Air conditioner chassis structure, air conditioner outdoor unit, and air conditioner

Abstract

An air conditioner chassis structure, an air conditioner outdoor unit, and an air conditioner are disclosed, wherein the air conditioner chassis structure is configured to support a heat exchanger. The air conditioner chassis structure includes a chassis main body with a drainage hole provided below the heat exchanger. The drainage hole extends through two opposite surfaces in a thickness direction of the chassis main body, and is at least partially exposed at an air inlet side of the heat exchanger and communicates with an external space at the air inlet side of the heat exchanger.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202311073427X, titled "AIR CONDITIONER CHASSIS STRUCTURE, AIR CONDITIONER OUTDOOR UNIT, AND AIR CONDITIONER" and filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration on August 23, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the field of air conditioning, and particularly to an air conditioner chassis structure, an air conditioner outdoor unit, and an air conditioner.BACKGROUND

[0003] In the related art, the heat exchanger of an air conditioner outdoor unit is usually placed directly on a chassis provided with a drainage hole for drainage. However, when the fan of the air conditioner outdoor unit operates, a significant negative pressure is likely to be generated at the drainage hole provided at the bottom of the heat exchanger. This causes the condensate inside the machine to spread along a direction of airflow, thereby obstructing the drainage of the condensate. The condensate failing to drain in time may gradually freeze on the inner portion and the mesh cover of the chassis, causing negative effects such as heat exchanger damage, fan blade damage, and reduced air supply volume, thereby adversely affecting the operation of the air conditioner outdoor unit.SUMMARY

[0004] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an air conditioner chassis structure, an air conditioner outdoor unit, and an air conditioner, aiming to improve the technical problem of poor drainage through a drainage hole.

[0005] In one aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an air conditioner chassis structure for supporting a heat exchanger, and the air conditioner chassis structure comprises: a chassis main body with a drainage hole provided below the heat exchanger, wherein the drainage hole extends through two opposite surfaces in a thickness direction of the chassis main body, and is at least partially exposed at an air inlet side of the heat exchanger and communicates with an external space at the air inlet side of the heat exchanger.

[0006] In the air conditioner chassis structure, the air conditioner outdoor unit, and the air conditioner according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the drainage hole of the chassis main body is at least partially exposed at the air inlet side of the heat exchanger, thereby allowing the drainage hole to communicate with a space on the air inlet side of the heat exchanger. In this way, since the drainage hole is exposed to the external air on the air inlet side of a condenser, the air circulation at the bottom of the heat exchanger is improved, and it is less likely to generate a significant negative pressure at the drainage hole, greatly reducing the difficulty of draining condensate from the drainage hole, thereby ensuring the drainage efficiency of the drainage hole. Further, it prevents external accumulated water from flowing back into the air conditioner chassis structure through the drainage hole, and makes it easy for external personnel to observe the blockage situation of the drainage hole, and ensures the stable drainage function of the drainage hole, to improve the technical problem of poor drainage through the drainage hole.

[0007] In some embodiments, the drainage hole comprises a first hole portion and a second hole portion communicating with each other, the first hole portion is located in a projection range of the heat exchanger on the chassis main body, the second hole portion is exposed at the air inlet side of the heat exchanger, and an opening area of the first hole portion is greater than an opening area of the second hole portion.

[0008] In some embodiments, the surface of the chassis main body facing the heat exchanger is recessed to form a groove, the heat exchanger is positioned in the groove, and the drainage hole is provided in a bottom of the groove.

[0009] In some embodiments, the groove comprises a support groove and a drainage groove communicating with each other, a bottom of the support groove and a bottom of the drainage groove are configured in a stepped arrangement, and the bottom of the support groove is located above the bottom of the drainage groove; a bottom of the heat exchanger is supported on the bottom of the support groove, and the drainage hole is provided in the bottom of the drainage groove.

[0010] In some embodiments, a plurality of drainage holes are provided in the bottom of the drainage groove, and are disposed at intervals along an extension direction of the drainage groove.

[0011] In some embodiments, a distance between the bottom of the drainage groove and the bottom of the support groove is greater than 2 mm.

[0012] In some embodiments, the heat exchanger comprises a first heat exchange portion and a second heat exchange portion arranged at an angle to each other, and the drainage groove comprises a first sub-groove and a second sub-groove. The first sub-groove is located below the first heat exchange portion and extends along a length direction of the first heat exchange portion, the second sub-groove is located below the second heat exchange portion and extends along a length direction of the second heat exchange portion, and each of a bottom of the first sub-groove and a bottom of the second sub-groove is provided with the drainage hole.

[0013] In some embodiments, a drainage groove is formed on the surface of the chassis main body facing the heat exchanger, and comprises a first sub-groove and a second sub-groove communicating with each other; each of the first sub-groove and / or the second sub-groove comprises a first groove segment and a second groove segment that are connected sequentially in an alternating manner, the drainage hole is provided in a bottom of the first groove segment, a size of the second groove segment in a direction from the air inlet side to an air outlet side of the heat exchanger is less than a size of the first groove segment in the direction from the air inlet side to the air outlet side of the heat exchanger.

[0014] In some embodiments, the chassis main body comprises a bottom plate and a partition plate connected to the bottom plate, the bottom plate comprises a fan zone and a mechanical zone that are located on two opposite sides of the partition plate respectively, and a heat exchange zone located at a periphery of the fan zone. A surface of the heat exchange zone facing the heat exchanger is recessed to form a groove, the drainage hole is provided in a bottom of the groove, the fan zone comprises an interface section adjacent to the groove which is recessed relative to the interface section.

[0015] In some embodiments, the bottom plate is provided with a first water outlet. The first water outlet extends through two opposite surfaces in a thickness direction of the bottom plate, and is located at a side of the heat exchange zone adjacent to the mechanical zone. The bottom plate is provided with a first flow guide groove extending from the mechanical zone to the heat exchange zone and communicating with the first water outlet.

[0016] In some embodiments, a bottom of the first flow guide groove gradually slopes downward along an extension direction towards the first water outlet; and / or the first flow guide groove extends in a circumferentially meandering manner in the mechanical zone.

[0017] In some embodiments, a drainage groove is formed on the surface of the chassis main body facing the heat exchanger, and comprises a first sub-groove and a second sub-groove communicating with each other. At least one of the first sub-groove and the second sub-groove is provided with the drainage hole; the second sub-groove communicates with the first water outlet.

[0018] In some embodiments, the surface of the chassis main body facing the heat exchanger is recessed to form the groove which comprises a support groove and a drainage groove communicating with each other. A bottom of the heat exchanger is supported on a bottom of the support groove, and a bottom of the drainage groove is provided with the drainage hole. A recess is formed on the bottom plate at the bottom of the support groove, and is located between the first water outlet and the mechanical zone, and has two opposite ends communicating with the first flow guide groove.

[0019] In some embodiments, the heat exchanger comprises a first heat exchange portion and a second heat exchange portion arranged at an angle to each other. The bottom plate is further provided with a second water outlet. The second water outlet extends through two opposite surfaces in the thickness direction of the bottom plate, and is located below a junction between the first heat exchange portion and the second heat exchange portion. The heat exchange zone is further provided with a second flow guide groove communicating with the fan zone and the second water outlet.

[0020] In some embodiments, the surface of the chassis main body facing the heat exchanger is recessed to form a support groove, a bottom of the heat exchanger is supported on the bottom of the support groove.

[0021] A through groove is formed in the bottom plate at the bottom of the support groove, and communicates with the second water outlet and the first sub-groove.

[0022] In some embodiments, the chassis main body further comprises a flange connected to an outer peripheral edge of the bottom plate, and at least a portion of the flange abuts against the surface of the air inlet side of the heat exchanger.

[0023] In some embodiments, the flange comprises an abutment portion and an avoidance portion connected to each other, the abutment portion abuts against the surface of the air inlet side of the heat exchanger, the avoidance portion is recessed in a direction away from the air inlet side of the heat exchanger and is arranged opposite to the drainage hole; and / or

[0024] the air conditioner chassis structure further comprises an inner stopper, which is connected to the bottom plate and abuts against the surface of the air outlet side of the heat exchanger.

[0025] In some embodiments, the air conditioner chassis structure further comprises an upright post connected to the flange and positioned on the air inlet side of the heat exchanger facing away from the air outlet side. The upright post extends to the junction between the first heat exchange portion and the second heat exchange portion and shields the second water outlet.

[0026] In some embodiments, the chassis main body further comprises a flange connected to an outer peripheral edge of the bottom plate, and at least a portion of the flange abuts against the surface of the air inlet side of the heat exchanger.

[0027] In some embodiments, the heat exchanger further comprises two side mounting plates, one of the side mounting plates is connected to a surface of the first heat exchange portion facing away from the second heat exchange portion, the other of the side mounting plates is connected to a surface of the second heat exchange portion facing away from the first heat exchange portion. The flange comprises two side mounting portions corresponding to the two side mounting plates, each of the two side mounting portions is recessed toward a surface of a corresponding side mounting plate, and is connected to the corresponding side mounting plate.

[0028] In some embodiments, the air conditioner chassis structure further comprises protection plates sandwiched between the side mounting portions and the corresponding side mounting plates, respectively.

[0029] In some embodiments, the air conditioner chassis structure further comprises a plurality of support feet connected to the surface of the chassis main body facing away from the heat exchanger. The plurality of support feet are arranged in a staggered manner with the drainage hole.

[0030] In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides an air conditioner which comprises a heat exchanger and an air conditioner chassis structure, the heat exchanger is supported on the air conditioner chassis structure. The air conditioner chassis structure comprises a chassis main body with a drainage hole provided below the heat exchanger. The drainage hole extends through two opposite surfaces in a thickness direction of the chassis main body, and is at least partially exposed at an air inlet side of the heat exchanger and communicates with an external space at the air inlet side of the heat exchanger.

[0031] In a third aspect, the present disclosure provides an air conditioner which comprises an air conditioner indoor unit and an air conditioner outdoor unit. The air conditioner outdoor unit is connected to the air conditioner indoor unit via a pipe, the air conditioner outdoor unit comprises a heat exchanger and an air conditioner chassis structure. The heat exchanger is supported on the air conditioner chassis structure which comprises a chassis main body with a drainage hole provided below the heat exchanger. The drainage hole extends through two opposite surfaces in a thickness direction of the chassis main body, and is at least partially exposed at an air inlet side of the heat exchanger and communicates with an external space at the air inlet side of the heat exchanger.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] To describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure or the prior art more clearly, the drawings used in describing the embodiments or the prior art are briefly introduced below. Apparently, the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of the present disclosure. Other drawings can be obtained from structures shown in these drawings by those of ordinary skills in the art without creative efforts. FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram illustrating the assembly of an air conditioner outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the assembly of an air conditioner chassis structure and a heat exchanger of the present disclosure; FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the assembly of the air conditioner chassis structure and the heat exchanger of the present disclosure from another perspective; FIG. 4 is a top view of the air conditioner chassis structure according to the present disclosure; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 4; FIG. 6 is a partial enlarged view of portion A in FIG. 4; FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a groove in the air conditioner chassis structure of FIG. 4; FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C in FIG. 4; FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 4; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line E-E in FIG. 4; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F-F in FIG. 4; FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D in FIG. 4; FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating the assembly of an upright post and a chassis main body of the air conditioner chassis structure according to the present disclosure; FIG. 14 is a partial enlarged view of portion B in FIG. 13; FIG. 15 is a partial enlarged view of portion C in FIG. 13; and FIG. 16 is a partial enlarged schematic view illustrating the assembly of the air conditioner chassis structure and the heat exchanger according to the present disclosure.

