A deflector drive device and a wall-mounted air conditioner

Abstract

This invention discloses an air guide plate driving device and an air conditioner wall-mounted unit, relating to the field of air conditioning control technology. To solve the problem of excessive thickness in the air guide plate driving mechanism, the air guide plate driving device includes a housing, a drive motor, a central gear driven by the drive motor, and a first rack and a second rack meshing with the central gear to synthesize the composite motion of the air guide plate. The drive motor is a first motor, and the axial dimension of the first motor is smaller than its radial dimension. The first rack and the second rack are stacked and nested together along a first direction. The first rack has an opening groove facing the second rack, and the second rack is inserted into the opening groove. The inner side of the housing has a sliding groove that mates with the first rack. This configuration allows the total thickness of the driving device to be controlled within the range of the sum of the motor's axial dimension and the thickness of a single rack layer, significantly reducing the overall thickness of the driving device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of air conditioning control technology, and more specifically, to an air guide plate driving device and a wall-mounted air conditioner. Background Technology

[0002] Air conditioner vents are typically equipped with air deflectors. When the air conditioner is off, the deflector closes the vent to prevent dust from entering. When the air conditioner is running, it is used to adjust the airflow angle to achieve different air delivery modes (such as curtain airflow, carpet airflow, etc.). To meet users' needs for comfortable air delivery, existing air deflectors usually need to have both outward expansion (extending out of the vent) and rotation (changing the airflow angle) functions.

[0003] Existing air conditioner wall-mounted unit deflector drive technologies are mainly divided into two categories: dual-motor and single-motor solutions. The dual-motor solution uses two stepper motors to control the outward expansion and rotation of the deflector, achieving precise control, but its high cost and complex structure are due to the additional components such as motors, gearboxes, control boards, and cables. The single-motor solution uses a single motor in conjunction with a rack and pinion mechanism to achieve compound motion, effectively overcoming the cost and structural shortcomings of the dual-motor solution. However, the drive mechanism needs to accommodate the motor body, multi-stage reduction gear sets, double-layer racks, and housing guide rails, resulting in a significant increase in thickness. Since the drive mechanism needs to be symmetrically arranged on both sides of the wall-mounted unit, the excessive thickness directly increases the overall size of the air conditioner, occupying installation space for the user and increasing logistics and transportation costs.

[0004] Therefore, how to solve the problem of excessive thickness in the air guide plate drive mechanism is a problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a wind deflector driving device that reduces the overall thickness of the driving device, thereby saving installation space for users and reducing logistics and transportation costs.

[0006] Another objective of this invention is to provide a wall-mounted air conditioner that includes the aforementioned air guide plate drive device, which effectively reduces the overall thickness of the unit, resulting in a slimmer and lighter appearance. This not only saves installation space and enhances the aesthetics of the interior, but also reduces logistics and warehousing costs.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0008] A wind deflector driving device includes a housing, a drive motor, a central gear driven by the drive motor, and a first rack and a second rack that mesh with the central gear to generate a composite motion of the wind deflector. The drive motor is a first motor, and the axial dimension of the first motor is smaller than its radial dimension. The first rack and the second rack are stacked and nested together along a first direction. The first rack has an opening groove facing the second rack, and the second rack is inserted into the opening groove. The inner side of the housing has a sliding groove that mates with the first rack.

[0009] In some embodiments, an auxiliary link is further included, one end of which is hinged to the end of the first rack away from the central gear, and the other end is hinged to a first position of the hinge seat on the air guide plate, and the end of the second rack away from the central gear is hinged to a second position of the hinge seat.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first rack makes rolling contact with the inner wall of the housing via a rolling element.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first rack includes a main body, an extension, and an envelope. The main body has teeth that mesh with a central gear. The extension and the envelope are located on opposite sides of the main body along a first direction and extend along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The envelope and the main body enclose an opening groove.

[0012] In some embodiments, the central gear is connected to the drive motor via an input gear. The central gear includes a first layer of teeth and a second layer of teeth arranged coaxially, and the diameter of the first layer of teeth is larger than the diameter of the second layer of teeth.

[0013] In some embodiments, the first rack meshes with a first layer of teeth, the first rack having a first portion of teeth and a second portion of toothless area, the first portion of teeth meshing with the first layer of teeth for transmission, the second portion of toothless area disengaging from the first layer of teeth, and the second rack meshing with the second layer of teeth.

[0014] In some embodiments, a wedge-shaped block is provided on one end face of the central gear near the extension, and an arc-shaped groove is provided on the extension accordingly. When the first rack moves to the second toothless area corresponding to the first toothed section, the wedge-shaped block and the arc-shaped groove cooperate to limit the position of the first rack after disengagement.

[0015] In some embodiments, the first rack is provided with a guide structure that slides along a groove, and the second rack is provided with a slide rail that extends through the first direction, with the guide structure passing through the slide rail.

[0016] In some embodiments, the guide structure includes a rotating shaft and rollers disposed at both ends of the rotating shaft. The rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the envelope portion, and the rollers roll along the slide groove and the slide track, respectively.

[0017] A wall-mounted air conditioner includes an air guide plate and an air guide plate driving device as described in any of the above claims, wherein the ends of the first rack and the second rack of the air guide plate driving device away from the central gear are respectively hinged to the air guide plate.

