Indoor unit of an air conditioner with moving front panels to suck air from a front and discharge air vertically

Abstract

 An air conditioner is disclosed. The present invention is suitable for performing efficient heat exchange of indoor air in a manner that a front panel covering a whole front side of a front frame by moving back and forth opens/closes a plurality of inlets passages, blowing the heat-exchanged air upward and downward by reducing passage resistance, and providing an elegant exterior of the air conditioner. The present invention includes an inlet passage opened/closed by a plurality of moving front panels to suck an air from a front, the inlet passage diverging to a space between a plurality of the front panels, a heat-exchange passage provided within a case having a heat exchanger and a blowing fan therein to perform heat exchange on the air introduced via the inlet passage, and an outlet passage blowing the heat-exchanged air in an upper and/or lower direction.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioner. Although the present invention is suitable for a wide scope of applications, it is particularly suitable for performing efficient heat exchange of indoor air in a manner that a front panel covering a whole front side of a front frame by moving back and forth opens/closes a plurality of inlets passages, blowing the heat-exchanged air upward and downward by reducing passage resistance, and providing an elegant exterior of the air conditioner.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Generally, an air conditioner cools or heats an indoor room to provide a user with a more pleasant indoor environment using a refrigerant cooling cycle including a compressor, a 4-way valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion mechanism, and an indoor heat exchanger. And, the above-configured air conditioner can be classified into a separate type and a single body type.

[0003] The separate type air conditioner and the single body type air conditioner are functionally equal to each other. In particular, the separate type air conditioner includes an indoor unit having a cooling and radiating device, an indoor fan, and an indoor fan motor and an outdoor unit having a radiating/cooling device, an outdoor fan, and an outdoor fan motor. And, the indoor and outdoor units separate from each other are connected together via a refrigerant pipe. Yet, the single body type air conditioner integrates the cooling and radiating functions and is directly installed at a hole or window of a house wall.

[0004] FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective diagram of an air conditioner according to a related art. And, FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional diagram of an assembled air conditioner according to a related art.

[0005] Referring to FIG. 15 and FIG. 16, an air conditioner according to a related art consists of a case 102, a front grill 110 assembled to a front side of the case 102 to have an air inlet 104, a top inlet grill 106, and an air outlet 108 provided to a lower front side or bottom of the front grill 110, a side inlet grill 112 rotatably connected to a front side of the front grill 110, a motor 114 loaded in the case 102, a blowing fan 116 connected to the motor 114, and a heat exchanger 118 provided between the blowing fan 116, the air inlet 104, and the top inlet grill 106.

[0006] The front air inlet 104 is provided to the front side of the front grill 110. The top inlet grill 106 is built in one body of a topside of the front grill 110. And, a pre-filter 105 is provided to the front grill 110 to filter off particles from the air sucked into the front air inlet 104.

[0007] The side inlet grill 112 is provided to protect the front air inlet 104 and the pre-filter 105. And, an upper part of the side inlet grill 112 is rotatably connected to an upper part of the front grill 110.

[0008] An outlet grill 124, which is provided with a condensed water receiving part 119 receiving a condensed water failing from the indoor heat exchanger 118 and includes a louver 120 changing a right/left wind direction of an air blown out of the air outlet 108 and a vane 122 changing an up/down wind direction, is loaded in a lower part within the front grill 110.

[0009] In the above-configured air conditioner, if the blowing fan 116 is rotated by a drive of the motor 114, an indoor air in front of the side inlet grill 112 sequentially passes through the side inlet grill 112 and the front air inlet 104 to filter off particles by the filter 105 and is then sucked into a space between the front grill 110 and the case 102.

[0010] And, the indoor air above the front grill 110 passes through the top inlet grill 106 and is then sucked into the space between the front grill 110 and the case 102.

[0011] The indoor air sucked in the above manner passes through the indoor heat exchanger 118 to be cooled or heated by the refrigerant flowing though the indoor heat exchange 118, keeps passing through the blowing fan 116, and is then blown into an indoor space via the air outlet 108 by being guided by the louver 120 and the vane 122.

[0012] However, the related art air conditioner has the following problem.

[0013] First of all, air in an indoor space is sucked into the related art sir conditioner via the front and top sides of the air conditioner, cooled/heated by the heat exchanger 118, and then blown into the indoor space via a bottom side of the air conditioner. If an installation height of the air conditioner is low, it takes a considerably long time for the cool air to expand all over the indoor space in a cooling operation mode. If the installation height is high, the heated air is blown to a user's face in a heating operation mode to raise unpleasantness.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0014] Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an air conditioner that addresses one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.

[0015] It would be desirable to provide an air conditioner, by which a control of a cooling/heating operation is facilitated.

