WO2024065928A1 - Outdoor unit and air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

An outdoor unit (100) and an air conditioner. The outdoor unit (100) comprises a housing (110) and a flexible connection component (130), wherein flexible connection component (130) is used for connecting the outdoor unit (100) and an indoor unit. A storage structure (120) is provided in the housing (110), and the storage structure (120) can store at least part of the flexible connection component (130).

Description

Outdoor unit and air conditioner

Related Applications

This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202211194014.2 filed on September 28, 2022 and No. 202222617737.0 filed on September 28, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application.

Technical Field

The present application relates to the technical field of air-conditioning equipment, and in particular to an outdoor unit and an air conditioner.

Background technique

In order to facilitate the installation of the existing split-type mobile air conditioner and meet the installation distance in different scenarios, the piping connecting the indoor unit and the outdoor unit needs to be of sufficient length during installation. After the installation is completed, the length of the piping will be redundant. The redundant piping is exposed and stacked outside the air conditioner body, which not only affects the appearance, but also takes up space, is inconvenient to fix, and even affects the installation position of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, and is not convenient for the subsequent movement of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit. If a section of the piping is cut off, it involves the reconnection of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, which requires high operation requirements and often requires professionals to do it. It is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but also causes unnecessary economic waste.

Technical Solutions

The main purpose of this application is to propose an outdoor unit, which is intended to facilitate users to install and move the air conditioner.

To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the outdoor unit proposed in the present application is used in an air conditioner, the air conditioner also includes an indoor unit, and the outdoor unit includes:

a housing, wherein a storage structure is provided in the housing; and

A flexible connecting component, the flexible connecting component is used to connect the outdoor unit and the indoor unit;

The storage structure can store at least a portion of the flexible connection component.

In one embodiment, the shell has a detachably mounted side panel, and the storage structure is close to the side panel and is arranged relatively spaced from the side panel to form a storage space for storing the flexible connecting component.

In one embodiment, the storage structure includes a storage partition, the storage partition is installed in the shell, and the flexible connecting component is at least partially stored in the storage space.

In one embodiment, at least one blocking member is provided in the storage space, and after the side panel is removed, the blocking member can limit the flexible connection component from self-detaching from the storage partition.

In one embodiment, the blocking member is disposed on the storage partition; or,

The shell further comprises a front panel and a back panel, and the blocking member is formed by bending from the flange of the front panel and/or the back panel toward the storage space.

In one embodiment, a fixing clamp is provided on the storage partition, and the fixing clamp is used to fix the end of the flexible connection component to the storage partition.

In one embodiment, the storage partition is provided with an avoidance groove, and the avoidance groove avoids the wind wheel motor in the outdoor unit.

In one embodiment, at least a portion of the opening periphery of the avoidance groove is provided with a limiting flange.

In one embodiment, at least one limiting member is further provided on the storage partition, and the limiting member is located at a corner of the storage partition and is used to make the flexible connection component transition in an arc shape near the corner of the storage partition.

In one embodiment, the flexible connection component includes two refrigerant pipes and a connecting pipe sleeved on the two refrigerant pipes, and the refrigerant pipes connect the outdoor unit and the indoor unit.

In one embodiment, a connecting wire is further passed through the connecting pipe, and the connecting wire connects the indoor unit and the outdoor unit; and/or,

A drainage pipe is also provided in the connecting pipe.

In one embodiment, the connecting tube is configured as a heat shrink tube.

The present application also proposes an air conditioner, comprising an indoor unit and an outdoor unit as described above, wherein the flexible connecting component is connected to the indoor unit and the outdoor unit.

Beneficial Effects

The technical solution of the present application is to set a storage structure in the shell of the outdoor unit, and the storage structure can store at least part of the flexible connection parts. The flexible connection parts are at least partially stored in the shell, thereby reducing the situation where excess flexible connection parts are exposed and stacked outside the fuselage after installation. At the same time, users can also adjust the length of the flexible connection parts according to actual needs to meet the installation requirements in different scenarios and facilitate users to install and move the air conditioner. The flexible connection part is used to connect the indoor unit and the outdoor unit to ensure that the outdoor heat exchanger in the outdoor unit and the indoor heat exchanger in the indoor unit can work normally and circulate heat exchange.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying any creative work.

FIG1 is an exploded view of an outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible connection portion in the outdoor unit in FIG. 1 .

