An air conditioner indoor unit and an air conditioner

Abstract

The present invention provides an air conditioner indoor unit and an air conditioner. The air conditioner indoor unit includes: a side panel, the side panel includes a cylindrical side peripheral wall, and a plurality of air inlets distributed circumferentially are formed on the side peripheral wall; a fan assembly disposed within the side panel, including a volute and a fan, the fan is located within the volute, and an installation space is formed between the fan assembly and the side panel for installing a heat exchanger; a front panel, the front panel is disposed at an end of the side panel, and an air outlet flow channel is formed between the front panel and the side panel, and the air outlet of the fan assembly is blown out through the air outlet flow channel. The present invention can improve the air intake volume so as to improve the heat exchange efficiency, and can also increase the air outlet range and improve the comfort level.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field related to air conditioners, and particularly to an indoor unit of an air conditioner and an air conditioner. Background Art

[0002] At present, wall-mounted air conditioners are widely used in the market. However, the installation position of wall-mounted air conditioners indoors is limited. Generally, the installation position of wall-mounted air conditioners in a room is fixed. Although the air outlet of the air conditioner is equipped with a wind deflector to guide the air supply, the existing air conditioners still cannot achieve 360° divergent air supply in all directions, resulting in uneven indoor environmental temperature and poor user experience. Most of the existing wall-mounted air conditioners adopt the method of air intake from the top of the air conditioner, with a small air intake area. The heat exchanger in the air conditioner cannot fully play its role, resulting in low heat exchange efficiency and further affecting the overall performance of the air conditioner. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, the present invention provides an indoor unit of an air conditioner and an air conditioner, which are at least used to solve the technical problems of small air inlet and outlet range and low heat exchange efficiency in the prior art. Specifically:

[0004] In a first aspect, the present invention provides an indoor unit of an air conditioner, including:

[0005] A side panel, the side panel includes a cylindrical side peripheral wall, and a plurality of air inlets distributed circumferentially are formed on the side peripheral wall;

[0006] A fan assembly, disposed inside the side panel, includes a volute and a fan, the fan is located inside the volute, and an installation space is formed between the fan assembly and the side panel for installing a heat exchanger;

[0007] A front panel, the front panel is disposed at an end of the side panel, and an air outlet flow channel is formed between the front panel and the side panel, and the air outlet of the fan assembly is blown out through the air outlet flow channel.

[0008] Further optionally, the volute includes a bottom plate and a flow guiding structure,

[0009] The bottom plate is configured as a circular plate, a ventilation structure is provided on the bottom plate, and the air flow flowing in from the air inlet of the side panel can flow through the ventilation structure,

[0010] The flow guiding structure is used for guiding the air flow so that the air flow flows towards the air outlet flow channel.

[0011] Further optionally, the flow guiding structure includes a volute tongue,

[0012] A plurality of the volute tongues are arranged along the circumference of the fan, and an outlet of the volute is formed between two adjacent volute tongues,

[0013] The volute tongue causes the air flow to flow out in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

[0014] Further optionally, the guiding structure further includes a first guiding plate, and the first guiding plate extends from the outlet of the volute to the edge of the side panel.

[0015] A second guiding plate is formed on the front panel, the second guiding plate is disposed opposite to the first guiding plate, and an air outlet channel is formed between the first guiding plate and the second guiding plate.

[0016] Further optionally, the first guiding plate and the second guiding plate are respectively configured as arc-shaped plates, so that the air outlet of the air outlet channel faces the radially outer side of the side panel.

[0017] Further optionally, a plurality of air outlet channels are formed, and the plurality of air outlet channels are circumferentially distributed along the front panel.

[0018] Further optionally, the front panel is configured as a spherical panel structure convex toward one side.

[0019] During assembly, the front panel protrudes in a direction away from the side panel.

[0020] Further optionally, the side panel includes a bottom wall, and the bottom wall covers one end of the side wall.

[0021] A bottom wall air inlet is provided on the bottom wall, and a plurality of the bottom wall air inlets are distributed along the circumference of the bottom wall.

