WO2020194555A1

WO2020194555A1 - Indoor unit of air conditioner

Info

Publication number: WO2020194555A1
Application number: PCT/JP2019/013026
Authority: WO
Inventors: 誠横関; 伸哲吉武; 渡邉　英樹
Original assignee: 東芝キヤリア株式会社
Priority date: 2019-03-26
Filing date: 2019-03-26
Publication date: 2020-10-01
Also published as: JP7196284B2; JPWO2020194555A1; CN113614466B; CN113614466A

Abstract

The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to one embodiment comprises: a housing that includes a side plate; a heat exchanger that is housed in the housing; a drain pan that is disposed below the heat exchanger and receives dew condensation water generated in the heat exchanger; a pump that discharges water accumulated in the drain pan; and a fastener that fixes the pump to the side plate. The fastener has a lower surface facing the drain pan and an upper surface on the reverse side from the lower surface. The pump is disposed between the lower surface and the drain pan. Furthermore, the upper surface is inclined so as to descend toward the drain pan side with an increase in the distance from the side plate.

Description

Indoor unit of air conditioner

An embodiment of the present invention relates to an indoor unit of an air conditioner.

For example, in a ceiling-embedded air conditioner, the indoor unit is suspended from behind the ceiling. The indoor unit includes a blower, a heat exchanger, and a housing for accommodating them. Further, inside the housing, a drain pan that receives water generated by dew condensation in the heat exchanger and a drain pump that sends the water accumulated in the drain pan to a drainage connection port provided in the housing are arranged.

The drain pump is fixed by a fixture near the side plate of the housing, and the connection port is often provided on the side plate. The drain pump and the connection port are connected by a hose. Since the water that collects in the drain pan is cold, condensation can form on its surface when this water passes through the hose.

For example, by passing a hose over a drain pump or a fixture, the width of the housing can be made smaller than when these are arranged side by side. However, in this configuration, when water generated by dew condensation on the surface of the hose drips, the water may reach the side plate through the lower fixture or the like and leak to the outside of the housing. Similar problems can occur in indoor units of air conditioners other than those embedded in the ceiling.

International Publication No. 2012/176805

An object to be solved by the present invention is to provide an indoor unit capable of suppressing leakage of water caused by dew condensation to the outside of a housing in the vicinity of a drain pump.

The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the embodiment is arranged below the housing including the side plate, the heat exchanger housed in the housing, and the heat exchanger, and dew condensation occurs on the heat exchanger. It includes a drain pan for receiving water, a pump for discharging the water accumulated in the drain pan, and a fixture for fixing the pump to the side plate. The fixture has a lower surface facing the drain pan and an upper surface opposite the lower surface. The pump is arranged between the lower surface and the drain pan. Further, the upper surface is inclined so as to descend toward the drain pan side as the distance from the side plate increases.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the indoor unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the inside of the indoor unit. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the indoor unit. FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the indoor unit. FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the vicinity of the drain pump inside the indoor unit. FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the drain pump, fixture and float switch shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic top view of each element shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of each element shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of each element along the IX-IX line in FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of each element along the XX line in FIG. 7.

One embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the indoor unit 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the inside of the indoor unit 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the indoor unit 1. The indoor unit 1 is arranged indoors, for example, and is connected to an outdoor unit arranged outdoors via a refrigerant pipe. The indoor unit 1, the outdoor unit, and the refrigerant piping constitute an air conditioner equipped with a refrigeration cycle.

As shown in FIG. 1, the indoor unit 1 includes a housing 2 and a panel 3 that covers the lower surface of the housing 2. A plurality of hanging metal fittings 2a are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the housing 2. By connecting these hanging metal fittings 2a to hanging bolts suspended from the beams behind the ceiling, the indoor unit 1 is fixed to the ceiling of the space to be air-conditioned.

