Air conditioner indoor unit and air conditioner

Abstract

The present invention discloses an air conditioning indoor unit and an air conditioner. The air conditioning indoor unit includes a housing, a flow collecting member, and a vortex ring generating portion. The housing extends vertically and has an air inlet, an air outlet, and a heat exchange duct connecting the air inlet and the air outlet. The flow collecting member is mounted on the housing and has an indoor air supply port and an air inlet connected to the heat exchange duct. The air flow area of ​​the indoor air supply port is smaller than that of the air inlet. The vortex ring generating portion includes a switch door mounted at the lower end of the heat exchange duct. The switch door periodically allows air to pass through and be blown out through the flow collecting member. The air conditioning indoor unit of the present invention can fully utilize the space at the lower end of the air conditioning indoor unit, solving the problem of insufficient space at the upper end of the air conditioning indoor unit, and effectively reducing noise.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Existing air conditioners blow out the air after heat exchange through conventional air vents. The air outlet mode is conventional, and the airflow out of the conventional air vent is fixed. Its radiation range is short and narrow, and it cannot achieve large-scale and long-distance air supply, which reduces the user experience.

[0003] Long-distance air supply can be achieved by installing a vortex ring generating device on the air conditioner. Generally, the vortex ring generating device is installed entirely on the upper part of the air conditioner. This makes installation more difficult when there is insufficient space above the air conditioner and is prone to noise.

[0004] The above content is only used to assist in understanding the technical solution of the invention and does not constitute an admission that the above content is prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner indoor unit, aiming to solve one or more of the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the air conditioner indoor unit proposed by the present invention includes a housing, a current collecting member and a vortex ring generating part.

[0007] The housing is extended up and down, and has an air inlet, an air outlet, and a heat exchange duct connecting the air inlet and the air outlet;

[0008] A flow collecting member is mounted on the housing, and is provided with an indoor air supply port and an air inlet connected to the heat exchange air duct, wherein the air flow area of ​​the indoor air supply port is smaller than the air flow area of ​​the air inlet;

[0009] The vortex ring generating portion includes a switch door, which is installed at the lower end of the heat exchange air duct. The switch door can periodically allow airflow to pass through and be blown out through the flow collecting member.

[0010] In one embodiment, the air inlet is arranged at the lower end of the shell, the air outlet is arranged at the upper end of the shell, the air conditioner indoor unit also includes a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger is installed in the heat exchange duct, and the switch door is installed between the air inlet and the heat exchanger.

[0011] In one embodiment, the windward surface of the heat exchanger is arranged at an angle to the up-down direction, so that the heat exchanger and the lower end of the shell enclose an air inlet space, and the switch door is installed in the air inlet space.

[0012] In one embodiment, the air conditioner indoor unit further includes a fan assembly, which is installed in the heat exchange air duct and drives the air flow from the air inlet to the air outlet.

[0013] In one embodiment, the fan assembly includes a centrifugal fan wheel, the centrifugal fan wheel is arranged at the lower end of the heat exchange air duct, the heat exchanger is located above the centrifugal fan wheel, and the switch door is arranged between the centrifugal fan wheel and the heat exchanger.

[0014] In one embodiment, the vortex ring generating unit also includes a driving device installed on the outer shell, and the switch door is used to block the air flow from the air inlet from flowing to the indoor air outlet. The driving device is connected to the switch door to drive the switch door to open or periodically drive the switch door to open or close.

[0015] In one embodiment, the flow collecting member is a flow collecting cover, and the flow collecting cover is arranged to be gradually reduced from the air inlet to the indoor air supply outlet.

[0016] In one embodiment, the current collecting member is a current collecting plate, which is installed at the air outlet, and the indoor air supply port is formed on the current collecting plate.

[0017] In one embodiment, the flow collecting member is installed at the air outlet, and the indoor air supply outlet is connected to the air outlet.

