Indoor unit for air conditioner

Abstract

To provide an indoor unit for an air conditioner, which includes a drainage system cheap and excellent in the degree of freedom in installation.SOLUTION: The indoor unit includes a casing mountable on the ceiling of an air-conditioned chamber, a heat exchanger stored in the casing, a drain pan for reserving drain water along with the heat exchange operation of the heat exchanger, and a drainage system 33 for draining drain water reserved in the drain pan to the outside the casing, and guiding it to a drain pipe 32 installed on the ceiling of the air-conditioned chamber, the drainage system 33 including a drain socket 31 protruding from the casing, a flexible hose 35, and a first connection part 36 connecting the drain socket 31 to the flexible hose 35, the first connection part 36 being inclined to the protruding direction of the drain socket 31.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to an indoor unit of an air conditioner. [Background technology]

[0002] An indoor unit of an air conditioner is known that includes an indoor unit body that is attached to the ceiling of a room to be air-conditioned, a heat exchanger housed in the indoor unit body, a drain pan that collects drain water discharged as a result of the heat exchange action of the heat exchanger, a drain pump that discharges the drain water that has collected in the drain pan, and a semi-rigid drain hose with a bellows shape that guides the drain water discharged by the drain pump to the outside of the indoor unit body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-257622 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a conventional air conditioner indoor unit, a single bellows hose connects a drain pump to a drain pipe already installed above the ceiling of the room to be air-conditioned.

[0005] However, while the corrugated hose has a high degree of freedom in laying it at an installation location, it is more expensive than a hard polyvinyl chloride pipe, or so-called PVC pipe, which is generally used for drainage paths.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an indoor unit of an air conditioner that is equipped with a drainage system that is inexpensive and has excellent flexibility in installation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a main body that can be attached to the ceiling of a room to be air-conditioned, a heat exchanger housed in the main body, a drain pan that collects drain water resulting from heat exchange in the heat exchanger, and a drainage system that discharges the drain water collected in the drain pan to the outside of the main body and leads it to a drain pipe installed in the ceiling of the room to be air-conditioned, the drainage system comprising a drain socket that protrudes from the main body, a flexible hose, and a first connecting part that connects the drain socket and the flexible hose, the first connecting part being inclined with respect to the protruding direction of the drain socket.

[0008] In addition, the indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a main body that can be attached to the ceiling of a room to be air-conditioned, a heat exchanger housed in the main body, a joint portion of a refrigerant pipe that circulates refrigerant through the heat exchanger, a drain pan that collects drain water resulting from heat exchange in the heat exchanger, and a drainage system that discharges the drain water collected in the drain pan to the outside of the main body and leads it to a drain pipe installed in the ceiling of the room to be air-conditioned, and the drainage system comprises a drain socket that protrudes at an angle relative to the extension direction of the joint portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a plan view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a front view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the left front inclined plate of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram of a flexible attachment of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a half-sectional view of the flexible attachment of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the left front side of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the present embodiment. [Figure 8]FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the left front side of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the present embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of the left front side of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the present embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an elbow of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the present embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a view of an elbow of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the present embodiment, viewed from the inlet side. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] An embodiment of an indoor unit for an air conditioner according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 11. Note that the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a front view of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] The air conditioner 1 according to this embodiment comprises an outdoor unit as a heat source installed outdoors, and an indoor unit 2 as a user installed indoors, as shown in FIG.

[0015] The air conditioner 1 also has a refrigeration cycle. The refrigeration cycle includes a heat exchanger on the heat source side, a compressor, a heat exchanger 3 on the user side, an expander, and refrigerant piping that circulates refrigerant through these devices. The air conditioner 1 may also have a four-way valve that switches between cooling operation and heating operation by switching the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigerant piping.

[0016] The indoor unit 2 houses a heat exchanger 3 on the user side of the refrigeration cycle. The outdoor unit houses a heat exchanger on the heat source side of the refrigeration cycle, a compressor, and a four-way valve. The electric expansion valve, which is an expansion machine, may be housed in either the indoor unit 2 or the outdoor unit. The outdoor unit and indoor unit are connected via a crossover pipe. The crossover pipe is part of the refrigerant pipe. The air conditioner 1 conditions the air in the room by circulating refrigerant between the heat exchanger on the outdoor unit side and the heat exchanger 3 on the indoor unit 2 side.

