Air conditioner

Abstract

An air conditioner includes a housing comprising an external panel defining an external appearance and having an opening formed at the external panel; a heat exchanger configured to exchange heat with air flowing into the housing; and an air discharge unit configured to discharge air heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger out of the housing. The air discharge unit includes a first discharge unit connected to the opening and discharging air; and a second discharge unit provided at the external panel and discharging air. A method of blowing heat-exchanged air may be changed in accordance with an environment of a user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air conditioner comprising:
 a housing;   a heat exchanger disposed in the housing;   a blower fan configured to blow the air heat-exchanged with the heat exchanger;   a duct provided around the blower fan to guide the air blown from the blower fan;   a flow path forming frame configured to form a flow path which is expanded compared to a flow path of the duct at a downstream side of the duct; and   a discharge plate configured to discharge the air blown from the blower fan and passing through the duct to the outside of the housing, the discharge plate configured to cover the flow path forming frame and comprising an opening openable by a door unit and a plurality of discharge holes configured to discharge air outward of the opening while connected to the expanded flow path.   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein the discharge plate forms the expanded flow path together with the flow path forming frame. 
     
     
         3 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein the expanded flow path comprises:
 a first discharge flow path connecting from the duct to the opening; and   a second discharge flow path connecting from the duct to the plurality of discharge holes.   
     
     
         4 . The air conditioner according to  claim 3 , wherein the air blown from the blower fan is discharged through one of the first discharge flow path and the second discharge flow path. 
     
     
         5 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein the flow path forming frame extends from the duct. 
     
     
         6 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein the opening is provided at a front side of the duct. 
     
     
         7 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein the air blown by the blower fan and passing through the duct flows through the expanded flow path when the opening is closed. 
     
     
         8 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein the opening and the discharge holes are formed together with the discharge plate forming an external appearance of the air conditioner. 
     
     
         9 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein the air blown from the blower fan is discharged through the opening when the opening is opened, and is discharged through the plurality of discharge holes when the opening is closed by the door unit. 
     
     
         10 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , further comprising a discharge guide disposed between the flow path forming frame and the discharge plate to guide air from the blower fan to the opening. 
     
     
         11 . The air conditioner according to  claim 10 , wherein the expanded flow path comprises:
 a first discharge flow path connecting from the duct to the opening; and   a second discharge flow path connecting from the duct to the plurality of discharge holes,   wherein the discharge guide comprises:   a guide body configured to form the first discharge flow path; and   a guide hole formed in the guide body to allow the air in the guide body to flow toward the second discharge flow path.   
     
     
         12 . The air conditioner according to  claim 11 , wherein a plurality of the guide holes are spaced apart from each other along a circumference of the guide body to discharge the air blown from the blower fan outward of the guide body. 
     
     
         13 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein the blower fan comprises a plurality of blower fans,
 the opening comprises a plurality of openings respectively corresponding to the plurality of blower fans, and   when at least one of the plurality of openings is closed, air flowing toward the closed opening is discharged through the plurality of discharge holes via the flow path.   
     
     
         14 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of discharge holes are distributed around the plurality of openings. 
     
     
         15 . An air conditioner comprising:
 a housing;   a heat exchanger disposed in the housing;   a blower fan configured to blow the air heat-exchanged with the heat exchanger to the outside of the housing;   a duct configured to guide the air blown from the blower fan;   a discharge plate configured to allow the air blown from the blower fan to be discharged to the outside of the housing, the discharge plate comprising an opening openable by a door unit and a plurality of discharge holes configured to discharge air outward of the opening; and   a flow path forming frame extending from the duct and configured to form an expanded flow path between the flow path forming frame and the discharge plate at an inner side of the discharge plate.   
     
     
         16 . The air conditioner according to  claim 15 , wherein the expanded flow path is a flow path that is expanded from a flow path formed inside the duct. 
     
     
         17 . The air conditioner according to  claim 15 , wherein the air blown from the blower fan and passing through the duct flows toward the opening when the opening is opened, and flows toward the plurality of discharge holes through the expanded flow path 
     
     
         18 . The air conditioner according to  claim 15 , wherein the expanded flow path comprises:
 a first discharge flow path connecting from the duct to the opening; and   a second discharge flow path connecting from the duct to the plurality of discharge holes.   
     
     
         19 . An air conditioner comprising:
 a housing;   a heat exchanger disposed in the housing   a blower fan disposed in the housing and configured to blow the air heat-exchanged with the heat exchanger to the outside of the housing;   a duct configured to guide the air blown from the blower fan;   a flow path forming frame provided at a downstream side of the duct and configured to limit a flow path of the air guided by the duct; and   a discharge plate configured to discharge the air blown from the blower fan to the outside of the housing, the discharge plate configured to form the flow path together with the flow path forming flame and comprising an opening openable by a door unit and a plurality of discharge holes configured to discharge air outward of the opening.   
     
     
         20 . The air conditioner according to  claim 19 , wherein the flow path forming frame extends from the duct.