Holding device and conveyance method using the same

Abstract

To improve conveyance efficiency of an air conditioner and to achieve space-saving of a storage space.SOLUTION: In a holding device 1, frame materials 200 are arranged on an upper surface side of an air conditioner 100, and a plurality of air conditioning units 100a, 100b, 100c configured so as to support the air conditioner 100 by a support bolt 220 suspending from the frame materials 200 are held in a horizontal posture in a vertically stacked-up state. The holding device 1 is provided with post members 2a, 2b, 2c each attached to the plurality of air conditioning units, and top parts of the post members 2a, 2b, 2c are fixed to the frame materials 200 respectively arranged to the plurality of air conditioning units. When the plurality of air conditioning units are stacked up, they are fixed by a fastening member 37 in a state in which a top edge of the post member 2b attached to the air conditioning unit 100b on a lower stage side and a bottom edge of the post member 2a attached to the air conditioning unit 100a on an upper stage side are joined.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a holding device that can be used when transporting or storing an air conditioner, and a transportation method using the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a transport device has been proposed that can be suitably used when transporting a completed air conditioner to an installation site after the process of assembling a chamber in the front-to-rear direction of the air conditioner body is performed in a factory (for example, Patent Document 1). This transport device includes support members that support both the left and right sides of the air conditioner, and a carriage that can move while holding the air conditioner by engaging with the support members. A holding section provided on the carriage rotatably holds the support members, and is configured to be able to change the position of the air conditioner between a horizontal position and an upright position.

[0003] The above-mentioned conventional cart can be transported to a construction site by loading the cart holding the air conditioner from the factory onto a transport vehicle, and when transporting the air conditioner to the installation location at the construction site, if it needs to pass through a narrow space such as a temporary elevator, the air conditioner can be changed from a horizontal position to an upright position, allowing it to pass through the narrow space without being removed from the cart.

[0004] Furthermore, the conventional carts described above can also be used to store multiple air conditioners stacked on top of each other after they have been delivered to the construction site until installation work for the air conditioners begins, which has the advantage of reducing storage space. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7146199 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, if there are no narrow areas at the construction site, the posture change function of conventional carts is not necessary, and there is a problem of poor work efficiency when loading the air conditioner onto the cart at the factory and when unloading the air conditioner from the cart at the installation site.

[0007] On the other hand, it is not advisable to transport or store air conditioners in a flat stack, with the bottom of another air conditioner directly on top of the other. For example, if one air conditioner is transported with its bottom on top of another, skidding during transport could damage the top or bottom of the air conditioner, potentially resulting in the air conditioner being destroyed. To avoid this, each air conditioner must be loaded onto a transport vehicle and transported from the factory to the installation site, significantly reducing transportation efficiency.

[0008] Furthermore, conventional carts transport air conditioners to construction sites, then retrieve them and transport them back to the factory. The large volume of the base and the pair of support columns erected from the base makes retrieval time-consuming. Furthermore, because the number of carts that can be loaded onto a transport vehicle is limited, it may be necessary to use multiple vehicles to return the carts to the factory. Given the recent difficulty in securing workers at construction sites, there is a need for a cart that can hold an air conditioner in a stable position without damaging the chamber attached to the air conditioner, allowing for safe and easy transport, installation, and retrieval.

[0009] Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a holding device that improves the transportation efficiency of air conditioners, holds the air conditioner in a stable position, and enables transportation, installation, and recovery operations to be performed safely and easily, as well as a transportation method using the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, first, the present invention provides a holding device for holding multiple air conditioning units stacked vertically in a horizontal position, wherein a frame material is arranged on the upper side of the air conditioner and the air conditioner is supported by support bolts hanging down from the frame material, the holding device having a support member attached to each of the multiple air conditioning units, the upper part of the support member being fixed to the frame material arranged on each of the multiple air conditioning units, and when the multiple air conditioning units are stacked, the upper end of the support member attached to the lower air conditioning unit and the lower end of the support member attached to the upper air conditioning unit are joined and fixed with fastening members, thereby holding the multiple air conditioning units in a stacked position.

[0011] Secondly, the present invention is configured such that in the holding device having the first configuration, the vertical length of the support member is longer than the height dimension of the air conditioning unit.

[0012] Thirdly, the present invention is a configuration in which a holding device having the above-mentioned first configuration is provided with a base to which wheels are attached, and the lower end of the support member attached to the lowest air conditioning unit among the plurality of air conditioning units is fixed to the base.

[0013] Fourth, the present invention is characterized in that, in the holding device having the third configuration described above, it further comprises a brace metal fitting having one end fixed to the base and the other end fixed to the support member.

[0014] Fifth, the present invention is a holding device having any of the configurations 1 to 4 above, characterized in that the support member is provided with an engaging portion for engaging a handle member when lifting the air conditioning unit.

[0015] Sixth, the present invention is a holding device having any of the above-mentioned configurations 1 to 4, wherein the air conditioner comprises an air conditioner body having mounting pieces on both left and right sides for attaching the support bolts, the frame material comprises a first frame material that crosses the upper surface of the air conditioner body in the left-right direction and has the support bolts attached to both ends, and the support member is fixed to the portion of the first frame material that protrudes outward from both left and right sides of the air conditioner body.

