KR20220102962A - Air-conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an air conditioner equipped with an indoor unit capable of controlling the flow rate of air discharged through a front discharge port without changing the rotation speed of a blower fan motor and blower fan by using a damper module that opens and closes the air outlet discharged through the front discharge port. According to the present invention, the air conditioner comprises: a cabinet having a suction port through which air is introduced at the rear side and a front discharge port through which air is discharged at the front side of the cabinet; a heat exchanger in which heat is exchanged between the air introduced into the suction port and a refrigerant; a blowing fan having a rotational axis extending from the front side of the cabinet toward the rear side of the cabinet, and sucking in the air where the heat exchange is completed; a front discharge guide disposed in front of the blowing fan and having a discharge passage for guiding the air blown from the blowing fan to the front discharge port; and a damper module supported by the front discharge guide to be movable in a forward and backward direction parallel to the rotational axis, and opening and closing the discharge passage of the front discharge guide.

Description

Air conditioner {AIR-CONDITIONER}

The present invention relates to an air conditioner having a damper module for opening and closing an outlet of air discharged through a front discharge port. It relates to an air conditioner having an indoor unit capable of controlling a flow rate.

In general, an air conditioner uses a refrigerant refrigeration cycle consisting of a compressor, a condenser, an expansion mechanism, and an evaporator in order to create a more comfortable indoor environment for the user to cool or purify the air.

The indoor unit of the air conditioner may be classified into a ceiling type, a wall-mounted type, and a stand type according to an installation location. In the stand-type indoor unit, the discharge port may be formed on the front or side surface of the cabinet, and the suction port may be formed on the rear surface of the cabinet.

Ceiling or wall-mounted indoor units, including stand-type indoor units, generally include means for changing the direction of the air discharged through the outlet or changing the direction of the air flow.

In this regard, Korean Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-2016-0132321 discloses a configuration including an airflow control device for controlling the direction of the discharge airflow by changing the pressure by sucking air around the front discharge port of the air conditioner. have.

However, the air conditioner disclosed in the related prior art is configured to re-intake air that has been blown through the blowing fan and blow it again through the blowing fan.

Accordingly, there is a problem inevitably being very disadvantageous in terms of blowing efficiency and power consumption.

In addition, in the air conditioner disclosed in the relevant prior art, the amount of air discharged through the front discharge port can be controlled only by adjusting the rotational speed of the blower fan motor.

Therefore, if the rotation speed of the blower fan motor and the blower fan is lowered to lower the air volume, the flow rate of the air discharged through the front outlet is inevitably lowered as well. It is not generated and consequently, a problem of being discharged as an indirect wind occurs.

Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-2016-0132321

The present invention has been devised to solve the problems of the prior art, and provides an air conditioner having an indoor unit capable of controlling the flow rate of air discharged through a front discharge port without changing the blowing fan motor and the rotation speed of the blowing fan. The primary purpose is to provide

Another object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner capable of preventing a decrease in efficiency by preventing re-suction of air that has been discharged to a front discharge port.

The objects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned objects, and other objects and advantages of the present invention not mentioned may be understood by the following description, and will be more clearly understood by the examples of the present invention. It will also be readily apparent that the objects and advantages of the present invention may be realized by the means and combinations thereof indicated in the appended claims.

The air conditioner according to the present invention includes a cabinet, a heat exchanger, a blowing fan, a front discharge guide, and a damper module, wherein the front discharge guide includes a first outlet for discharging air blown from the blowing fan in a first direction; , a second outlet for discharging air blown from the blowing fan in a second direction intersecting the first direction, wherein the damper module includes a first damper for controlling a flow rate of air passing through the first outlet. It characterized in that it comprises a module and a second damper module for controlling the flow rate of air passing through the second outlet. Through this, it is possible to control the flow rate of the air discharged through the front discharge port without changing the rotation speed of the blowing fan motor and the blowing fan.

In addition, the front discharge guide includes an outer cylindrical portion extending forward in a direction parallel to the rotation axis, the first outlet is formed through the front end surface of the outer cylindrical portion, the second outlet is formed through the cylindrical surface formed behind the front end surface.

In addition, the first outlet, the center becomes a circular hole through which the rotation axis passes, and the second outlet is a plurality of slit holes in which a length in a direction parallel to the rotation axis is greater than a width in a radial direction. becomes this

In addition, the plurality of slit holes are formed to be equally spaced along the circumferential direction, respectively.

In addition, the first damper module is disposed in front of the first outlet and moves in the front-rear direction to open and close the first damper in the shape of a disk, one end of which is fixed to the rear surface of the first damper, , a support rod having the other end extending into the front discharge guide through the first outlet, a first rack gear fixed to the support rod and extending in the front-rear direction, and a first pinion meshing with the first rack gear It includes a gear, and a first gearmotor for generating rotational driving force of the first pinion gear.

In addition, the disk-shaped first damper is concentric with the first outlet, and the diameter of the first damper is greater than or equal to the diameter of the first outlet.

In addition, the front discharge guide includes an inner cylindrical portion extending from the first outlet toward the rear in a direction parallel to the rotation axis, the front end of the inner cylindrical portion is open, and the open front end is the form a first outlet.

In addition, the rear end of the inner cylindrical portion is provided with a through-hole-shaped inlet through which at least a portion of the air blown from the blowing fan is introduced.

