Indoor Air Outlet Louvers for Visual Wind Direction Setting

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing air-conditioning systems face challenges in accurately determining the actual air-conditioning status of multiple wind direction plates, as current methods either reduce air volume or perform temporary swinging/downward blowing, which do not effectively convey the complete air-conditioning status.

Innovation Solution

An indoor unit with control means that initially sets all wind direction plates to a closed state, then allows remote control adjustment of one plate while keeping its status open, and subsequently adjusts the status of another plate, enabling visual confirmation of complete setting and desired air-conditioning status.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If all wind direction plates are set simultaneously, then the air-conditioning status can be established, but it becomes difficult to visually confirm the complete setting status of all plates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of setting wind direction platesVSAvoidvisual confirmation of setting status
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the setting process into sequential steps where wind direction plates are adjusted one at a time rather than simultaneously. The control unit manages this segmentation by receiving signals for individual plates and maintaining their settings separately, allowing the user to visually confirm each plate's position while preserving the overall air-conditioning configuration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If air volume is reduced to one-quarter during wind direction plate setting, then individual plate positioning can be performed, but the actual air-conditioning status cannot be accurately evaluated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveindividual wind direction plate adjustmentVSAvoidaccuracy of air-conditioning status evaluation
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by having the control unit store the air volume setting before reducing it for individual plate adjustment. After all plates are positioned, the control unit restores the original air volume setting, allowing accurate air-conditioning status evaluation to be performed after the preliminary adjustment phase is complete.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Loss of information

If wind direction plates are adjusted sequentially one at a time, then visual confirmation of each plate position is possible, but the overall setting process becomes more time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisual confirmation capabilityVSAvoidtotal setting time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The control unit provides self-service functionality by automatically managing the sequential adjustment process, storing settings for each plate, and restoring the air volume after completion. This automation reduces the manual time required while maintaining visual confirmation capabilities, as the system handles the time-consuming coordination tasks independently.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3130861B1Indoor unit and air-conditioning apparatus including the same, control method for indoor unit, and control program for the same
Publication Date: 2020.05.20 MITSUBISHI HEAVY IND THERMAL SYST
  • EP3130861B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3130861B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3130861B1 patent drawingFigure 3(a)~3(b)

AI summary

It is an object to easily set the wind direction for a wind direction plate and achieve a desired air-conditioning status. There is provided an indoor unit (2) for an air-conditioning apparatus (1) including a plurality of air outlets and wind direction adjustment louvers (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d) which adjust wind directions of airflows blown outward from the respective outlets, an open-close status of each of the wind direction plates being set from a remote control (20). The indoor unit (2) includes a control section (30) which puts all of the wind direction plates of the indoor unit into a closed state, and subsequently lets the open-close status of one (13a) of the wind direction plates be set from the remote control, performs control after completion of the setting such that the one wind direction plate is kept in the set open-close status, and lets the open-close status of a different one (13b) other than the one wind direction plate of the wind direction plates be set from the remote control after the completion of the setting for the one wind direction plate.