Outdoor unit and air conditioner

Abstract

To provide an outdoor unit that is excellent in durability and assemblability, and to provide an air conditioner including the outdoor unit.SOLUTION: An outdoor unit for an air conditioner includes: a housing including a bottom plate; a parallel flow-type heat exchanger including a first header pipe and a second header pipe having a longitudinal shape in a first direction and a flat pipe for connecting between the first header pipe and a second header pipe; a support member having a longitudinal shape in the first direction and fixed to the bottom plate on one side in the first direction; and at least two fitting parts for fixing the heat exchanger to the support member. The fitting parts are fixed to the first header pipe in mutual different positions in the first direction. At least one of the fitting parts and the support member are fixed by inserting a fixture through a first opening included in the fitting part and a second opening included in the support member. The first opening or the second opening has a longitudinal shape in the first direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The following disclosure relates to an outdoor unit and an air conditioner. [Background technology]

[0002] In the outdoor units of split-type air conditioners, fin-and-tube heat exchangers, which have fins attached to the outside of tubes, are generally used as heat exchangers, but parallel flow (also called PF) heat exchangers are known as heat exchangers with higher heat exchange efficiency (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-132641 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In outdoor units using conventional PF-type heat exchangers, the PF-type heat exchanger is made of aluminum or its alloy, while the housing of the outdoor unit is made of steel, iron, or the like. Therefore, directly attaching the PF-type heat exchanger to the housing causes electrolytic corrosion between the heat exchanger and the housing, resulting in insufficient durability. Patent Document 1 proposes a method in which, instead of directly connecting the heat exchanger to the housing side panels, a mounting member made of the same material as the heat exchanger is interposed and brazed to the heat exchanger. However, brazing the mounting member to the heat exchanger is prone to precision errors during the brazing process, and the method proposed in Patent Document 1 poses a problem in assembling the outdoor unit.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an outdoor unit that is excellent in durability and assembly ease, and an air conditioner that includes the outdoor unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An outdoor unit of one embodiment of the present disclosure is an outdoor unit for an air conditioner, and comprises: a housing including a bottom plate; a parallel flow heat exchanger having first and second header pipes each having a longitudinal shape in a first direction, and flat tubes connecting the first header pipe and the second header pipe; a support member having a longitudinal shape in the first direction and fixed to the bottom plate on one side of the first direction; and at least two mounting portions for fixing the heat exchanger to the support member, wherein the mounting portions are fixed to the first header pipe at different positions in the first direction, and at least one of the mounting portions and the support member are fixed by inserting a fastener into a first opening provided in the mounting portion and a second opening provided in the support member, and the first opening or the second opening has a longitudinal shape in the first direction.

[0007] An air conditioner according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes the outdoor unit described above and an indoor unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an outdoor unit that is excellent in durability and assembly ease, and an air conditioner that includes the outdoor unit. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the outline of the exterior of the outdoor unit 1. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the outdoor unit 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the outdoor unit 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded view illustrating the structure of the outdoor unit 1. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an exploded view illustrating the structure of the outdoor unit 1. [Figure 6A] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion a1 in FIG. 2. [Figure 6B] This is a view of the a1 portion as seen from the Y1 side. [Figure 6C] This is a view of the a1 portion as seen from the Z1 side. [Figure 6D]6C is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA' in FIG. 6B. [Figure 6E] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion a1 in FIG. [Figure 7A] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion a2 in FIG. [Figure 7B] This is a view of the a2 portion as seen from the X1 side. [Figure 7C] This is a view of the a2 portion as seen from the Z1 side. [Figure 7D] FIG. 7C is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB' in FIG. 7B. [Figure 8] 2 is a diagram conceptually showing a refrigerant circuit of an air conditioner 9. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a top view of an example of a support member 5. [Figure 10] FIG. 6D is a diagram in which a dashed line indicating the position of the inner surface of the heat exchanger 3 has been added. [Figure 11] FIG. 6B is a simplified diagram of FIG. 6D. [Figure 12] 12 is a diagram in which the position of the second surface 4B of the attachment portion 4 is changed from that of FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 5. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an example of a support member 5. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of another example of the support member 5. [Figure 16] 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the positional relationship between the claw portion 71 and the third opening 30. FIG. [Figure 17] 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the positional relationship between the claw portion 71 and the third opening 30. FIG. [Figure 18A] FIG. 10 is a front view of an example of an auxiliary member 73. [Figure 18B] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an example of an auxiliary member 73. [Figure 18C] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an example of an auxiliary member 73. [Figure 18D] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an example of an auxiliary member 73. [Figure 18E] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an example of an auxiliary member 73. [Figure 19A] FIG. 10 is a front view of another example of the auxiliary member 73. [Figure 19B] 10 is a perspective view of another example of the auxiliary member 73. FIG. [Figure 19C] 10 is a perspective view of another example of the auxiliary member 73. FIG. [Figure 19D] 10 is a perspective view of another example of the auxiliary member 73. FIG. [Figure 19E] 10 is a perspective view of another example of the auxiliary member 73. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of an air conditioner and an outdoor unit according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to the contents described in the following embodiments, and appropriate design changes can be made within the scope of the configuration of the present disclosure. In the drawings, identical or equivalent elements are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. Only the main parts are shown in the drawings. The following description will focus on the main parts and parts related to the present disclosure.

[0011] In this specification, when two lines or planes are "parallel," it means that the angle (absolute value) they form is within the range of 0°±3°. When two lines or planes are "orthogonal" (and "perpendicular"), it means that the angle (absolute value) they form is within the range of 90°±3°.

[0012] In the following embodiment, a so-called split-type (also called separate-type) air conditioner having an indoor unit and an outdoor unit will be described as an example.

