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 defined by the case with an indoor space;   a door cover configured to open and close the discharge outlet;   a fan housing disposed in the inner space and comprising a fan disposed therein to induce airflow; and   a grille disposed on a side of the fan housing that faces the discharge outlet, and configured to control a discharge direction of air induced by the fan,   wherein after the door cover opens the outlet, the grille move forward such that a front end of the grille protrudes further forward than a front surface of the case.   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the grille moves linearly forward. 
     
     
         3 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the door cover is inserted into the discharge outlet and closes the discharge outlet by providing a surface continuous with a front surface of the case. 
     
     
         4 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the door cover, in a state where the discharge outlet is closed, moves rearward by a predetermined distance and then moves vertically to open the discharge outlet. 
     
     
         5 . The air conditioner of  claim 4 , wherein the case comprises:
 a front panel defining the discharge outlet; and   a cabinet disposed behind the front panel, defining the suction inlet,   wherein the front panel and the cabinet define the inner space, and   wherein the door cover moves rearward of the outlet and then moves downward along an internal gap of the front panel to open the discharge outlet.   
     
     
         6 . The air conditioner of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a door cover housing disposed in the internal gap of the front panel, and configured to accommodate the door cover;   a door cover moving module disposed at rear side of the door cover, and configured to move the door cover in a front-rear direction; and   a door housing moving module configured to move the door cover housing vertically along the internal gap of the front panel in a state where the door cover is accommodated in the door cover housing.   
     
     
         7 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the grille is tilted in a state where a front end of the grille protrudes further forward than a front surface of the case. 
     
     
         8 . The air conditioner of  claim 7 , wherein, based on the grille being tilted to a maximum extent, a rear end of the grille is located behind the front surface of the case, and a front end of the grille is located in front of the discharge outlet. 
     
     
         9 . The air conditioner of  claim 7 , wherein, based on the grille being tilted to a maximum extent, a rear surface of the grille is located behind the front surface of the case, and a front surface of the grille is located in front of the discharge outlet. 
     
     
         10 . The air conditioner of  claim 7 , further comprising a steering assembly configured to immediately change the direction of the grille upward, downward, leftward, rightward, and in an arbitrary diagonal direction. 
     
     
         11 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein, based on the outlet being closed, the door cover is located in front of the grille. 
     
     
         12 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein, in a state where a front end of the grille protrudes further forward than a front surface of the case, the door cover is located below the grille.