Air conditioner and vehicle

Abstract

The application discloses an air conditioner and a vehicle. The air conditioner comprises a shell, a fan assembly and a heat exchanger. The shell is provided with an indoor air inlet, an indoor air outlet and an outdoor air inlet. The outdoor air inlet and the indoor air inlet are located on the front side of the indoor air outlet. An airflow channel and a fresh air channel are formed in the shell. The airflow channel is connected with the indoor air inlet and the indoor air outlet. One end of the fresh air channel is connected with the airflow channel, and the other end of the fresh air channel extends forward to be connected with the outdoor air inlet. External airflow enters the fresh air channel and the airflow channel from the outdoor air inlet. The fan assembly is arranged in the airflow channel. The heat exchanger is arranged in the airflow channel. When the air conditioner moves forward, the outdoor air inlet is arranged to allow airflow to enter through the outdoor air inlet. After the fresh air enters the fresh air channel, the fresh air always moves to the rear of the whole machine in the same direction, the movement resistance of the fresh air is reduced, the entering speed of the fresh air is improved, the entering amount of the fresh air is increased, and the demand for large air volume fresh air is met to a higher degree.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of air conditioner technology, and particularly to air conditioners and vehicles. Background Technology

[0002] Common air conditioners typically have a separate fresh air module to regulate indoor air freshness. This involves independent components such as the fresh air duct housing, impeller, duct, and motor. Fresh air is usually introduced into the room through ductwork by a separate motor-driven fan. Complex control logic is also required to control the fresh air, which increases the complexity of the entire system. The introduction of new equipment also affects the stability of the overall operation, increases the power consumption of the unit, and increases the fixed cost of the entire unit. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The main objective of this invention is to propose an air conditioner and vehicle that can introduce fresh air without the need for additional independent fresh air auxiliary equipment, thus solving the problems of complex internal structure and high power consumption caused by adding a fresh air mechanism to existing air conditioners.

[0004] Considering that there is some loss of fresh air when the vehicle is moving, the direction of fresh air introduction should be designed reasonably in order to obtain a larger air intake.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an air conditioner, comprising:

[0006] For installation on a vehicle, characterized in that it comprises:

[0007] The housing has an indoor air inlet, an indoor air outlet, and an outdoor air inlet. The outdoor air inlet and the indoor air inlet are both located in front of the indoor air outlet. An airflow channel and a fresh air channel are formed inside the housing. The airflow channel connects the indoor air inlet and the indoor air outlet. One end of the fresh air channel is connected to the airflow channel, and the other end extends forward to connect to the outdoor air inlet, so that external airflow enters the fresh air channel and the airflow channel from the outdoor air inlet.

[0008] The fan assembly is disposed in the airflow channel; and,

[0009] A heat exchanger is disposed in the airflow channel;

[0010] The outdoor air inlet is configured to allow airflow to enter the fresh air duct through the outdoor air inlet when the air conditioner moves forward.

[0011] Optionally, the outdoor air inlet is located on the front side of the top of the housing and faces forward; and / or,

[0012] The indoor air inlet and the indoor air outlet are located at the lower part of the housing, so that the airflow channel extends in the front-to-back direction and is curved upward.

[0013] Optionally, the outdoor air inlet is located on the front side of the top of the housing;

[0014] The housing contains a box structure with openings at the top and rear. The inner cavity of the box structure forms the fresh air channel. The upper port of the box structure is connected to the outdoor air inlet, and the rear opening of the box structure is connected to the airflow channel.

[0015] Optionally, the housing structure includes:

[0016] Base plate;

[0017] Two side plates are provided on the bottom plate and are arranged in the left-right direction;

[0018] A back plate is disposed on the bottom plate and connected to the rear ends of the two side plates. A connecting hole is provided in the middle of the back plate, and the connecting hole communicates with the airflow channel.

[0019] The bottom plate, the two side plates, and the back plate, together with the front side wall of the housing, form the fresh air duct with openings at the top and rear.

[0020] Optionally, a support portion is provided inside the housing;

[0021] The front end of the base plate is provided with a water baffle, the upper end of which extends upward to the edge of the outdoor air inlet, and the lower end of which abuts against the side of the support.

[0022] Optionally, an air guide structure is provided at the outdoor air inlet, which can guide external airflow to the outdoor air inlet when the air conditioner moves forward.

[0023] Optionally, the air guiding structure includes an air guide plate disposed at the outdoor air inlet, the air guide plate having at least an open state facing forward, so that when it is in the open state and the air conditioner is moving forward, it can guide airflow from the outdoor air inlet into the fresh air duct.

[0024] Optionally, the rear end of the air guide plate is rotatably mounted to the outdoor air inlet, so that the air guide plate has a closed state that rotates to cover the outdoor air inlet and an open state that rotates to open forward.

