Refrigerant switching device and air conditioning system

Abstract

The utility model discloses a refrigerant switching device and an air conditioning system. The refrigerant switching device comprises a shell, an air duct structure, a refrigerant switching mechanism and a fan. A first air opening and a second air opening are formed in the shell; the air duct structure is located in the containing cavity of the shell and connected with the shell, the air duct structure divides the containing cavity into an air duct and a storage cavity, a plurality of vent holes distributed at intervals are formed in the air duct structure, the vent holes communicate with the air duct and the storage cavity, the first air opening communicates with the storage cavity through the air duct and the vent holes, and the second air opening communicates with the storage cavity. One of the first air port and the second air port is an air inlet, and the other one of the first air port and the second air port is an air outlet; the refrigerant switching mechanism is located in the storage cavity. The fan is used for generating airflow in the air duct through the first air opening. The leaked refrigerant can be conveniently discharged from the shell, and safety accidents caused by the fact that the refrigerant is left in the shell are avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of air conditioners, and particularly to a refrigerant switching device and an air conditioning system. Background Art

[0002] In a multi-connected air conditioning system, a refrigerant switching device is usually used to transfer refrigerant between a heat source unit and a load unit, so that a heat source unit can work with multiple load units at the same time. Refrigerant is a medium used to transfer heat energy in an air conditioning system. It is a substance that is easy to absorb heat and turn into gas, and is also easy to release heat and turn into liquid. Heat energy can be transferred through evaporation and condensation.

[0003] However, in the related art, when refrigerant leaks in the refrigerant switching device, since the refrigerant is flammable and explosive, if the refrigerant cannot be discharged in time, the flammable refrigerant stays in the refrigerant switching device, and safety accidents are likely to occur. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application provides a refrigerant switching device and an air conditioning system, which can conveniently discharge the leaked refrigerant from the housing, avoiding safety accidents caused by the refrigerant staying in the housing.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a refrigerant switching device, including: a housing having an accommodation cavity, and a first air outlet and a second air outlet are provided on the housing; a duct structure located in the accommodation cavity and connected to the housing, the duct structure divides the accommodation cavity into a duct and a storage cavity, a plurality of ventilation holes are arranged at intervals on the duct structure, the ventilation holes communicate the duct with the storage cavity, the first air outlet is communicated with the storage cavity through the duct and the ventilation holes, the second air outlet is communicated with the storage cavity, one of the first air outlet and the second air outlet is an air inlet, and the other of the first air outlet and the second air outlet is an air outlet; a refrigerant switching mechanism located in the storage cavity.

[0006] In some embodiments of this application, the plurality of ventilation holes are arranged along the extending direction of the duct. This enables an air flow field to be formed in more different areas within the storage cavity, and as much as possible, an air flow field passes through any area within the storage cavity.

[0007] In some embodiments of this application, the second air outlet is spaced from the duct, and the second air outlet is communicated with the duct through the storage cavity and the ventilation holes. This enables the storage cavity to be kept in communication with the outside atmosphere through the second air outlet, and the gas outside the housing can enter the storage cavity through the second air outlet, so that a continuous air flow field can be generated in the storage cavity when the refrigerant leaks continuously.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present application, the air duct extends from the first air outlet to the second air outlet, and the second air outlet is communicated with the storage cavity through the air duct and the ventilation holes. When the fan is started, a negative pressure is generated in the air duct, so that the gas in the storage cavity flows into the air duct through the ventilation holes, and a "vacuum pumping" effect can be generated in the storage cavity, and the residual amount of refrigerant in the storage cavity can be minimized as much as possible.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present application, the air duct structure includes: an air duct located in the accommodation cavity and connected to the housing, the lumen of the air duct forms the air duct, a plurality of the ventilation holes are arranged on the air duct, a first ventilation port is arranged at the first end of the air duct, and the first air outlet is communicated with the air duct through the first ventilation port. The air duct can be formed only by itself surrounding, without the need to jointly define the air duct with the housing, and the formation of the air duct is more convenient.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present application, at least two of the ventilation holes are respectively located on different sides of the air duct. Different flow fields of air flow can be formed in the storage cavity, so that the refrigerant leaking from leakage points in different directions can also be quickly discharged from the housing.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present application, the air duct structure includes: a partition located in the accommodation cavity and connected to the housing, the partition divides the accommodation cavity into an air duct and a storage cavity, a plurality of the ventilation holes are arranged on the partition, the first air outlet is arranged in the area of the housing corresponding to the air duct, and the second air outlet is arranged in the area of the housing corresponding to the storage cavity. The plate-like structure has a larger plate surface area for arranging the ventilation holes, and any area in the storage cavity can be made to have an air flow field flowing through as much as possible.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present application, the air duct structure extends in a direction away from the first air outlet, and the air duct extends along the extension direction of the air duct structure. The shape of the air duct structure is simple, so that the air duct structure is more likely to avoid the refrigerant switching mechanism when placed in the accommodation cavity, and thus the layout of the refrigerant switching mechanism can be prevented from being affected by the air duct structure.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present application, the air duct structure includes a first part extending in a first direction and a second part extending in a second direction, the second part is connected to the first part, the second direction intersects the first direction, and the air duct extends along the extension direction of the air duct structure. Any area in the storage cavity can be made to have an air flow field flowing through as much as possible, so as to ensure that the refrigerant at different leakage points can also be quickly discharged from the housing by the air flow field.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present application, the housing is a sealed housing. The sealing performance of the housing can be improved, and thus the leakage of the refrigerant in the housing can be prevented.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present application, the refrigerant switching mechanism includes a refrigerant inlet pipe and a refrigerant outlet pipe. An access port is provided on the housing, and the refrigerant inlet pipe and the refrigerant outlet pipe pass through the access port to penetrate out of the accommodation cavity. Wherein, a sealing member is provided between the refrigerant inlet pipe and the inner wall of the access port, and between the refrigerant outlet pipe and the inner wall of the access port, further improving the sealing performance of the accommodation cavity.

