Air conditioner indoor unit

Abstract

The present invention provides an air conditioner indoor unit, comprising a shell having two air inlet areas and a front side having an upper air outlet and a lower air outlet distributed up and down, and two double-suction centrifugal fans located in a storage space in the shell, wherein one double-suction centrifugal fan is configured to cause part of the airflow entering from the two air inlet areas to flow to the upper part of the storage space, so that the part of the airflow is blown out from the upper air outlet, and the other double-suction centrifugal fan is configured to cause another part of the airflow entering from the two air inlet areas to flow to the lower part of the storage space, so that the other part of the airflow is blown out from the lower air outlet. Compared with a traditional air conditioner indoor unit having one air outlet and one air supply fan, the indoor unit of the present invention is more aesthetically pleasing, and the overall volume and thickness are reduced. In addition, the operation of different double-suction centrifugal fans can be controlled separately according to different operation modes of the air conditioner indoor unit, thereby improving the cooling and heating experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of household appliances, and in particular to an indoor unit of an air conditioner. Background Art

[0002] The existing wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit generally uses a cross-flow fan and a bent heat exchanger to supply air to an air outlet. The air supply range is limited, the air supply mode is fixed and inflexible, and it is difficult to meet the comfort and diversity needs of users. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner indoor unit that overcomes the above problems or at least partially solves the above problems.

[0004] A further object of the present invention is to improve the air supply effect and air supply efficiency of the indoor unit.

[0005] The present invention provides an air conditioner indoor unit, comprising:

[0006] A housing having two air inlet areas and an upper air outlet located at an upper front portion of the housing and a lower air outlet located at a lower front portion of the housing;

[0007] Two double-suction centrifugal fans are arranged in the accommodation space inside the shell, one of the double-suction centrifugal fans is configured to force part of the airflow entering from the two air inlet areas to flow to the upper part of the accommodation space so that the part of the airflow is blown out from the upper air outlet, and the other double-suction centrifugal fan is configured to force another part of the airflow entering from the two air inlet areas to flow to the lower part of the accommodation space so that the other part of the airflow is blown out from the lower air outlet.

[0008] Optionally, two air inlet areas are formed on both lateral sides of the housing;

[0009] One of the double-suction centrifugal fans is located above the other double-suction centrifugal fan;

[0010] The double-suction centrifugal fan located at the top is configured to force part of the airflow entering from the two air inlet areas to flow toward the upper part of the accommodation space so that the part of the airflow is blown out from the upper air outlet;

[0011] The double-suction centrifugal fan located at the bottom is configured to force another part of the airflow entering from the two air inlet areas to flow to the lower part of the accommodating space, so that the other part of the airflow is blown out from the lower air outlet.

[0012] Optionally, each double-suction centrifugal fan comprises:

[0013] The volute has a transversely extending accommodating cavity, and openings are formed on both transverse end surfaces of the accommodating cavity to form two fan air inlets. The volute also has a fan air outlet facing forward and connected to the accommodating cavity;

[0014] An impeller is disposed in the accommodating cavity and is rotatable relative to the volute about a transverse axis;

[0015] Furthermore, the fan outlet of the double-suction centrifugal fan located at the top is opposite to the upper outlet, and the fan outlet of the double-suction centrifugal fan located at the bottom is opposite to the lower outlet.

[0016] Optionally, the air conditioner indoor unit further includes:

[0017] The two heat exchangers correspond to the two air inlet areas one by one and are respectively located inside the corresponding air inlet areas so as to perform heat exchange with the ambient air entering through the corresponding air inlet areas.

[0018] Optionally, the upper air outlet and the lower air outlet are recorded as two air outlets of an indoor unit of the air conditioner;

[0019] The air conditioner indoor unit also includes two air outlet ducts extending forward and backward, one of which is located above the other air outlet duct, the upper air outlet duct corresponds to the upper air outlet and communicates with the fan outlet of the double-suction centrifugal fan that causes part of the air flow to flow toward the upper part of the accommodation space; the lower air outlet duct corresponds to the lower air outlet and communicates with the fan outlet of the double-suction centrifugal fan that causes another part of the air flow to flow toward the lower part of the accommodation space;

[0020] Each air outlet pipe comprises an outer pipe extending forward and backward and a first inner pipe connected to the inner peripheral wall of the outer pipe and extending from the back to the front in a gradually expanding manner to protrude from the front side of the outer pipe, and the air inlet end of the outer pipe is connected to the fan outlet of the corresponding double-suction centrifugal fan so that the airflow enters the corresponding air outlet pipe;

[0021] The air inlet end of the first inner tube is located inside the outer tube near the front end of the outer tube, the air outlet end of the first inner tube protrudes from the front side of the corresponding air outlet, and a first spacing space is formed between the inner circumferential wall of the outer tube and the outer circumferential wall of the first inner tube to facilitate airflow.

[0022] Optionally, each air outlet pipe also includes a second inner tube, which extends gradually from back to front in the corresponding first inner tube, and a second spacing space is formed between the outer circumferential wall of the second inner tube and the inner circumferential wall of the corresponding first inner tube to facilitate airflow.

[0023] Optionally, each air outlet pipe is configured to be controllably movable in the front-to-rear direction between a position protruding from the front side of the corresponding air outlet and a position retracted to the corresponding air outlet;

[0024] When the air outlet pipe retracts to the position in the corresponding air outlet, the outer peripheral wall of the air outlet end of the first inner pipe abuts against the inner peripheral wall of the corresponding air outlet to close the first partition space, so that the airflow is blown out from the second partition space and the second inner pipe to the front side respectively;

[0025] When the air outlet pipe is located at a position protruding from the front side of the corresponding air outlet, the air outlet end of the first inner pipe protrudes from the front side of the corresponding air outlet to expose the first partition space, so that the airflow is blown out to the front side from the first partition space, the second partition space and the second inner pipe respectively.

