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 heat exchanger and a flow divider. The heat exchanger is provided with a main heat exchange circuit and at least two heat exchange circuits. When the heat exchanger is in operation, the heat load of one heat exchange circuit is greater than the heat load of the other heat exchange circuit. One end of the flow divider is connected to the main heat exchange circuit, and the other end is provided with at least two liquid outlets, one of which is lower in the direction of gravity than the other liquid outlets. The lower liquid outlet is connected to the inlet of the heat exchange circuit with a greater heat load. The air conditioning indoor unit of the present invention solves the technical problem of low operating efficiency of existing air conditioning indoor units.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] When a heat exchanger in an air conditioner indoor unit is configured with multiple heat exchange circuits, it is equipped with a flow divider. This divider is used to evenly distribute the refrigerant in the main heat exchange circuit to each heat exchange circuit. This improves heat transfer uniformity across the heat exchanger surface, thereby ensuring the unit's operating efficiency. However, heat exchangers typically have a semi-enclosed structure, and the distances between each heat exchange circuit and the return air outlet vary, resulting in different heat loads during operation. This can lead to insufficient refrigerant flow in circuits with high heat loads and excessive refrigerant flow in circuits with low heat loads, resulting in low efficiency of the air conditioner indoor unit.

[0003] In addition, existing air-conditioning indoor units are difficult to meet the requirements of high heat exchange efficiency under all working conditions. For example, the heat exchange efficiency is relatively high under a certain working condition, but when switching to another working condition (such as high frequency to low frequency), the heat exchange efficiency is relatively low, resulting in poor overall efficiency and performance of the air-conditioning indoor unit.

[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 the technical problem of low working efficiency of existing air conditioner indoor units.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the air conditioner indoor unit proposed in the present invention includes a heat exchanger and a flow divider. The heat exchanger comprises a main heat exchange circuit and at least two heat exchange circuits. During operation, the heat load of one heat exchange circuit is greater than the heat load of the other heat exchange circuit. One end of the flow divider is connected to the main heat exchange circuit, and the other end is provided with at least two liquid outlets, one of which is lower in the direction of gravity than the other. The lower outlet is connected to the inlet of the heat exchange circuit with the greater heat load.

[0007] In one embodiment, the heat exchanger further comprises a face frame and a wind wheel, wherein an air inlet is provided on the top of the face frame, the wind wheel is provided on the inner side of the face frame, and the heat exchanger is provided between the air inlet and the wind wheel; the heat exchanger is in a semi-enclosed structure and comprises a first evaporation section, a second evaporation section, and a third evaporation section connected in sequence, wherein the first evaporation section is located in front of the wind wheel, the second evaporation section is located above the wind wheel and inclined toward the rear side of the wind wheel, and the third evaporation section is located above the wind wheel and inclined toward the front side of the wind wheel;

[0008] The diverter has a first liquid outlet with the smallest height in the gravity direction, and the first liquid outlet is communicated with the inlet of the heat exchange circuit located on the second evaporation section.

[0009] In one embodiment, each of the heat exchange circuits is formed by a plurality of U-shaped tubes interconnected, the heat exchange circuit connected to the first liquid outlet is the first heat exchange circuit, and the plurality of U-shaped tubes forming the first heat exchange circuit are all installed on the second evaporation section.

[0010] In one embodiment, the first evaporation section is further provided with a second heat exchange circuit, and the third evaporation section is further provided with a third heat exchange circuit; the diverter is further provided with a second liquid outlet connected to the second heat exchange circuit, and a third liquid outlet connected to the third heat exchange circuit.

[0011] In one embodiment, the inlet and outlet of each heat exchange circuit are located at the same end of the heat exchanger, the diverter is arranged on one side of the heat exchanger, and has a liquid inlet end and a liquid outlet end opposite to each other in front and back, and the liquid inlet end is connected to the main heat exchange circuit; the liquid outlet end is provided with the first liquid outlet, the second liquid outlet and the third liquid outlet, and in the extension direction of the heat exchanger, the third liquid outlet is closer to the heat exchanger than the second liquid outlet.

[0012] In one embodiment, the second liquid outlet and the third liquid outlet are arranged opposite to each other along the extension direction of the heat exchanger.

[0013] In one embodiment, the heights of the first liquid outlet, the second liquid outlet, and the third liquid outlet increase sequentially in the direction of gravity.

[0014] In one embodiment, the heat exchanger is further provided with a fourth heat exchange circuit, which is arranged between the first heat exchange circuit and the third heat exchange circuit; the liquid outlet end of the diverter is further provided with a fourth liquid outlet connected to the fourth heat exchange circuit, and in the extension direction of the heat exchanger, the fourth liquid outlet is closer to the heat exchanger than the second liquid outlet and / or the third liquid outlet.

[0015] In one embodiment, the first liquid outlet, the second liquid outlet, the third liquid outlet and the fourth liquid outlet are distributed in a diamond shape, wherein the first liquid outlet and the third liquid outlet are opposite to each other vertically, and the second liquid outlet and the fourth liquid outlet are opposite to each other horizontally.

[0016] In one embodiment, the inlet of the fourth heat exchange circuit is provided on the second evaporation section, and the outlet of the fourth heat exchange circuit is provided on the third evaporation section.

[0017] In one embodiment, the heat exchange circuit is formed by a plurality of U-shaped tubes interconnected with each other, and each heat exchange circuit includes the same number of U-shaped tubes.

[0018] In one embodiment, each of the heat exchange circuits is formed by at least four U-shaped tubes interconnected with each other.

