Window Air Conditioner

The present application is submitted based on and claims priority to Chinese Patent Application Nos. 202210605627.4 and 202221345195.X, both filed on May 30, 2022, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The present disclosure relates to the field of air conditioning technologies, and more particularly, to a window air conditioner.

A window air conditioner in the related art is an integrated air conditioner that may be mounted for use at a window opening. In order to meet noise reduction requirements, some window air conditioners are designed in a form of a saddle with an open bottom groove between an outdoor unit and an indoor unit, in order to allow the window air conditioners to be stuck on a window sill using the groove and block noise of the outdoor unit by a physical wall. However, such window air conditioner has a fixed configuration that does not facilitate a mounting of the window air conditioner.

The present disclosure aims to solve at least one of the technical problems in the related art. To this end, the present disclosure is to provide a window air conditioner, capable of changing its configuration to facilitate a mounting of the window air conditioner.

A window air conditioner according to embodiments of the present disclosure includes an outdoor unit body, an indoor unit component, and a connection support. The outdoor unit body is adapted to be arranged at an outdoor side. The indoor unit component includes an indoor unit body adapted to be arranged at an indoor side. The connection support is adapted to pass through a window opening and connected between a top portion of the indoor unit component and a top portion of the outdoor unit body. The indoor unit component is slidable relative to the connection support in an inward-outward direction.

The configuration of the window air conditioner according to the present disclosure is changeable to facilitate the mounting of the window air conditioner.

In some embodiments, one of the connection support and the indoor unit component is a first component; and another one of the connection support and the indoor unit component is a second component. A lock device is provided between the first component and the second component. The lock device is configured to lock a relative position of the second component to the first component in the inward-outward direction when the lock device is in a locked state.

In some embodiments, the first component has a plurality of first locking holes arranged at intervals in the inward-outward direction. The lock device includes a locking pin and an elastic reset member that are arranged at the second component. The locking pin is extendable into any one of the plurality of first locking holes to allow for position locking. The elastic reset member is configured to apply an elastic force to the locking pin in such a manner that the locking pin extends into the first locking hole.

In some embodiments, the elastic reset member is a bent elastic sheet and includes a first elastic sheet section and a second elastic sheet section. The first elastic sheet section and the second elastic sheet section are movable towards each other through compression. The locking pin is arranged at the first elastic sheet section. The second elastic sheet section is stopped against a stopper of the second component.

In some embodiments, the first component has a plurality of second locking holes arranged at intervals in the inward-outward direction. The second component has a third locking hole. The lock device includes a screw adapted to pass through the third locking hole and be threadedly connected to one of the plurality of second locking holes corresponding to the third locking hole to allow for position locking.

In some embodiments, the third locking hole is an elongated oblong hole, and a length of the third locking hole in the inward-outward direction is greater than a diameter of the second locking hole.

In some embodiments, the third locking hole corresponds to at least two of the plurality of second locking holes.

In some embodiments, the lock device further includes a lock groove member and a rotation member. The lock groove member is fixedly arranged at the first component and has a plurality of locking grooves sequentially arranged in the inward-outward direction. The rotation member is rotatably arranged at the second component and has a lock catch. The lock catch is adapted to be locked and engaged into any one of the plurality of locking grooves to allow for position locking.

In some embodiments, the third lock assembly further includes a torsion spring arranged at a rotation center of the rotation member to apply an elastic force to the rotation member in such a manner that the rotation member is locked and engaged with the lock groove member.

In some embodiments, a guide assembly is provided between the indoor unit component and the connection support. The guide assembly is configured to guide a slide trajectory of the indoor unit component relative to the connection support in the inward-outward direction.

In some embodiments, the guide assembly includes a first guide rail and a second guide rail that are nested and engaged with each other. The first guide rail is fixedly arranged at the indoor unit component. The second guide rail is fixedly arranged at the connection support. The first guide rail is in friction-reduction contact with the second guide rail by a support member.

