Air conditioner outdoor unit and air conditioner

Abstract

The application provides an air conditioner outdoor unit and an air conditioner, the air conditioner outdoor unit comprises a bottom plate, a four-way valve, a condenser assembly, a compressor unit, a gas-liquid separator assembly and an oil separator are arranged on the bottom plate, a maintenance opening is formed on the front side of the condenser assembly, the four-way valve is arranged behind the maintenance opening, the valve body length direction of the four-way valve is parallel to the left-right direction, the minimum distance between the four-way valve and the bottom plate is recorded as A, the height of the condenser assembly is recorded as B, and A / B=0.5-0.75; the four-way valve is near the middle area of the whole air conditioner outdoor unit in the up-down height, the layout of the refrigerant pipeline is optimized, the situation that individual pipelines are too long is avoided, and the transportation damage risk of the air conditioner outdoor unit is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of air conditioning technology, and in particular to an outdoor unit 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 types of indoor air conditioner units been developed, but the outdoor units have also undergone corresponding structural optimization.

[0003] Taking the outdoor unit structure of a multi-split air conditioner as an example, the outdoor unit of a multi-split air conditioner often contains a large number of components, and may even have at least two refrigerant systems, such as two compressors, along with corresponding refrigerant pipelines, gas separators, oil separators, four-way valves, and other components. In existing technology, the overall layout of a conventional multi-split air conditioner outdoor unit is relatively loose, and the layout of related components inside the outdoor unit is often not optimized in depth, especially the layout of the four-way valve and related valve pipes, which is messy and disorderly. This results in low space utilization inside the multi-split air conditioner outdoor unit, and the pipeline length connecting some components is long. On the one hand, this leads to the messy and disorderly internal components and pipelines of the multi-split air conditioner outdoor unit, and on the other hand, it is not conducive to reducing the production cost of the outdoor unit. At the same time, during the transportation of multi-split air conditioners, vibration and bumps of the air conditioning unit are inevitable. This makes the overly loose component layout and excessively long pipelines in existing technology increase the risk of damage to the components of the multi-split air conditioner outdoor unit during transportation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention aims to provide an outdoor unit and an air conditioner to solve the problems of the loose and disordered layout of the four-way valve and related valve pipes in the outdoor unit of a multi-split air conditioner in the prior art, which leads to low space utilization inside the outdoor unit and long pipeline lengths connecting individual components, increasing the risk of damage to the outdoor unit components during transportation.

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

[0006] An air conditioner outdoor unit includes a chassis and a four-way valve. A condenser assembly, a compressor unit, a gas-liquid separator assembly, and an oil separator are mounted on the chassis. An access port is formed on the front side of the condenser assembly, and the four-way valve is located behind the access port. The length direction of the four-way valve body is parallel to the second centerline of the chassis. Let A be the minimum distance between the four-way valve and the chassis, and B be the height of the condenser assembly. Let A / B = 0.5-0.75. By optimizing the layout of the four-way valve, the entire... The valve body faces the access port, and its specific height limit prevents other air conditioning components from obstructing the four-way valve, allowing for direct maintenance through the access port. Furthermore, the four-way valve is positioned near the center of the outdoor unit, ensuring similar heights to components such as the condenser assembly interface, gas-liquid separator assembly, and oil separator. This facilitates optimized refrigerant piping layout, prevents excessively long individual pipes, and reduces the risk of damage during transport.

[0007] Furthermore, the four-way valve is located behind the compressor unit. In the front-to-back direction, the minimum distance from the four-way valve to the back of the unit on the chassis is denoted as P, and the width of the chassis is denoted as E. P / E = 0.2-0.5. Thus, the four-way valve is located between the compressor unit and the condenser assembly at the back of the unit, so that it is also located near the middle area of ​​the entire outdoor unit in the front-to-back direction. This makes the horizontal distance between the four-way valve and the condenser assembly interface, gas-liquid separator assembly, oil separator and other components similar, which facilitates the optimization of the refrigerant pipeline layout and avoids the occurrence of individual pipelines being too long.

[0008] Furthermore, a shut-off valve is installed on the chassis. In the left-right direction, the gas-liquid separator assembly is located on one side of the compressor assembly, and the shut-off valve is located on the other side of the compressor assembly. Alternatively, in the left-right direction, the gas-liquid separator assembly is located on one side of the four-way valve, and the shut-off valve is located on the other side of the four-way valve. This avoids the situation where multiple components are located on the same side, allowing the third and fourth valve pipes of the four-way valve to be arranged in different directions. This avoids the refrigerant piping being too crowded and also avoids the occurrence of spatial interference, interference fit, and temperature difference heat transfer interference that may exist between different pipes.

[0009] Furthermore, the gas-liquid separator assembly includes a first gas-liquid separator and a second gas-liquid separator. The first gas-liquid separator has a first gas outlet on the side closest to the compressor unit, and the second gas-liquid separator has a second gas outlet on the side closest to the compressor unit. Furthermore, the centers of the first and second gas-liquid separators are respectively located on opposite sides of the extended length of the four-way valve. This ensures that when the four-way valve is connected to the first and second gas-liquid separators, the distances from the four-way valve to the first and second gas-liquid separators are similar, facilitating optimized refrigerant piping layout and preventing individual pipes from becoming excessively long, especially avoiding a situation where one pipe is too long and the other too short when connecting the four-way valve to the gas-liquid separator assembly.

