JP2011075140A - Air conditioning device including drainage discharge suppressing function, and range hood including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air conditioning device including a drainage discharge suppressing function capable of dispensing with discharge of the drainage generated in an evaporator in a state of guiding the drainage to the external of the device. <P>SOLUTION: This air conditioning device A including a condenser 3 for cooling and liquefying a refrigerant compressed by a compressor 2, and the evaporator 5 for cooling the air by evaporating the refrigerant liquefied by the condenser 3, is configured to guide the drainage to a region receiving heat of the condenser 3 so that the drainage is heated and evaporated, when the drainage generates in the evaporator 5. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner having a function of suppressing drain water from being discharged outside the apparatus during cooling, and a range hood provided with the air conditioner.

  Conventionally, there exists what was described in patent document 1 as an example of a range hood. This range hood has a configuration in which an air conditioner is incorporated therein. The air conditioner includes a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator, like a general household air conditioner, and after the refrigerant is compressed by the compressor, the refrigerant is cooled by the condenser and has a high pressure. A liquid is made, the pressure is reduced by an expansion valve, and then vaporized by an evaporator. The heat of vaporization takes heat from the air. The kitchen tends to have a high room temperature due to heat released from the range, but according to the above configuration, the kitchen can be cooled to make the kitchen a comfortable space.

  However, the prior art has a problem to be solved as described below.

  That is, when the air is cooled by the evaporator, condensation may occur on the surface of the evaporator and drain water (condensation water) may be generated. On the other hand, in the prior art, the actual situation is that no means for appropriately treating such drain water is provided. If drain water is generated in the evaporator, if it is left unattended, the inside of the range hood is contaminated by the drain water, and further, the drain water flows down from the range hood to the lower area of the range hood. This causes a defect that is contaminated by For this reason, conventionally, it is necessary to drain the drain water to an appropriate location outside the range hood using an appropriate pipe, but according to such means, a drain water discharge pipe is installed. There arises a problem that the appearance of the range hood is deteriorated due to difficulty in the place or because the piping is drawn out of the range hood in an unnatural state. Moreover, such piping work becomes complicated especially in existing houses, and the construction cost also increases. Therefore, it is desirable to appropriately eliminate such problems.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-100537

  The present invention has been conceived under the circumstances as described above, and has a drain water discharge suppression function capable of eliminating the need to discharge drain water generated in an evaporator to the outside of the apparatus. An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner provided and a range hood provided with such an air conditioner.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention takes the following technical means.

  An air conditioner having a drain water discharge suppression function provided by the first aspect of the present invention includes a condenser for cooling and liquefying the refrigerant compressed by the compressor, and the refrigerant liquefied by the condenser An air conditioner that cools the air by vaporizing the air, and when drain water is generated in the evaporator, the drain water is introduced to a portion that receives heat from the condenser. The drain water is configured to be heated and evaporated.

  According to such a configuration, since the drain water generated in the evaporator can be heated using the heat of the condenser and evaporated to be disposed of, it is necessary to discharge the drain water to the outside of the apparatus for processing. Can be eliminated. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a drain water discharge pipe unnaturally drawn from the inside of the apparatus to the outside. This can also reduce the construction cost. On the other hand, since the drain water is heated using the heat of the condenser, it is not necessary to additionally provide a dedicated means for heating the drain water, and the configuration is rational and wasted. The drain can be evaporated without consuming energy.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the drain is provided to receive the drain water generated in the evaporator and has a water retention capacity capable of storing the drain water received, and is heated by the condenser. A water holding / heating unit for water is provided, and the drain water is heated in the water holding / heating unit so that the water can be evaporated.

  According to such a configuration, since the drain water can be heated in a state where it is stored in the water retention heating unit, even if a relatively large amount of drain water is generated in the evaporator, The evaporation process can be appropriately performed without flowing out of the apparatus.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the condenser includes a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between air and the refrigerant, and the water retention heating unit for the drain water is a water retention material having water absorption. It is a part provided in contact with the heat exchanger, and is configured such that heat of vaporization when the drain water stored in the water retention heating unit evaporates is taken away from the heat exchanger.

