outdoor unit

Abstract

outdoor unit, comprising a housing and a partition wall that divides the interior of the housing into an engine room and a heat exchanger room, wherein the housing has a cover plate on the engine room side for covering the engine room and a cover plate on the heat exchanger room side for covering the heat exchanger room, and wherein at least one of the engine room-side and heat exchanger-side cover plates is designed to be separable.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present disclosure concerns an external entity. background

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a technique for an outdoor unit comprising a housing and a partition that divides the housing into a heat exchanger room and a machine room, and the housing has external cladding panels. Citation list patent document

[0003] Patent Document 1: JP 2024-049918 A Overview of the invention Problem to be solved by the invention

[0004] The present disclosure provides an outdoor unit that facilitates maintenance work and thus improves maintainability. Means of solving the problem

[0005] The outdoor unit of the present disclosure comprises a housing and a partition wall which divides the interior of the housing into a machine room and a heat exchanger room, wherein the housing has a machine room-side cover plate for covering the machine room and a heat exchanger room-side cover plate for covering the heat exchanger room and at least one of the machine room-side and heat exchanger room-side cover plates is designed to be separable. Effects of the invention

[0006] In the outdoor unit according to the present disclosure, the outer cladding panels are designed to be separable, so that part of the outer cladding panels can be removed and maintenance work can be carried out, thereby improving ease of maintenance. Brief description of the drawings Fig. Figure 1 is a perspective view of an outdoor unit 1 according to embodiment 1; Fig. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the outdoor unit 1 according to embodiment 1, in which a cover plate 20, a first front plate 11, a second front plate 12 and a cover element 23 have been removed; Fig. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a reinforcement element 33 according to embodiment 1; Fig. Figure 4 is a perspective view of a partition wall according to embodiment 1; Fig. Figure 5 is an enlarged view of an upper area of ​​a partition flange section according to embodiment 1; Fig. Figure 6 is a perspective view of a first front panel according to embodiment 1; Fig. Figure 7 is a perspective view of a second front panel according to embodiment 1; Fig. Figure 8 is a front view of the engine room according to embodiment 1, wherein a third front panel and a fourth front panel are mounted on the housing; Fig. Figure 9 is a representation of the fastening between the first front panel and the first rear panel according to embodiment 1; Fig. Figure 10 is a representation of the fastening structure of the bending section with the third front plate and the fourth front plate according to embodiment 1; Fig. Figure 11 is a sectional view of the fastening structure between the second front panel and the first front panel according to embodiment 1; and Fig. Figure 12 is a sectional view of the fastening structure between the cover plate and the first upper support section according to embodiment 1. Embodiments of the invention (underlying knowledge of the present disclosure)

[0007] At the time the inventors arrived at the present disclosure, outdoor units were known that comprised a housing and a partition wall dividing the interior of the housing into a heat exchanger compartment and a machine compartment, the housing being fitted with external cladding panels. However, the inventors found that, according to the prior art, increasing the size of the outdoor unit increases the weight of the external cladding panels mounted on the housing, and performing maintenance work inside becomes more difficult by removing an external cladding panel. To solve this problem, the inventors elaborated the subject matter of the present disclosure.

[0008] Therefore, the present disclosure provides an external unit which facilitates maintenance work inside.

[0009] The embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, where necessary, more detailed descriptions than are required will be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of already generally known facts or repeated descriptions of essentially identical structures may be left out.

[0010] The accompanying drawings and the following description are intended to provide those skilled in the art with a sufficient understanding of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the subject matter defined in the patent claims.

[0011] Unless explicitly stated otherwise, in the following description the directional terms "front", "back", "left", "right", "up" and "down" refer to the same directions that result when the Fig. Figure 1 shows the outdoor unit viewed from the front. Furthermore, in the respective figures, "UP" indicates the upward direction of the outdoor unit, "FR" indicates the forward direction, and "R" indicates the right direction. (Version 1)[1-1. Setup][1-1-1. Setup of the outdoor unit]

[0012] Fig. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an outdoor unit 1 according to embodiment 1. Fig. Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the outdoor unit 1, with a cover plate 20, a first front plate 11, a second front plate 12 and a cover element 23 removed.

[0013] The outdoor unit 1 comprises a housing 5. In this embodiment, the housing 5 has outer cladding panels for covering the side surfaces of the housing 5, a top panel 20 for covering the top of the housing, and a bottom panel 21 for covering the underside of the housing. The outer cladding panels consist of a front panel 10, which covers the front of the housing 5 and either the left or the right side surface, and a rear panel 15, which covers the rear and the right side surface of the housing.

[0014] The cover plate 20 consists of a one-piece main body 20a, which covers the upper edge of the housing 5, and a bent section 20b, which is bent downwards at the edge of the main body 20a. Fastening holes 20b1 are formed in the bent section 20b.

[0015] The housing 5 also includes a partition 25, which divides the interior of the housing 5 into a left and a right compartment. The partition 25 separates the interior of the housing 5 into a heat exchanger compartment 30, which houses an external heat exchanger 31, and a machine compartment 40, which houses an electrical unit 41 of the outdoor unit 1. The upper part of the partition 25 has a slotted perforation 26 (see Fig. 4) provided, which penetrates the heat exchanger chamber 30 and the engine room 40. The slotted perforation 26 is arranged on the rear side of the partition wall 25.

