Air Inlet Grille Filter Attachment Using Corner Hook Engagement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing indoor air-conditioning units face difficulties in accurately positioning and attaching filters to air inlet grilles, leading to inefficient filter placement and potential performance issues.
Innovation Solution
The indoor unit design features hook receiving portions located in the corners of the air inlet grille and corresponding hook portions on the filter, allowing for easy engagement and secure attachment, improving workability and preventing filter warpage and leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If hook portions are disposed at the periphery of the filter and hook receiving portions are disposed on the inner back face of the air inlet grille, then the filter can be attached to the air inlet grille, but it becomes difficult to set the position of the filter to the air inlet grille
Solution Approach 1:
The hook receiving portions are segmented and disposed at specific locations (four corners and center) of the air inlet grille, while corresponding hook portions are positioned on the filter frame. This segmentation allows the filter to be attached through multiple discrete engagement points, providing both secure attachment and clear positioning guidance during installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The hook receiving portions are pre-positioned at predetermined locations on the air inlet grille before filter installation. This preliminary arrangement of receiving portions at specific geometric locations (corners and center) guides the filter into proper alignment during attachment, eliminating positioning difficulties.
2Reliability
If the filter is attached to the air inlet grille using peripheral hooks, then the filter can be secured, but the workability and attachment speed are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment system is segmented into multiple independent hook-holding engagements distributed at five locations (four corners and center). This segmentation allows for parallel engagement of multiple points simultaneously, maintaining secure attachment while enabling faster installation through distributed rather than sequential engagement.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention combines multiple attachment functions into a unified system where corner hooks provide both positioning and securing functions, while the center hook provides additional securing. This merging of positioning and securing functions into a single integrated hook-receiving portion system improves both reliability and attachment efficiency.
Data Source
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AI summary
An indoor unit for an air-conditioning apparatus includes a body having an opening, a decorative panel attached to the body to cover the opening, and a filter disposed between the body and the decorative panel. The decorative panel has a rectangular air inlet grille disposed at a location that faces the opening of the body. The air inlet grille has long-side wall portions that face each other, a plurality of short-side wall portions disposed perpendicularly to each of the long-side wall portions, a bottom portion surrounded by the long-side wall portions and the plurality of short-side wall portions, and hook receiving portions located in respective grille corner portions each located at the corresponding one of four corners of the bottom portion. The filter is formed in a rectangular shape and has hook portions in respective filter corner portions each located at the corresponding one of four corners of the filter. The hook portions are engaged with the respective hook receiving portions.