Drain pan, air conditioner, drain pan cleaning jig and drain pan cleaning method

Abstract

To provide means capable of easily cleaning a drain pan without detaching the drain pan itself.SOLUTION: A drain pan 20 includes: a water reception part 21 that receives drain water 110; a drainage port 22 provided on a bottom surface of the water reception part 21; and a drain cap 23 configured to close the drainage port 22 from the upper side and open the drainage port 22 by being pressed from the lower side by a cleaning jig 30. The cleaning jig 30 includes: a water drain rubber plug 31 that presses the drain cap 23 from the lower side of the drainage port 22 to open the drainage port 22 and is inserted into the drainage port 22; and a drain hose 33 connected to the water drain rubber plug 31.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a drain pan, an air conditioner, a drain pan cleaning tool, and a drain pan cleaning method. [Background technology]

[0002] Ceiling recessed air conditioners are generally equipped with a drain pan that collects condensation water generated by the heat exchanger, and are configured to start a drain pump to drain the water when the amount of water accumulated in the drain pan exceeds a certain amount. The water that accumulates in the drain pan is called drain water, and is discharged to the outside via drain piping connected to the air conditioner. However, the drain pump cannot drain all of the drain water, and the remaining drain water turns into a slime-like substance over time and accumulates in the drain pan. In this case, the drain pump will no longer be able to drain the water, and the drain pan will need to be cleaned. If the drain water cannot be drained, an error message will be displayed.

[0003] When cleaning the drain pan, it is necessary to remove it, but because the structure of the air conditioner is complex, this takes time. Also, it is difficult for a single worker to remove the drain pan while holding it, so the task requires the cooperation of two or more people. Drain pans usually have a drain outlet for draining the drain water. When removing the drain pan, it is necessary to remove the drain cap that blocks the drain outlet and drain the remaining drain water, but in this case, the drain water may splash around (see Figure 8 below).

[0004] Patent documents 1 and 2 disclose ceiling-embedded air conditioners with improved drain or drain cap structures to reduce the burden of drain water treatment. The drain cap in Patent document 1 is provided with a valve and a cock equipped with a lever to operate the valve. The drain in Patent document 2 is provided with a water stopper that abuts against a stopper formed on the periphery of the drain, and a spiral spring interposed between the water stopper and the drain cap. Patent documents 1 and 2 state that drain water can be drained without removing the drain cap. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-299929 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2002-276987 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] As described above, cleaning the drain pan takes time and requires the cooperation of two or more people. In addition, the work must be done carefully to prevent the drain water from scattering. This places a heavy burden on the workers. In addition, in the technology disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the flow path through which the drain water flows is narrow, making it difficult to drain the slimy drain water. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The drain pan of the present invention is characterized by comprising a water receiving portion for receiving drain water, a drain outlet provided on the bottom surface of the water receiving portion, and a drain cap configured to block the drain outlet from above and open the drain outlet when pressed from below by a cleaning tool.

[0008] The air conditioner according to the present invention comprises a heat exchanger, a blower fan, the above-mentioned drain pan, and a housing, the housing housing housinging the heat exchanger, the blower fan, and the drain pan.

[0009] The drain pan cleaning tool of the present invention is a tool for cleaning the drain pan, having a through opening for draining drain water, and is characterized in that the drain outlet is opened by pressing a drain cap from below the drain outlet, and is equipped with a water-draining rubber stopper that is inserted into the drain outlet, and a drain hose connected to the through opening of the water-draining rubber stopper.

