EP4745472A1

EP4745472A1 - HEAT SOURCE UNIT FOR REFRIGERATION CIRCUIT DEVICE AND REFRIGERATION CIRCUIT DEVICE

Info

Publication number: EP4745472A1
Application number: EP25743684.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Akihiro Morita; Atsushi Okamoto; Eriko ONOJIMA; Toshihiro Mori
Original assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
Priority date: 2024-09-18
Filing date: 2025-06-09
Publication date: 2026-05-20
Also published as: JP2026055627A; JP7744605B1; EP4745472A4; WO2026062984A1

Abstract

An outdoor unit (3) of an air conditioner (1) is provided with a blow-out grille (59) including a connecting rib (70) extending radially and a plurality of concentric annular ribs (80) intersecting the connecting rib (70). The annular ribs (80) include a first annular rib (81) and a second annular rib (82). In a direction orthogonal to an rotation axis (X1) of the fan (38), the first annular rib (81) is disposed in a first region (61), and the second annular rib (82) is disposed in a second region (62) located further toward the outer peripheral side of the blow-out grille (59) than the first region (61). In a cross-section including the rotation axis (X1), the first annular rib (81) is inclined in a direction further toward the rotation axis (X1) with increasing distance from the fan (38), and the second annular rib (82) is inclined in a direction further toward an outer periphery of the blow-out grille (38) than the first annular rib (81), with increasing distance from the fan (38).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a heat source unit of a refrigeration cycle apparatus, and the refrigeration cycle apparatus.

BACKGROUND ART

Conventionally, there has been an outdoor unit in which the annular ribs of a fan guard for the outdoor unit of an air conditioner are arranged at an angle so as to open outward (Patent Literature 1 ( JP 2007-139214 A )).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the conventional outdoor unit, there is a problem that an airflow in the direction opposite to the blow-out direction may occur near the rotation axis of the fan, thereby causing a decrease in airflow rate.

