WO2022164063A1

WO2022164063A1 - Air conditioner

Info

Publication number: WO2022164063A1
Application number: PCT/KR2022/000034
Authority: WO
Inventors: 김진백; 김중현; 이바노브이고르; 강덕균; 여형석
Original assignee: 삼성전자주식회사
Priority date: 2021-01-27
Filing date: 2022-01-04
Publication date: 2022-08-04
Also published as: US20230314012A1; KR20220108405A

Abstract

An air conditioner comprises: a housing including a first inlet and a second inlet; a front panel arranged on the front surface of the housing; a first outlet formed in the front panel; a second outlet provided in the side of the front panel; a heat exchanger which exchanges heat with the air sucked through the first inlet; a first blower discharging the heat-exchanged air toward the first outlet; a second blower discharging the air sucked through the second inlet; a duct which guides the air discharged from the second blower to be discharged through the second outlet and comprises first and second duct discharge ports that are in communication with the second outlet; and a valve which is arranged in the duct and regulates the air flow toward the first duct discharge port and the air flow toward the second duct discharge port.

Description

air conditioner

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly, to an air conditioner having a different method of discharging air.

An air conditioner is a device that uses a refrigeration cycle to keep indoor air comfortable for human activity. The air conditioner can cool a room by a repeated action of sucking in hot air from the room, heat exchange with a low-temperature refrigerant, and then discharging it into the room, or heat the room by the opposite action.

Recently, beyond simply controlling the temperature of the room, it meets the needs of consumers for various airflow discharge methods, such as using a turbo fan to blow cold air away, or using a fine outlet to prevent the user from directly contacting the cold air. Various airflow control structures and airflow control methods are being developed for this purpose.

One aspect of the present invention provides an air conditioner capable of maintaining a comfortable indoor temperature or humidity while preventing a user from feeling the cooling wind speed of the air conditioner.

One aspect of the present invention provides an air conditioner capable of providing an exhaust air stream having various wind directions, wind speeds, and flow forms.

An air conditioner according to an aspect of the present invention includes: a housing including 1 and 2 inlets; a front panel disposed on the front side of the housing; a first outlet formed on the front panel; a second outlet provided on a side of the front panel; a heat exchanger for exchanging heat with the air sucked in through the first inlet; a first blower for discharging the heat-exchanged air toward the first outlet; a second blower for discharging air sucked in through the second inlet; a duct for guiding the air discharged from the second blower to be discharged through the second outlet, the duct including first and second duct outlets communicating with the second outlet; and a valve disposed inside the duct and controlling the flow of air toward the first duct outlet and the flow of air toward the second duct outlet.

The valve may include a damper plate and a driving device capable of tilting or translating the damper plate.

The driving device may include a pair of linear actuators each having a connecting shaft coupled to the damper plate.

The pair of linear actuators may be fixed to one surface of the duct.

The duct communicates with the first and second duct outlets and includes a main flow path for receiving air from the second blower, the second duct outlet is disposed below the first duct outlet, and the damper plate includes the It may be disposed to correspond to the second duct outlet.

As the damper plate inclines so that the upper end of the damper plate approaches the second duct outlet and the lower end of the damper plate moves away from the second duct outlet, the flow rate of air toward the first duct outlet is reduced and the second 2 The flow rate of air to the duct outlet can be increased.

As the damper plate is translated to be closer to the second duct outlet, the flow rate of air directed to the first duct outlet may be increased and the flow rate of air directed to the second duct outlet may be reduced.

As the damper plate is tilted so that the upper end of the damper plate moves away from the second duct outlet and the lower end of the damper plate approaches the second duct outlet, the flow rate of air toward the first duct outlet and the second outlet The flow rate of air to the can be reduced.

The valve may include a first damper plate capable of opening and closing the first duct outlet and a second damper plate capable of opening and closing the second duct outlet.

Each of the first damper plate and the second damper plate may be hinged to one surface of the duct.

The flow rate of the first discharge passage may be adjusted according to the degree of opening of the first damper plate, and the flow rate of the second discharge passage may be adjusted according to the degree of opening of the second damper plate.

The duct may include a pair of ducts, and the valve may include a pair of valves disposed in each of the pair of ducts.

The pair of valves may be disposed to have different inclinations.

Air sucked in through the second inlet may not exchange heat with the heat exchanger.

The air discharged from the second outlet may move the air discharged from the first outlet away from the front panel.

An air conditioner according to an aspect of the present invention includes a housing having first and second air flow passages separated from each other therein; a heat exchanger disposed on the first air flow passage; a first blower for forming a flow of air in the first blowing passage; a second blower for supplying air to the second blowing passage; a duct forming the second air flow passage, the duct including first and second duct outlets; and a valve disposed inside the duct and selectively dividing the second air flow path into a first flow path connected to the first duct outlet and a second flow path connected to the second duct outlet. .

