Outdoor fan protection device and air conditioner outdoor unit

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model provides an outdoor fan protection device and an air conditioner outdoor unit, the outdoor fan protection device comprises a floating part, a heating assembly and a switch assembly, the floating part is arranged above a chassis of the outdoor unit in a floatable mode, and the switch assembly is configured to be electrically connected with the outdoor fan. The switch assembly is arranged on the floating part and provided with a first contact and a second contact, and the first contact and the second contact are arranged above the floating part in a spaced mode in the vertical direction. The heating assembly is used for heating and deicing the outdoor unit base plate, and the floating part floats upwards along with rising of the water level on the outdoor unit base plate so as to drive the first contact and the second contact to be connected and floats downwards along with falling of the water level on the outdoor unit base plate so as to drive the first contact and the second contact to be connected. Therefore, the first contact and the second contact are separated. When the first contact and the second contact are connected, the switch assembly closes the outdoor fan.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of air conditioners, and in particular to an outdoor fan protection device and an air conditioner outdoor unit. Background Art

[0002] When the outdoor temperature is low, condensed water or rain and snow easily freeze into ice in the outdoor unit chassis. As the thickness of the ice layer gradually increases, the outdoor fan is at a greater risk of damage from scraping ice during operation. Some air conditioner outdoor units in related art melt ice when it forms, but the resulting water can easily accumulate on the outdoor unit chassis due to clogged drains, causing the water level in the outdoor unit chassis to gradually rise, which in turn can damage the outdoor fan during operation. These various issues pose a significant risk of damage to the outdoor fan. Utility Model Content

[0003] The embodiments of the present application provide an outdoor fan protection device and an air conditioner outdoor unit, which can reduce the risk of damage to the outdoor fan.

[0004] On the one hand, an embodiment of the present application provides an outdoor fan protection device, including a floating member, a heating assembly and a switch assembly, wherein the floating member can be floated above the outdoor unit chassis, the switch assembly is configured to be electrically connected to the outdoor fan, and the switch assembly has a first contact and a second contact, the first contact and the second contact are arranged above the floating member at intervals from each other in the up and down directions; the heating assembly is used to heat and defrost the outdoor unit chassis, the floating member floats upward as the water level on the outdoor unit chassis rises to drive the first contact and the second contact to engage, and floats downward as the water level on the outdoor unit chassis drops to separate the first contact and the second contact; when the first contact and the second contact are engaged, the switch assembly turns off the outdoor fan.

[0005] In some embodiments, the outdoor fan protection device includes a device shell, which is arranged on the outdoor unit chassis. The device shell is provided with an inner cavity connected to the outdoor unit chassis, and the floating member can be floatably arranged in the inner cavity.

[0006] In some embodiments, the device shell includes a top plate and a peripheral side plate that are connected to each other. The top plate and the outdoor unit chassis are arranged relative to each other in the up and down directions. The peripheral side plate is arranged around the lower surface edge of the top plate. The heating component is arranged on the peripheral side plate in an area close to the outdoor unit chassis to heat and melt the ice on the outdoor unit chassis.

[0007] In some embodiments, the outdoor fan protection device includes an elastic support member and an elastic connecting member, the first contact is arranged on the lower surface of the top plate, the elastic support member can be elastically deformed in the up and down directions and is arranged in the area between the floating member and the top plate, and the second contact is arranged on the upper surface of the elastic support member; the floating member drives the elastic support member to elastically protrude upward to engage the first contact and the second contact; when the floating member and the elastic support member are separated, the elastic support member resets downward to keep the first contact and the second contact separated.

[0008] In some embodiments, the outdoor fan protection device includes an elastic connecting member, the first contact is arranged on the lower surface of the top plate, the second contact is arranged on the upper surface of the floating member, the elastic connecting member elastically connects the top plate and the floating member, and the elastic force of the elastic connecting member is configured to move the floating member downward away from the top plate so that the first contact and the second contact remain separated.

[0009] In some embodiments, the heating assembly includes a heating wire, which is wound along a spiral line on the peripheral side plate in an area close to the outdoor unit chassis, and the central axis of the spiral line coincides with the vertical direction.

[0010] In some embodiments, the device housing includes a fixed base, and the fixed base is arranged at the bottom of the peripheral side plate.

