EP1780474B1 - Indoor unit for air conditioner - Google Patents
Indoor unit for air conditioner Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP1780474B1 EP1780474B1 EP06255384.7A EP06255384A EP1780474B1 EP 1780474 B1 EP1780474 B1 EP 1780474B1 EP 06255384 A EP06255384 A EP 06255384A EP 1780474 B1 EP1780474 B1 EP 1780474B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- panel
- indoor unit
- air
- front frame
- air discharge
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Fee Related
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Classifications
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F1/00—Room units for air-conditioning, e.g. separate or self-contained units or units receiving primary air from a central station
- F24F1/0007—Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units
- F24F1/0011—Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units characterised by air outlets
- F24F1/0014—Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units characterised by air outlets having two or more outlet openings
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F1/00—Room units for air-conditioning, e.g. separate or self-contained units or units receiving primary air from a central station
- F24F1/0007—Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units
- F24F1/0043—Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units characterised by mounting arrangements
- F24F1/0057—Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units characterised by mounting arrangements mounted in or on a wall
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F1/00—Room units for air-conditioning, e.g. separate or self-contained units or units receiving primary air from a central station
- F24F1/0007—Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units
- F24F1/0059—Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units characterised by heat exchangers
- F24F1/0063—Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units characterised by heat exchangers by the mounting or arrangement of the heat exchangers
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F1/00—Room units for air-conditioning, e.g. separate or self-contained units or units receiving primary air from a central station
- F24F1/0007—Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units
- F24F1/0071—Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units with means for purifying supplied air
- F24F1/0073—Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units with means for purifying supplied air characterised by the mounting or arrangement of filters
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F13/00—Details common to, or for air-conditioning, air-humidification, ventilation or use of air currents for screening
- F24F13/20—Casings or covers
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F13/00—Details common to, or for air-conditioning, air-humidification, ventilation or use of air currents for screening
- F24F13/08—Air-flow control members, e.g. louvres, grilles, flaps or guide plates
- F24F13/10—Air-flow control members, e.g. louvres, grilles, flaps or guide plates movable, e.g. dampers
- F24F13/14—Air-flow control members, e.g. louvres, grilles, flaps or guide plates movable, e.g. dampers built up of tilting members, e.g. louvre
Definitions
- the present invention relates to an air conditioner, and in particular to an indoor unit for an air conditioner.
- an air conditioner is a system that is used to control the temperature, relative humidity or purity of air, and to circulate cooled air in an enclosed space such as a room.
- Air conditioners may be classified into a number of types including an integration type where all of components are provided in a single unit, and a separation type having indoor and outdoor units separated from each other.
- Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an indoor unit of a conventional air conditioner.
- an indoor unit of a conventional air conditioner includes a main chassis 1 typically mounted on an inner wall of a room, a front panel 3 installed in front of the main chassis 1, an air intake grill 5a formed on the front panel 3, and an air exhaust grill 7 installed on a lower end of the front panel 3.
- a display unit 9 for displaying a current operation state and guiding operation by a user is installed between the air intake and exhaust grills 5a and 7.
- another intake grill 5b may be further provided on a top surface of the main chassis 1.
- the conventional air conditioner has the following problems.
- the front panel 3 Since the front panel 3 is rounded and protruded frontward, the internal components may be exposed to an external side through the air intake grill 5a formed on the front panel 3. This provides an unfavorable impression to a user. Furthermore, foreign objects and material such as dust may be introduced into the indoor unit.
- EP 1271065 discloses an air conditioner having a front panel attached to a front side of the main chassis and having an intake at a front face and a blow housing. When the blow housing is moved downward for some distance a blow outlet becomes open.
- JP 2003-130385 describes an air conditioner indoor unit having first and second openings. At a given timing, horizontal louvers turn to close the first opening and plates turn to open a second opening.
- JP 11-201490 discloses an air conditioner having a first blower and a second blower disposed above a first heat exchanger and below a second heat exchanger respectively.
- JP 2000-121094 discloses an air conditioner having opening and closing structures on the front surface to increase the amount of suction air.
- US 5,904,048 discloses an air outlet of an air conditioner which is opened and closed by a door.
- the present invention provides an air conditioner as set out in claim 1.
- an indoor unit for an air conditioner including: a casing; a front panel installed at the front or in front of the casing; an air discharge panel installed movably on a side portion of the front panel to selectively open and close an air outlet; and an air discharge vane provided on a side portion of the casing to guide an air discharge direction.
- an indoor unit for an air conditioner including: a front frame having an air intake grill; a front panel provided on a front portion of the front frame and defining a front appearance of the indoor unit; a front-upper panel movably provided on an upper portion of the front panel; and an air discharge panel movably provided on a lower portion of the front panel.
- an indoor unit of an air conditioner including: a front frame provided with a frontward air outlet, a downward air outlet and a display window; a front-upper panel for selectively screening the display window; an air discharge panel for screening the frontward air outlet; and an air discharge vane for selectively screening the downward air outlet.
- an indoor unit for an air conditioner including: a casing; a front frame coupled to a front portion of the casing; a front panel pivotally provided on the front portion of the front frame; a front-upper panel provided on an upper portion of the front panel to be capable of pivoting; and an air discharge panel provided on a lower portion of the front panel to be movable upward and downward, wherein the air discharge panel is movable upward and downward by a guide unit without being sided in a direction.
- an indoor unit for an air conditioner including: a front frame; a front panel pivotally provided on the front portion of the front frame; a decoration link for connecting the front panel to the front frame; a front-upper panel provided on an upper portion of the front panel to be movable upward and downward; and an air discharge panel provided on a lower portion of the front panel to be movable upward and downward, wherein the decoration link has a first end detachably coupled to the front frame.
- the indoor unit has the air discharge panel and the air vane, the air exhaust direction can be easily controlled.
- the air discharge panel and the air discharge vane are designed to be operated independently, the air can be exhausted frontward and/or downward according to the manipulation of the user.
- the front-upper panel and the air discharge panel formed on upper and lower portions of the front panel and the air discharge vane provided on a lower end of the front frame are driven by different driving units so that they can be operated independently. Therefore, the air can be exhausted in a desired direction, thereby improving the convenience in use.
- the front panel is installed on a front portion of the front frame to be capable of pivoting frontward, the replacement of the air filter and/or the maintenance of the internal components can be easily done by simply opening or removing the front portion or the front panel.
- the front panel is formed in a smooth plate shape, the outer appearance of the indoor unit is improved and the introduction of foreign objects into the indoor unit can be prevented.
- the air inlet/outlet and/or the display unit is formed on the front-upper end of the main chassis, a variety of functions can be realized.
- the user can identify a variety of information in front of the indoor unit.
- the air inlet/outlet when the air inlet/outlet is formed on the front-upper end of the main chassis, they can be simultaneously operated with an air inlet and air outlet formed on the upper and lower ends of the indoor unit, the air circulation can be more effectively realized, thereby improving the air conditioning efficiency.
- the front panel is disposed on an identical plane with a front surface of the indoor unit and thus the outer appearance of the indoor unit can be improved.
- the air discharge panel is driven by a plurality of links, the manufacturing costs and load of the products can be further reduced as compared with a conventional art where a rack and pinion are used to drive the front panel.
- the panel projections and frame projections are formed on the front and rear surfaces of the air discharge panel, the contact area between the air discharge panel, the front panel and the front frame. That is, when the air discharge panel is driven, the panel projections and the frame projections contact respectively the front panel and the front frame and thus the contact area between the air discharge panel and the front panel or between the air discharge panel and the front frame can be reduced, thereby effectively driving the air discharge panel without any frictional resistance.
- Figs. 2 and 3 show an indoor unit for an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
- an indoor unit 100 includes a casing 102, a front panel 160 coupled to a front portion of the casing 102, an air discharge panel 170 slidably coupled to a lower end of the front panel 160, a front-upper panel 172 slidably coupled to an upper end of the front panel 160, and an air discharge vane 122 slidably coupled to a lower end of the casing 102.
- the casing 102 includes a main chassis 110 and a front frame 130 coupled to a front portion of the main chassis 110 and a front frame 130 coupled to a front portion of the main chassis 110.
- An air intake grill 132 is formed on a top surface of the front frame 130 and a remote control signal receiving portion 150 is formed on a lower portion of the casing 102.
- the air introduced through the air intake grill 132 passes through a heat exchanger installed in the indoor unit and is then exhausted to the room through the air discharge vane 122.
- the air discharge panel 170 By the vertical movement of the air discharge panel 170, the air is exhausted frontward from the indoor unit 100. This will be described later.
- Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the indoor unit and Fig. 5 is a side sectional view of the indoor, which is taken along line I-I' of Fig. 2 .
- the indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner is formed in a hexahedron shape and the casing defines a contour of the indoor unit 100.
- the indoor unit 100 includes a heat exchanger 118 coupled to a front portion of the main chassis 110 to allow the air introduced to heat-exchange with a refrigerant, a blower fan 114 installed in rear of the heat exchanger 118 to intake and exhaust the indoor air, a motor assembly 116 installed on a side portion of the main chassis 110 to drive the blower fan 114, and an air filter 144 and electric dust collector 146 detachably mounted on the front portion of the front frame 130.
- the main chassis 110 includes a rear chassis unit 110' defining a rear contour of the main chassis 110 and a front chassis unit 110' positioned in front of the rear chassis 110'.
- the main chassis 110 is provided at the top with an air inlet 112 through which the indoor air is introduced.
- the air intake grill is positioned on the air inlet 112.
- the blower fan 114 may be a cross flow fan arranged horizontally.
- the air introduced through the air inlet 112 is exhausted through the air discharge vane 122 by the blower fan 114.
- the motor assembly 116 is installed at right side of the flower fan 114 to generate rotational force using electric power applied from an external side. The rotational force generated by the motor assembly 116 is transmitted to the flower fan 114.
- the heater exchanger 118 is installed in front of the front chassis 110" to heat-exchange the air introduced through the air inlet 112 with the air. That is, like the blower fan 114, the heat exchanger 118 is disposed to extend horizontally such that it can enclose the front and upper portions of the blower fan 114.
- the main display unit 120 is formed on the front-upper end of the front chassis 10". The main display unit 120 displays a variety of information and is selectively screened by the front-upper panel 172.
- the air discharge vane 122 installed on the lower end of the front chassis unit 110" over the lower end of the front frame 130.
- the air discharge vane 122 is driven by a driving unit (not shown) and simultaneously or independently opened and closed together with or from the air discharge panel 170 and the front-upper panel 172.
- a mode display unit 124 is further provided on the front-right-lower end of the front chassis unit 110".
