WINDOW AIR CONDITIONER

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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

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 the outdoor unit by a physical wall. However, such window air conditioner has a fixed configuration that does not facilitate a mounting of the window air conditioner.

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 changing its configuration to facilitate a mounting of the window air conditioner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 another mounting state of the window air conditioner illustrated in FIG. 4 in the mounting configuration.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the window air conditioner illustrated in FIG. 5 in a use configuration.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a longitudinal movement of an indoor unit body of the window air conditioner illustrated in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a side view of a window air conditioner in a mounting configuration according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

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

FIG. 10 is a partial enlarged view of part A illustrated in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view of the window air conditioner illustrated FIG. 9.

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

FIG. 13 is a partial enlarged view of part B illustrated in FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is an exploded view of the window air conditioner illustrated in FIG. 12.

FIG. 15 is a partial enlarged view of part C illustrated in FIG. 14.

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

FIG. 17 is a partial enlarged view of part D illustrated in FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 is a partial enlarged view of the window air conditioner illustrated in FIG. 16.

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of a window air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 20 is a partial enlarged view of part E illustrated in FIG. 19.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

• • window air conditioner 100; window opening 200; indoor unit component 101;
  • indoor unit body 1; first back plate 11; first bottom plate 12; first top plate 13; first panel 14;
  • outdoor unit body 2; second back plate 21; second bottom plate 22; second top plate 23; second panel 24;
  • connection support 3; protrusion 31; extension support 4; step member 41;
  • first locking hole 51; locking pin 52; elastic reset member 53; first elastic sheet section 531; second elastic sheet section 532;
  • stopper 54; second locking hole 61; third locking hole 62; screw 63;
  • lock groove member 71; locking groove 711; rotation member 72; lock catch 721; handle member 722;
  • guide assembly 8; first guide rail 81; second guide rail 82; opening 821; support member 83; and
  • lock device 9.

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 may include an indoor unit component 101, an outdoor unit body 2, and a connection support 3. The indoor unit component 101 includes an indoor unit body 1 adapted to be arranged at an indoor side. The outdoor unit body 2 is adapted to be arranged at an outdoor side. The connection support 3 is adapted to pass through a window opening 200 to connect the indoor unit component 101 and the outdoor unit body 2. Thus, the window air conditioner 100 can be made into an integral component and pass through the window opening 200 for use.

It can be understood 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 the inward-outward direction when the window air conditioner 100 is in a 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. The connection support 3 passes through the window opening 200 and is connected to the indoor unit component 101 and the outdoor unit body 2. The term “inward” direction described herein refers to a direction towards or close to the indoor side, and the term “outward” direction refers to a direction towards or close to the outdoor side.

In some optional examples, the indoor unit 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 FIG. 1, the connection support 3 is connected between a top portion of the indoor unit component 101 and a top portion of the outdoor unit body 2. The indoor unit component 101 is slidable relative to the connection support 3 in an inward-outward direction. Thus, since the indoor unit body 1 is movable relative to the connection support 3, a configuration of the window air conditioner 100 can be changed to better meet mounting requirements.

The expression “the connection support 3 is connected between the top portion of the indoor unit component 101 and the top portion of the outdoor unit body 2” is intended to explain the relative position of the connection support 3 to the indoor unit body 1 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 connection assembly for the indirect connection is not limited.

As illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, since the indoor unit component 101 is slidable relative to the connection support 3 in the inward-outward direction, when the window air conditioner 100 is in a use configuration (for example, as illustrated in FIG. 7), at least part of the connection support 3 may be located outside the indoor unit body 1, to enable the outdoor unit body 2 and the indoor unit body 1 to be spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction. When the window air conditioner 100 is in the mounting configuration, the connection support 3 may be stacked on the top portion of the indoor unit body 1, to enable the indoor unit body 1 to be adjacent to the outdoor unit body 2 (for example, as illustrated in FIG. 8), or at least part of the connection support 3 may be located outside the indoor unit body 1, to enable the indoor unit body 1 and the outdoor unit body 2 are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction (for example, a state illustrated in FIG. 3).

