Double-Layer Air Conditioner Cover for Lightweight Ceiling Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The durability and maintenance of duct type air conditioners are compromised due to their heavy steel construction, which is prone to rust and difficult to install and maintain, especially when buried in ceilings or walls.
Innovation Solution
The air conditioner features a plastic main cover and subsidiary covers with a double-layer structure, including heat insulation grooves and spacing ribs that distribute external forces and provide thermal insulation, allowing for easy maintenance and assembly, and a sliding coupling mechanism for secure closure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a steel plate is used for the cabinet of a duct type air conditioner, then the structural strength and durability are improved, but the weight increases and the cabinet becomes prone to rust
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining plastic (polypropylene) with glass fiber reinforcement to create a cabinet that achieves steel-like strength and durability while significantly reducing weight and eliminating rust susceptibility. The glass fiber-reinforced plastic composite provides both structural integrity and corrosion resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a plastic cabinet that can be easily replaced compared to heavy steel cabinets, reducing installation complexity and maintenance costs. The plastic material allows for easier manufacturing and replacement, making the overall system more economically viable despite potentially shorter individual component lifespan.
2Strength
If a steel plate cabinet is used, then the structural strength is improved, but the ease of installation and maintenance deteriorates due to heavy weight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from metal to plastic, fundamentally altering the weight and handling characteristics of the cabinet. This parameter change enables easier installation and maintenance operations while maintaining sufficient structural strength through the reinforced plastic composite material.
3Volume of moving object
If the air conditioner is buried in a ceiling or wall, then the spatial efficiency is improved, but the ease of maintenance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the air conditioner into separable modules, including the cabinet as an independent accessible component. This segmentation allows the cabinet to be easily removed or opened for maintenance of internal components like the heat exchanger, even when the unit is installed in a ceiling or wall location.
4Ease of manufacture
If a single-layer cover is used, then the manufacturing simplicity is improved, but the heat insulation performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a single-layer cover to a double-layer cover structure, adding a dimensional layer to improve heat insulation performance. The double-layer construction creates air gaps that enhance thermal insulation while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through the use of injection-molded plastic components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design enhances durability, reduces weight, prevents rust, and facilitates easy installation and maintenance by providing a lightweight, rust-resistant, and thermally insulated air conditioner with improved durability and spatial efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The spacing rib may be configured to distribute an external force applied to the cover body
Implementation Method 2
Heat insulation grooves that are partitioned by the spacing ribs between the first cover body and the second cover body
Data Source
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AI summary
An air conditioner includes a cabinet forming an external appearance of the air conditioner and is provided with an opening, and a cover to open and close the opening. The cover includes a cover body to cover the opening and includes a first cover body and a second cover body that are spaced apart from each other, and a spacing rib provided between the first cover body and the second cover body such that the first cover is spaced apart from the second cover body.