Insulation structure of air conditioner outdoor unit

Abstract

To provide a heat insulating structure for an outdoor unit of an air conditioner having excellent heat insulating performance. [Solution] The insulation structure 9 for an air conditioner outdoor unit 1 includes an insulating material 10 covering a connection valve 3 that connects a refrigerant pipe 2, which circulates a refrigerant, to the air conditioner outdoor unit 1, and a heat-shielding sheet 11 covering the insulating material 10. By using wool for the insulating material 10, it is possible to provide an insulation structure 9 for an air conditioner outdoor unit 1 with excellent insulation performance. Furthermore, by using wool for the insulating material 10, which has excellent insulation properties, weather resistance, breathability, moisture absorption, and moisture release properties, and further blocking temperature changes from the outside with the heat-shielding sheet 11, it is possible to suppress the air conditioner outdoor unit 1 from heating up in the summer and dropping to a low temperature due to snow accumulation in the winter, thereby reducing the air conditioner's power consumption throughout the year, regardless of summer or winter. Furthermore, because wool has excellent breathability, moisture absorption, and moisture release properties, it suppresses condensation around the connection valve, and in the unlikely event that condensation does occur around the connection valve, the wool can release the condensed water to the outside.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a thermal insulation structure for an air conditioner outdoor unit. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in this type of air conditioner outdoor unit, the refrigerant piping is connected to a connection valve, the connection valve is covered with an electrical cover, and the electrical cover is fixed to the side of the outdoor unit body with screws (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-213480 DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in conventional air conditioner outdoor units, the connection valve is not insulated, so when the air conditioner outdoor unit heats up, the cooling pipes also heat up through the connection valve. This reduces the refrigerant cooling efficiency, especially during cooling operation in the summer, leading to a decrease in cooling capacity and wasting electricity.

[0005] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an insulating structure for an outdoor unit of an air conditioner with excellent insulating performance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The thermal insulation structure of the outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to the present invention as described in claim 1 is a thermal insulation structure of the outdoor unit of an air conditioner, characterized in that the thermal insulation structure comprises a thermal insulation material covering a connecting valve that connects a refrigerant pipe that circulates a refrigerant to the outdoor unit of the air conditioner, and a heat-shielding sheet that covers the thermal insulation material, and the thermal insulation material is made of wool.

[0007] The heat insulating structure of the air conditioner outdoor unit of the present invention described in claim 2 is characterized in that aluminum foil is used as the heat shield sheet.

[0008] The heat insulating structure of the air conditioner outdoor unit of the present invention described in claim 3 is characterized in that the heat-shielding sheet is laid along a recess in the cover member of the air conditioner outdoor unit formed to surround the connection valve, and the insulation material is filled in the gap between the connection valve and the heat-shielding sheet. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the invention of claim 1, an insulating structure for an air conditioner outdoor unit with excellent insulating performance can be provided by insulating the connection valve. Furthermore, by using wool, which has excellent insulating properties, weather resistance, breathability, moisture absorption, and moisture release properties, as the insulating material and further blocking temperature changes from the outside with a heat-shielding sheet, it is possible to suppress the temperature rise of the air conditioner outdoor unit in summer and the drop in temperature due to snow accumulation in winter, thereby reducing the air conditioner's power consumption throughout the year, regardless of summer or winter. Furthermore, because wool has excellent breathability, moisture absorption, and moisture release properties, it suppresses condensation around the connection valve, and in the unlikely event that condensation does occur around the connection valve, the wool can release the condensed water to the outside.

[0010] According to the invention of claim 2, the heat insulation of the connection valve can be improved by the heat insulation properties of the aluminum foil.

[0011] According to the invention of claim 3, the insulating material and heat-shielding sheet can be arranged to suit the shape of the recess in the cover member, thereby further improving the insulating properties of the connection valve. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the heat insulating structure of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to the present invention in use. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4]FIG. 1 is a side view of the air conditioner outdoor unit with the cover removed. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the inside of the cover member. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state in which a heat shield sheet has been laid in the recessed portion in the state shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which a heat insulating material has been placed on the heat shield sheet in the same manner as in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] 8 is a perspective view showing the state in which the cover member in the state of FIG. 7 is attached to the side of the air conditioner outdoor unit body and then heat insulating material is about to be filled in through the opening of the recess. [Figure 9] 9 is a perspective view showing a state in which the recess is filled with a heat insulating material following the state shown in FIG. 8. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which the heat insulating material has been fixed to the cover member with weatherproof tape, following the state shown in FIG. 9. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0013] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the embodiments described below do not limit the content of the present invention as described in the claims. Furthermore, not all of the configurations described below are necessarily essential requirements for the present invention.

