Air conditioner and its defrosting structure

Abstract

This application relates to an air conditioner and its defrosting structure, which is disposed within the casing of the air conditioner. The air conditioner is installed on assembly equipment. The defrosting structure has a defrosting state with a natural frequency matching the vibration frequency of the assembly equipment during operation, and a pending state with a different vibration frequency. When in the defrosting state, the defrosting structure reciprocates and defrosts the heat exchanger within the air conditioner's casing. The air conditioner and its defrosting structure provided in this application have superior cooling performance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of refrigeration technology, and in particular to an air conditioner and its defrosting structure. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of refrigeration technology, air conditioners have been widely used in equipment such as trains, airplanes, and automobiles. Traditional air conditioners typically consist of a casing and a condenser. In summer, the condenser absorbs heat from the refrigerant to lower its temperature, thus achieving cooling; in winter, the condenser releases heat to the refrigerant to raise its temperature, thus achieving heating. However, because the condenser's temperature drops after releasing heat, it is prone to frost formation.

[0003] Frost buildup increases the condenser's thermal resistance and reduces its heat exchange capacity, thus requiring regular defrosting. The traditional defrosting method involves switching the air conditioner to summer mode, where the condenser absorbs heat from the refrigerant to defrost. However, this method significantly reduces the air conditioner's heating performance in winter. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide an air conditioner with superior cooling performance and its defrosting structure to address the aforementioned problem of reduced air conditioning cooling performance.

[0005] A defrosting structure is disposed inside the casing of an air conditioner, wherein the air conditioner is installed on an assembly equipment. The defrosting structure has a defrosting state with a natural frequency that is the same as the vibration frequency of the assembly equipment during operation, and a pending state with a different vibration frequency than the assembly equipment during operation. When the defrosting structure is in the defrosting state, the defrosting structure oscillates back and forth and is used to defrost the heat exchanger inside the casing of the air conditioner.

[0006] In one embodiment, a defrosting assembly and an operating assembly are included, both of which are fitted inside the housing.

[0007] When the defrosting structure is in the defrosting state, the operating component is in contact with the defrosting component, and the natural frequency of the combination of the defrosting component and the operating component is the same as the vibration frequency during the operation of the assembly equipment. At least one of the defrosting component and the operating component oscillates back and forth and is used to defrost the heat exchanger.

[0008] When the defrosting structure is in the pending state, the operating component is separated from the defrosting component, and the natural frequencies of the defrosting component and the operating component are different from the vibration frequency of the assembly equipment during operation.

[0009] In one embodiment, the defrosting assembly includes a defrosting base and a defrosting element disposed on the defrosting base, and the operating assembly includes an operating base and an operating element disposed on the operating base, wherein the operating element is controlled to slide relative to the operating base and to contact or separate from the defrosting base.

[0010] When in the defrosting state, the defrosting element oscillates back and forth and is used to defrost the heat exchanger.

[0011] In one embodiment, the operating element is a magnetic element;

[0012] When the defrosting structure is in the defrosting state, the operating member slides to contact the defrosting base under the magnetic attraction of the defrosting base.

[0013] In one embodiment, the defrosting base includes a base and an electromagnet coupled to the base;

[0014] When the defrosting structure is in the defrosting state, the electromagnet is energized and generates the magnetic attraction force.

[0015] In one embodiment, the operating component further includes a reset member connected between the operating base and the operating component;

[0016] When the defrosting structure is in the pending state, the operating member slides and separates from the defrosting base under the action of the reset force provided by the reset member.

[0017] In one embodiment, the operating base is provided with a slide for guiding the operating component to slide.

[0018] In one embodiment, the operating member has a first slot facing the defrost base;

[0019] When the defrosting structure is in the defrosting state, the defrosting base is at least partially engaged within the first bayonet.

[0020] In one embodiment, a second bayonet is provided at the end of the operating member away from the first bayonet, and the second bayonet is positioned opposite to the defrosting base.

[0021] An air conditioner, comprising:

[0022] The casing has a receiving cavity;

[0023] A heat exchanger, fitted to the housing and located within the receiving cavity; and

[0024] The defrosting structure as described in any of the above, wherein the defrosting structure is located within the receiving cavity, and when the defrosting structure is in the defrosting state, the defrosting structure oscillates back and forth and is used to defrost the heat exchanger.