The driving device may partition the second blower passage so that the air discharged from the second blower is supplied to the first passage and not to the second passage.

The driving device may partition the second air flow path so that the air discharged from the second blower is supplied to the second flow path and not supplied to the first flow path.

It is possible to provide an air conditioner capable of maintaining a comfortable indoor temperature or humidity while preventing a user from feeling the cooling wind speed of the air conditioner by using the plurality of discharge holes.

By adjusting the valve provided in the duct, it is possible to provide the user with an exhaust air stream having various wind directions, wind speeds, and flow forms.

1 is a perspective view illustrating an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the air conditioner shown in FIG. 1 by disassembling it.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the air conditioner shown in FIG. 1 .

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a partial configuration of the air conditioner shown in FIG. 1 .

5 to 8 are views illustrating the operation of the valve according to the embodiment of the air conditioner shown in FIG. 1 by cutting one side of the duct.

9 to 12 are views illustrating an operation of a valve according to another embodiment of the air conditioner shown in FIG. 1 by cutting one side of the duct.

13 to 15 are views illustrating an operation example of the air conditioner shown in FIG. 4 .

The configuration shown in the embodiments and drawings described in this specification is only a preferred example of the disclosed invention, and there may be various modifications that can replace the embodiments and drawings of the present specification at the time of filing of the present application.

In addition, the same reference numbers or reference numerals in each drawing in the present specification indicate parts or components that perform substantially the same functions.

In addition, the terms used herein are used to describe the embodiments, and are not intended to limit and/or limit the disclosed invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the present specification, terms such as "comprises" or "have" are intended to designate that the features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification exist, but one or more other features It does not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

In addition, terms including an ordinal number such as "first", "second", etc. used herein may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited by the terms, and the terms are It is used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component may also be referred to as a first component. The term "and/or" includes a combination of a plurality of related listed items or any of a plurality of related listed items.

On the other hand, the terms "front", "upper", "lower", "left" and "right" used in the following description are defined based on the drawings, and the shape and position of each component is limited by these terms it's not going to be Referring to the coordinates shown in the drawings, the X-axis direction may correspond to the front-rear direction, the Y-axis direction may correspond to the left-right direction, and the Z-axis direction may correspond to the vertical direction.

The refrigeration cycle of an air conditioner consists of a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator. The refrigeration cycle circulates through a series of processes consisting of compression-condensation-expansion-evaporation, and can supply air that has exchanged heat with the refrigerant.

The compressor compresses and discharges the refrigerant gas in a high-temperature and high-pressure state, and the discharged refrigerant gas flows into the condenser. The condenser condenses the compressed refrigerant into a liquid phase, and discharges heat to the environment through the condensation process.

The expansion valve expands the high-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant condensed in the condenser into the low-pressure liquid refrigerant. The evaporator evaporates the refrigerant expanded in the expansion valve, and returns the refrigerant gas in the low-temperature and low-pressure phase to the compressor. The evaporator can achieve the refrigeration effect by heat exchange with the object to be cooled by using the latent heat of evaporation of the refrigerant. Through this cycle, the air conditioner can control the temperature of the indoor space.

The outdoor unit of the air conditioner refers to a part composed of a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger during the cooling cycle. The indoor unit of the air conditioner may include an indoor heat exchanger, and the expansion valve may be located in any one of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit. The indoor and outdoor heat exchangers act as condensers or evaporators. When an indoor heat exchanger is used as a condenser, the air conditioner becomes a heater, and when used as an evaporator, the air conditioner becomes a cooler. Hereinafter, an air conditioner may refer to an indoor unit of the air conditioner, and a heat exchanger may refer to an indoor heat exchanger.

Hereinafter, an embodiment according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view illustrating an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the air conditioner shown in FIG. 1 by disassembling it. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the air conditioner shown in FIG. 1 .

1 to 3 , the air conditioner 1 includes a housing 10 forming an exterior, a blower 20 for circulating air inside or outside the housing 10 , and the housing 10 . It may include a heat exchanger 30 that exchanges heat with the air introduced therein.

The housing 10 includes a body case 11 forming an accommodating space 11b so that the blower 20 and the heat exchanger 30 can be disposed therein, and a front frame covering the front of the body case 11 ( 16) may be included. The housing 10 is formed in the body case 11 and may include a first inlet 12 and a second inlet 15 through which air from the outside of the air conditioner 1 is sucked into the housing 10 .

The air conditioner 1 is coupled to the body case 11 , and a first grill 51 capable of covering at least a portion of the first inlet 12 to prevent foreign substances from being introduced through the first inlet 12 . ) may be included. The air conditioner 1 is coupled to the body case 11 and has a second grill 52 capable of covering at least a portion of the second inlet 15 to prevent foreign substances from being introduced through the second inlet 15 . ) may be included.

