Circular Indoor Unit Layout for Uniform Air Conditioner Discharge
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Air conditioners with annular heat exchangers face issues with irregular air discharge due to component arrangements within the housing, leading to inefficient airflow distribution and potential re-suction of discharged air, which affects cooling or heating performance and indoor air quality.
Innovation Solution
The air conditioner design includes a cylindrical housing with protrusion portions to accommodate refrigerant and drain pipe connections, a drain tray for condensate water collection, and a coupling member for component alignment, along with an airflow control fan to manage airflow and maximize discharge ports without blades, ensuring uniform airflow distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If components (drain pump, refrigerant pipe) are disposed inside the housing, then the housing structure is compact, but the discharge port becomes irregularly shaped leading to irregular airflow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the drain pump from inside the housing to outside the housing, utilizing external space. This dimensional relocation allows the discharge port to be formed as a complete circle without obstruction, resolving the conflict between housing compactness and discharge port shape regularity.
2Device complexity
If discharge port is formed irregularly to accommodate internal components, then component arrangement is simplified, but airflow distribution becomes irregular
Solution Approach 1:
By relocating the drain pump to the external dimension (outside the housing), the patent enables a circular discharge port configuration that ensures uniform airflow distribution while keeping the internal component arrangement relatively simple.
3Ease of manufacture
If discharge port is formed irregularly, then component placement is easier, but discharged air may be re-suctioned affecting performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the re-suction problem by moving the drain pump outside the housing, which enables a properly formed circular discharge port that directs airflow away from the suction area, preventing re-suction and maintaining system reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
In an air conditioner, a drain extraction unit and a refrigerant pipe connecting unit may be disposed in a blocking region in which a discharge port is not provided so that a size of the discharge port may be secured and the discharge port may be uniformly disposed, thereby generating uniform airflow in a room. In a lower housing formed in a circular shape, some of components inside an indoor unit of the air conditioner may be disposed in a protrusion portion that protrudes from the circular housing, thereby facilitating the installation of the air conditioner. A condensate water collecting space disposed outside the housing may be provided in a drain tray, thereby efficiently preventing a leakage due to condensate water generated outside the housing. The housing, the drain tray, and the cover member of the air conditioner may be coupled by a coupling member coupled outside.