[0018] The present invention further provides an air conditioner, comprising an air conditioner indoor unit and an air conditioner outdoor unit connected by a refrigerant pipe, wherein the air conditioner indoor unit comprises a housing, a current collecting member, and a vortex ring generating portion;

[0019] The housing is extended up and down, and has an air inlet, an air outlet, and a heat exchange duct connecting the air inlet and the air outlet;

[0020] A flow collecting member is mounted on the housing, and is provided with an indoor air supply port and an air inlet connected to the heat exchange air duct, wherein the air flow area of ​​the indoor air supply port is smaller than the air flow area of ​​the air inlet;

[0021] The vortex ring generating portion includes a switch door, which is installed at the lower end of the heat exchange air duct. The switch door can periodically allow airflow to pass through and be blown out through the flow collecting member.

[0022] The air conditioner indoor unit of the present invention makes the air flow area of ​​the indoor air supply outlet of the collecting member smaller than the air flow area of ​​the air inlet, connects the air inlet with the heat exchange air duct, and installs the switch door at the lower end of the heat exchange air duct. This can fully utilize the lower end space of the air conditioner indoor unit and solve the problem of insufficient space at the upper end of the air conditioner indoor unit. At the same time, when the pressurized air flow flows from the switch door to the air supply outlet, the noise generated can be mostly blocked and absorbed by the outer shell due to its longer path, thereby effectively reducing the noise generated at the switch door. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of an embodiment of an air-conditioning indoor unit of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of another embodiment of an air-conditioning indoor unit of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of another embodiment of an air-conditioning indoor unit of the present invention.

[0027] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0028] Label name Label name Label name 1 shell 2 Current collecting parts 32 Drive device 11 air inlet 21 Indoor air outlet 4 heat exchanger 12 air outlet 22 air inlet 5 Air intake space 13 Heat exchange duct 3 Vortex ring generating part 6 Fan components 14 Inner wall of air duct 31 Open and close doors 61 Centrifugal impeller

[0029] The purpose, features and advantages of the present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings and in conjunction with the embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indications are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the various components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly.

[0031] In addition, the meaning of "and / or" appearing in the full text includes three parallel solutions. Taking "A and / or B" as an example, it includes solution A, or solution B, or a solution in which both A and B are satisfied.

[0032] The present invention provides an air-conditioning indoor unit.

[0033] In the embodiment of the present invention, Figures 1 to 3As shown, the air conditioner indoor unit includes a casing 1, a flow collecting member 2 and a vortex ring generating part 3. The casing 1 is extended up and down, and has an air inlet 11, an air outlet 12 and a heat exchange air duct 13 connecting the air inlet 11 with the air outlet 12. The flow collecting member 2 is installed on the casing 1. The flow collecting member 2 is provided with an indoor air supply port 21 and an air inlet 22 connected to the heat exchange air duct 13. The air flow area of ​​the indoor air supply port 21 is smaller than the air flow area of ​​the air inlet 22. The vortex ring generating part 3 includes a switch door 31, which is installed at the lower end of the heat exchange air duct 13. The switch door 31 can periodically allow air to pass through and be blown out through the flow collecting member 2.

[0034] In this embodiment, it is understood that the indoor air outlet 21 of the flow collecting member 2 refers to an opening connected to the indoor room, that is, the air blown out from the indoor air outlet 21 can be delivered to the indoor room through the opening of the outer shell 1. The outer shell 1 can be a one-piece structure or can be made up of several plates. The shapes of the air inlet 11 and the air outlet 12 can be circular, elliptical, rectangular, polygonal, etc., or can be multiple micropores, and their size and shape are not specifically limited here. The heat exchange duct 13 can be composed of the inner wall of the duct, or it can be directly formed by the inner cavity of the outer shell 1. It is understood that the heat exchange duct 13 usually has a heat exchanger, and the air flow passing through the heat exchanger can be fully heat exchanged. The heat exchange duct 13 refers to the cavity that the air flow can flow through during the process of flowing into the outer shell 1, flowing through the heat exchanger, and flowing out of the outer shell 1. That is, the air flow entering from the air inlet 11 can undergo heat exchange in this channel and then be blown out from the air outlet 12.

