OUTDOOR UNIT AND HEATING AND VENTILATION APPARATUS

Description

This application is a continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT/CN2023/093099, filed on May 9, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to the field of heating and ventilation apparatus technologies, and more particularly, to an outdoor unit and a heating and ventilation apparatus.

BACKGROUND

In related art, arrangement positions of electrical control box components configured to control a water-circuit heat-exchange assembly in a heating and ventilation apparatus are unreasonable, which is unfavorable to an electrical connection between the electrical control box components and the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly and utilization of overall space, leading to a relatively low overall space utilization rate.

SUMMARY

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide an outdoor unit of a heating and ventilation apparatus. By disposing the second electrical control box component configured to control the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly above the water pump and/or the water-circuit heat exchanger, a space above the water pump and/or the water-circuit heat exchanger can be fully utilized, making the overall structural layout more compact and thereby improving overall space utilization rate. In addition, a distance between the second electrical control box component and the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly can be shortened to facilitate an electrical connection between the second electrical control box component and the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly, and thus to reduce a length of connection wiring harnesses between the second electrical control box component and the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, there is also provided a heating and ventilation apparatus having the above-mentioned outdoor unit.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the outdoor unit of the heating and ventilation apparatus includes an outdoor unit casing, an outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor fan, a compressor assembly, a second electrical control box component, and a water-circuit heat-exchange assembly. The outdoor heat exchanger, the outdoor fan, the compressor assembly, and the second electrical control box component are disposed in the outdoor unit casing. The water-circuit heat-exchange assembly is at least partially disposed in the outdoor unit casing. The water-circuit heat-exchange assembly includes a water-circuit heat exchanger and a water pump that are disposed in the outdoor unit casing. The water-circuit heat exchanger has a water flow passage and a refrigerant flow passage that exchange heat with each other. The water pump is configured to drive water in the water flow passage to flow. The compressor assembly is configured to drive refrigerant in the refrigerant flow passage to flow. The second electrical control box component is configured to control the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly and is located above the water pump and/or the water-circuit heat exchanger.

In the outdoor unit according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, by disposing the second electrical control box component configured to control the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly above the water pump and/or the water-circuit heat exchanger, a space above the water pump and/or the water-circuit heat exchanger can be fully utilized, making the overall structural layout more compact and thereby improving an overall space utilization rate. In addition, a distance between the second electrical control box component and the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly can be shortened to facilitate an electrical connection between the second electrical control box component and the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly, and thus to reduce a length of connection wiring harnesses between the second electrical control box component and the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a thickness direction of the second electrical control box component extends in a left-right direction; and/or a length direction of the second electrical control box component extends in an up-down direction.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the water pump is directly or indirectly disposed at a base of the outdoor unit casing; and/or the outdoor unit comprises a second partition plate disposed in the outdoor unit casing. The water pump is directly or indirectly disposed at the second partition plate.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the water-circuit heat exchanger has a first water inlet located at a lower end of the water-circuit heat exchanger. The first water inlet is connected to a water inlet pipe, and the water pump is connected in series to the water inlet pipe.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly includes a drain pipe configured to discharge water from the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the water-circuit heat exchanger has a first water inlet connected to a water inlet pipe. The water pump is connected in series to the water inlet pipe; the drain pipe is connected to the water inlet pipe and in communication with the water inlet pipe; and a connection between the drain pipe and the water inlet pipe is located at a side of the water pump away from the first water inlet.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly includes a water inlet pipe and a water outlet pipe. The water flow passage of the water-circuit heat exchanger is adapted to bring the water inlet pipe into communication with the water outlet pipe, and each of the water inlet pipe and the water outlet pipe passes through a rear plate of the outdoor unit casing.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the outdoor unit casing is provided with a second partition plate. The water-circuit heat exchanger is connected to the second partition plate; and the second partition plate comprises a side plate portion adjacent to the rear plate. Each of the water inlet pipe and the water outlet pipe extends through the side plate portion.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the water-circuit heat exchanger has a first water inlet and a first water outlet; and the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly further comprises an electric heater having a second water inlet and a second water outlet. The second water inlet is connected to the first water outlet.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the electric heater and the second electrical control box component are arranged in a left-right direction.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the electric heater is located above the water-circuit heat exchanger.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first water outlet is formed at an upper end of the water-circuit heat exchanger; and the second water inlet is formed at a lower end of the electric heater.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first water outlet and the second water inlet are located at one side; and the first water outlet is connected to the second water inlet by a connection pipe of a U-shape or an arc shape.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first water inlet and the first water outlet are located at one side of the water-circuit heat exchanger; and/or the second water inlet and the second water outlet are located at one side of the electric heater.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first water outlet is connected to the second water inlet by a connection pipe; the first water inlet is connected to a water inlet pipe; the second water outlet is connected to a water outlet pipe; and the connection pipe, the water inlet pipe, and the water outlet pipe are located at the same sides of the water-circuit heat exchanger and the electric heater.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the outdoor unit includes a second partition plate disposed in the outdoor unit casing. The electric heater is mounted at the second partition plate.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the second electrical control box component includes a main electrical control box body, a sub-electrical control box body, a main control board, and an electric heater control assembly. The main control board is disposed in the main electrical control box body. The electric heater control assembly is at least partially disposed in the sub-electrical control box body and configured to control the electric heater. The sub-electrical control box body is located outside the main electrical control box body. The sub-electrical control box body and the main electrical control box body each are independently formed.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the sub-electrical control box body is detachably connected to the main electrical control box body.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the electric heater control assembly includes an alternating-current contactor disposed in the sub-electrical control box body.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the electric heater control assembly includes an electric heater thermostat configured to control a heating temperature of the electric heater. The electric heater thermostat is disposed in the sub-electrical control box body or the main electrical control box body.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the sub-electrical control box body is connected to an upper part of the main electrical control box body; and/or the sub-electrical control box body is located at a side of the main electrical control box body adjacent to the electric heater.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the second electrical control box component includes a main control board. The main control board includes a first main control board and a second main control board that are arranged in an up-down direction. The first main control board is configured to at least control the refrigerant flow passage, and the second main control board is configured to at least control the water pump.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the water-circuit heat exchanger has a first water inlet and a first water outlet. The first water inlet is connected to a water inlet pipe, and the water inlet pipe is connected to the first water inlet by a quick plug structure.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the water-circuit heat exchanger has the first water inlet and the first water outlet; the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly further comprises an electric heater having a second water inlet and a second water outlet; the first water outlet is connected to the second water inlet by a connection pipe; the first water inlet is connected to the water inlet pipe; the second water outlet is connected to a water outlet pipe; and at least one of a connection between the water outlet pipe and the second water outlet, a connection between the connection pipe and the first water outlet, and a connection between the connection pipe and the second water inlet is made by the quick plug structure.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly includes a water inlet pipe and a water outlet pipe. The water flow passage of the water-circuit heat exchanger is adapted to bring the water inlet pipe into communication with the water outlet pipe, and at least one of the water inlet pipe and the water outlet pipe is a plastic pipe.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the outdoor unit casing has a fan chamber and a compressor chamber. A first partition plate is disposed between the fan chamber and the compressor chamber. The first partition plate has a mounting opening formed at a lower part of the first partition plate; and the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly further includes an expansion tank mounted at the mounting opening. A part of the expansion tank is located in the fan chamber. The other part of the expansion tank is located in the compressor chamber.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a minimum distance between the expansion tank and an outer edge of the outdoor fan is greater than 20 mm.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the minimum distance between the expansion tank and the outer edge of the outdoor fan ranges from 20 mm to 50 mm.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the expansion tank is supported by a base of the outdoor unit casing.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly further includes an expansion tank located outside the outdoor unit casing.

The heating and ventilation apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure includes the outdoor unit according to the aforesaid some embodiments of the present disclosure.

In the heating and ventilation apparatus according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, by providing the above-mentioned outdoor unit, by disposing the second electrical control box component configured to control the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly above the water pump and/or the water-circuit heat exchanger, a space above the water pump and/or the water-circuit heat exchanger can be fully utilized, making the overall structural layout more compact and thereby improving an overall space utilization rate. In addition, a distance between the second electrical control box component and the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly can be shortened to facilitate an electrical connection between the second electrical control box component and the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly, and thus to reduce a length of connection wiring harnesses between the second electrical control box component and the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly.

Additional aspects and advantages of the embodiments 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 embodiments of the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following descriptions made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an outdoor unit of a heating and ventilation apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a partial schematic view of the outdoor unit in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a partial schematic view of the outdoor unit in FIG. 1, taken from another perspective.

FIG. 4 is a schematic assembling view of a water-circuit heat-exchange assembly and a base in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a quick plug structure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the quick plug structure in FIG. 7, taken from another perspective.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a first electrical control box component in FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of a second electrical control box component in FIG. 1.

FIG. 11 is a schematic assembling view of an expansion tank and a base according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

• • 100. outdoor unit; 101. outdoor air inlet; 102. outdoor air outlet;
  • 10. outdoor unit casing; 11. fan chamber; 111. outdoor fan; 112. outdoor heat exchanger; 113. first partition plate; 113a. mounting opening; 12. compressor chamber; 121. second partition plate; 13. water-circuit chamber; 16. base; 17. rear plate; 18. side plate portion;
  • 20. compressor assembly; 21. compressor; 22. liquid reservoir;
  • 30. first electrical control box component; 3. electrical control box; 35. guide portion; 4. heat sink;
  • 40. water-circuit heat-exchange assembly; 51. water-circuit heat exchanger; 511. refrigerant inlet; 512. refrigerant outlet; 513. first water inlet; 514. first water outlet; 52. electric heater; 521. second water inlet; 522. second water outlet; 523. support bracket; 53. water pump; 54. water inlet pipe; 541. first water inlet pipe section; 542. second water inlet pipe section; 55. water outlet pipe; 551. water flow switch; 56. connection pipe; 57. drain pipe; 58. quick plug structure; 581. first plug pipe section; 5811. sealing protruding rib; 5812. sealing groove; 5813. limit groove; 582. second plug pipe section; 5821. limit latch; 583. seal; 584. limit clamp; 5841. clamping portion; 5842. limit portion; 59. expansion tank;
  • 50. second electrical control box component; 61. main electrical control box body; 611. terminal block; 612. wire-passing hole; 62. sub-electrical control box body; 63. main control board; 631. first main control board; 632. second main control board; 64. electric heater control assembly; 641. alternating-current contactor; 642. electric heater thermostat.

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.

An outdoor unit 100 according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the outdoor unit 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure includes an outdoor unit casing 10, an outdoor heat exchanger 112, an outdoor fan 111, a compressor assembly 20, a second electrical control box component 50, and a water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40.

Each of the outdoor heat exchanger 112, the outdoor fan 111, the compressor assembly 20, and the second electrical control box component 50 is disposed in the outdoor unit casing 10. An outdoor air inlet 101 and an outdoor air outlet 102 may be formed at the outdoor unit casing 10. The outdoor fan 111 is configured to drive outdoor air into the outdoor unit casing 10 from the outdoor air inlet 101 and exchange heat with the outdoor heat exchanger 112. Heat-exchanged air is discharged from the outdoor air outlet 102. The compressor assembly 20 is disposed in the outdoor unit casing 10 and configured to compress and drive refrigerant in a refrigerant circuit.

