JP6705051B2 - Air conditioner indoor unit - Google Patents

Description

The embodiment of the present invention relates to an indoor unit of an air conditioner.

In a ceiling-embedded air conditioner, an indoor unit is suspended above the ceiling. The indoor unit has a box-shaped casing containing a blower and a heat exchanger, and the lower end of the casing is closed by a drain pan that receives the condensed water dripping from the heat exchanger.

The drain pan has a bell mouth mounting hole located directly below the blower, and the bell mouth is mounted in the bell mouth mounting hole. The bell mouth is an element for rectifying the flow of air sucked by the blower, and its outer peripheral portion is detachably fixed to the drain pan.

Japanese Patent No. 4122396

According to the indoor unit of the conventional air conditioner, the bell mouth is fixed to the drain pan with screws at least at four positions on the outer peripheral portion. Therefore, the number of screws inevitably increases, which is one of the factors that increase the cost of the indoor unit.

In addition, all screws must be completely removed from the drain pan to remove the bell mouth from the drain pan. Therefore, it is difficult to loosen a large number of screws one by one manually, and the screws may be accidentally dropped during the work, leaving room for improvement in workability.

An object of the present invention is to obtain an indoor unit of an air conditioner that can reduce the number of parts for fixing the bell mouth to the drain pan, and further improve workability when removing or attaching the bell mouth to the drain pan. ..

According to the embodiment, the indoor unit of the air conditioner includes a unit main body that accommodates the blower and the heat exchanger, and is attached to a lower end of the unit main body to receive the condensed water generated in the heat exchanger, and the blower. A drain pan having an inner peripheral wall defining a bell mouth mounting hole connected to the suction side of the drain pan, and a bell mouth detachably fitted in the bell mouth mounting hole of the drain pan.
A plurality of connectors are provided on the inner peripheral wall of the drain pan. The connecting tool is provided at intervals in the circumferential direction of the inner peripheral wall, and has a head portion having a diameter larger than that of the shaft portion at the lower end of the shaft portion protruding downward from the lower end of the inner peripheral wall. . A plurality of fixing portions are provided on the outer peripheral portion of the bell mouth at intervals in the circumferential direction. The fixing portion has a through hole through which the head portion of the connecting tool penetrates, and an engagement hole which is continuous with the through hole and which is hooked by the head portion.
The head of the connector is rotated by rotating the bell mouth in a circumferential direction inside the bell mouth mounting hole in a state where the head of the connector is passed through the through hole of the fixing portion. Moves from the through hole of the fixing portion to the engaging hole and is caught in the engaging hole, and the bell mouth is fixed to the drain pan.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an indoor unit of a ceiling-embedded air conditioner. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the air conditioner showing a state where the unit body and the ceiling panel are separated from each other. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the ceiling panel. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state in which the drain pan and the bell mouth are incorporated in the casing of the unit main body. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a state in which the drain pan and the bell mouth are removed from the casing of the unit main body. FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line F6-F6 of FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the drain pan. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the positional relationship between the heat exchanger and the drain pan. FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a portion of F9 in FIG. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a state in which a plurality of lead wires are pulled out from the casing of the unit main body to the outside of the casing. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a plurality of lead wires are held in the casing via a sealing material.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the bell mouth. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the bell mouth as viewed from the side of the blower. FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a state in which the fixing screw protruding from the drain pan is engaged with the fixing portion of the bell mouth. FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a state in which a fixing screw is screwed into the boss portion of the drain pan. FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing the shape of the claw receiving portion formed on the drain pan. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of a claw receiving portion formed on the drain pan sheet material. FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing the positional relationship between the claw receiving portion of the drain pan and the claw portion of the bell mouth. FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing a state in which the claw portion of the bell mouth is fitted into the fitting groove of the claw receiving portion. FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing the positional relationship between the temporary hangings of the ceiling panel and the recesses of the drain pan.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

1 is a perspective view of an indoor unit of a ceiling-embedded air conditioner, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state where a unit body and a ceiling panel are separated from each other.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, an indoor unit 1 of an air conditioner includes a unit main body 2 installed behind the ceiling and a ceiling panel 3 attached to a lower end of the unit main body 2 as main elements. There is. The unit main body 2 includes a casing 4 made of sheet metal. The casing 4 is a box-shaped element having a downward opening, and is hung from a beam in the ceiling via, for example, four suspension bolts (not shown).

The casing 4 includes a top plate portion 4a and a side surface portion 4b. The side surface portion 4b is continuous in the circumferential direction of the casing 4 and has four outer peripheral corner portions 4c. As shown in FIG. 6, the inner surfaces of the top plate portion 4a and the side surface portion 4b are covered with a heat insulating material 5 made of, for example, styrene foam. The heat insulating material 5 defines an opening 6 at the lower end of the casing 4.

The hanging metal fitting 7 is fixed to the outer peripheral corner portion 4c of the casing 4. The hanging metal fitting 7 is horizontally projected toward the four sides of the casing 4, and the lower end of the hanging bolt is connected to the hanging metal fitting 7.

