Air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12422149-B2
Application number	US-202217981952-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2022
Priority date	Jan 6, 2022
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

An air conditioner includes a heat exchanger, a fan and a fan case in which the fan is accommodated. The fan case includes an inlet opening through which air sucked by the fan enters the fan and an outlet opening through which the air that entered the fan is blown by the fan to be discharged from the fan case. An air guide is spaced from a lower end portion of the outlet opening to form a gap through which the air flows to guide the air to a down direction. The air guide includes an inclined portion inclined downward toward an outer side in a lateral direction to guide air to the lateral direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air conditioner comprising:
a heat exchanger;
a fan;
a fan case in which the fan is accommodated, and including an inlet opening through which air sucked by the fan enters the fan and an outlet opening through which the air that entered the fan is blown by the fan to be discharged from the fan case; and
an air guide spaced from a lower end portion of the outlet opening in a flow direction of the air blown through the outlet opening to form a gap between the lower end portion of the outlet opening and the air guide through which a portion of the air blown through the outlet opening flows in a down direction and is then guided by the air guide toward the heat exchanger, and including an inclined portion inclined downward from a lateral center of the outlet opening toward both lateral directions of the outlet opening to guide a portion of the air blown through the outlet opening that does not flow through the gap in the lateral directions to the heat exchanger.

2. The air conditioner of claim 1 , further comprising:
a guide duct including the air guide and configured to guide the air blown through the outlet opening to the heat exchanger.

3. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the air guide includes:
a first guide surface to guide the portion of air blown through the outlet opening that does not flow through the gap toward the heat exchanger; and
a second guide surface opposite to the first guide surface and configured to guide the portion of the air that flows through the gap toward the heat exchanger.

4. The air conditioner of claim 3 , wherein the first guide surface and the second guide surface are curved so as to be inclined downward toward the heat exchanger.

5. The air conditioner of claim 2 , wherein the air guide is rotatable with respect to the guide duct to control a flow direction of the air blown through the outlet opening.

6. The air conditioner of claim 5 , further comprising:
a guide driver configured to rotate the air guide; and
a controller configured to control the guide driver, and change a rotation angle of the air guide with respect to the outlet opening.

7. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein a cross section of the air guide includes a streamlined shape.

8. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein
the air guide is a first air guide,
the gap is a first gap,
the air conditioner further includes a second air guide arranged with the first air guide along the flow direction of air blown through the outlet opening, and
the second air guide is spaced from the first air guide in the flow direction of air blown through the outlet opening, to form a second gap between the first air guide and the second air guide through which a portion of the air guided by the inclined portion of the first air guide flows and is then guided by the second air guide toward the heat exchanger.

9. The air conditioner of claim 8 , wherein the second air guide protrudes lower than the first air guide.

10. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein
the gap is a lower gap,
the air conditioner further includes a side air guide extending in a vertical direction to correspond to a side end of the outlet opening,
the side air guide is spaced from the side end of the outlet opening to form a side gap through which air flows, and
the air guide is lower than the side air guide.

11. The air conditioner of claim 10 , wherein the side air guide is curved outward from the side end of the outlet opening, and configured to guide air that flows through the side gap to a lateral direction of the outlet opening.

12. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein one side of the air guide in a lateral direction of the air guide is lower than an other side of the air guide that is opposite to the one side such that the air guide induces air to flow to the one side.

13. The air conditioner of claim 2 , further comprising:
a housing that includes:
a first space in which an inlet is formed and in which the fan and the fan case are positioned,
a second space in which an outlet is formed and in which the heat exchanger is positioned, and
a partition configured to partition the first space from the second space excluding an area corresponding to the outlet opening,

wherein the guide duct is detachably installed on the partition to provide an airflow path to the outlet opening.

14. The air conditioner of claim 2 , wherein the guide duct further includes:
an opening corresponding to the outlet opening;
an upper cover portion covering an upper area of the opening and protruding toward the heat exchanger;
a first side cover portion covering one side area of the opening and extending downward from a first side of the upper cover portion; and
a second side cover portion being opposite to the first side cover portion, and covering an other side area of the opening and extending downward from a second side of the upper cover portion,
wherein the air guide is positioned between the first side cover portion and the second side cover portion.

15. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the fan is configured to suck air in an axial direction and discharge air in a radial direction.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Seo Yongho
• Kim Doyoung
• Song Wooseog
• Lee Wonhee

Classifications

• F24F13/08

  Air-flow control members, e.g. louvres, grilles, flaps or guide plates (F24F7/013, F24F13/06 take precedence) · CPC title

• F24F1/0018

  characterised by fans (with secondary air induced by injector action of the primary air F24F1/01) · CPC title

• F24F1/0022

  Centrifugal or radial fans · CPC title

• F24F13/02

  Ducting arrangements · CPC title

• F24F13/082

  Grilles, registers or guards · CPC title