CEILING-TYPE AIR CONDITIONER

BACKGROUND
1. Field

The disclosure relates to a ceiling-mounted air conditioner having a structure that facilitates mounting of auxiliary devices.

2. Description of Related Art

An air conditioner may include components, such as a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, an evaporator, or a blower fan. The air conditioner may be a device that may provide air conditioning indoors or in a specific place by controlling the temperature, humidity, airflow, or cleanliness of the air using a cooling cycle.

The air conditioner may be structurally divided into a separate type in which the compressor is placed outdoors, and an integrated type in which the compressor is integrated. The separate-type air conditioner may connect an indoor unit including an indoor heat exchanger to an outdoor unit including an outdoor heat exchanger and a compressor using a refrigerant pipe. The integrated-type air conditioner may install an indoor heat exchanger, an outdoor heat exchanger, or a compressor in one housing.

The air conditioner may be classified into a stand-type air conditioner, a wall-mounted air conditioner, or a ceiling-mounted air conditioner, depending on the installation type of the indoor unit. The stand-type air conditioner may have an indoor unit installed to stand vertically on an indoor floor. The wall-mounted air conditioner may have an indoor unit installed on an indoor wall, and the ceiling-mounted indoor unit may have an indoor unit installed on an indoor ceiling.

Generally, in a ceiling-mounted air conditioner, a heat exchanger for heat exchange between refrigerant and air, a suction fan or blower fan for forming an airflow, and a motor for driving the suction fan and the blower fan may be included in a housing corresponding to the indoor unit. The ceiling-mounted air conditioner may suck indoor air through one or more intake ports disposed in the center and then discharge the air heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger into the room through one or more exhaust ports provided in the edge. When the heat exchanger is provided in an annular shape, the exhaust port of the air conditioner may have an annular shape corresponding to the heat exchanger.

SUMMARY

By its nature of the indoor unit being installed on the ceiling, ceiling-mounted air conditioners may require additional features that are needed in other types of air conditioners such as standing air conditioners or wall-mounted air conditioners. For example, if the indoor ceiling is high, the airflow discharged from the ceiling-mounted air conditioner may not reach the area where the user mainly does activities, or even when it reaches the area, it may not have the intensity desired by the user.

Embodiments of the disclosure provide a ceiling-mounted air conditioner having a housing structure that enables installation of a structure for increasing the intensity of airflow without the need for separating other auxiliary components.

According to an example embodiment of the disclosure, a ceiling-mounted air conditioner may comprise a housing installed to be hung from a ceiling and configured to allow air according to an airflow in a discharge flow path to be discharged to an outside through an exhaust port, a support provided within a predetermined depth inside the exhaust port, and a fastener having an area to block at least a portion of the exhaust port and a size to enable insertion through the exhaust port, and configured to be fastened to the support. If the fastener is mounted on the support to block a portion of the exhaust port, an intensity of airflow discharged through the exhaust port may increase relative to before the fastener is mounted.

According to an example embodiment of the disclosure, it is possible to adjust the intensity of discharged airflow while minimizing the work of changing, disassembling, or installing a structure in a ceiling-mounted air conditioner, or easily install or remove the structure for supporting the communication function or communication performance.

Effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the foregoing, and other unmentioned effects would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from the following description. In other words, unintended effects in practicing embodiments of the disclosure may also be derived by one of ordinary skill in the art from the embodiments of the disclosure.

Before undertaking the DETAILED DESCRIPTION below, it may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used throughout this patent document: the terms “include” and “comprise,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation; the term “or,” is inclusive, meaning and/or; the phrases “associated with” and “associated therewith,” as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, or the like.

Definitions for certain words and phrases are provided throughout this patent document, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that in many, if not most instances, such definitions apply to prior, as well as future uses of such defined words and phrases.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and its advantages, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like parts:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an indoor unit included in an air conditioner according to various embodiments;

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating an example of mounting a high ceiling kit for partially blocking a flow path through an exhaust port in the indoor unit of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the indoor unit of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the middle housing and the lower housing of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view taken along line I-I of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6A is a lower surface view illustrating an example in which a high ceiling kit is mounted in an exhaust port of an indoor unit according to various embodiments;

FIG. 6B is a lower surface view illustrating an example in which a high ceiling kit is mounted in an exhaust port of an indoor unit according to various embodiments;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a high ceiling kit for adjusting airflow intensity in an indoor unit included in a ceiling-mounted air conditioner according to various embodiments;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating an example in which a high ceiling kit is coupled to adjust airflow intensity in an indoor unit included in a ceiling-mounted air conditioner according to various embodiments;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a fastener constituting a high ceiling kit mountable in an exhaust port of an indoor unit included in a ceiling-mounted air conditioner according to various embodiments;

FIG. 10 is an elevation view illustrating the fastener of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a lower surface view illustrating a cover having a rectangular shape with a sub cover in an indoor unit of a ceiling-mounted air conditioner according to various embodiments;

FIG. 12A is an exploded perspective view illustrating a communication kit in the sub cover of FIG. 11;

FIG. 12B is a perspective view illustrating a communication kit assembled in the sub cover of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a lower surface view illustrating a cover having a circular shape with a sub cover in an indoor unit of a ceiling-mounted air conditioner according to various embodiments;

FIG. 14A is an exploded perspective view illustrating a communication kit in the sub cover of FIG. 13;

FIG. 14B is a perspective view illustrating a communication kit assembled in the sub cover of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a view illustrating example wiring of a cable of a communication kit in an indoor unit of a ceiling-mounted air conditioner according to various embodiments;

FIG. 16A is a view illustrating an example in which a communication kit is mounted on the cover of FIG. 13; and

FIG. 16B is a view illustrating an example in which a communication kit is mounted on the cover of FIG. 11.

