Patent Publication Number: US-2023160584-A1

Title: Air conditioner outdoor unit

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present disclosure is a national phase application of International Application No. PCT/CN2021/115715, filed on Aug. 31, 2021, which claims priority to and benefits of Chinese Patent Application Serial No. 202022893868.2 filed on Dec. 3, 2020, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to the field of heat exchange of air conditioners, and more particularly, to an air conditioner outdoor unit. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In the related art, for an air conditioner outdoor unit, a fan module is arranged above a heat exchanger and includes a fan wheel, a motor, a bracket, and an air guide ring, and a mesh cover is mounted at an upper opening of a housing of the air conditioner outdoor unit to ensure the safety of the fan module. 
     The air conditioner outdoor unit is required to maintain low operating noise and high aerodynamic efficiency while ensuring high air volume. However, improper designs of heat exchangers, fan wheels, motors, brackets, air guide rings and mesh covers in the related art may easily lead to air volume loss and aerodynamic noise. 
     SUMMARY 
     An air conditioner outdoor unit according to embodiments of the present disclosure includes: a housing including a first cavity and an air outlet in communication with the first cavity; a heat exchanger in the first cavity, in which in a horizontal direction, the heat exchanger includes a first portion and a second portion opposite to each other, and a minimum distance between the first portion and the second portion is S; and a fan assembly. The fan assembly includes: a bracket arranged in the first cavity and above the heat exchanger, and connected to the housing; a motor in the first cavity and on the bracket; and a fan wheel arranged in the first cavity and connected to the motor, and having a diameter of D. A first part of the bracket is opposite to the heat exchanger in an up-down direction, a minimum distance between the first part of the bracket and the heat exchanger in the up-down direction is L 1  that satisfies: 0≤L 1 ≤0.15D when S&lt;D. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of an air conditioner outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  2    is a front view of an air conditioner outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  3    is a top view of an air conditioner outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  4    is another top view of an air conditioner outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  5    is a perspective view of a heat exchanger in an air conditioner outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  6    is a schematic view of a mesh cover in an air conditioner outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  7    is a schematic view of a mesh cover in an air conditioner outdoor unit according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  8    illustrates a linear relationship between L 1  and an air exhaust volume in an air conditioner outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  9    illustrates a linear relationship between L 1  and noise in an air conditioner outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
       Reference numerals: 
       air conditioner outdoor unit  100 , housing  1 , heat exchanger  2 , first portion  21 , second portion  22 , third portion  23 , fan assembly  3 , bracket  31 , first part  311 , motor  32 , fan wheel  33 , mesh cover  4 , first rib  41 , second rib  42 , third rib  43 , fourth rib  44 , air guide ring  5 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below in detail, and examples of the embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to explain the present disclosure rather than limit the present disclosure. In the specification of the present disclosure, it is to be understood that terms such as “central,” “longitudinal,” “transverse,” “length,” “width,” “thickness,” “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “rear,” “left,” “right,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “inner,” “outer,” “clockwise,” “counterclockwise,” “axial,” “radial,” “circumferential” and the like should be construed to refer to orientations or positions as then described or as shown in the drawings under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation or be constructed or operated in a particular orientation. Thus, these terms shall not be construed as limitations on the present disclosure. 
     As shown in  FIGS.  1 - 7   , an air conditioner outdoor unit  100  according to embodiments of the present disclosure includes a housing  1 , a heat exchanger  2 , and a fan assembly  3 . The housing  1  includes a first cavity  11  and an air outlet  12  in communication with the first cavity  11 . 
     The heat exchanger  2  is arranged in the first cavity  11 , and the heat exchanger  2  is connected to a peripheral wall and a bottom plate of the housing  1 . In a horizontal direction, the heat exchanger  2  includes a first portion  21  (e.g., a left portion of the heat exchanger  2  in  FIG.  5   ) and a second portion  22  (e.g., a right portion of the heat exchanger  2  in  FIG.  5   ) opposite to each other, and a minimum distance between the first portion  21  and the second portion  22  is denoted as S. 
     The fan assembly  3  includes a fan wheel  33 , a motor  32  and a bracket  31 . The bracket  31  is arranged in the first cavity  11  and connected to the housing  1 ; the bracket  31  is above the heat exchanger  2 ; the motor  32  is in the first cavity  11  and is arranged on the bracket  31 ; and the fan wheel  33  is in the first cavity  11  and is connected to the motor  32 , and a diameter of the fan wheel  33  is denoted as D. 
