Ceiling Cassette Airflow Panel Layout for Uniform 4-Way Air Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ceiling-embedded air conditioners fail to distribute air evenly, leading to temperature differences and requiring heat insulating members due to airflow resistance and motor placement issues.
Innovation Solution
The air conditioner features wind direction plates longer than the blowoff openings, plate-like bearing support columns with ventilation holes, and motor covers with inclined bearing surfaces, allowing air to be blown in all directions without resistance and enabling front-surface motor maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If motors are installed at corner portions of the back surface of the decorative panel, then the motors are protected, but airflows are blocked and maintenance becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The motor cover is designed with an inclined bearing surface that redirects airflow from a horizontal path (which would be blocked by the motor) to an inclined path passing above the motor. This dimensional change in airflow trajectory allows the motor to be positioned in the corner without blocking the airflow, resolving the contradiction between motor protection and airflow畅通.
2Device complexity
If wind direction plates are supported by shafts in support holes on the blowoff opening side wall surface, then the structure is simple, but temperature differences cause dew condensation and require heat insulating members
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is moved from the side wall surface (horizontal dimension) to the ceiling surface (vertical dimension). The shafts are now embedded in the ceiling above the blowoff openings, positioning the support points in a different spatial dimension where temperature differences are minimized, thereby preventing dew condensation while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The shafts and wind direction plates are extracted from the decorative panel assembly and repositioned to be supported directly from the ceiling structure. This separation allows the support system to be independent of the panel's thermal environment, eliminating the need for heat insulating members on the shafts.
3Productivity
If wind direction plates are made longer than the blowoff openings to cover corner portions, then air distribution is improved, but the plates may interfere with other components
Solution Approach 1:
The wind direction plates are designed with asymmetric dimensions - longer in the horizontal direction to cover corner portions for improved air distribution, while maintaining appropriate vertical clearance. The asymmetric design allows the plates to extend into corner areas without interfering with the vertically positioned motors and motor covers.
Data Source
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AI summary
A ceiling-embedded air conditioner includes: a main unit; a decorative panel having an outer frame portion, an inner frame portion disposed more inside than the outer frame portion, and connection portions connecting the outer frame portion and the inner frame portion at corner portions; a blowoff path disposed between the outer frame portion and the inner frame portion; blowoff openings formed between the adjacent connection portions in the blowoff path; and wind direction plates covering the blowoff path. The wind direction plates include shaft portions. Plate-like bearing support columns are erected from the connection portions. The bearing support columns include at the tips shaft holes for supporting pivotally the shaft portions and include ventilation holes between the shaft holes and the connection portions.