Refrigerant switching device and heating and ventilation system

Abstract

The utility model discloses a refrigerant switching device and a heating and ventilation system. The refrigerant switching device comprises a shell, a pipeline assembly and an air guide piece, and the shell is provided with a containing cavity, at least one air return opening and at least one air exhaust opening; the pipeline assembly is located in the containing cavity and connected with the shell. The pipeline assembly is used for achieving refrigerant circulation between a load unit and a heat source unit in the heating and ventilation system. The air guide piece is arranged at the exhaust outlet, external airflow enters the containing cavity from the air return opening and is exhausted out of the containing cavity from the exhaust outlet, the air guide piece guides the airflow exhausted out of the containing cavity to be exhausted in the first direction, and the first direction is arranged downwards relative to the horizontal line. According to the embodiment of the invention, the air guide part is arranged, so that the air flow in the accommodating cavity is guided by the air guide part to be discharged in the first direction, the disturbance air flow blowing downwards is formed, the refrigerant deposited and accumulated at the bottom is stirred by the air flow, and the situation that the concentration of the local refrigerant exceeds the standard due to accumulation of the refrigerant is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of air conditioners, and particularly to a refrigerant switching device and a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Background Art

[0002] In a multi-split air conditioner system, refrigerant is transmitted between the outdoor unit and the indoor units through a refrigerant switching device, enabling one outdoor unit to work with multiple indoor units simultaneously. Refrigerant is a medium used to transfer heat energy in the air conditioner system. It is a substance that easily absorbs heat and turns into a gas, and easily releases heat and turns into a liquid, allowing heat energy to be transferred through evaporation and condensation.

[0003] However, in related technologies, since the density of some refrigerants is greater than that of air, and refrigerants are flammable and explosive, when refrigerant leakage occurs in the refrigerant switching device, a refrigerant sinking and accumulation phenomenon will occur. Refrigerant accumulation easily leads to an excessive refrigerant concentration and thus safety accidents. Summary of the Utility Model

[0004] An embodiment of this application provides a refrigerant switching device and an HVAC system. When refrigerant leaks, the refrigerant switching device can stir the sunken refrigerant and reduce the sinking and accumulation of refrigerant.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of this application provides a refrigerant switching device, including a housing, a pipeline assembly, and a wind guiding member. The housing has a receiving cavity, at least one air return opening, and at least one air discharge opening; the pipeline assembly is located in the receiving cavity and connected to the housing, and the pipeline assembly is used to realize the refrigerant circulation between the load unit and the heat source unit in the HVAC system, and control the refrigerant flow direction and / or flow rate between the load unit and the heat source unit; the wind guiding member is arranged at the air discharge opening, external air flow enters the receiving cavity from the air return opening, and is discharged from the air discharge opening of the receiving cavity. The wind guiding member guides the air flow discharged from the receiving cavity to be discharged along a first direction, and the first direction is set downward relative to the horizontal line.

[0006] In some embodiments of this application, the wind guiding member includes a wind guiding plate, one end of the wind guiding plate is connected to the wall of the air discharge opening, and the other end of the wind guiding plate extends obliquely downward to the outside of the housing, and the wind guiding plate guides the air flow discharged from the receiving cavity to be discharged to the outside along the first direction.

[0007] In some embodiments of this application, a plurality of the wind guiding plates are provided, and the plurality of wind guiding plates are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction. A first air duct is formed between two adjacent wind guiding plates, and the air flow discharged from the receiving cavity is discharged along the first direction through the first air duct.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present application, the air guiding member includes an air guiding duct having an air inlet and an air outlet. The air inlet is in communication with the air discharge port, and the air outlet is in communication with the outside. The air guiding duct guides the air flow discharged from the accommodation cavity to be discharged to the outside through the air outlet along the first direction. The arrangement of the air guiding duct can reduce the leakage of the air flow around the air guiding duct, thereby playing a good guiding role for the air flow.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present application, the air guiding duct is arc-shaped, or the air guiding duct is inclined downward relative to the horizontal line.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present application, the refrigerant switching device further includes a fan. The fan is located inside the air guiding duct and is installed on the outer wall of the housing. The air inlet side of the fan is in communication with the air discharge port, and the air outlet side of the fan is in communication with the air outlet. The fan drives the air flow in the accommodation cavity into the air guiding duct, and the air guiding duct guides the air flow to be discharged to the outside along the first direction.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present application, the refrigerant switching device further includes a fan installed inside the accommodation cavity. The air inlet side of the fan is in communication with the accommodation cavity, and the air outlet side of the fan is in communication with the air discharge port. The fan drives the air flow in the accommodation cavity to be discharged to the air guiding member, and the air guiding member guides the air flow to be discharged to the outside through the air outlet along the first direction. The arrangement of the fan can enable more air in the accommodation cavity to be discharged to the air guiding member.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present application, the fan is any one of an axial flow fan and a radial centrifugal fan to extract the air in the accommodation cavity and discharge it to the air guiding member.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present application, the refrigerant switching device further includes a refrigerant monitoring sensor and a control unit electrically connected to the refrigerant monitoring sensor. The refrigerant monitoring sensor is disposed inside the housing for monitoring the refrigerant concentration inside the housing, and the control unit is used to control the opening and closing of the fan according to the monitored refrigerant concentration.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present application, the refrigerant switching device further includes a valve for opening and closing the air discharge port, and the control unit is further used to control the opening and closing of the valve according to the monitored refrigerant concentration.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present application, when the refrigerant concentration inside the housing is greater than a first preset threshold, the control unit first controls the valve to open the air discharge port, and then controls the fan to start. The fan discharges the air containing refrigerant in the accommodation cavity along the first direction.