[0011] In some embodiments, when the floating member engages the first contact and the second contact, the bottom of the floating member and the bottom of the outdoor fan are located in the same horizontal plane, or the height of the bottom of the floating member is lower than the height of the bottom of the outdoor fan.

[0012] In some embodiments, the density of the floating member is less than that of water; and the floating member is a plastic rod.

[0013] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present application provides an air-conditioning outdoor unit, comprising an outdoor unit chassis, an outdoor fan, and an outdoor fan protection device provided in any of the above embodiments.

[0014] The embodiment of the present application provides a floating part, a heating component and a switch component. The heating component is used to heat the chassis of the outdoor unit to melt ice. The floating part can float upward as the water level on the chassis of the outdoor unit rises to drive the first contact and the second contact to engage, thereby triggering the switching action of the switch component, causing the switch component to turn off the outdoor fan, so that the outdoor fan stops rotating in time, avoiding damage to the fan blades of the outdoor fan due to scraping ice or water, thereby effectively reducing the risk of damage to the outdoor fan. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a main structural diagram of the outdoor fan protection device provided by some embodiments of the present application in the first state;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a main structural diagram of the outdoor fan protection device provided by some embodiments of the present application in the second state;

[0018] Figure 3 This is another main structural diagram of the outdoor fan protection device provided in some embodiments of the present application in the first state.

[0019] Description of main component symbols:

[0020] 1-outdoor fan protection device, 10-floating part, 20-heating component, 30-switch component, 31-first contact, 32-second contact, 40-device housing, 41-top plate, 42-side plate, 43-inner cavity, 44-fixed base, 50-elastic support member, 60-elastic connecting member, 70-guide rod, 2-outdoor unit chassis. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0022] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the said features. In the description of the present application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0023] “A and / or B” includes the following three combinations: A only, B only, and a combination of A and B.

[0024] The use of "suitable for" or "configured to" in this application is intended to be open and inclusive language, and does not exclude devices that are adapted or configured to perform additional tasks or steps. In addition, the use of "based on" is intended to be open and inclusive, as a process, step, calculation, or other action that is "based on" one or more stated conditions or values ​​may, in practice, be based on additional conditions or values ​​beyond those stated.

[0025] In this application, the word "exemplary" is used to mean "serving as an example, illustration, or illustration." Any embodiment described in this application as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. The following description is given to enable any person skilled in the art to implement and use the present application. In the following description, details are listed for the purpose of explanation. It should be understood that one of ordinary skill in the art can recognize that the present application can be implemented without using these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and processes are not elaborated in detail to avoid obscuring the description of the present application with unnecessary details. Therefore, the present application is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is consistent with the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed in this application.

[0026] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in one aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an outdoor fan protection device 1, which includes a floating member 10, a heating assembly 20, and a switch assembly 30, and can reduce the risk of damage to the outdoor fan. Here, the outdoor fan protection device 1 can be applied to an air conditioner outdoor unit, which can include an outdoor unit chassis 2 and an outdoor fan.

[0027] Here, the floating member 10 is disposed above the outdoor unit chassis 2 in a floating manner, floating upward as the water level on the outdoor unit chassis 2 rises and floating downward as the water level on the outdoor unit chassis 2 drops. A switch assembly 30 is configured to be electrically connected to the outdoor fan and includes a first contact 31 and a second contact 32 . The first contact 31 and the second contact 32 are disposed above the floating member 10 at a distance from each other in the vertical direction. For example, the first contact 31 can be disposed above the second contact 32, and the first contact 31 and the second contact 32 remain separated.

[0028] Here, the heating assembly 20 is used to heat and melt ice on the outdoor unit chassis 2. If the drain outlet is blocked and the melted ice cannot be drained away promptly, the accumulated ice on the outdoor unit chassis 2 melts and the water level rises. The floating element 10 floats upward as the water level rises, contacting the second contact 32 and driving it upward to engage with the first contact 31. When the first and second contacts 31 and 32 engage, the switch assembly 30 shuts off the outdoor fan, stopping it and preventing damage to the fan blades from scraping ice or water. Once the drain outlet is unblocked, the melted ice can be drained away, gradually lowering the water level on the outdoor unit chassis 2. The floating element 10 floats downward as the water level drops, disengaging from the second contact 32 and returning the first and second contacts 31 and 32 to their separated state.

