Outdoor unit cover

Abstract

To provide an outdoor unit cover that can be easily installed and can cope with displacement caused by wind or the like. [Solution] The present disclosure provides an outdoor unit cover 10 that is attached to an outdoor unit 1 of an air conditioner, and includes a plate-shaped cover body 11 for covering the top surface 1c of the outdoor unit 1, and a support body 12 that is fixed to the cover body 11 and placed on the top surface 1c of the outdoor unit 1 to support the cover body 11 from below, the support body 12 having a band insertion opening 20 to which a band B can be attached, and the cover body 11 having a wire insertion opening 19 to which a wire W can be inserted.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an outdoor unit cover that covers an outdoor unit of an air conditioner. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a sunshade cover for an air conditioner outdoor unit that protects the air conditioner outdoor unit from direct sunlight. This sunshade cover for an air conditioner outdoor unit includes a cover main body that covers the top surface of the air conditioner outdoor unit, a support member that supports the cover main body above the top surface, a band member that is wrapped around the air conditioner outdoor unit and secures the support member to the top surface, and a fixing member that fixes the cover main body to the support member. The band member is wrapped around the front, top, back, and bottom surfaces of the air conditioner outdoor unit. The band member secures the support member to the top surface.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses an insulating board for an air conditioner outdoor unit. This insulating board for an air conditioner outdoor unit is mainly made of a foam resin board that is large enough to block direct sunlight from the top surface of the air conditioner outdoor unit, and gap-forming members are arranged in parallel on the underside of the foam resin board. The insulating board for an air conditioner outdoor unit has insertion holes for inserting fasteners such as strings or bands, and is fixed to the air conditioner outdoor unit by the fasteners such as strings or bands inserted into the insertion holes.

[0004] Patent Document 3 discloses a sunshade for an air conditioner outdoor unit. This sunshade for an air conditioner outdoor unit is composed of a metal member made of a rectangular metal plate, a pillar-shaped member, and a wire with an engaging member attached to one end. The upper end of the pillar-shaped member is fixed to the metal member, and a magnet is screwed to the lower end. A hook portion for hooking the end of the wire is provided near the edge in the center of the short side of the metal member. The engaging member at one end of the wire is fixed to screws installed at both ends of the side of the outdoor unit, and the other end of the wire is hooked by twisting it to the hook portion of the metal member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-249984 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-40931 [Patent Document 3] Utility Model Registration No. 3245226 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the sunshade cover for an air conditioner outdoor unit and the heat insulating board for an air conditioner outdoor unit (outdoor unit cover) described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the outdoor unit cover is fastened and fixed to the air conditioner outdoor unit (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as the "outdoor unit") with a band member. However, since the fastening by the band member can loosen, for example, when installing the outdoor unit in a windy location, there is a possibility that the outdoor unit cover may shift or come off due to wind, etc.

[0007] In the sunshade (outdoor unit cover) for an air conditioner outdoor unit described in Patent Document 3, when installing the outdoor unit cover on the outdoor unit, the magnet at the tip of the columnar member is joined to the top surface of the outdoor unit, and then the engaging member of the wire is engaged with a screw provided on the side of the outdoor unit, and the other end of the wire is hooked onto a metal member or columnar member. Therefore, when installing the outdoor unit cover, the work of attaching the wire is an essential step, making the installation work of the outdoor unit cover complicated.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an outdoor unit cover that can be easily installed and can accommodate displacement due to wind, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, a first aspect of the present invention is an outdoor unit cover that is attached to the outdoor unit of an air conditioner, and includes a plate-shaped cover body for covering the top surface of the outdoor unit, and a support body that is fixed to the cover body and placed on the top surface of the outdoor unit to support the cover body from below, wherein the support body has a band insertion port through which a band can be inserted, and the cover body has a wire attachment portion through which a wire can be attached.

[0010] A second aspect of the present invention is an outdoor unit cover of the first aspect, wherein the support body has a front support portion that supports the front side of the cover body and a rear support portion that supports the rear side of the cover body, and the band insertion opening is provided in both the front support portion and the rear support portion at a position spaced above the top surface of the outdoor unit, allowing the band to be inserted in the front-to-rear direction.

[0011] A third aspect of the present invention is an outdoor unit cover of the second aspect, wherein the front support portion and the rear support portion have beads extending in the vertical direction at positions widthwise adjacent to the band insertion opening.

[0012] A fourth aspect of the present invention is an outdoor unit cover of the second or third aspect, wherein the rear support portion has a longer length upward from the top surface of the outdoor unit than the front support portion, and the cover body is inclined downward and forward relative to the top surface of the outdoor unit.

