JPH11201506A - Outdoor machine for air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make compact and silent an outdoor machine for an air conditioner which uses the air blowing-out surface of an axial fan installed to the upper section of an enclosure as its upper surface by providing a corner guide to at least one of the void sections in the corner sections formed of the front-face plate, roof plate, and one side-face plate which is adjacent to the front-face plate. SOLUTION: A top-flow type outdoor machine 1 is provided with air supplying openings on its side-face sides and a heat exchanger 8 on its back side. The machine 1 is also provided with a compressor 9, an accumulator 10, an axial fan, a bell mouth 12, etc., and a heat-exchanged wind exhausted front the fan 11 is discharged upward after passing through an exhaust pipe 7 and a guard net 16. In the machine 1, a corner guide 18a is provided to the void of each corner section formed of the front-face plate 2, side-face plate, roof plate 6, and bell mouth of the machine 1. Therefore, the outdoor machine 1 can be operated silently, because the heat-exchanged wind sucked from the heat exchanger 8 is prevented front staying in the voids of the corner sections and, at the same time, the efficiency deterioration of the fan 11 caused by uneven flows in the circumferential direction can be suppressed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, and more particularly, to an outdoor unit of an air conditioner which simultaneously achieves compactness of a housing, noise reduction and continuous air conditioning operation. It is about.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A technique for reducing the noise of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner includes a technique disclosed in "Heat Exchange Unit" described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 59-142677. In this publication, a heat exchanger is disposed in a housing in a substantially L-shape along intake ports on the rear and side surfaces, and heat exchange air is discharged from a front surface of the housing located in front of the heat exchanger. In a side flow type outdoor unit equipped with a propeller fan, guides for smoothly guiding heat exchange wind to the bell mouth of the propeller fan are provided at the corner formed by the front and the side and the top plate adjacent to the front. It is said that it can prevent howling noise.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, it is desired to reduce noise from the viewpoint of environmental protection.
The above prior art is directed to an outdoor unit of an air conditioner in which the air is sucked from a heat exchanger opposed to the axial fan, discharged in the axial direction of the axial fan, and the rotating surface of the axial fan is vertical. A configuration in which noise reduction is considered is disclosed.

[0004] On the other hand, when air-conditioning a plurality of spaces on a large scale such as in a building, a multi-system in which a plurality of outdoor units are juxtaposed on the roof of the building and air-conditions each room in the building is widely used. In such a multi-system, in order to reduce the total installation area of a plurality of outdoor units, heat exchange wind is mainly applied to the outdoor units so that the required operation can be performed by installing the outdoor units closely and continuously on both sides. In this case, a structure in which the air is sucked from the back and discharged vertically, that is, a top flow structure is adopted.

[0005] In this structure, the rotating surface of the axial fan is provided substantially horizontally on the bottom surface and the top surface of the housing, and the housing is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. Since there is a gap in a corner formed by one of the adjacent side plates, the heat exchange wind stops at the corner in the housing and a vortex is generated.

Furthermore, the heat exchange air intake is limited to a part of the peripheral surface of the housing, and the direction of the heat exchange air is approximately 9
As a result of the 0 degree bend, the distribution of inflow velocity into the axial fan differs greatly in the circumferential direction, resulting in a local increase in velocity, an increase in pressure loss and a uniform distribution on the axial fan blade surface. And the efficiency of the axial fan decreases, and the noise of the axial fan increases due to an increase in the number of revolutions.

In order to further reduce the installation area and reduce the cost of the housing, the average speed of the heat exchange air in the housing is inevitably increased, and the axial fan and the outdoor unit housing are inevitably increased. Inevitably, the distance from the side plate and the front plate is reduced, so that the above-described turbulence and stagnation of the flow and non-uniformity of the speed are amplified, and as a result, noise is rapidly increased. As described above, the reduction in the size of the housing and the reduction in noise contradict each other.

On the other hand, the outdoor unit is used even in a low-temperature atmosphere. In this case, the top flow type outdoor unit causes rain or sleet to enter the housing vertically through an opening in the upper surface of the housing, and the surface of the bellmouth is exposed. It becomes ice crystals, then snow accumulates and grows rapidly as a vertical icicle toward the lower part. When the ice collides with the wings of the axial fan, it is splashed in the circumferential direction. When the above-mentioned gap exists, the above-mentioned icicles snow on the wall surfaces of the housing constituting the gap and grow in the radial direction of the fan and vertically downward. The time required for the icicles to come into contact with the axial flow fan grows as icicles after snow accretion on the bellmouth surface, and is significantly longer than the growth time of the icicles colliding with the wings.