[0029] Compared with the related art, the outdoor fan protection device 1 provided in the embodiment of the present application is provided with a floating part 10, and the heating component 20 is used to heat and melt the outdoor unit chassis 2. The floating part 10 can float upward as the water level on the outdoor unit chassis 2 rises to drive the first contact 31 and the second contact 32 to engage, thereby triggering the switching action of the switch component 30, causing the switch component 30 to turn off the outdoor fan, so that the outdoor fan stops rotating in time, avoiding damage to the fan blades of the outdoor fan due to scraping ice or water, thereby effectively reducing the risk of damage to the outdoor fan.

[0030] In some embodiments, the outdoor fan protection device 1 may include a device housing 40. The device housing 40 may be mounted on the outdoor unit chassis 2 and may include an inner cavity 43 communicating with the outdoor unit chassis 2. The floating member 10 may be disposed in a floating manner within the inner cavity 43. Thus, when the water level in the outdoor unit chassis 2 rises, the water level in the inner cavity 43 rises simultaneously, allowing the floating member 10 to float upward as the water level on the outdoor unit chassis 2 rises. Conversely, when the water level in the outdoor unit chassis 2 drops, the water level in the inner cavity 43 drops simultaneously, allowing the floating member 10 to float downward as the water level on the outdoor unit chassis 2 drops.

[0031] In some examples, the device housing 40 may include a top plate 41 and a peripheral side plate 42 that are interconnected. The top plate 41 and the outdoor unit chassis 2 are spaced apart in a vertical direction. The peripheral side plate 42 is disposed around the lower edge of the top plate 41 to enclose the aforementioned inner cavity 43. The heating assembly 20 is disposed on the peripheral side plate 42 near the outdoor unit chassis 2 to heat and melt ice from the outdoor unit chassis 2.

[0032] Exemplarily, the outdoor fan protection device 1 may include an elastic support member 50. The first contact 31 may be disposed on the lower surface of the top plate 41. The elastic support member 50 is elastically deformable in the vertical direction in the region between the floating member 10 and the top plate 41. The second contact 32 is disposed on the upper surface of the elastic support member 50. The floating member 10 floats upward, driving the elastic support member 50 to elastically protrude upward, thereby engaging the first contact 31 and the second contact 32. When the floating member 10 and the elastic support member 50 separate, the elastic support member 50 returns to its original position, maintaining the separation between the first contact 31 and the second contact 32.

[0033] like Figure 3 As shown, exemplarily, the outdoor fan protection device 1 may include an elastic connector 60. The first contact 31 may be provided on the lower surface of the top plate 41, and the second contact 32 may be provided on the upper surface of the floating member 10; the elastic connector 60 elastically connects the top plate 41 and the floating member 10, and the elastic force of the elastic connector 60 is configured to move the floating member 10 downward away from the top plate 41 so that the first contact 31 and the second contact 32 remain separated. The type of the elastic connector 60 can be determined according to actual needs, and can be, for example, a spring, a shrapnel, etc., which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application. Exemplarily, the outdoor fan protection device 1 may include a guide rod 70, and the elastic connector 60 may be sleeved on the guide rod 70, with one end of the guide rod 70 fixedly connected to the top plate 41 and the other end slidably connected to the floating member 10.

[0034] For example, the heating assembly 20 may include a heating wire. The heating wire is wound along a spiral line around the peripheral side plate 42 near the outdoor unit chassis 2, with the central axis of the spiral line coinciding with the vertical direction. By configuring the heating wire as a spirally extending structure, the distribution density of the heating wire on the peripheral side plate 42 can be increased, thereby improving the heating and deicing effect of the heating wire.

[0035] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, in some examples, the device housing 40 may include a fixing foot 44, which is provided at the bottom of the peripheral side plate 42. Here, the fixing foot 44 can be provided on the outdoor unit chassis 2 and fixedly connected to the outdoor unit chassis 2 to fix the outdoor fan protection device 1 on the outdoor unit chassis 2.

[0036] In some embodiments, when the floating member 10 engages the first contact 31 and the second contact 32, the bottom of the floating member 10 and the bottom of the outdoor fan are located in the same horizontal plane, or the bottom of the floating member 10 is located at a lower height than the bottom of the outdoor fan. Thus, when the floating member 10 engages the first contact 31 and the second contact 32 to shut down the outdoor fan, ice or accumulated water on the outdoor unit chassis 2 will not come into contact with the outdoor fan, allowing the outdoor fan to be shut down in a timely manner before any risk is posed, thereby effectively ensuring the structural safety of the outdoor fan.