[0013] (Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view that schematically shows the appearance of the outdoor unit 1 of this embodiment. FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective views that schematically show the internal structure of the outdoor unit 1. FIGS. 4 and 5 are exploded views for explaining the structure of the outdoor unit 1. Here, FIGS. 2 and 4 are views of the outdoor unit 1 viewed from the same direction as FIG. 1, and FIGS. 3 and 5 are views of the outdoor unit 1 viewed from a direction different from that of FIG. 1. FIG. 6A is an enlarged view of part a1 in FIG. 2, FIG. 6B is a view (front view) of part a1 viewed from the Y1 direction, FIG. 6C is a view (top view) of part a1 viewed from the Z1 direction, FIG. 6D is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' in FIG. 6B (cross-sectional view when viewed from the Z1 direction), and FIG. 6E is an enlarged view of part a1 in FIG. 3. 7A is an enlarged view of portion a2 in FIG. 3, FIG. 7B is a view (side view) of portion a2 viewed from the X1 side, FIG. 7C is a view (top view) of portion a2 viewed from the Z1 direction, and FIG. 7D is a cross-sectional view along line B-B' in FIG. 7B (cross-sectional view when viewed from the Z1 direction).

[0014] When the outdoor unit 1 is installed on a horizontal installation surface, the vertical direction (up and down direction) is defined as the Z direction (Z1-Z2), the longitudinal direction (left and right direction) of the housing 2 within the horizontal direction is defined as the X direction (X2-X1), and the front and back direction of the housing 2 is defined as the Y direction (Y1-Y2).

[0015] The outdoor unit 1 includes a housing 2 that houses various structures inside. The housing 2 is, for example, shaped like a rectangular parallelepiped with its longitudinal axis extending in the left-right direction X. The housing 2 has a top panel 21 arranged at its top (Z1 side) and a bottom panel 22 arranged at its bottom (Z2 side). Around the periphery of the housing 2, a front panel 23 is arranged at its front (Y1 side), a back panel 24 is arranged at its rear (Y2 side), and side panels 25, 26 are arranged at its side surfaces (X1 and X2 sides). An air inlet 15 is provided on at least one of the top or side surfaces of the housing 2, and an air outlet 17 is provided on the front surface of the housing 2 for discharging air when the fan 16 is operating.

[0016] The outdoor unit 1 includes a heat exchanger 3, a compressor 11, a four-way valve 12, an expansion valve (also referred to as a pressure reducing section) 13, a fan 16, and the like inside a housing 2. The heat exchanger 3, the compressor 11, the four-way valve 12, and the expansion valve 13 are connected to each other by refrigerant piping 14 so that a heat medium (also referred to as a refrigerant) circulates in an indoor heat exchanger 81 provided in the indoor unit 8 (see FIG. 8). FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing the refrigerant circuit of the air conditioner 9.

[0017] The heat exchanger 3 is a PF type heat exchanger, and includes a first header pipe 31, a second header pipe 32, and flat tubes 33 connecting the first header pipe 31 and the second header pipe 32 together.

[0018] The first header pipe 31 and the second header pipe 32 are each a longitudinal pipe (for example, a substantially cylindrical pipe) through which a refrigerant can flow. The first header pipe 31 and the second header pipe 32 are arranged parallel to each other. The longitudinal direction of the first header pipe 31 and the second header pipe 32 is referred to as the first direction. In Figures 2 to 5 and the like, the first header pipe 31 and the second header pipe 32 are longitudinal in the up-down direction Z, and therefore the first direction corresponds to the Z direction. In addition to the first header pipe 31 and the second header pipe 32, the heat exchanger 3 may further include one or more header pipes longitudinal in the first direction (Z direction).

[0019] The flat tubes 33 are tubes with a flat shape, through which a refrigerant can flow. The flat tubes 33 are provided with fins (not shown) made of a metal member or the like having high thermal conductivity. The flat tubes 33 are arranged, for example, along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (i.e., the first direction Z) of the first header pipe 31 and the second header pipe 32, i.e., along the horizontal direction (X or Y direction) (see FIG. 5). The flat tubes 33 may be bent in an L-shape or a curved shape when viewed from above in the Z1 direction (see FIG. 5). It is preferable that the heat exchanger 3 includes a plurality of flat tubes 33, and that the plurality of flat tubes 33 are arranged parallel to one another. FIG. 5 and other figures only show the portions of the plurality of flat tubes 33 that connect to the first header pipe 31 or the second header pipe 32.

[0020] The first header pipe 31 is provided with mounting portions 4, and a support member 5 is fixed to the mounting portions 4, thereby fixing the first header pipe 31 and the support member 5 together (see FIGS. 2 to 5). The support member 5 is used as a support for fixing the heat exchanger 3 and is also useful for preventing foreign matter from entering. The support member 5 may also serve as a partition that divides the interior of the outdoor unit 1 into a machine chamber 1A that includes the compressor 11, four-way valve 12, and expansion valve (also referred to as a pressure reducing section) 13, etc., and an air blower chamber 1B that includes the fan 16, etc. (see second support member 52 in FIGS. 2 to 5). It is preferable that the first header pipe 31 and the second header pipe do not come into direct contact with the support member 5. The support member 5 has a longitudinal shape in the first direction Z, and is fixed to the bottom plate 22 on one side (Z2 side) in the first direction Z (see FIGS. 2 and 3).

[0021] The support member 5 is preferably a member (preferably a sheet metal member) that is U-shaped when viewed from above (when viewed from the Z1 side) (see FIG. 9). This ensures sufficient strength for the support member 5 and allows it to have surfaces for fastening other members of the outdoor unit 1. In this case, for example, in FIG. 9, surface S1 is used as a contact surface in the front-rear direction Y (for example, a surface that contacts the mounting portion 4), and surfaces S2 and S3 are used as fixing surfaces in the left-right direction X (for example, surfaces for fixing the mounting portion 4 or side panel 25). The support member 5 may be a rectangular pillar. FIG. 9 is a top view of an example of the support member 5.