[0016] In some embodiments of the present application, the refrigerant switching mechanism includes a refrigerant inlet pipe and a refrigerant outlet pipe. The first air outlet and the second air outlet are respectively located on the left and right sides of the housing. At least one side of the left and right sides of the housing is provided with a plurality of the refrigerant inlet pipes; one side of the front and rear sides of the housing is provided with a plurality of the refrigerant outlet pipes, and the other side of the front and rear sides of the housing is provided with an electric control component, making the arrangement of the refrigerant inlet pipe, the refrigerant outlet pipe and the electric control component more convenient.

[0017] In some embodiments of the present application, a valve is provided between the first air outlet and the second air outlet. A refrigerant sensor is provided in at least one of the air duct and the storage cavity. The refrigerant sensor is used to monitor the refrigerant concentration in the accommodation cavity. When the refrigerant concentration is greater than a predetermined threshold, the valve opens, and the first air outlet and the second air outlet are conducted; when the refrigerant concentration is less than the predetermined threshold, the valve closes, blocking the first air outlet and the second air outlet. When refrigerant leakage occurs, the valve can be opened in time, so that the first air outlet and the second air outlet are conducted, and when the fan starts, the leaked refrigerant in the housing can be discharged in time.

[0018] In some embodiments of the present application, the housing includes an upper side wall, a lower side wall, and four peripheral side walls located between the upper side wall and the lower side wall. The upper side wall, the lower side wall, and the four peripheral side walls enclose to form the accommodation cavity. Wherein, the first air outlet and the second air outlet are located on any one of the upper side wall, the lower side wall, and the four peripheral side walls, or the first air outlet and the second air outlet are located on any two of the upper side wall, the lower side wall, and the four peripheral side walls.

[0019] In some embodiments of the present application, a heat insulation layer is provided on the inner wall surface of the housing, which can improve the heat insulation performance of the housing and reduce the heat loss of the refrigerant.

[0020] In some embodiments of the present application, the air duct structure is located on at least one side of the refrigerant switching mechanism, making the air duct structure avoid the refrigerant switching mechanism and preventing the air duct structure from affecting the installation of the refrigerant switching mechanism.

[0021] In some embodiments of the present application, the refrigerant switching mechanism includes a liquid pipe, a gas pipe, a liquid control valve disposed in the liquid pipe, and a gas control valve disposed in the gas pipe. A plurality of the liquid control valves are arranged in a row, and a plurality of the gas control valves are arranged in a row. At least one of a row of the gas control valves and a row of the liquid control valves is arranged parallel to at least a part of the air duct. The leaked refrigerant can be timely sucked into the air duct through the ventilation holes and discharged from the accommodation cavity through the air duct structure.

[0022] In some embodiments of the present application, a plurality of the liquid control valves are arranged in a row along a third direction, a plurality of the gas control valves are arranged in a row along the third direction, and at least a part of the air duct extends along the third direction. When leaks occur at the liquid control valve and the gas control valve, the leaked refrigerant can be timely sucked into the air duct through the ventilation holes and discharged from the accommodation cavity through the air duct structure.

[0023] In some embodiments of the present application, at least a part of the ventilation holes are arranged towards the liquid control valve and the gas control valve. The distance between the ventilation holes and the liquid control valve and the gas control valve can be shortened, so that when refrigerant leaks occur at the liquid control valve and the gas control valve, the leaked refrigerant can be sucked into the air duct more quickly through the ventilation holes and discharged from the accommodation cavity through the air duct structure.

[0024] In a second aspect, the present application further provides an air conditioning system, including a heat source unit, at least one load unit, and a refrigerant switching device as described in any one of the above embodiments. The refrigerant switching device is located between the heat source unit and at least one of the load units and is used to switch between a cooling mode and a heating mode.

[0025] In some embodiments of the present application, the air conditioning system further includes: a fan, and an air inlet of the fan is communicated with the air outlet. The leaked refrigerant can be discharged more cleanly.

[0026] In some embodiments of the present application, the air conditioning system includes a plurality of the refrigerant switching devices, an external air duct is communicated with the first air outlet or the second air outlet, and the fan is disposed in the accommodation cavity or in the external air duct. The airtightness of the housing can be ensured.

[0027] In some embodiments of the present application, the external air duct includes: a main collecting duct; and a plurality of branch air ducts communicated with the main collecting duct, and each of the branch air ducts is communicated with a refrigerant switching device. The fan is disposed in the accommodation cavity or in the branch air duct or in the main collecting duct. The number of pipelines can be reduced, thereby reducing the cost of the air conditioning system.