[0035] The cross-sectional shape of the heat exchange duct 13 can be circular, elliptical, arc-shaped, or other structures. The outer shell 1 is extended up and down, and the outer shell 1 is roughly cylindrical, so the heat exchange duct 13 also extends roughly in the up and down direction. The heat exchange duct 13 can be directly enclosed by the outer shell 1, or it can be enclosed by the inner wall 14 of the duct inside the outer shell 1. The collector 2 and the outer shell 1 can be integrally formed or separately formed. It is understandable that when the collector 2 and the outer shell 1 are separately formed, the collector 2 and the outer shell 1 are sealed. By making the air flow area of ​​the indoor air supply port 21 smaller than the air flow area of ​​the air inlet 22, part of the air flow flowing from the air outlet 12 to the indoor air supply port 21 will flow along the inner wall surface of the collector 2 and then flow out from the periphery of the indoor air supply port 21, while the other part of the air flow will flow out from the middle of the indoor air supply port 21. The part of the air flow flowing out from the edge of the indoor air supply port 21 is defined as the edge air flow, and the air flow flowing out from the middle of the indoor air supply port 21 is defined as the middle air flow. Then, the edge airflow has a lower flow rate than the middle airflow due to the resistance of the inner wall of the flow collecting member 2. This difference in flow rate will cause the airflow to generate vortex ring airflow when it flows out from the indoor air supply port 21.

[0036] The switch door 31 can be a door panel structure, a blade structure, a fan structure, etc. It only needs to be able to periodically open or block the airflow in the heat exchange duct 13 from flowing to the collector 2 to form a vortex ring-shaped blowout. The switch door 31 can be installed in the heat exchange duct 13 in a detachable manner, or it can be integrally formed with the shell 1. It should be noted that the lower end of the heat exchange duct 13 refers to a relative position relationship, that is, according to the installation position in the air-conditioning room, it has an upper and lower end, and the lower end of the heat exchange duct 13 corresponds to the lower end after installation in the air-conditioning room. The switch door 31 can periodically supply airflow to be blown out through the collector 2, that is, it can periodically release the airflow after pressure accumulation in the heat exchange duct 13. And if the air flow area of ​​the air supply port is smaller than the air flow area of ​​the air inlet 22, the air flow can be formed into a vortex ring, thereby achieving directional, fixed-point and long-distance air supply. In addition, the vortex ring exchanges heat with the surrounding air during the transmission process, and the temperature difference between the vortex ring and the surrounding air is not large, which ensures that the vortex ring will not produce obvious overcooling or overheating feeling when blowing on the human body, thereby improving comfort.

[0037] The air-conditioning indoor unit of the present invention makes the air flow area of ​​the indoor air supply port 21 of the collecting member 2 smaller than the air flow area of ​​the air inlet 22, connects the air inlet 22 with the heat exchange duct 13, and installs the switch door 31 at the lower end of the heat exchange duct 13. This can fully utilize the lower end space of the air-conditioning indoor unit and solve the problem of insufficient space at the upper end of the air-conditioning indoor unit. At the same time, when the pressurized air flow flows from the switch door 31 to the air supply port, due to its longer path, most of the noise generated can be blocked and absorbed by the outer casing 1, thereby effectively reducing the noise generated at the switch door 31.

[0038] In one embodiment, please refer to Figures 1 to 3 The air inlet 11 is arranged at the lower end of the shell 1, and the air outlet 12 is arranged at the upper end of the shell 1. The air conditioner indoor unit also includes a heat exchanger 4, the heat exchanger 4 is installed in the heat exchange duct 13, and the switch door 31 is installed between the air inlet 11 and the heat exchanger 4.

