Dual Drain Pan Assembly for Multi-Orientation Air Conditioners
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional indoor air conditioners face challenges in efficiently collecting condensed water due to variations in installation arrangements, particularly when the drain pan position is changed, and struggle with separate installation and design configurations for different orientations.
Innovation Solution
The air conditioner design incorporates a dual drain pan system, where a first drain pan is positioned laterally and a second drain pan is detachably coupled below the heat exchanger, allowing for easy water collection and assembly regardless of installation orientation, with a partition wall defining an assembly space for interchangeable use with an air guide.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single drain pan configuration is used, then the structure is simple, but it cannot effectively collect condensed water in all installation orientations
Solution Approach 1:
The drain pan is divided into a first drain pan and a second drain pan that can be selectively assembled. The first drain pan is positioned laterally relative to the heat exchanger, while the second drain pan is positioned below the heat exchanger. This segmentation allows the system to adapt to different installation orientations (ceiling or wall mounting) without requiring a completely different drain pan design for each orientation.
Solution Approach 2:
The drain pan assembly is designed with universal adaptability to handle both ceiling-mounted and wall-mounted installations. By providing multiple drain pan configurations that can be selectively assembled based on installation orientation, the system achieves multi-functionality where the same basic components serve different purposes in different orientations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the drain pan position is fixed, then the structure is stable, but it becomes difficult to collect condensed water when installation orientation changes
Solution Approach 1:
The drain pan positioning system is made dynamic rather than fixed. The first and second drain pans can be selectively assembled and disassembled based on the installation orientation. This dynamic configuration allows the drain pan to automatically adapt its position to effectively collect condensed water whether the air conditioner is ceiling-mounted or wall-mounted, without requiring complex adjustable mechanisms.
3Reliability
If separate drain pans are installed for different orientations, then water collection is effective, but installation and design become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of creating entirely separate drain pan designs for different orientations, the system segments a single adaptable drain pan into configurable components (first and second drain pans). These segments can be assembled in different configurations depending on orientation, maintaining reliability while simplifying manufacture and assembly compared to designing completely separate systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The first and second drain pans are designed to work together as an integrated assembly that can be configured for different orientations. By merging these components into a single adaptable system rather than creating separate complete drain pan systems, the design and assembly process becomes easier while maintaining effective water collection reliability.
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 ensures effective water collection and adaptable assembly across different indoor air conditioner arrangements, enhancing the system's flexibility and functionality.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger that exchanges heat with suctioned air... A drain pan that can receive condensed water generated from the heat exchanger
Data Source
AI summary
An air conditioner includes a case, a fan disposed inside the case, a heat exchanger, a first drain pan, and a second drain pan. The case is configured to a first position or a second position. The heat exchanger is (i) spaced apart from the fan in a first direction based on the case being fixed in the first position and (ii) spaced apart from the fan in a second direction based on the case being fixed in the second position. The second direction intersects with the first direction. The first drain pan is disposed at a lateral side end of the heat exchanger based on the case being fixed in the second position. The second drain pan is detachably coupled to the case and disposed below the heat exchanger based on the case being fixed in the second position.