Air Duct Assembly Buckle Locking for Screwless AC Maintenance

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The existing indoor units of air conditioners face inconvenience in cleaning and maintenance due to the cumbersome screw-based disassembly process of the air duct assembly, which affects efficiency and convenience.

Innovation Solution

The indoor unit features a movable limiting member, such as a rotating buckle, pivotally connected to the lower portion of the air duct assembly, allowing for easy rotation and disengagement from the chassis, simplifying the disassembly process and improving maintenance convenience.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If the lower portion of the air duct assembly is fixed to the chassis by screw, then the connection strength is improved, but the disassembly-assembly efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconnection strengthVSAvoiddisassembly-assembly efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The fixing structure is divided into multiple independent rotating buckles distributed at different positions on the air duct assembly, allowing the assembly to be segmented into detachable units that can be quickly assembled and disassembled while maintaining connection strength through distributed fixing points

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The rotating buckle mechanism transforms the static screw connection into a dynamic rotating connection, where the buckles can rotate to engage or disengage from corresponding slots, enabling quick disassembly and assembly operations while maintaining firm connection during operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Stability of the object's composition

If the lower portion of the air duct assembly is fixed to the chassis by screw, then the structural stability is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidease of disassembly-assembly

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using threads that require rotational movement to tighten or loosen, the design inverts the approach by using rotating buckles that rotate to lock into place or release from slots, making the operation direction and mechanism fundamentally different from traditional screw connections

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The complex threaded mechanical system of screws is replaced with a simpler rotating buckle mechanism that uses rotational motion to engage with slot structures, eliminating the need for threading operations and significantly simplifying the disassembly-assembly process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentEP3650763B1Air conditioner indoor unit

Publication Date: 2023.05.10 GD MIDEA AIR CONDITIONING EQUIP CO LTD

Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6

AI summary

Disclosed is an indoor unit of an air conditioner and an air conditioner, where the indoor unit of the air conditioner includes: a bracket, which includes a chassis (1), and the chassis (1) includes a limiting structure; an air duct assembly (2), detachably engaged or magnetically connected with an upper portion of the chassis (1); and a movable limiting member, provided on the air duct assembly (2), where the movable limiting member is configured to be movably protruded from the air duct assembly and engaged with the limiting structure to limit the air duct assembly (2) inside the bracket.