[0010] The drain pan cleaning method of the present invention is a method for cleaning the drain pan using a drain pan cleaning tool, and is characterized by comprising the steps of inserting a water-draining rubber plug of the drain pan cleaning tool into a drain outlet to drain drain water, after the drain water draining step, directing cleaning water into the drain pan, and after the cleaning water directing step, directing the cleaning water. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, the drain pan can be easily cleaned without removing the drain pan itself. For example, the cleaning work can be performed by a single worker, greatly reducing the burden on the worker. Furthermore, splashing of drain water during cleaning work can be more reliably suppressed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the installation state of the air conditioner. [Diagram 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a drain cap and its vicinity in a drain pan that is an example of an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a drain cap according to an embodiment; [Diagram 5] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the drain cap and the drain pan cleaning tool when the drain cap is closed. FIG. [Figure 6] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the drain cap and the drain pan cleaning tool when the drain cap is opened. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment during cleaning. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of conventional drain water discharge. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the embodiment described below is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment. In the following, the operating state of the air conditioner 1 will be described as cooling operation. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the installation state of the air conditioner, and Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of an indoor unit that is an example of an embodiment.

[0014] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the air conditioner 1 includes a heat exchanger 10, a blower fan 11, a bellmouth 12, and a drain pan 20 that receives condensation water generated in the heat exchanger 10. The drain pan 20 is disposed below the heat exchanger 10 so that the condensation water does not fall into the room. The air conditioner 1 further includes a housing 2 that houses the heat exchanger 10, the blower fan 11, the bellmouth 12, and the drain pan 20. The blower fan 11 is disposed in the center of the housing 2, and the heat exchanger 10 is disposed so as to surround the blower fan on all four sides.

[0015] The air conditioner 1 is a four-way ceiling cassette type indoor unit that is installed by fitting into an opening in a ceiling board 100, and is suspended and fixed to a building frame 101 using a hanging bolt 102. One end of the hanging bolt 102 is fixed to the building frame 101, and the other end is fixed to the housing 2. The air conditioner 1 also has a decorative panel 3 that covers the lower part of the housing 2. The decorative panel 3 is provided with a substantially rectangular intake grill 4 and an outlet 5 as ventilation openings through which air passes. The air inside the room that is sucked in through the intake grill 4 passes through a heat exchanger 10 to be cooled, and is supplied into the room from the outlet 5. The outlet 5 is provided with a louver 6 that adjusts the wind direction of the air passing through.

[0016] A refrigerant circuit (not shown) is connected to the air conditioner 1. The refrigerant circuit is made up of a compressor, an outdoor unit heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and a heat exchanger 10, and these elements are connected to each other by refrigerant piping. The heat exchanger 10 of the air conditioner 1 forms part of the refrigerant circuit. When the low-temperature, low-pressure liquefied refrigerant is decompressed by the expansion valve in the outdoor unit, it becomes a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant gas when evaporated in the heat exchanger 10 in the indoor unit. It is then sent to the compressor in the outdoor unit, and circulates through the refrigerant piping while changing its state.

[0017] The heat exchanger 10 is housed in the housing 2 and is arranged in a substantially annular shape so as to surround the blower fan 11. During cooling operation, the heat exchanger 10 functions as an evaporator in a refrigeration cycle between the refrigerant and the outside air. The air in the room is cooled as it passes through the heat exchanger 10 due to an endothermic reaction that occurs when the refrigerant is evaporated in the heat exchanger 10.

[0018] The blower fan 11 is disposed in the center of the housing 2, inside the heat exchanger 10. The blower fan 11 includes a propeller that is rotated by a motor (not shown). The blower fan 11 has a function of sucking in indoor air through the air inlet grill 4, sending it to the heat exchanger 10, and sending the air that has passed through the heat exchanger 10 and been cooled to the air outlet 5. The blower fan 11 promotes heat exchange by sending the indoor air to the heat exchanger 10.

[0019] Bellmouth 12 is cylindrical with an opening in the center, and its diameter decreases from the air intake grill 4 side toward the blower fan 11 side. Bellmouth 12 is disposed below blower fan 11, and its bottom is formed so as to be connected to drain pan 20. Bellmouth 12 has the function of rectifying the indoor air sucked in through air intake grill 4 and efficiently collecting it in blower fan 11.

