WINDOW AIR CONDITIONER

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is submitted based on and claims priority to Chinese Patent Application Nos. 202210602504.5 and 202221359387.6, both filed on May 30, 2022, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

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

BACKGROUND

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 an outdoor unit by a physical wall. However, such window air conditioner has a fixed configuration with pipe crossing and wire crossing from a top of the groove. Nevertheless, if this window air conditioner is improved into a deformable form, it is difficult to meet requirements for reliable pipe crossing or reliable wire crossing.

SUMMARY

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 reducing a difficulty of pipe routing or wire routing and ensuring reliability of the pipe routing or the wire routing while meeting a deformable requirement.

A window air conditioner according to embodiments of the present disclosure includes an outdoor unit component, an indoor unit component, a transitional shielding member, and a pipeline assembly. The outdoor unit component includes an outdoor unit body. The indoor unit component includes an indoor unit body. The indoor unit component is rotatably connected to the outdoor unit component. The transitional shielding member is arranged at a rotational connection between the indoor unit component and the outdoor unit component, and the transitional shielding member cooperates with the indoor unit component and the outdoor unit component to form a passage. The pipeline assembly passes through the passage and is connected to the indoor unit body and the outdoor unit body. Therefore, the window air conditioner according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can reduce the difficulty of the pipe routing or the wire routing and ensure reliability of the pipe routing or the wire routing while meeting the deformable requirement.

In some embodiments, the transitional shielding member is movable relative to the indoor unit component and the outdoor unit component. The transitional shielding member participates in forming a first communication opening and a second communication opening. The passage is in communication with the indoor unit body via the first communication opening, and the passage is in communication with the outdoor unit body via the second communication opening. During a relative rotation of the indoor unit component to the outdoor unit component, the first communication opening and the second communication opening are constantly in an open state. The pipeline assembly passes through the passage through the first communication opening and the second communication opening.

In some embodiments, the transitional shielding member includes a retractable shielding member. The retractable shielding member is connected to each of the indoor unit component and the outdoor unit component, and the retractable shielding member is deployed or retracted with the relative rotation of the indoor unit component to the outdoor unit component.

In some embodiments, the indoor unit component includes a first shielding housing located at the rotational connection. The outdoor unit component includes a second shielding housing located at the rotational connection. The first shielding housing and the second shielding housing are arranged in a transverse direction and rotatably connected to each other. At least one of the first shielding housing or the second shielding housing has an avoidance space configured to avoid the retractable shielding member.

In some embodiments, the transitional shielding member includes a shielding shell. The shielding shell is rotatable relative to the indoor unit component and the outdoor unit component.

In some embodiments, the indoor unit component and the outdoor unit component are pivotally connected to each other by a hinge assembly to rotate relatively about a unique pivot axis extending in a transverse direction. The shielding shell includes a top shell extending in the transverse direction and configured to shield above the hinge assembly. The shielding shell further includes an end shell connected to each of two transverse ends of the top shell. The end shell is rotatably and pivotally connected to the hinge assembly about the pivot axis.

In some embodiments, the first communication opening is formed between an inner side edge of the top shell and the indoor unit component. The second communication opening is formed between an outer side edge of the top shell and the outdoor unit component. The indoor unit component includes a first flange adapted to stop against an outer side of the inner side edge. The outdoor unit component includes a second flange adapted to stop against an inner side of the outer side edge.

In some embodiments, the hinge assembly includes a first articulation member arranged at the indoor unit component and a second articulation member arranged at the outdoor unit component. The second articulation member is hinged to the first articulation member to be reciprocally rotatable between a first angular position and a second angular position. When the second articulation member rotates to a third angular position between the first angular position and the second angular position from the first angular position, the second articulation member is in contact with the outer side edge to push the shielding shell to rotate synchronously towards the second angular position.

In some embodiments, when the second articulation member rotates to the third angular position from the second angular position, the second flange is in contact with the outer side edge to pull the shielding shell to rotate synchronously with the second articulation member towards the first angular position for resetting.

In some embodiments, the indoor unit component has at least one first pipeline clamp. The outdoor unit component has at least one second pipeline clamp. The pipeline assembly is fit with each of the first pipeline clamp and the second pipeline clamp.

In some embodiments, the indoor unit component includes a connection support adapted to pass through a window opening. The connection support has an outer end extending to be pivotally connected to an upper inner end of the outdoor unit body, to enable the outdoor unit body to rotate about a unique pivot axis extending in a transverse direction and located at the upper inner end of the outdoor unit body. An extending direction of the pipeline assembly in the connection support is changed at least once.

In some embodiments, the connection support and the indoor unit body are slidable relative to each other in an inward-outward direction. The pipeline assembly extends along a loop in the connection support.

Additional aspects and advantages of 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.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a window air conditioner in a use configuration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a view showing a use state of the window air conditioner illustrated in FIG. 1 in the use configuration.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the window air conditioner illustrated in FIG. 1 in a mounting configuration.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a mounting state of the window air conditioner illustrated in FIG. 3 in the mounting configuration.

FIG. 5 is a view showing a mounting state of the window air conditioner illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a view showing a state in which the window air conditioner illustrated in FIG. 1 is mounted in place.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a window air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a window air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is an assembly view of a part of a window air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of the window air conditioner illustrated in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is another exploded view of the window air conditioner illustrated in FIG. 9.

