Air conditioner

Abstract

An air conditioner. The air conditioner comprises an indoor heat exchanger (100), a thermal expansion valve (200), an outdoor heat exchanger (300), a first three-way pipe (600), and a second three-way pipe (700); the thermal expansion valve (200) is communicated with the indoor heat exchanger (100); the first three-way pipe (600) is provided with a first port (601), a second port (602), and a third port (603); the second port (602) is communicated with the thermal expansion valve (200); the second three-way pipe (700) is provided with a fourth port (701), a fifth port (702), and a sixth port (703); the fourth port (701) is communicated with the third port (603); the fifth port (702) is communicated with the outdoor heat exchanger (300); the sixth port (703) is communicated with the first port (601); a one-way valve (800) is used for allowing a refrigerant to flow from the sixth port (703) to the first port (601); the first three-way pipe (600) and the second three-way pipe (300) are arranged in parallel; two ends of an electronic expansion valve (900) are respectively connected to one end of the first three-way pipe (600) and one end of the second three-way pipe (700); and both ends of the one-way valve (800) are respectively connected to the other end of the first three-way pipe (600) and the other end of the second three-way pipe (700).

Description

air conditioner

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202420953446.5, filed on May 6, 2024; and to Chinese patent application No. 202420977499.0, filed on May 8, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to the field of air conditioning technology, and in particular to an air conditioner. Background Technology

[0003] An air conditioner, also known as an air conditioner, is a device that uses artificial means to regulate and control parameters such as temperature, humidity, and airflow of the air inside a building or structure.

[0004] In North America, indoor units of air conditioning systems can usually be matched with outdoor units of different brands, commonly known as replacement units. The indoor units are American-style ducted units, which consist of a housing, evaporator components, and fan components. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure aims to solve the problem of pipe connection in air conditioners.

[0006] This disclosure provides an air conditioner with several embodiments, including: an indoor heat exchanger, a thermal expansion valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, a compressor, a four-way valve, a first three-way pipe, a second three-way pipe, a one-way valve, a controller, an electronic expansion valve, a first refrigerant circuit, and a second refrigerant circuit; the expansion valve is located indoors, and the thermal expansion valve is connected to the indoor heat exchanger; the compressor has an intake port and an exhaust port; the four-way valve is connected to the intake port, the exhaust port, the indoor heat exchanger, and the outdoor heat exchanger respectively; the first three-way pipe has a first interface, a second interface, and a third interface, the second interface being connected to the thermal expansion valve; the second three-way pipe has a fourth interface, a fifth interface, and a sixth interface, the fourth interface being connected to the third interface, the fifth interface being connected to the outdoor heat exchanger, and the sixth interface being connected to the first interface; the one-way valve is used to allow refrigerant to flow from the sixth interface to the first interface; the electronic expansion valve... An expansion valve is electrically connected to the controller. The two ends of the electronic expansion valve are respectively connected to the third interface and the fourth interface. The controller is used to control the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve. The first refrigerant circuit is sequentially connected to the compressor, the four-way valve, the indoor heat exchanger, the fifth interface, the sixth interface, the first interface, the second interface, the thermostatic expansion valve, and the indoor heat exchanger. The second refrigerant circuit is sequentially connected to the compressor, the four-way valve, the indoor heat exchanger, the thermostatic expansion valve, the second interface, the third interface, the electronic expansion valve, the fourth interface, the fifth interface, and the outdoor heat exchanger. When the electronic expansion valve is closed, the refrigerant flows along the first refrigerant circuit, and the thermostatic expansion valve adjusts the refrigerant supply. When the electronic expansion valve is open, and the refrigerant flows along the second refrigerant circuit, the electronic expansion valve adjusts the refrigerant supply.

[0007] In this technical solution, the first three-way pipe and the second three-way pipe are connected in parallel. The two ends of the electronic expansion valve are respectively connected to one end of the first three-way pipe and one end of the second three-way pipe. The two ends of the one-way valve are respectively connected to the other end of the first three-way pipe and the other end of the second three-way pipe. The pipeline is simple, which can effectively reduce the pipeline and improve the space utilization of the box. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1 is a partial structural diagram of the first tee pipe of an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0009] Figure 2 is a partial exploded view of the structure of the first tee pipe of an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 3 is a partial structural diagram of the second three-way pipe of an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 4 is a partial structural diagram of the one-way valve of an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 5 is a partial structural diagram of the electronic expansion valve of an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 6 is a partial structural diagram of the first branch pipe of an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 7 is a partial structural diagram of the second branch pipe of an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 8 is a partial piping connection diagram of the first tee pipe of an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 9 is a piping connection diagram of an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 10 is a structural diagram of the refrigerant flow in the cooling mode of an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 11 is a structural diagram of the refrigerant flow in the heating mode of an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 12 is a connection diagram of the controller of an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 13 is a structural diagram of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 14 is an enlarged view of point A in Figure 13.

[0022] Figure 15 is a structural diagram of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner from another perspective according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 16 is a structural diagram of the casing of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 17 is an enlarged view of point B in Figure 16.

[0025] Figure 18 is an exploded view of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 19 is a structural diagram of a housing according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 20 is an exploded view of a fan, compressor, and base according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 21 is a structural diagram of a fan, compressor, outdoor heat exchanger and base according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 22 is a structural diagram of an outdoor heat exchanger according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 23 is another structural diagram of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, clearly and completely describes some embodiments of this disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some, not all, of the embodiments of this disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments provided in this disclosure are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0032] Unless the context otherwise requires, throughout the specification and claims, the term "comprise" and its other forms, such as the third-person singular "comprises" and the present participle "comprising," are interpreted as open-ended and encompassing, meaning "including, but not limited to." In the description of the specification, terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "exemplary embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., are intended to indicate that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic associated with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this disclosure. The illustrative representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics mentioned may be included in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0033] Hereinafter, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of embodiments of this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0034] In describing some embodiments, the terms "coupled" and "connected," and their derivative expressions, may be used. The term "connected" should be interpreted broadly; for example, a "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. The term "coupled" indicates that two or more components have direct physical or electrical contact. The term "coupled" or "communicatively coupled" may also refer to two or more components that do not have direct contact with each other but still cooperate or interact with each other. The embodiments disclosed herein are not necessarily limited to the content of this document.

[0035] "At least one of A, B and C" has the same meaning as "at least one of A, B or C", both including the following combinations of A, B and C: only A, only B, only C, combinations of A and B, combinations of A and C, combinations of B and C, and combinations of A, B and C.

[0036] "A and / or B" includes the following three combinations: A only, B only, and a combination of A and B.

[0037] The use of “applies to” or “configured to” in this article implies an open and inclusive language that does not preclude applicability to or configuration to devices that perform additional tasks or steps.

[0038] As used herein, “about,” “approximately,” or “approximately” includes the stated value and the average value within an acceptable range of deviation from the given value, wherein the acceptable range of deviation is determined by a person skilled in the art taking into account the measurement under discussion and the error associated with the measurement of the given quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system).

[0039] As used herein, “parallel,” “perpendicular,” and “equal” include the described situation and situations that are similar to the described situation, within an acceptable range of deviation, which is determined by those skilled in the art taking into account the measurement under discussion and the error associated with the measurement of a particular quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system). For example, “parallel” includes absolute parallelism and approximate parallelism, where an acceptable range of deviation for approximate parallelism may be, for example, within 5°; “perpendicular” includes absolute perpendicularity and approximate perpendicularity, where an acceptable range of deviation for approximate perpendicularity may also be, for example, within 5°; “equal” includes absolute equality and approximate equality, where an acceptable range of deviation for approximate equality may be, for example, a difference between the two equals being less than or equal to 5% of either one.