[0013] A fifth aspect of the present invention is the outdoor unit cover of the second or third aspect, wherein the wire attachment portions are provided on both widthwise side surfaces of the cover body.

[0014] A sixth aspect of the present invention is the outdoor unit cover of the fifth aspect, wherein the wire attachment portions are provided at both front and rear end portions on both widthwise sides of the cover body.

[0015] A seventh aspect of the present invention is an outdoor unit cover of the fourth aspect, wherein the cover body has a cover top plate portion and a cover front plate portion, and an inclined plate portion with chamfered corners is provided between the cover top plate portion and the cover front plate portion.

[0016] An eighth aspect of the present invention is an outdoor unit cover of the fourth aspect, wherein the cover body has a cover top plate portion and a cover rear plate portion that bends from the rear end edge of the cover top plate portion and extends downward in a vertical direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an outdoor unit cover that can be easily installed and can accommodate displacement due to wind, etc. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a front perspective view showing an outdoor unit cover according to an embodiment of the present invention attached to an outdoor unit of an air conditioner. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the outdoor unit and the outdoor unit cover of FIG. 1, seen from behind. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the outdoor unit cover from the rear. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion P1 of the outdoor unit cover of FIG. 4, seen from above. [Figure 6] FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a P1 portion of the outdoor unit cover of FIG. 4, seen from below. [Figure 7] 5 is a cross-sectional view of the outdoor unit cover at P1 in FIG. 4, taken perpendicular to the width direction. [Figure 8] 5 is a cross-sectional view of the outdoor unit cover at P2 in FIG. 4, taken perpendicular to the width direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, FR indicates the front of the outdoor unit, UP indicates the top, and IN indicates the inside in the width direction. In the following description, the direction corresponding to the lower side of the inclination direction of the cover body is referred to as the front, the direction corresponding to the upper side of the inclination direction on the opposite side as the rear, and the direction intersecting both the front-to-back and up-to-down directions as the width direction. The description will be given assuming that the front of the cover body is installed corresponding to the air outlet side of a front-blow type outdoor unit. The left-to-right direction refers to the width direction, and is the left-to-right direction when viewing the outdoor unit from the front (front).

[0020] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view showing an outdoor unit cover according to one embodiment of the present invention attached to the outdoor unit of an air conditioner. FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the outdoor unit and outdoor unit cover of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the outdoor unit cover. FIG. 4 is a side view of the outdoor unit cover. FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of part P1 of the outdoor unit cover of FIG. 4 from above. FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of part P1 of the outdoor unit cover of FIG. 4 from below. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the width direction of part P1 of the outdoor unit cover of FIG. 4. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the width direction of part P2 of the outdoor unit cover of FIG. 4.

[0021] (Outdoor unit) As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the outdoor unit 1 of the air conditioner is a front-blow type outdoor unit 1, and is mainly installed outdoors. The outdoor unit 1 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape and has an air outlet 2 on its front surface 1a. The outdoor unit 1 is installed, for example, with its back surface 1b facing a wall of a building (not shown) and spaced apart from the wall, and with its bottom elevated from the ground. It is preferable to provide a space in front of the air outlet 2 of the outdoor unit 1 that does not reduce efficiency. The top surface 1c of the outdoor unit 1 of this embodiment is in a substantially horizontal position. The installation position of the outdoor unit 1 is not limited to the above.

[0022] (Outdoor unit cover) As shown in Figures 1 and 2, an outdoor unit cover 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention is attached to an outdoor unit 1 and is provided above the top surface 1c of the outdoor unit 1 so as to shield the top surface 1c of the outdoor unit 1 from direct sunlight. The outdoor unit cover 10 is primarily secured to the outdoor unit 1 by a band B, and is additionally secured to the outdoor unit 1 or a surrounding member (e.g., a building wall) using a wire W as needed. In Figures 1 and 2, the wire W is shown by a two-dot chain line, illustrating the state in which the tip end of the wire W is secured to the outdoor unit 1.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 8, the outdoor unit cover 10 includes a plate-shaped cover main body 11 and a support body 12 that supports the cover main body 11 from below.

[0024] (Cover body) The cover body 11 is a member that mainly covers the top surface 1c of the outdoor unit 1, and is formed, for example, by bending a metal plate-like member. The cover body 11 of this embodiment has a cover top plate portion 13, an inclined plate portion 14, a cover front plate portion 15, a cover rear plate portion 16, and left and right cover side plate portions 17, 18.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the cover top plate portion 13 is formed, for example, in the shape of a rectangular plate that intersects with the up-down direction.