In addition, the second damper module is a ring-shaped product disposed inside the inner cylindrical part and blocking or allowing the flow of air moving to the second outlet while moving in the front-rear direction along the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylindrical part. 2 dampers, a second rack gear fixed to a radially inner edge of the second damper and extending in the front-rear direction;

a second pinion gear meshing with the second rack gear; and a second gear motor generating a rotational driving force of the second pinion gear.

In addition, the radial width of the ring-shaped second damper is greater than or equal to a distance between the inner circumferential surface of the rear end of the outer cylindrical portion and the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylindrical portion.

In addition, the second pinion gear and the second gear motor are accommodated in the inner cylindrical portion.

In addition, a gear hole through which the second pinion gear or the second rack gear at least partially passes is provided on the cylindrical surface of the inner cylindrical part.

Also, the cabinet further includes a funnel part provided inside the cabinet and at least partially accommodating the front discharge guide therein, and the front discharge port is formed at a front end of the funnel part.

In addition, the outer cylindrical portion as a whole is accommodated in the funnel portion.

The air conditioner according to the present invention includes a first damper and a second damper that form a first outlet and a second outlet for generating different discharge airflows on a discharge guide, and individually open and close the first and second outlets, respectively. The first outlet and the second outlet are opened and closed or the opening degree is adjusted by using the system to control the flow rate of the discharged air without changing the rotational speed of the blower fan motor and the blower fan.

In addition, the air conditioner according to the present invention has an effect of preventing a decrease in efficiency by preventing the air discharged from the first outlet or the second outlet from being re-suctioned.

In addition to the above-described effects, the specific effects of the present invention will be described together while describing specific details for carrying out the invention below.

1 is a front perspective view of an indoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a rear perspective view of an indoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the indoor unit shown in FIG. 1 .
4 is a front perspective view of the all-broadcast wind module and the damper module shown in FIG. 3 .
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 4 .
6 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 4 .
7 is a side view of the all-broadcast fan housing and the front discharge guide shown in FIG. 6 .
FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of FIG. 7 .
9 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 7 .
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the first damper shown in FIG. 6 .
11 is a perspective view of the second damper shown in FIG. 6 .
12 to 14 are partially enlarged views of FIG. 3 , and are views for explaining the conversion of the discharge air flow according to the positions of the first damper and the second damper.

The above-described objects, features and advantages will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and accordingly, those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will be able to easily implement the technical idea of the present invention. In describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a known technology related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted. Hereinafter, preferred embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same or similar components.

Although the first, second, etc. are used to describe various elements, these elements are not limited by these terms, of course. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from other components, and unless otherwise stated, the first component may be the second component, of course.

Throughout the specification, unless otherwise stated, each element may be singular or plural.

In the following, that an arbitrary component is disposed on the "upper (or lower)" of a component or "top (or below)" of a component means that any component is disposed in contact with the upper surface (or lower surface) of the component. Furthermore, it may mean that other components may be interposed between the component and any component disposed on (or under) the component.

Also, when it is described that a component is “connected”, “coupled” or “connected” to another component, the components may be directly connected or connected to each other, but other components are “interposed” between each component. It is to be understood that “or, each component may be “connected”, “coupled” or “connected” through another component.

As used herein, the singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the present application, terms such as "consisting of" or "comprising" should not be construed as necessarily including all of the various components or various steps described in the specification, some of which components or some steps are It should be construed that it may not include, or may further include additional components or steps.

Also, as used herein, the singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the present application, terms such as "consisting of" or "comprising" should not be construed as necessarily including all of the various components or various steps described in the specification, some of which components or some steps are It should be construed that it may not include, or may further include additional components or steps.

Throughout the specification, when “A and/or B” is used, it means A, B or A and B, unless specifically stated to the contrary, and when “C to D” is used, it means that there is no specific contrary description. Unless otherwise specified, it means that it is greater than or equal to C and less than or equal to D.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings for explaining the indoor unit 1 of an air conditioner according to embodiments of the present invention.

First, the entire assembly structure constituting the indoor unit 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be schematically described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 , and the structure of each assembly will be schematically described.

<Entire configuration>

The indoor unit 1 of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention has a cabinet assembly (I) forming an outer body and a discharge path for air discharged through a front discharge port 141 formed on the front surface of the cabinet assembly (I). (F) a damper assembly (II) for opening and closing, a blowing fan assembly (III) disposed inside the cabinet assembly (I) to form an airflow, and a heat exchange for exchanging air flowing by the blowing fan assembly (III) with a refrigerant The assembly (IV) is configured to include a filter assembly (V) that filters the air flowing into the cabinet assembly (I).

<Cabinet Assembly>

The cabinet assembly (I) according to an embodiment of the present invention has a rear cabinet (11) that forms a suction port (111) rearward and a space in which a heat exchanger (41) is disposed, and a rear cabinet (11) It may include a front cabinet 14 disposed on the open front of the.

The rear cabinet 11 is formed to have a U-shape with an open front and an upper surface as a whole. A front cabinet 14 to be described later may be disposed on the opened front surface, and a top cover 15 may be disposed on the opened upper surface.

The rear cabinet 11 may form a space in which the heat exchanger 41, the front wind module 31, and the side broadcast wind modules 32a, 32b, and 32c are disposed therein. As a means for supporting these structures, a heat exchanger mounting member (not shown) on which the heat exchanger 41 is mounted inside the rear cabinet 11, and an all-broadcast wind module mounting member on which the all-broadcast wind module 31 is mounted ( (not shown) and a side broadcast wind module mounting member (not shown) to which the side broadcast wind modules 32a, 32b, and 32c are mounted may be respectively disposed.

