Wall-mounted indoor air conditioning unit

Abstract

Wall-mounted air conditioning indoor unit (1), comprising: a body housing (100) comprising a body base (101) for attachment to an inner wall surface and a front cover (102) for removably covering the body base; an electrical component (20) provided on a front surface portion (101a) of the body base inside the body case; a waterproof electrical component box (10) for covering the electrical component (20) inside the body casing; and a heat exhaust port (1011) included in the body base on a rear side surface with respect to the electrical component, as viewed from a front surface of the body base.

Description

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGYThe present disclosure relates to a wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit.BACKGROUND TO THE PRIOR ARTIn wall-mounted indoor air conditioner units for household use, mold is likely to grow in a portion where a heat exchanger is installed, an air supply passage portion, or the like. Therefore, there is a growing demand for cleaning wall-mounted air conditioner indoor units with water or other means.However, in a wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit, electric components such as a control board are installed, which may lead to failure upon contact with water or the like.Therefore, when the inside of a wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit is cleaned with water or the like, electrical components of water or the like must be prevented from becoming wet.Patent Literature 1, for example, discloses providing an electric component cover for preventing a detergent from entering the electric component space through a ventilation terminal formed on the front surface of an electric component space and adhering to an electric component itself when the interior of an indoor unit case of an air conditioner is cleaned with the detergent. The ventilation port is configured to cool the inside of the electric component space or detect an inside air temperature by a thermistor located in the electric component space.Patent Literature 2 discloses an air conditioner in which installation of an indoor unit is performed by inserting a spacer between the back surface of the indoor unit and a wall surface on which the indoor unit is installed, and a space is provided between the indoor unit and the wall surface, and in which a plate-shaped spacer is detachably formed on a back plate of an electric component box of the indoor unit. Patent Literature 3 discloses an air conditioner in which an indoor unit is provided with a front grill, a light display part in a central part of the front grill, an LED in a lower part of the front grill, a prism body that passes through a rear side of the front grill and extends to a rear side of a light display part, a prism having a reflecting surface that reflects light from the LED penetrating through the prism body toward the light display part behind the light display part, and cover bodies provided separately from the prism so as to cover an outer surface of the reflecting surface and an outer periphery of the prism body.REFERENCE LISTPATENT LITERATUREPatent Literature 1: JP 2002-61875 APatent Literature 2: JP H06-221610 APatent Literature 3: JP 2000-97449 ASUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONTECHNICAL PROBLEMSince electrical components generate heat, it is necessary not only to prevent wall-mounted air-conditioner indoor units from being wetted by water or the like when the inside of the wall-mounted air-conditioner indoor unit is cleaned with water or the like, but also to release the heat generated by the electrical components to the outside of the wall-mounted air-conditioner indoor unit.In the conventional technique as disclosed in Patent Literature 1, although the vent hole is formed, the vent hole is formed on the front surface of the electric component space, and therefore there is a problem that it is difficult to completely prevent the permeation of the detergent when the inside of the housing of the indoor unit is cleaned while the vent hole is used as a heat extraction port.The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problem, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit that prevents electric components from becoming wet by water or the like when the interior of the indoor unit is cleaned with water or the like, and allows heat generated from the electric components to be dissipated from the interior.SOLUTION OF PROBLEMA wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit according to the present disclosure includes: a body case including a body base for attachment to an inner wall surface and a front cover for detachably covering the body base; an electric component provided on a front surface portion of the body base inside the body case; a waterproof electric component box for covering the electric component inside the body case; and a heat extraction terminal included in the body base on a rear side surface with respect to the electric component as viewed from a front surface of the body base.ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF THE INVENTIONAccording to a wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit of the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent electric components from becoming wet by water or the like when the inside of the indoor unit is cleaned with water or the like, and to allow heat generated from the electric components to be dissipated from the inside.