Air conditioning system

Abstract

To provide an air conditioning system that can prevent water leakage from the indoor unit. [Solution] A retaining member 10 is installed in the space between the air blower guide 8 and the rearmost part M of the indoor unit 1, and below the upper end T of the drain pan 5B, having a retaining portion 11F for holding the drain hose 6. The retaining member 10 is made of a flexible resin and is integrally formed with the bottom surface of the indoor unit 1. The drain hose 6 is inserted into the retaining portion 11F and held in place. By holding the drain hose 6 in the retaining member 10, it is possible to prevent the drain hose 6 from bending above the upper end T of the drain pan 5B, thereby preventing drain water from leaking from the indoor unit without being discharged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an indoor unit of an air conditioner.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been a device that makes the drain pan connection port and the drain hose end in a shape such as a screw shape and connects them to prevent the connection between the drain pan connection port and the drain hose end from easily coming off. (For example, Patent Document Ⅰ)

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document Ⅰ

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In recent years, with the increase in functions of air conditioners, the indoor unit has become longer in the front-back direction due to an increase in size. The indoor unit is extended in the front-back direction, and since the drain pan is on the front side of the indoor unit, the path of the drain hose from the drain pan housed in the indoor unit to the rearmost part of the indoor unit also extends in the front-back direction. With only the conventional fixing of the drain pan connection port and the drain hose end, there has newly arisen a problem that when routing the drain hose, it becomes easily bendable within the indoor unit due to the increased length of the path. [[ID=z7]]

[0005] If the drain hose bends and becomes higher than the upper end of the drain pan, the drain water cannot flow from the drain hose, so the drain water cannot be discharged. Since the drain water is not discharged, the water level of the drain pan rises, and the drain water exceeds the upper end of the drain pan and overflows from the drain pan, leaking from the indoor unit, and may wet the indoor floor by spreading along the wall in contact with the indoor unit, leaving room for improvement.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, the air conditioning device of the present invention, according to claim 1, comprises an indoor unit, an indoor heat exchanger disposed inside the indoor unit for heat exchange between a refrigerant and indoor air, a blower fan for blowing the heat-exchanged air from the indoor heat exchanger into the room, an outlet for blowing the air blown by the blower fan into the room from inside the indoor unit, a blower guide for guiding the air blown by the blower fan to the outlet, a drain pan disposed below the indoor heat exchanger for receiving condensed water from the indoor heat exchanger, and a drain hose connected to the drain pan for discharging the condensed water received in the drain pan to the outside, wherein a holding member for holding the drain hose is provided in the space between the blower guide and the rearmost part of the indoor unit, and below the drain pan.

[0007] Claim 2 is characterized in that the retaining member has an opening at its top through which the drain hose can pass.

[0008] Claim 3 is characterized in that the indoor unit has a through hole in the space between the air guide and the rearmost part of the indoor unit that connects the inside of the indoor unit to the outside of the indoor unit, and the retaining member has an installation portion that is inserted into the through hole to install the retaining member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this invention, a retaining member for holding the drain hose is provided in the space between the air guide and the rearmost part of the indoor unit, and below the drain pan, and the drain hose is held in place by inserting it into the retaining member. By holding the drain hose with the retaining member, it is prevented that the drain hose will shift inside the indoor unit when the drain hose is routed and will not sag above the upper edge of the drain pan. As a result, drain water will not be discharged from the drain hose, the water level in the drain pan will rise, drain water will not overflow from the drain pan, and the floor surface will not get wet due to water leakage from the indoor unit. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of an air conditioning system commonly used in embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the indoor unit of the air conditioning system commonly used in this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a side view cross-sectional view of the indoor unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a rear perspective view illustrating the installation position of the retaining member in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view of the retaining member in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a side view cross-sectional view of the indoor unit in the second embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a rear perspective view illustrating the installation position of the retaining member in the second embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a perspective view of the retaining member in the second embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a side view cross-sectional view of the indoor unit in the third embodiment. [Figure 10] This is a rear perspective view illustrating the installation position of the retaining member in the third embodiment. [Figure 11] This is a perspective view of the retaining member in the third embodiment. [Figure 12] This is a side view cross-sectional view of the indoor unit in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 13] This is a rear perspective view illustrating the installation position of the retaining member in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 14] This is a perspective view of the retaining member in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 15] This is a right-side view of the retaining member in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 16] This is a rear view of the retaining member in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 17] This is a top view of the retaining member in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 18] This is a side view cross-sectional view of a conventional indoor unit where the drain hose is higher than the top edge of the drain pan.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings.