FIG. 12 is an exploded view of a window air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13 is a partial enlarged view of part A illustrated in FIG. 7.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a part of a window air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 15 is a partial cross-sectional view of the window air conditioner illustrated in FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is a partial cross-sectional view of a window air conditioner in a rotation position according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 17 is a partial cross-sectional view of a window air conditioner in a rotation position according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 18 is a partial cross-sectional view of a window air conditioner in a rotation position according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 19 is a schematic view of an internal structure of a window air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 20 is a schematic view of a pipeline assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 21 is a schematic view of an internal structure of a window air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 22 is a schematic view of an internal structure of a window air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

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 conditioner 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is described below with reference to the drawings.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a window air conditioner 100 includes an indoor unit component 101 and an outdoor unit component 102. The indoor unit component 101 includes an indoor unit body 1. The outdoor unit component 102 includes an outdoor unit body 2. The outdoor unit body 2 and the indoor unit body 1 of the window air conditioner 100 are spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction, to enable the window air conditioner 100 to have a use configuration in which the indoor unit body 1 is located at an indoor side and the outdoor unit body 2 is located at an outdoor side.

It should be noted that the window air conditioner 100 described herein is adapted to be arranged for use at the window opening 200. An inward-outward direction of the window opening 200 (i.e., a direction passing through the window opening 200) is a “longitudinal direction”; a width direction of the window opening 200 is a “transverse direction”; and a height direction of the window opening 200 is a “vertical direction.” In short, the indoor unit body 1 and the outdoor unit body 2 are spaced apart from each other in an inward-outward direction when the window air conditioner 100 is in the use configuration (such as a state illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2). In this case, the indoor unit body 1 is arranged at the indoor side for adjusting an indoor environment temperature and the like, and the outdoor unit body 2 is arranged at the outdoor side for heat exchange with an outdoor environment.

In some optional examples, the indoor unit body 1 may include an indoor side heat exchanger, an indoor side fan, etc., and the outdoor unit body 2 may include a compressor, an outdoor side heat exchanger, an outdoor side fan, etc. The indoor unit body 1 is connected to the outdoor unit body 2 via 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 FIGS. 1 to 4, the indoor unit component 101 is rotatably connected to the outdoor unit component 102 to enable the outdoor unit component 102 to rotate about the rotational connection relative to the indoor unit component 101. The expression “rotatably connected” should be understood in a broad sense and is not limited to being rotatable about an axis. For example, it may refer to rotating about an axis (such as a pivot axis L illustrated in FIG. 1) by means of an articulated connection. For another example, it may refer to rotating about two axes by means of a linkage connection. In short, the outdoor unit component 102 is rotatable about the rotational connection relative to the indoor unit component 101, to enable the window air conditioner 100 to change its configuration to meet different practical requirements.

For example, mounting requirements, handling requirements, packaging requirements, or transportation requirements, or the like of the window air conditioner 100 are met by changing the configuration of the window air conditioner 100. As a result, the window air conditioner 100 does not need to be restricted by the use configuration of the window air conditioner 100 (for example, the configuration illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2) in scenarios such as mounting, handling, packaging, transportation, or the like, and can realized these scenarios by flexibly changing the configuration of the window air conditioner 100 (for example, changing into a configuration illustrated in FIG. 3 or FIG. 4).

For example, with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, during a mounting of the window air conditioner 100, a bottom of the outdoor unit body 2 may be raised by rotating the outdoor unit component 102. Therefore, the outdoor unit body 2 can be easily pushed from the indoor side through the window opening 200 to the outdoor side. With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, after the outdoor unit body 2 is pushed to the outdoor side, the bottom of the outdoor unit body 2 is lowered to a normal position to meet normal use requirements.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the window air conditioner 100 further includes a transitional shielding member 107. The transitional shielding member 107 is arranged at a rotational connection between the indoor unit component 101 and the outdoor unit component 102 (e.g., a position R illustrated in FIG. 7). The transitional shielding member 107 cooperates with the indoor unit component 101 and the outdoor unit component 102 to form a passage 50. As illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, the window air conditioner 100 further includes a pipeline assembly 103. For example, the pipeline assembly 103 includes at least one of a refrigerant pipe, a water pipe, or an electric wire. The pipeline assembly 103 passes through the passage 50 through a first communication opening 501 and a second communication opening 502, and is connected to the indoor unit body 1 and the outdoor unit body 2. For example, the pipeline assembly 103 may have an inner end connected to the indoor unit body 1, and an outer end extending into the passage 50 through the first communication opening 501 and connected to the outdoor unit body 2 through the second communication opening 502.

Therefore, there is no need for piping or wiring separately outside the indoor unit component 101 and the outdoor unit component 102, eliminating any need for a subsequent mounting operation of piping or wiring. In this way, mounting efficiency of the window air conditioner 100 is improved. Moreover, the transitional shielding member 107 may serve to protect the pipeline assembly 103, to improve a service life and operating reliability of the pipeline assembly 103.

In some embodiments, the transitional shielding member 107 is movable (such as deforming or moving) relative to the indoor unit component 101 and the outdoor unit component 102. The transitional shielding member 107 participates in forming a first communication opening 501. The passage 50 is in communication with the indoor unit body 1 via the first communication opening 501. The transitional shielding member 107 further participates in forming a second communication opening 502. The passage 50 is in communication with the outdoor unit body 2 via the second communication opening 502. During a relative rotation of the indoor unit component 101 to the outdoor unit component 102, the first communication opening 501 and the second communication opening 502 are constantly in an open state.

Thus, by providing the transitional shielding member 107 and arranging the transitional shielding member 107 to be movable (such as deforming or moving) relative to the indoor unit component 101 and the outdoor unit component 102, to form the first communication opening 501 and the second communication opening 502 that are constantly opened, interference and damage to the pipeline assembly 103 caused by the relative rotation of the indoor unit component 101 to the outdoor unit component 102 can be avoided to further improve operating reliability of the pipeline assembly 103.

It should be noted that there are varieties of ways to arrange the transitional shielding member 107. For example, two simple optional embodiments will be mainly introduced below.