- the mode display unit 124 displays a current operation mode or a current setting state of the air conditioner.
- the front frame is installed in front of the main-chassis. That is, the front frame 130 defines a front contour of the indoor unit 100.
- the front frame 130 is coupled to enclose the front chassis unit 110" of the main chassis 110.
- the air intake grill 132 is formed on a top of the front frame 130. That is, the air intake grill 132 is positioned above the air inlet 112 of the main chassis 110 when the front frame 130 is coupled to the main chassis 110.
- the air intake grill 132 is provided with a plurality of slits through which the air passes.
- the front frame 130 is provided with a filter supporting portion 134 and dust collector supporting portion 136 for respectively supporting the air filter 144 and dust collector 146.
- a checking hole 138 is formed near a front-right end of the front frame 130.
- a checking plate 138' is selectively mounted in the checking hole 138. Therefore, the checking plate 138' selectively opens and closes the checking hole 138.
- a display window 140 is formed on a front-upper end of the front frame 130.
- the display window 140 is sized to correspond to the main display unit 120 of the main chassis 110 and formed in a transparent material. Therefore, the information displayed on the main display unit 120 can be identified in front of the front frame 130.
- a mode display window 142 is formed on a front-lower right side of the front frame 130.
- the mode display window 142 is also formed of a transparent material and sized to correspond to the mode display unit 124 of the main chassis 110. Therefore, the information displayed on the mode display unit 124 can be identified in front of the front frame.
- the air filter 144 and the electric dust collector 146 are mounted on the front frame 130.
- the air filter 144 functions to filter off foreign objects contained in the air introduced through the air inlet 112.
- the air filter 130 is installed on the front and upper portions of the front frame 130.
- the air filter 144 is formed of a flexible material so that it can be curved at a predetermined curvature when viewed from a side.
- the electric dust collector 146 functions to collect foreign objects such as dusts contained in the air through an ionizing process using electric power applied from the external side.
- the electric dust collector 146 is installed in rear of the air filter 144 and supported by the dust collector supporting portion 136.
- the remote control signal receiving unit 150 has a circular button structure for receiving a signal transmitted from a remote controller, thereby controlling the operation of the air conditioner.
- the remote control signal receiving unit 150 is provided on the bottom of the front frame 130 considering that the indoor unit 100 is generally mounted at a predetermined height of the inner wall of the room.
- the front panel 160 installed in front of the front frame 130 is formed in a rectangular flat plate to define a front contour of the indoor unit 100. That is, the front panel 160 includes a decoration glass 162 that is transparent while, if required, having a predetermined color, and a decoration frame 164 on which the decoration glass 162 is mounted.
- the decoration frame 164 is sized and shaped to correspond to the decoration glass 162.
- the decoration glass 162 may be attached to the decoration frame 164 using an adhesive or coupled to the decoration frame 164 using a coupling unit such as a hook or a screw.
- the air discharge panel 170 coupled to a lower portion of the front panel 160 has a length corresponding to a left-and-right length of the front panel 160.
- the air discharge panel 170 can move upward or downward by a lower panel driving unit 190' (see FIG. 8 ) that will be described later.
- the indoor air is introduced into the indoor unit 100 through the air intake grill 132 and air inlet. Then, the air passes through the air filter 144 and electric dust collector 146, in the course of which the foreign objects contained in the air is filtered off. Then, the air is heat-exchanged with the refrigerant while passing through the heat exchanger. In the heating mode, the room temperature increases. In the cooling mode, the room temperature decreases. The air heat-exchanged with the refrigerant is exhausted to the room through the air outlet opened by the air discharge vane 122 and air discharge panel 170.
- Figs. 6 and 7 are perspective views of the front frame of Figs. 2 and 3 , when an air discharge panel is coupled to the front upper panel.
- a frontward air outlet 174 is formed on a lower -center portion of the front frame 130. That is, the frontward air outlet 174 is formed to extend from the mode display window 142 to a left end.
- the air introduced by the blower fan 114 is exhausted frontward of the indoor unit 100.
- the frontward air outlet 174 is selectively screened by the air discharge panel 170. When the air discharge panel 170 moves upward, the frontward air outlet 174 is opened. When the air discharge panel 170 moves downward, the frontward air outlet 174 is screened.
- the front frame 130 is provided at a bottom with a receiving hole 152 in which the remote control signal receiving unit 150.
- a cover 154 is further installed at a lower portion of the remote control signal unit 150 to enclose the remote control signal receiving unit 150.
- the cover 154 of the remote control signal receiving unit 150 may be formed of a transparent material.
- the front frame 130 is provided at a front portion with a plurality of coupling and supporting grooves 180 and 182. That is, the coupling and supporting grooves 180 and 192 are portions in which coupling and supporting projections 220 and 222 (see Fig. 11 ) are inserted.
- the number and forming positions of the coupling and supporting grooves 180 and 182 are not limited to this embodiment.
- link seating portions 210 are formed on respective front-left and front-right side ends of the front frame 130.
- Decoration links 230 (see Fig. 11 ) seat on the link seating portions 210.
- the link seating portions 210 are concaved to depths corresponding to the decoration lines 230. That is, in a state where the front panel 160 is closed, the decoration links 230 are inserted into the line seating portion 210 and thus no gap is formed between the front panel 160 and the front frame 130.
- a link shaft cover 212 is formed on a lower end of the link seating portions 210.
- the link shaft cover 212 is a portion in which the link projection 232 formed on an end of the decoration link 230 is inserted.
- An upper portion of the link shaft cover 212 is partly opened. That is, the link shaft cover is formed in a hook-shape when viewed from a side. The line projection 232 is inserted and hooked on the link shaft cover 212.
- a switch groove 214 is formed on a right side of the front frame 130.
- An operation switch (not shown) is installed in the switch groove 214. The operation switch is provided to forcedly operate or stop the air conditioner by the user.
- the operation switch is separately provided on the side surface of the front frame 130 or integrally provided with the remote control signal receiving unit 150. That is, the on/off operation switch is inserted in the receiving hole 152 formed on the bottom of the front frame and a remote control signal receiving unit 150 may be installed in the operation switch. At this point, the cover of the operation switch may be formed of a transparent material.
- a plurality of guide units 200 and 200' are formed on a front-lower portion of the front frame 130 to guide the vertical movement of the air discharge panel 170 without shaking or moving in a side direction.
- the guide units 200 and 200' will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings later.
- Fig. 8 is a rear perspective view of the front frame.
- panel driving units 190 and 190' are respectively installed on a rear surface of the front frame to control the vertical movement of the air discharge panel 170 and the front-upper panel 172. That is, the upper panel driving unit 190 is provided near the rear-upper end of the front frame 130 and the lower panel driving unit 190' is provided on the rear-lower end of the front frame to control the vertical movement of the air discharge panel 170.
- the upper and lower panel driving units 190 and 190' are identical in the structure to each other.
- the upper and lower panel driving units 190 and 190' are symmetrically installed in the vertical direction. In the following description, only the lower panel driving unit 190' will be described.
- the panel driving unit 190' includes a driving motor 192 installed on a rear left end or a rear right end of the front frame 130 to generate rotational force, a driving shaft installed on the rear surface of the front frame 130 horizontally transmit the rotational force generated by the driving motor 192, a shaft supporting unit 195 for supporting the driving shaft 194, and a link 196 for connecting the driving shaft 194 to the front-upper panel 172 or the air discharge panel 170.
- the driving motor 192 may be a step motor installed on the rear surface of the front frame 130.
- the driving shaft 194 extends from a central axis of the driving motor 192 to transmit the rotational force generated from the driving motor 192 to the link 196.
- the driving shaft 194 extends from a left end to a right end of the front frame 130.
- the link 196 is pivotally installed on the both ends of the driving shaft 194.
- the link 196 is provided by a plurality to convert the rotation motion of the driving shaft 194 into a vertical motion and transmit the vertical motion to the air discharge panel 170 or the front-upper panel 172.
- the link 196 includes a shaft link 196' fixedly coupled to the driving shaft 194 and a panel link 196" hingedly coupled to the air discharge panel 170 or front-upper panel 172.
- the shaft link 196' is pivotally coupled to the panel line 196" . Therefore, the shaft link 196' and the panel link 196" may be linearly arranged or arranged with a between angle. Therefore, the air discharge panel 170 or front-upper panel 172 can move upward or downward.
- Connecting slits 198 are formed on left and right side ends of the front frame 130 and the panel link 196" is connected to the air discharge panel 170 or front-upper panel 172 through the connecting slits 198. Therefore, by the rotational force of the driving motor 192, the air discharge panel 170 and the front-upper panel 172 move upward or downward as the between angle ⁇ is reduced and increased. That is, as the between angle is reduced, the air discharge panel 170 moves upward to open the frontward air outlet 174. The front-upper panel 172 moves downward to expose the display window to the external side.
- a link guide 199 is further formed on a rear portion of the connecting slit 198.
- the link guide 199 receives a panel supporting unit 240 (see Fig. 12 ). That is, the link guide 199 guides the vertical movement of the panel supporting unit 240 to which an end of the panel link 196" is coupled.
- the front frame 130 is further provided with guide units 200 and 200' for guiding the vertical movement of the air discharge panel 170.
- the guide unit 200 is provided on a left side of the front frame 130 when viewed from a front side and the guide unit 200' is provided on a right side of the front frame 130.
- the guide units 200 and 200' are symmetrically disposed. The coupling structure of the guide units 200 and 200' will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
- Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken along line II-II' of Fig. 7 and Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken along line III-III' of Fig.7 .
- the guide unit 200, 200' includes a frame guide 202, 202' and a panel guide 204, 204'.
- the left guide unit 200 includes the left frame guide 202 and the left panel guide 204.
- the right guide unit 200' includes the right frame guide 202' and the right panel guide 204'.
- the left and right guide units 200 and 200' are symmetrical with reference to the vertical line. That is, the left and right frame guides 202 and 202' are symmetrical with each other and the left and right panel guides 204 and 204' are also symmetrical with each other.
- the left panel guide 204 extends downward from the bottom of the air discharge panel 170 and perpendicularly bent rightward to have a ⁇ L-shape.
- the right panel guide 204' extends downward from the bottom of the air discharge panel 170 and bent leftward to have a ⁇ -shape.
- left frame guide 202 extends vertically upward from the top of the front frame 130 and bent leftward to have ⁇ -shape and the right frame guide 202' extends upward from the top of the front frame 130 and bent right ward to have a ⁇ -shape.
