Storage structure for electronic devices

Abstract

This provides a storage structure that can prevent water damage to electronic devices housed within an electrical case. [Solution] The electrical case 20 and lid 30 have a waterproofing means on one end to prevent water that has entered between the main case 10 and the electrical case 20 from going to the other end. The presence of a waterproofing mechanism on one end of the 20 makes it difficult for water that enters between the main body case 10 and the electrical case 20 to easily reach the other end, effectively preventing the control board 40 from getting wet.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a housing structure for electronic devices such as control boards.

Background Art

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in this conventional device, regarding the structure for preventing water that enters between the main body case and the electric equipment case from reaching the other end side, at the one end side, since it is only a structure in which the upper end surface of the electric equipment case is inclined, it cannot be said to be sufficient as a waterproof structure for preventing the control board from getting wet, and there is room for improvement.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, in claim 1 of the present invention, a main body case incorporating drive components, a control board for controlling the drive components, A box-shaped electrical case connected to the outer surface of the main body case, with an open side for housing the control board, The electrical case comprises a cover that is attached to the side surface and covers the portion from the opening to the connection with the outer surface. When the electrical case is considered to have one end where it connects to the outer circumferential surface of the main body case, and the other end where it is furthest from the outer circumferential surface, The electrical case and the lid are characterized in that they have a waterproofing means on one end that prevents water that has entered between the main body case and the electrical case from moving toward the other end.

[0006] Furthermore, in claim 2, the waterproofing means is The upper end surface of the electrical case has a rib at one end that is separated in the front-rear direction and extends upward, and an inclined portion formed between the ribs at one end that slopes downward toward the outer circumferential surface. The upper end surface of the lid is characterized by having a claw that is located above the inclined portion and extends downward.

[0007] Furthermore, in claim 3, the waterproofing means is On the upper end surface of the other end of the aforementioned electrical case, there is an upward-extending rib on the other end side, The aforementioned claw is characterized in that it has a guide mechanism on the other end face that allows it to overcome the other end rib when removing the lid.

[0008] Furthermore, claim 4 is characterized in that the guide mechanism is a triangular rib with an inclined surface that contacts the other end rib when the lid is removed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this invention, the electrical case and lid have a waterproofing means on one end that prevents water that enters between the main case and the electrical case from going to the other end. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent water that enters between the main case and the electrical case from reaching the other end and wetting the control board by water that enters through the opening. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is an external perspective view illustrating an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a partial perspective view showing the outdoor unit of the same embodiment with the cover removed from the electrical casing. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view illustrating the structure of the electrical case in the same embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view from a different direction than Figure 2, which illustrates the structure of the electrical case in the same embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view illustrating the structure of the lid in the same embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional perspective view from a different direction than Figure 5, which illustrates the structure of the lid in the same embodiment. [Figure 7] This is an external perspective view showing the right side of the outdoor unit of the same embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 7, with the internal mechanism omitted. [Figure 9] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view along line BB, with the internal mechanism omitted. [Figure 10] This is a front cross-sectional view, with the internal mechanism omitted, illustrating the process of removing the lid from the electrical case in the comparative example. [Figure 11] This is a front cross-sectional view showing the removal of the lid from the electrical case in this embodiment, with the internal mechanism omitted. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached figures. In the figures, Fr indicates front, Rr indicates back, Le indicates left, Ri indicates right, Up indicates top, and Dn indicates bottom.

[0012] Refer to Figure 1. 1 is a roughly box-shaped outdoor unit installed outdoors, consisting of a main body case 10. The main body case 10 houses a compressor, expansion valve, and outdoor fan (not shown), which are drive components, and also has an outdoor heat exchanger connected to refrigerant piping. The outdoor unit 1 is connected to an indoor unit (not shown) installed indoors by refrigerant piping. Alternatively, it further includes a circulation pump (a driving component not shown in the figure) inside the main body case 10, and a water-cooled medium heat exchanger where the refrigerant heated by the compressor exchanges heat with the water sent by the circulation pump. A pipe for sending the heated hot water sent from the water-cooled medium heat exchanger by driving the circulation pump to a hot water storage tank (not shown in the figure) is connected to the outdoor unit 1.