[0016] The front panel 10 is essentially L-shaped, with its larger section covering the front of the housing and its other section, which is designed as a bent section, covering the side surface of the housing adjacent to the front. The rear panel 15 is essentially L-shaped, with its larger section covering the rear of the housing and its other section, which is designed as a bent section, covering the side surface adjacent to the rear.

[0017] More precisely, the front panel 10 covers the front and side areas of the engine room 40 and the heat exchanger room 30 and includes the first front panel 11, which covers the upper area of ​​the engine room 40, the second front panel 12, which covers the lower area of ​​the engine room 40, a third front panel 13, which covers the upper area of ​​the heat exchanger room 30, and a fourth front panel 14, which covers the lower area of ​​the heat exchanger room 30.

[0018] Furthermore, the backplate 15 covers the rear and side areas of the engine room 40 and the heat exchanger room 30 and comprises a first backplate 16 covering the upper area of ​​the engine room 40 and a second backplate 17 covering the lower area of ​​the engine room 40. Part of the rear area of ​​the engine room 40 and part of the rear area and left side surface of the heat exchanger room 30 are covered by the external heat exchanger 31 described below.

[0019] The right side surface of the engine room 40 is covered by the first front panel (first engine room-side cover panel) 11, the second front panel (second engine room-side cover panel) 12, the first rear panel 16 and the second rear panel 17.

[0020] The left side surface of the heat exchanger chamber 30 is covered by the third front panel (first heat exchanger chamber-side cover panel) 13 and the fourth front panel (second engine room-side cover panel) 14.

[0021] Thus, in the present embodiment, the first front panel 11, the second front panel 12, the first rear panel 16 and the second rear panel 17 are engine room-side cover panels, while the third front panel 13 and the fourth front panel are heat exchanger-side cover panels.

[0022] As in Fig. 2 and Fig. As shown in Figure 3, the heat exchanger chamber 30 contains the external heat exchanger 31 for heat exchange of the refrigerant, a blower 32 for blowing the air inside the outdoor unit 1 outwards from the outdoor unit 1 and a reinforcement element 33 for reinforcing the housing 5.

[0023] The external heat exchanger 31 is located at the rear end of the housing 5. More precisely, it extends from the rear of the heat exchanger chamber 30 to the left rear area of ​​the engine room 40. Thus, the rear and left side surface of the external heat exchanger 31 simultaneously form the rear of the engine room 40 of the housing 5 as well as the rear and left side surface of the heat exchanger chamber 30.

[0024] Intake openings are provided on the rear and left side surface of the external heat exchanger 31, which are not shown.

[0025] The slot perforation 22 is formed on the other surface 16a of the first back plate 16.

[0026] The third front panel 13 and the fourth front panel 14 have circular discharge openings 13a, 14a and nozzles 13C, 14C on their front surface, which extend in a curved line from the circular discharge openings into the interior of the housing. Furthermore, the third front panel 13 and the fourth front panel 14 have a grid-shaped cover element 23 (see Fig. 1) arranged to cover the exhaust openings 13a, 14a.

[0027] The blower 32 draws in air at the rear of the blower 32 and blows it out at the front of the blower 32.

[0028] The blower 32 is supported by a fan mounting element provided on the reinforcement element in a position that, in the front view, corresponds to the discharge openings 13a, 14a provided on the third and fourth front panels 13, 14. More precisely, the axis of rotation of the blower 32 is arranged so that it essentially coincides with the centers of the discharge openings 13a, 14a. Furthermore, the blower 32 is arranged in the forward / reverse direction in front of the continuous slot perforation 26 formed in the partition 25. In other words, it is arranged such that air which enters the heat exchanger chamber 30 from the engine room 40 via the slot perforation 26 can be discharged to the outside from the outdoor unit 1.

[0029] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 2, the electrical unit 41, for example a compressor, an air guide element 49, which connects the slotted perforation 22 of the first rear plate 16 with the slotted perforation 26 of the partition 25, and an electrical box 45, which is attached to the air guide element 49, are arranged in the machine compartment 40. The electrical unit 41 is connected to the external heat exchanger 31 and to an indoor unit (not shown) via a refrigerant line 42 and thus forms a refrigerant flow path.

[0030] The electrical enclosure 45 contains several electrical components, such as circuit boards. A heat sink (not shown) with cooling fins is provided on the rear of the electrical enclosure 45, the interior of which is designed as a sealed structure. The electrical components arranged in the electrical enclosure 45 are cooled by the heat sink. [1-1-2. Structure of the reinforcement element]

[0031] Fig. Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the reinforcement element 33.

[0032] The reinforcement element 33 has a reinforcement element base 34, which is attached to the base plate 21, a support section 35 extending from the reinforcement element base 34 to the top plate 20, a front plate reinforcement section 36 formed in the middle region of the support section 35, and a top plate fastening element 37 provided at the upper end of the support section 35. A fan mounting section (not shown) is formed on the support section 35, which supports the blower 32.

[0033] The front panel reinforcement section 36 has a front panel bending section 36a, which is bent downwards at the front edge. Front panel mounting holes 36b are formed in the front panel bending section 36a for attaching the third front panel 13 and the fourth front panel 14.

