Indoor unit of air conditioner

Abstract

To provide an indoor unit of an air conditioner capable of appropriately detecting refrigerant leakage by a refrigerant leakage sensor regardless of a direction in which a casing is arranged.SOLUTION: An indoor unit 1 of an air conditioner includes a housing, a heat exchanger 41 and a fan housed in the housing, a partition plate 21 that partitions the inside of the housing into a heat exchanger chamber 23 in which the heat exchanger 41 is disposed and a fan chamber 22 in which the fan is disposed, and a drain pan 40 that stores drain water of the heat exchanger 41.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an indoor unit for a refrigeration system that allows for the appropriate installation location of a gas sensor that detects refrigerant leakage. In this indoor unit, the gas sensor is installed above a drain pan in a side view, and the height H from the top of the drain pan to the gas sensor is set to satisfy the following relational expression: L·W{C1·H1 / Q+C2·H / (Q-C3·L·H^(3 / 2))}≦90, where constant C1 is 0.0067, constant C2 is 0.01172, constant C3 is 0.000153, L [m] is the length of the first wall surface of the drain pan 36, W [m] is the length of the wall surface of the drain pan 36 that intersects with the first wall surface, H1 [m] is the depth of the drain pan 36, and Q [m^3 / s] is the refrigerant leakage flow rate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-14962 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides an indoor unit for an air conditioner in which a refrigerant leak sensor can appropriately detect a refrigerant leak regardless of the direction in which the housing is placed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The indoor unit of the air conditioning apparatus of the present disclosure comprises a housing, a heat exchanger and a blower housed in the housing, a partition plate that divides the interior of the housing into a heat exchanger chamber in which the heat exchanger is located and a blower chamber in which the blower is located, and a drain pan that stores drain water from the heat exchanger, wherein the drain pan has an inclined portion at an end located adjacent to the partition plate that is inclined relative to the partition plate, and the partition plate has a refrigerant leakage sensor located close to the inclined portion that detects leaked refrigerant. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present disclosure, the refrigerant leakage sensor can appropriately detect refrigerant leakage regardless of the orientation of the housing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an indoor unit of an air conditioning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Perspective view of the indoor unit [Figure 3] Perspective view of the indoor unit [Figure 4] Cross section of indoor unit [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the area indicated by V in FIG. 2. [Figure 6] Cross-sectional view of an indoor unit according to a modified example [Figure 7] Cross-sectional view of an indoor unit according to another modified example DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] (Findings that formed the basis of this disclosure) At the time the inventors came up with the idea for this disclosure, there was technology available for installing a refrigerant leak sensor in a predetermined position on the housing of an indoor unit of an air conditioner that is equipped with a refrigerant leak sensor to detect refrigerant leaks, which allows the indoor unit to detect refrigerant leaks early.

[0009] However, the inventors discovered a problem in that when a unit has a housing that can be positioned in different directions, such as a duct-type indoor unit, there is a risk that the refrigerant leakage sensor may not be able to properly detect a refrigerant leakage depending on the direction in which the housing is positioned, and in order to solve this problem, they came up with the subject matter of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure provides an indoor unit of an air conditioner in which a refrigerant leak sensor can appropriately detect a refrigerant leak regardless of the direction in which the housing is placed.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, unnecessary detailed description may be omitted. For example, detailed description of well-known matters or redundant description of substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid unnecessary redundancy in the following description and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. The accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0011] (Embodiment 1) Embodiment 1 will be described below using Figures 1 to 7. In the description, directions such as front, back, left, right, and up and down are the same as the directions relative to the indoor unit 1 when it is installed and used so as to blow out conditioned air in a horizontal direction, unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, the symbol LH shown in each figure indicates the left side of the indoor unit 1 when it is installed and used so that the indoor unit 1 blows out conditioned air in a horizontal direction, the symbol FR indicates the front of the indoor unit 1, and the symbol UP indicates the top of the indoor unit 1. In the indoor unit 1 in this installed state, the up and down direction coincides with the vertical direction, and the front, back, left, and right directions coincide with the horizontal direction.

[0012] [1-1.Configuration] [1-1-1. Indoor unit configuration] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an indoor unit 1 of an air conditioner according to the present embodiment. For ease of explanation, Fig. 1 shows the outline of an upper panel 18 with a two-dot chain line, and also shows the upper panel 18 in a see-through manner.

[0013] The indoor unit 1 of this embodiment is an indoor unit provided in an air conditioner. The air conditioner has a refrigeration cycle for the air conditioner formed by a heat exchanger 41 housed in the indoor unit 1, a pressure reducing device such as a compressor and an electronic expansion valve housed in the outdoor unit, an outdoor heat exchanger, etc. The air conditioner conditions the specified space to be conditioned by circulating a refrigerant through this refrigeration cycle. In this embodiment, the refrigerant used in the air conditioner including the indoor unit 1 is a slightly flammable or flammable refrigerant, such as R410A or a mixed refrigerant including R32 or the like.

[0014] The indoor unit 1 is an indoor unit of a duct-type air conditioner that is installed in a ceiling space, inside a wall, or under the floor. The indoor unit 1 is formed so that the arrangement direction of the air outlet can be changed so that the air blowing direction can be changed depending on the installation location. For example, when blowing air horizontally, the indoor unit 1 is installed in a flat-hanging state with the air outlet located to the side, as shown in Figure 1. When blowing air upward, the indoor unit 1 is installed in a vertical-hanging state with the air outlet located at the top. In the following description, the up-down direction refers to the up-down direction when the indoor unit 1 is installed in a flat-hanging state.

[0015] 1 and 2, the indoor unit 1 has a housing 10 made up of a front wall 11, a rear wall 12, a right side wall 13, a left side wall 14, a bottom panel 15, and a top panel 18. An air outlet 16, which is a rectangular opening, is provided in the front wall 11 across the entire left-right direction.

[0016] The internal space of the housing 10 is divided into a fan chamber 22 and a heat exchanger chamber 23 by a partition plate 21 . The partition plate 21 is a flat member having a predetermined length. The partition plate 21 is disposed so that its plane is perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction, and both ends in the longitudinal direction are connected to the approximate centers of the right side wall 13 and the left side wall 14, respectively.

[0017] In the blower chamber 22, there are arranged a fan motor 31 and two blower fans 35 that are connected to a drive shaft 33 of the fan motor 31 and driven by the fan motor 31. Note that the configuration in Fig. 1 is an example, and the number of fan motors 31 and blower fans 35 that the indoor unit 1 is equipped with is not limited. Each of the blower fans 35 in this embodiment is a sirocco fan. The fan motor 31 and the blower fan 35 correspond to the "blower" in the present disclosure.

[0018] The partition plate 21 is provided with a plurality of communication openings 25 that communicate with the blower chamber 22 and the heat exchanger chamber 23, and an air outlet 32 ​​of the blower fan 35 is joined to each of these communication openings 25. In addition, an air intake 34 of the blower fan 35 opens into the blower chamber 22.

[0019] In the fan chamber 22, a plurality of air intake openings 26 are provided in the rear wall 12 that covers the rear surface. These air intake openings 26 are through holes that connect the fan chamber 22 with the outside of the housing 10. Each of these air intake openings 26 is fitted with an air intake filter.

[0020] In the fan chamber 22, an electrical equipment box 36 is disposed at a position adjacent to the right side wall 13. The electrical equipment box 36 houses a control board that controls each part of the indoor unit 1.

[0021] When the blower fan 35 operates, it draws air from the blower chamber 22 through the intake port 34, causing outside air to flow into the blower chamber 22 through the intake filter 27. This outside air is sent by the blower fan 35 to the heat exchanger chamber 23 through the communication opening 25 formed in the partition plate 21. In other words, the blower chamber 22 is the primary-side space of the blower fan 35, and the heat exchanger chamber 23 is the secondary-side space.

[0022] The front wall 11, the right side wall 13, and the left side wall 14 may be provided with a heat insulating material made of, for example, polystyrene foam at locations facing the heat exchanger chamber 23.

[0023] A drain pan 40 is installed on the entire portion of the bottom panel 15 facing the heat exchanger chamber 23. The drain pan 40 is a flat plate-shaped member that functions as a water receiving portion for receiving drain water generated in the heat exchanger chamber 23, and is made of, for example, polystyrene foam. The drain pan 40 covers the entire bottom panel 15 located in the heat exchanger chamber 23. In other words, the drain pan 40 forms the entire bottom surface of the heat exchanger chamber 23.

[0024] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the indoor unit 1 viewed from the left along a cross section taken along plane II in Fig. 1. Plane II is a plane that is perpendicular to the left-right direction and passes between the blower fan 35 located on the left and the refrigerant leakage sensor 60. 1 and 2, a heat exchanger 41 is disposed in the heat exchanger chamber 23. The heat exchanger 41 is a user-side heat exchanger that functions as an evaporator that evaporates the refrigerant supplied from the outdoor unit or as a condenser that condenses the refrigerant.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 2, the heat exchanger 41 of this embodiment is a fin-and-tube type heat exchanger, and the heat exchanger 41 is formed in the shape of a long flat plate as a whole, with a plurality of metal fins 44 joined to copper refrigerant pipes 42.

[0026] The heat exchanger 41 is disposed so that its longitudinal direction is aligned with the left-right direction of the heat exchanger chamber 23 . The upper edge of the heat exchanger 41 is supported over the entire lengthwise direction by a support member 17 provided at the front end of the upper panel 18. The support member 17 may be made of a heat insulating material. The lower edge of the heat exchanger 41 is supported by a portion of the drain pan 40 that is located on the partition plate 21 side. Therefore, the heat exchanger 41 is arranged in the heat exchanger chamber 23 in a tilted state from the front wall 11 side toward the partition plate 21 side as it moves from the upper edge to the lower edge. That is, the heat exchanger 41 is disposed at an angle with respect to the partition plate 21 when the indoor unit 1 is viewed from the side. As a result, the heat exchanger 41 is disposed so that one surface faces the partition plate 21 and each air outlet 32 ​​and the other surface faces the air outlet 16 .

[0027] The airflow sent to the blower chamber 22 by the blower fan 35 exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant pipe 42 as it passes through the heat exchanger 41, mainly through the gaps between each fin 44, and is exhausted from the outlet 16 formed in the front wall 11. An air supply duct installed in the ceiling space together with the indoor unit 1 may be connected to the air outlet 16. The air supply duct is installed to one or more spaces to be conditioned, and sends the air that has been heat exchanged in the heat exchanger 41 to the spaces to be conditioned. A chamber may be provided between the air outlet 16 and the air supply duct. The air intake opening 26 may open into the ceiling space where the indoor unit 1 is installed, or a duct that supplies air to the indoor unit 1 or a chamber may be connected to the air intake opening 26. These chambers and ducts are installed in the ceiling space or the like, for example, in the same manner as the indoor unit 1.

[0028] Next, the heat exchanger 41 will be described in detail. The refrigerant pipes 42 of this embodiment are arranged to extend a predetermined length along the left-right direction of the heat exchanger 41, and are folded to form a plurality of rows along the width direction of the heat exchanger 41. Each fin 44 is arranged so that its longitudinal direction is along a direction perpendicular to the left-right direction of the heat exchanger 41, and the refrigerant pipes 42 pass through these fins 44 from the side surfaces. Both ends of the refrigerant pipe 42 are connected to the piping connection part 19. That is, the refrigerant pipe 42 is connected to the outdoor unit via the piping connection part 19. The refrigerant sent from the outdoor unit flows into one end of the refrigerant pipe 42. The flowing-in refrigerant flows through the entire heat exchanger 41 via the refrigerant pipe 42, and then flows out again from the other end of the refrigerant pipe 42 to the outdoor unit.

[0029] Refrigerant pipe exposed portions where the refrigerant pipes 42 are exposed are provided at both ends of the heat exchanger 41. Welding points for the refrigerant pipes 42 and connection points with other refrigerant pipes are provided at these refrigerant pipe exposed portions. In this embodiment, the bent portion of the refrigerant pipe 42 is exposed on the left end side of the heat exchanger 41, and both ends of the refrigerant pipe 42, i.e., the connection portions where they are connected to other refrigerant pipes, are exposed on the right end side of the heat exchanger 41.

[0030] In the heat exchanger chamber 23, a plurality of pipe connection parts 19 are provided at positions close to the right side wall 13, with ends protruding outward from the housing 10. The pipe connection parts 19 include refrigerant pipes to which both ends of the refrigerant pipes 42, i.e., connection parts to be connected to other refrigerant pipes, are connected. The indoor unit 1 is connected to an outdoor unit provided in the air conditioner via inter-unit piping connected to each of these piping connections 19. The refrigeration cycle of the air conditioner is formed by connecting the indoor unit 1 and the outdoor unit via refrigerant piping such as the piping connections 19 and inter-unit piping.

