(19)
(11) EP 4 265 967 A1

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION
published in accordance with Art. 153(4) EPC

(43) Date of publication:
25.10.2023 Bulletin 2023/43

(21) Application number: 21922323.7

(22) Date of filing: 13.09.2021
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC): 
F24F 1/0035(2019.01)
F24F 8/00(2021.01)
F24F 1/0071(2019.01)
F24F 11/72(2018.01)
(52) Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC):
F24F 8/00; F24F 1/0035; F24F 11/72; F24F 1/0071
(86) International application number:
PCT/CN2021/118015
(87) International publication number:
WO 2022/160730 (04.08.2022 Gazette 2022/31)
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR
Designated Extension States:
BA ME
Designated Validation States:
KH MA MD TN

(30) Priority: 29.01.2021 CN 202110125862
29.01.2021 CN 202120268161 U

(71) Applicants:
  • GD Midea Air-Conditioning Equipment Co., Ltd.
    Foshan, Guangdong 528311 (CN)
  • Midea Group Co., Ltd.
    Foshan, Guangdong 528311 (CN)

(72) Inventors:
  • ZHAO, Zisheng
    Foshan, Guangdong 528311 (CN)
  • MA, Lie
    Foshan, Guangdong 528311 (CN)
  • YOU, Bin
    Foshan, Guangdong 528311 (CN)
  • XU, Zhiyong
    Foshan, Guangdong 528311 (CN)
  • SUN, Zecheng
    Foshan, Guangdong 528311 (CN)
  • HUANG, Junhao
    Foshan, Guangdong 528311 (CN)
  • ZHOU, Hejie
    Foshan, Guangdong 528311 (CN)

(74) Representative: Whitlock, Holly Elizabeth Ann et al
Maucher Jenkins Seventh Floor Offices Artillery House 11-19 Artillery Row
London SW1P 1RT
London SW1P 1RT (GB)

   


(54) AIR CONDITIONER CONTROL METHOD AND AIR CONDITIONER


(57) An air conditioner (100) control method and an air conditioner (100). The air conditioner (100) comprises a machine body (110) and a fresh air module (200), the machine body (110) being provided with a panel (112) which can be opened or closed; the fresh air module (200) is arranged on the machine body (110), and the fresh air module (200) comprises a housing (210), a fan (230) and a purification assembly (220), which is detachably arranged in the housing (210); a position state of the panel (112) is detected by a detection device, and when the panel (112) is opened, the detection device will be triggered, and the air conditioner (100) controls the fan (230) to stop running; alternatively, the position state of the purification assembly (220) is detected by the detection device, and when the purification assembly (220) is removed out of the housing (210), the detection device will be triggered, and the air conditioner (100) controls the fan (230) to stop running, thereby improving safety, and being more practical and reliable.




Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS



[0001] The present application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202110125862.7, filed on January 29, 2021 and entitled "AIR CONDITIONER CONTROL METHOD AND AIR CONDITIONER", and Chinese patent application No. 202120268161.4, filed on January 29, 2021 and entitled "AIR CONDITIONER", the entire contents of both of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD



[0002] The present disclosure relates to the field of electric appliance technologies, and in particular to an air conditioner control method and an air conditioner.

BACKGROUND



[0003] In an existing air conditioner, a fresh air exchange process includes fresh air from an outdoor side being discharged into an indoor side through a fresh air pipe and an air outlet by a fan. Due to the fact that the air from outdoors needs to be filtered through a purification mesh before entering the indoor side, it is necessary to replace the purification mesh after a period of use to keep the incoming air clean. Because the purification mesh is located near the fan and has no safety protection, there are potential safety hazards such as an injury caused by touching a high-speed rotating wind wheel with fingers, when replacing the purification mesh in a running operation of the fresh air module.

SUMMARY



[0004] The present disclosure aims at solving at least one of the technical problems in the existing technology to at least a certain extent. Therefore, the present disclosure discloses an air conditioner, in which when a purification assembly needs to be replaced during a running operation of a fresh air module, a fan can be turned off, thus effectively improving safety and being more practical and reliable.

[0005] The present disclosure further discloses a control method suitable for the air conditioner above and a computer-readable storage medium.

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an air conditioner, which includes:

a machine body, which includes a panel capable of being opened or closed;

a fresh air module, arranged on the machine body, where the panel is capable of covering the fresh air module in response to the panel being closed, the fresh air module includes a housing, a fan and a purification assembly, and the purification assembly is detachably arranged in the housing; and

a detection device, which is configured to detect a position state of the panel to enable the air conditioner to control the fan to stop running in response to the panel being opened, alternatively, the detection device is configured to detect a position state of the purification assembly to enable the air conditioner to control the fan to stop running in response to the purification assembly being removed out of the housing.



[0007] The air conditioner provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure at least has the following beneficial effects.

