END CAP ASSEMBLY AND WINDOW AIR CONDITIONER

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/CN2024/084997, filed on Mar. 29, 2024, which is based on and claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202323658665.5 filed on Dec. 29, 2023, the entire contents of both of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to the field of air conditioner technologies, and more particularly, to an end cap assembly and a window air conditioner having same.

BACKGROUND

In the related art, an indoor unit component and an outdoor unit component of the window air conditioner can be arranged at two sides of a window sill, respectively. The indoor unit component and the outdoor unit component are connected through a connection component. That is, the indoor unit component and the outdoor unit component are connected at two ends of an intermediate connection member, respectively. To facilitate mounting, the outdoor unit component is configured to be rotatable relative to the connection component. The locking of the rotation is performed by a pull tab pin before and after mounting. When rotation is required during mounting, the pull tab pin is pulled outwards to unlock relative rotation between the outdoor unit component and the connection component. However, it is difficult for the pull tab pin to stay stably in an unlocked position or a locked position, and thus there is room for improvement.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure aims to solve at least one of the technical problems in the related art to some extent.

To this end, an embodiment of the present disclosure is to provide an end cap assembly. A stability of a lock shaft in a locked position can be improved by a first limit structure. A stability of the lock shaft in an unlocked position can be improved by a second limit structure.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an end cap assembly is provided. The end cap assembly includes: an end cap having an accommodation cavity, the end cap including at least one of a first limit structure or a second limit structure; a lock shaft configured to be pushed or pulled relative to the end cap between a locked position and an unlocked position; a reset member configured to push the lock shaft from the unlocked position to the locked position; and an operation member connected to the lock shaft and configured to pull the lock shaft to move from the locked position to the unlocked position. In response to the lock shaft being pushed to the locked position, the first limit structure engages with the operation member in a limiting manner, and the operation member is limited in an accommodated state where the operation member is accommodated in the accommodation cavity. In response to the lock shaft being pulled to the unlocked position, the second limit structure engages with the operation member in a limiting manner, and the operation member is limited in a pulled-out position where at least part of the operation member is outside the accommodation cavity.

The present disclosure further provides a window air conditioner.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the window air conditioner is provided. The window air conditioner includes: an indoor unit component adapted to be arranged at an indoor side; an outdoor unit component adapted to be arranged at an outdoor side; and a connection component, the indoor unit component and the outdoor unit component being connected to each other by the connection component. The outdoor unit component is rotatably connected to the connection component around a pivot axis. At least one of two ends of a connection where the outdoor unit component is rotatably connected to the connection component along the pivot axis is provided with the end cap assembly according to any one of the above embodiments. The lock shaft is configured to allow for a relative rotation between the outdoor unit component and the connection component when the lock shaft is in the unlocked position, and to engage with one of the outdoor unit component and the connection component in a locking manner when the lock shaft is in the locked position to prevent the relative rotation between the outdoor unit component and the connection component.

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

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a window air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure when an outdoor unit component is in a mounting position.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the window air conditioner illustrated in FIG. 1 when the outdoor unit component is between the mounting position and a fixed position.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial view of part A in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the window air conditioner illustrated in FIG. 1 when the outdoor unit component is in the fixed position.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial view of part B in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing mounting of an outdoor unit component and an end cap assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged partial view of part C in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing mounting of an end cap assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged partial view of part D in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing mounting of an end cap assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged partial view of part E in FIG. 10.

REFERENCE NUMERALS OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

• • window air conditioner 100;
  • end cap assembly 10; pivot axis L;
  • end cap 11; end plate 111; first side 111a; surrounding plate 112; accommodation cavity 113; first limit structure 114; snap 1141; second limit structure 115; protrusion 1151; latching space 116; clearance space 117;
  • lock shaft 12; mounting end 12a; first shaft segment 121; second shaft segment 122; shoulder 123;
  • operation member 13; mounting structure 14; bolt 141; nut 142; limit member 143; through hole 143; reset member 15;
  • indoor unit component 20; outdoor unit component 30; connection component 40;
  • first hinge base 50; first plate body 51; first support plate 52; locking hole 53;
  • second hinge base 60; second plate body 61; second support plate 62; avoidance hole 63; rotation shaft structure 70.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

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 limiting, the embodiments of the present disclosure.

