Air guide mechanism of air conditioner and air conditioner indoor unit having the same

Abstract

The present invention provides an air guide mechanism of an air conditioner and an indoor unit of the air conditioner having the same, which is characterized by comprising: an air guide plate, a transmission rack is arranged on the side of the air guide plate facing the inside of the air conditioner; a driving mechanism, which is connected to the air guide plate in a transmission manner and configured to drive the air guide plate to move so as to adjust the size of the air outlet of the air conditioner; the driving mechanism comprises: a motor; a connecting member, a shaft hole in the center of which is matched with the shaft of the motor, and a plurality of elastic claws extend from the outer periphery of the connecting member; a ring gear, which is sleeved on the outer side of the connecting member, a groove is formed on the inner wall of the connecting member to match with the elastic claw, and gear teeth are formed on the outer periphery to mesh with the transmission rack. The connecting member can play a vibration absorption role when driving the ring gear to move, thereby reducing the vibration transmission rate of the air guide mechanism when it is running, and reducing or avoiding the noise generated by the air guide mechanism due to resonance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an air conditioner, in particular to an air guide mechanism of an air conditioner and an indoor unit of the air conditioner having the same. Background Art

[0002] An air guide mechanism is provided at the air outlet of the air conditioner, and the air guide mechanism is used to adjust the size of the air outlet, thereby adjusting the air volume of the heat exchange airflow.

[0003] When the air guide mechanism in the prior art is in operation, a lot of noise will be generated due to resonance between various components, which will affect the user experience.

[0004] Therefore, how to reduce the operating noise of the air guide mechanism has become a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently by those skilled in the art. Summary of the invention

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an air guide mechanism for an air conditioner and an indoor unit of an air conditioner having the same which at least partially solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0006] A further object of the present invention is to reduce the noise of the air guide mechanism.

[0007] Another further object of the present invention is to improve the reliability of the operation of the air guide mechanism.

[0008] The present invention provides an air guide mechanism of an air conditioner, comprising: an air guide plate, a transmission rack is arranged on a side of the air guide plate facing the inside of the air conditioner; a driving mechanism is transmission-connected with the air guide plate and configured to drive the air guide plate to move so as to adjust the size of the air outlet of the air conditioner; the driving mechanism comprises: a motor; a connecting piece, a center of which has an axial hole matched with the shaft of the motor, and a plurality of elastic claws extending from the outer periphery of the connecting piece; a ring gear, which is sleeved on the outer side of the connecting piece, a groove matched with the elastic claw is formed on the inner wall of the ring gear, and gear teeth transmission-engaged with the transmission rack are formed on the outer periphery of the ring gear.

[0009] Optionally, the connecting member includes: a central hub with an axial hole formed at the center; a plurality of spokes formed by radially extending outward from the outer periphery of the central hub; a plurality of arc plates formed by circumferentially extending from the outer periphery of at least part of the plurality of spokes, and the two ends of each arc plate protrude outward to form elastic claws.

[0010] Optionally, the elastic claw is assembled in the slot to utilize the deformation of the arc plate to produce a vibration absorption effect, thereby reducing the vibration transmission rate of the air guide mechanism during operation.

[0011] Optionally, an arc-shaped support portion is formed on the outer periphery of the spoke without the arc-shaped plate, and a gap is formed between the arc-shaped support portion and the groove top of the clamping groove.

[0012] Optionally, the spokes are evenly arranged along the circumference of the central hub, and the spokes provided with the arc-shaped plates and the spokes not provided with the arc-shaped plates are alternately arranged at intervals.

[0013] Optionally, the number of spokes is four, the number of spokes with arc plates is two, and they are arranged opposite to each other; the number of spokes without arc plates is two, and they are arranged opposite to each other; the number of elastic claws is four, and they are located on two arc plates.

[0014] Optionally, the driving mechanism also includes: a accommodating box, which has an accommodating cavity formed inside and is configured to accommodate a connecting piece and a ring gear; the accommodating box has a first opening toward the motor to allow the shaft of the motor to be inserted into the shaft hole; the accommodating box also has a second opening toward the transmission rack to allow the gear teeth to engage with the transmission rack.

[0015] Optionally, there are multiple slots evenly distributed on the inner wall of the ring gear.

[0016] Optionally, the connecting member and the ring gear are made of thermoplastic crystalline polymer.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an indoor unit of an air conditioner, comprising a casing having an air outlet formed thereon; and an air guide mechanism as described in any one of the above items, arranged at the air outlet.

