A finger guard net for an air conditioner and an air conditioner

Abstract

This invention provides a finger guard for an air conditioner and an air conditioner. The air conditioner includes a housing, a partition plate, and an air outlet assembly. The finger guard surrounds the outer side of the air outlet assembly. One end of the finger guard is connected to the housing, and the other end is connected to the partition plate, so that the air outlet assembly is disposed in the space between the finger guard and the bottom plate of the housing, thus protecting the air outlet assembly. This invention, on the one hand, prevents users from putting their hands into the air outlet assembly after opening the front panel of the air conditioner, avoiding potential safety hazards; on the other hand, it also prevents foreign objects from entering the air outlet assembly, thus avoiding affecting the operation of the cross-flow fan and interfering with the normal operation of the air conditioner.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of air conditioning technology, and in particular to a finger guard for an air conditioner and an air conditioner. Background Technology

[0002] Air conditioners are indispensable electrical appliances in people's daily lives and come in a variety of structural forms. With the continuous improvement of industrial design and the application of new technologies, materials, and shapes in air conditioners, not only have various styles of air conditioners been developed, but the structure of the air conditioner itself has also been optimized accordingly.

[0003] Taking existing large air conditioners as an example, such as ceiling-mounted air conditioners, their indoor units are equipped with air outlet components, with cross-flow air outlets being the most common. Specifically, a cross-flow fan is installed, along with at least one cross-flow fan and a corresponding volute structure. The air outlet component is located on the inside of the front panel of the air conditioner. For conventional ceiling-mounted air conditioners, there are often no protective devices installed at the air outlet component. After opening the front panel, users can often touch the air outlet component and even put their hands into it. This not only makes it easy for foreign objects to enter the air outlet component, but also easily causes dangers such as hands getting stuck or cut when users put their hands into the air outlet component. It can even easily cause safety accidents when the fan is rotating. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention aims to provide a finger guard for an air conditioner and an air conditioner, in order to solve the problem that the existing technology does not have a protective device at the air outlet component of the air conditioner, which is prone to safety hazards.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present invention is implemented as follows:

[0006] A finger guard for an air conditioner, the air conditioner including a housing, a partition and an air outlet assembly disposed within the housing, the finger guard being disposed around the outside of the air outlet assembly, one end of the finger guard being connected to the housing, and the other end of the finger guard being connected to the partition, such that the air outlet assembly is disposed in the space between the finger guard and the bottom plate of the housing, the finger guard protecting the air outlet assembly, on the one hand preventing the user from putting their hand into the air outlet assembly after opening the front panel of the air conditioner, avoiding potential safety hazards, and on the other hand preventing foreign objects from entering the air outlet assembly, thus avoiding affecting the operation of the cross-flow fan and interfering with the normal operation of the air conditioner.

[0007] Furthermore, the finger guard includes at least one first protective net and at least one suction protective net. The first protective net is disposed on the side of the air outlet assembly near the front panel of the air conditioner, and the suction protective net is disposed at the air intake at the end of the air outlet assembly. The suction protective net is connected to the first protective net, so that after the user opens the front panel of the air conditioner, the front of the air outlet assembly can be fully protected by the first protective net, and the air intake at the end of the air outlet assembly can be protected by the suction protective net. This not only effectively prevents the user from putting their hand into the air outlet assembly, but also prevents foreign objects from being sucked into the air duct by the cross-flow fan.

[0008] Furthermore, the housing includes a rear end plate, the rear end plate is provided with a first flange, the middle partition is provided with a second flange, one end of the first protective net is provided with a first fixing plate, the other end of the first protective net is provided with a second fixing plate, the first fixing plate is fixedly connected to the first flange, and the second fixing plate is fixedly connected to the second flange, thereby facilitating the fixed assembly of the first protective net.

[0009] Furthermore, the first protective net includes a first net body and a second net body. One end of the first net body is provided with a first fixing plate, and the other end is connected to the second net body. The second net body extends toward the middle partition, and a second fixing plate is provided at the end of the second net body near the middle partition. This makes the first protective net not a straight net, but a bent net structure, so as to be suitable for the arrangement and size of various components inside the air conditioner, prevent spatial interference, and help to improve the utilization rate of the internal space of the air conditioner.

