Wiring protection structure and indoor unit of air conditioner

Abstract

This wiring protection structure in an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to one embodiment comprises a protective member that protects a wire connecting a rotary mechanism that rotates about a predetermined central axis and a non-rotating mechanism that does not shift with respect to the rotary mechanism, and that allows the wire to pass inside. The protective member is provided with a wiring portion and a folding-back portion. The wiring portion defines a wiring space for the wire, which is set to a diameter dimension larger than that of the wire. The folding-back portion folds the wiring portion in such a manner that the folded position of the wiring portion can be displaced in the rotation direction of the rotary mechanism.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a structure (wire protection structure) that protects wiring connecting a rotating mechanism and a non-rotating mechanism that does not move relative to the rotating mechanism, and an indoor unit of an air conditioner equipped with the wire protection structure. [Background technology]

[0002] In general, an indoor unit of an air conditioner includes an air inlet, an air outlet, an outlet cover that covers the outer casing of the outlet, a heat exchanger, a fan that generates an airflow that runs from the air inlet through the heat exchanger to the outlet, and a housing that houses the heat exchanger. The outlet is provided with a louver that deflects the airflow (hereinafter referred to as outlet wind) that is temperature-adjusted by the heat exchanger and blown out into the indoor space to be air-conditioned. In order to distribute the outlet wind throughout the indoor space and efficiently adjust the indoor temperature, the louver is configured with multiple wind direction plates. These wind direction plates can be deflected by rotating around a rotation axis by a drive mechanism.

[0003] In addition to deflecting the airflow direction, by rotating and displacing the airflow direction and its rotation axis in the circumferential direction around the central axis of the air outlet, it is possible to distribute the airflow more evenly throughout the indoor space and adjust the indoor temperature more efficiently. For example, if the rotating unit including the air outlet and the airflow direction is rotatable relative to the housing and the air outlet cover of the indoor unit, the wiring connected to the driving mechanism of the airflow direction is arranged in the space between the rotating unit and the air outlet cover, connecting between the housing and the rotating unit. The wiring can be, for example, a lead wire of the motor, a signal wire or a power wire of the control board, etc., and the number of wires is not important.

[0004] On the other hand, the rotating unit is a rotating mechanism that rotates relative to the air outlet cover, and the air outlet cover is a member that is attached to the housing and does not move (a component of a non-rotating mechanism relative to the rotating mechanism). Therefore, when the rotating unit rotates, the wiring between the rotating unit and the air outlet cover may become disoriented and may come off from its original wiring position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2017 / 142026 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a wiring protection structure that suppresses wiring disturbance between a rotating mechanism and a non-rotating mechanism and protects the wiring connecting these components, and an indoor unit of an air conditioner that is equipped with such a wiring protection structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The wiring protection structure for an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to one embodiment includes a rotation mechanism that rotates around a predetermined central axis and a non-rotation mechanism that does not move relative to the rotation mechanism. and the rotating mechanism and the non-rotating mechanism. The wiring that connects A protective member is provided to pass through the inside of the Protect the wiring. The non-rotating mechanism includes a housing that houses a heat exchanger and a first cylindrical member that constitutes a flow path through which the airflow of the air that has been heat exchanged by the heat exchanger passes. The rotating mechanism includes a rotating unit that has an air outlet that blows the airflow into an indoor space and an air deflector that adjusts the inclination of the airflow blown out from the air outlet, and rotates relative to the housing around the central axis of the air outlet. The rotating unit has a second cylindrical member that rotates relative to the first cylindrical member. The second cylindrical member, together with the first cylindrical member, constitutes a flow path through which the airflow passes, and has the air outlet at a tip side in the direction in which the airflow passes. The first cylindrical member and the second cylindrical member are connected by a holding member so that the second cylindrical member can rotate relative to the first cylindrical member, and the outer peripheral surface side of the first cylindrical member and the outer peripheral surface side of the second cylindrical member are covered by a cylindrical air outlet cover. The rotating unit rotates relative to the air outlet cover inside the air outlet cover. The protective member includes a wiring portion and a folded portion. The wiring connecting the rotating unit and the holding member is protected. The wiring portion defines a wiring space for the wiring that is set to a dimension across the wiring that is larger than a dimension across the wiring. The folding portion folds the wiring portion so that a folding position of the wiring portion can be displaced in a rotation direction of the rotation mechanism. The folding portion is configured to bend in a direction that intersects both a circumferential direction and a radial direction with respect to the predetermined central axis. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an indoor unit according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the indoor unit taken along line II-II in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the indoor unit taken along line III-III in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the indoor unit with the air outlet cover removed. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 4, illustrating the wiring protection structure. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a coil spring (a helical spring) which is an example of a protective member in a wire protection structure. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of a movable guide member of the guide member. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of a fixed side guide member of the guide member. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a schematic diagram of a wiring protection structure according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of an element part (link) of a chain, which is an example of a protective member in a wire protection structure. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view of an element part (link) of a chain, which is an example of a protective member in a wire protection structure. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic plan view showing a state in which a series of links are connected to form a chain. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a plan view that shows a schematic configuration in which the rotation angle of two connected pieces is minimum. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a plan view that shows a schematic configuration in which the rotation angle of two connected pieces is at its maximum. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Several embodiments will now be described with reference to the drawings. [First embodiment] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an indoor unit 1 according to a first embodiment. This indoor unit 1 is connected to an outdoor unit including a compressor that compresses a refrigerant and an outdoor heat exchanger through refrigerant piping. The indoor unit 1, the outdoor unit, the refrigerant piping, and the like constitute an air conditioner equipped with a refrigeration cycle. The air conditioner is capable of switching between cooling operation and heating operation, for example. However, the air conditioner may be capable of only performing cooling operation or heating operation.