[0012] An air conditioner 100 will be described. FIG. 1 shows a simplified diagram of the internal structure of the air conditioner 100. The air conditioner 100 includes an indoor unit 1 and an outdoor unit 20, and has a refrigerant circuit 102 in which refrigerant circulates by connecting the indoor unit 1 and the outdoor unit 20 with a refrigerant pipe 101.

[0013] The indoor unit 1 is attached to the wall Wa in the room R, and has a blower fan 2 that blows air to take in the air in the room R into the indoor unit 1 and at the same time discharges the air in the indoor unit 1, an indoor heat exchanger 3 that exchanges heat with the refrigerant and the air in the indoor unit 1, an air outlet 4 that blows out from the indoor unit 1 when the blower fan 2 discharges air into the room R, a drain pan 5 disposed below the indoor heat exchanger 3, and a drain hose 6 connected to the drain pan 5 and leading to the outside Ou.

[0014] The outdoor unit 20 includes a four-way valve 21 that switches between cooling operation and heating operation, a compressor 22 that compresses and discharges the refrigerant to a high temperature and high pressure, an outdoor heat exchanger 23 that exchanges heat with the refrigerant compressed to a high temperature and high pressure and the air in the outdoor unit 20, an outdoor fan 24 that blows air toward the outdoor heat exchanger 23 to entrain the air around the outdoor heat exchanger 23 and blow it out to the outside Ou, and at the same time takes in the air from the outside Ou into the outdoor unit 20, and an expansion valve 25 that decompresses the refrigerant flowing in from the outdoor heat exchanger 23 or the indoor heat exchanger 3 to a low temperature and low pressure.

[0015] Let's explain the cooling operation. The refrigerant circulates in the refrigerant circuit 102 in the direction A of refrigerant flow. The refrigerant is compressed to high temperature and pressure by the compressor 22 and discharged into the refrigerant circuit 102. The refrigerant that has been compressed to high temperature and pressure and discharged flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 23. Since heat moves from high temperature to low temperature, the high temperature heat of the refrigerant that has flowed into the outdoor heat exchanger 23 is conducted through the outdoor heat exchanger 23 and released into the air inside the outdoor unit 20. The outdoor fan 24 draws in the air around the outdoor heat exchanger 23 and blows it towards the outside Ou, releasing the air around the heat-exchanged outdoor heat exchanger 23 from inside the outdoor unit 20 to the outside Ou. At the same time that the heat-exchanged air is released from inside the outdoor unit 20, air from the outside Ou flows into the outdoor unit 20. By discharging the heat-exchanged air and taking in indoor air R, heat exchange in the outdoor heat exchanger 23 becomes possible efficiently. After releasing heat from the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 23, the refrigerant passes through the expansion valve 25. The expansion valve 25 reduces the pressure of the refrigerant by throttling it internally, causing the refrigerant to expand and become low temperature and low pressure. The refrigerant, reduced to low temperature and low pressure, flows into the indoor unit 1.

[0016] Inside the indoor unit 1, the refrigerant, which has been reduced to low temperature and low pressure by the expansion valve 25, flows into the indoor heat exchanger 3 and exchanges heat with the indoor air R inside the indoor unit 1. The air inside the indoor unit 1 that has undergone heat exchange is blown out into the indoor R from the outlet 4 by the blower fan 2, and the amount of indoor air R that is blown out is taken into the indoor unit 1. The heat-exchanged refrigerant flows into the outdoor unit 20. The refrigerant that has flowed into the outdoor unit 20 passes through the four-way valve 21 and flows from the four-way valve 21 into the compressor 22. The refrigerant circulates within the refrigerant circuit 102 in the above sequence.