Embodiment 1

As illustrated in FIG. 9, the transitional shielding member 107 includes a retractable shielding member 52 arranged at the connection between the indoor unit component 101 and the outdoor unit component 102. The retractable shielding member 52 is connected to each of the indoor unit component 101 and the outdoor unit component 102, and the retractable shielding member 52 is deployed or retracted with the relative rotation of the indoor unit component 101 to the outdoor unit component 102. That is, the retractable shielding member 52 is configured to form the passage 50 to shield a corresponding part of the pipeline assembly 103.

For example, the retractable shielding member 52 may be in a form of a folding fan and the like. Thus, when the outdoor unit component 102 and the indoor unit component 101 rotate relatively, the retractable shielding member 52 may be folded without affecting the pipeline assembly 103.

At this time, a part of the passage 50 corresponding to a connection between the retractable shielding member 52 and the indoor unit component 101 may be set as the first communication opening 501, and a part of the passage 50 corresponding to a connection between the retractable shielding member 52 and the outdoor unit component 102 may be set as the second communication opening 502. As such, when the indoor unit component 101 and the outdoor unit component 102 rotate relatively, the retractable shielding member 52 can be deployed and retracted to avoid the pipeline assembly 103, to ensure that the first communication opening 501 and the second communication opening 502 are constantly in an open state. Thus, this arrangement can simply and effectively achieve that the first communication opening 501 and the second communication opening 502 are constantly in an open state during a relative rotation of the indoor unit component 101 to the outdoor unit component 102.

Further, as illustrated in FIGS. 9 to 11, the indoor unit component 101 includes a first shielding housing 32 located at the rotational connection, and the outdoor unit component 102 includes a second shielding housing 27 located at the rotational connection. The first shielding housing 32 and the second shielding housing 27 are arranged in a transverse direction and rotationally connected to each other. At least one of the first shielding housing 32 or the second shielding housing 27 has an avoidance space 271 configured to avoid the retractable shielding member 52.

Thus, providing the first shielding housing 32 and the second shielding housing 27 can realize the rotational connection between the indoor unit component 101 and the outdoor unit 102 on the one hand and can provide shielding and protection on the other hand; and furthermore, it can improve structural strength and reliability of the rotational connection as well as a rotation support capacity. Moreover, providing the avoidance space 271 configured to avoid the retractable shielding member 52 at at least one of the first shielding housing 32 or the second shielding housing 27 can increase a transverse coverage area of each of the first shielding housing 32 and the second shielding housing 27, and thus further improve the structural strength.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the first shielding housing 32 and the second shielding housing 27 each include a top plate extending in the transverse direction, and a length direction of the top plate is in the transverse direction. A side plate is arranged at each of two ends of the top plate in a length direction of the top plate, and the side plate is perpendicular to a top cover of an arc shape. Side plates of the first shielding housing 32 and the second shielding housing 27 close towards each other are connected by a rotary shaft (an ordinary rotary shaft or a damping rotary shaft) or a bearing, to realize the relative rotation of the indoor unit component 101 to the outdoor unit component 102.

The avoidance space 271 may be formed at the top plate and filled with the retractable shielding member 52, and the retractable shielding member 52 has an inner end connected to the indoor unit component 101 and an outer end connected to the outdoor unit component 102. A cross section of the top plate may be in upward convex arc-shape. Therefore, when the indoor unit component 101 and the outdoor unit component 102 rotate relatively, the top plate can be easily hidden and is not prone to interference.

Embodiment 2

As illustrated in FIG. 12, the transitional shielding member 107 includes a shielding shell 51. The shielding shell 51 is arranged at the rotational connection between the indoor unit component 101 and the outdoor unit component 102. The shielding shell 51 is rotatable relative to the indoor unit component 101 and the outdoor unit component 102. The shielding shell 51 is configured to form the through channel 50. Therefore, since the shielding shell 51 is not fixedly connected to the indoor unit component 101 or the outdoor unit component 102, when one of the indoor unit component 101 and the outdoor unit component 102 serving as a rotating component rotates relative to another one of indoor unit component 101 and the outdoor unit component 102 serving as a stationary component, the shielding shell 51 neither rotates synchronously with the rotating component nor is relatively stationary with the stationary component, but rather can avoid the pipeline assembly 103 by rotating relative to the outdoor unit component 102 and the indoor unit component 101. Thus, the first communication opening 501 and the second communication opening 502 are ensured to be in the open state constantly.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, as illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13, the indoor unit component 101 and the outdoor unit component 102 are pivotally connected to each other by a hinge assembly 106 to rotate relatively about a unique pivot axis L extending in a transverse direction. Thus, providing the hinge assembly 106 can realize the pivotal connection between the indoor unit component 101 and the outdoor unit body 2 to enable one of the outdoor unit body 2 and the indoor unit component 101 to rotate about the unique pivot axis L extending in the transverse direction relative to another one of the outdoor unit body 2 and the indoor unit component 101. In this way, a configuration of the window air conditioner 100 is changed.

Since there is only one unique pivot axis L instead of having a plurality of pivot axes L, a rotation trajectory of the rotating component relative to the stationary component is determined. An installer can smoothly and reliably pull the rotating component to rotate. Thus, the configuration of the window air conditioner 100 can be ensured to be changed reliably and effectively. Moreover, since the rotation trajectory of the rotating component is determined and the rotating component is supported by the hinge assembly 106, an action of driving the rotating component to rotate can be simple, smooth, labor-saving, and reliable.

Further, with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15, the shielding shell 51 may be rotatably and pivotally connected to the hinge assembly 106 about the pivot axis L. Therefore, stable mounting of the shielding shell 51 can be realized. Moreover, the shielding shell 51 does not need to move synchronously with the hinge assembly 106, when an interior of the shielding shell 51 is used for pipe routing and wire routing, a problem of interference to the pipe routing and the wire routing due to the synchronous movement of the shielding shell 51 and the hinge assembly 106 is avoided.

