US20090104032A1

US20090104032A1 - Air conditioner

Info

Publication number: US20090104032A1
Application number: US12/143,967
Authority: US
Inventors: Jeong Taek PARK; Ki Won SEO; Deok Huh
Original assignee: LG Electronics Inc
Current assignee: LG Electronics Inc
Priority date: 2007-10-22
Filing date: 2008-06-23
Publication date: 2009-04-23
Also published as: EP2203688A1; KR20090040690A; EP2203688A4; WO2009054588A1

Abstract

An air conditioner includes a fan and a rear guide which guides air to the fan. A recess is formed in a side surface of the rear guide which faces the fan.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2007-0106159, filed on Oct. 22, 2007, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an air conditioner. Generally, an air conditioner is an apparatus that uses a refrigerant cycle to cool and/or heat an indoor space. A heat exchanger and a fan are disposed inside the air conditioner. Air introduced from an air intake portion is heat-exchanged in the heat exchanger, and then the heat-exchanged air is discharged into the indoor space through an air outlet portion when the fan rotates. A rear guide spaced from an outer periphery of the fan is disposed on an intake side of the fan. The rear guide guides the heat-exchanged air such that the air is smoothly introduced into the fan.
However, in a conventional art air conditioner, since a space between the fan and the heat exchanger varies according to an installation structure and angle of the heat exchanger, an airflow passing through the heat exchanger is not uniform. Hence, there is air turbulence around the rear guide. This results in a decreased air blowing capacity, and an increase in noise.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One of the features of the present invention is that it minimizes air turbulence at a rear guide of an air conditioner.
This feature may be achieved by an air conditioner which includes a fan and a rear guide which guides air to the fan. A recess is formed in a side surface of the rear guide which faces the fan.
The recess may extend from a portion of the rear guide which is closest to the fan to an end of the rear guide. The recess may be inclined, at an angle of approximately 4-6 degrees, relative to a line tangential to a surface of the rear guide at a portion of the rear guide which is closest to the fan. A ratio of a diameter D of the fan to a depth d of the recess may be approximately 0.01≦d/D≦0.015.
A ratio of a diameter D of the fan to a thickness t of a portion of the rear guide at which the recess is formed may be approximately 0.4≦t/D≦0.5. A ratio of a diameter D of the fan to a length L of the recess may be approximately 0.14≦L/D≦0.18. A bell mouth portion extending in a direction opposite to the fan may be formed at an end of the rear guide.
The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an air conditioner in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial enlarged view of a rear guide of the air conditioner of FIG. 1 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial enlarged view of a rear guide of the air conditioner of FIG. 1 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Although some embodiments are illustrated herein, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this disclosure.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an air conditioner in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
Referring to FIG. 1, the air conditioner includes a case 10, a heat exchanger 20, and a fan 30. The heat exchanger 20 and the fan 30 are disposed inside the case.
A front air intake portion 11 is disposed in a front side of the case 10, and a top air intake portion 12 is disposed in an upper side of the case 10. A filter 13 for filtering intake air is disposed on the front air intake portion 11 and the top air intake portion 12. The filter is attachably or detachably installed on the front air intake portion 11 and the top air intake portion 12.
An air outlet 14 is disposed in a lower side of the case 10. An air outlet louver 15 that can adjust the direction or angle of airflow is disposed in the air outlet 14. The air outlet louver 15 is closed when an operation of the air conditioner is stopped.
A fan 30 is disposed in one side of the heat exchanger 20. The fan 30 may be a cross-flow fan, for example. The fan 30 discharges air which enters the air conditioner through the air intake portions 11 and 12 in a direction perpendicular to a rotational direction of the fan 30. The heat exchanger 20 includes a refrigerant tube 24, and a plurality of heat exchange pins 25. Refrigerant flows through the refrigerant tube 24. The refrigerant tube 24 passes through the plurality of heat exchange pins 25.
The heat exchanger 20 is disposed around an intake side of the fan 30. In some embodiments, the heat exchanger 20 may include a plurality of heat exchange portions 21, 22 and 23, which are arranged at different angles within the case 10 around the intake side of the fan 30.
If the heat exchanger 20 includes a plurality of heat exchange portions 21, 22 and 23 which are disposed at angles, as shown, for example, in FIG. 1, a relatively large heat exchange surface area, and consequently, a relatively large heat exchange capacity, can be achieved. As an alternative to having separate heat exchange portions, the heat exchanger 20 can be formed in one piece which has a bent shape.