[0018] The air guide mechanism of the air conditioner of the present invention comprises an air guide plate and a driving mechanism, wherein the driving mechanism comprises a motor, a connecting member and a ring gear. The driving mechanism drives the connecting member to move by the operation of the motor, and drives the ring gear to move by the elastic claw of the connecting member, so that the motor indirectly drives the ring gear to move to drive the air guide plate to move. The connecting member can play a vibration absorbing role when driving the ring gear to move, thereby reducing the vibration transmission rate of the air guide mechanism when it is running, and reducing or avoiding the noise generated by the air guide mechanism due to resonance.

[0019] Furthermore, there is a gap between the arc-shaped support portion of the present invention and the bottom of the slot, and the arc-shaped support portion is arranged on the outer periphery of the spoke where the arc-shaped plate is not arranged. The multiple arc-shaped support portions improve the mechanical strength of the connecting piece, thereby preventing the elastic claw from being separated from the slot due to large deformation of the connecting piece, thereby improving the assembly stability of the elastic claw and the slot, and reducing the operating noise of the air guide mechanism while ensuring the reliability of the operation of the air guide mechanism.

[0020] 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

[0021] 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:

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an air guide mechanism of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 An exploded view of the air guide mechanism of the air conditioner shown;

[0025] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A partial enlarged view of the middle A;

[0026] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 An exploded view of the driving mechanism of the air guide mechanism of the air conditioner;

[0027] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 The schematic diagram of the assembly of the connecting member and the ring gear in the driving mechanism of the air guide mechanism of the air conditioner shown;

[0028] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 An exploded view of a connecting member and a ring gear in a driving mechanism of an air guide mechanism of an air conditioner shown;

[0029] Figure 8 yes Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a receiving box in a driving mechanism of an air guide mechanism of an air conditioner is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram of an air conditioner indoor unit 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The air conditioner indoor unit 10 of this embodiment can be a wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit or a vertical air conditioner indoor unit, but is not limited thereto.

[0031] The air conditioner indoor unit 10 may generally include: a housing 110, and an air guide mechanism 200. The housing 110 has a accommodating and fixing function, and the air conditioner indoor unit 10 may further include: a heat exchanger and a fan disposed in the housing 110. An air outlet is formed on the housing 110, and the air guide mechanism 200 is disposed at the air outlet.

[0032] The indoor unit 10 and the outdoor unit of the air conditioner work together effectively to complete the cooling and heating cycle of the air conditioner, forming a heat exchange airflow, which can enter the indoor environment from the air outlet under the action of the fan, thereby achieving the cold and hot regulation of the indoor temperature. For the sake of simplicity, the air conditioner described below specifically refers to the indoor unit 10 of the air conditioner.

[0033] Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an air guide mechanism 200 of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] The air guide mechanism 200 includes an air guide plate 300 and a driving mechanism 400 .

[0035] The shape of the air guide plate 300 can be matched with the shape of the air outlet to shield the air outlet when there is no air outlet demand of the air conditioner indoor unit 10. In this embodiment, the shape of the air outlet can be set according to actual needs, for example, it can be rectangular or circular; the number of air outlets can be one or more, and when the number of air outlets is more than one, each air outlet is respectively provided with an air guide plate 300. When the air outlet is rectangular, the shape of the air guide plate 300 can be a long strip.

[0036] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 An exploded view of the air guide mechanism 200 of the air conditioner is shown.

[0037] A transmission rack 310 is provided on one side of the air guide plate 300 facing the inside of the air conditioner. The transmission rack 310 is used to be in transmission engagement with the driving mechanism 400 so that the driving mechanism 400 drives the air guide plate 300 to move.

[0038] The driving mechanism 400 is connected to the air guide plate 300 and is configured to drive the air guide plate 300 to move so as to adjust the size of the air outlet of the air conditioner. When the air guide plate 300 moves, the exposed area of ​​the air outlet can be changed, thereby playing a role in adjusting the size of the air outlet.

[0039] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A partial enlarged view of point A in the middle. Figure 5 yes Figure 3 An exploded view of the driving mechanism 400 of the air guide mechanism 200 of the air conditioner.

[0040] The driving mechanism 400 includes: a motor 410, a connecting member 420, a ring gear 430 and a containing box 500. The shaft 411 of the motor 410 cooperates with the connecting member 420, and the connecting member 420 cooperates with the ring gear 430. The motor 410 drives the connecting member 420 to rotate by rotating the driving shaft 411, thereby indirectly driving the ring gear 430 to rotate. Since the configuration of the motor 410 is well known to those skilled in the art, it will not be described in detail here.

