Indoor heat exchanger and air conditioner

Abstract

To prevent an aluminum heat transfer pipe from corroding.SOLUTION: An indoor heat exchanger 10 includes a heat exchange part 10u, and a fixing member 15 which fixes the heat exchange part 10u with respect to a frame of the air conditioner 1. The heat exchange part 10u includes a fin 11, and a heat transfer pipe 12 penetrating the fin 11 and having a bend part 12x. The heat transfer pipe 12 is made from aluminum. The fixing member 15 and the bend part 12x are separated from each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an indoor heat exchanger and an air conditioner having the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an air conditioner equipped with a heat exchanger (corresponding to the "heat exchange section" in the present disclosure) including a heat transfer tube with a hairpin section (corresponding to the "bent section" in the present disclosure), and a resin bracket (corresponding to the "fixing member" in the present disclosure) having engaging claws that engage and support the hairpin section. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-206538 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] From the viewpoint of cost reduction, it is considered to make the heat transfer tube from aluminum. However, water is likely to be generated on the surface of the bent portion of the heat transfer tube due to condensation. In the configuration of Patent Document 1, the hairpin portion is engaged and supported by the engaging claw of the resin bracket, so water generated by condensation is likely to accumulate between the hairpin portion and the engaging claw. Aluminum is easily corroded by water, so the heat transfer tube may be corroded.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an indoor heat exchanger that can suppress corrosion of aluminum heat transfer tubes, and an air conditioner having the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The indoor heat exchanger according to a first aspect of the present disclosure comprises a heat exchange unit including fins and a heat transfer tube penetrating the fins and having a bent portion, and a fixing member that fixes the heat exchange unit to a frame of an air conditioner, wherein the heat transfer tube is made of aluminum, and the fixing member and the bent portion are spaced apart from each other.

[0007] According to the first aspect of the present disclosure, the fixing member and the bent portion are spaced apart from each other, which makes it possible to prevent water from accumulating between the fixing member and the bent portion (and thus to prevent corrosion of the aluminum heat transfer tube).

[0008] In the indoor heat exchanger according to a second aspect of the present disclosure, in the above-mentioned first aspect, the heat exchange section may further include a tube plate through which the heat transfer tubes penetrate, the bent portion is disposed on the opposite side of the tube plate from the fins, and the tube plate may be made of aluminum. In this case, by making not only the heat transfer tubes but also the tube plate from aluminum, cost reduction can be more reliably achieved.

[0009] In the indoor heat exchanger according to a third aspect of the present disclosure, in the first or second aspect, the fixing member may be fixed to the tube sheet via a screw. The tube sheet is made of aluminum and has a relatively low strength. For example, when the fixing member is fixed to the tube sheet via a claw provided on the tube sheet or the fixing member, the claw of the tube sheet or a portion of the tube sheet that engages with the claw may be deformed, and the fixing strength of the fixing member to the tube sheet may decrease. In this respect, in the present configuration, the fixing member is fixed to the tube sheet via a screw, so that the fixing strength of the fixing member to the tube sheet can be increased.

[0010] In the indoor heat exchanger according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, in any one of the first to third aspects, the tube sheet may have a thickness of 1 mm or more. In this case, the fastening force of the screws can be increased (and thus the fixing strength of the fixing member to the tube sheet can be increased).

[0011] In the indoor heat exchanger according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the fixing member may have a receiving portion disposed below the bent portion, and a surface of the receiving portion facing the bent portion may be inclined with respect to a horizontal plane. In this case, water generated by condensation on the surface of the bent portion can be received by the receiving portion and discharged downward along the surface of the receiving portion. This further enhances the effect of inhibiting corrosion of the bent portion.

[0012] In the indoor heat exchanger according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the fixing member may have a receiving portion arranged below the bent portion, and the bent portion may entirely overlap with the receiving portion in the up-down direction. In this case, water generated by condensation on the surface of the bent portion can be reliably received by the receiving portion.

[0013] In the indoor heat exchanger according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, in the sixth aspect, the receiving portion may protrude beyond the bent portion in a direction in which the heat transfer tube penetrates the fins. In this case, water generated by condensation on the surface of the bent portion can be more reliably received by the receiving portion.

[0014] In the indoor heat exchanger according to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, in any one of the first to seventh aspects, the fixing member may form a passage for draining water into a drain pan formed in the frame. In this case, water generated by condensation on the surface of the bent portion can be drained into the drain pan through the passage of the fixing member. This further enhances the effect of inhibiting corrosion of the bent portion.