[0017] The heating operation will now be explained. The four-way valve 21 switches from cooling operation to heating operation, and the circulation of the refrigerant begins in direction B, which is the reverse direction of the cooling operation. The refrigerant is compressed to high temperature and pressure by the compressor 22 and discharged from the compressor 22. The refrigerant that has been compressed to high temperature and pressure and discharged passes through the four-way valve 21 and flows into the indoor unit 1. Inside the indoor unit 1, the refrigerant flows into the indoor heat exchanger 3 and exchanges heat with the air inside the indoor unit 1. The air inside the indoor unit 1 that has exchanged heat with the refrigerant is discharged into the room R by the blower fan 2, and at the same time, the same amount of air from the room R is taken in. The refrigerant that has exchanged heat in the indoor heat exchanger 3 flows into the expansion valve 25 of the outdoor unit 20. In the expansion valve 25, the refrigerant becomes low temperature and low pressure, and exchanges heat with the air inside the outdoor unit 20 in the outdoor heat exchanger 23. The refrigerant that has exchanged heat flows into the compressor 22 via the four-way valve 21. The refrigerant circulates within the refrigerant circuit 102 in the order described above.

[0018] Let's explain drain water. During cooling operation, the indoor heat exchanger 3, through which the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant passes, becomes cold due to heat conduction from the refrigerant. When the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 3 falls below the dew point temperature, condensation forms in the air of the indoor unit 1, and condensed water adheres to the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 3. This condensed water adhering to the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 3 is called drain water.

[0019] Condensate water adhering to the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 3 drips into a drain pan 5 located at the bottom of the indoor heat exchanger 3. The condensate water that drips into the drain pan 5 flows into a drain hose 6 connected to the drain pan 5. The drain hose 6 is routed from the indoor area R to the outdoor area Ou through a hole made in the wall Wa, and the condensate water flows through the drain hose 6 and is discharged to the outdoor area Ou.

[0020] A conventional example will be explained. Figure 18 illustrates a conventional example using a side view cross-sectional view obtained by cutting the indoor unit 1 in the vertical direction. The indoor unit 1 includes an indoor heat exchanger 3 located at the top of the indoor unit 1, specifically an indoor heat exchanger 3A located on the rear side of the indoor unit 1, an indoor heat exchanger 3B located on the front side of the indoor unit 1 and connected to the upper end of the indoor heat exchanger 3A, an indoor heat exchanger 3C connected to the lower end of the indoor heat exchanger 3B, a blower fan 2 located in the center of the indoor unit 1 surrounded by indoor heat exchangers 3A, 3B, and 3C, an air outlet 4 for blowing air blown from the blower fan 2 into the room R, an air guide 8 for guiding the air blown from the blower fan 2 to the air outlet 4, a drain pan 5A located below the indoor heat exchanger 3A, a drain pan 5B located below the indoor heat exchanger 3C, a drain pan connection port 5C on the drain pan 5B, and a drain hose 6 connected to the drain pan connection port 5C. Drain pan 5A is located at the top and drain pan 5B is located at the bottom. Guide surfaces (not shown) are formed on both the left and right ends of drain pan 5A and connect drain pan 5A and drain pan 5B, thereby guiding the drain water from drain pan 5A to drain pan 5B.

[0021] The increase in functional components installed inside the indoor unit 1 necessitates an increase in the size of the indoor unit 1. Due to the standard, the indoor unit 1 cannot be extended any further in the vertical, horizontal, or vertical directions, so it is extended in the front-to-back direction. As a result of the front-to-back extension of the indoor unit 1, the distance from the drain pan 5B to the rearmost part M of the indoor unit 1 increases, and the drain hose 6 becomes more prone to sagging inside the indoor unit 1 when routed due to this increased distance. Figure 18 shows the state in which the drain hose 6 sags inside the indoor unit 1, exceeding the height of the upper end T of the drain pan 5B.

[0022] When the air conditioning system 100 is in operation, the condensate water adhering to the indoor heat exchanger 3 drips onto the indoor heat exchangers 3A and 3C and the drain pans 5A and 5B located below them. The dripped condensate water is stored in the drain pan 5B and discharged outside Ou through the drain hose 6. When the condensate water is discharged outside Ou from the drain hose 6, the condensate water naturally falls due to the slope of the drain hose 6 and is discharged outside Ou. Therefore, as shown in Figure 18, if the drain hose 6 bends to a height exceeding the upper end T of the drain pan 5B due to displacement caused when the worker pulls the drain hose 6, the condensate water will not be discharged. As the amount of drain water stored in the drain hose 6 and drain pan 5B increases, the drain water may exceed the upper end T of the drain pan 5B and overflow from the drain pan 5B, potentially causing drain water to leak from the indoor unit 1 and wet the floor surface by running down the wall Wa to which the indoor unit 1 is in contact.

[0023] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the indoor unit 1, which is commonly used in embodiments of the present invention.

[0024] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0025] Figure 3 illustrates the configuration of the indoor unit 1 using a side cross-sectional view obtained by cutting the indoor unit 1 of the first embodiment in the vertical direction. The indoor unit 1 is surrounded by the indoor heat exchangers 3A located on the rear side of the indoor unit 1, the indoor heat exchanger 3B located on the front side of the indoor unit 1 and connected to the indoor heat exchanger 3A at its upper end, the indoor heat exchanger 3C connected to the lower end of the indoor heat exchanger 3B, the blower fan 2 located in the center of the indoor unit 1, the air outlet 4 for blowing air blown from the blower fan 2 out of the indoor unit 1 into the room R, and the air gas that guides the air blown by the blower fan 2 to the air outlet 4. The unit is composed of a side 8, a drain pan 5A located below the indoor heat exchanger 3A, a drain pan 5B located below the indoor heat exchanger 3C, a drain pan connection port 5C which serves as the connection port for drain pan 5B, a drain hose 6 connected to the drain pan connection port 5C, a knockout section 7 located on the rear side of the indoor unit 1, and a holding member 10 located in the space between the air blower guide 8 and the rearmost part M of the indoor unit 1, and below the upper end of drain pan 5B, which holds the drain hose 6.

[0026] The knockout section 7 is located within a predetermined range of the housing that constitutes the indoor unit 1 and refers to a cuttable area surrounded by punched holes. By cutting away the punched-hole portion of the knockout section 7 with a tool (such as a cutter or nippers), a through-hole is formed connecting the inside of the indoor unit 1 and the indoor R. The knockout sections 7 are located in a total of four places on the rear side of the indoor unit 1: left, right, lower left, and lower right.

[0027] The knockout section 7 is used when installing the indoor unit 1 on a wall Wa, and the hole in the wall Wa that serves as the route for routing the refrigerant piping 101 and the drain hose 6 to the outdoor unit Ou is located in a place other than the part that is in contact with the back of the indoor unit 1. If the hole in wall Wa is located in a place other than the back of indoor unit 1, the worker selects the knockout section 7 closest to the hole in wall Wa. The punched-out portion of the selected knockout section 7 is cut away to form a through-hole. The refrigerant pipe 101 and drain hose 6 are pulled out from inside indoor unit 1 through the formed through-hole and routed to the hole in wall Wa located in a place other than the back of indoor unit 1. The routed refrigerant pipe 101 and drain hose 6 are then brought out to the outside Ou through the hole in wall Wa.

[0028] The rearmost surface M of the indoor unit 1 is the surface located on the rearmost side of the indoor unit 1 that is in contact with or close to the wall Wa.

[0029] Figure 4 shows a state in which the retaining member 10 is positioned in the space between the air guide 8 and the rearmost part M of the indoor unit 1, and below the upper end T of the drain pan 5B, with the drain hose 6 fixed to the drain pan connection port 5C and held by the retaining member 10. In this case, it is preferable that the retaining member 10 be positioned below the drain pan connection port 5C.

[0030] Details of the retaining member 10 will be explained based on Figure 5.

[0031] The retaining member 10 is made of a flexible material (for example, thermoplastic resin) and has a surface that contacts the bottom surface of the indoor unit 1. It consists of a base portion 11A formed as a rectangular prism, a rectangular prism-shaped arm portion 11B extending upward from the left end of the base portion 11A, a rectangular prism-shaped arm portion 11C extending upward from the right end of the base portion 11A, a rectangular prism-shaped return portion 11D extending to the right from the upper part of the arm portion 11B, and a rectangular prism-shaped return portion 11E extending to the left from the upper part of the arm portion 11C.

[0032] The space enclosed by the base 11A, the arm portions 11B and 11C, and the return portions 11D and 11E is the holding portion 11F for holding the drain hose 6. The space between the return portions 11D and 11E is the opening 11G. The length of the opening 11G in the left-right direction is W1, and the lengths of the return portions 11D and 11E in the left-right direction are set such that W1 is less than the diameter of the cross-section perpendicular to the drain water flow direction of the drain hose 6. The holding portion 11F has a vertical length W2 and a horizontal length W3, and the vertical lengths of the arm portions 11B and 11C, and the horizontal length of the base portion 11A are set so that W2 and W3 are at least equal to the diameter of the cross-section perpendicular to the drain water flow direction of the drain hose 6.