[0016] Seventh, the present invention is a holding device having any one of the configurations 1 to 4 above, wherein the air conditioner comprises an air conditioner main body and a chamber attached to the front-to-rear end face of the air conditioner main body, the frame material comprises a second frame material that crosses the upper surface of the air conditioner main body in the front-to-rear direction and supports the chamber and the air conditioner main body integrally, and the upper part of the support member is fixed to the second frame material.

[0017] Eighth, the present invention is a transportation method characterized in that the plurality of air conditioning units are held in a horizontal position and stacked vertically using a holding device of any of claims 1 to 4, and the holding device is loaded onto a transport vehicle to transport the plurality of air conditioning units from a factory to an installation site. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the efficiency of transporting a plurality of air conditioners, and also to save storage space when storing a plurality of air conditioners. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example of a holding device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view showing an example of a holding device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of a holding device. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an air conditioner. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an air conditioning unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the uppermost support member among the plurality of support members. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of attaching a support member to an air conditioning unit. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a mode in which a plurality of air conditioning units are stacked and installed on a holding device. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are views showing another manner of attaching the brace metal fittings. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] 10 is a view showing a state in which the handle member is attached to the support member of the holding device. FIG. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of an operation in which a worker removes an air conditioning unit from a holding device. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an air conditioning unit suspended in a ceiling space. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an air conditioning unit equipped with a second frame member. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a holding device that holds an air conditioning unit equipped with a second frame member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings referred to below, common members are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a holding device 1 for an air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a state in which the holding device 1 holds multiple air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c stacked vertically. FIG. 2 is a side view, and FIG. 3 is a front view. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example configuration of the air conditioner 100, and FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example configuration of the air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100b. The XYZ three-dimensional coordinate system shown in each of these figures is a coordinate system in which the XY plane is the horizontal plane and the Z direction is the vertical direction, and is a common coordinate system. The same applies to the three-dimensional coordinate systems shown in the other figures. This embodiment illustrates a holding device 1 that holds three air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c stacked vertically. However, the number of air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c that the holding device 1 can hold is not limited to three.

[0022] First, the air conditioner 100 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, the air conditioner 100 comprises an air conditioner main body 110, an outlet chamber 120, and an intake chamber 130, which are integrally assembled in series along the front-to-rear direction (Y direction) to form a box-shaped unit that is generally rectangular in plan view. This air conditioner 100 is installed, for example, suspended from the ceiling space at the installation site. In this embodiment, the left-to-right direction of the air conditioner 100 is the X direction in an XYZ three-dimensional coordinate system, and the front-to-rear direction is the Y direction in the same coordinate system. The air conditioner main body 110 is the main part of the air conditioner 100, and mechanical structures such as a heat exchanger and a fan are installed inside. In contrast, the outlet chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 are lightweight chambers with hollow interiors. For example, the blow-out chamber 120 is attached to the front side (front face side) of the air conditioner main body 110, and the intake chamber 130 is attached to the rear side (rear face side) of the air conditioner main body 110.

[0023] The air conditioner 100 is composed of a large proportion of the air conditioner main body 110 by weight, and the center of gravity of the entire air conditioner 100 is located in the air conditioner main body 110. The center of gravity of the air conditioner main body 110 is also located at a relatively low position. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 4, the air conditioner main body 110 is provided with mounting pieces 111, 111 at the bottom of both left and right side surfaces 110a, 110b for connecting bolt members such as suspension bolts. These mounting pieces 111, 111 have the strength to support the weight of the air conditioner main body 110. For example, mounting pieces 111, 111 are provided at two positions spaced a predetermined distance apart in the front-to-rear direction at the bottom of the left side surface 110a, and mounting pieces 111, 111 are also provided at the bottom of the right side surface 110b in the same positions as on the left side surface 110a. The air conditioner body 110 has a total of four mounting pieces 111 provided on both left and right side surfaces 110a, 110b, to which bolt members such as suspension bolts are connected, and the air conditioner body 110 is supported by these bolt members.

[0024] The air conditioner main body 110 is equipped with a filter unit 112 on the rear side. An air intake port is provided in the center of the rear end face 110d of the filter unit 112. The air conditioner main body 110 also has an air outlet in the center of the front end face 110c. The air conditioner main body 110 takes in air from the rear air intake port, removes dust and other particles using the filter unit 112, adjusts the temperature using an internal heat exchanger, and blows out the temperature-adjusted air from the front air outlet.

[0025] The air conditioner main body 110 has a sleeve-shaped connecting part 113 that protrudes forward from the periphery of the front air outlet. This connecting part 113 is for connecting the air outlet chamber 120 to the front side of the air conditioner main body 110. The air conditioner main body 110 also has a sleeve-shaped connecting part 115 that protrudes rearward from the periphery of the rear air intake. This connecting part 115 is for connecting the air intake chamber 130 to the rear side of the air conditioner main body 110. These connecting parts 113, 115 are slightly smaller in size than the end faces 110c, 110d in the front-to-rear direction.

[0026] The blowout chamber 120 has an opening in the center of the surface 120a facing the air conditioner main body 110, and air blown out from the air outlet of the air conditioner main body 110 can flow into the chamber through this opening. The blowout chamber 120 has a sleeve-shaped connecting part 122 that protrudes toward the air conditioner main body 110 around the periphery of the opening. This connecting part 122 can be fitted inside or outside of a connecting part 113 formed on the front side of the air conditioner main body 110. For example, the blowout chamber 120 can be attached integrally to the front side of the air conditioner main body 110 by fitting the connecting part 122 of the blowout chamber 120 into the connecting part 113 of the air conditioner main body 110 and driving a screw or the like from the outside with the connecting parts 122, 113 overlapping each other.

