Indoor unit, and heating and ventilation apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of air conditioning apparatuses, and provided are an indoor unit (10) and a ducted air conditioner. The indoor unit (10) comprises a housing (100), a wind wheel (200) and a protection grid (300), wherein an air duct (110) is formed inside the housing (100), and the housing is provided with an air suction port (111) in communication with the air duct (110), the air suction port (111) being provided with a first portion (1111) facing one side and a second portion (1112) facing downwards; the wind wheel (200) is provided in the air duct (110); and the protection grid (300) is connected to the housing (100), and covers one side of the wind wheel (200) in such a way that the protection grid shields the first portion (1111) and the second portion (1112).

Description

Indoor unit and HVAC equipment

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on January 11, 2024, with application number 202410046312X and application name “Indoor Unit and HVAC Equipment”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of air-conditioning equipment, and in particular to an indoor unit and HVAC equipment. Background Art

[0003] In the related art, the housing of the ducted air conditioner contains a fan, an electrical control box assembly, a protective grille, and other components, and an air duct is also formed in the housing. The air duct includes an air intake and an air outlet. During the operation of the ducted air conditioner, the external air flow enters the interior of the indoor unit from the air intake of the indoor unit, and is driven by the fan to circulate in the air duct. However, the ducted air conditioner in the prior art generally adopts a single return air structure, and the air intake is usually set in a single direction. Therefore, the opening area of ​​the air intake is small. In addition, in order to prevent debris from entering the interior of the indoor unit through the air intake, or to prevent the user from accidentally touching the fan during operation, a protective grille is often set at the air intake to block the air intake area. As a result, the air intake area of ​​the air intake is insufficient, and the air outlet efficiency of the indoor unit is also difficult to improve. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main purpose of this application is to provide an indoor unit and HVAC equipment that can increase the air inlet area at the air suction port and improve the air intake efficiency.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the indoor unit proposed in the present application includes a shell, a wind wheel and a protective grille; an air duct is formed in the shell, and has an air suction port connected to the air duct, and the air suction port has a first part facing the side and a second part facing downward; the wind wheel is arranged in the air duct; and the protective grille is connected to the shell and covers one side of the wind wheel in a manner of covering the first part and the second part.

[0006] In some embodiments, an electric control box assembly is further included. The electric control box assembly is arranged on the outside of the shell and adjacent to the air suction port. The protective grille separates the wind wheel and the electric control box assembly.

[0007] In some embodiments, the electric control box assembly is disposed at the bottom of the housing and is spaced apart from the first portion in a front-to-rear direction of the housing.

[0008] In some embodiments, there is a gap between the protective grille and the electric control box assembly.

[0009] In some embodiments, the gap between the protective grille and the electrical control box assembly is greater than 1 cm.

[0010] In some embodiments, the shell includes a first shell and a second shell connected to each other, and the first shell and the second shell cooperate to define the air duct and the air suction port; the protective grille includes at least two grille parts connected in sequence between the first shell and the second shell, and two adjacent grille parts are arranged at an angle.

[0011] In some embodiments, the grille portion includes the first grille portion connected to the second shell and the second grille portion connected to the first shell, the first grille portion is arranged between the wind wheel and the electrical control box assembly, and the second grille portion is arranged between the wind wheel and the air suction port; wherein, the first grille portion is parallel to the first part of the air suction port facing sideways; and / or, the second grille portion is parallel to the second part of the air suction port facing downwards.

[0012] In some embodiments, the shell includes a first shell and a second shell that are connected, and the first shell and the second shell cooperate to define the air duct and the air suction port; one side of the protective grille is connected to the first shell, and the other side is connected to the first shell.

[0013] In some embodiments, the protective grille is arranged in an arc shape, and the distance between the protective grille and the electric control box assembly gradually increases in the direction toward the first part on the side of the air suction port.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first shell and the second shell cooperate to define an exhaust port connected to the air duct, and the exhaust port is horizontally oriented.

[0015] In some embodiments, a heat exchanger is also included, and the air duct includes a fan chamber, a pressure diffuser chamber and a heat exchange chamber connected in sequence in the air flow direction, the wind wheel is arranged in the fan chamber, and the heat exchanger is arranged in the heat exchange chamber; the second shell includes a pressure diffuser chamber lower shell forming the bottom wall of the pressure diffuser chamber and a water receiving tray forming the bottom wall of the heat exchange chamber; wherein, the first part is arranged toward the lower surface of the second shell corresponding to the pressure diffuser chamber part, and in the direction from the fan chamber to the heat exchange chamber, the pressure diffuser chamber lower shell is inclined from top to bottom, and the electrical control box assembly is installed on the lower surface of the pressure diffuser chamber lower shell.