A rear guide 50 extending toward the intake side of the fan 30 is disposed in a rear side of the case 10 to guide air to the fan. A recess 51 is formed in one side of the rear guide 50 facing the fan 30. The recess 51 increases the space between the surface of the rear guide 50 and the fan 30, which results in lower air turbulence around the outer periphery of the fan 30.
A stabilizer 40 for preventing the air discharged from the fan 30 from flowing towards the heat exchanger 20 is disposed in the outlet 14 of the fan 30. The stabilizer 40 is spaced from the outer periphery of the fan 30 by a predetermined space.
FIG. 2 is a partial enlarged view of a rear guide of the air conditioner of FIG. 1 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
Referring to FIG. 2, the recess 51 extends from a portion P of the rear guide 50 which is closest to an outer periphery of the fan 30 to an end of the rear guide 50.
The recess 51 is inclined, at an angle of approximately 4-6 degrees, relative to a line tangential to a surface of the rear guide 50 at the portion P. If the recess 51 is inclined at an angle of less than approximately 4 degrees, air turbulence, which is caused by the rear guide 50, increases around the outer periphery of the fan 30, which rotates in a clockwise direction. If the recess 51 is inclined at an angle of more than approximately 6 degrees, the space between the outer periphery of the fan 30 and the recess 51 is greater. Accordingly, since the air flowing along the outer periphery of the fan 30 does not converge as well, air turbulence around the outer periphery of the fan 30 is increased.
A ratio of a diameter D of the fan 30 to a depth d of the recess 51 of the rear guide 50 may be approximately 0.01≦d/D≦0.015. As the diameter D of the fan 30 increases, the space between the outer periphery of the fan 30 and the recess 51 must widen. As a result, the depth of the recess 51 increases. If the ratio d/D is less than approximately 0.01, air turbulence around the outer periphery of the fan 30 increases. If the ratio d/D is greater than approximately 0.015, the space between the rear guide 50 and the outer periphery of the fan 30 is greater, which also causes an increase of air turbulence around the outer periphery of the fan 30, due to a lower convergence of air.
A ratio of the diameter D of the fan 30 to a thickness t of a portion of the rear guide 50 (hereinafter, refer to an “extending portion 52”) at which the recess 51 is formed may be approximately 0.4≦d/D≦0.5. As the diameter D of the fan 30 increases, a force of air gradually increases. As a result, the thickness of the extending portion 52 must be relatively great in order to prevent vibration of the rear guide 50. If the ratio t/D is less than approximately 0.4, the extending portion 52 of the rear guide 50 vibrates due to the force of the air, which causes air turbulence to increase along the outer periphery of the fan 30. If the ratio t/D is more than approximately 0.5, a space between a side surface of the rear guide 50 which faces away from the fan 30, and the outer periphery of the fan 30 is greater. Hence, a swirl of air passing through the heat exchanger 20 increases around the side surface of the rear guide 50 which faces away from the fan 30, and air turbulence around the outer periphery of the fan 30 increases due to the swirl movement.
A ratio of the diameter D of the fan 30 to a length L of the recess 51 of the rear guide 50 may be approximately 0.14≦L/D≦0.18. As the diameter D of the fan 30 increases, the space between the outer periphery of the fan 30 and the recess 51 must widen. As a result, the length of the rear guide 50 must be larger. If the ratio L/D is less than approximately 0.14, a portion of air flowing along the outer periphery of the fan 30 does not sufficiently converge to the fan due to the rear guide 50, thereby increasing air turbulence. If the ratio L/D is more than approximately 0.18, the rear guide 50 covers a larger portion of an intake side of the fan, which prevents the air passing through the heat exchanger 20 from flowing to the fan 30, thereby reducing the air blowing capacity of the fan 30.
An operation of the air conditioner described above is described below.
When an operation of an air conditioner starts, refrigerant is provided in a heat exchanger 20. An air outlet louver 15 is rotated to open an air outlet portion. The fan 30 is rotated to introduce air through a front air intake portion 11 and a top air intake portion 12. The intake air is heat-exchanged through the heat exchanger 20.
The heat-exchanged air flows along the outer periphery of the fan 30 in a clockwise direction. The air around the outer periphery of the fan 30 flows in a direction of the rear guide 50. Since the recess 51 is inclined, at an angle of approximately 4-6 degrees, relative to a line tangential to a surface of the rear guide 50 at the portion P, the air is converged to the fan 30 due to the recess 51 and then discharged to an outlet side of the fan 30.
The stabilizer 40 prevents a portion of air of the outlet side of the fan 30 from flowing toward the heat exchanger 20. The air of the outlet side of the fan 30 is discharged into an indoor space. The air outlet louver 15 can control a direction of the air to be discharged.
Next, a second embodiment of a rear guide in accordance with the present invention will be described below.
