KR20070034214A - Heat exchanger support and air conditioner having same - Google Patents

Abstract

The air conditioner according to the present invention includes a heat exchanger (40), a blower fan (30) for blowing air to the heat exchanger (40), a drain tray (50) in which the lower end of the heat exchanger (40) is accommodated, and a heat exchanger. The coupling body 61 coupled to the lower end of the 40 and both side walls 62 and 63 of the coupling body 61 are respectively provided in contact with both inner walls 52 and 53 of the drainage tray 50, respectively. And a heat exchanger support (60) having spacers (65) (66) for separating the coupling body (61) from both inner walls (52) (53) of the drainage tray (50). According to the present invention, since the heat exchanger support 60 is installed between the heat exchanger 40 and the drain tray 50 to position the heat exchanger 40 in the center of the drain tray 50, the heat exchanger ( The condensed water generated outside of the 40 may flow smoothly into the drain tray 50 without falling to the outside of the drain tray 50.

Description

Heat exchanger support and air conditioner having same {Supporter for heat exchanger and air conditioner having the same}

1 is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of an air conditioner according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a heat exchanger support according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a perspective view showing a state in which a heat exchanger support is coupled to a heat exchanger according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a state installed in the heat exchanger drain tray coupled to the heat exchanger support according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

5A to 5D are perspective views schematically showing heat exchanger supports according to another embodiment of the present invention.

 * Description of symbols on the main parts of the drawings *

 10 casing 20 ceiling panel

 21 Air inlet 22 Air outlet

 23 ... Filter 30 ... Blower Fan

 35 ... fan motor 40 ... heat exchanger

 43,44 ... 50 outer side Drain tray

 51 euros 52,53 inner wall

 60,160,260,360,460 ... heat exchanger support

 61,161,261,361,461 ... Combined Body

 62,63,162,163,262,263,362,363 ... side walls

 65,66,165,166,265,266,365,366,465,466 ... spacer

The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly, to a heat exchanger support for supporting a heat exchanger to be located at the center of a drain tray and an air conditioner having the same.

In general, an air conditioner is a device that harmonizes indoor air using a refrigeration cycle, and includes an outdoor unit installed outdoors and an indoor unit installed indoors. The outdoor unit includes a compressor for compressing a refrigerant, a condenser for condensing the compressed refrigerant, and a blowing fan for forcibly blowing outdoor air to the condenser. The indoor unit includes an evaporator for exchanging heat between the refrigerant and indoor air, and a blower for forcibly blowing the indoor air so that heat exchange between the evaporator and the air is performed smoothly.

In the air conditioner having such a basic configuration, the indoor unit includes a wall-mounted type fixed to the wall surface, a ceiling type installed on the indoor ceiling, and a stand type installed upright on the indoor floor.

Among the various types of air conditioners, Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-0104772 discloses an example of a ceiling type air conditioner.

The conventional air conditioner disclosed in Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-0104772 includes a casing embedded into the ceiling, a ceiling panel coupled to the lower opening of the casing and having a suction port, and a fan motor at approximately the center of the casing. And a blower fan installed to rotate, a heat exchanger installed around the blower fan, and a drain tray coupled to a lower portion of the heat exchanger.

The heat exchanger is installed in a form erected around the blower fan, and the drainage tray is disposed along the bottom of the heat exchanger. Due to the limitation of the installation space inside the casing, the width of the drainage tray cannot be made large enough, and the width of the drainage tray is formed somewhat larger than the width of the bottom of the heat exchanger.

When the air conditioner is operated, the blower fan rotates, and the indoor air flows into the casing through the air inlet, and the air introduced into the casing flows from the center of the casing where the blower fan is placed to the heat exchanger disposed around the blower fan. . At this time, the air is heat-exchanged while passing through the heat exchanger, the heat-exchanged air is discharged into the room through the air discharge port provided around the ceiling panel.

Meanwhile, condensate forms on the outside of the heat exchanger due to a temperature difference between the refrigerant flowing into the heat exchanger and the air passing through the outside of the heat exchanger, and the condensate flows along the outer surface of the heat exchanger and falls into the drainage tray.

By the way, in the conventional air conditioner as described above, since the lower end portion of the heat exchanger is simply mounted on the drainage tray, the lower end portion of the heat exchanger is not located at the center of the drainage tray but is biased toward the inside or the outside of the drainage tray. Therefore, condensate flowing from the inner and outer surfaces of the heat exchanger does not flow smoothly into the drainage tray, but a problem occurs that falls to the outside of the drainage tray.