[0019] In one embodiment, the heat exchange circuit has a windward side and a leeward side opposite to each other, and the number of U-shaped tubes on the windward side of each heat exchange circuit is the same as the number of U-shaped tubes on the leeward side.

[0020] In one embodiment, the air-conditioning indoor unit further includes a collector, which is arranged on one side of the heat exchanger and is provided with at least two liquid inlets, and the at least two liquid inlets are arranged on the end face of the collector and / or the side facing the heat exchanger.

[0021] The present invention further provides an air conditioner, comprising an indoor unit, wherein the indoor unit comprises:

[0022] A heat exchanger having a main heat exchange circuit and at least two heat exchange circuits, wherein when the heat exchanger is in operation, the heat load of one heat exchange circuit is greater than the heat load of another heat exchange circuit; and

[0023] A flow divider, one end of which is in communication with the main heat exchange path, and the other end of which is provided with at least two liquid outlets, wherein the height of one liquid outlet in the direction of gravity is lower than the height of the other liquid outlet in the direction of gravity;

[0024] The liquid outlet with a lower height is connected to the heat exchange circuit with a larger heat load.

[0025] The air conditioner indoor unit of the present invention provides a height difference in the direction of gravity between the multiple liquid outlets of the diverter. As a result, under the action of gravity, the refrigerant flow rate diverted from the liquid outlet with a lower height will be greater than that of the other liquid outlets, and the refrigerant flow rate diverted from the liquid outlet with a higher height will be less than that of the other liquid outlets. On this basis, the liquid outlet with a lower height is connected to the heat exchange circuit with a higher heat load on the heat exchanger, and the liquid outlet with a higher height is connected to. The heat exchange circuit with a larger heat load can be allocated a sufficient refrigerant flow rate to avoid incomplete heat exchange; the heat exchange circuit with a smaller heat load is allocated a smaller refrigerant flow rate to avoid the situation where excess refrigerant is not effectively utilized. This ensures that the heat exchange of each heat exchange circuit is uniform, thereby improving the working efficiency of the air conditioner indoor unit.

[0026] In addition, when switching working conditions, such as switching from high frequency and high pressure to low frequency and low pressure, the adaptive distribution effect of the diverter is more obvious, so that under different working conditions, the heat exchange circuits in the heat exchanger exchange heat evenly, ensuring the heat exchange efficiency under various working conditions, thereby improving the overall efficiency and performance of the air-conditioning indoor unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] 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.

[0028] Figure 1 A partial structural diagram of an embodiment of an air-conditioning indoor unit of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a heat exchanger for an air-conditioning indoor unit of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a heat exchange circuit of an embodiment of a heat exchanger;

[0031] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of an embodiment of a flow divider for an air conditioner indoor unit of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the structure of another embodiment of the flow divider of the air conditioner indoor unit of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the structure of another embodiment of the flow divider of the air conditioner indoor unit of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 7 This is a structural diagram of an embodiment of a collector for an air conditioner indoor unit according to the present invention.

[0035] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0036]

[0037] 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

[0038] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), such 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 indication will also change accordingly.

[0039] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present invention, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or suggesting their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In addition, the meaning of "and / or" appearing in the full text is to include 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. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in this field to implement. When the combination of technical solutions is mutually contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0040] The present invention provides an air-conditioning indoor unit.

[0041] In an embodiment of the present invention, the air-conditioning indoor unit 10 is specifically a wall-mounted air-conditioning unit, and mainly includes a chassis assembly, a wind wheel assembly, a face frame assembly, and a heat exchanger assembly. Among them, the chassis assembly mainly includes a chassis, a volute, a volute tongue, a water guide trough, a water receiving tray, a water outlet pipe, etc. The chassis is mainly used to support the other components of the air-conditioning indoor unit 10 and ensure the installation strength of the air-conditioning indoor unit 10. The volute and the volute tongue are mainly used to accommodate the wind wheel and control the direction of the wind wheel. Because condensation may appear on the surface of the heat exchanger 20 inside the air-conditioning indoor unit 10 during use, the water receiving tray, the water guide trough, and the water outlet pipe can be used to discharge the dripping condensation to prevent the condensation from affecting other components of the air-conditioning indoor unit 10 and to prevent water vapor from being blown out of the air outlet when the air conditioner is in use.

[0042] The wind wheel assembly mainly includes a wind wheel and a drive motor for driving the wind wheel. The wind wheel is installed in the volute, and generally draws air from the top of the air conditioner indoor unit 10 and blows air toward the front and bottom of the air conditioner indoor unit 10, thereby driving the indoor air flow and heat exchange.

[0043] The face frame assembly includes a face frame, an upper panel for mounting the front of the panel, a lower panel mounted to the bottom of the face frame, and end caps mounted on both sides of the face frame. The face frame forms the general framework of the air conditioner indoor unit 10. From a directional perspective, the face frame in this embodiment generally has opposing top and bottom portions (also referred to as upper and lower portions), opposing front and rear sides, opposing left and right end faces, and a hollow internal mounting space. When assembled into the complete air conditioner indoor unit 10, the top of the face frame serves as the top of the air conditioner indoor unit 10, the front of the face frame serves as the front side of the air conditioner indoor unit 10, and the left end face of the face frame serves as the left end face of the air conditioner indoor unit 10. When mounted on a wall, the bottom of the air conditioner indoor unit 10 faces the ground, and the rear side is connected to the wall. To better illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, directional terms (such as top, bottom, front, rear, left, and right) in this specification are based on the installed state of the air conditioner indoor unit 10.

