Air conditioner

Abstract

The present application provides an air conditioner. The air conditioner comprises a shell, an air outlet is formed on the shell, and an air duct volute is arranged in the shell, which is used for guiding the air flow to the air outlet and discharging the air conditioner. A sealing assembly is arranged in the air outlet, which has a first position capable of sealing the air outlet and a second position capable of making the air flow flow out of the air conditioner. The air conditioner provided by the present application can effectively prevent the dirty water generated during cleaning from flowing out of the air conditioner through the air outlet, and facilitates the cleaning process of the air conditioner.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of air conditioning technology, and specifically relates to an air conditioner. Background Technology

[0002] As people's demands for quality of life increase, indoor air quality has gained widespread attention. This is because people spend most of their time indoors, and good indoor air quality is crucial for human health. After prolonged use, air conditioners easily accumulate dust and breed bacteria inside components such as air ducts, filters, and heat exchangers. Therefore, users often need to clean them to prevent internal dirt from lowering indoor air quality. The cleaning methods typically involve manually disassembling and reassembling certain protective parts, such as the casing cover, to expose internal components, especially the inner walls of the air ducts and heat exchangers, for manual cleaning. Current technology also includes automatic cleaning devices installed inside the air conditioner. However, regardless of whether it's manual or automatic cleaning, the air outlet of the air conditioner lacks a proper sealing structure, causing dirty water or moisture to leak out during cleaning, inconveniencing users. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an air conditioner with a sealing component that can effectively prevent dirty water generated during cleaning from leaking out of the air conditioner through the air outlet, thereby facilitating the cleaning process of the air conditioner.

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems, the present invention provides an air conditioner, including a housing with an air outlet. The housing has an air duct volute inside, which guides the airflow to the air outlet and discharges it from the air conditioner. The air outlet has a sealing assembly inside, which has a first position capable of sealing the air outlet and a second position capable of allowing the airflow to exit the air conditioner.

[0005] Preferably, the sealing assembly includes a sealing plate and a driving component, the driving component being used to drive the sealing plate to switch between the first position and the second position.

[0006] Preferably, the air conditioner further includes a water receiving structure, wherein when the sealing assembly is in the first position, the sealing plate can guide the wastewater generated during cleaning into the water receiving structure.

[0007] Preferably, the water receiving structure is integrally constructed on the air duct volute and located on the side of the air duct volute adjacent to the air outlet.

[0008] Preferably, the sealing plate has a first end face and a second end face in its length direction, the first end face has a pivot shaft, the second end face is connected to the driving component, and the sealing plate is pivotally connected to the air duct volute via the pivot shaft.

[0009] Preferably, the sealing plate further has a third end face and a fourth end face in its width direction, and when the sealing assembly is in the first position, the fourth end face is located in the water receiving cavity of the water receiving structure.

[0010] Preferably, at least one of the first end face, the second end face, and the third end face is provided with a sealing strip.

[0011] Preferably, the housing is further provided with a component mounting hole, and a cover plate is detachably mounted on the component mounting hole.

[0012] Preferably, the outer side of the component mounting hole is provided with multiple claws, which can lock the cover plate onto the component mounting hole.

[0013] Preferably, the cover plate has a flow guiding structure on the inner wall facing the air conditioner, the flow guiding structure being able to guide the sewage on the cover plate into the water receiving structure.

[0014] Preferably, the air outlet has a guide surface extending toward one side of the air duct volute, and when the sealing assembly is in the second position, the sealing plate is in contact with the guide surface.

[0015] The present invention provides an air conditioner in which the sealing component is disposed inside the air outlet. The purpose of the sealing component is to prevent wastewater generated during the cleaning of components such as heat exchangers, fans, inner walls of air duct casings, and air guide vanes from flowing directly out of the air outlet, thus avoiding unnecessary trouble during the cleaning process and facilitating the cleaning of the air conditioner. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall appearance structure of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention (when the sealing component is in the first position);

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall appearance structure of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention (when the sealing component is in the second position);

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram (cross-section) of the internal structure of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A magnified view of a section at point A in the middle;

[0020] Figure 5 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the central sealing assembly;

[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] The reference numerals in the attached figures are as follows:

[0023] 1. Outer shell; 11. Air outlet; 12. Guide surface; 13. Component mounting hole; 14. Cover plate; 141. Airflow guiding structure; 15. Claw; 2. Air duct volute; 3. Sealing assembly; 31. Sealing plate; 311. Pivot shaft; 312. Guide protrusion; 32. Drive component; 4. Water receiving structure; 5. Sealing strip; 100. Air inlet; 101. Fan; 102. Heat exchanger; 103. Cleaning device. Detailed Implementation

