Indoor unit of an air conditioning system

Abstract

Even when the blower fan is stopped, leaked refrigerant from areas far from the refrigerant sensor is guided to the sensor, shortening the time required for refrigerant detection. [Solution] An indoor unit of an air conditioning system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises an indoor heat exchanger, a housing, a refrigerant sensor, a drain pan, and a first guide member. The indoor heat exchanger has a first end on which a folded pipe section is provided, and a second end on the opposite side. The housing has a heat exchange chamber in which the indoor heat exchanger and a part of the refrigerant piping are arranged, a first side portion facing the first end, and a second side portion facing the second end. The refrigerant sensor is positioned inside the second side portion and detects refrigerant leaking into the heat exchange chamber. The drain pan has a dew receiving surface that receives condensation water dripping from the indoor heat exchanger. The first guide member has a main guide plate that guides refrigerant leaking from the folded pipe section toward the dew receiving surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an indoor unit of an air conditioner provided with a refrigerant sensor for detecting refrigerant leakage.

Background Art

[0002] An air conditioner using a slightly flammable or flammable refrigerant determines the presence or absence of refrigerant leakage based on the output signal of a refrigerant sensor that detects the refrigerant concentration. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an indoor unit of an air conditioner incorporating a refrigerant sensor for detecting refrigerant leakage.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The indoor unit described in Patent Document 1 utilizes the fact that the area near the refrigerant sensor becomes negative pressure during the operation of the blower fan (indoor fan) to guide the refrigerant leaked from an area away from the refrigerant sensor to the refrigerant sensor. However, with this method, when the blower fan is stopped, a negative pressure cannot be formed near the refrigerant sensor, so the refrigerant leaked from an area away from the refrigerant sensor cannot be guided to the refrigerant sensor, and there is a problem that the time required to detect the refrigerant becomes long.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an indoor unit of an air conditioner that can guide the refrigerant leaked from an area away from the refrigerant sensor to the refrigerant sensor even when the blower fan is stopped and shorten the time required for refrigerant detection.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An indoor unit of an air conditioning system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises an indoor heat exchanger, a housing, a refrigerant sensor, a drain pan, and a first guide member. The indoor heat exchanger has a first end where a folded piping section is provided, and a second end where a refrigerant pipe is provided which is connected to a pipe connection section that is fastened to a pipe connected to an outdoor unit. The housing comprises a heat exchange chamber in which the indoor heat exchanger and a portion of the refrigerant piping are arranged, an air outlet surface having an outlet, and a first side surface and a second side surface located on both sides of the air outlet surface in the left-right direction, facing the first end and facing the second end, respectively. The refrigerant sensor is positioned inside the second side portion and detects refrigerant leaking from the indoor heat exchanger or the refrigerant piping into the heat exchange chamber. The drain pan is located in the heat exchange chamber and has a dew receiving surface that receives condensation water dripping from the indoor heat exchanger. The first guide member guides the refrigerant leaking from the folded piping section toward the dew receiving surface of the drain pan. The first guide member is positioned between the first end and the drain pan and has a main guide plate that guides the refrigerant leaking from the folded piping section toward the dew receiving surface.

[0007] This allows refrigerant leaking from an area far from the refrigerant sensor to be guided to the sensor via the drain pan, thereby reducing the time required to detect the refrigerant.

[0008] The main guide plate may be positioned on the second end side of the folded piping section and may be a plate portion parallel to the first side portion.

[0009] The housing may further have a top surface portion that forms the top surface of the heat exchange chamber. The first guide member may further have an auxiliary guide plate positioned between the first end and the top surface portion, which guides the refrigerant leaking from the folded piping portion toward the dew receiving surface of the drain pan.

[0010] The drain pan may be positioned below the indoor heat exchanger. The dew receiving surface may have a guide surface that slopes downward from the first side to the second side.

[0011] The drain pan may further have a peripheral wall portion surrounding the dew-receiving surface. At least a portion of the first guide member may be located below the upper end of the peripheral wall portion.

[0012] The refrigerant sensor may be located below the upper end of the peripheral wall portion facing the second side portion.

[0013] The portion of the peripheral wall facing the second side surface may be formed lower than the other portions of the peripheral wall.

[0014] The indoor unit of the air conditioning system may further include a second guide member. The second guide member is positioned between the second end and the drain pan and guides the refrigerant leaking from the refrigerant piping toward the dew-receiving surface of the drain pan.

[0015] The indoor unit of the air conditioning system may further include a blower fan and a third guide member. The blower fan sends air to the outlet through the indoor heat exchanger. The third guide member is positioned between the indoor heat exchanger and the drain pan, and guides the air blown from the blower fan to the outlet, while blocking the air from the blower fan toward the dew receiving surface.