[0016] In some embodiments, an electric control box assembly is further included, and an installation cavity is recessed at the bottom of the shell. The installation cavity is located on the side of the air intake port and opens downward. The electric control box assembly is installed in the installation cavity from bottom to top.

[0017] In some embodiments, an air inlet pipe interface opening downward is further included, and the air inlet pipe interface is arranged on the first part of the air suction port and the peripheral side of the installation cavity opening.

[0018] In some embodiments, the indoor unit is installed on a ceiling, a vent is provided on the ceiling, the first part of the air intake port is vertically opposite to the vent, and the installation cavity and the electric control box assembly therein are vertically opposite to the vent.

[0019] In some embodiments, the vent is an inspection port of the indoor unit.

[0020] The present application also provides a HVAC device, comprising an outdoor unit and the indoor unit, wherein the outdoor unit is connected to the indoor unit via a pipe.

[0021] In the technical solution of this application, an air duct is formed within the housing of the indoor unit and has an air intake connected to the air duct. The air intake has a first portion facing sideways and a second portion facing downward. That is, air can enter the interior of the indoor unit through the air intake from two different directions, greatly increasing the air inlet area at the air intake, thereby further improving the air outlet efficiency of the indoor unit. A fan is disposed within the air duct to facilitate guiding the air flowing through the air duct. In order to prevent foreign matter from entering the air duct from the air intake and contaminating the interior of the indoor unit, the indoor unit is also equipped with a protective grille, which is connected to the shell and is arranged adjacent to the air intake to cover the first and second parts of the air intake on one side of the wind wheel. This can prevent foreign matter from being drawn into the wind wheel from the air intake and affecting the normal operation of the wind wheel. At the same time, it can also ensure the safety of the staff and improve the safety of the indoor unit when maintenance personnel reach into the indoor unit from the air intake to perform corresponding maintenance work. The increase in the air inlet area at the air intake can also increase the visualization of the interior of the indoor unit, making it easier for maintenance personnel to disassemble and maintain the internal components of the indoor unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] FIG1 is a side view of the internal structure of an indoor unit according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] FIG2a is a schematic diagram of the cavity structure of the indoor unit shown in FIG1 ;

[0024] FIG2 b is another schematic structural diagram of the cavity of the indoor unit shown in FIG1 ;

[0025] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of the windproof grille of the indoor unit shown in FIG1 ;

[0026] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of another embodiment of the windproof grille shown in FIG3 ;

[0027] FIG5 is another schematic diagram of the side surface of the indoor unit shown in FIG1 ;

[0028] FIG6 is a top view of the internal structure of the indoor unit shown in FIG1 ;

[0029] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the side cover and side panels of the indoor unit shown in FIG1 ;

[0030] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of HVAC equipment according to another embodiment of the present application.

[0031] Description of reference numerals: DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The following will clearly and thoroughly describe the technical solutions in this application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified, " / " means or, for example, A / B can mean A or B: "and / or" in the text is only a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, in the description of the embodiments of this application, "multiple" means two or more than two.

[0033] In the following, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to imply or suggest relative importance or implicitly indicate the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features.

[0034] There are many types of HVAC equipment, including air conditioners, multi-split units, heat pumps, and water heaters. These are designed to cool or heat indoor environments and regulate indoor temperature. They are widely used due to their small footprint, low cost, and ease of maintenance. Most HVAC equipment currently on the market, such as ducted units, consists of both an outdoor unit and an indoor unit. The indoor unit is typically installed before ceiling installation. To ensure airflow and protect its internal components, the indoor unit's housing encloses the majority of the unit, leaving only the air intake exposed.

[0035] The indoor unit's housing houses a fan, an electrical control box assembly, a protective grille, and other components. An air duct is also formed within the housing, comprising an air intake and an air outlet. During operation of the ducted unit, external air flows into the interior of the indoor unit through the air intake, where it is driven by the fan to circulate within the air duct. To prevent debris from entering the interior of the indoor unit through the air intake, or to prevent the user from accidentally touching the fan during operation, a protective grille is typically positioned at the air intake to shield the area surrounding the intake. Furthermore, the air intake coordinates with the indoor ceiling's vents for ventilation. To accommodate the ceiling's location, the air intake is typically positioned in a single direction. Consequently, the intake opening area is relatively small, meaning its air intake area is relatively small, resulting in lower air intake efficiency. Furthermore, the indoor unit's air outlet efficiency is also relatively low.

