A unit drainage frame and modular unit

Abstract

This invention discloses a unit drainage frame and modular unit. The unit drainage frame includes an outer frame, and a support frame is horizontally arranged inside the outer frame. The support frame divides the internal space of the outer frame into an upper cavity and a lower cavity. A first water collection trough in an annular shape is arranged along the periphery of the support frame. A plurality of first drain pipes are arranged below the bottom wall of the first water collection trough. All the first drain pipes are arranged in an annular interval along the first water collection trough and are connected to the first water collection trough. The unit drainage frame provided by this invention can improve drainage efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of air conditioning equipment technology, and in particular to a unit drainage frame and modular unit. Background Technology

[0002] A modular air conditioning unit is a central air conditioning unit with a modular design. Its casing frame typically has an upper and lower cavity, and refrigeration components such as the evaporator, condenser, and compressor are installed either in the upper or lower cavity. During some operations, a large amount of water is generated at the heat exchanger in the upper cavity of a modular air conditioning unit. Traditional drainage methods usually involve placing a drip tray below the heat exchanger and connecting the tray to a drain pipe. However, this drainage method used in modular air conditioning units cannot quickly and timely drain the water from the upper cavity. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this invention proposes a unit drainage frame that can improve the drainage efficiency of the upper cavity.

[0004] The present invention also proposes a modular unit having the above-mentioned unit drainage frame.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a unit drainage frame includes an outer frame, a support frame is laterally arranged inside the outer frame, the support frame divides the internal space of the outer frame into an upper cavity and a lower cavity, a first water collection trough in an annular shape is arranged along the periphery of the support frame, a plurality of first drain pipes are arranged below the bottom wall of the first water collection trough, all the first drain pipes are arranged in an annular interval along the first water collection trough, and the first drain pipes are connected to the first water collection trough.

[0006] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the support frame includes a first water collection component in the shape of an annular ring and a support plate. The first water collection component is horizontally fixedly installed on the inner wall of the outer frame. The support plate covers the first water collection component and is fixedly connected to the first water collection component. The first water collection trough is located inside the first water collection component. The support plate has a plurality of first drainage holes arranged at intervals along the periphery of the support plate. The first drainage holes are located above the first water collection trough.

[0007] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the outer wall of the first water collection tank is provided with an inwardly protruding first flange along the circumferential direction, the periphery of the support plate is attached to and connected and fixed with the first flange, and the periphery of the support plate is provided with an upwardly facing second flange.

[0008] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the height of the inner wall of the first water collection tank is less than the height of the outer wall of the first water collection tank, and there is a first gap between the inner wall of the first water collection tank and the support plate, the first gap being in communication with the lower cavity.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the support frame further includes a support beam, the two opposite ends of which are connected to the inner walls of opposite sides of the first water collection tank, the support beam is inserted below the first flange, and the support plate is fixedly connected to the support beam.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the support plate includes at least two first plates laid in a straight line and a second plate located between two adjacent first plates. The two adjacent first plates and the corresponding second plates are connected by first bolts. The first plates have a first strip hole for the first bolt to pass through. The first strip hole is arranged along the width direction of the first plate. The second plates have a second strip hole for the first bolt to pass through. The second strip hole is perpendicular to the first strip hole.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a bottom frame is provided at the bottom of the outer frame, and the bottom frame is hollowed out.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the top of the outer frame is provided with a second water collection component in an annular shape, the second water collection component is provided with a second water collection trough in an annular shape for receiving rainwater along the circumferential direction, the bottom wall of the second water collection trough is provided with a second drainage hole, the second drainage hole is connected to the second water collection trough, and the second drainage hole is located above the first water collection trough.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the outer frame includes a plurality of vertically arranged support members, and the bottom frame, the second water collection member, and the support frame are all located in the middle of all the support members and are fixedly connected to all the support members.

[0014] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a modular machine includes an air conditioning system and the aforementioned unit drainage frame. The air conditioning system includes a compressor, a first heat exchanger, and a second heat exchanger. The compressor and the first heat exchanger are disposed in the lower cavity, and the second heat exchanger is disposed in the upper cavity.