A heat source unit of a refrigeration cycle apparatus according to a first aspect includes a fan, an air blow-out port, and a blow-out grille. The air blow-out port allows air blown from the fan to be discharged to the outside. The blow-out grille is disposed in the blow-out direction of the fan and covers the air blow-out port. The blow-out grille includes a connecting rib and a plurality of concentric annular ribs. The connecting rib extends radially. The plurality of concentric annular ribs intersect the connecting rib. The annular ribs include a first annular rib and a second annular rib. The first annular rib is disposed in a first region in a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis of the fan. The second annular rib is disposed in a second region located further toward the outer peripheral side of the blow-out grille than the first region in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis of the fan. In a cross-section including the rotation axis, the first annular rib is inclined in a direction further toward the rotation axis with increasing distance from the fan. In the cross section including the rotational rotation axis, the second annular rib is inclined in a direction further toward an outer periphery of the blow-out grille than the first annular rib with increasing distance from the fan.
The heat source unit of the refrigeration cycle apparatus can suppress the generation of an airflow in the direction opposite to the blow-out direction of the fan, in the vicinity of the rotation axis of the fan, thereby increasing the airflow rate.
A heat source unit of an air conditioner according to a second aspect is the heat source unit according to the first aspect, in which the fan includes a boss and a blade. The boss is located at the rotation axis. The blade extends from the boss toward the outer peripheral side. The second region includes a third region. The third region is located near the blade of the fan. The annular ribs further include a third annular rib. The third annular rib is disposed in the third region.
In the heat source unit of the refrigeration cycle apparatus, since the third region is located near the blade of the fan, the air flow resistance of the air blown out from the third region close to the fan is reduced.
A heat source unit of a refrigeration cycle apparatus according to a third aspect is the heat source unit according to the second aspect, in which the third annular rib is inclined in the direction further toward the outer periphery of the blow-out grille with increasing distance from the fan.
In the heat source unit of the refrigeration cycle apparatus, since the third annular rib is inclined in the direction further toward the outer periphery of the blow-out grille with increasing distance from the fan, the third annular rib is inclined along the direction of the airflow blown out from the fan, resulting in lower air flow resistance.
A heat source unit of a refrigeration cycle apparatus according to a fourth aspect is the heat source unit according to the second or third aspect, in which the annular ribs have an inclination angle of 0° in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis. The inclination angle in the direction parallel to the rotation axis is 90°. The inclination angle toward the outer peripheral side is greater than 0° but less than 90°. The inclination angle toward the boss is greater than 90° but less than 180°. The second region includes a fourth region. The fourth region is located further toward the rotation axis than the third region. The annular ribs further include a fourth annular rib. The fourth annular rib is included in the fourth region. The fourth annular rib has an inclination angle that is smaller than an inclination angle of the first annular rib and greater than an inclination angle of the third annular rib.
The heat source unit of the refrigeration cycle apparatus can suppress a sudden change in the direction of the air blown out from the third region with respect to the direction of the air blown out from the first region.
A heat source unit of a refrigeration cycle apparatus according to a fifth aspect is the heat source unit according to any one of the second to fourth aspects, in which the annular ribs have an inclination angle of 0° in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis. The inclination angle in the direction parallel to the rotation axis is 90°. The inclination angle toward the outer peripheral side is greater than 0° but less than 90°. The inclination angle toward the boss is greater than 90° but less than 180°. The second region includes a fifth region. The fifth region is located further toward the outer peripheral side of the blow-out grille than the third region. The annular ribs include a fifth annular rib. The fifth annular rib is included in the fifth region. The fifth annular rib has an inclination angle that is greater than an inclination angle of the third annular rib.
The heat source unit of the refrigeration cycle apparatus can improve the straightness of the airflow in a region in a direction away from the rotation axis.
A heat source unit of a refrigeration cycle apparatus according to a sixth aspect is the heat source unit according to any one of the second to fifth aspects, in which there are a plurality of the first annular ribs and a plurality of the third annular ribs. A pitch between the third annular ribs is smaller than a pitch between the first annular ribs.
The heat source unit of the refrigeration cycle apparatus allows the direction of the air blown out from the fan to be adjusted to a fixed direction, by setting the pitch between the third annular ribs to be small.
A refrigeration cycle apparatus according to a seventh aspect includes a heat source unit and a utilization unit. The heat source unit is the heat source unit of the refrigeration cycle apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth aspects. The utilization unit is connected to the heat source unit.
This refrigeration cycle apparatus can suppress the generation of an airflow in the direction opposite to the blow-out direction of the fan, in the vicinity of the rotation axis of the fan, thereby increasing the airflow rate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of the refrigerant circuit of an air conditioner having an outdoor unit in which a heat source unit according to the present embodiment is adopted.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an external appearance of the outdoor unit.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the outdoor unit with a fan chamber-side side plate, a fan chamber-side front panel, and a top panel removed.
FIG. 4 is a plan view of the outdoor unit with the top panel removed.
FIG. 5 is a front view of a blow-out grille.
FIG. 6 is an enlarged front view of the blow-out grille.
FIG. 7 illustrates the direction of air blown out from a fan.
FIG. 8 illustrates the direction of air after passing through the blow-out grille.
FIG. 9 illustrates the positional relationship between the fan and the blow-out grille.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT

A heat source unit of a refrigeration cycle apparatus according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

