This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Korean Application No. 10-2012-0129192 filed on Nov. 15, 2012, whose entire disclosure is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field
An indoor device for an air conditioner is disclosed herein.
2. Background
Indoor devices for air conditioners are known. However, they suffer from various disadvantages.
Embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements, and wherein:
An air conditioner is a cooling and heating system that inhales indoor air, heat exchanges the air with heat with a refrigerant, and discharges the air to indoors. Further, an air conditioner is a device that forms a refrigerating cycle including a compressor-condenser-expander-evaporator arrangement.
Air conditioners may be divided into separated type air conditioners, in which an outdoor unit or device and an indoor unit or device are separately and installed, and an integral type in which an outdoor unit or device and an indoor unit or device are integrally installed. Presently, multi-type air conditioners, in which a plurality of indoor units or devices are connected to one outdoor unit or device and the plurality of indoor devices is installed in different spaces, are often employed.
In order to improve the appearance of air conditioners and to improve space efficiency, indoor devices may be mounted at or on a ceiling or a wall surface, and in order to reduce the occupying space of the indoor device, it may be advantageous to reduce a side surface thickness of the indoor device. However, due to vibration occurring in a rotating fan, there is a limitation in reducing a gap between the fan and an orifice panel or between the fan and a case. More particularly, when mounting the indoor device at or on a wall surface, in a state in which the fan does not rotate, the fan does not remain vertical with respect to a bottom thereof, but rather, a tilt phenomenon in which the fan is inclined due to a weight of the fan itself occurs, and thus, when the fan starts to rotate, vibration greatly occurs, and when reducing a gap between the panel or the case and the fan is reduced, the fan may collide with the panel or the case.
Hereinafter, an indoor device for an air conditioner according to embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Where possible, like reference numerals have been used to indicate like elements, and repetitive disclosure has been omitted.
However, as shown in
Further, when a rotation operation of the centrifugal fan 11 is stopped, a tilt phenomenon in which a plane B′ perpendicular to a rotational shaft of the centrifugal fan 11 obliquely inclines clockwise, may occur, as shown in
In the indoor device 100a for an air conditioner according to embodiments disclosed herein, as described above with reference to
As shown in
The centrifugal fan 11 inhales air in an axis or shaft direction through the orifice 102 and discharges the air in a radial direction and may include a hub portion 111 coupled to a rotational shaft of the motor 13 and that covers the motor 13, a blade portion 112, one side of a plurality of blades 112a of which may be fixed to the hub portion 111 in a state in which the plurality of blades 112a extends in a direction away from the rotational shaft arranged with a predetermined gap therebetween, and a circular rim 113 formed at an outer circumference of the plurality of blades 112a and fixed to a side of the hub portion 111 opposite to a side at which the plurality of blades 112a is fixed to the hub portion 111.
The hub portion 111 may have a wide-brimmed hat shape, and an intermediate convex portion may be coupled to a rotational shaft of the motor 13, while covering the motor 13, and a brim portion may have the plurality of blades 112a of the blade portion 112 fixed thereto to guide air inhaled in the axis direction to flow in the radial direction.
The circular rim 113 may be formed at an outside of the blade portion 112 to extend further than an outer diameter of the orifice 102 formed by the bell mouse 103 to pass air therethrough, and the second magnetic substance 11a may be mounted at a surface facing the panel 10 in the circular rim 113. Further, the first magnetic substance 10a may be mounted at a position corresponding to the second magnetic substance 11a at a surface facing the circular rim 113 in the panel 10, that is, a rear surface of the panel 10 to generate a repulsive force with the second magnetic substance 11a arranged with the same polarity and to maintain a constant gap from the second magnetic substance 11a.
