U.S. patent application number 11/283960 was filed with the patent office on 2006-05-25 for indoor unit of air conditioner.
This patent application is currently assigned to LG Electronics Inc.. Invention is credited to Baik Young Chung, Do Yong Ha, Il Nahm Hwang, Ki Bum Kim, Ki Baik Kwon.
Application Number | 20060107684 11/283960 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35616254 |
Filed Date | 2006-05-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060107684 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hwang; Il Nahm ; et
al. |
May 25, 2006 |
Indoor unit of air conditioner
Abstract
An indoor unit of an air conditioner is disclosed. The air
conditioner is an apparatus that cools or heats an indoor space by
circulating refrigerant in one direction or another. The indoor
unit of the air conditioner comprises a case spaced apart from the
ceiling of a room by a predetermined distance, an indoor heat
exchanger provided in the case to heat or cool the room, and a fan
and fan motor provided in the case to suction and discharge
air.
Inventors: |
Hwang; Il Nahm; (Yongin-si,
KR) ; Ha; Do Yong; (Anyang-si, KR) ; Kim; Ki
Bum; (Seoul, KR) ; Kwon; Ki Baik;
(Gwangmyeong-si, KR) ; Chung; Baik Young;
(Incheon-si, KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BIRCH STEWART KOLASCH & BIRCH
PO BOX 747
FALLS CHURCH
VA
22040-0747
US
|
Assignee: |
LG Electronics Inc.
|
Family ID: |
35616254 |
Appl. No.: |
11/283960 |
Filed: |
November 22, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/419 ;
62/426 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24F 1/0007 20130101;
F24F 1/0047 20190201 |
Class at
Publication: |
062/419 ;
062/426 |
International
Class: |
F25D 17/06 20060101
F25D017/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 23, 2004 |
KR |
P2004-0096306 |
Claims
1. An indoor unit of an air conditioner comprising: a case spaced
apart from the ceiling of a room by a predetermined distance; an
indoor heat exchanger provided in the case and adapted to cool or
heat the room; and a fan and fan motor provided in the case and
adapted to suction and discharge air.
2. The indoor unit as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:
refrigerant pipes connected to the case for the supply of
refrigerant.
3. The indoor unit as set forth in claim 2, further comprising: a
drain pipe to discharge condensate water, that is produced as the
air passes through the indoor heat exchanger, to the outside of the
indoor unit.
4. The indoor unit as set forth in claim 3, wherein the drain pipe
is configured to discharge the produced condensate water to the
outside of the room.
5. The indoor unit as set forth in claim 3, wherein the drain pipe
is configured to discharge the produced condensate water to a
predetermined position of the room.
6. The indoor unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein a fixing line
is provided between the case and the ceiling, and is adapted to
support the case at a predetermined position spaced apart from the
ceiling by the predetermined distance.
7. The indoor unit as set forth in claim 6, wherein a first mount
is mounted at an upper end of the case, and the lower end of the
fixing line is affixed to the first mount.
8. The indoor unit as set forth in claim 7, wherein a control
circuit unit is provided in the first mount to control operation of
the air conditioner.
9. The indoor unit as set forth in claim 6, wherein a second mount
is mounted at the ceiling, and the upper end of the fixing line is
affixed to the second mount.
10. The indoor unit as set forth in claim 2, the refrigerant pipes
are made of a flexible material.
11. The indoor unit as set forth in claim 3, the drain pipe is made
of a flexible material.
12. The indoor unit as set forth in claim 3, further comprising a
pipe cover configured to enclose the refrigerant pipes and the
drain pipe to prevent the pipes from being exposed to the
outside.
13. The indoor unit as set forth in claim 12, wherein the pipe
cover is configured to enclose each of the refrigerant pipes and
the drain pipe separately.
14. The indoor unit as set forth in claim 12, wherein the pipe
cover is configured to enclose the refrigerant pipes and the drain
pipe together.
15. The indoor unit as set forth in claim 12, wherein the pipe
cover is made of a flexible material.
