Low-Noise Air Conditioner and Viewing Shelter

The present disclosure claims the priority to the Chinese patent application with the filing No. 202420657977X filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration on Apr. 1, 2024 and entitled “LOW-NOISE AIR CONDITIONER AND VIEWING SHELTER”, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in entirety.

The present disclosure relates to the field of air conditioners, and particularly to a low-noise air conditioner and a viewing shelter.

Air conditioner, as an essential household appliance for common temperature control, is widely used in daily life. It mainly consists of three key components: the condenser, the evaporator, and the compressor, and is generally categorized into split-type air conditioners and integrated air conditioners. In split-type air conditioners, the condenser and the evaporator are arranged in separate units, with an outdoor unit and an indoor unit. On the other hand, integrated air conditioners combine the condenser, the evaporator, and the compressor into a single unit.

In existing integrated air conditioners, the integration of the condenser, the evaporator, and the compressor into one unit often leads to significant operational noise during the use of the air conditioners, which can negatively impact the user experience.

The objective of the embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide a low-noise air conditioner and a viewing shelter, wherein the air conditioner operates with low noise and the user experience is good.

In a first aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a low-noise air conditioner, including a housing and a heat exchange module, wherein a partition is arranged inside the housing to divide the housing into an upper cavity and at least one lower cavity, the heat exchange module is arranged inside the upper cavity. The lower cavity includes a first channel and a second channel, wherein the first channel and the second channel are respectively configured to communicate indoor air with a chamber inside the housing.

In the aforementioned implementation, a partition is applied to divide the housing into an upper cavity and at least one lower cavity. The noise-generating heat exchange module is arranged within the upper cavity, thus effectively isolating and confining the noise produced by the heat exchange module within the upper cavity. The first channel and the second channel located in the lower cavity not only serve as pathways for indoor air outlet and air return, facilitate the heat-exchanged airflow to enter the indoor space, but they also serve as noise reduction spaces to further reduce the operational noise of the air conditioner and enhance the user experience indoors. Specifically, the housing is divided into an upper cavity and a lower cavity, and the lower cavity is further divided into a first channel and a second channel. The multi-cavity formed by the two channels can reduce the airflow inside the lower cavity, thereby achieving a thermal insulation effect. At the same time, the arrangement of the multi-cavity also facilitates the use of the cavities to isolate and buffer noise, further improving the sound insulation and noise reduction effect.

The low-noise air conditioner of the present disclosure not only adopts a layered structure with an upper cavity and a lower cavity, but also further divides the lower cavity into different channels, thereby forming a multi-chamber structure. Compared to directly arranging the noise-generating heat exchange module in a noise reduction box, the low-noise air conditioner of the present disclosure effectively isolates the noise generated by the heat exchange module during operation, significantly enhancing the noise reduction effect of the air conditioner and improving the sound insulation and tranquility during operation of the air conditioner. Additionally, this maintains the operation effect of the air conditioner, reduces the size of the air conditioner, and allows for hidden mounting of the air conditioner.

In one possible embodiment, the first channel and the second channel are respectively configured to communicate the indoor air with the upper cavity.

In the above implementation process, when the evaporator is arranged in the upper cavity, the indoor air is drawn into the upper cavity through the first channel and the second channel for processing and then discharged.

In one possible embodiment, a height dimension of the housing is 415-450 mm, a height of the upper cavity is 250-300 mm, and a height of the lower cavity is 100-150 mm.

In the above implementation process, the height of the air conditioner is small, making it suitable for hidden mounting as a crossbeam-type air conditioner.

In one possible embodiment, the heat exchange module comprises a compressor, and the compressor is arranged within the upper cavity.

In the above implementation process, the compressor, as a major noise-producing component of the air conditioner during the operation of the air conditioner, is arranged in the upper cavity. Additionally, by using the isolation effect of other chambers, a better noise reduction effect is achieved.