Since the axial flow fan is supported by the boss portion and has a cantilever structure in the radial direction of the axial flow fan, the breakdown strength against a force applied substantially perpendicular to the rotation direction of the fan is small. As the ice column continues to grow, it hits the fan blades at right angles to the direction of rotation, and immediately thereafter the ice column scatters around. This cycle is repeated. If the distance between the blades of the axial fan and the side plate or front plate of the outdoor unit housing is reduced to make it more compact, the volume of the voids in the corners becomes smaller. As a result, the fluctuation stress of the axial fan increases, the proof stress of the axial fan decreases, and eventually the fan breaks down, resulting in the worst case of stopping the air conditioning operation.

As described above, the top-flow type outdoor unit has a problem that it is impossible to achieve both compactness, low noise, and continuous air conditioning operation. In the side flow type outdoor unit shown in the above-mentioned known example, the direction of growth of the icicle growing from the corner and the bell mouth is substantially the same as the direction of rotation of the fan, and the resistance to the force due to contact or collision with the direction of rotation of the fan is axial. Since the flow fan is large, the potential for reducing the life of the fan is small. Therefore, no consideration has been given to ensuring continuous air-conditioning operation in the side flow type outdoor unit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems. An air conditioner capable of ensuring a compact top-flow type outdoor unit, reducing noise, and ensuring continuous air conditioning operation. The purpose is to provide an outdoor unit for the machine.

[0012]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an axial flow fan provided on an upper portion of a housing, the upper surface of which is provided, and the fan is surrounded between a housing top plate and a floor plate. In an outdoor unit having a heat exchanger and a structure in which heat exchange air is sucked from a rear surface or a part of a rear surface and a side surface of a housing, a front plate, a top plate, and one side adjacent to the front plate of the housing. A corner guide having a shape curved in the circumferential direction of the fan is provided at at least one of the gaps in the corner formed by the face plate.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a case in which at least one corner formed by a front plate, a top plate, and one side plate adjacent to the front plate has a shape curved in the circumferential direction of the fan. Is provided. This corner guide turns the flow along the axial fan circumferential (rotation) direction, that is, along the front surface of the housing, so that the portion where the heat exchanger is not arranged, that is, the surface that is not the suction port, for example, the upper part on the front plate side Therefore, the heat exchange wind is smoothly guided to the axial fan from almost the entire circumference of the bell mouth, and the noise generated due to the drift can be suppressed.

At the same time, rain and sleet under a low temperature atmosphere, which have entered the housing via the axial fan, are formed by the front plate and the top plate of the housing and one side plate adjacent to the front plate. In the air gap, a corner guide curved in the circumferential direction of the fan is provided, so at the young stage where snow accumulates and grows as an icicle, it eventually falls by gravity while scattering in the rotation direction Therefore, the icicles do not directly hinder the rotation of the axial fan, and even if the size is reduced, the axial flow fan's proof stress is increased due to the reduced stress of the axial fan and the worst case of suspending air-conditioning operation. Does not reach.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a top flow type outdoor unit according to the present invention. In this figure, reference numeral 1 denotes an outdoor unit. The outdoor unit 1 includes a front plate 2, side plates 3, 4 (shown in FIG. 3), a floor plate 5, a top plate 6, a back plate 17 (shown in FIG. 3), a discharge tube 7, and the like. It is supported by support legs 18. Also, on the side surface, side air intake ports 4a, 3a for heat exchange wind intake.
(Described in FIG. 3) is provided.

FIG. 1 shows an outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, and shows a side view of the outdoor unit 1 shown in FIG. A heat exchanger 8 disposed substantially in a U-shape mainly on the rear side of the outdoor unit 1 includes a heat exchanger rear portion 8 a and a heat exchanger side portion 8.
c and a heat exchanger side 8b (not shown).

The outdoor unit 1 further exchanges heat with a refrigerant cycle component including a compressor 9 for increasing the pressure of the refrigerant, an accumulator 10 for alleviating the rapid flow of the refrigerant, and the heat exchanger 8 with outside air. Axial fan 1 required for boosting
1 and a bell mouth 12, a fan motor 13 for driving the axial fan 11, a motor clamp 14 which is a support member of the axial fan 11 and the fan motor 13, and an electric circuit for electrically controlling the refrigerant cycle. It is composed of an electric box 15.

