Air conditioner

Abstract

To provide an air conditioner that can improve workability while securing a predetermined air volume.SOLUTION: An air conditioner comprises: an outdoor unit having a compressor for compressing a working refrigerant, a first heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the working refrigerant and outdoor air, a first fan for sending air from the first heat exchanger to the outside, a second heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the working refrigerant and indoor air, a second fan for sending the indoor air to the second heat exchanger, a control device, an electric connector, and an outdoor communication device for performing radio communication with the outside; an indoor unit having a suction part for sucking air in a room by the second fan, and a discharge part for discharging air heat-exchanged by the second heat exchanger into the room; a first air blowing passage connecting the suction part and the second heat exchanger via a through hole in a wall part of a house; and a second air blowing passage connecting the second heat exchanger and the discharge part via the through hole.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioner. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, it is known that in an air conditioner, an indoor air heat exchanger and an outdoor air heat exchanger are housed in the same housing (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6358534 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In existing houses, when an air conditioner is installed, a general-purpose through hole is sometimes provided in the wall to place the refrigerant connection pipe, the drain hose, and the power line and communication line connecting the indoor equipment and the outdoor equipment. However, the conventional air conditioner requires a dedicated through hole, which causes problems in construction. Although it is possible to insert an air transport duct into a general-purpose through hole, when the power line and the like are also inserted into the through hole, the diameter of the air transport duct must be reduced. Therefore, the effective air passage area is narrowed, which increases the pressure loss, making it difficult to ensure a specified air volume.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an air conditioner that can improve ease of installation while ensuring a specified air volume. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The air conditioner of the present disclosure comprises an outdoor unit having a compressor that compresses a working refrigerant, a first heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the working refrigerant and outside air, a first fan that sends air from the first heat exchanger to the outside, a second heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the working refrigerant and indoor air, a second fan that sends the indoor air to the second heat exchanger, a control device that drives the compressor, the first fan, and the second fan, an electrical connector that receives power to be supplied to the compressor, the first fan, the second fan, and the control device, and an outdoor communication device that performs wireless communication with the outside; an indoor unit having an intake section that draws in indoor air with the second fan and a blowing section that blows air that has been heat exchanged by the second heat exchanger into the room; a first air passage that connects the intake section and the second heat exchanger via a through hole in a wall of a house, and a second air passage that connects the second heat exchanger and the blowing section via the through hole.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, the indoor unit is not provided with an electric plug or an electrically driven device, and only a suction section and a blowing section are provided, so that the configuration of the indoor unit can be simplified. As a result, it is possible to suppress the design and aesthetics of the room from being impaired by the placement of the indoor unit more than ever before. In addition, since the first air passage and the second air passage can be inserted into an existing through hole in the wall of the house, there is no need to provide a dedicated through hole. This improves workability more than ever before. In addition, since the control device, the electrical connector (power source), and the outdoor communication device are provided in the outdoor unit and configured to communicate with the outdoor communication device by the communication device, there is no need to insert the power line and the communication line into the through hole. As a result, the through hole in the wall can be used only for the insertion of the first air passage and the second air passage, so there is no need to reduce the diameter of the first air passage and the second air passage, and therefore the effective air passage area is not narrowed. Therefore, it is possible to avoid an increase in pressure loss, and it becomes easier to ensure a predetermined air volume. As a result, it is possible to improve workability while ensuring a specified air volume.

[0008] In the above disclosure, the air conditioner may further include a temperature sensor provided in the first air duct to detect the indoor temperature.

[0009] According to the above configuration, it is possible to control the indoor temperature to approach the target temperature based on the detection result of the temperature sensor.

[0010] In the above disclosure, the air conditioner may further include an air conveyance duct that houses the first air duct and the second air duct and has a partition portion that partitions the first air duct and the second air duct. The air conveyance duct may have a small-diameter portion that is passed through a through-hole in the wall portion of the house, and a large-diameter portion that is between the small-diameter portion and the outdoor unit and has an outer diameter larger than that of the small-diameter portion.

[0011] According to the above configuration, two pipelines can be formed by the partition portion in the air conveyance duct. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately provide a pipe corresponding to the first air duct and a pipe corresponding to the second air duct, and the configuration is simplified. Further, since the outer diameter of the large-diameter portion of the air conveyance duct is larger than the outer diameter of the small-diameter portion passed through the through-hole, an increase in pressure loss during air conveyance is suppressed, and thus it is easier to ensure the air volume.