FIG. 3 is a partial enlarged view of a rear guide of the air conditioner of FIG. 1 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. 100341 Referring to FIG. 3, a recess 61 is formed in one side of the rear guide 60 facing the fan 30. The recess 61 increases the space between the surface of the rear guide 60 and the fan 30, which results in lower air turbulence around the outer periphery of the fan 30. A portion of the rear guide 60 in which the recess 61 is formed is referred to herein as an extending portion 62. The recess 61 extends from a portion P of the rear guide 60 which is closest to an outer periphery of the fan 30 to an end of the rear guide 60.
The recess 61 is inclined, at an angle of approximately 4-6 degrees, relative to a line tangential to a surface of the rear guide 60 at the portion P. A ratio of a diameter D of the fan 30 to a depth d of the recess 61 of the rear guide 60 may be approximately 0.01≦d/D≦0.015. A ratio of the diameter D of the fan 30 to a thickness t of a portion of the rear guide 60 at which the recess 61 is formed may be approximately 0.4≦t/D≦0.5. A ratio of the diameter D of the fan 30 to a length L of the recess 61 may be approximately 0.14≦L/D≦0.18. Further explanation of the recess 61 is omitted, due to its similarity to the recess 51 described above.
A bell mouth portion 63 having a ball shape is formed at an end of the rear guide 60. The bell mouth portion 63 extends in a direction opposite to the fan 30. The bell mouth portion 63 smoothly guides air flowing along the outer periphery of the fan 30 toward the recess 61 of the rear guide 60.
Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this disclosure. More particularly, various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.
The illustrations of the embodiments described herein are intended to provide a general understanding of the structure of the various embodiments. The illustrations are not intended to serve as a complete description of all of the elements and features of apparatus and systems that utilize the structures or methods described herein. Many other embodiments may be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the disclosure. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived from the disclosure, such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the disclosure and the figures are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.
One or more embodiments of the disclosure may be referred to herein, individually and/or collectively, by the term “invention” merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any particular invention or inventive concept. Moreover, although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be appreciated that any subsequent arrangement designed to achieve the same or similar purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all subsequent adaptations or variations of various embodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the description.
The above disclosed subject matter is to be considered illustrative, and not restrictive, and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications, enhancements, and other embodiments which fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, to the maximum extent allowed by law, the scope of the present invention is to be determined by the broadest permissible interpretation of the following claims and their equivalents, and shall not be restricted or limited by the foregoing detailed description.
Although the invention has been described with reference to several exemplary embodiments, it is understood that the words that have been used are words of description and illustration, rather than words of limitation. As the present invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, it should also be understood that the above-described embodiments are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing description, unless otherwise specified. Rather, the above-described embodiments should be construed broadly within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims. Therefore, changes may be made within the metes and bounds of the appended claims, as presently stated and as amended, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention in its aspects.

Claims

1. An air conditioner, comprising:

a fan; and

a rear guide which guides air to the fan,

wherein a recess is formed in a side surface of the rear guide which faces the fan.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the recess extends from a portion of the rear guide which is closest to the fan to an end of the rear guide.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the recess is inclined, at an angle of approximately 4-6 degrees, relative to a line tangential to a surface of the rear guide at a portion of the rear guide which is closest to the fan.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of a diameter D of the fan to a depth d of the recess is approximately 0.01≦d/D≦0.015.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of a diameter D of the fan to a thickness t of a portion of the rear guide at which the recess is formed is approximately 0.4≦t/D≦0.5.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of a diameter D of the fan to a length L of the recess is approximately 0.14≦L/D≦0.18.

7. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein a bell mouth portion extending in a direction opposite to the fan is formed at an end of the rear guide.