US20230266038A1

US20230266038A1 - Wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit

Info

Publication number: US20230266038A1
Application number: US18/137,480
Authority: US
Inventors: Dai Sato
Original assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Current assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Priority date: 2020-10-26
Filing date: 2023-04-21
Publication date: 2023-08-24
Also published as: DE112020007526T5; JPWO2022091168A1; WO2022091168A1; JP7224556B2

Abstract

A body case including a body chassis to be attached to an indoor wall face and a front cover to detachably cover the body chassis; electrical components provided on a front face portion of the body chassis inside the body case; a water-resistant box for electrical component to cover the electrical components inside the body case; and a heat exhaust port included in the body chassis on a back face side with respect to the electrical components as viewed from a front face of the body chassis are included.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a bypass-continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2020/040049, filed Oct. 26, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit.

BACKGROUND ART

In wall-mounted air conditioner indoor units for household use, mold is likely to grow in a portion where a heat exchanger is installed, an air supply passage portion, or the like. Therefore, there is a growing demand for washing the interior of wall-mounted air conditioner indoor units with water or others.
However, electrical components such as a control board are installed inside a wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit which may lead to failure when wetted with water or the like.
Therefore, when the interior of a wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit is washed with water or the like, it is necessary to prevent electrical components from getting wet with water or the like.
For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses providing an electrical component cover so as to prevent a washing agent from entering an electrical component room through a ventilation port formed on the front face of the electrical component room and adhering to an electrical component itself when the interior of a housing of an indoor unit of an air conditioner is washed using the washing agent. The ventilation port is formed for cooling the interior of the electrical component room or for detecting an indoor air temperature by a thermistor housed in the electrical component room.

CITATION LIST

Patent Literature

Patent Literature 1: JP 2002-61875 A

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Technical Problem

Since electrical components generate heat, wall-mounted air conditioner indoor units are required not only to avoid from getting wet with water or the like when the interior of the wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit is washed with water or the like but also to discharge the heat generated from the electrical components to the outside of the wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit.
In the conventional technique as disclosed in Patent Literature 1, although the ventilation hole is formed, the ventilation hole is formed on the front face of the electrical component room, and thus there is a problem that it is difficult to completely prevent intrusion of the washing agent when the interior of the housing of the indoor unit is washed while the vent hole is used as a heat exhaust port.
The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problem, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit that prevents electrical components from getting wet with water or the like when the interior of the indoor unit is washed with water or the like and allows heat generated from the electrical components to be discharged from the interior.

Solution to Problem

A wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit according to the present disclosure includes: a body case comprising a body chassis to be attached to an indoor wall face and a front cover to detachably cover the body chassis; an electrical component provided on a front face portion of the body chassis inside the body case; a water-resistant box for electrical component to cover the electrical component inside the body case; and a heat exhaust port included in the body chassis on a back face side with respect to the electrical component as viewed from a front face of the body chassis.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

According to a wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit of the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent electrical components from getting wet with water or the like when the interior of the indoor unit is washed with water or the like and to allow heat generated from the electrical components to be discharged from the interior.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of a wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit according to a first embodiment.

FIGS. 2A and 2B include diagrams for explaining the structure of the interior of a body case of the indoor unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2A is a diagram illustrating the indoor unit illustrated in FIG. 1 with a front cover removed, and FIG. 2B is a diagram illustrating the indoor unit illustrated in FIG. 2A with a water-resistant box for electrical component further removed.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the indoor unit for explaining a concept in which the water-resistant box for electrical component covers electrical components in the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a concept of an example of a method of attaching the water-resistant box for electrical component to a front face portion of a body chassis in the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 2A.

FIGS. 6A and 6B include diagrams for explaining a result of comparison between an example of a conventional indoor unit in which electrical components are dispersedly included in a body case and an example of the indoor unit according to the first embodiment in which the electrical components are collectively included in one place in the body case. FIG. 6A is a diagram illustrating the interior of the body case of the indoor unit in which the electrical components are dispersedly provided in the body case, and FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating the interior of the body case of the indoor unit according to the first embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail by referring to the drawings.

