Electrical boxes, shut-off valve units, and air conditioners

Abstract

To provide electrical boxes, shut-off valve units, and air conditioners that are easy to inspect and replace. [Solution] The electrical box 1 of the present invention comprises a housing 1k having an opening 1o, a cover 5 covering the opening 1o, a control board 4 disposed inside the housing 1k, and a battery unit 2 having a capacitor Ca connected to the control board 4 via an electric wire 2h, wherein the control board 4 is positioned other than between the battery unit 2 and the cover 5.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric box, a shut-off valve unit, and an air conditioner.

Background Art

[0002] Recently, air conditioners using flammable refrigerants have emerged in order to improve air conditioning performance and environmental performance. In an air conditioner, in the case where refrigerant leakage is detected from the refrigeration cycle, even when a power failure occurs and the power supply is cut off, it is required by the room air conditioner performance standard that a safety device stops the refrigerant leakage. The safety device includes a battery unit. When the safety device detects a power cut-off, it supplies power from the battery unit to the shut-off valve to close the shut-off valve, thereby preventing a large amount of refrigerant from leaking during a power failure.

[0003] As a safety device, as described in Patent Document 1, a backup power supply structure using a capacitor is known.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Incidentally, the capacitors that make up a battery unit degrade in performance due to temperature and repeated charging, so they need to be inspected and replaced. However, since the capacitance C of a capacitor is related to S / d, where S is the area of ​​the electrode plate (conductor) and d is the gap between the electrode plates (conductors), it is necessary to increase the area S of the electrode plate in order to secure a large capacitance C. As a result, battery units with multiple capacitors become large and heavy. Consequently, when battery units are securely and firmly fixed in an electrical box, inspection becomes difficult and replacement becomes difficult, posing a problem.

[0006] This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems and aims to provide an electrical box, a shut-off valve unit, and an air conditioner that are easy to inspect and replace. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the aforementioned problems, the electrical box of the present invention comprises a housing having an opening, a cover that covers the opening, a control board disposed inside the housing, and a battery unit having a capacitor connected to the control board via electric wires, wherein the control board is positioned at a location other than between the battery unit and the cover. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide electrical boxes, shut-off valve units, and air conditioners that are easy to inspect and replace. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1A] This is a perspective view of a power shut-off valve unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from diagonally in front and above. [Figure 1B] This is a perspective view of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the embodiment, as seen from below the ceiling. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram of the indoor unit, outdoor unit, and power shut-off valve unit that constitute the air conditioner of the embodiment. [Figure 3]This is a perspective view showing the power shut-off valve unit with the maintenance cover disassembled. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing the power cut-off valve unit with the battery unit open. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view of the power shut-off valve unit with the maintenance cover removed. (Figure) [Figure 6] This is an exploded view showing the bearing components removed from the electrical box. [Figure 7A] This is a perspective view of the bearing components as seen from the front. [Figure 7B] This is an enlarged view of section I in Figure 7A. [Figure 8] This is a top view showing a worker entering a ceiling access hatch to access and perform maintenance on the battery unit. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. <Overall Structure> Figure 1A is a perspective view of the power shut-off valve unit U of an embodiment according to the present invention, viewed from diagonally in front and above. Figure 1B is a perspective view of the indoor unit K1 constituting the air conditioner K of the embodiment, viewed from below the ceiling T.

[0011] Figure 2 is a block diagram of the indoor unit K1, the outdoor unit K2, and the power shut-off valve unit U that constitute the air conditioner K of the embodiment. The air conditioner K consists of an indoor unit K1 and an outdoor unit K2 that perform cooling and / or heating. In this embodiment, we will explain using an air conditioner K in which a power shut-off valve unit U (see Figure 1A) is installed between the indoor unit K1 and the outdoor unit K2, as shown in Figure 2, as an example.

[0012] In this embodiment, the power shut-off valve unit U is connected to the indoor unit K1 via refrigerant liquid piping e1 and refrigerant gas piping g1, and is also connected to the outdoor unit K2 via refrigerant liquid piping e2 and refrigerant gas piping g2.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 2, in the power cut-off valve unit U, a refrigerant liquid shut-off valve s1 is provided between the refrigerant liquid pipes e1 and e2, and a refrigerant gas shut-off valve s2 is provided between the refrigerant gas pipes g1 and g2.