[0016] In some embodiments of the present application, when the refrigerant concentration in the housing is greater than a second preset threshold, and the second preset threshold is less than the first preset threshold, the control unit controls the fan to turn off, and then controls the valve to close the air outlet. When the valve closes the air outlet, the housing is an airtight housing.

[0017] In some embodiments of the present application, the refrigerant switching device further includes a circuit board assembly. An electrical cavity independent of the accommodation cavity is further provided in the housing. The circuit board assembly is arranged in the electrical cavity. The fan is electrically connected to the circuit board assembly and is controlled by the circuit board assembly.

[0018] In some embodiments of the present application, the housing includes a top cover, a plurality of side panels, and a water receiving tray. The top cover and the water receiving tray are located on the upper and lower sides of the plurality of side panels and are both connected to the side panels. The top cover, the side panels, and the water receiving tray enclose to form the accommodation cavity. The air outlet is opened on at least one of the side panels, and the air return opening is opened on the side panel or the top cover. The air guiding member is installed on the side panel to guide the air flow to the outside and form a downward blowing air flow, reducing the influence of the condensed water in the accommodation cavity on the air outlet and the air guiding member.

[0019] In some embodiments of the present application, a sponge is provided on at least one of the top cover, the plurality of side panels, and the water receiving tray.

[0020] In some embodiments of the present application, the plurality of side panels include two side plates arranged at intervals relative to each other. The air outlet is provided on one of the side plates, and the air return opening is provided on the other side plate.

[0021] In some embodiments of the present application, the two side plates are arranged at intervals relative to each other along the length direction of the housing, and the air outlet and the air return opening are respectively provided on both sides in the length direction of the housing.

[0022] In some embodiments of the present application, the pipeline assembly has multiple columns of refrigerant branches arranged in parallel. Each refrigerant branch has at least one valve body, and the valve body controls the flow rate or flow direction of the refrigerant. The multiple columns of refrigerant branches have multiple valve bodies, and the multiple valve bodies are arranged in at least one row along the length direction of the housing. The air flow enters the accommodation cavity from the air return opening, passes through at least one row of valve bodies, and is discharged from the air outlet of the housing.

[0023] In some embodiments of the present application, the number of air outlets is at least two, and the number of air guiding members matches the number of air outlets. One air guiding member is provided corresponding to one air outlet, thereby improving the efficiency of the refrigerant switching device to form a downward blowing air flow.

[0024] In some embodiments of the present application, the refrigerant switching device further includes a return air grille connected to the housing. The return air grille covers at least a part of the return air opening, reducing impurities or foreign objects from the outside entering the accommodation cavity through the return air opening.

[0025] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, including a heat source unit, a load unit, and the refrigerant switching device according to any one of the above embodiments. A refrigerant circulation loop is formed between the heat source unit and the load unit, and the refrigerant switching device is disposed on the refrigerant circulation loop.

[0026] In some embodiments of the present application, the HVAC system includes an exhaust air duct, at least one heat source unit, and a plurality of load units. A plurality of the refrigerant switching devices are disposed between at least one of the heat source units and the plurality of load units, and the refrigerant switching devices are installed in an indoor space. The exhaust air duct is communicated with the air outlet of the air guiding member, and the exhaust air duct guides the air flow discharged from the refrigerant switching device to the outside of the indoor space. Wherein, the air guiding member guides the air flow in the accommodation cavity to be discharged to the outside along the first direction, and the first direction faces the bottom of the exhaust air duct.

[0027] In some embodiments of the present application, the exhaust air duct includes a main collecting duct and a plurality of branch ducts. One end of each branch duct is communicated with the air outlet of the air guiding member of one of the refrigerant switching devices, and the other end of each branch duct is communicated with the main collecting duct. The main collecting duct is communicated to the outdoor space.

[0028] In some embodiments of the present application, the HVAC system includes at least one heat source unit and a plurality of load units. A plurality of the refrigerant switching devices are disposed between at least one of the heat source units and the plurality of load units, and the plurality of refrigerant switching devices are installed in the ceiling space of the indoor. The ceiling space is spaced apart from other spaces in the indoor by a ceiling, and the plurality of refrigerant switching devices are installed above the ceiling. Wherein, the air guiding member guides the air flow in the accommodation cavity to be discharged to the outside along the first direction, and the first direction faces the ceiling.

[0029] In some embodiments of the present application, the ceiling space is provided with an air outlet communicating with the outside.

