Panel assembly and air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12366377-B2
Application number	US-202318098227-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 18, 2023
Priority date	Jul 27, 2020
Publication date	Jul 22, 2025
Grant date	Jul 22, 2025

Abstract

Provided are a panel assembly and an air conditioner. The panel assembly includes a panel, a pressing member, and a display box. The panel has a fitting hole. The pressing member is disposed on an inner side of the panel. The pressing member includes a plate body, and a button disposed on the plate body and extending into the fitting hole. The display box is disposed on a back surface of the panel and opposite to the pressing member. The plate body has a flow diverting portion disposed around the button and configured to divert a fluid out of the display box.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A panel assembly comprising:
a panel having a fitting hole;
a pressing member disposed on an inner side of the panel, wherein the pressing member comprising a plate body and a button disposed on the plate body, wherein the button extends into the fitting hole; and
a display box disposed on a back surface of the panel and opposite to the pressing member,
wherein the plate body comprises a flow diverting portion disposed around the button and configured to divert a fluid out of the display box.

2. The panel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the flow diverting portion is disposed on a surface of the plate body facing towards the panel and comprises:
a first flow diverting groove defined around the button; and
a second flow diverting groove in communication with the first flow diverting groove and extending to an edge of the plate body through the plate body.

3. The panel assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the surface of the plate body is partially hollowed out to define the first flow diverting groove and the second flow diverting groove.

4. The panel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the plate body is attached to an inner surface of the panel.

5. The panel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein:
the panel has one or more fitting holes;
one or more buttons are provided in one-to-one correspondence with the one or more fitting holes; and
the flow diverting portion is provided for each of the one or more buttons and disposed around each of the one or more buttons.

6. The panel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the pressing member is formed into a flexible integrated plate shape.

7. The panel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein an accommodation groove is defined on a surface of the display box facing towards the panel, the pressing member being embedded in the accommodation groove.

8. The panel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein:
one of the plate body and the display box has a positioning post, and
the other one of the plate body and the display box has a positioning hole, the positioning post being inserted into the positioning hole.

9. The panel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein:
the display box has a display region; and
a part of the panel directly opposite to the display region is thinned to form a thinned region.

10. The panel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein a limiting rib is disposed on the panel and abuts against a side edge of the display box.

11. The panel assembly according to claim 9 , wherein:
the plate body comprises a first plate portion, a connection portion, and a second plate portion that are connected sequentially in a length direction of the plate body;
the display box has a first recess, a communication groove portion, and a second recess, wherein the first recess, the communication groove portion and the second recess are communicated sequentially in a length direction of the display box, the first plate portion being embedded in the first recess, the second plate portion being embedded in the second recess, and the connection portion being embedded in the communication groove portion;
the button is disposed on each of the first plate portion and the second plate portion; and
the display region comprises a digital display region and a lighting region, the lighting region being opposite to the button in a width direction of the plate body, and the digital display region being located between the first recess and the second recess in the length direction of the plate body.

12. The panel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein:
two ends of the display box in a length direction of the display box are fixedly connected to the panel; and
the pressing member is fixedly clamped through engagement of the display box with the panel.

13. An air conditioner comprising:
a body; and
the panel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the panel assembly is disposed on the body.

14. The air conditioner according to claim 13 , wherein:
the air conditioner comprises a mobile air conditioner;
the panel assembly is disposed on an upper part of the body; and
a flow guide structure is disposed in the body, and configured to guide a fluid discharged from the flow diverting portion into a predetermined position.

15. The air conditioner according to claim 14 , wherein an upper air duct assembly is disposed in the body, the upper air duct assembly comprising:
an upper air duct heat exchanger;
a scroll housing, the flow guide structure being disposed on the scroll housing; and
an upper air duct fan disposed in the scroll housing.

16. The air conditioner according to claim 15 , wherein the flow guide structure comprises:
a fluid receiving tank disposed between the scroll housing and an outer wall surface of an air outlet of the upper air duct assembly and extending in a length direction of the air outlet, the fluid receiving tank being adapted to receive the fluid discharged from the flow diverting portion, and a drainage portion being disposed on at least one end of the fluid receiving tank; and
a fluid diverting structure disposed on a side wall of the scroll housing, the fluid diverting structure having an upper part configured to joint with a corresponding drainage portion and a lower part configured to divert the fluid into the predetermined position, wherein the fluid diverting structure comprises at least one of a fluid diverting groove or a flow diverting rib.

17. The air conditioner according to claim 16 , wherein:
the fluid diverting structure is configured to comprise the flow diverting rib; and
the flow diverting rib comprises a first flow diverting segment extending obliquely towards the predetermined position relative to a horizontal plane; and/or the flow diverting rib comprises a second flow diverting segment extending towards the predetermined position and a third flow diverting segment disposed on an upper end of the second diverting segment, the third flow diverting segment extending obliquely towards the second flow diverting segment relative to a horizontal plane to divert the fluid discharged from the drainage portion to the second flow diverting segment.

18. The air conditioner according to claim 17 , wherein when the flow diverting rib comprises the first flow diverting segment, the second diverting segment, and the third flow diverting segment, the first flow diverting segment is disposed at a lower side of the second flow diverting segment to divert a fluid flowing through the second flow diverting segment into the predetermined position.

19. The air conditioner according to claim 16 , wherein a sealing plate is disposed on the scroll housing, the fluid receiving tank being disposed on the sealing plate, and a fluid retaining rib being disposed on the sealing plate.

20. The air conditioner according to claim 15 , further comprising a lower air duct assembly, wherein:
an intermediate partition plate is disposed between the lower air duct assembly and the upper air duct assembly;
the flow guide structure is configured to guide the fluid discharged from the flow diverting portion to the intermediate partition plate;
the lower air duct assembly comprises a lower air duct heat exchanger; and
the intermediate partition plate has a drainage hole located above the lower air duct heat exchanger.

Assignees

• Gd Midea Air Conditioning Equipment Co Ltd
• Midea Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Deng Jingwen
• Zhao Eli
• Liu Fashen

Classifications

• F24F13/06

  Outlets for directing or distributing air into rooms or spaces, e.g. ceiling air diffuser · CPC title

• F24F11/52

  Indication arrangements, e.g. displays · CPC title

• F24F1/0014

  having two or more outlet openings · CPC title

• F24F2221/26

  improving the aesthetic appearance · CPC title

• F24F13/20 Primary

  Casings or covers · CPC title