A suction port 111 may be formed at the rear of the rear cabinet 11 , and a filter assembly V may be disposed at the suction port 111 side. The filter assembly V may include a plurality of filter modules 62a, 62b, 62c, and 62d disposed left and right behind the rear cabinet 11 .

In addition, a refrigerant pipe hole 132 through which a refrigerant pipe (not shown) of the heat exchange assembly IV passes may be formed in the rear lower surface of the rear cabinet 11 . Furthermore, a power line through hole 133 through which a power line supplying power from an external power source passes may be formed in the rear lower surface of the rear cabinet 11 .

In addition, side discharge ports 112a and 112b are formed on both sides of the rear cabinet 11, respectively. Air blown by the side broadcast wind module (32a, 32b, 32c) is discharged through the side outlet (112a, 112b).

As shown, a plurality of side vanes 113a and 113b for guiding the direction of the discharged air may be disposed in the side discharge ports 112a and 112b, respectively.

The plurality of side vanes 113a and 113b according to an embodiment of the present invention are arranged and fixed to be inclined toward the front, and guide the air discharged to the outside of the cabinet in the forward direction (F-direction) to form a forward directed airflow. can Here, the forward direction airflow may be defined as a discharge airflow having an effective discharge angle of about 25 degrees with respect to the forward direction (F-direction).

On the other hand, the front cabinet 14 forms the front surface of the indoor unit 1, and as shown in the figure, in the upper position corresponding to the all-broadcast wind module 31, the air that has been heat-exchanged by the heat exchange assembly IV is transferred to the all-broadcast wind module. A front discharge port 141 that is accelerated and discharged by 31 is formed.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the front discharge port 141 is formed at the front end of the funnel part 142 disposed on the rear surface of the front cabinet 14 .

The flow of air discharged from the second outlet 31421 of the front discharge guide 314, which will be described later, may be formed to have a funnel shape in which the cross-sectional area is gradually increased while proceeding from the rear toward the front so that the flow of air discharged from the second outlet 31421 can form a forward-directed airflow. have.

The outer cylindrical portion 3142 in which the second outlet 31421 of the front discharge guide 314 is formed is entirely accommodated in the funnel portion 142 so as to form a front directed airflow. Therefore, the air discharged in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis (X-X) of the front air blower fan 311 through the second outlet 31421 is guided by the funnel unit 142 to form a forward-facing airflow. be able to Specific details related thereto will be described later with reference to FIG. 12 or less.

The funnel part 142 may be integrally formed with the front cabinet 14 or may be formed separately. 3 illustrates an exemplary embodiment in which the funnel part 142 is integrally formed with the front cabinet 14 .

Meanwhile, a camera sensor (not shown) for detecting conditions of an indoor space may be installed in the front cabinet 14 . Exemplarily, the camera sensor may be installed at an upper end of the front cabinet 14 .

Here, the condition of the indoor space may include the size of the indoor space, the number of occupants in the indoor space, and the location of the occupants.

<Blowing fan assembly>

The blower fan assembly (III) is configured to discharge air through the all-broadcasting wind module 31 for discharging air through the front discharge port 141 of the indoor unit 1, and side discharge ports 112a and 112b on both sides of the indoor unit 1 It includes a side broadcast wind module (32a, 32b, 32c).

As shown in Fig. 3, the blowing fan assembly (III) according to an embodiment of the present invention may include one front air module 31 and three side broadcast wind modules (32a, 32b, 32c) by way of example. can The front wind module 31 and the side wind modules 32a, 32b, and 32c are disposed in front of the heat exchange assembly IV.

The all-broadcast wind module 31 is disposed on the upper side of the side-broadcast wind modules 32a, 32b, and 32c. The all-broadcast wind module 31 generates a flow of air passing through the front outlet 141 formed in the front cabinet 14 .

The all-broadcast wind module 31 may include an all-broadcast wind fan 311 , an all-broadcast wind motor 312 , an all-broadcast wind fan housing 313 , and a front discharge guide 314 .

The all-broadcast wind module 31 according to an embodiment of the present invention is operated in a direct wind mode in which the air discharged through the operation of the front discharge guide 314 and the damper modules 21 and 22 is discharged to a distance in the front or air may be operated in an indirect wind mode that is discharged from the front outlet 141 toward the outside in the radial direction. As described above, the operation in the direct wind mode or the indirect wind mode may be determined by the operation of the first damper module 21 and the second damper module 22 .

The side broadcast wind module (32a, 32b, 32c) is disposed on the lower side of the front wind module (31). A plurality of side broadcast wind modules (32a, 32b, 32c) according to an embodiment of the present invention may be arranged vertically. The side broadcast wind module (32a, 32b, 32c) may discharge the air discharged through the side discharge port (112a, 112b), respectively.

Each of the side broadcast wind modules (32a, 32b, 32c) is a side broadcast wind fan (321a, 321b, 321c), a side broadcast wind motor (322a, 322b, 322c), a side broadcast wind fan housing (323a, 323b, 323c), a side suction guide (not shown) may be included.

The side broadcast wind modules (32a, 32b, 32c) are disposed in front of the heat exchanger 41, suck the heat-exchanged air through a side suction guide (not shown), and pass through the side broadcast wind fan housings (323a, 323b, 323c) It can be discharged through the side discharge ports (112a, 112b).