(1) Overall Configuration of Air Conditioner

FIG. 1 illustrates the configuration of the refrigerant circuit of an air conditioner 1 having an outdoor unit in which a heat source unit of a refrigeration cycle apparatus according to the present disclosure is adopted. The air conditioner 1 includes an indoor unit ( utilization unit of the refrigeration cycle apparatus) 2 attached to an indoor wall surface or the like, and an outdoor unit (heat source unit of the refrigeration cycle apparatus) 3 installed outdoors. The indoor unit 2, the outdoor unit 3, and pipes 41 and 42 are connected to constitute the refrigerant circuit of the air conditioner 1.
The refrigerant circuit mainly includes an indoor heat exchanger 70, an accumulator 31, a compressor 32, a four-way switching valve 33, an outdoor heat exchanger 30, and an expansion valve 34.
The indoor heat exchanger 70 provided in the indoor unit 2 exchanges heat with the air that comes in contact therewith. The indoor unit 2 is also provided with a cross-flow fan 71 for drawing in indoor air, passing the air through the indoor heat exchanger 70, and discharging the air into a room after the heat exchange. The cross-flow fan 71 is formed in an elongated cylindrical shape, and is disposed with its center axis parallel to the horizontal direction. The cross-flow fan 71 is rotationally driven by an indoor fan motor 72 provided in the indoor unit 2. The fan provided in the indoor unit 2 is not limited to the cross-flow fan 71, and may be, for example, a turbo fan, a sirocco fan, or the like.
The outdoor unit 3 is provided with the compressor 32, the four-way switching valve 33 connected to the discharge side of the compressor 32, the accumulator 31 connected to the suction side of the compressor 32, the outdoor heat exchanger 30 connected to the four-way switching valve 33, and the expansion valve 34 connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 30. The expansion valve 34 is connected to the pipe 41 via a filter 35 and a liquid shutoff valve 36, and is connected to one end of the indoor heat exchanger 70 via the pipe 41. Furthermore, the four-way switching valve 33 is connected to the pipe 42 via a gas shutoff valve 37, and is connected to the other end of the indoor heat exchanger 70 via the pipe 42. The outdoor unit 3 is also provided with a fan 38 for discharging air that has undergone heat exchange in the outdoor heat exchanger 30 to the outside. The fan 38 is rotationally driven by a fan motor 39.

(2) Basic Operation of Air Conditioner

The air conditioner 1 is capable of a cooling operation and a heating operation as basic operations.
During the cooling operation, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 32 is again drawn into the compressor 32 via the indoor heat exchanger 30, the expansion valve 34, the indoor heat exchanger 70, and the accumulator 31.
During the heating operation, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 32 is again drawn into the compressor 32 via the indoor heat exchanger 70, the expansion valve 34, the outdoor heat exchanger 30, and the accumulator 31.

(3) Configuration of Outdoor Unit

Next, the configuration of the outdoor unit 3 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 8. Here, FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an external appearance of the outdoor unit 3. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the outdoor unit 3 with a fan chamber-side side plate 53, a fan chamber-side front panel 55, and a top panel 57 removed. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the outdoor unit 3 with the top panel 57 removed. Note that in the following description, the terms indicating directions or faces, such as "upper", " lower", "left", "right", "front", "side", "back", "top", and "bottom" refer to the directions or faces when the face on the blow-out grille 59 side is considered to be the front, unless otherwise specified.
The outdoor unit 3 has a structure in which the interior of an outdoor unit casing 51 is partitioned into a fan chamber S1 and a machine chamber S2 by a partition plate 58 that extends in the vertical direction. The outdoor unit 3 is configured to draw outdoor air into the interior from the back and part of the side of the outdoor unit casing 51 and then discharge the air from the front of the outdoor unit casing 51. The outdoor unit 3 mainly includes: the outdoor unit casing 51; refrigerant circuit components (see FIG. 1) including the compressor 32, the four-way switching valve 33, the outdoor heat exchanger 30, the expansion valve 34, the shutoff valves 36 and 37, and pipes connecting these devices; the fan 38; and the fan motor 39. The fan 38, the fan motor 39, a motor support base 44, and a bell mouth 45 are arranged in the fan chamber S1.
Note that here, an example in which the fan chamber S1 is formed toward the left side within the outdoor unit casing 51 and the machine chamber S2 is formed toward the right side within the outdoor unit casing 51 will be described, but the left and right may be reversed.

