Air conditioner water receiving pan, air conditioner indoor unit, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning system

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of heating, ventilation and air conditioning devices, and discloses an air conditioner water receiving pan, an air conditioner indoor unit, and a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. The air conditioner water receiving pan comprises a pan body and a heat preservation assembly; a water receiving trough configured to receive condensate water generated by a heat exchanger is formed in the pan body, a water pump is arranged in the water receiving trough of the air conditioner water receiving pan to discharge the condensate water, and the heat preservation assembly is connected to and covers the surface of the pan body facing away from the water receiving trough; and a recess recessed towards the heat preservation assembly is formed in the pan body, and the recess is configured to provide clearance for a functional component arranged above the pan body within an air conditioner.

Description

Air conditioning water tray, air conditioning indoor unit and HVAC system

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on March 25, 2024, with application number 2024205987837 and application name “Air Conditioning Water Collection Tray, Air Conditioning Indoor Unit and HVAC System”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of HVAC systems, and in particular to an air-conditioning water receiving pan, an air-conditioning indoor unit, and a HVAC system. Background Art

[0003] HVAC systems encompass a wide range of equipment, including air conditioners, VRFs, heat pumps, and water heaters. These systems consist of both indoor and outdoor units. Indoor units, especially ceiling units, produce condensation in the evaporator within the heat exchanger when in cooling mode. A drip tray is installed indoors to collect this condensation and prevent it from dripping onto the unit's electrical components or the indoor installation environment.

[0004] In the prior art, the indoor unit's water tray typically features a composite structure combining a water-receiving structure with a heat-insulating structure. The water-receiving structure is designed to collect condensed water, while the heat-insulating structure prevents condensation on the outside of the tray. Furthermore, the indoor unit also houses numerous other components above the tray, such as a water pump for extracting condensed water, piping connected to the evaporator, and valves. These components, along with the tray, are arranged at the same height as the indoor unit. This results in a thicker indoor unit, hindering its ultra-thin design and limiting its application scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide an air conditioner water receiving tray, an air conditioner indoor unit, and a heating and ventilation system, which can reduce the thickness of the air conditioner indoor unit body to a certain extent.

[0006] In the first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an air-conditioning water receiving pan, which includes a pan body and an insulation component; the pan body is formed with a water receiving trough configured to receive condensed water generated by a heat exchanger, and a water pump is arranged in the water receiving trough of the air-conditioning water receiving pan and is configured to discharge condensed water, and the insulation component is connected to and covered on the surface of the pan body facing away from the water receiving trough; wherein, the pan body is formed with a recessed portion that is recessed in the direction of the insulation component, and the recess is configured to avoid a functional component arranged above the pan body in the air conditioner.

[0007] In some embodiments, the heat preservation component is provided with an avoidance groove configured to avoid the recess.

[0008] In some embodiments, the insulation component also includes a foam part and a thermal insulation part; the foam part is connected to and covers the surface of the plate body facing away from the water receiving trough, and the foam part is provided with an avoidance hole at the position corresponding to the recess; the thermal insulation part is connected to the foam part and covers the avoidance hole away from the opening of the plate body, so as to cooperate with the foam part to form the avoidance trough.

[0009] In some embodiments, the avoidance groove blocks heat transfer from the disk to the thermal insulation component through air medium, or the avoidance groove is filled with thermal insulation material.

[0010] In some embodiments, a gap is formed between a lower surface of the recess and the thermal insulation member.

[0011] In some embodiments, the distance between the lower surface of the recess and the thermal insulation member is 2-6 mm.

[0012] In some embodiments, the thermal insulation element covers at least a portion of the lower surface of the foam element.

[0013] In some embodiments, the thermal insulation element includes a plastic layer connected to the lower surface of the foam element.

[0014] In some embodiments, the thermal insulation element further includes a flannel layer connected to the lower surface of the plastic layer.

[0015] In some embodiments, the dish body includes a dish body and a side plate, the dish body defines the water receiving groove and forms the recess, and the side plate extends outward from the periphery of the dish body;

[0016] The foaming member is arranged around the outside of the tray body, and the upper end of the foaming member is fixedly connected to the side plate, wherein a heat insulation cavity is formed between the foaming member and the tray body.

[0017] In some embodiments, the heat-insulating cavity is communicated with the avoidance groove.

[0018] In the second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an air-conditioning indoor unit, which includes a shell, a heat exchanger, a water pump and the air-conditioning water collection pan as described above; the shell is formed with an air duct, the heat exchanger and the air-conditioning water collection pan are arranged in the air duct, and the air-conditioning water collection pan is located below the heat exchanger, and the water pump is arranged in the water receiving groove of the air-conditioning water collection pan and is configured to discharge condensed water; wherein the pan body in the air-conditioning water collection pan is formed with the recess at least in one position corresponding to the water pump and the connecting pipe connected to the heat exchanger.