The panel 3 has a main body 30, a suction port 31, and a blowout port 32. The suction port 31 includes a grill 33 that is removable with respect to the main body 30 and a filter 34 (see FIG. 3) arranged inside the grill 33. The outlet 32 includes a flap 35 that can be opened and closed with respect to the main body 30. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the outlet 32 is closed by the flap 35.

The internal structure shown in FIG. 2 corresponds to a view of the inside of the housing 2 from below in FIG. 1 with the panel 3 and the drain pan 50 described later removed. The housing 2 is box-shaped with the panel 3 side (upper side in FIG. 2) open. Specifically, the housing 2 has a rectangular top plate 20 which is the upper surface of the indoor unit 1 when mounted on the ceiling, a first side plate 21 along one short side of the top plate 20, and the other of the top plate 20. A second side plate 22 along the short side of the top plate 20 and a third side plate 23 along one long side of the top plate 20 are included.

The housing 2 further includes a fourth side plate 24 (see FIG. 1) along the other long side of the top plate 20, but in FIG. 2, the fourth side plate 24 is omitted and the fourth side plate 24 A part of the heat insulating material 25 arranged along the line is broken. For example, the top plate 20 and the side plates 21 to 24 are all made of metal. The heat insulating material 25 can be made of foamed plastic such as Styrofoam.

Inside the housing 2, a partition plate 26 is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the housing 2. The internal space of the housing 2 is divided into a blower chamber A and a heat exchange chamber B by a partition plate 26. A blower device 4 is arranged in the blower chamber A. A heat exchanger 5 is arranged in the heat exchange chamber B.

As shown in FIG. 3, a drain pan 50 for receiving drain water dripping from the heat exchanger 5 is arranged between the heat exchanger 5 and the panel 3. The drain pan 50 can be made of foamed plastic such as Styrofoam.

As shown in FIG. 2, a drain pump 6 or the like for draining the drain water accumulated in the drain pan 50 is arranged between the heat exchanger 5 and the first side plate 21. The first side plate 21 is provided with

connection ports

51a and 51b for connecting pipes through which the refrigerant flows and connection ports 60 for connecting pipes for discharging drain water. The

connection ports

51a and 51b are connected to the heat exchanger 5. The connection port 60 is connected to the drain pump 6.

The blower device 4 includes a fan motor 40, a pair of

fan units

41a and 41b, and a rotating shaft 42. The

fan units

41a and 41b are arranged so as to face each other with the fan motor 40 in between. The rotating shaft 42 is rotatably supported by a fan motor 40, and both ends extend toward the

fan units

41a and 41b, respectively. The number of fan units included in the blower 4 is not limited to two.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the

fan units

41a and 41b include a multi-blade fan 43 connected to the rotating shaft 42 and a fan case 44 accommodating the multi-blade fan 43. The fan case 44 has an intake hole 45 and a nozzle portion 46. The nozzle portion 46 opens into the heat exchange chamber B and faces the heat exchanger 5.

As shown in FIG. 3, the heat exchanger 5 includes a plurality of plate-shaped fins 52 and a plurality of heat transfer tubes 53 through which a refrigerant flows. Each fin 52 is inclined so that one end on the blower chamber A side is located below the other end (in the direction toward the panel 3). The plurality of fins 52 are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the indoor unit 1 (direction from the first side plate 21 to the second side plate 22). The plurality of heat transfer tubes 53 extend in the longitudinal direction of the indoor unit 1 and penetrate each fin 52.

The flow path of the heat exchanger 5 including each heat transfer tube 53 is connected to the

connection ports

51a and 51b. That is, the refrigerant supplied from one of the

connection ports

51a and 51b is discharged to the other of the

connection ports

51a and 51b after passing through each heat transfer tube 53.

The blower chamber A leads to the suction port 31. When the multi-blade fan 43 rotates, air is taken into the air blowing chamber A through the suction port 31. Further, the air is sucked into the inside of the multi-blade fan 43 through the intake hole 45 and blown out from the nozzle portion 46 toward the heat exchanger 5. The heat exchanger 5 converts the air into cold or warm heat exchange air. The heat exchange air is sent out to the space to be air-conditioned through the outlet 32.