(3-1) Outdoor Unit Casing

The outdoor unit casing 51 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and mainly accommodates: the refrigerant circuit components including the compressor 32, the four-way switching valve 33, the outdoor heat exchanger 30, the expansion valve 34, the shutoff valves 36 and 37, and pipes connecting these devices; the fan 38; and the fan motor 39. The outdoor unit casing 51 has a bottom frame 52 on which various components such as the refrigerant circuit components and the fan 38 are placed, a machine chamber-side side plate 54, the fan chamber-side plate 55, a machine chamber-side front panel 56, and the top panel 57.
The fan chamber-side plate 55 is a steel plate-shaped member, the lower portion of which is fixed to the bottom frame 52. The fan chamber-side plate 55 is provided with a fan blow-out port (air blow-out port) 55a at the front of the fan chamber S1 of the outdoor unit casing 51, the fan blow-out port 55a allowing the outdoor air drawn into the outdoor unit casing 51 by the fan 38 to be discharged to the outside. The bell mouth 45 is provided at the peripheral edge of the air blow-out port 55a and extends in the front-rear direction (see FIG. 4). The bell mouth 45 guides the air flow that is generated by the fan 38 and blown outside. The air blow-out port 55a discharges air blown from the fan 38 to the outside. On the front side of the fan chamber-side plate 55, the blow-out grille 59 that covers the air blow-out port 55a is provided.
The partition plate 58 is a steel plate-shaped member disposed on the bottom frame 52 and extending in the vertical direction. Here, the partition plate 58 divides the interior of the outdoor unit casing 51 into left and right, thereby forming the fan chamber S1 located toward the left side and the machine chamber S2 located toward the right side. The partition plate 58 has a lower portion fixed to the bottom frame 52, a front end fixed to the fan chamber-side plate 55, and a rear end extending to the side end of the outdoor heat exchanger 30 closer to the machine chamber S2.

(3-2) Fan

The fan 38 includes a boss 38a and a blade 38b. The boss 38a is located at an rotation axis X1. The blade 38b extends from the boss 38a toward the outer peripheral side.
In the present embodiment, the fan 38 is a propeller fan having a plurality of blades 38b and a diameter of 630 mm. The fan 38 is disposed within the fan chamber S1 at a position on the front side of the outdoor heat exchanger 30 so as to face the front side (here, the air blow-out port 55a) of the outdoor unit casing 51. The fan motor 39 is disposed between the fan 38 and the outdoor heat exchanger 30 in the front-rear direction within the fan chamber S1. The fan motor 39 is supported by the motor support base 44 placed on the bottom frame 52. And the fan 38 is pivotally supported by the outdoor fan motor 39.

(3-3) Blow-Out Grille

FIG. 5 is a front view of the blow-out grille 59. FIG. 6 is an enlarged front view of the portion enclosed by an ellipse A in FIG. 5. The blow-out grille 59 is a resin blow-out grille, and is formed of an upper end face 59a, a lower end face 59b, a right end face (first side end face) 59c, a front face 59d, and a left end face 59e. Note that the blow-out grille 59 is molded from flame-retardant resin. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the front face 59d has a substantially quadrangular outer frame (outer shape). The blow-out grille 59 is disposed in the blow-out direction of the fan 38 and covers the air blow-out port 55a. The blow-out grille 59 faces the fan 38 in the blow-out direction of the fan 38.
As illustrated in FIG. 5, the blow-out grille 59 has a central portion 59f and a mesh portion 60.
The central portion 59f corresponds to the boss 38a as viewed in the direction of the rotation axis X1.
The mesh portion 60 faces the blade 38b as viewed in the direction of the rotation axis X1. The mesh portion 60 has a first region 61 and a second region 62. In addition, the second region 62 includes a third region 63, a fourth region 64, and a fifth region 65. The mesh portion 60 includes a connecting rib 70 and a plurality of concentric annular ribs 80 in the first region 61 to the fifth region 65. The connecting rib 70 and the annular ribs 80 form the mesh portion 60.
FIG. 7 illustrates the direction of air blown out from the fan 38. As illustrated in FIG. 7, air (wind) W10 blown out from the fan 38 changes its direction as wind W20 to be blown to the outside of the outdoor unit 3, depending on the inclination angles of the annular ribs 80 of the blow-out grille 59. If the inclination angle of the annular ribs 80 is parallel to the rotation axis X1, the direction of the wind W20 to be blown outside is straightened and approaches the inclination angle of the annular ribs 80. If the annular ribs 80 are inclined in the direction of the outer periphery (see FIG. 5) of the blow-out grille 59, the direction of the wind W20 to be blown to the outside of the outdoor unit 3 is in the direction of the outer periphery of the blow-out grille 59.

(3-3-1) Connecting Rib

The connecting rib 70 extends radially from the central portion 59f toward the outer frame side of the blow-out grille 59. The connecting rib 70 extends in such a manner as to connect the first region 61 through the fifth region 65, or in other words, between the central portion 59f and the outer frame of the blow-out grille 59, with a single rib. Alternatively, the connecting rib 70 may extend in such a manner as to connect the central portion 59f to a first annular rib 81 near the outer peripheral side of the first region 61, and the first annular rib 81 near the outer peripheral side of the first region 61 to the outer frame of the blow-out grille 59, each with a separate rib.