[0025] Optionally, the air conditioner further includes a first cover plate corresponding to the outdoor air inlet, the first cover plate being movably installed on the outer surface of the housing or inside the housing, capable of opening or closing the outdoor air inlet; and / or,

[0026] The air conditioner also includes a second cover plate corresponding to the indoor air inlet. The second cover plate is movably installed on the outer surface of the housing or inside the housing, and can open or close the indoor air inlet.

[0027] Optionally, the air conditioner may further include a purification module disposed within the fresh air duct.

[0028] Optionally, the fresh air duct is provided with grooves on both opposite walls in the left and right directions;

[0029] The purification module is inserted into the two grooves at opposite ends.

[0030] Optionally, the fan assembly includes a cross-flow impeller or a centrifugal impeller; and / or,

[0031] The fresh air duct and the fan assembly are respectively located on the front and rear sides of the heat exchanger.

[0032] Optionally, the air conditioner further includes a water collection tray, which is located at the bottom of the inner cavity of the housing;

[0033] The lower end of the heat exchanger is located inside the water receiving tray. The distance between the side of the heat exchanger facing the outdoor air inlet and the side wall corresponding to the water receiving tray is D. The distance between the end of the fresh air duct and the heat exchanger is d, where d≤D / 2.

[0034] The present invention also proposes a vehicle including the above-described air conditioner, wherein the air conditioner includes at least:

[0035] For installation on a vehicle, characterized in that it comprises:

[0036] The housing has an indoor air inlet, an indoor air outlet, and an outdoor air inlet. The outdoor air inlet and the indoor air inlet are both located in front of the indoor air outlet. An airflow channel and a fresh air channel are formed inside the housing. The airflow channel connects the indoor air inlet and the indoor air outlet. One end of the fresh air channel is connected to the airflow channel, and the other end extends forward to connect to the outdoor air inlet, so that external airflow enters the fresh air channel and the airflow channel from the outdoor air inlet.

[0037] The fan assembly is disposed in the airflow channel; and,

[0038] A heat exchanger is disposed in the airflow channel.

[0039] The outdoor air inlet is configured such that when the air conditioner moves forward, airflow can automatically enter the fresh air duct through the outdoor air inlet.

[0040] Optionally, the vehicle further includes a vehicle body, and the air conditioner is located on the top of the vehicle body.

[0041] In the technical solution of this invention, when the fan assembly is working, both outdoor fresh air and indoor return air can be drawn in through the fan assembly in the airflow channel, without the need to add a separate fresh air fan. Therefore, there are no additional equipment factors affecting the overall reliability of the machine, resulting in higher overall reliability. Furthermore, during driving, fresh air can be automatically introduced using the vehicle's own power, further increasing the amount of fresh air introduced when combined with the fan assembly. Even without the fan assembly being turned on or consuming any electrical energy, fresh air can be automatically introduced by the vehicle's own power, directly entering the room from the indoor air outlet to supply fresh air to the vehicle's interior space, saving electrical energy and reducing the inherent cost of the entire machine. Since both the outdoor air inlet and the indoor air inlet are located in front of the indoor air outlet, the air intake direction of the airflow channel is defined as from front to back. Correspondingly, the fresh air channel is also designed to draw air from the outdoor air inlet and flow it backward into the airflow channel. This results in the airflow direction of both fresh air and indoor return air being consistent with the vehicle's direction of travel. This ensures that after the fresh air enters the fresh air channel, it always moves in the same direction towards the rear of the unit, without any issues such as turning or changing the direction of the main airflow. This greatly reduces the resistance to the movement of fresh air, increases the speed at which fresh air enters, expands the amount of fresh air entering, and better meets the demand for large-volume fresh air. Attached Figure Description

[0042] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0043] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an embodiment of the air conditioner provided by the present invention;

[0044] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A perspective view of an embodiment of a central air conditioning unit;

[0045] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view along the middle AA section;

[0046] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of airflow direction when the indoor air inlet is open;

[0047] Figure 5 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of airflow direction when the indoor air inlet is closed;

[0048] Figure 6 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of airflow direction when the outdoor air inlet is closed;

[0049] Figure 7 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the fit between the middle box structure and the outer shell;

[0050] Figure 8 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the combination of the central air guide structure and the box structure;

[0051] Figure 9 for Figure 8 A three-dimensional exploded diagram showing the combination of the central air guide structure and the box structure.

[0052] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0053] 100 air conditioner 4 air guide structure 1 case 41 air guide plate 11 Indoor air inlet 42 drive motor 12 Indoor air outlet 51 Side panel 13 Outdoor air inlet 52 base plate 14 airflow channel 53 Water baffle 15 Fresh air duct 54 Connecting hole 16 Support section 55 chute 2 wind turbine components 6 Purification module 3 heat exchanger 7 Water tray

[0054] The realization of the objective, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0055] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0056] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indication, the directional indication is only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a certain specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0057] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this invention involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. If the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0058] Existing air conditioners generally require the addition of a fresh air duct system. However, some fresh air solutions are limited by the indoor installation format of wall-mounted or floor-standing units, necessitating drilling into the walls to lay out the fresh air ducts. This complicates the internal structure of the unit, making external after-sales installation more complicated, labor-intensive, and costly. In particular, technologies using independent fresh air ducts with independently driven fans require complex control logic for optimization, significantly increasing the complexity of the control system. Independently operating fresh air fans also generate additional energy consumption, posing a significant energy challenge for users in RVs, where the inherent power capacity is limited.

