Air Conditioner Indoor Unit Chassis Layout to Reduce Horizontal Size

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional air conditioner indoor units face challenges in compact design due to the positioning of the fan motor and control box, which are often obstructed by the pipe unit, making it difficult to install and increasing the overall size of the unit.

Innovation Solution

The indoor unit design includes a chassis with a fan receiving part and a fan motor seating part, allowing the fan motor to be positioned directly adjacent to the fan, and the control box to be seated on a control box seating part, with the pipe unit routed through the rear, minimizing horizontal size and enabling easier installation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If the fan motor and control box are positioned in the conventional location, then the installation is simpler, but the horizontal size increases and the pipe unit obstructs the components

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehorizontal sizeVSAvoidinstallation ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The fan motor is repositioned from a conventional horizontal arrangement to a vertical arrangement directly above the fan, utilizing the vertical dimension to reduce horizontal footprint. The control box is moved to the rear side of the chassis, changing its spatial dimension from front-side to rear-side placement. This dimensional reconfiguration eliminates pipe unit obstruction while maintaining installation simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Ease of manufacture

If the pipe unit is routed through the front, then the connection is easier, but it obstructs the fan motor and control box positioning

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepipe installation easeVSAvoidcomponent arrangement complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control box is extracted from its conventional position near the front and relocated to the rear side of the chassis, separating it from the pipe unit routing path. This extraction eliminates the obstruction conflict between the pipe unit and control box, allowing the pipe unit to be routed through the front for easy connection while the control box occupies the rear space without interference.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of manufacture

If the fan motor is positioned away from the fan, then the pipe unit can be routed, but the distance increases and space utilization decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepipe routing easeVSAvoidspace utilization
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The fan motor is repositioned to the vertical dimension directly above the fan, utilizing the vertical space above the fan assembly. This vertical placement allows the pipe unit to be routed horizontally through the front without obstruction, while the fan motor remains in close proximity to the fan through vertical alignment, maintaining compact space utilization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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 configuration reduces the horizontal size of the indoor unit, allows for compact design, and simplifies the installation of the fan motor and control box by eliminating interference from the pipe unit, enhancing space utilization and installation ease.

Implementation Method 1

a fan that is provided inside the main body to compulsorily flow air

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectForced Convection: Forced Convection

Data Source

PatentEP2299190B1Indoor unit of air conditioner
Publication Date: 2017.09.13 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP2299190B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2299190B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2299190B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present embodiment provides an indoor unit of an air conditioner. The indoor unit of the air conditioner includes: a main body that includes a chassis and a front frame coupled to the chassis; a fan that is provided inside the main body to compulsorily flow air; a fan motor that rotates the fan; a fan receiving part that receives a portion of the fan, the fan receiving part being formed at the chassis; and a fan motor seating part on which the fan motor is seated, the fan motor being formed at the chassis; wherein a receiving groove that receives the portion of the fan is formed on one side of the fan receiving part and the fan motor seating part is formed on the other side of the fan receiving part.