[0016] The housing may further have a top surface portion that forms the top surface of the heat exchange chamber. The indoor heat exchanger may have an upper heat exchanger portion that slopes from the top surface portion toward the discharge surface, and a lower heat exchanger portion that is integrally formed with the upper heat exchanger and slopes from the discharge surface toward the dew receiving surface. The main guide plate may have a first main guide plate portion disposed between the upper heat exchanger portion and the lower heat exchanger portion, and a second main guide plate portion disposed between the lower heat exchanger and the drain pan.

Advantages of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, even when the blower fan stops, the refrigerant leaked from an area away from the refrigerant sensor can be guided to the refrigerant sensor, and the time required for detecting the refrigerant can be shortened.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view seen from the upper surface side showing an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a top view showing the internal structure of the indoor unit. [Figure 3] It is a perspective view showing one side surface of the indoor unit. [Figure 4] It is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the indoor unit. [Figure 5] It is a perspective view of a drain pan in the indoor unit. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view of the indoor unit when the first side surface portion of the housing in the indoor unit is removed. [Figure 7] It is a perspective view of the indoor heat exchanger shown in FIG. 6 when viewed from another direction. [Figure 8] It is a partial cross-sectional perspective view showing the relationship between the second end portion of the indoor heat exchanger and the drain pan. [Figure 9] It is a perspective view showing the relationship between a third guide member and the drain pan in the indoor unit. [Figure 10] It is a perspective view of the outer surface side of a sensor unit in the indoor unit. [Figure 11] It is a perspective view of the inner surface side of the sensor unit. [Figure 12] It is a perspective view of a sensor support in the sensor unit. [Figure 13] It is a partial perspective view showing the relationship between the drain pan and the sensor unit.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0020] [Overall configuration of the indoor unit] Figure 1 is a top-view perspective of an indoor unit 100 of an air conditioning system according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a top view showing its internal structure, and Figure 3 is a bottom-view perspective showing one side of the indoor unit 100. For the sake of explanation, the top panel 11 in Figure 1 is shown by a dashed line (two-dot line).

[0021] In each figure, the front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-to-down directions are three mutually orthogonal axes, and represent the directions as viewed from the indoor unit 100.

[0022] The indoor unit 100 of this embodiment is, for example, an indoor unit of a ceiling-mounted duct type air conditioning system, and is installed in the ceiling space of a house. The indoor unit 100 comprises a housing 10. The housing 10 has a flattened rectangular parallelepiped shape so that it can be installed in the ceiling space. Suspension hooks 101 (see Figure 1) are attached to the four corners of the housing 10 by suspension bolts (not shown) for suspending the housing 10 from, for example, the structural slab in the ceiling space.

[0023] (Enclosure) The housing 10 includes a top panel 11 (top surface), a pair of side panels, a right side panel 12R (first side surface) and a left side panel 12L (second side surface), a bottom cover panel 13, and an attachment panel 14. The front 15 and rear 16 of the housing 10 are open as air vents. The front 15 is formed as an air outlet surface with an air outlet 15a, and the rear 16 is formed as an air intake surface with an air intake 16a (see Figure 4).

[0024] The interior of the housing 10 is divided into front and rear sections by a partition plate 20. A heat exchange chamber 30 is formed on the front side 15, and a blower chamber 40 is formed on the rear side 16. The bottom of the heat exchange chamber 30 is closed by a bottom cover panel 13. The bottom of the blower chamber 40 is closed by an attachment panel 14. As will be described later, a sensor unit 50 equipped with a refrigerant sensor 55 for detecting refrigerant leaking into the heat exchange chamber 30 is provided on the left side panel 12L.

[0025] The indoor unit 100 further comprises an indoor heat exchanger 31, a drain pan 32, and a blower fan unit 41. The indoor heat exchanger 31 and drain pan 32 are located in the heat exchange chamber 30, and the blower fan 41 is located in the blower chamber 40.

[0026] (Air blower fan unit) The blower fan unit 41 includes a blower fan 411 and a fan casing 412 that houses the blower fan 411 (see Figure 4). In this embodiment, three blower fan units 41 are arranged in the blower room 40 at intervals in the left-right direction. The blower room 40 is further provided with a motor 42 (see Figure 2) that commonly drives these multiple blower fan units 41. The blower fan 411 generates an airflow that flows from the intake port 16a (see Figure 4) through the indoor heat exchanger 31 to the outlet port 15a when driven by the motor 42. For example, a sirocco fan is used for the blower fan 411. The number of blower fan units 41 is not limited to three, but may be one, two, or four or more.