The body case 11 may form a rear surface, both sides, an upper surface, and a bottom surface of the air conditioner 1 . The body case 11 has an open front side, the open front side may form a body case opening 11a, and the body case opening 11a is connected to the front frame 16 and the front panel 40 (or "exhaust panel"). ") can be covered by

The front frame 16 may be coupled to the body case opening 11a. In FIG. 2 , the front frame 16 is illustrated as being detachably provided from the body case 11 , but the front frame 16 and the body case 11 may be integrally formed.

A front frame opening 17 may be formed in the front frame 16 . The front frame opening 17 may be disposed on the front side of the housing 10 . The front frame opening 17 may pass through the front frame 16 . The front frame opening 17 may be formed at a position corresponding to the first blower 21 . The front frame opening 17 may be disposed at a position substantially facing the first inlet 12 . Air heat-exchanged with the heat exchanger 30 inside the housing 10 may be discharged to the outside of the housing 10 through the front frame opening 17 . The front frame opening 17 may discharge air introduced through the first inlet 12 .

A first inlet 12 may be formed in the body case 11 . The first inlet 12 may pass through the rear surface of the body case 11 . The first inlet 12 may be formed in an upper region of the rear surface of the body case 11 . The first inlet 12 may include a plurality of first inlets 12 .

A second inlet 15 may be formed in the body case 11 . The second inlet 15 may pass through the rear surface of the body case 11 . The second inlet 15 may be formed in a lower region of the rear surface of the body case 11 . The second inlet 15 may be formed below the first inlet 12 . The second inlet 15 may include a plurality of second inlets 15 .

The number and/or shape of the first and

second inlets

12 and 15 may be variously provided as needed.

The blower 20 may include a first blower 21 and a second blower 26 . The second blower 26 may be disposed below the first blower 21 . The second blower 26 may be provided to be driven independently of the first blower 21 . The rotation speed of the second blower 26 may be different from the rotation speed of the first blower 21 .

The first blower 21 may be disposed at a position corresponding to the first inlet 12 . The first blower 21 may suck in air from the outside of the air conditioner 1 through the first inlet 12 into the inside of the housing 10 and discharge it toward the front. The first blower 21 may include a first blowing fan 22 and a first fan driving unit 23 for driving the first blowing fan 22 . Each of the first blowing fan 22 and the first fan driving unit 23 may be provided in plurality. The first fan driving unit 23 may include a motor.

The second blower 26 may be disposed at a position corresponding to the second inlet 15 . The second blower 26 may suck in and discharge air from the outside of the air conditioner 1 into the inside of the housing 10 through the second inlet 15 . The second blower 26 may include a second blowing fan 27 , a second fan driving unit 28 for driving the second blowing fan 27 , and a fan body case 29 .

The first blowing fan 22 may be an axial fan or a direct flow fan, and the second blowing fan 27 may be a centrifugal fan. However, the types of the first and

second blowing fans

22 and 27 are not limited thereto, and the first and

second blowing fans

22 and 27 allow air introduced from the outside of the housing 10 to flow back into the housing 10 . It is satisfactory if it is configured to flow so that it is discharged to the outside. For example, the first and

second blowing fans

22 and 27 may be a cross fan, a turbo fan, or a sirocco fan.

The fan body case 29 may cover the second blowing fan 27 . The fan body case 29 may include a fan inlet (not shown) through which air sucked in through the second inlet 15 is introduced, and a fan outlet 29a through which air is discharged. The fan inlet may communicate with the second inlet 15 . The fan outlet 29a may be opened upward. The positions of the fan inlet and fan outlet 29a may be determined to correspond to the type of the second blowing fan 27 .

The heat exchanger 30 may be disposed between the first blower 21 and the first inlet 12 . The heat exchanger 30 may absorb heat from the air introduced through the first inlet 12 or transfer heat to the air introduced through the first inlet 12 . The heat exchanger 30 may include a tube and a header coupled to the tube. However, the type of the heat exchanger 30 is not limited thereto.

The air conditioner 1 may include a front panel 40 coupled to the front frame 17 to form a front surface of the air conditioner 1 .

The air conditioner 1 may include a panel support member 18 provided to support the front panel 40 . The panel support member 18 may extend along the circumference of the front frame 16 . The panel support member 18 may support the rear surface of the front panel 40 . The panel support member 18 may couple the front panel 40 to the front frame 16 . The front frame 16 and the panel support member 18 may be integrally formed, and the panel support member 18 may correspond to one configuration of the front frame 16 .