[0040] Currently, American-style ducted air conditioners have a thermal expansion valve at the evaporator inlet, which is used to regulate the amount of refrigerant supplied to the evaporator in the cooling room. Due to its structure and temperature sensing bulb characteristics, the thermal expansion valve is fully open when the air conditioner is heating, and it does not have the function of regulating the amount of refrigerant. At this time, the electronic expansion valve of the outdoor unit is needed to regulate the amount of refrigerant supplied. The electronic expansion valve is connected to the pipeline to realize the regulation of the amount of refrigerant supplied by the outdoor unit's electronic expansion valve for heating. However, the existing pipeline connection method is complicated and occupies a lot of space.

[0041] To address the aforementioned issues, as shown in FIG9, the air conditioner in this embodiment may include an indoor heat exchanger 100. The indoor heat exchanger 100 exchanges heat with the air passing through it to form a heat exchange airflow.

[0042] As shown in Figure 9, the air conditioner may include a thermal expansion valve 200. The thermal expansion valve 200 is located indoors and is connected to the indoor heat exchanger 100.

[0043] As shown in Figure 9, the air conditioner may include an outdoor heat exchanger 300. The outdoor heat exchanger 300 condenses the compressed refrigerant into a liquid phase, and the heat is released to the surrounding environment through the condensation process.

[0044] As shown in Figure 9, the air conditioner may include a compressor 400. The compressor 400 has an intake port and an exhaust port. The compressor 400 is used to compress low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant gas into high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas and discharge it to the condenser.

[0045] As shown in Figure 9, the air conditioner may include a four-way valve 500. The four-way valve 500 is connected to the air intake, air exhaust, indoor heat exchanger 100, and outdoor heat exchanger 300, respectively. The four-way valve 500 is used to control the refrigerant flow direction so that the outdoor heat exchanger 300 and the indoor heat exchanger 100 can switch between acting as a condenser and an evaporator.

[0046] As shown in Figures 1, 2, 8, and 9, in some embodiments, the air conditioner may include a first tee pipe 600. The first tee pipe 600 has a first port 601, a second port 602, and a third port 603. The second port 602 is connected to a thermal expansion valve 200.

[0047] As shown in Figures 1, 2, 8, and 9, in some embodiments, the air conditioner may include a second tee pipe 700. The second tee pipe 700 has a fourth interface 701, a fifth interface 702, and a sixth interface 703. The fourth interface 701 connects to the third interface 603. The fifth interface 702 connects to the outdoor heat exchanger 300. The sixth interface 703 connects to the first interface 601.

[0048] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, in some embodiments, the air conditioner may include a one-way valve 800 for allowing refrigerant to flow from the sixth port 703 to the first port 601.

[0049] As shown in Figure 12, in some embodiments, the air conditioner includes a controller, which is the central control element of the air conditioner and can receive and transmit electrical signals.

[0050] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, in some embodiments, the air conditioner includes an electronic expansion valve 900, which is electrically connected to a controller. The electronic expansion valve 900 is located on a pipeline between a third interface 603 and a fourth interface 701. The controller is used to control the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 900, thereby forming a cooling circulation loop for refrigerant flow.

[0051] As shown in Figures 8 and 10, in some embodiments, the air conditioner includes a first refrigerant circuit, which is sequentially connected to a compressor 400, a four-way valve 500, an indoor heat exchanger 100, a fifth interface 702, a sixth interface 703, a first interface 601, a second interface 602, a thermal expansion valve 200, and the indoor heat exchanger 100.

[0052] As shown in Figures 8 and 11, in some embodiments, the air conditioner includes a second refrigerant circuit, which is sequentially connected to a compressor 400, a four-way valve 500, an indoor heat exchanger 100, a thermal expansion valve 200, a second interface 602, a third interface 603, an electronic expansion valve 900, a fourth interface 701, a fifth interface 702, and an outdoor heat exchanger 300.

[0053] As shown in Figures 8 and 10, the electronic expansion valve 900 is in the closed state, the refrigerant flows along the first refrigerant circuit, and the thermostatic expansion valve 200 regulates the refrigerant supply.

[0054] As shown in Figures 8 and 11, when the electronic expansion valve 900 is in the open state, and the refrigerant flows along the second refrigerant circuit, the electronic expansion valve 900 adjusts the refrigerant supply.

[0055] Through the above technical solution, the first tee pipe 600 and the second tee pipe 700 are connected in parallel. The two ends of the electronic expansion valve 900 are respectively connected to one end of the first tee pipe 600 and one end of the second tee pipe 700, and the two ends of the one-way valve 800 are respectively connected to the other end of the first tee pipe 600 and the other end of the second tee pipe 700. The piping is simple, which improves the space utilization of the enclosure, optimizes the internal piping structure of the enclosure, saves piping space, reduces the difficulty of piping design, and achieves a compact piping design.

[0056] The parallel connection of the first tee pipe 600 and the second tee pipe 700 not only ensures the flow of refrigerant in the air conditioner, but also ensures that the thermal expansion valve 200 or the electronic expansion valve 900 can throttle and reduce the pressure of the refrigerant in the air conditioner when the air conditioner is operating different functions. This can improve the normal operation and reliability of the air conditioner.

[0057] The electronic expansion valve 900 regulates the refrigerant supply during the heating process of the air conditioner, and does not throttle or affect the refrigerant flow during the cooling process. It achieves different functions in both cooling and heating. The electronic expansion valve 900 has a wide adjustment range and fast adjustment speed, which reduces the system's energy consumption.

[0058] As shown in Figure 1, in some embodiments, the air conditioner may include a first branch pipe 110, which connects a first interface 601 and a sixth interface 703, and a one-way valve 800 is provided on the first branch pipe 110.

[0059] As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 8, in some embodiments, the first branch pipe 110 is a U-shaped pipe, one end of the first branch pipe 110 is connected to the first interface 601, and the other end of the first branch pipe 110 is connected to the sixth interface 703.

[0060] In some embodiments, the first branch pipe 110 is a straight pipe, with one end connected to the first interface 601 and the other end connected to the sixth interface 703. The straight pipe is shorter in length, saving pipeline space.

[0061] In some embodiments, one end of the one-way valve 800 is directly connected to the first interface 601, and the other end of the one-way valve 800 is directly connected to the sixth interface 703. The one-way valve 800 installed in this way can both restrict the flow of refrigerant and keep the pipeline neat.

[0062] As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 8, in some embodiments, the air conditioner may include a second branch pipe 120 and a third branch pipe 130. The two ends of the electronic expansion valve 900 are respectively connected to one end of the second branch pipe 120 and one end of the third branch pipe 130. The other end of the second branch pipe 120 is connected to the fourth interface 701, and the other end of the third branch pipe 130 is connected to the sixth interface 603.

[0063] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 8, the second branch pipe 120 can be either the inlet pipe or the outlet pipe of the electronic expansion valve 900. The third branch pipe 130 can be either the outlet pipe or the inlet pipe of the electronic expansion valve 900. When the second branch pipe 120 is the inlet pipe, the second connecting pipe is the outlet pipe.

[0064] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, in some embodiments, the second branch pipe 120 is parallel to the third branch pipe 130 and the second branch pipe 120 is parallel to the first branch pipe 110, which improves the utilization rate of the box space.

[0065] As shown in Figure 11, in some embodiments, when the air conditioner is running in heating mode, the electronic expansion valve 900 is kept at its maximum opening, which can ensure the heat exchange efficiency between the refrigerant and the indoor heat exchanger 100 and ensure the heating effect of the air conditioner on the indoor temperature.

[0066] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 8, in some embodiments, a first filter 140 is provided on the second branch pipe 120, and a second filter 150 is provided on the third branch pipe 130. The first filter 140 and the second filter 150 are used to filter impurities in the refrigerant, reducing the system failure rate and improving stability.