[0033] Reference numerals in the drawings: air conditioner outdoor unit 1000; air conditioner chassis structure 100; chassis main body 10; bottom plate 11; fan zone NA; mechanical zone AA; heat exchange zone BA; groove 111; support groove 1111; drainage groove 1112; drainage hole 10A; first hole portion 10a; second hole portion 10b; first sub-groove 111A; second sub-groove 111B; first groove segment 111a; second groove segment 111b; first water outlet 112; first flow guide groove 113; recess 114; second water outlet 115; through groove 116; second flow guide groove 117; partition plate 12; flange 13; protruding rib 131; abutment portion 132; avoidance portion 133; side mounting portion 134; connection hole 135; inner stopper 20; upright post 30; mounting hole 31; protection plate 40; support foot 50; support foot drainage hole 51; heat exchanger 200; first heat exchange portion 201; second heat exchange portion 202; air inlet side 200A; air outlet side 200B; side mounting plate 203; refrigerant pipe 204; fan 300; top cover 400; surrounding panel 500; air outlet 501; and divider plate 600.

[0034] The purpose, functional features and advantages of the present disclosure will be further described in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the drawings.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present disclosure clearer, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the drawings.

[0036] When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise specified, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The implementations described in the exemplary embodiments below are not intended to represent all implementations consistent with the present disclosure. On the contrary, the implementations are only examples of apparatuses and methods that are described in the appended claims in detail and that are consistent with some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0037] In the description of the present disclosure, it should be understood that terms "first", "second", etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. For those of ordinary skills in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present disclosure may be understood according to specific conditions. Furthermore, in the description of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, "a plurality of" refers to two or more than two. The expression "and / or" describes the association relationship between associated objects, indicating that there may be three relationships. For example, A and / or B means that there are three cases: only A, both A and B, and only B. The character " / " generally indicates that an association relationship between the associated objects is an "or" relationship.

[0038] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by those of ordinary skills in the technical field of the present disclosure. The terms used in this specification are only used to describe the purpose of specific embodiments, but are not intended to limit the present disclosure. The term "and / or" used herein comprises any or all combinations of one or more related listed items.

[0039] In the related art, the heat exchanger of an air conditioner outdoor unit is usually placed directly on a chassis provided with a drainage hole for drainage. However, when the fan of the air conditioner outdoor unit operates, a significant negative pressure is likely to be generated at the drainage hole provided at the bottom of the heat exchanger. This causes condensate inside the machine to spread along a direction of airflow, thereby obstructing the drainage of the condensate. The condensate failing to drain in time may gradually freeze on the inner portion and the mesh cover of the chassis, causing negative effects such as heat exchanger damage, fan blade damage, and reduced air supply volume, thereby adversely affecting the operation of the air conditioner outdoor unit.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 1, in an aspect, the present disclosure provides an air conditioner which comprises an air conditioner indoor unit (not shown in figures) and an air conditioner outdoor unit 1000. The air conditioner indoor unit is installed indoors, and the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000 is connected to the air conditioner indoor unit via a pipe. The air conditioner outdoor unit 1000 is configured for cooling or heating, which transports refrigerant through the pipe. The refrigerant exchanges heat with indoor air and outdoor air, respectively. The air conditioner indoor unit is configured to deliver the cooled or heated air into a room to achieve the effect of cooling or heating.

[0041] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides an air conditioner outdoor unit 1000. Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000 comprises an air conditioner chassis structure 100, a heat exchanger 200 supported on the air conditioner chassis structure 100, a fan 300, and a compressor (not shown in the figures). Wherein the air conditioner chassis structure 100 forms the main framework of the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000. The air conditioner chassis structure 100 may be made of metal to have enhanced structural strength, thereby ensuring stable support for the heat exchanger 200, the fan 300, and the compressor.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 5, a refrigerant pipe 204 is provided inside the heat exchanger. During the cooling process, the refrigerant flows sequentially from the compressor to the heat exchanger 200 in the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000, then to a heat exchanger in the air conditioner indoor unit. At this time, the heat exchanger 200 in the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000 serves as a condenser to condense the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor. The heat exchanger in the air conditioner indoor unit serves as an evaporator, and exchanges heat with the indoor air by means of low-temperature refrigerant, thereby outputting cooled air. Then, the refrigerant is circulated back to the compressor. During the heating process, the refrigerant flows sequentially from the compressor to the heat exchanger in the air conditioner indoor unit, then flows to the heat exchanger 200 in the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000. At this time, the high-temperature refrigerant discharged from the compressor exchanges heat with the indoor air, so that heated air is output. In this case, the heat exchanger in the air conditioner indoor unit is a condenser, and the heat exchanger 200 in the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000 serves as the evaporator. Then, the refrigerant is circulated back to the compressor. Moreover, the heat exchanger 200 in the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000 has an air inlet side 200A located on the outer side of the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000, and an air outlet side 200B located on the inner side of the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000. Furthermore, the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000 further comprises a top cover 400 and a surrounding panel 500 which extends vertically. The air conditioner chassis structure 100, the surrounding panel 500, and the top cover 400 jointly form an accommodation space, thus the heat exchanger 200, the fan 300, and the compressor are all located within the accommodation space. The surrounding panel 500 is provided with an air outlet 501, and the fan 300 may be an axial flow fan 300 secured to the air conditioner chassis structure 100 via a bracket. The axial flow fan 300 is positioned on the air outlet side 200B of the heat exchanger 200, thus the rotation of the fan 300 enables the external air to enter through the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200, and then flow through the air outlet side 200B after heat exchange, and finally be discharged through the air outlet 501 into outdoor environment.

[0043] To ensure that the condensate generated by the heat exchanger 200 in the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000 can be smoothly drained during the operation of the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000, referring to FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7, in another aspect, the present disclosure provides an air conditioner chassis structure 100 for supporting the heat exchanger 200. The air conditioner chassis structure 100 comprises a chassis main body 10 with a drainage hole 10A provided below the heat exchanger 200. The drainage hole 10A extends through two opposite surfaces in a thickness direction of the chassis main body 10, and is at least partially exposed at the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200 and communicates with an external space at the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200.

[0044] It should be noted that the heat exchanger 200 is placed on the chassis main body 10 and then is fixed thereto by means of snap-fit connectors or screws, etc., thereby ensuring the stability of the bottom of the heat exchanger 200 supported by the chassis main body 10. Moreover, the drainage hole 10A extends through two opposite surfaces in the thickness direction of the chassis main body 10, such that the condensate generated during the operation of the heat exchanger 200 can flow under gravity to the bottom of the heat exchanger 200 and then drains to the outside through the drainage hole 10A of the chassis main body 10. The drainage hole 10A may be configured in an elongated shape along an extension direction of the heat exchanger 200. Alternatively, the drainage hole 10A may also be of a regular shape, such as circular or rectangular, to facilitate its regular arrangement on the chassis main body 10.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 5, optionally, the air conditioner chassis structure 100A further comprises a plurality of support feet 50 connected to the surface of the chassis main body 10 facing away from the heat exchanger 200. The plurality of support feet 50 are arranged in a staggered manner with the drainage hole 10A. Wherein the plurality of support feet 50 may be connected to the surface of the chassis main body 10 facing away from the heat exchanger 200 by means of screws or snap-fit connectors, etc. The support feet 50 may be placed on an external support surface, which thus creates a gap between the chassis main body 10 and the external support surface. Furthermore, the support feet 50 are staggered with the drainage hole 10A, thereby facilitating smooth drainage through the drainage hole 10A. Furthermore, a support foot drainage hole 51 is further provided in each support foot 50, and extends through the two opposite surfaces in the thickness direction, thereby facilitating the flow of accumulated water above the support feet 50 toward the external support surface.

[0046] In the air conditioner chassis structure 100 according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the drainage hole 10A of the chassis main body 10 is at least partially exposed at the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200, thereby allowing the drainage hole 10A to communicate with a space on the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200. In this way, since the drainage hole 10A is exposed to the external air on the air inlet side 200A of a condenser, the air circulation at the bottom of the heat exchanger 200 is improved, and it is less likely to generate a significant negative pressure at the drainage hole 10A, greatly reducing the difficulty of draining the condensate from the drainage hole 10A, thereby ensuring the drainage efficiency of the drainage hole 10A. Further, it prevents external accumulated water from flowing back into the air conditioner chassis structure 100 through the drainage hole 10A, and makes it easy for external personnel to observe the blockage situation of the drainage hole 10A, and ensures the stable drainage function of the drainage hole 10A, to improve the technical problem of poor drainage through the drainage hole 10A.

[0047] Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 6, optionally, the drainage hole 10A comprises a first hole portion 10a and a second hole portion 10b communicating with each other. The first hole portion 10a is located in a projection range of the heat exchanger 200 on the chassis main body 10, the second hole portion 10b is exposed at the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200, an opening area of the first hole portion 10a is greater than an opening area of the second hole portion 10b. In this way, the first hole portion 10a is located in the projection range of the heat exchanger 200 on the chassis main body 10, that is, the first hole portion 10a is located directly under the heat exchanger 200. Even when water such as the condensate in the drainage hole 10A is blown up by external airflow, since the heat exchanger 200 is disposed above the first hole portion 10a of the drainage hole 10A, the flow of the condensate will be obstructed at the bottom of the heat exchanger 200 and the condensate will gradually drip down, thereby effectively preventing the condensate from being blown through the drainage hole 10A into the interior of the housing and contacting components such as the fan 300. The second hole portion 10b is exposed at the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200 to communicate with the space at the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200. By making the opening area of the first hole portion 10a greater than the opening area of the second hole portion 10b, the area of the drainage hole 10A directly opposite the bottom of the heat exchanger 200 is increased, thereby further improving the drainage efficiency of the drainage hole 10A for the condensate from the heat exchanger 200.

[0048] Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 7, optionally, the surface of the chassis main body 10 facing the heat exchanger 200 is recessed to form a groove 111, the heat exchanger 200 is positioned in the groove 111, and the drainage hole 10A is provided in the bottom of the groove 111. It should be noted that the dashed outline in FIG. 7 indicates the contour of the heat exchanger 200. Wherein the groove 111 is located at the edge of the chassis main body 10. In this way, the heat exchanger 200 is also located at the edge of the chassis main body 10, such that the external airflow can pass through the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200. By forming the groove 111 on the chassis main body 10 for mounting the heat exchanger 200, the installation efficiency of the heat exchanger 200 can be improved, and meanwhile the flow of the condensate from the heat exchanger 200 to other areas of the chassis main body 10 can be effectively reduced.

[0049] Referring to FIG.4, FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, optionally, the groove 111 comprises a support groove 1111 and a drainage groove 1112 communicating with each other, the bottom of the support groove 1111 and the bottom of the drainage groove 1112 are configured in a stepped arrangement, and the bottom of the support groove 1111 is located above the bottom of the drainage groove 1112. The bottom of the heat exchanger 200 is supported on the bottom of the support groove 1111, and the drainage hole 10A is provided in the bottom of the drainage groove 1112.

[0050] It should be noted that the bottom of the support groove 1111 in this embodiment is indicated by the first pattern P1 filled in FIG. 4, FIG. 6, FIG. 7, FIG. 13, and FIG.14, the first pattern P1 is depicted as a rectangular array of blocks. Wherein the bottom of the support groove 1111 is configured as a flat plane, which ensures the stability of the heat exchanger 200 when placed in the support groove 1111. By configuring the bottom of the support groove 1111 above the bottom of the drainage groove 1112, such that the plane of the chassis main body 10 provided with the drainage hole 10A is located below the support surface of the chassis main body 10 for supporting the bottom of the heat exchanger 200. In this way, when water accumulates due to excessive condensate or blockage of the drainage hole 10A, the accumulated water will remain in the drainage groove 1112, to avoid prolonged contact with the bottom of the heat exchanger 200.

[0051] Furthermore, the drainage groove 1112 is exposed at the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200 and communicates with the space at the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200. By configuring the drainage groove 1112 to communicate with the space at the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200, it is ensured that a negative pressure is less likely to be generated at the drainage groove 1112, thereby ensuring smooth water flow through the drainage groove 1112 and also reducing the risk of clogging by residues such as leaves and soil during subsequent use.

[0052] Referring to FIG.4 and FIG. 7, optionally, a plurality of drainage holes 10A are provided in the bottom of the drainage groove 1112, and are disposed at intervals along the extension direction of the drainage groove 1112. Wherein the plurality of drainage holes 10A communicate with each other via the drainage groove 1112, so that even when one of the drainage holes 10A is blocked, the condensate is enabled to flow to another drainage hole 10A through the drainage groove 1112, thereby preventing local drainage failure and ensuring drainage efficiency.

[0053] Referring to FIG. 8, optionally, a distance between the bottom of the drainage groove 1112 and the bottom of the support groove 1111 is greater than 2 mm. To accommodate the final installation environment of the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000, it is necessary to control the condensate drainage locations of the air conditioner outdoor unit, wherein some of the drainage holes 10A can be sealed with silicone plugs. Moreover, to prevent the silicone plugs from damaging the heat exchanger, the distance between the bottom of the drainage groove 1112 and the bottom of the support groove 1111 is greater than 2mm, which leads to a larger gap between the plane of the chassis main body 10 provided with the drainage holes 10A and the support surface of the chassis main body 10 for supporting the bottom of the heat exchanger 200. This effectively avoids any adverse effect on the heat exchanger 200 during the subsequent installation of the silicone plugs and ensures the normal operation of the heat exchanger 200.

[0054] Referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, and FIG. 7, optionally, the heat exchanger 200 comprises a first heat exchange portion 201 and a second heat exchange portion 202 arranged at an angle to each other. The drainage groove 1112 comprises a first sub-groove 111A and a second sub-groove 111B, the first sub-groove 111A is located below the first heat exchange portion 201 and extends along a length direction of the first heat exchange portion 201, the second sub-groove 111B is located below the second heat exchange portion 202 and extends along a length direction of the second heat exchange portion 202, and each of the bottom of the first sub-groove 111A and the bottom of the second sub-groove 111B is provided with the drainage hole 10A. Wherein the first heat exchange portion 201 and the second heat exchange portion 202 may be arranged at a right angle, thereby increasing the contact area between the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger and the external environment. By arranging the first sub-groove 111A to correspond to the first heat exchange portion 201 and the second sub-groove 111B to correspond to the second heat exchange portion 202, the condensate generated by the first heat exchange portion 201 and the second heat exchange portion 202 respectively can be drained separately, thereby improving overall drainage efficiency.

[0055] Referring to FIG. 4, FIG. 7 to FIG. 11, in some embodiments, the surface of the chassis main body 10 facing the heat exchanger 200 is recessed to form the drainage groove 1112. The drainage groove 1112 comprises the first sub-groove 111A and the second sub-groove 111B communicating with each other. Each of the first sub-groove 111A and / or the second sub-groove 111B comprises a first groove segment 111a and a second groove segment 111b that are connected sequentially in an alternating manner. The drainage hole 10A is provided in the bottom of the first groove segment 111a, and the size of the second groove segment 111b in a direction from the air inlet side 200A to an air outlet side 200B of the heat exchanger 200 is less than the size of the first groove segment 111a in the direction from the air inlet side 200A to the air outlet side 200B of the heat exchanger 200.

[0056] In this way, the opening length of the first groove segment 111a provided with the drainage hole 10A is larger than the length of the second groove segment 111b without the drainage hole 10A. This ensures drainage efficiency while also maintaining sufficient contact area between the chassis main body and the heat exchanger 200, thereby ensuring stable support for the heat exchanger by the chassis.

[0057] Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 4 and FIG. 13, optionally, the chassis main body 10 comprises a bottom plate 11 and a partition plate 12 connected to the bottom plate 11. The bottom plate 11 comprises a fan zone NA and a mechanical zone AA that are located on two opposite sides of the partition plate 12 respectively, and a heat exchange zone BA located at the periphery of the fan zone NA. The surface of the heat exchange zone BA facing the heat exchanger 200 is recessed to form the groove 111, and the drainage hole 10A is provided in the bottom of the groove 111. The fan zone NA comprises an interface section adjacent to the groove 111 which is recessed relative to the interface section.

[0058] The partition plate 12 may be configured as a raised boss and is configured for mounting a divider plate 600. The divider plate 600 can be fixed to the partition plate 12 via screws or welding, thereby partitioning the internal space of the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000. It should be noted that the fan zone NA may be configured for mounting the fan 300, the mechanical zone AA may be configured for mounting the compressor, and the heat exchange zone BA is provided with the groove 111 for mounting the heat exchanger 200. A raised boss is provided in the fan zone NA for mounting a bracket of the fan 300, thereby enhancing the support strength provided by the bottom plate 11 for the fan 300.

[0059] Furthermore, referring to FIG. 14, the bottom plate 11 is provided with a first water outlet 112. The first water outlet 112 extends through two opposite surfaces in the thickness direction of the bottom plate 11, and is located at a side of the heat exchange zone BA adjacent to the mechanical zone AA. The bottom plate 11 is provided with a first flow guide groove 113 extending from the mechanical zone AA to the heat exchange zone BA and communicating with the first water outlet 112. It should be noted that the bottom of the first flow guide groove 113 in this embodiment is indicated by the second pattern P2 filled in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, the second pattern P2 is depicted as an array of hexagons. The groove 111 is provided in the heat exchange zone BA of the bottom plate 11, and the bottom of the groove 111 is lower than the bottom of the first flow guide groove 113. This means that the plane of the heat exchange zone BA of the bottom plate 11 is lower than the plane of the fan zone NA of the bottom plate 11. In this way, the accumulated water (such as the condensate) in the fan zone NA will readily flow under gravity towards the groove 111 and then drain through the drainage hole 10A. The first water outlet 112 is provided in the heat exchange zone BA of the bottom plate 11. In addition, the first flow guide groove 113 is provided extending from the mechanical zone AA to the heat exchange zone BA and communicating with the first water outlet 112. This allows the accumulated water (such as the condensate) from the mechanical zone AA to flow along the first flow guide groove 113 and then drain through the first water outlet 112, which eliminates the need to provide a through-hole directly in the mechanical zone AA for drainage, thereby preventing foreign objects such as external insects from easily entering the mechanical zone AA and causing damage to equipment such as the compressor.

[0060] Furthermore, the bottom of the first flow guide groove 113 gradually slopes downward along an extension direction towards the first water outlet 112. This arrangement further increases the flow rate of the accumulated water in the first flow guide groove 113, thereby preventing the accumulated water (such as the condensate) from remaining for an extended period on the portion of the chassis main body 10 located in the mechanical zone AA.

[0061] Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 13, optionally, the first flow guide groove 113 extends in a circumferentially meandering manner in the mechanical zone AA. In this way, the collection of the accumulated water (such as the condensate) from various locations in the mechanical zone AA is facilitated.

[0062] Referring to FIG. 4, FIG. 5 and FIG. 14, optionally, a recess 114 is formed on the bottom plate 11 at the bottom of the support groove 1111, and is located between the first water outlet 112 and the mechanical zone AA and has two opposite ends communicating with the first flow guide groove 113. The recess 114 is formed at the bottom of the support groove 1111 and communicates with the first flow guide groove 113, which can increase the flow rate from the first flow guide groove 113 to the first water outlet 112, thereby improving the drainage efficiency for the accumulated water (such as the condensate) in the mechanical zone AA.

[0063] Optionally, referring to FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, the surface of the chassis main body 10 facing the heat exchanger 200 is recessed to form the drainage groove 1112. The drainage groove 1112 comprises the first sub-groove 111A and the second sub-groove 111B communicating with each other. The second sub-groove 111B communicates with the first water outlet 112. This also allows the accumulated water (such as the condensate) in the second sub-groove 111B to drain through the first water outlet 112. Furthermore, when the first water outlet 112 becomes blocked, the water in the first flow guide groove 113 can also flow into the second sub-groove 111B and be discharged through the drainage hole 10A of the second sub-groove 111B, thereby ensuring the overall drainage efficiency and drainage smoothness of the bottom plate 11.

[0064] Referring to FIG. 4, FIG. 13 and FIG. 15, optionally, the bottom plate 11 is further provided with a second water outlet 115, which extends through two opposite surfaces in the thickness direction of the bottom plate 11 and is located below a junction between the first heat exchange portion 201 and the second heat exchange portion 202. The heat exchange zone BA is further provided with a second flow guide groove 117 communicating with the fan zone NA and the second water outlet 115. The second water outlet 115 can be configured to not only drain the condensate from the junction area between the first heat exchange portion 201 and the second heat exchange portion 202, but also drain the condensate guided from the fan zone NA via the second flow guide groove 117. Furthermore, the bottom of the second flow guide groove 117 gradually slopes downward along an extension direction towards the second water outlet 115. This arrangement further improves the flow rate of the condensate to the second water outlet 115.

[0065] Furthermore, at least a portion of the second water outlet 115 is exposed at the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200 and communicates with the external space at the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200. In this way, it is less likely to generate a significant negative pressure at the second water outlet 115, greatly reducing the difficulty of draining the condensate from the second water outlet 115, thereby ensuring the drainage efficiency of the second water outlet 115. Further, it prevents external accumulated water from flowing back into the air conditioner chassis structure 100 through the second water outlet 115, and makes it easy for external personnel to observe the blockage situation of the drainage hole 10A.

[0066] Referring to FIG. 4, FIG. 12 and FIG. 15, furthermore, a through groove 116 is formed in the bottom plate 11 at the bottom of the support groove 1111, and communicates with the second water outlet 115 and the first sub-groove 111A. This also allows the accumulated water (such as the condensate) in the first sub-groove 111A to drain through the second water outlet 115. Furthermore, when the second water outlet 115 becomes blocked, water from the second flow guide groove 117 can also flow into the first sub-groove 111A and drain through the drainage hole 10A of the first sub-groove 111A, thereby ensuring the overall drainage efficiency and drainage smoothness of the bottom plate 11.

[0067] Referring to FIG. 13 and FIG. 15, furthermore, the chassis main body 10 further comprises a flange 13 connected to an outer peripheral edge of the bottom plate 11, and at least a portion of the flange 13 abuts against the surface of the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200. The flange 13 may be integrally formed with the bottom plate 11, thereby ensuring the stability of the flange 13 abutting against the surface of the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200. By providing the flange 13, the stability of the heat exchanger 200 when mounted on the bottom plate 11 is enhanced. Additionally, the flange 13 may be further configured to be connected to other components supported on the bottom plate 11 so as to limit their positions.

[0068] Furthermore, the flange 13 comprises an abutment portion 132 and an avoidance portion 133 communicating with each other, the abutment portion 132 abuts against the surface of the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200, the avoidance portion 133 is recessed in a direction away from the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200 and is arranged opposite to the drainage hole 10A. The abutment portion 132 abuts against the surface of the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200 so as to limit its position and ensure installation stability of the heat exchanger 200. The avoidance portion 133 is recessed in a direction away from the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200, thereby avoiding obstruction of the drainage hole 10A, ensuring stable spatial communication between the drainage hole 10A and the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200.

[0069] Referring to FIG. 4, FIG. 13, and FIG. 16, optionally, the air conditioner chassis structure 100 further comprises an upright post 30 connected to the flange 13 and positioned on the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200 facing away from the air outlet side 200B. The upright post 30 extends to the junction between the first heat exchange portion 201 and the second heat exchange portion 202 and shields the second water outlet 115. Wherein the upright post 30 may be fixed to the flange 13 by a snap-fit connector, a screw, or the like. In this embodiment, a mounting hole 31 may be provided in the upright post 30, and a corresponding connection hole 135 may be provided in the flange 13. A connector such as a screw is passed sequentially through the mounting hole 31 and the connection hole 135 to achieve fixation. Furthermore, the upright post 30 can also be connected to the top cover 400 of the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000, thereby providing support and reducing the force on the heat exchanger 200. In addition, the upright post 30 extends to the junction between the first heat exchange portion 201 and the second heat exchange portion 202, and shields the second water outlet 115. This arrangement prevents leaves or debris from clogging the second water outlet 115, thereby ensuring the normal drainage function of the second water outlet 115.

[0070] Optionally, referring to FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 8, FIG. 9, and FIG. 13, the air conditioner chassis structure 100 further comprises an inner stopper 20, which is connected to the bottom plate 11 and abuts against the surface of the air outlet side 200B of the heat exchanger 200. The bottom plate 11 comprises a fixing groove formed in the fan zone NA, and the inner stopper 20 can be connected to the fixing groove by means of screws or welding, etc., and disposed opposite the flange 13, thus the heat exchanger 200 is placed on the bottom plate 11, the stopper and the flange 13 abut against two opposite surfaces of the heat exchanger 200, respectively. In this way, the heat exchanger 200 is fixed, thereby ensuring its stability after installation. The inner stopper 20 may be a sheet metal component to enhance abutting strength. Furthermore, to further enhance the abutting strength, a plurality of inner stoppers 20 may be employed. The specific number can be set by those of ordinary skills in the art.

[0071] Referring to FIG. 12, optionally, the surface of the flange 13 facing the upright post 30 is provided with a protruding rib 131, which abuts against the surface of the upright post facing away from the air inlet side 200A. In this way, by providing the protruding rib 131 to abut against the upright post 30, the stability of the upright post 30 after installation is further enhanced.

[0072] Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 16, optionally, the heat exchanger 200 further comprises two side mounting plates 203, one side mounting plate 203 is connected to a surface of the first heat exchange portion 201 facing away from the second heat exchange portion 202, the other side mounting plate 203 is connected to a surface of the second heat exchange portion 202 facing away from the first heat exchange portion 201. The flange 13 comprises two side mounting portions 134 corresponding to the two side mounting plates 203. Each side mounting portion 134 is recessed toward the surface of a corresponding side mounting plate 203, and is connected to the side mounting plate 203. Wherein the end parts of the first heat exchange portion 201 and the second heat exchange portion 202 are respectively installed with side mounting plates 203. The side mounting plates 203 are connected and fixed to the side mounting portions 134 of the flange 13 by means of screws or snap-fit connectors, etc., thereby further enhancing the stability of the connection between the heat exchanger 200 and the chassis main body 10. Moreover, the arrangement of the side mounting portions 134 also facilitates the positioning of the heat exchanger 200 on the chassis main body 10 during installation, thus improving assembly efficiency.

[0073] Referring to FIG. 5, FIG. 14, and FIG. 16, furthermore, the air conditioner chassis structure 100 further comprises protection plates 40. The protection plates 40 are sandwiched between the side mounting portions 134 and the corresponding side mounting plates 203, respectively. The protection plate 40 may be made of an elastic material such as silicone. In this way, rigid contact between the side mounting portions 134 and the side mounting plates 203 is avoided, thereby ensuring their service life.

[0074] In the drawings of the embodiments, identical or similar reference numerals correspond to identical or similar components. It should be understood that orientation or positional relationships indicated by terms "above", "below", "left", "right" and the like based on orientation or positional relationships shown in the drawings are only intended to facilitate the description of the present disclosure and simplify the description, and not to indicate or imply that the apparatus or element referred must have a specific orientation and be constructed and operated in the specific orientation. Therefore, the terms for describing the positional relationships in the drawings are only used for illustrative description, and should not be understood as limiting the present disclosure, and those of ordinary skills in the art can understand specific meanings of the above terms according to specific circumstances.

[0075] The above description only describes preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, and cannot be considered as limiting the present disclosure. Any modifications, equivalent changes and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present disclosure shall still fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0035]To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present disclosure clearer, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the drawings.

[0036]When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise specified, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The implementations described in the exemplary embodiments below are not intended to represent all implementations consistent with the present disclosure. On the contrary, the implementations are only examples of apparatuses and methods that are described in the appended claims in detail and that are consistent with some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0037]In the description of the present disclosure, it should be understood that terms "first", "second", etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. For those of ordinary skills...

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202311073427X, titled "AIR CONDITIONER CHASSIS STRUCTURE, AIR CONDITIONER OUTDOOR UNIT, AND AIR CONDITIONER" and filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration on August 23, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the field of air conditioning, and particularly to an air conditioner chassis structure, an air conditioner outdoor unit, and an air conditioner.BACKGROUND

[0003] In the related art, the heat exchanger of an air conditioner outdoor unit is usually placed directly on a chassis provided with a drainage hole for drainage. However, when the fan of the air conditioner outdoor unit operates, a significant negative pressure is likely to be generated at the drainage hole provided at the bottom of the heat exchanger. This causes the condensate inside the machine to spread along a direction of airflow, thereby obstructing the drainage of the condensate. The condensate failing to drain in time may gradually freeze on the inner portion and the mesh cover of the chassis, causing negative effects such as heat exchanger damage, fan blade damage, and reduced air supply volume, thereby adversely affecting the operation of the air conditioner outdoor unit.SUMMARY

[0004] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an air conditioner chassis structure, an air conditioner outdoor unit, and an air conditioner, aiming to improve the technical problem of poor drainage through a drainage hole.

[0005] In one aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an air conditioner chassis structure for supporting a heat exchanger, and the air conditioner chassis structure comprises: a chassis main body with a drainage hole provided below the heat exchanger, wherein the drainage hole extends through two opposite surfaces in a thickness direction of the chassis main body, and is at least partially exposed at an air inlet side of the heat exchanger and communicates with an external space at the air inlet side of the heat exchanger.

[0006] In the air conditioner chassis structure, the air conditioner outdoor unit, and the air conditioner according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the drainage hole of the chassis main body is at least partially exposed at the air inlet side of the heat exchanger, thereby allowing the drainage hole to communicate with a space on the air inlet side of the heat exchanger. In this way, since the drainage hole is exposed to the external air on the air inlet side of a condenser, the air circulation at the bottom of the heat exchanger is improved, and it is less likely to generate a significant negative pressure at the drainage hole, greatly reducing the difficulty of draining condensate from the drainage hole, thereby ensuring the drainage efficiency of the drainage hole. Further, it prevents external accumulated water from flowing back into the air conditioner chassis structure through the drainage hole, and makes it easy for external personnel to observe the blockage situation of the drainage hole, and ensures the stable drainage function of the drainage hole, to improve the technical problem of poor drainage through the drainage hole.

[0007] In some embodiments, the drainage hole comprises a first hole portion and a second hole portion communicating with each other, the first hole portion is located in a projection range of the heat exchanger on the chassis main body, the second hole portion is exposed at the air inlet side of the heat exchanger, and an opening area of the first hole portion is greater than an opening area of the second hole portion.

[0008] In some embodiments, the surface of the chassis main body facing the heat exchanger is recessed to form a groove, the heat exchanger is positioned in the groove, and the drainage hole is provided in a bottom of the groove.

[0009] In some embodiments, the groove comprises a support groove and a drainage groove communicating with each other, a bottom of the support groove and a bottom of the drainage groove are configured in a stepped arrangement, and the bottom of the support groove is located above the bottom of the drainage groove; a bottom of the heat exchanger is supported on the bottom of the support groove, and the drainage hole is provided in the bottom of the drainage groove.

[0010] In some embodiments, a plurality of drainage holes are provided in the bottom of the drainage groove, and are disposed at intervals along an extension direction of the drainage groove.

[0011] In some embodiments, a distance between the bottom of the drainage groove and the bottom of the support groove is greater than 2 mm.

[0012] In some embodiments, the heat exchanger comprises a first heat exchange portion and a second heat exchange portion arranged at an angle to each other, and the drainage groove comprises a first sub-groove and a second sub-groove. The first sub-groove is located below the first heat exchange portion and extends along a length direction of the first heat exchange portion, the second sub-groove is located below the second heat exchange portion and extends along a length direction of the second heat exchange portion, and each of a bottom of the first sub-groove and a bottom of the second sub-groove is provided with the drainage hole.

[0013] In some embodiments, a drainage groove is formed on the surface of the chassis main body facing the heat exchanger, and comprises a first sub-groove and a second sub-groove communicating with each other; each of the first sub-groove and / or the second sub-groove comprises a first groove segment and a second groove segment that are connected sequentially in an alternating manner, the drainage hole is provided in a bottom of the first groove segment, a size of the second groove segment in a direction from the air inlet side to an air outlet side of the heat exchanger is less than a size of the first groove segment in the direction from the air inlet side to the air outlet side of the heat exchanger.

[0014] In some embodiments, the chassis main body comprises a bottom plate and a partition plate connected to the bottom plate, the bottom plate comprises a fan zone and a mechanical zone that are located on two opposite sides of the partition plate respectively, and a heat exchange zone located at a periphery of the fan zone. A surface of the heat exchange zone facing the heat exchanger is recessed to form a groove, the drainage hole is provided in a bottom of the groove, the fan zone comprises an interface section adjacent to the groove which is recessed relative to the interface section.

[0015] In some embodiments, the bottom plate is provided with a first water outlet. The first water outlet extends through two opposite surfaces in a thickness direction of the bottom plate, and is located at a side of the heat exchange zone adjacent to the mechanical zone. The bottom plate is provided with a first flow guide groove extending from the mechanical zone to the heat exchange zone and communicating with the first water outlet.

[0016] In some embodiments, a bottom of the first flow guide groove gradually slopes downward along an extension direction towards the first water outlet; and / or the first flow guide groove extends in a circumferentially meandering manner in the mechanical zone.

[0017] In some embodiments, a drainage groove is formed on the surface of the chassis main body facing the heat exchanger, and comprises a first sub-groove and a second sub-groove communicating with each other. At least one of the first sub-groove and the second sub-groove is provided with the drainage hole; the second sub-groove communicates with the first water outlet.

[0018] In some embodiments, the surface of the chassis main body facing the heat exchanger is recessed to form the groove which comprises a support groove and a drainage groove communicating with each other. A bottom of the heat exchanger is supported on a bottom of the support groove, and a bottom of the drainage groove is provided with the drainage hole. A recess is formed on the bottom plate at the bottom of the support groove, and is located between the first water outlet and the mechanical zone, and has two opposite ends communicating with the first flow guide groove.

[0019] In some embodiments, the heat exchanger comprises a first heat exchange portion and a second heat exchange portion arranged at an angle to each other. The bottom plate is further provided with a second water outlet. The second water outlet extends through two opposite surfaces in the thickness direction of the bottom plate, and is located below a junction between the first heat exchange portion and the second heat exchange portion. The heat exchange zone is further provided with a second flow guide groove communicating with the fan zone and the second water outlet.

[0020] In some embodiments, the surface of the chassis main body facing the heat exchanger is recessed to form a support groove, a bottom of the heat exchanger is supported on the bottom of the support groove.

[0021] A through groove is formed in the bottom plate at the bottom of the support groove, and communicates with the second water outlet and the first sub-groove.

[0022] In some embodiments, the chassis main body further comprises a flange connected to an outer peripheral edge of the bottom plate, and at least a portion of the flange abuts against the surface of the air inlet side of the heat exchanger.

[0023] In some embodiments, the flange comprises an abutment portion and an avoidance portion connected to each other, the abutment portion abuts against the surface of the air inlet side of the heat exchanger, the avoidance portion is recessed in a direction away from the air inlet side of the heat exchanger and is arranged opposite to the drainage hole; and / or

[0024] the air conditioner chassis structure further comprises an inner stopper, which is connected to the bottom plate and abuts against the surface of the air outlet side of the heat exchanger.

[0025] In some embodiments, the air conditioner chassis structure further comprises an upright post connected to the flange and positioned on the air inlet side of the heat exchanger facing away from the air outlet side. The upright post extends to the junction between the first heat exchange portion and the second heat exchange portion and shields the second water outlet.

[0026] In some embodiments, the chassis main body further comprises a flange connected to an outer peripheral edge of the bottom plate, and at least a portion of the flange abuts against the surface of the air inlet side of the heat exchanger.

[0027] In some embodiments, the heat exchanger further comprises two side mounting plates, one of the side mounting plates is connected to a surface of the first heat exchange portion facing away from the second heat exchange portion, the other of the side mounting plates is connected to a surface of the second heat exchange portion facing away from the first heat exchange portion. The flange comprises two side mounting portions corresponding to the two side mounting plates, each of the two side mounting portions is recessed toward a surface of a corresponding side mounting plate, and is connected to the corresponding side mounting plate.

[0028] In some embodiments, the air conditioner chassis structure further comprises protection plates sandwiched between the side mounting portions and the corresponding side mounting plates, respectively.

[0029] In some embodiments, the air conditioner chassis structure further comprises a plurality of support feet connected to the surface of the chassis main body facing away from the heat exchanger. The plurality of support feet are arranged in a staggered manner with the drainage hole.

[0030] In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides an air conditioner which comprises a heat exchanger and an air conditioner chassis structure, the heat exchanger is supported on the air conditioner chassis structure. The air conditioner chassis structure comprises a chassis main body with a drainage hole provided below the heat exchanger. The drainage hole extends through two opposite surfaces in a thickness direction of the chassis main body, and is at least partially exposed at an air inlet side of the heat exchanger and communicates with an external space at the air inlet side of the heat exchanger.

[0031] In a third aspect, the present disclosure provides an air conditioner which comprises an air conditioner indoor unit and an air conditioner outdoor unit. The air conditioner outdoor unit is connected to the air conditioner indoor unit via a pipe, the air conditioner outdoor unit comprises a heat exchanger and an air conditioner chassis structure. The heat exchanger is supported on the air conditioner chassis structure which comprises a chassis main body with a drainage hole provided below the heat exchanger. The drainage hole extends through two opposite surfaces in a thickness direction of the chassis main body, and is at least partially exposed at an air inlet side of the heat exchanger and communicates with an external space at the air inlet side of the heat exchanger.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] To describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure or the prior art more clearly, the drawings used in describing the embodiments or the prior art are briefly introduced below. Apparently, the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of the present disclosure. Other drawings can be obtained from structures shown in these drawings by those of ordinary skills in the art without creative efforts. FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram illustrating the assembly of an air conditioner outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the assembly of an air conditioner chassis structure and a heat exchanger of the present disclosure; FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the assembly of the air conditioner chassis structure and the heat exchanger of the present disclosure from another perspective; FIG. 4 is a top view of the air conditioner chassis structure according to the present disclosure; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 4; FIG. 6 is a partial enlarged view of portion A in FIG. 4; FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a groove in the air conditioner chassis structure of FIG. 4; FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C in FIG. 4; FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 4; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line E-E in FIG. 4; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F-F in FIG. 4; FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D in FIG. 4; FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating the assembly of an upright post and a chassis main body of the air conditioner chassis structure according to the present disclosure; FIG. 14 is a partial enlarged view of portion B in FIG. 13; FIG. 15 is a partial enlarged view of portion C in FIG. 13; and FIG. 16 is a partial enlarged schematic view illustrating the assembly of the air conditioner chassis structure and the heat exchanger according to the present disclosure.

[0033] Reference numerals in the drawings: air conditioner outdoor unit 1000; air conditioner chassis structure 100; chassis main body 10; bottom plate 11; fan zone NA; mechanical zone AA; heat exchange zone BA; groove 111; support groove 1111; drainage groove 1112; drainage hole 10A; first hole portion 10a; second hole portion 10b; first sub-groove 111A; second sub-groove 111B; first groove segment 111a; second groove segment 111b; first water outlet 112; first flow guide groove 113; recess 114; second water outlet 115; through groove 116; second flow guide groove 117; partition plate 12; flange 13; protruding rib 131; abutment portion 132; avoidance portion 133; side mounting portion 134; connection hole 135; inner stopper 20; upright post 30; mounting hole 31; protection plate 40; support foot 50; support foot drainage hole 51; heat exchanger 200; first heat exchange portion 201; second heat exchange portion 202; air inlet side 200A; air outlet side 200B; side mounting plate 203; refrigerant pipe 204; fan 300; top cover 400; surrounding panel 500; air outlet 501; and divider plate 600.

[0034] The purpose, functional features and advantages of the present disclosure will be further described in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the drawings.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present disclosure clearer, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the drawings.

[0036] When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise specified, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The implementations described in the exemplary embodiments below are not intended to represent all implementations consistent with the present disclosure. On the contrary, the implementations are only examples of apparatuses and methods that are described in the appended claims in detail and that are consistent with some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0037] In the description of the present disclosure, it should be understood that terms "first", "second", etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. For those of ordinary skills in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present disclosure may be understood according to specific conditions. Furthermore, in the description of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, "a plurality of" refers to two or more than two. The expression "and / or" describes the association relationship between associated objects, indicating that there may be three relationships. For example, A and / or B means that there are three cases: only A, both A and B, and only B. The character " / " generally indicates that an association relationship between the associated objects is an "or" relationship.

[0038] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by those of ordinary skills in the technical field of the present disclosure. The terms used in this specification are only used to describe the purpose of specific embodiments, but are not intended to limit the present disclosure. The term "and / or" used herein comprises any or all combinations of one or more related listed items.

[0039] In the related art, the heat exchanger of an air conditioner outdoor unit is usually placed directly on a chassis provided with a drainage hole for drainage. However, when the fan of the air conditioner outdoor unit operates, a significant negative pressure is likely to be generated at the drainage hole provided at the bottom of the heat exchanger. This causes condensate inside the machine to spread along a direction of airflow, thereby obstructing the drainage of the condensate. The condensate failing to drain in time may gradually freeze on the inner portion and the mesh cover of the chassis, causing negative effects such as heat exchanger damage, fan blade damage, and reduced air supply volume, thereby adversely affecting the operation of the air conditioner outdoor unit.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 1, in an aspect, the present disclosure provides an air conditioner which comprises an air conditioner indoor unit (not shown in figures) and an air conditioner outdoor unit 1000. The air conditioner indoor unit is installed indoors, and the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000 is connected to the air conditioner indoor unit via a pipe. The air conditioner outdoor unit 1000 is configured for cooling or heating, which transports refrigerant through the pipe. The refrigerant exchanges heat with indoor air and outdoor air, respectively. The air conditioner indoor unit is configured to deliver the cooled or heated air into a room to achieve the effect of cooling or heating.

[0041] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides an air conditioner outdoor unit 1000. Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000 comprises an air conditioner chassis structure 100, a heat exchanger 200 supported on the air conditioner chassis structure 100, a fan 300, and a compressor (not shown in the figures). Wherein the air conditioner chassis structure 100 forms the main framework of the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000. The air conditioner chassis structure 100 may be made of metal to have enhanced structural strength, thereby ensuring stable support for the heat exchanger 200, the fan 300, and the compressor.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 5, a refrigerant pipe 204 is provided inside the heat exchanger. During the cooling process, the refrigerant flows sequentially from the compressor to the heat exchanger 200 in the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000, then to a heat exchanger in the air conditioner indoor unit. At this time, the heat exchanger 200 in the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000 serves as a condenser to condense the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor. The heat exchanger in the air conditioner indoor unit serves as an evaporator, and exchanges heat with the indoor air by means of low-temperature refrigerant, thereby outputting cooled air. Then, the refrigerant is circulated back to the compressor. During the heating process, the refrigerant flows sequentially from the compressor to the heat exchanger in the air conditioner indoor unit, then flows to the heat exchanger 200 in the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000. At this time, the high-temperature refrigerant discharged from the compressor exchanges heat with the indoor air, so that heated air is output. In this case, the heat exchanger in the air conditioner indoor unit is a condenser, and the heat exchanger 200 in the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000 serves as the evaporator. Then, the refrigerant is circulated back to the compressor. Moreover, the heat exchanger 200 in the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000 has an air inlet side 200A located on the outer side of the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000, and an air outlet side 200B located on the inner side of the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000. Furthermore, the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000 further comprises a top cover 400 and a surrounding panel 500 which extends vertically. The air conditioner chassis structure 100, the surrounding panel 500, and the top cover 400 jointly form an accommodation space, thus the heat exchanger 200, the fan 300, and the compressor are all located within the accommodation space. The surrounding panel 500 is provided with an air outlet 501, and the fan 300 may be an axial flow fan 300 secured to the air conditioner chassis structure 100 via a bracket. The axial flow fan 300 is positioned on the air outlet side 200B of the heat exchanger 200, thus the rotation of the fan 300 enables the external air to enter through the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200, and then flow through the air outlet side 200B after heat exchange, and finally be discharged through the air outlet 501 into outdoor environment.

[0043] To ensure that the condensate generated by the heat exchanger 200 in the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000 can be smoothly drained during the operation of the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000, referring to FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7, in another aspect, the present disclosure provides an air conditioner chassis structure 100 for supporting the heat exchanger 200. The air conditioner chassis structure 100 comprises a chassis main body 10 with a drainage hole 10A provided below the heat exchanger 200. The drainage hole 10A extends through two opposite surfaces in a thickness direction of the chassis main body 10, and is at least partially exposed at the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200 and communicates with an external space at the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200.

[0044] It should be noted that the heat exchanger 200 is placed on the chassis main body 10 and then is fixed thereto by means of snap-fit connectors or screws, etc., thereby ensuring the stability of the bottom of the heat exchanger 200 supported by the chassis main body 10. Moreover, the drainage hole 10A extends through two opposite surfaces in the thickness direction of the chassis main body 10, such that the condensate generated during the operation of the heat exchanger 200 can flow under gravity to the bottom of the heat exchanger 200 and then drains to the outside through the drainage hole 10A of the chassis main body 10. The drainage hole 10A may be configured in an elongated shape along an extension direction of the heat exchanger 200. Alternatively, the drainage hole 10A may also be of a regular shape, such as circular or rectangular, to facilitate its regular arrangement on the chassis main body 10.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 5, optionally, the air conditioner chassis structure 100A further comprises a plurality of support feet 50 connected to the surface of the chassis main body 10 facing away from the heat exchanger 200. The plurality of support feet 50 are arranged in a staggered manner with the drainage hole 10A. Wherein the plurality of support feet 50 may be connected to the surface of the chassis main body 10 facing away from the heat exchanger 200 by means of screws or snap-fit connectors, etc. The support feet 50 may be placed on an external support surface, which thus creates a gap between the chassis main body 10 and the external support surface. Furthermore, the support feet 50 are staggered with the drainage hole 10A, thereby facilitating smooth drainage through the drainage hole 10A. Furthermore, a support foot drainage hole 51 is further provided in each support foot 50, and extends through the two opposite surfaces in the thickness direction, thereby facilitating the flow of accumulated water above the support feet 50 toward the external support surface.

[0046] In the air conditioner chassis structure 100 according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the drainage hole 10A of the chassis main body 10 is at least partially exposed at the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200, thereby allowing the drainage hole 10A to communicate with a space on the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200. In this way, since the drainage hole 10A is exposed to the external air on the air inlet side 200A of a condenser, the air circulation at the bottom of the heat exchanger 200 is improved, and it is less likely to generate a significant negative pressure at the drainage hole 10A, greatly reducing the difficulty of draining the condensate from the drainage hole 10A, thereby ensuring the drainage efficiency of the drainage hole 10A. Further, it prevents external accumulated water from flowing back into the air conditioner chassis structure 100 through the drainage hole 10A, and makes it easy for external personnel to observe the blockage situation of the drainage hole 10A, and ensures the stable drainage function of the drainage hole 10A, to improve the technical problem of poor drainage through the drainage hole 10A.

[0047] Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 6, optionally, the drainage hole 10A comprises a first hole portion 10a and a second hole portion 10b communicating with each other. The first hole portion 10a is located in a projection range of the heat exchanger 200 on the chassis main body 10, the second hole portion 10b is exposed at the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200, an opening area of the first hole portion 10a is greater than an opening area of the second hole portion 10b. In this way, the first hole portion 10a is located in the projection range of the heat exchanger 200 on the chassis main body 10, that is, the first hole portion 10a is located directly under the heat exchanger 200. Even when water such as the condensate in the drainage hole 10A is blown up by external airflow, since the heat exchanger 200 is disposed above the first hole portion 10a of the drainage hole 10A, the flow of the condensate will be obstructed at the bottom of the heat exchanger 200 and the condensate will gradually drip down, thereby effectively preventing the condensate from being blown through the drainage hole 10A into the interior of the housing and contacting components such as the fan 300. The second hole portion 10b is exposed at the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200 to communicate with the space at the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200. By making the opening area of the first hole portion 10a greater than the opening area of the second hole portion 10b, the area of the drainage hole 10A directly opposite the bottom of the heat exchanger 200 is increased, thereby further improving the drainage efficiency of the drainage hole 10A for the condensate from the heat exchanger 200.

[0048] Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 7, optionally, the surface of the chassis main body 10 facing the heat exchanger 200 is recessed to form a groove 111, the heat exchanger 200 is positioned in the groove 111, and the drainage hole 10A is provided in the bottom of the groove 111. It should be noted that the dashed outline in FIG. 7 indicates the contour of the heat exchanger 200. Wherein the groove 111 is located at the edge of the chassis main body 10. In this way, the heat exchanger 200 is also located at the edge of the chassis main body 10, such that the external airflow can pass through the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200. By forming the groove 111 on the chassis main body 10 for mounting the heat exchanger 200, the installation efficiency of the heat exchanger 200 can be improved, and meanwhile the flow of the condensate from the heat exchanger 200 to other areas of the chassis main body 10 can be effectively reduced.

[0049] Referring to FIG.4, FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, optionally, the groove 111 comprises a support groove 1111 and a drainage groove 1112 communicating with each other, the bottom of the support groove 1111 and the bottom of the drainage groove 1112 are configured in a stepped arrangement, and the bottom of the support groove 1111 is located above the bottom of the drainage groove 1112. The bottom of the heat exchanger 200 is supported on the bottom of the support groove 1111, and the drainage hole 10A is provided in the bottom of the drainage groove 1112.

[0050] It should be noted that the bottom of the support groove 1111 in this embodiment is indicated by the first pattern P1 filled in FIG. 4, FIG. 6, FIG. 7, FIG. 13, and FIG.14, the first pattern P1 is depicted as a rectangular array of blocks. Wherein the bottom of the support groove 1111 is configured as a flat plane, which ensures the stability of the heat exchanger 200 when placed in the support groove 1111. By configuring the bottom of the support groove 1111 above the bottom of the drainage groove 1112, such that the plane of the chassis main body 10 provided with the drainage hole 10A is located below the support surface of the chassis main body 10 for supporting the bottom of the heat exchanger 200. In this way, when water accumulates due to excessive condensate or blockage of the drainage hole 10A, the accumulated water will remain in the drainage groove 1112, to avoid prolonged contact with the bottom of the heat exchanger 200.

[0051] Furthermore, the drainage groove 1112 is exposed at the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200 and communicates with the space at the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200. By configuring the drainage groove 1112 to communicate with the space at the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200, it is ensured that a negative pressure is less likely to be generated at the drainage groove 1112, thereby ensuring smooth water flow through the drainage groove 1112 and also reducing the risk of clogging by residues such as leaves and soil during subsequent use.

[0052] Referring to FIG.4 and FIG. 7, optionally, a plurality of drainage holes 10A are provided in the bottom of the drainage groove 1112, and are disposed at intervals along the extension direction of the drainage groove 1112. Wherein the plurality of drainage holes 10A communicate with each other via the drainage groove 1112, so that even when one of the drainage holes 10A is blocked, the condensate is enabled to flow to another drainage hole 10A through the drainage groove 1112, thereby preventing local drainage failure and ensuring drainage efficiency.

[0053] Referring to FIG. 8, optionally, a distance between the bottom of the drainage groove 1112 and the bottom of the support groove 1111 is greater than 2 mm. To accommodate the final installation environment of the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000, it is necessary to control the condensate drainage locations of the air conditioner outdoor unit, wherein some of the drainage holes 10A can be sealed with silicone plugs. Moreover, to prevent the silicone plugs from damaging the heat exchanger, the distance between the bottom of the drainage groove 1112 and the bottom of the support groove 1111 is greater than 2mm, which leads to a larger gap between the plane of the chassis main body 10 provided with the drainage holes 10A and the support surface of the chassis main body 10 for supporting the bottom of the heat exchanger 200. This effectively avoids any adverse effect on the heat exchanger 200 during the subsequent installation of the silicone plugs and ensures the normal operation of the heat exchanger 200.

[0054] Referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, and FIG. 7, optionally, the heat exchanger 200 comprises a first heat exchange portion 201 and a second heat exchange portion 202 arranged at an angle to each other. The drainage groove 1112 comprises a first sub-groove 111A and a second sub-groove 111B, the first sub-groove 111A is located below the first heat exchange portion 201 and extends along a length direction of the first heat exchange portion 201, the second sub-groove 111B is located below the second heat exchange portion 202 and extends along a length direction of the second heat exchange portion 202, and each of the bottom of the first sub-groove 111A and the bottom of the second sub-groove 111B is provided with the drainage hole 10A. Wherein the first heat exchange portion 201 and the second heat exchange portion 202 may be arranged at a right angle, thereby increasing the contact area between the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger and the external environment. By arranging the first sub-groove 111A to correspond to the first heat exchange portion 201 and the second sub-groove 111B to correspond to the second heat exchange portion 202, the condensate generated by the first heat exchange portion 201 and the second heat exchange portion 202 respectively can be drained separately, thereby improving overall drainage efficiency.

[0055] Referring to FIG. 4, FIG. 7 to FIG. 11, in some embodiments, the surface of the chassis main body 10 facing the heat exchanger 200 is recessed to form the drainage groove 1112. The drainage groove 1112 comprises the first sub-groove 111A and the second sub-groove 111B communicating with each other. Each of the first sub-groove 111A and / or the second sub-groove 111B comprises a first groove segment 111a and a second groove segment 111b that are connected sequentially in an alternating manner. The drainage hole 10A is provided in the bottom of the first groove segment 111a, and the size of the second groove segment 111b in a direction from the air inlet side 200A to an air outlet side 200B of the heat exchanger 200 is less than the size of the first groove segment 111a in the direction from the air inlet side 200A to the air outlet side 200B of the heat exchanger 200.

[0056] In this way, the opening length of the first groove segment 111a provided with the drainage hole 10A is larger than the length of the second groove segment 111b without the drainage hole 10A. This ensures drainage efficiency while also maintaining sufficient contact area between the chassis main body and the heat exchanger 200, thereby ensuring stable support for the heat exchanger by the chassis.

[0057] Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 4 and FIG. 13, optionally, the chassis main body 10 comprises a bottom plate 11 and a partition plate 12 connected to the bottom plate 11. The bottom plate 11 comprises a fan zone NA and a mechanical zone AA that are located on two opposite sides of the partition plate 12 respectively, and a heat exchange zone BA located at the periphery of the fan zone NA. The surface of the heat exchange zone BA facing the heat exchanger 200 is recessed to form the groove 111, and the drainage hole 10A is provided in the bottom of the groove 111. The fan zone NA comprises an interface section adjacent to the groove 111 which is recessed relative to the interface section.

[0058] The partition plate 12 may be configured as a raised boss and is configured for mounting a divider plate 600. The divider plate 600 can be fixed to the partition plate 12 via screws or welding, thereby partitioning the internal space of the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000. It should be noted that the fan zone NA may be configured for mounting the fan 300, the mechanical zone AA may be configured for mounting the compressor, and the heat exchange zone BA is provided with the groove 111 for mounting the heat exchanger 200. A raised boss is provided in the fan zone NA for mounting a bracket of the fan 300, thereby enhancing the support strength provided by the bottom plate 11 for the fan 300.

[0059] Furthermore, referring to FIG. 14, the bottom plate 11 is provided with a first water outlet 112. The first water outlet 112 extends through two opposite surfaces in the thickness direction of the bottom plate 11, and is located at a side of the heat exchange zone BA adjacent to the mechanical zone AA. The bottom plate 11 is provided with a first flow guide groove 113 extending from the mechanical zone AA to the heat exchange zone BA and communicating with the first water outlet 112. It should be noted that the bottom of the first flow guide groove 113 in this embodiment is indicated by the second pattern P2 filled in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, the second pattern P2 is depicted as an array of hexagons. The groove 111 is provided in the heat exchange zone BA of the bottom plate 11, and the bottom of the groove 111 is lower than the bottom of the first flow guide groove 113. This means that the plane of the heat exchange zone BA of the bottom plate 11 is lower than the plane of the fan zone NA of the bottom plate 11. In this way, the accumulated water (such as the condensate) in the fan zone NA will readily flow under gravity towards the groove 111 and then drain through the drainage hole 10A. The first water outlet 112 is provided in the heat exchange zone BA of the bottom plate 11. In addition, the first flow guide groove 113 is provided extending from the mechanical zone AA to the heat exchange zone BA and communicating with the first water outlet 112. This allows the accumulated water (such as the condensate) from the mechanical zone AA to flow along the first flow guide groove 113 and then drain through the first water outlet 112, which eliminates the need to provide a through-hole directly in the mechanical zone AA for drainage, thereby preventing foreign objects such as external insects from easily entering the mechanical zone AA and causing damage to equipment such as the compressor.

[0060] Furthermore, the bottom of the first flow guide groove 113 gradually slopes downward along an extension direction towards the first water outlet 112. This arrangement further increases the flow rate of the accumulated water in the first flow guide groove 113, thereby preventing the accumulated water (such as the condensate) from remaining for an extended period on the portion of the chassis main body 10 located in the mechanical zone AA.

[0061] Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 13, optionally, the first flow guide groove 113 extends in a circumferentially meandering manner in the mechanical zone AA. In this way, the collection of the accumulated water (such as the condensate) from various locations in the mechanical zone AA is facilitated.

[0062] Referring to FIG. 4, FIG. 5 and FIG. 14, optionally, a recess 114 is formed on the bottom plate 11 at the bottom of the support groove 1111, and is located between the first water outlet 112 and the mechanical zone AA and has two opposite ends communicating with the first flow guide groove 113. The recess 114 is formed at the bottom of the support groove 1111 and communicates with the first flow guide groove 113, which can increase the flow rate from the first flow guide groove 113 to the first water outlet 112, thereby improving the drainage efficiency for the accumulated water (such as the condensate) in the mechanical zone AA.

[0063] Optionally, referring to FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, the surface of the chassis main body 10 facing the heat exchanger 200 is recessed to form the drainage groove 1112. The drainage groove 1112 comprises the first sub-groove 111A and the second sub-groove 111B communicating with each other. The second sub-groove 111B communicates with the first water outlet 112. This also allows the accumulated water (such as the condensate) in the second sub-groove 111B to drain through the first water outlet 112. Furthermore, when the first water outlet 112 becomes blocked, the water in the first flow guide groove 113 can also flow into the second sub-groove 111B and be discharged through the drainage hole 10A of the second sub-groove 111B, thereby ensuring the overall drainage efficiency and drainage smoothness of the bottom plate 11.

[0064] Referring to FIG. 4, FIG. 13 and FIG. 15, optionally, the bottom plate 11 is further provided with a second water outlet 115, which extends through two opposite surfaces in the thickness direction of the bottom plate 11 and is located below a junction between the first heat exchange portion 201 and the second heat exchange portion 202. The heat exchange zone BA is further provided with a second flow guide groove 117 communicating with the fan zone NA and the second water outlet 115. The second water outlet 115 can be configured to not only drain the condensate from the junction area between the first heat exchange portion 201 and the second heat exchange portion 202, but also drain the condensate guided from the fan zone NA via the second flow guide groove 117. Furthermore, the bottom of the second flow guide groove 117 gradually slopes downward along an extension direction towards the second water outlet 115. This arrangement further improves the flow rate of the condensate to the second water outlet 115.

[0065] Furthermore, at least a portion of the second water outlet 115 is exposed at the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200 and communicates with the external space at the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200. In this way, it is less likely to generate a significant negative pressure at the second water outlet 115, greatly reducing the difficulty of draining the condensate from the second water outlet 115, thereby ensuring the drainage efficiency of the second water outlet 115. Further, it prevents external accumulated water from flowing back into the air conditioner chassis structure 100 through the second water outlet 115, and makes it easy for external personnel to observe the blockage situation of the drainage hole 10A.

[0066] Referring to FIG. 4, FIG. 12 and FIG. 15, furthermore, a through groove 116 is formed in the bottom plate 11 at the bottom of the support groove 1111, and communicates with the second water outlet 115 and the first sub-groove 111A. This also allows the accumulated water (such as the condensate) in the first sub-groove 111A to drain through the second water outlet 115. Furthermore, when the second water outlet 115 becomes blocked, water from the second flow guide groove 117 can also flow into the first sub-groove 111A and drain through the drainage hole 10A of the first sub-groove 111A, thereby ensuring the overall drainage efficiency and drainage smoothness of the bottom plate 11.

[0067] Referring to FIG. 13 and FIG. 15, furthermore, the chassis main body 10 further comprises a flange 13 connected to an outer peripheral edge of the bottom plate 11, and at least a portion of the flange 13 abuts against the surface of the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200. The flange 13 may be integrally formed with the bottom plate 11, thereby ensuring the stability of the flange 13 abutting against the surface of the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200. By providing the flange 13, the stability of the heat exchanger 200 when mounted on the bottom plate 11 is enhanced. Additionally, the flange 13 may be further configured to be connected to other components supported on the bottom plate 11 so as to limit their positions.

[0068] Furthermore, the flange 13 comprises an abutment portion 132 and an avoidance portion 133 communicating with each other, the abutment portion 132 abuts against the surface of the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200, the avoidance portion 133 is recessed in a direction away from the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200 and is arranged opposite to the drainage hole 10A. The abutment portion 132 abuts against the surface of the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200 so as to limit its position and ensure installation stability of the heat exchanger 200. The avoidance portion 133 is recessed in a direction away from the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200, thereby avoiding obstruction of the drainage hole 10A, ensuring stable spatial communication between the drainage hole 10A and the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200.

[0069] Referring to FIG. 4, FIG. 13, and FIG. 16, optionally, the air conditioner chassis structure 100 further comprises an upright post 30 connected to the flange 13 and positioned on the air inlet side 200A of the heat exchanger 200 facing away from the air outlet side 200B. The upright post 30 extends to the junction between the first heat exchange portion 201 and the second heat exchange portion 202 and shields the second water outlet 115. Wherein the upright post 30 may be fixed to the flange 13 by a snap-fit connector, a screw, or the like. In this embodiment, a mounting hole 31 may be provided in the upright post 30, and a corresponding connection hole 135 may be provided in the flange 13. A connector such as a screw is passed sequentially through the mounting hole 31 and the connection hole 135 to achieve fixation. Furthermore, the upright post 30 can also be connected to the top cover 400 of the air conditioner outdoor unit 1000, thereby providing support and reducing the force on the heat exchanger 200. In addition, the upright post 30 extends to the junction between the first heat exchange portion 201 and the second heat exchange portion 202, and shields the second water outlet 115. This arrangement prevents leaves or debris from clogging the second water outlet 115, thereby ensuring the normal drainage function of the second water outlet 115.

[0070] Optionally, referring to FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 8, FIG. 9, and FIG. 13, the air conditioner chassis structure 100 further comprises an inner stopper 20, which is connected to the bottom plate 11 and abuts against the surface of the air outlet side 200B of the heat exchanger 200. The bottom plate 11 comprises a fixing groove formed in the fan zone NA, and the inner stopper 20 can be connected to the fixing groove by means of screws or welding, etc., and disposed opposite the flange 13, thus the heat exchanger 200 is placed on the bottom plate 11, the stopper and the flange 13 abut against two opposite surfaces of the heat exchanger 200, respectively. In this way, the heat exchanger 200 is fixed, thereby ensuring its stability after installation. The inner stopper 20 may be a sheet metal component to enhance abutting strength. Furthermore, to further enhance the abutting strength, a plurality of inner stoppers 20 may be employed. The specific number can be set by those of ordinary skills in the art.

[0071] Referring to FIG. 12, optionally, the surface of the flange 13 facing the upright post 30 is provided with a protruding rib 131, which abuts against the surface of the upright post facing away from the air inlet side 200A. In this way, by providing the protruding rib 131 to abut against the upright post 30, the stability of the upright post 30 after installation is further enhanced.

[0072] Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 16, optionally, the heat exchanger 200 further comprises two side mounting plates 203, one side mounting plate 203 is connected to a surface of the first heat exchange portion 201 facing away from the second heat exchange portion 202, the other side mounting plate 203 is connected to a surface of the second heat exchange portion 202 facing away from the first heat exchange portion 201. The flange 13 comprises two side mounting portions 134 corresponding to the two side mounting plates 203. Each side mounting portion 134 is recessed toward the surface of a corresponding side mounting plate 203, and is connected to the side mounting plate 203. Wherein the end parts of the first heat exchange portion 201 and the second heat exchange portion 202 are respectively installed with side mounting plates 203. The side mounting plates 203 are connected and fixed to the side mounting portions 134 of the flange 13 by means of screws or snap-fit connectors, etc., thereby further enhancing the stability of the connection between the heat exchanger 200 and the chassis main body 10. Moreover, the arrangement of the side mounting portions 134 also facilitates the positioning of the heat exchanger 200 on the chassis main body 10 during installation, thus improving assembly efficiency.

[0073] Referring to FIG. 5, FIG. 14, and FIG. 16, furthermore, the air conditioner chassis structure 100 further comprises protection plates 40. The protection plates 40 are sandwiched between the side mounting portions 134 and the corresponding side mounting plates 203, respectively. The protection plate 40 may be made of an elastic material such as silicone. In this way, rigid contact between the side mounting portions 134 and the side mounting plates 203 is avoided, thereby ensuring their service life.

[0074] In the drawings of the embodiments, identical or similar reference numerals correspond to identical or similar components. It should be understood that orientation or positional relationships indicated by terms "above", "below", "left", "right" and the like based on orientation or positional relationships shown in the drawings are only intended to facilitate the description of the present disclosure and simplify the description, and not to indicate or imply that the apparatus or element referred must have a specific orientation and be constructed and operated in the specific orientation. Therefore, the terms for describing the positional relationships in the drawings are only used for illustrative description, and should not be understood as limiting the present disclosure, and those of ordinary skills in the art can understand specific meanings of the above terms according to specific circumstances.

[0075] The above description only describes preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, and cannot be considered as limiting the present disclosure. Any modifications, equivalent changes and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present disclosure shall still fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0035]To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present disclosure clearer, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the drawings.

[0036]When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise specified, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The implementations described in the exemplary embodiments below are not intended to represent all implementations consistent with the present disclosure. On the contrary, the implementations are only examples of apparatuses and methods that are described in the appended claims in detail and that are consistent with some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0037]In the description of the present disclosure, it should be understood that terms "first", "second", etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. For those of ordinary skills...

Claims

1. An air conditioner chassis structure for supporting a heat exchanger, wherein the air conditioner chassis structure comprises: a chassis main body with a drainage hole provided below the heat exchanger, wherein the drainage hole extends through two opposite surfaces in a thickness direction of the chassis main body, and is at least partially exposed at an air inlet side of the heat exchanger and communicates with an external space at the air inlet side of the heat exchanger.

2. The air conditioner chassis structure according to claim 1, wherein the drainage hole comprises a first hole portion and a second hole portion communicating with each other, wherein the first hole portion is located in a projection range of the heat exchanger on the chassis main body, the second hole portion is exposed at the air inlet side of the heat exchanger, and an opening area of the first hole portion is greater than an opening area of the second hole portion.

3. The air conditioner chassis structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a surface of the chassis main body facing the heat exchanger is recessed to form a groove, wherein the heat exchanger is positioned in the groove, and the drainage hole is provided in a bottom of the groove.

4. The air conditioner chassis structure according to claim 3, wherein the groove comprises a support groove and a drainage groove communicating with each other, wherein a bottom of the support groove and a bottom of the drainage groove are configured in a stepped arrangement, and the bottom of the support groove is located above the bottom of the drainage groove; a bottom of the heat exchanger is supported on the bottom of the support groove, and the drainage hole is provided in the bottom of the drainage groove.

5. The air conditioner chassis structure according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of drainage holes are provided in the bottom of the drainage groove, and are disposed at intervals along an extension direction of the drainage groove.

6. The air conditioner chassis structure according to claim 4, wherein a distance between the bottom of the drainage groove and the bottom of the support groove is greater than 2 mm.

7. The air conditioner chassis structure according to claim 4, wherein the heat exchanger comprises a first heat exchange portion and a second heat exchange portion arranged at an angle to each other, and the drainage groove comprises a first sub-groove and a second sub-groove, wherein the first sub-groove is located below the first heat exchange portion and extends along a length direction of the first heat exchange portion, the second sub-groove is located below the second heat exchange portion and extends along a length direction of the second heat exchange portion, and each of a bottom of the first sub-groove and a bottom of the second sub-groove is provided with the drainage hole.

8. The air conditioner chassis structure according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a drainage groove is formed on the surface of the chassis main body facing the heat exchanger, and comprises a first sub-groove and a second sub-groove communicating with each other; each of the first sub-groove and / or the second sub-groove comprises a first groove segment and a second groove segment that are connected sequentially in an alternating manner, wherein the drainage hole is provided in a bottom of the first groove segment, a size of the second groove segment in a direction from the air inlet side to an air outlet side of the heat exchanger is less than a size of the first groove segment in the direction from the air inlet side to the air outlet side of the heat exchanger.

9. The air conditioner chassis structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the chassis main body comprises a bottom plate and a partition plate connected to the bottom plate, wherein the bottom plate comprises a fan zone and a mechanical zone that are located on two opposite sides of the partition plate respectively, and a heat exchange zone located at a periphery of the fan zone, wherein a surface of the heat exchange zone facing the heat exchanger is recessed to form a groove, the drainage hole is provided in a bottom of the groove, the fan zone comprises an interface section adjacent to the groove which is recessed relative to the interface section.

10. The air conditioner chassis structure according to claim 9, wherein the bottom plate is provided with a first water outlet, wherein the first water outlet extends through two opposite surfaces in a thickness direction of the bottom plate, and is located at a side of the heat exchange zone adjacent to the mechanical zone, wherein the bottom plate is provided with a first flow guide groove extending from the mechanical zone to the heat exchange zone and communicating with the first water outlet.

11. The air conditioner chassis structure according to claim 10, wherein a bottom of the first flow guide groove gradually slopes downward along an extension direction towards the first water outlet; and / or the first flow guide groove extends in a circumferentially meandering manner in the mechanical zone.

12. The air conditioner chassis structure according to claim 10, wherein a drainage groove is formed on the surface of the chassis main body facing the heat exchanger, and comprises a first sub-groove and a second sub-groove communicating with each other, wherein at least one of the first sub-groove and the second sub-groove is provided with the drainage hole; the second sub-groove communicates with the first water outlet.

13. The air conditioner chassis structure according to claim 10, wherein the surface of the chassis main body facing the heat exchanger is recessed to form the groove which comprises a support groove and a drainage groove communicating with each other, a bottom of the heat exchanger is supported on a bottom of the support groove, and a bottom of the drainage groove is provided with the drainage hole; a recess is formed on the bottom plate at the bottom of the support groove, and is located between the first water outlet and the mechanical zone and has two opposite ends communicating with the first flow guide groove.

14. The air conditioner chassis structure according to claim 12, wherein the heat exchanger comprises a first heat exchange portion and a second heat exchange portion arranged at an angle to each other; the bottom plate is further provided with a second water outlet, wherein the second water outlet extends through two opposite surfaces in the thickness direction of the bottom plate, and is located below a junction between the first heat exchange portion and the second heat exchange portion; the heat exchange zone is further provided with a second flow guide groove communicating with the fan zone and the second water outlet.

15. The air conditioner chassis structure according to claim 14, wherein the surface of the chassis main body facing the heat exchanger is recessed to form a support groove, a bottom of the heat exchanger being supported on a bottom of the support groove; a through groove is formed in the bottom plate at the bottom of the support groove, and communicates with the second water outlet and the first sub-groove.

16. The air conditioner chassis structure according to claim 14, wherein the chassis main body further comprises a flange connected to an outer peripheral edge of the bottom plate, and at least a portion of the flange abuts against the surface of the air inlet side of the heat exchanger.

17. The air conditioner chassis structure according to claim 16, wherein the flange comprises an abutment portion and an avoidance portion connected to each other, wherein the abutment portion abuts against the surface of the air inlet side of the heat exchanger, the avoidance portion is recessed in a direction away from the air inlet side of the heat exchanger and is arranged opposite to the drainage hole; and / or the air conditioner chassis structure further comprises an inner stopper, which is connected to the bottom plate and abuts against the surface of the air outlet side of the heat exchanger.

18. The air conditioner chassis structure according to claim 16, wherein the air conditioner chassis structure further comprises an upright post connected to the flange and positioned on the air inlet side of the heat exchanger facing away from an air outlet side, wherein the upright post extends to the junction between the first heat exchange portion and the second heat exchange portion and shields the second water outlet.

19. The air conditioner chassis structure according to claim 18, wherein a surface of the flange facing the upright post is provided with a protruding rib which abuts against a surface of the upright post facing away from the air inlet side.

20. The air conditioner chassis structure according to any one of claims 16 to 19, wherein the heat exchanger further comprises two side mounting plates, one of the two side mounting plates being connected to a surface of the first heat exchange portion facing away from the second heat exchange portion, the other of the two side mounting plates being connected to a surface of the second heat exchange portion facing away from the first heat exchange portion, wherein the flange comprises two side mounting portions corresponding to the two side mounting plates, each of the two side mounting portions is recessed toward a surface of a corresponding side mounting plate, and is connected to the corresponding side mounting plate.

21. The air conditioner chassis structure according to claim 20, wherein the air conditioner chassis structure further comprises protection plates sandwiched between the side mounting portions and the corresponding side mounting plates, respectively.

22. The air conditioner chassis structure according to any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the air conditioner chassis structure further comprises a plurality of support feet connected to the surface of the chassis main body facing away from the heat exchanger, wherein the plurality of support feet are arranged in a staggered manner with the drainage hole.

23. An air conditioner outdoor unit, comprising: a heat exchanger; and an air conditioner chassis structure according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the heat exchanger is supported on the air conditioner chassis structure, which comprises a chassis main body with a drainage hole provided below the heat exchanger, wherein the drainage hole extends through two opposite surfaces in a thickness direction of the chassis main body, and is at least partially exposed at an air inlet side of the heat exchanger and communicates with an external space at the air inlet side of the heat exchanger.

24. An air conditioner, comprising: an air conditioner indoor unit; and an air conditioner outdoor unit according to claim 23, wherein the air conditioner outdoor unit is connected to the air conditioner indoor unit via a pipe, the air conditioner outdoor unit comprises a heat exchanger and an air conditioner chassis structure, wherein the heat exchanger is supported on the air conditioner chassis structure which comprises a chassis main body with a drainage hole provided below the heat exchanger, wherein the drainage hole extends through two opposite surfaces in a thickness direction of the chassis main body, and is at least partially exposed at an air inlet side of the heat exchanger and communicates with an external space at the air inlet side of the heat exchanger.

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