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSFIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of a wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit according to a first embodiment. FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams for explaining the structure of the inside of a body case of the indoor unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2A is a diagram showing the indoor unit illustrated in FIG. 1 with the front cover removed, and FIG. 2B is a diagram showing the indoor unit illustrated in FIG. 2A with the waterproof case for electrical components further removed. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the indoor unit for explaining a concept in which the waterproof case for electric components is covered in the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a concept of an example of a method of attaching the waterproof box for electrical components to a front surface portion of a body base in the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 2A. FIGS. 6A and 6B are diagrams for explaining a comparison result between an example of a conventional indoor unit in which electrical components are dispersedly contained in a body case and an example of the indoor unit according to the first embodiment in which the electrical components are collectively contained at a location in the body case. FIG. 6A is a diagram showing the inside of the body housing of the indoor unit in which the electrical components are distributed in the body housing, and FIG. 6B is a diagram showing the inside of the body housing of the indoor unit according to the first embodiment.DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTSHereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.First Embodiment.In a first embodiment, it is assumed that a wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit is an ordinary wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit used in ordinary households.FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of a wall-mounted air-conditioning indoor unit 1 of a first embodiment. In the following description, the wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit 1 is also referred to simply as an "indoor unit".FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the indoor unit in a state where the indoor unit is installed on an inner wall surface. Hereinafter, the state in which the indoor unit is installed on the wall surface will be referred to as an "installed state".As shown in FIG. 1, the indoor unit includes a body case 100. The body housing 100 includes a body base 101 and a front cover 102 detachably covering the body base 101. Note that the front cover 102 in FIG. 1 covers the body base 101.The body base 101 has a box shape and has a front surface portion 101 a(see FIG. 5 described later), an upper surface portion 101 b(see FIG. 5 described later), a rear surface portion 101 c(see FIG. 5 described later), and a lower surface portion 101 d(see FIG. 5 described later).The front surface portion 101 aof the body base 101 is a surface of the body base 101 that is the front surface in the installed state of the indoor unit. The rear surface portion 101 cof the body base 101 is a surface of the body base 101 facing the front surface portion 101 a. For the installation of the indoor unit, for example, the rear surface portion 101 cis fixed to a wall surface via an installation plate (not illustrated). The upper surface portion 101 bof the body base 101 is the upper surface of the body base 101 in the indoor unit installed state. The lower surface portion 101 dof the body base 101 is a surface of the body base 101 facing the upper surface portion 101 b.The front cover 102 is provided with a grill part as an air inlet portion. The grid member gives the appearance of the front cover 102 while ensuring ventilation.An air intake port (not shown) is formed in an upper portion of the front cover 102.In addition, the front cover 102 is formed such that a lower portion of the body case 100 is opened in a state where the front cover 102 covers the body case 101.An air outlet port (not shown) is formed in an opening part formed in the lower portion of the body case 100. The direction and size of the opening of the air outlet opening are regulated by a louver 103. Note that in FIG. 1, the air outlet port is closed by the louver 103.At the right end of the air outlet port, a display unit 104 is provided which displays an operation state or the like of the indoor unit by, for example, LEDs.FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams for explaining the structure of the inside of the body case 100 in the indoor unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2A is a diagram showing the indoor unit shown in FIG. 1 with the front cover 102 removed, and FIG. 2B is a diagram showing the indoor unit shown in FIG. 2A with the waterproof case for electrical components 10 further removed.Inside the body case 100, an air supply passage is formed extending from the air inlet port to the air outlet port. In the center of the air supply passage, a heat