[0022] The support member 5 has at least one opening 20. As will be described later, it is preferable that the first mounting portion 41 and the second mounting portion 42 each have an opening 10. Therefore, it is preferable that the support member 5 has two or more openings 20, each of which is provided at a position corresponding to the opening 10 of the first mounting portion 41 and the second mounting portion 42 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). An opening of the support member 5, through which the fastener 6 is inserted together with the opening 10 of the mounting portion 4, is referred to as a second opening 20. Note that one fastener 6 is inserted through one first opening 10 and one corresponding second opening 20. A second opening 20 through which the same fastener 6 as a certain first opening 10 is inserted is referred to as the second opening 20 corresponding to that first opening 10. For convenience, among the support members 5, the support member 5 fixed to the first header pipe 31 will also be referred to as the first support member 51, and the support member 5 fixed to the second header pipe 32 will also be referred to as the second support member 52. The second support member 52 also serves as a partition that separates the machine chamber 1A and the blower chamber 1B.

[0023] At least two mounting portions 4 are provided on the first header pipe 31, and the two or more mounting portions 4 are fixed to the first header pipe 31 at different positions in the first direction Z. Of the two or more mounting portions 4, the mounting portion provided in a portion (lower portion) of the first header pipe 31 closer to the bottom plate 22 is also referred to as a first mounting portion 41, and the mounting portion provided in a portion (upper portion) farther from the bottom plate 22 than the first mounting portion 41 is also referred to as a second mounting portion 42 (see FIGS. 4 and 5 ).

[0024] At least one of the mounting portions 4 has a brazed portion 72 brazed to the first header pipe 31 and an auxiliary member 73 fixed to the brazed portion 72. In this embodiment, it is preferable that each of the first mounting portion 41 and the second mounting portion 42 is composed of a brazed portion 72 and an auxiliary member 73. The mounting portion 4 is formed by the brazed portion 72, which is a bracket fixed to the header pipe by brazing, and the auxiliary member 73 fixed to the brazed portion. From the viewpoint of manufacturing efficiency, it is preferable that the auxiliary member 73 forming the first mounting portion 41 and the auxiliary member 73 forming the second mounting portion 42 have the same shape and structure. The brazed portion 72 and the auxiliary member 73 will be described later.

[0025] At least one of the first mounting portion 41 and the second mounting portion 42 has an opening 10. It is preferable that each of the first mounting portion 41 and the second mounting portion 42 has an opening 10. The opening of the mounting portion 4, through which the fixing device 6 is inserted together with the second opening 20 of the support member 5, is referred to as the first opening 10.

[0026] The mounting portion 4 and the support member 5 are fixed together by inserting a fastener 6 through the first opening 10 and the second opening 20 corresponding to the first opening 10. An example of the fastener 6 is a screw. For example, a fastener 6 is inserted through the first opening 10 of the first mounting portion 41 and the second opening 20 located in a portion (lower portion) of the first support member 51 closer to the bottom plate 22, and another fastener 6 is inserted through the first opening 10 of the second mounting portion 42 and the second opening 20 located in a portion (upper portion) of the first support member 51 farther from the bottom plate 22.

[0027] The first opening 10 or the second opening 20 has a shape that is longitudinal in the first direction. For example, after fixing the auxiliary member 73 to the first header pipe 31 of the heat exchanger 3 by brazing, when attempting to attach the mounting portion 4 composed of this auxiliary member 73 and the brazed portion 72 to the support member 5, the brazing work is prone to misalignment (also referred to as precision error), and therefore the mounting portion 4 will be attached to the support member 5 with precision error. If the first opening 10 of the mounting portion 4 and the second opening 20 of the support member 5 are both, for example, approximately the same size and substantially circular, the work of attaching the mounting portion 4 to the support member 5 may become difficult, or even if installation is successful, the precision error may be maintained or expanded, which may affect the subsequent assembly work of the outdoor unit 1. However, if either the first opening 10 of the mounting portion 4 or the second opening 20 of the support member 5 has a shape that is longitudinal in the first direction, that opening absorbs and eliminates the precision error, facilitating the work of mounting the mounting portion 4 to the support member 5 and facilitating the subsequent assembly work. An outdoor unit 1 having such a structure also has excellent durability.

[0028] If the opening having a longitudinal shape in the first direction out of the first opening 10 or the second opening 20 is referred to as "opening C1" and the other is referred to as "opening C2," the ratio (LC1 / LC2) of the length (opening length) LC1 of opening C1 along the first direction to the opening length LC2 of opening C2 along the first direction is, for example, preferably 1.01 to 5 / 1, and more preferably 1.1 to 3 / 1, which allows precision errors to be better absorbed.

[0029] The shape of the opening C1 is not particularly limited as long as it has a shape that is longitudinal in the first direction Z, and may be, for example, an ellipse or a shape where a portion of the ellipse is open (such as a U-shape). The shape of the opening C2 is also not particularly limited, and may be, for example, an approximately circular shape or a shape where a portion of the approximately circular shape is open (such as a U-shape). An approximately circular shape includes an ellipse. Note that the opening C2 may also have a shape that is longitudinal in the first direction Z, but in this case, the ratio of the opening lengths (LC1 / LC2) is set to be within the above range.

