Indoor unit of an air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12331939-B2
Application number	US-202318387335-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2023
Priority date	Mar 7, 2018
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

A front end of a steering grill from which air is discharged protrudes further than the front surface of a door assembly, and the steering grill is steered by a steering assembly, and thus conditioned air may be provided by a directed air movement to a long-distance target region, and since the front end of the steering grill protrudes further than the front surface of the door assembly, the occurrence of flow resistance as a result of a cabinet assembly or the door assembly interfering with the discharged air may be minimized, and the direction of the steering grill may be instantly changed, by means of steering, from any one direction to another among up, down, left, right, upper left, lower left, upper right, or lower right.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air conditioner comprising:
a casing having a suction inlet and a discharge outlet defined therein communicating an inner space of the casing with an indoor space;
a grill configured to adjust a discharge direction of air discharged to the discharge outlet;
a fan housing disposed in rear of the grill;
a fan configured to flow air introduced through the suction inlet;
a fan motor configured to rotate the fan; and
a tilting assembly disposed between the fan housing and the grill and configured to tilt the grill,
wherein the tilting assembly includes:
a first steering assembly configured to push or pull a first point located above or under a central axis of the grill to tilt the grill around the central axis of the grill, and/or a second steering assembly configured to push or pull a second point located at a left or right side around the central axis of the grill to tilt the grill around the central axis of the grill; and
a joint assembly tiltably coupled to the grill and providing a tilting center,
wherein the tilting center coincides with the central axis,
wherein the first steering assembly is installed on a structure of the fan housing, and
wherein the fan housing includes:
a rear fan housing having a fan suction inlet defined therein; and
a front fan housing disposed in front of the rear fan housing and coupled to the rear fan housing, wherein the front fan housing includes a motor installation portion on which the fan motor is installed.

2. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the first steering assembly includes:
a steering body installed on the structure of the fan housing;
a steering actuator coupled to the steering body;
a moving rack movably coupled to the steering body and movable based on an operation of the steering actuator; and
an adjust assembly coupled to each of the moving rack and the grill so as to be rotatable relative thereto.

3. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the first steering assembly is disposed in front of the fan motor.

4. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the fan motor includes a motor mount coupled to the motor installation portion,
wherein the first steering assembly is installed on the motor mount.

5. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the first steering assembly is installed on the front fan housing.

6. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the fan is disposed between the front fan housing and the rear fan housing,
wherein the fan motor is disposed in front of the front fan housing.

7. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein a rotary shaft of the fan motor coincides with the central axis.

8. The air conditioner of claim 1 ,
wherein the second steering assembly is installed on a structure of the fan housing.

9. An air conditioner comprising:
a casing having a suction inlet and a discharge outlet defined therein communicating an inner space of the casing with an indoor space;
a grill configured to control a discharge direction of air discharged to the discharge outlet;
a fan housing disposed in rear of the grill;
a fan configured to flow air introduced through the suction inlet;
a fan motor configured to rotate the fan; and
a tilting assembly disposed between the fan housing and the grill and configured to tilt the grill,
wherein the tilting assembly includes:
a joint assembly tiltably coupled to the grill and providing a tilting center; and
a steering assembly configured to push or pull a point of the grill spaced apart from the tilting center to tilt the grill,
wherein the steering assembly is installed on a structure of the fan housing, and
wherein the fan housing includes:
a rear fan housing having a fan suction inlet defined therein; and
a front fan housing disposed in front of the rear fan housing and coupled to the rear fan housing, wherein the front fan housing includes a motor installation portion on which the fan motor is installed.

10. The air conditioner of claim 9 , wherein the steering assembly includes:
a steering body installed on the structure of the fan housing;
a steering actuator coupled to the steering body;
a moving rack movably coupled to the steering body and movable based on an operation of the steering actuator; and
an adjust assembly coupled to each of the moving rack and the grill so as to be rotatable relative thereto.

11. The air conditioner of claim 9 , wherein the steering assembly is disposed in front of the fan motor.

12. The air conditioner of claim 9 , wherein the fan motor includes a motor mount coupled to the motor installation portion,
wherein the steering assembly is installed on the motor mount.

13. The air conditioner of claim 9 , wherein the steering assembly is installed on the front fan housing.

14. The air conditioner of claim 9 , wherein the fan is disposed between the front fan housing and the rear fan housing,
wherein the fan motor is disposed in front of the front fan housing.

15. The air conditioner of claim 9 , wherein a rotary shaft of the fan motor coincides with the tilting center.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Mun Seongkuk
• Bae Junseok
• Lee Eunsun
• Kim Kangyoung
• Kim Hakjae
• Lee Taeyun

Classifications

• F24F2013/146

  with springs · CPC title

• F24F2013/1446

  with gearings · CPC title

• F24F13/1426

  characterised by actuating means · CPC title

• F24F13/082

  Grilles, registers or guards · CPC title

• F24F1/0029

  Axial fans · CPC title