In one possible embodiment, one or more compressors are provided in different chambers of the upper cavity.

In the above implementation process, multiple compressors can increase the power of the air conditioner, thus ensuring the operational effect of the air conditioner. Furthermore, each compressor is arranged in separate chambers, which can improve the overall noise isolation effect for the compressors.

In one possible embodiment, the compressor is arranged within the upper cavity in a middle of the air conditioner or the upper cavity in an end portion of the air conditioner.

In the above implementation process, arranging the compressor in the middle of the air conditioner is beneficial for the arrangement of various air conditioner components. Arranging the compressor at the end portion of the air conditioner can reduce its impact on indoor noise.

In one possible embodiment, the compressor is a horizontal compressor, wherein the compressor is arranged along the length direction of the housing.

In the above implementation process, using a horizontal compressor can reduce the overall height dimension of the air conditioner, thus meeting the mounting and usage needs of the air conditioner in specific scenarios.

In one possible embodiment, a vibration-damping mechanism is further arranged between the compressor and the upper cavity, the vibration-damping mechanism comprises a base mounted on the compressor and a vibration-damping spring positioned between the base and the upper cavity.

In the above implementation process, the arrangement of the vibration-damping mechanism facilitates the buffering and reduction of vibration noise generated by the compressor during operation, thereby reducing the operating noise of the air conditioner and improving the noise reduction effect.

In one possible embodiment, a condenser and an evaporator are further arranged inside the housing; the evaporator and the lower cavity arranged with the first channel and the second channel are of different chambers; a chamber where the evaporator is arranged is provided with an air outlet duct communicating with the first channel and a return air duct communicating with the second channel; and the first channel and the second channel are respectively configured to communicate the indoor air with the chamber where the evaporator is arranged.

In the above implementation process, the condenser and the evaporator, among other air conditioner components, generate relatively low noise. They are arranged within the housing to form an integrated air conditioner. The evaporator, the first channel, and the second channel are in different chambers to facilitate the formation of an indoor air circulation channel among the evaporator, the first channel, and the second channel.

In one possible embodiment, two condensers are provided and the two condensers are each provided at one end of the air conditioner.

In the above implementation process, the design of multiple condensers can increase the power of the air conditioner.

In one possible embodiment, the housing is provided with an outdoor unit air outlet corresponding to a position of the condenser and configured for communicating with outdoor air.

In the above implementation process, the condenser can form a channel with the outdoor environment, thus promptly discharging the heat generated by the condenser.

In one possible embodiment, the evaporator comprises a heat exchange plate and a heat exchange fan, an output end of the heat exchange fan is arranged in a manner of facing the air outlet duct, and the heat exchange plate is positioned above the return air duct.

In the above implementation process, the output end of the heat exchange fan is oriented towards the air outlet duct, facilitating the guiding of airflow into the first channel and being discharged into the room through the air outlet on the first channel.

In one possible embodiment, the heat exchange plate is arranged in an inclined manner.

In the above implementation process, the inclined arrangement of the heat exchange plate facilitates the guidance and collection of condensation water on its surface during the heat exchange process of the heat exchange plate. Additionally, the inclined arrangement also helps to increase the contacting area between the air input from the return air duct and the heat exchange plate, thereby improving the heat exchange effect of the evaporator.

In one possible embodiment, the first channel comprises a first diversion cavity arranged in an extended manner, the first diversion cavity is provided with an air outlet on a surface of the housing, the second channel includes a second diversion cavity arranged in an extended manner, and the second diversion cavity is provided with a return air inlet on the surface of the housing.

In the above implementation process, with the aforementioned arrangement, indoor air can sequentially pass through the return air inlet, the second diversion cavity, the chamber arranged with the evaporator, and then through the first diversion cavity and the air outlet into the room, thus forming a circulation channel. This facilitates the heating or cooling of the air by the evaporator when the air passes through the chamber arranged with the evaporator. Meanwhile, the lower cavity is divided into the first diversion cavity and the second diversion cavity, which utilizes the multi-cavity characteristics to reduce air flow within the lower cavity, thereby also achieving noise reduction and heat insulation effects.