[0036] To solve the above problems, the present application proposes an indoor unit 10 , which includes a housing 100 , a wind wheel 200 and a protective grille 300 .

[0037] 1 to 3 , in one embodiment of the present application, the housing 100 can be made of a hard material such as sheet metal, or a plastic material, effectively protecting the internal structure of the indoor unit 10. Furthermore, the first housing 120 not only forms the air duct 110 internally but also defines the exterior shape of the indoor unit 10.

[0038] An air duct 110 is formed in the shell 100, and has an air intake port 111 connected to the air duct 110. The wind wheel 200 is arranged in the air duct 110 and adjacent to the air intake port 111, wherein the air intake port 111 has a first part 1111 facing sideways and a second part 1112 facing downwards, that is, driven by the wind wheel 200, the air flow can enter the interior of the indoor unit 10 from two different positions from the first part 1111 and the second part 1112, wherein the air intake port 111 has a first part 1111 facing sideways, of course, the first part 1111 can also be opened in the first shell 120, and the user can adjust the opening position and direction of the air intake port 111 according to actual needs to adapt to different usage scenarios and space layouts. Since the air intake 111 of the present application is the sum of the areas of the first part 1111 and the second part 1112, compared with the exemplary structure of the duct air conditioner, in which only one air intake is opened in one direction, the solution of the present application increases the air inlet area at the air intake 111 within a limited space, thereby further improving the air outlet efficiency of the indoor unit 10.

[0039] In one structural form, the housing 100 includes a first housing 120 and a second housing 130 connected to each other, and the air duct 110 is sandwiched between the first housing 120 and the second housing 130. The air duct 110 includes an air intake 111 and an air outlet 112, as well as a fan chamber 113, a pressure diffuser chamber 114, and a heat exchange chamber 115 that are sequentially connected between the air intake 111 and the air outlet 112. In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, in order to achieve miniaturization in the height direction and facilitate installation in the ceiling space, the fan chamber 113, the pressure diffuser chamber 114, and the heat exchange chamber 115 are sequentially connected from back to front. The housing 100 extends longitudinally in the left-right direction, and the air duct 110 in the housing extends longitudinally in the left-right direction. The air intake 111, the fan chamber 113, the pressure diffuser chamber 114, the heat exchange chamber 115, and the air outlet 112 of the air duct 110 extend longitudinally in the left-right direction.

[0040] The air intake port 111 is connected to at least one side of the fan cavity 113, specifically, the air intake port 111 is connected to at least one side of the front side, the lower side, and the rear side of the fan cavity 113, and the air exhaust port 112 is connected to at least one side of the heat exchange cavity 115, specifically, the air exhaust port 112 is arranged on at least one side of the front side, the upper side, and the lower side of the heat exchange cavity 115.

[0041] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 1 and 2a, a first portion 1111 of the air intake port 111 is located in front of the fan cavity 113, a second portion 1112 of the air intake port 111 is located below the fan cavity 113, and the air outlet 112 is disposed in front of the heat exchange cavity 115. The first housing 120 and the second housing 130 cooperate to define the air duct 110 and the air intake port 111. The first housing 120 and the second housing 130 also cooperate to define an air outlet 112 that communicates with the air duct 110. The air outlet 112 is horizontally oriented.

[0042] As shown in Figures 1 and 2a, the first shell 120 includes a fan chamber rear shell 121 located at the rear side of the fan chamber 113, and a fan chamber upper shell 122 that bends forward and upward from the fan chamber rear shell 121. The fan chamber upper shell 122 is arranged in an arc shape, covering the rear side and upper side of the fan chamber 113, and a diffuser chamber upper shell 123 extends forward and downward from the fan chamber upper shell 122, and a heat exchange chamber upper shell 124 extends forward from the diffuser chamber upper shell 123.

[0043] As shown in Figures 1 and 2a, the second housing 130 includes a fan chamber front housing 134 located in front of the fan chamber 113, a diffuser chamber lower housing 131 located in front of (on the downstream side of) the fan chamber 113, and a volute 133 that transitions between the fan chamber front housing 134 and the diffuser chamber lower housing 131. The volute 133 guides airflow from the fan chamber 113 into the diffuser chamber lower housing 131, extending forward and downward. The second housing 130 also includes a heat exchange chamber lower housing 135 that extends forward from the diffuser chamber lower housing 131.

