Ceiling Air Conditioner Outlet Structure for Low-Noise Airflow
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air conditioner indoor units face issues with noise and vibration due to exposed joining portions during air discharge, reduced airflow rates due to passage resistance, and complicated wire arrangements, which affect installation and operation efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The design includes a recessed drain pan assembly with a matching stepped portion and inclined surfaces for secure installation, a condensate pump mounting structure with reduced protrusion to minimize passage resistance, and a wire guide system to simplify connections and prevent wire-related noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the drain pan is formed with a panel outlet port, then air discharge function is improved, but the outer surface becomes thin and vulnerable to damage
Solution Approach 1:
The drain pan is divided into a main body portion and a separate outlet port portion. The outlet port is formed as a distinct segment that can be separately manufactured and then assembled to the main body, allowing the main body to maintain its structural integrity while the outlet port provides the necessary air discharge function.
2Ease of manufacture
If the drain pan outer surface is made thin, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but it becomes damaged during assembling or due to vibration
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the drain pan into a robust main body and a separate outlet port component, the main body can be manufactured with sufficient thickness for strength and reliability, while the outlet port can be a simpler, thinner component that is easily manufactured and assembled to the main body.
3Ease of operation
If the mount portion protrudes to support the condensate pump, then pump installation is enabled, but passage resistance increases and noise is generated
Solution Approach 1:
The condensate pump is nested within the cabinet space in such a way that it is supported by the cabinet structure itself rather than requiring a protruding mount. The pump is positioned to utilize the existing cabinet volume, allowing air to flow smoothly around it without encountering obstacles that would increase passage resistance or generate noise.
4Device complexity
If wire arrangement is not appropriate, then installation complexity increases, but vibration noise may be generated
Solution Approach 1:
Wire routing guides and channels are incorporated into the cabinet structure during the preliminary design and manufacturing stages. These pre-formed pathways guide the wires along predetermined routes that avoid areas of high vibration and prevent wires from interfering with moving parts, thereby eliminating vibration noise before it can occur during operation.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an outer plate configured to form an exterior of a cabinet installed at a ceiling of an indoor space; an inner case accommodated inside the outer plate, and configured to form an internal space of the cabinet; a fan provided inside the inner case; a heat exchanger disposed to cover an outer side of the fan; a panel configured to shield the cabinet, and having an inlet port through which indoor air is suctioned and a panel outlet port through which heat-exchanged air is discharged; and a drain pan assembly seated on an upper end of the inner case, and configured to collect condensate generated from the heat exchanger, wherein an extending portion which extends to an opened end of the outer plate is formed at a side surface of the inner case corresponding to the panel outlet port, and a recessed portion which is recessed in a shape corresponding to the panel outlet port is formed at an outer end of the drain pan assembly, and both ends of the extending portion are in contact with an inner side surface of the recessed portion, and form an outlet port which is in communication with the panel outlet port.