[0044] The top of the face frame is generally open, forming the air inlet for the air conditioner indoor unit 10. To prevent larger dust and particles from entering the air conditioner indoor unit 10, a filter is generally installed on the top of the face frame to protect the fan and other components installed inside the frame. The bottom of the face frame is generally mounted with a chassis and a lower panel. The chassis is used to support components such as the fan, motor, and electronic control box. The lower panel is used to seal and decorate the bottom of the face frame. The lower panel extends along the length of the frame, with the left and right sides of the lower panel respectively abutting the edges of the end caps or connecting with a small gap. The front side of the lower panel can abut the bottom side of the upper panel, or it can extend to the front side of the face frame and be covered by the upper panel.

[0045] The front of the face frame is equipped with an upper panel with a display showing the current air conditioner temperature. An air outlet is located between the front and bottom of the face frame, along with a deflector installed at the outlet. Cooling or heating air is blown out of the outlet, thereby regulating the indoor temperature. The deflector can be rotated to change the direction of the airflow, for example, blowing up and down, left and right, and so on.

[0046] The installation space inside the face frame is used to accommodate the heat exchanger assembly, wind wheel assembly, and electronic control box assembly, etc. When the wind wheel is started, it draws air from the air inlet on the top of the face frame. The inhaled air passes through the evaporator for heat exchange and is cooled or heated, and then blown back into the room from the air outlet, thereby achieving cooling or heating.

[0047] In addition, due to the temperature difference between the evaporator pipe and the air, condensation may sometimes form in the air conditioner indoor unit 10, and a drain pipe is required to drain the condensation. The wires electrically connected to the motor, control box, etc. in the air conditioner indoor unit 10 also need to be led out and connected to the indoor power supply to power the air conditioner indoor unit 10.

[0048] Therefore, in order to guide the air conditioning pipes out of the interior of the air conditioning indoor unit 10, the end surface of the face frame is generally provided with an outlet for the air conditioning pipes to extend. The outlet extends through the end surface of the face frame and has a generally square structure. The size of the outlet can be adapted to the total outer diameter of the air conditioning pipes to avoid being too small to pass through the air conditioning pipes or too large to affect the structural strength of the face frame.

[0049] To facilitate the routing and placement of the air conditioning pipes after they are drawn out, the pipe outlet is typically positioned near the edge of the face frame, allowing the pipes to be routed directly along the wall. For example, in one embodiment, the pipe outlet is connected to the rear side of the face frame, i.e., the pipe outlet is a notch on the rear side of the face frame. This not only facilitates the fabrication of the pipe outlet, but also allows the air conditioning pipes to extend directly along the wall and out of the indoor air conditioning unit 10 when it is installed.

[0050] It should be noted that while the air conditioning pipes will ultimately extend from one end of the face frame, both ends (i.e., the left and right ends) can be provided with outlets. This allows for flexible decision-making regarding which end the air conditioning pipes will exit from based on the actual room environment during installation, avoiding difficulties in handling when the wrong direction is chosen. Alternatively, some of the multiple air conditioning pipes can extend from the outlet on the left end, while others extend from the outlet on the right end. The specific design can be tailored to actual needs and is not limited here.

[0051] The end cap is mounted on the end face of the face frame. Specifically, the end cap can be removably mounted on the end face of the face frame by means of a snap connection, a screw connection, or the like. For example, in this embodiment, a fixing buckle is provided on the end cap, and a fixing groove is provided on the end face of the face frame. The end cap is snapped into the fixing groove of the end face of the face frame via the fixing buckle, thereby achieving a removable connection between the end cap and the face frame. Of course, the fixing groove can also be provided on the end cap, and a matching fixing buckle can be provided on the end face of the face frame. Alternatively, the end cap can be provided with both a fixing buckle and a fixing groove, and the end face of the face frame can be provided with a matching fixing groove and fixing buckle.

[0052] It should be noted that when the fixing groove is provided on the end cover, in order to ensure the appearance of the air-conditioning indoor unit 10, the fixing groove on the end cover can be a blind hole with an opening toward the face frame.

[0053] In order to ensure the installation stability of the end cover on the face frame and avoid the end cover from moving or deforming at will, fixing buckles can be set at various positions on the end cover where conditions permit. For example, multiple fixing buckles can be set at the middle and edge of the end cover to minimize the displacement, swinging, and local deformation of the end cover.

[0054] In addition, the end cap itself is used to decorate the end surface of the face frame, so the shape of the end cap is basically similar to the shape of the end surface of the face frame. Generally, the edge of the end cap extends along the edge of the end surface of the face frame and abuts or connects with the side edge of the lower panel or the side edge of the upper panel with a small gap. This ensures the appearance and surface feel of the air conditioner indoor unit 10, avoiding large steps or scratches when touched.

[0055] like Figure 1 As shown, the heat exchanger assembly mainly includes a heat exchanger 20 and a diverter 30. The heat exchanger 20 can be either an evaporator or a condenser, depending on whether the air conditioner indoor unit 10 is cooling or heating. To clearly and simply introduce the technical solution of the present invention, this specification will take the heat exchanger 20 as an evaporator as an example.

[0056] Specifically, the heat exchanger 20 primarily consists of a U-shaped tube and multiple cooling fins mounted on the U-shaped tube. The U-shaped tube extends in the same direction as the entire heat exchanger 20, and the cooling fins are spaced apart along the surface of the U-shaped tube. Generally, the U-shaped tubes are installed in the same direction. The openings of the U-shaped tubes connect to the openings of other U-shaped tubes through semicircular tubes, thereby interconnecting the multiple U-shaped tubes and forming a heat exchange circuit. Alternatively, they serve as the inlet or outlet of the heat exchange circuit, connecting to the main heat exchange circuit 21 or the condenser of the outdoor unit.