[0028] The beneficial effects of the present application are as follows: When there are problems such as pipeline breakage or seal failure at the valve connection in the refrigerant switching mechanism, resulting in refrigerant leakage in the pipeline, the flammable refrigerant spreads in the storage cavity. At this time, a blower can be used to blow air or extract air into the air duct through one of the first air outlet and the second air outlet, so as to generate an air flow in the air duct. Since the air duct is connected to the storage cavity through the ventilation holes in the air duct structure, the air flow will form an air flow field in the storage cavity. The refrigerant in the storage cavity flows with the air flow field and is carried out of the storage cavity by the air flow field through the first air outlet or the second air outlet, so that the leaked refrigerant can be conveniently and timely discharged from the housing, avoiding safety accidents caused by the refrigerant staying in the housing. In addition, since there are multiple ventilation holes in the air duct structure and the multiple ventilation holes are located at different positions, the multiple ventilation holes can form multiple air flow fields at different positions in the storage cavity. Through these multiple air flow fields, the refrigerant at different leakage points can also be quickly discharged from the housing, so as to prevent the refrigerant from being unable to be quickly discharged from the housing due to the leakage point being far away from the first air outlet and the second air outlet. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or related technologies, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments or related technologies. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application. For those skilled in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0030] Figure 1 Structural schematic diagram of a refrigerant switching device in an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 2 Partial structural schematic diagram of a refrigerant switching device in an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 3 Structural schematic diagram of an air duct structure and a housing in an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 4 Structural schematic diagram of an air duct structure and a housing in another embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 5 Structural schematic diagram of an air duct structure and a housing in yet another embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 6 Structural schematic diagram of an air duct structure and a housing in yet another embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 7 Structural schematic diagram of an air duct structure and a housing in yet another embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 8Schematic diagram of the air duct structure and the housing in another embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the air duct structure and the housing in another embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the refrigerant switching device and the housing in another embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 11 Schematic diagram of the refrigerant switching device and the housing in another embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Figure 12 Schematic diagram of the architecture of the air conditioning system in an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] Figure 13 Schematic diagram of the architecture of the refrigerant switching device and the external air duct in an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Figure 14 Schematic diagram of the architecture of the refrigerant switching device and the external air duct in another embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Figure 15 Schematic diagram of the architecture of the refrigerant switching device and the external air duct in another embodiment of the present application.

[0045] Reference numerals:

[0046] 10. Housing; 11. Accommodation cavity; 111. Air duct; 112. Storage cavity; 12. First air outlet; 13. Second air outlet; 14. Third air outlet; 15. Fourth air outlet; 16. Pipe passing orifice; 171. Upper side wall; 172. Lower side wall; 173. Peripheral side wall; 20. Air duct structure; 21. Ventilation hole; 22. Air duct; 23. Partition; 24. First part; 25. Second part; 30. Refrigerant switching mechanism; 31. Refrigerant inlet pipe; 32. Refrigerant outlet pipe; 33. Sealing member; 34. Electric control component; 35. Valve; 36. Liquid pipe; 37. Gas pipe; 38. Liquid control valve; 39. Gas control valve; 40. Fan; 50. Heat source unit; 60. Load unit; 70. External air duct; 71. Aggregation air duct; 72. Branch air duct. Detailed description of the specific embodiments

[0047] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer and more understandable, the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application.

[0048] The present application provides a refrigerant switching device and an air conditioning system to solve the problem in the related art that when refrigerant leakage occurs in the refrigerant switching device, since the refrigerant is flammable and explosive, if the refrigerant cannot be discharged in time, the flammable refrigerant remains in the refrigerant switching device, which is likely to cause safety accidents.

[0049] In a first aspect, the present application provides a refrigerant switching device. As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the refrigerant switching device includes a housing 10, an air duct structure 20, and a refrigerant switching mechanism 30.

[0050] Specifically, the housing 10 has a receiving cavity 11, and a first air outlet 12 and a second air outlet 13 are provided on the housing 10; the housing 10 is a protective shell of the refrigerant switching device, and the overall shape of the housing 10 can be a cuboid, a cube, a cylinder or other shapes, which are not specifically limited in the present application; the first air outlet 12 and the second air outlet 13 are openings provided on the housing 10, the first air outlet 12 and the second air outlet 13 can penetrate the inner and outer sides of the housing 10, and the shapes of the first air outlet 12 and the second air outlet 13 can be rectangular, square, circular or other shapes, which are also not specifically limited in the present application.

[0051] The air duct structure 20 is located in the receiving cavity 11 and is connected to the housing 10. The air duct structure 20 divides the receiving cavity 11 into an air duct 111 (as Figure 8 ), and a storage cavity 112. A plurality of ventilation holes 21 arranged at intervals are provided on the air duct structure 20, and the ventilation holes 21 connect the air duct 111 and the storage cavity 112; it can be understood that the air duct structure 20 is a solid structure located in the receiving cavity 11, the air duct structure 20 can divide the receiving cavity 11 into two cavities, namely the air duct 111 and the storage cavity 112, and the air duct 111 is communicated with the receiving cavity 11 through the ventilation holes 21.

[0052] The refrigerant switching mechanism 30 is located in the storage cavity 112. The refrigerant switching mechanism 30 is a pipeline structure in the refrigerant switching device for connecting with a heat source unit 50 (as Figure 10 ) and a load unit 60 (as Figure 10 ) in the air conditioning system. The refrigerant is transmitted between the load unit 60 and the heat source unit 50 through the pipeline in the refrigerant switching mechanism 30. The specific type of the refrigerant can be selected according to actual needs, which is not limited in the present application.