For example, in some embodiments, as illustrated in FIGS. 12 to 15, the shielding shell 51 may include a top shell 511 extending in the transverse direction and configured to shield above the hinge assembly 106. The shielding shell 51 further includes an end shell 512 connected to each of two transverse ends of the top shell 511. The end shell 512 is rotatably and pivotally connected to the hinge assembly 106 about the pivot axis L (for example, by a rotary shaft 44 in FIG. 15). Thus, the shielding shell 51 can more comprehensively protect the pipeline assembly 103 and the hinge assembly 106, and can be easily pivotally connected to the hinge assembly 106.

For example, a hinge assembly 106 may be arranged at a position close to each end shell 512. Thus, the hinge assembly 106 can be pivotally connected to the end shell 512 by a shorter rotary shaft 44. Of course, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and at least one hinge assembly 106 may be arranged between the two hinge assemblies 106, to improve stability and reliability of the pivotal connection between the outdoor unit component 102 and the indoor unit component 101, and thus to improve a support effect for the rotation of the outdoor unit component 102.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, as illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 16, the first communication opening 501 is formed between an inner side edge 5111 of the top shell 511 (i.e., a side edge of the top shell 511 in the longitudinal direction close to the indoor side) and the indoor unit component 101. The second communication opening 502 is formed between an outer side edge 5112 of the top shell 511 (i.e., a side edge of the top shell 511 in the longitudinal direction close to the outdoor side) and the outdoor unit component 102. The indoor unit component 101 includes a first flange 33 adapted to stop against an outer side of the inner side edge 5111. The outdoor unit component 102 includes a second flange 28 adapted to stop against an inner side of the outer side edge 5112. Therefore, this arrangement can ensure better sealing and provide better protection for the pipeline assembly 103.

In some embodiments, as illustrated in FIG. 13, the hinge assembly 106 includes a first articulation member 41 arranged at the indoor unit component 101 and a second articulation member 42 arranged at the outdoor unit component 102. The second articulation member 42 is hinged to the first articulation member 41 to be reciprocally rotatable between a first angular position (e.g., a position illustrated in FIG. 13) and a second angular position (e.g., a position illustrated in FIG. 17). When the second articulation member 42 rotates to a third angular position (e.g., a position illustrated in FIG. 16) between the first angular position and the second angular position from the first angular position, the second articulation member 42 may be in contact with the outer side edge 5112 to push the shielding shell 51 to rotate synchronously towards the second angular position. Thus, using a rotation time difference between the second articulation member 42 and the shielding shell 51 can avoid the problem that the shielding shell 51 always moves synchronously with the second articulation member 42 to close the first communication opening 501, to ensure that the first communication opening 501 is constantly in the open state.

Further, when the second articulation member 42 rotates to the third angular position (e.g., a position illustrated in FIG. 18) from the second angular position (e.g., the position illustrated in FIG. 17), the second flange 28 may be in contact with the outer side edge 5112 to pull the shielding shell 51 to rotate synchronously with the second articulation member 42 towards the first angular position (e.g., the position illustrated in FIG. 13) for resetting. Thus, the shielding shell 51 can return to its original position, which provides an effective shielding effect with the ingenious design.

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 13, the first angular position of the second articulation member 42 is a position at an angle of 0°, as illustrated in FIG. 17, the second angular position of the second articulation member 42 is a position at an angle of 90°, as illustrated in FIG. 16, and the third angular position of the second articulation member 42 is a position at an angle of 45°. The top shell 511 of the shielding shell 51 may be an arc-shape with a cross section of a central angle of 90°. As illustrated in FIG. 13, when the second articulation member 42 is located at the position at the angle of 0°, the inner side edge 5111 and the outer side edge 5112 of the top shell 511 are symmetrical about a vertical plane. In this case, a line connecting the inner side edge 5111 of the top shell 511 and a center of the top shell 511 intersects a horizontal plane at an angle of 45°, and a line connecting the outer side edge 5112 of the top shell 511 and the center of the top shell 511 also intersects the horizontal plane at an angle of 45°.

When the second articulation member 42 rotates to the position at the angle of 45° from the position at the angle of 0°, as illustrated in FIG. 16, the second articulation member 42 may be in contact with the outer side edge 5112 of the top shell 511. In this case, the shielding shell 51 is pushed to rotate another angle of 45° as a whole, and the second articulation member 42 reaches the position at the angle of 90°, as illustrated in FIG. 17. At this time, a line connecting the inner side edge 5111 of the top shell 511 and the center of the top shell 511 intersects the horizontal plane at an angle of 0°, and a line connecting the outer side edge 5112 of the top shell 511 and the center of the top shell 511 intersects the horizontal plane at an angle of 90°. As such, each of the first communication opening 501 and the second communication opening 502 is ensured to be in the open state.

When the second articulation member 42 rotates to the position at the angle of 45° from the position at the angle of 90° towards the position at the angle of 0°, as illustrated in FIG. 18, the second flange 28 of the outdoor unit component 102 is in contact with the outer side edge 5112 of the top shell 511. As the outdoor unit component 102 and the second articulation member 42 rotate synchronously, the shielding shell 51 is pulled by the second flange 28 to rotate reversely by an angle of 45° as a whole until the second articulation member 42 reaches the position at the angle of 0°, as illustrated in FIG. 13. At this time, the line connecting the inner side edge 5111 of the top shell 511 and the center of the top shell 511 is returned to intersect the horizontal plane at the angle of 45°, and the line connecting the outer side edge 5112 of the top shell 511 and the center of the top shell 511 is also returned to intersect the horizontal plane at the angle of 45°. Thus, the shielding effect is ensured.