[0034] The cover plate fastening element 37 has a cover plate bending section 37a, which is bent downwards at the front edge. Cover plate fastening holes 37b are formed in the cover plate bending section 37a for fastening the third front plate 13 and the fourth front plate 14. [1-1-3. Construction of the partition wall]

[0035] Fig. Figure 4 shows a perspective view of partition wall 25 seen from the front right. Fig. Figure 5 shows an enlarged view of an upper area of ​​the partition flange section 25B.

[0036] The partition 25 has a partition base section 25A extending in the forward / reverse direction and separating the heat exchanger compartment 30 and the engine room 40, the partition flange section 25B which is bent at the front end of the partition base section 25A along the front panel towards the engine room 40, and a partition rear panel section 25C which is bent at the rear end of the partition base section 25A along the external heat exchanger 31 towards the engine room 40.

[0037] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 4, several locating holes 25b1 and fastening holes 25b2 for fastening the front panels are formed in the partition flange section 25B.

[0038] The pass holes 25b1 are essentially rectangular holes (see Fig. 5), wherein four such holes are formed in the vertical direction at substantially equal intervals.

[0039] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 5, mounting holes 25b2 are formed above the locating holes 25b1. The mounting holes 25b2 are holes for attaching the front panel 10, through which fasteners are passed. [1-1-4. Front panel construction]

[0040] Fig. Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the first front panel 11 seen from the rear left.

[0041] The first front panel 11 has a hook section (hook) 11c on each of its side edges, extending into the interior of the housing 5. The hook section 11c consists of a front hook 11c1, which is provided on the side of the third front panel 13, and a side hook 11c2, which is provided on the side of the first rear panel 16.

[0042] The front hooks 11c1 and the side hooks 11c2 are essentially T-shaped hooks, each extending first into the interior of the housing 5 and then in a vertical direction.

[0043] The front hooks 11c1 are arranged vertically in two positions at a predetermined distance from each other. Vertically, the front hooks 11c1 are arranged at essentially the same height as the pass holes 25b1.

[0044] The lateral hooks 11c2 are arranged vertically in two positions at a predetermined distance from each other. Horizontally, the lateral hooks 11c2 are positioned at essentially the same height as the front hooks 11c1.

[0045] A first upper folded edge section 11A is formed in a stepped shape by a bend (step bend, Z-bend) at the upper edge of the first front panel 11. The step created by the bend is designed such that, when the first front panel 11 is mounted, the first upper folded edge section 11A is recessed inwards relative to the outer surface 11F of the first front panel 11.

[0046] Mounting holes 11b1 are formed in the first upper folded edge section 11A. The mounting holes 11b1 are arranged horizontally in two positions at a predetermined distance from each other. Furthermore, mounting holes 11b2 are formed at the lower edge of a surface of the first front panel 11. The mounting holes 11b2 are also arranged horizontally in two positions at a predetermined distance from each other. The first front panel 11 is attached to the housing 5 by inserting fasteners through the mounting holes 11b1 and 11b2.

[0047] Fig. Figure 7 shows a perspective view of the second front panel 12.

[0048] The second front panel 12 has a hook section (hook) 12c at each of its two side ends, which bends into the interior of the housing 5. The hook section 12c consists of a front hook 12c1, which is provided on the side of the third front panel 13, and a side hook 12c2, which is provided on the side of the second rear panel 17.

[0049] A second upper folded edge section 12A is formed in a stepped shape by a bend (step bend, Z-bend) at the upper edge of the second front panel 12. The step created by the bend is designed such that, when the second front panel 12 is mounted, the second upper folded edge section 12A is recessed inwards relative to the outer surface 12F of the second front panel 12.

[0050] Mounting holes 12b1 are provided in the second upper folded section 12A. The mounting holes 12b1 are arranged horizontally in two positions at a predetermined distance from each other. Furthermore, mounting holes 12b2 are provided at the lower edge of the second front panel 12. The second front panel 12 is attached to the housing 5 by passing fasteners through the mounting holes 12b1 and 12b2.

[0051] Fig. Figure 8 is a front view of the engine room 40, in which the third front panel 13 and the fourth front panel 14 are mounted on the housing 5.

[0052] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 2, a third upper folded edge section 13A and a third right folded edge section 13B are formed in a stepped manner by a bend (step bend, Z-bend) at the upper edge and at the right edge of the third front panel 13. The step created by the bend is designed such that, when the third front panel 13 is mounted, the third upper folded edge section 13A and the third right folded edge section 13B are set back from the outer surface 13F of the third front panel 13.

[0053] In the third upper folded edge section 13A, mounting holes 13b1 are provided. The mounting holes 13b1 are arranged horizontally in two positions at a predetermined distance from each other. The mounting holes 13b1 are mounting holes for attaching the cover plate 20.

[0054] In the third right-hand folded section 13B, mounting holes 13b2 are formed. The mounting holes 13b2 are arranged vertically in two positions at a predetermined distance from each other. Fasteners are inserted into the mounting holes 13b2 to attach the third front panel 13 together with the first front panel 11 to the partition 25.