[0030] For example, in the portion a2 in FIG. 3, the second opening 20 of the second support member 52 and the first opening 10 of the attachment portion 4 corresponding to the second opening 20 (more specifically, the opening 74 of the auxiliary member 73 shown in FIGS. 19A to 19E described later) have a shape elongated in the first direction Z (see also FIGS. 7A to 7D). In the portion a2 in FIG. 3, the shape of the opening 75 (e.g., a screw hole) of the brazing portion 72 corresponding to the second opening 20 and the first opening 10 is, for example, circular. Also, in FIGS. 18B and 18C described later, the first opening 10 of the auxiliary member 73 has a shape elongated in the first direction Z. This first opening 10 also opens in a U-shape with a portion of a substantially circle open. The shape of the second opening 20 of the support member 5 (e.g., the support member 5 shown in FIG. 14) corresponding to this first opening 10 is, for example, circular.

[0031] The brazed portions 72 are preferably located on at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the first header pipe 31 (see FIGS. 6D and 7D). Specifically, the brazed portions 72 are preferably in contact with the first header pipe 31 along the circumference of the first header pipe 31 when viewed from the opposite side of the bottom plate 22 in the first direction Z (the Z1 side). In particular, in a plan view from the Z1 side, the length of the portion in contact with the brazed portions 72 is preferably 30% or more of the outer diameter of the first header pipe 31, and more preferably 50% or more (i.e., at least half of the outer circumference of the first header pipe 31).

[0032] Brazing refers to joining two or more objects together by melting a brazing material. The brazing material used is preferably the same type of metal material as the material forming the first header pipe 31, or a metal material that is compatible with the material forming the first header pipe 31 and has a lower melting point than that material. Therefore, the brazing portion 72 is preferably formed from such a metal material.

[0033] The auxiliary member 73 is a member for supporting the brazed portion 72, and for example, a fastener 6 (e.g., a screw) is inserted through an opening 74 of the auxiliary member 73 and an opening 75 of the brazed portion 72, thereby fixing the auxiliary member 73 to the brazed portion 72. The opening 74 of the auxiliary member 73 may serve both as an opening for fixing the auxiliary member 73 to the brazed portion 72 and as a first opening 10 for fixing the auxiliary member 73 to the support member 5. For example, the opening 74 of the auxiliary member 73 shown in FIGS. 19A to 19E described later also serves as the first opening 10. The auxiliary member 73 may be fixed to the brazed portion 72 by having a structure into which the brazed portion 72 fits.

[0034] 18A to 18E and 19A to 19E are examples of the auxiliary member 73. The auxiliary member 73 shown in these figures has a space Q for accommodating the brazing portion 72.

[0035] The first header pipe 31 and the support member 5 may be formed from the same type of metal material. For example, aluminum or an aluminum alloy is preferable as the metal material. The second header pipe 32 and the flat tubes 33 may be formed from the same type of metal material as the first header pipe 31. The auxiliary member 73 may be formed from the same type of metal material as the first header pipe 31 and the support member 5, or may be formed from a different material (for example, a different type of metal material or a resin material) from the first header pipe 31 and the support member 5 (see embodiment 3 described below).

[0036] When manufacturing the outdoor unit 1 of this embodiment, to fix the first header pipe 31 of the heat exchanger 3 to the housing 2, it is preferable to perform, for example, step (1) of fixing the first support member 51 to the first header pipe 31 via the mounting portion 4, and then step (2) of fixing the first support member 51 to the housing 2. In this way, the heat exchanger 3 is fixed to the housing 2. In the outdoor unit 1 of this embodiment, by interposing the mounting portion 4 and the support member 5 between the heat exchanger 3 and the housing 2, the task of fixing the heat exchanger 3 to the housing 2 can be easily performed without accuracy error. In this way, the outdoor unit 1 of this embodiment is easy to assemble.

[0037] In the above step (1), for example, it is preferable to provide mounting portions 4 (preferably two or more of a first mounting portion 41 and a second mounting portion 42) on the first header pipe 31 by brazing an auxiliary member 73 to the first header pipe 31, and then position the first support member 51 so that the second opening 20 provided in the first support member 51 corresponds to the first opening 10 provided in the mounting portion 4, and then insert a fixing device 6 through the first opening 10 and the second opening 20 to fix them. Furthermore, for example, the first support member 51, the auxiliary member 73, and the first header pipe 31 (or the heat exchanger 3 including the same) may be arranged in this order, and so that the first opening 10 of the auxiliary member 73 corresponds to the second opening 20 of the first support member 51, and the fixing device 6 may be inserted from the first support member 51 side through the first support member 51 (second opening 20), the auxiliary member 73 (first opening 10), and the brazed portion 72 to the first header pipe 31 (opening 75), thereby fixing them simultaneously.

[0038] Here, when the first header pipe 31 is fixed to the first support member 51 via the mounting portion 4, it is preferable that the centroid of the first support member 51 is located outside the outdoor unit 1 relative to the inner surface of the heat exchanger 3 (the surface facing the interior of the outdoor unit 1) in a top view (plan view from the Z1 side), and it is preferable that the innermost surface of the support member 5 is located outside the outdoor unit 1 relative to the inner surface of the heat exchanger 3 (see FIG. 10). FIG. 10 is a diagram in which a dashed line indicating the position of the inner surface of the heat exchanger 3 has been added to FIG. 6D. As can be seen from FIG. 10, the innermost surface of the first support member 51 is located outside the outdoor unit 1 (X2 side) relative to the dashed line (inner surface of the heat exchanger 3).

[0039] FIG. 10 also shows that the auxiliary member 73 (and the brazed portion 72) is fixed to the first header pipe 31 in the front-to-rear direction Y, has a protruding portion (also referred to as a rib) that protrudes on the opposite side (Y2 side) from the first header pipe 31 in the direction Y, and is fixed to the first support member 51 in the left-to-right direction X by this rib. Note that a first opening 10 is provided in this rib provided on the auxiliary member 73 (see FIGS. 18B and 18C described below). When the state in which the mounting portion 4 provided on the first header pipe 31 is fixed to the first support member 51 in this way is viewed in a plane along the first direction Z, the mounting portion 4 has a first surface 4A fixed to the first header pipe 31 and a second surface 4B provided with the first opening 10 for fixing to the first support member 51, and it is preferable that the first surface 4A and the second surface 4B are perpendicular to each other.