The water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 is at least partially disposed in the outdoor unit casing 10. For example, the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 is partially disposed in the outdoor unit casing 10 or is entirely disposed in the outdoor unit casing 10. The water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 includes a water-circuit heat exchanger 51 and a water pump 53 that are disposed in the outdoor unit casing 10. The water-circuit heat exchanger 51 has a water flow passage and a refrigerant flow passage that exchange heat with each other. The water pump 53 is adapted to be in communication with the water flow passage to drive water in the water flow passage to flow. The compressor assembly 20 is configured to drive refrigerant in the refrigerant flow passage to flow. The water flow passage of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 may be in communication with the water pump 53, and water flow may flow into the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 and out of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 under drive of the water pump 53. The refrigerant flow passage of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 may be connected to the compressor assembly 20, and the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow passage may exchange heat with the water flow in the water flow passage, thereby realizing the heating and cooling functions of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 to the water flow. The water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 can adjust a temperature of the passing water flow, allowing the entire unit to provide heating or cooling for the water flow. The water flow flowing out of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 may be transported to the room to adjust a temperature of indoor domestic water or to adjust indoor temperature.

For example, the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 may have a refrigerant inlet 511 and a refrigerant outlet 512. The refrigerant may flow into the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 from the refrigerant inlet 511 of the refrigerant flow passage, undergo heat exchange with the water flow passage of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, and then may flow out of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 from the refrigerant outlet 512. External water flow may flow into the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 from the water flow passage under the action of the water pump 53, undergo heat exchange with the refrigerant flow passage of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, and then may flow out of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 into the room through the pipeline, which is user-friendly.

The second electrical control box component 50 is configured to control the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40. The second electrical control box component 50 can control an operating state of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 through an electrical connection with the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40. For example, the second electrical control box component 50 can control start and stop of the water pump 53 through an electrical connection with the water pump 53.

The second electrical control box component 50 is located above the water pump 53 and/or the water-circuit heat exchanger 51. That is, the second electrical control box component 50 may be located above the water pump 53, or the second electrical control box component 50 is located above the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, or the second electrical control box component 50 is located above the water pump 53 and the water-circuit heat exchanger 51. By disposing the second electrical control box component 50 configured to control the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 above the water pump 53 and/or the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, a space above the water pump 53 and/or the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 can be fully utilized, making the overall structural layout more compact and thereby improving an overall space utilization rate. Moreover, when the second electrical control box component 50 is located above the water pump 53, a distance between the second electrical control box component 50 and the water pump 53 can be shortened to facilitate the electrical connection between the second electrical control box component 50 and the water pump 53, and thus to reduce a length of connection wiring harnesses between the second electrical control box component 50 and the water pump 53.

In the outdoor unit 100 according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, by disposing the second electrical control box component 50 configured to control the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 above the water pump 53 and/or the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, a space above the water pump 53 and/or the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 can be fully utilized, making the overall structural layout more compact and thereby improving a utilization rate of the overall space. In addition, a distance between the second electrical control box component 50 and the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 can be shortened to facilitate an electrical connection between the second electrical control box component 50 and the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40, and thus to reduce a length of connection wiring harnesses between the second electrical control box component 50 and the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a thickness direction of the second electrical control box component 50 extends in a left-right direction. With such a configuration, the second electrical control box component 50 can fully utilize spaces in a front-rear direction and the up-down direction of the entire unit, minimizing a footprint of the second electrical control box component 50 in the left-right direction. Thus, a dimension of the entire unit in the left-right direction can be reduced.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 2 to 3, a length direction of the second electrical control box component 50 extends in an up-down direction. Compared with other structures of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40, the water pump 53 has a smaller footprint in the up-down direction. Therefore, the space above the water pump 53 is larger than that above the other structures. Since the length direction of the second electrical control box component 50 extends in the up-down direction, the second electrical control box component 50 can fully utilize an excess space above the water pump 53, making the overall structure more compact and thereby improving a utilization rate of the overall space.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the water pump 53 is directly or indirectly disposed at the base 16 of the outdoor unit casing 10. For example, the water pump 53 may be directly disposed at the base 16 of the outdoor unit casing 10, and the water pump 53 may also be indirectly disposed at the base 16 of the outdoor unit casing 10 by means of a support structure. By directly or indirectly disposing the water pump 53 at the base 16 of the outdoor unit casing 10, instability caused by the suspended arrangement of the water pump 53 can be avoided. Thus, safety and stability of the water pump 53 can be improved while facilitating fixing of the water pump 53.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the outdoor unit 100 includes a second partition plate 121 disposed in the outdoor unit casing 10. The second partition plate 121 can separate the compressor assembly 20 from the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40, making the overall layout more reasonable. In this way, overall replacement and maintenance are facilitated.

The water pump 53 is directly or indirectly disposed at the second partition plate 121, which can improve the safety and the stability of the water pump 53, facilitating the fixing of the water pump 53. Meanwhile, the overall structure of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 can be more compact. For example, the water pump 53 may be directly disposed at the second partition plate 121, and the water pump 53 may be indirectly disposed at the second partition plate 121 by means of a support structure.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 has a first water inlet 513 located at a lower end of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51. Water flow may flow into the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 from the first water inlet 513, and flow out of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 after heat exchange. Since the first water inlet 513 is located at the lower end of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, the water flow in the water flow passage can flow from bottom to top in the water-circuit heat exchanger 51. In this way, the water flow passage can be filled with the water flow in the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 under the action of gravity. Thus, heat exchange efficiency of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 for the water flow in the water flow passage can be improved.

The first water inlet 513 is connected to a water inlet pipe 54, and the water pump 53 is connected in series to the water inlet pipe 54. In this way, a connection between the water pump 53 and the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 can be facilitated, and the overall structure of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 can be more compact. As a result, the utilization rate of the overall space is improved. The water pump 53 can drive water flow in the water inlet pipe 54 to flow into the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 through the first water inlet 513, thereby ensuring normal use of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40.

For example, in some specific embodiments of the present disclosure, the water pump 53 is directly supported by the base 16 of the outdoor unit casing 10, and the first water inlet 513 is located at the lower end of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51. In this way, the connection between the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 and the water pump 53 can be facilitated. Thus, the series connection between the water pump 53 and the water inlet pipe 54 is facilitated.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 includes a drain pipe 57 configured to discharge water from the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40. When the heating and ventilation apparatus is not used, the water flow in the water flow passage of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 may be discharged from the drain pipe 57. Thus, when an external temperature is relatively low, the water flow is prevented from freezing in the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40, which would otherwise lead to damage to the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40. In this way, safety and reliability of the heating and ventilation apparatus is improved.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 6, the water flow passage has a first water inlet 513. The first water inlet 513 is connected to a water inlet pipe 54, and the water pump 53 is connected in series to the water inlet pipe 54. In this way, a connection between the water pump 53 and the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 can be facilitated, and the overall structure of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 can be made more compact. As a result, the utilization rate of the overall space is improved. The water pump 53 can drive the water flow in the water inlet pipe 54 to flow into the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 through the first water inlet 513, thereby ensuring the normal use of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40.

The drain pipe 57 is connected to the water inlet pipe 54, and the drain pipe 57 is in communication with the water inlet pipe 54. Since the drain pipe 57 is in communication with the water inlet pipe 54, the discharging of the water flow of the water inlet pipe 54 can be facilitated, and ensure the safety and reliability of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40. A connection between the drain pipe 57 and the water inlet pipe 54 is located at a side of the water pump 53 away from the first water inlet 513. When the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 is drained, the water flow in the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 may flow towards the water inlet pipe 54 through the first water inlet 513, pass through the water pump 53, and then discharge from the drain pipe 57. Since the connection between the drain pipe 57 and the water inlet pipe 54 is located at the side of the water pump 53 away from the first water inlet 513, water in the water pump 53 can be discharged together during the drainage process, avoiding water accumulation in the water pump 53 connected in series to the water inlet pipe 54. Thus, the water flow in the water inlet pipe 54 can be completely discharged. In this way, the safety and the reliability of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 are improved.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 includes a water inlet pipe 54 and a water outlet pipe 55. The water flow passage of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 is adapted to bring the water inlet pipe 54 into communication with the water outlet pipe 55. The water flow can flow into the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 through the water inlet pipe 54 under the drive of the water pump 53. After flowing into the water flow passage of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 and exchanging heat with the refrigerant flow passage of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, the water flow may flow out of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, and finally flow out of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 through the water outlet pipe 55 into the room. Each of the water inlet pipe 54 and the water outlet pipe 55 passes through a rear plate 17 of the outdoor unit casing 10, and therefore the connection between the entire unit and the external water circuit can be concentrated on a rear side of the entire unit. Thus, the connection between the entire unit and the external water circuit can be facilitated. As a result, mounting efficiency of the entire unit can be improved.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the outdoor unit casing 10 is provided with a second partition plate 121. The second partition plate 121 is configured to separate the compressor assembly 20 from the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40, making the overall layout more reasonable. In this way, overall replacement and maintenance are facilitated. The water-circuit heat exchanger 51 is connected to the second partition plate 121, and therefore a distance between the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 and the compressor assembly 20 is relatively short, facilitating a connection between the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 and the compressor assembly 20. Meanwhile, support and fixing of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 can be facilitated, thereby ensuring stability of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51. The second partition plate 121 includes a side plate portion 18 adjacent to the rear plate 17, and each of the water inlet pipe 54 and the water outlet pipe 55 extends through the side plate portion 18. In this way, the water inlet pipe 54 and the water outlet pipe 55 can be supported by the second partition plate 121 and positions of the water inlet pipe 54 and the water outlet pipe 55 can be limited by the second partition plate 121, reducing shaking of the water inlet pipe 54 and the water outlet pipe 55. Furthermore, the connection between the entire unit and the external water circuit can be facilitated, thereby improving the mounting efficiency of the entire unit.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 further includes an electric heater 52. The water flow passage has a first water inlet 513 and a first water outlet 514, and the electric heater 52 has a second water inlet 521 and a second water outlet 522 connected to the first water outlet 514. The electric heater 52 can increase a temperature of internal water flow to achieve a heating of the water flow. The water flow may flow into an interior of the electric heater 52 through the second water inlet 521 of the electric heater 52. After the water flow is heated inside the electric heater 52, it may flow out of the second water outlet 522. Since the second water inlet 521 is connected to the first water outlet 514, the water flow flowing out of the first water outlet 514 of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 can flow into the electric heater 52 through the second water inlet 521, and finally flow out through the second water outlet 522.

