Air conditioner

Abstract

The utility model discloses an air conditioner which comprises a water pan, a water inlet pipe and a water outlet pipe, a drainage pump; the water drainage pipeline is arranged at the water drainage opening and comprises a horizontal section water drainage pipeline and an upward lifting section water drainage pipeline, and the horizontal section water drainage pipeline is provided with a sterilization and purification module; a water pump driving unit; a main control unit; when the main control unit controls the drainage pump to work through the water pump driving unit, the sterilization and purification module is controlled to work, and condensed water flows through the sterilization and purification module and is discharged outdoors through the drainage pipeline; and when the main control unit receives an instruction that the indoor unit stops running, the drainage pump is controlled to work intermittently until the indoor unit stops running. The sterilizing and purifying module can be used for sterilizing and disinfecting the water receiving disc, and peculiar smell is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of household appliances, in particular to an air conditioner. Background Art

[0002] In the related art, when the air conditioner is in cooling mode, water vapor in the air hits the low-temperature evaporator, forming condensed water and flowing into the water receiving tray of the indoor unit. The condensed water is discharged from the water receiving tray to the outside through the drain pipe by a drainage pump. During the condensed water generation process, impurities such as lint, dust, and hair in the low-temperature evaporator and the air are also collected in the water receiving tray.

[0003] Generally, the bottom wall of the water receiving tray is horizontal. When the drain pump is installed, the water inlet of the drain pump is at a certain distance from the bottom wall of the water receiving tray. Therefore, condensed water is likely to remain at the bottom of the water receiving tray. As a result, as the impurities accumulate in the water receiving tray for a long time, more and more impurities will be adsorbed and precipitated in the water receiving tray, causing the water receiving tray to be abnormally dirty and produce odor, which reduces the user experience.

[0004] The above information disclosed in the background technology is only used to increase the understanding of the background technology of the present application, and therefore, it may include information that does not constitute the prior art known to ordinary technicians in the field. Utility Model Content

[0005] In response to the problems pointed out in the background technology, the present application provides an air conditioner, which provides a sterilization and purification module on the drainage pipe to sterilize and disinfect the discharged condensed water during drainage, and when the generation of condensed water stops, the drainage pump is controlled to work intermittently so that the sterilized return water flows back to the water receiving tray. The return water containing the bactericidal factor can sterilize the water receiving tray to avoid the generation of odor in the water receiving tray.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned utility model purpose, the utility model adopts the following technical solutions:

[0007] The present application relates to an air conditioner, comprising:

[0008] A water receiving tray, which is used to receive condensed water generated during the cooling operation of the air conditioner;

[0009] a drain pump installed in the water receiving tray, the drain pump having a water inlet and a drain outlet, the water inlet being communicated with the water receiving tray, and the drain outlet being used to discharge condensed water in the water receiving tray to the outside;

[0010] A drainage pipeline, which is arranged at the drainage outlet and includes a horizontal drainage pipeline and an upward drainage pipeline, and a sterilization and purification module is arranged on the horizontal drainage pipeline;

[0011] A water pump driving unit, used to drive the drainage pump to operate;

[0012] A main control unit, which is connected to the water pump drive unit and the sterilization and purification module respectively;

[0013] When the main control unit controls the drain pump to work through the water pump driving unit, the sterilization and purification module is controlled to work, and the condensed water flows through the sterilization and purification module and is discharged to the outside through the drainage pipeline;

[0014] When the main control unit receives the instruction to stop the operation of the indoor unit, it controls the drainage pump to work intermittently until it stops.

[0015] The air conditioner involved in the present application has a sterilization and purification module that operates when the drain pump is operating to drain water, so that a sterilization factor is generated when the sterilization and purification module comes into contact with condensed water, and the condensed water containing the sterilization factor continuously sterilizes and deodorizes the drainage pipe.

[0016] When the indoor unit stops running and the indoor fan stops, condensed water is no longer generated, but there is still residual condensed water in the upward drainage pipe and the water receiving pan. At this time, the drainage pump is controlled to work intermittently. When the drainage pump is working, the condensed water is discharged to the upward drainage pipe through the sterilization and purification module, and when the drainage pump stops working, the water in the upward drainage pipe flows back to the water receiving pan through the sterilization and purification module, and the cycle works in this way. During this process, the sterilization and purification module is always working, so the concentration of the bactericidal factor generated by the sterilization and purification module in the water receiving pan continues to increase, thereby achieving the effect of sterilizing and deodorizing the drainage pump and the water receiving pan.

[0017] In some embodiments of the present application, the air conditioner further comprises:

[0018] The upper return water pipeline, the horizontal section drainage pipeline is branched at its drainage end to form an upper return water pipeline, the upper return water pipeline is connected to the drainage end, the upward section drainage pipeline is connected to the water receiving pan, and the sterilization and purification module is arranged on the pipeline between the drainage port and the drainage end.

[0019] By setting up the upper return water pipeline, during the drainage process, part of the condensed water after passing through the sterilization and purification module returns to the water receiving tray, which not only sterilizes and deodorizes the drainage pipeline, but also continuously increases the concentration of the bactericidal factor in the water receiving tray, which is beneficial to the deodorization of the water receiving tray.

[0020] During the intermittent control process of the drain pump, when the drain pump is working, the condensed water is discharged to the upward drainage pipeline and the upper return water pipeline through the sterilization and purification module, and when the drain pump stops working, the water flow in the upward drainage pipeline and the water flow in the upper return water pipeline are returned to the water receiving tray through the sterilization and purification module, and the cycle is repeated.

[0021] During this cycle, the sterilization and purification module is always working, so the concentration of the sterilization factor produced by the sterilization and purification module in the water receiving tray continues to increase, achieving the effect of sterilizing and deodorizing the drain pump and the water receiving tray.

[0022] In some embodiments of the present application, the air conditioner further comprises:

[0023] A tee has a first opening, a second opening and a third opening which are connected to each other, wherein the first opening is connected to the drainage end of the horizontal section drainage pipeline, the second opening is connected to the water inlet end of the upward section drainage pipeline, and the third opening is connected to the water inlet end of the upper return water pipeline.

