Air conditioner and outdoor unit thereof

By setting up a laser deicing device on the upper side of the water connection tray of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner, the laser beam is emitted to the drainage hole, solving the problem of ice blockage, improving the heat exchange efficiency and preventing shutdown.

CN222773437UActive Publication Date: 2025-04-18QINGDAO HAIER AIR CONDITIONER GENERAL CORP LTD +2
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202421350566.2
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Utility models(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-06-13
Publication Date
2025-04-18
Estimated Expiration
2034-06-13

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The drain holes of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner are easily blocked by ice, resulting in the heat exchange effect or the air conditioner shutdown.

Method used

A laser deicing device is provided on the upper side of the water connection tray, and the laser beam is emitted at least towards the drainage hole, so that the melted ice cubes can relieve blockage.

Benefits of technology

Effectively prevent the ice layer in the water-connecting tray from thickening, improve the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger, and avoid shutdown problems caused by poor drainage.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The utility model provides an air conditioner and an outdoor unit thereof. The outdoor unit comprises a water pan and a laser deicing device. A drainage hole is formed in the bottom of the water pan. The laser deicing device is arranged on the upper side of the water pan and is configured to emit laser beams at least towards the drainage hole. According to the outdoor unit, the laser deicing device is arranged on the upper side of the water pan, the laser deicing device can emit the laser beams to the water drainage holes, the laser beams can melt ice at the water drainage holes, the blocking condition of the water drainage holes can be relieved, and water in the water pan can be smoothly drained from the water drainage holes. The effects of preventing the ice layer in the water pan from being thickened and improving the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger are achieved.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of air conditioning, in particular to an air conditioner and an outdoor unit thereof. Background Art

[0002] The outdoor unit of the air conditioner is usually provided with a water receiving pan under the heat exchanger to receive the condensed water or defrosted water flowing down from the heat exchanger. A drainage hole is provided at the bottom of the water receiving pan to discharge the condensed water and defrosted water.

[0003] When the outdoor temperature is low, the water in the water tray is prone to freezing and causing the drain hole to become clogged. When the defrosting time of the outdoor unit is too short, the ice on the surface of the heat exchanger and the defrosted water flow into the water tray together, which can also easily cause the drain hole to become clogged. When the drain hole is clogged, the ice in the water tray will accumulate thicker and thicker, seriously affecting the heat exchange effect of the heat exchanger and even causing the air conditioner to shut down. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of the above problems, the present utility model is proposed to provide an air conditioner and its outdoor unit that overcome the above problems or at least partially solve the above problems, aiming to solve the problem that the drainage holes of the existing water receiving tray are easily blocked by ice.

[0005] Specifically, the utility model provides the following technical solutions:

[0006] An outdoor unit of an air conditioner comprises a water receiving tray and a laser deicing device.

[0007] The bottom of the water receiving tray is provided with a drainage hole.

[0008] The laser deicing device is arranged on the upper side of the water receiving tray, and the laser deicing device is configured to emit a laser beam at least toward the drainage hole.

[0009] Optionally, the laser deicing device includes a laser emitter and a mounting seat, the laser emitter is mounted on the mounting seat, and the mounting seat is directly or indirectly fixedly connected to the water receiving tray.

[0010] The emitting end of the laser emitter at least faces the drainage hole.

[0011] Optionally, the laser transmitter is fixedly connected to the mounting seat. The laser beam emitted by the laser transmitter at least covers the drainage hole.

[0012] Optionally, the laser emitter is rotatably connected to the mounting seat so that the laser beam emitted by the laser emitter scans at least at the drainage hole and covers the drainage hole.

[0013] Optionally, a drainage area which gradually slopes downward is provided at the bottom of the water receiving tray, the drainage area is located around the drainage hole, and the drainage hole is located at the lowest point of the drainage area.

[0014] Optionally, the laser emitter is fixedly connected to the mounting seat. The laser beam emitted by the laser emitter at least covers the drainage area.

[0015] Optionally, the laser emitter is rotatably connected to the mounting seat so that the laser beam emitted by the laser emitter scans at least within the drainage area and covers the drainage area.

[0016] Optionally, on a horizontal projection plane, the drainage area is rectangular.

[0017] The laser emitter is rotatably connected to the mounting seat around a horizontal axis perpendicular to the length direction of the drainage area, so that the laser beam emitted by the laser emitter scans back and forth in the length direction of the drainage area.