exchanger 105 that exchanges heat with the inside air, an air supply fan (not shown), a louver 103, and the like are provided. The louver 103 includes horizontal airflow direction variable louvers (not shown) and vertical airflow direction variable louvers (not shown).Mold is likely to form in the heat exchanger 105, the air supply passage, or the like. They are also contaminated by dust or the like in the air.Therefore, parts that can mold, collect dirt, or the like, such as the heat exchanger 105 or the air supply passage, are formed so as to be cleaned with water or the like. Note that a cleaning service or the like removes the front cover 102 illustrated in FIG. 1 when the heat exchanger 105, the air supply passage or the like is cleaned with water or the like.Inside the body case 100, a fan motor 203 for driving a blower fan, a blade motor 204 for driving the horizontal airflow direction variable blades and the vertical airflow direction variable blades, a control board 201 a, a display board 202 a, or the like are provided. Note that the control board 201 a supplies the fan motor 203 or the fan motor 204 with electricity for driving, for example. For example, LEDs are disposed on the display board 202 a, and the display board 202 a supplies electricity to the LEDs for lighting.As illustrated in FIG. 2B, the control board 201 ais accommodated in a control board case 201 made of metal. The display board 202a is accommodated in a display board case 202.The control board 201 agenerates heat. For flame retardancy of the control board 201 a, a control board case 201 made of metal is necessary. Incidentally, in the design criteria, it is determined that the control board must be covered with a metal case.The control board 201 a, the control board case 201 housing the control board 201 a, the display board 202 a, the display board case 202 housing the display board 202 a, the fan motor 203, and the blade motor 204 are electrical components 20 that may lead to failure when in contact with water or the like.As illustrated in FIG. 2A, the waterproof electric component box 10 covering the electric components 20 is detachably integrated into the body case 100. The electrical components 20 are the fan motor 203, the fan motor 204, the control board 201 a, the control board housing 201, the display board 202 a, and the display board housing 202. Note that, in FIG. 2A, a state in which the waterproof electric component box 10 is fixed to the body base 101 is illustrated.The waterproof case for electrical components 10 is made of, for example, resin. Note that this is only an example, and the waterproof case for electrical components 10 need only be formed of a waterproof member.FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the indoor unit for explaining a concept in which the waterproof electric component box 10 covers the electric components 20 in the first embodiment.In FIG. 3, only the waterproof electric component box 10, the fan motor 203, the fan motor 204, the control board case 201, the display board case 202, and a part of the body base 101 are illustrated for convenience.The waterproof case for electrical components 10 is fixed to the front surface portion 101 aof the body base 101 such that all the electrical components 20 are completely covered by the front surface portion 101 aof the body base 101.FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a concept of an example of a method of attaching the waterproof electric component box 10 to the front surface portion 101 aof the body base 101 in the first embodiment.Note that, in FIG. 4, only the waterproof electric component box 10 and a portion of the front surface portion 101 aof the body base 101 to which the waterproof electric component box 10 is attached are illustrated for convenience.As illustrated in FIG. 4, the front surface portion 101 aof the body base 101 to which the waterproof electric component box 10 is attached has a recess 101 e. Although not illustrated in FIG. 4, the control board 201 aand the display board 202 aare provided at the lower surface portion of the recess 101 ewhile being accommodated in the control board housing 201 and the display board housing 202, respectively (see FIG. 3 ).Although not illustrated in FIG. 4, the fan motor 203 and the fan motor 204 are provided in the recess 101 e(see FIG. 3 ).The waterproof case for electrical components 10 has a case shape in which a side surface fixed to the front surface portion 101 aof the body base 101 is opened.As illustrated in FIG. 4, the waterproof electric component box 10 is fixed to the front surface portion 101 aof the body base 101 by, for example, a snap-fit mechanism.When the waterproof electric component box 10 is attached to the front surface portion 101 aof the body base 101, two protrusions 10 a(see 402 in FIG. 4 ) formed in the waterproof electric component box 10 are snap-fitted through two corresponding holes 10 bincluded in the body base 101. As a result, a state in which the waterproof electric component box 10 is attached to the front surface portion 101 aof the body base 101 is maintained. Moreover, in the state where the waterproof case for electrical components 10 is fixed to the front face portion 101 aof the body base 101, the portion covered by the waterproof case for electrical components 