Injection-Molded Drain Hose Joint for Leak-Safe Air Conditioners

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing air conditioner drain hoses require additional fixing members to prevent water leakage, increasing complexity and costs, and existing manufacturing processes are inefficient.

Innovation Solution

The air conditioner incorporates an injection-molded drain hose made of composite materials like EPDM rubber and polypropylene plastic, with a connection structure that includes a contact increasing portion and a thicker connection portion to securely attach to the drain pump, preventing water leakage and simplifying the manufacturing process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a separate fixing member such as a cable tie or clip ring is used to secure the drain hose to the drain pump, then tensile force is increased and frictional force is enhanced to prevent water leakage, but the device complexity and number of parts increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewater leakage preventionVSAvoidnumber of fixing components

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The drain hose is integrated with the drain pump through injection molding, merging two previously separate components (hose and pump) into a single unified structure. This eliminates the need for separate fixing members like cable ties or clip rings, while maintaining secure attachment and preventing water leakage through the integrated design

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Strength

If additional fixing members are used to secure the drain hose, then the connection strength is improved, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex and production costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconnection strengthVSAvoidmanufacturing process simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The drain hose and drain pump are manufactured as a single integrated component through injection molding, combining multiple assembly steps into one manufacturing process. This reduces production complexity and costs while ensuring strong connection strength through the integrated structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The injection molding process uses composite materials to create the integrated drain hose and pump structure, enabling the production of a complex geometry with varying material properties in different regions - ensuring both flexibility where needed and structural strength at connection points

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple separate components are assembled to create the drain hose system, then adaptability is improved, but the number of fabrication processes and production time increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconfiguration flexibilityVSAvoidproduction efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The drain hose and pump are produced as a single integrated component through injection molding, reducing the number of fabrication processes from multiple assembly steps to one continuous manufacturing process. This significantly improves production efficiency while the integrated design maintains configuration flexibility through optimized geometry

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS11118809B2Drain hose and air conditioner including the same

Publication Date: 2021.09.14 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

An air conditioner including a drain hose to be injection-molded is disclosed. An air conditioner includes a main body of an indoor unit, a heat exchanger disposed in the main body of the indoor unit, and a drain hose configured to discharge condensed water generated from the heat exchanger, wherein the drain hose is disposed in the main body and is injection-molded.