JP2001021207A - Air conditioner buried in ceiling - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To quickly and effectively achieve a work such as maintenance. SOLUTION: An air conditioner 1 furied in a ceiling includes an indoor heat exchanger 8 and an air fan 35 for feeding air to the indoor heat exchanger 8 in a hollow box shaped body casing 2 installed at an air conditioner mounting opening 34 in a ceiling 33. There is provided a working space 11 between the indoor heat exchanger 8 and the air fan 35 in the body casing 2, which space is capable of accommodating at least a head or an upper half body of a person, and an opening 36 is formed below the working space 11 and at a bottom of the body casing 2, in which a head or an upper half body of a person. The opening 36 is closed freely to open and close with the aid of a cover plate 2b. The indoor heat exchanger 8, air fan 35, and a drain pan 9, etc., air disposed within user's reach around the working space 11.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an in-ceiling type air conditioner in which, for example, a head or an upper body is put in a main body casing and maintenance and other work can be performed at that position.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional ceiling-mounted air conditioner is shown in FIG.
1 to FIG. The ceiling-embedded air conditioner 51 shown in each figure includes an indoor heat exchanger 8 for exchanging indoor air with a refrigerant for air conditioning, a drain pan 9 for receiving dew water from the indoor heat exchanger 8, and a room. A control box 19 containing electric components such as a blower fan 7 and a fan casing 6 for blowing indoor air to the inner heat exchanger 8 and a power supply and a control device for the blower is built in a main body casing 52. The main body casing 52 is formed in a hollow rectangular box shape, and is installed in an air conditioner mounting opening formed in a ceiling. The main casing 52 has a ventilation path in the casing, and is divided into a ventilation space 4 and a heat exchange space 5 by the partition plate 3. In this case, the ventilation space 4
And the heat exchange space 5 are relatively close to each other. A suction duct 22a is formed on the front plate of the main body casing 52 and has a suction port.
Are connected. The outlet 21 is formed in the back plate 45 of the main body casing 52 and is connected to the outlet duct 23. The bottom opening of the main casing 52 is closed by a bottom plate 52a except when necessary for maintenance or the like.

[0003] A blower provided in the blower space 4 includes a motor 13 having a double shaft type drive shaft 14 and a drive shaft 14.
And a fan casing 6 that houses the blower fan 7. The fan casing 6 is arranged such that its outlet 12 passes through the partition plate 3 and opens into the heat exchange space 5.
The refrigerant pipe from the indoor heat exchanger 8 described above is taken out of the casing from the side surface of the main casing 52 and is connected to another refrigerant pipe at the connection portion 15a. In addition, the control box 19 is installed on the side plate in the ventilation space 4. A side plate inspection opening is formed in the installation portion of the side plate, and the side plate inspection opening is closed by a lid plate 53.

In the conventional ceiling-embedded air conditioner 51 configured as described above, when performing maintenance inside the main body casing 52, an operator removes the bottom plate 52a, opens the bottom opening of the main body casing 52, and then opens the bottom surface. The drain pan 9 and the indoor heat exchanger 8 are being constructed by looking upward into the main body casing 52 from the opening. that time,
A construction area 56 is secured below the main body casing 52. On the other hand, when inspecting the control box 19, the operator puts his hand through the inspection opening 54 formed in the ceiling beside the ceiling-mounted air conditioner 51, removes the cover plate 53, and opens the side plate inspection opening. The inside of the control box 19 is viewed through the side plate inspection opening and the ceiling inspection opening 54. At this time, a construction area 55 for placing tools and replacement parts is secured on the ceiling upper surface.

[0005] By the way, 2 such as convenience stores
The ceiling-mounted air conditioner used in the four-hour office is forced to operate continuously day and night. In addition, there are special circumstances in which convenience stores frequently enter and exit customers, so that cooling and heating air flows out significantly, which inevitably results in large cooling and heating loads and large ventilation volumes, making it easy for dust to collect in the cabin. are doing. The maintenance of such air conditioners is carried out at least about once every six months, but the operation of the air conditioners is stopped for a short period of time during spring and autumn when the air conditioning load is small and there are few customers. . Therefore, it is important how quickly and efficiently maintenance can be performed.

[0006]

As described above, when performing maintenance work on the conventional ceiling-mounted air conditioner 51, the operator must take a posture to look into the main body casing 52 from below. Therefore, during the maintenance, dust in the main body casing 52 may come into contact with the eyes, or a screw or the like may fall and cause danger. On the other hand, the control box 19 is constructed from the side of the main casing 52, the indoor heat exchanger 8 and the drain pan 9 are constructed from the rear of the bottom opening of the main casing 52, the blower is constructed from the front of the bottom opening, and so on. Since there were a plurality of construction sites, the labor and time required for the construction became large, and the work efficiency was not good.

