AIR CONDITIONER

Abstract

An air conditioner includes a housing having an inlet, an outlet, and a discharge plate having a plurality of holes disposed adjacent to the outlet, a heat exchanger disposed within said housing, a blowing fan for blowing air exchanged with the heat exchanger; and a shutter movably provided to close at least one of a first path through which air blown by the blowing fan flows to the outlet and a second path that flows to the discharge plate.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2016-0121676, filed on Sep. 22, 2016, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

Embodiments of the disclosure relate to an air conditioner, and more particularly, to an air conditioner capable of changing an air discharging method.

2. Description of the Related Art

In general, an air conditioner is an apparatus to adjust temperature, humidity, airflow, distribution, etc. to optimal conditions for human activities by using a cooling cycle. Main components constituting the cooling cycle include a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and a blowing fan.

The air conditioner can be classified into a split type air conditioner in which an indoor unit and an outdoor unit are separated and installed, and a window type air conditioner in which an indoor unit and an outdoor unit are installed together in a single cabinet. The indoor unit of the split type air conditioner includes a heat exchanger to heat-exchange air inhaled to the inside of the panel, and a blowing fan to inhale indoor air to the inside of the panel and to again discharge the inhaled air to indoor space. In a typical air conditioner, an indoor unit is designed to minimize a heat exchanger, and to raise Revolutions Per Minute (RPM) of a blowing fan to maximize wind velocity and wind volume. Accordingly, the temperature of discharged air is lowered, and the air forms a narrow and long path to be discharged to indoor space.

Accordingly, when a user gets in direct contact with the discharged air, he/she may feed cold and displeasure, and when he/she does not contact the discharged air, he/she may feel hot and displeasure.

Also, increasing the RPM of the blowing fan in order to obtain high wind velocity results in an increase of noise. Meanwhile, a radiant air conditioner of conditioning air without using any blowing fan requires a large panel in order to obtain the same capability as an air conditioner using a blowing fan. Also, the radiant air conditioner has very low cooling velocity, and requires high construction costs.

SUMMARY

Additional aspects and/or advantages will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

Therefore, it is an aspect of the disclosure to provide an air conditioner capable of implementing various air discharge methods.

It is another aspect of the disclosure to provide an air conditioner capable of cooling or heating indoor space with a minimum wind velocity at which a user can feel comfortable.

It is still another aspect of the disclosure to provide an air conditioner capable of performing cooling by convection by minimizing a wind velocity, and implementing radiant cooling in a proximity zone.

Additional aspects of the disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the disclosure.

In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, an air conditioner includes a housing having an inlet, an outlet, and a discharge plate having a plurality of holes disposed adjacent to the outlet, a heat exchanger disposed within said housing, a blowing fan for blowing air exchanged with the heat exchanger; and a shutter movably provided to close at least one of a first path through which air blown by the blowing fan flows to the outlet and a second path that flows to the discharge plate.

The shutter is configured to slide the first position closing the first path and the second position closing the second path.

The shutter is positioned in the second position on the back of the discharge plate.

The discharge plate is formed on at least one side of the front surface or the side surface of the housing.

The shutter is rotatably provided inside the housing, and the second path is closed when the outlet is opened.

The shutter is configured to slide within the housing and to close the second path when the outlet is open,

The shutter is rotatably provided within the housing and is rotatable to close the first path when the outlet is closed.

The air conditioner further includes a blade guiding the air discharged from the outlet or closing the outlet. The blade includes a plurality of first blades moving from a guide position for guiding the discharge air to a closed position for moving from the guide position and blocking the outlet, at least one second blade operable to move the plurality of first blades in the guide position and the closed position and to intercept the outlet with the plurality of first blades in the closed position.

The air conditioner further includes a drain panel formed at the lower portion of the discharge plate and the heat exchanger.

The drain panel protrudes from the front surface of the housing.

The air conditioner further includes a light emitting unit formed along at least a portion of the discharge plate and configured to emit light.

The inlet further includes a first inlet formed on a rear surface or a side surface of the housing and a second inlet formed to face the front of the housing together with the outlet and configured to be closed when the air blown by the blowing fan is discharged through the discharge plate.

The air conditioner further includes an inlet door configured to open and close the second inlet.

The air conditioner further includes an auxiliary blowing fan disposed above the second inlet for blowing air discharged from the discharge plate toward the front of the housing.

