Indoor Unit Outlet Air Guide for Condensation and Service Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air conditioner indoor units face challenges with poor workability during installation and maintenance due to complex access hole configurations, increased assembly time, and issues with condensation and noise at the outlet port, which affect user satisfaction and productivity.
Innovation Solution
The indoor unit design features a suction grille that opens to expose access holes for mounting brackets, incorporates an air guide made of insulation material at the outlet port to prevent condensation, and allows for service access to the control box without separating the front panel, enhancing operational ease and reducing noise and vibration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If access holes are formed at four corners of the front panel to access the mounting bracket, then the mounting bracket becomes accessible, but the assembly complexity and production time increase due to requiring four openable access hole covers in rotatable structures
Solution Approach 1:
The front panel is divided into multiple sections: a main body portion and a separately openable suction grille portion. The suction grille can be opened independently to provide access to the mounting bracket and control box, eliminating the need for multiple access hole covers while maintaining operational accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The suction grille serves multiple functions: it acts as an air intake component during normal operation, provides access to the mounting bracket for installation adjustments, and allows access to the control box for maintenance. This multi-functionality replaces the need for separate access hole covers.
2Reliability
If the lower panel is mounted after the cabinet to fix the indoor unit on the ceiling, then the mounting structure is complete, but the workability deteriorates as the lower panel must be removed and remounted for balancing and adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting bracket is pre-installed on the cabinet body before the front panel is assembled. This allows the mounting bracket to be accessed and adjusted through the openable suction grille portion without requiring removal of the lower panel, eliminating the need for disassembly and reassembly during balancing adjustments.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If additional insulation configuration is added to the outlet port to prevent condensation, then condensation is prevented, but noise and vibration increase due to continuous air flow disruption
Solution Approach 1:
An air guide made of heat insulating material is positioned between the discharged air and the outlet port. This air guide serves as an intermediary that blocks the direct path of cold air to the outlet port, preventing condensation while allowing air flow to continue smoothly without significant disruption, thereby minimizing noise and vibration.
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 design improves installation and maintenance efficiency, reduces noise and vibration, and enhances user satisfaction by simplifying operations and maintaining a stable air flow, while preventing condensation and improving productivity.
Implementation Method 1
an air guide formed of a heat insulating material; a guide surface extended along the outside end of the panel outlet port, but formed as a curved surface so as to guide the flow of the air to the panel outlet port
Data Source
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AI summary
An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a cabinet in which an fan installed on the ceiling of the indoor space and a heat exchanger are accommodated; a front panel mounted on an opening surface of the cabinet, and forming an inlet port through which indoor air is sucked into a depressed inside area and a panel outlet port through which heat-exchanged air is discharged; a vane provided on the panel outlet port and controlling opening degree of the panel outlet port by the rotation; an air guide formed to be extended along an outside end of the panel outlet port and formed of a heat insulating material; a slide preventing protrusion formed to protrude from the front panel in which the air guide is mounted; and a protrusion accommodating groove depressed in the bottom surface of the air guide corresponding to the slide preventing protrusion and the slide preventing protrusion is received in the protrusion accommodating groove.