[0019] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a HVAC system, which includes the air-conditioning indoor unit as described above.

[0020] According to an embodiment of the present application, an air conditioner water pan is provided with a pan body and an insulation assembly, with the pan body forming a water trough. The insulation assembly is then coated on the surface of the pan body facing away from the water trough, so that the water trough can be configured to receive condensed water generated by a heat exchanger. The coating of the insulation assembly prevents condensation from forming on the outside of the air conditioner water pan due to excessively low temperatures in the air contacting the pan. Furthermore, a recessed portion is formed in the pan body that is recessed toward the insulation assembly, allowing the recessed portion to be configured to accommodate functional components of the air conditioner disposed above the pan body. This recess also increases the capacity of the water trough to accommodate condensed water. Furthermore, the insulation assembly is further provided with a relief groove configured to relieve the recessed portion. With this arrangement, functional components of the air conditioner indoor unit can be installed downwardly in the thickness direction using the recessed portion, thereby reducing the thickness of the air conditioner indoor unit and facilitating an ultra-thin design of the indoor unit. It can be understood that the ultra-thin design of the air conditioner indoor unit can be configured for installation environments with a large installation space, as well as for installation environments with limited installation space. Thus, the solution of the present application expands the application scenarios of the air conditioner indoor unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the indoor unit of the air conditioner of this application;

[0022] FIG2 is an exploded view of an embodiment of the air conditioner water receiving tray shown in FIG1 ;

[0023] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of the air conditioner water receiving tray shown in FIG2 ;

[0024] FIG4 is a cross-sectional view of the air conditioner water receiving tray shown in FIG2 ;

[0025] FIG5 is another cross-sectional view of the air conditioner water receiving tray shown in FIG2.

[0026] Explanation of the accompanying figures: 1. Air conditioner water collection pan; 10. Pan body; 11. Pan main body; 112. Water collection trough; 113. Recess; 12. Side plate; 20. Insulation component; 21. Avoidance groove; 22. Foam part; 23. Insulation part; 30. Insulation cavity; 40. Shell; 50. Water pump; 60. Heat exchanger; 2. Air conditioner indoor unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] 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.

[0028] 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.

[0029] HVAC systems encompass a wide range of equipment, including air conditioners, VRFs, heat pumps, and water heaters. These systems consist of both indoor and outdoor units. Indoor units, particularly ceiling units, can have heat exchangers such as evaporators and condensers. In cooling mode, the heat exchanger can be an evaporator. The evaporator absorbs heat from the outside world, generating condensation. Therefore, a drip tray is installed indoors to collect this condensation and prevent it from dripping onto the indoor unit's electrical components or the indoor installation environment.

[0030] In the prior art, the indoor unit's water tray typically features a composite structure combining a water-receiving structure with a heat-insulating structure. The water-receiving structure is designed to collect condensed water, while the heat-insulating structure prevents condensation on the outside of the tray. Furthermore, the indoor unit also houses numerous other components above the tray, such as a water pump for extracting condensed water, piping connected to the evaporator, and valves. These components, along with the tray, are arranged at the same height as the indoor unit. This results in a thicker indoor unit, hindering its ultra-thin design and limiting its application scenarios.

[0031] To address the above issues, please refer to Figures 1 to 3. There are many types of air conditioner indoor units 2, such as wall-mounted indoor units, ducted indoor units, and ceiling-mounted units. The air conditioner indoor unit 2 in this application uses a ceiling-mounted unit as an example and includes a housing 40, a heat exchanger 60, a water pump 50, and an air conditioner water pan 1.

[0032] The housing 40 is formed with an air duct, and the heat exchanger 60 and the air conditioner water receiving pan 1 are arranged in the air duct, and the air conditioner water receiving pan 1 is located below the heat exchanger 60. The water pump 50 is arranged in the water receiving groove 112 of the air conditioner water receiving pan 1 and is configured to discharge condensed water. It can be understood that the air conditioner water receiving pan 1 is connected to the housing 40 and is located below the housing 40, and the air conditioner water receiving pan 1 is arranged below the heat exchanger 60, so that it can better receive the condensed water dripping from the heat exchanger 60 due to gravity. The casing can be an integrally formed structure to improve the overall strength of the housing 40. The housing 40 can be made of a higher strength material such as stainless steel, aluminum alloy, etc. to better protect the various functional components arranged inside the housing 40. This application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0033] Furthermore, the housing 40 of the present application may further include a panel (not shown), which is connected to the bottom of the housing 40 and is located below the air conditioner water tray 1. In the case where the air conditioner indoor unit 2 is a ceiling-mounted unit, in an indoor installation environment, a mounting opening is provided on the ceiling, and the panel covers the mounting opening. The panel and the housing cooperate to define an air outlet duct, and the panel is provided with a return air vent and an air supply vent connected to the air duct.

