Air-conditioning apparatus having decorative panel mount structure and indoor unit having the same
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing decorative panel mount structures for air-conditioning apparatuses are complex, costly, and inefficient due to a large number of parts, leading to complications during assembly and increased risk of dropped screws during high-place mounting operations.
Innovation Solution
A simplified two-part decorative panel mount structure comprising a decorative panel mount screw and fitting with claw engagement holes and a star-shaped screw engagement hole, where the fitting is integrated into the panel to prevent dropping and facilitate efficient mounting without manual handling of screws.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional decorative panel mount structure with multiple parts (mount unit, connection plate, temporarily hanging fitting) is used, then the decorative panel can be mounted, but the structure becomes complicated and costs increase due to a large number of parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the mount unit, connection plate, and temporarily hanging fitting into a single integrated decorative panel mount structure. The mount structure includes a mount unit with a connection plate that has a temporarily hanging fitting integrated directly onto it, eliminating the need for separate components and reducing the overall number of parts while maintaining mounting functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection plate serves multiple functions: it provides a mounting surface for the decorative panel, includes an integrated temporarily hanging fitting for suspension, and incorporates a mount unit for securing the panel. This multi-functional design reduces the need for separate specialized components.
2Ease of manufacture
If the decorative panel mount screw is separately packed from the decorative panel and air-conditioning apparatus main body, then storage is convenient, but the screw may be lost at the site and the decorative panel may not be appropriately mounted
Solution Approach 1:
The mount unit is integrated directly onto the decorative panel during manufacturing, so the screw is not separately packed but rather pre-assembled as part of the panel structure. This ensures the screw cannot be lost and the panel can be properly mounted.
Solution Approach 2:
The mount unit is pre-assembled onto the decorative panel before shipment, so that when the panel arrives at the installation site, the mounting hardware is already in place and ready for use, eliminating the risk of lost screws.
3Ease of operation
If the operator needs to hold the screw with hand during mounting operation at high place, then the screw can be positioned, but the operator may inadvertently drop the screw and needs to climb up and down stepladder
Solution Approach 1:
The mount unit is integrated onto the decorative panel so that the screw is held in place by the panel structure itself during installation. The operator does not need to manually hold the screw, eliminating the risk of dropping it and the need to repeatedly climb the stepladder.
Solution Approach 2:
The decorative panel structure itself provides the means to hold and position the mount unit during installation. The panel's integrated mount structure automatically positions the screw without requiring manual handling, making the system self-sufficient during the mounting operation.
4Reliability
If a mount unit with multiple parts (nut, connection plate, temporarily hanging fitting) is used to prevent screw removal, then screw retention is improved, but assembly workability during mounting of the mount unit to the decorative panel is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The connection plate and temporarily hanging fitting are integrated into a single unit that is pre-assembled onto the decorative panel. This eliminates the need for separate nuts and multiple components, maintaining screw retention while significantly improving assembly workability.
Data Source
AI summary
A mount unit for mounting a decorative panel on an underside of an air-conditioning apparatus main body includes a decorative panel mount fitting having a screw engagement hole that communicates with the screw insertion hole of the decorative panel and a claw that is fitted into the claw engagement hole formed on each side of the screw insertion hole of the decorative panel and a decorative panel mount screw, and is configured to be held by the decorative panel without being dropped off when the claw is fitted into the claw engagement hole and the decorative panel mount screw is engaged with the screw engagement hole with a head being oriented downward, and the decorative panel is mounted on the air-conditioning apparatus main body when the decorative panel mount screw held on the decorative panel is screwed into the screw fastening hole of the air-conditioning apparatus main body via the screw insertion hole.