[0053] Among them, the first air outlet 12 is communicated with the storage cavity 112 through the air duct 111 and the ventilation holes 21, the second air outlet 13 is communicated with the storage cavity 112, and one of the first air outlet 12 and the second air outlet 13 is an air inlet, and the other of the first air outlet 12 and the second air outlet 13 is an air outlet.

[0054] It is understandable that when there are problems such as pipeline breakage or seal failure at the valve connection in the refrigerant switching mechanism 30, resulting in refrigerant leakage in the pipeline, the combustible refrigerant spreads in the storage cavity 112. At this time, the blower 40 (such as Figure 13 ) blows or sucks air into the air duct 111 through one of the first air outlet 12 and the second air outlet 13 to generate an air flow in the air duct 111. Since the air duct 111 is communicated with the storage cavity 112 through the ventilation holes 21 on the air duct structure 20, an air flow field will be formed in the storage cavity 112. The refrigerant in the storage cavity 112 flows along with the air flow field and is taken out of the storage cavity 112 by the air flow field through the first air outlet 12 or the second air outlet 13, so that the leaked refrigerant can be conveniently and timely discharged from the housing 10, avoiding safety accidents caused by the refrigerant staying in the housing 10. In addition, since a plurality of ventilation holes 21 are provided on the air duct structure 20 and the plurality of ventilation holes 21 are located at different positions, the plurality of ventilation holes 21 can form a plurality of air flow fields at different positions in the storage cavity 112. Through these plurality of air flow fields, the refrigerant at different leakage points can also be quickly discharged from the housing 10 to prevent the refrigerant from not being quickly discharged from the housing 10 due to the leakage point of the refrigerant being far away from the first air outlet 12 and the second air outlet 13.

[0055] Among them, when the blower 40 is a blower, the air outlet of the blower 40 can be communicated with the first air outlet 12. At this time, the first air outlet 12 is the air inlet, and the second air outlet 13 is the air outlet. The blower 40 blows air into the air duct 111 through the first air outlet 12, and the air flow sequentially passes through the air outlet, the first air outlet 12, the air duct 111, the ventilation hole 21, the storage cavity 112 and the second air outlet 13, so that the leaked refrigerant is discharged from the second air outlet 13. When the blower 40 is an exhaust fan, the air inlet of the blower 40 can be communicated with the first air outlet 12. The first air outlet 12 is the air outlet, and the second air outlet 13 is the air inlet. The blower 40 sucks air through the first air outlet 12, and the air flow sequentially passes through the second air outlet 13, the storage cavity 112, the ventilation hole 21, the air duct 111, the first air outlet 12 and the air inlet, so that the leaked refrigerant is discharged from the first air outlet 12.

[0056] In an embodiment, the refrigerant switching device may further include a refrigerant sensor and an electronic control component. The refrigerant sensor is used to monitor the refrigerant concentration in the accommodation cavity 11. The electronic control component is electrically connected to the refrigerant sensor and the blower 40. When the refrigerant sensor detects refrigerant leakage in the accommodation cavity 11, it sends a signal to the electronic control component, and the electronic control component controls the blower 40 to start, so that the leaked refrigerant can be timely discharged from the storage cavity 112. The refrigerant sensor can be a refrigerant leak detector, and the electronic control component can be a single-chip microcomputer or a user terminal, etc. This application does not make specific limitations.

[0057] Continue to refer to Figure 2As shown, in some embodiments of the present application, a plurality of ventilation holes 21 are arranged along the extending direction of the air duct 111, so that an air flow field can be formed at more different regions in the storage cavity 112, and as much as possible, an air flow field can flow through any region in the storage cavity 112, thereby ensuring that the refrigerant at different leakage points can also be quickly discharged from the housing 10 by the air flow field.

[0058] As Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, in an embodiment of the present application, the second air outlet 13 is spaced apart from the air duct 111, and the second air outlet 13 is communicated with the air duct 111 through the storage cavity 112 and the ventilation holes 21; it can be understood that the second air outlet 13 does not directly contact the air duct structure 20, but is communicated with the air duct 111 through the storage cavity 112 and the ventilation holes 21, so that the storage cavity 112 can be kept in communication with the outside atmosphere through the second air outlet 13, and the gas outside the housing 10 can enter the storage cavity 112 through the second air outlet 13, so that a continuous air flow field can be generated in the storage cavity 112 when the refrigerant continuously leaks.

[0059] As Figure 4 shown, in another embodiment of the present application, the air duct 111 extends from the first air outlet 12 to the second air outlet 13, and the second air outlet 13 is communicated with the storage cavity 112 through the air duct 111 and the ventilation holes 21; it can be understood that the second air outlet 13 is directly communicated with the air duct structure 20, so that the storage cavity 112 can be in a sealed state. When the fan 40 is started, a negative pressure is generated in the air duct 111, so that the gas in the storage cavity 112 flows into the air duct 111 through the ventilation holes 21, and a "vacuum pumping" effect can be generated in the storage cavity 112, and the residual amount of the refrigerant in the storage cavity 112 can be reduced as much as possible.

[0060] Specifically, the housing 10 includes an upper side wall 171 (such as Figure 1 ), a lower side wall 172, and four peripheral side walls 173 located between the upper side wall 171 and the lower side wall 172. The upper side wall 171, the lower side wall 172, and the four peripheral side walls 173 enclose to form a receiving cavity 11.

