Outdoor unit

Abstract

One aspect of an outdoor unit according to the present disclosure comprises a heat exchanger and a housing that houses the heat exchanger, the housing comprises a base on which the heat exchanger is placed and a side panel extending upward from the base, the side panel is formed from a resin, and a holder for holding a thermistor is formed integrally with the side panel.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an outdoor unit. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an outdoor unit including a heat exchanger and a housing that houses the heat exchanger. The housing of the outdoor unit is provided with a holding part that holds a thermistor for measuring the temperature of outside air. The thermistor is used to control the operation of the outdoor unit to prevent condensation from forming inside the housing of the outdoor unit. In Patent Document 1, the holding part is formed in a handle part that is formed separately from the outer part (side plate part) that constitutes the side of the housing. The handle part is assembled to the outer part. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-185187 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the outdoor unit of Patent Document 1 has a large number of components for mounting the thermistor to the housing, which requires a large number of steps for assembling the outdoor unit, resulting in poor assembly workability. In addition, in the outdoor unit of Patent Document 1, because the handle parts are assembled to the exterior parts, assembly errors can easily cause a large error in the position of the thermistor relative to the exterior parts. In other words, it is difficult to accurately position the thermistor. If the thermistor is displaced too much, the outdoor unit operation control to prevent condensation may not be performed correctly, which is undesirable.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has as one object to provide an outdoor unit that can reduce the assembly man-hours for the outdoor unit, improve assembly workability, and enable the thermistor to be accurately positioned. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of an outdoor unit according to the present disclosure includes a heat exchanger and a housing that houses the heat exchanger, the housing including a base on which the heat exchanger is placed and a side plate portion extending upward from the base, the side plate portion being made of resin, and a holding portion that holds a thermistor being integrally molded with the side plate portion. The holding portion is configured so that the thermistor is inserted in a direction that is inclined downward from the inside to the outside of the side plate portion in the horizontal direction. . Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, the number of steps in assembling the outdoor unit can be reduced, the assembly workability can be improved, and the thermistor can be accurately positioned. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the outdoor unit according to the embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the outdoor unit according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a part of the outdoor unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] 2 is a perspective view showing a part of a side plate portion of a housing in the embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is a perspective view showing a main part of a side plate portion according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is a top view of a main part of the outdoor unit according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a main part of a side plate portion in the embodiment, illustrating a state in which a thermistor is held by a holding portion formed on the side plate portion. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a holding portion according to the embodiment. [Figure 9]9 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of the outdoor unit in the embodiment, taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiment, and can be changed as desired within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure. In addition, in the following drawings, the scale and number of each structure may be different from the scale and number of the actual structure in order to make each configuration easier to understand.

[0010] The drawings also show an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis as appropriate. The X-axis shows one of the horizontal directions. The Y-axis shows the other of the horizontal directions. The Z-axis shows the vertical direction. In the following description, the horizontal direction along the X-axis is called the "front-rear direction X", the horizontal direction along the Y-axis is called the "left-right direction Y", and the vertical direction is called the "up-down direction Z". The front-rear direction X, the left-right direction Y, and the up-down direction Z are mutually perpendicular directions. The side of the up-down direction Z toward which the arrow of the Z-axis points (+Z side) is the upper side, and the opposite side of the up-down direction Z toward which the arrow of the Z-axis points (-Z side) is the lower side. The front-rear direction X is the front-rear direction of the outdoor unit 1 described later, and the left-right direction Y is the left-right direction of the outdoor unit 1.

[0011] In the following description, the side (+X side) of the X-axis arrow in the front-rear direction X is defined as the front side, and the side (-X side) opposite to the side of the X-axis arrow in the front-rear direction X is defined as the rear side. The left-right direction Y is defined as the left-right direction when the outdoor unit 1 described below is viewed from the front (+X side). In other words, the side (+Y side) of the Y-axis arrow in the left-right direction Y is defined as the right side, and the side (-Y side) opposite to the side of the Y-axis arrow in the left-right direction Y is defined as the left side.

[0012] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an outdoor unit 1 in an embodiment. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the outdoor unit 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a part of the outdoor unit 1.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 1, the outdoor unit 1 is, for example, an outdoor unit of an air conditioner. The outdoor unit 1 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The outdoor unit 1 in this embodiment has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that is elongated in the left-right direction Y when viewed in the up-down direction Z. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the outdoor unit 1 has a housing 2, a heat exchanger 3, a blower 4, a compressor 5, and an electric equipment box 6.