[0034] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 4 and 5 , an air conditioner water pan 1 includes a pan body 10 and an insulation assembly 20. The pan body 10 is formed with a water receiving groove 112 configured to receive condensed water generated by the evaporator. The insulation assembly 20 is connected to and covers the surface of the pan body 10 facing away from the water receiving groove 112. The pan body 10 is formed with a recess 113 recessed toward the insulation assembly 20. The recess 113 is configured to avoid functional components located above the pan body 10 in the air conditioner. The insulation assembly 20 is provided with a relief groove 21 configured to avoid the recess 113. The pan body 10 in the air conditioner water pan 1 has the recess 113 formed at least at one location corresponding to the water pump 50 and the pipe connected to the heat exchanger 60.

[0035] Based on the air-conditioning water receiving pan 1 of the embodiment of the present application, a pan body 10 and a thermal insulation component 20 are provided, and a water receiving groove 112 is formed in the pan body 10, and the thermal insulation component 20 is covered on the surface of the pan body 10 facing away from the water receiving groove 112, so that the water receiving groove 112 can be set to receive the condensed water generated by the evaporator. The covering of the thermal insulation component 20 prevents the outer side of the air-conditioning water receiving pan 1 from generating condensation in the air in contact with it due to the excessively low temperature. Furthermore, by forming a recess 113 recessed toward the thermal insulation component 20 on the disk body 10, the recess 113 can be set to avoid the functional components arranged above the disk body 10 in the air conditioner, and the recess 113 also increases the capacity of the water receiving tank 112 to accommodate condensed water, and the thermal insulation component 20 is also provided with an avoidance groove 21 set to avoid the recess 113. In this way, the functional components in the air conditioner indoor unit can be sunken in the thickness direction using the recess 113 area, which reduces the thickness of the air conditioner indoor unit 1, which is conducive to achieving an ultra-thin design of the air conditioner indoor unit 2. It can be understood that the ultra-thin air conditioner indoor unit 2 can be set to an installation environment with a larger installation space, and can also be set to an installation environment with limited installation space. It can be seen that the solution of the present application expands the application scenario of the air conditioner indoor unit 2. In order to achieve the above-mentioned effects and at the same time ensure the heat insulation effect of the avoidance groove 21, the avoidance groove 21 can optionally block the heat transfer from the disk to the insulation component 23 through the air medium, or the avoidance groove 21 is filled with heat insulation materials, such as cotton cloth, foam and other materials. This application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0036] It can be understood that the water receiving tank 112 is arranged below the heat exchanger 60 to receive the condensed water condensed on the surface of the heat exchanger 60. The heat exchanger 60 also has a guiding structure to guide the condensed water into the water receiving tank 112. This arrangement improves the water receiving efficiency of the water receiving tank 112.

[0037] Functional components may include a water pump 50, piping, and the like. The water pump 50 is provided with a bracket and is fixedly connected to the housing 40 of the air conditioner indoor unit 2 via the bracket, so that the water pump 50 is installed inside the housing 40. The water pump 50 also has a water inlet and a water outlet. The water inlet is connected to the air conditioner water receiving pan 1, and the water outlet can be connected to the water supply pipeline outside the air conditioner indoor unit 2. In addition, the water pump 50 is also connected to a float (not shown), which partially extends into the water receiving tank 112 to detect the condensed water level in the water receiving tank 112 to prevent excessive accumulation of condensed water and overflow. Thus, the condensed water collected in the air conditioner water receiving pan 1 can be transported to the outside of the air conditioner indoor unit 2 by the water pump 50, so that the condensed water in the air conditioner water receiving pan 1 can be discharged in a timely manner to prevent condensed water from overflowing.

[0038] Of course, when the functional component is a piping, the piping is disposed above the tray body 11 and partially extends into the water receiving groove 112. In other words, the recess 113 also provides corresponding clearance for the piping. The water pump 50 and other functional components, such as the piping, occupy a certain position within the housing 40. The recess 113 avoids the space occupied by the water pump 50, thereby reducing the overall thickness of the air conditioner indoor unit 2.