[0017] The installation location of the indoor unit 2, that is, the room to be air-conditioned, is, for example, a room in a building. The indoor unit 2 is installed by being embedded in the ceiling of the room to be air-conditioned. In other words, the indoor unit 2 is a so-called embedded type indoor unit.

[0018] 1 to 3, the indoor unit 2 according to this embodiment includes a housing 5 as a main body, a heat exchanger 3 provided within the housing 5, a blower 7 provided within the housing 5, a drain pan 6 provided within the housing 5 below the heat exchanger 3, and a decorative panel 19 covering the bottom surface of the housing 5. The blower 7 includes an annular bell mouth provided in the housing 5, and a fan that draws air through the bell mouth and blows the air toward the heat exchanger 3.

[0019] The housing 5 is a box-shaped body with a roughly square top, four rectangular sides, and an open bottom. The top of the housing 5 is closed by a top plate 11. A fan is provided on the underside of the top plate 11. The front, right side, left side, and back of the housing 5 are closed by side plates 12. The corners between a pair of adjacent side surfaces of the housing 5 are beveled rather than chamfered. This chamfered corner is closed by an inclined plate 13. The inclined plate 13 is inclined at 45 degrees relative to the adjacent side plate 12. In other words, the angle between the adjacent inclined plates 13 and side plates 12 is 135 degrees.

[0020] The housing 5 also includes support fittings 15 provided on each of the inclined plates 13. The support fittings 15 support the entire indoor unit 2 by being hooked onto nuts that are fastened to stud bolts that are provided to hang down from the ceiling.

[0021] In the air conditioner 1 shown in Figure 2, the lower side of the page is the front and the upper side is the back. The left-hand side is the left side and the right-hand side is the right side. In the air conditioner 1 shown in Figure 3, the lower side of the page is the bottom and the upper side is the top. The left-hand side is the left side and the right-hand side is the right side. The indoor unit 2 is installed with the top facing upward and the bottom facing downward. Therefore, the vertical direction of the indoor unit 2 is the direction that passes through the top and bottom. The distinction between above, below, front, rear, right side and left side of the indoor unit 2 is as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

[0022] The chamfered corner between the front and right side surfaces of the housing 5 has an inclined portion 13a and a stepped portion 13b offset toward the rear surface of the housing 5 in a plan view.

[0023] The step portion 13b is closed by the front right side plate 12fr and the right front side plate 12rf. Specifically, the front right side plate 12fr is disposed parallel to the front side plate 12f so as to offset the front side plate 12f toward the rear side, and faces the front of the housing 5. The right front side plate 12rf is disposed so as to connect the front side plate 12f and the front right side plate 12fr offset from the front side plate 12f, and faces the right side of the housing 5. In the illustrated example, the right front side plate 12rf faces the right side of the housing 5 and is disposed at a slight angle so as to face the front side.

[0024] The inclined portion 13a is closed by a right front inclined plate 13fr. The right front inclined plate 13fr is disposed so as to connect the side plate 12fr on the right side of the front of the stepped portion 13b to the side plate 12 on the right side.

[0025] Joints 16 and 17 that connect the refrigerant piping are arranged on the side plate 12fr on the right side of the front. The joints 16 and 17 are part of the refrigerant piping that circulates the refrigerant through the heat exchanger 3, and connect the refrigerant piping outside the indoor unit 2 to the heat exchanger 3 inside the indoor unit 2. The joints 16 and 17 extend substantially straight toward the front of the housing 5 (hereinafter also referred to as the front), which is a direction parallel to the normal to the side plate 12f on the front side and along the normal to the side plate 12fr on the right side of the front.

[0026] The side of the conditioned room opposite the open bottom surface of the housing 5 is covered with a decorative panel 19. The decorative panel 19 is equipped with an intake grille 21 located in the center of the decorative panel 19 for drawing air in from the conditioned room, and a plurality of outlets 22 located on the outer edge of the decorative panel 19 for blowing air into the conditioned room. The intake grille 21 covers, for example, an annular bell mouth located in the center of the bottom surface of the housing 5, and faces the intake opening of the housing 5. The plurality of outlets 22 face the plurality of outlet openings of the housing 5. Each of the outlets 22 is equipped with a louver for adjusting the air direction.