[0018] The air guide plate driving device provided by the present invention includes a housing, a drive motor, a central gear driven by the drive motor, and a first rack and a second rack that mesh with the central gear to synthesize the composite motion of the air guide plate. By using a single motor in conjunction with the meshing transmission of the central gear and the double racks, the composite motion of the air guide plate expanding and rotating is realized with a simple gear and rack mechanism, avoiding the additional costs of motors, control boards and wiring harnesses in the dual-motor scheme, and significantly reducing system complexity and production costs.

[0019] Specifically, the drive motor is a first motor, whose axial dimension is smaller than its radial dimension, effectively reducing the space occupied in the thickness direction compared to conventional motors. The first rack and the second rack are stacked and nested together along the first direction. The first rack has an opening slot facing the second rack, which is inserted into the slot, forming a plug-in integrated structure. This creates a compact integrated layout in the thickness direction, allowing the total thickness of the drive unit to be controlled within the sum of the motor's axial dimension and the thickness of a single rack layer, significantly reducing the overall thickness of the drive unit. Since this drive unit is symmetrically arranged on both sides of the air conditioner unit, the reduction in thickness directly translates to a reduction in the overall ineffective length of the unit, saving installation space for the user and reducing logistics and transportation costs.

[0020] The opening slot of the first rack provides accommodating space and guiding constraints for the second rack, ensuring that the relative position between the two racks is rigidly constrained by the nested structure, making it less prone to displacement or twisting. Simultaneously, the nested structure forms a closed force-bearing frame, improving the bending strength and overall rigidity of the rack assembly, making the air guide plate more stable and reliable during movement, and reducing the risk of jamming due to structural deformation. The second rack is indirectly guided by the first rack through the nested structure. The inner side of the housing has a sliding groove that mates with the first rack, requiring only one side for overall positioning, completely eliminating the need for the double-sided guide rail space required by traditional double-layer racks, further reducing the overall thickness of the drive unit. Attached Figure Description

[0021] 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 embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the air guide plate driving device provided by the present invention in the off state;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the wind guide plate driving device provided by the present invention under the condition of a sky curtain wind.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the air guide plate driving device provided by the present invention in a carpet wind state;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a first embodiment of the air guide plate driving device provided by the present invention;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a second embodiment of the air guide plate driving device provided by the present invention;

[0027] Figure 6 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first rack;

[0028] Figure 7 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of the second rack;

[0029] Figure 8 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the second type of local structure;

[0030] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the upper shell of the air guide plate driving device provided by the present invention.

[0031] Figure 10 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the third type of local structure;

[0032] Figure 11 for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first rack;

[0033] Figure 12 for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of the second rack;

[0034] Figure 13 for Figure 4 The fourth type of local structure diagram.

[0035] The annotations in the attached figures are explained as follows:

[0036] 1-Shell shell, 11-Upper shell, 111-Slide groove, 12-Bottom shell;

[0037] 2-Drive motor;

[0038] 3-Center gear, 31-Wedge block;

[0039] 4-Air guide plate;

[0040] 5-First rack, 51-Opening groove, 52-Main body, 521-Slide rail, 53-Extension, 531-Arc groove, 54-Enveloping part;

[0041] 6-Second rack, 61-Slide, 62-Base, 63-Mocking tooth, 64-Limiting part, 65-Through groove;

[0042] 7-Auxiliary Link;

[0043] 8-Rolling parts;

[0044] 9-Input gear;

[0045] 10-Guiding structure. Detailed Implementation

[0046] 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 some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0047] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0048] The core of this invention is to provide an air guide plate driving device that reduces the overall thickness of the driving device, saving installation space for users and reducing logistics and transportation costs. Another core aspect of this invention is to provide a wall-mounted air conditioner unit that includes the aforementioned air guide plate driving device, effectively reducing the overall thickness of the unit and resulting in a slimmer and lighter appearance. This not only saves installation space and improves indoor aesthetics but also reduces logistics and warehousing costs.

[0049] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5A wind deflector drive device includes a housing 1, a drive motor 2, a central gear 3 driven by the drive motor 2, and a first rack 5 and a second rack 6 meshing with the central gear 3 to synthesize the compound motion of the wind deflector 4. By using a single motor in conjunction with the meshing transmission of the central gear 3 and the double racks, the compound motion of the wind deflector 4 expanding and rotating is realized with a simple gear and rack mechanism, avoiding the additional costs of motors, control boards and wiring harnesses in the dual-motor scheme, and significantly reducing system complexity and production costs.

[0050] Specifically, the drive motor 2 is a first motor. The axial dimension of the first motor is smaller than its radial dimension. The rotor axis of the first motor is set along a first direction. The dimension of the first motor along the first direction is smaller than the dimension perpendicular to the first direction. Compared with conventional motors, it effectively reduces the space occupied in the first direction.

[0051] Please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 The first rack 5 and the second rack 6 are stacked and nested together along a first direction. In one embodiment, the second rack 6 is embedded within the first rack 5, such as... Figure 4 As shown; in another embodiment, the first rack 5 is embedded within the second rack 6, as... Figure 5 As shown. It should be noted that in the following embodiments, the first direction is the stacking direction of the first rack 5 and the second rack 6, which is also the direction of the rotor axis of the first motor; the second direction is the linear motion direction of the first rack 5 and the second rack 6; and the third direction is the direction that is perpendicular to both the first and second directions.