The same or similar reference denotations may be used to refer to the same or similar elements throughout the specification and the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 through 16B, discussed below, and the various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present disclosure in this patent document are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented in any suitably arranged system or device.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in such a detailed manner as to be easily practiced by one of ordinary skill in the art. However, the disclosure may be implemented in other various forms and is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The same or similar reference denotations may be used to refer to the same or similar elements throughout the disclosure and the drawings. Further, for clarity and brevity, no description may be made of well-known functions and configurations in the drawings and relevant descriptions.

‘Upper side,’ ‘upper direction,’ ‘lower side,’ and ‘lower direction’ as used herein refer to upper/lower directions of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure as shown in FIG. 1. In other words, the side where the intake port of the air conditioner in FIG. 1 is referred to as the lower side, and the side thereover is referred to as the upper side.

An air conditioner according to an embodiment of the disclosure is an air conditioner that lacks blades for air-conditioning the discharged air. However, without limitations to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the present disclosure may also be applicable to air conditioner including blades.

Further, an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the disclosure is an air conditioner that includes a heat exchanger provided in an annular shape. However, without limitations to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the present disclosure may also be applicable to air conditioners including a heat exchanger provided in a rectangular shape or in other various shapes.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the disclosure are described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an indoor unit 1 included in an air conditioner according to various embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 1, an indoor unit 1 of an air conditioner according to an embodiment may be installed on a ceiling L. At least a portion of the indoor unit 1 may be embedded in the ceiling L. The indoor unit 1 may include a housing 10 having an exhaust port 33 for discharging air downward. The housing 10 may have, e.g., a substantially circular shape when viewed in a vertical direction, but is not limited thereto, and may have a different shape such as a rectangular shape. The housing 10 may include a cover 18 capable of covering an outer portion at a lowermost end. The cover 18 may include a main cover 18a and a sub cover 18b provided at each of the corners. The sub cover 18b may have a structure detachable from the cover 18.

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating an example of mounting a high ceiling kit for partially blocking a flow path through an exhaust port 33 in the indoor unit 1 of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 2, the high ceiling kit 13 according to an embodiment may be provided inside the exhaust port 33 when a portion of the suction panel provided on the lower surface of the housing 10 is cut along the cut line 12 to suck external air. The indoor unit 1 capable of mounting the high ceiling kit 13 may be, e.g., an indoor unit applied to a blade-less ceiling-mounted air conditioner. For example, the blade-less ceiling-mounted air conditioner may be a circular discharge air conditioner. The indoor unit 1 provided in the circular discharge air conditioner may have a housing 10 having an overall circular shape. In this case, since the exhaust port 33 provided in the lower surface of the housing 10 is formed along the outer periphery provided on the lower surface of the housing 10, the exhaust port 33 may have a curved shape.

According to an embodiment, the high ceiling kit 13 may have a predetermined area, and may block at least a portion of the discharge flow path through which air is to be discharged from the exhaust port 33 in proportion to the area. For example, the high ceiling kit 13 may be formed by fastening a fastener (e.g., the first fastener 13b of FIG. 7) to a support (e.g., the first support 13a of FIG. 7). The detailed structure and placement of the high ceiling kit 13 are described below.

According to an embodiment, a high ceiling kit 13 may be provided inside the exhaust port 33. The high ceiling kit 13 may be disposed in the exhaust port 33 inside the cut line 12. The high ceiling kit 13 may increase the intensity of the airflow discharged to the exhaust port 33. This allows the discharged airflow discharged by the indoor unit 1 to reach the floor in an indoor space having a high ceiling.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the indoor unit 1 of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the middle housing 21 and the lower housing 30 of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view taken along line I-I of FIG. 2. FIG. 6A is a lower surface view illustrating an example in which a high ceiling kit 13 is mounted in an exhaust port 33 of an indoor unit 1 according to various embodiments. FIG. 6B is a lower surface view illustrating an example in which a high ceiling kit 13 is mounted in an exhaust port 33 of an indoor unit 1 according to various embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 3 or FIG. 4, the housing 10 of the indoor unit 1, at least a portion of which may be installed to be embedded in the ceiling L in the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the disclosure, may include a heat exchanger 80 or a blower fan 40 configured to generate airflow therein. The heat exchanger 80 may have a substantially circular shape when viewed in a vertical direction.

According to an embodiment, in the housing 10, an upper housing 20, a drain tray 90, a middle housing 21, a lower housing 30, or a cover 18 may be hierarchically arranged and coupled in a vertical direction (e.g., a direction from the upper side to the lower side). The upper housing 20 may be embedded in the ceiling L. The drain tray 90 may collect condensate generated during heat exchange. The middle housing 21 may be disposed under the upper housing 20 or the drain tray 90. The lower housing 30 may be disposed under and coupled to the middle housing 21. The cover 18 may cover an outer portion of the lower housing 30 at the lowermost end. The cover 18 may include a main cover 18a and a sub cover 18b provided at each of the corners. The sub cover 18b may have a structure detachable from the cover 18.