[0059] In view of this, the present invention provides an air conditioner and a vehicle in which fresh air always flows in the same direction after being introduced, which not only solves the energy problem, but also ensures a higher air intake volume. Figures 1 to 9 An embodiment of the air conditioner provided by the present invention.

[0060] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3 The air conditioner 100 includes a housing 1, a fan assembly 2, and a heat exchanger 3. The housing 1 has an indoor air inlet 11, an indoor air outlet 12, and an outdoor air inlet 13. The outdoor air inlet 13 and the indoor air inlet 11 are both located in front of the indoor air outlet 12. An airflow channel 14 and a fresh air channel 15 are formed inside the housing 1. The airflow channel 14 connects the indoor air inlet 11 and the indoor air outlet 12. One end of the fresh air channel 15 is connected to the airflow channel 14, and the other end extends forward to connect to the outdoor air inlet 13, so that external airflow enters the fresh air channel 15 and the airflow channel 14 from the outdoor air inlet 13. The fan assembly 2 and the heat exchanger 3 are disposed in the airflow channel 14. The outdoor air inlet 13 is configured to allow airflow to enter the fresh air channel 15 through the outdoor air inlet 13 when the air conditioner 100 moves forward.

[0061] In the technical solution of the present invention, when the fan assembly 2 is working, both outdoor fresh air and indoor return air can be drawn in through the fan assembly 2 in the airflow channel 14, without the need to add a separate fresh air fan. Therefore, there are no factors affecting the overall reliability of the machine due to the addition of equipment, making the overall reliability of the machine higher. Furthermore, during driving, fresh air can be automatically introduced using the vehicle's own power. When combined with the fan assembly 2, the amount of fresh air introduced is further increased. Even without the fan assembly 2 being turned on and without consuming electricity, fresh air can be automatically introduced by the vehicle's own power, allowing it to enter the room directly from the indoor air outlet 12, supplying fresh air to the interior space of the vehicle, saving electricity, and reducing the inherent cost of the whole machine. Since both the outdoor air inlet 13 and the indoor air inlet 11 are located in front of the indoor air outlet 12, the air intake direction of the airflow channel 14 is limited to from front to back. Correspondingly, the fresh air channel 15 is also set to draw air from the outdoor air inlet 13 and flow it backward into the airflow channel 14. This results in the airflow direction of both fresh air and indoor return air being consistent with the vehicle's direction of travel. This ensures that after the fresh air enters the fresh air channel 15, it always moves in the same direction toward the rear of the unit, without any issues such as turning or changing the direction of the main airflow. This greatly reduces the resistance to the movement of fresh air, increases the speed at which fresh air enters, expands the amount of fresh air entering, and better meets the demand for large-volume fresh air.

[0062] It should be noted that the front-back, left-right, and up-down directions of this invention are all relative directions. The front-back direction is the length direction of the housing 1, the left-right direction is the width direction of the housing 1, and the up-down direction is the height direction of the housing 1. In this invention, the length direction of the housing 1 is consistent with the length direction of the vehicle, and the front side is the direction of the vehicle's front end.

[0063] In order to ensure that the outdoor air inlet 13 can naturally intake air during the vehicle's movement, in one embodiment, the outdoor air inlet 13 is located on the front side of the top of the housing 1 and faces forward. Therefore, the outdoor air inlet 13 can directly intake air from the direction of vehicle movement. Preferably, the outdoor air inlet 13 is located in the center of the front side of the top of the housing 1, and the opening direction of the outdoor air inlet 13 can be open to both the front and upper parts of the unit at the same time, so that the outdoor fresh air flows from the front of the upper part of the unit and moves in a straight line into the fresh air channel 15.

[0064] Furthermore, the indoor air inlet 11 and indoor air outlet 12 are located at the lower part of the housing 1, so that the airflow channel 14 extends in the front-to-back direction and is curved upward. That is, the airflow channel 14 is an inverted U-shaped flow path, which can cooperate with the fan assembly 2 to draw in indoor return air and outdoor fresh air under negative pressure, while having better air volume parameters.

[0065] It should be noted that the positions of the two related technical features mentioned above—the outdoor air inlet 13 and the indoor air inlet 11 and indoor air outlet 12—can be defined simultaneously or one of them can be defined. In this embodiment, they are defined simultaneously.