In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, an air conditioner includes a housing having a outlet and a discharge plate disposed adjacent the outlet, a heat exchanger disposed within the housing and a blowing fan arranged to discharge air exchanged with the heat exchanger to the outside of the housing through the outlet or the discharge plate. The discharge plate includes first and second plates each having a plurality of holes, wherein the first and second plates move in closed mode in which a plurality of holes of one of the first and second plates are closed by another plate and open mode in which a plurality of holes of the first and second plates are open.

The discharge plate operates in the closed mode when the outlet is opened, and the discharge plate is operated in the open mode when the outlet is closed,

The first and second plates are configured to slide between the open mode and the closed mode. The holes of the first and second plates are aligned with each other in the open mode,

The first and second plates are in close contact with each other in the closed mode and are spaced apart from each other in the open mode,

In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, an air conditioner includes a housing having a outlet and a discharge plate having a plurality of holes disposed adjacent to the outlet, a heat exchanger disposed within the housing, a blowing fan arranged to discharge heat exchanged air with the heat exchanger to the outside of the housing through the outlet or the discharge plate and an auxiliary plate provided in the housing so as to be spaced apart from the discharge plate, wherein the auxiliary plate includes a plurality of holes through which air blown by the blowing fan toward the discharge plate passes

The air blown by the blowing fan sequentially passes through the auxiliary plate and the discharge plate and is discharged to the outside of the housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects and advantages will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 illustrate the operation of an air conditioner in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are perspective views of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are diagrams of the operation of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate operation of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrate operation of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 12 and 13 are sectional views of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 14 and 15 are diagrams illustrating a blade operation of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 16 and 17 are diagrams illustrating the operation of a shutter according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 18 is a view showing a shape of a shutter according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 19 is a view showing a shape of a shutter according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 21 and 22 are diagrams illustrating the operation of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 26 and 27 are diagrams illustrating the operation of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Configurations illustrated in the embodiments and the drawings described in the present specification are only the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, and thus it is to be understood that various modified examples, which may replace the embodiments and the drawings described in the present specification, are possible when filing the present application.

Also, like reference numerals or symbols in each of the drawings of the present specification represent components or elements that perform substantially the same functions.

The terms used in the present specification are used to describe the embodiments of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is provided for illustration purpose only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It will be understood that when the terms “includes,” “comprises,” “including,” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, figures, steps, components, or combination thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, figures, steps, components, members, or combinations thereof.

It should be understood that although the terms “first,” “second,” and the like are used herein to describe various elements, these elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, a first element discussed below could be termed a second element, and similarly, a second element may be termed a first element without departing from the teachings of this disclosure. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

Hereinafter, the embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

A cooling cycle constituting the air conditioner may be configured with a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator. The cooling cycle may perform a series of processes of compression-condensation-expansion-evaporation so as to heat-exchange high-temperature air with low-temperature refrigerants and then supply low-temperature air to indoor space.

The compressor may compress refrigerant gas to a high-temperature, high-pressure state, and discharge the compressed refrigerant gas to the condenser. The condenser may condense the compressed refrigerant gas to a liquid state, and emit heat to the surroundings during the condensing process. The expansion valve may expand the liquid-state refrigerants in the high-temperature, high-pressure state condensed by the condenser to liquid-state refrigerants in a low-pressure state. The evaporator may evaporate the refrigerants expanded by the expansion valve. The evaporator may achieve a cooling effect through heat-exchange with an object to be cooled using evaporative latent heat of refrigerants, and return the refrigerant gas in the low-temperature, low-pressure state to the compressor. Through the cycle, the air temperature of the indoor space can be adjusted.

An outdoor unit of the air conditioner may be a part of the cooling cycle, configured with a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger. The expansion valve may be installed in any one of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, and an indoor heat exchanger may be installed in the indoor unit of the air conditioner.

The present disclosure relates to an air conditioner for cooling indoor space, wherein an outdoor heat exchanger functions as a condenser, and an indoor heat exchanger functions as an evaporator. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, an indoor unit including an indoor heat exchanger will be referred to as an air conditioner, and the indoor heat exchanger will be referred to as a heat exchanger.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are views for describing operations of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

The air conditioner 1 may include a housing 10, a heat exchanger 20, and a blowing unit 30. The housing 10 may include an inlet 12 and an outlet 14. The heat exchanger 20 may exchange heat with air entering the inside of the housing 10. The blowing unit 30 may circulate air to the inside or outside of the housing 10.