[0018] Optionally, a fan mounting portion is provided on the water receiving tray.

[0019] The outdoor unit further comprises a fan mounting frame, which is vertically arranged and has a bottom fixedly connected to the fan mounting portion.

[0020] The mounting seat is fixedly connected to a side of the fan mounting frame close to the drainage hole.

[0021] On the other hand, the present application also provides an air conditioner, the air conditioner comprising an indoor unit and the outdoor unit described above. The indoor unit and the outdoor unit are connected by a pipeline.

[0022] The utility model discloses an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, in which a laser deicing device is arranged on the upper side of a water receiving tray, and the laser deicing device can emit a laser beam to the drain hole, and the laser beam can melt the ice at the drain hole, and can remove the blockage of the drain hole, so that the water in the water receiving tray can be smoothly discharged from the drain hole, thereby preventing the ice layer in the water receiving tray from thickening and improving the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger.

[0023] Furthermore, the outdoor unit of the utility model is provided with a laser emitter rotatably connected to a mounting base so that the laser beam scans and covers the drainage hole. A laser emitter with a smaller laser beam or a smaller power can be selected, and the space occupied by the laser deicing device is reduced.

[0024] Furthermore, the outdoor unit of the utility model can promote the water in the water receiving tray to be discharged from the drainage hole by setting a downwardly inclined drainage area, and can melt the ice in the drainage area by expanding the area of ​​the laser beam emitted by the laser emitter so that the laser beam covers the drainage area, thereby avoiding poor drainage caused by freezing of the drainage area. This achieves the effect of preventing the ice layer in the water receiving tray from thickening and improving the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger.

[0025] Based on the detailed description of the specific embodiments of the present invention in combination with the accompanying drawings below, those skilled in the art will become more aware of the above and other purposes, advantages and features of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Hereinafter, some specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail in an exemplary and non-limiting manner with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the accompanying drawings indicate the same or similar components or parts. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the accompanying drawings:

[0027] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an air conditioner outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the utility model;

[0028] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of an outdoor unit according to another embodiment of the utility model;

[0029] Figure 3 It is a schematic top view of a water receiving tray of an outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the utility model.

[0030] List of reference numerals:

[0031] 100. water tray; 110. drainage hole; 120. drainage area; 130. fan installation part; 200. laser deicing device; 210. laser transmitter; 220. mounting seat; 300. fan mounting frame. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Refer to the following Figures 1 to 3 To describe the air conditioner and its outdoor unit in an embodiment of the utility model. In the description of this embodiment, it should be understood that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features, that is, include one or more of the features. In the description of the utility model, the meaning of "multiple" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined. When a feature "includes or contains" one or some of the features it covers, unless otherwise specifically described, this indicates that other features are not excluded and may further include other features.

[0033] Unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "set", "install", "connect", "connect", "fix", "couple" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral one; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. A person skilled in the art should be able to understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0034] In addition, in the description of this embodiment, the first feature being "above" or "below" the second feature may include the first and second features being in direct contact, or may include the first and second features not being in direct contact but being in contact through another feature between them. That is, in the description of this embodiment, the first feature being "above", "above", and "above" the second feature includes the first feature being directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. The first feature being "below", "below", or "below" the second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0035] In the description of the present embodiment, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the utility model. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0036] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an air conditioner outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the utility model. Figure 1 As shown, and refer to Figure 2-3 The embodiment of the utility model provides an air conditioner outdoor unit, comprising a water receiving tray 100 and a laser deicing device 200 .

[0037] A drainage hole 110 is provided at the bottom of the water receiving tray 100 .

[0038] The laser deicing device 200 is disposed on the upper side of the water receiving tray 100 , and the laser deicing device 200 is configured to emit a laser beam at least toward the drainage hole 110 .

[0039] In this embodiment, the outdoor unit may be provided with a heat exchanger, and the water receiving tray 100 is located below the heat exchanger to receive condensed water, defrost water, ice chips, etc. flowing out of the heat exchanger.

[0040] The drain hole 110 is located at the bottom of the water receiving tray 100, and a drain pipe can be connected to the lower end of the drain hole 110. The drain pipe can discharge the water in the water receiving tray 100 to the outside of the outdoor unit. Of course, the drain pipe can also discharge the water to other places of other air conditioners to reuse the water.

[0041] The water receiving pan 100 is usually placed horizontally and has a large horizontal area to cover all heat exchangers on a horizontal projection plane. However, the capacity of the water receiving pan 100 is usually small to reduce its space occupation.