[0067] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, in some embodiments, the pipeline between the indoor heat exchanger 100 and the four-way valve 500 is provided with a first shut-off valve 160, and the pipeline between the indoor heat exchanger 100 and the second interface 602 is provided with a second shut-off valve 170.

[0068] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, in some embodiments, the first shut-off valve 160 is a coarse shut-off valve. This coarse shut-off valve controls the refrigerant flow between the indoor heat exchanger 100 and the four-way valve 500, specifically controlling the refrigerant flow from the indoor heat exchanger 100 to the four-way valve 500. The coarse shut-off valve can regulate the refrigerant flow between the indoor heat exchanger 100 and the four-way valve 500.

[0069] As shown in Figures 9 and 11, in some embodiments, the second shut-off valve 170 is a fine shut-off valve, which is used to control the flow of refrigerant between the outdoor heat exchanger 300 and the indoor heat exchanger 100.

[0070] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, in cooling mode, the fine shut-off valve controls the refrigerant flow path between the outdoor heat exchanger 300 and the indoor heat exchanger 100 to control the refrigerant flow from the outdoor heat exchanger 300 to the indoor heat exchanger 100. Alternatively, the fine shut-off valve controls the cut-off of the refrigerant flow path between the outdoor heat exchanger 300 and the indoor heat exchanger 100. In addition, the fine shut-off valve can regulate the refrigerant flow rate between the outdoor heat exchanger 300 and the indoor heat exchanger 100.

[0071] In some embodiments, a second shut-off valve 170 is disposed on the pipeline between the indoor heat exchanger 100 and the thermal expansion valve 200, for controlling the cut-off of the refrigerant flow path between the thermal expansion valve 200 and the indoor heat exchanger 100.

[0072] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, in some embodiments, a second shut-off valve 170 is disposed on the pipeline between the first tee pipe 600 and the thermal expansion valve 200, for controlling the cut-off of the refrigerant flow path between the first tee pipe 600 and the indoor heat exchanger 100.

[0073] As shown in Figure 9, in some embodiments, the four-way valve 500 has a first port, a second port, a third port, and a fourth port. The first port is connected to the exhaust port of the compressor 400, the second port is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 300, the third port is connected to the suction port of the compressor 400, and the fourth port is connected to the indoor heat exchanger 100. The four-way valve 500 reverses the flow of refrigerant in the air conditioner, ensuring the smooth flow of refrigerant and improving the normal operation of the air conditioner.

[0074] As shown in Figure 10, when the electronic expansion valve 900 is closed, the first and second ports are connected, and the third and fourth ports are connected. When the air conditioner is in cooling mode, the electronic expansion valve 900 prevents refrigerant from flowing from the fourth port 701 to the third port 603, but refrigerant can flow from the sixth port 703 to the first port 601 to complete the cooling cycle.

[0075] As shown in Figure 11, when the electronic expansion valve 900 is in the open state, the first port and the fourth port are connected, and the second port and the third port are connected. When the air conditioner is in heating mode, adjusting the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 900 can control the heating effect and the refrigerant flow. Adjusting the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 900 can achieve the purpose of precisely controlling the indoor temperature and reducing equipment energy consumption.

[0076] The opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 900 can be adjusted. When the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 900 is adjusted to the minimum, the refrigerant cannot continue to flow through the electronic expansion valve 900. When the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 900 is adjusted to the maximum, the refrigerant flow rate through the electronic expansion valve 900 is the maximum. When the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 900 is adjusted to an appropriate level, the refrigerant flow rate through the electronic expansion valve 900 is appropriate.

[0077] As shown in Figure 10, when the air conditioner is operating the refrigeration system, the opening of the electronic expansion valve 900 is set to zero, which prevents the flow of refrigerant. The thermostatic expansion valve 200 can reduce the pressure of the refrigerant when it flows from the outdoor heat exchanger 300 to the indoor heat exchanger 100, which can increase the heat exchange area between the refrigerant and the indoor heat exchanger 100, improve the heat exchange efficiency of the indoor heat exchanger 100, and improve the cooling effect of the air conditioner.

[0078] As shown in Figure 11, when the air conditioner is operating the heating system, the electronic expansion valve 900 is normally open to control the refrigerant flow. The electronic expansion valve 900 can reduce the pressure of the refrigerant when it flows from the indoor heat exchanger 100 to the outdoor heat exchanger 300, which can increase the heat exchange area between the refrigerant and the outdoor heat exchanger 300. It can also convert the refrigerant flowing from the outdoor heat exchanger 300 to the compressor 400 into a low-temperature, low-pressure gas, thereby improving the working efficiency of the compressor 400.

[0079] As shown in Figure 11, during the heating process, the refrigerant is throttled and depressurized by the electronic expansion valve 900 before directly entering the outdoor heat exchanger 300, thereby reducing the pressure drop and improving the heating performance of the unit.

[0080] As shown in Figures 10 and 12, in some embodiments, the controller is configured to: control the opening of the electronic expansion valve 900 to zero when the air conditioner is in cooling mode, and control the electronic expansion valve 900 to be in a throttling state when the air conditioner is in heating mode.

[0081] As shown in Figure 9, in some embodiments, a gas-liquid separator 180 is also included. The gas-liquid separator 180 has an inlet and an outlet. The inlet is connected to the third port of the four-way valve 500, and the outlet is connected to the suction port of the compressor 400. The gas-liquid separator 180 adopts a common cylindrical container, which facilitates the production and installation of the gas-liquid separator 180 and can reduce the production cost of the air conditioner.

[0082] The gas-liquid separator 180 can separate and remove moisture from the refrigerant. The cylindrical container makes it easier for moisture to adhere to the gas-liquid separator 180, which can optimize the effect of the gas-liquid separator 180 and improve the dryness of the refrigerant fluid entering the compressor 400.

[0083] As shown in Figure 8, in some embodiments, the third interface 603 and the fourth interface 701 are located at the same height, and the second interface 602 and the fifth interface 702 are located at the same height.

[0084] As shown in Figure 8, in some embodiments, the first tee pipe 600 and the second tee pipe 700 are installed vertically. The third port 603 and the fourth port 701 are located at the same height to ensure the smooth flow of refrigerant from the third port 603 to the fourth port 701. The second port 602 and the fifth port 702 are located at the same height, making the pipe layout neater and more aesthetically pleasing, and saving installation space.

[0085] As shown in Figure 8, in some embodiments, the fourth interface 701 and the sixth interface 703 are disposed on the same horizontal plane, and the fifth interface 702 is disposed below the fourth interface 701 and the sixth interface 703.

[0086] As shown in Figure 8, in some embodiments, the first interface 601 and the third interface 603 are located on the same horizontal plane, and the second interface 602 is located below the first interface 601 and the third interface 603. This arrangement not only facilitates the flow of refrigerant but also keeps the piping neat.

[0087] As shown in Figures 8, 9 and 11, in some embodiments, when the electronic expansion valve 900 is in the open state, the refrigerant flowing out from the fourth port 701 also flows to the first port 601, and the refrigerant flowing out from the first port 601 flows back to the fourth port 701 via the third port 603, forming a dynamic cycle with the refrigerant that previously flowed to the second port 602 via the second shut-off valve 170.

[0088] As shown in Figure 12, in some embodiments, the controller is electrically connected to the compressor 400, indoor heat exchanger 100, electronic expansion valve 900, outdoor heat exchanger 300, four-way valve 500, and gas-liquid separator 180. The controller can control the compression power of the compressor 400, control and adjust the air volume and air rate of the air conditioner, and control the internal flow path of the four-way valve 500 when the air conditioner is operating different functions, thus ensuring the reliability of the air conditioner in performing multiple functions.

[0089] In some embodiments, the first tee pipe 600 includes, but is not limited to, a flattened tee, a Y-type tee, a T-type tee, or other structural forms.

