Indoor unit of an air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12372253-B2
Application number	US-201916978555-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2019
Priority date	Mar 7, 2018
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

A door cover assembly closes a front discharge port when a fan assembly is not operated and allows the door cover assembly to move out of the front discharge port, and the front discharge port opens when the fan assembly is operated, and a fan housing assembly can protrude out of a door assembly by means of an actuator when the front discharge port is opened.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An indoor unit of an air conditioner, comprising: a case defining a suction inlet and a discharge outlet to communicate an inner space of the case with an indoor space; a fan housing disposed in the case and comprising a fan to flow air, the fan housing including a rear fan housing and a front fan housing, the fan disposed in front of the rear fan housing and the front fan housing disposed in front of the fan; an actuator to move the fan housing towards the discharge outlet; a grill tiltably disposed in front of the front fan housing, and movable to have at least a portion thereof out of the discharge outlet based on an operation of the actuator and guide air expelled by the fan outside the discharge outlet; and at least a portion of a steering assembly disposed between the front fan housing and the grill to push or pull the grill to tilt the grill, the steering assembly configured to tilt the grill with respect to the front of the front fan housing, the steering assembly including: a joint assembly coupled to the grill to provide a tilting center axis, a steering base disposed at the fan housing and disposed at a rear side of the grill, wherein the joint assembly is rotatably assembled to each of the steering base and the grill, a first steering assembly disposed at the steering base or a structure of the fan housing, rotatably assembled to the grill, and to push or pull a first position of the grill and to tilt the grill with respect to the joint assembly; and a second steering assembly disposed at the steering base or a structure of the fan housing, rotatably assembled to the grill, and to push or pull a second position of the grill, that is different from the first position, and tilt the grill with respect to the joint assembly, wherein the actuator is configured to move the fan housing linearly forward in order for the grill to be in a projection state in which a front end of the grill protrudes forward from a front surface of the case through the discharge outlet and move the fan housing linearly rearward in order for the grill to be in a state in which the front end of the grill is disposed in the case.

2. The indoor unit of the air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is configured to move the fan housing forward so that a half of an outer surface of the grill is disposed out of the discharge outlet when the grill is in the projection state.

3. The indoor unit of the air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is configured to move the fan housing forward so that a rear end of the grill is disposed behind a front surface of the case when the grill is in the projection state.

4. The indoor unit of the air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein, when the steering assembly maximizes tilting of the grill, a rear end of an outer surface of the grill is disposed behind the front surface of the case.

5. The indoor unit of the air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein, when the steering assembly maximizes the tilting of the grill, all of the front end of an outer surface of the grill is disposed in front of the discharge outlet.

6. The indoor unit of the air conditioner of claim 1 ,
wherein, when viewed from the front, the discharge outlet has a circular shape and the grill has a circular shape with a smaller diameter than a diameter of the discharge outlet, and
a center of the grill is disposed on a central axis passing the discharge outlet in a forward and rearward direction.

7. The indoor unit of the air conditioner of claim 1 ,
wherein the case comprises:
a front panel comprising the discharge outlet; and
a cabinet disposed at a rear side of the front panel and coupled to the front panel to provide the inner space.

8. The indoor unit of the air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is configured to move the fan housing forward so that a front end of the fan housing is disposed at the front panel in order for the grill to be in the projection state.

9. The indoor unit of the air conditioner of claim 1 , further comprising a door cover assembly disposed at the front panel, movable along the front panel, and configured to open and close the discharge outlet.

10. The indoor unit of the air conditioner of claim 9 , wherein, in the projection state, the door cover assembly is disposed below the grill.

11. The indoor unit of the air conditioner of claim 9 , wherein, in the projection state, the fan housing is disposed at the front panel and the door cover assembly is disposed below the fan housing.

12. The indoor unit of the air conditioner of claim 9 , wherein the door cover assembly is disposed in front of the grill to close the discharge outlet.

13. The indoor unit of the air conditioner of claim 12 , wherein the door cover assembly and the grill are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in a forward and rearward direction.

14. The indoor unit of the air conditioner of claim 9 , wherein, in the projection state, at least a portion of the steering assembly is disposed at the front panel.

15. The indoor unit of the air conditioner of claim 1 , further comprising a guide housing disposed in the case, in which the fan housing is movable in a forward and rearward direction, and guides movement of the fan housing based on the operation of the actuator,
wherein, in the projection state, a rear end of the fan housing is disposed behind a front end of a side wall of the guide housing.

16. The indoor unit of the air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the joint assembly comprises: a first joint bracket assembled to the grill; a second joint bracket assembled to the steering base; and a cross axle rotatably assembled to the first joint bracket through a first rotary shaft and rotatably assembled to the second joint bracket through a second rotary shaft; wherein the first rotary shaft intersects with the second rotary shaft; and the first joint bracket is rotated in a first direction with respect to the first rotary shaft and the second joint bracket is rotated in a second direction with respect to the second rotary shaft.

17. The indoor unit of the air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the case comprises: a front panel including the discharge outlet; and a cabinet disposed at a rear side of the front panel and coupled to the front panel to provide an inner space, and the joint assembly is disposed at the front panel in the projection state.

18. The indoor unit of the air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the first steering assembly is disposed above or below a central axis and the second assembly is disposed on the left side or the right side of the central axis, and the central axis is a central axis passing the discharge outlet in a forward and rearward direction, in the projection state.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Bae Junseok
• Kim Kangyoung
• Kim Hakjae
• Lee Eunsun
• 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