Air-conditioning indoor unit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air conditioning indoor units may fail to form a circulating air flow when the air volume is small, particularly in rooms with corners that are not reached by the outlet air, leading to concerns about insufficient air circulation.
Innovation Solution
The air conditioning indoor unit adjusts air volume by excluding a predetermined small-air-volume-range when switching to an air direction that ensures a circulating air flow is formed, using a combination of horizontal and Coanda flaps to direct and increase the air volume, ensuring it reaches the entire room, including corners.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the air volume is kept small to meet user comfort requirements, then energy consumption is reduced, but the outlet air cannot reach the corners of the room and a circulating air flow cannot be formed
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit determines in advance that when switching to upward air direction, the air volume should be set to exclude the predetermined small-air-volume-range. This preliminary determination ensures that sufficient air volume is maintained before air direction switching occurs, preventing the formation failure of circulating air flow while avoiding unnecessary energy consumption.
2Reliability
If the air volume is increased to ensure circulating air flow reaches all corners, then air circulation reliability is improved, but the air volume exceeds user-desired settings
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit preliminarily determines the air volume should exclude the small-air-volume-range when upward air direction is selected, ensuring circulating air flow can be formed. Then, after this preliminary determination, the control unit adjusts the air volume down to conform to user settings within the acceptable range, achieving both reliable air circulation and user comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The air volume is dynamically adjusted in two stages: first set to exclude small-air-volume-range to ensure circulating air flow formation, then adjusted to conform to user-desired settings. This dynamic adjustment process allows the system to prioritize air circulation reliability when needed while still respecting user preferences.
3Productivity
If the air direction is switched to upward direction to form circulating air flow, then air distribution is improved, but the air volume may become insufficient when switching from downward direction
Solution Approach 1:
Before the air direction switching to upward direction occurs, the control unit preliminarily determines that the air volume should be set to exclude the predetermined small-air-volume-range. This ensures that when the air direction switches, sufficient air volume is already in place to maintain effective air distribution and form circulating air flow throughout the room.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution ensures a circulating air flow is maintained even when air volume is initially small, reducing concerns about insufficient circulation and allowing for user-adjusted air volume settings while preventing excessive air volume, thus enhancing air distribution and comfort.
Implementation Method 1
a first flap 31 and a second flap 32 which change an air direction of the outlet air, to an air direction which forms a circulating air flow in which the outlet air circulates throughout an entire room
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
An air conditioning indoor unit (10) is equipped with an indoor fan (14) that can change the air volume of outlet air blown out from an air outlet (15), a horizontal flap (31), a Coanda flap (32), an air volume control unit, and an air direction control unit. The horizontal flap (31) and the Coanda flap (32) can change the air direction, in the up and down direction, of the outlet air. The air volume control unit adjusts the air volume by controlling the rotational speed of the indoor fan (14) in accordance with an air volume value it has determined. The air direction control unit adjusts the air direction by controlling the angles of the horizontal flap (31) and the Coanda flap (32). Furthermore, the air direction control unit can switch between a first air direction in which the outlet air heads toward a ceiling and a second air direction in which the outlet air heads downward. Moreover, when the air direction switches from the second air direction to the first air direction, the air volume control unit determines the air volume value so as to exclude a predetermined small air volume range.