[0031] A partition wall 50 is provided in the heat exchanger chamber 23 to separate the pipe connection portion 19 and the heat exchanger 41. In this embodiment, the partition wall 50 is a plate-shaped member made of a resin material. The partition wall 50 is arranged so that its plane is perpendicular to the left-right direction, and one end in the longitudinal direction is connected to the front wall 11. It is connected to approximately the center of each of the right wall 13 and the left wall 14. The plane of the partition wall 50 is arranged in the front-rear direction, and the other end in the longitudinal direction of the partition wall 50 is arranged at a predetermined distance from the partition plate 21.

[0032] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the indoor unit 1 viewed from the left along a cross section taken along plane III in Fig. 1. Plane III is a plane that is perpendicular to the left-right direction and passes between the pipe connection portion 19 and the partition wall 50. 3, a drain pump 52 is disposed in the heat exchanger chamber 23 to the right of the partition wall 50. The drain pump 52 is a pump device that sucks up drain water stored on the upper surface of the drain pan 40. A drain hose that connects the inside and outside of the housing 10 is connected to the drain pump 52, and the drain pump 52 sends the sucked-up drain water out of the housing 10 via the drain hose. In this embodiment, the drain pump 52 is located behind the pipe connection portion 19 and in front of the electrical box 36 with the partition plate 21 in between.

[0033] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the indoor unit 1 taken along plane II in FIG. 1, viewed from the left. Next, the drain pan 40 will be described in detail. 1 to 4, the drain pan 40 has an inclined portion 46 at an end portion adjacent to the partition plate 21 in the front-to-rear direction. The inclined portion 46 is formed in a plate shape that continues from the end portion, with its rear end abutting the lower end portion of the partition plate 21 and rising obliquely upward as it extends forward. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the inclined portion 46 extends obliquely so as to form an acute angle with both the partition plate 21 and the upper surface 43 of the drain pan 40 when viewed from the left-to-right direction.

[0034] The upper end of the inclined portion 46 is located above the lower end of the heat exchanger 41 and below the air outlet 32 ​​. The inclined portion 46 includes a first opposing surface 47 facing the partition plate 21 and a second opposing surface 49 facing the upper surface 43. The inclined portion 46 is formed across the entire left-right direction of the drain pan 40. As shown in FIG.

[0035] FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the area indicated by V in FIG. A refrigerant leakage sensor 60 is provided in the heat exchanger chamber 23. As shown in Fig. 5, the refrigerant leakage sensor 60 includes a sensor main body 61 that is a sensor that detects the refrigerant, and a sensor case 62 that houses the sensor main body.

[0036] The sensor main body 61 includes a sensor board 66 and a refrigerant leakage sensor element 68 mounted on the sensor board 66. The refrigerant leakage sensor element 68 of the present disclosure is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the refrigerant leakage sensor 60 detects a refrigerant leak by the refrigerant leakage sensor element 68 detecting the refrigerant.

[0037] The sensor case 62 of the present disclosure is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The refrigerant leakage sensor 60 is disposed in the heat exchanger chamber 23 by attaching the sensor case 62 to the partition plate 21 via a metal plate 64, which is a fixing member.

[0038] 1, 2, and 5, the refrigerant leakage sensor 60 is disposed on the front side of the fan motor 31, across the partition plate 21 in the left-right direction of the partition plate 21. That is, the refrigerant leakage sensor 60 is disposed on the plane of the partition plate 21 at a position along the arrangement of the plurality of air outlets 32, and is disposed between the plurality of air outlets 32. The refrigerant leakage sensor 60 is disposed at a position close to the upper edge of each air outlet 32 ​​in the up-down direction of the partition plate 21 when viewed from the side of the housing 10.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 4, the sensor case 62 and the refrigerant leakage sensor element 68 are positioned above the inclined portion 46, and the front surface of the sensor case 62 is positioned closer to the heat exchanger 41 in the front-to-rear direction than the inclined portion 46.

[0040] A slit-shaped opening 63 that connects the inside and outside of the sensor case 62 is provided on the front side of the sensor case 62. The opening 63 may be provided anywhere on the sensor case 62, such as on the bottom or rear surface of the sensor case 62. The shape of the opening 63 is not limited to a slit shape, and may be any shape, such as a mesh shape, as long as it is a through-hole that connects the inside and outside of the sensor case 62.