[0061] Among them, in one embodiment, the second air outlet 13 and the first air outlet 12 may be both located on the same side of the housing 10 (such as Figure 3 ), that is, the first air outlet 12 and the second air outlet are located on any one of the upper side wall 171, the lower side wall 172, and the four peripheral side walls 173; in another embodiment, the second air outlet 13 and the first air outlet 12 may also be respectively located on different sides of the housing 10 (such as Figure 4 and Figure 5), that is, the first air outlet 12 and the second air outlet 13 are located on any two of the upper side wall 171, the lower side wall 172, and the four peripheral side walls 173. At this time, the first air outlet 12 and the second air outlet 13 can be located on opposite sides of the housing 10 (such as Figure 4 ), the first air outlet 12 and the second air outlet 13 can also be located on adjacent sides of the housing 10 (such as Figure 5 ).

[0062] It should also be noted that Figures 3 to 5 only shows the case where there is 1 air duct structure 20 provided, and there are only 2 air outlets, namely the first air outlet 12 and the second air outlet 13, provided on the housing 10. As Figure 6 shown, in other embodiments of the present application, 2 or more air duct structures 20 can also be provided, and the air ducts 111 of each air duct structure 20 communicate with both the first air outlet 12 and the second air outlet 13.

[0063] It should also be noted that Figures 3 to 6 only shows the case where there are only 2 air outlets, namely the first air outlet 12 and the second air outlet 13, provided on the housing 10. As Figure 7 shown, in other embodiments of the present application, more air outlets can also be provided on the housing 10. For example, a third air outlet 14, a fourth air outlet 15, etc. can be provided on the housing 10, and multiple air outlets communicate with the air duct 111 in the air duct structure 20.

[0064] As Figures 3 to 7 shown, in an embodiment of the present application, the air duct structure 20 includes an air duct 22. The air duct 22 is located in the accommodation cavity 11 and is connected to the housing 10. The lumen of the air duct 22 forms the air duct 111. A plurality of ventilation holes 21 are provided on the air duct 22. The first end of the air duct 22 is provided with a first ventilation opening, and the first air outlet 12 communicates with the air duct 111 through the first ventilation opening. It can be understood that the air duct 22 is a hollow tubular structure, and the cross-section of the air duct 22 is annular. The tubular structure can form the air duct 111 only by enclosing itself, without the need to jointly define the air duct 111 with the housing 10, and the formation of the air duct 111 is more convenient. Among them, the overall shape of the air duct 22 can be a round pipe, a square pipe, or a pipe of other shapes, and the present application does not make specific limitations.

[0065] Furthermore, at least two ventilation holes 21 are located on different sides of the air duct 22 respectively. It can be understood that ventilation holes 21 with different orientations are provided on different sides of the air duct 22, so as to form air flow fields with different flow directions in the storage cavity 112, so that the refrigerant leaking from leakage points in different directions can also be quickly discharged from the housing 10.

[0066] As Figure 8As shown, in another embodiment of the present application, the air duct structure 20 includes a partition 23. The partition 23 is located in the accommodation cavity 11 and is connected to the housing 10. The partition 23 divides the accommodation cavity 11 into an air duct 111 and a storage cavity 112. A plurality of ventilation holes 21 are provided on the partition 23. The first air outlet 12 is provided on the housing 10 in the area corresponding to the air duct 111, and the second air outlet 13 is provided on the housing in the area corresponding to the storage cavity 112. It can be understood that the partition 23 is a plate-like structure. The partition 23 and the inner side wall of the housing 10 can jointly define the air duct 111. Compared with a tubular structure, the plate-like structure has a larger plate surface area for arranging the ventilation holes 21, so that any area in the storage cavity 112 can have an air flow field flowing through, thereby ensuring that the refrigerant at different leakage points can also be quickly discharged from the housing 10 by the air flow field. Among them, the partition 23 can be connected to the housing 10 by welding, gluing, clamping, riveting, screw connection or other means.

[0067] As Figures 3 to 7 shown, in an embodiment of the present application, the air duct structure 20 extends in a direction away from the first air outlet 12, and the air duct 111 extends along the extending direction of the air duct structure 20. It can be understood that the air duct structure 20 is a long strip-shaped structure extending in a direction away from the first air outlet 12. The shape of the air duct structure 20 is simple, so that the air duct structure 20 is more likely to avoid the refrigerant switching mechanism 30 when placed in the accommodation cavity 11, thereby preventing the air duct structure 20 from affecting the arrangement of the refrigerant switching mechanism 30.

[0068] As Figure 9 shown, in another embodiment of the present application, the air duct structure 20 includes a first portion 24 extending in a first direction and a second portion 25 extending in a second direction. The second portion 25 is connected to the first portion 24, and the second direction intersects the first direction. The air duct 111 extends along the extending direction of the air duct structure 20. It should be noted that the air duct structure 20 at least includes a first portion 24 and a second portion 25 extending in two different directions respectively, so that the air duct structure 20 and the air duct 111 can pass through more areas in the accommodation cavity 11. By arranging the ventilation holes 21 at various places of the air duct structure 20, any area in the storage cavity 112 can have an air flow field flowing through as much as possible, thereby ensuring that the refrigerant at different leakage points can also be quickly discharged from the housing 10 by the air flow field. Among them, the air duct structure 20 can be in the shape of a "bow", "V", "S", "Z", wavy, parabolic or other shapes. The first direction can be any direction, and the first direction can be perpendicular or non-perpendicular to the second direction.