  According to such a configuration, the drain water stored in the water retention heating unit is heated by the heat exchanger in contact with the heat exchanger that constitutes the condenser, so that the drain water has high heating efficiency. In addition, since the effect of lowering the temperature of the heat exchanger using the heat of vaporization when the drain water evaporates can be obtained, the efficiency of the condenser can also be increased.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the water retention heater for the drain water is provided separately from the condenser, and receives the heated air passing through the condenser. Alternatively, it is configured to be heated by receiving heat transfer from the condenser.

  According to such a configuration, it is possible to appropriately heat and evaporate the drain water using the heat of the condenser while providing the water retention heater for the drain water at a position separate from the condenser. Since the water retention heating unit and the condenser may be manufactured separately, they can be manufactured relatively easily. In addition, since the size of the water retaining heating unit does not depend on the size of the condenser, the water retaining heating unit should be formed to a size that can suitably hold substantially the entire amount of drain water generated in the evaporator. Is also easier.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the water retention heating unit for drain water is provided at a position lower than the evaporator, and the drain water generated in the evaporator flows by gravity toward the water retention heating unit. A drain water guide means is provided.

  According to such a configuration, it is not necessary to use a driving device such as a pump as a means for guiding drain water generated in the evaporator to the water retention heating unit, and an increase in the manufacturing cost and running cost of the device can be suppressed. .

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a receiving part that is provided below the water retention heating part for drain water and receives and stores the drain water when drain water flows down from the water retention heating part, Detecting means for detecting when the drain water stored in the receiving portion reaches a predetermined amount;

  According to such a configuration, even if drain water flows down from the water holding / heating unit, the drain water is received and stored by the receiving unit so that it does not flow out of the air conditioner as it is. can do. Further, when the drain water stored in the receiving portion reaches a predetermined amount, it is detected so that the drain water in the receiving portion becomes full and does not cause a problem of flowing out to the outside. It is also possible.

  The range hood provided by the second aspect of the present invention is a range hood in which an air conditioner is assembled, and the drain water discharge suppression function provided by the first aspect of the present invention is used as the air conditioner. The air conditioner provided is used.

  According to such a configuration, an effect similar to that described for the air conditioner provided by the first aspect of the present invention can be obtained, and the drain water discharge pipe can be unsightly from the inside of the range hood to the outside. The advantage of eliminating the need to pull out and improving the appearance of the range hood and its periphery is obtained.

  Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

It is a perspective view which shows an example of the range hood provided with the air conditioner to which this invention was applied. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the attachment state of the range hood provided with the air conditioner shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the condenser integrated in the range hood provided with the air conditioner shown in FIG. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the other example of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the other example of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the other example of this invention.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

  1-3 has shown an example of the range hood provided with the air conditioner which concerns on this invention, and the structure relevant to this. As shown in FIG. 1, the range hood RH of the present embodiment includes a hood portion 10, a housing portion 11 that is connected to the upper portion of the hood portion 10, and a front panel portion 12 that is provided on the front surface of the housing portion 11. It has the structure by which the component apparatus of the air conditioner A mentioned later was assembled | attached in the housing part 11 mainly.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the range hood RH of this embodiment is provided along the wall W of the kitchen, and is used by being disposed above a cooking device (not shown) such as a gas stove or an IH stove. The hood portion 10 includes a downward opening 10a for sucking smoke generated during cooking and an exhaust fan F1, and the smoke sucked into the hood portion 10 is exhausted from the exhaust port 90 of the wall portion W. Discharged to the outdoors.

  The air conditioner A includes a compressor 2, a condenser 3, an expansion valve 4, an evaporator 5, and a piping unit that connects these components in series, as well as an air supply fan F2, A first receiving portion 6 for drain water and a second receiving portion 7 are provided. The condenser 3 is provided with a water retention heating unit 8 for drain water, which will be described later with reference to FIG. The refrigeration circuit may be a refrigeration circuit using a combination of a constant speed compressor and a capillary tube instead of a combination of an inverter-controlled compressor and an expansion valve used in a general household air conditioner. Of course it is good.