[0041] The opening 63 is positioned closer to the heat exchanger 41 than the inclined portion 46. As a result, in the indoor unit 1, if refrigerant leaks from the heat exchanger 41 or its surroundings, the leaked refrigerant will enter the sensor case 62 through the opening 63 without being obstructed by the inclined portion 46. This allows the indoor unit 1 to detect refrigerant leakage more quickly. The opening 63 corresponds to the "opening" in this disclosure.

[0042] 2 and 5, in the refrigerant leakage sensor 60 of the present disclosure, wiring 69, which is a power supply line and a signal line connected to a sensor board 66, extends from the right side surface of the sensor case 62. The wiring 69 is routed along the partition plate 21 and inserted into an insertion hole 29, which is a through-hole provided in the partition plate 21, so that the wiring 69 is routed from the heat exchanger chamber 23 to the blower chamber 22 and then connected to the control board of the electrical box 36.

[0043] The refrigerant leak sensor 60 is attached to the partition plate 21 via a metal plate 64. The metal plate 64 is bent so that an edge 65 adjacent to the wiring 69 is bent in a direction away from the metal plate 64. This prevents the wiring 69 from coming into contact with the edge 65 and being cut or worn when, for example, connecting the wiring 69 or performing other wiring routing work on the indoor unit 1, and also reinforces the metal plate 64, allowing the metal plate 64 to more reliably support the refrigerant leak sensor 60.

[0044] [1-2. Operation] The operation of the indoor unit 1 configured as above will now be described. In the indoor unit 1, refrigerant may leak from the heat exchanger 41, welded portions of the refrigerant pipes 42, or connections to other refrigerant pipes such as the pipe connection portion 19.

[0045] In this embodiment, the refrigerant leakage sensor 60 is disposed in the heat exchanger chamber 23 at a location located above the inclined portion 46 of the partition plate 21 . As a result, when the indoor unit 1 is installed in a vertically suspended state, the partition plate 21 is disposed in the heat exchanger chamber 23 below the heat exchanger 41 and the pipe connection part 19. For this reason, the refrigerant leakage sensor 60 is disposed in a position where leaked refrigerant is likely to accumulate.

[0046] Furthermore, when the indoor unit 1 is installed in a flat-hanging state, the refrigerant leakage sensor 60 is positioned above the inclined portion 46 and at a position closer to the heat exchanger 41 and the pipe connection portion 19 than the inclined portion 46. As a result, when the indoor unit 1 is installed in a flat-hanging state, the refrigerant leakage sensor 60 is positioned above the first opposing surface 47 of the inclined portion 46 where leaked refrigerant is likely to accumulate, and is positioned so as not to be shielded from the heat exchanger 41 by the inclined portion 46.

[0047] In this way, the indoor unit 1 is placed in a position where the refrigerant leakage sensor 60 can appropriately detect refrigerant leakage whether the indoor unit 1 is installed in a vertically suspended state or a horizontally suspended state. [1-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, in this embodiment, the indoor unit 1 includes a housing, the heat exchanger 41 and blower housed in the housing, the partition plate 21 that divides the interior of the housing into a heat exchanger chamber 23 in which the heat exchanger 41 is disposed and a blower chamber 22 in which the blower fan 35 is disposed, and the drain pan 40 that stores drain water from the heat exchanger 41. The drain pan 40 is provided with an inclined portion 46 that is inclined relative to the partition plate 21 at an end portion located adjacent to the partition plate 21. The partition plate 21 is provided with a refrigerant leakage sensor 60 at a position close to the inclined portion 46. According to this, the indoor unit 1 is disposed in a position where the refrigerant leakage sensor 60 can appropriately detect refrigerant leakage whether the indoor unit 1 is installed in a vertically suspended state or a flat suspended state. Therefore, whether the indoor unit 1 is installed in a vertically suspended state or a flat suspended state, the refrigerant leakage sensor 60 can appropriately detect refrigerant leakage.

[0048] As in this embodiment, the refrigerant leakage sensor 60 comprises a refrigerant leakage sensor element 68 and a sensor case 62 that houses the refrigerant leakage sensor element 68, and the sensor case 62 may have an opening 63 at a position opposite the heat exchanger 41. As a result, in the indoor unit 1, if refrigerant leaks from the heat exchanger 41 or the surrounding area, the leaking refrigerant will enter the sensor case 62 through the opening 63 without being obstructed by the slope 46. This allows the indoor unit 1 to detect refrigerant leakage more quickly.

[0049] As in this embodiment, the opening 63 may be disposed at a position closer to the heat exchanger 41 than the inclined portion 46 . As a result, in the indoor unit 1, if refrigerant leaks from the heat exchanger 41 or the surrounding area, the leaking refrigerant will enter the sensor case 62 through the opening 63 without being obstructed by the slope 46. This allows the indoor unit 1 to detect refrigerant leakage more quickly.

[0050] As in this embodiment, the refrigerant leakage sensor 60 is provided by attaching the sensor case 62 to the partition plate 21 via a metal plate 64, and wiring 69 is connected to the refrigerant leakage sensor 60. The end of the metal plate 64 that is close to the wiring 69 may be bent in a direction away from the wiring 69. This prevents the wiring 69 from coming into contact with the edge 65 and being cut or worn when routing the wiring 69, such as when connecting the wiring 69, in the indoor unit 1, and also reinforces the metal plate 64, allowing the metal plate 64 to more reliably support the refrigerant leakage sensor 60.

[0051] (Other embodiments) As described above, the first embodiment has been described as an example of the technology disclosed in the present application. However, the technology in the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made. Furthermore, it is also possible to combine the components described in the first embodiment above to create new embodiments. Therefore, other embodiments will be exemplified below.

[0052] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the indoor unit 1 according to a modified example of the present disclosure, taken along plane II in FIG. 1, viewed from the left. 6, in this modification, the lower ends of the sensor case 62 and the refrigerant leakage sensor element 68 are positioned below the upper end of the inclined portion 46. As a result, the lower ends of the sensor case 62 and the refrigerant leakage sensor element 68 are positioned at a position surrounded by the first opposing surface 47 and the partition plate 21. As a result, the sensor case 62 and the refrigerant leakage sensor element are positioned in a position where at least a portion of the leaked refrigerant is likely to accumulate, so the refrigerant leakage sensor 60 can properly detect refrigerant leakage whether the indoor unit 1 is installed in a vertically hung state or a horizontally hung state.

[0053] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the indoor unit 1 according to another modified example of the present disclosure, taken along plane II in FIG. 1, viewed from the left. 7, in this modification, a holding hole 168, which is a through-hole provided in the partition plate 21, is provided. The refrigerant leakage sensor 60 is attached to the partition plate 21 by being inserted through the holding hole 168. This allows the indoor unit 1 to reduce the number of parts for holding the refrigerant leakage sensor 60, and also allows the refrigerant leakage sensor 60 to be positioned lower in the vertical direction.

[0054] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate the technology of the present disclosure, and various modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. may be made within the scope of the claims or their equivalents.

[0055] (Addendum) The above description of the embodiments discloses the following techniques.

[0056] (Technology 1) An indoor unit for an air conditioning system comprising: a housing; a heat exchanger and a blower housed in the housing; a partition plate that divides the interior of the housing into a heat exchanger chamber in which the heat exchanger is disposed and a blower chamber in which the blower is disposed; and a drain pan that collects drain water from the heat exchanger, wherein the drain pan has an inclined portion that is inclined relative to the partition plate at an end that is disposed adjacent to the partition plate, and the partition plate has a refrigerant leak sensor that detects leaked refrigerant at a position close to the inclined portion. This allows the refrigerant leak sensor to be positioned so that it can properly detect refrigerant leaks whether the indoor unit is installed vertically or horizontally. Therefore, whether the indoor unit is installed vertically or horizontally, the refrigerant leak sensor can properly detect refrigerant leaks.

[0057] (Technology 2) The indoor unit of the air conditioning apparatus described in Technology 1, wherein the refrigerant leakage sensor comprises a refrigerant leakage sensor element and a sensor case that houses the refrigerant leakage sensor element, and the sensor case has an opening at a position opposite the heat exchanger. As a result, if refrigerant leaks from the heat exchanger or the surrounding area in the indoor unit, the leaked refrigerant will enter the sensor case through the opening without being obstructed by the slope, allowing the indoor unit to detect refrigerant leaks more quickly.

[0058] (Technical Aspect 3) The indoor unit for an air conditioner according to Technical Aspect 2, wherein at least a part of the sensor case is disposed on the opposite side of the inclined portion from the heat exchanger. This allows the sensor case to be positioned in a location where at least a portion of the leaked refrigerant is likely to accumulate, allowing the refrigerant leakage sensor to properly detect refrigerant leakage whether the indoor unit is installed vertically or horizontally.