16. The indoor unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the indoor
heat exchanger and an expander are arranged in an upper portion of
the case, and the fan and the fan motor are arranged in a lower
portion of the case.
17. The indoor unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the fan and
the fan motor are arranged in an upper portion of the case, and the
indoor heat exchanger and an expander are arranged in a lower
portion of the case.
18. The indoor unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein a drain pump
is provided in the case to discharge condensate water, that is
produced by the indoor heat exchanger, to the outside of the indoor
unit via the drain pipe.
19. An indoor unit of an air conditioner comprising: a case
containing a fan motor and indoor heat exchanger therein and spaced
apart from the ceiling of a room by a predetermined distance;
refrigerant pipes extended from an outside place to the case; a
fixing line provided between the case and the ceiling and adapted
to support the case at a predetermined position spaced apart from
the ceiling by the predetermined distance; and a condensate water
sump to store the condensate water that is produced as air passes
through the indoor heat exchanger.
Description
[0001] This application claims the benefit of the Korean Patent
Application No. P,2004-96306 filed on Nov. 23, 2004 which is hereby
incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and
more particularly, to the installation structure of an indoor unit
of an air conditioner that supplies outside air into a room or
indoor air to the outside of the room.
[0004] 2. Discussion of the Related Art
[0005] Generally speaking, an air conditioner is an apparatus that
cools or heats an indoor space by circulating refrigerant in one
direction or another.
[0006] Air conditioners are classified into a general air
conditioner in which a single indoor unit is connected to a single
outdoor unit, and a multi-type air conditioner in which a plurality
of indoor units is connected to a single outdoor unit.
[0007] Cooling and heating systems of both the general air
conditioner and the multi-type air conditioner are substantially
identical to each other in view of a basic refrigerant circulating
manner in spite of a difference in the number of indoor units.
[0008] The cooling and heating system of the air conditioner serves
to cool or heat an indoor space by circulating refrigerant in one
direction or another under the control of a controller.
[0009] When the air conditioner is operated in a cooling mode,
compressed refrigerant from a compressor is condensed in an outdoor
heat exchanger, and then, is pumped to an expander. After being
expanded in the expander, the refrigerant is subjected to heat
exchange with indoor air in an indoor heat exchanger to thereby
produce cool air. Thereby, by discharging the cool air to an indoor
space, the air conditioner performs cooling of the indoor
space.
[0010] In such a cooling mode, the outdoor heat exchanger functions
as a condenser, and the indoor heat exchanger functions as an
evaporator.
[0011] A heating mode of the air conditioner is substantially
similar to the above-described cooling mode except for the fact
that the refrigerant is circulated in the opposite direction. Thus,
the explanation of the heating mode will be omitted
hereinafter.
[0012] One difference between the heating mode and the cooling mode
is that, when the air conditioner is operated in the heating mode,
the indoor heat exchanger functions as a condenser and the outdoor
heat exchanger functions as an evaporator.
[0013] Air conditioners are usually mounted to certain indoor
spaces or walls of rooms of stores, offices, houses, etc. for
performing indoor cooling or heating operations. As one example of
the air conditioners, there is a ceiling-mounted air conditioner
configured to be mounted to the ceiling of a room to heat or cool
the room.
[0014] The ceiling-mounted air conditioner has an advantage in that
it is less restricted by space as compared to wall-mount or
floor-standing air conditioners because it is mounted to the
ceiling that is a relatively useless portion of an indoor space.
Also, discharging cool air from the ceiling is advantageous because
the cool air can be spread with a relatively fast flow rate. By
virtue of these and other various advantages, the demand of
ceiling-mounted air conditioners is gradually increasing.
[0015] FIG. 1 is a sectional view schematically illustrating the
installation structure of a conventional ceiling-mounted air
conditioner.
[0016] Referring to FIG. 1, an indoor unit 10 is embedded in the
ceiling having a predetermined thickness D to cool or heat the
interior of a room.
