Control Box Ventilating Lid Design to Reduce Small Animal Entry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing control boxes in refrigeration cycle apparatuses face the challenge of increased entry of small animals such as insects and geckos through ventilating openings, which can lead to earth faults due to contact with electrical components.
Innovation Solution
A control box design featuring a housing with a double-wall structure and a lid body that covers the ventilating opening, incorporating multiple small first through holes and a sealing material to prevent animal entry while maintaining air permeability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the opening area of the ventilating opening is increased to maintain the temperature of electrical components within the guaranteed operating range, then the temperature control is improved, but small animals are more likely to enter the interior of the control box through the ventilating opening
Solution Approach 1:
The ventilating opening is segmented into multiple small through-holes distributed across the lid body instead of a single large opening. This segmentation maintains the total ventilating area needed for temperature control while preventing small animals from entering, as the holes are too small to accommodate their bodies.
Solution Approach 2:
The lid body is designed with local quality differentiation where the surface contains multiple small through-holes rather than a uniform structure. This local modification allows the lid to simultaneously provide adequate ventilation area and act as a barrier to small animals.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a lid body with multiple small through holes is provided to cover the ventilating opening, then the entry of small animals is reduced, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The lid body serves multiple functions simultaneously: it covers the ventilating opening, provides adequate ventilation through its multiple small through-holes, and acts as a barrier to small animals. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby limiting the increase in structural complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A control box of an outdoor unit includes: a housing having a side wall portion; electrical components provided in an interior of the housing; a ventilating opening provided on the side wall portion and communicating with an exterior of the housing; and a lid body provided covering the ventilating opening and having a plurality of first through holes.