[0030] The beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present application are as follows: When there are problems such as pipeline structure damage and seal failure at the connection of the valve structure in the refrigerant switching device, resulting in refrigerant leakage in the pipeline structure, the gaseous refrigerant will disperse inside and outside the housing. At the same time, since the density of the refrigerant itself is greater than that of air, the leaked refrigerant will gradually sink to the bottom and accumulate. In the embodiments of the present application, by providing a wind guiding member, the wind guiding member can provide a guiding effect for the airflow, so that the airflow in the accommodating cavity is guided by the wind guiding member and discharged along the first direction, causing the airflow to blow downward. As a result, the refrigerant accumulated at the bottom is stirred by the airflow, thereby reducing the situation where the local refrigerant concentration exceeds the standard due to the accumulation of the refrigerant, reducing the risk of explosion caused by the excessive concentration of the refrigerant, and improving safety. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0032] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigerant switching device in an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 2 It is a schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of a refrigerant switching device in another embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of a part of the refrigerant switching device in another embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 4 It is a schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of a refrigerant switching device in yet another embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 5 It is a schematic structural diagram of a part of the refrigerant switching device in yet another embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 6 It is a schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of a refrigerant switching device in still another embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 7 It is a schematic structural diagram of a side plate and a blower in an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 8 It is a schematic structural diagram of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system in an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 9 It is a schematic structural diagram of an HVAC system in another embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Figure 10This is a schematic structural diagram of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system in another embodiment of the present application.

[0042] Reference numerals:

[0043] 1. Refrigerant switching device;

[0044] 10. Housing; 11. Accommodation cavity; 12. Air outlet; 13. Top cover; 14. Side enclosure; 141. Side plate; 15. Water receiving tray; 16. Air return opening; 17. Sponge;

[0045] 20. Pipeline assembly; 21. Refrigerant branch; 22. Valve body;

[0046] 30. Air guiding member; 31. Air guiding plate; 311. First air duct; 32. Air guiding pipeline; 321. Air inlet; 322. Air outlet;

[0047] 40. Fan; 41. Air extraction main body; 42. Mounting bracket;

[0048] 2. HVAC system; 50. Load unit; 60. Heat source unit; 70. Valve; 80. Exhaust duct; 81. Aggregation air duct; 82. Branch air duct; 83. Exhaust fan; L1. First direction. Detailed implementation manners

[0049] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the related art, the following will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0050] In the related art, new regulations in the North American region require the use of 454B refrigerant in air conditioning systems. Since the density of 454B refrigerant is greater than that of air, if the 454B refrigerant leaks, a sinking phenomenon will occur, causing the leaked refrigerant to accumulate, which easily leads to an excessive concentration of the refrigerant and thus an explosion.

[0051] In view of the above situation, in the first aspect, please refer to Figures 1 - 3 , the present application proposes a refrigerant switching device 1, including a housing 10, a pipeline assembly 20, and an air guiding member 30.

[0052] The housing 10 has an accommodation cavity 11, at least one air return opening 16, and at least one air outlet 12. The air return opening 16 and the air outlet 12 communicate the accommodation cavity 11 with the outside. The housing 10 is a protective shell of the refrigerant switching device 1. 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.

[0053] The pipeline assembly 20 is located in the accommodation cavity 11 and is connected to the housing 10. Refrigerant is transported and transferred in the pipeline assembly 20. The pipeline assembly 20 is used to realize the refrigerant circulation between the load unit 50 and the heat source unit 60 in the HVAC system 2, and control the refrigerant flow direction and / or flow rate between the load unit 50 and the heat source unit 60 (as Figure 8 shown).

[0054] The air guiding member 30 is arranged at the air outlet 12. The outside air flow enters the accommodation cavity 11 from the air return opening 16 and discharges from the air outlet 12. The air guiding member 30 guides the air flow discharged from the accommodation cavity 11 to discharge along the first direction L1. The first direction L1 is arranged downward relative to the horizontal line. The air guiding member 30 can provide a guiding effect for the air flow, so that the air flow blows out of the housing 10 along the first direction L1, that is, guides the air flow discharged from the accommodation cavity 11 to blow downward to the outside. For example, when the refrigerant switching device 1 is installed on the ceiling in a room, the air guiding member 30 can guide the air flow discharged from the accommodation cavity 11 downward to form a disturbing air flow blowing towards the floor of the room, and the disturbing air flow is used to stir the refrigerant accumulated at the bottom of the room. The specific type of the air guiding member 30 in the embodiments of the present application is not limited. For example, the air guiding member 30 can be an air duct, an air guiding cover or an air guiding grille, etc., and specific embodiments will be described in detail below.

