Outdoor unit of an air conditioner

Abstract

The outdoor unit of the air conditioner includes: a housing that houses a liquid pipe through which a refrigerant in a liquid state flows and a gas pipe through which a refrigerant in a gas state flows, and has a valve mounting plate provided with a liquid shut-off valve for closing the liquid pipe and a gas shut-off valve for closing the gas pipe; a heat exchanger provided in the housing that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and air, and has a side flat plate extending in the vertical direction and connected to the liquid pipe and the gas pipe on the side surface. The side flat plate has: a flat plate main body formed with holes for inserting the liquid pipe and the gas pipe, and a flange extending from the flat plate main body toward the valve mounting plate side and formed with a notch between the upper end portion of the flat plate main body. The valve mounting plate has: a contact main body that abuts against one surface of the flange, a first claw provided at the upper end portion of the contact main body and inserted into the notch, and a second claw provided at a position below the first claw and abutting against the other surface of the flange and clamping the flange together with the contact main body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an outdoor unit of an air conditioner having a shutoff valve mounting plate provided with a liquid shutoff valve and a gas shutoff valve. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an outdoor unit of an air conditioner having a housing provided with a liquid shutoff valve and a gas shutoff valve has been known. The liquid shutoff valve is a valve provided in a liquid pipe through which a refrigerant in a liquid state flows, and is used to cut off the flow of the refrigerant for closing. The gas shutoff valve is a valve provided in a gas pipe through which a refrigerant in a gas state flows, and is used to cut off the flow of the refrigerant for closing. Patent Document 1 discloses an outdoor unit of an air conditioner in which the liquid shutoff valve and the gas shutoff valve are not provided on the bottom panel of the housing, but are provided on an operation valve bracket mounted on the side.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-55194

[0004] However, in the outdoor unit disclosed in Patent Document 1, the operation valve bracket is supported by the liquid pipe and the gas pipe until the operation valve bracket is fixed to the housing. Therefore, during the period before the operation valve bracket is fixed with screws, stress is applied to the liquid pipe and the gas pipe due to the vibration of the operation valve bracket, and the liquid pipe and the gas pipe may be damaged. In addition, since the operation valve bracket is supported by the liquid pipe and the gas pipe until the operation valve bracket is fixed to the housing, the stability when fixing the operation valve bracket with screws is lacking. Therefore, when fixing with screws, the tip of the screwdriver may accidentally contact the fins of the heat exchanger, the liquid pipe, the gas pipe, the liquid shutoff valve, or the gas shutoff valve, etc., resulting in damage. Thus, it is desired to stabilize the shutoff valve mounting plate during the period before the shutoff valve mounting plate such as the operation valve bracket is fixed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present disclosure is made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an outdoor unit of an air conditioner that stabilizes a shutoff valve mounting plate during the period before the shutoff valve mounting plate is fixed.

[0006] The outdoor unit of the air conditioner of the present disclosure includes: a housing that houses a liquid pipe through which a refrigerant in a liquid state flows and a gas pipe through which a refrigerant in a gas state flows, and has a closing valve mounting plate provided with a liquid closing valve for closing the liquid pipe and a gas closing valve for closing the gas pipe; and a heat exchanger provided in the housing for performing heat exchange between the refrigerant and air, having a side flat plate extending in the vertical direction to which the liquid pipe and the gas pipe are connected at a side surface, the side flat plate having: a flat plate main body formed with holes into which the liquid pipe and the gas pipe are inserted; and a flange extending from the flat plate main body toward the closing valve mounting plate side and having a cutout portion formed between the upper end portion of the flat plate main body, the closing valve mounting plate having: a contact main body that contacts one surface of the flange; a first claw provided at the upper end portion of the contact main body and inserted into the cutout portion; and a second claw provided at a position lower than the first claw, contacting the other surface of the flange, and clamping the flange together with the contact main body.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, the first claw is inserted into the cutout portion of the flange, and the second claw and the contact main body clamp the flange, whereby the closing valve mounting plate is supported by the side flat plate of the heat exchanger. Therefore, the closing valve mounting plate can be stabilized during the period before it is finally fixed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 is a circuit diagram showing the air conditioner of Embodiment 1.