[0014] The housing 2 accommodates therein a heat exchanger 3, a blower 4, a compressor 5, and an electric component box 6. The housing 2 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped box shape that is elongated in the left-right direction Y when viewed in the up-down direction Z. The housing 2 has a base 21, side plate portions 22, and a top plate portion 23.

[0015] 2, the base 21 constitutes the bottom of the housing 2, and has a generally rectangular plate shape that is long in the left-right direction Y when viewed in the up-down direction Z. The heat exchanger 3, the blower 4, and the compressor 5 are placed on the base 21. In addition, an electric equipment box 6 is disposed above the base 21.

[0016] 2 and 3, the side plate portion 22 extends upward from the base 21 and surrounds from the sides the heat exchanger 3, the blower 4, the compressor 5, and the electric component box 6 that are arranged on the base 21. The side plate portion 22 includes a front side plate portion 22A, a rear side plate portion 22B, a left side plate portion 22C, and a right side plate portion 22D.

[0017] The front plate portion 22A and the rear plate portion 22B are aligned in the front-rear direction X. The front plate portion 22A is located in front of (+X side of) the heat exchanger 3, the blower 4, the compressor 5, and the electric equipment box 6 arranged on the base 21. The front plate portion 22A has an intake port 221 penetrating therethrough in the front-rear direction X. The rear plate portion 22B is located in rear of (-X side of) the heat exchanger 3, the blower 4, the compressor 5, and the electric equipment box 6 arranged on the base 21. The rear plate portion 22B has an exhaust port 222 penetrating therethrough in the front-rear direction X. The intake port 221 and the exhaust port 222 penetrate the housing 2 from the inside to the outside.

[0018] The left side plate portion 22C and the right side plate portion 22D are aligned in the left-right direction Y. The left side plate portion 22C is located on the left side (-Y side) of the heat exchanger 3, the blower 4, the compressor 5, and the electric equipment box 6 arranged on the base 21. The right side plate portion 22D is located on the right side (+Y side) of the heat exchanger 3, the blower 4, the compressor 5, and the electric equipment box 6 arranged on the base 21.

[0019] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a part of the side plate portion 22. As shown in FIG. 2 and 4, the right side plate portion 22D is formed with an air vent 223 penetrating in the left-right direction Y. The air vent 223 penetrates from the inside to the outside of the housing 2. The right side plate portion 22D is formed with a plurality of the air vents 223. The right side plate portion 22D is made of resin. In other words, the right side plate portion 22D is a resin molded product.

[0020] A handle portion 224 for transportation is formed on the right side plate portion 22D. The handle portion 224 is a portion on which an operator hooks his / her fingers when transporting the outdoor unit 1. The handle portion 224 is formed by recessing from the outer side (+Y side) of the right side plate portion 22D. The handle portion 224 is located at an upper portion of the right side plate portion 22D. The handle portion 224 is molded integrally with the right side plate portion 22D by resin molding.

[0021] Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the main parts of side plate portion 22 in the embodiment, and is a perspective view showing the periphery of handhold portion 224 from the inside of right side plate portion 22D. Fig. 6 is a view showing the main parts of outdoor unit 1 as viewed from above. 5, the handhold portion 224 protrudes inward (-Y side) of the right side plate portion 22D. The handhold portion 224 is located at the rear end portion close to the rear side plate portion 22B on the upper portion of the right side plate portion 22D.

[0022] 6, the handrail 224 is located adjacent to the right side (+Y side) of an upper portion of the heat exchanger 3 described later. A surface 224a of the handrail 224 facing the heat exchanger 3 is formed parallel to the heat exchanger 3. Specifically, the surface 224a of the handrail 224 facing the heat exchanger 3 is curved corresponding to a curved portion 31 of the heat exchanger 3 described later. 5, a vent hole 225 penetrating from the inside to the outside of the housing 2 is formed in the handhold portion 224 of the right side plate portion 22D. The vent hole 225 opens to a surface 224a of the handhold portion 224 facing the heat exchanger 3.

[0023] 2 and 3, in the side plate portion 22 of this embodiment, the front side plate portion 22A is formed generally separately from the rear side plate portion 22B, the left side plate portion 22C, and the right side plate portion 22D. The left side plate portion 22C and the right side plate portion 22D are also formed separately. A portion of the rear side plate portion 22B is integrally formed with each of the left side plate portion 22C and the right side plate portion 22D.