Air flowing by the side broadcast wind modules 32a, 32b, 32c, the direction of the discharge air flow may be determined by the side vanes 225a, 225b of the side discharge ports 112a, 112b. As described above, the airflow determined by the side vanes 225a and 225b of the side outlets 112a and 112b is preset as the forward direction airflow.

<Heat Exchange Assembly>

The heat exchange assembly IV serves to heat exchange the indoor air sucked into the rear cabinet 11 with the refrigerant.

The heat exchange assembly (IV) may include a heat exchanger (41) through which a refrigerant exchanging heat with indoor air flows, and a refrigerant pipe (not shown) forming a refrigerant flow path such that the refrigerant flows into or out of the heat exchanger (41). have.

The heat exchanger 41 is disposed at the rear of the blower fan assembly III. The heat exchanger 41 may be disposed between the intake port 111 and the discharge ports 141 , 112a , and 112b based on the air flow path to exchange heat with the air flowing inside the indoor unit 1 . Also, the heat exchanger 41 is disposed between the filter assembly V and the blower fan assembly III.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the heat exchanger 41 may have a length corresponding to a height at which the plurality of side broadcast wind modules 32a, 32b, and 32c and the front blower module 31 are vertically disposed.

The heat exchanger 41 may be disposed inside the rear cabinet 11 . The heat exchanger 41 may be supported by being fastened to a heat exchanger coupling part (not shown) formed inside the rear cabinet 11 .

<Filter assembly>

The filter assembly V serves to remove foreign substances contained in the air introduced into the suction port 111 .

The filter assembly (V) is detachably disposed at the rear of the rear cabinet (11). The filter assembly V may be disposed on the side of the suction port 111 formed at the rear of the rear cabinet 11 to filter indoor air flowing into the suction port 111 .

2 and 3, the filter assembly (V) according to an embodiment of the present invention includes filter modules (62a, 62b, 62c, 62d) for removing foreign substances in the air sucked into the suction port (111). . In the filter assembly V, the filter modules 62a, 62b, 62c, and 62d may be disposed on the suction port 111 side or may be disposed outside the rear cabinet 11 .

The filter assembly (V) according to an embodiment of the present invention is equipped with a filter in which the filter modules 62a, 62b, 62c, 62d, and the filter modules 62a, 62b, 62c, 62d for removing foreign substances in flowing air are mounted. It includes a member (not shown) and a moving member (not shown) for changing the position of the filter mounting member.

The filter modules 62a, 62b, 62c, and 62d may have a structure in which the filter module is drawn into or drawn out from the filter mounting member in the width direction of the filter module formed on the left and right when the filter module is disposed at the suction port.

The filter modules 62a, 62b, 62c, and 62d according to an embodiment of the present invention collect ionized air particles by a pre-filter (not shown) through which large dust in the air flowing into the inlet 111 is filtered, and an ionization unit. It may include a dust collecting filter unit (not shown) for filtering air, and a deodorizing filter unit (not shown) for removing odors in the air.

<Damper module and front discharge guide>

Hereinafter, the front discharge guide 314 and the damper modules 21 and 22 provided in the indoor unit 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 11 .

The front discharge guide 314 serves to guide the air blown from the front air blower fan 311 to the front discharge port.

The front discharge guide 314 is formed on the front side of the all-broadcast fan housing 313 . The front discharge guide 314 may be formed integrally with the front air fan housing 313 or formed separately. 4 or less, an exemplary embodiment in which the front discharge guide 314 is integrally formed with the all-broadcast fan housing 313 is illustrated. Although the present invention is not limited thereto, it will be described based on an embodiment in which the front discharge guide 314 is integrally formed with the front air fan housing 313 .

The front discharge guide 314 guides the air blown by the front wind fan 311 toward the front, but gradually reduces the flow cross-sectional area of the air to increase the flow rate. For this purpose, as shown, at least the inner surface of the guide body 3141 of the front discharge guide 314 is a flow guide 31411 in which the cross section in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis X-X is gradually reduced while proceeding toward the front. can be formed Accordingly, the air passing through the connecting bridge 3133 formed on the inner circumferential surface 31311 of the housing body 3131 of the all-broadcast fan housing 313 gradually increases the flow rate while proceeding forward.

An outer cylindrical portion 3142 having a cylindrical shape is formed on the front end side of the front discharge guide 314 . The outer cylindrical portion 3142 may be formed such that the outer diameter and the inner diameter are constantly maintained while proceeding in a direction parallel to the rotation axis (X-X).

The front end of the outer cylindrical portion 3142 is closed by the front end surface 31422 . However, in the center of the front end surface 31422, a circular hole through which the center of the rotation axis X-X passes is formed, and the circular hole forms a first outlet 31432 through which air is discharged in the first direction.

Here, the first direction may be defined as a direction substantially parallel to the rotation axis X-X.

Meanwhile, a second outlet 31421 through which air is discharged in the second direction is formed through the cylindrical surface of the outer cylindrical portion 3142 . Here, the second direction may be defined as a direction crossing the first direction, that is, a direction perpendicular to the first direction.

A plurality of second outlets 31421 may be provided. Illustratively, each of the second outlets 31421 may be a slit groove in which a length in a direction parallel to the rotation axis X-X is greater than a width in a radial direction of the outer cylindrical portion 3142 . The second outlets 31421 provided in the form of slit grooves may be formed to have equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the outer cylindrical portion 3142, respectively.