[0013] Refer to FIGS. 1 and 2. On the right side surface 11, which is a part of the outer peripheral surface of the main body case 10, a box-shaped electrical component case 20 with a long vertical direction is connected and fixed by screws (not shown in the figure). The electrical component case 20 houses a control board 40, which is an electronic device for controlling the driving components, in an opening 20b on the right side surface. Then, a lid 30 is attached so as to cover the connection part between the opening 20b of the electrical component case 20 and the right side surface 11. After attaching the lid 30 to the electrical component case 20, a screw 50 is inserted into a screw hole 21 at the lower end of the electrical component case 20, which is located at a position facing a screw hole 31 at the lower end of the lid 30, so as to tighten them together, thereby fixing the lid 30.

[0014] Here, in this embodiment, the electrical component case 20 has one end side as the location where it connects to the right side surface 11 of the main body case 10, and the other end side as the location farthest from the right side surface 11.

[0015] Next, the structure of the electrical component case 20 will be described.

[0016] Refer to FIGS. 3 and 4. At one end side of the electrical component case 20, an end side rib 22 as a waterproof means that is separated in the front-rear direction and extends upward, and an inclined portion 23 as a waterproof means that is located below the upper end surface 20a between the end side ribs 22 and slopes downward toward one end side are formed. On the right side of the inclined portion 23, two recesses 24 into which the claws 32 of the lid 30 fit when the lid 30 is attached to the electrical component case 20 are formed.

[0017] At the other end side of the electrical component case 20, an other end side rib 25 as a waterproof means that extends upward is formed along the front-rear direction. The other end side rib 25 is composed of two ribs having the same height in the left-right direction at the other end side.

[0018] On the upper end surface 20a of the electrical case 20, three inclined ribs 26 are formed along the left-right direction, flanking the recess 24 within the front-rear range where the inclined portion 23 is formed. The inclined ribs 26 are inclined such that one end is the highest and the other end becomes lower. The formation of multiple inclined ribs 26 contributes to increasing the strength of the electrical case 20.

[0019] Next, we will explain the structure of the lid 30.

[0020] Refer to Figures 5 and 6. A tab 32, which serves as a waterproofing means, is formed along the front-rear direction on one end of the upper surface 30a of the lid 30. The tab 32 is formed only at a position corresponding to the inclined portion 23 of the electrical case 20 when the lid 30 is attached to the electrical case 20. The tab 32 has three triangular reinforcing ribs 32a on its left end surface, which is one end of the lid, when viewed from the front-rear direction, at both ends and in the center in the front-rear direction. The formation of multiple reinforcing ribs 32a contributes to increasing the strength of the lid 30.

[0021] The claw 32 has two triangular ribs 32b in the front-to-back direction on its right end face, which is the other end of the claw, and these ribs are triangular in shape when viewed from the front-to-back direction, serving as a guide mechanism. The triangular ribs 32b are formed only in positions corresponding to the recesses 24 of the electrical case 20 when the lid 30 is attached to the electrical case 20. That is, when the lid 30 is attached to the electrical case 20, the triangular ribs 32b fit into the recesses 24, thereby fixing the position of the lid 30.

[0022] Next, we will describe the waterproof structure when the lid 30 is attached to the electrical case 20.

[0023] Refer to Figures 7 and 8. In the front and rear directions of the electrical case 20, where the inclined portion 23 is not formed, one end of the electrical case 20 is in a state where the upper end surface 30a of the lid 30 and the one-end rib 22 are in close proximity.

[0024] As a result, even if rainwater or other water that enters through the gap between the lid 30 and the right side surface 11 tries to flow along the inside of the upper end surface 30a of the lid 30 to the other end, it cannot easily reach the upper end surface 20a of the electrical case 20. The water that enters through the gap between the lid 30 and the right side surface 11 flows down between the right side surface 11 and the electrical case 20 and is discharged outside the electrical case 20 from the lower end of the electrical case 20.

[0025] Furthermore, regarding the front and rear sides of the electrical case 20 where the inclined portion 23 is not formed, the other end of the electrical case 20 is in a state where the upper end surface 30a of the lid 30 and the two other end ribs 25 are in close proximity.

[0026] As a result, water that enters through the gap between the lid 30 and the right side surface 11 enters through the gap between the upper end surface 30a of the lid 30 and the one-end rib 22, and even if it drips onto the upper end surface 20a of the electrical case 20 and heads toward the other end, it cannot easily go over the other-end rib 25, and flows down from the upper end surface 20a along the wall surface located in the front-rear direction of the electrical case 20, and is discharged outside the electrical case 20 from the lower end portion of the electrical case 20. This effectively prevents water from entering the opening 20b of the electrical case 20 and wetting the control board 40.

[0027] Refer to Figures 7 and 9. An inclined portion 23 is formed in the front-rear direction of the electrical case 20, and in the portion where the inclined rib 26 is located, the inclined portion 23 is positioned on one end of the electrical case 20 in a position opposite to the tab 32 of the lid 30.

[0028] As a result, even if water that enters through the gap between the lid 30 and the right side surface 11 tries to flow down the inside of the upper end surface 30a of the lid 30 to the other end, it is guided downward by the claw 32 and drips down, so it cannot easily enter the upper end surface 20a of the electrical case 20. Then, the water that drips from the claw 32 is guided by the inclined portion 23 into the gap between the right side surface 11 and the electrical case 20, flows down between the right side surface 11 and the electrical case 20, and is discharged outside the electrical case 20 from the lower end portion of the electrical case 20.

[0029] Next, we will explain improvements to the ease of attachment and detachment when removing the lid 30 from the electrical case 20.

[0030] Refer to Figure 10. Figure 10 is a comparative example showing the case where the triangular rib 32b is absent in the tab 32 of the lid 30. When a worker removes the lid 30 from the electrical case 20 for maintenance of the control board 40 housed inside the electrical case 20, they remove the screws 50 and then move the lid 30 to the right (in the direction of the arrow in Figure 10). At this time, there is no large gap between the lid 30 and the electrical case 20, so the lid 30 is moved to the right with its upper end surface 30a approximately parallel to the upper end surface 20a of the electrical case 20. When the lid 30 reaches the other end of the electrical case 20, the tabs 32 collide with the other end rib 25 and get caught. The worker needs to lift the lid 30 so that the tabs 32 can get over the other end rib 25, making it difficult to easily remove the lid 30 from the electrical case 20.

[0031] The improvements to the issues with attaching and detaching the lid 30 as described above are explained below.

[0032] Refer to Figure 11. Figure 11 shows an embodiment in which the tab 32 of the lid 30 has a triangular rib 32b. When an operator removes the cover 30 from the electrical case 20 and moves the cover 30 to the other end of the electrical case 20, the triangular rib 32b of the cover 30 comes into contact with the other end rib 25 of the electrical case 20. When the operator moves the cover 30 to the right (in the direction of the arrow in Figure 11), it is guided by the slanted portion of the triangular rib 32b and can smoothly move over the other end rib 25. When an operator removes the cover 30, the cover 30 can be removed smoothly without getting caught on the other end rib 25 of the electrical case 20, improving the ease of attaching and detaching the cover 30.

[0033] Next, the effects of the examples will be explained.

[0034] The electrical case 20 and the lid 30 have a waterproofing means on one end to prevent water that enters between the main case 10 and the electrical case 20 from going to the other end. The presence of a waterproofing means on one end of the electrical case 20 makes it difficult for water that enters between the main case 10 and the electrical case 20 to easily go to the other end, effectively preventing the control board 40 from getting wet.