The air conditioner 1 has a plurality of first outlets (or "discharge holes") formed in the front panel 40 to discharge the air introduced through the first inlet 12 to the outside of the air conditioner 1 . (41) may be included. The first outlet 41 may pass through the front and rear surfaces of the front panel 40 . The cross-sectional area of each of the plurality of first outlets 41 may be smaller than the cross-sectional area of each of the plurality of

second outlets

13 and 14 to be described later and the cross-sectional area of each of the plurality of

duct outlets

101b, 101c, 102b, and 102c to be described later. . The plurality of first outlets 41 may be uniformly distributed over the entire area of the front panel 40 . The air that flows into the housing 10 through the first inlet 12, exchanges heat with the heat exchanger 30, is discharged forward by the first blower 21, and has passed through the front frame opening 17 is the first It can be uniformly discharged from the outlet 41 at a low speed.

As the plurality of first outlets 41 disperse the air discharged by the first blower 21 , the velocity of the exhaust air flow discharged through the first outlet 41 is increased through the

second outlets

13 and 14 . It can be reduced than the speed of the discharged exhaust air flow, and the user can adjust the temperature of the room without feeling the direct cooling wind speed.

The front panel 40 may include a flat plate portion 40a that is formed at the lower end of the front panel 40 and does not have a first outlet.

The front panel 40 may form

second outlets

13 and 14 together with the housing 10 . Specifically, the front panel 40 may form the

second outlets

13 and 14 together with the front frame 16 . The

second outlets

13 and 14 may be disposed on both sides of the front panel 40 . The

second outlets

13 and 14 may be formed between both ends of the front panel 40 and the front frame 16 . The

second outlets

13 and 14 may extend in the vertical direction. The

second outlets

13 and 14 may include a pair of

second outlets

13 and 14 . Air introduced into the housing 10 through the second inlet 15 and not heat-exchanged with the heat exchanger 30 may be discharged to the outside of the housing 10 through the

second outlets

13 and 14 .

The air discharged from the

second outlets

13 and 14 may be mixed with the air discharged from the first outlet 41 . The air discharged from the

second outlets

13 and 14 may blow the air discharged from the first outlet 41 away from the front panel 40 .

The air conditioner 1 is coupled to the front frame 16 or the front panel 40, and a third grill ( 53) may be included.

The air conditioner 1 may include

ducts

101 and 102 for guiding the air discharged from the second blower 26 to the

second outlets

13 and 14 . The

ducts

101 and 102 may be disposed on the side of the first blower 21 . The

ducts

101 , 102 may include a plurality of

ducts

101 , 102 . The pair of

ducts

101 and 102 includes the first duct 101 corresponding to the left second outlet 13 disposed on the left side of the front panel 40 among the pair of

second outlets

13 and 14 and the pair A second duct 102 corresponding to the right second outlet 14 disposed on the right side of the front panel 40 among the

second outlets

13 and 14 of the .

The

ducts

101 and 102 may form a second air flow passage S2 that is divided and separated from the first air flow passage S1. In this case, the first blowing flow path S1 may mean a flow path through which air flows from the first inlet 12 to the first outlet 41 , and the second blowing flow path S2 is the second inlet 15 . It may mean a flow path formed inside the

ducts

101 and 102 so that the air sucked through it flows. Since the heat exchanger 30 and the first blower 21 are disposed on the first air flow passage S1, the air heat-exchanged with the heat exchanger 30 flows in the first air flow passage S1, and the second air flow passage S2. ), air that is not heat-exchanged with the heat exchanger 30 may flow.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a partial configuration of the air conditioner shown in FIG. 1 . 5 to 8 are views illustrating the operation of the valve according to the embodiment of the air conditioner shown in FIG. 1 by cutting one side of the duct.

4 to 8 , the

ducts

101 and 102 have

main flow passages

101a and 102a extending in the vertical direction, and first and second duct outlets having one end connected to the

main flow passages

101a and 102a ( 101b, 101c, 102b, 102c). The

main flow passages

101a and 102a and the first and

second duct outlets

101b, 101c, 102b, and 102c may form a second air flow passage S2.

The first and

second duct outlets

101b, 101c, 102b, and 102c may be formed on the front surfaces 101ab of the

main flow passages

101a and 102a, and the rear surfaces 101aa of the

main flow passages

101a and 102a are ducts. It may correspond to the rear surface 101aa of (101, 102). The first and

second duct outlets

101b, 101c, 102b, and 102c may be formed to protrude forward from the front surfaces 101ab of the

main flow passages

101a and 102a. The

second duct outlets

101c and 102c may be disposed below the

first duct outlets

101b and 101c. The first and

second duct outlets

101b, 101c, 102b, and 102c may be opened toward the front.

The lower ends of the

main flow passages

101a and 102a may communicate with the second blower 26 through the fan outlet 29a, and may guide air discharged from the second blower 26 upward.