A first outlet 31432 and a second outlet 31421 are formed in the outer cylindrical portion 3142, and a passage through which the air passing through them is re-suctioned is configured to be formed. Of course, a flow path for re-introducing air to the front air fan 311 side after being blown by the front air blow fan 311 is not formed on the inner side of the outer cylindrical part 3142 as well.

On the other hand, the inside of the outer cylindrical portion 3142 is provided with a cylindrical inner cylindrical portion 3143 formed extending from the first outlet 31432 toward the rear in a direction parallel to the rotation axis X-X.

Similar to the outer cylindrical portion 3142, the inner cylindrical portion 3143 may be formed such that the outer diameter and the inner diameter are kept constant while proceeding in a direction parallel to the rotation axis (X-X).

The front end of the inner cylindrical portion 3143 is entirely open. The open front end defines the first outlet 31432 described above. That is, the inner diameter of the inner cylindrical portion 3143 may be formed to be the same as the diameter of the first outlet (31432).

On the other hand, the rear end of the inner cylindrical portion 3143 may extend to the motor accommodating portion 3132 of the all-broadcast fan housing 313, preferably the motor-receiving portion 3132 of the all-broadcast fan housing 313. can be integrally connected with

Adjacent to the rear end of the inner cylindrical portion 3143, at least one inlet 31431 is formed through. At least a portion of the air blown by the blowing fan through the inlet 31431 and introduced into the front discharge guide 314 may be introduced. Air introduced into the inlet 31431 is discharged through the first outlet 31432 .

The shape of the inlet 31431 is not limited, but may be exemplarily formed as a rectangular through-hole in which a width in a direction parallel to the rotation axis X-X is kept constant.

The damper assembly II includes damper modules 21 and 22 that open and close the discharge passage F of the air discharged from the front discharge port 141 formed in the front cabinet 14 .

In more detail, the damper modules 21 and 22 include a first damper module 21 that opens and closes the first outlet 31432 formed in the outer cylindrical portion 3142 of the front discharge guide 314, and the front discharge guide ( and a second damper module 22 for opening and closing the second outlet 31421 formed in the outer cylindrical portion 3142 of the 314 .

The first damper module 21 and the second damper module 22 are respectively provided to be movable in the front-rear direction (F-R direction) along the direction parallel to the rotation axis (X-X), and move in the front-rear direction (F-R direction) while moving forward It serves to open and close the first outlet 31432 and the second outlet 31421 of the outer cylindrical portion 3142 formed on the front side of the discharge guide 314 .

The first damper module 21 is a first damper ( 211).

As shown in FIG. 10 , the first damper 211 includes a disc-shaped damper panel 2111 and a support rod 2112 having one end fixed to the rear surface of the damper panel 2111 .

The damper panel 2111 has a substantially uniform thickness and is formed of a disk concentric with the first outlet 31432 .

The damper panel 2111 as a whole is in front of the first outlet 31432 and is disposed outside the front discharge guide 314 . The diameter of the damper panel 2111 is formed to be larger than the inner diameter of the first outlet 31432 so as to block air movement through the first outlet 31432 .

The support rod 2112 fixed to the rear surface of the damper panel 2111 serves to support the damper panel 2111 and at the same time guide the front-rear direction (F-R direction) movement of the damper panel 2111 . As illustrated, the support rod 2112 may be configured to have a rod shape having a circular cross-section. The other end of the rod-shaped support rod 2112 passes through the first outlet 31432 and extends into the inner cylindrical portion 3143 .

The center of the rod-shaped support rod 2112 and the center of the damper panel 2111 are preferably formed to be concentric with each other. As will be described later, the air discharged to the first outlet 31432 by moving the damper panel 2111 forward forms a lateral airflow by the rear surface of the damper panel 2111. This is to evenly distribute the drag force because it receives the drag force from the air.

A first rack gear 2113 is formed on an outer circumferential surface of the support rod 2112 . The first rack gear 2113 serves to convert the rotational motion of the first pinion gear 2122 to be described later into a linear reciprocating motion. Accordingly, the first rack gear 2113 extends in the front-rear direction (F-R direction) along the direction parallel to the rotation axis X-X, that is, along the movement direction of the damper panel and the support rod 2112 .

Meanwhile, the first damper module 21 further includes a first damper driver 212 that generates a driving force for moving the damper panel 2111 and the support rod 2112 .

The first damper driving unit 212 includes a first gear motor 2121, a first pinion gear 2122 coupled to an output shaft of the first gear motor 2121, a first gear motor 2121, and a first pinion. A first bracket 2133 for accommodating and supporting the gear 2122 is provided.

The first gearmotor 2121 generates a rotational driving force and transmits it to the first pinion gear 2122 , and the rotational driving force transmitted to the first pinion gear 2122 is transmitted to the first rack gear 2113 to provide a linear reciprocating driving force. can be converted to Any means known in the art is applicable to the first gear motor 2121 and the first pinion gear 2122 . However, the first gearmotor 2121 and the first pinion gear 2122 are preferably miniaturized so that they can be accommodated in the inner cylindrical portion 3143 .

The first bracket 2133 serves to accommodate and support the first gearmotor 2121 and the first pinion gear 2122 so that they can be fixed to the inside of the inner cylindrical portion 3143 .