The first magnetic substance 10a and the second magnetic substance 11a may each be, for example, a ring-shaped magnet. Further, each may utilize a rubber magnet having flexibility. The first magnetic substance 10a may be installed adjacent an outer circumference of the orifice 102 formed at a center of the panel 10, as shown in
As shown in
At a rear surface of the centrifugal fan 11, that is, at a rear surface of the hub portion 111, which is a surface opposite to a surface to which the plurality of blades 112a is fixed to the hub portion 111, as shown in
The third magnetic substance 11b and the fourth magnetic substance 14a may each be, for example, a ring-shaped magnet. The third magnetic substance 11b may be installed at a rear surface of the brim portion at an outer circumference of a rear surface of the centrifugal fan 11, and the fourth magnetic substance 14a may be installed at the inside of the case 14 opposite to the third magnetic substance 11b, and thus, the third magnetic substance 11b and the fourth magnetic substance 14a may generate a repulsive force in an opposite state or opposite direction.
As shown in
Alternatively, the fifth magnetic substance 11c installed at a rear surface of the centrifugal fan 11 and the sixth magnetic substance 14b installed at the inside of the case 14 may not be emitted, to reduce costs of an air conditioner.
In the third magnetic substance 11 b and the sixth magnetic substance 14b, the same pole may be formed in a concentric circle and different poles may be alternately formed in a radial direction, like the first magnetic substance 10a and the second magnetic substance 11a. Further, the third magnetic substance 11b and the sixth magnetic substance 14b may have a diameter smaller than a diameter of the first magnetic substance 10a and the second magnetic substance 11a.
That is, a repulsive force may occur between the first magnetic substance 10a and the second magnetic substance 11a, a repulsive force may occur between the third magnetic substance 11b and the fourth magnetic substance 14a, and a repulsive force may occur between the fifth magnetic substance 11c and the sixth magnetic substance 14b. Accordingly, as shown in
Further, as shown in
According to another embodiment, at the outer circumference of the rear surface of the centrifugal fan 11, that is, in the hub portion 111, the first magnetic substance 10a may be installed at the rear surface of an outer circumferential portion corresponding to the brim portion and the second magnetic substance 11a may be installed at the inside of the case 14. By installing the first magnetic substance 10a and the second magnetic substance 11a to be opposite to each other, while the centrifugal fan rotates, vibration may be suppressed or prevented from occurring, and thus, noise may be reduced. Further, even if the rotational operation of the centrifugal fan is stopped, a tilt phenomenon may be prevented, and thus, a side surface thickness of the indoor device for an air conditioner may be efficiently reduced.
That is, with this embodiment, the first magnetic substance 10a may be installed at the rear surface of the centrifugal fan 11 and the second magnetic substance 11a may be installed at the inside of the case 14. Further, the third magnetic substance 11b may be installed at the rear surface of the panel 10, the fourth magnetic substance 14a at the front surface of the centrifugal fan 11, the fifth magnetic substance 11c having a small diameter at the rear surface of the centrifugal fan 11, and a sixth magnetic substance 14b having a small diameter at the inside of the case 14 as a selective additional configuration.
Embodiments disclosed herein provide an indoor unit or device for an air conditioner that can reduce a thickness of a side surface. Embodiments disclosed herein further provide an indoor unit or device for an air conditioner in which a fan is not inclined even in a state in which the fan does not rotate, which enables the fan to not collide with a panel or a case when the fan rotates. Embodiments disclosed herein additionally provide an indoor unit or device for an air conditioner that may reduce generation of vibration or noise while a fan rotates.
Embodiments disclosed herein provide an indoor unit of an air conditioner that may include a heat exchanger mounting panel in which an orifice to pass air therethrough is formed, a centrifugal fan to inhale air in a shaft or axis direction through the orifice and discharge the air in a radiation or radial direction, a motor to rotate the centrifugal fan, and a case to fix the motor and couple the motor to the panel. A first magnetic substance and a second magnetic substance that generate a repulsive force may be respectively disposed at a first surface opposite to the centrifugal fan in the panel and a second surface opposite to the panel in the centrifugal fan. The first magnetic substance and the second magnetic substance may be formed with a ring-shaped magnet.
In the first magnetic substance and the second magnetic substance, the same pole may be formed in a concentric circle and different poles may be alternately formed in a radiation or radial direction. The first magnetic substance and the second magnetic substance may be formed with a rubber magnet.