[0066] It is understandable that the airflow direction in the airflow channel 14 is determined by the orientation relationship between the indoor air inlet 11 and the indoor air outlet 12. Since the indoor air outlet 12 is located behind the indoor air inlet 11 in this embodiment, the airflow direction in the airflow channel 14 is limited to from front to back, consistent with the vehicle's direction of travel. It also limits the air inlet side of the heat exchanger 3 to face forward. At this time, the natural wind coming from the front of the top of the housing 1 will be naturally introduced through the outdoor air inlet 13 and will always flow into the airflow channel 14 in a backward direction, and finally flow into the vehicle interior. The airflow is subject to minimal resistance during the airflow process.

[0067] To form the fresh air duct 15, it can be directly formed inside the housing 1. Please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 7 The outdoor air inlet 13 is located on the front side of the top of the housing 1. Inside the housing 1, there is a box structure with openings at both the top and rear. The inner cavity of the box structure forms a fresh air channel 15. The upper end of the box structure connects to the outdoor air inlet 13, and the rear opening of the box structure communicates with the airflow channel 14. That is, the fresh air channel 15 is not directly formed by the internal structure of the housing 1, but is formed by adding a new box structure and reasonably setting up the conduction.

[0068] Based on the above embodiments, in order to design openings at the top and rear of the box structure, in one embodiment, the box structure itself can be a closed structure, with openings machined on its top and rear sides. In this embodiment, the box structure includes a bottom plate 52, two side plates 51, and a back plate. The two side plates 51 are disposed on the bottom plate 52 and arranged in the left-right direction. The back plate is disposed on the bottom plate 52 and connects to the rear ends of the two side plates 51. A connecting hole 54 is opened in the middle of the back plate. The bottom plate 52, the two side plates 51, and the back plate, together with the front side wall of the shell 1, form a fresh air channel 15 with openings at the top and rear. This structure does not require further processing; simply assembling the corresponding plates into one piece naturally achieves the openings at the top and rear, facilitating processing.

[0069] Considering that the outdoor air inlet 13 is a front-mounted air intake, external rainwater can easily enter the housing 1 through gaps, causing damage to the internal electronic components. Therefore, in this embodiment, a support portion 16 is provided inside the housing 1, and a water baffle 53 is provided at the front end of the bottom plate 52. The upper end of the water baffle 53 extends upward to the edge of the outdoor air inlet 13, and the lower end of the water baffle 53 abuts against the side of the support portion 16. The upper end of the water baffle 53 can seal the gap between the outdoor air inlet 13 and the housing structure, so that if external rainwater enters, it can only flow along the fresh air duct 15 to the water receiving tray 7 inside the housing 1, and will not enter from other parts, thus improving the safety and waterproof performance. The lower end of the water baffle 53 can also abut against the front side of the support portion 16, restricting the orientation of the housing structure relative to the housing 1 in the front-back direction. This prevents the entire fresh air duct 15 from shifting in the front-back direction.

[0070] Furthermore, the support part 16, acting as an inner air duct cover, encloses the bottom wall of the housing 1 to form an airflow channel 14. The upper part of the support part 16 has a recessed groove connecting to the airflow channel 14. The box structure is directly embedded in the recessed groove. Therefore, the box structure has folded edges on its periphery corresponding to the upper opening, so as to contact the periphery of the support part 16 surrounding the recessed groove. This ensures that the box structure completely covers the fitting gap after being installed in the recessed groove. Simultaneously, these folded edges are larger than the outdoor air inlet 13 on the housing 1, thus forming an alternating shield with the housing 1 to prevent rainwater from crossing the edge of the outdoor air inlet 13 and entering the interior of the entire unit.

[0071] To further increase the air intake, an air guide structure 4 is provided at the outdoor air intake 13. When the air conditioner 100 moves forward, the air guide structure 4 can guide the external airflow to the outdoor air intake 13. This increases the size of the air intake vent of the outdoor air intake 13, thereby increasing the guiding effect and the air intake volume.

[0072] Specifically, the air guiding structure 4 includes an air guide plate 41 disposed at the outdoor air inlet 13. The air guide plate 41 has at least an open state facing forward, allowing airflow from the outdoor air inlet 13 into the fresh air duct 15 when it is in the open state and the air conditioner 100 moves forward. That is, fresh air is introduced by adding an external component. In one embodiment, the air guide plate 41 is fixedly installed. It is understood that, to ensure the air intake effect, the air guide plate 41 may be tilted. In another embodiment, the rear end of the air guide plate 41 is rotatably mounted to the outdoor air inlet 13, so that the air guide plate 41 has a closed state that covers the outdoor air inlet 13 and an open state that faces forward. At this time, the air guide plate 41 can adjust its state by rotation and can simultaneously act as a cover for the outdoor air inlet 13. When the air guide plate 41 is in the closed state, the fresh air function is turned off.

