Air conditioner and method for controlling an air conditioner

Abstract

An air conditioner and a method for controlling an air conditioner are provided. The air conditioner may include a first guide provided on at least one surface of an outdoor device of the air conditioner to guide outdoor air to an air inlet, a second guide provided on one surface of the outdoor device to guide air discharged from an air outlet to an outside, and a third guide that guides the air discharged from the air outlet to flow from the second guide to the first guide.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air conditioner, comprising:
 an outdoor device including a compressor that circulates a refrigerant, a heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and air, a fan that causes the air to flow; an air inlet through which the air is suctioned into the air conditioner, and an air outlet through which the air heat-exchanged in the heat exchanger is discharged;   a first guide provided on at least one surface of the outdoor device to guide outdoor air to the air inlet;   a second guide provided on at least one surface of the outdoor device to guide air discharged from the air outlet to an outside; and   a third guide that guides the air discharged from the air outlet to flow from the second guide to the first guide.   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein the third guide includes a circulation guide, and wherein the air discharged through the air outlet circulates to the air inlet through the circulation guide. 
     
     
         3 . The air conditioner according to  claim 2 , wherein the third guide includes a circulation damper that adjusts an amount of air to circulate in the circulation guide by adjusting a degree of opening of the circulation guide. 
     
     
         4 . The air conditioner according to  claim 3 , wherein the first guide or the second guide includes:
 a housing having a guide surface that guides an airflow; and   an opening formed on one open surface of the housing and through which the air is suctioned or discharged.   
     
     
         5 . The air conditioner according to  claim 4 , wherein the first guide or the second guide includes a suctioning and discharging damper, which is installed on the opening and adjusts an amount of air flow. 
     
     
         6 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein circulation passages are formed in the outdoor device, the first guide, the second guide, and third guide. 
     
     
         7 . The air conditioner according to  claim 6 , wherein the circulation passages include a first circulation passage through which air contained inside of the outdoor device passes through the fan to flow into the second guide. 
     
     
         8 . The air conditioner according to  claim 7 , wherein the circulation passages further include a second circulation passage through which air contained inside of the second guide passes through the third guide to flow into the first guide. 
     
     
         9 . The air conditioner according to  claim 8 , wherein the circulation passages further include a third circulation passage through which air contained inside the first guide passes through the heat exchanger to flow into the outdoor device. 
     
     
         10 . A method for controlling an air conditioner, the air conditioner including an outdoor device having a compressor that circulates a refrigerant, a heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and air, a fan that causes the air to flow; an air inlet through which the air is suctioned into the air conditioner, and an air outlet through which the air heat-exchanged in the heat exchanger is discharged; a first guide that suctions outdoor air into the outdoor device and a degree of opening of which is adjustable; a second guide that discharges air contained inside the outdoor device and a degree of opening of which is adjustable, the method comprising:
 driving the fan so as to cause outdoor air to flow into the outdoor device through the first guide;   detecting a high operating pressure or outdoor air temperature;   depending on the detected high operating pressure or outdoor air temperature, adjusting a degree of opening of at least one of the first guide or the second guide; and   in response to the high operating pressure exceeding a predetermined range after the degree of opening of the first guide or the second guide is adjusted, circulating air contained inside the outdoor device from the second guide to the first guide.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the first guide or the second guide includes a damper that controls an amount of air flow. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein, in response to the high operating pressure being higher than a first predetermined pressure or in response to the outdoor air temperature being lower than a predetermined temperature, a degree of opening of the first guide or the second guide is reduced so as to reduce an amount of air to be suctioned into the outdoor device or to be discharged from the outdoor device. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 10 , further including:
 after the degree of opening of the at least one of first guide or the second guide is adjusted, waiting for a predetermined period of time to lapse.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , further including:
 after the predetermined period of time has lapsed, redetecting the high operating pressure.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 11 , further including:
 in response to the high operating pressure being lower than the first predetermined pressure, circulating the air contained inside the outdoor device from the second guide to the first guide.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the circulating of the air contained inside the outdoor device from the second guide to the first guide includes closing a damper of at least one of the first guide or the second guide. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 15 , further including:
 in response to the high operating pressure being higher than a second predetermined pressure when the air is circulating from the second guide to the first guide, blocking the air from circulating from the second guide to the first guide.   
     
     
         18 . An outdoor device for an air conditioner, the outdoor device comprising:
 a compressor that circulates a refrigerant;   a heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and air;   a fan that causes the air to flow;   an air inlet through which the air is suctioned into the outdoor device;   an air outlet through which the air heat-exchanged in the heat exchanger is discharged;   a hood coupled to the air outlet configured to discharge air discharged through the air outlet outside of the hood;   at least one skirt coupled to the air inlet configured to guide outside air to the air inlet; and   a plurality of dampers selectively operated to recirculate air from the hood, through the at least one skirt, and to the air inlet.   
     
     
         19 . The outdoor device according to  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of dampers include:
 a plurality of suctioning dampers at an inlet of the at least one skirt;   a plurality of discharging dampers at an outlet of the hood; and   a plurality of circulation dampers in a circulation passage along which air is recirculated from the hood, through the at least one skirt, and to the air inlet.   
     
     
         20 . An air conditioner including the outdoor device according to  claim 18 .