[0009] Figure 2 is an assembled perspective view showing the outdoor unit of Embodiment 1.

[0010] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the outdoor unit of Embodiment 1.

[0011] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the machine room of the outdoor unit of Embodiment 1.

[0012] Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the back surface of the outdoor unit of Embodiment 1.

[0013] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the side flat plate of Embodiment 1.

[0014] Figure 7 is a rear view showing the upper part of the side flat plate of Embodiment 1.

[0015] Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the closing valve mounting plate of Embodiment 1.

[0016] Figure 9 is a front view showing the closing valve mounting plate of Embodiment 1.

[0017] Figure 10 It is a front view of the first claw of the closed valve mounting plate showing Embodiment 1.

[0018] Figure 11 It is a perspective view showing the state where the closed valve mounting plate of Embodiment 1 is temporarily fixed to the side flat plate.

[0019] Figure 12 It is a front view showing the state where the closed valve mounting plate of Embodiment 1 is temporarily fixed to the side flat plate. Detailed Embodiment

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described below. In addition, including Figure 1 In the following drawings, the size relationship of each component may be different from the actual situation. In addition, in the following description, terms indicating directions are appropriately used for easy understanding of the present disclosure, but these are for explaining the present disclosure and do not limit the present disclosure. As terms indicating directions, for example, "up", "down", "right", "left", "front", or "rear" can be cited.

[0021] Embodiment 1.

[0022] Figure 1 It is a circuit diagram of the air conditioner 1 showing Embodiment 1. As Figure 1 shown, the air conditioner 1 is a device that adjusts the air in the indoor space, and includes: an outdoor unit 2 and an indoor unit 3 connected to the outdoor unit 2 through a refrigerant pipe 5. A compressor 6, a flow path switching device 7, a heat exchanger 8, an outdoor blower 9, an expansion part 10, a liquid shut-off valve 61, and a gas shut-off valve 71 are provided in the outdoor unit 2. An indoor heat exchanger 11 and an indoor blower 12 are provided in the indoor unit 3.

[0023] The compressor 6, the flow path switching device 7, the heat exchanger 8, the expansion part 10, and the indoor heat exchanger 11 are connected by the refrigerant pipe 5 to form a refrigerant circuit 4 through which a refrigerant as a working gas flows. The compressor 6 sucks in the refrigerant in a low-temperature and low-pressure state, compresses the sucked refrigerant into a high-temperature and high-pressure state, and discharges it. The flow path switching device 7 switches the direction of the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant circuit 4, for example, a four-way valve. The heat exchanger 8 performs heat exchange between the outdoor air and the refrigerant, for example. The heat exchanger 8 functions as a condenser during cooling operation and functions as an evaporator during heating operation.

[0024] The outdoor blower 9 is a device that delivers outdoor air to the heat exchanger 8. The expansion section 10 is a pressure reducing valve or expansion valve that reduces the pressure and expands the refrigerant. The expansion section 10 is, for example, an electronic expansion valve that adjusts the opening degree. The indoor heat exchanger 11 exchanges heat between indoor air and the refrigerant, for example. The indoor heat exchanger 11 functions as an evaporator during the cooling operation and as a condenser during the heating operation. The indoor blower 12 is a device that delivers indoor air to the indoor heat exchanger 11. The liquid shut-off valve 61 is connected between the expansion section 10 and the indoor heat exchanger 11 to shut off the flow of the liquid-state refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant pipe 5. The gas shut-off valve 71 is connected between the flow path switching device 7 and the indoor heat exchanger 11 to shut off the flow of the gas-state refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant pipe 5.