[0090] In some embodiments, the second tee pipe 700 includes, but is not limited to, a flattened tee, a Y-type tee, a T-type tee, or other structural forms.

[0091] As shown in Figure 8, in some embodiments, the first tee pipe 600 and the second tee pipe 700 have the same structure and are connected in parallel, making the pipeline distribution neat and simple.

[0092] In some embodiments, the one-way valve 800 is a solenoid valve electrically connected to a controller, which controls the opening or closing of the solenoid valve. In air conditioning cooling mode, the solenoid valve is opened, and refrigerant flows from the sixth port 703 to the first port 601. In air conditioning heating mode, the solenoid valve is closed.

[0093] As shown in Figure 9, in some embodiments, the air conditioner includes an indoor unit, which is hollow, with a thermal expansion valve 200 located inside the indoor unit and an indoor heat exchanger 100 located inside the indoor unit.

[0094] As shown in Figure 9, in some embodiments, the air conditioner includes an outdoor unit, which is hollow, and the compressor 400, four-way valve 500, electronic expansion valve 900, first three-way pipe 600, and second three-way pipe 700 are located inside the outdoor unit.

[0095] When an air conditioner is running in cooling mode, the indoor unit provides cool air to the area where it is located. When an air conditioner is running in heating mode, the indoor unit provides warm air to the area where it is located.

[0096] As shown in Figure 9, in some embodiments, the air conditioner may include a fourth branch pipe disposed between the fine shut-off valve and the second interface 602. The air conditioner may also include a fifth branch pipe disposed between the outdoor heat exchanger 300 and the fifth interface 702.

[0097] As shown in Figure 9, in some embodiments, the fourth branch pipe is parallel to the fifth branch pipe, which saves pipe space, reduces the difficulty of pipe design, and achieves a compact pipe design.

[0098] As shown in Figure 1, in some embodiments, the first tee pipe 600, the second tee pipe 700, the one-way valve 800, and the electronic expansion valve 900, once connected, can be used as a single unit. When repair or replacement is needed, the entire unit can be removed for repair or replacement. During the air conditioner piping assembly process, it can be assembled into a single unit before being installed into the air conditioner's piping, resulting in high assembly efficiency.

[0099] As shown in Figures 8 and 10, the principle of refrigerant flow control in the piping scheme of this embodiment is as follows: In the air conditioner's cooling mode, the refrigerant flows to the second three-way pipe 700 after being cooled by the outdoor heat exchanger 300. At this time, the refrigerant flow direction has two options: flowing to the sixth port 703 or flowing to the fourth port 701. The installation direction of the one-way valve 800 is such that the sixth port 703 is connected to the first port 601. The opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 900 between the fourth port 701 and the third port 603 is zero, which prevents the refrigerant from flowing, so that the electronic expansion valve 900 does not throttle and does not affect the refrigerant flow.

[0100] The refrigerant flows through the one-way valve 800 to the first port 601, then to the second port 602. At this point, the refrigerant has two options: flow to the fine shut-off valve or to the third port 603. Since the electronic expansion valve 900 between the fourth port 701 and the third port 603 is at zero opening, it prevents refrigerant flow and ensures that the electronic expansion valve 900 does not throttle, thus not affecting the refrigerant flow rate. The refrigerant flows to the fine shut-off valve, then enters the thermostatic expansion valve 200 for throttling, and finally evaporates in the indoor heat exchanger 100 before returning to the compressor 400 through the four-way valve 500, completing the refrigeration cycle.

[0101] As shown in Figures 8 and 11, in the air conditioning heating mode, the refrigerant enters the fine shut-off valve and then flows to the first three-way pipe 600. At this time, the refrigerant can flow to either the first port 601 or the third port 603. The one-way valve 800 is installed in a direction that blocks the flow from the first port 601 to the sixth port 703. After the refrigerant flows to the first port 601, it can no longer flow to the sixth port 703. Therefore, the refrigerant flows to the third port 603.

[0102] When the electronic expansion valve 900 is open normally, it controls the refrigerant flow, thus regulating the refrigerant supply. After flowing out of the electronic expansion valve 900, the refrigerant flows to the fourth port 701 and the fifth port 702. At this point, the refrigerant has two options: flowing to the one-way valve 800 or the outdoor heat exchanger 300. The one-way valve 800 is installed so that the sixth port 703 is connected to the first port 601. The refrigerant then flows through the one-way valve 800 back to the first port 601, and finally to the second port 602, forming a dynamic cycle with the refrigerant that initially flowed to the first port 601 through the shut-off valve.

[0103] The refrigerant flowing out from the fifth port 702 eventually flows to the outdoor heat exchanger 300, and after passing through the outdoor heat exchanger 300, it returns to the compressor 400 through the four-way valve 500, completing the heating cycle.

[0104] As shown in Figure 9, this embodiment of the present disclosure also provides an air conditioner, which includes a thermal expansion valve 200 disposed indoors. The thermal expansion valve 200 throttles and reduces the pressure of the high-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant, transforming it into a low-temperature, low-pressure vapor-liquid mixture that is easily evaporated.

[0105] The air conditioner includes an indoor heat exchanger 100, which is located indoors and connected to a thermal expansion valve 200.

[0106] The air conditioner includes an outdoor heat exchanger 300, which is located outdoors, and an indoor heat exchanger 100, one of which functions as a condenser and the other as an evaporator.

[0107] The air conditioner includes a compressor 400, which has an air intake and an air exhaust port.

[0108] The air conditioner includes a four-way valve 500, which is connected to the air intake, the air exhaust, the indoor heat exchanger 100, and the outdoor heat exchanger 300.

[0109] The air conditioner includes a first tee pipe 600, which has a first interface 601, a second interface 602 and a third interface 603, and the second interface 602 is connected to a thermal expansion valve 200.

[0110] The air conditioner includes a second three-way pipe 700, which has a fourth interface 701, a fifth interface 702 and a sixth interface 703. The fourth interface 701 is connected to the third interface 603, the fifth interface 702 is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 300, and the sixth interface 703 is connected to the first interface 601.

[0111] The air conditioner includes a one-way valve 800, which is activated when the refrigerant flows from the sixth port 703 to the first port 601.

[0112] The air conditioner includes an electronic expansion valve 900, which is located on the pipeline between the third port 603 and the fourth port 701.

[0113] As shown in Figures 9 and 12, the air conditioner includes a controller electrically connected to the electronic expansion valve 900. The controller controls the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 900. The controller can calculate, judge, and issue instructions to other components in the air conditioner. It can store certain settings to control the operating conditions of the air conditioner, realize the automated operation and adjustment of the air conditioner, improve the intelligence of the air conditioner, and enhance the user experience.

[0114] As shown in Figure 10, the controller receives a refrigeration signal and controls the electronic expansion valve 900 to close. The high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant output by the compressor 400 flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 300 through the four-way valve 500. The medium-temperature and high-pressure liquid refrigerant flowing out of the outdoor heat exchanger 300 flows sequentially through the fifth port 702, the sixth port 703, the first port 601, the second port 602, the thermal expansion valve 200, and the indoor heat exchanger 100. The low-temperature and low-pressure gaseous refrigerant flowing out of the indoor heat exchanger 100 flows back to the compressor 400 through the four-way valve 500.

[0115] As shown in Figure 11, the controller receives a heating signal and controls the electronic expansion valve 900 to open. The high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant output by the compressor 400 flows into the indoor heat exchanger 100 through the four-way valve 500. The medium-temperature and high-pressure liquid refrigerant flowing out of the indoor heat exchanger 100 flows sequentially through the thermal expansion valve 200, the second port 602, the third port 603, the electronic expansion valve 900, the fourth port 701, the fifth port 702, and the outdoor heat exchanger 300. The low-temperature and low-pressure gaseous refrigerant flowing out of the outdoor heat exchanger flows back to the compressor 400 through the four-way valve 500, so that the electronic expansion valve 900 can regulate the refrigerant supply.