In a state in which the first gear motor 2121 and the first pinion gear 2122 are accommodated in the first bracket 2133 , the first bracket 2133 is fixed inside the inner cylindrical part 3143 .

On the other hand, the second damper module 22 is a second damper serving to block or allow the flow of air moving to the second outlet 31421 of the outer cylindrical portion 3142 while moving in the front-rear direction (F-R direction). (221).

As shown in FIG. 11 , the second damper 221 includes a ring-shaped damper ring 2211 and a second rack gear 2212 fixed to a radially inner edge of the damper ring 2211 .

The damper ring 2211 has a substantially uniform thickness and is composed of a ring-shaped plate concentric with the inner cylindrical portion 3143 .

The damper ring 2211 does not directly open and close the second outlet 31421, but opens or blocks the air flow path formed between the inner peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical part 3143 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical part 3142. plays a role

To this end, the diameter of the circular hole formed inside the damper ring 2211 is formed to be greater than or equal to the outer diameter of the inner cylindrical portion 3143 . In addition, the radial width of the damper ring 2211 is formed to be greater than or equal to the interval between the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylindrical portion 3142 and the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylindrical portion 3143 .

Further, in a state in which the inner cylindrical portion 3143 is inserted into the circular hole of the damper ring 2211, the damper ring 2211 may be linearly reciprocated along the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 3143 in the front-rear direction (F-R direction). have.

Therefore, when the damper ring 2211 is moved forward along the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylindrical portion 3143, between the inner circumferential surface of the inner cylindrical portion 3143 and the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylindrical portion 3142 is closed, and the damper ring 2211 is the inner When it moves backward along the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical part 3143, the discharge flow path F is opened and closed in such a way that the inner peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical part 3143 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical part 3142 are opened. Through this, the flow of air moving to the second outlet 31421 may be blocked or allowed.

On the other hand, the second rack gear 2212 fixed to the radially inner edge of the damper ring 2211 serves to convert the rotational motion of the second pinion gear 2222 to be described later into a linear reciprocating motion. Accordingly, the second rack gear 2212 extends in the front-rear direction (F-R direction) along the direction parallel to the rotation axis (X-X), that is, along the moving direction of the damper ring 2211 .

Meanwhile, the second damper module 22 further includes a second damper driver 222 that generates a driving force for moving the damper ring 2211 .

The second damper driving unit 222 includes a second gear motor 2221 , a second pinion gear 2222 coupled to an output shaft of the second gear motor 2221 , a second gear motor 2221 and a second pinion. A second bracket 2223 for receiving and supporting the gear 2222 is provided. The configuration related to the second damper driving unit 222 can be applied without changing the configuration related to the first damper driving unit 212 described above. Therefore, a description of the overlapping content will be omitted.

Similarly to the above-described first gearmotor 2121 and first pinion gear 2122 , the second gearmotor 2221 and the second pinion gear 2222 are accommodated in and supported by the second bracket 2223 . It is fixed to the inside of the inner cylindrical portion (3143). However, the first damper driving unit 212 and the second damper driving unit 222 are disposed at positions spaced apart from each other to prevent mutual interference.

5 , the first bracket 2133 and the second bracket 2223 are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction (U-D direction) based on the support rod 2112 of the first damper module 21 , respectively. and can be placed.

On the other hand, as described above, the damper ring 2211 of the second damper 221 moves in the front-rear direction (F-R direction) along the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical part 3143, and the second damper 221 is driven The damper driving part 222 is accommodated in the inner cylindrical part 3143 .

Accordingly, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , the inner cylindrical part 3143 has a gear hole 31433 for allowing the power of the second damper driving part 222 to be transmitted to the second damper 221 . do.

The gear hole 31433 may be formed as a rectangular through-hole so that the second pinion gear 2222 or the second rack gear 2212 can at least partially pass therethrough.

In the illustrated embodiment, the toothed portion of the second rack gear 2212 passes through the gear hole 31433 and extends into the inner cylindrical portion 3143, but unlike this, the second rack gear 2212 is Partially through the gear hole 31433 may be configured to extend to the outside of the inner cylindrical portion (3143).

On the other hand, adjacent to the gear hole 31433, the support protrusion 31434 formed to extend in a direction parallel to the rotation axis (X-X) direction, the second bracket 2223 of the second damper driving unit 222 can be fixed. It serves to provide an anchoring means.

Meanwhile, as will be described later, the first gearmotor 2121 and the second gearmotor 2221 may be controlled to be driven independently. That is, the first damper 211 and the second damper 221 may be controlled to operate independently, respectively, and the first outlet 31432 and the second outlet 31421 of the inner cylindrical part 3143 are each independently operated. It can be controlled to open and close.

Hereinafter, a state in which the first damper 211 and the second damper 221 are independently operated and a state in which the discharge air flow is converted will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 to 14 .

FIG. 12 is a partially enlarged view of the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 3 , wherein the flow of air through the first outlet 31432 and the second outlet 31421 of the front discharge guide 314 is blocked.

12 , in order to block the first outlet 31432 , the first damper 211 remains moved to the rearmost position. Accordingly, the first outlet 31432 formed in the outer cylindrical portion 3142 of the front discharge guide 314 is in a state of being completely blocked by the damper panel 2111 of the first damper 211, and the first outlet 31432 The flow of air through it is completely blocked.

Further, in order to block the second outlet 31421 , preferably to block the flow of air moving toward the second outlet 31421 , the second damper 221 is moved to the forwardmost position.