[0010] Furthermore, the connection line between the center of the first gas-liquid separator and the first gas outlet is designated as the third line V3, and the connection line between the center of the second gas-liquid separator and the second gas outlet is designated as the fourth line V4. The third line V3 extends forward, and the fourth line V4 extends backward. The forward extension of the third line V3 intersects the backward extension of the fourth line V4. The minimum angle between the third line V3 and the left-right direction is designated as K, where 50°≤K≤70°. The minimum angle between the fourth line V4 and the left-right direction is designated as L, where 10°≤L≤30°. Thus, the first and second gas-liquid separators are arranged in a figure-eight shape at specific positions, directions, and angles. This ensures that the distances from the first and second gas outlets to the compressor assembly are relatively short, which is beneficial for optimizing the layout of the refrigerant pipelines and reducing the length of the refrigerant pipelines, thus saving pipeline space.

[0011] Furthermore, the first gas-liquid separator is located behind the second gas-liquid separator, and the line connecting the first gas outlet and the second gas outlet is parallel to the first centerline of the chassis. Thus, with the left-right direction as the axis of symmetry, the first and second gas-liquid separators are approximately mirror-image arranged (or symmetrically arranged). This allows the outlet refrigerant pipes of the first and second gas-liquid separators to have the same structure, meaning their outlet refrigerant pipes are interchangeable. This improves the compatibility of the outlet refrigerant pipes of the gas-liquid separator assembly. The outlet refrigerant pipes of the first and second gas-liquid separators then converge via a T-junction and connect to the return gas pipe. Correspondingly, the return gas pipe can also be arranged horizontally along the left-right direction, resulting in a neat and orderly return gas pipeline structure between the gas-liquid separator assembly and the compressor assembly. This not only facilitates pipeline assembly, positioning, and welding but also improves space utilization.

[0012] Furthermore, the center of the four-way valve in the length direction is located to the left of the first centerline, and the second valve pipe of the four-way valve coincides with the first centerline. This provides sufficient space for the piping between the four-way valve 6 and the oil separator 9 and gas-liquid separator assembly, preventing overcrowding of the refrigerant piping and avoiding spatial interference between pipes. Additionally, the four-way valve's central position in the left-right direction ensures that it is closer to the oil separator, condenser assembly, shut-off valve, and gas-liquid separator assembly, facilitating optimized refrigerant piping layout and preventing excessively long individual pipes. This effectively reduces the risk of damage to related pipes and components during transportation. Simultaneously, since the second valve pipe of the four-way valve connects to both the first and second condensers, the distance between the second valve pipe and both condensers is identical, improving the compatibility of the piping, which is beneficial for increasing production efficiency and reducing piping costs.

[0013] Furthermore, the oil separator is positioned behind the compressor assembly, and between the four-way valve and the gas-liquid separator assembly. The ratio of the minimum distance from the center of the oil separator to the rear of the unit to the width E of the chassis is 0.25-0.40. This relatively close proximity of the oil separator to the rear of the outdoor unit provides ample space for its arrangement with the compressor assembly, allowing for a more efficient and rational layout of the exhaust piping between them. This avoids spatial interference with the return gas piping and facilitates optimized layout of related refrigerant lines.

[0014] Furthermore, the oil separator has an oil inlet located on the side of the oil separator closer to the compressor assembly. The line connecting the center of the oil separator and the oil inlet is denoted as the oil separation line. The minimum angle between the oil separation line and the left-right direction is denoted as J, where 10°≤J≤30°. That is, the oil inlet is not directly facing the compressor assembly, but is located on the opposite side of the space between the oil separator and the compressor assembly. This avoids the oil inlet occupying the central part of the space between the oil separator and the compressor assembly, avoids spatial interference with the routing of related refrigerant pipelines, and also minimizes the distance between the oil inlet and the compressor assembly, which is beneficial for shortening the length of the exhaust pipeline structure.

[0015] An air conditioner includes an outdoor unit, the air conditioner includes a shut-off valve, the first valve pipe of the four-way valve is connected to the outlet of an oil separator, the second valve pipe of the four-way valve is connected to a condenser assembly, the third valve pipe of the four-way valve is connected to the shut-off valve, and the fourth valve pipe of the four-way valve is connected to a gas-liquid separator assembly.