In the disclosure, for convenience of description, the configuration of the housing 10 is separated using the word ‘upper,’ ‘middle,’ or ‘lower,’ but the upper housing 20 and the middle housing 21 or the middle housing 21 and the lower housing 30 may be formed as one detachable configuration. For example, the middle housing 21 may be viewed as one component included in the lower housing 30. Hereinafter, the middle housing 21, the first lower housing, and the second lower housing may be referred to as a first lower housing, a second lower housing, and a third lower housing, respectively, but without limitations thereto, may be variously referred to.

According to an embodiment, the upper housing 20 may be provided to cover the blower fan 40 or the heat exchanger 80. The heat exchanger 80 may have an annular shape. In this case, the upper housing 20 may include a cylindrical portion 20d having a cylindrical shape to cover the heat exchanger 80. The heat exchanger 80 may be placed on the drain tray 90. Condensate generated during heat exchange in the heat exchanger 80 may be collected in the drain tray 90.

According to an embodiment, the middle housing 21 may have a circular opening in the center thereof. The blower fan 40 mounted on the upper housing 20 may be coupled to the opening provided in the middle housing 21. A blocking area 100 extending by a predetermined length in the circumferential direction of the exhaust port 33 may be provided on the lower surface of the middle housing 21. There may be provided three blocking areas 100 that may be spaced apart from each other by a preset gap along the circumferential direction. The middle housing 21 may include a guide flow path 70 for guiding air sucked from the outside. One or more exhaust ports 33 may be formed in the circumferential direction around the opening provided in the center of the middle housing 21. The exhaust port 33 may serve as a flow path for discharging air discharged from the upper housing 20 downward. The exhaust port 33 may be provided at a predetermined distance inward along the outer periphery of the circular middle housing 21. In this case, the exhaust port 33 may have a curved shape.

According to an embodiment, three exhaust ports 33a, 33b, and 33c separated by the blocking area 100 may be provided in the lower surface of the housing 10 to which the cover 18, the upper housing 20, and the middle housing 21 are coupled. A horizontal rib 37 formed in a horizontal direction which is the circumferential direction and a vertical rib 38 formed in a vertical direction which is the diameter direction may be provided inside the exhaust ports 33a, 33b, and 33c. The horizontal rib 37 and the vertical rib 38 may cross each other at, at least, one place. At, at least, one of the vertical ribs provided inside the exhaust ports 33a, 33b, and 33c, a support 13a or 13a-1, 13a-2, or 13a-3 (e.g., the first support 13a) where the fastener (e.g., the first fastener 13b of FIG. 7) constituting the high ceiling kit 13 may be fastened may be provided. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6A, the support 13a may be installed in only one of the three exhaust ports 33a, 33b, and 33c, and no support may be installed in the other two exhaust ports 33b and 33c. As an example, although not illustrated, the supports 13a may be installed in only two of the three exhaust ports 33a, 33b, and 33c, and no support 13a may be installed in the remaining one of the exhaust ports 33c or 33b. As an example, as illustrated in FIG. 6B, the supports 13a may be installed in all three exhaust ports 33a, 33b, and 33c. The fastener 13b may have a curved shape bent to match the shapes of the exhaust ports 33a, 33b, and 33c so as to be organically coupled to the exhaust ports 33a, 33b, and 33c. The width and length capable of determining the area of the fastener 13b may be changed as necessary. The support 13a to which the fastener 13b may be fitted and fastened may include two guide ribs 137 and 139 provided on two opposite sides to form a fastening recess 136 in the middle.

According to an embodiment, the high ceiling kit 13 may be provided by fastening the fastener 13b to the support 13a. For example, the first fastener 130 (protrusions 131 and 132) provided in the fastener 13b may be fitted and fastened to a fastening recess (e.g., the fastening recess 136 of FIG. 7) provided in the support 13a. The stop jaws (e.g., the stop jaws 133 and 134 of FIG. 7) provided at the end of the first fastener 130 may be discharged to the opposite side of the fastening recess 136 and may be stuck to the rear end of the fastening recess 136. Accordingly, in the cross-sectional view illustrated in FIG. 5, the side surface of the high ceiling kit 13 may have a form in which the stop jaws 133 and 134 provided at the ends of the protrusions 131 and 132 constituting the first fastener 130 of the fastener 13b, the support 13a, and the covering plate 135 constituting the fastener 13b are stacked from the upper side to the lower side corresponding to the flow path direction. In other words, the ends of the protrusions 131 and 132 of the fastener 13b may be disposed above the support 13a, and the covering plate 135 of the fastener 13b may be disposed below the support 13a.

According to an embodiment, the lower housing 30 may include a first lower housing 31 or a second lower housing 32. The first lower housing 31 may be coupled to a lower side of the middle housing 21 and may have an annular shape formed along a circumference of the middle housing 21. The second lower housing 32 may be coupled to a lower side of the first lower housing 31 to cover the lower side of the first lower housing 31. The first lower housing 31 may include an outer first lower housing 31a disposed on a lower side along the circumference of the middle housing 21 and formed in an annular shape, and an inner first lower housing 31b disposed radially inside the outer first lower housing 31a and formed in an annular shape. The outer first lower housing 31a and the inner first lower housing 31b may be detachably provided, but may be integrally formed (see FIG. 4). A suction guide 35 for guiding air passing through the suction panel 15 to flow to the blower fan 40 may be provided at a central portion of the second lower housing 32.