[0055] It should be noted that when there are problems such as pipeline structure breakage and seal failure at the connection of the valve 70 in the refrigerant switching device 1, resulting in refrigerant leakage in the pipeline structure, the gaseous refrigerant will disperse inside and outside the housing 10. At the same time, because the density of the refrigerant itself is greater than the density of air, the leaked refrigerant will gradually sink to the bottom and accumulate. In the embodiments of the present application, by arranging the air guiding member 30, the air guiding member 30 provides a guiding effect for the air flow discharged from the accommodation cavity 11, so that the air flow blows downward, thereby stirring the refrigerant accumulated at the bottom, reducing the situation of local refrigerant concentration exceeding the standard caused by the accumulation of refrigerant, reducing the risk of explosion caused by excessive refrigerant concentration, and improving safety. Generally, if the refrigerant switching device 1 is arranged in an environment such as a meeting room, a ventilation device, such as a ventilation fan, will be arranged in the meeting room to ventilate the room. After the refrigerant accumulated at the bottom of the room is stirred, it is more conducive to the discharge of the refrigerant in the room to the outside.

[0056] As Figure 1 shown, the number of the air outlets 12 is at least two, and the number of the air guiding members 30 matches the number of the air outlets 12. One air guiding member 30 is arranged corresponding to one air outlet 12, thereby improving the efficiency of the refrigerant switching device 1 to form a downward blowing air flow, and the multiple air outlets 12 can exhaust to different positions below respectively, so as to form multiple disturbing air flows. By these multiple disturbing air flows to stir the refrigerant accumulated at the bottom, the situation of local refrigerant concentration exceeding the standard caused by the accumulation of refrigerant can be further reduced.

[0057] The refrigerant switching device 1 further includes a return air grille (not shown in the figure) connected to the housing 10. The return air grille covers at least a part of the return air opening 16. The return air grille is used to block the return air opening 16 and reduce the entry of external impurities or foreign objects into the accommodation chamber 11 from the return air opening 16. In some embodiments, an exhaust air grille may also be provided at the exhaust air opening 12. The exhaust air grille covers at least a part of the exhaust air opening 12, and the exhaust air grille can reduce the entry of external impurities or foreign objects into the accommodation chamber 11 from the exhaust air opening 12.

[0058] Please refer to Figures 2 - 3 , in some embodiments of the present application, the air guiding member 30 includes an air guiding plate 31. One end of the air guiding plate 31 is connected to the wall of the exhaust air opening 12, and the other end of the air guiding plate 31 extends obliquely downward toward the outside of the housing 10. Thus, the air guiding plate 31 can guide the air flow discharged from the accommodation chamber 11 to blow downward, that is, the air guiding plate 31 can guide the air flow discharged from the accommodation chamber 11 to be discharged to the outside along the first direction L1.

[0059] Furthermore, as Figure 3 shown, a plurality of air guiding plates 31 are provided. The plurality of air guiding plates 31 are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction. A first air duct 311 is formed between two adjacent air guiding plates 31. That is to say, the air guiding plates 31 are arranged obliquely downward, so that the first air duct 311 between two adjacent air guiding plates 31 is obliquely downward. Thus, the air flow discharged from the accommodation chamber 11 forms a downward blowing air flow after flowing through the first air duct 311, so as to facilitate stirring the accumulated refrigerant.

[0060] Among them, the size of the inclination angle of the air guiding plate 31 relative to the horizontal plane can determine the air flow direction of the disturbed air flow, and the size of the air guiding plate 31 can determine the width and extension length of the first air duct 311. In the embodiments of the present application, the size of the inclination angle, the size, and the number of the air guiding plates 31 are not specifically limited.

[0061] Exemplarily, the air guiding plate 31 and the wall of the exhaust air opening 12 can be rotatably connected, so that the air guiding plate 31 can rotate relative to the exhaust air opening 12 to adjust the specific orientation of the air guiding plate 31. Thus, the orientation of the air guiding plate 31 can be adjusted, and the guiding direction of the first air duct 311 can also be changed, that is, the angle of the downward blowing air flow can be adjusted according to the actual installation situation of the air guiding plate 31. When the refrigerant switching device 1 is in the non-working state, the air guiding plate 31 can be rotated to a state where it fits against the side surface of the housing 10, so that the air guiding plate 31 blocks the exhaust air opening 12 on the housing 10, which can not only reduce the entry of external dust or impurities into the accommodation chamber 11, but also reduce the occupied space of the air guiding plate 31.

[0062] Or, please refer to Figures 4 - 5, in some embodiments of the present application, the air guiding member 30 includes an air guiding duct 32. The air guiding duct 32 has an air inlet 321 and an air outlet 322. The air inlet 321 is communicated with the air discharge port 12, and the air outlet 322 is communicated with the outside. The air guiding duct 32 guides the air flow discharged from the accommodation cavity 11 to be discharged to the outside through the air outlet 322 along the first direction L1.

[0063] Specifically, the air guiding duct 32 provides a guiding function for the air flow discharged from the accommodation cavity 11. The air flow in the accommodation cavity 11 sequentially flows through the air discharge port 12, the air inlet 321, and the air outlet 322. The air guiding duct 32 guides the air flow to be discharged to the outside along the first direction L1. The arrangement of the air guiding duct 32 can reduce the leakage of the air flow on the circumferential side of the air guiding duct 32, thereby playing a good guiding role for the air flow. Exemplarily, one end of the air guiding duct 32 can extend into the accommodation cavity 11 from the air discharge port 12 of the housing 10. At this time, the circumferential side surface of the air guiding duct 32 is hermetically connected to the air discharge port 12 of the housing 10 to reduce the air leakage at the interface between the air guiding duct 32 and the housing 10. Among them, the extending direction of the central axis of the air outlet 322 is parallel to the first direction L1.

