Outdoor Unit Back Panel Assembly for Refrigerant Pipe Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
The internal refrigerant circuit in outdoor units of refrigeration cycle apparatuses is complicated, leading to poor assembly accuracy and potential contact between refrigerant pipes and other components, resulting in operation noise due to compressor vibration.
Innovation Solution
The outdoor unit design attaches the heat exchanger and pipe connection ports to the back panel, ensuring accurate positioning of the internal refrigerant circuit and heat exchanger, thereby improving assembly accuracy and reducing noise from pipe contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the internal refrigerant circuit is complicatedly housed in the outdoor unit, then the functionality and refrigeration cycle capability are improved, but the assembly accuracy of each member around the pipe connection port deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the housing into multiple chambers (machine chamber and heat exchange chamber) with partition plates, and segments the refrigerant circuit into distinct pathways. This segmentation allows each component to be positioned in dedicated spaces, improving assembly accuracy despite the overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces guide plates and positioning structures as intermediary elements between the refrigerant pipes and other components. These intermediaries ensure accurate positioning and prevent contact between pipes and surrounding members, maintaining assembly precision in a complicated internal arrangement.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the refrigerant pipe is connected to the pipe connection port on the back panel side, then the installation flexibility is improved, but the assembly accuracy of each member around the pipe connection port deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates guide plates and positioning structures during the manufacturing stage that pre-establish the correct spatial relationships between the refrigerant pipes and connection ports. This preliminary action ensures that even with installation flexibility, the final assembly accuracy is maintained.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces reliance on manual assembly precision with mechanically guided positioning systems, including guide plates and constrained pathways that automatically ensure accurate positioning of refrigerant pipes relative to connection ports during installation.
3Productivity
If the compressor is driven and refrigerant circulates, then the refrigeration function is improved, but operation noise is generated due to contact between refrigerant pipe and peripheral members
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the refrigerant pipes from direct contact with peripheral members by providing dedicated pathways and spacing structures. This separation eliminates the source of vibration-induced contact noise while preserving the refrigeration function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates vibration damping structures and spacing elements in advance during the design stage, which cushion and prevent contact between refrigerant pipes and peripheral members before vibration-induced contact can occur during compressor operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
In an outdoor unit including a heat exchanger, and a housing having a front panel, side panels, and a back panel, the back panel includes a connection port attachment portion to which a pipe connection port is attached, and a heat exchanger holding piece to which the heat exchanger is attached.