Outdoor unit and air conditioner

Abstract

The present invention enables reliable fixation of a base heater to a base plate and easy attachment and detachment of the base heater. The present invention is provided with: a housing (2); a base heater (BH) positioned between the heat exchanger unit (4) disposed on the back panel side of the frame (2) and the base (B) of the frame (2) and fixed to the base (B); and a fixing member (8) for fixing the base heater (BH) to the base (B), the fixing member (8) being provided with: a bidirectional fixing member (81) for fixing the base heater (BH) to the base (B); a fixing portion (BH) which is in contact with an upper portion (BH2) on the opposite side of a lower portion (BH1) in a case where the side in contact with the base (B) in the periphery of the base heater (BH) is the lower portion (BH1), and a rear portion (BH4) on the side of the backrest panel in a portion connecting the lower portion (BH1) and the upper portion (BH2), and which fixes the base heater (BH) to the base (B); and a three-way fixing member (82) that is in contact with a portion other than the lower portion (BH1) and fixes the susceptor heater (BH) to the susceptor (B).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to an outdoor unit and an air conditioner. Background Art

[0002] An air conditioner generally includes an indoor unit disposed indoors and an outdoor unit disposed outdoors. Further, the temperature and humidity inside a room are adjusted by circulating a refrigerant through a refrigeration circuit that connects these indoor and outdoor units.

[0003] A heat exchanger unit is disposed inside the housing of the outdoor unit, and heat exchange is performed between the refrigerant circulating in the refrigeration circuit and external air. Here, for example, in a heat pump type air conditioner, during heating operation, moisture in the external air sometimes forms frost and adheres to the heat exchanger unit that functions as an evaporator. If heating operation is performed with frost adhering to the heat exchanger unit, the heat exchange capacity will decrease. Therefore, a defrosting operation is performed to remove the frost adhering to the heat exchanger unit.

[0004] If such a defrosting operation is performed, the frost adhering to the heat exchanger unit melts and becomes condensed water. This condensed water drips from the heat exchanger unit onto the bottom plate of the outdoor unit and is discharged from the bottom plate to the outside of the outdoor unit through a discharge port provided in the bottom plate.

[0005] However, in an outdoor unit used in a cold region or the like where the external air temperature is low, the condensed water may freeze again on the bottom plate before being discharged to the outside of the outdoor unit. If it freezes again in this way, the ice may grow in a state where the condensed water cannot be discharged, and there is a case where the air conditioner cannot operate due to the ice coming into contact with a fan or the like.

[0006] Therefore, in the outdoor unit of an air conditioner used in a low external air temperature, a base heater is disposed on the bottom plate, and the bottom plate is heated by energizing the base heater to generate heat, thereby preventing the condensed water from freezing again.

[0007] In such an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, it is preferable that the base heater is fixed in a state of being in contact with the upper surface of the bottom plate so as to easily heat the bottom plate. Therefore, a fixing member as shown in the technology described in Patent Document 1 below is used.

[0008] Prior Art Documents Patent Documents Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-069220 Summary of the Invention

[0009] Technical Problem to be Solved by the Invention In the outdoor unit of the air conditioner described in the above Patent Document 1, when vibrations caused by the operation and transportation of the outdoor unit occur, in order to prevent the base heater from shifting from a given position and floating up from the upper surface of the bottom plate, the base heater is fixed to the bottom plate by, for example, screw fastening. Although such a method of fixing the base heater to the bottom plate is suitable for the purpose of preventing the above-mentioned shifting and floating of the base heater, there are also inappropriate cases from the viewpoint of workability.

[0010] For example, from the function of the base heater, the base heater is also provided at a position on the inner side of the outdoor unit when viewed from the front where the maintenance panel is provided, that is, a position facing the maintenance panel across various devices arranged inside the frame of the outdoor unit.

[0011] Therefore, in the case of operations such as replacement and inspection of the base heater, if the operator wants to access the base heater arranged on the inner side of the outdoor unit, the operator needs to reach in through the front maintenance panel.

[0012] However, due to the space inside the frame of the outdoor unit, various devices are mostly densely arranged. Therefore, if the operator wants to access the base heater arranged on the inner side of the outdoor unit, the various devices arranged in front of the base heater become obstacles.

[0013] Moreover, in the case where the base heater is, for example, screw-fastened, the operator must approach the base heater while holding a large-sized tool such as a screwdriver, and then remove the screw fixing the base heater.

[0014] An object of the present invention is to provide an outdoor unit and an air conditioner that include a fixing member capable of reliably fixing a base heater to a bottom plate and easily loading and unloading the base heater.

[0015] Technical solutions for solving technical problems One aspect of the present invention relates to an outdoor unit including: a housing surrounded by a front panel that can be opened and closed, a rear panel opposed to the front panel, and side panels connecting the front panel and the rear panel; a heat exchanger unit disposed on the side of the rear panel; a base heater located between the heat exchanger unit and a base forming the bottom surface of the housing and fixed to the base; and a fixing member for fixing the base heater to the base. The fixing member includes: a two-way fixing member that, when fixing the base heater to the base, contacts an upper portion on the opposite side of a lower portion where the side in contact with the base is the lower portion among the periphery of the base heater, and an inner portion on the side of the rear panel among the portions connecting the lower portion and the upper portion, and fixes the base heater to the base; and a three-way fixing member that, when fixing the base heater to the base, contacts portions other than the lower portion among the periphery of the base heater, and fixes the base heater to the base.

