Drainage pump and air conditioner

Abstract

A drainage pump and an air conditioner. A drainage pump (1000) comprises a housing (100), an impeller (200), a motor (300), and a drainage structure (400). A first mounting cavity (111) and a second mounting cavity (121) are formed inside the housing (100); a water inlet portion (112) of the housing (100) is connected to one end of the first mounting cavity (111); an inner cavity of the water inlet portion (112) is communicated with the first mounting cavity (111); the impeller (200) is mounted in the first mounting cavity (111); the motor (300) is mounted in the second mounting cavity (121) and is used for driving the impeller (200) to rotate; a drainage channel (410) of the drainage structure (400) is arranged in the vertical direction; and two ends of the drainage channel (410) are respectively communicated with a drainage portion (115) and a water outlet (114) located in a peripheral wall of the first mounting cavity (111). Since the drainage channel is arranged in the vertical direction, water flows directly upwards when the drainage pump drains water, and the distance traveled when water flows out of the drainage pump is short, the frictional head loss can be reduced, so that the drainage pump achieves a higher lift, thereby improving the performance of the drainage pump.

Description

Drain pumps and air conditioners

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent applications filed on July 31, 2024, with application number 202411048848.1 entitled "Drainage Pump and Air Conditioner" and application number 202421851529.X entitled "Drainage Pump and Air Conditioner", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to the field of air conditioning equipment technology, and in particular to a drain pump and an air conditioner. Background Technology

[0004] In related technologies, when an air conditioner is in cooling mode, the indoor air exchanges heat with the heat exchanger, producing condensate. This condensate collects in a drip tray. To prevent excessive condensate buildup and overflow, some air conditioners use a drain pump to remove the condensate. However, existing drain pumps have long drainage channels, resulting in greater resistance to water flow and increased friction losses, leading to a lower pump head. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application aims to at least partially solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this application proposes a drainage pump capable of increasing the pump head.

[0006] This application also proposes an air conditioner having the aforementioned drain pump.

[0007] The drainage pump according to the first aspect of this application includes:

[0008] The housing has a first mounting cavity and a second mounting cavity inside. The housing includes a water inlet and a water outlet. The water inlet is located at one end of the housing near the first mounting cavity, and the inner cavity of the water inlet communicates with the first mounting cavity.

[0009] The impeller includes a large-diameter blade portion and a small-diameter blade portion connected along the rotation axis of the impeller. The large-diameter blade portion is located in the first mounting cavity, and the small-diameter blade portion is located in the inner cavity of the water inlet portion.

[0010] A motor, mounted within the second mounting cavity, is configured to drive the impeller to rotate; and

[0011] A drainage structure is connected to the housing and has a vertically arranged drainage channel inside, the drainage channel being spaced apart from the second mounting cavity;

[0012] The first mounting cavity has a water outlet on its peripheral wall. One end of the drainage channel is connected to the first mounting cavity through the water outlet, and the other end is connected to the inner cavity of the drainage part.

[0013] The drainage pump according to the embodiments of this application has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0014] The system comprises a first mounting cavity and a second mounting cavity within the casing. The water inlet of the casing is connected to one end of the first mounting cavity, and the inner cavity of the water inlet communicates with the first mounting cavity. An impeller is mounted in the first mounting cavity, and a motor is mounted in the second mounting cavity to drive the impeller. The drainage channel of the drainage structure is arranged vertically, with both ends connected to the drainage section and the outlet located on the peripheral wall of the first mounting cavity. When the motor drives the impeller to rotate, a negative pressure is generated within the first mounting cavity, drawing water from the water inlet into the first mounting cavity. The water then flows through the outlet into the water inlet channel and finally exits the drainage pump through the drainage section. Because the drainage channel is arranged vertically, the water flows directly upwards during drainage, resulting in a shorter distance traveled when the water exits the pump. This reduces friction loss, allowing the drainage pump to achieve a higher head and improve its performance.

[0015] According to some embodiments of this application, the minimum distance between the outer peripheral wall of the large-diameter blade portion and the peripheral wall of the first mounting cavity is a, which satisfies: 1mm≤a≤3mm.

[0016] According to some embodiments of this application, the minimum height of the outlet along the direction of the rotation axis is b, which satisfies: 5mm≤b≤10mm.

[0017] According to some embodiments of this application, the minimum height of the outlet along the direction of the rotation axis is b, the maximum outer diameter of the impeller is D1, and the maximum inner diameter of the first mounting cavity is D2, satisfying:

[0018] According to some embodiments of this application, the drainage structure is disposed inside the second mounting cavity, and the drainage channel is arranged parallel to the rotation axis.

