US20030102121A1 - Air conditioner and method of controlling the same - Google Patents
Air conditioner and method of controlling the same Download PDFInfo
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- US20030102121A1 US20030102121A1 US10/164,386 US16438602A US2003102121A1 US 20030102121 A1 US20030102121 A1 US 20030102121A1 US 16438602 A US16438602 A US 16438602A US 2003102121 A1 US2003102121 A1 US 2003102121A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- power
- unit
- low
- relay
- pressure switch
- Prior art date
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Classifications
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F1/00—Room units for air-conditioning, e.g. separate or self-contained units or units receiving primary air from a central station
- F24F1/0007—Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units
- F24F1/0043—Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units characterised by mounting arrangements
- F24F1/005—Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units characterised by mounting arrangements mounted on the floor; standing on the floor
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F1/00—Room units for air-conditioning, e.g. separate or self-contained units or units receiving primary air from a central station
- F24F1/0007—Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units
- F24F1/009—Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units characterised by heating arrangements
- F24F1/0093—Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units characterised by heating arrangements with additional radiant heat-discharging elements, e.g. electric heaters
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F11/00—Control or safety arrangements
- F24F11/30—Control or safety arrangements for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
- F24F11/32—Responding to malfunctions or emergencies
- F24F11/37—Resuming operation, e.g. after power outages; Emergency starting
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F2221/00—Details or features not otherwise provided for
- F24F2221/34—Heater, e.g. gas burner, electric air heater
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F2221/00—Details or features not otherwise provided for
- F24F2221/54—Heating and cooling, simultaneously or alternatively
Definitions
- the present invention relates to an air conditioner and a method of controlling the same, and more particularly to an air conditioner and method of controlling the same which is capable of supplying power to an indoor unit to allow a heating operation to be performed using an electric heater even though a low-pressure switch is turned off due to a drop in refrigerant pressure.
- a cooling operation is performed using a refrigerant cycle while a heating operation is performed using an electric heater.
- An indoor unit of the conventional air conditioner as shown in FIG. 1, comprises: an air inlet 2 and an air outlet 4 formed on the lower and upper portions of the front of a unit body 1 to suck in and discharge indoor air, respectively; an air filter 3 positioned behind the air inlet 2 to remove impurities from the indoor air sucked through the air inlet 2 ; a wind direction adjusting vent grill 6 mounted in front of the air outlet 4 to adjust the direction of air being discharged through the air outlet 4 , an indoor fan motor 7 mounted in a duct 8 to suck in the indoor air through the air inlet 2 and discharge it to indoor space, an indoor heat exchanger 5 mounted behind the air inlet 2 to cool indoor air sucked through the air inlet 2 by heat exchange, and an electric heater 9 mounted in the upper portion of the duct 8 to heat indoor air sucked through the air inlet 2 by heat exchange.
- the conventional air conditioner further comprises a low-pressure switch (not shown in FIG. 1) to prevent a compressor from being damaged by a drop in refrigerant pressure.
- a low-pressure switch 12 is connected in series to a coil of a power relay 11 positioned between an external power source 10 and an indoor unit, and the contact of the power relay 11 is turned on or off by the operation of the low-pressure switch 12 to supply or interrupt power, respectively.
- the low-pressure switch 12 is turned on, thus supplying a driving power of +12V to the coil of the power relay 11 .
- the refrigerant pressure in the suction side of the compressor is equal to or lower than a reference pressure
- the low-pressure switch 12 is turned off, thus shutting off a driving power of +12V from the coil of the power relay 11 .
- an indoor unit microcomputer 13 controls an electric heater drive unit 14 so that the electric heater 9 is operated, thereby performing a heating operation.
- the air conditioner cannot perform a heating operation using the electric heater 9 . That is, since a cooling operation is not performed while an outdoor air temperature is low, as in the winter, it is desirable that the low-pressure switch is not operated. However, since the low-pressure switch is turned off due to a drop in refrigerant pressure caused by a low outdoor air temperature, it is almost impossible to perform a heating operation using an electric heater.