[0017] Although not shown, it goes without saying that a
refrigerant pipe 11, connected to the indoor unit 10, is also
connected to an outdoor unit (not shown) that is mounted at the
outside of the room.
[0018] However, the conventional air conditioner configured as
stated above has the following problems.
[0019] Firstly, the ceiling must be sufficiently thick to embed the
indoor unit of the ceiling-mounted air conditioner. This limits the
mounting places of the air conditioner.
[0020] Secondly, when the air conditioner is mounted in a room
having a fairly high ceiling, cool air blown by the air conditioner
may fail to reach users on the floor, resulting in an insufficient
cooling efficiency.
[0021] Thirdly, when the ceiling-mounted air conditioner is
operated in a heating mode, it suffers from an excess suction of
air discharged therefrom, resulting in a poor air circulation
therein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0022] Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an indoor
unit of air conditioner that substantially obviates one or more
problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related
art.
[0023] An object of the present invention is to provide an indoor
unit of an air conditioner which is hung from the ceiling of a room
at a position spaced apart from the ceiling of a room by a
predetermined distance.
[0024] Additional advantages, objects, and features of the
invention will be set forth in part in the description which
follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary
skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be
learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other
advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the
structure particularly pointed out in the written description and
claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
[0025] To achieve these objects and other advantages and in
accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and
broadly described herein, an indoor unit of an air conditioner
comprises: a case spaced apart from the ceiling of a room by a
predetermined distance; an indoor heat exchanger provided in the
case and adapted to cool or heat the room; and a fan and fan motor
provided in the case and adapted to suction and discharge air.
[0026] The indoor unit may further comprise refrigerant pipes
connected to the case for the supply of refrigerant.
[0027] The indoor unit may further comprise a drain pipe to
discharge condensate water, that is produced as the air passes
through the indoor heat exchanger, to the outside of the indoor
unit.
[0028] The drain pipe may be configured to discharge the produced
condensate water to the outside of the room or a predetermined
position of the room.
[0029] A fixing line may be provided between the case and the
ceiling, and is adapted to support the case at a predetermined
position spaced apart from the ceiling by the predetermined
distance.
[0030] A first mount may be mounted at an upper end of the case,
and a first end of the fixing line may be affixed to the first
mount.
[0031] A control circuit unit may be provided in the first mount to
control operation of the air conditioner.
[0032] A second mount may be mounted at the ceiling, and a second
end of the fixing line may be affixed to the second mount.
[0033] The refrigerant pipes may be made of a flexible
material.
[0034] The drain pipe may be made of a flexible material.
[0035] The indoor unit may further comprise a pipe cover configured
to enclose the refrigerant pipes and the drain pipe to prevent the
pipes from being exposed to the outside.
[0036] The pipe cover may be configured to enclose each of the
refrigerant pipes and the drain pipe separately.
[0037] The pipe cover may be configured to enclose the refrigerant
pipes and the drain pipe together.
[0038] The pipe cover may be made of a flexible material.
[0039] The indoor heat exchanger and an expander may be arranged in
an upper portion of the case, and the fan and the fan motor may be
arranged in a lower portion of the case.
[0040] The fan and the fan motor may be arranged in an upper
portion of the case, and the indoor heat exchanger and an expander
may be arranged in a lower portion of the case.
[0041] A drain pump may be provided in the case to discharge
condensate water, that is produced by the indoor heat exchanger, to
the outside of the indoor unit via the drain pipe.
[0042] In another aspect of the present invention, there is
provided an indoor unit of an air conditioner comprising: a case
containing a fan motor and indoor heat exchanger therein and spaced
apart from the ceiling of a room by a predetermined distance;
refrigerant pipes extended from an outside place to the case; a
fixing line provided between the case and the ceiling and adapted
to support the case at a predetermined position spaced apart from
the ceiling by the predetermined distance; and a condensate water
sump to store the condensate water that is produced as air passes
through the indoor heat exchanger.
