JPH11248193A - Drain tank for air conditioner, and air conditioner equipped with this drain tank - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a drain tank for an air conditioner in which there is no fear of wetting the interior of itself, or its periphery, or a floor face and which can reduce the number of times of damping dehumidifying water, and an air conditioner equipped with this drain tank. SOLUTION: A drain tank 7 is equipped with a tank body 14, which is connected to an air conditioner through a connection hose 13 and has an opening 14b, and a cap 15. The cap 15 is screwed into the opening 14b to block the opening 14b. The drain tank 7 is further equipped with a float 16 for detection of water level and a conduit 17. The conduit 17 is attached to the cap 15 in a condition that it pierces the cap vertically. This mounting condition is such one that it is set freely to move up and down without rotating and shifting together with the motion of screw on or screw off of the cap 15.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a drainage tank for an air conditioner and an air conditioner provided with the drainage tank, and more particularly to a drainage tank connected to the air conditioner and produced in the air conditioner. The present invention relates to a drainage tank for storing dehumidified water, and an air conditioner provided with such a drainage tank outside the machine and also provided with a drainage tank for storing dehumidified water inside the machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a dehumidifier as an air conditioner of this kind, the following is conventionally known.

[0003] That is, a main body case having an air inlet for sucking indoor air and an air outlet for blowing out dehumidified air, a blower provided in the main body case for sucking and blowing indoor air, A dehumidifier comprising a heat exchanger that dehumidifies the air sucked by the blower by cooling, and a drain tank that can be taken in and out of a main body case to store dehumidified water generated by the heat exchanger. Are known.

[0004] In such a dehumidifier, when the drain tank is full, a warning is given by a lamp, a buzzer, or the like, so that the user removes the drain tank from the main body case and discards the dehumidified water. Has become.

[0005]

In such a dehumidifier, when the drainage tank is taken out to discard the dehumidified water, the dehumidified water dripped from the heat exchanger or a drain pan provided thereunder is removed. Since there is nothing to store, there is a possibility that the storage part of the drainage tank, its surroundings, or the floor surface may be wet with the dropped dehumidified water. Further, when such a dehumidifier is continuously used in a hot and humid summer, for example, the amount of dehumidified water generated by the heat exchanger increases, so that the number of times of removing the drainage tank and discarding the dehumidified water also increases. Although it depends on the size and performance of the dehumidifier, the dehumidifying water may be discarded several to ten times a day, which is a problem for the user.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and has no fear of wetting the inside of the air conditioner, its periphery, the floor, and the like, and can reduce the number of times that the dehumidifying water is discarded. An object of the present invention is to provide a drain tank for a conditioner and an air conditioner provided with the drain tank.

[0007]

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a drainage tank connected to an air conditioner for storing dehumidified water generated in the air conditioner, the tank being upwardly cylindrical. A tank body having a protruding opening, a cap removably attached to the opening of the tank body to close the opening, a water level detection float arranged in the tank body, and a state in which the cap is vertically penetrated. A water pipe for introducing dehumidified water from the air conditioner to the tank body via a connection hose, a male screw portion is formed at the opening of the tank body, and a female screw portion is formed at the cap. , Both are screwed together, and the water pipe is loosely fitted to the cap so that it moves up and down without rotating in response to the screwing and unscrewing of the cap. Attached and further connected to the float and the water pipe and in a state allowing the float to move up and down, closing or opening the lower end opening of the water pipe in response to the float moving up and down, thereby connecting the connection hose. And a drainage tank provided with a dehumidification water introduction control member for preventing or allowing the dehumidification water to be introduced into the tank body.

The tank body is provided with an opening which projects upward in a cylindrical shape, and the dehumidification water generated in the air conditioner is stored from this opening. The cap has a female screw portion, and is screwed with a male screw portion provided in the opening of the tank body to close the opening. As the material of the tank body and the cap, for example, polyethylene resin is used.

