Outdoor unit

Abstract

This outdoor unit comprises: a housing; a partition plate (6) that divides the interior of the housing into a blower room and a machine room; a mounting board (10) that has a first mounting surface (10a) with a first electric component (11) mounted thereon and a second mounting surface (10b) with a second electric component (13) mounted thereon, and is provided in the machine room in such a manner that the first mounting surface (10a) faces the partition plate (6); a heat sink (12) that is attached to the first electric component (11) and fixed to the partition plate (6); a holding sheet metal (16) that is provided at a position overlapping the second electric component (13) as viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first mounting surface (10a), fixed to the first mounting surface (10a), and also fixed to the heat sink (12) or partition plate (6); and a thermally conductive insulating material (14) that is provided at a position overlapping the second electric component (13) as viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first mounting surface (10a) and abuts on the first mounting surface (10a). The thermally conductive insulating material (14) is housed in a storage portion (16a) that is formed in the holding sheet metal (16).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an outdoor unit of an air conditioner.

[0002] The outdoor unit of an air conditioner houses a heat exchanger, a blower fan, an electrical equipment box, and a compressor inside a housing. The inside of the housing is generally divided into a blower chamber that houses the heat exchanger and the blower fan, and a machine chamber that houses the electrical equipment box that houses the electrical equipment unit and the compressor. The electrical equipment box houses the electrical equipment unit.

[0003] In the blower room, heat exchange takes place between the heat exchanger and the outside air drawn in by the blower fan. As the outside air is drawn into the blower room, dust and water also enter the room.

[0004] The machine room houses the electric equipment unit and compressor, which are sensitive to dust and moisture, and so it is necessary to protect the electric equipment unit and compressor from dust and moisture. The machine room is an enclosed space separated from the blower room by a partition to prevent the intrusion of dust and water.

[0005] The electric equipment unit is equipped with an inverter circuit to control the power and the compressor. Some electric components, such as the power semiconductor elements and coils used in the inverter circuit, generate heat, so thermal design for the electric equipment unit is necessary.

[0006] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a capacitor and the like are mounted on one surface of a mounting substrate 50, and a power module is mounted on the other surface. A heat sink is attached to the power module via a heat transfer plate member that is part of a casing that houses the mounting substrate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-121966 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] Among the electrical components of the outdoor unit, the main components that generate heat include first electrical components which are power semiconductor elements such as IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors), diodes, and IPMs (Intelligent Power Modules), and second electrical components which have windings such as reactors and common mode coils.

[0009] Since the first electric component is small in size and generates a large amount of heat, the mainstream method for efficiently cooling it is to use natural cooling with a heat sink as in Patent Document 1. As for the second electric component, since the component size was large, the thermal design often relied on natural convection, but in recent years, the second electric component has become smaller and has become capable of handling large currents, so an appropriate thermal design, including structural design, is becoming necessary.

[0010] For example, it is conceivable to sandwich a thermally conductive insulating material between the back surface of the area of ​​the mounting board on which the second electrical component is mounted and a partition plate, and transfer the heat of the second electrical component to the partition plate via the thermally conductive insulating material, thereby dissipating the heat from the second electrical component.

[0011] However, in a configuration in which a thermally conductive insulating material is sandwiched between a mounting board and a partition plate, there is a risk that the thermally conductive insulating material may fall off or be lost when removing or installing the mounting board in the event of a malfunction of an electrical component, etc. In other words, a configuration in which a thermally conductive insulating material is sandwiched between a mounting board and a partition plate has a problem of poor workability.

