Air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11149967-B2
Application number	US-201615209098-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2016
Priority date	Jul 17, 2015
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 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 having a discharge plate and a rear panel;
a heat exchanger to exchange heat with air flowing into the housing;
a fan configured to discharge the heat exchanged air out of the housing;
a flow path forming frame disposed inside the housing along a vertical direction of the housing to separate the inside of the housing between the discharge plate and the rear panel; and
a discharge guide unit disposed between the flow path forming frame and the discharge plate to guide the heat exchanged air from the fan, the discharge guide unit including a guide body, a guide opening unit facing an opening of the discharge plate and a guide groove formed 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,

wherein the discharge plate is disposed to form a flow path together with the flow path forming frame and the discharge guide unit,
wherein the opening of the discharge plate and the guide opening unit are openable and closeable by a door and configured to discharge the heat exchanged air out of the housing, wherein the discharge plate includes a plurality of discharge holes configured to discharge the heat exchanged air out of the housing,
and wherein the flow path includes a first flow path through which the heat exchanged air flows through the guide opening unit and a second flow path through which the heat exchanged air flows through the guide groove.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanged air from the fan is discharged through at least one of the opening and the plurality of discharge holes.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanged air from the fan is
discharged through the opening when the opening is opened by the door, and
discharged through the plurality of discharge holes when the opening is closed by the door.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge guide unit is configured to allow the heat exchanged air flowing through the plurality of discharge holes to branch off from the discharge guide unit through the guide groove.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 1 ,
wherein the guide opening unit is configured to form the first flow path in which the heat exchanged air from the fan flows toward the opening of the discharge plate, and
wherein the guide groove is configured to form the second flow path to allow the heat exchanged air in the guide body to flow toward the plurality of discharge holes.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 5 , wherein the guide groove is among a plurality of guide grooves that are spaced apart from each other along a circumference of the guide body.

7. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge plate has a discharge region through which the heat exchanged air is discharged out of the housing through the opening and the plurality of discharge holes, respectively.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the fan is among a plurality of fans,
the opening of the discharge plate is among a plurality of openings respectively corresponding to the plurality of fans, and
when at least one of the plurality of openings is closed, the heat exchanged air flowing toward the closed opening is discharged through the plurality of discharge holes.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 8 , wherein the plurality of discharge holes and the plurality of openings are parallel to the rear panel.

10. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the flow path forming frame comprises a grille through which the heat exchanged air from the fan passes and at which the fan is mounted.

11. The air conditioner according to claim 10 , wherein the discharge guide unit is connected to the opening of the discharge plate at one end and connected to a circumference of the grille at the other end.

12. An air conditioner comprising:
a housing having a discharge plate and a rear panel;
a heat exchanger disposed in the housing, the heat exchanger to exchange heat with air flowing into the housing;
a fan configured to discharge the heat exchanged air out of the housing;
a flow path forming frame disposed inside the housing along a vertical direction of the housing to separate the inside of the housing between the discharge plate and the rear panel to thereby define a space accommodating the heat exchanged air discharged by the fan;
a discharge guide unit disposed between the flow path forming frame and the discharge plate to guide the heat exchanged air flowing from the fan, the discharge guide unit including a guide body,

a guide opening unit facing an opening of the discharge plate and a guide groove 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,

and wherein the discharge plate is disposed to form the space together with the flow path forming frame,
wherein the opening of the discharge plate is openable and closeable by a door,
wherein the discharge plate includes a plurality of discharge holes through which the heat exchanged air from the space is discharged, and
wherein the discharge guide unit guides the heat exchanged air from the space formed by the discharge plate and the flow path forming frame to flow through the guide groove while the door closes the opening of the discharge plate, and guides the heat exchanged air to flow through the guide opening unit while the door opens the opening of the discharge plate.

13. The air conditioner according to claim 12 , wherein the discharge plate has a discharge region through which the heat exchanged air is discharged out of the housing through the opening and the plurality of discharge holes, respectively.

14. The air conditioner according to claim 12 , wherein the opening of the discharge plate is disposed in front of the fan to correspond to the fan, and
the heat exchanged air discharged from the fan is discharged through at least one of the opening and the plurality of discharge holes.

15. The air conditioner according to claim 12 ,
wherein the guide opening unit is configured to form a discharge flow path in which the heat exchanged air discharged from the fan flows toward the opening of the discharge plate; and
wherein the guide groove is formed to allow the heat exchanged air branching off from the discharge flow path to flow toward the plurality of discharge holes via the space.

16. An air conditioner comprising:
a housing having a discharge plate and a rear panel;
a heat exchanger disposed inside a housing, the heat exchanger to exchange heat with air flowing into the housing;
a fan disposed in the housing to discharge the heat exchanged air out of the housing; and
a discharge guide unit to guide the heat exchanged air from the fan, the discharge guide unit including a guide body, and a guide opening unit facing an opening of the discharge plate and a guide groove along a circumference of the guide body,
wherein t

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