On the other hand, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-160188 discloses another ceiling-mounted air conditioner.
In the ceiling-embedded air conditioner disclosed in this publication, when performing maintenance / inspection work such as cleaning or replacement of parts, a blower, an indoor heat exchanger, a drain pan, and an air filter incorporated in a main body casing include: The main body casing is slid downward from the bottom surface and pulled out. However, the indoor heat exchanger to which the refrigerant pipe is connected,
Since the drain pan to which the drain pipe is connected is moved with respect to the main body casing, the connection between the refrigerant pipe and the drain pipe must be disassembled and the refrigerant pipe and the drain pipe must be removed. Further, after the maintenance is completed, it is necessary to return the indoor heat exchanger and the drain pan to the original position and perform the restoration work of the pipe connection, which is an extremely large-scale work and takes a long time. As described above, the ceiling-embedded air conditioner disclosed in the above-mentioned gazette is inevitably required to take a long time to construct, and is therefore not practically suitable for a 24-hour store.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and has as its object to provide an in-ceiling type air conditioner capable of performing work such as maintenance quickly and efficiently.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, an embedded ceiling air conditioner according to the present invention comprises a hollow box-shaped main body casing installed at an air conditioner mounting opening in a ceiling. In the ceiling-mounted air conditioner, which has a built-in blower that blows the inside heat exchanger and the indoor side heat exchanger,
Between the indoor heat exchanger and the blower in the main body casing,
At least a construction space that can accommodate the head or upper body of a person is provided, and an opening is formed on the bottom of the main body casing below the construction space to allow the head or upper body of the person, and the opening is opened and closed. It is configured to have a lid plate that seals as much as possible. The term `` construction '' here includes not only refrigerant pipe connection work and electrical wiring connection work, but also inspection service work such as cleaning and cleaning of ventilation fans, fan casings, drain pans, heat exchangers, etc., maintenance work, repair work, etc. Shall be considered.

[0010] In the above-mentioned configuration, construction-related air-conditioning equipment including at least an indoor heat exchanger and a blower is disposed in a position within a reach of the construction space in the main body casing and within reach. . Here, "construction-related air-conditioning equipment" indicates the components of the air conditioner side that is the target of the "construction", for example, a blower fan, a fan casing, a drain pan, an indoor heat exchanger, a refrigerant pipe, and the like. A connection unit, a control box, an air filter, and the like are included.

In each of the above configurations, the blower includes a blower fan and a fan casing for housing the blower fan, and the fan casing is installed so that an outlet of the fan casing opens into a construction space. A drain hole is formed in the bottom surface of the fan casing, and a plug is provided to seal the drain hole so that it can be opened and closed.

Further, in each of the above structures, a drain pan is installed in the main body casing below the indoor heat exchanger,
A connection portion between the refrigerant pipe connected to the indoor heat exchanger and another refrigerant pipe is disposed above the drain pan in the main body casing.

Further, in each of the above-mentioned structures, there is provided means for attaching a lighting fixture for illuminating the inside of the construction space.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a side surface of a ceiling-mounted air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram illustrating a plan view of the ceiling-mounted air conditioner, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a type air conditioner, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view showing a blower of the ceiling-mounted air conditioner and the vicinity thereof. However, the same components as those of the conventional ceiling-mounted air conditioner shown in FIGS. 11 to 13 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof may be omitted. In each of the drawings, the ceiling-mounted air conditioner 1 according to this embodiment includes:
An indoor heat exchanger 8 for exchanging indoor air with a refrigerant for air conditioning, a drain pan 9 for temporarily storing dew water from the indoor heat exchanger 8 and the refrigerant pipe, and an indoor air blower to the indoor heat exchanger 8 A blower 35, a power supply for the blower 35, and a control box 19 containing electrical components such as a control device are housed in the main body casing 2.

The main body casing 2 includes left and right side plates 41 and 4.
2. A hollow rectangular box is formed from the top plate 43, the front plate 44, the back plate 45, and the bottom plate 2a at the rear of the lower surface, and is installed in the air conditioner mounting opening 34 of the ceiling 33. . The main body casing 2 is suspended and held above the ceiling via suspension rods 30 by holding fittings 29 protruding from the side plates 41 and 42. The main casing 2 has a ventilation path in the casing, and the partition plate 3 forms a ventilation space 4.
And a heat exchange space 5. Duct connecting portions 20, 20, 20 each having a suction port 27 are provided on the front plate 44 of the main body casing 2, and the suction ducts 22, 22, 22 are connected to these duct connecting portions 20, 20, 20, respectively. . On the other hand, the air outlet 21 is formed in the back plate 45 and is connected to the air outlet duct 23.