That is, after the damper ring 2211 of the second damper 221 moves to the rear end side of the outer cylindrical part 3142, the stopped state is maintained.

As described above, the radial width of the damper ring 2211 is set to be greater than or equal to the interval between the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 3143 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion 3142 . Therefore, when the damper ring 2211 is moved to the rear end side, the discharge passage F formed between the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical part 3143 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical part 3142 is completely blocked by the damper ring 2211. do.

As such, when the discharge flow path F formed between the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical part 3143 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical part 3142 is blocked, the flow of air toward the second outlet 31421 can be completely blocked. there will be

13 is a partial enlarged view of the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 3, the flow of air through the second outlet 31421 of the front discharge guide 314 is blocked, and the first outlet 31432 is shown in an open state. have.

13 , in order to open the first outlet 31432 , the first gear motor 2121 of the first damper driving unit 212 moves in the first direction, that is, in the direction in which the first damper 211 is advanced. It works.

When the first gearmotor 2121 operates in the first direction, the rotational driving force of the first gearmotor 2121 is transmitted to the first pinion gear 2122 . The rotational driving force transmitted to the first pinion gear 2122 is transmitted to the first rack gear 2113 meshed with the first pinion gear 2122 . At this time, as shown, since the first pinion gear 2122 is supported in a state where only rotation is possible, the rotational driving force of the first pinion gear 2122 moves the first rack gear 2113 in the forward direction (F-direction). The first rack gear 2113 , the support rod 2112 , and the damper panel 2111 are integrally moved in the forward direction (F-direction) toward the most forward position while being converted into a moving linear driving force.

As illustrated, when the movement of the damper panel 2111 to the forward position is completed, the first gear motor 2121 is stopped, and the damper panel 2111 is fixed at the forward position.

When the damper panel 2111 is fixed to the forwardmost position, the first outlet 31432 has a maximum opening amount.

When the first outlet 31432 is opened in a state having the maximum opening degree as described above, the air blown through the front air fan 311 is the front air fan housing 313 and the inlet 31431 of the inner cylindrical part 3143. It moves to the first outlet 31432 through the , and is discharged to the outside of the indoor unit 1 through the first outlet 31432 .

On the other hand, as shown, the damper panel 2111 of the first damper 211 in the state moved to the frontmost position is disposed to cover the air discharged through the first outlet 31432 from the front.

Accordingly, the air discharged to the first outlet 31432 is prevented from proceeding forward in a direction parallel to the rotation axis X-X by the damper panel 2111, and spreads in a direction gradually away from the rotation axis X-X. will form an air current. That is, the airflow of the air discharged through the first outlet 31432 forms an indirect wind.

Meanwhile, the damper panel 2111 may be controlled to stop at an intermediate position formed between the frontmost position and the rearmost position. When the damper panel 2111 is stopped at the intermediate position as described above, compared to the case where the damper panel 2111 is stopped at the frontmost position, the opening degree of the first outlet 31432 is reduced to lower the discharge flow rate in the operation mode. can be applied.

That is, the flow rate of air passing through the first outlet 31432 can be easily adjusted without increasing or decreasing the rotational speed of the all-broadcast wind motor 312 and the all-broadcast wind fan 311 .

14 is a partially enlarged view of the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 3 , in which both the first outlet 31432 and the second outlet 31421 are open.

In the state in which the first outlet 31432 of FIG. 13 is opened, in order to open the second outlet 31421, the second gear motor 2221 of the second damper driving unit 222 moves in the second direction, that is, the second damper ( 221) is operated in the reverse direction. Based on the illustrated embodiment, the second direction may be understood as a direction opposite to the above-described first direction.

When the second gear motor 2221 is operated in the second direction, the rotational driving force of the second gear motor 2221 is transmitted to the second pinion gear 2222 . The rotational driving force transmitted to the second pinion gear 2222 is transmitted to the second rack gear 2212 meshed with the second pinion gear 2222 .

At this time, as shown, since the second pinion gear 2222 is supported in a rotatable state only, the rotational driving force of the second pinion gear 2222 causes the second rack gear 2212 to be moved in the rear direction (R-direction). The second rack gear 2212 and the damper ring 2211 are integrally moved in the rearward direction (R-direction) toward the rearmost position while being converted into a linear driving force that moves.

As shown, when the movement of the damper ring 2211 to the rearmost position is completed, the second gear motor 2221 is stopped, and the damper ring 2211 is fixed at the rearmost position.

Accordingly, the discharge flow path F leading to the second outlet 31421, that is, the discharge flow path F between the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical part 3142 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical part 3143 is opened, and the second outlet 31421 is switched to the open state.

As such, when the second outlet 31421 is opened, the air blown through the front air fan 311 is moved to the second outlet 31421 through the front air fan housing 313 and the front discharge guide 314, It is discharged into the inside of the funnel part 1 through the second outlet 31421 .

Meanwhile, as illustrated, the air passing through the second outlet 31421 forms an airflow in a direction crossing the rotation axis X-X, and is discharged into the funnel unit 1 .

In addition, the air discharged into the funnel unit 1 is guided by the inner circumferential surface of the funnel unit 1 , passes through the front discharge port 141 , and is discharged to the outside of the indoor unit 1 .