[0069] In an embodiment, the housing 10 is a sealed housing, which can improve the sealing performance of the housing 10, thereby preventing the refrigerant in the housing 10 from leaking, and can also improve the heat insulation performance of the housing 10 and reduce the heat loss of the refrigerant.

[0070] like Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, in one embodiment, the refrigerant switching mechanism 30 includes a refrigerant inlet pipe 31 and a refrigerant outlet pipe 32, and a pipe port 16 is provided on the shell 10. The refrigerant inlet pipe 31 and the refrigerant outlet pipe 32 pass through the pipe port 16 to pass through the accommodating chamber 11, and a sealing member 33 is provided between the refrigerant inlet pipe 31 and the inner wall of the pipe port 16, and between the refrigerant outlet pipe 32 and the inner wall of the pipe port 16. It should be noted that the refrigerant inlet pipe 31 is a pipeline for connecting the refrigerant in the refrigerant switching mechanism 30, and the refrigerant outlet pipe 32 is a pipeline for supplying refrigerant output in the refrigerant switching mechanism 30. The sealing member 33 can seal the gap between the refrigerant inlet pipe 31 and the inner wall of the pipe port 16, and the gap between the refrigerant outlet pipe 32 and the inner wall of the pipe port 16, so as to further improve the sealing performance of the accommodating chamber 11. Among them, the sealing member 33 can be a sealing ring.

[0071] In one embodiment, the first air outlet 12 and the second air outlet 13 are respectively located on the left and right sides of the shell 10, and at least one of the left and right sides of the shell 10 is provided with a plurality of refrigerant inlet pipes 31; one of the front and rear sides of the shell 10 is provided with a plurality of refrigerant outlet pipes 32, and the other of the front and rear sides of the shell 10 is provided with an electric control component 34 (such as Figure 2 ). It can be understood that the electric control component 34 is used to control the operation of the electronic components in the refrigerant switching device, and the refrigerant inlet pipe 31, the refrigerant outlet pipe 32 and the electric control component 34 are respectively located on different sides, so that the refrigerant inlet pipe 31, the refrigerant outlet pipe 32 and the electric control component 34 can avoid each other, thereby making the arrangement of the refrigerant inlet pipe 31, the refrigerant outlet pipe 32 and the electric control component 34 more convenient, and the space in the accommodating cavity 11 can be fully utilized.

[0072] In one embodiment, a valve 35 is provided between the first air port 12 and the second air port 13, and a refrigerant sensor is provided in at least one of the air duct 111 and the storage cavity 112. When the refrigerant concentration is greater than a predetermined threshold, the valve 35 is opened, and the first air port 12 and the second air port 13 are connected; when the refrigerant concentration is less than the predetermined threshold, the valve 35 is closed, and the first air port 12 and the second air port 13 are separated. It can be understood that when the refrigerant concentration is greater than the predetermined threshold, it means that refrigerant leakage occurs in the shell 10. At this time, the valve 35 can be opened in time, so that the first air port 12 and the second air port 13 are connected, so that the refrigerant leaked in the shell 10 can be discharged in time when the fan 40 is started; when the refrigerant concentration is less than the predetermined threshold, it means that there is no refrigerant leakage in the shell 10. At this time, the valve 35 is in a closed state, so that the first air port 12 and the second air port 13 are disconnected, so that external gas can be prevented from entering the accommodating cavity 11 through the first air port 12 and the second air port 13. Among them, the specific value of the predetermined threshold can be selected according to actual needs, and this application does not make any specific restrictions.

[0073] In one embodiment, a heat insulation layer is provided on the inner wall surface of the housing 10, which can improve the heat insulation performance of the housing 10 and reduce the heat loss of the refrigerant.

[0074] In one embodiment, the air duct structure 20 is located on at least one side of the refrigerant switching mechanism 30, so that the air duct structure 20 avoids the refrigerant switching mechanism 30 and prevents the air duct structure 20 from affecting the installation of the refrigerant switching mechanism 30. Wherein, the air duct structure 20 can be located above, below, to the left or to the right of the refrigerant switching mechanism 30.

[0075] In some embodiments of the present application, the refrigerant switching mechanism 30 includes a liquid pipe 36, a gas pipe 37, a liquid control valve 38 provided in the liquid pipe 36, and a gas control valve 39 provided in the gas pipe 37. A plurality of liquid control valves 38 are arranged in a row, and a plurality of gas control valves 39 are arranged in a row. At least one of the row of gas control valves 39 and the row of liquid control valves 38 is arranged parallel to at least a part of the air duct 111. It can be understood that during long-term use, the connection part of valves 35 such as the liquid control valve 38 and the gas control valve 39 is prone to refrigerant leakage in the pipeline (liquid pipe 36 and gas pipe 37) due to seal failure. On the basis that the air duct structure 20 is provided with a plurality of ventilation holes 21, arranging at least one of the row of liquid control valves 38 and the row of gas control valves 39 parallel to at least a part of the air duct 111 can make there be a ventilation hole 21 near each liquid control valve 38 or / and each gas control valve 39. When leakage occurs at the liquid control valve 38 and the gas control valve 39, the leaked refrigerant can be timely sucked into the air duct 111 through the ventilation hole 21 and discharged from the accommodation cavity 11 through the air duct structure 20; in addition, at least a part of the air duct 111 can be made to avoid the gas control valve 39 or / and the liquid control valve 38, making the arrangement of the gas control valve 39, the liquid control valve 38 and the air duct structure 20 more convenient and making full use of the space in the accommodation cavity 11.

