JP2023071071A - air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a dehumidifier which can clean a heat exchanger as a whole.SOLUTION: In a cleaning water sump 70, since a support rib 71e for moving at least a cleaning lever 100, and supporting a tip of a protruded transmission part 103 from below when lifting a drain hole presser 80 upward is formed at a water storage part 71, the cleaning lever 100 is inclined front-downward when the lift of the drain hole presser 80 by the cleaning lever 100 is finished, the cleaning lever 100 is not returned to an original position due to the friction of a thin-thickness plate part 101 and a guide rail 122, the continuation of the release of a water storage part drain hole 73 can be thereby prohibited, and when cleaning water is injected into the cleaning water sump 70 by a user, an evaporator 46a is fully wetted as a whole by making a prescribed amount of the cleaning water fall into the water storage part 71 after surely accumulating it, and the evaporator can be thereby cleaned.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 18

Description

The present invention relates to an air conditioner such as a dehumidifier.

Conventionally, in this type of device, low-temperature refrigerant is cooled by passing it through a heat exchanger as an evaporator, and a fan is driven to blow air to the heat exchanger, causing condensed water to flow into the heat exchanger. In a dehumidifying operation that dehumidifies the indoor air by dehumidification, the blower fan is driven for a predetermined time after the dehumidifying operation is completed and the low-temperature refrigerant does not flow to the heat exchanger, and the heat exchanger is dried. to prevent the growth of mold and bacteria due to moisture remaining in the heat exchanger. (For example, Patent Document 1)

JP-A-2005-334795

However, this conventional method cannot remove dust adhering to the heat exchanger.
In order to solve this problem, a wash water receiver is installed on the heat exchanger so that the drain hole is closed by a drain hole retainer and the wash water is stored. A conceivable method is to open the drainage hole and drop the cleaning water stored in the cleaning water receiver to the heat exchanger to remove the dust adhering to the heat exchanger. When this method is carried out, if the drain hole retainer, which is operated to drop the wash water into the heat exchanger, does not return to the position where the drain hole is securely closed, a predetermined amount of water will accumulate in the wash water receptacle. Since the entire heat exchanger cannot be cleaned, the cleaning effect may be reduced, and there is room for improvement.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the air conditioner according to the present invention includes a housing,
a heat exchanger that is housed in the housing and exchanges heat with the sucked air;
a wash water receiver that is housed in the housing and arranged vertically above the heat exchanger, has a drain hole for storing wash water for washing the heat exchanger, and discharges the collected wash water;
a drain hole retainer that opens the drain hole by moving upward from the standby state in the vertical direction;
an instruction input unit that receives an instruction to open the drain hole holder by being moved by the user from a standby state in a horizontal direction orthogonal to the vertical direction;
with
The instruction input unit
a base having a surface facing outward of the housing and a back surface facing inward of the housing;
a transmission part formed so as to project from the back surface and transmitting the force received by the base part in the horizontal direction to the drain hole retainer;
The housing is
a guide portion that supports the base portion of the instruction input portion so as to be movable in the horizontal direction;
The drain hole holder is
a connection part that receives the horizontal force from the transmission part and converts the horizontal force into a force that moves the drain hole holder upward in the vertical direction;
The washing water receiver is
and support means for supporting the protruding tip of the transmission part from below when at least the transmission part is moved in the horizontal direction and the drain hole retainer moves upward in the vertical direction. .

Further, in claim 2, the transmission part is formed so as to protrude from the rear surface in a front-rear direction orthogonal to the vertical direction and the horizontal direction,
The drain hole retainer has biasing means for biasing downward when the drain hole retainer moves upward in the vertical direction,
The connection portion penetrates the transmission portion and contacts the transmission portion while the transmission portion moves in the horizontal direction, and converts the horizontal force received from the transmission portion upward in the vertical direction. having an opening,
The support means is formed to protrude upward from the washing water receiver.

Further, in claim 3, the support means supports the protruding tip of the transmission portion from below only when the transmission portion is moved in the horizontal direction and the drain hole retainer is moved upward in the vertical direction. It is characterized by being formed in a position.

Further, in claim 4, when the transmitting portion is moved in the horizontal direction and the drain hole retainer is moved upward in the vertical direction, a tip portion of the projecting transmitting portion is guided to the upper end of the supporting means. It is characterized in that the surface is formed at the lower end of the tip portion of the transmission portion or the upper end of the support means.

According to this invention, when the transmission part is moved in the horizontal direction and the drain hole holder is operated to open the drain hole of the wash water receiver, the tip of the transmission part is lowered by moving the drain hole holder vertically upward. Although the tip portion of the transmission portion is supported from below by the support means, this can be prevented. As a result, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the base of the instruction input part inclines due to the tip of the transmission part being greatly lowered, the base part is caught in the guide part, and the transmission part does not return to the position where the drain hole is closed. Therefore, when the user pours a predetermined amount of wash water into the wash water receiver, the wash water can be reliably stored in the wash water receiver, so that the entire heat exchanger can be wetted, and the heat exchanger can be effectively cleaned. You can prevent decline.

1 is an external perspective view of a dehumidifier according to an embodiment; FIG. The left side view in the state which removed the front frame and the rear frame of a dehumidifier. The disassembled perspective view of a dehumidifier. FIG. 2 is a schematic functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the dehumidifier; FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a wash water receiver and a drain hole holder; FIG. 3 is a perspective view mainly showing the washing water receiver from above; Sectional drawing which follows the VII-VII line of FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view mainly showing the pouring spout from above. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX of FIG. 8; The perspective view which shows a washing|cleaning lever from the front. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram particularly showing a cleaning lever arranged on the rear frame; The perspective view which shows a rear frame from the front. The perspective view which shows the water-filling port of a rear frame from back. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the water inlet and the water inlet cover from the rear and right. Explanatory drawing showing the relationship between the water inlet and the water inlet cover from the front and left. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view from the front showing a state in which the drain hole of the water storage section is closed; Sectional drawing which shows the state which the water-storage part drain hole closed from the left. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view from the front showing a state in which the drain hole of the water storage section is open; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view from the left showing a state in which the drain hole of the water storage section is open; FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram particularly showing a cleaning lever arranged on the rear frame of another embodiment;

An embodiment of an air conditioner according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present embodiment, an air conditioner of the present invention is applied to a dehumidifier 1 that uses a vapor compression refrigeration cycle to condense moisture contained in the air for dehumidification.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a dehumidifier 1 according to this embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a left side view of the dehumidifier 1 with the front frame 11 and the rear frame 12 removed.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the dehumidifier 1. FIG.

FIG. 4 is a schematic functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the dehumidifier 1. As shown in FIG.

In the following description, the definitions of front, rear, top, bottom, left, and right shown in each drawing are used. The vertical direction is the up-down direction, and the horizontal direction is the direction included in the planar direction including the front-rear and left-right directions.

The dehumidifier 1 has a housing 10 that has the appearance of the dehumidifier 1 . The housing 10 has a front frame 11 , a rear frame 12 , a rear frame decorative plate 13 , a top plate 14 and a base 15 .

The front frame 11 and the rear frame 12 are combined with each other to form a housing 10 that faces the front-rear direction of the dehumidifier 1 .

The rear frame 12 has a suction port 21 , a tank insertion port 22 , a water filling port 23 and a lever support port 24 . The suction port 21 has a plurality of slits 26 and has a filter 27 and a filter case 28 on its outer surface. The filter 27 is made of resin mesh, non-woven fabric, or the like, and removes dust, odor components, and the like from the intake air. Filter case 28 fixes filter 27 to suction port 21 . The tank insertion port 22 is arranged below the suction port 21, through which the drain tank 51 is inserted and taken out. The water injection port 23 and the lever support port 24 are arranged above the suction port 21 (details will be described later). The rear frame decorative plate 13 is attached above the rear frame 12 to cover a portion of the rear frame 12 that is not desired to be visually recognized.

The top plate 14 is arranged above the combined front frame 11 and rear frame 12 to form the housing 10 facing upward. The upper plate 14 has an air outlet 31 , an operation section 32 and an LED display section 33 . The air outlet 31 is arranged on the surface of the top plate 14 facing upward. The air outlet 31 has a louver unit 35 capable of horizontally controlling the blowing direction of dry air from obliquely upward. The louver unit 35 has a louver 36 and a louver motor 37 that drives the louver 36 .

The operation unit 32 and the LED display unit 33 are arranged on a surface that inclines downward and forward from the upper surface. The operation unit 32 is a touch panel that implements, for example, an operation switch, a timer switch, an operation mode selection switch, and the like. The LED display unit 33 displays the operating state of the dehumidifier 1 and the like in the lighting state of an LED (Light Emitting Diode).

The base 15 is arranged below the combined front frame 11 and rear frame 12 and serves as the base of the dehumidifier 1 .

The main internal parts of the dehumidifier 1 accommodated in the housing 10 include a fan case 41, a sirocco fan 42, a blower motor 43, a compressor 45, a heat exchanger 46, a drain pan 49, and a drain tank. 51 and a control unit 55 .

The fan case 41 is arranged on the base 15 and mainly supports and positions the sirocco fan 42 , the blower motor 43 and the drain tank 51 .

The sirocco fan 42 is rotated by the rotation of the blower motor 43 , sucks air from the suction port 21 , and forms an air flow that blows out from the blowout port 31 . The sirocco fan 42 and the blower motor 43 are attached to the fan case 41 so that their rotating shafts extend in the front-rear direction.

The compressor 45 is fixed on the base 15 and connected to the heat exchanger 46 via a pipe 45a and a pressure reducing device 45b.

The heat exchanger 46 exchanges heat with the air sucked from the suction port 21 . The heat exchanger 46 has an evaporator 46a arranged at a position close to the suction port 21 and a condenser 46b arranged ahead of the evaporator 46a. The evaporator 46 a and the condenser 46 b are fin-tube heat exchangers in which fins 48 are attached to U-shaped refrigerant pipes 47 . As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerant pipe 47 has a plurality of straight portions 47a extending in the horizontal direction (lateral direction) and a bent portion 47b that bends in the vertical direction and connects the two straight portions 47a. The portion 47 a and the bent portion 47 b appear continuously along the length of the refrigerant pipe 47 .

Compressor 45, piping 45a, decompression device 45b, and heat exchanger 46 form a refrigeration cycle through which refrigerant flows. The refrigeration cycle has a compressor 45, a condenser 46b, a decompression device 45b, and an evaporator 46a in order of refrigerant flow. When the refrigerant flows through the evaporator 46a, the refrigerant takes heat from the air passing through the evaporator 46a and evaporates. Also, as the refrigerant flows through the condenser 46b, it reheats and condenses the air passing through the condenser 46b. As a result, the air sucked from the suction port 21 is filtered by the filter 27 to remove dust, odor components, etc., cooled and dehumidified by the evaporator 46a, and then heated by the condenser 46b to form low-humidity air. It is discharged from the outlet 31 .

The drain pan 49 supports and fixes the heat exchanger 46 from below on the opposite side of the fan case 41 in the front-rear direction to the side on which the sirocco fan 42 is arranged. The drain pan 49 engages with the refrigerant pipes 47 and the fins 48 located below the heat exchanger 46 to support the heat exchanger 46 in the front-rear and left-right directions. The drain pan 49 has a drain port, receives the drain water generated and dropped from the evaporator 46a and the cleaning water used to clean the evaporator 46a, and discharges the drain water from the drain port.

The drain tank 51 stores drain water discharged from the drain port of the drain pan 49 . The drain tank 51 is attached to and detached from the housing 10 by being slid in the front-rear direction from the tank insertion opening 22 . The drain tank 51 inserted into the housing 10 is arranged in the tank chamber 41 b formed by the fan case 41 .