[0027] The air outlets of each blower fan unit 41 are directed towards the heat exchange chamber 30 via the partition plate 20. When the blower fan unit 41 is operated, indoor air is drawn in from the rear side 16 of the housing 10, and the conditioned air, which has undergone heat exchange with the refrigerant in the heat exchanger 31, is blown out from the outlet 15a on the front side 15 of the housing 10. A refrigerant with a specific gravity greater than air, such as R32, is used as the refrigerant.

[0028] (indoor heat exchanger) As shown in Figure 2, the indoor heat exchanger 31 is positioned on the airflow path W, which is the region through which indoor air flows from the blower fan unit 41 to the outlet 15a. The indoor heat exchanger 31 has a first end 311 facing the right side panel 12R of the housing 10 and a second end 312 facing the left side panel 12L of the housing 10.

[0029] A folded piping section 341 is provided at the first end 311, which is the right end of the indoor heat exchanger 31 (see Figure 6), and a refrigerant pipe 342 connected to an outdoor unit (not shown) is provided at the second end 312, which is the left end of the indoor heat exchanger 31 (see Figure 2). The folded piping section 341 is formed by bending the refrigerant pipe into a U shape, but it may also be a U-shaped pipe joined to the first end 311 of the indoor heat exchanger 31 by welding or the like.

[0030] The heat exchange chamber 30 has a pipe housing section 30P that accommodates the refrigerant piping 342 located between the second end 312 of the indoor heat exchanger 31 and the left side panel 12L of the housing 10 (see Figure 2). The refrigerant piping 342 is connected to pipe connection sections VL and VG (see Figure 3), which are fastened to piping that connects to the outdoor unit.

[0031] Figure 4 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the indoor unit 100 as seen from the right, showing the internal structure. In this embodiment, the indoor heat exchanger 31 is a rectangular heat exchanger with its longitudinal direction running horizontally, and has an upper heat exchanger section 31A and a lower heat exchanger section 31B. The upper heat exchanger 31A is arranged at an angle from the top panel 11 towards the front section 15. The upper heat exchanger section 31A is integrally formed with the lower heat exchanger section 31B and is arranged at an angle from the front section 15 towards the dew receiving surface 32A of the drain pan 32.

[0032] The rear end (upper end) of the upper heat exchanger section 31A is supported by the top panel 11 via a support member 31S. The front end (lower end) of the upper heat exchanger section 31A is integrally connected to the front end (upper end) of the lower heat exchanger section 31B. The rear end (lower end) of the lower heat exchanger section 31B is in contact with the drain pan 32 (raised portion 32A2).

[0033] The refrigerant piping 342 connected to the second end 312 of the indoor heat exchanger 31 includes liquid refrigerant piping and gaseous refrigerant piping. One end of each of the liquid refrigerant piping and gaseous refrigerant piping is connected to the second end 312 of the indoor heat exchanger 31. The other end of each of the liquid refrigerant piping and gaseous refrigerant piping is connected to pipe connection sections VL and VG, respectively, which are attached to the left side panel 12L of the housing 10.

[0034] (Drain pan) The drain pan 32 receives condensation water dripping from the indoor heat exchanger 31 and is located below the indoor heat exchanger 31 (above the bottom cover panel 13). The drain pan 32 is formed to have a length (width) greater than the length (width) of the indoor heat exchanger 31 in the left-right direction, and in this embodiment, the drain pan 32 is positioned over almost the entire width of the heat exchange chamber 30, including the pipe housing section 30P.

[0035] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the drain pan 32. The drain pan 32 has a rectangular dew-receiving surface 32A with the left-right direction as its longitudinal direction, and a peripheral wall portion 32B surrounding the dew-receiving surface 32A. The peripheral wall portion 32B is the outer circumferential wall that forms the right end portion 321, the left end portion 322, the front end portion 323, and the rear end portion 324 of the drain pan 32, and its upper end is located above the dew-receiving surface 32A.

[0036] As shown in Figure 5, the dew-receiving surface 32A has a guide surface portion 32A1, a raised portion 32A2, a liquid reservoir portion 32A3, and a partition wall portion 32A4.

[0037] The guide surface portion 32A1 is formed as an inclined surface that slopes downward from the front end portion 323 to the rear end portion 324 of the drain pan 32. The guide surface portion 32A1 may slope continuously downward from the front end portion 323 to the rear end portion 324 of the drain pan 32, or it may slope downward in a stepped manner as shown in Figure 4. The guide surface portion 32A1 is further formed as an inclined surface that slopes downward from the right end portion 321 to the left end portion 322 of the drain pan 32.