[0024] See also Figures 1 to 6As shown, according to an embodiment of the present invention, an air conditioner is provided, including a housing 1. More specifically, the housing 1 exists as the frame body of the air conditioner, and may include a base housing and a front panel frame housing. It is understood that the housing 1 forms a mounting carrier for internal components of the air conditioner, such as a heat exchanger 102, a fan 101, and a duct volute 2. The housing 1 has an air outlet 11 and an air inlet 100. The housing 1 contains a duct volute 2, which guides the airflow to the air outlet 11 and discharges it from the air conditioner. The fan 101 and the heat exchanger 102 are disposed inside the duct volute 2, so that when the air conditioner is running, the airflow flows into the duct volute 2 through the air inlet 100, undergoes heat exchange, and then flows out through the air outlet 11. The air conditioner described herein has a sealing component 3 inside the air outlet 11. The sealing component 3 has a first position capable of sealing the air outlet 11 and a second position capable of allowing the airflow to exit the air conditioner. Unlike the wind deflector in the prior art that is located outside the air outlet 11, the sealing component 3 in this application is located inside the air outlet 11. Its purpose is to prevent wastewater from flowing directly out of the air outlet 11 when cleaning components inside the air conditioner, such as the heat exchanger 102, the fan 101 (mainly the blades of a cross-flow fan), the inner wall of the duct volute 2, and the guide vanes (which are located inside the sealing component 3 when it is in the first position). This avoids unnecessary trouble during the cleaning process and facilitates the cleaning of the air conditioner. Ideally, the duct volute 2 is also equipped with a cleaning device 103 that can automatically spray water or steam to automatically clean the components inside the duct volute 2. The cleaning device can be implemented using a corresponding spray structure in the prior art, and is not particularly limited in this invention.

[0025] In one specific embodiment of the sealing assembly 3, preferably, the sealing assembly 3 includes a sealing plate 31 and a driving component 32. The driving component 32 is used to drive the sealing plate 31 to switch between a first position and a second position. It is understood that the specific size of the sealing plate 31 matches the flow area of ​​the air outlet 11, as long as it can seal and block the flow channel of the corresponding air outlet 11 when the sealing plate 31 is in the first position. The driving component 32 can be, for example, a common rotary motor. For rotary motors with higher speeds, a corresponding reduction gearbox can be provided between the sealing plate 31 and the rotary motor. As a conventional driving method in the industry, this invention does not impose any particular limitation.

[0026] Ideally, the wastewater generated during cleaning can be promptly guided and discharged outdoors. For example, this can be achieved by utilizing the existing water collection tray in the air conditioner that can collect the condensate from the heat exchanger 102. As an advantageous improvement, preferably, the air conditioner is designed with a separate water collection structure 4. When the sealing component 3 is in the first position, the sealing plate 31 can guide the wastewater generated during cleaning into the water collection structure 4. The water collection structure 4 is integrally constructed on the duct volute 2 and is located on the side of the duct volute 2 adjacent to the air outlet 11, thereby forming an organic whole between the water collection structure 4 and the duct volute 2. This prevents the potential leakage hazards caused by gaps in the fit of the separately assembled water collection structure. Therefore, this integrated water collection structure 4 is particularly suitable for air conditioners that can achieve automatic water washing.

[0027] Furthermore, the sealing plate 31 has a first end face and a second end face in its length direction. The first end face has a pivot shaft 311, and the second end face is connected to the driving component 32. The sealing plate 31 is pivotally connected to the air duct volute 2 through the pivot shaft 311. It can be understood that the air duct volute 2 is provided with a slot structure at the corresponding position that can pivotally accommodate the pivot shaft 311. The stator part of the driving component 32 (e.g., the housing and mounting flange of the motor) is preferably fixed to the outer wall of the air duct volute 2 or the housing 1. Of course, its power output shaft should be drivenly connected to the sealing plate 31. Furthermore, the sealing plate 31 also has a third end face and a fourth end face in its width direction. When the sealing assembly 3 is in the first position, the fourth end face is located inside the water receiving cavity of the water receiving structure 4. At this time, when the sealing plate 31 in the sealing assembly 3 is in the first position, it can not only ensure that the sewage formed by internal cleaning will not leak out of the air outlet 11, but also guide the sewage on the upper wall of the air duct volute 2, so that the sewage can efficiently enter the water receiving structure 4 and be discharged. In order to improve the sealing performance of the sealing plate 31 against sewage, preferably, a sealing strip 5 is provided on at least one of the first end face, the second end face, and the third end face, and preferably, the sealing strip 5 is provided on all of them at the same time.

