Duct connecting apparatus and air conditioner having the same

Abstract

Provided is a duct connecting apparatus that is easily mounted on an air conditioner and an air conditioner including the same. The duct connecting apparatus that connects a duct to an inlet of an air conditioner includes a housing provided with an intake hole communicating with the duct and a discharge hole communicating with the inlet, a latch part provided on a lower end of the housing and configured to be seated and mounted on a lower edge of an edge defining the inlet, and a coupling part provided on the housing and configured to detachably couple the housing to an outer surface of the air conditioner.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A duct connecting apparatus that connects a duct to an inlet of an air conditioner, the duct connecting apparatus comprising:
 a housing provided with an intake hole communicating with the duct and a discharge hole communicating with the inlet;   a latch part provided on a lower end of the housing and configured to be seated and mounted on a lower edge of an edge defining the inlet; and   a coupling part provided on the housing and configured to detachably couple the housing to an outer surface of the air conditioner.   
     
     
         2 . The duct connecting apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the latch part comprises:
 a first extension part provided on a lower edge of an edge defining the exhaust hole and provided to protrude in a direction away from the housing; and   a second extension part extending to be inclined downward from the first extension part in the direction away from the housing.   
     
     
         3 . The duct connecting apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the latch part further comprises a third extension part extending upward from a bottom surface of the housing to define a lower edge of the exhaust hole and configured to support the first extension part. 
     
     
         4 . The duct connecting apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein, in the housing, a pair of first accommodation plates extending in a direction that intersects a virtual line interconnecting the intake hole to the exhaust hole are provided inside the housing,
 wherein each of the pair of first accommodation plates is spaced a predetermined distance from the third extension part toward the intake hole so that a filter part is accommodated between the first accommodation plate and the third extension part.   
     
     
         5 . The duct connecting apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the housing is provided with a pair of second accommodation plates defining both edges of the edge defining the exhaust hole and disposed to face each other,
 wherein the pair of second accommodation plates are configured to provide a filter seating part, in which the filter part is accommodated, together with the third extension part and the pair of first accommodation plates.   
     
     
         6 . The duct connecting apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the coupling part comprises:
 one surface coupled to the edge defining the exhaust hole; and   the other surface disposed opposite to the one surface and being in contact with a peripheral area of the inlet, and   the first extension part comprises:   one end coupled to the lower edge of the edge defining the exhaust hole; and   the other end provided opposite to the one end,   wherein the other end of the first extension part is spaced farther from the edge of the exhaust hole than the outer surface of the coupling part in the direction away from the housing.   
     
     
         7 . The duct connecting apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the coupling part comprises one or more magnets. 
     
     
         8 . The duct connecting apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the coupling part comprises:
 a magnet part comprising one or more magnets; and   a sealing part configured to seal the exhaust hole from the outside.   
     
     
         9 . The duct connecting apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the first extension part is elastically supported by the third extension part. 
     
     
         10 . An air conditioner comprising:
 a casing provided with an inlet and an outlet;   a heat exchanger provided inside the casing and configured to heat-exchanged with external air introduced through the inlet;   a blower fan through which the external air is introduced through the inlet, and the heat-exchanged external air is exhausted through the outlet; and   a duct connecting apparatus configured to connect a duct to the inlet of the air conditioner,   wherein the duct connecting apparatus comprises:
 a housing provided with an intake hole communicating with the duct and a discharge hole communicating with the inlet; 
 a latch part provided on a lower end of the housing and configured to be seated and mounted on a lower edge of an edge defining the inlet; and 
 a coupling part provided on the housing and configured to detachably couple the housing to an outer surface of the air conditioner.