[0116] With the above technical solution, the first three-way pipe 600 and the second three-way pipe 700 are connected in parallel. The two ends of the electronic expansion valve 900 are respectively connected to one end of the first three-way pipe 600 and one end of the second three-way pipe 700. The two ends of the one-way valve 800 are respectively connected to the other end of the first three-way pipe 600 and the other end of the second three-way pipe 700. The pipeline is simple, saves pipeline space, reduces the difficulty of pipeline design, and realizes the compact pipeline design.

[0117] As shown in Figure 9, in some embodiments, the indoor unit is an American-style duct unit, and the outdoor unit is a replacement unit. The indoor unit is equipped with a thermal expansion valve 200 at the inlet of the indoor heat exchanger 100 to regulate the liquid supply of the indoor heat exchanger 100 during the air conditioning cooling process.

[0118] As shown in Figure 9, in some embodiments, the compressor 400 is a variable frequency refrigeration compressor 400, and the compressor 400 is driven by DC or AC. The compressor 400 is the main functional component in the air conditioner's refrigeration and heating system. The refrigerant, after heat exchange in the indoor heat exchanger 100, can enter the compressor 400 through the compressor 400 inlet. After compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation in the compressor 400, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas is discharged from the exhaust port.

[0119] The compressor 400 provides power and heat for the refrigerant to flow within the air conditioner, enabling the air conditioner to cool and heat the room. It also allows the air conditioner to adjust the indoor temperature to the user's specified temperature, ensuring the cooling and heating performance of the air conditioner.

[0120] During the cooling process of the air conditioner, the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas flowing from the compressor 400 releases heat and condenses in the outdoor heat exchanger 300, transforming into a medium-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant liquid. During the heating process of the air conditioner, the medium-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant liquid flowing from the indoor heat exchanger 100 absorbs heat and vaporizes in the outdoor heat exchanger 300, transforming into a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant gas.

[0121] As shown in Figure 12, in some embodiments, the air conditioner also includes a receiver, the controller is electrically connected to the electronic expansion valve 900, the receiver is electrically connected to the controller, the receiver is used to receive cooling or heating commands, and the controller is used to control the opening or closing of the electronic expansion valve 900 according to the cooling or heating commands.

[0122] The air conditioner disclosed in this embodiment can also be used to solve the problem of air intake uniformity in the outdoor unit of an air conditioner. In related air conditioner outdoor units, multiple air inlets on the casing are typically of the same size, while the fan is fixed to the top of the casing, for example, to the air outlet grille 161. This means the distance between the fan and different air inlets is not the same; air inlets farther from the fan receive less air, which easily leads to different air intake volumes in different parts of the casing, resulting in poor air intake uniformity.

[0123] To address the aforementioned problems, as shown in Figures 13 and 15, an air conditioner according to some embodiments of this disclosure includes an outdoor unit 10. The outdoor unit 10 includes a housing 1, a compressor 400, an outdoor heat exchanger 300, and a fan 220.

[0124] As shown in Figures 13 and 15, the outer periphery of the casing 1 has an air inlet and the top has an air outlet 16. The compressor 400 is located inside the casing 1. The outdoor heat exchanger 300 is located inside the casing 1 and is used for heat exchange with outdoor air. The fan 220 is located inside the casing 1. The fan 220 drives outdoor air to flow sequentially through the air inlet, the outdoor heat exchanger 300, and the air outlet 16.

[0125] As shown in Figures 13, 15, 20, and 23, the housing 1 includes a base 11, a housing 12, and an air outlet grille 161. The housing 12, the compressor 400, and the outdoor heat exchanger 300 are fixed to the base 11, and the compressor 400 and the outdoor heat exchanger 300 are located inside the housing 12. The housing 12 has an air inlet, the air outlet grille 161 is located on the top of the housing 12, the fan 220 is fixed to the air outlet grille 161, and the air outlet grille 161 has an air outlet 16.

[0126] As shown in Figure 14, in some embodiments, there are multiple air inlets, including multiple first air inlets 13 and multiple second air inlets 14. The first air inlets 13 are located above the second air inlets 14, and the air inlet area of ​​at least one second air inlet 14 is larger than the air inlet area of ​​the first air inlet 13.

[0127] In this embodiment, the shape of the air inlet can be rectangular as shown in Figure 14, but is not limited to it. For example, the shape of the air inlet can be circular, polygonal, or elliptical, as long as the air intake area of ​​the second air inlet 14 is greater than the air intake area of ​​the first air inlet 13. Furthermore, the shapes and sizes of the multiple second air inlets 14 can be the same or different, and the shapes and sizes of the multiple first air inlets 13 can also be the same or different.

[0128] As shown in Figures 13, 14, 15 and 23, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the outdoor unit 10 of the air conditioner has an air inlet on the outer periphery of the casing 1 and an air outlet 16 on the top. The compressor 400 is disposed inside the casing 1, the outdoor heat exchanger 300 is disposed inside the casing 1 and is used for heat exchange with the outdoor air, and the fan 220 is disposed inside the casing 1. The fan 220 drives the outdoor air to flow sequentially through the air inlet, the outdoor heat exchanger 300 and the air outlet 16.

[0129] In this way, when the outdoor unit 10 of the air conditioner is working, the fan 220 operates, driving outdoor air to enter the casing 1 through the air inlets around the casing 1 and flow through the outdoor heat exchanger 300. This allows the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 300 to exchange heat with the outdoor air entering the casing 1. If the air conditioner is cooling the room, the indoor heat exchanger acts as an evaporator, and the outdoor heat exchanger 300 acts as a condenser, releasing heat to the outdoor air. If the air conditioner is heating the room, the indoor heat exchanger acts as a condenser, and the outdoor heat exchanger 300 acts as an evaporator, absorbing heat from the outdoor air. Finally, the outdoor air, after heat exchange in the outdoor heat exchanger 300, is discharged from the casing 10 of the outdoor unit 10 through the air outlet 16.

[0130] Additionally, the casing 1 includes a base 11, a housing 12, and an air outlet grille 161. The housing 12, compressor 400, and outdoor heat exchanger 300 are fixed to the base 11, and the compressor 400 and outdoor heat exchanger 300 are located inside the housing 12. The housing 12 has an air inlet, and the air outlet grille 161 is located on the top of the housing 12. The fan 220 is fixed to the air outlet grille 161, and the air outlet grille 161 has an air outlet 16. The compressor 400 and fan 220 can be located inside the outdoor heat exchanger 300. This allows the outdoor air entering the housing 1 through the air inlet to first pass through the outdoor heat exchanger 300, thus enabling the outdoor heat exchanger 300 to fully exchange heat with the outdoor air.

[0131] Furthermore, in some embodiments, there are multiple air inlets, which may include multiple first air inlets 13. In this way, outdoor air can enter the housing 1 through multiple first air inlets 13 to ensure sufficient airflow into the housing 1, so that the outdoor heat exchanger 300 can fully exchange heat with the outdoor air.

[0132] In some embodiments, the multiple air inlets may also include multiple second air inlets 14, so that outdoor air can enter the housing 1 through the multiple second air inlets 14 to ensure sufficient airflow of outdoor air into the housing 1, and that the outdoor heat exchanger 300 can fully exchange heat with the outdoor air.

[0133] As shown in Figure 14, in some embodiments, there are multiple air inlets, which may include multiple first air inlets 13 and multiple second air inlets 14. The first air inlets 13 are located above the second air inlets 14, and the air intake area of ​​at least one second air inlet 14 is larger than that of the first air inlet 13. With this configuration, outdoor air can enter the housing 1 through multiple first air inlets 13 and multiple second air inlets 14, resulting in a more sufficient air intake and further improving the adequacy of heat exchange between the outdoor heat exchanger 300 and the outdoor air.