[0008] The fresh air module is mounted in the machine body, when the purification assembly needs to be replaced, the panel is opened first and then the purification assembly is removed out of the housing, and after the purification assembly is replaced, the fresh air module is concealed in an inner side by the panel in response to the panel being closed. The detection device is used to detect the position state of the panel, and the detection device can trigger the air conditioner to control the fan to stop running in response to the panel being opened. Alternatively, the detection device is used to detect the position state of the purification assembly, and the detection device can trigger the air conditioner to control the fan to stop running in response to the purification assembly being removed out of the housing. Therefore, when the purification assembly needs to be replaced during a running operation of the fresh air module, the fan can be controlled to stop running by opening the panel or removing the purification assembly. In such a way, a risk of injury caused by touching the fan in a running state with fingers is reduced when replacing the purification assembly. The present disclosure plays an effective protection role, improves the safety of the fresh air module when replacing the purification assembly, and is more practical and reliable.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the detection device includes a position switch. When the position switch is arranged on the machine body, the position switch is configured to detect the position state of the panel, or when the position switch is arranged on the housing, the position switch is configured to detect the position state of the purification assembly.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the position switch includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a conductive member and an elastic member. The conductive member abuts against the panel or the purification assembly. When the panel is opened or the purification assembly is removed out of the housing, the elastic member pushes the conductive member to move, so that the first electrode and the second electrode are connected to control the fan to stop running.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the panel or the purification assembly is provided with a trigger member configured to abut against the conductive member.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the machine body or the housing is provided with a through hole configured to guide the trigger member to contact with the conductive member.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the purification assembly includes a purification mesh. And the purification assembly includes a mounting frame configured to fix the purification mesh, and the trigger member is arranged on an outer side of the mounting frame.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the housing defines a cavity configured to accommodate the purification assembly, and the housing is provided with an air inlet and an air outlet, which are communicated with the cavity.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the housing includes a first volute, a second volute and a frame. The frame is connected between the first volute and the second volute, and the detection device is arranged on the frame.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the panel is provided with an air outlet grille matched with the air outlet.

[0017] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, one of the panel and the machine body is provided with a buckle, and the other one is provided with a clamping groove adapted with the buckle, so that the panel is buckled with the machine body.

[0018] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a control method of an air conditioner, where the air conditioner includes:

a machine body, which includes a panel capable of being opened or closed, where the panel is capable of covering the fresh air module in response to the panel being closed;

a fresh air module, arranged on the machine body, the fresh air module includes a housing, a fan and a purification assembly, and the purification assembly is detachably arranged in the housing; and

a detection device which is configured to detect a position state of the panel or the purification assembly;

the control method includes the following steps of:

determining that a current state of the fresh air module is a turn-on state; and

controlling the fan to stop running in response to the panel being opened or the purification assembly being removed out of the housing.



[0019] The control method of the air conditioner provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure at least has the following beneficial effects.

[0020] The current state of the fresh air module is determined to be the turn-on state, which means that, in the case that the fresh air module is turned on, the fan is controlled to stop running once the panel is opened or the purification assembly is removed out of the housing, thus reducing a risk of injury caused by touching the fan in a running state with fingers when replacing the purification assembly. The present disclosure plays an effective protection role and improves the safety of the fresh air module when replacing the purification assembly.

[0021] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the control method further includes the following steps of:

recording a current rotating speed of the fan; and

after the fan is controlled to stop running, in response to the panel being closed or the purification assembly being reset, controlling the fan to start and resume running at the current rotating speed.



[0022] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an air conditioner, which includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable by the processor, where the processor is configured to implement the control method of the air conditioner according to the embodiment in the second aspect when executing the computer program.

[0023] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium, storing a computer-executable instruction, where the computer-executable instruction is configured to execute the control method of the air conditioner according to the embodiment in the second aspect.

[0024] Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be stated in the following specification, and are partially obvious from the specification, or are learned by implementing the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS



[0025] The accompanying drawings are provided to further understand the technical solutions of the present disclosure and constitute a part of the specification, and the accompanying drawings are used together with the embodiments of the present disclosure to explain the technical solutions of the present disclosure, but do not constitute a limitation to the technical solutions of the present disclosure, where:

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present disclosure when a panel is opened;

FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the air conditioner from another perspective according to one embodiment of the present disclosure when the panel is opened;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged schematic diagram of a structure at part a in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged schematic diagram of a structure at part b in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a front structure of a fresh air module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a stereoscopic structure of the fresh air module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a side of the fresh air module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an exploded fresh air module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram from a direction A-A in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged schematic diagram of a structure at part c in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a schematic structural diagram of a purification assembly in FIG. 10 in a state of being mounted in place;

FIG. 12 is a flow chart of a control method of an air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 is a flow chart of a control method of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 14 is a flow chart of a control method of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.


