U.S. patent application number 11/407032 was filed with the patent office on 2007-04-12 for air conditioner.
Invention is credited to Jae Oh Han, Jin Baek Kim, Soo Young Lee, Hyun Ho Park.
Application Number | 20070079628 11/407032 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37909998 |
Filed Date | 2007-04-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070079628 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Han; Jae Oh ; et
al. |
April 12, 2007 |
Air conditioner
Abstract
An air discharge apparatus usable with an air conditioner
includes a body formed with a suction opening and a discharge
opening, a blowing fan arranged in the body to circulate air, and a
partition to separate a suction path defined between the suction
opening and the blowing fan from a discharge path defined between
the blowing fan and the discharge opening. The partition has a
vortex-restraint portion, which protrudes into the discharge path
to occupy a portion of a bottom region of the cross sectional area
of the discharge path, thereby serving to prevent generation of a
vortex of air in the discharge path.
Inventors: |
Han; Jae Oh; (Yongin-si,
KR) ; Kim; Jin Baek; (Suwon-si, KR) ; Lee; Soo
Young; (Suwon-si, KR) ; Park; Hyun Ho; (Seoul,
KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
STANZIONE & KIM, LLP
919 18TH STREET, N.W.
SUITE 440
WASHINGTON
DC
20006
US
|
Family ID: |
37909998 |
Appl. No.: |
11/407032 |
Filed: |
April 20, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/426 ;
62/262 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24F 1/0011 20130101;
F24F 1/0025 20130101; F24F 1/027 20130101; F24F 1/005 20190201 |
Class at
Publication: |
062/426 ;
062/262 |
International
Class: |
F25D 23/12 20060101
F25D023/12; F25D 17/06 20060101 F25D017/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 7, 2005 |
KR |
2005-94532 |
Claims
1. An air conditioner comprising: a body formed with a suction
opening and a discharge opening; a blowing fan arranged in the body
to circulate air; and a partition to separate a suction path
defined between the suction opening and the blowing fan from a
discharge path defined between the blowing fan and the discharge
opening, the partition comprising a vortex-restraint portion, which
protrudes into the discharge path to occupy a portion of a bottom
region of a cross sectional area of the discharge path, to prevent
generation of a vortex of air in the discharge path.
2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the
vortex-restraint portion comprises a path-expanding portion to
allow the cross sectional area of the discharge path to increase
toward the discharge opening.
3. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the
path-expanding portion comprises a slope that is downwardly sloped
toward the discharge opening.
4. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the
path-expanding portion comprises a step shape descending in a
direction to the discharge opening.
5. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the
vortex-restraint portion is located in a predetermined region of
the discharge path to exhibit a relatively low discharge flow
rate.
6. The air conditioner according to claim 5, wherein the
vortex-restraint portion is located on a left side of a rotation
center of the blowing fan when the blowing fan rotates
clockwise.
7. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein: the air
conditioner further comprises an indoor heat exchanger arranged
beneath the partition; and the partition comprises a flat plane
portion formed at the front side of the vortex-restraint portion to
come into contact with the indoor heat exchanger.
8. An air conditioner comprising: a body formed with a suction
opening and a discharge opening; a blowing fan arranged in the body
to circulate air; and a partition to separate a suction side of the
blowing fan from a discharge side of the blowing fan to define an
air discharge path along with the body, the partition mounted with
a vortex-restraint member, which protrudes into the discharge path
to prevent discharge air from flowing backward in a bottom region
of the discharge path.
9. The air conditioner according to claim 8, wherein the
vortex-restraint member comprises a path-expanding portion to allow
a cross sectional area of the discharge path to increase toward the
discharge opening.
10. The air conditioner according to claim 8, wherein the
vortex-restraint member is located on a left side of a rotational
center axis of the blowing fan when the blowing fan rotates
clockwise.
11. An air conditioner, comprising: a body having a suction
opening, a discharge opening, an uppercase, and a bottom plate; a
blowing fan disposed between the upper case and the bottom plate to
generate an air path between the suction opening and the discharge
opening; and a partition disposed between the upper case and the
bottom plate to divide the air path into a suction path from the
suction opening to the blowing fan and a discharge path from the
blowing fan to the discharge opening, and having a first surface
spaced-apart from the upper case by a first distance to define a
first cross-sectional area perpendicular to a discharge direction
of the discharge path, and a second surface spaced-apart from the
upper case by a second distance to define a second cross-sectional
area perpendicular to the discharge direction of the discharge
path.
