Indoor AC Inlet Grille Layout for Low-Resistance Airflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing indoor air conditioner units with ceiling-mounted designs face challenges in improving the decorative panel design while minimizing ventilation resistance at the inlet opening, leading to increased noise due to higher fan workload.
Innovation Solution
The indoor unit incorporates a decorative panel with a plate member that extends along the inner surface of the air inlet, dividing the inlet opening into multiple paths to reduce ventilation resistance and conceal internal components, thereby maintaining a larger opening area and improving airflow efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If the opening area of the inlet opening is reduced to improve the design of the decorative panel, then the visibility of inner parts is reduced, but the ventilation resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet opening is divided into multiple separate openings by the plate member, creating a plurality of inlet openings instead of a single large opening. This segmentation allows the decorative panel to have a more refined design with multiple smaller openings while collectively maintaining sufficient total opening area for proper ventilation, thus resolving the contradiction between aesthetic design and ventilation requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The plate member extends in the vertical direction within the air inlet, creating a three-dimensional structure that divides the inlet opening. This dimensional approach allows the plate member to create multiple openings while maintaining adequate total airflow area, solving the contradiction between design improvement through reduced opening area and ventilation resistance
2Shape
If the opening area of the inlet opening is reduced to improve the design, then the aesthetic appearance is enhanced, but the fan workload increases leading to increased noise
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the inlet opening into multiple smaller openings through the plate member, the design aesthetic is improved while the total opening area is maintained, preventing increased fan workload and noise generation. The segmented structure allows air to enter through multiple paths, reducing resistance and keeping fan operation quiet
Solution Approach 2:
The plate member changes the parameters of the inlet opening configuration by creating multiple openings with specific arrangements. This parameter change allows optimization of both aesthetic appearance and airflow characteristics, preventing the increase in fan workload and noise that would result from simply reducing the total opening area
Data Source
AI summary
A grille is provided at a lower end portion of an air inlet, and covers a central portion of the air inlet to form an inlet opening between an outer peripheral edge of the grille and an opening edge of the air inlet in plan view. A plate member extends along an inner surface of the air inlet, and provided inside the air inlet such that an upper edge of the plate member is located more inward than a lower edge of the plate member. The upper edge of the plate member is located above the lower end of the air inlet. The lower edge of the plate member surrounds an outer periphery of the grille in plan view.