The float is made of, for example, a disc-shaped styrofoam, and is disposed in the tank main body, for example, below the opening, and detects the level of the dehumidified water stored in the tank main body. The water guide pipe is attached to the cap in a state where it penetrates the cap up and down. Then, the dehumidifying water from the air conditioner is introduced into the tank body via the connection hose. The state where the water pipe is attached to the cap is a state in which the water pipe is loosely fitted so as to move up and down without rotating together with the screwing and unscrewing of the cap. Here, the connection hose is for connecting the air conditioner and the drainage tank of the present invention, but may or may not be provided as one component of the drainage tank of the present invention. Good. In the latter case, the user may prepare a connection hose.

[0010] The dehumidification water introduction control member is connected to the float and the water pipe and is connected to the float so that the float can be moved up and down. The dehumidification water introduction control member closes or opens the lower end opening of the water pipe according to the vertical movement of the float. And thereby, it prevents or permits the dehumidification water in the connection hose to be introduced into the tank body.

According to the drainage tank of the present invention configured as described above, the dehumidified water in the tank body and the dewatered water in the connection hose can be removed without removing the connection hose from the air conditioner or the water pipe attached to the cap. Dehumidifying water can be discarded. Therefore, there is no danger of wetting the inside of the air conditioner, its periphery, the floor surface, and the like. Moreover, by increasing the capacity of the drainage tank of the present invention in addition to the drainage tank in the air conditioner and providing the drainage tank outside the air conditioner, the number of times the dehumidified water is discarded can be reduced as compared with the conventional case.

As the dehumidified water introduction control member, for example, a member provided with a connection pin and a contact / separation plate is used.

[0013] The connecting pin is arranged over the float and the water pipe, the lower part is fixed to the float, and the upper part is held so as to be able to move up and down inside the water pipe and not to come out of the inside. That is, for example, the connection pin is erected in a state penetrating the center of the float, and is held by a holding member such that the upper portion can move up and down inside the water pipe and does not fall out of the water pipe. .

The contact / separation plate is, for example, a disk having an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the water pipe, and is attached to the connection pin above the float. The contact / separation plate moves up and down corresponding to the up and down movement of the float. Then, the opening is closed by contacting the lower end opening of the water pipe, and the opening is opened by moving away from the opening.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the drainage tank according to claim 1 is provided as an outboard tank outside the air conditioner, and an inboard tank for storing dehumidified water inside the air conditioner. Is provided, the air conditioner is characterized in that the dehumidifying water generated in the air conditioner is configured to be introduced into the onboard tank via the connection hose after being introduced into the outboard tank. Provided.

In such an air conditioner, the generated dehumidification water is once stored in an external tank, and once a predetermined amount of dehumidification water is stored in the external tank, it is then stored in an internal tank. Therefore, the number of times that the dehumidifying water is discarded can be reduced as compared with the conventional air conditioner.

[0017] The air conditioner according to the present invention preferably comprises
After a predetermined amount of dehumidifying water is accumulated in the external tank and the lower end opening of the water pipe is closed by the float, the dehumidifying water in the connection hose is automatically introduced into the internal tank. With this configuration, there is no need to provide a switching valve or a control mechanism for introducing the generated dehumidified water to the external tank and then to the internal tank.

The air conditioner according to the present invention is preferably arranged such that
The dehumidifying operation is stopped when a predetermined amount of dehumidifying water is accumulated in the in-machine tank. For example, a float switch is provided in the in-machine tank, and by detecting that a predetermined amount of dehumidification water has accumulated in the in-machine tank by the float switch, the dehumidification operation is turned off.

[0019]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited by this.

As shown in FIG. 1, an air conditioner P according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a main body case 1, an air blower 2, an evaporator 3, a condenser 4, a compressor 5, and an in-machine tank. A drain tank 6 is provided.

The main body case 1 has a vertically long box shape, and has an air inlet 8 on the front surface and an air outlet 9 on the upper surface. The blower 2 includes a blower fan 10 disposed at a rear portion in the main body case 1, and a motor 11 for driving the blower fan 10, and draws room air from an air inlet 8 and blows out air from an air outlet 9. .