[0043] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general
description and the following detailed description of the present
invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide
further explanation of the invention as claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0044] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a
further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and
constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of
the invention and together with the description serve to explain
the principle of the invention. In the drawings:
[0045] FIG. 1 is a sectional view schematically illustrating the
installation structure of a conventional ceiling-mounted air
conditioner;
[0046] FIG. 2 is a sectional view schematically illustrating the
installation structure of an indoor unit of an air conditioner
according to a first embodiment of the present invention; and
[0047] FIG. 3 is a sectional view schematically illustrating the
installation structure of an indoor unit of an air conditioner
according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0048] Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred
embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
[0049] Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used
throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts, and
thus additional explanation will be omitted.
[0050] FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate indoor units of air conditioners
according to different embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 2
is a sectional view schematically illustrating the installation
structure of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a
first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a sectional
view schematically illustrating the installation structure of an
indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a second embodiment
of the present invention.
[0051] Hereinafter, the preferred embodiments of the present
invention for concretely achieving the above object will be
explained with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0052] Also, since the general structure of an air conditioner, as
will be described hereinafter, will be apparent to those skilled in
the art, the illustration and explanation of remaining parts except
for the structure of an indoor unit will be omitted. The same
reference numbers will be used throughout the embodiments to refer
to the same or like parts.
[0053] Referring first to FIG. 2, the indoor unit 100 of the air
conditioner according to the first embodiment of the present
invention includes a case 110, in which a fan motor 140 and an
indoor heat exchanger 120 are mounted. The case 110 is spaced apart
from the ceiling of a room by a predetermined distance L.
[0054] The case 110 defines the outer appearance of the indoor unit
100 of the air conditioner according to the present invention.
[0055] To the case 110 are connected refrigerant pipes 210 for use
in the supply of refrigerant and a drain pipe 310 for drawing
condensate water to the outside of the indoor unit 100.
[0056] Specifically, one end of each refrigerant pipe 210 is
connected to the case 110 of the indoor unit 100, and the other end
of the refrigerant pipe 210 is connected to an outdoor unit (not
shown) mounted at the outside of the room.
[0057] As can be easily understood from FIG. 2, the refrigerant
pipes 210 are extended through the ceiling between the indoor unit
100 and the outdoor unit (not shown).
[0058] Likewise, one end of the drain pipe 310 is connected to the
case 110 of the indoor unit 100, and the other end of the drain
pipe 310 is positioned to discharge condensate water, that is
produced as air passes through the indoor heat exchanger 120, to a
certain indoor or outdoor place.
[0059] A fixing line 410 is mounted between the case 110 and the
ceiling to support the case 110 at a predetermined position spaced
apart from the ceiling by the predetermined length L.
[0060] For the installation of the case 110, a first mount 510 is
mounted to an upper end of the case 110, and a second mount 520 is
mounted to the ceiling.
[0061] With this configuration, one end of the fixing line 410 is
connected to the first mount 510, and the other end of the fixing
line 410 is connected to the second mount 520.
[0062] In this case, it goes without saying that the fixing line
410 must be made of a material having a sufficient strength to
support the case 110.
[0063] Generally, the fixing line 410 may have a chain or band
shape.
[0064] As described above, the drain pipe 310, provided in the
indoor unit 100, serves to discharge condensate water, that is
produced as air passes through the indoor heat exchanger 120 during
operation of the air conditioner, to the outside of the indoor unit
100.
[0065] For this, one end of the drain pipe 310 is fitted in the
indoor unit 100, and the other end of the drain pipe 310 is mounted
to discharge the condensate water to a predetermined indoor or
outdoor place.
[0066] A condensate water sump 135 is provided in the case 110 to
store the condensate water that is produced as air passes through
the indoor heat exchanger 120.
[0067] The drain pipe 310 is connected to a drain pump 130 mounted
in the condensate water sump 135 to allow the condensate water,
stored in the condensate water sump 135, to be pumped and
discharged to the outside of the indoor unit 100.
