Ceiling Air Conditioner Fan Access Design for Simplified Maintenance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing ceiling-embedded indoor air conditioner units require the removal of multiple components, including the fan, drain pan, and guide member, for maintenance, which complicates the process and can lead to inefficiencies and noise due to air accumulation.
Innovation Solution
The air conditioner design allows for the fan to be detached without removing the guide member, with a heat exchanger positioned radially to perform heat exchange and a guide member integrated with the drain pan to direct air efficiently, reducing noise and improving maintenance by preventing air accumulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the guide member and drain pan are constructed as separate removable components, then the air flow guidance function is improved, but the maintenance complexity increases as the fan must be removed after these components
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member is integrated with the drain pan to form a single unified component. This merging eliminates the need to separately remove the drain pan and guide member during fan maintenance, allowing the fan to be directly accessed and removed without disassembling these components individually, thus simplifying the maintenance procedure while maintaining the air flow guidance function.
2Ease of repair
If multiple components are made removable for maintenance access, then the maintainability is improved, but the number of parts increases and assembly complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
By combining the guide member and drain pan into one integrated component, the patent reduces the total number of separate parts in the system. This integration maintains easy access to the fan for maintenance purposes while avoiding the complexity of having multiple separate removable components, thus improving ease of repair without proportionally increasing device complexity.
3Volume of moving object
If the fan is positioned close to the heat exchanger for compact design, then the device size is reduced, but air accumulation and noise increase
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated guide member-drain pan assembly is designed with a specific structure that segments and directs the air flow path between the fan and heat exchanger. The guide member portion creates defined flow channels that prevent air accumulation in unwanted areas, while the drain pan integrates beneath this structure. This segmentation allows compact positioning of components while maintaining proper air flow and reducing noise through controlled air movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide member acts as an intermediary structure between the fan and heat exchanger, mediating the air flow in the narrow space between these components. It directs air flow smoothly from the fan toward the heat exchanger, preventing turbulence and air accumulation that would cause noise, while allowing the components to be positioned close together for compact design.
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
This design enhances maintenance accessibility, suppresses noise and vibration, and improves blowing efficiency by ensuring air is directed correctly, reducing power consumption and enhancing overall performance.
Implementation Method 1
a fan detachably installed inside the main body through the opening for guiding indoor air to be sucked in through the sucking hole in the vertical direction and discharged in the horizontal direction
Implementation Method 2
a heat exchanger arranged in the radial direction of the fan to be separated from the fan for performing heat exchange on the air discharged from the fan
Implementation Method 3
a guide member arranged between the fan and the heat exchanger in the radial direction of the fan to be separated from the fan for guiding the air discharged from the fan toward the heat exchanger
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is an air conditioner having improved maintenance ability by arranging a fan to be attached or detached without removing a guide member. An air conditioner includes a main body with an opening formed in the bottom, a ceiling panel arranged under the main body for covering the opening, and having a sucking hole through which air is sucked in and a discharging hole through which air is discharged, a fan detachably installed inside the main body through the opening for guiding indoor air to be sucked in through the sucking hole in the vertical direction and discharged in the horizontal direction, a heat exchanger arranged in the radial direction of the fan to be separated from the fan for performing heat exchange on the air discharged from the fan and a guide member arranged between the fan and the heat exchanger in the radial direction of the fan to be separated from the fan for guiding the air discharged from the fan toward the heat exchanger.