[0015] The unit drainage frame and modular unit according to embodiments of the present invention have at least the following beneficial effects: The unit drainage frame provided by the present invention has a support frame that can support the second heat exchanger in the upper cavity, and at the same time, the support frame can drain the water in the upper cavity into the first water collection tank at the periphery of the support frame. Since the first water collection tank is close to the edge of the lower cavity, multiple first drain pipes can be arranged in a ring along the bottom wall of the first water collection tank. These first drain pipes are installed in the excess gap between the first heat exchanger, compressor and other devices in the lower cavity and the outer frame, so these first drain pipes will not obstruct the arrangement of the first heat exchanger, compressor and other devices in the lower cavity. Thus, the unit drainage frame can drain water simultaneously through multiple first drain pipes, effectively improving the drainage efficiency of the upper cavity of the modular unit.

[0016] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the unit's drainage frame according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the unit's drainage frame is shown.

[0020] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Sectional view at section AA;

[0021] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Enlarged view of point B in the middle;

[0022] Figure 5 for Figure 1 An exploded view of the unit's drainage frame is shown.

[0023] Figure 6 for Figure 1 An exploded view of the support frame for the unit's drainage system is shown.

[0024] Figure label:

[0025] Outer frame 100, support member 110, lower shell plate 120, upper frame shell 130, support frame 200, first water collection member 210, first water collection trough 211, first flange 212, first drain pipe 213, support plate 220, first plate 220a, second plate 220b, first drain hole 221, second flange 222, first strip hole, second strip hole, support beam 230, bottom frame 300, second water collection member 400, second water collection trough 410, upper cavity 01, lower cavity 02. Detailed Implementation

[0026] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0027] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting this invention.

[0028] In the description of this invention, "several" means one or more, "more than" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. The use of "first" and "second" in the description is merely for distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0029] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "set up," "install," and "connect" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0030] Reference Figures 1 to 3 , Figure 5 According to a first aspect of the present invention, a unit drainage frame includes an outer frame 100. A support frame 200 is laterally arranged inside the outer frame 100. The support frame 200 divides the internal space of the outer frame 100 into an upper cavity 01 and a lower cavity 02. A first water collection trough 211 in an annular shape is arranged along the periphery of the support frame 200. A plurality of first drain pipes 213 are arranged below the bottom wall of the first water collection trough 211. All the first drain pipes 213 are arranged in an annular interval along the first water collection trough 211 and are connected to the first water collection trough 211.

[0031] According to a second aspect of the present invention, the modular machine includes an air conditioning system and the above-mentioned unit drainage frame. The air conditioning system (not shown in the figure) includes a compressor, a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger. The compressor and the first heat exchanger are disposed in the lower cavity 02, and the second heat exchanger is disposed in the upper cavity 01.

[0032] The unit drainage frame provided by the present invention has a support frame 200 that can support the second heat exchanger in the upper cavity 01. At the same time, the support frame 200 can also drain the water in the upper cavity 01 into the first water collection tank 211 at the periphery of the support frame 200. Since the first water collection tank 211 is close to the edge of the lower cavity 02, multiple first drain pipes 213 can be arranged in a ring along the bottom wall of the first water collection tank 211 using the gap between the first heat exchanger, compressor and other devices in the lower cavity 02 and the outer frame 100. These first drain pipes 213 are installed in the extra gap between the first heat exchanger, compressor and other devices in the lower cavity 02 and the outer frame 100, so these first drain pipes 213 will not obstruct the arrangement of the first heat exchanger, compressor and other devices in the lower cavity 02. Thus, the unit drainage frame can drain water at the same time through multiple first drain pipes 213, effectively improving the drainage efficiency of the upper cavity 01 of the modular machine.