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

[0017] The present invention discloses an outdoor air conditioning unit and an air conditioner. By optimizing the layout of the four-way valve, the entire valve body is positioned directly opposite the access port. Furthermore, by limiting its height, the invention prevents other air conditioning components from obstructing the four-way valve, allowing for direct access and maintenance through the access port. Additionally, the four-way valve is positioned near the center of the outdoor unit, ensuring similar heights to components such as the condenser assembly interface, gas-liquid separator assembly, and oil separator. This facilitates optimized refrigerant piping layout, prevents excessively long individual pipes, and reduces the risk of damage during transport. 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 front view of an air conditioner outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a top view of an air conditioner outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention (omitting some piping structures);

[0021] Figure 3 This is a top view of an air conditioner outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention (with valve body and piping structure removed);

[0022] Figure 4 This is a top view of an air conditioner outdoor unit (with valve body and piping structure) according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an air conditioner outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0025] 1. Chassis; 101. First centerline; 102. Second centerline; 103. Inspection port; 104. Rear of unit; 2. First condenser; 3. Second condenser; 4. First compressor; 41. First liquid receiver; 5. Second compressor; 51. Second liquid receiver; 6. Four-way valve; 7. First gas-liquid separator; 71. First gas separator outlet; 8. Second gas-liquid separator; 81. Second gas separator outlet; 9. Oil separator; 91. Oil separator inlet; 10. Shut-off valve; 11. Foot; 12. Exhaust pipe; 13. First valve pipe; 14. Second valve pipe; 15. Third valve pipe; 16. Fourth valve pipe; 17. Return gas pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0026] 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.

[0027] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in these embodiments can be combined with each other. For ease of explanation and understanding, directional terms used in this application refer to the orientation of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner in its normal installation position; please refer to the appendix for details. Figure 1-2 The directional indication is as follows. Meanwhile, in this application, "gas separator" is short for gas-liquid separator, and "oil separator" is short for oil separator. In this application, from a top-down view, the "left-right direction" is parallel to the second centerline 102 of chassis 1, and the "front-back direction" is parallel to the first centerline 101 of chassis 1. Based on this parallel relationship, all angles involving the left-right direction in this application can be equated to angles with the second centerline 102, for example: (See attached image) Figure 3 The "minimum angle H between the first connecting line V1 and the left-right direction" is equivalent to the angle between the first connecting line V1 and the second median 102. This applies to angles I, J, K, L, etc., and will not be elaborated further. The same principle applies to the front-back direction.

[0028] Furthermore, given that the main bodies of components such as compressors and gas separators are approximately cylindrical, this application uses a top-down view as the basis for describing the center of these components, with the center of the circle in the top view taken as the center of the relevant component. Dimensions, distances, and connections related to the center of these components are also based on this top-down view. Additionally, when describing distances, dimensions, and connections, this application may refer to the specific accompanying drawings, using the perspective shown in the actual drawings, such as those attached. Figure 1 The dimensions A and B are based on the front-to-back viewing angle. Figure 2 , 3 The dimensions E, P, T, Q, etc. are based on a top-down view, and the virtual lines such as V1-V4 are based on a top-down view.

[0029] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0030] In existing technologies, the overall layout of conventional multi-split air conditioner outdoor units is relatively loose. The internal components are often not optimized in their arrangement, resulting in low space utilization and long pipelines connecting various components. This leads to a disorganized and disorganized layout of components and pipelines, particularly the compressor, gas separator, and oil separator. Furthermore, it hinders cost reduction. In addition, the often inappropriate internal component layout of multi-split air conditioner outdoor units can cause the center of gravity to shift to one side, resulting in poor stability during placement and transportation. Vibration and impacts during transport are also inevitable, further increasing the risk of damage to components during transport due to the loose component layout and excessively long pipelines.

[0031] To address the problems of low space utilization and poor stability during transportation, as well as the relatively loose and disordered layout of components such as compressors, gas separators, and oil separators in existing multi-split air conditioner outdoor units, this embodiment proposes an air conditioner outdoor unit, as shown in the attached figure. Figure 1-5 As shown, the outdoor unit of the air conditioner includes a chassis 1 and a four-way valve 6. Firstly, the chassis 1 can be a conventional multi-split air conditioner outdoor unit chassis. From a top-down view, the centerline of the chassis 1 in the left-right direction (corresponding to the length direction of the chassis 1 in the figure, denoted as D) is designated as the first centerline 101, and the centerline of the chassis 1 in the front-back direction (corresponding to the width direction of the chassis 1 in the figure, denoted as E) is designated as the second centerline 102. It should be noted that, due to the irregular flange structure on the front and rear sides of the chassis 1, the maximum width of the chassis 1 is designated as E in this application; as shown in the attached... Figure 2 As shown, the rear side 104 of the unit is equivalent to the rearmost flange structure of the chassis 1. The distance between the frontmost flange of the chassis 1 and the rear side 104 of the unit is regarded as the maximum width of the chassis 1.

[0032] The chassis 1 is equipped with a condenser assembly, a compressor assembly, a gas-liquid separator assembly, and an oil separator 9. The compressor assembly includes a first compressor 4 and a second compressor 5. An inspection port 103 is formed on the front side of the condenser assembly. The compressor assembly is located behind the inspection port 103 on the chassis 1. At the same time, from a top view, the center of the first compressor 4 and the center of the second compressor 5 are respectively located on the left and right sides of the first centerline 101. The minimum distance from the center of the first compressor 4 to the first centerline 101 is denoted as N, and the minimum distance from the center of the second compressor 5 to the first centerline 101 is denoted as M, where N≤M.

