ES2832449T3 - Indoor unit of an air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

An indoor unit of an air conditioner comprising: a main body [20]; a heat exchanger [30] arranged in the main body; an air blowing device [40] including an air extractor [41] installed behind the heat exchanger [30] and adapted to blow air and a drive motor [42] adapted to drive the air extractor [41]; a control unit [50] configured to control the electrical components arranged in the main body [20]; a side wall [62] located between the control unit [50] and the heat exchanger [30]; a motor fixing part [67] adapted to fix the drive motor [42], and a water collector [90] adapted to collect the condensed water formed inside the main body [20], the side wall [62] comprises a downwardly extending side surface portion [65]; and a projecting part [66] inclined downwards towards the water collector [90], characterized in that the motor fixing part [67] is connected with the lateral surface part [65] and connected with the projecting part [66] to guide the condensed water to the water collector [90].

Description

DESCRIPTION

Indoor unit of an air conditioner

Background

1. Field

The embodiments relate to an indoor unit of a multi-split type air conditioner with an electronic expansion valve (EEV).

2. Description of Related Art

In general, an air conditioner refrigeration cycle system includes a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, an evaporator, and connecting pipes. The refrigerant circulating through the pipes is compressed to a high pressure state by the compressor, enters the condenser, and then condenses while heat is emitted through the condenser. The condensed refrigerant is introduced into the expansion device and then expanded to a low temperature and low pressure state by the expansion device. The expanded refrigerant is introduced into the evaporator and then receives heat from the surrounding air as it passes through the evaporator, thereby evaporating.

In a building having a plurality of independent interior spaces, a multi-split type air conditioner provided with a plurality of interior units is used to condition the air of the plurality of independent interior spaces. The multi-split type air conditioner requires one or more electronic expansion valves to adjust the amounts of refrigerant supplied to the respective indoor units to individually operate the respective indoor units.

When the electronic expansion valve is installed in a pipeline connecting the indoor unit and an outdoor unit, the installation cost of the electronic expansion valve increases and the provision of required space for the installation of the electronic expansion valve is difficult. .

In addition, when the electronic expansion valve is installed in the indoor unit, the outdoor size of the indoor unit is increased.

Patent document KR-20020047697-A discloses an illustrative indoor unit for an air conditioner according to the preamble of claim 1.

Summary

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an indoor unit of a multi-split type air conditioner which can simply and effectively protect the drive motor and the control unit from condensed water. This objective is achieved with the indoor unit according to claim 1.

Additional aspects of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practicing the invention.

According to the invention, an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1 includes a main body, a heat exchanger arranged in the main body, an electronic expansion valve arranged in the main body and located outside in the longitudinal direction of the heat exchanger, a control unit controlling the electrical components mounted on the main body, a side wall, a motor fixing part and a water collector, wherein the side wall comprises a surface part side and the fixing part of the motor is connected with the side surface part and the protruding part.

Other preferred aspects of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

Brief description of the drawings

These and / or other aspects of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the main constitution of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of a multi-split type air conditioner having the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the embodiment;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a mounting structure of an electronic expansion valve in the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the embodiment;

Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating a space in which the electronic expansion valve is mounted in the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the embodiment;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a control unit of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the embodiment;

Fig. 6 is a view illustrating the arrangement of the electronic expansion valve in the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the embodiment; Y

Fig. 7 is a view illustrating a condensed water drainage passage in the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the embodiment.

Detailed description

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments, the examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals refer to similar elements throughout the description.

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the main constitution of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to one embodiment.

As shown in Figure 1, an indoor unit 2 of an air conditioner includes a main body 20 including a rear panel 22 fixed to a wall of a building and a front panel 21 connected with the front portion of the rear panel 22, a Indoor heat exchanger 30 arranged in the main body 20 to exchange heat with the inhaled air, an air blowing device 40 to blow air and a water collector 90 to collect the condensed water formed inside the main body 20 and then discharge the water collected outside the main body 20.

