DUCT CONNECTING APPARATUS AND AIR CONDITIONER HAVING THE SAME

Abstract

 Provided is a duct connecting apparatus that is easily mounted on an air conditioner and an air conditioner including the same. The duct connecting apparatus that connects a duct to an inlet of an air conditioner includes a housing provided with an intake hole communicating with the duct and a discharge hole communicating with the inlet, a latch part provided on a lower end of the housing and configured to be seated and mounted on a lower edge of an edge defining the inlet, and a coupling part provided on the housing and configured to detachably couple the housing to an outer surface of the air conditioner.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0004582 filed on 11 January 2024 and all the benefits accruing therefrom under 35 U.S.C. §119, the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a duct connecting apparatus and an air conditioner including the same, and more particularly, to a duct connecting apparatus that is easy to be mounted in an air conditioner, and an air conditioner including the same.

[0003] In general, an air conditioner constituted by a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and an expander supplies cool or hot air to a building or room using air conditioning cycle of compression-condensation-expansion-evaporation. Air conditioners are classified into split types in which a compressor is disposed in an outdoor space, and integrated types in which a compressor is integrally manufactured.

[0004] In the split type, an indoor heat exchanger is installed in an indoor unit, and an outdoor heat exchanger and the compressor are installed in an outdoor unit. In the integrated type, an indoor heat exchanger, an outdoor heat exchanger, and a compressor are designed to be installed in one housing, and generally, a moving wheel is installed at a lower portion to enable easy movement to a required position.

[0005] The integrated type air conditioner has been disclosed in Korea Patent Publication No. 10-15936578. The integrated type air conditioner is sometimes designed to supply cold or hot air at the same time, as the condenser and the evaporator, which act as heat exchangers, are disposed together inside the housing.

[0006] The air conditioner may have an external duct installed at an inlet through which external air is introduced. To install the external duct to the air conditioner, a duct connecting apparatus is generally used to connect the inlet of the air conditioner to the external duct.

[0007] In the related, there is a limitation that a main duct and components are designed to be individually connected to a connection duct, like a duct connection part disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2020-0081110, which is cumbersome and has very low user convenience.

[0008] In addition, when the duct connection part is installed, there is an inconvenient limitation of installing a filter to remove foreign substances from the external air at the inlet that guides the external air into the air conditioner.

[Prior Art Document]

[Patent Document]

[0009] 

(Patent Document 1) Korean Patent Registration No. 10-15936578

(Patent Document 2) Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2020-0081110

SUMMARY

[0010] The present disclosure provides a duct connecting apparatus that is easily installed in an air conditioner, and an air conditioner including the same.

[0011] The present disclosure also provide a duct connecting apparatus, in which a filter is easily mounted in the duct connecting apparatus and firmly supported, and an air conditioner including the same.

[0012] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a duct connecting apparatus that connects a duct to an inlet of an air conditioner includes: a housing provided with an intake hole communicating with the duct and a discharge hole communicating with the inlet; a latch part provided on a lower end of the housing and configured to be seated and mounted on a lower edge of an edge defining the inlet; and a coupling part provided on the housing and configured to detachably couple the housing to an outer surface of the air conditioner.

[0013] The latch part may include: a first extension part provided on a lower edge of an edge defining the exhaust hole and provided to protrude in a direction away from the housing; and a second extension part extending to be inclined downward from the first extension part in the direction away from the housing.

[0014] The latch part may further include a third extension part extending upward from a bottom surface of the housing to define a lower edge of the exhaust hole and configured to support the first extension part.

[0015] In the housing, a pair of first accommodation plates extending in a direction that intersects a virtual line interconnecting the intake hole to the exhaust hole may be provided inside the housing, wherein each of the pair of first accommodation plates may be spaced a predetermined distance from the third extension part toward the intake hole so that a filter part is accommodated between the first accommodation plate and the third extension part.

[0016] The housing may be provided with a pair of second accommodation plates defining both edges of the edge defining the exhaust hole and disposed to face each other, wherein the pair of second accommodation plates may be configured to provide a filter seating part, in which the filter part is accommodated, together with the third extension part and the pair of first accommodation plates.