[0057] Regarding the heat exchange main circuit 21 mentioned above, in some air-conditioning indoor units 10, in order to improve the heat exchange efficiency, the heat exchanger 20 is generally not provided with only one heat exchange circuit, but multiple heat exchange circuits are provided, and then multiple heat exchange circuits simultaneously dissipate heat from the blowing air, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency of the air conditioner. Therefore, the refrigerant flowing from the outdoor unit will first be diverted by the diverter 30, and the multiple diverted flow paths will be connected to different heat exchange circuits in the heat exchanger 20. The refrigerant flowing out of different heat exchange circuits will finally be collected together through the collector 40, and then flow back to the condenser of the air-conditioning outdoor unit, realizing a single cycle of the refrigerant. In the above-mentioned heat exchange process, the pipeline before the refrigerant flows to the diverter 30, and the pipeline after the refrigerant is collected from multiple heat exchange circuits are both the heat exchange main circuit 21 mentioned in the present invention.

[0058] Therefore, in order to achieve heat exchange, the heat exchanger 20 is mainly installed on the inner side of the face frame and is located between the wind wheel and the air inlet. Figure 2As shown, the heat exchanger 20 generally has a semi-enclosed structure and is sequentially connected to multiple evaporation sections. For example, in this embodiment, an air inlet is provided at the top of the face frame, the wind wheel is located inside the face frame, and the heat exchanger 20 is located between the air inlet and the wind wheel. The heat exchanger 20 has a semi-enclosed structure and includes a first evaporation section 22, a second evaporation section 23, and a third evaporation section 24, which are connected in sequence. The first evaporation section 22 is located in front of the wind wheel, and the second evaporation section 23 is located above the wind wheel, with its lower end connected to the first evaporation section 22 and its upper end tilted toward the rear of the wind wheel. The third evaporation section 24 is located above the wind wheel, with its upper end tilted toward the front of the wind wheel and connected to the second evaporation section 23.

[0059] Each evaporator section is composed of a U-shaped tube and heat dissipation fins, meaning that a heat exchange circuit is distributed across each evaporator section. It is understood that the positions and inclination angles of each evaporator section relative to the air inlet vary. Consequently, when the air conditioner indoor unit 10 is operating, the air volume at each evaporator section varies, and the heat loads of the heat exchange circuits within each evaporator section also vary. Consequently, insufficient refrigerant flow may occur in heat exchange circuits with high heat loads, while excess refrigerant flow may occur in heat exchange circuits with low heat loads. This results in uneven heat exchange between the various heat exchange circuits within the evaporator, leading to low efficiency for the air conditioner indoor unit 10.

[0060] In addition, the existing air-conditioning indoor unit 10 is difficult to meet the requirements of having high heat exchange efficiency under all working conditions. For example, the heat exchange efficiency is relatively high under a certain working condition, but when switching to another working condition (such as high frequency to low frequency), the heat exchange efficiency is relatively low, resulting in poor overall efficiency and performance of the air-conditioning indoor unit 10.

[0061] Therefore, in order to solve the above technical problems, the air-conditioning indoor unit 10 proposed by the present invention mainly includes a heat exchanger 20 and a diverter 30. Figure 3 and Figure 6 The heat exchanger 20 is provided with a main heat exchange circuit 21 and at least two heat exchange circuits. When the heat exchanger 20 is in operation, the heat load of one heat exchange circuit is greater than the heat load of the other heat exchange circuit. One end of the flow divider 30 is connected to the main heat exchange circuit 21, and the other end is provided with at least two liquid outlets, one of which is lower in the direction of gravity than the other. The lower outlet is connected to the inlet of the heat exchange circuit with the greater heat load.

[0062] Among them, Figure 2As shown, the other structures of the heat exchanger 20 can refer to the relevant description of the heat exchanger 20 in the previous text and will not be repeated here. In this embodiment, the heat exchanger 20 is mainly an evaporator. The inlet and outlet of each heat exchange circuit on the heat exchanger 20 are located at the right end of the heat exchanger 20. The diverter 30 and the heat exchange main circuit 21 are both located on the right side of the heat exchanger 20. This not only allows for quick connection of the pipeline, but also avoids excessive length of the pipeline or overly complicated layout, which is conducive to reducing costs and simplifying the structure. Of course, the inlet and opening of each heat exchange circuit can also be set at the left end of the heat exchanger 20. In this case, the diverter 30 and the heat exchange main circuit 21 are also correspondingly located on the left side of the heat exchanger 20. The specific setting position can be selected as needed.

[0063] The heat exchanger 20 is provided with at least two heat exchange circuits, for example, two, three, four, or six circuits, to improve the operating efficiency of the air conditioner indoor unit 10 through a multi-input and multi-output heat exchange method. However, because the distance, relative position, and inclination angle of each evaporating section of the heat exchanger 20 vary with the air inlet, the heat loads of the multiple heat exchange circuits vary.

[0064] For example, when there are two heat exchange circuits, the heat load of one heat exchange circuit is greater than the heat load of the other heat exchange circuit. Alternatively, when there are three heat exchange circuits, the heat loads of the three heat exchange circuits may be different, with the heat loads of any two heat exchange circuits differing in size, or the heat loads of two of the heat exchange circuits may be similar or the same, and greater or less than the heat load of another heat exchange circuit. Alternatively, when there are four heat exchange circuits, the heat loads of two of the heat exchange circuits may be similar or the same, and greater, while the heat loads of the other two heat exchange circuits may also be similar or the same, but smaller. In this case, the four heat exchange circuits can be divided into two groups, and in each group of heat exchange circuits, the heat load of one heat exchange circuit is greater than the heat load of another heat exchange circuit.