The blower 35 provided in the blower space 4 has:
It comprises a motor 13 having a double-shaft type drive shaft 14, a blower fan 7 such as a sirocco fan attached to both ends of the drive shaft 14, and a fan casing 6 for housing the blower fan 7. The fan casing 6 is arranged such that the blow-out port 12 penetrates through the partition plate 3 and opens to the construction space 11, and a drain hole 24 is formed in the bottom surface. The drain hole 24 is closed and opened and closed by a plug 25. The space 11 between the indoor heat exchanger 8 and the blower 35 in the main body casing 2 is large enough to accommodate the worker's head M1 and upper body M2.
Is provided. The drain pan 9 installed below the indoor heat exchanger 8 is arranged above the bottom plate 2a.

On the other hand, an opening 36 communicating with the construction space 11 is formed below the construction space 11 in the main casing 2, and an opening 3 is formed below the ventilation space 4.
7 are formed. The opening 36 is also set to a size that can accommodate the worker's head M1 and upper body M2,
The lid 2b swings around the hinge 26b so as to be opened and closed. The opening 37 is openably and closably sealed by a cover plate 2c that swings around the hinge 26c. The control box 1
9 is installed on the side plate 41 in the construction space 11. At the bottom of the drain pan 9, there is provided a flow-down port 10 connected to a drain hose (not shown) or the like. A connection portion 15 between a refrigerant pipe 16 connected to the indoor heat exchanger 8 and another refrigerant pipe 17 connected to, for example, an outdoor heat exchanger (not shown) is disposed above the drain pan 9 in the main body casing 2. I have. Each refrigerant pipe 16 is arranged so as to be inclined such that the connection part 15 side is high and the drain pan 9 side is low. The refrigerant pipe 17 is fixed to the side plate 41 via a pipe cover 18 arranged above the control box 19.

That is, the above-described fan casing 6, blower fan 7, indoor heat exchanger 8, drain pan 9,
The connection portion 15, the refrigerant pipe 16, the refrigerant pipe 17, the pipe cover 18, or the control box 19 (each of an example of a construction-related air conditioner) is located around the construction space 11 in the main body casing 2, and Located within reach of the elderly. On the other hand, an attachment means 31 typified by a hook or the like is fixed on the partition plate 3 in the construction space 11. The mounting means 31 is for mounting a lighting fixture 32 represented by a flashlight or the like.
However, the installation location of the mounting means 31 is not limited to the partition plate 3.

The ceiling-embedded air conditioner 1 of this embodiment is configured as described above. During normal air-conditioning operation, the refrigerant that has received cold or warm heat from the outdoor heat exchanger and the refrigerant expansion device (both not shown) forming the refrigeration cycle flows into the indoor heat exchanger 8. On the other hand, when the blower fan 7 is driven by the activation of the motor 13, the room air is drawn into the fan casings 6, 6 from the room through the suction ducts 22, 22, 22. The air sucked in this way is blown out from the air outlet 12, and the construction space 11
To the heat exchange space 5, and cooled or heated by heat exchange with the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 8, and then the outlet 2.
Squirted from one. The air that has exited from the outlet 21 is returned from the outlet duct 23 into the room to cool or heat the room.

The construction of the ceiling-mounted air conditioner 1 (inspection work, service work, cleaning work, maintenance work, repair work, etc.) will be described below. First,
For the ceiling-mounted air conditioner 1 in the shutdown state,
As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the operator opens the cover 2 b around the hinge 26 b to open the opening 36. Next, the worker stands on a stepladder or the like and puts the head M1 and the upper body M2 into the construction space 11 through the opening 36. Then, the lighting fixture 32 is suspended from the mounting means 31 and turned on, so that the air outlet 12 of the blower 35 is provided in the construction space 11.
Inside, the indoor heat exchanger 8 and the drain pan 9 are brightly illuminated.

When the operator looks forward in the construction space 11, as shown in FIG. 5, the inside of the fan casings 6, 6 through the air outlets 12, 12, the blower fans 7,
7. The drive shaft 14 can be visually recognized. Furthermore, it is possible to clean the inside of the fan casing 6 and the blower fan 7 by putting a hand in the outlet 12, and to wash by blowing water from a water hose. At the time of such water washing, the lid plate 2c is opened, the opening 37 is also opened, and the plug 25 is removed from the drain hole 24. Then, while introducing a water hose into the construction space 11 and injecting water into the air outlet 12, dirt on the inner surface of the fan casing 6 and the blower fan 7 can be washed away. The washed sewage is drained from the drain hole 24 and stored in a bucket or the like received at the opening 37. When the lid 2b and the lid 2c are simultaneously opened as described above, the opening 36 and the opening 3 are opened.
Below 7, a fairly large construction area 28 (see FIG. 3) is secured.