When the entire unit needs to heat the water flow, the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow passage undergoes heat exchange with the water flow in the water flow passage and then flows out of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51. The external water flow may flow into the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 through the first water inlet 513, undergo heat exchange with the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow passage of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, and then may flow out of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 through the first water outlet 514. The heat-exchanged water flow flowing out of the first water outlet 514 may flow into the electric heater 52 through the second water inlet 521. The water flow flowing into the electric heater 52 is further heated by the electric heater 52, and then may flow out of the electric heater 52 through the second water outlet 522, and flow to the room through the pipeline, which is user-friendly. By providing the electric heater 52, when the heating and ventilation apparatus is in heating mode, the water flow in the water flow passage can be heated by the heat exchange with the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow passage, and it can also be further heated by the electric heater 52 to further increase an outlet water temperature, and thus to meet higher outlet water temperature requirements.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 2 to 5, the electric heater 52 and the second electrical control box component 50 are arranged in a left-right direction. With such a configuration, a distance between the second electrical control box component 50 and the electric heater 52 can be shortened, facilitating a connection between the second electrical control box component 50 and the electric heater 52. Meanwhile, the overall structure can be made more compact, thereby improving the utilization rate of the overall space.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 2 to 5, the electric heater 52 is located above the water-circuit heat exchanger 51. Therefore, when it is necessary to discharge water in the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40, water in the electric heater 52 can flow out of the drain pipe 57 under gravity. Furthermore, since the electric heater 52 is located above the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, it is also possible to avoid water accumulation in a connection pipe 56 between the electric heater 52 and the water-circuit heat exchanger 51. As a result, water in the water flow passage of the entire water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 can be discharged more thoroughly. Therefore, when the external temperature is relatively low, it can prevent freezing inside the connection pipe 56 between the electric heater 52 and the water-circuit heat exchanger 51. Thus, the safety of the heating and ventilation apparatus can be improved.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 2 to 5, the electric heater 52 is located directly above the water-circuit heat exchanger 51. With such a configuration, the water accumulation in the pipeline between the electric heater 52 and the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 can be avoided, thereby improving the safety of the heating and ventilation apparatus. Meanwhile, a distance between the electric heater 52 and the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 can be shortened, making the overall structure more compact. As a result, the pipeline arrangement between the electric heater 52 and the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 is facilitated.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the first water outlet 514 is formed at an upper end of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, and the second water inlet 521 is formed at a lower end of the electric heater 52. Since the electric heater 52 is located above the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, a distance between the first water outlet 514 and the second water inlet 521 can be shortened, thereby facilitating the connection between the first water outlet 514 and the second water inlet 521 and making the overall structure more compact. Furthermore, when the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 needs to be drained, water discharged from the electric heater 52 can flow directly into the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 under gravity, and therefore no water accumulation occurs in the pipeline between the electric heater 52 and the water-circuit heat exchanger 51. Thus, the safety and the reliability of the heating and ventilation apparatus are further improved.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the first water outlet 514 and the second water inlet 521 are located at one side, and therefore the distance between the first water outlet 514 and the second water inlet 521 can be shortened. Thus, the connection between the first water outlet 514 and the second water inlet 521 is facilitated. The first water outlet 514 is connected to the second water inlet 521 by a connection pipe 56 of a U-shape or an arc shape. The connection pipe 56 can facilitate flow of the water flow between the first outlet 514 and the second inlet 521. When the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 needs to be drained, the water flow in the connection pipe 56 can be easily discharged under the gravity due to the connection pipe 56 of the U-shape or the arc shape, avoiding the water accumulation in the connection pipe 56. Thus, safety and the reliability of the connection pipe 56 are ensured.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the first water inlet 513 and the first water outlet 514 are located at one side of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, and therefore pipelines connected to the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 can be all located at one side of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, which facilitates a connection between the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 and other components. As a result, overall mounting efficiency is improved. Meanwhile, rational use of the overall space is facilitated, making the overall structure more compact. For example, the first water inlet 513 and the first water outlet 514 are located at a rear side of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 in a front-rear direction, and the first water inlet 513 and the first water outlet 514 are spaced apart from each other in the up-down direction.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the second water inlet 521 and the second water outlet 522 are located at one side of the electric heater 52, and therefore pipelines connected to the electric heater 52 can be all located at one side of the electric heater 52, which facilitates a connection between the electric heater 52 and other components. As a result, the overall mounting efficiency is improved. Meanwhile, the rational use of the overall space is facilitated, making the overall structure more compact. For example, the second water inlet 521 and the second water outlet 522 are located at a rear side of the electric heater 52 in a front-rear direction, and the second water inlet 521 and the second water outlet 522 are spaced apart from each other in the up-down direction.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the first water outlet 514 is connected to the second water inlet 521 by a connection pipe 56. The connection pipe 56 can facilitate flow of the water flow between the first water outlet 514 and the second water inlet 521. The first water inlet 513 is connected to a water inlet pipe 54, and the second water outlet 522 is connected to a water outlet pipe 55. The external water flow may flow into the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 through the water inlet pipe 54. The water flow in the water inlet pipe 54 flows into the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 through the first water inlet 513, undergoes heat exchange with the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow passage of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, and then may flow out of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 through the first water outlet 514 and flow into the connection pipe 56. Then, the water flow in the connection pipe 56 may flow into the electric heater 52 through the second water inlet 521. After the water flow is heated inside the electric heater 52, it may flow out of the electric heater 52 through the second water outlet 522, and finally flow out of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 through the water outlet pipe 55 into the room.

The connection pipe 56, the water inlet pipe 54, and the water outlet pipe 55 are located at the same sides of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 and the electric heater 52. With such configuration, the pipelines of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 can be located at the same sides of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 and the electric heater 52, which facilitates the connection between the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 and the electric heater 52 and other components. As a result, the overall mounting efficiency is improved. Meanwhile, the rational use of the overall space is facilitated, making the overall structure more compact. In addition, the arrangement positions of the connection pipelines of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 can be made relatively concentrated, which can facilitate mounting and disassembling of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 for the entire unit, as well as replacement and maintenance of the connection pipelines, thus improving maintenance efficiency.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the outdoor unit 100 includes a second partition plate 121 disposed in the outdoor unit casing 10. The second partition plate 121 is configured to separate the compressor assembly 20 from the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40, making the overall layout more reasonable. In this way, the overall replacement and maintenance are facilitated. The electric heater 52 is mounted at the second partition plate 121, which facilitates mounting and fixing of the electric heater 52 and makes the overall structure more compact. As a result, the utilization rate of the overall space is improved.

For example, each of a lower part and an upper part of the electric heater 52 is provided with a connection bracket connected to the second partition plate 121. The connection bracket can support and fix the electric heater 52, thereby improving stability and reliability of the connection of the electric heater 52.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 5 and 10, the second electrical control box component 50 includes a main electrical control box body 61, a sub-electrical control box body 62, a main control board 63, and an electric heater control assembly 64. The main control board 63 is disposed in the main electrical control box body 61. The electric heater control assembly 64 is at least partially disposed in the sub-electrical control box body 62. For example, the electric heater control assembly 64 may be partially disposed in the sub-electrical control box body 62 or may be entirely disposed in the sub-electrical control box body 62. The electric heater control assembly 64 is configured to control the electric heater 52. For example, the electric heater control assembly 64 can control the electric heater 52 to be turned on and off and can also control heating power and a heating temperature of the electric heater 52.

The sub-electrical control box body 62 is located outside the main electrical control box body 61, and the sub-electrical control box body 62 and the main electrical control box body 61 each are independently formed. Since the electric heater control assembly 64 is located in the sub-electrical control box body 62, when the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 does not include the above-mentioned electric heater 52, the second electrical control box component 50 may include the above-mentioned main electrical control box body 61 and the above-mentioned main control board 63 without the above-mentioned sub-electrical control box body 62 and the above-mentioned electric heater control assembly 64. When the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 includes the above-mentioned electric heater 52, a main body of the second electrical control box component 50 does not need to be greatly changed or may not be modified. In this case, it is only necessary to add the above-mentioned sub-electrical control box body 62 and the above-mentioned electric heater control assembly 64 on the basis that the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 does not include electrical control box 3 components corresponding to the above-mentioned electric heater 52. This can enable the control part of the second electrical control box component 50 for the electric heater 52 to be modularized while allowing the main electrical control box body 61 and the main control board 63 that function as the main body of the second electrical control box component 50 to serve as a general structure. Regardless of whether the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 includes the above-mentioned electric heater 52, the second electrical control box component 50 includes the general part comprised of the main electrical control box body 61 and the main control board 63. When the electric heater 52 needs to be disposed in the outdoor unit 100, the structures of the main electrical control box body 61 and the main control board 63 do not need to be modified or significantly changed, with only an addition of the above-mentioned sub-electrical control box body 62 and the electric heater control assembly 64. In this way, production costs can be reduced.

When the entire electric heater control assembly 64 is disposed in the sub-electrical control box body 62, the control part of the electric heater 52 can be better modularized, forming a modular structure independent of the main electrical control box body 61, which can further reduce the production costs, make the design of the second electrical control box component 50 more flexible, and facilitate maintenance and replacement of the electric heater control assembly 64.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 10, the sub-electrical control box body 62 is detachably connected to the main electrical control box body 61, which can facilitate mounting and disassembling of the sub-electrical control box body 62 as well as replacement and maintenance of internal components of the sub-electrical control box body 62.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 10, the electric heater control assembly 64 includes an alternating-current contactor 641 disposed in the sub-electrical control box body 62. The alternating-current contactor 641 can be configured to control the electric heater 52 to be turned on and off to ensure normal use of the electric heater 52. Since the alternating-current contactor 641 is relatively large in size, space inside the main electrical control box body 61 can be saved by disposing the alternating-current contactor 641 in the sub-electrical control box body 62, reducing the overall footprint of the main electrical control box body 61, thereby saving costs of the second electrical control box component 50. In addition, since the alternating-current contactor 641 is disposed in the sub-electrical control box body 62, overall replacement and maintenance of the electric heater control assembly 64 can be facilitated.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 10, the electric heater control assembly 64 includes an electric heater thermostat 642 configured to control a heating temperature of the electric heater 52. The electric heater thermostat 642 can be configured to control a temperature of the electric heater 52, and therefore an effect of the electric heater 52 assisting heating of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 can be better realized, ensuring that heating capacity of the entire unit can meet usage needs.