[0038] The raised portion 32A2 is a projection extending parallel to the left and right, located near the rear end 324 of the drain pan 32 on the dew receiving surface 32A. A support step S is provided on the upper part of the raised portion 32A2 to support the rear end (lower end) of the lower heat exchanger portion 31B.

[0039] The liquid reservoir 32A3 is provided between the dew receiving surface 32A and the left end portion 322 of the drain pan 32. The liquid reservoir 32A3 forms the bottom surface of the pipe housing portion 30P of the heat exchange chamber 30 and receives condensation water that flows down from the guide surface portion 32A1 toward the left end portion 322 of the drain pan 32.

[0040] Furthermore, a drain opening 33 communicating with the liquid reservoir 32A3 is provided in the peripheral wall portion 32B that forms the left end portion 322 of the drain pan 32. In addition, a drain port DP is attached to the left side panel 12L of the housing 10, and a drainage mechanism 35 (see Figure 2) including a drain pipe and a drain pump is arranged to discharge the drain water (condensed water) accumulated in the liquid reservoir 32A3 to the outside of the housing 10 via this drain port DP.

[0041] The partition wall portion 32A4 is a wall portion provided between the guide surface portion 32A1 and the liquid reservoir portion 32A3, and is formed in the front-rear direction between the peripheral wall portion 32B, which forms the front end portion 323 of the drain pan 32, and the raised portion 32A2. The upper surface of the partition wall portion 32A4 is formed as an inclined surface that slopes downward from the peripheral wall portion 32B towards the raised portion 32A2. A passage portion 32A5 is provided between the raised portion 32A2 and the partition wall portion 32A4 for draining condensation water from the guide surface portion 32A1 towards the liquid reservoir portion 32A3.

[0042] (First guide member) Figure 6 is a perspective view of the indoor unit 100 as seen from the front right after removing the right side panel 12R of the housing 10, and Figure 7 is a perspective view of the indoor heat exchanger 31 shown in Figure 6 as seen from the rear right.

[0043] The indoor unit 100 further comprises a first guide member 61. The first guide member 61 is a metal plate member that demarcates the airflow path W (see Figure 2) and guides the refrigerant leaking from the folded piping section 341 of the indoor heat exchanger 31 toward the dew receiving surface 32A of the drain pan 32. The first guide member 61 has a main guide plate 611 and an auxiliary guide plate 612.

[0044] The main guide plate 611 is positioned between the first end 311, which is the right end of the indoor heat exchanger 31 (upper heat exchanger section 31A), and the dew receiving surface 32A of the drain pan 32. The main guide plate 611 is a plate that guides the refrigerant leaking from the folded piping section 341 of the upper heat exchanger section 31A toward the dew receiving surface 32A of the drain pan 32. The main guide plate 611 is formed parallel to the right side panel 12R of the housing 10 and, as shown in Figure 7, is positioned inside the indoor heat exchanger 31 (towards the second end 312) relative to the folded piping section 341.

[0045] The main guide plate 611 is positioned between the first end 311 of the upper heat exchanger section 31A and the drain pan 32 so that the refrigerant, which is heavier than the leaked air, flows quickly to the drain pan 32. This allows the refrigerant leaking from the folded piping section 341 of the upper heat exchanger section 31A to be guided to the drain pan 32 via the main guide plate 611, and prevents the leaked refrigerant from entering the inside of the indoor heat exchanger 31 (air supply path W).

[0046] Furthermore, since the guide surface portion 32A1 is formed as an inclined surface that slopes downward from the right end portion 321 of the drain pan 32 toward the left end portion 322, the refrigerant guided to the drain pan 32 by the first guide member 61 flows toward the left side panel 12L of the housing 10 via the guide surface portion 32A1. As a result, refrigerant leakage is detected by the refrigerant sensor 55 (sensor unit 50) installed on the left side panel 12L, as will be described later.

[0047] In this embodiment, the main guide plate 611 is located on the rear side of the indoor heat exchanger 31, in the space between the upper heat exchanger section 31A and the lower heat exchanger section 31B. The main guide plate 611 functions as a first main guide plate that guides refrigerant leaking from the folded piping section 341 of the upper heat exchanger section 31A toward the dew receiving surface 32A of the drain pan 32 without allowing it to enter the inside of the indoor heat exchanger 31 (air supply path W).

[0048] On the other hand, the auxiliary guide plate 612 is a metal plate member positioned on the front side of the indoor heat exchanger 31 so as to be generally opposite the main guide plate 611 in the front-rear direction. The auxiliary guide plate 612 has a substantially V-shaped notch 612C that accommodates the first end portion 311 of the indoor heat exchanger 31, an upper auxiliary guide plate portion 612A located above the notch 612C, and a lower auxiliary guide plate portion 612B located below the notch 612C.

[0049] The upper auxiliary guide plate portion 612A is positioned between the first end portion 311, which is the right end of the upper heat exchanger portion 31A, and the top panel 11. The upper auxiliary guide plate portion 612A is a plate portion that guides refrigerant leaking from the folded piping portion 341 of the upper heat exchanger portion 31A, for example, refrigerant leaking from the portion of the folded piping portion 341 closer to the top panel 11, toward the dew receiving surface 32A of the drain pan 32, without allowing it to enter the air supply path W from between the top panel 11 and the upper heat exchanger portion 31A.

[0050] The lower auxiliary guide plate portion 612B is positioned between the first end portion 311, which is the right end of the lower heat exchanger portion 31B, and the dew receiving surface 32A of the drain pan 32. The lower auxiliary guide plate portion 612B functions as a second main guide plate portion that guides the refrigerant leaking from the folded piping portion 341 of the lower heat exchanger portion 31B toward the dew receiving surface 32A of the drain pan 32 without allowing it to enter the inside of the indoor heat exchanger 31 (air supply path W).

[0051] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, at least a portion of the first guide member 61 (in this embodiment, the lower ends of the main guide plate 611 and the auxiliary guide plate 612) is located below the upper end of the peripheral wall portion 32B of the drain pan 32. This ensures that refrigerant leaking from the folded piping portion 341 of the indoor heat exchanger 31 is reliably guided to the drain pan 32.

[0052] (Second guide member) Figure 8 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view, taken from the left front side, showing the relationship between the second end 312, which is the left end of the indoor heat exchanger 31, and the drain pan 32.

[0053] The indoor unit 100 further includes a second guide member 62. The second guide member 62 is a metal plate member that demarcates the airflow path W (see Figure 2) and guides refrigerant leaking from the refrigerant piping 342 and the folded piping section 343 connected to the second end 312 of the indoor heat exchanger 31 toward the dew receiving surface 32A of the drain pan 32. This allows refrigerant leaking from the refrigerant piping 342 and the folded piping section 343 to be guided to the drain pan 32 via the main guide plate 621, and prevents the leaked refrigerant from entering the inside of the indoor heat exchanger 31 (airflow path W).

[0054] The second guide member 62 is positioned on the guide surface 32A1 side of the partition wall 32A4 in the width direction of the drain pan 32. In this embodiment, the second guide member 62 has the same configuration as the first guide member 61. That is, the second guide member 62 has a main guide plate 621 and an auxiliary guide plate 622. The main guide plate 621 is positioned on the rear side of the indoor heat exchanger 31, in the space between the upper heat exchanger section 31A and the lower heat exchanger section 31B. The auxiliary guide plate 622 is positioned on the front side of the indoor heat exchanger 31 so as to face the main guide plate 621 in the front-rear direction.

[0055] (Third guide member) As shown in Figure 4, the indoor unit 100 further includes a third guide member 63. The third guide member 63 is positioned between the indoor heat exchanger 31 and the drain pan 32 so as to guide the air supplied from the blower fan 411 to the outlet 15a and to block the air flowing from the blower fan 411 toward the dew receiving surface 32A of the drain pan 32.

[0056] Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the relationship between the third guide member 63 and the drain pan 32. The third guide member 63 is a metal plate member positioned directly above the dew receiving surface 32A of the drain pan 32 and covering the area between the right end portion 321 of the drain pan 32 and the partition wall portion 32A4.

[0057] The third guide member 63 has a front side plate portion 631, a rear side plate portion 632, and a central side plate portion 633. The front side plate portion 631 and the rear side plate portion 632 are each formed to incline downward toward the central side plate portion 633. The front side plate portion 631 is positioned directly above the guide surface portion 32A1 of the drain pan 32, the central side plate portion 633 is positioned directly above the raised portion 32A2 of the drain pan 32, and the rear side plate portion 632 extends from the central side plate portion 633 toward the blower chamber 40.

[0058] The airflow path W (see Figure 2) is formed by the space between the indoor heat exchanger 31 and the third guide member 63. Condensation water dripping from the indoor heat exchanger 32 to the drain pan 32 mainly flows down to the central side plate portion 633 via the front side plate portion 631 of the third guide member 63, and is guided to the dew receiving surface 32A of the drain pan 32 through through holes 633h formed at intervals along the width direction of the central side plate portion 633.