[0024] A tee is used to change the flow direction of condensed water in the drainage pipeline.

[0025] In some embodiments of the present application, a water return port is provided on the water receiving bottom wall of the water receiving tray;

[0026] The horizontal section drainage pipeline is branched at its drainage end to form a lower return water pipeline, the sterilization and purification module is arranged on the pipeline between the drainage port and the drainage end, the lower return water pipeline is respectively connected to the drainage end, and the upward section drainage pipeline is connected to the return water port;

[0027] When the main control unit controls the drainage pump and the sterilization and purification module to work, condensed water flows through the sterilization and purification module, a part of which is discharged to the outside through the upward drainage pipeline, and the other part is returned to the return water port through the lower return water pipeline.

[0028] By arranging a return water port on the bottom wall of the water receiving tray, during the drainage process, part of the condensed water after passing through the sterilization and purification module returns to the water receiving tray, increasing the concentration of the bactericidal factor in the water receiving tray, which is beneficial to the deodorization of the water receiving tray. At the same time, the water flow returning to the return water port disturbs the condensed water in the water receiving tray, facilitating the discharge of foreign matter in the condensed water and reducing the risk of foreign matter blocking the drainage pump.

[0029] In some embodiments of the present application, the cross-sectional area of ​​the lower return water pipeline is smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the upward drainage pipeline.

[0030] A lower return water pipeline with a smaller cross-sectional area is provided, so that the returned condensed water can be returned to the water receiving pan in small amounts and slowly without causing a large disturbance to the condensed water in the water receiving pan. While introducing the bactericidal factors into the water receiving pan, the impact on the condensed water is reduced, and there is no air mixing, no bubbles are generated, and the return water noise is avoided.

[0031] In some embodiments of the present application, the water pump driving unit includes:

[0032] A water pump driving chip, the signal output by the speed feedback pin of which is fed back to the main control unit, for real-time detection of the speed of the drainage pump;

[0033] An overcurrent protection circuit is disposed on the periphery of the water pump driving chip to provide overcurrent protection for the drainage pump motor.

[0034] In some embodiments of the present application, the water pump driving chip has a first pin, a second pin and a third pin, and the overcurrent protection circuit is connected between the first pin, the second pin and the third pin;

[0035] The overcurrent protection circuit includes a first resistor, a second resistor and a third resistor, the first pin is grounded through the first resistor, the second pin is grounded through the second resistor, the third pin is connected to one end of the third resistor, and the other end of the third resistor is connected to the connection point between the second resistor and the second pin.

[0036] In some embodiments of the present application, the drainage pump comprises:

[0037] A drainage motor connected to the water pump drive unit;

[0038] A pump housing, on which the water inlet and the water outlet are formed;

[0039] An impeller is arranged in the pump housing; the impeller comprises a central axis, a disk surrounding the axis, a plurality of first blades extending radially outward from the axis, and a plurality of second blades; the central axis is connected to the output shaft of the drainage motor; the first blades are connected to the central axis and the disk; the second blades are connected to the first blades and extend out of the drainage port away from the central axis along the axial direction of the central axis;

[0040] At least one guide plate is arranged on at least one of the second blades, and the guide plate extends from bottom to top in the opposite direction of the rotation of the impeller; at least one blade is arranged on the bottom of the second blade extending out of the drain outlet, and each blade is radially arranged from the axis to the surrounding areas on the rotation plane of the impeller, and the blade faces the rotation direction of the impeller.

[0041] The air conditioner involved in the present application is provided with a guide plate on the blades of the drainage pump impeller, which is used to improve the drainage capacity during the operation of the drainage pump, thereby improving the drainage efficiency.

[0042] A blade is arranged at the bottom of the impeller of the drainage pump, and the blade is driven to rotate when the drainage pump rotates to cut and crush foreign matter in the water receiving tray. The cut and crushed foreign matter reduces the risk of clogging the drainage pump, which is conducive to reliable drainage of the drainage pump.

[0043] In some embodiments of the present application, a plurality of spaced guide plates are respectively provided on each of the second blades;

[0044] The extension degree of each guide plate from bottom to top is the same.

[0045] The multiple spaced guide plates can enhance the water flow lifting effect.

[0046] In some embodiments of the present application, at least one brush is further provided on the bottom of the second blade extending out of the drain outlet; the brushes are radially arranged from the axis to the surrounding areas on the rotation plane of the impeller.

[0047] When the drainage pump is working, the blade and the brush will rotate with the impeller. The blade is used to cut and crush foreign matter to facilitate discharge, and the brush collects foreign matter by sticking to it, reducing its deposition in the water tray.

[0048] In some embodiments of the present application, during the period when the main control unit controls the drainage pump to work intermittently, the main control unit controls the air conditioner to start heating operation and controls the indoor fan to run at a low speed.

[0049] When the drainage pump is controlled to work intermittently, so that the docking water pan is sterilized and deodorized, the air conditioner is controlled to start heating operation, and the indoor fan is operated at a low speed, so that the hot air blown by the indoor fan evaporates the condensed water in the docking water pan, thereby enhancing the deodorization effect.

[0050] In some embodiments of the present application, the air conditioner further includes a fan driving unit, which communicates with the main control unit via a communication unit and is used to drive the indoor fan to start or stop running.

[0051] A communication unit is used to realize a communication circuit between the main control unit and the fan drive unit. The communication unit may be a UART communication circuit.

[0052] In some embodiments of the present application, the air conditioner further comprises:

[0053] A float switch is connected to the main control unit and is used to detect the water level in the water receiving tray. When the water level in the water receiving tray reaches the preset water level, the float switch sends a detection signal to the main control unit. The main control unit receives the detection signal and stops the indoor fan.