[0134] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 15 and 23, the fan 220 is fixed to the air outlet grille 161, which is located on the top of the housing 12. That is, the fan 220 is closer to the first air inlet 13 and farther from the second air inlet 14. The air inlet area of ​​at least one of the multiple second air inlets 14 located on the lower side is greater than the air inlet area of ​​the first air inlet 13. In other words, the air inlet area of ​​the air inlet farther from the fan 220 can be greater than the air inlet area of ​​the air inlet closer to the fan 220.

[0135] It should be noted that the air velocity at the first air inlet 13, which is closer to the fan 220, will be higher, while the air velocity at the second air inlet 14, which is farther from the fan 220, will be lower. By setting the air intake area of ​​the second air inlet 14 to be larger, the air volume of the second air inlet 14 can be increased, thereby making the air intake at the first air inlet 13 and the second air inlet 14 more uniform. The outdoor air entering the casing 1 from multiple air inlets can exchange heat with the outdoor heat exchanger 300 more evenly, resulting in more uniform and sufficient heat exchange and better heat exchange effect.

[0136] Thus, the outdoor unit 10 of the air conditioner according to the present utility model embodiment can increase the air intake volume in the part with lower wind speed, and the air intake uniformity is better.

[0137] As shown in Figures 14, 17, and 19, in some embodiments of this disclosure, a plurality of first air inlets 13 are arranged circumferentially along the housing 12 to form a first air inlet row 131. In this way, the plurality of first air inlets 13 can better cover the upper side of the housing 12 from the circumferential direction, meaning the coverage area of ​​the plurality of first air inlets 13 on the upper side of the housing 12 can be larger. Outdoor air can enter from the circumferential direction of the housing 12, which helps to increase the air intake from the plurality of first air inlets 13, ensuring sufficient air intake on the upper side of the housing 12, and enabling the outdoor heat exchanger 300 to fully exchange heat with the outdoor air.

[0138] As shown in Figures 16 and 19, in some other embodiments of this disclosure, a plurality of second air inlets 14 are arranged circumferentially along the housing 12 to form a second air inlet row 141. In this way, the plurality of second air inlets 14 can better cover the lower side of the housing 12 from the circumferential direction, that is, the coverage area of ​​the plurality of second air inlets 14 on the lower side of the housing 12 can be larger, and outdoor air can enter along the circumferential direction of the housing 12, which is conducive to increasing the air intake from the plurality of second air inlets 14, so that the air intake on the lower side of the housing 12 is sufficient, and the outdoor heat exchanger 300 can fully exchange heat with the outdoor air.

[0139] As shown in Figures 14, 17, and 19, in some embodiments of this disclosure, there are multiple first air inlet rows 131, and these multiple first air inlet rows 131 are arranged in a vertical direction. In this way, the multiple first air inlet rows 131 can cover the upper side of the housing 12 in the vertical direction, meaning the coverage area of ​​the multiple first air inlet rows 131 on the upper side of the housing 12 can be larger, and the air intake volume of the multiple first air inlet rows 131 can be larger, further increasing the air intake volume on the upper side of the housing 12. This allows the outdoor heat exchanger 300 to fully exchange heat with more outdoor air.

[0140] As shown in Figures 16 and 19, in some other embodiments of this disclosure, there are multiple second air inlet rows 141, and these multiple second air inlet rows 141 are arranged in a vertical direction. In this way, the multiple second air inlet rows 141 can cover the lower side of the housing 12 in the vertical direction, that is, the coverage area of ​​the multiple second air inlet rows 141 on the upper side of the housing 12 can be larger, and the air intake of the multiple second air inlet rows 141 can be larger, further improving the air intake on the lower side of the housing 12, and enabling the outdoor heat exchanger 300 to fully exchange heat with more outdoor air.

[0141] As shown in Figures 16 and 19, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the number of rows of the second air inlet row 141 is less than the number of rows of the first air inlet row 131.

[0142] It should be noted that during the operation of the fan 220, the air velocity at most air inlets is relatively high. Only the air inlets near the lower side of the housing 12 are far from the fan 220, and the air velocity at these air inlets is relatively low. By setting a larger air inlet area for these air inlets, the air volume at the air inlets on the lower side of the housing 12 can be increased, thus ensuring better uniformity of air intake on the upper and lower sides of the housing 12.

[0143] Furthermore, by setting the number of rows of the second air inlet row 141 to be less than the number of rows of the first air inlet row 131, the number of second air inlet rows 141 can be avoided to be too large, that is, to avoid the multiple second air inlets 14 occupying too large an area in the vertical direction of the housing 12. The second air inlet rows 141 can be farther away from the fan 220, thereby avoiding the air intake area of ​​the air inlets closer to the fan 220 being too large, so that the air intake volume of the first air inlet 13 and the second air inlet 14 can be similar, so as to ensure the air intake uniformity of multiple air inlets and better air intake uniformity of different parts of the housing 12.

[0144] In addition, it should be noted that the number of first air inlets 13 in multiple first air inlet rows 131 can be the same, and the number of second air inlets 14 in multiple second air inlet rows 141 can be the same. This can ensure that the distribution of multiple first air inlets 13 and multiple second air inlets 14 is uniform, and the air intake uniformity of multiple air inlets is better.

[0145] As shown in Figures 16 and 19, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the height of the second air inlet 14 is equal to the height of the first air inlet 13 in the vertical direction. With this setting, the size of a single first air inlet 13 and a single second air inlet 14 can be the same in the vertical direction, which helps to simplify the structure of multiple air inlets and facilitates the arrangement of multiple air inlets in the vertical direction.

[0146] Furthermore, along the circumferential direction of the housing 12, the size of the second air inlet 14 is larger than the size of the first air inlet 13. Specifically, in the vertical direction, the size of the first air inlet 13 and the second air inlet 14 are the same, while in the circumferential direction of the housing 12, the size of the second air inlet 14 is larger than the size of the first air inlet 13. Therefore, the air intake area of ​​the second air inlet 14 can be larger than that of the first air inlet 13. When the air intake velocity of the second air inlet 14 is lower than that of the first air inlet, increasing the air intake area of ​​the second air inlet 14 can increase the air intake volume of the second air inlet 14, making the air intake volume of the second air inlet 14 and the air intake volume of the first air inlet 13 similar. This ensures uniform air intake at different parts of the housing 12, resulting in more uniform heat exchange between the outdoor heat exchanger 300 and the outdoor air.

[0147] As shown in Figures 14, 17, and 19, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the multiple air inlets may include a third air inlet 15. The third air inlet 15 is located between two adjacent second air inlets 14 of the second air inlet row 141, and the air inlet area of ​​the third air inlet 15 is not less than the air inlet area of ​​the first air inlet 13.

[0148] In other words, the third air inlet 15 can correspond to the second air inlet 14 in the vertical direction, meaning that the third air inlet 15 is also adjacent to the lower side of the housing 12. The air intake area of ​​the third air inlet 15 can be smaller than the air intake area of ​​the second air inlet 14.

[0149] For example, the air intake area of ​​the third air intake 15 can be larger than that of the first air intake 13. This ensures that the air intake volume of the third air intake 15 can be larger, thereby increasing the air intake volume of the air intake adjacent to the lower side of the housing 12 and ensuring the uniformity of air intake on the upper and lower sides of the housing 12.

[0150] In other embodiments, the air intake area of ​​the third air intake 15 may also be equal to the air intake area of ​​the first air intake 13. For example, the shape of the third air intake 15 and the shape of the first air intake 13 may be the same, which helps to simplify the structure of the third air intake 15, thereby simplifying the structure of the housing 12, facilitating the processing and manufacturing of the housing 12, and reducing processing costs.

