JP2013257120A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To collectively discharge drain water from a plurality of discharge hole by one discharging pipe.SOLUTION: A plurality of discharge holes 10 for discharging drain water are formed in a bottom plate 4 on which a heat exchanger is mounted. Forming positions of the respective discharge holes 10 are gradually lowered. Drain caps 20 are fitted into the discharge holes 10. The drain caps themselves 20 are coupled and a water discharging pipe 21 is connected to the most downstream drain cap 20. A water discharge channel connecting the plurality of discharge holes 10 and the water discharge pipe 21 is formed by the plurality of drain caps 20.

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner capable of discharging drain water generated in an outdoor unit from a plurality of drain holes.

  In an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, a heat exchanger, a compressor, a blower fan, and the like are mounted on a bottom plate of a cabinet. A drain hole for discharging drain water generated from the heat exchanger to the outside is formed in the bottom plate. A drain cap is fitted into the drain hole, a hose is connected to the drain cap, and the drain hole is drained to the outside through the drain cap and the hose. Moreover, as described in Patent Document 1, a tray that receives drain water discharged from the drain hole is provided, and is drained to the outside by a hose connected to the tray.

JP 2005-188882 A

  A plurality of drain holes are formed in the bottom plate in preparation for the case where much drain water is generated. If a hose is connected to each drainage hole via a drain cap, a plurality of hoses must be prepared, and each hose must be broken, which is not good in terms of cost and appearance.

  Moreover, when using a saucer, in order to receive the drain water discharged | emitted from each drain hole, a saucer must be enlarged. However, since there is a difference in the generation of drain water depending on the region, climate, etc., it may not be necessary to use all drain holes. In such a case, if a large saucer is used, dust or the like is likely to accumulate in the saucer, the flow of drain water may be hindered, and the hose may become clogged and cannot be drained. Moreover, if there are a plurality of drain holes in the bottom plate, air is sucked from the drain holes, the air passing through the heat exchanger is reduced, and the efficiency of the heat exchange is deteriorated.

  In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner that can be drained from a plurality of drain holes by a drain pipe such as a single hose and can prevent air from being sucked from the drain holes.

  The present invention is provided with a drain cap that is formed in the bottom plate on which the heat exchanger is placed to discharge drain water and is fitted into the drain hole, and the drain cap is fitted into the drain hole. It is configured to be connectable to other drain caps in the state.

  A required number of drain caps are fitted into the drain holes as the drain water is generated. By connecting a plurality of drain caps, a drainage channel connecting a plurality of drainage holes is formed. The drain water collected on the bottom plate flows down from the drain hole to the drain cap, and is discharged to the outside through the drain cap. Moreover, you may fit a drain cap in all the drain holes. Thereby, each drainage hole can be closed with a drain cap, ensuring a drainage channel from each drainage hole.

  The drain cap on the downstream side of the drainage channel is at a lower position than the drain cap on the upstream side. The drainage channel is formed so as to descend from upstream to downstream. Therefore, drain water flows smoothly toward the downstream.

  A bottom surface that gradually falls is formed on the bottom plate, and a drain hole is formed on the bottom surface. The height of the formation position of the drain hole becomes lower toward the downstream. The drain cap fitted in each drain hole is also positioned lower as it goes downstream.

  A plurality of drain holes are formed at equal intervals on the bottom surface. When drain caps are fitted in the respective drain holes, the intervals between adjacent drain caps are the same. Therefore, a drain cap having the same shape can be used.

  A drain hole into which the drain cap is not fitted is plugged. When the drainage hole is open, outside air is sucked from the drainage hole, the air passing through the heat exchanger is reduced, and the heat exchange efficiency is lowered. By plugging the drain hole, the air flowing from the drain hole is reduced and the heat exchange efficiency is prevented from being lowered.

  A connection port for connecting another drain cap and a connection port that can be inserted into the connection port of the other drain cap are formed in the drain cap. The connection port of another drain cap is inserted into the connection port, and the drain caps are connected to each other. When a lid that opens and closes the connection port is provided and no other drain cap is connected, the cover is held in a state of closing the connection port. No other drain cap is connected to the drain cap located in the uppermost stream of the drainage channel. Since the connection port of the drain cap is closed by the lid, it is possible to prevent intrusion of foreign matters such as dust and inhalation of air. In addition, a drain pipe that guides drain water to the outside can be connected to the connection port of the drain cap, and the drain pipe is connected to the connection port of the drain cap that is not connected to other drain caps, thereby extending the drain channel.

  A drain hole is formed in the bottom plate, and the drain hole is formed at a position higher than the drainage hole and avoiding the lower side of the heat exchanger. The opening edge of the drain hole protrudes upward from the bottom plate. When drain water freezes, the drain hole is blocked and drainage cannot be performed. When the drain water accumulated on the ice freezes further and the water level of the drain water rises, the drain water overflows the opening edge of the drain hole and is discharged. The water level does not increase more than the drain hole.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to form one drainage channel by providing a plurality of drainage holes in the bottom plate and fitting the drain cap into the necessary drainage holes according to the amount of drain water generated.

The perspective view which shows the inside of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner of this invention Plan view of bottom plate of outdoor unit Side view of outdoor unit bottom plate Sectional view of the bottom plate with drain holes and drain holes Side view of bottom plate with drain cap connected Cross section of drain cap Diagram showing drainage channel connecting drainage hole and drain hole

  The air conditioner of this embodiment consists of an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. As shown in FIG. 1, the outdoor unit includes a compressor 1, a heat exchanger 2, and a blower fan 3, which are attached to a bottom plate 4 of the cabinet. The bottom plate 4 is covered with a cover (not shown), and the compressor 1 and the like are installed in the cabinet. In the figure, 5 is a leg for installing the cabinet on the table.

  The bottom plate 4 formed in the unevenness has a shape surrounded by a side wall 6. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of drain holes 10 for discharging drain water are formed in the bottom plate 4. A part of the bottom plate 4 is formed to be recessed, and this recess is used as the water storage part 11. The water reservoir 11 is located directly below the heat exchanger 2. Water dripping from the heat exchanger 2 is stored in the water storage unit 11. A drain hole 10 is provided in the water reservoir 11.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the bottom surface of the water storage unit 11 is an inclined surface, and the bottom surface is gradually lowered from the other side of the bottom plate 4 toward the one side. A plurality of, here three, drain holes 10 are formed on the bottom surface. Each drain hole 10 is formed in a rounded rectangle and has the same shape. The drain holes 10 are arranged in a line at equal intervals along the bottom surface of the water storage section 11. The formation positions of the drain holes 10 on the bottom surface are different heights, and the formation positions of the drain holes 10 are gradually lowered from the other side of the bottom surface to one side.

  Further, a drain hole 12 for preventing freezing is formed in the bottom plate 4. As shown in FIG. 4, a slightly raised step portion 13 is formed on the bottom plate 4, and a drain hole 12 is provided in the step portion 13. The step portion 13 is at a position avoiding the lower side of the heat exchanger 2. Therefore, the drain hole 12 is formed at a position higher than the drain hole 10. Two drain holes 12 are formed.

  The drain hole 12 is formed in a rounded rectangle and opens larger than the drain hole 10. The drain hole 12 is formed by burring, and the opening edge 14 of the drain hole 12 rises upward from the bottom plate 4. The height of the opening edge 14 is lower than the side wall 6 of the bottom plate 4.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a drain cap 20 is provided to drain the drain water from the drain hole 10 to the outside. The drain cap 20 is fitted into the drain hole 10 and is connected to another drain cap 20. A drain pipe 21 such as a hose or a pipe can be connected to the drain cap 20. The drain cap 20 is integrally formed from an attachment portion 22 attached to the bottom plate 4 and a connection portion 23 that connects the other drain cap 20 and the drain pipe 21. A connecting portion 23 is provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the mounting portion 22.

  The attachment portion 22 is a tray formed in the same shape as the drainage hole 10 and is formed larger than the drainage hole 10. A plurality of hooks 24 project from the bottom surface of the attachment portion 22 upward. When the hook 24 is inserted into the drain hole 10, the hook 24 is engaged with the hole wall of the drain hole 10 by the elastic force of the hook 24, so that the attachment portion 22 is detachably attached to the bottom plate 4.

  At the center of the bottom surface of the attachment portion 22, a communication body 25 for drainage is projected. The communicating body 25 is formed in a cylindrical shape downward. The connecting portion 23 is rotatably held by the communication body 25.

  The connection portion 23 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and one side is a connection port 26 that connects the drain pipe 21, and the other end is a connection port 27 that connects the other drain cap 20. A communication port 28 for inserting the communication body 25 is formed on the other end side of the connection portion 23. A plurality of claws 29 are projected around the communication port 28. When the communication body 25 is inserted into the communication port 28, the claw 29 is caught by a step formed on the outer periphery of the communication body 25. Thereby, the connection part 23 is rotatably held with respect to the attachment part 22, the attachment part 22 and the connection part 23 are communicated with each other through the communication body 25, and water discharged from the drain hole 10 is connected from the attachment part 22. It flows down to the part 23.

  The lower side of the connection part 23 is horizontal, and the upper side of the connection part 23 is inclined obliquely downward. That is, the connection part 23 is formed so as to become thinner from the other side toward one side, and the connection port 26 has a smaller diameter than the connection port 27. The upper side of the tip of the connection port 26 is cut obliquely. The connection port 26 can be inserted into the connection port 27 of another drain cap 20.