According to an embodiment, a central portion of the lower housing 30 may be provided with an intake port 11 that communicates from the outside to the blower fan 40 and is opened to suck external air. In this case, the space from the intake port 11 provided in the lower housing 30 to the blower fan 40 may communicate so that the external air sucked through the intake port 11 may be introduced into the housing 10. A suction panel 15 including a suction grill 16 provided in a shape of a plurality of holes to suck air to the intake port 11 and covering the intake port 11 may be provided on a lower side of the intake port 11. An exhaust port 33 through which air is discharged may be formed on the radially outside of the suction panel 15. The exhaust port 33 may have a substantially circular shape when viewed in a vertical direction. A filter 17 may be coupled to the upper surface of the suction panel 15 to filter dust from the air sucked into the suction grill 16.

According to an embodiment, the exhaust port 33 may be formed in the first lower housing 31. The exhaust port 33 may be formed, e.g., in a separation space formed between the outer first lower housing 31a and the inner first lower housing 31b in the radial direction. More specifically, the exhaust port 33 may be defined as a space formed between the opening of the middle housing 21 and the inner circumferential surface of the outer first lower housing 31a and the outer circumferential surface of the inner first lower housing 31b (see FIGS. 3 and 6). However, the exhaust port 33 is not limited by the above-described definition as a space communicating with the outside to allow the air heat-exchanged in the heat exchanger 80 to be discharged to the outside of the lower housing 30, as an opening formed in the lower housing 30, but may be formed by another configuration.

According to an embodiment, the inner circumferential surface of the inner first lower housing 31b may have a Coanda curved portion 34 configured to guide air discharged through the exhaust port 33. The airflow discharged through the exhaust port 33 may be led to flow in close contact with the Coanda curved portion 34.

According to the above-described structure, the indoor unit 1 of the air conditioner may suck air from the lower side to cool the air, or may heat the air and then discharge the air to the lower side.

According to various embodiments of the disclosure, the exhaust port 33 included in the indoor unit 1 of the air conditioner may be provided in a circular shape, and accordingly, the housing 10, the heat exchanger 80, and the like may also be provided in a circular shape, thereby enhancing aesthetics with a differentiated design. Further, given that the shape of the blower fan 40 is generally circular, an airflow may be naturally created, and pressure loss may be reduced, thereby enhancing cooling or heating performance of the air conditioner.

According to an embodiment, the blower fan 40 may be provided radially inside the heat exchanger 80. The blower fan 40 may be a centrifugal fan that sucks air in the axial direction and discharges the air in the radial direction. The indoor unit 1 may be provided with a blowing motor 41 for driving the blower fan 40. With this configuration, the indoor unit 1 may suck and cool the air and then discharge it, or suck and heat the air and then discharge it.

According to an embodiment, an annular discharge flow path 36 through which air flows according to the discharged discharge airflow may be provided in a space between the outside of the heat exchanger 80 and the inner surface of the cylindrical housing 10. The air on the discharge flow path 36 is a space in which air moved radially outward of the heat exchanger 80 after heat exchange with the heat exchanger 80 by the blower fan 40 flows, and the air on the discharge flow path 36 may be discharged to the outside of the housing 10 along the exhaust port 33.

According to an embodiment, when the exhaust port 33 is provided in a closed loop-shaped annular shape to correspond to the discharge flow path 36 so that air is discharged in all directions, a relatively high pressure is formed around the exhaust port 33 and a relatively low pressure is formed around the intake port 11. Further, air may be discharged in all directions of the exhaust port 33, and since an air curtain is formed, air to be sucked through the intake port 11 may not be supplied to the intake port 11. In this situation, the air discharged from the exhaust port 33 is re-sucked through the intake port 11, the re-sucked air causes dew formation inside the housing 10, and the discharged air is lost, resulting in poor apparent performance. Therefore, the blocking area 100 may be provided on one side of the discharge flow path 36 to partition the exhaust port 33 by a predetermined length in a completely annular shape. In this case, the exhaust port 33 may be formed in an annular shape partially blocked. In other words, the exhaust port 33 may be provided in an arc shape.

According to an embodiment, the blocking area 100 may be provided on the middle housing 21, the first lower housing 31, and the drain tray 90. An area of the blocking area 100 provided to partition the exhaust port 33 in the first lower housing 31 may be separately defined as a bridge 110. The first lower housing 31 may be provided with, e.g., three bar bridges 110 provided with sections partitioning the three exhaust ports 33. The bridge 110 may be a space for partitioning the exhaust port 33 in the first lower housing 31. Accordingly, the discharge flow path 36 may be divided into a discharge section S1 through which air is discharged through the exhaust port 33 along an area in which air flows other than the blocking area 100, and a non-discharge section S2 blocked by the blocking area 100 so that air is not discharged. In other words, the blocking area 100 may form the non-discharge section S2 for supplying the air sucked through the intake port 11. Further, the blocking area 100 may reduce the pressure difference between the low pressure around the intake port 11 and the high pressure around the exhaust port 33. Therefore, as the area of the blocking area 100 increases, the non-discharge section S2 increases, and the discharge section S1 decreases accordingly. As described above, as the area of the blocking area 100 increases so that the non-discharge section S2 increases, the intensity of the discharge airflow passing through the discharge flow path 36 and discharged to the exhaust port 33 may increase.