An end cap assembly 10 according to the embodiments of the present disclosure is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As illustrated in FIG. 1 to FIG. 11, the end cap assembly 10 according to the embodiments of the present disclosure includes: an end cap 11 having an accommodation cavity 113, the end cap 11 including at least one of a first limit structure 114 or a second limit structure 115; a lock shaft 12 configured to be pushed or pulled relative to the end cap 11 between a locked position (illustrated in FIG. 9) and an unlocked position (illustrated in FIG. 7); a reset member 15 configured to push the lock shaft 12 to move from the unlocked position to the locked position; and an operation member 13 connected to the lock shaft 12 and configured to pull the lock shaft 12 to move from the locked position to the unlocked position. In response to the lock shaft 12 being pushed to the locked position, the first limit structure 114 engages with the operation member 13 in a limiting manner (illustrated in FIG. 9), and the operation member 13 is limited in an accommodated state where the operation member 13 is accommodated in the accommodation cavity 113 (illustrated in FIG. 5). In response to the lock shaft 12 being pulled to the unlocked position, the second limit structure 115 engages with the operation member 13 in a limiting manner (illustrated in FIG. 7), and the operation member 13 is limited in a pulled-out position where at least part of the operation member 13 is outside the accommodation cavity 113 (illustrated in FIG. 3).

Therefore, when the end cap 11 includes the first limit structure 114, the operation member 13 can be restricted from being released from the accommodated state by the first limit structure 114 to improve stability of the lock shaft 12 in the locked position. When the end cap 11 includes the second limit structure 115, the lock shaft 12 can be restricted from switching from the unlocked position to the locked position by the second limit structure 115 to improve stability of the lock shaft 12 in the unlocked position.

First, as illustrated in FIG. 1 to FIG. 5, the window air conditioner 100 includes an indoor unit component 20 adapted to be arranged at an indoor side; an outdoor unit component 30 adapted to be arranged at an outdoor side; and a connection component 40, the indoor unit component 20 to the outdoor unit component 30 are connected to each other by the connection component 40, the outdoor unit component 30 being rotatably connected to the connection component 40 around a pivot axis L. After completion of mounting, the window air conditioner 100 has a substantially saddle shape to be arranged across a window on a wall.

Exemplarily, the outdoor unit component 30 is rotatable around the pivot axis L relative to the connection component 40 to switch between a mounting position illustrated in FIG. 1 and a fixed position illustrated in FIG. 4. In the mounting position, the outdoor unit component 30 and the connection component 40 are located above a horizontal plane where a windowsill is located. In this case, the outdoor unit component 30 is pushed outwardly more simply and more conveniently. In the fixed position, most of the outdoor unit component 30 is located below the horizontal plane where the windowsill is located, and can be abutted with an outer wall surface to realize fixation of the window air conditioner 100. FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic view of a predetermined position during switching between the mounting position and the fixed position.

The window air conditioner 100 further includes the end cap assembly 10 arranged at a connection between the outdoor unit component 30 and the connection component 40 and connected to one of the outdoor unit component 30 and the connection component 40. The end cap assembly 10 includes an end cap 11 having the accommodation cavity 113 opened outwardly and the lock shaft 12 movably mounted at the end cap 11. The lock shaft 12 can be pushed or pulled relative to the end cap 11 between the locked position and the unlocked position. The lock shaft 12 is configured to allow for a relative rotation between the outdoor unit component 30 and the connection component 40 when the lock shaft 12 is in the unlocked position. The lock shaft 12 is configured to rotate in synchronization with one of the outdoor unit component 30 and the connection component 40, and engage with another one of the outdoor unit component 30 and the connection component 40 in a locking manner when the lock shaft 12 is in the locked position, to prevent the relative rotation between the outdoor unit component 30 and the connection component 40.

Exemplarily, the lock shaft 12 may be connected to the connection component 40 to allow the lock shaft 12 to rotate synchronously with the connection component 40. In addition, the lock shaft 12 may be configured to cooperate with the outdoor unit component 30 to lock the outdoor unit component 30 with the connection component 40. Alternatively, the lock shaft 12 may be connected to the outdoor unit component 30 to allow the lock shaft 12 to rotate synchronously with the outdoor unit component 30. In addition, the lock shaft 12 may be configured to cooperate with the connection component 40 to lock the outdoor unit component 30 with the connection component 40.

Therefore, the lock shaft 12 can be switched between the unlocked state and the locked state, allowing an angle between the connection component 40 and the outdoor unit component 30 to be adjustable to fix the connection component 40 and the outdoor unit component 30 at different relative rotational angles, satisfying mounting requirements and fixation requirements.

As illustrated in FIG. 6 to FIG. 7, the end cap assembly 10 further includes the reset member 15 and the operation member 13. The reset member 15 is mounted at the end cap 11, and may be provided with a spring or the like. The reset member 15 is configured to apply a resetting force to the lock shaft 12. The reset force is configured to push the lock shaft 12 to move from the unlocked position to the locked position to allow the outdoor unit component 30 and the connection component 40 to be kept in a normally locked state, and thus the outdoor unit component 30 can be prevented from rotating relative to the connection component 40 when the outdoor unit component 30 is not mounted.

The operation member 13 may be configured as a pull tab, a zipper head, or the like. The operation member 13 is configured to be connected to one end of the lock shaft 12, in such a manner that the lock shaft 12 can be pulled by a user by the operation member 13 to drive the lock shaft 12 to move from the locked position towards the unlocked position. When the lock shaft 12 is in the locked position, the operation member 13 can be switched to the accommodated state where the operation member 13 can be accommodated in the accommodation cavity 113. When the operation member 13 is pulled by the user to move outwardly, the operation member 13 can drive the lock shaft 12 to switch to the unlocked position, and at least part of the operation member 13 is outside the accommodation cavity 113 to switch to the pulled-out position.