- an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioner and method of controlling the same which is capable of supplying power to an indoor unit to allow a heating operation to be performed using an electric heater even though a low-pressure switch is turned off due to a drop in refrigerant pressure in the coldest season.
- an air conditioner comprising: a low-pressure switch to shut off the supply of power to an indoor unit when a refrigerant pressure in a suction side of a compressor is decreased; and a power supply unit to supply power to an indoor unit of the air conditioner so that a heating operation is performed using an electric heater mounted in the outdoor unit even though the low-pressure switch is turned off.
- the power supply unit may supply power to the indoor unit if an outdoor air temperature is equal to or lower than a preset reference temperature.
- the power supply unit comprises: a relay connected in parallel to the low-pressure switch; an outdoor air temperature detecting unit to detect an outdoor air temperature; a control unit to output a relay drive signal to turn the relay on if a detected outdoor air temperature is equal to or lower than the preset reference temperature; and a relay drive unit to turn on the relay according to the relay drive signal of the control unit.
- the present invention provides a method of controlling an air conditioner in which when a refrigerant pressure in a suction side of a compressor is decreased, a low-pressure switch provided in an outdoor unit is turned off to shut off power to an indoor unit, the method comprising: determining whether a current operation mode of the air conditioner is a heating operation mode; supplying power to the indoor unit even though the low-pressure switch is turned off in a heating operation mode; and performing a heating operation mode by operating an electric heater mounted in the indoor unit.
- the supplying of power comprises: detecting an outdoor air temperature in a heating operation mode; determining whether a detected outdoor air temperature is equal to or lower than a reference temperature; and supplying power to the indoor unit by operating a relay connected in parallel to the low-pressure switch when the detected outdoor air temperature is equal to or lower than the reference temperature.
- FIG. 1 is a partial cross section of a conventional air conditioner
- FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of the conventional air conditioner
- FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram illustrating an air conditioner in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the control of an outdoor unit microcomputer of the air conditioner in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of an air conditioner in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- the air conditioner of the present invention comprises a power relay 11 connected to a power line connecting an external power source 10 and an indoor unit, a low-pressure switch 12 connected in series to a coil of the power relay 11 , an indoor unit microcomputer 13 mounted in the indoor unit to control the operation of an electric heater 9 , and an electric heater drive unit 14 to operate the electric heater 9 under the control of the indoor unit microcomputer 13 .
- the air conditioner of the present invention further comprises a relay 23 connected in parallel to the low-pressure switch 12 , a relay drive unit 22 to operate the relay 23 , an outdoor air temperature detecting unit 20 to detect an outdoor air temperature, and an outdoor unit microcomputer 21 to output a relay drive signal to the relay drive unit 22 to drive the relay 23 .
- the outdoor microcomputer 21 determines whether to operate the relay 23 or not by comparing an outdoor air temperature detected by the outdoor air temperature detecting unit 20 with a preset reference temperature. That is, since the external power source 10 can be disconnected from the indoor unit when the low-pressure switch 12 is likely to be turned off due to a drop in outdoor air temperature, the relay 23 is turned on to prevent such an occurrence.
- the reference temperature refers to a temperature at which the refrigerant pressure is reduced due to a low outdoor air temperature to cause the low-pressure switch 10 to be turned off, preferably about ⁇ 10° C.
- the outdoor unit microcomputer 21 determines whether the operation mode of the air conditioner is a heating operation mode through the indoor unit microcomputer 13 and a communication line (not shown), and controls the operation of the relay 23 according to the outdoor air temperature detected in a heating operation mode.
- the outdoor air temperature detecting unit 20 comprises a thermistor TH and resistors R 1 and R 2 , and outputs a detection signal corresponding to an outdoor air temperature to the outdoor unit microprocessor 21 . This occurs because the resistance value of the thermistor TH varies with the outdoor air temperature.
- the relay drive unit 22 comprises a resistor R 3 and a transistor TR.