[0073] It is understandable that the rear end of the air guide plate 41 is inserted into the outdoor air inlet 13, so that when it is subject to wind resistance, the upper wall of the outdoor air inlet 13 can directly limit the air guide plate 41 and prevent it from flipping over.

[0074] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the air guide plate 41 is rotatably installed on two opposite sides of the two box structures in the left-right direction, so that when it is open, it cooperates with the opening on the box structure to form an angled airflow channel, or when it is closed, it cooperates with the upper opening of the closed box structure, so that fresh air cannot enter from the outdoor air inlet 13.

[0075] To achieve automatic rotation of the air guide plate 41, in one embodiment, a drive motor 42 is provided on one side plate 51, and the air guide plate 41 is connected to the drive motor 42 via an anti-electric shaft. The drive motor 42 is located between the side plate 51 and the housing 1, which can achieve driving without obstructing the fresh air duct 15, and also facilitates the protection of the drive motor 42. In this case, the stop rib 53 can prevent the air guide plate 41 from having excessive rotational torque and damaging the drive motor 42 while guiding the airflow.

[0076] To control the opening and closing of the fresh air function, one embodiment uses an air guide plate 41 to directly guide air and open / close the cover. In another embodiment, the air conditioner 100 also includes a first cover plate corresponding to the outdoor air inlet 13. The first cover plate is movably installed on the outer surface or inside the housing 1, and can open or close the outdoor air inlet 13. In this case, the outdoor air inlet 13 is generally facing upwards. The first cover plate can be opened or closed by pushing it horizontally, similar to a sunroof, and can also adjust different air intake modes. This opening method experiences less resistance during vehicle movement. It is understood that this embodiment does not limit the sliding method of the first cover plate; it can slide in the front-to-back or left-to-right direction of the unit, or it can move up and down inside the fresh air duct 15 component to raise the first cover plate to cover the outdoor air inlet 13 or lower it to avoid the outdoor air inlet 13, thereby controlling the opening and closing of the outdoor air inlet 13. Please refer to... Figure 5 This allows the unit to operate in a mode where no fresh air is introduced, only indoor air is returned.

[0077] To control the opening and closing of the indoor air return function, the air conditioner 100 also includes a second cover plate corresponding to the indoor air inlet 11. The second cover plate is movably installed on the outer surface of the housing 1 or inside the housing 1, and can open or close the indoor air inlet 11. Similarly, the second cover plate can slide in the front-to-back or left-to-right direction of the unit, or it can be raised to cover the indoor air inlet 11 or lowered to avoid the indoor air inlet 11 by the up-and-down movement of a component deep inside the airflow channel 14, thereby controlling the opening and closing of the indoor air inlet 11. Please refer to... Figure 4 This allows the unit to have a pure fresh air mode without indoor return air.

[0078] It should be noted that the two related technical features mentioned above, the first cover plate and the second cover plate, can be set simultaneously or one of them can be set. Obviously, setting them simultaneously will have a better effect and will allow the whole machine to have more working modes.

[0079] To ensure the cleanliness of the incoming fresh air, the air conditioner 100 also includes a purification module 6 located within the fresh air duct 15, on the side of the fresh air duct 15 facing the heat exchanger 3. The outdoor fresh air is first purified by the purification module 6, then cooled by the heat exchanger 3 before being mixed with the indoor return air. This better ensures the freshness of the mixed air and improves the user experience.

[0080] This invention does not limit the installation method of the fresh air module. Specifically, the fresh air duct 15 has sliding grooves 55 on both opposite walls in the left and right directions, and the two opposite ends of the purification module 6 are respectively inserted into the two sliding grooves 55. The purification module 6 is installed by sliding and plugging, which is convenient for disassembly and replacement. The outdoor fresh air is purified by the purification module 6 before being mixed with the indoor return air, which can better ensure that the airflow is odorless when the indoor air is discharged, thus improving the user experience. It should be noted that the purification module 6 is located at the rear end of the fresh air duct 15. When the fresh air duct 15 is formed by a box structure, sliding grooves 55 are provided on the opposite sides of the two side plates 51. After the two ends of the purification module 6 are inserted and installed, the purification module 6 can be exposed through the connecting hole 54.

[0081] This invention does not limit the specific type of the fan assembly 2. In this embodiment, the fan assembly 2 includes a cross-flow impeller or a centrifugal impeller. Preferably, the fan assembly 2 is a cross-flow impeller. During use, the negative pressure generated by the cross-flow impeller introduces fresh outdoor air. The axial length of the cross-flow impeller is not limited, and the impeller length can be arbitrarily selected according to different usage needs. The airflow flows through the impeller and is subjected to the force of the blades twice, so the airflow can reach a long distance and has the advantages of no turbulence and uniform air output. In other embodiments, a centrifugal impeller can be used, which can still achieve the purpose of fresh air intake and indoor return air mixing, and will not be described in detail here.

