HVAC Sliding Door Layout for Compact Airflow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing HVAC systems face challenges in compact packaging due to the limited space required for sliding doors and drive gears, leading to increased system size and the need for high-power blowers to direct air through vents effectively.
Innovation Solution
The HVAC system employs strategically positioned drive gears and sliding doors with serrations, where the distance between adjacent sliding doors is less than twice the mean diameter of the drive gear, and drive gears are mounted on shafts outside the housing, allowing for close packaging and efficient airflow without requiring large blowers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If drive gears are disposed between adjacent sliding doors to actuate their movement, then the sliding doors can be controlled to block or direct fluid streams, but the spacing between sliding doors must be increased to accommodate the drive gears, which increases the overall size of the housing and HVAC system
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple drive gears onto a single common shaft, allowing adjacent sliding doors to be actuated by a shared rotational axis. This merging of drive mechanisms eliminates the need for separate spaced-apart gear arrangements, enabling closer packaging of sliding doors while maintaining full actuation functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The common shaft serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the rotational axis for multiple drive gears, provides a shared mounting structure for actuating multiple sliding doors, and enables synchronized or independent control of adjacent doors. This multi-functionality reduces the overall number of components and simplifies the drive system architecture.
2Ease of operation
If vents are disposed far away from fluid flow passages created by sliding doors, then air can be directed to vents, but a high power blower is required to direct air through the vents for egress
Solution Approach 1:
The patent repositions the vents in close proximity to the sliding doors that control fluid flow passages. This spatial parameter change reduces the distance air must travel and minimizes flow resistance, allowing effective air egress with reduced blower power requirements while maintaining precise directional control through the sliding door mechanisms.
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 configuration results in a more compact HVAC system that effectively directs air through vents with reduced power requirements, enhancing space utilization and system compactness while maintaining functionality.
Implementation Method 1
The HVAC system further includes a fluid-circulation means to cause pressure difference across the evaporator and the heater for fluid flow there across
Implementation Method 2
Each sliding door being curved and is moved by at least one drive gear to define blocking and unblocking configuration thereof
Data Source
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AI summary
A heating ventilation and air-conditioning system including a housing (10), an evaporator (20), a heater (30), a fluid-circulation means, a first sliding door and a second sliding door, wherein the housing (10) receives a fluid to be processed, the evaporator (20) and the heater (30) are disposed inside the housing (10), the heater (30) is disposed spaced from the evaporator (20), the fluid-circulation means causes a pressure difference across the evaporator (20) and the heater (30) for fluid flow there across, the sliding doors are disposed within the housing (10) and around the evaporator (20) and the heater (30), each sliding door is curved and is moved by a drive gear (52a, 52b) to define blocking and unblocking configuration thereof, and the second sliding door is arranged with the convex side thereof facing an interior of the housing (10).