[0026] 4 to 7, the inclined plate portion 14 is formed by bending downward from the front edge of the cover top plate portion 13 so as to be inclined relative to the cover top plate portion 13. As shown in Fig. 7, the angle θ1 of the inclined plate portion 14 with respect to an imaginary plane V1 extending forward from the front edge of the cover top plate portion 13 is an acute angle (for example, 45 degrees).

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, the cover front plate 15 is formed by bending downward from the front edge of the inclined plate 14. As shown in FIG. 7, the angle θ2 of the cover front plate 15 with respect to an imaginary plane V1 extending forward from the front edge of the cover top plate 13 is approximately a right angle (90 degrees). That is, the cover main body 11 has the cover top plate 13 and the cover front plate 15, and the inclined plate 14 having a chamfered corner C is provided between the cover top plate 13 and the cover front plate 15. The corner C is between an imaginary plane V2 extending upward from the upper edge of the cover front plate 15 and the imaginary plane V1 of the cover top plate 13. In this embodiment, the lower edge of the cover front plate 15 is bent inward (rearward) and then bent upward to provide a front L-shaped portion 25 (see FIG. 7) to ensure strength.

[0028] As shown in Figures 4 and 8, the cover rear plate portion 16 bends from the rear edge of the cover top plate portion 13 and extends downward in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, as will be described later, the cover top plate portion 13 is inclined downward in front with respect to the substantially horizontal top surface 1c of the outdoor unit 1 (see Figure 4), and therefore, as shown in Figure 8, the angle θ3 between the rear end of the cover top plate portion 13 and the cover rear plate portion 16 is an acute angle (75 degrees in this embodiment). In order to ensure strength, the lower edge of the cover rear plate portion 16 in this embodiment is bent inward (forward) and then upward to form a rear L-shaped portion 26 (see Figure 8).

[0029] 3 to 6, the left and right cover side plates 17, 18 bend from the left and right side edges of the cover top plate 13 and extend downward in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the lower edges of the left and right cover side plates 17, 18 have left and right ribs 27, 28 that are bent inward in the width direction to ensure strength. The left and right ribs 27, 28 of the left and right cover side plates 17, 18 have notches at their front and rear ends so as not to interfere with the front L-shaped portion 25 of the front cover plate 15 and the rear L-shaped portion 26 of the rear cover plate 16 (see FIG. 6).

[0030] The left and right cover side plate portions 17, 18 have wire insertion openings (wire attachment portions) 19 through which the wire W can be inserted. That is, the cover main body 11 has wire attachment portions (wire insertion openings 19 in this embodiment) through which the wire W can be attached. The wire insertion openings 19 are provided at the front and rear end portions of the left and right cover side plate portions 17, 18, respectively. That is, the wire attachment portions are provided at both front and rear end portions of both sides of the cover main body 11 in the width direction. The wire attachment portions are not limited to insertion openings, and may be any portion capable of attaching the wire W, such as a protrusion such as a bolt having a head portion larger than the shaft.

[0031] In this embodiment, the wire attachment portions (wire insertion opening 19 in this embodiment) are provided at the front and rear ends of the left and right cover side plates 17, 18, but this is not limited thereto, and for example, one may be provided in the center in the front-to-rear direction. Also, in this embodiment, the wire attachment portions are provided at the left and right cover side plates 17, 18, but this is not limited thereto, and they may be provided on at least one of the front cover plate 15, the inclined plate 14, and the rear cover plate 16 in addition to the left and right cover side plates 17, 18, or not at all on the left and right cover side plates 17, 18.

[0032] (Support) As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the support body 12 is fixed to the cover body 11 and placed on the top surface 1c of the outdoor unit 1 to support the cover body 11 from below. The support body 12 has a band insertion opening 20 through which the band B can be inserted. The shape of the band insertion opening 20 is not particularly limited as long as it allows the band B to be inserted, and it may be an elongated hole as in this embodiment, or may have another shape. The number and shape of the supports 12 are not particularly limited as long as they are capable of stably supporting the cover body 11.

[0033] The support body 12 of this embodiment has a front support portion 21 that supports the front side of the cover main body 11, and a rear support portion 22 that supports the rear side of the cover main body 11. In addition to the front support portion 21 and the rear support portion 22, the support body 12 of this embodiment also has a bottom plate portion 23 that connects the lower ends of the front support portion 21 and the rear support portion 22. Two support bodies 12 of this embodiment are provided below the cover top plate portion 13, spaced apart from each other in the width direction, and are fixed to the underside of the cover top plate portion 13. The left and right support bodies 12 are provided symmetrically in the width direction below the cover top plate portion 13, and have approximately the same configuration, so one will be described below and the description of the other will be omitted.