  The evaporator 5 is for vaporizing the refrigerant that has been liquefied by the condenser 3 and reduced in pressure by the expansion valve 4, and cools the air sent from the supply fan F2. The air cooled by the evaporator 5 is blown out into the kitchen from the blowout port 12a provided in the front panel unit 12. The air supply fan F2 is provided so as to take in outside air from an air supply port 91 provided in the wall portion W and blow it to the evaporator 5, for example. It can also be configured to be ventilated. Since the air sent to the evaporator 5 contains humidity in most cases, when the air is cooled by the evaporator 5, condensation occurs, and when this condensation becomes relatively significant, the surface of the evaporator 5 From there, drain water (condensation water) flows down.

  The first receiving portion 6 for drain water is a portion for receiving drain water flowing down from the evaporator 5 and has, for example, a tray shape larger than the bottom area of the evaporator 5. The evaporator 5 and the first receiving part 6 are provided above the condenser 3. The first receiving portion 6 is provided with a hole 60 for allowing the drain water received to flow onto the condenser 3. This 1st receiving part 6 is corresponded to an example of the drain water guide means said by this invention.

  The condenser 3 is cooled by blowing air from the supply air fan F2, and cools and liquefies the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 2, and is cooled by blowing air from the supply air fan F2. The air that has passed through the condenser 3 passes through the communication port 19, travels into the hood portion 10, and is discharged to the outside by the exhaust fan F <b> 1. The communication port 19 can be opened and closed by the damper 18, and when the air conditioner A is in a non-operating state and only exhausting or ventilating using the exhaust fan F 1 is performed, the communication port 19 is opened by the damper 18. Closed. In the present embodiment, air is supplied from one air supply fan F2 toward both the evaporator 5 and the condenser 3, but instead of this, two air supplies Of course, it is also possible to individually blow air toward the evaporator 5 and the condenser 3 by using the fan for operation.

  The condenser 3 has a heat exchanger 30 as shown in FIG. 3 as its main component. The heat exchanger 30 includes a tube body 30a through which the refrigerant passes, and a plurality of air cooling fins 30b that come into contact with the tube body 30a. The water retention heating part 8 is provided. As shown in the enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of the drawing, the water-retaining / heating unit 8 is configured as a water-retaining material coating layer in which the surfaces of the tube body 30a and the fins 30b are covered with a water-retaining material. The water-retaining material has a property of absorbing water and capable of retaining absorbed moisture, and is, for example, zeolite. Since the condenser 3 has such a configuration, in FIG. 2, the drain water that has flowed down from the first receiving part 6 onto the condenser 3 is absorbed and stored in the water retention heating part 8, and It will be heated by the condenser 3. Thus, the drain water is evaporated. Preferably, the water retention heating unit 8 is provided with a plurality of holes 60 in the first receiving unit 6 as means for efficiently absorbing the drain water by being dispersed in each part of the water retention heating unit 8. It is configured so that drain water flows toward a wide area.

  The second receiving part 7 for drain water receives the drain water that has flowed below the condenser 3 without evaporating in the water retention heating part 8 of the condenser 3 and stores the received drain water. Part. The second receiving portion 7 is provided with a sensor S that detects that when a predetermined amount or more of drain water has accumulated in the second receiving portion 7 and outputs a predetermined signal. A signal from the sensor S is transmitted to a control unit (not shown) configured using a microcomputer or the like, and an alarm operation is performed by the control of the control unit, or the operation of the air conditioner A is stopped. For example, the alarm operation may be performed by providing a warning display lamp (not shown) in the vicinity of the switch operation section 17 (see FIG. 1) on the front surface of the hood section 10 or in the vicinity thereof, and lighting or blinking the display lamp. It can be performed in such a manner that a warning sound is generated.

  Next, the operation of the range hood RH provided with the above-described air conditioner will be described.

  First, in this range hood RH, by operating the air conditioner A, it is possible to cool the kitchen by blowing cool air from the outlet 12a to the kitchen. As described above, this cooling is performed by the air supplied from the air supply fan F2 toward the evaporator 5 being cooled by the evaporator 5 and traveling toward the outlet 12a. Condensation occurs due to air cooling by the evaporator 5, and when drain water flows down from the evaporator 5, the drain water flows down onto the condenser 3 after being received by the first receiving portion 6. 3 is absorbed and held in the water retention heating unit 8 described with reference to FIG. On the other hand, the condenser 3 generates heat, and the drain water absorbed and held in the water retention heating unit 8 is heated by the heat and evaporates. As a result, there is an advantage that drain water does not flow or almost disappears below the condenser 3 and that it is not necessary to separately provide piping for draining the drain water to the outside of the range hood RH. .

  The water retention heating unit 8 is configured by coating the tube 30a and each fin 30b of the heat exchanger 30 constituting the condenser 3 with a water retention material, and directly receives heat from the tube 30a and each fin 30b. Therefore, the heating efficiency with respect to the drain water held in the water retention heating unit 8 is high, which is more preferable for suppressing the drain water from evaporating in a short time and flowing down below the condenser 3. In addition, the heat of vaporization when the drain water evaporates in the water retention heating unit 8 is taken away from the condenser 3. Therefore, an effect of enhancing the function of cooling the refrigerant by the condenser 3 can also be obtained.

  Even if the drain water flows down from the condenser 3, the drain water can be received by the second receiving portion 7 so that the inside of the range hood RH is not contaminated. Further, when a predetermined amount or more of drain water is accumulated in the second receiving portion 7, this is detected by the sensor S, and as described above, a warning to that effect is given or the operation of the air conditioner A is stopped. The For this reason, it can cope with so that the drain water amount in the 2nd receiving part 7 may not increase more than the said predetermined amount, and the situation where drain water overflows from the 2nd receiving part 7 can also be avoided appropriately. Preferably, the second receiving portion 7 can be appropriately taken out of the range hood RH, and the drain water accumulated in the second receiving portion 7 can be appropriately discarded outside the range hood RH. Has been.

  4 to 6 show another embodiment of the present invention. In these drawings, elements that are the same as or similar to those in the above embodiment are given the same reference numerals as in the above embodiment.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, a water retention heating unit 8 </ b> A for drain water is provided separately from the condenser 3. The water holding / heating unit 8A is configured, for example, in a nonwoven fabric shape or a felt shape in which a large number of fibers are gathered, has water absorption, and has a function of holding absorbed moisture. The water retention heating unit 8A is provided below the hole 60 of the first receiving unit 6 and at a position where air that has passed through the condenser 3 and has risen in temperature hits.

  According to the present embodiment, the drain water generated in the evaporator 5 flows down onto the water holding / heating unit 8A via the first receiving unit 6 and is absorbed and held by the water holding / heating unit 8A. The drain water held in the water retention heating unit 8A is heated by the air that has passed through the condenser 3 and has risen in temperature, and evaporates. Therefore, also in the present embodiment, it is possible to eliminate or almost eliminate the drain water from flowing down below the water retaining heating unit 8A, and it is necessary to provide a pipe for discharging the drain water to the outside of the range hood RH. It can be lost. According to the present embodiment, since the water retention heating unit 8A and the condenser 3 need only be manufactured separately, they can be manufactured relatively easily. In addition, since the size of the water retention heating unit 8A is not greatly influenced by the size of the condenser 3, the water retention heating unit 8A has substantially the entire amount of drain water led from the evaporator 5 toward the water retention heating unit 8A. It is also easy to form a size that can be suitably held.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the water retention heating unit 8 </ b> B for drain water is configured to include a receiving member 82 mounted on the top of the condenser 3. The receiving member 82 can receive and collect drain water flowing down from the first receiving portion 6. Further, the receiving member 82 is in direct contact with the condenser 3 or indirectly through a member (not shown) having excellent thermal conductivity, and the condenser 3 efficiently contacts the receiving member 82. It is configured to generate heat well. The receiving member 82 itself has thermal conductivity, and is made of, for example, metal.