In some embodiments, the guide assembly is arranged at a bottom of the connection support or each of two transverse sides of the connection support.

In some embodiments, the outdoor unit body is rotatable relative to the connection support about an upper inner end of the outdoor unit body to raise or lower a bottom of the outdoor unit body. The outdoor unit body has a first state in which a back plate of the outdoor unit body is vertically arranged and a second state in which the back plate of the outdoor unit body is transversely arranged. The outdoor unit body is adapted to rotate into the second state from the first state by rotating upwardly to raise the bottom of the outdoor unit body.

Additional aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will be provided at least in part in the following description, or will become apparent in part from the following description, or can be learned from the practice of the present disclosure.

The embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to examples thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, throughout which same or similar elements, or elements having same or similar functions, are denoted by same or similar reference numerals. The embodiments described below with reference to the drawings are illustrative only, and are intended to explain rather than limit the present disclosure.

Many different embodiments or examples according to the present disclosure are used to realize different structures of the present disclosure. To simplify the present disclosure, components and settings in specific examples are described below. Of course, they are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Moreover, the present disclosure may repeat reference numbers and/or reference letters in different examples. Such repetition is for purposes of simplicity and clarity and is not in itself indicative of a relationship among the various embodiments and/or settings discussed. In addition, the present disclosure provides examples of various specific processes and materials, but those skilled in the art may recognize application of other processes and/or use of other materials.

A window air conditioneraccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure is described below with reference to the drawings.

As illustrated in, a window air conditionermay include an indoor unit component, an outdoor unit body, and a connection support. The indoor unit componentincludes an indoor unit bodyadapted to be arranged at an indoor side. The outdoor unit bodyis adapted to be arranged at an outdoor side. The connection supportis adapted to pass through a window openingto connect the indoor unit componentand the outdoor unit body. Thus, the window air conditionercan be made into an integral component and pass through the window openingfor use.

It can be understood that the window air conditionerdescribed herein is adapted to be arranged for use at the window opening. An inward-outward direction of the window opening(i.e., a direction passing through the window opening) is a “longitudinal direction”; a width direction of the window openingis a “transverse direction”; and a height direction of the window openingis a “vertical direction.” In short, the indoor unit bodyand the outdoor unit bodyare spaced apart from each other in the inward-outward direction when the window air conditioneris in a use configuration (such as a state illustrated in). In this case, the indoor unit bodyis arranged at the indoor side for adjusting an indoor environment temperature and the like, and the outdoor unit bodyis arranged at the outdoor side for heat exchange with an outdoor environment. The connection supportpasses through the window openingand is connected to the indoor unit componentand the outdoor unit body. The term “inward” direction described herein refers to a direction towards or close to the indoor side, and the term “outward” direction refers to a direction towards or close to the outdoor side.

In some optional examples, the indoor unit bodymay include an indoor side heat exchanger, an indoor side fan, etc., and the outdoor unit bodymay include a compressor, an outdoor side heat exchanger, an outdoor side fan, etc. The indoor unit bodyis connected to the outdoor unit bodyvia a refrigerant pipeline, and therefore the indoor side heat exchanger, the outdoor side heat exchanger, the compressor, etc. constitute a refrigerant circulation system to realize a refrigeration cycle or a heating cycle. Of course, the present disclosure is not limited to thereto. For example, in some other embodiments of the present disclosure, the indoor side fan, the outdoor side fan, etc. may also be omitted, and no more examples are given herein.

As illustrated in, the connection supportis connected between a top portion of the indoor unit componentand a top portion of the outdoor unit body. The indoor unit componentis slidable relative to the connection supportin an inward-outward direction. Thus, since the indoor unit bodyis movable relative to the connection support, a configuration of the window air conditionercan be changed to better meet mounting requirements.

The expression “the connection supportis connected between the top portion of the indoor unit componentand the top portion of the outdoor unit body” is intended to explain the relative position of the connection supportto the indoor unit bodyand the outdoor unit body, and does not limit how to achieve the connection, for example, which may be a direct connection or an indirect connection. Moreover, a setting position of a connection assembly for the indirect connection is not limited.

As illustrated in, since the indoor unit componentis slidable relative to the connection supportin the inward-outward direction, when the window air conditioneris in a use configuration (for example, as illustrated in), at least part of the connection supportmay be located outside the indoor unit body, to enable the outdoor unit bodyand the indoor unit bodyto be spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction. When the window air conditioneris in the mounting configuration, the connection supportmay be stacked on the top portion of the indoor unit body, to enable the indoor unit bodyto be adjacent to the outdoor unit body(for example, as illustrated in), or at least part of the connection supportmay be located outside the indoor unit body, to enable the indoor unit bodyand the outdoor unit bodyare spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction (for example, a state illustrated in).

Therefore, by arranging the indoor unit componentand the connection supportto move relatively in the longitudinal direction, a relative longitudinal position of the outdoor unit bodyto the indoor unit bodymay be adjusted, which helps to reduce a longitudinal distance between the outdoor unit bodyand the indoor unit bodyfor ease of packaging and transportation. Moreover, this arrangement also allows the longitudinal distance between the outdoor unit bodyand the indoor unit bodyto match longitudinal dimension requirements of different windowsills. As a result, compactness and reliability of the mounting between the window air conditionerand the window openingis improved.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the outdoor unit bodyis rotatable relative to the connection supportabout an upper inner end of the outdoor unit bodyto raise or lower a bottom of the outdoor unit body. As a result, each of the outdoor unit bodyand the indoor unit bodyis movable relative to the connection support. Thus, the configuration of the window air conditionercan be changed more effectively. In this way, the mounting requirements are better met.

For example, as illustrated in, if the outdoor unit bodyrotates counterclockwise about the rotational connection position (such as position R illustrated in), the outdoor unit bodyis rotatable to raise the bottom of the outdoor unit body, for example, the outdoor unit bodymay be changed into a configuration illustrated in. For example, as illustrated in, if the outdoor unit bodyrotates clockwise about the rotational connection position (such as position R illustrated in), the outdoor unit bodyis rotatable to lower the bottom of the outdoor unit body, for example, the outdoor unit bodymay be changed into the configuration illustrated in.

It should be noted that the term “rotatable” in the expression “the outdoor unit bodyis rotatable relative to the connection support” should be understood in a broad sense and is not limited to being rotatable about one axis. For example, it may refer to being rotatable about one axis (such as a pivot axis L illustrated in) by means of an articulated connection. For another example, it may refer to being rotatable about two axes by means of a linkage connection. In short, the outdoor unit bodyis rotatable relative to the connection supportabout the upper inner end of the outdoor unit body(for example, the position R illustrated in). As a result, the configuration of the window air conditionercan be changed to meet different practical requirements.

For example, during the mounting of the window air conditioner, the outdoor unit bodymay rotate until the bottom of outdoor unit bodyis raised first (for example, a state illustrated in), the outdoor unit bodycan be easily pushed from the indoor side through the window openingto the outdoor side. After the outdoor unit bodyis pushed to the outdoor side, the outdoor unit bodymay rotate until the bottom of the outdoor unit bodyis lowered to a normal position (for example, a state illustrated in) to meet normal use requirements.