[0033] By optimizing the layout of the compressor assembly, the compressor assembly is positioned directly opposite and close to the access port 103, and located near the center of the chassis 1. Other outdoor unit components can be positioned behind or to the left or right of the compressor assembly. This design allows for direct access to the compressor assembly via the access port 103 without obstruction from other components. Furthermore, given the compressor's weight, its central location on the chassis 1 effectively ensures the center of gravity of the multi-split air conditioner's outdoor unit is centered, improving stability during placement and transportation and reducing the risk of damage. Additionally, setting N≤M allows the compressor assembly to be positioned slightly to the right, providing space for the left-side shut-off valve and refrigerant piping. This allows these components to be partially exposed through the access port, facilitating disassembly and maintenance, as well as connecting the outdoor unit to the indoor unit via the shut-off valve.

[0034] Preferably, from a top-down view, the centerline of the access port 103 coincides with the first centerline 101 of the chassis 1, so that the access port 103 of the outdoor unit is centrally located on the entire outdoor unit, which facilitates maintenance operations.

[0035] Preferably, in the front-rear direction, the minimum distance between the compressor assembly and the access port 103 is less than the minimum distance between the compressor assembly and the rear end 104 of the chassis 1, so that the compressor assembly is preferentially located at the access port 103 to avoid other components blocking the compressor assembly.

[0036] For components such as the condenser assembly, compressor assembly, gas-liquid separator assembly, oil separator 9, and four-way valve 6, conventional air conditioning components can be used and connected via refrigerant piping. Furthermore, in the air conditioning field, the refrigerant piping between the compressor assembly and the oil separator 9 is often referred to as the exhaust piping. The exhaust piping can be found in the attached document. Figure 4-5 The refrigerant line between the exhaust pipe 12 and the gas-liquid separator assembly and the compressor assembly is often referred to as the return line. The return line can be found in the attached diagram. Figure 4-5 The return pipe 17 and the four-way valve 6 can be connected to the condenser assembly, gas-liquid separator assembly, oil separator 9, and indoor unit respectively through the refrigerant pipeline; given that the structure and operating principle of each component of the multi-split air conditioner can all adopt existing technologies, they will not be described in detail here. In the left-right direction, the width of the access port 103 is denoted as C, and the length of the chassis 1 is denoted as D.

[0037] For the layout of the first compressor 4 and the second compressor 5, preferably, M > N, and M / N = 2.5-4.5. Therefore, the compressor assembly is not completely centered, but slightly offset to one side of the chassis 1. This allows for sufficient assembly space for other components of the outdoor unit (such as the shut-off valve 10, electrical controls, fan, etc.), as shown in the attached diagram. Figure 2-3 The compressor assembly is slightly offset to the right side of chassis 1. Of course, it can also be mirrored to make the compressor assembly slightly offset to the left side of chassis 1.

[0038] To avoid the first compressor 4 and the second compressor 5 being too close together, the first compressor 4 and the second compressor 5 are staggered. Specifically, the minimum distance between the center of the first compressor 4 and the center of the second compressor 5 is denoted as G, where 220mm≤G≤300mm; the distance component of G in the front-back direction is denoted as F, where 20mm≤F≤60mm. This ensures that the first compressor 4 and the second compressor 5 have an appropriate spacing while maximizing the compact layout of the compressor components, and also meets the needs of actual component assembly and pipeline layout.

[0039] Meanwhile, for the center of the first compressor 4 and the center of the second compressor 5, there will always be a compressor center that is closest to the inspection port 103, or that is closest to the front end of the chassis 1. Since the inspection port 103 and the front end of the chassis 1 basically overlap, for ease of description, the inspection port 103 will be used as the reference. To avoid placing the compressor unit too far forward, taking the second compressor 5 as the closest to the access port 103 (meaning the minimum distance between the center of the second compressor 5 and the access port 103 is less than the minimum distance between the center of the first compressor 4 and the access port 103), let Q be the minimum distance between the center of the second compressor 5 and the access port 103, and let E be the width of the chassis 1. Q / E = 0.18-0.35. This ensures the compressor unit is close to the access port 103 (or the front end of the chassis 1). This facilitates regular maintenance of the compressor unit and prevents it from being placed too far forward, thus avoiding a forward shift of the center of gravity of the entire outdoor unit. It also provides space for the installation of the sound-absorbing cotton covering the compressor, preventing it from hitting the front components of the outdoor unit (such as the front panel). Simultaneously, sufficient space is reserved behind the compressor unit to accommodate other components or pipelines.