[0055] Mounting holes 13b3 are formed at the lower edge of the third front panel 13. These mounting holes are arranged horizontally in four positions at predetermined intervals. Fasteners are inserted into the mounting holes 13b3 to attach the third front panel 13, together with the fourth front panel 14 described below, to the reinforcement element 33.

[0056] In the third right-hand folded section 13B, several locating holes 13c are formed. The locating holes are formed between the fastening holes 13b2 and are arranged vertically in two positions at a predetermined distance from each other. The front hooks 11c1 of the first front panel are passed through the locating holes 13c, thereby fastening the first front panel 11 and the third front panel 13 to the partition 25.

[0057] A fourth upper edge section 14A and a fourth right edge section 14B are formed by a step-like bend (step bend, Z-bend) at the upper and right edges of the fourth front panel 14. The step created by the bend is designed such that, when the fourth front panel 14 is mounted, the fourth upper edge section 14A and the fourth right edge section 14B are recessed inwards relative to the outer surface 14F of the fourth front panel 14.

[0058] Mounting holes 14b1 are formed in the fourth upper folded edge section 14A. The mounting holes 14b1 are arranged horizontally in four positions at predetermined intervals and, in the front view, are located in positions that overlap with the mounting holes 13b3 at the lower edge of the third front panel 13. That is, by passing a fastener either through the mounting holes 13b3 and 14b1 or through the mounting holes 13b3, 14b1 and the front panel mounting holes 36b, the third front panel 13 and the fourth front panel 14 are attached to the reinforcement element.

[0059] Fastening holes 14b2 are formed in the fourth right-hand folded section 14B. The fastening holes 14b2 are arranged vertically in two positions at a predetermined distance from each other. Fasteners are passed through the fastening holes 14b2, thereby attaching the fourth front panel 14 to the partition 25.

[0060] Mounting holes 14b3 are formed at the lower edge of the fourth front panel 14. Fasteners are passed through the mounting holes 14b3, thereby attaching the fourth front panel 14 to the base plate 21.

[0061] In the fourth right-hand folded section 14B, several locating holes 14c are formed. The locating holes 14c are arranged vertically in two positions at a predetermined distance from each other and are each located above one of the fastening holes 14b2. The front hooks 12c1 of the second front panel 12 are passed through the locating holes 14c, thereby fastening the second front panel 12 and the fourth front panel 14 to the partition 25. [1-1-5. Backplate Construction]

[0062] As described above, the backplate 15 is divided into the first backplate 16 and the second backplate 17 (see Fig. 2).

[0063] Fig. Figure 9 shows a representation of the fastening between the first front panel 11 and the first back panel 16.

[0064] A first upper rear edge section 16A and a first front rear edge section 16B are formed by a step-like bend (step bend, Z-bend) at the upper edge and at the front edge (on the side of the other surface 16a) of the first back panel 16. The step created by the bend is designed such that, when the first back panel 16 is mounted, the first upper rear edge section 16A and the first front rear edge section 16B are set back inwards from the outer surface 16F of the first back panel 16.

[0065] Fastening holes 16b1 are formed in the first upper rear folded-over section 16A. The fastening holes 16b1 are arranged horizontally in two positions at predetermined intervals. Fasteners are passed through the fastening holes 16b1, thereby attaching the cover plate 20 to the first back plate 16.

[0066] Mounting holes 16b2 are formed at the lower edge of the first backplate 16. These mounting holes are arranged in two positions, facing forward and backward, at a predetermined distance from each other. Fasteners are passed through these mounting holes 16b2, thereby attaching the second backplate 17, described below, to the first backplate 16.

[0067] Several locating holes 16c are formed in the first front rear folded-over section 16B. The locating holes 16c are formed at positions intended for engagement with the lateral hooks 11c2 of the first front panel 11. Accordingly, the lateral hooks 11c2 of the first front panel 11 engage in the locating holes 16c, thereby securing the first front panel 11 to the first rear panel 16.

[0068] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 2, a second upper rear edge fold section 17A and a second front rear edge fold section 17B are formed in a stepped manner by a bend (step bend, Z-bend) at the upper and front edges of the second back plate 17. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 2, the step created by the bend is designed such that, when the first back plate 16 is mounted, the first upper rear edge section 16A and the first front rear edge section 16B are arranged recessed inwards relative to the outer surface 17F of the first back plate 16.

[0069] Fastening holes 17b1 are formed in the second upper rear folded-over section 17A. Fasteners are passed through the fastening holes 17b1, thereby attaching the cover plate 20 to the first back plate 16.

[0070] Several mounting holes 17b2 are provided at the lower edge of the second back plate 17 for securing it in position using fasteners. Several locating holes 17c are provided in the second front rear folded-over section 17B. [1-1-6. Front panel installation setup]

[0071] In this embodiment, the fourth front panel 14, the third front panel 13, the second front panel 12 and the first front panel 11 are arranged overlapping and attached in this order, forming the front and part of the side surface of the housing 5.

[0072] Fig. Figure 10 shows the fastening structure 36a of the bending section with the third front plate 13 and the fourth front plate 14 according to.