[0082] It is understandable that after the fresh air is introduced, it can first mix with the indoor return air and then pass through the heat exchanger 3 for heat exchange, or it can first exchange heat separately and then mix. In this embodiment, the fresh air duct 15 and the fan assembly 2 are respectively located on the front and rear sides of the heat exchanger 3, that is, the fan assembly 2 is located on the side of the heat exchanger 3 facing the indoor air outlet 12. When the airflow enters, the heat exchanger 3 is located at the rear end of the airflow introduction direction of the fresh air duct 15. The fresh air in the fresh air duct 15 first passes through the heat exchanger 3 for heat exchange, and at the same time, the indoor return air also first passes through the heat exchanger 3 for heat exchange and cooling. Then the two are mixed. This embodiment limits that both the outdoor air inlet 13 and the indoor air inlet 11 are located on the air inlet side of the heat exchanger 3, and they will only mix in the airflow duct 14 after heat exchange.

[0083] It should be noted that the above two related technical features, the selection of fan assembly 2 and the position of fan assembly 2 and fresh air duct 15 relative to heat exchanger 3, can be limited simultaneously or one of them can be limited. In this embodiment, fan assembly 2 is selected as cross-flow impeller, and fresh air duct 15 and fan assembly 2 are respectively located on the front and rear sides of heat exchanger 3.

[0084] It should be particularly noted that the air conditioner 100 with fresh air function proposed in this invention does not require a change in the main direction of fresh air flow when the fresh air duct 15 guides the air to the heat exchanger 3. The overall flow is in a general rearward direction. By controlling the on / off of the outdoor air inlet 13, the indoor air inlet 11, and the fan assembly 2, it can have multiple operating modes in different vehicle states, as follows:

[0085] When the vehicle is parked and stationary, the following operating modes are available:

[0086] Mixed air mode: Open the air guide plate 41, open the indoor air inlet 11, and start the fan assembly 2. At this time, the whole unit operates to provide users with mixed fresh air, such as... Figure 4 As shown, at this time, the negative pressure of the air duct formed by the rotation of the cross-flow fan wheel in the airflow channel 14 draws in the external fresh air and the indoor return air, which are mixed after passing through the evaporator and supplied to the vehicle interior.

[0087] Fresh air mode: Open the air guide plate 41, close the indoor air inlet 11, and start the fan assembly 2. At this time, the whole unit operates to provide users with pure fresh air. Figure 5 As shown, at this time, the negative pressure of the air duct formed by the rotation of the cross-flow fan wheel of the airflow channel 14 system draws in fresh air from the outside, which is then supplied to the vehicle interior after passing through the evaporator.

[0088] Indoor return air mode: Rotate the air guide plate 41 to close the outdoor air inlet 13 and open the indoor air inlet 11, as shown. Figure 6 As shown, start or stop the fan assembly 2. At this time, the whole unit operates to provide users with the air supply, cooling and heating experience of a normal air conditioner 100 without fresh air.

[0089] The vehicle can operate in the following modes while in motion:

[0090] The high-volume mixed air mode is as follows: When the RV is moving forward, the air deflector 41 is opened, the indoor air inlet 11 is opened, and the fan assembly 2 is started. At this time, the entire unit operates to provide the user with a powerful and ultra-high volume of mixed fresh air, such as... Figure 4 As shown. At this time, the outdoor air inlet 13 also has the dynamic force of the relative movement between the vehicle body and the air on the surface of the vehicle due to the vehicle's forward movement, which further increases the speed of fresh air entry and increases the air volume.

[0091] No-power consumption mode: When the RV is moving forward, the user turns on the fresh air system, opens the air deflector 41, opens or closes the indoor air inlet 11, and starts or stops the fan assembly 2. Please refer to [the relevant documentation]. Figure 5 At this time, the whole unit provides pure fresh air to the user. That is, the whole unit can supply fresh air to the vehicle interior without turning on the whole unit or consuming electricity. It can do this simply by using the airflow on the surface of the vehicle body during the vehicle's movement to automatically guide the air into the fresh air channel 15.

[0092] Indoor return air mode: Rotate the air guide plate 41 to close the outdoor air inlet 13 and open the indoor air inlet 11, as shown. Figure 6 As shown, start or stop the fan assembly 2. At this time, the whole unit operates to provide users with the air supply, cooling and heating experience of a normal air conditioner 100 without fresh air.

[0093] To address the issue of internal water dripping, the air conditioner 100 also includes a drip tray 7, located at the bottom of the inner cavity of the housing 1. The lower end of the heat exchanger 3 is positioned within the drip tray 7. The distance between the side of the heat exchanger 3 facing the outdoor air inlet 13 and the corresponding side wall of the drip tray 7 is D. The distance between the end of the fresh air duct 15 and the heat exchanger 3 is d, where d ≤ D / 2. This arrangement ensures that when the outdoor air inlet 13 is open, rainwater that may enter from the front can be smoothly discharged into the drip tray 7 designed for the heat exchanger 3, and then discharged to the outside of the unit through the overall drainage system, preventing rainwater from entering the vehicle interior through the indoor air inlet 11 or indoor air outlet 12.