[0016] It would also be desirable to provide an air conditioner, by which an installation height is not considerably restricted.

[0017] It would also be desirable to provide an air conditioner, by which a cooled air can be evenly spread all over an indoor space in a cooling operation mode.

[0018] It would also be desirable to provide an air conditioner, by which user's unpleasantness can be eliminated in a manner of blowing a war air indirectly in a heating operation mode.

[0019] It would also be desirable to provide an air conditioner, by which passage resistance can be reduced.

[0020] It would also be desirable to provide an air conditioner, by which cooling/heating of sufficient indoor air is enabled.

[0021] It would also be desirable to provide an air conditioner, by which an elegant exterior is provided.

[0022] It would also be desirable to provide an air conditioner, by which rigidity of a front panel can be secured.

[0023] It would also be desirable to provide an air conditioner, by which a control box cover and a block cover can be conveniently loaded.

[0024] It would also be desirable to provide an air conditioner, by which a fire due to an overheated terminal block can be prevented.

[0025] Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims thereof as well as the appended drawings.

[0026] Accordingly, the invention provides an air conditioner that includes an inlet passage opened/closed by a plurality of moving front panels to suck an air from a front, the inlet passage diverging to a space between a plurality of the front panels, a heat-exchange passage provided within a case having a heat exchanger and a blowing fan therein to perform heat exchange on the air introduced via the inlet passage, and an outlet passage blowing the heat-exchanged air in an upper and/or lower direction.

[0027] Preferably, the inlet passage is configured with a space between the case and the front panel in correspondence to a movement of the front panel.

[0028] Preferably, the inlet passage is opened/closed in correspondence to a forward/backward movement of the front panel.

[0029] Preferably, the inlet passage is opened/closed in correspondence to a horizontal movement of the front panel.

[0030] Preferably, a plurality of the inlet passages are opened/closed in correspondence to forward/backward movements of the front panels.

[0031] Preferably, the inlet passage is provided to a middle part, an upper part, and a lower part of a space between the case and the front panel in correspondence to a movement of the front panel.

[0032] Preferably, the inlet passage is provided to a middle part and a side part of a space between the case and the front panel in correspondence to a movement of the front panel.

[0033] Preferably, the inlet passage is configured to diverge from a middle part of a space between the case and the front panel to both sides of the space.

[0034] Preferably, the inlet passage is configured to diverge vertically across a middle part of a space between the case and the front panel and across upper and lower parts of the space in correspondence to a movement of the front panel.

[0035] Preferably, a front frame is assembled to a front side of the case and wherein the outlet passage is configured by the case and the front frame assembled together.

[0036] The invention provides an air conditioner that includes a case having a heat exchanger and a blowing fan, at least one front panel configured to cover an entire front frame of the case to open/close a plurality of air inlets by moving, and at least one air outlet provided to a top and/or bottom of the case.

[0037] Preferably, the at least one or more front panels are spaced apart from each other.

[0038] Preferably, a plurality of the air inlets are configured in front of the case.

[0039] Preferably, the at least one front panel is moved back and forth to open/close a plurality of the air inlets.

[0040] Preferably, the at least one front panel is horizontally moved to open/close a plurality of the air inlets.

[0041] Preferably, a pair of the front panels are configured to be vertically spaced apart from each other.

[0042] Preferably, a pair of the front panels are configured to be horizontally spaced apart from each other.

[0043] More preferably, the air conditioner further includes a display unit between a pair of the front panels.

[0044] Preferably, both lateral sides of a space between the case and the at least one front panel are closed if the at least one front panel is moved forward.

[0045] Preferably, the at least one front panel includes a plane part and a bent part configured to be bent backward from both end portions of the plane part.

[0046] Preferably, the air conditioner further includes a control box cover assembled to the case, the control box provided with a terminal block having at least one cable connected thereto, and a block cover detachably assembled to the control box cover to cover the control box cover.

[0047] More preferably, insertion holes are formed at one side of the control box cover to be spaced apart from each other by cutting the control box cover.

[0048] In this case, locking projections are projected from one side of the block cover corresponding to the insertion holes, respectively. And, a hook part is provided to the other side of the block cover to be hooked by an end portion of the control box cover.

[0049] More preferably, locking holes are provided to one sides of the control box and block covers to oppose each other by perforating the control box and block covers, respectively.

[0050] In this case, a perforated aligning hole is provided next to the locking hole of the control box cover and an aligning projection is projected from the block cover to correspond to the aligning hole.

[0051] More preferably, the air conditioner further includes a metal cover covering each of the control box and block covers.

[0052] More preferably, the air conditioner further includes a cable aligning hole provided to one side of the control box cover to enable the at least one cable to pass through and a cable insertion hole configured by perforating the case to correspond to the cable aligning hole.

