EP3104096A1

EP3104096A1 - Drain pan and air conditioner

Info

Publication number: EP3104096A1
Application number: EP16173064.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Soichiro Matsumoto; Hirofumi Ishizuka
Original assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems Ltd
Priority date: 2015-06-12
Filing date: 2016-06-06
Publication date: 2016-12-14
Anticipated expiration: 2036-06-06
Also published as: EP3104096B1; JP2017003213A; JP6638166B2

Abstract

A drain pan receives drain water generated by condensing air in a heat exchanger. The drain pan has a drain pan body (21) provided with an opening (21a) positioned to face an inlet port (14a) of the pump configured to pump out the drain water, a nozzle (24) formed in a tubular shape as a member separate from the drain pan body (21) and installed in the opening (21a), and a cap (26) formed of an optically transparent material and rotatably fitted to the nozzle (24) to cap an end of the nozzle (24) on first side in the nozzle extending direction.

Description

[Technical Field]

The present invention relates to a drain pan and an air conditioner.

[Background Art]

An air conditioner that is installed in a facility such as a factory, an office building, or a house to condition indoor air is known in the art. The air conditioner has an outdoor unit provided with a compressor and the like and an indoor unit provided with an indoor fan and the like. The air conditioner supplies the conditioned air having a desired temperature and humidity to the indoor atmosphere.
The indoor unit of the air conditioner receives the indoor air, blows the air through a heat exchanger, and then discharges the conditioned air to the indoor atmosphere. Here, the heat exchanger generates drain water as the indoor air is cooled during a cooling operation, and water vapor contained in the air is condensed. For this reason, the indoor unit is provided with a drain pan for storing the drain water and a drain pump for discharging the drain water from the drain pan.
As the air conditioner is operated continuously for a certain time period, foreign objects such as sludge are generated when waste or dust contained in the air is collected in the drain pan along with condensate water. For this reason, such foreign objects may clog an inlet port used to suction the drain water collected in the drain pan by driving a drain pump and continuously discharge the drain water. In this regard, the air conditioner is required to check the inlet port of the drain pump periodically and clean the inlet port when it is fully clogged with foreign objects.
In Patent Literature 1, for example, an indoor unit provided with a drain pan having an opening formed to match the inlet port of the drain pump to clean the inlet port is discussed. In the indoor unit of Patent Literature 1, a transparent drain plug is provided to plug up a drain outlet port formed in a drain socket installed in the drain pan through insert molding. In such a drain pan, the drain plug is detachably installed in the drain socket. In this drain pan, it is possible to visually check the inlet port of the drain pump through the transparent drain plug. When the inlet port is clogged, the inlet port can be cleaned by removing the drain plug from the drain socket.

[Citation List]

[Patent Literature]

[Patent Literature 1]
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2013-167410

[Summary of Invention]

[Technical Problem]

However, the drain pan of the indoor unit discussed in Patent Literature 1 has a drain socket integrally installed in the drain pan itself through insert molding. For this reason, the drain socket may be exposed to a high-temperature and high-pressure atmosphere during the insert molding and may be deformed depending on a material of the drain socket. When the drain socket serving as a nozzle is deformed, a sealing property between the drain socket and the drain plug serving as a cap may be degraded. As a result, even while the cap is closed, the drain water may leak from a gap between the nozzle and the cap.
In view of the aforementioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a drain pan and an air conditioner capable of reliably preventing drain water from leaking from a gap between the nozzle and the cap while the cap is closed.

[Solution to Problem]