[0025] (Operation mode, cooling operation)

[0026] Next, the operation mode of the air conditioner 1 will be described. First, the cooling operation will be described. During the cooling operation, the refrigerant sucked into the compressor 6 is compressed by the compressor 6 and discharged in a high-temperature and high-pressure gas state. The high-temperature and high-pressure gas-state refrigerant discharged from the compressor 6 flows through the flow path switching device 7 and into the heat exchanger 8 that functions as a condenser, where it exchanges heat with the outdoor air delivered by the outdoor blower 9 and condenses and liquefies. The condensed liquid-state refrigerant flows into the expansion section 10, where it is expanded and depressurized to become a low-temperature and low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase state refrigerant. Then, the gas-liquid two-phase state refrigerant flows into the indoor heat exchanger 11 that functions as an evaporator, where it exchanges heat with the indoor air delivered by the indoor blower 12 and evaporates and vaporizes. At this time, the indoor air is cooled, and cooling is implemented indoors. The evaporated low-temperature and low-pressure gas-state refrigerant passes through the flow path switching device 7 and is sucked into the compressor 6.

[0027] (Operation mode, heating operation)

[0028] Next, the heating operation will be described. In the heating operation, the refrigerant sucked into the compressor 6 is compressed by the compressor 6 and discharged in a high-temperature and high-pressure gas state. The refrigerant in the high-temperature and high-pressure gas state discharged from the compressor 6 flows through the flow path switching device 7 and into the indoor heat exchanger 11 that functions as a condenser. In the indoor heat exchanger 11, heat exchange is performed with the indoor air conveyed by the indoor blower 12, and the refrigerant condenses and liquefies. At this time, the indoor air is heated, and heating is implemented in the room. The condensed liquid-state refrigerant flows into the expansion section 10, where it is expanded and depressurized to become a refrigerant in a low-temperature and low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase state. Then, the gas-liquid two-phase state refrigerant flows into the heat exchanger 8 that functions as an evaporator, where heat exchange is performed with the outdoor air conveyed by the outdoor blower 9, and the refrigerant evaporates and gasifies. The evaporated low-temperature and low-pressure gas-state refrigerant passes through the flow path switching device 7 and is sucked into the compressor 6.

[0029] Figure 2 is an assembled perspective view of the outdoor unit 2 of Embodiment 1, Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the outdoor unit 2 of Embodiment 1. As Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, the outdoor unit 2 has a housing 20 and internal components 29.

[0030] (Housing 20)

[0031] The housing 20 has legs 21, a bottom panel 22, a front panel 23, side and rear panels 24, a shut-off valve mounting plate 30, a protective cover 25, a top panel 26, and a fan cover 27. The legs 21 are components provided on the ground where the outdoor unit 2 is placed and support the bottom panel 22. For example, two legs are provided. The bottom panel 22 is a sheet metal provided on the upper part of the legs 21 and supports the internal components 29 and the like. The front panel 23 is a sheet metal with an L-shaped cross-section that is placed on the bottom panel 22 and covers the front surface and one side surface of the internal components 29. A housing opening 23a for blowing out air is formed on the front surface side of the internal components 29 in the front panel 23.

[0032] The side and rear panel 24 is a sheet metal placed on the bottom panel 22 and covering the other side of the internal components 29 and the lower part of the rear surface. The closing valve mounting plate 30 is a sheet metal mounted on the heat exchanger 8 and covering the upper part of the rear surface of the internal components 29. A maintenance window 31a for maintaining the internal components 29 is formed in the upper part of the closing valve mounting plate 30. The protective cover 25 is mounted on the closing valve mounting plate 30 to cover and protect the maintenance window 31a. The top panel 26 is a sheet metal placed on the upper ends of the front panel 23, the side and rear panel 24, and the closing valve mounting plate 30 and covering the upper surface of the internal components 29. The fan cover 27 is a lattice-shaped component provided to block the housing opening 23a formed in the front panel 23, suppressing foreign matter from entering the interior of the outdoor unit 2.