[0012] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and has an object to provide an outdoor unit that can improve the ease of installation and removal of a mounting board while ensuring heat dissipation from electrical components mounted on the mounting board. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the outdoor unit according to the present disclosure includes a housing, a partition plate dividing the inside of the housing into a blower chamber in which a blower fan is provided and a machine chamber in which a compressor is provided, a mounting board having a first mounting surface on which a first electric component is mounted and a second electric component mounted on a second mounting surface which is the first mounting surface or the back surface of the first mounting surface and provided in the machine chamber with the first mounting surface facing the partition plate, a heat sink attached to the first electric component and one end fixed to the partition plate, a holding metal plate provided at a position overlapping with the second electric component when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first mounting surface and fixed to the first mounting surface and fixed to the heat sink or the partition plate, and a thermally conductive insulating material provided at a position overlapping with the second electric component when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first mounting surface and abutting against the first mounting surface. The holding metal plate has a storage section formed by recessing a surface facing the first mounting surface, and the thermally conductive insulating material is stored in the storage section. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to obtain an outdoor unit that can improve the ease of installation and removal of the mounting board while ensuring heat dissipation from electrical components mounted on the mounting board. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] Overall appearance of the outdoor unit according to the first embodiment [Diagram 2] A diagram showing the internal structure of the outdoor unit shown in Figure 1. [Diagram 3] 3 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion A shown in FIG. 2, showing a mounting substrate and its surroundings in the first embodiment; [Figure 4] 1 is a side view of a mounting board according to the first embodiment; [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a mounting board and its surroundings in the second embodiment, which corresponds to a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of part A shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a shape of a thermally conductive and insulating material according to a second embodiment; [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the shape of a holding clamper in the second embodiment; [Figure 8] A diagram showing an example of a shape in which a holding clamper is mounted on a mounting board and a thermally conductive insulating material. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a mounting board and its surroundings in the third embodiment, which corresponds to a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of part A shown in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a mounting board and its surroundings in the fourth embodiment, which corresponds to a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of part A shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a mounting board and its surroundings in the fifth embodiment, which corresponds to a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of part A shown in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a mounting board and its surroundings in a sixth embodiment, which corresponds to a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of part A shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Hereinafter, an outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0017] Embodiment 1 Fig. 1 is an overall external view of the outdoor unit according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a view showing the internal structure of the outdoor unit shown in Fig. 1. The outdoor unit includes a housing 1. The inside of the housing 1 is divided into a fan chamber 4 and a machine chamber 5 by a partition plate 6.

[0018] The blower chamber 4 is provided with a blower fan 3. A heat exchanger 7 is provided on the rear side of the blower chamber 4. A wire grill 2 is provided on the front wall of the blower chamber 4. An opening (not shown) is provided on the rear wall of the blower chamber 4. When the blower fan 3 rotates, air is taken into the blower chamber 4 from the opening on the rear side, and the air in the blower chamber 4 is expelled from the wire grill on the front side. That is, air flows in the blower chamber 4 as the blower fan 3 rotates. A compressor 9 is provided in the machine chamber 5.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion A shown in FIG. 2, and is a cross-sectional view of the mounting board and its surroundings in the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a side view of the mounting board in the first embodiment. The configuration of FIG. 3 will be described. The mounting board 10 has a first mounting surface 10a to which a first electric component 11 is soldered, and a second mounting surface 10b to which a second electric component 13 is soldered. The first electric component 11 protrudes into the blower chamber 4 from a hole 6a formed in the partition plate 6. A heat sink 12 is fixed to the hole 6a from the blower chamber 4 side. The first electric component 11 is in contact with the heat sink 12 and is thermally coupled to the heat sink 12. The mounting board 10 is provided with the first mounting surface 10a facing the partition plate 6.

[0020] A thermally conductive insulating material 14 is provided on the first mounting surface 10a at a location that is the back surface of the second electric component 13 and that is in contact with the first mounting surface 10a. In other words, the thermally conductive insulating material 14 is provided at a position that overlaps with the second electric component 13 when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first mounting surface 10a. In addition, a holding metal plate 16 that connects the mounting board 10 and the partition plate 6 and fixes the thermally conductive insulating material 14 to the mounting board 10 is provided on the first mounting surface 10a. The holding metal plate 10 is provided at a position that overlaps with the second electric component when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first mounting surface 10a. The partition plate 6 is formed with a hole 6b that exposes the holding metal plate to the blower chamber 4. The first electric component 11 is, for example, an IC chip, and the second electric component 13 is, for example, a reactor or a common mode coil.

[0021] When the outdoor unit is operated, the first electric component 11 and the second electric component 13 on the mounting board 10 generate heat due to their own internal resistance and the current flowing through the circuit. The heat generated in the first electric component 11 is transferred to the heat sink 12. The heat sink 12 receives the wind generated by the rotation of the blower fan 3, and can cool the first electric component 11 with a greater cooling effect than natural air cooling. In addition, the heat generated in the second electric component 13 is transferred from the mounting board 10 to the heat conductive insulator 14 and the holding metal plate 16 by the heat conductive insulator 14 thermally coupled to the mounting board 10 and the holding metal plate 16. Since the holding metal plate 16 is exposed to the blower chamber 4, the holding metal plate 16 receives the wind generated by the rotation of the blower fan 3, and can cool the second electric component with a greater cooling effect.