[0016] Furthermore, an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an outdoor unit and an indoor unit. The outdoor unit includes: a housing surrounded by a front panel that can be opened and closed, a rear panel opposed to the front panel, and side panels connecting the front panel and the rear panel; a heat exchanger unit disposed on the side of the rear panel; a base heater located between the heat exchanger unit and a base forming the bottom surface of the housing and fixed to the base; and a fixing member for fixing the base heater to the base. The fixing member includes: a two-way fixing member that, when fixing the base heater to the base, contacts an upper portion on the opposite side of a lower portion where the side in contact with the base is the lower portion among the periphery of the base heater, and an inner portion on the side of the rear panel among the portions connecting the lower portion and the upper portion, and fixes the base heater to the base; and a three-way fixing member that, when fixing the base heater to the base, contacts portions other than the lower portion among the periphery of the base heater, and fixes the base heater to the base. The indoor unit is installed indoors and forms a refrigeration circuit with the outdoor unit.

[0017] Advantages of the Invention According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an outdoor unit and an air conditioner including a fixing member that can achieve reliable fixing of a base heater to a bottom plate and can easily attach and detach the base heater. Description of the Drawings

[0018] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing the whole of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2This is a front view of an outdoor unit showing a state where a maintenance panel is removed and an electrical installation box etc. is exposed in the outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a top view showing a state where a base heater is installed on a bottom plate (base) in the outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a perspective view showing a state where a base heater is installed on a bottom plate (base) in the outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 5 This is an enlarged perspective view showing an enlarged view of a two-way fixing member according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 6 It is in Figure 3 The enlarged sectional view taken along line M-M shows an enlarged view of the base heater fixed by the two-way fixing member in the top view shown.

[0024] Figure 7 It is in Figure 3 The enlarged sectional view taken along line N-N shows an enlarged view of the base heater fixed by the three-way fixing member in the top view shown.

[0025] Figure 8 This is an overall view showing an example of a jig used when loading and unloading the base heater.

[0026] Figure 9 This is an enlarged view showing an enlarged view of the front of the outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 10 This is a circuit diagram showing the structure of the overall refrigeration circuit of an air conditioner including the outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Embodiments

[0028] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing the overall outdoor unit 1 of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. Additionally, Figure 2 This is a front view of the outdoor unit 1 showing a state where the maintenance panel 6 is removed and the electrical installation box 10 etc. is exposed in the outdoor unit 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] As Figure 1 shown, the outdoor unit 1 of this air conditioner has a large-sized housing 2. When the outdoor unit 1 is installed on a horizontal surface, that is, as Figure 2As in the case of the outdoor unit 1 shown, when the vertical direction (the Y direction representing the up-and-down direction in the drawings) is represented as vertical and the direction orthogonal to the vertical direction (the X direction representing the left-and-right direction in the drawings) is represented as horizontal, the housing 2 of the outdoor unit 1 in the embodiment of the present invention is formed such that the length in the vertical direction is longer than the width in the aspect ratio.

[0030] That is, regarding the outdoor unit described below, an example is given of the outdoor unit 1 having the Figure 1 , Figure 2 shown shape. However, regarding the outdoor unit 1, in addition to the Figure 1 , Figure 2 shown shape, its size and shape (aspect ratio) can be freely set according to the size and number of various devices installed inside the housing 2.

[0031] It should be noted that hereinafter, regarding each of the up, down, left, and right directions, as described above, the vertical direction is set as the Y direction and the horizontal direction is set as the X direction for explanation. In addition, the front side of the drawing, that is, the outside of the outdoor unit 1, is appropriately represented as the front side, and the inside of the outdoor unit 1 on the opposite side is represented as the back side. And the surface facing the front across various devices arranged inside the housing 2 is the back surface. Therefore, the depth direction connecting the front and the back is the Z direction.

[0032] An air suction port 3 for taking in air into the housing 2 is provided on the side surface of the housing 2. In addition, inside the housing 2, a heat exchanger unit 4 is arranged along the air suction port 3.

[0033] In the outdoor unit 1 in the embodiment of the present invention, the heat exchanger unit 4 stacks heat exchangers formed in a U shape when viewed from above in two layers up and down and is arranged along the inner peripheral surface of the housing 2. It should be noted that in the outdoor unit 1 in the embodiment of the present invention, the structure of the heat exchanger unit 4 can be arbitrary, and its shape and structure can be arbitrarily selected according to the specifications.

[0034] A fan 5 is arranged at the upper part of the housing 2, and an air blow-out port O is formed so as to surround the fan 5. That is, the outdoor unit 1 in the embodiment of the present invention is a so-called upward-blowing outdoor unit.

[0035] Thus, in the outdoor unit 1 in the embodiment of the present invention, the air sucked into the housing 2 from the air suction port 3 through the heat exchanger unit 4 is discharged from the air blow-out port O provided at the upper part of the housing 2 via the fan 5.