[0033] With the above configuration, the outer and inner diameters of a single first drain pipe 213 can be set to be relatively small, such as an inner diameter of 4cm, 3cm, 2cm or even smaller, so that the first drain pipe 213 can be installed in the extra gap between the first heat exchanger, compressor and other devices in the lower cavity 02 and the outer frame 100. A large flow of drainage can be achieved by combining multiple small-sized first drain pipes 213, avoiding the impact of a single large-sized pipe on the arrangement of the compressor, heat exchanger and other devices.

[0034] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 5 According to some embodiments of the present invention, a bottom frame 300 is provided at the bottom of the outer frame 100, and the bottom frame 300 is hollowed out. With this configuration, the drainage from the lower cavity 02 can be directly discharged from the hollowed-out position of the bottom frame 300, eliminating the need for a water collection tray, drain pipe, etc. The first drain pipe 213 can also discharge water from the hollowed-out position of the bottom frame 300, eliminating the need for complex piping. With this configuration, each unit's drainage frame does not require external large drainage pipes; water can be directly discharged onto the ground and drained by ground-based drainage measures. This reduces the difficulty of deploying modular units, making it easier for users to add or remove modular units according to actual needs, and enabling rapid deployment of modular units.

[0035] In practical operation, when the modular unit is in cooling mode, the first heat exchanger acts as an evaporator and the second heat exchanger acts as a condenser. When the modular unit is in heating mode, the first heat exchanger acts as a condenser and the second heat exchanger acts as an evaporator. When the heat exchanger is used as an evaporator, it generates a large amount of condensate or frost. Furthermore, defrosting the heat exchanger also generates a large amount of water. The unit drainage frame provided by this invention can more efficiently drain the water generated during the operation of the modular unit.

[0036] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the first heat exchanger is configured as a tubular heat exchanger, which exchanges heat with the indoor air. The heat exchange in the tubular heat exchanger mainly occurs inside the tubes, with minimal heat exchange with the external environment. Therefore, the lower cavity 02 does not require a closed design, and the openwork design of the bottom frame 300 does not affect the operation of the first heat exchanger. The second heat exchanger can be configured as an air-cooled finned heat exchanger.

[0037] Reference Figures 4 to 6 According to some embodiments of the present invention, the support frame 200 includes a first water collecting component 210 in an annular shape and a support plate 220. The first water collecting component 210 is horizontally fixedly installed on the inner wall of the outer frame 100. The support plate 220 covers the first water collecting component 210 and is fixedly connected to it. A first water collecting trough 211 is located inside the first water collecting component 210. The support plate 220 has a plurality of first drainage holes 221 arranged at intervals along the periphery of the support plate 220. The first drainage holes 221 are located above the first water collecting trough 211. Thus, the first water collecting component 210 can both support the support plate 220 and collect water for discharge from the first drain pipe 213. With the above arrangement, the first water collecting component 210 and the support plate 220 are formed independently and then assembled, which facilitates production. The first water collecting component 210 can be individually tested for leakage during the production process.

[0038] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 6 According to some embodiments of the present invention, the outer wall of the first water collection tank 211 is provided with an inwardly protruding first flange 212 along the circumferential direction. The periphery of the support plate 220 is attached to and fixedly connected with the first flange 212, thereby facilitating the installation of the support plate 220. The periphery of the support plate 220 is provided with an upwardly facing second flange 222 to block water flow.

[0039] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 6According to some embodiments of the present invention, the inner wall height of the first water collection tank 211 is less than the outer wall height of the first water collection tank 211, and there is a first gap between the inner wall of the first water collection tank 211 and the support plate 220, which communicates with the lower cavity 02. In specific implementation, a heating unit can be installed at the first gap, and when ice forms in the first water collection tank 211, it can be thawed by the heating unit. When the modular unit uses the first heat exchanger to heat the indoor space while the second heat exchanger absorbs heat through evaporation, the unused heat in the lower cavity 02 can be transferred from the first gap and the support plate 220 to the upper cavity 01, reducing the degree of frost formation on the second heat exchanger and ensuring that the modular unit can continuously heat the indoor air. When the modular unit uses the first heat exchanger to cool the indoor space while the second heat exchanger generates heat through condensation, the unused cold energy in the lower cavity 02 can be transferred from the first gap and the support plate 220 to the upper cavity 01, improving the condensation efficiency of the second heat exchanger and forming a certain self-cascading cooling effect.