[0022] If the need to remove or install mounting board 10 arises due to a failure of first electrical component 11 or second electrical component 13, mounting board 10 will be in the state shown in Figure 4 when screws 15 securing heat sink 12 to partition plate 6, screws 18 securing heat sink 12 to first electrical component 11, and screws 19 securing partition plate 6 to retaining metal plate 16 are removed.

[0023] Since the mounting substrate 10 can be removed and attached with the thermally conductive insulating material 14 fixed to the mounting substrate 10, there are no problems such as the time required to position the thermally conductive insulating material 14, checking whether the thermally conductive insulating material 14 is available as a service part, forgetting to attach it, or losing it due to dropping it, etc. This reduces the burden on users and maintenance contractors and improves serviceability.

[0024] Here, a heat-resistant non-silicon resin (such as an acrylic resin) is preferable for the thermally conductive insulating material 14. Although silicon resin has excellent heat resistance, there is a concern that a high thermal load may cause siloxane gas to be generated, resulting in poor contact.

[0025] The holding metal plate 16 is provided on a surface facing the first mounting surface 10a with a storage portion 16a for storing the thermally conductive and insulating material 14. With this configuration, the holding metal plate 16 can reliably hold the thermally conductive and insulating material 14.

[0026] The storage section 16a is located between the partition plate 6 and the mounting board 10 when the mounting board 10 is fixed to the partition plate 6. That is, the storage section 16a is located on the machine chamber 5 side. The side of the storage section 16a is open, and a part of the thermally conductive insulating material 14 is exposed to the outside through the opening. With this configuration, the opening can promote heat dissipation from the thermally conductive insulating material 14 on the machine chamber 5 side where the wind from the blower fan 3 does not directly hit.

[0027] Furthermore, even if holes 6b are not provided in the partition plate 6, as long as the holding metal plate 16 is in contact with the partition plate 6, air will flow over the surface of the partition plate 6, so that the heat of the second electrical component 13 can be dissipated efficiently.

[0028] Embodiment 2 In the above-mentioned embodiment 1, the thermally conductive insulating material 14 is attached to improve the cooling effect of the second electric component 13, and the thermally conductive insulating material 14 is held on the mounting board 10 so that the mounting board is a single body (service board state) in which it is not necessary to worry about forgetting to attach the thermally conductive insulating material 14 or misalignment when removing and attaching the mounting board 10 for service. In FIG. 3, a hole 6b is formed in the part of the partition plate that the holding metal plate 16 comes into contact with, and the holding metal plate 16 is exposed to the blower chamber 4, thereby improving the cooling effect, but in order to further improve the dustproofness and waterproofness, embodiment 2 will be described. The same components as those in the above-mentioned embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0029] 5 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting board and its surroundings in the second embodiment, and corresponds to the partially enlarged cross-sectional view of part A in FIG. 2. In order to improve dustproofness and waterproofness, the partition plate 6 does not have an opening like the hole 6b in the first embodiment. The holding structure of the thermally conductive insulator 14 is changed so that the thermally conductive insulator 14 is fixed to the first mounting surface 10a of the mounting board 10 while being in direct contact with the partition plate 6. Specifically, the thermally conductive insulator 14 is fixed to the mounting board 10 using a holding clamper (fixing tool) 17. The holding clamper 17 is in contact with the partition plate 6 and thermally coupled thereto.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 5, the sheet metal surface of the partition plate 6 may be made convex toward the machine chamber 5 by drawing or pressing so that the center of the thermally conductive insulating material 14 can easily and reliably come into contact with the partition plate 6. Also, holes are provided in the four corners of the thermally conductive insulating material 14 so that a holding clamper 17 can be attached. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the shape of the thermally conductive insulating material in the second embodiment. The dotted area in the center of the thermally conductive insulating material 14 in Fig. 6 indicates the location that comes into contact with the partition plate 6.

[0031] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the shape of the holding clamper in the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the shape of the holding clamper mounted on the mounting board and the thermally conductive insulating material. The thermally conductive insulating material 14 is fixed by the upper spring structure portion 17a of the holding clamper 17 shown in FIG. 7, and the lower lock portion 17b is inserted into a hole prepared in the mounting board 10 to fix the thermally conductive insulating material 14 to the mounting board 10. The spring structure portion 17a abuts against the thermally conductive insulating material 14 and bends, and fixes the thermally conductive insulating material 14 by its restoring force. When the lock portion 17b is inserted into the hole in the mounting board 10, the bending portion 17c abuts against the mounting board 10 and bends, and fixes the mounting board 10 by its restoring force. The thermally conductive insulating material 14 is fixed to the mounting board 10 by the holding clamper 17, and when the mounting board 10 is attached to the partition plate 6, the thermally conductive insulating material 14 is in contact with the partition plate 6 at a convex position.