The housing 10 may include a front panel 10a in which an outlet 14 is formed, a rear panel 10b disposed behind the front panel 10a, side panels 10c disposed between the front panel 10a and the rear panel 10b, and upper and lower panels 10d and 10e disposed on the upper and lower ends of the side panels 10c. In the current embodiment, the inlet 12 may be formed in the side panels 10c, and the outlet 14 may be formed in the front panel 10a. However, the positions of the inlet 12 and the outlet 14 are not limited to these.

The housing 10 may include a blade 16 to guide air blowing through the outlet 14. The blade 16 may be located in the outlet 14 to change a direction of air blowing through the outlet 14 or to block the outlet 14. More specifically, the blade 16 may rotate between a guide position 16a that is parallel to a blowing direction of blowing air and a closed position 16b that is perpendicular to the blowing direction of the blowing air.

The blowing unit 30 may include a blowing fan 32. In the current embodiment, the blowing fan 32 may be an axial flow fan, although not limited thereto. The blowing fan 32 may have a configuration of passing air inhaled from the inlet 12 through the heat exchanger 20 and then discharging the air through the outlet 14 or a plurality of holes 44 which will be described later.

The blowing unit 30 may include a motor 34. The motor 34 may apply a rotational force to the blowing fan 32.

The heat exchanger 20 may be disposed within the housing 10 to exchange heat with air entered through the inlet 12. That is, the heat exchanger 20 may absorb or transfer heat from the air entered through the inlet 12. Below the heat exchanger 20, a drain panel 22 may be disposed to collect water condensed by the heat exchanger 20.

The air conditioner 1 may include a discharge plate 40.

The discharge plate 40 may be a portion of the housing 10 or a separate element from the housing 10. In the current embodiment, the discharge plate 40 may be formed on the front panel 10a of the housing 10. More specifically, the discharge plate 40 may be positioned below the outlet 14. However, the position of the discharge plate 40 is not limited as long as it is formed on at least one of the front surface or the side surface of the housing 10. The discharge plate 40 may include a plate body 42, and a plurality of holes 44 formed in the plate body 42. Air blown by the blowing fan 32 can be discharged to the outside of the housing 10 through the outlet 14 or the plurality of holes 44 formed in the discharge plate 40.

The air conditioner 1 may include a shutter 50. The shutter 50 may be movable inside the housing 10. An air path formed inside the housing 10 may include a first path P1 through which air blown by the blowing fan 32 flows to the outlet 14, and a second path P1 through which air blown by the blowing fan 32 flows to the discharge plate 40. The shutter 50 may close at least one of the first and second paths P1 and P2. To this end, the shutter 50 may have a size corresponding to the width of the outlet 14 or the discharge plate 40. The shutter 50 may be movable between a first position 50a at which it closes the first path P1, and a second position 50b at which it closes the second path P2. The first position 50a of the shutter 50 may be a position at which the shutter 50 blocks the first path P1 in the middle of the first path P1, as shown in FIG. 3, or a position at which the shutter 50 blocks the outlet 14 to close the outlet 14, as shown in FIG. 4. The second position 50b of the shutter 50 may be a position at which the shutter 50 is located on the back surface of the discharge plate 40, as shown in FIG. 2. A method of moving the shutter 50 is not limited. For example, the shutter 50 may slide between the first position 50a and the second position 50b.

Hereinafter, operation of the air conditioner 1 according to the above-described configuration will be described.

First, operation in which air blown by the blowing fan 32 is discharged to the outside of the housing 10 through the outlet 14 will be described.

Referring to FIG. 2, the shutter 50 may be disposed at the second position 50b to close the second path P2. Air blown by the blowing fan 32 may move along the first path P1 by the shutter 50 blocking the second path P2 without flowing into the plurality of holes 44. Therefore, air blown by the blowing fan 32 may pass through the heat exchanger 20, move along the first path P1, and then be discharged through the outlet 14. In the operation, the blade 16 may be positioned at the guide position 16a.

The air conditioner 1 may blow heat-exchanged air to the outside of the housing 10 through the outlet 14 to thereby adjust indoor temperature quickly as compared with the case of blowing heat-exchanged air through the plurality of holes 44.