[0022] Further optionally, the heat exchanger includes a main body portion and a flanging portion.

[0023] The flanging portion extends and is provided on one side of the main body portion toward the main body portion at the edge of the main body portion.

[0024] Further optionally, the main body portion is disposed opposite to the ventilation structure on the volute, and the flanging portion is located between the air inlet of the side panel and the volute.

[0025] In a second aspect, the present invention provides an air conditioner, including the above-mentioned air conditioner indoor unit.

[0026] The present invention realizes 360° air intake by providing a plurality of air inlets in the circumferential direction of the air conditioner, increases the air intake volume, and improves the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger. Moreover, by providing a plurality of air outlets with different orientations, the air outlet range is larger, ensuring uniform air flow direction in the indoor environment, guaranteeing the uniformity of the environmental temperature, and improving the overall comfort of the air conditioner. Description of the Drawings

[0027] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent by describing its exemplary embodiments in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following-described drawings are only some embodiments of the present disclosure. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0028] Figure 1 Schematic diagram showing the structure of an air conditioner indoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 Schematic diagram showing the structure of a side panel according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 Schematic diagram showing the structure of a fan assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 Schematic cross-sectional view showing an air conditioner indoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] In the figure:

[0033] 10. Side panel; 11. Side peripheral wall; 12. Air inlet; 13. Bottom wall; 14. Bottom wall air inlet; 21. Volute; 211. Volute tongue; 212. First deflector; 30. Front panel; 31. Second deflector; 40. Heat exchanger. Detailed implementation manners

[0034] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are some, but not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0035] The terms used in the embodiments of the present invention are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. The singular forms "a", "the", and "said" used in the embodiments of the present invention and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. "Plural" generally includes at least two, but does not exclude the case of including at least one.

[0036] It should be understood that the term " / and" used herein is only a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " herein generally represents an "or" relationship between the associated objects before and after.

[0037] It should also be noted that the term "comprising", "including" or any other variant thereof is intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a commodity or system comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such commodity or system. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising an..." does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the commodity or system comprising said element.

[0038] The present invention realizes 360° air intake by arranging a plurality of air inlets circumferentially on the air conditioner, increasing the air intake volume and improving the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger. Moreover, by setting air outlets in multiple directions, the air outlet range is enlarged, ensuring uniform flow direction of the indoor environmental air flow, guaranteeing the uniformity of the environmental temperature, and improving the overall comfort of the air conditioner. The following provides a detailed introduction to the present invention in combination with specific embodiments:

[0039] The present invention provides an air conditioner indoor unit, as Figure 1 , Figure 4 shown, comprising: a side panel 10, the side panel 10 includes a cylindrical side peripheral wall 11, and a plurality of air inlets 12 are formed on the side peripheral wall 11 and distributed circumferentially;

[0040] A fan assembly is arranged inside the side panel 10 and includes a volute 21 and a fan. The fan is located inside the volute 21. The fan provides driving force to enable air flow to enter the inside of the side panel 10 through the air inlet 12, then flow through the volute 21 and then flow out. An installation space is formed between the fan assembly and the side panel 10 for installing a heat exchanger 40, and the air flow flows out after heat exchange with the heat exchanger 40;

[0041] A front panel 30 is arranged at the end of the side panel 10, and an air outlet flow channel is formed between the front panel 30 and the panel. The air outlet of the fan assembly is blown out through the air outlet flow channel.

[0042] As Figure 1 , Figure 2 shown, preferably, the air inlet 12 is configured as a grille structure and is distributed along the entire circumference of the side panel 10, enabling the air conditioner indoor unit to achieve 360° circumferential air intake, thereby increasing the air intake volume and improving the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger 40. Further, the side panel 10 further includes a bottom wall, the bottom wall covers one end of the side peripheral wall 11, and a plurality of bottom wall air inlets 14 are arranged on the bottom wall and distributed circumferentially along the bottom wall. In this embodiment, the bottom wall air inlets 14 are evenly distributed along the circumference of the bottom wall to form a grille structure, and the setting of the bottom wall air inlets 14 further increases the air intake volume. Preferably, filtering devices are arranged at both the air inlet 12 and the bottom wall air inlets 14 to prevent foreign objects from entering the inside of the side panel 10 and affecting the operation of the air conditioner indoor unit.