(3-3-2) Annular Rib

The plurality of concentric annular ribs 80 intersect the connecting rib 70. The annular ribs 80 include the first annular rib 81 and a second annular rib 82. The second annular rib 82 includes a third annular rib 83, a fourth annular rib 84, and a fifth annular rib 85.
FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate an example in which there are twelve first annular ribs 81 and nine second annular ribs 82 in the vertical direction of the blow-out grille 59, but the numbers of first annular ribs 81 and second annular ribs 82 are not limited thereto. Furthermore, in FIGS. 5 and 6, there are three third annular ribs 83, four fourth annular ribs 84, and two fifth annular ribs 85 in the vertical direction of the blow-out grille 59. However, the numbers of third annular ribs 83, fourth annular ribs 84, and fifth annular ribs 85 are not limited thereto.
The first annular ribs 81 are arranged in the first region 61 in a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis X1 of the fan 38.
The second annular ribs 82 are arranged in the second region 62 located further toward the outer peripheral side of the blow-out grille 59 than the first region 61 in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis X1 of the fan 38. The outer peripheral side of the blow-out grille 59 refers to the outer frame side of the blow-out grille 59.
FIG. 8 illustrates the direction of air after passing through the blow-out grille 59. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the description will be given using an example in which there are six first annular ribs 81, eight second annular ribs 82, and among the second annular ribs 82, there are three third annular ribs 83, two fourth annular ribs 84, and two fifth annular ribs 85.
The annular ribs 80 have an inclination angle of 0° in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis X1. The inclination angle in a direction parallel to the rotation axis X1 is set to 90°. The inclination angle toward the outer peripheral side of the blow-out grille 59 is greater than 0° but less than 90°. The inclination angle toward the boss 38a is greater than 90° but less than 180°.
In a cross-section including the rotation axis X1, the first annular ribs 81 are inclined in a direction further toward the rotation axis X1 with increasing distance from the fan 38. The inclination angle of the first annular ribs 81 is, for example, greater than 90° and equal to or smaller than 135°. In the present embodiment, the first annular ribs 81 have an inclination angle of 95°. Therefore, the wind W1 blown from the fan 38 to the outside of the outdoor unit 3 is directed in the direction of the rotation axis X1 by the first annular ribs 81. As a result, it is possible to suppress the region of wind velocity distribution W6 in the direction opposite to the direction of air blowing out from the outdoor unit 3.
In the cross-section including the rotation axis X1, the second annular ribs 82 are inclined in a direction further toward the outer periphery of the blow-out grille 59 than the first annular ribs 81 with increasing distance from the fan 38.
The third region 63 is located near the blade 38b of the fan 38. The third region 63 may be positioned so that a distance d between the blade 38b of the fan 38 and the blow-out grille 59 is the shortest. The shortest distance refers to a distance at which the distance d between the fan 38 and the blow-out grille 59 is smallest toward the side where the fan 38 is not installed.
FIG. 9 illustrates the positional relationship between the fan 38 and the blow-out grille 59. FIG. 9 illustrates a cross-section of the fan 38 and the blow-out grille 59 as viewed from the left side. As illustrated in FIG. 9, in the third region 63, the distance between the blade 38b of the fan 38 and the blow-out grille 59 is short. For example, the distance d between the blade 38b of the fan 38 and the third region 63 of the blow-out grille 59 is 49.5 mm.
The third annular ribs 83 are arranged in the third region 63. The third annular ribs 83 are inclined in a direction further toward the outer frame (outer periphery) of the blow-out grille 59 with increasing distance from the fan 38. In the present embodiment, the third annular ribs have an inclination angle of 85°. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the third annular ribs 83 are inclined in a direction further toward the outer frame (outer periphery) 59a of the blow-out grille 59 toward the side (front side in FIG. 8) where the fan 38 is not installed. In a place where the distance d between the blade 38b of the fan 38 and the blow-out grille 59 is short, the air flow resistance increases due to the high wind velocity. Therefore, it is effective for the third annular ribs 83 to be inclined toward the outer peripheral side.
Since the airflow passing through the third region 63 among the first region 61 to the fifth region 65 of the mesh portion 60 of the blow-out grille 59 is the largest, the direction of the wind and the inclination direction of the third annular ribs 83 in the third region 63 are set to be the same direction. Therefore, wind W3 blown from the fan 38 to the outside of the outdoor unit 3 is directed toward the outer periphery of the blow-out grille 59 by the third annular ribs 83.
In the present embodiment, the outer frame of the blow-out grille 59 is 730 mm in the vertical direction and 726 mm in the horizontal direction. The size of the blow-out grille 59 is not limited to this.
Pitch P3 between the third annular ribs 83 is smaller than pitch P3 between the first annular ribs 81. Pitch P1 (see FIG. 6) between the first annular ribs 81 is, for example, 14 mm. Furthermore, the pitch P3 (see FIG. 6) between the third annular ribs 83 is, for example, 10.5 mm. The pitch P1 between the first annular ribs 81 and the pitch P3 between the third annular ribs 83 are not limited thereto. Note that the term "pitch" is used not only for three or more ribs but also for an interval between two ribs.
The fourth region 64 is a region closer to the rotation axis X1 than the third region 63. The fourth annular ribs 84 are included in the fourth region 64. The inclination angle of the fourth annular ribs 84 is smaller than the inclination angle of the first annular ribs 81 and greater than the inclination angle of the third annular ribs 83. In the present embodiment, the fourth annular ribs have an inclination angle of 90°. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the fourth annular ribs 84 are inclined in a direction parallel to the rotation axis X1. Therefore, wind W4 blown from the fan 38 to the outside of the outdoor unit 3 is directed in the direction parallel to the rotation axis X1 by the fourth annular ribs 84.
The fifth region 65 is located further toward the outer peripheral side of the blow-out grille 59 than the third region 63. The annular ribs 80 include the fifth annular ribs 85. The fifth annular ribs 85 are included in the fifth region 65. The inclination angle of the fifth annular ribs 85 is greater than the inclination angle of the third annular ribs 83. In the present embodiment, the fifth annular ribs have an inclination angle of 90°. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the fifth annular ribs 85 are inclined in a direction parallel to the rotation axis X1. Therefore, the wind (not illustrated) blown from the fan 38 to the outside of the outdoor unit 3 is directed in the direction parallel to the rotation axis X1 by the fifth annular ribs 85.