[0017] The coupling part may include: one surface coupled to the edge defining the exhaust hole; and the other surface disposed opposite to the one surface and being in contact with a peripheral area of the inlet, and the first extension part may include: one end coupled to the lower edge of the edge defining the exhaust hole; and the other end provided opposite to the one end, wherein the other end of the first extension part may be spaced farther from the edge of the exhaust hole than the outer surface of the coupling part in the direction away from the housing.

[0018] The coupling part may include one or more magnets.

[0019] The coupling part may include: a magnet part including one or more magnets; and a sealing part configured to seal the exhaust hole from the outside.

[0020] The first extension part may be elastically supported by the third extension part.

[0021] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, an air conditioner includes: a casing provided with an inlet and an outlet; a heat exchanger provided inside the casing and configured to heat-exchanged with external air introduced through the inlet; a blower fan through which the external air is introduced through the inlet, and the heat-exchanged external air is exhausted through the outlet; and a duct connecting apparatus configured to connect a duct to the inlet of the air conditioner, wherein the duct connecting apparatus includes: a housing provided with an intake hole communicating with the duct and a discharge hole communicating with the inlet; a latch part provided on a lower end of the housing and configured to be seated and mounted on a lower edge of an edge defining the inlet; and a coupling part provided on the housing and configured to detachably couple the housing to an outer surface of the air conditioner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Exemplary embodiments can be understood in more detail from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an air conditioner including a duct connecting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an operation of mounting the duct connecting apparatus in the air conditioner illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view when the duct connecting apparatus is viewed in one direction according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view when the duct connecting apparatus is viewed in the other direction according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a view when the duct connecting apparatus is viewed at a front side according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the duct connecting apparatus, in which a filter part is mounted, so as to explain a latch part of the duct connecting apparatus;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the duct connecting apparatus, in which the filter part is not mounted, so as to explain the latch part of the duct connecting apparatus; and

FIGS. 8 to 10 are views for explaining an operation of mounting the duct connecting apparatus in the air conditioner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0023] Hereinafter, descriptions of following embodiments are intended to be illustrative, and those with ordinary skill in the technical field of the present disclosure pertains will be understood that the present disclosure can be carried out in other specific forms without changing the technical idea or essential features. However, in describing the present disclosure, if it is determined that detailed descriptions of related known functions or components may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present disclosure, the detailed descriptions and specific illustrations will be omitted. Additionally, in order to facilitate understanding of the invention, the attached drawings are not drawn to scale and the dimensions of some components may be exaggerated.

[0024] The first and second terms used in this application may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. Terms are only used to distinguish one component from other components.

[0025] In addition, in the following description, the technical terms are used only for explaining a specific exemplary embodiment while not limiting the present disclosure. The terms of a singular form may include plural forms unless referred to the contrary. In this application, terms such as "include," "constituted by," or "consist of' are intended to designate the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or a combination thereof described in the specification, but it should be understood that this does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0026] Hereinafter, an air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an air conditioner including duct connecting apparatuses 100 and 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an operation of mounting the duct connecting apparatuses 100 and 200 in the air conditioner illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0027] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a casing 10 provided with a heat exchanger (not shown) and a blower fan (not shown) therein.

[0028] The casing 10 may define an outer appearance of the air conditioner, and an internal space in which various components capable of exchanging heat while introducing and discharging the external air. An upper space of the internal space of the casing 10 may define a heat exchange chamber, and a lower space of the internal space may define a machine room.

[0029] The casing 10 may include an upper panel 14, a front panel 11, a rear panel (not shown), a lower panel (not shown), a first side panel 13 and a second side panel (not shown), which connect the front panel 11 to the rear panel, a front inclined panel 16 that connects the upper panel 14 to the front panel 11, and a rear inclined panel (not shown) that connects the upper panel 14 to the rear panel.

[0030] The upper panel 14 may define a top surface of the casing 10, the front panel 11 may define a front surface of the casing 10, the rear panel may define a rear surface of the casing 10, the lower panel (not shown) may define a bottom surface of the casing 10, the first side panel 13 may define a first side surface 13 of the casing 10, and the second side panel may define a second side surface (not shown) of the casing 10, which is disposed opposite to the first side surface 13 of the casing 10.