Therefore, by arranging the indoor unit component 1 and the connection support 3 to move relatively in the longitudinal direction, a relative longitudinal position of the outdoor unit body 2 to the indoor unit body 1 may be adjusted, which helps to reduce a longitudinal distance between the outdoor unit body 2 and the indoor unit body 1 for ease of packaging and transportation. Moreover, this arrangement 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. As a result, compactness and reliability of the mounting between the window air conditioner 100 and the window opening 200 is improved.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the outdoor unit body 2 is rotatable relative to the connection support 3 about an upper inner end of the outdoor unit body 2 to raise or lower a bottom of the outdoor unit body 2. As a result, each of the outdoor unit body 2 and the indoor unit body 1 is movable relative to the connection support 3. Thus, the configuration of the window air conditioner 100 can be changed more effectively. In this way, the mounting requirements are better met.

For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, if the outdoor unit body 2 rotates counterclockwise about the rotational connection position (such as position R illustrated in FIG. 1), the outdoor unit body 2 is rotatable to raise the bottom of the outdoor unit body 2, for example, the outdoor unit body 2 may be changed into a configuration illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, if the outdoor unit body 2 rotates clockwise about the rotational connection position (such as position R illustrated in FIG. 3), the outdoor unit body 2 is rotatable to lower the bottom of the outdoor unit body 2, for example, the outdoor unit body 2 may be changed into the configuration illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

It should be noted that the term “rotatable” in the expression “the outdoor unit body 2 is rotatable relative to the connection support 3” should be understood in a broad sense and is not limited to being rotatable about one axis. For example, it may refer to being rotatable about one axis (such as a pivot axis L illustrated in FIG. 1) by means of an articulated connection. For another example, it may refer to being rotatable about two axes by means of a linkage connection. In short, the outdoor unit body 2 is rotatable relative to the connection support 3 about the upper inner end of the outdoor unit body 2 (for example, the position R illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3). As a result, the configuration of the window air conditioner 100 can be changed to meet different practical requirements.

For example, during the mounting of the window air conditioner 100, the outdoor unit body 2 may rotate until the bottom of outdoor unit body 2 is raised first (for example, a state illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4), the outdoor unit body 2 can be easily pushed from the indoor side through the window opening 200 to the outdoor side. After the outdoor unit body 2 is pushed to the outdoor side, the outdoor unit body 2 may rotate until the bottom of the outdoor unit body 2 is lowered to a normal position (for example, a state illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6) to meet normal use requirements.

In addition, since the outdoor unit body 2 is rotatable about the upper inner end of the outdoor unit body 2, it means that the rotational connection is located at the upper inner end of the outdoor unit body 2. Thus, the rotational connection can serve as a reliable rotation support. In this way, stability and reliability of the rotation of the outdoor unit body 2 are improved, and the structure of the outdoor unit body 2 is simplified. As a result, cost is reduced, and the assembly is simplified. Moreover, this arrangement can reduce a space swept by the rotation of the outdoor unit 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 requirement of the window opening 200 is relatively low.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as illustrated in FIG. 9, one of the connection support 3 and the indoor unit component 101 is a first component, and another one of the connection support 3 and the indoor unit component 101 is a second component. A lock device 9 is provided between the first component and the second component. When the lock device 9 is in a locked state, the lock device 9 is configured to lock a relative position of the second component to the first component in the inward-outward direction. That is, a longitudinal relative position of the connection support 3 to the indoor unit body 1 can be simply and effectively locked by providing the lock device 9. Thus, stability and reliability of the window air conditioner 100 in scenarios such as use, mounting, transportation, or the like are ensured, to avoid an instability problem of a relative movement between the connection support 3 and the indoor unit body 1.

In some embodiments, as illustrated in FIGS. 9 to 11, the first component has a plurality of first locking holes 51 arranged at intervals in the inward-outward direction. The lock device 9 includes a first lock assembly arranged at the second component. The first lock assembly includes a locking pin 52 and an elastic reset member 53. The locking pin 52 is extendable into any one of the plurality of first locking holes 51 to allow for position locking. The elastic reset member 53 is configured to apply an elastic force to the locking pin 52 in such a manner that the locking pin 52 extends into the first locking hole 51.

That is, when the first component and the second component slide relatively, the locking pin 52 may extend into the first locking hole 51 corresponding to the locking pin 52 by the elastic reset member 53. Thus, the position locking can be simply and reliably achieved to limit the relative sliding of the first component to the second component. When the locking pin 52 is pushed to overcome the acting force of the elastic reset member 53 to allow the locking pin 52 to move out of the first locking hole 51, unlocking can be achieved. In this case, the first component and the second component can slide relatively. Thus, the position locking and the unlocking can be achieved simply and effectively. The structure of the first lock assembly is simple with ease of assembling, high locking reliability, and ease of unlocking.

In some optional examples, the indoor unit component 101 may include an extension support 4. At least part of the extension support 4 is located at an outside of the top portion of the indoor unit body 1. The indoor unit component 101 is in a sliding-fit with the connection support 3 through the extension support 4. For example, the connection support 3 may be nested inside the extension support 4. The connection support 3 is provided with the first lock assembly. The extension support 4 is arranged around the outside of the connection support 3, and the extension support 4 is provided with a first locking hole 51.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, as illustrated in FIG. 11, the elastic reset member 53 is a bent elastic sheet and includes a first elastic sheet section 531 and a second elastic sheet section 532. The first elastic sheet section 531 and the second elastic sheet section 532 are movable towards each other through compression. The locking pin 52 is arranged at the first elastic sheet section 531. The second elastic sheet section 532 is stopped against a stopper 54 of the second component. Thus, the structure of the elastic reset member 53 is simple with ease of machining, and the elastic reset member 53 can stably and reliably apply the elastic force to the locking pin 52.

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 11, the bent elastic sheet is a V-shaped elastic sheet. A connection end of the first elastic sheet section 531 is connected to a connection end of the second elastic sheet section 532, and a free end of the first elastic sheet section 531 and a free end of the second elastic sheet section 532 are movable relatively. In an initial state of the bent elastic sheet, the free end of the first elastic sheet section 531 is away from the free end of the second elastic sheet section 532, and the locking pin 52 at the first elastic sheet section 531 may extend into the corresponding first locking hole 51. When the locking pin 52 is pushed out of the first locking hole 51, the locking pin 52 may drive the free end of the first elastic sheet section 531 to move towards the free end of the second elastic sheet section 532 to achieve compression of the elastic reset member 53 and overcome the elastic force of the elastic reset member 53. When the acting force applied to the locking pin 52 is removed, under the elastic force accumulated by the bent elastic sheet itself, the free end of the first elastic sheet section 531 moves away from the free end of the second elastic sheet section 532, to enable the locking pin 52 to extend into the corresponding first locking hole 51.

Of course, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The bent elastic sheet may also be in other shapes, such as a W shape and a sawtooth shape. In addition, in other embodiments of the present disclosure, a spring or the like may be used to replace the bent elastic sheet to serve as the elastic reset member 53, and details thereof will not be described herein.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as illustrated in FIGS. 12 to 15, the first component has a plurality of second locking holes 61 arranged at intervals in the inward-outward direction. The second component has a third locking hole 62. The lock device 9 includes a second lock assembly. The second lock assembly includes a screw 63. The screw 63 is adapted to pass through the third locking hole 62 and be threadedly connected to one of the plurality of the second locking holes 61 corresponding to the third locking hole 62 to allow for position locking. Thus, reliable locking can be achieved simply and effectively. In this way, the second lock assembly has a long service life and the second lock assembly is not prone to fatigue damage.