[0068] With this configuration, as the drain pump 130 is operated,
the condensate water, gathered in the condensate water sump 135, is
discharged to the outside of the indoor unit 100 via the drain pipe
310 during the operation of the air conditioner.
[0069] A control circuit unit 550 is provided in the first mount
510 to control the operation of the air conditioner according to
the present invention.
[0070] Generally, the indoor unit 100 is provided with a remote
controller (not shown) to be operated in accordance with operation
of the remote controller. The remote controller has a receiver and
a transmitter, which are electrically connected to the control
circuit unit 550.
[0071] Preferably, the refrigerant pipes 210 and the drain pipe 310
are made of flexible materials for easy installation of the indoor
unit 100.
[0072] When it is desired to move the indoor unit 100 to an
appropriate installation position, flexibility of the refrigerant
pipes 210 and the drain pipe 310 is helpful to allow the indoor
unit 100 to be more easily displaced and mounted.
[0073] To prevent the refrigerant pipes 210 and the drain pipe 310
from being exposed to the outside, a pipe cover 231 encloses both
the pipes 210 and 310.
[0074] The pipe cover 231 is used in order to improve the outer
appearance of the air conditioner and to prevent damage to the
refrigerant pipes 210 and the drain pipe 310, thereby enabling more
stable installation of the air conditioner.
[0075] In this case, it goes without saying that the pipe cover 231
also must be made of a flexible material in the same manner as the
refrigerant pipes 210 and the drain pipe 310 for easy installation
of the indoor unit 100.
[0076] Although not shown, the indoor unit 100 is provided with an
expander (not shown). Usually, a linear expansion valve (LEV) is
used as the expander.
[0077] The case 110 has an air suction hole 112 formed at an upper
surface thereof to introduce indoor air into the indoor unit 100,
and an air discharge hole 111 formed at a lower surface thereof to
discharge the air, passed through the indoor heat exchanger 120,
from the indoor unit 100.
[0078] Now, the operation of the first embodiment of the present
invention will be explained.
[0079] Similar to a general air conditioner, in the air conditioner
according to the first embodiment of the present invention,
high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant refrigerant from a
compressor of an outdoor unit is introduced into an outdoor heat
exchanger (not shown) to thereby be condensed via heat exchange
with outside air in accordance with rotation of an outdoor fan (not
shown).
[0080] Next, the condensed refrigerant is introduced into the
indoor unit 100 mounted in a room via the refrigerant pipe 210.
[0081] The refrigerant, introduced into the indoor unit 100, is
expanded while passing through an expander (not shown). Thereby,
the refrigerant is introduced into the indoor heat exchanger 120 of
the indoor unit 100 in a low-temperature and low-pressure
state.
[0082] After that, as the fan motor 140 and a fan 145 are rotated,
the refrigerant is subjected to heat exchange with indoor air in
the indoor heat exchanger 120, thereby producing cool air.
[0083] By discharging the cool air, produced via the
above-described manner, into the room, the air conditioner performs
cooling of an indoor space.
[0084] Meanwhile, in the case of the indoor unit 100 according to
the first embodiment of the present invention, only the refrigerant
pipes 210 and the drain pipe 310 are mounted to the ceiling, and
the case 110 is hung from the ceiling by means of the fixing line
410 at a position spaced apart from the ceiling by the
predetermined distance L.
[0085] In the present embodiment, since the refrigerant pipes 210
and the drain pipe 310, which are made of flexible materials, are
connected to the case 110, and the indoor air is suctioned via the
air suction holes 112 formed at the upper surface of the case 110
and is discharged via the air discharge hole 111 formed at the
lower surface of the case 110, the circulation of indoor air inside
the indoor unit can be more actively achieved as compared to a
conventional indoor unit.
[0086] Also, hanging the indoor unit between the ceiling and floor,
instead of embedding the indoor unit in the ceiling, allows airflow
to more readily reach a user located on the floor.