The end cap 11 includes the at least one of the first limit structure 114 or the second limit structure 115. Exemplarily, the end cap 11 may be provided with the first limit structure 114. Alternatively, the end cap 11 may be provided with the second limit structure 115. Alternatively, the end cap 11 may be provided with the first limit structure 114 and the second limit structure 115 staggered with the first limit structure 114. The present disclosure is not limited in this regard.

In response to the lock shaft 12 being pushed to the locked position, the first limit structure 114 is configured to engage with the operation member 13 in a limiting manner, and the operation member 13 is limited in the accommodated state to prevent the operation member 13 to be disengaged from the accommodated state, improving the stability of the lock shaft 12 in the locked position. The second limit structure 115 engages with the operation member 13 in the pulled-out position in a limiting manner to lock the lock shaft 12 in the unlocked position, preventing the reset member 15 from driving the lock shaft 12 to switch to the locked position. Therefore, stability of the end cap assembly 10 can be improved.

According to the embodiment of the end cap assembly 10 of the present disclosure, by disposing the first limit structure 114, the first limit structure 114 can restrict the operation member 13 from being disengaged from the accommodated state to improve the stability of the lock shaft 12 in the locked position, and avoid interference and influence on rotation of the outdoor unit component 30 due to disengagement of the operation member 13 from the accommodation cavity 113 to ensure that the outdoor unit component 30 can rotate smoothly. By disposing the second limit structure 115, the second limit structure 115 can restrict the lock shaft 12 from switching from the unlocked position to the locked position to improve stability of the lock shaft 12 in the unlocked position, which is beneficial to improving reliability of the end cap assembly 10.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first limit structure 114 is a snap 1141. The snap 1141 is configured to stop the operation member 13 and block the operation member 13 from moving out of the accommodation cavity 113.

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the first limit structure 114 may be configured as the snap 1141 arranged at an inner circumferential wall of the accommodation cavity 113 and protruding inwardly. When the operation member 13 is switched to the accommodated state, the snap 1141 may be configured to stop a part of the operation member 13 located in the accommodation cavity 113 to block the operation member 13 from moving out of the accommodation cavity 113. Therefore, limit reliability of the first limit structure 114 can be ensured, and the first limit structure 114 has a simple structure, facilitating manufacturing, and thus reducing a cost.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the end cap 11 includes an end plate 111 and a surrounding plate 112 arranged around the end plate 111. The accommodation cavity 113 is formed between the end plate 111 and the surrounding plate 112. The lock shaft 12 extends through the end plate 111. The snap 1141 is connected to the surrounding plate 112 and spaced apart from the end plate 111. A latching space 116 is formed between the snap 1141 and the end plate 111. A part of the operation member 13 is adapted to move into the latching space 116 to be stopped by the snap 1141 (e.g. illustrated in FIG. 9).

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6 to FIG. 7, the end cap 11 includes the end plate 111 and the surrounding plate 112 arranged around the end plate 111 along an edge of the end plate 111 and protruding from a side wall of the end plate 111 to form the accommodation cavity 113 between the end plate 111 and the lock shaft 12. The lock shaft 12 is adapted to extend through the end plate 111 along an axial direction of the lock shaft 12. The lock shaft 12 has an end extending to the accommodation cavity 113 connected to the operation member 13 and another end configured to lock the connection component 40 and the outdoor unit component 30.

The snap 1141 is connected to the surrounding plate 112 and spaced apart from the end plate 111 to form a latching space 116 between the snap 1141 and the end plate 111. In some embodiments, the snap 1141 may be arranged at an end of the surrounding plate 112 away from the end plate 111. When the operation member 13 is switched to the accommodated state, the operation member 13 can be accommodated in the accommodation cavity 113, and a part of the operation member 13 can move into the latching space 116 to be stopped by the snap 1141, preventing the operation member 13 from moving out of the accommodated state.

It should be understood that by disposing the snap 1141 and the end plate 111 spaced apart from the snap 1141, the operation member 13 can have a large movement space, which is beneficial to increasing a size of the operation member 13 to allow the operation member 13 to be easy to hold.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the operation member 13 is rotatable relative to the lock shaft 12. An end of the operation member 13 away from the lock shaft 12 is adapted to move into the latching space 116 to be stopped by the snap 1141 (e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 9).

