KR20090042056A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

The air conditioner according to the present invention is installed so as to move forward and backward on the front surface of the housing so as to open and close the heat exchanger installation chamber and the heat exchanger installation chamber and the blower installation chamber in which the blower is installed, the heat exchanger installation chamber and the blower installation chamber. It is characterized in that it comprises a front panel, a panel moving device for advancing the front panel, and an air flow blocker installed between the housing and the front panel to block air flow between the heat exchanger installation chamber and the blower installation chamber. The air conditioner according to the present invention does not be exposed from the air inlet and the air outlet port is elegant in appearance, and the air conditioning performance is not degraded because the heat-exchanged air is blocked by the airflow blocker and never flows back into the blower installation chamber.

Description

Air Conditioner

The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly, to an air conditioner in which the front panel is retractably installed on the front of the housing.

In general, an air conditioner is a device that harmonizes indoor air by inhaling indoor air and cooling or heating or purifying the sucked air and then discharging the air back into the room. The air conditioner is provided with an air inlet for sucking air and an air discharge port for discharging the air in a housing forming the exterior. A heat exchanger and / or a filtering device for conditioning air and a blower for blowing air are provided inside the housing.

Such an air conditioner is classified into a wall-hung type fixed to a wall surface, a ceiling type installed on an indoor ceiling, a stand type standing on an indoor floor, and the like according to an installation position thereof. And, each air conditioner is provided with an air inlet and an air outlet at an appropriate position according to its shape and installation position.

In recent years, air conditioners have been greatly influenced not only by the air conditioning performance but also by the appearance design, and manufacturers are making various efforts to improve the appearance design while maintaining the air conditioning performance. In order to improve the appearance design luxuriously and beautifully, it is necessary to make the air inlet and the air outlet less visible. If the air inlet and outlet are well exposed to the outside, the mechanical image is emphasized and the aesthetics of the product are inferior.

Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-44294 (published on April 27, 2007) discloses a stand type air conditioner in which the air inlet and the air outlet are not easily exposed to the front of the housing.

In the stand type air conditioner disclosed in the above publication, air inlets are provided at both lower sides of the housing, and the air discharge ports are provided at both the upper front side and the upper both sides of the housing. Since the air inlet and the air outlet are installed at both sides of the housing, the air inlet and the air outlet are hardly visible from the front of the housing. In addition, the upper front of the housing is provided with a sliding door that can open and close the air outlet of the front side when the air conditioner does not operate the air outlet of the front is covered with the sliding door does not appear to the outside.

In the conventional air conditioner as described above, the air discharge port of the front surface is exposed to the front side while the sliding door is lowered during the operation of the air conditioner. Therefore, there is a problem in that the appearance change when the air conditioner is not operated and when it is operated is severe, and the mechanical image is highlighted, resulting in inferior aesthetics.

The present invention is to solve the above problems, the air inlet and the air discharge port is not well exposed in the front of the air conditioner when the air conditioner is operating without deteriorating air conditioning performance, and when the air conditioner is not operated It is an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioner having a small appearance change when operated, which has an elegant appearance.

The air conditioner according to the present invention for achieving the above object is a housing having a heat exchanger installation chamber and a blower installation chamber in which a heat exchanger is installed, and the heat exchanger installation chamber and the blower installation chamber to open and close A front panel installed on the front of the housing to be retractable, a panel moving device for advancing and retracting the front panel, and installed between the housing and the front panel to provide air flow between the heat exchanger installation chamber and the blower installation chamber; And an airflow blocker for blocking.

Here, the air flow blocking device may include a blocking film that is foldable between the housing and the front panel so that the front panel can be unfolded when the front panel is advanced.

The barrier layer may be made of a rubber material.

The airflow blocking device further includes a first membrane support member coupled to a portion of the barrier membrane and hinged to the housing, and a second membrane support member coupled to another portion of the barrier membrane and hinged to the front panel. can do.

In addition, the housing is provided with a first hinge shaft, the first membrane support member is provided with a first hinge portion coupled to the first hinge shaft, the front panel is provided with a second hinge shaft and the second membrane support The member may be provided with a second hinge portion coupled to the second hinge axis.