[0026] Optionally, the inner peripheral wall of the outer tube includes a rear wall section and a front wall section which are sequentially connected in a direction from the air inlet end to the air outlet end of the outer tube, and the air inlet end of the first inner tube is located in a space formed by the front wall section to form a first spacing space between the front wall section and the outer peripheral wall of the first inner tube;

[0027] The rear wall section is a hollow truncated cone that gradually expands forward from the air inlet end of the outer tube, and the front wall section is a hollow truncated cone that gradually expands from the position connected to the rear wall section toward the air outlet end of the outer tube; and

[0028] The taper angle of the rear wall section is greater than the taper angle of the front wall section.

[0029] Optionally, the first inner tube is in the shape of a hollow truncated cone with uniform wall thickness and gradually expanding from its air inlet end toward its air outlet end, and the cone angle of the first inner tube is greater than the cone angle of the front wall section.

[0030] Optionally, the outer circumferential wall of the second inner tube is a truncated cone that gradually expands from the back to the front, the inner circumferential wall of the second inner tube is a truncated cone that gradually expands from the air inlet end of the second inner tube to the air outlet end, and the cone angle of the inner circumferential wall of the second inner tube is greater than the cone angle of the outer circumferential wall of the second inner tube; and the cone angle of the outer circumferential wall of the second inner tube is equal to the cone angle of the front wall section.

[0031] The air-conditioning indoor unit of the present invention has two air outlets distributed up and down on the front side, which avoids the visual abruptness brought by one air outlet, making the overall appearance of the indoor unit more harmonious and beautiful, and meeting the user's higher aesthetic needs; the air-conditioning indoor unit has two double-suction centrifugal fans. Compared with the traditional air-conditioning indoor unit with one air supply fan, the two relatively small double-suction centrifugal fans are used, which is convenient for more reasonable allocation of the internal accommodation space of the indoor unit and reducing the overall volume and thickness of the air-conditioning indoor unit; furthermore, the two double-suction centrifugal fans can be independently controlled to operate, which is convenient for controlling the opening of different double-suction centrifugal fans according to different operating modes of the air-conditioning indoor unit, thereby improving the cooling and heating experience.

[0032] Furthermore, in the air-conditioning indoor unit of the present invention, air outlet ducts are respectively arranged at the two air outlets. The air outlet ducts with specially designed structures are used to expand the air outlet range and air supply uniformity of the indoor unit, thereby greatly improving the air supply comfort of the indoor unit.

[0033] Furthermore, in the air-conditioning indoor unit of the present invention, the two air outlet ducts can be moved forward and backward in a controlled manner, and the air outlet range, air outlet distance, air outlet uniformity and air supply efficiency of the two air outlets of the indoor unit can be adjusted respectively according to different operating modes of the indoor unit, thereby further enhancing the air supply effect of the indoor unit and improving the user's comfort experience.

[0034] Based on the following detailed description of specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will become more aware of the above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Hereinafter, some specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail in an exemplary and non-limiting manner with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the accompanying drawings indicate the same or similar components or parts. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the accompanying drawings:

[0036] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the appearance structure of an air conditioner indoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the front panel is hidden to illustrate the internal structure of the indoor unit;

[0038] Figure 3 is an exploded schematic diagram of an air conditioner indoor unit according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of an air outlet duct of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present invention in one direction; and

[0040] Figure 5 4 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an air outlet duct of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] Refer to the following Figures 1 to 5 The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention is described in detail. The directions or positional relationships indicated by “front”, “rear”, “upper”, “lower”, “inner”, “outer”, “lateral”, etc. are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operate in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0042] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the appearance structure of an air-conditioning indoor unit 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 1 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of an air-conditioning indoor unit 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the front panel 12 is hidden to illustrate the internal structure of the indoor unit 10.

[0043] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the air-conditioning indoor unit 10 of this embodiment is a wall-mounted air-conditioning indoor unit, including a shell and two double-suction centrifugal fans 105 arranged in a storage space inside the shell. The shell is formed with two air inlet areas 11a and two air outlets, one air outlet is formed at the upper front side of the shell, denoted as the upper air outlet 12a, and the other air outlet is formed at the lower front side of the shell, denoted as the lower air outlet 12b. One of the two double-suction centrifugal fans 105 is configured to cause part of the airflow entering from the two air inlet areas 11a to flow toward the upper part of the storage space, so that the part of the airflow is blown out from the upper air outlet 12a, and the other double-suction centrifugal fan 105 is configured to cause the other part of the airflow entering from the two air inlet areas 11a to flow toward the lower part of the storage space, so that the other part of the airflow is blown out from the lower air outlet 12b. Wherein, the front-to-back direction is as follows: Figure 1 The direction indicated.

[0044] In some embodiments, the projection of the housing on the vertical plane supporting the air-conditioning indoor unit 10 may be a square, and the projections of the upper air outlet 12a and the lower air outlet 12b on the vertical plane may both be square or circular.

[0045] In some embodiments, the projection of the shell on the vertical plane supporting the air-conditioning indoor unit 10 is circular, and the projections of the upper air outlet 12a and the lower air outlet 12b on the vertical plane are both circular, so that the entire air-conditioning indoor unit 10 has a unique and beautiful appearance, which is completely different from the existing long wall-mounted air-conditioning indoor unit 10, and meets the user's personalized aesthetic needs.