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3 and FIG. 5, the operation member 13 may have one end rotatably connected to the lock shaft 12 to allow the operation member 13 to rotate relative to the lock shaft 12. Exemplarily, the operation member 13 can rotate away from the accommodation cavity 113 to allow a larger part of the operation member 13 to extend out of the accommodation cavity 113, which is convenient for handling, and in this case the lock shaft 12 can be switched to the unlocked position by driving the operation member 13 to move outwardly. When the reset member 15 drives the lock shaft 12 to move to the locked position, the operation member 13 can be driven to rotate close to the accommodation cavity 113, in such a manner that the operation member 13 can be switched to the accommodated state to be accommodated in the accommodation cavity 113.

The snap 1141 and the lock shaft 12 may be arranged at two sides of the accommodation cavity 113, respectively. When the operation member 13 is switched to the accommodated state, one end of the operation member 13 away from the lock shaft 12 may move into the latching space 116 to be stopped by the snap 1141.

It should be understood that by setting the operation member 13 in a rotating form, the operation member 13 can be moved out of the accommodation cavity 113 by rotating the operation member 13 by a larger part, which is convenient for handling. In addition, by setting the snap 1141, the end of the operation member 13 away from the lock shaft 12 can be stopped, improving limit reliability of the operation member 13.

It should be noted that the operation member 13 can be rotatable relative to the lock shaft 12 in a broad sense. The operation member 13 may be a rigid member as a whole and rotationally cooperate with the lock shaft 12, or the operation member 13 may have a root position connected to the lock shaft 12 as a flexible structure, and other positions as the rigid structure. Rotation is realized by deformation of the flexible position.

Of course, the present disclosure is not limited in this regard. For example, in some other embodiments of the present disclosure, the first limit structure 114 may further be arranged as a magnetic structure and adapted to engage with the operation member 13 in a magnetic attraction. For example, the first limit structure 114 is the magnetic structure to enable the first limit structure 114 to engage with the operation member 13 in a magnetic attraction. For example, the first limit structure 114 may be configured as a magnet and the operation member 13 may be made of a magnetically attractive metal. When the operation member 13 is switched to the accommodated state, the first limit structure 114 may engage with the operation member 13 in a magnetic attraction to fix the operation member 13 in the accommodated state. Therefore, convenience of operation can be improved, and noise in an operation process can be eliminated.

Alternatively, for example, in some other embodiments of the present disclosure, the operation member 13 is provided with an elastic protrusion. The first limit structure 114 is an engagement slot, an engagement hole, or an engagement block. The first limit structure 114 is adapted to snap with the elastic protrusion.

For example, the elastic protrusion may be arranged at the operation member 13. Also, the first limit structure 114 may be configured as the engagement slot. Alternatively, the first limit structure 114 may be configured as the engagement hole. Alternatively, the first limit structure 114 may be configured as the engagement block. The present disclosure is not limited in this regard.

When the operation member 13 is switched to the accommodated state, the first limit structure 114 is adapted to snap with the elastic protrusion to fix the operation member 13 on the first limit structure 114, fixing the operation member 13 in the accommodated state. As a result, reliability of the first limit structure 114 can be improved.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the end cap 11 includes the end plate 111. The lock shaft 12 extends through the end plate 111. The operation member 13 is located at a first side 111a of the end plate 111. The second limit structure 115 is a protrusion 1151 protruding from the first side 111a. In response to the operation member 13 moving to the pulled-out position, the protrusion 1151 stops against a side of the operation member 13 close to the end plate 111, i.e., the protrusion 1151 abuts against the side of the operation member 13 close to the end plate 111 to stop the operation member 13 from moving toward the end plate 111 (for example, as illustrated in FIG. 7).

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the end cap 11 includes the end plate 111. The lock shaft 12 is adapted to extend through the end plate 111 in an axial direction of the lock shaft 12. A side of the end plate 111 facing towards the accommodation cavity 113 is the first side 111a. The operation member 13 is located at the first side 111a of the end plate 111. The second limit structure 115 is configured as the protrusion 1151 protruding from the first side 111a. After the operation member 13 moves outwardly to pull the lock shaft 12 to switch to the unlocked position, the operation member 13 can be rotated to switch the operation member 13 to the pulled-out position, in such a manner that a side of the operation member 13 close to the end plate 111 can be supported by the protrusion 1151 to enable the protrusion 1151 to fix the operation member 13 at the pulled-out position. It should be noted that a side of the protrusion 1151 away from the end plate 111 may be configured as a flat surface. Therefore, the second limit structure 115 can have a simple structure, facilitating limiting.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the second limit structure 115 is two protrusions 1151 spaced apart from each other. A clearance space 117 is formed between the two protrusions 1151. A mounting end 12a of the lock shaft 12 corresponds to the clearance space 117. The operation member 13 rotatably extends through the mounting end 12a and is rotatable between a lay-flat angle (e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 9) and an upright angle (e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 7). The lock shaft 12 is rotatable between a first angle and a second angle around an axis of the lock shaft 12 with respect to the end cap 11. In response to the lock shaft 12 rotating to the first angle and the operation member 13 rotating to the lay-flat angle (e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 9), a part of the operation member 13 is located in the clearance space 117 in the accommodated state. In response to the lock shaft 12 rotating to the second angle and the operation member 13 rotating to the upright angle (e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 7), the operation member 13 is supported by the two protrusions 1151 and limited in the pulled-out position.