[0031] The upper panel 14 may be connected to an upper end of the front inclined panel 16, an upper end of each of the first side panel 13 and the second side panel, and an upper end of the rear panel and may be provided with an upper discharge part 56 that communicates with the heat exchange chamber.

[0032] The front panel 11 may be connected to each of a lower end of the front inclined panel 16 and front ends of the first side panel 13 and the second side panel.

[0033] The rear panel may be connected to each of a lower end of the rear inclined panel, rear ends of the first side panel 13 and the second side panel, and a rear end of the lower panel.

[0034] The lower panel may be connected to a lower end of the front panel 11, lower ends of the first side panel 13 and the second side panel, and a lower end of the rear panel.

[0035] The first side panel 13 may define a first surface 13 of the casing 10 and may be connected to one end of the front panel 11, one end of the front inclined panel 16, one end of the upper panel 14, one end of the rear panel, and one end of the lower panel.

[0036] The first side panel 13 may be provided with a first inlet 13a that allow the heat exchange chamber to communicate with the outside. A filter capable of removing foreign substances from the external air, or a first duct connecting apparatus 100 provided with a filter described later may be provided in the first inlet 13a.

[0037] The second side panel may be spaced a predetermined distance from the first side panel 13 to face the first side panel 13 and may define a second side surface disposed opposite to the first side surface 13 of the casing 10. The second side panel may be connected to each of the other end of the front panel 11, the other end of the front inclined panel 16, the other end of the upper panel 14, the other end of the rear panel, and the other end of the lower panel.

[0038] The second side panel may be provided with a second inlet (not shown) that allows the heat exchange chamber to communicate with the outside. A filter capable of removing foreign substances from the external air, or a second duct connecting apparatus 200 provided with a filter described later may be provided in the second inlet.

[0039] The front inclined panel 16 may be coupled to be surrounded by the upper panel 14, the front panel 11, the first side panel 13, and the second side panel, and be provided inclined downward toward the front side. The front inclined panel 16 may be provided with a front discharge part 55 that guides the external air heat-exchanged with the heat exchange chamber.

[0040] The rear inclined panel may be coupled to be surrounded by the upper panel 14, the rear panel, the first side panel 13 and the second side panel, and may be provided with inclined downward toward the rear side.

[0041] In general, when the duct is connected to a portable air conditioner to extend upward toward the front side, if a plurality of air conditioners are disposed closely together in a forward and backward direction, the plurality of air conditioners have to be spaced apart from each other due to an interference between the duct and the casing 10.

[0042] However, as in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the air conditioner 1 provided with the rear inclined panel may be disposed so that the plurality of air conditioners 1 are in contact with each other in the forward and backward direction while minimizing the interference between the duct and the casing 10.

[0043] In the heat exchange chamber, the external air introduced into the casing 10 may be heat-exchanged. The heat exchange chamber may be surrounded by the front panel 11, the upper panel 14, the rear panel, the front inclined panel 16, the rear inclined panel, the first side panel 13, and the second side panel.

[0044] The heat exchange chamber may include a first heat exchange chamber (not shown), in which the external air introduced through the first inlet 13a is cooled, and a second heat exchange chamber (not shown), in which the external air introduced through the second inlet is heated. Each of the first heat exchange chamber and the second heat exchange chamber may be provided with a heat exchanger to which a refrigerant pipe is connected.

[0045] The heat exchanger may include a heat pump. In this case, each of the first heat exchange chamber and the second heat exchange chamber may cool or heat the external air depending on whether a refrigerant circulation direction of the heat pump is selectively set to either forward or backward, but is not limited to perform only one of the functions of the cooling and heating the external air.

[0046] The machine room may be disposed below the heat exchange chamber and provide a space in which a compressor (not shown) that operates the air conditioning cycle, a portion of the refrigerant pipe (not shown), a tank (not shown) that stores condensate, etc., are disposed.

[0047] The blower fan may include a fan (not shown) and a blower motor (not shown) that rotates the fan and may introduces the external air into at least one of the first heat exchange chamber or the second heat exchange chamber to discharge the external air to the outside.

