JP7408322B2 - Duct and electrical unit equipped with it - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a duct and an electrical unit equipped with the same.

For example, in the machine room of the outdoor unit of a multi-purpose air conditioner for a building, an electrical box containing electrical components and the like is provided. Among the electrical components housed in the electrical equipment box, there are heat-generating components such as power elements that generate heat when energized.

In order to operate electrical components in an appropriate temperature environment, it is necessary to cool heat-generating components. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method in which heat-radiating fins thermally connected to heat-generating components are exposed to cooling air in a duct. Cooling of heat generating components is disclosed.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-125696

Although such a duct needs to have a predetermined size to accommodate the radiation fins, it occupies a considerable amount of space in the machine room. However, in consideration of the cooling efficiency of the radiation fins, omitting the duct is not realistic.

The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and it is possible to form a flow path through which fluid flows and also to provide a cooling structure for electrical components that are heavy and generate operating heat. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a duct that can be used and an electrical unit equipped with the duct.

In order to solve the above problems, the duct of the present invention and the electrical unit equipped with the same employ the following means.
That is, the duct according to one aspect of the present invention is a duct that is installed between a base member and a drain pan that define a machine room of an outdoor unit, is connected to the base member and the drain pan, and is connected to the drain pan together with the electrical equipment box. a casing that forms a channel and is provided with a communication port on one outer surface that communicates with the flow channel ; and an outer cover whose other lower end side is an opening defined together with the first outer surface .

According to the duct according to this aspect, the duct includes a housing that forms a flow path connected to the base member and the drain pan and through which fluid flows together with the electrical equipment box, and has a communication port provided on one outer surface that communicates with the flow path; and an outer cover that is connected to the outer surface of the first side, surrounds the communication port, and forms, together with the first outer side, a sub-channel having an opening at the bottom. According to this, the static pressure near the communication port decreases due to the Venturi effect accompanying the flow of fluid. Then, a fluid flow is formed from the opening located below the sub-channel toward the communication port. By attaching electrical components that generate operating heat to the portion where this flow is formed, a cooling structure for the electrical components can be created using the duct. At this time, it is preferable that the communication port is provided in a flow path that is more likely to have a negative pressure than the space (inside the machine room) in which the opening is located below the sub-flow path.
Furthermore, if the strength of the casing is ensured, heavy electrical components such as a reactor can be attached to the casing. This eliminates the need to house heavy electrical components in the electrical box, making it possible to reduce the weight of the electrical box. Note that the reactor is an electrical component that has a relatively low failure frequency, so even if the reactor is placed in a sub-channel that is less easily accessible than the electrical box, the effort for maintenance is unlikely to increase.
Note that, for example, heat radiation fins that cool electrical components that are housed in the electrical component box and generate operating heat are exposed to the flow path formed by the casing and the electrical component box.

Further, in the duct according to one aspect of the present invention, the communication port has a smaller area than the opening.

According to the duct according to this aspect, the communication port has a smaller area than the opening located below the sub-channel. According to this, a fluid flow can be formed throughout the sub-channel.

Further, the duct according to one aspect of the present invention includes, on the inside of the cover, an inner cover that is connected to the first outer surface and covers a lower part of the communication port.

According to the duct according to this aspect, the inner cover is provided inside the outer cover and is connected to one outer surface and covers the lower side of the communication port. According to this, even if water droplets (drainage) adhering to the inner surface of the casing are transmitted to the outer surface of the casing through the communication port, the inner cover prevents the water droplets from further traveling below the communication port. can be suppressed. Therefore, for example, even if electrical components are provided on the outer surface of the casing below the inner cover, it is possible to avoid damage to the electrical components due to water droplets.

Further, an electrical unit according to one aspect of the present invention includes the above-mentioned duct and an electrical component that generates operating heat and is provided on the one outer surface inside the outer cover.

The electrical unit according to this aspect includes the above-mentioned duct and an electrical component that generates operating heat and is provided on one outer surface inside the outer cover. According to this, electrical components (for example, a reactor) that generate operating heat can be cooled by the fluid flowing through the sub-channel.

Further, an electrical unit according to one aspect of the present invention includes the above-mentioned duct, and an electrical component that generates operating heat that is provided on the outer surface of the one, inside the outer cover and below the inner cover. It is equipped with

The electrical unit according to this aspect includes the above-mentioned duct and an electrical component that generates operating heat and is provided on one outer surface inside the outer cover. According to this, electrical components (for example, a reactor) that generate operating heat can be cooled by the fluid flowing through the sub-channel.
Further, even if water droplets (drainage) on the inner surface of the casing are transmitted to the outer surface of the casing via the communication port, the inner cover can prevent the water droplets from further traveling below the communication port. Therefore, electrical components can be prevented from breaking down due to water droplets.

According to the duct and the electrical equipment unit including the duct according to the present invention, it is possible to form a flow path through which fluid flows, and also to serve as a cooling structure for electrical equipment parts that are heavy and generate operating heat.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the inside of the machine room of the electrical unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the inside of the machine room of the electrical unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a duct according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a side view of an outdoor unit in which an electrical unit according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed. FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a duct according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of an electrical unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of a duct according to an embodiment of the present invention. 8 is a side sectional view of the duct shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 8 shows the structure of the drain cover of the duct shown in FIG. 8. 8 is a plan cross-sectional view of the duct shown in FIG. 7. FIG. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of the connection between the duct and the drain pan. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of the connection between the duct and the drain pan. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged side view of the vicinity of the connection between the duct and the drain pan.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A duct and an electrical unit including the same according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the electrical unit 10 is installed, for example, in a machine room 12 defined as an outdoor unit of a multi-air conditioner for a building, and includes electrical components and the like that control the air conditioner. This is a structure near the duct 50 to which the electrical equipment box 90 is housed and the electrical equipment box 90 is fixed.

The electrical unit 10 includes a duct 50 and an electrical box 90 that is installed in front of the duct 50 and houses electrical components 94.
Note that the "front" herein refers to the surface located on the near side in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the duct 50 includes a box-shaped casing 52 that is made in a cubic shape and has openings on the front, top, and bottom surfaces, and a casing 52 that closes the opening on the top surface of the casing 52. The housing 52 includes a first lid member 58 and a second lid member 59 that closes an opening on the lower surface of the casing 52.

The front opening of the casing 52 serves as an entrance into which a radiation fin 96, which will be described later, is inserted. Further, the opening on the top surface of the housing 52 becomes a first opening 74 of a flow path 72, which will be described later. Further, the opening on the lower surface of the housing 52 becomes a second opening 76 of a flow path 72, which will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 4, a heat exchanger room 14 is defined in the upper part of the machine room 12, and an outdoor heat exchanger 16 and an outdoor unit fan 18 are installed therein. The heat exchanger chamber 14 communicates with a flow path 72 via a cylindrical portion 22 formed in a drain pan 20, which will be described later. Therefore, when the airflow generated by the outdoor unit fan 18 passes through the outdoor heat exchanger 16 and the pressure inside the heat exchanger chamber 14 is reduced, a pressure difference is generated between the outside air and the heat exchanger chamber 14. As a result, an air flow is formed in the flow path 72.
Note that, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a fan 62 for generating airflow may be provided in the upper part of the housing 52. In this case, the fan 62 is driven to increase the flow of air flowing through the flow path 72. Air volume is increased. However, if sufficient air volume is ensured in the flow path 72 by the outdoor unit fan 18, the fan 62 may be omitted.

The first lid member 58 is a plate-shaped member in which two openings corresponding to the shape of the fan 62 are formed, and is connected to the inner surface of the casing 52 . At this time, the first lid member 58 functions as a beam-like reinforcing member for the housing 52. Therefore, the duct 50 can be made into a rigid structure by the first lid member 58.
Note that when the fan 62 is not provided, the shape of the opening of the first lid member 58 does not need to correspond to the fan 62, and an opening with an arbitrary shape that allows a sufficient amount of air to flow through the flow path 72 is formed. It would be fine if it had been done.

As shown in FIG. 3, the second lid member 59 is a plate-shaped member in which two openings for ventilation are formed, and is connected to the inner surface of the housing 52. At this time, the second lid member 59 functions as a beam-like reinforcing member for the housing 52. Therefore, the duct 50 can be made into a rigid structure by the second lid member 59.
Note that the shape of the ventilation opening is not limited to that shown in the drawings, and any shape that allows a sufficient amount of air to flow through the flow path 72 may be formed.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the casing 52 is provided with a vertical partition plate 60 that divides the internal space in the horizontal direction (in the horizontal direction in the figure).

The vertical partition plate 60 is a plate-shaped member extending in the vertical direction, and its upper part is connected to the first lid member 58, its lower part is connected to the second lid member 59, and its back is connected to the housing 52. It is connected to the. Since the vertical partition plate 60 connects the housing 52, the first lid member 58, and the second lid member 59, the duct 50 can have a more rigid structure.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a counter electrical equipment box flange portion 54 is formed on the front side edge of the housing 52 and extends to both sides.
The electrical equipment box flange portion 54 is configured to make surface contact with the back surface of an electrical equipment box 90, which will be described later.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, a base-facing flange portion 65 is formed at the bottom of the casing 52 and extends from a corner of the casing 52.
The base-facing flange portion 65 is configured to make surface contact with a base member 40, which will be described later.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, on the left and right sides of the upper front side of the casing 52, two connecting portions 56 for the pair of cylindrical portions, which project upward and have a U-shaped cross section, are formed.
A threaded hole 57 into which a screw used for fastening with the cylindrical portion 22, which will be described later, is screwed is formed in the connecting portion 56 for the opposite cylindrical portion.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the electrical equipment box 90 is attached so as to close the front opening of the housing 52, a flow path 72 is formed by the electrical equipment box 90 and the housing 52.
The upper and lower end surfaces of the flow path 72 are open. At this time, the upper opening is the first opening 74 and the lower opening is the second opening 76.

As shown in Figure 3. A communication port 70 is formed on the side surface of the casing 52 (the left side in the figure), which communicates the flow path 72 with the outside of the casing 52 .

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the communication port 70 is covered by a reactor cover (outer cover) 66 on the outer surface of the housing 52. As shown in FIGS.

The reactor cover 66 is connected to the outer surface of the housing 52 and forms a sub-channel 78 together with the housing 52.

A fourth opening 80 having a larger opening area than the communication port 70 is formed below the sub-channel 78, and communicates with the external space (the space of the machine room 12).

The communication port 70 is covered from below by a drain cover (inner cover) 68 inside the reactor cover 66.

The drain cover 68 is connected to the outer surface of the housing 52 and has an opening formed above.

As shown in FIG. 9, the drain cover 68 can receive the drain water guided to the outer surface of the case 52 through the communication port 70, out of the drain water adhering to the inner surface of the case 52. can. This can prevent drain water from flowing below the communication port 70.

As shown in FIG. 7, a reactor (an electrical component that generates operating heat) 86 is provided on the outer surface of the housing 52, inside the reactor cover 66 and below the drain cover 68.

The reactor 86 is composed of an iron core and a coil, and is considered to be an electrical component that is heavier than a circuit board or the like, but the reactor 86 is attached to the duct 50 (casing 52) that has ensured strength. This allows the housing 52 and the reactor 86 to be firmly connected. This makes it less susceptible to vibrations caused by, for example, operation of a compressor.

As shown in FIG. 1, the electrical equipment box 90 has a box-shaped housing 92 made into a cubic shape.

Inside the casing 92, a plurality of types of electrical components 94 are housed to control the air conditioner.
At this time, as described above, the reactor 86 is arranged separately from the electrical equipment box 90. Therefore, compared to the case where the reactor 86 is housed in the casing 92, the weight of the electrical equipment box 90 (the weight including the contents) can be reduced. Furthermore, since there is no need for the casing 92 itself to have the strength to support the heavy reactor 86, the weight of the casing 92 can be reduced, for example, by reducing the thickness of the sheet metal forming the casing 92. can do.