[0024] The top plate 23 of the housing 2 has a generally rectangular plate shape that is long in the left-right direction Y when viewed in the up-down direction Z. The top plate 23 is disposed so as to cover the upper opening of the side plate 22. As a result, the top plate 23 covers the heat exchanger 3, the blower 4, the compressor 5, and the electric equipment box 6 that are disposed on the base 21 from above.

[0025] 2 and 3 exchanges heat between a refrigerant flowing inside the heat exchanger 3 and air passing through the heat exchanger 3. The heat exchanger 3 functions as, for example, an evaporator or a condenser. In this embodiment, the heat exchanger 3 is formed in a plate shape that fits along the rear plate portion 22B and the right side plate portion 22D. A portion of the heat exchanger 3 that fits along the rear plate portion 22B is exposed to the rear side of the housing 2 through the outlet port 222 of the rear plate portion 22B. A portion of the heat exchanger 3 that fits along the right side plate portion 22D is exposed to the right side of the housing 2 through the ventilation holes 223, 225 of the right side plate portion 22D. The heat exchanger 3 has a curved portion 31 that is curved 90 degrees at the corner between the rear plate portion 22B and the right side plate portion 22D when viewed in the up-down direction Z.

[0026] The blower 4 sends air to the heat exchanger 3. In this embodiment, the blower 4 is configured by a propeller fan. The blower 4 is located inside the front plate portion 22A so as to face the suction port 221 in the front-rear direction X. The blower 4 generates a flow of air that draws in outside air from the suction port 221 into the inside of the housing 2 and discharges the air from the discharge port 222 to the outside of the housing 2.

[0027] The electric equipment box 6 includes a power supply circuit that supplies power to each part of the outdoor unit 1, and a control circuit that controls the operation of the outdoor unit 1.

[0028] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a main part of side plate portion 22, and shows a state in which a thermistor 7 is held by a holding portion 25 (described later) formed on the side plate portion. 3, 6 and 7, the outdoor unit 1 includes a thermistor 7 provided in the housing 2. The thermistor 7 of this embodiment has an appearance of a long and thin cylinder whose axial dimension is greater than its radial dimension. Note that the appearance of the thermistor 7 is not limited to this and may be any appearance. The thermistor 7 measures the temperature of the outside air. The thermistor 7 is connected to the electrical equipment box 6 by a lead wire 71 (electrical wiring) extending from the thermistor 7. The thermistor 7 is used to control the operation of the outdoor unit 1 for the purpose of preventing condensation from occurring inside the housing 2 and the condensation from freezing.

[0029] To explain this point, when the outdoor unit 1 is in heating operation, the inside of the housing 2 becomes warm, and the temperature difference with the cold outside air becomes large, which may cause condensation to form inside the housing 2 including the heat exchanger 3, or the condensation may freeze. In response to this, in the outdoor unit 1, when the thermistor 7 detects that the outside air is within a predetermined temperature condition, the electrical equipment box 6 controls the operation of the outdoor unit 1 to temporarily switch from heating operation to cooling operation. This suppresses the occurrence of condensation inside the housing 2.

[0030] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a schematic view of a holding portion 25 provided in the outdoor unit 1. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a main portion of the outdoor unit 1, taken along line IX-IX in Fig. 6. 5 to 9, the outdoor unit 1 has a holding portion 25 that holds the above-mentioned thermistor 7. The holding portion 25 is molded integrally with the side plate portion 22. In the present embodiment, the holding portion 25 is molded integrally with the right side plate portion 22D of the side plate portion 22 by resin molding.

[0031] The position of the holding portion 25 on the right side plate portion 22D may be arbitrary. In this embodiment, the holding portion 25 is located at the upper portion of the right side plate portion 22D. The holding portion 25 is located at the rear end portion of the upper portion of the right side plate portion 22D, which is close to the rear plate portion 22B. The holding portion 25 is disposed on the inner side (-Y side) of the right side plate portion 22D. The holding portion 25 is located adjacent to the right side (+Y side) of the heat exchanger 3 relative to the upper portion of the heat exchanger 3. Therefore, the thermistor 7 held by the holding portion 25 is located at the upper portion and rear end of the right side plate portion 22D. The thermistor 7 is located adjacent to the right side (+Y side) of the heat exchanger 3 relative to the upper portion of the heat exchanger 3.

