Air conditioner and air conditioner indoor unit thereof

Abstract

The utility model provides an air conditioner and an air conditioner indoor unit thereof. The indoor unit of the air conditioner comprises a support, at least one sliding rail, at least one air inlet pipe and at least one air outlet pipe, the machine shell is provided with at least one sliding groove extending in the front-back direction, and the sliding grooves allow the sliding rails to be inserted and support the machine shell; the bonding piece is provided with a first part and a second part, the first part is fixed to the machine shell, the second part is fixed to the support, and after the sliding rail and the sliding groove are inserted in place, the second part and the first part are bonded and fixed. The air conditioner indoor unit has the advantages that the installation efficiency of the air conditioner indoor unit can be improved, and gaps between the two sides of the machine shell and the cabinet are even after installation is completed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of air conditioning, and in particular to an air conditioner and its indoor unit. Background Technology

[0002] In the history of air conditioning development, traditional wall-mounted air conditioners have been widely used in various residential and commercial spaces due to their convenient installation and stable heat exchange performance. These types of air conditioners generally require sufficient space above them to allow for hanging and fixing the unit to a bracket from top to bottom.

[0003] With the diversification of interior design styles and the improvement of space utilization, cabinet-mounted air conditioners have emerged and are gradually gaining popularity, especially among users who pursue a clean, aesthetically pleasing, and space-efficient indoor environment. A cabinet-mounted air conditioner refers to an air conditioner indoor unit embedded inside a custom-made or ready-made cabinet. This not only conceals the air conditioner's appearance and maintains the integrity of the interior decoration, but also effectively reduces dust accumulation and improves the comfort of the home or office environment.

[0004] However, the installation of traditional air conditioner indoor units is relatively complicated, and the casing and bracket cannot be moved after they are fixed. This results in inconsistent gap sizes between the two sides of the casing and the cabinet, affecting the overall aesthetics. Utility Model Content

[0005] One objective of this invention is to overcome at least one deficiency in the prior art and to provide an air conditioner and its indoor unit.

[0006] Another objective of this invention is to improve the ease of installation of indoor air conditioning units.

[0007] Another objective of this invention is to make the gaps between the two sides of the casing and the cabinet uniform.

[0008] Specifically, according to a first aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides an indoor unit for an air conditioner, comprising:

[0009] A support having at least one slide rail extending in the front-rear direction;

[0010] A housing having at least one groove extending in a front-rear direction, the groove allowing the slide rail to be inserted into and supporting the housing;

[0011] An adhesive component having a first part and a second part, the first part being fixed to the housing and the second part being fixed to the bracket, configured such that after the slide rail and the slide groove are inserted into place, the second part is bonded and fixed to the first part.

[0012] Optionally, the bracket has a fixed rail extending in a vertical direction, the rear end of the slide rail is connected to the lower end of the fixed rail, and the slide groove is formed at the bottom of the housing.

[0013] Optionally, the housing includes:

[0014] The rear shell has an open front side; and

[0015] The front frame is located at the front opening of the rear housing;

[0016] The slide extends from back to front at the bottom of the rear housing to the front frame, and the front frame covers the slide from the front end of the slide.

[0017] Optionally, the second part of the adhesive is fixed to the front end of the slide rail, and the first part of the adhesive is fixed to the inner side of the front frame and is disposed opposite to the front end of the slide rail.

[0018] Optionally, the lateral width of the groove is greater than the lateral width of the slide rail, and the lateral width of the first part of the adhesive is greater than the lateral width of the second part.

[0019] Optionally, the first part is fixed to the front frame by at least one of adhesive, screw, or magnetic means;

[0020] The second part is fixed to the slide rail by at least one of adhesive, screw or magnetic means.

[0021] Optionally, the front frame includes:

[0022] The main frame has an air inlet in the upper area and an air outlet in the lower area; and

[0023] The front panel, the lower end of which is pivotally mounted to the main frame, is configured to be controlled to flip up and down around the pivot point to open and close the air inlet.

[0024] Optionally, the opening of the slide is exposed downward to the external space of the housing, and the rear end of the slide is open to the rear.

[0025] Optionally, there are two slide grooves and two slide rails. The two slide grooves are arranged at intervals along the lateral direction of the housing, and the two slide rails are respectively inserted into the two slide grooves.

[0026] According to a second aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides an air conditioner comprising the indoor unit of any one of the above-described embodiments.