[0027] Furthermore, intake chamber 130 has an opening in the center of surface 130a facing air conditioner main body 110, and air within the chamber can be sent into air conditioner main body 110 through this opening. Intake chamber 130 has a sleeve-shaped connecting portion 132 that protrudes toward air conditioner main body 110 around the periphery of the opening. This connecting portion 132 can be fitted inside or outside connecting portion 115 formed on the rear side of air conditioner main body 110. For example, intake chamber 130 can be attached integrally to the rear side of air conditioner main body 110 by fitting connecting portion 132 of intake chamber 130 into connecting portion 115 of air conditioner main body 110 and driving screws or the like from the outside with connecting portions 132, 115 overlapping each other.

[0028] The intake chamber 130 has a duct connection portion (not shown), to which a duct for taking in outside air is connected. Furthermore, the blow-out chamber 120 has at least one duct connection portion 121 on its peripheral side surface, as shown in Fig. 4. A blower duct for guiding temperature-adjusted air to an indoor space is connected to this duct connection portion 121. In other words, the air conditioner 100 takes in outside air into the air conditioner main body 110 via the intake chamber 130, and supplies the temperature-adjusted air to at least one indoor space via the blow-out chamber 120.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 5, the air conditioning units 100a, 100b, 100c are constructed by assembling a frame member 200 to the air conditioner 100 in which the outlet chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 are integrally assembled to the air conditioner main body 110 as described above. The frame member 200 includes a pair of first frame members 210 that cross the top surface of the air conditioner main body 110 in the left-right direction. This pair of first frame members 210 are installed above mounting pieces 111 provided on both the left and right sides of the air conditioner main body 110 and are fixed in close contact with the top surface of the air conditioner main body 110. Furthermore, the first frame members 210 are longer than the left-right width dimension of the air conditioner main body 110, and when installed on the top surface of the air conditioner main body 110, both ends of the first frame members 210 protrude outward from both the left and right sides of the air conditioner main body 110.

[0030] The first frame members 210, 210 are formed, for example, from metal fittings with an L-shaped cross section, and have a horizontal plate portion 211 that is in close contact with the top surface of the air conditioner 100, and a vertical plate portion 212 that stands upright from the end of the horizontal plate portion 211. The horizontal plate portion 211 is formed, for example, from a single plate, and bolt insertion holes 214, 214 are formed at predetermined positions on both ends thereof to match the positions of mounting pieces 111, 111 provided on both the left and right sides of the air conditioner 100. In addition, mounting portions 215, 215 for attaching bolt members such as suspension bolts are also formed on both ends of the horizontal plate portion 211. The air conditioning units 100a, 100b, 100c are installed in a suspended state in the ceiling space by attaching bolt members such as suspension bolts that hang down from the upper floor floor slab to the mounting portions 215 at the installation site.

[0031] The vertical plate portion 212 of the first frame members 210, 210 is made up of two plates, and a space is formed inside the two plates. The outer plate of the vertical plate portion 212 has a slit 213 formed along the longitudinal direction of the vertical plate portion 212, and the slit 213 communicates with the internal space of the two plates.

[0032] The first frame members 210, 210 have bolt insertion holes 214, 214 provided at both ends of the horizontal plate portions 211 positioned above the mounting pieces 111, 111, and are fixed to the upper surface of the air conditioner 100 by support bolts 220. That is, the lower end of the support bolt 220 is fixed to the mounting piece 111 by two nuts 221, 222, and the upper end is inserted into the bolt insertion hole 214 formed in the horizontal plate portion 211 of the first frame member 210, and a nut 223 is attached to the portion protruding upward from the horizontal plate portion 211. When the nut 223 is tightened, the support bolt 220 tightly fixes the first frame member 210 to the upper surface of the air conditioner main body 110 with the bottom surface of the horizontal plate portion 211 of the first frame member 210 pressed against the upper surface of the air conditioner main body 110. Support bolts 220 are attached to both ends of the first frame member 210, and nuts 223 are tightened, whereby the first frame member 210 is fixed to a position above mounting pieces 111, 111 provided on both the left and right sides of the air conditioner main body 110, and is integrated with the air conditioner 100. In this way, the frame member 200 is placed on the upper side of the air conditioner 100, and air conditioning units 100a, 100b, 100c are formed in which the air conditioner 100 is supported by support bolts 220 hanging down from the frame member 200.

[0033] The holding device 1 of this embodiment holds multiple air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c configured as described above in a vertically stacked state. As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the holding device 1 includes multiple support members 2 attached to each of the multiple air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c, and a base 3 with wheels 4 attached to its underside.

[0034] The multiple support members 2 are attached to both the left and right side surfaces of each of the air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c, and support each of the air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c. The length of each support member 2 in the vertical direction (Z direction) is longer than the height of each of the air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c. Therefore, the support members 2 attached to each of the multiple air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c can support the multiple air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c stacked vertically on the base 3 without the upper and lower surfaces of the multiple air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c coming into contact with each other.

