Indoor Unit Stand Structure for Flush Floor Installation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing air-conditioning indoor units that can be installed on both floor and wall surfaces often protrude, creating unnecessary space and impairing design aesthetics due to the shape and size of the supporting stands or legs, which are not seamlessly integrated with the unit's design.

Innovation Solution

The indoor unit features a detachable stand that offsets level differences and forms a flat installation surface on the floor, ensuring stable installation without protruding from the housing, thus minimizing the required installation space and maintaining design integrity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a stand is attached to enable floor installation, then floor installation capability is improved, but the stand protrudes frontward creating unnecessary space and impairing design property

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefloor installation capabilityVSAvoiddesign property
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The stand is merged with the housing to form an integrated structure. The stand is formed as an integral part of the housing body, eliminating the need for separate attachment and ensuring that the stand's surfaces match the housing's surfaces, thus maintaining design property while enabling floor installation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The housing is designed with dual functionality to be installable on both floor surfaces and wall surfaces. The stand structure is designed to provide support for floor installation while maintaining aesthetic appearance, and the same housing can be mounted on walls without the stand protruding, thus achieving universal installation capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If a stand is attached to enable floor installation, then floor installation capability is improved, but the required area of installation space on the floor surface increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefloor installation capabilityVSAvoidinstallation space area
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The stand is merged with the housing to form an integrated structure where the stand does not protrude beyond the housing boundaries. This integration ensures that the installation space required is minimized and matches the housing footprint, eliminating unnecessary space occupation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Shape

If the stand is made to match the housing surfaces, then design property is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedesign propertyVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ShapeVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The stand is formed as an integral part of the housing through a single molding process. The stand and housing are manufactured together as one piece, which simplifies production despite the integrated design. This approach maintains design property while avoiding the complexity of assembling separate components with precise surface matching

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP2808615B1Indoor unit for air-conditioning apparatus
Publication Date: 2024.03.06 MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP
  • EP2808615B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2808615B1 patent drawingFigure 2(a)~2(d)
  • EP2808615B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A stand is attached to a base to form a flat installation surface of a housing to be placed on a floor surface by offsetting a level difference formed by a step, and does not protrude from any side of the housing in a state in which the stand is attached to the base.