[0025] The aforementioned air conditioner and its defrosting structure, including the defrosting structure and heat exchanger, are all housed within the air conditioner's casing. When frost forms on the heat exchanger, the defrosting structure switches to defrosting mode. The natural frequency of the defrosting structure in defrosting mode is the same as the vibration frequency of the assembly equipment during operation. Therefore, the defrosting structure resonates with the assembly equipment and oscillates back and forth. During this oscillation, the defrosting structure continuously strikes the heat exchanger to defrost it. When the defrosting structure completes defrosting, it switches to a standby state. At this point, the natural frequency of the defrosting structure differs from the vibration frequency of the assembly equipment during operation, and the defrosting structure stops defrosting the heat exchanger. Therefore, the air conditioner and its defrosting structure provided in this application utilize only the vibration of the assembly equipment during operation for defrosting, thus enabling the air conditioner to have better heating performance. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the heat exchanger and the defrosting structure in one embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Left view of the heat exchanger and defrosting structure in conjunction;

[0028] Figure 3 for Figure 1 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of the defrosting structure.

[0029] Figure 4 for Figure 3 The diagram shows a front sectional view of the defrosting structure.

[0030] Figure 5 for Figure 3 A top view of the defrosting structure shown;

[0031] Figure 6 for Figure 3 The diagram shows the structure of the operating component in the defrosting structure.

[0032] Figure 7 for Figure 3 The diagram shows the structure of the operating base in the defrosting structure.

[0033] Icon labels:

[0034] 1. Air conditioner; 10. Defrosting structure; 11. Defrosting assembly; 112. Defrosting base; 1121. Base; 1123. Electromagnet; 1125. Receiving cavity; 114. Defrosting component; 13. Operating assembly; 132. Operating base; 1322. Slide rail; 134. Operating component; 1341. First bayonet; 1343. Second bayonet; 136. Reset component; 20. Heat exchanger. Detailed Implementation

[0035] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0036] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0037] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0038] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0039] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0040] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0041] Please see Figure 1 This application provides an air conditioner 1, which is installed on an assembly equipment and used to cool or heat the interior of the assembly equipment. Optionally, the assembly equipment can be a means of transportation such as a train, airplane, or automobile, or it can be other large manufacturing equipment. The assembly equipment has a workspace, and the air conditioner 1 is located within the workspace, cooling or heating the workspace during operation.

[0042] Please refer to the following: Figure 2 Specifically, the air conditioner 1 includes a casing, a heat exchanger 20, and a defrosting structure 10. The casing has a receiving cavity, and the heat exchanger 20 and the defrosting device are both connected to and located within the receiving cavity. The heat exchanger 20 is configured to exchange heat with the refrigerant flowing through it to lower or raise the temperature of the refrigerant. The defrosting device is configured to defrost the heat exchanger 20. Specifically, the heat exchanger 20 can be a condenser or an evaporator. Taking the heat exchanger 20 as a condenser as an example, when the air conditioner 1 is cooling, the heat exchanger 20 lowers the temperature of the refrigerant by absorbing heat from it, thereby achieving cooling. When the air conditioner 1 is heating, the heat exchanger 20 raises the temperature of the refrigerant by releasing heat to it, thereby achieving heating. During the heating process of the air conditioner 1, because the temperature of the heat exchanger 20 decreases after releasing heat, the heat exchanger 20 is prone to frost formation, resulting in a reduction in the heat exchange efficiency of the air conditioner 1.

[0043] The defrosting structure 10 has a pending state and a defrosting state. When the defrosting structure 10 is in the defrosting state, its natural frequency is the same as the vibration frequency during the operation of the assembly equipment. When the defrosting structure 10 is in the pending state, its vibration frequency is different from that during the operation of the assembly equipment. In the defrosting state, the defrosting structure 10 oscillates back and forth to defrost the heat exchanger 20. Specifically, when the defrosting structure 10 oscillates, it intermittently impacts the heat exchanger 20, causing the frost adhering to the heat exchanger 20 to move relative to it and fall off, thus achieving defrosting.

[0044] In conventional air conditioners 1, the process typically involves switching from heating mode to cooling mode and defrosting the heat exchanger 20 during cooling mode. This sacrifices the heating performance of the air conditioner 1, resulting in a reduction in its heating capacity. However, in this application, since the defrosting of the heat exchanger 20 is achieved using the vibration generated during the assembly process, the air conditioner 1 can continuously provide heating, thus exhibiting superior heating performance. Furthermore, no additional energy is required during the defrosting process, thereby saving energy and making the air conditioner 1 characterized by low energy consumption.