The first and

second duct outlets

101b, 101c, 102b, and 102c may communicate with the

second outlets

13 and 14, and may discharge air toward the

second outlets

13 and 14. The first and second duct outlets (101b, 101c, 102b, 102c) are disposed behind the second outlets (13, 14), or at least a portion of the first and second duct outlets (101b, 101c, 102b, 102c) 2 It may be arranged to be located inside the outlets (13, 14).

The air conditioner 1 may include a valve 200 disposed inside the

ducts

101 and 102 . The valve 200 may be provided in each of the first and

second ducts

101 and 102 . The valve 200 provided in the first duct 101 and the valve 200 provided in the second duct 102 may operate independently. Accordingly, the inclination of the damper plate 201 of the valve 200 provided in the first duct 101 may be different from the inclination of the damper plate 201 of the valve 200 provided in the second duct 102 .

Hereinafter, the valve 200 provided in the first duct 101 will be described as an example, but it may be similarly applied to the valve 200 provided in the second duct 102 .

The valve 200 regulates the flow of air discharged from the second blower 26 toward the first duct outlet 101b and the flow of air discharged from the second blower 26 toward the second duct outlet 101c. can do. The valve 200 connects the second air flow path S2 to the first flow paths S3-1 and S3-2 connected to the first duct outlet 101b and the second flow path connected to the second duct outlet 101c ( S4-1, S4-2) can be selectively partitioned.

The valve 200 may include a damper plate 201 and

actuators

202 and 203 capable of tilting or translating the damper plate 201 . The valve 200 may be disposed to correspond to the second duct outlet 101c. The valve 200 may be disposed behind the second duct outlet 101c.

The damper plate 201 may have a flat plate shape extending in the vertical direction. The damper plate 201 may have a shape corresponding to the cross-section of the second duct outlet 101c. The damper plate 201 may open and close the second duct outlet 101c as it translates in the front-rear direction.

The driving

devices

202 and 203 may include a plurality of driving

devices

202 and 203 . The driving

devices

202 and 203 may be fixed to the rear surface 101aa of the duct 101 . The driving

devices

202 and 203 may include a first driving device 202 and a second driving device 203 . The second driving device 203 may be disposed under the first driving device 202 . One end of the first driving device 202 and the second driving device 203 may be coupled to the rear surface of the damper plate 201 .

The driving

devices

202 and 203 may include linear actuators. The linear actuator may include connecting

shafts

202a and 203a that are coupled to the damper plate 201 and whose length is adjusted in the front-rear direction. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The

drives

202 and 203 may include hydraulic cylinders. The hydraulic cylinder may include a plunger or a piston that is coupled to the damper plate 201 and whose length is adjusted in the front-rear direction. The plunger or piston may be referred to as a connecting shaft.

As the first and

second driving devices

202 and 203 operate, the damper plate 201 may be inclined or translated.

The length in which the connecting shaft 202a of the first driving device 202 protrudes from the rear surface 101aa of the duct 101 and the connecting shaft 203a of the second driving device 203 are the rear surfaces 101aa of the duct 101 ), the damper plate 201 may be arranged in parallel with the rear surface 101aa of the duct 101 when the protruding length is approximately the same. That is, the damper plate 201 may be positioned parallel to the vertical direction.

In a state in which the damper plate 201 is positioned in parallel with the vertical direction, the length of the connecting shaft 202a of the first driving device 202 protruding from the rear surface 101aa of the duct 101 increases and/or the second As the length in which the connecting shaft 203a of the driving device 203 protrudes from the rear surface 101aa of the duct 101 decreases, the damper plate 201 has the upper end of the damper plate 201 facing forward and the damper plate 201 ) can be inclined to face the rear end.

In a state in which the damper plate 201 is positioned in parallel with the vertical direction, the length of the connecting shaft 203a of the second driving device 203 protruding from the rear surface 101aa of the duct 101 increases and/or the first As the length at which the connecting shaft 202a of the driving device 202 protrudes from the rear surface 101aa of the duct 101 decreases, the damper plate 201 has the rear end of the damper plate 201 facing forward and the damper plate 201 ) can be tilted so that the top of it faces backward.

An increase in the length of the connecting shaft 202a of the first driving device 202 protruding from the rear surface 101aa of the duct 101 and the connecting shaft 203a of the second driving device 203 are the rear surfaces of the duct 101 . When the increase amount of the length protruding from 101aa is the same, the damper plate 201 may be translated forward. A decrease in the length of the connecting shaft 202a of the first driving device 202 protruding from the rear surface 101aa of the duct 101 and the connecting shaft 203a of the second driving device 203 are the rear surfaces of the duct 101 . When the reduction amount of the length protruding from 101aa is the same, the damper plate 201 can be translated toward the rear.