Reference numerals:



[0026] 

100 refers to air conditioner, 110 refers to machine body, 111 refers to surface frame, 1111 refers to clamping groove, 112 refers to panel, 1121 refers to air outlet grille, and 1122 refers to buckle;

200 refers to fresh air module, 210 refers to housing, 211 refers to first volute, 212 refers to second volute, 2121 refers to air outlet, 2122 refers to gasket, 213 refers to frame, 2131 refers to air inlet, 2132 refers to air guide ring, 220 refers to purification assembly, 221 refers to purification mesh, 222 refers to mounting frame, 230 refers to fan, 231 refers to motor, 232 refers to wind wheel, and 240 refers to air pipe;

300 refers to position switch, 310 refers to first electrode, 320 refers to second electrode, 330 refers to conductive member, 331 refers to contact point, 340 refers to spring, 350 refers to through hole, and 360 refers to trigger member.


DETAILED DESCRIPTION



[0027] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described hereinafter in detail, and illustrations of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, where identical or similar reference numerals denote identical or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary, and are only intended to explain the present disclosure, but should not be understood as limiting the present disclosure.

[0028] In the description of the present disclosure, terms such as first and second in the description are used for distinguishing the technical features only, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance, implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated thereby, or implicitly indicating the order of technical features indicated thereby.

[0029] In the description of the present disclosure, it should be understood that any orientation or position related description, such as the orientational or positional relationship, such as up, down, front, rear, and the like, is based on the orientational or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, is only for the purpose of facilitating the description of the present disclosure and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element must have a specific orientation or position, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation or position, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation to the present disclosure.

[0030] In the description of the present disclosure, it should be noted that, terms such as setup, mounting, and connection should be understood in a broad sense unless otherwise expressly limited, and a person skilled in the art may reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in the present disclosure with reference to the contexts of the technical solutions.

[0031] An air conditioner 100 provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is described with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 11, and the air conditioner 100 may be a split air conditioner or an integral air conditioner. A split air conditioner is taken as an example to explain hereinafter.

[0032] With reference to FIG. 1, the air conditioner 100 includes a machine body 110, the machine body 110 is a wall-mounted indoor machine. The machine body 110 is capable of realizing different working modes such as cooling and heating. The machine body 110 is provided with a surface frame 111, and a panel 112 connected to the surface frame 111. The panel 112 is located on a front side surface of the machine body 110, and the panel 112 is movably connected with the surface frame 111, so that the panel 112 is capable of being opened or closed. A fresh air module 200 is mounted in the machine body 110, the fresh air module 200 is communicated with an outdoor environment through an air pipe 240, and the outdoor fresh air is introduced into an indoor environment through the air pipe 240, so to ensure a freshness of indoor air, which is beneficial for reducing a concentration of indoor carbon dioxide, and achieving a fresh air effect in the indoor environment. The panel covers the surface frame 111 and is capable of shielding the fresh air module 200 in response to the panel 112 being closed, so that the fresh air module 200 is concealed on an inner side the panel 112, without affecting an appearance of the wall-mounted indoor machine.

[0033] With reference to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the fresh air module 200 includes a housing 210, a fan 230 and a purification assembly 220. The fan 230 and the purification assembly 220 are mounted in the housing 210. The fan 230 is configured to suck the outdoor fresh air into the housing 210 through the air pipe 240, and the air is purified and filtered by the purification assembly 220 and then discharged into the indoor environment, thus improving an air freshness and a comfort of the indoor environment. The purification assembly 220 is movably connected with the housing 210, the housing 210 is provided with an opening matched with the purification assembly 220, and the purification assembly 220 may be inserted into or removed out of the housing 210 through the opening, so that the purification assembly 220 is convenient to disassemble and replace. The fan 230 includes a wind wheel 232 and a motor 231, the motor 231 is fixedly connected with the housing 210, and the wind wheel 232 is driven to rotate at a high speed with the motor 231, so that the outdoor air is capable of entering the housing 210 through the air pipe 240. In the embodiment, the wind wheel 232 may be a centrifugal wind wheel, and the centrifugal wind wheel has the characteristics of large air volume, large air pressure, short ventilation time and the like, thus being beneficial for improving a ventilation efficiency of fresh air.

[0034] With reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, it can be understood that the fresh air module 200 is mounted in the machine body 110. When the purification assembly 220 needs to be replaced, the panel 112 is opened first and then the purification assembly 220 is removed out of the housing 210 for replacement, and the panel 112 is closed after the replacement of the purification assembly 220 is finished. During running of the fresh air module 200, the wind wheel 232 is in a high-speed rotating state, and there is a risk of injury caused by touching the wind wheel 232 in the high-speed rotating state with fingers when replacing the purification assembly 220. In the embodiment, the detection device is used to detect the position state of the panel 112 to determine whether the panel 112 is open or closed, when the panel 112 is opened, the panel 112 may trigger the detection device, and the air conditioner 100 controls the fan 230 to stop running. It can be understood that the panel 112 needs to be opened when replacing the purification assembly 220. Therefore, during running of the fresh air module 200, when the detection device detects that the panel 112 is opened, it can be considered that a user needs to replace the purification assembly 220, and at the moment, the motor 231 is controlled to stop running, so that the wind wheel 232 stops rotating, thus reducing a risk of touching the wind wheel 232 in the high-speed rotating state with fingers or other objects, playing an effective protection role on the user and the wind wheel 232, effectively improving the safety of the fresh air module 200 when replacing the purification assembly 220, and being more practical and reliable.