[0044] The fan cavity front shell 134 and the fan cavity rear shell 121 are arranged opposite to each other, and a fan cavity is formed between the fan cavity front shell 134, the fan cavity rear shell 121 and the fan cavity upper shell 122. The pressure diffusion cavity upper shell 123 and the pressure diffusion cavity lower shell 131 correspond to each other up and down and form a pressure diffusion cavity 114 therebetween. The heat exchange cavity upper shell 124 and the heat exchange cavity lower shell 135 correspond to each other up and down and form a heat exchange cavity 115 therebetween. The exhaust port 112 is limited between the heat exchange cavity upper shell 124 and the heat exchange cavity lower shell 135.

[0045] Among the various installation configurations of the indoor unit 10, a mounting cavity 116 is recessed in the bottom of the housing 100. Specifically, the space between the lower portion of the diffuser chamber lower shell 131 and the fan chamber rear shell 121 forms the mounting cavity 116. The mounting cavity 116 is located to the side of the air intake 111 and opens downward. The electrical control box assembly 400 is installed from bottom to top within the mounting cavity 116. This allows the electrical control box assembly 400 to be positioned outside the housing 100, allowing external airflow to enter the air intake 111 through the electrical control box assembly 400, thereby enhancing the heat dissipation efficiency of the electrical control box assembly 400.

[0046] As shown in Figure 2a, the indoor unit 10 is used in conjunction with an air inlet duct. Specifically, the indoor unit 10 further includes a downwardly opening air inlet duct interface 140. The air inlet duct interface 140 is disposed around the first portion 1111 of the air inlet 111 and the opening of the mounting cavity 116. Furthermore, the air inlet duct interface 140 connects the fan chamber rear housing 121 and the side of the water tray 132 facing the electrical control box assembly 400. This allows the air inlet duct interface 140 to be located between the side of the water tray 132 closest to the diffuser chamber lower housing 131 and the side of the first housing 120 further away from the water tray 132.

[0047] The air inlet duct interface 140 is disposed around and below the air inlet 111 and the electrical control box assembly 400. When the impeller 200 is operating, external air flows from the air inlet duct through the air inlet duct interface 140 into the mounting cavity 116, within which the air inlet 111 and the electrical control box assembly 400 are disposed. Part of the external air flows through the air duct interface 100 and then into the air inlet 111, while part of the external air flows through the air inlet duct interface 140 and then passes through the surface of the electrical control box assembly 400 and into the air inlet 111, thereby increasing the air intake area of ​​the air inlet duct. Furthermore, because the protective grille 300 is connected to the housing 100 and covers one side of the impeller 200 by covering the first portion 1111 and the second portion 1112, the protective grille 300 can cover the portion of the air inlet duct interface 140 that connects to the air inlet duct 111, preventing foreign matter from being drawn into the air duct 110 from the air inlet duct interface 140 when the impeller 200 is operating.

[0048] In another installation configuration, as shown in FIG2b , the indoor unit 10 is mounted on a ceiling with a vent 150. The first portion 1111 of the air intake 111 is vertically opposed to the vent 150, and the mounting cavity 116 and the electrical control box assembly 400 therein are vertically opposed to the vent 150. The vent 150 serves as an inspection and return air vent for the indoor unit 10, while the electrical control box assembly 400 is exposed downward, facilitating heat dissipation and maintenance. It also facilitates disassembly, replacement, and repair of the indoor unit 10 from the vent 150.

[0049] The impeller 200 is disposed within the fan chamber 113, i.e., within the air duct 110. The impeller 200 has blades 210 arranged circumferentially thereon, which are used to accelerate the air flowing into the indoor unit 10 from the air intake 111. Types of impellers include crossflow impellers and axial flow impellers. Crossflow impellers have advantages such as small radial size, low rotational speed, low noise, and uniform air output. Their axial length can be extended arbitrarily without affecting the air flow state. In one embodiment of the present application, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the impeller 200 can be a crossflow impeller, but other types of impellers 200 are also possible.