[0042] When the drain hole 110 is blocked, if there is liquid water in the water receiving pan 100, the water will easily overflow from the water receiving pan 100. If there is a mixture of ice and water in the water receiving pan 100, or if there is ice in the water receiving pan 100, when the outdoor temperature is low, the ice in the water receiving pan 100 will accumulate thicker and thicker, seriously affecting the heat exchange effect of the heat exchanger, and even causing the air conditioner to shut down.

[0043] In the related art, an electric heater is usually arranged at the drain hole 110. When the outdoor unit heat exchanger is defrosting, or when the outdoor temperature is low, or when ice is detected in the drain hole 110, the electric heater is powered on to melt the ice. However, this technical solution has at least two disadvantages. First, the electric heater will contact the water tray 100. When melting ice, part of the heat is used to increase the temperature of the water tray 100 itself, that is, not all the heat can be used to melt ice, so the melting speed is slow. Second, due to contact with water, there is a certain risk of leakage.

[0044] In order to solve the above problems, the utility model proposes a technical means of using a laser deicing device 200 to replace an electric heater.

[0045] Related research shows that when the wavelength of the laser is within a specific range, the ice layer absorbs the laser more efficiently, making the laser energy produce an efficient thermal effect and quickly remove ice. For example, when the laser wavelength is between 2-10μm, the ice layer absorbs the laser more efficiently.

[0046] In particular, the laser light can be absorbed not only on the surface of the ice layer, causing the surface of the ice layer to melt, but also on the inside of the ice layer, causing the inside of the ice layer to break and melt. When the inside of the ice layer breaks and melts into smaller ice chips, they can be smoothly discharged from the drainage hole 110. In other words, it is not necessary to completely melt the ice into water.

[0047] Laser deicing can overcome the disadvantages of electric heaters. On the one hand, it can remove ice efficiently and quickly. On the other hand, the laser deicing device 200 can be arranged on the upper side of the water receiving tray 100, without contacting water, and there is no hidden danger of leakage.

[0048] The laser deicing device 200 may include a laser generator, a transmitter, etc., and may be fixedly arranged on the upper side of the water receiving tray 100. It should be noted that the laser generator and the transmitter may be integrated or separately arranged and connected via an optical fiber. When the laser generator and the transmitter are separately arranged, the transmitter may be located on the upper side of the water receiving tray 100, and the laser generator may be arranged at other locations of the outdoor unit, such as in an electrical box.

[0049] The outdoor unit of this embodiment is provided with a laser deicing device 200 on the upper side of the water receiving tray 100. The laser deicing device 200 can emit a laser beam to the drain hole 110, and the laser beam can melt the ice at the drain hole 110, thereby removing the blockage of the drain hole 110, so that the water in the water receiving tray 100 can be smoothly discharged from the drain hole 110. This achieves the effect of preventing the ice layer in the water receiving tray 100 from thickening and improving the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger.

[0050] In some embodiments of the outdoor unit of the present utility model, as Figure 1-2 As shown, the laser deicing device 200 includes a laser emitter 210 and a mounting seat 220 . The laser emitter 210 is mounted on the mounting seat 220 , and the mounting seat 220 is directly or indirectly fixedly connected to the water receiving tray 100 .

[0051] The emission end of the laser emitter 210 is at least directed toward the drainage hole 110 .

[0052] In this embodiment, the mounting base 220 can be vertically arranged, and the bottom end is fixedly connected to the water tray 100, so that the laser emitter 210 is located above the drainage hole 110. The mounting base 220 can also be installed nearby on other parts of the outdoor unit, such as the housing, fan mounting frame, etc., to save costs.

[0053] The laser emitter 210 can be fixedly connected to the mounting base 220 , with the emission end of the laser emitter 210 facing the drainage hole 110 , so that the emitted laser beam can hit the ice at the drainage hole 110 , thus preventing the drainage hole 110 from being blocked.

[0054] The laser emitter 210 may also be movably connected to the mounting base 220 , for example, rotatably or linearly slidably connected to the mounting base 220 , so that the emitted laser beam can scan within a range, thereby being able to clear ice at the drain hole 110 and / or around the drain hole 110 .

[0055] In some embodiments of the outdoor unit of the present utility model, as Figure 1 As shown, the laser emitter 210 is fixedly connected to the mounting base 220. The laser beam emitted by the laser emitter 210 at least covers the drainage hole 110.