[0027] This utility model discloses an indoor air conditioner unit with a bracket having at least one slide rail extending in the front-to-back direction, and a housing having at least one slide groove extending in the front-to-back direction. During installation, first, the bracket is fixed to the wall. Then, the slide groove of the housing is aligned with the slide rail of the bracket, and the housing is smoothly pushed into the bracket from front to back. Finally, after the slide rail and slide groove are fully inserted, the first and second parts of the adhesive are tightly bonded and fixed, thus ensuring a stable connection between the housing and the bracket. This installation method eliminates the cumbersome steps of traditional installation and greatly improves the ease of installation of the indoor air conditioner unit.

[0028] Furthermore, in the indoor unit of this utility model, the second part of the adhesive component is fixed to the front end of the slide rail, and the first part of the adhesive component is fixed to the inner side of the front frame and is positioned opposite to the front end of the slide rail. In this way, when the slide rail and the slide groove are fully inserted into place, the second part of the adhesive component can be directly bonded to the first part, saving the time of manually bonding by finding the bonding position and improving installation efficiency.

[0029] Furthermore, in the indoor unit of this invention, the lateral width of the sliding groove is greater than the lateral width of the sliding rail. By moving the casing left and right, the position of the casing on the bracket can be adjusted, thereby ensuring that the gaps between the two sides of the casing and the cabinet are uniform. Because the lateral width of the first part of the adhesive component is greater than that of the second part, even if the casing moves left and right on the bracket, it can be ensured that the second part is always within the effective range for successful adhesion with the first part, so that the casing can still be firmly connected to the bracket.

[0030] The above and other objects, advantages and features of this utility model will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of specific embodiments of this utility model in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings:

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing an air conditioner indoor unit embedded in a cabinet according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of an air conditioner indoor unit with its air inlet in a closed state, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of an air conditioner indoor unit with its air inlet in an open state, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 4 This is a schematic assembly drawing of the housing and bracket according to one embodiment of the present utility model;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a schematic exploded view of the casing of an indoor air conditioner unit according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0037] Figure 6 This is a schematic top view of the casing of an indoor air conditioner unit according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0038] Figure 7 This is a schematic structural diagram showing the connection between the front frame and the bracket according to an embodiment of the present invention via an adhesive.

[0039] Figure label:

[0040] 10. Indoor unit of air conditioner; 100. Housing; 101. Air inlet; 102. Air outlet; 103. Slide rail; 110. Rear housing; 120. Front frame; 121. Main frame; 122. Front panel; 200. Bracket; 210. Slide rail; 220. Fixed rail; 300. Adhesive component; 310. First part; 320. Second part; 40. Cabinet. Detailed Implementation

[0041] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention, one or more of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The various embodiments provided are intended to explain the present invention and not to limit it. In fact, various modifications and variations to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For example, a feature illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used with another embodiment to produce yet another embodiment. Therefore, the present invention is intended to cover such modifications and variations within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0042] The following reference Figures 1 to 7 This invention describes an air conditioner and its indoor unit according to embodiments of the present invention. The terms "inner," "outer," "upper," "lower," "top," "bottom," "lateral," and "longitudinal," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are used only for ease of description and simplification. They do not indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention. To illustrate the structure of the device, some of the accompanying drawings of the present invention are shown in perspective.

[0043] In the description of this embodiment, it should be understood that the term "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified. When a feature "includes or contains" one or more of the features it covers, unless otherwise specifically described, this indicates that other features are not excluded and may be further included.

[0044] In the description of this embodiment, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "some examples," "one example," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this utility model. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0045] This utility model provides an air conditioner and its indoor unit 10, which aims to solve the problems of inconvenience in installing the existing indoor unit 10 in the cabinet 40 and inconsistent gap size between the two sides of the casing 100 and the cabinet 40 after installation.

[0046] Air conditioners are generally classified into single-unit air conditioners, where all components are housed in a single unit, and split-type air conditioners, where all components are separated into indoor and outdoor units. In the following description, this invention illustrates an embodiment for a split-type air conditioner. Furthermore, the indoor unit 10 of this invention is used with an outdoor unit of the same type as a conventional outdoor unit; therefore, the description of the outdoor unit is omitted below.

[0047] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing an air conditioner indoor unit 10 embedded in a cabinet 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram showing the air inlet 101 of the indoor unit 10 of an air conditioner in a closed state according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram showing the air inlet 101 of the indoor unit 10 of an air conditioner in the open state according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 This is a schematic assembly drawing of the housing 100 and the bracket 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 This is a schematic exploded view of the casing 100 of an air conditioner indoor unit 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 This is a schematic top view of the casing 100 of an air conditioner indoor unit 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 This is a schematic structural diagram showing the connection between the front frame 120 and the bracket 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention via an adhesive 300.