12. The air conditioner according to claim 11, wherein the second
surface is disposed between the suction opening and the first
surface, and the second cross-sectional area is greater than the
first cross-sectional area.
13. The air conditioner according to claim 11, wherein the first
surface and the second surface are disposed in the discharge
direction of the discharge path between the partition and the upper
case.
14. The air conditioner according to claim 11, wherein the first
surface and the second surface are disposed in a line perpendicular
to the discharge direction of the discharge path.
15. The air conditioner according to claim 14, wherein the first
cross-sectional area varies according to a distance from the
suction opening.
16. The air conditioner according to claim 14, wherein the first
distance of the first surface from the upper case varies according
to a distance from the blowing fan.
17. The air conditioner according to claim 11, wherein the blowing
fan generates first and second air currents along the discharge
direction of the discharge path between the partition and the
blowing fan, and the first and second surfaces form the discharge
path with the upper case such that the first air current does not
interfere with the second air current.
18. The air conditioner according to claim 11, wherein the first
air current is formed along the upper case, and the second air
current formed along one of the first and second surfaces of the
partition.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent
Application No. 2005-94532, filed on Oct. 7, 2005 in the Korean
Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosure of which is
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present general inventive concept relates to an air
discharge apparatus, and more particularly, to an air discharge
apparatus to prevent generation of a vortex of air in a discharge
path defined between a fan and a discharge opening, and an air
conditioner having the same.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] In general, an air conditioner is an apparatus that is used
for adjusting the temperature or humidity of air by heat transfer
generated upon evaporation and condensation of a refrigerant. The
air conditioner is classified into a separated-type air conditioner
and an integral-type air conditioner.
[0006] The separated-type air conditioner is configured such that
an indoor heat exchanger and an outdoor heat exchanger are mounted
in an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, respectively, while being
connected to each other via a refrigerant pipe. On the other hand,
the integral-type air conditioner is configured such that all
constituent components to make up a refrigeration cycle are mounted
in a single body. The integral-type air conditioner is operated
while being partially located in a room on an inside of a window
while the remaining part is located on an outside of the window.
Such an integral-type air conditioner is often referred to as a
window-type air conditioner.
[0007] FIG. 1 is a side sectional view illustrating an indoor part
of a conventional window-type air conditioner. As illustrated in
FIG. 1, the conventional window-type air conditioner includes a
body 1 having a suction opening 2 and a discharge opening 3 formed
at a front surface thereof, a blowing fan 4 mounted in the body 1
to circulate indoor air, and a heat exchanger 5 located between the
suction opening 2 and the blowing fan 4 to perform heat exchange
between the suctioned indoor air and a refrigerant. A partition 8
is arranged above the indoor heat exchanger 5 to separate a suction
path 6, which is defined as a path between the suction opening 2
and the blowing fan 4, from a discharge path 7, which is defined as
a path between the blowing fan 4 and the discharge opening 3. With
this configuration, if the blowing fan 4 is rotated by a drive
motor 4a, the indoor air is suctioned into the body 1 via the
suction opening 2, and passes through the blowing fan 4 after
exchanging heat with the refrigerant in the heat exchanger 5. Then,
the air is discharged from the blowing fan 4 in a radial direction
thereof, so that it is discharged into a room by way of the
discharge path 7 and the discharge opening 3 formed at the front
surface of the body 1.
[0008] It can be easily understood from FIG. 1, that after the air
is discharged in a radial direction by the blowing fan 4, the air
must suddenly change its flow direction in order to travel down the
discharge path toward the discharge opening 3. However, discharging
the air causes an upper location P of the discharge path 7 to have
a higher pressure than a lower location Q. Due to such a pressure
difference, the discharge air inevitably moves from the upper
location P to the lower location Q to produce a vortex of air. The
vortex of air has a direct effect on a discharge flow rate,
resulting in degradation in the performance of the air conditioner
and increasing flow noise of air.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present general inventive concept provides an air
discharge apparatus capable of preventing generation of a vortex of
air in a discharge path defined between a discharge opening and a
blowing fan, and an air conditioner having the same.
[0010] Additional aspects and advantages of the present general
inventive concept will be set forth in part in the description
which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description,
or may be learned by practice of the general inventive concept.
[0011] The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present general
inventive concept may be achieved by providing an air conditioner
including a body formed with a suction opening and a discharge
opening, a blowing fan arranged in the body to circulate air, and a
partition to separate a suction path defined between the suction
opening and the blowing fan from a discharge path defined between
the blowing fan and the discharge opening, the partition includes a
vortex-restraint portion, which protrudes into the discharge path
to occupy a portion of a bottom region of a cross sectional area of
the discharge path, to prevent generation of a vortex of air in the
discharge path.
[0012] The vortex-restraint portion may have a path-expanding
portion to allow the cross sectional area of the discharge path to
increase toward the discharge opening.
[0013] The path-expanding portion may include a slope that is
downwardly sloped toward the discharge opening or may have a step
shape descending in the direction of the discharge opening.
[0014] The vortex-restraint portion may be located in a
predetermined region of the discharge path that exhibits a
relatively low discharge flow rate. In particular, the
vortex-restraint portion may be located on a left side of a
rotational center of the blowing fan when the blowing fan rotates
clockwise.
[0015] The air conditioner may further include an indoor heat
exchanger arranged beneath the partition, and the partition may
have a flat plane portion formed at the front side of the
vortex-restraint portion to come into contact with the indoor heat
exchanger.
[0016] The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present general
inventive concept may also be achieved by providing an air
conditioner including a body formed with a suction opening and a
discharge opening, a blowing fan arranged in the body to circulate
air, and a partition to separate a suction side of the blowing fan
from a discharge side of the blowing fan to define an air discharge
path along with the body, the partition mounted with a
vortex-restraint member, which protrudes into the discharge path to
prevent discharge air from flowing backward in a bottom region of
the discharge path.
[0017] The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present general
inventive concept may also be achieved by providing an air
conditioner, comprising a body having a suction opening, a
discharge opening, an uppercase, and a bottom plate, a blowing fan
disposed between the upper case and the bottom plate to generate an
air path between the suction opening and the discharge opening, and
a partition disposed between the upper case and the bottom plate to
divide the air path into a suction path from the suction opening to
the blowing fan and a discharge path from the blowing fan to the
discharge opening, and having a first surface spaced-apart from the
upper case by a first distance to define a first cross-sectional
area perpendicular to a discharge direction of the discharge path,
and a second surface spaced-apart from the upper case by a second
distance to define a second cross-sectional area perpendicular to
the discharge direction of the discharge path.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] These and/or other aspects and advantages of the present
general inventive concept will become apparent and more readily
appreciated from the following description of the embodiments,
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, of which:
[0019] FIG. 1 is a side sectional view illustrating part of a
conventional window-type air conditioner;
[0020] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a
configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of
the present general inventive concept;
[0021] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the air
conditioner of FIG. 2;
[0022] FIG. 4 is a side sectional view illustrating the air
conditioner of FIG. 3;
[0023] FIG. 5 is a side sectional view illustrating an alternative
example of a vortex-restraint portion provided in the air
conditioner of FIG. 4;
[0024] FIG. 6 is a graph comparing a discharge flow rate of the air
conditioner according to embodiments of the present general
inventive concept, with that of a conventional air conditioner, at
the same angular speed; and
[0025] FIG. 7 is a side sectional view illustrating an air
conditioner according to another embodiment of the present general
inventive concept.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0026] Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of
the present general inventive concept, examples of which are
illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference
numerals refer to like elements throughout. The embodiments are
described below in order to explain the present general inventive
concept by referring to the figures.
[0027] As illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4, an air conditioner according
to an embodiment of the present general inventive concept includes
a body 10 defining a predetermined interior space therein. The body
10 may include an upper case 11, a front panel 12, a rear panel
(not shown), and a bottom plate 13. The interior space of the body
10 is divided into front and rear sections by use of a central
partition 14. The front section of the body 10 defines a first
heat-exchange chamber 20, and the rear section defines a second
heat-exchange chamber 30. The first heat-exchange chamber 20 may be
an indoor heat exchange chamber, and the second heat-exchange
chamber 30 may be an outdoor heat-exchange chamber.
[0028] The outdoor heat-exchange chamber 30 of FIG. 2 is provided
with a compressor 31 to compress a refrigerant to obtain a
high-pressure and high-temperature refrigerant, an outdoor heat
exchanger 32 to perform a heat exchange between the high-pressure
and high-temperature refrigerant and outside air, and a propeller
fan 33 to circulate the outside air. Conversely, the heat-exchange
chamber 30 may be used to obtain a low-temperature refrigerant to
provide a cooling air exchange operation. Therefore, the
heat-exchange chamber 30 may provide air heating and/or cooling
operations via the same air conditioner unit. Also, a fan motor 34
is located at a rear side of the center partition 14. The fan motor
34 serves to drive the propeller fan 33 and a blowing fan 21 that
is located in the front section of the body 10.