(4) Features

(4-1)

The outdoor unit 3 of the air conditioner 1 according to the present embodiment includes the fan 38, the air blow-out port 55a, and the blow-out grille 59. The air blow-out port 55a discharges air blown from the fan 38 to the outside. The blow-out grille 59 is disposed in the blow-out direction of the fan 38 and covers the air blow-out port 55a. The blow-out grille 59 includes the connecting rib 70 and the plurality of concentric annular ribs 80. The connecting rib 70 extends radially. The plurality of concentric annular ribs 80 intersect the connecting rib 70. The annular ribs 80 include the first annular rib 81 and the second annular rib 82. The first annular rib 81 is disposed in the first region 61 in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis X1 of the fan 38. The second annular rib 82 is disposed in the second region 62 located further toward the outer peripheral side of the blow-out grille 59 than the first region 61 in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis of the fan 38. In a cross-section including the rotation axis X1, the first annular rib 81 is inclined in a direction further toward the rotation axis X1 with increasing distance from the fan 38. In a cross-section including the rotation axis X1, the second annular rib 82 is inclined in a direction further toward the outer periphery of the blow-out grille 38 than the first annular rib 81 with increasing distance from the fan 38.
The present inventors have paid attention to the fact that there is a wind velocity distribution in the direction opposite to the direction of air blowing out from the outdoor unit 3 in the vicinity of the first region 61 on the rotation axis X1 side within the mesh portion 60 of the blow-out grille 59. In the outdoor unit 3 of the air conditioner 1, the inclination angle of the first annular rib 81 in the first region 61 on the rotation axis X1 side is inclined in a direction toward the rotation axis X1, so that the wind blowing out from the first region 61 is directed toward the rotation axis X1. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the region of the wind velocity distribution in the direction opposite to the direction of air blowing out from the outdoor unit 3.
The outdoor unit 3 of the air conditioner 1 can suppress the generation of an airflow in the direction opposite to the blow-out direction of the fan 38, in the vicinity of the rotation axis X1 of the fan 38, thereby increasing the airflow rate.