[0028] Preferably, the air outlet 11 has a guide surface 12 extending toward one side of the air duct volute 2. When the sealing assembly 3 is in the second position, the sealing plate 31 is in contact with the guide surface 12. That is, at this time, the sealing plate 31 becomes an extension of the air duct volute 2 toward the air outlet 11 and is a movable part. It can be understood that the movable volute, when the sealing plate 31 is in the second position, covers the guide surface 12 below it and receives dust and dirt that may be generated during operation. When the air conditioner needs to be cleaned, the sealing plate 31 is in the first position. While sealing the air outlet 11, the dirty surface of the sealing plate 31 is also cleaned at the same time. The sealing plate 31 may also be provided with a plurality of guide protrusions 312 on the side facing the guide surface 12, and the guide surface 12 is provided with a plurality of corresponding grooves. The plurality of guide protrusions 312 are inserted into the plurality of grooves one by one to ensure the rotational stability of the sealing plate 31 during the transition between the first position and the second position. This is especially suitable when the length of the sealing plate 31 is large.

[0029] Preferably, the outer casing 1 is further provided with a component mounting hole 13 to facilitate the installation of internal components of the air conditioner, such as a filter. A cover plate 14 is detachably mounted on the component mounting hole 13 to ensure the airtightness of the air conditioner. Furthermore, multiple claws 15 are provided on the outer side of the opening of the component mounting hole 13, which can lock the cover plate 14 onto the component mounting hole 13. At this time, a corresponding panel can be added to the side of the outer casing 1 facing the user to improve the aesthetic appearance of the air conditioner. The inner wall of the cover plate 14 facing the air conditioner has a flow guiding structure 141, which can guide the wastewater on the cover plate 14 into the water receiving structure 4.

[0030] It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the aforementioned advantageous methods can be freely combined and superimposed without conflict.

[0031] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention. The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An air conditioner, characterized in that, The device includes an outer casing (1) with an air outlet (11) and a duct housing (2) inside the casing (1). The duct housing (2) guides the airflow to the air outlet (11) and discharges it from the air conditioner. A sealing assembly (3) is provided inside the air outlet (11). The sealing assembly (3) has a first position capable of sealing the air outlet (11) and a second position capable of allowing the airflow to exit the air conditioner. The sealing assembly (3) includes a sealing plate (31) and a driving component (32). The driving component (32) drives the sealing plate (31) to switch between the first and second positions. The device also includes a water receiving structure (4). When the sealing assembly (3) is in the first position, the sealing plate (31) can guide the wastewater generated during cleaning into the water receiving structure (4). The water receiving structure (4) is integrally constructed on the duct housing (2) and is located near the air outlet (11) of the duct housing (2). The sealing plate (31) also has a third end face and a fourth end face in its width direction. When the sealing assembly (3) is in the first position, the fourth end face is in the water receiving cavity of the water receiving structure (4). The air outlet (11) has a guide surface (12) extending toward the side of the air duct volute (2). When the sealing assembly (3) is in the second position, the sealing plate (31) is in contact with the guide surface (12). The sealing plate (31) is an extension of the air duct volute (2) toward the side of the air outlet (11) and is a movable part. The sealing plate (31) is also provided with a plurality of guide protrusions (312) on the side of the sealing plate (31) toward the guide surface (12). The guide surface (12) is provided with a plurality of corresponding grooves. The plurality of guide protrusions (312) are inserted into the plurality of grooves one by one.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sealing plate (31) has a first end face and a second end face in its length direction. The first end face has a pivot shaft (311), and the second end face is connected to the drive component (32). The sealing plate (31) is pivotally connected to the air duct volute (2) through the pivot shaft (311).

3. The air conditioner according to claim 2, characterized in that, A sealing strip (5) is provided on at least one of the first end face, the second end face, and the third end face.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer casing (1) is also provided with a component mounting hole (13), on which a cover plate (14) is detachably mounted.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 4, characterized in that, The outer side of the component mounting hole (13) is provided with multiple claws (15), which can lock the cover plate (14) onto the component mounting hole (13).

6. The air conditioner according to claim 5, characterized in that, The cover plate (14) has a flow guiding structure (141) on the inner side wall facing the air conditioner, which can guide the sewage on the cover plate (14) into the water receiving structure (4).

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