[0035] Furthermore, the waterproofing means consists of a one-end rib 22 on the upper end surface 20a of the electrical case 20 that is separated in the front-rear direction and extends upward, and an inclined portion 23 formed between the one-end rib 22 and sloping downward toward the right side surface 11, and a claw 32 on the upper end surface 30a of the lid 30 that is located above the inclined portion 23 and extends downward. The simple structure makes it difficult for water that enters between the main case 10 and the electrical case 20 to easily go to the other end.

[0036] Furthermore, the waterproofing means is an upward-extending rib 25 on the upper end surface 20a of the other end of the electrical case 20, and the claw 32 has a guide mechanism on the other end surface that allows it to overcome the other end rib 25 when the lid 30 is removed. When a worker removes the lid 30 from the electrical case 20 for maintenance, the guide mechanism prevents the claw 32 from getting caught on the other end rib 25, thus improving the ease of attaching and detaching the lid 30.

[0037] Furthermore, the guide mechanism is a triangular rib 32b with an inclined surface that contacts the other end rib 25 when the lid 30 is removed. The guide mechanism can be provided with a simple configuration.

[0038] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments, provided that it achieves the functions and effects of the present invention.

[0039] For example, in this embodiment, the ribs 22 on one end of the electrical case 20, the ribs 25 on the other end, and the inclined portion 23, and the claws 32 of the lid 30 were described as waterproof means, but the invention is not limited to this. At one end, the lid 30 may have a protrusion that runs along the front-rear direction, which is fitted into a corresponding recess on the electrical case 20 that runs along the front-rear direction, thereby narrowing the gap between the electrical case 20 and the lid 30 and preventing water that enters from between the main case 10 and the electrical case 20 from going to the other end. In other words, if the electrical case 20 and the lid 30 have waterproof means that make it difficult for water that enters from between the main case 10 and the electrical case 20 to easily go to the other end, it falls within the scope of the present invention.

[0040] Furthermore, although this embodiment describes the use of a triangular rib 32b as a guide mechanism, it is not limited to this. For example, the other end of the claw 32 may have an arc-shaped rib that curvely connects the upper end surface 30a of the lid 30 and the lower end of the claw 32. In other words, when removing the lid 30 from the electrical case 20, any configuration that allows the claw 32 to be guided in the removal direction without getting caught on the other end rib 25 of the electrical case 20 is within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 10…Main unit case 11…Right side 20… Electrical case 20a…Top end surface 20b…Aperture 22... Rib on one end 23…Slope part 25... Rib on the other end 30... Lid 30a…Top end surface 32... Claws 32b... Triangular rib 40…Control board

Claims

1. The main body case contains the drive components, A control board for controlling the aforementioned drive component, A box-shaped electrical case connected to the outer surface of the main body case, with an open side for housing the control board, The electrical case comprises a cover that is attached to the side surface and covers the portion from the opening to the connection with the outer surface. When the electrical case is considered to have one end where it connects to the outer circumferential surface of the main body case, and the other end where it is furthest from the outer circumferential surface, The electronic device housing structure is characterized in that the electrical case and the lid have a waterproof means on one end that prevents water that has entered between the main case and the electrical case from moving toward the other end.

2. The aforementioned waterproofing means is The upper end surface of the electrical case has a rib at one end that is separated in the front-rear direction and extends upward, and an inclined portion formed between the ribs at one end that slopes downward toward the outer circumferential surface. The electronic device storage structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper end surface of the lid has a claw that is located above the inclined portion and extends downward.

3. The aforementioned waterproofing means is On the upper end surface of the other end of the aforementioned electrical case, there is an upward-extending rib on the other end side, The electronic device housing structure according to claim 2, characterized in that the claw has a guide mechanism on the other end face that overcomes the other end rib when the lid is removed.

4. The electronic device storage structure according to claim 3, characterized in that the guide mechanism is a triangular rib with an inclined surface that contacts the other end rib when the lid is removed.

Images