Mounting Bracket for Heat Pump Indoor Unit Floor and Tank Installation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing heat pump systems face installation challenges, particularly with wall-mounted units that require load-bearing walls and complex piping connections, limiting flexibility and posing safety risks, and floor-standing units that are cumbersome and require full replacement upon failure.

Innovation Solution

A mounting bracket with a load-bearing base frame capable of supporting heat pump systems, allowing for flexible installation on floors or hot water tanks, featuring reversible fastening means and a vertical frame for secure attachment, enabling safe and stable placement without wall mounting.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If wall-mounted systems are used, then installation flexibility is improved, but the system requires load-bearing walls and complex drilling operations which limit installation locations and pose safety risks

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstallation flexibilityVSAvoidsafety risks from drilling and structural requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a mounting bracket as an intermediary component between the heat pump system and the wall. This bracket absorbs the structural loading requirements, allowing the heat pump unit itself to be lightweight and simple while the bracket handles the weight-bearing and drilling requirements. The bracket serves as a mediator that separates the functional requirements of the heat pump from the structural requirements of wall mounting.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If floor-standing systems are used, then installation flexibility is improved by not requiring wall mounting, but the entire system becomes cumbersome and requires full replacement upon failure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstallation flexibilityVSAvoidsystem integration and replacement complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the heat pump system into separate modular components: the main heat pump unit, the mounting bracket, and the hot water tank. This segmentation allows each component to be independently manufactured, installed, maintained, and replaced. The mounting bracket acts as a separate structural element that can be reused with different heat pump units, eliminating the need to replace the entire floor-standing system when the heat pump unit fails.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Area of stationary object

If wall-mounted systems are used, then space utilization is improved, but the system requires sufficient wall space and accessibility for maintenance which limits installation locations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespace utilizationVSAvoidmaintenance accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from traditional two-dimensional wall mounting to a three-dimensional spatial configuration by introducing a floor-standing mounting bracket. This allows the heat pump system to utilize vertical space and depth dimensions, creating a modular assembly that can be positioned in corners or against walls while maintaining front accessibility for maintenance. The mounting bracket creates a spatial framework that accommodates both space utilization and maintenance access requirements.

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

Data Source

PatentEP4361519A1A mounting bracket for fixing a heat pump system
Publication Date: 2024.05.01 BDR THERMEA GRP
  • EP4361519A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4361519A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4361519A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Providing a mounting bracket for holding a heat pump system, wherein the mounting bracket comprises a load-bearing base frame capable of supporting at least the weight of an indoor unit, including a fluid, of a heat pump, wherein the load-bearing base frame forms a housing. Such a mounting bracket allows for mounting of an indoor unit of a heat pump system to the mounting bracket, where said mounting bracket can be placed on a floor or on top of a hot water tank.