(4-2)

In the outdoor unit 3 of the air conditioner 1 according to the present embodiment, the fan 38 includes the boss 38a and the blade 38b. The boss 38a is located at the rotation axis X1. The blade 38b extends from the boss 38a toward the outer peripheral side. The second region 62 includes the third region 63. The third region 63 is located near the blade 38b of the fan 38. The annular ribs 80 further include the third annular rib 83. The third annular rib 83 is disposed in the third region 63.
In the outdoor unit 3 of the air conditioner 1, since the third region 63 is located near the blade 38b of the fan 38, the air flow resistance of the air blown out from the third region 63 close to the fan 38 is reduced.

(4-3)

In the outdoor unit 3 of the air conditioner 1 according to the present embodiment, the third annular rib 83 is inclined in the direction further toward the outer periphery of the blow-out grille 59 with increasing distance from the fan 38.
In the outdoor unit 3 of the air conditioner 1, since the third annular rib 83 is inclined in the direction further toward the outer periphery of the blow-out grille 59 with increasing distance from the fan 38, the third annular rib 83 is inclined along the direction of the airflow blown out from the fan 38, resulting in lower air flow resistance.

(4-4)

In the outdoor unit 3 of the air conditioner 1 according to the present embodiment, the annular ribs 80 have an inclination angle of 0° in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis X1. The inclination angle in a direction parallel to the rotation axis X1 is set to 90°. The inclination angle toward the outer peripheral side is greater than 0° but less than 90°. The inclination angle toward the boss 38a is greater than 90° but less than 180°. The second region 62 includes the fourth region 64. The fourth region 64 is closer to the rotation axis X1 than the third region 63. The annular ribs 80 further include the fourth annular rib 84. The fourth annular rib 84 is included in the fourth region 64. The fourth annular rib 84 has an inclination angle that is smaller than an inclination angle of the first annular rib 81 and greater than an inclination angle of the third annular rib 83.
The outdoor unit 3 of the air conditioner 1 can suppress a sudden change in the direction of the air blown out from the third region 63 with respect to the direction of the air blown out from the first region 61.

(4-5)

In the outdoor unit 3 of the air conditioner 1 according to the present embodiment, the annular ribs 80 have an inclination angle of 0° in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis X1. The inclination angle in a direction parallel to the rotation axis X1 is set to 90°. The inclination angle toward the outer peripheral side is greater than 0° but less than 90°. The inclination angle toward the boss 38a is greater than 90° but less than 180°. The second region 62 includes the fifth region 65. The fifth region 65 is located further toward the outer peripheral side of the blow-out grille 59 than the third region 63. The annular ribs 80 include the fifth annular rib 85. The number of annular ribs 80 may be one or plural. The fifth annular ribs 85 are included in the fifth region 65. The inclination angle of the fifth annular ribs 85 is greater than the inclination angle of the third annular ribs 83.
The outdoor unit 3 of the air conditioner 1 can improve the straightness of the airflow in a region in the direction away from the rotation axis X1.

(4-6)

In the outdoor unit 3 of the air conditioner 1 according to the present embodiment, there are a plurality of the first annular ribs 81 and a plurality of the third annular ribs 83. The pitch P3 between the third annular ribs 83 is smaller than the pitch P1 between the first annular ribs 81.
The outdoor unit 3 of the air conditioner 1 allows the direction of the air blown out from the fan 38 to be adjusted to a fixed direction, by setting the pitch P3 between the third annular ribs 83 to be small.

(4-7)

The air conditioner 1 according to the present embodiment includes the outdoor unit 3 and the indoor unit 2. The indoor unit 2 is connected to the outdoor unit 3.
The air conditioner 1 can suppress the generation of an airflow in the direction opposite to the blow-out direction of the fan 38, in the vicinity of the rotation axis X1 of the fan 38, thereby increasing the airflow rate.