[0015] In the indoor heat exchanger according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, in any one of the first to eighth aspects, the gap between the fixing member and the bent portion may be 2 mm or more. In this case, water can be more reliably prevented from accumulating between the fixing member and the bent portion (and thus from corroding the aluminum heat transfer tube).

[0016] An air conditioner according to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure is an air conditioner having an indoor heat exchanger and a frame, wherein the indoor heat exchanger comprises a heat exchange section including fins and a heat transfer tube penetrating the fins and having a bent portion, and a fixing member that fixes the heat exchange section to the frame, wherein the heat transfer tube is made of aluminum, and the fixing member and the bent portion are spaced apart from each other.

[0017] According to the tenth aspect of the present disclosure, similarly to the first aspect, the fixing member and the bent portion are spaced apart from each other, which makes it possible to prevent water from accumulating between the fixing member and the bent portion (and thus to prevent corrosion of the aluminum heat transfer tube). [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure with an exterior panel removed. [Diagram 2] 2 is a perspective view of an indoor heat exchanger included in the air conditioner shown in FIG. 1, as viewed from the left front. [Diagram 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of the air conditioner shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of region IV shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a region V shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] <Overall configuration of air conditioner> First, the overall configuration of an air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 1. In the following description, the directions of "up", "down", "right", "left", "front" and "rear" refer to the directions when the air conditioner 1 is installed as shown in Fig. 1.

[0020] The air conditioner 1 includes an indoor heat exchanger 10, a fan and a filter (not shown), a frame 1f, and an exterior panel (not shown).

[0021] The frame 1f constitutes the bottom and rear of the air conditioner 1. The frame 1f is long in one direction, and is attached to an indoor wall surface via a mounting plate (not shown) so that the one direction is along the left-right direction in Fig. 1. The fan, exterior panel, and indoor heat exchanger 10 are attached to the frame 1f. The filter is attached to the exterior panel.

[0022] The indoor heat exchanger 10 is long in one direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 1) like the frame 1f.

[0023] <Indoor heat exchanger configuration> Next, the configuration of the indoor heat exchanger 10 will be described in detail with reference to Figs.

[0024] The indoor heat exchanger 10 includes a heat exchange portion 10u and a fixing member 15, as shown in FIG.

[0025] The heat exchange section 10u includes a plurality of fins 11, a plurality of heat transfer tubes 12, and a tube sheet 13.

[0026] The fins 11 are each a thin plate and are arranged such that their plate surfaces extend along the up-down direction and the front-rear direction. The fins 11 are arranged at equal intervals in the left-right direction.

[0027] 1, each of the heat transfer tubes 12 has a pair of straight portions 12s extending in the left-right direction and a U-shaped bent portion 12x connecting left ends of the pair of straight portions 12s. Furthermore, the right end of one of the pair of straight portions 12s of one heat transfer tube 12 and the right end of one of the pair of straight portions 12s of another heat transfer tube 12 are connected by a bent portion 12y.

[0028] For simplification, Fig. 1 illustrates only a pair of straight portions 12s of one of the heat transfer tubes 12. For simplification, Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate only a portion of the fins 11.

[0029] 1, the straight portion 12s penetrates the multiple fins 11. The bent portion 12x is located on the left side of the multiple fins 11. The bent portion 12y is located on the right side of the multiple fins 11.

[0030] The bent portion 12x is formed integrally with the pair of straight portions 12s, and by bending one tube, the pair of straight portions 12s and the bent portion 12x are formed as components of the U-shaped heat transfer tube 12. On the other hand, the bent portion 12y is made of a so-called U-bend tube, and is welded to the open end (the right end of one of the pair of straight portions 12s of one heat transfer tube 12 and the right end of one of the pair of straight portions 12s of another heat transfer tube 12) of the U-shaped heat transfer tube 12 formed by bending as described above.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 1, components for supplying a refrigerant to the heat transfer tube 12 (refrigerant tube 17, flow divider 18, expansion valve 19, etc.) are disposed near the bent portion 12y.

[0032] 1 and 2, the tube sheet 13 is disposed so that the plate surface is aligned in the up-down direction and the front-rear direction, and is located on the left side of the fins 11. Although not shown in the drawings, a tube sheet is also disposed on the right side of the fins 11.

[0033] 2, a plurality of heat transfer tubes 12 penetrate through the tube sheet 13. There is almost no gap between the tube sheet 13 and each heat transfer tube 12, and the tube sheet 13 supports the fins 11 and the plurality of heat transfer tubes 12. A bent portion 12x is arranged on the left side of the tube sheet 13, i.e., on the opposite side of the tube sheet 13 to the plurality of fins 11.

[0034] The thickness of the tube sheet 13 is 1 mm or more.