[0034] The bottom plate portion 23 of the support body 12 is formed in a rectangular plate shape that intersects the vertical direction, and is placed facing the top surface 1c of the outdoor unit 1. The front-to-rear position of the bottom plate portion 23 relative to the cover main body 11 is arranged so that the center of the cover top plate portion 13 in the front-to-rear direction and the center of the bottom plate portion 23 in the front-to-rear direction approximately coincide with each other.

[0035] The front support portion 21 of the support body 12 bends at a substantially right angle and extends upward from the front edge of the bottom plate portion 23. The upper end of the front support portion 21 is fixed to the underside of the cover top plate portion 13. In other words, the front support portion 21 stands up along the front edge of the bottom plate portion 23 and supports the cover top plate portion 13 of the cover main body 11 from below.

[0036] The rear support portion 22 of the support body 12 bends at a substantially right angle from the rear edge of the bottom plate portion 23 and extends upward. The upper end of the rear support portion 22 is fixed to the underside of the cover top plate portion 13. That is, the rear support portion 22 stands along the rear edge of the bottom plate portion 23 and supports the cover top plate portion 13 of the cover main body 11 from below. The upper end of the rear support portion 22 in this embodiment is located higher than the upper end of the front support portion 21. That is, the rear support portion 22 in this embodiment has a longer length (height) upward from the top surface 1c of the outdoor unit 1 than the front support portion 21. As a result, the cover main body 11 is inclined downward and forward with respect to the top surface 1c of the outdoor unit 1. As shown in FIG. 8, the angle θ4 of the cover main body 11 (cover top plate portion 13) with respect to the horizontal direction is set to, for example, 15 degrees. As shown in FIG. 4, the front edge of the cover main body 11 is located at approximately the same height as (slightly above) the bottom plate portion 23 of the support body 12.

[0037] 3, the front support part 21 and the rear support part 22 have band insertion openings 20 at positions spaced upward from their lower ends (upper ends in this embodiment). That is, the band insertion openings 20 in this embodiment are provided at positions spaced upward from the top surface 1c of the outdoor unit 1 in both the front support part 21 and the rear support part 22, and allow the band B to be inserted in the front-to-rear direction. Furthermore, multiple band insertion openings 20 in this embodiment (three in the figure) are provided so as to be spaced apart from each other in the width direction.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 3 , the front support portion 21 and the rear support portion 22 have beads 24 extending in the vertical direction at positions adjacent to the band insertion opening 20 in the width direction. In this embodiment, the bead 24 of the front support portion 21 extends in the vertical direction in a convex shape that bulges forward, and the bead 24 of the rear support portion 22 extends in the vertical direction in a convex shape that bulges rearward. In this embodiment, beads 24 are provided at least on both sides of each band insertion opening 20 in the width direction. Note that the number and shape of the beads 24 are not limited to those described above. Also, beads 24 do not necessarily have to be provided. Also, in FIG. 4 , the beads 24 are not shown to make the band insertion opening 20 easier to understand.

[0039] Next, the attachment of the outdoor unit cover 10 to the outdoor unit 1 will be described.

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, when attaching the outdoor unit cover 10 to the outdoor unit 1, first, the outdoor unit cover 10 is placed on the top surface 1c of the outdoor unit 1 so that the cover body 11 covers the top surface 1c of the outdoor unit 1. At this time, a cushioning member for anti-slip and anti-scratch purposes may be attached to the underside of the bottom plate portion 23 of the support body 12, and the outdoor unit cover 10 may be placed on the top surface 1c of the outdoor unit 1 via the cushioning member. The cushioning member may be pre-fixed to the underside of the bottom plate portion 23 of the support body 12, or may be attached later. Next, bands B are inserted through the front and rear band insertion openings 20 provided on the left and right supports 12, and the bands B are wrapped around and tightened so as to surround the outdoor unit 1 from the front, above, behind, and below. This completes the attachment of the outdoor unit cover 10 to the outdoor unit 1.

[0041] Furthermore, for example, if the outdoor unit 1 is installed in a windy location and it is necessary to deal with the displacement of the outdoor unit cover 10 due to wind or the like, the wire W is inserted into the wire insertion port 19 and locked, as shown by the two-dot chain line in Figures 1 and 2, and the tip of the wire W is fixed to the outdoor unit 1 or a surrounding member (for example, a wall of a building). Note that Figures 1 and 2 show a state in which the tip of the wire W is fixed to the outdoor unit 1.

[0042] In the outdoor unit cover 10 configured as described above, the support body 12 has a band insertion opening 20 through which the band B can be inserted, and the cover body 11 has a wire attachment portion (in this embodiment, a wire insertion opening 19) through which the wire W can be attached. Therefore, as described above, the outdoor unit cover 10 can be easily attached to the outdoor unit 1 using the band B, and if necessary, the wire W can be used to accommodate misalignment due to wind, etc.