[0073] The fourth front panel is arranged to cover the reinforcing element 33 and the partition 25, and the lower edge of the fourth front panel 14 is fastened to the base plate 21 by means of fasteners. Furthermore, the fourth front panel 14 is fastened to the partition 25 by passing fasteners through the fastening holes 14b2 of the fourth right-hand folded edge section 14B and through the fastening holes 25b2 of the partition flange section 25B.

[0074] The third front panel 13 is arranged such that its lower edge overlaps with the fourth upper folded section 14A in the front view.

[0075] The third front panel 13 is attached to the housing 5 together with the fourth front panel 14 and the reinforcement element 33 by passing fasteners through the mounting holes of the front panel bending section 36a, through the mounting holes 14b1 of the fourth upper bending section 14A and through the mounting holes 13b3 of the third front panel 13.

[0076] Furthermore, the partition wall 25 and the third front panel 13 are fastened by passing fasteners through the fastening holes 13b2 of the third right-hand folded section 13B and through the fastening holes 25b2 of the partition wall flange section 25B.

[0077] The left edge of the second front panel 12 is arranged so that it overlaps with the fourth right edge section 14B of the fourth front panel 14 in the front view.

[0078] The front hook 12c1 of the second front panel 12 is guided through the locating holes 14c of the fourth right-hand folded section 14B and engages in the locating holes 25b1 of the partition flange section 25B of the partition 25. This secures the partition 25, the fourth front panel 14, and the second front panel 12.

[0079] The lateral hook 12c2 of the second front plate 12 engages in the locating holes 17c of the second back plate 17 and is thereby secured.

[0080] Fig. Figure 11 shows a sectional view of the fastening structure between the second front panel 12 and the first front panel 11.

[0081] The first front panel 11 is arranged so that in the front view it overlaps with the second upper edge section 12A of the second front panel 12 and with the third right edge section 13B of the third front panel 13.

[0082] The front hook 11c1 on the left edge of the first front panel 11 is guided through the locating holes 13c of the third right-hand folded section 13B and engages in the locating holes 25b1 of the partition flange section 25B of the partition 25. This secures the partition 25, the third front panel 13, and the first front panel 11.

[0083] The lateral hook 11c2 of the first front plate 11 engages in the locating holes 16c of the first back plate 16 and is thereby secured.

[0084] Furthermore, fasteners are passed through the mounting holes 11b2 at the lower edge of the first front panel 11 and through the mounting holes 17b1 of the second upper rear folded section 17A, thereby securing the first front panel 11 and the second front panel 12.

[0085] Fig. Figure 12 shows a sectional view of the fastening structure of the cover plate 20 and the first upper edge section 11A.

[0086] The cover plate 20 is arranged to cover the first upper folded section 11A, the third upper folded section 13A, the first upper rear folded section 16A, and the external heat exchanger 31. The bent section 20b of the cover plate 20 is arranged to be located on the outside of the housing 5 opposite the first upper folded section 11A, the third upper folded section 13A, the first upper rear folded section 16A, and the external heat exchanger 31. The cover plate 20 is fastened by passing fasteners through the fastening holes 20b1 of the bent section 20b and through the fastening holes formed in the first upper folded section 11A, the third upper folded section 13A, and the first upper rear folded section 16A at positions corresponding to the bent section 20b. [1-2. Mode of action, etc.]

[0087] In this embodiment, the fourth front panel 14 is first arranged on the housing 5, and the third front panel 13 is arranged overlapping such that the third front panel 13 lies on the outside of the fourth upper folded section 14A. Next, the second front panel 12 is arranged overlapping such that the second front panel 12 lies on the outside of the fourth right folded section 14B. Then, the first front panel 11 is arranged overlapping such that the first front panel 11 lies on the outside of the third right folded section 13B and the second upper folded section 12A. Finally, the cover panel 20 is arranged overlapping such that the bent section 20b of the cover panel 20 lies on the outside of the first upper folded section 11A, the third upper folded section 13A, and the first upper rear folded section 16A.

[0088] In this way, unlike with the prior art, it is not necessary to remove large and heavy outer cladding panels; instead, the front panels can be divided into sections and removed one after the other, starting with the first front panel, thus facilitating maintenance work.

[0089] Furthermore, by arranging the electrical unit 41 according to maintenance frequency, maintenance work can be carried out without having to remove all the outer cladding panels. That is, by arranging components with low maintenance frequency on the side of the third front panel 13 and the fourth front panel 14, and components with high maintenance frequency on the side of the first front panel 11 and the second front panel 12, it is sufficient to remove only the first front panel 11 and the second front panel 12 when servicing only the components with high maintenance frequency, thus simplifying maintenance work. [1-3. Beneficial effects, etc.]

[0090] As described above, according to this embodiment the outdoor unit 1 comprises a housing 5 and a partition 25 which divides the interior of the housing 5 into a machine room 40 and a heat exchanger room 30, wherein the housing 5 has the machine room-side cover plate for covering the machine room 40 and the heat exchanger room-side cover plate for covering the heat exchanger room 30 and at least one of the machine room-side and heat exchanger room-side cover plates is designed to be separable.

[0091] This allows the exterior cladding panels to be separated, so that part of the exterior cladding panels can be removed and maintenance work can be carried out, thus improving ease of maintenance.