[0053] In this case, the cable aligning hole penetrates the case to be fixed thereto.

[0054] And, a cable hanging part is provided to an outer circumference of a front portion of the cable aligning hole.

[0055] Moreover, a cable fitting part is provided to an outer circumference of the cable aligning hole to be extended and bent outwardly.

[0056] Besides, a rim of the cable insertion hole is projected to correspond to the cable aligning hole. A position aligning projection is projected from a lower surface of the control box cover and a position aligning hole is provided to the case to correspond to the position aligning projection. A hook part is projected from a lower part of the control box cover and a case hook part is projected from the case to correspond to the block hook part.

[0057] Preferably, the air conditioner further includes a board type reinforcing rib molded in one body of the front panel along a backside of the front panel.

[0058] More preferably, the reinforcing rib is attached to an upper part, a middle part, and a lower part of the front panel.

[0059] More preferably, the reinforcing rib extends to both bent lateral sides of the front panel.

[0060] More preferably, both lateral sides of the front panel are bent and a reinforcing piece is molded in one body of each of both of the lateral sides in a length direction.

[0061] Preferably, the at least one front panel moves to open/close a plurality of the air inlets.

[0062] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

[0063] The present invention provides the following effects or advantages.

[0064] First of all, a quantity of indoor air for heat exchange can be sufficiently secured. A control in opening/closing a passage in various modes is facilitated. A front panel is stably moved. An installation height of an air conditioner is not considerably restricted. And, even spreading of air blown in a cooling/heating operation can be induced.

[0065] Secondly, the air conditioner of the present invention is able to indirectly blow out warm air in case of a heating operation without interruption of front air introduction.

[0066] Thirdly, a front panel entirely covers a front frame to make an exterior of the air conditioner more elegant.

[0067] Fourthly, since a board type reinforcing rib having no frame-removing space and a reinforcing piece are molded in one body of a front panel, the front panel can be conveniently manufactured with sufficient rigidity. So, it is able to prevent transformation attributed to contraction.

[0068] Fifthly, a control box cover and a block cover are conveniently loaded on a case and the control box cover, respectively. And, the block cover cuts off a terminal block from outside. So, it is able to prevent a fire that may be set by an overheated terminal block.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0069] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0070] In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective diagram of an air conditioner according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective diagram of an air conditioner according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an assembled cross-sectional diagram of an air conditioner according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a front diagram of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an assembled cross-sectional diagram of an air conditioner according to a further embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective diagram of a driving unit of an air conditioner according to the present invention;

FIGs. 7 to 9 are cross-sectional diagrams of a driving unit of an air conditioner according to the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a perspective diagram of a front panel of an air conditioner according to the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional diagram of a front panel of an air conditioner according to the present invention;

FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 are perspective diagrams of a control box cover according to the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a perspective diagram of a cable aligning hole according to the present invention;

FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective diagram of an air conditioner according to a related art; and

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional diagram of an assembled air conditioner according to a related art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0071] Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

[0072] First of all, an air conditioner according to the present invention, as shown in FIGs. 1 to 3, includes an inlet passage 700, a heat exchange passage 800, and an outlet passage 900 which are configured by a case 200, a front frame 300, a front panel 400, a driving unit 500, and an outlet unit 600.

[0073] An inner part, a front side, an upper side, and a lower side are open in part. A heat exchanger 210 is provided within the case 200 to be arranged parallel with a front side of the case 200. And, a pair of blowing fans 220 are provided in rear of the heat exchanger 210 within the case 200 to be vertically spaced apart from each other.

[0074] A middle part of the heat exchanger 210 is preferably configured to have a shape for inducing an inclined direction by reducing flowing resistance of an air introduced from the indoor space. Alternatively, the central part of the heat exchanger 210 can be configured to have a straight-line shape, as shown in FIG. 5, for convenience of manufacturing.

[0075] A pair of the front frames 300 are assembled to the front side of the case 200 to be vertically spaced apart from each other. And, a display unit 310 is horizontally provided between a pair of the front frames 300.

[0076] An air inlet 320 is provided to the front frame 300 to suck an air from a front in the indoor space. And, a filter 325 is loaded in the air inlet 320.

[0077] Both lateral sides of the front frame 300 are smoothly rounded and are cut inward along their surfaces to form recessed parts 330.

[0078] The front panel 400 moves back and forth to open/close the air inlet 320 provided to the front side of the front frame 300. And, a pair of the front panels 400 pare provided in correspondence to a pair of the front frames 300 to be vertically spaced apart from each other.

[0079] In particular, the front panel 400 is configured to cover a whole front side of the front frame 300 except the display unit 310 to provide an elegant exterior.