[0040] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 6 According to some embodiments of the present invention, the support frame 200 further includes a support beam 230, the opposite ends of which are connected to the opposite inner walls of the first water collection tank 211. The support beam 230 is inserted below the first flange 212, and the support plate 220 is fixedly connected to the support beam 230. With the above arrangement, the inner wall of the first water collection tank 211 can support the support beam 230, while the first flange 212 can restrict the end of the support beam 230 from tilting upwards, thereby improving the load-bearing capacity of the support beam 230. In specific implementation, the support beam 230 can be connected and fixed to the first flange 212.

[0041] Reference Figure 6 According to some embodiments of the present invention, the support plate 220 includes at least two first plates 220a laid in a straight line and a second plate 220b located between two adjacent first plates 220a. The two adjacent first plates 220a and the corresponding second plates 220b are connected by first bolts. Compared with integral molding of the support plate 220, dividing the support plate 220 into multiple plates and molding them separately makes it easier to control the amount of deformation during processing of the support plate 220 and improves production accuracy.

[0042] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a first plate 220a has a first strip-shaped hole for a first bolt to pass through, the first strip-shaped hole being arranged along the width direction of the first plate 220a, and a second plate 220b has a second strip-shaped hole for the first bolt to pass through, the second strip-shaped hole being perpendicular to the first strip-shaped hole. With the above arrangement, the first plate 220a can be adjusted in its length and width directions relative to the second plate 220b to compensate for plate machining errors.

[0043] Reference Figure 4 According to some embodiments of the present invention, the first water collecting component 210 may adopt a double-layer structure. The first water collecting component 210 includes an annular outer sheet metal part and an annular inner plastic part. The first water collecting tank 211 is located in the inner plastic part. The inner plastic part is injection molded to effectively prevent water leakage. The outer sheet metal part is stamped. The first flange 212 is directly stamped and bent from the outer sheet metal part. With the above configuration, while ensuring the leak-proof performance of the first water collecting component 210, the cost of the first water collecting component 210 can also be effectively controlled, and the first water collecting component 210 can be guaranteed to have sufficient strength to support the support plate 220.

[0044] Reference Figure 2 As shown in the figures, according to some embodiments of the present invention, a second annular water collecting element 400 is provided at the top of the outer frame 100. The second water collecting element 400 has a second annular water collecting trough 410 for receiving rainwater arranged circumferentially. A second drainage hole is provided on the bottom wall of the second water collecting trough 410, and the second drainage hole communicates with the second water collecting trough 410. The second drainage hole is located above the first water collecting trough 211. Typically, the modular machine has a top cover on top of the outer frame 100. When the modular machine is installed outdoors, rainwater may enter through the gap between the top cover and the outer frame 100. Therefore, the second water collecting element 400 can collect the rainwater entering through the gap between the top cover and the outer frame 100, and then the second water collecting element 400 discharges the water into the second water collecting trough 410 through a second drainage pipe.

[0045] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 5 According to some embodiments of the present invention, the outer frame 100 includes a plurality of vertically arranged support members 110, and the bottom frame 300, the second water collection component 400, and the support frame 200 are all located in the middle of all the support members 110 and are fixedly connected to all the support members 110. With the above arrangement, the support frame 200, the bottom frame 300, and the second water collection component 400 can be assembled and produced independently, and then finally assembled with the support members 110 of the outer frame 100, which reduces assembly difficulty and increases efficiency.

[0046] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 5 According to some embodiments of the present invention, the outer frame 100 further includes a lower shell plate 120 between two adjacent support members 110, which surrounds the side of the lower cavity 02. The upper end of the lower shell plate 120 is detachably connected to the outer wall of the first water collection tank 211, and the lower end of the lower shell plate 120 is detachably connected to the bottom frame 300. With the above arrangement, the lower shell plate 120 is easy to disassemble and assemble, so as to facilitate the later disassembly and assembly of the lower shell plate 120 for maintenance of the device inside the lower cavity 02.

