Air conditioner controller
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air conditioner controllers lack high appearance quality and harmony with interior decoration such as walls or furniture.
Innovation Solution
The air conditioner controller incorporates a display unit holder with ribs and a case design that includes a protection member to cover the display unit's end surface, enhancing the controller's appearance by aligning it with room decor while providing impact resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a simple controller design is used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but appearance quality and harmony with interior decoration deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The controller is divided into multiple components: a case, a display unit holder, a display unit, and a protection member. This segmentation allows each part to be manufactured separately with optimized processes and then assembled, maintaining high appearance quality through precise fitting (groove-rib structure) while controlling overall manufacturing cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The display unit holder is nested within the case, and the display unit is nested within the holder. The protection member covers the end surface of the display unit. This nested structure achieves a compact, harmonious design that integrates well with interior decoration while using standard manufacturing processes for each component.
2Device complexity
If the display unit is exposed without protection, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but reliability and resistance to damage deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The protection member is pre-installed on the case to cover the end surface of the display unit before final assembly. This preliminary protective measure prevents damage during installation and use without requiring complex protective mechanisms or additional operational steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The protection member acts as a thin protective film or shell covering the end surface of the display unit. This simple protective layer provides impact resistance and protection against environmental factors while maintaining the sleek appearance and not significantly increasing structural complexity.
3Ease of operation
If the controller has a prominent design, then visibility and operability are improved, but harmony with interior decoration deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The controller uses a translucent panel for the display unit that allows light to pass through, creating a subtle glow that is visible for operation but does not create a prominent, eye-catching appearance. This local quality adjustment (translucency) maintains harmony with interior decoration while ensuring adequate visibility for operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The translucent panel can change its optical properties based on lighting conditions and display content, allowing the controller to blend with the surrounding environment during non-operational states while remaining visible when needed. This dynamic optical adjustment harmonizes the controller with interior decoration.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an air conditioner controller having a high visibility of the operation state of an air conditioner and a high design quality in harmony with a surrounding environment. The controller includes a display unit; a display unit holder configured to hold the display unit; and a case including a holding member configured to support the display unit holder, and a protection member provided forward of the holding member and configured to cover an end surface of the display unit which end surface connects a front surface of the display unit to a back surface of the display unit. The display unit holder includes a rib provided along a direction where an outer periphery of the display unit extends, the rib projecting in a direction intersecting with the front surface of the display unit, and the case has a groove into which the rib is fitted.