[0033] The method for holding the drain hose 6 with the holding member 10 will be explained with reference to Figures 4 and 5.

[0034] When the worker is routing the drain hose 6, they pull the drain hose 6 down from the top of the holding member 10 toward the holding part 11F. As the drain hose 6 passes through the opening 11G, a force is applied to the return parts 11D and 11E in a direction that separates them from each other, causing the arm parts 11B and 11C to deform in conjunction and expand in the left-right direction, and the opening 11G expands to be larger than W1. Then, the drain hose 6 passes through the opening 11G which has widened in the left-right direction, and the drain hose 6 is fitted into and held in place by the holding part 11F. When the drain hose 6 passes through the opening 11G and is held by the holding part 11F, the drain hose 6 does not come into contact with the return parts 11D and 11E facing the opening 11G, and the return parts 11D and 11E, as well as the arm parts 11B and 11C, return to their original shapes, so that the length of the opening 11G in the left-right direction becomes W1.

[0035] Therefore, even if some force is applied when routing the drain hose 6, the return parts 11D and 11E function as stoppers, preventing the drain hose 6 from easily coming out of the holding part 11F. As a result, the drain hose 6 can be held by the holding member 10, and the drain hose 6 can be prevented from sagging above the upper end T of the drain pan 5B.

[0036] This section explains the case where there is a hole through which the drain hose 6 passes, located at a different position from the wall Wa in the area where the back of the indoor unit 1 is in contact.

[0037] If there is a hole through which the drain hose 6 passes in a location separate from the wall Wa in the area where the back of the indoor unit 1 is in contact, the drain hose 6 is routed through a through-hole formed by cutting out the knockout portion 7 near the hole. When the drain hose 6 is routed through the through-hole, a force is applied to the drain hose 6 in a direction parallel to the direction in which the drain hose 6 passes through the through-hole.

[0038] If either the left or right knockout portion 7 is removed to form a through hole, force will be applied in the left-right direction when routing the drain hose 6. Since there are arm portions 11B and 11C on the left and right sides of the holding member 10, the drain hose 6 will be held without coming off the holding portion 11F.

[0039] In the first embodiment of the present invention, the drain hose 6 can be removed from the retaining member 10 by applying force in the direction of the opening 11G, making it an effective embodiment when easy removal of the drain hose 6 is required, such as for adjusting the distance of the piping or for removal during maintenance. Furthermore, in the first embodiment, when a through hole formed by cutting off the knockout portion 7 is used when routing the drain hose 6, it is effective when either the left or right knockout portion 7 of the indoor unit 1 is cut off and the drain hose 6 is routed through the resulting through hole.

[0040] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0041] Figure 6 illustrates the configuration of the indoor unit 1 of the second embodiment using a side cross-sectional view obtained by cutting the indoor unit 1 in the vertical direction. The second embodiment has the same configuration as the first embodiment, but instead of the holding member 10, a holding member 12 is provided in the space between the air guide 8 and the rearmost part M of the indoor unit 1, and below the upper end T of the drain pan 5B, and the drain hose 6 is held by the holding member 12.

[0042] Figure 7 illustrates the state in which the retaining member 12 is holding the drain hose 6. It is preferable that the retaining member 12 be positioned below the drain pan connection port 5C. With the retaining part 13B holding the drain hose 6, the drain hose 6 is fixed to the drain pan connection port 5C, preventing the drain hose 6 from sagging above the drain pan connection port 5C.

[0043] Details of the retaining member 12 will be explained with reference to Figure 8. The retaining member 12 is made of a flexible material and consists of a thin plate-shaped portion 13A that contacts the bottom surface of the indoor unit 1. It also has a retaining portion 13B, which is a circular space that penetrates the center of the plate portion 13A.

[0044] The length of the diameter of the holding portion 13B, W4, is designed to be slightly larger than the diameter of the cross-section of the drain hose 6 perpendicular to the drain water flow direction.

[0045] As a result, when an operator pulls the drain hose 6, they push the drain hose 6 into the holding part 13B and insert it until it reaches the desired length from the holding part 13B to the drain pan connection port 5C. By connecting the drain hose 6 to the drain pan connection port 5C, the holding member 12 holds the drain hose 6.

[0046] By positioning the retaining member 12 in the space between the air blower guide 8 and the rearmost part M of the indoor unit 1, and below the upper end T of the drain pan 5B, and by holding the drain hose 6 with the retaining part 13B, the drain hose 6 is prevented from sagging above the upper end T of the drain pan 5B.

