JP2002071164A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To constitute an indoor unit in a smaller size as much as possible and facilitate its installation work. SOLUTION: An air conditioner is constitute such that an electric part situated in an indoor unit 18 is contained in manner to be divided into a first electric unit 22 to contain a power unit including an SL connector.power relay 25, a second electric unit 23 to contain at least an indoor control substrate 31, and a third electric unit 24 to contain at least a plurality of luminous elements 46 for display. The first or the third electric units 22-24 are situated on the front side of the indoor unit 18.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly to an indoor unit thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An air conditioner typically performs a cooling operation and a heating operation, but an air conditioner capable of additionally performing a dehumidifying operation is often used. In order to enable a dehumidifying operation, a method is used in which an indoor heat exchanger is divided into at least two parts, a part of which functions as an evaporator, and the other part functions as a condenser.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a refrigeration cycle of an air conditioner capable of performing such a dehumidifying operation. A compressor 1 is connected via a four-way switching valve 2 to an outdoor heat exchanger 3, an expansion valve 4, and the like.
It is sequentially connected to the indoor heat exchanger 5. Indoor heat exchanger 5
Is divided into a first indoor heat exchanger 5a acting as a condenser during the dehumidifying operation and a second indoor heat exchanger 5b acting as an evaporator, and is divided between the two indoor heat exchangers 5a and 5b. Is provided with a two-way valve 7 provided with a capillary 6.

In the refrigeration cycle shown in FIG. 11, during the heating operation, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 is supplied to the four-way switching valve 2.
, Flows into the indoor heat exchanger 5 and is condensed, where it exchanges heat with the indoor air to heat the indoor air. The refrigerant that has exchanged heat with the indoor air passes through the expansion valve 4 and passes through the outdoor heat exchanger 3.
After flowing into the compressor and expanding, the refrigerant flows back to the compressor 1 via the four-way switching valve 2.

During the cooling operation, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 3 via the four-way switching valve 2 and is condensed, flows into the indoor heat exchanger 5 through the expansion valve 4 and expands. After cooling the room air, the air is returned to the compressor 1 via the four-way switching valve 2.

Further, during the dehumidifying operation, the flow of the refrigerant is the same as during the cooling operation, but the expansion valve 4 is opened and the two-way valve 7 is closed. Therefore, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 sequentially flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 3 and the first indoor heat exchanger 5a via the four-way switching valve 2, and after being condensed there, passes through the capillary 6 and into the second indoor heat exchanger. The air flows into the heat exchanger 5b and expands, and the indoor air is cooled by heat exchange with the indoor air, thereby dehumidifying the indoor air.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an indoor unit of an air conditioner capable of a dehumidifying operation corresponding to the refrigeration cycle shown in FIG. The first and second indoor heat exchangers 5a and 5b are arranged parallel to each other and slightly obliquely, and an indoor fan 9 is provided at a lower rear portion thereof. The indoor unit 8 has a front air inlet 1 and an indoor air inlet 1 on the upper surface.
0 is formed, and an indoor air outlet 11 is formed below the indoor fan 9. The indoor air sucked from the inlet 10 by the indoor fan 9 is supplied to the indoor heat exchanger 5.
After the heat exchange at a and 5b, the air is blown into the room from the air outlet 11. A drain pan 12 is disposed below the indoor heat exchangers 5a and 5b to receive water condensed in the evaporator.

At first glance, the air conditioner shown in FIG. 12 consists only of mechanical parts. However, various electric components are used for controlling them. For example,
The two-way valve 7 is an electromagnetic valve, and its opening and closing are electrically performed in the form of energizing and de-energizing the operation coil. The control of the indoor fan 9 is also performed electrically via a motor. Furthermore, in order to perform fine air conditioning control and to make various displays easily visible, a variety of display light emitting elements, for example, a pilot lamp composed of an LED (light emitting diode) is provided. Done electrically. Further, in recent years, there have been proposed ones with a built-in negative ion generator for effects such as reduction of fatigue, improvement of a feeling of relaxation, relaxation of tension, and the like, and a proposal of a built-in electric dust collector. Thus, an air conditioner, especially an indoor unit, is provided with a considerable number of electric components. Furthermore, even after installation, there is a need to access something for maintenance of those electrical components.
Conventionally, these electric components are collectively arranged as one electric component unit in a space formed from the front side to the rear side of the side portion in the indoor unit 8 and accessed from the side portion of the indoor unit 8. There were many things.