Now, operation in which air blown by the blowing fan 32 is discharged to the outside of the housing 10 through the plurality of holes 44 of the discharge plate 40 will be described.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the shutter 50 may be located at the first position 50a to close the first path P1. In this case, air blown by the blowing fan 32 may move along the second path P2 by the shutter 50 blocking the first path P1 without flowing to the outlet 14. Accordingly, the air blown by the blowing fan 32 may pass through the heat exchanger 20, flow along the second path P2, and then be discharged into the plurality of holes 44. In the operation, the blade 16 may be at the closed position 16b.

The air conditioner 1 may blow heat-exchanged air to the outside of the housing 10 through the plurality of holes 44 of the discharge plate 40 so as to reduce the flow velocity of the blowing air. Thus, the user can be prevented from directly contacting blowing air, thereby feeling satisfaction.

Hereinafter, an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Hereinafter, descriptions about the same configurations as those described above will be omitted.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are perspective views of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIGS. 7 and 8 are views for describing operation of the air conditioner according to the other embodiment of the present disclosure.

The air conditioner 100 may include a discharge plate 140.

The discharge plate 140 may be movable to cover the outlet 14 of the housing 10. That is, the discharge plate 140 may open and close the outlet 14. For this purpose, the discharge plate 140 may have a size corresponding to the width of the outlet 14.

The discharge plate 140 may include a plate body 142, and a plurality of holes 144 formed in the plate body 142. Air blown by the blowing fan 32 can be discharged to the outside of the housing 10 through the outlet 14 or the plurality of holes 144 formed in the discharge plate 140.

The discharge plate 140 may be movable between a first position 140a at which the discharge plate 140 is spaced from the outlet 14, and a second position 140b at which the discharge plate 140 covers the outlet 14. A method in which the discharge plate 140 moves between the first position 140a and the second position 140b is not limited. For example, the discharge plate 140 may slide between the first position 140a and the second position 140b.

Hereinafter, operation of the air conditioner according to the above-described configuration will be described.

First, operation in which air blown by the blowing fan 32 is discharged to the outside of the housing 10 through the outlet 14 will be described.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 7, air blown by the blowing fan 32 may be directed to the outlet 14 through the heat exchanger 20. At this time, if the discharge plate 140 is at the first position 140a, air blown by the blowing fan 32 may be discharged to the outside of the housing 10 through the outlet 14 without being interfered by the discharge plate 140.

Next, operation in which air blown by the blowing fan 32 is discharged to the outside of the housing 10 through the plurality of holes 144 of the discharge plate 140 will be described.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 8, air blown by the blowing fan 32 may be directed to the outlet 14 through the heat exchanger 20, like the above-described case. At this time, if the discharge plate 140 is at the second position 140b, the air blown by the blowing fan 32 may be discharged to the outside of the housing 10 through the plurality of holes 144 of the discharge plate 140 covering the outlet 14. If blowing air is discharged to the outside of the housing 10 through the plurality of holes 144, the user can be prevented from directly contacting heat-exchanged air so that the user can feel satisfaction.

Hereinafter, an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Hereinafter, descriptions about the same configurations as those described above will be omitted.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIGS. 10A and 10B are views for describing operation of the air conditioner according to the other embodiment of the present disclosure.

The air conditioner 200 may include a discharge plate 240.

The discharge plate 240 may form at least a part of the housing 10. More specifically, the discharge plate 240 can be formed around the outlet 14.

Since the discharge plate 240 forms a part of the housing 10, the inner surface of the discharge plate 240 may face the inner space of the housing 10, and the outer surface of the discharge plate 240 may face the outside of the housing 10.

The discharge plate 40 may include first and second plates 242, 244.

The first and second plates 242 and 244 may include a plurality of holes 242a and 244a, respectively, and may be in surface contact with each other. More specifically, the first plate 242 may face the outer surface of the housing 10, and the second plate 244 may be disposed on the rear surface of the first plate 242 to face the inner space of the housing 10.

The first plate 242 may include a first plate body 242b, and a plurality of first holes 242a formed in the first plate body 242b. The second plate 244 may include a second plate body 242b, and a plurality of second holes 244a formed in the second plate body 242b.

The discharge plate 240 may operate in a close mode 240a and an open mode 240b. In the close mode 240a, the first holes 242a and the second holes 244a may be alternately arranged. That is, the first holes 242a may be blocked by the second plate body 244b, and the second holes 244a may be blocked by the first plate body 242b.