[0040] FIG. 11 is a simplified view of FIG. 6D. The first header pipe 31 and the auxiliary member 73 (and the brazed portion 72) can be fixed together by inserting the fasteners 6 (screws or the like) in the direction of the black arrow a in FIG. 11, and the first support member 51 and the auxiliary member 73 can be fixed together by inserting the fasteners 6 in the direction of the black arrow b in FIG. 11. Furthermore, the first support member 51 and the side plate 25 can be fixed together by inserting the fasteners 6 in the direction of the dashed arrow c in FIG. 11. Note that in FIG. 11, the support member 5 that is U-shaped in top view as shown in FIG. 9 is used as the first support member 51. Also, in FIG. 11, the second surface 4B is positioned closer to the interior of the outdoor unit 1 (X1 side) than the first support member 51, but it may be positioned closer to the exterior of the outdoor unit 1 (X2 side) than the first support member 51 (see FIG. 12). FIG. 12 is a diagram in which the position of the second surface 4B of the attachment portion 4 is changed from that of FIG.

[0041] In the above step (2), for example, after arranging the side plate 25, the support member 5 fixed to the first header pipe 31, and the bottom plate 22 in this order, the side plate 25, the support member 5, and the bottom plate 22 may be inserted from the side plate 25 side to fix them simultaneously. Note that, for example, in order to insert the fastener 6 from the side plate 25, an opening may be provided in a rib protruding from the main surface of the bottom plate 22.

[0042] Although the above description focuses on the first header pipe 31, the same applies to the second header pipe 32. That is, the second header pipe 32 is also preferably fixed to the bottom plate 22 (and the side plate 25, etc.) of the housing 2 via two or more mounting portions 4 and second support members 52 (see FIGS. 3 and 5). The two or more mounting portions 4 provided on the second header pipe 32 are fixed to the second header pipe 32 at mutually different positions in the first direction Z, and at least one of the mounting portions 4 and the second support member 52 are fixed together by inserting a fastener 6 into a first opening 10 provided in the mounting portion and a second opening 20 provided in the second support member 52, and it is preferable that the first opening 10 or the second opening 20 has a shape that is longitudinal in the first direction Z (see FIGS. 3, 5, and 7A to 7C).

[0043] When fixing the second header pipe 32 of the heat exchanger 3 to the housing 2, it is preferable to perform step (3) of fixing the second header pipe 32 to the second support member 52 via the mounting portion 4, as described above, and then perform step (4) of fixing the second support member 52 to the housing 2. The explanation for step (1) above applies to step (3), and the explanation for step (2) above applies to step (4). The order in which steps (1) and (2) and steps (3) and (4) above are performed is not particularly limited, and they may be performed in parallel or one after the other. In step (3), the second support member 52, the auxiliary member 73, and the second header pipe 32 (or the heat exchanger 3 including the second support member 52) may be arranged in this order so that the first opening 10 of the auxiliary member 73 corresponds to the second opening 20 of the second support member 52, and the fastener 6 may be inserted from the second support member 52 side through (the second opening 20 of) the second support member 52, (the first opening 10 of) the auxiliary member 73, and (the opening 75 of) the brazed portion 72 of the second header pipe 32, thereby fastening them together (see FIG. 13). FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of a portion (the portion on the Y2 and X1 sides) in FIG. 5. The arrow in FIG. 13 indicates the direction in which the fastener 6 is inserted.

[0044] (Embodiment 2) In this embodiment, one of the mounting portion 4 and the support member 5 has at least one claw portion 71, and the other has a third opening 30 into which the claw portion 71 is inserted. This embodiment is otherwise similar to embodiment 1, and a description of matters common to embodiment 1 will be omitted.

[0045] For example, if an auxiliary member 73 having claw portions 71 is used, the mounting portion 4 provided on the first header pipe 31 will have the claw portions 71. In this case, the support member 5 will have openings 30 (third openings) into which the claw portions 71 are inserted (see FIGS. 14 and 15). FIG. 14 is a perspective view schematically illustrating an example of a single support member 5, and FIG. 15 is a perspective view schematically illustrating another example of a single support member 5. When one mounting portion 4 has multiple claw portions 71 (see FIG. 18B and the like described below), it is preferable that the support member 5 has multiple third openings 30 corresponding to the multiple claw portions 71. Conversely, the mounting portion 4 may have the third openings 30, and the support member 5 may have the claw portions 71. When one support member 5 has multiple claw portions 71, it is preferable that the mounting portion 4 has multiple third openings 30 corresponding to the multiple claw portions 71. The mounting portion 4 may also have the claw portions 71 and the third openings 30. The support member 5 may include a third opening 30 corresponding to the claw portion 71 of the attachment portion 4 and a claw portion 71 corresponding to the third opening 30 of the attachment portion 4 .

[0046] The claw portion 71 is a portion that protrudes from the main surface of the auxiliary member 73 or the support member 5 and is fitted into the third opening 30. The claw portion 71 preferably has a shape and size such that when the mounting portion 4 or the support member 5 is moved along the first direction Z while inserted into the third opening 30, the bottom of the claw portion 71 is caught (engaged) on the edge of the third opening 30. The bottom of the claw portion 71 is a connection portion with the main surface of the auxiliary member 73 or the support member 5 that includes the claw portion 71. For example, the shape of the claw portion 71 may be curved (see FIG. 18B), rectangular (see claw portion 71C in FIG. 19B), or may have a shape with a rib protruding from the main surface that widens (see claw portion 71D in FIG. 19B), etc. When the claw portion 71 is bent (see Figure 18B), it is preferable that the claw portion 71 is positioned so that its tip extends in the direction toward the bottom plate 22 in the first direction Z (Z2 side) (see Figures 4 and 6A).