[0076] In one embodiment, a plurality of liquid control valves 38 are arranged in a row along the third direction, and a plurality of gas control valves 39 are arranged in a row along the third direction, and at least a part of the air duct 111 extends along the third direction. It can be understood that the arrangement direction of the row of liquid control valves 38 is the same as that of the row of gas control valves 39, and both are arranged parallel to at least a part of the air duct 111, so that there is a ventilation hole 21 near each liquid control valve 38 and each gas control valve 39, so that when leakage occurs at the liquid control valve 38 and the gas control valve 39, the leaked refrigerant can be timely sucked into the air duct 111 through the ventilation hole 21 and discharged from the accommodation cavity 11 through the air duct structure 20; in addition, the liquid control valve 38 and the gas control valve 39 can also be made to avoid each other. Wherein, the third direction can be parallel or intersect with the first direction.

[0077] In one embodiment, at least part of the through holes are arranged facing the liquid control valve 38 and the gas control valve 39, which can ensure that the airflow field generated in the accommodation cavity 11 through the ventilation holes 21 passes through the liquid control valve 38 and the gas control valve 39, and can shorten the distance between the ventilation holes 21 and the liquid control valve 38 and the gas control valve 39. When refrigerant leakage occurs at the liquid control valve 38 and the gas control valve 39, the leaked refrigerant can be more quickly sucked into the air duct 111 through the ventilation holes 21 and discharged from the accommodation cavity 11 through the air duct structure 20.

[0078] In a second aspect, based on the above refrigerant switching device, the present application further provides an air conditioning system. As Figure 12 shown, the air conditioning system includes a heat source unit 50, at least one load unit 60, and the refrigerant switching device according to any one of the above embodiments. The refrigerant switching device is located between the heat source unit 50 and the at least one load unit 60 and is used to switch between the cooling mode and the heating mode.

[0079] It can be understood that the pipeline structure in the refrigerant switching device is connected to the refrigerant transmission pipeline in the heat source unit 50 and the refrigerant transmission pipeline in the load unit 60. The refrigerant circulates between the heat source unit 50 and the load unit 60 through the pipeline structure in the refrigerant switching device to switch between the cooling mode and the heating mode. The specific operation of the refrigerant switching device has been publicly known in the related art and will not be elaborated in this application.

[0080] As Figures 13 to 15 shown, in one embodiment, the air conditioning system further includes a fan 40. The air inlet of the fan 40 is connected to the air outlet 13. It can be understood that in this embodiment, the fan 40 is an exhaust fan, and the fan intakes air through the air inlet. Compared with the blowing method, the exhaust method is used to suck the leaked refrigerant in the storage cavity 112, which can make the refrigerant discharge cleaner. Further, the first air outlet 12 is an air outlet, and the second air outlet 13 is an air inlet. The air inlet of the fan 40 is connected to the first air outlet 12, so that the fan 40 can directly suck the gas in the air duct 111 through the first fan 12. The refrigerant in the storage cavity 112 flows into the air duct 111 along with the air in the storage cavity 112, and then multiple strong airflow fields can be formed in the storage cavity 112 through the multiple ventilation holes 21, which can make the refrigerant discharge cleaner.

[0081] In one embodiment, the air conditioning system includes a plurality of refrigerant switching devices. The first air outlet 12 or the second air outlet 13 is connected to an external air duct 70, and the fan 40 is disposed in the accommodation chamber 11 or in the external air duct 70. It can be understood that when the fan 40 is disposed in the accommodation chamber 11, the fan 40 communicates with the first air outlet 12 or the second air outlet 13 in the accommodation chamber 11, which can ensure the sealing performance of the housing 10; when the fan 40 is disposed in the external air duct 70, the fan 40 communicates with the first air outlet 12 or the second air outlet 13 through the external air duct 70, which can also ensure the sealing performance of the housing 10.

[0082] In one embodiment, the air conditioning system further includes a main air duct 71 and a plurality of branch air ducts 72. The plurality of branch air ducts 72 are connected to the main air duct 71, and each branch air duct 72 is connected to a refrigerant switching device. The fan 40 of the refrigerant switching device is disposed in the accommodation chamber 11 (such as Figure 13 ), or in the branch air duct 72 (such as Figure 14 ), or in the main air duct 71 (such as Figure 15 ). The plurality of refrigerant switching devices can supply or exhaust air through a main air duct 71, which can reduce the number of pipelines, thereby reducing the cost of the air conditioning system. And when the fan 40 is disposed in the main air duct 71, only one fan 40 can be provided to meet the requirements of all refrigerant switching devices.

[0083] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, and improvements made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A refrigerant switching device, characterized in that, Comprising: A housing having a receiving cavity, with a first air outlet and a second air outlet provided on the housing; An air duct structure located within the receiving cavity and connected to the housing, the air duct structure dividing the receiving cavity into an air duct and a storage cavity, the air duct structure being provided with a plurality of ventilation holes arranged at intervals, the ventilation holes communicating the air duct with the storage cavity, the first air outlet communicating with the storage cavity through the air duct and the ventilation holes, the second air outlet communicating with the storage cavity, one of the first air outlet and the second air outlet being an air inlet, and the other of the first air outlet and the second air outlet being an air outlet; A refrigerant switching mechanism located within the storage cavity.

2. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 1, wherein The plurality of ventilation holes are arranged along the extending direction of the air duct.

3. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 1, characterized in that The second air outlet is spaced from the air duct, and the second air outlet communicates with the air duct through the storage cavity and the ventilation holes.

4. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The air duct extends from the first air outlet to the second air outlet, and the second air outlet communicates with the storage cavity through the air duct and the ventilation holes.

5. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 1, characterized in that The air duct structure includes: An air duct located within the receiving cavity and connected to the housing, the lumen of the air duct forming the air duct, the plurality of ventilation holes being provided on the air duct, a first ventilation opening being provided at a first end of the air duct, and the first air outlet communicating with the air duct through the first ventilation opening.

6. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 5, characterized in that, At least two of the ventilation holes are respectively located on different sides of the air duct.

7. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 1, wherein, The air duct structure includes: A partition located within the receiving cavity and connected to the housing, the partition dividing the receiving cavity into an air duct and a storage cavity, the plurality of ventilation holes being provided on the partition, the first air outlet being provided in a region of the housing corresponding to the air duct, and the second air outlet being provided in a region of the housing corresponding to the storage cavity.

8. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air duct structure extends in a direction away from the first air outlet, and the air duct extends along the extending direction of the air duct structure.

9. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 1, characterized in that The air duct structure includes a first portion extending in a first direction and a second portion extending in a second direction, the second portion being connected to the first portion, the second direction intersecting the first direction, and the air duct extending along the extending direction of the air duct structure.

10. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing is a sealed housing.

11. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigerant switching mechanism includes a refrigerant inlet pipe and a refrigerant outlet pipe, the housing being provided with a pipe passing opening, and the refrigerant inlet pipe and the refrigerant outlet pipe passing through the receiving cavity through the pipe passing opening; Wherein, seals are provided between the refrigerant inlet pipe and the inner wall of the pipe passing opening, and between the refrigerant outlet pipe and the inner wall of the pipe passing opening.

12. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 1, wherein The refrigerant switching mechanism includes a refrigerant inlet pipe and a refrigerant outlet pipe, the first air outlet and the second air outlet are respectively located on the left and right sides of the housing, and at least one of the left and right sides of the housing is provided with a plurality of the refrigerant inlet pipes; One of the front and rear sides of the housing is provided with a plurality of the refrigerant outlet pipes, and the other of the front and rear sides of the housing is provided with an electric control component.

13. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 1, wherein, A valve is provided between the first air outlet and the second air outlet. A refrigerant sensor is provided in at least one of the air duct and the storage cavity. The refrigerant sensor is used to monitor the refrigerant concentration in the accommodation cavity. When the refrigerant concentration is greater than a predetermined threshold, the valve opens, and the first air outlet and the second air outlet are communicated; when the refrigerant concentration is less than the predetermined threshold, the valve closes, blocking the first air outlet and the second air outlet.

14. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 1, wherein The housing includes an upper side wall, a lower side wall, and four peripheral side walls located between the upper side wall and the lower side wall. The upper side wall, the lower side wall, and the four peripheral side walls enclose to form the accommodation cavity; Wherein, the first air outlet and the second air outlet are located on any one of the upper side wall, the lower side wall, and the four peripheral side walls, or the first air outlet and the second air outlet are located on any two of the upper side wall, the lower side wall, and the four peripheral side walls.

15. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 1, wherein, A heat insulation layer is provided on the inner wall surface of the housing.

16. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air duct structure is located on at least one side of the refrigerant switching mechanism.

17. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigerant switching mechanism includes a liquid pipe, a gas pipe, a liquid control valve provided in the liquid pipe, and a gas control valve provided in the gas pipe. A plurality of the liquid control valves are arranged in a row, and a plurality of the gas control valves are arranged in a row. At least one of a row of the gas control valves and a row of the liquid control valves is arranged in parallel with at least part of the air duct.

18. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 17, wherein A plurality of the liquid control valves are arranged in a row along a third direction, a plurality of the gas control valves are arranged in a row along the third direction, and at least part of the air duct extends along the third direction.

19. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 17, wherein At least part of the ventilation holes are arranged towards the liquid control valve and the gas control valve.

20. An air conditioning system, characterized in that, It includes a heat source unit, at least one load unit, and the refrigerant switching device according to any one of claims 1 to 19. The refrigerant switching device is located between the heat source unit and at least one of the load units and is used to switch between a refrigeration mode and a heating mode.

21. The air-conditioning system according to claim 20, characterized in that, The air conditioning system further includes: A fan, the air inlet of the fan is communicated with the air outlet.

22. The air conditioning system according to claim 21, wherein The air conditioning system includes a plurality of the refrigerant switching devices. The first air outlet or the second air outlet is communicated with an external air duct, and the fan is arranged in the accommodation cavity or in the external air duct.

23. The air-conditioning system according to claim 22, wherein, The external air duct includes: A main collecting air duct; and, A plurality of branch air ducts, communicated with the main collecting air duct, each of the branch air ducts is communicated with the refrigerant switching device, and the fan is arranged in the accommodation cavity or in the branch air duct or in the main collecting air duct.

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