Air Conditioner Indoor Unit with Refrigerant-Loop Storage Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air conditioners with storage functions experience poor cooling or heating effects due to environmental temperature influences on the cold or hot air used for heat exchange with storage items.
Innovation Solution
An indoor air conditioner unit featuring a heat exchanger, conduit, and storage parts connected in a loop, where the conduit connects to the heat exchanger's liquid separator and gas collecting pipe, allowing for efficient heat exchange between the refrigerant and storage parts, independent of environmental temperature, with optional features like a spiral conduit, elastic buckles, sliding rails, and a temperature sensor for precise control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cold air or hot air generated by heat exchange with a heat exchanger is used to cool or heat items in the storage basket, then the cooling or heating function is achieved, but the effect is poor due to environmental temperature influence
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the heat exchange system into two independent parts: (1) the heat exchanger that generates cold/hot air for the air conditioner's main function, and (2) the conduit system that directly connects to the liquid separator and gas collecting pipe to provide dedicated heat exchange for the storage basket. This segmentation allows each system to operate independently, preventing environmental temperature from affecting the storage basket's cooling/heating effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The conduit system serves multiple functions: it enables the storage basket to be cooled or heated directly by the refrigerant through the liquid separator and gas collecting pipe, while the heat exchanger simultaneously provides cold/hot air for the air conditioner's primary cooling or heating function. This multi-functionality ensures reliable cooling or heating for stored items regardless of environmental conditions.
2Reliability
If a conduit is connected to the liquid separator and gas collecting pipe for direct heat exchange with storage parts, then the cooling or heating effect is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the storage basket's heat exchange system with the existing refrigerant circulation system by connecting the conduit to the liquid separator and gas collecting pipe. This integration allows the storage basket to utilize the refrigerant's thermal energy directly without requiring a separate refrigeration cycle, thereby improving cooling or heating effect while avoiding excessive complexity.
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 enhances the cooling and heating efficiency of stored items by maintaining effective refrigerant circulation and temperature control, regardless of environmental conditions, thereby improving the overall performance of the air conditioner's storage function.
Implementation Method 1
the conduit is used for heat exchange with the one or more storage parts
Implementation Method 2
one end of the conduit is connected to a liquid separator of the heat exchanger, the other end of the conduit is connected to a gas collecting pipe of the heat exchanger
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure discloses an indoor unit of an air conditioner and an air conditioner. The indoor unit of the air conditioner includes an indoor unit housing, a heat exchanger, a conduit and one or more storage parts provided outside the indoor unit housing and/or inside the indoor unit housing, wherein one end of the conduit is connected to a liquid separator of the heat exchanger, the other end of the conduit is connected to a gas collecting pipe of the heat exchanger, and the conduit is used for heat exchange with the one or more storage parts.