[0039] In this embodiment, air flows from the air inlet 11 at the lower end of the housing 1 to the air outlet at the upper end of the housing 1. The air supplied from the air outlet at the upper end of the housing 1 better meets the user's blowing needs. The heat exchanger 4 performs heat exchange on the air flow flowing into the heat exchange air duct 13 and blows out cold air or hot air, making the blown vortex ring more comfortable and meeting the user's blowing needs. The heat exchanger 4 can be a fin-tube evaporator, a plate evaporator, etc. Installing the switch door 31 between the air inlet 11 and the heat exchanger 4 can fully utilize the space between the heat exchanger 4 and the bottom surface of the housing 1, making the overall structure more compact.

[0040] On the basis of the above embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2The windward surface of the heat exchanger 4 is set at an angle to the up and down direction, so that the heat exchanger 4 and the lower end of the shell 1 enclose an air inlet space 5, and the switch door 31 is installed in the air inlet space 5.

[0041] In this embodiment, the windward surface of the heat exchanger 4 can be positioned vertically, that is, the heat exchanger 4 is positioned horizontally within the heat exchange duct 13. The heat exchanger 4 can also be installed at an angle within the heat exchange duct 13, so long as the windward surface of the heat exchanger 4 faces the end of the heat exchange duct 13 with the air inlet 11. By positioning the windward surface of the heat exchanger 4 at an angle to the vertical direction, sufficient air inlet space 5 is created while ensuring heat exchange by the heat exchanger 4. Installing the switch door 31 within this air inlet space 5 fully utilizes the lower end space of the housing 1, making the overall structure more compact while leaving a sufficiently long heat exchange duct 13 for airflow, thereby effectively reducing noise.

[0042] In one embodiment, if Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the air conditioner indoor unit further includes a fan assembly 6 , which is installed in the heat exchange air duct 13 . The fan assembly 6 drives the air flow from the air inlet 11 to the air outlet 12 .

[0043] In this embodiment, the fan assembly 6 is capable of driving sufficient airflow from the air inlet 11 to the vortex ring generating portion 3, so that after the airflow passes through the vortex ring generating portion 3, a vortex ring airflow is formed and blown out from the indoor air outlet 21. The vortex ring airflow output range is large and the output distance is long, thereby ensuring a good air output effect and improving the user experience. The fan assembly 6 includes a wind wheel and a motor that provides power to the wind wheel. The wind wheel can be a centrifugal wind wheel 61, an axial flow wind wheel, or a cross-flow wind wheel. The wind wheel can be one or two. When there is one wind wheel, the wind wheel is placed at the air inlet 11 to drive sufficient airflow from the air inlet 11 into the heat exchange duct 13. When there are two or more wind wheels, one is placed at the air inlet 11 to drive sufficient airflow from the air inlet 11 into the heat exchange duct 13, and the other or part of the wind wheel is placed at the air inlet 22 to drive sufficient airflow to the vortex ring generating portion 3.

[0044] On the basis of the above embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The fan assembly 6 includes a centrifugal wind wheel 61, which is arranged at the lower end of the heat exchange duct 13, the heat exchanger 4 is located above the centrifugal wind wheel 61, and the switch door 31 is arranged between the centrifugal wind wheel 61 and the heat exchanger 4.

[0045] In this embodiment, the centrifugal impeller 61 can be a unidirectional centrifugal impeller 61 or a bidirectional centrifugal impeller 61 to increase the air volume. The centrifugal impeller 61 is placed below the heat exchange duct 13 to drive a sufficient amount of airflow from the air inlet 11 to the air outlet 12. The switch door 31 is arranged between the centrifugal impeller 61 and the heat exchanger 4, so that a large amount of air can be gathered in the heat exchange duct 13 between the switch door 31 and the centrifugal impeller 61, thereby generating sufficient pressure to drive the airflow to the air supply port. In addition, since there is a certain space between the centrifugal impeller 61 and the heat exchanger 4, the switch door 31 is arranged between the centrifugal impeller 61 and the heat exchanger 4. This space can be fully utilized, making the structure of the lower end of the air conditioner indoor unit more compact and occupying less space.