The front panel 21 is provided with suction holes 21a formed through most of the front surface and the upper surface thereof to inhale the indoor air, and a discharge hole 21b formed through its lower end and extending into the longitudinal direction to discharge air conditioning. Furthermore, a suction grille 23 provided with a plurality of ventilation holes 23a and rotatably connected to the upper portion of the front panel 21 is installed opposite the suction holes 21a of the front panel 21, and a filter 23b for filtering substances foreign matter from inhaled air is installed in the suction grille 23.

The indoor heat exchanger 30 can extend in the longitudinal direction to exchange heat with the inhaled air through the suction ports 21a. The indoor heat exchanger 30 is provided with a plurality of heat exchanger fins made of a thin plate and arranged in parallel, and a U-shaped bent refrigerant fabric to pass the heat exchanger fins one or more times. The indoor heat exchanger 30 is arranged adjacent to the suction ports 21a and exchanges heat with the inhaled air.

The indoor heat exchanger 30 includes a front heat exchanger 31 located at the front and a rear heat exchanger 32 located at the rear. The front heat exchanger 31 and the rear heat exchanger 32 are arranged so that they can be separated or joined together.

The indoor heat exchanger 30 has a vertical width from the upper portion of the rear region to the lower portion of the front region of the interior of the main body 20, and the upper end of the indoor heat exchanger 30 is supported by the upper portion of the The interior of the rear panel 22 and the lower end of the interior heat exchanger 30 is supported by the lower portion of the interior of the front panel 21.

The air blowing device 40 includes a cross flow air extractor 41 installed at the rear of the indoor heat exchanger 30 and extended in the width direction and a drive motor 42 mounted on the rear panel 22 to drive the extractor. air outlet 41 and axially connected to air extractor 41.

The indoor unit 2 of the air conditioner inhales indoor air from the suction grille 23 by rotating the air extractor 41 which is driven by the drive motor 42. The inhaled air passes through the indoor heat exchanger 30 and the exhaust fan. air 41, and is supplied to an interior space through the discharge port 21b. Here, the indoor air is cooled or heated by exchanging heat with the indoor heat exchanger 30, and the cooled air (or heated air) is supplied to the indoor space through the discharge port 21b, thereby conditioning the air of the indoor space.

The water collector 90 collects the condensed water formed inside the main body 20, particularly formed around the internal heat exchanger 30, and then discharges the collected water to the exterior of the main body 20. The water collector 90 is arranged below the heat exchanger. internal heat 30. A drain hole 91 is formed through the water trap 90, and a drain hose 92 is connected to the drain hole 91. Therefore, the condensed water collected in the water trap 90 is drained into the exterior of main body 20 through drain hose 92.

In the case of a multi-split type air conditioner with a plurality of indoor units, it is necessary to adjust the amounts of a refrigerant flowing to the indoor heat exchangers 30 of the respective indoor units 2.

Therefore, the indoor unit 2 of the air conditioner includes an electronic expansion valve 80 for controlling an amount of the refrigerant.

Figure 2 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of a multi-split type air conditioner having the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the embodiment, Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating a mounting structure of the expansion valve electronics in the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the embodiment, Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating a space in which the electronic expansion valve is mounted in the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the embodiment, the Figure 5 is a perspective view of a control unit of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the embodiment, and Figure 6 is a view illustrating the arrangement of the electronic expansion valve in the indoor unit of the air conditioner of according to the realization.

As shown in Figure 2, an outdoor unit 3 is connected to a plurality of indoor units 2a, 2b and 2c. The pipes of the outdoor unit 3 and the plurality of indoor units 2a, 2b and 2c are connected by service valves 15a and 15b.

A liquid pipe 4a and a plurality of branch pipes 5a, 5b and 5c branched from a gas pipeline 4b are connected to the plurality of indoor units 2a, 2b and 2c, respectively. Furthermore, the plurality of indoor units 2a, 2b, and 2c include the plurality of indoor heat exchangers 30a, 30b, and 30c and a plurality of electronic expansion valves 80a, 80b, and 80c connected by the plurality of branch pipes 5a, 5b, and 5c, respectively.