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3, FIG. 5, and FIG. 7, two protrusions 1151 may be provided, and the two protrusions 1151 may be spaced apart from each other. For example, the two protrusions 1151 are arranged at two opposite sides of the lock shaft 12, respectively, to form the clearance space 117 between the two protrusions 1151. The mounting end 12a of the lock shaft 12 corresponds to the clearance space 117. The operation member 13 has one end rotatably extending through the mounting end 12a and is rotatable between the lay-flat angle and the upright angle. The lock shaft 12 is set to be rotatable between the first angle and the second angle around the axis of the lock shaft 12 with respect to the end cap 11.

When the lock shaft 12 rotates to the first angle and the operation member 13 rotates to the lay-flat angle, the operation member 13 is staggered from the two protrusions 1151, and the part of the operation member 13 is located in the clearance space 117 in the accommodated state. When the lock shaft 12 rotates to the second angle and the operation member 13 rotates to the upright angle, the operation member 13 is arranged opposite to the two protrusions 1151, and the operation member 13 is supported by the two protrusions 1151 and limited in the pulled-out position.

In a specific operation process, as illustrated in FIG. 5, when the connection component 40 and the outdoor unit component 30 need to be locked, the lock shaft 12 can rotate to the first angle, and the reset member 15 can drive the lock shaft 12 to move to the locked position. In this case, the operation member 13 can rotate towards the end plate 111 to the lay-flat angle relative to the lock shaft 12, and the part of the operation member 13 can be located in the clearance space 117 to avoid the protrusion 1151, in such a manner that the operation member 13 can be accommodated in the accommodation cavity 113. The first limit structure 114 can engage with the operation member 13 in the limiting manner to limit the operation member 13 in the accommodated state.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, when the connection component 40 and the outdoor unit component 30 need to be unlocked, the operation member 13 can rotate to the upright angle relative to the lock shaft 12 away from the end plate 111 to allow at least part of the operation member 13 to be located outside the accommodation cavity 113. Then, the lock shaft 12 can be pulled by the operation member 13 to move to the unlocked position, and then the lock shaft 12 can rotate to the second angle, in such a manner that the operation member 13 is supported by the two protrusions 1151 and limited in the pulled-out position, fixing the lock shaft 12 in the unlocked position.

Through the above arrangement, the two protrusions 1151 can not only support the operation member 13 from two sides to improve stability of the operation member 13 in the pulled-out position, but also meet accommodation and avoidance requirements of the operation member 13, which is ingenious and has high practicability.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as illustrated in FIG. 5, one of the two protrusions 1151 is of a shape with a middle part depressed away from another one of the two protrusions 1151. The operation member 13 is of a shape of a pull tab, a part of the operation member 13 connected to the lock shaft 12 serves as a root of the operation member 13. As illustrated in FIG. 3, in response to the operation member 13 being supported by the two protrusions 1151, the root of the operation member 13 is caught at depressed regions of the two protrusions 1151.

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3, one of the two protrusions 1151 is of a shape recessed away from another one of the two protrusions 1151. For example, the protrusion 1151 can be configured as a zigzag shape. The operation member 13 may be configured as a pull tab shape, and a part of the operation member 13, connected to the lock shaft 12, may be set as the root of the operation member 13. When the operation member 13 is supported at the two protrusions 1151, two sides of the root of the operation member 13 may be caught at depressed regions of the two protrusions 1151, respectively, to enable the protrusions 1151 to limit the operation member 13. Therefore, limit stability of the protrusion 1151 can be improved, and the operation member 13 can be easily held.

Of course, the present disclosure is not limited in this regard. The protrusion 1151 may also be configured as an arc shape. Alternatively, a recess portion can be formed at a middle part of the protrusion 1151. When the operation member 13 is supported at the two protrusions 1151, a part of the operation member 13 moves into the recess portion and engages with a side wall of the recess portion in the limiting manner. Therefore, different operation conditions can be met.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, in conjunction with FIG. 3 and FIG. 5, the end cap 11 further includes a surrounding plate 112 arranged around the end plate 111. The accommodation cavity 113 is formed between the end plate 111 and the surrounding plate 112. One of the two protrusions 1151 is located in the accommodation cavity 113 and spaced apart from the surrounding plate 112, and another one of the two protrusions 1151 is formed by a part of the surrounding plate 112.