[0048] like Figures 1 to 3As shown, the indoor unit 10 of the air conditioner mainly includes a casing 100, a bracket 200, and an adhesive component 300.

[0049] The casing 100 can accommodate various components used for the operation of the indoor unit, including a heat exchanger, a blower fan, and a motor. The front of the casing 100 has an air inlet 101 and an air outlet 102, with the air inlet 101 located above the air outlet 102. This layout allows the indoor unit to draw air in from the top front and exhaust air from the bottom front.

[0050] When the indoor unit needs to be installed in a space-constrained area such as a cabinet 40, the front-to-top air intake and front-to-bottom air exhaust configuration demonstrates its unique advantages. Since both the air intake 101 and the air outlet 102 are located on the front side of the casing 100 and are not restricted by the top and bottom panels of the cabinet 40, there is no need to worry about airflow obstruction or insufficient space, which greatly improves the installation flexibility and adaptability of the indoor unit.

[0051] The housing 100 can be rectangular in shape, with both the air inlet 101 and the air outlet 102 being elongated openings extending laterally along the housing 100. This design maximizes the use of the front space of the housing 100, allowing the air inlet 101 and air outlet 102 to occupy a larger area, thereby improving airflow efficiency. Furthermore, the elongated openings also facilitate even air distribution, preventing issues such as excessively high or low airflow in localized areas.

[0052] The bracket 200 is mainly used to support and fix the housing 100 embedded in the cabinet 40.

[0053] It is understandable that when the casing 100 is embedded in the cabinet 40, without the support of the bracket 200, the entire weight of the casing 100 will rest on the bottom plate of the cabinet 40. Under such heavy pressure for a long time, the bottom plate of the cabinet 40 is prone to deformation and damage due to the unbearable load, which seriously affects the service life and overall structural stability of the cabinet 40.

[0054] like Figure 4 As shown, the bracket 200 may have at least one slide rail 210 extending in the front-rear direction, and the housing 100 may have at least one slide groove 103 extending in the front-rear direction, and the slide groove 103 allows the slide rail 210 to be inserted and supports the housing 100.

[0055] The design of the slide rail 210 and the slide groove 103 not only provides a stable support foundation for the housing 100, but also greatly facilitates the installation process.

[0056] It is worth mentioning that in actual installation scenarios, cabinet 40 may not even need a back panel. The installer only needs to first firmly fix bracket 200 to the wall behind cabinet 40, let slide rail 210 extend horizontally from back to front, then align the slide groove 103 of housing 100 with the slide rail 210 of bracket 200, and then smoothly push housing 100 into bracket 200 from front to back to easily complete the initial installation.

[0057] like Figure 7 As shown, the adhesive 300 has a first part 310 and a second part 320. The first part 310 is fixed to the housing 100, and the second part 320 is fixed to the bracket 200. The second part 320 is bonded and fixed to the first part 310 after the slide rail 210 and the slide groove 103 are inserted into place.

[0058] After the slide rail 210 and the slide groove 103 are successfully inserted into place, the installer can tightly bond the second part 320 of the adhesive component 300 to the first part 310. In this way, by bonding and fixing the first part 310 and the second part 320, a stable and reliable connection can be formed between the housing 100 and the bracket 200, preventing the housing 100 from sliding back and forth relative to the bracket 200.

[0059] In an alternative embodiment, the bracket 200 has a fixed rail 220 extending in a vertical direction, the rear end of the slide rail 210 is connected to the lower end of the fixed rail 220, and a slide groove 103 is formed at the bottom of the housing 100.

[0060] The bracket 200 is L-shaped overall. The vertical fixed rail 220 can be used to connect to the wall, and the horizontal slide rail 210 can be used to connect to the housing 100. During installation, the horizontal slide rail 210 can smoothly insert into the slide groove 103 at the bottom of the housing 100, thereby effectively supporting the housing 100.

[0061] Furthermore, the position of the slide groove 103 is flexible, and it can also be formed on the top of the housing 100. When the slide rail 210 is inserted into the slide groove 103 on the top of the housing 100, the housing 100 will be suspended on the slide rail 210. This suspension connection method can also ensure the stability of the housing 100 during operation.

[0062] In another alternative embodiment, the bracket 200 has a fixed rail 220 extending in a vertical direction, the rear end of the slide rail 210 is connected to the upper end of the fixed rail 220, and the slide groove 103 is formed at the bottom of the housing 100.

[0063] The bracket 200 is generally inverted L-shaped. It also has a fixed rail 220 extending vertically for connection with the wall, but in this case, the rear end of the slide rail 210 is connected to the upper end of the fixed rail 220 and extends horizontally forward. The slide groove 103 provided at the bottom of the housing 100 can cooperate with the slide rail 210 to support the housing 100.