In addition, the housing is provided with a first hinge shaft, the front panel is provided with a second hinge shaft, the barrier layer is coupled to the first hinge portion and the second hinge shaft coupled to the first hinge shaft. The hinge portion may be provided integrally.

In addition, the barrier layer may be bent in a portion of the front panel when the front panel is extended to the up or down direction.

In the air conditioner according to the present invention, the air inlet and the air outlet are exposed at the side when the front panel is advanced, and the space between the housing and the front panel is blocked by the airflow blocking device. Therefore, the air conditioner according to the present invention does not be exposed from the front of the air inlet and the air outlet, the appearance is high-quality, because the heat-exchanged air is blocked by the airflow blocker does not flow back into the blower installation chamber does not reduce the air conditioning performance.

Hereinafter, an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in Figure 1 and 2, the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention is a housing 11 having a blower mounting chamber 12 and the heat exchanger mounting chamber 13, and the blower mounting chamber 12 A blower 21 installed in the heat exchanger, a heat exchanger 25 installed in the heat exchanger installation chamber 13, a front panel 31 mounted on the front surface of the housing 11 so as to move forward and backward, and a front surface The housing 11 to block air flow between the first and second panel moving devices 40 and 50 for advancing and retreating the panel 31 and the blower installation chamber 12 and the heat exchanger installation chamber 13. And an airflow blocking device 70 installed between the front panel 31 and the front panel 31.

The front of the housing 11 is opened, and the inside thereof is divided into a blower installation chamber 12 in which the blower 21 is installed and a heat exchanger installation chamber 13 in which the heat exchanger 25 is installed. The blower installation chamber 12 is provided in the lower part of the housing 11, and the heat exchanger installation chamber 13 is provided in the upper part of the blower installation chamber 12 so that it may be connected with the blower installation chamber 12. A partition plate 14 for partitioning these spaces is provided between the blower installation chamber 12 and the heat exchanger installation chamber 13.

On the front of the heat exchanger installation chamber 13, an installation panel 15 on which the first panel moving device 40 is mounted is installed, and a second panel moving device 50 is mounted on the lower part of the blower installation room 12. The installation block 17 is installed. The rear side of the housing 11 is provided with a rear air suction port 19 for sucking outside air to be connected to the blower installation chamber 12.

In addition, a first hinge shaft 63 for installing the air flow blocking device 70 is provided at an upper portion of the blower installation chamber 12 inside the housing 11. The upper part of the blower installation chamber 12 is provided with the 1st shaft support part 61 for supporting the 1st hinge shaft 63, and the 1st shaft support part 61 has both ends of the 1st hinge shaft 63. A pair of first support brackets 62 for support are spaced apart. The first hinge shaft 63 is fixed to the pair of first support brackets 62.

The blower 21 accommodates the blower fan 22, the fan motor 23 for rotating the blower fan 22, the blower fan 22, and guides the sucked air to the heat exchanger installation chamber 13. A fan housing 24. The front and rear surfaces of the fan housing 24 are opened to suck air, and the upper part of the fan housing 24 is connected to the heat exchanger installation chamber 13.

The front panel 31 is removably installed in front of the housing 11 to open and close the opened front surface of the housing 11. Both sides of the lower side of the front panel 31 are provided with side air suction holes 32 for sucking outside air into the housing 11, and the upper side of the front panel 31 is heat-exchanged while passing through the heat exchanger 25. An air discharge port 33 for discharging air to the outside of the housing 11 is provided. Work holes 34 are provided at lower portions of both sides of the front panel 31. The work hole 34 is a hole for the operator to insert a tool such as a driver into the front panel 31 when the front panel 31 and the second moving member 51 are coupled or separated.

On the inner surface of the front panel 31, a pair of coupling members 35 coupled to the first panel moving apparatus 40 and a pair of fixing members 37 coupled to the second panel moving apparatus 50 are provided. Is installed. Each coupling member 35 is provided with a coupling groove 36 into which a portion of the upper portion of the coupling bar 42 of the first panel moving apparatus 40 to be described later is inserted. Coupling groove 36 is made of a semi-circular shape to correspond to the outer surface of the coupling bar (42). In addition, each fixing member 37 is provided with a fixing hole 38 into which a fixing screw S is inserted to be screwed into the second moving member 51 of the second panel moving apparatus 50 which will be described later. do.