[0047] This section explains the case where there is a hole in wall Wa through which the drain hose 6 passes, located at a different position from the wall Wa in the area where the back of the indoor unit 1 is in contact.

[0048] The retaining member 12 of the second embodiment does not have an opening for the drain hose 6 to pass through, unlike the retaining member 10 of the first embodiment. Therefore, even if force is applied when routing the drain hose 6, the drain hose 6 will not come off the retaining part 13B. Therefore, when routing the drain hose 6 using the through-hole formed by cutting out the punched hole in the knockout section 7, the drain hose 6 will not detach from the holding section 13B, regardless of whether the through-holes on the left, right, lower left, or lower right are used.

[0049] In the second embodiment, since the retaining member 12 does not have an opening, the drain hose 6 will not come off the retaining part 13B regardless of the direction of the applied force. Therefore, the second embodiment is an effective embodiment when routing the drain hose 6 using through holes formed by cutting out the knockout part 7, and when using through holes not only on the left and right sides of the indoor unit 1 but also on the lower left and lower right sides.

[0050] Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0051] Figure 9 illustrates the configuration of the indoor unit 1 of the third embodiment using a side cross-sectional view obtained by cutting the indoor unit 1 in the vertical direction. The third embodiment has the same configuration as the first embodiment, but instead of the holding member 10, a holding member 14 is provided in the space between the air blower guide 8 and the rearmost part M of the indoor unit 1, and below the upper end T of the drain pan 5B, and the drain hose 6 is held by the holding member 14.

[0052] Figure 10 illustrates the state in which the retaining member 14 is holding the drain hose 6. The retaining member 14 is positioned in the space between the air blower guide 8 and the rearmost part M of the indoor unit 1, and below the upper end T of the drain pan 5B. It is also preferable that the retaining member 14 be positioned below the drain pan connection port 5C.

[0053] Details of the retaining member 14 will be explained with reference to Figure 11. The retaining member 14 has a U-shape rotated 90 degrees and has a surface that contacts the indoor unit 1. It includes a left-side arm portion 15A and a right-side arm portion 15B that extend upward, a ceiling portion 15C that is supported from below by the arm portions 15A and 15B, and a retaining portion 15D that is surrounded by the arm portions 15A and 15B and the ceiling portion 15C and has a cross-section that is perpendicular to the flow direction of the drain water of the drain hose 6.

[0054] The arms 15A and 15B are formed such that W5, which indicates the vertical length of the arms 15A and 15B, is slightly longer than the diameter of the cross-section perpendicular to the direction of drain water flow in the drain hose 6, and lower than the upper end T of the drain pan 5B. The ceiling section 15C is formed such that W6, which indicates the length of the space between the opposing arms 15A and 15B in the left-right direction, is slightly longer than the diameter of the cross-section perpendicular to the direction of drain water flow in the drain hose 6. W7, which indicates the front-to-back length of the arms 15A, 15B and the ceiling section 15C, is the length of the drain hose 6 covered by the holding section 15D inside the indoor unit 1.

[0055] Therefore, compared to the first and second embodiments, the third embodiment has a larger surface area covering the upper part of the drain hose 6 when it is held by the holding part 15D, which effectively prevents the drain hose 6 from bending above the upper end T of the drain pan 5B.

[0056] This section explains the case where there is a hole in wall Wa through which the drain hose 6 passes, located at a different position from the wall Wa in the area where the back of the indoor unit 1 is in contact.

[0057] The retaining member 14 of the third embodiment, like the retaining member 12 of the second embodiment, has no opening, so the drain hose 6 will not come off the retaining part 15D even if force is applied in the vertical direction as well as the horizontal direction. Therefore, when routing the drain hose 6 using the through-hole formed by cutting out the knockout portion 7, the drain hose 6 will not detach from the holding portion 15D, regardless of whether the through-holes on the left, right, lower left, or lower right are used.

[0058] The holding member 14 of the third embodiment of the present invention can hold the drain hose 6 over a relatively long distance, making it an effective embodiment when an appropriate holding member 14 can be made to match the indoor unit 1.