Next, when facing backward in the construction space 11, as shown in FIG. 6, the indoor heat exchanger 8, the drain pan 9, the refrigerant pipes 16 and 17, and the connection portion 15 can be visually recognized. . In particular, the inside of the tray can be confirmed at the same position without moving the drain pan 9 as in the related art. Also in this case, dust accumulated in the indoor heat exchanger 8 and the drain pan 9 can be manually cleaned or washed away. Then, when turning to the left, as shown in FIG.
The states of the control box 19, the refrigerant pipe 17, and the pipe cover 18 can be visually inspected. At this time, since the control box 19 can be opened from within the construction space 11, the wiring connection work of the power supply line and the signal line and the operation check of the control device can be performed from within the construction space 11.

As described above, the ceiling-embedded air conditioner 1 according to this embodiment allows the user to view the inside of the air conditioner from front to back and from side to side only by looking horizontally in the construction space 11. This eliminates the need to look up from the bottom of the main body casing as in the prior art, so that dust, screws, and the like do not enter the eyes, and maintenance work and the like can be easily performed in an easy posture. In addition, the refrigerant pipes 16 and 1
7, connection section 15, control box 19, blower 35, indoor heat exchanger 8, drain pan 9, etc.
It is located within reach of the surrounding area, so inspection work,
Maintenance work, connection work, cleaning work, and the like can be performed in one place (construction space 11).
Further, construction can be performed quickly without moving the indoor heat exchanger 8, the drain pan 9, the blower 35, and the like with respect to the main body casing 2, that is, without removing or restoring piping or the like. Therefore, when the ceiling-mounted air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment is used in a 24-hour store such as a convenience store, the necessary work is completed only by stopping the air-conditioning operation for about 20 to 30 minutes while operating. Can be done.

On the other hand, for example, the connection parts 15, 15, 15,
When the air conditioner is in operation, the connection 15
Even if the condensed water generated in the exposed part of the liquid drops, the condensed water is received by the drain pan 9 immediately below. Alternatively, when the condensed water from the connection portion 15 travels through the refrigerant pipe 16, the condensed water is inclined to the refrigerant pipes 16, 16, 16, 16
Flows down and is reliably accommodated in the drain pan 9 immediately below. Therefore, there is no problem that the condensed water falls to a portion other than the drain pan 9 and drops from the bottom surface of the main body casing 2 into the store, thereby soiling the product.

Note that, as shown in FIG.
Refrigerant pipes 17a, 17a, 17a (examples of construction-related air-conditioning equipment) from 5 and 15 may be extended to the side plate 42 side and fixed to the side plate 42 via a pipe cover 18a (example of construction-related air-conditioning equipment). It is possible. Further, in the above, the blower is disposed upstream in the blowing direction with respect to the indoor heat exchanger, a so-called push-in ventilation type ceiling-embedded air conditioner is exemplified, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the indoor heat exchange is not limited thereto. Needless to say, the present invention can also be applied to a so-called suction ventilation type ceiling-embedded type air conditioner in which a blower is disposed downstream of the blower in the blowing direction. However, in that case, the fan casing outlet is opened on the opposite side to the construction space.

[0026]

As described above in detail, according to the ceiling-mounted type air conditioner of the present invention, for example, the workers open the cover plate on the lower surface of the main body casing and open the head to the construction space through the opening. And can put the upper body. Therefore, since the front, rear, left and right inside the machine can be visually recognized simply by looking horizontally in the construction space, falling dust and screws are hard to see, and maintenance and other construction can be easily performed in an easy posture.

In addition, since construction-related air-conditioning equipment such as a blower, an indoor heat exchanger, a drain pan, a refrigerant pipe, and electrical wiring are arranged within an accessible range around the construction space, inspection of such construction-related air-conditioning equipment is performed. Construction space, maintenance work, connection work, cleaning work, etc.
It can be performed in a concentrated manner at a location, and construction can be completed in a short time. Therefore, the ceiling-embedded air conditioner of the present invention has 24
The present invention can be suitably applied to a store in which the air-conditioning operation must be stopped for a while, but the construction must be performed, while the business is open like a time store.