In addition, a second hinge shaft 66 for installing the air flow blocking device 70 is installed on the inner surface of the front panel 31 at the same height as the installation height of the first hinge shaft 63. A second shaft support portion 64 is provided at an approximately center of the inner surface of the front panel 31, and the second shaft support portion 64 has a pair of second supports for supporting both ends of the second hinge shaft 66. The brackets 65 are spaced apart. The second hinge shaft 66 is fixed to the pair of second support brackets 65.

The first panel moving device 40 includes a first moving member 41 coupled with a pair of coupling members 35 of the front panel 31, and a pair of first moving members 41 for advancing and retreating the first moving member 41. A first pinion gear 44, a first drive gear 47 and a first motor 48 for rotating the first pinion gear 44 are included.

The first moving member 41 includes a coupling bar 42 coupled to the pair of coupling members 35 and a pair of first rack gear portions 43 connected to the pair of first pinion gears 44. ). The pair of first pinion gears 44 are connected to each other by the first connecting shaft 45. The pair of first pinion gears 44, the first drive gear 47 and the first motor 48 are installed in the installation panel 15. A pair of first shaft support members 46 for supporting the first connecting shaft 45 and a pair of first rack gear parts 43 are inserted into the installation panel 15 so as to be slidably movable. The first slide hole 16 is provided.

The second panel moving device 50 also has a rack-pinion structure similarly to the first panel moving device 40. The second panel moving device 50 includes a second moving member 51 coupled to the pair of fixing members 37 of the front panel 31, and a pair of first moving members 51 for advancing and retracting the second moving member 51. A second pinion gear 54, a second drive gear 57 and a second motor 58 for rotating the second pinion gear 54; The pair of second pinion gears 54 are connected by the second connecting shaft 55.

The second moving member 51 includes a pair of second rack gear parts 53 connected to the pair of second pinion gears 54 and a pair of coupling holes 52 into which the fixing screw S is inserted. Has The fixing screw S penetrates the coupling hole 52 and is inserted into the fixing hole 38 of the front panel 31 so that the second moving member 51 is fixed to the front panel 31. The pair of second pinion gears 54, the second drive gears 57 and the second motors 58 are installed in the mounting block 17 installed at the lower portion of the housing 11. A pair of second shaft support members 56 for supporting the second connecting shaft 55 and a pair of second rack gear parts 53 are inserted into the installation block 17 so as to be slidably movable. The second slide hole 18 is provided.

These first and second panel moving devices 40 and 50 push and pull the upper and lower portions of the front panel 31 at the same time to advance and retract the front panel 31 perpendicular to the ground.

In the present invention, the first and second panel moving devices 40 and 50 for advancing and retracting the front panel 31 are not limited to the rack-pinion structure as shown and described. Various other linear movement devices that can advance and retract the front panel 31 can be used.

The airflow blocker 70 is installed between the housing 11 and the front panel 31 to prevent air from the heat exchanger installation chamber 13 from flowing to the blower installation chamber 12 when the air conditioner is operated. It intercepts between the blower installation room 12 and the heat exchanger installation room 13. As shown in FIG. 2, the airflow blocking device 70 includes a blocking film 71 that is foldable between the housing 11 and the front panel 31, and a part of the housing 11 of the blocking film 71. The first membrane support member 72 hinged to the housing 11 to support the second membrane, and the second membrane hinged to the front panel 31 to support a part of the front panel 31 side of the blocking film 71. And a supporting member 75.

The blocking film 71 is made of a material that is free to deform so that the front panel 31 can be folded back and closed when the front panel 31 is closed, and can be unfolded when the front panel 31 is advanced and opened. Rubber or fabric may be used as the material of the barrier film 71. The rear part of the blocking film 71 is attached to the first membrane supporting member 72, and the front part of the blocking film 71 is attached to the second membrane supporting member 75.