The present invention is to solve the above problems, the heat exchanger support for supporting the heat exchanger to be located in the center of the drain tray in order to allow the condensed water generated on the outer surface of the heat exchanger to smoothly flow into the drain tray and It is an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioner having the same.

The heat exchanger support according to the present invention for achieving the above object is provided between the heat exchanger and the drainage tray in which the lower end of the heat exchanger is accommodated to separate the heat exchanger from both inner surfaces of the drainage tray, and the lower end of the heat exchanger. A coupling body coupled to each other, and spaced apart members respectively provided on both sidewalls of the coupling body and contacting both inner walls of the drain tray to space the coupling body from both inner walls of the drain tray.

In the present invention as described above, the spacers are elastically deformable.

The spacers may protrude from both sidewalls of the coupling body toward both inner walls of the drainage tray, and may have a slope that increases in height from the bottom to the top thereof.

In addition, the spacers may be integrally coupled to the upper end of each side wall of the coupling body in a bent downward direction.

In addition, the spacers may be integrally coupled to the upper end of each side wall of the coupling body in a bent shape in the upper direction.

In addition, the spacer member may be integrally coupled to the outer wall of each side wall of the coupling body in a bent shape in the upper direction.

In addition, the spacer may be made of rubber.

In addition, the heat exchanger support may be made of any one of metal, plastic and rubber.

On the other hand, the air conditioner according to the present invention, a heat exchanger, a blowing fan for blowing air to the heat exchanger, a drainage tray accommodated in the lower end of the heat exchanger, a coupling body and the coupling body coupled to the lower end of the heat exchanger And a heat exchanger support having a spaced member disposed on both sidewalls of the spacer body, the spacer body being in contact with both inner walls of the drain tray and spaced apart from the inner wall of the drain tray.

Hereinafter, a heat exchanger support and an air conditioner having the same according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of an air conditioner according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a heat exchanger support according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is 4 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a heat exchanger support according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is coupled to a heat exchanger, and FIG. 4 illustrates a state in which a heat exchanger support according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is installed in a heat exchanger drain tray. It is a perspective view shown.

As shown in FIG. 1, an air conditioner according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a casing 10 embedded in a ceiling, a ceiling panel 20 covering an open lower portion of the casing 10, and a casing ( 10) a blower fan 30 installed in the center of the inside, a heat exchanger 40 disposed around the blower fan 30, a drainage tray 50 provided below the heat exchanger 40, and a heat exchanger And a heat exchanger support 60 installed between the 40 and the drainage tray 50.

An air inlet 21 for introducing external air into the casing 10 is provided at the center of the ceiling panel 20, and air for discharging air inside the casing 10 to the outside is provided around the air inlet 21. The discharge port 22 is provided. A filter 23 is installed inside the air inlet 21, and the filter 23 filters dust or foreign matter contained in the air introduced through the air inlet 21. Inside the filter 23, an air guide plate 24 for guiding air passing through the air inlet 21 and the filter 23 to the center of the blower fan 30 is installed.

The blowing fan 30 is coupled to the fan motor 35 installed in the center of the casing 10, and rotates to introduce external air into the casing 10 through the air inlet 21, and the air outlet 22. The air in the casing 10 is discharged out of the casing 10 through the casing 10.

As shown in FIG. 3, the heat exchanger 40 includes a refrigerant pipe 41 through which refrigerant flows and a plurality of cooling fins 42 coupled around the refrigerant pipe 41 as in a conventional heat exchanger, and blows air. It is built around the fan 30 and surrounds the circumference of the blowing fan 30.

Drain tray 50 is coupled to the lower end of the heat exchanger 40 to receive the condensate flowing from the outer surface of the heat exchanger 40, the flow path 51 for guiding the condensate flowed down from the heat exchanger 40 Equipped. One side of the drain tray 50 is provided with a drain (not shown) or a drain pump (not shown) for discharging the condensed water introduced into the flow path 51 to the outside of the casing 10.

The heat exchanger support 60 supports the lower end of the heat exchanger 40 so that the heat exchanger 40 is located at the center of the drainage tray 50. As shown in FIG. 2, the heat exchange support 60 is provided on the coupling body 61 coupled to the lower end of the heat exchanger 40 and on both sidewalls 62 and 63 of the coupling body 61, respectively. Spacer members 65 and 66 capable of elastic deformation.

The coupling body 61 has both side walls 62 and 63 surrounding the outer side surfaces 43 and 44 of the heat exchanger 40, and a base 64 connecting the two side walls 62 and 63, respectively. Include. When the coupling body 61 is coupled to the heat exchanger 40, the base 64 is in contact with the bottom surface of the heat exchanger 40.

