Air conditioner
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face difficulties in easily separating and coupling suction panels in air conditioners, particularly those installed at high positions, which hinders maintenance and assembly processes.
Innovation Solution
The air conditioner design incorporates a coupling member with a guide surface and insertion protrusion for easy coupling and decoupling of the suction panel, along with a supporting unit that maintains the panel's position during separation, and a rotatable cover member for improved accessibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the suction panel is fixed firmly to the housing, then structural integrity is maintained, but ease of separation for maintenance is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling member is divided into distinct functional elements: a guide surface for alignment, an insertion protrusion for engagement, and a hook for securing. The housing is segmented with corresponding coupling portions including guide grooves and supporting steps. This segmentation allows the suction panel to be firmly attached during operation while enabling easy separation through reverse insertion when maintenance is needed.
2Ease of repair
If the suction panel is designed for easy removal, then maintenance accessibility is improved, but coupling reliability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The guide surface on the coupling member and the corresponding guide groove in the housing perform preliminary alignment actions before the insertion protrusion engages with the coupling portion. This preliminary guidance ensures proper positioning during both installation and removal, maintaining coupling reliability while facilitating easy maintenance access.
Solution Approach 2:
The hook on the coupling member acts as an intermediary element that engages with the coupling portion to secure the suction panel. During normal operation, the hook maintains reliable coupling. During maintenance, the same hook facilitates controlled removal by allowing the panel to be detached without damaging other components.
3Ease of operation
If the cover member is fixed securely, then structural stability is maintained, but ease of coupling is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling portion in the housing includes a curved guide groove that receives the guide surface of the coupling member. This curved geometry provides smooth guidance during insertion while maintaining secure engagement. The rotatable cover member with its coupling hook similarly utilizes curved surfaces to achieve both easy coupling and stable fixation.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
Disclosed herein is an air conditioner including a suction panel which includes a suction port through which air is suctioned in inside a housing. The suction panel is formed to rotate with an axial direction of an air blowing fan or a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the air blowing fan as a rotation axis to be coupled with or separated from the housing. Accordingly, a user may easily and intuitively separate the suction panel and falling of the suction panel, which may occur when the suction panel is separated, may be effectively reduced using a supporting unit disposed at the suction panel. Also, the housing and cover members which cover an outer perimeter of a lower portion of the housing may be coupled with each other by pressurizing the cover members toward the housing, thereby allowing the user to easily coupled the cover members.