[0035] 1 and 2, the fixing member 15 constitutes the left side of the indoor heat exchanger 10. The fixing member 15 is disposed on the left side of the tube sheet 13, i.e., on the opposite side of the tube sheet 13 from the multiple fins 11. In other words, the tube sheet 13 is disposed between the fixing member 15 and the multiple fins 11 in the left-right direction.

[0036] The fixing member 15 is fixed to the frame 1f (see FIG. 1) via a plurality of screws (not shown), and is also fixed to the tube sheet 13 via a plurality of screws 20. That is, the fixing member 15 fixes the heat exchange section 10u including the tube sheet 13 to the frame 1f.

[0037] The heat transfer tubes 12 and the tube plate 13 are made of aluminum, whereas the fixing members 15 are made of resin.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 2, the fixing member 15 is not in contact with any of the multiple bent portions 12x. That is, the fixing member 15 and each bent portion 12x are spaced apart from each other. A gap D (see Figs. 4 and 5) between the fixing member 15 and each bent portion 12x is 2 mm or more. The gap D refers to the smallest gap among the gaps between the fixing member 15 and each bent portion 12x.

[0039] The fixing member 15 has a receiving portion 15x disposed below the bent portion 12x. The receiving portion 15x has a function of receiving water generated by condensation on the surface of the bent portion 12x.

[0040] The receiving portion 15x includes a first receiving portion 15x1, a second receiving portion 15x2, and a third receiving portion 15x3, as shown in Fig. 3. The second receiving portion 15x2 is located between the receiving portion 15x1 and the receiving portion 15x3 in the front-rear direction.

[0041] The surfaces 15x1a, 15x2a, and 15x3a of the receiving portions 15x1, 15x2, and 15x3 facing the bent portion 12x are inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. The surface 15x1a is inclined so as to face backward as it extends downward. The surface 15x2a is inclined so as to face forward as it extends downward. The surface 15x3a is inclined so as to face backward as it extends downward.

[0042] The surface 15x1a forms a passage R1, the surface 15x2a forms a passage R2, and the surface 15x3a forms a passage R3. The fixing member 15 further forms a passage R4 below the passages R1 and R2. The passages R1, R2, and R4 are passages for draining water to a drain pan 1d1 formed in the frame 1f. The passage R3 is a passage for draining water to a drain pan 1d2 formed in the frame 1f. The drain pan 1d1 is disposed below the lower end of the passage R4. The drain pan 1d2 is disposed below the lower end of the passage R3.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 2, the entire bent portion 12x overlaps with the receiving portion 15x2 in the vertical direction.

[0044] Furthermore, the receiving portion 15x2 protrudes leftward from the bent portion 12x (the direction in which the heat transfer tube 12 penetrates the fins 11 and in which the bent portion 12x is disposed relative to the fins 11). In other words, the left end of the receiving portion 15x2 is located leftward from the apex of the bent portion 12x.

[0045] The above description is about the receiving portion 15x2, but the same applies to the receiving portions 15x1 and 15x3 (see FIG. 3). That is, the entire bent portion 12x overlaps with the receiving portion 15x1 in the vertical direction, and the receiving portion 15x1 protrudes leftward from the bent portion 12x. The entire bent portion 12x overlaps with the receiving portion 15x3 in the vertical direction, and the receiving portion 15x3 protrudes leftward from the bent portion 12x.

[0046] <Effects of the embodiment> As described above, in this embodiment, the fixing member 15 and the bent portion 12x are spaced apart from each other (see FIGS. 2 to 5). This makes it possible to prevent water from accumulating between the fixing member 15 and the bent portion 12x (and thus to prevent corrosion of the aluminum heat transfer tube 12).

[0047] Among the components included in the heat exchange section 10u, not only the heat transfer tubes 12 but also the tube sheet 13 are made of aluminum, which makes it possible to more reliably achieve cost reduction.

[0048] The fixing member 15 is fixed to the tube sheet 13 via screws 20 (see FIG. 2). The tube sheet 13 is made of aluminum and has a relatively low strength. For example, when the fixing member 15 is fixed to the tube sheet 13 via claws provided on the tube sheet 13 or the fixing member 15, the claws of the tube sheet 13 or the portions of the tube sheet 13 that engage with the claws may deform, and the fixing strength of the fixing member 15 to the tube sheet 13 may decrease. In this regard, in the present embodiment, the fixing member 15 is fixed to the tube sheet 13 via the screws 20, so that the fixing strength of the fixing member 15 to the tube sheet 13 can be increased.

[0049] The thickness of the tube sheet 13 is 1 mm or more. In this case, the fastening force of the screws 20 can be increased (and thus the fixing strength of the fixing members 15 to the tube sheet 13 can be increased).