[0094] Furthermore, the bottom wall of the fresh air duct 15 is designed with a sloping surface that is higher in the front and lower in the back, so as to quickly discharge any rainwater that may enter from the outdoor air inlet 13 into the water collection tray 7 below the heat exchanger 3.

[0095] Furthermore, the width of the outdoor air inlet 13 in the front-to-back direction of the entire unit is slightly smaller than the top guide inlet of the fresh air duct 15 enclosed by the side plate 51 and the bottom plate 52, but larger than the width of the air guide plate 41. Similarly, the length of the outdoor air inlet 13 in the left-to-right direction of the entire unit is smaller than the top guide inlet of the fresh air duct 15 enclosed by the side plate 51 and the bottom plate 52, but larger than the length of the air guide plate 41. This design allows the air guide plate 41 to smoothly pass through the outdoor air inlet 13 formed on the top cover when the housing 1 is divided into a top cover and a bottom plate. During assembly, the air guide structure 4 and the housing structure are first assembled as a whole, and the entire assembly is installed on the lower housing. Then, the top cover is fixed in place. After fixing, the top cover can press down to secure the components that form the airflow duct 14 and the fresh air duct 15, restricting their movement in the vertical direction.

[0096] Please refer to this again. Figure 2 The casing 1 has air inlet grilles on two opposite sides, forming second outdoor air inlets on both sides. An outdoor air outlet is also provided on the rear side of the casing 1, forming an outdoor air duct between the second outdoor air inlets and the outdoor air outlet. An axial flow fan and an outdoor heat exchanger are installed in the outdoor air duct. The outdoor heat exchanger is a condenser, located near the outdoor air outlet, while the axial flow fan is located on the side of the outdoor heat exchanger away from the outdoor air outlet. This arrangement places the outdoor air duct to the side of the indoor air duct, achieving better cooling performance and facilitating internal space arrangement. The heat exchanger 3 in the airflow channel 14 is an evaporator, which, working together with the condenser, increases the cooling capacity. Furthermore, the rotation axis of the axial flow fan in the outdoor air duct is perpendicular to the extension direction of the cross-flow fan in the airflow channel 14, resulting in a vertical distribution that facilitates a compact internal structure and allows for miniaturization of the entire unit. Meanwhile, the airflow channel 14 is formed by the addition of an inner air duct cover and the interior of the housing 1. An electrical control box component is provided on the periphery of the inner air duct cover. On the other side of the inner air duct cover, opposite the electrical control box component, is a compressor component. Both the electrical control box component and the compressor component can be located in the outdoor air duct and dissipate heat along with the outdoor air intake.

[0097] It is understandable that the inner air duct cover can serve as the support part 16 inside the shell 1. The outer surface of the inner air duct cover is not a regular plane, but has a certain shape. The front end of the support part 16 mentioned above is the step position of the inner air duct cover. The heat exchanger 3 divides the internal space of the inner air duct cover into a first cavity section and a second cavity section with a front-to-back interval. The first cavity section is connected to the indoor air inlet 11 and only includes the upward-extending airflow channel 14 connected to the indoor air inlet 11. The fan assembly 2 is installed inside the second cavity section and is connected to the indoor air outlet 12. The fresh air channel 15 is located above the first cavity section and is independent of the first cavity section due to the internal structure of the inner air duct cover. It corresponds to the upper and lower parts of the heat exchanger 3 respectively, and the air exchanges heat separately without affecting each other before entering the second cavity section for mixing.

[0098] The present invention also provides a vehicle including the air conditioner 100 described above. The vehicle includes all the technical features of the air conditioner 100 described above, and therefore also has the technical effects brought about by all the technical features described above, which will not be described in detail here.

[0099] Furthermore, the vehicle also includes a vehicle body. In this embodiment, the air conditioner 100 is located on the top of the vehicle body, thus making the air conditioner 100 of the vehicle mounted on the top. It can be understood that the bottom of the air conditioner 100 is not flush with the top of the vehicle body, but leaves a certain gap. Multiple through holes can be provided at the bottom of the housing 1 for drainage inside the housing 1 and partial outdoor air intake.

[0100] This invention does not limit the specific type of vehicle. Taking a motorhome as an example, the air conditioner 100 can meet the energy-saving and high-volume requirements of a motorhome. Specifically, while a motorhome carries its own electrical energy, this energy is limited. When the air conditioner 100 is used in a motorhome, it can reduce the motorhome's energy consumption. During the motorhome's operation, even without the air conditioner 100 being activated, the air conditioner automatically guides the airflow from the roof of the vehicle, automatically turning its direction along the fresh air duct 15 towards the purification module 6, and then continues to flow through the heat exchanger 3 into the airflow duct 14, automatically supplying purified fresh air into the vehicle. This does not require any electricity consumption during the motorhome's operation. For a vehicle with limited electrical energy during operation, this saves energy consumption for the air conditioner 100. Furthermore, when a motorhome is parked, it is usually in a motorhome park or other parking area with an external power supply. Therefore, it is acceptable to consume electricity to introduce fresh air. In this case, the motorhome's power needs can be met by external power, without consuming the vehicle's stored electrical energy.