[0043] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide the outdoor unit cover 10 that can be easily installed and can accommodate displacement due to wind or the like.

[0044] In addition, by providing the band insertion opening 20 at a position spaced upward from the top surface 1c of the outdoor unit 1 on both the front support portion 21 and the rear support portion 22, it becomes easier to tighten the band B to the outdoor unit 1, and it can be tightened and fixed relatively firmly.

[0045] In addition, by providing beads 24 extending in the vertical direction at positions widthwise adjacent to the band insertion openings 20 of the front support portion 21 and the rear support portion 22, the bead 24 can compensate for the decrease in strength of the front support portion 21 and the rear support portion 22 caused by the provision of the band insertion openings 20.

[0046] In addition, by tilting the cover body 11 downward and forward relative to the top surface 1c of the outdoor unit 1, rain, dust, etc. on the top surface of the cover body 11 can be guided forward, thereby preventing the top surface of the cover body 11 from becoming dirty.

[0047] Furthermore, by providing the wire insertion openings 19 on both widthwise sides of the cover body 11, the band B can prevent the outdoor unit cover 10 from shifting forward and backward, and the wire W can prevent the outdoor unit cover 10 from shifting left and right. Furthermore, by providing the wire insertion openings 19 at both front and rear end portions on both widthwise sides of the cover body 11, left and right shifting of the outdoor unit cover 10 can be prevented even more stably.

[0048] In addition, by providing an inclined plate portion 14 with chamfered corners C between the cover top plate portion 13 and the cover front plate portion 15 of the cover body 11, pain and injury when a hand or the like comes into contact with the front end of the cover body 11 can be reduced, improving safety.

[0049] Furthermore, by arranging the cover rear plate portion 16 of the cover main body 11 to extend vertically, the amount of rearward protrusion of the cover main body 11 can be reduced, thereby reducing interference of the outdoor unit cover 10 with components behind the outdoor unit 1 (e.g., the wall of a building).

[0050] In this embodiment, the front of the cover body 11 is installed to correspond to the air outlet 2 side of the front-blowing type outdoor unit 1, but this is not limited to this, and the cover body 11 can be attached to the outdoor unit 1 in any desired direction.

[0051] Although the present invention has been described above based on the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the content of the above embodiment and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention. In other words, other embodiments, examples, operational techniques, etc. that are made by those skilled in the art based on this embodiment are all included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1:Outdoor unit 1c: Top 10: Outdoor unit cover 11: Cover body 12:Support 13: Cover top plate 14: Inclined plate part 15: Front cover 16: Rear cover 19: Wire insertion port (wire attachment part) 20: Band insertion hole 21: Front support part 22: Rear support part 24: Bead B: Band W: Wire C: Corner

Claims

1. An outdoor unit cover to be attached to an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, a plate-shaped cover body for covering a top surface of the outdoor unit; a support member fixed to the cover body and placed on a top surface of the outdoor unit to support the cover body from below, the support has a band insertion opening through which a band can be inserted, The cover body has a wire attachment portion to which a wire can be attached. An outdoor unit cover characterized by:

2. The support body has a front support portion that supports a front side of the cover body and a rear support portion that supports a rear side of the cover body, The band insertion openings are provided in both the front support portion and the rear support portion at positions spaced upward from the top surface of the outdoor unit, and allow the band to be inserted in the front-rear direction.

2. The outdoor unit cover according to claim 1.

3. The front support portion and the rear support portion have beads extending in the vertical direction at positions adjacent to the band insertion opening in the width direction.

3. The outdoor unit cover according to claim 2.

4. the rear support portion has a length upward from a top surface of the outdoor unit that is longer than the front support portion; The cover body is inclined downward and forward with respect to the top surface of the outdoor unit.

4. The outdoor unit cover according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The wire attachment portions are provided on both widthwise side surfaces of the cover body.

4. The outdoor unit cover according to claim 2 or 3.

6. The wire attachment portions are provided at both front and rear ends of both widthwise sides of the cover body. The outdoor unit cover according to claim 5 .

7. The cover body has a cover top plate portion and a cover front plate portion, and an inclined plate portion with chamfered corners is provided between the cover top plate portion and the cover front plate portion.

5. The outdoor unit cover according to claim 4.

8. The cover body has a cover top plate portion and a cover rear plate portion that bends from a rear end edge of the cover top plate portion and extends downward along a vertical direction.

5. The outdoor unit cover according to claim 4.

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