[0048] The wheel 39 for movement may be provided at a lower portion of the casing 10.

[0049] The air conditioner may include the duct connecting apparatuses 100 and 200 that connect an external duct to the inlet of the air conditioner.

[0050] Each of the duct connecting apparatuses 100 and 200 may perform a function of interconnecting the duct disposed in the external space of the air conditioner to the inlet of the air conditioner. This allows the external air to move into the casing through the duct. The external space of the air conditioner may include an indoor space and an outdoor space.

[0051] The duct connecting apparatuses 100 and 200 may include a first duct connecting apparatus 100 that connects the first inlet to the duct, and a second duct connecting apparatus 200 that connects the second inlet to the duct.

[0052] The first duct connecting apparatus 100 and the second duct connecting apparatus 200 may be provided to be detachable to the casing. A user may move either the first duct connecting apparatus 100 or the second duct connecting apparatus 200 in a direction of an arrow illustrated in FIG. 2 to attach either the first duct connecting apparatus 100 or the second duct connecting apparatus 200 to the casing 10.

[0053] The first duct connecting apparatus 100 and the second duct connecting apparatus 200 may be attached to a side surface that extends upward and downward of the casing 10, and each of the first duct connecting apparatus 100 and the second duct connecting apparatus 200 may be provided with a latch part so that each of the first duct connecting apparatus 100 and the second duct connecting apparatus 200 is supported to the casing 10 due to its own weight. The latch part may be disposed over a lower area of the inlet, and thus, each of the first duct connecting apparatus 100 and the second duct connecting apparatus 200 may be supported to the casing 10 due to its own weight.

[0054] The latch part may be provided on each of the first duct connecting apparatus 100 and the second duct connecting apparatus 200, and since the latch parts have the same structure, descriptions of the latch part of the second duct connecting apparatus 200 will be cited from those of the latch part of the first duct connecting apparatus 100.

[0055] Hereinafter, the first duct connecting apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. For convenience of explanation, the first duct connecting apparatus 100 may be referred to as a duct connecting apparatus 100. FIG. 3 is a perspective view when the duct connecting apparatus 100 is viewed in one direction according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 4 is a perspective view when the duct connecting apparatus 100 is viewed in the other direction according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 5 is a view when the duct connecting apparatus 100 is viewed at a front side according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0056] Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, the duct connecting apparatus 100 may include a housing 110 having a space defined therein, a latch part 150 provided at a lower end of the housing 110, and a coupling part 141 that attaches or detaches the housing 110 to/from an outer surface of the air conditioner.

[0057] The housing 110 may be provided with an intake hole 118a communicating with an external duct, an exhaust hole 118b communicating with an inlet 13a, and an internal space having a cross-section that is gradually widened from the intake hole 118a to the exhaust hole 118b.

[0058] In FIGS. 3 and 4, the housing 110 may be illustrated in an erected state and be attached to the casing 10 of the air conditioner 1 in the erected state. For convenience of explanation, a virtual first line connecting a top surface to a bottom surface of the erected housing 110, a virtual second line connecting the intake hole 118a to the exhaust hole 118b, and a virtual third line intersecting the first and second lines and connecting both surfaces of the housing 110 to each other may be defined.

[0059] The housing 110 may include an upper plate 116, a lower plate 117, a pair of outer plates 114, a first connection plate 112, a second connection plate 113, and a support plate 111.

[0060] The upper plate 116 may define the top surface of the housing 110, and when the duct connecting apparatus 100 is attached to the casing 10, the upper plate 116 may be disposed approximately horizontally.

[0061] The lower plate 117 may be spaced downward from the upper plate 116 to face the upper plate 116.

[0062] The outer plate 114 may connect both ends of each of the upper plate 116 and the lower plate 117 to each other and be provided in a pair. The pair of outer plates 114 may be spaced apart from each other along the third line, and each of the outer plates 114 may be provided with a handle part 114a that is held by the user.