10, in other words, the recess 101 eof the front face portion 101 aof the body base 101 is sealed by the waterproof case for electrical components 10. Note that the shapes of the protrusions 10 aand the holes 10 bare not limited to the shapes illustrated in FIG. 4.For example, a service provider or the like removes the front cover 102 and, in the state where the waterproof electric component box 10 is attached, as illustrated in FIG. 2A, cleaners the portion of the heat exchanger 105, the portion of the air supply passage, or other portions where mold is likely to form inside the indoor unit with a high-pressure cleaning machine or the like with water.Although the electrical components 20 are inside the indoor unit, the electrical components 20 are completely covered and sealed with the waterproof electric component box 10, so that the electrical components 20 do not come into contact with water or the like.In a case where the service provider or the like removes the waterproof box for electrical components 10 from the front surface portion 101 aof the body base 101, for example, by pressing the protrusions 10 aand pulling out the waterproof box for electrical components 10 from the front surface portion 101 aof the body base 101, the protrusions 10 aaccommodated by snap fitting are detached from the holes 10 b, whereby the waterproof box for electrical components 10 can be removed from the front surface portion 101 aof the body base 101.Note that here, as illustrated in FIG. 4, a protrusion 10 ais formed on each of the left and right surfaces of the electric component waterproof box 10, and in a state where the electric component waterproof box 10 is fixed, the protrusions 10 aare received by the holes 10 bformed at positions facing the protrusions 10 aof the front surface portion 101 aof the body base 101, but this is merely an example. The protrusions 10 amay be attached to the upper and lower surfaces of the waterproof box for the electric component 10, for example.Although two protrusions 10 aand two holes 10 bare included in this example, it is only an example. For example, three or more sets of a protrusion 10 aand a hole 10 bmay be included.As described above, the waterproof case for electrical components 10 is detachably attached to the front surface portion 101 aof the body base 101 inside the body case 100.By making the waterproof case for electrical components 10 detachable, for example, installation work on the indoor unit by a service provider or the like can be facilitated. For example, when installing the indoor unit, a service provider or the like needs to connect an electric wire from a power source of a house to the electric components 20 included in the indoor unit. The service provider or the like takes down the front cover 102 and connects the electric cable to the electric components 20, and when the waterproof electric component box 10 is attached at this location, the work of connecting the electric wire and the electric components 20 is difficult. By making the electric component waterproof box 10 detachable, the service provider or the like can remove the electric component waterproof box 10 at the installation of the indoor unit and easily connect the electric wire to the electric components 20.Incidentally, the waterproof case for electrical components 10 does not impair the operation of the indoor unit. That is, the indoor unit can be normally operated with or without the fastened waterproof case for electrical components 10. Therefore, for example, in a case where the market demands cost reduction or the like, the indoor unit may be a product that does not include the waterproof case for electrical components 10, provided that the interior of the indoor unit is not suitable for cleaning with water or the like.FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 2A. Note that FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 2A as viewed from a side surface on the side where the electrical components 20 are included.As illustrated in FIG. 5, as viewed from the front surface of the body base 101, in other words, as viewed from the direction indicated by the arrow 501 in FIG. 5, a heat extraction terminal 1011 is included in the body base 101 on the rear side with respect to the electrical components 20.More specifically, in the body base 101, in the front surface portion 101 aof the body base 101 covered with the waterproof electric component box 10 and in the upper surface portion 101 bof the body base, a heat extraction terminal 1011 aand a heat extraction terminal 1011 bare respectively formed.Note that the heat dissipation terminal 1011 ais formed at a position outside the control board case 201 and the display board case 202 on the front surface portion 101 aof the body base 101 covered with the waterproof electric component box 10.As described above, the control board 201 agenerates heat. The heat generated from the control board 201 ais discharged to the outside of the control board housing 201 through a gap or the like of the control board housing 201, passes through the heat dissipation port 1011 aand the inside of the body base 101, and is discharged to the outside of the indoor unit through the heat dissipation port 1011 b(see 502 in FIG. 5 ). Thereby, in the indoor unit, the heat generated by the