Indoor Air Duct Assembly With Detachable Lower Panel Access
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional wall-mounted air conditioners have a nondetachable air duct assembly design, making it difficult to clean and maintain, especially without removing the front frame, and inconvenient for replacing or repairing the motor of the air guiding structure.
Innovation Solution
The indoor unit design includes a housing with a lower opening that exposes the air duct assembly, allowing for easy disassembly and cleaning, with a detachable lower panel connected to the air duct assembly by screws and other secure fitting modes, such as snap-fit or slot-plug, to provide a large space for maintenance and improve installation stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the air duct assembly is designed as a nondetachable structure, then the installation stability is improved, but the ease of cleaning and maintenance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The air duct assembly is divided into multiple detachable sections (front air duct, rear air duct, middle air duct) that can be separated from each other. The lower panel can be detached to provide access to the air duct assembly for cleaning, while the modular structure allows each section to be independently removed and reassembled, maintaining stability when connected
Solution Approach 2:
The connection between the lower panel and air duct assembly, as well as between air duct sections, uses detachable fastening mechanisms (screws, snap-fits, or slot-plug connections) that transition between locked and unlocked states. This dynamic connection allows the structure to be stable during operation but easily accessible for maintenance when needed
2Strength
If the front frame is made nondetachable, then the structural integrity is improved, but the ease of repair deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The front frame is designed with detachable sections, particularly the lower panel that can be separated from the main frame structure. This segmentation allows the front frame to maintain overall structural integrity while enabling easy access to internal components for repair and maintenance
Solution Approach 2:
The lower panel is extracted as a separate detachable component from the front frame. This extracted element provides access to the air duct assembly and motor components without requiring removal of the entire front frame, thus maintaining structural integrity while facilitating repair
3Ease of operation
If the lower panel is detachably connected, then the ease of cleaning is improved, but the installation stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple connection methods (screws, snap-fits, and slot-plug connections) are combined to secure the lower panel to the air duct assembly. This combination of fastening mechanisms provides both ease of detachment for cleaning and sufficient stability when connected, addressing both requirements simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The connection system transitions between locked and unlocked states through simple fastening and unfastening actions. During normal operation, the dynamic connection maintains stability; during maintenance, the same connection can be quickly released to enable panel removal and access for cleaning
4Stability of the object's composition
If multiple connection methods are used, then the installation stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The same types of connection mechanisms (screws, snap-fits, slot-plugs) are used throughout the air duct assembly for different connection points. This universal application of standardized fastening methods provides consistent stability across all connections while simplifying the overall design compared to using different complex mechanisms for each connection
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Disclosed is an indoor unit and an air conditioner, the indoor unit includes a housing. The housing includes: a face frame and a chassis connected with a rear portion of the face frame. The lower portion of the face frame defines an opening. An air duct assembly is mounted on the chassis and exposed from the opening. And a lower panel includes an air outlet communicated with the air duct assembly. And a periphery of the lower panel is detachably connected with an edge of the opening or the air duct assembly, and a periphery of the air outlet of the lower panel is connected with the air duct assembly by a screw.