[0045] Preferably, there are multiple defrosting structures 10, which are spaced apart along the longitudinal direction of the heat exchanger 20 so that the defrosting device can perform comprehensive defrosting on the heat exchanger 20.

[0046] When the defrosting structure 10 is in the defrosting state, the natural frequency of the defrosting structure 10 can be set to be the same as the vibration frequency after the assembly equipment has been running smoothly, or the natural frequency of the defrosting structure 10 can be set to be the same as the vibration frequency when the assembly equipment is running at high speed or low speed. The specific setting can be made according to the actual operating requirements of the assembly equipment.

[0047] Furthermore, since the natural frequency is related to the mass, volume, or density of the defrosting structure 10, the natural frequency of the defrosting structure 10 can be changed by altering at least one of the mass, volume, or density, thereby enabling the defrosting structure 10 to switch between a defrosting state and a pending state.

[0048] Please refer to the following: Figure 3 and Figure 5In one embodiment, the defrosting structure 10 includes a defrosting component 11 and an operating component 13, both of which are fitted into the housing. When the defrosting structure 10 is in the defrosting state, the operating component 13 contacts the defrosting component 11, and the natural frequency of the combination of the defrosting component 11 and the operating component 13 is the same as the vibration frequency during the operation of the assembly equipment. At least one of the defrosting component 11 and the operating component 13 oscillates back and forth and is used to defrost the heat exchanger 20. Understandably, when the assembly equipment is running and the defrosting structure 10 is in the defrosting state, the operating component 13 contacts and assembles the defrosting component 11 to form a whole. At this time, the natural frequency of the entire defrosting structure 10 is the same as the vibration frequency during the movement of the assembly equipment. Both the operating component 13 and the defrosting component 11 oscillate and vibrate, and at least one of the defrosting component 11 and the operating component 13 intermittently contacts the heat exchanger 20 and defrosts the heat exchanger 20 during the oscillation process.

[0049] When the defrosting structure 10 is in a standby state, the operating component 13 is separated from the defrosting component 11. The natural frequencies of the defrosting component 11 and the operating component 13 are different from the vibration frequency during the operation of the assembly equipment. Understandably, when the operating component 13 is separated from the defrosting component 11, the volume and structure of the defrosting structure 10 change. At this time, the natural frequency of either the defrosting component 11 or the operating component 13 is different from the vibration frequency during the operation of the assembly equipment. Therefore, the natural frequency of the defrosting structure 10 formed by the defrosting component 11 and the operating component 13 is also different from the vibration frequency during the operation of the assembly equipment. Thus, neither the operating component 13 nor the defrosting component 11 can resonate with the assembly equipment, and therefore, defrosting of the heat exchanger 20 is impossible.

[0050] Understandably, if the natural frequency of either the defrosting component 11 or the operating component 13 is different from the vibration frequency of the assembly equipment during operation, it means that the natural frequency of the defrosting structure 10 formed by the defrosting component 11 and the operating component 13 is also different from the vibration frequency of the assembly equipment during operation. If neither the operating component 13 nor the defrosting component 11 can resonate with the assembly equipment, it means that the defrosting structure 10 also cannot resonate with the assembly equipment.

[0051] Furthermore, the defrosting assembly 11 includes a defrosting base 112 and a defrosting element 114 disposed on the defrosting base 112, and the operating assembly 13 includes an operating base 132 and an operating element 134 disposed on the operating base 132, with both the defrosting base 112 and the operating base 132 being mounted on the machine body. The operating element 134 is controlled to slide relative to the operating base 132 and to contact or separate from the defrosting base 112. In the defrosting state, the defrosting element 114 reciprocates and is used to defrost the heat exchanger 20. When the operating element 134 contacts the defrosting base 112, the operating base 132, the operating element 134, the defrosting base 112, and the defrosting element 114 are connected to form a whole. When the defrosting structure 10 is in defrosting mode, the operating base 132, operating element 134, defrosting base 112, and defrosting element 114 all resonate. However, only the defrosting element 114 intermittently contacts the heat exchanger 20 and defrosts it. This reduces the contact area between the defrosting structure 10 and the heat exchanger 20 during resonance, preventing damage from multiple impacts. Furthermore, the linear sliding of the operating element 134 relative to the operating base 132 improves the stability of its sliding and allows the operating element to quickly contact the defrosting base 112 and resonate. Therefore, the defrosting structure 10 has a rapid response and high defrosting efficiency.

