Air Conditioner Indoor Unit Layout to Reduce Thickness and Pipe Space
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air conditioner indoor units face limitations in reducing thickness due to the arrangement of heat exchangers and fans, and the placement of refrigerant pipes requires additional space, leading to increased unit size and potential water condensation issues.
Innovation Solution
The configuration includes a drain pan to collect dew drops and accommodate refrigerant pipes without additional space, a partition plate to improve airflow and prevent refrigerant phase change, and inclined heat exchangers to minimize thickness while ensuring effective heat exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If heat exchangers and cross flow fan are arranged and aligned in front-rear direction, then heat exchange function is achieved, but thickness of indoor unit cannot be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a front-rear aligned arrangement to a side-by-side arrangement of heat exchangers, utilizing the width dimension instead of the depth dimension. This dimensional change allows the indoor unit thickness to be reduced while maintaining the heat exchange function and fan operation.
2Volume of stationary object
If refrigerant pipes are concentrated in upper portion of indoor unit, then pipe arrangement is simplified, but size of indoor unit must be enlarged to create space for pipes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the pipe arrangement space with the drain pan space by positioning the drain pan in the lower portion of the indoor unit to receive both condensed water and concentrated refrigerant pipes. This combination eliminates the need for separate pipe accommodation space, reducing the overall unit size while simplifying pipe arrangement.
3Volume of stationary object
If heat insulating material is wrapped around pipes to prevent water condensation, then water condensation is prevented, but size of indoor unit is further enlarged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the refrigerant pipes from the main air flow path by concentrating them in the lower portion within the drain pan area, away from the region where cold surfaces form condensation. This spatial separation prevents condensation on pipes without requiring additional insulating material, thereby avoiding enlargement of the unit size.
4Length of stationary object
If drain pan height is reduced to thin the indoor unit, then indoor unit thickness is reduced, but capacity to collect dew drops is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent nests the refrigerant pipes within the drain pan structure, utilizing the vertical space efficiently. The drain pan is positioned in the lower portion with sufficient depth to accommodate both water collection and pipe arrangement, creating a nested configuration that maximizes space utilization without increasing overall unit thickness.
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 results in a slimmer, more compact indoor unit with improved air blowing performance and simplified assembly, while preventing water splashing and reducing unit size by integrating components with the drain pan.
Implementation Method 1
dew drops formed on surfaces of the heat exchangers are drained to the drain pan
Implementation Method 2
an air flow from the fan is prevented from affecting the refrigerant pipes and changing the phase of the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant pipes
Implementation Method 3
a pair of heat exchangers arranged on both sides of the centrifugal fan. After being drawn from a central portion of a front surface of the indoor unit, air is blasted forward from air outlet ports, which are formed on both sides of the indoor unit through the heat exchangers
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
An air conditioner indoor unit has a box-shaped body casing 1. A pair of air inlet ports 5 are formed in a front surface of the body casing 1. A pair of air outlet ports 7 are formed on both sides of each of the air inlet ports 5. A pair of air passages 6 are each formed in the body casing 1 and extend from the corresponding air inlet port 5 toward the air outlet ports 7. Turbofans 8 are arranged in the body casing 1 in correspondence with the air inlet ports 5. A pair of heat exchangers 9 are arranged on both sides of each of the turbofans 8 in correspondence with the associated two air outlet ports 7. A drain pan 15 is arranged below the heat exchangers 9 and the turbofans 8. Refrigerant pipes 21 a, 21 b, 21 c, 21 d, which connect the heat exchangers 9 to each other, are received in the drain pan 15.