Air Guide Ring Bi-Directional Limiting to Prevent Fan Blade Contact

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The air guide ring in air conditioners is prone to deformation due to vibrations, leading to instability in the installation gap with fan blades, which can cause friction, damage, or reduced air output.

Innovation Solution

An air guide ring with first and second limit parts that are fitted with a fixing member to prevent outward and inward deformation, maintaining the installation gap and stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the installation gap between the air guide ring and fan blades is reduced to increase air output amount, then air output amount is improved, but the air guide ring and fan blades will contact and cause friction or damage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveair output amountVSAvoidcontact between air guide ring and fan blades
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The air guide ring is designed with flexible deformation capability to dynamically adjust the installation gap between itself and the fan blades. This allows the gap to be reduced to increase air output while the ring can flex to prevent contact and damage, resolving the contradiction between productivity and reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The installation gap parameter is optimized to a specific range (5-15mm) that balances air output performance with contact prevention. This parameter change allows maximizing air output while maintaining sufficient clearance to avoid friction and damage between components

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If the installation gap between the air guide ring and fan blades is increased to prevent contact, then reliability is improved, but air output amount is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontact between air guide ring and fan bladesVSAvoidair output amount
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Rather than using a fixed large gap, the air guide ring is designed to flexibly adjust its position, maintaining an optimal dynamic gap that prevents contact while maximizing air output performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The installation gap is set to an optimal range (5-15mm) that prevents contact damage while avoiding excessive spacing that would reduce air output, balancing reliability and productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Stability of the object's composition

If the air guide ring body is made flexible to reduce deformation, then stability is improved, but structural strength is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedeformation of air guide ring bodyVSAvoidstructural strength of air guide ring body
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The air guide ring body uses a composite structure combining flexible and strong materials or a composite cross-sectional design that provides both flexibility for deformation and sufficient structural strength to maintain stability and prevent damage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

Different parts of the air guide ring body have different structural properties - some regions are designed to be flexible for deformation while other regions maintain higher strength, creating local quality variations that resolve the contradiction between stability and structural strength

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4382820B1Air guide ring, air conditioner outdoor unit, and air conditioner
Publication Date: 2025.12.31 GD MIDEA HEATING & VENTILATING EQUIP CO LTD
  • EP4382820B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4382820B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4382820B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An air guide ring for an air conditioner outdoor unit, comprising an air guide ring body. An air guide channel is defined in the air guide ring body. The air guide ring body is provided with a first limiting portion and a second limiting portion. The first limiting portion and the second limiting portion are configured to fit with a fixing member of the air conditioner outdoor unit and perform bi-directional limiting, so as to obstruct inward contraction deformation and outward expansion deformation of the air guide ring body.