[0056] Figure 1The dot-dash line extending vertically in the figure illustrates the range of the laser beam.

[0057] In this embodiment, the laser beam directly covers the drain hole 110, and can heat the ice in the drain hole 110 to prevent it from clogging the drain hole 110. In this way, it is not necessary to set up a rotating or linear sliding mechanism, and the laser emitter 210 can be fixedly connected to the mounting seat 220, thereby achieving the function of preventing the drain hole 110 from clogging at a relatively low cost.

[0058] In some embodiments of the outdoor unit of the present utility model, as Figure 2 As shown, the laser emitter 210 is rotatably connected to the mounting base 220 so that the laser beam emitted by the laser emitter 210 scans at least at the drainage hole 110 and covers the drainage hole 110 .

[0059] When the energy of the laser per unit area remains unchanged, when the area of ​​the laser beam is larger, a laser emitter 210 with a larger power is required, which occupies a larger volume and has a higher cost.

[0060] In this embodiment, by setting the laser emitter 210 to be rotatably connected to the mounting base 220, the laser beam scans and covers the drainage hole 110, and a laser emitter 210 with a smaller laser beam or a smaller power can be selected to reduce costs and reduce the space occupied by the laser deicing device 200.

[0061] In some embodiments of the outdoor unit of the present utility model, as Figure 3 As shown, a drainage area 120 which gradually slopes downward is provided at the bottom of the water receiving tray 100 . The drainage area 120 is located around the drainage hole 110 , and the drainage hole 110 is located at the lowest point of the drainage area 120 .

[0062] Figure 3 The dashed line portion illustrates the range of the drainage area 120 .

[0063] The drainage area 120 may be in the shape of an inverted cone, and the drainage hole 110 is located at the apex of the bottom end of the cone. The drainage area 120 may cause the water in the water receiving tray 100 to be discharged from the drainage hole 110 to reduce blockage.

[0064] In some embodiments of the outdoor unit of the present invention, the laser emitter 210 is fixedly connected to the mounting base 220. The laser beam emitted by the laser emitter 210 at least covers the drainage area 120.

[0065] In this embodiment, the laser beam can have a larger area and can directly cover the drainage area 120 to heat the ice in the drainage area 120 to prevent it from being blocked. In this way, it is not necessary to set a rotating or sliding mechanism, and the laser emitter 210 can be fixedly connected to the mounting seat 220.

[0066] In some embodiments of the outdoor unit of the present utility model, as Figure 2 As shown, the laser emitter 210 is rotatably connected to the mounting base 220 , so that the laser beam emitted by the laser emitter 210 scans at least within the drainage area 120 and covers the drainage area 120 .

[0067] Figure 2 The shaded area in the middle indicates the range of the laser beam scanning.

[0068] If the drainage area 120 is relatively large, a laser emitter 210 with relatively high power is required to cover the drainage area 120. This requires a relatively large volume and a relatively high cost.

[0069] In this embodiment, by setting the laser emitter 210 to be rotatably connected to the mounting seat 220, the laser beam scans at the drainage hole 110 and covers the drainage area 120. A laser emitter 210 with a smaller laser beam or a smaller power can be selected to reduce costs and reduce the space occupied by the laser deicing device 200.

[0070] In some embodiments of the outdoor unit of the present utility model, as Figure 2 As shown, on the horizontal projection plane, the drainage area 120 is rectangular.

[0071] The laser emitter 210 is connected to the mounting seat 220 and is rotatable around a horizontal axis perpendicular to the length direction of the drainage area 120 , so that the laser beam emitted by the laser emitter 210 can scan back and forth in the length direction of the drainage area 120 .

[0072] In this embodiment, the diameter of the laser beam may be equal to or slightly larger than the width of the drainage area 120 , and the laser emitter 210 can cover the entire drainage area 120 by reciprocating around the horizontal axis along the length direction of the drainage area 120 .

[0073] In some embodiments of the outdoor unit of the present utility model, as Figure 1-2 As shown, a fan installation portion 130 is provided on the water receiving tray 100 .

[0074] The outdoor unit further includes a fan mounting frame 300 , which is vertically arranged, and the bottom of the fan mounting frame 300 is fixedly connected to the fan mounting portion 130 .

[0075] The mounting seat 220 is fixedly connected to a side of the fan mounting frame 300 close to the drainage hole 110 .