As shown in FIG. 5 , when the damper plate 201 is parallel to the vertical direction and is approximately disposed at the center of the main flow path portion 101a (hereinafter, “communication state”), the second blower 26 sends the main flow path portion 101a ), the supplied air may be moved to the first duct outlet (101b) and the second duct outlet (101c), and may be discharged from the first duct outlet (101b) and the second duct outlet (101c). In this case, the flow rate of the air discharged from the first duct outlet 101b and the flow rate of the air discharged from the second duct outlet 101c may be approximately the same.

As the damper plate 201 is translated forward in the communication state, the flow rate of the air toward the first duct outlet 101b may be increased, and the flow rate of the air toward the second duct outlet 101c may be reduced. When the damper plate 201 in communication state is translated forward and covers and closes the second duct outlet 101c as shown in FIG. 6 , air is not discharged from the second duct outlet 101c and only at the first duct outlet 101b. Air may be vented. When air is not discharged from the second duct outlet 101c and air is discharged only from the first duct outlet 101b, the wind speed and/or the air is discharged from both the first and

second duct outlets

101b and 101c. Airflow can be increased.

When the damper plate 201 in communication state is translated forward to cover and close the second duct outlet 101c, the second air flow passage S2 is a first flow passage S3-1 and a second flow passage S4-1. , and air may not be supplied to the second flow path S4-1, but air may be supplied only to the first flow path S3-1.

In the communication state, as the damper plate 201 is tilted so that the upper end faces the front and the rear end faces the rear, the flow rate of the air toward the first duct outlet 101b may be reduced, and the second duct outlet 101c The flow rate of air may be increased. As the damper plate 201 is tilted, the upper end of the damper plate 201 is the upper end of the second duct outlet 101c or the main flow path portion between the second duct outlet 101c and the first duct outlet 101b ( 101a) When in contact with the front surface 101ab and the rear end of the damper plate 201 is in contact with the rear surface 101aa of the main flow passage 101a, air is not discharged from the first duct outlet 101b as shown in FIG. Air may be discharged only from the second duct outlet 101c. When air is not discharged from the first duct outlet 101b and air is discharged only from the second duct outlet 101c, the wind speed and/or the air is discharged from both the first and

second duct outlets

101b and 101c. Airflow can be increased.

As the damper plate 201 is inclined, the upper end of the damper plate 201 is the upper end of the second duct outlet 101c or the main flow path portion between the second duct outlet 101c and the first duct outlet 101b ( 101a) When in contact with the front surface 101ab and the rear end of the damper plate 201 is in contact with the rear surface 101aa of the main flow passage 101a, the second air flow passage S2 and the first flow passage S3-2 and It may be divided into the second flow path S4 - 2 , and air may not be supplied to the first flow path S3 - 2 , but air may be supplied only to the second flow path S4 - 2 .

The flow rate of air toward the first duct outlet 101b and the second duct outlet 101c may be reduced as the damper plate 201 is tilted so that the upper end faces the rear and the lower end faces the front in the communication state. As the damper plate 201 is tilted, the upper end of the damper plate 201 is in contact with the rear surface 101aa of the main flow passage 101a, and the lower end of the damper plate 201 is the second duct outlet 101c. When the lower end or the second duct outlet 101c is in contact with the front surface 101ab of the main flow passage 101a, the air may not be discharged from both the first and

second duct outlets

101b and 101c as shown in FIG.

9 to 12 are views illustrating an operation of a valve according to another embodiment of the air conditioner shown in FIG. 1 by cutting one side of the duct. A description of overlapping parts will be omitted.

9 to 12 , the valve 400 may include a plurality of

damper plates

401 and 402 . The plurality of

damper plates

401 and 402 includes a first damper plate 401 provided to open and close the first duct outlet 300b, and a second damper plate 402 provided to open and close the second duct outlet 300c. can do. The first and

second damper plates

401 and 402 may be coupled to one side 300ac of the duct 300 by

hinges

401a and 402a. The first and

second damper plates

401 and 402 may be automatically opened and closed by a motor (not shown). The first and

second damper plates

401 and 402 may be operated independently.

9, when the first damper plate 401 and the second damper plate 402 have the first duct outlet 300b and the second duct outlet 300c completely opened, respectively, the second blower 26 The air supplied from the to the main flow passage 300a may be moved to the first duct outlet 300b and the second duct outlet 300c, and discharged from the first duct outlet 300b and the second duct outlet 300c. can be At this time, the flow rate of the air discharged from the first duct outlet (300b) and the flow rate of the air discharged from the second duct outlet (300c) may be approximately the same.