[0037] In some embodiments, the density of the float 10 is less than that of water, allowing the float 10 to float on the water surface and to rise and fall with the water level. The material of the float 10 can be determined according to actual needs and is not limited in this embodiment of the present application; for example, the float 10 can be a plastic rod.

[0038] In another aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an air conditioner outdoor unit, comprising an outdoor unit chassis 2, an outdoor fan, and an outdoor fan protection device 1 provided in any of the above embodiments. The structural type of the air conditioner outdoor unit can be determined based on actual needs, and may employ the outdoor unit structure of a split-type air conditioner, such as a wall-mounted air conditioner or a cabinet air conditioner, but this is not limited in this embodiment. The air conditioner outdoor unit provided in this embodiment includes the above-described outdoor fan protection device 1, which can reduce the risk of damage to the outdoor fan.

[0039] The above is a detailed introduction to the outdoor fan protection device and air-conditioning outdoor unit provided in the embodiments of the present application. Specific examples are used in this article to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present application. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method of the present application and its core idea; at the same time, for technical personnel in this field, based on the ideas of the present application, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

Claims

1. An outdoor fan protection device, characterized in that: The outdoor unit comprises a floating member, a heating assembly, and a switch assembly. The floating member is floatably disposed above a chassis of the outdoor unit. The switch assembly is configured to be electrically connected to the outdoor fan and has a first contact and a second contact. The first contact and the second contact are disposed above the floating member at intervals in the vertical direction. The heating assembly is used to heat and melt ice on the outdoor unit chassis. The floating member floats upward as the water level on the outdoor unit chassis rises to drive the first contact and the second contact to engage, and floats downward as the water level on the outdoor unit chassis drops to separate the first contact and the second contact. When the first contact and the second contact are engaged, the switch assembly turns off the outdoor fan.

2. The outdoor fan protection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outdoor fan protection device includes a device shell, which is arranged on the outdoor unit chassis. The device shell is provided with an inner cavity communicated with the outdoor unit chassis, and the floating member can be floatably arranged in the inner cavity.

3. The outdoor fan protection device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The device shell includes a top plate and a peripheral side plate connected to each other. The top plate and the outdoor unit chassis are arranged relative to each other in the up and down directions. The peripheral side plate is arranged around the lower surface edge of the top plate. The heating component is arranged on the peripheral side plate in an area close to the outdoor unit chassis to heat and melt ice on the outdoor unit chassis.

4. The outdoor fan protection device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The outdoor fan protection device includes an elastic support member, the first contact is arranged on the lower surface of the top plate, the elastic support member can be elastically deformed in the up and down directions and is arranged in the area between the floating member and the top plate, and the second contact is arranged on the upper surface of the elastic support member; the floating member drives the elastic support member to elastically protrude upward to engage the first contact and the second contact; when the floating member and the elastic support member are separated, the elastic support member resets downward to keep the first contact and the second contact separated.

5. The outdoor fan protection device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The outdoor fan protection device includes an elastic connecting member, the first contact is arranged on the lower surface of the top plate, and the second contact is arranged on the upper surface of the floating member. The elastic connecting member elastically connects the top plate and the floating member, and the elastic force of the elastic connecting member is configured to cause the floating member to move downward away from the top plate so that the first contact and the second contact remain separated.

6. The outdoor fan protection device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The heating assembly includes a heating wire, which is wound along a spiral line on the peripheral side plate in an area close to the outdoor unit chassis, and the central axis of the spiral line coincides with the vertical direction.

7. The outdoor fan protection device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The device housing includes a fixed foot, and the fixed foot is arranged on the bottom of the peripheral side plate.

8. The outdoor fan protection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the floating member engages the first contact and the second contact, the bottom of the floating member and the bottom of the outdoor fan are located in the same horizontal plane, or the bottom of the floating member is located at a height lower than the bottom of the outdoor fan.

9. The outdoor fan protection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The density of the floating member is less than that of water; and the floating member is a plastic rod.

10. An air conditioner outdoor unit, characterized in that: The outdoor fan protection device comprises an outdoor unit chassis, an outdoor fan and the outdoor fan protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images