[0019] According to some embodiments of this application, the large-diameter blade portion includes a perimeter arranged around the rotation axis, the top wall of the perimeter being arranged inclined downward in a direction close to the rotation axis.

[0020] According to some embodiments of this application, the bottom wall of the large-diameter blade portion is configured as an annular shape and has a non-porous structure.

[0021] According to some embodiments of this application, in a projection plane perpendicular to the rotation axis, the distance between the projections of the two circumferentially opposite sidewalls of the outlet along the rotation axis gradually increases from the inside to the outside.

[0022] According to some embodiments of this application, the bottom wall of the outlet is arc-shaped.

[0023] According to some embodiments of this application, the top wall of the drainage channel is arc-shaped, and the plane where the inlet of the drainage channel is located is perpendicular to the plane where the outlet of the drainage channel is located.

[0024] According to some embodiments of this application, the drainage section is located on the side wall of the housing, and the inner cavity of the drainage section includes a first drainage section disposed at the outlet of the drainage channel, the cross-sectional area of ​​the first drainage section gradually increasing along the drainage direction.

[0025] According to some embodiments of this application, the inner cavity of the drainage section further includes a second drainage section connected to the end of the first drainage section away from the drainage channel, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the second drainage section is greater than the maximum cross-sectional area of ​​the first drainage section.

[0026] According to some embodiments of this application, the housing includes:

[0027] The impeller housing includes the water inlet and a support portion located away from the water inlet, the water outlet is provided on the support portion, and the impeller housing is provided with a positioning groove arranged circumferentially along the rotation axis.

[0028] The water pump bracket includes a protrusion that protrudes toward the impeller housing, and the drainage structure is fixedly connected to the protrusion and fits against the end face of the support portion; the protrusion and the drainage structure together form a positioning protrusion that cooperates with the positioning groove, and a sealing ring is provided between the positioning groove and the positioning protrusion.

[0029] According to some embodiments of this application, a sealing structure is provided at the connection between the drainage structure and the support portion.

[0030] According to some embodiments of this application, the end of the protrusion is provided with a boss, which is engaged with the inner wall of the first mounting cavity.

[0031] An air conditioner according to a second aspect of this application includes the drain pump described in the above embodiments.

[0032] The air conditioner according to the embodiments of this application has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0033] The drainage pump according to the first aspect embodiment has a first mounting cavity and a second mounting cavity inside the casing. The water inlet of the casing is connected to one end of the first mounting cavity, and the inner cavity of the water inlet is in communication with the first mounting cavity. An impeller is installed in the first mounting cavity, and a motor is installed in the second mounting cavity to drive the impeller to rotate. The drainage channel of the drainage structure is arranged vertically, and its two ends are connected to the drainage section and the outlet located on the peripheral wall of the first mounting cavity, respectively. When the motor drives the impeller to rotate, a negative pressure is generated in the first mounting cavity, thereby drawing water from the water inlet into the first mounting cavity. Then, the water flows through the outlet into the water inlet channel and finally exits the drainage pump through the drainage section. Because the drainage channel is arranged vertically, the water flows directly upward when the drainage pump discharges, and the distance traveled by the water when exiting the drainage pump is shorter. Therefore, friction loss can be reduced, allowing the drainage pump to obtain a higher head and improving the performance of the drainage pump.

[0034] According to some embodiments of this application, the air conditioner further includes a housing, the drain pump further includes a fixing member and a buffer member, the housing includes a mounting base, the buffer member is disposed between the mounting base and the housing, the fixing member is disposed on the side of the mounting base away from the buffer member, and the housing, the buffer member, the mounting base and the fixing member are connected and fixed by fasteners.

[0035] Additional aspects and advantages of this application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0036] The present application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, wherein:

[0037] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a drainage pump according to an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 2 is an exploded view of a drainage pump according to an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 3 is an enlarged view of point A in Figure 1;

[0040] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an impeller installed inside the impeller housing according to an embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 5 is a top view of an embodiment of this application, showing an impeller installed inside the impeller housing;

[0042] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an impeller according to an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of an impeller from another perspective of one embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 8 is an exploded view of a partial structure of a drainage pump according to an embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the shell according to an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a water pump bracket according to an embodiment of this application.

[0047] Reference numerals in the attached figures: Drain pump 1000; Housing 100; Impeller housing 110; First mounting cavity 111; Water inlet 112; Support 113; Water outlet 114; First side wall 1141; Second side wall 1142; Drainage section 115; First drainage section 1151; Second drainage section 1152; Sealing ring 116; Positioning groove 117; First snap-fit ​​part 118; Water storage cavity 119; Pump bracket 120; Second mounting cavity 121; Protrusion 122; Positioning protrusion 123; Second snap-fit ​​part 124; Boss 125; Pump cover 130; Fixing member 140; Bending part 141; Buffer member 150; Positioning post 151; Guide hole 152; First slot 153; Mounting base 160; Positioning hole 161; Guide post 162; Second slot 163; Third slot 164; Snap hole 165; Impeller 200; Large-diameter blade section 210; Surrounding edge 211; Inclined surface 2111; Long blade 212; Short blade 213; Small-diameter blade section 220; Rotating shaft 230; Annular plate 240; Water inlet hole 250; Motor 300; Output shaft 310; Drainage structure 400; Drainage channel 410. Detailed Implementation

[0048] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application.

[0049] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, etc., are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0050] In the description of this application, "multiple" refers to two or more. The use of "first" and "second" is for the purpose of distinguishing technical features only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated, or the order in which the technical features are indicated.

[0051] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly defined, terms such as "setup," "installation," and "connection" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this application in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0052] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a drain pump 1000 according to an embodiment of this application is applied to air conditioning equipment such as air conditioners and dehumidifiers. The drain pump 1000 is used to discharge condensate outside the air conditioning equipment. The drain pump 1000 of this embodiment includes a housing 100, an impeller 200, a motor 300, and a drainage structure 400. The housing 100 is provided with a first mounting cavity 111 and a second mounting cavity 121. The housing 100 includes a water inlet 112 and a drain 115. The water inlet 112 is located at one end of the housing 100 near the first mounting cavity 111, and the inner cavity of the water inlet 112 communicates with the first mounting cavity 111.

[0053] For example, the air conditioning equipment includes a water tray (not shown in the figure), with a water groove formed by a recess at the bottom of the water tray; the housing 100 includes a pump cover 130, an impeller housing 110, and a water pump bracket 120, with the water pump bracket 120 connected to the upper end of the impeller housing 110. The impeller housing 110 has a first mounting cavity 111, and the water pump bracket 120 has a second mounting cavity 121. The pump cover 130 is connected to the upper end of the water pump bracket 120 to seal the upper end of the second mounting cavity 121, providing protection and reducing the entry of moisture, dust, insects, etc., into the second mounting cavity 121. A water inlet 112 is located at the lower end of the impeller housing 110. The water inlet 112 is a structure protruding from the lower end of the impeller housing 110 and extends into the water groove, improving water intake efficiency. A drain 115 is a protrusion 122 on the peripheral wall of the housing 100, extending out of the side wall of the water tray to drain water out of the water tray.

[0054] Referring to Figure 1, the impeller 200 includes a large-diameter blade portion 210 and a small-diameter blade portion 220, which are connected along the rotation axis of the impeller 200. For example, the small-diameter blade portion 220 is connected to the lower end of the large-diameter blade portion 210. The large-diameter blade portion 210 is located in the first mounting cavity 111, and the small-diameter blade portion 220 is located in the inner cavity of the water inlet portion 112. It should be noted that "large" and "small" in "large-diameter blade portion 210" refer to the fact that the maximum outer diameter of the large-diameter blade portion 210 is greater than the maximum outer diameter of the small-diameter blade portion 220. The motor 300 is installed in the second mounting cavity 121 and is configured to drive the impeller 200 to rotate. For example, the output shaft 310 of the motor 300 is fixedly connected to the impeller 200, causing a negative pressure to be generated in the first mounting cavity 111, thereby drawing water into the first mounting cavity 111 through the water inlet portion 112.

[0055] Referring to Figure 1, the drainage structure 400 is connected to the housing 100, for example, the drainage structure 400 is formed within the pump bracket 120. The drainage structure 400 has a vertically arranged drainage channel 410 inside, and the drainage channel 410 and the second mounting cavity 121 are spaced apart. It should be noted that "vertically arranged" should be interpreted as the outlet of the drainage channel 410 being higher than the inlet, and the drainage channel 410 generally extending in a direction parallel to the rotation axis; however, due to the structural layout and manufacturing requirements of the drainage pump 1000, the drainage channel can also be configured to be offset relative to the rotation axis and extend upwards. For example, the drainage channel 410 can extend vertically upwards (i.e., parallel to the rotation axis), extend obliquely upwards (including oblique in the circumferential direction of the rotation axis, or oblique in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis (radial), or oblique in both directions), extend upwards in an arc, etc. The peripheral wall of the first mounting cavity 111 has a water outlet 114, and the bottom wall of the water outlet 114 is higher than the bottom wall of the large-diameter blade portion 210. One end of the drainage channel 410 is connected to the first mounting cavity 111 via the outlet 114, and the other end is connected to the inner cavity of the drainage section 115. Therefore, under the action of the impeller 200, the drainage channel 410 is used to guide the water flow from the inlet section 112 to the drainage section 115.

[0056] When the motor 300 drives the impeller 200 to rotate, a negative pressure is generated in the first mounting cavity 111, thereby drawing water from the inlet 112 into the first mounting cavity 111. The water then flows through the outlet 114 into the inlet channel and finally exits the drain pump 1000 through the drain section 115. Because the drain channel 410 is vertically oriented, the water flows directly upwards when the drain pump 1000 discharges water. The distance the water travels when exiting the drain pump 1000 is shorter, thus reducing friction loss and allowing the drain pump 1000 to achieve a higher head, improving its performance. It should be noted that head refers to the height that the drain pump 1000 can lift water.

[0057] Referring to Figure 3, the dashed arrows in Figure 3 indicate the direction of water flow. In the embodiments of this application, the minimum distance between the outer peripheral wall of the large-diameter blade portion 210 and the peripheral wall of the first mounting cavity 111 is 'a', satisfying the condition: 1mm ≤ a ≤ 3mm. For example, the value of 'a' can be 1mm, 1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm, etc. When 'a' is less than 1mm, the distance between the large-diameter blade portion 210 and the peripheral wall of the first mounting cavity 111 is relatively short. During the rotation of the impeller 200, there may be shaking or wobbling, which can easily lead to wear and noise between the large-diameter blade portion 210 and the peripheral wall of the first mounting cavity 111, reducing the service life of the impeller 200. When 'a' is greater than 3mm, the outer diameter of the large-diameter blade portion 210 is small, which can easily lead to a decrease in the water suction capacity of the drainage pump 1000. Therefore, limiting the value of a to between 1 mm and 3 mm can ensure that the drainage pump 1000 has a suitable water suction capacity, while also effectively avoiding wear caused by the contact between the large-diameter blade section 210 and the inner wall of the first mounting cavity 111.

[0058] Referring again to Figure 3, in this embodiment, the minimum height of the outlet 114 along the rotation axis is b, satisfying: 5mm ≤ b ≤ 10mm. For example, the value of b can be 5mm, 6mm, 7mm, 8mm, 9mm, 10mm, etc. It should be noted that the minimum height of the outlet 114 along the rotation axis refers to the height after obstruction. For example, the pump bracket 120 in Figure 3 has a boss 125, which obstructs part of the outlet 114. The minimum height of the outlet 114 refers to the height of the slot on the impeller housing 110 minus the height obstructed by the boss 125. When b is less than 5mm, the water outlet area of ​​the outlet 114 is too small, resulting in poor drainage and easy blockage of the water path. When b is greater than 10mm, the height of the impeller housing 110 needs to be increased, resulting in an increase in the overall size of the drainage pump 1000; if the circumferential length of the outlet 114 is increased, the distance the water travels will easily increase, leading to increased friction loss. Therefore, by reasonably designing the size of b to be between 5mm and 10mm, the drainage of the drainage pump 1000 is made smoother, which is conducive to the miniaturization of the drainage pump 1000 and shortens the distance that the water flows.

[0059] It should be noted that, as shown by the arrows in Figure 3, the impeller 200 generates centrifugal force, throwing the water in all directions, causing the water to flow from the high-pressure side to the low-pressure side, which is the location of the outlet 114. At the outlet 114, part of the water flows into the drainage channel 410, while the other part overflows into the water storage cavity 119 between the bottom wall of the large-diameter blade section 210 and the bottom wall of the first mounting cavity 111. The water only flows downward into the water storage cavity 119 at the outlet 114. The water in the water storage cavity 119 provides an upward thrust to the impeller 200, while the water flowing towards the outlet 114 inside the impeller 200 provides a downward pressure. When the pressure and thrust are unbalanced, the impeller 200 will tilt, which is not conducive to the rotation of the impeller 200, increases friction loss, and easily generates noise.

[0060] To balance the magnitudes of pressure and thrust, referring to Figures 4 and 5, in the embodiments of this application, the maximum outer diameter of the impeller 200 is D1, and the maximum inner diameter of the first mounting cavity 111 is D2, satisfying: For example, the values ​​for the above formula can be 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, etc. It should be noted that the above formula is equivalent to... Among them, along the circumferential direction of the rotation axis, the arc length of the inlet of the outlet 114 is L, and the flow area of ​​the inlet of the outlet 114 is b*L. This represents the minimum flow area between the impeller 200 and the first mounting cavity 111. The ratio of the overflow area to the portion directly opposite the inlet of outlet 114 represents the percentage of the overflow area at outlet 114. Multiplying the two values ​​gives the overflow area at the portion directly opposite outlet 114. The ratio of the flow area at the inlet of outlet 114 to the overflow area at the portion directly opposite outlet 114 is between 3:1 and 5:1. The simplified formula is as follows: By rationally designing the ratio of the inlet flow area of ​​the outlet 114 to the overflow area of ​​the part directly opposite the outlet 114 to be between 3:1 and 5:1, the impeller 200 can achieve balance under the interaction of thrust and pressure, which can reduce wear on the impeller 200, reduce drainage noise, increase drainage head, and improve the service life of the impeller 200.

[0061] Referring to Figures 1 and 10, in the embodiments of this application, the drainage structure 400 is disposed inside the second mounting cavity 121, and the drainage channel 410 is arranged parallel to the rotation axis. It is understood that disposing the drainage structure 400 inside the second mounting cavity 121 can reduce the outer diameter of the drainage pump 1000, which is beneficial for the miniaturization design of the drainage pump 1000. When the drainage channel 410 is parallel to the rotation axis, the water flow path is shorter, reducing friction loss and allowing the drainage pump 1000 to achieve a higher head, thus improving the performance of the drainage pump 1000.

[0062] Referring to Figures 3 and 6, in an embodiment of this application, the large-diameter blade portion 210 includes a perimeter 211 arranged around a rotation axis. The top wall of the perimeter 211 is an inclined surface 2111, which is arranged inclined downwards in a direction close to the rotation axis. It is understood that the inclined surface 2111 facilitates the guidance of water flow towards the drainage channel 410, reduces the discharge resistance of the water flow, and thus improves drainage efficiency.

[0063] Referring to Figures 6 and 7, in the embodiments of this application, the large-diameter blade section 210 further includes an annular plate 240, a rotating shaft 230, long blades 212, and short blades 213. The terms "long" and "short" in "long blades 212" and "short blades 213" refer to the fact that, along the radial direction of the impeller 200, the maximum length of the long blade 212 is greater than the maximum length of the short blade 213. An upwardly extending rim 211 is connected to the edge of the annular plate 240. A water inlet hole 250 is provided in the middle of the annular plate 240, and the rotating shaft 230 passes through the water inlet hole 250. The lower end of the rotating shaft 230 is connected to a small-diameter blade section 220. When the impeller 200 rotates, the small-diameter blade section 220 acts as a guide, drawing water from the water receiving tray into the water inlet section 112, then through the water inlet hole 250 into the interior of the impeller 200, and finally ejecting it to the side wall of the first mounting cavity 111. Long blades 212 and short blades 213 are arranged radially and alternately. The long blades 212 are connected to the rotating shaft 230 and the annular plate 240, thereby determining the relative position between the rotating shaft 230 and the annular plate 240. The short blades 213 are spaced apart from the rotating shaft 230 to reduce obstruction of the water inlet 250 and improve water intake efficiency.

[0064] Referring again to Figure 6, in this embodiment of the application, the bottom wall of the large-diameter blade portion 210 is an annular plate 240. The annular plate 240 is circular and has a non-porous structure. A non-porous structure means that the surface of the annular plate 240 has no through holes, while the water inlet hole 250 is a hole formed by the annular plate 240. It is understood that when the annular plate 240 has other through holes, water inside the impeller 200 may enter the water storage chamber 119 through these through holes, leading to a decrease in the water absorption efficiency of the impeller 200, disrupting the balance of the impeller 200 under thrust and pressure, potentially causing cavitation problems and increased noise. Therefore, making the annular plate 240 a non-porous structure can improve the water absorption efficiency of the impeller 200, ensure the stability of the impeller 200 during rotation, improve cavitation problems, and reduce noise.

[0065] Referring to Figures 4 and 5, in the embodiments of this application, the outlet 114 extends directly upwards in the height direction and connects to the drainage channel 410 to shorten the path traveled by the water flow and reduce friction loss. In the projection plane perpendicular to the rotation axis, the distance between the projections of the two circumferentially opposite sidewalls of the outlet 114 along the rotation axis gradually increases from the inside to the outside. For example, the two circumferentially opposite sidewalls of the outlet 114 along the rotation axis are the first sidewall 1141 and the second sidewall 1142, and the distance between the first sidewall 1141 and the second sidewall 1142 gradually increases in the direction away from the rotation axis. Therefore, the eddy current resistance of the water flow at the outlet 114 can be reduced, thereby reducing the local resistance of the water flow at the outlet 114, allowing the water flow to pass smoothly and improving drainage efficiency.

[0066] Referring to Figure 3, in the embodiments of this application, the bottom wall of the outlet 114 is arc-shaped, and / or the top wall of the drainage channel 410 is arc-shaped, and the plane where the inlet of the drainage channel 410 is located is perpendicular to the plane where the outlet of the drainage channel 410 is located. For example, both the bottom wall of the outlet 114 and the top wall of the drainage channel 410 are arc-shaped; or the bottom wall of the outlet 114 is arc-shaped and the top wall of the drainage channel 410 is flat; or the bottom wall of the outlet 114 is flat and the top wall of the drainage channel 410 is arc-shaped. Taking the example that both the bottom wall of the outlet 114 and the top wall of the drainage channel 410 are arc-shaped, this scheme can reduce the motion resistance of the water flow, reduce the sudden change in the direction of the water flow during the movement, thereby reducing energy loss, improving the stability of the water flow, and increasing the head of the drainage pump 1000.

[0067] For example, the drain pump 1000 is connected to a drain pipe, which needs to be angled to connect multiple indoor units of the multi-split air conditioner. When the outlet 114 of the drain pump 1000 is positioned high, the required height of the drain pipe increases, resulting in a thicker ceiling during installation of the multi-split air conditioner. To address this, by aligning the plane of the drain channel 410 inlet with the plane of the drain channel 410 outlet, the outlet position of the drain channel 410 can be lowered, thereby reducing the required height of the drain pipe and the ceiling thickness.

[0068] Referring to Figure 1, in an embodiment of this application, the drainage section 115 is located on the side wall of the housing 100. The inner cavity of the drainage section 115 includes a first drainage section 1151 located at the outlet of the drainage channel 410. The cross-sectional area of ​​the first drainage section 1151 gradually increases along the drainage direction. It is understood that since the plane where the inlet of the drainage channel 410 is located is perpendicular to the plane where the outlet of the drainage channel 410 is located, eddies and turbulence may occur during the water flow's turning process, increasing the energy loss of the water flow. By designing the cross-sectional area of ​​the first drainage section 1151 to gradually increase along the drainage direction, eddies and turbulence can be reduced, drainage resistance can be lowered, and energy loss of the water flow can be reduced.

[0069] Referring again to Figure 1, in this embodiment of the application, the inner cavity of the drainage section 115 further includes a second drainage segment 1152. The second drainage segment 1152 is located away from the end connected to the first drainage channel 410. The minimum cross-sectional area of ​​the second drainage segment 1152 is greater than the maximum cross-sectional area of ​​the first drainage segment 1151. It should be noted that the drainage section 115 can be manufactured by injection molding. By setting the minimum cross-sectional area of ​​the second drainage segment 1152 to be greater than the maximum cross-sectional area of ​​the first drainage segment 1151, it is easier to demold the drainage section 115, thereby ensuring product quality and improving production efficiency.

[0070] Referring to Figures 2 and 3, in the embodiments of this application, the impeller housing 110 includes a water inlet 112 and a support 113. The water inlet 112 is located at the lower end of the impeller housing 110, and the support 113 is located at the end of the impeller housing 110 opposite to the water inlet 112. The support 113 forms a first mounting cavity 111, and a water outlet 114 is provided in the support 113. The impeller housing 110 is provided with a positioning groove 117 arranged circumferentially along the rotation axis. The pump bracket 120 includes a protrusion 122, which is a hollow structure and protrudes towards the impeller housing 110. A portion of the structure of the second mounting cavity 121 is formed in the protrusion 122. The drainage structure 400 is fixedly connected to the protrusion 122 and one end is attached to the end face of the support 113. The protrusion 122 and the drainage structure 400 can be an integral structure, which improves the stability of the connection and facilitates assembly. For example, as shown in Figure 10, the drainage structure 400 is formed on the inner side of the protrusion 122. Alternatively, the drainage structure 400 can be formed on a portion of the sidewall of the protrusion 122. The protrusion 122 and the drainage structure 400 can also be separate structures, for example, the drainage structure 400 can be fixed to the protrusion 122 by means of adhesive bonding, snap-fitting, or fastener connection. The protrusion 122 and the drainage structure 400 are jointly formed on the positioning protrusion 123 that mates with the positioning groove 117. A sealing ring 116 is provided between the positioning groove 117 and the positioning protrusion 123 to prevent water in the first mounting cavity 111 from seeping out of the housing 100 through the gap between the impeller housing 110 and the pump bracket 120, thereby improving the sealing effect.

[0071] It should be noted that in some other embodiments, the drainage structure 400 may also be connected to the impeller housing 110. For example, the drainage structure 400 may extend upward in a direction away from the impeller housing 110; or the drainage structure 400 may extend in a horizontal direction. The appropriate solution may be selected according to the actual situation.

[0072] In the embodiments of this application, a sealing structure (not shown in the figure) is provided at the connection between the drainage structure 400 and the support portion 113. The sealing structure is arranged around the inlet of the drainage channel 410 to reduce the possibility of water leakage or seepage at the inlet of the drainage channel 410. It should be noted that the connection between the drainage structure 400 and the support portion 113 may also be without a sealing structure. Even if water leakage or seepage occurs, the amount of leakage is small, and the leaked water will flow back into the first mounting cavity 111 and will not penetrate outside the housing 100. Therefore, the impact on the drainage performance of the drainage pump 1000 is small. Reducing the use of sealing structures can reduce production costs, reduce assembly steps, and improve production efficiency.

[0073] Referring to FIG2, in the embodiments of this application, a plurality of first snap-fit ​​portions 118 are arranged at intervals on the outer side of the impeller housing 110, for example, three portions are arranged. A plurality of second snap-fit ​​portions 124 are arranged at intervals on the outer side of the water pump bracket 120. Each first snap-fit ​​portion 118 and each second snap-fit ​​portion 124 are snapped together in a one-to-one manner, which can improve assembly efficiency and ensure stable and reliable connection.

[0074] An air conditioner according to one embodiment of this application can be a multi-split air conditioner, a split-type air conditioner, a portable air conditioner, or a central air conditioner. The air conditioner includes a drain pump 1000 as described in the above embodiments. The drain pump 1000 has a first mounting cavity 111 and a second mounting cavity 121 provided inside a housing 100. A water inlet 112 of the housing 100 is connected to one end of the first mounting cavity 111, and the inner cavity of the water inlet 112 communicates with the first mounting cavity 111. An impeller 200 is installed in the first mounting cavity 111, and a motor 300 is installed in the second mounting cavity 121 and is used to drive the impeller 200 to rotate. The drain channel 410 of the drain structure 400 is arranged vertically, and both ends of the drain channel 410 are respectively connected to a drain section 115 and a water outlet 114 located on the peripheral wall of the first mounting cavity 111. When the motor 300 drives the impeller 200 to rotate, a negative pressure is generated in the first mounting cavity 111, thereby drawing water from the inlet 112 into the first mounting cavity 111. Then, the water flows through the outlet 114 into the inlet channel, and finally is discharged from the drain pump 1000 through the drain section 115. Since the drain channel 410 is arranged vertically, the water flows directly upward when the drain pump 1000 discharges water. The distance the water travels when it exits the drain pump 1000 is shorter, thus reducing friction loss and allowing the drain pump 1000 to achieve a higher head, thereby improving the performance of the drain pump 1000.

[0075] The air conditioner of this application embodiment adopts all the technical solutions of the drain pump 1000 of the above embodiments, and therefore has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0076] Referring to Figure 8, in the embodiments of this application, the air conditioner further includes a housing (not shown in the figure), the drain pump 1000 further includes a fixing member 140 and a buffer member 150, and the housing 100 further includes a mounting base 160, which is fixedly connected to the side wall of the water pump bracket 120. The buffer member 150 is disposed between the mounting base 160 and the housing, and the fixing member 140 is disposed on the side of the mounting base 160 opposite to the buffer member 150. The housing, the buffer member 150, the mounting base 160, and the fixing member 140 are fixedly connected by fasteners. The fasteners can be bolts, screws, pins, pin shafts, etc. For example, when the fastener is a bolt, the bolt passes through the housing, the buffer member 150, the mounting base 160, and the fixing member 140, and is then fixed by nuts and bolts. The buffer 150 is elastic, for example, made of materials such as silicone or rubber. Since the drain pump 1000 inevitably vibrates during operation, placing the buffer 150 between the mounting base 160 and the housing can absorb vibrations and reduce the transmission of vibrations from the drain pump 1000 to the housing, thus reducing noise increases. The fastener 140 acts as a shim, used to increase the stability of the fastener connection and effectively reduce the possibility of fasteners loosening or falling off.

[0077] Referring to Figures 8 and 9, in the embodiments of this application, the buffer 150 is provided with a positioning post 151, and the mounting base 160 is provided with a positioning hole 161 that mates with the positioning post 151. The mounting base 160 is provided with a guide post 162, and the buffer 150 is provided with a guide hole 152 that mates with the guide post 162. Therefore, the relative position between the buffer 150 and the mounting base 160 can be quickly determined, improving assembly efficiency. The bottom of the buffer 150 is provided with a first slot 153, and the bottom of the mounting base 160 is plate-shaped and can be inserted into the first slot 153, thereby improving the stability of the connection between the buffer 150 and the mounting base 160 and reducing the possibility of loosening or falling off. The fixing member 140 is plate-shaped, and the mounting base 160 is provided with a second slot 163 and a third slot 164. The middle part of the fixing member 140 is inserted into the second slot 163, and the bottom of the fixing member 140 is inserted into the third slot 164, thereby improving the stability and reliability of the connection between the fixing member 140 and the mounting base 160. The fastener 140 has bending portions 141 on both sides that can be bent and deformed. The mounting base 160 has locking holes 165 for the bending portions 141 to be locked and fixed. During installation, the bending portions 141 are bent into the locking holes 165 by external force, which further fixes the position of the mounting base 160 and the fastener 140, effectively reducing the risk of the fastener 140 loosening and falling off.

[0078] The embodiments of this application have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of this application.

Claims

1. A drainage pump, including: The housing has a first mounting cavity and a second mounting cavity inside. The housing includes a water inlet and a water outlet. The water inlet is located at one end of the housing near the first mounting cavity, and the inner cavity of the water inlet communicates with the first mounting cavity. The impeller includes a large-diameter blade portion and a small-diameter blade portion connected along the rotation axis of the impeller. The large-diameter blade portion is located in the first mounting cavity, and the small-diameter blade portion is located in the inner cavity of the water inlet portion. A motor, mounted within the second mounting cavity, is configured to drive the impeller to rotate; and A drainage structure is connected to the housing and has a vertically arranged drainage channel inside, the drainage channel being spaced apart from the second mounting cavity; The first mounting cavity has a water outlet on its peripheral wall. One end of the drainage channel is connected to the first mounting cavity through the water outlet, and the other end is connected to the inner cavity of the drainage part.

2. The drainage pump according to claim 1, wherein, The minimum distance 'a' between the outer peripheral wall of the large-diameter blade section and the peripheral wall of the first mounting cavity satisfies: 1mm ≤ a ≤ 3mm; and / or, The minimum height of the outlet along the rotation axis is b, which satisfies: 5mm≤b≤10mm.

3. The drainage pump according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The minimum height of the outlet along the rotation axis is b, the maximum outer diameter of the impeller is D1, and the maximum inner diameter of the first mounting cavity is D2, satisfying the following:

4. The drainage pump according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The drainage structure is located inside the second mounting cavity, and the drainage channel is arranged parallel to the rotation axis.

5. The drainage pump according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The large-diameter blade portion includes a perimeter arranged around the rotation axis, and the top wall of the perimeter is arranged inclined downward in a direction close to the rotation axis.

6. The drainage pump according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The bottom wall of the large-diameter blade section is configured as an annular shape and has a non-porous structure.

7. The drainage pump according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, In the projection plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation, the distance between the projections of the two circumferentially opposite sidewalls of the outlet along the axis of rotation gradually increases from the inside to the outside.

8. The drainage pump according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The bottom wall of the outlet is arc-shaped; and / or, The top wall of the drainage channel is arc-shaped, and the plane where the inlet of the drainage channel is located is perpendicular to the plane where the outlet of the drainage channel is located.

9. The drainage pump according to claim 1, wherein: The drainage section is located on the side wall of the housing, and the inner cavity of the drainage section includes a first drainage section located at the outlet of the drainage channel, the cross-sectional area of ​​the first drainage section gradually increasing along the drainage direction.

10. The drainage pump according to claim 9, wherein, The inner cavity of the drainage section also includes a second drainage section connected to the end of the first drainage section away from the drainage channel, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the second drainage section is greater than the maximum cross-sectional area of ​​the first drainage section.

11. The drainage pump according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein, The housing includes: The impeller housing includes the water inlet and a support portion located away from the water inlet; the water outlet is located on the support portion; and the impeller housing has a positioning groove arranged circumferentially along the rotation axis. The water pump bracket includes a protrusion that protrudes toward the impeller housing, and the drainage structure is fixedly connected to the protrusion and fits against the end face of the support portion; the protrusion and the drainage structure together form a positioning protrusion that cooperates with the positioning groove, and a sealing ring is provided between the positioning groove and the positioning protrusion.

12. The drainage pump according to claim 11, wherein, A sealing structure is provided at the connection between the drainage structure and the support.

13. The drainage pump according to claim 11 or 12, wherein, The end of the protrusion is provided with a boss, which is engaged with the inner wall of the first mounting cavity.

14. An air conditioner, comprising the drain pump according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. The air conditioner according to claim 14, further comprising a housing, wherein, The drainage pump also includes a fixing component and a buffer component. The housing includes a mounting base. The buffer component is disposed between the mounting base and the housing. The fixing component is disposed on the side of the mounting base away from the buffer component. The housing, the buffer component, the mounting base, and the fixing component are connected and fixed by fasteners.

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