- the left panel guide 204 and the left frame guide 202 slide in a state where they are combined and the right panel guide 204' and the right frame guide 202' slide in a state where they are combined.
- the reason for symmetrically forming the left and right guide units 200 and 200' is to prevent the air discharge panel 170 and the front frame 130 from being sided during the sliding motion thereof and thus prevent them from being separated from the front frame 130.
- FIG. 11 is a rear perspective view of the front panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.
- a plurality of coupling and supporting projections 220 and 222 are formed on the rear surface of the front panel 160.
- three coupling projections 220 are formed to extend rearward at a central-left and central-right ends near the rear-upper end of the front panel 160.
- the coupling projections 220 are inserted into coupling grooves 180 of the front frame 130. Once the coupling projections 220 are inserted into the coupling grooves 180, they are not removed from the coupling grooves 180 unless the external force is applied thereto.
- the supporting projections 222 are provided on the rear-lower portion of the front panel 160.
- the supporting projections 222 extend rearward from the rear surface of the front panel 160 and are inserted into the supporting grooves 182 of the front frame 130.
- the supporting projection 222 is formed in a hook-shape and a hook member may be provided in the supporting groove 182 so that the supporting projection 222 is pivotally hooked thereon. Therefore, the front panel 160 can pivot within a predetermined angle range in a state where the supporting projections 222 are inserted into the supporting grooves 182. That is, the front panel 160 is designed to be opened by pivoting frontward of the front frame 130. When the front panel 160 pivots around the supporting projections 222.
- the decoration links 230 are installed on the opposite ends of the front panel 160 to control the frontward pivot motion of the front panel 160.
- First ends of the decoration links 230 are pivotally inserted in the left and right side ends of the rear-upper end of the front panel 160.
- the second ends of the decoration links 230 are pivotally inserted to the front frame 130.
- the decoration links 230 are formed of one, two or three links.
- the first ends of the decoration links 230 are hingedly coupled to the rear surface of the front panel 160.
- the second ends of the decoration links 230 are pivotally inserted in the link shaft cover 212 of the front frame 130.
- the link projection 232 protrudes sideward at an end of the decoration link 230.
- the link projection 232 is inserted and hooked in and on the link shaft cover 212 of the front frame 130. That is, the link projection 232 is inserted or removed through an upper opening of the link shaft cover 212.
- Fig. 12 is a partial perspective view of the front portion of the air discharge panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.
- the panel supporting units 240 are respectively formed on opposite ends of the air discharge panel 170. That is, the panel supporting units 240 are provided to support the air discharge panel 170 mounted on the front frame 130. Ends of the panel supporting units 240 are inserted in the link guides 199 to be guided upward and downward.
- a link coupling hook 242 is formed on the end of the panel supporting unit 240.
- the link coupling hook 242 has a circular groove to which one end of the link 196 is connected.
- a fixing groove 244 is further formed on the lower end of the panel supporting unit 240.
- the fixing groove 244 is concaved upward from the bottom of the panel supporting unit 240 to receive the lower end of the connecting slit 198. That is, when the air discharge panel 170 moves downward and the lower end of the connecting slit 198 is inserted into the fixing groove 244, the air discharge panel 170 cannot move downward any more.
- a plurality of panel projections 250 are further formed on the front portion of the air discharge panel 170. That is, the panel projections 250 functions to space the front panel 160 away from the air discharge panel 170 when the air discharge panel 170 moves upward and downward. That is, during the vertical motion of the air discharge panel 170, an extreme end of the panel projection 250 slides along the rear surface of the front panel 160.
- Fig. 13 is a partial perspective view of the rear portion of the air discharge panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.
- the frame projection 252 is formed on the rear surface of the air discharge panel 170. That is, the frame projection 252 allows the front frame 130 to be spaced away from the air discharge panel 170 when the air discharge panel 170 moves upward and downward. That is, when the air discharge panel 170 moves in the vertical direction, the rear end of the frame projection 252 contacts the front frame 130.
- the panel projection 250 and the frame projection 252 are formed on the front and rear portions of the air discharge panel 170, respectively, the contact area of the front panel 160 with the front frame 130 is minimized during the movement of the air discharge panel 170. Therefore, the frictional force between the front panel 160 and the front frame 130 is minimized during the movement of the air discharge panel 170.
- an end of the panel link 196" is pivotally coupled to the link coupling hook 242 of the panel supporting unit 240.
- a first fixing hook 196'a having a shape identical to that of the link coupling hook 242 is formed on the lower end of the shaft link 196'.
- a second fixing hook 196'b is formed on an upper end of the shaft link 196'. That is, a second link shaft 196"b of the panel link 196" is inserted in the first fixing hook 196"a. Then, the driving shaft 194 is fixedly inserted in the second fixing hook 196'b. Therefore, the shaft link 196' integrally rotates together with the driving shaft 194.
- Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the indoor unit exhausting air frontward according to an embodiment which does not form part of the invention and Fig. 15 is a sectional view of airflow in the indoor unit of Fig. 14 .
- the indoor unit 100 of the present invention can be configured to exhaust the air only frontward.
- the air discharge panel 170 is designed to move upward by the lower panel driving unit 190' in a state where the air discharge vane 122 is closed. That is, the angle between the shaft link 196' and the panel link 196" is reduced by the driving motor 192. Then, the air discharge panel 170 is guided by the guide units 200 and 200' to move upward of the front frame 130. As a result, the frontward air outlet 174 is opened to allow cooled or heated air to be exhaust to the room through the frontward air outlet 174.
- the mode display window 142 is exposed frontward and thus the user can identify the current operation mode of the air conditioner through the mode display window 142.
- Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the indoor unit exhausting air downward according to an embodiment of the present invention and Fig. 17 is a sectional view of airflow in the indoor unit of Fig. 16 .
- the indoor unit 100 of the present invention can operate to exhaust the air only downward.
- the air discharge panel 170 is designed to maintain its downward state to screen the frontward air outlet 174. Then, the air discharge vane 122 pivots by a predetermined angle to open the downward air outlet. Then, the air is guided by the air discharge vane 122 and exhausted downward from the indoor unit 100.
- Fig. 18 is a perspective view of the indoor unit exhausting air downward and frontward according to an embodiment to of the present invention and Fig. 19 is a sectional view of airflow in the indoor unit of Fig. 18 .
- the indoor unit 100 of the present invention can operate to exhaust the air frontward and downward.
- the air discharge panel 170 is designed to move upward to open the frontward air outlet 174 and the air discharge vane 122 pivots by a predetermined angle to open the downward air outlet. Then, the air is exhausted frontward of the indoor unit 100 through the frontward air outlet as well as downward through the air discharge vane 122.
- Fig. 20 is a perspective view of the indoor unit whose display window is exposed by a front upper panel moved downward according to an embodiment of the present invention.
- the driving motor 192 is driven to reduce the angle between the shaft link 196' and the panel link 196".
- the front-upper panel 172 slides rearward of the front panel 160.
- the display window 140 positioned in rear of the front-upper panel 172 is exposed to the external side so that the user can identify the information displayed on the main display unit 120.
- Fig. 21 is a perspective view of the indoor unit whose front portion is partly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
- the front panel 160 in order to check or maintain the indoor unit 100 or to replace or clean the components such as the air filter 144, the front panel 160 must pivot frontward.
- the coupling projection 220 of the front panel 160 is removed from the coupling groove 180 of the front frame 130. Then, the front panel 160 pivots frontward in a state where the supporting projection 222 formed on the rear-lower portion of the front panel 160 is inserted in the supporting groove 182 of the front frame 130. By this operation, the front panel 160 pivots frontward about the shaft of the supporting projection 222.
- the decoration link 230 has opposite ends that are respectively connected to the front panel 160 and the front frame 130 and thus the opening range of the front panel 160 is limited by the decoration link 230.
- the user can remove or check the internal components such as the air filter 144 from the indoor unit.
- Fig. 22 is a perspective view of the indoor unit whose front portion is fully opened according to an embodiment of the present invention.
- the front panel 160 is lifted in a state where the front panel 160 pivots frontward by a predetermined angle. Then, the supporting projection 222 formed in a hook shape is separated from the supporting groove 182 and thus the front panel 160 is fully removed from the front frame 130.
- the front panel 160 hangs on the front frame 130. That is, since the front panel 160 and the front frame 130 are connected to each other by the decoration links 230, the front panel 160 does not fall down. In this state, the user can remove the air filter 144 frontward or check other internal components.
- the front frame 130 can be fully removed by lifting the front panel 160.
- the front panel 160 is lifted. Then, the link projection 232 of the decoration line 230, which is inserted in the link shaft cover 212 of the front frame 130, is separated through the upper opening of the link shaft cover 212. Then, the front panel 160 is fully removed from the front frame 130.
- the front panel 160 is mounted on the front frame 130. This is processed in a reverse order to the above-described separation order.
- the link projection 232 of the decoration link 230 is inserted into the link shaft cover 121 as shown in Fig. 22 .
- the supporting projection 222 formed on the rear portion of the front panel 160 is inserted in the supporting groove 182 of the front frame 130 as shown in Fig. 21 .
- the front upper portion of the front panel 16 is pushed rearward so that the coupling projection 220 of the front panel 160 is inserted in the coupling groove 180 of the front frame 130.
- the coupling projection 220 is provided at the end with a projection structure (not shown), the front panel 160 is not opened unless outer force is applied to the front panel 160.
- the link 196 is used as the panel driving units 190 and 190' for driving the front-upper panel 172 and the air discharge panel 170.
- a variety of other mechanisms can be used.
- a rack and pinion can be used as the panel driving units 190 and 190'. That is, the pinion is fixed on the rotational shaft of the driving motor 192 and the rack is formed on surfaces of the air discharge panel 170 and front-upper panel 172. According to the rotation direction of the pinion, the air discharge panel 170 and front-upper panel 72 can move upward and downward.
- front panel 160, front-upper panel 172 and air discharge panel 170 are stepped in the foregoing embodiment, they can be formed on a same plane.
- the front-upper panel 172 and air discharge panel 170 are closed, the front-upper panel 172 and air discharge panel 170 are positioned rearward by a thickness of the front panel 160.
- the front-upper panel 172 and the air discharge panel 170 may be formed on the same plane when the front-upper panel 172 and the air discharge panel 170 are closed.
- the air inlet is formed on only the top of the indoor unit 100 in the foregoing embodiment, the air inlet may be further formed on the front portion of the indoor unit 100 by varying the front structure of the indoor unit 100.
- Fig. 23 is a side sectional view of an indoor unit to which indoor air is introduced through a front portion according to an embodiment of the present invention.