In the open mode 240b, the second plate 244 may move vertically with respect to the first plate 242 so that the first holes 242a are aligned with the second holes 244a. That is, in the open mode 240a, the first holes 242a may be aligned with the second holes 244a to discharge blowing air from the inner space of the housing 10 to the outside of the housing 10. In the current embodiment, the second plate 244 may move relative to the first plate 242, although not limited thereto. However, for example, the first plate 242 may move relative to the second plate 244, or the first and second plates 242 and 244 may move in opposite directions.

Hereinafter, operation of the air conditioner according to the above-described configuration will be described.

First, operation in which air blown by the blowing fan 32 is discharged to the outside of the housing 10 through the outlet 14 will be described.

Referring to FIG. 10A, the discharge plate 240 may enter the closed mode 240a. That is, the plurality of holes of any one of the first and second plates 242 and 244 may be blocked by the plate body of the other one. That is, air blown by the blowing fan 32 may pass through the heat exchanger 20, and then be discharged to the outside of the housing 10 through the outlet 14.

Next, operation in which air blown by the blowing fan 32 is discharged to the outside of the housing 10 through the plurality of holes 44 of the discharge plate 40 will be described.

Referring to FIG. 10B, the discharge plate 240 may enter the open mode 240b. That is, the plurality of holes 242a of the first plate 241 may be aligned with the plurality of holes 244a of the second plate 244. That is, when the discharge plate 240 operates in the open mode 240b, air blown by the blowing fan 32 may be discharged to the outside of the housing 10 through the plurality of holes 242a, 244a of the discharge plate 240. At this time, the outlet 14 may be closed by the blade 16 located in the closed position 16b, or by the shutter 50.

The outlet 14 and the discharge plate 240 may open selectively. That is, if the outlet 14 opens, the discharge plate 240 may operate in the closed mode 240a, and if the outlet 14 is closed, the discharge plate 240 may operate in the open mode 240b.

Hereinafter, an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Hereinafter, descriptions about the same configurations as those described above will be omitted.

FIGS. 11A and 11B are views for describing operation of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

The discharge plate 240 can operate in a close mode 241a or an open mode 241b. In the close mode 241a, the first plate 242 may be in close contact with the second plate 244. At this time, the first hole 242a and the second hole 244a may be alternately arranged. That is, the first holes 242a may be blocked by the second plate body 244b of the second plate 244, and the second holes 244a may be blocked by the first plate body 242b of the first plate 242.

In the open mode 241b, the second plate 244 may move in a front-back direction with respect to the first plate 242 so that the first plate 242 is spaced from the second plate 244. That is, air blown from the inner space of the housing 10 may pass through the second holes 244a of the second plate 244, space formed between the first plate 242 and the second plate 244, and the first holes 242a of the first plate 242 in this order, and then be discharged to the outside of the housing 10. In the current embodiment, the second plate 244 may move relative to the first plate 242, although not limited thereto. However, for example, the first plate 242 may move relative to the second plate 244, or the first and second plates 242 and 244 may move in opposite directions.

Hereinafter, an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Hereinafter, descriptions about the same configurations as those described above will be omitted.

FIGS. 12 and 13 are cross-sectional views of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

An air conditioner 300 may include a discharge plate 40.

The discharge plate 40 may be a portion of the housing 10, and may be formed along the edge of the outlet 14 to be adjacent to the outlet 14.

The air conditioner 300 may include an auxiliary plate 360 having a plurality of holes 362.

The auxiliary plate 360 may be formed behind the discharge plate 40. The auxiliary plate 360 may be formed along the edge of the outlet 14 behind the discharge plate 40 in such a way to be adjacent to the outlet 14, in correspondence to the discharge plate 40. The auxiliary plate 360 may be located upstream of the discharge plate 40 with respect to a flow path formed from the blowing fan 32 toward the discharge plate 40. Through the configuration, if the outlet 14 is closed, air blown by the blowing fan 32 can pass through the plurality of holes 362 of the auxiliary plate 360 and the plurality of holes 44 of the discharge plate 40, sequentially, and then be discharged to the outside of the housing 10.

Since the blowing air passes through the plurality of holes 362 of the auxiliary plate 360 and the plurality of holes 44 of the discharge plate 40 sequentially, the blowing air can be discharged uniformly with respect to the entire surface of the discharge plate 40. Also, since the auxiliary plate 360 is disposed upstream of the discharge plate 40, dew formation on the discharge plate 40 can be minimized.

