Air conditioner and method for controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12352467-B2
Application number	US-202217994802-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2022
Priority date	Dec 6, 2021
Publication date	Jul 8, 2025
Grant date	Jul 8, 2025

Abstract

An air conditioner includes a dust collection sheet including a first electrode and a second electrode separated from the first electrode and facing the first electrode, and to collect particles in air, a power supplier electrically connected to the first and second electrodes, and a controller configured to control the power supplier to apply a direct current (DC) voltage to the first electrode to perform a dust collecting operation, determine to perform at least one of a first sterilizing operation at a preset first temperature for a first period of time and a second sterilizing operation at a second temperature higher than the first temperature for a second period of time shorter than the first period of time, and control the power supplier to apply an alternate current (AC) voltage to the first electrode and the second electrode for the first sterilizing operation or the second sterilizing operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air conditioner comprising:
a dust collection sheet to collect particles in air passing through thereof, the dust collection sheet including:
a first electrode; and
a second electrode separated from the first electrode and facing the first electrode;
a power supplier electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode;
a controller configured to:
control the power supplier to apply a direct current (DC) voltage to the first electrode to perform a dust collecting operation to collect the particles in the air;

perform at least one of:
a first sterilizing operation to heat the first electrode and the second electrode at a first temperature for a first period of time by controlling the power supplier to apply an Alternate Current (AC) voltage to the first electrode and the second electrode; and
a second sterilizing operation to heat the first electrode and the second electrode at a second temperature which is higher than the first temperature for a second period of time which is shorter than the first period of time by controlling the power supplier to apply the AC voltage to the first electrode and the second electrode.

2. The air conditioner of claim 1 , further comprising a gas sensor configured to measure a degree of contamination of the air having passed through the dust collection sheet,
wherein the controller is further configured to perform the second sterilizing operation based on the measured degree of contamination of the air.

3. The air conditioner of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to sequentially perform the first sterilizing operation and the second sterilizing operation based on the measured degree of contamination of the air being equal to or greater than a reference degree of contamination.

4. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to count accumulated performance hours of the dust collecting operation, and
perform the second sterilizing operation based on the accumulated performance hours reaching reference hours.

5. The air conditioner of claim 4 , wherein the controller is further configured to reset the accumulated performance hours of the dust collecting operation based on a performance of the second sterilizing operation.

6. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to perform the second sterilizing operation after performing the first sterilizing operation based on accumulated performance hours of the dust collecting operation reaching the reference hours.

7. The air conditioner of claim 1 , further comprising an electrode temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode,
wherein the controller is further configured to control the power supplier to stop applying AC voltage to the first electrode and the second electrode based on the measured temperature reaching a first limit temperature for the first sterilizing operation or a second limit temperature for the second sterilizing operation.

8. The air conditioner of claim 7 , wherein the electrode temperature sensor comprises at least one of a first electrode temperature sensor configured to measure a surface temperature of the first electrode and a second electrode temperature sensor configured to measure a surface temperature of the second electrode.

9. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the power supplier to apply a first AC voltage having an effective value, which is smaller than a magnitude of the DC voltage, to the first electrode and the second electrode in the first sterilizing operation, and
control the power supplier to apply a second AC voltage, having an effective value which is smaller than the magnitude of the DC voltage but higher than the first AC voltage, to the first electrode and the second electrode in the second sterilizing operation.

10. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the dust collection sheet comprises a first power connector connected to an end of the first electrode and to which the DC voltage is applied;
a second power connector connected to an end of the second electrode and grounded;
a third power connector connected to an other end of the second electrode and to which a first AC voltage to heat the second electrode at the first temperature or a second AC voltage to heat the second electrode at the second temperature is applied; and
a fourth power connector connected to an other end of the first electrode and to which a first AC voltage to heat the first electrode at the first temperature or a second AC voltage to heat the first electrode at the second temperature is applied.

11. The air conditioner of claim 10 , wherein the first power connector is arranged on one side of the dust collection sheet in a second direction which is perpendicular to a first direction which is a direction of length of the first electrode,
wherein the second power connector is on an other side of the dust collection sheet in the second direction,
wherein the third power connector is to be adjacent to the first power connector in the second direction, and
wherein the fourth power connector is to be adjacent to the second power connector in the second direction.

12. A method of controlling an air conditioner including a dust collection sheet including a first electrode and a second electrode separated from the first electrode and facing the first electrode, the method comprising:
applying a DC voltage to the first electrode for a dust collecting operation to collect particles in air passing through the dust collection sheet;
performing at least one of:
a first sterilizing operation to heat the first electrode and the second electrode at first temperature for a first period of time by applying an AC voltage to the first electrode and the second electrode; and
a second sterilizing operation to heat the first electrode and the second electrode at a second temperature which higher than the first temperature for a second period of time which is shorter than the first period of time by applying the AC voltage to the first electrode and the second electrode.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the performing of the second sterilizing operation is based on a degree of contamination of the air having passed the dust collection sheet which is measured by a gas sensor of the air conditioner.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the performing of the first sterilizing operation is based on the measured degree of contamination of the air being smaller than a preset reference degree of contamination.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the performing of the first sterilizing operation and the second sterilizing operation is sequentially performed based on the measured degree of contamination of the air being equal to or greater than a preset reference degree of contamination.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising counting accumulated performance hours of the dust collecting operation, and performing the second sterilizing operation based on the accumulated performance hours reaching reference hours.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising resetting the accumulated performance hours of the dust collecting operation based on a performance of the second sterilizing operation.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the performing of the second sterilizing operation is performed after performing the first sterilizing operation based on accumulated performance hours reaching a preset re

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kang Myungsoo
• Shin Kyuho
• Yoon Jinkook
• Noh Hyongsoo
• Song Myungseob
• Shin Joonoh
• Lee Kisup

Classifications

• B03C2201/10

  Ionising electrode with two or more serrated ends or sides · CPC title

• B03C2201/12

  Cleaning the device by burning the trapped particles · CPC title

• B03C3/86

  Electrode-carrying means (B03C3/40 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B03C3/74

  Cleaning the electrodes · CPC title

• B03C3/68

  Control systems therefor {(electricity supply or control systems for cleaning the electrodes B03C3/746, B03C3/763)} · CPC title