[0052] Please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 When the second rack 6 is embedded in the first rack 5, the first rack 5 includes a main body 52, an extension 53 and an enclosing part 54. The main body 52 has teeth that mesh with the central gear 3. The extension 53 and the enclosing part 54 are located on both sides of the main body 52 along the first direction and extend along the second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The enclosing part 54 and the main body 52 enclose each other to form an opening groove 51. The opening of the opening groove 51 faces the third direction. The second rack 6 is slidably disposed in the opening groove 51. The main body 52 is a plate-shaped structure extending along the second direction. The main body 52 has teeth that mesh with the central gear 3, and the teeth are arranged along the second direction. The extension 53 and the envelope 54 are located on both sides of the main body 52 along the first direction. The extension 53 and the envelope 54 are plate-shaped structures extending along the second direction. The envelope 54 and the main body 52 enclose each other to form an opening groove 51 that runs through the second direction. The opening of the opening groove 51 faces the third direction. The second rack 6 is slidably disposed in the opening groove 51 of the first rack 5.

[0053] It should be noted that the main body 52 of the first rack 5 has teeth that mesh with the central gear 3, undertaking the main transmission function. The enveloping part 54 and the main body 52 together enclose and form an opening slot 51 with a cross-section (i.e., a cross-section perpendicular to the direction of movement of the first rack 5) that is U-shaped or C-shaped. This allows the first rack 5 to enclose the second rack 6 and the central gear 3 inside, realizing a nested arrangement of the rack set, thereby significantly reducing the space occupied in the transmission direction (i.e., the rack thickness direction). At the same time, the extension part 53 not only enhances the overall bending and torsional rigidity of the first rack 5, but the space formed between it and the main body 52 can also be used to accommodate other transmission or limiting components. This composite rack structure integrates transmission, enveloping, and reinforcing functions, avoiding the increased complexity and cost caused by additional installation of guide or reinforcing components. It also lays the core foundation for the thin design of the drive device through a compact enveloping layout, ensuring the stable and reliable operation of the mechanism in a limited space.

[0054] Please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 The opening slot 51 of the first rack 5 provides a accommodating space and guiding constraint for the second rack 6, so that the relative position between the two racks is rigidly constrained by the nested structure, making it less likely to shift or twist; at the same time, the nested structure forms a closed force-bearing frame, which improves the bending strength and overall rigidity of the rack assembly, making the air guide plate 4 more stable and reliable during movement, and reducing the risk of jamming caused by structural deformation. The second rack 6 is indirectly guided by the first rack 5 through a nested structure. The inner side of the housing 1 is provided with a groove 111 that cooperates with the first rack 5. It should be noted that the housing 1 includes an upper shell 11 and a bottom shell 12. The upper shell 11 has a first surface and a second surface that are arranged opposite to each other along a first direction. The first surface is the outer surface of the upper shell 11 away from the bottom shell 12, and the second surface is the inner surface of the upper shell 11 near the bottom shell 12. The second surface is provided with a groove 111 that extends along a second direction. The second direction is the linear movement direction of the first rack 5 and the second rack 6 and is perpendicular to the first direction. The groove 111 slides with the first rack 5. The overall positioning can be achieved by setting only one side, which completely eliminates the double-sided guide rail space required by the traditional double-layer rack and further reduces the overall thickness of the drive device.

[0055] The device's slim design achieves a breakthrough optimization in the overall thickness of the drive unit. Specifically, the overall thickness of the drive unit, including the motor, is significantly reduced from 53.2mm in the existing technology to 31.2mm, with a successful reduction of 22mm on one side. This optimization of a key dimension allows for a cumulative reduction of up to 44mm in the total thickness of the unit when the drive unit is symmetrically installed on both sides of the air conditioner. This simplification directly results in a significantly slimmer and more compact overall shape for the air conditioner, not only saving considerable indoor installation space and improving the space utilization and aesthetics of the home environment, but also achieving substantial cost savings in product packaging, warehousing, and logistics.

[0056] It should be noted that the drive motor 2 is also mounted on the upper shell 11, achieving a high degree of modularity and structural optimization of the drive device. As the main load-bearing component, the upper shell 11 concentrates the core drive and guiding functions, simplifying the structure of the lower shell 12, which primarily serves a sealing and supporting role, thereby significantly reducing mold complexity and overall manufacturing costs. During assembly, the drive motor 2, gear set, rack, and other core components can be pre-installed on the upper shell 11 to form an independent module, which is then quickly fastened to the lower shell 12, greatly simplifying the assembly process, improving production efficiency, and ensuring product consistency. Furthermore, this design concentrates the main stress-bearing and moving parts on the structurally stronger upper shell 11, effectively avoiding deformation or wear of the lower shell 12 due to stress dispersion, enhancing the overall reliability and service life of the device. The modular design of the upper shell 11 also facilitates subsequent maintenance and repair; most internal parts can be exposed simply by disassembling the lower shell 12, significantly improving the maintainability of the product.