- the transistor TR is turned on or off according to a relay driving signal outputted from the outdoor unit microcomputer 21 . That is, when the detected outdoor air temperature is lower than the reference temperature, the outdoor unit microcomputer 21 outputs a relay driving signal to the relay drive unit 22 . As a result, the transistor TR is turned on, so a driving power of +12V is supplied to the coil of the relay 23 , thereby turning the contact of the relay 23 on. Meanwhile, when the outdoor unit microcomputer 21 outputs a relay driving signal to turn the relay 23 off, the transistor TR is turned off. Accordingly, the driving power of +12V is not supplied to the coil of the relay 23 , so the contact of the relay 23 is turned off.
- the low-pressure switch 12 is mounted in the suction side of the compressor, and is turned off when refrigerant pressure is decreased to a level equal to or lower than a reference pressure.
- the outdoor microcomputer 21 turns the relay 23 on, so the external power source 10 is not disconnected from the indoor unit, but is applied to the indoor unit.
- the indoor unit microcomputer 13 outputs a heater driving signal to the electric heater drive unit 14 to perform a heating operation set by a user, thereby operating the electric heater 9 .
- the outdoor unit microcomputer 21 determines whether the current operation mode of the air conditioner is a heating operation mode while communicating with the indoor unit microcomputer 13 through a communication line at operation S 10 . The process returns to operate the air conditioner according to a corresponding operation mode if the current operation mode of the air conditioner is not a heating operation mode, while the outdoor unit microcomputer 21 detects an outdoor air temperature using a detection signal inputted through the outdoor temperature detection unit 20 if the current operation mode of the air conditioner is a heating operation mode, at operation S 20 .
- the outdoor unit microcomputer 21 determines whether the outdoor air temperature is equal to or lower than a preset reference temperature at operation S 30 .
- the reference temperature refers to a temperature at which refrigerant pressure is reduced due to a low outdoor air temperature in the coldest season to cause the low-pressure switch 10 to be turned off.
- a relay driving signal is outputted to the relay drive unit 22 to turn the relay 23 on. Accordingly, the transistor TR is turned on, so the contact of the relay 23 is turned on at operation S 40 . As a result, since the power relay 11 is turned on even though the low-pressure switch 12 is turned off, the external power source 10 is applied to the indoor unit of the air conditioner. Thereafter, the indoor unit microcomputer 13 controls the operation of the electric heater 9 so that a heating operation can be performed.
- the present invention provides an air conditioner and method of controlling the same, which is capable of operating the power relay connected in series with the low-pressure switch even though the low-pressure switch is turned off due to a drop in refrigerant pressure caused by a low outdoor air temperature, so the external power source can be applied to an indoor unit, thereby performing a heating operation using an electric heater.
Abstract
An air conditioner having a low-pressure switch and a power supply unit. The low-pressure switch shuts off the supply of power to an indoor unit if a refrigerant pressure in a suction side of a compressor is decreased. The power supply unit supplies power to the indoor unit of the air conditioner so that a heating operation is performed using an electric heater mounted in the outdoor unit even though the low-pressure switch is turned off. The power supply unit may supply power to the indoor unit if an outdoor air temperature is equal to or lower than a preset reference temperature.
Description
- This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2001-75153 filed on Nov. 30, 2001, in the Korean Industrial Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates to an air conditioner and a method of controlling the same, and more particularly to an air conditioner and method of controlling the same which is capable of supplying power to an indoor unit to allow a heating operation to be performed using an electric heater even though a low-pressure switch is turned off due to a drop in refrigerant pressure.
- 2. Description of the Related Art
- In a conventional air conditioner, a cooling operation is performed using a refrigerant cycle while a heating operation is performed using an electric heater.