[0101] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the present invention's specification and drawings under the inventive concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An air conditioner for installation in a vehicle, characterized in that, include: The housing has an indoor air inlet, an indoor air outlet, and an outdoor air inlet. The outdoor air inlet and the indoor air inlet are both located in front of the indoor air outlet. An airflow channel and a fresh air channel are formed inside the housing. The airflow channel connects the indoor air inlet and the indoor air outlet. One end of the fresh air channel is connected to the airflow channel, and the other end extends forward to connect to the outdoor air inlet, so that external airflow enters the fresh air channel and the airflow channel from the outdoor air inlet. The fan assembly is disposed in the airflow channel; and, A heat exchanger is disposed in the airflow channel; The outdoor air inlet is configured to allow airflow to enter the fresh air duct through the outdoor air inlet when the air conditioner moves forward; When airflow enters, the heat exchanger is located at the rear end of the airflow introduction direction of the fresh air duct. The fresh air in the fresh air duct first passes through the heat exchanger for heat exchange, and the indoor return air first passes through the heat exchanger for heat exchange and cooling. Then the fresh air and the indoor return air mix in the airflow duct.

2. The air conditioner as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The outdoor air inlet is located on the front side of the top of the housing and faces forward; and / or, The indoor air inlet and the indoor air outlet are located at the lower part of the housing, so that the airflow channel extends in the front-to-back direction and is curved upward.

3. The air conditioner as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The outdoor air inlet is located on the front side of the top of the housing; The housing contains a box structure with openings at the top and rear. The inner cavity of the box structure forms the fresh air channel. The upper port of the box structure is connected to the outdoor air inlet, and the rear opening of the box structure is connected to the airflow channel.

4. The air conditioner as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The box structure includes: Base plate; Two side plates are provided on the bottom plate and are arranged in the left-right direction; A back plate is disposed on the bottom plate and connected to the rear ends of the two side plates. A connecting hole is provided in the middle of the back plate, and the connecting hole communicates with the airflow channel. The bottom plate, the two side plates, and the back plate, together with the front side wall of the housing, form the fresh air duct with openings at the top and rear.

5. The air conditioner as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The housing is provided with a support section; The front end of the base plate is provided with a water baffle, the upper end of which extends upward to the edge of the outdoor air inlet, and the lower end of which abuts against the side of the support.

6. The air conditioner as described in claim 1, characterized in that, An air guide structure is provided at the outdoor air inlet. When the air conditioner moves forward, the air guide structure can guide the external airflow to the outdoor air inlet.

7. The air conditioner as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The air guiding structure includes an air guide plate disposed at the outdoor air inlet. The air guide plate has at least an open state that faces forward, so that when it is in the open state and the air conditioner moves forward, airflow is allowed to enter the fresh air duct from the outdoor air inlet.

8. The air conditioner as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The rear end of the air guide plate is rotatably mounted to the outdoor air inlet, so that the air guide plate can be rotated to a closed state that covers the outdoor air inlet, and to an open state that opens forward.

9. The air conditioner as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The air conditioner also includes a first cover plate corresponding to the outdoor air inlet. The first cover plate is movably installed on the outer surface of the housing or inside the housing, and can open or close the outdoor air inlet. And / or, The air conditioner also includes a second cover plate corresponding to the indoor air inlet. The second cover plate is movably installed on the outer surface of the housing or inside the housing, and can open or close the indoor air inlet.

10. The air conditioner as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The air conditioner also includes a purification module located within the fresh air duct.

11. The air conditioner as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The fresh air duct is provided with grooves on both opposite walls in the left and right directions; The purification module is inserted into the two grooves at opposite ends.

12. The air conditioner as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The fan assembly includes a cross-flow impeller or a centrifugal impeller; and / or, The fresh air duct and the fan assembly are respectively located on the front and rear sides of the heat exchanger.

13. The air conditioner as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The air conditioner also includes a water collection tray, which is located at the bottom of the inner cavity of the housing; The lower end of the heat exchanger is located inside the water receiving tray. The distance between the side of the heat exchanger facing the outdoor air inlet and the side wall corresponding to the water receiving tray is D. The distance between the end of the fresh air duct and the heat exchanger is d, where d≤D / 2.

14. A vehicle, characterized in that, Including the air conditioner as described in any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. The vehicle as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that, The vehicle also includes a vehicle body, and the air conditioner is located on the top of the vehicle body.

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