Air conditioner indoor unit

Abstract

The present invention provides an indoor unit of an air conditioner, which comprises a shell, an air guide plate and at least one driving mechanism. The shell is provided with an air outlet. The air guide plate has an open position for opening the air outlet and a closed position for closing the air outlet. The driving mechanism is used to drive the air guide plate to move to an open position or a closed position, and in the process of driving the air guide plate to open, the air guide plate is first moved from the closed position to an intermediate position in a direction away from the air outlet, and then rotated from the intermediate position on a fixed axis away from the air outlet path of the air outlet until the open position. The indoor unit of the air conditioner of the present invention completely avoids the air flow when the air guide plate is opened, and completely closes the air outlet when it is closed.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] An air guide plate is usually provided at the air outlet of the indoor unit of the air conditioner, which is used to guide the wind direction of the air outlet on the one hand, and to open and close the air outlet on the other hand.

[0003] The air guide plate is usually installed on the housing of the indoor unit of the air conditioner so that it can rotate around an axis, and the axis is located at the center of the air outlet. This structure has the following defects: when the maximum air volume is required, no matter what angle the air guide plate is rotated to, it will more or less hinder the air flow, affecting the maximum air supply effect. In addition, in order to avoid the rotation being interfered by the edge of the air outlet, there is a large safety distance between the edge of the air guide plate and the edge of the air outlet, which makes it difficult for the air guide plate to completely close the air outlet, allowing dust to easily enter the interior of the housing. Summary of the invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner indoor unit with a novel air guide plate to solve or at least partially solve the above-mentioned defects.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner indoor unit which can completely avoid the outlet air flow when the air guide plate is opened and completely seal the air outlet when the air guide plate is closed.

[0006] A further object of the present invention is to improve the driving mechanism of the air guide plate.

[0007] In particular, the present invention provides an air conditioner indoor unit, comprising:

[0008] A housing having an air outlet;

[0009] an air guide plate having an open position for opening the air outlet and a closed position for closing the air outlet; and

[0010] At least one driving mechanism is used to drive the air guide plate to move to the open position or the closed position, and in the process of driving the air guide plate to open, the air guide plate is first moved from the closed position to an intermediate position in the direction away from the air outlet, and then rotated from the intermediate position on a fixed axis away from the air outlet path of the air outlet until it reaches the open position.

[0011] Optionally, each of the driving mechanisms includes a slide rail, which is formed in or installed in the housing, and includes a main rail and a branch rail, wherein the main rail has an outer end close to the air outlet and an inner end away from the air outlet, and the branch rail forks out from the middle of the main rail, and the branch rail is an arc with the outer end of the main rail as the center;

[0012] The wind deflector includes a first sliding block and a second sliding block, both of which are slidably disposed in the slide rail;

[0013] When the air guide plate is in the closed position, the first slider and the second slider are both in the main rail, and the first slider is closer to the outer end of the main rail;

[0014] During the opening process of the air guide plate, the driving mechanism first drives the first slider and the second slider to slide along the main rail until the first slider reaches the outer end of the main rail, and when the second slider reaches the inlet of the branch rail, the air guide plate reaches the middle position;

[0015] The driving mechanism then drives the second slider to rotate with the first slider as the axis, so as to enter the branch rail and move along the branch rail until the air guide plate reaches the open position.

[0016] Optionally, when the air guide plate is in the closed position, the first sliding block abuts against the inner end of the main rail;

[0017] When the wind guide plate reaches the open position, the second slider reaches the end of the branch rail.

[0018] Optionally, the driving mechanism further comprises:

[0019] A motor is installed in the housing;

[0020] A rocker, one end of which is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft of the motor;

[0021] The connecting rod has two ends respectively hinged to the other end of the rocking arm and the second sliding block, so that the motor drives the air guide plate to rotate through the rocking arm and the connecting rod.

[0022] Optionally, when the air deflector is in the closed position, the rocker and the connecting rod clamp an acute angle;

[0023] When the air guide plate is in the middle position, the rocker arm and the connecting rod form a right angle or an obtuse angle.

[0024] Optionally, when the air deflector is in the open position, the rocker arm is colinear with the connecting rod.