First Embodiment

In a first embodiment, a wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit is assumed to be a general wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit used in general households.
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of a wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit 1 of the first embodiment. In the following description, the wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit 1 is also simply referred to as an “indoor unit.”
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the indoor unit in a state in which the indoor unit is installed on an indoor wall face. Hereinafter, the state in which the indoor unit is installed on the wall face is referred to as an “installed state.”
As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the indoor unit includes a body case 100. The body case 100 includes a body chassis 101 and a front cover 102 detachably covering the body chassis 101. Note that the front cover 102 is covering the body chassis 101 in FIG. 1 .
The body chassis 101 has a box shape and has a front face portion 101 a (see FIG. 5 to be described later), a top face portion 101 b (see FIG. 5 described later), a back face portion 101 c (see FIG. 5 described later), and a bottom face portion 101 d (see FIG. 5 described later).
The front face portion 101 a of the body chassis 101 is a face of the body chassis 101 that is the front face in the installed state of the indoor unit. The back face portion 101 c of the body chassis 101 is a face of the body chassis 101 facing the front face portion 101 a. For installing the indoor unit, for example, the back face portion 101 c is attached to a wall face via an installation plate (not illustrated). The top face portion 101 b of the body chassis 101 is the top face of the body chassis 101 in the installed state of the indoor unit. The bottom face portion 101 d of the body chassis 101 is a face of the body chassis 101 facing the top face portion 101 b.
The front cover 102 is provided with a grill part as an air inlet portion. The grill part forms the appearance of the front cover 102 while ensuring ventilation.
An air inlet port (not illustrated) is formed in an upper portion of the front cover 102.
Further, the front cover 102 is formed in such a manner that a lower portion of the body case 100 is opened in a state in which the front cover 102 covers the body chassis 101.
An air outlet port (not illustrated) is formed in an opening part formed in the lower portion of the body case 100. The direction and the size of the opening of the air outlet port are regulated by a vane flap 103. Note that, in FIG. 1 , the air outlet port is closed by the vane flap 103.
At the right end of the air outlet port, a display unit 104 that displays an operating state or the like of the indoor unit by, for example, LEDs is provided.
FIGS. 2A and 2B include diagrams for explaining the structure of the interior of the body case 100 in the indoor unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2A is a diagram illustrating the indoor unit illustrated in FIG. 1 with the front cover 102 removed, and FIG. 2B is a diagram illustrating the indoor unit illustrated in FIG. 2A with a water-resistant box for electrical component 10 further removed.
An air supply passage extending from the air inlet port to the air outlet port is formed inside the body case 100. In the middle of the air supply passage, a heat exchanger 105 that exchanges heat with the indoor air, an air supply fan (not illustrated), a vane flap 103, and the like are provided. The vane flap 103 includes horizontal airflow direction variable vanes (not illustrated) and vertical airflow direction variable vanes (not illustrated).
Mold is likely to grow in the heat exchanger 105, the air supply passage, or the like. They also become dirty with dust or the like in the air.
Therefore, parts that are likely to get moldy, accumulate dirt, or the like, such as the heat exchanger 105 or the air supply passage is formed to allow washing with water or the like. Note that a washing service or the like removes the front cover 102 as illustrated in FIG. 2 when washing the heat exchanger 105, the air supply passage, or the like with water or the like.
Inside the body case 100, a fan motor 203 for driving a blower fan, a vane motor 204 for driving the horizontal airflow direction variable vanes and the vertical airflow direction variable vanes, a control board 201 a, a display board 202 a, or the like are provided. Note that the control board 201 a supplies, for example, electricity for driving the fan motor 203 or the vane motor 204. On the display board 202 a, for example, LEDs are arranged, and the display board 202 a supplies electricity for lighting the LEDs.
As illustrated in FIG. 2B, the control board 201 a is housed in a control board case 201 made of metal. The display board 202 a is housed in a display board case 202.
The control board 201 a generates heat. For flame prevention of the control board 201 a, a control board case 201 made of metal is necessary. Incidentally, it is defined in the design criteria that the control board needs to be covered with a metal case.
The control board 201 a, the control board case 201 that houses the control board 201 a, the display board 202 a, the display board case 202 that houses the display board 202 a, the fan motor 203, and the vane motor 204 are electrical components 20 that may lead to failure when wetted with water or the like.
As illustrated in FIG. 2A, the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 that covers the electrical components 20 is detachably included inside the body case 100. Here, the electrical components 20 are the fan motor 203, the vane motor 204, the control board 201 a, the control board case 201, the display board 202 a, and the display board case 202. Note that, in FIG. 2A, a state in which the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 is attached to the body chassis 101 is illustrated.
The water-resistant box for electrical component 10 is, for example, made of resin. Note that this is merely an example, and the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 is only required to be formed of a water-resistant member.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the indoor unit for explaining a concept in which the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 covers the electrical components 20 in the first embodiment.
In FIG. 3 , for simplicity of explanation, only the water-resistant box for electrical component 10, the fan motor 203, the vane motor 204, the control board case 201, the display board case 202, and a part of the body chassis 101 are illustrated.
The water-resistant box for electrical component 10 is attached to the front face portion 101 a of the body chassis 101 in such a manner that all the electrical components 20 are entirely covered from the front face portion 101 a side of the body chassis 101.
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a concept of an example of a method of attaching the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 to the front face portion 101 a of the body chassis 101 in the first embodiment.
Note that, in FIG. 4 , for simplicity of explanation, only the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 and a portion of the front face portion 101 a of the body chassis 101 to which the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 is attached are illustrated.