[0054] By setting a float switch and a preset water level, when the drainage pump malfunctions and cannot drain water in time, a detection signal can be sent to the main control unit to stop the indoor fan and avoid further generation of condensed water.

[0055] After reading the specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, other features and advantages of the present invention will become more clear. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0056] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the utility model or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the utility model. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative labor.

[0057] Figure 1 This is the principle block diagram of the air conditioner;

[0058] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the arrangement of the drainage pump in the water receiving tray of the air conditioner embodiment proposed in this application Figure 1 ;

[0059] Figure 3 A structural block diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the air conditioner proposed in the present application;

[0060] Figure 4 A pin connection diagram of an air conditioner embodiment according to the present application;

[0061] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the arrangement of the drainage pump in the water receiving tray of the air conditioner embodiment proposed in this application Figure 2 ;

[0062] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the arrangement of the drainage pump in the water receiving tray of the air conditioner embodiment proposed in this application Figure 3 ;

[0063] Figure 7 It is a structural schematic diagram of an existing drainage pump;

[0064] Figure 8 It is a structural schematic diagram of an impeller in an existing drainage pump;

[0065] Fig. 9 A structural diagram of an embodiment of a drainage pump in an air conditioner embodiment according to the present application;

[0066] Fig.10 The structure of the impeller in one embodiment of the drainage pump in the air conditioner embodiment proposed in this application Figure 1 ;

[0067] Fig.11 The structure of the impeller in one embodiment of the drainage pump in the air conditioner embodiment proposed in this application Figure 2 ;

[0068] Fig.12 A structural diagram of another embodiment of a drainage pump in an air conditioner embodiment according to the present application;

[0069] Fig.13 The structure of the impeller in another embodiment of the drainage pump in the air conditioner embodiment proposed in this application Figure 1 ;

[0070] Fig.14 The structure of the impeller in another embodiment of the drainage pump in the air conditioner embodiment proposed in this application Figure 2 ;

[0071] Reference numerals:

[0072] 100, water receiving tray; 110, water receiving bottom wall; 111, water return port; 200, drainage pump; 210, pump casing; 220, water inlet; 230, drainage port; 240, impeller; 241, central axis; 242, disc; 243, first blade; 244, second blade; 245, auxiliary blade; 246, guide plate; 247, blade; 248, brush; 250, horizontal section drainage pipeline; 260, upward section drainage pipeline; 270, tee; 280, upper return water pipeline; 290, lower return water pipeline; 300, main control unit; 400, sterilization and purification module; 500, water pump drive unit; 600, switch tube. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0073] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0074] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0075] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this application, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0076] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0077] In the present utility model, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include that the first and second features are in direct contact, or may include that the first and second features are not in direct contact but are in contact through another feature between them. Moreover, a first feature being "above", "above" and "above" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below", "below" and "below" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0078] The disclosure below provides many different embodiments or examples for realizing different structures of the utility model. In order to simplify the disclosure of the utility model, the components and settings of specific examples are described below. Of course, they are merely examples, and the purpose is not to limit the utility model. In addition, the utility model may repeat reference numbers and / or reference letters in different examples, and such repetition is for the purpose of simplification and clarity, and does not itself indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and / or settings discussed. In addition, the utility model provides various specific examples of processes and materials, but those of ordinary skill in the art may be aware of the application of other processes and / or the use of other materials.

[0079] <Basic working principle of air conditioner>

[0080] See also Figure 1 , which shows a structural block diagram of an air conditioner.

[0081] The air conditioner performs the air conditioner's refrigeration cycle by using a compressor, condenser, expansion valve, and evaporator. The refrigeration cycle includes a series of processes involving compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation to cool or heat the indoor space.

[0082] The low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant enters the compressor, which compresses it into high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas and discharges the compressed refrigerant gas. The discharged refrigerant gas flows into the condenser. The condenser condenses the compressed refrigerant into a liquid phase, and the heat is released to the surrounding environment through the condensation process.

[0083] The expansion valve expands the high-temperature and high-pressure liquid refrigerant condensed in the condenser into a low-pressure liquid refrigerant. The evaporator evaporates the refrigerant expanded in the expansion valve and returns the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant gas to the compressor. The evaporator can achieve a cooling effect by utilizing the latent heat of evaporation of the refrigerant to exchange heat with the material to be cooled. In the entire cycle, the air conditioner can adjust the temperature of the indoor space.

[0084] The outdoor unit of the air conditioner refers to a portion of a refrigeration cycle including a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger, the indoor unit of the air conditioner includes an indoor heat exchanger, and an expansion valve may be provided in the indoor unit or the outdoor unit.

[0085] The indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger function as a condenser or an evaporator. When the indoor heat exchanger functions as a condenser, the air conditioner functions as a heater in a heating mode, and when the indoor heat exchanger functions as an evaporator, the air conditioner functions as a cooler in a cooling mode.

[0086] The drain pump 200 is a component of the indoor unit of the air conditioner. In the cooling mode of the air conditioner, condensed water will be generated on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger serving as the evaporator when the air flow passes through it. Generally, a water receiving pan 100 for receiving the condensed water is arranged under the indoor heat exchanger.

[0087] See also Figure 2 The drain pump 200 is installed in the water receiving pan 100 and is used to draw out the condensed water in the water receiving pan 100 to the outside of the air conditioner indoor unit when the drain pump 200 is started.

[0088] Generally, the water receiving bottom wall 110 at the bottom of the water receiving tray 100 is horizontal. When the drain pump 200 is installed, the water inlet 220 of the drain pump 200 is a certain distance away from the water receiving bottom wall 110 of the water receiving tray 100. Therefore, after drainage is completed, condensed water is likely to remain at the bottom of the water receiving tray 100.

[0089] While receiving condensed water, the water receiving pan 100 also deposits foreign matter such as lint and hair from the low-temperature evaporator and the air on the water receiving bottom wall 110. When the drain pump 200 is unable to drain the condensed water in the water receiving pan 100, long-term deposition will produce odor, resulting in a poor user experience.

