JP2020046102A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

To cool a battery with a simple and low-cost configuration.SOLUTION: An air conditioner includes: an air conditioning part (51) operating for air conditioning; a battery (21) serving as a power supply for the air conditioning part (51); and a drain tank (22) that is provided while coming into contact with the battery (21) and stores drainage (26) generated from the air conditioning part (51) inside thereof.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner powered by a battery.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an air conditioner using a battery, particularly a storage battery as a power source has been known. The battery has temperature characteristics, and it is recommended that the battery be used in an appropriate operating temperature range according to the type of the battery in order to exhibit predetermined performance. On the other hand, the battery is likely to be out of an appropriate operating temperature range depending on the use environment, such as being heated during charging and discharging to become high temperature or cold in a cold region. Therefore, when charging and discharging the battery, the battery is forcibly cooled or heated as appropriate.

  For example, in Patent Literature 1, in an electric vehicle, when the temperature of a mounted battery is lower than the temperature of a vehicle interior and is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature set in advance, air in the vehicle interior is supplied to the battery. It is designed to prevent performance degradation due to low temperature of the battery. For this purpose, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the battery, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the vehicle interior, a blowing mechanism for supplying the air in the vehicle interior to the battery, and the operation of the blowing mechanism Is provided.

Patent No. 5446307

  Except in a cold region, in a warm region and a tropical region, the battery tends to have a higher temperature due to heat generated during charging and discharging than a lower temperature. On the other hand, the configuration provided with the above-described conventional blowing mechanism is complicated. For this reason, when the above-mentioned conventional air-blowing mechanism is applied as a measure for preventing the battery from becoming hot, the configuration becomes large and the cost becomes high. In particular, when the air conditioner is a portable air conditioner for outdoor use used for camping, watching sports, and the like, the size reduction is required, so that the above-described problem becomes remarkable.

  An object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner that can cool a battery with a simple and low-cost configuration.

  In order to solve the above problem, an air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present invention is provided in contact with an air conditioner performing an air conditioner operation, a battery serving as a power source of the air conditioner, and the battery. And a drain water treatment unit for storing or flowing drain water generated from the air conditioning unit inside.

  According to one embodiment of the present invention, a battery can be cooled with a simple and low-cost configuration.

It is a side view showing the appearance of the air conditioner concerning an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an internal configuration of the air conditioner illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a cooling operation state of an air conditioner of the air conditioner illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a heating operation of an air conditioner of the air conditioner illustrated in FIG. 1. It is a schematic diagram which shows the internal structure of the air conditioner of another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a specific configuration example of a drain pipe illustrated in FIG. 5. It is a mimetic diagram showing the composition of the inside of the air conditioner of yet another embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view of the radiation fin shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating a specific configuration example of a drain pipe illustrated in FIG. 7. It is a block diagram showing composition of a fan control system with which an air conditioner of yet another embodiment of the present invention is provided.

[Embodiment 1]
An embodiment of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a side view showing the appearance of the air conditioner 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an internal configuration of the air conditioner 1 shown in FIG.

(Configuration of the air conditioner 1)
As shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner 1 is a portable device, and has a housing 11 that covers an outer surface. The housing 11 has a cylindrical side surface, a bottom surface, and an upper surface, and the upper surface is formed in a curved shape so as to expand upward. In addition, the shape of the housing 11 is not limited to the above shape, and is appropriately set according to, for example, the application.

  On the side surface of the housing 11, a first air inlet 12 is formed on the upper side, and a second air inlet 13 is formed on the lower side. An outlet 14 is formed on a side surface of the housing 11 at a position opposite to the positions of the first and second intake ports 12 and 13. A heat exhaust port 15 is formed on the upper surface of the housing 11.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a battery 21, a drain tank (drain water treatment unit) 22, an evaporator 23, an evaporator blower fan 24, and a condenser are provided inside the housing 11 from the bottom to the top. 25 are provided in this order. Among them, the evaporator 23, the evaporator blower fan 24, and the condenser 25 are included in an air conditioner 51 described later.

  The first intake port 12 is an opening that takes in outside air for blowing air to the condenser 25. The second intake port 13 is an opening that takes in outside air for blowing air to the evaporator 23. The outlet 14 is an opening for discharging cool air or warm air generated by the air conditioning operation. The heat discharge port 15 is an opening for discharging heat generated by the air conditioning operation of the air conditioner 1.

(Position relationship between drain tank 22 and battery 21)
The battery 21 is a chargeable / dischargeable secondary battery, that is, a storage battery, and a conventionally known battery can be used. The drain tank 22 is a tank that stores drain water 26 generated in the evaporator 23. Water generated in the evaporator 23, that is, drain water 26 is received by a drain water tray 27 connected to the drain tank 22. Therefore, the drain water 26 of the drain water tray 27 flows from the drain water tray 27 to the drain tank 22. The drain tank 22 is provided on the battery 21 such that the lower surface contacts the upper surface of the battery.