[0020] The drain pan 20 includes a water receiving portion 21 that receives drain water, a drain outlet 22 provided on the bottom surface of the water receiving portion 21, and a drain cap 23 that closes the drain outlet 22 from above. As will be described in detail later, the drain cap 23 is configured to open the drain outlet 22 by being pressed from below by a cleaning tool 30 (see FIG. 6).

[0021] The water receiving portion 21 constituting the drain pan 20 is a dish shaped like a generally rectangular frame having a concave shape. When indoor air is cooled by the heat exchanger 10, the water vapor contained in the air condenses, generating condensed water. The water receiving portion 21 is a member having a function of receiving this condensed water and temporarily storing it. The drain pan 20 is disposed below the heat exchanger 10, thereby enabling the water receiving portion 21 to receive the condensed water so that the condensed water does not fall into the room. Hereinafter, the condensed water accumulated in the water receiving portion 21 of the drain pan 20 is referred to as drain water 110.

[0022] The water receiving section 21 has a predetermined water gradient, and is provided with a drain pump 13 above its lowest part. The drain pump 13 is a general suction pump, and is connected to a drain pipe 14. When the drain water 110 collected in the lowest part of the water receiving section 21 due to the water gradient exceeds a predetermined amount, it is sucked up by the drain pump 13, which is activated by a sensor (not shown), and discharged to the outside through the drain pipe 14.

[0023] On the other hand, in order to discharge to the outside the drain water 110 that cannot be completely sucked by the drain pump 13, the drain pan 20 has a drain outlet 22 at the bottom of the lowest part of the water receiving section 21 having a water gradient. The drain outlet 22 of the drain pan 20 is closed from the upper side of the drain pan 20 by a drain cap 23.

[0024] The drain cap 23, which is one example of an embodiment, will be described in detail with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the drain cap 23, and Figure 4 is a perspective view of the drain cap 23.

[0025] 3 and 4, the drain cap 23 has a main body 24 that closes the drain outlet 22 and a drainage part 25 having a drainage channel, and is configured to close the drain outlet 22 of the drain pan 20 from above. The drain cap 23 has a structure in which the main body 24 is provided at the upper part of the cap and the drainage part 25 is provided at the lower part of the cap. The drainage part 25 is disposed below the drain outlet 22 when the drain cap 23 is attached to the drain outlet 22. As will be described in detail later, the drainage part 25 is inserted into the water receiving part 21 when the drain cap 23 is pushed up by the cleaning tool 30, and contributes to the smooth drainage of the drain water 110.

[0026] The main body 24 is a flexible rubber plug that fits closely to the drain outlet 22 without any gaps to close the drain outlet 22. The main body 24 includes, for example, a first portion having a truncated cone shape and a disk-shaped second portion that protrudes radially outward from the main body 24 beyond the first portion. The second portion is provided on the upper portion of the first portion, protrudes radially outward beyond the outer circumferential surface of the first portion, and is formed into a brim shape with a diameter larger than the first portion and the drain outlet 22. The first portion is inserted into the drain outlet 22, and the second portion abuts against the upper surface of the water receiving portion 21 at the periphery of the drain outlet 22. The thickness (vertical length) of the first portion of the main body 24 is, for example, greater than or equal to the thickness of the water receiving portion 21.

[0027] The drainage section 25 is disposed below the lower surface of the water receiving section 21 when the air conditioner 1 is in use, but is pushed up into the water receiving section 21 when the drain pan 20 is cleaned. For this reason, the diameter of the drainage section 25 is smaller than the diameter of the drain outlet 22. The drainage channel formed in the drainage section 25 functions as a drainage channel for the drain water 110 when the drain pan 20 is cleaned. In this embodiment, the drainage section 25 is composed of a disk 26, a hollow disk 27 disposed parallel to the disk 26, and a plurality of supports 28 disposed perpendicular to the two disks (disk 26, hollow disk 27) and connecting them.