  A lid 30 is provided at the connection port 27, and the lid 30 opens and closes the connection port 27. The upper part of the lid 30 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 31 provided in the connection portion 23, and the lid 30 is held in a state where the connection port 27 is closed by its own weight. The lid 30 is made of an elastic material such as rubber, and the lid 30 is pushed up while being deformed along the inner peripheral surface of the connection portion 23, whereby the lid 30 is opened and the connection port 27 is opened.

  When the connection port 26 of one drain cap 20 is inserted into the connection port 27 of the other drain cap 20, the lid 30 in the connection port 27 is pushed up, and the connection port 26 of one drain cap 20 is connected to the other drain cap 20. 20 connecting ports 27 are fitted. By making the outer diameter of the connection port 26 substantially the same as the inner diameter of the connection port 27, one drain cap 20 is held so as not to come off from the other drain cap 20, and the drain caps 20 are connected to each other. A drainage channel is formed by the hollow connection portion 23 of each drain cap 20.

  When the drain caps 20 are connected to each other, the lower side of the connection port 26 reaches below the communication port 28, but the upper side does not reach the communication port 28. The opened lid 30 is located below the communication port 28. Therefore, the connection part 23 of the other drain cap 20 does not disturb the fall of water from the communication port 28. The water discharged from the drain hole 10 through the communication port 28 falls on the tilted lid 30 and flows into the connecting portion 23 along the lid 30. As a result, water does not fall directly into the connection portion 23, so that no water drop noise is generated, and noise during drainage can be reduced.

  The number of drain holes 10 to be drained differs according to the amount of drain water generated. The drain caps 20 are fitted into the required number of drain holes 10 respectively, and a plurality of drain caps 20 are connected. Then, the drain pipe 21 is connected to the connection port 26 of the drain cap 20 on the most downstream side. The connection port 27 of the uppermost drain cap 20 is closed by a lid 30. It is possible to prevent foreign matter such as dust from entering from the connection port 27 of the uppermost drain cap 20 and inhalation of outside air. When the drain cap 20 is not attached to the drain hole 10, a plug is fitted into the drain hole 10 so that air does not enter the outdoor unit from the drain hole 10.

  In this way, a plurality of drain caps 20 form one drainage channel that connects the plurality of drainage holes 10. Since the drainage channel is formed so as to be inclined downward from the upstream to the downstream, water can be discharged smoothly. By connecting the drain pipe 21 to this drain path, the drain pipe 21 also forms a part of the drain path, and the drain path is extended.

  When heating operation is performed, frost adheres to the heat exchanger 2 of the outdoor unit. A defrosting operation is performed, drain water is generated, and the drain water is accumulated in the water storage unit 11. The drain water is discharged from the drain hole 10 to the drain cap 20, and is discharged to the outside through the drain pipe 21 through the drain passage.

  Here, the amount of drain water generated varies depending on the environment in which the air conditioner is used. When a large amount of drain water is generated, the drainage amount is increased by using many drain holes 10. In this case, drain caps are attached to the plurality of drain holes 10. When a small amount of drain water is generated, the drain hole 10 at the lowest position may be used. In this case, a drain cap is attached to only one drain hole 10. The other drain holes 10 are plugged, and the drain holes 10 are closed. In addition, you may attach the drain cap 20 to all the drain holes 10 irrespective of the generation amount of drain water. In this case, the drain cap 20 also serves as a stopper.

  Thus, only the number of drain caps 20 to be used changes depending on the use environment of the air conditioner, and there is one drainage channel regardless of the use environment. Further, all the drain holes 10 are in a state of being blocked from the outside air by the drain cap 20 and the plugs. Therefore, since air is not sucked from the drain hole 10, the outside air can be efficiently sent to the heat exchanger 2 by the blower fan 3, and the heat exchange efficiency is improved.

  By the way, when the outside air temperature decreases, the water accumulated in the bottom plate 4 may freeze and block the drain hole 10. At this time, drain water dripped onto the bottom plate 4 accumulates, and the water level of the drain water increases. The drain hole 12 is not plugged, and the drain hole 12 is always open. When the drain water level reaches the upper end of the opening edge 14 of the drain hole 12, the drain water is drained to the outside. The drain water can be discharged from the bottom plate 4 before the drain water freezes.

  If the drain water is not discharged, the water level of the drain water rises and the heat exchanger 2 is immersed in water. When this water freezes, the lower part of the heat exchanger 2 is covered with ice, and the heat exchange efficiency deteriorates. However, by providing the drain hole 12 at a high position on the bottom plate 4, the periphery of the drain hole 12 is not covered with ice, and the drain hole 10 is blocked by ice, and the drain hole 12 drains even if the water level increases. it can. Therefore, the water level of the accumulated drain water does not rise, so that the lower part of the heat exchanger 2 can be prevented from being covered with ice.

  When draining from the drain hole 12, depending on the location of the outdoor unit, it may not be possible to drain as it is. Therefore, a drain cap 20 having the same structure as the drain cap 20 may be attached to the drain hole 12. The drain pipe 21 is connected to the connection port 26 of the drain cap 20 fitted in the drain hole 12, and the water discharged from the drain hole 12 is discharged from the drain pipe 21 to the outside through the drain cap 20.

  Here, the drain holes 12 are located away from the drain holes 10 arranged in a row, but the drain holes from the drain holes 12 and the drain paths connecting the plurality of drain holes 10 are joined together to form a single drain hole 12. It may be connected to the drain pipe 21. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, a joint 32 is used to join the respective drainage channels. The joint 32 has a structure having only a connection portion in the drain cap 20 and has one connection port 26 and a plurality of connection ports 27.

  The connection port 26 of the most downstream drain cap 20 that forms a drainage channel connecting the plurality of drainage holes 10 is inserted into the connection port 27 of the joint 32 on the upstream side. The connection port 26 of the drain cap 20 fitted in the drain hole 12 is inserted into the connection port 27 of the joint 32 on the downstream side. The connection port 26 of the upstream joint 32 is inserted into the connection port 27 of the downstream joint 32. The drain pipe 21 is connected to the connection port 26 of the joint 32 on the downstream side. As a result, the drainage channel connecting the plurality of drainage holes 10 and the drainage channel from the drain hole 12 merge and are connected to one drainage pipe 21. Therefore, it is only necessary to use one drain pipe 21, and the surroundings of the outdoor unit can be prevented from becoming messy.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, Of course, many corrections and changes can be added to the said embodiment within the scope of the present invention. The above air conditioner is a separated type having an outdoor unit, but may be applied to an integrated air conditioner.

  The shape of the drain hole and the drain hole may be a circle, an ellipse, a rectangle or the like, and the attachment portion of the drain cap has a shape corresponding to the shape of the hole. You may form the bottom face of a water storage part in steps, and may form a drain hole in each step | level. Also in this structure, the bottom surface where the drainage holes are formed is gradually lowered, and the height at which each drainage hole is formed is different.

  A plurality of drain cap connection ports may be provided. Thereby, not only a drainage channel but a drainage channel of L shape, V shape, Y shape, zigzag shape, etc. can be formed according to arrangement of a plurality of drainage channels. Further, the position of the connection port of the drain cap may be variable. The other side of the connecting portion is formed in a semicircular cylindrical shape, a plurality of round holes are formed on the outer peripheral surface, and a cover having a connection port is slidably attached to the other side of the connecting portion. By sliding the cover so that the connection port fits the round hole, the position of the connection port can be set according to the connection port of another drain cap. Further, the length of the connecting portion may be variable. As the pipe that can be expanded and contracted, the length of the connection is changed according to the position of the adjacent drain hole. By adopting or combining any one of a plurality of connection ports, a connection port whose position can be changed, and a connection portion whose length can be changed, a drainage channel can be formed flexibly.

4 Bottom plate 10 Drain hole 11 Water storage part 12 Drain hole 14 Open edge 20 Drain cap 21 Drain pipe 22 Mounting part 23 Connection part 26 Connection port 27 Connection port 30 Lid

Claims (9)

A plurality of drain holes for discharging drain water are formed on the bottom plate on which the heat exchanger is placed, and a drain cap is fitted into the drain hole. An air conditioner configured to be connectable to a drain cap, wherein a plurality of drain caps are connected to form a drainage channel connecting a plurality of drainage holes. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the drain cap on the downstream side of the drainage channel is located at a position lower than the drain cap on the upstream side. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the bottom plate has a bottom surface that is gradually lowered, and a drain hole is formed on the bottom surface. The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of drain holes are formed at equal intervals on the bottom surface. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a drain hole into which a drain cap is not fitted is plugged. The drain cap is formed with a connecting port for connecting another drain cap and a connecting port that can be inserted into the connecting port of the other drain cap, and the connecting port of the other drain cap is inserted into the connecting port. The lids are connected to each other, provided with a lid for opening and closing the coupling port, and when the other drain cap is not coupled, the lid is held in a state of closing the coupling port. The air conditioner described in Crab. The drain cap connection port can be connected to a drain pipe that guides drain water to the outside, and the drain pipe is connected to the drain cap connection port that is not connected to other drain caps, and the drain channel is extended. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The drain hole is formed in the bottom plate, and the drain hole is formed at a position higher than the drainage hole and avoiding the lower side of the heat exchanger. Air conditioner. The air conditioner according to claim 8, wherein the opening edge of the drain hole protrudes upward from the bottom plate.

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