Outdoor Unit Control Board Layout for Easier Inspection Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional outdoor air conditioner units face inefficiencies in operation and maintenance due to the placement of control boards, requiring removal of one board to inspect another and complicating assembly and maintenance, which hampers work efficiency during trial runs and inspections.
Innovation Solution
The outdoor unit features a control unit casing with control boards arranged perpendicular to each other, where the forwardmost board is rotatable about its bottom as a fulcrum and can be stopped at a predetermined angle, allowing for inspection and repair without removing adjacent boards, thus improving operational efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the first control board is disposed on the deep side of the electrical component box to miniaturize the box, then the space utilization is improved, but the inspection and repair efficiency deteriorates because the second control board on the forward side must be removed to access the first control board
Solution Approach 1:
The first control board is designed to be rotatable about a fulcrum point, transforming from a static component to a dynamically adjustable one. This allows the board to rotate between a horizontal position (for normal operation with compact space utilization) and an inclined position (for easy inspection and repair without removing the second control board), thereby resolving the contradiction between compactness and maintainability
Solution Approach 2:
The control board is allowed to rotate out of the horizontal plane, adding a vertical dimension to its positioning. By rotating about the fulcrum point, the board can be tilted to an inclined position, creating vertical clearance that enables access to deep-side components without removing forward-side components, thus solving the access problem while maintaining compact horizontal footprint
2Ease of operation
If the electrical component unit is divided into upper and lower sections to improve accessibility, then the maintenance access is improved, but the assembly efficiency deteriorates because two separate units must be installed
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical component box is divided into a fixed portion and a rotatable portion, creating functional segmentation. The rotatable portion contains the first control board and can be independently accessed by rotation, providing maintenance access without requiring separation into two installable units. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by providing accessibility through functional division rather than physical separation into multiple assembly units
Solution Approach 2:
The first and second control boards are merged into a single integrated electrical component box, with the first board mounted on a rotatable mechanism. This unified structure allows both boards to coexist in one unit that can be installed as a single component, maintaining assembly efficiency while enabling maintenance access through rotation of the first board, thus resolving the contradiction between integration and accessibility
3Adaptability or versatility
If the second electrical component unit is made movable to improve access to refrigerant circuit components, then the maintenance flexibility is improved, but the reliability deteriorates because the unit may move during maintenance operations
Solution Approach 1:
The first control board is designed with controlled mobility through rotation about a fulcrum point, rather than complete movability. The rotation is constrained to a specific range (horizontal to inclined position) and can be stopped at predetermined angles, providing maintenance flexibility while preventing uncontrolled movement that would compromise reliability during operation
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the system have different mobility characteristics: the first control board has localized rotational mobility about its fulcrum point, while the second control board and other components remain fixed. This localized quality of movement provides the necessary maintenance flexibility for the first board without introducing instability to the overall system, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and reliability
Data Source
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AI summary
To improve operation efficiency and safety at the time of trial run after installation and inspection, an outdoor unit includes a casing (2), a box (11) provided within the casing (2), a main control board (12) which is disposed along a perpendicular direction within the casing (11) and at least on a forward side and a deep side such that they overlap each other, a fan motor driving board (13) and a noise filter board (14), wherein the main control board (12) is provided to be rotatable to the forward side with its bottom side as a fulcrum point.