[0046] In the existing scheme, the air conditioner indoor unit 10 with similar appearance has an air outlet and an air supply fan. In order to meet the air supply demand of the air conditioner indoor unit 10, the air supply fan has a large power and a large volume, resulting in a large overall thickness of the air conditioner indoor unit 10 (the size of the air conditioner indoor unit 10 in the front and rear directions), and an air outlet is opened on the flat surface of the front side of the indoor unit 10, which affects the overall aesthetics of the indoor unit 10. In this embodiment, a new improvement is made to the air conditioner indoor unit 10, and the air supply of the air conditioner indoor unit 10 is realized by adopting two double-suction centrifugal fans 105. The sizes of the two double-suction centrifugal fans 105 are relatively small, which can greatly reduce the overall volume and thickness of the air conditioner indoor unit 10; and, by forming an upper air outlet 12a at the upper part of the front side of the shell and a lower air outlet 12b at the lower part of the front side of the shell, the upper air outlet 12a and the lower air outlet 12b complement each other, avoiding the visual abruptness brought by one air outlet, making the overall appearance of the indoor unit 10 more harmonious and beautiful, meeting the user's higher aesthetic needs.

[0047] In addition, since the indoor unit 10 has two independent double-suction centrifugal fans 105 and two independent air outlets, the states of the two double-suction centrifugal fans 105 can be controlled according to the operation mode of the indoor unit 10 to control the air outlet position, achieve better heating / cooling effect and improve air supply comfort. For example, in the cooling mode, the double-suction centrifugal fan 105 that causes part of the airflow to flow to the upper part of the housing space in the shell can be controlled to open. Under the action of the double-suction centrifugal fan 105, the cold air flows to the upper part and blows forward through the upper air outlet 12a, while the other double-suction centrifugal fan 105 (the double-suction centrifugal fan 105 that causes another part of the airflow to flow to the lower part of the housing space in the shell) remains closed, and the cold air is only blown forward from the upper air outlet 12a, raising the cold air outlet position to avoid the cold air blowing directly downward to the user and causing discomfort to the user. Since the cold air has a tendency to sink, the cold air is blown upward as much as possible to improve the cooling effect and avoid the cold air blowing directly to the human body and affecting the user's cooling experience.

[0048] In heating mode, the double-suction centrifugal fan 105 that forces another part of the airflow to flow toward the lower part of the housing space in the shell can be controlled to be turned on, while the other double-suction centrifugal fan 105 (the double-suction centrifugal fan 105 that forces part of the airflow to flow toward the upper part of the housing space in the shell) is turned off, and the hot air is only blown forward from the lower air outlet 12b, which lowers the hot air outlet position, and prevents the hot air from rising and causing the temperature of the lower space in the room to fail to rise in time, affecting the user's heating experience. Since hot air has an upward trend, the hot air is blown downward as much as possible, so that the temperature of the upper space and the temperature of the lower space in the room are uniform, thereby improving the heating effect and the user's heating experience.

[0049] In some embodiments, Figure 1 As shown, the housing includes a rear shell 11 with an open front side and a front panel 12 located at the front side of the rear shell 11 and forming a receiving space with the rear shell 11. The projections of the rear shell 11 and the front panel 12 on the vertical plane carrying the air conditioner indoor unit 10 can be circular. The rear shell 11 is formed with the aforementioned two air inlet areas 11a, the upper part of the front panel 12 is formed with the aforementioned upper air outlet 12a, and the lower part of the front panel 12 is formed with the aforementioned lower air outlet 12b.

[0050] In some embodiments, the diameter of the upper air outlet 12a is equal to the diameter of the lower air outlet 12b, and the ratio of the diameter of the upper air outlet 12a to the diameter of the shell is in the range of 0.2:1 to 0.3:1. For example, the ratio of the diameter of the upper air outlet 12a to the diameter of the shell is 0.26. In some embodiments, the upper air outlet 12a and the lower air outlet 12b are symmetrically distributed relative to the transverse center line of the shell. By designing the upper air outlet 12a and the lower air outlet 12b to be circular and symmetrically distributed, the upper air outlet 12a and the lower air outlet 12b are designed to meet the public's aesthetic standards, further increasing the aesthetics and coordination of the indoor unit 10.

[0051] In some embodiments, the ratio of the distance dimension between the center point of the upper air outlet 12a and the center point of the lower air outlet 12b to the shell diameter dimension ranges from 0.6:1 to 0.75:1. For example, the ratio of the distance dimension between the center point of the upper air outlet 12a and the center point of the lower air outlet 12b to the shell diameter dimension is 0.66. The position and size of the upper air outlet 12a and the lower air outlet 12b are designed in this way, so that the size and position of the upper air outlet 12a and the lower air outlet 12b can be more harmoniously matched with the overall size of the front panel 12, further increasing the aesthetics and coordination of the indoor unit 10.

[0052] In some embodiments, two air inlet areas 11a may be formed on both sides of the housing in the lateral direction (also referred to as the left and right direction). Figure 2 In some embodiments, the two air inlet areas 11a are symmetrically distributed relative to the longitudinal center line of the housing, further improving the aesthetics of the indoor unit 10.

[0053] like Figure 2 As shown, the air-conditioning indoor unit 10 of this embodiment also includes two heat exchangers 13. The two heat exchangers 13 should correspond to the two air inlet areas 11a one by one, and are respectively arranged on the inner side of the corresponding air inlet area 11a in the shell to exchange heat with the ambient air entering through the corresponding air inlet area 11a.

[0054] like Figure 2 As shown, the projection of each heat exchanger 13 on the vertical plane carrying the air conditioner indoor unit 10 is arc-shaped to match the corresponding air inlet area 11a, increase the air inlet area, reduce the air inlet resistance, and improve the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger 13. The center of the arc-shaped heat exchanger 13 can coincide with the center of the shell, and the two heat exchangers 13 are symmetrically distributed relative to the vertical center line of the shell, which ensures the size of the heat exchanger 13 and provides sufficient remaining space for the arrangement of the double-suction centrifugal fan 105 and other components in the shell.

[0055] In some embodiments, the maximum value of the lateral distance between the heat exchanger 13 and the corresponding air inlet area 11a ranges from 30 to 40 mm, and the size of the heat exchanger 13 is sufficient to cover the position relative to the air inlet area 11a, thereby ensuring the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger 13.