In addition, since the outdoor unit bodyis rotatable about the upper inner end of the outdoor unit body, it means that the rotational connection is located at the upper inner end of the outdoor unit body. Thus, the rotational connection can serve as a reliable rotation support. In this way, stability and reliability of the rotation of the outdoor unit bodyare improved, and the structure of the outdoor unit bodyis simplified. As a result, cost is reduced, and the assembly is simplified. Moreover, this arrangement can reduce a space swept by the rotation of the outdoor unit bodyas a whole as well as drive torque required to drive the outdoor unit bodyto rotate. As a result, the operation is more labor-saving, and a height requirement of the window openingis relatively low.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as illustrated in, one of the connection supportand the indoor unit componentis a first component, and another one of the connection supportand the indoor unit componentis a second component. A lock deviceis provided between the first component and the second component. When the lock deviceis in a locked state, the lock deviceis configured to lock a relative position of the second component to the first component in the inward-outward direction. That is, a longitudinal relative position of the connection supportto the indoor unit bodycan be simply and effectively locked by providing the lock device. Thus, stability and reliability of the window air conditionerin scenarios such as use, mounting, transportation, or the like are ensured, to avoid an instability problem of a relative movement between the connection supportand the indoor unit body.

In some embodiments, as illustrated in, the first component has a plurality of first locking holesarranged at intervals in the inward-outward direction. The lock deviceincludes a first lock assembly arranged at the second component. The first lock assembly includes a locking pinand an elastic reset member. The locking pinis extendable into any one of the plurality of first locking holesto allow for position locking. The elastic reset memberis configured to apply an elastic force to the locking pinin such a manner that the locking pinextends into the first locking hole.

That is, when the first component and the second component slide relatively, the locking pinmay extend into the first locking holecorresponding to the locking pinby the elastic reset member. Thus, the position locking can be simply and reliably achieved to limit the relative sliding of the first component to the second component. When the locking pinis pushed to overcome the acting force of the elastic reset memberto allow the locking pinto move out of the first locking hole, unlocking can be achieved. In this case, the first component and the second component can slide relatively. Thus, the position locking and the unlocking can be achieved simply and effectively. The structure of the first lock assembly is simple with ease of assembling, high locking reliability, and ease of unlocking.

In some optional examples, the indoor unit componentmay include an extension support. At least part of the extension supportis located at an outside of the top portion of the indoor unit body. The indoor unit componentis in a sliding-fit with the connection supportthrough the extension support. For example, the connection supportmay be nested inside the extension support. The connection supportis provided with the first lock assembly. The extension supportis arranged around the outside of the connection support, and the extension supportis provided with a first locking hole.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, as illustrated in, the elastic reset memberis a bent elastic sheet and includes a first elastic sheet sectionand a second elastic sheet section. The first elastic sheet sectionand the second elastic sheet sectionare movable towards each other through compression. The locking pinis arranged at the first elastic sheet section. The second elastic sheet sectionis stopped against a stopperof the second component. Thus, the structure of the elastic reset memberis simple with ease of machining, and the elastic reset membercan stably and reliably apply the elastic force to the locking pin.

For example, as illustrated in, the bent elastic sheet is a V-shaped elastic sheet. A connection end of the first elastic sheet sectionis connected to a connection end of the second elastic sheet section, and a free end of the first elastic sheet sectionand a free end of the second elastic sheet sectionare movable relatively. In an initial state of the bent elastic sheet, the free end of the first elastic sheet sectionis away from the free end of the second elastic sheet section, and the locking pinat the first elastic sheet sectionmay extend into the corresponding first locking hole. When the locking pinis pushed out of the first locking hole, the locking pinmay drive the free end of the first elastic sheet sectionto move towards the free end of the second elastic sheet sectionto achieve compression of the elastic reset memberand overcome the elastic force of the elastic reset member. When the acting force applied to the locking pinis removed, under the elastic force accumulated by the bent elastic sheet itself, the free end of the first elastic sheet sectionmoves away from the free end of the second elastic sheet section, to enable the locking pinto extend into the corresponding first locking hole.