Each of the spacers 65 and 66 is provided to protrude to the outside of both side walls 62 and 63. The heights of the protrusions of the spacers 65 and 66 are the same, and each of the side walls 62 and 63 of the coupling body 61 is in contact with both inner walls 52 and 53 of the drainage tray 50. It is spaced at equal distances from both inner walls 52 and 53 of the drainage tray 50.

These spacers 65 and 66 are integrally coupled to each of the upper end portions of the side walls 62 and 63 of the coupling body 61 in a bent downward direction. Each spacer member 65, 66 protrudes from the upper end of each side wall 62, 63 in a gentle inclined downward direction, and each end thereof is inwardly lowered toward each side wall 62, 63. It consists of a semi-circle shape that is bent while forming a gentle slope.

Since the portions corresponding to approximately half of the lower side of these spacers 65 and 66 are inclined portions 65a and 66a, the height of protrusion decreases from the upper to the lower direction, draining the heat exchanger support 60. When inserting into the tray 50, the heat exchanger support 60 can be inserted smoothly.

The heat exchanger support 60 having the above configuration may be made of metal, plastic, rubber, or the like. In the case of metal, stainless steel which is not rust is suitable, and the coupling body 61 and the spacer 65 and 66 may be integrally formed by bending one metal plate. When plastic or rubber is used as the material of the heat exchanger support 60, the integral heat exchanger support 60 may be formed by injection molding.

Hereinafter, a method and an operation of installing the heat exchanger support 60 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

When assembling the air conditioner, as shown in FIG. 3, the coupling body 61 of the heat exchanger support 60 is moved to the lower end of the heat exchanger 40 before the heat exchanger 40 and the drainage tray 50 are coupled. The heat exchanger 40 and the heat exchanger support 60 are coupled to each other.

As such, after coupling the appropriate number of heat exchanger supports 60 to the lower end of the heat exchanger 40, the lower end of the heat exchanger 40 is inserted into the drainage tray 50. At this time, as shown in Figure 4, each spacer 65, 66 of the heat exchanger support 60 is elastically deformed in contact with each of the inner side walls 52, 53 of the drain tray 50, respectively. The heat exchanger support 60 is fixed inside the drainage tray 50. At this time, both outer surfaces 43 and 44 of the heat exchanger 40 are spaced apart by the same distance from each of the inner walls 52 and 53 of the drain tray 50, and the heat exchanger 40 is connected to the drain tray 50. ) Is located in the center of the.

As such, since the heat exchanger 40 is positioned at the center of the drainage tray 50 by the heat exchanger support 60, the condensed water generated outside the heat exchanger 40 smoothly flows down to the drainage tray 50. Can be.

Meanwhile, FIGS. 5A to 5D illustrate various heat exchanger supports according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The heat exchanger support 160 shown in FIG. 5A has a pair of side walls 162 and 163 in close contact with both outer surfaces 43 and 44 of the heat exchanger 40 (see FIG. 4), and each side wall 162. A base 164 connecting the 163 and spaced apart members 165 and 166 protruding outward from the side walls 162 and 163 are formed.

Each of the spacers 165 and 166 may be formed to protrude outwardly in the middle portion of each of the side walls 162 and 163. These spacers 165 and 166 have a lower end coupled to one side of each sidewall 162 and 163 and have an inclined portion 165a that increases in height from the lower side toward the upper side, so that the drainage tray 50 Easily insert into

The heat exchanger support 160 may be made of metal or plastic material, and when made of metal such as stainless steel, each spacer 165, 166 cuts a part of each side wall 162, 163. It can then be molded by bending. In addition, when manufactured with plastic, the coupling body 161 and the spacer 165, 166 may be integrally molded through injection molding.

The heat exchanger support 260 shown in FIG. 5B has a pair of spacers 265 and 266 bent in an upward direction at the upper ends of both side walls 262 and 263 of the coupling body 261. Each spacer 265, 266 is projected to a certain height while forming a gentle curve in the upper outward direction at the upper end of both side walls (262, 263), each end is curved in a gentle curve in the upper inward direction It is made of semicircle shape.

The heat exchanger support 260 is inclined such that the projecting height increases as a portion of the lower portion corresponding to approximately half of each of the spacers 265 and 266 moves upward from the upper end of both side walls 262 and 263. Because of the portions 265a and 266a, the heat exchanger support 260 can be easily inserted into the drainage tray 50 (see FIG. 4). When the heat exchanger support 260 is combined with the heat exchanger 40 (see FIG. 4), and then inserted into the drainage tray 50, each spacer 265, 266 has both inner walls 52 of the drainage tray 50. It is elastically deformed while contacting each of 53.