[0035] With reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, it should be noted that, in the embodiment, the detection device is mounted in the machine body 110, and the detection device is located at a position of the surface frame 111, so that the detection device is capable of accurately detecting a position change of the panel 112. In an embodiment, the detection device may be a position sensor, and the position sensor is used to detect position information of the panel 112, and when the panel 112 is far away from the surface frame 111, it can be determined according to a detection signal that the panel 112 is opened, so that a position state of the panel 112 is detected. Certainly, the detection device is not limited to the position of the surface frame 111, and may also be mounted on the panel 112, and the detection device is not limited to the position sensor and may also be a position switch 300.

[0036] In addition, a principle of controlling the fan 230 to stop running by the air conditioner 100 may be as follows: when the panel 112 is opened, the detection device is triggered to send out a control signal, a control circuit board of the air conditioner 100 may receive the control signal, and the motor 231 is controlled to be powered off according to the control signal, so that the motor 231 stops running, so as to make the wind wheel 232 stop rotating, thus achieving the purpose of making the wind wheel 232 stop rotating when replacing the purification assembly 220; alternatively, after the detection device is triggered, the motor 231 is directly controlled to be powered off, so as to make the motor 231 stop running, thus achieving the purpose of making the fan 230 stop running. A specific control process will not be repeated.

[0037] It can be understood that, after the purification assembly 220 is replaced, the detection device may be triggered in response to the panel 112 being closed, and the air conditioner 100 controls the fan 230 to recover the running state, so that during running of the fresh air module 200, thus reducing the risk of injury caused by touching the wind wheel 232 in the high-speed rotating state with fingers when replacing the purification assembly 220, and the fan automatically resumes the running state after the purification assembly 220 is replaced, thus being safe, reliable and more practical. It should be noted that, when the air conditioner 100 is turned off, the fresh air module 200 is turned off, and thus the fan 230 isn't in a running operation. At the moment, it is not necessary to control the wind wheel 232 to stop rotating when replacing the purification assembly 220, and the detection device may be in a standby state.

[0038] With reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the panel 112 and the surface frame 111 are fixed by buckling, where an upper end of the panel 112 is hinged with the surface frame 111, so that the panel 112 is capable of rotating around a hinge point, and the panel 112 may be opened or closed. A back surface of the panel 112 is provided with a buckle 1122 close to a bottom end position, the surface frame 111 is provided with a clamping groove 1111 adapted with the buckle 1122, and when the panel 112 is closed, the buckle 1122 is inserted into the clamping groove 1111 for buckling, so that the panel 112 is capable of being buckled on the surface frame 111. It can be understood that the panel 112 is capable of being positioned through buckling realized by matching between the buckle 1122 and the clamping groove 1111, and when the panel 112 needs to be opened, only the buckle 1122 needs to be separated from the clamping groove 1111, thus being simple and convenient in operation, and being beneficial for improving an efficiency of replacing the purification assembly 220.

[0039] It should be noted that, the buckle 1122 may also be arranged on the surface frame 111, the back surface of the panel 112 is provided with the clamping groove 1111 at the same time, and the panel 112 is fixed on the surface frame 111 through buckling realized by matching between the buckle 1122 and the clamping groove 1111, which is different from the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 in that positions of the buckle 1122 and the clamping groove 1111 are interchanged. A specific structure is not shown in the accompanying drawings, which will not be repeated herein.

[0040] With reference to FIG. 7, FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, in another embodiment, the detection device is mounted on the housing 210 of the fresh air module 200, and a position state of the purification assembly 220 is detected by the detection device, which means that whether the purification assembly 220 is located in the housing 210 is detected. When the purification assembly 220 needs to be replaced, the purification assembly 220 is directly pulled out of the housing 210, and then the replaced purification assembly 220 is reinserted into the housing 210. It can be understood that, during running of the fresh air module 200, the detection device may be triggered in response to the purification assembly 220 being removed out of the housing 210, at the moment, it is judged that the purification assembly 220 is in a state of being separated from the housing 210, and the motor 231 is controlled to stop running, so that the wind wheel 232 stops rotating, thus decreasing a risk of touching the wind wheel 232 in the high-speed rotating state with fingers or other objects, playing an effective protection role on the user and the wind wheel 232, and effectively improving the safety of the fresh air module 200 when replacing the purification assembly 220.