Description of Figure Numbers:

Label	Name	Label	Name
100	The outdoor unit	122	Blocking parts
110	Housing	123	Fixed card
111	Side panels	124	Avoidance slot
112	Back panel	125	Limited flange
113	Top plate	126	Limiting parts
114	Front panel	130	Flexible connection parts
115	Chassis	131	Refrigerant pipe
116	Mounting holes	132	Connecting pipe
120	Storage structure	133	Connecting wires
121	Storage partitions	134	Drain pipe

The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of this application will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Embodiments of the present invention

The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present application involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back...), such directional indications are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present application, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In addition, the meaning of "and/or" appearing in the full text is to include three parallel solutions, taking "A and/or B as an example", including solution A, or solution B, or solutions that satisfy both A and B. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in the field to implement. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by this application.

The present application proposes an outdoor unit 100 for an air conditioner, which also includes an indoor unit.

In the embodiment of the present application, as shown in Fig. 1, the outdoor unit 100 includes a housing 110 and a flexible connecting component 130, wherein the flexible connecting component 130 is used to connect the outdoor unit 100 and the indoor unit. A storage structure 120 is provided in the housing 110, and the storage structure 120 can store at least part of the flexible connecting component 130.

Specifically, the flexible connection component 130 is used to connect the indoor unit and the outdoor unit 100 to ensure that the outdoor heat exchanger in the outdoor unit 100 and the indoor heat exchanger in the indoor unit can work normally and circulate heat exchange. The split air conditioner in the prior art is difficult to install because it involves the assembly of the flexible connection component 130, and often requires professionals to come to install it. When the installation position or scene needs to be changed, professionals are also required to come to disassemble, move and assemble it. In order to meet the user's personal installation, it is necessary to assemble the flexible connection components 130 separately in advance, so that when the user installs, it is only necessary to fix the indoor unit and the outdoor unit 100 separately, reducing the installation difficulty and realizing the user's personal installation. In order to ensure that this split air conditioner meets the installation requirements of different scenes and the assembly requirements, the length of the flexible connection component 130 must be long enough. After the installation is completed, the length of the flexible connection component 130 will be redundant. The redundant flexible connection component 130 is exposed and stacked outside the fuselage, which not only affects the appearance, but also occupies space, is inconvenient to fix, and is not convenient for the subsequent movement of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit 100. If a section of the flexible connection component 130 is cut off, it involves the reconnection of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit 100, which requires high operation requirements and often requires professionals to do it. It is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but also causes unnecessary economic waste. Therefore, in this solution, a storage structure 120 is provided in the shell 110, and the storage structure 120 can store at least part of the flexible connection component 130. After the installation is completed, the user can adjust the length of the flexible connection component 130 as needed, and store the excess flexible connection component 130 on the storage structure 120, so as to hide the excess flexible connection component 130 in the shell 110 to improve the appearance. At the same time, the length of the flexible connection component 130 can also be adjusted according to actual needs, so as to meet the installation requirements in different scenarios, and facilitate users to install and move the air conditioner. And the flexible connection part is made of flexible materials such as rubber and plastic, and can be bent at a small angle, so that it can be coiled on the storage structure 120.

The technical solution of the present application is to set a storage structure 120 in the shell 110 of the outdoor unit 100, and the storage structure 120 can store at least part of the flexible connection component 130. In this way, the flexible connection component 130 is at least partially stored in the shell 110, thereby reducing the situation where excess flexible connection components 130 are exposed and stacked outside the fuselage after installation. At the same time, the user can also adjust the length of the flexible connection component 130 according to actual needs, so as to meet the installation requirements in different scenarios and facilitate the user to install and move the air conditioner. The flexible connection component 130 is used to connect the indoor unit and the outdoor unit 100 to ensure that the outdoor heat exchanger in the outdoor unit 100 and the indoor heat exchanger in the indoor unit can work normally and circulate heat exchange.