[0032] In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the heat generated in the second electrical component 13 is transferred from the mounting board 10 to the thermally conductive insulating material 14 and to the partition plate 6 by the thermally conductive insulating material 14 that is thermally coupled to the mounting board 10 and the partition plate 6. Therefore, by utilizing the air flow in the blower chamber 4, it is possible to cool the second electrical component 13 with a greater cooling effect than that of the first embodiment.

[0033] Furthermore, in the event that removal or installation of the board becomes necessary due to a failure of an electrical component, by removing the screws 15 that secure the heat sink 12 to the partition plate 6 and the screws 18 that secure the heat sink 12 to the first electrical component 11, the mounting board 10 can be removed or installed with the thermally conductive insulating material 14 fixed by the holding clamper 17. As a result, as with the first embodiment, there is no need to troublesomely position the thermally conductive insulating material 14, or to check whether the thermally conductive insulating material 14 is available as a service part, or to problems such as forgetting to attach it or losing it, thereby reducing the burden on users and maintenance contractors and improving serviceability.

[0034] Furthermore, in embodiment 2, there is no need to form hole 6b in partition plate 6 to expose retaining metal plate 16 to blower chamber 4 as in embodiment 1, so infiltration of water and dust from blower chamber 4 can be suppressed, thereby improving waterproofing and dustproofing.

[0035] As long as the structure is such that the thermally conductive and insulating material 14 can be held on the mounting substrate 10, there is no need for holes to be formed in the thermally conductive and insulating material 14. In addition, the holding clamper 17 is also made of an insulating material (resin, etc.), and as long as it can hold the thermally conductive and insulating material 14 and fix it to the mounting substrate 10, the shape is not important.

[0036] Embodiment 3 Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting board and the surrounding area in the third embodiment, and corresponds to the partially enlarged cross-sectional view of part A shown in Fig. 2. The same components as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0037] In the third embodiment, the second electric component 13 is mounted on the first mounting surface 10a in the same manner as the first electric component 11. The second electric component 13 is surrounded by the storage portion 16a of the holding metal sheet 16 and covered by the thermally conductive insulating material 14. In this configuration, in addition to the effects obtained in the above-mentioned embodiments, heat is directly transferred from the second electric component 13 to the thermally conductive insulating material 14, so that the heat dissipation performance is further improved.

[0038] Embodiment 4 Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting board and the surrounding area in the fourth embodiment, and corresponds to the partially enlarged cross-sectional view of part A shown in Fig. 2. The same components as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0039] In the fourth embodiment, the base 12a of the heat sink 12 is formed to have a size that faces the holding metal plate 16, and the holding metal plate 16 is fixed to the heat sink 12 instead of the partition plate 6. In the configuration of the first embodiment, the heat generated by the second electric component 13 is ultimately cooled by the blower fan 3 in the blower chamber 4 via the partition plate 6, but in the fourth embodiment, the heat generated by the second electric component 13 is ultimately cooled by the outside air fan 3 in the blower chamber 4 via the heat sink 12, and if there is some leeway in the thermal design of the first electric component 11, this structure will improve the cooling performance of the second electric component 13.

[0040] Embodiment 5. Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a mounting board and its surroundings in embodiment 5, and corresponds to the partially enlarged cross-sectional view of part A shown in Fig. 2. The same components as those in the above embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0041] In the fifth embodiment, the second electric component 13 is mounted on the first mounting surface 10a. The thermally conductive and insulating material 14 is fixed to the first mounting surface 10a of the mounting board 10 by a holding clamper 17. The second electric component 13 is covered with the thermally conductive and insulating material 14. The thermally conductive and insulating material 14 is in contact with the partition plate 6 and thermally coupled thereto.

[0042] In the fifth embodiment, the mounting surface of the second electric component 13 is on the partition plate 6 side in the configuration of the second embodiment, and the second electric component 13 can be cooled by utilizing the air flow in the fan chamber 4, as in the second embodiment. In addition, the mounting board 10 can be removed or attached with the thermally conductive insulating material 14 fixed to the mounting board. Since no hole is formed in the partition plate 6 for the second electric component 13, water and dust are less likely to enter from the fan chamber 4, and waterproofing and dustproofing are improved. In the fifth embodiment, the second electric component 13 is in direct contact with the thermally conductive insulating material 14, and thus the cooling performance of the second electric component 13 is improved compared to the second embodiment.

[0043] Embodiment 6 Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting board and the surrounding area in the sixth embodiment, and corresponds to the partially enlarged cross-sectional view of part A shown in Fig. 2. The same components as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0044] In the sixth embodiment, protrusions 6c having an L-shaped cross section are provided above and below the hole 6b of the partition plate 6. A protrusion 16b of the holding sheet metal 16 fits into a groove formed by the protrusions 6c.

[0045] The mounting board 10 is slid into the L-shaped protrusion of the partition plate 6 to determine its position, and the mounting board 10, the partition plate 6, the heat sink 12, and the first electric component 11 are fixed to the partition plate 6 with screws 18. Even before the first electric component 11 is fixed to the heat sink 12, if the protrusion 16b of the holding sheet metal 16 is fitted into the groove formed by the protrusion 6c, the mounting board 10 will not fall even if the worker releases his / her hand from the mounting board 10, improving the workability of mounting the mounting board. In FIG. 12, the hole 6b is formed on the side of the blower chamber 4 of the holding sheet metal 16 to provide a sufficient cooling effect by the blower fan 3, but if the second electric component 13 has a certain degree of freedom, the opening may be blocked.

[0046] Furthermore, in the sixth embodiment, since the holding metal plate 16 is fixed to the partition plate 6 without being screwed to the partition plate 6 as in the first embodiment, the mounting board 10 can be attached and removed more easily than in the first embodiment.

[0047] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are examples of the contents of the present disclosure. The configurations of the embodiments can be combined with other known technologies. Part of the configurations of the embodiments can be omitted or modified without departing from the gist of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1 housing, 2 wire grill, 3 blower fan, 4 blower chamber, 5 machine chamber, 6 partition plate, 6a, 6b holes, 6c protrusion, 7 heat exchanger, 9 compressor, 10 mounting board, 10a first mounting surface, 10b second mounting surface, 11 first electric component, 12 heat sink, 12a base, 13 second electric component, 14 thermally conductive insulating material, 15, 18, 19 screws, 16 holding plate, 16a storage section, 16b protrusion, 17 holding clamper, 17a spring structure section, 17b lock section, 17c flexure section.

Claims

1. A housing and a partition plate dividing the inside of the housing into a blower chamber in which a blower fan is provided and a machine chamber in which a compressor is provided; a mounting board provided in the machine chamber, the mounting board having a first mounting surface on which a first electric component is mounted and a second mounting surface on which a second electric component is mounted, the first mounting surface being the first mounting surface or a surface opposite to the first mounting surface, the first mounting surface facing the partition plate; a heat sink attached to the first electrical component and having one end fixed to the partition plate; a holding metal plate that is provided at a position overlapping with the second electric component when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first mounting surface and is fixed to the first mounting surface, and is also fixed to the heat sink or the partition plate; a thermally conductive insulating material provided at a position overlapping with the second electric component when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first mounting surface and in contact with the first mounting surface, The holding sheet metal has a storage portion formed by recessing a surface opposite the first mounting surface, and the thermally conductive insulating material is housed in the storage portion.

2. The outdoor unit according to claim 1 , wherein the second electric component is mounted on the first mounting surface, housed in the housing portion, and covered with the thermally conductive insulating material.

3. 3. The outdoor unit according to claim 1, wherein the partition plate is formed with a hole for exposing the holding metal plate to the blower chamber.

4. The outdoor unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the holding metal plate is fixed to the heat sink.

5. The partition plate is formed with an L-shaped protrusion, The outdoor unit according to claim 1 , wherein a protrusion formed on the retaining metal plate fits into a groove formed by the protruding portion.

6. A housing and a partition plate dividing the inside of the housing into a blower chamber in which a blower fan is provided and a machine chamber in which a compressor is provided; a mounting board provided in the machine chamber, the mounting board having a first mounting surface on which a first electric component is mounted and a second mounting surface on which a second electric component is mounted, the first mounting surface being the first mounting surface or a surface opposite to the first mounting surface, the first mounting surface facing the partition plate; a heat sink attached to the first electrical component and having one end fixed to the partition plate; a thermally conductive insulating material provided at a position overlapping with the second electric component when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first mounting surface, in contact with the first mounting surface, and fixed to the first mounting surface by a fixing device; The thermally conductive insulating material is in contact with the partition plate of the outdoor unit.

7. The outdoor unit according to claim 6 , wherein the second electric component is mounted on the first mounting surface and is covered with the thermally conductive insulating material.

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