Indoor unit for air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11969682-B2
Application number	US-202217879969-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2022
Priority date	Mar 7, 2018
Publication date	Apr 30, 2024
Grant date	Apr 30, 2024

Abstract

Disclosed is an indoor unit for an air conditioner. The indoor unit for the air conditioner according to the present invention includes: a cabinet assembly forming an external appearance of the indoor unit and having an air suction port formed in a rear of the cabinet assembly; a filter module disposed at the air suction port to filter dust contained in air being introduced through the air suction port; a filter cleaner configured to move upward and downward in a rear of the filter module to remove foreign substances stuck in the filter module; a guide rail vertically disposed on one side of the filter module and configured to guide upward and downward movement of the filter cleaner, wherein the filter cleaner comprises: a mobile gear configured to rotate while engaged with the guide rail to move the filter cleaner upward and downward with respect to the filter module, a gear motor configured to rotate the mobile gear, an agitator configured to rotate in friction with the filter module, a dust container disposed downward of the agitator and collecting foreign substances separated from the filter module due to the rotation of the agitator, and a guide roller bringing the filter cleaner into close contact with the filter module so that part of the agitator rotates while in contact with the filter module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air conditioner, comprising:
a cabinet assembly forming an external appearance, the cabinet assembly having an air suction port;
a filter assembly disposed at the air suction port to filter particles introduced through the air suction port; and
a filter cleaner assembly configured to remove foreign substances caught in the filter module;
wherein the filter cleaner assembly comprises:
a filter cleaner configured to remove foreign substances of the filter assembly;
a movement guide configured to guide motion of the filter cleaner; and
a power supply device configured to supply power to the filter cleaner, and
the filter cleaner comprises,
a housing defining an exterior design;
a dust container accommodating foreign substances separated from the filter assembly; and
a printed circuit board on which a circuit for controlling operation of the filter cleaner is disposed, and
the dust container is mounted inside the housing through a dust container receiving hole disposed in one side of the housing, and
the printed circuit board is disposed in the opposite side of the side in which the dust container hole is disposed, and

the movement guide comprises,
a guide rail is secured to the cabinet assembly from the outside of the cabinet assembly and configured to guide motion of the filter cleaner by vertically extending in an area in which the filter assembly is disposed; and
a first gear rail is formed in a left portion of the guide rail and a second gear rail is formed in a right portion of the guide rail.

2. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein when the dust container is mounted inside the housing through the duct container inserting hole, an insertion start portion, that is an area first inserted in the dust container receiving hole, has a cross section smaller than a cross section of an insertion end portion that is an area last inserted in the dust container receiving hole.

3. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein when the dust container is mounted in the housing, the dust container comprises an exposed portion exposed from one side of the housing.

4. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the filter cleaner comprises,
an agitator rotatably coupled to the housing and configured to remove foreign substances of the filter assembly; and
a suction fan configured to form air flow to the dust container.

5. The air conditioner of claim 4 , further comprising:
an agitator drive unit configured to rotate the agitator by generating a rotational power,
wherein the agitator drive unit is disposed at a center of the housing with respect to a left-right direction.

6. The air conditioner of claim 5 , wherein the agitator drive unit comprises,
an agitator motor configured to generate a rotational power; and
an agitator gear disposed in one side of the agitator motor and configured to transmit the rotational power of the agitator motor to the agitator, and
the agitator motor is disposed in the other side of the dust container receiving hole and the agitator gear is disposed proximate the dust container receiving hole.

7. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the filter cleaner comprises,
a first motion gear engaging with the first gear rail;
a second motion gear engaging with the second gear rail;
a first gear motor connected with the first motion gear and configured to rotate the first motion gear; and
a second gear motor connected with the second motion gear and configured to rotate the second motion gear in the reverse direction at the same speed as the first motion gear.

8. The air conditioner of claim 7 , wherein the filter cleaner further comprises,
a suction fan configured to form air flow to the dust container,
wherein the first gear motor is disposed behind the first motion gear and
the second gear motor is disposed behind the second motion gear, and
the suction fan is disposed between the first gear motor and the second gear motor.

9. The air conditioner of claim 8 , wherein a first roller rail is formed in a left side of the guide rail and a second roller rail is formed in a left side of the guide rail, and
the filter cleaner comprises,
a first guide roller coming into contact with the first roller rail; and
a second guide roller coming into contact with the second roller rail.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Choi Sunggyu
• Kim Kangyoung
• Lee Eunsun
• Lee Jungwon
• Bae Junseok
• Kang Myeonggu
• Gyeong Giyeong

Classifications

• B01D46/0032

  using electrostatic forces to remove particles, e.g. electret filters · CPC title

• B01D46/0013

  Modules · CPC title

• B01D46/68

  by means acting on the cake side involving movement with regard to the filter elements · CPC title

• B01D46/0002

  Casings; Housings; Frame constructions · CPC title

• B01D46/0008 Primary

  Two or more filter elements not fluidly connected positioned in the same housing · CPC title