Air management apparatus

Abstract

An air management apparatus including an air discharge module that is selectively mounted to a main body. A desired air discharge module is mounted to the main body so that air is discharged in various ways. Accordingly, the air management apparatus allows a user to customize an air discharge method to suit an environment where the air management apparatus is used or customized to the user's preference.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air management apparatus comprising:
 a main body comprising:
 a main body housing, the main body housing defining at least a part of an exterior of the main body; 
 an air inlet located on the main body housing; 
 a driving fan configured to draw air from an indoor space through the air inlet of the main body housing and discharge the air back to the indoor space; 
 a heat exchanger; and 
 an airflow guide; and 
   an air discharge module comprising an outlet, the outlet being configured to discharge the drawn air to the indoor space, the air discharge module being separably coupled to the main body.   
     
     
         2 . The air management apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the main body further comprises:
 a main body chassis, at least a portion of the main body chassis being located in the main body housing, the driving fan and the heat exchanger being located in the main body chassis; and   a first flow guide provided in the main body chassis, the first flow guide being configured to guide the air drawn by the driving fan.   
     
     
         3 . The air management apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the air discharge module further comprises:
 a second flow guide connected to the first flow guide, the second flow guide being configured to guide the air drawn by the driving fan to the outlet;   a flow connection piece; and   a second rib, the flow connection piece and the second rib being provided at a portion where the first flow guide and the second flow guide are connected to each other, the flow connection piece and the second rib contacting each other to overlap by a predetermined width.   
     
     
         4 . The air management apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the flow connection piece comprises:
 a first rib; and   an extension rib, the extension rib being connected orthogonally to the first rib.   
     
     
         5 . The air management apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the main body further comprises a first contact point guide extending downward, the first contact point guide comprising:
 a guide groove open toward the air discharge module; and   a first contact point located in the guide groove,   wherein the air discharge module further comprises:   a second contact point guide; and   a second contact point, and   wherein the second contact point is configured to be brought into contact with the first contact point when the second contact point guide is placed on the guide groove of the first contact point guide to establish an electrical connection between the main body and the air discharge module.   
     
     
         6 . The air management apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the second contact point guide has a dome shape and is made of an elastically deformable material. 
     
     
         7 . The air management apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the main body further comprises a stabilizer configured to guide the air drawn by the driving fan, and
 wherein the air discharge module further comprises a third rib protruding in a vertical direction, the third rib contacting a downstream portion of the stabilizer.   
     
     
         8 . The air management apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the main body further comprises a locking step provided adjacent to a corner of an inner surface of the main body housing, and
 wherein the air discharge module further comprises a mounting hook, the mounting hook including a caught step configured to be coupled to the locking step.   
     
     
         9 . The air management apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the locking step and the caught step extend lengthwise in a front-rear direction of the main body, the locking step and the caught step being configured to be coupled to and separated from each other by relative linear movement between the air discharge module and the main body. 
     
     
         10 . The air management apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein an edge of a lower surface of the main body comprises one of a magnet or a magnetic material,
 wherein an edge of an upper surface of the air discharge module corresponding to the edge of the lower surface of the main body comprises the other of the magnet or the magnetic material.   
     
     
         11 . The air management apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein magnet is provided at the main body, and the magnetic material is provided at the air discharge module. 
     
     
         12 . The air management system of  claim 10 , wherein the magnet is an electromagnet or a permanent magnet. 
     
     
         13 . An air management system comprising:
 a main body comprising:
 a main body housing, the main body housing defining at least a part of an exterior of the main body; 
 an air inlet located on the main body housing; 
 a driving fan configured to draw air from an indoor space through the air inlet of the main body housing and discharge the air back to the indoor space; 
 a heat exchanger; and 
 an airflow guide; and 
   at least two air discharge modules, each air discharge module comprising an outlet, the outlet being configured to discharge the drawn air to the indoor space when coupled to the main body, each air discharge module being separably coupled to the main body, wherein each discharge module is configured to discharge air.   
     
     
         14 . The air management system of  claim 13 , wherein a first air discharge module of the at least two air discharge modules comprises two vanes configured to variably control a vertical direction of the discharged air. 
     
     
         15 . The air management system of  claim 14 , wherein a second air discharge module of the at least two air discharge modules comprises:
 a front surface outlet located on a front surface of the second air discharge module, the front surface outlet being configured to direct the discharged air to a front of the main body; and   a lower surface outlet located on a lower surface of the second air discharge module, the lower surface outlet being configured to direct the discharged air vertically downward.   
     
     
         16 . The air management system of  claim 15 , wherein a third air discharge module of the at least two air discharge modules comprises an outlet located at a lower portion of a front surface of the third air discharge module, the outlet being configured to direct the discharged air to a lower front of the main body. 
     
     
         17 . The air management system of  claim 13 , wherein the main body further comprises a locking step provided adjacent to a corner of an inner surface of the main body housing, and
 wherein each air discharge module further comprises a mounting hook, the mounting hook including a caught step configured to be coupled to the locking step.   
     
     
         18 . The air management system of  claim 17 , wherein the locking step and the caught step extend lengthwise in a front-rear direction of the main body, the locking step and the caught step being configured to be coupled to and separated from each other by relative linear movement between each air discharge module and the main body. 
     
     
         19 . The air management system of  claim 18 , wherein an edge of a lower surface of the main body comprises one of a magnet or a magnetic material,
 wherein an edge of an upper surface of each air discharge module corresponding to the edge of the lower surface of the main body comprises the other of the magnet or the magnetic material.   
     
     
         20 . The air management system of  claim 19 , wherein the magnet is provided at the main body, and the magnetic material is provided at each air discharge module.