Guide-Vane Air Outlet for Quiet, Low-Loss Airflow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air conditioners face issues with reduced airflow volume, increased flow noise due to turbulent flow around blades, and difficulty in controlling discharged airflow, especially in central-discharge types and those with circular outlets.
Innovation Solution
An air conditioner design featuring a housing with guide surfaces and a movable airflow control unit that guides discharged air without a blade structure, using Coanda curved portions and a power transmission system to adjust airflow direction, allowing for efficient airflow control without blade rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a blade structure is used to control discharged airflow, then airflow direction can be adjusted, but airflow volume is reduced and flow noise increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the blade structure from the discharged airflow controller and replaces it with a guide vane structure. This extraction of the harmful blade element eliminates the interference with airflow while maintaining the capability to control airflow direction through the guide vane's geometric shape and positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide vane acts as an intermediary element between the blower and the discharged air. Instead of using blades that directly intercept and redirect airflow (causing turbulence), the guide vane subtly guides the airflow direction through its surface geometry, reducing flow interference and noise while maintaining control functionality.
2Ease of operation
If a blade structure is used to control discharged airflow, then airflow direction can be adjusted, but flow noise increases due to turbulent flow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the blade structure from the discharged airflow controller and replaces it with a guide vane structure. This extraction of the harmful blade element eliminates the interference with airflow while maintaining the capability to control airflow direction through the guide vane's geometric shape and positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide vane employs curved surfaces and smooth transitions in its design. The curved geometry of the guide vane surfaces smoothly redirects airflow without creating sharp edges or abrupt changes that would generate turbulence and noise, thereby reducing flow noise while maintaining directional control.
3Ease of operation
If a conventional blade structure is used, then airflow control is possible, but a circular outlet makes blade application difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The guide vane structure is designed with universal applicability to different outlet geometries, including circular outlets. The guide vane can be positioned and oriented to effectively control airflow direction regardless of the outlet shape, eliminating the need for complex blade structures that are difficult to apply to circular configurations.
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 airflow control, reduces airflow loss, and minimizes noise by eliminating blade interference, effectively managing airflow direction in both central-discharge and circular outlet configurations.
Implementation Method 1
housing having a first guide surface forming the outlet and a second guide surface facing the first guide surface provided therein
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is an air conditioner. The air conditioner includes a housing having an inlet and an outlet, and having a first guide surface forming the outlet and a second guide surface facing the first guide surface provided therein, a heat exchanger configured to heat-exchange air suctioned through the inlet, a blower fan configured to suction air from the inlet, heat-exchange the air by passing air through the heat exchanger, and discharge air toward the outlet, and an airflow control unit provided to be movable between a first position adjacent to one end portion of the outlet from which air is discharged and a second position spaced apart from the end portion of the outlet from which air is discharged, and protruding from the first guide surface or the second guide surface when the airflow control unit placed at the first position.