[0064] Similar to the example above, the slide rail 103 can also be set on the top of the housing 100. After the slide rail 210 is inserted, the housing 100 is suspended on the slide rail 210, providing a variety of options for the installation of the indoor unit 10 of the air conditioner, and better adapting to different installation environments and user needs.

[0065] In an optional embodiment, the housing 100 may include a rear housing 110 and a front frame 120, wherein the front side of the rear housing 110 is open, and the front frame 120 is disposed at the front opening of the rear housing 110. A slide groove 103 may extend from back to front at the bottom of the rear housing 110 to the front frame 120, and the front frame 120 may cover the slide groove 103 from the front end of the slide groove 103.

[0066] like Figure 5 As shown, the rear housing 110 is mainly used to house components such as the frame, heat exchanger, and cross-flow fan. Since the front of the rear housing 110 is open, when the indoor unit 10 of the air conditioner malfunctions, the exposed components can be directly inspected and repaired by removing the front frame 120, which improves the convenience of maintenance.

[0067] The front frame 120 is designed to cover the front end of the slide rail 103. After the housing 100 is installed, the front frame 120 can completely cover the front end of the slide rail 103, preventing the front end of the slide rail 103 from being directly exposed. This effectively improves the overall appearance of the housing 100, making the appearance of the air conditioner indoor unit 10 simpler and more beautiful, and enhancing the overall visual appeal of the product.

[0068] In an optional embodiment, the front frame 120 may include a main frame 121 and a front panel 122, wherein the upper region of the main frame 121 has an air inlet 101 and the lower region has an air outlet 102, and the lower end of the front panel 122 is pivotally mounted to the main frame 121 and configured to be controlled to rotate up and down around the pivot point to open and close the air inlet 101.

[0069] During the use of the indoor unit 10 of the air conditioner, if the airflow between the air inlet 101 and the air outlet 102 is not properly isolated and guided, there may be vertical airflow, that is, cold air and hot air mix inside the casing 100, which will reduce the heat exchange efficiency and even affect the uniformity of the indoor temperature.

[0070] In this embodiment, after the front panel 122 is flipped forward and opened, the front panel 122 can act as a barrier to guide airflow, ensuring that the cold or hot air entering from the air inlet 101 can flow along a predetermined path, exchange heat through the heat exchanger, and then be discharged from the air outlet 102. At the same time, the front panel 122 can also prevent the air discharged from the air outlet 102 from flowing directly back to the air inlet 101, effectively avoiding the problem of vertical airflow.

[0071] In an optional embodiment, the second portion 320 of the adhesive 300 can be fixed to the front end of the slide rail 210, and the first portion 310 of the adhesive 300 can be fixed to the inner side of the front frame 120 and disposed opposite to the front end of the slide rail 210.

[0072] In this way, when the slide rail 210 and the slide groove 103 are fully inserted, the second part 320 of the adhesive part 300 can be directly bonded to the first part 310, saving the time of finding the bonding position and manually bonding, thus improving the installation efficiency.

[0073] The adhesive component 300 can be made of hook and loop fasteners, which consist of mating male and female fasteners. In the current embodiment, the first portion 310 of the adhesive component 300 corresponds to the female fastener of the hook and loop fastener, and the second portion 320 corresponds to the female fastener of the hook and loop fastener.

[0074] In an alternative embodiment, the first portion 310 can be fixed to the front frame 120 by at least one of adhesive, screw, or magnetic methods. For example, the first portion 310 can be bonded to the front frame 120 solely with strong adhesive. Alternatively, the first portion 310 can be first bonded to the front frame 120 with strong adhesive, and then screws can be used to secure the first portion 310 to the front frame 120. This dual-fixation method combines the convenience of adhesive with the high stability of screws, significantly improving the stability of the connection and meeting the needs of various complex environments and demanding application scenarios.

[0075] Similarly, the second part 320 can also be fixed to the slide rail 210 by at least one of adhesive, screw or magnetic means, which will not be described in detail here.

[0076] In an alternative embodiment, the lateral width of the groove 103 is greater than the lateral width of the slide rail 210, and the lateral width of the first portion 310 of the adhesive 300 is greater than the lateral width of the second portion 320.

[0077] The lateral width of the slide 103 is intentionally designed to be greater than that of the slide rail 210. This width difference is key to enabling the flexible adjustment of the housing 100. When the housing 100 is placed on the bracket 200, due to this width difference, the housing 100 is no longer strictly confined to a fixed position, but can move left and right along the lateral direction.

