Air conditioning robot and air conditioning system including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11333373-B2
Application number	US-201816641798-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 26, 2018
Priority date	Jan 11, 2018
Publication date	May 17, 2022
Grant date	May 17, 2022

Abstract

An air conditioning robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a main body having a suction hole and a discharge hole; a cooling cycle including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion mechanism, and an evaporator, which are disposed within the main body; a blower fan configured to blow air suctioned through the suction hole so that the air is heat-exchanged with the evaporator and discharged through the discharge hole; a heat storage tank configured to accommodate a heat storage material in which heat of the condenser is stored; a heat dissipation part configured to dissipate the heat of the heat storage material accommodated in the heat storage tank, the heat dissipation part thermally contacting a heat transfer terminal disposed outside the main body; and a driving part configured to allow the main body to move so that the heat dissipation part thermally contacts or is thermally separated from the heat transfer terminal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air conditioning robot comprising:
a main body having a suction hole and a discharge hole;
a cooling cycle comprising a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator, which are disposed within the main body;
a blower fan configured to blow air suctioned through the suction hole so that the air is heat-exchanged with the evaporator and discharged through the discharge hole;
a heat storage tank configured to accommodate a heat storage material in which heat of the condenser is stored;
a heat dissipation part configured to dissipate the heat of the heat storage material accommodated in the heat storage tank, the heat dissipation part thermally contacting a heat transfer terminal disposed outside the main body; and
a driving part configured to allow the main body to move so that the heat dissipation part thermally contacts or is thermally separated from the heat transfer terminal,
wherein the air conditioning robot further comprises:
a temperature sensor disposed in the heat storage tank; and
a controller configured to control the driving part so that the heat dissipation part thermally contacts a heat absorption part when a temperature measured by the temperature sensor is higher than a preset temperature.

2. The air conditioning robot according to claim I, further comprising a heat pipe that is connected to each of the heat storage tank and the heat dissipation part to transfer the heat stored in the heat storage tank to the heat dissipation part.

3. The air conditioning robot according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a human recognition sensor configured to recognize a position of a human; and
a controller configured to control the driving part so as to receive a signal of the human recognition sensor, thereby tracing a moving path of the human.

4. The air conditioning robot according to claim i wherein the heat dissipation part is disposed on an outer surface of the main body.

5. An air conditioning system comprising:
an outdoor unit comprising a first compressor and a first condenser:
a heat transfer terminal comprising a first evaporator connected to the first compressor and the first condenser and a heat absorption part that is heat-exchanged with the first evaporator; and
an air conditioning robot that separably thermally contacts the heat absorption part of the heat transfer terminal,
wherein the air conditioning robot comprises:
a main body having a suction hole and a discharge hole;
a cooling cycle comprising a second compressor, a second condenser, a second expansion valve, and a second evaporator, which are disposed within the main body;
a blower fan configured to blow air suctioned through the suction hole so that the air is heat-exchanged with the second evaporator and discharged through the discharge hole;
a heat storage tank configured to accommodate a heat storage material in which heat of the second condenser is stored;
a heat dissipation part configured to dissipate the heat of the heat storage material accommodated in the heat storage tank, the heat dissipation part thermally contacting the heat absorption part; and
a driving part configured to allow the main body to move so that the heat dissipation part thermally contacts or is thermally separated from the heat absorption part.

6. The air conditioning system according to claim 5 , wherein a power supply terminal configured to supply power is provided on the heat transfer terminal, and
a charging terminal connected to the power supply terminal when the heat dissipation part thermally contacts the heat absorption part is provided on the air conditioning robot.

7. The air conditioning system according to claim 5 , wherein the air conditioning robot further comprises a heat pipe that is connected to each of the heat storage tank and the heat dissipation part to transfer the heat stored in the heat storage tank to the heat dissipation part.

8. The air conditioning system according to claim 5 , wherein the air conditioning robot further comprises:
a temperature sensor disposed in the heat storage tank; and
a controller configured to control the driving part so that the heat dissipation part thermally contacts the heat absorption part when a temperature measured by the temperature sensor is higher than a preset temperature.

9. The air conditioning system according to claim 8 , wherein the controller turns on the first compressor when the heat absorption part contacts the heat dissipation part.

10. The air conditioning system according to claim 5 , wherein a signal generator is provided in the heat transfer terminal, and
an external signal detection sensor configured to receive a signal transmitted from the signal generator is provided in the air conditioning robot.

11. The air conditioning system according to claim 5 , wherein the heat transfer terminal further comprises:
a terminal body in which the first evaporator is disposed, the terminal body having a terminal suction hole and a terminal discharge hole; and
a terminal blower fan configured to blow air suctioned through the terminal suction hole so that the air is heat-exchanged with the first evaporator and discharged through the terminal discharge hole.

12. The air conditioning system according to claim 5 , wherein the heat transfer terminal further comprises a terminal heat pipe connected to each of the heat absorption part and the first evaporator to transfer heat of the absorption part to the first evaporator.

13. The air conditioning system according to claim 5 , wherein the heat transfer terminal further comprises:
a terminal heat pipe connected to the heat absorption part; and
a terminal heat storage tank in which heat transferred to the terminal heat pipe is stored, the terminal heat storage tank being configured to accommodate a heat storage material that is heat-exchanged with the first evaporator.

14. The air conditioning system according to claim 13 , wherein the heat absorption part is provided in plurality.

15. The air conditioning system according to claim 13 , wherein the heat transfer terminal further comprises a. heat insulation case that surrounds the terminal heat storage tank.

16. The air conditioning system according to claim 5 , wherein a first uneven part is disposed on the heat absorption part, and
a second uneven part which contacts the first uneven part when the heat absorption part contacts the heat dissipation part and has a shape corresponding to that of the first uneven part is disposed on the heat dissipation part.

17. The air conditioning system according to claim 5 , wherein the heat absorption part is disposed in an air conditioning space in which the air conditioning robot is disposed.

18. An air conditioning robot comprising:
a main body having a suction hole and a discharge hole;
a cooling cycle comprising a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator, which are disposed within the main body;
a blower fan configured to blow air suctioned through the suction hole so that the air is heat-exchanged with the evaporator and discharged through the discharge hole;
a heat storage tank configured to accommodate a heat storage material in which heat of the condenser is stored;
a heat pipe having a high temperature portion that contacts the heat storage material accommodated in the heat storage tank and a low temperature portion to which heat of the high temperature portion is transferred;
a heat dissipation fan configured to blow air so that the air is heat-exchanged with the low temperature port

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Seongjae

Classifications

• F24F2221/42

  Mobile autonomous air conditioner, e.g. robots · CPC title

• A41D31/102

  Waterproof and breathable · CPC title

• A41D31/14

  Air permeable, i.e. capable of being penetrated by gases (waterproof and breathable A41D31/102) · CPC title

• F28D15/02

  in which the medium condenses and evaporates, e.g. heat pipes {(heat pipes used in solar heat collectors F24S10/95; in radiators F28D1/0226; in nuclear reactors G21C15/257)} · CPC title

• A41D2400/26

  UV light protection · CPC title