- An indoor unit of the conventional air conditioner, as shown in FIG. 1, comprises: an
air inlet 2 and anair outlet 4 formed on the lower and upper portions of the front of aunit body 1 to suck in and discharge indoor air, respectively; anair filter 3 positioned behind theair inlet 2 to remove impurities from the indoor air sucked through theair inlet 2 ; a wind direction adjustingvent grill 6 mounted in front of theair outlet 4 to adjust the direction of air being discharged through theair outlet 4, anindoor fan motor 7 mounted in aduct 8 to suck in the indoor air through theair inlet 2 and discharge it to indoor space, anindoor heat exchanger 5 mounted behind theair inlet 2 to cool indoor air sucked through theair inlet 2 by heat exchange, and anelectric heater 9 mounted in the upper portion of theduct 8 to heat indoor air sucked through theair inlet 2 by heat exchange. - In addition, the conventional air conditioner further comprises a low-pressure switch (not shown in FIG. 1) to prevent a compressor from being damaged by a drop in refrigerant pressure.
- Referring to FIG. 2, a low-
pressure switch 12 is connected in series to a coil of apower relay 11 positioned between anexternal power source 10 and an indoor unit, and the contact of thepower relay 11 is turned on or off by the operation of the low-pressure switch 12 to supply or interrupt power, respectively. For example, when the refrigerant pressure in the suction side of the compressor is higher than a reference pressure, the low-pressure switch 12 is turned on, thus supplying a driving power of +12V to the coil of thepower relay 11. On the other hand, when the refrigerant pressure in the suction side of the compressor is equal to or lower than a reference pressure, the low-pressure switch 12 is turned off, thus shutting off a driving power of +12V from the coil of thepower relay 11. - When the low-
pressure switch 12 is kept on, anindoor unit microcomputer 13 controls an electricheater drive unit 14 so that theelectric heater 9 is operated, thereby performing a heating operation. - However, in the conventional air conditioner, when the low-pressure switch mounted in the suction side of the compressor is turned off due to a drop in refrigerant pressure, the power relay is turned off in conjunction with the operation of the low-pressure switch, thus shutting off the supply of power to the indoor unit. Accordingly, the air conditioner cannot perform a heating operation using the
electric heater 9. That is, since a cooling operation is not performed while an outdoor air temperature is low, as in the winter, it is desirable that the low-pressure switch is not operated. However, since the low-pressure switch is turned off due to a drop in refrigerant pressure caused by a low outdoor air temperature, it is almost impossible to perform a heating operation using an electric heater. - Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioner and method of controlling the same which is capable of supplying power to an indoor unit to allow a heating operation to be performed using an electric heater even though a low-pressure switch is turned off due to a drop in refrigerant pressure in the coldest season.
- Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
- The foregoing and other objects of the present invention are achieved by providing an air conditioner comprising: a low-pressure switch to shut off the supply of power to an indoor unit when a refrigerant pressure in a suction side of a compressor is decreased; and a power supply unit to supply power to an indoor unit of the air conditioner so that a heating operation is performed using an electric heater mounted in the outdoor unit even though the low-pressure switch is turned off.
- The power supply unit may supply power to the indoor unit if an outdoor air temperature is equal to or lower than a preset reference temperature.
- The power supply unit comprises: a relay connected in parallel to the low-pressure switch; an outdoor air temperature detecting unit to detect an outdoor air temperature; a control unit to output a relay drive signal to turn the relay on if a detected outdoor air temperature is equal to or lower than the preset reference temperature; and a relay drive unit to turn on the relay according to the relay drive signal of the control unit.
- In addition, the present invention provides a method of controlling an air conditioner in which when a refrigerant pressure in a suction side of a compressor is decreased, a low-pressure switch provided in an outdoor unit is turned off to shut off power to an indoor unit, the method comprising: determining whether a current operation mode of the air conditioner is a heating operation mode; supplying power to the indoor unit even though the low-pressure switch is turned off in a heating operation mode; and performing a heating operation mode by operating an electric heater mounted in the indoor unit.
- In an embodiment of the present invention, the supplying of power comprises: detecting an outdoor air temperature in a heating operation mode; determining whether a detected outdoor air temperature is equal to or lower than a reference temperature; and supplying power to the indoor unit by operating a relay connected in parallel to the low-pressure switch when the detected outdoor air temperature is equal to or lower than the reference temperature.
- These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:
- FIG. 1 is a partial cross section of a conventional air conditioner;
- FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of the conventional air conditioner;
- FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram illustrating an air conditioner in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and
- FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the control of an outdoor unit microcomputer of the air conditioner in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.
- FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of an air conditioner in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in the drawing, the air conditioner of the present invention comprises a
power relay 11 connected to a power line connecting anexternal power source 10 and an indoor unit, a low-pressure switch 12 connected in series to a coil of thepower relay 11, anindoor unit microcomputer 13 mounted in the indoor unit to control the operation of anelectric heater 9, and an electricheater drive unit 14 to operate theelectric heater 9 under the control of theindoor unit microcomputer 13. - In addition, the air conditioner of the present invention further comprises a
relay 23 connected in parallel to the low-pressure switch 12, arelay drive unit 22 to operate therelay 23, an outdoor airtemperature detecting unit 20 to detect an outdoor air temperature, and anoutdoor unit microcomputer 21 to output a relay drive signal to therelay drive unit 22 to drive therelay 23. - The
outdoor microcomputer 21 determines whether to operate therelay 23 or not by comparing an outdoor air temperature detected by the outdoor airtemperature detecting unit 20 with a preset reference temperature. That is, since theexternal power source 10 can be disconnected from the indoor unit when the low-pressure switch 12 is likely to be turned off due to a drop in outdoor air temperature, therelay 23 is turned on to prevent such an occurrence. In this case, the reference temperature refers to a temperature at which the refrigerant pressure is reduced due to a low outdoor air temperature to cause the low-pressure switch 10 to be turned off, preferably about −10° C. - The
outdoor unit microcomputer 21 determines whether the operation mode of the air conditioner is a heating operation mode through theindoor unit microcomputer 13 and a communication line (not shown), and controls the operation of therelay 23 according to the outdoor air temperature detected in a heating operation mode. - The outdoor air
temperature detecting unit 20 comprises a thermistor TH and resistors R1 and R2, and outputs a detection signal corresponding to an outdoor air temperature to theoutdoor unit microprocessor 21. This occurs because the resistance value of the thermistor TH varies with the outdoor air temperature. - The
relay drive unit 22 comprises a resistor R3 and a transistor TR. The transistor TR is turned on or off according to a relay driving signal outputted from theoutdoor unit microcomputer 21. That is, when the detected outdoor air temperature is lower than the reference temperature, theoutdoor unit microcomputer 21 outputs a relay driving signal to therelay drive unit 22. As a result, the transistor TR is turned on, so a driving power of +12V is supplied to the coil of therelay 23, thereby turning the contact of therelay 23 on. Meanwhile, when theoutdoor unit microcomputer 21 outputs a relay driving signal to turn therelay 23 off, the transistor TR is turned off. Accordingly, the driving power of +12V is not supplied to the coil of therelay 23, so the contact of therelay 23 is turned off. - The low-
pressure switch 12 is mounted in the suction side of the compressor, and is turned off when refrigerant pressure is decreased to a level equal to or lower than a reference pressure. In this case, theoutdoor microcomputer 21 turns therelay 23 on, so theexternal power source 10 is not disconnected from the indoor unit, but is applied to the indoor unit. Accordingly, theindoor unit microcomputer 13 outputs a heater driving signal to the electricheater drive unit 14 to perform a heating operation set by a user, thereby operating theelectric heater 9. - That is, if the
relay 23 is turned on even though the low-pressure switch 12 is turned off, the driving power of +12V is supplied to the coil of thepower relay 11. As a result, the contact of thepower relay 11 is turned on, so theexternal power source 10 is applied to the indoor unit of the air conditioner. - The control of the air conditioner of the present invention is described with reference to FIG. 4.
