Air Conditioner with Movable Insect Extermination for Wider Coverage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional air conditioners with mosquito extermination devices have limited coverage due to fixed ultrahigh frequency wave generation, resulting in a narrow extermination area and inefficient power usage.

Innovation Solution

An air conditioner with a movable harmful insect extermination module that includes a speaker for generating sound waves, a moving case for linear and rotational movement, and a human body detection unit to direct sound waves towards a human body, enhancing extermination coverage while minimizing power waste.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If the harmful insect extermination device is fixed to generate ultrahigh frequency waves in only a front direction, then the device structure is simple, but the arriving area of ultrahigh frequency waves is narrow

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvearriving area of ultrahigh frequency wavesVSAvoiddevice structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The harmful insect extermination device is made movable instead of fixed. A moving device is provided to move the harmful insect extermination device to different positions, allowing the ultrahigh frequency waves to cover a wider area throughout the indoor space while maintaining a relatively simple device structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If the harmful insect extermination device generates sound waves continuously, then the extermination effect is maintained, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveextermination effectVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

A human body detection unit is provided to detect whether a human body is present in the indoor space. The controller uses this feedback information to control the harmful insect extermination device: when a human body is detected, the device generates ultrahigh frequency waves to exterminate harmful insects; when no human body is detected, the device stops generating waves to save power.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If the harmful insect extermination device is moved to follow human body position, then the extermination efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveextermination efficiencyVSAvoiddevice structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A moving device serves as an intermediary mechanism that automatically moves the harmful insect extermination device to positions corresponding to detected human bodies. This intermediary mechanism handles the complexity of movement and positioning, allowing the main extermination function to remain simple while achieving high extermination efficiency by targeting areas where humans are present.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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

The solution provides a wider extermination area for harmful insects, improves efficiency by targeting sound waves towards human presence, and reduces power consumption by optimizing the movement and placement of the extermination device.

Implementation Method 1

The harmful insect extermination device may include a speaker for generating sound waves for exterminating the harmful insects

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSound wave generation: Sound

Data Source

PatentEP2417399B1Air conditioner
Publication Date: 2020.01.15 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP2417399B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2417399B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP2417399B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

An air conditioner is provided. The air conditioner includes: a main body in which an air inhalant port and an air discharge port are formed to discharge air after inhaling air and performing air-conditioning; and a harmful insect extermination module disposed at the main body to exterminate harmful insects of indoor, wherein the harmful insect extermination module includes: a harmful insect extermination device for exterminating harmful insects; and a harmful insect extermination device moving device for moving the harmful insect extermination device in order to exterminate harmful insects while moving the harmful insect extermination device. Thereby, an area that can exterminate harmful insects at indoor can be more enlarged, and a harmful insect extermination ability can be improved with a minimum harmful insect extermination device.