[0032] 9, the holding portion 25 is configured so that the thermistor 7 is inserted in a direction that slopes downward from the inside to the outside of the right side plate portion 22D in the horizontal direction. In other words, the holding portion 25 is configured so that the thermistor 7 is inserted outside the heat exchanger 3 in a direction that moves away from the heat exchanger 3 in the horizontal direction as it moves downward (-Z direction).

[0033] Specifically, holding portion 25 is formed so that the thermistor 7 is inserted in a direction that slopes downward (towards -Z) toward the right side (+Y side) inside right side plate portion 22D. In this embodiment, the inclination angle θ of the insertion direction of thermistor 7 with respect to the left-right direction Y, which is one of the horizontal directions, is 45 degrees, but is not limited to this. In this embodiment, holding portion 25 is formed so that the thermistor 7, which is formed in an elongated cylindrical shape, is inserted in its axial direction.

[0034] 3, 6 and 9, for the thermistor 7 inserted into the holder 25, the lead wire 71 extends from the rear side in the insertion direction of the thermistor 7 toward the electrical component box 6. The lead wire 71 extends from the thermistor 7 in the opposite direction to the insertion direction. The lead wire 71 is bendable.

[0035] As shown in Figs. 5 and 8, the holder 25 of this embodiment has a claw 251 that holds the thermistor 7. The claw 251 is formed to be elastically deformable with respect to the right side plate 22D. The claw 251 elastically deforms and holds the thermistor 7 by its elastic force. The direction in which the claw 251 elastically deforms corresponds to the direction in which the claw 251 holds the thermistor 7. In this embodiment, the direction in which the claw 251 holds the thermistor 7 is perpendicular to the insertion direction of the thermistor 7 into the holder 25.

[0036] The number of claws 251 may be, for example, one, but is two in this embodiment. The two claws 251 are elastically deformable in the direction of their arrangement. The surface of the claw 251 that contacts the outer surface of the thermistor 7 corresponds to the shape of the outer surface of thermistor 7 so as to come into surface contact with the thermistor 7. The distance between the two claws 251 is smaller than the dimension of the portion of thermistor 7 that is inserted between the two claws 251. As a result, when the thermistor 7 is inserted between the two claws 251, the claw 251 elastically deforms. The thermistor 7 is held by the elastic force of the elastically deformed claw 251.

[0037] As shown in Figures 5, 7 and 9, right side plate portion 22D is integrally formed with support portion 26 that supports the thermistor 7 inserted into holding portion 25 from the lower side (-Z side). Support portion 26 is located below holding portion 25. The tip end of the thermistor 7 inserted into holding portion 25 in the insertion direction comes into contact with support portion 26. Support portion 26 in this embodiment is formed by handhold portion 224 of right side plate portion 22D described above. Therefore, ventilation hole 225 of handhold portion 224 is located near the thermistor 7 inserted into holding portion 25.

[0038] According to the present embodiment, holding portion 25 that holds the thermistor 7 is integrally formed with right side plate portion 22D of housing 2. This makes it possible to reduce the number of parts of outdoor unit 1 required for attaching the thermistor 7 to housing 2. This makes it possible to reduce the number of steps in assembling outdoor unit 1 and improve assembly workability.

[0039] Furthermore, by forming the retaining portion 25 integrally with the right side plate portion 22D, it is possible to reduce the positional error of thermistor 7 relative to the right side plate portion 22D. In other words, it is easy to perform accurate positioning of thermistor 7. This makes it possible to more reliably and correctly control the operation of the outdoor unit 1 to prevent condensation from occurring.

[0040] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the holding portion 25 is configured so that the thermistor 7 is inserted in a direction that slopes downward from the inside to the outside of the right side plate portion 22D in the horizontal direction. This makes it possible to reduce the load on the lead wires 71, which extend from the rear side in the insertion direction of the thermistor 7, while preventing them from interfering with the top plate portion 23 of the housing 2. This point will be described below.

[0041] 9, the lead wire 71 extends from the rear side of the thermistor 7 in the opposite direction to the insertion direction of the thermistor 7. Therefore, when the thermistor 7 is inserted downward (-Z direction), the lead wire 71 extends upward (+Z direction) from the thermistor 7, and interferes with the top plate 23 of the housing 2. In order to avoid interference between the lead wire 71 and the top plate 23, the angle at which the lead wire 71 is curved needs to be large, for example, 90 degrees. In this case, the load on the lead wire 71 increases. In contrast, when the insertion direction of the thermistor 7 is inclined with respect to the up-down direction Z, it is possible to prevent the lead wire 71 from interfering with the top plate portion 23 of the housing 2. Also, in order to avoid interference between the lead wire 71 and the top plate portion 23, the angle at which the lead wire 71 is bent can be kept small. Therefore, the load on the lead wire 71 can be reduced.