[0036] Air suction ports 3 are formed on three of the four side surfaces of the housing 2. Moreover, on the remaining one side surface, maintenance panels 6, 6 are provided for opening and closing when performing maintenance on devices such as compressors and electrical fittings arranged inside the housing 2.

[0037] As shown Figure 1 In the case of the outdoor unit 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the maintenance panels 6, 6 are formed of a metal plate and are divided into two parts vertically with respect to the housing 2. In addition, for example, screw fastening is performed so that the respective maintenance panels 6, 6 cannot be detached from the housing 2 except when necessary.

[0038] As shown Figure 2 If the upper maintenance panel 6 is removed, the electrical installation box 10 disposed inside the housing 2 and on the back side of the maintenance panel 6 appears. The electrical installation box 10 houses electrical installation components inside.

[0039] And when opening Figure 2 the lower maintenance panel 6 as shown, the refrigeration circuit unit 7 including the compressor 71 disposed inside the housing 2, its piping, etc. appears. It should be noted that in the present invention, the specific structure of the refrigeration circuit unit 7 is arbitrary, and as long as it is a structure used as a refrigeration circuit for an air conditioner, their structures can be freely configured according to specifications.

[0040] In addition, these refrigeration circuit units 7 are placed on the bottom plate B (hereinafter, this bottom plate is referred to as "base") that constitutes the bottom surface of the housing 2, and are appropriately fixed to the base B by screw fastening or the like. Moreover, the base B constitutes the bottom of the housing 2.

[0041] Here Figure 3 is a top view showing a state in which a base heater BH is installed on the base B in the outdoor unit 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. In addition Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which a base heater BH is installed on the base B in the outdoor unit 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] In the base B in the embodiment of the present invention, as shown Figure 3 in, the lower side of the drawing is the front side where the above-mentioned maintenance panels 6, 6 are provided. In addition, the side opposite to the front side across various devices disposed on the base B, that is, the upper side of the drawing corresponds to the back side.

[0043] In addition, as shown Figure 1 in, in the housing 2, the front panel and the back panel are connected by side panels, and the periphery of the base B is also formed in the same shape as the outer contour of the housing 2. Therefore, in the outdoor unit 1 in the embodiment of the present invention, the base B is formed into Figure 3 a substantially quadrilateral shape with the lower right corner cut off as shown in.

[0044] It should be noted that hereinafter, as shown Figure 3When observing the base B as shown, the lower side is appropriately represented as the front side, the side opposite to the front side is appropriately represented as the back side, the side shown on the left side of the drawing is appropriately represented as the left side, and the opposite side is appropriately represented as the right side.

[0045] Moreover, as Figure 4 shown, the periphery of the base B stands up slightly in the Y direction. For example, it is assumed that the maintenance panel 6 can be screwed. In addition, holes for fixing screws used to fix, for example, the refrigeration circuit unit 7 placed on the base B and a drain outlet for discharging condensed water are provided in the X-Z plane of the base B.

[0046] It should be noted that the shape of the base B is not limited to the above shape, and any shape can be adopted. In addition, the various devices placed inside the frame 2 and housed in the base B can be arbitrarily arranged, and the shape on the X-Z plane of the base B, the holes for screw fastening, etc. are determined according to this arrangement.

[0047] The base heater BH is used to heat the base B to prevent the refreezing of the condensed water accumulated on the base B before being discharged. Therefore, the base heater BH is arranged between the heat exchanger unit 4 and the base B and near the heat exchanger unit 4.

[0048] As described above, in the outdoor unit 1 in the embodiment of the present invention, the heat exchanger unit 4 is arranged on the back side and the two side sides inside the frame 2 except for the front of the frame 2. Therefore, the base heater BH is also arranged near the base B in accordance with the arrangement of the heat exchanger unit 4 on the base B.

[0049] Specifically, in the outdoor unit 1 in the embodiment of the present invention, for example, as Figure 3 shown, when observing from the front, the base heater BH extends from near the approximate center on the left side toward the Z direction side (inside), and then extends along the back toward the right side in the X direction and extends to the Z direction side (front side) on the right side.

[0050] And, as Figure 4 shown, both ends of the base heater BH extend from the base B toward the Y direction side (upper side) and are connected to other devices not shown. In addition, in the base heater BH in the embodiment of the present invention, a thermostat S is connected near the right end.

[0051] It should be noted that in Figure 3 and Figure 4 , in order to distinguish the base heater BH from the base B, a dot pattern is marked on the base heater BH. In addition, the same dot pattern different from the base heater BH is also marked on the fixing member 8 of the base heater BH described later.

[0052] In this way, the base heater BH is disposed on the base B, but the base heater BH is fixed to the base B by a plurality of fixing members 8. The fixing members 8 fix the base heater BH to the base B, preventing vibrations caused by improper fixing.