[0065] It should be noted that the size of the heat load can be determined based on the position, distance, and tilt angle of the heat exchange circuit and the air inlet. For example, in this embodiment, Figure 2 As shown, the heat exchanger 20 has a semi-enclosed structure and includes a first evaporation section 22, a second evaporation section 23, and a third evaporation section 24, which are connected in sequence. The first evaporation section 22 is located in front of the wind wheel, and the second evaporation section 23 is located above the wind wheel. Its lower end is connected to the first evaporation section 22, and its upper end is inclined toward the rear of the wind wheel. The third evaporation section 24 is located above the wind wheel, and its upper end is inclined toward the front of the wind wheel and connected to the second evaporation section 23.

[0066] In this structure of the heat exchanger 20, because the second evaporation section 23 is closer to the air inlet and its area on the air inlet (or the projected area of ​​the air inlet on the second evaporation section 23) is larger than the first evaporation section 22 and the third evaporation section 24, when the wind wheel is started, the air volume at the second evaporation section 23 is relatively large, and the heat load of the heat exchange circuit located on the second evaporation section 23 is also relatively large.

[0067] Of course, you can also test the refrigerant temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of each heat exchange circuit through experiments to determine the magnitude of the heat load of each heat exchange circuit. Or you can use other judgment methods to make a judgment based on the actual situation.

[0068] After determining the heat load relationship between each heat exchange circuit, it can be connected to the corresponding liquid outlet on the diverter 30. Specifically, Figures 4 to 6 As shown, the flow divider 30 is provided with a plurality of liquid outlets, the same number as the number of heat exchange circuits. For example, if the heat exchanger 20 has three heat exchange circuits, the flow divider 30 is also provided with three liquid outlets. In this embodiment, the flow divider 30 has a liquid inlet 36 and a liquid outlet 35. The liquid inlet 36 is connected to the main heat exchange circuit 21, and the liquid outlet 35 is provided with at least two liquid outlets, each of which can be connected to the inlet of the heat exchange circuit via a connecting branch pipe 37.

[0069] Among them, the installation state of the diverter 30 when it is positioned on the heat exchanger 20 is used as a reference, and the height of one liquid outlet in the direction of gravity is lower than the height of the other liquid outlet in the direction of gravity. For example, taking the example of two liquid outlets, the height of one liquid outlet is greater than the height of the other liquid outlet. For another example, taking the example of three liquid outlets, the setting heights of the three liquid outlets can be different, or the heights of two of the liquid outlets can be the same and greater than or less than the height of the other liquid outlet. The specific setting method can be designed according to the size relationship of the heat load of each heat exchange circuit in the heat exchanger 20, so that the liquid outlet with a lower height can be connected to the inlet of the heat exchange circuit with a larger heat load.

[0070] Therefore, it can be understood that the air conditioning indoor unit 10 of the present invention provides a height difference in the direction of gravity between the multiple liquid outlets of the diverter 30. As a result, under the action of gravity, the refrigerant flow diverted from the lower liquid outlet will be greater than that from the other liquid outlets, and the refrigerant flow diverted from the higher liquid outlet will be less than that from the other liquid outlets. On this basis, the lower liquid outlets are connected to the heat exchange circuit with a higher heat load on the heat exchanger 20, while the higher liquid outlets are connected to the heat exchange circuit with a higher heat load. This allows the heat exchange circuit with a higher heat load to be allocated sufficient refrigerant flow, avoiding incomplete heat exchange; and the heat exchange circuit with a lower heat load is allocated less refrigerant flow, avoiding the situation where excess refrigerant is not effectively utilized. This ensures uniform heat exchange between each heat exchange circuit, thereby improving the operating efficiency of the air conditioning indoor unit 10.

[0071] In addition, when switching working conditions, such as switching from high frequency and high pressure to low frequency and low pressure, the adaptive distribution effect of the diverter 30 is more obvious, so that under different working conditions, the heat exchange circuits in the heat exchanger 20 can exchange heat evenly, ensuring the heat exchange efficiency under various working conditions, thereby improving the overall efficiency and performance of the air-conditioning indoor unit 10.

[0072] In one embodiment, please combine Figure 3 and Figure 6 The diverter 30 has a first liquid outlet 31, which is the smallest in the direction of gravity. This first liquid outlet 31 is connected to the inlet of the heat exchange circuit located on the second evaporator section 23. It is understood that the second evaporator section 23 is generally located at a location with a large air volume, and the heat load of the heat exchange circuit located on the second evaporator section 23 is also greater than that of other evaporator sections. Therefore, by connecting the first liquid outlet 31, which is the smallest in height on the diverter 30, to the heat exchange circuit on the second evaporator section 23, a larger refrigerant flow rate can be allocated to the heat exchange circuit on the second evaporator section 23 under various operating conditions to adapt to its larger heat load and ensure heat exchange efficiency.

[0073] It should be noted that the second evaporation section 23 may be provided with only one heat exchange circuit, or may be provided with multiple heat exchange circuits, or may have a portion of the heat exchange circuit located on the second evaporation section 23. In order to achieve better heat exchange efficiency, in one embodiment, Figure 3As shown, each heat exchange circuit is formed by a plurality of interconnected U-shaped tubes. The heat exchange circuit connected to the first liquid outlet 31 is the first heat exchange circuit 231 (i.e., the circuit between the inlet 231B and the outlet 231b). The plurality of U-shaped tubes forming the first heat exchange circuit 231 are all mounted on the second evaporator section 23. In other words, all of the first heat exchange circuits 231 connected to the first liquid outlet 31 are located on the second evaporator section 23. This allows for more efficient utilization of the distributed refrigerant, improving the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger 20 and the operating performance of the air conditioner indoor unit 10.