[0063] The first connection plate 112 may be connected to the upper plate 116 and the pair of outer plates 114 to define one space inside the housing 110, and may be disposed to be inclined from the lower plate 117 toward the upper plate 116 from the intake hole 118a toward the exhaust hole 118b.

[0064] The second connection plate 113 may be connected to the lower plate 117 and the pair of outer plates 114 to define the other space inside the housing 110, which is opposite to the one space, and may be disposed to be inclined from the upper plate 116 toward the lower plate 117 from the intake hole 118a toward the exhaust hole 118b.

[0065] The support plate 111 may have the intake hole 118a defined to allow the duct and the internal space of the housing 110 to communicate with each other and may perform a function of supporting a portion of a self-weight of the duct connected to the intake hole 118a. The intake hole 118a may be provided with a connecting pipe 120 to facilitate the connection with the duct.

[0066] The support plate 111 may be connected to the pair of outer plates 114, the first connection plate 112, and the second connection plate 113.

[0067] The housing 110 may further include a pair of inner plates 170.

[0068] The inner plate 170 may be connected to the first connection plate 112, the second connection plate 113, and the support plate 111.

[0069] The inner plate 170 may define both sidewalls of the housing 110 together with the outer plates 114, and may be provided to face the outer plates 114 and to be spaced a predetermined distance inward from the housing 110. The inner plate 170 may define an inner surface of the sidewall of the housing 110, and the outer plate 114 may define an outer surface of the sidewall of the housing 110.

[0070] Each of the outer plate 114 and the inner plate 170 may have a length defined to extend along the first line and a width defined to extend along the second line and defined as a distance between one end and the other end.

[0071] The other end of the outer plate 114 may be spaced farther from the support plate 111 along the second line from the intake hole 118a toward the exhaust hole 118b than the other end of the inner plate 170.

[0072] The housing 110 may further include a first accommodation plate 161 and a second accommodation plate 162 connected to the first accommodation plate 161.

[0073] The first accommodation plate 161 may be connected to the other end of the inner plate 170 and be provided in a pair, and may include one surface defined by the first line and the third line.

[0074] The first accommodation plate 161 may be disposed to face an inner surface of a third extension part 153 described later, and may be spaced a predetermined distance from the inner surface of the third extension part 153. Thus, a filter seating part 160 on which a filter part P is mounted and accommodated may be provided.

[0075] The second accommodation plate 162 may be disposed to face the outer plate 114 and be provided in a pair. The second accommodation plate 162 may have one end connected to each of the pair of first accommodation plates 161, and the other end disposed opposite to the one end and in contact with the third extension part 153.

[0076] The second accommodation plate 162 may provide the filter seating part 160 together with the first accommodation plate 161 and the third extension part 153, and may be disposed to face an outer circumferential surface of an edge of the filter part P that is seated and accommodated in the filter seating part 160.

[0077] The other end of the second accommodation plate 162 and the other end of the outer plate 114 may provide both sides of the edge 130 defining the exhaust hole 118b.

[0078] The latch part 150 may be provided at the lower part of the housing 110 and may be disposed to be seated on a lower edge of the edge defining the inlet port 13a.

[0079] The latch part 150 may include a first extension part 151 and a second extension part 152, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7.

[0080] The first extension part 151 may be provided at a lower portion of the edge 130 defining the exhaust hole 118b and may be provided to protrude in a direction away from the housing 110 along the second line.

[0081] The first extension part 151 may be provided in a plate shape and include a surface defined by the second line and the third line.

[0082] The first extension part 151 may be provided as a plate having a length that extends along the third line and a width that extends along the second line and is defined as a distance between the one end and the other end disposed opposite to the one end.

[0083] The first extension part 151 may have one end that is coupled to a lower portion of the edge 130 defining the exhaust hole 118b.

[0084] For example, one end of the first extension part 151 may be connected to the third extension part 153, and the other end of the first extension part 151 may be spaced away from the housing 110 along the second line from the one end.

[0085] The first extension part 151 may have both ends spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction of the first extension part 151, each of which is in contact with the second accommodation plate 162. The first extension part 151 may elastically support the second extension part 152.