[0090] In addition, in addition to a horizontal drainage pipe 250 connected to the drainage outlet 230 of the drainage pump 200, the existing home air conditioner generally has an upward drainage pipe 260 with a height of about 30 cm. After the air conditioner stops running, the drainage pump 200 will also stop running. The water in the drainage pipe cannot be emptied immediately, and will immediately and quickly return to the water receiving tray 100 under the influence of gravity.

[0091] Therefore, by utilizing the drainage method of the existing drainage pump 200 , the present application proposes an air conditioner in order to solve the odor problem in the water receiving tray 100 .

[0092] In some embodiments of the present application, see Figure 2 A sterilization and purification module 400 is set on the horizontal drainage pipeline 250, which is used to control the sterilization and purification module 400 to work during drainage, so that the sterilization and purification module 400 reacts with the condensed water flowing through the horizontal drainage pipeline 250 to produce a sterilization factor, and the condensed water containing the sterilization factor continuously sterilizes and deodorizes the drainage pipeline.

[0093] When the indoor fan is stopped by turning off the indoor machine, no condensed water is generated, but there is still residual condensed water in the upward drainage pipe 250 and the water receiving pan 100. At this time, the drainage pump 200 is controlled to work intermittently to allow intermittent drainage and water return.

[0094] When the drain pump 200 drains water, condensed water is sucked into the upward drainage pipe 260 via the sterilization and purification module 400. When the drain pump 200 stops working, the condensed water in the upward drainage pipe 260 flows through the sterilization and purification module 400 and flows back to the water receiving tray 100, and the cycle continues.

[0095] During this cycle, the sterilization and purification module 400 is always working, so the concentration of the sterilization factor generated by the sterilization and purification module 400 in the water receiving tray 100 continues to increase, achieving the effect of sterilizing and deodorizing the drain pump 200 and the water receiving tray 100.

[0096] In some embodiments of the present application, the sterilization and purification module 400 may be an ozone generator.

[0097] The working principle of the ozone generator is: using special electrodes to electrolyze water molecules flowing through the electrode surface under low voltage conditions to generate bactericidal factors such as hydroxyl free radicals OH- with strong oxidizing properties and ozone O3.

[0098] The hydroxyl free radical OH- can react with the double bonds of lipids in the bacterial cell wall, penetrate into the bacteria, act on proteins and lipopolysaccharides, change cell permeability, and thus cause bacterial death; the hydroxyl free radical OH- can also act on the nuclear material of the cell, destroy nucleic acids and DNA, and achieve a bactericidal effect.

[0099] Hydroxyl free radicals OH- can destroy the viral protein shell and damage RNA, achieving a virus-killing effect.

[0100] Ozone O3 can oxidize and decompose the enzymes needed for glucose inside bacteria, extinguishing the bacteria and killing them; ozone O3 can also directly react with bacteria and viruses, destroying DNA and RNA in cells, disrupting bacterial metabolism and leading to death; ozone O3 can also penetrate cell membrane tissue and invade cells, acting on the lipoproteins in the outer membrane and the lipopolysaccharides inside, causing the bacteria to undergo permeability distortion and dissolve and die, achieving a virus and bactericidal effect.

[0101] In some embodiments of the present application, the sterilization and purification module 400 is an electrolysis module.

[0102] The water entering the electrolysis module is electrolyzed to produce strong oxidizing ions with strong oxidizing properties. The strong oxidizing ions can play an antibacterial and bactericidal role and effectively prevent bacterial growth.

[0103] The strong oxidizing ion may be a hypochlorite ion, which has a strong oxidizing property and can act on bacterial pollutants to achieve a sterilizing and purifying effect.

[0104] In some embodiments of the present application, see Figure 3 The air conditioner includes a water receiving tray 100, a drainage pump 200, a sterilization and purification module 400, a water pump driving unit 500 and a main control unit 300.

[0105] The water receiving tray 100 is located in the indoor unit of the air conditioner and is used to receive condensed water generated when the air flow passes through the low-temperature indoor heat exchanger surface during the cooling operation of the air conditioner.

[0106] See also Figure 2 The drainage pump 200 has a water inlet 220 and a drainage outlet 230 , and a drainage pipeline is arranged at the drainage outlet 230 .

[0107] The drain pump 200 is installed in the water receiving tray 100 , for example, inverted in the water receiving tray 100 , so that the water inlet 220 of the drain pump 200 faces the water receiving tray 100 , for example, contacts the condensed water in the water receiving tray 100 .

[0108] When the drain pump 200 is working, the water inlet 220 of the drain pump 200 can extract the condensed water collected in the water tray 100 .

[0109] See above Figure 2 As shown, the drainage pipeline has a horizontal section drainage pipeline 250 and an upward section drainage pipeline 260 (forming a drainage lift for preventing backflow).

[0110] In some embodiments of the present application, the sterilization and purification module 400 is arranged on the horizontal section drainage pipeline 250. When the sterilization and purification module 400 is working, the sterilization and purification module 400 electrolyzes the condensed water flowing through it to generate sterilization factors such as hydroxyl free radicals OH- with strong oxidizing properties and ozone O3.

[0111] When drainage is required, the main control unit 300 controls the drainage pump 200 to work through the water pump driving unit 500, and the main control unit 300 controls the sterilization and purification module 400 to work as well. At this time, drainage starts, and the discharged condensed water first passes through the sterilization and purification module 400, and then is discharged to the outside through the upward drainage pipe 260.

[0112] During the drainage process, the condensed water containing bactericidal factors continuously sterilizes and deodorizes the drainage pipes.

[0113] When the indoor unit is shut down (for example, turned off or temperature controlled), the indoor fan will also stop running. Therefore, the moisture in the air cannot be blown to the low-temperature evaporator, so condensation will not occur.

[0114] When no condensed water is generated, the main control unit 300 controls the drain pump 200 to work intermittently, that is, after working for a period of time, it stops for a period of time, and then works for a period of time, and so on, until the drain pump 200 stops.