[0040] Both the first compressor 4 and the second compressor 5 can be conventional air conditioning compressors, which often have a liquid receiver. In this application, the first compressor 4 has a first liquid receiver 41, and the second compressor 5 has a second liquid receiver 51. To avoid unnecessary spatial interference caused by the liquid receivers, the first compressor 4 and the second compressor 5 are arranged in an outward "V" shape. Specifically, from a top-down view, the line connecting the center of the first liquid receiver 41 and the center of the first compressor 4 is denoted as the first line V1, and the line connecting the center of the second liquid receiver 51 and the center of the second compressor 5 is denoted as the second line V2. The forward extension of the first line V1 intersects the forward extension of the second line V2. Meanwhile, the minimum angle between the first connecting line V1 and the left and right directions is denoted as H, where 40°≤H≤80°, and the minimum angle between the second connecting line V2 and the left and right directions is denoted as I, where 40°≤I≤80°. This allows the first compressor 4 and the second compressor 5 to be arranged in an outward "V" shape under specific directions and angles, which enables a larger assembly space between the first connecting line V1 and the second connecting line V2, providing leeway for pipeline layout. It also helps to concentrate most of the refrigerant pipelines in this assembly space, which is conducive to further improving the compactness of the internal layout of the multi-split air conditioner outdoor unit.

[0041] Regarding the arrangement of the gas-liquid separator assembly, the gas-liquid separator assembly is located on one side of the compressor assembly. The gas-liquid separator assembly includes a first gas-liquid separator 7 and a second gas-liquid separator 8. The two gas-liquid separators of the gas-liquid separator assembly correspond one-to-one with the two compressors in the compressor assembly and are connected via refrigerant pipelines. The first gas-liquid separator 7 and the second gas-liquid separator 8 are both conventional gas separators, with structures such as a gas separator outlet and a base 11. To facilitate the installation of the first gas-liquid separator 7 and the second gas-liquid separator 8, the base 11 of the first gas-liquid separator 7 and the base 11 of the second gas-liquid separator 8 are located on both sides of the connecting line between the center of the first gas-liquid separator 7 and the center of the second gas-liquid separator 8. This ensures that neither base 11 is located in the narrow area between the first gas-liquid separator 7 and the second gas-liquid separator 8, so that the first gas-liquid separator 7 and the second gas-liquid separator 8 can be fixed to the chassis 1 with fasteners. This prevents spatial interference during disassembly and assembly, and facilitates the disassembly and assembly of the gas-liquid separator components by assembly or maintenance personnel.

[0042] Preferably, the first gas-liquid separator 7 and the second gas-liquid separator 8 are also arranged in a figure-eight shape. Specifically, in the left-right direction, the first gas-liquid separator 7 has a first gas separation outlet 71 on the side closer to the compressor unit, and the second gas-liquid separator 8 has a second gas separation outlet 81 on the side closer to the compressor unit. From a top-down view, the connecting line between the center of the first gas-liquid separator 7 and the first gas separation outlet 71 is designated as the third connecting line V3, and the connecting line between the center of the second gas-liquid separator 8 and the second gas separation outlet 81 is designated as the fourth connecting line V4. The third connecting line V3 extends forward, and the fourth connecting line V4 extends backward. Furthermore, the third connecting line V3... The extended line extending forward intersects with the extended line extending backward from the fourth line V4. At the same time, the minimum angle between the third line V3 and the left and right directions is denoted as K, 50°≤K≤70°, and the minimum angle between the fourth line V4 and the left and right directions is denoted as L, 10°≤L≤30°. Thus, the first gas-liquid separator 7 and the second gas-liquid separator 8 are arranged in a figure-eight shape at a specific position, in a specific direction, and at a specific angle. This makes the distances from the first gas separation outlet 71 and the second gas separation outlet 81 to the compressor assembly relatively short, which is beneficial for optimizing the layout of the relevant refrigerant pipelines and reducing the length of the refrigerant pipelines, thus saving pipeline space.

[0043] Based on the figure-eight arrangement of the gas-liquid separator assembly, the first gas-liquid separator 7 is located behind the second gas-liquid separator 8, and the line connecting the first gas outlet 71 and the second gas outlet 81 is parallel to the front-back direction. This figure-eight arrangement of the gas-liquid separator assembly results in an approximately mirror-image arrangement (or symmetrical layout) between the first gas-liquid separator 7 and the second gas-liquid separator 8 with the left-right direction as the axis of symmetry. This also ensures that the refrigerant pipes at the outlets of the first and second gas-liquid separators are connected. The two components can be made to have the same structure, meaning that their outlet refrigerant pipes can be interchanged, which is beneficial to improving the compatibility of the outlet refrigerant pipes of the gas-liquid separator assembly. Then, the outlet refrigerant pipes of the first gas-liquid separator 7 and the second gas-liquid separator 8 are joined together by a T-junction structure and connected to the return gas pipe 17. Correspondingly, the return gas pipe 17 can also be arranged horizontally in the left-right direction, so that the return gas pipeline structure between the gas-liquid separator assembly and the compressor assembly is neat and orderly, which not only facilitates pipeline assembly, positioning and welding, but also helps to improve space utilization.

[0044] For the oil separator 9 in this application, it is preferable to provide one oil separator 9, which is located behind the compressor assembly. The minimum distance from the center of the oil separator 9 to the back of the unit 104 is denoted as T. The ratio of T to the width E of the chassis 1 is 0.25-0.40. This allows for a relatively ample arrangement space between the oil separator 9 and the compressor assembly, enabling a sufficient and reasonable arrangement of the exhaust pipe structure between them without spatial interference with the return gas pipe structure. This facilitates the optimization of the refrigerant pipeline layout. Furthermore, in this application, the space formed between the oil separator 9 and the compressor assembly is primarily used for arranging the refrigerant pipeline.