[0025] Optionally, the air-conditioning indoor unit is a wall-mounted air-conditioning indoor unit, and the air outlet is opened at the lower front part of the shell.

[0026] Optionally, the air deflector includes a plate body and at least one connecting arm;

[0027] Each of the connecting arms comprises a first section connected to the plate body, a second section bent backward from the end of the first section, and a third section bent and extended from the end of the second section to be parallel to the first section;

[0028] The first sliding block and the second sliding block are located in the third section.

[0029] Optionally, there are two driving mechanisms, which are arranged along the length direction of the air guide plate.

[0030] Optionally, an air duct is formed in the shell, and an outlet of the air duct constitutes the air outlet; the two driving mechanisms are respectively located on two lateral end walls of the air duct.

[0031] In the indoor unit of the air conditioner of the present invention, the process of the driving mechanism driving the air guide plate to open includes two processes. First, the air guide plate is moved from the closed position to the open position so that the air guide plate is away from the air outlet to avoid interference from the edge of the air outlet during the subsequent rotation process; then the air guide plate is rotated on a fixed axis to be away from the air outlet path of the air outlet so that the air guide plate does not directly block the air flow of the air outlet. Such a design enables the air guide plate to completely avoid the air flow when opened and completely close the air outlet when closed. The movement mode of the air guide plate in the present invention is novel and ingenious, which improves the product differentiation and user experience.

[0032] Furthermore, in the indoor unit of the air conditioner of the present invention, the driving mechanism includes a motor, a rocker, a connecting rod and a slide rail. The slide rail has a main rail and a branch rail, and the air guide plate includes two sliders. During the opening process of the air guide plate, the motor drives the rocker to rotate, and the connecting rod connects the first slider, so that the first slider and the second slider slide along the main rail until the first slider reaches the outer end of the main rail. When the second slider reaches the inlet of the branch rail, the air guide plate reaches the middle position. The driving mechanism then drives the second slider to rotate with the outer end of the main rail as the axis, so as to enter the branch rail and move along it until the air guide plate reaches the open position. This motion mechanism cleverly converts the rotation of the motor into "movement first and then fixed axis rotation" of the air guide plate, and the design is very clever.

[0033] Based on the following detailed description of specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will become more aware of the above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Hereinafter, some specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail in an exemplary and non-limiting manner with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the accompanying drawings indicate the same or similar components or parts. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the accompanying drawings:

[0035] Figure 1 is a schematic front view of an air conditioner indoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The NN section enlarged view of the indoor unit of the air conditioner shown;

[0037] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 The schematic diagram of the indoor unit of the air conditioner shown is when the air guide plate moves to the middle position;

[0038] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 The schematic diagram of the indoor unit of the air conditioner shown is when the air guide plate is rotated to the open position;

[0039] Figure 5 yes Figure 2 The schematic diagram of the structure of the driving mechanism in the indoor unit of the air conditioner is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] Refer to the following Figures 1 to 5 The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention is described in detail. The directions or positional relationships indicated by “front”, “rear”, “upper”, “lower”, “top”, “bottom”, “inner”, “outer”, “lateral”, etc. are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operate in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0041] The terms "first", "second", etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined as "first", "second", etc. may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features, that is, include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined. When a feature "includes or contains" one or some of the features it covers, unless otherwise specifically described, this indicates that other features are not excluded and may further include other features.

[0042] Unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed", "coupled" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. A person skilled in the art should be able to understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0043] The present invention provides an indoor unit of an air conditioner. The indoor unit of an air conditioner is the indoor part of the air conditioner, and is used to adjust the indoor air, such as cooling / heating, dehumidifying, purifying, introducing fresh air, etc. The present invention does not limit the style of the indoor unit of the air conditioner, and it can be wall-mounted, vertical, ceiling-mounted, etc. Figures 1 to 5 The embodiment of the indoor unit of a wall-mounted air conditioner is shown.

[0044] Figure 1 is a schematic front view of an air conditioner indoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The NN section enlarged view of the indoor unit of the air conditioner shown; Figure 3 yes Figure 2 The schematic diagram of the air conditioner indoor unit shown is when the air guide plate 50 moves to the middle position; Figure 4 yes Figure 3 The schematic diagram of the air conditioner indoor unit shown is when the air guide plate 50 is rotated to the open position; Figure 5 yes Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a driving mechanism 60 in an indoor unit of an air conditioner is shown.

