Air conditioner and method for removing filter module of air conditioner

Abstract

An air conditioner may include: a body including a heat exchanger and a blow fan, and a panel assembled with a lower portion of the body, wherein the panel may include: a panel frame assembled with the body and including an inlet through which air flows into the body and an outlet through which air is discharged to outside of the body; a filter module including at least one dust collecting filter positioned in the inlet and configured to collect a foreign material in air received through the inlet, and a support frame supporting the dust collecting filter and assembled with the panel frame to be downwardly detachable; and a cover grill covering the inlet with which the filter module is assembled, the cover grill being detachably assembled with the panel frame.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air conditioner comprising:
 a body including a heat exchanger and a blow fan; and a panel configured to be assembled with a lower portion of the body,   wherein the panel comprises:   a panel frame configured to be assembled with the body and including an inlet through which air is configured to flow into the body and an outlet through which air is configured to be discharged to outside of the body;   a filter module including at least one dust collecting filter positioned in the inlet and configured to collect a foreign material in air received through the inlet, and a support frame configured to support the dust collecting filter and configured to be assembled with the panel frame to be downwardly detachable; and   a cover grill covering the inlet with which the filter module is configured to be assembled, the cover grill being detachably assembled with the panel frame.   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioner  1  of  claim 1 , wherein
 the support frame comprises 
 a first frame extending in a first direction, and a second frame extending from both ends of the first frame in a second direction intersecting the first direction, 
 the second frame including a guide portion configured to guide the dust collecting filter to be inserted into or separated from the second frame along the second direction from below. 
 
     
     
         3 . The air conditioner of  claim 2 , wherein
 the dust collecting filter includes a first guide protrusion positioned at both ends in the first direction, and   the guide portion includes a first guide groove into which the first guide protrusion is configured to be inserted, the first guide groove configured to guide a movement path of the first guide protrusion.   
     
     
         4 . The air conditioner of  claim 3 , wherein
 the dust collecting filter includes a first side configured to receive air and a second side opposite to the first side and configured to discharge air, and   a distance between the first guide protrusion and the first side is greater than a distance between the first guide protrusion and the second side.   
     
     
         5 . The air conditioner of  claim 3 , wherein
 the guide portion is detachably assembled with the support frame.   
     
     
         6 . The air conditioner of  claim 2 , wherein
 the first frame includes:   a fixing support portion fixed to the panel frame by a fixing member comprising a fastener configured to be assembled from below, and   the second frame includes:   a temporary support portion detachably assembled with the panel frame and configured to inhibit the support frame from falling based on the fixing member being separated.   
     
     
         7 . The air conditioner of  claim 2 , wherein
 the body includes a controller comprising circuitry at least a portion of which overlaps the inlet.   
     
     
         8 . The air conditioner of  claim 7 , wherein
 the support frame further comprises:   a third frame configured to support a deodorizing filter configured to absorb a chemical material and overlapping the controller in a vertical direction,   the third frame including a structure configured to be movable to a first position overlapping the controller in the vertical direction and to a second position not overlapping the controller in the vertical direction.   
     
     
         9 . The air conditioner of  claim 8 , wherein
 the third frame is configured to perform a rotational movement on a rotation shaft positioned in the first frame.   
     
     
         10 . The air conditioner of  claim 9 , wherein
 the third frame includes a temporary fixing portion configured to provide a threshold torque for the rotational movement at the first position, and   the temporary fixing portion is configured to be hook-coupled to the first frame at the first position to inhibit the third frame from rotating by an own weight thereof.   
     
     
         11 . The air conditioner of  claim 8 , wherein
 the third frame is configured to be movable with respect to the first frame along the first direction.   
     
     
         12 . The air conditioner of  claim 11 , wherein
 the first frame includes a second guide groove extending in the first direction, and   a second guide protrusion protruding in the second direction from an end of the third frame penetrating the second guide groove and connected to a head having a greater width than a width of the second guide groove.   
     
     
         13 . The air conditioner  1  of  claim 1 , wherein
 the dust collecting filter includes an electronic dust collecting filter configured to collect a foreign material using an electrostatic force. 
 
     
     
         14 . The air conditioner of  claim 13 , wherein
 the support frame is configured to accommodate a wire electrically connected to the dust collecting filter.   
     
     
         15 . A method of detaching a filter module including a dust collecting filter and a support frame from a panel assembled with a lower portion of a body of an air conditioner configured to be mounted on a ceiling, the method comprising:
 opening an inlet by moving a position of a cover grill positioned below the panel;   separating the dust collecting filter positioned in the inlet;   removing a fixing member assembled with a fixing support portion of the support frame from below; and   separating a temporary support portion of the support frame from a panel frame.