A water pan for an indoor air conditioner
By introducing an integrated baffle and an inclined water guide surface design into the air conditioner's drip tray, the problems of condensate buildup and poor drainage are solved, resulting in more efficient drainage and better hygiene.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- GUANGDONG ZHIGE AIR CONDITIONING CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-15
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-02
AI Technical Summary
The existing design of the drip tray in indoor air conditioners leads to easy accumulation of condensate, poor drainage, and serious stagnation, which affects air conditioning performance and hygiene.
It adopts an integrated flow-dissipating component and a specific inclined water guide surface design, including the gradually widening and inclined downward of the water guide surface of the flow-dissipating component to ensure that the water flow is smoothly guided to the outlet. The design of the heat dissipation component that gradually widens to avoid flow is combined with the water receiving groove design where the water guide surface and the water flow gradually change. The inclination slope of the water guide surface is greater than that of the water receiving surface.
It effectively reduces eddies and stagnant zones, improves drainage efficiency, reduces water retention, avoids bacterial growth and odor generation, and enhances the drainage performance of air conditioners.
Smart Images
Figure CN224316384U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of air conditioner structure, and in particular to a water receiving tray for an indoor air conditioner. Background Technology
[0002] In existing technologies, the drip tray of an indoor air conditioner typically includes a main body and a drain outlet for collecting and draining condensate. However, existing designs have some shortcomings: condensate tends to accumulate in the drip tray, especially near the drain outlet, leading to poor drainage and water stagnation. This can cause bacteria to grow inside the drip tray, produce odors, and even cause leaks, affecting air conditioning performance and indoor hygiene. For example, the water guide surface design of traditional drip trays is relatively simple and lacks an effective guiding structure, making it easy for water to form eddies or stagnant zones when flowing towards the drain outlet. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an improved drip tray structure to optimize water flow guidance, improve drainage efficiency, and reduce water stagnation. Utility Model Content
[0003] The purpose of this utility model is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a water receiving tray for indoor air conditioners. Through the design of an integrally formed flow-dispersing component and a specific inclined water guiding surface, the problem of poor water flow and stagnation in the prior art is solved.
[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a water receiving tray for an indoor air conditioner, further characterized by: including a body and a water outlet located in a low-lying area of the body; wherein, a water receiving groove is formed on the top surface of the body, and the water receiving groove has a water receiving surface extending obliquely towards the water outlet; a flow-dispersing component is integrally formed at the junction of the water receiving surface and the water outlet, and the flow-dispersing component has a water guiding surface that is obliquely recessed towards the water outlet; the width of the water guiding surface gradually widens along the water flow direction of the water guiding surface so that the front end of the flow-dispersing component forms a pointed tip.
[0005] Furthermore, the turbulence-disrupting component is teardrop-shaped, narrow at the front and wide at the back.
[0006] Furthermore, the inclination slope of the water guiding surface is greater than the inclination slope of the water receiving surface.
[0007] The present invention adopts the above-mentioned solution, and its beneficial effects are as follows: through the water guiding surface design of the turbulence component, the water flow is smoothly guided to the outlet, reducing eddies and stagnant areas and avoiding water retention; the turbulence component is integrally formed with the body, which is easy to manufacture and install, applicable to various air conditioner models, and has a simple structure. Attached Figure Description
[0008] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of the water receiving tray.
[0009] Figure 2This is a partial schematic diagram of the water outlet of the water receiving tray.
[0010] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A magnified view of part A in the image.
[0011] Among them, 1-body, 11-water receiving tank, 12-water outlet, 13-turbulence turbulence component, 131-water guiding surface, 132-tip part. Detailed Implementation
[0012] To more fully illustrate this utility model, a detailed description will be provided below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings depict preferred embodiments of this utility model. However, it is worth noting that this utility model is not limited to these specific forms and can be implemented in various ways. These embodiments are provided to enable the reader to gain a deeper understanding of this utility model.
[0013] As attached Figure 1-3 As shown, in this embodiment, a water collection tray for an indoor air conditioner is provided. This tray is positioned directly below the evaporator of the indoor air conditioner to collect the condensate generated during the evaporator's operation, thereby collecting and discharging the condensate. Specifically, it includes a main body 1 and a water outlet 12 located in a low-lying area of the main body 1. The water outlet 12 is connected to a drain pipe (not shown) so that the condensate collected in the water collection tray can be discharged through the drain pipe after passing through the water outlet 12.
[0014] In this embodiment, a water receiving groove 11 is formed on the top surface of the body 1, and the water receiving groove 11 has a water receiving surface that extends obliquely towards the outlet 12. The water receiving surface extends obliquely from the edge of the body 1 towards the outlet 12 at an angle of 5-15 degrees (preferably 10 degrees) to initially guide the water flow. Thus, the obliquely arranged water receiving surface is used to receive and guide the condensate to the outlet 12.
[0015] In this embodiment, a flow-disrupting component 13 is integrally formed at the junction of the water guiding surface 131 and the water outlet 12. The flow-disrupting component 13 and the main body 1 are formed in one piece by injection molding or stamping, without any additional connecting parts. Furthermore, the flow-disrupting component 13 is generally teardrop-shaped, narrow at the front and wide at the back. Specifically, the flow-disrupting component 13 has a water guiding surface 131, the width of which gradually widens along the water flow direction (from the water receiving surface to the water outlet 12), with an initial width of 0-2mm and a final width of 15mm. This results in a sharp tip 132 at the front end of the flow-disrupting component 13. The tip 132 increases the disturbance, pierces the water film formed by surface tension, and guides the condensate to collect and flow, avoiding accumulation to match the water flow diffusion characteristics.
[0016] In this embodiment, the water-guiding surface 131 of the turbulence-disrupting component 13 is inclined downwards towards the outlet 12, with a depression depth of 2-5 mm (preferably 3 mm), forming a low-lying channel. The inclination slope (i.e., inclination angle) of the water-guiding surface 131 is greater than that of the water-receiving surface; for example, the inclination slope of the water-receiving surface is 10 degrees, and the inclination slope of the water-guiding surface 131 is 20-30 degrees (preferably 25 degrees). This design ensures that the water flow accelerates after entering the water-guiding surface 131, avoiding stagnation at the interface.
[0017] During operation, condensate falls into the water receiving tank 11 and flows along the inclined receiving surface towards the turbulence-dispersing component 13. The pointed tip 132 pierces the water film formed by surface tension and guides the flow, which then diffuses smoothly due to the gradually widening design. Simultaneously, the large slope of the guiding surface 131 accelerates the water flow, allowing it to be quickly discharged from the outlet 12. Tests show that this design reduces drainage time by 30% and eliminates 90% of the water retention area. In particular, it solves the problem of existing drainage tanks easily forming horizontal flow due to small water volumes, and addresses the issue of water droplets forming and clogging the outlet 12 under the influence of surface tension, thus preventing poor drainage and impurity deposition.
[0018] The embodiments described above are merely preferred embodiments of this utility model and are not intended to limit the utility model in any way. Any modifications or alterations made by those skilled in the art to the technical solution of this utility model without departing from its scope are equivalent embodiments of this utility model. Therefore, all equivalent changes made based on the concept of this utility model without departing from its scope should be covered within the protection scope of this utility model.
Claims
1. A drip tray for an indoor air conditioner, characterized in that: Includes a body (1) and a water outlet (12) located in a low-lying area of the body (1), wherein the top surface of the body (1) is formed with a water receiving groove (11), and the water receiving groove (11) has a water receiving surface that extends obliquely toward the water outlet (12). A flow-disrupting component (13) is integrally formed at the junction of the water inlet and the outlet (12). The flow-disrupting component (13) has a water-guiding surface (131) that is inclined and sunken towards the outlet (12). The width of the water-guiding surface (131) gradually widens along the water flow direction of the water-guiding surface (131) so that the front end of the flow-disrupting component (13) forms a pointed tip (132).
2. The water collection tray for an indoor air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The turbulence-disrupting component (13) is teardrop-shaped, narrow at the front and wide at the back.
3. The water collection tray for an indoor air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The slope of the water-guiding surface (131) is greater than the slope of the water-receiving surface.