electrical components 20, particularly the control board 201 acan be discharged from the inside thereof.Since the heat extraction port 1011 is constructed to be formed on the rear side of the body base 101 with respect to the electrical components 20 as viewed from the front surface of the body base 101, water or the like does not permeate inside the indoor unit through the heat extraction port 1011 even if a service provider or the like of portions of the heat exchanger 105 or the air supply passage inside the indoor unit is cleaned with water, for example, with a high-pressure cleaning machine. As a result, the electrical components 20 do not come into contact with water or the like.As illustrated in FIG. 5, the body base 101 includes protrusions 1012 each having a shape protruding into the interior of the body base 101 in the vicinity of the heat dissipation port 1011 of the body base 101.With the body base 101 having the protrusions 1012, water or the like can be prevented from entering the indoor unit from the outside along the wall surface due to surface tension.Note that in this example, as illustrated in FIG. 5, three protrusions 1012 are formed. However, the number of the protrusions 1012 is not limited to three.In the first embodiment, the body base 101 includes the protrusions 1012, but this is only an example. The body base 101 may not necessarily have the protrusions 1012.In the above-described first embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 2B, the electrical components 20 are collectively provided at a location inside the body case 100.FIGS. 6A and 6B are diagrams for explaining a comparison result between an example of a conventional indoor unit in which electrical components are dispersedly arranged in a body case and an example of the indoor unit according to the first embodiment in which the electrical components 20 are collectively arranged at a location in the body case 100.FIG. 6A is a diagram showing the inside of the indoor unit body housing in which the electrical components are distributed in the body housing, and FIG. 6B is a diagram showing the inside of the indoor unit body housing 100 according to the first embodiment.Note that FIGS. 6A and 6B are exemplary views of the inside of the body housings of the indoor units from which the front covers are detached in the installed state of the indoor units, as viewed from the front sides of the indoor units.Conventionally, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 6A, an indoor unit is known in which a vane motor 601 for driving horizontal airflow direction variable vanes and a vane motor 602 for driving vertical airflow direction variable vanes are separately disposed at ends in the width direction of the body case.On the other hand, in the indoor unit according to the first embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 6B, the motor for driving the horizontal airflow direction variable vanes and the motor for driving the vertical airflow direction variable vanes are integrated into one vane motor 204 inside the body case 100. Moreover, in the indoor unit, the lamination motor 204 and the other electrical components 20 are collectively disposed at a location inside the body case 100. In this example, the electrical components 20 are collectively arranged at the right end when the indoor unit is viewed from the front surface portion 101 aof the body case 100 inside the body case 100.That is, as illustrated in FIG. 6B, in the indoor unit, a "water cleaning area" in which components that need to be cleaned with water or the like, such as the heat exchanger 105 and the air passage (hereinafter, referred to as "cleaning-subject components"), and a "required waterproof area" in which the electrical components 20 that may cause failure when coming into contact with water or the like are disposed are separated inside the body case 100, and the required waterproof area is disposed at a location.Since the required waterproof area is disposed at one location, only one waterproof case for electrical components 10 is required in the indoor unit.Moreover, in the construction, the indoor unit enables the widths of the drains 603 aand 603 bto be reduced as compared with the conventional indoor unit in which the lamination motors 601 and 602 are arranged at a plurality of locations. Thereby, the indoor unit can ensure accessibility from the front for the connection work to the power source when a service provider or the like installs the indoor unit. Moreover, the indoor unit does not need a harness 604 for connecting the plurality of fan motors 601 and 602 as is required in conventional indoor units.Note that in the first embodiment, the indoor unit drives the horizontal airflow direction variable vanes and the vertical airflow direction variable vanes with the single vane motor 204, but this is only an example. For example, the indoor unit may include a motor for driving the horizontal airflow direction variable vanes and a motor for driving the vertical airflow direction variable vanes. However, in the indoor unit, the motor for driving the horizontal airflow direction variable blades and the motor for driving the vertical airflow direction variable blades are constructed to be arranged in common in a required waterproof area inside the body case 100.Note