Indoor unit for an air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11971070-B2
Application number	US-201916980818-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2019
Priority date	Mar 16, 2018
Publication date	Apr 30, 2024
Grant date	Apr 30, 2024

Abstract

An indoor unit for an air conditioner enables a water tank to be tilted forward by means of a tilting assembly, and thus enables a user to conveniently separate or mount the water tank to the indoor unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An indoor unit for an air conditioner, comprising:
a cabinet assembly including a base;
a water tank disposed at an upper side of the base;
a tilting journal disposed between the base and the water tank to support the water tank, and to provide a tilt axis of the water tank when the water tank tilts;
a supply tilt cover at which the water tank is detachably held, which supports a lower side of the water tank, and which is supported by the tilting journal;
a tilt move gear to support the supply tilt cover and to move a rear of the supply tilt cover in an up-down direction;
a tilt drive gear assembly engaged with the tilt move gear to supply a driving force to the tilt move gear and move the tilt move gear in the up-down direction; and
a tilt motor to supply the driving force to the tilt drive gear assembly,
wherein on the basis of operation of the tilt drive gear assembly, the tilt move gear moves in the up-down direction, and on the basis of the up-down movement of the tilt move gear, the water tank tilts in a front-rear direction with respect to the tilting journal.

2. The indoor unit of claim 1 , further comprising:
a supply support body disposed at the upper side of the base,
wherein the tilting journal is disposed at the supply support body, and the supply tilt cover is disposed at an upper side of the supply support body, and
the supply tilt cover tilts in the front-rear direction with respect to the tilting journal in a state of being supported by the tilting journal.

3. The indoor unit of claim 2 , further comprising:
a tilt part protruding downward from a lower surface of the supply tilt cover and supported by the tilting journal,
wherein the tilting journal protrudes upward from an upper surface of the supply support body, and the tilt part is provided with a groove into which the tilting journal is inserted.

4. The indoor unit of claim 3 , wherein an upper surface of the tilting journal has a curved shape, and the tilt part has an arc shape into which the tilting journal is inserted.

5. The indoor unit of claim 2 , wherein the tilting journal further comprising:
a first tilting journal disposed on a left side of the supply support body to support a lower end on a left side of the supply tilt cover; and
a second tilting journal disposed on a right side of the supply support body to support a lower end on a right side of the supply tilt cover,
wherein the tilt axis of the water tank is formed on an extension line connecting the first tilting journal and the second tilting journal.

6. The indoor unit of claim 5 , wherein a direction in which the first tilting journal and the second tilting journal are disposed is orthogonal to a direction in which the water tank tilts.

7. The indoor unit of claim 5 , further comprising:
an extra supporter rotatably assembled to the supply support body to support a lower surface of the supply tilt cover.

8. The indoor unit of claim 7 , wherein the extra supporter further comprising:
a first extra supporter rotatably assembled to the first tilting journal to support the lower surface of the supply tilt cover; and
a second extra supporter rotatably assembled to the second tilting journal to support the lower surface of the supply tilt cover.

9. The indoor unit of claim 8 , wherein the first tilting journal is provided with a first hollow hole, the second tilting journal is provided with a second hollow hole, the first hollow hole and the second hollow hole are disposed in a left-right direction, and
the first extra supporter is rotatably assembled to the first hollow hole of the first tilting journal and, and the second extra supporter is rotatably assembled to the second hollow of the second tilting journal.

10. The indoor unit of claim 5 , wherein the tilt move gear and the supply tilt cover are integrated, the tilt move gear protrudes further rearward than a back surface of the water tank, and the tilt drive gear assembly is disposed at a rear of the tilt move gear.

11. The indoor unit of claim 5 , wherein the tilt move gear is formed in an arc shape, and a center of curvature of the tilt move gear is disposed to face the tilting journal.

12. The indoor unit of claim 5 , wherein a lower end of the tilt move gear protrudes further downward than the supply support body, and a portion, where the tilt move gear and the tilt drive gear assembly are engaged, is disposed at a height the same as or lower than the tilting journal.

13. The indoor unit of claim 5 , wherein the tilt move gear is disposed between the first tilting journal and the second tilting journal.

14. The indoor unit of claim 5 , further comprising a tilt guide disposed at a structure at a base side to guide a direction of movement of the tilt move gear.

15. The indoor unit of claim 14 , wherein a tilt guide groove is formed along a length-wise direction of the tilt move gear, the tilt guide is inserted into the tilt guide groove, and when the water tank tilts, the tilt guide groove moves along the tilt guide.

16. The indoor unit of claim 15 , wherein the tilt guide groove and the tilt guide are formed into an arc shape, and a center of curvature of the tilt guide groove and the tilt guide is disposed to face the tilting journal.

17. The indoor unit of claim 5 , further comprising a tilt move gear supporter disposed at a structure at a base side to support a lower end of the tilt move gear.

18. The indoor unit of claim 5 , further comprising:
a supply chamber housing disposed at the base, disposed at a lower side of the supply support body to support the supply support body;
a supply chamber disposed inside the supply chamber housing to store water;
a valve insertion hole disposed at an upper side of the supply chamber, which passes through the supply tilt cover in the up-down direction and through which water, discharged from the water tank, passes; and
a middle hole disposed between the valve insertion hole and the supply chamber, which passes through the supply support body in the up-down direction and allowing water, supplied through the valve insertion hole, to flow to the supply chamber,
wherein the water discharged from the water tank passes through the valve insertion hole and the middle hole and is stored in the supply chamber.

19. The indoor unit of claim 18 , further comprising:
a water bellows which is disposed between the supply tilt cover and the supply support body, an upper end of which is fixed to the supply tilt cover, and a lower end of which is fixed to the supply support body,
wherein the valve insertion hole is disposed at an upper side of the water bellows, and the middle hole is disposed at a lower side of the water bellows, and
the water bellows is made of an elastic material and is provided with a supply flow channel to guide water, supplied through the valve insertion hole, to the middle hole.

20. The indoor unit of claim 1 , wherein when viewed laterally, the tilting journal is disposed at a lower side of a center of gravity of the water tank.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Bae Junseok
• Choi Sunggyu
• Kim Kangyoung
• Mun Seongkuk

Classifications

• F16C17/03 Primary

  with tiltably-supported segments, e.g. Michell bearings {(hydrostatic bearings with tiltably supported bearing pads F16C32/0666; made from a plurality of rods F16C33/26; with flexible leaves F16C17/024; hydrodynamic bearings with chambers F16C33/1075)} · CPC title

• F24F1/0087 Primary

  with humidification means · CPC title

• F25D23/006

  for mounting refrigerating machinery components · CPC title

• F16C2362/52

  Compressors of refrigerators, e.g. air-conditioners · CPC title

• F24F6/00

  Air-humidification {, e.g. cooling by humidification} · CPC title