- The
outdoor unit microcomputer 21 determines whether the current operation mode of the air conditioner is a heating operation mode while communicating with theindoor unit microcomputer 13 through a communication line at operation S10. The process returns to operate the air conditioner according to a corresponding operation mode if the current operation mode of the air conditioner is not a heating operation mode, while theoutdoor unit microcomputer 21 detects an outdoor air temperature using a detection signal inputted through the outdoortemperature detection unit 20 if the current operation mode of the air conditioner is a heating operation mode, at operation S20. - Thereafter, the
outdoor unit microcomputer 21 determines whether the outdoor air temperature is equal to or lower than a preset reference temperature at operation S30. In this case, the reference temperature refers to a temperature at which refrigerant pressure is reduced due to a low outdoor air temperature in the coldest season to cause the low-pressure switch 10 to be turned off. - If as the result of the determination at operation S30, the detected outdoor air temperature is equal to or lower than the reference temperature, a relay driving signal is outputted to the
relay drive unit 22 to turn therelay 23 on. Accordingly, the transistor TR is turned on, so the contact of therelay 23 is turned on at operation S40. As a result, since thepower relay 11 is turned on even though the low-pressure switch 12 is turned off, theexternal power source 10 is applied to the indoor unit of the air conditioner. Thereafter, theindoor unit microcomputer 13 controls the operation of theelectric heater 9 so that a heating operation can be performed. - If as the result of the determination at operation S30, the detected outdoor air temperature is higher than the reference temperature, a relay driving signal is outputted to the
relay drive unit 22 to turn therelay 23 off. Accordingly, the transistor TR is turned off, so the contact of therelay 23 is turned off at operation S50. - As described above, the present invention provides an air conditioner and method of controlling the same, which is capable of operating the power relay connected in series with the low-pressure switch even though the low-pressure switch is turned off due to a drop in refrigerant pressure caused by a low outdoor air temperature, so the external power source can be applied to an indoor unit, thereby performing a heating operation using an electric heater.
- Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.
Claims (8)
1. An air conditioner having an outdoor unit with an electric heater and an indoor unit with a compressor, comprising:
a low-pressure switch to shut off supply of power to said indoor unit when a refrigerant pressure in a suction side of said compressor is decreased to a level equal to or below a reference pressure; and
a power supply unit to supply power to said indoor unit of the air conditioner to perform a heating operation using said electric heater mounted in said outdoor unit when said low-pressure switch is turned off.
2. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein said power supply unit supplies power to said indoor unit if an outdoor air temperature is equal to or lower than a preset reference temperature.
3. The air conditioner according to claim 2 , wherein said power supply unit comprises:
a relay connected in parallel to said low-pressure switch;
an outdoor air temperature detecting unit to detect an outdoor air temperature;
a control unit to output a relay drive signal to turn said relay on if the detected outdoor air temperature is equal to or lower than said preset reference temperature; and
a relay drive unit to turn on said relay according to the relay drive signal of said control unit.
4. A method of controlling an air conditioner in which when a refrigerant pressure in a suction side of a compressor is decreased, a low-pressure switch provided in an outdoor unit is turned off to shut off power from an indoor unit, comprising:
determining whether a current operation mode of the air conditioner is a heating operation mode;
supplying power to an indoor unit when a low-pressure switch is turned off in the heating operation mode; and
performing the heating operation mode by operating an electric heater mounted in the indoor unit using the supplied power.
5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein said supplying of the power comprises:
detecting an outdoor air temperature in the heating operation mode;
determining whether the detected outdoor air temperature is equal to or lower than a reference temperature; and
supplying the power to the indoor unit by operating a relay connected in parallel to the low-pressure switch when the detected outdoor air temperature is equal to or lower than the reference temperature.
6. An air conditioner having a compressor and a heating element, comprising:
a low-pressure switch terminating flow of power to said heating element upon detection of a predetermined decrease in refrigerant pressure in said compressor; and
a power supply unit bypassing said low-pressure switch, to provide the power to said heating element in a heating operation mode.
7. An air conditioner having predetermined components, comprising:
a low-pressure switch terminating flow of power to said predetermined components in response to detection of a decrease in refrigerant pressure in said air conditioner; and
a power supply unit bypassing said low-pressure switch, to provide the power to said predetermined components in a corresponding operation mode.