[0057] Please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 7 and Figure 9The first rack 5 is provided with a guide structure 10, which slides along a groove 111. The second rack 6 is provided with a slide rail 61, which is a through groove extending through the second rack 6 in a first direction. The guide structure 10 passes through the slide rail 61, so that the first rack 5 and the second rack 6 form a sliding guide engagement. By setting a cross guide structure 10 between the first rack 5 and the second rack 6, precise linkage and stable guidance of the two racks in compound motion are achieved. Specifically, the first rack 5 is provided with a guide structure 10, which engages with the groove 111 on the upper shell 11 to form the main guide pair for the movement of the first rack 5; at the same time, a long strip-shaped slide rail 61 is formed on the second rack 6 along its length. The guide structure 10 of the first rack 5, while passing through its own dominant guide, also has its end or a specific portion passing through the slide rail 61 of the second rack 6. This gives the guide structure 10 of the first rack 5 a dual function: firstly, it acts as a guide slider for the first rack 5, constraining its directional movement along the slide groove 111; secondly, it acts as a guide pin for the second rack 6, sliding relative to it within the slide rail 61, thus constraining the second rack 6 to only have limited relative displacement with respect to the first rack 5 along its length. This cross-guiding mechanism ensures that the two racks, driven by the central gear 3, can independently complete their respective designated strokes while maintaining the correct relative positional relationship during movement, effectively preventing motion interference or jamming that may occur due to stacked arrangement. The cooperation between the guide structure 10 and the slide rail 61 provides additional lateral constraint to the entire rack assembly, enhancing its overall rigidity and stability in compound motion, and ensuring the smoothness and precision of the outward expansion and flipping action of the air guide plate 4. This structure ingeniously integrates the guiding function of two racks into a single component, simplifying the mechanism and saving space to achieve a thinner drive unit.

[0058] In the above configuration, the guide structure 10 includes a rotating shaft and rollers located at both ends of the rotating shaft. The rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the envelope portion 54, and the rollers roll along the slide groove 111 and the slide rail 61, respectively. Specifically, the rotating shaft passes through the envelope portion 54 of the first rack 5 and forms a rotatable connection with it, allowing the entire guide structure 10 to rotate freely relative to the first rack 5. One of the rollers located at both ends of the rotating shaft is located on the outer side of the first rack 5, contacts the slide groove 111 on the upper shell 11, and rolls along it, undertaking the core function of guiding the main body of the first rack 5. The other roller is located on the inner side of the first rack 5, extends into and embeds in the slide rail 61 opened by the second rack 6, and rolls along the side wall of the slide rail 61, converting all the sliding friction between the first rack 5 and the shell 1, and between the first rack 5 and the second rack 6, into rolling friction. This greatly reduces the motion resistance, effectively eliminates the jamming, shaking, and noise problems common in traditional slider mechanisms, and ensures that the composite motion of the air guide plate 4 is extremely stable and smooth.

[0059] Please refer to Figure 10 The first rack 5 makes rolling contact with the inner wall of the housing 1 through rolling elements 8. By setting rolling elements 8 between the first rack 5 and the inner wall of the housing 1, traditional sliding friction is optimized into rolling friction, significantly improving the motion performance of the mechanism. Specifically, the bottom of the first rack 5 makes contact with the inner wall of the housing 1 through at least one rolling element 8, which is preferably a needle roller, and multiple rolling elements can be spaced apart along the movement direction of the first rack 5. These needle rollers, with their line contact or small-area contact characteristics, greatly reduce the frictional resistance between the first rack 5 and the inner wall of the housing 1 during movement, effectively avoiding motion jamming, abnormal noise, and vibration problems that may be caused by excessive friction coefficient or insufficient lubrication, ensuring the smoothness and accuracy of the composite movement of the air guide plate 4. At the same time, the reduced resistance caused by rolling friction also reduces the torque requirement of the drive motor 2, which helps to achieve the weight reduction and low power of the motor, thereby indirectly optimizing the system energy consumption and cost. In addition, the rolling contact method reduces the wear on the contact surface between the rack and the inner wall of the housing 1, extends the service life of key moving parts, and enhances the long-term operational reliability of the entire drive device.

[0060] Please refer to Figure 5 , Figure 11 and Figure 12 When the first rack 5 is embedded in the second rack 6, the second rack 6 includes a base 62, a gear portion 63, and a limiting portion 64. The base 62 is a plate-like structure extending in a second direction. The gear portion 63 has teeth that mesh with the central gear 3, and the teeth are arranged in the second direction. The gear portion 63 and the limiting portion 64 are located on both sides of the base 62 in a first direction. The gear portion 63 is a block-like structure extending in the second direction, and the limiting portion 64 is a plate-like structure extending in the second direction. The base 62, the gear portion 63, and the limiting portion 64 enclose a through groove 65 extending in the second direction. The through groove 65 is an open groove facing a third direction, and the first rack 5 is slidably disposed within the through groove 65. The first rack 5 includes a main body 52 and an extension 53. The main body 52 is a block structure extending along a second direction and has a first side and a second side that are arranged opposite to each other along a first direction. The extension 53 is disposed on the first side of the main body 52 along the first direction and is a plate structure extending along a third direction. The first side is close to the extension 53 and the second side is away from the extension 53. The second side is provided with a slide rail 521 and is recessed in the direction close to the extension 53. The slide rail 521 enables the first rack 5 and the second rack 6 to form a sliding guide engagement.

[0061] The second rack 6 is equipped with a guide structure 10, which slides along the slide groove 111 and moves along the slide rail 521 of the first rack 5, forming a sliding guide engagement between the first rack 5 and the second rack 6. This cross-guide structure achieves precise linkage and stable guidance of the two racks in compound motion: the guide structure 10 engages with the slide groove 111 to form the main guide pair for the movement of the second rack 6; simultaneously, the guide structure 10 moves along the slide rail 521 of the first rack 5, constraining the first rack 5 to only undergo limited relative displacement with respect to the second rack 6 in a second direction. This cross-guide mechanism ensures that, driven by the central gear 3, the two racks can independently complete their respective designated strokes while maintaining the correct relative positional relationship during movement, effectively preventing motion interference or jamming that may occur due to the stacked arrangement, and enhancing the overall rigidity and stability of the rack assembly.