As shown in FIG. 2, the electrical unit 27 is arranged in the vicinity of the first side plate 21. The electrical unit 27 includes a first electrical component box 27a and a second electrical component box 27b. The first electric component box 27a is located outside the first side plate 21. The second electric component box 27b is located between the blower 4 and the first side plate 21.

Each of the

electric component boxes

27a and 27b includes, for example, a circuit board on which a plurality of IC chips are mounted, and various electrical components such as a reactor and a terminal block. These electrical components control the electrical elements of the indoor unit 1 such as the blower 4 and the drain pump 6.

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the indoor unit 1 shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the side of the first side plate 21. The

connection ports

51a, 51b, 60, the first electric component box 27a, and the like described above are arranged on the first side plate 21.

In the example of FIG. 4, the first electric component box 27a is located closer to the third side plate 23, and the

connection ports

51a and 51b are located closer to the fourth side plate 24. The connection port 60 is located between the first electric component box 27a and the

connection ports

51a and 51b.

A flange 60a is provided at the base of the connection port 60. The connection port 60 is connected to the first side plate 21 by inserting the screw S1 into the female screw of the first side plate 21 through the through hole provided in the flange 60a. Further, below the flange 60a, the first side plate 21 is provided with a through hole into which three screws S2 are inserted. Each screw S2 connects a fixture 7 described later to the first side plate 21.

A first lid 21a that is removable from the first side plate 21 is provided in the vicinity of the

connection ports

51a and 51b. Further, the first electric component box 27a is provided with a second lid 21b that is removable from the first electric component box 27a. For work such as maintenance of each element arranged in the vicinity of the first side plate 21, the inspection port that appears by removing the

lids

21a and 21b and the lower opening of the housing 2 that appears by removing the panel 3 and the drain pan 50. Can be done through.

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing the inside of the housing 2 in the vicinity of the drain pump 6. In FIG. 5, the top plate 20, the fourth side plate 24, the heat insulating material 25, the heat exchanger 5, and the piping for connecting the

connection ports

51a and 51b to the heat exchanger 5 are omitted.

The drain pump 6 is fixed to the first side plate 21 by the fixture 7. The fixture 7 is made of resin, for example, and covers the upper part of the drain pump 6. That is, the drain pump 6 is located between the fixture 7 and the drain pan 50. As the resin material constituting the fixture 7, for example, ABS resin or PS resin can be used.

The drain pan 50 has a recess 54 at a position facing the drain pump 6. Further, the recess 54 is provided with a drainage port 55. The drain port 55 is closed by the plug 56.

The drain pump 6 includes a main body 61, a suction port 62 located at the lower end of the main body 61, and a drain hose 63 through which water sucked from the suction port 62 passes. The suction port 62 is located in the recess 54. The drain hose 63 extends from the main body 61 in a direction away from the first side plate 21, then bends upward, and further bends toward the first side plate 21. A connection port 60 is attached to the tip of the drain hose 63. When the drain pump 6 operates, the water accumulated in the drain pan 50 is sucked from the suction port 62, and this water is sent to the connection port 60 through the drain hose 63.

The inner surface of the first side plate 21 is covered with a plate-shaped heat insulating material 28. The heat insulating material 28 can be made of foamed plastic such as Styrofoam. The heat insulating material 28 exchanges heat with the rectangular opening 28a through which the fixture 7 is passed, the circular opening 28b through which the boss 60b of the connection port 60 (see FIG. 6) is passed, and the

connection ports

51a and 51b described above. It has a pair of

circular openings

28c and 28d through which a pipe connecting the vessel 5 is passed. The first side plate 21 is also formed with openings facing the

openings

28b, 28c, 28d.