In this structure, first, the indoor unit becomes large, and secondly, the indoor unit is disposed at the corner of the room, regardless of the case where the indoor unit is disposed at the center of the wall surface in the left-right direction. When installed, once installed, it is very difficult to access the indoor unit from the corner side for maintenance.

[0010]

Accordingly, the present invention provides
It is an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioner in which an indoor unit is configured as small as possible and whose installation work is easy.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, an air conditioner according to the first aspect of the present invention includes an electric unit provided in an indoor unit, a power electric unit including an SL connector and a power relay. A first electric component unit for housing, a second electric component unit for housing at least an indoor control board, and at least a third electric component unit for housing a display board are housed separately, and
Wherein the electric component unit is disposed on the front side of the indoor unit.

The invention according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1 or 2
In the air conditioner described in (1), a negative ion power supply unit is housed in the second electric component unit.

The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1 or 2
In the air conditioner described in (1), a negative ion power supply unit is housed in the second electric component unit.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the air conditioner according to the third aspect, the negative ion power supply unit comprises:
It is characterized by being arranged apart from the indoor control board.

The invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to claim 3 or 4.
Wherein the front surface of the negative ion power supply unit is covered with a cover made of an insulating material, a lead group led to the indoor control board is disposed on the upper surface, and a claw for holding the lead group on the cover is provided. Is formed.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the air conditioner according to the first aspect, the second electric component unit includes a resin-made unit case for housing the indoor control board and having an open front surface; And a metal cover that covers a front open portion of the unit case.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the air conditioner according to the first aspect, a cosmetic for displaying the operating status of the air conditioner by covering the front surface of the display substrate on the front side of the third electric component. A board for mounting a sensor for detecting a state of contamination of room air and at least one operation switch including a reset switch on the display substrate; forming a ventilation hole through which room air is introduced into a front surface of the sensor of the decorative board; It is characterized in that the space between the sensor for detecting the dirt of the air and the operation switch is divided so that room air does not flow.

The invention according to claim 8 is the invention according to claim 1 or 7.
The air conditioner according to the above, characterized in that a fixing portion for fixing the temperature sensor and the humidity sensor is integrally provided at a position extending from the side of the third electric component unit to the air passage of the indoor unit. And

[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show the overall structure of an indoor unit 18 in an air conditioner according to the present invention. The rear surface of the indoor unit 18 is flat for mounting on a wall surface. By driving the indoor fan occupying a large space in the unit 18, the indoor air sucked from the suction port 20 formed on the front surface of the indoor unit 18 is subjected to heat exchange in the indoor heat exchanger, The air is blown into the room from the air outlet 21 formed at the lower front side. FIG. 3 does not show the indoor fan, but shows a fan motor 28 disposed on the front side to drive the indoor fan.

Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to FIGS.
Various electric parts are basically housed in the electric part box and then housed in the indoor unit 18. However, the electrical component box according to the invention has three electrical component units:
It is divided into second and third electric component units 22, 23, 24. As can be inferred from FIGS. 1, 2, 4 to 6, and 9, each of the electric component units 22, 23, and 24 is arranged in an L-shape as a whole, and is disposed on the front side of the indoor unit 18. The component unit 22 is arranged vertically on the right side,
The second and third electric component units 23 and 24 are arranged side by side at the lower part. Assembling and mounting between the respective electric component units, and mounting between the assembled electric component and the indoor unit main body, respectively, form a projection on one side and form a corresponding recess on the other side, and have elastic claw members. It can be mounted and dismounted in such a way as to maintain the mounted state.