[0080] The front panel 400 includes a plane part 410 forming the front side and a bent part 420 forming both lateral sides. The bent part 420 is bent backward from both sides of the plane part 410 and extends to move both of the inclined lateral sides of the front frame 300.

[0081] In particular, when the front panel 400 is closed, both of the bent parts 420 are loaded in the recessed parts 330 to provide a neat exterior.

[0082] According to another embodiment of the present invention, in case that a pair of the front panels 400, as shown in FIG. 4, horizontally spaced apart from each other, it is preferable that the display unit 310 is configured vertically long between a pair of the left and right front panels 400.

[0083] The driving unit 500, as shown in FIGs. 6 to 9, is provided to horizontally move the front panel 400 back and forth from the front frame 300 and includes a driving source unit 510 and a power transfer unit 520.

[0084] Preferably, a pair of the driving units 500 are provided to both lateral corners of a pair of the front panels 400 vertically spaced apart from each other, respectively.

[0085] The driving source unit 510 can include a driving motor 511 for example. And, the power transfer unit 520 can include a pinion gear 521 and a rack rail 522 to transfer a driving force generated from the driving source unit 510 to the front panel 400.

[0086] The pinion gear 521 is interoperable by being connected to a rotational shaft 512 of the driving motor to receive a rotational force of the driving motor 511. And, the rack rail 522 includes a body part 5221, a guide part 5222, and a connecting part 5223 to transform a rotational force of the pinion gear 521 into a straight reciprocation movement.

[0087] The body part 5221 is provided with a rack gear 5221a gearing with the pinion gear 521 along its bottom side. The guide part 5222 is provided under the body part 5221 in parallel. And, the connecting part 5223 connects side end portions of the body part 5221 and the guide part 5222 together.

[0088] In particular, the rack rail 522 including the body part 5221, the guide part 5222, and the connecting part 5223 configures a '

' shape overall.

[0089] In order for the rack rail 522 to move in and out of the front frame 300 in correspondence to a rotation of the pinion gear 521, a leading hole (not shown in the drawings) is perforated in the case 200 to accommodate the rack rail 522.

[0090] In particular, an end sill 5221b is provided to a topside of the body part 5221. The end sill 5221b comes into contact with a body part support 240 provided to an upper part of the case 200 to smoothly move back and forth.

[0091] A hinge hole 5221c is provided to an upper part of a front end of the body part 5221 to be hinged to the front panel 400 by a hinge pin 5221d. So, the body part 5221 can move back and forth together with the front panel 400.

[0092] In order to guide the whole rack rail 522, a lower surface of the guide part 5222 smoothly moves back and forth by coming into contact with the guide part support 245 spaced art from a lower part of the body part support 240 of the case 200.

[0093] Meanwhile, a stopper 5221e is provided as a hook shape to a rear end portion of the body part 5221. The stopper 5221e is held by a holding part 250 provided to an upper part of the case 200 to prevent the rack rail 522, which is moved to a front limit position, from proceeding farther.

[0094] The outlet unit 600 is hinged to each of top and bottom sides of the case 200. And, the outlet unit 600 rotates to open/close the air outlet 620 configured by the case 200 and the front frame 300.

[0095] In the outlet unit 600, the air outlet 620 is opened/closed to enable an air to be indirectly blown to a user without interrupting the front air introduction, the outlet panel 610 rotates at a prescribed angle against the lower surface of case 610 toward a front/rear.

[0096] In the drawings, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the outlet units 600 are provided to both of the topside and bottom side of the case 200. Alternatively, the outlet unit 600 can be provided to either the topside or the bottom side of the case 200 if necessary.

[0097] According to the above embodiment of the present invention, a pair of the front panels 400 are provided to be vertically or horizontally spaced apart from each other. Alternatively, at least three front panels 400 can be vertically or horizontally provided. And, it is apparent that the air outlet 620 can be selectively provided to the topside or the bottom side of the case 200.

[0098] In the present invention, the inlet passage 700 means a passage via which an air of an indoor space in front of the air inlet 320 is introduced into the air conditioner in order for the front panel 400, which is moving forward, to introduce the air of the indoor space into the case 200 via the air inlet 320.

[0099] The inlet passage 700 is provided to a space between the front frame 300 and the front panel 400. Since the front panels 400 are plurally provided, the inlet passages 700 are plurally provided in correspondence to forward/backward movements of the front panels 400.

[0100] Specifically, according to one embodiment of the present invention, if a pair of the front panels 400 are provided to be vertically spaced from each other centering on the display unit 310 in-between, the inlet passages 700 are provided to a middle part, an upper part, and a lower part of the space between the case 200 and the front panels 400 in correspondence to the movements of the front panels 400, respectively.