As the second damper plate 402 in a state of opening the second duct outlet 300c is rotated in a direction to close the second duct outlet 300c, the flow rate of air flowing through the second duct outlet 300c may be reduced. have. As shown in FIG. 10 , when the second damper plate 402 is completely rotated to completely close the second duct outlet 300c, air is not discharged from the second duct outlet 300c and air is only discharged from the first duct outlet 300b. may be emitted. In this case, the second damper plate 402 may be disposed in parallel with the front surface 300ab of the main flow path part 300a. When air is not discharged from the second duct outlet 300c and air is discharged only from the first duct outlet 300b, the wind speed and/or when air is discharged from both the first and

second duct outlets

300b and 300c Airflow can be increased.

When the second damper plate 402 covers and closes the second duct outlet 300c, the second air flow passage S2 may be divided into a first flow passage S3-1 and a second flow passage S4-1, and , air may not be supplied to the second flow path S4 - 1 , but air may be supplied only to the first flow path S3 - 1 .

As the first damper plate 401 in a state of opening the first duct outlet 300b is rotated in a direction to close the first duct outlet 300b, the flow rate of air flowing through the first duct outlet 300b may be reduced. have. 11 , when the first damper plate 401 is completely rotated to completely close the first duct outlet 300b, air is not discharged from the first duct outlet 300b and only air is discharged from the second duct outlet 300c. may be emitted. In this case, the first damper plate 401 may be disposed in parallel with the front surface 300ab of the main flow path part 300a. When air is not discharged from the first duct outlet 300b and air is discharged only from the second duct outlet 300c, the wind speed and/or when air is discharged from both the first and

second duct outlets

300b and 300c Airflow can be increased.

When the first damper plate 401 covers and closes the first duct outlet 300b, the second air flow passage S2 may be divided into a first flow passage S3-2 and a second flow passage S4-2, and , air may not be supplied to the first flow path S3 - 2 , but air may be supplied only to the second flow path S4 - 2 .

12, when the first damper plate 401 and the second damper plate 402 close the first duct outlet 300b and the second duct outlet 300c, respectively, the first and

second duct outlets

300b, 300c) may not be vented at all.

13 to 15 are views illustrating an operation example of the air conditioner shown in FIG. 4 . 13 to 15 show only a partial area of the front panel 40, of course, air may also be discharged from the first outlet 41 of the remaining area not shown.

The valve 200 shown in Figs. 5 to 8 may be disposed inside the first and

second ducts

101 and 102 shown in Figs. 13 to 15, and the valve 400 shown in Figs. may be placed.

The first outlet 41 and the

second outlets

13 and 14 may independently discharge air. Accordingly, air may be discharged only from the first outlet 41 , and air may be discharged only from the

second outlets

13 and 14 .

The first outlet 41 and the

second outlets

13 and 14 may discharge air at the same time.

The air conditioner 1 may be operated such that air is discharged through the

second outlets

13 and 14 while the air is discharged through the first outlet 41 . At this time, as shown in FIG. 13 , the air of the strong wind discharged from the

second duct outlets

101c and 102c of the first and

second ducts

101 and 102 is discharged through the left second outlet 13 and the right second outlet 14 . can Cool air discharged from the first outlet 41 by the air discharged from the

second outlets

13 and 14 may be blown away from the front panel 40 . The air discharged from the

second outlets

13 and 14 and the air discharged from the first outlet 41 may be mixed.

Meanwhile, the present invention is not limited thereto. Unlike FIG. 13 , the air of the strong wind discharged from the

first duct outlets

101b and 102b of the first and

second ducts

101 and 102 can be discharged through the left second outlet 13 and the right second outlet 14 . And, the cold air discharged from the first outlet 41 by the air discharged from the

second outlets

13 and 14 may be blown away from the front panel 40 .

The air conditioner 1 may be operated such that air is discharged through the

second outlets

13 and 14 while the air is discharged through the first outlet 41 . In this case, the left second outlet 13 and the right In one of the second outlets 14, the air of the strong wind discharged from one of the

first duct outlets

101b and 102b and the

second duct outlets

101c and 102c of the corresponding

ducts

101 and 102 is discharged, and the remaining In the

second outlets

13 and 14, the air discharged from all of the first and

second duct outlets

101b, 102b, 101c, and 102c of the corresponding

ducts

101 and 102 may be discharged. 14, by way of example, the air discharged from the first duct outlet 101b of the first duct 101 is discharged through the left second outlet 13 and the first and second ducts of the second duct 102 The case in which the air discharged from the

outlets

102b and 102c is discharged through the right second outlet 14 is shown.

Since the air volume and wind speed of the air discharged from the left and right

second outlets

13 and 14 are different from each other, the air discharged through the

second outlets

13 and 14 is mixed with the air discharged through the first outlet 41. It may be skewed to the left or to the right.

