Indoor AC Panel Structure for High-Gloss Weldless Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air-conditioning indoor units struggle to achieve enhanced design characteristics due to complex shapes that prevent the use of high-gloss weldless molding methods, resulting in unsatisfactory design integration and visibility of non-glossy surfaces.
Innovation Solution
The indoor unit employs a frame body with side panels, a front opening-and-closing panel, L-shaped panels, and a bottom panel, allowing for simple shapes that enable heat and cool molding, resulting in high-gloss weldless surfaces and improved design integration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If injection molding is used to mold panels with complex shapes (such as transparent decorative panels with texturing, side surfaces, and bottom surfaces), then the panels can be manufactured with complex geometries, but high-gloss surfaces cannot be obtained and design characteristics are not sufficiently improved
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into multiple separate panels (front panel, side panels, bottom panel) that can each be molded independently using heat and cool molding to achieve high-gloss surfaces, then assembled together to form the complete housing structure with complex overall shape
Solution Approach 2:
The molding method is changed from injection molding to heat and cool molding (weldless molding), which allows the mold cavity surface to be heated to a temperature higher than the glass transition temperature of the resin, enabling the formation of high-gloss surfaces without the limitations of injection molding
2Shape
If a transparent decorative panel with texturing is arranged in the front to enhance design characteristics, then the front appearance is improved, but the side surfaces and bottom surface of the housing remain non-glossy and do not contribute to integral design characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
Each panel (front panel, side panels, bottom panel) is manufactured with uniform high-gloss surface quality through heat and cool molding, ensuring that all visible surfaces contribute to the overall design characteristics and aesthetic appearance of the housing
3Reliability
If rib and catch fixing portion projecting to the back side are formed on the transparent decorative panel, then the panel can be fixed to the housing, but the cavity of die for molding requires draft angle and becomes complicated, preventing use of heat and cold molding
Solution Approach 1:
The panel structure is segmented into the decorative panel portion and the fixing portion (rib and catch), allowing the decorative panel to be molded with high-gloss surface using heat and cool molding, while the fixing portion is formed separately or as a simple attachment structure that does not interfere with the molding process
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 allows for the creation of high-gloss surfaces and enhanced design characteristics by simplifying the molding process, improving the aesthetic appeal and unity of the air-conditioning unit's visible surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
molding by heat and cold molding (weldless molding) described later cannot be performed
Implementation Method 2
a molding method which improves design characteristics (for example, heat and cool molding) can be employed, and hence the surfaces of these panels can be formed into high-gloss weldless surfaces
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
An indoor unit (100) of an air-conditioning apparatus includes a left side panel (16L) on a left body surface (1L), a right side panel (16R) on a right body surface (1 R), a front opening-and-closing panel (15) on a body front opening (5) formed on a body front surface (1 F), a left L-shaped panel (17L) and a right L-shaped panel (17R) extending so as to straddle an area below the front opening-and-closing panel (15) and an area of a body bottom surface (1 B) near the body front surface (1 F) and near the left side panel (16L and the right side panel (16R), respectively, the body bottom surface (1B) between the left L-shaped panel (17L) and the right L-shaped panel (17R) formed respectively on a frame body (the same as a framework) (1). The front opening-and-closing panel (15) is formed of a panel frame body (13) and a panel design surface (14) attached to the panel frame body (13) having a substantially rectangular flat surface, and the panel design surface (14) is molded by heat and cool molding.