[0033] (Internal components 29)

[0034] Next, the internal components 29 will be described. As Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, the internal components 29 include a compressor 6, a heat exchanger 8, a mounting table 9c, an outdoor blower 9, a partition plate 28, an electronic device unit 13, a flow path switching device 7, an expansion part 10, a liquid pipe 60, and a gas pipe 70.

[0035] The compressor 6 is placed on the bottom panel 22. The heat exchanger 8 is, for example, L-shaped in cross-section and is placed on the bottom panel 22 to form a part of the other side and the rear surface of the outdoor unit 2 on the other side of the internal components 29. The mounting table 9c is a sheet metal extending from the bottom panel 22 to the top panel 26. The outdoor blower 9 has a motor 9a and a propeller fan 9b. The motor 9a rotationally drives the propeller fan 9b and is provided at the center of the mounting table 9c. The propeller fan 9b is provided between the front panel 23 and the heat exchanger 8, forming an air path for delivering the air sucked from the rear surface of the outdoor unit 2 to the heat exchanger 8.

[0036] When the outdoor blower 9 operates, air flows in from the outside of the outdoor unit 2 through the heat exchanger 8, and the flowing air flows out of the housing opening 23a of the outdoor unit 2 through the propeller fan 9b. Thus, for example, during cooling operation, the refrigerant flowing through the heat exchanger 8 is cooled by the air, and the air after passing through the heat exchanger 8 exchanges heat with the refrigerant and becomes superheated.

[0037] The partition plate 28 is a sheet metal that extends in the depth direction of the housing 20 inside the outdoor unit 2 and extends upward from the bottom surface panel 22. The partition plate 28 divides the inside of the outdoor unit 2 into a blower chamber 20a and a machinery chamber 20b. Here, a heat exchanger 8 and an outdoor blower 9 are provided in the blower chamber 20a, and a compressor 6 is provided in the machinery chamber 20b. The electronic device unit 13 is disposed at the upper part inside the housing 20 and straddles the blower chamber 20a and the machinery chamber 20b. The electronic device unit 13 houses a control board 13a that supplies power to the compressor 6, the flow path switching device 7, the expansion part 10, etc. and drives them.

[0038] The control board 13a is composed of dedicated hardware or a CPU (Central Processing Unit, also known as a central processing device, processing device, arithmetic device, microprocessor, microcomputer, or processor) that executes a program stored in a storage device. When the control board 13a is dedicated hardware, the control board 13a corresponds to, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a combination of these. Each functional part implemented by the control board 13a can be implemented by separate hardware, or each functional part can be implemented by one piece of hardware.

[0039] When the control board 13a is a CPU, each function executed by the control board 13a is implemented by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. Software and firmware are described as programs. The CPU realizes each function by reading and executing the program. In addition, a part of the functions of the control board 13a can be realized by dedicated hardware, and a part can be realized by software or firmware. The storage device can be configured as a hard disk or a volatile storage device such as a random access memory (RAM) that can temporarily store data. In addition, the storage device can also be configured as a non-volatile storage device such as a flash memory that can store data for a long time.

[0040] Figure 4 It is an exploded perspective view of the machinery chamber 20b of the outdoor unit 2 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 4 It shows the state after removing the flow path switching device 7, the expansion part 10, and the closing valve mounting plate 30 in the machinery chamber 20b. As Figure 4 shown, the flow path switching device 7 is disposed above the compressor 6 in the machinery chamber 20b. In addition, the expansion part 10 is disposed behind the compressor 6 in the machinery chamber 20b.

[0041] Figure 5 It is an exploded perspective view of the back surface of the outdoor unit 2 according to Embodiment 1. AsFigure 4 As shown, the liquid pipe 60 is arranged in the machine room 20b, and refrigerant in a liquid state flows inside. In addition, the gas pipe 70 is arranged in the machine room 20b, and refrigerant in a gaseous state flows inside. As Figure 5 shown, a liquid shut-off valve 61 for closing the liquid pipe 60 is provided at the terminal of the liquid pipe 60, and the liquid shut-off valve 61 is arranged on the shut-off valve mounting plate 30. In addition, a gas shut-off valve 71 for closing the gas pipe 70 is provided at the terminal of the gas pipe 70, and the gas shut-off valve 71 is arranged on the shut-off valve mounting plate 30. Generally, the liquid shut-off valve 61 and the gas shut-off valve 71 are arranged on the side surface of the outdoor unit 2. Embodiment 1 exemplifies the following situation: assuming that the outdoor unit 2 is arranged in a narrow residence, in order to improve the maintainability of the outdoor unit 2, the liquid shut-off valve 61 and the gas shut-off valve 71 are arranged on the back surface of the outdoor unit 2.