[0059] As described above, the third guide member 63 is positioned between the indoor heat exchanger 31 and the drain pan 32 so as to block the airflow from the blower fan 411 toward the dew receiving surface 32A of the drain pan 32. As a result, the refrigerant guided to the drain pan 32 by the first guide member 61 flows through the space between the dew receiving surface 32A of the drain pan 32 and the third guide member 63 to the liquid reservoir 32A3. This prevents the refrigerant guided to the drain pan 32 from entering the airflow path W, thus preventing leaked refrigerant from being released into the room from the outlet 15a along with the indoor air.

[0060] (Sensor unit) The indoor unit 100 further includes a sensor unit 50 that detects refrigerant leaking into the heat exchange chamber 30 from the folded piping sections 341, 343 or the refrigerant piping 342 provided in the indoor heat exchanger 31. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the sensor unit 50 is mounted on the left side panel 12L of the housing 10.

[0061] Figure 10 is a perspective view of the outer surface of the sensor unit 50, Figure 11 is a perspective view of its inner surface, Figure 12 is a perspective view of the sensor support 52 in the sensor unit 50, and Figure 13 is a partial perspective view showing the relationship between the drain pan 32 and the sensor unit 50.

[0062] The sensor unit 50 includes a cover portion 51 and a sensor support 52.

[0063] The lid portion 51 is attached to the left side panel 12L, thereby forming a part of the housing 10 (left side panel 12L). The lid portion 51 has a case portion 511 that forms a space 51s communicating with the heat exchange chamber 30 through an opening 12w (shown as a dashed line in Figure 13) provided in the left side panel 12L, and a flange portion 512 provided around the case portion 511.

[0064] The case portion 511 is a rectangular box-shaped body with an open side facing the left side panel 12L. The flange portion 512 is provided parallel to the vertical and front-to-back directions of the housing 10 along the open surface of the case portion 511, and screw insertion holes 51a are provided at arbitrary positions in the flange portion 512 through which screws for fixing the lid portion 51 to the left side panel 12L are inserted.

[0065] The sensor support 52 is housed in the space 51s of the case portion 511 and supports the sensor substrate 56 on which the refrigerant sensor 55 and its peripheral components (electronic components) 57 are mounted. As shown in Figure 12, the sensor support 52 has a housing portion 521 for housing the sensor substrate 56 and a pair of retaining claw portions 522, 523, and 526 for holding the sensor substrate 56 housed in the housing portion 521. The sensor support 52 has a pair of engaging claws 524 on both sides of the housing 10 that face each other in the front-rear direction, which engage with engaging holes 514 (see Figure 10) provided in the case portion 511. The sensor support 52 is fixed to the lid portion 51 by the engagement action of these engaging claws 524 and the engaging holes 514.

[0066] The sensor board 56 is connected to a control unit 70 (see Figure 3) installed inside the housing 10 via wiring (not shown). The control unit 70 controls the operation of each part of the indoor unit 100, such as the motor 42 that drives the blower fan unit 41, and determines whether or not there is a refrigerant leak based on the detection signal from the refrigerant sensor 55.

[0067] As shown in Figure 12, the sensor support 52 has a latching portion 525 that latches onto a portion of the wiring connecting the control unit 70 and the sensor substrate 56. The latching portion 525 is formed, for example, in a clamp shape capable of gripping the wiring. The latching portion 525 functions as a trap to capture dew that flows down the wiring onto the sensor substrate 56, and also stably holds the wiring connected to the sensor substrate 56.

[0068] By providing the locking portion 525 on the sensor support 52 in this manner, it is possible to prevent dew from flowing onto the sensor substrate 56 via the wiring and to prevent excessive tension from being applied to the sensor substrate 56. The locking portion 525 may be provided in a position near the sensor substrate 56, or it may be attached to the case portion 511 as a separate component from the sensor support 52.

[0069] A projection 53 is provided on the flange portion 512, as shown in Figure 10. The projection 53 engages with a positioning slot (not shown) provided in the opening 12w of the housing 10. The projection 53 is provided on the inner surface of the flange portion 512 located on the upper part of the case portion 51 (the surface facing the left side panel 12L; the same applies hereinafter).

[0070] Furthermore, a sealing member 58 is attached to the inner surface of the flange portion 512 to ensure that the lid portion 51 is tightly sealed against the left side panel 12L. The sealing member 58 is made of a plate-shaped or sheet-shaped material such as an elastic material like synthetic rubber or a synthetic resin material such as foamed urethane. In this embodiment, the sealing member 58 is divided and arranged at multiple locations on the inner surface of the flange portion 512, but it is not limited to this, and may be integrally formed in a shape corresponding to the inner surface shape of the flange portion 512.