[0014] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 10. In this embodiment, an outdoor unit 1 of an air conditioner is connected to an indoor unit (not shown) by a refrigerant pipe 2 through which a refrigerant flows. This refrigerant pipe 2 is connected to a connection valve 3 provided as a connection part on the outdoor unit side.

[0015] The connection valve 3 is exposed on the side surface 4A of the outdoor unit body 4, and is covered by a cover member 5, which is fixed to the side surface 4A of the outdoor unit body 4 with screws 6.

[0016] The cover member 5 has a recess 7 formed so as to surround the connection valve 3 on the inside, and a predetermined gap 8 is formed between the recess 7 of the cover member 5 and the connection valve 3.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the heat insulating structure 9 in this embodiment is arranged inside the recess 7 of the cover member 5 so as to surround the connection valve 3 with a heat insulating material 10 and a heat shielding sheet 11 in this order.

[0018] The heat insulating material 10 of this embodiment is made of wool and polylactic acid fiber. This heat insulating material 10 is used in the walls, ceilings, under floors, etc. of houses, and for example, the environmentally adaptive board-shaped heat insulating material disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-303597 can be used. Furthermore, this heat insulating material contains, for example, 50 to 70% wool and 30 to 50% polylactic acid fiber, and has a density of 30 kg / m 3 The above materials can be suitably used. Note that the higher the density of the heat insulating material, the harder the heat insulating material becomes, and the higher the resilience and shape stability.

[0019] The polylactic acid fibers that make up this thermal insulation 10 are preferably those produced using agricultural crops such as corn as raw materials, and by using agricultural products as raw materials, the thermal insulation 10 can be made using only materials derived from natural sources. Furthermore, by forming the thermal insulation 10 from wool and polylactic acid fibers, the thermal insulation 10 has a moderate resilience and a stable shape. Furthermore, the wool that makes up the thermal insulation 10 has excellent thermal insulation properties, as well as excellent weather resistance, moisture absorption, and moisture release properties.

[0020] Furthermore, wool with polylactic acid fibers partially heat-sealed is preferably used as the insulating material 10. By partially heat-sealing the wool and polylactic acid fibers, the insulating material does not come apart and maintains a stable shape more reliably. Furthermore, because the shape is maintained by heat fusion without using adhesive, there is no need to worry about volatile chemicals contained in adhesives, and the pillow can be used safely.

[0021] Furthermore, a material that has been treated with boric acid is preferably used as the heat insulating material 10. By including boric acid, the heat insulating material can obtain the effects of preventing mold, insects, and decay.

[0022] The insulating material 10 of this embodiment has the moisture absorption and release properties of wool, as mentioned above, which gives it excellent moisture-regulating properties, allowing it to maintain a relative humidity of 55%.By taking advantage of its ability to absorb up to 34% of its own weight in moisture from the atmosphere, it is possible to prevent condensation on the surface of the connection valve 3.

[0023] Furthermore, the heat insulating material 10 is easy to handle due to the unique flame retardant effect of wool.

[0024] Furthermore, the insulation material 10 uses natural wool, which is free of irritating and carcinogenic substances, so no special protective treatment or equipment is required when handling it. Furthermore, because wool is biodegradable, it is environmentally friendly even after disposal.

[0025] The heat shielding sheet 4 is made of a sheet material formed by sandwiching an air layer made of bubble cushioning material (polyethylene bubble cushioning material) or the like between a pair of aluminum foil sheets. It has excellent heat shielding and insulation performance due to the heat insulating properties of the air layer that blocks heat transfer and the infrared heat insulating properties of the aluminum foil. However, the heat shielding sheet 4 for the tabletop is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration as long as it has heat insulating properties.

[0026] A method for constructing the heat insulating structure 9 of the air conditioner outdoor unit 1 having the above-described configuration will be described below. As shown in Figure 5, the cover member 5 removed from the outdoor unit body 4 is turned upside down so that the recessed portion 7 faces upward.