Hereinafter, an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Hereinafter, descriptions about the same configurations as those described above will be omitted.

FIGS. 14 and 15 are views for describing operation of a blade included in an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

The housing 10 may include a blade 16 to guide air blown through the outlet 14. The blade 16 may be located on the outlet 14 to control a direction of air blown through the outlet 14, or to block the outlet 14. In detail, the blade 16 can rotate between a guide position 16a at which it is parallel to a blowing direction of blowing air and a closed position 16b at which it is perpendicular to the blowing direction of the blowing air.

The blade 16 may include a plurality of first blades 17 and at least one second blade 18.

The plurality of first blades 17 may move in a guide position 17a at which they guide discharged air, and a closed position 17b at which they blocks the outlet 14. The first blades 17 may be positioned in parallel to a blowing direction of blowing air when they are at the guide position 17a, and when the first blades 17 are positioned at the closed position, the first blades 17 may block blowing air.

At least one second blade 18 may control the positions of the first blades 17. That is, at least one second blade 18 may enable the first blades 17 to move between the guide position 17a and the closed position 17b. When the first blades 17 are at the closed position 17b, the at least one second blade 18 may block the outlet 14 together with the first blades 17 to block blowing air.

Since the outlet 14 is closed in a dual structure by the first and second blades 17 and 18 as described above, it is possible to efficiently discharge blowing air through the discharge plate 40.

Hereinafter, an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Hereinafter, descriptions about the same configurations as those described above will be omitted.

FIGS. 16 and 17 are views for describing operation of a shutter according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 18 shows a shape of the shutter according to the other embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 19 shows a shape of a shutter according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

An air conditioner 400 may include a shutter 450. The shutter 450 may be movable inside the housing 10. An air path formed inside the housing 10 may include a first path P1 through which air blown by the blowing fan 32 flows to the outlet 14, and a second path P1 through which air blown by the blowing fan 32 flows to the discharge plate 40. The shutter 50 may close the second path P2.

The shutter 450 may be movable between a first position 450a and a second position 450b. When the shutter 450 is at the first position 450a, the second path P2 may open as shown in FIG. 17. When the shutter 450 is at the second position 450b, the second path P2 may be closed as shown in FIG. 16. The shutter 450 may be rotatable in the inside of the housing 10 to selectively close the second path P2. More specifically, the shutter 450 may close the second path P2 when the outlet 14 opens. However, the shape and operation of the shutter 450 are not limited. For example, as shown in FIG. 18, a shutter 451 may be in the shape of a panel, and may slide between a first position and a second position. Also, as shown in FIG. 19, a shutter 452 may include a plurality of shutter members to rotate between a first position and a second position in the inside of the housing 10.

If the outlet 14 is closed by the blade 16 or the shutter 50, the shutter 450 may open the second path P2 at the first position 450a. The shutter 450 may also close the second path P2 at the second position 450b when the outlet 14 opens.

Hereinafter, an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Hereinafter, descriptions about the same configurations as those described above will be omitted.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIGS. 21 and 22 are views for describing operation of the air conditioner according to the other embodiment of the present disclosure.

An air conditioner 500 may include a shutter 550. The shutter 550 may be movable in the inside of the housing 10. An air path formed in the inside of the housing 10 may include a first path P1 through which air blown by the blowing fan 32 flows to the outlet 14, and a second path P1 through which air blown by the blowing fan 32 flows to the discharge plate 40. The shutter 550 may close the first path P1.

The shutter 550 may be movable between a first position 550a at which it opens the first path P1, and a second position 550b at which it closes the first path P1. The shutter 550 may correspond to the width of the inner space of the housing 10 so as to close the first path P1. The shutter 550 may be rotatable in the inside of the housing 10.

Hereinafter, operation of the air conditioner according to the above-described configuration will be described.

First, operation in which air blown by the blowing fan 32 is discharged to the outside of the housing 10 through the outlet 14 will be described.

Referring to FIG. 21, the shutter 550 may be positioned at the first position 550a to open the first path P1. Air blown by the blowing fan 32 may move along the first path P1 and then be discharged to the outside of the housing 10 through the outlet 14.

Next, operation in which air blown by the blowing fan 32 is discharged to the outside of the housing 10 through the plurality of holes 44 of the discharge plate 40 will be described.