[0042] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the side flat plate 50 of Embodiment 1. Next, the heat exchanger 8 will be described in detail. As Figure 4 and Figure 6 shown, the heat exchanger 8 houses the liquid pipe 60 and the gas pipe 70 together with the housing 20, and has a side flat plate 50 on the side. The side flat plate 50 is a sheet metal that is connected to the liquid pipe 60 and the gas pipe 70 and extends in the vertical direction. The side flat plate 50 has a flat plate main body 51 and a flange 52. The flat plate main body 51 is a plate-shaped member that extends in the vertical direction, and a plurality of holes 51a for inserting the liquid pipe 60, the gas pipe 70, etc. are formed in the flat plate main body 51.

[0043] Figure 7 is a rear view of the upper part of the side flat plate 50 of Embodiment 1. As Figure 6 shown, the flange 52 is a member that extends from the end of the flat plate main body 51 toward the shut-off valve mounting plate 30. A plurality of flat plate side screw holes 52a are formed in the flange 52, and screws for installing the shut-off valve mounting plate 30 and the side flat plate 50 are inserted into the plurality of flat plate side screw holes 52a. In Embodiment 1, the case where two flat plate side screw holes 52a are formed is exemplified, but the number of flat plate side screw holes 52a may also be three or more. Moreover, a cutout portion 50a is formed between the flange 52 and the upper end portion of the flat plate main body 51. As Figure 7 shown, the cutout portion 50a expands as it goes upward toward the flange 52.

[0044] Figure 8 is a perspective view of the shut-off valve mounting plate 30 of Embodiment 1, Figure 9 is a front view of the shut-off valve mounting plate 30 of Embodiment 1. Next, the shut-off valve mounting plate 30 will be described in detail. As Figure 8 and Figure 9As shown, the closing valve mounting plate 30 is a rectangular plate-like component. The closing valve mounting plate 30 has a flat plate main body 31, a top surface engaging portion 32, a side surface engaging portion 33, and a mounting portion 34. The flat plate main body 31 is rectangular and is provided with a liquid closing valve 61 and a gas closing valve 71 (refer to Figure 5 ), and a maintenance window 31a is formed. The top surface engaging portion 32 is a component that extends upward from the upper end portion of the flat plate main body 31, and the front end is bent to engage with the top surface panel 26. The side surface engaging portion 33 is a component that extends forward from one side of the flat plate main body 31 and engages with the side and back panel 24.

[0045] The mounting portion 34 is a component provided on the other side of the flat plate main body 31 and has an abutting main body 35, a first claw 36, and a second claw 37. The abutting main body 35 is a plate-like component that extends from the other side of the flat plate main body 31 in a direction away from the flat plate main body 31 and extends in the vertical direction. A plurality of plate-side screw holes 35a are formed in the abutting main body 35, and screws for mounting the closing valve mounting plate 30 and the side flat plate 50 are inserted into the plurality of plate-side screw holes 35a. In the first embodiment, the case where two plate-side screw holes 35a are formed is illustrated, but the number of plate-side screw holes 35a may be three or more.

[0046] Figure 10 is a front view showing the first claw 36 of the closing valve mounting plate 30 of the first embodiment. As Figure 8 shown, the first claw 36 is provided at the upper end portion of the abutting main body 35 and is inserted into the cutout portion 50a formed in the side flat plate 50. As Figure 10 shown, the first claw 36 has an inclined edge 36a that is inclined so as to taper from the base end to the front end. In addition, the thickness of the first claw 36 is slightly thinner than the width of the cutout portion 50a of the side flat plate 50.