The first membrane supporting member 72 includes a first body 73 to which the blocking film 71 is attached, and a first hinge portion provided at an end of the first body 73 to be hinged to the first hinge shaft 63. (74). The first body 73 and the first hinge portion 74 are injection molded integrally with a plastic material. Since the first hinge portion 74 is coupled to the outer circumference of the first hinge shaft 63, the first membrane supporting member 72 may rotate about the first hinge shaft 63.

The second membrane supporting member 75 has the same structure as the first membrane supporting member 72, and is provided at the end of the second body 76 and the second body 76 to which the blocking membrane 71 is attached. The second hinge portion 77 is included. Since the second hinge portion 77 is coupled to the outer circumference of the second hinge shaft 66, the second membrane support member 75 may rotate about the second hinge shaft 66. The left and right widths of the first and second membrane support members 72 and 75 are substantially the same as the left and right widths of the blocking film 71, but may be slightly different.

In the present invention, the first and second membrane support members 72 and 75 may be changed into various structures that may be hinged to the first and second hinge shafts 63 and 66 in addition to the illustrated structure. .

In the airflow blocking device 70 having such a configuration, when the front panel 31 is retracted and closed, the distance between the first and second hinge portions 74 and 77 is close to the barrier layer 71, and the front panel 31 is folded. ) Advances and opens, the distance between the first and second hinge portions 74 and 77 increases and the blocking film 71 is opened. If the blocking film 71 is flattened when the front panel 31 is opened, since the folding operation of the blocking film 71 may not be smooth when the front panel 31 is closed, the blocking film 71 may be open even when the front panel 31 is opened. It is preferable that the central portion thereof bends somewhat upward or downward.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described the operation of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3a illustrates a state in which the front panel 31 is closed because the air conditioner does not operate. At this time, the first hinge shaft 63 of the housing 11 and the second hinge shaft 66 of the front panel 31 are adjacent to each other. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 3B, the first and second membrane support members 72 and 75 of the airflow blocker 70 are substantially perpendicular to the ground, and the blocking membrane 71 is in a state of being folded up to the maximum. .

On the other hand, when the operation command is applied to the air conditioner, as shown in Figure 4a, first and second panel mobile device 40, 50 operates simultaneously to move the front panel 31 to the front of the housing 11 Advance a certain distance. As the front panel 31 moves forward, as shown in FIG. 4B, the airflow blocking device 70 moves away from the first hinge shaft 63 of the housing 11 as the second hinge shaft 66 of the front panel 31. The first and second membrane support members 72 and 75 of the c) rotate about the first and second hinge shafts 63 and 66, respectively. Then, as the gap between the first and second membrane supporting members 72 and 75 opens, the blocking membrane 71 is extended. At this time, the central portion of the blocking film 71 slightly sags downward.

Subsequently, when the blower 21 and the heat exchanger 25 operate, external air flows through the side air intake 32 of the front panel 31 and the rear air intake 19 of the housing 11. 12) is introduced into the heat exchanger installation chamber 13 through the fan housing 24. Then, the air introduced into the heat exchanger installation chamber 13 is heat exchanged while passing through the heat exchanger 25 from the rear to the front direction, and then discharged to the outside through the air discharge port 33 of the front panel 31.

In this way, while the air conditioner operates and the air introduced into the blower installation chamber 12 moves to the heat exchanger installation chamber 13 and is heat-exchanged and then discharged to the outside, the airflow blocker 70 operates the heat exchanger 25. The heat exchanged air is prevented from passing through the space between the housing 11 and the front panel 31 so as not to enter the blower installation chamber 12. Therefore, since the suction force of the blower 21 does not reach the heat exchanger installation chamber 13, most of the heat-exchanged air is discharged to the outside through the air discharge port 33.

In addition, when the operation stop command is applied, the blower 21 and the heat exchanger 25 stop operation, and the first and second panel moving devices 40 and 50 operate simultaneously, so that the front panel 31 moves to the housing 11. Retreat to). At this time, the blocking film 71 is folded while the first and second membrane supporting members 72 and 75 rotate about the first and second hinge shafts 63 and 66, respectively.