(5) Modifications

(5-1) Modification 1A

In the present embodiment, the inclination angle of the first annular rib 81 is 95°, the inclination angle of the third annular rib 83 is 85°, the inclination angle of the fourth annular rib 84 is 90°, and the inclination angle of the fifth annular rib 85 is 90°. However, the inclination angles of the annular ribs 80 are not limited thereto. For example, the inclination angle of the first annular rib 81 may be 100°, the inclination angle of the third annular rib 83 may be 80°, the inclination angle of the fourth annular rib 84 may be 90°, and the inclination angle of the fifth annular rib 85 may be 90°.

(5-2) Modification 1B

In the present embodiment, the air conditioner 1 has been described as having one fan 38, but may also have two fans 38.

(5-3)

While the embodiment according to the present disclosure has been described above, it will be understood that various changes in forms and details can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure recited in the claims.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

1: air conditioner (refrigeration cycle apparatus)
2: indoor unit (utilization unit)
3: outdoor unit (heat source unit)
38: fan
38a: boss
38b: blade
55a: air blow-out port
59: blow-out grille
60: mesh portion
61 to 65: first to fifth regions
70: connecting rib
80: annular rib
81 to 85: first to fifth annular ribs
X1: rotation axis

CITATION LIST

PATENT LITERATURE

Patent Literature 1: JP 2007-139214 A

Claims

A heat source unit of a refrigeration cycle apparatus, comprising:
a fan (38);

an air blow-out port (55a) for discharging air blown from the fan to an outside; and

a blow-out grille (59) that is disposed in a blow-out direction of the fan and covers the air blow-out port, wherein

the blow-out grille includes a connecting rib (70) extending radially and a plurality of concentric annular ribs (80) intersecting the connecting rib,

the annular ribs include a first annular rib (81) disposed in a first region (61) and a second annular rib (82) disposed in a second region (62) located further toward an outer peripheral side of the blow-out grille than the first region, in a direction orthogonal to an rotation axis (X1) of the fan, and

in a cross-section including the rotation axis,

the first annular rib is inclined in a direction further toward the rotation axis with increasing distance from the fan, and

the second annular rib is inclined in a direction further toward an outer periphery of the blow-out grille than the first annular rib, with increasing distance from the fan.
The heat source unit of the refrigeration cycle apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the fan includes a boss (38a) located at the rotation axis and a blade (38b) extending from the boss toward the outer peripheral side,

the second region includes a third region (63) located near the blade of the fan, and

the annular ribs further include a third annular rib (83) disposed in the third region.
The heat source unit of the refrigeration cycle apparatus according to claim 2, wherein
the third annular rib is inclined in the direction further toward the outer periphery of the blow-out grille with increasing distance from the fan.
The heat source unit of the refrigeration cycle apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein
the annular ribs have an inclination angle of 0° in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis, an inclination angle of 90° in a direction parallel to the rotation axis, an inclination angle of greater than 0° but less than 90° toward the outer peripheral side, and an inclination angle of greater than 90° but less than 180° toward the boss,

the second region includes a fourth region (64) located further toward the rotation axis than the third region,

the annular ribs further include a fourth annular rib (84) included in the fourth region, and

the fourth annular rib has an inclination angle that is smaller than an inclination angle of the first annular rib and greater than an inclination angle of the third annular rib.
The heat source unit of the refrigeration cycle apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein
the annular ribs have an inclination angle of 0° in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis, an inclination angle of 90° in a direction parallel to the rotation axis, an inclination angle of greater than 0° but less than 90° toward the outer peripheral side, and an inclination angle of greater than 90° but less than 180° toward the boss,

the second region includes a fifth region (65) located further toward the outer peripheral side of the blow-out grille than the third region,

the annular ribs include a fifth annular rib (85) included in the fifth region, and

the fifth annular rib has an inclination angle that is greater than an inclination angle of the third annular rib.
The heat source unit of the refrigeration cycle apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein
there are a plurality of the first annular ribs and a plurality of the third annular ribs, and

a pitch (P3) between the third annular ribs is smaller than a pitch (P1) between the first annular ribs.
A refrigeration cycle apparatus comprising:
the heat source unit of the refrigeration cycle apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6; and

a utilization unit connected to the heat source unit.