[0010] In this embodiment, the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are defined as shown in Fig. 1. The X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are perpendicular to each other. The Z direction is parallel to the vertical direction. In the following description, the Z direction may be referred to as the upward direction, the opposite direction as the downward direction, and the Y direction as the forward direction.

[0011] The indoor unit 1 includes a housing 2 and an air outlet unit 4 having an air outlet 3 at its tip. The housing 2 includes a front panel 20, a front cover 21 arranged above the front panel 20, a back panel 22 facing the front panel 20 and the front cover 21, a pair of side panels 23 and 24 facing each other, a bottom panel 25, and an upper panel 26 facing the bottom panel 25. The indoor unit 1 may be installed alone, or may be installed in a state where multiple layers are stacked in the Z direction by connecting the back panel 22 to a frame arranged along a pillar or wall of a building. Also, multiple indoor units 1 may be arranged side by side in the X direction, or may be installed at positions separated from each other.

[0012] The front plate 20, the front cover 21, and the rear plate 22 are parallel to the XZ plane defined by the X and Z directions. The side plates 23, 24 are parallel to the YZ plane defined by the Y and Z directions. The bottom plate 25 and the top plate 26 are parallel to the XY plane defined by the X and Y directions. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the housing 2 is a flat rectangular parallelepiped whose width in the Y direction is sufficiently smaller than its widths in the X and Z directions. However, the shape of the housing 2 is not limited to this example.

[0013] The front cover 21 is disposed between the front plate 20 and the top plate 26 in the Z direction. The front cover 21 is attached to the front plate 20 with screws 211. For example, a pair of claws are provided on the rear surface of the front cover 21, and these claws are hooked into mounting holes provided in the side plates 23, 24. In this structure, the front cover 21 can be attached and detached to other parts of the housing 2 by removing the screws 211. Note that the structure for making the front cover 21 detachable is not limited to the one exemplified here.

[0014] The air outlet unit 4 includes a cylindrical cover (hereinafter, referred to as an air outlet cover) 40 tapering toward the air outlet 3. The air outlet cover 40 covers the outer peripheral surface side of the first cylindrical member 92 and the second cylindrical member 31 described later, protects the components of the air outlet unit 4 including the air outlet 3 (such as the rectifying plate 94, the first cylindrical member 92, and the second cylindrical member 31 described later), and improves the design of the appearance. The air outlet cover 40 is attached to the front plate 20 by at least the screw 41. As a result, the air outlet cover 40, together with the housing 2, constitutes a non-rotating mechanism that does not move with respect to the rotating unit 30 (rotating mechanism) described later. In the example shown in FIG. 1, a recess 42 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the air outlet cover 40, and the screw 41 is inserted into a through hole in the end face of the recess 42 on the housing 2 side. The contour line of the air outlet cover 40 is curved.

[0015] The air outlet unit 4 further includes a louver 5 provided at the air outlet 3. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the louver 5 is configured with three rotatable air direction plates 51, 52, and 53. The number of air direction plates is not limited to three, and the louver 5 may be configured with two or less or four or more air direction plates. The air direction plates 51, 52, and 53 adjust the inclination of the airflow blown out from the air outlet 3.

[0016] Figures 2 to 4 show a schematic configuration of the indoor unit 1. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of the indoor unit 1 with the air outlet cover 40 removed. 2 and 3, a heat exchanger 6 is disposed inside the housing 2. The heat exchanger 6 includes a plurality of heat transfer tubes 60 extending in the X direction, and a plurality of fins 61 connected to the heat transfer tubes 60. As shown in FIG. 2, the plurality of fins 61 have a shape elongated in the Z direction, and are arranged at intervals in the X direction.

[0017] The back panel 22 is provided with connection ports 62, 63 for refrigerant piping for connection to an outdoor unit, and an inlet port 27 facing the heat exchanger 6. For example, the connection port 62 is connected to an inlet of a flow path formed by each heat transfer tube 60, and the connection port 63 is connected to an outlet of the flow path.

[0018] A drain pan 64 for receiving condensation water generated in the heat exchanger 6 is disposed below the heat exchanger 6. The condensation water accumulated in the drain pan 64 is discharged to the outside of the housing 2 through a pipe (not shown).

[0019] A mounting plate 70 parallel to the XZ plane is disposed above the heat exchanger 6. The mounting plate 70 faces the front cover 21 and the back plate 22. A partition plate 71 parallel to the XY plane is connected to the lower end of the mounting plate 70. A heat insulating material 65 is disposed between the partition plate 71 and the heat exchanger 6. The mounting plate 70 and the partition plate 71 may be integrally formed by bending a single plate material into an L-shape, or may be separate plate materials. The mounting plate 70, the partition plate 71, the front cover 21, and the top plate 26 form a space S1 for accommodating the control unit 8.

[0020] The control unit 8 includes a control board 80 and various electronic components 81. The control board 80 is attached to the mounting plate 70. The electronic components 81 are mounted on one side of the control board 80 that faces the front cover 21. The control unit 8 is connected to communication lines for communicating with a remote controller, an outdoor unit, other indoor units, etc., installed outside the indoor unit 1, and a power line. These communication lines and power lines extend to the outside of the indoor unit 1 through an insertion port provided in the back panel 22, for example.