     A first part  311  of the bracket  31  is opposite to the heat exchanger  2  in an up-down direction, that is, the first part  311  of the bracket  31  is right above the heat exchanger  2 . A minimum distance between the first part  311  of the bracket  31  and the heat exchanger  2  in the up-down direction is denoted as L 1  that satisfies  0  ≤L 1 ≤0.15D when S&lt;D. 
     The minimum distance S is a minimum value among all distances from any point on the first portion  21  to any point on the second portion  22 . The minimum distance L 1  is a minimum value among all distances from any point on the heat exchanger  2  to any point on the first part  311  of the bracket  31 . 
     Outside air exchanges heat with the heat exchanger  2  after entering the first cavity  11 . The air is discharged from the first cavity  11  under the action of the fan wheel  33 , after undergoing the heat exchange. The air conditioner outdoor unit  100  according to the embodiments of the present disclosure makes 0≤L 1 ≤0.15D, and the air after the heat exchange does not suffer from speed loss when flowing through the fan wheel  33  and the bracket  31  (the fan assembly  3 ), allowing for high air exhaust volume and efficiency of the fan wheel  33 , and effectively reducing the noise of the fan wheel  33 . 
     Therefore, the air conditioner outdoor unit  100  according to the embodiments of the present disclosure has the advantages of high air exhaust volume and low noise. 
     As shown in  FIGS.  1 - 7   , the air conditioner outdoor unit  100  includes a housing  1 , a heat exchanger  2 , and a fan assembly  3 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  1   , the housing  1  is substantially shaped as a rectangular parallelepiped, and the housing  1  includes a bottom plate, a top plate, a left plate, a right plate, a front plate and a rear plate. A cross section of the first cavity  11  is substantially square. The heat exchanger  2  is substantially U-shaped, and the heat exchanger  2  includes a first portion  21 , a second portion  22  and a third portion  23 . The first portion  21  and the second portion  22  are opposite to each other in a left-right direction, and the third portion  23  is connected between the first portion  21  and the second portion  22 . The heat exchanger  2  is arranged in the first cavity  11 . The first portion  21  is connected to the left plate of the housing  1 , the second portion  22  is connected to the right plate of the housing  1 , and the third portion  23  is connected to the front plate (or the rear plate) of the housing  1 . Respective lower ends of the first portion  21 , the second portion  22 , and the third portion  23  are all connected to the bottom plate of the housing  1 . 
     An inner surface of the first portion  21  and an inner surface of the second portion  22  are substantially parallel, and a minimum distance between the inner surface of the first portion  21  and the inner surface of the second portion  22  is S. The inner surface of the first portion  21  refers to a surface of the first portion  21  adjacent to a middle part of the first cavity  11 , that is, the inner surface of the first portion  21  refers to a surface of the first portion  21  adjacent to the second portion  22  in the horizontal direction. The inner surface of the second portion  22  refers to a surface of the second portion  22  adjacent to the middle part of the first cavity  11 , that is, the inner surface of the second portion  22  refers to a surface of the second portion  22  adjacent to the first portion  21  in the horizontal direction. 
     For example, when the first portion  21  is opposite to the second portion  22  in the right-left direction, the inner surface of the first portion  21  is a right surface of the first portion  21 , and the inner surface of the second portion  22  is a left surface of the second portion  22 . 
     It can be understood that the cross section of the first cavity  11  is substantially square, and an inner surface of the third portion  23  refers to a surface of the third portion  23  adjacent to the middle part of the first cavity  11 . The inner surface of the third portion  23  is substantially parallel to a front surface (or a rear surface) of the housing  1 , and a minimum distance between the inner surface of the third portion  23  and the front surface (or the rear surface) of the housing  1  is denoted as Sa. That is, Sa is greater than S, and the minimum distance Sa is a minimum value among all distances from any point on the third portion  23  to any point on the front surface of the housing  1 . 
     In the air conditioner outdoor unit  100  of the present disclosure, the peripheral wall of the housing, which is connected to the heat exchanger  2 , includes a ventilation hole, and hot air from the outside enters the housing  1  through the ventilation hole on the housing  1  and exchanges heat with the heat exchanger  2 . The air after the heat exchange flows upward to the fan assembly  3  and is discharged out of the first cavity  11  under the action of the fan wheel  33 . 