[0041] It can be understood that, when the detection device is mounted in the housing 210, a position state of the purification assembly 220 is capable of being directly detected, and only when the purification assembly 220 is replaced during running of the fresh air module 200, and the panel 112 is opened to pull the purification assembly 220 out of the housing 210, the detection device may be triggered, thus making the fan 230 stop running, which means that, when the purification assembly 220 is removed out of the housing 210, it is considered that a user is replacing the purification assembly 220. However, in the case that only the panel 112 is opened and the purification assembly 220 is not pulled out, the fan 230 keeps running, and whether the user is replacing the purification assembly 220 can be accurately identified, thus being more reasonable in structure, and more practical and reliable.

[0042] The detection device is mounted on an inner side of the housing 210, so that the detection device is capable of accurately detecting a position change of the purification assembly 220. In an embodiment, the detection device may be a position sensor, the position sensor is used to detect a position of the purification assembly 220, when the purification assembly 220 is pulled out, the purification assembly 220 is far away from the position sensor, and at the moment, it can be judged according to a detection signal that the purification assembly 220 is removed out of the housing 210, so as to control the fan 230 to stop running. The detection device is not limited to the position sensor, and may also be a position switch 300, and the like. A principle of controlling the fan 230 to stop running by the air conditioner 100 may refer to the control principle of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, which will not be repeated herein.

[0043] With reference to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, specific description is made by taking the detection device mounted in the housing 210 as an example, the detection device used in the embodiment is the position switch 300, and the position switch 300 includes a first electrode 310, a second electrode 320, a conductive member 330 and an elastic member, where the conductive member 330 is configured to connect the first electrode 310 and the second electrode 320, the conductive member 330 is movably arranged on the inner side of the housing 210, and the conductive member 330 is connected with the elastic member. When the purification assembly 220 is mounted in the housing 210, the conductive member 330 abuts against the purification assembly 220, and the conductive member 330 is capable of being triggered in response to the purification assembly 220 being removed out of or inserted into the housing 210. The conductive member 330 has a conductive function, and the first electrode 310 and the second electrode 320 are connected or disconnected through the conductive member 330 under an elastic function of the elastic member, so that the fan 230 is controlled to start running by connecting the first electrode 310 and the second electrode 320, or stop running by disconnecting the first electrode 310 and the second electrode 320, thus playing a role of on-off control.

[0044] With reference to FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, in the embodiment, each of the first electrode 310 and the second electrode 320 is connected with a control circuit board of the machine body 110. A spring 340 is used as the elastic member, one end of the spring 340 is connected with the housing 210, the other end of the spring is connected with the conductive member 330. The conductive member 330 is provided with contact points 331 corresponding to the first electrode 310 and the second electrode 320. When the purification assembly 220 is removed out of the housing 210, the purification assembly 220 is separated from the conductive member 330, and at the moment, the conductive member 330 is pushed to move under the elastic function of the elastic member, so that the conductive member 330 is contacted with the first electrode 310 and the second electrode 320 at the same time, thus the first electrode 310 and the second electrode 320 is connected. The control circuit board controls the fan 230 to stop running after receiving a connecting signal of the position switch 300, so that during running of the fresh air module 200, the wind wheel 232 is capable of being controlled to stop running in response to the purification assembly 220 being removed out of the housing 210, thus avoiding fingers or other objects from touching the wind wheel 232 in the high-speed rotating state, playing an effective protection role and effectively improving the safety of the fresh air module 200 when replacing the purification assembly 220.

[0045] With reference to FIG. 11, after the purification assembly 220 is replaced, when the purification assembly 220 is reinserted into the housing 210 and reaches a mounting position, that is, when the purification assembly 220 is mounted in place, the purification assembly 220 presses the conductive member 330, so that the contact points 331 of the conductive member 330 are separated from the first electrode 310 and the second electrode 320, thus the first electrode 310 and the second electrode 320 is disconnected and the first electrode and the second electrode will be kept in a disconnected state. The control circuit board controls the fan 230 to start running after receiving a disconnecting signal of the position switch 300, and the fan 230 recovers the running state, thus ensuring that the fresh air module 200 is capable of keeping the running state after the purification assembly 220 is replaced.

[0046] With reference to FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, in the embodiment, the purification assembly 220 is provided with a trigger member 360. When the purification assembly 220 is mounted in the housing 210, the trigger member 360 is capable of pushing the conductive member 330 to be separated from the first electrode 310 and the second electrode 320, thus turning off the position switch 300. When the purification assembly 220 is removed out of the housing 210, the trigger member 360 is far away from the conductive member 330, so that the conductive member 330 moves towards the first electrode 310 and the second electrode 320 under a function of the spring 340, thus turning on the position switch 300.