[0021] The front panel 20 has an opening 29 that overlaps with the heat exchanger 6 in the Y direction. A fan 9 is disposed inside the air outlet cover 40, facing the heat exchanger 6 through the opening 29. The fan 9 generates an airflow whose temperature has been adjusted by heat exchange in the heat exchanger 6. The fan 9 is, for example, an axial flow fan, and includes a fan motor 90 and a plurality of blades 91 that rotate about an axis AX by the fan motor 90. In this embodiment, the axis AX is parallel to the Y direction.

[0022] The fan 9 is disposed inside a first cylindrical member 92 coaxial with the axis AX. The first cylindrical member 92 is fixed to the housing 2, and surrounds the opening 29 outside the housing 2 and inside the air outlet cover 40. At least a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the first cylindrical member 92 is covered with a heat insulating material 93.

[0023] The louver 5 is disposed at an end of the second cylindrical member 31 coaxial with the axis AX. The air deflectors 51, 52, and 53 of the louver 5 are rotated by a drive mechanism 33 including a motor 34 (hereinafter referred to as a louver drive mechanism).

[0024] At least a portion of the outer circumferential surface 31a of the second cylindrical member 31 is covered with a heat insulating material 32. The air outlet 3 corresponds to an opening on the tip side of the second cylindrical member 31. In the example shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the center of the air outlet 3 is on the axis AX (the central axis of the air outlet 3 coincides with the axis AX).

[0025] 3 and 4, a louver drive mechanism 33 is provided on the outer circumferential surface 31a of the second cylindrical member 31. The louver drive mechanism 33 includes gears for changing the angle of the airflow direction vanes 51, 52, 53 by the driving force of a motor 34, and rotates the airflow direction vanes 51, 52, 53 to a predetermined inclination. The motor 34 is connected to a control board 80 by a predetermined wiring (a motor lead wire).

[0026] The louver 5, the second cylindrical member 31, the heat insulating material 32, the louver drive mechanism 33, and the motor 34 constitute the rotating unit 30. The rotating unit 30 is held by the holding member 10 so as to be rotatable around the axis AX. In this embodiment, the axis AX is the central axis when the rotating unit 30 rotates. The rotating unit 30 rotates within a range of 180° around the axis AX. The rotatable range is within a range of 180° around the axis AX from a state in which the rotating unit 30 is positioned so that the rotation axes of the air deflectors 51, 52, 52 are horizontal (parallel to the XY plane) (the state shown in FIG. 4; hereinafter, referred to as the reference state). In other words, the rotating unit 30 rotates within a range in which the top and bottom are reversed from the reference state. However, the rotatable range is not limited to this range.

[0027] Specifically, the holding member 10 connects the second cylindrical member 31 to the first cylindrical member 92 so that the second cylindrical member 31 can rotate relative to the first cylindrical member 92. The holding member 10 includes a motor 11. The motor 11, for example, meshes a gear provided at the end of the second cylindrical member 31 with a gear of a rotating shaft to feed the second cylindrical member 31 in a circumferential direction centered on the axis AX. This causes the second cylindrical member 31 to rotate relative to the first cylindrical member 92. The second cylindrical member 31 may be manually rotatable. In this case, for example, three gears may be arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction centered on the axis AX and meshed with the gears to support the second cylindrical member 31 rotatably relative to the first cylindrical member 92. When rotating the rotating unit 30, the protrusion 311 is pinched and the rotating unit 30 is rotated by a desired amount in the circumferential direction centered on the axis AX. The protrusion 311 is an input portion provided on the periphery of the air outlet 3 of the second cylindrical member 31 and to which a force for rotating the rotating unit 30 is applied, and functions as a handle.

[0028] The first cylindrical member 92 and the second cylindrical member 31 configure the air passage AD. The air passage AD is a flow path through which the air that has been heat exchanged (temperature-adjusted) by the heat exchanger 6 passes as an airflow by the rotation of the fan 9. The central axis of the air passage AD coincides with the axis AX. In the air passage AD, a straightening plate 94 is disposed between the fan 9 and the louver 5. The straightening plate 94 is supported by the first cylindrical member 92, and straightens out the turbulent airflow generated by the fan 9 so that it is approximately parallel to the axis AX. The straightening plate 94 has, for example, a honeycomb structure in which a large number of hexagonal openings are arranged, but is not limited to this example. The first cylindrical member 92, the second cylindrical member 31, and the straightening plate 94 are included in the components of the air outlet unit 4.

[0029] When fan 9 rotates, an airflow is generated which passes through air inlet 27, heat exchanger 6, air straightening vane 94, and air outlet 3 in that order. During cooling operation, heat exchanger 6 functions as an evaporator, and the air sucked in through air inlet 27 is cooled. During heating operation, heat exchanger 6 functions as a condenser, and the air sucked in through air inlet 27 is heated. The temperature-controlled airflow is straightened by air straightening vane 94, and is blown out of air outlet 3 into the indoor space in a direction according to the angles of air direction vanes 51, 52, and 53 of louver 5.

[0030] The control unit 8 controls the rotation speed of the fan 9 based on information input from the outside and the intake temperature and exhaust temperature detected by a temperature sensor equipped in the indoor unit 1. The control unit 8 also controls the holding member 10 and the louver 5 based on wind direction setting information input from the outside. By rotating the rotating unit 30 with the holding member 10 and changing the angle of the wind direction plates 51, 52, and 53 of the louver 5, it becomes possible to blow air in various directions.