[0014] The power cut-off valve unit U shown in FIG. 1 is composed of an electric box unit U1 and a shut-off valve arrangement unit U2. In an emergency such as a power failure, power is supplied from the electric box unit U1 to the refrigerant liquid shut-off valve s1 and the refrigerant gas shut-off valve s2 of the shut-off valve arrangement unit U2. As a result, the refrigerant liquid shut-off valve s1 is closed, and the refrigerant liquid does not flow between the refrigerant liquid pipes e1 and e2. Also, the refrigerant gas shut-off valve s2 is closed, and the refrigerant gas does not flow between the refrigerant gas pipes g1 and g2. As a result, the flow of the refrigerant between the indoor unit K1 and the outdoor unit K2 stops.

[0015] <Electric box unit U1> In the power cut-off valve unit U shown in FIG. 1A, the electric box unit U1 is arranged on the outer plate surface of the housing u21 of the shut-off valve arrangement unit U2.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the state in which the maintenance cover 5 is disassembled from the power cut-off valve unit U. The electric box unit U1 houses a battery unit 2 inside the electric box 1. Specifically, the battery unit 2 is mounted on a bearing part 3 that is pivotally supported by an upper support shaft j1 (see FIG. 3) and a lower support shaft j2 installed in the electric box 1.

[0017] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the state in which the battery unit 2 is opened in the power cut-off valve unit U. As shown by the arrow α11 in FIG. 4, the battery unit 2 is structured to be able to open and close by rotating (turning) with the upper support shaft j1 and the lower support shaft j2 of the electric box 1 as the fulcrums.

[0018] <Electric box 1 and control board 4> As shown in Figure 4, a control board 4 is provided inside the electrical box 1 at the rear of the battery unit 2. The control board 4 is a control board that controls the opening and closing of the refrigerant liquid shut-off valve s1 and the refrigerant gas shut-off valve s2 when power is supplied and when there is a power outage. For example, when the air conditioner K (see Figure 2) is in operation, the refrigerant liquid shut-off valve s1 and the refrigerant gas shut-off valve s2 are opened.

[0019] On the other hand, in the event of a power outage, the discharge of capacitor Ca in battery unit 2 supplies power to the refrigerant liquid shut-off valve s1 and the refrigerant gas shut-off valve s2, causing them to close. Closing the refrigerant liquid shut-off valve s1 and the refrigerant gas shut-off valve s2 blocks the flow of refrigerant between the indoor unit K1 and the outdoor unit K2. This prevents refrigerant from moving between the indoor unit K1 and the outdoor unit K2 of the air conditioner K (see Figure 2). In this way, the safety of the air conditioner K (see Figure 2) can be enhanced.

[0020] The control board 4 has a wiring pattern (not shown) made of a good conductor such as copper alloy or aluminum alloy etched onto an insulating epoxy resin substrate 4e. Various electronic components, electrical components, terminal blocks t1 (see Figure 4), etc., that form an RLC circuit, such as connector k1, IC chip i1, capacitor c1, resistor r1, and choke coil o1, are mounted on the wiring pattern of the epoxy resin substrate 4e.

[0021] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the power shut-off valve unit U with the maintenance cover 5 removed. Figure 6 is an exploded view showing the bearing component 3 removed from the electrical box 1.

[0022] As shown in Figure 6, the electrical box 1 has a housing 1k having a bottom plate 1a, an upper side plate 1b, a lower side plate 1c, a right side plate 1d, and a left side plate 1e, and its outer shell is formed in a box shape with an opening 1o at the front. The electrical box 1 is made of stainless steel (SUS), hot-dip galvanized steel (SGCC), electro-galvanized steel (SECC), etc., to electromagnetically shield the battery unit 2 and control board 4 that are placed inside.