[0045] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention may generally include a housing 10 , an air guide plate 50 and at least one driving mechanism 60 .

[0046] The housing 10 defines a receiving space in which other components of the air conditioner indoor unit are arranged and a conditioned airflow, such as cold air or hot air, is produced. The housing 10 is provided with an air outlet 12 for conveying the conditioned airflow to the indoor environment.

[0047] The air guide plate 50 has an open position to open the air outlet 12 and a closed position to close the air outlet 12 . Figure 2 That is, it indicates that the air guide plate 50 is in the closed position. Figure 4 The state when the air guide plate 50 is in the open position is illustrated. When the air conditioner indoor unit is in the shutdown state, the air guide plate 50 can be in the closed position to prevent external dust and impurities from entering the housing 10 through the air outlet 12. When the air conditioner indoor unit is turned on, the air guide plate 50 can be in the open position.

[0048] Figures 1 to 4 The embodiment of the wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit is shown in the figure. In this embodiment, the housing 10 and the air outlet 12 are both in the shape of long strips extending horizontally. Figure 1 The x direction is marked in the middle, and the air outlet 12 is opened at the lower front part of the housing 10 .

[0049] Each driving mechanism 60 is used to drive the air deflector 50 to move to the aforementioned open position or closed position. It is understandable that when multiple driving mechanisms 60 are provided, the movement of all driving mechanisms 60 is synchronized to prevent the air deflector 50 from being twisted.

[0050] In the process of driving the air guide plate 50 to open, the driving mechanism 60 first moves the air guide plate 50 from the closed position (such as Figure 2 ) moves away from the air outlet 12 to an intermediate position (such as Figure 3 ), and then rotates from the middle position away from the air outlet path of the air outlet 12 until the open position (such as Figure 4 ).

[0051] Of course, contrary to the opening process, in the process of driving the air guide plate 50 to close, the driving mechanism 60 first rotates the air guide plate 50 from the open position to the middle position, and then moves from the middle position toward the direction close to the air outlet 12 to the closed position.

[0052] In the indoor unit of the air conditioner of the embodiment of the present invention, the process of the driving mechanism 60 driving the air guide plate 50 to open includes two processes. First, the air guide plate 50 is moved from the closed position to the open position so that the air guide plate 50 is away from the air outlet 12 to avoid interference from the edge of the air outlet 12 in the subsequent rotation process. Then, the air guide plate 50 is rotated along a fixed axis to be away from the air outlet path (i.e.) of the air outlet 12 so that the air guide plate 50 does not directly block the air flow of the air outlet 12. Such a design enables the air guide plate 50 to completely avoid the air flow when opened and completely close the air outlet 12 when closed. The movement mode of the air guide plate 50 in the embodiment of the present invention is novel and ingenious, which improves the product differentiation and the user experience.

[0053] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 5 Each driving mechanism 60 includes a slide rail 100. The slide rail 100 is formed in the housing 10 or installed in the housing 10. That is, the slide rail 100 may be a part of the housing 10, for example, a groove opened on the inner surface of the housing 10. Alternatively, the slide rail 100 may also be an independent component, and then fixed to the housing 10 by a fastener.

[0054] like Figure 5As shown, the slide rail 100 includes a main rail 110 and a branch rail 120. The main rail 110 has an outer end A close to the air outlet 12 and an inner end B away from the air outlet 12. The branch rail 120 forks out from the middle of the main rail 110 (it has an inlet end C and a terminal end D). The branch rail 120 is an arc with the outer end A of the main rail 110 as the center. The branch rail 120 is connected to the main rail 110. The air guide plate 50 includes a first slider 501 and a second slider 502. The first slider 501 and the second slider 502 are fixedly connected to the main body of the air guide plate 50, or are integrated. The first slider 501 and the second slider 502 are preferably both columnar. The first slider 501 and the second slider 502 can be slidably arranged in the slide rail 100. The slide rail 100 can be groove-shaped.