In order to address the aforementioned problems, the following means according to the present invention are proposed.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a drain pan configured to receive drain water generated by condensing air in a heat exchanger, the drain pan including: a drain pan body having an opening formed to face an inlet port of a pump configured to pump out the drain water; a nozzle having a tubular shape as a member separate from the drain pan body and installed in the opening; and a cap formed of an optically transparent material and rotatably fitted to the nozzle to cap an end of the nozzle on first side in a nozzle extending direction.
In this configuration, the nozzle is formed as a member separate from the drain pan body and is installed in the drain pan body. Therefore, it is possible to fix the nozzle to the drain pan body without damaging the nozzle regardless of the structure of the drain pan body. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress deformation of the nozzle that may be generated when the nozzle is installed in the drain pan body. As a result, it is possible to secure a sealing property between the cap and the nozzle while the cap is closed.
In the drain pan according to a second aspect of the present invention, the cap may have a bottomed cylindrical shape, and a female thread provided on an inner circumferential surface of the cap may be fitted to a male thread provided on an outer circumferential surface of the nozzle.
In this configuration, it is possible to install the cap in the nozzle without forming a structure for fixing the cap to the inner circumferential surface of the nozzle. Since the male thread is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the nozzle body, the male thread for fixing the cap is not easily damaged even when a cleaning member is repeatedly inserted into the nozzle body to clean the inlet port. In addition, it is possible to prevent failure of installation of the cap in the nozzle.
In the drain pan according to a third aspect of the present invention, a radial center position of the may match a radial center position of the inlet port, the cap may be provided with a concave portion on an outer face directed to the first side in the nozzle extending direction, and the concave portion may be formed to radially deviate from the center position of the nozzle and be concave toward the second side in the nozzle extending direction.
In this configuration, since the concave portion is provided on the outer face of the cap directed to the first side in the nozzle extending direction, it is possible to remove the cap from the nozzle using the concave portion even when the nozzle and the cap are stuck to each other by a contaminant such as sludge. In addition, since the concave portion is formed to radially deviate from the radial center position of the nozzle, it is possible to visually check the center position of the inlet port without obstruction from the concave portion even while the cap is installed in the nozzle. Therefore, it is possible to check whether or not the inlet port is clogged even when the cap is provided with the concave portion.
In the drain pan according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, while the cap is installed in the nozzle, the outer face of the cap directed to the first side in the nozzle extending direction may be arranged closer to the second side in the nozzle extending direction relative to an outer face of the drain pan body directed to the first side in the nozzle extending direction.
In this configuration, it is possible to prevent the cap from protruding more than the drain pan body toward the first side in the nozzle extending direction while the cap is installed in the nozzle.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an air conditioner including: a heat exchanger through which air blowing from a fan passes; and the aforementioned drain pan configured to receive drain water generated by condensing the air in the heat exchanger.
In this configuration, since the drain pan is provided as described above, it is possible to easily check clogging of the inlet port of the pump and perform cleaning. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the drain water from leaking from a gap between the nozzle and the cap with high accuracy.

[Advantageous Effects of Invention]

According to the present invention, since the nozzle is provided as a member separate from the drain pan body, it is possible to reliably prevent drain water from leaking from a gap between the nozzle and the cap while the cap is closed.

[Brief Description of Drawings]

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating the vicinity of a drain pan of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 3 is a front view illustrating a cap according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Description of Embodiments]