[0035] For example, four support members 2a are attached to both the left and right sides of the air conditioner 100 in the top air conditioning unit 100a. These four support members 2a have the same vertical length. Furthermore, four support members 2b are attached to both the left and right sides of the air conditioner 100 in the middle air conditioning unit 100b. These four support members 2b also have the same vertical length. For example, the vertical length of the support members 2b is the same as that of the support members 2a. However, the support members 2b in the middle row do not have to be the same length as the support members 2a in the top row. Furthermore, four support members 2c are attached to both the left and right sides of the air conditioner 100 in the bottom air conditioning unit 100c. These four support members 4c also have the same vertical length. For example, the vertical length of the support members 2c is formed to be the same as that of the support members 2a, 2b. However, this is not limiting, and the lowest support member 2c may have a different length from the top and middle support members 2a, 2b. A single support is formed by joining the bottom support member 2c, the middle support member 2b, and the top support member 2a in the vertical direction.

[0036] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the topmost support member 2a among the multiple support members 2. The support member 2a is formed, for example, from an angle steel material with an L-shaped cross section, and has flat plate portions 21, 22 at its upper and lower ends. The flat plate portions 21, 22 at the upper and lower ends are used to join and connect another support member 2 to the top and bottom of the support member 2a. The flat plate portion 21 at the top end has a hole 21a formed in its center, and the flat plate portion 22 at the bottom end has a hole 22a formed in its center. The topmost support member 2a is placed with the flat plate portion 22 at its lower end joined to the flat plate portion 21 provided at the top end of the middle support member 2b, and the two holes 22a, 21a are aligned in the same position. The lower end of the support member 2a and the upper end of the support member 2b are then connected and fixed by fastening members 37. The fastening member 37 is composed of, for example, a bolt 35 and a nut 36. The male thread portion of the bolt 35 is inserted into the two holes 21a, 22a, and a nut 36 is attached to the tip of the male thread portion and tightened to vertically connect and fix the two support members 2a, 2b. In addition to the top support member 2a, the middle and bottom support members 2b, 2c also have a similar configuration. Therefore, the three support members 2a, 2b, 2c are connected and fixed in the vertical direction to form a single support.

[0037] The support member 2a also has a bolt mounting hole 24 formed at a predetermined height. This bolt mounting hole 24 is a hole for attaching a fixing member 25 that fixes the support member 2 to the frame material 200. The fixing member 25 includes a bolt member 31 and a nut 32. The bolt member 31 has a rectangular, flat head 33 with a male thread 34 extending from the center of the head 33. The nut 32 has a female thread that screws into the male thread 34. The fixing member 25 is formed by positioning the head 33 of the bolt member 31 on the outer side of the side of the support member 2a and inserting the male thread 34 into the bolt mounting hole 24. The nut 32 is attached to the tip of the male thread 34 that protrudes inside the side of the support member 2a. When the nut 32 is tightened, the fixing member 25 fixes the support member 2a to the frame material 200. The manner in which the support member 2a is attached to the frame material 200 will be described later. Not only the topmost support member 2a, but also the middle and bottommost support members 2b, 2c have bolt mounting holes 24 at predetermined height positions and are fixed to the frame material 200 by fixing members 25.

[0038] The support member 2a is provided with an engagement portion 26 at a predetermined height. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the engagement portion 26 is provided below the bolt mounting hole 24. As shown in the enlarged front view A in FIG. 6, the engagement portion 26 is formed by attaching a bolt 12 and a nut 13 to a bolt mounting hole (not shown) formed in the side surface 11 of the support member 2a. The head 14 of the bolt 12 is located outside the side surface 11 of the support member 2a, forming a predetermined gap 15 between the head 14 and the side surface 11. The engagement portion 26 is for engaging with a handle member 40 (described later). A similar engagement portion 26 is provided not only on the top support member 2a but also on the middle support member 2b. A similar engagement portion 26 may also be provided on the bottom support member 2c. However, in this embodiment, the bottom support member 2c does not have an engagement portion 26.

[0039] Furthermore, the support member 2a is provided with a connecting metal fitting 27 that connects the brace metal fitting 5 at a predetermined height. For example, the connecting metal fitting 27 is provided at a position lower than the engaging portion 26. The connecting metal fitting 27 is formed of an L-shaped metal fitting and is fixed to the side surface of the support member 2a with a bolt and nut (not shown). Furthermore, a clamping metal fitting 28 is attached to the surface of the connecting metal fitting 27 with a bolt 29a and a nut 29b. When the nut 29b is tightened, the clamping metal fitting 28 clamps and connects the brace metal fitting 5 between itself and the surface of the connecting metal fitting 27. For example, the brace metal fitting 5 is formed of a rod-shaped metal fitting, such as a bolt. Note that a similar connecting metal fitting 27 may be provided not only on the top support member 2a but also on the middle support member 2b. However, in this embodiment, an example is shown in which the connecting metal fitting 27 is not provided on the middle support member 2b or the bottom support member 2c.

[0040] 7 is a diagram showing an example of attaching a support member 2a to an air conditioning unit 100a. As shown in FIG. 7, the support member 2a is attached to the upper surface of the air conditioner 100, and is attached via fixing members 25 to both ends of a first frame member 210 that protrudes laterally from both left and right side surfaces of the air conditioner 100. That is, the bolt member 31 of the fixing member 25 has its rectangular flat head 33 inserted into the inner space of the vertical plate portion 212 of the first frame member 210, and the tip of its male screw portion 34 protrudes through the slit 213. The male screw portion 34 is inserted into the bolt mounting hole 24 of the support member 2a, and a nut 32 is tightened, thereby fixing the support member 2a to the vertical plate portion 212 of the first frame member 210. As described above, the pair of first frame members 210, 210 is arranged on the upper surface side of the air conditioner 100. The four support members 2a are fixed to both ends of the pair of first frame members 210,210.