[0047] The third opening 30 preferably has a shape and size such that when the mounting portion 4 or the support member 5 moves in the first direction Z with the claw portion 71 inserted, the bottom of the claw portion 71 catches on the edge of the third opening 30 (see FIGS. 18B, 19B, and the like described below). For example, the shape of the third opening 30 may be circular or a partially open circular shape (e.g., a U-shape). The length of the third opening 30 in the first direction Z (opening length) is greater than the thickness of the claw portion 71 in the up-down direction Z. The preferred range of the opening length of the third opening 30 is preferably set taking into consideration the expected degree of misalignment and the distances L1, L2, and L3, which will be described later.

[0048] When the claw portion 71 is inserted through the third opening 30, depending on the degree (magnitude) of misalignment between the first opening 10 of the mounting portion 4 (auxiliary member 73) and the corresponding second opening 20 of the support member 5, the upper end of the claw portion 71 may contact the upper edge of the third opening 30 (see the left diagram (a) in FIG. 16 ) or the lower end of the claw portion 71 may contact the lower edge of the third opening 30 (see the right diagram (b) in FIG. 16 ). The distance L1 in FIG. 16 is the value obtained by subtracting the thickness of the claw portion 71 in the vertical direction Z from the length (opening length) of the third opening 30 in the vertical direction Z (first direction). This distance L1 corresponds to the maximum distance in the first direction Z that can be eliminated by misalignment. FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram for explaining the positional relationship between the claw portion 71 and the third opening 30.

[0049] FIG. 17 is also a schematic diagram for explaining the positional relationship between the claw portion 71 and the third opening 30. However, FIG. 17 assumes that multiple (e.g., two) claw portions 71 are provided on the mounting portion 4 or the support member 5. Of the multiple claw portions 71, the claw portion 71 located at the top (Z1 side) is referred to as claw portion 71A, and the claw portion 71 located at the bottom (Z2 side) is referred to as claw portion 71B. The third opening 30 corresponding to claw portion 71A is referred to as third opening 30A, and the third opening 30 corresponding to claw portion 71B is referred to as third opening 30B. In FIG. 17 (a), distance L2 corresponds to the distance between the upper side of the third opening 30A and the lower side of the third opening 30B. Distance L3 in the right diagram (b) corresponds to the distance between the upper surface of claw portion 71A in third opening 30A and the lower surface of claw portion 71B in third opening 30B. The difference (L2-L3) between distance L2 and distance L3 corresponds to the maximum distance along first direction Z that can be eliminated from misalignment. For example, when auxiliary member 73 shown in FIGS. 19A to 19E is used, claw portion 71C plays the same role as upper claw portion 71A in FIG. 17, and claw portion 71D plays the same role as lower claw portion 71B in FIG. 17.

[0050] An example of an auxiliary member 73 having claw portions 71 is shown in FIGS. 18A to 18E. FIGS. 18A to 18E are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of the auxiliary member 73 alone, with FIG. 18A being a front view and FIGS. 18B to 18E being perspective views. The auxiliary member 73 has two claw portions 71 having bent portions along the first direction Z, and the tip of each claw portion 71 extends downward (toward the Z2 direction). Also, reference numeral 74 in the drawings denotes a hole (e.g., a screw hole) through which a fastener for attaching the auxiliary member 73 to the first header pipe 31 is inserted. In FIGS. 2 to 5 and the like, the auxiliary member 73 shown in FIGS. 18A to 18E is used for the first mounting portion 41 and the second mounting portion 42 provided on the first header pipe 31.

[0051] The support member 5 shown in FIG. 14 is useful as a support member 5 for attaching an auxiliary member 73 shown in FIGS. 18A to 18E. This support member 5 has two third openings 30 in the upper portion where the second mounting portion 42 is installed, which correspond to the two claw portions 71 of the second mounting portion 42 (or the auxiliary member 73 that forms the second mounting portion 42). In addition, two third openings 30 are also provided in the lower portion where the first mounting portion 41 is installed, which correspond to the two claw portions 71 of the first mounting portion 41 (or the auxiliary member 73 that forms the first mounting portion 41). As described above, the opening 53 in the support member 5 is an opening (e.g., a screw hole) for inserting one fastener 6 through the side plate 25, the support member 5, and the bottom plate 22 from the side of the side plate 25 to fasten them together. In FIGS. 2 to 5 and the like, the support member 5 shown in FIG. 14 is used as the first support member 51 that fastens the first header pipe 31.

[0052] Another example of an auxiliary member 73 having claw portions 71 is shown in Figures 19A to 19E. Figures 19A to 19E are schematic diagrams of another example of the auxiliary member 73 alone, with Figure 19A being a front view and Figures 19B to 19E being perspective views. The auxiliary member 73 has rectangular claw portions 71C and claw portions 71D with flared ribs. Also, reference numeral 74 in the figures denotes a hole (e.g., a screw hole) through which a fastener 6 is inserted to attach the auxiliary member 73 to the first header pipe 31 via the brazed portion 72, and also serves as a first opening 10 corresponding to the second opening 20 provided in the support member 5.

[0053] 19A to 19E further has an opening 43 cut out at the bottom below the claw portion 71D (on the Z2 side). The opening 43 is an opening through which the refrigerant pipe 14 is inserted. The shape of the opening 43 through which the refrigerant pipe 14 is inserted is not particularly limited and may be, for example, circular. However, from the perspective of ease of assembly, a partially open circular shape (such as a U-shape) is preferable (see FIG. 19A). In FIGS. 2 to 5 and the like, the first mounting portion 41 and the second mounting portion 42 provided on the second header pipe 32 use the auxiliary member 73 shown in FIGS. 19A to 19E.

