Air conditioner
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Solution Overview
Problem
Air conditioners installed on ceilings are difficult to maintain due to the need for users to access high locations, and existing solutions for separating components are cumbersome, requiring the entire structure to be disassembled for filter replacement.
Innovation Solution
The air conditioner design includes a rotatable inlet grill and filters that can be easily mounted and dismounted without separating the entire structure, using guide grooves and rotational shafts to facilitate sliding and rotation, allowing for individual filter replacement and maintenance without disassembling the inlet grill.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the air conditioner is installed on a ceiling, then it can provide climate control to the indoor space, but it becomes difficult for users to access and maintain the filters due to the high location
Solution Approach 1:
The air conditioner is divided into separable components: the inlet grill assembly and the filter assembly. The filter can be individually removed from the inlet grill, allowing users to access and replace filters without needing to reach the ceiling installation location or disassemble the entire unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter is extracted as a separate, independently removable component from the inlet grill structure. This extraction allows the filter to be accessed and replaced at ground level by removing only the filter assembly, rather than requiring access to the ceiling-mounted unit.
2Ease of operation
If the entire structure is separated to replace a filter, then the filter can be accessed, but the maintenance process becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet grill assembly is segmented into the inlet grill itself and the filter assembly, which can be separated from each other. This segmentation allows the filter to be replaced by removing only the filter assembly, rather than disassembling the entire inlet grill or air conditioner structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter assembly is extracted as a separate removable unit from the inlet grill. This extraction enables users to remove and replace the filter without having to separate or disassemble the inlet grill structure, significantly simplifying the maintenance process.
3Ease of operation
If multiple components are added to enable filter separation, then filter accessibility improves, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet grill and filter assembly are merged into a unified structure where the filter assembly is integrated with the inlet grill but can be separately removed. This merging eliminates the need for additional separate mechanisms while still enabling easy filter access and replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The inlet grill assembly serves multiple functions: it acts as both the air intake structure and the filter housing. The filter assembly is designed to be universally compatible with the inlet grill, allowing it to be easily attached and detached without requiring additional specialized components or mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
An air conditioner is provided that may include a case; a base panel that is disposed at a first side of the case and has an inlet into which air flows; an inlet grill that is rotatably disposed in the base panel based on a first rotational shaft, and disposed at a lower side of the inlet; and a first filter that is movably or rotatably disposed in the base panel based on a second rotational shaft, and removes foreign substances in the air flowing into the inlet. The second rotational shaft of the first filter may be movably disposed in a frontward-rearward direction at an upper side of the first rotational shaft of the inlet grill.