[0045] The oil separator 9 is consistent with the conventional oil separator structure, having an oil inlet 91. In the front-to-back direction, the oil inlet 91 is located on the side of the oil separator 9 closer to the compressor assembly. The line connecting the center of the oil separator 9 and the oil inlet 91 is denoted as the oil separator line. The minimum angle between the oil separator line and the left-to-right direction is denoted as J, where 10°≤J≤30°. That is, the oil inlet 91 is not directly facing the compressor assembly, but is located on the opposite side of the space between the oil separator 9 and the compressor assembly. This avoids the oil inlet 91 occupying the central part of the space between the oil separator 9 and the compressor assembly, avoiding spatial interference with the routing of related refrigerant pipelines. At the same time, it also minimizes the distance between the oil inlet 91 and the compressor assembly, which is beneficial for shortening the length of the exhaust pipeline structure.

[0046] For the compressor assembly, gas-liquid separator assembly, and oil separator 9, they are usually connected to the chassis 1, and only their layout from a top-down perspective needs to be optimized and improved. However, for the four-way valve 6, it is necessary to consider not only the layout from a top-down perspective but also its vertical layout in order to optimize and improve the layout of the four-way valve 6.

[0047] The four-way valve 6 is located behind the inspection port 103, and the length of the valve body of the four-way valve 6 is parallel to the left and right direction. In the up and down direction, the minimum distance between the four-way valve 6 and the chassis 1 is denoted as A, and the height of the condenser assembly itself is denoted as B. A / B = 0.5-0.75.

[0048] By optimizing the layout of the four-way valve 6, the entire valve body of the four-way valve 6 is positioned directly opposite the inspection port 103. At the same time, by limiting its height, the four-way valve 6 is prevented from being obstructed by other air conditioning components, allowing people to directly inspect and maintain the four-way valve 6 through the inspection port 103. Furthermore, the four-way valve 6 is positioned near the middle of the entire outdoor unit, making the height distance between the four-way valve 6 and components such as the condenser assembly interface, gas-liquid separator assembly, and oil separator 9 similar. This facilitates the optimization of the refrigerant piping layout and avoids the occurrence of excessively long individual pipes.

[0049] Preferably, the four-way valve 6 is horizontally positioned, specifically meaning that the length direction of the four-way valve 6 is parallel to the horizontal plane. This horizontal plane can refer to a horizontal plane at any height; it can be considered that the four-way valve 6 is positioned at a certain height on the horizontal plane. In this case, from a top-down perspective, without specific limitations, the length direction of the valve body of the four-way valve 6 can be parallel to the front-back direction, the left-right direction, or other directions within the horizontal plane. Of course, in this application, the length direction of the four-way valve 6 is limited to being parallel to the left-right direction.

[0050] For the connection configuration of the four-way valve 6, see attached... Figure 2-5 As shown, the first valve pipe 13 of the four-way valve 6 is connected to the outlet of the oil separator 9, the second valve pipe 14 of the four-way valve 6 is connected to the condenser assembly, the third valve pipe 15 of the four-way valve 6 is connected to the shut-off valve 10 and communicates with the indoor unit through the shut-off valve 10, and the fourth valve pipe 16 of the four-way valve 6 is connected to the gas-liquid separator assembly.

[0051] The four-way valve 6 is located behind the compressor unit. In the front-to-back direction, the minimum distance from the four-way valve 6 to the rear end 104 of the chassis 1 is denoted as P, and the width of the chassis 1 is denoted as E, where P / E = 0.2-0.5. Thus, the four-way valve 6 is positioned between the compressor unit and the condenser assembly at the rear end 104 of the unit, placing it near the middle of the entire outdoor unit in the front-to-back direction. This ensures that the horizontal distances between the four-way valve 6 and components such as the condenser assembly interface, gas-liquid separator assembly, and oil separator 9 are similar, facilitating optimized refrigerant piping layout and preventing excessively long individual pipes.

[0052] Considering that the four-way valve 6 is connected to the gas-liquid separator assembly, the oil separator 9, and the shut-off valve 10 at the same time, especially since the gas-liquid separator assembly of this application includes two gas separators, and the two gas separators are simultaneously located on the same side of the compressor assembly in the left-right direction, in order to avoid excessive congestion in some pipelines of the four-way valve 6 and to avoid spatial interference, this application further optimizes the relative arrangement of components such as the four-way valve 6, the gas-liquid separator assembly, the oil separator 9, and the shut-off valve 10.

[0053] The first valve pipe 13 serves as the inlet pipe of the four-way valve 6. The first valve pipe 13 is connected to the valve port on the upper side of the four-way valve 6. The remaining second valve pipe 14, third valve pipe 15, and fourth valve pipe 16 are connected to the three valve ports on the lower side of the four-way valve 6. The layout of the relevant refrigerant pipelines also needs to be comprehensively considered in conjunction with the horizontal and vertical directions.