[0054] The support member 5 shown in FIG. 15 is useful as a support member 5 for attaching the auxiliary member 73 shown in FIGS. 19A to 19E. This support member 5 is provided with a third opening 30C corresponding to the claw portion 71C of the second mounting portion 42 (or the auxiliary member 73 forming the second mounting portion 42) at its upper portion where the second mounting portion 42 is provided, and a third opening 30D corresponding to the claw portion 71D of the second mounting portion 42 (or the auxiliary member 73 forming the second mounting portion 42). The lower portion where the first mounting portion 41 is provided is also provided with third openings 30C and 30D corresponding to the claw portions 71C and 71D of the first mounting portion 41 (or the auxiliary member 73 forming the first mounting portion 41). The opening 30D of the support member 5 is also an opening through which the refrigerant pipe 14 is inserted. The shape of the opening 54 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, circular. However, from the viewpoint of ease of assembly, a partially open circular shape (such as a U-shape) is preferable.

[0055] When the support member 5 shown in Figure 15 is used as the second support member 52, it is preferable to position and fix the heat exchanger 3 (and the refrigerant piping 14), auxiliary member 73 and second support member 52 so that, for example, the refrigerant piping 14 is caught in the opening 43 of the auxiliary member 73 shown in Figures 19A to 19E at the connection portion with the second header pipe 32 (see also Figure 5), and the claw portion 71C of the auxiliary member 73 is caught in the third opening 30C of the support member 5.

[0056] In this specification, when describing the auxiliary member 73 alone and the support member 5 alone, directions are expressed as directions when the support member 5, to which the auxiliary member 73 (mounting portion 4) is attached, is attached to the bottom plate 22 to configure the outdoor unit 1. However, for convenience, the directions of the support member 5 alone shown in Fig. 15 and the auxiliary member 73 alone shown in Figs. 19A to 19E are expressed in the same directions as the support member 5 alone shown in Fig. 14 and the auxiliary member 73 alone shown in Figs. 18A to 18E, respectively.

[0057] When assembling the outdoor unit 1 of this embodiment, if a worker or the like attempts to fix the first header pipe 31 to the support member 5 via the mounting portions 4, it is preferable to insert the tips of the claw portions 71 into the third openings 30 before inserting the fasteners 6 through the first openings 10 of the mounting portions 4 and the corresponding second openings 20. If the first header pipe 31 provided with the mounting portions 4 or the support member 5 moves along the first direction Z with the tips of the claw portions 71 inserted into the third openings 30, the bottoms of the claw portions 71 will become caught on the edges of the third openings 30. In this state, the first header pipe 31 provided with the mounting portions 4 and the support member 5 will be temporarily fixed (i.e., provisionally fixed) without the use of fasteners 6.

[0058] In this temporarily fixed state, a worker or the like can easily grasp the degree (magnitude) of misalignment between the first opening 10 and the corresponding second opening 20. If the misalignment (accuracy error) between the first opening 10 and the corresponding second opening 20 is large, the first header pipe 31 provided with the mounting portions 4 or the support member 5 moves along the first direction Z, causing the claw portions 71 to become caught on the edge of the third opening 30, and the first header pipe 31 is temporarily fixed to the support member 5 at an optimal position relative to the support member 5. This facilitates the subsequent operation of inserting the fasteners 6 through the first opening 10 and the second opening 20. In particular, when the first direction is vertical, it is preferable that the mounting portions 4 (second mounting portions 42) provided at a position (upper portion) far from the bottom plate 22 have the claw portions 71, or that the claw portions 71 be provided on the upper portion of the support member 5. A worker or the like positions the first header pipe 31 and the support member 5 so that their longitudinal shapes follow the vertical direction Z, and then inserts the claw portion 71 into the third opening 30.The first header pipe 31 or the support member 5 will then move naturally vertically downward due to gravity, and the support member 5 and the first header pipe 31 will be easily temporarily fixed together.

[0059] Incidentally, when assembling the outdoor unit 1, it is expected that the distance between the first mounting portion 41 (Z2 side) and the second mounting portion 42 (Z1 side) provided on the first header pipe 31 will become narrow due to the influence of precision errors that occur, for example, when fixing the auxiliary member 734 to the first header pipe 31. In such a case, even if it is possible to insert the fastener 6 into the first opening 10 of either the first mounting portion 41 or the second mounting portion 42 and the second opening 20 corresponding to that opening, it may become difficult to insert the fastener 6 into the other one and the second opening 20 corresponding to that opening. However, in the present embodiment, when one of the mounting portion 4 and the support member 5 has the claw portion 71 and the other has the third opening 30 corresponding to the claw portion 71, if a worker or the like inserts the claw portion 71 into the third opening 30 before inserting the fastener 6 through the first opening 10 of the mounting portion 4 and the corresponding second opening 20, the first header pipe 31 or the support member 5 moves vertically downward on its own. Then, the claw portion 71 becomes caught on the edge of the third opening 30, and the first header pipe 31 is positioned optimally relative to the support member 5. As a result, the worker or the like can easily insert the fastener 6 through the first opening 10 and the second opening 20, further improving work efficiency.

[0060] (Embodiment 3) In outdoor unit 1 of the present embodiment, first header pipe 31 and support member 5 are formed from different metal materials, and auxiliary member 73 is located between first header pipe 31 and support member 5. Other than this point, this embodiment is similar to embodiment 1, and a description of matters common to embodiment 1 will be omitted.