[0023] An upper support shaft j1, which axially supports the battery unit 2, is formed on the upper plate 1b of the electrical box 1, protruding downwards. In addition, a lower support shaft j2, which axially supports the battery unit 2, is formed on the lower plate 1c of the electrical box 1, protruding upwards. The upper support shaft j1 is, for example, a stainless steel (SUS304, etc.) pin, and is fixed to the upper side plate 1b of the electrical box 1 by press-fitting it from above downwards. Similarly, the lower support shaft j2 is, for example, a stainless steel pin, and is fixed to the lower side plate 1c of the electrical box 1 by press-fitting it from below upwards.

[0024] The battery unit 2 shown in Figure 1A is mounted on a bearing component 3 (see Figures 7A and 6). The bearing component 3 (see Figure 7A) is pivotally supported by the upper support shaft j1 and the lower support shaft j2 of the electrical box 1. As a result, the battery unit 2 is configured to open and close freely in the electrical box 1 by the rotation of the bearing component 3, as shown in Figures 4 and 1A.

[0025] <Maintenance Cover 5> As shown in Figure 3, the electrical box 1, which houses the battery unit 2, has its front opening 1o covered by a maintenance cover 5. The maintenance cover 5 has a lid shape that extends in the left-right and up-down directions, forming the outer casing of the electrical box 1 and covering the front opening 1o. The rear side of the maintenance cover 5 has an opening 5a that faces the opening 1o of the electrical box 1.

[0026] The maintenance cover 5 is made of stainless steel (SUS), hot-dip galvanized steel (SGCC), electro-galvanized steel (SECC), etc., to electromagnetically shield the battery unit 2 and control board 4 inside the electrical box 1. In this configuration, as shown in Figures 3 and 1A, the maintenance cover 5 acts as a spatial and electromagnetic lid for the electrical box 1 that houses the battery unit 2 and the control board 4.

[0027] As shown in Figure 3, a pair of rectangular flanges 5f for fixing are formed on the left and right sides of the maintenance cover 5. A round screw n1 for fixing is attached to the center of each rectangular flange 5f. On the other hand, at the left and right ends of the electrical box 1 shown in Figure 3, a pair of fixing pieces 1s are bent and formed to the left and right in order to secure the maintenance cover 5. A female screw n2 is threaded in the center of the fixing piece 1s by burring.

[0028] As shown by arrow α12 in Figure 3, the maintenance cover 5 covers the electrical box 1, and the round screw n1 is screwed into the female thread n2 of the fixing section 1s of the electrical box 1, thereby fixing the maintenance cover 5 to the electrical box 1 (see Figure 1A).

[0029] When performing maintenance on the battery unit 2 and control board 4 inside the electrical box 1 shown in Figure 1A, worker p can remove the maintenance cover 5 by unscrewing a pair of round screws n1 from the female threads n2 of the fixing section 1s of the electrical box 1, as shown in Figure 3, and then perform maintenance on the battery unit 2 and control board 4. In other words, when inspecting the battery unit 2, by positioning the battery unit 2 in front of the control board 4, or in other words, by positioning the control board 4 anywhere other than between the battery unit 2 and the maintenance cover 5, the battery unit 2 can be easily maintained by removing the maintenance cover 5. Furthermore, the battery unit 2 is the component that requires the most frequent inspection and replacement.

[0030] In other words, the battery unit 2 is positioned closer to the maintenance cover 5 than the control board 4, or between the control board 4 and the maintenance cover 5, allowing access to the battery unit 2 and the control board 4 in order of frequency of access.

[0031] <Bearing component 3> The bearing component 3 shown in Figure 6 has a mounting plate 3i and upper support plates 3s1 and lower support plates 3s2 extending to the left from the mounting plate 3i on both sides. A power supply board 3k is fixed to the mounting plate 3i of the bearing component 3 using small screws n11. Multiple capacitors Ca, which constitute the battery, are mounted on the power supply board 3k. In other words, a battery unit 2 having a power supply board 3k on which multiple capacitors Ca are mounted is mounted on the mounting plate 3i of the bearing component 3.

[0032] Figure 7A is a perspective view of the bearing component 3 as seen from the front. Figure 7B is an enlarged view of part I in Figure 7A. Around the bearing component 3, for the purpose of improving strength (improving EI (bending rigidity)), a right cut-up 3i1 is formed by cutting the right end of the mounting plate 3i forward, an upper cut-up 3i2 is formed by cutting the upper end of the mounting plate 3i and the upper support plate 3s1 forward, and a lower cut-up 3i3 is formed by cutting the lower end of the mounting plate 3i and the lower support plate 3s2 forward.

[0033] As shown in Figure 7B, the upper cut-out 3i2 of the bearing component 3 has a shaft insertion notch 3ic formed therein, which has a round hole 3ia and an elongated hole 3ib with an opening dimension smaller than the diameter of the round hole 3ia. A shaft insertion hole 3id (see Figure 7A) is provided through the lower cut-out section 3i3 of the bearing component 3.

[0034] As shown by the dashed line in Figure 6, the shaft insertion hole 3id of the bearing component 3 fits onto the lower support shaft j2 of the electrical box 1, and the shaft insertion notch 3ic of the bearing component 3 fits onto the upper support shaft j1 of the electrical box 1. Thus, as shown in Figure 4, the battery unit 2 mounted on the bearing component 3 is pivotally supported by the upper support shaft j1 and the lower support shaft j2 of the electrical box 1. With this configuration, the bearing component 3 on which the battery unit 2 is mounted rotates around the upper support shaft j1 and lower support shaft j2 of the electrical box 1, allowing the battery unit 2 to be opened and closed as shown in Figures 4 and 1A.

[0035] Here, since the upper shaft insertion notch 3ic (see Figure 7B) of the bearing component 3 is slit-shaped, the shaft insertion hole 3id and shaft insertion notch 3ic of the bearing component 3 can be easily removed from and attached to the lower support shaft j2 and upper support shaft j1 of the electrical box 1, making it easy to attach and detach the bearing component 3 from the electrical box 1.

[0036] <Effects and Effects> Figure 8 is a top view showing worker p entering the inspection hatch Te in the ceiling T and accessing and performing maintenance on the battery unit 2. Worker p enters the inspection hatch Te and first removes the maintenance cover 5 of the power shut-off valve unit U shown in Figure 1A from the electrical box 1 by loosening the round screw n1 that is screwed into the female screw n2 of the electrical box 1 (see Figure 5).

[0037] In this state, worker p can inspect and replace the battery unit 2 which has multiple capacitors Ca. Next, worker p rotates the bearing component 3 on which the battery unit 2 is mounted, using the upper support shaft j1 and lower support shaft j2 of the electrical box 1 as pivot points, as shown by arrow α11 in Figure 4, and pulls the battery unit 2 forward from the electrical box 1. As a result, as shown in Figure 4, the control board 4 on which the terminal block t1 and the like are mounted is exposed to the outside.

[0038] In this way, as shown in Figure 8, even when worker p pulls the battery unit 2 out of the electrical box 1 while servicing from the inspection hatch Te, the battery unit 2 can be fixed in a position that does not obstruct inspection from the inspection hatch Te. In this way, worker p can easily access the battery unit 2 and the control board 4 inside the electrical box 1 by hand (and can touch them to perform work). As mentioned above, worker p can access the components in order of frequency of access. Furthermore, by passing the wiring 2h of the battery unit 2 through the hole 3o (see Figure 4) near the pivot point, no excess length of wiring 2h is required, and the battery unit 2 can be opened and closed while the wiring 2h is connected to the connector k1 (see Figure 4) of the control board 4.

[0039] As shown in Figure 6, the battery unit 2, which is fixed to the bearing component 3 from the upper support shaft j1 and lower support shaft j2 provided in the electrical box 1, can be removed by disconnecting the wiring 2h from the connector k1 (see Figure 4) on the control board 4, making it easy to replace the battery unit 2. In addition, when the installer of the air conditioner K shown in Figure 2 connects the wiring 2h, as shown in Figure 6, by pulling the battery unit 2 out of the electrical box 1 using the upper support shaft j1 and lower support shaft j2 of the electrical box 1 as pivot points, access to the control board 4 on which the terminal block t1 is mounted becomes easier, and the wiring 2h can be done without compromising work efficiency.