[0052] Preferably, the defrosting component 114 is detachably connected to the defrosting base 112. Therefore, when the defrosting component 114 is deformed or broken, the damaged defrosting component 114 can be replaced.

[0053] Please refer to the following: Figure 7 Furthermore, the operating base 132 is provided with a slide rail 1322 for guiding the sliding of the operating member 134. Guided by the slide rail 1322, the operating member 134 can slide stably and contact the defrosting base 112. Optionally, the slide rail 1322 can be a slide rail, a slide groove, etc., as long as it ensures that the operating member 134 can slide without deviation.

[0054] Please refer to the following: Figure 6 The operating component 134 has a first latch 1341 facing the defrost base 112. When the defrost structure 10 is in the defrost state, the defrost base 112 is at least partially engaged within the first latch 1341. This helps improve the reliability of the contact between the operating component 134 and the defrost base 112, preventing the operating component 134 from separating from the defrost base 112 when the defrost structure 10 resonates with the assembly equipment.

[0055] Furthermore, a second latch 1343 is provided at the end of the operating component 134 away from the first latch 1341, and the second latch 1343 is positioned away from the defrost base 112. That is to say, the first latch 1341 and the second latch 1343 are respectively provided at opposite ends of the operating component 134. This can improve the uniformity of the weight distribution of the operating component 134, and prevent the operating component 134 from tilting up at one end and sinking at the other end due to uneven weight distribution during the sliding process relative to the slide rail 1322, thereby making the sliding of the operating component 134 more stable.

[0056] Furthermore, the operating element 134 is a magnetic element. When the defrosting structure 10 is in the defrosting state, the operating element 134 slides to contact the defrosting base 112 under the magnetic attraction of the defrosting base 112. Specifically, the operating element 134 can be made of metal or magnetic material. When the defrosting structure 10 is in the defrosting state, the magnetic attraction provided by the defrosting base 112 can pull the operating element 134 to slide until the operating element 134 contacts the defrosting base 112. Compared with using other power devices to drive the operating element 134 to slide, using magnetic attraction to pull the operating element 134 to slide consumes less energy, thereby reducing energy loss during the defrosting process and making the defrosting structure 10 have low energy consumption characteristics.

[0057] Please refer to the following: Figure 4 Preferably, the defrost base 112 includes a base 1121 and an electromagnet 1123 disposed on the base 1121. When the defrost structure 10 is in the defrost state, the electromagnet 1123 is energized and generates a magnetic attraction force. Under the action of this magnetic attraction force, the operating member 134 can slide to contact the base 1121 and / or the electromagnet 1123.

[0058] Specifically, the base 1121 has a receiving cavity 1125, and the electromagnet 1123 is housed within the receiving cavity 1125 of the base 1121. During heat exchange or defrosting in the heat exchanger 20, the humidity inside the casing is high. If the electromagnet 1123 is directly exposed to the receiving cavity, contact between the electromagnet 1123 and the water vapor inside the receiving cavity could easily lead to malfunction or damage to the electromagnet 1123. However, by placing the electromagnet 1123 within the receiving cavity 1125 of the base 1121, the base 1121 can prevent water vapor from entering the receiving cavity 1125, thus enabling the electromagnet 1123 to operate normally and have a longer service life.

[0059] In one embodiment, the operating component 13 further includes a reset member 136, which is connected between the operating base 132 and the operating member 134. When the defrosting structure 10 is in a standby state, the operating member 134 slides and separates from the defrosting base 112 under the reset force provided by the reset member 136. When the defrosting structure 10 switches to the standby state, the electromagnet 1123 is de-energized, and the operating member 134 can separate from the defrosting base 112 under the action of the reset member 136. By providing the reset member 136, the operating member 134 can automatically separate from the defrosting base 112, thus providing superior ease of separation. Furthermore, since the reset member 136 does not consume energy when resetting, the defrosting structure 10 also has the characteristic of low energy consumption.

[0060] Of course, the reset method of the operating member 134 is not limited to the one described above. In some other embodiments, when the defrosting structure 10 is in a pending state, a reverse current can also be applied to the electromagnet 1123 so that the operating member 134 can be separated from the defrosting base 112 under the repulsive force exerted by the electromagnet 1123.

