Air conditioner

Abstract

An air conditioner is disclosed. Herein, the air conditioner can maintain the ambient air of a specific space (or area) to a pleasant state by adequately adjusting the temperature, humidity, and air current distribution within the corresponding space to allow people to pleasantly carry out their everyday activities. Since unwanted insects can be repelled or eliminated by using ultrasonic waves that do not contaminate the indoor air, the air conditioner can protect the human body from unwanted insects or pests while maintaining the air within the indoor space to a clean state. Also, carbon dioxide and specific light rays preferred by mosquitoes are used to attract unwanted insects into the main body, thereby eliminating the attracted insects by using ultrasonic waves. Thus, unwanted insects and, more particularly, mosquitoes existing in the room that is to be air-conditioned may be quickly eliminated.

1 . An air conditioner, comprising:
 a main body including an air inlet for drawing in external air and an air outlet for discharging conditioned air to the outside;   an insect attracting unit provided in the main body and configured to attract unwanted insects to the main body;   an ultrasonic generator provided in the main body and generating ultrasonic waves towards the attracted insects by using an oscillation of a piezoelectric element; and   a controller controlling the insect attracting unit and the ultrasonic generator.   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the insect attracting unit corresponds to a carbon dioxide generator. 
     
     
         3 . The air conditioner of  claim 2 , wherein the carbon dioxide generator comprises:
 a photocatalyst filter; and   a light illuminator emitting light rays towards the photocatalyst filter.   
     
     
         4 . The air conditioner of  claim 3 , wherein the photocatalyst filter includes titanium dioxide. 
     
     
         5 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the insect attracting unit corresponds to a light-emitting diode (LED) emitting light rays when an electric current is supplied to its joint. 
     
     
         6 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the light-emitting diode (LED) emits white light rays or blue light rays. 
     
     
         7 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the ultrasonic generator, so that the ultrasonic generator can generate ultrasonic waves having a predetermined plurality of frequencies at predetermined intervals in a predetermined order. 
     
     
         8 . An air conditioner, comprising:
 a main body including an air inlet for drawing in external air and an air outlet for discharging conditioned air to the outside;   a duct opening one side of the main body and provided inside the main body;   an insect attracting unit provided on one side of the duct and configured to attract unwanted insects into the duct; and   an ultrasonic generator being provided in the main body and generating ultrasonic waves into an inner space within the duct by using an oscillation of a piezoelectric element.   
     
     
         9 . The air conditioner of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 an insect collection box being detachably fixed inside the main body so as to be accommodated in a lower area of the duct and communicating with the duct, when the insect collection box is accommodated in the main body.   
     
     
         10 . The air conditioner of  claim 9 , wherein the ultrasonic generator and the insect collection box are positioned to be closer to an entrance of the duct as compared to the insect attracting unit, and wherein the ultrasonic generator and the insect collection box are positioned to face into each other. 
     
     
         11 . The air conditioner of  claim 8 , wherein the ultrasonic generator is placed in an upper area of the duct, and wherein a communication hole is provided in an upper surface of the duct so as to guide the ultrasonic waves generated from the ultrasonic generator into the duct. 
     
     
         12 . The air conditioner of  claim 8 , wherein the insect attracting unit corresponds to a carbon dioxide generator. 
     
     
         13 . The air conditioner of  claim 12 , wherein the carbon dioxide generator comprises:
 a photocatalyst filter; and   a light illuminator emitting light rays towards the photocatalyst filter.   
     
     
         14 . The air conditioner of  claim 13 , wherein the photocatalyst filter includes titanium dioxide. 
     
     
         15 . The air conditioner of  claim 12 , wherein the insect attracting unit corresponds to a light-emitting diode (LED) emitting light rays when an electric current is supplied to its joint. 
     
     
         16 . The air conditioner of  claim 13  or  claim 15 , wherein a light shield is provided in the duct, wherein the light shield is provided to prevent light rays emitted from the insect attracting unit from being exposed to the outside, and wherein the light shield is provided between the entrance of the duct and the carbon dioxide generator and being curved at least once or more. 
     
     
         17 . The air conditioner of  claim 8 , wherein the controller controls the ultrasonic generator, so that the ultrasonic generator can generate ultrasonic waves having a predetermined plurality of frequencies at predetermined intervals in a predetermined order.