[0041] The first frame members 210, 210 are fixed in close contact with the upper surface of the air conditioner main body 110, and are integrated with the air conditioner 100. Therefore, by being fixed to both ends of the first frame members 210, 210, the support members 2a become integrated with the air conditioner 100 and are able to firmly support the air conditioner 100. Note that the attachment mode to the air conditioning units 100b, 100c is similar not only for the support member 2a installed on the top row, but also for the support members 2b, 2c installed on the middle or bottom row.

[0042] Meanwhile, the base 3 is installed below the lowest air conditioning unit 100c. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the base 3 includes a first base 3a installed below the left side of the air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c, and a second base 3b installed below the right side of the air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c, which are separated from each other. For example, the first base 3a and the second base 3b are made of angle steel with an L-shaped cross section. The first base 3a and the second base 3b have a plurality of wheels 4 attached to the underside of the flat plate portion parallel to the floor. As shown in FIG. 3, the lower end of the lowest support member 2c is fixed to the upper surface of the flat plate portion of the first base 3a and the second base 3b via fastening members 37. In other words, the lower end of the lowest support member 2c is fixed to the base 3 and stands upright from the base 3.

[0043] Furthermore, the same clamping fittings 28 as described above are attached to the side plate portions of the first base 3a and the second base 3b. For example, the clamping fittings 28 are attached to both ends of the side plate portions of the first base 3a and the second base 3b with bolts and nuts.

[0044] Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of how multiple air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c are stacked and installed on the support device 1. As shown in Fig. 8, the support device 1 first attaches a support member 2c to the lowest air conditioning unit 100c, and then fixes the lower end of the support member 2c to the base 3. Fixing the lower end of the support member 2c to each of the first base 3a and the second base 3b stabilizes the posture of the first base 3a and the second base 3b. As a result, the support device 1 is in a state where it holds the lowest air conditioning unit 100c at a predetermined height from the floor.

[0045] Next, the support member 2b is attached to the middle-tier air conditioning unit 100b. After the lowest-tier air conditioning unit 100c is attached to the holding device 1, as shown in Fig. 8, the lower end of the support member 2b attached to the middle-tier air conditioning unit 100b is joined to the upper end of the lowest-tier support member 2c, and the fastening members 37 are fastened to connect and fix the lower end of the support member 2b to the upper end of the support member 2c. This places the holding device 1 in a state where it holds the middle-tier air conditioning unit 100b at a predetermined height position above the lowest-tier air conditioning unit 100c.

[0046] Next, the support member 2a is attached to the uppermost air conditioning unit 100a. After the middle air conditioning unit 100b is attached to the holding device 1, as shown in FIG. 8, the lower end of the support member 2a attached to the uppermost air conditioning unit 100a is joined to the upper end of the middle support member 2b, and the fastening members 37 are fastened to connect and fix the lower end of the support member 2a to the upper end of the support member 2b. This brings the holding device 1 into a state where it holds the uppermost air conditioning unit 100a at a predetermined height position above the middle air conditioning unit 100b. In this way, the holding device 1 holds the multiple air conditioning units 100a, 100b, 100c stacked vertically.

[0047] The support member 2, which is formed by connecting multiple support members 2a, 2b, and 2c in the vertical direction, is connected to both ends of a first frame member 210 that crosses the top surface of the air conditioner 100 in the left-right direction at multiple height positions. Therefore, the support member 2 is structured to be less susceptible to relative displacement in the left-right direction of the air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c. In other words, a pair of support members 2, 2 arranged in the left-right direction of the air conditioner 100 are integrally connected via the first frame members 210 of the air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c, and are therefore structured to be less susceptible to relative displacement.

[0048] In contrast, a pair of support members 2, 2 arranged in the front-to-rear direction of the air conditioning units 100a, 100b, 100c are not connected by a frame material 200. Therefore, the pair of support members 2, 2 arranged in the front-to-rear direction have a structure that is relatively prone to relative displacement.

[0049] 1 and 2, with multiple air conditioning units 100a, 100b, 100c stacked on top of each other, the support device 1 secures one end of the brace fitting 5 to a clamping fitting 28 attached to the topmost support member 2a, and the other end of the brace fitting 5 to a clamping fitting 28 attached to a side plate portion of the base 3. The brace fitting 5 is attached diagonally in the YZ plane, thereby reinforcing the support members 2, 2 so that they are less likely to move relative to each other in the front-to-rear direction. Note that the brace fitting 5 may also be attached to the middle support member 2b instead of the topmost support member 2a.

[0050] The brace fittings 5 ​​are attached to two locations in the front-to-rear direction on both the left and right side surfaces of the air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c. The pair of brace fittings 5 ​​may be attached in a non-intersecting manner, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Alternatively, the pair of brace fittings 5 ​​may be attached in a crossing manner, as shown in FIG. 9. A certain level of reinforcing strength can be ensured by attaching the brace fittings 5 ​​at an angle close to 45 degrees. Therefore, whether to use the attachment manner shown in FIG. 2 or the attachment manner shown in FIG. 9 can be determined appropriately depending on the installation angle of the brace fittings 5. Furthermore, by arranging the pair of brace fittings 5 ​​in a crossing manner, as shown in FIG. 9, the intersection of the pair of brace fittings 5 ​​can be secured with a cross-connecting fitting. This has the advantage of providing even higher reinforcing strength.