The axial fan 11 includes a blade 11b and a blade 11b.
The boss 11a supports the boss 11b. Further, the heat exchange air discharged from the axial fan 11 passes through the discharge tube 7 and is discharged upward after passing through the protection net 16. Front panel 2
A corner guide 18 is provided in a gap between each corner formed by the side plate 3 or the side plate 4, the top plate 6, and the substantially cylindrical bell mouth 12.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the outdoor unit 1 shown in FIGS. A heat exchanger 8 having a substantially U-shape and composed of a heat exchanger back part 8a and heat exchanger side parts 8b and 8c is disposed on the back of the housing. , Side intake ports 3a, 4a and rear intake port 17a. A corner guide 18a and a corner guide 18b curved in the circumferential direction of the axial fan 11 are provided in the gaps between the corner portions.

In this embodiment, the corner guide 18a and the corner guide 18b are the same on the left and right, and are separated from the side plate 3 or the side plate 4, the front plate 2 and the bell mouth 12 by a fixed distance, and are supported by the top plate 6. ing.

Next, the operation and effect of the outdoor unit of the present invention shown in FIGS. The blade 11b supported by the boss 11a is rotated by the rotation torque of the fan motor 13, so that a pressure increasing action is exerted on the axial fan 11 and the heat exchange wind finally reaches the discharge cylinder 7 by this action. Although the heat exchanger 8 is discharged, since the heat exchanger 8 is provided in a substantially U-shape on the back surface of the outdoor unit 1, a part around the side surface of the outdoor unit housing, that is, the rear intake port 17a and the side intake ports 3a, 4a. Inhaled only at.

[0022] Therefore, the heat exchange wind in the housing is deflected,
In particular, heat exchange wind sucked from the lower part of the heat exchanger 8 is generated by obstacles such as the compressor 9, the accumulator 10, the electric box 15, the fan motor 13, and the motor clamp 14 installed in the housing of the outdoor unit 1. Furthermore, it is deflected and turbulent and rises along the inner wall surfaces of the front plate 2 and the side plates 3 and 4 of the housing.

Since the corner guides 18a and 18b which are curved in the circumferential direction of the axial fan 11 are provided in the gap, heat exchange wind sucked from the heat exchanger 8 is formed in the corner. While being able to prevent stagnation in the void,
Since the axial fan 11 has a curved shape in the circumferential direction, the rotational flow of the axial fan 11 becomes a rising flow while accelerating the swirling flow along the front surface of the housing, so that the heat exchanger 8 is provided. There is no suction, that is, it is also sucked from the upper portions of the front plate 2 and the side plates 3 and 4 which are not the suction ports, is smoothly guided from almost the entire circumference of the bell mouth 12, and increases in local velocity caused by drift. And a non-uniform flow of the axial flow fan 11 in the circumferential direction can suppress a decrease in efficiency, thereby realizing silent operation.

At the same time, under a low temperature atmosphere, the protection net 16
Rain or sleet entering from the opening of the axial flow fan 11 in the gap formed between the side plate 3 or the side plate 4 adjacent to the top plate 6 of the housing.
8b, it is not accumulated as ice crystals, but scatters in the rotation direction without accumulating as ice crystals, thereby promoting the fall, inhibiting the growth as icicles, and not directly obstructing the rotation of the axial fan 11; Due to the decrease in the fluctuating stress of 11, the breakdown strength of the axial fan 11 increases, and the worst case of stopping the rotation does not occur.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are perspective views of a corner guide 18 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Corner guide 18
The surface 22 on the top plate side attached to the top plate 6, the surfaces 20 and 21 on the side plate side parallel to the side plate 3 or the side plate 4, and the curvature having a curvature radius substantially equal to that of the bell mouth 12 of the axial fan 11. It is composed of surfaces 23 and 24. In the figure, the side plate side 2
The ridge lines joining the 0, 21 and the curvature surface 23 or the curvature surface 24 are cut. This is for the purpose of reducing the cost of the corner guide 18 and using a foaming material such as styrene foam or a foamed resin material. For example, when vacuum forming is performed for the purpose of weight reduction, a shape in which each surface is obtuse is preferable in manufacturing. It is. However, when manufactured by machining, it is not always necessary to have an obtuse angle.

Each of the corner guides has curvature surfaces 23 and 24 which are curved in the circumferential direction of the axial fan 11.
Is easy to machine because the cross-sectional shape and size in the vertical direction are the same. On the other hand, in the corner guide 18 shown in FIG. 5, the cross-sectional shape on the horizontal plane is the same in the vertical direction, but has a shape in which the cross-sectional area gradually decreases.

