Indoor unit of air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10309683-B2
Application number	US-201615233555-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 10, 2016
Priority date	Aug 11, 2015
Publication date	Jun 4, 2019
Grant date	Jun 4, 2019

Abstract

An inside unit of an air conditioner that includes a cabinet that accommodates a fan and a heat exchanger, a front panel mounted on an open surface of the cabinet and forming an inlet port through which inside air is suctioned into a depressed inside area and a panel outlet port through which heat-exchanged air is discharged, a vane provided on the panel outlet port and controlling opening degree of the panel outlet port by the rotation, an air guide that extends along an outside end of the panel outlet port and is formed of a heat insulating material, a slide preventing protrusion that protrudes from the front panel in which the air guide is mounted, and a protrusion accommodating groove depressed in the bottom surface of the air guide corresponding to the slide preventing protrusion and the slide preventing protrusion is received in the protrusion accommodating groove.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An inside unit of an air conditioner, comprising:
a cabinet housing a fan and a heat exchanger;
a front panel attached at an opening of the cabinet, the front panel forming an inlet port through which inside air is suctioned into a depressed inner side area, and an outlet port through which heat-exchanged air is discharged;
a vane provided at the outlet port to control an opening degree of the outlet port;
an air guide that extends along an outer side end of the outlet port;
a slide preventing protrusion that protrudes from the front panel in which the air guide is mounted; and
a protrusion accommodating groove formed at the bottom surface of the air guide to accommodate the slide preventing protrusion,
wherein a side wall supporting a surface of the air guide is formed on the front panel,
a coupling groove is formed on the side wall, and
a coupling protrusion protruding from the air guide is inserted in the coupling groove.

2. The inside unit of the air conditioner of claim 1 ,
wherein more than one slide preventing protrusion is formed to protrude along an end of the outlet port.

3. The inside unit of the air conditioner of claim 1 ,
wherein the air guide includes a guide surface that is curved to guide a flow of the air to the outlet port.

4. The inside unit of the air conditioner of claim 1 ,
wherein the coupling protrusion protrudes further than a depth of the coupling groove and separates the side wall and the air guide.

5. The inside unit of the air conditioner of claim 1 , further comprising:
a protrusion portion formed on the front panel, the protrusion portion protruding toward an inward direction along a longitudinal direction of the outlet port; and
a seating portion formed on a lower surface of the air guide, the seating portion having a depressed shape that is configured to accommodate the protrusion portion.

6. The inside unit of the air conditioner of claim 5 ,
wherein a lower surface of the seating portion includes a stepped portion that forms a space between the front panel and the air guide.

7. The inside unit of the air conditioner of claim 1 , further comprising:
a case seating portion that is formed at opposite ends of the air guide, the case seating portion configured to accommodate a vane motor case.

8. The inside unit of the air conditioner of claim 1 , further comprising:
a mounting bracket provided at an outer side surface of the cabinet;
an installation device coupled to the mounting bracket;
a grille accommodating portion forming a panel opening formed to be depressed in the front panel, and through which the inside air is suctioned into the depressed inner side area;
a suction grille to open and close the grille accommodating portion, the suction grille forming the inlet port; and
an access hole that is opened at the grille accommodating portion so that the mounting bracket is exposed.

9. The inside unit of the air conditioner of claim 8 , wherein the access hole is located on a longitudinally extending line of the mounting bracket.

10. The inside unit of the air conditioner of claim 8 , wherein the grille accommodating portion includes an edge portion that extends toward the mounting bracket along the perimeter of the access hole.

11. The inside unit of the air conditioner of claim 1 , further comprising:
a drain pan assembly provided at an inner side of the cabinet, the drain pan assembly forming an air flow passage and collecting condensed water generated at the heat exchanger; and
an orifice member provided at the drain pan assembly, the orifice member forming a passage for the suctioned air to flow toward the fan.

12. The inside unit of the air conditioner of claim 1 , further comprising:
a drain pan assembly provided at an inner side of the cabinet, the drain pan assembly forming an air flow passage and collecting condensed water generated at the heat exchanger;
a panel opening provided at a center of the front panel;
a suction grille configured to open and close the panel opening and forming the inlet port; and
a control box provided at the inner side of the cabinet and exposed to the panel opening.

13. The inside unit of the air conditioner of claim 12 , further comprising:
a control box accommodating portion to accommodate the control box, the control box accommodating portion being formed in the drain pan assembly proximate a side surface of the cabinet.

14. The inside unit of the air conditioner of claim 12 , wherein a length of the control box is shorter than a width of the panel opening such that the control box is exposed through the panel opening.

15. The inside unit of the air conditioner of claim 12 , wherein the control box comprises:
a box case to accommodate a printed circuit board, and
a box cover rotatably mounted on the box case and configured to be opened through the panel opening.

16. The inside unit of the air conditioner of claim 15 , further comprising:
a box coupling protrusion formed at an upper end of the box case, the box coupling protrusion protruding inward, and
a cover coupling port formed at the box cover in which the box coupling protrusion is inserted,
wherein the box coupling protrusion is formed at an edge bent from a side end of the box cover.

17. The inside unit of the air conditioner of claim 16 ,
wherein the box coupling protrusion includes an extending portion extended from the box case and bent to be stepped upward, and a restriction portion protruding from an end of the extending portion to both sides thereof, and
wherein the cover coupling port includes an upper opening portion and a lower opening portion, whereby a width of the upper opening portion is greater than a width of the extending portion and less than a width of the restriction portion, and a width of the lower opening portion is greater than a width of the restriction portion.

18. The inside unit of the air conditioner of claim 12 , further comprising:
a hinge connected to the suction grille and the front panel, the hinge being configured to rotate the suction grille.

19. The inside unit of the air conditioner of claim 17 , further comprising:
a restriction device provided at the suction grille, the restriction device configured so as to be manipulated to selectively release the suction grille from the front panel,
wherein the restriction device is at least partially exposed to the outside of the suction grille.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Choi Byeonggeol
• Kim Youngjoong
• Park Joseph
• Park Jongwook
• Lee Jungjig

Classifications

• F24F2013/1433

  with electric motors · CPC title

• F24F2001/0037

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F24F13/20

  Casings or covers · CPC title

• F24F1/0014

  having two or more outlet openings · CPC title

• F24F13/24

  Means for preventing or suppressing noise · CPC title