Ceiling type air conditioner

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional ceiling type air conditioners face difficulties in implementing horizontal airflow for indirect wind due to the Coanda effect, where air discharged from the air discharge port tends to flow on the wall surface, making it challenging to achieve effective horizontal air flow without the air guide module.

Innovation Solution

A ceiling type air conditioner design featuring a blower passage and inner and outer flow path bodies with specific concave, horizontal, and vertical portions on the outer surface, which guide air to maintain horizontal flow direction, reducing the Coanda effect and enhancing horizontal airflow without the need for an air guide module.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If an air guide module is installed to convert airflow into horizontal airflow, then horizontal airflow is achieved, but device complexity increases and installation space is required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehorizontal airflowVSAvoidair guide module
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the air guide module from the system and replaces it with a simplified flow path body structure. The inner flow path body is designed with specific geometric features (concave and convex portions) that directly guide airflow horizontally without requiring a separate air guide module, thus eliminating unnecessary components while maintaining the desired airflow pattern

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by creating specific geometric features at critical locations of the flow path body. The outer circumferential surface includes a concave portion and a convex portion positioned at specific locations to locally control airflow behavior, creating horizontal airflow only where needed without affecting the entire structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of manufacture

If the outer circumferential surface of the inner flow path body is occupied by a concave inner guide, then there is insufficient space for installing an air guide module

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflow path structureVSAvoidhorizontal airflow
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the functions of the concave inner guide and the air guide module into a single integrated flow path body structure. The convex portion protruding from the outer circumferential surface performs both the guiding function and the airflow conversion function, eliminating the need for separate components and maximizing space utilization

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Productivity

If air is discharged directly to users, then cooling efficiency is improved, but user comfort deteriorates due to direct wind and mixed smells

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling efficiencyVSAvoiduser comfort
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the airflow direction from vertical discharge to horizontal discharge by designing the flow path body with a convex portion that redirects air. This dimensional change in airflow direction allows the air to travel horizontally along the ceiling rather than directly downward to users, maintaining cooling efficiency while improving comfort by avoiding direct wind exposure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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 design effectively creates a horizontal airflow, improving comfort by reducing direct air discharge to users and eliminating the need for complex air guide modules, while maintaining efficient air distribution within the room.

Implementation Method 1

The air discharged from the air discharge port has a characteristic to flow on a wall surface due to a Coanda effect

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCoanda effect: Coanda Effect

Data Source

PatentEP3911898B1Ceiling type air conditioner
Publication Date: 2024.03.06 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP3911898B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3911898B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3911898B1 patent drawingFigure 5~7

AI summary

Disclosed is a ceiling type air conditioner that can implement a horizontal air flow to provide an indirect wind to a user with a simple structure. To this end, the ceiling type air conditioner according to the present disclosure includes an inner case in which a blower and a heat exchanger are built-in, and a blow passage for guiding air passed through the heat exchanger downward is formed; an inner flow path body which is disposed below the inner case and has a suction flow path for sucking air into the inner case so as to communicate vertically; and an outer flow path body which is spaced outward from the inner flow path body and disposed below the inner case, and forms a discharge flow path, between the inner flow path body, communicating with the blow passage; wherein an outer circumferential surface of the inner flow path body comprises a first concave portion formed to be concave, a first horizontal portion extended horizontally outwardly from a lower end of the first concave portion, and a vertical portion extended vertically downwardly from an outer end of the first horizontal portion.