[0039] Referring again to Figures 4 and 5 , in one embodiment, the insulation assembly 20 includes a foam member 22 and a thermal insulation member 23. The foam member 22 is connected to and covers the surface of the tray 10 facing away from the water receiving trough 112. A clearance hole is provided in the foam member 22 at a position corresponding to the recess 113. The thermal insulation member 23 is connected to the foam member 22 and covers the opening of the clearance hole away from the tray 10, thereby forming a clearance trough 21 in conjunction with the foam member 22. In this embodiment, the foam member 22 covering the back of the tray 10 reduces the heat exchange efficiency between the condensed water in the water receiving trough 112 and the external environment, thereby preventing condensation from forming outside the water receiving tray. Furthermore, the provision of the clearance hole for the recess 113 allows the recess 113 to be accommodated by the clearance hole, reducing the thickness of the recess 113. Furthermore, the efficiency of heat exchange between the condensed water in the recess 113 and the external environment is reduced, thereby achieving a balance between preventing condensation and reducing the thickness of the device. Furthermore, this embodiment also provides a heat insulating member 23, which is connected to the foam member 22 and covers the opening of the avoidance hole away from the disc body 10, so that the foam member 22 cooperates to form the avoidance groove 21, so that the fuselage is flat while ensuring the thinness of the fuselage.

[0040] Specifically, a gap is provided between the lower surface of the recess 113 and the thermal insulation member 23. This gap reduces the heat transfer efficiency of condensed water, reduces condensation on the outside of the fuselage, reduces the number of foam members 22, and reduces costs. It also minimizes the thickness of the fuselage at the recess 113, achieving both condensation prevention and fuselage thickness reduction.

[0041] Optionally, the spacing between the lower surface of the recess 113 and the thermal insulation 23 is 2-6 mm. This arrangement, on the one hand, provides the recess 113 with sufficient space to accommodate the functional components of the air conditioner and increases the capacity of the water tank 112. On the other hand, it ensures the proper structure of the tray 10 and the smoothness of the body, resulting in a moderate thickness and ensuring that the thickness of the thermal insulation 23 meets basic insulation requirements. It is understood that when the spacing between the lower surface of the recess 113 and the thermal insulation 23 is less than 2 mm, the thickness of the thermal insulation 23 needs to be further reduced, further reducing its insulation effectiveness. When the spacing between the lower surface of the recess 113 and the thermal insulation 23 is greater than 6 mm, the overall thickness of the tray 10 increases, making it difficult to meet the ultra-thin requirements of the body. Therefore, the spacing between the recess 113 and the thermal insulation 23 can also be selected to be 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, or 6 mm, etc., all of which can achieve the aforementioned effects.

[0042] As shown in Figure 1, in one embodiment, when the tray body 10 is formed into an L-shaped structure, the foam member 22 covers the entire lower surface of the tray body 10, thereby providing overall thermal insulation and ensuring effective heat insulation. The thermal insulation member 23 can optionally cover the shorter side of the L-shaped structure, i.e., the side of the tray body 10 where the escape groove 21 is formed. In this case, the thermal insulation member 23 covers a portion of the lower surface of the foam member 22 and at least covers the escape hole 221. This ensures the insulation effect of the thermal insulation member 23 while reducing material consumption, thereby saving costs and further reducing the thickness of the air conditioner water tray 1. It is understood that the thermal insulation member 23 can also cover the entire lower surface of the foam member 22 to further enhance its insulation effect. The extension direction of the thermal insulation member 23 aligns with the bottom wall of the water receiving groove 112, thereby significantly reducing the heat exchange efficiency between the water receiving groove 112 and the external environment, further preventing condensation on the outside of the air conditioner.

[0043] Specifically, the thermal insulation member 23 comprises a plastic layer connected to the lower surface of the foam member 22. This plastic layer offers excellent insulation, strong water resistance, low thermal conductivity, general formability, good colorability, and low processing costs. Therefore, it effectively provides thermal insulation, reduces the heat exchange efficiency between the condensed water in the water tank 112 and the external environment, and prevents condensation. The plastic layer can be made of EVA, but other materials that achieve the aforementioned effects are also acceptable, and this application is not limited thereto.

[0044] The heat insulating member 23 further includes a flannel layer connected to the lower surface of the plastic layer. The flannel layer has a certain degree of flexibility and low thermal conductivity. When attached to the plastic layer, it can further provide a heat insulating effect, greatly reducing the heat exchange efficiency between the condensed water in the water receiving tank 112 and the external environment, thereby preventing condensation.