In some optional examples, the indoor unit component 101 may include an extension support 4. At least part of the extension support 4 is located at an outside of the top portion of the indoor unit body 1. The indoor unit component 101 is in a sliding-fit with the connection support 3 through the extension support 4. For example, the connection support 3 may be nested inside the extension support 4; the extension support 4 is arranged around the outside of the connection support 3; the connection support 3 has a plurality of second locking holes 61 at each of two transverse side wall surfaces of the connection support 3; and the extension support 4 has a third locking hole 62 at each of two sides of the extension support 4. The screw 63 may be a hand screw 63. The hand screw 63 may pass through the third locking hole 62 and is threadedly connected to one of the plurality of second locking hole 61 corresponding to the third locking hole 62 to achieve a locking engagement.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, as illustrated in FIG. 15, the third locking hole 62 is an elongated oblong hole, and a length of the third locking hole 62 in the inward-outward direction is greater than a diameter of the second locking hole 61. Therefore, it is possible to better achieve that the relative locking position between the indoor unit component 101 and the connection support 3 is continuously variable. Thus, more distance dimension requirements are better met.

Further, as illustrated in FIG. 15, the third locking hole 62 may simultaneously correspond to at least two of the plurality of second locking holes 61, that is, the length of the third locking hole 62 in the inward-outward direction allows the third locking hole 62 to simultaneously correspond to at least two of the plurality of second locking holes 61. In this way, more appropriate adjustment of a movement distance of the indoor unit component 101 in the inward-outward direction is facilitated before the screw 63 is tightened.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as illustrated in FIGS. 16 to 18, the lock device 9 includes a third lock assembly. The third lock assembly includes a lock groove member 71 and a rotation member 72. The lock groove member 71 is fixedly arranged at the first component and has a plurality of locking grooves 711 sequentially arranged in the inward-outward direction. The rotation member 72 is rotatably arranged at the second component and has a lock catch 721. The lock catch 721 is adapted to be locked and engaged into any one of the plurality of locking grooves 711 to allow for position locking. Thus, the switching between the locking and the unlocking can be achieved by rotating the rotation member 72. In this way, the operation is simple with good locking stability.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the third lock assembly further includes a torsion spring. The torsion spring is arranged at a rotation center of the rotation member 72 to apply an elastic force to the rotation member 72 in such a manner that the rotation member 72 is locked and engaged with the lock groove member 71. Thus, automatic locking can be achieved by the torsion spring, eliminating a locking operation. Moreover, when the unlocking is required, it is only necessary to pull the rotation member 72 to rotate to overcome the acting force of the torsion spring, to allow the lock catch 721 to move out of the locking groove 711. In this way, the unlocking operation is simplified.

Of course, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some other embodiments of the present disclosure, the rotation member 72 may also be locked in a locked position by a snap-fit structure or a magnetic structure. When the snap-fit structure or the magnetic structure is unlocked, the rotation member 72 may rotate to allow for unlocking. In another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, as illustrated in FIG. 18, the rotation member 72 may have a handle member 722. Thus, the rotation of the rotation member 72 can be easily controlled by holding the handle member.

In some optional examples, the indoor unit component 101 may include an extension support 4. At least part of the extension support 4 is located at an outside of the top portion of the indoor unit body 1. The indoor unit component 101 is in a sliding-fit with the connection support 3 through the extension support 4. For example, the connection support 3 may be nested inside the extension support 4, and the extension support 4 is arranged around the outside of the connection support 3. The connection support 3 is provided with a lock groove member 71; the lock groove member 71 has a locking groove 711 at a bottom of the lock groove member 71; the extension support 4 may be provided with a third lock assembly at a bottom of the extension support 4, and the extension support 4 has an avoidance hole at the bottom of the extension support 4. The lock catch 721 of the rotation member 72 may extend into the extension support 4 through the avoidance hole to be engaged with the locking groove 71. Therefore, the mounting and the operation are facilitated, and the reliability of the position locking is good.

It should be noted that the lock device 9 may include only one of the first lock assembly, the second lock assembly, and the third lock assembly, or may also include any two or even three of the first lock assembly, the second lock assembly, and the third lock assembly simultaneously. That is, a more reliable locking effect can be achieved by providing a plurality of lock assemblies.

In some embodiments, as illustrated in FIGS. 19 and 20, a guide assembly 8 is provided between the indoor unit component 101 and the connection support 3, and the guide assembly 8 is configured to guide a slide trajectory of the indoor unit body 1 relative to the connection support 3 in the inward-outward direction. Thus, the indoor unit component 101 may slide smoothly relative to the connection support 3 in the inward-outward direction to avoid problems such as shaking, noise, and knock against damage.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, as illustrated in FIG. 20, the guide assembly 8 includes a first guide rail 81 and a second guide rail 82 that are nested and engaged with each other. The first guide rail 81 is fixedly arranged at the indoor unit component 101. The second guide rail 82 is fixedly arranged at the connection support 3. That is, the first guide rail 81 is nested into the second guide rail 82; the second guide rail 82 is arranged around the outside of the first guide rail 81; and the first guide rail 81 and the second guide rail 82 both extend in the inward-outward direction and have shapes generally matching each other. Alternatively, the second guide rail 82 is nested into the first guide rail 81; the first guide rail 81 is arranged around the outside of the second guide rail 82; and the first guide rail 81 and the second guide rail 82 both extend in the inward-outward direction and has shapes generally matching each other, for example, the first guide rail 81 and the second guide rail 82 both have square-shaped cross-sections, circular-shaped cross-sections, or the like. Thus, reliable guidance of the sliding direction can be achieved through the relative engagement of the first guide rail 81 and the second guide rail 82.

Further, as illustrated in FIG. 20, the first guide rail 81 is in friction-reduction contact with the second guide rail 82 by a support member 83. For example, the support member 83 may be a protrusion, a roll ball, or the like, arranged at at least one of the first guide rail 81 or the second guide rail 82. The first guide rail 81 is in contact with the second guide rail 82 by the support member 83, and a contact friction area between the first guide rail 81 and the second guide rail 82 is therefore reduced. Thus, smoothness and low resistance of the relative sliding between the indoor unit component 101 and the connection support 3 are improved.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, as illustrated in FIG. 19, a plurality of guide assemblies 8 is provided and arranged at intervals in a transverse direction. Therefore, the reliability and the stability of the guide and the support of the relative sliding between the indoor unit component 101 and the connection support 3 can be improved. It should be noted that the setting position of the guide assembly 8 is not limited. For example, in some embodiments, the guide assembly 8 may be arranged at the bottom of the connection support 3. Thus, a hidden effect can be achieved while increasing a width of the connection support 3 in the transverse direction. As a result, the reliability of the connection support 3 connecting the indoor unit component 101 and the outdoor unit body 2 is improved. In some other embodiments, the guide assembly 8 may be arranged at each of two transverse sides of the connection support 3, to facilitate the design and the mounting and simplify the structure.

In some optional examples, as illustrated in FIGS. 19 and 20, the indoor unit component

101 may include an extension support 4. At least part of the extension support 4 is located at an outside of the top portion of the indoor unit body 1. The indoor unit component 101 is in a sliding-fit with the connection support 3 through the extension support 4. For example, the connection support 3 may be nested inside the extension support 4, and the extension support 4 is arranged around the outside of the connection support 3. The connection support 3 has a protrusion 31 protruding upwards at the bottom of the connection support 3. The protrusion 31 has an accommodation cavity with a bottom opened. The second guide rail 82 is arranged in the accommodation cavity, and a top of the second guide rail 82 is fixedly connected to a top wall of the protrusion 31. The first guide rail 81 is nested in the second guide rail 82. The second guide rail 82 has an opening 821 formed at the bottom of the second guide rail 82. The extension support 4 has a step member 41 protruding upwards at the bottom wall of the extension support 4. The step member 41 extends into the opening 821 to be fixedly connected to a bottom wall of the first guide rail 81. Thus, a simple and reliable assembly can be achieved, and the structure is compact with ease of sealing. Further, the first guide rail 81 has a support member 83 protruding towards the second guide rail 82 at each of a top and two transverse sides of the first guide rail 81. The first guide rail 81 is in contact with the second guide rail 82 by the support members 83, and an effect of friction reduction can be thus achieved.