[0027] The fan is equipped with a fan motor with a rotating shaft extending vertically at approximately the center of the housing 5, and an impeller fixed to the rotating shaft so as to rotate integrally. The fan motor drives the impeller to rotate. The fan motor is fixed to the inner surface of the top plate 11 of the housing 5 via a fastener. The rotating impeller draws air from the conditioned room through the suction opening of the housing 5 via the suction port 21 of the decorative panel 19 and blows the air radially in a direction intersecting the rotation axis. The blown air exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing in the heat exchanger 3, is blown out through the multiple outlet openings of the housing 5, and is blown into the conditioned room through the outlet 22 of the decorative panel 19. The rotational centerline of the impeller coincides with the rotation axis of the fan motor and extends vertically when the indoor unit 2 is installed.

[0028] The heat exchanger 3 is fixed to the top plate 11 of the housing 5. In this embodiment, the heat exchanger 3 is, for example, a fin-and-tube type, and includes a large number of aligned aluminum alloy fins and refrigerant pipes that pass through the fins.

[0029] The heat exchanger 3 is provided inside the housing 5 and surrounds the radial outside of the fan. The inner peripheral surface of the heat exchanger 3 faces the fan, and the outer peripheral surface of the heat exchanger 3 faces the inner surface of the side plate 12. The heat exchanger 3 has flat plate portions facing each of the side plates 12 of the housing 5 and corner portions connecting two adjacent flat plate portions. For example, there are four flat plate portions and three corner portions.

[0030] Drain pan 6 is located below heat exchanger 3 and receives drain water generated as a result of heat exchange in heat exchanger 3. During cooling operation in which heat exchanger 3 functions as an evaporator, moisture contained in the air passing through heat exchanger 3, i.e., indoor humidity, condenses on the surface of heat exchanger 3 and adheres to heat exchanger 3 as drain water, which drips from heat exchanger 3. Drain pan 6 receives and collects the drain water that drips from heat exchanger 3. The drain water stored in drain pan 6 is pumped by, for example, a drain pump provided within housing 5, and is discharged to the outside of indoor unit 2 through a drain pipe.

[0031] In a plan view, the center of the substantially annular heat exchanger 3, the center of rotation of the fan, the center of the air inlet 21 of the decorative panel 19, and the center of the annular bell mouth are all substantially aligned.

[0032] When the air conditioner 1 is operating in cooling mode, the compressor of the outdoor unit discharges high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant and sends it to the outdoor heat exchanger (condenser). The outdoor heat exchanger exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing inside it and the outdoor air, condensing the refrigerant. The condensed liquid refrigerant is sent to the indoor unit 2 through the refrigerant piping. The indoor unit 2 expands the liquid refrigerant flowing in from the refrigerant piping using an electric expansion valve, and sends the low-temperature gas-liquid mixed refrigerant to the heat exchanger 3 (evaporator). The heat exchanger 3 exchanges heat between the low-temperature refrigerant flowing inside it and the indoor air, gasifying the refrigerant. During this process, the room is cooled by the low-temperature air blown out from the indoor unit 2.

[0033] When the air conditioner 1 is in heating operation, the compressor of the outdoor unit discharges high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant and sends it to the heat exchanger 3 (condenser) of the indoor unit 2. The heat exchanger 3 exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing inside and the indoor air, condensing the refrigerant. At this time, the room is heated by the high-temperature air blown out from the indoor unit 2.

[0034] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the inclined plate on the left front side of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to this embodiment.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 4, the housing 5 of the indoor unit 2 according to this embodiment is provided with a drain socket 31 provided on the left front inclined plate 13fl.

[0036] The drain socket 31 extends substantially straight along the normal to the left front inclined plate 13fl. Therefore, the drain socket 31 protrudes in a direction tilted 45 degrees to the left relative to the front of the housing 5. Therefore, the protruding direction of the drain socket 31 is tilted relative to the extension direction of the joint portions 16, 17. The drain socket 31 connects the inside of the housing 5 with the outside of the housing 5, and discharges drain water that accumulates inside the housing 5 and is pumped up by, for example, a drain pump, to the outside of the housing 5.