Referring to FIG. 22, the shutter 550 may be located at the second position 550b to close the first path P1. Air blown by the blowing fan 32 may not be discharged to the outlet 14 by the shutter 550 blocking the first path P1, and may move along the second path P2 to be discharged to the outside of the housing 10 through the plurality of holes 44 of the discharge plate 40.

Hereinafter, an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Hereinafter, descriptions about the same configurations as those described above will be omitted.

FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

An air conditioner 600 may include a drain panel 622. The drain panel 622 may be provided at the bottom of the heat exchanger 20 to collect water condensed by the heat exchanger 20.

The drain panel 622 may project out of the housing 10. More specifically, the drain panel 622 may protrude from the front surface of the housing 10 such that at least a part of water storage space of the drain panel 622 is positioned below the front surface of the discharge plate 40.

In this configuration, since water condensed on the discharge plate 40 is stored in the drain panel 622, it is possible to prevent the plurality of holes 44 of the discharge plate 40 from being clogged, and to prevent the discharge plate 40 from becoming dirty.

Hereinafter, an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Hereinafter, descriptions about the same configurations as those described above will be omitted.

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

The air conditioner 700 may include a light emitting unit 770.

The light emitting unit 770 may be disposed along the circumference of at least a part of the housing 10. More specifically, the light emitting unit 770 may be disposed along the edges of the discharge plate 40 forming at least a part of the housing 10. The light emitting unit 770 may emit light, and generate heat according to the emission of the light. The heat generated by the light emitting unit 770 can evaporate water condensed on the discharge plate 40.

Hereinafter, an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Hereinafter, descriptions about the same configurations as those described above will be omitted.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIGS. 26 and 27 are views for describing operation of the air conditioner according to the other embodiment of the present disclosure.

An inlet of an air conditioner 800 may include a first inlet 813 and a second inlet 812.

The first inlet 813 may be formed in at least one of the rear surface and the side surface of the housing 10 to inhale external air to the inside of the housing 10. The second inlet 812 may be formed in the front direction from the housing 10, like the outlet 14. More specifically, the second inlet 812 may be located in the front lower portion of the housing 10.

The air conditioner 1 may include an inlet door 818 to open or close the second inlet 812. The inlet door 818 may open or close the second inlet 812 to selectively open the second inlet 812. When heat-exchanged air is discharged from the discharge plate 40, the discharged air may be directed to the lower portion of the housing 10 since the flow velocity of the discharged air is low. In this case, the discharged air may be inhaled again into the second inlet 812, and accordingly, when the heat-exchanged air is discharged through the discharge plate 40, the second inlet 812 may be closed by the inlet door 818.

Hereinafter, operation of the air conditioner according to the above-described configuration will be described.

First, operation in which air blown by the blowing fan 32 is discharged to the outside of the housing 10 through the outlet 14 will be described.

Referring to FIG. 26, outside air may be inhaled into the housing 10 through the first and second inlets 813 and 812. At this time, it is not necessary to open both the first and second inlets 813 and 812, and only at least one of the first and second inlets 813 and 812 may be opened. In the current embodiment, since the second inlet 812 includes an inlet door 818, the second inlet 812 can be opened or closed according to an environmental condition. Air entered through the inlets 812 and 813 may pass through the heat exchanger 20 by the blowing fan, and then be discharged to the outside of the housing 10 through the outlet 14 that opens.

Next, operation in which air blown by the blowing fan 32 is discharged to the outside of the housing 10 through the plurality of holes 44 of the discharge plate 40 will be described.

Referring to FIG. 27, the outlet 14 can be closed by the blade 16 located at the closed position 16b, or by the shutter 50.

Air entered through the first inlet 813 may pass through the heat exchanger 20 by the blowing fan 32, and then be discharged to the outside of the housing 10 through the plurality of holes 44 that open. At this time, the second inlet 812 may be closed by the inlet door 818 so as to prevent the air discharged through the plurality of holes 44 from being inhaled again into the inside of the housing 10.

Hereinafter, an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Hereinafter, descriptions about the same configurations as those described above will be omitted.

FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

An air conditioner 900 may further include an auxiliary blowing fan 980.

The auxiliary blowing fan 980 may be located below the discharge plate 140. The auxiliary blowing fan 980 may blow air discharged from the discharge plate 140 in the front direction from the housing 10. That is, the auxiliary blowing fan 980 may blow air toward the direction from the housing 10.

Thereby, it is possible to prevent the air discharged from the discharge plate 40 from being inhaled again into the inlet 812.