[0087] Another advantage of such an installation structure
according to the first embodiment of the present invention is that
the air conditioner can be mounted even if the thickness of the
ceiling is too small to embed the air conditioner.
[0088] Although the first embodiment of the present invention
illustrates and explains an installation structure in which the
indoor heat exchanger 120 and the expander (not shown) are arranged
in an upper portion of the case 110 and the fan 145 and the fan
motor 140 are arranged in a lower portion of the case 110, it can
be considered that the fan 145 and the fan motor 140 are arranged
in the upper portion of the case and the indoor heat exchanger 120
and the expander (not shown) are arranged in the lower portion of
the case, as in the second embodiment of the present invention as
shown in FIG. 3.
[0089] Referring to FIG. 3, when the fan 145 and the fan motor 140
are arranged in the lower portion of an indoor unit 100, it is
preferable that air suction holes 113 be formed at opposite lateral
surfaces of a case 110.
[0090] In this case, a plurality of louvers 113a are mounted at the
air suction holes 113 to open or close the holes 113.
[0091] To the case 110 are connected the refrigerant pipes 210 for
use in the supply of refrigerant and the drain pipe 310 for drawing
condensate water to the outside of the indoor unit 100.
[0092] Between the case 110 and the ceiling is mounted the fixing
line 410 to support the case 110 at a position spaced apart from
the ceiling by the predetermined distance L.
[0093] The case 110 is provided at an upper end thereof with the
first mount 510, and the ceiling is provided with the second mount
520, so that one end of the fixing line 410 is connected to the
first mount 510, and the other end of the fixing line 410 is
connected to the second mount 520.
[0094] In this case, the fixing line 410 is made of a material
having a sufficient strength to support the case 110.
[0095] The drain pipe 310 is affixed at one end thereof to the
indoor unit 100, and the other end of the drain pipe 310 is
positioned at a predetermined indoor or outdoor place suitable to
discharge condensate water.
[0096] The condensate water sump 135 is provided in the case 110 to
store condensate water produced as air passes through the indoor
heat exchanger 120.
[0097] The drain pipe 310 is connected with the drain pump 130
mounted in the condensate water sump 135. The drain pump 130 serves
to pump and discharge condensate water, gathered in the condensate
water sump 135, to the outside of the indoor unit 100.
[0098] With this configuration, as the drain pump 130 is operated,
the condensate water, gathered in the condensate water sump 135, is
discharged to the outside of the indoor unit 100 via the drain pipe
310 during operation of the air conditioner.
[0099] The control circuit unit 550 is provided in the first mount
510 to control the operation of the air conditioner according to
the present invention.
[0100] The refrigerant pipes 210 and the drain pipe 310 are covered
with the pipe cover 231.
[0101] The operating principle of the indoor unit 100 of the air
conditioner according to the second embodiment of the present
invention configured as stated above is identical to that of the
first embodiment, and thus the explanation thereof will be
omitted.
[0102] Also, it goes without saying that the installation structure
of the indoor unit of the air conditioner as stated above is
applicable to a multi-type air conditioner in which a plurality of
indoor units is connected to a single outdoor unit.
[0103] Therefore, the above-described embodiments must be
considered for exemplifying the invention rather than for limiting
the scope of the invention. The accompanying claims and equivalents
thereof are included in the scope and sprit of the invention.
[0104] As apparent from the above description, an indoor unit of an
air conditioner according to different embodiments of the present
invention comprises a case, which contains a fan motor and an
indoor heat exchanger arranged therein and is hung from the ceiling
of a room to be spaced apart from the ceiling by a predetermined
distance. Refrigerant pipes are extended from a certain outside
place to the case. Also, a fixing line, having a chain shape, is
provided between the case and the ceiling to support the case at a
predetermined position spaced apart from the ceiling.
[0105] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various
modifications and variations can be made in the present invention
without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions. Thus,
it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications
and variations of this invention provided they come within the
scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *