Indoor machine of air conditioner

Abstract

To provide an indoor machine of an air conditioner that can realize both maintainability for a sensor unit and rapid detection of refrigerant leakage.SOLUTION: An air conditioner comprises a case, a first member, a second member, and a sensor unit. The case comprises a first side wall and a second side wall. The first side wall and the second side wall are opposed to each other at an interval in a first direction. The first member extends along the first direction in the case, and partitions an internal space of the case into a first space in which a fan is arranged, and a second space in which a heat exchanger is arranged. In the first side wall, a first opening part communicating with the second space is formed. The second member comprises a first surface, and a second surface that is opposite to the first surface, in the first direction, and is arranged in the second space in such a manner that the first surface is opposed to the first opening part having a space therebetween.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Japanese Patent No. 6614389 (Patent Document 1) describes an indoor unit. The indoor unit described in Patent Document 1 uses a flammable refrigerant. The indoor unit described in Patent Document 1 has a casing, a partition plate, and a sensor. The casing has a first side plate and a second side plate. The first side plate and the second side plate are arranged opposite each other with a gap in between in a first direction. The partition plate extends along the first direction within the casing and divides the internal space of the casing into a first space in which a fan is arranged and a second space in which a heat exchanger is arranged. The partition plate has a first surface facing the first space and a second surface opposite the first surface facing the second space. The sensor is attached to the second surface. The sensor detects a flammable catalyst in the air. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6614389 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the indoor unit described in Patent Document 1, the sensor is provided near the first side plate in the first direction. Therefore, maintenance (e.g., replacement) of the sensor can be performed through an opening formed in the first side plate. However, because the sensor is located away from the end of the heat exchanger on the second side plate side in the first direction, there is a risk that if a flammable refrigerant leaks from the heat exchanger, the leak may not be detected promptly.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the problems of the conventional technology as described above. More specifically, the present disclosure provides an indoor unit for an air conditioner that is capable of both easily maintaining a sensor unit and quickly detecting refrigerant leaks. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The air conditioner of the present disclosure includes a housing, a first member, a second member, and a sensor unit. The housing has a first side wall and a second side wall. The first side wall and the second side wall face each other with a gap in a first direction. The first member extends along the first direction within the housing and divides the interior space of the housing into a first space in which a fan is disposed and a second space in which a heat exchanger is disposed. A first opening communicating with the second space is formed in the first side wall. The second member has a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface in the first direction, and is disposed in the second space so that the first surface faces the first opening with a gap in between. The sensor unit has a detection element that detects refrigerant contained in the air, and is detachably attached to the first surface so that the detection element is located closer to the second side wall than the second surface in the first direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the indoor unit of the air conditioner of the present disclosure, it is possible to achieve both ease of maintenance of the sensor unit and rapid detection of refrigerant leakage. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the indoor unit 100. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. [Figure 3A] FIG. 2 is a side view of the sensor unit 60. [Figure 3B] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the sensor unit 60. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a front view of the sensor main body 61. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The details of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will not be repeated.

[0010] Embodiment 1 The following describes the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1. The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 is designated as indoor unit 100.

[0011] (Configuration of indoor unit 100) The configuration of the indoor unit 100 will be described below.

[0012] Fig. 1 is a plan view of the indoor unit 100. Note that the upper wall 13 is not shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Fig. 1. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the indoor unit 100 has a housing 10, a first member 20, a fan 30, a fan motor 31, a heat exchanger 40, a second member 50, a sensor unit 60, and a control box 70.

[0013] The housing 10 has a side wall 11 and a side wall 12. The side wall 11 and the side wall 12 are arranged facing each other with a gap between them. The direction in which the side wall 11 and the side wall 12 face each other is defined as a first direction DR1. The direction perpendicular to the first direction DR1 is defined as a second direction DR2. The side wall 11 and the side wall 12 extend along the second direction DR2.

[0014] The housing 10 further has a top wall 13 and a bottom wall 14. A direction perpendicular to the first direction DR1 and the second direction DR2 is defined as a third direction DR3. The top wall 13 and the bottom wall 14 are disposed opposite each other with a gap in between in the third direction DR3. One end and the other end of the side wall 11 in the third direction DR3 are defined as the upper end and the lower end of the side wall 11, respectively, and one end and the other end of the side wall 12 in the third direction DR3 are defined as the upper end and the lower end of the side wall 12, respectively. The top wall 13 is continuous with the upper end of the side wall 11 and the upper end of the side wall 12. The bottom wall 14 is continuous with the lower end of the side wall 11 and the lower end of the side wall 12.