An air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3.
Referring to Fig. 1, the air conditioner 1 has an outdoor unit 11 and an indoor unit 10. The outdoor unit 11 is configured to perform heat exchange between the outdoor air A and a refrigerant RF. The indoor unit 10 is configured to perform a refrigeration cycle for circulating the refrigerant RF along with the outdoor unit 11. The indoor unit 10 is configured to perform heat exchange between the indoor air A and the refrigerant RF, and blow the air A subjected to heat exchange to the indoor atmosphere.
Although not shown in detail, the outdoor unit 11 has a compressor, a 4-way selector valve, a heat exchanger, an outdoor fan, an electronic expansion valve (EEV), an accumulator, a controller, and the like.
The indoor unit 10 has an indoor fan (fan) 12, a heat exchanger 13, a drain pump (pump) 14, and a casing 15. The indoor fan 12 blows the air A. The heat exchanger 13 is passed through the air A blowing from the indoor fan 12. The drain pan 20 is storing drain water (condensate water) D that generated in the heat exchanger 13. The drain pump (pump) 14 pumps out the drain water D. The casing 15 houses the indoor fan 12, the heat exchanger 13, the drain pan 20, and the drain pump 14.
The indoor fan 12 receives the air A from the indoor atmosphere and blows the air A to the heat exchanger 13. The indoor fan 12 is disposed inside the casing 15.
The heat exchanger 13 performs heat exchange between the air A and the refrigerant RF to cool the refrigerant RF. The heat exchanger 13 performs heat exchange between the air A and the refrigerant RF by causing the air A from the indoor fan 12 to pass therethrough. In the heat exchanger 13, the drain water D is generated as the passing air A is condensed. The heat exchanger 13 is disposed to face an air blower duct of the indoor fan 12 inside the casing 15.
The drain water D is generated by condensation of water vapor contained in the air A as the air A blowing from the indoor fan 12 is cooled in the heat exchanger 13 during a cooling operation of the air conditioner 1.
The casing 15 is installed in an attic or the like inside a room that is an air-conditioning target. The casing 15 has a box shape. The casing 15 internally houses the indoor fan 12, the heat exchanger 13, the drain pan 20, and the drain pump 14. The lower end of the casing 15 is opened.
The drain pump 14 suctions the drain water D stored in the drain pan 20 and pumps the drain water D out of the casing 15. The drain pump 14 is disposed inside the casing 15. The drain pump 14 is provided with a discharge pipe 14b for discharging the drain water D to the outside. In the drain pump 14, a cylindrical inlet port 14a extends toward the drain pan 20. The inlet port 14a is disposed at a position in which its leading end is immersed in the drain water D collected in the drain pan 20. Therefore, the drain pump 14 suctions the drain water D collected in the drain pan 20 from the inlet port 14a and discharges it from the casing 15 through the discharge pipe 14b.
The drain pan 20 receives and stores the drain water D generated in the heat exchanger 13. The drain pan 20 is disposed under the heat exchanger 13 inside the casing 15. The drain pan 20 is installed in the casing 15 to block a part of the lower-end opening of the casing 15. The drain pan 20 is externally covered by a grill cover (not shown) that forms an air inlet duct. As shown in Fig. 2, the drain pan 20 according to the embodiment of the invention is provided with a drain pan body 21, a nozzle 24, a fixing portion 25, a cap 26, and a seal portion 27. The drain pan body 21 has an opening 21a formed to face the inlet port 14a of the drain pump 14. The nozzle 24 has a tubular shape and is installed in the opening 21a. The fixing portion 25 fixes the drain pan body 21 and the nozzle 24. The cap 26 is rotatably fitted to the nozzle 24 to close the nozzle 24. The seal portion 27 seals a gap between the nozzle 24 and the cap 26.
The drain pan body 21 is disposed to cover the heat exchanger 13 from the bottom in order to receive the drain water D generated by condensing the air A in the heat exchanger 13. The drain pan body 21 is disposed to block a part of the lower-end opening of the casing 15. The drain pan body 21 has the opening 21a formed to face the inlet port 14a of the drain pump 14 housed in the casing 15. The opening 21a is a circular cross-sectional through-hole penetrating through the drain pan body 21 in an extending direction of the nozzle 24 described below.
Here, in the extending direction of the nozzle 24, an inner side of the casing 15 will be referred to as "the second side" in the nozzle extending direction (top side on the paper surface of Fig. 2), and an outer side of the casing 15 will be referred to as "first side" in the nozzle extending direction (down side on the paper surface of Fig. 2).
The drain pan body 21 according to the embodiment of the invention has a dish shape in order to receive the drain water D. The drain pan body 21 has a drain pan seat 22 that suppresses leakage of the drain water D and a foam portion 23 layered integrally with the drain pan seat 22
The drain pan seat 22 is exposed to the drain water D to be stored. The drain pan seat 22 according to the embodiment of the invention is, for example, a plate member formed of the material acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). The drain pan seat 22 has a seat body 221 and a seat protrusion 222 protruding from the seat body 221 toward the second side in the nozzle extending direction.
The seat body 221 has a flat portion 221a and a side portion 221b. The flat portion 221a widens in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the nozzle extending direction. The side portion 221b is extending to the second side in the nozzle extending direction in the edge of the flat portion 221a.
The seat protrusion 222 is formed to surround the opening 21a radially from the outer side. The seat protrusion 222 protrudes from the flat portion 221a to the second side in the nozzle extending direction in an annular shape, and a part thereof in the circumferential direction is formed integrally with the side portion 221b.
The foam portion 23 is layered onto the drain pan seat 22 on the first side in the nozzle extending direction. The foam portion 23 is provided to cover the external face of the drain pan seat 22. The foam portion 23 is formed of a foam material, and is a member having a thermal insulation property higher than that of the drain pan seat 22. The foam portion 23 is formed integrally with the drain pan seat 22 formed through molding at a temperature of approximately 120°C so that it is integrally fixed to match the shape of the drain pan seat 22.