[0031] Next, a wiring protection structure that protects the wiring connecting between the rotating unit 30 and the holding member 10 will be described. In the indoor unit 1, the rotating unit 30 is a rotating mechanism that rotates around an axis AX. The holding member 10 is fixed to the housing 2 via a first cylindrical member 92, and is one of the components of a non-rotating mechanism that does not move relative to the rotating unit 30. A lead wire 1a (see FIG. 6) that connects the motor 34 and the control board 80 is a wiring that connects between the rotating unit 30 and the holding member 10.

[0032] Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 4, and shows a schematic diagram of the wire protection structure 100. The wire protection structure 100 includes a protection member 101 that protects the lead wire 1a by passing it therethrough, and a guide member 102 that holds the protection member 101. The protective member 101 is a member that continues from one end to the other end along the wiring path of the lead wire 1a, and has a wiring portion 1b and a folded portion 1c. FIG. 6 shows the protective member 101 in a schematic manner. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the protective member 101 is a coil spring (helical spring) 103. The coil spring 103 is formed by winding a wire, for example, a metal wire 300, and continues in a spiral shape from one end 103a to the other end 103b, and is capable of elastic deformation such as bending and stretching. The metal wire 300 has strength (rigidity) and durability that can protect the lead wire 1a wired in the internal space wound in a spiral shape when the rotating unit 30 rotates. As long as it has such strength (rigidity) and durability, the wire of the coil spring 103 may be made of resin or the like.

[0033] The wiring portion 1b is a portion that defines a space (wiring space) through which the wiring passes in the protective member 101. In the coil spring 103, the portion in which the metal wire 300 is wound in a spiral shape to form a continuous internal space, in short, the spirally wound metal wire 300 corresponds to the wiring portion 1b. The lead wire 1a is wired through the wiring portion 1b, that is, the internal space (wiring space) defined by the spirally wound metal wire 300. Therefore, when the coil spring 103 elastically deforms, the lead wire 1a wired to the wiring portion 1b also changes to an equivalent shape accordingly. Specifically, the folding position of the lead wire 1a changes.

[0034] The wiring portion 1b defines an internal space with a dimension across (for example, an inner diameter) larger than the dimension across (for example, an outer diameter) of the lead wire 1a. In other words, the coil spring 103 has a predetermined gap (play) between the lead wire 1a passing through the wiring portion 1b and the metal wire 300 wound in a spiral shape corresponding to the wiring portion 1b. Therefore, the lead wire 1a wired in the wiring space of the wiring portion 1b is not in close contact with the metal wire 300 and can be relatively displaced within the wiring space.

[0035] The folded portion 1c is a portion where the wiring portion 1b is bent and folded back in the coil spring 103. The lead wire 1a is folded back at the folded portion 1c and wired in the internal space of the wiring portion 1b. The folded portion 1c folds back the wiring portion 1b so that the folding position of the wiring portion 1b can be displaced in the rotation direction of the rotating unit 30. The rotation direction of the rotating unit 30 is the direction in which the rotating unit 30 rotates with respect to the air outlet cover 40, and corresponds to the circumferential direction centered on the axis AX (hereinafter simply referred to as the rotation direction).

[0036] In this embodiment, the metal wire 300 is elastically deformed, so that the folded-back portion 1c displaces the folded-back position of the wiring portion 1b in the rotation direction. The folded-back portion 1c displaces the folded-back position of the wiring portion 1b between a position before one end 103a of the coil spring 103 (specifically, the wiring portion 1b) and a position before the other end 103b. In other words, the wiring portion 1b has a length such that at the starting point of the rotation distance (rotatable range) of the rotating unit 30, the one end 103a is located before the folded-back portion 1c in the rotation direction, and at the end point of the rotation distance, the other end 103b is located before the folded-back portion 1c in the rotation direction.

[0037] The guide member 102 holds the wiring portion 1b and determines the displacement direction of the folded-back portion 1c, in other words, the folded-back position of the wiring portion 1b. That is, the wiring portion 1b is held in its posture within the range of the guide member 102, and the folded-back position is determined. The displacement direction of the folded-back portion 1c is approximately the same as the rotation direction. In this embodiment, the guide members 102 are provided in pairs on the rotating unit 30 and the holding member 10, respectively.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 5, one guide member 102 is a guide member on the rotating side (hereinafter referred to as movable-side guide member 2a) provided on the rotating unit 30. The movable-side guide member 2a fixes one end 103a of the wiring portion 1b. In contrast, the other guide member 102 is a guide member on the non-rotating side (hereinafter referred to as fixed-side guide member 2b) provided on the holding member 10 and does not move with respect to the movable-side guide member 2a. In other words, the fixed-side guide member 2b is provided on a part of the holding member 10, and the holding member 10 is configured to also serve as the fixed-side guide member 2b. The fixed-side guide member 2b fixes the other end 103b of the wiring portion 1b.

[0039] FIG. 7 shows a schematic configuration of the movable guide member 2a. As shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 5, and FIG. 7, the movable guide member 2a is an arc-shaped member along the rotation direction, and is provided on the outer periphery side of the heat insulating material 32 that covers the outer periphery of the second cylindrical member 31. In the example shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the movable guide member 2a is disposed over almost the upper half of the second cylindrical member 31. The movable guide member 2a holds the wiring part 1b (in short, the coil spring 103) along the holding surface 21a and the holding walls 22a and 23a. The holding surface 21a is a curved surface that is curved in a concave shape with a curvature almost equal to the curvature of the spiral of the metal wire 300 that is wound in a spiral shape. The holding wall 22a stands up from the inner peripheral edge of the holding surface 21a, and the holding wall 23a stands up from the outer peripheral edge of the holding surface 21a and faces the holding wall 22a. The peripheral surfaces of the holding walls 22a, 23a are flat, but may be concavely curved with a curvature substantially equal to the curvature of the spiral of the spirally wound metal wire 300. In the movable-side guide member 2a, the space surrounded by the holding surface 21a and the holding walls 22a, 23a defines the holding space for the wiring portion 1b. A part of the holding space (the portion facing the fixed-side guide member 2b, hereinafter referred to as the open portion 24a) is open.