The outdoor unit 3 includes a compressor 11 to compress a refrigerant, a receiver-dryer 12 to separate the gas and the refrigerant liquid and filter the contaminants, an outdoor heat exchanger 13 to exchange heat between the refrigerant and the outdoor air, and a four-way switching valve 14 for changing the direction of the refrigerant flow during cooling and heating. The cooling and heating modes of the air conditioner can be switched by changing the direction of the refrigerant circulation of a refrigerant circuit using the four-way switching valve 14.

As shown in Figures 3 to 6, the indoor unit 2 of the air conditioner includes the electronic expansion valve 80, a control unit 50, the water collector 90, and a control box 60.

The electronic expansion valve 80 adjusts an amount of refrigerant flowing into the indoor heat exchanger 30. The electronic expansion valve 80 is connected to the indoor heat exchanger 30 in series, and is installed in a refrigerant inlet of the heat exchanger interior 30.

Electronic expansion valve 80 includes an actuator portion 81 for opening and closing electronic expansion valve 80, and a passage portion 82 through which refrigerant flows in and out of electronic expansion valve 80. The drive part 81 controls an amount of the refrigerant passing through the passage part 82 using a rotor.

The electronic expansion valve 80 is arranged in the main body 20. For this purpose, a receiving space 70 is provided to receive the electronic expansion valve 80 in the main body 20. In the indoor unit 2 of the air conditioner, the space Receiver 70 is provided on the outside in the longitudinal direction of the indoor heat exchanger 30.

The length of the rear heat exchanger 32 may be less than the length of the front heat exchanger 31, and the electronic expansion valve 80 may be arranged in a space formed due to such a difference in length. Similarly, the length of the rear heat exchanger 32 can be greater than the length of the front heat exchanger 31. However, in these cases, the amount of heat exchange can be reduced. Therefore, to arrange the electronic expansion valve 80 in the main body 20 while maintaining the heat exchange amount, the receiving space 70 is located outside in the longitudinal direction of the front and rear heat exchange units. 31 and 32.

When the refrigerant passes through the electronic expansion valve 80, the electronic expansion valve 80 vibrates due to the flow and expansion of the refrigerant. To prevent the vibration of the electronic expansion valve 80 from being transmitted to the main body 20, the electronic expansion valve 80 is not directly connected to the main body 20. The electronic expansion valve 80 is connected to the respective heat transfer passages of the indoor heat exchanger 30, thus being attached to the interior of the main body 20.

The electronic expansion valve 80 is arranged so that the actuating part 81 faces the front surface of the main body 20. Therefore, the maintenance and repair of the electronic expansion valve 80 is not difficult when detaching the panel. front 21 from rear panel 22.

Furthermore, the actuating part 81 of the electronic expansion valve 80 is located at a height equal to or greater than the passage part 82. If the actuating part 81 is located at a height less than the passage part 82, the pressure of the refrigerant applied to the actuator part 81 through the passage part 82 can affect the durability of the valve components mounted on the actuator part 81.

Electrical components, such as a circuit board, for controlling the operation of the indoor unit 2 of the air conditioner are mounted in the control unit 50. The control unit 50 is arranged at a side end inside the main body 20, and the electronic expansion valve 80 is arranged between the outside in the longitudinal direction of the indoor heat exchanger 30 and the control unit 50. That is, the receiving space 70 is provided between the outside in the longitudinal direction of the heat exchanger. interior 30 and control unit 50.

Condensed water forms inside the main body 20, particularly around the indoor heat exchanger 30 and the electronic expansion valve 80, in which the refrigerant flows, due to a temperature difference between the refrigerant and the air. To prevent condensed water from electrically damaging the electrical components mounted on the control unit 50, it is necessary to prevent the introduction of condensed water into the control unit 50.

The control box 60 secures the control unit 50 inside the main body 20 and prevents condensed water from entering the control unit 50. The control box 60 includes a mounting portion 61 on which the unit is mounted. control panel 50, a side wall 62 located between the control unit 50 and the indoor heat exchanger 30, and a motor fixing part 67 for fixing the drive motor 42 to the rear panel 22. The motor fixing part 67 It has a shape that surrounds the front surface portion of the drive motor 42 and thus also prevents condensed water from entering the drive motor 42 and electrically damaging the drive motor 42.