     The bracket  31  is substantially square, and the bracket  31  is arranged in the first cavity  11  and above the heat exchanger  2 . The first part  311  of the bracket  31  (i.e., an edge part of the bracket  31 ) is right above the heat exchanger  2 , and a minimum distance between the first part  311  of the bracket  31  and a top end of the heat exchanger  2  is L 1  that satisfies 0≤L 1 ≤0.15D when S&lt;D. 
     The outside air exchanges heat with the heat exchanger  2  after entering the first cavity  11 . The air is discharged from the first cavity  11  under the action of the fan wheel  33 , after undergoing the heat exchange. The air conditioner outdoor unit  100  according to the embodiments of the present disclosure makes 0≤L 1 ≤0.15D, and the air after the heat exchange does not suffer from speed loss when flowing through the fan wheel  33  and the bracket  31  (the fan assembly  3 ), allowing for high air exhaust volume and efficiency of the fan wheel  33 , and effectively reducing the noise of the fan wheel  33 . 
     In some embodiments, as shown in  FIG.  2   , L 1  satisfies 0≤L 1 ≤0.05D when S&gt;D, and the air outside enters the first cavity  11  and exchanges heat with the heat exchanger  2 . The air is discharged from the first cavity  11  under the action of the fan wheel  33 , after undergoing the heat exchange. The air conditioner outdoor unit  100  according to the embodiments of the present disclosure makes 0≤L 1 ≤0.05D, and the air after the heat exchange does not suffer from speed loss when flowing through the fan wheel  33  and the bracket  31  (the fan assembly  3 ), allowing for high air exhaust volume and efficiency of the fan wheel  33 , and effectively reducing the noise of the fan wheel  33 . 
     As shown in  FIGS.  8 - 9   , in the outdoor unit  100  according to a specific embodiment, the relationship between L 1  and the air exhaust volume and noise is as follows: 
     The air exhaust volume gradually increases and the noise gradually decreases, as L 1  gradually increases. 
     In some embodiments, as shown in  FIG.  2   , a minimum distance between the fan wheel  33  and the bracket  31  in the up-down direction is L 2 , and the minimum distance L 2  is a minimum value among all distances from any point on the fan wheel  33  to any point on the bracket  31 . L 2  satisfies: A 1 ≤L 2 ≤A 1 +50 mm, in which Al is a first preset value. As a result, there is enough space for an airflow between the fan wheel  33  and the bracket  31  to dissipate, that is, there is enough space between the fan wheel  33  and the bracket  31  for the air after the heat exchange to dissipate, to reduce the noise generated by interaction between the airflow and the fan wheel  33 . Meanwhile, a gap between the fan wheel  33  and the bracket  31  is also conducive to improving the air exhaust volume of the fan wheel  33 , and even if the fan wheel  33  vibrates or deflects during rotation, the fan wheel  33  will not collide with the bracket  31 , which ensures the safe operation of the fan wheel  33 . 
     In some embodiments, 20 mm≤A 1 ≤55 mm. 
     When A 1 =20 mm, 20 mm≤L 2 ≤70 mm. That is, the minimum distance from the fan wheel  33  to the bracket  31  is 20 mm, and even if the fan wheel  33  vibrates and deflects during the rotation, the fan wheel  33  will not collide with the bracket  31 , which ensures the safer operation of the fan wheel  33 . In the up-down direction, a maximum vertical distance from the lowest point on the fan wheel  33  to the bracket  31  is 70 mm, such that an overall height of the motor assembly  3  is effectively reduced, an installation space for the motor assembly  3  is saved, and the production cost of the air conditioner outdoor unit  100  is lowered, while the safe operation of the fan wheel  33  is ensured. 
     When A 1 =55 mm, 55 mm≤L 2 ≤125 mm. That is, the minimum vertical distance from the lowest point on the fan wheel  33  to the bracket  31  is 55 mm, and there is enough space for the airflow between the fan wheel  33  and the bracket  31  to dissipate, and the noise generated by the interaction between the airflow and the fan wheel  33  is effectively reduced. 
     In one embodiment, a cross section of the bracket  31  in the up-down direction may be designed as a circle, an ellipse, a semi-circle or an arc, in which an arc portion protrudes downward, that is, an arc surface corresponds to a discharge direction of cold air. Consequently, the blockage of the cold air by the bracket  31  can be reduced, and the flow speed of the cold air remains unchanged, which helps to improve the air exhaust efficiency of the air conditioner outdoor unit  100 . 