[0040] Both ends of the movable-side guide member 2a are provided with fixed portions 25a and 26a for connection to the second cylindrical member 31. The fixed portion 25a fixes one end of the movable-side guide member 2a to the second cylindrical member 31, and the fixed portion 26a fixes the other end of the movable-side guide member 2a to the second cylindrical member 31. The fixed portion 25a also fixes one end 103a of the wiring portion 1b. The other end 103b of the wiring portion 1b extends from the open portion 24a to the outside of the movable-side guide member 2a.

[0041] A plurality of ribs 27a are provided at predetermined intervals at several points in the circumferential direction on the holding surface 21a and the holding walls 22a and 23a. The ribs 27a are projections (stripe) that rise up and continue from the holding surface 21a and the holding walls 22a and 23a in a direction intersecting the rotation direction. The ribs 27a are engageable with a metal wire 300 wound in a spiral shape. Therefore, when the rotating unit 30 rotates, the ribs 27a sequentially engage with the metal wire 300 and function as a slip prevention for the wiring portion 1b (in short, the coil spring 103) in the movable side guide member 2a. In the example shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the holding surface 21a has an opening 28a in a part thereof, but the opening 28a can be omitted.

[0042] Fig. 8 shows a schematic configuration of the fixed-side guide member 2b. As described above, in this embodiment, the fixed-side guide member 2b is provided in a part of the holding member 10, and the holding member 10 is configured to also serve as the fixed-side guide member 2b. As shown in Figs. 2, 5 and 8, the holding member 10 is an annular member aligned along the rotation direction.

[0043] The fixed-side guide member 2b is provided over approximately the upper half of the front surface of the holding member 10. As a result, in the standard state shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the fixed-side guide member 2b partially overlaps the movable-side guide member 2a when viewed from the front. That is, in the rotatable range of the rotation unit 30 in the rotation direction, the fixed-side guide member 2b is disposed so that at least a portion of it can face the movable-side guide member 2a. In the example shown in Fig. 8, the fixed-side guide member 2b is divided into two structures, but it may be one continuous structure or may be divided into three or more structures.

[0044] The fixed-side guide member 2b holds the wiring portion 1b (specifically, the coil spring 103) along the holding surface 21b and the holding walls 22b and 23b. The holding surface 21b is a flat surface, but may be a curved surface that is concavely curved with a curvature substantially equal to the curvature of the spiral of the metal wire 300 wound in a spiral shape. The holding wall 22b stands up from the inner peripheral edge of the holding surface 21b, and the holding wall 23b stands up from the outer peripheral edge of the holding surface 21b and faces the holding wall 22b. The peripheral surfaces of the holding walls 22b and 23b are flat surfaces, but may be concavely curved with a curvature substantially equal to the curvature of the spiral of the metal wire 300 wound in a spiral shape. In the fixed-side guide member 2b, a space surrounded by the holding surface 21b and the holding walls 22b and 23b defines a holding space for the wiring portion 1b. A part of the holding space (a portion facing the movable guide member 2a, hereinafter referred to as an open portion 24b) is open.

[0045] The fixed guide member 2b has a fixing portion 25b on one end side. The fixing portion 25b fixes the other end 103b of the wiring portion 1b. The one end 103a of the wiring portion 1b extends from the open portion 24b to the outside of the fixed guide member 2b.

[0046] A plurality of ribs 26b are provided at predetermined intervals at several locations in the circumferential direction on the holding surface 21b and the holding walls 22b, 23b. The ribs 26b are continuous protrusions (stripe) that rise from the holding surface 21b and the holding walls 22b, 23b in a direction intersecting with the rotation direction. The ribs 26b are engageable with a metal wire 300 that is wound in a spiral shape. Therefore, when the rotating unit 30 rotates, the ribs 26b engage with the metal wire 300 and function as a slip prevention for the wiring portion 1b (simply, the coil spring 103) in the movable-side guide member 2a.

[0047] Thus, according to this embodiment, one end 103a of the coil spring 103 is fixed to the movable-side guide member 2a, and the other end 103b is fixed to the fixed-side guide member 2b. Therefore, when the rotating unit 30 rotates, the coil spring 103 elastically deforms in response to the rotation of the rotating unit 30. At this time, the wiring portion 1b freely bends and expands and contracts while being held by the guide member 102 (the movable-side guide member 2a and the fixed-side guide member 2b), and the folded-back portion 1c is displaced along the rotation direction.

[0048] According to the bending and expansion of the wiring portion 1b and the displacement of the folded portion 1c, the lead wire 1a also changes to a shape equivalent to that of the wiring portion 1b and is folded back at the position of the folded portion 1c. That is, even when the rotating unit 30 rotates, the lead wire 1a is wired in the internal space defined by the wiring portion 1b, i.e., the metal wire 300 wound in a spiral shape, and does not come out of the internal space. Therefore, when the rotating unit 30 rotates, it is possible to prevent the position of the lead wire 1a from becoming unstable between the rotating unit 30 and the holding member 10.