[0064] Further, please refer to Figures 4 - 6 , the air guiding duct 32 is arc-shaped to facilitate providing a turning guide for the air flow and guiding the air flow discharged from the accommodation cavity 11 to blow downward after changing the direction. Among them, the air guiding duct 32 can be set as a quarter circular arc (as shown in Figure 4 ), or can be set as an irregular arc (as shown in Figure 6 ), etc., and no specific limitation is made here. Or, the air guiding duct 32 is inclined downward relative to the horizontal line, that is, the air guiding duct 32 is directly inclined, so as to facilitate forming an air flow blowing downward.

[0065] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 2 - 6 , the refrigerant switching device 1 further includes a fan 40. The fan 40 can suck out the air in the accommodation cavity 11 and make the sucked air form an air flow on the air outlet side of the fan 40. The air guiding member 30 guides the air flow to be discharged to the outside through the air outlet 322 along the first direction L1. Among them, the arrangement of the fan 40 can enable more air in the accommodation cavity 11 to be discharged to the air guiding member 30. The air guiding member 30 can include an air guiding plate 31 or an air guiding duct 32.

[0066] Specifically, as shown in Figure 3 , the fan 40 can include an air extraction main body 41 and a mounting bracket 42. The air extraction main body 41 is used to extract the air in the accommodation cavity 11 and discharge it to the air guiding member 30. The mounting bracket 42 can be connected to the housing 10 by welding, gluing, clamping, riveting, screwing or other means. At the same time, the air guiding member 30 can also be connected to the housing 10 by welding, gluing, clamping, riveting, screwing or other means.

[0067] Exemplarily, as Figure 2 and Figure 4 shown, the blower 40 is installed in the accommodation chamber 11, and the housing 10 can provide protection for the installation of the blower 40. The air inlet side of the blower 40 communicates with the accommodation chamber 11, and the air outlet side of the blower 40 communicates with the air outlet 12. Therefore, the blower 40 can drive the air in the accommodation chamber 11 to form an air flow, which sequentially flows through the air inlet side, the air outlet side, the air outlet 12, and the air guiding member 30. Among them, the air guiding member 30 can guide the air discharged from the accommodation chamber 11 to be discharged to the outside from the air outlet 322 along the first direction L1. It can be understood that taking the air guiding member 30 as the air guiding duct 32, at this time, the blower 40 blows the air flow in the accommodation chamber 11 into the air guiding duct 32, and then the air guiding duct 32 provides guidance for the air flow, that is, the air discharged from the accommodation chamber 11 will form an air flow blowing downward along the first direction L1.

[0068] Alternatively, the blower 40 is located in the air guiding duct 32 (not shown in the figure), and the blower 40 is installed on the outer wall of the housing 10. The air inlet side of the blower 40 communicates with the air outlet 12, and the air outlet side of the blower 40 communicates with the air outlet 322. The blower 40 can extract the air in the accommodation chamber 11 to form an air flow, so as to drive more air in the accommodation chamber 11 to be discharged from the air outlet 12 to the air guiding duct 32.

[0069] Further, the blower 40 is any one of an axial flow blower 40 and a radial centrifugal blower 40, so as to extract the air in the accommodation chamber 11 and discharge it to the air guiding member 30, and then the air guiding member 30 guides the air flow to be discharged to the outside from the air outlet 322 along the first direction L1.

[0070] In some embodiments of the present application, the refrigerant switching device 1 further includes a refrigerant monitoring sensor and a control unit (not shown in the figure) electrically connected to the refrigerant monitoring sensor. The refrigerant monitoring sensor is disposed in the housing 10 for monitoring the refrigerant concentration in the housing 10, and the control unit is used to control the opening and closing of the blower 40 according to the monitored refrigerant concentration.

[0071] Further, as Figure 9 shown, the refrigerant switching device 1 further includes a valve 70. The valve 70 is used to open and close the air outlet 12, and the control unit can also be used to control the opening and closing of the valve 70 according to the refrigerant concentration monitored by the refrigerant monitoring sensor.

[0072] When the refrigerant concentration in the housing 10 is greater than the first preset threshold, the control unit first controls the valve 70 to open the air outlet 12, and then controls the fan 40 to start. The fan 40 discharges the air containing refrigerant in the accommodation chamber 11 along the first direction L1. When the refrigerant concentration in the housing 10 is greater than the second preset threshold, the control unit controls the fan 40 to close, and then controls the valve 70 to close the air outlet 12. When the valve 70 closes the air outlet 12, the housing 10 is an airtight housing 10, where the second preset threshold is less than the first preset threshold.

