Air conditioner
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air conditioners with built-in controllers require disassembly of peripheral sheet metal for maintenance, leading to inconvenient and inflexible controller arrangement.
Innovation Solution
An air conditioner design with a protruding housing portion containing a controller, allowing for a detachable handle casing that exposes the controller's operating surface without altering the appearance, and includes a support and limiting mechanism to secure the controller in place.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the controller is arranged on the front panel or right rear panel of the air conditioner, then the controller is integrated into the air conditioner body, but it is necessary to disassemble the peripheral sheet metal for maintenance, making the operation inconvenient and the arrangement inflexible
Solution Approach 1:
The air conditioner body is segmented into distinct functional modules: the handle casing that can be detached, the controller module that can be removed, and the main body. This segmentation allows the controller to be accessed and maintained without disassembling the entire air conditioner, resolving the contradiction between integrated arrangement and maintenance convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller arrangement transitions from a fixed state to a dynamic, reconfigurable state. The controller can be mounted on the handle casing for integrated operation, or detached and mounted on external walls for maintenance or alternative positioning. This dynamic arrangement flexibility resolves the contradiction between integrated arrangement and maintenance convenience.
2Ease of operation
If the controller is arranged on the front panel or right rear panel of the air conditioner, then the controller is integrated into the air conditioner body, but the operation is inconvenient and the arrangement is not flexible enough
Solution Approach 1:
The controller is extracted from the fixed position on the air conditioner body and can be removed from the handle casing. This extraction allows the controller to be positioned externally on walls or other surfaces, improving accessibility for operation while providing flexibility in arrangement locations beyond the air conditioner unit itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle casing serves as an intermediary carrier between the air conditioner body and the controller. The controller is mounted on the handle casing, which can be detached and repositioned. This intermediary structure enables both convenient accessibility during operation and flexible arrangement in different locations, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and arrangement flexibility.
3Device complexity
If the controller is built-in on the air conditioner, then the controller is integrated into the housing, but it is necessary to disassemble the peripheral sheet metal, thus the operation is inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The housing structure is segmented with a detachable handle casing that contains the controller. This segmentation allows the controller to be accessed by simply removing the handle casing rather than disassembling the entire peripheral sheet metal housing, maintaining housing integration while significantly improving ease of repair.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle casing is pre-configured as a detachable component that provides direct access to the controller. This preliminary design decision eliminates the need for complex disassembly procedures during maintenance, as the controller can be accessed through the pre-designed detachable handle casing structure, resolving the contradiction between housing integration and ease of repair.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is an air conditioner, comprising a body and a controller. The body comprises a housing; the housing comprises a protruding portion protruding outwards; the protruding portion defines an accommodating cavity; at least a portion of the controller is located in the accommodating cavity; the protruding portion is provided with an operating hole communicated with the accommodating cavity; the operating surface of the controller is opposite to the operating hole so as to expose the operating surface, or the operating surface of the controller is provided on the outer side surface of the protruding portion.