[0076] The fan mounting frame 300 can be used to fix the fan to promote the ambient air around the outdoor unit to flow through the heat exchanger, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger.

[0077] In this embodiment, the mounting base 220 is mounted near the side of the fan mounting frame 300 close to the drain hole 110, which can save the cost of the mounting base 220. On the other hand, the laser emitter 210 generates heat when working, and the air flow rate near the fan mounting frame 300 is fast, which is convenient for the laser emitter 210 to dissipate heat.

[0078] In some embodiments of the outdoor unit of the present utility model, as Figure 1-2 As shown, the side wall of the fan mounting frame 300 extends along the length direction of the drainage area 120. In this way, the laser transmitter 210 can be rotatably connected to the mounting base 220 around an axis perpendicular to the side wall of the fan mounting frame 300, and the laser beam reciprocates along the length direction of the drainage area 120 during rotation.

[0079] In some embodiments of the outdoor unit of the utility model, the outdoor unit is further provided with an ice layer detection device, and the ice detection device is used to detect whether there is ice at least at the drain hole 110. The ice detection device is electrically connected to the laser deicing device 200, or the ice detection device and the laser deicing device 200 are both electrically connected to the air conditioner controller.

[0080] When the outdoor unit is defrosting or the outdoor temperature is low, the ice detection device works. When ice is detected at the drain hole 110, the laser deicing device 200 is controlled to work to avoid clogging of the drain hole 110.

[0081] In some embodiments of the outdoor unit of the present invention, the ice detection device is also used to detect whether there is ice in the drainage area 120. When ice is detected in the drainage area 120, the laser deicing device 200 is controlled to work to avoid clogging of the drainage area 120.

[0082] In some embodiments of the air conditioner of the utility model, the air conditioner comprises an indoor unit and an outdoor unit of any one of the above embodiments or a combination of the embodiments. The indoor unit and the outdoor unit are connected by pipelines.

[0083] At this point, those skilled in the art should recognize that, although multiple exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail herein, many other variations or modifications that conform to the principles of the present invention can still be directly determined or derived from the contents disclosed in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be understood and recognized as covering all such other variations or modifications.

Claims

1. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner, characterized in that: include: A water receiving tray, wherein a drainage hole is provided at the bottom of the water receiving tray; A laser deicing device is disposed on the upper side of the water receiving tray and is configured to emit a laser beam at least toward the drainage hole.

2. The outdoor unit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The laser deicing device comprises a laser emitter and a mounting seat, the laser emitter is mounted on the mounting seat, and the mounting seat is directly or indirectly fixedly connected to the water receiving tray; The emitting end of the laser emitter at least faces the drainage hole.

3. The outdoor unit according to claim 2, characterized in that: The laser emitter is fixedly connected to the mounting seat; the laser beam emitted by the laser emitter at least covers the drainage hole.

4. The outdoor unit according to claim 2, characterized in that: The laser emitter is rotatably connected to the mounting seat so that the laser beam emitted by the laser emitter scans at least at the drainage hole and covers the drainage hole.

5. The outdoor unit according to claim 2, characterized in that: A drainage area which gradually slopes downward is arranged at the bottom of the water receiving tray. The drainage area is located around the drainage hole, and the drainage hole is located at the lowest point of the drainage area.

6. The outdoor unit according to claim 5, characterized in that: The laser emitter is fixedly connected to the mounting seat; the laser beam emitted by the laser emitter at least covers the drainage area.

7. The outdoor unit according to claim 5, characterized in that: The laser emitter is rotatably connected to the mounting seat so that the laser beam emitted by the laser emitter scans at least within the drainage area and covers the drainage area.

8. The outdoor unit according to claim 7, characterized in that: On a horizontal projection plane, the drainage area is rectangular; The laser emitter is rotatably connected to the mounting seat around a horizontal axis perpendicular to the length direction of the drainage area, so that the laser beam emitted by the laser emitter scans back and forth in the length direction of the drainage area.

9. The outdoor unit according to claim 2, characterized in that: A fan installation portion is provided on the water receiving tray; The outdoor unit further comprises a fan mounting frame, the fan mounting frame is vertically arranged, and the bottom of the fan mounting frame is fixedly connected to the fan mounting portion; The mounting seat is fixedly connected to a side of the fan mounting frame close to the drainage hole.

10. An air conditioner, characterized in that: It comprises an indoor unit and an outdoor unit as described in any one of claims 1 to 9; the indoor unit and the outdoor unit are connected by pipelines.