Advantages of the Invention

[0012] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an air conditioner that can improve workability while ensuring a predetermined air volume.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] It is a diagram showing a configuration for realizing a refrigeration cycle in the air conditioner of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] It is a cross-sectional view of the air conveyance duct.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The air conditioner described below is merely one embodiment of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiment, and additions, deletions, and modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure.

[0015] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an air conditioner 100 according to one embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration for realizing a refrigeration cycle in the air conditioner 100 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an air conveying duct 30.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner 100 includes an outdoor unit 1 provided outside a residence H, an indoor unit 2 provided inside the residence H, a communication device 23 which is a remote communication device operated by a user, and a wireless router 24.

[0017] The outdoor unit 1 has a housing 3, a housing 4, a first fan 5, a first heat exchanger 6, a second heat exchanger 7, a second fan 8, a control device 9, an outdoor communication device 10, a power cord 11 corresponding to an electric connector, and a power supply board (not shown). As shown in Fig. 2, the outdoor unit 1 further has a compressor 12, a four-way valve 13, an expansion valve 14, and refrigerant pipes P1, P2, and P3.

[0018] The housing 3 is disposed, for example, on the side of a wall 26 of the house H. The housing 3 contains a first fan 5, a first heat exchanger 6, a control device 9, the power supply board, and an outdoor communication device 10. A power cord 11 is connected to the power supply board. By connecting the plug of the power cord 11 to an outdoor outlet, power is supplied to each component of the outdoor unit 1 via the power supply board. At least one of the control device 9, the power supply board, and the outdoor communication device 10 may be contained in the housing 4.

[0019] The housing 4 is disposed, for example, on top of the housing 3. A second heat exchanger 7 and a second fan 8 are housed in the housing 4. By disposing the second heat exchanger 7 in the housing 4 of the outdoor unit 1 in this manner, a drain hose for discharging drain water generated in the second heat exchanger 7 is not required.

[0020] The compressor 12 compresses a working refrigerant. The compressor 12 sends the working refrigerant to the first heat exchanger 6 via the four-way valve 13 during cooling operation. The compressor 12 also sends the working refrigerant to the second heat exchanger 7 via the four-way valve 13 during heating operation.

[0021] Examples of the working refrigerant in the air conditioner 1 include flammable refrigerants such as isobutane and propane. The flammable refrigerant may be a carbon-based refrigerant such as propane or isobutane that has a higher specific gravity than air, a fluorocarbon-based refrigerant such as HFO1234yf or R32, or a mixture of these refrigerants, or a weakly flammable or slightly flammable refrigerant. The refrigerant may be a single refrigerant or a mixture of a different type of refrigerant and a flammable refrigerant.

[0022] The first heat exchanger 6 exchanges heat between outside air and the working refrigerant. The air that has undergone heat exchange by the first heat exchanger 6 is sent to the outside by the first fan 5. A motor 5a that drives the first fan 5 is provided inside the housing 3. The first fan 5 is driven to rotate by the motor 5a based on instructions from the control device 9. An example of the first fan 5 is a propeller fan.

[0023] The second heat exchanger 7 exchanges heat between the working refrigerant and indoor air flowing in through an air transfer duct 30 (described later) by the second fan 8. A motor 8a for driving the second fan 8 is provided in the housing 4. The second fan 8 is driven to rotate by the motor 8a based on instructions from the control device 9. An example of the second fan 8 is a sirocco fan. A plurality of second fans 8 may be provided.

[0024] The control device 9 may be configured with a microcontroller including a central processing unit (CPU) and memories (read only memory (ROM) and random access memory (RAM)) storing a program, or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The control device 9 controls the operation of the compressor 12, the motor 5a of the first fan 5, and the motor 8a of the second fan 8. The outdoor communication device 10 also performs wireless communication with the outside (e.g., a communication device 23) via a wireless router 24. The wireless communication between the outdoor communication device 10 and the communication device 23 is performed by, for example, Wifi (registered trademark). A user can turn the power of the outdoor unit 1 on and off, switch between heating and cooling, set the temperature, etc., by operating the communication device 23 indoors.

[0025] The power supply board receives power to be supplied to the control device 9 via a power cord 11, and also receives power to be supplied to the motor 5a, the motor 8a, and the compressor 12. This allows power to be supplied to the control device 9, the motor 5a, the motor 8a, and the compressor 12.

[0026] The indoor unit 2 is provided indoors, for example, at an upper part, of the house H. The indoor unit 2 is fixed to an upper part of a wall part 26 of the house H. The indoor unit 2 has an intake part 21 and an exhaust part 22.

