Wood-Frame Packing Unit for Air Conditioner Impact Protection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing packing units for air-conditioning apparatuses, which use polystyrene foam to absorb impacts during transportation and installation, often fail to support the increased weight and stiffness of air-conditioning units with multiple fans, leading to potential damage or breakage of the bottom plate due to insufficient stiffness and inability to absorb impact forces effectively.
Innovation Solution
A packing unit featuring a cuboid framework structure made of wood pieces with movable long wood pieces and support wood pieces that absorb and distribute the impact, utilizing the higher stiffness of wood to prevent damage and reduce transmission of impact forces to the air-conditioning apparatus.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If polystyrene foam is used as the packing unit material, then the air-conditioning apparatus is protected from impact, but the packing unit cannot support the load when the apparatus has greater weight
Solution Approach 1:
The packing unit combines polystyrene foam and wood pieces to create a composite structure. The foam provides impact absorption while the wood pieces provide structural strength and load support, resolving the contradiction between softness for impact protection and stiffness for load bearing.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the packing unit have different material properties: polystyrene foam is used in areas requiring impact absorption, while wood pieces are strategically positioned to provide localized strength and structural support where needed, allowing each material to perform its optimal function.
2Strength
If wood pieces are used as the packing unit material, then the load support capability is improved, but the impact force is easily transmitted to the air-conditioning apparatus
Solution Approach 1:
The combination of wood pieces and polystyrene foam creates a material system where wood provides stiffness for load support while foam provides cushioning to reduce impact transmission, allowing both benefits to coexist.
Solution Approach 2:
The polystyrene foam acts as an intermediary layer between the wood structure and the air-conditioning apparatus, absorbing and dampening impact forces before they reach the protected object, while the wood structure provides the necessary mechanical strength.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the air-conditioning apparatus has multiple fans and greater weight, then the functionality is improved, but the existing packing unit cannot support the increased load
Solution Approach 1:
The wood-foam composite structure provides the enhanced load-bearing capacity needed to support heavier air-conditioning apparatus with multiple fans, while maintaining the protective function against impact during transportation.
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
The packing unit effectively supports the load and absorbs impacts, preventing damage to the air-conditioning apparatus by utilizing the elastic properties of wood, ensuring the air-conditioning apparatus is not broken during drops and reducing deformation of the bottom plate.
Implementation Method 1
a long wood piece that has a long plate shape, and that forms part of an upper surface portion of the support base and faces the bottom plate when the outdoor unit is placed on the support base, the long wood piece having end portions, one of the end portions being fixed to the support base, the other being a free end that is movable in a vertical direction
Implementation Method 2
a support wood piece that is provided on an upper surface portion of the end portion on the free end of the long wood piece, and that is located under the heavy objects and contacts the bottom plate when the outdoor unit is placed on the support base
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A packing unit is provided for an air-conditioning apparatus provided with an outdoor unit including heavy objects that are provided on a bottom plate of a housing of the outdoor unit. On the packing unit, the outdoor unit is placed. The packing unit includes: a support base that has a cuboid framework structure made by combining a plurality of wood pieces, and supports the outdoor unit when the outdoor unit is placed on the support base; a long wood piece that has a long plate shape, and that forms part of an upper surface portion of the support base and faces the bottom plate, the long wood piece having end portions, one of the end portions being fixed to the support base, the other being a free end that is movable in a vertical direction; and a support wood piece that is provided on an upper surface portion of the end portion on a free end side of the long wood piece, and that is located under the heavy objects and contact the bottom plate when the outdoor unit is placed on the support base.