In one embodiment, the housing 110 has a detachably mounted side panel 111, and the storage structure 120 is close to the side panel 111 and is arranged at a relative interval with the side panel 111 to form a storage space for storing the flexible connection component 130. Specifically, the housing 110 also has a back panel 112, a top panel 113, a front panel 114, a chassis 115, etc., and the side panel 111 is detachably mounted on the back panel 112, the top panel 113, the front panel 114, and the chassis 115. In order to reduce the installation process and improve the sealing of the outdoor unit 100, at least two of the back panel 112, the top panel 113, the front panel 114, and the chassis 115 are integrally formed. In order to further facilitate the installation of the side panel 111, a flange facing the top panel 113 is formed on the top of the side panel 111, thereby increasing its installation area and improving the stability of the installation. The storage structure 120 is arranged relative to the side plate 111 at a distance, thereby dividing the space inside the housing 110 into two parts, one part is used for the installation of the air duct assembly and the indoor heat exchanger in the indoor unit. The other part forms a storage space to store the flexible connection component 130. The storage structure 120 is arranged close to the side plate 111, so that the flexible connection component 130 can be stored by opening the side plate 111, and then the side plate 111 is closed, so that the flexible connection component 130 is stored in the housing 110. The housing 110 is provided with a mounting hole 116, and the flexible connection component 130 is installed in the outdoor unit 100 through the mounting hole 116. In order to facilitate the installation of the flexible connection component 130, the mounting hole 116 is opened near the storage space, and in order not to interfere with the removal of the side plate 111, the mounting hole 116 is opened on the chassis 115 or the back plate 112. To facilitate insertion of the flexible connection component 130 , mounting holes 116 may be provided on both the side plate 111 and the bottom plate 115 , and the two mounting holes 116 are connected, thereby facilitating the flexible connection component 130 to extend into or be withdrawn from the storage space.

Referring again to FIG. 1 , in one embodiment, the storage structure 120 includes a storage partition 121, which is installed in the housing 110, and the flexible connection component 130 is at least partially stored in the storage space. Specifically, the storage partition 121 and the side plate 111 together form a storage space, and the flexible connection component 130 can be coiled on the storage partition 121. The storage partition 121 is installed in the housing 110, and the storage partition 121 is detachably installed. The storage partition 121 is fastened to the back plate 112 by the fastener, so that the storage partition 121 can be installed and removed according to actual needs, or the position of the storage partition 121 can be adjusted. The storage partition 121 can also be installed on the bottom plate 115, the top plate 113 or the front panel 114; or it can be integrally formed in the housing 110. The storage partition 121 can be made of non-metallic materials such as plastic, or metal materials such as iron and steel. Of course, in other embodiments, the storage structure 120 may also be a storage rack disposed in the housing 110, and the flexible connection component 130 is wound and fixed on the storage rack in a preset manner.

In order to ensure that the flexible connection component 130 can be stably stored in the storage space, in one embodiment, at least one blocking member 122 is provided in the storage space. After the side plate 111 is removed, the blocking member 122 can limit the flexible connection component 130 from self-detaching from the storage partition 121. Specifically, because the flexible connection component 130 is stored in the storage space, the storage partition 121 and the side plate 111 both support it. When the side plate 111 is removed, the flexible connection component 130 may slide out of the storage space; or during the storage process, the flexible connection component 130 is difficult to be directly fixed on the storage partition 121 due to the lack of the obstruction of the side plate 111. Therefore, the blocking member 122 is provided to provide a blocking effect on the self-detachment of the flexible connection component 130, so as to ensure that the flexible connection component 130 can be coiled on the storage partition 121 in a preset manner, thereby ensuring that the flexible connection component 130 can be stably stored in the storage space.

In one embodiment, the blocking member 122 is disposed on the storage partition 121. That is, a bending structure is extended from the storage partition 121 toward the side plate 111, and the flexible connecting member 130 is fixed on the bending structure. A hook may also be disposed on the storage partition 121 to hang the flexible connecting member on the storage partition 121.

In another embodiment, the housing 110 further has a front panel 114 and a back panel 112, and the blocking member 122 is formed by bending from the flange of the front panel 114 and/or the back panel 112 toward the storage space. Specifically, in order to reduce the space occupied by the storage structure 120 in the housing 110 and reduce the weight of the outdoor unit 100, the storage partition 121 is usually in the shape of a thin plate with limited strength. If the blocking member 122 is directly set on the storage partition 121, the storage partition 121 needs to fully bear the weight of the flexible connecting component 130 during the storage process, which may cause the storage partition 121 to bend. Therefore, the blocking member 122 is formed by bending from the flange of the front panel 114 and/or the back panel 112 toward the storage space, thereby sharing the load-bearing capacity of the storage partition 121 and reducing the possibility of the storage partition 121 bending. Moreover, the portion of the flexible connection component 130 located above the storage partition 121 has a greater impact on the storage when it is detached, so the storage structure 120 is arranged on the side close to the top plate 113, and the flanged bent portion also provides support for the side plate 111, thereby improving the strength of the side plate 111.

Referring to FIG. 1 again, a fixing clamp 123 is provided on the storage partition 121, and the fixing clamp 123 is used to fix the end of the flexible connection component 130 to the storage partition 121. Specifically, the fixing clamp 123 is generally arranged near the outdoor heat exchanger, because the flexible connection component 130 is mainly used to connect the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor unit, so the fixing clamp 123 fixes the flexible connection component 130 on the storage partition 121, so that during the storage process, the situation of a large displacement of the section where the flexible connection component 130 is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger is reduced, and the connection stability of the flexible connection component 130 and the outdoor heat exchanger is improved. The fixing clamp 123 can be a fixing ring fixed to the storage partition 121, or it can be enclosed with the storage partition 121 to form a fixing ring, and the flexible connection component 130 is inserted into the fixing ring, or it can be a buckle buckled on the storage partition 121, and the flexible connection component 130 is buckled and fixed on the storage partition 121.

In order to further compress the internal space of the outdoor unit 100, the storage partition 121 is usually arranged in the installation space between the wind rotor motor and the side plate 111. In order to avoid the wind rotor motor, the storage partition 121 is provided with an avoidance groove 124, and the avoidance groove 124 avoids the wind rotor motor in the outdoor unit 100. In this way, the internal space of the outdoor unit 100 is further saved, and the volume of the outdoor unit 100 remains unchanged while the flexible connection component 130 is stored in the storage space, which further facilitates the user's installation to meet different installation scenarios, especially small window scenarios.

In one embodiment, at least a portion of the opening periphery of the avoidance groove 124 is provided with a limiting flange 125. The limiting flange 125 provides a limit for the bending coil position of the flexible connection component 130 on the one hand, and prevents the flexible connection component 130 from accidentally sliding down to the avoidance groove 124, thereby affecting the operation of the wind turbine motor on the other hand.

In order to further facilitate the arrangement of the flexible connection component 130 in the storage space, at least one stopper 126 is provided on a storage partition 121, and the stopper 126 is located at the corner of the storage partition 121, and is used to make the flexible connection component 130 close to the corner of the storage partition 121 have an arc transition. Specifically, because the flexible connection component 130 needs to be bent according to the shape of the storage space and the storage partition 121, there is a situation where the flexible connection component 130 bends at a small angle, which not only affects the liquid flow in the flexible connection component 130, but also may cause the flexible connection component 130 to have a risk of breaking, which poses a safety hazard. Therefore, a stopper 126 is provided, and the stopper 126 is provided at the corner of the storage partition 121, so as to provide a buffering effect for the bending of the flexible connection component 130, so that it is transformed from a small-angle bending structure to a large-angle arc transition. When storing, the user only needs to bend the flexible connection part 130 along the bending direction of the limiter 126, which is convenient for the user to store and improves the fixing stability of the flexible connection part 130. The limiter 126 can be a limit cylinder, and the flexible connection part 130 is bent along the circumference of the limit cylinder, or it can be an arc-shaped limit stopper, and the flexible connection part is bent along the extension direction of the arc-shaped limit stopper.

For further convenience of storage for users, referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , in one embodiment, the flexible connecting component 130 includes two refrigerant pipes 131 and a connecting pipe 132 sleeved on the two refrigerant pipes 131, and the refrigerant pipe 131 connects the outdoor unit 100 and the indoor unit. The two refrigerant pipes 131 are used to connect the indoor unit and the outdoor unit 100, and are indispensable air-conditioning components. If the two refrigerant pipes 131 are stored separately, not only the storage process is increased, but also the storage space is increased. At the same time, there is the possibility that the two refrigerant pipes 131 are entangled with each other, which has installation hidden dangers, so the connecting pipe 132 is adopted, and the two refrigerant pipes 131 are inserted in the connecting pipe 132, so that the two refrigerant pipes 131 are stored as the same connecting pipe 132, which is not only convenient for subsequent storage, but also saves space, and is convenient for the installation and movement of the air conditioner.

In one embodiment, a connecting wire 133 is further inserted into the connecting pipe 132, and the connecting wire 133 connects the indoor unit and the outdoor unit 100. The connecting wire 133 is used to connect the indoor unit and the outdoor unit 100, and is an indispensable air conditioner component. The connecting wire 133 is also stored in the connecting pipe 132, thereby further facilitating subsequent storage, saving space, and facilitating the installation and movement of the air conditioner.

In another embodiment, the connecting wire 133 and the connecting pipe 132 are further provided with a drain pipe 134. The drain pipe 134 is also connected to the indoor unit and the outdoor unit 100, that is, the water discharged from the water receiving pan in the indoor unit is discharged into the outdoor heat exchanger in the outdoor unit 100 through the drain pipe 134. For example, in the cooling state, the surface temperature of the indoor heat exchanger is very low, and the water vapor in the air is liquefied into water droplets when encountering the indoor heat exchanger, and drips into the water receiving pan. At this time, the temperature of the water in the water receiving pan is very low, and the water is discharged to the outdoor heat exchanger by the drain pipe 134, which can further cool the outdoor heat exchanger, thereby reducing the air outlet temperature of the outdoor unit 100. At this time, the drain pipe 134 is also stored in the connecting pipe 132, so as to further facilitate subsequent storage, save space, and facilitate the installation and movement of the air conditioner. Among them, in other embodiments, the drain pipe 134 can also be directly connected to the outdoors to discharge the water in the indoor unit, and there is no need to store the drain pipe 134 separately.

In one embodiment, the connecting tube 132 is configured as a heat shrink tube. The following will take the two refrigerant tubes 131, the connecting wire 133 and the drain pipe 134 as an example for explanation, with reference to FIG. 2, during installation, for the convenience of installation, the inner diameter of the connecting tube 132 is greater than the sum of the outer diameters of the two refrigerant tubes 131, the connecting wire 133 and the drain pipe 134, thereby facilitating the assembly of the flexible connection part; because the connecting tube 132 is configured as a heat shrink tube, after heating, the connecting tube 132 shrinks, thereby tightening the two refrigerant tubes 131, the connecting wire 133 and the drain pipe 134 in the connecting tube 132, at this time, the inner diameter of the connecting tube 132 is less than or equal to the sum of the outer diameters of the two refrigerant tubes 131, the connecting wire 133 and the drain pipe 134, thereby reducing the diameter of the connecting tube 132 and reducing the occupied space. At the same time, the shrinkage of the connecting tube 132 makes the tube wall of the connecting tube 132 thicker, further improving the strength of the connecting tube 132.

The present application also proposes an air conditioner, which includes an indoor unit and an outdoor unit 100. The specific structure of the outdoor unit 100 refers to the above embodiment. Since the present air conditioner adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it at least has all the beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be described one by one here. Among them, the flexible connecting component 130 is connected to the indoor unit and the outdoor unit 100.

The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present application, and does not limit the patent scope of the present application. All equivalent structural changes made by using the contents of the present application specification and drawings under the inventive concept of the present application, or directly/indirectly applied in other related technical fields are included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims (13)

1. An outdoor unit is used for an air conditioner, the air conditioner also includes an indoor unit, wherein the outdoor unit includes:

   a housing, wherein a storage structure is provided in the housing; and

   A flexible connecting component, the flexible connecting component is used to connect the outdoor unit and the indoor unit;

   The storage structure can store at least a portion of the flexible connection component.
2. The outdoor unit according to claim 1, wherein the housing has a detachably mounted side panel, and the storage structure is close to the side panel and is spaced relative to the side panel to form a storage space for storing the flexible connecting component.
3. The outdoor unit according to claim 2, wherein the storage structure includes a storage partition, the storage partition is installed in the shell, and the flexible connecting component is at least partially stored in the storage space.
4. The outdoor unit according to claim 3, wherein at least one blocking member is provided in the storage space, and after the side panel is removed, the blocking member can limit the flexible connection member from self-detaching from the storage partition.
5. The outdoor unit according to claim 4, wherein the blocking member is disposed on the receiving partition; or

   The shell further comprises a front panel and a back panel, and the blocking member is formed by bending from the flange of the front panel and/or the back panel toward the storage space.
6. The outdoor unit according to claim 3, wherein a fixing clamp is provided on the storage partition, and the fixing clamp is used to fix the end of the flexible connecting component to the storage partition.
7. The outdoor unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein the storage partition is provided with an avoidance groove, and the avoidance groove avoids the wind wheel motor in the outdoor unit.
8. The outdoor unit according to claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the opening periphery of the avoidance groove is provided with a limiting flange.
9. The outdoor unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein at least one limit member is further provided on the storage partition, and the limit member is located at a corner of the storage partition and is used to make the flexible connecting component transition in a partial arc shape close to the corner of the storage partition.
10. The outdoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the flexible connecting component includes two refrigerant pipes and a connecting pipe sleeved on the two refrigerant pipes, and the refrigerant pipes connect the outdoor unit and the indoor unit.
11. The outdoor unit according to claim 10, wherein a connecting wire is further passed through the connecting pipe, and the connecting wire connects the indoor unit and the outdoor unit; and/or,

    A drainage pipe is also provided in the connecting pipe.
12. The outdoor unit according to claim 11, wherein the connecting tube is configured as a heat shrink tube.
13. An air conditioner, comprising an indoor unit and an outdoor unit as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the flexible connecting component is connected to the indoor unit and the outdoor unit.