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3 and FIG. 7, the end cap 11 further includes surrounding plate 112 arranged around the end plate 111 along the edge of the end plate 111 and protruding from the side of the end plate 111 to form the accommodation cavity 113 between the end plate 111 and the surrounding plate 112. One of the two protrusions 1151 is arranged in the accommodation cavity 113 and is spaced apart from the surrounding plate 112, and the other is formed by the part of the surrounding plate 112. When the operation member 13 moves to the pull-out position, the root of the operation member 13 may have a side supported by the protrusion 1151 arranged in the accommodation cavity 113, and another side supported by the surrounding plate 112. Through the above arrangement, a structure of the end plate 111 can be simplified, manufacturing difficulty of the end plate 111 can be reduced, and it is beneficial to save space, improving a space utilization rate.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the end cap 11 is provided with a mounting structure 14. The mounting structure 14 has a through hole 143. The lock shaft 12 passes through the through hole 143 in an axis direction of the lock shaft 12 and has a shoulder 123. The reset member 15 is a spring arranged in the through hole 143 and arranged around the lock shaft 12. The spring is sandwiched between the shoulder 123 and the mounting structure 14 in a compression direction of the spring. Each of two ends of the lock shaft 12 in the axis direction of the lock shaft 12 extends out of the mounting structure 14. One of the two ends of the lock shaft 12 in the axis direction of the lock shaft 12 is connected to the operation member 13, and another one of the two ends of the lock shaft 12 in the axis direction of the lock shaft 12 is configured for locking.

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6 to FIG. 9, the end cap 11 may be provided with the mounting structure 14 extending through the end cap 11 in a thickness direction of the end cap 11. The through hole 143 is formed in the mounting structure 14. The lock shaft 12 movably passes through the through hole 143 in an axial direction of the lock shaft 12. The lock shaft 12 includes a first shaft segment 121 and a second shaft segment 122 arranged sequentially away from the operation member 13. The first shaft segment 121 has a diameter smaller than that of the second shaft segment 122 to form the shoulder 123 on the lock shaft 12.

The reset member 15 is configured as the spring. The spring passes through the through hole 143 and is arranged around the first shaft segment 121 of the lock shaft 12. The mounting structure 14 is provided with a limit member 143 protruding inwardly at an end of the mounting structure 14 close to the operation member 13. The spring is sandwiched between the limit member 143 and the shoulder 123 in the compression direction of the spring. When the spring is in a compressed state, the spring is configured to apply an elastic force to the lock shaft 12 away from the operation member 13 to allow the lock shaft 12 to have a tendency to move towards the locked position. Each of two ends of the lock shaft 12 in the axis direction of the lock shaft 12 extends out of the mounting structure 14. One of the two ends of the lock shaft 12 in the axis direction of the lock shaft 12 is connected to the operation member 13, and another one of the two ends of the lock shaft 12 in the axis direction of the lock shaft 12 is configured to engage with one of the connection component 40 and the outdoor unit component 30 to lock the connection component 40 and the outdoor unit component 30.

Through the above arrangement, mounting stability of the reset member 15 can be improved, assembly difficulty of the reset member 15 can be reduced, and practicability of the end cap assembly 10 can be improved.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the mounting structure 14 includes a bolt 141 and a nut 142. The bolt 141 extends through the end cap 11 and engages with the nut 142 to lock the end cap 11 tightly. The bolt 141 has the through hole 143.

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the mounting structure 14 includes the bolt 141 and the nut 142. The nut 142 is connected to a side of the end cap 11 facing away from the accommodation cavity 113. The bolt 141 extends through the end cap 11. In addition, one end of the bolt 141 may extend to the side of the end cap 11 facing away from the accommodation cavity 113 and be threadedly engaged with the nut 142 to fix the bolt 141 to the end cap 11. The bolt 141 is configured as a hollow piece, and has the through hole 143. Through the above arrangement, mounting stability of the mounting structure 14 can be improved, it is beneficial to reduce the mounting difficulty and the manufacturing difficulty of the mounting structure 14, and the practicability of the end cap assembly 10 is improved.

The present disclosure further provides the window air conditioner 100.

As illustrated in FIG. 1 to FIG. 5, the window air conditioner 100 according to the embodiments of the present disclosure includes: an indoor unit component 20 adapted to be arranged at an indoor side; an outdoor unit component 30 adapted to be arranged at an outdoor side; and a connection component 40 configured to connect the indoor unit component 20 to the outdoor unit component 30. The outdoor unit component 30 is rotatably connected to the connection component 40 around a pivot axis L. At least one of two ends of a connection where the outdoor unit component 30 is rotatably connected to the connection component 40 along the pivot axis L is provided with the end cap assembly 10 according to any one of the above embodiments. The lock shaft 12 allows for a relative rotation between the outdoor unit component 30 and the connection component 40 when the lock shaft 12 is in the unlocked position, and engages with one of the outdoor unit component 30 and the connection component 40 in a locking manner when the lock shaft 12 is in the locked position to prevent the relative rotation between the outdoor unit component 30 and the connection component 40.

First, as illustrated in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the window air conditioner 100 includes the indoor unit component 20 adapted to be arranged at the indoor side; the outdoor unit component 30 adapted to be arranged at the outdoor side; and the connection component 40 configured to connect the indoor unit component 20 to the outdoor unit component 30. The outdoor unit component 30 is rotatably connected to the connection component 40 around the pivot axis L. After completion of mounting, the window air conditioner 100 has the substantially saddle shape to be arranged across a wall body.