The first electrical component unit is a power component unit that houses power components such as a power relay 25 with an SL (screwless) connector and forms a space for routing wiring terminals and connection wiring. Here, the SL connector is a connection terminal for connecting the connection wires of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, and performs the required wire attachment simply by inserting the wire into the terminal hole 26. The power relay 25 is a switch for turning on and off a power circuit such as a motor. The electric component unit 22 is formed in a unit case 27 made of resin, and the power relay 25 with the SL connector is connected to the connection pipe at the end of the heat exchanger of the indoor unit 18 and the front of the side end where the fan motor 28 is arranged. It is arranged to be located. By arranging the first electric component unit 22 in the vertical direction, the indoor and outdoor connection lead wires guided from the rear side are smoothly guided to the front side, and the lead wire ends are inserted into the terminal holes 26 of the SL connector on the front side. It can be inserted and connected, and the connection operation can be completed by covering with a resin cover 29 after connection (FIG. 5). The electric component unit 22 is provided with a switch 30 linked to the front panel of the indoor unit. When the front panel is removed, the electric circuit is automatically turned off to ensure safety. The wiring space 31 is secured in the unit case 27.

Referring to FIGS. 4 to 6 and FIG. The second electric component unit 23 includes a control board 31 for controlling each electric component.
And a control board unit made of resin, which is configured in a unit case 32 made of resin. The unit case 32 includes a power supply unit substrate 33 for negative ion generation on the right side.
On the left side at a predetermined distance from the indoor control board 3
1 is arranged. Since the negative ion power supply unit 34 supplies a high voltage to the negative ion generating needle, the negative ion power supply unit 34 is separated from the indoor control board 31 so that the indoor control board 31 can be prevented from being obstructed by noise or the like. A negative ion power supply unit 34 having a high voltage source is covered with a protective cover 35 made of resin, and a wiring for collectively locking a connection wiring from the first electric component unit 22 side to the indoor control board 31 on the front surface of the cover 35. The guide 36 is formed integrally. By housing the negative ion power supply unit 34 in the second electric component unit 23, the distance to the negative ion generator arranged in the air blowing passage can be reduced, and the influence of noise and static electricity generated from the wiring can be reduced. Can be suppressed. The upper space of the indoor unit 18 to which the indoor control board 31 is attached is used for arranging the wirings collectively.
6 and are held down by the wiring holding claws 37. In the second electric component unit 23, a rear surface of the unit case 32 is covered with a metal cover 39a, and a front open portion of the unit case 32 is openably and closably covered with a metal cover 39b.

By making the unit case 32 made of resin, the leg portion 40 for attachment to an indoor unit substrate or the like,
Pressing claws 37 for holding the lead wires and the like are integrally molded to improve the assemblability of parts, and by covering the outside with a metal cover 39a and a lid 39b, noise is prevented from leaking to the outside. Can be prevented,
Parts can be protected. Further, by covering the negative ion power supply unit 34 with the cover 35, it is possible to prevent the indoor control board 31 from touching a high voltage portion during service inspection. Furthermore, since the wiring can be arranged in an organized manner by fixing the lead wires, highly reliable wiring connection without erroneous wiring can be performed.