Further, four brackets 8 are fixed to the casing 4. The bracket 8 is located at the lower end of the outer peripheral corner 4c of the casing 4 so as to be located directly below the hanging metal fitting 7. The bracket 8 is horizontally projected toward the four sides of the casing 4.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 4, 5, and 6, the blower 10 and the heat exchanger 11 are housed inside the casing 4. As the blower 10, a so-called centrifugal fan that sucks air in the axial direction and discharges it in the circumferential direction is used. Since the upper end of the blower 10 is covered with the top plate portion 4a of the casing 4, the lower end of the blower 10 is the suction side.

The heat exchanger 11 is erected inside the casing 4 so as to surround the discharge side of the blower 10. The heat exchanger 11 includes a plurality of radiating fins 12 and a plurality of heat transfer tubes 13 through which a refrigerant flows. The radiating fins 12 are elongated plates extending in the height direction of the casing 4, and are arranged in the circumferential direction of the casing 4 with a space therebetween. The heat transfer tubes 13 are lined up at intervals in the height direction and the lateral direction of the casing 4, and are connected in series to each other to form a plurality of flow paths. Further, the heat transfer tube 13 is thermally connected to the radiation fin 12 by penetrating the radiation fin 12.

As shown in FIG. 5, the refrigerant pipes 14 connected to the heat exchanger 11 are arranged centrally in the space between one outer peripheral corner 4 c of the casing 4 and the heat exchanger 11. The refrigerant pipe 14 is connected to the pair of connection ports 16a and 16b. The connection ports 16a and 16b are projected from one outer peripheral corner portion 4c of the casing 4 to the outside of the casing 4, and are connected to the outdoor unit via a liquid pipe and a gas pipe.

Further, the drain pump 17 is housed inside the casing 4. The drain pump 17 is an element for discharging condensed water generated by the heat exchange action of the heat exchanger 11 to the outside of the unit body 2 when the indoor unit 1 is cooled. The drain pump 17 is located in the lower end portion of the casing 4 in the vicinity of another outer peripheral corner portion 4c adjacent to the outer peripheral corner portion 4c provided with the connection ports 16a and 16b. The drain pipe 18 connected to the drain pump 17 is routed above the drain pump 17 through the inside of the casing 4.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 6, the opening 6 at the lower end of the casing 4 is closed by the drain pan 20. The drain pan 20 includes a main body 21 having a heat insulating property, and a sheet material 22 integrally laminated on the surface of the main body 21. The main body 21 is an element that defines the shape of the drain pan 20, and is made of, for example, styrofoam, which is a type of foamed plastic. The sheet material 22 is made of a synthetic resin material having a thickness of several millimeters and has higher rigidity than the main body 21. As the synthetic resin material forming the sheet material 22, for example, ABS resin is used.

Further, the sheet material 22 is injection molded separately from the main body 21. The sheet material 22 is housed in a mold when the main body 21 is foam-molded, and is integrated with the main body 21 in the process of foam-molding the main body 21. Therefore, the sheet material 22 receives foaming pressure when the body 21 is foam-molded.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the drain pan 20 has a rectangular frame shape corresponding to the heat exchanger 11, and is fitted inside the opening 6 defined by the heat insulating material 5 of the casing 4. The drain pan 20 has a circular bell mouth mounting hole 23 located directly below the suction side of the blower 10, and a peripheral portion 24 surrounding the bell mouth mounting hole 23. The peripheral edge 24 of the drain pan 20 is fitted inside the opening 6 of the casing 4.

The peripheral edge portion 24 of the drain pan 20 is formed with four cutout portions 26 and a concave portion 27 into which the lower end portion of the heat exchanger 11 is inserted. The cutout portions 26 each have an elongated shape extending along the four sides of the peripheral edge portion 24 of the drain pan 20. The notches 26 adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the drain pan 20 are maintained in a positional relationship such that they are orthogonal to each other. Further, since the peripheral edge portion 24 of the drain pan 20 is fitted inside the opening 6 defined by the heat insulating material 5, the region surrounded by the cutout portion 26 and the heat insulating material 5 passes through the heat exchanger 11. A plurality of communication ports 28 through which air is guided are formed.

The recessed portion 27 is a groove-shaped element that is continuous in the circumferential direction of the drain pan 20, and is located inside the drain pan 20 with respect to the cutout portion 26. The recess 27 is defined by an inner peripheral wall 29a, an outer peripheral wall 29b, and a bottom wall 29c. The inner peripheral wall 29a is erected from the bottom wall 29c so as to surround the bell mouth mounting hole 23. That is, the inner peripheral wall 29a can be rephrased as a partition wall interposed between the bellmouth mounting hole 23 and the recess 27.

Further, a bulge 31 that bulges toward the lower end of the heat exchanger 11 is formed in the center of the bottom wall 29c. The bulging portion 31 is continuously formed in the circumferential direction of the drain pan 20 along the lower end of the heat exchanger 11. A cushion material 32 that receives the lower end of the heat exchanger 11 is laminated on the upper surface of the bulging portion 31.

As shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 9, the bulging portion 31 partitions the bottom portion of the recessed portion 27 into a first groove portion 33 and a second groove portion 34. The first groove portion 33 is located inside the heat exchanger 11 with respect to the inner peripheral surface of the heat exchanger 11. The inner peripheral surface of the heat exchanger 11 is located on the primary side of the heat exchanger 11 that receives the air blown from the blower 10. The second groove portion 34 is located immediately below the heat exchanger 11 so as to surround the first groove portion 33. Therefore, the second groove portion 34 is located closer to the outer peripheral surface of the heat exchanger 11 than the first groove portion 33. The outer peripheral surface of the heat exchanger 11 is located on the secondary side of the heat exchanger 11 from which the air passing through the heat exchanger 11 blows out.

The lower end of the drain pump 17 is inserted into the second groove 34 at a position corresponding to one corner of the drain pan 20. The suction port 17 a opened at the lower end of the drain pump 17 faces the bottom of the second groove 34. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a float switch 35 is arranged at a position adjacent to the drain pump 17. The float switch 35 is an element that turns ON/OFF the operation of the drain pump 17, and is located in the second groove portion 34.

As shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, the inner peripheral wall 29 a, the outer peripheral wall 29 b, and the bottom wall 29 c including the bulging portion 31 that form the recessed portion 27 of the drain pan 20 are made of synthetic resin in the portion exposed to the recessed portion 27. The sheet material 22 of FIG.

The sheet material 22 has ribs 36 located inside the recess 27. The rib 36 projects upward from the upper end of the bulging portion 31 along the circumferential direction of the heat exchanger 11 on the primary side of the heat exchanger 11. The upper end of the rib 36 projects above the lower end of the heat exchanger 11 at a position corresponding to the first groove 33. Further, the rib 36 is discontinued at a position corresponding to the drain pump 17.

As shown in FIG. 7, the communication groove 37 is formed in the bulging portion 31 that bulges from the bottom wall 29c. The communication groove 37 is located near the drain pump 17. Due to the presence of the communication groove 37, the first groove portion 33 and the second groove portion 34 are communicated with each other near the drain pump 17.

Such a drain pan 20 is detachably supported on the lower end of the casing 4 via four drain pan fixing fittings 38 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. The drain pan fixing bracket 38 is screwed to the lower surface of the bracket 8. The drain pan fixing bracket 38 extends horizontally from the outer peripheral corners 4c of the casing 4 toward the four corners of the drain pan 20, and the corners of the drain pan 20 are placed on the drain pan fixing bracket 38. As a result, the drain pan 20 is held at the lower end of the casing 4 so as not to fall off from the opening 6 of the casing 4.

In the present embodiment, when the indoor unit 1 starts the cooling operation, the dew condensation water generated by the heat exchange action of the heat exchanger 11 drops along the radiating fins 12. A part of the condensed water to be dripped directly flows into the second groove 34 of the recess 27. Other condensed water reaches the upper surface of the bulging portion 31 of the recess 27.

At this time, the rib 36 protruding upward from the upper end of the bulging portion 31 projects above the lower end of the heat exchanger 11 on the primary side of the heat exchanger 11. Therefore, the condensed water reaching the upper surface of the bulging portion 31 cannot flow toward the first groove portion 33 due to the presence of the rib 36, and most of the condensed water passes between the lower ends of the heat radiating fins 12 to reach the second portion. Flow into the groove 34 of the.

As a result, most of the cold dew condensation water dripping from the heat exchanger 11 during the cooling operation is guided to the second groove portion 34, and the dew condensation water does not collect in the first groove portion 33.

When the water level of the condensed water flowing into the second groove 34 reaches the upper limit, the drain pump 17 is operated via the float switch 35. As a result, the condensed water collected in the second groove 34 is forcibly discharged to the outside of the indoor unit 1 by the drain pump 17.

On the other hand, when the indoor unit 1 stops the cooling operation, the water inside the drain pipe 18 returns from the suction port 17a of the drain pump 17 to the second groove 34 of the drain pan 20. When the water volume of the return water returned to the second groove portion 34 reaches a certain amount, the return water flows into the first groove portion 33 through the communication groove 37. Therefore, the return water from the drain pipe 18 is dispersed in both the first groove portion 33 and the second groove portion 34.

As a result, a sufficient amount of water can be retained in the drain pan 20 when the indoor unit 1 stops the cooling operation, and the water surface position of the return water accumulated in the recess 27 of the drain pan 20 can be kept low. As a result, the lower end of the heat exchanger 11 can be suppressed from being immersed in the return water, and the heat exchanger 11 is less likely to corrode.

Further, since the return water returned to the drain pan 20 is dispersed in a wide range of the concave portion 27, the drain pan 20 can be made thin while ensuring the water retention amount. Therefore, the height dimension of the casing 4 containing the drain pan 20 can be suppressed, and the indoor unit 1 can be formed thin and compact.

In addition, the return water flowing into the first groove portion 33 is not cooled by the dew condensation water generated during the cooling operation. Thereby, the thickness of the main body 21 is made thinner than the thickness of the main body 21 located on the secondary side of the heat exchanger 11 around the first groove portion 33 located on the primary side of the heat exchanger 11. be able to. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the wall thickness of the inner peripheral wall 29a that separates the recess 27 and the bell mouth mounting hole 23, and the diameter of the bell mouth mounting hole 23 can be increased accordingly.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the electric component unit 40 is supported on the front surface of the side surface portion 4 b of the casing 4. The electric unit 40 includes an electric component box 41 exposed outside the casing 4 and a control circuit 42 housed in the electric component box 41. The control circuit 42 has various electric components 43 such as a wiring board on which a plurality of IC chips are mounted, a reactor, and a terminal block. The control circuit 42 is electrically connected to the blower 10, the heat exchanger 11, the drain pump 17, and the float switch 35 via a plurality of lead wires 44.

In the present embodiment, since the electrical unit 40 is located outside the casing 4, the lead wire 44 penetrates the heat insulating material 5 of the casing 4 and is drawn out of the casing 4, as shown in FIG. 10. At this time, if a gap exists in the portion where the lead wire 44 penetrates the heat insulating material 5, the cold air that has passed through the heat exchanger 11 may leak to the outside of the casing 4 through the gap, and the casing 4 may be condensed.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, a seal structure is added to hermetically close the portion where the lead wire 44 penetrates the heat insulating material 5. Specifically, FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a state where the drain pan 20 is removed from the casing 4, and FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a portion where the lead wire 44 penetrates the heat insulating material 5.

As shown in FIG. 10, the plurality of lead wires 44 located in the casing 4 are drawn out toward the electric component box 41 from two locations at the lower end of the heat insulating material 5 that defines the opening 6. Since the lead-out points of the lead wire 44 have a common configuration, one lead-out point will be described as a representative.

As shown in FIG. 11, a wiring groove 46 is formed at the lower end of the heat insulating material 5. The wiring groove 46 penetrates the heat insulating material 5 in the thickness direction and is opened at the lower end surface of the heat insulating material 5. The wiring groove 46 has a pair of side surfaces 46a and 46b facing each other and a termination surface 46c extending between the side surfaces 46a and 46b. The end surface 46c is curved in an arc shape.

The lead wire 44 is inserted into the wiring groove 46, and is hermetically held in the wiring groove 46 via a sealing material 47. The sealing material 47 of this embodiment is configured by combining the first to third sealing elements 48, 49 and 50 with each other.

The first sealing element 48 is made of, for example, flexible urethane foam. The first sealing element 48 is attached to the side surfaces 46a, 46b and the end surface 46c so as to continuously cover the side surfaces 46a, 46b and the end surface 46c of the wiring groove 46.

In this embodiment, the first sealing element 48 is divided into a first portion 48a and a second portion 48b so that the first sealing element 48 can be easily attached manually to the inner surface of the wiring groove 46. The first portion 48a continuously covers a region from one side surface 46a of the wiring groove 46 to the termination surface 46b. The second portion 48b covers the other side surface 46b of the wiring groove 46 and is abutted against the first portion 48a in the wiring groove 46.

The second sealing element 49 is made of polyethylene, which is harder than the first sealing element 48, for example. The second sealing element 49 is interposed between the end of the first portion 48a and the end of the second portion 48b of the first sealing element 48, and is connected to the end of the first portion 48a and the end of the first portion 48a. A gap between the end of the second portion 48b and the end portion is airtightly closed. The second sealing element 49 is attached to the end of the second portion 48b of the first sealing element 48.

Therefore, the first seal element 48 and the second seal element 49 cooperate with each other to hermetically surround the plurality of lead wires 44 inserted into the wiring groove 46. The lead wire 44 is held inside the wiring groove 46 by elastically cutting into the first portion 48a and the second portion 48b of the first sealing element 48.

The third sealing element 50 is made of, for example, ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM). The third sealing element 50 is divided into a first part 50a and a second part 50b. The first portion 50a is attached so as to straddle between the end surface of the first portion 48a of the first sealing element 48 and the lower end surface of the heat insulating material 5. The second portion 50b is continuously attached to the end surface of the second portion 48b of the first sealing element 48, the end surface of the second sealing element 49, and the lower end surface of the heat insulating material 5. Further, the first portion 50a and the second portion 50b of the third sealing element 50 project from each other on the opening end of the wiring groove 46 located on the lower end surface of the heat insulating material 5 so as to close the opening end. Have been combined.

Therefore, the third sealing element 50 connects the first sealing element 48 and the second sealing element 49 to the wiring groove 46 so that the first sealing element 48 and the second sealing element 49 do not fall out of the wiring groove 46. Is pressed from the direction of the open end.

When the opening 6 at the lower end of the casing 4 is closed by the drain pan 20, the third sealing element 50 is pressed by the peripheral edge portion 24 of the drain pan 20. By this pressing, the crushed third seal element 50 airtightly closes the open end of the wiring groove 46 located on the lower end surface of the heat insulating material 5, and the first seal element 48 and the second seal element 49 are the third. Is pushed into the wiring groove 46 via the sealing element 50 of

As a result, the first sealing element 48 and the second sealing element 49 are compressed inside the wiring groove 46 and wrap the lead wire 44.

According to such a seal structure, the first seal element 48 and the second seal element 49 located inside the wiring groove 46 wrap the lead wire 44, and the third seal element 50 is provided under the heat insulating material 5. The open end of the wiring groove 46 located on the end face is sealed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the cool air from leaking from the wiring groove 46 while keeping the lead wire 44 airtight in the wiring groove 46.

Moreover, since the seal material 47 holds the lead wire 44, it is not necessary to prevent the lead wire 44 from being lifted up or to provide a dedicated clamp for defining the insertion position of the lead wire 44. Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced, which contributes to the cost reduction of the indoor unit 1.

At the same time, the work of pulling out the lead wire 44 from the inside of the casing 4 can be easily performed, and the workability at the time of assembling and disassembling the indoor unit 1 is improved.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 6, the bell mouth 53 is detachably fitted into the bell mouth mounting hole 23 of the drain pan 20. The bell mouth 53 is an element for rectifying the flow of air sucked by the blower 10, and is made of a synthetic resin material such as ABS resin.
As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the bell mouth 53 includes a bell mouth main body 54 having a shape in which the bell mouth is expanded downward and a bell mouth main body 54 defining a maximum diameter of the bell mouth main body 54. And a flange portion 55 that horizontally extends from the lower end portion toward the outer side in the radial direction. The flange portion 55 is formed continuously in the circumferential direction of the bell mouth main body 54. Further, an outer peripheral wall 56 that is bent downward at a right angle is formed at the tip of the flange portion 55.

The drain pan 20 includes a flat seat portion 58 that receives the flange portion 55 of the bell mouth 53. The seat portion 58 is located at the lower end of the inner peripheral wall 29 a interposed between the bell mouth mounting hole 23 and the recess 27. The seat portion 58 is formed in an annular shape which is continuous in the circumferential direction of the bell mouth mounting hole 23.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 15, a pair of fixing screws 60 are provided on the seat portion 58. The fixing screw 60 is an example of a connecting tool, and includes a shaft portion 60a having a thread and a head portion 60b coaxially positioned at one end of the shaft portion 60a. The head 60b has a larger outer diameter than the shaft 60a. The fixing screws 60 are shifted by approximately 180° in the circumferential direction of the seat portion 58 so as to face each other in the radial direction of the bell mouth mounting hole 23.

In the present embodiment, the sheet material 22 of the drain pan 20 is integrally formed with the boss portion 61 that receives the fixing screw 60. As shown in FIG. 15, the boss portion 61 is projected downward from the sheet material 22 so as to penetrate the body 21 of the drain pan 20, and the lower end surface thereof reaches the seat portion 58. The shaft portion 60 a of the fixing screw 60 is screwed into the boss portion 61. A gap into which the flange portion 55 of the bell mouth 53 enters is formed between the head portion 60b of the fixing screw 60 and the seat portion 58.

Further, a pair of claw receiving portions 63 is provided on the seat portion 58 of the drain pan 20. As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the claw receiving portion 63 is formed integrally with the sheet material 22 of the drain pan 20. The claw receiving portion 63 is projected downward from the sheet material 22 so as to penetrate the body 21 of the drain pan 20. The protruding end of the claw receiving portion 63 is exposed on the seat 58, and the fitting groove 64 is formed in the protruding end. The fitting groove 64 has a shape that opens toward one side along the circumferential direction of the seat 58. The inner surface of the fitting groove 64 is located on the same plane as the seat portion 58.

Since the claw receiving portion 63 formed on the sheet material 22 is integrated with the main body 21 in the process of foam-forming the main body 21, it receives the foaming pressure when the main body 21 is foam-molded. In the present embodiment, a hollow portion 65 is provided inside the pawl receiving portion 63 in order to prevent the fitting groove 64 from being deformed by the foaming pressure.

The cavity 65 is a mere space that is not filled with Styrofoam, and has a flat shape along the circumferential direction of the seat 58. The cavity 65 is adjacent to the fitting groove 64 and is partitioned from the fitting groove 64 by the first partition wall 66. Further, a second partition 67 parallel to the first partition 66 exists between the cavity 65 and the styrofoam body 21.

With this configuration, most of the foaming pressure generated when foaming the main body 21 is received by the second partition wall 67, and the second partition wall 67 is deformed so as to enter the cavity portion 65 according to the magnitude of the foaming pressure. .. Therefore, before the foaming pressure is transmitted to the fitting groove 64, the foaming pressure can be absorbed by the cavity portion 65, and the fitting groove 64 can be prevented from being deformed.

As shown in FIG. 4, the claw receiving portion 63 is displaced by approximately 180° in the circumferential direction of the seat portion 58 so as to face the radial direction of the bell mouth mounting hole 23 at a position where the fixing screw 60 is removed. Therefore, the pair of fixing screws 60 and the pair of claw receiving portions 63 are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction of the seat portion 58, and the adjacent fixing screws 60 and the claw receiving portions 63 are arranged in the circumferential direction of the seat portion 58. It is shifted by about 90°.

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, a pair of fixing portions 71 and a pair of recesses 72 are formed on the flange portion 55 located on the outer peripheral portion of the bell mouth 53. The fixing portion 71 is an element to which the fixing screw 60 protruding from the seat portion 58 of the drain pan 20 is detachably coupled, and is displaced by approximately 180° in the circumferential direction of the bell mouth 53 so as to correspond to the fixing screw 60. It is provided in the open position.

The fixed portion 71 includes a circular through hole 73 and a slit-shaped engagement hole 74. The through hole 73 has a size that allows the head portion 60b of the fixing screw 60 to pass therethrough. The engagement hole 74 is curved in an arc shape along the circumferential direction of the bell mouth 53, and one end along the longitudinal direction communicates with the through hole 73. Further, the width dimension of the engagement hole 74 in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction is such that the shaft portion 60a of the fixing screw 60 can be slidably inserted, and is larger than the diameter of the head portion 60b of the fixing screw 60. Is also small.

The concave portion 72 is displaced by approximately 180° in the circumferential direction of the bell mouth 53 so as to face the radial direction of the bell mouth 53 at a position outside the fixed portion 71. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the pair of fixing portions 71 and the pair of concave portions 72 are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction of the bell mouth 53, and the fixing portions 71 and the concave portions 72 adjacent to each other are bell mouths. It is offset by approximately 90° in the circumferential direction of 53.

The recess 72 is recessed from the outer peripheral edge of the flange portion 55 toward the inner side along the radial direction of the bell mouth 53, and has a shape curved in an arc shape along the circumferential direction of the flange portion 55. .. Further, the corner defined by the one end of the recess 72 and the flange 55 defines the claw 76. The claw portions 76 face each other in the radial direction of the bell mouth 53 between the fixing portions 71.

To attach the bell mouth 53 to the bell mouth mounting hole 23 of the drain pan 20, first, the through hole 73 of the fixing portion 71 of the bell mouth 53 is fixed to the head portion 60b of the fixing screw 60 protruding downward from the seat portion 58 of the drain pan 20. To match. In this state, the bell mouth 53 is pushed up toward the bell mouth mounting hole 23.

As a result, the head portion 60b of the fixing screw 60 penetrates the through hole 73 of the fixing portion 71. At the same time, as shown in FIG. 18, the claw receiving portion 63 of the drain pan 20 enters the recess 72 of the bell mouth 53. When the claw receiving portion 63 is in the recess 72, the open end of the fitting groove 64 of the claw receiving portion 63 faces the claw portion 76 of the bell mouth 53.

In this state, when the bell mouth 53 fitted in the bell mouth mounting hole 23 is rotated in the circumferential direction, the shaft portion 60a of the fixing screw 60 moves from the through hole 73 to the engaging hole 74. At the same time, as shown in FIG. 14, the head portion 60b of the fixing screw 60 moves from the through hole 73 to the engaging hole 74, so that the head portion 60b of the fixing screw 60 is caught on the opening peripheral edge portion of the engaging hole 74. Further, as shown in FIG. 19, the claw portion 76 slidably fits into the fitting groove 64, and the tip of the claw portion 76 abuts against the end of the fitting groove 64.

As a result, the bell mouth 53 is held by the drain pan 20 at four locations along the circumferential direction. Finally, the fixing screw 60 is tightened. As a result, the flange portion 55 of the bell mouth 53 is sandwiched between the head portion 60b of the fixing screw 60 and the seat portion 58 of the drain pan 20, and the bell mouth 53 is fixed to the drain pan 20.

On the other hand, for maintenance of the blower 10, for example, to remove the bell mouth 53 from the drain pan 20, the fixing screw 60 is loosened and the fastening of the flange portion 55 of the bell mouth 53 by the fixing screw 60 is released.

In this state, the bell mouth 53 is rotated in the direction opposite to that at the time of attachment. As a result, the head portion 60b of the fixing screw 60 moves from the engagement hole 74 to the through hole 73, and the claw portion 76 separates from the fitting groove 64. Therefore, the fixing of the bell mouth 53 to the bell mouth mounting hole 23 is released, and the bell mouth 53 can be pulled out below the bell mouth mounting hole 23.

According to the present embodiment, the bell mouth 53 has a rib-shaped hooking portion 77 at a position corresponding to the recess 72. As shown in FIGS. 6, 9 and 13, the hook portion 77 extends upward from the upper edge of the recess 72 and is provided over a predetermined range along the circumferential direction of the bell mouth 53. The hooks 77 are offset by approximately 180° in the circumferential direction of the bell mouth 53 so as to face each other in the radial direction of the bell mouth 53.

Further, the seat portion 58 of the drain pan 20 on which the upper surface of the flange portion 55 of the bell mouth 53 abuts has a pair of recesses 78. The recess 78 is provided at a position corresponding to the hook 77. The recess 78 has a shape in which the seat portion 58 of the drain pan 20 is partially hollowed so that the hook portion 77 can escape. A sufficient insertion space S is secured between the inner surface of the recess 78 and the hook 77.

The ceiling panel 3 of the indoor unit 1 is arranged so as to fit along a ceiling (not shown). As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the ceiling panel 3 includes a suction grill 80 and a frame 81. The suction grill 80 is located in the center of the ceiling panel 3.

The suction grill 80 includes a square outer frame portion 82 and a lattice portion 83 surrounded by the outer frame portion 82. The lattice portion 83 is located directly below the bell mouth 53 and has a removable filter 84.

The frame 81 of the ceiling panel 3 is a square-shaped element that surrounds the suction grill 80, and has first to fourth side portions 85a, 85b, 85c, 85d and four corner portions 86a, 86b, 86c, 86d. And have.

The first to fourth side portions 85a, 85b, 85c, 85d extend along the outer peripheral edge of the outer frame portion 82 of the suction grill 80, respectively. The corner portions 86a, 86b, 86c, 86d are located at the four corners of the ceiling panel 3 and integrally connect the first to fourth side portions 85a, 85b, 85c, 85d adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the frame body 81. Connected to. The rectangular area surrounded by the inner peripheral edges of the first to fourth side portions 85a, 85b, 85c, 85d defines the working opening 87.

Further, the ceiling panel 3 is detachably connected to the bracket 8 of the casing 4 at the four corner portions 86a, 86b, 86c, 86d of the frame 81. As a result, the lower end of the unit body 2 including the drain pan 20 and the bell mouth 53 is covered with the ceiling panel 3.

As shown in FIG. 1, the ceiling panel 3 has four outlets 88 that blow out the air that has passed through the heat exchanger 11 into the room. The air outlet 88 is formed on the first to fourth side portions 85a, 85b, 85c, 85d of the frame 81 so as to face the four cutout portions 26 of the drain pan 20.

The four louvers 89 are supported by the frame 81 of the ceiling panel 3. The louver 89 is an element that changes the blowing direction of the air blown into the room from the blowout port 88, and is formed in a flat elongated plate shape. The louver 89 is rotatable between a closed position that closes the air outlet 88 and an open position that is inclined to open the air outlet 88. When the louver 89 is rotated to the closed position, the louver 89 becomes horizontal and entirely covers the first to fourth side portions 85a, 85b, 85c, 85d of the frame body 81. ..

According to the present embodiment, in the suction grill 80 of the ceiling panel 3, one side of the outer frame portion 82 is selectively rotated to any one of the first to fourth side portions 85a, 85b, 85c, 85d of the frame body 81. Connected as possible. Therefore, the suction grill 80 is rotatable between a first position where the work opening 87 is closed and a second position where the work opening 87 is opened. Further, when the suction grill 80 is rotated to the second position, the suction grill 80 can be removed from the frame 81.

As shown in FIG. 3, temporary hooks 91 (only one is shown) are fixed to the inner peripheral edges of the first side portion 85a and the third side portion 85c of the frame 81 facing the work opening 87, respectively. .. The temporary hanging tool 91 is an element used when temporarily fixing the ceiling panel 3 to the unit main body 2, and is made of a sheet metal material bent into a desired shape.

The temporary hook 91 is projected upward from the frame body 81 from an intermediate portion along the longitudinal direction of the first side portion 85a and the third side portion 85c. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 20, a hook portion 92 that is folded back downward is formed at the upper end of the temporary hook 91. The hook portion 92 is inserted into the insertion space S between the hook portion 77 and the recess 78 from below the bell mouth 53, and is detachably hooked on the hook portion 77 of the bell mouth 53. As a result, the ceiling panel 3 is temporarily fixed to the unit body 2 while being suspended from the bell mouth 53.

When the corner portions 86a, 86b, 86c, 86d of the ceiling panel 3 are fixed to the bracket 8 of the unit body 2, the hook portion 92 of the temporary hook 91 is pulled up so as to be separated from the hook portion 77 of the bell mouth 53. Has been.

According to the first embodiment, when the bell mouth 53 fitted in the bell mouth mounting hole 23 of the drain pan 20 is rotated in the circumferential direction, the head 60b of the fixing screw 60 is inserted into the engaging hole 74 of the bell mouth 53. While being hooked, the claw portion 76 of the bell mouth 53 fits into the fitting groove 64 of the drain pan 20. Therefore, the bell mouth 53 is held in the bell mouth mounting hole 23 of the drain pan 20 at four locations along the circumferential direction.

Therefore, the number of fixing screws 60 can be reduced as compared with the related art, and the number of parts can be suppressed correspondingly and the cost of the indoor unit 1 can be reduced.

