Integrated Wall Sleeve for Air Conditioner Ventilation Piping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Air conditioners equipped with ventilation devices require separate holes for refrigerant and ventilation pipes, complicating installation, maintenance, and increasing energy loss due to closed windows, which can lead to indoor carbon dioxide buildup.
Innovation Solution
A pipe installation apparatus with a sleeve that passes through a single hole in the building wall, featuring a ventilation path and a guide passage for both refrigerant and ventilation pipes, allowing for simultaneous installation and easy maintenance, and includes a hood cap and deco cap for support and protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If separate holes are made for refrigerant pipe and ventilation pipe, then each pipe can be installed independently, but the number of holes increases and installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the refrigerant pipe passage and ventilation pipe passage into a single integrated sleeve structure. The sleeve includes a refrigerant pipe insertion groove and a ventilation passage that communicates with the external environment, allowing both pipes to be installed through one hole in the wall rather than requiring separate holes, thereby reducing installation complexity while maintaining independent installation capability
Solution Approach 2:
The sleeve serves multiple functions simultaneously: it guides the refrigerant pipe through the wall hole, provides a ventilation passage for air flow, and structures the single hole to accommodate both functions. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate installation holes while ensuring both refrigerant and ventilation requirements are met
2Ease of repair
If separate holes are made for refrigerant pipe and ventilation pipe, then each pipe can be accessed independently for maintenance, but the number of access points increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sleeve merges the refrigerant pipe access and ventilation access into a single structural element that passes through one wall hole. The refrigerant pipe insertion groove and ventilation passage are both integrated into this single sleeve, reducing the number of holes from two to one while maintaining independent access capability for maintenance purposes
3Loss of energy
If windows are closed to prevent energy loss, then energy efficiency is improved, but indoor carbon dioxide levels increase
Solution Approach 1:
The ventilation passage in the sleeve acts as an intermediary channel that allows fresh air to enter and indoor air to be discharged without requiring windows to be opened. This mediator structure enables air exchange while keeping windows closed, thus preventing energy loss while avoiding carbon dioxide buildup by providing a dedicated ventilation pathway
Data Source
AI summary
An air conditioner includes an indoor unit to be installed in indoor space, an outdoor unit to be installed in outdoor space, the outdoor unit being separated by a building wall from the indoor space, a refrigerant pipe to connect the indoor unit with the outdoor, a ventilation pipe to connect the indoor unit to the outdoor space, a ventilation device to be arranged in the indoor space and to be connected to the ventilation pipe to ventilate indoor air in the indoor space to outdoor space or outdoor air in the outdoor space to the indoor space through the ventilation pipe, and a sleeve to be installed to pass through a hole formed at the wall to guide the refrigerant pipe and the ventilation pipe therethrough.