[0101] In particular, the inlet passages 700 are configured in a manner of diverging from the middle part of the space between the case 200 and the front panels 400 toward the upper and lower parts of the space. So, it is able to introduce a sufficient quantity of the indoor air to a space between the front panels 400.

[0102] In more particular, the inlet passages 700 are configured to diverge upward and downward across the whole middle part (left end to right end) of the space between the case and the front panels 400 in correspondence to the movements of the front panels 400 and across the whole upper and lower parts (left end to right end) of the case 200.

[0103] In this case, both lateral sides of the space between the case 200 and the front panel 400 are preferably closed in case of a forward movement of the front panel 400.

[0104] According to another embodiment of the present invention, in case that a pair of the front panels 400 are provided to be horizontally spaced apart from each other, the inlet passage 700 can be provided to a middle part and a lateral part of the space between the case 200 and the front panel 400 in correspondence to a forward/backward movement of the front panel 400.

[0105] In the present invention, the heat exchange passage 800 means a passage that induces heat exchange of an indoor air, which has been introduced into the case 200 via the inlet passage 700 and then passes through the heat exchanger 210 provided within the case 200.

[0106] If the front panel 400 moves forward to open the inlet passage 700, the heat exchange passage 800 is configured by the front frame 300 in rear of the air inlet 320 and the case 200.

[0107] In particular, in the heat exchange passage 800, the heat exchanger 210 is vertically installed and the middle part of the heat exchanger 210 has the prescribed shape. So, the heat-exchanged air having been introduced from the front can be smoothly blown in upward and downward slant directions.

[0108] Meanwhile, in the present invention, the outlet passage 900 means a passage to blow the air, which has been air-conditioned via the heat exchange passage 800, into the indoor space again.

[0109] The outlet passage 900 is opened/closed by the outlet unit 600 provided to the upper and lower parts of the case 200. And, the outlet passage 900 is configured by the air outlet 620 constructed with the front frame 300 and the case 200 assembled together.

[0110] In the present invention, the board type reinforcing rib 1300 without the frame-removing space, as shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, is molded in one body of the front panel 400 along the backside of the front panel 400. In particular, the reinforcing rib 1300 is molded using an injection mold having a cavity for providing a space corresponding to the reinforcing rib 1300 and an injector having the injection mold loaded therein to inject a resin into the cavity.

[0111] For this injection, a plastic based resin is melted and then injected into the cavity via a resin entrance provided to the injection mold. By the injection molding, the reinforcing rib 1300 is molded in one body of the front panel 400. Hence, it is able to obtain rigidity invulnerable to transformation after completion of a product such as a panel molded without providing a separate frame-removing space.

[0112] Preferably, the frame-removing space free reinforcing rib 1300 is attached horizontally long along an upper part, a middle part and a lower part of the front panel 400 to reinforce the rigidity of the front panel 400 sufficiently. Preferably, the reinforcing rib 1300 is attached to extend to both of the bent lateral sides of the front panel 400.

[0113] In addition to the reinforcing rib 1300, to reinforce the rigidity of the front panel 400, a plurality of reinforcing pieces 1310 vertically spaced apart from each other can be molded in one body of the front panel 400 to be projected from both of the bent lateral sides of the front panel 400.

[0114] In the present invention, the frame-removing space free reinforcing rib 1300 is attached to the air conditioner. Yet, it is a mater of course that the reinforcing rib 1300 is applicable to various electronic products having movable panels.

[0115] In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, in addition to a control box cover 1500 provided with a terminal block 1510 loaded in the case 200 to be connected to various cables C, a block cover 1520 covering the control box cover 1500 is provided for fire prevention to be detachably loaded in the control box cover 1500.

[0116] A lower side of the block cover 1520 is open to accommodate the terminal block 1510. And, a space corresponding to the terminal block 150 is formed within the block cover 1520.

[0117] A pair of perforated insertion holes 1530 are provided to one side of the control box cover 1500 to be vertically spaced apart from each other. And, a pair of locking projections 1540 are projected from one side of a rim of a lower surface of the block cover 1520 corresponding to the insertion holes 1530 to be inserted in the insertion holes 1530, respectively.

[0118] To enable both of the control box cover 1500 and the block cover 1520 to be strongly assembled together, a block hook part 1550 held by an end portion of the control box cover 1500 is provided to the other side of the rim of the lower surface of the block cover 1520.

[0119] And, locking holes 1560 and 1570 are formed at one sides of the control box cover 1500 and the block cover 1520 by cutting corresponding portions of the covers 1500 and 1520 to prevent the separation of the block cover 1520 by inserting a locking means such as a screw and the like into the locking holes 1560 and 1570.

[0120] An aligning hole 1580 is formed parallel with the locking hole 1560 by perforating the control box cover 1500. And, an aligning projection 1585 is projected from one side of the block cover 1520 to correspond to the aligning hole 1570. So, the aligning projection 1585 is inserted in the aligning hole 1580.