[0010] Furthermore, the first net body is provided with a clearance opening, which corresponds to the volute structure. On the one hand, it is used to avoid the volute structure and prevent the first protective net from contacting the volute structure. On the other hand, it can effectively reduce the weight of the first protective net itself.

[0011] Furthermore, an anti-pressure protrusion is provided on the inner side of the clearance opening. When the user applies pressure towards the air outlet component to the first protective net, the anti-pressure protrusion can directly abut against the volute structure as the first protective net deforms, thereby limiting further deformation of the first protective net. This not only helps to reduce safety hazards but also reminds the user to avoid excessive force.

[0012] Furthermore, the suction net has a central suction net body with suction holes, and a guide flange on the side away from the air outlet component. The guide flange surrounds the outer edge of the suction net body, which on the one hand guides the air drawn in by the cross-flow fan, reducing the impact of the finger guard on the suction effect, and on the other hand allows the user to hold the suction net through the guide flange, facilitating the installation and removal of the suction net.

[0013] Furthermore, the suction protective net has finger guard holes in the direction away from the center. The opening size of the suction holes is larger than that of the finger guard holes. This allows the suction protective net to provide protection on the side of the air outlet component while minimizing airflow resistance and reducing the impact of the finger guard net on the suction effect.

[0014] Furthermore, the suction protective net is provided with a hook on the side near the first protective net. The suction protective net is snapped onto the first protective net through the hook, so that the suction protective net is hung on the first protective net. This not only simplifies the structure of the finger guard net and facilitates production, but also facilitates the disassembly and assembly of the suction protective net and the first protective net.

[0015] An air conditioner, including the finger guard of the air conditioner.

[0016] Compared with existing technologies, the air conditioner finger guard and air conditioner described in this invention have the following advantages:

[0017] The present invention discloses a finger guard for an air conditioner and an air conditioner. The finger guard protects the air outlet component, preventing users from putting their hands into the air outlet component after opening the front panel of the air conditioner, thus avoiding potential safety hazards. It also prevents foreign objects from entering the air outlet component, thus avoiding affecting the operation of the cross-flow fan and interfering with the normal operation of the air conditioner. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings:

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of an air conditioner in the prior art;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 For the embodiments of the present invention in Figure 2 A magnified view of a section at point A in the middle;

[0022] Figure 4 For the embodiments of the present invention in Figure 2 A magnified view of a section at point B in the middle;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first protective net in the finger guard net of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the air intake protective net in the finger guard of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 7 This is a side view of the suction protection mesh in the finger guard of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of another structure of the first protective net in the protective net of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0028] 1. Shell; 11. Air outlet assembly area; 12. Heat exchanger assembly area; 2. Rear end plate; 21. First flange; 22. Slanted fold; 3. Middle partition; 31. Second flange; 4. Cross-flow fan; 5. Volute structure; 6. First protective net; 60. Second protective net; 61. First net body; 62. Second net body; 63. Second fixing plate; 64. First fixing plate; 65. Clearance opening; 66. Anti-pressure protrusion; 7. Suction protective net; 71. Suction hole; 72. Finger guard hole; 73. Guide flange; 74. Hook. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The inventive concepts of this disclosure will be described below using terminology commonly used by those skilled in the art to communicate the essence of their work to others skilled in the art. However, these inventive concepts may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0030] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0031] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0032] In some large air conditioners in the present technology, such as ceiling-mounted air conditioners, there are often no protective devices installed at the air outlet components. After opening the front panel, users can often touch the air outlet components, or even put their hands into them. This not only makes it easy for foreign objects to enter the air outlet components, but also makes it easy for users to get their hands stuck or cut when they put their hands into the air outlet components. It can even easily cause safety accidents when the fan is running.