The air conditioner according to the present disclosure can discharge heat-exchanged air at different wind velocities.

Also, the air conditioner can change a method of blowing heat-exchanged air depending on a user's environment.

Also, the air conditioner can control heat-exchanged air to be blown indirectly to a user, thereby improving the user's satisfaction.

The present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the exemplary embodiments. However, the exemplary embodiments should be considered in a descriptive sense only, and the invention is not limited thereto. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements within the scope of the invention may be made.

Claims

1. An air conditioner comprising:

a housing having an inlet, an outlet, and a discharge plate having a plurality of holes arranged adjacent to the outlet;

a heat exchanger disposed inside the housing;

a blowing fan configured to blow air heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger; and

a shutter movably disposed to open and close at least one of a first path through which the air blown by the blowing fan flows to the outlet and a second path through which the air blown by the blowing fan flows to the discharge plate.

2. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the shutter is configured to slide between a first position at which the shutter closes the first path and a second position at which the shutter closes the second path.

3. The air conditioner of claim 2, wherein the second position is located on a rear surface of the discharge plate.

4. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the discharge plate is formed on at least one of a front surface and a side surface of the housing.

5. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the shutter is rotatably disposed inside the housing, and configured to close the second path when the outlet is open.

6. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the shutter is configured to slide inside the housing, and configured to close the second path when the outlet is open.

7. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the shutter is rotatably disposed inside the housing, and configured to close the first path when the outlet is closed.

8. The air conditioner of claim 1, further comprising a blade configured to guide air discharged from the outlet, and to close the outlet,

wherein the blade comprises:

a plurality of first blades configured to move between a guide position for guiding the air discharged from the outlet and a closed position to close the outlet;

at least one second blade configured to move the plurality of first blades between the guide position and the closed position, and to close the outlet together with the plurality of first blades at the closed position.

9. The air conditioner of claim 1, further comprising a drain panel formed below the discharge plate and the heat exchanger.

10. The air conditioner of claim 9, wherein the drain panel protrudes from a front surface of the housing.

11. The air conditioner of claim 1, further comprising a light emitting unit formed along at least a portion of the discharge plate, and configured to emit light.

12. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the inlet further comprises:

a first inlet formed in at least one of a rear surface and a side surface of the housing; and,

a second inlet formed in a front direction from the housing together with the outlet, and configured to be closed when air blown by the blowing fan is discharged through the discharge plate.

13. The air conditioner of claim 12, further comprising an inlet door configured to open and close the second inlet.

14. The air conditioner of claim 12, further comprising an auxiliary blowing fan disposed above the second inlet, and configured to blow air discharged from the discharge plate toward the front direction from the housing.

15. An air conditioner comprising:

a housing having an outlet and a discharge plate disposed adjacent to the outlet;

a heat exchanger disposed inside the housing; and

a blowing fan configured to discharge air heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger to an outside of the housing through at least one of the outlet and the discharge plate,

wherein the discharge plate comprises:

a first plate and a second plate, each of the first plate and the second plate having a plurality of holes,

wherein the first plate and the second plate are configured to move between a close mode in which the plurality of holes of the first plate are closed by the second plate and an open mode in which the plurality of holes of the first plate and the second plate are open.

16. The air conditioner of claim 15, wherein the discharge plate is configured to operate in the close mode when the outlet is open, and

the discharge plate is configured to operate in the open mode when the outlet is closed.

17. The air conditioner of claim 15, wherein the first plate and the second plate are configured to slide between the open mode and the closed mode, and

wherein the plurality of holes of the first plate are aligned with the plurality of holes of the second plate in the open mode.

18. The air conditioner of claim 15, wherein the first plate contacts the second plate in the close mode, and the first plate is spaced apart from the second plate in the open mode.

19. An air conditioner comprising:

a housing having an outlet and a discharge plate having a plurality of holes disposed adjacent to the outlet;

a heat exchanger disposed inside the housing;

a blowing fan configured to discharge air heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger to an outside of the housing through at least one of the outlet and the discharge plate; and

an auxiliary plate disposed inside the housing and spaced apart from the discharge plate,

wherein the auxiliary plate includes a plurality of holes through which air blown from the blowing fan toward the discharge plate passes.

20. The air conditioner of claim 19, wherein the air blown by the blowing fan sequentially passes through the auxiliary plate and the discharge plate, and is discharged to the outside of the housing.