[0028] The drainage section 25 is, for example, a metal member. The diameter of the disk 26 constituting the drainage section 25 is the same as the diameter of the bottom surface of the first part of the main body 24, and is firmly fixed to the main body 24 with adhesive, bolts, nuts, etc. A plurality of supports 28 are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the disk 26. In this embodiment, a drainage channel is formed by the gap between adjacent supports 28 and the hollow part of the hollow disk 27. The interval between adjacent supports 28 is set to a length that does not interfere with the drainage of the drain water 110 and the strength of the drainage section 25. The diameter of the hollow part of the hollow disk 27 is, for example, equal to the inner diameter of the through opening of the water drain rubber plug 31 described later and the outer diameter of the drain hose 33 described later.

[0029] When drain cap 23 is closed, the adhesive surfaces of main body 24 and drain portion 25 are at least flush with the bottom surface of water receiving portion 21 or positioned lower than the bottom surface of water receiving portion 21, thereby preventing drain water 110 from leaking from drain outlet 22. When drain cap 23 is opened, the adhesive surfaces of main body 24 and drain portion 25 are at least positioned higher than the top surface of water receiving portion 21. The bottom end surface of drain portion 25 is preferably positioned within drain outlet 22 or flush with the top surface of water receiving portion 21.

[0030] A drain pan cleaning jig 30, which is one example of an embodiment, will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. A configuration of the drain cap 23 will also be described in detail. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the drain cap 23 and the cleaning jig 30 when the drain cap 23 is closed. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the drain cap 23 and the cleaning jig 30 when the drain cap 23 is opened.

[0031] 5 and 6, the drain cap 23 has a weight 29 connected to the main body 24 or the drainage portion 25. The weight 29 has a function of suppressing the drain cap 23 from moving in the water receiving portion 21 due to the water flow when the drain cap 23 is opened, i.e., when drain water 110 is discharged. In this embodiment, the weight 29 is connected to the drain cap 23 by tying a string fixed to the weight 29 to the hollow disk 27 or the support 28 of the drainage portion 25. The weight 29 may be constantly connected to the main body 24 or the drainage portion 25, but is preferably attached when the drain pan 20 is cleaned.

[0032] The drain pan cleaning tool 30 is a tool for cleaning the drain pan 20, and includes a water-draining rubber plug 31 and a drain hose 33. The water-draining rubber plug 31 is inserted into the drain outlet 22 while pressing the drain cap 23 from below the drain outlet 22 to open the drain cap 23. The water-draining rubber plug 31 has a through opening for draining the drain water 110, and this through opening is connected to the drain hose 33. When the cleaning tool 30 is used, the weight 29 is inserted into the through opening from the upper side of the water-draining rubber plug 31.

[0033] The water drain rubber plug 31 has an insertion portion 32 and a rubber plug return portion 34. The insertion portion 32 is a portion that pushes up the drain cap 23 and is inserted into the drain outlet 22. The rubber plug return portion 34 is formed in an annular shape so as to surround the insertion portion 32. When the drain cap 23 is opened, the rubber plug return portion 34 abuts against the underside of the water receiving portion 21 around the drain outlet 22.

[0034] When the drain cap 23 is pushed up by the water-draining rubber plug 31 constituting the cleaning tool 30, the drain port 22 is opened and drain water 110 flows into the gaps between adjacent supports 28 of the drainage section 25 exposed in the water receiving section 21 and into the hollow section of the hollow disk 27. At this time, the lower end face of the drainage section 25 and the upper end face of the water-draining rubber plug 31 are in contact, and the drain water 110 that has flowed into the drainage section 25 is drained through the drain hose 33 from the through opening of the water-draining rubber plug 31.

[0035] Considering ease of insertion, the diameter of the top end surface of the water-draining rubber plug 31 is formed to be smaller than the inner diameter of the drain port 22. For this reason, when drain water 110 is drained, it is expected that the drain water 110 will flow out from the outer edge of the water-draining rubber plug 31. The rubber plug return portion 34 has the function of preventing the drain water 110 leaking from the outer edge of the water-draining rubber plug 31 from splashing.