As illustrated in FIG. 4 , the front face portion 101 a of the body chassis 101 to which the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 is attached has a recess 101 e. Although not illustrated in FIG. 4 , the control board 201 a and the display board 202 a are provided on the bottom face portion of the recess 101 e while housed in the control board case 201 and the display board case 202, respectively (see FIG. 3 ).
Although not illustrated in FIG. 4 , the fan motor 203 and the vane motor 204 are provided in the recess 101 e (see FIG. 3 ).
The water-resistant box for electrical component 10 has a box shape in which one face on a side, the side being attached to the front face portion 101 a of the body chassis 101, is opened.
For example, as illustrated in FIG. 4 , the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 is attached to the front face portion 101 a of the body chassis 101 by a snap-fit mechanism.
When the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 is attached to the front face portion 101 a of the body chassis 101, two protrusions 10 a (see 402 in FIG. 4 ) formed in the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 are caught by two respective holes 10 b included in the body chassis 101 by snap-fitting. As a result, a state in which the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 is attached to the front face portion 101 a of the body chassis 101 is maintained. Moreover, in the state in which the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 is attached to the front face portion 101 a of the body chassis 101, the portion covered by the water-resistant box for electrical component 10, in other words, the recess 101 e of the front face portion 101 a of the body chassis 101, is sealed by the water-resistant box for electrical component 10. Note that the shapes of the protrusions 10 a and the holes 10 b are not limited to the shapes illustrated in FIG. 4 .
For example, a service provider or the like removes the front cover 102 and, in the state in which the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 is attached as illustrated in FIG. 2A, washes the portion of the heat exchanger 105, the portion of the air supply passage, or other portions, where mold is likely to grow inside the indoor unit, with water by a high-pressure washing machine or the like.
Although the electrical components 20 are included inside the indoor unit, the electrical components 20 are entirely covered and sealed with the water-resistant box for electrical component 10, and thus the electrical components 20 are not wetted with water or the like.
In a case where the service provider or the like removes the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 from the front face portion 101 a of the body chassis 101, for example, by pressing the protrusions 10 a and pulling out the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 from the front face portion 101 a of the body chassis 101, the protrusions 10 a caught by snap-fitting are detached from the holes 10 b, thereby allowing the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 to be removed from the front face portion 101 a of the body chassis 101.
Note that, here, as illustrated in FIG. 4 , a protrusion 10 a is formed on each of the left and right faces of the water-resistant box for electrical component 10, and in a state in which the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 is attached, the protrusions 10 a are caught by the holes 10 b formed at positions facing the protrusions 10 a of the front face portion 101 a of the body chassis 101, however, this is merely an example. For example, the protrusions 10 a may be formed on the upper and lower faces of the water-resistant box for electrical component 10.
Although two protrusions 10 a and two holes 10 b are included in this example, however, this is merely an example. For example, three or more sets of a protrusion 10 a and a hole 10 b may be included.
As described above, the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 is detachably attached to the front face portion 101 a of the body chassis 101 inside the body case 100.
By making the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 detachable, for example, installation work of the indoor unit by a service provider or the like can be simplified. Specifically, for example, a service provider or the like needs to connect an electric wire drawn from a power source of a house to the electrical components 20 included inside the indoor unit when installing the indoor unit. The service provider or the like removes the front cover 102 and connects the electric wire to the electrical components 20. At this point, if the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 is attached, the work of connecting the electric wire and the electrical components 20 is difficult. By making the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 detachable, the service provider or the like can remove the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 when installing the indoor unit and can easily connect the electric wire to the electrical components 20.
Incidentally, the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 does not affect the operation of the indoor unit. That is, the indoor unit can operate normally with or without the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 attached. Therefore, for example, in a case where there is a market demand for cost reduction or the like, the indoor unit can be a product that does not include the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 on the premise that the interior of the indoor unit is not suitable for washing with water or the like.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 2A. Note that FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 2A as viewed from a side face on the side where the electrical components 20 are included.
As illustrated in FIG. 5 , when viewed from the front face of the body chassis 101, in other words, when viewed from the direction indicated by arrow 501 in FIG. 5 , a heat exhaust port 1011 is included in the body chassis 101 on the back side with respect to the electrical components 20.
More specifically, in the body chassis 101, in the front face portion 101 a of the body chassis 101 covered with the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 and in the top face portion 101 b of the body chassis, a heat exhaust port 1011 a and a heat exhaust port 1011 b are formed, respectively.
Note that the heat exhaust port 1011 a is formed at a position outside the control board case 201 and the display board case 202 on the front face portion 101 a of the body chassis 101 covered with the water-resistant box for electrical component 10.
As described above, the control board 201 a generates heat. The heat generated from the control board 201 a is delivered to the outside of the control board case 201 through a gap or the like of the control board case 201, passes through the heat exhaust port 1011 a and the interior of the body chassis 101, and is discharged to the outside of the indoor unit through the heat exhaust port 1011 b (see 502 in FIG. 5 ). As a result, in the indoor unit, the heat generated from the electrical components 20, more specifically, the control board 201 a, can be exhausted from the interior thereof.
In addition, since the heat exhaust port 1011 is designed to be formed in the body chassis 101 on the back side with respect to the electrical components 20 as viewed from the front face of the body chassis 101, water or the like does not enter the interior of the indoor unit from the heat exhaust port 1011 even in a case where a service provider or the like washes portions of the heat exchanger 105 or the air supply passage inside the indoor unit with water by, for example, a high-pressure washing machine. As a result, the electrical components 20 are not wetted with water or the like.