[0092] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the machine room-side cover plate is divided into the first front plate 11 and the second front plate 12, and the lower edge of the first front plate 11 and the second upper folded section 12A of the second front plate 12 are fixed in a forward / reverse direction in a state in which either the lower edge of the first front plate 11 or the second upper folded section 12A of the second front plate 12 is arranged backward.

[0093] This allows the subdivided engine room-side cover plate to be easily attached while maintaining its strength, and at the same time the front-mounted front panel, namely the first front panel 11 or the second front panel 12, can be easily removed, thus facilitating maintenance work on the components located behind the cover plate in the engine room 40.

[0094] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the engine room-side cover plate is vertically divided into the first front plate 11, which is located in the upper region of the housing 5, and the second front plate 12, which is located in the lower region of the housing 5. The lower edge of the first front plate 11 and the second upper folded section 12A of the second front plate 12 are fastened in a forward / reverse direction in such a way that the second upper folded section 12A is positioned at the rear. This allows the divided engine room-side cover plate to be easily fastened while maintaining its strength, and at the same time, the first front plate 11 can be easily removed, thus facilitating maintenance work on the components located in the engine room 40 behind the first front plate 11.Furthermore, the simple design prevents the ingress of rainwater or the like into the interior of the second front panel 12.

[0095] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the housing 5 comprises the cover plate 20, which has a downwardly bent bending section 20b at the edge, wherein the bending section 20b and the first upper helix section 11A of the first front plate 11 are fixed in a forward / backward direction in a state in which the first upper helix section 11A is arranged backward.

[0096] This allows the first front panel 11 to be attached with increased strength, and at the same time prevents the ingress of rainwater and the like into the interior of the first front panel 11.

[0097] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the first front panel 11 and the second front panel 12 have hook sections 11c, 12c on the sides, wherein the hook sections 11c, 12c engage in the locating holes 25b1 formed on the partition 25 of the housing 5.

[0098] This makes it easier to position the first front panel 11 and the second front panel 12 during assembly.

[0099] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the heat exchanger chamber 30 comprises the blower 32 and the fan mounting element for attaching the blower 32, and the heat exchanger chamber-side cover plate is divided vertically into the third front panel 13, which is arranged in the upper region of the housing 5, and the fourth front panel 14, which is arranged in the lower region of the housing 5, wherein at least one of the third front panel 13 and the fourth front panel 14 has discharge openings 13a, 14a which overlap with the blower 32 in the front view, as well as nozzles 13C, 14C which extend rearward from the openings, and wherein a reinforcing element 33 is provided which secures at least one of the third front panel 13 and the fourth front panel as well as the fan mounting element.

[0100] This allows the heat exchanger-side cover plate to be attached by the reinforcing element 33 while maintaining strength, even if the heat exchanger-side cover plate is subdivided to form the nozzles 13C, 14C adapted to the blower 32.

[0101] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the lower edge of the third front panel 13 and the upper edge of the fourth front panel 14 are fixed in a forward / backward direction in a state in which either the lower edge of the third front panel 13 or the upper edge of the fourth front panel 14 is arranged backwards.

[0102] This allows the divided heat exchanger-side cover plate to be easily attached while maintaining its strength, and at the same time the front-mounted front plate, namely the lower edge of the third front plate 13 or the upper edge of the fourth front plate 14, can be easily removed, thus facilitating maintenance work on the components located behind the cover plate in the heat exchanger chamber 30.

[0103] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the housing 5 comprises the cover plate 20, which has a downwardly bent bending section 20b at its edge, wherein the bending section 20b and the third upper folded section 13A of the third front plate 13 are fixed in a forward / backward direction in a state in which the third upper folded section is arranged at the rear.

[0104] This allows the subdivided heat exchanger-side cover plate to be attached with increased strength, and at the same time prevents the ingress of rainwater or the like into the interior of the first heat exchanger-side cover plate.

[0105] In this embodiment, the hook sections 11c, 12c provided on the engine room-side cover plate engage in the fitting holes 25b1 formed on the heat exchanger room-side cover plate and on the partition 25, thus facilitating the positioning and pre-fixing of the front plate 10 and simplifying maintenance work.

[0106] Furthermore, as described above, parts of the other front panel 10 are arranged overlapping at the folded edge section of the front panel 10, thus preventing a reduction in strength caused by the subdivision of the outer cladding panels. In addition, for the engine room-side cover plate, where higher strength is required due to the weight increase caused by the installation of the blower 32 and the arrangement of the nozzles 13C, 14C, a further decrease in strength is prevented by the provision of the reinforcing element 33.

[0107] In this embodiment, the third front panel 13 overlaps the fourth upper folded section 14A. Furthermore, the first front panel 11 overlaps the second upper folded section 12A. Additionally, the first rear panel 16 overlaps the second upper rear folded section 17A. The bent section 20b of the cover panel 20 is positioned so that it lies on the outside of the outer cladding panels. This means that, since the upwardly projecting upper folded sections 11A, 12A, 13A, 14A are located on the inside of the housing 5, it is prevented that rainwater or similar substances penetrate the interior of the housing 5 through gaps at the joints of the respective panels 11, 12, 13, 14, 20. (Other embodiments)

[0108] As described above, embodiment 1 was explained as an example disclosed in the present application. However, the technology described in the present disclosure is not limited to this and can also be applied to embodiments in which changes, substitutions, additions, or omissions are made. Furthermore, the individual features described in embodiment 1 can be combined to form further embodiments.