[0050] The fixing member 15 has receiving portions 15x (15x1, 15x2, 15x3) arranged below the bent portion 12x (see Figs. 2 to 5). Surfaces 15x1a, 15x2a, 15x3a of the receiving portions 15x1, 15x2, 15x3 facing the bent portion 12x are inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. In this case, water generated by condensation on the surface of the bent portion 12x can be received by the receiving portions 15x and discharged downward along the above-mentioned surfaces of the receiving portions 15x. This further enhances the corrosion suppression effect of the bent portion 12x.

[0051] The entire bent portion 12x overlaps with the receiving portion 15x in the up-down direction (see FIG. 2). In this case, water generated by condensation on the surface of the bent portion 12x can be reliably received by the receiving portion 15x. Furthermore, in this configuration, the receiving portion 15x protrudes leftward (in the direction in which the heat transfer tube 12 penetrates the fins 11) beyond the bent portion 12x. In this case, water generated by condensation on the surface of the bent portion 12x can be more reliably received by the receiving portion 15x.

[0052] The fixing member 15 forms passages R1-R4 for draining water to the drain pans 1d1, 1d2 formed on the frame 1f (see FIG. 3). In this case, water generated by condensation on the surface of the bent portion 12x can be drained to the drain pans 1d1, 1d2 through the passages R1-R4. This further enhances the effect of inhibiting corrosion of the bent portion 12x.

[0053] The gap D (see Figs. 4 and 5) between the fixing member 15 and the bent portion 12x is 2 mm or more. In this case, water can be more reliably prevented from accumulating between the fixing member 15 and the bent portion 12x (and thus the aluminum heat transfer tube 12 can be more reliably prevented from corroding).

[0054] <Modification> The "bent portion" according to the present disclosure is not limited to the bent portion 12x (a portion formed integrally with the pair of straight portions 12s) according to the above-described embodiment, but may be the bent portion 12y (a portion consisting of a U-bend pipe welded to the pair of straight portions 12s) according to the above-described embodiment.

[0055] The receiving portion does not have to protrude beyond the bent portion in the direction in which the heat transfer tube penetrates the fin. In addition, the bent portion is not limited to overlapping the receiving portion in the vertical direction in its entirety, and the bent portion may have a portion that does not overlap the receiving portion in the vertical direction.

[0056] Although the embodiments have been described above, it will be understood that various changes in form and details are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 1. Air conditioner 1f Frame 1d1,1d2 drain pan 10 Indoor heat exchanger 10u heat exchange section 11 Finn 12 Heat transfer tube 12x bends 13 Tube plate 15 Fixing member 15x Receptacle Surfaces 15x1a, 15x2a, 15x3a 20 screws Gap D Passages R1 to R4

Claims

1. A heat exchange unit including a fin and a heat transfer tube that penetrates the fin and has a bent portion; A fixing member that fixes the heat exchange unit to a frame of the air conditioner, The heat transfer tube is made of aluminum, the fixing member does not have a peripheral wall that defines an opening into which the heat transfer tube is inserted below the bent portion, and has a receiving portion that faces the bent portion without any other member therebetween, The receiving portion and the bent portion are spaced apart from each other.

2. The heat exchange unit further includes a tube plate through which the heat transfer tube penetrates, The bent portion is disposed on the opposite side of the tube sheet from the fin, 2. The indoor heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the tube sheet is made of aluminum.

3. The indoor heat exchanger according to claim 2 , wherein the fixing member is fixed to the tube plate via a screw.

4. The indoor heat exchanger according to claim 3 , wherein the tube sheet has a thickness of 1 mm or more.

5. The indoor heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein a surface of the receiving portion facing the bent portion is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane.

6. The indoor heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the bent portion entirely overlaps the receiving portion in the vertical direction.

7. The indoor heat exchanger according to claim 6 , wherein the receiving portion protrudes beyond the bent portion in a direction in which the heat transfer tube penetrates the fins.

8. The indoor heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing member forms a passage for draining water to a drain pan formed in the frame.

9. The indoor heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein a gap between the fixing member and the bent portion is 2 mm or more.

10. An air conditioner having an indoor heat exchanger and a frame, The indoor heat exchanger includes a heat exchange unit including fins and a heat transfer tube that penetrates the fins and has a bent portion, and a fixing member that fixes the heat exchange unit to the frame, The heat transfer tube is made of aluminum, the fixing member does not have a peripheral wall that defines an opening into which the heat transfer tube is inserted below the bent portion, and has a receiving portion that faces the bent portion without any other member therebetween, The receiving portion and the bent portion are spaced apart from each other.

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