[0151] It should be noted that the second air inlet 14 has a larger circumferential dimension in the housing 12. By setting a third air inlet 15 between two adjacent second air inlets 14, a vertical rib will be formed between the third air inlet 15 and the second air inlet 14. In this way, the vertical ribs on both sides of the third air inlet 15 can be used to support the housing 12, thereby strengthening the structural strength of the housing 12 and preventing the structural strength of the lower side of the housing 12 from being too low.

[0152] As shown in Figures 14, 17 and 19, in some embodiments, at least one third air inlet 15 is located in the middle of the second air inlet row 141 along the length direction of the second air inlet row 141.

[0153] Specifically, when each second air inlet row 141 has two second air inlets 14, the third air inlet 15 located between the two second air inlets 14 can be located in the middle of the second air inlet row 141; while when each second air inlet row 141 has more than two second air inlets 14, one of the multiple third air inlets 15 can be located in the middle of the second air inlet row 141. This arrangement ensures that the structural strength of the housing 12 is relatively high in the position adjacent to the middle of the second air inlet row 141, which is beneficial to improving the structural strength of the housing 12 and preventing deformation of the housing 12.

[0154] In some other embodiments of this disclosure, the air intake area of ​​the multiple air inlets gradually increases from top to bottom along the vertical direction.

[0155] It should be noted that, along the vertical direction from top to bottom, the distance between multiple air inlets and the fan 220 gradually increases, and the air velocity of the air inlets farther away from the fan 220 will be smaller. By gradually increasing the air intake area of ​​multiple air inlets along the vertical direction, the air intake area of ​​the air inlets farther away from the fan 220 will be larger.

[0156] Therefore, from top to bottom along the vertical direction, the air inlet farther away from the fan 220 will have a lower air velocity and a larger air inlet area. This ensures that the air volume of multiple air inlets can be similar, so that the air volume of air inlets at different parts of the upper and lower parts of the shell 12 can be similar, and the heat exchange of different parts of the heat exchanger can be similar, resulting in more uniform heat exchange.

[0157] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in Figures 18, 21 and 22, multiple side walls of the housing 12 are provided with air inlets, and the outdoor heat exchanger 300 covers the air inlets. In this way, the outdoor air entering the housing 1 from the air inlets can flow through the outdoor heat exchanger 300, and the outdoor heat exchanger 300 can fully exchange heat with the outdoor air.

[0158] In addition, the height of the outdoor heat exchanger 300 is not less than the height of the housing 12 in the vertical direction. In this way, the outdoor heat exchanger 300 can cover the housing 12 in the vertical direction, thereby covering multiple air inlets. This ensures that the outdoor air entering the housing 1 from the air inlets can flow to the outdoor heat exchanger 300, so that the outdoor heat exchanger 300 can exchange heat with the outdoor air sufficiently. Furthermore, the housing 12 can be connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 300 to improve the connection strength between the housing 12, the outdoor heat exchanger 300 and the base 11, and the overall structural strength of the outdoor unit 10 of the air conditioner can be higher.

[0159] As shown in Figures 13 and 15, an outdoor unit 10 of an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure includes a casing 1, a compressor 400, an outdoor heat exchanger 300, and a fan 220. The casing 1 has an air inlet on its outer periphery and an air outlet 16 on its top. The compressor 400 is disposed inside the casing 1. The outdoor heat exchanger 300 is disposed inside the casing 1 and is used for heat exchange with outdoor air. The fan 220 is disposed inside the casing 1, and the fan 220 drives outdoor air to flow sequentially through the air inlet, the outdoor heat exchanger 300, and the air outlet 16.

[0160] As shown in Figures 13, 15 and 23, the housing 1 includes a base 11, a housing 12 and an air outlet grille 161. The housing 12, the compressor 400 and the outdoor heat exchanger 300 are fixed to the base 11, and the compressor 400 and the outdoor heat exchanger 300 are located inside the housing 12. The housing 12 is provided with an air inlet, the air outlet grille 161 is located on the top of the housing 12, the fan 220 is fixed to the air outlet grille 161, and the air outlet grille 161 is provided with an air outlet 16.

[0161] As shown in Figures 13 and 14, there are multiple air inlets, including multiple first air inlets 13 and multiple second air inlets 14. The first air inlets 13 are located above the second air inlets 14, and the air intake area of ​​at least one second air inlet 14 is larger than the air intake area of ​​the first air inlet 13.

[0162] According to the embodiment of the present invention, when the outdoor unit 10 of the air conditioner is working, the fan 220 operates, and the fan 220 can drive outdoor air to enter the casing 1 from the air inlets around the casing 1 and flow through the outdoor heat exchanger 300, so that the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 300 can exchange heat with the outdoor air entering the casing 1. If the air conditioner is cooling the room at this time, the indoor heat exchanger of the air conditioner acts as an evaporator, and the outdoor heat exchanger 300 can act as a condenser. The refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 300 can release heat to the outdoor air. If the air conditioner is heating the room at this time, the indoor heat exchanger of the air conditioner acts as a condenser, and the outdoor heat exchanger 300 can act as an evaporator. The refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 300 can absorb heat from the outdoor air. Finally, the outdoor air after heat exchange in the outdoor heat exchanger 300 is discharged from the casing 1 of the outdoor unit 10 of the air conditioner through the air outlet 16.

[0163] Additionally, the casing 1 includes a base 11, a housing 12, and an air outlet grille 161. The housing 12, compressor 400, and outdoor heat exchanger 300 are fixed to the base 11, and the compressor 400 and outdoor heat exchanger 300 are located inside the housing 12. The housing 12 has an air inlet, and the air outlet grille 161 is located on the top of the housing 12. The fan 220 is fixed to the air outlet grille 161, and the air outlet grille 161 has an air outlet 16. The compressor 400 and fan 220 can be located inside the outdoor heat exchanger 300. This allows the outdoor air entering the housing 1 through the air inlet to first pass through the outdoor heat exchanger 300, thus enabling the outdoor heat exchanger 300 to fully exchange heat with the outdoor air.

[0164] In addition, there are multiple air inlets arranged vertically, so that outdoor air can enter the casing 1 through multiple air inlets to ensure sufficient airflow into the casing 1, and the outdoor heat exchanger 300 can fully exchange heat with the outdoor air.

[0165] Furthermore, the air inlet areas of multiple air inlets are not equal, meaning that the air inlet areas at different locations can be unequal. The air inlet areas of air inlets at different distances from the fan 220 can also be different. For example, the air inlet area of ​​the air inlet farther from the fan 220 can be larger, which can increase the air volume of the air inlet farther from the fan 220. In other words, it can increase the air volume of the air inlet with a lower air velocity, so as to ensure that the air intake of multiple air inlets can be similar, the air intake of multiple air inlets is more uniform, and the heat exchanger heats more uniformly.

[0166] The outdoor unit 10 of the air conditioner according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can increase the air intake volume in areas with lower wind speeds and improve air intake uniformity.