The nozzle 24 is formed in a tubular shape as a member separate from the drain pan body 21. That is, the nozzle 24 is fabricated separately from the drain pan body 21 and is installed in the opening 21a. The nozzle 24 according to the embodiment of the invention has a nozzle body 24a, a nozzle installation portion 24b, and a nozzle protrusion 24c. The nozzle body 24a is extending in the nozzle extending direction. The nozzle installation portion 24b is formed integrally with the nozzle body 24a and is installed in the drain pan body 21. The nozzle protrusion 24c is protruding from the nozzle installation portion 24b to the second side in the nozzle extending direction.
The nozzle body 24a has a circular tubular shape extending along the center axis O. The center axis O is arranged as a radial center of the nozzle body 24a to match the radial center of the inlet port 14a. The nozzle body 24a has a male thread provided on its outer circumferential surface. The nozzle body 24a is arranged with a gap between its outer circumferential surface and a face of the opening 21a directed to the radially inner side.
The nozzle installation portion 24b extends in a flat plate shape from an end of the nozzle body 24a on the second side in the nozzle extending direction radially to the outside. The nozzle installation portion 24b according to the embodiment of the invention has a ring shape that widens in the radial direction from an end of the nozzle body 24a on the second side in the nozzle extending direction. The nozzle installation portion 24b is arranged such that its face directed to the first side in the nozzle extending direction comes in contact with a face of the seat body 221 directed to the second side in the nozzle extending direction.
The nozzle protrusion 24c is formed on a surface of the nozzle installation portion 24b directed to the second side in the nozzle extending direction. The nozzle protrusion 24c protrudes from the nozzle installation portion 24b in a circular tubular shape. The nozzle protrusion 24c protrudes from the nozzle installation portion 24b in a radially outer side relative to the nozzle body 24a.
The fixing portion 25 fixes the nozzle 24 and the drain pan body 21. The fixing portion 25 according to the embodiment of the invention is, for example, a liquid adhesive such as an epoxy resin. The fixing portion 25 is injected into a space surrounded by the nozzle installation portion 24b, the nozzle protrusion 24c, the seat protrusion 222, and the side portion 221b. The fixing portion 25 is solidified after the injection to fix the nozzle 24 to the opening 21a of the drain pan body 21.
The cap 26 is rotatably fitted and installed in the nozzle 24 to cap an opening of the nozzle 24 on the first side end in the nozzle extending direction. The cap 26 has a bottomed cylindrical shape. The cap 26 according to the embodiment of the invention has a bottomed cylindrical shape and is provided with a female thread on its inner circumferential surface. When the cap 26 is rotated and installed in the nozzle body 24a, the female thread provided on the inner circumferential surface of the cap 26 is fitted to the male thread provided on the outer circumferential surface of the nozzle 24. That is, when the cap 26 is screwed to the nozzle 24, its bottom portion caps the opening of the nozzle body 24a on the first side end in the nozzle extending direction. The cap 26 is formed of an optically transparent material. The cap 26 according to the embodiment of the invention is formed of a transparent resin material such as polypropylene.
While the cap 26 is installed in the nozzle 24, its outer face 26a of the bottom portion directed to the first side in the nozzle extending direction is arranged closer to the second side in the nozzle extending direction relative to the outer face 21b of the drain pan body directed to the first side in the nozzle extending direction. That is, the outer face 26a of the bottom portion of the cap 26 directed to the first side in the nozzle extending direction is disposed not to protrude more than the outer face 21b of the drain pan body which is a surface of the foam portion 23 directed to the first side in the nozzle extending direction.
It is noted that the outer face 26a of the cap 26 is not limited to the aforementioned configuration in which the outer face 26a of the cap 26 is arranged not to protrude more than the outer face 21b of the drain pan body. Alternatively, the outer face 26a of the cap 26 may be arranged to protrude more than the outer face 21b of the drain pan body toward the first side in the nozzle extending direction.
The outer face 26a of the bottom portion is provided with a concave portion 26b that is concave toward the second side in the nozzle extending direction. The concave portion 26b is formed to radially deviate from the center axis O of the nozzle 24. As shown in Fig. 3, the concave portion 26b according to the embodiment of the invention has a fan shape as seen from the first side in the nozzle extending direction and is concave from the outer face 26a. Pair of concave portions 26b is formed symmetrically with respect to the center axis O. The concave portions 26b are sized to allow, for example, insertion of a leading edge of needle nose pliers.
The seal portion 27 prevents the drain water D from leaking from a gap between the nozzle body 24a and the cap 26. The seal portion 27 according to the embodiment of the invention is a ring-shaped rubber member. As shown in Fig. 2, the seal portion 27 is installed in a surface of the bottom portion of the cap 26 directed to the second side in the nozzle extending direction. While the cap 26 is installed in the nozzle 24, the seal portion 27 is nipped between an end of the nozzle body 24a on the first side in the nozzle extending direction and an inner face of the bottom portion of the cap 26 directed to the second side in the nozzle extending direction.
In the drain pan 20 described above, the cap 26 that caps the nozzle 24 installed in the opening 21a of the drain pan body 21 is formed of a transparent resin material. Therefore, it is possible to visually check the inlet port 14a from the outside even while the cap 26 is installed in the nozzle 24. In addition, the end of the nozzle 24 on the first side in the nozzle extending direction is opened by removing the cap 26 from the nozzle 24. As the nozzle 24 is opened, cleaning can be performed by directly accessing the inlet port 14a of the drain pump 14 from the outside. Therefore, it is possible to easily clean the inlet port 14a of the drain pump 14 by simply removing the cap 26 from the nozzle 24 without removing the drain pan body 21.