[0050] The protective grille 300 is connected to the housing 100 and covers one side of the wind rotor 200 by covering a first portion 1111 and a second portion 1112 to prevent foreign matter from being drawn into the wind rotor 200 through the air intake 111. As shown in FIG3 , the protective grille 300 includes a grille frame 310 and a plurality of grille bars 311. The grille frame 310 may be a frame structure with a hollow area in the center. The grille bars 311 are disposed within the grille frame 310, and the ends of the grille bars 311 along the length direction are connected to the inner wall surface of the grille frame 310. The grille bars 311 define a plurality of grille apertures 312 in the hollow area of ​​the grille frame 310. The grille apertures 312 are evenly spaced and can take a honeycomb, diamond, or other shape. Alternatively, the grille bars 311 can be arranged parallel to each other to form a railing. Alternatively, a periodic topological structure such as a honeycomb structure can effectively improve the fracture toughness and impact resistance of the protective grille 300, and can also achieve vibration and noise reduction effects. It is also beneficial to achieve uniform air supply at the air intake 111, ensuring the stability and smoothness of air circulation, and is less likely to form eddies or turbulence, thereby improving the air intake effect of the indoor unit 10. Of course, the grille holes 312 can be set to a smaller aperture. This ensures smooth air intake while also protecting the safety of maintenance personnel when servicing components installed inside the indoor unit 10.

[0051] In some embodiments, the grille bars 311 and the grille frame 310 can be an integrated structure. This facilitates the processing and molding of the protective grille 300, improves processing efficiency, and ensures a stable and secure connection between the grille bars 311 and the grille frame 310. The specific dimensions of the grille bars 311 can be adaptively set and adjusted based on the dimensions of the grille frame 310 and the air intake 111 of the indoor unit 10, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this. The protective grille 300 can be made of metal (e.g., iron), alloy (e.g., aluminum alloy), or plastic (e.g., polyvinyl chloride).

[0052] The indoor unit 10 further includes an electric control box assembly 400. As shown in FIG2 , the electric control box assembly 400 is disposed on the outside of the housing 100 and adjacent to the air inlet 111. Specifically, the electric control box assembly 400 can also be installed at the bottom of the housing 100 and spaced relative to the first portion 1111 in the front-to-back direction of the housing 100. This allows the wind wheel 200 to operate while also dissipating heat from the electric control box assembly 400, preventing the electric control box assembly 400 from being in a high-temperature environment for a long time, which can easily cause burn-in, thereby ensuring the reliability of the electric control box assembly 400. Furthermore, the space below the lower shell 131 of the pressure diffuser chamber can be fully utilized, thereby eliminating the need for additional space in the indoor unit 10 to install the electric control box assembly 400. This reduces the overall size of the indoor unit 10 and makes the structure more compact.

[0053] The protective grille 300 of the present application separates the wind wheel 200 and the electric control box assembly 400, and there is a gap between the protective grille 300 and the electric control box assembly 400. Optionally, the gap is greater than or equal to 1 cm. This allows for a certain amount of space to be left for the installation of the protective grille 300 and the electric control box assembly 400, making it convenient for workers to perform operations such as disassembly and assembly of the protective grille 300 and the electric control box assembly 400. At the same time, when disassembling and assembling, there is no need to remove the protective grille 300 before accessing the electric control box assembly 400. Instead, the position of the electric control box assembly 400 can be directly observed through an inspection port opened in the indoor ceiling and corresponding to the installation position of the electric control box assembly 400, and the corresponding maintenance and disassembly of the electric control box assembly 400 can be directly performed, which makes the work of maintenance personnel more convenient and reduces labor costs. Of course, this gap should not be set too large, as this will result in an excessively large volume of the entire machine. Therefore, the gap can be set to, for example, 6 cm as the upper limit value.

[0054] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3 again. One side of the protective grille 300 is connected to the first shell 120, and the other side is connected to the first shell 120. Specifically, the protective grille 300 includes at least two grille portions 320 connected in sequence between the first shell 120 and the second shell 130, and the two adjacent grille portions 320 are arranged at an angle.