[0115] When the drain pump 200 is working, the condensed water is discharged to the upward drainage pipeline 260 through the sterilization and purification module 400. Then, when the drain pump 200 stops, the condensed water in the upward drainage pipeline 260 is returned to the water receiving tray 100 through the sterilization and purification module 400, and the cycle continues.

[0116] Therefore, when the drain pump 200 works intermittently for a period of time, more bactericidal factors are brought into the water receiving tray 100, so that the concentration of the bactericidal factors in the water receiving tray 100 continues to increase, achieving the effect of sterilizing and deodorizing the drain pump 200 and the water receiving tray 100.

[0117] In some embodiments of the present application, a first period of time T1, a second period of time T2 and a third period of time T3 may be set.

[0118] During the intermittent operation of the drainage pump 200, the drainage pump 200 is controlled to work for a first period of time T1, and then stops for a second period of time T2, and this cycle is repeated until the accumulated time reaches a third period of time T3, at which time the drainage pump 200 is controlled to stop working.

[0119] In some embodiments of the present application, the main control unit 300 is communicatively connected to the fan drive unit (not shown) via a communication unit (not shown), and the fan drive unit outputs a drive signal to the indoor fan to start or stop the indoor fan.

[0120] The communication unit may adopt a UART communication loop.

[0121] In some embodiments of the present application, the drain pump 200 can be stopped by gradually reducing its speed.

[0122] In some embodiments of the present application, the water pump driving unit 500 is connected to the main control unit 300, and is used to receive a PWM pulse driving signal issued by the main control unit 300, and control the operation of the drainage pump 200 based on the PWM pulse driving signal.

[0123] The larger the duty cycle of the PWM pulse driving signal, the faster the drain pump 200 runs, and thus the faster the drainage speed is; the smaller the duty cycle of the PWM pulse driving signal, the slower the drain pump 200 runs, and thus the slower the drainage speed is.

[0124] The main control unit 300 inputs different PWM pulse driving signals to the water pump driving unit 500, thereby controlling the drainage pump 200 to operate at a corresponding rotation speed.

[0125] The core unit of the main control unit 300 is the MCU chip.

[0126] See also Figure 4 The water pump driving unit 500 includes a water pump driving chip having a PWM pin, and the PWM pin is used to receive a PWM pulse signal output by a first output pin of the MCU chip.

[0127] The water pump driving chip also has an overcurrent protection function, and an overcurrent protection circuit is set on its periphery to achieve current limiting protection for the drainage motor of the drainage pump 200.

[0128] In some embodiments of this application, see Figure 4 The water pump driving chip has a first pin, a second pin and a third pin, and the overcurrent protection circuit is arranged between the first pin, the second pin and the third pin.

[0129] The overcurrent protection circuit includes a first resistor R1, a second resistor R2 and a third resistor R3.

[0130] The first pin is grounded through the first resistor R1 , the second pin is grounded through the second resistor R2 , and the third pin is connected to a connection point where the second pin and the second resistor R2 are connected through the third resistor R3 .

[0131] The overcurrent protection limit of the drainage motor of the drainage pump 200 can be set by setting the values ​​of each resistor, and different overcurrent protection limit values ​​can be set by changing the values ​​of each resistor.

[0132] See also Figure 4 The water pump driver chip also has a speed feedback pin, and the MCU chip has a first input pin.

[0133] The speed feedback pin is connected to the first input pin, and is used by the main control unit 300 to detect the speed of the drainage pump 200 in real time and perform closed-loop control on the speed to achieve stable and controllable speed.

[0134] In some embodiments of the present application, the main control unit 300 is connected to the sterilization and purification module 400, see Figure 4 A switch tube 600 is provided on the power supply circuit of the sterilization and purification module 400 , and the switch tube 600 is controlled by the MCU chip.

[0135] The switch tube 600 can be selected as a transistor NPN or PNP.

[0136] In some embodiments of the present application, in order to sterilize and deodorize the drainage pipe in addition to connecting to the water pan 100 for sterilization and deodorization during drainage, the present application branches off at the drainage end of the horizontal section drainage pipe 250 to form an upper return water pipe 280 .

[0137] See also Figure 5 The upper water return pipe 280 returns the condensed water to the water receiving pan 100 .

[0138] The water inlet end of the upper return water pipeline 280 is respectively connected to the drainage end of the horizontal section drainage pipeline 250 and the water inlet end of the upward section drainage pipeline 260, and the sterilization and purification module 400 is arranged on the pipeline between the drainage outlet 230 of the drainage pump 200 and the drainage end of the horizontal section drainage pipeline 250.

[0139] That is, when the drain pump 200 drains water, a part of the condensed water containing the bactericidal factor after passing through the sterilization and purification module 400 enters the upward drainage pipe 260 to sterilize and deodorize the drainage pipe, and the other part of the condensed water enters the upper return water pipe 280 and returns to the water receiving pan 100, so that the bactericidal factor enters the water receiving pan 100 to sterilize and deodorize the water receiving pan 100.

[0140] During the continuous drainage process, the concentration of the bactericidal factor in the water receiving tray 100 is continuously increased, thereby enhancing the bactericidal and deodorizing effect of the water receiving tray 100 .

[0141] In the process of controlling the intermittent operation of the drain pump 200, when the drain pump 200 is working, the flow direction of condensed water refers to the part described above. When the drain pump 200 stops working, condensed water exists in the upward drainage pipeline 250 and the upper return water pipeline 280. When the water returns to the drain pump 200, it returns to the drain pump 200 and the water receiving pan 100 after passing through the sterilization and purification module 400, thereby achieving sterilization and deodorization of the drain pump 200 and the water receiving pan 100.

[0142] In some embodiments of the present application, as described above, foreign matter is deposited in the water receiving pan 100 for a long time, and more large foreign matter deposited together will cause the risk of dirty blockage of the drain pump 200, and the longer the deposition time, the more difficult it is to clean the deposited foreign matter. Therefore, in some embodiments of the present application, a water return port 111 is opened on the water receiving bottom wall 110 of the water receiving pan 100, see Figure 6 .