[0073] In some embodiments of the present application, the refrigerant switching device 1 further includes a circuit board assembly (not shown in the figure). An electrical cavity independent of the accommodation chamber 11 is also provided in the housing 10. The circuit board assembly is disposed in the electrical cavity. During the operation of the pipeline assembly 20, condensate may be generated or liquid leakage may occur. Since the electrical cavity is independently provided from the accommodation chamber 11, the condensate and other liquids in the accommodation chamber 11 can be reduced from having an adverse effect on the circuit board assembly. The fan 40 is electrically connected to the circuit board assembly, and the circuit board assembly can control the operation of the fan 40 so that the fan 40 can be started in time when refrigerant leakage occurs.

[0074] Please refer to Figure 6 , in some embodiments of the present application, the housing 10 includes a top cover 13, a plurality of side panels 14, and a water receiving tray 15. The top cover 13 and the water receiving tray 15 are located on the upper and lower sides of the plurality of side panels 14 and are both connected to the side panels 14. The top cover 13, the side panels 14, and the water receiving tray 15 enclose to form the accommodation chamber 11. An air outlet 12 is provided on at least one of the side panels 14, and an air return opening 16 is provided on the side panel 14 or the top cover 13. The air guiding member 30 is installed on the side panel 14.

[0075] It is easy to understand that the water receiving tray 15 is located below the top cover 13. During the operation of the pipeline assembly 20, condensate is generated, and the condensate can drip into the water receiving tray 15 under the action of gravity. An air outlet 12 is provided on at least one of the plurality of side panels 14, and the air guiding member 30 is installed on the side panel 14. That is to say, the air outlet 12 is located on the side of the housing 10, so as to facilitate the air outlet 12 to discharge air to the outside and form an air flow blowing downward, reducing the influence of the condensate in the accommodation chamber 11 on the air outlet 12.

[0076] Please refer to Figure 7 , in some embodiments of the present application, a sponge 17 is provided on at least one of the top cover 13, the plurality of side panels 14, and the water receiving tray 15. The sponge 17 can be used to absorb the condensate dripping or splashing in the accommodation chamber 11. At the same time, the setting of the sponge 17 can reduce the noise generated when some parts inside the accommodation chamber 11 operate.

[0077] Please refer to Figure 6, in some embodiments of the present application, the plurality of side panels 14 include two side plates 141 that are relatively spaced apart. The air outlet 12 is provided on one side plate 141, and the air return port 16 is provided on the other side plate 141.

[0078] Specifically, the two side plates 141 are relatively spaced apart along the length direction of the housing 10. The air outlet 12 and the air return port 16 are respectively provided on both sides in the length direction of the housing 10. That is to say, the positions of the air outlet 12 and the air return port 16 on the housing 10 are relatively arranged. The air flow entering the accommodation cavity 11 from the air return port 16 needs to flow through the internal space of the accommodation cavity 11 and then be discharged from the air outlet 12. Thereby, the refrigerant leaked into various parts of the accommodation cavity 11 can be more completely discharged to the air guiding member 30, so as to minimize the residual amount of refrigerant in the accommodation cavity 11 as much as possible.

[0079] Please refer to Figure 1 , in some embodiments of the present application, the pipeline assembly 20 has multiple columns of refrigerant branches 21 arranged in parallel. Each refrigerant branch 21 has at least one valve body 22, and the valve body 22 controls the flow rate or flow direction of the refrigerant. Among them, in the refrigerant switching device 1, the refrigerant branches 21 in the pipeline assembly have various different extending directions, and refrigerant can be transported in each refrigerant branch 21. The valve bodies 22 on the refrigerant branches 21 also include various different types of valves 70, such as solenoid valves, throttle valves, multi-way valves, etc. The valves 70 are used to control the opening and closing of the refrigerant branch 21, so as to control the flow condition of the refrigerant in the refrigerant branch 21.

[0080] The multiple columns of refrigerant branches 21 have multiple valve bodies 22, and the multiple valve bodies 22 are arranged in at least one row along the length direction of the housing 10. The air flow enters the accommodation cavity 11 from the air return port 16, passes through at least one row of valve bodies 22, and is discharged from the air outlet 12 to the air guiding member 30. That is to say, the relative arrangement of the air return port 16 and the air outlet 12 can timely discharge the refrigerant leaked into the accommodation cavity 11, avoiding safety accidents caused by the retention of the refrigerant in the narrow housing 10. At the same time, the valve bodies 22 in the accommodation cavity 11 will generate heat after long-term operation. At this time, the outside cold air enters the accommodation cavity 11 from the air return port 16, then flows through the valve bodies 22, and takes away part of the heat. Thereby, it can play a role in dissipating heat for the components such as the valve bodies 22 in the accommodation cavity 11.

[0081] In the second aspect, please refer to Figure 8, The embodiment of the present application also provides a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system 2, which includes a heat source unit 60, a load unit 50, and the refrigerant switching device 1 as described in any one of the above embodiments. A refrigerant circulation loop is formed between the heat source unit 60 and the load unit 50, and the refrigerant switching device 1 is disposed on the refrigerant circulation loop. Among them, at least one load unit 50 is provided, and the heat source unit 60 is connected to one or more load units 50 through the refrigerant switching device 1. For example, the heat source unit 60 is an outdoor unit, and the load unit 50 is an indoor unit.