[0071] The refrigerant sensor 55 is attached to the space 51s of the lid 51 via the sensor substrate 56 and the sensor support 52, and is positioned in the piping housing 30P of the heat exchange chamber 30, which is inside the left side panel 12L. As shown in Figure 2, the sensor unit 50 (lid 51) is located on the left side panel 12L side of the piping connection sections VL and VG. This prevents interference between the lid 51 and tools such as wrenches used when connecting refrigerant pipes at the piping connection sections VG and VL, thereby ensuring ease of installation of the indoor unit.

[0072] The space 51s of the lid 51 is in communication with the heat exchange chamber 30 through the opening 12w. Therefore, refrigerant leaking into the heat exchange chamber 30 from the outdoor heat exchanger 31, the folded piping sections 341, 343, or the refrigerant piping 342 is detected by the refrigerant sensor 55 through this opening 12w.

[0073] Here, if refrigerant leaks from the indoor heat exchanger 31, the folded piping sections 341, 343, or the refrigerant piping 342, the leaked refrigerant (hereinafter also referred to as leaked refrigerant) accumulates inside the drain pan 32. If the amount of leaked refrigerant exceeds the height of the upper end of the peripheral wall 32B of the drain pan 32, the leaked refrigerant flows over the peripheral wall 32B of the drain pan 32 onto the bottom cover panel 13 that forms the bottom of the heat exchange chamber 30.

[0074] The refrigerant sensor 55 is positioned below the upper end of the peripheral wall portion 32B of the drain pan 32, which faces the left side panel 12L of the housing 10. This allows the refrigerant sensor 55 to quickly detect any leaked refrigerant overflowing from the drain pan 32 into the heat exchange chamber 30.

[0075] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 13, the height of the peripheral wall portion 32B of the drain pan 32 facing the sensor unit 50 (refrigerant sensor 55) (hereinafter referred to as the sensor-facing portion 32BS) is partially lowered by a step H. As a result, leaked refrigerant collected at the left end portion 322 (pipe housing portion 30P) of the drain pan 32 preferentially overflows from the sensor-facing portion 32BS of the peripheral wall portion 32B, allowing the refrigerant sensor 55 to quickly detect the leaked refrigerant.

[0076] Alternatively, instead of providing the sensor-facing portion 32BS, the height of the peripheral wall portion 32B facing the left side panel 12L of the housing 10 (the height of the peripheral wall portion 32B forming the left end portion 322 of the drain pan 32) may be made uniformly lower than the height of the other peripheral wall portions 32B.

[0077] Furthermore, the sensor unit 50 is equipped with a sealing member 58 that adheres tightly to the left side panel 12L. This prevents refrigerant that has flowed out from the heat exchange chamber 30 to the opening 12w from leaking out through the connection with the sensor unit 50, so that the refrigerant that has reached the opening 12w can be reliably detected by the refrigerant sensor 55. In addition, it prevents dust and condensation from entering the sensor unit 50 from the outside, thus ensuring the reliability of the refrigerant sensor 55.

[0078] According to this embodiment, since the refrigerant sensor 55 is attached to the cover portion 51, the refrigerant sensor 55 can be removed from the housing 10 by removing the cover portion 51 from the left side panel 12L. This makes it easy to replace the refrigerant sensor 55, thereby improving work efficiency in limited spaces such as above the ceiling.

[0079] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the first guide member 61 positioned at the first end 311 of the indoor heat exchanger 31 can quickly guide the leaked refrigerant from the folded piping section 341 to the dew receiving surface 32A of the drain pan 32. Therefore, even when the blower fan is stopped, the time it takes for leaked refrigerant from an area far from the refrigerant sensor 55 (the first end 311 of the indoor heat exchanger 31) to reach the refrigerant sensor 55 via the dew receiving surface 32A can be shortened. In particular, since the dew receiving surface 32A of the drain pan 32 is inclined downward from the right side panel 12R side to the left side panel 12L side of the housing 10, the time required to detect the leaked refrigerant can be further shortened.

[0080] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and can be modified in various ways.

[0081] For example, in the above embodiment, an indoor unit of a ceiling-mounted duct-type air conditioning system was used as an example, but the invention is not limited to this and can be applied to other indoor units such as ceiling-suspended indoor units and duct-type indoor units that are exposed in the indoor space.