[0015] The first member 20 is disposed within the housing 10. The first member 20 extends from the side wall 11 to the side wall 12 along the first direction DR1. As a result, the first member 20 divides the internal space of the housing 10 into a first space and a second space. An opening is formed in the first member 20. The opening of the first member 20 connects the first space and the second space.

[0016] The fan 30 is disposed in the first space. More specifically, a fan case 32 is disposed in the first space, and the fan 30 is disposed in the fan case 32. In this embodiment, there are two fans 30 (fan cases 32). These two fans 30 (fan cases 32) are aligned along the first direction DR1. The fan motor 31 is disposed between the two fans 30 in the first space and connected to the two fans 30. The fan motor 31 rotates the fan 30 around a rotation axis along the first direction DR1. The fan case 32 is connected to the first member 20, and the internal space of the fan case 32 communicates with the second space through an opening formed in the first member 20.

[0017] The heat exchanger 40 is disposed in the second space. More specifically, a drain pan 15 is disposed on the inner wall surface of the bottom wall 14, and the heat exchanger 40 is disposed on the drain pan 15. The heat exchanger 40 has a first end 40a and a second end 40b in the first direction DR1. The first end 40a is the end on the side wall 11 side. The second end 40b is the end opposite the first end 40a and is the end on the side wall 12 side. The heat exchanger 40 has a third end 40c and a fourth end 40d in the second direction DR2. The fourth end 40d is the end opposite the third end 40c and is farther from the first member 20 in the second direction DR2 than the third end 40c. The heat exchanger 40 is disposed at an angle in the first space so that the fourth end 40d is located closer to the top wall 13 than the third end 40c.

[0018] The heat exchanger 40 has a plurality of heat transfer tubes 41. The heat transfer tubes 41 extend along a first direction DR1. The ends of two adjacent ones of the plurality of heat transfer tubes 41 on the side of the first ends 40a are connected by a connecting tube 42. However, a refrigerant pipe 43 (shown by a dotted line) is connected to the ends of some of the plurality of heat transfer tubes 41 on the side of the first ends 40a. The ends of two adjacent ones of the plurality of heat transfer tubes 41 on the side of the second ends 40b are connected by the connecting tube 42. A refrigerant supplied from the refrigerant pipe 43 flows through the heat transfer tubes 41. The refrigerant is, for example, a flammable or slightly flammable refrigerant. A specific example of the refrigerant is R32 refrigerant (CH2F2).

[0019] One end of the side wall 11 in the second direction DR2 (the end on the right side in FIG. 1), one end of the side wall 12 in the second direction DR2 (the end on the right side in FIG. 1), the top wall 13, and the bottom wall 14 form an intake port 16 that communicates with the first space. The other end of the side wall 11 in the second direction DR2, the other end of the side wall 12 in the second direction DR2, the top wall 13, and the bottom wall 14 form an outlet 17 that communicates with the second space. When the fan motor 31 rotates the fan 30, air is drawn into the first space through the intake port 16, and the drawn air flows into the second space through the internal space of the fan case 32 and an opening formed in the first member 20. The air flowing through the second space exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the heat exchanger 40 before being blown out from the outlet 17.

[0020] An opening 11a and an opening 11b are formed in the side wall 11. The opening 11a communicates with the first space. The opening 11b communicates with the second space. The opening 11a is closed by a lid 11c, and the opening 11b is closed by a lid 11d. The lids 11c and 11d are removable.

[0021] The second member 50 is disposed within the second space. The second member 50 has a first surface 50a and a second surface 50b in the first direction DR1. The second member 50 is disposed so that the first surface 50a faces the side wall 11. More specifically, the second member 50 is disposed so that the first surface 50a faces the opening 11b. The second member 50 is disposed adjacent to the first member 20 in the second direction DR2. The second member 50 extends along the third direction DR3 so that one end of the second member 50 contacts the upper wall 13 and the other end contacts the end of the heat exchanger 40 on the first end 40a side. Before installation in a building, the indoor unit 100 is packaged and transported with the upper wall 13 facing vertically downward. At this time, the heat exchanger 40 is supported by the second member 50. A screw 51 is threaded into the second member 50 from the first surface 50a side.

[0022] Fig. 3A is a side view of sensor unit 60. Fig. 3B is a rear view of sensor unit 60. Fig. 4 is a front view of sensor main body 61. Fig. 6B is a rear view of sensor main body 61. As shown in Figs. 3A, 3B, and 4, sensor unit 60 has sensor main body 61, mounting bracket 62, and mounting bracket 63.