[0055] As shown in Figure 3 , the angle can be set to 90°, meaning the protective grille 300 has an L-shaped cross-section in the lateral direction. This creates stress concentration at the angle of the protective grille 300, which helps improve the protective grille 300's resistance to wind pressure. Of course, the angle can also be adjusted within a certain range. Two adjacent grille sections 320 can be integrally formed for ease of manufacturing. Specifically, the grille sections 320 include a first grille section 321 connected to the second housing 130 and a second grille section 322 connected to the first housing 120. The first grille section 321 is positioned between the impeller 200 and the electrical control box assembly 400, while the second grille section 322 is positioned between the impeller 200 and the air intake 111. The first grille section 321 is parallel to the first portion 1111 of the air intake 111, which faces sideways, and / or the second grille section 322 is parallel to the second portion 1112 of the air intake 111, which faces downward. This increases the air intake area of ​​the protective grille 300, effectively increasing the air intake volume of the indoor unit 10. It can be understood that the connection between the grille portion 320 and the shell 100 can be a fixed connection, such as welding, or a detachable connection, for example, by snap-fitting, or locking through a mortise and tenon structure, as well as bolt connection, etc., and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0056] In another embodiment, the protective grille 300 is configured in an arc shape, and the distance between the protective grille 300 and the electrical control box assembly 400 gradually increases in the direction toward the first portion 1111 lateral to the air intake 111. This allows for space for the installation of the electrical control box assembly 400, increases the operating space for maintenance personnel, and ensures smooth airflow. However, this arc-shaped protective grille 300 lacks an angle to support the protective grille 300 structure in the airflow direction, so its resistance to wind pressure is slightly lower. However, its structure is simple, making it easier to manufacture and install, and reducing costs. Alternatively, as shown in FIG4 , the protective grille 300 can be comprised of three grille sections 320 connected in sequence, i.e., a three-stage structure. This increases the wind-resistant area of ​​the protective grille 300 in the airflow direction, thereby distributing the wind pressure borne by the protective grille 300 in multiple directions. This application does not limit the specific form of the protective grille 300.

[0057] In one embodiment of the present application, as shown in Figures 2a and 5, the indoor unit 10 further includes a heat exchanger 500. The air duct 110 includes a fan chamber 113, a diffuser chamber 114, and a heat exchange chamber 115, which are sequentially connected in the airflow direction. The impeller 200 is disposed within the fan chamber 113, and the heat exchanger 500 is disposed within the heat exchange chamber 115. The airflow within the air duct 110 is heat exchanged in the heat exchanger 500 and then discharged from the exhaust port 112 into the indoor environment to adjust the indoor temperature.

[0058] In some embodiments, the heat exchange chamber lower shell 135 is configured as a water receiving tray 132, which is located below the heat exchanger 500 to receive condensed water. In some embodiments, the cross-sectional area of ​​the diffuser chamber 114 gradually increases in the direction from the air outlet side of the impeller 200 to the heat exchange chamber 115, and the outlet end of the diffuser chamber 114 terminates at the inlet end of the heat exchange chamber 115. In other words, the cross-sectional area of ​​the diffuser chamber 114 reaches its maximum at the connection between the diffuser chamber 114 and the heat exchange chamber 115. Among them, the first part 1111 is arranged toward the lower surface of the second shell 130 corresponding to the diffusion chamber 114, and in the direction from the fan chamber 113 to the heat exchange chamber 115, the diffusion chamber lower shell 131 is inclined from top to bottom. Such an arrangement can change the flow state and speed of the airflow, so that the airflow can achieve better distribution and uniformity, and facilitate the airflow flowing from the air intake 111 into the interior of the sub-indoor unit 10. The airflow is accelerated and pressurized by the wind wheel 200 in the fan chamber 113, and then flows into the diffusion chamber 114. The gas flow path inclined from top to bottom in the diffusion chamber 114 is formed by the diffusion chamber lower shell 131 being inclined from top to bottom. Due to inertia, the diffusion chamber 114 can fully slow down and further pressurize the gas, so that the airflow will be more stable and smooth when entering the heat exchanger 500, reducing noise, thereby further improving the working efficiency of the heat exchanger 500 located in the heat exchange chamber 115.