[0082] It can be understood that the refrigerant branch 21 in the refrigerant switching device 1 is connected to the refrigerant pipeline in the heat source unit 60 and the refrigerant pipeline in the load unit 50. The refrigerant circulates between the load unit 50 and the heat source unit 60 through the refrigerant branch 21 in the refrigerant switching device 1, so that the heat source unit 60 can switch between refrigeration and heating. The specific operation of the refrigerant switching device 1 has been publicly known in the related art, and will not be elaborated in this application.

[0083] In some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figure 9 , the HVAC system 2 includes at least one heat source unit 60, a plurality of load units 50, and an exhaust air duct 80. A plurality of refrigerant switching devices 1 are provided between the at least one heat source unit 60 and the plurality of load units 50, and the refrigerant switching devices 1 are installed in the indoor space.

[0084] The exhaust air duct 80 is communicated with the air outlet 322 of the air guiding member 30, and the exhaust air duct 80 guides the air discharged from the refrigerant switching device 1 to the outside of the indoor space; wherein, the air guiding member 30 guides the airflow in the accommodating cavity 11 to be discharged to the outside along the first direction L1, and the first direction L1 faces the bottom of the exhaust air duct 80.

[0085] Specifically, the exhaust air duct 80 includes a collecting air duct 81 and a plurality of branch air ducts 82. One end of each branch air duct 82 is communicated with the air outlet 322 of the air guiding member 30 of a refrigerant switching device 1, and the other end of each branch air duct 82 is communicated with the collecting air duct 81. The collecting air duct 81 is communicated to the outdoor space, and an exhaust fan 83 is connected to the side of the collecting air duct 81 facing the outdoor space, which is beneficial to discharging the refrigerant in the HVAC system 2 from the exhaust air duct 80 to the outside.

[0086] In some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figure 10 , the HVAC system 2 includes at least one heat source unit 60 and a plurality of load units 50. A plurality of refrigerant switching devices 1 are provided between the at least one heat source unit 60 and the plurality of load units 50. The plurality of refrigerant switching devices 1 are installed in the ceiling space of the indoor. The ceiling space is separated from other indoor spaces by a ceiling, and the plurality of refrigerant switching devices 1 are installed above the ceiling; wherein, the air guiding member 30 guides the air in the accommodating cavity 11 to be discharged to the outside along the first direction L1, and the first direction L1 faces the ceiling.

[0087] Specifically, an air outlet communicating with the outside is provided in the ceiling space, and an exhaust fan 83 is provided at the air outlet, so that after the refrigerant accumulated in the room is agitated, it is more conducive to the discharge of the refrigerant in the room from the air outlet to the outside.

[0088] In the drawings of this embodiment, the same or similar reference numerals correspond to the same or similar components; in the description of the present application, it should be understood that if there are terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", etc. indicating the orientation or positional relationship, it is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the components or elements referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, the terms describing the positional relationship in the drawings are only for illustrative purposes and cannot be understood as a limitation of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0089] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. 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, at least one air return opening, and at least one air discharge opening; A pipeline assembly located in the receiving cavity and connected to the housing, the pipeline assembly being used to realize the refrigerant circulation between the load unit and the heat source unit in the HVAC system, and to control the refrigerant flow direction and / or flow rate between the load unit and the heat source unit; An air guiding member provided at the air discharge opening, external air flow enters the receiving cavity from the air return opening and discharges from the air discharge opening, the air guiding member guides the air flow discharged from the receiving cavity to discharge along a first direction, and the first direction is set downward relative to the horizontal line.

2. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 1, characterized in that The air guiding member includes a wind guiding plate, one end of the wind guiding plate is connected to the wall of the air discharge opening, and the other end of the wind guiding plate extends obliquely downward to the outside of the housing, and the wind guiding plate guides the air flow discharged from the receiving cavity to discharge to the outside along the first direction.

3. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 2, characterized in that, A plurality of the wind guiding plates are provided, and the plurality of wind guiding plates are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction, and a first air duct is formed between two adjacent wind guiding plates, and the air flow discharged from the receiving cavity discharges along the first direction through the first air duct.

4. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air guiding member includes an air guiding duct having an air inlet and an air outlet, the air inlet is communicated with the air discharge opening, and the air outlet is communicated with the outside, and the air guiding duct guides the air flow discharged from the receiving cavity to discharge to the outside along the first direction through the air outlet.

5. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The air guiding duct is arc-shaped, or the air guiding duct is inclined downward relative to the horizontal line.

6. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 4, characterized in that, Further comprising: A fan located in the air guiding duct, and the fan is installed on the outer wall of the housing, the air inlet side of the fan is communicated with the air discharge opening, the air outlet side of the fan is communicated with the air outlet, and the fan drives the air flow in the receiving cavity to enter the air guiding duct, and the air guiding duct guides the air flow to discharge to the outside along the first direction.

7. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 4, characterized in that Further comprising: A fan installed in the receiving cavity, the air inlet side of the fan is communicated with the receiving cavity, the air outlet side of the fan is communicated with the air discharge opening, and the fan drives the air flow in the receiving cavity to be discharged to the air guiding member, and the air guiding member guides the air flow to discharge to the outside along the first direction through the air outlet.

8. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, The fan is any one of an axial flow fan and a radial centrifugal fan.

9. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that Further comprising a refrigerant monitoring sensor and a control unit electrically connected to the refrigerant monitoring sensor, the refrigerant monitoring sensor is arranged in the housing for monitoring the refrigerant concentration in the housing, and the control unit is used to control the opening and closing of the fan according to the monitored refrigerant concentration.

10. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 9, characterized in that, Further comprising a valve, the valve is used to open and close the air discharge opening, and the control unit is also used to control the opening and closing of the valve according to the monitored refrigerant concentration.

11. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 10, characterized in that, When the refrigerant concentration in the housing is greater than a first preset threshold, the control unit first controls the valve to open the air discharge opening, and then controls the fan to start, and the fan discharges the air containing refrigerant in the receiving cavity along the first direction.

12. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 11, wherein When the refrigerant concentration in the housing is greater than a second preset threshold, and the second preset threshold is less than the first preset threshold, the control unit controls the blower to turn off, and then controls the valve to close the air outlet. When the valve closes the air outlet, the housing becomes an airtight housing.

13. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, It further includes a circuit board assembly. An electrical cavity independent of the accommodation cavity is also provided in the housing. The circuit board assembly is arranged in the electrical cavity. The blower is electrically connected to the circuit board assembly and is controlled by the circuit board assembly.

14. The refrigerant switching device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The housing includes a top cover, a plurality of side panels, and a water receiving tray. The top cover and the water receiving tray are located on the upper and lower sides of the plurality of side panels and are both connected to the side panels. The top cover, the side panels, and the water receiving tray enclose to form the accommodation cavity. The air outlet is opened on at least one of the side panels, and the air return opening is opened on the side panel or the top cover. The air guiding member is installed on the side panel.

15. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 14, characterized in that, Sponge is provided on at least one of the top cover, the plurality of side panels, and the water receiving tray.

16. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 14, characterized in that, The plurality of side panels include two side plates arranged relatively and spaced apart. The air outlet is provided on one of the side plates, and the air return opening is provided on the other side plate.

17. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 16, characterized in that, The two side plates are arranged relatively and spaced apart along the length direction of the housing. The air outlet and the air return opening are respectively provided on both sides in the length direction of the housing.

18. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 17, wherein The pipeline assembly has multiple columns of refrigerant branches arranged in parallel. Each refrigerant branch has at least one valve body. The valve body controls the flow rate or flow direction of the refrigerant. The multiple columns of refrigerant branches have multiple valve bodies. The multiple valve bodies are arranged in at least one row along the length direction of the housing. The air flow enters the accommodation cavity from the air return opening, passes through at least one row of valve bodies, and is discharged from the air outlet of the housing.

19. The refrigerant switching device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The number of the air outlets is at least two. The number of the air guiding members matches the number of the air outlets. One air guiding member is provided corresponding to one air outlet.

20. The refrigerant switching device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, It further includes an air return grille connected to the housing. The air return grille covers at least part of the air return opening.

21. A heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, characterized in that, Comprising: A heat source unit; A load unit; And The refrigerant switching device according to any one of claims 1 to 20. A refrigerant circulation loop is formed between the heat source unit and the load unit. The refrigerant switching device is arranged on the refrigerant circulation loop.

22. The HVAC system according to claim 21, characterized in that, Comprising: At least one heat source unit and multiple load units. A plurality of the refrigerant switching devices are arranged between at least one heat source unit and the multiple load units. The refrigerant switching device is installed in the indoor space; An exhaust passage communicating with the air outlet of the air guiding member. The exhaust passage guides the air flow discharged from the refrigerant switching device to the outside of the indoor space; Wherein, the air guiding member guides the air flow in the accommodation cavity to be discharged to the outside along the first direction. The first direction faces the bottom of the exhaust passage.

23. The HVAC system according to claim 22, wherein, The exhaust air duct includes a main duct and a plurality of branch ducts. One end of each branch duct communicates with the air outlet of the air guiding member of one of the refrigerant switching devices, and the other end of each branch duct communicates with the main duct, and the main duct communicates with the outdoor space.

24. The HVAC system according to claim 21, characterized in that, Comprising: At least one heat source unit and a plurality of load units. A plurality of the refrigerant switching devices are arranged between the at least one heat source unit and the plurality of load units. The plurality of refrigerant switching devices are installed in the ceiling space of the room. The ceiling space is separated from other spaces in the room by a ceiling, and the plurality of refrigerant switching devices are installed above the ceiling; Wherein, the air guiding member guides the air flow in the accommodating cavity to be discharged to the outside along a first direction, and the first direction faces the ceiling.

25. The HVAC system according to claim 24, wherein, An air outlet communicating with the outside is provided in the ceiling space.

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