[0033] To address the safety hazard posed by the lack of protective devices at the air outlet assembly in existing air conditioning systems, this embodiment proposes a finger guard for air conditioners, as shown in the attached figure. Figure 2-8As shown, the air conditioner includes a housing 1, with a partition 3 dividing the internal space of the housing 1 into an air outlet assembly area 11 and a heat exchanger assembly area 12, for assembling the air outlet assembly and the heat exchanger, respectively. Similar to existing technologies, the air outlet assembly includes a cross-flow fan 4 and at least one cross-flow fan (not shown). The output shaft of the cross-flow fan 4 is connected to the cross-flow fan. A volute structure 5 is provided outside each cross-flow fan to form an air duct. The number of cross-flow fans can be one, two, or more, depending on the specific requirements. Figure 1 In the present technology, air conditioners are equipped with three cross-flow fans and three corresponding volute structures 5, with attached... Figure 2 In this application, we take the setting of two cross-flow fans and two corresponding volute structures 5 in an air conditioner as an example. Of course, it can also be a setting of one cross-flow fan and one corresponding volute structure 5, or even more cross-flow fans and volute structures 5. Since they are all existing technologies, they will not be described in detail here.

[0034] This application focuses on providing protection for the air outlet assembly. Specifically, the air conditioner also includes a finger guard, which is arranged around the outside of the air outlet assembly. One end of the finger guard is connected to the housing 1, and the other end is connected to the partition plate 3. This allows the air outlet assembly to be positioned in the space between the finger guard and the bottom plate of the housing 1 at the air outlet assembly area 11. By protecting the air outlet assembly with the finger guard, on the one hand, users cannot put their hands into the air outlet assembly after opening the front panel of the air conditioner, thus avoiding potential safety hazards. On the other hand, it also prevents foreign objects from entering the air outlet assembly and affecting the operation of the cross-flow fan 4 and the cross-flow fan, thereby interfering with the normal operation of the air conditioner.

[0035] Specifically, the finger guard includes at least one first protective net 6 and at least one suction protective net 7. The first protective net 6 is disposed on the side of the air outlet assembly near the front panel of the air conditioner, and the suction protective net 7 is disposed at the air intake at the end of the air outlet assembly. The suction protective net 7 is connected to the first protective net 6, so that after the user opens the front panel of the air conditioner, the front of the air outlet assembly can be fully protected by the first protective net 6, and the air intake at the end of the air outlet assembly can be protected by the suction protective net 7. This not only effectively prevents the user from putting their hand into the air outlet assembly, but also prevents foreign objects from being sucked into the air duct by the cross-flow fan.

[0036] Regarding the finger guard, the first protective net 6 and the suction protective net 7 can be separate structures, or the finger guard can be integrally formed. In this application, it is preferred that the first protective net 6 and the suction protective net 7 are separate structures, and the first protective net 6 and the suction protective net 7 are connected in a detachable manner. This facilitates the installation and removal of the finger guard and allows the finger guard to be used in combination with each other, making it suitable for different cross-flow fans, volute structures 5 lengths, numbers, etc., which helps to improve the adjustability and compatibility of the finger guard.

[0037] For the fixed assembly of the finger guard net, the housing 1 includes a rear end plate 2, the rear end plate 2 is provided with a first flange 21, the middle partition plate 3 is provided with a second flange 31, one end of the first protective net 6 is provided with a first fixing plate 64, and the other end is provided with a second fixing plate 63. The first fixing plate 64 and the first flange 21 are fixedly connected by screws or other fasteners, and the second fixing plate 63 and the second flange 31 are fixedly connected by screws or other fasteners. For the assembly of the fixed plate and the corresponding flange, the fixed plate can be horizontally mounted on top of the flange, or the fixed plate and the flange can be assembled by setting the assembly surface at an angle. For example, the first flange 21 has a beveled edge 22 on the side near the first fixed plate 64, the first fixed plate 64 is set at an angle, and the first fixed plate 64 and the beveled edge 22 have the same degree of inclination, so that the first fixed plate 64 can fit against the beveled edge 22 and be fixedly connected by fasteners. In the air conditioner assembly process, this inclined assembly surface can facilitate the assembly workers to perform operations such as screwing in screws, which helps to improve assembly efficiency. Of course, the second fixed plate 63 and the second flange 31 can also adopt this method of setting the assembly surface at an angle, which will not be elaborated here.