[0047] In the actual implementation process, some knockout holes can be reserved in the lower shell plate 120, and the knockout holes can be opened as needed for the installation of pipes, etc.

[0048] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 5 In some embodiments, the outer frame 100 further includes an upper frame shell 130, which is fitted over all the supports 110 to surround the sides of the upper cavity 01.

[0049] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0050] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A unit drainage frame, characterized in that, include: An outer frame (100) is provided with a support frame (200) arranged horizontally inside the outer frame (100). The support frame (200) divides the internal space of the outer frame (100) into an upper cavity (01) and a lower cavity (02). The support frame (200) is provided with a first water collection trough (211) in a ring shape along its periphery. A plurality of first drain pipes (213) are provided below the bottom wall of the first water collection trough (211). All the first drain pipes (213) are arranged in a ring at intervals along the first water collection trough (211). The first drain pipes (213) are connected to the first water collection trough (211). The support frame (200) includes a first water collection component (210) in the shape of a ring and a support plate (220). The first water collection component (210) is horizontally fixedly installed on the inner wall of the outer frame (100). The support plate (220) covers the first water collection component (210) and is fixedly connected to the first water collection component (210). The first water collection trough (211) is located inside the first water collection component (210). The support plate (220) has a plurality of first drainage holes (221) arranged at intervals along the periphery of the support plate (220). The first drainage holes (221) are located above the first water collection trough (211). The outer wall of the first water collection tank (211) is provided with an inwardly protruding first flange (212) along the circumferential direction. The periphery of the support plate (220) is attached to and connected to the first flange (212). The periphery of the support plate (220) is provided with a second flange (222) facing upward. The height of the inner wall of the first water collection tank (211) is less than the height of the outer wall of the first water collection tank (211). There is a first gap between the inner wall of the first water collection tank (211) and the support plate (220). The first gap is connected to the lower cavity (02).

2. The unit drainage frame according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support frame (200) also includes a support beam (230), the two ends of which are connected to the inner walls of the opposite sides of the first water collection tank (211) respectively. The support beam (230) is inserted below the first flange (212), and the support plate (220) is fixedly connected to the support beam (230).

3. The unit drainage frame according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support plate (220) includes at least two first plates (220a) laid in a straight line and a second plate (220b) located between two adjacent first plates (220a). The two adjacent first plates (220a) and the corresponding second plates (220b) are connected by first bolts. The first plate (220a) has a first strip hole for the first bolt to pass through. The first strip hole is arranged along the width direction of the first plate (220a). The second plate (220b) has a second strip hole for the first bolt to pass through. The second strip hole is perpendicular to the first strip hole.

4. The unit drainage frame according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the outer frame (100) is provided with a bottom frame (300), and the bottom frame (300) is hollowed out.

5. The unit drainage frame according to claim 4, characterized in that, The top of the outer frame (100) is provided with a second water collection component (400) in an annular shape. The second water collection component (400) is provided with a second water collection trough (410) in an annular shape for receiving rainwater in the circumferential direction. The bottom wall of the second water collection trough (410) is provided with a second drainage hole. The second drainage hole is connected to the second water collection trough (410) and is located above the first water collection trough (211).

6. The unit drainage frame according to claim 5, characterized in that, The outer frame (100) includes a plurality of vertically arranged support members (110), the bottom frame (300), the second water collection member (400) and the support frame (200) are all located in the middle of all the support members (110) and are fixedly connected to all the support members (110).

7. A modular machine, characterized in that, The unit includes an air conditioning system and a unit drainage frame as described in any one of claims 1 to 6. The air conditioning system includes a compressor, a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger, wherein the compressor and the first heat exchanger are disposed in the lower cavity (02) and the second heat exchanger is disposed in the upper cavity (01).

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