Wall-Mounted AC Discharge Unit for Easy Air Purification Retrofit
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a challenge in easily integrating a discharge device into air conditioners that do not initially have one, as it requires significant workload and time, especially due to the need to replace internal components like the control substrate.
Innovation Solution
The air conditioner design includes a wall-mounted indoor unit with a discharge unit positioned above, featuring a suction port that allows air to pass through a discharge device, which is easily attachable without altering the internal structure of the existing indoor unit, using a separate mounting system to secure the discharge unit to the wall.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a discharge device is incorporated into an existing air conditioner afterward, then air purification capability is improved, but the workload and time required for incorporation increases due to the need to replace internal components
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge device is separated from the indoor unit into an independent discharge unit that can be installed separately. The indoor unit maintains its original structure with the blower and heat exchanger, while the discharge unit with the discharge device is positioned above it, connected only through the air passage. This segmentation allows the discharge device to be added without modifying the indoor unit's internal components.
Solution Approach 2:
The discharge unit is designed as a universal accessory that can be attached to various indoor units with upward-opening suction ports. The discharge unit serves multiple functions: it houses the discharge device for air purification, provides a mounting structure above the indoor unit, and maintains airflow connectivity through the suction port. This universal design enables easy incorporation into different air conditioner models.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a discharge device is incorporated into an existing air conditioner afterward, then air purification capability is improved, but the complexity of installation increases due to the need to replace control substrate
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge device is separated from the indoor unit into an independent discharge unit that can be installed separately. The indoor unit maintains its original structure with the blower and heat exchanger, while the discharge unit with the discharge device is positioned above it, connected only through the air passage. This segmentation allows the discharge device to be added without modifying the indoor unit's internal components.
Solution Approach 2:
The discharge device is extracted from the indoor unit structure and placed in a separate discharge unit. This extraction eliminates the need to open or modify the indoor unit's housing, control substrate, or internal components. The discharge unit stands alone as a separate installation that interfaces with the indoor unit only through the air passage and mounting brackets.
3Ease of operation
If the discharge unit is positioned above the indoor unit with offset center, then easy attachment is achieved, but alignment precision may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge unit is designed with an asymmetric mounting configuration where its center is deliberately offset from the center of the indoor unit in the right-left direction. This asymmetric positioning allows the discharge unit to be mounted above the indoor unit without requiring precise center alignment, simplifying the installation process. The offset design accommodates variations in indoor unit positions and wall mounting conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting brackets are positioned at specific locations on the discharge unit and indoor unit to achieve proper alignment. Rather than requiring overall center alignment, the local positioning of mounting points ensures correct attachment. The mounting brackets are strategically placed to accommodate the offset center configuration while maintaining proper airflow alignment and structural stability.
Data Source
AI summary
An air conditioner according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a wall-mounted indoor unit which includes a heat exchanger, a blower, and a housing that accommodates the heat exchanger and the blower therein, and which is fixed to a wall surface, and a discharge unit which is disposed above the indoor unit outside the indoor unit, in which the housing includes a suction port that opens upward, the discharge unit includes a discharge device disposed above the suction port, at least a portion of air suctioned into the suction port passes through the discharge device, and a center of the discharge unit in a right-left direction of the indoor unit is disposed to be shifted to one side in the right-left direction with respect to a center of the indoor unit.