Air conditioner including control box
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Solution Overview
Problem
In ceiling-type air conditioners, the control box often interferes with air flow due to its fixed position near the air intake port, compromising the performance and making maintenance of refrigerant pipes challenging.
Innovation Solution
A movable control box system is introduced, allowing rotation between two positions using a link assembly, ensuring the control box does not obstruct the air flow during operation and can be easily repositioned for maintenance, connected to the housing through a link assembly with interlocking holes and protrusions for secure movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the control box is positioned near the air intake port, then it is easier to access for maintenance, but it interferes with air flow and deteriorates air conditioner performance
Solution Approach 1:
The control box is made movable through a link assembly mechanism that allows it to rotate between a first position (overlapping the piping connection) and a second position (closer to the air intake port). This dynamic positioning resolves the contradiction by enabling the control box to be accessed easily when needed while minimizing interference with air flow during normal operation.
2Device complexity
If the control box is fixed in position, then the structure is simpler, but it cannot be repositioned for maintenance of refrigerant pipes
Solution Approach 1:
The link assembly provides a simple yet effective mechanical solution that enables the control box to rotate between positions. The connection through interlocking holes and protrusions maintains structural simplicity while providing the necessary mobility for maintenance operations.
3Ease of repair
If the control box overlaps the piping connection, then it is easier to maintain refrigerant pipes, but it obstructs the air flow path
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable link assembly allows the control box to be dynamically positioned in either the first position (overlapping piping for maintenance) or the second position (clear of air flow path during operation), resolving the contradiction between maintenance accessibility and air flow performance.
Data Source
AI summary
An air conditioner that is installable in a ceiling, the air conditioner including a housing having an intake port; a piping connection including a pipe connected from an inside of the housing to an outside of the housing; a blower fan inside the housing; and a control box configured to control driving of the blower fan, wherein the control box is connected to the housing so as to be movable, when the air conditioner is installed in the ceiling, between a first position in which the control box overlaps the piping connection vertically, and a second position in which the control box overlaps less of the piping connection than when the control box is in the first position.