As shown in FIG. 6, heat dissipation fins 96 for cooling the electrical components 94 are provided on the back surface of the electrical equipment box 90 so as to protrude.

The electrical equipment box 90 is fixed to the electrical equipment box flange portion 54 of the duct 50 so that the radiation fins 96 are accommodated in the duct 50. Note that the fixing means is, for example, fastening with bolts and nuts.

By driving the fan 62 while the radiation fins 96 are accommodated in the duct 50, the radiation fins 96 can be cooled (air-cooled) by the airflow generated in the flow path 72.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the pressure (static pressure) in the flow path 72 decreases due to the air flow, and the air in the machine room 12 is sucked in from the communication port 70 through the sub flow path 78. At this time, the airflow formed in the sub-channel 78 cools the reactor 86.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, a wind shield member 64 is attached to the inner surface of the casing 52 and the vertical partition plate 60. As shown in FIGS.
As shown in FIGS. 6 and 10, the wind shielding member 64 is provided in the gaps between the upper and lower ends of the radiation fins 96 housed in the duct 50 and the inner surface of the housing 52, and in the gaps between the upper and lower ends of the radiation fins 96 housed in the duct 50. It is a U-shaped plate member that closes the gap between the periphery and the side surface of the vertical partition plate 60.

In FIG. 10, air flows through the flow path 72 in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper. At this time, air can be reliably guided to the heat radiation fins 96 by closing the gaps between the periphery of the heat radiation fins 96 and the inner surfaces of the housing 52 and the vertical partition plate 60 with the wind shielding member 64.

Further, since the wind shield member 64 connects the housing 52 and the vertical partition plate 60, the duct 50 can have a more rigid structure.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the duct 50 is fixedly supported by the base member 40 and the drain pan 20, which define the machine room 12.

The base member 40 is a planar member disposed below the machine room 12, and its upper surface is fixed to the base-facing flange portion 65 of the housing 52 by a fastening member.

As shown in FIG. 1, the base member 40 is provided with two protruding support beams 42 arranged in parallel. The electrical equipment box 90 is mounted on these two support beams 42.
However, when the electrical equipment box 90 is fixed to the duct 50, most of the load of the electrical equipment box 90 is supported not by the support beam 42 but by the rigidly configured duct 50. In other words, by attaching the electrical equipment box 90 to the duct 50 (casing 52) whose strength is ensured, the housing 52 and the electrical equipment box 90 are firmly connected.

The drain pan 20 is a planar member arranged above the machine room 12 so as to face the base member 40, and the upper part of the casing 52 is fixed to the lower surface thereof.

The connection between the drain pan 20 and the housing 52 will be described in detail below.
As shown in FIG. 11, a cylindrical portion 22 is formed on the lower surface of the drain pan 20 and extends downward by a predetermined length.

A third opening 24 corresponding to the opening shape of the first opening 74 of the flow path 72 formed by the housing 52 and the electrical equipment box 90 is formed at the lower end of the cylindrical portion 22 .

A plate-shaped duct-facing flange portion 26 projecting in the surface direction is connected to the side surface of the cylindrical portion 22 .

The duct flange portion 26 is formed with an insertion hole 28 through which the shaft portion of a screw used for fastening with the housing 52 is inserted.

In the figure, the duct-to-duct flange portion 26 is connected to the front side surface of the cylindrical portion 22; It is also connected to the inner side surface of the shaped portion 22.

The duct 50 is arranged at a position where the third opening 24 of the cylindrical portion 22 configured in this way and the first opening 74 of the flow path 72 coincide.

At this time, a slight gap may be formed at the joint between the upper end of the housing 52 and the lower end of the cylindrical portion 22. For this reason, a band-shaped seam cover 30 configured to surround the seam may be provided. This seam cover 30 can suppress air leakage from the seam.

Then, as shown in FIG. 12, the connecting part 56 for the cylindrical part, the flange part 26 for the duct, and the joint cover 30 are integrally fastened with screws. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 13, the drain pan 20 and the housing 52 are connected and fixed.

Note that, as shown in FIG. 1, the inside of the cylindrical portion 22 communicates with the space on the upper surface side of the drain pan 20 (heat exchanger chamber 14), so the flow path 72 communicates with the heat exchanger chamber 14. becomes. Therefore, drain water may adhere to the inner surface of the housing 52.

However, even if this drain water is guided to the outer surface of the housing 52 through the communication port 70, the drain cover 68 can receive the drain water as described above.

According to the present invention, the following effects are achieved.
A reactor cover 66 is provided which is connected to the outer surface of the casing 52, surrounds the communication port 70, and forms, together with the outer surface of the casing 52, a sub flow path 78 with a fourth opening 80 at the bottom. According to this, the static pressure near the communication port 70 decreases due to the Venturi effect accompanying the flow of fluid in the flow path 72. Then, a fluid flow is formed from the fourth opening 80 located below the sub-channel 78 toward the communication port 70 . By attaching the reactor 86 that generates operating heat to the part where this flow is formed, the duct 50 can be used to provide a cooling structure for the reactor 86.
Furthermore, if the strength of the casing 52 is ensured, heavy electrical components such as the reactor 86 can be attached. This eliminates the need to house heavy electrical components in the electrical component box 90, and the weight of the electrical component box 90 can be reduced. Note that since the reactor 86 is an electrical component that has a relatively low failure frequency, even if the reactor 86 is placed in the sub-channel 78, which is less easily accessible than the electrical box 90, the effort for maintenance is unlikely to increase.

Further, the communication port 70 has a smaller area than the fourth opening 80 located below the sub-channel 78. According to this, a fluid flow can be formed throughout the sub-channel 78.

Further, inside the reactor cover 66, a drain cover 68 is provided which is connected to the outer surface of the housing 52 and covers the lower side of the communication port 70. According to this, even if water droplets (drain) adhering to the inner surface of the casing 52 are transmitted to the outer surface of the casing 52 via the communication port 70, the water droplets are further removed from the communication port 70 by the drain cover 68. It is possible to suppress the downward transmission of . Therefore, for example, even if the reactor 86 is provided on the outer surface of the casing 52 below the drain cover 68, it is possible to prevent the reactor 86 from malfunctioning due to water droplets.

10 Electrical unit 12 Machine room 20 Drain pan 22 Cylindrical part 24 Third opening 26 Duct flange 28 Insertion hole 30 Seam cover 40 Base member 42 Support girder 50 Duct 52 Housing 54 Electrical box flange 56 Duct flange 28 Connecting portion 57 Screw hole 58 First lid member 59 Second lid member 60 Vertical partition plate 62 Fan 64 Wind shielding member 65 Flange for base 66 Reactor cover (outer cover)
68 Drain cover (inner cover)
70 Communication port 72 Channel 74 First opening 76 Second opening 78 Sub-channel 80 Fourth opening 86 Reactor (electrical component that generates operating heat)
90 Electrical box 92 Housing 94 Electrical components 96 Heat radiation fin

Claims (5)

A duct installed between a base member that defines a machine room of an outdoor unit and a drain pan,
a housing that is connected to the base member and the drain pan, forms a flow path together with the electrical equipment box, and has a communication port that communicates with the flow path on one outer surface;
connected to the outer surface of said one , one end side surrounding said communication port and forming a sub-channel together with the outer surface of said one, and the other lower end side being an opening defined together with said outer surface of said one; an outer cover;
Duct equipped with. The duct according to claim 1, wherein the communication port has a smaller area than the opening. The duct according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an inner cover connected to the first outer surface and covering a lower part of the communication port inside the outer cover. The duct according to claim 1 or 2,
an electrical component that generates operating heat and is provided on the outer surface of the first member on the inner side of the outer cover;
An electrical unit equipped with. The duct according to claim 3;
an electrical component that generates operating heat and is provided on the outer surface of the first one inside the outer cover and below the inner cover;
An electrical unit equipped with.

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