[0053] As the fixing member 8 in the embodiment of the present invention, two types of fixing members, a two-way fixing member 81 and a three-way fixing member 82, are used. In addition, the three-way fixing member 82 is divided into a first three-way fixing member 821 and a second three-way fixing member 822 due to differences in its shape. It should be noted that when collectively referring to the two-way fixing member 81 and the three-way fixing member 82, they are represented as "fixing member 8" as before. In addition, when collectively referring to the first three-way fixing member 821 and the second three-way fixing member 822, they are represented as "three-way fixing member 82".

[0054] As Figure 3 and Figure 4 shown, when viewed from the front of the housing 2, the two-way fixing member 81 is installed on the inner side and / or the back side for fixing the portion of the base heater BH disposed on the back side. On the other hand, the three-way fixing member 82 is installed on Figure 3 shown on the left or right side of the base B. More specifically, the first three-way fixing member 821 is installed on the left side, and the second three-way fixing member 822 is installed on the right side.

[0055] First, the two-way fixing member 81 will be described. The two-way fixing member 81 itself is fixed to the base B by means such as screw fastening. However, the two-way fixing member 81 is formed in a so-called clip type so that the base heater BH can be freely loaded and unloaded with respect to the two-way fixing member 81 when fixing the base heater BH.

[0056] Here, when fixing the base heater BH using the two-way fixing member 81, the side in contact with the base B among the surroundings of the base heater BH is set as the lower side portion, and the side opposite to the lower side portion is set as the upper side portion. In addition, the near front side of the portion connecting the lower side portion and the upper side portion on the side closer to the front panel is represented as the near front side portion, and the inner side of the side closer to the back panel is represented as the inner side portion. The two-way fixing member 81 in the embodiment of the present invention contacts the upper side portion and the inner side portion of the base heater BH and fixes the base heater BH to the base B.

[0057] Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing the two-way fixing member 81 according to the embodiment of the present invention in an enlarged manner. In Figure 5In this case, the inner side (the right side in the drawing) is the back side of the housing 2, and the near front side (the left side in the drawing) is the front side of the base B (housing 2). When the two-way fixing member 81 is fixed to the base B, a threaded hole 81a through which a screw used when fixing the two-way fixing member 81 to the base B passes is provided in the portion disposed on the back side of the housing 2.

[0058] On the other hand, when the two-way fixing member 81 is fixed to the base B, the portion disposed on the front side of the housing 2 is provided as an open end 81b so that the base heater BH can be installed when the base heater BH is fixed to the base B. Therefore, when the base heater BH is installed, it can be inserted into the two-way fixing member 81 and fixed to the base B only by moving the base heater BH from the front side of the housing 2 toward the back side in the Z direction.

[0059] That is, when the base heater BH is fixed to the two-way fixing member 81, by pushing the base heater BH from the near front side of the housing 2 toward the inner side, the inner side portion of the base heater BH comes into contact with the open end 81b. As the base heater BH is further pushed in, the open end 81b moves upward in the Y direction. Then, the open end 81b moves in a manner to cross over the base heater BH, whereby the base heater BH is fixed to the base B by the two-way fixing member 81.

[0060] Therefore, the distance in the Y direction from the base B to the open end 81b in the two-way fixing member 81 in the state of being installed on the base B with the base heater BH not yet fixed is shorter than the distance from the contact surface of the base B to the surface in contact with the open end 81b of the base heater BH when it is fixed to the two-way fixing member 81.

[0061] Here, the state of fixing the base heater BH to the base B using the two-way fixing member 81 will be further described with reference to the drawings. Figure 6 It is in Figure 3 the enlarged cutaway sectional view obtained by cutting and magnifying the base heater BH fixed by the two-way fixing member 81 along the line M-M in the top view shown.

[0062] In Figure 6 this case, the right side is the inner side of the housing 2, and the left side is the front side of the housing 2. Inside the housing 2, the two-way fixing member 81 is fixed to the base B (not shown) via the threaded hole 81a by a screw.

[0063] Moreover, the base heater BH is fixed to the base B by the two-way fixing member 81. In Figure 6In [the figure], a cross-section of the base heater BH can be seen. The side that will face and contact the base B when fixed to the two-way fixing member 81 is defined as the lower side portion BH1. Further, the portion of the base heater BH that is on the side opposite to the lower side portion BH1 in the vertical direction is defined as the upper side portion BH2 of the base heater BH. The portion on the side closer to the front panel among the portions connecting the upper side portion BH2 and the lower side portion BH1 is defined as the front side portion BH3, and the portion on the inner side is defined as the inner side portion BH4. That is, regarding the front side portion BH3 and the inner side portion BH4, for example, the front side in the depth direction that is orthogonal to the vertical direction connecting the upper side portion BH2 and the lower side portion BH1 and connects the front panel and the back panel is defined as the front side portion BH3, and the inner side is defined as the inner side portion BH4.

[0064] The two-way fixing member 81 fixes the base heater BH to the base B by contacting two portions among the periphery of the base heater BH other than the lower side portion BH1 and the front side portion BH3. More specifically, the two-way fixing member 81 presses the upper side portion BH2 of the base heater BH and restricts the movement of the inner side portion BH4 inward.