[0049] In addition, since the lead wire 1a is folded back at the position of the folded back portion 1c which is displaced along the rotation direction, the folding back position, i.e., the bending position, of the lead wire 1a can be changed sequentially. Therefore, the bending positions of the lead wire 1a do not have to be concentrated at a specific point, and problems such as breakage of the lead wire 1a can be suppressed.

[0050] That is, the lead wire 1a connecting the rotating unit 30 and the holding member 10 is prevented from moving about between them when the rotating unit 30 rotates, and the lead wire 1a can be wired in a desired shape within a desired range. Therefore, the lead wire 1a can be appropriately protected.

[0051] In addition, the movable guide member 2a is provided with a rib 27a, and the fixed guide member 2b is provided with a rib 26b. Therefore, even if the wiring portion 1b is bent or expanded when the rotating unit 30 rotates, the ribs 27a and 26b can be sequentially engaged with the metal wire 300. This prevents the wiring portion 1b from slipping on the guide member 102 (the movable guide member 2a and the fixed guide member 2b), and the wiring portion 1b can be reliably held by the guide members 2a and 2b. Therefore, for example, when the rotating unit 30 rotates, it is possible to prevent the coil spring 103 from falling off the guide members 2a and 2b.

[0052] Furthermore, by configuring the wire protection structure 100 using the coil spring 103 and the guide members 2a and 2b, the wire protection structure 100 can have a simple configuration with a small number of parts, and costs can also be reduced.

[0053] As described above, in the wire protection structure 100 of the present embodiment, the protection member 101 is the coil spring 103, but the protection member 101 is not limited to the coil spring 103. Hereinafter, another embodiment of the protection member 101 will be referred to as the second embodiment. This will be explained as an example.

[0054] [Second embodiment] 9 shows a schematic diagram of a wire protection structure 200 according to a second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the basic configuration of the indoor unit other than the wire protection structure 200 is similar to that of the first embodiment (FIGS. 1 to 8). Therefore, the same reference numerals are used in the drawings to designate the same or similar configurations as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0055] As shown in Fig. 9, in the wire protection structure 200 of this embodiment, the protection member 101 is a chain 104. As will be described in detail later, because the range of motion of the chain 104 is limited, a member equivalent to the guide member 102 (Figs. 7 and 8) is omitted in the wire protection structure 200. However, the wire protection structure 200 may include a predetermined member that holds the chain 104 and determines its folding back position.

[0056] The chain 104 is formed by connecting a plurality of element parts (hereinafter referred to as links) 400. In the example shown in FIG. 9, these links 400 have the same shape. However, the chain may be formed by connecting several types of links with different shapes. In this embodiment, the links 400 are made of resin, but they may also be made of metal, etc. In either case, the links 400 are formed of a material having the strength (rigidity) and durability to protect the lead wire 1a wired in the internal space (part of the wiring section 1b) when the rotating unit 30 rotates, as described below.

[0057] Figures 10 and 11 show a schematic configuration of the top 400. Figure 10 is a perspective view, and Figure 11 is a plan view. As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the top 400 is configured to have seven plate-like pieces 401 to 407.

[0058] The first piece 401 and the second piece 402 each define an inner circumferential surface (curved surface) along the rotation direction of the top 400. The first piece 401 and the second piece 402 are curved pieces with different curvatures by the thickness (the height of the step portions 401a and 402a described later). The third piece 403 and the fourth piece 404 each define an outer circumferential surface (curved surface) along the rotation direction of the top 400. The third piece 403 and the fourth piece 404 are curved pieces with different curvatures by the thickness (the height of the step portions 403a and 404a described later). The curvatures of the third piece 403 and the fourth piece 404 are smaller than the curvatures of the first piece 401 and the second piece 402.

[0059] The first piece 401 and the third piece 403 face each other at a constant interval. The first piece 401 has a step portion 401a that narrows the facing distance between the first piece 401 and the third piece 403 by the thickness. The third piece 403 has a step portion 403a that narrows the facing distance between the first piece 401 and the third piece 403 by the thickness. The second piece 402 and the fourth piece 404 face each other at a constant interval that is narrower than the facing distance between the first piece 401 and the third piece 403. The second piece 402 has a step portion 402a that is raised by the thickness and continues to the step portion 401a. The fourth piece 404 has a step portion 404a that is raised by the thickness and continues to the step portion 403a. The first piece 401 and the second piece 402 are continuous via the step portions 401a and 402a. The third arm 403 and the fourth arm 404 are continuous with each other via steps 403a and 404a.

[0060] The fifth piece 405 and the sixth piece 406 each define a surface (flat surface) on one side of the top 400 in the Y direction (extension direction of the axis AX). The fifth piece 405 is bridged between the first piece 401 and the third piece 403. The sixth piece 406 is bridged between the second piece 402 and the fourth piece 404. The seventh piece 407 defines a surface (flat surface) on the other side of the top 400 in the Y direction. The seventh piece 407 is bridged between the continuous portion between the first piece 401 and the second piece 402 and the continuous portion between the third piece 403 and the fourth piece 404. The fifth piece 405 and the sixth piece 406 face the seventh piece 407 at a fixed interval.