In short, when the outdoor unit component 102 rotates by an angle of 90°, the shielding shell 51 only rotates by an angle of 45°. However, the first communication opening 501 and the second communication opening 502 may still be kept open, and there is still a space for pipe routing and wire routing.

In some embodiments, as illustrated in FIG. 12, the shielding shell 51 further includes a bottom shell 513. The bottom shell 513 is located below the hinge assembly 106. The bottom shell 513 extends in the transverse direction and has two transverse ends respectively connected to the two end shells 512. Thus, the hinge assembly 106 can be protected more comprehensively. Moreover, in this embodiment, the mounting of the shielding shell 51 can be achieved regardless of whether the end shell 512 is rotatably connected to the hinge assembly 106. Therefore, when the shielding shell 51 includes the bottom shell 513, the end shell 512 may be or may not be pivotally connected to the hinge assembly 106. The shape of the bottom shell 513 is not limited, for example, which may also be an arc-shaped plate with a cross-section of a central angle of 90°.

In other embodiments, the bottom shell 513 may not be connected to the two end shells 512, but may be connected to the indoor unit component 101. Of course, the shielding shell 51 may include no bottom shell 513. In this case, the indoor unit component 101 may have a bottom surface extending to the outdoor side to shield a bottom of the hinge assembly 106, which will not be described in detail herein.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as illustrated in FIG. 12, the shielding shell 51 may further include an end cover 514 arranged at a transverse outer side surface of each of the two end shells 512. The end cover 514 is mounted at the end shell 512 corresponding to the end cover 514 by means of a snap-fit connection or a magnetic connection. Thus, the end shell 512 can be shielded by the end cover 514 to avoid a connection shaft, a screw head, etc. on the end shell 512 from being exposed and damaged, and thus to improve protection reliability of the shielding shell 51 against the hinge assembly 106.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the end cover 514 is a physical cover without hollowing to allow for a better shielding effect. For example, the end cover 514 may be a plastic cover. The end cover 514 is provided with a snap at a surface of the end cover 514 facing towards the end shell 512, and the end shell 512 has a snap hole. The snap is in a snap-fit with the snap hole to achieve a fixed connection between the end cover 514 and the end shell 512, and thus to achieve the shielding and sealing for the end shell 512.

It should be noted that the first articulation member 41 and the indoor unit component 101 may be integrally formed or may be separately formed, and the second articulation member 42 and the outdoor unit component 102 may be integrally formed or may be separately formed.

When the first articulation member 41 and the indoor unit component 101 are separately formed and assembled together, and the second articulation member 42 and the outdoor unit component 102 are also separately formed and assembled together, there is no need for special structural design and processing of the indoor unit component 101 and the outdoor unit component 102, which reduces cost. Moreover, the first articulation member 41 and the second articulation member 42 that have been hinged are easily fixed at the indoor unit component 101 and the outdoor unit component 102, respectively, and reliability of the articulation can be well guaranteed. In addition, the first articulation member 41 and the second articulation member 42 may be made of suitable materials independently without being affected by materials selected for the indoor unit component 101 and the outdoor unit component 102, which can not only ensure reliability of the hinge assembly 106, but also enable the indoor unit component 101 and the outdoor unit component 102 not to be selected with special materials for the articulation. In this way, the cost is reduced to meet requirements of mass production.

When the first articulation member 41 and the indoor unit component 101 are integrally formed, and the second articulation member 42 and the outdoor unit component 102 are also integrally formed, reliability of the connection between the first articulation member 41 and the indoor unit component 101 as well as reliability of the connection between the second articulation member 42 and the outdoor unit component 102 can be guaranteed. Of course, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The first articulation member 41 and the indoor unit component 101 may also be integrally formed, while the second articulation member 42 and the outdoor unit component 102 are separately formed. Alternatively, the first articulation member 41 and the indoor unit component 101 may be separately formed, while the second articulation member 42 and the outdoor unit component 102 may be integrally formed. The effects of these embodiments can be known by referring to the above description, and will not be repeated herein.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the indoor unit component 101 has at least one first pipeline clamp 34, and the outdoor unit component 102 has at least one second pipeline clamp 29. The pipeline assembly 103 is fit with each of the first pipeline clamp 34 and the second pipeline clamp 29. Thus, when the outdoor unit component 102 and the indoor unit component 101 rotate relatively, a problem such as messy entanglement of pipelines can be avoided. In this way, safety and reliability are improved.

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 8, at least one of the first pipeline clamp 34 or the second pipeline clamp 29 is constructed as a set pipeline clamp. The set pipeline clamp may include a pipe clamp body and a compression member arranged inside the pipe clamp body. For example, the compression member may be rubber, sponge, etc., and the pipe clamp body may be metal, plastic, etc. The pipeline is pressed by the pipe clamp body, and the compression member is filled between the pipe clamp body and the pipeline. The compression member is in a compressed state to enable the pipeline to be tightened but not be damaged. In addition, in some embodiments, the set pipeline clamp may have a plurality of line pressing positions to press a plurality of pipelines simultaneously.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the indoor unit component 101 includes a connection support 3 adapted to pass through a window opening 200. The connection support 3 has an outer end extending to be pivotally connected to an upper inner end of the outdoor unit body 2, to enable the outdoor unit body 2 to rotate about a unique pivot axis L extending in the transverse direction and located at the upper inner end of the outdoor unit body 2.

It should be noted that “the outer end of the connection support 3 extends to be pivotally connected to an upper inner end of the outdoor unit body 2” is intended to illustrate the connection position between the indoor unit component 101 and the outdoor unit body 2, 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 linkage for the indirect connection is not limited, for example, which may be arranged at the connection support 3, or may be arranged at the indoor unit body 1.