Since the drift in the housing rises along the curved surfaces 23 and 24 of the corner guide 18 provided at the corner, the inflow speed to the axial fan in the circumferential direction is as follows.
It becomes almost equal and flows smoothly to the bell mouth 12. Further, the growth of icicles on the curvature surfaces 23 and 24 is suppressed,
The icicles, in a soft state, collide with the blades 11b of the axial fan 11 and are scattered in the lower peripheral direction, so that the axial fan 11 is not deteriorated and continuous air conditioning operation can be performed. by the way,
The axial flow fan has a good efficiency and a small noise when the flow is to flow uniformly into the bell mouth while gradually decreasing gradually from a wide space.

The corner guide 18 shown in FIG. 5 has a shape in which the cross-sectional area increases in the vertical upward direction, so that the rate of change of the velocity in the upward direction of the drift is small, and the bell mouth 1 is more smoothly.
2 and the fall to the lower part of the icicle is accelerated. When the curvature surface 23 or 24 is attached in contact with the bell mouth 12, a step is generated between the corner guide curvature surface 23 or 24 and the bell mouth 12 to generate turbulence, and the turbulence is sucked into the axial fan 11. Although noise increase occurs, turbulence can be suppressed by providing the bell mouth 12 at a certain interval.

FIG. 6 is an assembled bird's-eye view of the housing of the outdoor unit. When performing a large-scale air-conditioning operation in a building with a multi-system using a plurality of outdoor units 1, the side plate 3 of the outdoor unit 1
4 and 4, the total installation area is minimized.

The outdoor unit 1 shown in FIG. 6 has a structure effective for this continuous installation, and the top plate 6 has a top front bent portion 6a, a top plate right bent portion 6b, and a top plate left bent at the outer periphery. It has a curved portion 6c. The front plate 2 has a front upper bent portion 2 having a width of If at the top.
a, right and left front bent part 2b and front left bent part 2c
Having. The side plate 4 has a side plate upper bent portion 4a having a width rs at an upper portion, and top plate front holes 6aa and 6bb provided in the top plate 6.
Are fixed to front holes 2aa, 2bb provided in the front bent portion 2a, respectively.

As a fixing method, a combination of bolts and nuts or a tap screw may be used. Further, the front right bent portion 2b and the front left bent portion 2c are provided with a front right hole 2cc and a front left hole 2dd, and are fixed to the side holes 4aa provided in the side plate side bent portion 4b. . Front left bent part 2
Although not shown in the drawing, c is fixed to a side hole of the side plate side bent portion of the side plate 3. Further corner guide 18
a and 18b are guide support holes 6c provided in the top plate 6.
Contacted with the top plate 6 at c and 6dd, and fixed while maintaining the distance LF (LF> lf) from the bent corner of the front surface of the top plate and the distance RS (RS> rs) from the left and right bent portions of the top plate .

In the housing having such a structure, the side plates 3, 4
There is no need for a projection for fixing the top plate 6, the front plate 2, and the back plate 17 on the top, so that adjacent outdoor units can be installed in contact with each other without leaving a space, and the corner guide 1 can be installed.
Since the side plates 20 and 21 of the side plates 8a and 18b are attached to the front plate 2 and the side plates 3 or 4 with a fixed gap therebetween, a slight heat exchange wind flows in the gap between the front plate 2 and the side plate 3 or 4, and snow accretion occurs. The rear icicle does not accumulate on the surface of the front plate 2 or the side plate 3 or 4, and promotes a downward drop. Furthermore, when a plurality of outdoor units 1 are installed in series, there is an advantage that the corner guide 18 can be replaced only by removing the front plate.

This embodiment shows a case where the axial flow fan 11 is installed substantially at the center of the top plate 6 of the outdoor unit 1, and the same corner guides 18a and 18b are provided on the left and right, respectively, to reduce the number of parts. Although the illustrated example is shown, for example, in an outdoor unit in which the axial fan 11 is not provided at the center of the housing, the outdoor unit is not necessarily 2.
There is no need to provide a corner guide of the same shape at each location,
The operation and effect of the present invention can be obtained at one location.

In the present invention, an example in which the heat exchanger 8 is installed vertically to the floor 5 is shown, but the air inlet is only at the back, part or all of the back and side, and at least the axial flow such as the back and front. In an outdoor unit in which the intake port is limited to a part of the circumference of the fan 11, a corner portion exists, and the same operation and effect can be obtained by providing the corner guide of the present invention.