The evaporator 3 is arranged behind the intake port 8 and cools and dehumidifies the air sucked by the blower 2.
The condenser 4 is disposed behind the evaporator 3 and in front of the motor 11, and heats the air cooled by the evaporator 3.
The compressor 5 is disposed at a lower part in the main body case 1 and has an evaporator 3.
And the condenser 4. The evaporator 3, the condenser 4, and the compressor 5 constitute a refrigeration cycle together with an expansion valve (not shown).

Below the evaporator 3 and the condenser 4, a drain pan 12 is provided. The drain pan 12 receives the dehumidified water generated as a result of the air sucked by the blower 2 being cooled by the evaporator 3. The drain pan 12
The bottom 12a is connected to the connection hose 13. The connection hose 13 is for discharging the dehumidified water received by the drain pan 12 to the outside of the machine without leading to the drain tank 6 in the machine.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show the drainage tank 7 as an external tank connected to the connection hose 13. The drain tank 7 includes a tank body 14 and a cap 15.

The tank body 14 is a slightly flat container made of polyethylene having a substantially square planar shape, and has a handle 14a projecting upward at the center of the upper surface and an opening 14b projecting cylindrically upward at the corner of the upper surface. have. Opening 14b
A male screw portion is provided on the outer surface of the peripheral wall. Cap 1
Reference numeral 5 is made of polyethylene having a substantially circular planar shape, and is detachably attached to the opening 14b of the tank body 14 to close the opening 14b. That is, the cap 15 has a female screw portion formed on the inner surface of the peripheral wall, and closes the opening 14 b by being screwed with the male screw portion in the opening 14 b of the tank body 14.

As shown in FIG. 4, the drain tank 7 further includes a water level detecting float 1 disposed in the tank body 14.
6 and cap 1 with cap 15 penetrating vertically.
And a water pipe 17 attached to the water supply pipe 5.

The float 16 is made of a disc-shaped styrofoam and is arranged in the tank main body 14 below the opening 14b to detect the level of the dehumidified water stored in the tank main body 14. The water pipe 17 is made of polyethylene, and is attached to the cap 15 so as to penetrate the cap 15 vertically. This mounting state is a state in which the cap 15 is loosely fitted so as to move up and down without rotating together with the screwing and unscrewing movements of the cap 15. The water guide pipe 17 introduces dehumidified water from the air conditioner P into the tank body 14 via the connection hose 13.

The drainage tank 7 further includes a dehumidified water introduction control member 18. The dehumidified water introduction control member 18 includes a connection pin 19, a contact / separation plate 20, and a holding member 21.

As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG.
Is disposed over the float 16 and the water pipe 17.
The connection pin 19 is held by the holding member 21 so that the lower part is fixed to the float 16 and the upper part is vertically movable inside the water pipe 17 so as not to fall out of the inside. That is, the lower end 19a of the connecting pin 19 is fixed to the central concave portion while penetrating the center of the float 16, and the upper end 19b of the connecting pin 19 is prevented from falling out from the annular rib 21a formed on the inner portion of the holding member 21. The diameter is large, and the intermediate portion 19 is loosely fitted inside the holding member 21.

The contact / separation plate 20 is provided at the lower end opening 17 of the water pipe 17.
a) a disk having an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of
9 is attached above the float 16. The contact / separation plate 20 moves up and down corresponding to the up and down movement of the float 16. Then, the opening 17a is closed by contacting the lower end opening 17a of the water pipe 17, and the opening 17a is opened by separating from the opening 17a.

Next, the operation of the drain tank 6 as an in-machine tank and the drain tank 7 as an out-of-machine tank in the air conditioner P will be described.

When the dehumidifying operation is started in the air conditioner P, the dehumidified water from the air cooled by the evaporator 3 is
It is received by the drain pan 12 and introduced into the drainage tank 7 through the connection hose 13.

At this time, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the float 16 in the tank body 14 is at the lowest position, and the contact / separation plate 20 is separated from the opening 17a (in FIG. 4, it is described as "normal"). ing). Therefore, the dehumidifying water in the connection hose 13 flows down from the four fan-shaped water guide portions 21b of the holding member 21 provided in the water guide pipe 17 to the tank body 14 through the lower end opening 17a.