- a frontward air inlet 260 is formed between an upper end of the front panel 160 and a lower end of the display window 140.
- the front-upper panel 172 is positioned in front of the display window 140 and moves downward through the frontward air inlet 260 to selectively open and close the frontward air inlet 260. As shown in Fig. 23 , when the front-upper panel 172 moves downward, the display window 140 and frontward air inlet 260 are simultaneously opened.
- the air is introduced into the indoor unit 100 through the air inlet 132 as well as the frontward air inlet 260.
- Fig. 24 is a side sectional view of an indoor unit to which indoor air is introduced through a front portion according to another embodiment of the present invention.
- a frontward air inlet 240 is formed on a portion where the main display unit 120 is formed.
- the frontward air inlet 260 is formed on the front-upper end of the main chassis 110.
- a front air intake grill 262 having a plurality of slits is formed on the front upper end of the front frame 130.
- the frontward air inlet 260 and the front air intake grill 262 are selectively opened and closed by the front-upper panel 172.
- an upper air outlet may be formed on the portion where the main display unit 120 is formed in the foregoing embodiment. Therefore, the air being exhausted is guided by the upper air outlet. That is, a portion of the air forcedly directed from the blower fan 114 is exhausted frontward through the upper air outlet formed on the front-upper end of the main chassis 110. Then, the air can be exhausted through the front-lower end as well as the front-upper end of the indoor unit 100.
- front panel 160, front-upper panel 172 and air discharge panel 170 are stepped in the foregoing embodiment, they can be formed on a same plane. This will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
- Fig. 25 is an indoor unit where an front upper panel and an air discharge panel are disposed on a same plane as that of a front panel according to an embodiment of the present invention and Fig. 26 is a side sectional view illustrating operations of the front-upper panel and air discharge panel panel of Fig. 25 .
- the indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner has a front portion having a smooth single plane to improve the outer appearance of the indoor unit.
- front-upper panel 172 and the air discharge panel 170 are closed, they are arranged in series with the front panel 160. At this point, the front surface of the front panel 160 and the front surfaces of the front-upper panel 172 and air discharge panel 170 are positioned on the same plane.
- guide surfaces 160' are formed on rear-upper and rear-lower ends of the front panel 160 to guide the movement of the front-upper panel 172 and air discharge panel 170.
- the guide surfaces 160' are inclined at a predetermined angle. Therefore, the front-upper panel 172 and air discharge panel 170 smoothly slide in a state where they contact the rear surface of the front panel 160.
- FIG. 26 there is shown a state where the front-upper panel 172 and air discharge panel 170 are opened and the front panel 160 is disposed rearward.
- the front-upper panel 172 and air discharge panel 170 moves rearward of the front panel 160 along the guide surfaces 160' by the operation of the upper and lower panel driving units 190 and 190' as shown in Fig. 26 .
- the display window 140 provided on the front-upper end of the front frame 130 is exposed frontward and the frontward air outlet 174 is opened.
- panel receiving grooves for the respective front-upper panel 172 and air discharge panel 170 are formed on the front portion of the front frame 130 or the rear portion of the front panel 160.
- the structure for disposing the front panel 160, front-upper panel 172 and air discharge panel 170 on the same plane can be realized by a variety of other structures in addition to the structure shown in Figs. 25 and 26 .
- the front-upper panel 172 and air discharge panel 170 are simultaneously moved by the upper and lower panel driving units 190 and 190'.
- the front-upper panel 172 and air discharge panel 170 can be sequentially moved by two driving unit. This and another possible embodiment will now be described.
- Fig. 27 is a side sectional view illustrating operations of the front-upper panel and air discharge panel according to another embodiment of the present invention.
- a front-rear driving unit (not shown) may be further provided to move frontward and rearward the front-upper panel 72 and air discharge panel 170.
- the air discharge panel 170 moves rearward (in a direction 1) by the front-rear driving unit and then moves upward (in a direction 2) by the lower panel driving unit 190'. Then, the frontward air outlet 174 is opened.
- the air discharge panel 170 moves downward (in a direction 1') by the lower panel driving unit 190' and then moves frontward (in a direction 2'). Then, the air discharge panel 170 is fully closed and, at this point, the front surfaces of the air discharge panel 170 and front panel 160 are positioned at the same plane.
- the opening and closing of the front-upper panel 172 can be realized in the same process.
- the front-rear driving unit may have a structure identical to those of the panel driving units 190 and 190'.
- the air exhaust direction can be easily controlled. Furthermore, since the air discharge panel and air discharge vane are independently operated, the air exhaust direction can be easily controlled by the user.
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Thermal Sciences (AREA)
- Air Filters, Heat-Exchange Apparatuses, And Housings Of Air-Conditioning Units (AREA)
- Air-Flow Control Members (AREA)
Description
- The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and in particular to an indoor unit for an air conditioner.
- Generally, an air conditioner is a system that is used to control the temperature, relative humidity or purity of air, and to circulate cooled air in an enclosed space such as a room. Air conditioners may be classified into a number of types including an integration type where all of components are provided in a single unit, and a separation type having indoor and outdoor units separated from each other.
-
Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an indoor unit of a conventional air conditioner. - Referring to
Fig. 1 , an indoor unit of a conventional air conditioner includes a main chassis 1 typically mounted on an inner wall of a room, afront panel 3 installed in front of the main chassis 1, anair intake grill 5a formed on thefront panel 3, and anair exhaust grill 7 installed on a lower end of thefront panel 3. A display unit 9 for displaying a current operation state and guiding operation by a user is installed between the air intake andexhaust grills - Meanwhile, another
intake grill 5b may be further provided on a top surface of the main chassis 1. - The conventional air conditioner has the following problems.
- Since the
front panel 3 is rounded and protruded frontward, the internal components may be exposed to an external side through theair intake grill 5a formed on thefront panel 3. This provides an unfavorable impression to a user. Furthermore, foreign objects and material such as dust may be introduced into the indoor unit. - In addition, since the
air exhaust grill 7 mounted on a lower end of thefront panel 3 is oriented downwards, the air cannot be exhausted forwards into the room. Therefore, the effectiveness of the air circulation is reduced. -
EP 1271065 discloses an air conditioner having a front panel attached to a front side of the main chassis and having an intake at a front face and a blow housing. When the blow housing is moved downward for some distance a blow outlet becomes open.JP 2003-130385 -
JP 11-201490 JP 2000-121094 US 5,904,048 discloses an air outlet of an air conditioner which is opened and closed by a door. - It would be desirable to provide an indoor unit for an air conditioner that addresses one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
- It would also be desirable to provide an indoor unit for an air conditioner that can improve an outer appearance thereof by preventing internal components from being exposed outside.
- It would also be desirable to provide an indoor unit for an air conditioner that can improve the air circulation by allow cooled air to be exhausted forwards/frontward and/or downward.
- The present invention provides an air conditioner as set out in claim 1.
- To achieve the above objects and other advantages there is provided an indoor unit for an air conditioner, including: a casing; a front panel installed at the front or in front of the casing; an air discharge panel installed movably on a side portion of the front panel to selectively open and close an air outlet; and an air discharge vane provided on a side portion of the casing to guide an air discharge direction.
- In another aspect, there is provided an indoor unit for an air conditioner, including: a front frame having an air intake grill; a front panel provided on a front portion of the front frame and defining a front appearance of the indoor unit; a front-upper panel movably provided on an upper portion of the front panel; and an air discharge panel movably provided on a lower portion of the front panel.
- In still another aspect, there is provided an indoor unit of an air conditioner, including: a front frame provided with a frontward air outlet, a downward air outlet and a display window; a front-upper panel for selectively screening the display window; an air discharge panel for screening the frontward air outlet; and an air discharge vane for selectively screening the downward air outlet.
- In still yet another aspect, there is provided an indoor unit for an air conditioner, including: a casing; a front frame coupled to a front portion of the casing; a front panel pivotally provided on the front portion of the front frame; a front-upper panel provided on an upper portion of the front panel to be capable of pivoting; and an air discharge panel provided on a lower portion of the front panel to be movable upward and downward, wherein the air discharge panel is movable upward and downward by a guide unit without being sided in a direction.
- In still yet another aspect, there is provided an indoor unit for an air conditioner, including: a front frame; a front panel pivotally provided on the front portion of the front frame; a decoration link for connecting the front panel to the front frame; a front-upper panel provided on an upper portion of the front panel to be movable upward and downward; and an air discharge panel provided on a lower portion of the front panel to be movable upward and downward, wherein the decoration link has a first end detachably coupled to the front frame.
- Accordingly, since the indoor unit has the air discharge panel and the air vane, the air exhaust direction can be easily controlled.
- That is, since the air discharge panel and the air discharge vane are designed to be operated independently, the air can be exhausted frontward and/or downward according to the manipulation of the user.
- Describing in more detail, the front-upper panel and the air discharge panel formed on upper and lower portions of the front panel and the air discharge vane provided on a lower end of the front frame are driven by different driving units so that they can be operated independently. Therefore, the air can be exhausted in a desired direction, thereby improving the convenience in use.
- In addition, since the front panel is installed on a front portion of the front frame to be capable of pivoting frontward, the replacement of the air filter and/or the maintenance of the internal components can be easily done by simply opening or removing the front portion or the front panel.
- Furthermore, since the front panel is formed in a smooth plate shape, the outer appearance of the indoor unit is improved and the introduction of foreign objects into the indoor unit can be prevented.
- In addition, since the air inlet/outlet and/or the display unit is formed on the front-upper end of the main chassis, a variety of functions can be realized.
- For example, when the display unit is formed on the front-upper end of the main chassis, the user can identify a variety of information in front of the indoor unit.
- In addition, when the air inlet/outlet is formed on the front-upper end of the main chassis, they can be simultaneously operated with an air inlet and air outlet formed on the upper and lower ends of the indoor unit, the air circulation can be more effectively realized, thereby improving the air conditioning efficiency.
- Meanwhile, when the front upper panel and the air discharge panel are closed, the front panel is disposed on an identical plane with a front surface of the indoor unit and thus the outer appearance of the indoor unit can be improved.
- Furthermore, since the air discharge panel is driven by a plurality of links, the manufacturing costs and load of the products can be further reduced as compared with a conventional art where a rack and pinion are used to drive the front panel.
- In addition, since the panel projections and frame projections are formed on the front and rear surfaces of the air discharge panel, the contact area between the air discharge panel, the front panel and the front frame. That is, when the air discharge panel is driven, the panel projections and the frame projections contact respectively the front panel and the front frame and thus the contact area between the air discharge panel and the front panel or between the air discharge panel and the front frame can be reduced, thereby effectively driving the air discharge panel without any frictional resistance.