8. The air conditioner according to claim 7 , wherein said power supply unit comprises:
a relay connected in parallel to said low-pressure switch;
an outdoor air temperature detecting unit to detect an outdoor air temperature;
a control unit to output a relay drive signal to turn said relay on if the detected outdoor air temperature is equal to or lower than said preset reference temperature; and
a relay drive unit to turn on said relay according to the relay drive signal of said control unit.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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KR10-2001-0075153A KR100423972B1 (en) | 2001-11-30 | 2001-11-30 | Air conditioner and therof control method |
KR2001-75153 | 2001-11-30 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20030102121A1 true US20030102121A1 (en) | 2003-06-05 |
Family
ID=19716474
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US10/164,386 Abandoned US20030102121A1 (en) | 2001-11-30 | 2002-06-10 | Air conditioner and method of controlling the same |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US20030102121A1 (en) |
KR (1) | KR100423972B1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN1196899C (en) |
Cited By (5)
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US20050230488A1 (en) * | 2003-12-29 | 2005-10-20 | Michael Markwart | Air dispersion system |
US20110057046A1 (en) * | 2009-09-10 | 2011-03-10 | Lennox Industries, Incorporated | Heating system controller, a heating system and a method of operating a heating system |
US20160146498A1 (en) * | 2014-11-21 | 2016-05-26 | Mitsubishi Electric Corporation | System and method for controlling the operation of an outdoor air conditioner |
US20160265801A1 (en) * | 2014-02-13 | 2016-09-15 | Mitsubishi Electric Corporation | Air conditioner and control program |
US20170276399A1 (en) * | 2016-03-24 | 2017-09-28 | Gregory Mark Huseman | Systems and methods for replaceable multiple filter units |
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- 2001-11-30 KR KR10-2001-0075153A patent/KR100423972B1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
-
2002
- 2002-06-10 US US10/164,386 patent/US20030102121A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2002-07-01 CN CNB021403325A patent/CN1196899C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
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US3171264A (en) * | 1961-01-23 | 1965-03-02 | Gerald R Griffin | Low-pressure and safety cut-in switch |
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US4718246A (en) * | 1986-09-02 | 1988-01-12 | Mitchell Charles F | Pressure control override |
US4841735A (en) * | 1987-03-13 | 1989-06-27 | Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba | Temperature controller and method of temperature control for use in a refrigerating device |
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Cited By (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20050230488A1 (en) * | 2003-12-29 | 2005-10-20 | Michael Markwart | Air dispersion system |
US20110057046A1 (en) * | 2009-09-10 | 2011-03-10 | Lennox Industries, Incorporated | Heating system controller, a heating system and a method of operating a heating system |
US9261282B2 (en) * | 2009-09-10 | 2016-02-16 | Lennox Industries Inc. | Heating system controller, a heating system and a method of operating a heating system |
US20160265801A1 (en) * | 2014-02-13 | 2016-09-15 | Mitsubishi Electric Corporation | Air conditioner and control program |
US10126008B2 (en) * | 2014-02-13 | 2018-11-13 | Mitsubishi Electric Corporation | Air conditioner and control program |
US20160146498A1 (en) * | 2014-11-21 | 2016-05-26 | Mitsubishi Electric Corporation | System and method for controlling the operation of an outdoor air conditioner |
US11209177B2 (en) * | 2014-11-21 | 2021-12-28 | Mitsubishi Electric Corporation | System and method for controlling the operation of an outdoor air conditioner |
US20170276399A1 (en) * | 2016-03-24 | 2017-09-28 | Gregory Mark Huseman | Systems and methods for replaceable multiple filter units |
US10605481B2 (en) * | 2016-03-24 | 2020-03-31 | Gregory Mark Huseman | Systems and methods for replaceable multiple filter units |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
CN1196899C (en) | 2005-04-13 |
CN1421652A (en) | 2003-06-04 |
KR20030044419A (en) | 2003-06-09 |
KR100423972B1 (en) | 2004-03-22 |
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Legal Events
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AS | Assignment |
Owner name: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., KOREA, REPUBLIC OF Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:LEE, GAB-YOUL;REEL/FRAME:012986/0491 Effective date: 20020607 |
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STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |