fan to control a direction in which the air is discharged, and display, on the display, information regarding the direction in which the air is discharged.

11. The air conditioner according to claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to display a first image which indicates that the air is discharged in a first direction while controlling the rotational speed of the first auxiliary fan so that the air is discharged in the first direction, and display a second image which indicates that the air is discharged in a second direction while controlling the rotational speed of the first auxiliary fan so that the air is discharged in the second direction.

12. The air conditioner according to claim 10 , wherein the display includes a first indicator which indicates that the air is discharged in a first direction and a second indicator which indicates that the air is discharged in a second direction.

13. The air conditioner according to claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to turn on the first indicator while controlling the rotational speed of the first auxiliary fan so that the air is discharged in the first direction, and turn on the second indicator while controlling the rotational speed of the first auxiliary fan so that the air is discharged in the second direction.

14. The air conditioner according to claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to turn on the first indicator while controlling the rotational speed of the first auxiliary fan so that the air is vertically discharged, and turn on the second indicator while controlling the rotational speed of the first auxiliary fan so that the air is horizontally discharged.

15. The air conditioner according to claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to display a first image which indicates that the air is vertically discharged while controlling the rotational speed of the first auxiliary fan so that the air is vertically discharged, and display a second image which indicates that the air is horizontally discharged while controlling the rotational speed of the first auxiliary fan so that the air is horizontally discharged.

16. The air conditioner according to claim 10 , wherein the display include a first indicator which indicates that the air is vertically discharged and a second indicator that the air is horizontally discharged, and
the first indicator has a ring shape having a radius different from that of the second indicator.

17. The air conditioner according to claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to display a first image which indicates a discharging direction of the air by first auxiliary fan, and display a second image which indicates a discharging direction of the air by the second auxiliary fan.

18. The air conditioner according to claim 10 , wherein the display include a first indicator which indicates a discharging direction of the air by first auxiliary fan and a second indicator which indicates a discharging direction of the air by the second auxiliary fan,
each of the first indicator and the second indicator have an arc shape, and
each of the first indicator and the second indicator is, on the display, arranged in a circumferential direction on a concentric circle.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Young-Jin
• Kang Ju-Hyun
• Kim Young-Jae
• So Byung Yul
• Kim Yong-Gak
• Baek In-Jung
• Byeon Na Yeong
• Seo Moo Gyo
• Seo Hyeong Joon
• Yu Seung Cheon
• Lee Sang Woo
• Lee Hyo Kyu
• Lim Jin Ho
• Cho Min-Gi
• Cho Hyeong Kyu
• Hwang Jun
• Kim Do Yeon
• Kim Hyun Ah
• Seo Yong Ho
• Song Woo Seog
• Song Hyun-Joo
• Shin Young Sun
• Yoon Joon-Ho
• Lee Bu Youn
• Lee Jung Dae
• Lee Chang Seon
• Jeon Min Gu
• Jeong Hee Jae

Classifications

• F24F11/79 Primary

  for controlling the direction of the supplied air · CPC title

• F24F11/77 Primary

  by controlling the speed of ventilators · CPC title

• F24F11/65

  for selecting an operating mode · CPC title

• F24F11/52

  Indication arrangements, e.g. displays · CPC title

• F24F11/42

  of outdoor units · CPC title