[0143] In addition, a lower return water pipeline 290 is branched at a position where the horizontal section drainage pipeline 250 and the upward section drainage pipeline 260 are connected.

[0144] The lower water return pipeline 290 is a pipeline extending in the opposite direction to the upward drainage pipeline 260 , and is connected to the water return port 111 of the water receiving tray 100 for water return.

[0145] As described above, the water inlet 220 of the drain pump 200 is installed at a certain distance from the water receiving bottom wall 110 of the water receiving tray 100, and the return water port 111 is preferably set close to the water inlet 220. Therefore, the condensed water of the return water can disturb the condensed water in the water receiving tray 100 so that it can be better absorbed by the water inlet 220 of the drain pump 200.

[0146] See also Figure 6 When drainage is required, the drainage pump 200 works, and the sterilization and purification module 400 also works. A portion of the water discharged from the drainage port 230 flows through the sterilization and purification module 400 to the upward drainage pipe 260 and is discharged to the outside, and a portion of the water flows to the downward return pipe 290 and returns to the return port 111.

[0147] In this way, while the bactericidal factors produced by the sterilization and purification module 400 sterilize and deodorize the drainage pipe, a portion of the bactericidal factors are introduced back into the water receiving pan 100, so that the water receiving pan 100 is also sterilized and deodorized. At the same time, the return water also disturbs the condensed water and foreign matter in the water receiving pan 100, so that the disturbed foreign matter does not settle, and is discharged to the outside along with the condensed water through the drain pump 200, avoiding long-term sedimentation, thereby improving the drainage and sewage discharge capacity of the drain pump 200 to the water receiving pan 100.

[0148] When the indoor unit is turned off, the drainage pump 200 operates intermittently.

[0149] When the drain pump 200 is working, as described above, the condensed water is discharged to the upward drainage pipe 260, and at the same time, the return water is returned through the lower return water pipe 290 to disturb the condensed water in the docking water pan 100; when the drain pump 200 stops working, a part of the return water in the upward drainage pipe 260 is returned to the drain pump 200 via the sterilization and purification module 400, and a part of the return water is returned to the water receiving pan 100 via the lower return water pipe 290.

[0150] This cycle continuously increases the concentration of the bactericidal factor in the water receiving tray 100, thereby enhancing the bactericidal and deodorizing effect of the water receiving tray 100.

[0151] In some embodiments of the present application, see Figure 5 A tee 270 is provided at the drainage end of the horizontal drainage pipeline 250 to change the direction of the condensed water drawn out from the drainage port 230 .

[0152] The tee 270 has three ports, which are respectively referred to as a first port, a second port, and a third port that are connected to each other.

[0153] The first opening is connected to the drainage end of the horizontal section drainage pipeline 250 , the second opening is connected to the water inlet end of the upward section drainage pipeline 260 , and the third opening is connected to the water inlet end of the lower return water pipeline 290 .

[0154] In some embodiments of the present application, when designing, refer to Figure 6 The cross-sectional area of ​​the lower return water pipeline 290 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the upward drainage pipeline 260 , wherein the cross-sectional area of ​​the horizontal drainage pipeline 250 is greater than or equal to the cross-sectional area of ​​the upward drainage pipeline 260 .

[0155] Since the cross-sectional areas of the horizontal section drainage pipe 250 and the upward section drainage pipe 260 are larger and the cross-sectional area of ​​the lower return water pipe 290 is smaller, when the drainage pump 200 is working, most of the condensed water is discharged to the outside through the horizontal section drainage pipe 250 and the upward section drainage pipe 260 to ensure drainage efficiency, and a small part of the condensed water is returned to the return water port 111 of the water receiving bottom wall 110 of the water receiving pan 100 through the lower return water pipe 290.

[0156] The small flow of water disturbs the condensed water and sediment in the water tray 100 to avoid the noise caused by a large-scale disturbance, and the disturbed foreign matter will be discharged along with the condensed water by the drain pump 200.

[0157] In some embodiments of the present application, during the drainage process of the drain pump 200, the rotation speed of the drain pump 200 can be controlled. The greater the rotation speed, the greater the drainage force and the greater the return water pressure. In this way, the disturbance force of the condensed water on the bottom wall 110 of the water tray 100 is also greater, which is more conducive to the discharge of impurities and foreign matter by the drain pump 200.

[0158] In addition, the small flow rate backflow reduces the water flow noise caused by the impact of the water flow, and at the same time the return water is mixed with the condensed water in the water receiving tray 100 without air mixing, and no bubbles are generated, thereby reducing the return water noise.

[0159] As described above, the sediment in the water receiving tray 100 may cause the drainage pump 200 to become dirty and clogged, affecting the reliability of the drainage pump 200. Therefore, the present application may also provide a guide plate 246 and a blade 247 on the drainage pump impeller 240.

[0160] The guide plate 246 provided improves the drainage capacity, and when the drainage pump 200 rotates, the blade 247 crushes and cuts foreign matter, reducing the risk of large foreign matter entering the drainage pump 200 and fouling the drainage pump 200, thereby improving the working reliability of the drainage pump 200.

[0161] A conventional drainage pump 200 includes a drainage motor, a pump housing 210 and an impeller 240 .

[0162] The impeller 240 is disposed in the pump housing 210 . The impeller 240 is connected to the drainage motor and is driven by the drainage motor to rotate freely in the pump housing 210 .

[0163] The drainage motor is connected to the water pump driving unit 500 and is controlled by the main control unit 300 .

[0164] A water inlet 220 and a water outlet 230 are formed on the pump housing 210 . Specifically, the water inlet 220 is provided at the bottom of the pump housing 210 , and the water outlet 230 is provided at the side.

[0165] When the drain pump 200 is working, the drain motor drives the impeller 240 to rotate, and the condensed water accumulated in the water receiving tray 100 is sucked into the water inlet 220, and rises upward in the pump body due to the inertia driven by the impeller 240, and is finally discharged to the outside from the drain port 230 under the action of centrifugal force.