However, as shown, the shape of the inner circumferential surface of the funnel part 1 has a shape in which the cross-sectional area is gradually increased while proceeding forward. Accordingly, the air discharged through the first outlet 31432 is directed forward while passing through the front outlet 141 formed at the front end of the funnel unit 1, and the airflow direction is switched by the inner circumferential surface of the funnel unit 1 . It creates a forward directional airflow. That is, a direct wind different from the air flow of the air discharged through the first outlet 31432 is formed.

Meanwhile, similarly to the damper panel 2111 of the first damper 211 , the damper ring 2211 may be controlled to stop at an intermediate position formed between the frontmost position and the rearmost position. As such, when the damper ring 2211 is stopped at the intermediate position, compared to the case where the damper ring 2211 is stopped at the rearmost position, in the operation mode to lower the discharge flow rate of the air passing through the second outlet 31421 can be applied.

That is, the flow rate of air passing through the second outlet 31421 can be easily adjusted without increasing or decreasing the rotational speed of the all-broadcast wind motor 312 and the all-broadcast wind fan 311 .

As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to the illustrated drawings, but the present invention is not limited by the embodiments and drawings disclosed in the present specification. It is obvious that variations can be made. In addition, even if the effects of the configuration of the present invention are not explicitly described and described while describing the embodiments of the present invention, it is natural that the effects predictable by the configuration should also be recognized.

1: Indoor unit Ⅰ: Cabinet assembly
Ⅱ: damper assembly Ⅲ: blower fan assembly
IV: heat exchange assembly V: humidification assembly
Ⅵ: filter assembly
11: rear cabinet 14: front cabinet
141: front discharge port 142: funnel part
31: front wind module 32a, 32b, 32c: side broadcast wind module
21: first damper module 22: second damper module
314: front discharge guide

Claims (14)

a cabinet in which an inlet through which air is introduced is formed at the rear side and a front outlet through which air is discharged at the front side;
a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the air introduced into the suction port and the refrigerant;
a blower fan having a rotation axis extending in a direction from the front side of the cabinet toward the rear side of the cabinet and sucking in the heat-exchanged air;
a front discharge guide disposed in front of the blowing fan and having a discharge passage guiding air blown from the blowing fan to the front discharge port therein; and
a damper module that is movably supported by the front discharge guide in a front-rear direction parallel to the rotation axis and opens and closes a discharge passage of the front discharge guide;
including,
The front discharge guide has a first outlet for discharging the air blown from the blowing fan in a first direction, and a second outlet for discharging the air blown from the blowing fan in a second direction crossing the first direction. do,
The damper module includes a first damper module for controlling a flow rate of air passing through the first outlet, and a second damper module for controlling a flow rate of air passing through the second outlet.
In claim 1,
The front discharge guide includes an outer cylindrical portion formed to extend forward in a direction parallel to the rotation axis,
The first outlet is formed through the front end surface of the outer cylindrical portion,
The second outlet is formed through a cylindrical surface formed behind the front end surface of the air conditioner.
In claim 2,
The first outlet, the center becomes a circular hole through which the axis of rotation passes,
The second outlet may be a plurality of slit holes in which a length in a direction parallel to the rotation axis is greater than a width in a radial direction.
In claim 3,
The plurality of slit holes are each formed to be equally spaced along a circumferential direction.
In claim 3,
The first damper module,
a disc-shaped first damper disposed in front of the first outlet and configured to open and close the first outlet while moving in the front-rear direction;
a support rod having one end fixed to the rear surface of the first damper and the other end extending into the front discharge guide through the first outlet;
a first rack gear fixed to the support rod and extending in the front-rear direction;
a first pinion gear meshing with the first rack gear; and
a first gear motor generating rotational driving force of the first pinion gear;
An air conditioner comprising a.
In claim 5,
The disk-shaped first damper is concentric with the first outlet,
The diameter of the first damper is greater than or equal to the diameter of the first outlet.
In claim 5,
The front discharge guide,
and an inner cylindrical portion extending from the first outlet toward the rear in a direction parallel to the rotation axis,
The front end of the inner cylindrical portion is open, and the open front end forms the first outlet.
In claim 7,
An air conditioner having an inlet in the shape of a through hole through which at least a portion of the air blown from the blowing fan is introduced at the rear end of the inner cylindrical part.
In claim 7,
The second damper module,
a ring-shaped second damper disposed inside the inner cylindrical part and blocking or allowing the flow of air moving to the second outlet while moving in the front-rear direction along the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylindrical part;
a second rack gear fixed to a radially inner edge of the second damper and extending in the front-rear direction;
a second pinion gear meshing with the second rack gear; and
a second gear motor generating rotational driving force of the second pinion gear;
An air conditioner comprising a.
10. In claim 9,
The radial width of the ring-shaped second damper is,
An air conditioner that is greater than or equal to a distance between an inner circumferential surface of the rear end of the outer cylindrical portion and an outer circumferential surface of the inner cylindrical portion.
10. In claim 9,
The second pinion gear and the second gear motor are accommodated in the inner cylindrical portion of the air conditioner.
In claim 11,
The air conditioner is provided with a gear hole through which the second pinion gear or the second rack gear at least partially passes through the cylindrical surface of the inner cylindrical part.
In claim 2,
It is provided inside the cabinet and further comprises a funnel part at least partially accommodating the front discharge guide therein,
The air conditioner in which the front discharge port is formed at the front end of the funnel part.
In claim 13,
The outer cylindrical portion is generally accommodated in the funnel portion of the air conditioner.

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