[0046] In one embodiment, if Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the vortex ring generating part 3 also includes a driving device 32 installed on the outer shell 1, and the switch door 31 is used to block the air flow from the air inlet 11 to flow to the indoor air outlet 21. The driving device 32 is connected to the switch door 31 to drive the switch door 31 to open or periodically drive the switch door 31 to open or close.

[0047] In this embodiment, it should be noted that when the door 31 is closed, it blocks the airflow within the heat exchange duct 13 from flowing toward the indoor air outlet 21. The door 31 can completely block the heat exchange duct 13 or partially close it, for example, by only closing 2 / 3, 4 / 5, 5 / 6, 9 / 10, etc. of the cross-section of the heat exchange duct 13. The drive device 32 may include a control panel and a drive element. The control panel controls the drive element to drive the door 31 to periodically reciprocate or repeatedly open and close the heat exchange duct 13. The drive device 32 may be located within or outside the heat exchange duct 13. To prevent the drive device 32 from obstructing the airflow within the heat exchange duct 13, the control element is preferably located outside the heat exchange duct 13. The door 31 is located within the heat exchange duct 13, dividing the duct 13 into two parts. Thus, the door 31 can be used to block airflow from the air inlet 11 to the air outlet. When the door 31 is closed, blocking the airflow in the heat exchange duct 13 from flowing toward the air outlet, the air inlet 11 continues to flow in. This allows a certain amount of airflow to accumulate in the heat exchange duct 13, creating a certain pressure. When the door 31 is opened, the airflow in the heat exchange duct 13 creates a driving force, blowing out of the air outlet to form a vortex ring. In this way, the periodic opening and closing of the door 31 causes the airflow to flow out in a pulsed manner, giving the air conditioner indoor unit a vortex ring air supply mode, enabling long-distance and directional vortex ring air supply.

[0048] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2An air duct inner wall 14 is provided in the shell 1 , the air duct inner wall 14 is connected to the collecting member 2 , the air duct inner wall 14 encloses a heat exchange air duct 13 , and the driving device 32 is installed between the air duct inner wall 14 and the shell 14 .

[0049] In this embodiment, the heat exchange duct 13 is formed by the duct inner wall 14, which is easier to ensure the sealing and stability of the heat exchange duct 13 than directly forming the duct by the inner cavity of the shell 1. The collecting part 2 and the duct inner wall 14 can be formed as one piece or as a separate piece. The collecting part 2 and the duct inner wall 14 can be detachably connected by means of screws, snap-fits, etc. The driving device 32 can be installed on the inner wall surface of the shell 1, on the outside of the duct inner wall 14, or fixed between the shell 1 and the duct inner wall 14. The driving device 32 can be set between the shell 1 and the duct inner wall 14 in a detachable installation form. Installing the driving device 32 between the shell 1 and the duct inner wall 14 can fully utilize the space between the shell 1 and the duct inner wall 14, thereby making the overall structure more compact.

[0050] Building on the previous embodiment, the duct inner wall 14 further comprises a volute assembly, which includes a volute and a volute tongue. Together, the volute and volute tongue form a portion of the heat exchange duct 13, and the centrifugal impeller 61 is mounted within the volute assembly. The volute tongue is bent to create a mounting space between the volute tongue and the outer casing 1. The drive device 32 is mounted within this mounting space. This creates sufficient space for the drive device 32.

[0051] In a preferred embodiment, as 1 to Figure 3 As shown, the flow collecting member 2 is a flow collecting hood, which is arranged to taper from the air inlet 22 to the indoor air outlet 21. The cross-sectional shape of the flow collecting hood can be circular, elliptical, rectangular, etc. To reduce wind resistance, the flow collecting hood is roughly cylindrical. By arranging the flow collecting hood to taper from the air outlet 12 to the indoor air outlet 21, the flow collecting hood can collect the air discharged from the air outlet 12, and the generation and blowing of the vortex ring is smoother.