[0040] Furthermore, since the battery unit 2 can be pulled out to a position away from the inspection hatch Te (see Figure 8), it does not impede ease of installation. Furthermore, the battery unit 2, which includes multiple capacitors Ca, is large and heavy in order to ensure a large capacitance. Consequently, conventional designs have had poor replaceability due to the tightly fixed mounting of the battery unit 2. Therefore, in this embodiment (the present invention), as shown in Figure 6, the battery unit 2 can be removed together with the bearing component 3 (see Figure 7A) that securely fixes it, making it easy to replace the battery unit 2.

[0041] As shown in Figure 1, the electrical box 1 is positioned outside the housing u21 of the circuit breaker unit U2, which houses the circuit breaker valves (s1, s2), making it easily accessible. As described above, the battery unit 2 is located in front of the control board 4, and the battery unit 2 is not obstructed by the control board 4. Therefore, by removing the maintenance cover 5 from the power shut-off valve unit U shown in Figure 1A (see Figure 3), the battery unit 2 can be easily inspected or replaced (see Figure 6) and the control board 4 can be accessed (see Figure 4).

[0042] Furthermore, the air conditioner K is equipped with a power shut-off valve unit U, which can block the flow of refrigerant between the indoor unit K1 and the outdoor unit K2 in the event of a power outage. Therefore, it is possible to provide an electrical box 1, a power cut-off valve unit U, and an air conditioner K that are easy to inspect and replace.

[0043] <<Other Embodiments>> 1. Unlike the above embodiment, the power shut-off valve unit U may be installed on the indoor unit K1 other than between the indoor unit K1 and the outdoor unit K2, or it may be installed on the outdoor unit K2, and the location of the power shut-off valve unit U can be arbitrarily selected.

[0044] 2. It goes without saying that the electrical box 1 and the power shut-off valve unit U can be applied to various devices other than the air conditioner K.

[0045] 3. In this embodiment, the battery unit 2 is composed of a capacitor Ca that stores and releases electric charge. However, the battery unit 2 may also be composed of a battery (rechargeable battery) that operates on a completely different principle from the capacitor Ca. Like the capacitor Ca, rechargeable batteries also degrade in performance due to temperature and repeated charging.

[0046] 4. The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the embodiments described above, and various modifications and specific forms are possible within the scope of the appended claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0047] 1 Electrical box 1k cabinet 2 Battery Units 2h wiring 4. Control board 5. Maintenance cover (cover) Ca capacitor e1, e2 Refrigerant liquid piping (refrigerant piping) g1, g2 refrigerant gas piping (refrigerant piping) j1 Upper support shaft (shaft) j2 Lower support shaft (shaft) K Air conditioner K1 Indoor Unit (Air Conditioner) k1 connector (connection connector) K2 Outdoor Unit (Air Conditioner) s1 Refrigerant liquid shut-off valve (shut-off valve) s2 Refrigerant gas shut-off valve (shut-off valve) U Power shut-off valve unit (shut-off valve unit)

Claims

1. A housing having an opening, A cover that covers the opening, A control board is placed inside the aforementioned housing, The control board is equipped with a battery unit having a capacitor connected via wires, The control board is positioned at a location other than between the battery unit and the cover. An electrical box characterized by the following features.

2. A housing having an opening, A cover that covers the opening, A control board located inside the aforementioned housing, The control board is equipped with a battery unit having a capacitor connected via wires, The battery unit is positioned closer to the cover than the control board. An electrical box characterized by the following features.

3. In the electrical box according to claim 1 or claim 2, The battery unit is positioned between the control board and the cover. An electrical box characterized by the following features.

4. In the electrical box according to claim 1 or claim 2, The wiring connected to the control board and the wiring connected to the capacitor are connected via a connector. An electrical box characterized by the following features.

5. In the electrical box according to claim 1 or claim 2, The battery unit is rotatably positioned with a shaft provided in the aforementioned electrical box as a pivot point. An electrical box characterized by the following features.

6. An electrical box according to claim 1 or claim 2, The battery unit is removable. An electrical box characterized by the following features.

7. An electrical box according to claim 1 or claim 2, A shut-off valve is provided to block the flow of refrigerant. A shut-off valve unit characterized by the following features.

8. The device comprises the shut-off valve unit described in claim 7. An air conditioner characterized by the following features.

9. In the air conditioner according to claim 8, The shut-off valve unit is installed in the middle of the refrigerant piping. An air conditioner characterized by the following features.

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