[0078] During actual installation, installers will encounter cabinets 40 of different sizes and shapes, and it is often difficult to control the gap between the casing 100 and the cabinet 40 to be uniform. At this time, the ability of the casing 100 to move left and right comes in handy. Installers can make slight adjustments to the position of the casing 100 to achieve a uniform gap between the two sides of the casing 100 and the cabinet 40, thereby improving the overall aesthetics and installation quality.

[0079] When the housing 100 moves left and right on the bracket 200, if the two parts of the adhesive 300 are of the same width, the second part 320 may exceed the adhesive range of the first part 310, resulting in unsuccessful bonding or an unstable connection. However, now, because the lateral width of the first part 310 is greater than that of the second part 320, even if the housing 100 moves left and right on the bracket 200, the second part 320 always remains within the effective adhesive range of the first part 310. This ensures that no matter what position the housing 100 is ultimately adjusted to, it can be firmly connected to the bracket 200 through the adhesive 300, and the stability of the connection will not be affected by the movement of the housing 100, thus ensuring the reliability of the air conditioner indoor unit 10 during long-term use.

[0080] In an alternative embodiment, the opening of the slide 103 is exposed downward to the external space of the housing 100, and the rear end of the slide 103 is open rearward.

[0081] like Figure 6 As shown, the groove opening of the slide 103 is exposed downwards. During installation, the installer can visually see the position and shape of the slide 103 from below, making it easier to align and insert the slide rail 210 of the bracket 200 directly into the slide 103 from below. This design avoids installation difficulties caused by obstruction or space limitations, and helps improve installation efficiency.

[0082] In an optional embodiment, there may be two slide grooves 103 and two slide rails 210. The two slide grooves 103 are arranged at intervals along the lateral direction of the housing 100, and the two slide rails 210 are respectively inserted into the two slide grooves 103.

[0083] In one example, the two slide rails 210 can be independent of each other, each bearing a portion of the weight of the indoor air conditioning unit 10.

[0084] In another example, each slide rail 210 is provided with a corresponding fixed rail 220, and a connecting rail is provided between two slide rails 210 or between two fixed rails 220. In this way, the bracket 200 can form a more stable whole, improving the support effect of the bracket 200 on the housing 100.

[0085] Therefore, those skilled in the art should recognize that although many exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail herein, many other variations or modifications conforming to the principles of the present invention can be directly determined or derived from the disclosure of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be understood and recognized as covering all such other variations or modifications.

Claims

1. An air conditioner indoor unit characterized by comprising: The indoor unit of an air conditioner comprises: a bracket having at least one slide rail extending in a front-rear direction; a cabinet having at least one slide groove extending in the front-rear direction, the slide groove allowing the slide rail to be inserted and supported by the cabinet; an adhesive member having a first portion fixed to the cabinet and a second portion fixed to the bracket, the second portion being configured to be adhesively fixed to the first portion after the slide rail and the slide groove are inserted in place.

2. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein: the bracket has a fixed rail extending in a vertical direction, a rear end of the slide rail being connected to a lower end of the fixed rail, and the slide groove being formed in a bottom of the cabinet. 3.The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized by, the cabinet comprises: a rear housing having an open front side; and a front face frame disposed at the open front side of the rear housing; the slide groove extends from rear to front in the bottom of the rear housing to the front face frame, the front face frame shielding the slide groove from a front end of the slide groove.

4. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein: the second portion of the adhesive member is fixed to a front end of the slide rail, and the first portion of the adhesive member is fixed to an inner side of the front face frame and disposed opposite the front end of the slide rail.

5. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein: a lateral width of the slide groove is greater than a lateral width of the slide rail, and a lateral width of the first portion of the adhesive member is greater than a lateral width of the second portion of the adhesive member.

6. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein: the first portion is fixed to the front face frame by at least one of glue, screws, or magnetic attraction; the second portion is fixed to the slide rail by at least one of glue, screws, or magnetic attraction. 7.The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 3, characterized by, the front face frame comprises: a main frame having an air inlet formed in an upper region thereof and an air outlet formed in a lower region thereof; and a front face panel having a lower end pivotably mounted to the main frame and configured to be controllably pivoted about a pivot point to open and close the air inlet.

8. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein: a slot of the slide groove is exposed downward to an external space of the cabinet, and a rear end of the slide groove is open rearward.

9. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein: the number of the slide groove and the number of the slide rail are both two, the two slide grooves are spaced apart along a lateral direction of the cabinet, and the two slide rails are respectively inserted into the two slide grooves.

10. An air conditioner comprising the indoor unit of an air conditioner according to any one of claims 1-9.

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