Indoor Unit Dust Box Layout for Compact Auto-Cleaning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing indoor air-conditioning units with automatic filter cleaning mechanisms face challenges in maintaining a compact design and avoiding size limitations of the heat exchanger due to the placement of cleaning components.

Innovation Solution

The indoor unit incorporates a dust box and cleaning mechanism positioned above the heat exchanger, allowing for automatic filter cleaning without increasing the unit's depth or limiting the heat exchanger's size, with the dust box being mountable and dismountable in the fore-and-aft direction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If the cleaning mechanism and dust box are arranged in front of the heat exchanger, then the automatic cleaning function is achieved, but the dimension of the indoor unit in the fore-and-aft direction is increased

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomatic cleaning functionVSAvoiddimension in fore-and-aft direction
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The dust box is repositioned from the front of the heat exchanger to the right side of the indoor unit, utilizing the lateral space instead of the fore-and-aft direction. This dimensional relocation allows the automatic cleaning function to be maintained while reducing the depth dimension of the unit.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Extent of automation

If the cleaning mechanism and dust box are arranged in front of the heat exchanger, then the automatic cleaning function is achieved, but the shape and size of the heat exchanger are limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomatic cleaning functionVSAvoidshape and size of heat exchanger
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The dust box is extracted from the space in front of the heat exchanger and relocated to the right side of the indoor unit. This separation removes the spatial constraint that the dust box previously imposed on the heat exchanger, allowing the heat exchanger to have greater design freedom in terms of shape and size.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of repair

If the dust box is made dismountable in the fore-and-aft direction, then the ease of maintenance is improved, but the device complexity is increased

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of maintenanceVSAvoidmounting and dismounting mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of repairVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The dust box is designed as a separable component that can be independently removed from the right side of the indoor unit. This segmentation allows maintenance personnel to access and service the dust box without disassembling the entire unit, improving maintainability while using a relatively simple mounting structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3264002B1Indoor unit for air conditioner
Publication Date: 2021.04.21 MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP
  • EP3264002B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3264002B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3264002B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

In an indoor unit 200 for an air-conditioning apparatus, a filter 40, a cleaning mechanism 110 configured to clean the filter 40, and a dust box 90 are provided to an air inlet 2. Further, the dust box 90 is provided so as to be mountable into and dismountable from a casing 1 in a fore-and-aft direction.