The electric heater thermostat 642 is disposed in the sub-electrical control box body 62 or the main electrical control box body 61. Since the electric heater control assembly 64 includes the alternating-current contactor 641 and the electric heater thermostat 642, and the alternating-current contactor 641 is located in the sub-electrical control box body 62, when the electric heater thermostat 642 is disposed in the sub-electrical control box body 62, the entire electric heater control assembly 64 is disposed in the sub-electrical control box body 62. In this way, the control part of the electric heater 52 can be better modularized, forming a modular structure independent of the main electrical control box body 61, which can further reduce the production costs, make the design of the second electrical control box component 50 more flexible, and facilitate the maintenance and the replacement of the electric heater control assembly 64. When the electric heater thermostat 642 is disposed in the main electrical control box body 61, the space inside the main electrical control box body 61 can be fully utilized to improve a space utilization rate of the main electrical control box body 61.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 3 and 10, the sub-electrical control box body 62 is connected to an upper part of the main electrical control box body 61. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the electric heater 52 is located directly above the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, and the electric heater control assembly 64 is located in the sub-electrical control box body 62. With such a configuration, both the sub-electrical control box body 62 and the electric heater 52 are located at an upper part of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40, and therefore a distance between the sub-electrical control box body 62 and the electric heater 52 is shortened to facilitate the connection between the sub-electrical control box body 62 and the electric heater 52, and thus to reduce a length of wiring harnesses between the sub-electrical control box body 62 and the electric heater 52.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the sub-electrical control box body 62 is located at a side of the main electrical control box body 61 adjacent to the electric heater 52. Therefore, the distance between the sub-electrical control box body 62 and the electric heater 52 can be shortened to facilitate a connection between the electric heater control assembly 64 in the sub-electrical control box body 62 and the electric heater 52, making the overall structure more compact.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the sub-electrical control box body 62 is connected to an upper part of the main electrical control box body 61, and the sub-electrical control box body 62 is located at a side of the main electrical control box body 61 adjacent to the electric heater 52. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the electric heater 52 is located directly above the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, and the electric heater control assembly 64 is located in the sub-electrical control box body 62. With such a configuration, both the sub-electrical control box body 62 and the electric heater 52 are located at the upper part of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40. In this way, on the one hand, the distance between the sub-electrical control box body 62 and the electric heater 52 can be shortened to facilitate the connection between the electric heater control assembly 64 in the sub-electrical control box body 62 and the electric heater 52, making the overall structure more compact. On the other hand, when the second electrical control box component 50 is mounted to the outdoor unit 100, the overall upper space can be fully utilized to improve the utilization rate of the overall space.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 10, the second electrical control box component 50 includes a main control board 63. The main control board 63 includes a first main control board 631 and a second main control board 632 that are arranged in an up-down direction. The first main control board 631 is configured to at least control the refrigerant flow passage. For example, the first main control board 631 can be partially configured to control at least one of an electronic expansion valve and a four-way valve of the refrigerant flow passage, or the first main control board 631 is configured to control at least one of an electronic expansion valve and a four-way valve of the refrigerant flow passage. The second main control board 632 is configured to at least control the water pump 53. The second main control board 632 is partially configured to control the water pump 53, or the second main control board 632 is entirely configured to control the water pump 53. Since the first main control board 631 and the second main control board 632 are arranged in the up-down direction, internal space of the main control box body can be made more reasonable, making the internal structure more compact. Meanwhile, wiring of the first main control board 631 and the second main control board 632 can be easily laid out for ease of replacement and maintenance of the first main control board 631 and the second main control board 632.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 10, the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 includes a first water inlet 513 and a first water outlet 514. The first water inlet 513 is connected to a water inlet pipe 54. The water pump 53 is connected in series to the water inlet pipe 54. The water pump 53 is disposed at the base 16 and is located at a rear side of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51. The electric heater 52 is located directly above the water-circuit heat exchanger 51. The second electrical control box component 50 is disposed at a rear upper side of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51.

The second main control board 632 is located below the first main control board 631, and therefore a distance between the second main control board 632 and the water pump 53 can be shortened to facilitate a control connection between the second main control board 632 and the water pump 53.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 has a first water inlet 512 and a first water outlet 514. The first water inlet 513 is connected to a water inlet pipe 54. External water flow may flow into the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 through the water inlet pipe 54, undergo heat exchange with the refrigerant flow passage of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, and then may flow out of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 through the first water outlet 514.

The water inlet pipe 54 is connected to the first water inlet 513 by a quick plug structure 58. The quick plug structure 58 can facilitate mounting and disassembling of the water inlet pipe 54 as well as replacement and maintenance of the water inlet pipe 54 while improving overall mounting efficiency of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the quick plug structure 58 includes a first plug pipe section 581, a second plug pipe section 582, and a seal 583. The first plug pipe section 581 is inserted into the second plug pipe section 582. The seal 583 is located between an outer peripheral wall of the first plug pipe section 581 and an inner peripheral wall of the second plug pipe section 582. The seal 583 can seal the entire quick plug structure 58 to prevent leakage from the quick plug structure 58, and thus to better ensure sealing performance, safety, and reliability of the quick plug structure 58. Since the seal 583 is disposed between the outer peripheral wall of the first plug pipe section 581 and the inner peripheral wall of the second plug pipe section 582, substances in the pipe can be prevented from leaking from an interface between the outer peripheral wall of the first plug pipe section 581 and the inner peripheral wall of the second plug pipe section 582, thereby improving the overall sealing performance of the quick plug structure 58.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, two sealing protruding ribs 5811 spaced apart from each other in a length direction of the first plug pipe section 581 are formed at the outer peripheral wall of the first plug pipe section 581. A sealing groove 5812 is defined between the two sealing protruding ribs 5811. The seal 583 is disposed in the sealing groove 5812. The two sealing protruding ribs 5811 can limit a position of the seal 583, avoiding accidental disengagement of the seal 583 during use, which would otherwise result in the leakage from the quick pipe connection structure. Thus, sealing performance, safety, and reliability of the quick pipe connection structure can be better ensured. For example, the seal 583 may be an elastic member. The seal 583 can be in an interference fit with the sealing groove 5812 during use, thereby better ensuring a sealing effect of the seal 583 on the overall structure.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the quick plug structure 58 further includes a limit clamp 584 and a limit groove 5813 formed at an outer peripheral wall of the first plug pipe section 581. The limit clamp 584 includes a clamping portion 5841 and a limit portion 5842. The clamping portion 5841 is clamped at the outer peripheral wall of the first plug pipe section 581. The second plug pipe section 582 is further provided with a limit latch 5821 at an outer peripheral wall of the second plug pipe section 582. The clamping portion 5841 of the limit clamp 584 may be engaged into the limit groove 5813 of the first plug pipe section 581 to realize position limiting and fixing of the first plug pipe section 581 by the limit clamp 584. The limit portion 5842 of the limit clamp 584 can be engaged with the limit latch 5821 of the second plug pipe section 582 to realize overall position limiting and fixing of the limit clamp 584. Thus, the limit clamp 584 can realize the fixing and the connection between the first plug pipe section 581 and the second plug pipe section 582.

The limit clamp 584 has a limit state and a non-limit state. In the limit state, the limit portion 5842 is located between the limit latch 5821 and the outer peripheral wall of the second plug pipe section 582 to limit a position of the limit clamp 584. Furthermore, the clamping portion 5841 is engaged into the limit groove 5813 to limit a position of each of the first plug pipe section 581 and the second plug pipe section 582 in a plug direction of the first plug pipe section 581 and the second plug pipe section 582. In the non-limiting state, the limit portion 5842 is disengaged from the limit latch 5821, and the clamping portion 5841 is disengaged from the limit groove 5813.

When it is necessary to connect the first plug pipe section 581 to the second plug pipe section 582, the first plug pipe section 581 is inserted into the second plug pipe section 582 in an axial direction of the second plug pipe section 582. When the first plug pipe section 581 is inserted in place, the clamping portion 5841 of the limit clamp 584 is engaged into the limit groove 5813 of the first plug pipe section 581, realizing position liming of each of the first plug pipe section 581 and the second plug pipe section 582 in the plug direction of the first plug pipe section 581 and the second plug pipe section 582. Then, the limit portion 5842 of the limit clamp 584 is pressed towards the limit latch 5821 until the limit portion 5842 is completely engaged with the limit latch 5821 to realize the overall position limiting and fixing of the limit clamp 584. At this point, the limit clamp 584 is in the limit state, thereby completing the connection and the fixing between the first plug pipe section 581 and the second plug pipe section 582.

When it is necessary to separate the first plug pipe section 581 from the second plug pipe section 582, the limit portion 5842 of the limit clamp 584 is first pressed away from the limit latch 5821 of the second plug pipe section 582 until the limit portion 5842 is disengaged from the limit latch 5821. Then, the first plug pipe section 581 is pulled out towards an exterior of the second plug pipe section 582 in the axial direction of the second plug pipe section 582 until the clamping portion 5841 of the limit clamp 584 is disengaged from the limit groove 5813 of the first plug pipe section 581. At this point, the limit clamp 584 is in the non-limit state, thereby completing the separation of the first plug pipe section 581 from the second plug pipe section 582.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 6, the water pump 53 is connected in series to the water inlet pipe 54 and configured to drive water flow of the water inlet pipe 54 to flow into the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 through the first water inlet 513. Thus, the normal use of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 can be ensured. The water inlet pipe 54 includes a first water inlet pipe section 541 and a second water inlet pipe section 542 connected to the first water inlet 513. The water pump 53 is connected between the first water inlet pipe section 541 and the second water inlet pipe section 542. The water pump 53 is connected to at least one of the first water inlet pipe section 541 and the second water inlet pipe section 542 by the quick plug structure 58. For example, the water pump 53 is connected to the first water inlet pipe section 541 by the quick plug structure 58, or the water pump 53 is connected to the second water inlet pipe section 542 by the quick plug structure 58, or the water pump 53 is connected to each of the first water inlet pipe section 541 and the second water inlet pipe section 542 by the quick plug structure 58.

The quick plug structure 58 can realize rapid mounting and disassembling between the water pump 53 and each of the first water inlet pipe section 541 and the second water inlet pipe section 542, which facilitates replacement and maintenance of the water pump 53, the first water inlet pipe section 541, and the second water inlet pipe section 542, while improving the overall mounting efficiency of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 further includes an electric heater 52 configured to increase a temperature of internal water flow to allow for a heating effect of the water flow. The water-circuit heat exchanger 51 has the first water inlet 513 and the first water outlet 514, and the electric heater 52 has a second water inlet 521 and a second water outlet 522. The first water outlet 514 is connected to the second water inlet 521 by a connection pipe 56. The first water inlet 513 is connected to a water inlet pipe 54. The second water outlet 522 is connected to a water outlet pipe 55.

The external water flow may flow into the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 through the water inlet pipe 54, and the water flow in the water inlet pipe 54 flows into the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 through the first water inlet 513, undergo heat exchange with the refrigerant flow passage of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, and then may flow out of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 through the first water outlet 514 into the connection pipe 56. Then, the water flow in the connection pipe 56 may flow into the electric heater 52 through the second water inlet 521. After the water flow is heated inside the electric heater 52, it may flow out of the electric heater 52 through the second water outlet 522, and finally flow out of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 through the water outlet pipe 55 into the room.

At least one of a connection between the water outlet pipe 55 and the second water outlet 522, a connection between the connection pipe 56 and the first water outlet 514, and a connection between the connection pipe 56 and the second water inlet 521 is made by the quick plug structure 58. The quick plug structure 58 can facilitate the mounting and disassembling of the water outlet pipe 55 and the connection pipe 56 as well as the replacement and maintenance of the water outlet pipe 55 and the connection pipe 56 while improving the overall mounting efficiency of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40.

For example, one of the connection between the water outlet pipe 55 and the second water outlet 522, the connection between the connection pipe 56 and the first water outlet 514, and the connection between the connection pipe 56 and the second water inlet 521 is made by the quick plug structure 58, or two of the connection between the water outlet pipe 55 and the second water outlet 522, the connection between the connection pipe 56 and the first water outlet 514, and the connection between the connection pipe 56 and the second water inlet 521 are made by the quick plug structure 58, or three of the connection between the water outlet pipe 55 and the second water outlet 522, the connection between the connection pipe 56 and the first water outlet 514, and the connection between the connection pipe 56 and the second water inlet 521 are made by the quick plug structure 58, or each of the connection between the water outlet pipe 55 and the second water outlet 522, the connection between the connection pipe 56 and the first water outlet 514, and the connection between the connection pipe 56 and the second water inlet 521 is made by the quick plug structure 58.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 includes a water inlet pipe 54 and a water outlet pipe 55. The water flow passage of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 is adapted to bring the water inlet pipe 54 into communication with the water outlet pipe 55. The external water flow may flow into the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 through the water inlet pipe 54, undergo heat exchange with the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow passage of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, and then flow out of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 through the water outlet pipe 55 into the room.

At least one of the water inlet pipe 54 and the water outlet pipe 55 is a plastic pipe. For example, one of the water inlet pipe 54 and the water outlet pipe 55 is a plastic pipe, or each of the water inlet pipe 54 and the water outlet pipe 55 is a plastic pipe. With such a configuration, compared with a metallic pipe, the plastic pipe has advantages such as good corrosion resistance, ease of processing, and overall cost saving. In addition, the plastic pipe is lighter in weight, facilitating mounting and disassembling of the pipeline by workers.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 11, the outdoor unit casing 10 has a fan chamber 11 and a compressor chamber 12. A first partition plate 113 is disposed between the fan chamber 11 and the compressor chamber 12. The first partition plate 113 is configured to separate the fan chamber 11 from the compressor chamber 12, making a layout of the entire unit more reasonable and thus facilitating maintenance and replacement of different components. The water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 further includes an expansion tank 59 that can be configured to balance a water volume and a pressure in the water flow passage of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40.

The first partition plate 113 has a mounting opening 113a formed at a lower part of the first partition plate 113. The expansion tank 59 is mounted at the mounting opening 113a. A part of the expansion tank 59 is located in the fan chamber 11, and another part of the expansion tank 59 is located in the compressor chamber 12. In this way, space of the fan chamber 11 and the compressor chamber 12 can be fully utilized, making the overall structure more compact and thereby improving the utilization rate of the overall space.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 11, the expansion tank 59 is located below the outdoor fan 111, and space between a lower part of the outdoor fan 111 and the outdoor unit casing 10 can be fully utilized, making the overall structure more compact and thereby improving the utilization rate of the overall space.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 11, a minimum distance between the expansion tank 59 and an outer edge of the outdoor fan 111 is greater than 20 mm. If the minimum distance between the expansion tank 59 and the outer edge of the outdoor fan 111 is smaller than 20 mm, on the one hand, it may cause damage to the expansion tank 59 due to its collision with the outdoor fan 111. Furthermore, when an external temperature is relatively low, freezing occurs on an outer peripheral wall of the expansion tank 59, causing adhesion between the expansion tank 59 and the outer edge of the outdoor fan 111 due to the freezing, which affects the normal use of the entire unit. On the other hand, during operation of the outdoor fan 111, the expansion tank 59 increases nearby air resistance and generates noise, which is unfavorable to an overall noise reduction effect.

Therefore, with the minimum distance between the expansion tank 59 and the outer edge of the outdoor fan 111 greater than 20 mm, the collision between the expansion tank 59 and the outdoor fan 111 can be prevented. Furthermore, when the external temperature is relatively low, the adhesion between the expansion tank 59 and the outer edge of the outdoor fan 111 is avoided, thereby better ensuring safety and reliability of the expansion tank 59 and the normal use of the entire unit. Meanwhile, noise can be avoided in the fan chamber 11 to ensure the overall noise reduction effect.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 11, the minimum distance between the expansion tank 59 and the outer edge of the outdoor fan 111 ranges from 20 mm to 50 mm, which can avoid the collision between the expansion tank 59 and the outdoor fan 111. Furthermore, when the external temperature is relatively low, the adhesion between the expansion tank 59 and the outer edge of the outdoor fan 111 can be avoided, thereby better ensuring the safety and the reliability of the expansion tank 59 and the normal use of the entire unit. In addition, the noise can be avoided in the fan chamber 11 to ensure the overall noise reduction effect. Meanwhile, the minimum distance between the expansion tank 59 and the outer edge of the outdoor fan 111 can be avoided from being excessively large to ensure the overall size of the entire unit and reduce the space occupied by the entire unit. For example, the minimum distance between the expansion tank 59 and the outer edge of the outdoor fan 111 may be 20 mm, 30 mm, 40 mm, 50 mm, etc.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 11, the expansion tank 59 is supported by a base 16 of the outdoor unit casing 10. When condensation water forms on a surface of the expansion tank 59, since the expansion tank 59 is supported by the base 16 of the outdoor unit casing 10, the condensation water can flow directly onto the base along the surface of the expansion tank 59, avoiding damage to other structures caused by the condensation water dropping onto other structures, thereby ensuring the performance of the entire unit. Furthermore, space between the outer edge of the outdoor fan 111 and the base 16 can be fully utilized, making the overall structure more compact and thereby improving the utilization rate of the overall space. Meanwhile, overall fixing of the expansion tank 59 can be facilitated, thereby improving safety and stability of the expansion tank 59 during the overall operation.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 further includes an expansion tank 59 located outside the outdoor unit casing 10. In this way, the entire unit can easily improve performance of the expansion tank 59 by increasing a volume of the expansion tank 59 itself, and thus a problem of a relatively large size of the entire unit caused by the relatively large volume of the expansion tank 59 can be avoided. Meanwhile, mounting and disassembling of the expansion tank 59 as well as replacement and maintenance of the expansion tank 59 can be facilitated, thereby improving the overall assembling efficiency. In addition, when a water volume in the expansion tank 59 is low during the operation of the entire unit, it is convenient to replenish the water in the expansion tank 59, thereby ensuring the performance of the expansion tank 59.

A heating and ventilation apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure includes the outdoor unit 100 according to the aforementioned some embodiments of the present disclosure. The heating and ventilation apparatus may be an air conditioning system, a heat pump system, etc.

In the heating and ventilation apparatus according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, by providing the above-mentioned outdoor unit 100, by disposing the second electrical control box component 50 configured to control the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 above the water pump 53 and/or the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, a space above the water pump 53 and/or the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 can be fully utilized, making the overall structural layout more compact and thereby improving a utilization rate of the overall space. In addition, a distance between the second electrical control box component 50 and the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 can be shortened to facilitate an electrical connection between the second electrical control box component 50 and the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40, and thus to reduce a length of connection wiring harnesses between the second electrical control box component 50 and the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, the outdoor unit 100 of the heating and ventilation apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure includes an outdoor unit casing 10, an outdoor heat exchanger 112, an outdoor fan 111, a compressor assembly 20, and a water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40. Each of the outdoor heat exchanger 112, the outdoor fan 111, and the compressor assembly 20 is disposed in the outdoor unit casing 10. The outdoor air inlet 101 and the outdoor air outlet 102 may be formed at the outdoor unit casing 10. The outdoor fan 111 is configured to drive outdoor air into the outdoor unit casing 10 from the outdoor air inlet 101 and exchange heat with the outdoor heat exchanger 112. Heat-exchanged air is discharged from the outdoor air outlet 102. The compressor assembly 20 is disposed in the outdoor unit casing 10 and configured to compress and drive refrigerant in a refrigerant circuit.

The water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 is disposed in the outdoor unit casing 10. The water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 includes a water-circuit heat exchanger 51 and an electric heater 52. The water-circuit heat exchanger 51 has a water flow passage and a refrigerant flow passage that exchange heat with each other. The compressor assembly 20 is configured to drive refrigerant to flow in the refrigerant flow passage. The refrigerant flow passage of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 may be connected to the compressor assembly 20, and the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow passage may exchange heat with the water flow in the water flow passage, thereby realizing the heating and cooling functions of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 to the water flow. The water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 can adjust the temperature of the passing water flow, allowing the entire unit to provide heating or cooling for the water flow. The water flow flowing out of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 may be transported to the room to adjust a temperature of indoor domestic water or to adjust an indoor temperature.

The water-circuit heat exchanger 51 has a first water inlet 513, a first water outlet 514, a refrigerant inlet 511, and a refrigerant outlet 512. The refrigerant may flow into the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 from the refrigerant inlet 511 of the refrigerant flow passage, undergo heat exchange with the water flow passage of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, and then may flow out of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 from the refrigerant outlet 512. Water flow may flow into the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 through the first water inlet 513 of the water flow passage, undergo heat exchange with the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow passage of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, and then may flow out of the water-circuit heat exchanger through the first water outlet 514.

The electric heater 52 has a second water inlet 521 and a second water outlet 522 connected to the first water outlet 514. The electric heater 52 can increase a temperature of internal water flow to achieve a heating effect of the water flow. The water flow may enter the interior of the electric heater 52 from the second water inlet 521 of the electric heater 52, undergo heat exchange with the electric heater 52, and then may flow out of the second water outlet 522. Since the second water inlet 521 is connected to the first water outlet 514, the water flow flowing out of the first water outlet 514 of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 can flow into the electric heater 52 through the second water inlet 521, and finally flow out through the second water outlet 522.

When the entire unit needs to heat the water flow, refrigerant of the compressor assembly 20 may flow into the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 through the refrigerant inlet 511 and then flow out of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 through the refrigerant outlet 512. The external water flow may flow into the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 through the first water inlet 513, undergo heat exchange with the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow passage of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, and then may flow out of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 through the first water outlet 514. The water flow flowing out of the first water outlet 514 may flow into the electric heater 52 through the second water inlet 521. After the water flow exchanges heat with the electric heater 52, it may flow out of the electric heater 52 from the second water outlet 522 and flow to the room through the pipeline, which is user-friendly.

In the air-conditioning outdoor unit according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, by connecting the second water inlet 521 of the electric heater 52 to the first water outlet 514 of the water-circuit heat exchanger, when the entire unit needs to heat the water flow, the electric heater 52 can assist the water circuit heat exchanger 51 in heating the water flow, thereby ensuring that heating capacity of the entire unit can meet usage needs. As a result, the heating capacity of the air conditioning system can be improved.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 2 to 5, the electric heater 52 and the second electrical control box component 50 are arranged in a left-right direction. With such a configuration, a distance between the second electrical control box component 50 and the electric heater 52 can be shortened, facilitating a connection between the second electrical control box component 50 and the electric heater 52. Meanwhile, the overall structure can be made more compact, thereby improving the utilization rate of the overall space.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 2 to 5, the electric heater 52 is located above the water-circuit heat exchanger 51. Therefore, when it is necessary to discharge water in the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40, water in the electric heater 52 can flow out of the drain pipe 57 under gravity. Furthermore, since the electric heater 52 is located above the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, it is also possible to avoid water accumulation in a connection pipe 56 between the electric heater 52 and the water-circuit heat exchanger 51. As a result, water in the water flow passage of the entire water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 can be discharged more thoroughly. Therefore, when the external temperature is relatively low, it can prevent freezing inside the connection pipe 56 between the electric heater 52 and the water-circuit heat exchanger 51. Thus, the safety of the heating and ventilation apparatus can be improved.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 2 to 5, the electric heater 52 is located directly above the water-circuit heat exchanger 51. With such a configuration, the water accumulation in the pipeline between the electric heater 52 and the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 can be avoided, thereby improving the safety of the heating and ventilation apparatus. Meanwhile, a distance between the electric heater 52 and the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 can be shortened, making the overall structure more compact. As a result, the pipeline arrangement between the electric heater 52 and the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 is facilitated.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the first water outlet 514 is formed at an upper end of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, and the second water inlet 521 is formed at a lower end of the electric heater 52. Since the electric heater 52 is located above the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, a distance between the first water outlet 514 and the second water inlet 521 can be shortened, thereby facilitating the connection between the first water outlet 514 and the second water inlet 521 and making the overall structure more compact. Furthermore, when the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 needs to be drained, water discharged from the electric heater 52 can flow directly into the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 under gravity, and therefore no water accumulation occurs in the pipeline between the electric heater 52 and the water-circuit heat exchanger 51. Thus, the safety and the reliability of the heating and ventilation apparatus is further improved.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the first water outlet 514 and the second water inlet 521 are located at one side, and therefore the distance between the first water outlet 514 and the second water inlet 521 can be shortened. Thus, the connection between the first water outlet 514 and the second water inlet 521 is facilitated. The first water outlet 514 is connected to the second water inlet 521 by a connection pipe 56 of a U-shape or an arc shape. The connection pipe 56 can facilitate flow of the water flow between the first water outlet 514 and the second water inlet 521. When the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 needs to be drained, the water flow in the connection pipe 56 can be easily discharged under gravity due to the connection pipe 56 of the U-shape or the arc shape, avoiding the water accumulation in the connection pipe 56. Thus, safety and the reliability of the connection pipe 56 are ensured.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the first water inlet 513 and the first water outlet 514 are located at one side of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, and therefore pipelines connected to the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 can be all located at one side of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, which facilitates a connection between the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 and other components. As a result, overall mounting efficiency is improved. Meanwhile, the rational use of the overall space is facilitated, making the overall structure more compact. For example, the first water inlet 513 and the first water outlet 514 are located at a rear side of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 in a front-rear direction, and the first water inlet 513 and the first water outlet 514 are spaced apart from each other in the up-down direction.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the second water inlet 521 and the second water outlet 522 are located at one side of the electric heater 52, and therefore pipelines connected to the electric heater 52 can be all located at one side of the electric heater 52, which facilitates a connection between the electric heater 52 and other components. As a result, the overall mounting efficiency is improved. Meanwhile, the rational use of the overall space is facilitated, making the overall structure more compact. For example, the second water inlet 521 and the second water outlet 522 are located at a rear side of the electric heater 52 in a front-rear direction, and the second water inlet 521 and the second water outlet 522 are spaced apart from each other in the up-down direction.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the first water outlet 514 is connected to the second water inlet 521 by a connection pipe 56. The connection pipe 56 can facilitate flowing of the water flow between the first water outlet 514 and the second water inlet 521. The first water inlet 513 is connected to a water inlet pipe 54, and the second water outlet 522 is connected to a water outlet pipe 55. The external water flow may flow into the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 through the water inlet pipe 54. The water flow in the water inlet pipe 54 flows into the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 through the first water inlet 513, undergoes heat exchange with the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow passage of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, and then may flow out of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 through the first water outlet 514 into the connection pipe 56. Then, the water flow in the connection pipe 56 may flow into the electric heater 52 through the second water inlet 521. After the water flow is heated inside the electric heater 52, it may flow out of the electric heater 52 through the second water outlet 522, and finally flow out of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 through the water outlet pipe 55 into the room.