The nozzle 24 is formed as a member separate from the drain pan body 21 and is installed in the drain pan body 21 later using the fixing portion 25. For this reason, it is possible to fix the nozzle 24 to the drain pan body 21 without damaging the nozzle 24 regardless of the structure of the drain pan body 21. For this reason, unlike a conventional case, such as insert molding, in which the nozzle 24 is fixed to the drain pan body 21 in an integrated manner when the drain pan body 21 is molded, it is possible to prevent the nozzle 24 from being exposed to a high-temperature and high-pressure atmosphere. Therefore, it is possible to suppress thermal deformation of the nozzle 24 when the nozzle 24 is installed in the drain pan body 21. As a result, it is possible to guarantee a sealing property between the cap 26 and the nozzle 24 while the cap 26 is installed. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably prevent the drain water D from leaking from a gap between the nozzle 24 and the cap 26 while the cap 26 is installed.
The nozzle 24 is a component separate from the drain pan body 21, the nozzle 24 is compatible in other types of air conditioners having different shapes of the drain pan body 21.
As the cap 26 is rotated, the female thread provided on the inner circumferential surface of the cap 26 is fitted to the male thread provided on the outer circumferential surface of the nozzle body 24a. For this reason, it is possible to install the cap 26 in the nozzle 24 without forming a structure for fixing the cap 26 to the inner circumferential surface of the nozzle body 24a. For example, in order to clean the inlet port 14a of the drain pump 14, a cleaning member or tool may be inserted into the nozzle body 24a. For this reason, if the cleaning is performed in this manner, the cleaning member may come in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the nozzle body 24a, and the inner circumferential surface of the nozzle body 24a may be damaged. As a result, when a structure for fixing the cap 26 such as a female thread is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the nozzle body 24a, the male thread for fixing the cap 26 may be worn away through repeated cleaning. And it may ultimately become difficult to install the cap 26 in the nozzle body 24a. In contrast, since the structure for fixing the cap 26 to the outer circumferential surface of the nozzle body 24a is provided, the structure for fixing the cap 26 is not damaged even when the cleaning member is repeatedly inserted into the nozzle body 24a to clean the inlet port 14a. Therefore, it is possible to prevent failure of installation of the cap 26 in the nozzle 24.
Since the concave portion 26b is provided on the bottom portion of the cap 26, it is possible to remove the cap 26 from the nozzle 24 using the concave portion 26b even when the nozzle 24 and the cap 26 are stuck to each other by a contaminant such as sludge. Specifically, for example, it is possible to remove the cap 26 from the nozzle 24 by inserting a tool such as needle nose pliers or a driver into the concave portion 26b.
Since the concave portion 26b is formed to radially deviate from the center axis O of the nozzle 24, it is possible to visually check the center position of the inlet port 14a without obstruction from the concave portion 26b while the cap 26 is installed in the nozzle 24. Therefore, even when the concave portion 26b is provided on the cap 26, it is possible to check whether or not the inlet port 14a is clogged.
The outer face 26a of the bottom portion of the cap 26 is arranged closer to the second side in the nozzle extending direction relative to the outer face 21b of the foam portion 23 while the cap 26 is screwed on the nozzle 24. Therefore, while the cap 26 is installed in the nozzle 24, it is possible to prevent the cap 26 from protruding more than the drain pan body 21 toward the first side in the nozzle extending direction. As a result, it is possible to compactly overlap the drain pan 20 in the nozzle extending direction and reduce an installation space for holding the drain pan 20. In addition, since the cap 26 does not protrude more than the drain pan body 21 toward the first side in the nozzle extending direction, it is possible to prevent damage generated by trapping.
Since the seal portion 27 is provided between the nozzle 24 and the cap 26, it is possible to prevent the drain water D from leaking from a gap between the nozzle 24 and the cap 26 even when the female thread provided on the cap 26 or the male thread provided on the nozzle 24 is not dimensionally accurate.
By virtue of the drain pan 20 described above, it is possible to easily check clogging of the inlet port 14a of the drain pump 14 and perform cleaning. In addition, it is possible to prevent the drain water D from leaking from a gap between the nozzle 24 and the cap 26 with high accuracy.
While preferred embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated hereinbefore, it should be understood that they are only for exemplary purposes and are not to be construed as limitations. Any addition, omission, substitution, or modification may be possible without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be considered as being limited by the foregoing description, and is only limited by the scope of the appended claims.
In the embodiment described above, the cap 26 is entirely formed of an optically transparent material. Alternatively, only the bottom portion of the cap 26 may be formed of an optically transparent material.
According to the embodiment of the invention, the radial center position of the inlet port 14a of the drain pump 14 matches the radial center position of the nozzle body 24a. Alternatively, without being limited thereto, they may be positioned in any place as long as the inlet port 14a can be visually checked from the nozzle 24. For example, the radial center position of the inlet port 14a of the drain pump 14 may deviate from the radial center position of the nozzle body 24a.
The fixing portion 25 according to the embodiment of the invention is a liquid adhesive. Alternatively, without being limited thereto, any other types of materials may also be employed as long as the nozzle 24 can be fixed to the drain pan body 21. For example, the fixing portion 25 may be a sheet-like adhesive disposed between a face of the flat portion 221a of the drain pan seat 22 directed to the second side in the nozzle extending direction and a face of the nozzle installation portion 24b directed to the first side in the nozzle extending direction. Alternatively, without using a separate member such as an adhesive, the fixing portion 25 may be formed in a hook shape integrated with the nozzle 24 or the drain pan body 21.