[0056] In some embodiments, the lateral distance between the heat exchanger and the fan air inlet of the double-suction centrifugal fan 105 may range from 40 to 70 mm, for example, the lateral distance is 57 mm.

[0057] In some embodiments, Figure 2As shown, the air conditioner indoor unit 10 further includes two water receiving pans 16, which correspond to the two heat exchangers 13 one by one, and are respectively located at the bottom of the corresponding heat exchangers 13 in the accommodation space inside the shell, for receiving condensed water formed by the corresponding heat exchangers 13. A drain port (not shown) is formed at the bottom of each water receiving pan 16, and the drain port is connected to a drain pipe, through which the condensed water received in the water receiving pan 16 is discharged.

[0058] In this embodiment, an air inlet area 11a is formed on both lateral sides of the shell, so as to increase the air intake volume of the indoor unit 10 on the one hand, and facilitate the arrangement of the water receiving tray 16 on the other hand, so that the arrangement position of the water receiving tray 16 is more reasonable, which is convenient for receiving the condensed water of the heat exchanger 13 and more reasonably allocates the space utilization in the shell.

[0059] Figure 3 2 is an exploded schematic diagram of an air-conditioning indoor unit 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] In this embodiment, the rotating shaft of the double-suction centrifugal fan 105 should extend horizontally. The aforementioned vertical plane supporting the air-conditioning indoor unit 10 refers to the plane on which the air-conditioning indoor unit 10 is vertically suspended on the vertical wall. If the air-conditioning indoor unit 10 itself is used as a reference, the projection of the shell of the air-conditioning indoor unit 10 on the plane parallel to the rotating shaft of the double-suction centrifugal fan 105 should be circular.

[0061] The two double-suction centrifugal fans 105 are located on both sides of the horizontal center line of the shell in the upper and lower directions, that is, one of the double-suction centrifugal fans 105 is located on the upper part of the other double-suction centrifugal fan 105, and the double-suction centrifugal fan 105 located above is configured to cause part of the airflow entering the shell from the two air inlet areas 11a to flow toward the upper part of the accommodating space, so that the part of the airflow is blown out from the upper air outlet 12a; the double-suction centrifugal fan 105 located below is configured to cause another part of the airflow entering the shell from the two air inlet areas 11a to flow to the lower part of the accommodating space, so that the part of the airflow is blown out from the lower air outlet 12b.

[0062] like Figure 3As shown, each double-suction centrifugal fan 105 includes a volute 1051 and an impeller (not shown) located in the volute 1051. The volute 1051 has a transversely extending accommodating cavity. The impeller is arranged in the accommodating cavity and can rotate around a transverse axis relative to the volute 1051. The lateral end surfaces of the accommodating cavity are respectively formed with fan air inlets 105a, so that the airflow passes through the two air inlet areas 11a formed on the lateral sides of the shell and enters the accommodating cavity through the corresponding fan air inlets 105a. The volute 105 1 also has a fan outlet 105b communicating with the accommodating cavity and facing forward, the fan outlet 105b of the double-suction centrifugal fan 105 located at the top should be opposite to the upper outlet 12a, and the fan outlet 105b of the double-suction centrifugal fan 105 located at the bottom should be opposite to the lower outlet 12b, so as to guide part of the airflow to the upper outlet 12a through the double-suction centrifugal fan 105 located at the top, and guide part of the airflow to the lower outlet 12b through the double-suction centrifugal fan 105 located at the bottom.

[0063] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the air outlet end of the volute of the centrifugal fan generally expands gradually forward. In some embodiments, the shapes of the upper air outlet 12a and the lower air outlet 12b of the indoor unit 10 are adapted to the shape of the fan outlet 105b of the corresponding double-suction centrifugal fan 105, and the fan outlet 105b of the double-suction centrifugal fan 105 extends to the corresponding air outlet of the indoor unit 10.

[0064] In some embodiments, the projection of the upper air outlet 12a and the lower air outlet 12b of the indoor unit 10 on the aforementioned vertical plane is circular. In this embodiment, the indoor unit 10 further includes two transition air ducts 106, and the two transition air ducts 106 correspond to the two double-suction centrifugal fans 105 one by one. The air inlet end of each transition air duct 106 matches and communicates with the air outlet of the corresponding double-suction centrifugal fan 105, and the air outlet end of each transition air duct 106 matches and communicates with the air outlet of the corresponding indoor unit 10. The air inlet end of the transition air duct 106 can be connected and communicated with the air outlet 105b of the corresponding double-suction centrifugal fan 105 through a clamp. By adding the transition air duct 106, the double-suction centrifugal fan 105 is connected with the corresponding air outlet of the indoor unit 10, so as to ensure smooth air flow and reduce air flow loss.

[0065] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of an air outlet duct 18 of an air conditioner indoor unit 10 in one direction according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an air outlet duct 18 of an air conditioner indoor unit 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0066] In some embodiments, Figure 1 and Figure 3 , and see Figure 4As shown, the air-conditioning indoor unit 10 also includes two air outlet ducts 18 extending forward and backward, one of which is located above the other air outlet duct 18. The upper air outlet duct 18 corresponds to the upper air outlet 12a, and is communicated with the fan outlet 105b of the double-suction centrifugal fan 105 that causes part of the airflow to flow toward the upper part of the accommodating space of the shell; the lower air outlet duct 18 corresponds to the lower air outlet 12b, and is communicated with the fan outlet 105b of the double-suction centrifugal fan 105 that causes another part of the airflow to flow toward the lower part of the accommodating space of the shell.