According to an embodiment, in the indoor unit 1, it is illustrated that the three blocking areas 100 are provided at the same interval, e.g., at an angle of 120°, but the disclosure is not limited thereto, and only one blocking area 100 may be provided. Further, two blocking areas 100 may be provided at an angle of 180°, or four blocking areas 100 may be provided at an angle of 90°.

According to an embodiment, the plurality of blocking areas 100 may be disposed at different angles from each other. Further, five or more blocking areas 100 may be provided. In other words, the number of blocking areas 100 is not limited. However, the total sum of the lengths of the blocking areas 100 in the circumferential direction may be 5% to 40% of the length of the exhaust port 33 in the circumferential direction or the circumferential length of the discharge flow path 36. In other words, the ratio of the non-discharge section S2 to the sum of the discharge section S1 and the non-discharge section S2 may be 5% or more and 40% or less.

As described above, air may be spread and discharged to cool or heat the room without being re-sucked from the exhaust port 33 to the discharged intake port 11 by the blocking area 100.

According to an embodiment, the high ceiling kit 13 may be installed inside the exhaust port 33 through which air by the airflow discharged from the housing 10 through the discharge flow path 36 is discharged to the outside. The high ceiling kit 13 may be provided, e.g., within a predetermined depth from the outside to the inside of the discharge flow path 36. The high ceiling kit 13 may be installed to block at least a portion of the discharge flow path 36. For example, the high ceiling kit 13 may have an area capable of blocking at least a portion of the discharge flow path 36 and a size capable of being inserted through the discharge flow path 36. When the high ceiling kit 13 is installed on the discharge flow path 36, the intensity of airflow discharged through the exhaust port 33 may be relatively increased compared to before the high ceiling kit 13 is installed.

According to an embodiment, if the plurality of exhaust ports 33a, 33b, and 33c are provided on the lower surface of the housing 10, the high ceiling kit 13 may be installed in at least one exhaust port 33a among the plurality of exhaust ports 33a, 33b, and 33c. For example, when the three exhaust ports 33a, 33b, and 33c are provided, a support 13a may be provided in all of the three exhaust ports 33a, 33b, and 33c, and a fastener 13b may be fitted into at least one support 13a among the supports 13a provided in the three exhaust ports 33a, 33b, and 33c to form the high ceiling kit 13. In other words, the high ceiling kit 13 may be installed in one exhaust port, two exhaust ports, or all of the three exhaust ports. The three exhaust ports 33a, 33b, and 33c may be provided with supports 13a to which the fastener s 13b may be fastened to install the high ceiling kit 13. In this case, if necessary, the user may install the high ceiling kit 13 by inserting the fastener 13b into the support 13a provided in the exhaust port at a desired position.

According to an embodiment, when the exhaust port 33 provided in the lower surface of the housing 10 has an annular shape having a predetermined radius along the circumference of the lower surface of the housing 10, the high ceiling kit 13 may have a curved shape that is easily coupled to the exhaust port 33 having the annular shape.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a high ceiling kit 13 for adjusting airflow intensity in an indoor unit 1 included in a ceiling-mounted air conditioner according to various embodiments. FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating an example in which a high ceiling kit 13 is coupled to adjust airflow intensity in an indoor unit 1 included in a ceiling-mounted air conditioner according to various embodiments.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the high ceiling kit 13 according to an embodiment may include a first support 13a or a first fastener 13b. The first support 13a may be installed inside the exhaust port 33 through which air by the airflow discharged from the housing 10 through the discharge flow path 36 is discharged to the outside. One side of the first fastener 13b may be fitted and fastened to the first support 13a provided inside the exhaust port 33. The first fastener 13b may have, e.g., an area capable of blocking at least a portion of the exhaust port 33 and/or a size capable of being inserted through the exhaust port 33.

According to an embodiment, the first support 13a may be provided within a predetermined depth inside the exhaust port 33. The first support 13a may have, e.g., a slit shape for forming an airflow. The slit shape may be a structure in which two support pieces 138 separated to have a predetermined gap are widened by an external force to have a fastening recess 136 into which the first fastener 130 provided in the first fastener 13b may be inserted.

According to an embodiment, the first support 13a may be configured by deforming the vertical rib (e.g., the vertical rib 38 of FIG. 6) substantially in the middle of the horizontal rib (e.g., the horizontal rib 37 of FIG. 6) provided inside the exhaust ports 33. The first support 13a may include a fastening recess 136 to which the first fastener 130 provided in the fastener 13b is fitted and fastened, and two guide ribs 137 and 139 provided on two opposite sides with the fastening recess 136 disposed therebetween. The guide ribs 137 and 139 may have a predetermined area to stably fix the first fastener 13b when the first fastener 13b is fitted.

