Rotating Suction Panel Assembly for Easier Air Conditioner Maintenance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Users face difficulties in easily separating and coupling suction panels and cover members in air conditioners, especially those installed at high positions, which affects maintenance and assembly processes.
Innovation Solution
The air conditioner design includes a suction panel that rotates circumferentially for easy separation and coupling, with a coupling member system that inserts into the housing, and a cover member that rotates and is supported by the housing for secure attachment, allowing for intuitive user interaction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the suction panel is fixed to the housing, then the structural stability is improved, but the ease of operation for separation and coupling deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The suction panel is divided into separable components including the panel body, cover member, and coupling members. The coupling members are further segmented into multiple insertion protrusions that can be independently engaged with coupling holes, allowing the panel to be divided into manageable sections for easy removal and reassembly while maintaining structural integrity when assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling members are strategically positioned at specific locations (e.g., four corners) of the suction panel rather than distributing coupling mechanisms uniformly across the entire panel. This localized approach provides sufficient structural stability at critical points while minimizing the complexity of separation operations.
2Reliability
If multiple coupling members are provided for secure attachment, then the reliability of coupling is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple coupling members are integrated into a single cover member structure, where several insertion protrusions are formed on one piece. This merging approach provides reliable multi-point coupling (enhancing reliability) while reducing the number of separate components (reducing device complexity). The cover member combines multiple coupling functions into a unified structure that is easier to manufacture and assemble.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the suction panel is positioned at high locations for installation, then the adaptability to ceiling mounting is improved, but the ease of operation for maintenance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The suction panel is segmented into separable sections with the cover member and panel body that can be easily detached from each other. This segmentation allows maintenance personnel to access and clean filters by simply removing the cover member, even when the air conditioner is mounted high on the ceiling, without requiring complete disassembly or complex tools.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter is extracted as a separate removable component from the suction panel structure. The filter can be easily removed from the panel by detaching the cover member, allowing users to clean or replace filters without having to work at difficult-to-reach high positions, thus improving maintenance ease while maintaining ceiling mounting adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is an air conditioner including a suction panel which includes a suction port through which air is suctioned in inside a housing. The suction panel is formed to rotate with an axial direction of an air blowing fan or a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the air blowing fan as a rotation axis to be coupled with or separated from the housing. Accordingly, a user may easily and intuitively separate the suction panel and falling of the suction panel, which may occur when the suction panel is separated, may be effectively reduced using a supporting unit disposed at the suction panel. Also, the housing and cover members which cover an outer perimeter of a lower portion of the housing may be coupled with each other by pressurizing the cover members toward the housing, thereby allowing the user to easily coupled the cover members.