[0036] Drain water 110 flowing out from the outer edge of the water-draining rubber plug 31 is blocked on the flange of the insertion part 32 by the rubber plug return part 34. The insertion part 32 may have a water-draining hole (not shown) for guiding the blocked drain water 110 to the drain hose 33. The water-draining holes may be formed in several places so as to lead from the outer edge of the large diameter side of the insertion part 32 to the through opening of the water-draining rubber plug 31.

[0037] With further reference to Fig. 7, the overall configuration of a cleaning tool 30 as one example of an embodiment and a method for cleaning the drain pan 20 using the cleaning tool 30 will be described. For comparison, a conventional method for draining drain water will also be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration when cleaning the indoor unit. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of conventional drain water drainage.

[0038] 7, the cleaning tool 30 includes a water stop valve 35 provided on the drain hose 33. As described above, the cleaning tool 30 includes the water drain rubber plug 31 that is inserted into the drain outlet 22 by pushing up the drain cap 23. In this embodiment, one end of the drain hose 33 is connected to the through opening of the water drain rubber plug 31, and the other end of the drain hose 33 is connected to a suction machine 36. The water stop valve 35 is provided between the water drain rubber plug 31 and the suction machine 36.

[0039] The drain hose 33 is a general hose, but is preferably transparent so that the state of the liquid in the hose can be visually confirmed. The stop valve 35 is a general stop valve that is opened and closed manually by an operator. It prevents the drain water 110 from flowing out to the suction machine 36 side when it is stopped. The suction machine 36 is used to suck up the drain water 110 and the cleaning water 43. Compared to gravity drainage by natural flow, mechanical drainage using the suction machine 36 is advantageous in that it can reliably drain water in a short time.

[0040] The cleaning jig 30 further includes a water injection section 40 that introduces cleaning water 43 into the water receiving section 21 of the drain pan 20. The water injection section 40 includes a water injection hose 41, a bucket 42, and a pump 44.

[0041] The water injection hose 41 is inserted from the outlet 5 of the air conditioner 1 and guides the cleaning water 43 to the water receiving section 21 of the drain pan 20. The water injection hose 41 is a general hose for injecting the cleaning water 43. The end of the water injection hose 41 that is installed in the water receiving section 21 is connected to a nozzle made of, for example, a flexible copper pipe, and the other end is installed in a bucket 42. The water injection hose 41 is provided with a pump 44 for sending out the cleaning water 43 between the nozzle and the bucket 42. The bucket 42 is a general bucket, and the cleaning water 43 for cleaning the drain pan is contained in the bucket 42. The cleaning water 43 is water containing a surfactant, and is added to the slime-like drain water 110 accumulated at the bottom of the water receiving section 21 to break down the slime-like drain water 110 and make it easier to discharge it to the outside.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 8, the conventional drain cap 50 closes the drain outlet 53 of the drain pan 51 from the lower side of the water receiving portion 52, and the drain outlet 53 is opened by the worker manually removing the drain cap 50 downward. At this time, the drain water 110 needs to be received in a bucket or the like prepared below the drain outlet 53, which requires multiple workers. Depending on the amount of accumulated drain water 110, the drain water 110 often splashes around when the drain cap 50 is opened. In contrast, the drain pan 20 and cleaning tool 30 having the above configuration can more reliably prevent the drain water from splashing during cleaning work, and the cleaning work can be performed by one worker, greatly reducing the burden on the worker. Below, a method for cleaning the drain pan 20 using the cleaning tool 30 will be described in detail.

[0043] As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the method for cleaning the drain pan 20 using the cleaning jig 30 includes the following steps. (1) A step of inserting the drain rubber plug 31 of the cleaning tool 30 into the drain outlet 22 to drain the drain water 110. (2) A process of directing cleaning water 43 to the water receiving portion 21 of the drain pan 20 after the process of discharging the drain water 110. (3) After the step of conveying the cleaning water 43, a step of discharging the cleaning water 43.