[0041] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 The schematic diagram of the assembly of the connecting member 420 and the ring gear 430 in the driving mechanism 400 of the air guide mechanism 200 of the air conditioner is shown in FIG. Figure 7 yes Figure 6 The exploded view of the connecting member 420 and the ring gear 430 in the driving mechanism 400 of the air guide mechanism 200 of the air conditioner is shown.

[0042] The connecting member 420 has a shaft hole 4212 at its center that cooperates with the shaft 411 of the motor 410, and a plurality of elastic claws 4232 extend from its periphery. The plurality of elastic claws 4232 are used to cooperate with the ring gear 430 to apply force to the ring gear 430 when the connecting member 420 rotates, thereby driving the ring gear 430 to rotate. In this embodiment, the connecting member 420 can be integrally formed. The plurality of elastic claws 4232 protruding outward make the connecting member 420 as a whole present a special-shaped round pancake shape.

[0043] The ring gear 430 is sleeved on the outer side of the connecting member 420, and a slot 431 is formed on the inner wall thereof to match the elastic claw 4232, and a gear 432 is formed on the outer periphery thereof to mesh with the transmission rack 310. The ring gear 430 is annular as a whole, and its central part is hollowed out for assembly with the connecting member 420. The shape and size of the connecting member 420 can be matched with the size and shape of the inner wall of the ring gear 430, so that the ring gear 430 can be sleeved on the outer side of the connecting member 420. There are a plurality of slots 431, which are evenly distributed on the inner wall of the ring gear 430. The number of slots 431 can be the same as the number of elastic claws 4232, or can be more than the number of elastic claws 4232. The shape and size of the plurality of slots 431 are matched with the shape and size of the elastic claws 4232, so that the elastic claws 4232 can be assembled in the slots 431, thereby realizing the assembly connection between the ring gear 430 and the connecting member 420.

[0044] The driving mechanism 400 of this embodiment utilizes the operation of the motor 410 to drive the connecting member 420 to move, and utilizes the elastic claw 4232 of the connecting member 420 to drive the ring gear 430 to move, so that the motor 410 indirectly drives the ring gear 430 to move to drive the air guide plate 300 to move. The connecting member 420 can play a vibration absorption role when driving the ring gear 430 to move, thereby reducing the vibration transmission rate of the air guide mechanism 200 during operation, reducing or avoiding the noise generated by the air guide mechanism 200 due to resonance.

[0045] The connecting member 420 includes a central hub 421 , a plurality of spokes 422 , a plurality of arc-shaped plates 423 , and a plurality of arc-shaped support portions 424 .

[0046] The center of the central hub 421 forms an axial hole 4212. The central hub 421 may be annular, and its center is hollowed out to form an axial hole 4212 that cooperates with the shaft 411 of the motor 410. The inner diameter of the axial hole 4212 may be slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the shaft 411, so that the two can be assembled and connected by interference fit.

[0047] The plurality of spokes 422 are formed by radially extending outward from the outer periphery of the central hub 421. The radial direction refers to the radial direction of the ring where the central hub 421 is located, with the center of the central hub 421 as the center. The plurality of spokes 422 extend radially outward from the outer periphery of the central hub 421 at equal distances, so that the outer peripheries of the plurality of spokes 422 are located on the outer periphery of the same circular cake. The plurality of spokes 422 are radially radiated, which increases the mechanical strength of the connector 420 and improves the structural stability of the connector 420.

[0048] A plurality of arc-shaped plates 423 are formed by extending from the outer periphery of at least part of the plurality of spokes 422 in the circumferential direction, and both ends of each arc-shaped plate 423 protrude outward to form elastic claws 4232. The elastic claws 4232 are assembled in the slots 431 to utilize the deformation of the arc-shaped plates 423 to generate a vibration absorption effect, thereby reducing the vibration transmission rate of the air guide mechanism 200 during operation.

[0049] The circumferential direction refers to the circumferential direction of the outer periphery of the same disk where the outer peripheries of the plurality of spokes 422 are located. The elastic claws 4232 protruding outwards make the arc plate 423 a special-shaped arc section.