The side wall 62 includes a first side surface part 63, an extension part 64 connected to the first side surface part 63, a second side surface part 65 connected to the extension part 64, and a projecting part 66 formed in the second side surface part 65.

The first side surface part 63 is arranged in the vertical direction between the control unit 50 and the electronic expansion valve 80. The control unit 50 and the electronic expansion valve 80 are divided horizontally by the first side surface part 63 Furthermore, one side of the extension part 64 is connected with the first side surface part 63, and the extension part 64 extends a designated length in the direction of the indoor heat exchanger 30. The electronic expansion valve 80 it can be located above the extension portion 64. Therefore, two neighboring surfaces of the receiving space 70 are defined by the first side surface portion 63 and the extension portion 64.

The extension part 64 includes a guide part 64a provided with a forward end inclined downward from the first side surface part 63 towards the water trap 90, and a water inlet part 64b inclined upward from the guide part. 64a. The water inlet part 64b can be configured so that both ends of the water inlet part 64b are inclined upward, and in this case the extension part 64 is V-shaped. The condensed water formed around the valve of electronic expansion 80 is collected along a channel formed by the water inlet part 64b and the guide part 64a.

The second side surface part 65 is connected with the extension part 64 and is inclined downward. Furthermore, the projecting part 66 projecting towards the water collector 90 is formed in the second side surface part 65. The projecting part 66 can be inclined downwards towards the water collector 90. The water collector 90 is disposed below the projecting part 66, and the condensed water falling from the projecting part 66 is received in the water collector 90.

Fig. 7 is a view illustrating a condensed water drainage passage in the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the embodiment.

The indoor air is inhaled into the main body 20 through the suction ports 21a operating the air extractor 41 while filtering foreign substances from the indoor air. The inhaled air undergoes heat exchange through the indoor heat exchanger 30, and is discharged into the indoor space through the discharge port 21b by the air extractor 41. Here, the condensed water formed around the indoor heat exchanger 30 It is collected in the water collector 90 which is arranged below the indoor heat exchanger 30, and is discharged to the outside of the main body 20 through the drain hose 92.

As shown in Figure 7, condensed water also forms around the electronic expansion valve 80 exposed to indoor air. The condensed water is collected in the channel formed by the water inlet part 64b and the guide part 64a of the extension part 64 located below the electronic expansion valve 80. The collected condensed water flows over the second surface part side 65 and then falls to the water collector 90 from the protruding part 66. Therefore, the condensed water formed around the electronic expansion valve 80 does not enter the control unit 50 and the drive motor 42, and is discharge to the outside of the main body 20. As is evident from the above description, an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to One embodiment reduces the costs and space required to install a separate electronic expansion valve and simplifies an electronic expansion valve installation procedure. In addition, although the electronic expansion valve is arranged in the indoor unit, the external size of the indoor unit does not increase and the capacity of a heat exchanger is not reduced by having the electronic expansion valve, thus maintaining the exchange efficiency. of the indoor unit.

Although some embodiments have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will appreciate that changes can be made to these embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined in the appended claims.

Claims (3)

1. An indoor unit of an air conditioner comprising: a main body [20]; a heat exchanger [30] arranged in the main body; an air blowing device [40] including an air extractor [41] installed behind the heat exchanger [30] and adapted to blow air and a drive motor [42] adapted to drive the air extractor [41]; a control unit [50] configured to control the electrical components arranged in the main body [20]; a side wall [62] located between the control unit [50] and the heat exchanger [30]; a motor fixing part [67] adapted to fix the drive motor [42], and a water collector [90] adapted to collect the condensed water formed inside the main body [20], the side wall [62] comprises a downwardly extending side surface portion [65]; Y a projecting part [66] inclined downwards towards the water collector [90], characterized because the motor fixing part [67] is connected with the side surface part [65] and connected with the projecting part [66] to guide the condensed water to the water collector [90]. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the side wall [62] further comprises an extension part [64] connected with the side surface part [65] and extended in a direction of the heat exchanger [30]. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the extension part [64] is placed on the fixing part of the motor [67].