[0037] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a flexible attachment of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to this embodiment.

[0038] FIG. 6 is a half-side cross-sectional view of the flexible attachment of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to this embodiment.

[0039] 7 and 8 are enlarged plan views of the left front side of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to this embodiment.

[0040] FIG. 9 is an enlarged side view of the left front side of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to this embodiment.

[0041] 5 to 9, the indoor unit 2 according to this embodiment includes a drainage system 33, which includes a drain socket 31 protruding from the housing 5, an existing drain pipe 32, and a flexible attachment 38. The flexible attachment 38 includes a first connection part 36, a flexible hose 35, and a second connection part 37. In this embodiment, the first connection part 36, the flexible hose 35, and the second connection part 37 of the flexible attachment 38 are integrated, but this is not limited to this.

[0042] The first connection part 36 of the flexible attachment 38 is a connection part that connects the drain socket 31 and the flexible hose 35. The second connection part 37 of the flexible attachment 38 is a connection part that connects the flexible hose 35 and the drain pipe 32. That is, the drain hose 35 is connected to the drain socket 31 and the drain pipe 32 by the first connection part 36 and the second connection part 37.

[0043] When connecting the drainage system 33 to the drain piping 32, after determining the installation position of the indoor unit 2 using the support bracket 15, the first connection part 36 of the flexible attachment 38 is connected to the drain socket 31 of the housing 5, the flexible hose 35 is bent so that the second connection part 37 can be easily connected to the drain piping 32, and the second connection part 37 is connected to the drain piping 32.

[0044] Furthermore, the flexible attachment 38 preferably includes a flexible cover 39 that spans between the first connecting portion 36 and the second connecting portion 37 and covers the flexible hose 35. The cover 39 is preferably soft enough not to hinder the flexible hose 35 from bending.

[0045] The first connecting portion 36 is preferably loosely fitted into the drain socket 31. In this case, the first connecting portion 36 can be rotated around the extension direction of the drain socket 31 while remaining fitted into the drain socket 31. In other words, the attachment angle between the drain socket 31 and the first connecting portion 36 can be freely adjusted. Once the fitting position between the first connecting portion 36 and the drain socket 31 is determined and the second connecting portion 37 and the drain pipe 32 are connected, the fitting points between the first connecting portion 36 and the drain socket 31 can be tightened and fixed with a cable tie. The attachment angle between the drain socket 31 and the first connecting portion 36 is defined as the angle between the extension direction of the drain socket 31 and the downstream extension direction of the first connecting portion 36, with a certain reference angle, for example, 0 degrees vertically upward about the extension direction of the drain socket 31.

[0046] Incidentally, if the connection port of the drain pipe 32 is located directly in front of the drain socket 31 of the housing 5, the drain socket 31 of the housing 5 can be easily connected to the drain pipe 32 with a simple, inflexible straight pipe. However, the connection port of the drain pipe 32 is generally not located directly in front of the drain socket 31 of the housing 5, and it is necessary to increase the flexibility of the connection work by using a semi-rigid bellows-shaped drain hose as in conventional outdoor units. However, applying a semi-rigid bellows-shaped drain hose to the entire route of the drainage system 33 would compromise its cost advantage.

[0047] Therefore, the indoor unit 2 according to this embodiment is provided with a first connection part 36 and a flexible hose 35. In other words, the indoor unit 2 according to this embodiment is configured so that the downstream extension direction of the first connection part 36 is roughly directed toward the connection port of the drain pipe 32, and the second connection part 37 and the drain pipe 32 are aligned with the flexible hose 35, allowing the drainage system 33 to be connected to the drain pipe 32.