[0047] It should be noted that, the purification assembly 220 may have structural components such as an electrostatic purification assembly, a high efficiency air filter and an activated carbon filter mesh, which are not specifically limited herein. The purification assembly 220 of the embodiment includes a purification mesh 221 and a mounting frame 222. The purification mesh 221 is fixedly mounted on the mounting frame 222, the purification mesh 221 is mounted in the housing 210 by the mounting frame 222 or the purification mesh 221 is pulled out of the housing 210. The trigger member 360 is arranged on the mounting frame 222. In an embodiment, it is understandable that the trigger member 360 forms a contact protruding from an outer side wall of the mounting frame 222, the contact is not limited to a specific shape. The trigger member 360 is located at a position corresponding to the conductive member 330, and when the purification assembly 220 is inserted and mounted in place, the trigger member 360 is capable of correspondingly pushing the conductive member 330 to move towards one side of the spring 340, so that the trigger member 360 and the conductive member 330 are positioned more accurately, thus having a practical and reliable structure.

[0048] With reference to FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, a through hole 350 corresponding to the trigger member 360 is arranged in the housing 210. The through hole 350 provides a guiding function for the trigger member 360, and when the purification assembly 220 is inserted into the housing 210, the trigger member 360 and the conductive member 330 are capable of being quickly positioned through the through hole 350, so that the trigger member 360 accurately pushes the conductive member 330 to move, thus further improving structural stability and reliability. It is understandable that, a shape of the trigger member 360 is matched with a shape of the through hole 350. In some embodiments, the trigger member 360 and the through hole 350 are both circular, which will not be repeated.

[0049] With reference to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the housing 210 includes a frame 213, a first volute 211 and a second volute 212. The frame 213 is connected between the first volute 211 and the second volute 212, where a cavity for accommodating the purification assembly 220 is defined between the frame 213 and the first volute 211, the cavity is communicated with an opening, and the wind wheel 232 and the motor 231 are mounted in the second volute 212. The frame 213 is provided with an air guide ring 2132, the frame 213 is provided with an air inlet 2131, the air inlet 2131 is communicated with an outdoor environment through the air pipe 240, the second volute 212 is provided with an air outlet 2121, and the air outlet 2121 is communicated with an indoor environment. During working, the motor 231 drives the wind wheel 232 to rotate at a high speed, the outdoor air enters the cavity through the air pipe 240, the air is filtered by the purification mesh 221 and then enters the second volute 212 from the air guide ring 2132, and then the air is discharged into the indoor environment through the air outlet 2121. In the embodiment, the position switch 300 is arranged on the frame 213, the through hole 350 is arranged in a side wall of the cavity oriented to the opening, and the trigger member 360 is arranged at a position on the mounting frame 222 corresponding to the through hole 350, so that when the mounting frame 222 is inserted from the opening and slides to a bottom end of the cavity along the cavity, the trigger member 360 is capable of crossing through the through hole 350 and pushing the conductive member 330 to move, thus being reasonable in structure, and more convenient to operate.

[0050] In addition, with reference to FIG. 1, the panel 112 is provided with an air outlet grille 1121 matched with the air outlet 2121, so that the filtered air is discharged into the indoor environment from the air outlet grille 1121, thus avoiding the panel 112 from affecting air discharge of the fresh air module 200. As shown in FIG. 8, a gasket 2122 for sealing is arranged between the air outlet 2121 and the air outlet grille 1121.

[0051] It should be noted that, the embodiments shown in FIG. 5 to FIG. 11 show that the position switch 300 is mounted on the fresh air module 200, which may trigger and control the fan 230 to stop running in response to the purification assembly 220 being removed out of the housing 210. It is understandable that, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the position switch 300 shown in the above embodiments may be mounted on the machine body 110, and the fan 230 may be triggered to stop running in response to the panel 112 being opened. At the moment, the trigger member 360 is arranged on a back surface of the panel 112, and a specific structure will not be repeated.

[0052] A control method of an air conditioner provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is described with reference to FIG. 12 to FIG. 14, which is suitable for a split air conditioner or an integral air conditioner.

[0053] Subsequently, description is made by taking the air conditioner 100 provided by the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 as an example, and with reference to FIG. 12, the control method of the air conditioner provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure includes, but is not limited to, the following steps of:

step S100: determining that a current state of the fresh air module 200 is a turn-on state; and

step S200: controlling the fan 230 to stop running in response to the panel 112 being opened.



[0054] It is understandable that, during running of the fresh air module 200, the wind wheel 232 is in a high-speed rotating state, and at the moment, there is a risk of injury caused by touching the wind wheel 232 in the high-speed rotating state with fingers when replacing the purification assembly 220, and the like. However, when the fresh air module 200 is turned off, the fan 230 is in a turn-off state, and at the moment, it is not necessary to control the wind wheel 232 to stop rotating when replacing the purification assembly 220, thus ending a control program. Therefore, according to the control method provided by the embodiment, a running state of the fresh air module 200 needs to be determined first. In an embodiment, when the fan 230 is in a turn-on state, it can be determined that the current state of the fresh air module 200 is the turn-on state. In the case that the fresh air module 200 is in the turn-on state, when the panel 112 is opened, the fan 230 is controlled to stop running, thus reducing a risk of touching the wind wheel 232 in the high-speed rotating state with fingers or other objects, playing an effective protection role, effectively improving the safety of the fresh air module 200 during running when replacing the purification assembly 220, and being more practical and reliable.