[0082] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the indoor heat exchanger 31 was described as having an integrated structure consisting of an upper heat exchanger section 31A and a lower heat exchanger section 31B. However, the invention is not limited to this, and for example, a flat plate type heat exchanger, such as the lower heat exchanger section 31B, which is arranged at an angle in the heat exchange chamber 30, may also be used. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0083] 10…Cabinet 11…Top panel (top section) 12R…Right side panel (first side section) 12L…Left side panel (second side section) 15a…Air outlet 30…Heat exchange room 31…Indoor heat exchanger 31A…Upper heat exchanger section 31B…Lower heat exchanger section 32... Drain pan 32A…Exposed surface 32B…Peripheral wall part 32BS...Sensor-facing part 61…First guide member 62...Second guide member 63...Third guide member 41... Blower fan 50...Sensor unit 55... Refrigerant sensor 100... Indoor unit 341, 343... Folding piping section 342... Refrigerant piping 611, 621… Main guide plate 612,622… Auxiliary guide plate

Claims

1. An indoor heat exchanger having a first end where a folded piping section is provided, and a second end where a refrigerant pipe is provided which is connected to a pipe connection section that is fastened to a pipe connected to an outdoor unit, A heat exchange chamber in which the indoor heat exchanger and a portion of the refrigerant piping are arranged, an air outlet surface having an air outlet, and a housing having a first side surface facing the first end and a second side surface facing the second end, located on both sides of the air outlet surface in the left-right direction, A refrigerant sensor is provided, which is positioned inside the second side portion and detects refrigerant leaking from the indoor heat exchanger or the refrigerant piping into the heat exchange chamber. A drain pan is placed in the heat exchange chamber and has a dew receiving surface for receiving condensation water dripping from the indoor heat exchanger, The system includes a first guide member that guides the refrigerant leaking from the folded piping section toward the dew receiving surface of the drain pan, The first guide member has a main guide plate positioned between the first end and the drain pan, which guides the refrigerant leaking from the folded piping section toward the dew receiving surface. An indoor unit of an air conditioning system equipped with the following features.

2. An indoor unit of an air conditioning system according to claim 1, The main guide plate is positioned on the second end side of the folded piping section and is a plate portion parallel to the first side portion. Indoor unit of an air conditioning system.

3. An indoor unit of an air conditioning system according to claim 1, The housing further has a top surface portion that forms the top surface of the heat exchange chamber, The first guide member further includes an auxiliary guide plate positioned between the first end and the top surface, which guides the refrigerant leaking from the folded piping towards the dew receiving surface of the drain pan. Indoor unit of an air conditioning system.

4. An indoor unit of an air conditioning system according to claim 1, The drain pan is located below the indoor heat exchanger. The dew-receiving surface has a guide surface that slopes downward from the first side portion to the second side portion. Indoor unit of an air conditioning system.

5. An indoor unit of an air conditioning system according to claim 4, The drain pan further has a peripheral wall portion surrounding the dew receiving surface, At least a portion of the first guide member is located below the upper end of the peripheral wall portion. Indoor unit of an air conditioning system.

6. An indoor unit of an air conditioning system according to claim 4, The refrigerant sensor is located below the upper end of the peripheral wall portion that faces the second side portion. Indoor unit of an air conditioning system.

7. An indoor unit of an air conditioning system according to claim 6, The portion of the peripheral wall facing the refrigerant sensor is formed lower than the other portions of the peripheral wall. Indoor unit of an air conditioning system.

8. An indoor unit of an air conditioning system according to claim 1, The system further comprises a second guide member positioned between the second end and the drain pan, which guides the refrigerant leaking from the refrigerant piping toward the dew-receiving surface of the drain pan. Indoor unit of an air conditioning system.

9. An indoor unit of an air conditioning system according to claim 1, A fan that sends air to the outlet through the indoor heat exchanger, The system further includes a third guide member positioned between the indoor heat exchanger and the drain pan, which guides the air blown from the blower fan to the outlet and blocks the air from the blower fan toward the dew receiving surface. Indoor unit of an air conditioning system.

10. An indoor unit of an air conditioning system according to claim 1, The housing further has a top surface portion that forms the top surface of the heat exchange chamber, The indoor heat exchanger has an upper heat exchanger section that slopes from the top surface toward the outlet surface, and a lower heat exchanger section that is integrally formed with the upper heat exchanger and slopes from the outlet surface toward the dew receiving surface. The main guide plate comprises a first main guide plate portion positioned between the upper heat exchanger portion and the lower heat exchanger portion, and a second main guide plate portion positioned between the lower heat exchanger and the drain pan. Indoor unit of an air conditioning system.

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