Specifically, the air discharged through the left second outlet 13 is a strong wind discharged from one of the first duct outlet 101b and the second duct outlet 101c, and the air discharged through the right second outlet 14 . When is the air discharged from both the first and

second duct outlets

102b and 102c, the air discharged from the left and right

second outlets

13 and 14 may proceed toward the right. The air discharged through the right second outlet 14 is a strong wind discharged from one of the first duct outlet 102b and the second duct outlet 102c, and the air discharged through the left second outlet 13 is the first ,2 When the air discharged from both the

duct outlets

101b and 101c, the air discharged from the left and right

second outlets

13 and 14 may proceed toward the left.

The air conditioner 1 may be operated such that air is discharged through the

second outlets

13 and 14 while the air is discharged through the first outlet 41 . In this case, the left second outlet 13 and the right Only one of the second outlets 14, the air of the strong wind discharged from one of the

first duct outlets

101b and 102b and the

second duct outlets

101c and 102c of the corresponding

ducts

101 and 102 can be discharged. . 15, for example, the air discharged from the first duct outlet 102b of the second duct 102 is discharged through the right second outlet 14, the first and second of the first duct 101 The

duct outlets

101b and 101c show a case in which air is not discharged through the second outlet 13 on the left because the air is not discharged.

When the air of strong wind is discharged only from the left second outlet 13 , the cold air discharged from the first outlet 41 formed in the area corresponding to the left half of the front panel 40 is the left second outlet 13 . It can be mixed with air and blown far forward, and the cold air discharged from the first outlet 41 formed in an area corresponding to the right half of the front panel 40 can maintain a slow speed.

On the other hand, the present invention is not limited thereto, and when strong wind air is discharged only from the right second outlet 14 , the cold discharged from the first outlet 41 formed in the area corresponding to the right half of the front panel 40 is It can be mixed with the air of the right second outlet 14 and blown far forward, and the cold air discharged from the first outlet 41 formed in the area corresponding to the left half of the front panel 40 maintains a slow speed. can

In the above, specific embodiments have been shown and described. However, it is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and those of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains can make various changes without departing from the spirit of the invention described in the claims below. .

Claims

a housing including first and second inlets;

a front panel disposed on the front side of the housing;

a first outlet formed on the front panel;

a second outlet provided on a side of the front panel;

a heat exchanger for exchanging heat with the air sucked in through the first inlet;

a first blower for discharging the heat-exchanged air toward the first outlet;

a second blower for discharging air sucked in through the second inlet;

a duct for guiding the air discharged from the second blower to be discharged through the second outlet, the duct including first and second duct outlets communicating with the second outlet; and

and a valve disposed inside the duct and controlling a flow of air toward the first duct outlet and a flow of air toward the second duct outlet.
According to claim 1,

The valve includes a damper plate and a driving device capable of tilting or translating the damper plate.
3. The method of claim 2,

the driving device

An air conditioner including a pair of linear actuators each having a connecting shaft coupled to the damper plate.
4. The method of claim 3,

The pair of linear actuators are fixed to one surface of the duct.
3. The method of claim 2,

the duct is

and a main flow passage communicating with the first and second duct outlets and receiving air from the second blower,

The second duct outlet is disposed under the first duct outlet,

The damper plate is disposed to correspond to the second duct outlet.
6. The method of claim 5,

As the damper plate inclines so that the upper end of the damper plate approaches the second duct outlet and the lower end of the damper plate moves away from the second duct outlet, the flow rate of air toward the first duct outlet is reduced and the second 2 The airflow to the duct outlet is increased in the air conditioner.
6. The method of claim 5,

As the damper plate is translated to be closer to the second duct outlet, the flow rate of air directed to the first duct outlet is increased and the flow rate of air directed to the second duct outlet is decreased.
6. The method of claim 5,

As the damper plate is tilted so that the upper end of the damper plate moves away from the second duct outlet and the lower end of the damper plate approaches the second duct outlet, the flow rate of air toward the first duct outlet and the second outlet An air conditioner in which the flow rate of air toward the
According to claim 1,

the valve is

a first damper plate capable of opening and closing the first duct outlet;

and a second damper plate capable of opening and closing the second duct outlet.
10. The method of claim 9,

Each of the first damper plate and the second damper plate is hinge-coupled to one surface of the duct.
11. The method of claim 10,

The flow rate of the first discharge passage is adjusted according to the degree of opening of the first damper plate,

An air conditioner in which a flow rate of the second discharge passage is adjusted according to an opening degree of the second damper plate.
3. The method of claim 2,

The duct comprises a pair of ducts,

The valve is an air conditioner including a pair of valves disposed in each of the pair of ducts.
13. The method of claim 12,

The pair of valves is an air conditioner that can be arranged to have different inclinations.
The method of claim 1,

The air sucked through the second inlet does not exchange heat with the heat exchanger.
15. The method of claim 14,

The air discharged from the second outlet moves the air discharged from the first outlet away from the front panel.