According to an embodiment, the first fastener 13b may include a first fastener 130, stop jaws 133 and 134 provided at the end of the first fastener 130, or a covering plate 135 having a predetermined area. The first fastener 130 may be, e.g., plate-shaped protrusions 131 and 132 having a predetermined thickness formed to extend in a vertical direction substantially near a center of a rear surface of the covering plate 135. First sides of the protrusions 131 and 132 may be fixed to the rear surface of the covering plate 135, and second sides thereof may have the stop jaws 133 and 134 formed to face away from each other. In this case, if the first fastener 130 is inserted into the fastening recess 136 provided between the guide ribs 137 and 139 constituting the first support 13a, the end of the first fastener 130 may protrude outward to the opposite side of the fastening recess 136, and thus the stop jaws 133 and 134 provided at the end of the first fastener 130 may be stuck to the outer surface of the fastening recess 136. The stop jaws 133 and 134 may be formed to have a predetermined length along, e.g., an outer edge line of one side of the first plate 131 or the second plate 132.

According to an embodiment, the first fastener 13b may have a shape in which the protrusions 131 and 132 constituting the first fastener 130 protrude by a predetermined length in a vertical direction substantially near the center of the rear surface of the covering plate 135 while maintaining a predetermined gap. When the protrusions 131 and 132 are inserted into the fastening recess 136 provided in the first support 13a, it may be preferable that the stop jaws 133 and 134 provided at the end have a length enough to be discharged to the opposite side of the fastening recess 136. The protrusions 131 and 132 may include, e.g., a first plate 131 and a second plate 132 extending to face each other while maintaining a predetermined gap substantially near the center of the rear surface of the covering plate 135. An end of the first plate 131 or the second plate 132 may have a double-sided hook structure in which the stop jaws 133 and 134 are provided in two opposite directions. In this case, if the first fastener 130 is inserted into the fastening recess 136 provided by the guide ribs 137 and 139 constituting the first support 13a, the stop jaw 133 provided at the end of the first plate 131 may be stuck to the end surface of one guide rib 137, and the stop jaw 134 provided at the end of the second plate 132 may be stuck to the end surface of the other guide rib 139.

According to an embodiment, the inside of the first support 13a may face the outside of the first fastener 13b when fastened. Accordingly, the shape of the inside of the first support 13a may be similar to or identical to the shape of the outside of the first fastener 13b. In other words, when the first fastener 13b is fastened to the first support 13a, the shape of the inside of the first support 13a and the shape of the outside of the first fastener 13b may be provided so as not to create a gap between the inside of the first support 13a and the outside of the first fastener 13b. For example, when the exhaust port 33 has an annular shape having a predetermined radius along the circumference of the lower surface of the housing 10, the first support 13a and the first fastener 13b may have a curved shape that is easily coupled to the exhaust port 33 having the annular shape.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a fastener (e.g., the first fastener 13b of FIG. 6) constituting a high ceiling kit 13 mountable in an exhaust port (e.g., the exhaust port 33 of FIG. 2) of an indoor unit 1 included in a ceiling-mounted air conditioner according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 10 is an elevation view illustrating the fastener 13b of FIG. 9. In FIG. 10, (a) is a front view of the fastener 13b, (b) is a rear view of the fastener 13b, (c) is a left side view of the fastener 13b, (d) is a right side view of the fastener 13b, (e) is a plan view of the fastener 13b, and (f) is a bottom view of the fastener 13b.

Referring to FIG. 9 or 10, according to an embodiment, the first fastener 13b may include a covering plate 135 or a first fastener 130 provided on the rear surface of the covering plate 135.

According to an embodiment, the covering plate 135 may have a plate shape having a predetermined area that is spread from near a middle portion to two opposite side ends. Overall, the covering plate 135 may have a structure that moves forward and is inclined from the center toward the two opposite side ends. In other words, two opposite side ends protrude forward relatively compared to the center portion of the covering plate 135, so that a surface partially inclined from two opposite side ends to near the center portion may be formed. For example, the covering plate 135 may have a predetermined flat area near the center where the first fastener 130 is provided on the rear surface. In this case, steep slopes may be formed due to predetermined bending at two opposite side ends where the plane provided near the center of the covering plate 135 ends, and gentle slopes may be continuously provided after the steep slopes end. This may allow a flow path of the air discharged from the rear through the exhaust port 33 to be smoothly formed in the outward direction which is the front of the first fastener 13b.

According to an embodiment, the covering plate 135 may have a curved shape that is bent from the lower end to the upper end from the center outward of the two opposite sides to facilitate mounting along the outer line of the curved exhaust port (e.g., the exhaust port 33 of FIG. 2). For example, as shown in front view (a), the two opposite ends at the upper edge of the covering plate 135 may be positioned relatively higher than the central portion, and the central portion at the lower edge may be positioned lower than the two opposite ends. For example, the covering plate 135 may have a shape rounded upward from near the center toward the two opposite sides. Conversely, referring to the rear view (b), it may be identified that the covering plate 135 has a shape opposite to that of the front view (a).

According to an embodiment, the first fastener 130 may include first and second plates 131 and 132 extending by a predetermined length vertically from substantially near the center of the rear surface of the covering plate 135. The stop jaws 133 and 134 may be provided at the respective ends of the first and second plates 131 and 132. The first plate 131 and the second plate 132 may be formed such that first sides thereof are substantially joined near the center of the rear surface of the covering plate 135 to be spaced apart from each other at a predetermined gap while facing each other side by side. The first plate 131 and the second plate 132 may be provided with stop jaws 133 and 134 on second sides thereof. The stop jaws 133 and 134 may have a shape protruding outward near outer edges where the first plate 131 or the second plate 132 faces away from each other. The stop jaws 133 and 134 may be formed to have a predetermined length along the outer edge line from one end of the first plate 131 or the second plate 132.

