Air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11867425-B2
Application number	US-202117144495-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2021
Priority date	Jan 10, 2020
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

Disclosed is an air conditioner including a main body, a panel assembly configured to cover a front surface of the main body and coupled to the main body, and a cam assembly including a cam and disposed below the panel assembly, wherein the cam includes a cam contact surface formed along a rotation direction of the cam, the cam contact surface includes a first contact portion and a second contact portion formed to be in contact with the panel assembly at different heights, and the panel assembly is configured to be detachable from the main body by moving up and down with the rotation of the cam.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air conditioner comprising:
a main body;
a panel assembly, coupled to the main body, to cover a front surface of the main body; and
a cam assembly below the panel assembly and comprising a cam having a cam contact surface with a first contact portion and a second contact portion, wherein
the first contact portion is farther from a rotation axis of the cam than the second contact portion so that the cam is rotatable between
a first state in which the first contact portion contacts the panel assembly so that the panel assembly is in an ascended position in which the panel assembly is fixable to the main body, and
a second state in which the second contact portion contacts the panel assembly so that the panel assembly is in a descended position, lower than the ascended position, in which the panel assembly is separable from the main body,

when the cam is rotated from the first state to the second state, contact of the cam contact surface with panel assembly causes the panel assembly to move from the ascended position to the descended position, and
when the cam is rotated from the second state to the first state, contact of the cam contact surface with the panel assembly causes the panel assembly to move from the descended position to the ascended position.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein
the rotation axis of the cam is parallel to ground, and
the cam assembly is configured to be detachable from the main body from in front of the main body.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein
the panel assembly comprises a lower hook formed at a lower end of the panel assembly,
the main body comprises a lower hook groove formed at a position corresponding to the lower hook of the main body so that the lower hook is caught on the lower hook groove, and
the lower hook is configured so as to not be separated from the lower hook groove when the panel assembly moves from the descended position to the ascended position by the rotation of the cam from the second state to the first state.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein
the cam assembly further comprises a cam fixing frame and a cam handle disposed on a front surface of the cam fixing frame,
the cam is disposed on a rear surface of the cam fixing frame, and
the cam handle and the cam are coupled to each other with the cam fixing frame therebetween.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 4 , wherein
the cam fixing frame comprises a handle seating groove formed on the front surface of the cam fixing frame to correspond to a shape of the cam handle, and
a rim of the cam handle is formed to be seated in the handle seating groove.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 5 , wherein
the cam fixing frame further comprises a stopper formed in the handle seating groove,
the cam handle comprises a protrusion protruding from the rim, and
the protrusion is configured to restrict the rotation of the cam by being caught on the stopper.

7. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , further comprising
a cam assembly cover disposed in front of the cam assembly and coupled to the cam assembly to cover the cam assembly.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 7 , wherein
the panel assembly further comprises a sliding magnet mounted on an upper end of the panel assembly, and
the main body comprises a sliding plate provided at a position of the main body corresponding to the sliding magnet and configured such that the sliding magnet slides while being in contact with the sliding plate by a magnetic force.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 7 , wherein
the panel assembly further comprises a lead magnet mounted on the panel assembly, and
the main body comprises a reed switch provided at a position of the main body corresponding to the lead magnet and configured to stop rotation of a fan of the aft conditioner when the panel assembly is separated from the main body.

10. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein
the panel assembly comprises an upper hook comprising a body protruding from the panel assembly toward a rear of the panel assembly and configured to be inserted into an upper hook groove formed at a position of the main body corresponding to the upper hook, and
the upper hook is configured such that, when the panel assembly moves from the descended position to the ascended position by the rotation of the cam from the second state to the first state, the upper hook is caught on the upper hook groove.

11. The aft conditioner according to claim 10 , wherein
the panel assembly further comprises a panel frame corresponding to a shape of the front surface of the main body, and a front cover disposed in front of the panel frame to be coupled to the panel frame and configured to cover electric components and a fan inside the main body so that the electric components and the fan are not visible from outside the air conditioner, and
the upper hook is configured to protrude from the panel frame.

12. The air conditioner according to claim 10 , wherein
the upper hook comprises a locking portion protruding upward from one end of the body.

13. The air conditioner according to claim 12 , wherein
the upper hook comprises a first upper hook and a second upper hook,
the first upper hook is positioned above the second upper hook on the panel assembly, and
a protruding height of the locking portion of the first upper hook is provided lower than a protruding height of the locking portion of the second upper hook.

14. The air conditioner according to claim 13 , wherein
the upper hook groove is formed to a height corresponding to the upper hook so that the upper hook is inserted into the upper hook groove without the locking portion being caught on the upper hook groove.

15. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein
the panel assembly further comprises a cam friction pad provided in a region where a lower end of the panel assembly and the cam contact surface are in contact with each other, and protruding from the panel assembly toward the cam, and
the cam friction pad is configured to be detachable from the panel assembly.

16. An air conditioner comprising:
a main frame disposed on a front surface of a main body of the air conditioner;
a fan provided inside the main body;
a cam assembly comprising a cam and disposed at a lower end of the main frame; and
a panel positioned above the cam assembly to be in contact with the cam and configured to cover the front surface so that the fan is not visible from outside the air conditioner,
wherein
the cam has a cam contact surface with a first contact portion and a second contact portion
the first contact portion is spaced apart from a rotation axis of the cam by a first distance, and the second contact portion is spaced apart from the rotation axis by a second distance that is less than the first distance, so that the cam is rotatable between
a first state in which the first contact portion contacts the panel so that the panel is in an ascended position in which the panel is fixable to the main body, and
a second state in which the second contact portion contacts the panel so that the panel is in a descended position, lower than the ascended position, in which the panel is separable from the main body,

when the cam is rotated from the first state to the second state, contact of the cam contact surface with panel causes the panel to move from the ascended position to the descended position, and
when the cam is rotated from the second state to the first state, contact of the cam

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chun Sunghyun
• Kwon Junseok
• Kim Jihong
• Shin Moonsun
• Lee Wonhee
• Lee Changsik
• Jung Jaerim
• Jung Changwoo
• Cho Seoyoung

Classifications

• F24F13/20 Primary

  Casings or covers · CPC title

• F16H25/14

  with reciprocation perpendicular to the axis of rotation (crank or eccentric gearings without swinging connecting-rod F16H21/36) · CPC title

• F24F1/005 Primary

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

• F24F13/084

  with mounting arrangements, e.g. snap fasteners for mounting to the wall or duct · CPC title

• F24F1/0007

  Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units (self-contained units F24F1/02) · CPC title