[0065] That is, when the base heater BH is fixed to the two-way fixing member 81, the lower side portion BH1 of the base heater BH contacts the base B. Additionally, when installing the base heater BH on the two-way fixing member 81, the front side portion BH3 facing the front side of the housing 2 is disposed on the open end 81b side of the two-way fixing member 81. Therefore, as Figure 6 shown, the lower side portion BH1 and the front side portion BH3 of the base heater BH do not contact the two-way fixing member 81.

[0066] In contrast, the inner side portion BH4 of the base heater BH that moves from the front side to the back side of the housing 2 and is inserted into the two-way fixing member 81 during installation contacts the portion of the two-way fixing member 81 that stands up in the Y-direction upper side connected to the open end 81b from the threaded hole 81a, and is thus fixed by the two-way fixing member 81. That is, the inner side portion BH4 is restricted from moving in the Z-direction by the two-way fixing member 81.

[0067] Additionally, at the same time, the upper side portion BH2 of the base heater BH also contacts the two-way fixing member 81. That is, the two-way fixing member 81 presses the upper side portion BH2 of the base heater BH downward in the Y-direction toward the base B. In this way, the two-way fixing member 81 fixes the base heater BH to the base B by contacting the upper side portion BH2 and the inner side portion BH4 of the base heater BH.

[0068] As a result, by simply pushing the base heater BH into the two-way fixing member 81, the base heater BH can be fixed to the base B by the two-way fixing member 81. In this way, when the base heater BH is fixed to the back side of the base B, since the base heater BH is fixed using the two-way fixing member 81 instead of the three-way fixing member 82, screw fastening is not required when fixing the base heater BH to the base B.

[0069] In addition, in this way, since the base heater BH is not screw-fastened to the base B by the two-way fixing member 81, when the base heater BH is disassembled, on the contrary, it can be disassembled only by moving from the back side of the housing 2 toward the front side (in the Z direction).

[0070] In contrast, when the base heater BH is fixed to the base B using the three-way fixing member 82, the three-way fixing member 82 is arranged to cover the base heater BH from above and is screw-fastened to the base B. That is, the base heater BH is fixed to the base B in such a way that it is sandwiched between the three-way fixing member 82 and the base B.

[0071] Use Figure 7 A case where the base heater BH is fixed to the base B using the three-way fixing member 82 will be described. Figure 7 Is in Figure 3 The enlarged cutaway sectional view is a view showing the base heater BH fixed by the three-way fixing member 82 cut along the N-N line and enlarged in the top view shown.

[0072] It should be noted that regarding the periphery of the base heater BH, the same as the case where the two-way fixing member 81 is described, the side in contact with the base B is set as the lower part BH1, and the opposite side in the upward direction of the lower part BH1 is set as the upper part BH2. However, as Figure 6 shown in Figure 3 , Figure 7 shown, the three-way fixing member 82 fixes the base heater BH to the base B by fixing the base heater BH in three directions other than the lower part BH1. Therefore, in Figure 7 , reference numerals are not assigned to the periphery other than the lower part BH1 and the upper part BH2.

[0073] That is, the three-way fixing member 82 is arranged to cover the base heater BH downward in the Y direction from the upper part BH2 of the base heater BH toward the lower part BH1. Therefore, when the base heater BH is fixed to the base B, the three-way fixing member 82 covers three parts of the periphery of the base heater BH except for the lower part in contact with the base B. And the three-way fixing member 82 is fixed to the base B by screw fastening, whereby the base heater BH is fixed to the base B in such a way that it is sandwiched between the three-way fixing member 82 and the base B.

[0074] In the embodiment of the present invention, the first three-way fixing member 821 in the three-way fixing member 82 is disposed on the left side of the base B. Moreover, the base heater BH is fixed at a position on one end side of the base heater BH and before it is about to stand up in the Y direction, and at a position after the orientation of the base heater BH has just been changed from the Z direction to the X direction.

[0075] On the other hand, the second three-way fixing member 822 is disposed on the right side of the base B. Moreover, the base heater BH is fixed at a position on the other end side of the base heater BH and before it is about to stand up in the Y direction.

[0076] As described above, when the two-way fixing member 81 is used, the base heater BH can be fixed to the base B without using fixing members such as screws. However, it remains difficult for an operator to access the two-way fixing member 81 disposed on the back side of the base B. Therefore, when attaching and detaching the base heater BH with respect to the two-way fixing member 81, a dedicated jig is used.

[0077] Figure 8 FIG. is an overall view showing an example of a jig J used when attaching and detaching the base heater BH with respect to the two-way fixing member 81. The jig J is formed in a thin and long plate shape and is used by an operator holding one end of the jig J and inserting it from the front side to the back side of the frame 2. Therefore, Figure 8 the length of the jig J in the longitudinal direction is set to such a length that the other end of the jig J can reach the two-way fixing member 81 when the operator holds one end of the jig J and inserts it from the front side to the back side of the frame 2.

[0078] In addition, attachment / detachment portions J1 and J2 are formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the jig J, and the attachment / detachment portions J1 and J2 come into contact with the base heater BH when attaching and detaching the base heater BH with respect to the two-way fixing member 81. The attachment / detachment portion J1 is used when inserting the base heater BH into the two-way fixing member 81.