[0062] The second rack 6 makes rolling contact with the inner wall of the housing 1 via rolling elements 8. The rolling elements 8 are preferably needle rollers, and multiple rollers can be spaced apart along the second direction. These needle rollers, with their line contact characteristics, greatly reduce the frictional resistance between the second rack 6 and the inner wall of the housing 1 during movement, effectively avoiding motion jamming, abnormal noise, and vibration problems caused by excessive friction coefficient or insufficient lubrication, ensuring the smoothness and precision of the composite movement of the air guide plate 4. Simultaneously, the reduced resistance from rolling friction also lowers the torque requirements of the drive motor 2, contributing to the lightweight and low-power design of the motor. Furthermore, the rolling contact method reduces wear on the contact surfaces of the rack and the inner wall of the housing 1, extending the service life of key moving parts.

[0063] This embodiment achieves a nested arrangement of racks by embedding the first rack 5 within the through slot 65 of the second rack 6, thus significantly reducing space occupancy in the first direction. The base 62, meshing teeth 63, and limiting part 64 of the second rack 6 together enclose a through slot 65 with a U-shaped or C-shaped cross-section, allowing the second rack 6 to enclose the first rack 5 within it. The limiting part 64 not only enhances the overall bending and torsional rigidity of the second rack 6, but the space formed between it and the base 62 can also accommodate other transmission or limiting parts 64. This composite rack structure integrates transmission, envelopment, and reinforcement functions, avoiding the increased complexity and cost of additional guide or reinforcing components, and laying a core foundation for the thin design of the drive device through its compact enveloping layout.

[0064] In both embodiments described above, whether the second rack 6 is embedded within the first rack 5 or the first rack 5 is embedded within the second rack 6, the first rack 5 and the second rack 6 can form a plug-in integrated structure, creating a compact integrated layout in the first direction. This allows the total thickness of the drive unit to be controlled within the sum of the motor's axial dimension and the thickness of a single rack layer, significantly reducing the overall thickness of the drive unit. Since the drive unit is symmetrically arranged on both sides of the air conditioner unit, the reduction in thickness directly translates into a reduction in the overall ineffective length of the unit, saving installation space for the user and reducing logistics and transportation costs.

[0065] The air guide vane drive device, configured as described above, ensures that the air guide vane 4 can reliably perform a combined outward expansion and rotation movement, thus fully meeting users' needs for various comfortable air delivery modes such as canopy wind and carpet wind. Simultaneously, through extreme volume compression, this device significantly reduces the space occupied by the air guide vane drive device, thereby effectively shortening the ineffective length of the air conditioner unit (i.e., the structural length exceeding the air outlet range), achieving a significant reduction in the overall unit length. This not only saves users valuable home decoration space but also significantly reduces the logistics and warehousing pressure on distributors due to the reduced product size.

[0066] Please refer to Figure 8 and Figure 13 It also includes an auxiliary link 7, one end of which is hinged to the end of the first rack 5 away from the central gear 3, and the other end is hinged to the first position of the hinge seat on the air guide plate 4. The end of the second rack 6 away from the central gear 3 is hinged to the second position of the hinge seat.

[0067] It should be noted that the auxiliary connecting rod 7 has a first connecting end and a second connecting end. The first connecting end of the auxiliary connecting rod 7 is hinged to the end of the first rack 5 away from the central gear 3, and the second connecting end is connected to the first hinge point of the hinge seat. The end of the second rack 6 away from the central gear 3 is directly hinged to the fixed connecting rod of the hinge seat. The hinge seat adopts an integral molding process, and its fixed connecting rod and hinge point together constitute the core fulcrum of the movement of the air guide plate 4. By adding the auxiliary connecting rod 7 and the hinge seat with a specific structure, a highly stable multi-link transmission system is constructed. This layout cleverly integrates the linear motion of the first rack 5 and the second rack 6: the auxiliary connecting rod 7 not only provides additional support for the air guide plate 4, but also effectively shares the torque of the air guide plate 4 during the movement through its hinge characteristics, significantly enhancing the mechanism's resistance to lateral forces. At the same time, the integrally molded hinge seat ensures the accuracy of the relative positions between each hinge point, avoiding motion jamming or misalignment caused by assembly errors, so that the air guide plate 4 always maintains a precise trajectory during the compound motion. While achieving its function, this structure simplifies the structural complexity of the air guide plate 4 body, improves the rigidity and durability of the entire drive device, and ensures reliability under long-term operation.

[0068] The motion of the first rack 5 and the second rack 6 is integrated through the hinge seat and transmitted to the air guide plate 4. The auxiliary connecting rod 7 not only provides an additional support point for the air guide plate 4, but also effectively constrains the degree of freedom of the air guide plate 4 during movement through its hinge characteristics, significantly reducing motion sway and wobbling. This structure cleverly transforms the linear motion of the racks into the compound rotation of the air guide plate 4, avoiding the need for a complex and cumbersome slide groove 111 slider mechanism, while ensuring precise synchronization of the outward expansion and flipping actions. At the same time, the introduction of the auxiliary connecting rod 7 shares the torque borne by the racks, reducing the local stress of the moving parts, thereby enhancing the durability and service life of the entire drive device.

[0069] In the above embodiment, the central gear 3 is connected to the drive motor 2 via the input gear 9. The central gear 3 includes a first layer of teeth and a second layer of teeth arranged coaxially. The diameter of the first layer of teeth is larger than the diameter of the second layer of teeth.

[0070] Understandably, the first rack 5 meshes with the larger diameter first layer of teeth, and the second rack 6 meshes with the smaller diameter second layer of teeth. When the central gear 3 rotates at a constant speed, due to the different pitch circle diameters of the two layers of teeth, there is a difference in linear velocity between them and their respective meshing racks, thus naturally driving the first rack 5 and the second rack 6 to produce differential motion. This differential motion is directly converted into a compound action of the outward expansion and flipping of the air guide plate 4, without the need for an additional motion conversion mechanism. This layered gear structure highly integrates the synthesis function of compound motion onto a single central gear 3, which not only greatly simplifies the transmission chain and reduces the number of parts, but also significantly compresses the radial dimension of the drive device through a compact coaxial layout. At the same time, the coaxial machining of the gears ensures the absolute synchronization of the movement of the first layer of teeth and the second layer of teeth, completely avoiding the assembly errors or transmission asynchrony problems that may exist when using two independent gears, ensuring the accuracy and smoothness of the movement trajectory of the air guide plate 4.

[0071] Based on the above embodiment, the first rack 5 has a first part of teeth and a second part of toothless area. The first part of teeth meshes with the first layer of teeth and the second part of toothless area disengages from the first layer of teeth.

[0072] It should be noted that by setting a specific length of meshing area on the first rack 5, automatic segmented control of the movement of the air guide plate 4 is achieved. Specifically, the first rack 5 meshes with the larger diameter first layer of teeth on the central gear 3. Its rack body is designed to include a continuous first section of teeth and a second toothless section immediately following it. The first section of teeth is closer to the protruding end of the first rack 5 than the second toothless section. At the same time, the second rack 6 always maintains meshing with the smaller diameter second layer of teeth on the central gear 3. When the drive motor 2 drives the central gear 3 to rotate through the input gear 9, in the first stage of the movement, the first section of teeth of the first rack 5 meshes normally with the first layer of teeth. At this time, the central gear 3 simultaneously drives the first rack 5 and the second rack 6 to move at different speeds, causing the air guide plate 4 to perform a combined action of outward expansion and rotation. When the first rack 5 moves to a specific position in its stroke, the end of its first set of teeth passes the engagement endpoint, and the second toothless area moves to the position corresponding to the first layer of teeth. The first rack 5 then automatically disengages from the first layer of teeth, and the movement enters the second stage. In the second stage, the first rack 5, de-driven, stops moving and maintains its position, while the central gear 3 continues to drive the second rack 6 to move independently through the second layer of teeth. This allows the guide vane 4 to continue performing a pure flipping motion based on its already expanded posture. This design, which uses the length of the rack's own tooth area to control the engagement state, eliminates the need for an additional electromagnetic clutch or complex program control mechanism, achieving automatic switching of the motion flow through a purely mechanical structure. It not only simplifies the control system and reduces costs but also improves the reliability and consistency of the entire motion sequence, ensuring that the guide vane 4 can accurately achieve the predetermined motion trajectory of first compound motion and then individual flipping.

[0073] Please refer to Figure 6 , Figure 11 and Figure 13 The center gear 3 has a wedge block 31 on one end face near the extension 53, and the extension 53 has a corresponding arc groove 531. When the first rack 5 moves to the second toothless area corresponding to the first layer of teeth, the wedge block 31 and the arc groove 531 cooperate to restrict the position of the first rack 5 after disengagement.

[0074] Understandably, the central gear 3 has a first end face and a second end face arranged opposite to each other along a first direction, the first end face being close to the extension 53 and the second end face being away from the extension 53; the wedge block 31 is provided on the first end face and protrudes in the direction close to the extension 53; the extension 53 has a first surface and a second surface arranged opposite to each other along a first direction, the first surface being close to the central gear 3 and the second surface being away from the central gear 3; the arc groove 531 is provided on the first surface and is recessed in the direction away from the central gear 3; when the first rack 5 moves along the second direction to the second toothless area corresponding to the first layer of teeth, the wedge block 31 is embedded in the arc groove 531, and the side of the wedge block 31 abuts against the side wall of the arc groove 531 to restrict the movement of the first rack 5 along the second direction.

[0075] When the air guide plate 4 is in the first stage of motion, that is, when the first part of the teeth of the first rack 5 is normally engaged with the first layer of teeth of the central gear 3, the wedge block 31 rotates freely beside the arc-shaped groove 531 without interference. Until the first rack 5 moves to the end of its stroke, its second toothless area moves to the position corresponding to the first layer of teeth, and the first rack 5 disengages from the central gear 3. At this moment, the wedge block 31 is precisely engaged into the arc-shaped groove 531 on the extension 53 as the central gear 3 rotates. The inclined surface of the wedge block 31 forms a surface contact with the groove wall of the arc-shaped groove 531, generating a self-locking effect, thereby effectively restricting the retraction or lateral movement of the first rack 5 in the radial direction, and stably locking it in the predetermined position after disengagement. This ensures that even if there is vibration or external force interference during the second stage of motion, the first rack 5 can remain absolutely stationary, providing a stable basis for the central gear 3 to drive the second rack 6 to perform pure rotational motion independently through the second layer of teeth. This structure achieves efficient, reliable, and low-cost end-of-stroke positioning through the precise correspondence between the rotation of the gear itself and the position of the rack.