[0027] Next, as shown in Figure 6, a heat shielding sheet 11 is laid along the internal shape of the recess 7. In some cases, it is preferable to make cuts 12 in the heat shielding sheet 11 with scissors, a cutter, or the like to make it easier to fit the heat shielding sheet 11 to the shape of the recess 7.

[0028] Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the heat insulating material 10 is placed on the heat shield sheet 11, and the installation of the heat insulating structure 9 on the cover member 5 is completed.

[0029] Furthermore, the connection valve 3 is covered with a cover member 5 having a heat insulating structure 9, and the cover member 5 is fixed to the side surface 4A of the outdoor unit main body 4 with screws 6 (see FIG. 8).

[0030] Next, in the recess 7 of the cover member 5, additional insulating material 10 of an appropriate size is packed into the recess 7 through the opening 7A, through which the refrigerant pipe 2 is inserted into and out of the recess 7, by hand or the like (see FIG. 8). After the insulating material 10 is filled without any gaps inside the recess 7 of the cover member 5, the insulating material 10 is packed into the recess 7 until it overflows from the opening 7A (see FIG. 9).

[0031] Finally, the insulating material 10 spilling out of the opening 7A is fixed to the cover member 5 with weather-resistant tape 13 or the like (see Figure 10). It is preferable if the weather-resistant tape 13 has insulating and heat-shielding properties. This completes all the construction procedures for the insulating structure 9 (see Figure 1).

[0032] In this embodiment, the insulation structure 9 of the air conditioner outdoor unit 1 includes an insulating material 10 that covers a connection valve 3 that connects a refrigerant pipe 2 that circulates the refrigerant to the air conditioner outdoor unit 1, and a heat-shielding sheet 11 that covers the insulating material 10, and wool is used for the insulating material 10.

[0033] In this case, insulating the connection valve 3 can provide an insulating structure 9 for the air conditioner outdoor unit 1 with excellent insulating performance. Furthermore, by using wool, which has excellent insulating properties, weather resistance, moisture permeability, moisture absorption, and moisture release properties, as the insulating material 10 and further blocking temperature changes from the outside with a heat-shielding sheet 11, it is possible to suppress the temperature rise of the air conditioner outdoor unit 1 in the summer and the drop in temperature due to snow accumulation in the winter, thereby reducing the power consumption of the air conditioner throughout the year, regardless of whether it is summer or winter. Furthermore, because wool has excellent moisture permeability, moisture absorption, and moisture release properties, it suppresses condensation around the connection valve, and in the unlikely event that condensation does occur around the connection valve, the wool can release the condensed water to the outside.

[0034] In this embodiment, the heat shield sheet 11 is made of aluminum foil.

[0035] In this case, the heat insulation property of the aluminum foil can improve the heat insulation property of the connection valve 3.

[0036] In this embodiment, the heat-shielding sheet 11 is laid along the recess 7 of the cover member 5 of the air conditioner outdoor unit 1, which is formed to surround the connection valve 3, and the insulating material 10 is filled in the gap 8 between the connection valve 3 and the heat-shielding sheet 11.

[0037] Furthermore, as an effect of this embodiment, even after the cover member 5 with the insulating structure 9 is fixed to the outdoor unit body 4, further insulating material 10 can be filled into the recess 7 through the opening 7A, and the insulating material 10 is filled without any gaps inside the recess 7, increasing the filling rate of the insulating material 10 and further improving the insulating performance of the insulating structure 9.

[0038] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and for example, the materials and shapes of the heat shield sheet and cover member can be changed as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 1. Air conditioner outdoor unit 2 Refrigerant piping 3 Connection valve 5 Cover member 7 recess 8. Gap 10. Insulation 11 Heat-shielding sheet

Claims

1. An insulation structure for an air conditioner outdoor unit, The heat insulating structure is a heat insulating material covering a connection valve that connects a refrigerant pipe that circulates a refrigerant to the air conditioner outdoor unit; A heat shield sheet covering the heat insulating material; Equipped with 1. A heat insulating structure for an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, wherein the heat insulating material is wool.

2. 2. The heat insulating structure for an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the heat insulating sheet is made of aluminum foil.

3. The heat-shielding sheet is laid along a recess in a cover member of the air conditioner outdoor unit formed to surround the connection valve, 2. The heat insulating structure for an air conditioner outdoor unit according to claim 1, wherein the heat insulating material is filled in a gap between the connection valve and the heat insulating sheet.

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