[0048] When the connection port of the drain pipe 32 and the connection port of the existing refrigerant pipe, i.e., the connecting port of the crossover pipe, are lined up facing the same direction at the installation location of the indoor unit 2, the indoor unit 2 according to this embodiment is installed with its front facing the connection port of the drain pipe 32 and the connecting port of the crossover pipe. In this case, the joints 16, 17 of the refrigerant pipe facing the front of the housing 5 face the connection port of the crossover pipe, while the drain socket 31 faces an inclined direction, for example, a direction inclined 45 degrees from the direction in which the joints 16, 17 face. In this case, if the first connecting part 36 is a so-called 45-degree elbow that connects the drain socket 31 and the flexible hose 35 at a substantial 45-degree angle, then the attachment angle of the drain socket 31 and the first connecting part 36 can be adjusted so that the second connecting part 37 of the flexible attachment 38 faces the front of the housing 5, as shown in FIG. 7, and then connected to the drain socket 31. In this way, by aligning the second connecting portion 37 and the drain pipe 32 with the flexible hose 35, the drainage system 33 can be easily connected to the drain pipe 32.

[0049] Also, for example, if the connection port of the drain pipe 32 is located on the left side of the indoor unit 2 regardless of the connection port of the crossover pipe, then the attachment angle between the drain socket 31 and the first connection part 36 can be adjusted so that the second connection part 37 of the flexible attachment 38 faces the left side of the housing 5, as shown in Fig. 8, and then the flexible attachment 38 can be connected to the drain socket 31. Because the drain socket 31 extends substantially horizontally, if the first connection part 36 is a so-called 45-degree elbow, then the first connection part 36 can be connected to the drain socket 31 so that the second connection part 37 of the flexible attachment 38 faces the left side of the housing 5.

[0050] Furthermore, if the connection port of drain pipe 32 hangs down from above, as shown in Fig. 9, the attachment angle between drain socket 31 and first connection part 36 can be adjusted so that second connection part 37 of flexible attachment 38 faces upward in the housing 5, and then connected to drain socket 31. Since drain socket 31 extends substantially horizontally, if first connection part 36 is a so-called 45-degree elbow, first connection part 36 can be connected to drain socket 31 so that second connection part 37 of flexible attachment 38 faces upward in the housing 5.

[0051] In this case, the range of bending of the flexible hose 35 falls within a range of approximately ±10 degrees centered around 45 degrees. In other words, the indoor unit 2 according to this embodiment does not need to bend a semi-rigid drain hose having a bellows shape by 90 degrees as in conventional indoor units, and is provided with a flexible attachment 38 that can bend by a total of 90 degrees by combining the bending of the first connection part 36, for example, 45 degrees, with the bending range of the flexible hose 35, for example, around 45 degrees. Reducing the bending range of the flexible hose 35 shortens the length (total length) required for the flexible hose 35. In other words, bending the flexible hose 35 by 90 degrees requires a longer total length than when the flexible hose 35 only needs to be bent 45 degrees.

[0052] In other words, in the drainage system 33 of this embodiment, the attachment angle between the drain socket 31 and the first connection part 36 of the flexible attachment 38 can be freely changed, making it easy to align the second connection part 37 with the drain pipe 32.

[0053] Furthermore, the drain socket 31 of the housing 5 may extend toward the front of the housing 5 .

[0054] The second connection part 37 and the drain pipe 32 may be directly connected to each other, or may be indirectly connected to each other via one or more PVC pipes.

[0055] Furthermore, the bend of the first connecting portion 36 is not limited to 45 degrees. When aligning the second connecting portion 37 and the drain pipe 32 with the flexible hose 35, the amount of bending of the flexible hose 35 can be limited to a range smaller than, for example, 55 degrees, so long as this can be done, the amount of bending of the first connecting portion 36 may be larger or smaller than 45 degrees.

[0056] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an elbow of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to this embodiment.

[0057] FIG. 11 is a view of the elbow of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to this embodiment, viewed from the inlet side.

[0058] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the first connection part 36 of the indoor unit 2 according to this embodiment may be provided with a cross-shaped reinforcing rib 41 extending in the flow path in the direction in which the drain water flows (solid arrow in the figure).

[0059] The reinforcing rib 41 forms a cross shape with a first plate portion that is aligned along an imaginary plane that passes through the bending center (center of curvature) of the first connecting portion 36 and the center line (axial core) of the flow path, and a second plate portion that is perpendicular to the first plate portion and passes through the center line of the flow path. Such reinforcing rib 41 effectively improves the rigidity of the first connecting portion 36, which is expected to be subjected to a large moment when the flexible hose 35 is bent.

