Air Conditioner Outdoor Unit Panel Assembly to Prevent Top Cover Gaps
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing outdoor air conditioner units face issues with gaps forming between the top cover and other panels due to a lack of coupling structure, which worsens with increased size, affecting the external appearance and productivity, and increasing the number of screw fastening points to address this problem also reduces the external appearance and increases manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
The outdoor air conditioner unit incorporates a top cover with a bent portion that is inserted into a recessed area of the edge and forming portion, eliminating the need for additional fastening members by ensuring accurate positioning and contact between the top cover and panels, thus preventing gaps and enhancing the external appearance while reducing the number of screws required.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the outdoor device size is increased, then the cooling or warming capacity is improved, but gaps are more frequently formed between the top panel and side panels, worsening the external appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The top panel is divided into a flat upper surface portion and a bent circumferential portion. The bent portion is further segmented into multiple bent sections that can be independently fastened to adjacent side panels, allowing precise fitting and gap prevention while maintaining the overall panel structure.
2Shape
If the number of screw fastening places is increased to prevent gaps, then the gap formation between panels is reduced, but the external appearance is affected and productivity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The bent portion of the top panel is integrally formed as part of the top panel structure, merging the sealing function with the structural connection function. This eliminates the need for separate sealing components and reduces the number of fastening points required, as the bent portion itself provides the coupling interface with side panels.
3Stability of the object's composition
If screw fastening places are increased to prevent gaps, then the coupling between panels is improved, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The bent portion is pre-formed during the top panel manufacturing process, creating the coupling structure in advance. This preliminary formation of the bent portion eliminates the need for additional on-site assembly operations and reduces the number of fastening components required, thereby lowering manufacturing costs while ensuring stable panel coupling.
Data Source
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AI summary
An outdoor device of an air conditioner is provided. The outdoor device may include a top cover configured to form an external appearance of an upper surface of the outdoor device and having at least one discharge port, through which air passed through an outdoor heat exchanger may be discharged; a recess recessed along at least a portion of an edge of the top cover; a plurality of panels configured to form an external appearance of a circumference of the outdoor device; an edge bent downward along an outer end of the top cover and configured to accommodate upper ends of the plurality of panels; and a bent portion bent from an upper end of each of the plurality of panels toward an inside of the outdoor device. The bent portion may extend and be fitted into a space between the edge and the recess, and restricted by the top cover.