[0061] The first piece 401 has a through hole 401b, and the third piece 403 has a through hole 403b with the same diameter as the through hole 401b. As shown in FIG. 11, the through holes 401b and 403b are arranged so that a straight line L1 connecting their centers passes through a center point C. The center point C is an arbitrary point on the axis AX. The second piece 402 has an axis 402b, and the fourth piece 404 has an axis 404b with the same diameter as the axis 402b. As shown in FIG. 11, the axes 402b and 404b are arranged so that a straight line L2 connecting their centers passes through the center point C. In addition, the axes 402b and 404b have an axis diameter slightly smaller than the hole diameter of the through holes 401b and 403b so that they are inserted into the through holes 401b and 403b and supported rotatably. The length (height) of the shafts 402b, 404b corresponds to approximately the thickness of each piece 402, 404, and is approximately equal to the step (height) of the stepped portions 401a, 403a.

[0062] The first piece 401 has a curved portion 401c at one corner of the end opposite to the step portion 401a. The third piece 403 has a curved portion 403c at one corner of the end opposite to the step portion 403a. The curved portions 401c, 403c are curved with the same curvature along the periphery of the through holes 401b, 403b. The second piece 402 has a curved portion 402c at the end opposite to the step portion 402a. The fourth piece 404 has a curved portion 404c at the end opposite to the step portion 404a. The curved portions 402c, 404c are curved with the same curvature along the circumferential surface of the shafts 402b, 404b.

[0063] The links 400 having such a configuration are connected to each other by inserting the shafts 402b into the through holes 401b and the shafts 404b into the through holes 403b in order, as shown in FIG. 12. A series of chains 104 are formed by connecting a plurality of links 400. Each straight line L1 connecting the centers of the through holes 401b and 403b of each link 400 constituting the chain 104 and each straight line L2 connecting the centers of the shafts 402b and 404b intersect at the center point C. As a result, the chain 104 is formed continuously from one end 104a to the other end 104b in an arc shape along the rotation direction. One end 104a of the chain 104 is fixed to the second cylindrical member 31, and the other end 104b is fixed to the holding member 10. The fixing method may be any method, such as fixing via a fixing tool such as a screw or a bracket.

[0064] By connecting multiple links 400, a continuous internal space is formed, which is defined by the seven pieces 401-407 of each link 400. In the chain 104, the part where multiple links 400 are connected to form a continuous internal space, in short, the multiple connected links 400, corresponds to the wiring section 1b. The lead wire 1a is wired through the wiring section 1b, that is, the internal space (wiring space) of the multiple connected links 400 (in other words, the chain 104).

[0065] 13 and 14 show the connection state of the tops 400. In the illustrated example, the shaft 404b (402b) of one top 400b is inserted into the through hole 403b (401b) of the other top 400a. As a result, the tops 400a and 400b rotate relatively around the shaft 404b (402b). FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which the rotation angle of the two connected tops 400a and 400b is minimum. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a state in which the rotation angle of the two connected tops 400a and 400b is maximum. As an example, the rotation angle is the angle at which the other top 400b is inclined with respect to the one top 400a in the two connected tops 400a and 400b (angle θ as shown in FIG. 14).

[0066] That is, the two tops 400a, 400b rotate relatively between a minimum rotation angle position shown in Fig. 13 and a maximum rotation angle position shown in Fig. 14. In other words, the rotatable range of the two tops 400a, 400b is between the minimum rotation angle (θ is approximately 0°) shown in Fig. 13 and the maximum movable angle (θ is approximately 90°) shown in Fig. 14. Since the two tops 400a, 400b have the curved portion 403c (401c), the two tops 400a, 400b rotate in the rotatable range without interference between the end portion 403d (401d) of the top 400a and the step portion 404a (402a) of the top 400b. Furthermore, since the two pieces 400a, 400b have the curved portion 404c (402c), the two pieces 400a, 400b rotate within the rotatable range without interference between the step portion 403a (401a) of the piece 400a and the fourth piece 404 (second piece 402) of the piece 400b.

[0067] 13, the end 403d (401d) of the top 400a and the step portion 404a (402a) of the top 400b interfere with each other, preventing further rotation of the tops 400a and 400b. The end 403d (401d) is located on the opposite side of the third piece 403 (first piece 401) to the step portion 403a (401a), and is an end having a curved portion 403c (401a).

[0068] 14, the side portion 403e (401e) of the top 400a and the step portion 404a (402a) of the top 400b interfere with each other, preventing further rotation of the tops 400a and 400b. The side portion 403e (401e) is one of the two sides of the third piece 403 (first piece 401) that is continuous with the curved portion 403c (401a).

[0069] That is, the end portion 403d (401d), the side portion 403e (401e), and the step portion 404a (402a) are restricting portions that limit the relative rotation of the adjacent pieces 400a, 400b to a rotatable range.

[0070] Thus, according to this embodiment, the two adjacent pieces 400a, 400b connected to each other rotate relatively around the shaft 404b (402b), so that the internal space (part of the wiring section 1b) of the pieces 400a, 400b changes shape within the range of their rotatable range. That is, the wiring section 1b of the chain 104 formed by connecting a plurality of pieces 400 changes shape within the range where the rotatable ranges of the adjacent pieces 400 are successive in order. Therefore, when the rotating unit 30 rotates, the turn-back section 1c of the chain 104 is displaced along the rotation direction. In other words, the turn-back position of the wiring section 1b changes along the rotation direction. At this time, in response to the turn-back position of the wiring section 1b, that is, the displacement of the turn-back section 1c, the lead wire 1a also changes shape to be equivalent to the wiring section 1b (in short, the chain 104) and is turned back at the turn-back section 1c.