[0059] (Technology 4) The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to Technology 2 or Technology 3, wherein at least a part of the refrigerant leakage sensor element is disposed on the opposite side of the heat exchanger with the inclined portion interposed therebetween. This allows the refrigerant leakage sensor element to be positioned in a location where at least a portion of the leaked refrigerant is likely to accumulate, allowing the refrigerant leakage sensor to properly detect refrigerant leakage whether the indoor unit is installed vertically or horizontally.

[0060] (Technical Aspect 5) The indoor unit for an air conditioner according to Technical Aspect 2, wherein the opening is disposed at a position closer to the heat exchanger than the inclined portion. As a result, if refrigerant leaks from the heat exchanger or the surrounding area in the indoor unit, the leaked refrigerant will enter the sensor case through the opening without being obstructed by the slope, allowing the indoor unit to detect refrigerant leaks more quickly.

[0061] (Technology 6) An indoor unit of an air conditioning apparatus described in any one of Technology 2 to Technology 5, wherein the refrigerant leakage sensor is provided by attaching the sensor case to the partition plate via sheet metal, wiring is connected to the refrigerant leakage sensor, and the end of the sheet metal that is close to the wiring is bent in a direction away from the wiring. This prevents the wiring from coming into contact with the edges of the metal sheet and becoming cut or worn, for example, when pulling the wiring around the indoor unit, and also reinforces the metal sheet, allowing it to more reliably support the refrigerant leakage sensor.

[0062] (Technology 7) An indoor unit of an air conditioning apparatus described in any one of Technology 2 to Technology 5, wherein the refrigerant leakage sensor is attached to the partition plate by inserting the sensor case into an opening provided in the partition plate. This allows the indoor unit to reduce the number of parts for holding the refrigerant leakage sensor, and allows the refrigerant leakage sensor to be positioned lower in the vertical direction. [Industrial Applicability]

[0063] The present disclosure is suitably applicable to indoor units of air conditioners that use flammable refrigerants. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1 Indoor unit 10. Cabinet 11 Front wall 12 Back wall 13 Right side wall 14 Left side wall 15 Bottom Panel 16 Air outlet 17 Support member 18 Top Panel 19 Piping connection 21 Partition 22 Blower room 23 Heat exchanger room 25 Communication opening 26 Intake opening 27 Intake filter 29 Insertion hole 31 Fan motor 32 Ventilation vent 33 Drive shaft 34 Air intake 35 Blower fan 36 Electrical box 40 Drain pan 41 Heat exchanger 42 Refrigerant pipe 43 Top surface 44 Finn 46 Slope 47 First opposing surface 49 Second opposing surface 50 Partition Wall 52 Drain pump 60 Refrigerant leak sensor 61 Sensor body 62 Sensor case 63 Opening (Opening) 64 Sheet Metal 65 Edge 66 Sensor board 68 Refrigerant leak sensor element 69 Wiring 168 Retention hole

Claims

1. The housing and a heat exchanger and a blower housed in the housing; a partition plate that divides the interior of the housing into a heat exchanger chamber in which the heat exchanger is disposed and a fan chamber in which the fan is disposed; a drain pan for storing drain water from the heat exchanger; Equipped with The drain pan has an inclined portion inclined relative to the partition plate at an end portion disposed adjacent to the partition plate, The partition plate is provided with a refrigerant leakage sensor at a position close to the inclined portion to detect leaked refrigerant. Indoor unit of an air conditioning unit.

2. The refrigerant leak sensor is a refrigerant leakage sensor element; a sensor case that houses the refrigerant leakage sensor element; Equipped with The sensor case has an opening at a position facing the heat exchanger. The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 1.

3. At least a portion of the sensor case is disposed on the opposite side of the heat exchanger across the inclined portion. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 2.

4. At least a portion of the refrigerant leakage sensor element is disposed on the opposite side of the heat exchanger across the inclined portion. The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The opening is disposed at a position closer to the heat exchanger than the inclined portion. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 2.

6. The refrigerant leakage sensor is provided by attaching the sensor case to the partition plate via a metal plate, Wiring is connected to the refrigerant leakage sensor, The end of the metal plate that is close to the wiring is bent in a direction away from the wiring. The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 2 or 3.

7. The refrigerant leak sensor is The sensor case is attached to the partition plate by being inserted into an opening provided in the partition plate. The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 2 or 3.

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