Moreover, the fixing screw 60 is kept screwed into the boss portion 61 of the drain pan 20 both when the bell mouth 53 is attached to the drain pan 20 and when the bell mouth 53 is removed from the drain pan 53. Therefore, when the bell mouth 53 is removed from the drain pan 53, all fixing screws 60 are manually loosened one by one to be released from the troublesome work, and the fixing screws 60 are not accidentally dropped.

In other words, the bell mouth 53 can be attached and detached by simply loosening the fixing screw 60, and the serviceability during maintenance of the indoor unit 1 is improved.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the foaming pressure generated when foaming the main body 21 is transmitted to the fitting groove 64, and the foaming pressure can be absorbed by the cavity portion 65, so that when the drain pan 20 is molded. It is possible to prevent deformation of the fitting groove 64.

Therefore, when the bell mouth 53 is rotated in the circumferential direction, the claw portion 76 of the bell mouth 53 smoothly fits into the fitting groove 64, and the claw portion 76 smoothly separates from the fitting groove 64. Therefore, the rotation of the bell mouth 53 is not hindered, and the workability when attaching and detaching the bell mouth 53 can be favorably maintained.

In addition, according to the present embodiment, the temporary hook 91 of the ceiling panel 3 can be directly hooked on the hook 77 of the bell mouth 53. For this reason, it is not necessary to insert-mold a dedicated metal fitting for hooking the temporary hook 91 on the styrofoam body 21 forming the drain pan 20. Therefore, the configuration of the drain pan 20 can be simplified, which is advantageous in reducing the cost of the indoor unit 1.

Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples 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 changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and the scope equivalent thereto.

For example, in the above embodiment, the bell mouth is fixed to the drain pan using the pair of fixing screws and the pair of claw receiving portions, but the configuration is not limited to this, and the fitting portion may be omitted.

Further, the numbers of the fixing screws and the claw receiving portions are not particularly limited, and can be appropriately changed depending on the size of the bell mouth, for example.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Indoor unit, 2... Unit main body, 10... Blower, 11... Heat exchanger, 20... Drain pan, 23... Bell mouth mounting hole, 29a... Inner peripheral wall, 53... Bell mouth, 60... Coupling tool (fixing screw), 60a... Shaft part, 60b... Head part, 71... Fixed part, 73... Through hole, 74... Engagement hole.

Claims (9)

A unit main body that houses a blower and a heat exchanger,
A drain pan having an inner peripheral wall that is attached to the lower end of the unit body, receives the condensed water generated in the heat exchanger, and defines a bell mouth mounting hole that is continuous with the suction side of the blower,
A bell mouth detachably fitted in the bell mouth mounting hole of the drain pan,
A plurality of connecting tools provided on the inner peripheral wall of the drain pan at intervals in the circumferential direction and having a head portion having a diameter larger than that of the shaft portion at the lower end of the shaft portion protruding downward from the lower end of the inner peripheral wall. When,
Provided in the outer peripheral portion of the bell mouth at intervals in the circumferential direction, a through hole through which the head portion of the connecting tool penetrates, and an engagement hole that is continuous with the through hole and the head portion is hooked. A plurality of fixing parts having,
The head of the connector is rotated by rotating the bell mouth in a circumferential direction inside the bell mouth mounting hole in a state where the head of the connector is passed through the through hole of the fixing portion. Is an indoor unit of an air conditioner in which the bell mouth is fixed to the drain pan by moving from the through hole of the fixing portion to the engaging hole and being caught in the engaging hole. At least one claw receiving portion provided on the inner peripheral wall of the drain pan and the outer peripheral portion of the bell mouth, and when the bell mouth is rotated in the circumferential direction inside the bell mouth mounting hole, The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising at least one claw portion that is detachably fitted to the claw receiving portion. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the claw receiving part is located between the connecting tools that are separated from each other in the circumferential direction of the inner peripheral wall, and the claw part is located between the fixing parts of the bell mouth. Machine indoor unit. The drain pan has a foam-molded main body and a resin-made sheet material integrated with the main body so as to cover the main body when the main body is foam-molded. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the parts are integrally formed. The claw receiving portion has a fitting groove into which the claw portion of the bell mouth is removably fitted, and a cavity portion that absorbs foaming pressure when foaming the main body, and the cavity portion is The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 4, which is provided at a position adjacent to the fitting groove. The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the sheet material of the drain pan has a boss portion that receives the shaft portion of the connector. 2. The connection tool is maintained in a state of being supported by the inner peripheral wall of the drain pan, both when the bell mouth is attached to the drain pan and when the bell mouth is removed from the drain pan. Air conditioner indoor unit. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 7, wherein the connector is a screw. Further comprising a ceiling panel covering a lower end of the unit body, wherein the ceiling panel includes a temporary hook for temporarily fixing the ceiling panel to the lower end of the unit body,
A hook portion is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the bell mouth to which the temporary hook is detachably hooked, and the inner peripheral wall of the drain pan is gouged to escape the temporary hook to a position facing the hook portion. The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 1, wherein the indoor unit has a recess.

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