[0071] Therefore, even when the rotating unit 30 rotates, the lead wire 1a will not come out of the internal space because it is wired in the wiring portion 1b, that is, in the internal space of the connected pieces 400. Therefore, when the rotating unit 30 rotates, it is possible to prevent the position of the lead wire 1a from becoming unstable between the rotating unit 30 and the holding member 10.

[0072] At this time, the wiring portion 1b is deformable within a range in which the rotational ranges of adjacent links 400 are consecutive. Therefore, the deformable range of the wiring portion 1b, in short, the chain 104, can be limited within this range. This makes it possible to stop the wildness (repulsion) of the lead wire 1a within the deformable range of the chain 104. In other words, the lead wire 1a connecting the rotating unit 30 and the holding member 10 is prevented from wildly moving between them when the rotating unit 30 rotates, and the lead wire 1a can be wired in a desired form within a desired range. This makes it possible to appropriately protect the lead wire 1a.

[0073] In addition, the chain 104 is made up of multiple links 400 of the same shape linked together. Therefore, compared to a case where a chain is made up of several different types of links linked together, it is possible to reduce mold costs and the like, and the manufacturing costs of the chain 104 can also be suppressed.

[0074] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1...indoor unit, 1a...lead wire, 1b...wiring section, 1c...folded section, 2...housing, 2a...guide member (movable side guide member), 2b...guide member (fixed side guide member), 3...air outlet, 4...air outlet unit, 5...louver, 6...heat exchanger, 8...control section, 9...fan, 10...holding member, 21a, 21b...holding surface, 22a, 22b, 23a, 23b...holding wall, 24a, 24b...opening section, 25a, 25b, 26a...fixed section, 26b, 27a...rib, 28a...opening, 30...rotating unit, 31... Second tubular member, 32...insulating material, 33...louver drive mechanism, 34...motor, 40...air outlet cover, 51, 52, 53...air deflector, 90...fan motor, 91...blade, 92...first tubular member, 94...blade, 100, 200...wiring protection structure, 101...protective member, 102...guide member, 103...coil spring (spiral spring), 104...chain, 300...metal wire, 400, 400a, 400b...link, AD...air path, AX...axis, C...center point, L1, L2...straight line connecting the centers, θ...tilt angle.

Claims

1. A wiring protection structure comprising: a rotation mechanism that rotates around a predetermined central axis; a non-rotation mechanism that does not move relative to the rotation mechanism; and a protection member through which wiring connecting the rotation mechanism and the non-rotation mechanism passes, the protection member protecting the wiring, the non-rotating mechanism includes a housing that houses a heat exchanger, and a first cylindrical member that defines a flow path through which an airflow of air that has been heat exchanged in the heat exchanger passes; the rotating mechanism includes a rotating unit having an air outlet for blowing the airflow into an indoor space and an air direction plate for adjusting an inclination of the airflow blown out from the air outlet, the rotating unit rotating with respect to the housing around a central axis of the air outlet, the rotating unit has a second cylindrical member that rotates relative to the first cylindrical member, the second tubular member defines a flow path through which the airflow passes together with the first tubular member, and has the air outlet on a tip side in a direction in which the airflow passes, The first and second cylindrical members are connected by a holding member such that the second cylindrical member is rotatably connected to the first cylindrical member, and an outer peripheral surface side of the first cylindrical member and an outer peripheral surface side of the second cylindrical member are covered with a cylindrical air outlet cover, The rotating unit rotates relative to the air outlet cover inside the air outlet cover, the protective member includes a wiring portion that defines a wiring space for the wiring, the wiring space being set to a dimension across the wiring that is larger than a dimension across the wiring, and a folding portion that folds back the wiring portion so that a folding position of the wiring portion can be displaced in a rotation direction of the rotation mechanism, and protects the wiring that connects between the rotation unit and the holding member; The folded portion is configured to be bent in a direction intersecting both a circumferential direction and a radial direction with respect to the predetermined central axis. Wiring protection structure.

2. the rotating mechanism includes a movable guide member that holds the wiring portion and determines a folding position of the wiring portion, the non-rotating mechanism includes a fixed guide member that holds the wiring portion and determines a folding position of the wiring portion, The fixed guide member is disposed so that at least a portion of the fixed guide member faces the movable guide member in a rotatable range of the rotation mechanism. The wiring protection structure according to claim 1 .

3. The wiring portion is continuous from one end to the other end, the movable guide member fixes the one end of the wiring portion, The fixed guide member fixes the other end of the wiring portion. The wiring protection structure according to claim 2 .

4. The folded portion displaces a folded position of the wiring portion between a position in front of the one end of the wiring portion and a position in front of the other end of the wiring portion. The wiring protection structure according to claim 3 .

5. The movable guide member and the fixed guide member each have a protrusion that engages with the wiring portion in the rotation direction. The wiring protection structure according to claim 2 .

6. The protective member is a coil spring made of a wire wound in a spiral shape. The wiring protection structure according to claim 1 .

7. The protective member is configured by connecting a plurality of element parts having the same shape along the rotation direction. The wiring protection structure according to claim 1 .

8. The element parts are connected to each other so as to be rotatable relative to the adjacent element parts, and each element part has a restricting portion that restricts the relative rotation of the adjacent element parts to a predetermined range. The wiring protection structure according to claim 7 .

9. The wiring protection structure according to claim 1 , which protects the wiring, The rotating unit has a drive mechanism for changing the angle of the wind direction plate, The housing has a control unit that controls the drive mechanism, The wiring connects the drive mechanism and the control unit. Air conditioner indoor unit.

Images