- The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention.
- In the drawings:
-
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an indoor unit of a conventional separation type air conditioner; -
Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective views of an indoor unit for an air condition according to an embodiment of the present invention; -
Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the indoor unit ofFigs. 2 and 3 ; -
Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line I-I' ofFig. 2 ; -
Figs. 6 and7 are perspective views of a front frame ofFigs. 2 and 3 , when an air discharge panel is coupled to a front upper panel; -
Fig. 8 is a rear perspective view of the front frame ofFigs. 6 and7 ; -
Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken along line II-II' ofFig. 7 ; -
Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken along line III-III' ofFig. 7 ; -
Fig. 11 is a rear perspective view of a front panel according to an embodiment of the present invention; -
Fig. 12 is a partly broken, perspective view of a front portion of an air discharge panel according to an embodiment of the present invention; -
Fig. 13 is a partly broken, perspective view of a rear portion of an air discharge panel according to an embodiment of the present invention; -
Fig. 14 is a perspective view of an indoor unit exhausting air frontward according to an embodiment of the present invention; -
Fig. 15 is a sectional view of airflow in the indoor unit ofFig. 14 ; -
Fig. 16 is a perspective view of an indoor unit exhausting air downward according to an embodiment of the present invention; -
Fig. 17 is a sectional view of airflow in the indoor unit ofFig. 16 ; -
Fig. 18 is a perspective view of an indoor unit exhausting air downward and frontward according to an embodiment to of the present invention; -
Fig. 19 is a sectional view of airflow in the indoor unit ofFig. 18 ; -
Fig. 20 is a perspective view of an indoor unit whose display window is exposed by a front upper panel descended according to an embodiment of the present invention; -
Fig. 21 is a perspective view of an indoor unit whose front portion is partly according to an embodiment of the present invention; -
Fig. 22 is a perspective view of an indoor unit whose front portion is fully opened according to an embodiment of the present invention; -
Fig. 23 is a side sectional view of an indoor unit to which indoor air is introduced through a front portion according to an embodiment of the present invention; -
Fig. 24 is a side sectional view of an indoor unit to which indoor air is introduced through a front portion according to another embodiment of the present invention; -
Fig. 25 is an indoor unit where an front upper panel and an air discharge panel are disposed on a same plane as that of a front panel according to an embodiment of the present invention; -
Fig. 26 is a side sectional view illustrating operations of the front-upper panel and air discharge panel ofFig. 25 ; and -
Fig. 27 is a side sectional view illustrating operations of the front-upper panel and air discharge panel according to another embodiment of the present invention. - While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.
-
Figs. 2 and 3 show an indoor unit for an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. - Referring to
Figs. 2 and 3 , anindoor unit 100 includes acasing 102, afront panel 160 coupled to a front portion of thecasing 102, anair discharge panel 170 slidably coupled to a lower end of thefront panel 160, a front-upper panel 172 slidably coupled to an upper end of thefront panel 160, and anair discharge vane 122 slidably coupled to a lower end of thecasing 102. - The
casing 102 includes amain chassis 110 and afront frame 130 coupled to a front portion of themain chassis 110 and afront frame 130 coupled to a front portion of themain chassis 110. Anair intake grill 132 is formed on a top surface of thefront frame 130 and a remote controlsignal receiving portion 150 is formed on a lower portion of thecasing 102. - The air introduced through the
air intake grill 132 passes through a heat exchanger installed in the indoor unit and is then exhausted to the room through theair discharge vane 122. By the vertical movement of theair discharge panel 170, the air is exhausted frontward from theindoor unit 100. This will be described later. -
Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the indoor unit andFig. 5 is a side sectional view of the indoor, which is taken along line I-I' ofFig. 2 . - Referring to
Figs. 4 and5 , theindoor unit 100 of the air conditioner is formed in a hexahedron shape and the casing defines a contour of theindoor unit 100. - That is, the
indoor unit 100 includes aheat exchanger 118 coupled to a front portion of themain chassis 110 to allow the air introduced to heat-exchange with a refrigerant, ablower fan 114 installed in rear of theheat exchanger 118 to intake and exhaust the indoor air, amotor assembly 116 installed on a side portion of themain chassis 110 to drive theblower fan 114, and anair filter 144 andelectric dust collector 146 detachably mounted on the front portion of thefront frame 130. - The
main chassis 110 includes a rear chassis unit 110' defining a rear contour of themain chassis 110 and a front chassis unit 110' positioned in front of the rear chassis 110'. Themain chassis 110 is provided at the top with anair inlet 112 through which the indoor air is introduced. The air intake grill is positioned on theair inlet 112. - The
blower fan 114 may be a cross flow fan arranged horizontally. The air introduced through theair inlet 112 is exhausted through theair discharge vane 122 by theblower fan 114. - The
motor assembly 116 is installed at right side of theflower fan 114 to generate rotational force using electric power applied from an external side. The rotational force generated by themotor assembly 116 is transmitted to theflower fan 114. - In addition, the
heater exchanger 118 is installed in front of thefront chassis 110" to heat-exchange the air introduced through theair inlet 112 with the air. That is, like theblower fan 114, theheat exchanger 118 is disposed to extend horizontally such that it can enclose the front and upper portions of theblower fan 114. Themain display unit 120 is formed on the front-upper end of the front chassis 10". Themain display unit 120 displays a variety of information and is selectively screened by the front-upper panel 172. - The
air discharge vane 122 installed on the lower end of thefront chassis unit 110" over the lower end of thefront frame 130. - The
air discharge vane 122 is driven by a driving unit (not shown) and simultaneously or independently opened and closed together with or from theair discharge panel 170 and the front-upper panel 172. - A
mode display unit 124 is further provided on the front-right-lower end of thefront chassis unit 110". Themode display unit 124 displays a current operation mode or a current setting state of the air conditioner. - The front frame is installed in front of the main-chassis. That is, the
front frame 130 defines a front contour of theindoor unit 100. Thefront frame 130 is coupled to enclose thefront chassis unit 110" of themain chassis 110. Theair intake grill 132 is formed on a top of thefront frame 130. That is, theair intake grill 132 is positioned above theair inlet 112 of themain chassis 110 when thefront frame 130 is coupled to themain chassis 110. Theair intake grill 132 is provided with a plurality of slits through which the air passes. - The
front frame 130 is provided with afilter supporting portion 134 and dustcollector supporting portion 136 for respectively supporting theair filter 144 anddust collector 146. A checkinghole 138 is formed near a front-right end of thefront frame 130. A checking plate 138' is selectively mounted in thechecking hole 138. Therefore, the checking plate 138' selectively opens and closes thechecking hole 138. - A
display window 140 is formed on a front-upper end of thefront frame 130. Thedisplay window 140 is sized to correspond to themain display unit 120 of themain chassis 110 and formed in a transparent material. Therefore, the information displayed on themain display unit 120 can be identified in front of thefront frame 130. - Meanwhile, a
mode display window 142 is formed on a front-lower right side of thefront frame 130. Themode display window 142 is also formed of a transparent material and sized to correspond to themode display unit 124 of themain chassis 110. Therefore, the information displayed on themode display unit 124 can be identified in front of the front frame. - As described above, the
air filter 144 and theelectric dust collector 146 are mounted on thefront frame 130. Here, theair filter 144 functions to filter off foreign objects contained in the air introduced through theair inlet 112. Theair filter 130 is installed on the front and upper portions of thefront frame 130. Theair filter 144 is formed of a flexible material so that it can be curved at a predetermined curvature when viewed from a side. - In addition, the
electric dust collector 146 functions to collect foreign objects such as dusts contained in the air through an ionizing process using electric power applied from the external side. Theelectric dust collector 146 is installed in rear of theair filter 144 and supported by the dustcollector supporting portion 136. - In addition, the remote control
signal receiving unit 150 has a circular button structure for receiving a signal transmitted from a remote controller, thereby controlling the operation of the air conditioner. As described above, the remote controlsignal receiving unit 150 is provided on the bottom of thefront frame 130 considering that theindoor unit 100 is generally mounted at a predetermined height of the inner wall of the room. - In addition, the
front panel 160 installed in front of thefront frame 130 is formed in a rectangular flat plate to define a front contour of theindoor unit 100. That is, thefront panel 160 includes adecoration glass 162 that is transparent while, if required, having a predetermined color, and adecoration frame 164 on which thedecoration glass 162 is mounted. - Furthermore, the
decoration frame 164 is sized and shaped to correspond to thedecoration glass 162. Thedecoration glass 162 may be attached to thedecoration frame 164 using an adhesive or coupled to thedecoration frame 164 using a coupling unit such as a hook or a screw. - The
air discharge panel 170 coupled to a lower portion of thefront panel 160 has a length corresponding to a left-and-right length of thefront panel 160. Theair discharge panel 170 can move upward or downward by a lower panel driving unit 190' (seeFIG. 8 ) that will be described later. - In the
indoor unit 100, when theblower fan 114 is driven, the indoor air is introduced into theindoor unit 100 through theair intake grill 132 and air inlet. Then, the air passes through theair filter 144 andelectric dust collector 146, in the course of which the foreign objects contained in the air is filtered off. Then, the air is heat-exchanged with the refrigerant while passing through the heat exchanger. In the heating mode, the room temperature increases. In the cooling mode, the room temperature decreases. The air heat-exchanged with the refrigerant is exhausted to the room through the air outlet opened by theair discharge vane 122 andair discharge panel 170. -