[0023] The sensor main body 61 has a first surface 61a and a second surface 61b. The second surface 61b is the surface opposite to the first surface 61a. A detection opening 61c is formed in the first surface 61a. A detection element 61d is exposed from the detection opening 61c. The detection element 61d is a sensor element that detects refrigerant in the air. One end of a wire 64 is connected to the sensor main body 61. The wire 64 is electrically connected to the detection element 61d. The sensor main body 61 is attached to a mounting bracket 62 using a mounting bracket 63.

[0024] The mounting bracket 62 has a claw portion 62a. A through-hole 62b is formed in the claw portion 62a. The sensor unit 60 is attached to the second member 50 on the first surface 50a side by inserting a screw 51 into the through-hole 62b. However, when the sensor unit 60 is attached to the second member 50, the detection element 61d is located closer to the side wall 12 in the first direction DR1 than the second surface 50b. Furthermore, when attached to the second member 50, the first surface 61a (detection element 61d) faces away from the second member 50.

[0025] The through-hole 62b has a first portion 62ba and a second portion 62bb. The outer diameter of the head of the screw 51 is smaller than the hole diameter in the first portion 62ba but larger than the hole diameter in the second portion 62bb. Therefore, the sensor unit 60 can be attached to the second member 50 by tightening the screw 51 while the screw 51 is threaded through the second portion 62bb. Alternatively, the sensor unit 60 can be removed from the second member 50 by loosening the screw 51 and sliding the sensor unit 60 so that the screw 51 overlaps the first portion 62ba. After loosening the screw 51 and removing the sensor unit 60 from the second member 50, the sensor unit 60 can be removed from the housing 10 through the opening 11d and the opening 52 that penetrates the second member 50 along the first direction DR1.

[0026] The first member 20 has a through hole 21 formed therein, which connects the first space and the second space. A wire 64 is passed through the through hole 21. The control box 70 is disposed in the first space so as to face the opening 11a. More specifically, the control box 70 is attached to the inner wall surface of the side wall 11 so as to face the opening 11a. The control box 70 has a control board 71 therein. The other end of the wire 64 is connected to the control board 71. When the detection element 61d detects refrigerant in the air, it outputs a signal to the control board 71 via the wire 64, and the control board 71, for example, stops the circulation of the refrigerant or issues an alert indicating that refrigerant is leaking based on the signal.

[0027] (Method for replacing the sensor unit 60 in the indoor unit 100) A method for replacing the sensor unit 60 in the indoor unit 100 will be described below.

[0028] When replacing the sensor unit 60 in the indoor unit 100, first, the lids 11c and 11d are removed. Second, the worker reaches in through the opening 11a and removes the other end of the wiring 64 from the control board 71. Third, the worker inserts a tool such as a screwdriver through the opening 11b and loosens the screw 51. Fourth, the worker slides the sensor unit 60 so that the screw 51 overlaps the first portion 62ba, removes the sensor unit 60 from the second member 50, and takes the sensor unit 60 out of the housing 10. To install the replaced sensor unit 60, the worker performs the above steps in reverse order.

[0029] (Effects of indoor unit 100) The effects of the indoor unit 100 will be explained below.

[0030] When a flammable or slightly flammable refrigerant is used, laws and regulations require the use of a sensor that detects the refrigerant in the air. Furthermore, laws and regulations require that such sensors be replaced periodically. Therefore, it is important that such sensors be easily replaced (removed and installed). In this regard, in the indoor unit 100, the sensor unit 60 is attached to the second member 50 on the first surface 50a side, so that an operator can easily remove or install the sensor unit 60 by inserting a tool or their hand through the opening 11b.

[0031] Furthermore, laws and regulations require that refrigerant leaks be detected promptly within a specified time. In this regard, there is a high risk of refrigerant leaks near the connection points with the connecting pipe 42 and the refrigerant piping 43, i.e., near the first end 40a and the second end 40b. Although the sensor unit 60 is attached to the second member 50 on the first surface 50a side, the detection element 61d is located closer to the sidewall 12 than the second surface 50b, so the distance between the detection element 61d and the second end 40b is small. Therefore, the indoor unit 100 can quickly detect refrigerant leaks, even if they occur. In this way, the indoor unit 100 can achieve both easy maintenance of the sensor unit 60 and rapid detection of refrigerant leaks.

[0032] In the indoor unit 100, the sensor unit 60 is attached to the second member 50 so that the detection element 61d faces away from the first member 20, making it possible to detect refrigerant leakage even more quickly. Also, in the indoor unit 100, the sensor unit 60 can be removed from the second member 50 simply by loosening the screws 51 without removing them from the second member 50, making it possible to prevent the screws 51 from falling off into the housing 10 when replacing the sensor unit 60.