  The position of the drain tank 22 is not limited to the position on the battery 21, and may be any position as long as the drain tank 22 is in contact with the outer surface of the battery 21. For example, the drain tank 22 may be arranged beside the battery 21 so as to contact the side surface of the battery 21.

(Configuration of the air conditioner 51 of the air conditioner 1)
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a cooling operation state of the air conditioner 51 of the air conditioner 1. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a heating operation of the air conditioner 51 of the air conditioner 1.

  The air conditioner 1 includes an air conditioner 51 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 in detail. The air-conditioning unit 51 is configured by a refrigeration cycle that performs a cooling operation and a heating operation that are air-conditioning operations.

  In the cooling operation of the air conditioner 51, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 31 is sent to the condenser 25 via the four-way valve 32, as shown in FIG. In the condenser 25, the refrigerant is liquefied when the condenser fan 33 is cooled by sending the air sucked from the second intake port 13 toward the condenser 25. The air that has passed through the condenser 25 is discharged from the heat discharge port 15 while containing the heat released by liquefaction of the refrigerant in the condenser 25.

  The liquefied refrigerant is vaporized at a stretch by being injected into the evaporator 23 from a minute nozzle hole of the expansion valve 34. The evaporator 23 is cooled by the vaporized refrigerant taking heat around the evaporator 23. Then, the air taken in by the evaporator blower fan 24 from the first intake port 12 is cooled by passing through the evaporator 23. The cool air from the evaporator 23 is discharged from the outlet 14. The refrigerant exiting the evaporator 23 returns to the compressor 31 and is compressed again.

  In the heating operation of the air-conditioning unit 51, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 31 is sent to the condenser 25 via the four-way valve 32, as shown in FIG. In the condenser 25, the refrigerant is liquefied when the condenser fan 33 is cooled by sending the air sucked from the second intake port 13 toward the condenser 25. The air that has passed through the condenser 25 is discharged from the outlet 14 as warm air while containing heat released by liquefaction of the refrigerant in the condenser 25.

  The liquefied refrigerant is sent to the expansion valve 34, and is vaporized at a stretch by being injected into the evaporator 23 from a minute nozzle hole of the expansion valve 34. The evaporator 23 is cooled by the vaporized refrigerant taking heat around the evaporator 23. Then, the air taken in by the evaporator blower fan 24 from the first intake port 12 is cooled by passing through the evaporator 23. The cool air from the evaporator 23 is discharged from the heat discharge port 15. The refrigerant exiting the evaporator 23 returns to the compressor 31 and is compressed again.

(Advantages of air conditioner 1)
In the air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment, since the drain tank 22 is provided so as to be in contact with the battery 21, when the battery 21 generates heat by discharging during operation of the air conditioner 1, the drain water in the drain tank 22 is discharged. 26 allows the battery 21 to be cooled. That is, the air conditioner 1 can cool the battery with a simple and low-cost configuration without lowering the air conditioning function. As a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in performance due to a rise in the temperature of the battery 21 and extend the operation time of the air conditioner 1.

[Embodiment 2]
Another embodiment of the present invention will be described below. For convenience of description, members having the same functions as those described in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.

(Configuration of the air conditioner 2)
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an internal configuration of the air conditioner 2 of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the air conditioner 2 includes a drain pipe (drain water treatment unit) 41 instead of the drain tank 22 of the air conditioner 1. The drain pipe 41 has an upstream end connected to the drain water tray 27 and a downstream end provided with an on-off valve 42. The drain pipe 41 is preferably formed of a material having good thermal conductivity, for example, a material containing aluminum as a main component. The on-off valve 42 is opened and closed by manual operation, for example. Other configurations of the air conditioner 2 are the same as those of the air conditioner 1 described above.

(Positional relationship between drain pipe 41 and battery 21)
The drain pipe 41 is a pipe for discharging the drain water 26 generated in the evaporator 23 to the outside of the machine. The drain water 26 generated in the evaporator 23 is received by the drain water tray 27, flows through the drain pipe 41, and is discharged to the outside by opening the on-off valve 42. The drain pipe 41 is provided on the upper surface of the battery 21 so as to be in contact with the battery 21. Therefore, it is preferable that the upper surface of the battery 21 is gently inclined downward from the upstream side to the downstream side of the drain pipe 41.

  In addition, the position of the drain pipe 41 is not limited to the upper surface of the battery 21, and may be arranged so as to be in contact with the outer surface of the battery 21. For example, the drain pipe 41 may be arranged around the battery 21 so as to contact the side surface of the battery 21. The above configuration is the same in the air conditioner 3 described later.

(Advantages of the air conditioner 2)
In the air conditioner 2 of the present embodiment, since the drain pipe 41 is provided so as to be in contact with the battery 21, the drain flowing through the drain pipe 41 when the battery 21 generates heat by discharging during operation of the air conditioner 2. The battery 21 can be cooled by the water 26. That is, the air conditioner 1 can cool the battery with a simple and low-cost configuration without lowering the air conditioning function. As a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in performance due to a rise in the temperature of the battery 21 and extend the operation time of the air conditioner 2. The configuration of the air conditioner 2 having such a drain pipe 41 is suitable for a small air conditioner having no drain tank 22.

(Specific configuration example of the drain pipe 41)
FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a specific configuration example of the drain pipe 41. As shown in FIG. 6, the drain pipe 41 may be provided on the upper surface of the battery 21 in a meandering state. With such a configuration, the contact area between the drain pipe 41 and the battery 21 increases, and the function of cooling the battery 21 by the drain water 26 flowing through the drain pipe 41 can be enhanced.

[Embodiment 3]
Another embodiment of the present invention will be described below. For convenience of description, members having the same functions as those described in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.

(Configuration of the air conditioner 3)
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating an internal configuration of the air conditioner 3 of the present embodiment. FIG. 8 is a front view of the radiation fin 43 shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the air conditioner 3 includes a drain pipe 41 instead of the drain tank 22 of the air conditioner 1, similarly to the air conditioner 2. The air conditioner 3 further includes a radiation fin 43.

  The radiation fins 43 are fixed to the upper surface of the battery 21. The radiation fins 43 are preferably formed of a material having good thermal conductivity, for example, a material containing aluminum as a main component, similarly to the drain pipe 41. As shown in FIG. 8, the heat radiation fin 43 has a through hole 43c in a base 43a at a lower portion, and the drain pipe 41 passes through the through hole 43c. The upper part of the radiation fin 43 is a fin part 43b, and at least a part of the fin part 43b is present in a wind path between the evaporator 23 and the evaporator blower fan 24.

  The evaporator blower fan 24 rotates during the operation of the air conditioner 3, and flows between the evaporator 23 and the evaporator blower fan 24 from the second intake port 13 to the outlet 14, that is, the evaporator. A flow of wind from 23 to the evaporator blower fan 24 occurs. However, the radiating fins 43 are arranged at positions that do not significantly affect the flow of the original wind between the evaporator 23 and the evaporator blower fan 24. Other configurations of the air conditioner 3 are the same as those of the air conditioners 1 and 2 described above.

(Advantages of the air conditioner 3)
As in the case of the air conditioner 2, the air conditioner 3 of the present embodiment is provided with the drain pipe 41 so as to be in contact with the battery 21. Therefore, when the battery 21 generates heat during operation of the air conditioner 2, In addition, the battery 21 can be cooled by the drain water 26 flowing in the drain pipe 41. That is, the air conditioner 1 can cool the battery with a simple and low-cost configuration without lowering the air conditioning function. As a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in performance due to a rise in the temperature of the battery 21 and extend the operation time of the air conditioner 2.

  Further, the radiation fin 43 is fixed to the upper surface of the battery 21 and at least a part of the fin portion 43b exists in the wind path between the evaporator 23 and the evaporator blower fan 24. The cooling of the battery 21 can be promoted by utilizing the wind between the evaporator blower fan 24. Also, the battery 21 can be cooled even when drain water is not flowing through the drain pipe 41.

  Further, since the drain pipe 41 is provided so as to penetrate the radiation fin 43, that is, to pass through the inside of the radiation fin 43, the drain water 26 in the drain pipe 41 can be cooled by the radiation fin 43. Thereby, the function of cooling the battery 21 by the drain water 26 in the drain pipe 41 can be further enhanced.

  In addition, the drain pipe 41 is not limited to the configuration penetrating the heat radiation fin 43, and may be arranged independently of the heat radiation fin 43.

(Specific configuration example of the drain pipe 41)
FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a specific configuration example of the drain pipe 41. As shown in FIG. 9, the drain pipe 41 is provided in a meandering manner on the upper surface of the battery 21 similarly to the case of FIG. 6, and enhances the cooling function of the battery 21 by the drain water 26 flowing through the drain pipe 41. You can do it.

  The heat radiation fin 44 has a base 44a, a fin portion 44b, and a through hole 44c, like the heat radiation fin 43. The direction of the through hole 44 c of the heat radiation fin 44 is different from that of the heat radiation fin 43 and is the longitudinal direction of the heat radiation fin 44. Therefore, the longitudinal direction of the radiation fins 44 is parallel to the direction of the meandering drain pipe 41. Other arrangement states of the radiation fins 44 are the same as those of the radiation fins 43.

  The advantages of having the heat radiation fins 44 and the drain pipe 41 penetrating the heat radiation fins 44 are the same as those in the configuration shown in FIG.

[Embodiment 4]
Another embodiment of the present invention will be described below. For convenience of description, members having the same functions as those described in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.

(Configuration of Fan Control System 52)
FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the fan control system 52 included in the air conditioner 4 of the present embodiment. The air conditioner 4 has a configuration in which the air conditioner 3 further includes a fan control system 52.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the fan control system 52 includes a temperature sensor 53 and a fan control unit 54. Temperature sensor 53 measures the temperature of battery 21.

  The fan control unit 54 includes, for example, a microcomputer, and rotates the evaporator blower fan 24 when the temperature of the battery 21 detected by the temperature sensor 53 exceeds a predetermined threshold. The predetermined threshold is, for example, an upper limit of an appropriate operating temperature range according to the type of the battery.

(Operation of Fan Control System 52 and Advantages of Air Conditioner 4)
The battery 21 is charged by receiving a supply of DC power (for example, 24 V) from a power supply unit. The power supply unit may be an internal power supply unit provided in the air conditioner 4 or an external power supply unit.

  The temperature of the battery 21 rises during charging, and the temperature easily exceeds the upper limit (threshold) of an appropriate operating temperature range. Therefore, when the temperature of the battery 21 detected by the temperature sensor 53 exceeds the threshold, the fan control unit 54 rotates the evaporator blower fan 24 at a low speed, for example. Thereby, the wind hits the heat radiation fins 43 (44), and the cooling of the battery 21 by the heat radiation fins 43 (44) can be promoted. As a result, the temperature rise during charging of the battery 21 is suppressed, and the battery 21 can be charged at a high speed. Further, deterioration of the battery 21 due to a temperature rise during charging can be suppressed.

[Summary]
The air conditioner according to the first aspect of the present invention is an air conditioner that performs an air conditioner operation, a battery that is a power source of the air conditioner, and a drain that is provided in contact with the battery and is generated from the air conditioner. A drain water treatment section for storing or flowing water inside.

  An air conditioner according to an aspect 2 of the present invention, in the above aspect 1, the drain water treatment unit may be configured to be a drain tank that stores the drain water.

  The air conditioner according to aspect 3 of the present invention may be configured such that in the above aspect 1, the drain water treatment section is a drain pipe through which the drain water flows.

  An air conditioner according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the air conditioner is provided in contact with the battery and an evaporator blowing fan for blowing air to an evaporator included in the air conditioner. A configuration may be adopted in which at least a part includes a radiation fin present in an air path between the evaporator and the evaporator blower fan.

  An air conditioner according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner according to the third aspect, wherein the air conditioner is provided in contact with the evaporator blower fan that blows air to an evaporator included in the air conditioner, and the battery is at least partially evaporated. A radiation fin may be provided in an air passage between the vessel and the evaporator blower fan, and the drain pipe may be provided to pass through the inside of the radiation fin.

  The air conditioner according to aspect 6 of the present invention, according to aspect 4 or 5, wherein the temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the battery and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor exceed a predetermined threshold. It may be configured to include a fan control unit that rotates the evaporator blower fan.

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope shown in the claims, and embodiments obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments. Is also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, new technical features can be formed by combining the technical means disclosed in each embodiment.

1-4 air conditioner 11 housing 12 first air inlet 13 second air inlet 14 outlet 15 heat discharge port 21 battery 22 drain tank (drain water treatment unit)
23 Evaporator 24 Evaporator blower fan 26 Drain water 27 Drain water tray 41 Drain pipe (Drain water treatment part)
43,44 Radiation fins 43a, 44a Bases 43b, 44b Fins 43c, 44c Through hole 51 Air conditioning unit 52 Fan control system 53 Temperature sensor 54 Fan control unit

Claims (6)

An air conditioning unit that performs air conditioning operation;
A battery serving as a power supply for the air conditioning unit;
An air conditioner, comprising: a drain water treatment unit provided in contact with the battery and storing or flowing drain water generated from the air conditioner inside.   The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the drain water treatment unit is a drain tank that stores the drain water.   The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the drain water treatment unit is a drain pipe through which the drain water flows. An evaporator blowing fan for blowing air to an evaporator included in the air conditioning unit,
4. A heat radiation fin provided in contact with the battery, at least a part of which is provided in an air passage between the evaporator and the evaporator blower fan. 2. The air conditioner according to claim 1. An evaporator blowing fan for blowing air to an evaporator included in the air conditioning unit,
A heat radiation fin provided at least in part in an air path between the evaporator and the evaporator blower fan, provided in contact with the battery;
The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein the drain pipe is provided so as to pass through the inside of the radiation fin. A temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the battery;
The air conditioner according to claim 4, further comprising: a fan control unit configured to rotate the evaporator blowing fan when a temperature detected by the temperature sensor exceeds a predetermined threshold. Machine.

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