[Industrial Applicability]

In the drain pan described above, since the nozzle is provided as a member separate from the drain pan body, it is possible to reliably prevent the drain water from leaking from a gap between the nozzle and the cap while the cap is closed.

[Reference Signs List]

1 Air conditioner
11 Outdoor unit
10 Indoor unit
RF Refrigerant
A Air
12 Indoor fan
13 Heat exchanger
D Drain water
20 Drain pan
21 Drain pan body
21a Opening
21b Outer face
22 Drain pan seat
221 Seat body
221a Flat portion
221b Side portion
222 Seat protrusion
23 Foam portion
24 Nozzle
O Center axis
24a Nozzle body
24b Nozzle installation portion
24c Nozzle protrusion
25 Fixing portion
26 Cap
26a Outer face
26b Concave portion
27 Seal portion
14 Drain pump
14a Inlet port
14b Discharge pipe
15 Casing

Claims

A drain pan (20) configured to receive drain water generated by condensing air in a heat exchanger, the drain pan comprising:
a drain pan body (21) having an opening (21a) formed to face an inlet port (14a) of a pump (14) configured to pump out the drain water;

a nozzle (24) having a tubular shape as a member separate from the drain pan body and installed in the opening (21a); and

a cap (26) formed of an optically transparent material and rotatably fitted to the nozzle (24) to cap an end of the nozzle (24) on first side in a nozzle extending direction.
The drain pan (20) according to claim 1, wherein the cap (26) has a bottomed cylindrical shape, and
a female thread provided on an inner circumferential surface of the cap (26) is fitted to a male thread provided on an outer circumferential surface of the nozzle (24).
The drain pan (20) according to claims 1 or 2, wherein a radial center position of the nozzle (24) is arranged to match a radial center position of the inlet port (14a),
the cap (26) is provided with a concave portion (26b) on an outer face directed to the first side in the nozzle extending direction, and
the concave portion (26b) is formed to radially deviate from the center position of the nozzle (24) and to be concave toward the second side in the nozzle extending direction.
The drain pan (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, while the cap (26) is installed in the nozzle (24), the outer face (26a) of the cap (26) directed to the first side in the nozzle extending direction is arranged closer to the second side in the nozzle extending direction relative to an outer face (21b) of the drain pan body (21) directed to the first side in the nozzle extending direction.
An air conditioner (1) comprising:
a heat exchanger (13) through which air blowing from a fan (12) passes; and

the drain pan (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, configured to receive drain water generated by condensing the air in the heat exchanger (13).