[0074] In one embodiment, the first evaporator section 22 further includes a second heat exchange circuit 221 (i.e., the circuit between the inlet 221A and the outlet 221a). The third evaporator section 24 further includes a third heat exchange circuit 241 (i.e., the circuit between the inlet 241C and the outlet 241c). In other words, the heat loads of both the second and third heat exchange circuits 221, 241 are lower than the heat load of the first circuit. The flow divider 30 further includes a second liquid outlet 32 ​​in communication with the second heat exchange circuit 221, and a third liquid outlet 33 in communication with the third heat exchange circuit 241, thereby achieving heat exchange via a three-input, three-output heat exchange method.

[0075] Specifically, in this embodiment, the heat exchanger 20 is equipped with a total of 15 U-shaped tubes, each with a diameter of 5 mm. The first evaporation section 22 includes four U-shaped tubes, the second evaporation section 23 includes six U-shaped tubes, and the third evaporation section 24 includes five U-shaped tubes. The first heat exchange loop 231 is formed by interconnecting five of the U-shaped tubes located in the second evaporation section 23. The second heat exchange loop 221 is formed by interconnecting four U-shaped tubes located in the first evaporation section 22 and one U-shaped tube located in the second evaporation section 23. The inlet of the second heat exchange loop 221 is located in the second evaporation section 23. The third heat exchange loop 241 is formed by interconnecting five U-shaped tubes located in the third evaporation section 24. This ensures that the path lengths of the first, second, and third heat exchange loops 231, 221, and 241 are substantially the same (all formed by interconnecting five U-shaped tubes), facilitating heat exchange uniformity and improving heat exchange efficiency.

[0076] Moreover, as shown in Table 1 below, the above-mentioned three-input and three-output embodiment scheme, when actually applied, enables the air-conditioning indoor unit 10 to have a wider capacity adaptation span, smaller differences in the temperature distribution of each outlet under different working conditions, and better stability, thereby improving the overall performance of the air-conditioning indoor unit 10.

[0077]

[0078] Table 1: Temperature distribution data of each flow path, unit: Celsius / ℃.

[0079] Furthermore, as shown in Table 2 below, compared to the conventional heat exchanger 20 using a U-shaped tube with a diameter of 7 mm, although the present invention uses a U-shaped tube with a smaller diameter and greater fluid resistance, when combined with the technical solution of the present invention to form the above-mentioned three-input, three-output heat exchange method, the heat exchange capacity of the heat exchanger 20 under various operating conditions is significantly improved.

[0080]

[0081] Table 2: Capacity data of φ7 diameter evaporator and φ5 diameter evaporator under various working conditions.

[0082] In addition, it should be noted that, in this embodiment, Figure 4 or Figure 5 As shown, the diameter of the U-shaped tube is 5 mm, so the diameter of the branch tube 37 used to connect the liquid outlet and the U-shaped tube should also be 5 mm. In order to make the cooperation between the branch tube 37 and the U-shaped tube more convenient and compact, the end of the branch tube 37 connected to the U-shaped tube can be set as a necking. For example, in one embodiment, the end of the branch tube 37 connected to the U-shaped tube is necked, and the outer diameter of the necking is not less than 4 mm, and the inner diameter of the necking is not less than 2.5 mm. In this way, the assembly tightness between the branch tube 37 and the U-shaped tube can be improved without affecting the flow of the refrigerant.

[0083] In one embodiment, please combine Figure 1 、 Figure 3 and Figure 6 The inlet and outlet of each heat exchange circuit are located at the same end of the heat exchanger 20. The diverter 30 is disposed on one side of the heat exchanger 20 and has a liquid inlet 36 and a liquid outlet 35, which are opposed to each other. The liquid inlet 36 is connected to the main heat exchange circuit 21. The liquid outlet 35 is provided with a first liquid outlet 31, a second liquid outlet 32, and a third liquid outlet 33. In the extension direction of the heat exchanger 20, the third liquid outlet 33 is closer to the heat exchanger 20 than the second liquid outlet 32. It can be understood that this arrangement can avoid the situation where the branch pipes 37 cross each other when the various liquid outlets are connected to the various heat exchange circuits through the branch pipes 37, thereby improving the assembly convenience between the diverter 30 and the heat exchanger 20 and the structural simplicity of the entire air conditioning indoor unit 10.

[0084] In one embodiment, if Figure 6As shown, when the heat loads of the second heat exchange circuit 221 and the third heat exchange circuit 241 are similar or substantially equal, the second liquid outlet 32 ​​and the third liquid outlet 33 are arranged opposite each other along the extension direction of the heat exchanger 20. In another embodiment, when the heat loads of the first heat exchange circuit 231, the second heat exchange circuit 221, and the third heat exchange circuit 241 decrease in magnitude, the heights of the first liquid outlet 31, the second liquid outlet 32, and the third liquid outlet 33 in the direction of gravity increase in sequence. When actually connecting, the choice should be made based on the actual situation.