Referring to FIGS. The third electric component unit 24 is configured in a unit case 41. On the front side of the unit case 41, a resin-made case cover 42 that is partially open so that only the functional components are partitioned and exposed on the front side is provided so as to be openable and closable. On the display substrate 43, a gas sensor 44 for detecting the state of contamination of the room air is provided below the central portion, and operation switches such as a reset switch 45 are provided above the central portion above the gas sensor 44. Further, various display light-emitting elements 46 such as LEDs (light-emitting diodes) for visually displaying the operation mode, operation state, degree of indoor comfort, and the like of the air conditioner are attached to side portions of the gas sensor 44. I have. Reference numeral 47 denotes a humidity sensor, reference numeral 48 denotes a temperature sensor, and reference numeral 49 denotes a light receiving unit for receiving an optical signal from a remote controller, which is provided with electric components other than a power component and a control board. Each display light emitting element 4
Numeral 6 is partitioned by a partition cover 50 made of resin so as to prevent mutual interference of light of elements having respective functions. Each of these display light emitting elements 46 and the gas sensor 4
4. The section where the remote control light receiving section 49 and the like are arranged is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the case is exposed from the case cover 42. The front side of the indoor unit is covered with a front grill (not shown), and a portion of the front grill facing the exposed partition portion is a horizontally long decorative plate made of translucent acrylic resin or the like (see FIG. (Not shown). At that time, a portion of the decorative plate where each display light emitting element 46 faces the back surface emits light of various colors according to the operation state. For example, the light emitting element 46 is operated in various operation modes of the air conditioner. (A cooling operation, a heating operation, a dehumidification operation, etc.) and a timer operation state, a state display section 51, an ion monitor section 52, and an air cleanliness monitor section 53 are included. It can be visually displayed on the board to enhance the design effect. Further, since the gas sensor 44 is disposed on one side of the decorative board, a ventilation slit (not shown) for introducing room air of the facing decorative board to the gas sensor 44 side is provided. As a result, the indoor air enters the gas sensor 44 side, and the gas sensor 44 detects the contamination state of the indoor air, and uses the detection result for the operation control of the electric dust collector and the display of the indoor air state. Further, the remote control light receiving unit 49 disposed adjacent to the gas sensor 44 is also configured to receive an optical signal from the remote control through the decorative plate. Furthermore, the compartment to which the operation switch such as the reset switch 45 provided above the decorative plate facing portion of the display board 43 is attached is also operated when the front grill of the indoor unit is opened. It is in a state of being exposed from the cover 42. For this reason, the case cover 42 is provided with a partition so that when dust enters from the gas sensor 44 side through the ventilation slit of the decorative board, dust does not enter from the section where the front surface where the gas sensor 44 is mounted is opened. Note that connectors 54 and 55 for transmitting and receiving signals to and from other electric component units are provided at both left and right ends of the display board 43.

The temperature sensor 48 and the humidity sensor 47 are mounted on a fixed portion 56 that is integrally provided in the indoor unit air passage on the side of the third electric component unit 24.
Since the fixing portion 56 for mounting the sensor is formed integrally with the third electric component unit 24, the sensors 47 and 48 can be mounted in the process of assembling the electric components, and the process of assembling and wiring is simplified. As a result, the length of the lead wire can be reduced, and there is no variation in the mounting position to the indoor unit 18, so that the reliability of control is improved.

When the electric component is carried into a production line of a factory for mounting in an indoor unit, the third electric component unit 24 is connected to the rear side of the second electric component unit 23 as shown in FIG. If it is configured so that it can be freely attached to the device, it can be conveyed in a small form without being bulky as a whole.

As described above, the electric component box is functionally divided into the electric component units 22, 23, and 24 and arranged in the L-shape in the indoor unit 18, so that the arrangement and wiring of the electric components are arranged. In addition, it is possible to arrange the indoor unit 18 on the front surface and to suppress interference and thermal influence between electric components. When installing the product, the work only needs to be performed with the electric component unit 22 alone. The work reliability can be improved without damaging the electrical components. Further, by arranging the electric component unit on the front side of the indoor unit 18, it becomes possible to arrange the heat exchanger in the width direction for housing the electric component over the entire width of the indoor unit main body,
The performance of the entire air conditioner can be improved.

The power relay 25 with the SL connector is the first
Of the indoor unit 18 and the connection pipe at the end of the heat exchanger of the indoor unit 18 and the front side of the side end where the fan motor 28 is arranged, so that no extra space is required for efficient operation. In addition to being able to be arranged, the connection wiring from the rear can be smoothly guided from below to the front, and can be taken upward as it is and inserted into the connection terminal hole 26 of the SL connector. This can be performed efficiently and without damaging the control board or the like. Further, by arranging the second electric component unit 23 and the third electric component unit 24 side by side and in front of the drain pan 12, it is possible to improve the operation efficiency of the machine without blocking the space of the suction portion. it can.

