Lg Electronics Inc.

Seung Youp Hyun

Won Hee Lee

Yoon Jei Hwang

Jeong Taek Park

Deok Huh

Gil Bong Lee

Dong Won Sung

An air conditioner and a method of controlling the same are provided. The air conditioner may include an outdoor unit, one or more indoor units operably coupled to the outdoor unit, a temperature sensor, a valve driver, and a controller. By monitoring an actual temperature and comparing the actual temperature to a desired temperature, a flow path, of flow direction, and flow capacity flowing to the one or more indoor units to adjust a heating/cooling capacity thereof as appropriate.

Air conditioner and method of controlling the same

A unitary air conditioner comprises a 1-stage thermostat for generating an operation signal for the unitary air conditioner or a stop signal for the unitary air conditioner, a 1-stage indoor unit having an indoor fan, which is rotated according the operation signal from the 1-stage thermostat, a variable-capacity outdoor unit configured to be operated according to the 1-stage thermostat, the variable-capacity outdoor unit having a compressor and an outdoor fan, the operation stage of which is changed according to the operation state of the variable-capacity outdoor unit, and an indoor fan control device for controlling the indoor fan according to the operation stage of the variable-capacity outdoor unit to change the operation state of the indoor fan. The 1-stage indoor unit is operated along with another unit having different stages, and variable control is accomplished, although the 1-stage indoor unit is used, so long as the indoor fan control device is added to the unitary air conditioner. Consequently, a more efficient air conditioning system is accomplished.

Unitary air conditioner

A unitary air conditioner comprises a 1-stage thermostat mounted in a room for generating an air conditioner ON/OFF signal, an indoor unit configured to operate based on a signal from the 1-stage thermostat, and a variable-capacity outdoor unit connected to the 1-stage thermostat and the indoor unit. The variable-capacity outdoor unit has variable operation stages, which are changed based on the previous operation state and the current operation state. When a unitary-capacity operation signal is inputted from the 1-stage thermostat, a start operation stage of an outdoor unit is determined based on the combination of the operation stage of the outdoor unit operated before the operation signal is inputted and the operation time in the stage, and the determined operation is performed. The 1-stage thermostat can be connected to the variable-capacity outdoor unit according to circumstances.

Unitary air conditioner and method of controlling variable operation thereof

A method of preventing rapid on/off of a compressor in a unitary air conditioner comprises the steps of, when a unitary-capacity operation signal is inputted from a thermostat to start an outdoor unit, and a specific operation stage is continued for more than a predetermined period of time after the operation is started, changing the operation stage of the outdoor unit to an operation stage higher than the specific operation stage, and operating the outdoor unit in the changed operation stage, and, when the compressor is stopped according to a signal from the thermostat within a specific period of time after the operation stage is changed to an operation stage higher than the specific operation stage, starting the operation in the specific operation stage at the next operation, and still performing the operation in the specific operation stage although the operation state is continued for more than a predetermined period of time. Consequently, the compressor is prevented from being rapidly turned on/off, and therefore, operational reliability of the compressor is improved, and the service life of the compressor is increased.

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Seoul, South Korea

Seung Youp Hyun