[0079] That is, when the operator inserts the base heater BH into the two-way fixing member 81, the attachment / detachment portion J1 is brought into contact with the front side portion BH3 of the base heater BH. Therefore, the attachment / detachment portion J1 is provided with a pushing portion J11 formed in a substantially semicircular shape as shown, for example, so as to be able to contact the base heater BH without wobbling when contacting the base heater BH. Figure 8 shown so as to be able to contact the base heater BH without wobbling when contacting the base heater BH.

[0080] Then, in a state where the pushing portion J11 of the attachment / detachment portion J1 is in contact with Figure 6 the front side portion BH3 of the base heater BH shown, the operator holds the attachment / detachment portion J2 side of the jig J and moves along Figure 3 、 Figure 4The Z direction shown is pushed in from the front side toward the back side. As a result, the inner part BH4 of the base heater BH moves from the open end 81b side of the two-way fixing member 81 toward the threaded hole 81a side, fits into the two-way fixing member 81, and is fixed to the base B.

[0081] On the other hand, the loading and unloading portion J2 is used when removing the base heater BH from the two-way fixing member 81. When removing the base heater BH from the two-way fixing member 81, different from the fitting case, it is necessary to hook the jig J on the base heater BH located on the threaded hole 81a side of the two-way fixing member 81 and pull it from the back side to the front side of the base B. Therefore, the loading and unloading portion J2 is formed in a hook shape different from the loading and unloading portion J1.

[0082] Then, in a state where the loading and unloading portion J2 is hooked on the fitting side of the base heater BH, the operator holds the loading and unloading portion J1 side of the jig J and pulls it from Figure 3 、 Figure 4 the back side shown toward the front side. As a result, the fitting side of the base heater BH moves from the threaded hole 81a side of the two-way fixing member 81 toward the open end 81b side and detaches from the two-way fixing member 81.

[0083] In this way, the operator holds the jig J and holds either end thereof, and loads and unloads the base heater BH with respect to the two-way fixing member 81 by inserting and pushing the jig J from the front side to the back side of the base B or by pulling it. Therefore, a space (passage P) for the operator to insert the jig J described below is provided in the base B.

[0084] Here, Figure 9 is an enlarged view showing the front of the outdoor unit 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention in an enlarged manner. However, in Figure 9 , mainly the lower part of the front of the housing 2 is shown, and a part of it is cut out and shown on the basis of showing the lower maintenance panel 6 in a closed state.

[0085] In the lower part of the outdoor unit 1, as described above, the refrigeration circuit unit 7 is arranged inside the maintenance panel 6. The operator inserts the jig J along the Z direction from the passage P and approaches the base heater BH provided on the back side of the base B, and this passage P is formed in the region surrounded by a circle in the cut-out and shown part.

[0086] Here, if the position where the jig J contacts the base heater BH becomes too far from the two-way fixing member 81, when loading and unloading the base heater BH with respect to the two-way fixing member 81, when pressing or pulling the base heater BH in the Z direction, an excessive force may be applied to the base heater BH.

[0087] Therefore, in the housing 2, a passage P serving as a space into which the jig J can be inserted when loading and unloading the base heater BH is provided between the front side and the back side. That is, the passage P is provided at a position where the base heater BH can be fixed to the bidirectional fixing member 81 using the jig J.

[0088] It should be noted that, regarding Figure 8 the jig J shown, the so-called main body portion connecting the respective ends where the loading and unloading portions J1 and J2 are formed is formed in a straight line. However, depending on the arrangement position of, for example, the refrigeration circuit unit 7 arranged on the base B, the shape of the main body portion does not necessarily have to be formed in a straight line.

[0089] Next, the air conditioner A using the outdoor unit 1 described so far will be described. The air conditioner A is composed of an indoor unit 20 provided indoors and an outdoor unit 1 provided outdoors, and the temperature and humidity indoors are adjusted by the refrigerant circulating in the refrigeration circuit C formed by connecting these indoor unit 20 and outdoor unit 1.

[0090] It should be noted that the outdoor unit 1 in the embodiment of the present invention is a large outdoor unit that can be connected to a plurality of indoor units 20. However, even when the outdoor unit 1 and the indoor unit 20 are in a one-to-one relationship, the structure is the same. Hereinafter, using Figure 10 for the description of the air conditioner A, an example in which one indoor unit 20 is connected to one outdoor unit 1 is given in Figure 10 .

[0091] Figure 10 is a circuit diagram showing the structure of the entire refrigeration circuit C of the air conditioner A including the outdoor unit 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. As described above, the air conditioner A is composed of the outdoor unit 1 and the indoor unit 20 connected to the outdoor unit 1.

[0092] In Figure 10 , an indoor heat exchanger 21 for heat exchange between the refrigerant and the indoor air is provided in the indoor unit 20 indicated by the dotted line. It should be noted that in this indoor unit 20, although only the indoor heat exchanger 21 is shown, it generally includes, for example, an indoor fan for blowing the heat-exchanged air into the room and a control device for controlling the indoor unit 20.

[0093] In Figure 10 , the outdoor unit 1 indicated by the dashed line, as described using Figure 1 , Figure 2 , is provided with a refrigeration circuit unit 7. The refrigeration circuit unit 7 is connected in sequence by pipes to a compressor 71, a heat exchanger unit 4, and an expansion valve 72.

[0094] It should be noted that, as the devices constituting the refrigeration circuit unit 7, in addition to the above-mentioned devices, various valve mechanisms such as four-way valves and devices such as liquid receivers are also connected, for example. However, their illustrations are omitted in Figure 10 . In addition, regarding the control device for controlling each device constituting the outdoor unit 1, it is provided inside the electrical installation box 10 described so far, but its illustration is also omitted.

[0095] Moreover, the outdoor unit 1 and the indoor unit 20 are connected by pipes through which the refrigerant circulates, and a refrigeration circuit C is constituted. That is, the pipes are connected in such a way that the indoor heat exchanger 21 of the indoor unit 20 is located between the compressor 71 and the expansion valve 72 of the outdoor unit 1, and the refrigerant flows in the order of the compressor 71, the indoor heat exchanger 21, the expansion valve 72, or in the order of the expansion valve 72, the indoor heat exchanger 21, the compressor 71.

[0096] Here, the operation of the air conditioner A using the refrigeration circuit C will be described taking the refrigeration operation as an example. For example, when the air conditioner A performs refrigeration operation, as Figure 10 shown by the arrows, the refrigerant circulates in the refrigeration circuit C in the order of the compressor 71 provided in the outdoor unit 1, the heat exchanger unit 4, the expansion valve 72, the indoor heat exchanger 21 provided in the indoor unit 20, and again the compressor 71 of the outdoor unit 1.

[0097] That is, the refrigerant compressed in the compressor 71 of the outdoor unit 1 and becoming high-temperature and high-pressure is supplied to the heat exchanger unit 4. In the heat exchanger unit 4, heat exchange occurs between the air (outside air) supplied by the rotation of the outdoor fan (not shown) and the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant, and the refrigerant dissipates heat to the outside air. Then, part or all of the refrigerant condenses and becomes low-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant.

[0098] After flowing out of the heat exchanger unit 4, the refrigerant that has become low-temperature and high-pressure is decompressed by the expansion valve 72. Then, the refrigerant that has become low-temperature and low-pressure is supplied to the indoor heat exchanger 21, and heat exchange occurs between the refrigerant and the surrounding air in the indoor heat exchanger 21.

[0099] Through the heat exchange based on the indoor heat exchanger 21, the refrigerant evaporates, and the air sucked into the indoor heat exchanger 21 is cooled and supplied to the indoor by the indoor fan to cool the indoor. Then, the low-pressure refrigerant that has absorbed heat through heat exchange returns to the compressor 71, and the refrigeration cycle up to this point is repeated.

[0100] On the other hand, regarding the heating operation, the refrigerant circulates inside the refrigeration circuit C in the order opposite to the Figure 10 arrows shown, and the refrigerant condenses in the indoor heat exchanger 21, thereby performing indoor heating.

[0101] By adopting the structure described above, it is possible to provide an outdoor unit and an air conditioner that include a fixing member capable of reliably fixing the base heater to the bottom plate and easily attaching and detaching the base heater.

[0102] In particular, by setting the fixing member disposed on the back side of the base (frame) among the fixing members of the base heater as a two-way fixing member with an open front side, even on the back side where it is difficult for the operator's hand to reach, the base heater can be reliably fixed, and the attachment and detachment also become easy.

[0103] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but shows an example of the present invention. At the implementation stage, the components can be deformed and embodied without departing from the gist thereof, and various changes or improvements can be made to the above-described embodiments. In addition, by appropriately combining a plurality of components disclosed in the above-described embodiments, various inventions can be formed.

[0104] For example, several components can be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiments. Furthermore, components related to different embodiments can be appropriately combined, and the embodiments with such changes or improvements are also included in the present invention. Such embodiments and their deformations are included within the scope and gist of the invention, and are included within the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

[0105] So far, regarding the outdoor unit 1 in the embodiment of the present invention, the fixing member 8 has been described on the premise of having a frame 2 of the size shown. Therefore, for example, when the frame 2 becomes larger and the base B becomes larger than the base B in the embodiment of the present invention, the two-way fixing member 81 and the three-way fixing member 82 are appropriately increased to fix the base heater BH to the base B. Figures 1 to 4 However, even when the fixing member 8 is increased, the two-way fixing member 81 is disposed on the back side of the base B. On the other hand, if a space for the operator to perform the fixing operation of the base heater BH to the base B is ensured on the back side of the base B, the three-way fixing member 82 can also be used on the back side of the base B.

[0106]

[0107] In addition, in the outdoor unit 1 in the embodiment of the present invention described so far, it is premised that the base heater BH is fixed to the base B using the three-way fixing member 82 on the left and right sides of the base B.

[0108] However, this does not mean that the two-way fixing member 81 cannot be used on both sides of the base B. Depending on the situation, the two-way fixing member 81 can also be used at these positions instead of the three-way fixing member 82.

[0109] ​However, on the other hand, it is not appropriate to make all of the fixing members 8 into the two-way fixing members 81. This is because, as described above, since the other end side of the two-way fixing member 81 is formed as an open end 81b, if all of them are made into the two-way fixing members 81, there is a possibility that the base heater BH may fall off from the base B due to vibrations of the outdoor unit 1 or the like.

