JP2014030469A - Air conditioner and clothes dryer including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air conditioner which surely performs drainage of dew condensation water.SOLUTION: An air conditioner includes: a case 2 having an intake port 6 and an exhaust port 7; a heat pump device which is accommodated in the case 2 and which is composed of a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator and the like; a drain channel 14 which is a bottom part of the case 2 and which is formed below the evaporator; a storage part 15 which is formed downstream from the drain channel 14; and a communication channel 16 which communicates the drain channel 14 and the storage part 15. It has a configuration in which a channel cross sectional area of the communication channel 16 is larger than a channel cross sectional area of the drain channel 14. Thereby, as the communication channel 16 connecting from the drain channel 14 to the storage part 15 is broad, the dew condensation water is easy to flow to the storage part 15. Also, clogging of lint and the like can be suppressed.

Description

  The present invention relates to a heat pump type air conditioner used in a clothes dryer or the like.

  A heat pump type air conditioner used in a conventional clothes dryer includes a case having an air inlet and an air outlet, a heat pump device housed in the case and including a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and the like. It is a bottom part, Comprising: The drainage channel formed under the evaporator, and the storage part formed downstream of the drainage channel are provided.

  The air that has entered the case from the air inlet by the fan is dehumidified by the evaporator, and then heated by the condenser to become hot and dry air. This air is exhausted from the exhaust port and used for drying clothes. Here, when moisture in the air is dehumidified by the evaporator, the moisture is condensed and becomes condensed water. The condensed water flows below the evaporator and is stored in the storage part through the drainage channel (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The condensed water stored in the storage part is drained by a drain pump.

JP 2010-063691 A

  However, the air conditioner described in Patent Document 1 has a small channel cross-sectional area of the channel that leads from the drain channel to the storage unit. For this reason, it is difficult for condensed water to flow. In addition, lint or the like generated from clothing adheres to the evaporator and enters the drainage channel along with the flow of the dew condensation water, so that the channel that leads from the drainage channel to the storage unit is easily clogged. This also makes it difficult for condensed water to flow.

  This invention solves the said subject, and it aims at providing the air conditioner with which dew condensation water flows easily.

  The air conditioner of the present invention includes a case having an intake port and an exhaust port, a heat pump device housed in the case and including a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and the like, and a bottom portion of the case, below the evaporator A drainage channel formed, a reservoir formed downstream of the drainage channel, and a communication channel that communicates the drainage channel and the reservoir. It has a configuration larger than the channel cross-sectional area of the channel.

  Since the communication channel leading from the drainage channel to the storage unit is wide, the dew condensation water easily flows to the storage unit. Moreover, clogging of yarn waste and the like is also suppressed.

  In the air conditioner according to the present invention, the condensed water is easy to flow and the clogging of the yarn waste is suppressed, so that the condensed water is surely discharged.

Configuration diagram of an air conditioner in an embodiment of the present invention A perspective view showing the inside of the air conditioner Cross section of the air conditioner A perspective view of the air conditioner excluding the heat pump device The block diagram which shows the side cross section of the clothes dryer which mounts the same air conditioner

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the present embodiment.

  FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an air conditioner according to the present embodiment. The case 2 constituting the outer shell of the air conditioner 1 includes an upper case 3 and a lower case 4. The joint 5 between the upper case 3 and the lower case 4 is provided with a sealing material (not shown), and airtightness is maintained. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the inside of the air conditioner 1. That is, FIG. 2 shows a state where the upper case 3 in FIG. 1 is removed. The case 2 has an intake port 6 and an exhaust port 7. Inside the case 2 is accommodated a heat pump device 12 in which a compressor 8, a condenser 9, an evaporator 10, and an expansion valve (not shown) are communicated by a pipe 11.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the air conditioner 1. As shown by the arrows in FIG. 3, the air that has entered the case 2 from the air inlet 6 by the blower fan described later is dehumidified by the evaporator 10, and then heated by the condenser 9, resulting in high-temperature and dry air. Become. This air is exhausted from the exhaust port 7 and used for drying clothes described later. The air inlet 6, the evaporator 10, the condenser 9, and the exhaust outlet 7 that are air passages are arranged in a straight line. The compressor 8 is arrange | positioned by the accommodating part 13 formed next to this air passage. Although the accommodating portion 13 and the air passage communicate with each other, as described above, the bonding between the upper case 3 and the lower case 4 constituting the case 2 is in a state in which airtightness is maintained. Air flows efficiently without acting as a reservoir. In the present embodiment, the air passage is a straight line, and the layout in which the accommodating portion 13 that accommodates the compressor 8 is disposed adjacent thereto is described, but other layouts are considered in consideration of the efficiency of air flow. May be used.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state of the air conditioner 1 excluding the heat pump device 12. A drainage channel 14 is formed at the bottom of the case 2 and below the evaporator 10. A reservoir 15 is formed downstream of the drainage channel 14. A communication channel 16 is formed between the drain channel 14 and the storage unit 15. The drainage channel 14 and the storage unit 15 communicate with each other through the communication channel 16. In FIG. 4, the communication channel 16 is illustrated as an opening formed in the lower case 4. In FIG. 4, the drainage flow path 14 and the communication flow path 16 communicate with each other via the bottom portion of the accommodating portion 13 (that is, the bottom portion of the case 2 and below the compressor 8).

  When moisture in the air is dehumidified by the evaporator 10, the moisture is condensed and becomes condensed water. The condensed water flows below the evaporator 10 and is stored in the storage unit 15 through the drainage channel 14. The condensed water stored in the storage unit 15 is drained by a drain pump 17 (see FIG. 1). The storage unit 15 includes a water level sensor (not shown), and the drainage pump 17 can be operated according to the amount of condensed water stored in the storage unit 15. In addition, when the amount of condensed water detected by the water level sensor is very large, it is determined that the drainage pump 17 has failed or the amount of condensed water generated is excessive, and the heat pump device 12 can be stopped.

  The channel cross-sectional area of the communication channel 16 is larger than the channel cross-sectional area of the drainage channel 14. In FIG. 4, the opening area of the opening that forms the communication channel 16 is larger than the channel cross-sectional area of the drainage channel 14. Since the communication channel 16 connected from the drainage channel 14 to the storage unit 15 is wide, the condensed water easily flows to the storage unit 15. Further, even when the lint etc. adhering to the evaporator 10 enters the drainage flow path 14 together with the flow of the dew condensation water, the dew condensation water flows well and the cross-sectional area of the flow path is wide. Is prevented from clogging. That is, with this configuration, drainage of condensed water is reliably performed. In addition, since the channel cross-sectional area of the communication channel 16 connected to the reservoir 15 where the drain pump 17 is located is larger than the channel cross-sectional area of the drain channel 14 below the evaporator 10, Less affected by the pulling pressure of the blower fan. Thereby, the drainage pump 17 can surely pump up the condensed water stored in the storage unit 15.

  In the present embodiment, the communication channel 16 has been described as an opening formed in the lower case 4, but the communication channel 16 may be in the form of a tube or groove having a long channel length. In addition, the channel cross-sectional area of the drainage channel 14 may not be constant in the channel length direction of the drainage channel 14. For example, it is desirable that the channel cross-sectional area of the drain channel 14 gradually increases toward the downstream. On the other hand, in the case where the channel cross-sectional area of the drainage channel 14 gradually decreases toward the downstream, it is preferable to consider the channel cross-sectional area at the site where the channel becomes the narrowest.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the storage unit 15 is formed on the bottom of the case 2 integrally with the case 2 has been illustrated and described. However, the storage unit 15 may be provided separately from the case 2. In this case, it is preferable that the cross-sectional area of the flow path connecting the communication flow path 16 and the storage portion 15 of the case 2 is larger than the cross-sectional area of the drain flow path 14.

  FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing a side cross section of the clothes dryer 18 equipped with the air conditioner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The clothes dryer 18 includes a drum 20, a heat pump device 12 accommodated in the case 2, and a fan 21 inside a housing 19. By opening the door 22 provided in the clothes dryer 18, the clothes to be dried can be accommodated in the drum 20. The drum 20 is rotated by a motor 23 via a pulley 24 and a belt 25.

  The heat pump device 12 disposed below the housing 19 includes a compressor 8, a condenser 9, an evaporator 10, and the like, and a refrigerant circulates therein. When the fan 21 operates, an air flow as indicated by an arrow is generated. The air that has entered the case 2 from the air inlet 6 is dehumidified by the evaporator 10, heated by the condenser 9, and becomes dry hot air. This warm air enters the inside of the drum 20 from the exhaust port 7 through the fan 21 and the duct 26. When the warm air hits the clothes to be dried that is stirred by the rotation of the drum 20, the clothes are dried. The warm air that has dried the clothes passes through the filter 27 provided on the door 22 and enters the case 2 through the air inlet 6 again. In this way, air circulates. The fan 21 is rotated by a motor 23 via a pulley 28 and a belt 29.

  The condensed water condensed in the evaporator 10 enters the storage unit 15 through the drainage channel 14 and the communication channel 16 formed at the bottom of the case 2. The condensed water that has entered the storage unit 15 is drained by the drain pump 17.

  Since the flow channel cross-sectional area of the communication flow channel 16 is larger than the flow channel cross-sectional area of the drainage flow channel 14, the dew condensation water easily flows to the storage unit 15. Further, even when the lint etc. adhering to the evaporator 10 enters the drainage flow path 14 together with the flow of the dew condensation water, the dew condensation water flows well and the cross-sectional area of the flow path is wide. Is prevented from clogging. Thereby, drainage of condensed water is performed reliably and the reliability of the clothes dryer 18 is improved.

  As described above, the air-conditioning apparatus according to the present invention can be used for equipment using a heat pump because dew condensation water is surely discharged.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Air conditioner 2 Case 3 Upper case 4 Lower case 5 Junction part 6 Intake port 7 Exhaust port 8 Compressor 9 Condenser 10 Evaporator 11 Piping 12 Heat pump apparatus 13 Accommodating part 14 Drainage flow path 15 Reservation part 16 Communication flow path 17 Drainage Pump 18 Clothes dryer 19 Case 20 Drum 21 Fan 22 Door 23 Motor 24 Pulley 25 Belt 26 Duct 27 Filter 28 Pulley 29 Belt

Claims (3)

A case having an intake port and an exhaust port;
A heat pump device housed in the case and comprising a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and the like;
A drainage channel formed at the bottom of the case and below the evaporator;
A reservoir formed downstream of the drainage channel;
A communication channel that communicates the drainage channel and the reservoir,
The air conditioner characterized in that a channel cross-sectional area of the communication channel is larger than a channel cross-sectional area of the drainage channel.   The air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising a drain pump for draining water stored in the storage unit.   A clothes dryer equipped with the air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2.