Exemplarily, the outdoor unit component 30 is rotatable around the pivot axis L relative to the connection component 40 to switch between a mounting position illustrated in FIG. 1 and a fixed position illustrated in FIG. 4. In the mounting position, the outdoor unit component 30 and the connection component 40 are located above the horizontal plane where the windowsill is located. In this case, the outdoor unit component 30 is pushed outwardly more simply and more conveniently. In the fixed position, most of the outdoor unit component 30 is located below the horizontal plane where the windowsill is located, and can be abutted with the outer wall surface to realize fixation of the window air conditioner 100. FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic view of a predetermined position during switching between the mounting position and the fixed position.

The window air conditioner 100 further includes the end cap assembly 10 arranged at a position where the outdoor unit component 30 is rotatably connected to the connection component 40. One end cap assembly 10 may be provided at one end of the outdoor unit component 30 (or the connection component 40) along the pivot axis L. Two end cap assemblies 10 may be provided at two ends of the outdoor unit component 30 (or the connection component 40) along the pivot axis L.

The end cap assembly 10 includes the lock shaft 12. The lock shaft 12 can be pushed or pulled relative to the end cap 11 between the locked position and the unlocked position. The lock shaft 12 is configured to allow for a relative rotation between the outdoor unit component 30 and the connection component 40 when the lock shaft 12 is in the unlocked position. The lock shaft 12 is configured to rotate in synchronization with one of the outdoor unit component 30 and the connection component 40, and engage with another one of the outdoor unit component 30 and the connection component 40 in the locking manner when the lock shaft 12 is in the locked position, to prevent the relative rotation between the outdoor unit component 30 and the connection component 40.

Exemplarily, in the unlocked position, the lock shaft 12 may move synchronously with the connection component 40. In the mounting position and the fixed position, the lock shaft 12 may switch to the locked position, and engage with the outdoor unit component 30 to lock. Alternatively, in the unlocked position, the lock shaft 12 may move synchronously with the outdoor unit component 30. In the mounting position and the fixed position, the lock shaft 12 may switch to the locked position, and engage with the connection component 40 to lock.

Therefore, the lock shaft 12 can be switched between the unlocked state and the locked state, allowing the angle between the connection component 40 and the outdoor unit component 30 to be adjustable to fix the connection component 40 and the outdoor unit component 30 at different relative rotational angles, satisfying mounting requirements and fixation requirements.

Of course, an angular interval between the mounting position and the fixed position is not specifically limited in the present disclosure. In addition, one or more holding positions may be provided between the mounting position and the fixed position, in such a manner that a position of the outdoor unit component 30 can be adjusted based on an angle of the outer wall surface of the wall body.

It should be understood that in the embodiment in which the outdoor unit component 30 rotationally engages with the connection component 40, the end cap assembly 10 is arranged at two ends of the outdoor unit component 30 and the connection component 40 along the pivot axis

L, which not only can improve aesthetics of the window air conditioner 100, but also allow the end cap 11 to be located at a region easily accessible to the user.

More importantly, the end cap assembly 10 is located at two ends of the outdoor unit component 30 along the pivot axis L, in such a manner that a space of the window air conditioner 100 can be reasonably utilized, and the lock shaft 12 is arranged adjacent to the pivot axis L, avoiding interference between the lock shaft 12 and surrounding boundary parts. In addition, the lock shaft 12 directly switches between locking and unlocking relative movement parts between the outdoor unit component 30 and the connection component 40, resulting in a short travel distance of the lock shaft 12 and allowing for faster state switching of the lock shaft 12 without additional transmission members, resulting in a simpler structure and lower costs.

According to the embodiments of the window air conditioner 100 of the present disclosure, a setting position of the lock shaft 12 on the end cap is more reasonable, occupying a smaller space and reducing a cost. Therefore, adjustment between the connection component 40 and the outdoor unit component 30 can be easily controlled, which is beneficial to improving reliability of the window air conditioner.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the end cap 11 is fixed to one of the outdoor unit component 30 and the connection component 40, and another one of the outdoor unit component 30 and the connection component 40 has a locking hole 53 offset from the pivot axis L, and the locking hole 53 is configured to engage with the lock shaft 12 in the locking manner.

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 10 to FIG. 11, the end cap 11 is fixed to one of the outdoor unit component 30 and the connection component 40 to enable the lock shaft 12 to rotate synchronously. The other of the outdoor unit component 30 and the connection component 40 has the locking hole 53 offset from the pivot axis L. When the outdoor unit component 30 rotates to the fixed position or the mounting position relative to the connection component 40, the lock shaft 12 can pass through the locking hole 53 and engage with the other of the outdoor unit component 30 and the connection component 40 in the locking manner to lock the outdoor unit component 30 and the connection component 40.