[0054] In the left-right direction, the gas-liquid separator assembly is located on one side of the compressor assembly, and the shut-off valve 10 is located on the other side of the compressor assembly. Alternatively, the gas-liquid separator assembly is located on one side of the four-way valve 6, and the shut-off valve 10 is located on the other side of the four-way valve 6. This avoids the situation where multiple components are located on the same side, allowing the third valve pipe 15 and the fourth valve pipe 16 of the four-way valve 6 to be arranged in different directions, as shown in the attached diagram. Figure 4 As shown, the layout can be interpreted as the third valve pipe 15 extending to the right and the fourth valve pipe 16 extending to the left, which avoids the refrigerant pipeline being too crowded and also avoids the occurrence of spatial interference, interference fit, and temperature difference heat transfer interference that may exist between different pipelines.

[0055] From a top-down perspective, the oil separator 9 is positioned between the four-way valve 6 and the gas-liquid separator assembly. This ensures that the distance (height) between the oil separator 9 and the four-way valve 6, and its distance (horizontal length) from the compressor assembly, are similar. Furthermore, it fully utilizes the height misalignment of the first valve pipe 13 and the fourth valve pipe 16, maximizing the compactness of the refrigerant piping arrangement while ensuring that the first valve pipe 13 and the fourth valve pipe 16 do not interfere with each other. Simultaneously, based on the relative positions of the oil separator 9 and the four-way valve 6 described above, the oil separator 9, the four-way valve 6, the gas-liquid separator assembly, and the compressor assembly are arranged relatively compactly, forming a shared piping space with similar distances between components. This not only improves the compactness and orderliness of the refrigerant piping layout but also prevents individual refrigerant pipes from becoming excessively long. Meanwhile, all components are relatively arranged near the central area of ​​chassis 1, which helps to further ensure that the center of gravity of the outdoor unit is in the center of the unit, facilitates the transportation of the outdoor unit, and helps to improve the stability of the unit during transportation and installation.

[0056] From a top-down perspective, the centers of the first gas-liquid separator 7 and the second gas-liquid separator 8 are respectively located on both sides of the second centerline 102 of the chassis 1. Preferably, the four-way valve 6 is parallel to the left and right direction and coincides with the second centerline 102 as much as possible, that is, the P / E ratio is as close to 0.5 as possible. This makes the centers of the first gas-liquid separator 7 and the second gas-liquid separator 8 located on both sides of the four-way valve 6. When the four-way valve 6 is connected to the first gas-liquid separator 7 and the second gas-liquid separator 8 respectively, the distance between the four-way valve 6 and the first gas-liquid separator 7 and the distance between the four-way valve 6 and the second gas-liquid separator 8 are similar. This facilitates the optimization of the refrigerant pipeline layout and avoids the occurrence of individual pipelines being too long, especially avoiding the situation where one pipeline is too long and the other is too short when the four-way valve 6 is connected to the gas-liquid separator assembly.

[0057] Preferably, the center of the four-way valve 6 in the length direction is located to the left of the first centerline 101. Based on the fact that the oil separator 9 and the gas-liquid separator assembly are both located to the right of the first centerline 101 in this application, by setting the center of the four-way valve 6 to the left of the first centerline 101, on the one hand, a certain space is reserved for the piping between the four-way valve 6 and the oil separator 9 and the gas-liquid separator assembly, so as to avoid the relevant valve pipes being too crowded and to avoid spatial interference between valve pipes. On the other hand, it avoids the valve pipe of the four-way valve 6 being too close to the exhaust pipe and the return pipe, and avoids spatial interference or contact between the valve pipe of the four-way valve 6 and other refrigerant pipes.

[0058] From a top-down view, the four-way valve 6 intersects perpendicularly with the first centerline 101. It should be noted that from this top-down view, the four-way valve 6 directly intersects the first centerline 101, without requiring any virtual extension or expansion. Therefore, given the dimensional constraints of A / B = 0.5-0.75 and P / E = 0.2-0.5, the four-way valve 6 is not only close to the central region in height and longitudinal direction, but also directly intersects the first centerline 101 in the lateral direction. That is, the four-way valve 6 is located at the center in the lateral direction. This makes the distance between the four-way valve 6 and the oil separator 9, condenser assembly, shut-off valve 10, and gas-liquid separator assembly closer, facilitating optimized refrigerant piping layout, avoiding excessively long individual pipes, and effectively reducing the risk of damage to related pipes and components during transportation.

[0059] Furthermore, the condenser assembly includes a first condenser 2 and a second condenser 3. The front ends of the first condenser 2 and the second condenser 3 form an inspection port 103. The rear ends of both the first condenser 2 and the second condenser 3 are provided with refrigerant interfaces, which are connected to the second valve pipe 14 of the four-way valve 6. Considering the overall stability of the unit's center of gravity under the two-condenser layout, the first condenser 2 and the second condenser 3 are symmetrically arranged with respect to the first center line 101 of the chassis 1. At the same time, the main body of the second valve pipe 14 coincides with the first center line 101. Then, the main body of the second valve pipe 14 continues to be connected to the first condenser 2 and the second condenser 3 respectively through two branch pipes. Correspondingly, these two branch pipes are also symmetrically arranged with respect to the first center line 101. This not only ensures the stability of the unit's center of gravity under the two-condenser layout, but also improves the compatibility of the branch pipes in the second valve pipe 14, facilitating the welding and assembly of the pipeline. As a preferred embodiment of this application, the second valve pipe 14 has a symmetrical structure. From a top view, the second valve pipe 14 not only coincides with the first center line 101, but also the axis of symmetry of the second valve pipe 14 coincides with the first center line 101. On the one hand, this ensures that the four-way valve 6 intersects directly with the first center line 101. On the other hand, it makes the distance between the second valve pipe 14 and the first condenser 2 and the second condenser 3 exactly the same. The two branches of the second valve pipe 14 can be directly mirrored (or symmetrically arranged), which improves the compatibility of related pipelines, helps to improve production efficiency, and reduces pipeline costs.