[0059] Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0060] Figure 12 illustrates the configuration using a side cross-sectional view of the indoor unit 1 in the fourth embodiment, which is obtained by cutting the indoor unit 1 in the vertical direction. The fourth embodiment has the same configuration as the first embodiment for the indoor unit 1, but instead of the holding member 10, it includes a holding member 16 which is an integrated unit comprising a drain hose holding part 17 for holding the drain hose 6 and an installation part 18 for installing the drain hose holding part 17 using a through hole formed by cutting out the knockout part 7 of the indoor unit 1.

[0061] The retaining member 16 is installed by fitting the installation part 18 into the space between the air guide 8 of the indoor unit 1 and the rearmost part M of the indoor unit 1, below the upper end T of the drain pan 5B, and through the through hole opened by cutting out the knockout part 7. In this case, it is preferable that the drain hose retaining part 17 be positioned below the drain pan connection port 5C.

[0062] Figure 13 illustrates the state in which the retaining member 16 is holding the drain hose 6. The retaining member 16 is installed in the through hole formed by cutting out the knockout portion 7. The drain hose 6 is held in place by the installed retaining member 16.

[0063] Details of the retaining member 16 will now be described. Figures 14, 15, 16, and 17 show the retaining member 16 from different angles. The retaining member 16 is made of a flexible resin and is formed as a separate component from the indoor unit 1.

[0064] The drain hose holding portion 17 consists of a base portion 17A that contacts the bottom surface of the indoor unit 1, an arm portion 17B extending upward from the right end of the base portion 17A, a ceiling portion 17C extending left from the upper end of the arm portion 17B, a return portion 17D extending from the upper left of the base portion 17A, and a return portion 17E extending from the lower left of the ceiling portion 17C. It also has a holding portion 17F which is the space surrounded by the base portion 17A, the arm portion 17B, and the ceiling portion 17C, and an opening 17G which is the space between the return portions 17D and 17E.

[0065] The drain hose holding portion 17 has a shape similar to that of the holding member 10 of the first embodiment when tilted 90 degrees to the left, and has a holding portion 17F that holds the drain hose 6, and an opening 17G that allows the drain hose 6 to pass through the holding portion 17F. The length W8 of the vertical space of the opening 17G is set and formed with return portions 17D and 17E so that it is the same length as the length W1 of the horizontal space of the opening 11G of the first embodiment. The length W9 of the diameter of the space of the holding portion 17F is set to be the same length as W2 and W3 of the first embodiment, with the horizontal lengths of the base portion 17A and the ceiling portion 17C and the vertical length of the arm portion 17B being formed accordingly. Therefore, the drain hose holding portion 17 has the same function as the holding member 10 of the first embodiment. When the drain hose 6 passes from the opening 17G to the holding portion 17F, the return portions 17D and 17E, the base portion 17A, and the top portion 17C deform, and the drain hose 6 reaches the holding portion 17F. After that, the return portions 17D and 17E, the base portion 17A, and the top portion 17C return to their original shapes, so that W8 returns to its original length and the drain hose 6 is held in the holding portion 17F.

[0066] The installation section 18 consists of an upper plate section 18A that is connected to the rear end of the base section 17A of the drain hose holding section 17 and extends to the rear, a plate connecting section 18B that is connected to the lower part of the upper plate section 18A, and a lower plate section 18C that is connected to the lower part of the plate connecting section 18B.

[0067] The plate connecting portion 18B is the part that contacts the through hole. The length W10 of the plate connecting portion 18B in the front-to-back direction is formed to be shorter than the length of the through hole in the front-to-back direction. The length W11 of the plate connecting portion 18B in the left-to-right direction is formed to be shorter than the length of the through hole in the left-to-right direction. As a result, the plate connecting portion 18B is sized to fit within the through hole. The upper plate portion 18A and the lower plate portion 18C, which sandwich the end of the through hole from above and below, are formed such that their front-to-back length W10a is longer than the front-to-back length of the through hole. The upper plate portion 18A and the lower plate portion 18C are formed such that their left-to-right length W11a is longer than the left-to-right length of the through hole.

[0068] The installation part 18 is installed on the indoor unit 1 by inserting the plate connection part 18B into the through hole and sandwiching it from above and below with the upper plate part 18A and the lower plate part 18C. If the indoor unit 1 is not mounted on the wall Wa, the installation part 18 can be removed by pulling the installation part 18 from the through hole toward the rear of the indoor unit 1. By installing the indoor unit 1 on wall Wa, the mounting part 18 is blocked by wall Wa and cannot be pulled backward. Therefore, after installing the mounting part 18 on the knockout part 7 of the indoor unit 1, the indoor unit 1 is installed on wall Wa, thereby fixing the holding member 16 to the indoor unit 1.

[0069] The length W10 of the front-to-back length of the plate connection portion 18B, and the rearward length W10a of the upper plate portion 18A and the lower plate portion 18C are formed to be such that they do not protrude from the rearmost part M of the indoor unit 1 when the installation portion 18 is installed on the indoor unit 1. If the mounting section 18 is longer in the rear direction of the indoor unit 1, the rear end of the mounting section 18 will come into contact with the wall Wa when inserted into the indoor unit 1. When the mounting section 18 comes into contact with the wall Wa, the indoor unit 1 will lift up from the wall Wa, making the installation of the indoor unit 1 unstable. There is a risk of the indoor unit 1 falling, so the mounting section 18 is formed to a length such that the rear end of the mounting section 18 does not come into contact with the wall Wa when installed on the indoor unit 1.

[0070] Pathway 18D, like a through-hole, serves to allow the drain hose 6 and refrigerant piping 101 to pass from inside the indoor unit 1 to room R. Therefore, the length W12 of the space in the front-to-back direction of pathway 18D and the length W13 of the space in the left-to-right direction of pathway 18D must be such that the drain hose 6 and refrigerant piping 101 can pass through together when the indoor unit 1 is installed on wall Wa. Accordingly, W12 and W13 are set to have an area that allows the drain hose 6 and refrigerant piping 101 to pass through together, and the upper plate portion 18A, the plate connection portion 18B, and the lower plate portion 18C are formed to satisfy the set W12 and W13.

[0071] The retaining member 16 has a configuration that integrates a drain hose retaining part 17 having a retaining part 17F through which the drain hose 6 passes horizontally, and an installation part 18 having a path 18D through which the drain hose 6 passes vertically. Therefore, when the drain hose 6 passes through the path 18D during routing, an upward force is applied, and if there is an opening 17G at the top of the retaining part 17F, there is a risk that the drain hose 6 will come out of the retaining part 17F. In this embodiment, the opening 17G is located to the left of the retaining part 17F, rather than at the top, so the drain hose 6 will not come out of the retaining part 17F during routing, thus improving the routing work.

[0072] The holding member 16 is positioned in the through hole, and the drain hose 6 is held by the drain hose holding part 17, thereby preventing the drain hose 6 from shifting above the upper end T of the drain pan 5B.

[0073] In the fourth embodiment, the retaining member 16 is formed from a separate component from the indoor unit 1 and is installed in the through-hole, making it an effective embodiment for implementation on existing indoor units 1 as needed.

[0074] While several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments are not limited to other embodiments. The invention can be implemented in various forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications are permitted without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as within the scope of the invention and its equivalents as described in the claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0075] 1 Indoor unit 2. Blower fan 3 Indoor heat exchanger 4. Blower fan 5 Drain pan 6. Drain hose 7. Knockout Section 8. Airflow guide 10 Retaining member 11F Holding section 11G opening 16 Retaining member 17 Drain hose retaining part 17F Holding part 17G opening 18 Installation part 18A Upper plate section 18B Lower plate part 18C board connection section 18D Route 100 Air conditioning system 101 Refrigerant Piping T top M Backmost

Claims

1. Indoor unit and An indoor heat exchanger is placed inside the indoor unit and exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the indoor air, A fan for blowing air that has undergone heat exchange in the aforementioned indoor heat exchanger into the room, The indoor unit has an outlet that blows out the air blown by the blower fan into the room, A fan guide that directs the air blown by the fan to the outlet, A drain pan is located below the indoor heat exchanger and collects the drain water that condenses on the indoor heat exchanger, It comprises a drain hose connected to the drain pan and for discharging the drain water collected in the drain pan to the outside, An air conditioning system characterized in that a retaining member for holding the drain hose is provided in the space between the air blower guide and the rearmost part of the indoor unit, and below the drain pan.

2. The aforementioned retaining member is The air conditioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that it has an opening at the top through which the drain hose can pass.

3. The aforementioned indoor unit is The space between the air blower guide and the rearmost part of the indoor unit has a through hole connecting the inside of the indoor unit to the outside of the indoor unit. The air conditioning device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the retaining member has an installation portion for which the retaining member is installed by being inserted into the through hole.

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