Since a drain hole is provided on the bottom surface of the fan casing, the plug is removed from the drain hole when cleaning the blower, and then water is injected from the construction space into the blower outlet. Dirt on the inner surface of the fan casing and the blower fan can be washed away. The sewage after washing is drained out of the machine through the drain hole.

Further, the connection between the refrigerant pipe from the indoor heat exchanger and another refrigerant pipe is often provided outside the machine and is exposed, but in the present invention, such a connection is provided inside the machine. In addition, since it is disposed above the drain pan, even if dew condensation water is generated at the exposed portion of the connection portion and drops, it can be received by the drain pan. Therefore, the surroundings of the air conditioner are not wetted and soiled. In addition, the connection work and the removal work of the refrigerant pipe can be performed simply and easily in the construction space inside the machine, not in the ceiling outside the machine.

[0030] Further, since the mounting means for the lighting equipment is provided, the lighting equipment can be installed in the construction space. Thereby, the inside of the construction space can be illuminated brightly, and the construction is further facilitated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a side surface of an embedded ceiling air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a plan view of the ceiling-mounted air conditioner.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the ceiling-mounted air conditioner.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view showing a blower of the ceiling-mounted air conditioner and the vicinity thereof.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the blower side in the construction space.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the heat exchanger side in the construction space.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the control box in the construction space.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of a mode in which a body is put into a construction space and construction is performed, as viewed from a side.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory view of a mode in which a body is put into a construction space and construction is performed, as viewed on a plane.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing another construction mode of the refrigerant pipe connected at the connection portion.

FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram showing a side surface of a conventional ceiling-mounted air conditioner.

FIG. 12 is a configuration diagram showing a plane of a conventional ceiling-mounted air conditioner.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a conventional ceiling-mounted air conditioner.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ceiling mounted air conditioner, 2 body casing, 2b
Cover plate, 6 fan casing (example of construction-related air-conditioning equipment), 7 blower fan (example of construction-related air-conditioning equipment), 8
Indoor heat exchanger (example of construction-related air-conditioning equipment), 9 drain pan (example of construction-related air-conditioning equipment), 11 construction space, 12 outlet, 15 connection part (example of construction-related air-conditioning equipment), 16 refrigerant pipe ( Examples of construction-related air conditioning equipment), 17
Refrigerant piping (example of construction-related air conditioning equipment), 17a Refrigerant piping (example of construction-related air conditioning equipment), 18 piping cover (example of construction-related air conditioning equipment), 18a piping cover (example of construction-related air conditioning equipment), 19 control box (Examples of construction-related air conditioners), 24 drain holes, 25 plugs, 31 mounting means, 3
2 lighting equipment, 33 ceiling, 34 air conditioner mounting opening, 3
5 Blower, 36 openings, M1 head, M2 upper body.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Hiroshi Tsutsumi 2-3-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Mitsui Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Munehiro Yamanaka 2-6-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Mitsuhiro Electric Engineering Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Mitsuhiro Goto 2-6-1, Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Mitsuishi Electric Engineering Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Toshiaki Takanashi 1-9-20 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo No. General Air Conditioning Technica Co., Ltd.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A ceiling-embedded type in which a room-side heat exchanger and a blower for blowing air to the room-side heat exchanger are built in a hollow box-shaped main body casing installed in an air conditioner mounting opening of a ceiling. In the air conditioner, a construction space capable of accommodating at least the head or upper body of a person is provided between the indoor heat exchanger and the blower in the main body casing, and the main body is provided below the construction space. An embedded ceiling air conditioner, wherein an opening for accommodating a person's head or upper body is formed on the bottom surface of the casing, and a lid plate is provided for sealing the opening so that the opening can be opened and closed. 2. A construction-related air-conditioning device including at least an indoor heat exchanger and a blower is located within a reach of a construction space within a main body casing and within reach of the construction space. Item 2. The ceiling-mounted air conditioner according to Item 1. 3. The blower includes a blower fan and a fan casing for housing the blower fan, wherein the fan casing is installed such that an outlet thereof is open to a construction space, and a bottom surface of the fan casing. 2. A drain hole is formed in the drain hole, and a plug is provided for sealing the drain hole so that the drain hole can be opened and closed.
3. The ceiling-mounted air conditioner according to claim 2 or 3. 4. A drain pan is installed in a main body casing below the indoor heat exchanger, and a connecting portion between a refrigerant pipe connected to the indoor heat exchanger and another refrigerant pipe is connected to the drain pan in the main body casing. The ceiling-mounted air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the air conditioner is disposed above. 5. The ceiling-mounted air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising a lighting device mounting means for illuminating the inside of the construction space.