[0121] Preferably, metal covers 1590 and 1595 are further provided to surfaces of the control box cover 1550 and the block cover 1520, respectively to enhance the fire prevention.

[0122] The block cover 1520 is assembled to the control box cover 1500 in a manner of inserting the locking projection 1540 of the block cover 1520 in the insertion hole 1530 of the control box cover 1500 and then inserting the aligning projection 1585 of the block cover 1520 in the aligning hole 1580 of the control box cover 1500.

[0123] After the block cover 1520 has been correctly posed on the control box cover 1550, the block hook part 1550 of the block cover 1520 is hooked on one side end portion of the control box cover 1500. If so, it is difficult for the block cover 1520 to be separated from the control box cover 1500.

[0124] As mentioned in the above description, if the block cover 1520 is correctly posed on the control box cover 1550, the control box cover locking hole 1560 and the block cover locking hole 1570 are naturally aligned together. So, it is able to fix the block cover 1520 to the control box cover 1500 more securely using the locking means such as the screw and the like.

[0125] A cable aligning hole 1600, as shown in FIG. 14, is provided to one side of the control box cover 1500 to enable various cables C connected to the terminal block 1510 to pass through. The cable aligning hole 1600 is cut and open in a vertical direction. And, the cable aligning hole 1600 is fixed to penetrate the case 200.

[0126] For this, a cable insertion hole 285 is formed at the case 200 by perforating a portion of the case 200 corresponding to the cable aligning hole 1600. Preferably, the cable insertion hole 285 is preferably configured to have its rim projected to enable the cable aligning hole 1600 to be quickly loaded in a correct position.

[0127] The cable aligning hole 1600 is preferably molded in one body of the control box cover 1500 for manufacturing convenience and rigidity security.

[0128] An extended front end portion of the cable aligning hole 1600 is cut backward in a vertical direction to configure a cable hanging part 1610. So, various cables passing through the cable aligning hole 1600 or various cables extended from various parts loaded in the case 200 such as a motor and the like can be hung on the cable hanging part 1610.

[0129] A cable fitting part 1620 is extended from an outer circumference of the cable aligning hole 1600 and is then bent backward. So, an extra cable can be wound on the cable fitting part 1620 to be fitted therein.

[0130] In order for the control box cover 1500 to be correctly aligned with the case 200 more quickly, a pair of position aligning projections 1590 are projected from a backside of the other side of the control box cover 1500 to be vertically spaced apart from each other. And, a pair of position aligning holes 290 are formed at portions of the case 200 corresponding to the position aligning projections 1590 by perforating the portions of the case 200, respectively.

[0131] Moreover, a block hook part 1595 is projected from a backside of an upper part of the control box cover 1500 spaced apart from the cable aligning hole 1600. And, a case hook part 295 is projected from a portion of the case 200 corresponding to the block hook part 1595.

[0132] The control box cover 1500 is installed within the case 200 in a following manner.

[0133] First of all, the position aligning projection 1590 of the control box cover 1500 is inserted in the position aligning hole 290 of the case 200.

[0134] Subsequently, the cable aligning hole 1600 is aligned with the projected rim of the cable insertion hole 285.

[0135] Finally, the block hook part 1595 and the case hook part 295 are locked together, whereby the control box cover 1500 is firmly fixed to the case 200.

[0136] Once the control box cover 1500 is installed in the above manner, various cables pass through the case insertion hole 285 and the cable aligning hole 1600 in sequence, are introduced into the case 200, and are then connected to the terminal block 1510.

[0137] In particular, since the cable aligning hole 1600 is provided with the cable hanging part 1610 for hanging cables thereon and the cable fitting part 1620 for fitting cables therein to prevent the cables from being loosened, it is very convenient to put the cables in order.

[0138] Although the control box cover 1500 having the cable aligning hole 1600 and the block cover 1520 are provided to the air conditioner of the present invention, they can be provided as a pair within various electronic products to configure a control box cover assembly by themselves.

[0139] Besides, unexplained reference numbers 221, 297, 523, 524, 630, 650, 1000, 1010, 1100, 1110, 1120, 1150, and 1700 in the drawing are a blowing fan bearing unit, a mounting hanger, a fixing projection, a hanging sill, a main frame of the outlet unit, an outlet panel guide part 650, an opening/closing guide, an insertion hole, a driving motor fixing part, a body, an accommodating part, a loading leg, and a drain fan, respectively.

[0140] As mentioned in the foregoing description, the above-configured air conditioner according to the present invention is operated in a following manner.