[0067] Each air outlet pipe 18 includes an outer pipe 181 extending forward and backward and a first inner pipe 182 connected to the inner peripheral wall of the outer pipe 181 and extending from the back to the front in a gradually expanding manner to protrude from the front side of the outer pipe 181. The air inlet end of the outer pipe 181 is connected to the fan outlet 105b of the corresponding double-suction centrifugal fan 105, so that the heat exchange airflow enters the corresponding air outlet pipe 18. The air inlet end of the first inner pipe 182 is located in the outer pipe 181 near the front end of the outer pipe 181, and the air outlet end of the first inner pipe 182 protrudes from the front side of the corresponding air outlet, and a first interval space 103 is formed between the inner peripheral wall of the outer pipe 181 and the outer peripheral wall of the first inner pipe 182, that is, the first inner pipe 182 is a trumpet-shaped structure from the back to the front, and the outer pipe 181 and the first inner pipe 182 form a round pipe, and part of the heat exchange airflow can flow forward through the internal space of the first inner pipe 182, and part of the heat exchange airflow can flow forward through the first interval space 103. In this way, the air outlet range is increased to achieve a better air supply effect.

[0068] In some embodiments, Figure 4 As shown, each air outlet pipe 18 also includes a second inner tube 183, which gradually extends from the back to the front in the corresponding first inner tube 182, and a second partition space 104 is formed between the outer peripheral wall of the second inner tube 183 and the inner peripheral wall of the corresponding first inner tube 182. The heat exchange air flowing to the upper part of the shell accommodating space enters the outer tube 181 and is divided into three parts, part of the heat exchange air flows through the space in the second inner tube 183 and blows forward, part of the heat exchange air flows through the first partition space 103 and blows forward, and part of the heat exchange air flows through the second partition space 104 and blows forward; the heat exchange air flowing to the lower part of the shell accommodating space enters the outer tube 181 and is also divided into three parts and blows forward. As a result, the air flow is blown forward in a more dispersed manner, further improving the uniformity and comfort of air supply.

[0069] The first inner tube 182 passes through the bracket ( Figure 5 ) is connected to the inner wall of the outer tube 181, and the second inner tube is connected to the inner wall of the outer tube 181 by another bracket ( Figure 5The bracket (not shown) is connected to the inner wall of the first inner tube 182, and the bracket plays the role of fixing the first inner tube 182 and the second inner tube 183, and is small in size to avoid blocking the forward flow of the airflow. For example, the outer wall of the first inner tube 182 is spaced apart with a plurality of first connecting rods (not shown) along the circumferential direction, and the plurality of first connecting rods constitute the aforementioned bracket, and the first inner tube 182 is fixed to the outer tube through the plurality of first connecting rods distributed at intervals. Correspondingly, the outer wall of the second inner tube 183 is distributed with a plurality of second connecting rods (not shown), and the plurality of second connecting rods constitute the aforementioned other bracket, and the second inner tube 183 is fixed to the first inner tube 182 through the plurality of second connecting rods distributed at intervals.

[0070] In some embodiments, each air outlet duct 18 is configured to be controllably movable along the front-to-back direction between a position protruding from the front side of the air outlet of the corresponding indoor unit 10 and a position retracted into the air outlet of the corresponding indoor unit 10, that is, the upper air outlet duct 18 is configured to be controllably movable along the front-to-back direction between a position protruding from the front side of the upper air outlet 12a and a position retracted into the upper air outlet 12a, and the lower air outlet duct 18 is configured to be controllably movable along the front-to-back direction between a position protruding from the front side of the lower air outlet 12b and a position retracted into the lower air outlet 12b.

[0071] When the air outlet duct 18 is controlled to retract backward to the position in the corresponding air outlet, the outer peripheral wall of the air outlet end of the first inner tube 182 abuts against the inner peripheral wall of the corresponding air outlet to close the first partition space 103, so that part of the heat exchange airflow is blown out from the second inner tube 183 to the front side, and part of the heat exchange airflow is blown out from the second partition space 104 to the front side. That is to say, when the air outlet duct 18 located at the top is controlled to retract to the position in the upper air outlet 12a, the outer peripheral wall of the air outlet end of the first inner tube 182 of the air outlet duct 18 abuts against the inner peripheral wall of the upper air outlet 12a, and part of the heat exchange airflow flowing toward the upper part of the storage space in the shell is blown forward from the second inner tube 183 of the air outlet duct 18 located at the top, and part of the heat exchange airflow is blown forward from the second partition space 104 to the front side; when the air outlet duct 18 located at the bottom is controlled to retract to the position in the lower air outlet 12b, the outer peripheral wall of the air outlet end of the first inner tube 182 of the air outlet duct 18 abuts against the inner peripheral wall of the lower air outlet 12b, and part of the heat exchange airflow flowing toward the lower part of the storage space in the shell is blown forward from the second inner tube 183 of the air outlet duct 18 located at the bottom, and part of the heat exchange airflow is blown forward from the second partition space 104 to the front side.

[0072] When the air outlet duct 18 is controlled to move forward to a position protruding from the front side of the corresponding air outlet, the air outlet end of the first inner tube 182 protrudes from the front side of the corresponding air outlet. Since the first inner tube 182 gradually expands from back to front, it can be understood that the outer diameter of the front section of the first inner tube 182 is greater than the outer diameter of the rear section. When the air outlet duct 18 moves forward, the air outlet end of the first inner tube 182 is separated from the inner circumferential wall of the corresponding air outlet, and the air outlet end of the first inner tube 182 protrudes from the front side of the corresponding air outlet, so that the space between the outer wall of the first inner tube 182 and the inner wall of the outer tube 181 (the first partition space 103) is exposed, so that the heat exchange airflow in the first partition space 103, the second partition space 104 and the second inner tube 183 is blown forward.