[0047] As Figure 8 shown, the second claw 37 is provided at a position lower than the first claw 36, abuts against the other surface of the flange 52, and clamps the flange 52 together with the abutting main body 35. Specifically, the abutting main body 35 faces the back surface side of the flange 52, and the second claw 37 faces the front surface side of the flange 52. That is, the abutting main body 35 cannot be seen from the front surface side of the housing 20, while the second claw 37 can be seen. In addition, the second claw 37 cannot be seen from the back surface side of the housing 20, while the abutting main body 35 can be seen. In addition, when viewed from above, the abutting main body 35 and the second claw 37 do not overlap. In this way, the second claw 37 is located at a position closer to the front surface side than the abutting main body 35 when viewed from above.

[0048] The second claw 37 has a base end portion 38 and a front end portion 39. The base end portion 38 abuts against the other surface of the flange 52. The front end portion 39 is connected to the base end portion 38 and extends in a direction away from the flange 52.

[0049] Figure 11 This is a perspective view showing the state where the closing valve mounting plate 30 of Embodiment 1 is temporarily fixed to the side flat plate 50. Figure 12 This is a front view showing the state where the closing valve mounting plate 30 of Embodiment 1 is temporarily fixed to the side flat plate 50. Next, the operation of temporarily fixing the closing valve mounting plate 30 to the side flat plate 50 of the heat exchanger 8 will be described. First, the first claw 36 of the closing valve mounting plate 30 is inserted into the cutout portion 50a of the side flat plate 50. Here, the first claw 36 has an inclined edge 36a that is inclined so as to taper from the base end to the front end. Thus, it guides the insertion when the first claw 36 is inserted into the cutout portion 50a. Therefore, the first claw 36 is smoothly inserted into the cutout portion 50a.

[0050] In addition, the cutout portion 50a expands as it goes upward toward the flange 52. Thus, it further guides the insertion when the first claw 36 is inserted into the cutout portion 50a. Therefore, the first claw 36 is smoothly inserted into the cutout portion 50a. In this way, in the present Embodiment 1, since the first claw 36 has the inclined edge 36a and the cutout portion 50a expands as it goes upward toward the flange 52, the first claw 36 is inserted into the cutout portion 50a more smoothly.

[0051] When the first claw 36 is inserted into the cutout portion 50a, the first claw 36 is hooked on the cutout portion 50a, so the downward movement of the closing valve mounting plate 30 is restricted. In addition, the thickness of the first claw 36 is slightly thinner than the width of the cutout portion 50a of the side flat plate 50. Therefore, the lateral movement of the closing valve mounting plate 30 is restricted to a certain extent, but there is a little movement margin. Therefore, the closing valve mounting plate 30 can rotate slightly with the first claw 36 as the rotation axis.

[0052] Once the closing valve mounting plate 30 that has rotated in the direction away from the side flat plate 50 rotates in the direction approaching the side flat plate 50. At this time, the abutting body 35 of the closing valve mounting plate 30 is in a state of abutting against one side on the back side of the flange 52 of the side flat plate 50. Moreover, the second claw 37 of the closing valve mounting plate 30 abuts against the other side on the front surface side of the flange 52 of the side flat plate 50. That is, the second claw 37 and the abutting body 35 of the closing valve mounting plate 30 sandwich the flange 52. Thereby, the further rotation of the closing valve mounting plate 30 toward the heat exchanger 8 side is restricted.

[0053] In addition, the rotation of the closing valve mounting plate 30 in the direction away from the side flat plate 50 is against gravity, so it will not occur without external force. Here, the front end portion 39 of the second claw 37 extends in the direction away from the flange 52. Thus, it guides the movement when the second claw 37 abuts against the other side of the flange 52. Therefore, the second claw 37 smoothly abuts against the other side of the flange 52.