In one possible embodiment, the first diversion cavity and the second diversion cavity are each arranged in a manner of extending along a length direction of the housing.

In the above implementation process, the upper cavity, the first channel, and the second channel can communicate with each other to form a one-way channel. The indoor air used for heat exchange can enter the chamber arranged with the evaporator through the second channel, undergo heat exchange in the evaporator inside the chamber arranged with the evaporator, and then be output through the first channel into the room, thereby effectively preventing the problem of mixing the un-exchanged airflow with the exchanged airflow, which would otherwise affect the heat exchange efficiency of the air conditioner.

In one possible embodiment, the air outlet is arranged on a side surface or a slanted side surface of the housing, and the return air inlet is arranged at a bottom of the housing.

In the above implementation process, the air outlet is arranged on the side surface of the housing, thereby facilitating the output air to be blown horizontally into the room so as to allow for the convenience of the rapid distribution of cold or hot air indoors. The return air inlet is arranged at the bottom, thus allowing air to enter the second channel through the return air inlet. The arrangement of the air outlet and the return air inlet also aligns with the mounting of the integrated air conditioner, thereby preventing the air outlet or the return air inlet from being obstructed by other components after mounting.

In one possible embodiment, two return air inlets are arranged at both ends of the bottom of the housing.

In the above implementation process, the return air inlet can correspond to the energy storage cabinet located at the end portion of the air conditioner. By allowing the return air from inside the energy storage cabinet to enter the air conditioner, the objective of cooling the energy storage cabinet is achieved.

In one possible embodiment, the upper cavity and/or the return air inlet are provided with a fan.

In the above implementation process, the fan accelerates the return air rate of the air conditioner.

In one possible embodiment, the heat exchange module comprises a compressor, a condenser, and/or an evaporator. The compressor, the condenser, and/or the evaporator are arranged in a same chamber or different chambers of the upper cavity.

In the above implementation process, by arranging the compressor, the condenser, and/or the evaporator in the upper cavity, which is relatively far from the indoor space, not only can the noise reduction effect be improved, but the larger space of the lower cavity, which is closer to the indoor area, facilitates the arrangement of the return air inlet and the air outlet, thus allowing a better operational effect of the air conditioner.

In one possible embodiment, the upper cavity forms multiple mounting cavities along the length direction of the housing through a splitter plate, and the compressor, the condenser, and the evaporator are respectively arranged in different mounting cavities.

In the above implementation process, by dividing the upper cavity into multiple different mounting cavities, the benefits include the following. First, arranging multiple cavities can block the noise generated by the compressor, the evaporator, and the condenser during operation, preventing excessive noise when all three are running simultaneously, thus improving the noise reduction effect of the air conditioner. Second, the design of multiple mounting cavities in conjunction with the first channel and second channel divides the interior of the housing into at least five cavities, and the use of the multi-cavity arrangement can further improve the noise reduction effect.

In one possible embodiment, a position of the partition corresponding to the evaporator is provided with an air outlet duct communicating with the first channel and a return air duct communicating with the second channel.

In the above implementation process, by arranging the air outlet duct and the return air duct at specific positions on the partition, the return air of the second channel can be directed into the mounting cavity at which the evaporator is located through the return air duct for heat exchange treatment. The treated air is then blown out through the air outlet duct and the first channel.

In one possible embodiment, the heat exchange module comprises a compressor, the compressor is arranged within the upper cavity, and a position within the housing, where the partition is not arranged, is further arranged with the condenser and/or the evaporator.

In the above implementation process, by arranging the compressor, which generates the main noise, in the upper cavity to reduce noise, and by arranging the condenser and/or the evaporator and other air conditioner components in the positions where the partition is not arranged, the larger space facilitates mounting.