[0073] Compared with the traditional air outlet, in this embodiment, by designing each air outlet pipe 18 as a zigzag structure as described above, the air outlet range is increased to achieve a wide-area air supply effect; and the air flow is diffused around the front side of the air outlet corresponding to the indoor unit 10, and the surrounding air is sucked forward to improve the uniformity of air supply, so that the wind is softer and more natural, and it feels cool but not cold when it blows on the person, thereby improving the user's comfort. In addition, by controlling the air outlet pipe 18 to move between the position retracted to the corresponding air outlet and the position protruding from the front side of the corresponding air outlet, when the air outlet pipe 18 protrudes from the front side of the corresponding air outlet, air flows forward from both the first inner tube 182 and the first interval space 103, increasing the air volume, expanding the air outlet range, and lengthening the air supply distance, further improving the uniformity and comfort of air supply; in addition, since the air flow is divided into two parts, one part of the air flow is directly blown forward from the first inner tube 182, and the other part of the air flow is directly blown forward from the first interval space 103, effectively reducing the eddy current loss and improving the air supply efficiency.

[0074] The movement of the two air outlet pipes 18 and the state of the two double suction centrifugal fans 105 can be controlled according to the operation mode of the air conditioner indoor unit 10. For example, in the cooling mode, the air outlet pipe 18 corresponding to the upper air outlet 12a can be controlled to move to a position protruding from the front side of the upper air outlet 12a, and the double suction centrifugal fan 105 that causes part of the air flow to flow to the upper part of the housing space in the shell can be controlled to open; and the air outlet pipe 18 corresponding to the lower air outlet 12b can be kept in the lower air outlet 12b and does not move forward. Accordingly, the corresponding double suction centrifugal fan 105 (that is, the double suction centrifugal fan 105 that causes part of the air flow to flow to the lower part of the housing space in the shell) remains closed, and the cold air is only blown forward through the air outlet pipe 18 located at the upper part, raising the cold air outlet position, and avoiding the cold air blowing directly downward to the user and causing discomfort to the user. Since the cold air has a tendency to sink, the cold air is blown upward as much as possible to improve the cooling effect, and avoid the cold air blowing directly to the human body and affecting the user's cooling experience. In addition, since the air outlet duct 18 located at the upper portion is moved forward to protrude from the front side of the upper air outlet 12a, the air supply range is expanded, the air supply uniformity is improved, and the user's cooling comfort experience is further enhanced.

[0075] In the heating mode, the air outlet pipe 18 corresponding to the lower air outlet 12b can be controlled to move to a position protruding from the front side of the lower air outlet 12b, and the corresponding double-suction centrifugal fan 105 (that is, the double-suction centrifugal fan 105 that causes part of the airflow to flow to the lower part of the storage space in the shell) can be controlled to open, while the air outlet pipe 18 corresponding to the upper air outlet 12a can be kept in the upper air outlet 12a and does not move forward. Correspondingly, the corresponding double-suction centrifugal fan 105 (that is, the double-suction centrifugal fan 105 that causes part of the airflow to flow to the upper part of the storage space in the shell) remains closed, and the hot air is only blown forward through the air outlet pipe 18 located at the bottom, which lowers the hot air outlet position, avoids the hot air rising and causes the temperature of the lower space in the room to fail to rise in time, and affects the user's heating experience. Since the hot air has an upward trend, the hot air is blown downward as much as possible, so that the temperature of the upper space and the temperature of the lower space in the room are uniform, thereby improving the heating effect and the user's heating experience. In addition, since the air outlet duct 18 located at the lower portion is moved forward to protrude from the front side of the lower air outlet 12b, the air supply range is expanded, the air supply uniformity is improved, and the user's heating comfort experience is further enhanced.

[0076] In this embodiment, Figure 3 As shown, the air conditioner indoor unit 10 further includes an electric control board 17, which is disposed between the two double-suction centrifugal fans 105. The electric control board 17 is configured to control the operation of the two double-suction centrifugal fans 105. In some embodiments, the electric control board also controls the movement of the two air outlet pipes 18. The electric control board 17 is arranged in the space between the two double-suction centrifugal fans 105, so that the arrangement of the components in the housing is compact and orderly, and the overall size of the indoor unit 10 is further reduced.

[0077] In some embodiments, Figure 5 As shown, the inner circumferential wall of the outer tube 181 of each air outlet duct 18 includes a rear wall section 181a and a front wall section 181b which are connected in sequence from the air inlet end to the air outlet end of the outer tube 181. The rear wall section 181a is a hollow truncated cone which gradually expands from the air inlet end of the outer tube 181 to the front, and the front wall section 181b is a hollow truncated cone which gradually expands from the position connected to the rear wall section 181a to the air outlet end of the outer tube 181, and the cone angle 2e of the rear wall section 181a is greater than the cone angle 2c of the front wall section 181b. It can also be understood that the inner circumferential wall of the outer tube 181 is divided into two sections from the rear end to the front end of the outer tube 181, namely the rear wall section 181a and the front wall section 181b, and the rear wall section 181a is a trumpet-shaped which gradually expands from the back to the front, and the front wall section 181b is a trumpet-shaped which gradually expands from the back to the front, and the degree of gradual expansion of the rear wall section 181a is greater than that of the front wall section 181b. As shown Figure 5 As shown, angle e is the angle between the wall surface of the rear wall section 181a and the horizontal line extending front and back, and the cone angle of the rear wall section 181a is 2e; angle c is the angle between the wall surface of the front wall section 181b and the horizontal line extending front and back, and the cone angle of the front wall section 181b is 2c.

[0078] The air inlet end of the first inner tube 182 is located in the space formed by the front wall section 181b, so as to form a first spacing space 103 between the front wall section 181b and the outer peripheral wall of the first inner tube 182, so as to ensure that the airflow enters the outer tube 181, is first mixed and combed in the rear wall section 181a of the outer tube 181, and then flows forward and blows out along different flow paths, thereby reducing eddy current losses. The air inlet end of the first inner tube 182 (that is, the rear end of the first inner tube 182) is approximately the same distance from the rear end of the front wall section 181b of the outer tube 181 as from the front end of the front wall section 181b (that is, the air outlet end of the outer tube 181).