     In some embodiments, as shown in  FIGS.  1 - 7   , the air conditioner outdoor unit  100  further includes a mesh cover  4 ; the air outlet  12  is at an upper end of the housing  1 , for example, at a top plate of the housing  1 ; the fan wheel  33  is opposite to the air outlet  12  in the up-down direction, that is, the fan wheel  33  is in the first cavity  11 , and the fan wheel  33  is right below the air outlet  12 . 
     The mesh cover  4  is arranged at the air outlet  12  and connected to the housing  1 , a blockage ratio of the mesh cover  4  is a that satisfies: 0.12≤σ≤0.15, in which σ is defined as σ =(S 1 -S 2 )÷S 1 , in which S 1  represents a frame area of the mesh cover  4 , and S 2  represents a hole area in the mesh cover  4 . Consequently, the blockage ratio of the mesh cover  4  is σ, that is, a ratio of the hole area on the mesh cover  4  to the frame area of the mesh cover  4  is 1-σ. The frame area S 1  is an area of a region enclosed by a frame of the mesh cover  4 . 
     Further, the smaller the value of σ is, the larger the hole area on the mesh cover  4  is and the better the ventilation effect is, but the lower the structural strength of the mesh cover  4  is. Conversely, the larger the value of σ is, the higher the structural strength of the mesh cover  4  is, but the smaller the hole area on the mesh cover  4  is and the poorer the ventilation effect is. Therefore, when the blockage ratio σ of the mesh cover  4  is set, it is necessary to ensure both the structural strength of the mesh cover  4  and the ventilation effect of the mesh cover  4 . When 0.12 ≤σ≤0.15, the mesh cover  4  ensures the structural strength, prolongs the service life of the mesh cover  4 , ensures the ventilation effect, improves the air exhaust efficiency of the air conditioner outdoor unit  100 , and enhances the heat exchange effect. 
     In some embodiments, σ satisfies: 0.133≤σ≤0.137, and the structural strength and ventilation effect of the mesh cover  4  become better. 
     In some embodiments, as shown in  FIG.  6   , the fan cover  4  includes first ribs  41 , second ribs  42 , third ribs  43 , and fourth ribs  44 . 
     The first ribs  41  are parallel to each other and spaced apart along a first horizontal direction (e.g., the left-right direction in  FIG.  6   ), and the second ribs  42  are parallel to each other and spaced apart along a second horizontal direction (e.g., a front-rear direction in  FIG.  6   ). Each first rib  41  is perpendicular to each second rib  42 , and each first rib  41  and each second rib  42  cross to form a grid. 
     Each third rib  43  is between two adjacent first ribs  41  in the first horizontal direction. In one embodiment, the third ribs  43  may be arranged between two first ribs  41 , that is, the third ribs  43  equally divide a gap between the two first ribs  41 . Each third rib  43  is parallel to each first rib  41 , and each third rib  43  is perpendicular to each second rib  42 . 
     Each fourth rib  44  is between two adjacent second ribs  42  in the second horizontal direction. In one embodiment, the fourth ribs  44  may be arranged between two second ribs  42 , that is, the fourth ribs  44  equally divide a gap between the two second ribs  42 . Each fourth rib  44  is parallel to each second rib  42 , and each fourth rib  44  is perpendicular to each first rib  41 . 
     Each of the first rib  41  and the second rib  42  has a diameter greater than or equal to 5 mm and less than 7 mm, and each of the third rib  43  and the fourth rib  44  has a diameter greater than or equal to 2 mm and less than 3 mm. In one embodiment, the first rib  41  and the second rib  42  have the same diameter, and the third rib  43  and the fourth rib  44  have the same diameter. 
     It can be understood that the first ribs  41  and the second ribs  42  are thick ribs compared with the third ribs  43  and the fourth ribs  44 . The first ribs  41  and the second ribs  42  cross each other vertically, and the first ribs  41  and the second ribs  42  form a skeleton of the mesh cover  4 . The third ribs  43  and the fourth ribs  44  cross each other vertically, the third ribs  43  are arranged between adjacent first ribs  41 , and the fourth ribs  44  are arranged between adjacent second ribs  42 . In such a way, the grid of the mesh cover  4  is further subdivided by the third ribs  43  and the fourth ribs  44 , making the size of holes in the mesh cover  4  smaller, and preventing external debris from entering the housing  1  through the mesh cover  4 , to ensure the safe operation of the fan wheel  33  and reduce safety accidents. 