[0060] For example, if the drain socket 31 of the housing 5 is a hard polyvinyl chloride pipe, it is easier to fit the first connection part 36 made of soft polyvinyl chloride. However, a first connection part 36 made of soft polyvinyl chloride may not be able to withstand the bending of the flexible hose 35 and may buckle or kink. Therefore, by providing a cross-shaped reinforcing rib 41, the first connection part 36 made of soft polyvinyl chloride can acquire resistance to the bending of the flexible hose 35.

[0061] The second connecting portion 37 may be made of hard polyvinyl chloride.

[0062] As described above, the indoor unit 2 of the air conditioner 1 according to this embodiment includes the drain socket 31 protruding from the housing 5, the flexible hose 35, and the first connector 36 connecting the drain socket 31 and the flexible hose 35. Therefore, unlike conventional indoor units, the indoor unit 2 does not require a semi-rigid, accordion-shaped drain hose to be bent 90 degrees. Instead, the alignment between the second connector 37 and the drain pipe 32 can be achieved by combining the bending of the first connector 36 and the bending range of the flexible hose 35. In other words, by adjusting the attachment angle between the drain socket 31 and the first connector 36, the indoor unit 2 can align the second connector 37 and the drain pipe 32 without significantly bending the flexible hose 35. This reduces the load on the bent portion of the flexible hose 35, improving the reliability of the drainage system of the indoor unit 2. Furthermore, because the flexible hose 35 does not need to be bent significantly, the overall length of the flexible hose 35 can be shortened, contributing to cost reduction. In addition, if the insufficient path length of the drainage system 33 can be made up by the first connection part 36 and the second connection part 37 connected to the flexible hose 35, the pipes are made of polyvinyl chloride, which is cheaper than the flexible hose 35, and this can contribute to reducing the cost of the overall length of the drainage system 33.

[0063] Furthermore, in the indoor unit 2 of the air conditioner 1 according to this embodiment, the attachment angle between the drain socket 31 and the first connection part 36 can be adjusted so that the extension direction of the drain pipe 32 and the extension direction of the downstream side of the first connection part 36 can be substantially aligned. Therefore, in the indoor unit 2, the orientation of the first connection part 36 can be easily changed relative to the protruding direction of the drain socket 31, and the flexible attachment 38 can be positioned to reduce the amount of bending of the flexible hose 35.

[0064] The indoor unit 2 of the air conditioner 1 according to this embodiment also includes a first connector 36 that connects the drain socket 31 and the flexible hose 35 at a substantially 45-degree angle. For example, if the extension direction of the joints 16 and 17 differs by 45 degrees from the protruding direction of the drain socket 31, applying a 45-degree elbow to the first connector 36 can easily align the orientation of the second connector 37 with the extension direction of the joints 16 and 17. Furthermore, applying a relatively gentle 45-degree elbow to the first connector 36 allows the drainage flow path direction to change gradually when drain water flows from the first connector 36 to the drain hose 35, making it easy to align the second connector 37 with the drain pipe 32 without impairing drainage performance. In this case, the flexible hose 35 only needs to be able to adjust the slight difference between the second connector 37 and the drain pipe 32.

[0065] Furthermore, the indoor unit 2 of the air conditioner 1 according to this embodiment is provided with a drain socket 31 that protrudes in a direction that is inclined relative to the extension direction of the joints 16, 17. For example, if the difference between the extension direction of the joints 16, 17 and the protruding direction of the drain socket 31 is 45 degrees, applying a so-called 45-degree elbow to the first connecting part 36 makes it possible to easily align the orientation of the second connecting part 37 with the extension direction of the joints 16, 17. In other words, since the orientation of the second connecting part 37 in the indoor unit 2 changes depending on the curvature of the first connecting part 36 and the protruding direction of the drain socket 31, the curvature of the first connecting part 36 can be made small by providing a drain socket 31 that protrudes in a direction that is inclined relative to the extension direction of the joints 16, 17. Furthermore, the direction of the second connecting portion 37 is determined by the protruding direction of the drain socket 31 and the bending of the first connecting portion 36, so that the bending range of the flexible hose 35 can be limited to an extremely small range.