[0054] By the above operations, the movement of the closing valve mounting plate 30 in directions other than the direction opposite to the gravity direction is restricted. Therefore, after the first claw 36 is inserted into the cutout portion 50a, the flange 52 is clamped by the second claw 37 and the abutting body 35, whereby, as Figure 11 and Figure 12 shown, the closing valve mounting plate 30 is temporarily fixed to the side flat plate 50.

[0055] Here, the plate-side screw hole 35a and the flat-plate-side screw hole 52a are formed such that when the closing valve mounting plate 30 is temporarily fixed to the side flat plate 50, the plate-side screw hole 35a and the flat-plate-side screw hole 52a overlap. Therefore, an operator can insert a screw into the plate-side screw hole 35a and the flat-plate-side screw hole 52a for screwing without pressing the closing valve mounting plate 30 with a hand or the like.

[0056] According to the first embodiment, the first claw 36 is inserted into the cutout portion 50a of the flange 52, and the second claw 37 and the abutting body 35 clamp the flange 52, whereby the closing valve mounting plate 30 is supported by the side flat plate 50 of the heat exchanger 8. Therefore, the closing valve mounting plate 30 can be stabilized during the period before the closing valve mounting plate 30 is finally fixed.

[0057] Conventionally, there is a known technique in which the closing valve mounting plate 30 is supported by the liquid pipe 60 and the gas pipe 70 until the closing valve mounting plate 30 is fixed. In this technique, since the closing valve mounting plate 30 is supported by the liquid pipe 60 and the gas pipe 70, stress is applied to the liquid pipe 60 and the gas pipe 70 due to the vibration of the closing valve mounting plate 30 during the period before the closing valve mounting plate 30 is fixed with screws. Therefore, the liquid pipe 60 and the gas pipe 70 may be damaged.

[0058] In contrast, in the first embodiment, after the first claw 36 is inserted into the cutout portion 50a, the flange 52 is clamped by the second claw 37 and the abutting body 35, whereby the closing valve mounting plate 30 is temporarily fixed to the side flat plate 50. Thus, the closing valve mounting plate 30 does not have to be supported by the liquid pipe 60 and the gas pipe 70. Therefore, stress caused by vibration is not applied to the liquid pipe 60 and the gas pipe 70, and breakage of the liquid pipe 60 and the gas pipe 70 can be suppressed.

[0059] In addition, conventionally, until the closing valve mounting plate 30 is fixed to the housing 20, the closing valve mounting plate 30 is supported by the liquid pipe 60 and the gas pipe 70, so the stability when fixing the closing valve mounting plate 30 with screws is lacking. Therefore, when fixing with screws, the tip of the screwdriver may accidentally contact fins of the heat exchanger 8, the liquid pipe 60, the gas pipe 70, the liquid closing valve 61, the gas closing valve 71, etc., resulting in damage.

[0060] In contrast, in the present Embodiment 1, when the closing valve mounting plate 30 is temporarily fixed to the side flat plate 50, the plate-side screw hole 35a and the flat-plate-side screw hole 52a overlap. Therefore, the closing valve mounting plate 30 can be stabilized during the period before it is fixed. As a result, it is possible to suppress damage caused by the screwdriver tip accidentally contacting the fins of the heat exchanger 8, the liquid pipe 60, the gas pipe 70, the liquid closing valve 61, the gas closing valve 71, etc. when fixing with screws. In addition, when the closing valve mounting plate 30 is temporarily fixed to the side flat plate 50, the plate-side screw hole 35a and the flat-plate-side screw hole 52a naturally overlap. Thus, when assembling the outdoor unit 2, the operator is saved the trouble of manually aligning the position of the plate-side screw hole 35a with the position of the flat-plate-side screw hole 52a. Therefore, the workability is improved.

