Indoor unit for air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9752816-B2
Application number	US-201414276150-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2014
Priority date	May 24, 2013
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

Provided is an indoor unit for an air conditioner. The indoor unit for the air conditioner includes a case having at least one suction hole, a heat exchanger disposed at a side of the suction hole, a fan rotatably disposed at a discharge side of the heat exchanger, a front panel coupled to a front portion of the case, the front panel including a discharge part, a discharge panel disposed on the discharge part, and a guide device disposed to surround the fan, the guide device having a curved surface for guiding air discharged from the fan to the guide part.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An indoor unit for an air conditioner, the indoor unit comprising:
a case having at least one suction part;
a heat exchanger disposed in the case;
a fan disposed between the heat exchanger and a front portion of the case;
a front panel disposed at the front portion of the case, the front panel comprising a panel opening;
a discharge panel disposed at the panel opening, and a discharge part disposed between the front panel and the discharge panel;
a guide device disposed to surround the fan and having a curved surface for guiding air discharged from the fan to the discharge part;
a panel supporter supporting the discharge panel so that the discharge panel is disposed within the opening; and
a moving guide protruding from the front panel to guide movement of the discharge panel in a front or rear direction of the case,
wherein at a rear end of the moving guide is disposed a first stopper that interferes with the panel supporter in a state where the discharge panel moves backward, and at a front end of the moving guide is disposed a second stopper that interferes with the panel supporter in a state where the front panel moves forward.

2. The indoor unit according to claim 1 , wherein the fan suctions the air in a rotation axis direction of the fan and discharges the air in a radial direction thereof.

3. The indoor unit according to claim 1 , wherein the suction part comprises at least one of a rear suction hole for suctioning the air from a rear side of the case and a side suction hole for suctioning the air from a side of the case.

4. The indoor unit according to claim 1 , wherein the fan comprises:
a hub;
a shroud disposed to surround the hub;
a plurality of blades disposed between the hub and the shroud and disposed in a circumferential direction of the hub; and
a first suction hole disposed at the shroud.

5. The indoor unit according to claim 4 , wherein the guide device comprises:
a first guide device comprising a second suction hole communicating with the first suction hole of the fan and a bell mouth protruding along an edge of the second suction hole; and
a second guide device including a first opening communicating with the second suction hole of the first guide device, and the curved surface extending from the first opening to surround the fan.

6. The indoor unit according to claim 5 , wherein the second guide device further comprises a ruled surface extending linearly from an edge of the curved surface toward the discharge part.

7. The indoor unit according to claim 5 , wherein the first opening of the second guide device has a size greater than that of the second suction hole of the first guide device.

8. The indoor unit according to claim 7 , wherein the second guide device comprises a coupling part at an edge of the first opening, the coupling part contacting a surface of the first guide device to prevent the air from leaking between the first guide device and the second guide device.

9. The indoor unit according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge part is disposed in an outer region of the discharge panel and in an entire region of the panel opening.

10. The indoor unit according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge panel comprises a guide protrusion protruding from the discharge panel toward the fan to guide the air to the discharge part.

11. The indoor unit according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a driving motor providing a driving force to the fan; and
a moving motor allowing the discharge panel to be movable in the front or rear direction of the case.

12. The indoor unit according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a motor shaft coupled to the moving motor;
a pinion gear coupled to the motor shaft; and
a rack gear interlocked with the pinion gear, the rack gear coupled to the discharge panel.

13. An indoor unit for an air conditioner, the indoor unit comprising:
a case having a suction part for suctioning air from a rear portion thereof;
a heat exchanger disposed in the case;
a fan comprising a plurality of blades that suctions the air to pass through the heat exchanger in an axis direction of the fan and discharge the air in a radial direction thereof;
a front panel disposed at a front portion of the case and having a panel opening;
a discharge panel disposed at the panel opening, and a discharge part disposed between the front panel and the discharge panel;
a first guide device disposed between the fan and the heat exchanger and having a second suction hole for guiding inflow of the air into the fan; and
a second guide device having a curved portion and a ruled portion, which directs a flow direction of the air discharged from the fan towards the discharge part,
wherein the second guide device comprises:
a first guide surface formed on an inner surface of the curved portion extending roundly from a rear portion of the fan toward a front portion of the fan; and
a second guide surface formed on an inner surface of the ruled portion extending in an axial direction from the curved surface toward the discharge part,
wherein the air discharged in the radial direction of the fan is discharged toward the front portion of the case through the discharge part along the first guide surface and the second guide surface.

14. The indoor unit according to claim 13 , wherein the second guide device comprises a hemispherical shape.

15. The indoor unit according to claim 13 , wherein the second guide device comprises a coupling part contacting one surface of the first guide device, which is defined outside the second suction hole of the first guide device.

16. The indoor unit according to claim 13 , wherein the fan comprises:
a hub;
a shroud disposed to surround the hub;
the plurality of blades disposed between the hub and the shroud and disposed in a circumferential direction of the hub; and
a first suction hole disposed in the shroud.

17. The indoor unit according to claim 13 , wherein the discharge panel is movable in a front or rear direction of the case so that the discharge part varies in size according to a position of the discharge panel with respect to the case.

18. The indoor unit according to claim 17 , further comprising a moving motor for allowing the discharge panel to move.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Hwang Soonchul
• Son Sanghyuk
• Kim Jaeyoung

Classifications

• F24F1/0022

  Centrifugal or radial fans · CPC title

• F24F1/0011 Primary

  characterised by air outlets · CPC title

• F24F13/28

  Arrangement or mounting of filters · CPC title

• F04D29/4253

  with axial entry and discharge · CPC title

• F25D17/06 Primary

  by forced circulation · CPC title