[0035]

According to the present invention, even if the gap between the axial fan and the housing becomes small, in addition to suppressing the increase in fan noise due to the turbulent flow caused by the drift, the process of ice crystal formation during rainfall and snowfall can be achieved. As a result, the icicles generated through the process hinder the rotation of the fan and can avoid the suspension of operation of the air conditioner, so that the outdoor unit can be made compact and silent, and the air conditioner can be continuously operated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, in which A of an outdoor unit 1 of FIG.
The side view which looked the side from the -A cross section.

FIG. 2 is an external view of an embodiment of the air conditioner outdoor unit of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top view of an embodiment of the air conditioner outdoor unit according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a corner guide according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a corner guide of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an assembled bird's-eye view of an outdoor unit housing according to an embodiment of the air conditioner outdoor unit of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Outdoor unit 2 Front plate 3 Side plate 4 Side plate 5 Floor plate 6 Top plate 8 Heat exchanger 11 Axial fan 18a, b Corner guide

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Naoki Kazono 502, Kachimachi, Tsuchiura-shi, Ibaraki Pref. Machinery Research Laboratory, Nichido Corporation (72) Fukuji Tsukada 502, Kantemachi-cho, Tsuchiura-shi, Ibaraki, Japan Inside the Machinery Research Laboratory (72) Inventor Ryoji Sato 390 Muramatsu, Shimizu-shi, Shizuoka Prefecture Inside Air Conditioning System Division, Hitachi, Ltd. (72) Inventor Tetsushi Kishitani 390 Muramatsu, Shimizu-shi, Shizuoka Inside Air Conditioning System Division, Hitachi, Ltd. 72) Inventor Makoto Nagai 390 Muramatsu, Shimizu-shi, Shizuoka Prefecture Inside the Air Conditioning Systems Division, Hitachi, Ltd. (72) Inventor Hiroshi Takenaka 390 Muramatsu, Shimizu-shi, Shizuoka Prefecture Inside the Air Conditioning Systems Division, Hitachi, Ltd. (72) Inventor Isao Matsushita 390 Muramatsu, Shimizu-shi, Shizuoka Prefecture Hitachi Shimizu Engineering Co., Ltd. The inner

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A heat exchanger is disposed between an upper surface of a housing and a floor plate so as to surround a fan, and a rear surface of the housing or a rear surface and a side surface of the housing. In the outdoor unit with a structure that sucks heat exchange air from the air inlet, the fan is curved in the circumferential direction of the fan in the gap formed by the front plate and top plate of the housing and one side plate adjacent to the front plate. An outdoor unit for an air conditioner, comprising a corner guide having a predetermined shape. 2. The outdoor unit for an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the corner guide is formed by a front plate and a top plate of a housing, one side plate adjacent to the front plate, and a bell mouth. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner, wherein the outdoor unit is provided in a unit and has a shape curved in a circumferential direction of a fan. 3. The outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein a predetermined gap is provided between at least one of the side plate and the front plate of the housing and the corner guide, and wherein the corner guide is a top plate. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner, characterized by being supported by: 4. A heat exchanger is provided between a top plate and a floor plate of the housing, with a blowout surface of an axial fan provided at an upper portion of the housing as an upper surface. In the outdoor unit having a structure for sucking air, a corner guide having a shape curved in the circumferential direction of the fan is provided in a side plate, and in a gap formed by the back or front plate and the top plate adjacent to the side plate. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner, characterized in that: 5. The outdoor unit for an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein an upper portion of the side plate is bent in parallel with the top plate, the top plate is fixed at the bent surface, and the upper surface is fixed to the bent surface. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner, wherein a corner guide supported by a top plate is provided at a position not in contact with the air conditioner. 6. The outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the corner guide has a cross-sectional area on a horizontal plane from a lower portion to an upper portion along a flow of heat exchange wind. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner, characterized in that the outdoor unit has a shape that becomes substantially gradually larger. 7. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the corner guide is provided at a predetermined distance from a bell mouth of the axial fan. Machine outdoor unit. 8. The outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein a radius of curvature of the curved portion of the corner guide is substantially equal to a radius of curvature of a bellmouth of the axial flow fan. Outdoor unit of air conditioner. 9. The outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the corner guide is mainly made of a foamable material. . 10. The outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the corner guide is the same on the left and right as viewed from the front.