  According to the present embodiment, in a state where the drain water is stored in the receiving member 82, the drain water can be heated using the heat transferred from the condenser 3, and the drain water can also be evaporated. It is. In this embodiment, the heating efficiency with respect to the drain water is not so good, and it is not so suitable when the amount of the drain water generated in the evaporator 5 is large. However, for example, a dehumidifying means 99 (for example, configured using a desiccant material such as silica gel or zeolite) is provided on the upstream side in the air supply direction of the evaporator 5 so that the drain water generated in the evaporator 5 is discharged. In the case where the amount is relatively small, it is possible to sufficiently cope with the configuration of the present embodiment. As can be understood from the present embodiment, the water retention heating unit for drain water referred to in the present invention is a part for storing and storing drain water instead of a part configured to absorb and hold drain water. It can also be configured.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, a dedicated flow path 16 for guiding the air that has passed through the condenser 3 to the exhaust port 90 is provided in the housing portion 11. According to the present embodiment, it is possible to eliminate the necessity of providing the communication port 19 described with reference to FIG. 2 and the damper 18 that opens and closes the communication port 19.

  The present invention is not limited to the contents of the above-described embodiment. The specific configuration of each part of the air conditioner having the drain water discharge suppressing function according to the present invention and the range hood having the function can be changed in various ways.

  In the air conditioner according to the present invention, although it is preferable to have a configuration in which a water retention heating unit for drain water is provided, a configuration in which such a water retention heating unit is not provided is also possible. That is, in the present invention, the drain water generated in the evaporator can be guided to flow through a predetermined path, and the drain water can be heated and evaporated using the heat of the condenser. . In such a configuration, when the amount of drain water is large, it is difficult to properly evaporate the entire amount, and this is unsuitable. However, as described with reference to FIG. If the amount of drain water generated in the evaporator can be reduced by providing a dehumidifying means 99, it is possible to take appropriate measures. The air conditioner according to the present invention is not limited to the range hood, but can be assembled to an apparatus / equipment other than the range hood, or installed and used in a place other than the range hood. For example, if it is a place equipped with exhaust (ventilation) equipment such as a bathroom, a dressing room, a factory or an office, the installation work is relatively easy and suitable.

Claims (7)

A condenser for cooling and liquefying the refrigerant compressed by the compressor;
An evaporator for cooling the air by vaporizing the refrigerant liquefied by the condenser;
An air conditioner comprising:
When drain water is generated in the evaporator, the drain water is guided to a portion that receives heat from the condenser and heated to evaporate the drain water. Air conditioner with drain water discharge suppression function. It is provided to receive drain water generated in the evaporator, has a water retention capacity capable of storing the drain water received, and has a water retention heating section for drain water heated by the condenser. ,
The air conditioner provided with the drain water discharge suppressing function according to claim 1, wherein the drain water is heated in the water retention heating unit so as to be evaporated. The condenser includes a heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between air and the refrigerant,
The water retention heating part for the drain water is a part where a water retention material having water absorption is provided in contact with the heat exchanger,
The air conditioner provided with the drain water discharge suppression function according to claim 2, wherein the heat of vaporization when the drain water stored in the water retention heating unit evaporates is taken away from the heat exchanger.   The water retention heater for the drain water is provided separately from the condenser, and receives heat heated by passing through the condenser or receives heat transfer from the condenser. The air conditioner provided with the drain water discharge suppressing function according to claim 2, wherein the air conditioner is configured to be heated by the air. The water retention heating unit for the drain water is provided at a position lower than the evaporator,
The air conditioner provided with the drain water discharge suppression function according to any one of claims 2 to 4, further comprising drain water guide means for causing the drain water generated in the evaporator to flow toward the water retention heating unit by gravity. . A receiving part that is provided below the water retention heating part for the drain water and receives and stores this drain water when drain water flows down from the water retention heating part,
Detecting means for detecting when the drain water stored in the receiving portion reaches a predetermined amount;
The air conditioner provided with the drain water discharge suppression function according to any one of claims 2 to 5, further comprising: A range hood with an air conditioner installed,
A range hood, wherein the air conditioner having the drain water discharge suppressing function according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is used as the air conditioner.

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