The drain tank 51 has a tank lid 54 and a floating accommodation portion 52 . The tank lid 54 drops drain water from the drain port of the drain pan 49 into the drain tank 51 . The float housing part 52 houses a float 53 having, for example, a magnet for detecting the water level in the drain tank 51 . The magnetic field of the magnet corresponding to the water level is detected by an AMR sensor (Anisotropic-Magneto-Resistance, anisotropic magnetic resistance sensor) 62 mounted on the control unit 55 or the like, and notifies the user that the drain tank 51 is full.

The control unit 55 is supported by the case 56 and arranged to the left of the fan case 41 . The control unit 55 electrically controls each part such as the louver motor 37, the blower motor 43, the compressor 45, and the LED display part 33 based on an instruction from the operation part 32 or a pre-stored program. controls the operation of As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 55 has a storage section 57 and a timer 58 . The storage unit 57 stores an operation program of each unit and the like. The timer 58 measures time for timer operation of the dehumidifier 1 and the like.

The control unit 55 has a temperature sensor 59 and a humidity sensor 60 . A temperature sensor 59 and a humidity sensor 60 are provided at predetermined positions on the main body of the dehumidifier 1 to measure the ambient temperature and humidity of the dehumidifier 1 . The control unit 55 uses temperature and humidity as necessary to control each section. The notification unit 61 outputs an alarm sound for informing the user of the situation based on an instruction from the control unit 55 .

The dehumidifier 1 further includes, as internal components accommodated in the housing 10, a wash water receiver 70, a drain hole retainer 80, a water inlet cover 90, and a wash lever 100.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the washing water receiver 70 and the drain hole holder 80. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view mainly showing the washing water receiver 70 from above.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view along line VII-VII of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the wash water receiver 70 is arranged above the heat exchanger 46 and behind the fan case 41 . The wash water receiver 70 has a function of storing wash water for washing the heat exchanger 46 , draining the collected wash water, and a function of supporting the heat exchanger 46 . The wash water receiver 70 has a water storage portion 71 , an overflow portion 74 , a support piece 76 and a heat exchanger retainer 79 .

The water storage part 71 is a water storage space for cleaning water that opens upward. The water reservoir 71 is arranged at least above the evaporator 46a. It is preferable that the water reservoir 71 be arranged over substantially the entire length of the heat exchanger 46 in the left-right direction. The water storage unit 71 has a capacity capable of storing at least a predetermined amount of water (for example, 200 ml) necessary for cleaning the heat exchanger 46, for example. The water reservoir 71 has a pair of spring stoppers 72 on its left and right outer surfaces. The water reservoir 71 has a rear wall 71a, a front wall 71b, and left and right walls 71d. The front wall 71b is lower than the rear wall 71a and the left and right walls 71d. As a result, when washing water exceeding the capacity of the water reservoir 71 is injected, it overflows from the front wall 71b.

The water storage portion 71 has a water storage portion drain hole 73 (drain hole) on the bottom surface 71c. The water storage section drain hole 73 is a slit-shaped hole that is preferably arranged over substantially the entire length of the water storage section 71 in the left-right direction, that is, over substantially the entire length of the heat exchanger 46 in the left-right direction. Further, the water storage portion drain hole 73 is arranged along the direction in which the straight portion 47 a of the refrigerant pipe 47 extends. In the example of FIG. 6, the water reservoir drain hole 73 is divided into two in the left-right direction. The water reservoir drain hole 73 drains the washing water downward toward the heat exchanger 46 side. Specifically, the water storage part drain hole 73 is located above the evaporator 46a, which is close to the suction port 21 and dust tends to accumulate, and is far from the electric parts such as the control unit 55 and the blower motor 43. reaches the refrigerant pipe 47 and the fins 48 of the evaporator 46a.

The water reservoir 71 is formed with a support rib 71e as a support means that protrudes upward at a position adjacent to the front wall 71b substantially in the center of the bottom surface 71c. The support rib 71e is formed such that its upper end is higher than the upper end of the front wall 71b. The support rib 71e is formed so as to correspond to the horizontal direction of the range in which the transmission portion 103 moves at least when the cleaning lever 100 as an instruction input portion, which will be described later, is operated. When the transmission part 103 moves in the left-right direction, the transmission part 103 is supported to prevent the cleaning lever 100 from tilting. The support rib 71e has a tapered guide surface 71e1 formed at its upper end, so that when the transmission part 103 moves in the horizontal direction, the transmission part 103 can be smoothly guided to the upper end of the support rib 71e.

The water storage portion 71 has guide ribs 71f as guide means formed at a plurality of locations in the left-right direction of the bottom surface 71c. The guide rib 71f is lower in height than the support rib 71e, and has one end connected to the bottom surface 71c and the other end connected to the front wall 71b or the rear wall 71a. The guide ribs 71f are formed so as to sandwich the drain hole retainer 80, which will be described later, so that even if the drain hole retainer 80 moves in the vertical direction, the position of the lower end portion thereof does not shift in the front-rear direction. As a result, the seal portion 81 of the drain hole retainer 80 reliably closes the water storage portion drain hole 73 , thereby preventing wash water from leaking from the water storage portion 71 through the water storage portion drain hole 73 .

The overflow section 74 is arranged in front of the water storage section 71 and above the condenser 46b. The overflow portion 74 is spatially connected to the water storage portion 71 above the front wall 71 b of the water storage portion 71 . The overflow portion 74 receives the wash water that has been poured beyond the water storage capacity of the water storage portion 71 and overflows from the front wall 71b. The overflow section 74 has an overflow section drain hole 75 at the bottom. The overflow portion 74 has a cleaning water flow path and an overflow portion drainage hole 75 so that the cleaning water is led to the evaporator 46a side. In other words, the overflow portion 74 is positioned above the condenser 46b, but discharges the washing water toward the rear evaporator 46a.

The support piece 76 is a piece-shaped portion extending forward from the front right end of the overflow portion 74 . The support piece 76 has a support hole 77 and engages with a claw 41 a ( FIG. 2 ) arranged at a corresponding position of the fan case 41 through the support hole 77 . The wash water receiver 70 is thereby supported by the fan case 41 .

The heat exchanger presser 79 is a plate-like member having a surface direction along the vertical direction, which is formed downward from the left and right ends of the wash water receiver 70 . As shown in FIG. 2, the heat exchanger retainer 79 engages with the refrigerant pipe 47 and the fins 48 positioned above the heat exchanger 46 to support the heat exchanger 46 in the front-rear and left-right directions. The heat exchanger holder 79 also supports the heat exchanger 46 in the vertical direction by being paired with the drain pan 49 that similarly supports the heat exchanger 46 .

The drain hole retainer 80 is a substantially frame-shaped member that extends in the left-right direction and is supported with respect to the wash water receiver 70 in order to close or open the water reservoir drain hole 73 of the water reservoir 71 . The drain hole retainer 80 opens the water reservoir drain hole 73 by moving upward. The drain hole retainer 80 has a seal portion 81 , an arm portion 83 and a lever connecting portion 87 .

The seal portion 81 is a lower end portion extending in the left-right direction of the drain hole retainer 80 and has a length corresponding to the length of the water storage portion drain hole 73 in the left-right direction. The seal portion 81 has a seal member 82, and when the water storage portion drain hole 73 is closed, it closes the water storage portion drain hole 73 so that the wash water stored in the water storage portion 71 does not leak. The seal member 82 is composed of an insertion portion 82a inserted into the seal portion 81, and a contact portion 82b connected to the lower side of the insertion portion 82a and closely attached to the water storage portion drain hole 73 for sealing. The sealing member 82 is made of solid EPDM.

The arms 83 are arranged at the left and right ends of the drain hole retainer 80 and have a pair of horizontal surfaces facing in the vertical direction. Arm 83 has a pair of spring holes 84 . A pair of spring holes 84 support one ends of a pair of drain hole pressing springs 85 (biasing means). The other ends of the pair of drain hole pressing springs 85 are supported by the pair of spring stoppers 72 of the washing water receiver 70 . As a result, the pair of drain hole pressing springs 85 has a restoring force in the vertical direction, thereby supporting the drain hole pressing member 80 on the wash water receiver 70 . The drain hole retainer 80 is pulled downward when no load is applied, which is a standby state, and the contact portion 82b of the seal member 82 closes the water reservoir drain hole 73. As shown in FIG. When the drain hole retainer 80 is pulled upward against the restoring force from the standby state and moves, the seal portion 81 moves upward to open the water storage portion drain hole 73 .

The lever connecting portion 87 (connecting portion) is a portion that engages with the cleaning lever 100 and converts the operation of the cleaning lever 100 into a force for operating the drain hole presser 80 . Specifically, the lever connecting portion 87 receives a leftward force from a transmission portion 103 (described later), and converts the leftward force into a force for moving the drain hole pressing member 80 upward. The lever connection portion 87 has a lever opening 88 through which the transmission portion 103 passes. Lever opening 88 is in meshing contact with transmission portion 103 during leftward movement of transmission portion 103 and converts the leftward force received from transmission portion 103 into an upward force.

The lever connecting portion 87 has a shape that can convert the horizontal movement of the cleaning lever 100 into the vertical movement of the drain hole holder 80 . Specifically, the lever opening 88 has an upper side 88a that slopes along the slope of the upper surface 103a (described later) of the transmission portion 103 and slopes downward toward the left.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view mainly showing the water filling spout 90 from above.

9 is a cross-sectional view along line IX-IX in FIG. 8. FIG.

The water inlet cover 90 normally closes the water inlet 23 and has a function of pouring cleansing water from the outside of the housing 10 into the cleansing water receiver 70 during cleansing. The water inlet cover 90 has a drawer shape and is slid in the front-rear direction with respect to the water inlet 23 of the rear frame 12 . The pouring spout cover 90 has a pouring part 91 and a draining part 96 .

The water injection part 91 is formed by a rear wall 91a, left and right walls 91b, a front wall 91c, and a bottom surface 91d extending in the vertical direction, and forms a space with an upper opening. The surface of the rear wall 91 a facing the rear is flush with the rear frame 12 and exposed to the outside of the dehumidifier 1 . The rear wall 91a has a handle 92 extending rearwardly. The handle 92 is used by the user when the spout lid 90 is withdrawn from the housing 10 . The front wall 91c is formed in a lattice shape and has an opening, through which washing water poured into the water inlet 91 is drained. The front wall 91c is lower in height than the rear wall 91a and the left and right walls 91b. The left and right walls 91b extend further forward than the front wall 91c. The left and right walls 91b each have retaining ribs 93 extending in the vertical direction on surfaces facing outward. The bottom surface 91d is slanted forward to ensure that the poured washing water is discharged from the front wall 91c.

The drainage part 96 is arranged in front of the front wall 91 c and has a water splash prevention wall 97 and a lower opening 98 . The water splash prevention wall 97 is a wall-like portion that slopes forward and downward from the upper end of the front wall 91 c to substantially the same plane as the bottom surface 91 d of the water injection section 91 . The lower opening 98 is formed by a lower end 97a of the water splash prevention wall 97, a front end 99 of the bottom surface 91d, and left and right walls 91b connecting the left and right ends of the lower end 97a and the front end 99. As shown in FIG. The lower opening 98 is positioned substantially above the water reservoir 71 of the flush water receiver 70 when the water pouring spout cover 90 is pulled out from the rear frame 12 and is in a water pourable state.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the cleaning lever 100 from the front.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram particularly showing the washing lever 100 arranged on the rear frame 12. As shown in FIG.

The cleaning lever 100 (instruction input unit) has a function of receiving an instruction to open the drain hole holder 80 by being moved leftward (horizontally) by the user. The cleaning lever 100 slides in the left-right direction with respect to the lever support opening 24 ( FIG. 1 ) of the rear frame 12 . The cleaning lever 100 has a thin plate portion 101 , a finger hook recess 102 , a transmission portion 103 and a spring support portion 105 .

The thin plate portion 101 (base portion) is a plate-like member that faces substantially parallel to the rear surface 12a (surface facing forward) of the rear frame 12 . The thin plate portion 101 has a surface 108 a ( FIG. 1 ) facing the outside (rear) of the housing 10 and a rear surface 108 b facing the inside (forward) of the housing 10 . The finger hooking recess 102 is formed in a substantially central portion in the left-right direction of the thin plate portion 101 and is a portion recessed forward in a substantially rectangular shape. The user's finger is hooked on the finger hook recess 102 when the user moves the cleaning lever 100 to the left.

The transmission portion 103 is a tubular portion having a substantially trapezoidal cross section, which is provided on the rear surface 108b and protrudes forward substantially perpendicularly to the rear surface 108b. The transmission portion 103 transmits the leftward moving force received by the thin plate portion 101 to the drain hole retainer 80 . The transmission portion 103 is arranged at a position overlapping the finger hook recess 102 when viewed in the front-rear direction. The transmission portion 103 has an upper surface 103a that faces substantially upward and slopes downward toward the left. The transmission portion 103 has a plurality of (three in FIG. 10) contact ribs 104 (projections) on the upper surface 103a. The contact rib 104 protrudes upward from the upper surface 103a and contacts the upper side 88a of the lever opening 88 of the drain hole retainer 80 through which the transmission portion 103 penetrates. The contact ribs 104 reduce the contact area with the upper edge 88a and reduce friction. Further, by providing the contact ribs 104 at two or more locations, the contact with the upper side 88a during sliding is stabilized, and the drain hole holder 80 is moved straight upward.

The spring support portion 105 is a small piece rising forward from the right end side of the thin plate portion 101 and has a spring hole 106 . Spring hole 106 supports one end of lever spring 107 . The other end of the lever spring 107 is supported by the spring stop portion 123 of the rear frame 12 . Thereby, the lever spring 107 supports the cleaning lever 100 on the rear frame 12 by having a restoring force in the left-right direction. The cleaning lever 100 is pulled to the right in a no-load state, which is a standby state. The cleaning lever 100 is moved leftward by receiving a force from the user's operation through the finger hook recess 102 from the standby state, thereby sliding leftward against the restoring force.

Next, the water injection port 23 and the lever support port 24 of the rear frame 12 will be described.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the rear frame 12 from the front.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the water inlet 23 of the rear frame 12 from the rear.

FIG. 14 is a sectional view showing the relationship between the water inlet 23 and the water inlet cover 90 from the rear and right.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory view showing the relationship between the water inlet 23 and the water inlet lid 90 from the front and left.

The water inlet 23 has a water inlet opening 111 , a pair of guide rails 113 , a pair of lid pressing pieces 115 , elastic claws 116 and protective walls 118 .

The water injection opening 111 is an opening formed in the rear frame 12 and corresponds to the dimensions of the rear wall 91 a of the water injection lid 90 . The pair of guide rails 113 are substantially U-shaped members extending forward from the right and left edges 111 a of the water injection opening 111 . The guide rails 113 are engaged with the right and left sides 94 of the bottom surface 91d of the pouring spout cover 90 at groove portions to position the pouring spout cover 90 and guide its sliding in the front-rear direction.

The pair of lid pressing pieces 115 are elastic pieces extending forward from the left and right edges 111 a of the water inlet 111 above the pair of guide rails 113 . The front ends of the pair of lid holding pieces 115 are arranged at positions corresponding to the retainer ribs 93 of the left and right walls 91b of the pouring spout lid 90, and engage with the retainer ribs 93 in the front-rear direction, so that the spout lid 90 is unintentionally pushed backward. support it so that it does not slide into Also, when the water inlet cover 90 is pulled out rearward by the user, the pair of cover pressing pieces 115 deflects in the left-right direction and escapes, releasing engagement with the retainer ribs 93 .

The elastic claw portion 116 is an elastic thin plate member having a substantially U-shaped cross section that extends forward from the upper edge 111b of the water injection opening 111 and extends rearward through the bent portion 116a. The elastic claw portion 116 has a function of preventing the water poured from the water filling opening 111 from entering the inside of the housing 10 by the U-shaped internal space. The elastic claw portion 116 has a retaining claw 117 at its tip. As shown in FIG. 14, when the pouring spout cover 90 is pulled out backward by a required amount, the retainer claw 117 is caught on the upper end of the front wall 91c, thereby preventing the pouring spout cover 90 from being pulled out more than the required amount. act as a stop.

The protection wall 118 is a member having a substantially L-shaped cross section and extending forward from the upper edge 111b of the water injection opening 111 . The protective wall 118 partitions the space of the water injection opening 111 in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 15, the microswitch 120 is arranged on the left side of the protection wall 118 , and the protection wall 118 protects the microswitch 120 from the washing water injected from the water inlet 23 . The microswitch 120 is turned on by coming into contact with the left wall 91b when the pouring spout cover 90 is inserted, and is turned off by being out of contact with the left wall 91b when the pouring spout cover 90 is pulled out.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 , the lever support port 24 holds the cleaning lever 100 slidably in the left-right direction with respect to the rear frame 12 . The lever support port 24 has a support opening 121, a pair of guide rails 122 as guide portions, and a spring stop portion 123 (FIG. 11).

The support opening 121 exposes the finger hook recess 102 and part of the thin plate portion 101 of the cleaning lever 100 from the rear frame 12 , allowing the user to perform a sliding operation via the finger hook recess 102 .

A pair of guide rails 122 are arranged on the rear surface 12a of the rear frame 12 above and below the upper and lower edges 121a of the support opening 121 in parallel with the upper and lower edges 121a. The pair of guide rails 122 are engaged with the upper side 101a and the lower side 101b (FIGS. 10 and 11) of the thin plate portion 101 of the cleaning lever 100 at groove portions to position the cleaning lever 100 and move the cleaning lever 100 left and right. guides the slide by movably supporting it in a direction;

The spring stop portion 123 is arranged on the rear surface 12 a of the rear frame 12 and to the right of the right edge 121 b of the support opening 121 . The spring stop portion 123 supports the other end of the lever spring 107 as described above.

Next, the cleaning process of the heat exchanger 46 in the dehumidifier 1 will be specifically described.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view from the front showing a state in which the water reservoir drain hole 73 is closed.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view from the left showing a state in which the water reservoir drain hole 73 is closed.

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view from the front showing a state in which the water storage section drain hole 73 is open.

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the water storage section drain hole 73 is opened from the left.

When the dehumidifier 1 is operated for a certain period of time and the heat exchanger 46 needs to be cleaned, the user starts the cleaning process.

In the washing process, the user first pulls out the water injection port cover 90 and a predetermined amount of water is injected into the water injection portion 91 as washing water. At this time, if water is poured vigorously, there is a risk that the water will splash on the bottom surface 91d and the left and right walls 91b. However, the elastic claw portion 116 of the U-shaped water injection port 23 isolates the water injection portion 91 from the inside of the housing 10 and prevents water from entering the inside of the housing 10 . In addition, the protection wall 118 isolates the microswitch 120 from the water injection part 91 to prevent water from adhering to the microswitch 120 .

Washing water is drained from the opening formed by the grid of the front wall 91c. At this time, the grid-like front wall 91c prevents foreign matter from falling and the user's finger from entering the interior. Washing water drops downward from the lower opening 98 of the drainage portion 96 . The washed water that has fallen is stored in the water storage portion 71 of the wash water receiver 70 . At this time, there is a possibility that water exceeding the capacity of the water storage portion 71 may be poured from the water inlet 23 . In response to this, the overflow portion 74 can receive the water overflowing from the front wall 71b and lead it from the overflow portion drain hole 75 to the evaporator 46a side to be cleaned, so that the water enters the housing 10 unintentionally. is prevented.

When a predetermined amount of water is injected and the water injection port cover 90 is closed, an instruction to open the drain hole stopper 80 is received from the user. Specifically, when the cleaning lever 100 is slid leftward by the user via the finger hook recess 102, the transmission part 103 moves leftward in the lever opening 88 while contacting the upper side 88a. The left force is transmitted to the connecting portion 87 . The lever connecting portion 87 converts the left force of the cleaning lever 100 into an upward force as described above. As a result, the drain hole retainer 80 moves upward.

When the drain hole retainer 80 is lifted, the water reservoir drain hole 73 is opened and the washing water stored in the water reservoir 71 is drained. The washing water removes dust adhering to the evaporator 46a by flowing down from above the evaporator 46a. The washing water and dust that have flowed down reach the drain pan 49 and are discharged to the drain tank 51 in the same manner as the drain water that drops from the evaporator 46a.

At this time, since a predetermined amount of cleansing water is stored in the water reservoir 71 and then drained, compared to the case where the cleansing water is guided to the heat exchanger 46 without being stored as it is poured from the water inlet 23, for example, the cleansing water is drained. is vigorously drained. This facilitates removal of dust from the evaporator 46a.

When all the water in the water reservoir 71 is drained, the washing lever 100 is released from the user's operation and automatically slides rightward by the restoring force of the lever spring 107 to automatically return to the standby state. At the same time, the drain hole retainer 80 is also automatically moved downward by the restoring force of the drain hole pressing spring 85 to return to the standby state, and the water reservoir drain hole 73 is closed.

Since such a dehumidifier 1 can remove the dust accumulated in the heat exchanger 46 by washing it away with washing water, compared to the case of removing the moisture of the dust by simply blowing air to dry it, for example, it is possible to remove the dust. Since the dehumidifier 1 can remove dust itself, it is excellent in terms of hygiene.

In addition, the dehumidifier 1 realizes opening and closing of the water reservoir drain hole 73 with a small number of parts such as the drain hole holder 80 and the cleaning lever 100 . Therefore, the dehumidifier 1 can reduce the number of parts and simplify the structure. As a result, it is possible to reduce the interference between parts, so that the generation of noise during operation can also be reduced. In addition, since the dehumidifier 1 mechanically realizes such an opening/closing mechanism without using an electrical mechanism, it is necessary when the opening/closing mechanism located near the cleaning water passage includes an electrical mechanism. Waterproof measures can be made unnecessary.

Further, the cleaning lever 100 is assembled and integrated with the rear frame 12 via the lever spring 107 . The drain hole retainer 80 is integrated with the wash water receiver 70 via a drain hole pressing spring 85, and the wash water receiver 70 is assembled with the heat exchanger 46, the fan case 41 and the like to be integrated. Therefore, when assembling the dehumidifier 1, the rear frame 12 to which the cleaning lever 100 is assembled can be easily assembled by inserting it into the lever opening 88 of the drain hole retainer 80 which is also integrated with other members. At this time, the coupling of the cleaning levers 100 and 80 is completed. Therefore, even if the dehumidifier 1 is provided with an opening/closing mechanism, the assembly work can be simplified, and workability is not impaired.

Next, the influence between operating members during the cleaning process of the heat exchanger 46 in the dehumidifier 1 will be described.

16 and 17 are referred to. When the cleaning lever 100 is not operated by the user, the drainage hole holder 80 is positioned at the lower end, and the transmission section 103 does not contact the lever connection section 87 and receives no force from the lever connection section 87 . Therefore, the thin plate portion 101 of the cleaning lever 100 is supported by the guide rail 122 against the downward force caused by the weight of the transmission portion 103, so that the transmission portion 103 stops at a position substantially parallel to the front-rear direction. state.

18 and 19 are referred to. When the cleaning lever 100 is operated by the user and the transmission portion 103 moves to the left, the contact rib 104 of the transmission portion 103 contacts the upper side 88a of the lever connection portion 87, and moves the lever connection portion 87 upward to open the drain hole. Lift the presser foot 80. When the transmission portion 103 moves to the left end position of the lever opening 88, which is the movement limit position of the cleaning lever 100, the lower end of the front end portion of the transmission portion 103 rides on the upper end of the support rib 71e. At this time, since the cleaning lever 100 lifts the drain hole holder 80 , the transmitting portion 103 receives downward force from the lever connecting portion 87 . Since the transmission portion 103 is supported from below by the support ribs 71e, the transmission portion 103 does not move downward significantly, and the transmission portion 103 can be maintained stationary at a position substantially parallel to the front-rear direction. .

If the cleaning lever 100 is operated by the user in a state where the support rib 71e does not exist and the transmitting portion 103 moves leftward, the transmitting portion 103 in contact with the lever connection portion 87 moves downward when the drain hole holder 80 is lifted. The upper side 101a of the thin plate portion 101 of the cleaning lever 100 strongly presses the upper guide rail 122 toward the inside of the housing 10 by receiving the force. When the user releases the cleaning lever 100 in this state, the frictional force between the upper side 101a of the thin plate portion 101 and the guide rail 122 causes the lever spring 107 to return the cleaning lever 100 to its original position (rightward). , and the cleaning lever 100 may not return to its original position. When the user pours cleansing water into the cleansing water receiver 70 through the water inlet cover 90 while the cleansing lever 100 has not returned to its original position, the cleansing water does not accumulate in the water reservoir 71 of the cleansing water receiver 70 . Since the liquid drops from the inner drain hole 73, there is a possibility that the entire evaporator 46a cannot be uniformly wetted and cleaned.

On the other hand, since the support rib 71e is formed in the water reservoir 71, when the washing lever 100 is operated by the user and moved to the left, the tip of the transmission part 103 can be greatly lowered by the drain hole holder 80. Therefore, the frictional force between the upper side 101a of the thin plate portion 101 and the guide rail 122 does not become excessively large. Therefore, when the user releases the cleaning lever 100, the elastic force of the lever spring 107 reliably returns the cleaning lever 100 to its original position. Thus, after the cleaning of the evaporator 46a with the cleaning water stored in the water storage section 71 is completed, the water storage section drain hole 73 is reliably closed by the water storage section drain hole 80, so that the heat exchanger 46 is cleaned. At this time, washing water can be surely stored in the water storage part 71 and then dropped through the water storage part drain hole 73, so that the entire evaporator 46a can be wetted evenly and washed.

Also, the drain hole retainer 80 is urged downward by a drain hole pressing spring 85 when it is moved upward by the cleaning lever 100 . When the cleaning lever 100 moves to the left, the transmitting portion 103 is supported by the support ribs 71e. The tip of 103 does not drop significantly downward. Therefore, when the user releases the washing lever 100, the washing lever 100 reliably returns to its original position. It can be dropped through the water reservoir drain hole 73, and the entire evaporator 46a can be evenly wetted and cleaned.

Further, the support rib 71e is formed only at a position where it comes into contact with the transmission portion 103 when the cleaning lever 100 moves to the left. As a result, it is not necessary to form the support ribs 71e in the entire range in the horizontal direction in which the transmission part 103 operates. When the rear frame 12 is assembled to the front frame 11, the transmission portion 103 can be assembled without coming into contact with the support ribs 71e.

In addition, since the support rib 71e has a guide surface 71e1 which is inclined to the right and to the right when viewed from the front at the right end, when the washing lever 100 is moved leftward in order to drop the washing water in the water reservoir 71, The lower end of the transmission portion 103 contacts the guide surface 71e1, and the transmission portion 103 can be smoothly guided to the upper end of the support rib 71e. Therefore, when the user operates the cleaning lever 100, the cleaning lever 100 can be easily moved to the left end even if there is the support rib 71e, and deterioration of usability can be prevented.

In addition, although this embodiment demonstrated the content which formed the guide surface 71e1 in the upper end of the support rib 71e, it is not restricted to this. As shown in FIG. 20 , a guide surface 71 e 1 may be formed at the lower left of the lower end of the transmission portion 103 and inclined to the lower right when viewed from the front. As a result, when the cleaning lever 100 is moved leftward to drop the cleansing water in the water reservoir 71, the guide surface 71e1 of the transmission portion 103 abuts the upper end of the support rib 71e, causing the transmission portion 103 to move toward the support rib 71e. can be smoothly guided to the upper end of the Therefore, when the user operates the cleaning lever 100, the cleaning lever 100 can be easily moved to the left end even if there is the support rib 71e, and deterioration of usability can be prevented.

Further, in the present embodiment, the supporting rib 71e protrudes upward from the bottom surface 71c of the wash water receiver 70, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the ends of the support ribs 71e may be located on the rear wall 71a or the front wall 71b of the washing water receiver 70, and the tip of the transmission portion 103 may be bent at a position where it can be supported and projected upward. . In other words, the position and shape of the end portion of the support rib 71e are not particularly limited as long as the transmission portion 103 can be supported from below when the cleaning lever 100 is operated by the user.

Next, a structure for reliably sealing the water reservoir drain hole 73 of the washing water receiver 70 with the seal portion 81 of the drain hole retainer 80 will be described.

When the cleaning lever 100 is operated to move the drain hole holder 80 in the vertical direction, the drain hole holder 80 swings in the front-rear direction and comes into contact with the guide ribs 71f formed to sandwich the front and rear surfaces of the drain hole holder 80 . As a result, when the drain hole retainer 80 descends toward the water reservoir 71 after the cleaning lever 100 is operated, even if it swings in the front-rear direction, it abuts against the guide ribs 71f, thereby suppressing the swing width. When the guide rib 71f completes the descent of the drainage hole retainer 80 to the water storage section 71, the sealing member 82 can land at a position to close the water storage section drainage hole 73. As shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, both the insertion portion 82a and the contact portion 82b of the sealing member 82 are made of solid EPDM, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the sealing member 82 may be configured such that the insertion portion 82a is made of solid EPDM having higher hardness than the contact portion 82b, and the contact portion 82b is made of soft foam EPDM. Since the insertion portion 82a of the sealing member 82 is made of relatively hard EPDM, the sealing member 82 can be easily inserted into the sealing portion 81 when the worker attaches the sealing member 82 to the sealing portion 81. improve sexuality. Since the contact portion 82b of the sealing member 82 is made of EPDM, which is a soft foam material, when the drain hole retainer 80 is positioned at the lower end, the seal member 82 is in close contact with the water storage portion drain hole 73 and reliably prevents water leakage. can.

Next, effects of the present invention will be described.

The washing water receiver 70 has a support rib 71e formed in the water storage portion 71 for supporting the tip of the projecting transmission portion 103 from below at least when the washing lever 100 is moved and the drain hole holder 80 is lifted upward. When the washing lever 100 is operated by the user, the transmission portion 103 is pushed downward by the weight of the drain hole retainer 80 so that the washing lever 100 is released. Tilt forward and downward. At this time, the transmission portion 103 is supported by the support ribs 71e, and the downward movement of the transmission portion 103 is prevented. As a result, when the cleaning lever 100 completes lifting of the drain hole holder 80, the cleaning lever 100 is tilted forward and downward, and friction between the thin plate portion 101 and the guide rail 122 prevents the cleaning lever 100 from returning to its original position. It is possible to prevent the internal drain hole 73 from being kept open. When the user pours cleansing water into the cleansing water receiver 70, the entire evaporator 46a can be evenly wetted and cleansed by storing a predetermined amount of cleansing water in the water reservoir 71 and dropping it. .

Drainage hole pressing springs 85 are installed at both the left and right ends of the drain hole pressing member 80. When the drain hole pressing member 80 is lifted by the cleaning lever 100, the elastic force of the drain hole pressing spring 85 pushes the drain hole pressing spring 85 downward. energized. Therefore, when the drain hole retainer 80 is lifted, a downward biasing force is applied to the transmitting portion 103 of the washing lever 100 by the elasticity of the drain hole retainer spring 85 in addition to the own weight of the drain hole retainer 80 . When the cleaning lever 100 is operated and moved to the left, the transmitting portion 103 is supported by the support ribs 71e, so that the transmitting portion 103 is attached downward by the weight of the drain hole pressing member 80 and the elasticity of the drain hole pressing spring 85. Even if force is applied, the washing lever 100 can be reliably prevented from tilting forward and downward.

Further, the support rib 71e is formed to protrude upward from the reservoir 71 at a position where the lower end of the transmission portion 103 abuts when the cleaning lever 100 is operated to lift the drain hole retainer 80. As shown in FIG. As a result, when the rear frame 12 is assembled to the front frame 11 with the cleaning lever 100 attached during the manufacture of the dehumidifier 1, the support rib 71e is not positioned in the forward direction of the transmission portion 103. The rear frame 12 can be smoothly assembled to the front frame 11 without interfering with the transmission part 103. - 特許庁The assembly work of the worker at the time of manufacturing the dehumidifier 1 can be efficiently performed.

Further, the support rib 71e is formed with a guide surface 71e1 for guiding the lower end of the transmission part 103 to the upper end of the support rib 71e when the washing lever 100 is operated to lift the drain hole holder 80. As shown in FIG. Thus, when the user operates the cleaning lever 100 to drop the cleansing water in the water reservoir 71 to the evaporator 46a, the transmission section 103 is smoothly guided to the upper end of the support rib 71e by the guide surface 71e1. When the user operates the cleaning lever 100, the drain hole holder 80 can be moved to a position where the lifting of the drain hole retainer 80 is completed without discomfort, thereby improving the operability.

While several embodiments of the invention have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof.

For example, the air conditioner according to the present invention can be used not only for the dehumidifier 1 but also for other equipment having a heat exchanger that requires cleaning of dust contained in the sucked air, such as air conditioners, humidifiers, and dryers. can be applied.

Although an example in which the water storage section drain hole 73 has a slit shape extending in the left-right direction has been described, if the washing water can be drained from above the heat exchanger 46, it can be divided into two or more slits, a plurality of circles, ellipses, or multiple shapes. A rectangular small hole may be used.

The opening/closing mechanism for the water reservoir drain hole 73 realized by the drain hole retainer 80 and the cleaning lever 100 is an example, and is not limited to this.

1 Dehumidifier 10 Housing 46 Heat Exchanger 70 Washing Water Receiver 71 Water Reservoir 71e Support Rib (Support Means)
71e1 Guide surface 80 Drainage hole retainer 85 Drainage hole pressing spring (biasing means)
100 washing lever (instruction input unit)
101 thin plate (base)
103 Transmission portion 122 Guide rail (guide portion)

Claims (4)

a housing;
a heat exchanger that is housed in the housing and exchanges heat with the sucked air;
a wash water receiver that is housed in the housing and arranged vertically above the heat exchanger, has a drain hole for storing wash water for washing the heat exchanger, and discharges the collected wash water;
a drain hole retainer that opens the drain hole by moving upward from the standby state in the vertical direction;
an instruction input unit that receives an instruction to open the drain hole holder by being moved by the user from a standby state in a horizontal direction orthogonal to the vertical direction;
with
The instruction input unit
a base having a surface facing outward of the housing and a back surface facing inward of the housing;
a transmission part formed so as to project from the back surface and transmitting the force received by the base part in the horizontal direction to the drain hole retainer;
The housing is
a guide portion that supports the base portion of the instruction input portion so as to be movable in the horizontal direction;
The drain hole holder is
a connection part that receives the horizontal force from the transmission part and converts the horizontal force into a force that moves the drain hole holder upward in the vertical direction;
The washing water receiver is
and support means for supporting the protruding tip of the transmission part from below when at least the transmission part is moved in the horizontal direction and the drain hole retainer moves upward in the vertical direction. Air conditioner. The transmission part is formed to protrude from the rear surface in a front-rear direction orthogonal to the vertical direction and the horizontal direction,
The drain hole retainer has biasing means for biasing downward when the drain hole retainer moves upward in the vertical direction,
The connection portion penetrates the transmission portion and contacts the transmission portion while the transmission portion moves in the horizontal direction, and converts the horizontal force received from the transmission portion upward in the vertical direction. having an opening,
2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein said support means is formed to protrude upward from said washing water receiver. The support means is formed at a position that supports the protruding tip of the transmission portion from below only when the transmission portion is moved in the horizontal direction and the drain hole retainer is moved upward in the vertical direction. 3. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2. When the transmission portion is moved in the horizontal direction and the drain hole retainer is moved upward in the vertical direction, a guide surface for guiding the projecting tip portion of the transmission portion to the upper end of the support means is provided at the tip of the transmission portion. 4. The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein the air conditioner is formed at the lower end of the portion or at the upper end of the support means.

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