[0066] Furthermore, the indoor unit 2 of the air conditioner 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with a first connection part 36 made of soft vinyl chloride. Therefore, in the indoor unit 2, the drain socket 31 and the first connection part 36 can be easily connected, and the attachment angle between the drain socket 31 and the first connection part 36 can be easily adjusted.

[0067] Furthermore, the indoor unit 2 of the air conditioner 1 according to this embodiment is provided with a first connection part 36 having a cross-shaped reinforcing rib 41 that extends in the flow path in the direction in which the drain water flows. Therefore, the indoor unit 2 can be provided with a first connection part 36 that does not buckle or kink even when the flexible hose 35 is bent.

[0068] Furthermore, the indoor unit 2 of the air conditioner 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with a drain socket 31 that protrudes in a direction inclined relative to the extension direction of the joints 16, 17. Specifically, the drain socket 31 extends substantially straight along the normal to the left-front inclined plate 13fl. Therefore, the indoor unit 2 can form the drain socket 31 with a simpler shape than, for example, a drain socket that extends from the left-front inclined plate 13fl in the same direction as the extension direction of the joints 16, 17, thereby reducing the cost of forming the drain socket. Furthermore, when connecting a portion of the drainage system 33 for discharging drain water to the outside of the main body to the drain socket 31, the connection is made easily and the stability of the connection is improved.

[0069] Therefore, the indoor unit 2 of the air conditioner according to this embodiment can be provided with a drainage system 33 that is inexpensive and has excellent flexibility in installation.

[0070] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1...air conditioner, 2...indoor unit, 3...heat exchanger, 5...casing, 6...drain pan, blower...7, 11...top plate, 12...side plate, 12f...front side plate, 12b...rear side plate, 12fr...front right side plate, 12rf...right front side plate, 13...inclined plate, 13a...inclined portion, 13b...step portion, 13fl...left front inclined plate, 13fr...right front inclined plate, 15...support bracket, 16, 17...joint portion, 19...bottom plate, 21...intake port, 22...outlet, 31...drain socket, 32...drain piping, 33...drainage system, 35...flexible hose, 36...first connection portion, 37...second connection portion, 38...flexible attachment, 39...cover, 41...reinforcing rib.

Claims

1. A main unit that can be attached to the ceiling of the room to be air-conditioned, a heat exchanger housed in the main body; a drain pan for collecting drain water resulting from heat exchange in the heat exchanger; a drainage system that discharges the drain water accumulated in the drain pan to the outside of the main body and leads it to a drain pipe installed in the ceiling of the air-conditioned room, The drainage system includes: a drain socket protruding from the body; A flexible hose, a first connection portion that connects the drain socket and the flexible hose, The indoor unit of an air conditioner, wherein the first connection portion is inclined with respect to a protruding direction of the drain socket.

2. 2. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the attachment angle between the drain socket and the first connection portion is adjustable so that the extension direction of the drain pipe and the extension direction of the downstream side of the first connection portion can be substantially aligned.

3. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first connecting portion connects the drain socket and the flexible hose at an angle of substantially 45 degrees.

4. the main body includes a joint portion for a refrigerant pipe that circulates a refrigerant through the heat exchanger, The indoor unit for an air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a protruding direction of the drain socket is inclined with respect to an extending direction of the joint portion.

5. 3. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the first connecting portion is made of soft polyvinyl chloride.

6. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 5 , wherein the first connection portion includes a cross-shaped reinforcing rib extending in the flow path in the direction in which the drain water flows.

7. A main unit that can be attached to the ceiling of the room to be air-conditioned, a heat exchanger housed in the main body; a joint portion of a refrigerant pipe that circulates a refrigerant through the heat exchanger; a drain pan for collecting drain water resulting from heat exchange in the heat exchanger; a drainage system that discharges the drain water accumulated in the drain pan to the outside of the main body and leads it to a drain pipe installed in the ceiling of the air-conditioned room, The drainage system is an indoor unit of an air conditioner, which is provided with a drain socket that protrudes at an angle relative to the extension direction of the joint portion.

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