[0027] The suction section 21 draws in indoor air of the house H by the second fan 8. Moreover, the blowing section 22 blows out the air that has been heat exchanged by the second heat exchanger 7 and flows through an air transport duct 30 (described later) into the room of the house H.

[0028] Here, a first airflow passage 31 is provided that connects the suction section 21 and the second heat exchanger 7 via a through hole 25 provided in a wall section 26 of the house H. A second airflow passage 32 is provided that connects the second heat exchanger 7 and the blowing section 22 via a through hole 25. As shown in FIG. 3, the first airflow passage 31 and the second airflow passage 32 are housed in a tubular air transport duct 30. The inside of the air transport duct 30 is partitioned by a partition section 33 along the air flow direction. As a result, the first airflow passage 31 and the second airflow passage 32 are formed inside the air transport duct 30. The first airflow passage 31 is provided with a temperature sensor 34 that detects the temperature of air from inside the room. The detection result of the temperature sensor 34 is transmitted to the control device 9. The control device 9 executes refrigeration cycle control so as to bring the indoor temperature closer to a target temperature based on the detection result of the temperature sensor 34.

[0029] The air transport duct 30 has a small diameter section 30a that is passed through the through hole 25 in the wall section 26 of the house H, and a large diameter section 30b that is located between the small diameter section 30a and the outdoor unit 1 and has a larger outer diameter than the small diameter section 30a. The first air flow passage 31 and the second air flow passage 32 are formed across the small diameter section 30a and the large diameter section 30b.

[0030] Next, the refrigerant circuit, which is a flow path of the working refrigerant, will be described. The air conditioner 100 includes a refrigerant circuit Rc shown in FIG. 2. The refrigerant circuit Rc is not configured across the outdoor unit 1 and the indoor unit 2, but is provided only in the outdoor unit 1. As shown in FIG. 2, in the refrigerant circuit Rc, the inlet of the compressor 12 and one end of the second heat exchanger 7 (corresponding to the downstream end during cooling operation) are connected by a refrigerant pipe P1. Also, the outlet of the compressor 12 and one end of the first heat exchanger 6 (corresponding to the upstream end during cooling operation) are connected by a refrigerant pipe P2. A four-way valve 13 that switches the flow of the working refrigerant during cooling and heating operation is interposed between the refrigerant pipe P1 and the refrigerant pipe P2. Furthermore, the other end of the first heat exchanger 6 (corresponding to the downstream end during cooling operation) and the other end of the second heat exchanger 7 (corresponding to the upstream end during cooling operation) are connected by a refrigerant pipe P3. An expansion valve 14 for reducing the pressure of the working refrigerant is inserted in the refrigerant pipe P3.

[0031] The compressor 12, the four-way valve 13, and the expansion valve 14 are housed, for example, in a housing 3. The refrigerant pipe P2 is housed, for example, in the housing 3, and the refrigerant pipes P1 and P3 are housed in the housings 3 and 4.

[0032] In the configuration of FIG. 2, during cooling operation, the working refrigerant compressed by the compressor 12 is made high temperature and high pressure, passes through the first and second ports of the four-way valve 13 via the refrigerant pipe P2, and is then sent to the first heat exchanger 6. In the first heat exchanger 6, the working refrigerant exchanges heat with the outside air, dissipates heat, becomes a high-pressure liquid refrigerant, and is sent to the expansion valve 14 via the refrigerant pipe P3. In the expansion valve 14, the working refrigerant is decompressed to become a low-temperature, low-pressure two-phase refrigerant, and is then sent to the second heat exchanger 7 via the refrigerant pipe P3. In the second heat exchanger 7, the working refrigerant exchanges heat with the indoor air, absorbs heat, and is evaporated to become a low-temperature gas refrigerant. At this time, the indoor air is cooled, so the room can be cooled. Furthermore, the working refrigerant passes through the third and fourth ports of the four-way valve 13 via the refrigerant pipe P1, and is then returned to the compressor 12.

[0033] On the other hand, during heating operation, the working refrigerant compressed by the compressor 12 is made high temperature and high pressure, passes through the first and third ports of the four-way valve 13 via the refrigerant pipe P2, and is then sent to the second heat exchanger 7. In the second heat exchanger 7, the working refrigerant exchanges heat with the indoor air, dissipates heat, and is cooled to become a high-pressure liquid refrigerant. At this time, the indoor air is heated, so the room can be heated. Then, the working refrigerant is sent to the expansion valve 14 via the refrigerant pipe P3, and is decompressed by the expansion valve 14 to become a low-temperature, low-pressure two-phase refrigerant. Furthermore, the working refrigerant is sent to the first heat exchanger 6 via the refrigerant pipe P3. In the first heat exchanger 6, the working refrigerant exchanges heat with the outside air and is evaporated. Then, the working refrigerant passes through the second and fourth ports of the four-way valve 13 via the refrigerant pipe P2, and is returned to the compressor 12.

