Indoor unit of an air conditioner

Abstract

A door cover assembly closes a front discharge port when a fan assembly is not operated and allows the door cover assembly to move out of the front discharge port, and the front discharge port opens when the fan assembly is operated, and a fan housing assembly can protrude out of a door assembly by means of an actuator when the front discharge port is opened.

1 . An air conditioner comprising:
 a case defining a suction inlet and a discharge outlet to communicate an inner space with an indoor space;   a fan housing disposed in the inner space and comprising a fan disposed therein to induce airflow;   a grille that guides the air, which flows by the fan, out through the discharge outlet; and   a steering assembly configured to tile the grille,   wherein the suction inlet, the discharge outlet, the fan housing, the grille, and the steering assembly are arranged on a straight line extending in a front-rear direction,   wherein the fan housing is disposed between the inlet and the outlet,   wherein the grille is disposed in front of the fan housing, and   wherein the at least a part of steering assembly is disposed between the grille and the fan housing.   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the grille is located behind the discharge outlet with the fan not operating. 
     
     
         3 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein a front end of the grille is located in front of the discharge outlet with the fan operating. 
     
     
         4 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the steering assembly is installed to a structure of the fan housing. 
     
     
         5 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , further comprising a fan motor disposed in front of the fan housing to drive the fan. 
     
     
         6 . The air conditioner of  claim 5 , wherein the fan housing comprises:
 a rear fan housing defining a fan inlet; and   a front fan housing disposed in front of the rear fan housing,   wherein the fan is disposed between the front fan housing and the rear fan housing, and   wherein the fan motor is disposed in front of the front fan housing.   
     
     
         7 . The air conditioner of  claim 6 , wherein the grille is located in front of the front fan housing. 
     
     
         8 . The air conditioner of  claim 6 , wherein the grille is located in front of the fan motor. 
     
     
         9 . The air conditioner of  claim 6 , wherein at least a part of the steering assembly is located between the grille and the front fan housing. 
     
     
         10 . The air conditioner of  claim 9 , further comprising a steering base coupled to the front fan housing, and
 wherein the steering assembly is installed on the steering base.   
     
     
         11 . The air conditioner of  claim 6 , wherein the steering assembly is installed to a structure of the front fan housing. 
     
     
         12 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein a central axis of the fan housing and a central axis of the grille are located on a central axis that penetrates a center of the outlet in the front-rear direction. 
     
     
         13 . The air conditioner of  claim 12 , wherein the steering assembly steers the grille with respect to the central axis. 
     
     
         14 . The air conditioner of  claim 12 , wherein the steering assembly is configured to tile the grille with a center of the grille positioned on the central axis. 
     
     
         15 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the case comprises:
 a cabinet assembly defining the suction inlet and forming the inner space, the suction inlet being formed on a rear surface of the cabinet assembly; and   a front panel disposed in front of the cabinet assembly and defining the discharge outlet.   
     
     
         16 . The air conditioner of  claim 15 , wherein, with the fan not operating, a front end of the grille and a front end of the fan housing are located behind the front panel, and
 wherein, with the fan operating, the front end of the grille is located in front of the outlet, and the front end of the fan housing is located within the front panel.