In the example of FIG. 5, the float switch 8 is arranged above the recess 54 of the drain pan 50. Although not shown, the float switch 8 further includes a control circuit and wiring for outputting the water level information of the drain pan 50 to the above-mentioned electrical unit 27. The water level information may be a signal output to the electrical unit 27 in response to the water level of the drain pan 50 rising to a predetermined position. Further, the water level information may be a signal indicating the water level of the drain pan 50, which is constantly output to the electrical unit 27. For example, the electrical unit 27 abnormally stops the indoor unit 1 when it is determined that the water level of the drain pan 50 has risen to a predetermined position based on such water level information.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the drain pump 6, the fixture 7, and the float switch 8 shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic top view of each element shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of each element shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of each element along the IX-IX line in FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of each element along the XX line in FIG. 7. In addition, in FIGS. 7 to 10, a part of the drain hose 63 is omitted.

As shown in each figure, the fixture 7 has a first end portion 7a, a second end portion 7b, a third end portion 7c on the opposite side of the second end portion 7b, and an opposite side of the first end portion 7a. It has a fourth end portion 7d of the above. The first end portion 7a faces the first side plate 21. The second end portion 7b faces the partition plate 26. As shown in FIG. 7, the second end portion 7b extends perpendicular to the first end portion 7a and is gently bent in the middle part. The third end portion 7c extends perpendicularly to the first end portion 7a without bending.

Three female threads 70 are provided on the first end portion 7a. Three screws S2 shown in FIG. 4 are screwed into these female screws 70, respectively. As a result, the fixture 7 is connected to the first side plate 21.

The fixture 7 has an upper surface F1 facing the drain hose 63 and a lower surface F2 facing the drain pump 6. The upper surface F1 has a circular first convex portion 71 and three second convex portions 72 arranged around the first convex portion 71.

As shown in FIG. 9, the main body 61 of the drain pump 6 is located below the first convex portion 71. There is a gap between the main body 61 and the lower surface F2 of the fixture 7. The drain pump 6 has three mounting portions 64 extending from the main body 61 toward the positions of the second convex portions 72. The tip of the mounting portion 64 is in contact with the lower surface F2 below the second convex portion 72.

As shown by a broken line on the left second convex portion 72 in FIGS. 7 and 8, a female screw 72a that opens to the lower surface F2 is provided inside the second convex portion 72. A through hole is provided at the tip of the mounting portion 64, and a screw S3 is inserted into the through hole from below, and the screw S3 is screwed into the female screw 72a. Similarly, the other second convex portion 72 and the mounting portion 64 are also connected by the screw S3. In this way, the drain pump 6 and the fixture 7 are fixed to each other.

As shown in FIG. 10, the upper surface F1 is in the horizontal direction so that the edge on the fourth end 7d side is located below the edge on the first end 7a side, except for the

convex portions

71 and 72. It is inclined at an angle θ1 (acute angle). From another point of view, the upper surface F1 is inclined so as to descend toward the drain pan 50 side as the distance from the first side plate 21 increases.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the upper surface F1 has a first rib 73a along the first end portion 7a, a second rib 73b along the second end portion 7b, and a third rib along the third end portion 7c. A rib 73c is provided. All of these ribs 73a to 73c project upward from the upper surface F1.

The second rib 73b is connected to one end of the first rib 73a. The third rib 73c is connected to the other end of the first rib 73a. As shown in FIG. 5, when the fixture 7 is attached to the first side plate 21, the first rib 73a extends linearly along the first side plate 21 inside the opening 28a of the heat insulating material 28. The second rib 73b and the third rib 73c extend in a direction away from the first side plate 21.

As shown in FIG. 6, the upper surface F1 has a recess 74 facing the drain hose 63. The recess 74 also faces the boss 60b protruding from the flange 60a. The recess 74 is, for example, a gentle curved surface. The first rib 73a described above is recessed according to the shape of the recess 74.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, a hole 75 penetrating from the upper surface F1 to the lower surface F2 is provided in the vicinity of the boundary between the concave portion 74 and the first convex portion 71. In the recess 74, the upper surface F1 is inclined at an angle θ2 (acute angle) so that the edge on the hole 75 side is located below the edge on the first end portion 7a side. The angle θ2 may be the same as or different from the angle θ1.

