Outdoor Unit Refrigerant Component Latching for Vibration Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing outdoor air-conditioning units face challenges in suppressing vibrations within the machine chamber, which necessitates increased size due to clearance requirements, affecting performance and assembly complexity, especially in multi-type units with numerous pipe connections.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an elastic tab and catching portion mechanism between refrigerant-circuit components in the machine chamber allows for close contact and vibration suppression, eliminating the need for clearance and enabling a reduced machine chamber size while increasing the air-sending-device chamber size, thereby enhancing heat-exchangeability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If clearance is provided between refrigerant-circuit components to prevent interference due to vibrations, then reliability is improved, but the volume of the machine chamber increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by introducing a vibration damping member between the compressor and the bottom plate of the machine chamber. This member is provided in advance to absorb and attenuate vibrations before they can cause interference among refrigerant-circuit components, thereby maintaining component reliability without requiring additional clearance space.
2Volume of stationary object
If the size of the machine chamber is reduced, then the area for the air-sending-device chamber is increased and heat-exchangeability is improved, but vibrations from the compressor interfere with refrigerant-circuit components
Solution Approach 1:
The vibration damping member is installed beforehand between the compressor and the machine chamber bottom plate to cushion vibrations before they propagate to refrigerant-circuit components. This allows the machine chamber to be compact without suffering from vibration-induced interference among components.
Solution Approach 2:
The vibration damping member acts as an intermediary element between the compressor (vibration source) and the refrigerant-circuit components. It mediates the vibration transmission by absorbing and attenuating vibrational energy, thereby protecting the components from harmful vibrations while allowing close spacing.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple ports are provided for connecting pipes to multiple indoor units, then adaptability is improved, but the device complexity and assembly difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The outdoor unit is designed with multiple pipe connection ports that can universally connect to different types of indoor units. Each port is configured to handle refrigerant pipe connections in a standardized manner, allowing the same outdoor unit to serve multiple indoor units with different functions or capacities, thereby achieving multi-functionality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution effectively reduces vibrations within the machine chamber, allowing for a smaller machine chamber and a larger air-sending-device chamber, improving heat-exchange performance and simplifying assembly by eliminating unnecessary clearance and facilitating the connection of components.
Implementation Method 1
One of the refrigerant-circuit components is provided with an elastic tab while an other refrigerant-circuit component is provided with a catching portion that is engageable with the elastic tab
Data Source
AI summary
An outdoor unit for an air-conditioning apparatus includes a machine chamber in which a compressor serving as a vibration source and at least two refrigerant-circuit components and are provided. One of the refrigerant-circuit components and is provided with an elastic tab while an other refrigerant-circuit component or is provided with a catching portion that is engageable with the elastic tab. The refrigerant-circuit components and are brought into close contact with each other by the elastic tab and the catching portion.