[0076] This device achieves precise control of the combined expansion and rotation motion of the air guide plate 4 driven by a single motor by constructing a three-stage progressive transmission chain of "gear set - compound rack - linkage mechanism". The first-stage gear set amplifies the output torque of the drive motor 2 based on a specific transmission ratio, providing ample driving force for subsequent motion; the second-stage transmission relies on a specially designed central gear 3, which can achieve sequential control of meshing transmission with the first rack 5 and then automatic decoupling during rotation, thereby converting the rotational motion of the drive motor 2 into differential linear motion between the first rack 5 and the second rack 6; the third-stage linkage mechanism synthesizes these linear displacements and converts them into the rotational motion of the air guide plate 4, ultimately realizing the synchronous or stepwise action of expansion and rotation. In terms of operating sequence, when the air conditioner is in standby mode, the air guide plate 4 is in a completely closed initial state. After the air conditioner is turned on, it first enters the outward expansion stage. The central gear 3 drives the differential motion of the double rack to extend the air guide plate 4 to the outward expansion preparation position. Then, according to the user-set sky curtain wind, carpet wind, and other modes, the drive motor 2 precisely controls the air guide plate 4 to rotate to the target angle. When the air conditioner is turned off, the reverse sequence is executed. The air guide plate 4 first resets to the outward expansion preparation position, and then is driven by the motor to retract, finally returning to the completely closed state. The whole process is smooth and the positioning is accurate, ensuring the stability and reliability of the air supply mode switching.

[0077] This drive unit ensures operational reliability through precise mechanical design. Specifically, its first-stage gear transmission system employs a 2:1 transmission ratio, amplifying the output torque T of the drive motor 2 to 2T and transmitting it to the central gear 3. When using a 35mm stepper motor with a rated torque of 0.28 N·m (referring to a stepper motor with a diameter of 35 mm), the central gear 3 can obtain an effective output torque of 0.56 N·m. This torque is converted into a force acting in the direction of rack movement through the meshing of the central gear 3 and the rack: let the pitch circle diameter of the first layer of teeth of the central gear 3 be d1, and the driving force it generates on the first rack 5 be F1; let the pitch circle diameter of the second layer of teeth be d2, and the driving force it generates on the second rack 6 be F2. The first rack 5 and the second rack 6 act together on the air guide plate 4 through a linkage mechanism, forming a stable three-force balance system. The core mechanical condition for the smooth operation of this system is F1·d1 + F2·d2 < 2T, that is, the sum of the driving torques required by the two racks must be less than the effective output torque 2T of the central gear 3. This mechanical relationship ensures that the motor has sufficient torque margin when driving the air guide plate 4 to complete the compound motion, thereby ensuring the smoothness and reliability of the mechanism during startup and operation.

[0078] In one feasible embodiment, the first-stage gear transmission link can be omitted, and a drive motor 2 with suitable torque parameters can be selected. Its output shaft is directly connected to the central gear 3, and the drive motor 2 directly drives the central gear 3 to rotate, thereby driving the first rack 5 and the second rack 6 that mesh with it to move.

[0079] This air guide vane drive device, as a highly efficient and compact motion conversion mechanism, has a wide range of applications covering various household and commercial air conditioning products, including wall-mounted and floor-standing air conditioners. Furthermore, its technical principles and structural design are also applicable to any situation requiring similar composite movements or precise angle adjustments to the air guide vane 4, including but not limited to other air conditioning equipment, ventilation systems, and related product areas requiring similar motion functions.

[0080] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 A wall-mounted air conditioner includes an air guide plate 4 and an air guide plate driving device as described above, wherein the first rack 5 and the second rack 6 of the air guide plate driving device are respectively hinged to the air guide plate 4 at their ends away from the central gear 3.

[0081] It should be noted that the air guide plate drive devices are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the air guide plate 4 along its length. The end of the first rack 5 of each air guide plate drive device away from the central gear 3 is hinged to the first position of the hinge seat on the air guide plate 4 through the auxiliary connecting rod 7. The end of the second rack 6 of each air guide plate drive device away from the central gear 3 is directly hinged to the second position of the hinge seat, forming a stable multi-link motion mechanism. This reliably converts the precise linear motion generated by the drive device into a composite motion of outward expansion and rotation of the air guide plate 4, ensuring precise control of the air delivery angle. Thanks to the thin and modular design of the drive device itself, the overall thickness of the wall-mounted air conditioner unit can be effectively reduced, resulting in a slimmer and lighter appearance. This not only saves installation space and improves indoor aesthetics but also reduces logistics and warehousing costs. At the same time, the smooth and low-noise operation of the drive device, along with its multiple air delivery modes such as skylight wind and carpet wind, together bring users a more comfortable, healthy, and intelligent air conditioning experience.

[0082] In one feasible embodiment, the air guide plate drive device is located on both sides of the air conditioner and is completely hidden inside the air conditioner housing. It is only hinged to the air guide plate 4 through the auxiliary connecting rods 7 extending from the ends of the first rack 5 and the second rack 6, as well as the fixed connecting rod integrally formed with the hinge seat. This device is used to control the air guide plate 4 of the air conditioner. This design completely encapsulates all transmission components such as the drive motor 2, gear set, and rack inside the body, completely eliminating the visual abruptness brought by the traditional exposed drive mechanism and meeting the higher requirements of modern home environment for the simple and beautiful appearance of home appliances.