that there is a required waterproof region in the first embodiment, but it is not necessarily required that the number of required waterproof regions is one. For example, in a case where a plurality of required waterproof regions are included in the indoor unit, the indoor unit includes as many waterproof boxes for electrical components 10 as the number of required waterproof regions.In the first embodiment, the indoor unit includes the waterproof electric component box 10 separately from the control board case 201 and the display board case 202 inside the indoor unit body case 100. The waterproof case for electrical components 10 may also serve as the control board housing 201 and the display board housing 202. In this case, however, the waterproof case for electrical components 10 needs to be made of metal and waterproof.A metal case is generally manufactured by cutting and bending a flat plate. Therefore, it is difficult to form a metal case without creating a gap. In order to form a metal case without creating a gap, a molded body, a holder, or the like is required for forming the metal case.On the other hand, the waterproof case for electric components 10 made of resin can be easily formed by molding.As described in the first embodiment, with the waterproof case for electrical components 10 made of a resin member other than the control board case 201 and the display board case 202, the cost and labor for forming the waterproof case for electrical components 10 can be reduced although the number of parts is increased.As described above, the wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit 1 according to the first embodiment includes: the body case 100 including the body base 101 for attachment to an inner wall surface and the front cover 102 for detachably covering the body base 101; the electrical components 20 provided on the front surface portion 101 aof the body base 101 inside the body case 100; the waterproof electric component box 10 for covering the electrical components 20 in the body case 100; and the heat extraction terminal 1011 included in the body base 101 on the rear side surface with respect to the electrical components 20 as viewed from the front surface of the body base 101. Thus, in a wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit 1, the electrical components 20 can be protected from contact with water or the like when the interior thereof is cleaned with water or the like, and heat generated from the electrical components 20 can be dissipated from the interior.Note that it is possible to modify each component of the embodiment or omit each component of the embodiment in the present disclosure.INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITYA wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit of the present disclosure is structured such that electrical components are prevented from coming into contact with water or the like when the interior is cleaned with water or the like and the heat generated by the electrical components is dissipated from the interior, and therefore, it can be applied to a wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit that allows cleaning with water or the like.LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS1: Wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit, 10: water-resistant electric component box, 10 a: protrusion, 10 b: hole, 100: body case, 101: body base, 101 a: front surface portion, 101 b: upper surface portion, 101 c: rear surface portion, 101 d: lower surface portion, 101 e: recess, 102: front cover, 103: louver door, 104: display unit, 20: electric component, 201: control board case, 202: display board case, 203: fan motor, 204, 601, 602: louver motor, 1011, 1011 a, 1011 b: heat extraction terminal, 1012: protrusion

Claims

A wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit (1) comprising: a body case (100) comprising a body base (101) for attachment to an inner wall surface and a front cover (102) for detachably covering the body base; an electric component (20) provided on a front surface portion (101a) of the body base inside the body case; a waterproof electric component box (10) for covering the electric component (20) inside the body case; and a heat extraction terminal (1011) included in the body base on a rear side surface with respect to the electric component as viewed from a front surface of the body base.The wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit (1) according to claim 1, wherein the body case (101) has a box shape, and the heat extraction terminals (1011) are formed in the body base (101) at the front surface portion (101a) of the body base where the waterproof electric component box (10) is covered and an upper surface portion (101b) of the body base.The wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the waterproof electric component box (10) is detachably attached to the front surface portion (101a) of the body base (101) inside the body case (100).The wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit (1) according to claim 1, wherein the electric component (20) comprises a plurality of pieces of electric components, and the plurality of electric components are collectively provided at a location in the body case (100).

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