[0038] Correspondingly, the suction protective net 7 can also be equipped with a corresponding fixing plate and adopt the same fixing structure as the first protective net 6, which will not be described in detail here. As another embodiment, the suction protective net 7 can be connected only to the first protective net 6. Specifically, the suction protective net 7 and the first protective net 6 can be tied together by cable ties, or a hinge structure can be set between the suction protective net 7 and the first protective net 6. In this application, it is preferable to set a hook 74 on the side of the suction protective net 7 near the first protective net 6. The suction protective net 7 is snapped onto the first protective net 6 by the hook 74, so that the suction protective net 7 is hung on the first protective net 6. This not only simplifies the structure of the finger protector and facilitates production, but also facilitates the assembly and disassembly of the suction protective net 7 and the first protective net 6.

[0039] For the first protective net 6, it can be set at the air outlet assembly in the form of a whole net. However, considering the utilization rate of the internal space of the air conditioner, the first protective net 6 includes a first net body 61 and a second net body 62. One end of the first net body 61 is provided with a first fixing plate 64, and the other end is connected to the second net body 62. The second net body 62 extends toward the middle partition 3, and a second fixing plate 63 is provided at the end of the second net body 62 near the middle partition 3. This makes the first protective net 6 not a straight net, but a bent net structure, so as to be suitable for the arrangement and size of various components inside the air conditioner and prevent spatial interference.

[0040] Furthermore, when there is no external pressure, the finger guard net in this application, especially the first protective net 6, does not contact the volute structure 5, to prevent the operation of the air outlet component from causing the finger guard net to vibrate and reduce noise generation. Simultaneously, the first net body 61 is provided with an avoidance opening 65, which corresponds to the volute structure 5. This avoidance opening 65 serves two purposes: firstly, it avoids contact between the first protective net 6 and the volute structure 5; secondly, it effectively reduces the weight of the first protective net 6 itself. The opening size of the clearance opening 65 is similar to or slightly larger than that of the volute structure 5. Considering that users may apply pressure to the finger guard net, potentially causing deformation of the first protective net 6, an anti-pressure protrusion 66 is provided on the inner side of the clearance opening 65 to prevent users from inserting their fingers into the air outlet assembly. When a user applies pressure towards the air outlet assembly to the first protective net 6, the anti-pressure protrusion 66 directly abuts against the volute structure 5 as the first protective net 6 deforms, limiting further deformation of the first protective net 6. This not only reduces safety hazards but also reminds users to avoid excessive force. Of course, when there is no external pressure on the first protective net 6, the anti-pressure protrusion 66 does not contact the volute structure 5.

[0041] Considering the different cross-flow fans, the length and number of volute structures 5, etc., the first protective net 6 in this application can be an attachment. Figure 5 The structure shown herein, namely the provision of two clearance openings 65, corresponds to the attached Figure 2 The setting of two volute structures 5 in the middle; it can also be an attachment Figure 8 The structure of the second protective net 60 shown includes a clearance opening 65, corresponding to the configuration of a volute structure 5 in an air conditioner. Aside from conventional differences such as size, number of fixing plates, and number of anti-pressure protrusions 66, the second protective net 60 can be considered another form of the first protective net 6, and their structures are essentially identical. For ease of explanation, this application deliberately names these two separately; however, when the second protective net 60 is mentioned in the text, it can be considered as the first protective net 6.

[0042] The purpose of proposing the first protective net 6 and the second protective net 60 in this application is that, by mass-producing the first protective net 6, the second protective net 60, and the suction protective net 7, it is possible to meet the needs of air conditioners with multiple volute structures 5, thereby improving the compatibility of the corresponding components; for example: Appendix Figure 1 The three volute structures 5 in the air conditioner can be fitted together by a first protective net 6 and a second protective net 60 arranged side by side; if four volute structures 5 are installed in the air conditioner, they can also be fitted together by two first protective nets 6 arranged side by side. Correspondingly, the assembly structure and assembly relationship between the suction protective net 7 and the first protective net 6 can also be applied to the second protective net 60.