[0079] In some embodiments, the first inner tube 182 is a hollow truncated cone with uniform wall thickness, which gradually expands from its air inlet end to its air outlet end, and the cone angle 2b of the first inner tube 182 is greater than the cone angle 2c of the front wall section 181b of the outer tube 181. It can also be understood that the first inner tube 182 is a gradually expanding trumpet shape from its rear end to the front end.

[0080] In some embodiments, the second inner tube 183 of the air outlet duct 18 extends from back to front in a gradually expanding manner in the corresponding first inner tube 182. It can be understood that the second inner tube 183 is entirely in the first inner tube 182, and is in a gradually expanding trumpet shape from back to front, and the outer peripheral wall of the second inner tube 183 is a truncated cone that gradually expands from back to front. The inner peripheral wall of the second inner tube 183 is a truncated cone that gradually expands from the air inlet end to the air outlet end of the second inner tube 183, that is, the inner peripheral wall of the second inner tube 183 is a truncated cone that gradually expands from back to front. The cone angle 2d of the inner peripheral wall of the second inner tube 183 is greater than the cone angle 2a of the outer peripheral wall of the second inner tube 183, and the cone angle 2a of the outer peripheral wall of the second inner tube is equal to the cone angle 2c of the front wall section 181b of the outer tube 181.

[0081] By limiting the inner wall of the outer tube 181 to the above structure, and limiting the shapes of the first inner tube 182 and the second inner tube 183 to the above structure, the first spacing space 103 (the space between the outer tube 181 and the first inner tube 182), the second spacing space 104 (the space between the first inner tube 182 and the second inner tube 183) and the space within the second inner tube 183 defined thereby can divert the airflow, expand the air outlet range, further reduce eddy losses, and improve air supply efficiency; and make the air outlet softer and more uniform.

[0082] In some embodiments, the cone angle 2c of the front wall section 181b satisfies: 0°<2c≤40°, and the cone angle 2e of the rear wall section 181a satisfies: 0°<2e≤50°. For example, the cone angle 2c of the front wall section 181b is 7.8°, and the cone angle 2e of the rear wall section 181a is 46.2°. In some embodiments, the cone angle 2b of the first inner tube 182 may satisfy: 20°<2b≤80°, and the cone angle 2d of the inner circumferential wall of the second inner tube 183 may satisfy: 30°<2d≤60°. For example, the cone angle 2b of the first inner tube 182 is 60°, and the cone angle 2d of the inner circumferential wall of the second inner tube 183 is 45°. The air outlet duct 18 thus formed can further reduce eddy current loss and improve air supply efficiency.

[0083] See also Figure 4 The air-conditioning indoor unit 10 of this embodiment also includes two driving units, and the two driving units correspond to the two air outlet ducts 18 one by one. Each driving unit may include a rack 102, a gear (not shown) and a motor (not shown) for driving the gear to rotate, wherein the motor is arranged in the accommodating space of the shell, and the gear is engaged with the rack 102 to drive the corresponding air outlet duct 18 to move along the front-to-back direction between a position protruding from the front side of the corresponding air outlet and a position retracted into the corresponding air outlet.

[0084] In some embodiments, two air outlet ducts 18 are mounted inside the air outlet end of the volute 1051 of the corresponding double-suction centrifugal fan 105 (that is, the inner side of the fan outlet 105b), and the outer peripheral wall of the air outlet duct 18 is in sliding contact with the inner wall of the air outlet end of the volute 1051 of the double-suction centrifugal fan 105. Those skilled in the art will know that the size of the air outlet duct 18 and the size of the air outlet end of the volute 1051 of the double-suction centrifugal fan 105 should satisfy that during the forward and backward movement of the air outlet duct 18, the rear section of the air outlet duct 18 is always in the air outlet end of the volute 1051 of the double-suction centrifugal fan 105, and ensure that the air outlet duct 18 can move stably forward and backward.

[0085] In this embodiment, the rack 102 ( Figure 3 The rack 102 is formed on the outer wall of the outer tube 181 of the corresponding air outlet duct 18 and extends from front to rear. The volute 1051 of the double-suction centrifugal fan 105 is formed with a notch (not shown) extending forward and backward and matching the corresponding rack 102. The rack 102 extends to the rear side of the volute 1051 through the corresponding notch, and the teeth of the rack 102 are exposed on the outside of the volute 1051 to engage with the corresponding gear and ensure that the notch is always sealed during the forward and backward movement of the air outlet duct 18 to ensure the sealing of the volute 1051.

[0086] In the embodiment of adding the transition duct 106, two air outlet pipes 18 are sleeved on the outer periphery of the corresponding transition duct 106, and the inner peripheral wall of the outer pipe 181 of the air outlet pipe 18 is in sliding contact with the outer peripheral wall of the corresponding transition duct 106. During the forward and backward movement of the air outlet pipe 18, the rear section of the air outlet pipe 18 is always on the outer peripheral wall of the transition duct 106. In this embodiment, the rack 102 ( Figure 3 and Figure 5 18 (not shown) is formed on the outer peripheral wall of the outer tube 181 of the corresponding air outlet duct 18, extends from front to rear to the rear outer side of the transition air duct 106, and meshes with the corresponding gear.

[0087] It is known to those skilled in the art that the size of the air outlet duct 18 and the size of the transition duct 106 should satisfy the requirement that the rear section of the air outlet duct 18 is always on the outer peripheral wall of the transition duct 106 during the forward and backward movement of the air outlet duct 18, and ensure that the air outlet duct 18 can move forward and backward stably. In some embodiments, during the forward or backward movement of the air outlet duct 18, the rear sections of the rear wall section 181a and the front wall section 181b of the air outlet duct 18 are always in contact with the outer peripheral wall of the transition duct 106 to ensure the stability of the air outlet duct 18.

[0088] At this point, those skilled in the art should recognize that, although multiple exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail herein, many other variations or modifications that conform to the principles of the present invention can still be directly determined or derived based on the content disclosed in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be understood and recognized as covering all these other variations or modifications.