[0055] Description is made by taking the air conditioner 100 provided by the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 to FIG. 11 as an example, and with reference to FIG. 13, the control method of the air conditioner provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure includes, but is not limited to, the following steps of:

step S 110: determining that a current state of the fresh air module 200 is a turn-on state; and

step S210: controlling the fan 230 to stop running in response to the purification assembly 220 being removed out of the housing 210.



[0056] It is understandable that, in the case that the fresh air module 200 is in the turn-on state, the fan 230 is controlled to stop running in response to the purification assembly 220 being removed out of the housing 210, thus reducing a risk of touching the wind wheel 232 in the high-speed rotating state with fingers or other objects, playing an effective protection role, effectively improving the safety of the fresh air module 200 when replacing the purification assembly 220, and being more practical and reliable.

[0057] It should be noted that, only when the fresh air module 200 is in the turn-on state, and the panel 112 is opened or the purification assembly 220 is pulled out of the housing 210, the fan 230 is triggered and controlled to stop running, which means that the purification assembly 220 needs to be replaced before the fan 230 is controlled to be turned off. However, under normal use, the fan 230 may remain in a normal running state.

[0058] With reference to FIG. 14, in some embodiments, taking the air conditioner 100 provided by the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 to FIG. 11 as an example, the control method includes, but is not limited to, the following steps of:

step S 110: determining that a current state of the fresh air module 200 is a turn-on state;

step S111: recording a current rotating speed of the fan 230;

step S210: controlling the fan 230 to stop running in response to the purification assembly 220 being removed out of the housing 210; and

step S211: controlling the fan 230 to start and resume running at the current rotating speed in response to the purification assembly 220 being reset.



[0059] It is understandable that, after the purification assembly 220 is replaced, when the purification assembly 220 is reinserted into the housing 210 and mounted in place, the purification assembly 220 may trigger the position switch 300 to turn off, and at the moment, the fan 230 is controlled to start running by a control circuit, so that the fan 230 is capable of running again, thus ensuring that the fresh air module 200 is capable of keeping the running state after the purification assembly 220 is replaced.

[0060] It should be noted that, the motor 231 of the fan 230 has different driving frequencies, and the wind wheel 232 has different rotating speeds at different driving frequencies. The fresh air module 200 may choose different rotating speeds for ventilation according to use requirements of the user, thus being more comfortable to use. In an embodiment, the fan 230 includes three different rotating speed gears of high, medium and low rotating speed gears, the higher the rotating speed gear is, the greater the air volume is and the higher the ventilation efficiency is, and when the fresh air module 200 is turned on, the fan 230 runs at the high rotating speed gear. At the moment, a current rotating speed of the fan 230 is recorded as the high rotating speed gear, when replacing the purification assembly 220, the fan 230 is controlled to stop running, and after the purification assembly 220 is replaced and reset, the fan 230 is controlled to start and resume running at the recorded current rotating speed, so that the fresh air module 200 is capable of keeping an original running state after the purification assembly 220 is replaced, deterioration of a comfort degree after the purification assembly 220 is replaced is reduced, and a control mode is more reasonable and practical, thus making the user have better use experience and higher use experience.

[0061] The air conditioner 100 provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable by the processor. The processor and the memory may be connected by a bus or other modes.

[0062] The memory is used as a non-transient computer-readable storage medium and may be configured to store a non-transient software program and a non-transient computer-executable program. In addition, the memory may include a high-speed random-access memory, and may further include a non-transient memory, such as at least one disk memory device, flash memory device, or other non-transient solid-state memory devices. In some embodiments, the memory may include a memory remotely arranged relative to the processor, and these remote memories may be connected to the processor through a network. Examples of the network above include, but are not limited to, the Internet, the Intranet, a local region network, a mobile communication network, and a combination thereof.

[0063] Non-transient software program and instruction needed to realize the control method of the air conditioner provided by the embodiment above are stored in the memory, and when the non-transient software program and instruction are executed by the processor, the control method of the air conditioner provided by the embodiment above is executed. In an embodiment, steps S100 to S200 in FIG. 12, steps S110 to S210 in FIG. 13, or steps S110 to S211 in FIG. 14 described above are executed.

[0064] The device embodiment described above is only illustrative, where the units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, which means that the units may be located in one place or distributed to multiple network units. Some or all of the modules may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the objects of the solutions in the embodiments.