Figs. 6 and7 are perspective views of the front frame ofFigs. 2 and 3 , when an air discharge panel is coupled to the front upper panel. - Referring to
Figs. 6 and7 , afrontward air outlet 174 is formed on a lower -center portion of thefront frame 130. That is, thefrontward air outlet 174 is formed to extend from themode display window 142 to a left end. The air introduced by theblower fan 114 is exhausted frontward of theindoor unit 100. Then, thefrontward air outlet 174 is selectively screened by theair discharge panel 170. When theair discharge panel 170 moves upward, thefrontward air outlet 174 is opened. When theair discharge panel 170 moves downward, thefrontward air outlet 174 is screened. - In addition, the
front frame 130 is provided at a bottom with a receivinghole 152 in which the remote controlsignal receiving unit 150. Acover 154 is further installed at a lower portion of the remotecontrol signal unit 150 to enclose the remote controlsignal receiving unit 150. Thecover 154 of the remote controlsignal receiving unit 150 may be formed of a transparent material. - In addition, the
front frame 130 is provided at a front portion with a plurality of coupling and supportinggrooves grooves projections 220 and 222 (seeFig. 11 ) are inserted. Here, the number and forming positions of the coupling and supportinggrooves - Meanwhile, link
seating portions 210 are formed on respective front-left and front-right side ends of thefront frame 130. Decoration links 230 (seeFig. 11 ) seat on thelink seating portions 210. Thelink seating portions 210 are concaved to depths corresponding to the decoration lines 230. That is, in a state where thefront panel 160 is closed, thedecoration links 230 are inserted into theline seating portion 210 and thus no gap is formed between thefront panel 160 and thefront frame 130. - In addition, a
link shaft cover 212 is formed on a lower end of thelink seating portions 210. Thelink shaft cover 212 is a portion in which thelink projection 232 formed on an end of thedecoration link 230 is inserted. An upper portion of thelink shaft cover 212 is partly opened. That is, the link shaft cover is formed in a hook-shape when viewed from a side. Theline projection 232 is inserted and hooked on thelink shaft cover 212. - In addition, a
switch groove 214 is formed on a right side of thefront frame 130. An operation switch (not shown) is installed in theswitch groove 214. The operation switch is provided to forcedly operate or stop the air conditioner by the user. - Meanwhile, the operation switch is separately provided on the side surface of the
front frame 130 or integrally provided with the remote controlsignal receiving unit 150. That is, the on/off operation switch is inserted in the receivinghole 152 formed on the bottom of the front frame and a remote controlsignal receiving unit 150 may be installed in the operation switch. At this point, the cover of the operation switch may be formed of a transparent material. - A plurality of
guide units 200 and 200' are formed on a front-lower portion of thefront frame 130 to guide the vertical movement of theair discharge panel 170 without shaking or moving in a side direction. Theguide units 200 and 200' will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings later. -
Fig. 8 is a rear perspective view of the front frame. - Referring to
Fig. 8 ,panel driving units 190 and 190' are respectively installed on a rear surface of the front frame to control the vertical movement of theair discharge panel 170 and the front-upper panel 172. That is, the upperpanel driving unit 190 is provided near the rear-upper end of thefront frame 130 and the lower panel driving unit 190' is provided on the rear-lower end of the front frame to control the vertical movement of theair discharge panel 170. - The upper and lower
panel driving units 190 and 190' are identical in the structure to each other. The upper and lowerpanel driving units 190 and 190' are symmetrically installed in the vertical direction. In the following description, only the lower panel driving unit 190' will be described. - The panel driving unit 190' includes a driving
motor 192 installed on a rear left end or a rear right end of thefront frame 130 to generate rotational force, a driving shaft installed on the rear surface of thefront frame 130 horizontally transmit the rotational force generated by the drivingmotor 192, a shaft supporting unit 195 for supporting the drivingshaft 194, and alink 196 for connecting the drivingshaft 194 to the front-upper panel 172 or theair discharge panel 170. - The driving
motor 192 may be a step motor installed on the rear surface of thefront frame 130. The drivingshaft 194 extends from a central axis of the drivingmotor 192 to transmit the rotational force generated from the drivingmotor 192 to thelink 196. The drivingshaft 194 extends from a left end to a right end of thefront frame 130. Thelink 196 is pivotally installed on the both ends of the drivingshaft 194. - The
link 196 is provided by a plurality to convert the rotation motion of the drivingshaft 194 into a vertical motion and transmit the vertical motion to theair discharge panel 170 or the front-upper panel 172. - That is, the
link 196 includes a shaft link 196' fixedly coupled to the drivingshaft 194 and apanel link 196" hingedly coupled to theair discharge panel 170 or front-upper panel 172. The shaft link 196' is pivotally coupled to thepanel line 196" . Therefore, the shaft link 196' and thepanel link 196" may be linearly arranged or arranged with a between angle. Therefore, theair discharge panel 170 or front-upper panel 172 can move upward or downward. - Connecting
slits 198 are formed on left and right side ends of thefront frame 130 and thepanel link 196" is connected to theair discharge panel 170 or front-upper panel 172 through the connecting slits 198. Therefore, by the rotational force of the drivingmotor 192, theair discharge panel 170 and the front-upper panel 172 move upward or downward as the between angle θ is reduced and increased. That is, as the between angle is reduced, theair discharge panel 170 moves upward to open thefrontward air outlet 174. The front-upper panel 172 moves downward to expose the display window to the external side. - On the contrary, when the angle between the shaft link 196' and the
panel link 196" increases or becomes 180°, theair discharge panel 170 moves downward and the front-upper panel 172 moves upward. Therefore, thefrontward air outlet 174 is screened by theair discharge panel 170 and the display window is 140 closed by the front-upper panel 172 so that the information display on themain display unit 120 cannot be identified from the external side. - In addition, a link guide 199 is further formed on a rear portion of the connecting
slit 198. The link guide 199 receives a panel supporting unit 240 (seeFig. 12 ). That is, the link guide 199 guides the vertical movement of thepanel supporting unit 240 to which an end of thepanel link 196" is coupled. - Meanwhile, the
front frame 130 is further provided withguide units 200 and 200' for guiding the vertical movement of theair discharge panel 170. - That is, the
guide unit 200 is provided on a left side of thefront frame 130 when viewed from a front side and the guide unit 200' is provided on a right side of thefront frame 130. Theguide units 200 and 200' are symmetrically disposed. The coupling structure of theguide units 200 and 200' will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. -
Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken along line II-II' ofFig. 7 andFig. 10 is a sectional view taken along line III-III' ofFig.7 . - Referring to
Figs. 9 and 10 , theguide unit 200, 200' includes aframe guide 202, 202' and apanel guide 204, 204'. - That is, the
left guide unit 200 includes theleft frame guide 202 and theleft panel guide 204. The right guide unit 200' includes the right frame guide 202' and the right panel guide 204'. - That is, the left and
right guide units 200 and 200' are symmetrical with reference to the vertical line. That is, the left and right frame guides 202 and 202' are symmetrical with each other and the left and right panel guides 204 and 204' are also symmetrical with each other. - For example, the
left panel guide 204 extends downward from the bottom of theair discharge panel 170 and perpendicularly bent rightward to have a └L-shape. The right panel guide 204' extends downward from the bottom of theair discharge panel 170 and bent leftward to have a ┘ -shape. - In addition, the
left frame guide 202 extends vertically upward from the top of thefront frame 130 and bent leftward to have ┐ -shape and the right frame guide 202' extends upward from the top of thefront frame 130 and bent right ward to have a ┌-shape. - Accordingly, the
left panel guide 204 and theleft frame guide 202 slide in a state where they are combined and the right panel guide 204' and the right frame guide 202' slide in a state where they are combined. - The reason for symmetrically forming the left and
right guide units 200 and 200' is to prevent theair discharge panel 170 and thefront frame 130 from being sided during the sliding motion thereof and thus prevent them from being separated from thefront frame 130. -
FIG. 11 is a rear perspective view of the front panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. - Referring to
FIG. 11 , a plurality of coupling and supportingprojections front panel 160. - That is, three
coupling projections 220 are formed to extend rearward at a central-left and central-right ends near the rear-upper end of thefront panel 160. Thecoupling projections 220 are inserted intocoupling grooves 180 of thefront frame 130. Once thecoupling projections 220 are inserted into thecoupling grooves 180, they are not removed from thecoupling grooves 180 unless the external force is applied thereto. - Meanwhile, the supporting
projections 222 are provided on the rear-lower portion of thefront panel 160. The supportingprojections 222 extend rearward from the rear surface of thefront panel 160 and are inserted into the supportinggrooves 182 of thefront frame 130. - The supporting
projection 222 is formed in a hook-shape and a hook member may be provided in the supportinggroove 182 so that the supportingprojection 222 is pivotally hooked thereon. Therefore, thefront panel 160 can pivot within a predetermined angle range in a state where the supportingprojections 222 are inserted into the supportinggrooves 182. That is, thefront panel 160 is designed to be opened by pivoting frontward of thefront frame 130. When thefront panel 160 pivots around the supportingprojections 222. - Meanwhile, the
decoration links 230 are installed on the opposite ends of thefront panel 160 to control the frontward pivot motion of thefront panel 160. - First ends of the