[0109] Therefore, other embodiments are explained below by way of example.

[0110] As explained in the embodiments described above, the assembly is described in which the fourth front panel, the third front panel, the second front panel, and the first front panel are arranged overlapping in that order, and the top panel is also arranged overlapping from above. However, the order of this overlapping can be changed as required.

[0111] Furthermore, it should be noted that the embodiment described above serves only to illustrate the technology described in the present disclosure and therefore various changes, replacements, additions and omissions may be made within the scope of protection of the patent claims or the equivalent scope. (Addendum)

[0112] Based on the embodiments described above, the following techniques are disclosed.

[0113] (Technical 1) Outdoor unit comprising a housing and a partition wall dividing the interior of the housing into a machine room and a heat exchanger room, wherein the housing has a machine room-side cover plate for covering the machine room and a heat exchanger room-side cover plate for covering the heat exchanger room, and wherein at least one of the machine room-side and heat exchanger room-side cover plates is separable.

[0114] This allows the exterior cladding panels to be separated, so that part of the exterior cladding panels can be removed and maintenance work can be carried out, thus improving ease of maintenance.

[0115] (Technology 2) Outdoor unit according to Technology 1, wherein the engine room-side cover plate is divided into the first engine room-side cover plate and the second engine room-side cover plate, and wherein an edge of the first engine room-side cover plate and the second engine room-side cover plate are each fixed in a forward / reverse direction in a state in which either the edge of the first engine room-side cover plate or the edge of the second engine room-side cover plate is arranged to the rear.

[0116] This allows the divided engine room-side cover plate to be easily attached while maintaining its strength, and at the same time the front-mounted front plate, namely the edge of the first engine room-side cover plate or the edge of the second engine room-side cover plate, can be easily removed, thus facilitating maintenance work on the components located in the engine room behind the cover plate.

[0117] (Technology 3) Outdoor unit according to Technology 1, wherein the engine room-side cover plate is divided vertically into the first engine room-side cover plate, which is arranged in the upper part of the housing, and the second engine room-side cover plate, which is arranged in the lower part of the housing, and wherein the lower edge of the first engine room-side cover plate and the upper edge of the second engine room-side cover plate are fixed in a forward / reverse direction in a state in which the upper edge of the second engine room-side cover plate is arranged backward.

[0118] This allows the segmented engine-side cover plate to be easily attached while maintaining its strength, and at the same time, the first engine-side cover plate can be easily removed, thus facilitating maintenance work on the components located in the engine room behind the first engine-side cover plate. Furthermore, the simple design prevents the ingress of rainwater or similar substances into the interior of the second engine-side cover plate.

[0119] (Technology 4) Outdoor unit according to Technology 3, wherein the housing comprises a cover plate having a downwardly bent bend section at the edge, and wherein the bend section and the upper edge of the first engine room-side cover plate are fixed in a forward / reverse direction in a state in which the upper edge of the first engine room-side cover plate is arranged backward.

[0120] This allows the subdivided engine room-side cover plate to be fastened with increased strength, and at the same time prevents the ingress of rainwater and the like into the interior of the first engine room-side cover plate.

[0121] (Technology 5) Outdoor unit according to Technology 4, wherein the engine room-side cover plate has hooks on its sides and the hooks engage in the insertion holes formed on the partition wall of the housing.

[0122] This makes it easier to position the cover plate on the engine room side during assembly.

[0123] (Technology 6) Outdoor unit according to Technology 1, wherein the heat exchanger chamber comprises a blower and a fan mounting element for attaching the blower, and the heat exchanger chamber cover plate is divided vertically into the first heat exchanger chamber cover plate, which is arranged in the upper part of the housing, and the second heat exchanger chamber cover plate, which is arranged in the lower part of the housing, wherein at least one of the first heat exchanger chamber cover plate and the second heat exchanger chamber cover plate has an opening which overlaps with the blower in the front view, and a nozzle which extends from the opening to the rear, and wherein a reinforcing element is provided which secures at least one of the first heat exchanger chamber cover plate and the second heat exchanger chamber cover plate and the fan mounting element.

[0124] This allows the heat exchanger-side cover plate to be attached by the reinforcing element while maintaining strength, even if a heavy heat exchanger-side cover plate is subdivided to form a nozzle adapted to the blower.

[0125] (Technology 7) Outdoor unit according to Technology 6, wherein the lower edge of the first heat exchanger room-side cover plate and the upper edge of the second heat exchanger room-side cover plate are fixed in a forward / reverse direction in a state in which either the lower edge of the first heat exchanger room-side cover plate or the upper edge of the second heat exchanger room-side cover plate is arranged backwards.

[0126] This allows the divided heat exchanger-side cover plate to be easily attached while maintaining its strength, and at the same time the front-side cover plate, namely the lower edge of the first heat exchanger-side cover plate or the upper edge of the second heat exchanger-side cover plate, can be easily removed, thus facilitating maintenance work on the components located behind the cover plate in the heat exchanger space.