[0051] By reinforcing the support member 2 with brace metal fittings 5 ​​while holding multiple air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c, the holding device 1 can stably hold multiple air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c even when the wheels 4 roll and move. Furthermore, even when a certain degree of vibration acts on the holding device 1, the holding device 1 can stably hold multiple air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c. Therefore, the holding device 1 holding multiple air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c can be loaded directly onto a transport vehicle such as a truck and transported from a factory to a building where the units are to be installed. In this case, the transport vehicle can simultaneously transport multiple air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c in an area equivalent to the size of a single air conditioning unit, resulting in excellent transport efficiency. Furthermore, when the transport vehicle arrives at the building where the installation site is located, the holding device 1 can be unloaded from the transport vehicle and then moved to the installation site while still holding the multiple air conditioning units 100a, 100b, 100c. Therefore, this holding device 1 can significantly improve the efficiency of transportation from the factory to the installation site.

[0052] The holding device 1 also has the advantage of reducing the area required for storage when storing multiple air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c at the installation site. In other words, the holding device 1 can save space required for storing multiple air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c.

[0053] When the air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c are to be installed in the ceiling space at the installation site, the multiple air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c held by the holding device 1 are lowered from the holding device 1 in order from the top. At this time, the brace fittings 5 ​​are first removed from the holding device 1. Then, the fastening members 37 connecting the topmost support member 2a and the middle support member 2b are removed, and the topmost air conditioning unit 100a is lowered from the holding device 1. Once the topmost air conditioning unit 100a has been lowered from the holding device 1, the fastening members 37 connecting the middle support member 2b and the bottommost support member 2c are then removed, and the middle air conditioning unit 100b is lowered from the holding device 1. When the top air conditioning unit 100a is lowered from the holding device 1, and the top air conditioning unit 100a and the middle air conditioning unit 100b are lowered from the holding device 1, the support members 2a and 2b are removed from those air conditioning units 100a and 100b. In addition, the support member 2c is also removed from the bottom air conditioning unit 100c.

[0054] Here, when lowering the top and middle air conditioning units 100a, 100b from the holding device 1, if a lifting device such as a forklift is available at the installation site, the air conditioning units 100a, 100b may be lowered using that lifting device. However, a lifting device is not always available at the installation site. If a lifting device is not available, the air conditioning units 100a, 100b must be lowered manually from the holding device 1. In this case, the holding device 1 of this embodiment allows the air conditioning units 100a, 100b to be easily lowered from the holding device 1 by using a handle member 40 as shown in FIG. 10.

[0055] The handle member 40 shown in FIG. 10 includes a handle portion 46 that can be held with both hands by an operator, a pair of arms 45 extending parallel to each other in the same direction from both ends of the handle portion 46, and engaging portions 41a and 41b attached to the tips of the pair of arms 45. The distance W2 between the engaging portions 41a and 41b is equal to the distance W1 (see FIG. 2) between the engaging portions 26 provided on the support member 2 in the holding device 1. The engaging portions 41a and 41b are formed, for example, from angle steel with an L-shaped cross section, and include a first plate portion 42 and a second plate portion 43 that is perpendicular to the first plate portion 42. The first plate portion 42 of the engaging portion 41a and the first plate portion 42 of the engaging portion 41b are parallel to each other and spaced apart by the distance W2. The second plate portion 43 of the engaging portion 41a and the second plate portion 43 of the engaging portion 41b are provided in the same plane. The arms 45 extend diagonally downward from the lower portions of the engaging portions 41a and 41b by a predetermined length, and the handle 46 connects the ends of the pair of arms 45 together.

[0056] The plate thickness of the first plate portions 42, 42 is formed to be the same as or slightly thinner than the gap 15 between the head 14 of the bolt 12 of the engagement portion 26 provided on the support member 2 and the side surface 11 of the support member 2. Furthermore, the first plate portion 42 is provided with a notch 44 cut out in a U-shape at its upper end. This notch 44 is formed to be larger than the axial diameter of the bolt 12 of the engagement portion 26, and is capable of supporting the bolt 12 with the first plate portion 42 inserted into the gap 15. When the notch 44 supports the bolt 12, the second plate portion 43 abuts against the end of the side surface 11 of the support member 2, thereby stabilizing the posture of the arm portions 45, 45 extending diagonally downward from the support member 2.

[0057] Figure 11 shows the handle member 40 attached to the support member 2a of the air conditioning unit 100a held by the holding device 1. As described above, when the engagement portions 41a, 41b are engaged with the engagement portions 26 of the support member 2a, the arm portions 45, 45 extend downward from both the left and right side surfaces of the air conditioning unit 100a, as shown in Figure 11, and the handle portion 46 is installed at a position lower than the height position at which the air conditioning unit 100a is held. Therefore, by lifting the handle portion 46, which is installed at a low position, the worker can lift the air conditioning unit 100a from the holding device 1 and carry it.