[0061] The aforementioned air conditioner 1 and its defrosting structure 10, along with the heat exchanger 20, are all housed within the casing of the air conditioner 1. When frost forms on the heat exchanger 20, the defrosting structure 10 switches to a defrosting state. The natural frequency of the defrosting structure 10 in this state is the same as the vibration frequency of the assembly equipment during operation. Therefore, the defrosting structure 10 resonates with the assembly equipment and oscillates back and forth. During this oscillation, the defrosting structure 10 continuously strikes the heat exchanger 20 to defrost it. When the defrosting structure 10 completes defrosting, it switches to a standby state. At this point, the natural frequency of the defrosting structure 10 differs from the vibration frequency of the assembly equipment during operation, and the defrosting structure 10 stops defrosting the heat exchanger 20. Thus, the air conditioner 1 and its defrosting structure 10 provided in this application utilize only the vibration of the assembly equipment during operation for defrosting, thereby enabling the air conditioner 1 to have better heating performance.

[0062] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A defrosting structure (10) provided in a casing of an air conditioner (1), wherein, The air conditioner (1) is installed on an assembling device, characterized in that the defrosting structure (10) has a defrosting state and a standby state, the defrosting structure (10) comprises a defrosting assembly (11) and an operating assembly (13), the defrosting assembly (11) comprises a defrosting base (112), and the operating assembly (13) comprises an operating piece (134). When the defrosting structure (10) is in the standby state, the operating piece (134) is separated from the defrosting base (112), and the inherent frequency of the defrosting assembly (11) and the operating assembly (13) is different from the vibration frequency of the assembling device during operation. When the defrosting structure (10) is in the defrosting state, the operating piece (134) is driven by the defrosting base (112) to slide to contact the defrosting base (112), the operating assembly (13) contacts the defrosting assembly (11) and is combined to form an integral whole, so that the inherent frequency of the entire defrosting structure (10) is the same as the vibration frequency of the assembling device during operation, the defrosting structure (10) and the assembling device resonate and reciprocate to defrost the heat exchanger (20) in the shell of the air conditioner (1).

2. Defrosting structure (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that When the defrosting structure (10) is in the defrosting state, at least one of the defrosting assembly (11) and the operating assembly (13) reciprocates and is used for defrosting the heat exchanger (20).

3. Defrosting structure (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that The defrosting assembly (11) further comprises a defrosting piece (114) matched with the defrosting base (112), the operating assembly (13) further comprises an operating base (132), the operating piece (134) is matched with the operating base (132), and the operating piece (134) is controlled to slide relative to the operating base (132) and contact or separate from the defrosting base (112). When the defrosting structure (10) is in the defrosting state, the defrosting piece (114) reciprocates and is used for defrosting the heat exchanger (20).

4. The defrosting structure (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that The operating piece (134) is a magnetic piece. When the defrosting structure (10) is in the defrosting state, the operating piece (134) is driven by the magnetic attraction of the defrosting base (112) to slide to contact the defrosting base (112).

5. Defrosting structure (10) according to claim 4, characterized in that The defrosting base (112) comprises a base body (1121) and an electromagnet (1123) matched with the base body (1121). When the defrosting structure (10) is in the defrosting state, the electromagnet (1123) is powered on to generate the magnetic attraction.

6. The defrosting structure (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that, The operating assembly (13) further comprises a reset piece (136) connected between the operating base (132) and the operating piece (134). When the defrosting structure (10) is in the standby state, the operating piece (134) is driven by the reset force provided by the reset piece (136) to slide and separate from the defrosting base (112).

7. The defrosting structure (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that, A slide (1322) for guiding the sliding of the operating piece (134) is arranged on the operating base (132).

8. The defrosting structure (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that, A first clamping hole (1341) facing the defrosting base (112) is arranged on the operating piece (134). When the defrosting structure (10) is in the defrosting state, the defrosting base (112) is at least partially clamped in the first clamping hole (1341).

9. Defrosting structure (10) according to claim 8, characterized in that An end of the operating member (134) away from the first clamping hole (1341) is provided with a second clamping hole (1343), and the second clamping hole (1343) is arranged away from the defrosting base (112).

10. An air conditioner (1) characterized by comprising: Comprise: A shell having a receiving cavity; A heat exchanger (20) connected to the shell and located in the receiving cavity; and The defrosting structure (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the defrosting structure (10) is located in the receiving cavity, and when the defrosting structure (10) is in the defrosting state, the defrosting structure (10) swings back and forth and is used for defrosting the heat exchanger (20). ​

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