[0127] (Technology 8) Outdoor unit according to Technology 6, wherein the housing comprises a cover plate having a downwardly bent bending section at its edge, and wherein the bending section and the upper edge of the first heat exchanger-side cover plate are fixed in a forward / reverse direction in a state in which the upper edge of the first heat exchanger-side cover plate is arranged backwards.

[0128] This allows the subdivided heat exchanger-side cover plate to be attached with increased strength, and at the same time prevents the ingress of rainwater or the like into the interior of the first heat exchanger-side cover plate. Industrial applicability

[0129] As explained above, the outdoor unit according to the present invention can be used for applications to improve ease of maintenance. Reference symbol list 1 outdoor unit 5 cases 10 Front panel 11 First front panel (first engine room-side cover panel) 11A First upper bending section 11F Exterior area 11b1, 11b2 Mounting hole 11c1 Front hook 11c2 Side hook 12 Second front panel (second engine room-side cover panel) 12A Second upper folding section 12b1, 12b2 Mounting hole 12c1 Front hook 12c2 Side hook 13 Third front panel (first cover panel on the heat exchanger side) 13A Third upper bend section 13B Third right-hand bend section 13b1, 13b2, 13b3 Mounting hole 13c Passhole 14 Fourth front panel (second cover panel on the heat exchanger side) 14A Fourth upper bend section 14B Fourth right-hand bend section 14F Exterior area 14b1, 14b2, 14b3 Mounting hole 14c Passhole 15 Backplate 16 First backplate 16A First upper rear fold section 16B First front back fold section 16b1, 16b2 Mounting hole 16c Passhole 17 Second backplate 17A Second upper rear fold section 17B Second front rear fold section 17b1 Mounting hole 17c Passhole 20 Cover plate 20a Main body 20b bending section 20b1 Mounting hole 25 partition wall 25A Partition wall base section 25B Partition flange section 25b1 Passhole 25b2 Mounting hole 30 Heat exchanger room 31 external heat exchangers 32 blowers 33 Reinforcing element 34 Reinforcement element base 35 Support section 36 Front panel reinforcement section 36a Front panel bending section 36b Front panel mounting hole 37 Cover plate fastening element 37a Cover plate bending section 37b Cover plate mounting hole 40 Engine room QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] JP 2024-049918 A

[0003]

Claims

[1] Outdoor unit, comprising a housing and a partition wall that divides the interior of the housing into an engine room and a heat exchanger room, wherein the housing has a cover plate on the engine room side for covering the engine room and a cover plate on the heat exchanger room side for covering the heat exchanger room, and wherein at least one of the engine room-side and heat exchanger-side cover plates is designed to be separable. [2] Outdoor unit according to claim 1, wherein the engine room-side cover plate is subdivided into the first engine room-side cover plate and the second engine room-side cover plate and wherein each edge of the first engine room-side cover plate and the second engine room-side cover plate are fixed in a forward / reverse direction in a state in which either the edge of the first engine room-side cover plate or the edge of the second engine room-side cover plate is arranged to the rear. [3] Outdoor unit according to claim 1, wherein the engine room-side cover plate is divided vertically into the first engine room-side cover plate, which is located in the upper part of the housing, and the second engine room-side cover plate, which is located in the lower part of the housing, and wherein the lower edge of the first engine room-side cover plate and the upper edge of the second engine room-side cover plate are fixed in a forward / reverse direction in a state in which the upper edge of the second engine room-side cover plate is arranged backwards. [4] Outdoor unit according to claim 3, wherein the housing comprises a cover plate having a downwardly bent bending section at the edge, and wherein the bending section and the upper edge of the first machine room-side cover plate are fixed in a forward / reverse direction in a state in which the upper edge of the first machine room-side cover plate is arranged to the rear. [5] Outdoor unit according to claim 4, wherein the machine room-side cover plate has hooks on its sides and the hooks engage in the insertion holes formed on the partition wall of the housing. [6] Outdoor unit according to claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger chamber comprises a blower and a fan mounting element for attaching the blower, and the heat exchanger chamber-side cover plate is divided vertically into the first heat exchanger chamber-side cover plate, which is located in the upper part of the housing, and the second heat exchanger chamber-side cover plate, which is located in the lower part of the housing, wherein at least one of the first heat exchanger-side cover plate and the second heat exchanger-side cover plate has an opening which overlaps with the blower in the front view, and a nozzle which extends from the opening to the rear, and wherein a reinforcement element is provided which secures at least one of the first heat exchanger room-side cover plate and the second heat exchanger room-side cover plate as well as the fan mounting element. [7] Outdoor unit according to claim 6, wherein the lower edge of the first heat exchanger room-side cover plate and the upper edge of the second heat exchanger room-side cover plate are fixed in a forward / reverse direction in a state in which either the lower edge of the first heat exchanger room-side cover plate or the upper edge of the second heat exchanger room-side cover plate is arranged backward. [8] Outdoor unit according to technology 6, wherein the housing includes a cover plate which has a downwardly bent bending section at the edge, and wherein the bending section and the upper edge of the first heat exchanger room-side cover plate are fixed in a forward / reverse direction in a state in which the upper edge of the first heat exchanger room-side cover plate is arranged backwards.

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