[0058] FIG. 12 shows an example of an operation in which an operator removes an air conditioning unit 100a from the support device 1. First, as shown in FIG. 12(a), the operator attaches handle members 40 to support members 2a attached to both left and right sides of the air conditioning unit 100a held by the support device 1. When the engaging portions 41a and 41b of the handle member 40 are attached to the engaging portions 26 of the support members 2a, the height position of the handle portion 46 roughly coincides with the height of the operator's waist on both left and right sides of the support device 1, as shown in FIG. 12(a). Therefore, the operator can grasp the handle portion 46 at waist height and lift the handle portion 46 with a steady force from their lower body. When the operator lifts the handle portion 46, the air conditioning unit 100a is lifted from the support device 1 as shown in FIG. 12(b). Then, the operator moves horizontally while holding the air conditioning unit 100a, and places the air conditioning unit 100a on a workbench or the like. The support member 2a is then removed from the air conditioning unit 100a. The same procedure is repeated when lowering the middle air conditioning unit 100b from the holding device 1. In this way, the holding device 1 of this embodiment is provided with the engagement portions 26 on the support member 2 in advance, which engage with the engagement portions 41a, 41b of the handle member 40. Therefore, by using the handle member 40, the multiple air conditioning units 100a, 100b, 100c can be easily lowered from the holding device 1, resulting in excellent work efficiency.

[0059] Once the air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c are lowered from the support device 1, the air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c are successively lifted into the ceiling space at the installation site and installed in a suspended state by bolt members such as suspension bolts. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the air conditioning unit 100a suspended in the ceiling space 9. Bolt members 8, such as suspension bolts, are installed in the ceiling space 9, hanging from the floor slab of the upper floor or the like. The air conditioning unit 100a is suspended in the ceiling space 9 by connecting the lower ends of the bolt members 8 to mounting portions 215 provided on both ends of the first frame member 210. At this time, the support members 2a are detached from the air conditioning unit 100a. Therefore, when installing the air conditioning unit 100a in the ceiling space 9, the support members 2a do not get in the way of the installation work.

[0060] Furthermore, the above-mentioned handle member 40 can be used not only when removing the air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c from the holding device 1, but also when loading multiple air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c into the holding device 1.

[0061] As described above, the holding device 1 of this embodiment is a device that holds multiple air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c stacked vertically in a horizontal position, with frame members 200 arranged on the upper surface of the air conditioner 100 and configured to support the air conditioner 100 with support bolts 220 hanging down from the frame members 200. This holding device 1 is equipped with support members 2a, 2b, and 2c that are attached to each of the multiple air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c. The upper portions of these support members 2a, 2b, and 2c are fixed to the frame members 200 arranged on the upper surfaces of each of the multiple air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c. The holding device 1 is configured so that when multiple air conditioning units 100a, 100b, 100c are stacked, the holding device 1 stably holds the multiple air conditioning units 100a, 100b, 100c in a stacked state by joining the upper ends of the support members 2 attached to the air conditioning unit on the lower tier to the lower ends of the support members 2 attached to the air conditioning unit on the upper tier and fixing them together with fastening members 37. A holding device 1 configured in this way has the advantage of improving the transport efficiency of the air conditioners 100 and saving storage space for the air conditioners 100.

[0062] Furthermore, once the installation of the air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c in the ceiling space 9 is complete, the support members 2a, 2b, and 2c attached to each air conditioning unit 100a, 100b, and 100c have already been removed. The base 3 is separated into the first base 3a and the second base 3b. In other words, as the air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c are sequentially lowered from the support device 1, the components constituting the support device 1 are separated one by one from the support device 1. Therefore, after the air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c are installed in the ceiling space 9, when the support device 1 is returned to the factory, the separated components can be collected and loaded onto a transport vehicle. In this case, the weight of each component is not significantly heavier than that of a conventional cart, and the volume is not large. Therefore, the support device 1 can be quickly collected. In addition, because each component can be loaded in a separated state onto the loading platform of a transport vehicle, it is possible to improve the efficiency of transport when returning the holding device 1 to the factory. Therefore, the holding device 1 of this embodiment improves the efficiency of transporting the air conditioning units 100a, 100b, 100c, and is capable of holding the air conditioning units 100a, 100b, 100c in a stable position, allowing for safe and easy transport, installation, and recovery operations.

[0063] Incidentally, the above-described air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c have been exemplified as cases in which a pair of first frame members 210, 210 are fixed as the frame members 200 fixed in advance to the upper surface of the air conditioner 100. However, the frame members 200 fixed in advance to the upper surface of the air conditioner 100 are not limited to the above-described first frame members 210.

[0064] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example configuration of air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c different from that shown in FIG. 5. These air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c are constructed, as in FIG. 5, by assembling a frame member 200 to an air conditioner 100 in which an outlet chamber 120 and an intake chamber 130 are integrally assembled to an air conditioner main body 110. The frame member 200 shown in FIG. 14 comprises a pair of first frame members 210, 210 that cross the upper surface side of the air conditioner main body 110 in the left-right direction, and a pair of second frame members 240, 240 that cross the upper surface side of the air conditioner main body 110 in the front-rear direction and integrally support the outlet chamber 120, the intake chamber 130, and the air conditioner main body 110. The pair of first frame members 210, 210 have the same configuration as that shown in FIG. 5.

