# US 9,752,816 B2 · Indoor unit for air conditioner > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,752,816 B2 - Document ID: US9752816B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/276,150 - Filed: 2014-05-13 - Published: 2014-11-27 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2013-05-24 - Assignees: LG Electronics Inc. - Applicants: LG Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Soonchul Hwang; Sanghyuk Son; Jaeyoung Kim - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9752816B2 ## CPC - F25D 17/06: by forced circulation - F04D 29/4253: {with axial entry and discharge} - F24F 1/0011: characterised by air outlets - F24F 1/0022: Centrifugal or radial fans - F24F 1/0063: by the mounting or arrangement of the heat exchangers - F24F 13/28: Arrangement or mounting of filters - F25D: REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (refrigerated showcases A47F3/04; thermally-insulated vessels for domestic use A47J41/00; refrigerated vehicles, see the appropriate subclasses of classes B60 - B64; containers with thermal insulation in general B65D81/38; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants, or materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion C09K5/00; thermally-insulated vessels for liquefied or solidified gases F17C; air-conditioning or air-humidification F24F; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B; cooling of instruments or comparable apparatus without refrigeration G12B) - F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02) - F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02) ## Abstract Provided is an indoor unit for an air conditioner. The indoor unit for the air conditioner includes a case having at least one suction hole, a heat exchanger disposed at a side of the suction hole, a fan rotatably disposed at a discharge side of the heat exchanger, a front panel coupled to a front portion of the case, the front panel including a discharge part, a discharge panel disposed on the discharge part, and a guide device disposed to surround the fan, the guide device having a curved surface for guiding air discharged from the fan to the guide part. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An indoor unit for an air conditioner, the indoor unit comprising: a case having at least one suction part; a heat exchanger disposed in the case; a fan disposed between the heat exchanger and a front portion of the case; a front panel disposed at the front portion of the case, the front panel comprising a panel opening; a discharge panel disposed at the panel opening, and a discharge part disposed between the front panel and the discharge panel; a guide device disposed to surround the fan and having a curved surface for guiding air discharged from the fan to the discharge part; a panel supporter supporting the discharge panel so that the discharge panel is disposed within the opening; and a moving guide protruding from the front panel to guide movement of the discharge panel in a front or rear direction of the case, wherein at a rear end of the moving guide is disposed a first stopper that interferes with the panel supporter in a state where the discharge panel moves backward, and at a front end of the moving guide is disposed a second stopper that interferes with the panel supporter in a state where the front panel moves forward. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The indoor unit according to claim 1, wherein the fan suctions the air in a rotation axis direction of the fan and discharges the air in a radial direction thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The indoor unit according to claim 1, wherein the suction part comprises at least one of a rear suction hole for suctioning the air from a rear side of the case and a side suction hole for suctioning the air from a side of the case. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The indoor unit according to claim 1, wherein the fan comprises: a hub; a shroud disposed to surround the hub; a plurality of blades disposed between the hub and the shroud and disposed in a circumferential direction of the hub; and a first suction hole disposed at the shroud. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The indoor unit according to claim 4, wherein the guide device comprises: a first guide device comprising a second suction hole communicating with the first suction hole of the fan and a bell mouth protruding along an edge of the second suction hole; and a second guide device including a first opening communicating with the second suction hole of the first guide device, and the curved surface extending from the first opening to surround the fan. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The indoor unit according to claim 5, wherein the second guide device further comprises a ruled surface extending linearly from an edge of the curved surface toward the discharge part. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The indoor unit according to claim 5, wherein the first opening of the second guide device has a size greater than that of the second suction hole of the first guide device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The indoor unit according to claim 7, wherein the second guide device comprises a coupling part at an edge of the first opening, the coupling part contacting a surface of the first guide device to prevent the air from leaking between the first guide device and the second guide device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The indoor unit according to claim 1, wherein the discharge part is disposed in an outer region of the discharge panel and in an entire region of the panel opening. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The indoor unit according to claim 1, wherein the discharge panel comprises a guide protrusion protruding from the discharge panel toward the fan to guide the air to the discharge part. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The indoor unit according to claim 1, further comprising: a driving motor providing a driving force to the fan; and a moving motor allowing the discharge panel to be movable in the front or rear direction of the case. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The indoor unit according to claim 11, further comprising: a motor shaft coupled to the moving motor; a pinion gear coupled to the motor shaft; and a rack gear interlocked with the pinion gear, the rack gear coupled to the discharge panel. ### Claim 13 An indoor unit for an air conditioner, the indoor unit comprising: a case having a suction part for suctioning air from a rear portion thereof; a heat exchanger disposed in the case; a fan comprising a plurality of blades that suctions the air to pass through the heat exchanger in an axis direction of the fan and discharge the air in a radial direction thereof; a front panel disposed at a front portion of the case and having a panel opening; a discharge panel disposed at the panel opening, and a discharge part disposed between the front panel and the discharge panel; a first guide device disposed between the fan and the heat exchanger and having a second suction hole for guiding inflow of the air into the fan; and a second guide device having a curved portion and a ruled portion, which directs a flow direction of the air discharged from the fan towards the discharge part, wherein the second guide device comprises: a first guide surface formed on an inner surface of the curved portion extending roundly from a rear portion of the fan toward a front portion of the fan; and a second guide surface formed on an inner surface of the ruled portion extending in an axial direction from the curved surface toward the discharge part, wherein the air discharged in the radial direction of the fan is discharged toward the front portion of the case through the discharge part along the first guide surface and the second guide surface. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The indoor unit according to claim 13, wherein the second guide device comprises a hemispherical shape. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The indoor unit according to claim 13, wherein the second guide device comprises a coupling part contacting one surface of the first guide device, which is defined outside the second suction hole of the first guide device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The indoor unit according to claim 13, wherein the fan comprises: a hub; a shroud disposed to surround the hub; the plurality of blades disposed between the hub and the shroud and disposed in a circumferential direction of the hub; and a first suction hole disposed in the shroud. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The indoor unit according to claim 13, wherein the discharge panel is movable in a front or rear direction of the case so that the discharge part varies in size according to a position of the discharge panel with respect to the case. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The indoor unit according to claim 17, further comprising a moving motor for allowing the discharge panel to move.