[0061] In addition, the first claw 36 has an inclined edge 36a that is inclined so as to taper from the base end to the front end. Thus, it guides the insertion of the first claw 36 into the cutout portion 50a. Therefore, the first claw 36 is smoothly inserted into the cutout portion 50a. In addition, the second claw 37 has a base end portion 38 that abuts against the other surface of the flange 52, and a front end portion 39 that is connected to the base end portion 38 and extends in a direction away from the flange 52. Thus, it guides the movement when the second claw 37 abuts against the other surface of the flange 52. Therefore, the second claw 37 smoothly abuts against the other surface of the flange 52. Further, the cutout portion 50a expands as it goes upward toward the flange 52. Thus, it further guides the insertion of the first claw 36 into the cutout portion 50a. Therefore, the first claw 36 is smoothly inserted into the cutout portion 50a.

[0062] Description of Reference Numerals

[0063] 1...Air conditioner; 2...Outdoor unit; 3...Indoor unit; 4...Refrigerant circuit; 5...Refrigerant pipe; 6...Compressor; 7...Flow path switching device; 8...Heat exchanger; 9...Outdoor blower; 9a...Motor; 9b...Propeller fan; 9c...Mounting base; 10...Expansion part; 11...Indoor heat exchanger; 12...Indoor blower; 13...Electronic device unit; 13a...Control board; 20...Housing; 20a...Air supply chamber; 20b...Machine room; 21...Leg; 22...Bottom panel; 23...Front surface panel; 23a...Housing opening; 24...Side rear panel; 25...Protective cover; 26...Top panel; 27...Fan cover; 28...Partition board; 29...Internal components; 30...Closed valve mounting plate; 31...Flat plate body; 31a...Maintenance window; 32...Top surface engaging part; 33...Side surface engaging part; 34...Mounting part; 35...Contact body; 35a...Plate side screw hole; 36...First claw; 36a...Inclined edge; 37...Second claw; 38...Base end part; 39...Front end part; 50...Side flat plate; 50a...Cutout part; 51...Flat plate body; 51a...Hole; 52...Flange; 52a...Flat plate side screw hole; 60...Liquid pipe; 61...Liquid shutoff valve; 70...Gas pipe; 71...Gas shutoff valve.

Claims

1. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner, characterized in that, it includes: a housing that houses a liquid pipe through which a refrigerant in a liquid state flows and a gas pipe through which a refrigerant in a gas state flows, and has a closing valve mounting plate provided with a liquid closing valve for closing the liquid pipe and a gas closing valve for closing the gas pipe; and a heat exchanger disposed in the housing for heat exchange between the refrigerant and air, having a side flat plate extending in the vertical direction to which the liquid pipe and the gas pipe are connected at the side, the side flat plate having: a flat plate main body formed with holes into which the liquid pipe and the gas pipe are inserted; and a flange extending from the flat plate main body toward the closing valve mounting plate side and having a cutout portion formed between the upper end portion of the flat plate main body, the closing valve mounting plate having: a contact main body that contacts one surface of the flange; a first claw provided at the upper end portion of the contact main body and inserted into the cutout portion; and a second claw provided at a position lower than the first claw, contacting the other surface of the flange, and clamping the flange together with the contact main body, the cutout portion expanding as it faces upward of the flange.

2. The outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, after the first claw is inserted into the cutout portion, the flange is clamped by the second claw and the contact main body, whereby the closing valve mounting plate is temporarily fixed to the side flat plate.

3. The outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 2, characterized in that, a plate side screw hole for inserting a screw is formed in the closing valve mounting plate, and the screw is used to mount the closing valve mounting plate and the side flat plate, a flat plate side screw hole for inserting the screw is formed in the side flat plate, when the closing valve mounting plate is temporarily fixed to the side flat plate, the plate side screw hole and the flat plate side screw hole overlap.

4. The outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, the first claw has an inclined edge inclined in a tapered manner from the base end to the front end.

5. The outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, the second claw has: a base end portion that contacts the other surface of the flange; and a front end portion that is connected to the base end portion and extends away from the flange.

6. The outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 4, characterized in that, the second claw has: a base end portion that contacts the other surface of the flange; and a front end portion that is connected to the base end portion and extends away from the flange.

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