At this time, since the deformation amounts of the spacers 265 and 266 are substantially the same, the heat exchanger support 260 makes the heat exchanger 40 equal to both inner walls 52 and 53 of the drainage tray 50. Spaced apart by a distance to be located in the center of the drain tray (50).

The heat exchanger support 260 may be made of metal such as stainless steel, plastic, or rubber.

The heat exchanger support 360 shown in FIG. 5C has a coupling body 361 coupled to the lower end of the heat exchanger 40 and two side walls 362 and 363 of the coupling body 361 outwardly. Spacer members 365 and 366 are provided to be discharged. Each spacer 365 and 366 has a semicircular shape that projects gently outwardly of both sidewalls 362 and 363. Coupling body 361 may be made of a metal, such as stainless steel, or a plastic material, each spacer 365, 366 may be made of rubber capable of elastic deformation. Spacer members 365 and 366 are coupled to the coupling body 361 by an adhesive.

In the heat exchanger support 360 according to this embodiment, each of the spacers 365 and 366 is in contact with both inner surfaces 52 and 53 of the drainage tray 50 so as to contact the heat exchanger 40 with the drainage tray. It is located in the center of (50).

The heat exchanger support 460 shown in FIG. 5D is similar to the exchanger support 360 shown in FIG. 5C and includes a coupling body 461 and a pair of spacers 465 and 466. . In the heat exchanger support 460 according to this embodiment, the coupling body 461 and the pair of spacer members 465 and 466 are all made of rubber.

According to the present invention described above, since the heat exchanger support is installed between the heat exchanger and the drainage tray to position the heat exchanger at the center of the drainage tray, the condensate generated outside the heat exchanger does not fall to the outside of the drainage tray, It can flow smoothly inside.

       The present invention described above is constructed and acted as shown and described.

It is not limited. That is, the present invention is within the spirit and scope of the appended claims

Various changes and modifications are possible.

Claims (16)

A heat exchanger support provided between a heat exchanger and a drainage tray accommodating a lower end of the heat exchanger to support the heat exchanger to be spaced apart from both inner surfaces of the drainage tray, The heat exchanger support is provided on both side walls of the coupling body and the coupling body coupled to the lower end of the heat exchanger, respectively contacting both inner walls of the drain tray and the coupling body from both inner walls of the drain tray. Heat exchanger support characterized in that it comprises a spaced apart member. The method of claim 1, Each spacer member heat exchanger support characterized in that the elastic deformation is possible. The method of claim 2, Each of the spacers protrudes from both side walls of the coupling body toward both inner walls of the drainage tray, and has an inclined portion in which a protruding height increases from the bottom to the top thereof. The method of claim 2, Each of the spacers is integrally coupled to the upper end of each side wall of the coupling body in a bent downward direction. The method of claim 2, Each spacer is heat exchanger support, characterized in that coupled to the upper end of each side of the coupling body in a bent shape in the upward direction. The method of claim 2, The spacer is heat exchanger support, characterized in that coupled to the outer wall of each side wall of the coupling body integrally bent in an upward direction. The method of claim 2, The spacer is a heat exchanger support, characterized in that made of rubber. The method of claim 1, The heat exchanger support is a heat exchanger support, characterized in that made of any one of metal, plastic and rubber. An air conditioner comprising a heat exchanger, a blower fan for blowing air to the heat exchanger, and a drain tray for accommodating a lower end of the heat exchanger, A coupling body coupled to the lower end of the heat exchanger, and spaced apart members respectively provided on both sidewalls of the coupling body and contacting both inner walls of the drain tray to space the coupling body from both inner walls of the drain tray. An air conditioner comprising a heat exchanger support. The method of claim 9, The spacer is an air conditioner, characterized in that the elastic deformation. The method of claim 10, The spacer member protrudes from both sidewalls of the coupling body toward both inner walls of the drainage tray, and has an inclined portion having a protruding height increasing from the lower side to the upper side. The method of claim 10, Each spacer member is integrally coupled to the upper end of each side wall of the coupling body in a bent downward direction. The method of claim 10, Each of the spacers is an air conditioner, characterized in that integrally coupled to the upper end of each side of the coupling body in a bent upward direction. The method of claim 10, The spacer is air conditioner, characterized in that coupled to the outer wall of each side wall of the coupling body integrally bent in an upward direction. The method of claim 10, The spacer is an air conditioner, characterized in that made of rubber. The method of claim 9, The heat exchanger support is an air conditioner, characterized in that made of any one of metal, plastic and rubber.

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