FIG. 11 is a lower surface view illustrating a cover 18 having a rectangular shape with a sub cover 18b in an indoor unit 1 of a ceiling-mounted air conditioner according to various embodiments. FIG. 12A is an exploded perspective view illustrating a communication kit 910 in the sub cover 18b of FIG. 11. FIG. 12B is a perspective view illustrating a communication kit 910 assembled in the sub cover 18b of FIG. 11.

Referring to FIGS. 11, 12A, and 12B, the indoor unit 1 according to an embodiment may be provided with a cover 18 to protect a lower portion of the housing 10. The cover 18 may include a main cover 18a and a sub cover 18b that may be separated from or coupled to the main cover 18a. For example, when the cover 18 has a substantially rectangular shape, the sub cover 18b may be disposed at each of four corners of the cover 18. For example, the second support 911 may be provided on at least one of the plurality of sub covers 18b disposed on the cover 18. In other words, the second support 911 may be provided on at least one of the four sub covers 18b disposed at the four corners, respectively, two sub covers diagonally disposed, two sub covers disposed side by side, or all of the four sub covers. For example, the second support 911 may be provided in the plurality of sub covers to allow a communication module to be flexibly installed at a position where signal reception performance is excellent considering factors that may affect reception performance such as communication obstacles or the position of the counterpart station (e.g., AP) to perform wireless communication. In the above description, it is assumed that the communication kit 910 is installed inside the housing 10, but the disclosure is not necessarily limited thereto. For example, when the position does not affect the discharge airflow discharged through the exhaust port 33 provided in the housing 10, the second support 911 may be provided outside the housing 10. In this case, it may be preferable that the second support 911 is provided at a position where it is easy for the user to fasten the communication kit 910.

According to an embodiment, a lower space 900 having a predetermined depth in the lower direction may be provided on one surface of the sub cover 18b. The one surface may be a surface that is not visible from the outside when attached to the cover 18 of the two surfaces of the sub cover 18b. A second support 911 may be provided in the lower space 900 provided in the sub cover 18b. The second support 911 may be provided with a recess into which a second fitting protrusion 917 included in the communication kit 910 may be fitted. The second support 911 may be formed of one injection-molded article with the sub cover 18b, or may be formed of a separate injection-molded article and then attached to the sub cover 18b by an adhesive material.

According to an embodiment, the communication kit 910 may include a second support 911, a second fastener 913 provided with a second fitting protrusion 917 having a structure capable of being fastened to the second support 911, or a communication module 915 mounted on a receiving housing provided in the second fastener 913. The second support 910 may be provided on the inner surface of the sub cover 18b so as not to be exposed to the outside when mounted on the cover 18. The second support 911 may include a fitting hole into which the second fitting protrusion 917 may be fitted. For example, a stop jaw formed outward may be provided at one end of the second fitting protrusion 917. As example, the second fitting protrusion 917 may be configured such that an end thereof has a double-sided hook structure in a bar shape extending to face while maintaining a predetermined gap in the second fastener 913. In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 10B, when the second fitting protrusion 917 is fastened to the second support 911, the stop jaw or the double-sided hook provided on the fitting protrusion 917 may protrude to the opposite side of the second support 911 and then may be stuck to one side surface thereof.

According to an embodiment, an insulation material may be provided between the second support 911 and the second fitting protrusion 917. The insulation material may be attached to the second support 911 or may be attached to the second fitting protrusion 917. The insulation material may be compressed to a predetermined thickness between the second support 911 and the second fitting protrusion 917 to generate normal force, thereby helping to fasten.

FIG. 13 is a lower surface view illustrating a cover 18 having a circular shape with a sub cover 18b in an indoor unit 1 of a ceiling-mounted air conditioner according to various embodiments. FIG. 14A is an exploded perspective view illustrating a communication kit 1110 in the sub cover 18b of FIG. 13. FIG. 14B is a perspective view illustrating a communication kit 1110 assembled in the sub cover 18b of FIG. 13.

Referring to FIGS. 13, 14A, and 14B, the indoor unit 1 according to an embodiment may be provided with a cover 18 to protect a lower portion of the housing 10. The cover 18 may include a main cover 18a and a sub cover 18b at a position 1100 where it may be separated from or coupled to the main cover 18a. For example, when the cover 18 has a substantially circular shape, the sub cover 18b may be disposed in four places 1100 of the cover 18. For example, the second support 1111 may be provided on at least one of the plurality of sub covers 18b disposed on the cover 18. In other words, the second support 1111 may be provided on at least one of the four sub covers 18b disposed at the four places, two sub covers disposed to face each other, two sub covers disposed adjacent to each other, or all of the four sub covers. For example, the second support 1111 may be provided in the plurality of sub covers to allow a communication module to be flexibly installed at a position where signal reception performance is excellent considering factors that may affect reception performance such as communication obstacles or the position of the counterpart station (e.g., AP) to perform wireless communication. In the above description, it is assumed that the communication kit 1110 is installed inside the housing 10, but the disclosure is not necessarily limited thereto. For example, when the position does not affect the discharge airflow discharged through the exhaust port 33 provided in the housing 10, the second support 1111 may be provided outside the housing 10. In this case, it may be preferable that the second support 1111 is provided at a position where it is easy for the user to fasten the communication kit 1110.