[0166] The impeller 240 is a key component of the drainage pump 200. Figure 7 A conventional drain pump 200 is shown, and Figure 8 A structural diagram of a conventional impeller 240 is shown.

[0167] The impeller 240 has a central axis 241 , a disk 242 surrounding the axis, a plurality of first blades 243 , a plurality of auxiliary blades 245 and a plurality of second blades 244 .

[0168] The central shaft portion 241 is located at the axis of the impeller 240 and is connected to the output shaft of the drainage motor to receive the power output by the drainage motor.

[0169] The disk 242 includes a circumferential wall surrounding the axis of the impeller 240 of the drainage pump 200 and a bottom wall, wherein the bottom wall has a through hole, wherein the axis of the impeller 240 and the axis of the central shaft portion 241 are located on the same axis.

[0170] A plurality of first blades 243 are connected between the central shaft portion 241 and the circumferential wall of the disk 242 .

[0171] The first blades 243 are planar plate-shaped blades distributed along the axial direction of the central axis 241 and connected to each other. They are radially arranged from the axis to the surroundings, and generally there are four of them.

[0172] The auxiliary blades 245 are also planar plate-shaped blades, which are alternately located between the first blades 243 and are also radially arranged in all directions. The outer ends of the auxiliary blades 245 are connected to the circumferential wall.

[0173] In some embodiments of the present application, a plurality of second blades 244 are disposed below the disk and connected to the lower ends of a plurality of first blades 243 .

[0174] In some embodiments of the present application, the second blades 244 are planar plate-shaped blades distributed along the axial direction of the central axis 241 and connected to each other. They are radially arranged from the axis to the surroundings, and the number is generally 4.

[0175] When the drainage pump 200 is working, the impeller 240 draws and lifts water from the water inlet 220 by means of the rotation and stirring of the second blade 244 and the first blade 243 , and discharges the water from the drainage port 230 .

[0176] The bottom end of the second blade 244 of the conventional impeller 240 does not extend beyond the drain port 230 .

[0177] In some embodiments of the present application, the second blade 244 extends away from the central axis portion 241 along the axial direction of the central axis portion 241 and exceeds the drain port 240, see Fig. 9 .

[0178] See also Fig. 9 and Fig.10 At least one guide plate 246 is disposed on at least one of the second blades 244, and the guide plate 246 rotates along the impeller 240 (see Fig.10 The arrow in the middle indicates the reverse extension from bottom to top.

[0179] In some embodiments of the present application, the second blades 244 are planar plate-shaped blades distributed along the axial direction of the central axis 241 and connected to each other. The second blades 244 are four in number and are evenly arranged radially from the axis to the surrounding areas.

[0180] In this way, at least one guide plate 246 may be selectively provided on at least one second blade 244 . For example, three spaced guide plates 246 may be provided on each of two second blades 244 .

[0181] The extension degree of each guide plate 246 is the same. For example, the guide plates 246 are all in the shape of a flat plate, or are all in the shape of a spiral surface, etc.

[0182] In some embodiments of the present application, see Fig.11 Three spaced guide plates 246 are respectively disposed on each of the four second blades 244 , and the arrangement of the multiple guide plates 246 on each second blade 244 is the same.

[0183] In this way, when the impeller 240 rotates, the lifting capacity of the water flow can be evenly enhanced.

[0184] In some embodiments of the present application, see Fig.11The guide plate 246 can be a flat plate to reduce the manufacturing cost.

[0185] In some embodiments of the present application, the guide plate may be in the shape of a spiral surface, and the guide plate in the shape of a spiral surface can stably enhance the lifting capacity of water.

[0186] Regardless of the extension degree of the guide plate 246, the guide plate 246 extends from bottom to top in the opposite direction of the rotation of the impeller 240, so that the water flow can be lifted.

[0187] In some embodiments of the present application, when the second blades 244 are planar plate-shaped blades uniformly arranged radially from the axis to the periphery, see Fig.11 The multiple guide plates 246 belonging to the same blade are located on the outermost side of the second blade 244 .

[0188] In this way, the area of ​​the second blade 244 is increased, thereby improving the ability to lift the water flow.

[0189] By adding a guide plate 246 extending from bottom to top on the second blade 244, the water flow lifting capacity can be improved during the operation of the drainage pump 200, and the drainage head and flow rate can be increased, thereby improving the drainage efficiency and reducing the power of the drainage motor.

[0190] In some embodiments of the present application, see Fig.11 At least one blade 247 is disposed at the bottom of the second blade 244 .

[0191] The blades 247 are radially arranged from the axis to the periphery on the rotation plane of the impeller 240 , and the cutting edge of each blade 247 faces the rotation direction of the impeller 240 .

[0192] When the drain pump 200 is working, since the blade 247 is set on the second blade 244, the rotation of the impeller 240 drives the blade 247 to rotate. While the blade 247 rotates to stir the condensed water at the water inlet 220, it also cuts and crushes foreign matter in the condensed water to prevent large foreign matter from being sucked into the drain pump 200 and creating the risk of clogging the drain pump 200.

[0193] In some embodiments of the present application, there are multiple blades 247 to improve the efficiency of cutting foreign matter.

[0194] The plurality of blades 247 are evenly radially arranged from the axis to the surrounding areas on the rotation plane of the impeller 240, so that during the operation of the drainage pump 200, the plurality of evenly radially arranged blades 247 exert a consistent force on foreign matter in the condensed water, thereby achieving the working reliability of the drainage pump 200.

[0195] As described above, if each second blade 244 is four planar plate-shaped blades distributed along the axial direction of the central axis 241, connected to each other and radially arranged from the axis to the surroundings (see Fig.11 ), in order to arrange the blades 247 in a balanced manner, a blade 247 is set at the bottom of each second blade 244.

[0196] Thus, the four blades 247 are also arranged radially from the axis to the surrounding areas.