Then, as the dehumidifying water is stored in the tank body 14, the float 16 rises. When the tank body 14 reaches a predetermined water level, as shown in FIG. 6, the contact / separation plate 20 abuts the opening 17a to close the opening 17a (in FIG. 6, it is described as "full"). Therefore, the dehumidifying water in the connection hose 13 is supplied to the tank body 1
4 and stays in the connecting hose 13 without flowing down.

When the dehumidification further proceeds in this state, the dehumidification water in the connection hose 13 flows backward to the drain pan 12, and then drops into the drain tank 6 from the hole 12b provided in the upper part of the drain pan 12. (FIG. 1).

As shown in FIG. 7, a box-shaped float 22 for detecting a water level is rotatably supported on the drain tank 6 by a horizontal shaft 22a. The float 22 has an operation part 22b that projects substantially horizontally. A micro switch 23 for turning on / off the dehumidifying operation is provided near the drain pan 12. The micro switch 23
An ON / OFF operation is performed by an operation portion 24b of a lever 24 having a support shaft 24a slightly above.

When the water level of the drainage tank 6 is lower than the bottom of the float 22, the operating part 22b of the float 22 pushes the lever 24 to the maximum, and the microswitch 23 is pushed by the operating part 24b of the lever 24 to be turned on. ing. Then, when the water level of the drainage tank 6 becomes higher than the bottom of the float 22, the float 22 rotates on the horizontal shaft 22a, and the tip of the operation part 22b is lowered. This allows
The operation unit 24b of the lever 24 is separated from the micro switch 23 to turn off the micro switch 23.

Next, with reference to FIG.
The operation for discarding the dehumidified water that has become full within will be described.

The cap 15 is connected to the opening 14 of the tank body 14.
When turning in the direction of unscrewing from a, the water guide pipe 17 is configured with respect to the cap 15 as described above.
It rises without rotating with the movement of the cap 15. Then, the lower end opening 17a of the water pipe 17 is connected to the contact / separation plate 2
Since it is away from 0, the dehumidified water in the connection hose 13 gradually flows down into the tank body 14. When the cap 15 is unscrewed from the opening 14a, the dehumidifying water in the connection hose 13 has completely flowed down to the tank body 14.

Therefore, the dehumidifying water in the tank body 14 can be discarded without wetting the floor.

[0041]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a drainage tank connected to an air conditioner for storing dehumidified water generated in the air conditioner, as described above. , A water level detection float, and a water pipe, a male screw part is formed in the opening of the tank body, a female screw part is formed in the cap, and both are screwed together. The cap is loosely attached to the cap so as to move up and down without rotating in response to the unscrewing movement, and is further connected to the float and the water pipe so as to allow the float to move up and down. Dehumidification that closes or opens the lower end opening of the water pipe in response to the movement, thereby preventing or allowing the dehumidification water in the connection hose to be introduced into the tank body. Consisting comprise introduction control member. Therefore, it is possible to discard the dehumidified water in the tank body and the dehumidified water in the connection hose without removing the connection hose from the air conditioner or the water pipe attached to the cap. And there is no danger of wetting the inside of the air conditioner, its periphery, the floor surface, and the like. Moreover, by increasing the capacity of the drainage tank of the present invention in addition to the drainage tank in the air conditioner and providing the drainage tank outside the air conditioner, the number of times the dehumidified water is discarded can be reduced as compared with the conventional case.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the dehumidification water introduction control member is disposed over the float and the water pipe, the lower part is fixed to the float, and the upper part is movable up and down inside the water pipe and comes out of the inside. The connection pin is held above the float and is attached to the connection pin above the float, and contacts the lower end opening of the water pipe in response to the vertical movement of the float, thereby closing the opening and moving away from the opening. And a contact / separation plate for opening the opening. Therefore, it is possible to secure the above-mentioned effects achieved by the invention of claim 1 with a simple configuration.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the drainage tank according to the first aspect is provided outside the air conditioner as an outboard tank, and the inside of the air conditioner for storing dehumidified water therein. A tank is provided, and the dehumidification water generated in the air conditioner is configured to be introduced into the internal tank via the connection hose after being introduced into the external tank. Therefore, the dehumidified water generated in the air conditioner is once stored in the outboard tank, and once a predetermined amount of dehumidified water is stored in the outboard tank, the dehumidified water is then stored in the inboard tank. As a result, the number of times the dehumidifying water is discarded can be reduced.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, after a predetermined amount of dehumidifying water is accumulated in the external tank and the lower end opening of the water pipe is closed by the float, the dehumidifying water in the connection hose is automatically supplied to the inside of the machine. It is intended to be introduced into the tank. Therefore, there is no need to provide a switching valve or a control mechanism for introducing the generated dehumidified water into the external tank after introducing it into the external tank.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the dehumidifying operation is stopped when a predetermined amount of dehumidifying water is accumulated in the in-machine tank. Therefore, there is no danger that the dehumidifying operation is continued even though the in-flight tank is full and the inside of the air conditioner, its periphery, the floor surface, etc. are wet with the dehumidified water.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration explanatory diagram of an inside of an air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present invention as viewed from a side.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a drainage tank as an external tank connected to the air conditioner of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the drainage tank shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a configuration explanatory diagram illustrating an internal state of the drainage tank of FIG. 2 in a “normal” state.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a configuration explanatory view illustrating an internal state of the drainage tank of FIG. 2 when “full”.