It should be understood that the end cap 11 is fixed at the outdoor unit component 30 or the connection component 40. The end cap 11 moves synchronously with the connection component 40 or the outdoor unit component 30, and the end cap 11 remains relatively stationary with the connection component 40 or the outdoor unit component 30, which can improve fixation stability of the end cap 11, and prevent the end cap 11 falling off during switching between the mounting position and the fixed position of the outdoor unit component 30, or in a process of frequently switching a state of the lock shaft 12. In addition, the lock shaft 12 is offset from the end cap 11, and rotates synchronously with the end cap 11, which can also improve operation stability and reliability of the lock shaft 12.

Exemplarily, one of the outdoor unit component 30 and the connection component 40 is provided with a first hinge base 50 and the other of the outdoor unit component 30 and the connection component 40 is provided with a second hinge base 60. The first hinge base 50 and the second hinge base 60 are hinged by a rotation shaft structure 70 to rotatably connect the outdoor unit component 30 to the connection component 40.

The first hinge base 50 and the second hinge base 60 can rotatably engage with each other by the rotation shaft structure 70. Exemplarily, the rotation shaft structure 70 may be arranged as a rotation shaft extending through the first hinge base 50 and the second hinge base 60 to achieve rotational engagement. Further, one of the first hinge base 50 and the second hinge base 60 may be provided with a rotation shaft portion (for example, a cylindrical protrusion), and another one of the first hinge base 50 and the second hinge base 60 may be provided with the recess portion (for example, a rotation shaft hole) to engage with the rotation shaft portion to achieve rotational engagement.

It should be noted that the first hinge base 50 refers to a hinge base having the locking hole 53, and the second hinge base 60 has an avoidance hole 63. The end cap 11 rotates synchronously with the second hinge base 60. The lock shaft 12 extending from the avoidance hole 63 cooperates with the locking hole 53 to realize locking of the outdoor unit component 30. The locking hole 53 is formed at a hinge base provided with the rotation shaft structure 70, which can simplify a structure, improve structural compactness of the window air conditioner 100, and reduce space occupation of the window air conditioner 100, especially the outdoor unit component 30.

The first hinge base 50 includes two first support plates 52 spaced apart in an extension direction of the pivot axis L. The second hinge base 60 includes a second support plate 62 located at a side of one of the two first support plates 52 away from another one of the two first support plates 52. One of the two first support plates 52 close to the end cap 11 has the locking hole 53. One of the two second support plates 62 close to the end cap 11 has the avoidance hole 63.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the first hinge base 50 may include a first plate body 51 and the first support plate 52 located at two sides of the first plate body 51. The first plate body 51 is connected to one of the connection component 40 and the outdoor unit component 30. The second hinge base 60 may include a second plate body 61 and the second support plate 62 located at two sides of the second plate body 61. Correspondingly, the second plate body 61 is connected to the other of the outdoor unit component 30 and the connection component 40. The two first support plates 52 are located inside the two second support plates 62. The first support plate 52 is pivotally engaged with the second support plate 62 by the rotation shaft structure 70. The first support plate 52 has the locking hole 53 close to the end cap 11. The second support plate 62 has the avoidance hole 63 close to the end cap 11.

In the description of the present disclosure, it should be understood that, the orientation or the position indicated by terms such as “center,” “longitudinal,” “lateral,” “length,” “width,” “thickness,” “over,” “below,” “front,” “rear,” “left,” “right,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “inner,” “outer,” “clockwise,” “anti-clockwise,” “axial,” “radial,” and “circumferential” should be construed to refer to the orientation or the position as shown in the drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present disclosure and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the pointed device or element must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of the present disclosure.

In addition, the terms such as “first” “second” are only used for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, the features associated with “first” and “second” may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present disclosure, “plurality” means two or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.

In the present disclosure, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, terms, such as “mounting,” “connect,” “connect to,” “fixed to,” or the like, should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection or a detachable connection or connection as one piece; mechanical connection or electrical connection; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate; internal communication of two components or the interaction relationship between two components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meaning of the above-mentioned terms in the present disclosure can be understood according to specific circumstances.

In the present disclosure, unless expressly stipulated and defined otherwise, the first feature “on” or “under” the second feature may mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate. In addition, the first feature “above” the second feature means that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the level of the first feature is higher than that of the second feature. The first feature “below” the second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply mean that the level of the first feature is smaller than that of the second feature.

In the present disclosure, the description with reference to the terms “one embodiment,” “some embodiments,” “an example,” “a specific example,” or “some examples,” etc., means that specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment(s) or example(s) are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. In the present disclosure, any illustrative reference of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment(s) or example(s). Further, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, different embodiments or examples and features of different embodiments or examples described in the specification may be combined by those skilled in the art without mutual contradiction.

Although certain embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described above, it should be understood that the above-mentioned embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions, and alternations to the above-mentioned embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure.