Air conditioner outdoor unit

Abstract

To enable soundproof countermeasures while suppressing an increase in a size of a casing.SOLUTION: An outdoor unit for an air conditioner includes: a casing; and a heat exchanger, a fan and a compressor which are provided in the casing. In the outdoor unit for the air conditioner, inside of the casing is partitioned by a partition plate into a heat exchange chamber in which the heat exchanger and the fan are disposed and a machine chamber in which the compressor is disposed. The casing includes: a top plate; a bottom plate opposing to the top plate; and a side plate provided between the top plate and the bottom plate. The side plate includes a machine chamber side plate disposed on the machine chamber side and a heat exchange chamber side plate disposed on the heat exchange chamber side, and plate thickness of the machine chamber side plate is thicker than that of the heat exchange chamber side plate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an outdoor unit for an air conditioner. [Background technology]

[0002] It is known that soundproofing measures are implemented in the outdoor unit of an air conditioner to prevent sounds from the compressor (such as vibration sounds and refrigerant discharge sounds) from leaking outside. Soundproofing measures include, for example, a technique for absorbing sound by wrapping a sound-absorbing material around the compressor or arranging sound-absorbing material on the inner wall of the machine room in which the compressor is housed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Alternatively, another soundproofing measure includes a technique for soundproofing by surrounding the compressor with a metal box in the machine room (see, for example, Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-100658 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2012-063114 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As a soundproofing measure for the outdoor unit of an air conditioner, a technology that uses only sound-absorbing materials in the compressor cannot reduce low-frequency noise, for example, noise with a frequency of 1 kHz or less. Such low-frequency noise can be reduced by a soundproofing material made of a dense material such as metal. However, if a metal box that covers the compressor is placed in the machine room to reduce low-frequency noise, the housing of the outdoor unit will have a double structure. When a box that covers the compressor is placed in the housing, devices and piping other than the compressor must be placed around this box. This results in a large outdoor unit. In addition, the provision of a metal box may increase the manufacturing man-hours and parts costs, which may increase the manufacturing cost of the outdoor unit.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an outdoor unit for an air conditioner that enables soundproofing measures while suppressing an increase in the size of the casing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present invention is an outdoor unit of an air conditioner having a housing, and a heat exchanger, a fan, and a compressor provided inside the housing. The inside of the housing is divided by a partition into a heat exchange chamber in which the heat exchanger and the fan are disposed, and a machine chamber in which the compressor is disposed. The housing has a top plate, a bottom plate facing the top plate, and a side plate provided between the top plate and the bottom plate. The side plates include a machine chamber side plate arranged on the machine chamber side and a heat exchange chamber side plate arranged on the heat exchange chamber side, and the plate thickness of the machine chamber side plate is greater than the plate thickness of the heat exchange chamber side plate.

[0007] With such an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, the size of the housing can be prevented from increasing, and soundproofing measures can be implemented.

[0008] In the outdoor unit of the air conditioner, the heat exchange chamber may be surrounded by the heat exchange chamber side plate and the partition plate, and the machine chamber may be surrounded by the machine chamber side plate and the partition plate.

[0009] With such an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, the size of the housing can be prevented from increasing, making it possible to provide better soundproofing measures.

[0010] In the outdoor unit of the air conditioner, the partition plate may have a thickness greater than a thickness of the heat exchange chamber side plate.

[0011] With such an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, the size of the housing can be prevented from increasing, making it possible to provide better soundproofing measures.

[0012] In the outdoor unit of the above air conditioner, the machine chamber side panel has a first side panel and a second side panel forming corners of the housing, and further includes a third side panel provided between the first side panel and the second side panel, and the plate thickness of the fifth side panel may be thicker than the plate thickness of the heat exchange chamber side panel.

[0013] With such an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, the size of the housing can be prevented from increasing, making it possible to provide better soundproofing measures.

[0014] In the outdoor unit of the air conditioner, at least a portion of the compressor may be surrounded by a first soundproofing material.

[0015] With such an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, the size of the housing can be prevented from increasing, making it possible to provide better soundproofing measures.

[0016] In the outdoor unit of the air conditioner described above, the first soundproofing material may include at least one of a sound absorbing member and a sound insulating member.

[0017] With such an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, the size of the housing can be prevented from increasing, making it possible to provide better soundproofing measures.

[0018] In the outdoor unit of the air conditioner described above, the first soundproofing material may have a sound absorbing member and a sound insulating member, and may have a structure in which the sound insulating member is sandwiched between the sound absorbing members.

[0019] With such an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, the size of the housing can be prevented from increasing, making it possible to provide better soundproofing measures.

[0020] In the outdoor unit of the air conditioner described above, a second soundproofing material may be disposed on at least a portion of an inner wall surface of the machine room.

[0021] With such an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, the size of the housing can be prevented from increasing, making it possible to provide better soundproofing measures.

[0022] In the outdoor unit of the air conditioner described above, the second soundproofing material may include at least one of a sound absorbing member and a sound insulating member.

[0023] With such an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, the size of the housing can be prevented from increasing, making it possible to provide better soundproofing measures.

[0024] In the outdoor unit of the above air conditioner, the second soundproofing material arranged on the inner wall surface of the machine room may have a sound-absorbing member and a sound-insulating member, the sound-insulating member being arranged on the side of the inner wall surface and the sound-absorbing member being arranged facing the machine room.

[0025] With such an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, the size of the housing can be prevented from increasing, making it possible to provide better soundproofing measures. Effect of the Invention

[0026] As described above, according to the present invention, an outdoor unit for an air conditioner is provided that enables soundproofing measures while suppressing an increase in the size of the housing. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a heat pump cycle device of the present embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the appearance of an outdoor unit of the heat pump cycle device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the appearance of an outdoor unit of the heat pump cycle device. [Figure 4] 2 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a partition plate disposed inside the housing and each panel forming the housing of the outdoor unit. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an outdoor unit of the heat pump cycle device. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the outdoor unit of the heat pump cycle device. [Figure 7] 1 is a graph showing an example of frequency characteristics of a sound-absorbing material. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a schematic top view showing a modified example of the machine chamber of the outdoor unit. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a cross-sectional structure of a soundproofing material. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, XYZ axis coordinates may be introduced. In addition, the same reference numerals may be given to the same components or components having the same functions, and after the components are described, the description may be omitted as appropriate. In addition, the numerical values ​​shown below are examples and are not limited to these examples.

[0029] <Air conditioner overview> In this embodiment, a heat pump cycle device is exemplified as an air conditioner. Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a heat pump cycle device of this embodiment. Fig. 1 shows a heat pump type hot water heating device as an example of an air conditioner. As shown in Fig. 1, the heat pump cycle device 1 includes an outdoor unit 10 and an indoor unit 90.

[0030] The outdoor unit 10 of the heat pump cycle apparatus 1 includes a compressor 110, a four-way valve 120, a water-refrigerant heat exchanger 130, a water pump (circulation pump) 140, an expansion valve 150, an outdoor heat exchanger 160, an accumulator 170, an outdoor air temperature sensor 180, a blower 190, and a control unit 300. In the outdoor unit 10, the compressor 110, the four-way valve 120, the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 130, the expansion valve 150, the outdoor heat exchanger 160, and the accumulator 170 are connected in order by refrigerant piping 19 to form a refrigerant circuit 1c in the heat pump cycle apparatus 1. The blower 190 includes a propeller fan and a motor that drives the propeller fan.

[0031] The indoor unit 90 of the heat pump cycle apparatus 1 includes an indoor unit 900. In the indoor unit 90, the indoor unit 900, the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 130, and the water pump 140 are connected in sequence by water piping 95, thereby forming a hot water circuit 1h in the heat pump cycle apparatus 1.

[0032] <Refrigerant circuit configuration> Each of the devices constituting the refrigerant circuit 1c will now be described in more detail.

[0033] The compressor 110 is driven by a motor (not shown) whose rotation speed is controlled by an inverter. The compressor 110 is a variable capacity compressor whose operating capacity can be varied. The compressor 110 compresses the sucked low pressure gas refrigerant and discharges high pressure gas refrigerant. The four-way valve 120 is a flow path switching valve for switching the refrigerant circulation direction in the refrigerant circuit 1c. The water-refrigerant heat exchanger 130 is, for example, a plate type heat exchanger. The water-refrigerant heat exchanger 130 functions as a user side heat exchanger, and exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant pipe 19 and flowing into the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 130 and the water flowing through the water pipe 95 and flowing into the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 130.

[0034] The expansion valve 150 is an electronic expansion valve whose valve opening is controlled by pulse controlling a stepping motor. The expansion valve 150 reduces the pressure (expands) the liquid refrigerant passing through the expansion valve 150. The outdoor heat exchanger 160 is, for example, a fin-tube type heat exchanger. The outdoor heat exchanger 160 functions as a heat source side heat exchanger, and exchanges heat between the refrigerant that flows through the refrigerant pipes 19 and into the outdoor heat exchanger 160 and the outside air taken in by the rotation of the blower 190. The accumulator 170 separates the refrigerant that flows in from the four-way valve 120 into a gas refrigerant and a liquid refrigerant, and only the gas refrigerant is sucked into the compressor 110.

[0035] The blower 190 is disposed inside the housing 101, near the outdoor heat exchanger 160 disposed inside the housing 101. The blower 190 takes in outside air from an intake port (described later) of the outdoor unit 10 into the inside of the outdoor unit 10, and discharges the outside air that has exchanged heat with the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 160 to the outside of the outdoor unit 10 from an exhaust port (described later).

[0036] An outdoor air temperature sensor 180 is provided near the outdoor heat exchanger 160, facing the outside of the housing 101. The outdoor air temperature sensor 180 detects the temperature of the outdoor air taken into the outdoor unit 10 by the rotation of the blower 190.

[0037] <Hot water circuit configuration> In the outdoor unit 10, in addition to the refrigerant pipe 19, a water pipe 95 is connected to the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 130. An indoor unit 900 and a water pump 140 are connected in sequence to the water pipe 95. The water pump 140 is driven by a motor with a fixed rotation speed or a motor with a variable rotation speed. As a result, water circulates in the hot water circuit 1h in the direction of the solid arrow. The indoor unit 900 is a terminal for heating the room, such as a floor heating device or a radiator. That is, the water circulating in the hot water circuit 1h dissipates heat in the indoor unit 900, thereby heating the air-conditioned space in which the indoor unit 90 is installed.

[0038] <Control unit> The control unit 300 includes a CPU for performing calculations and transmitting information, various programs related to the operation control of the heat pump cycle device 1, requests related to operation set by the user in the indoor unit 900 (such as a set temperature), a memory unit for storing the set temperature set in the indoor unit 900 and values ​​detected by various sensors provided in the refrigerant circuit 1c or the hot water circuit 1h, a sensor input unit for taking in the detected values ​​of various sensors provided in the refrigerant circuit 1c or the hot water circuit 1h, and a receiving unit for receiving a signal transmitted from a remote control (not shown) for operating the indoor unit 90. These CPU, memory unit, sensor input unit, receiving unit, and the like are mounted on, for example, a control board (circuit board). The control unit 300 controls the compressor 110, the four-way valve 120, the water pump 140, the expansion valve 150, and the like based on the values ​​detected by the various sensors and various requests related to operation.

[0039] The interior of the outdoor unit 10 is divided into a heat exchange chamber 10H and a machine chamber 10M by a partition plate 20 (FIG. 3). In the outdoor unit 10, the outdoor heat exchanger 160 and the blower 190 are disposed in the heat exchange chamber 10H of the outdoor unit 10. The compressor 110, the four-way valve 120, the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 130, the water pump 140, the expansion valve 150, and the accumulator 170 are disposed in the machine chamber 10M of the outdoor unit 10 (not shown in FIG. 3).

[0040] As shown in FIG. 3, the outdoor air temperature sensor 180 is disposed near the outdoor heat exchanger 160 on the opposite side to the blower 190. For example, the outdoor air temperature sensor 180 is disposed behind the outdoor heat exchanger 160 so as to be adjacent to a side portion 101be of the rear portion 101ba which forms a part of the opening edge of the air inlet 103 through which the outdoor air is blown into the outdoor unit 10 by the blower 190. The control unit 300 may be disposed in the heat exchange chamber 10H of the outdoor unit 10 or in the machine chamber 10M. The control unit 300 may also be disposed across the machine chamber 10M and the heat exchange chamber 10H. FIG. 1 shows an example in which the control unit 300 is disposed across the machine chamber 10M and the heat exchange chamber 10H.

[0041] <Operation of the refrigerant circuit and hot water circuit> The operation of the heat pump cycle device 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0042] <Heating operation> When the heat pump cycle device 1 performs a heating operation, the four-way valve 120 is operated to set the refrigerant circuit 1c to a heating cycle. When the compressor 110 is driven in this state, the refrigerant flows through the refrigerant circuit 1c in the direction of the solid arrow. The refrigerant discharged from the compressor 110 flows through the refrigerant pipe 19, passes through the four-way valve 120, and flows into the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 130.

[0043] The refrigerant that has flowed into the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 130 circulates through the hot water circuit 1h and condenses by exchanging heat with the water that has flowed into the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 130. The refrigerant that has flowed out from the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 130 into the refrigerant pipe 19 is reduced in pressure when passing through the expansion valve 150 and flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 160.

[0044] The refrigerant that has flowed into the outdoor heat exchanger 160 exchanges heat with the outside air and evaporates. The refrigerant that has flowed out from the outdoor heat exchanger 160 to the refrigerant pipe 19 is drawn into the compressor 110 via the four-way valve 120 and the accumulator 170, and is compressed again.

[0045] Meanwhile, in the hot water circuit 1h, the water pump 140 is driven to cause water to flow in the hot water circuit 1h in the direction of the solid arrow. The water that flows through the water piping 95 and flows into the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 130 exchanges heat with the refrigerant, whereby the water is heated by the refrigerant and becomes hot water. This hot water flows into the indoor unit 900. The hot water flows into the indoor unit 900, thereby heating the room in which the indoor unit 900 is installed.

[0046] <Defrosting and cooling operation> When the heat pump cycle device 1 is performing a heating operation, frost may form on the outdoor heat exchanger 160 functioning as an evaporator. In this case, the outdoor unit 10 can perform a defrosting operation of the outdoor heat exchanger 160.

[0047] For example, when the heat pump cycle apparatus 1 performs a defrosting operation, the four-way valve 120 is operated to switch the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 1c so that the outdoor heat exchanger 160 functions as a condenser. That is, the refrigerant circuit 1c operates in a cooling cycle. When the compressor 110 is driven in this state, the refrigerant flows through the refrigerant circuit 1c in the direction of the dashed arrow. The refrigerant discharged from the compressor 110 flows through the refrigerant pipe 19, passes through the four-way valve 120, and flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 160. At this time, the blower 190 is stopped.

[0048] The refrigerant that flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 160 melts the frost that has formed in the outdoor heat exchanger 160 by the heat of the refrigerant. The refrigerant that flows out from the outdoor heat exchanger 160 to the refrigerant piping 19 passes through the expansion valve 150, which is fully open, and flows into the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 130, where it circulates through the hot water circuit 1h and evaporates by exchanging heat with water in the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 130. The refrigerant that flows out from the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 130 to the refrigerant piping 19 is sucked into the compressor 110 via the four-way valve 120 and the accumulator 170, and is compressed again.

[0049] In addition, the outdoor unit 10 can be applied not only to heating operation but also to cooling operation. When the outdoor unit 10 is applied to a heat pump type hot and cold water air conditioner, the above-mentioned cooling cycle is applied. In this case, the cold refrigerant that has released heat in the outdoor heat exchanger 160 flows into the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 130 and exchanges heat with the water in the hot water circuit 1h flowing through the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 130 to turn the water in the hot water circuit 1h into cold water. As a result, cold water flows into the indoor unit 900, and the cold water circulating in the hot water circuit 1h absorbs heat in the indoor unit 900, thereby cooling the air-conditioned space in which the indoor unit 90 is installed.

[0050] <Outdoor unit> Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 are schematic perspective views showing the appearance of the outdoor unit of the heat pump cycle device. Fig. 2 shows the outdoor unit as viewed obliquely from the front, and Fig. 3 shows the outdoor unit as viewed obliquely from the rear. Note that Fig. 3 does not show a top plate 101u that forms part of the housing of the outdoor unit. Fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view in which a partition plate disposed inside the housing and each panel that forms the housing of the outdoor unit are disassembled.

[0051] 2 and 3, the Z-axis direction is the up-down direction of the outdoor unit 10, the X-axis direction is the left-right direction of the outdoor unit 10, and the Y-axis direction is the front-rear direction (depth direction) of the outdoor unit 10. In this embodiment, the side of the top plate 101u of the housing 101 is referred to as the top side or upper side, the side of the bottom plate 101d of the housing 101 is referred to as the bottom side or lower side, the side of the front panel 101f of the housing 101 is referred to as the front side or front, and the side of the rear panel 101b of the housing 101 is referred to as the rear side or rear. When viewing the housing 101 from the front, a surface on the right side of the housing 101 that is connected to the front and rear sides is referred to as the right side of the housing 101, and a surface on the left side of the housing 101 that is connected to the front and rear sides is referred to as the left side of the housing 101.

[0052] The housing 101 has, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped shape with a left-right length longer than a front-rear length. The housing 101 is formed of, for example, a steel plate and has a top plate 101u, a bottom plate 101d facing the top plate 101u in the Z-axis direction, and side plates provided between the top plate 101u and the bottom plate 101d. The side plates include a front panel 101f, a right side panel 101r (first side plate), a left side panel 101l, a rear panel 101b (second side plate), and a service panel 101s (third side plate).

[0053] In the housing 101, the front panel 101f is bent in an L-shape when the housing 101 is viewed from above, and has a front portion 101fa and a left side portion 101fb. The front panel 101f forms a left corner of the front side of the housing 101. The front portion 101fa of the front panel 101f is aligned with the blower 190 in the Y-axis direction, and forms a part of the front side of the housing 101. The left side portion 101fb of the front panel 101f is continuous with the front portion 101fa, and forms a part of the left side of the housing 101. The length of the front portion 101fa in the X-axis direction is longer than the length of the left side portion 101fb in the Y-axis direction.

[0054] In the housing 101, the right side panel 101r is bent in an L-shape when the housing 101 is viewed from above, and has a front portion 101ra and a right side portion 101rb. The right side panel 101r forms a right corner of the front side of the housing 101. The front portion 101ra of the right side panel 101r is aligned with the front panel 101f in the X-axis direction, and forms a part of the front side of the housing 101. The right side portion 101rb is continuous with the front portion 101ra, and forms a part of the right side of the housing 101. The length of the front portion 101ra in the X-axis direction is longer than the length of the right side portion 101rb in the Y-axis direction.

[0055] In the housing 101, the left side panel 101l is bent in an L-shape when the housing 101 is viewed from above, and has a left side portion 101la and a rear portion 101lb. The left side panel 101l forms a left corner of the rear of the housing 101. The left side portion 101la of the left side panel 101l is aligned with the left side portion 101fb of the front panel 101f in the Y-axis direction. The left side portion 101la forms a part of the left side of the housing 101. The rear portion 101lb of the left side panel 101l is continuous with the left side portion 101la and forms a part of the rear of the housing 101. The length of the left side portion 101la in the Y-axis direction is longer than the length of the rear portion 101lb in the X-axis direction.

[0056] In the housing 101, the rear panel 101b is bent in an L-shape when the housing 101 is viewed from above, and has a rear portion 101ba and a right side portion 101bb. The rear panel 101b forms a corner on the right side of the rear of the housing 101. The rear portion 101ba of the rear panel 101b is aligned with the rear portion 101lb of the left side panel 101l in the X-axis direction. The right side portion 101bb of the rear panel 101b is aligned with the right side portion 101rb of the right side panel 101r in the Y-axis direction. The rear portion 101ba of the rear panel 101b forms a part of the rear of the housing 101. The right side portion 101bb of the rear panel 101b is connected to the rear portion 101ba and forms a part of the right side of the housing 101. The length of the rear portion 101ba in the X-axis direction is longer than the length of the right side portion 101bb in the Y-axis direction.

[0057] The top plate 101u and the bottom plate 101d face each other in the Z-axis direction. The front portion 101fa of the front panel 101f and the back portion 101lb of the left side panel 101l face each other in the Y-axis direction. The front portion 101ra of the right side panel 101r and the back portion 101ba of the back panel 101b face each other in the Y-axis direction. The left side portion 101fb of the front panel 101f and the right side portion 101rb of the right side panel 101r face each other in the X-axis direction. The left side portion 101la of the left side panel 101l and the right side portion 101bb of the back panel 101b face each other in the X-axis direction.

[0058] In the housing 101, a service panel 101s is disposed between a right side surface portion 101rb of the right side panel 101r and a right side surface portion 101bb of the rear panel 101b. The service panel 101s is detachable from the housing 101 to allow for arrangement, connection, maintenance, and the like of components within the housing 101. This embodiment also includes a structure in which the service panel 101s is eliminated and the right side surface portion 101rb of the right side panel 101r is connected to the right side surface portion 101bb of the rear panel 101b.

[0059] The front panel 101f has an air outlet 102, which is a circular air outlet for the outdoor unit 10 and opens to match the outer shape of the propeller of the blower 190, and a bell mouth 101fm that extends in a trumpet shape from the air outlet 102 toward the inside of the housing 101. The air outlet 102 is covered by a mesh-like fan guard 101g provided in front of the front panel 101f. When the housing 101 is viewed from above, the fan guard 101g is bent in an L shape and is disposed along the front surface 101fa and left side surface 101fb of the front panel 101f.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 3, on the rear side of the housing 101, the area between the rear portion 101ba of the rear panel 101b and the rear portion 101lb of the left side panel 101l is the suction port 103 of the outdoor unit 10. The suction port 103 has a rectangular opening edge. An end 101be on the suction port 103 side of the rear portion 101ba forms one side in the circumferential direction of the opening edge of the suction port 103. An end 101le on the suction port 103 side of the rear portion 101lb forms the other side in the circumferential direction of the opening edge of the suction port 103. The outdoor heat exchanger 160 is exposed at the suction port 103 of the housing 101. A protective net 101z is provided behind the outdoor heat exchanger 160 to protect the outdoor heat exchanger 160 from direct impact to the outdoor heat exchanger 160. The protective net 101z is made of iron.

[0061] The air inlet 103 is provided with an outdoor air temperature sensor 180 that detects the temperature of the outdoor air sucked into the air inlet 103. The outdoor air temperature sensor 180 is arranged facing the outside of the housing 101. For example, the outdoor air temperature sensor 180 is fixed to the rear part 101ba of the rear panel 101b, and arranged adjacent to the right end part (side part 101be) of the air inlet 103. The outdoor air temperature sensor 180 is arranged at a position slightly higher than half the height of the air inlet 103 in the vertical direction (height: height from the ground surface of the outdoor unit 10 or height from the bottom plate 101b). The outdoor air temperature sensor 180 is also provided at the air inlet 103, for example, adjacent to the end part 20e of the partition plate 20 arranged inside the housing 101 with the outdoor heat exchanger 160 in between. Specifically, the outside air temperature sensor 180 is disposed adjacent to one side (side 101be) in the circumferential direction of the opening edge that forms part of the opening edge of the air inlet 103 (FIG. 3). A signal detected by the outside air temperature sensor 180 is sent to, for example, a control board (not shown) disposed in the machine room 10M.

[0062] The interior of the housing 101 of the outdoor unit 10 is divided by a partition plate 20 into a heat exchange chamber 10H on the left side when viewed from the front and a machine chamber 10M on the right side (FIGS. 3 and 4). The heat exchange chamber 10H is surrounded by a top plate 101u, a bottom plate 101d, a front panel 101f, a left side panel 101l, and the partition plate 20. The inside of the heat exchange chamber 10H is connected to the outside of the housing 101 by an air outlet 102 and an air inlet 103. The machine chamber 10M is surrounded by the top plate 101u, the bottom plate 101d, a right side panel 101r, a rear panel 101b, a service panel 101s, and the partition plate 20.

[0063] In this embodiment, the front panel 101f and the left side panel 101l are disposed on the heat exchange chamber 10H side, and therefore the front panel 101f and the left side panel 101l are collectively referred to as the heat exchange chamber side panels. Also, the right side panel 101r, the rear panel 101b, and the service panel 101s are disposed on the machine chamber 10M side, and therefore the right side panel 101r, the rear panel 101b, and the service panel 101s are collectively referred to as the machine chamber side panels. Therefore, the side panels disposed between the top panel 101u and the bottom panel 101d include the machine chamber side panels and the heat exchange chamber side panels. That is, when the housing 101 is viewed from above, the heat exchange chamber 10H is surrounded by the heat exchange chamber side panels and the partition panel 20, and the machine chamber 10M is surrounded by the machine chamber side panels and the partition panel 20.

[0064] Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the outdoor unit of the heat pump cycle device. Fig. 5 shows the outdoor unit 10 as seen obliquely from above the front, with the top plate 101u, right side panel 101r, and service panel 101s removed from the housing 101. Fig. 6 is a schematic top view of the outdoor unit of the heat pump cycle device. Fig. 6 shows the state in which the top plate 101u has been removed from the housing 101.

[0065] In the heat exchange chamber 10H, for example, an outdoor heat exchanger 160 and a blower 190 are arranged. The outdoor heat exchanger 160 is fixed to the bottom plate 101d. When viewed from above the housing 101, the outdoor heat exchanger 160 is formed in an L-shape. For example, the outdoor heat exchanger 160 has a first heat exchange portion 160a extending in the left-right direction, a second heat exchange portion 160b extending in the front-rear direction, and a curved third heat exchange portion 160c connecting the first heat exchange portion 160a and the second heat exchange portion 160b.

[0066] The blower 190 is disposed so as to face the first heat exchange section 160a of the outdoor heat exchanger 160 in the front-rear direction and so as to be close to the air outlet 102. As the blower 190 rotates, outside air flows into the heat exchange chamber 10H from the air inlet 103, and the outside air passes through the outdoor heat exchanger 160, whereby heat exchange occurs between the outside air and the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 160. The outside air that has passed through the outdoor heat exchanger 160 is discharged from the heat exchange chamber 10H via the air outlet 102 as the blower 190 rotates.

[0067] In the machine room 10M, components forming the refrigerant circuit 1c, such as the compressor 110, the four-way valve 120, the expansion valve 150, and the accumulator 170, are arranged. These components are connected by the refrigerant piping 19. The compressor 110 and the accumulator 170 are fixed to the bottom plate 101d. In addition, in the machine room 10M, components forming the hot water circuit 1h, such as the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 130 and the water pump 140, are arranged. These components are connected by the water piping 95. In addition, in the rear part 101ba of the rear panel 101b, an inlet 91 through which water from the indoor unit 900 flows into the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 130, and an outlet 92 through which water flows out from the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 130 to the indoor unit 900 are provided. The water piping 95 is connected to the inlet 91 and the inlet 92.

[0068] The partition plate 20 has a first portion 21 and a second portion 22, and is fixed to the bottom plate 101d. A bent portion 25 is provided between the first portion 21 and the second portion 22 so that the first portion 21 and the second portion 22 intersect with each other. The partition plate 20 has the first portion 21 and the second portion 22 with the bent portion 25 sandwiched between them. The first portion 21 is disposed along a direction intersecting with the front-rear direction. The second portion 22 is disposed along the front-rear direction. The angle formed by the first portion 21 and the second portion 22 is an obtuse angle. The first portion 21 is disposed closer to the outdoor heat exchanger 160 than the second portion 22. The angle formed by the first portion 21 and the outdoor heat exchanger 160 is an acute angle. A part of the space of the heat exchange chamber 10H is formed between the first portion 21 and the outdoor heat exchanger 160. The width of the first portion 21 in the intersecting direction is narrower than the width of the second portion 22 in the front-rear direction.

[0069] <Soundproofing of outdoor unit> For soundproofing the outdoor unit of an air conditioner, it is effective to take soundproofing measures against the compressor, which generates the loudest noise among the components arranged in the outdoor unit 10. For example, a sound-absorbing material is wrapped around the compressor housed in the machine room, or a sound-absorbing material is arranged on the inner wall of the machine room. Here, the sound-absorbing material is, for example, a material that absorbs the vibration energy of sound and converts the vibration energy of sound into thermal energy to reduce the sound. Examples of the sound-absorbing material include low-density materials such as fibers like glass wool, wood, and porous bodies. If a sound-absorbing material is used, the compressor can be soundproofed without being surrounded by a metal box, and if the material is flexible, it can be surrounded by the compressor so as to conform to the outer shape of the compressor.

[0070] However, sound-absorbing materials have frequency characteristics, and while they may absorb sounds with frequencies higher than 1 kHz, low-frequency sounds with frequencies below 1 kHz may pass through the sound-absorbing material. For example, Fig. 7 is a graph showing an example of the measurement of the frequency characteristics of the volume of noise emitted from an outdoor unit. Fig. 7 shows the volume (unit: dB / white bar graph) for a compressor alone (no sound-absorbing material, etc.), the volume (dB / light black bar graph) when the compressor is surrounded by sound-absorbing material, and the volume (dB / dot bar graph) when the compressor is surrounded by sound-absorbing material and housed inside a housing.

[0071] Referring to Figure 7, it can be seen that at frequencies higher than 1 kHz, when the compressor is surrounded by sound-absorbing material, the volume is reduced compared to the compressor alone. In contrast, when the frequency is 1 kHz or less, even when the compressor is surrounded by sound-absorbing material, the volume does not decrease compared to the compressor alone, and at some frequencies the volume increases, indicating that low-frequency sounds below 1 kHz cannot be sufficiently blocked by sound-absorbing material alone. On the other hand, when the compressor is surrounded by sound-absorbing material and a housing, the volume is reduced across the entire frequency range. In this way, sound-absorbing material may not be able to reduce low-frequency sounds below 1 kHz.

[0072] For example, in order to reduce low-frequency sounds with frequencies of 1 kHz or less, there is a technique of surrounding the compressor with sound-proofing material made of a dense material such as metal. For example, by surrounding the compressor with a metal box, the noise emitted from the compressor is significantly attenuated as it passes through the box, thereby reducing the noise level. When using sound-proofing material made of a dense material, the thicker it is, the greater the sound-proofing effect will be.

[0073] However, if a metal box is placed in the machine room, the housing will have a double structure, and parts other than the compressor, piping, etc. will have to be placed around the box, which will result in a large outdoor unit. In addition, providing a box will increase the manufacturing man-hours and parts costs, raising the price of the outdoor unit.

[0074] In this embodiment, an outdoor unit of an air conditioner is provided that does not allow sounds with frequencies higher than 1 kHz and sounds with frequencies equal to or lower than 1 kHz to leak outside the machine room (outside the housing) without placing a box in the machine room of the outdoor unit.

[0075] For example, in this embodiment, the machine compartment side panels (right side panel 101r and rear panel 101b) are made of metal plate material (e.g., hot-dip galvanized steel plate or other steel plate). The heat exchange compartment side panels (front panel 101f and left side panel 101l) are also made of metal plate material (e.g., hot-dip galvanized steel plate or other steel plate). The machine compartment side panels are thicker than the heat exchange compartment side panels. For example, the right side panel 101r and rear panel 101b constituting the machine compartment side panels have a thickness of 0.9 mm or more, and the front panel 101f and left side panel 101l constituting the heat exchange compartment side panels have a thickness of 0.8 mm or less.

[0076] In such an outdoor unit 10, the machine room side panels are formed to be thick (1.2 mm in this embodiment), so that when the compressor arranged in the machine room 10M makes noise, the sound emitted from the compressor is blocked by the machine room side panels, providing a sound insulation effect (the effect of sound radiated from inside the machine room 10M to the outside being attenuated by the side panels). This makes it possible to reduce noise emitted from the machine room 10M without placing a box covering the compressor 110 in the machine room 10M.

[0077] On the other hand, when viewed from the heat exchange chamber side, the compressor 110 is doubly covered by the heat exchange chamber side plate and the partition plate 20. Therefore, the sound radiated from the heat exchange chamber 10H to the outside is attenuated by the heat exchange chamber side plate and the partition plate 20. Therefore, when setting the plate thickness of the heat exchange chamber side plate, it is not necessary to consider sound insulation, and the plate thickness can be set by considering the housing strength on the heat exchange chamber side. In this way, since it is not necessary to arrange a box body in the machine chamber 10M, the housing 101 is prevented from becoming large, the degree of freedom in arranging parts in the machine chamber 10M is improved, and the outdoor unit can be made inexpensive. In this embodiment, the machine chamber side plate is a metal plate (for example, an iron plate), and the plate thickness is set to 1.2 mm. As a result, the sound transmission loss (the reduction in the energy of the transmitted sound relative to the incident sound) of noise below 1 kHz is increased.

[0078] In this embodiment, in addition to forming the machine chamber side plate thicker than the heat exchange chamber side plate, the partition plate 20 may be formed thicker than the heat exchange chamber side plate. In such an outdoor unit 10, the partition plate 20 increases the amount of energy reduction in the transmitted sound transmitted from the machine chamber to the heat exchange chamber 10H. Therefore, the sound radiated from the heat exchange chamber 10H to the outside is further attenuated.

[0079] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a part of the machine room side plate is the service panel 10, and the plate thickness of this service panel 101s is formed to be thicker than the plate thickness of the heat exchange room side plate. For example, the plate thickness of the service panel 101s is set to 1.2 mm. With such an outdoor unit 10, maintenance work on the machine room 10M can be performed by removing the service panel 101s, making the maintenance work easier, and the service panel 10 attenuates the sound radiated from the machine room 10M to the outside, reducing the noise emitted from the machine room 10M.

[0080] FIG. 8 is a schematic top view showing a modified example of the machine chamber of the outdoor unit.

[0081] As shown in Fig. 8, at least a portion of the compressor 110 may be surrounded by a soundproofing material 41 (first soundproofing material). Fig. 8 shows an example in which a side surface 110w of the compressor 110 is surrounded by the soundproofing material 41. Also, a soundproofing material 42 (second soundproofing material) may be disposed on at least a portion of an inner wall surface 10w of the machine room 10M. Fig. 8 shows an example in which the soundproofing material 42 is disposed on the partition plate 10, the right side panel 101r, the service panel 101s, and the rear panel 101b on the machine room 10M side.

[0082] The soundproofing material 41 includes at least one of a sound absorbing material and a sound insulating material. For example, the soundproofing material 41 can be composed of a single layer of a sound absorbing material or a single layer of a sound insulating material. For example, felt is used as the sound absorbing material. For example, a material having a higher density and being harder than a sound absorbing material, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), is used as the sound insulating material. In this way, by surrounding the compressor 110 with the soundproofing material 41, the sound generated by the compressor 110 can be reduced. If the soundproofing material 41 is formed only of a sound absorbing material, high frequency sounds (sounds higher than 1 kHz) are absorbed, so that the sound transmitted through the sound absorbing material (the energy of the transmitted sound) can be reduced. If the soundproofing material 41 is formed only of a sound insulating material, low frequency sounds (sounds below 1 kHz) are blocked, so that the sound transmitted through the sound insulating material (the energy of the transmitted sound) can be reduced.

[0083] Moreover, the soundproofing material 41 may have a multi-layer structure of a sound absorbing material and a sound insulating material. By making the soundproofing material 41 have a multi-layer structure, high and low frequency sounds transmitted through the soundproofing material 41 can be reduced.

[0084] Furthermore, the soundproofing material 41 may have a multi-layer structure in which the sound insulation member 41a is sandwiched between the sound absorbing members 41b as in this embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 9(a), the soundproofing material 41 has a structure in which the sound insulation member 41a is sandwiched between the sound absorbing members 41b. The sound insulation member 41a and the sound absorbing members 41b sandwiching the sound insulation member 41a are not limited to one sheet, and may each be formed of two or more sheets. In such a soundproofing material 41, the sound absorbing members 41b are arranged on the front and back surfaces of the soundproofing material 41. The sound absorbing members 41b are made of a material that is softer and has a lower density than the soundproofing material 41a. Therefore, even if the sound absorbing members 41b hit the compressor 110 or a component other than the compressor 110 (for example, the partition plate 20 adjacent to the compressor 110, the accumulator 170, etc.) due to the vibration of the compressor 110, the sound absorbing members 41b absorb the impact, so that contact noise is unlikely to occur. The sound absorbing member 41b reduces the generation of sound.

[0085] The soundproofing material 42 includes at least one of a sound absorbing material and a sound insulating material. For example, the soundproofing material 42 can be composed of a single layer of sound absorbing material or a single layer of sound insulating material. By disposing such a soundproofing material 42 on the inner surface of the machine room 10M, it is possible to reduce sound radiated from the machine room 10M to the outside. If the soundproofing material 42 is made of only a sound absorbing material, it is possible to reduce high frequency sound. If the soundproofing material 42 is made of only a sound insulating material, it is possible to reduce low frequency sound.

[0086] Moreover, the soundproofing material 42 may have a multi-layer structure of a sound absorbing material and a sound insulating material. By making the soundproofing material 41 have a multi-layer structure, high and low frequency sounds are attenuated when passing through the sound insulating material.

[0087] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the soundproofing material 42 of this embodiment has a multi-layer structure in which a sound-insulating member 42a and a sound-absorbing member 42b are laminated, and the sound-insulating member 42a is disposed on the inner wall surface of the housing 101, for example, on the side of the inner wall surface 10w of the partition plate 20 facing the machine room, and the sound-absorbing member 42b is disposed facing the machine room 10M. The sound-insulating member 42a and the sound-absorbing member 42b are not limited to being formed of one sheet each, and may be formed of two or more sheets each. In such a soundproofing material 42, since the sound-absorbing member 42b is disposed facing the machine room 10M, even if the compressor 110 vibrates or the vibration of the compressor 110 is transmitted to vibrate the piping and the soundproofing material 42 hits the inner wall surface of the machine room 10M, the surface of the soundproofing material 42 is formed of a sound-absorbing member (for example, felt), so that the contact sound is reduced by the sound-absorbing material.

[0088] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modifications can be made. For example, a heat pump type hot water heating device has been described as an example of a heat pump cycle device, but the present device is not limited to this, and can be applied to heat pump cycle devices such as a heat pump type hot water supply device and a heat pump type hot and cold water air conditioner. Each embodiment is not limited to an independent form, and can be combined as far as technically possible. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 1. Heat pump cycle device 1h…Hot water circuit 1c…Refrigerant circuit 10H…Heat exchange room 10M…Machine room 10w…Inner wall surface 19…Refrigerant piping 20…Partition plate 21…Part 1 22…Second part 25…Bent section 41, 42…Soundproofing material 41a, 42a…Sound insulation material 41b, 42b...Sound absorbing material 90…Indoor unit 91...Inlet 92... Outlet 95...Water piping 101…Housing 101u…Tabletop 101d…Bottom plate 101f…Front panel 101fa…front part 101fb…Left side part 101r…Right side panel 101ra…front part 101rb…Right side part 101b…Rear panel 101ba…Back part 101bb…Right side part 101l…Left side panel 101la…Left side part 101lb...Back part 101s…Service panel 101g…Fan guard 101z…protective net 101fm…Bellmouth 102…Air outlet 103…Suction port 110…Compressor 120...Four-way valve 130…Water refrigerant heat exchanger 140…Water pump 150…Expansion valve 160...Outdoor heat exchanger 160a...1st heat exchange section 160b…Second heat exchange section 160c…Third heat exchange section 170…Accumulator 180…Outside air temperature sensor 190…Blower 300…Control unit 900…Indoor unit

Claims

1. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner having a housing, a heat exchanger, a fan, and a compressor provided inside the housing, The inside of the housing is divided by a partition into a heat exchange chamber in which the heat exchanger and the fan are arranged and a machine chamber in which the compressor is arranged, The housing has a top plate, a bottom plate facing the top plate, and a side plate provided between the top plate and the bottom plate, the side plate includes a machine chamber side plate disposed on the machine chamber side and having a first side plate and a second side plate, and a heat exchange chamber side plate disposed on the heat exchange chamber side, The plate thickness of the machine chamber side plate is greater than the plate thickness of the heat exchange chamber side plate. Air conditioner outdoor unit.

2. An outdoor unit for an air conditioner according to claim 1, The heat exchange chamber is surrounded by the heat exchange chamber side plate and the partition plate, The machine room is surrounded by the machine room side plate and the partition plate. Air conditioner outdoor unit.

3. An outdoor unit for an air conditioner according to claim 1, The thickness of the partition plate is greater than the thickness of the heat exchange chamber side plate. Air conditioner outdoor unit.

4. An outdoor unit for an air conditioner according to claim 1, the machine compartment side panel has the first side panel and the second side panel that form corners of the housing, and further includes a third side panel provided between the first side panel and the second side panel, The plate thickness of the third side plate is greater than the plate thickness of the heat exchange chamber side plate. Air conditioner outdoor unit.

5. An outdoor unit for an air conditioner according to claim 1, At least a portion of the compressor is surrounded by a first soundproofing material. Air conditioner outdoor unit.

6. An outdoor unit for an air conditioner according to claim 5, The first soundproofing material includes at least one of a sound absorbing material and a sound insulating material. Air conditioner outdoor unit.

7. An outdoor unit for an air conditioner according to claim 6, The first soundproofing material has a sound absorbing member and a sound insulating member, and has a structure in which the sound insulating member is sandwiched between the sound absorbing members. Air conditioner outdoor unit.

8. An outdoor unit for an air conditioner according to claim 1 or 5, A second soundproofing material is disposed on at least a portion of the inner wall surface of the machine room. Air conditioner outdoor unit.

9. An outdoor unit for an air conditioner according to claim 8, The second soundproofing material includes at least one of a sound absorbing material and a sound insulating material. Air conditioner outdoor unit.

10. An outdoor unit for an air conditioner according to claim 9, The second soundproofing material arranged on the inner wall surface of the machine room includes a sound absorbing member and a sound insulating member, the sound insulating member being arranged on the inner wall surface side and the sound absorbing member being arranged facing the machine room. Air conditioner outdoor unit.

Images