[0029] The upper case 11 of the body 10 has a plurality of inlet
holes 15 formed at upper and opposite lateral surfaces thereof, so
that the outside air is introduced into the outdoor heat-exchange
chamber 30 in accordance with a rotation of the propeller fan 33.
The rear panel (not shown) of the body 10 is formed with an outlet
hole, so that the heat-exchanged air having passed through the
outdoor heat exchanger 32 is discharged to an outside of the air
conditioner. Also, a suction opening 16 and a discharge opening 17
are formed at the front panel 12 of the body 10 to suction and
discharge indoor air. The discharge opening 17 is provided with one
or more blades 17a to adjust a discharge direction of the indoor
air.
[0030] The indoor heat-exchange chamber 20 of FIG. 2 is provided
with the blowing fan 21 to circulate the indoor air. The indoor
heat-exchange chamber 20 includes a suction path 22 defined between
the suction opening 16 and a suction side 21a of the blowing fan
21, and a discharge path 23 defined between the discharge opening
17 and a discharge side 21b of the blowing fan 21. An indoor heat
exchanger 24 is arranged in the suction path 22 to perform heat
exchange between the suctioned indoor air and the refrigerant. The
heat-exchange chamber 20 may be used to provide a cooling air
exchange operation. Therefore, the heat-exchange chamber 20 may
provide both heating and/or cooling operations via the same air
conditioner unit. The blowing fan 21 is a centrifugal fan
configured to axially suction the indoor air and to discharge the
indoor air in a radial direction. The discharged air is guided to
the discharge opening 17 along a fan casing 21c.
[0031] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the suction path 22 and the
discharge path 23 are separated from each other by a partition 40
arranged above the indoor heat exchanger 24.
[0032] Now, the operation of the air conditioner having the
above-described configuration will be briefly explained.
[0033] As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, if electric power is
applied to the air conditioner to rotate the blowing fan 21, the
indoor air is suctioned via the suction opening 16. The suctioned
indoor air is heat exchanged with the refrigerant while passing
through the indoor heat exchanger 24 arranged in the suction path
22 prior to being suctioned into the blowing fan 21. After that,
the heat-exchanged air is discharged from the blowing fan 21 in the
radial direction, and a dynamic pressure of the discharged air is
converted into a static pressure while passing through the fan
casing 21c. Finally, the air is supplied into a room by way of the
discharge path 23 and the discharge opening 17.
[0034] As stated above, the air is discharged in the radial
direction from the blowing fan 21. Thus, under the effect of the
fluid inertia phenomenon, most of the air is driven into a top
region 23a of the discharge path 23, and only a relatively small
amount of the air passes through a bottom region 23b of the
discharge path 23. This phenomenon is exacerbated if a size of the
air conditioner, more particularly, a size of the fan casing 21c,
is reduced such that the fan casing 21c has no sufficient path in a
region adjacent to the discharge side 21b of the blowing fan 21.
That is, if the fan casing 21c has no path sufficient to allow the
dynamic pressure of the air to be converted into the static
pressure in a vicinity of the discharge side 21b of the blowing fan
21, the air discharged from the blowing fan 21 will have an
increased speed in the radial direction, thereby being driven more
substantially towards the top region 23a of the discharge path 23.
Such an unbalance in the flow of air between the top and bottom
regions 23a and 23b of the discharge path 23 results in a vortex of
air moving from the top region 23a to the bottom region 23b. The
vortex of air can reduce a rate of air discharge from the discharge
path 23, and may have a negative effect upon the performance of the
air conditioner.
[0035] In order to prevent generation of the vortex of air, the
partition 40 is formed with a vortex-restraint portion 41
protruding into the discharge path 23. The vortex-restraint portion
41 occupies the bottom region 23b of the discharge path 23 that
shows a relatively low flow rate of air, thereby preventing the air
passing through the top region 23a of the discharge path 23 from
completely moving into the bottom region 23b.
[0036] Referring to FIG. 4, the blowing fan 21 has a first portion
21-1, a second portion 21-2, and a third portion 21-3 generating
respective air currents R1, R2 and R3 flowing through the discharge
path 23. The vortex-restraint portion 41 provided in the discharge
path 23 prevents the vortex of air from being formed when one or
more of the air currents R1, R2 and R3 are mixed together. For
example, the air current R1 that flows in the top region 23a of the
discharge path 23 may be deflected by the upper case 11 of the body
10 in a downward direction towards the bottom region 23b according
to a conventional air conditioner. That is, the air current R1 may
flow into a path location of the air currents R2 and R3 and reduce
a rate of air discharge in the discharge path 23 during the
discharge of air by the blowing fan 21. The vortex-restraint
portion 41 prevents the air current R1 from creating the vortex of
air and reducing the rate of the flow of air currents R2 and R3
according to the present embodiment.
[0037] As illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 5, the vortex-restraint portion
41 has a path-expanding portion 41a or 41b to allow a cross
sectional area of the discharge path 23 to increase toward the
discharge opening 17. That is, the path-expanding portion 41a or
41b serves to prevent the vortex-restraint portion 41 protruding
into the discharge path 23 from reducing the cross sectional area
of the discharge path 23 to disadvantageously cause a decrease in
flow rate. In an example embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the
path-expanding portion 41a takes the form of a slope, which is
downwardly sloped toward the discharge opening 17. Also, in an
alternative example embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, the
path-expanding portion 41b has a step shape descending in the
direction of the discharge opening 17.
[0038] The vortex-restraint portion 41 is provided in a specific
region of the discharge path 23 that ordinarily exhibits a
relatively low discharge flow rate. When the blowing fan 21 rotates
clockwise with respect to the front panel 12 as illustrated in FIG.
3, the air is driven in a rightward direction. In this case, it is
possible that the vortex-restraint portion 41 is located on a left
side of a rotational center of the blowing fan 21 within the
discharge path 23, in order to minimize a flow resistance of the
discharge air caused by a protruding portion of the
vortex-restraint portion 41.
[0039] In FIGS. 4 and 5, the partition 40 may be further provided
with a flat plane portion 42 at a front side of the
vortex-restraint portion 41 to come into contact with the indoor
heat exchanger 24. The flat plane portion 42 serves to prevent the
suctioned indoor air from passing through the indoor heat exchanger
24 directly to the discharge path 23 so as not to be heat
exchanged. If the vortex-restraint portion 41 is formed throughout
an upper end of the indoor heat exchanger 24 without the flat plane
portion 42, the suctioned indoor air that enters through the
suction opening 16 will be introduced into a space between the
upper end of the indoor heat exchanger 24 and the vortex-restraint
portion 41, thereby failing to effectively heat exchange the indoor
air in the indoor heat exchanger 24. Suctioned indoor air that is
not effectively heat exchanged can consequently cause degradation
in the performance of the air conditioner.
[0040] FIG. 6 is a graph comparing a discharge flow rate of the air
conditioner according to one or more embodiments of the present
general inventive concept, with that of a conventional air
conditioner, at the same angular speed (rpm). It can be easily
understood from FIG. 6 that, as a result of preventing generation
of the vortex of air in the discharge path 23 by use of the
vortex-restraint portion 41, the air conditioner of the present
general inventive concept achieves a discharge flow rate estimated
at approximately 5% higher than a conventional air conditioner
having a flat partition in the discharge path thereof.
[0041] FIG. 7 is a side sectional view illustrating an air
conditioner according to an embodiment of the present general
inventive concept. FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment that is
different from the above-described embodiments of FIGS. 4 and 5, in
which the partition 40 is integrally formed to include the
vortex-restraint portion 41. In the present embodiment of FIG. 7, a
vortex-restraint member 60 is coupled to a partition 50 having a
flat plate shape to prevent the discharge air from flowing backward
into the bottom region 23b of the discharge path 23. Also, the
partition 50 serves to prevent the suctioned indoor air from
passing through the indoor heat exchanger 24 directly to the
discharge path 23 so as not to be heat exchanged. Other similar
configuration and operational features illustrated in FIG. 7,
except for those described above may be identical to the
embodiments described in FIGS. 4 and 5, and accordingly no further
description will be provided.
[0042] As apparent from the above description, the present general
inventive concept provides an air conditioner having an air
discharge apparatus, which is designed to prevent generation of a
vortex of air in a discharge path 23 defined between a blowing fan
21 and a discharge opening 17, thereby achieving an increased flow
rate of discharge air.
[0043] Further, according to the present general inventive concept,
the air conditioner can reduce flow noise of the discharge air,
which would normally be caused by a vortex of air.
[0044] Although a few embodiments of the present general inventive
concept have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by
those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these
embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the
general inventive concept, the scope of which is defined in the
appended claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *