Indoor unit humidifying device and air conditioner with same

Abstract

The utility model provides an indoor unit humidifying device and an air conditioner with the indoor unit humidifying device, relates to the technical field of air conditioners, and aims to solve the problems that the refrigerating capacity of an existing indoor unit is limited, and rapid cooling cannot be achieved. The indoor unit humidifying device comprises a water storage device, a water pumping assembly, a water inlet guide pipe and a water outlet guide pipe. The water storage device communicates with a water receiving disc of an air conditioner indoor unit. The water inlet end of the water pumping assembly is communicated with an inner cavity of the water storage device through the water inlet guide pipe, the water outlet guide pipe comprises a main guide pipe and a plurality of branch guide pipes communicated with the main guide pipe, the main guide pipe is connected to the water outlet end of the water pumping assembly, and the water outlet ends of the branch guide pipes at least have two water outlet heights. The branch guide pipes are used for guiding condensate water to different height positions of the evaporator assembly. The refrigerating capacity of the air conditioner indoor unit can be improved, and rapid cooling is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of air conditioner technology, and more specifically, to an indoor unit humidification device and an air conditioner having the same. Background Technology

[0002] Typically, an air conditioner consists of an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. When the indoor unit operates in cooling mode, the overall cooling capacity can be significantly increased by enhancing the latent heat. However, the cooling capacity of existing indoor units is limited, making rapid cooling impossible. Utility Model Content

[0003] The first objective of this invention is to provide an indoor unit humidification device to solve the technical problem that existing indoor units have limited cooling capacity and cannot achieve rapid cooling.

[0004] The indoor unit humidification device provided by this utility model includes a water storage tank, a water pumping assembly, an inlet pipe, and an outlet pipe. The water storage tank is connected to the water receiving tray of the indoor unit of the air conditioner. The inlet end of the water pumping assembly is connected to the inner cavity of the water storage tank through the inlet pipe. The outlet pipe includes a main pipe and multiple branch pipes, each connected to the main pipe. The main pipe is connected to the outlet end of the water pumping assembly. The outlet ends of the multiple branch pipes have at least two outlet heights. The multiple branch pipes are used to guide the condensate to different height positions of the evaporator assembly.

[0005] By setting up an indoor unit humidification device mainly composed of a water reservoir, a water pumping assembly, an inlet pipe, and an outlet pipe, when the indoor unit of the air conditioner is running in cooling mode, the condensate produced by the indoor unit drips into the drip tray, where it is collected. Since the water reservoir is connected to the drip tray, the condensate collected in the drip tray enters the water reservoir. Then, the water pumping assembly is activated, drawing condensate from the inner cavity of the water reservoir through the inlet pipe and further discharging the condensate through the outlet pipe. Specifically, by setting the outlet pipe to connect to multiple branch pipes within the main pipe, the condensate, under the action of the water pumping assembly, first enters the main pipe and then flows to each branch pipe, thus guiding the condensate to different height positions of the evaporator assembly and achieving humidification of components at different height positions within the evaporator assembly.

[0006] Therefore, it can be seen that the indoor unit humidification device, through the above-mentioned settings, achieves humidification of the evaporator assembly, so that the evaporator assembly can absorb a large amount of heat during operation, thereby increasing the cooling capacity of the indoor unit of the air conditioner. This not only achieves rapid cooling but also reduces energy consumption, resulting in energy saving.

[0007] In addition, by having multiple branch pipes with at least two outlet heights, the components at different heights of the evaporator assembly can be simultaneously humidified by the condensate. On the one hand, this ensures the uniformity of humidification at each component position of the evaporator assembly, and on the other hand, it ensures the comprehensive humidification of the evaporator assembly by the condensate, which is beneficial to further improve the cooling rate.

[0008] Furthermore, each of the branch conduits is equipped with a conduit switch for controlling its on / off state, and each conduit switch is electrically connected to the controller of the indoor air conditioning unit. This form of independent control over the on / off state of each branch conduit allows the indoor air conditioning unit to operate in multiple cooling capacity modes, thereby meeting different user needs.

[0009] Furthermore, the indoor unit humidification device also includes a bracket, which is fixedly mounted on the evaporator assembly. The main pipe, each of the branch pipes, and each pipe switch are all mounted on the bracket. The bracket provides a mounting base for the main pipe, each branch pipe, and each pipe switch, ensuring the installation stability of the main pipe, each branch pipe, and each pipe switch, thereby ensuring the operational reliability of the indoor unit humidification device.

[0010] Furthermore, the brackets are located at the top of the evaporator assembly, and are also provided on the front and rear surfaces of the evaporator assembly. By placing the brackets at the top of the evaporator assembly, the condensate flowing out through each branch conduit can flow downwards along the surface of the evaporator assembly under gravity, ensuring that the evaporator assembly receives humidification of the condensate from top to bottom. Moreover, by providing brackets on both the front and rear surfaces of the evaporator assembly, the condensate can be humidified simultaneously from both the front and rear sides of the evaporator assembly, ensuring uniform humidification and further improving the cooling rate.

[0011] Furthermore, each of the branch pipes is equipped with several spray holes at its outlet end. This design not only ensures the uniformity of water flow but also prevents excessive noise from condensate dripping due to an excessively large outlet cross-section.

[0012] Furthermore, the indoor unit humidification device also includes a drain pipe and an electrically controlled valve for controlling the opening and closing of the drain pipe. The drain pipe is connected to the water storage tank, and the electrically controlled valve is electrically connected to the controller of the indoor unit of the air conditioner. With the above configuration, when there is excessive condensate in the water storage tank, the electrically controlled valve can be switched to the open state, allowing the condensate in the water storage tank to be discharged through the drain pipe.

[0013] Furthermore, the indoor unit humidification device also includes a water level detector, which is installed in the water reservoir and used to detect the water level in the inner cavity. This feature enables real-time detection of the water level in the inner cavity.

[0014] Furthermore, the water level detector is equipped with a low water level line, a high water level line, and a storage water level line between the two, and the water level detector is electrically connected to the controller. This configuration allows the indoor unit humidifier to operate under different conditions at different water levels, providing good flexibility in use.

[0015] Furthermore, the pumping assembly includes a water pump and a drive motor for driving the water pump. Both the drive motor and the water pump are mounted on the water reservoir, with the drive motor located outside the water reservoir and the water pump located inside the inner cavity. By placing the drive motor outside the water reservoir, splashing condensate from the inner cavity onto the drive motor and causing it to malfunction can be avoided, thus providing a certain degree of waterproof protection for the drive motor. By placing the water pump inside the inner cavity, both the inlet and outlet of the water pump are located within the inner cavity, optimizing the water flow path from the inner cavity to the evaporator assembly.

[0016] The second objective of this invention is to provide an air conditioner that solves the technical problem that the existing indoor unit has limited cooling capacity and cannot achieve rapid cooling.

[0017] The air conditioner provided by this utility model includes an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The indoor unit and the outdoor unit are connected by a refrigerant pipeline, and the indoor unit is equipped with the aforementioned indoor humidification device.

[0018] By installing the aforementioned indoor humidification device in the air conditioner, the air conditioner accordingly possesses all the advantages of the aforementioned indoor humidification device, which will not be elaborated upon here. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the indoor unit humidification device provided in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0021] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the indoor humidification device inside the casing according to an embodiment of this utility model;

[0022] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the arrangement of multiple branch pipes of the indoor unit humidification device provided in this embodiment of the utility model relative to the evaporator assembly;

[0023] Figure 4A schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the bracket and multiple branch pipes of the indoor unit humidification device provided in this embodiment of the utility model relative to the evaporator assembly.

[0024] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0025] 100-Water storage tank; 200-Water pumping assembly; 300-Inlet pipe; 400-Outlet pipe; 500-Bracket; 600-Drain pipe; 700-Water level detector; 010-Casing; 020-Evaporator assembly;

[0026] 110 - Inner cavity;

[0027] 210 - Water pump; 220 - Drive motor;

[0028] 410 - Main catheter; 420 - Branch catheter;

[0029] 710 - Low water level; 720 - Storage water level; 730 - High water level. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this utility model more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of this utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of this utility model and are not intended to limit it.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a partial structural diagram of the indoor unit humidification device provided in this embodiment; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the indoor humidification device inside the casing of the unit provided in this embodiment. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, this embodiment provides an indoor unit humidification device, including a water storage tank 100, a water pumping assembly 200, an inlet pipe 300, and an outlet pipe 400. Specifically, the water storage tank 100 is connected to the water receiving tray (not shown in the figure) of the indoor unit of the air conditioner; the water inlet end of the water pumping assembly 200 is connected to the inner cavity 110 of the water storage tank 100 through the inlet pipe 300; the outlet pipe 400 includes a main pipe 410 and multiple branch pipes 420, all of which are connected to the main pipe 410, wherein the main pipe 410 is connected to the outlet end of the water pumping assembly 200.

[0032] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the multiple branch pipes 420 of the indoor unit humidification device provided in this embodiment relative to the evaporator assembly 020. Please continue to refer to... Figure 2 and combined Figure 3 The outlet of the multi-branch conduit 420 has at least two outlet heights, and the multi-branch conduit 420 is used to guide condensate to different height positions of the evaporator assembly 020.

[0033] When the indoor unit of the air conditioner is running in cooling mode, the condensate produced by the indoor unit drips into the drip tray, where it is collected. Since the water storage tank 100 is connected to the drip tray, the condensate collected in the drip tray enters the water storage tank 100. Then, the pumping assembly 200 is activated, drawing condensate from the inner cavity 110 of the water storage tank 100 through the inlet pipe 300, and further discharging the condensate through the outlet pipe 400. The outlet pipe 400 is configured to connect multiple branch pipes 420 to the main pipe 410, so that the condensate, under the action of the pumping assembly 200, first enters the main pipe 410 and then flows to each branch pipe 420. This allows the condensate to be guided to different height positions of the evaporator assembly 020, achieving humidification of components at different height positions of the evaporator assembly 020.

[0034] Therefore, it can be seen that the indoor unit humidification device, through the above settings, achieves humidification of the evaporator assembly 020, so that the evaporator assembly 020 can absorb a large amount of heat during operation, thereby increasing the cooling capacity of the indoor unit of the air conditioner. This not only achieves the effect of rapid cooling, but also reduces energy consumption and has an energy-saving effect.

[0035] In addition, by having at least two outlet heights for the multiple branch pipes 420, the components at different heights of the evaporator assembly 020 can be simultaneously humidified by the condensate. On the one hand, this ensures the uniformity of humidification at each component position in the evaporator assembly 020, and on the other hand, it also ensures the comprehensive humidification of the evaporator assembly 020 by the condensate, which is beneficial to further improve the cooling rate.

[0036] Please continue to refer to Figure 3 In this embodiment, there are four branch conduits 420, which have three different outlet heights to guide condensate to the fins and multiple pipes respectively.

[0037] In this embodiment, each branch conduit 420 is equipped with a conduit switch for controlling the on / off state, wherein each conduit switch is electrically connected to the controller of the indoor unit of the air conditioner.

[0038] This configuration allows for independent control of the opening and closing of each branch conduit 420. When it is necessary to increase the cooling capacity of the indoor unit, all branch conduits 420 can be kept open, allowing the condensate in the inner cavity 110 of the water tank 100 to flow through each branch conduit 420 to multiple locations on the evaporator assembly 020, ensuring comprehensive humidification of the evaporator assembly 020. When the indoor unit does not need to operate at maximum cooling capacity, some branch conduits 420 can be opened and some can be closed. When the indoor unit needs to operate at normal cooling capacity, all branch conduits 420 can be kept closed.

[0039] This design, which allows for independent control of the on / off state of each branch duct 420, enables the indoor unit of the air conditioner to operate in multiple cooling capacity modes, thereby meeting the different usage needs of users.

[0040] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the bracket 500 and multiple branch pipes 420 of the indoor unit humidification device provided in this embodiment relative to the evaporator assembly 020. (See diagram below.) Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, the indoor unit humidification device may also include a bracket 500. Specifically, the bracket 500 is fixedly installed on the evaporator assembly 020, and the main pipe 410, each branch pipe 420 and each pipe switch are all installed on the bracket 500.

[0041] The aforementioned bracket 500 provides an installation base for the main conduit 410, each branch conduit 420, and each conduit switch, ensuring the installation stability of the main conduit 410, each branch conduit 420, and each conduit switch, thereby ensuring the operational reliability of the indoor unit humidification device.

[0042] In this embodiment, the bracket 500 can be fixed on the mounting bracket of the evaporator assembly 020. Several slots can be provided on the bracket 500 so that the main pipe 410 and each branch pipe 420 can be locked into the slots for fixation. The pipe switch can be fixed to the bracket 500 by a threaded connector.

[0043] It should be noted that commercially available conduit switches can be used as conduit switches.

[0044] Please continue to refer to Figure 4 In this embodiment, the bracket 500 is located on the top of the evaporator assembly 020, and the bracket 500 is provided on both the front and rear surfaces of the evaporator assembly 020.

[0045] By placing the bracket 500 at the top of the evaporator assembly 020, the condensate flowing out through each branch conduit 420 can flow downwards along the surface of the evaporator assembly 020 under gravity, ensuring that the evaporator assembly 020 receives humidification from top to bottom. Furthermore, by placing the bracket 500 on both the front and rear surfaces of the evaporator assembly 020, the condensate can be humidified simultaneously from both the front and rear sides of the evaporator assembly 020, ensuring uniform humidification and further improving the cooling rate.

[0046] It should be noted that, generally speaking, the side of the indoor unit of an air conditioner that faces the room or the area where the user is active is the front side of the indoor unit; while the side of the indoor unit that faces the corner or the wall is the back side.

[0047] In this embodiment, each branch conduit 420 is provided with several spray holes at its outlet end.

[0048] With the above settings, when the condensate flows to the outlet end of the branch pipe 420, it can be sprayed onto the evaporator assembly 020. On the one hand, this ensures the uniformity of the water output, and on the other hand, it avoids the generation of large noise during the dripping of condensate due to the excessively large water outlet cross-section.

[0049] In this embodiment, the indoor unit humidification device may further include a drain pipe 600 and an electrically controlled valve (not shown in the figure) for controlling the opening and closing of the drain pipe 600, wherein the drain pipe 600 is connected to the water storage tank 100, and the electrically controlled valve is electrically connected to the controller of the indoor unit of the air conditioner.

[0050] With the above settings, when there is too much condensate in the water tank 100, the electric control valve can be switched to the open state so that the condensate in the water tank 100 can be discharged through the drain pipe 600.

[0051] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the electrically controlled valve is a normally open valve, meaning that it is open when the unit is off or powered off to prevent water accumulation in the water tank 100 due to prolonged disuse of the indoor unit, which could lead to foul odors, mold growth, or bacterial growth. When the unit is on, the electrically controlled valve is closed, only opening when water needs to be drained from the inner cavity 110 using the drain pipe 600. The electrically controlled valve can be a solenoid valve.

[0052] Please continue to refer to Figure 1 In this embodiment, the indoor unit humidification device may further include a water level detector 700, wherein the water level detector 700 is installed in the water reservoir 100 and is used to detect the water level in the inner cavity 110.

[0053] The aforementioned water level detector 700 enables real-time detection of the water level in the inner cavity 110.

[0054] Please continue to refer to Figure 1 In this embodiment, the water level detector 700 is provided with a low water level line 710, a high water level line 730, and a water storage level line 720 between the two. The water level detector 700 is electrically connected to the controller.

[0055] When the water level in the inner cavity 110 is lower than the low water level line 710, it indicates that the water storage tank 100 has stored relatively little condensate. The pumping assembly 200 stops working, and the condensate no longer flows to the branch pipe 420. When the water level in the inner cavity 110 is higher than the high water level line 730, it indicates that the water storage tank 100 has stored a relatively large amount of condensate. The electrically controlled valve opens, allowing the condensate in the inner cavity 110 to be discharged through the drain pipe 600. Simultaneously, the original drain pipe of the indoor air conditioner unit opens, allowing the drip tray to... The condensate no longer flows into the water storage tank 100, but is discharged through the original drain pipe of the indoor unit of the air conditioner; when the water level in the inner cavity 110 is at the water storage level line 720, that is, when the water level in the inner cavity 110 is between the low water level line 710 and the high water level line 730, the electric control valve is closed, the water pumping assembly 200 works, so that the condensate in the inner cavity 110 is no longer discharged through the drain pipe 600, but flows to the branch pipe 420 under the action of the water pumping assembly 200, and then sprays onto the evaporator assembly 020.

[0056] The above settings allow the indoor unit humidifier to operate under different conditions at different water levels, providing good flexibility in use.

[0057] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the humidification function of the indoor unit humidification device for the evaporator assembly 020 can be manually turned on by the user or set to automatic mode, such as when the water level of the water tank 100 is higher than the low water level line 710, the water pumping component 200 is started.

[0058] It should also be noted that the electrically controlled valve opens when the water level detector 700 malfunctions.

[0059] Please continue to refer to Figure 1 In this embodiment, the pumping assembly 200 may include a water pump 210 and a drive motor 220 for driving the water pump 210. Both the drive motor 220 and the water pump 210 are installed in the water storage tank 100, with the drive motor 220 located outside the water storage tank 100 and the water pump 210 located in the inner cavity 110.

[0060] When it is necessary to guide the condensate from the water tank 100 to the evaporator assembly 020, the drive motor 220 starts, driving the water pump 210 to work, so that the condensate from the water tank 100 enters through the inlet pipe 300 and further flows through the main pipe 410 to each branch pipe 420, thereby spraying the evaporator assembly 020.

[0061] By placing the drive motor 220 outside the water reservoir 100, it is possible to prevent condensate from splashing onto the drive motor 220 from the inner cavity 110, thus preventing malfunction and providing a certain degree of waterproof protection for the drive motor 220. By placing the water pump 210 inside the inner cavity 110, both the inlet and outlet of the water pump 210 can be located within the inner cavity 110, optimizing the water flow path from the inner cavity 110 to the evaporator assembly 020.

[0062] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the water pump 210 can be a waterproof water pump.

[0063] It should also be noted that in this embodiment, when the drive motor 220, water pump 210 or duct switch malfunctions, the air conditioner indoor unit displays a fault code only when using the humidification function of the evaporator assembly 020, but this does not affect the normal use of the air conditioner indoor unit.

[0064] In addition, this embodiment also provides an air conditioner, including an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, wherein the indoor unit and the outdoor unit are connected by a refrigerant pipeline, and the indoor unit is equipped with the aforementioned indoor unit humidification device.

[0065] By installing the aforementioned indoor humidification device in the air conditioner, the air conditioner accordingly possesses all the advantages of the aforementioned indoor humidification device, which will not be elaborated upon here.

[0066] Please continue to refer to Figure 2 In this embodiment, the indoor unit humidification device is mainly installed inside the casing 010 of the indoor unit of the air conditioner, and its drain pipe 600 extends out from the casing 010.

[0067] While the present invention has been disclosed above, it is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can make various modifications and alterations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention; therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope defined in the claims.

[0068] Finally, it should be noted that in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the term "comprising" or any other variations thereof is intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0069] In the above embodiments, descriptions of directions such as "front", "rear", "inner", and "outer" are all based on the accompanying drawings.

[0070] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An indoor humidification device, characterized in that, The system includes a water reservoir (100), a water pumping assembly (200), an inlet pipe (300), and an outlet pipe (400). The water reservoir (100) is connected to the water tray of the indoor unit of the air conditioner. The inlet end of the water pumping assembly (200) is connected to the inner cavity (110) of the water reservoir (100) through the inlet pipe (300). The outlet pipe (400) includes a main pipe (410) and multiple branch pipes (420) that are all connected to the main pipe (410). The main pipe (410) is connected to the outlet end of the water pumping assembly (200). The outlet ends of the multiple branch pipes (420) have at least two outlet heights. The multiple branch pipes (420) are used to guide condensate to different height positions of the evaporator assembly (020).

2. The indoor unit humidification device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the branch conduits (420) is equipped with a conduit switch for controlling the on / off state, and each conduit switch is electrically connected to the controller of the indoor unit of the air conditioner.

3. The indoor unit humidification device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The indoor unit humidification device also includes a bracket (500), which is fixedly installed on the evaporator assembly (020). The main pipe (410), each of the branch pipes (420) and each of the pipe switches are all installed on the bracket (500).

4. The indoor unit humidification device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The bracket (500) is located on the top of the evaporator assembly (020), and the bracket (500) is provided on both the front and rear surfaces of the evaporator assembly (020).

5. The indoor unit humidification device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the branch pipes (420) is provided with several spray holes at its outlet end.

6. The indoor unit humidification device according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The indoor unit humidification device also includes a drain pipe (600) and an electrically controlled valve for controlling the opening and closing of the drain pipe (600). The drain pipe (600) is connected to the water storage tank (100), and the electrically controlled valve is electrically connected to the controller of the indoor air conditioner.

7. The indoor unit humidification device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The indoor humidification device also includes a water level detector (700), which is installed in the water reservoir (100) and is used to detect the water level in the inner cavity (110).

8. The indoor unit humidification device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The water level detector (700) is provided with a low water level line (710), a high water level line (730), and a water storage level line (720) between the two. The water level detector (700) is electrically connected to the controller.

9. The indoor unit humidification device according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The pumping assembly (200) includes a water pump (210) and a drive motor (220) for driving the water pump (210). Both the drive motor (220) and the water pump (210) are installed in the water reservoir (100), with the drive motor (220) located outside the water reservoir (100) and the water pump (210) located in the inner cavity (110).

10. An air conditioner, characterized in that, It includes an indoor unit and an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, wherein the indoor unit and the outdoor unit are connected by a refrigerant pipeline, and the indoor unit is provided with an indoor unit humidification device as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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