[0086] The second extension part 152 may be disposed to be inclined from the upper plate 116 toward the lower plate 117 in a direction away from the housing 110 from the first extension part 151. The second extension part 152 may be provided as a plate having a length that extends along the third line and a width defined as a distance between one end and the other end disposed opposite to the one end.

[0087] The latch part 150 may further includes a third extension part 153 defining a lower portion of the edge 130 defining the exhaust hole 118b.

[0088] The third extension part 153 may be provided as a plate having a length that extends along the third line and a width that extends along the first line and is defined as a distance between the one end and the other end disposed opposite to the one end.

[0089] One end of the third extension part 153 may be connected to the first extension part 151 and provide the lower part of the edge 130 defining the exhaust hole 118b.

[0090] The other end of the third extension part 153 may be connected to the lower plate 117.

[0091] As described above, the third extension part 153 may be provided so that an inner surface thereof faces the first accommodation plate 161.

[0092] The third extension part 153 may provide the filter seating part 160 together with the first accommodation plate 161 and the second accommodation plate 162, and may be referred to as a fourth accommodation plate 153.

[0093] The third extension part 153 may be provided to elastically support the first extension part 151.

[0094] The lower plate 117, the third extension part 153, the first extension part 151, and the second extension part 152 may be provided to be integrated with each other, and for this, bending processing may be applied to one plate.

[0095] The housing 110 may further include a third accommodation plate 163.

[0096] The third accommodation plate 163 may be provided on the upper plate 116 and may be provided as a plate having a length that extends along the third line and a width that extends along the first line and is defined as a distance between one end and the other end disposed opposite to the one end.

[0097] The third accommodation plate 163 may define an upper edge of the edge 130 defining the exhaust hole 118b. An inner surface of the third accommodation plate 163 may be disposed to face the first accommodation plate 161 and may be spaced a predetermined distance from the first accommodation plate 161. Thus, an upper end of the filter part P may be accommodated in a space defined between the inner surface of the third accommodation plate 163 and the first accommodation plate 161.

[0098] The coupling part 141 may be provided in the housing 110 and may perform a function of detachably coupling the housing 110 to the outer surface of the air conditioner 1.

[0099] The coupling part 141 may include sealing parts 142, 144, and 145 attached to the edge 130 defining the exhaust hole 118b and a magnet part 143 provided on the sealing parts 142, 144, and 145.

[0100] The sealing parts 142, 144, and 145 may perform a function of sealing the exhaust hole 118b from the outside, and each of the sealing parts 142, 144, and 145 may have a thickness defined as a distance between one surface and the other surface provided opposite to the one side. The sealing parts 142, 144, and 145 may have one surface that is coupled to the edge 130 defining the exhaust hole 118b.

[0101] The sealing parts 142, 144, and 145 may include a lower sealing part 144 provided on an outer surface of the third extension part 153, a pair of vertical sealing parts 142 supported by at least one of the other end of the outer plate 114 and the other end of the inner plate 170, and an upper sealing part 145 provided on an outer surface of the third accommodation plate 163.

[0102] Both ends of the pair of vertical sealing parts 142 may be respectively connected to the upper sealing part 145 and the lower sealing part 144, and thus, the sealing parts 142, 144, and 145 may surround the exhaust hole 118b.

[0103] The magnet part 143 may be provided, for example, inside the pair of vertical sealing parts 142, and may include a plurality of magnets disposed at regular intervals along a length direction of the vertical sealing part 142, but is not limited thereto, and may include magnets provided on at least one of the upper sealing part 145 or the lower sealing part 144.

[0104] Hereinafter, the latch part 150 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the duct connecting apparatus 100, in which the filter part P is mounted, so as to explain the latch part 150 of the duct connecting apparatus, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the duct connecting apparatus 100, in which the filter part P is not mounted, so as to explain the latch part 150 of the duct connecting apparatus 100.

[0105] The latch part 150 may be connected to the lower plate 117 as described above, and may include a third extension part 153 that supports the first extension part 151, a first extension part 151 that supports the second extension part 152, and a second extension part 152 that is supported by the first extension part 151 and has a predetermined inclination angle.