decoration links 230 are pivotally inserted in the left and right side ends of the rear-upper end of thefront panel 160. The second ends of thedecoration links 230 are pivotally inserted to thefront frame 130. The decoration links 230 are formed of one, two or three links. The first ends of thedecoration links 230 are hingedly coupled to the rear surface of thefront panel 160. The second ends of thedecoration links 230 are pivotally inserted in thelink shaft cover 212 of thefront frame 130. Thelink projection 232 protrudes sideward at an end of thedecoration link 230. Thelink projection 232 is inserted and hooked in and on thelink shaft cover 212 of thefront frame 130. That is, thelink projection 232 is inserted or removed through an upper opening of thelink shaft cover 212. -
Fig. 12 is a partial perspective view of the front portion of the air discharge panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. - Referring to
Fig. 12 , thepanel supporting units 240 are respectively formed on opposite ends of theair discharge panel 170. That is, thepanel supporting units 240 are provided to support theair discharge panel 170 mounted on thefront frame 130. Ends of thepanel supporting units 240 are inserted in the link guides 199 to be guided upward and downward. - A
link coupling hook 242 is formed on the end of thepanel supporting unit 240. Thelink coupling hook 242 has a circular groove to which one end of thelink 196 is connected. - In addition, a fixing
groove 244 is further formed on the lower end of thepanel supporting unit 240. The fixinggroove 244 is concaved upward from the bottom of thepanel supporting unit 240 to receive the lower end of the connectingslit 198. That is, when theair discharge panel 170 moves downward and the lower end of the connectingslit 198 is inserted into the fixinggroove 244, theair discharge panel 170 cannot move downward any more. - In addition, a plurality of
panel projections 250 are further formed on the front portion of theair discharge panel 170. That is, thepanel projections 250 functions to space thefront panel 160 away from theair discharge panel 170 when theair discharge panel 170 moves upward and downward. That is, during the vertical motion of theair discharge panel 170, an extreme end of thepanel projection 250 slides along the rear surface of thefront panel 160. -
Fig. 13 is a partial perspective view of the rear portion of the air discharge panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. - Referring to
Fig. 13 , theframe projection 252 is formed on the rear surface of theair discharge panel 170. That is, theframe projection 252 allows thefront frame 130 to be spaced away from theair discharge panel 170 when theair discharge panel 170 moves upward and downward. That is, when theair discharge panel 170 moves in the vertical direction, the rear end of theframe projection 252 contacts thefront frame 130. - By forming the
panel projection 250 and theframe projection 252 on the front and rear portions of theair discharge panel 170, respectively, the contact area of thefront panel 160 with thefront frame 130 is minimized during the movement of theair discharge panel 170. Therefore, the frictional force between thefront panel 160 and thefront frame 130 is minimized during the movement of theair discharge panel 170. - Meanwhile, an end of the
panel link 196" is pivotally coupled to thelink coupling hook 242 of thepanel supporting unit 240. - That is, from a state shown in
Fig. 13 , afirst link shaft 196"a that is pivotally inserted in thelink coupling hook 242 protrudes from the left side of thepanel link 196". Asecond link shaft 196"b that is coupled to the shaft link 196' protrudes from the upper-right side of the panel link 1963". - In addition, a first fixing hook 196'a having a shape identical to that of the
link coupling hook 242 is formed on the lower end of the shaft link 196'. A second fixing hook 196'b is formed on an upper end of the shaft link 196'. That is, asecond link shaft 196"b of thepanel link 196" is inserted in thefirst fixing hook 196"a. Then, the drivingshaft 194 is fixedly inserted in the second fixing hook 196'b. Therefore, the shaft link 196' integrally rotates together with the drivingshaft 194. -
Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the indoor unit exhausting air frontward according to an embodiment which does not form part of the invention andFig. 15 is a sectional view of airflow in the indoor unit ofFig. 14 . - Referring to
Figs. 14 and15 , theindoor unit 100 of the present invention can be configured to exhaust the air only frontward. - That is, in order to exhaust the air only frontward of the
indoor unit 100, theair discharge panel 170 is designed to move upward by the lower panel driving unit 190' in a state where theair discharge vane 122 is closed. That is, the angle between the shaft link 196' and thepanel link 196" is reduced by the drivingmotor 192. Then, theair discharge panel 170 is guided by theguide units 200 and 200' to move upward of thefront frame 130. As a result, thefrontward air outlet 174 is opened to allow cooled or heated air to be exhaust to the room through thefrontward air outlet 174. - In addition, as the
air discharge panel 170 moves upward, themode display window 142 is exposed frontward and thus the user can identify the current operation mode of the air conditioner through themode display window 142. -
Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the indoor unit exhausting air downward according to an embodiment of the present invention andFig. 17 is a sectional view of airflow in the indoor unit ofFig. 16 . - Referring to
Figs. 16 and17 , theindoor unit 100 of the present invention can operate to exhaust the air only downward. - That is, in order to exhaust the air only downward of the
indoor unit 100, theair discharge panel 170 is designed to maintain its downward state to screen thefrontward air outlet 174. Then, theair discharge vane 122 pivots by a predetermined angle to open the downward air outlet. Then, the air is guided by theair discharge vane 122 and exhausted downward from theindoor unit 100. -
Fig. 18 is a perspective view of the indoor unit exhausting air downward and frontward according to an embodiment to of the present invention andFig. 19 is a sectional view of airflow in the indoor unit ofFig. 18 . - Referring to
Figs. 18 and19 , theindoor unit 100 of the present invention can operate to exhaust the air frontward and downward. - That is, in order to exhaust the air downward and frontward of the
indoor unit 100, theair discharge panel 170 is designed to move upward to open thefrontward air outlet 174 and theair discharge vane 122 pivots by a predetermined angle to open the downward air outlet. Then, the air is exhausted frontward of theindoor unit 100 through the frontward air outlet as well as downward through theair discharge vane 122. -
Fig. 20 is a perspective view of the indoor unit whose display window is exposed by a front upper panel moved downward according to an embodiment of the present invention. - Referring to
Fig. 20 , when the front-upper panel 172 moves downward, thedisplay window 140 is exposed at the front-upper portion of theindoor unit 100. - In order to move the front-
upper panel 172 downward, the drivingmotor 192 is driven to reduce the angle between the shaft link 196' and thepanel link 196". As a result, the front-upper panel 172 slides rearward of thefront panel 160. In addition, thedisplay window 140 positioned in rear of the front-upper panel 172 is exposed to the external side so that the user can identify the information displayed on themain display unit 120. -
Fig. 21 is a perspective view of the indoor unit whose front portion is partly according to an embodiment of the present invention. - Referring to
Fig. 21 , in order to check or maintain theindoor unit 100 or to replace or clean the components such as theair filter 144, thefront panel 160 must pivot frontward. - Therefore, when the user pulls the upper end of the
front panel 160, thecoupling projection 220 of thefront panel 160 is removed from thecoupling groove 180 of thefront frame 130. Then, thefront panel 160 pivots frontward in a state where the supportingprojection 222 formed on the rear-lower portion of thefront panel 160 is inserted in the supportinggroove 182 of thefront frame 130. By this operation, thefront panel 160 pivots frontward about the shaft of the supportingprojection 222. - Here, the
decoration link 230 has opposite ends that are respectively connected to thefront panel 160 and thefront frame 130 and thus the opening range of thefront panel 160 is limited by thedecoration link 230. - As described above, when the
front panel 160 is opened frontward by a predetermined angle, the user can remove or check the internal components such as theair filter 144 from the indoor unit. -
Fig. 22 is a perspective view of the indoor unit whose front portion is fully opened according to an embodiment of the present invention. - Referring to
Fig. 22 , when it is difficult to remove or check the internal components such as the air filter in the state ofFig. 21 , there is a need to fully remove thefront panel 160 from thefront frame 130. - In order to fully remove the
front panel 160 from thefront frame 130, as shown inFig. 21 , thefront panel 160 is lifted in a state where thefront panel 160 pivots frontward by a predetermined angle. Then, the supportingprojection 222 formed in a hook shape is separated from the supportinggroove 182 and thus thefront panel 160 is fully removed from thefront frame 130. - In addition, when releasing the
front panel 160, as shown inFig. 22 , thefront panel 160 hangs on thefront frame 130. That is, since thefront panel 160 and thefront frame 130 are connected to each other by the decoration links 230, thefront panel 160 does not fall down. In this state, the user can remove theair filter 144 frontward or check other internal components. - In addition, since the upper portion of the
link shaft cover 212 is opened, thefront frame 130 can be fully removed by lifting thefront panel 160. - That is, in a state where the
front panel 160 hands on thefront frame 130, thefront panel 160 is lifted. Then, thelink projection 232 of thedecoration line 230, which is inserted in thelink shaft cover 212 of thefront frame 130, is separated through the upper opening of thelink shaft cover 212. Then, thefront panel 160 is fully removed from thefront frame 130. - Next, when the replacement of the
air filter 144 or the checking of the internal components is finished, thefront panel 160 is mounted on thefront frame 130. This is processed in a reverse order to the above-described separation order. - Describing in more detail, the
link projection 232 of thedecoration link 230 is inserted into the link shaft cover 121 as shown inFig. 22 . Then, the supportingprojection 222 formed on the rear portion of thefront panel 160 is inserted in the supportinggroove 182 of thefront frame 130 as shown inFig. 21 . Then, the front upper portion of the front panel 16 is pushed rearward so that thecoupling projection 220 of thefront panel 160 is inserted in thecoupling groove 180 of thefront frame 130. At this point, since thecoupling projection 220 is provided at the end with a projection structure (not shown), thefront panel 160 is not opened unless outer force is applied to thefront panel 160. - It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the above-described technologies and their equivalents.