[0042] Furthermore, since the insertion direction of thermistor 7 into holding portion 25 is a direction that slopes downward from the inside to the outside of right side plate portion 22D in the horizontal direction, even if heat exchanger 3 is disposed close to holding portion 25 in the horizontal direction, it is possible to prevent insertion of thermistor 7 into holding portion 25 from being hindered by heat exchanger 3. This point will be described below.

[0043] When the retaining portion 25 is located horizontally between the inside of the right side plate portion 22D and the heat exchanger 3 and is located horizontally close to the heat exchanger 3, it is difficult to insert the thermistor 7 horizontally from the inside to the outside of the right side plate portion 22D into the retaining portion 25. In contrast, as shown in Fig. 9, when the insertion direction of the thermistor 7 is inclined upward (towards +Z) with respect to the horizontal direction, it is possible to prevent the insertion of thermistor 7 into the retaining portion 25 from being hindered by the heat exchanger 3.

[0044] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the position of the thermistor 7 in the insertion direction of thermistor 7 can be determined by support portion 26, which supports thermistor 7 from below after it is inserted into holding portion 25. Support portion 26 is molded integrally with right side plate portion 22D, just like holding portion 25. This effectively prevents errors from occurring in the position of thermistor 7 in the insertion direction of thermistor 7. This makes it easy to accurately position the thermistor 7.

[0045] Moreover, according to the present embodiment, the support portion 26 is configured by the handgrip 224 formed by being recessed from the outside of the right side plate portion 22D. That is, the support portion 26 also serves as the handgrip 224. This allows the shape of the right side plate portion 22D to be simplified compared to a case in which the support portion 26 is configured separately from the handgrip 224.

[0046] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, vent 225 is formed in handle portion 224 forming support portion 26. Also, vent 223 is formed in right side plate portion 22D. Outside air can be drawn into the inside of housing 2 through vents 223, 225. And vent 225 of handle portion 224 is located near thermistor 7 supported by handle portion 224. Therefore, even if the thermistor 7 held by holding portion 25 is located inside housing 2, the temperature of the outside air can be measured more accurately by thermistor 7.

[0047] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, holding portion 25 has claw portions 251 that sandwich thermistor 7. Therefore, the thermistor 7 can be stably held by the elastic force of claw portions 251 that are elastically bent and deformed.

[0048] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and the following configurations and methods may also be adopted.

[0049] The retaining portion is not limited to being formed on the right side plate portion, but may be formed integrally with, for example, any of the front, rear, and left side plate portions, in which case the front, rear, and left side plate portions may be made of resin.

[0050] The outdoor unit may be an outdoor unit of a refrigeration cycle device other than an air conditioner, such as a heat pump water heater.

[0051] The configurations described in this specification can be combined as appropriate within the scope of not being mutually contradictory. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1...outdoor unit, 2...casing, 21...base, 22...side plate portion, 22D...right side plate portion, 223...ventilation port, 224...handle portion, 225...ventilation port, 23...top plate portion, 25...holding portion, 251...claw portion, 26...support portion, 3...heat exchanger, 7...thermistor, Y...left-right direction (horizontal direction)

Claims

1. A heat exchanger; A housing that houses the heat exchanger, The housing includes a base on which the heat exchanger is placed and a side plate portion extending upward from the base, The side plate portion is made of resin, A holding portion for holding a thermistor is integrally formed with the side plate portion, The holding portion is configured so that the thermistor is inserted in a direction that slopes downward from the inside to the outside of the side plate portion in the horizontal direction.

2. The outdoor unit according to claim 1 , wherein the side plate portion is integrally formed with a support portion that is located below the holding portion and supports from below the thermistor inserted into the holding portion.

3. The outdoor unit according to claim 2 , wherein the support portion is configured as a handle portion for carrying that is recessed from an outer side of the side plate portion.

4. The outdoor unit according to claim 3 , wherein the handle portion is formed with a vent hole passing through the inside and outside of the housing.

5. The outdoor unit according to claim 1 , wherein the side plate portion is formed with a vent hole penetrating from the inside to the outside of the housing.

6. The outdoor unit according to claim 1 , wherein the holding portion has claw portions that are elastically deformed to sandwich the thermistor.

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