[0197] When the drainage pump 200 is working, the impeller 240 uses the guide plate 246 to enhance the lifting effect on the water flow, and the four blades 247 cut and crush foreign matter. Therefore, this impeller 240 not only improves the drainage efficiency, but also facilitates the discharge of the cut and crushed foreign matter, and avoids the risk of large foreign matter entering the drainage pump 200 and causing the drainage pump 200 to be blocked.

[0198] See also Figure 12 to Figure 14 In some embodiments of the present application, at least one blade 247 and at least one brush 248 may be provided at the bottom of the second blade 244 .

[0199] The arrangement of the at least one blade 247 may refer to the arrangement described above.

[0200] The brushes 248 are also radially arranged from the axis to the surrounding areas on the rotation plane of the impeller 240.

[0201] When the drainage pump 200 is working, the blade 247 and the brush 248 will rotate with the impeller 240. The blade 247 is used to cut and crush foreign matter to facilitate discharge, and the brush 248 collects foreign matter by sticking to reduce the deposition of foreign matter in the water receiving tray 100.

[0202] The foreign matter collected by the brush 248 can be processed collectively later.

[0203] In some embodiments of the present application, see Fig.13 and Fig.14 , multiple blades 247 and multiple brushes 248 can be set.

[0204] The blades 247 are alternately located between the brushes 248, making it easy to collect foreign matter after cutting.

[0205] The bristles of each brush 248 extend toward the water receiving tray 100 along the axial direction of the central axis portion 241 .

[0206] Such an arrangement can increase the contact area between the bristles and foreign matter when the impeller 240 rotates to stir the condensed water, so that the brush 248 can collect more foreign matter and prevent the foreign matter from being deposited in the water receiving tray 100.

[0207] In the description of the above embodiments, specific features, structures, materials or characteristics may be combined in a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0208] The above is only a specific implementation of the utility model, but the protection scope of the utility model is not limited to this. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily thought of by technicians familiar with the technical field within the technical scope disclosed by the utility model should be included in the protection scope of the utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of the utility model should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An air conditioner, characterized in that: include: A water receiving tray, which is used to receive condensed water generated during the cooling operation of the air conditioner; a drain pump installed in the water receiving tray, the drain pump having a water inlet and a drain outlet, the water inlet being communicated with the water receiving tray, and the drain outlet being used to discharge condensed water in the water receiving tray to the outside; A drainage pipeline, which is arranged at the drainage outlet and includes a horizontal drainage pipeline and an upward drainage pipeline, and a sterilization and purification module is arranged on the horizontal drainage pipeline; A water pump driving unit, which is used to drive the drainage pump to operate; A main control unit, which is connected to the water pump drive unit and the sterilization and purification module respectively; When the main control unit controls the drain pump to work through the water pump driving unit, the sterilization and purification module is controlled to work, and the condensed water flows through the sterilization and purification module and is discharged to the outside through the drainage pipeline; When the main control unit receives the instruction to stop the operation of the indoor unit, it controls the drainage pump to work intermittently until it stops.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: The upper return water pipeline, the horizontal section drainage pipeline is branched at its drainage end to form an upper return water pipeline, the upper return water pipeline is connected to the drainage end, the upward section drainage pipeline is connected to the water receiving pan, and the sterilization and purification module is arranged on the pipeline between the drainage port and the drainage end.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 2, characterized in that: Also includes: A tee has a first opening, a second opening and a third opening which are connected to each other, wherein the first opening is connected to the drainage end of the horizontal section drainage pipeline, the second opening is connected to the water inlet end of the upward section drainage pipeline, and the third opening is connected to the water inlet end of the upper return water pipeline.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: A water return port is provided on the water receiving bottom wall of the water receiving tray; The horizontal section drainage pipeline is branched at its drainage end to form a lower return water pipeline, the sterilization and purification module is arranged on the pipeline between the drainage port and the drainage end, the lower return water pipeline is respectively connected to the drainage end, and the upward section drainage pipeline is connected to the return water port; When the main control unit controls the drainage pump and the sterilization and purification module to work, condensed water flows through the sterilization and purification module, a part of which is discharged to the outside through the upward drainage pipeline, and the other part is returned to the return water port through the lower return water pipeline.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 4, characterized in that: The cross-sectional area of ​​the lower return water pipeline is smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the upward drainage pipeline.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water pump driving unit comprises: A water pump driving chip, the signal output by the speed feedback pin of which is fed back to the main control unit, for real-time detection of the speed of the drainage pump; An overcurrent protection circuit is disposed on the periphery of the water pump driving chip to provide overcurrent protection for the drainage pump motor.

7. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drainage pump comprises: A drainage motor connected to the water pump drive unit; A pump housing, on which the water inlet and the water outlet are formed; An impeller is arranged in the pump housing; the impeller comprises a central axis, a disk surrounding the axis, a plurality of first blades extending radially outward from the axis, and a plurality of second blades; the central axis is connected to the output shaft of the drainage motor; the first blades are connected to the central axis and the disk; the second blades are connected to the first blades and extend out of the drainage port away from the central axis along the axial direction of the central axis; At least one guide plate is arranged on at least one of the second blades, and the guide plate extends from bottom to top in the opposite direction of the rotation of the impeller; at least one blade is arranged on the bottom of the second blade extending out of the drain outlet, and each blade is radially arranged from the axis to the surrounding areas on the rotation plane of the impeller, and the blade faces the rotation direction of the impeller.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 7, characterized in that: A plurality of spaced guide plates are respectively arranged on each of the second blades; The extension degree of each guide plate from bottom to top is the same.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 7, characterized in that: At least one brush is also arranged on the bottom of the second blade extending out of the drainage port; each brush is radially arranged from the axis to the surroundings on the rotation plane of the impeller.

10. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: During the period when the main control unit controls the drainage pump to work intermittently, the main control unit controls the air conditioner to start heating operation and controls the indoor fan to run at a low speed.

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