Outdoor device of an air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10488058-B2
Application number	US-201514985886-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2015
Priority date	Dec 31, 2014
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

An outdoor device of an air conditioner is provided and may include a top cover that forms an upper surface of the outdoor device and provided with at least one discharge port through which air may be discharged, at least one fan provided under the top cover, and at least one shroud that accommodates the fan and that connects with the discharge port. A transverse width of the at least one shroud that passes through side surfaces of the at least one shroud and the at least one fan may be constant from an inlet port of the shroud to an outlet part. A cross sectional area of the outlet port may gradually increase toward the at least one discharge port.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An outdoor device of an air conditioner, comprising:
a top cover that forms an upper surface of the outdoor device and provided with at least one discharge port through which air is discharged;
at least one fan provided under the top cover; and
at least one shroud that accommodates the at least one fan and that communicates with the at least one discharge port, wherein the at least one fan is fully located within the at least one shroud, wherein the at least one shroud includes a linear portion that forms a space that accommodates the at least one fan at an area between an upper end and a lower end of a blade of the at least one fan and extends from an inlet portion including an inlet port to an expanded portion including an outlet port, wherein a transverse width of the at least one shroud that passes through left and right side surfaces of the at least one shroud and a center of the at least one fan is constant in the linear portion, wherein a cross sectional area of the expanded portion gradually increases toward the outlet port of the at least one shroud, and wherein, based on centers of the left and right side surfaces of the at least one shroud, a front half and a rear half of the at least one shroud are gradually curved and expand outward toward upper sides of the at least one shroud.

2. The outdoor device according to claim 1 , wherein, based on centers of the left and right side surfaces of the at least one shroud, a front half and a rear half of the at least one shroud near corners of the top cover are curved more than the centers of the left and right side surfaces of the at least one shroud.

3. The outdoor device according to claim 1 , wherein the inlet portion is a contracted portion that forms the inlet port of the at least one shroud and has a cross sectional area that gradually decreases upward toward the linear portion.

4. The outdoor device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one shroud further includes a plurality of reinforcing ribs provided at a circumferential surface of the at least one shroud that protrudes outward.

5. The outdoor device according to claim 4 , wherein the plurality of reinforcing ribs include a plurality of vertical reinforcing ribs that connect the outlet port of the at least one shroud and the inlet port of the at least one shroud and are provided at regular intervals along a circumference of the shroud.

6. The outdoor device according to claim 5 , wherein the plurality of reinforcing ribs further include a horizontal reinforcing rib provided along the circumference of the at least one shroud that crosses the plurality of vertical reinforcing ribs.

7. The outdoor device according to claim 1 , further including a recessed portion along a perimeter of the outdoor device that is recessed on an upper surface of the top cover, wherein the at least one discharge port is provided in the recessed portion.

8. The outdoor device according to claim 7 , further including a discharge grille that covers the at least one discharge port and is installed in the recessed portion.

9. The outdoor device according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one discharge port has a diameter larger than a diameter of the at least one fan and contacts a perimeter of the recessed portion.

10. An air conditioner including the outdoor device according to claim 1 .

11. An outdoor device of an air conditioner, comprising:
a top cover that forms an upper surface of the outdoor device;
a plurality of fans provided in parallel under the top cover;
a plurality of discharge ports provided in the top cover that correspond to the plurality of fans;
a plurality of shrouds that accommodate the plurality of fans, respectively, and that communicates with the plurality of discharge ports, wherein each of the plurality of shrouds includes at least one linear section that contacts an adjacent shroud, and another section having a cross sectional area that gradually increases towards a corresponding discharge port of the plurality of discharge ports.

12. The outdoor device according to claim 11 , further including a plurality of chassis frames that couples to inner side surfaces of a front panel and a rear panel of the outdoor device to support the plurality of fans.

13. The outdoor device according to claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of shrouds includes a shroud installation portion formed at a front surface and a rear surface of the respective shroud and that corresponds with the plurality of chassis frames in order to couple to the plurality of chassis frames.

14. The outdoor device according to claim 11 , wherein the cross sectional area of each of the plurality of shrouds includes:
a vertical linear portion that forms a space that accommodates the respective fan at an area between an upper end and a lower end of a blade of the respective fan;
a contracted portion that forms a section from an inlet port of the shroud to the vertical linear portion and has a cross sectional area that gradually decreases toward the vertical linear portion; and
an expanded portion that forms a section from the vertical linear portion to an outlet port of the shroud and has a cross sectional area that gradually increases toward the outlet port of the shroud.

15. The outdoor device according to claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of shrouds includes a side surface provided at two side surfaces of the shroud and including a flat surface that faces and contacts a side surface of the outdoor device or a side surface of the adjacent shroud.

16. The outdoor device according to claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of shrouds includes a side surface provided at two side surfaces of the shroud and that contacts with the adjacent shroud and an outer panel that forms an outer surface of the outdoor device.

17. The outdoor device according to claim 16 , wherein the side surface is formed so that a curved portion of an outer surface of the shroud has a cross section that is in parallel with the outer panel.

18. The outdoor device according to claim 16 , wherein the side surface includes a contact rib that protrudes further than an outer end of an outlet port of the shroud and contacts a side surface of the outdoor device or the adjacent shroud.

19. The outdoor device according to claim 18 , wherein the contact rib includes a first contact rib that extends in a horizontal direction of the shroud and a second contact rib that crosses the first contact rib.

20. An air conditioner including the outdoor device according to claim 11 .

21. An outdoor device of an air conditioner, comprising:
a top cover and provided with at least one air discharge port;
at least one fan provided under the top cover; and
at least one shroud that accommodates the at least one fan and that communicates with the at least one air discharge port, wherein the at least one shroud includes:
a linear portion that accommodates the at least one fan at an area between an upper end and a lower end of a blade of the at least one fan;
a contracted portion that forms an inlet port of the at least one shroud and includes a cross sectional area that gradually decreases upward toward the linear portion; and
an expanded portion that forms an outlet port of the at least one shroud and includes a cross sectional area that gradually increases upward from the linear portion, wherein the at least one fan is fully located within the at least one shroud, wherein a transverse width of the at least one shroud that passes through the linea

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kwon Sangyoung
• Lee Jaewan
• Koo Kyomin

Classifications

• F24F1/38 Primary

  Fan details of outdoor units, e.g. bell-mouth shaped inlets or fan mountings · CPC title

• F24F1/40

  Vibration or noise prevention at outdoor units (for outdoor units compressors F24F1/12) · CPC title

• F24F1/50

  with outlet air in upward direction · CPC title

• F24F2221/16

  mounted on the roof · CPC title

• F24F1/56

  Casing or covers of separate outdoor units, e.g. fan guards · CPC title