- For example, in the foregoing embodiment, the
link 196 is used as thepanel driving units 190 and 190' for driving the front-upper panel 172 and theair discharge panel 170. However, instead of thelink 196, a variety of other mechanisms can be used. For example, a rack and pinion can be used as thepanel driving units 190 and 190'. That is, the pinion is fixed on the rotational shaft of the drivingmotor 192 and the rack is formed on surfaces of theair discharge panel 170 and front-upper panel 172. According to the rotation direction of the pinion, theair discharge panel 170 and front-upper panel 72 can move upward and downward. - In addition, although the
front panel 160, front-upper panel 172 andair discharge panel 170 are stepped in the foregoing embodiment, they can be formed on a same plane. - That is, when the front-
upper panel 172 andair discharge panel 170 are closed, the front-upper panel 172 andair discharge panel 170 are positioned rearward by a thickness of thefront panel 160. However, by varying the rear surface structure of thefront panel 160, the front-upper panel 172 and theair discharge panel 170 may be formed on the same plane when the front-upper panel 172 and theair discharge panel 170 are closed. - In addition, although the air inlet is formed on only the top of the
indoor unit 100 in the foregoing embodiment, the air inlet may be further formed on the front portion of theindoor unit 100 by varying the front structure of theindoor unit 100. Other possible embodiments will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. -
Fig. 23 is a side sectional view of an indoor unit to which indoor air is introduced through a front portion according to an embodiment of the present invention. - Referring to
Fig. 23 , afrontward air inlet 260 is formed between an upper end of thefront panel 160 and a lower end of thedisplay window 140. - The front-
upper panel 172 is positioned in front of thedisplay window 140 and moves downward through thefrontward air inlet 260 to selectively open and close thefrontward air inlet 260. As shown inFig. 23 , when the front-upper panel 172 moves downward, thedisplay window 140 andfrontward air inlet 260 are simultaneously opened. - Therefore, the air is introduced into the
indoor unit 100 through theair inlet 132 as well as thefrontward air inlet 260. -
Fig. 24 is a side sectional view of an indoor unit to which indoor air is introduced through a front portion according to another embodiment of the present invention. - Referring to
Fig. 24 , afrontward air inlet 240 is formed on a portion where themain display unit 120 is formed. - That is, instead of the
main display unit 120, thefrontward air inlet 260 is formed on the front-upper end of themain chassis 110. In addition, instead of thedisplay window 140, a frontair intake grill 262 having a plurality of slits is formed on the front upper end of thefront frame 130. - Therefore, the
frontward air inlet 260 and the frontair intake grill 262 are selectively opened and closed by the front-upper panel 172. - That is, when the front-
upper panel 172 moves downward, foreign objects cannot be introduced into theindoor unit 100 by the frontair intake grill 262. - Instead of the frontward air inlet, an upper air outlet may be formed on the portion where the
main display unit 120 is formed in the foregoing embodiment. Therefore, the air being exhausted is guided by the upper air outlet. That is, a portion of the air forcedly directed from theblower fan 114 is exhausted frontward through the upper air outlet formed on the front-upper end of themain chassis 110. Then, the air can be exhausted through the front-lower end as well as the front-upper end of theindoor unit 100. - Meanwhile, in the foregoing embodiment, although the
front panel 160, front-upper panel 172 andair discharge panel 170 are stepped in the foregoing embodiment, they can be formed on a same plane. This will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. -
Fig. 25 is an indoor unit where an front upper panel and an air discharge panel are disposed on a same plane as that of a front panel according to an embodiment of the present invention andFig. 26 is a side sectional view illustrating operations of the front-upper panel and air discharge panel panel ofFig. 25 . - Referring to
Fig. 25 , theindoor unit 100 of the air conditioner has a front portion having a smooth single plane to improve the outer appearance of the indoor unit. - That is, when the front-
upper panel 172 and theair discharge panel 170 are closed, they are arranged in series with thefront panel 160. At this point, the front surface of thefront panel 160 and the front surfaces of the front-upper panel 172 andair discharge panel 170 are positioned on the same plane. - More in detail, guide surfaces 160' are formed on rear-upper and rear-lower ends of the
front panel 160 to guide the movement of the front-upper panel 172 andair discharge panel 170. In addition, the guide surfaces 160' are inclined at a predetermined angle. Therefore, the front-upper panel 172 andair discharge panel 170 smoothly slide in a state where they contact the rear surface of thefront panel 160. - Referring to
Fig. 26 , there is shown a state where the front-upper panel 172 andair discharge panel 170 are opened and thefront panel 160 is disposed rearward. - That is, in a state where the front-
upper panel 172 andair discharge panel 170 are closed as shown inFig. 25 , the front-upper panel 172 andair discharge panel 170 moves rearward of thefront panel 160 along the guide surfaces 160' by the operation of the upper and lowerpanel driving units 190 and 190' as shown inFig. 26 . As a result, thedisplay window 140 provided on the front-upper end of thefront frame 130 is exposed frontward and thefrontward air outlet 174 is opened. - In addition, panel receiving grooves for the respective front-
upper panel 172 andair discharge panel 170 are formed on the front portion of thefront frame 130 or the rear portion of thefront panel 160. - Meanwhile, the structure for disposing the
front panel 160, front-upper panel 172 andair discharge panel 170 on the same plane can be realized by a variety of other structures in addition to the structure shown inFigs. 25 and26 . - In the embodiment of
Figs. 25 and26 , the front-upper panel 172 andair discharge panel 170 are simultaneously moved by the upper and lowerpanel driving units 190 and 190'. However, the front-upper panel 172 andair discharge panel 170 can be sequentially moved by two driving unit. This and another possible embodiment will now be described. -
Fig. 27 is a side sectional view illustrating operations of the front-upper panel and air discharge panel according to another embodiment of the present invention. - Referring to
Fig. 27 , in addition to the upper and lowerpanel driving units 190 and 190' for moving upward and downward the front-upper panel 172 andair discharge panel 170, a front-rear driving unit (not shown) may be further provided to move frontward and rearward the front-upper panel 72 andair discharge panel 170. - That is, when the
air discharge panel 170 is opened, theair discharge panel 170 moves rearward (in a direction ①) by the front-rear driving unit and then moves upward (in a direction ②) by the lower panel driving unit 190'. Then, thefrontward air outlet 174 is opened. - Next, in order to close the
air discharge panel 170, theair discharge panel 170 moves downward (in a direction ①') by the lower panel driving unit 190' and then moves frontward (in a direction ②'). Then, theair discharge panel 170 is fully closed and, at this point, the front surfaces of theair discharge panel 170 andfront panel 160 are positioned at the same plane. - Furthermore, the opening and closing of the front-
upper panel 172 can be realized in the same process. Then, the front-rear driving unit may have a structure identical to those of thepanel driving units 190 and 190'. - According to the described embodiments, since the air discharge panel and air discharge vane are provided, the air exhaust direction can be easily controlled. Furthermore, since the air discharge panel and air discharge vane are independently operated, the air exhaust direction can be easily controlled by the user.
Claims (15)
- An indoor unit (100) for an air conditioner, comprising a blower fan (114) for introducing and discharging indoor air and a heat exchanger (118) for heat-exchanging with the air introduced by the blower fan, the indoor unit further comprising:a casing (102) having a chassis (110) for receiving the blower fan (114) and the heat exchanger (118) and a front frame (130) coupled to the chassis and having an air intake grill (132);an air discharge panel (170) movably installed on a side of the front frame (130) to selectively discharge the air frontward; Wherein the front frame (130) further comprises a frontward air outlet (174) through which air is discharged, andthe air discharge panel (170) is configured to move upward or downward on a side of the front frame to selectively screen the frontward air outlet (170)
characterised in that
an air discharge vane (122) is provided on a side of the front frame to open a downward air outlet, the air discharge vane (122) being configured to guide the air discharged downward through the downward air outlet, wherein the frontward air outlet is opened in a state where the air discharge panel (170) is moved upward and the air is exhausted frontward of the indoor unit (100) through the frontward air outlet (174) and downward of the indoor unit (100) through the downward air outlet, and
the frontward air outlet is screened in a state where the air discharge panel (170) is moved downward and the air is guided by the air discharge vane (122) and exhausted downward from the indoor unit (100). - The indoor unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the indoor unit further comprises a front-upper panel (172) installed on the front frame (130) to be movable in a vertical direction and selectively opening a display window (140) coupled to the front frame (130).
- The indoor unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the indoor unit further comprises a front-upper panel (172) installed on the front frame (130) to be movable in a vertical direction and selectively guiding the air introduced frontward or discharged upward.
- The indoor unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the indoor unit further comprises a front panel (160) pivotally provided in front of the front frame (130).
- The indoor unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the indoor unit further comprises a front panel (160) detachably coupled to the front frame (130).
- The indoor unit according to any one of claims 4 and 5, characterized in that the indoor unit further comprises a link member (230) for connecting the front panel (160) to the front frame (130).
- The indoor unit according to claim 6, wherein the front frame (130) includes a link seating portion (210) in which the link member (230) is received; and
a link shaft cover (212) in which one end of the link member is removably fitted. - The indoor unit according to any one of claims 4 and 5, characterized in that the indoor unit further comprises a coupling projection (220) extending from a rear surface of the front panel (160); and
a coupling groove (180) formed on the front frame (130) to receive the coupling projection (220). - The indoor unit according to any one of claims 4 and 5, characterized in that the indoor unit further comprises a supporting projection (222) extending from a rear surface of the front panel (130) and functioning as a pivot axis of the front panel; and
a supporting groove (182) formed on the front frame (130) to receive the supporting projection (222). - The indoor unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the indoor unit further comprises a guide unit (200) allowing for the upward and downward movement of the air discharge panel without being sided in a direction.
- The indoor unit according to claim 10, characterized in that the guide unit (200) is provided by a plurality of guides that are symmetrically disposed.
- The indoor unit according to claim 10, characterized in that the guide unit comprises:a panel guide (204) formed on a rear surface of the air discharge panel; anda frame guide (202) formed on a front surface of the front frame,wherein the air discharge panel slides on the front frame by the combination of the panel guide and the frame guide.
- The indoor unit according to claim 12, characterized in that the panel guide (204) and the frame guide (202) are symmetrically bent and slidably coupled to each other.
- The indoor unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the indoor unit further comprises a remote control signal receiving unit (150) coupled to a bottom of the front frame (130); and
a cover (154) for covering the remote control signal receiving unit. - The indoor unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the indoor unit further comprises an operation switch provided on a side of the casing (102).
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
KR1020050101486A KR101181644B1 (en) | 2005-10-26 | 2005-10-26 | Indoor unit for air conditioner |
KR1020050101485A KR101181545B1 (en) | 2005-10-26 | 2005-10-26 | Indoor unit for air conditioner |
KR1020060004227A KR101250131B1 (en) | 2006-01-16 | 2006-01-16 | Indoor unit for air conditioner |
Publications (3)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP1780474A2 EP1780474A2 (en) | 2007-05-02 |
EP1780474A3 EP1780474A3 (en) | 2009-02-25 |
EP1780474B1 true EP1780474B1 (en) | 2018-01-10 |
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ID=37680579
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP06255384.7A Expired - Fee Related EP1780474B1 (en) | 2005-10-26 | 2006-10-19 | Indoor unit for air conditioner |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP1780474B1 (en) |
AU (1) | AU2006306950B2 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2007049870A2 (en) |
Cited By (1)
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---|---|---|---|---|
CN108870536A (en) * | 2016-10-27 | 2018-11-23 | 三星电子株式会社 | Air-conditioning |
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CN201069238Y (en) * | 2007-07-25 | 2008-06-04 | 珠海格力电器股份有限公司 | Supporting mechanism for panel of indoor unit of air conditioner |
CN103528176A (en) * | 2012-07-06 | 2014-01-22 | 乐金电子(天津)电器有限公司 | Air conditioner panel installing structure |
JP6575599B2 (en) * | 2015-08-24 | 2019-09-18 | 三菱電機株式会社 | Air conditioner indoor unit |
JP6702255B2 (en) * | 2017-04-27 | 2020-05-27 | ダイキン工業株式会社 | Air conditioning indoor unit |
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KR100187231B1 (en) * | 1995-12-30 | 1999-05-01 | 김광호 | Airconditioner and its control method |
JPH11201490A (en) * | 1998-01-20 | 1999-07-30 | Fujitsu General Ltd | Air conditioner |
JP2000121094A (en) * | 1998-10-20 | 2000-04-28 | Fujitsu General Ltd | Air conditioner |
WO2002103248A2 (en) * | 2001-06-19 | 2002-12-27 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Air conditioner |
JP2003130385A (en) * | 2001-10-25 | 2003-05-08 | Sharp Corp | Air conditioner |
BRPI0418587A (en) * | 2004-03-04 | 2007-06-26 | Lg Electronics Inc | indoor unit of an air conditioner |
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2006
- 2006-10-13 AU AU2006306950A patent/AU2006306950B2/en not_active Ceased
- 2006-10-13 WO PCT/KR2006/004127 patent/WO2007049870A2/en active Application Filing
- 2006-10-19 EP EP06255384.7A patent/EP1780474B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
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Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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CN108870536A (en) * | 2016-10-27 | 2018-11-23 | 三星电子株式会社 | Air-conditioning |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
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WO2007049870A2 (en) | 2007-05-03 |
AU2006306950B2 (en) | 2010-08-19 |
EP1780474A2 (en) | 2007-05-02 |
AU2006306950A1 (en) | 2007-05-03 |
EP1780474A3 (en) | 2009-02-25 |
WO2007049870A3 (en) | 2009-07-30 |
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