[0059] In some embodiments, the electrical control box assembly 400 is mounted on the lower surface of the pressure diffuser chamber lower shell 131. During installation, the electrical control box assembly 400 can be fixed to the bottom of the pressure diffuser chamber lower shell 131 using screws or bolts, or it can be fixed to the bottom of the pressure diffuser chamber lower shell 131 using a snap-on fixing method. With this arrangement, the internal space of the indoor unit 10 is effectively utilized, making the overall product volume smaller. Moreover, when the electrical control box assembly 400 needs to be repaired, it can be repaired directly at the bottom of the indoor unit 10 without having to disassemble the entire indoor unit 10, which is more convenient and saves time. In addition, the electrical control box assembly 400 is installed on the lower surface of the pressure diffuser chamber lower shell 131, so it does not occupy the space of the fan chamber 113 and the heat exchange chamber 115. At the same time, it can also take into account the wiring and pipe connections in the left and right directions of the indoor unit 10, making the pipeline compact and orderly, and effectively improving space utilization. It is understandable that the electrical control box assembly 400 can also be set in other locations, such as outside the housing 100 of the indoor unit 10, which is more convenient for disassembly and maintenance, or it can also be set between the wind wheel 200 and the protective grille 300, etc. This application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0060] Furthermore, the pressure diffuser chamber lower shell 131 and the water collection pan 132 can be integrally formed. Compared to the air duct 110 formation scheme of the related indoor unit 10, which utilizes multiple panels to separately form the pressure diffuser chamber 114 and the heat exchange chamber 115, and then connects the pressure diffuser chamber 114 and the heat exchange chamber 115, this integrally formed component reduces the number of parts in the second housing 130 to a certain extent, thereby improving the production and installation efficiency of the second housing 130 and reducing costs. Furthermore, when the pressure diffuser chamber lower shell 131 and the water collection pan 132 are integrally formed, the pressure diffuser chamber lower shell 131 and the water collection pan 132 smoothly transition from the pressure diffuser chamber 114 to the heat exchange chamber 115. This smooth transition ensures a uniform flow field within the air duct 110, avoids turbulence within the air duct 110, and thereby reduces noise. In some embodiments, the second shell 130 can be injection molded or hot-pressed. For example, the second shell 130 is integrally molded by plastic injection molding. The manufacturing process is simple, suitable for commercial production, and can effectively reduce costs. The plastic material is light in weight, which can reduce product weight and facilitate transportation and installation.

[0061] It should be noted that in the prior art, the cavity structure forming the pressure diffuser chamber 114 and the water receiving pan 115 are typically provided as separate components, which are then joined together to form the air duct 110. This structural form has a large number of panels and a complex connection method, resulting in a large number of joints between the pressure diffuser structure and the water receiving pan 132, which are prone to gaps. Therefore, high sealing requirements are required during installation. The present application integrates the pressure diffuser chamber lower shell 131, which forms the cavity bottom wall of the pressure diffuser chamber 114, and the water receiving pan 132, which forms the cavity bottom wall of the heat exchange chamber 115. This significantly reduces the number of panels required to be joined in the air duct 110 structure between the pressure diffuser chamber 114 and the heat exchange chamber 115, thereby reducing the risk of gaps at the joints. This facilitates water collection and drainage in the water receiving pan 132, avoids safety hazards caused by condensate leaking into other structures of the indoor unit 10 due to gaps between the water receiving pan 132 and the pressure diffuser chamber lower shell 131, and simplifies installation. Therefore, the bottom wall of the pressure diffuser chamber 114 and the bottom wall of the heat exchange chamber 115 have a higher degree of integrity, the leakage during the airflow process is greatly reduced, the static pressure loss is also reduced, and the smoothness of the airflow is improved, thereby further improving the air supply and heat exchange efficiency, and reducing the generation of noise. This optimized sealing can not only improve the working efficiency of the system, but also help prevent irrelevant gases or foreign objects from entering the air duct, protecting the safe and stable operation of the heat exchange chamber 115. In general, the embodiment of the present application is based on the design concept of one-piece molding, and is optimized by the connection structure between the pressure diffuser chamber 114 and the heat exchange chamber 115, which not only simplifies the manufacturing and assembly process, but also improves the stability, durability and overall working efficiency of the system.

[0062] As shown in Figure 6, the indoor unit 10 also includes a volute 133, which is connected to the diffuser lower shell 131. The connection method can be fixed or detachable, and detachable methods include but are not limited to threaded and clamped connections. The volute 133 is disposed within the air duct 110 and is arranged relative to the blades 210 of the impeller 200. It can guide the airflow blown out of the air duct 110, thereby adjusting the air supply direction of the indoor unit 10.

[0063] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG7 , the indoor unit 10 further includes at least two side covers 220 and two side panels 600. The two side covers 220 cover the left and right sides of the fan chamber 113 in the longitudinal direction to protect the impeller 200 disposed in the fan chamber 113. The two side panels 600 cover both sides of the indoor unit 10 in the longitudinal direction to laterally protect the internal structure of the indoor unit 10. The side panels 600 may also be provided with pipe outlets for pipes within the indoor unit 10 to extend outside the indoor unit 10 and communicate with the outdoor unit 20. Of course, the pipe outlets may also be provided at other locations, such as in the first housing 120 or the second housing 130.