[0050] Since the elastic claw 4232 protrudes outward from the outer periphery of the connecting member 420, the connecting member 420 can drive the ring gear 430 to move only through the cooperation between the elastic claw 4232 and the slot 431 of the ring gear 430. On the one hand, the contact area between the connecting member 420 and the ring gear 430 is reduced. On the other hand, the elastic claw 4232 of the arc plate 423 deforms when squeezed to produce a vibration absorbing effect, thereby reducing or avoiding the transmission of vibration from the connecting member 420 to the ring gear 430, reducing the vibration transmission rate of the driving mechanism 400 during operation, reducing or avoiding the noise generated by resonance inside the driving mechanism 400 or even inside the entire air guide mechanism 200, and improving the user experience.

[0051] The outer periphery of the spoke 422 without the arc plate 423 is formed with an arc support portion 424, and there is a gap between the arc support portion 424 and the slot top of the slot 431. The slot bottom of the slot 431 refers to the deepest part of the slot 431, the slot top is opposite to the slot bottom, and the distance between the slot top and the slot bottom is the depth of the slot 431. In other words, the slot top is located at the top of the slot 431, and its depth is zero. The outer periphery of the arc support portion 424 and the outer periphery of the arc plate 423 without the elastic claw 4232 can also be located on the outer periphery of the same round cake. The arc support portion 424 and the arc plate 423 without the elastic claw 4232 can be used to support the connecting member 420 to improve the mechanical strength of the connecting member 420, prevent the elastic claw 4232 from being separated from the slot 431 due to large deformation of the connecting member 420, and improve the assembly stability of the elastic claw 4232 and the slot 431.

[0052] There is a gap between the arc-shaped support portion 424 and the bottom of the slot 431, which not only reduces the contact area between the ring gear 430 and the connecting piece 420, but also prevents the elastic claw 4232 from being disengaged from the slot 431 due to excessive squeezing. While reducing the operating noise of the air guide mechanism 200, it also ensures the reliability of the operation of the air guide mechanism 200.

[0053] In this embodiment, the material of the connecting member 420 and the ring gear 430 can be the same, for example, the material of the connecting member 420 and the ring gear 430 can be a thermoplastic crystalline polymer. In some optional embodiments, the materials of the connecting member 420 and the ring gear 430 can also be different, and different materials can have different natural frequencies. The connecting member 420 and the ring gear 430 are set to different materials so that the connecting member 420 and the ring gear 430 have different natural frequencies, thereby preventing resonance from occurring inside the driving mechanism 400. In other optional embodiments, the connecting member 420 and the ring gear 430 can also have specific mass, hardness or external dimensions respectively, so that the connecting member 420 and the ring gear 430 have different natural frequencies.

[0054] The spokes 422 are evenly arranged along the circumference of the central hub 421 , and the spokes 422 provided with the arc-shaped plates 423 and the spokes 422 not provided with the arc-shaped plates 423 are alternately arranged at intervals.

[0055] The spokes 422 provided with the arc plates 423 and the spokes 422 not provided with the arc plates 423 are arranged alternately and spaced apart, so that the arc plates 423 can be evenly arranged on the outer periphery of the plurality of spokes 422, thereby ensuring the uniformity of the distribution of the elastic claws 4232. Since the elastic claws 4232 are evenly distributed, the inner wall of the ring gear 430 is evenly stressed, which is beneficial to improving the stability of the movement of the ring gear 430 and provides a structural basis for adjusting the movement speed of the air guide plate 300 by adjusting the movement speed of the ring gear 430. Furthermore, since the elastic claws 4232 are evenly distributed, the stable movement of the ring gear 430 can be achieved by using a limited number of elastic claws 4232 without the need to set too many elastic claws 4232, thereby simplifying the structure of the connector 420 and saving manufacturing costs.

[0056] The number of spokes 422 can be set according to actual needs. In this embodiment, the number of spokes 422 can be four, wherein the number of spokes 422 provided with arc plates 423 is two and arranged oppositely; the number of spokes 422 not provided with arc plates 423 is two and arranged oppositely. The number of elastic claws 4232 can be four and are located on the above two arc plates 423, preferably, they can be located at both ends of each arc plate 423.

[0057] Figure 8 yes Figure 4 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a receiving box 500 in a driving mechanism 400 of an air guide mechanism 200 of an air conditioner.

[0058] The receiving box 500 has a receiving cavity formed therein, which is configured to receive the connecting member 420 and the ring gear 430. In this embodiment, the receiving box 500 can be fixed to the skeleton structure in the housing 110 by screwing.