[0044] To clean the drain pan 20, first remove the portion of the decorative panel 3 below the drain cap 23 and the intake grill 4 to expose the drain cap 23. Connect the weight 29 to the body 24 or drain portion 25 of the drain cap 23, pass it through the hollow portion of the drain portion 25, and then pass it through the through opening of the water-draining rubber plug 31. Keep the water stop valve 35 of the drain hose 33 closed.

[0045] The drain cap 23, which closes the drain port 22 of the drain pan 20 from above, is pushed up from below by the rubber plug 31 for drainage of the cleaning tool 30 to open the drain port 22. The drain water 110 passes through the drain portion 25 of the drain cap 23 and flows into the drain hose 33 from the through opening of the rubber plug 31 for drainage. Since the drain hose 33 is transparent, the inflow of the drain water 110 can be visually confirmed. When the inflow of the drain water 110 is confirmed by visually checking the drain hose 33, the suction machine 36 is operated, the stop valve 35 is opened, and the suction machine 36 is made to suck the drain water 110. When the completion of suction is confirmed by visually checking the drain hose 33, the stop valve 35 is closed and the suction machine 36 is stopped.

[0046] After drain water 110 has been sucked in, cleaning water 43 is guided into water receiving section 21. Water injection hose 41 of water injection section 40 is inserted into housing 2 from outlet 5 with louvers 6 fully opened, and the tip is installed inside water receiving section 21. Pump 44 is operated to guide cleaning water 43 in bucket 42 into water receiving section 21. When it is determined that an appropriate amount of cleaning water 43 has been guided, pump 44 is stopped.

[0047] An appropriate amount of cleaning water 43 is guided into the water receiving portion 21 and left for a certain period of time. By leaving the cleaning water 43 in the water receiving portion 21, the slime-like drain water 110 that could not be removed by the drain pump 13 or the suction machine 36 is decomposed by the cleaning water 43.

[0048] After a certain period of time has elapsed with the cleaning water 43 being left in the water receiving section 21, the suction machine 36 is operated and the stop valve 35 is opened. At the same time, the pump 44 is operated to guide additional cleaning water 43 into the water receiving section 21. The cleaning water 43 after the slime has been decomposed and the additional cleaning water 43 are drained through the drain hose 33. When it is confirmed by visual inspection of the drain hose 33 that the dirt in the cleaning water 43 passing through it has been reduced, the pump 44 is stopped and the guidance of the cleaning water 43 is terminated. When it is confirmed by visual inspection of the drain hose 33 that suction has been completed, the stop valve 35 is closed and the suction machine 36 is stopped.

[0049] After the drainage of the cleaning water 43 is complete, the water injection hose 41 is removed from the water receiving part 21, and the water injection hose 41 is inserted from another of the multiple outlets 5 whose louvers 6 are fully opened, and cleaning water 43 is similarly introduced into the water receiving part 21, thereby repeating the cleaning of the water receiving part 21. The drain hose 33 is visually inspected to determine whether cleaning is complete.

[0050] In addition, when injecting drain water 110, a putrefactive agent or the like into water receiving portion 21 after cleaning water receiving portion 21, the agent or the like can be injected into water receiving portion 21 in the same manner as injecting cleaning water 43.

[0051] When the cleaning work inside the water receiving portion 21 is completed, the water injection hose 41 is removed from the water receiving portion 21. When the water drain rubber plug 31 is slowly removed downward, the drain cap 23 gently engages with the drain outlet 22 of the drain pan 20, and the weight 29 is exposed from the through opening of the water drain rubber plug 31. If the drain cap 23 has moved due to the water flow, pulling the weight 29 downward will return the drain cap 23 to the vicinity of the drain outlet 22 and gently engage with the drain outlet 22. In this state, when the drain portion 25 is pulled downward with force, the drain cap 23 strongly engages with the drain outlet 22, and the drain outlet 22 can be blocked.

[0052] Weight 29 may remain attached to drain portion 25 without any problems, but it is preferable to remove it after cleaning drain pan 20.