[0085] In one embodiment, the heat exchanger 20 further includes a fourth heat exchange circuit 25 (i.e., the circuit between the inlet 251D and the outlet 251d). The fourth heat exchange circuit 25 is disposed between the first heat exchange circuit 231 and the third heat exchange circuit 241. The liquid outlet 35 of the flow splitter 30 further includes a fourth liquid outlet 34 connected to the fourth heat exchange circuit 25. In the direction of extension of the heat exchanger 20, the fourth liquid outlet 34 is closer to the heat exchanger 20 than the second liquid outlet 32 ​​and / or the third liquid outlet 33. Furthermore, when the fourth liquid outlet 34 is connected to the inlet of the fourth heat exchange circuit 25 via the branch pipe 37, it does not cross with other branch pipes 37.

[0086] Specifically, in this embodiment, the heat exchanger 20 is equipped with a total of 16 U-shaped tubes, each with a diameter of 5 mm. The first evaporation section 22 includes four U-shaped tubes, the second evaporation section 23 includes six U-shaped tubes, and the third evaporation section 24 includes six U-shaped tubes. The first heat exchange loop 231 is formed by interconnecting four of the U-shaped tubes located in the second evaporation section 23. The second heat exchange loop 221 is formed by interconnecting four of the U-shaped tubes located in the first evaporation section 22 and one of the U-shaped tubes located in the second evaporation section 23. The third heat exchange loop 241 is formed by interconnecting four of the U-shaped tubes located in the third evaporation section 24. The fourth heat exchange loop 25 is formed by interconnecting two of the U-shaped tubes located in the second evaporation section 23 and two of the U-shaped tubes located in the third evaporation section 24. In this way, the path lengths of the first heat exchange loop 231, the second heat exchange loop 221, the third heat exchange loop 241 and the fourth heat exchange loop 25 are basically the same (all formed by 4 interconnected U-shaped tubes), so as to facilitate controlling the heat exchange uniformity of each heat exchange loop and improve the heat exchange efficiency.

[0087] Moreover, as shown in Table 3 below, the above-mentioned four-input and four-output embodiment scheme, when actually applied, enables the air-conditioning indoor unit 10 to have a wider capacity adaptation span, smaller differences in the temperature distribution of each outlet under different working conditions, and better stability, thereby improving the overall performance of the air-conditioning indoor unit 10.

[0088]

[0089] Table 3: Temperature distribution data of each flow path, unit: degrees Celsius / ℃.

[0090] Furthermore, as shown in Table 4 below, compared to the conventional heat exchanger 20 using a U-shaped tube with a diameter of 7 mm, although the present invention uses a U-shaped tube with a smaller diameter and greater fluid resistance, when combined with the technical solution of the present invention to form the above-mentioned three-input, three-output heat exchange method, the heat exchange capacity of the heat exchanger 20 under various operating conditions is significantly improved.

[0091]

[0092] Table 4: Capacity data of φ7 diameter evaporator and φ5 diameter evaporator under various working conditions.

[0093] In one embodiment, if Figure 6 As shown, to further prevent crossover between branch pipes 37 when each outlet is connected to each heat exchange circuit via a branch pipe 37, the first outlet 31, the second outlet 32, the third outlet 33, and the fourth outlet 34 are arranged in a diamond shape, with the first outlet 31 and the third outlet 33 facing each other vertically, and the second outlet 32 ​​and the fourth outlet 34 facing each other horizontally. This improves the assembly convenience of the diverter 30 and the heat exchanger 20 and simplifies the internal structure of the air conditioner indoor unit 10.

[0094] In one embodiment, if Figure 6 As shown, the inlet of the fourth heat exchange circuit 25 is located on the second evaporation section 23, and the outlet of the fourth heat exchange circuit 25 is located on the third evaporation section 24. Specifically, in this embodiment, the heat exchanger 20 is provided with a total of 16 U-shaped tubes, each with a diameter of 5 mm. Due to the height limit of the air conditioner indoor unit 10, the first evaporation section 22 is provided with four U-shaped tubes, and the second evaporation section 23 and the third evaporation section 24 are each provided with six U-shaped tubes. To ensure that the path lengths of the four heat exchange circuits are consistent, each heat exchange circuit needs to be formed by four interconnected U-shaped tubes. Therefore, the fourth heat exchange circuit 25 is formed by two U-shaped tubes located on the second evaporation section 23 and two U-shaped tubes located on the third evaporation section 24. And because the heat load of the second evaporation section 23 is usually greater than the heat load of the third evaporation section 24, the inlet of the fourth heat exchange circuit 25 is set on the second evaporation section 23 and the outlet is set on the third evaporation section 24 to efficiently utilize the refrigerant for heat exchange and maximize the heat exchange efficiency.

[0095] In addition, when the heat exchanger 20 is provided with four heat exchange circuits, the manifold 40 is also provided with four liquid inlets, namely, a first liquid inlet 41, a second liquid inlet 42, a third liquid inlet 43, and a fourth liquid inlet 44. The positions of the liquid inlets can be based on the principles of facilitating connection and avoiding cross-pipes, and thus can be provided on the end face or side face of the manifold 40.

[0096] In one embodiment, the heat exchange circuits are formed by interconnecting multiple U-shaped tubes, with each heat exchange circuit comprising the same number of U-shaped tubes. This reduces variations between the heat exchange circuits, thereby enabling better control of uniform heat exchange across the heat exchange circuits. In one embodiment, each heat exchange circuit is formed by interconnecting at least four U-shaped tubes, avoiding situations where a short heat exchange path results in low heat exchange efficiency, or a long heat exchange path results in low efficiency.