The fixture 7 further includes a holding portion 76 for holding the float switch 8 described above. In the example of FIGS. 7 to 10, the holding portion 76 has an arm 77 extending from the fourth end portion 7d and a slit 78 provided at the tip 77a of the arm 77.

The float switch 8 includes a shaft 80 passed through a slit 78 and a floater 81 slidable along the shaft 80. The shaft 80 is, for example, a bolt, and is fixed to the tip 77a of the arm 77 by a pair of nuts N1 and N2. When the water level of the drain pan 50 rises, the floater 81 rises with the water surface. The water level information corresponding to the position of the floater 81 is output to the electrical unit 27 as described above.

The arm 77 extends toward the drain pan 50 side from the lower surface F2. Further, the arm 77 has an inclined surface F3 connected to the upper surface F1. The inclined surface F3 may have a plurality of portions inclined at different angles, for example, as shown in FIG. The angle of these plurality of portions may be larger than the above-mentioned angle θ1. As another example, the inclined surface F3 may be inclined at a constant angle as a whole, or may be a curved surface.

The above-mentioned third rib 73c extends to the vicinity of the tip 77a. Further, the arm 77 has a fourth rib 79 facing the third rib 73c. The inclined surface F3 is sandwiched between the third rib 73c and the fourth rib 79.

In the above configuration, at least a part of the water condensed on the surface of the drain hose 63 falls on the upper surface F1 of the fixture 7. In the present embodiment, since the upper surface F1 is inclined toward the inside of the housing 2, the water that has fallen on the upper surface F1 flows in the direction away from the first side plate 21. For example, this water flows from the upper surface F1 to the inclined surface F3 of the arm 77, and falls from the tip 77a to the drain pan 50. Alternatively, the water that has fallen on the upper surface F1 flows into the recess 74 and falls into the drain pan 50 through the hole 75.

If the water that has fallen on the upper surface F1 flows toward the first side plate 21, this water leaks out of the indoor unit 1 from the connection portion between the first side plate 21 and the panel 3, or is cooled by this water. Condensation may occur inside and outside the first side plate 21. Therefore, additional parts for preventing water from reaching the first side plate 21 and additional heat insulating material for preventing the first side plate 21 from being cooled are required, which increases the manufacturing cost.

On the other hand, in the configuration of the present embodiment, since the water that has fallen on the upper surface F1 does not flow toward the first side plate 21, it is possible to suppress the above-mentioned water leakage and dew condensation on the first side plate 21. Moreover, since such an effect is realized by the shape of the fixture 7 of the drain pump 6, no additional parts or additional heat insulating material are required.

Further, the upper surface F1 is provided with a first rib 73a, a second rib 73b, and a third rib 73c. These ribs 73a to 73c can more reliably prevent the water that has fallen from the drain hose 63 onto the upper surface F1 from reaching the first side plate 21.

Further, the upper surface F1 is provided with a recess 74 and a hole 75 facing the drain hose 63 in the vicinity of the first end portion 7a. These recesses 74 and holes 75 make it easier for water that falls from the drain hose 63 to the vicinity of the first end portion 7a to be drained to the lower surface F2 side.

When the fixture 7 is made of a resin material as described above, heat transfer between the fixture 7 and the first side plate 21 can be suppressed as compared with the case where the fixture 7 is made of a metal material. Therefore, the first side plate 21 is less likely to be cooled, and dew condensation inside and outside the first side plate 21 can be more reliably suppressed.

The configuration in the present embodiment not only suppresses water leakage and dew condensation in the vicinity of the first side plate 21, but also has the effect of making the indoor unit 1 compact and improving the efficiency of installation work and maintenance work.