[0055] The opening process of the air guide plate 50 is as follows: when the air guide plate 50 is in the closed position, the first slider 501 and the second slider 502 are both in the main rail 110, and the first slider 501 is closer to the outer end A of the main rail 110 than the second slider 502. Figure 2 During the opening process of the air guide plate 50, the driving mechanism 60 first drives the first slider 501 and the second slider 502 to slide along the main rail 110 until the first slider 501 reaches the outer end A of the main rail 110 and the second slider 502 reaches the inlet end C of the branch rail 120. Then, the air guide plate 50 reaches the middle position. Figure 3 Then, the driving mechanism 60 drives the second slider 502 to rotate with the first slider 501 as the axis, so as to enter the branch rail 120 and move along it until the air guide plate 50 reaches the open position. Figure 4 This motion mechanism cleverly converts the rotation of the motor into "movement first and then fixed-axis rotation" of the air guide plate, which is a very clever design.

[0056] The closing process of the air guide plate 50 is opposite to the opening process, which will not be described in detail here.

[0057] Preferably, when the air deflector 50 is in the closed position, the first slider 501 abuts against the inner end B of the main rail 110, so that after the air deflector 50 moves to the closed position, the inner end B of the main rail 110 provides a stop and positioning for the first slider 501, so that the air deflector 50 accurately stays in the closed position. When the air deflector 50 reaches the open position, the second slider 502 reaches the end D of the branch rail 120, so that after the air deflector 50 moves to the open position, the end D of the branch rail 120 provides a stop and positioning for the second slider 502, so that the air deflector 50 accurately stays in the closed position.

[0058] In some embodiments, Figures 2 to 5 As shown, the driving mechanism 60 also includes a motor 200, a rocker 300 and a connecting rod 400 ( Figures 2 to 4The motor 200 is hidden. The motor 200 is installed in the housing 10. One end of the rocker 300 is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft of the motor 200. The two ends of the connecting rod 400 are respectively hinged (rotatably connected) to the other end of the rocker 300 and the second slider 502, so that the motor 200 drives the air guide plate 50 to rotate through the rocker 300 and the connecting rod 400.

[0059] Taking the opening process of the air guide plate 50 as an example, when the motor 200 drives the rocker 300 to rotate, the rocker 300 pushes the air guide plate 50 to move to the middle position along the main rail 110 through the connecting rod 400. The motor 200 continues to drive the rocker 300 to rotate, the rocker 300 drives the connecting rod 400 to rotate, and the connecting rod 400 drives the second slider 502 to enter the branch rail 120.

[0060] Furthermore, when the air deflector 50 is in the closed position, the rocker 300 and the connecting rod 400 hold an acute angle, so that after the motor 200 is turned on, the rocker 300 can smoothly drive the air deflector 50 to translate through the connecting rod 400. When the air deflector 50 is in the middle position, the rocker 300 and the connecting rod 400 hold a right angle or an obtuse angle, so that when the motor 200 continues to rotate, the second slider 502 can smoothly enter the branch rail 120. When the air deflector 50 is in the open position, the rocker 300 and the connecting rod 400 can be collinear, so that when the air deflector 50 is subsequently closed, the connecting rod 400 can move in the opposite direction more smoothly.

[0061] In some embodiments, Figures 2 to 5 As shown, the air guide plate 50 may include a plate body 51 and at least one connecting arm 52. The plate body 51 is plate-shaped and constitutes the main body of the air guide plate 50. Each connecting arm 52 includes a first section 521 connected to the plate body 51, a second section 522 bent backward from the end of the first section 521, and a third section 523 bent from the end of the second section 522 to extend parallel to the first section 521. The first slider 501 and the second slider 502 are located in the third section 523. With such an arrangement, when the air guide plate 50 rotates on a fixed axis, the edge of the air outlet 12 can be prevented from interfering with the connecting arm 52, so that the opening angle of the air guide plate 50 is larger, for example Figure 4 As shown, the air guide plate 50 can be rotated to the bottom of the housing 10 to better keep away from the air flow of the air outlet 12.

[0062] In some embodiments, two driving mechanisms 60 may be provided, and the two are arranged along the length direction of the air guide plate 50. Of course, the driving pace of the two driving mechanisms 60 is consistent. For the wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit shown in the figure, an air duct 15 is formed in the housing 10, and the outlet of the air duct 15 constitutes the air outlet 12. The air duct 15 is defined by a front air duct wall 151, a rear air duct wall 152 and two transverse end walls 153, and the two transverse end walls 153 are arranged along the length direction of the housing 10. The two driving mechanisms 60 can be respectively located at the two transverse end walls 153 of the air duct 15 to reduce interference with the outlet air flow.