[0060] In this invention, any air conditioner may include the outdoor unit described in this embodiment. Based on the relevant structure, assembly relationship, and layout of the outdoor unit provided in this embodiment, the air conditioner also includes conventional outdoor unit components such as electrical controls and fans. Similarly, the air conditioner also includes an indoor unit and related components. Since these are all prior art, they will not be described in detail here.

[0061] 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. An air conditioner outdoor unit, characterized by comprising: The outdoor unit of the air conditioner includes a chassis (1) and a four-way valve (6). The chassis (1) is equipped with a condenser assembly, a compressor assembly, a gas-liquid separator assembly, and an oil separator (9). An inspection port (103) is formed on the front side of the condenser assembly. The four-way valve (6) is located behind the inspection port (103). The length direction of the valve body of the four-way valve (6) is parallel to the second centerline (102) of the chassis (1). The minimum distance between the four-way valve (6) and the chassis (1) is denoted as A, and the height of the condenser assembly itself is denoted as B. A / B = 0.5-0.

75. The four-way valve (6) is located behind the compressor assembly. In the front-to-back direction, the minimum distance between the four-way valve (6) and the back of the chassis (1) (104) is denoted as P, and the width of the chassis (1) is denoted as E. P / E = 0.2-0.

5.

2. An air conditioner outdoor unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, A shut-off valve (10) is provided on the chassis (1). In the left-right direction, the gas-liquid separator assembly is located on one side of the compressor assembly, and the shut-off valve (10) is located on the other side of the compressor assembly.

3. An air conditioner outdoor unit according to claim 2, characterized in that, The gas-liquid separator assembly includes a first gas-liquid separator (7) and a second gas-liquid separator (8). The first gas-liquid separator (7) has a first gas outlet (71) on the side near the compressor assembly, and the second gas-liquid separator (8) has a second gas outlet (81) on the side near the compressor assembly. The center of the first gas-liquid separator (7) and the center of the second gas-liquid separator (8) are respectively located on both sides of the extension line of the four-way valve (6) along its own length direction.

4. An air conditioner outdoor unit according to claim 3, characterized in that, The connection line between the center of the first gas-liquid separator (7) and the first gas outlet (71) is designated as the third connection line V3, and the connection line between the center of the second gas-liquid separator (8) and the second gas outlet (81) is designated as the fourth connection line V4. The third connection line V3 extends forward, and the fourth connection line V4 extends backward. The extension of the third connection line V3 extending forward intersects the extension of the fourth connection line V4 extending backward. The minimum angle between the third connection line V3 and the left and right directions is designated as K, where 50°≤K≤70°. The minimum angle between the fourth connection line V4 and the left and right directions is designated as L, where 10°≤L≤30°.

5. An air conditioner outdoor unit according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first gas-liquid separator (7) is located behind the second gas-liquid separator (8), and the line connecting the first gas outlet (71) and the second gas outlet (81) is parallel to the first centerline (101) of the chassis (1).

6. An air conditioner outdoor unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The center of the four-way valve (6) in the length direction is located to the left of the first centerline (101), and the second valve pipe (14) of the four-way valve (6) coincides with the first centerline (101).

7. An air conditioner outdoor unit according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The oil separator (9) is located behind the compressor assembly and is located between the four-way valve (6) and the gas-liquid separator assembly. The ratio of the minimum distance between the center of the oil separator (9) and the back of the unit (104) to the width E of the chassis (1) is 0.25-0.

40.

8. An air conditioner outdoor unit according to claim 7, characterized in that, The oil separator (9) has an oil inlet (91), which is located on the side of the oil separator (9) closer to the compressor assembly. The line connecting the center of the oil separator (9) and the oil inlet (91) is called the oil separation line. The minimum angle between the oil separation line and the left and right directions is called J, where 10°≤J≤30°.

9. An air conditioner, characterized in that, The air conditioner includes an outdoor unit as described in any one of claims 1-8, the air conditioner includes a shut-off valve (10), the first valve pipe (13) of the four-way valve (6) is connected to the outlet of the oil separator (9), the second valve pipe (14) of the four-way valve (6) is connected to the condenser assembly, the third valve pipe (15) of the four-way valve (6) is connected to the shut-off valve (10), and the fourth valve pipe (16) of the four-way valve (6) is connected to the gas-liquid separator assembly.

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