That is, when one of the outdoor unit body 2 and the indoor unit component 101 serves as a rotating component and another one of the outdoor unit body 2 and the indoor unit component 101 serves as a stationary component, and a force is applied to enable the rotating component to rotate relative to the stationary component, there is only one unique pivot axis L for the rotating component to rotate relative to the stationary component instead of having a plurality of pivot axes L. As a result, a rotation trajectory of the rotating component relative to the stationary component can be guaranteed to be determined.

Therefore, when the configuration of the window air conditioner 100 needs to be changed, the rotating component may be allowed to rotate relative to the stationary component about the unique pivot axis L. Thus, the bottom of the outdoor unit body 2 can be easily raised or lowered. In addition, since the pivot connection between the indoor unit component 101 and the outdoor unit body 2 has the unique pivot axis L, the rotating component may be pulled smoothly and reliably to rotate relative to the stationary component about the unique pivot axis L based on the determined trajectory. Thus, the configuration of the window air conditioner 100 can be ensured to be changed reliably and effectively. In addition, since the rotation trajectory of the rotating component is determined and the rotating component is supported at the pivot connection (such as a position R illustrated in FIG. 1), an action of driving the rotating component to rotate can be simple, smooth, and labor-saving, and stability and reliability of the rotation support are good.

In addition, since the pivot axis L extends in the transverse direction and is located at the upper inner end of the outdoor unit body 2, a reliable rotation support can be provided at the pivot axis L. Thus, the reliability of the rotation support of the outdoor unit body 2 can be improved. In this way, the structure of the outdoor unit body 2 can be simplified to reduce the cost. As a result, the assembly is simplified. Moreover, this arrangement can reduce a space swept by the rotation of the outdoor unit body 2 as a whole as well as drive torque required to drive the outdoor unit body 2 to rotate. As a result, the operation is more labor-saving, and a height of the window opening 200 is required to be relatively low.

In addition, in some embodiments, the outdoor unit body 2 is designed to be pivotally connected to the indoor unit component 101 to enable the outdoor unit body 2 to rotate about the unique pivot axis L extending in the transverse direction and located at the upper inner end of the outdoor unit body 2 relative to the indoor unit component 101, and therefore it can be easily realized that the outdoor unit body 2 may rotate until a bottom surface of the outdoor unit body 2 is flush with a bottom surface of the connection support 3 (for example, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4). It should be noted that the term “flush” herein may refer to completely flush or substantially flush. Thus, when the outdoor unit body 2 is pushed from the indoor side to the outdoor side, the window air conditioner 100 as a whole hardly moves in the vertical direction in a process of the outdoor unit body 2 passing through the window opening 200, and the connection support 3 can immediately follow the outdoor unit body 2 and also pass through the window opening 200, thereby simplifying the operation. As a result, the operation is more labor-saving and convenient, and assembly efficiency is higher.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, an extending direction of the pipeline assembly 103 in the connection support is changed at least once. That is, the pipeline assembly 103 does not extend in a straight line in the connection support 3. Thus, the pipeline assembly 103 can have a predetermined movement allowance at a position close to the rotational connection. As a result, when the outdoor unit body 2 rotates relative to the indoor unit component 101, a risk of the pipeline assembly 103 being pulled off can be avoided. In this way, the reliability is improved.

It should be noted that the connection relation between the indoor unit body 1 and the connection support 3 is not limited. For example, the indoor unit body 1 and the connection support 3 may be fixedly connected to each other or may be slidingly connected to each other in such a manner that the indoor unit body 1 and the connection support 3 move relative to each other in longitudinal direction, which is not limited herein. When the indoor unit body 1 and the connection support 3 are fixedly connected to each other, at least part of the connection support 3 is always located outside the indoor unit body 1, to enable the outdoor unit body 2 to be spaced apart from the indoor unit body 1 in the longitudinal direction. When the indoor unit body 1 and the connection support 3 are relatively slidably connected to each other in the longitudinal direction, and the window air conditioner 100 is in a use configuration, at least part of the connection support 3 is located outside the indoor unit body 1, to enable the outdoor unit body 2 to be spaced apart from the indoor unit body 1 in the longitudinal direction. When the indoor unit body 1 and the connection support 3 are relatively slidably connected to each other in the longitudinal direction, and the window air conditioner 100 is in a mounting configuration, the connection support 3 may be stacked on a top portion of the indoor unit body 1, to enable the indoor unit component 1 to be adjacent to the outer unit component 2, or at least part of the connection support 3 is located outside the indoor unit body 1, to enable the indoor unit body 1 to be spaced apart from the outdoor unit body 2 in the longitudinal direction.

When the indoor unit body 1 and the connection support 3 are slidably connected to each other in such a manner that the indoor unit body 1 and the connection support 3 move relative to each other in the longitudinal direction, a relative longitudinal position of the outdoor unit body 2 and the indoor unit body 1 may be adjusted, which not only helps to reduce a longitudinal distance between the outdoor unit body 2 and the indoor unit body 1 for ease of packaging and transportation, but also allows the longitudinal distance between the outdoor unit body 2 and the indoor unit body 1 to match longitudinal dimension requirements of different windowsills.