[0167] Those skilled in the art will understand that the scope of this disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and that modifications and substitutions can be made to certain elements of the embodiments without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. The scope of this disclosure is limited by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An air conditioner, comprising: Indoor heat exchanger; A thermal expansion valve, wherein the thermal expansion valve is located indoors and is connected to the indoor heat exchanger; Outdoor heat exchanger; The compressor has an intake port and an exhaust port; A four-way valve is connected to the air intake, the air exhaust, the indoor heat exchanger, and the outdoor heat exchanger, respectively. The first tee pipe has a first interface, a second interface and a third interface, and the second interface is connected to the thermal expansion valve; The second tee pipe has a fourth interface, a fifth interface and a sixth interface, the fourth interface is connected to the third interface, the fifth interface is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger, and the sixth interface is connected to the first interface; A one-way valve is used to allow refrigerant to flow from the sixth port to the first port; Controller; An electronic expansion valve is electrically connected to the controller, with its two ends connected to the third interface and the fourth interface, respectively. The controller is used to control the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve. The first refrigerant circuit is sequentially connected to the compressor, the four-way valve, the indoor heat exchanger, the fifth interface, the sixth interface, the first interface, the second interface, the thermal expansion valve, and the indoor heat exchanger. The second refrigerant circuit is sequentially connected to the compressor, the four-way valve, the indoor heat exchanger, the thermal expansion valve, the second interface, the third interface, the electronic expansion valve, the fourth interface, the fifth interface, and the outdoor heat exchanger. When the electronic expansion valve is closed, the refrigerant flows along the first refrigerant circuit, and the thermostatic expansion valve regulates the refrigerant supply. When the electronic expansion valve is in the open state, and the refrigerant flows along the second refrigerant circuit, the electronic expansion valve adjusts the refrigerant supply.

2. An air conditioner, comprising: A thermal expansion valve, wherein the thermal expansion valve is located indoors; An indoor heat exchanger is located indoors and is connected to the thermal expansion valve. An outdoor heat exchanger, wherein the outdoor heat exchanger is located outdoors; The compressor has an intake port and an exhaust port; A four-way valve is connected to the air intake, the air exhaust, the indoor heat exchanger, and the outdoor heat exchanger, respectively. The first tee pipe has a first interface, a second interface and a third interface, and the second interface is connected to the thermal expansion valve; The second tee pipe has a fourth interface, a fifth interface and a sixth interface, the fourth interface is connected to the third interface, the fifth interface is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger, and the sixth interface is connected to the first interface; The one-way valve is activated when the refrigerant flows from the sixth port to the first port. An electronic expansion valve, wherein the two ends of the electronic expansion valve are respectively connected to the third interface and the fourth interface; A controller, electrically connected to the electronic expansion valve, is used to control the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve; The controller receives a refrigeration signal and controls the electronic expansion valve to close. The high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant output by the compressor flows into the outdoor heat exchanger through the four-way valve. The medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant flowing out of the outdoor heat exchanger flows sequentially through the fifth port, the sixth port, the first port, the second port, the thermostatic expansion valve, and the indoor heat exchanger. The low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant flowing out of the indoor heat exchanger flows back to the compressor through the four-way valve. The controller receives a heating signal and controls the electronic expansion valve to open. The high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant output by the compressor flows into the indoor heat exchanger through the four-way valve. The medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant flowing out of the indoor heat exchanger flows sequentially through the thermal expansion valve, the second port, the third port, the electronic expansion valve, the fourth port, the fifth port, and the outdoor heat exchanger. The low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant flowing out of the outdoor heat exchanger flows back to the compressor through the four-way valve, so that the electronic expansion valve can regulate the refrigerant supply.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2 further includes a first branch pipe, the first branch pipe connecting the first interface and the sixth interface, and the one-way valve is disposed on the first branch pipe.

4. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1-3 further includes a second branch pipe and a third branch pipe, wherein the two ends of the electronic expansion valve are respectively connected to one end of the second branch pipe and one end of the third branch pipe, the other end of the second branch pipe is connected to the fourth interface, and the other end of the third branch pipe is connected to the first interface.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the second branch pipe is provided with a first filter and the third branch pipe is provided with a second filter.

6. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the pipeline between the indoor heat exchanger and the four-way valve is provided with a first shut-off valve, and the pipeline between the indoor heat exchanger and the second interface is provided with a second shut-off valve.

7. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the four-way valve has a first port, a second port, a third port and a fourth port, the first port being connected to the exhaust port, the second port being connected to the outdoor heat exchanger, the third port being connected to the intake port and the fourth port being connected to the indoor heat exchanger; When the electronic expansion valve is in the closed state, the first port and the second port are connected, and the third port and the fourth port are connected. When the electronic expansion valve is in the open state, the first port and the fourth port are connected, and the second port and the third port are connected.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 7 further includes a gas-liquid separator having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being connected to the third port and the outlet being connected to the air intake.

9. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the third interface and the fourth interface are located at the same height, and the second interface and the fifth interface are located at the same height.

10. In the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1-9, when the electronic expansion valve is in the open state, the refrigerant flowing out from the fourth port also flows to the first port, and the refrigerant flowing out from the first port flows back to the fourth port via the third port.

11. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner, comprising: The housing has an air inlet on its outer periphery and an air outlet on its top. A compressor, wherein the compressor is disposed within the housing; An outdoor heat exchanger is disposed inside the housing and is used for heat exchange with outdoor air. A fan is installed inside the casing, and the fan drives outdoor air to flow sequentially through the air inlet, the outdoor heat exchanger and the air outlet; The housing includes: Base; The housing, the compressor, and the outdoor heat exchanger are fixed to the base, and the compressor and the outdoor heat exchanger are disposed inside the housing. The housing is provided with the air inlet. An air outlet grille is provided on the top of the housing, the fan is fixed to the air outlet grille, and the air outlet grille is provided with the air outlet; The air inlets are multiple, including multiple first air inlets and multiple second air inlets. The first air inlets are located above the second air inlets, and the air intake area of ​​at least one second air inlet is greater than the air intake area of ​​the first air inlet.

12. The outdoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 11, wherein a plurality of the first air inlets are arranged circumferentially along the housing to form a first air inlet array; and / or Multiple second air inlets are arranged circumferentially along the housing to form a second air inlet row.

13. The outdoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 12, wherein there are multiple first air inlets, and the multiple first air inlet rows are arranged along the vertical direction; and / or There are multiple second air inlets, and the multiple second air inlets are arranged along the vertical direction.

14. The outdoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the number of rows of the second air inlet is less than the number of rows of the first air inlet.

15. The outdoor unit of the air conditioner according to any one of claims 12-14, wherein, in the vertical direction, the height of the second air inlet is equal to the height of the first air inlet; and / or Along the circumferential direction of the housing, the size of the second air inlet is larger than the size of the first air inlet.

16. The outdoor unit of the air conditioner according to any one of claims 12-15, wherein the plurality of air inlets further comprises: The third air inlet is located between two adjacent second air inlets in the second air inlet row, and the air inlet area of ​​the third air inlet is not less than the air inlet area of ​​the first air inlet.

17. The outdoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the third air inlets is located in the middle of the second air inlet row along the length direction of the second air inlet row.

18. The outdoor unit of the air conditioner according to any one of claims 11-17, wherein the air intake area of ​​the plurality of air inlets gradually increases from top to bottom along the vertical direction.

19. The outdoor unit of the air conditioner according to any one of claims 11-18, wherein the plurality of side walls of the housing are provided with the air inlet, the outdoor heat exchanger covers the air inlet, and along the vertical direction, the height of the outdoor heat exchanger is not less than the height of the housing.

20. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner, comprising: The housing has an air inlet on its outer periphery and an air outlet on its top. A compressor, wherein the compressor is disposed within the housing; An outdoor heat exchanger is disposed inside the housing and is used for heat exchange with outdoor air. A fan is installed inside the casing, and the fan drives outdoor air to flow sequentially through the air inlet, the outdoor heat exchanger and the air outlet; The housing includes: Base; The housing, the compressor, and the outdoor heat exchanger are fixed to the base, and the compressor and the outdoor heat exchanger are disposed inside the housing. The housing is provided with the air inlet. An air outlet grille is provided on the top of the housing, the fan is fixed to the air outlet grille, and the air outlet grille is provided with the air outlet; The air inlets are multiple and arranged in a vertical direction, and the air inlet areas of the multiple air inlets are not equal.

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