[0030]

According to the present invention, electric components are classified by function.
By dividing and unitizing, the arrangement and wiring of parts can be arranged, it is possible to arrange it on the front of the indoor unit, and it is possible to suppress interference between electrical parts and thermal effects, and at the time of product installation In addition, the work need only be performed by the electric component unit, and the reliability of the work can be improved without damaging the electric components of other units. Further, by arranging the electric component unit on the front side of the indoor unit, it is possible to arrange the heat exchanger in a lateral dimension for housing the electric component over the entire width of the indoor unit main body. It is possible to improve the performance of the entire harmony machine.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of an indoor unit in an air conditioner according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the indoor unit shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a state where a side cover of the indoor unit in FIG. 1 is removed.

4 is a perspective view showing a state in which a cover of a first electric component unit in the indoor unit of FIG. 1 is removed, together with a second electric component unit.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary perspective view showing a state where a cover is attached to the first electric component unit shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state in which a cover of the second electric component unit is removed together with the first electric component unit.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state where a cover of a third electric component unit is removed.

FIG. 8 is an exemplary perspective view showing a state where a cover is attached to the third electric component unit shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the first and second electric component units shown in FIGS.

10 is a rear perspective view showing a state in which the third electric component unit in FIG. 5 is locked on the back side of the second electric component unit for transportation.

FIG. 11 is a system diagram showing a refrigeration cycle of an air conditioner to which the present invention is applied.

12 is a cross-sectional view of an indoor unit in the air conditioner using the refrigeration cycle shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 18 indoor unit 22 first electric component unit 23 second electric component unit 24 third electric component unit 25 power relay with SL connector 31 indoor control board 43 display board 46 display light emitting element

[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] September 7, 2000 (2009.7)

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Drawing

[Correction target item name] All figures

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

FIG.

FIG. 2

FIG. 3

FIG. 5

FIG. 6

FIG. 7

FIG. 4

FIG. 8

FIG. 9

FIG. 10

FIG. 11

FIG.

Claims (8)

[Claims] An electric component provided in an indoor unit includes: a first electric component unit for housing a power electric component including an SL connector / power relay; and a second electric component unit for housing at least an indoor control board. An air conditioner, wherein at least a third electric component unit that accommodates a display substrate is divided and accommodated, and the first to third electric component units are arranged on the front side of the indoor unit. 2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the first to third electric component units are arranged in an L-shape, and the first electric component is arranged vertically in the second and third electric component units. An air conditioner characterized by arranging three electric component units side by side. 3. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein a negative ion power supply unit is housed in the second electric component unit. 4. The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein said negative ion power supply unit is disposed apart from said indoor control board. 5. The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein a front surface of the negative ion power supply unit is covered with a cover made of an insulating material, and a lead wire group led to the indoor control board side is provided on an upper surface thereof. An air conditioner, wherein a claw is provided on the cover to press the lead wire group. 6. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the second electric component unit covers a unit case made of resin having an open front surface for accommodating an indoor control board, and a back side of the unit case. An air conditioner comprising: a metal cover; and a metal lid that covers a front open portion of the unit case. 7. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein a decorative plate is provided on a front side of the third electric component to cover a front surface of the display substrate and display an operation state of the air conditioner, A sensor for detecting a state of contamination of room air and at least one operation switch including a reset switch are mounted on the display substrate, and a ventilation hole through which room air is introduced is formed on a front surface of the sensor of the decorative board; An air conditioner characterized in that a space between a sensor for detecting dirt and the operation switch is partitioned so that room air does not flow. 8. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor are provided on a side of the third electric component unit at a position extending to an air passage of the indoor unit. An air conditioner, wherein a fixing part for fixing is provided integrally.