When the air conditioner according to the present invention is operated, the air inlet 32 and the air outlet 33 are exposed to the side while the front panel 31 moves forward, and the air inlet 32 and the air outlet 33 are provided at the front of the air conditioner. ) Is not revealed. Therefore, the air conditioner according to the present invention has a small change in appearance when it is operated and when it is not operated.

In addition, the air conditioner according to the present invention blows air in which the airflow blocking device 70 exchanges heat even when the front panel 31 is advanced and a space is formed between the housing 11 and the front panel 31. Air conditioning performance is not impaired because it prevents flow to the furnace.

On the other hand, Figure 5 shows another embodiment of the airflow blocking device.

The airflow blocking device 80 shown in FIG. 5 includes first and second hinges hinged to the blocking membrane portion 81 and the first and second hinge shafts 63 and 66, respectively, to block the flow of air. Branches 82 and 83 are made in one piece. The airflow blocking device 80 is made of a rubber material free of deformation so that the blocking membrane portion 81 can be easily folded and unfolded. The blocking film portion 81 is thin so that it can be easily deformed, and the first and second hinge portions 82 and 83 can remain hinged to the first and second hinge axes 63 and 66. It is made of a thicker than the blocking film portion 81 so that.

The air conditioner according to the present invention has been described above by taking a stand type air conditioner as an example, but the features of the present invention can be applied to a wall-mounted air conditioner or a ceiling type air conditioner.

1 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view schematically showing a part of the airflow blocking device of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3a is a side cross-sectional view showing a state when not operating the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3B is a side cross-sectional view of an airflow blocking device of the air conditioner illustrated in FIG. 3A.

Figure 4a is a side cross-sectional view showing a state when operating the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4b is a side cross-sectional view of the airflow blocking device of the air conditioner shown in Figure 4a.

5 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the airflow blocking device provided in the air conditioner according to the present invention.

<Description of Signs of Major Parts of Drawings>

11 ... housing 12 ... blower installation room

Heat exchanger installation room

19.Rear air intake 21 Blower

25 Heat exchanger 31 Front panel

32 Side air inlet 33 Air outlet

40, 50 ... 1,2 panel moving device 41, 51 ... 1,2 moving member

43,53 ... 1,2 rack gear 44,54 ... 1,2 pinion gear

47,57 ... 1,2 drive gear 48,58 ... 1,2 motor

63, 66 ... 1,2 hinge shaft 70 ...

71.Blocking membrane 72,75 ... 1,2 membrane support member

73,76 ... 1,2 Body 74,77 ... 1,2 Hinge

Claims (7)

A housing having a heat exchanger installation chamber in which a heat exchanger is installed and a blower installation chamber in which a blower is installed; A front panel installed on the front of the housing so as to open and close the heat exchanger installation chamber and the blower installation chamber; A panel moving device for advancing and retracting the front panel; And an airflow blocker installed between the housing and the front panel to block air flow between the heat exchanger installation chamber and the blower installation chamber. The method of claim 1, The airflow blocking device includes an air conditioner including a blocking film that is foldably installed between the housing and the front panel so that the front panel is extended when the front panel is advanced. The method of claim 2, The blocking film is an air conditioner, characterized in that made of a rubber material. The method of claim 2, The airflow blocking device further includes a first membrane support member coupled to a portion of the barrier membrane and hinged to the housing, and a second membrane support member coupled to another portion of the barrier membrane and hinged to the front panel. Air conditioner characterized by. The method of claim 4, wherein The housing is provided with a first hinge shaft, the first membrane support member is provided with a first hinge portion coupled to the first hinge shaft, the front panel is provided with a second hinge shaft, and the second membrane support member And a second hinge portion coupled to the second hinge shaft. The method of claim 2, The housing is provided with a first hinge shaft, the front panel is provided with a second hinge shaft, and the blocking film has a first hinge portion coupled to the first hinge shaft and a second hinge portion coupled to the second hinge shaft. An air conditioner, characterized in that provided integrally. The method of claim 2, The barrier layer is an air conditioner, characterized in that a portion of the front panel is bent in the upward or downward direction when it is extended.

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