The connection pipe 56, the water inlet pipe 54, and the water outlet pipe 55 are located at the same sides of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 and the electric heater 52. With such configuration, the pipelines of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 can be located at the same sides of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 and the electric heater 52, which facilitates the connection between each of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 and the electric heater 52 and other components. As a result, the overall mounting efficiency is improved. Meanwhile, the rational use of the overall space is facilitated, making the overall structure more compact. In addition, the arrangement positions of the connection pipelines of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 can be made relatively concentrated, which can facilitate mounting and disassembling of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 for the entire unit, as well as replacement and maintenance of the connection pipelines, thus improving maintenance efficiency.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the outdoor unit 100 includes a second partition plate 121 disposed in the outdoor unit casing 10. The second partition plate 121 is configured to separate the compressor assembly 20 from the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40, making the overall layout more reasonable. In this way, the overall replacement and maintenance are facilitated. The electric heater 52 is mounted at the second partition plate 121, which facilitates mounting and fixing of the electric heater 52 and makes the overall structure more compact. As a result, the utilization rate of the overall space is improved.

For example, each of a lower part and an upper part of the electric heater 52 is provided with a connection bracket connected to the second partition plate 121. The connection bracket can support and fix the electric heater 52, thereby improving stability and reliability of the connection of the electric heater 52.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 5 and 10, the second electrical control box component 50 includes a main electrical control box body 61, a sub-electrical control box body 62, a main control board 63, and an electric heater control assembly 64. The main control board 63 is disposed in the main electrical control box body 61. The electric heater control assembly 64 is at least partially disposed in the sub-electrical control box body 62. For example, the electric heater control assembly 64 may be partially disposed in the sub-electrical control box body 62 or may be entirely disposed in the sub-electrical control box body 62. The electric heater control assembly 64 is configured to control the electric heater 52. For example, the electric heater control assembly 64 can control the electric heater 52 to be turned on and off and can also control heating power and a heating temperature of the electric heater 52.

The sub-electrical control box body 62 is located outside the main electrical control box body 61, and the sub-electrical control box body 62 and the main electrical control box body 61 each are independently formed. Since the electric heater control assembly 64 is located in the sub-electrical control box body 62, when the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 does not include the above-mentioned electric heater 52, the second electrical control box component 50 may include the above-mentioned main electrical control box body 61 and the above-mentioned main control board 63 without the above-mentioned sub-electrical control box body 62 and the above-mentioned electric heater control assembly 64. When the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 includes the above-mentioned electric heater 52, a main body of the second electrical control box component 50 does not need to be greatly changed or may not be modified. In this case, it is only necessary to add the above-mentioned sub-electrical control box body 62 and the above-mentioned electric heater control assembly 64 on the basis that the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 does not include electrical control box 3 components corresponding to the above-mentioned electric heater 52. This can enable the control part of the second electrical control box component 50 for the electric heater 52 to be modularized while allowing the main electrical control box body 61 and the main control board 63 that function as the main body of the second electrical control box component 50 to serve as a general structure. Regardless of whether the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 includes the above-mentioned electric heater 52, the second electrical control box component 50 includes the general part comprised of the main electrical control box body 61 and the main control board 63. When the electric heater 52 needs to be disposed in the outdoor unit 100, the structures of the main electrical control box body 61 and the main control board 63 do not need to be modified or significantly changed, with only an addition of the above-mentioned sub-electrical control box body 62 and the electric heater control assembly 64. In this way, production costs can be reduced.

When the entire electric heater control assembly 64 is disposed in the sub-electrical control box body 62, the control part of the electric heater 52 can be better modularized, forming a modular structure independent of the main electrical control box body 61, which can further reduce the production costs, make the design of the second electrical control box component 50 more flexible, and facilitate maintenance and replacement of the electric heater control assembly 64.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 10, the sub-electrical control box body 62 is detachably connected to the main electrical control box body 61, which can facilitate mounting and disassembling of the sub-electrical control box body 62 as well as replacement and maintenance of internal components of the sub-electrical control box body 62.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 10, the electric heater control assembly 64 includes an alternating-current contactor 641 disposed in the sub-electrical control box body 62. The alternating-current contactor 641 can be configured to control the electric heater 52 to be turned on and off to ensure normal use of the electric heater 52. Since the alternating-current contactor 641 is relatively large in size, space inside the main electrical control box body 61 can be saved by disposing the alternating-current contactor 641 in the sub-electrical control box body 62, reducing the overall footprint of the main electrical control box body 61, thereby saving costs of the second electrical control box component 50. In addition, since the alternating-current contactor 641 is disposed in the sub-electrical control box body 62, overall replacement and maintenance of the electric heater control assembly 64 can be facilitated.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 10, the electric heater control assembly 64 includes an electric heater thermostat 642 configured to control a heating temperature of the electric heater 52. The electric heater thermostat 642 can be configured to control a temperature of the electric heater 52, and therefore an effect of the electric heater 52 assisting heating of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 can be better realized, ensuring that heating capacity of the entire unit can meet usage needs.

The electric heater thermostat 642 is disposed in the sub-electrical control box body 62 or the main electrical control box body 61. Since the electric heater control assembly 64 includes the alternating-current contactor 641 and the electric heater thermostat 642, and the alternating-current contactor 641 is located in the sub-electrical control box body 62, when the electric heater thermostat 642 is disposed in the sub-electrical control box body 62, the entire electric heater control assembly 64 is disposed in the sub-electrical control box body 62. In this way, the control part of the electric heater 52 can be better modularized, forming a modular structure independent of the main electrical control box body 61, which can further reduce the production costs, make the design of the second electrical control box component 50 more flexible, and facilitate the maintenance and the replacement of the electric heater control assembly 64. When the electric heater thermostat 642 is disposed in the main electrical control box body 61, the space inside the main electrical control box body 61 can be fully utilized to improve a space utilization rate of the main electrical control box body 61.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 3 and 10, the sub-electrical control box body 62 is connected to an upper part of the main electrical control box body 61. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the electric heater 52 is located directly above the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, and the electric heater control assembly 64 is located in the sub-electrical control box body 62. With such a configuration, both the sub-electrical control box body 62 and the electric heater 52 are located at an upper part of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40, and therefore a distance between the sub-electrical control box body 62 and the electric heater 52 is shortened to facilitate the connection between the sub-electrical control box body 62 and the electric heater 52, and thus to reduce a length of wiring harnesses between the sub-electrical control box body 62 and the electric heater 52.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the sub-electrical control box body 62 is located at a side of the main electrical control box body 61 adjacent to the electric heater 52. Therefore, the distance between the sub-electrical control box body 62 and the electric heater 52 can be shortened to facilitate a connection between the electric heater control assembly 64 in the sub-electrical control box body 62 and the electric heater 52, making the overall structure more compact.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the sub-electrical control box body 62 is connected to an upper part of the main electrical control box body 61, and the sub-electrical control box body 62 is located at a side of the main electrical control box body 61 adjacent to the electric heater 52. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the electric heater 52 is located directly above the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, and the electric heater control assembly 64 is located in the sub-electrical control box body 62. With such a configuration, both the sub-electrical control box body 62 and the electric heater 52 are located at the upper part of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40. In this way, on the one hand, the distance between the sub-electrical control box body 62 and the electric heater 52 can be shortened to facilitate the connection between the electric heater control assembly 64 in the sub-electrical control box body 62 and the electric heater 52, making the overall structure more compact. On the other hand, when the second electrical control box component 50 is mounted to the outdoor unit 100, the overall upper space can be fully utilized to improve the utilization rate of the overall space.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 10, the main control board 63 includes a first main control board 631 and a second main control board 632 that are arranged in an up-down direction. The first main control board 631 is configured to at least control the refrigerant flow passage. For example, the first main control board 631 can be partially configured to control at least one of an electronic expansion valve and a four-way valve of the refrigerant flow passage, or the first main control board 631 is configured to control at least one of an electronic expansion valve and a four-way valve of the refrigerant flow passage. The second main control board 632 is configured to at least control the water pump 53. The second main control board 632 is partially configured to control the water pump 53, or the second main control board 632 is entirely configured to control the water pump 53. Since the first main control board 631 and the second main control board 632 are arranged in the up-down direction, internal space of the main control box body can be made more reasonable, making the internal structure more compact. Meanwhile, wiring of the first main control board 631 and the second main control board 632 can be easily laid out for ease of replacement and maintenance of the first main control board 631 and the second main control board 632.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 10, the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 includes a first water inlet 513 and a first water outlet 514. The first water inlet 513 is connected to a water inlet pipe 54. The water-circuit heat exchanger 51 further includes a water pump 53 adapted to be in communication with the water flow passage to drive water in the water flow passage to flow. The water pump 53 is connected in series to the water inlet pipe 54. The water pump 53 is disposed at the base 16 and is located at a rear side of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51. The electric heater 52 is located directly above the water-circuit heat exchanger 51. The second electrical control box component 50 is disposed at a rear upper side of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51.