[0106] The filter part P may be seated and accommodated in a filter seating part 160 defined by the first accommodation plate 161, the second accommodation plate 162, the third accommodation plate 163, and the third extension part 153, i.e., the fourth accommodation plate 153.

[0107] The pair of second accommodation plates 162 may prevent the third line of the filter part P from being separated in any direction, and the pair of first accommodation plates 161, the third accommodation plates 163, and the fourth accommodation plates 153 may prevent the second line of the filter part P from being separated in any direction.

[0108] The filter seating part 160 may be spaced a certain distance from the filter part P for smoothly accommodating the filter part P and maintain a tolerance between the filter parts P.

[0109] When the duct connecting apparatus 100 is mounted on the casing 10, the first extension part 151 may extend over the lower portion of the edge 13b defining the inlet 13a, and the second extension part 152 may inserted into the casing 10 beyond the inlet 13a.

[0110] Thus, the self-weight of the duct connecting device 100 may be supported by the latch part 150. In addition, the other surface of each of the sealing parts 142, 144, and 145 may be in close contact with a peripheral area of the inlet 13a.

[0111] One end of the first extension part 151 and one surface of each of the sealing parts 142, 144, and 145 may be disposed on the edge defining the exhaust hole 118b, and a thickness L1 of each of the sealing parts 142, 144, and 145 may be less than a distance L2 between one end and the other end of the first extension part 151. Thus, the other end of the first extension part 151 may be disposed to protrude further from the housing 110 than the other end of each of the sealing parts 142, 144, and 145.

[0112] When the duct connecting apparatus 100 is mounted on the casing 10, the other surface of each of the sealing parts 142, 144, and 145 and the peripheral area of the inlet 13a may be in contact with each other. Here, the second extension part 152 may be disposed inside the inlet 13a, and the other end of the first extension part 151 may be supported by being mounted on the lower portion of the edge 13b defining the inlet 13a. One end of the first extension part 151 may not be supported by the lower portion of the edge 13b because the sealing parts 142, 144, and 145, each of which has the constant thickness L1, interfere with the edge 13b. Thus, the first extension part 151 may be pushed in an upward direction D2.

[0113] When force pushing the first extension part 151 in the upward direction D2 is applied to the other end of the first extension part 151, a connection point between the first extension part 151 and the third extension part 153 may receive force that tends to rotate in a clockwise direction with respect to FIG. 7.

[0114] One end of the third extension part 153 may move in an inward direction D1 by the rotating force to press the filter part P.

[0115] Thus, rattling due to the tolerance between the filter seating part 160 and the filter part P may be prevented. Particularly, it is effective in preventing the filter part P from rattling due to eddy current generated in the internal space of the housing 110 when the external air is introduced.

[0116] When the duct connecting apparatus 100 is attached to the casing 10, the second extension part 152 may be disposed to be inclined downward toward the inside of the casing 10. Thus, the duct connecting apparatus 100 may be strongly pressed against the casing 10, and additional pressing force may be obtained in addition to the pressing force of the magnet part 143.

[0117] Hereinafter, an operation of attaching the duct connecting apparatus 100 to the casing 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10. FIGS. 8 to 10 are views for explaining an operation of mounting the duct connecting apparatus 100 in the air conditioner 1.

[0118] Referring to FIGS. 8 to 10, the duct connecting apparatus 100 may be spaced apart from the casing 10 of the air conditioner 1 as illustrated in FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B.

[0119] As illustrated in FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B, the user may place the duct connecting apparatus 100 so that the upper plate 116 is disposed above the lower plate 117, and also, the second extension part 152 is disposed to be inclined downward toward the casing 10, and thus, the second extension part 152 may be inserted into the inlet 13a.

[0120] The self-weight of the duct connecting apparatus 100 may be applied to the lower portion of the edge 13b defining the inlet 13a, and considerable force due to the self-weight of the duct connecting apparatus 100 may be applied upward to a bottom surface of the second extension part 152.

[0121] As the second extension part 152 is disposed to be inclined downward toward the casing 10, the duct connecting apparatus 100 may move toward the casing 10 without any additional force from the user.