Of course, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and no guide assembly 8 may also be provided. For example, the lock groove member 71 of the third lock assembly may also be configured to integrate a guide function to achieve the guide engagement between the indoor unit component 101 and the connection support 3, and details thereof will not be described herein.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the outdoor unit body 2 may have a first state (such as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2) in which a back plate (such as a second back plate) of the outdoor unit body 2 is vertically arranged and a second state (such as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4) in which the back plate (such as the second back plate) of the outdoor unit body 2 is transversely arranged. The outdoor unit body 2 is adapted to rotate into the second state from the first state by rotating upwardly to raise the bottom of the outdoor unit body 2. Thus, the mounting of the window air conditioner 100 is facilitated.

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 transverse or substantially transverse orientation, which should be understood in a broad sense. In addition, it should be noted that the back plate (i.e., a 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 a 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.

In addition, it should be noted that “the outdoor unit body 2 is adapted to rotate into the second state from the first state by rotating upwardly to raise the bottom of the outdoor unit body 2” 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 body 2 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 into 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. In addition, it should be noted that when the window air conditioner 100 is switched between the use configuration and the mounting configuration, the position and the state of the indoor unit body 1 may be changed or not changed, which are not limited herein.

It can be understood that a vertical height position of the rotational connection between the connection support 3 and the outdoor unit body 2 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 rotational connection is located at a 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 a state of being transversely arranged, the rotational connection is equivalent to being located at a position at which a bottom portion of the outdoor unit body 2 is located.

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 the rotational connection; 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 rotational connection. Therefore, when the outdoor unit body 2 is changed into the second state from the first state, since the outdoor unit body 2 as a whole is raised relative to the rotation connection position, the outdoor unit body 2 can be easily pushed outwards from 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.

In the window machine of the saddle-type in the related art, the indoor unit and the outdoor unit are relatively fixed, and the upper end of the indoor unit is connected to the upper end of the outdoor unit. During the mounting, it is necessary to raise the window machine of the saddle-type as a whole and push the outdoor unit outside the window. This operation is more laborious, and there is the risk of the outdoor unit falling off outwards. In the window air conditioner 100 according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the outdoor unit body 2 is rotatably arranged, which can effectively solve the technical problems described above.

In some embodiments, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the outdoor unit body 2 is in the second state, the back plate (i.e., the first back plate) of the outdoor unit body 2 is flush with a bottom plate of the connection support 3. Specifically, the outdoor unit body 2 is designed to rotate relative to the connection support 3 about the upper inner end of the outdoor unit body 2 to raise or lower the bottom of the outdoor unit body 2, allowing a rotation center of the outdoor unit body 2 to be located at the upper inner end of the outdoor unit body 2. Therefore, it can be easily realized, by adjusting a design parameter, 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 to the outdoor side from the indoor 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. Therefore, the operation is simplified. As a result, the operation is more labor-saving and convenient, and assembly efficiency is higher.

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. An upper inner end of the outdoor unit body 2 is 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 body 2 is pulled upwards to enable the outdoor unit body 2 to pivot counterclockwise about the unique pivot axis L, the window air conditioner 100 is in the mounting configuration after the outdoor unit body 2 rotates by 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; the panel (i.e., the 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 always 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 always 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 higher level (for example, at a higher level than a bottom edge of the window opening 200). Therefore, 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 for ease of controlling and a risk reduction.

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 associated 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 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.