[0110] It should be noted that the following structures can also be adopted for the technologies described in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0111] (1) An outdoor unit, characterized in that: The outdoor unit includes: a housing surrounded by a front panel that can be opened and closed, a rear panel opposed to the front panel, and side panels connecting the front panel and the rear panel; A heat exchanger unit disposed on the side closer to the rear panel; A base heater located between the heat exchanger unit and a base constituting the bottom surface of the housing and fixed to the base; and Fixing members that fix the base heater to the base, The fixing members include: Two-way fixing members that, when fixing the base heater to the base, contact the upper side portion on the opposite side of the lower side portion in the case where the lower side portion is the side in contact with the base among the periphery of the base heater, and the inner side portion on the side closer to the rear panel among the portions connecting the lower side portion and the upper side portion, and fix the base heater to the base; and Three-way fixing members that, when fixing the base heater to the base, contact portions other than the lower side portion among the periphery of the base heater, and fix the base heater to the base.

[0112] (2) The outdoor unit according to (1) above, characterized in that the two-way fixing members are disposed on the side of the base closer to the rear panel.

[0113] (3) The outdoor unit according to (1) or (2) above, characterized in that the heat exchanger unit is disposed inside the housing on the rear panel and a plurality of the side panels, The two-way fixing members are disposed on the side of the base closer to the rear panel, and the three-way fixing members are disposed on the side of the base closer to the side panels.

[0114] (4) The outdoor unit according to (2) or (3) above, characterized in that a jig is used to mount the base heater relative to the two-way fixing members. The housing has a passage between the front panel and the back panel, and the passage can be inserted by the jig when the base heater is loaded and unloaded. The bi-directional fixing member is disposed near the insertion front end of the jig when the jig is inserted through the passage.

[0115] (5) An air conditioner, comprising: the outdoor unit according to any one of (1) to (4) above; and An indoor unit disposed indoors and forming a refrigeration circuit with the outdoor unit.

[0116] Description of reference numerals 1... Outdoor unit, 2... Housing, 3... Air intake, 4... Heat exchanger unit, 5... Fan, 6... Maintenance panel, 7... Refrigeration circuit unit, 71... Compressor, 72... Expansion valve, 8... Fixing member, 81... Bi-directional fixing member, 82... Tri-directional fixing member, 821... First tri-directional fixing member, 822... Second tri-directional fixing member, 10... Electrical installation box, 20... Indoor unit, 21... Indoor heat exchanger, A... Air conditioner, B... Base (bottom plate), BH... Base heater, C... Refrigerant circuit, J... Jig, J1... Loading and unloading part, J2... Loading and unloading part, P... Passage (space), S... Thermostat, O... Air outlet.

Claims

1. An outdoor unit, characterized in that: The outdoor unit includes: A housing surrounded by a front panel that can be opened and closed, a rear panel opposed to the front panel, and side panels connecting the front panel and the rear panel; A heat exchanger unit disposed on the side closer to the rear panel; A base heater located between the heat exchanger unit and a base constituting the bottom surface of the housing and fixed to the base; and A fixing member for fixing the base heater to the base, The fixing member includes: A two-way fixing member that, when fixing the base heater to the base, contacts an upper side portion on the opposite side of a lower side portion that contacts the base among the peripheries of the base heater, and an inner side portion on the side closer to the rear panel among the portions connecting the lower side portion and the upper side portion, and fixes the base heater to the base; And A three-way fixing member that, when fixing the base heater to the base, contacts portions other than the lower side portion among the peripheries of the base heater, and fixes the base heater to the base.

2. The outdoor unit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two-way fixing member is disposed on the side closer to the rear panel of the base.

3. The outdoor unit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat exchanger unit is disposed inside the housing on the side closer to the rear panel and on one side of a plurality of side panels; The two-way fixing member is disposed on the side closer to the rear panel of the base, and the three-way fixing member is disposed on the side closer to the side panel of the base.

4. The outdoor unit according to claim 2, characterized in that: The heat exchanger unit is disposed inside the housing on the side closer to the rear panel and on one side of a plurality of side panels; The two-way fixing member is disposed on the side closer to the rear panel of the base, and the three-way fixing member is disposed on the side closer to the side panel of the base.

5. The outdoor unit according to claim 2, characterized in that: The base heater is mounted relative to the two-way fixing member using a jig, The housing has a passage between the front panel and the rear panel, and the passage can be inserted by the jig during loading and unloading of the base heater, The two-way fixing member is disposed near the insertion front end of the jig when the jig is inserted through the passage.

6. The outdoor unit according to claim 3, characterized in that: The base heater is mounted relative to the two-way fixing member using a jig, The housing has a passage between the front panel and the rear panel, and the passage can be inserted by the jig during loading and unloading of the base heater, The two-way fixing member is disposed near the insertion front end of the jig when the jig is inserted through the passage.

7. An air conditioner, including: The outdoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6; and An indoor unit disposed indoors and forming a refrigeration circuit with the outdoor unit.

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