Blade-Free Air Outlet Control for Low-Noise Air Conditioners

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional air conditioners face issues with reduced airflow volume, increased flow noise due to turbulent flow around blades, and difficulty in controlling discharged airflow, especially in central-discharge types and those with circular outlets.

Innovation Solution

An air conditioner design featuring a housing with guide surfaces and a movable airflow control unit that guides discharged air without a blade structure, using Coanda curved portions and a power transmission system to control airflow direction, allowing for efficient airflow management without blade interference.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a blade structure is used to control discharged airflow, then airflow direction can be controlled, but airflow volume is decreased and flow noise is increased

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveairflow direction controlVSAvoidairflow volume

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the blade structure from the air conditioner system and replaces it with a discharged airflow controller that uses a movable guide surface. This extraction of the problematic blade element eliminates the interference with airflow while maintaining the capability to control airflow direction through the guide surface's movement between positions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a discharged airflow controller with a movable guide surface as an intermediary mechanism between the blower fan and the outlet. This guide surface acts as a mediator that redirects airflow without the turbulent interference caused by blades, thereby controlling airflow direction while preserving airflow volume and reducing noise.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If a blade structure is used to control discharged airflow, then airflow direction can be controlled, but flow noise is increased due to turbulent flow

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveairflow direction controlVSAvoidflow noise

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the blade structure from the air conditioner system and replaces it with a discharged airflow controller that uses a movable guide surface. This extraction of the problematic blade element eliminates the interference with airflow while maintaining the capability to control airflow direction through the guide surface's movement between positions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a discharged airflow controller with a movable guide surface as an intermediary mechanism between the blower fan and the outlet. This guide surface acts as a mediator that redirects airflow without the turbulent interference caused by blades, thereby controlling airflow direction while preserving airflow volume and reducing noise.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Quantity of substance

If no airflow control structure is used, then airflow loss and noise are minimized, but airflow direction cannot be controlled

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveairflow volumeVSAvoidairflow direction control

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a discharged airflow controller with a movable guide surface as an intermediary mechanism between the blower fan and the outlet. This guide surface acts as a mediator that redirects airflow without the turbulent interference caused by blades, thereby controlling airflow direction while preserving airflow volume and reducing noise.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs a movable guide surface that can be dynamically positioned between a first position (adjacent to the outlet end portion) and a second position (spaced apart from the outlet end portion). This dynamic positioning mechanism, driven by a driving device, allows flexible airflow direction control without the mechanical constraints of rotating blades in central-discharge configurations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

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

The solution reduces airflow loss, minimizes flow noise, and enables easy control of discharged airflow direction, even in central-discharge types and circular outlets, enhancing airflow efficiency and user control.

Implementation Method 1

using Coanda curved portions and a power transmission system to control airflow direction

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCoanda effect: Coanda Effect

Data Source

PatentUS11255552B2Air conditioner

Publication Date: 2022.02.22 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

Disclosed herein is an air conditioner. The air conditioner includes a housing having an inlet and an outlet, and having a first guide surface forming the outlet and a second guide surface facing the first guide surface provided therein, a heat exchanger configured to heat-exchange air suctioned through the inlet, a blower fan configured to suction air from the inlet, heat-exchange the air by passing air through the heat exchanger, and discharge air toward the outlet, and an airflow control unit provided to be movable between a first position adjacent to one end portion of the outlet from which air is discharged and a second position spaced apart from the end portion of the outlet from which air is discharged, and protruding from the first guide surface or the second guide surface when the airflow control unit placed at the first position.