Claims

1. An air conditioner indoor unit, comprising: A housing having two air inlet areas and an upper air outlet located at an upper front portion of the housing and a lower air outlet located at a lower front portion of the housing; Two double-suction centrifugal fans are arranged in the accommodation space inside the shell, wherein one of the double-suction centrifugal fans is configured to force part of the airflow entering from the two air inlet areas to flow to the upper part of the accommodation space, so that the part of the airflow is blown out from the upper air outlet, and the other double-suction centrifugal fan is configured to force another part of the airflow entering from the two air inlet areas to flow to the lower part of the accommodation space, so that the other part of the airflow is blown out from the lower air outlet; The upper air outlet and the lower air outlet are recorded as two air outlets of the air conditioner indoor unit; The projections of the upper air outlet and the lower air outlet on the vertical plane are square or circular; The air conditioner indoor unit further comprises two air outlet pipes extending forward and backward, wherein one of the air outlet pipes is located above the other air outlet pipe, the air outlet pipe located above corresponds to the upper air outlet, and is communicated with the fan outlet of the double-suction centrifugal fan that causes part of the airflow to flow toward the upper part of the accommodating space; the air outlet pipe located below corresponds to the lower air outlet, and is communicated with the fan outlet of the double-suction centrifugal fan that causes another part of the airflow to flow toward the lower part of the accommodating space; Each of the air outlet pipes is configured to be controllably movable along the front-to-back direction between a position protruding from the front side of the corresponding air outlet and a position retracted to the corresponding air outlet; Each of the air outlet pipes comprises an outer pipe extending forward and backward and a first inner pipe connected to the inner peripheral wall of the outer pipe and extending from the back to the front in a gradually expanding manner to protrude from the front side of the outer pipe, and the air inlet end of the outer pipe is connected to the fan outlet of the corresponding double-suction centrifugal fan so that the airflow enters the corresponding air outlet pipe; The air inlet end of the first inner tube is located in the outer tube near the front end of the outer tube, the air outlet end of the first inner tube protrudes from the front side of the corresponding air outlet, and a first spacing space is formed between the inner peripheral wall of the outer tube and the outer peripheral wall of the first inner tube to facilitate airflow to pass through; Each of the air outlet pipes also includes a second inner pipe, which extends gradually from back to front in the corresponding first inner pipe, and a second spacing space is formed between the outer peripheral wall of the second inner pipe and the inner peripheral wall of the corresponding first inner pipe to facilitate airflow passing through.

2. The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 1, wherein The two air inlet areas are formed on two lateral sides of the shell; One of the double-suction centrifugal fans is located above the other double-suction centrifugal fan; The double-suction centrifugal fan located at the top is configured to force part of the airflow entering from the two air inlet areas to flow toward the upper part of the accommodating space, so that the part of the airflow is blown out from the upper air outlet; The double-suction centrifugal fan located at the bottom is configured to force another part of the airflow entering from the two air inlet areas to flow toward the lower part of the accommodating space, so that the other part of the airflow is blown out from the lower air outlet.

3. The air conditioning indoor unit according to claim 2, wherein Each of the double-suction centrifugal fans comprises: A volute having a transversely extending accommodating cavity, with openings formed at both transverse end surfaces of the accommodating cavity to form two fan air inlets, and the volute also having a fan air outlet facing forward and communicating with the accommodating cavity; An impeller is disposed in the accommodating chamber and is rotatable about a transverse axis relative to the volute; Furthermore, the fan outlet of the double-suction centrifugal fan located at the top is opposite to the upper outlet, and the fan outlet of the double-suction centrifugal fan located at the bottom is opposite to the lower outlet.

4. The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 1, further comprising: The two heat exchangers correspond to the two air inlet areas one by one and are respectively located inside the corresponding air inlet areas so as to perform heat exchange with the ambient air entering through the corresponding air inlet areas.

5. The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 1, wherein When the air outlet pipe is retracted to the position in the corresponding air outlet, the outer peripheral wall of the air outlet end of the first inner pipe abuts against the inner peripheral wall of the corresponding air outlet to close the first interval space, so that the airflow is blown out to the front side from the second interval space and the second inner pipe respectively; When the air outlet pipe is located at a position protruding from the front side of the corresponding air outlet, the air outlet end of the first inner tube protrudes from the front side of the corresponding air outlet to expose the first partition space, so that airflow is blown out to the front side from the first partition space, the second partition space and the second inner tube respectively.

6. The air conditioning indoor unit according to claim 1, wherein The inner peripheral wall of the outer tube includes a rear wall section and a front wall section which are connected in sequence from the air inlet end to the air outlet end of the outer tube, and the air inlet end of the first inner tube is located in the space formed by the front wall section to form the first spacing space between the front wall section and the outer peripheral wall of the first inner tube; The rear wall section is a hollow truncated cone that gradually expands forward from the air inlet end of the outer tube, and the front wall section is a hollow truncated cone that gradually expands from the position connected to the rear wall section toward the air outlet end of the outer tube; and The taper angle of the rear wall section is greater than the taper angle of the front wall section.

7. The air conditioning indoor unit according to claim 6, wherein The first inner tube is in the shape of a hollow truncated cone with uniform wall thickness and gradually expanding from its air inlet end to its air outlet end, and the cone angle of the first inner tube is greater than the cone angle of the front wall section.

8. The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 6, wherein The outer circumferential wall of the second inner tube is a truncated cone that gradually expands from the back to the front, the inner circumferential wall of the second inner tube is a truncated cone that gradually expands from the air inlet end of the second inner tube to the air outlet end, and the cone angle of the inner circumferential wall of the second inner tube is greater than the cone angle of the outer circumferential wall of the second inner tube; and the cone angle of the outer circumferential wall of the second inner tube is equal to the cone angle of the front wall section.

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