[0065] The pair of second frame members 240, 240 cross the upper positions of both the left and right side surfaces of the air conditioner main body 110 in the front-to-rear direction and are perpendicular to the pair of first frame members 210, 210. Orthogonal connecting fittings 250 are arranged on the second frame members 240, 240 at positions perpendicular to the pair of first frame members 210, 210, and the second frame members 240, 240 are connected and fixed to the first frame member 210 via the orthogonal connecting fittings 250. The second frame members 240, 240 are also made of the same frame material as the first frame member 210. Therefore, the second frame members 240, 240 have slits 213 formed along the longitudinal direction. The second frame members 240, 240 are installed with the slits 213 facing outward on both the left and right side surfaces of the air conditioner 100. Both ends of the second frame members 240, 240 extend to positions above the end faces of the outlet chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130. Support fittings 260 are attached to both ends of the second frame members 240, 240. The support fittings 260 are connected to the upper end surfaces of the blow-out chamber 120 or the intake chamber 130, and connect the end surfaces of the blow-out chamber 120 or the intake chamber 130 to the ends of the second frame members 240, 240. Therefore, the second frame members 240, 240 support the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 at both ends thereof.

[0066] Fig. 15 is a diagram showing a holding device 1 that holds the air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c shown in Fig. 14. The holding device 1 shown in Fig. 15 shows an example in which multiple support members 2a, 2b, and 2c are attached to second frame members 240 and 240 of the air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c. In this way, when the air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c are equipped with second frame members 240 and 240 that cross the top surface of the air conditioner 100 in the front-to-rear direction, the holding device 1 may be configured to hold the multiple air conditioning units 100a, 100b, and 100c by fixing the upper parts of the support members 2a, 2b, and 2c to the second frame members 240 and 240. 14 and 15 show an example in which both the first frame member 210 and the second frame member 240 are assembled to the upper surface of the air conditioner 100 as the frame member 200, but it is also acceptable for only the second frame member 240 to be assembled.

[0067] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to those described in the above embodiments. In other words, the present invention includes various modifications of the above embodiments.

[0068] For example, in the above embodiment, an example was given of the air conditioner 100 configured such that the outlet chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 are attached to the air conditioner main body 110. However, the air conditioner 100 to which the above-described holding device 1 can be applied may be an air conditioner in which either or both of the outlet chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 are not attached to the air conditioner main body 110. Furthermore, the air conditioner 100 is not necessarily limited to concealed air conditioners, and can also be applied to air conditioners that are arranged such that a portion of the air conditioner is exposed to the indoor side through an opening in a ceiling panel, such as a package air conditioner.

[0069] Furthermore, for example, in the above embodiment, the vertical plate portions 212 of the first frame member 210 and the second frame member 240 are configured from two plates, and the slits 213 are formed in the surfaces thereof. However, the first frame member 210 and the second frame member 240 do not have to be configured in this way. For example, the first frame member 210 and the second frame member 240 may be made of a general angle member with an L-shaped cross section.

[0070] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a configuration example has been described in which wheels 4 are attached to the base 3 of the holding device 1. However, the base 3 may be configured not to have wheels 4 attached. For example, a base 3 without wheels 4 can be placed on a pallet or the like and moved using a forklift or the like. In this case as well, the holding device 1 can be moved with multiple air conditioning units 100a, 100b, 100c stacked on top of each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1...holding device, 2 (2a, 2b, 2c)...support member, 3...base, 4...wheel, 5...brace fitting, 37...fastening member, 40...handle member, 100...air conditioner, 100a, 100b, 100c...air conditioning unit, 120...blow-out chamber (chamber), 130...intake chamber (chamber), 200...frame material, 210...first frame material, 240...second frame material.

Claims

1. A holding device that holds a plurality of air conditioning units stacked vertically in a horizontal position, the holding device having a frame member arranged on the upper side of an air conditioner and configured to support the air conditioner with support bolts hanging down from the frame member, a support member attached to each of the plurality of air conditioning units; an upper portion of the support member is fixed to the frame material disposed in each of the plurality of air conditioning units; A holding device characterized in that when the multiple air conditioning units are stacked, the upper end of the support member attached to the lower air conditioning unit and the lower end of the support member attached to the upper air conditioning unit are joined and fixed with fastening members, thereby holding the multiple air conditioning units in a stacked state.

2. The support device according to claim 1, wherein the vertical length of the support member is longer than the height of the air conditioning unit.

3. It has a base on which wheels are attached, The holding device according to claim 1, wherein a lower end of the support member attached to the lowest air conditioning unit among the plurality of air conditioning units is fixed to the base.

4. 4. The holding device according to claim 3, further comprising a brace metal fitting, one end of which is fixed to the base and the other end of which is fixed to the support member.

5. 5. The holding device according to claim 1, wherein the support member is provided with an engaging portion for engaging a handle member when the air conditioning unit is lifted.

6. The air conditioner includes an air conditioner body having mounting pieces on both left and right sides for mounting the support bolts, The frame member includes a first frame member that crosses the upper surface side of the air conditioner main body in the left-right direction and has the support bolts attached to both ends thereof, 5. The holding device according to claim 1, wherein the support members are fixed to portions of the first frame member that protrude outward from both left and right side surfaces of the air conditioner body.

7. The air conditioner includes an air conditioner body and a chamber attached to an end surface of the air conditioner body in the front-rear direction, the frame member includes a second frame member that crosses the upper surface of the air conditioner main body in the front-rear direction and integrally supports the chamber and the air conditioner main body; 5. The holding device according to claim 1, wherein an upper portion of the support member is fixed to the second frame member.

8. A transportation method characterized by using a holding device of any one of claims 1 to 4 to hold the plurality of air conditioning units in a horizontal position and stacked vertically, loading the holding device onto a transport vehicle, and transporting the plurality of air conditioning units from a factory to an installation site.

Images