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Samsung patents air conditioner part that stops refrigerant leaks from reaching wires

Samsung has been granted a patent for a specific design of the outdoor box of an air conditioner. The design includes a protective cover around the path where electrical cables enter the unit. This cover is meant to block refrigerant gas from flowing along the cables if a pipe inside the unit leaks.

Why it mattersThis is a routine mechanical improvement that aims to protect sensitive electrical components from damage during a refrigerant leak.

In the filing’s own words

The present disclosure relates to an air conditioner including an indoor unit and an outdoor unit connected to the outdoor unit. The outdoor unit includes: an outdoor unit housing and a refrigerant pipe disposed inside the outdoor unit housing; case holes configured to allow a cable to pass through and electrical equipment cases disposed inside the outdoor unit housing; a cable guide disposed on a cable passage through which the cable passes toward the case holes, wherein the cable guide includes a guide body configured of cover the cable passage to block a leaked refrigerant from being introduced into the case holes along the cable passage when a refrigerant leaks from the refrigerant pipe. In addition, the cable guide includes a guide opening formed in the guide body to allow the cable to pass through, and a cable fixer including a fixer body coupled with the cable and inserted into the guide opening to fix the cable to the guide body and cover the guide opening.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner comprising: an outdoor unit housing; a refrigerant pipe disposed inside the outdoor unit housing; an electrical equipment case disposed inside the outdoor unit housing, the electrical equipment case being configured to enclose electrical equipment, and the electrical equipment case comprising case holes configured to allow a cable to pass through; a partition plate configured to partition the electrical equipment case from a space in which the refrigerant pipe is disposed, and to form a cable passage, through which the cable passes toward the case holes, between the partition plate and a part of the outdoor unit housing; and a cable guide disposed on the cable passage, wherein the cable guide comprises: a guide body configured to cover the cable passage to block refrigerant from being introduced into the case holes along the cable passage when refrigerant leaks from the refrigerant pipe; a guide opening formed in the guide body to allow the cable to pass through; and a cable fixer comprising a fixer body coupled with the cable and inserted into the guide opening and configured to fix the cable to the guide body and cover the guide opening.

Facts

Company
Samsung (Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.)
Official title
Outdoor unit of air conditioner and air conditioner including the same
Patent number
US12736234B2
Application number
18767867
Filed
Jul 9, 2024
Granted
Sep 15, 2026
Inventors
6
Claims
20

Classified under

F24F 1/22 Mechanical engineering
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.