Of course, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The bent elastic sheet may also be in other shapes, such as a W shape and a sawtooth shape. In addition, in other embodiments of the present disclosure, a spring or the like may be used to replace the bent elastic sheet to serve as the elastic reset member, and details thereof will not be described herein.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as illustrated in, the first component has a plurality of second locking holesarranged at intervals in the inward-outward direction. The second component has a third locking hole. The lock deviceincludes a second lock assembly. The second lock assembly includes a screw. The screwis adapted to pass through the third locking holeand be threadedly connected to one of the plurality of the second locking holescorresponding to the third locking holeto allow for position locking. Thus, reliable locking can be achieved simply and effectively. In this way, the second lock assembly has a long service life and the second lock assembly is not prone to fatigue damage.

In some optional examples, the indoor unit componentmay include an extension support. At least part of the extension supportis located at an outside of the top portion of the indoor unit body. The indoor unit componentis in a sliding-fit with the connection supportthrough the extension support. For example, the connection supportmay be nested inside the extension support; the extension supportis arranged around the outside of the connection support; the connection supporthas a plurality of second locking holesat each of two transverse side wall surfaces of the connection support; and the extension supporthas a third locking holeat each of two sides of the extension support. The screwmay be a hand screw. The hand screwmay pass through the third locking holeand is threadedly connected to one of the plurality of second locking holecorresponding to the third locking holeto achieve a locking engagement.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, as illustrated in, the third locking holeis an elongated oblong hole, and a length of the third locking holein the inward-outward direction is greater than a diameter of the second locking hole. Therefore, it is possible to better achieve that the relative locking position between the indoor unit componentand the connection supportis continuously variable. Thus, more distance dimension requirements are better met.

Further, as illustrated in, the third locking holemay simultaneously correspond to at least two of the plurality of second locking holes, that is, the length of the third locking holein the inward-outward direction allows the third locking holeto simultaneously correspond to at least two of the plurality of second locking holes. In this way, more appropriate adjustment of a movement distance of the indoor unit componentin the inward-outward direction is facilitated before the screwis tightened.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as illustrated in, the lock deviceincludes a third lock assembly. The third lock assembly includes a lock groove memberand a rotation member. The lock groove memberis fixedly arranged at the first component and has a plurality of locking groovessequentially arranged in the inward-outward direction. The rotation memberis rotatably arranged at the second component and has a lock catch. The lock catchis adapted to be locked and engaged into any one of the plurality of locking groovesto allow for position locking. Thus, the switching between the locking and the unlocking can be achieved by rotating the rotation member. In this way, the operation is simple with good locking stability.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the third lock assembly further includes a torsion spring. The torsion spring is arranged at a rotation center of the rotation memberto apply an elastic force to the rotation memberin such a manner that the rotation memberis locked and engaged with the lock groove member. Thus, automatic locking can be achieved by the torsion spring, eliminating a locking operation. Moreover, when the unlocking is required, it is only necessary to pull the rotation memberto rotate to overcome the acting force of the torsion spring, to allow the lock catchto move out of the locking groove. In this way, the unlocking operation is simplified.

Of course, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some other embodiments of the present disclosure, the rotation membermay also be locked in a locked position by a snap-fit structure or a magnetic structure. When the snap-fit structure or the magnetic structure is unlocked, the rotation membermay rotate to allow for unlocking. In another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, as illustrated in, the rotation membermay have a handle member. Thus, the rotation of the rotation membercan be easily controlled by holding the handle member.

In some optional examples, the indoor unit componentmay include an extension support. At least part of the extension supportis located at an outside of the top portion of the indoor unit body. The indoor unit componentis in a sliding-fit with the connection supportthrough the extension support. For example, the connection supportmay be nested inside the extension support, and the extension supportis arranged around the outside of the connection support. The connection supportis provided with a lock groove member; the lock groove memberhas a locking grooveat a bottom of the lock groove member; the extension supportmay be provided with a third lock assembly at a bottom of the extension support, and the extension supporthas an avoidance hole at the bottom of the extension support. The lock catchof the rotation membermay extend into the extension supportthrough the avoidance hole to be engaged with the locking groove. Therefore, the mounting and the operation are facilitated, and the reliability of the position locking is good.