Indoor unit of air conditioner

Abstract

An indoor unit of an air conditioner includes: a housing including an inlet, a first outlet, and a second outlet; a panel arranged inside the housing and having a guide hole configured to guide air, which is directed to the first outlet, to the second outlet; a blade configured to move between a first position in which the blade covers the first outlet and a second position in which the blade exposes the first outlet; and a door connected to the blade and configured to move between a third position in which the door exposes the guide hole of the panel and a fourth position which in which the door covers the guide hole of the panel.

1 . An indoor unit of an air conditioner, the indoor unit comprising:
 a housing comprising an inlet, a first outlet, and a second outlet;   a panel arranged inside the housing and having a guide hole configured to guide air, which is directed to the first outlet, to the second outlet;   a blade configured to move between a first position in which the blade covers the first outlet and a second position in which the blade exposes the first outlet; and   a door connected to the blade and configured to move between a third position in which the door exposes the guide hole of the panel and a fourth position which in which the door covers the guide hole of the panel.   
     
     
         2 . The indoor unit of  claim 1 , wherein the door is further configured to:
 move to the third position, based on the blade being in the first position; and   move to the fourth position, based on the blade being in the second position.   
     
     
         3 . The indoor unit of  claim 2 , wherein the door comprises:
 a first guide rotatably coupled to the blade and configured to rotate about a first rotation axis; and   a second guide configured to rotate about a second rotation axis that is spaced apart from the first rotation axis.   
     
     
         4 . The indoor unit of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a link comprising a first arm coupled to the second guide of the door, and a second arm provided to form the second rotation axis.   
     
     
         5 . The indoor unit of  claim 4 , wherein the second arm of the link is fixed to the housing. 
     
     
         6 . The indoor unit of  claim 3 , wherein the first guide is further configured to rotate in a first direction; and
 wherein the second guide is further configured to rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction.   
     
     
         7 . The indoor unit of  claim 6 , wherein the first guide is further configured to move upward as the first guide rotates in the first direction; and
 wherein the second guide is further configured to move downward as the second guide rotates in the second direction.   
     
     
         8 . The indoor unit of  claim 3 , wherein the second guide is above the first guide, based on the blade being in the first position, and
 wherein the second guide is below the first guide, based on the blade being in the second position.   
     
     
         9 . The indoor unit of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a gear assembly configured to transmit power from the blade to the door,   wherein the gear assembly comprises:   a first gear formed on the blade; and   a second gear formed on the door and engaged with the first gear.   
     
     
         10 . The indoor unit of  claim 9 , wherein the first gear is configured to rotate in a first direction; and
 wherein the second gear is configured to rotate in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.   
     
     
         11 . The indoor unit of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a motor configured to supply a rotational force to the blade.   
     
     
         12 . The indoor unit of  claim 2 , wherein the blade has a plurality of first discharge holes,
 wherein the housing has a plurality of second discharge holes, and   wherein, based on the blade being in the first position, air inside the housing is configured to flow through the plurality of first discharge holes and the plurality of second discharge holes.   
     
     
         13 . The indoor unit of  claim 2 , wherein, based on a cooling operation ending or a defrosting operation starting, the blade is in the first position and air inside the housing is discharged through the second outlet. 
     
     
         14 . The indoor unit of  claim 1 , wherein the door comprises:
 a door body configured to move between a position exposing the guide hole and a position covering the guide hole; and   a plurality of bridges connecting the door body to the blade.   
     
     
         15 . The indoor unit of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises:
 an intake panel provided to form the inlet; and   a cover panel provided to form the first outlet and the second outlet.   
     
     
         16 . An indoor unit of an air conditioner, the indoor unit comprising:
 a housing comprising an inlet, a first outlet, and a second outlet separate from the first outlet;   a blade having a plurality of discharge holes and configured to move between a first position in which the blade covers the first outlet to guide air discharged through the first outlet, and a second position in which the blade exposes the first outlet;   a panel having a guide hole configured to guide air, which is directed to the first outlet, to flow to the second outlet; and   a door configured to move to a third position in which the door exposes the guide hole and a fourth position in which the door covers the guide hole,   wherein, based on the blade being in the second position, the door is the fourth position covering the guide hole so that air, which is directed to the first outlet, is prevented from being discharged through the second outlet by passing through the guide hole, and   wherein, based on the blade being in the first position, the door is in the third position exposing the guide hole so that air, which is directed to the first outlet, is discharged through the plurality of discharge holes of the blade and the second outlet.   
     
     
         17 . An indoor unit of an air conditioner, the indoor unit comprising:
 a housing comprising an inlet, a first outlet, and a second outlet;   a panel inside the housing and having a guide hole configured to allow the first outlet and the second outlet to communicate with each other,   a blade configured to move to expose or cover the first outlet; and   a door connected to the blade and configured to, based on the first outlet being covered by the blade, expose the guide hole so that air inside the housing passes through the guide hole and is discharged through the second outlet.