FIG. 7 shows ON / O of the dehumidifying operation in the air conditioner of FIG.
FIG. 2 is a configuration explanatory diagram illustrating an FF.

FIG. 8 is a configuration explanatory diagram illustrating an internal state of the drainage tank of FIG. 2 when the cap is loosened.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body case 2 Blower 3 Evaporator 4 Condenser 5 Compressor 6 Drain tank (in-machine tank) 7 Drain tank (external tank) 12 Drain pan 13 Connection hose 14 Tank body 14b Opening 15 Cap 16 Float 17 Water pipe 17a Opening 18 Dehumidified water introduction control member 19 Connection pin 19a Lower end 19b Upper end 20 Contact / separation plate 21 Holding member 22 Float 23 Micro switch 24 Lever

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A drain tank connected to an air conditioner for storing dehumidified water generated in the air conditioner, the tank body having an upwardly cylindrical opening, and an opening of the tank body. A cap that is detachably attached to the tank to close the opening, a float for detecting the water level arranged in the tank body, and a cap that penetrates the cap up and down to remove dehumidified water from the air conditioner A water pipe for introducing into the tank body via the connection hose, a male screw part is formed in the opening of the tank body, a female screw part is formed in the cap, and both are screwed together,
The water pipe is loosely attached to the cap so as to move up and down without rotating in response to the screwing and unscrewing of the cap, and further allows the float to move up and down over the float and water pipe. To close or open the lower end opening of the water pipe corresponding to the vertical movement of the float,
Accordingly, a drainage tank including a dehumidification water introduction control member that prevents or permits the dehumidification water in the connection hose from being introduced into the tank body. 2. A connection pin, wherein a dehumidification water introduction control member is disposed over the float and the water pipe, a lower part is fixed to the float, and an upper part is vertically movable inside the water pipe and held so as not to fall out of the inside; A contact / separation plate that is attached to the connection pin above the float and closes the opening by contacting the lower end opening of the water pipe corresponding to the vertical movement of the float, and opens the opening by moving away from the opening. The drainage tank according to claim 1, comprising: 3. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the drainage tank according to claim 1 is provided outside the air conditioner as an outboard tank, and an inside tank for storing dehumidified water is provided inside the air conditioner. An air conditioner characterized in that the generated dehumidifying water is introduced into the in-machine tank via the connection hose after being introduced into the out-of-machine tank. 4. The dehumidifying water in the connection hose is automatically introduced into the in-flight tank after a predetermined amount of dehumidifying water has accumulated in the out-of-machine tank and the lower end opening of the water pipe has been closed by the float. Air conditioner. 5. The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein the dehumidifying operation is stopped when a predetermined amount of dehumidifying water is accumulated in the in-machine tank.