     Meanwhile, the thick ribs (the first rib  41  and the second rib  42 ) effectively improve the structural strength of the mesh cover  4 , and the thin ribs (the third ribs  43  and the fourth ribs  44 ) effectively reduce the blockage ratio σ of the mesh cover  4  and increase the hole area on the mesh cover  4 , which helps to improve the ventilation effect of the mesh cover  4 . 
     In other embodiments, as shown in  FIG.  7   , the fan cover  4  may also be circular; the first rib  41  and the second rib  42  are arranged crosswise along a radial direction of the fan cover  4 ; and the third ribs  43  are circular and connected to the first rib  41  and the second rib  42 . The fourth ribs  44  are arranged along the radial direction of the fan cover  4  and connected to the third ribs  43 . 
     In some embodiments, as shown in  FIG.  2   , a minimum distance between the fan wheel  33  and the mesh cover  4  in the up-down direction is L 3 , and the minimum distance L 3  is a minimum value among all distances from any point on the fan wheel  33  to any point on the mesh cover  4 . L 3  satisfies: A 2 ≤L 3 ≤150 mm, in which A 2  is a second preset value. In such a way, the mesh cover  4  can protect the fan wheel  33  and prevent external debris from entering the housing  1  and colliding with the fan wheel  33 . 
     In some embodiments, A 2 ≥90 mm. When A 2 =90 mm, 90 mm ≤L 3 ≤150 mm, the fan wheel  33  will not affect the outside of the mesh cover  4  and the housing  1 . 
     In some embodiments, as shown in  FIGS.  1 - 7   , the air conditioner outdoor unit  100  further includes an air guide ring  5  arranged in the first cavity  11 . The air guide ring  5  is connected to the housing  1  and fitted over the fan wheel  33 , and an upper end of the air guide ring  5  is above an upper end of the fan wheel  33 , in which a minimum distance between the air guide ring  5  and the fan wheel  33  in a radial direction of the fan wheel  33  is L 4 , and L 4  satisfies: 0≤L 4 ≤0.02D. 
     It can be understood that on a horizontal plane, an outermost side of the fan wheel  33  is approximately shaped as a circle, an inner surface of the air guide ring  5  is also shaped as a circle, and the two circles are concentric, with a radius difference of the two concentric circles as the minimum distance L 4 . 
     In one embodiment, there is no air guide ring  5 , the cross section of the first cavity  11  is substantially square, and the fan wheel  33  is in the first cavity  11 . In such a case, when the fan wheel  33  is rotating, a distance between the outermost side of the fan wheel  31  and an inner surface of the housing  1  is varied. The airflow driven by the fan wheel  33  has different directions in a flowing process since the distance between the outermost side of the fan wheel  33  and the inner surface of the shell  1  is different. That is, the airflow driven by the fan wheel  33  interferes with each other, resulting in noise, and diminishing the stability of the fan wheel  33 . 
     When there is the air guide ring  5 , the air guide ring  5  is substantially annular, the air guide ring  5  is arranged in the first cavity  11 , and the air guide ring  5  is fitted over and arranged coaxially with the fan wheel  33 . In such a case, in the radial direction of the fan wheel  33 , a distance from each point on the outermost side of the fan wheel  33  to the inner surface of the air guide ring  5  is equal. That is, the airflow driven by the fan wheel  33  has a consistent flow direction, and the airflow will not interfere with each other. As a result, the noise of the air conditioner outdoor unit  100  is reduced, and the stability of the fan wheel  33  is improved. 
     When  0 &lt;L 4 ≤0.02D, the airflow creates almost no backflow or vortex in the fan wheel  33  and the air guide ring  5 , allowing the airflow to be discharged out of the housing  1  more quickly. 
     In some embodiments, L 4  satisfies: 0.013D≤L 4 ≤0.017D. In such a way, the airflow driven by the fan wheel  33  creates almost no backflow or vortex between the air guide ring  5  and the fan wheel  33 , making the cooperation between the air guide ring  5  and the fan wheel  33  better. 
     Reference throughout this specification to “an embodiment,” “some embodiments,” “an example,” “a specific example,” or “some examples,” means that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the phrases in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment or example of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Furthermore, the combination of unite different embodiments or examples as well as features of different embodiments or examples described in this specification, in the case of no mutual contradiction.