[0097] In one embodiment, the heat exchange circuit has a relative windward side and a leeward side, and the number of U-shaped tubes on the windward side of each heat exchange circuit is the same as the number of U-shaped tubes on the leeward side. In this embodiment, the side of the heat exchanger 20 close to the air inlet is the windward side, and the side away from the air inlet is the leeward side. The heat exchanger 20 is composed of two rows of U-shaped tubes, and the heat exchanger 20 is composed of two rows of U-shaped tubes. Each heat exchange circuit is formed by a plurality of interconnected U-shaped tubes. Therefore, each heat exchange circuit has a relative windward side and a leeward side. When the number of U-shaped tubes on the windward side of each heat exchange circuit is the same as the number of U-shaped tubes on the leeward side, the heat exchange uniformity and heat exchange efficiency can be effectively improved.

[0098] The present invention also proposes an air conditioner, which includes an air conditioning indoor unit 10. The specific structure of the air conditioning indoor unit 10 refers to the above embodiment. Since this air conditioner adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it at least has all the beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0099] 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 heat exchanger having a main heat exchange circuit and at least two heat exchange circuits, wherein when the heat exchanger is in operation, the heat load of one heat exchange circuit is greater than the heat load of another heat exchange circuit; and A flow divider, one end of which is connected to the main heat exchange circuit, and the other end of which is provided with at least two liquid outlets, wherein the height of one liquid outlet in the direction of gravity is lower than the height of the other liquid outlet in the direction of gravity; The liquid outlet with a lower height is connected to the inlet of the heat exchange circuit with a greater heat load; The air conditioner indoor unit further comprises a face frame and a wind wheel, wherein an air inlet is provided on the top of the face frame, the wind wheel is provided on the inner side of the face frame, and the heat exchanger is provided between the air inlet and the wind wheel; The heat exchanger has a semi-enclosed structure and includes a first evaporation section, a second evaporation section, and a third evaporation section connected in sequence, wherein the first evaporation section is located in front of the wind wheel, the second evaporation section is located above the wind wheel, and the lower end of the second evaporation section is connected to the first evaporation section, and the upper end of the second evaporation section is inclined toward the rear side of the wind wheel, and the third evaporation section is located above the wind wheel, and the upper end of the third evaporation section is inclined toward the front side of the wind wheel and connected to the second evaporation section; In this heat exchanger structure, the second evaporation section is closer to the air inlet, and the area of ​​the second evaporation section on the air inlet or the projected area of ​​the air inlet on the second evaporation section is larger than those of the first evaporation section and the third evaporation section; The diverter has a first liquid outlet with the smallest height in the direction of gravity, and the first liquid outlet is connected to the inlet of the heat exchange circuit located on the second evaporation section; The heat load of the heat exchange circuit located on the second evaporation section is greater than the heat loads of the heat exchange circuits located on the first evaporation section and the third evaporation section.

2. The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 1, wherein: Each heat exchange circuit is formed by a plurality of U-shaped tubes connected to each other. The heat exchange circuit connected to the first liquid outlet is the first heat exchange circuit. The plurality of U-shaped tubes forming the first heat exchange circuit are all installed on the second evaporation section.

3. The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 2, wherein: The first evaporation section is further provided with a second heat exchange circuit, and the third evaporation section is further provided with a third heat exchange circuit; The diverter is further provided with a second liquid outlet communicating with the second heat exchange circuit, and a third liquid outlet communicating with the third heat exchange circuit.

4. The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 3, wherein: The inlet and outlet of each heat exchange circuit are located at the same end of the heat exchanger, and the diverter is provided on one side of the heat exchanger and has a liquid inlet end and a liquid outlet end opposite to each other, and the liquid inlet end is connected to the main heat exchange circuit; The liquid outlet is provided with the first liquid outlet, the second liquid outlet and the third liquid outlet, and in the extension direction of the heat exchanger, the third liquid outlet is closer to the heat exchanger than the second liquid outlet.

5. The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 4, wherein: The second liquid outlet and the third liquid outlet are arranged opposite to each other along the extension direction of the heat exchanger.

6. The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 4, wherein: The heights of the first liquid outlet, the second liquid outlet, and the third liquid outlet increase in sequence in the direction of gravity.

7. The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 6, wherein: The heat exchanger is further provided with a fourth heat exchange circuit, wherein the fourth heat exchange circuit is provided between the first heat exchange circuit and the third heat exchange circuit; The liquid outlet end of the diverter is further provided with a fourth liquid outlet connected to the fourth heat exchange circuit. In the extension direction of the heat exchanger, the fourth liquid outlet is closer to the heat exchanger than the second liquid outlet and / or the third liquid outlet.

8. The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 7, wherein: The first liquid outlet, the second liquid outlet, the third liquid outlet and the fourth liquid outlet are distributed in a diamond shape, wherein the first liquid outlet is opposite to the third liquid outlet in vertical direction, and the second liquid outlet is opposite to the fourth liquid outlet in horizontal direction.

9. The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 7, wherein: The inlet of the fourth heat exchange circuit is arranged on the second evaporation section, and the outlet of the fourth heat exchange circuit is arranged on the third evaporation section.

10. The air conditioner indoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The heat exchange circuit is formed by a plurality of U-shaped tubes connected to each other, and the number of U-shaped tubes included in each heat exchange circuit is the same.

11. The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 10, wherein: Each of the heat exchange circuits is formed by at least four U-shaped tubes connected to each other.

12. The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 11, wherein: The heat exchange circuit has a windward side and a leeward side opposite to each other, and the number of U-shaped tubes on the windward side of each heat exchange circuit is the same as the number of U-shaped tubes on the leeward side.

13. The air conditioner indoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: It also includes a collector, which is arranged on one side of the heat exchanger and has at least two liquid inlets. The at least two liquid inlets are arranged on the end surface of the collector and / or the side facing the heat exchanger.

14. An air conditioner, characterized in that: It comprises the air conditioner indoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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