The second main control board 632 is located below the first main control board 631, and therefore a distance between the second main control board 632 and the water pump 53 can be shortened to facilitate a control connection between the second main control board 632 and the water pump 53.

A heating and ventilation apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure includes the outdoor unit 100 according to the aforementioned some embodiments of the present disclosure. The heating and ventilation apparatus may be an air conditioning system, a heat pump system, etc.

In the heating and ventilation apparatus according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, by providing the above-mentioned outdoor unit 100, and connecting the second water inlet 521 of the electric heater 52 and the first water outlet 514 of the water-circuit heat exchanger, when the entire unit needs to heat the water flow, the electric heater 52 can assist the water circuit heat exchanger 51 in heating the water flow, thereby ensuring that heating capacity of the entire unit can meet usage needs. As a result, the heating capacity of the air conditioning system can be improved.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, the outdoor unit 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure includes an outdoor unit casing 10, an outdoor heat exchanger 112, an outdoor fan 111, a compressor assembly 20, and a water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40.

The outdoor heat exchanger 112 and the outdoor fan 111 is disposed in the outdoor unit casing 10. The outdoor air inlet 101 and the outdoor air outlet 102 may be formed at the outdoor unit casing 10. The outdoor fan 111 is configured to drive outdoor air into the outdoor unit casing 10 from the outdoor air inlet 101 and exchange heat with the outdoor heat exchanger 112. Heat-exchanged air is discharged from the outdoor air outlet 102. The compressor assembly 20 is disposed in the outdoor unit casing 10 and configured to compress and drive refrigerant in a refrigerant circuit.

The water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 is disposed in the outdoor unit casing 10. The water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 includes a water-circuit heat exchanger 51 and a water pump 53. The water flow passage and the refrigerant flow passage exchange heat with each other at the water-circuit heat exchanger 51. The water pump 53 is adapted to be in communication with the water flow passage to drive water in the water flow passage to flow. The compressor assembly 20 is configured to drive refrigerant in the refrigerant flow passage to flow. The water flow passage of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 may be in communication with the water pump 53, and water flow may flow into the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 and out of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 under drive of the water pump 53. The refrigerant flow passage of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 may be connected to the compressor assembly 20, and the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow passage may exchange heat with the water flow of the water flow passage, thereby realizing the heating and cooling functions of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 to the water flow. The water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 can adjust the temperature of the passing water flow, allowing the entire unit to provide heating or cooling for the water flow. The water flow flowing out of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 may be transported to a room to adjust a temperature of indoor domestic water or to adjust an indoor temperature.

The water flow passage of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 has a first water inlet 513 and a first water outlet 514. The first water inlet 513 is connected to a water inlet pipe 54. The water pump 53 is connected in series to the water inlet pipe 54. At least one of a connection between the first water inlet 513 and the water inlet pipe 54 and a connection between the water pump 53 and the water inlet pipe 54 is made by a quick plug structure 58. For example, each of the connection between the first water inlet 513 and the water inlet pipe 54 and the connection between the water pump 53 and the water inlet pipe 54 is made by the quick plug structure 58, or one of the connection between the first water inlet 513 and the water inlet pipe 54 and the connection between the water pump 53 and the water inlet pipe 54 is made by the quick plug structure 58. The quick plug structure 58 can realize rapid mounting and disassembling between the first water inlet 513 and the water inlet pipe 54 and between the water pump 53 and the water inlet pipe 54, which facilitates overall replacement and maintenance of the water inlet pipe 54 and improves overall assembling efficiency of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40.

For the quick plug structure 58 according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the rapid mounting and disassembling between the first water inlet 513 and the water inlet pipe 54 can be realized by connecting the first water inlet 513 and the water inlet pipe 54 by the quick plug structure 58, which facilitates the overall replacement and maintenance of the water inlet pipe 54 and improves the overall assembling efficiency of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 6, the water inlet pipe 54 includes a first water inlet pipe section 541 and a second water inlet pipe section 542 connected to the first water inlet 513. The water pump 53 is connected between the first water inlet pipe section 541 and the second water inlet pipe section 542. The water pump 53 is connected to at least one of the first water inlet pipe section 541 and the second water inlet pipe section 542 by the quick plug structure 58. For example, the water pump 53 is connected to the first water inlet pipe section 541 by the quick plug structure 58, or the water pump 53 is connected to the second water inlet pipe section 542 by the quick plug structure 58, or the water pump 53 is connected to each of the first water inlet pipe section 541 and the second water inlet pipe section 542 by the quick plug structure 58.

The quick plug structure 58 can realize rapid mounting and disassembling between the water pump 53 and each of the first water inlet pipe section 541 and the second water inlet pipe section 542, which facilitates replacement and maintenance of the water pump 53, the first water inlet pipe section 541, and the second water inlet pipe section 542, while improving the overall mounting efficiency of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 further includes an electric heater 52 configured to increase a temperature of internal water flow to allow for a heating effect of the water flow. The electric heater 52 has a second water inlet 521 and a second water outlet 522. The second water inlet 521 is connected to the first water outlet 514 by a connection pipe 56. Each of a connection between the connection pipe 56 and the first water outlet 514 and a connection between the connection pipe 56 and the second water inlet 521 is made by the quick plug structure 58. With such a configuration, the connection between the connection pipe 56 and the first water outlet 514 and the connection between the connection pipe 56 and the second water inlet 521 can be realized, which facilitates mounting and disassembling of the connection pipe 56, thereby improving the overall assembling efficiency of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the second water outlet 522 is connected to a water outlet pipe 55. The water outlet pipe 55 is connected to the second water outlet 522 by a quick plug structure 58. With such a configuration, the quick connection between the second water outlet 522 and the water outlet pipe 55 can be realized, which facilitates mounting and disassembling of the water outlet pipe 55 and improves the overall mounting efficiency of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the quick plug structure 58 includes a first plug pipe section 581, a second plug pipe section 582, and a seal 583. The first plug pipe section 581 is inserted into the second plug pipe section 582. The seal 583 is located between an outer peripheral wall of the first plug pipe section 581 and an inner peripheral wall of the second plug pipe section 582. The seal 583 can seal the entire quick plug structure 58 to prevent leakage from the quick plug structure 58, and thus to better ensure sealing performance, safety, and reliability of the quick plug structure 58. Since the seal 583 is disposed between the outer peripheral wall of the first plug pipe section 581 and the inner peripheral wall of the second plug pipe section 582, substances in the pipe can be prevented from leaking from an interface between the outer peripheral wall of the first plug pipe section 581 and the inner peripheral wall of the second plug pipe section 582, thereby improving the overall sealing performance of the quick plug structure 58.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, two sealing protruding ribs 5811 spaced apart from each other in a length direction of the first plug pipe section 581 are formed at the outer peripheral wall of the first plug pipe section 581. A sealing groove 5812 is defined between the two sealing protruding ribs 5811. The seal 583 is disposed in the sealing groove 5812. The two sealing protruding ribs 5811 can limit a position of the seal 583, avoiding accidental disengagement of the seal 583 during use, which would otherwise result in the leakage from the quick plug structure 58. Thus, the sealing performance, safety, and reliability of the quick plug structure 58 can be better ensured. For example, the seal 583 may be an elastic member. The seal 583 can be in an interference fit with the sealing groove 5812 during use, thereby better ensuring a sealing effect of the seal 583 on the overall structure.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the quick plug structure 58 further includes a limit clamp 584 and a limit groove 5813 formed at an outer peripheral wall of the first plug pipe section 581. The limit clamp 584 includes a clamping portion 5841 and a limit portion 5842. The clamping portion 5841 is clamped at an outer peripheral wall of the second plug pipe section 582. The second plug pipe section 582 is further provided with a limit latch 5821 at the outer peripheral wall of the second plug pipe section 582. The clamping portion 5841 of the limit clamp 584 may be engaged into the limit groove 5813 of the first plug pipe section 581 to realize position limiting and fixing of the first plug pipe section 581 by the limit clamp 584. The limit portion 5842 of the limit clamp 584 can be engaged with the limit latch 5821 of the second plug pipe section 582 to realize the overall position limiting and fixing of the limit clamp 584. Thus, the limit clamp 584 can realize the fixing and the connection between the first plug pipe section 581 and the second plug pipe section 582.

The limit clamp 584 has a limit state and a non-limit state. In the limit state, the clamping portion 5841 is located between the limit latch 5821 and the outer peripheral wall of the second plug pipe section 582 to limit a position of the limit clamp 584. Furthermore, the limit portion 5842 is engaged into the limit groove 5813 to limit a position of each of the first plug pipe section 581 and the second plug pipe section 582 in a plug direction of the first plug pipe section 581 and the second plug pipe section 582. In the non-limiting state, the clamping portion 5841 is disengaged from the limit latch 5821, and the limit portion 5842 is disengaged from the limit groove 5813.

When it is necessary to connect the first plug pipe section 581 to the second plug pipe section 582, the first plug pipe section 581 is inserted into the second plug pipe section 582 in an axial direction of the second plug pipe section 582 until the clamping portion 5841 of the limit clamp 584 is engaged into the limit groove 5813 of the first plug pipe section 581. In this case, the first plug pipe section 581 is inserted in place. In this way, the position liming of each of the first plug pipe section 581 and the second plug pipe section 582 in the plug direction of the first plug pipe section 581 and the second plug pipe section 582 is realized. Then, the limit portion 5842 of the limit clamp 584 is pressed towards the limit latch 5821 until the limit portion 5842 is completely engaged with the limit latch 5821 to realize the overall position limiting and fixing of the limit clamp 584. At this point, the limit clamp 584 is in the limit state, thereby completing the connection and the fixing between the first plug pipe section 581 and the second plug pipe section 582.

When it is necessary to separate the first plug pipe section 581 from the second plug pipe section 582, the limit portion 5842 of the limit clamp 584 is first pressed towards the limit latch 5821 of the second plug pipe section 582 until the limit portion 5842 is disengaged from the limit latch 5821. Then, the first plug pipe section 581 is pulled out towards an exterior of the second plug pipe section 582 in the axial direction of the second plug pipe section 582 until the clamping portion 5841 of the limit clamp 584 is disengaged from the limit groove 5813 of the first plug pipe section 581. At this point, the limit clamp 584 is in the non-limit state, thereby completing the separation of the first plug pipe section 581 from the second plug pipe section 582.

A heating and ventilation apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure includes the outdoor unit 100 according to the aforementioned some embodiments of the present disclosure. The heating and ventilation apparatus may be an air conditioning system, a heat pump system, etc.

In heating and ventilation apparatus according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, by providing the above-mentioned outdoor unit 100, and connecting the first water inlet 513 and the water inlet pipe 54 by the quick plug structure 58, the rapid mounting and disassembling between the first water inlet 513 and the water inlet pipe 54 can be realized, which facilitates the overall replacement and maintenance of the water inlet pipe 54 and improves the overall assembling efficiency of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40.

The outdoor unit 100 of the heating and ventilation apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 11, in this embodiment, the outdoor unit 100 includes an outdoor unit casing 10, an outdoor heat exchanger 112, an outdoor fan 111, a compressor assembly 20, a water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40, a first electrical control box component 30, and a second electrical control box component 50. An outdoor air inlet 101 and an outdoor air outlet 102 may be formed at the outdoor unit casing 10. The outdoor unit casing 10 has a fan chamber 11, a compressor chamber 12, and a water-circuit chamber 13 sequentially arranged from left to right. The fan chamber 11 is spaced apart from the compressor chamber 12 by the first partition plate 113 in a left-right direction, and the compressor chamber 12 is spaced apart from the water-circuit chamber 13 by the second partition plate 121. The first electrical control box component 30 is disposed at the first partition plate 113, the second electrical control box component 50 is disposed at the outdoor unit casing 10. Each of the first electrical control box component 30 and the second electrical control box component 50 is placed perpendicular to the left-right direction.