[0045] Referring again to Figure 3 , in one embodiment, the tray 10 includes a tray body 11 and a side plate 12. The tray body 11 defines a water receiving groove 112 and a recess 113. The side plate 12 extends outward from the periphery of the tray body 11. A foam member 22 surrounds the exterior of the tray body 11, with the upper end of the foam member 22 fixedly connected to the side plate 12. An insulating cavity 30 is formed between the foam member 22 and the tray body 11. In this embodiment, the tray 10 is configured such that the tray body 11 and the side plate 12 are connected, making the shape of the tray 10 more compatible with the structure of the air conditioner. The water receiving groove 112 and the recess 113 defined by the tray body 11 ensure the stability of the air conditioner structure. Furthermore, the insulating cavity 30 formed between the foam member 22 and the tray body 11 reduces the heat exchange efficiency between condensed water and the foam member 22, preventing condensation on the air conditioner. In addition, the heat-insulating cavity 30 is connected to the avoidance groove 21. Such an arrangement increases the heat dissipation area of ​​the heat-insulating cavity 30, further reduces the heat exchange efficiency between the condensed water and the foam part 22, and better prevents condensation on the fuselage.

[0046] This application also provides a heating and ventilation system, comprising the aforementioned air conditioning indoor unit 2. The specific structure of the air conditioning indoor unit 2 is described in the aforementioned embodiment. Since the heating and ventilation system of this application utilizes all the technical solutions of all the aforementioned embodiments, they will not be described in detail here. The heating and ventilation system of this application includes, but is not limited to, air conditioners, multi-split units, heat pumps, water heaters, and other equipment.

[0047] 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 air conditioner water tray, wherein: Including tray body and insulation components; The tray is formed with a water receiving trough configured to receive condensed water generated by the heat exchanger, a water pump is disposed in the water receiving trough of the air conditioner water receiving tray and configured to discharge the condensed water, and the heat preservation component is connected to and covered on the surface of the tray facing away from the water receiving trough; The disc body is formed with a recessed portion that is recessed toward the heat preservation component, and the recessed portion is configured to avoid a functional component that is arranged above the disc body in the air conditioner.

2. The air conditioner water tray according to claim 1, wherein: The heat preservation component is provided with an avoidance groove configured to avoid the recess.

3. The air conditioning water tray according to claim 2, wherein: The thermal insulation component also includes a foaming component and a thermal insulation component; The foaming member is connected to and covers the surface of the plate body facing away from the water receiving trough, and the foaming member is provided with an avoidance through hole at a position corresponding to the concave portion; The heat insulating member is connected to the foam member and covers the opening of the avoidance through hole away from the disc body, so as to cooperate with the foam member to form the avoidance groove.

4. The air conditioning water receiving tray according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: The avoidance groove blocks heat transfer from the disk to the heat insulating component through air medium, or the avoidance groove is filled with heat insulating material.

5. The air conditioning water receiving tray according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: A gap is provided between a lower surface of the recess and the heat insulating material.

6. The air conditioner water tray according to claim 5, wherein: The distance between the lower surface of the recess and the thermal insulation member is 2-6 mm.

7. The air conditioning water receiving tray according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: The heat insulating member covers at least a portion of the lower surface of the foam member.

8. The air conditioning water receiving tray according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: The heat insulating member includes a plastic layer connected to the lower surface of the foam member.

9. The air conditioning water tray according to claim 8, wherein: The heat insulating member further comprises a flannel layer connected to the lower surface of the plastic layer.

10. The air conditioner water tray according to any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein: The dish body includes a dish body and a side plate, wherein the dish body defines the water receiving groove and forms the recess, and the side plate extends outward from the periphery of the dish body; The foaming member is arranged around the outside of the tray body, and the upper end of the foaming member is fixedly connected to the side plate, wherein a heat insulation cavity is formed between the foaming member and the tray body.

11. The air conditioning water receiving tray according to claim 10, wherein: The heat insulation cavity is communicated with the avoidance groove.

12. An air conditioner indoor unit, wherein: It comprises a shell, a heat exchanger, a water pump and the air conditioner water receiving tray according to any one of claims 1 to 11; The housing is formed with an air duct, the heat exchanger and the air conditioner water receiving pan are arranged in the air duct, and the air conditioner water receiving pan is located below the heat exchanger, and the water pump is arranged in the water receiving groove of the air conditioner water receiving pan and is configured to discharge condensed water; The recess is formed on the pan body of the air conditioner water receiving pan at least at a position corresponding to one of the water pump and the connecting pipe connected to the heat exchanger.

13. A heating and ventilation system, wherein: It includes the air conditioner indoor unit as claimed in claim 12.

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