Indoor Unit Airflow Switching for Draft-Reduced Heating and Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing indoor air conditioner units are not suitable for immediate heating and cooling of users while minimizing draft feelings, especially when the air conditioning load is high, due to limitations in airflow direction and temperature differences between intake and blow-out temperatures.
Innovation Solution
An indoor air conditioner unit with a control unit that switches between normal and wide modes, adjusting airflow direction and fan speed to extend the airflow range and reduce temperature differences, ensuring comfortable air conditioning by maintaining blow-out velocity and suppressing draft feelings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the indoor unit circulates airflow throughout the entire room, then uniform air conditioning of the room is achieved, but the body of the user cannot be heated and cooled immediately and draft feeling occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the airflow into multiple directional streams using guide vanes, creating both circulation airflow for uniform room conditioning and perpendicular airflow for direct body heating/cooling. This segmentation allows simultaneous achievement of both objectives without compromise.
2Power
If the difference between intake temperature and blow-out temperature is large, then air conditioning capacity is improved, but user feels draft
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically adjusts fan speed based on operational phase: high fan speed during initial cooling/heating to deliver sufficient capacity despite large temperature difference, then reduces fan speed after target temperature is reached to minimize draft feeling while maintaining comfort. This temporal parameter adjustment resolves the contradiction between capacity and comfort.
3Area of stationary object
If the range reached by airflow is extended vertically, then coverage area is improved, but blow-out velocity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends airflow coverage not by increasing vertical range alone, but by introducing horizontal perpendicular airflow component. This dimensional change allows expanded coverage area while maintaining blow-out velocity through the addition of a new airflow dimension rather than stretching the existing vertical stream.
4Speed
If fan speed is increased to maintain blow-out velocity, then airflow range extension is compromised, but if fan speed is reduced, then blow-out velocity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses guide vanes to redirect airflow in perpendicular directions, effectively expanding the covered area without requiring increased fan speed. This dimensional redirection allows the system to maintain high blow-out velocity while achieving extended airflow coverage through spatial redistribution rather than velocity increase.
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
The solution allows for immediate and effective heating and cooling of users with a spread airflow, reducing draft feelings and maintaining airflow velocity without increasing air conditioning capacity, while also preventing condensation and dehumidifying effectively.
Implementation Method 1
a fan (14) that is configured to take in air from the air-conditioning target space and blow out the air into the air-conditioning target space
Implementation Method 2
a heat exchanger (13) that is configured to exchange heat with air that is taken in from the air-conditioning target space to thereby regulate a temperature of the air
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
An air-conditioner indoor unit (10) is configured to be capable of changing the direction of an airflow that is blown out through a blow-out port (15). The air-conditioner indoor unit (10) includes a control unit (40) that switches between a normal mode and a wide mode. The control unit (40) switches to the wide mode when an air conditioning load is higher than a predetermined value and extends at least vertically a range that is to be reached by the airflow in an air-conditioning target space in the wide mode compared with the normal mode.