In the panel, a circumferential edge of an inner circumferential surface may be curved with a predetermined curvature so as to guide air inhaled by the centrifugal fan to form the orifice. The first magnetic substance may be formed at the outer circumference further than the orifice.
The centrifugal fan may include a hub portion to couple to a rotation shaft of the motor, a blade portion in which one of the blades is fixed to the hub portion in a state in which a plurality of blades that extend in a direction receding from the rotation axis are arranged at a predetermined gap, and a circular rim formed at an outer circumference of the blade and fixed to the opposite side of the blade fixed to the hub portion. The second magnetic substance may be mounted in the circular rim.
A third magnetic substance and a fourth magnetic substance that generate a repulsive force may be respectively installed at a third surface, which may be an opposite surface of a surface to which the blade is fixed in the hub portion and a fourth surface opposite to the third surface in the case. The third magnetic substance and the fourth magnetic substance may be a ring-shaped magnet in which the same pole is formed in a concentric circle and in which different poles are alternately formed in a radiation direction. Further, the third magnetic substance and the fourth magnetic substance may have a diameter smaller than that of the second magnetic substance.
A ring-shaped fifth magnetic substance and sixth magnetic substance that generate a repulsive force may be respectively installed at the third surface. The fourth surface and the fifth magnetic substance and the sixth magnetic substance may have a diameter smaller than that of the third magnetic substance and the fourth magnetic substance.
Embodiments disclosed herein provide an indoor unit or device of an air conditioner that may include a heat exchanger mounting panel in which an orifice for to pass air therethrough is formed, a centrifugal fan to inhale air in a shaft or axis direction through the orifice and discharge air in a radiation or radial direction, a motor to rotate the centrifugal fan, and a case to fix the motor and couple the motor to the panel. The centrifugal fan may include a hub portion to couple to a rotation shaft of the motor and a blade portion in which one side of the blade may be fixed to the hub portion in a state in which a plurality of blades that extends in a direction receding from the rotation axis are arranged at a predetermined gap. A first magnetic substance and a second magnetic substance that generate a repulsive force may be respectively installed at a first surface, which is an opposite surface of a surface to which the blade is fixed in the hub portion and a second surface opposite to the first surface in the case.
The first magnetic substance and the second magnetic substance may be a ring-shaped magnet in which the same pole is formed in a concentric circle and in which different poles are alternately formed in a radiation direction. The first magnetic substance and the second magnetic substance may be formed with a rubber magnet. A third magnetic substance and a fourth magnetic substance that generate a repulsive force may be respectively disposed at a third surface opposite to the centrifugal fan in the panel and a fourth surface opposite to the panel in the centrifugal fan.
In the panel, a circumferential edge of an inner circumferential surface thereof may be curved with a predetermined curvature so as to guide air inhaled by the centrifugal fan to form the orifice, and the centrifugal fan may further include a circular rim formed at an outer circumference side of the blade and fixed to the opposite side of the blade fixed to the hub portion. The third magnetic substance may be formed at the outer circumference further than the orifice, and the second magnetic substance may be mounted in the circular rim.
The third magnetic substance and the fourth magnetic substance may be a ring-shaped magnet in which the same pole is formed in a concentric circle and in which different poles are alternately formed in a radiation direction. The third magnetic substance and the fourth magnetic substance may have a diameter larger than that of the first magnetic substance and the second magnetic substance.
With such feature, a tilt phenomenon in which a centrifugal fan is inclined in a stop state may be prevented, and a gap between a panel and a centrifugal fan may be reduced, and thus a side surface thickness of an indoor unit or device of an air conditioner may be efficiently reduced, and furthermore, while the centrifugal fan rotates, by suppressing vibration from occurring, noise may be reduced.
The exemplary embodiments should be considered in descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Therefore, the scope of embodiments is defined not by the detailed description but by the appended claims, and all differences within the scope will be construed as being comprised in the embodiments.
Any reference in this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “example embodiment,” etc., means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of such phrases in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with any embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the purview of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other ones of the embodiments.
Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this disclosure. More particularly, various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.
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