The outdoor heat exchanger 112 and the outdoor fan 111 are disposed in the fan chamber 11. The outdoor heat exchanger 112 is located at a left side and a rear side of the outdoor fan 111. The outdoor fan 111 is an axial flow fan. The outdoor fan 111 is configured to drive outdoor air into the outdoor unit casing 10 from the outdoor air inlet 101 and exchange heat with the outdoor heat exchanger 112. Heat-exchanged air is discharged from the outdoor air outlet 102.

The first partition plate 113 is disposed between the fan chamber 11 and the compressor chamber 12. The first electrical control box component 30 is disposed at an upper side of the first partition plate 113, and the first electrical control box component 30 is mounted at the first partition plate 113 in a vertically pullable manner. The electrical control box 3 is provided with a guide portion 35, and the first partition plate 113 has a guide groove extending in an up-down direction. During a process of pulling the first electrical control box component 30, the guide portion 35 is adapted to slide along the guide groove in the up-down direction. The first partition plate 113 has a support structure configured to support the first electrical control box component 30, and a bottom surface of the first electrical control box component 30 is supported by the support structure.

A compressor assembly 20 is disposed in the compressor chamber 12. The compressor assembly 20 includes a compressor 21 and a liquid reservoir 22 connected to the compressor 21.

The water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 is disposed in the water-circuit chamber 13. The water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 includes a water-circuit heat exchanger 51, an electric heater 52, a drain pipe 57, and a water pump 53. The water-circuit heat exchanger 51 is fixed at the second partition plate 121. The water flow passage and the refrigerant flow passage exchange heat at the water-circuit heat exchanger 51. The water-circuit heat exchanger 51 has a refrigerant inlet 511, a refrigerant outlet 512, a first water inlet 513, and a first water outlet 514. The first water inlet 513 is connected to a water inlet pipe 54. The water inlet pipe 54 includes a first water inlet pipe section 541 and a second water inlet pipe section 542 connected to the first water inlet 513. The water pump 53 is connected between the first water inlet pipe section 541 and the second water inlet pipe section 542. The water pump 53 is located behind the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 and supported by a base 16 of the outdoor unit casing 10. The drain pipe 57 is connected to the first water inlet pipe section 541 and in communication with the first water inlet pipe section 541 for discharging water in the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40. Each of the refrigerant inlet 511, the refrigerant outlet 512, the first water inlet 513, and the first water outlet 514 is located at a rear side of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51. The first water inlet 513 is located below the first water outlet 514.

The electric heater 52 is located directly above the water-circuit heat exchanger 51. Each of an upper part and a lower part of the electric heater 52 is provided with a support bracket 523 configured to fix the electric heater 52 at the second partition plate 121. The electric heater 52 has a second water inlet 521 and a second water outlet 522. Each of the second water inlet 521 and the second water outlet 522 is located at a rear side of the electric heater 52. The second water inlet 521 is connected to the first water outlet 514 by a connection pipe 56. The second water outlet 522 is connected to the water outlet pipe 55. Each of the connection pipe 56, the water inlet pipe 54, and the water outlet pipe 55 may be a plastic pipe. Each of the water inlet pipe 54 and the water outlet pipe 55 passes through a rear plate 17 of the outdoor unit casing 10. The water outlet pipe 55 is provided with a water flow switch 551 configured to control blocking and unblocking of the water flow passage of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40.

When the entire unit needs to heat the water flow, refrigerant of the compressor assembly 20 may flow into the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 through the refrigerant inlet 511 and then flow out of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 through the refrigerant outlet 512. External water flow may flow into the water inlet pipe 54 under the action of the water pump 53, and then sequentially flow through the first water inlet pipe section 541, the water pump 53, and the second water inlet pipe section 542, and then flow into the water flow passage of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 through the first water inlet 513. After the water flow in the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow passage of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51, it may flow out of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 through the first water outlet 514. The water flow flowing out of the first water outlet 514 flows into the second water inlet 521 of the electric heater 52 through the connection pipe 56. After the water flow is heated inside the electric heater 52, it may flow out of the electric heater 52 through the second water outlet 522 into the room through the water outlet pipe 55, which is user-friendly.

Each of the connection between the water inlet pipe 54 and the first water inlet 513, the connection between the water outlet pipe 55 and the second water outlet 522, the connection between the connection pipe 56 and the first water outlet 514, the connection between the connection pipe 56 and the second water inlet 521, and the connection between the water pump 53 and each of the first water inlet section 541 and the second water inlet section 542 may be made by a quick plug structure 58. The quick plug structure 58 includes a first plug pipe section 581, a second plug pipe section 582, and a second seal 583. The first plug pipe section 581 is inserted into the second plug pipe section 582. The second seal 583 is located between an outer peripheral wall of the first plug pipe section 581 and an inner peripheral wall of the second plug pipe section 582. Two sealing protruding ribs 5811 spaced apart from each other in a length direction of the first plug pipe section 581 are formed at the outer peripheral wall of the first plug pipe section 581. A sealing groove 5812 is defined between the two sealing protruding ribs 5811, and the second seal 583 is disposed in the sealing groove 5812.

The quick plug structure 58 further includes a limit clamp 584 and a limit groove 5813 formed at an outer peripheral wall of the first plug pipe section 581. The limit clamp 584 includes a clamping portion 5841 and a limit portion 5842. The clamping portion 5841 is clamped at the outer peripheral wall of the first plug pipe section 581. The second plug pipe section 582 is further provided with a limit latch 5821 at an outer peripheral wall of the second plug pipe section 582. The limit clamp 584 has a limit state and a non-limit state. In the limit state, the limit portion 5842 is located between the limit latch 5821 and the outer peripheral wall of the second plug pipe section 582 to limit a position of the limit clamp 584. Furthermore, the clamping portion 5841 is engaged into the limit groove 5813 to limit a position of each of the first plug pipe section 581 and the second plug pipe section 582 in a plug direction of the first plug pipe section 581 and the second plug pipe section 582. In the non-limiting state, the limit portion 5842 is disengaged from the limit latch 5821, and the clamping part 5841 is disengaged from the limit groove 5813.

When it is necessary to connect the first plug pipe section 581 to the second plug pipe section 582, the first plug pipe section 581 is inserted into the second plug pipe section 582 in an axial direction of the second plug pipe section 582 until the clamping portion 5841 of the limit clamp 584 is engaged into the limit groove 5813 of the first plug pipe section 581. In this case, the first plug pipe section 581 is inserted in place. In this way, the position liming of each of the first plug pipe section 581 and the second plug pipe section 582 in the plug direction of the first plug pipe section 581 and the second plug pipe section 582 is realized. Then, the limit portion 5842 of the limit clamp 584 is pressed towards the limit latch 5821 until the limit portion 5842 is completely engaged with the limit latch 5821 to realize the overall position limiting and fixing of the limit clamp 584. At this point, the limit clamp 584 is in the limit state, thereby completing the connection and the fixing between the first plug pipe section 581 and the second plug pipe section 582.

When it is necessary to separate the first plug pipe section 581 from the second plug pipe section 582, the limit portion 5842 of the limit clamp 584 is first pressed away from the limit latch 5821 of the second plug pipe section 582 until the limit portion 5842 is disengaged from the limit latch 5821. Then, the first plug pipe section 581 is pulled out towards an exterior of the second plug pipe section 582 in the axial direction of the second plug pipe section 582 until the clamping portion 5841 of the limit clamp 584 is disengaged from the limit groove 5813 of the first plug pipe section 581. At this point, the limit clamp 584 is in the non-limit state, thereby completing the separation of the first plug pipe section 581 from the second plug pipe section 582.

The water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40 is provided with an expansion tank 59 supported by the base 16 of the outdoor unit casing 10. The first partition plate 113 has a mounting opening 113a, and the expansion tank 59 is mounted at the mounting opening 113a of the first partition plate 113. A part of the expansion tank 59 is located in the fan chamber 11 and below the outdoor fan 111, and another part of the expansion tank 59 is located in the compressor chamber 12. In this way, excess space below the outdoor fan 111 and excess space of the compressor chamber 12 can be fully utilized, making the overall structure more compact and thereby improving the utilization rate of the overall space. The expansion tank 59 may be connected to the second water inlet pipe section 542 and thus can be configured to balance water volume and pressure in the water flow passage of the water-circuit heat-exchange assembly 40. A minimum distance between the expansion tank 59 and the outer edge of the outdoor fan 111 is greater than 20 mm, which can avoid collision between the expansion tank 59 and the outdoor fan 111. Thus, safety and reliability of the expansion tank 59 can be better ensured. Meanwhile, noise can be avoided in the fan chamber 11 to ensure an overall noise reduction effect.

The second electrical control box component 50 is disposed in the water-circuit chamber 13. The second electrical control box component 50 is disposed at the outdoor unit casing 10 at a right side of the water-circuit heat exchanger 51. The second electrical control box component 50 is located above and behind the water-circuit heat exchanger 51 and above the water pump 53. The second electrical control box component 50 includes a main electrical control box body 61, a sub electrical control box body 62, a main control board 63, and an electric heater control assembly 64. The sub-electrical control box body 62 is in communication with the main electrical control box body 61 and located at an upper left part of the main electrical control box body 61. Each of the sub-electrical control box body 62 and the main electrical control box body 61 is independently formed, and the sub-electrical control box body 62 is connected to the main electrical control box body 61 by a fastener.

The main control board 63 is disposed in the main electrical control box body 61 and includes a first main control board 631 and a second main control board 632. The first main control board 631 is configured to control an electronic expansion valve and a four-way valve of the refrigerant flow passage. The second main control board 632 is configured to control the water pump 53. The first main control board 631 is located above the second main control board 632. The main electrical control box body 61 is provided with a terminal block 611 disposed below the second main control board 632 and configured for an electrical connection between the second electrical control box component 50 and an external power supply. The main electrical control box body 61 is provided with a plurality of wire-passing holes 612 formed at each of a front side and a lower side of the main electrical control box body 61. Four wire-passing holes 612 are formed at the front side of the main electrical control box body 61 and configured for outgoing wires of the first main control board 631 and the second main control board 632. Three wire-passing holes 612 are formed at the lower side of the main electrical control box body 61 and configured for outgoing wires of the terminal block 611.

The electric heater control assembly 64 includes an alternating-current contactor 641 and an electrical heating thermostat 642. The alternating-current contactor 641 is configured to control the electrical heater 52 to be turned on and off. The electrical heating thermostat 642 is configured to control a heating temperature of the electrical heater 52. The alternating-current contactor 641 is disposed in the sub-electrical control box body 62, and the electric heater thermostat 642 is disposed in the main electrical control box body 61.

In the description of this specification, descriptions with reference to the terms “an embodiment”, “some embodiments”, “illustrative embodiments”, “examples”, “specific examples”, or “some examples” etc., mean that specific features, structure, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the described specific features, structures, materials or characteristics may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

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.