According to an embodiment, the second support 1111 may be provided on one surface of the sub cover 18b, e.g., a surface of the two surfaces of the sub cover 18b which is not visible from the outside when attached to the cover 18. The second support 1111 may be provided with a recess into which a second fitting protrusion 1117 included in the communication kit 1110 may be fitted. The second support 1111 may be formed of one injection-molded article with the sub cover 18b, or may be formed of a separate injection-molded article and then attached to the sub cover 18b by an adhesive material.

According to an embodiment, the communication kit 1110 may include a second support 1111, a second fastener 1113 provided with a second fitting protrusion 1117 having a structure capable of being fastened to the second support 1111, or a communication module 1115 mounted on a receiving housing provided in the second fastener 1113. The second support 1111 may be provided on the inner surface of the sub cover 18b so as not to be exposed to the outside when mounted on the cover 18. The second support 1111 may include a fitting hole into which the second fitting protrusion 1117 may be fitted. For example, a stop jaw formed outward may be provided at one end of the second fitting protrusion 1117. As example, the second fitting protrusion 1117 may be configured such that an end thereof has a double-sided hook structure in a bar shape extending to face while maintaining a predetermined gap in the second fastener 1113. In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 12B, when the second fitting protrusion 1117 is fastened to the second support 1111, the stop jaw or the double-sided hook provided on the fitting protrusion 1117 may protrude to the opposite side of the second support 1111 and then may be stuck to one side surface thereof.

According to an embodiment, an insulation material may be provided between the second support 1111 and the second fitting protrusion 1117. The insulation material may be attached to the second support 1111 or may be attached to the second fitting protrusion 1117. The insulation material may be compressed to a predetermined thickness between the second support 1111 and the second fitting protrusion 1117 to generate normal force, thereby helping to fasten.

FIG. 15 is a view illustrating example wiring of a cable of a communication kit 910 in an indoor unit 1 of a ceiling-mounted air conditioner according to various embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 15, the communication kit 910 or 1110 in which the communication module 915 or 1115 is mounted in the receiving housing provided in the second fastener 913 or 1113 according to an embodiment may include a cable 1310. The cable 1310 may be at least one of a communication line for transmitting/receiving a signal to/from an external device or a power line for receiving power.

The cable 1310 drawn out from the communication kit 910 or 1110 may be electrically connected to a port 1350 provided on the printed circuit board 1340 disposed in the housing 10 of the ceiling-mounted air conditioner 1. The cover 1320 on which the communication kit 910 or 1110 is disposed may be provided with a recess 1330 for withdrawing the cable 1310 to the printed circuit board 1340 provided inside the housing 10.

FIG. 16A is a view illustrating an example in which a communication kit 910 or 1110 is mounted on the cover 18 of FIG. 13. FIG. 16B is a view illustrating an example in which a communication kit 910 or 1110 is mounted on the cover 18 of FIG. 11.

Referring to FIGS. 16A and 16B, the communication kit 910 or 1110 may be disposed so as not to affect the discharge airflow discharged from the exhaust port 33 provided in the housing 1. It may be preferable that the communication kit 910 or 1110 is disposed inside the housing 10 rather than outside, e.g., near the outer periphery of the cover 18.

The terms as used herein are provided merely to describe some embodiments thereof, but are not intended to limit the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, each of such phrases as “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” “at least one of A or B,” “A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” and “at least one of A, B, or C,” may include all possible combinations of the items enumerated together in a corresponding one of the phrases. As used herein, the term ‘and/or’ should be understood as encompassing any and all possible combinations by one or more of the enumerated items. As used herein, the terms “include,” “have,” and “comprise” are used merely to designate the presence of the feature, component, part, or a combination thereof described herein, but use of the term does not exclude the likelihood of presence or adding one or more other features, components, parts, or combinations thereof. As used herein, the terms “first” and “second” may modify various components regardless of importance and/or order and are used to distinguish a component from another without limiting the components.

As used herein, the terms “configured to” may be interchangeably used with the terms “suitable for,” “having the capacity to,” “designed to,” “adapted to,” “made to,” or “capable of” depending on circumstances. The term “configured to” does not essentially mean “specifically designed in hardware to.” Rather, the term “configured to” may mean that a device can perform an operation together with another device or parts. For example, a ‘device configured (or set) to perform A, B, and C’ may be a dedicated device to perform the corresponding operation or may mean a general-purpose device capable of various operations including the corresponding operation.

Meanwhile, the terms “upper side”, “lower side”, and “front and rear directions” used in the disclosure are defined with respect to the drawings, and the shape and position of each component are not limited by these terms.

In the disclosure, the above-described description has been made mainly of specific embodiments, but the disclosure is not limited to such specific embodiments, but should rather be appreciated as covering all various modifications, equivalents, and/or substitutes of various embodiments.

Although the present disclosure has been described with various embodiments, various changes and modifications may be suggested to one skilled in the art. It is intended that the present disclosure encompass such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

	Number	Date	Country
Parent	PCT/KR2022/005777	Apr 2022	WO
Child	18668716		US

CEILING-TYPE AIR CONDITIONER

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CPC

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