[0083] When the air deflector 4 switches from the closed state to the canopy wind state, please refer to... Figure 1The device performs an outward expansion process, a stage of compound motion in which the guide vane 4 simultaneously undergoes displacement and rotation. The drive motor 2 drives the input gear 9, which in turn drives the central gear 3 to rotate. The central gear 3 simultaneously drives the first rack 5 and the second rack 6. Due to the difference in diameter between the two layers of teeth on the central gear 3, the first rack 5 moves at a faster speed than the second rack 6. This speed difference is transmitted through the fixed connecting rod and the auxiliary connecting rod 7, causing the guide vane 4 and its fixed connecting rod to rotate and displace clockwise, completing the outward expansion action. Please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 2 Subsequently, when the air guide plate 4 switches from the canopy wind mode to the carpet wind mode, the device enters a pure rotation process. At this time, the first rack 5 has moved to its toothless region and automatically decouples from the central gear 3. The central gear 3 only drives the second rack 6 to continue moving. In this state, the fixed connecting rod and the auxiliary connecting rod 7 rotate relative to each other around the hinge point at the end of the first rack 5, and the air guide plate 4 itself completes a counterclockwise rotation, thereby realizing the carpet wind air delivery mode. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 3 This process achieves automatic switching of motion modes through a purely mechanical structure, ensuring the precision and reliability of the movements.

[0084] Apart from the aforementioned wall-mounted air conditioner unit, the structure of other parts of this wall-mounted air conditioner unit can be found in existing technologies, and will not be described in detail here.

[0085] In summary, the air guide plate driving device provided by this invention can precisely drive the air guide plate 4 to complete the compound movement of outward expansion and rotation with only a single motor, perfectly supporting multiple air supply modes such as sky curtain wind and carpet wind. While ensuring high functional integration and operational reliability, the thickness of the driving mechanism is greatly reduced, thereby reducing the space occupied by the air guide plate driving device, effectively shortening the ineffective length of the air conditioner wall unit, achieving a significant reduction in the overall length of the unit, and reducing transportation costs and warehousing pressure.

[0086] It should be noted that in this specification, relational terms such as first and second are used only to distinguish one entity from several other entities, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities.

[0087] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0088] The present invention has been described in detail above as an air guide plate driving device and an air conditioner wall-mounted unit. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several improvements and modifications to the present invention without departing from the principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wind deflector driving device, comprising a housing (1), a drive motor (2), a central gear (3) driven by the drive motor (2), and a first rack (5) and a second rack (6) meshing with the central gear (3) to generate a composite motion of a wind deflector (4), characterized in that, The drive motor (2) is a first motor. The axial dimension of the first motor is smaller than its radial dimension. The first rack (5) and the second rack (6) are stacked and nested together in a first direction. The first rack (5) is provided with an opening groove (51) facing the second rack (6). The second rack (6) is inserted into the opening groove (51). The inner side of the housing (1) is provided with a sliding groove (111) that cooperates with the first rack (5).

2. The air guide plate driving device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an auxiliary link (7), one end of which is hinged to the end of the first rack (5) away from the central gear (3), and the other end is hinged to the first position of the hinge seat on the air guide plate (4), and the end of the second rack (6) away from the central gear (3) is hinged to the second position of the hinge seat.

3. The air guide plate driving device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first rack (5) makes rolling contact with the inner wall of the housing (1) through the rolling element (8).

4. The air guide plate driving device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first rack (5) includes a main body (52), an extension (53) and an envelope (54). The main body (52) has teeth that mesh with the central gear (3). The extension (53) and the envelope (54) are located on both sides of the main body (52) along the first direction and extend along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The envelope (54) and the main body (52) enclose each other to form the opening groove (51).

5. The air guide plate driving device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The central gear (3) is connected to the drive motor (2) via the input gear (9). The central gear (3) includes a first layer of teeth and a second layer of teeth arranged coaxially. The diameter of the first layer of teeth is larger than the diameter of the second layer of teeth.

6. The air guide plate driving device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first rack (5) meshes with the first layer of teeth. The first rack (5) has a first part of teeth and a second part of toothless area. The first part of teeth meshes with the first layer of teeth and drives the transmission. The second part of toothless area disengages from the first layer of teeth. The second rack (6) meshes with the second layer of teeth.

7. The air guide plate driving device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The central gear (3) has a wedge block (31) on one end face near the extension (53), and the extension (53) has a corresponding arc groove (531). When the first rack (5) moves to the second toothless area corresponding to the first tooth layer, the wedge block (31) and the arc groove (531) cooperate to restrict the position of the first rack (5) after disengagement.

8. The air guide vane driving device according to any one of claims 4-7, characterized in that, The first rack (5) is provided with a guide structure (10), which slides along the groove (111). The second rack (6) is provided with a slide (61), which is provided through the first direction. The guide structure (10) passes through the slide (61).

9. The air guide plate driving device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The guide structure (10) includes a rotating shaft and rollers at both ends of the rotating shaft. The rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the envelope portion (54), and the rollers roll along the slide groove (111) and the slide rail (61) respectively.

10. A wall-mounted air conditioner, characterized in that, Includes a guide plate (4) and a guide plate driving device as described in any one of claims 1-9, wherein the first rack (5) and the second rack (6) of the guide plate driving device are respectively hinged to the guide plate (4) at the ends away from the central gear (3).

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