[0043] For the suction protective net 7, the center of the suction protective net 7 is directly opposite the air intake of the cross-flow fan. In order to minimize the impact of the finger guard on the suction effect, the suction protective net 7 is provided with a suction net body at its center. The suction net body is provided with suction holes 71. The suction protective net 7 is provided with a guide flange 73 on the side away from the air outlet component. The guide flange 73 surrounds the outer edge of the suction net body. On the one hand, it can guide the air drawn in by the cross-flow fan and reduce the impact of the finger guard on the suction effect. On the other hand, the user can hold the suction protective net 7 through the guide flange 73, which facilitates the installation and removal of the suction protective net 7.

[0044] The suction protection net 7 structure surrounding the suction net body can be regarded as a conventional finger guard structure. The suction protection net 7 can be provided with finger guard holes 72 in a linear array or a circular array in the direction away from the center. The opening size of the suction hole 71 is larger than the opening size of the finger guard hole 72, so that the suction protection net 7 can provide protection on the side of the air outlet component while minimizing the air flow resistance and reducing the impact of the finger guard on the suction effect.

[0045] For any one of the net structures, namely the first protective net 6, the second protective net 60, and the suction protective net 7, it is preferable to use injection molding as a single unit, which not only facilitates processing and production but also helps to ensure the mechanical properties of the net structure.

[0046] In this invention, any air conditioner may include the finger guard of the air conditioner described in this embodiment. Based on the relevant structure and assembly relationship provided in this embodiment, the air conditioner also includes conventional indoor unit components such as heat exchangers and front panels. Similarly, the air conditioner also includes an outdoor unit and related components. Since these are all prior art, they will not be described in detail here.

[0047] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A finger guard for an air conditioner, characterized in that, The air conditioner includes a housing (1), a partition plate (3) and an air outlet assembly are provided in the housing (1), a finger guard is provided around the outside of the air outlet assembly, one end of the finger guard is connected to the housing (1) and the other end of the finger guard is connected to the partition plate (3), and the air outlet assembly is provided in the space between the finger guard and the bottom plate of the housing (1), and the air outlet assembly is protected by the finger guard. The finger guard includes at least one first protective net (6) and at least one suction protective net (7). The first protective net (6) is disposed on the side of the air outlet assembly near the front panel of the air conditioner. The suction protective net (7) is disposed at the end air intake of the air outlet assembly. The suction protective net (7) is connected to the first protective net (6). The first protective net (6) includes a first net body (61) and a second net body (62). One end of the first net body (61) is provided with a first fixing plate (64), and the other end is connected to the second net body (62). The second net body (62) extends toward the middle partition (3), and a second fixing plate (63) is provided at the end of the second net body (62) near the middle partition (3). The first net body (61) is provided with a clearance opening (65). The inner part of the clearance opening (65) The side is provided with anti-pressure protrusions (66); the center of the suction protective net (7) is provided with a suction net body, the suction net body is provided with suction holes (71), the suction protective net (7) is provided with a guide flange (73) on the side away from the air outlet component, the guide flange (73) surrounds the outer edge of the suction net body; the suction protective net (7) is provided with a finger guard hole (72) in the direction away from the center, the opening size of the suction hole (71) is larger than the opening size of the finger guard hole (72).

2. The finger guard of an air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing (1) includes a rear end plate (2), the rear end plate (2) is provided with a first flange (21), the middle partition plate (3) is provided with a second flange (31), one end of the first protective net (6) is provided with a first fixing plate (64), the other end of the first protective net (6) is provided with a second fixing plate (63), the first fixing plate (64) is fixedly connected to the first flange (21), and the second fixing plate (63) is fixedly connected to the second flange (31).

3. The finger guard of an air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, The suction protective net (7) has a hook (74) on the side near the first protective net (6), and the suction protective net (7) is snapped into the first protective net (6) through the hook (74).

4. An air conditioner, characterized in that, The air conditioner includes the finger guard of the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1-3.

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