[0063] In some embodiments, Figure 2 As shown, a heat exchanger 20 and a fan 30 may be provided in the housing 10. An air inlet 11 may be provided at the top of the housing 10. The heat exchanger 20 and the throttling device are connected to the compressor, the condenser and other refrigeration elements provided in the outdoor unit of the air conditioner through pipelines to form a vapor compression refrigeration cycle system. Under the action of the fan 30, the indoor air enters the interior of the housing 10 through the air inlet 11, and after completing the forced convection heat exchange with the heat exchanger 20, the heat exchange wind is formed and enters the air duct 15, and then blows into the room through the air outlet 12 to adjust the indoor air. The fan 30 is preferably a cross-flow fan with an axis parallel to the length direction of the housing 10, which is arranged at the inlet of the air duct 15. The heat exchanger 20 can be a three-stage heat exchanger.

[0064] At this point, those skilled in the art should recognize that, although multiple exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail herein, many other variations or modifications that conform to the principles of the present invention can still be directly determined or derived based on the content disclosed in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be understood and recognized as covering all these other variations or modifications.

Claims

1. An air conditioner indoor unit, comprising: A housing having an air outlet; an air guide plate having an open position for opening the air outlet and a closed position for closing the air outlet; and At least one driving mechanism, used for driving the air deflector to move to the open position or the closed position, and in the process of driving the air deflector to open, the air deflector is first moved from the closed position to an intermediate position in a direction away from the air outlet, and then rotated from the intermediate position away from the air outlet path of the air outlet until it reaches the open position; Each of the driving mechanisms includes a slide rail, which is formed in or installed in the housing, and includes a main rail and a branch rail, wherein the main rail has an outer end close to the air outlet and an inner end away from the air outlet, and the branch rail forks out from the middle of the main rail, and the branch rail is an arc with the outer end of the main rail as the center; The wind deflector includes a first sliding block and a second sliding block, both of which are slidably disposed in the slide rail; When the air guide plate is in the closed position, the first slider and the second slider are both in the main rail, and the first slider is closer to the outer end of the main rail; During the opening process of the air guide plate, the driving mechanism first drives the first slider and the second slider to slide along the main rail until the first slider reaches the outer end of the main rail, and when the second slider reaches the inlet of the branch rail, the air guide plate reaches the middle position; The driving mechanism then drives the second slider to rotate about the first slider as an axis, so as to enter the branch rail and move along the branch rail until the air guide plate reaches the open position; The driving mechanism further comprises: A motor is installed in the housing; A rocker, one end of which is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft of the motor; A connecting rod, both ends of which are respectively hinged to the other end of the rocker and the second slider, so that the motor drives the air guide plate to rotate through the rocker and the connecting rod; The wind deflector comprises a plate body and at least one connecting arm; Each of the connecting arms comprises a first section connected to the plate body, a second section bent backward from the end of the first section, and a third section bent and extended from the end of the second section to be parallel to the first section; The first sliding block and the second sliding block are located in the third section.

2. The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 1, wherein When the air guide plate is in the closed position, the second slider abuts against the inner end of the main rail; When the wind guide plate reaches the open position, the second slider reaches the end of the branch rail.

3. The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 1, wherein When the air deflector is in the closed position, the rocker and the connecting rod clamp an acute angle; When the air guide plate is in the middle position, the rocker arm and the connecting rod form a right angle or an obtuse angle.

4. The air conditioning indoor unit according to claim 3, wherein When the air guide plate is in the open position, the rocker arm is in line with the connecting rod.

5. The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 1, wherein The air conditioner indoor unit is a wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit, and the air outlet is opened at the lower front part of the shell.

6. The air conditioning indoor unit according to claim 5, wherein The number of the driving mechanisms is two, and the two are arranged along the length direction of the air guide plate.

7. The air conditioning indoor unit according to claim 6, wherein An air duct is formed in the shell, and the outlet of the air duct constitutes the air outlet; The two driving mechanisms are respectively located on two transverse end walls of the air duct.

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