[0065] In addition, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer-executable instruction, and the computer-executable instruction is executed by one processor or controller. In an embodiment, when the computer-executable instruction is executed by one processor in the embodiment of the air conditioner 100 above, the processor may execute the control method of the air conditioner provided by the embodiments above, such as executing the steps S100 to S200 in FIG. 12, the steps S110 to S210 in FIG. 13, or the steps S110 to S211 in FIG. 14 described above.

[0066] Those of ordinary skilled in the art can understand that all or some of steps and systems in the method disclosed above can be implemented as software, firmware, hardware and appropriate combinations thereof. Some or all of the physical components can be implemented as software executed by a processor, such as a central processing unit, a digital signal processor or a microprocessor, or implemented as hardware, or implemented as an integrated circuit, such as an application-specific integrated circuit. Such software can be distributed on a computer-readable medium, and the computer-readable medium may include a computer storage medium (or a non-transitory medium) and a communication medium (or a transitory medium). It is well known to those of ordinary skills in the art that the term 'computer storage medium' includes a volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable medium implemented in any method or technology for storing information (such as a computer readable instruction, a data structure, a program module, or other data). The computer storage media include but are not limited to RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash storage or other storage technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile disk (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic box, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other media capable of being used to store desired information and accessed by a computer. Furthermore, it is well known to those of ordinary skills in the art that the communication media include a computer readable instruction, a data structure, a program module or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transmission mechanism and may include any information delivery medium.

[0067] The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above, but the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments above. Those skilled in the art may further make various equivalent modifications or substitutions without departing from the spirits of the present disclosure, and these equivalent modifications or substitutions are all included in the scope defined by the claims of the present disclosure.


Claims

1. An air conditioner, comprising:

a machine body, which comprises a panel capable of being opened or closed, wherein the panel is capable of covering the fresh air module in response to the panel being closed;

a fresh air module, which is arranged on the machine body, the fresh air module comprises a housing, a fan and a purification assembly, and the purification assembly is detachably arranged in the housing; and

a detection device, wherein the detection device is configured to detect a position state of the panel to enable the air conditioner to control the fan to stop running in response to the panel being opened, or the detection device is configured to detect a position state of the purification assembly to enable the air conditioner to control the fan to stop running in response to the purification assembly being removed out of the housing.


 
2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the detection device comprises a position switch,

in response to the position switch being configured to detect the position state of the panel, the position switch is arranged on the machine body, or

in response to the position switch being configured to detect the position state of the purification assembly, the position switch is arranged on the housing.


 
3. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the position switch comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, a conductive member and an elastic member, the conductive member abuts against the panel or the purification assembly, in response to the panel being opened or the purification assembly being removed out of the housing, the elastic member pushes the conductive member to move, so that the first electrode and the second electrode are connected to control the fan to stop running.
 
4. The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein the panel or the purification assembly is provided with a trigger member configured to abut against the conductive member.
 
5. The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the machine body or the housing is provided with a through hole configured to guide the trigger member to contact with the conductive member.
 
6. The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the purification assembly comprises a purification mesh, and a mounting frame configured to fix the purification mesh, and the trigger member is arranged on an outer side of the mounting frame.
 
7. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the housing defines a cavity configured to accommodate the purification assembly, and the housing is provided with an air inlet and an air outlet, which are communicated with the cavity.
 
8. The air conditioner according to claim 7, wherein the housing comprises a first volute, a second volute and a frame, the frame is connected between the first volute and the second volute, and the detection device is arranged on the frame.
 
9. The air conditioner according to claim 7, wherein the panel is provided with an air outlet grille matched with the air outlet.
 
10. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein one of the panel and the machine body is provided with a buckle, and the other one is provided with a clamping groove adapted with the buckle, so that the panel is buckled with the machine body.
 
11. A control method of an air conditioner, wherein the air conditioner comprises:

a machine body, which comprises a panel capable of being opened or closed;

a fresh air module, arranged on the machine body, wherein the panel is capable of shielding the fresh air module in response to the panel being closed, the fresh air module comprises a housing, a fan and a purification assembly, and the purification assembly is detachably arranged in the housing; and

a detection device configured to detect a position state of the panel or the purification assembly;

the control method comprises the following steps of:

determining that a current state of the fresh air module is a turn-on state; and

controlling the fan to stop running in response to the panel being opened or the purification assembly being removed out of the housing.


 
12. The control method of the air conditioner according to claim 9, further comprising the following steps of:

recording a current rotating speed of the fan; and

after the fan is controlled to stop running, in response to the panel being closed or the purification assembly being reset, controlling the fan to start and resume running at the current rotating speed.


 
13. An air conditioner, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable by the processor, wherein the processor is configured to implement the control method of the air conditioner according to claim 9 or 10 when executing the computer program.
 
14. A computer-readable storage medium, storing computer-executable instructions, wherein the computer-executable instructions are configured to execute the control method of the air conditioner according to claim 9 or 10.
 




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Cited references

REFERENCES CITED IN THE DESCRIPTION



This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only. It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.

Patent documents cited in the description