[0061] The auxiliary member 73 is located between the first header pipe 31 and the support member 5. By locating the auxiliary member 73 between the first header pipe 31 and the support member 5, which are made of different metal materials, direct contact between the first header pipe 31 and the support member 5 is suppressed, preventing corrosion due to contact between the dissimilar metals. Furthermore, moisture may be generated inside the outdoor unit due to heating operation or may enter from the outside of the outdoor unit, and corrosion may also occur if the first header pipe 31 and the support member 5 come into contact via moisture. However, by positioning the auxiliary member 73 between the first header pipe 31 and the support member 5 and acting as a spacer, so to speak, corrosion due to contact via moisture is also sufficiently suppressed.

[0062] The auxiliary member 73 is preferably made of a resin material. If the auxiliary member 73 located between the first header pipe 31 and the support member 5 is made of a resin material, corrosion due to contact between dissimilar metals and corrosion due to contact via moisture is further suppressed, thereby further increasing the durability of the outdoor unit 1.

[0063] (Embodiment 4) In the outdoor unit 1 of the present embodiment, the brazed portion 72 is located on at least a part of the outer peripheral surface of the first header pipe 31, and when viewed from the other side opposite to the one side in the first direction, the auxiliary member 73 has a portion that overlaps with the brazed portion 72. Other than this, this embodiment is similar to embodiment 3, and a description of matters common to embodiment 3 will be omitted.

[0064] As can be seen from FIG. 6C , when viewed from the other side (i.e., the Z1 side) opposite to one side (i.e., the Z2 side) in the first direction, the auxiliary member 73 has a portion overlapping the brazed portion where the brazing material of the brazing portion 72 has solidified (see also FIG. 6D ). The same is true for FIG. 7C (see also FIG. 7D ). This further strengthens the fixation of the mounting portion 4 to the first header pipe 31 (and the second header pipe 32) and further suppresses corrosion due to contact between dissimilar metals and corrosion due to contact via moisture. Specifically, when the brazing portion 72 is viewed from above in the Z1 side, it is preferable that the auxiliary member 73 covers the brazing portion 72 so that it is not exposed. In this way, a preferred embodiment of the present invention has the mounting portion 4 fixed to the support member 5 so that the auxiliary member 73 covers the brazing portion 72 so that it is not exposed when viewed from the other side opposite to one side (i.e., the bottom plate 22 side) in the first direction.

[0065] The auxiliary member 73 preferably has an upper surface portion P that protrudes from the main surface (see FIGS. 18B and 19B). This allows the auxiliary member 73 to be seen as covering the brazed portion 72 and not exposing it when viewed from the Z1 side. The auxiliary member 73 also preferably has a space portion Q for accommodating the brazed portion 72 in the direction (Y2 side) in which the upper surface portion P protrudes from the main surface (see FIGS. 18D to 18E and 19D to 19E).

[0066] An air conditioner 9 including the outdoor unit 1 according to any one of the first to fourth embodiments described above and an indoor unit 8 is also one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0067] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the components disclosed in the above embodiments can be modified as appropriate. For example, some of the components shown in one embodiment may be added to the components of another embodiment, or some of the components shown in one embodiment may be deleted from the embodiment.

[0068] Furthermore, the drawings mainly show each component in a schematic manner to facilitate understanding of the invention, and the thickness, length, number, spacing, etc. of each component shown in the drawings may differ from the actual ones due to the convenience of creating the drawings. Furthermore, the configurations of each component shown in the above embodiment are merely examples and are not particularly limited, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible within a scope that does not substantially deviate from the effects of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1:Outdoor unit 2: Housing 3: Heat exchanger 4, 41, 42: Mounting part 5, 51, 52: Support members 6: Fixture 8: Indoor unit 9: Air conditioner 10: First opening 11: Compressor 12: Four-way valve 13: Expansion valve 14: Refrigerant piping 15: Inlet 16: Fan 17:Air outlet 20: Second opening 21:Top plate 22:Bottom plate 23: Front panel 24: Back plate 25, 26: Side panels 30, 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D: 3rd opening 31: First header pipe 32: Second header pipe 33:Flat tube 43, 53, 74, 75: Opening 71, 71A, 71B, 71C, 71D: Claw part 72: Brazed part 73: Auxiliary parts 81:Indoor heat exchanger P:Top part Q: Space

Claims

1. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner, a housing including a bottom plate; a parallel flow heat exchanger including first and second header pipes each having a longitudinal shape in a first direction, and a flat tube connecting the first header pipe and the second header pipe; a support member having a longitudinal shape in the first direction and fixed to the bottom plate at one side in the first direction; at least two mounting portions for fixing the heat exchanger to the support member; the mounting portions are fixed to the first header pipe at positions different from each other in the first direction, At least one of the mounting portions and the support member are fixed together by inserting a fastener through a first opening of the mounting portion and a second opening of the support member, The outdoor unit, wherein the first opening or the second opening has a shape that is elongated in the first direction.

2. The outdoor unit according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the attachment portions has a brazed portion brazed to the first header pipe and an auxiliary member fixed to the brazed portion.

3. The outdoor unit according to claim 1 , wherein one of the attachment portion and the support member includes at least one claw portion, and the other includes a third opening into which the claw portion is inserted.

4. The outdoor unit according to claim 2 , wherein the first header pipe and the support member are formed of different metal materials, and the auxiliary member is located between the first header pipe and the support member.

5. The outdoor unit according to claim 4 , wherein the auxiliary member is made of a resin material.

6. the brazed portion is located on at least a portion of an outer circumferential surface of the first header pipe, The outdoor unit according to claim 2 , wherein the auxiliary member has a portion that overlaps with the brazed portion when viewed from the other side opposite to the one side in the first direction.

7. The outdoor unit according to claim 6, wherein the mounting portion is fixed to the support member so that the auxiliary member covers the brazed portion and does not expose it when viewed from the other side opposite to the one side in the first direction.

8. An air conditioner comprising an outdoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 7 and an indoor unit.

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