[0043] As Figure 3As shown, the volute 21 includes a bottom plate and a flow guiding structure. Preferably, the bottom plate is configured as a circular plate, and the diameter of the bottom plate is smaller than the inner diameter of the side panel 10. A ventilation structure is provided on the bottom plate, and the air flow flowing in from the air inlet of the side panel 10 can flow through the ventilation structure. Preferably, the ventilation structure is a ventilation grille structure. The flow guiding structure is used to guide the air flow so that the air flow flows towards the air outlet channel.

[0044] Preferably, the flow guiding structure includes a volute tongue 211. A plurality of volute tongues 211 are arranged along the circumferential direction of the fan. An outlet of the volute 21 is formed between two adjacent volute tongues 211. The volute tongue 211 causes the air flow to flow out in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction. In this embodiment, four volute tongues 211 are provided, and the four volute tongues 211 are evenly distributed along the circumferential direction of the bottom plate and are arranged at a position close to the edge of the bottom plate. The four volute tongues 211 form four outlets on the bottom plate, and the four outlets are respectively oriented in different directions, which can realize simultaneous air outlet in multiple directions and increase the air outlet range.

[0045] Further, the flow guiding structure further includes a first flow guiding plate 212. The first flow guiding plate 212 extends from the outlet of the volute 21 to the edge of the side panel 10. The number of the first flow guiding plates 212 is the same as the number of the outlets of the volute 21, and each outlet corresponds to a first flow guiding plate 212. Preferably, the first flow guiding plate 212 is an arc-shaped plate, which guides the air flow to make the air flow smoother.

[0046] A second flow guiding plate 31 is formed on the front panel 30. The first flow guiding plate 212 and the second flow guiding plate 31 are arranged opposite to each other, and an air outlet channel is formed between the first flow guiding plate 212 and the second flow guiding plate 31. A plurality of air outlet channels are formed, and the plurality of air outlet channels are distributed along the circumferential direction of the front panel 30.

[0047] Preferably, the first flow guiding plate 212 and the second flow guiding plate 31 are respectively configured as arc-shaped plates, so that the air outlet channel forms an arc-shaped bending structure, which can change the air flow direction and make the air outlet of the air outlet channel face the radial outside of the side panel 10. The position and number of the air outlet channels are the same as those of the outlets of the volute 21. In this embodiment, four air outlet channels are provided, and each of the four air outlet channels corresponds to an outlet of the volute 21, so that the four air outlet channels face four different directions. For example, in the installation state, the air outlets of the four air outlet channels face the up, down, left, and right directions respectively, realizing multi-directional air supply. It is easy to think that more air outlet channels can be provided to have more air outlet directions, or three or two can be set according to requirements, etc. The number of the air outlet channels is not specifically limited here.

[0048] The front panel 30 is configured as a spherical panel-shaped structure protruding towards one side. When assembled, the front panel 30 protrudes towards the direction away from the side panel 10, which can increase the overall aesthetics of the air conditioner indoor unit. Further, a display panel can be provided on the front panel 30 to display information such as the operating state and temperature of the air conditioner.

[0049] The heat exchanger 40 includes a main body portion and a flanging portion, and the flanging portion extends on one side facing the main body portion at the edge of the main body portion. Preferably, the flanging portion is formed along the entire circumference of the main body portion, that is, the flanging portion forms a closed structure in the circumferential direction. The main body portion is disposed opposite to the ventilation structure on the volute 21, and the flanging portion is located between the air inlet of the side panel 10 and the volute 21.

[0050] In this embodiment, the flanging portion is perpendicularly disposed with respect to the main body portion, and the flanging portion is disposed corresponding to the air inlet, increasing the heat exchange area of the heat exchanger 40 and enabling the air flow to immediately contact the flanging portion for heat exchange after entering the air inlet.