[0052] In another embodiment, the current collecting member 2 is a current collecting plate, which is installed on the air outlet 12 and has an indoor air supply port 21. The current collecting plate can be a plate that covers the air outlet 12, and by providing an indoor air supply port 21 that is smaller than the air outlet 12 on the current collecting plate, when the airflow is blown out from the air outlet 12 to the air supply port, due to the partial blocking effect of the current collecting plate, the airflow blown out from the indoor air supply port 21 can be in the shape of a vortex ring. The current collecting plate has a simple structure and is easy to manufacture and process. In other embodiments, the current collecting member 2 can also be formed by enclosing several plates, and by providing an indoor air supply port 21 on one of the plates, the formation of a vortex ring can also be achieved.

[0053] Furthermore, the flow collector 2 is installed at the air outlet 12, and the indoor air supply outlet 21 is connected to the air outlet 12. In this way, the air outlet 12 and the indoor air supply outlet 21 share a single outlet, which simplifies the structure of the air conditioner indoor unit, can meet the needs of different users, improve the user experience of product functions, and meet the trend of consumption upgrading.

[0054] The present invention also proposes an air conditioner, which includes an air conditioner outdoor unit and an air conditioner indoor unit. The air conditioner outdoor unit and the air conditioner indoor unit are connected by a refrigerant pipe. The specific structure of the air conditioner indoor unit refers to the above embodiment. Since this air conditioner adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0055] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural transformations made by using the contents of the present invention description and drawings under the inventive concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect application in other related technical fields are included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An air conditioner indoor unit, characterized in that: include: A housing extending vertically and having an air inlet, an air outlet, and a heat exchange duct connecting the air inlet and the air outlet; a flow collecting member mounted on the housing, the flow collecting member being provided with an indoor air supply port and an air inlet communicating with the heat exchange air duct, wherein the air flow area of ​​the indoor air supply port is smaller than the air flow area of ​​the air inlet; and A vortex ring generating portion includes a switch door, the switch door is installed at the lower end of the heat exchange air duct, and the switch door can periodically allow airflow to pass through and be blown out through the flow collecting member; The air conditioner indoor unit further includes a fan assembly, which is disposed in the heat exchange duct and on a side of the switch door facing away from the flow collector, and is used to pressurize and drive airflow from the air inlet to the air outlet. When the switch door is in a closed state, the heat exchange duct is able to form a pressurized airflow on the side of the switch door facing away from the flow collector. The air inlet is provided at the lower end of the shell, the air outlet is provided at the upper end of the shell, the air conditioner indoor unit further comprises a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger is installed in the heat exchange duct, and the switch door is installed between the air inlet and the heat exchanger; The windward surface of the heat exchanger is arranged at an angle to the up-down direction, so that the heat exchanger and the lower end of the shell are enclosed to form an air inlet space, and the switch door is installed in the air inlet space.

2. The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 1, wherein: The fan assembly includes a centrifugal wind wheel, which is arranged at the lower end of the heat exchange air duct. The heat exchanger is located above the centrifugal wind wheel, and the switch door is arranged between the centrifugal wind wheel and the heat exchanger.

3. The air conditioner indoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that: The vortex ring generating unit also includes a driving device installed on the outer shell, and the switch door is used to block the air flow from the air inlet from flowing to the indoor air outlet. The driving device is connected to the switch door to drive the switch door to open or periodically drive the switch door to open or close.

4. The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 1, wherein: The flow collecting member is a flow collecting cover, and the flow collecting cover is arranged to be gradually reduced from the air inlet to the indoor air supply outlet.

5. The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 1, wherein: The current collecting member is a current collecting plate, which is installed at the air outlet, and the indoor air supply port is formed on the current collecting plate.

6. The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 1, wherein: The flow collecting member is installed at the air outlet, and the indoor air supply port is communicated with the air outlet.

7. An air conditioner, characterized in that: It comprises an air-conditioning outdoor unit and an air-conditioning indoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the air-conditioning outdoor unit is connected to the air-conditioning indoor unit via a refrigerant pipe.

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