[0141] First of all, a plurality of the separated front panels 400 are horizontally moved back and forth by the driving unit 500. And, indoor air is introduced into the case 200 via the air inlet 320 provided to the front side of the front frame 300 in correspondence to the movements of the front panels 400.

[0142] In this case, when the front panels 400 are moved forward, a plurality of the inlet passages 700 provided to the space between the front panels 400 and the front frame 300 play a role as a passage for introducing the indoor air into the air inlet 320.

[0143] So, since a plurality of the inlet passages 700 are opened/closed by the movements of the separated front panels 400, it is able to air-condition a sufficient quantity of the indoor air. By moving a plurality of the front panels 400 back and forth selectively, it is able to efficiently control the passages in various modes including a heating mode, a cooling mode, and other modes (sleeping mode, leaving-house mode, etc.).

[0144] Specifically, since the driving unit 500 includes the pinion gear 521 and the rack rail 522 connected to the front panel 400, the front panel 40 can be stably moved back and forth without fluctuation despite the intake flowing of the air.

[0145] In case that the indoor air introduced via the inlet passage 700 in front of the case 200 is discharged via the air outlets 620 provided to the top and bottom of the case 200, even spreading of the blown air can be induced without limitation put on the installation height of the air conditioner in case of the cooling/heating operation.

[0146] Meanwhile, if the central part of the heat exchanger 210 provided within the case 200 configures a prescribed shape, the intake indoor air can be more smoothly blown out in upward and downward directions owing to the reduced flowing resistance within the heat exchange passage 800.

[0147] Moreover, the outlet panel 610 is rotationally moved toward a front/rear of the case 200 to open/close the outlet passage 900. So, the outlet panel 610 can remove the user's unpleasantness by indirectly blowing warm air without interrupting front air introduction in case of heating operation.

[0148] Besides, the frame-moving space free panel type reinforcing rib 1300 and the reinforcing pieces 1310 are attached to or molded in one body of the front panel 400. So, the front panel 400 can be conveniently manufactured. And, sufficient rigidity can be secured to prevent transformation due to contraction.

[0149] The control box cover 1550 and the block cover 1520 are conveniently assembled to the case 200 and the control box cover 1500, respectively. And, the block cover 1520 cuts off the terminal block 1510 from an external environment to prevent a fire being set by an overheating of the terminal block 1510.

[0150] Various cables pass through the cable aligning hole 1600 provided to the control box cover 1500 to be bound to the terminal block 1510. So, the arrangement of the cables are convenient. And, a pair of the cable aligning hole 1660 and the cable insertion hole 285, a pair of the position aligning projection 1585 and the position aligning hole 290, and a pair of the block hook part 1550 and the case hook part 295, which are correspondingly provided to the control box cover 1500 and the case 200, respectively, enable the control box cover 1500 to be correctly and quickly aligned and fixed to the case 200.

[0151] Accordingly, the present invention provides the following effects or advantages.

[0152] First of all, an air conditioner of the present invention sufficiently secures a quantity of air in an indoor space. The air conditioner of the present invention facilitates a passage to be conveniently opened/closed in correspondence to each mode. The air conditioner of the present invention enables a front panel to be stably moved. An installation height of the air conditioner is not considerably restricted. And, the air conditioner of the present invention is able to induce even spreading of a blown air in case of cooling/heating operation.

[0153] Secondly, the present invention enables an upward/downward air blowing to be smoothly performed by reducing flowing resistance of an air sucked from an indoor space. And, the air conditioner of the present invention indirectly discharges warm air without interrupting front air introduction, whereby user's unpleasantness can be eliminated.

[0154] Thirdly, a front panel covers a whole front side of a front frame, thereby making an exterior more elegant.

[0155] Fourthly, a frame-removing space free board type reinforcing rib and a reinforcing piece are molded in one body of a front panel, whereby the front panel can be conveniently manufactured. And, sufficient rigidity is secured to prevent transformation due to contraction.

[0156] Fifthly, a control box cover and a block cover are conveniently assembled to a case and the control box cover, respectively. And, the block cover cuts off a terminal block from an external environment. So, the present invention prevents a fire from being set by the overheated terminal block.

[0157] While the present invention has been described and illustrated herein with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention that come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An air conditioner comprising:

an inlet passage opened/closed by a plurality of moving front panels to suck an air from a front, the inlet passage diverging to a space between a plurality of the front panels;

a heat-exchange passage provided within a case having a heat exchanger and a blowing fan therein to perform heat exchange on the air introduced via the inlet passage; and

an outlet passage blowing the heat-exchanged air in an upper and/or lower direction.

2. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the inlet passage is configured with a space between the case and the front panel in correspondence to a movement of the front panel.

3. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the inlet passage is opened/closed in correspondence to a forward/backward movement of the front panel.

4. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the inlet passage is opened/closed in correspondence to a horizontal movement of the front panel.

5. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the inlet passages are opened/closed in correspondence to forward/backward movements of the front panels.

6. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the inlet passage is provided to a middle part, an upper part, and a lower part of a space between the case and the front panel in correspondence to a movement of the front panel.

7. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the inlet passage is provided to a middle part and a side part of a space between the case and the front panel in correspondence to a movement of the front panel.

8. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the inlet passage is configured to diverge from a middle part of a space between the case and the front panel to both sides of the space.

9. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the inlet passage is configured to diverge vertically across a middle part of a space between the case and the front panel and across upper and lower parts of the space in correspondence to a movement of the front panel.

10. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein a front frame is assembled to a front side of the case and wherein the outlet passage is configured by the case and the front frame assembled together.

11. An air conditioner comprising:

a case having a heat exchanger and a blowing fan;

at least one front panel configured to cover an entire front frame of the case to open/close a plurality of air inlets by moving; and

at least one air outlet provided to a top and/or bottom of the case.

12. The air conditioner of claim 11, wherein the at least one or more front panels are spaced apart from each other.

13. The air conditioner of claim 11, wherein a plurality of the air inlets are configured in front of the case.

14. The air conditioner of claim 11, wherein the at least one front panel is moved back and forth to open/close a plurality of the air inlets.

15. The air conditioner of claim 11, wherein the at least one front panel is horizontally moved to open/close a plurality of the air inlets.

16. The air conditioner of claim 11, wherein a pair of the front panels are configured to be vertically spaced apart from each other.

17. The air conditioner of claim 11, wherein a pair of the front panels are configured to be horizontally spaced apart from each other.

18. The air conditioner of claim 16 or claim 17, further comprising a display unit between a pair of the front panels..

19. The air conditioner of claim 11, wherein both lateral sides of a space between the case and the at least one front panel are closed if the at least one front panel is moved forward.

20. The air conditioner of claim 11, the at least one front panel comprising:

a plane part; and

a bent part configured to be bent backward from both end portions of the plane part.

21. The air conditioner of claim 11, further comprising:

a control box cover assembled to the case, the control box provided with a terminal block having at least one cable connected thereto; and

a block cover detachably assembled to the control box cover to cover the control box cover.

22. The air conditioner of claim 21, wherein insertion holes are formed at one side of the control box cover to be spaced apart from each other by cutting the control box cover.

23. The air conditioner of claim 22, wherein locking projections are projected from one side of the block cover corresponding to the insertion holes, respectively.

24. The air conditioner of claim 23, wherein a hook part is provided to the other side of the block cover to be hooked by an end portion of the control box cover.

25. The air conditioner of claim 21, wherein locking holes are provided to one sides of the control box and block covers to oppose each other by perforating the control box and block covers, respectively.

26. The air conditioner of claim 25, wherein a perforated aligning hole is provided next to the locking hole of the control box cover and wherein an aligning projection is projected from the block cover to correspond to the aligning hole.

27. The air conditioner of claim 21, further comprising a metal cover covering each of the control box and block covers.

28. The air conditioner of claim 21, further comprising:

a cable aligning hole provided to one side of the control box cover to enable the at least one cable to pass through; and

a cable insertion hole configured by perforating the case to correspond to the cable aligning hole.

29. The air conditioner of claim 28, wherein the cable aligning hole penetrates the case to be fixed thereto.

30. The air conditioner of claim 28, wherein a cable hanging part is provided to an outer circumference of a front portion of the cable aligning hole.

31. The air conditioner of claim 28, wherein a cable fitting part is provided to an outer circumference of the cable aligning hole to be extended and bent outwardly.

32. The air conditioner of claim 28, wherein a rim of the cable insertion hole is projected to correspond to the cable aligning hole.

33. The air conditioner of claim 28, wherein a position aligning projection is projected from a lower surface of the control box cover and wherein a position aligning hole is provided to the case to correspond to the position aligning projection.

34. The air conditioner of claim 28, wherein a hook part is projected from a lower part of the control box cover and wherein a case hook part is projected from the case to correspond to the block hook part.

35. The air conditioner of claim 11, further comprising a board type reinforcing rib molded in one body of the front panel along a backside of the front panel.

36. The air conditioner of claim 35, wherein the reinforcing rib is attached to an upper part, a middle part, and a lower part of the front panel.

37. The air conditioner of claim 35, wherein the reinforcing rib extends to both bent lateral sides of the front panel.

38. The air conditioner of claim 35, wherein both lateral sides of the front panel are bent and wherein a reinforcing piece is molded in one body of each of both of the lateral sides in a length direction.

39. The air conditioner of claim 11, wherein the at least one front panel moves to open/close a plurality of the air inlets.

Drawing