[0051] Preferably, the heat exchanger 40 is configured as a square structure, that is, the main body portion is configured as a square structure, and the flanging portion is formed along the four sides of the main body portion. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the heat exchanger 40 can also be configured as a circular structure, that is, the main body portion is configured as a circular structure, and the flanging portion is formed along the circumference of the main body portion, so that the heat exchanger 40 can better match the shape of the volute 21.

[0052] The present invention realizes 360° air intake by providing a plurality of air inlets circumferentially in the air conditioner, increases the air intake volume, and improves the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger. Moreover, by providing a plurality of air outlets with different orientations, the air outlet range is larger, 360° circulating air outlet can be realized, ensuring uniform air flow direction in the indoor environment, guaranteeing the uniformity of the environmental temperature, and improving the overall comfort of the air conditioner.

[0053] The present invention also provides an air conditioner, including the above-mentioned indoor unit and outdoor unit of the air conditioner. The side panel 10 of the indoor unit of the air conditioner is a cylindrical structure, which can realize 360° air intake and 360° air outlet along the radial direction of the cylinder, thereby increasing the air intake volume and the air outlet range, improving the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger, and enabling the air flow to blow from all around the indoor unit into the indoor environment, realizing large-range air supply of the air conditioner, ensuring the uniformity of the air flow in the indoor environment, and greatly improving the comfort of the air conditioner.

[0054] The above specifically shows and describes the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the detailed structures, setting manners or implementation methods described herein; on the contrary, the present disclosure is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent settings included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An air conditioner indoor unit, characterized in that: comprising: a side panel including a cylindrical side peripheral wall, and a plurality of air inlets distributed circumferentially are formed on the side peripheral wall; a fan assembly disposed inside the side panel, including a volute and a fan, the fan is located inside the volute, and an installation space is formed between the fan assembly and the side panel for installing a heat exchanger; a front panel disposed at an end of the side panel, and an air outlet channel is formed between the front panel and the side panel, the air outlet of the fan assembly is blown out through the air outlet channel, the volute includes a flow guiding structure, and the flow guiding structure includes a first flow guiding plate extending from the outlet of the volute to the edge of the side panel, a second flow guiding plate is formed on the front panel, the second flow guiding plate and the first flow guiding plate are oppositely disposed, and the air outlet channel is formed between the first flow guiding plate and the second flow guiding plate, and a plurality of air outlet channels are formed, and the plurality of air outlet channels are distributed circumferentially along the front panel; the heat exchanger includes a main body portion and a folded edge portion, the folded edge portion extends on one side of the edge of the main body portion toward the main body portion, and the main body portion is oppositely disposed with a ventilation structure on the volute; wherein both the first flow guiding plate and the second flow guiding plate are configured as arc-shaped plates bent away from the heat exchanger, so that while the air outlet channel forms an arc-shaped bending structure bent away from the heat exchanger, the folded edge portion of the heat exchanger is located between the air inlet and the first flow guiding plate.

2. The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 1, characterized in that: the volute includes a bottom plate, the bottom plate is configured as a circular plate, a ventilation structure is provided on the bottom plate, and the air flow flowing in from the air inlet of the side panel can flow through the ventilation structure.

3. The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 2, characterized in that: the flow guiding structure includes a volute tongue, a plurality of volute tongues are arranged along the circumference of the fan, and the outlet of the volute is formed between two adjacent volute tongues, and the volute tongue makes the air flow out in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

4. The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 1, characterized in that: the air outlet of the air outlet channel faces the radial outside of the side panel.

5. The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 1, characterized in that: the front panel is configured as a spherical panel-like structure protruding toward one side, and when assembled, the front panel protrudes in a direction away from the side panel.

6. The air conditioner indoor unit according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that: the side panel includes a bottom wall covering one end of the side peripheral wall, a bottom wall air inlet is provided on the bottom wall, and a plurality of bottom wall air inlets are distributed along the circumference of the bottom wall.

7. An air conditioner, characterized in that: comprising the air conditioner indoor unit according to any one of claims 1-6.

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