In some embodiments, the connection support 3 and the indoor unit body 1 are slidable relatively to each other in an inward-outward direction, that is, the connection support 3 and the indoor unit body 1 are slidable relatively to each other in the longitudinal direction. At this time, as illustrated in FIGS. 19 and 20, the pipeline assembly 103 extends along a loop in the connection support 3. For example, when the connection support 3 is located at an extreme position in which the connection support 3 is protruded outside the indoor unit body 1 (formed as a first extreme position), a part of the pipeline assembly 103 in the connection support 3 may be in an annular shape (for example, as illustrated in FIG. 20); and when the connection support 3 is located at an extreme position in which the connection support 3 is retracted to the indoor unit body 1 (formed as a second extreme position), a part of the pipeline assembly 103 in the connection support 3 may be in a shape of an ellipse or an oblong (for example, as illustrated in FIG. 19). Thus, the pipeline assembly 103 is not prone to pulled off. As a result, a circulation effect is good.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a longitudinal movement distance of the connection support 3 relative to the indoor unit body 1 between the first extreme position and the second extreme position may be about 400 mm, to ensure that the deformation of the pipeline assembly 103 cannot affect the function of the pipeline assembly 103, and thus to ensure operating reliability of the window air conditioner 100. Of course, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the pipeline assembly 103 may also extends in other forms, such as a V-shape and an S-shape as illustrated in FIGS. 21 and 22, which will not be repeated herein.

In some embodiments, the outdoor unit body 2 is reciprocally rotatable about a pivot axis L between a first state (such as a state illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2) and a second state (such as a state illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4). As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the first state, a back plate (i.e., a first back plate 21) of the outdoor unit body 2 is vertically arranged, and the pivot axis L is located at a position at which a top portion of the back plate of the outdoor unit body 2 is located. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, in the second state, the back plate of the outdoor unit body 2 (i.e., the first back plate 21) is transversely arranged to serve as a bottom wall of the outdoor unit body 2.

It should be noted that the expression “vertically arranged” described herein refers to a vertical or substantially vertical orientation, and the expression “transversely arranged” described herein refers to a horizontal or substantially horizontal orientation, which should be understood in a broad sense. In addition, it should be noted that “the outdoor unit body 2 is reciprocally rotatable about the pivot axis L between the first state and the second state” is intended to illustrate that the outdoor unit body 2 has an ability to switch between the above-mentioned two states through the rotation, but it is not limited to achieve the switching of the above-mentioned two states by driving the outdoor unit body 2 to rotate necessarily. For example, when it is necessary to switch the state of the outdoor unit body 2, it can be achieved by driving the outer unit component 102 to rotate or by driving the indoor unit component 101 to rotate, which fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

For example, when the window air conditioner 100 is in the use configuration (for example, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2), the outdoor unit body 2 may be changed into the first state. When the window air conditioner 100 needs to be changed to a mounting configuration for ease of mounting (for example, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4), the outdoor unit body 2 may be changed into the second state.

It can be understood that a vertical height position of the pivot axis L may be maintained unchanged whether the outdoor unit body 2 is in the first state or in the second state. When the outdoor unit body 2 is in the first state, the pivot axis L is located at the position at which a top portion of the outdoor unit body 2 is located. When the outdoor unit body 2 is in the second state, since the back plate of the outdoor unit body 2 is raised to the state of being transversely arranged, the pivot axis L is equivalent to being located at a position at which a bottom portion of the outdoor unit body 2 is located.

In addition, it should be noted that the back plate (i.e., the first back plate 21) of the outdoor unit body 2 refers to a structure of the outdoor unit body 2 at a side of the outdoor unit body 2 facing towards a wall at the window opening when the window air conditioner 100 is in the use configuration. For example, when the outdoor unit body 2 has a closed structure, the first back plate 21 may be a side wall surface of a casing of the outdoor unit body 2. For another example, when the outdoor unit body 2 has a semi-open structure, the first back plate 21 may also be a side wall surface of a condenser.

That is, it is roughly equivalent to: when the outdoor unit body 2 is in the first state, the outdoor unit body 2 as a whole is generally located at lower level than a horizontal plane where the pivot axis L is located; and when the outdoor unit body 2 is in the second state, the outdoor unit body 2 as a whole is generally located at higher level than the horizontal plane where the pivot axis L is located. For example, the outdoor unit body 2 may rotate upwardly with a bottom raised (in a counterclockwise direction illustrated in FIG. 3), enabling the outdoor unit body 2 to change from the first state (the state illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2) into the second state (the state illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4).

Thus, when the outdoor unit body 2 changes from the first state into the second state, since the outdoor unit body 2 is raised relative to the pivot axis L as a whole, the outdoor unit body 2 can be easily pushed out of the window opening 200 from the indoor side to the outdoor side. Therefore, a difficulty of the mounting of the window air conditioner 100 is reduced. As a result, the mounting of the window air conditioner 100 is more labor-saving. That is, it is avoided that the operation of pushing the outdoor unit body 2 from the inside out by raising the window air conditioner 100 as a whole to enable the bottom wall of the outdoor unit body 2 to be located at higher level than a windowsill. As a result, the operation is more labor-saving. Moreover, since there is no need to raise the window air conditioner 100 as a whole and then push out the outdoor unit body 2, a risk of the whole machine tipping over and falling off towards the outdoor side, which is caused by a relatively high height of a center of gravity of the whole machine and a difficulty in controlling the whole machine when pushing the whole machine from the inside out, is avoided. Thus, safety of the mounting is improved.

For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, when the window air conditioner 100 is in the use configuration, the indoor unit body 1 and the outdoor unit body 2 are spaced apart from each other in an inward-outward direction. In this case, a bottom plate (i.e., a second bottom plate 12) of the indoor unit body 1 faces downwards; a top plate (i.e., a second top plate 13) of the indoor unit body 1 faces upwards; a panel (i.e., a second panel 14) of the indoor unit body 1 faces towards the indoor side; and a back plate (i.e., a second back plate 11) of the indoor unit body 1 faces towards the outdoor side. A bottom plate (i.e., a first bottom plate 22) of the outdoor unit body 2 faces downwards; a top plate (i.e., a first top plate 23) of the outdoor unit body 2 faces upwards; a panel (i.e., the first panel 24) of the outdoor unit body 2 faces towards the outdoor side; and the back plate (i.e., a first back plate 21) of the outdoor unit body 2 faces towards the indoor side. The outdoor unit body 2 has an upper inner end pivotally connected to an upper outer end of the indoor unit component 101.

