Air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11079119-B2
Application number	US-201815936911-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2018
Priority date	Jul 17, 2015
Publication date	Aug 3, 2021
Grant date	Aug 3, 2021

Abstract

An air conditioner includes a housing comprising an external panel defining an external appearance and having an opening formed at the external panel; a heat exchanger configured to exchange heat with air flowing into the housing; and an air discharge unit configured to discharge air heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger out of the housing. The air discharge unit includes a first discharge unit connected to the opening and discharging air; and a second discharge unit provided at the external panel and discharging air. A method of blowing heat-exchanged air may be changed in accordance with an environment of a user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air conditioner comprising:
a housing;
a heat exchanger configured to exchange heat with air in the housing;
a fan configured to move the heat exchanged air toward an outside of the housing;
a discharge guide unit having a guide body in a cylindrical shape, a guide opening unit which forms a front of the guide body and is disposed at a front of the housing, and a guide groove disposed along a circumference of the guide body, wherein the discharge guide unit comprises:
a first guide body through which the guide groove is formed, and
a second guide body which forms the guide body and is configured to open or close the guide groove by rotation of the first guide body with respect to the second guide body or rotation of the second guide body with respect to the first guide body,

a door configured to open and close the guide opening unit;
wherein the air conditioner operates in a first mode and a second mode to discharge the heat exchanged air through either the guide opening unit or the guide groove:
in the first mode, the door moves away from the guide opening unit to be spaced apart from the guide opening unit to open the guide opening unit so that the discharge guide unit guides the heat exchanged air from the fan to the guide opening unit, and
in the second mode, the door moves toward the guide opening unit to be in contact with the guide opening unit to close the guide opening unit so that the discharge guide unit guides the heat exchanged air from the fan to the guide groove to allow the heat exchanged air to be discharged along the circumference of the guide body through the guide groove of the discharge guide unit.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the air conditioner operates in a third mode where the door moves away from the guide opening unit so that the discharge guide unit guides the heat exchanged air from the fan to allow the heat exchanged air to be discharged through both the guide opening unit and the guide groove.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein in the second mode, the discharge guide unit is configured to be in an open position in which the guide groove is open so that the heat exchanged air is guided to the guide groove, and
in the first mode, the discharge guide unit is configured to be in a closed position in which the guide groove is closed so that the heat exchanged air is guided to the guide opening unit.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 3 , wherein the guide groove is a first guide groove formed on the first guide body, and the second guide body includes a second guide groove that aligns with the first guide groove formed on the first guide body while the discharge guide unit is in the open position.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 3 , wherein in the second mode, the first guide body is rotated so that the guide groove and the second guide body do not overlap in a radial direction of the first guide body to open the guide groove, and
in the first mode, the first guide body is rotated so that the guide groove and the second guide body overlap in the radial direction of the first guide body to close the guide groove.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the first guide body has a cylindrical shape, and the second guide body is disposed outside an outer circumferential surface of the first guide body in a radial direction of the first guide body.

7. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the housing includes an opening, and the guide opening unit is formed at a front of the first guide body and is facing the opening of the housing.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the second guide body is further configured to be slidably moveable along a circumference of the first guide body to open or close the guide groove formed on the first guide body.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the housing includes an opening disposed in front of the fan;
the first guide body forms at least part of an air passage leading from the fan to the opening of the housing.

10. The air conditioner according to claim 9 , wherein the air discharged from the guide groove is discharged in a radial direction of the discharge guide unit.

11. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the first guide body is rotated with respect to the second guide body and the second guide body is rotated with respect to the first guide body while moving toward each other to close the guide groove, and while moving away from each other to open the guide groove.

12. An air conditioner comprising:
a housing having an opening;
a heat exchanger disposed in the housing to exchange heat with air in the housing;
a fan configured to move the heat exchanged air toward an outside of the housing;
a door configured to open or close the opening;
a guide disposed to guide the heat exchanged air from the fan,
wherein the guide comprises:
a first guide body having a plurality of holes through which the heat exchanged air is discharged; and
a second guide body configured to open or close the plurality of holes of the first guide body by rotatable movement of the second guide body with respect to the first guide body or rotatable movement of the first guide body with respect to the second guide body, the first guide body and the second guide body each being in a cylindrical shape,

wherein the guide allows the heat exchanged air to be discharged through the opening or through the plurality of holes.

13. The air conditioner according to claim 12 , wherein the guide is configured to be in an open position in which the plurality of holes are open to guide the heat exchanged air to the plurality of holes, and
the guide is configured to be in a guide position in which the plurality of holes are closed to guide the heat exchanged air to the opening.

14. The air conditioner according to claim 13 , wherein the plurality of holes are formed on the first guide body, and
the second guide body includes a plurality of holes that align with the plurality of the holes formed on the first guide body while the guide is in the open position.

15. The air conditioner according to claim 13 , wherein the first guide body has a front side connected to the opening.

16. The air conditioner of claim 15 , wherein the heat exchanged air is guided to the opening while the guide is in the guide position and the door opens the opening, and
the heat exchanged air is guided through the plurality of holes while the guide is in the open position and the door closes the opening.

17. An air conditioner comprising:
a housing having an opening;
a heat exchanger configured to exchange heat with air in the housing;
a fan configured to move the air to an outside of the housing;
a discharge guide unit having a guide body in a cylindrical shape, a guide opening unit formed at a front of the guide body and facing the opening of the housing, and a guide groove that opens or closes along a circumference of the guide body, wherein the discharge guide unit comprises:
a first guide body through which the guide groove is formed, and
a second guide body which forms the guide body and is configured to open or close the guide groove by rotation of the first guide body with respect to the second guide body or rotation of the second guide body with respect to the first guide body,

a door configured to open and close the guide opening unit;
wherein when the door moves away from the guide opening unit, the door is spaced apart from the guide opening unit to open the guide opening

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jeon Hyun Joo
• Song Woo Seog
• Kim Jong Whal
• Kim Jin Baek
• Yun Yeon-Seob
• Kim Tae Woo
• Seo Eung Ryeol
• Lee Won-Hee
• Jung Chang-Woo
• Ha Jong Kweon

Classifications

• F24F13/12

  built up of sliding members · CPC title

• F24F13/068

  formed as perforated walls, ceilings or floors (F24F13/078 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F24F1/0014 Primary

  having two or more outlet openings · CPC title

• F24F1/005

  mounted on the floor; standing on the floor · CPC title

• F24F1/00

  Room units for air-conditioning, e.g. separate or self-contained units or units receiving primary air from a central station · CPC title