[0034] As described above, according to the air conditioner 100 of this embodiment, the indoor unit 2 is not provided with an electric plug or an electrically driven device, and only the suction section 21 and the blowing section 22 are provided, so that the configuration of the indoor unit 2 can be simplified. This makes it possible to suppress the design and aesthetics of the room from being impaired by the placement of the indoor unit 2 more than ever before. In addition, since the first air passage 31 and the second air passage 32 can be inserted through the existing through hole 25 in the wall section 26 of the house H, there is no need to provide a dedicated through hole. This improves the ease of installation more than ever before. In addition, since the control device 9 and the outdoor communication device 10 are provided in the outdoor unit 1 and configured to be able to communicate with the outdoor communication device 10 through the communication device 23, there is no need to insert the power line and the communication line into the through hole 25. As a result, the through holes 25 in the wall portion 26 can be used only for the passage of the first air passage 31 and the second air passage 32, so there is no need to reduce the diameter of the first air passage 31 and the second air passage 32, and the effective air passage area is not narrowed. This makes it possible to avoid an increase in pressure loss, making it easier to ensure a specified air volume. As a result, it is possible to improve workability while ensuring a specified air volume.

[0035] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the following modifications are possible.

[0036] In the above embodiment, the housing 4 is disposed above the housing 3, but this is not limiting, and the housing 4 may be disposed below the housing 3. Alternatively, the housing 4 may be disposed to the side of the housing 3.

[0037] In the above embodiment, the inside of the air transport duct 30 is partitioned by the partition 33 along the air flow direction to form the first air passage 31 and the second air passage 32 inside the air transport duct 30, but this is not limited to the above. For example, an air duct having an air passage corresponding to the first air passage 31 and an air duct having an air passage corresponding to the second air passage 32 may be provided inside the air transport duct 30. Alternatively, an air duct having an air passage corresponding to the first air passage 31 and an air duct having an air passage corresponding to the second air passage 32 may be arranged without being provided inside the air transport duct 30.

[0038] In the above embodiment, the wireless communication between the outdoor communication device 10 and the communication device 23 is performed by Wifi (registered trademark), but the present invention is not limited to this and may be performed by, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc. In this case, the wireless router 24 is not required.

[0039] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the outdoor unit 1 is provided with two housings (the housing 3 and the housing 4), but this is not limiting, and each component may be housed in a single housing.

[0040] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a remote communication device (remote controller) is exemplified as the communication device 23, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the communication device 23 may be another communication device such as a smartphone. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1 Outdoor unit 2 Indoor unit 5. First Fan 6 1st heat exchanger 7 Second heat exchanger 8. Second Fan 9 Control device 10. Outdoor communication device 11 Power cord 12 Compressor 21 Suction section 22 Speech bubble section 23. Communications Equipment 24 Wireless Router 25 Through hole 26 Wall 30 Air conveying duct 30a Small diameter section 30b Large diameter section 31 1st ventilation duct 32 2nd ventilation duct 33 Partition 34 Temperature Sensor 100 Air conditioner H Housing rc refrigerant circuit

Claims

1. A compressor that compresses a working refrigerant; a first heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the working refrigerant and outside air; a first fan that sends air from the first heat exchanger to the outside; a second heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the working refrigerant and indoor air; A second fan that sends the indoor air to the second heat exchanger; a control device that drives the compressor, the first fan, and the second fan; an electrical connector configured to receive power to be supplied to the compressor, the first fan, the second fan, and the control device; an outdoor unit having an outdoor communication device for wirelessly communicating with the outside; an intake section that draws in indoor air by the second fan; an indoor unit having an air outlet portion that blows out the air that has been heat exchanged by the second heat exchanger into the room; A first air passage that connects the suction portion and the second heat exchanger via a through hole in a wall portion of a house; a second air passage connecting the second heat exchanger and the blowing portion via the through hole.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor provided in the first air passage for detecting a room temperature.

3. an air transport duct that houses the first air passage and the second air passage and has a partition that separates the first air passage from the second air passage; 3. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the air transport duct has a small diameter portion that is passed through a through hole in a wall portion of the house, and a large diameter portion that is located between the small diameter portion and the outdoor unit and has an outer diameter larger than that of the small diameter portion.

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