[0033] The second member 50 is a member required for supporting the heat exchanger 40 when the indoor unit is transported or packaged. In the indoor unit 100, the sensor unit 60 can be attached using existing members, so there is no need to use new members for attaching the sensor unit 60. Furthermore, in the indoor unit 100, the wiring 64 can be removed from the control board 71 through an opening (opening 11a) formed in the same side wall (side wall 11) as the opening (opening 11b) used for attaching and removing the sensor unit 60, so that the sensor unit 60 replacement work can be completed by working from only one side of the housing 10.

[0034] (Addendum) Aspects of the present disclosure are summarized in the appendix.

[0035] <Appendix 1> The housing and a first member and a second member; a sensor unit; The housing has a first side wall and a second side wall, the first side wall and the second side wall face each other with a gap in between in a first direction, the first member extends along the first direction within the housing and divides an internal space of the housing into a first space in which a fan is disposed and a second space in which a heat exchanger is disposed, a first opening communicating with the second space is formed in the first side wall; the second member has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface in the first direction, and is disposed in the second space such that the first surface faces the first opening with a gap therebetween; The sensor unit has a detection element that detects refrigerant contained in the air, and is detachably attached to the first surface so that the detection element is located closer to the second side wall than the second surface in the first direction.

[0036] <Appendix 2> 2. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit is detachably attached to the second member so that the detection element faces away from the first member.

[0037] <Appendix 3> Further provided with a screw, the sensor unit has a sensor body including the detection element and a mounting bracket attached to the sensor body, the screw is threaded into the second member from the first surface side, The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the mounting bracket is detachably attached to the second member by the screw.

[0038] <Appendix 4> the housing further includes an upper wall connected to an upper end of the first side wall and an upper end of the second side wall, The air conditioner indoor unit according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 3, wherein the second member extends from the upper wall toward the heat exchanger.

[0039] <Appendix 5> A control box; wiring, a second opening communicating with the first space is formed in the first side wall; the control box is disposed in the first space so as to face the second opening, a through hole through which the wiring passes is formed in the first member, An indoor unit of an air conditioner described in any one of Appendix 1 to Appendix 4, wherein the wiring is connected to the sensor unit at one end and to the control box at the other end at a position opposite the second opening.

[0040] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of this application is defined by the claims, not the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 100 indoor unit, 10 housing, 11 side wall, 11a, 11b opening, 11c, 11d lid, 12 side wall, 13 upper wall, 14 bottom wall, 15 drain pan, 16 intake port, 17 outlet port, 20 first member, 21 through hole, 30 fan, 31 fan motor, 32 fan case, 40 heat exchanger, 40a first end, 40b second end, 40c third end, 40d fourth end, 41 heat transfer tube, 42 connecting tube, 43 refrigerant piping, 50 second member, 50a first surface, 50b second surface, 51 screw, 52 through hole, 60 sensor unit, 61 sensor main body, 61a first surface, 61b second surface, 61c detection port, 61d detection element, 62 mounting bracket, 62a claw portion, 62b Through hole, 62ba first part, 62bb second part, 63 mounting bracket, 64 wiring, 70 control box, 71 control board, DR1 first direction, DR2 second direction, DR3 third direction.

Claims

1. The housing and a first member and a second member; a sensor unit; The housing has a first side wall and a second side wall, the first side wall and the second side wall face each other with a gap in between in a first direction, the first member extends along the first direction within the housing and divides an internal space of the housing into a first space in which a fan is disposed and a second space in which a heat exchanger is disposed, a first opening portion communicating with the second space is formed in the first side wall; the second member has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface in the first direction, and is disposed in the second space such that the first surface faces the first opening with a gap therebetween; The sensor unit has a detection element that detects refrigerant contained in the air, and is detachably attached to the first surface so that the detection element is located closer to the second side wall than the second surface in the first direction.

2. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor unit is detachably attached to the second member such that the detection element faces away from the first member.

3. Further provided with a screw, the sensor unit has a sensor body including the detection element and a mounting bracket attached to the sensor body, the screw is threadedly engaged with the second member from the first surface side, The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting bracket is detachably attached to the second member by the screw.

4. the housing further includes an upper wall connected to an upper end of the first side wall and an upper end of the second side wall, The air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 1 , wherein the second member extends from the upper wall toward the heat exchanger.

5. A control box; wiring, a second opening communicating with the first space is formed in the first side wall; the control box is disposed in the first space so as to face the second opening, a through hole through which the wiring passes is formed in the first member; 5. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein one end of the wiring is connected to the sensor unit and the other end is connected to the control box at a position opposite the second opening.

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