That is, if the drain hose 63 is arranged so as not to overlap the drain pump 6 and the fixture 7 in the direction of gravity, the width of the housing 2 becomes large. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, since the fixture 7 has a structure in which water does not easily reach the first side plate 21, the drain hose 63 can be arranged on the fixture 7. As a result, the width of the housing 2 can be reduced.

Further, in the present embodiment, the fixture 7 holds the float switch 8. As a result, it is not necessary to arrange a separate member for holding the float switch 8, so that the number of parts can be reduced and the housing 2 can be made more compact.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, elements such as the electrical unit 27 (first electric component box 27a), the

connection ports

51a and 51b of the refrigerant pipe, the drain pump 6 and the connection port 60 for discharging drain water are the first elements. It is provided along the 1 side plate 21. Therefore, in the installation work and the maintenance work, the work on these elements can be performed by accessing the vicinity of the first side plate 21, and the work efficiency is improved as compared with the case where these elements are arranged in a dispersed manner.

Further, inside the housing 2, the pipes connecting the heat exchanger 5 and the

connection ports

51b and 51a, the drain pump 6, and the electrical unit 27 do not overlap in the direction of gravity. If these elements overlap in the direction of gravity, it becomes difficult to access at least some of the elements, and the efficiency of installation work and maintenance work can be significantly reduced. On the other hand, in the configuration of the present embodiment, such a problem does not occur.

Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other embodiments, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

For example, the shape of the fixture 7 is not limited to that disclosed in the above embodiment. The specific shape of the fixture 7 can be deformed into various forms depending on the shapes of the drain pump 6, the drain hose 63, the first side plate 21, the partition plate 26, the drain pan 50, etc. arranged around the fixture.

In the above-described embodiment, the fixed structure of the drain pump 6 in the ceiling-embedded indoor unit is disclosed. This fixed structure can be applied not only to the ceiling-embedded type but also to other types of indoor units.

1 ... Indoor unit, 2 ... Housing, 3 ... Panel, 4 ... Blower, 5 ... Heat exchanger, 21-24 ... 1st to 4th side plates, 6 ... Drain pump, 7 ... Fixture, 8 ... Float switch , 60 ... connection port, 61 ... drain pump body, 62 ... suction port, 63 ... drain hose, 73a ... first rib, 73b ... second rib, 73c ... third rib, 74 ... recess, 75 ... hole, 76 ... Holding part, 77 ... Arm, F1 ... Upper surface of fixture, F2 ... Lower surface of fixture.

Claims

The housing including the side plate and
The heat exchanger housed in the housing and
A drain pan located below the heat exchanger and receiving the condensed water generated in the heat exchanger.
A pump that discharges the water that collects in the drain pan,
A fixture for fixing the pump to the side plate is provided.
The fixture has a lower surface facing the drain pan and an upper surface opposite the lower surface.
The pump is arranged between the bottom surface and the drain pan.
The upper surface is inclined so as to descend toward the drain pan side as the distance from the side plate increases.
Indoor unit of air conditioner.
A hose that is connected to the connection port provided on the side plate and the pump and sends water pumped from the drain pan by the pump to the connection port is provided.
The upper surface faces the hose.
The indoor unit according to claim 1.
The fixture has a first rib that projects from the top surface and extends along the side plate.
The indoor unit according to claim 1.
The fixture further has a second rib and a third rib protruding from the top surface.
The second rib is connected to one end of the first rib and extends in a direction away from the side plate.
The third rib is connected to the other end of the first rib and extends in a direction away from the side plate.
The indoor unit according to claim 3.
The upper surface has a recess facing the hose.
The fixture has a hole in the recess that penetrates from the top surface to the bottom surface.
The indoor unit according to claim 2.
Further equipped with a float switch for detecting the water level of the drain pan,
The fixture further comprises a holding portion for holding the float switch.
The indoor unit according to claim 1.
The holding portion has an arm that extends toward the drain pan side from the lower surface and holds the float switch at the tip.
The arm has an inclined surface connected to the upper surface.
The indoor unit according to claim 6.
The fixture is made of a resin material.
The indoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 7.