[0053] The part of the decorative panel 3 that was removed and the air inlet grill 4 are attached, and the louvers 6 of the air outlet 5 are returned to their proper positions, completing the cleaning of the drain pan 20.

[0054] As described above, the drain pan 20 and cleaning tool 30 having the above configuration allow the drain pan 20 to be easily cleaned without removing the drain pan 20 itself, improving work efficiency. Furthermore, the cleaning tool 30 allows the drain cap 23 to be removed and the water-draining rubber plug 31 to be attached at the same time, preventing the drain water 110 from scattering and allowing the drain water 110 to be safely discharged to the outside through the drain hose 33 constituting the water-draining rubber plug 31.

[0055] The above embodiment may be appropriately modified in design without impairing the object of the present invention. For example, the main body 24 of the drain cap 23 may be only the first part as long as it has a shape capable of closing the drain outlet 22. The drain part 25 of the drain cap 23 may be a cylindrical one-piece shape having an opening (corresponding to the hollow disk 27) in the center of one of the bottom surfaces and a plurality of slit-shaped openings (corresponding to the gaps between adjacent supports 28) on the side surface. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1 air conditioner, 2 housing, 3 decorative panel, 4 intake grill, 5 outlet, 6 louver, 10 heat exchanger, 11 blower fan, 12 bell mouth, 13 drain pump, 14 drain piping, 20 drain pan, 21 water receiving part, 22 drain outlet, 23 drain cap, 24 main body, 25 drain part, 26 disk, 27 hollow disk, 28 support, 29 weight, 30 cleaning tool, 31 water drain rubber plug, 32 insertion part, 33 drain hose, 34 rubber plug return part, 35 stop valve, 36 suction machine, 40 water injection part, 41 water injection hose, 42 bucket, 43 cleaning water, 44 pump, 50 drain cap, 51 drain pan, 52 water receiving part, 53 drain outlet, 100 ceiling panel, 101 Building frame, 102 hanging bolt, 110 drain water

Claims

1. A water receiving portion for receiving drain water; A drainage port provided on a bottom surface of the water receiving portion; A drain cap configured to close the drain outlet from above and open the drain outlet by being pressed from below by a cleaning tool; Equipped with a drain pan.

2. The drain cap, A main body portion provided on an upper portion of the cap and closing the drain outlet; A drainage portion provided at a lower portion of the cap and having a drainage channel; The drain pan of claim 1 .

3. The drain pan of claim 2 , wherein the drain cap has a weight connected to the body portion or the drain portion.

4. A heat exchanger; A blower fan and A drain pan according to any one of claims 1 to 3, a housing that houses the heat exchanger, the blower fan, and the drain pan; An air conditioner equipped with:

5. A tool for cleaning a drain pan according to any one of claims 1 to 3, a through opening for draining drain water, the drain cap being pressed from below the drain outlet to open the drain outlet, and a water draining rubber plug being inserted into the drain outlet; A drain hose connected to the through opening of the water drain rubber plug; A drain pan cleaning tool.

6. The drain hose is The drain pan cleaning tool according to claim 5 , wherein one end is connected to the through opening of the water drain rubber plug, and the other end is connected to a suction machine.

7. The water drain rubber plug is An insertion portion that pushes up the drain cap and is inserted into the drain outlet; a rubber plug return portion that is formed in an annular shape so as to surround the insertion portion and that contacts the bottom surface of the drain pan around the drain outlet; The drain pan cleaning tool according to claim 5 .

8. The drain pan cleaning tool according to claim 5 , wherein the drain hose is provided with a water stop valve.

9. The cleaning tool according to claim 5 , further comprising a water injection section that is inserted from an outlet of the air conditioner and directs cleaning water to the drain pan.

10. A method for cleaning the drain pan using the cleaning tool according to claim 5, comprising: a step of inserting the water drain rubber plug of the cleaning tool into the drain outlet to drain the drain water; a step of directing cleaning water to the drain pan after the drain water discharging step; a step of discharging the cleaning water after the cleaning water conveying step; A drain pan cleaning method comprising:

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