As illustrated in FIG. 5 , the body chassis 101 includes protrusions 1012 each having a shape protruding toward the internal space of the body chassis 101 in the vicinity of the heat exhaust port 1011 of the body chassis 101.
With the body chassis 101 having the protrusions 1012, it is possible to prevent water or the like from entering from the outside of the indoor unit along the wall face due by surface tension.
Note that, as illustrated in FIG. 5 , three protrusions 1012 are formed in this example. However, the number of the protrusions 1012 is not limited to three.
In the first embodiment, the body chassis 101 has the protrusions 1012, however, this is merely an example. The body chassis 101 does not necessarily have the protrusions 1012.
In the first embodiment described above, as illustrated in FIG. 2B, the electrical components 20 are collectively provided at one place inside the body case 100.
FIGS. 6A and 6B include diagrams for explaining a result of comparison between an example of a conventional indoor unit in which electrical components are dispersedly arranged inside a body case and an example of the indoor unit according to the first embodiment in which the electrical components 20 are collectively arranged in one place inside the body case 100.
FIG. 6A is a diagram illustrating the interior of the body case of the indoor unit in which the electrical components are dispersedly provided inside the body case, and FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating the interior of the body case 100 of the indoor unit according to the first embodiment.
Note that FIGS. 6A and 6B are exemplary diagrams of the interior of the body cases of the indoor units from which front covers are removed in the installed state of the indoor units as viewed from the front sides of the indoor units.
Conventionally, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 6A, there is known an indoor unit in which a vane motor 601 for driving horizontal airflow direction variable vanes and a vane motor 602 for driving vertical airflow direction variable vanes are arranged separately at ends in the width direction of the body case.
On the other hand, in the indoor unit according to the first embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 6B, the motor for driving the horizontal airflow direction variable vanes and the motor for driving the vertical airflow direction variable vanes are integrated into one vane motor 204 inside the body case 100. Moreover, in the indoor unit, the vane motor 204 and the other electrical components 20 are collectively arranged in one place inside the body case 100. In this example, the electrical components 20 are collectively arranged at the right end when the indoor unit is viewed from the front face portion 101 a of the body case 100 inside the body case 100.
That is, as illustrated in FIG. 6B, in the indoor unit, a “water-washing area” in which components required to be washed with water or the like, such as the heat exchanger 105 and the air passage (hereinafter referred to as “washing-required components”) and a “water resistance-required area” in which the electrical components 20 that may lead to failure when wetted with water or the like are arranged are separated inside the body case 100, and the water resistance-required area is disposed at one place.
Since the water resistance-required area is disposed at one place, in the indoor unit, only one water-resistant box for electrical component 10 is required.
Furthermore, in design, the indoor unit allows the widths of drains 603 a and 603 b to be reduced as compared with the conventional indoor unit in which the vane motors 601 and 602 are arranged at a plurality of places. As a result, the indoor unit can ensure accessibility from the front for power source connection work when a service provider or the like installs the indoor unit. In addition, the indoor unit does not require a harness 604 for connecting the plurality of vane motors 601 and 602, which is necessary in the conventional indoor unit.
Note that, in the first embodiment, the indoor unit drives the horizontal airflow direction variable vanes and the vertical airflow direction variable vanes with the single vane motor 204, however, this is merely an example. For example, the indoor unit may include a motor for driving the horizontal airflow direction variable vanes and a motor for driving the vertical airflow direction variable vanes. However, in the indoor unit, the motor for driving the horizontal airflow direction variable vanes and the motor for driving the vertical airflow direction variable vanes are designed to be collectively arranged in one water resistance-required area inside the body case 100.
Note that, in the first embodiment, there is one water resistance-required area, but it is not essential that the number of water resistance-required area is one. For example, in a case where a plurality of water resistance-required areas is included in the indoor unit, the indoor unit includes as many water-resistant boxes for electrical components 10 as the number of the water resistance-required areas.
In the first embodiment, the indoor unit includes the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 separately from the control board case 201 and the display board case 202 inside the body case 100 of the indoor unit. However, the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 can also serve as the control board case 201 and the display board case 202. However, in this case, the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 needs to be made of metal and be water-resistant.
A metal case is generally formed by cutting and bending a flat plate. Therefore, it is difficult to form a metal case without generating a gap. In order to form a metal case without generating a gap, a mold, a fixture, or the like for forming the metal case is required.
On the other hand, the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 made of resin can be easily formed by molding.
As described in the first embodiment, with the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 made of a resin member different from the control board case 201 and the display board case 202, although the number of parts is increased, the cost and the labor of forming the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 can be reduced.
As described above, according to the first embodiment, the wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit 1 includes: the body case 100 including the body chassis 101 to be attached to an indoor wall face and the front cover 102 to detachably cover the body chassis 101; the electrical components 20 provided on the front face portion 101 a of the body chassis 101 inside the body case 100; the water-resistant box for electrical component 10 to cover the electrical components 20 inside the body case 100; and the heat exhaust port 1011 included in the body chassis 101 on the back face side with respect to the electrical components 20 as viewed from the front face of the body chassis 101. Therefore, in the wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit 1, the electrical components 20 can be prevented from getting wet with water or the like when the interior thereof is washed with water or the like, and heat generated from the electrical components 20 can be discharged from the interior.
Note that it is possible to modify any component of the embodiment or to omit any component of the embodiment in the present disclosure.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

A wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit of the present disclosure is structured in such a manner that electrical components are prevented from getting wet with water or the like when the interior is washed with water or the like and that heat generated from the electrical components is discharged from the interior, and thus it can be applied to a wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit that allows washing with water or the like.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

1: wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit, 10: water-resistant box for electrical component, 10 a: protrusion, 10 b: hole, 100: body case, 101: body chassis, 101 a: front face portion, 101 b: top face portion, 101 c: back face portion, 101 d: bottom face portion, 101 e: recess, 102: front cover, 103: vane flap, 104: display unit, 20: electrical component, 201: control board case, 202: display board case, 203: fan motor, 204, 601, 602: vane motor, 1011, 1011 a, 1011 b: heat exhaust port, 1012: protrusion

Claims

1. A wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit, comprising:

a body case comprising a body chassis to be attached to an indoor wall face and a front cover to detachably cover the body chassis;

an electrical component provided on a front face portion of the body chassis inside the body case;

a water-resistant box for electrical component to cover the electrical component inside the body case; and

a heat exhaust port included in the body chassis on a back face side with respect to the electrical component as viewed from a front face of the body chassis.

2. The wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 1, wherein the body chassis has a box shape, and

the heat exhaust ports are formed in the body chassis on the front face portion of the body chassis where the water-resistant box for electrical component is covered and a top face portion of the body chassis.

3. The wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 1, wherein the water-resistant box for electrical component is detachably attached on the front face portion of the body chassis inside the body case.

4. The wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 1, wherein the electrical component includes a plurality of pieces of electrical components, and the plurality of pieces of electrical components is collectively provided at one place inside the body case.