For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, if the outdoor unit component 102 is pulled upwards to enable the outdoor unit component 102 to counterclockwise pivot about the to the pivot axis L, the window air conditioner 100 is in the mounting configuration after the outdoor unit component 102 rotates by an angle of 90°. In this case, the bottom plate (i.e., the first bottom plate 22) of the outdoor unit body 2 faces the outdoor side; the top plate (i.e., the first top plate 23) of the outdoor unit body 2 faces towards the indoor side; a panel (i.e., a first panel 24) of the outdoor unit body 2 faces upwards, and the back plate (i.e., the first back plate 21) of the outdoor unit body 2 faces downwards. The indoor unit body 1 still maintains the bottom plate (i.e., the second bottom plate 12) facing downwards, the top plate (i.e., the second top plate 13) facing upwards, the panel (i.e., the second panel 14) facing towards the indoor side, and the back plate (i.e., the second back plate 11) facing towards the outdoor side.

In summary, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, when the window air conditioner 100 is in the use configuration, the pivot axis L is located at the position at which the top portion of the outdoor unit body 2 is located. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the window air conditioner 100 is in the mounting configuration, the pivot axis L is located at the position at which the bottom portion of the outdoor unit body 2 is located. Since the vertical height of the pivot axis L remains unchanged, it is equivalent to raising the outdoor unit body 2 as a whole. Therefore, the outdoor unit body 2 can be easily pushed outwards from the indoor side to the outdoor side through the window opening 200 without changing the state of the indoor unit body 1. In this way, the difficulty of the mounting of the window air conditioner 100 is reduced. As a result, the mounting of the window air conditioner 100 is more labor-saving and easier to control, thereby reducing the risk of the whole machine tipping over and falling off towards the outdoor side.

It can be understood that if the window air conditioner 100 constantly maintains the use configuration, then when the outdoor unit body 2 needs to be pushed outwards from the window opening 200, the window air conditioner 100 needs to be raised as a whole, which is laborious to operate. Moreover, if the window air conditioner 100 constantly maintains the use configuration, when the whole machine is raised to be pushed outwards, the center of gravity of the whole machine is relatively high because the indoor unit component 101 is also located at a relatively high level (for example, higher than a bottom edge of the window opening 200). In this case, there is a problem of the outdoor unit body 2 tipping over outwards, which is difficult to control and dangerous.

In the window air conditioner 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, since the indoor unit component 101, in the mounting configuration, may still maintain to be located at the same level as in the use configuration, for example, at lower level than the bottom edge of the window opening 200, an installer can easily press against the indoor unit body 1 from a top of the indoor unit body 1 to avoid the problem of the outdoor unit body 2 tipping over and falling off outwards, which is easy to control and reduces a risk.

In some embodiments, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5, the window air conditioner 100 may further include a buckle assembly. The buckle assembly includes a first buckle 61 and a second buckle 62. The first buckle 61 is arranged at the indoor unit component 101, and the second buckle 62 is arranged at the outdoor unit body 2. When the outdoor unit body 2 is in the second state (for example, a state illustrated in FIG. 3), the first buckle 61 is engaged with the second buckle 62 for locking to prevent the outdoor unit body 2 from rotating reversely in the direction along which the outdoor unit body 2 returns into the first state (for example, a state illustrated in FIG. 1). When the first buckle 61 is disengaged from the second buckle 62 for unlocking (as illustrated in FIG. 5), the outdoor unit body 2 may be out of the second state and rotates reversely in the direction along which the outdoor unit body 2 returns into the first state to change back into the first state (for example, as illustrated in FIG. 6). Therefore, by providing the buckle assembly, the outdoor unit body 2 can be stably and reliably kept in the second state to facilitate the mounting of the window air conditioner 100.

In the description of the present disclosure, it is to be understood that, the terms such as “longitudinal,” “transverse,” and “length” refer to the directions and location relations which are the directions and location relations shown in the drawings, and for describing the present disclosure and for describing in simple, and which are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or the elements are arranged to locate at the specific directions or are structured and performed in the specific directions, which could not to be understood to the limitation of the present disclosure.

In addition, the terms such as “first” and “second” are used herein for purposes of description and are not intended to indicate or imply relative importance, or to implicitly show the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature formed with “first” and “second” may comprise one or more this feature distinctly or implicitly. In the description of the present disclosure, the “plurality of” means two or more than two, unless specified otherwise.

In the present disclosure, unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “coupled” and “fixed” are understood broadly, such as fixed, detachable mountings, connections and couplings or integrated, and may be direct and via media indirect mountings, connections, and couplings, and also may be inner mountings, connections and couplings of two components or interaction relations between two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above-mentioned terms in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be understood according to specific circumstances.

In the present disclosure, unless specified or limited otherwise, the first feature is “on” or “under” the second feature refers to the first feature and the second feature may be direct or via media indirect contact. And, the first feature is “on,” “above,” “over” the second feature may refer to the first feature is right over the second feature or is diagonal above the second feature, or just refer to the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than the horizontal height of the second feature. The first feature is “below” or “under” the second feature may refer to that the first feature is right below the second feature or is diagonal under the second feature, or just refer to the horizontal height of the first feature is lower than the horizontal height of the second feature.

Reference throughout this specification to “an embodiment,” “some embodiments,” “an example,” “a specific example,” or “some examples” means that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. The appearances of the above phrases in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment or example of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. 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 embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described, it is conceivable for those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes, modifications, replacements, and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure shall be defined by the claims as appended and their equivalents.