[0064] The present application also proposes a HVAC device 1, as shown in Figure 8, the HVAC device 1 includes an outdoor unit 20 and an indoor unit 10, and the outdoor unit 20 is connected to the indoor unit 10 through a pipe. The specific structure refers to the above embodiment. Since the HVAC device 1 adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, they will not be described one by one here.

[0065] The above content is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. An indoor unit, wherein, Comprising: A housing, which has an air duct formed therein and has a suction opening communicating with the air duct. The suction opening has a first part facing laterally and a second part facing downward; An impeller, which is arranged in the air duct; And A protective grille, which is connected to the housing and covers one side of the impeller in a manner of covering the first part and the second part.

2. The indoor unit according to claim 1, wherein, It further includes an electric control box assembly, which is arranged outside the housing and adjacent to the suction opening. The protective grille separates the impeller and the electric control box assembly.

3. The indoor unit according to claim 2, wherein, The electric control box assembly is arranged at the bottom of the housing and is relatively spaced apart from the first part in the front-back direction of the housing.

4. The indoor unit according to claim 2 or 3, wherein, There is a gap between the protective grille and the electric control box assembly.

5. The indoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The gap between the protective grille and the electric control box assembly is greater than 1 centimeter.

6. The indoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The housing includes a first housing and a second housing connected to each other. The first housing and the second housing cooperate to define the air duct and the suction opening; The protective grille includes at least two grille parts sequentially connected between the first housing and the second housing. Adjacent two grille parts are arranged at an angle.

7. The indoor unit according to claim 6, wherein, The grille part includes a first grille part connected to the second housing and a second grille part connected to the first housing. The first grille part is arranged between the impeller and the electric control box assembly, and the second grille part is arranged between the impeller and the suction opening; Wherein, the first grille part is parallel to the first part of the suction opening facing laterally; And / or, the second grille part is parallel to the second part of the suction opening facing downward.

8. The indoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The housing includes a first housing and a second housing connected to each other. The first housing and the second housing cooperate to define the air duct and the suction opening; One side of the protective grille is connected to the first housing, and the other side is connected to the first housing.

9. The indoor unit according to claim 8, wherein, The protective grille is arranged in an arc shape, and the distance between the protective grille and the electric control box assembly gradually increases in the direction of the first part facing the lateral side of the suction opening.

10. The indoor unit according to claim 8, wherein, The first housing and the second housing also cooperate to define an air outlet communicating with the air duct. The air outlet is horizontally oriented.

11. The indoor unit according to claim 8, wherein, It further includes a heat exchanger. The air duct includes a blower chamber, a diffuser chamber, and a heat exchange chamber that are sequentially communicated in the air flow direction. The impeller is arranged in the blower chamber, and the heat exchanger is arranged in the heat exchange chamber; The second housing includes a diffuser chamber lower housing forming the bottom wall of the diffuser chamber and a water receiving tray forming the bottom wall of the heat exchange chamber; Wherein, the first part faces the lower surface of the corresponding part of the second housing of the diffuser chamber, and in the direction from the blower chamber to the heat exchange chamber, the diffuser chamber lower housing is inclined from top to bottom, and the electric control box assembly is installed on the lower surface of the diffuser chamber lower housing.

12. The indoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein, It further includes an electric control box assembly. An installation cavity is recessed at the bottom of the housing. The installation cavity is located on the side of the suction opening and opens downward. The electric control box assembly is installed in the installation cavity from bottom to top.

13. The indoor unit according to claim 12, wherein, It further includes an air inlet pipe interface opening downward, and the air inlet pipe interface is arranged on the circumferential side of the first part of the air suction port and the opening of the installation cavity.

14. The indoor unit according to claim 12, wherein, The indoor unit is installed on the ceiling, the ceiling is provided with a ventilation opening, the first part of the air suction port is vertically opposite to the ventilation opening, and the installation cavity and the electric control box assembly therein are vertically opposite to the ventilation opening.

15. The indoor unit according to claim 14, wherein, The ventilation opening is a maintenance opening of the indoor unit.

16. A heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment, wherein, It includes an outdoor unit and the indoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 15, and the outdoor unit is connected to the indoor unit through pipes.

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