[0122] When moving by a certain distance, one side of the lower sealing part 144 may be in contact with the outer surface of the casing 10, and the user may rotate the duct connecting apparatus 100 in a counterclockwise direction with respect to FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B by using one side of the lower sealing part 144 as a center.

[0123] The duct connecting apparatus 100 may be finally provided so that the coupling part 141 is in contact with the outer surface of the casing 10 as illustrated in FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B.

[0124] The duct connecting apparatus 100 may have a lower portion of the edge 13b defining the inlet port 13a at the other end of the first extension part 151 due to the thickness of each of the sealing part 142, 144, and 145, and thus, the upward force may be applied.

[0125] A point at which the first extension part 151 and the third extension part 153 are connected to each other may receive force rotating in the clockwise direction, and thus, the third extension part 153 may move to press the filter part P.

[0126] As described above, the embodiments of the inventive concept may have the following effects.

[0127] First, according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the duct connecting apparatus may be easily mounted in the air conditioner.

[0128] Second, according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the filter may be easily mounted in the duct connecting apparatus and firmly supported.

[0129] While the embodiments of the inventive concept have been described with reference to the specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. A duct connecting apparatus that connects a duct to an inlet of an air conditioner, the duct connecting apparatus comprising:

a housing provided with an intake hole communicating with the duct and a discharge hole communicating with the inlet;

a latch part provided on a lower end of the housing and configured to be seated and mounted on a lower edge of an edge defining the inlet; and

a coupling part provided on the housing and configured to detachably couple the housing to an outer surface of the air conditioner.

2. The duct connecting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the latch part comprises:

a first extension part provided on a lower edge of an edge defining the exhaust hole and provided to protrude in a direction away from the housing; and

a second extension part extending to be inclined downward from the first extension part in the direction away from the housing.

3. The duct connecting apparatus of claim 2, wherein the latch part further comprises a third extension part extending upward from a bottom surface of the housing to define a lower edge of the exhaust hole and configured to support the first extension part.

4. The duct connecting apparatus of claim 3, wherein, in the housing, a pair of first accommodation plates extending in a direction that intersects a virtual line interconnecting the intake hole to the exhaust hole are provided inside the housing,
wherein each of the pair of first accommodation plates is spaced a predetermined distance from the third extension part toward the intake hole so that a filter part is accommodated between the first accommodation plate and the third extension part.

5. The duct connecting apparatus of claim 4, wherein the housing is provided with a pair of second accommodation plates defining both edges of the edge defining the exhaust hole and disposed to face each other,
wherein the pair of second accommodation plates are configured to provide a filter seating part, in which the filter part is accommodated, together with the third extension part and the pair of first accommodation plates.

6. The duct connecting apparatus of claim 3, wherein the coupling part comprises:

one surface coupled to the edge defining the exhaust hole; and

the other surface disposed opposite to the one surface and being in contact with a peripheral area of the inlet, and

the first extension part comprises:

one end coupled to the lower edge of the edge defining the exhaust hole; and

the other end provided opposite to the one end,

wherein the other end of the first extension part is spaced farther from the edge of the exhaust hole than the outer surface of the coupling part in the direction away from the housing.

7. The duct connecting apparatus of claim 6, wherein the coupling part comprises one or more magnets.

8. The duct connecting apparatus of claim 6, wherein the coupling part comprises:

a magnet part comprising one or more magnets; and

a sealing part configured to seal the exhaust hole from the outside.

9. The duct connecting apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first extension part is elastically supported by the third extension part.

10. An air conditioner comprising:

a casing provided with an inlet and an outlet;

a heat exchanger provided inside the casing and configured to heat-exchanged with external air introduced through the inlet;

a blower fan through which the external air is introduced through the inlet, and the heat-exchanged external air is exhausted through the outlet; and

a duct connecting apparatus configured to connect a duct to the inlet of the air conditioner,

wherein the duct connecting apparatus comprises:

a housing provided with an intake hole communicating with the duct and a discharge hole communicating with the inlet;

a latch part provided on a lower end of the housing and configured to be seated and mounted on a lower edge of an edge defining the inlet; and

a coupling part provided on the housing and configured to detachably couple the housing to an outer surface of the air conditioner.

Drawing