[0059] The housing box 500 has a first opening 510 facing the motor 410 to allow the shaft 411 of the motor 410 to be inserted into the shaft hole 4212; the housing box 500 also has a second opening 520 facing the transmission rack 310 to allow the gear teeth 432 to mesh with the transmission rack 310. The size and shape of the first opening 510 can be adapted to the size and shape of the ring gear 430, so that the ring gear 430 can be easily disassembled and assembled from the first opening 510. The size and shape of the second opening 520 are adapted to both the size and shape of the ring gear 430 and the size and shape of the transmission rack 310, so that the ring gear 430 and the transmission rack 310 can be easily meshed.

[0060] In the air guide mechanism 200 of the air conditioner provided in the present embodiment and the air conditioner indoor unit 10 having the same, the driving mechanism 400 drives the connecting member 420 to move by the operation of the motor 410, and drives the ring gear 430 to move by the elastic claw 4232 of the connecting member 420. Since the elastic claw 4232 protrudes outward from the outer periphery of the connecting member 420, the connecting member 420 can drive the ring gear 430 to move only by the elastic claw 4232 cooperating with the clamping groove 431 of the ring gear 430. On the one hand, the contact area between the connecting member 420 and the ring gear 430 is reduced. On the other hand, the elastic claw 4232 of the arc plate 423 deforms when squeezed to produce a vibration absorption effect, thereby reducing or avoiding the transmission of vibration from the connecting member 420 to the ring gear 430, reducing the vibration transmission rate when the driving mechanism 400 is running, reducing or avoiding the noise generated by resonance inside the driving mechanism 400 or even inside the entire air guide mechanism 200, and improving the user experience. The air guide mechanism 200 of this embodiment is not only applicable to traditional air conditioners, but also to intelligent air conditioners.

[0061] 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 guide mechanism for an air conditioner, comprising: An air guide plate, a transmission rack is provided on one side of the air guide plate facing the interior of the air conditioner; A driving mechanism, drivingly connected to the air guide plate, configured to drive the air guide plate to move so as to adjust the size of the air outlet of the air conditioner; The driving mechanism comprises: Motor; A connecting piece, the center of which has an axial hole that matches the shaft of the motor, and a plurality of elastic claws extending from the periphery thereof; A ring gear is sleeved on the outer side of the connecting member, and its inner wall is formed with a slot that cooperates with the elastic claw, and its outer periphery is formed with gear teeth that mesh with the transmission rack; Wherein, the connecting piece comprises: a central hub, the center of which forms the shaft hole; A plurality of spokes are formed by extending radially outward from the outer periphery of the central hub; A plurality of arc-shaped plates are formed by extending circumferentially from the outer periphery of at least part of the plurality of spokes, and two ends of each of the arc-shaped plates protrude outwards to form the elastic claws.

2. The air guide mechanism according to claim 1, wherein The elastic claw is assembled in the clamping groove to utilize the deformation of the arc plate to produce a vibration absorption effect, thereby reducing the vibration transmission rate of the air guide mechanism when it is in operation.

3. The air guide mechanism according to claim 1, wherein An arc-shaped support portion is formed on the outer periphery of the spoke where the arc-shaped plate is not provided, and a gap is provided between the arc-shaped support portion and the groove top of the clamping groove.

4. The air guide mechanism according to claim 1, wherein The spokes are evenly arranged along the circumference of the central hub, and the spokes provided with the arc-shaped plates and the spokes not provided with the arc-shaped plates are alternately arranged at intervals.

5. The air guide mechanism according to claim 4, wherein The number of the wheel spokes is four, the number of the wheel spokes provided with the arc-shaped plates is two, and they are arranged opposite to each other; the number of the wheel spokes not provided with the arc-shaped plates is two, and they are arranged opposite to each other; The number of the elastic claws is four and they are located on the two arc-shaped plates.

6. The air guide mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: The driving mechanism further comprises: A receiving box, an receiving cavity is formed inside the receiving box and is configured to receive the connecting member and the ring gear; The receiving box has a first opening facing the motor to allow the shaft of the motor to be inserted into the shaft hole; The receiving box also has a second opening facing the transmission rack to allow the gear teeth to mesh with the transmission rack.

7. The air guide mechanism according to claim 1, wherein The number of the slots is multiple and evenly distributed on the inner wall of the ring gear.

8. The air guide mechanism according to claim 1, wherein The connecting member and the ring gear are made of thermoplastic crystalline polymer.

9. An air conditioner indoor unit, comprising: A casing, wherein an air outlet is formed on the casing; The air guide mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is arranged at the air outlet.

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