Outdoor unit and air conditioner equipped with said outdoor unit

Abstract

To provide an outdoor unit and an air conditioner having the outdoor unit that prevent a heat exchanger and a bottom plate from coming contact with each other due to generation of positional deviation of a spacer and that thus suppress occurrence of bimetallic corrosion.SOLUTION: An outdoor unit includes: a heat exchanger 13 formed by metal; a bottom plate 41 formed by metal different from the heat exchanger 13; and a spacer 50 disposed between the heat exchanger 13 and the bottom plate 41 and formed by an insulation material. The bottom plate 41 includes a fixation part 60 to which the spacer 50 is fixed. The spacer 50 includes a fitting part 52 nipping the fixation part 60. When the spacer 50 is disposed at a corner part 41e of the bottom plate 41, the fixation part 60 is provided at any one side sandwiching the corner part 41e of the bottom plate 41. By fitting the fitting part 52 to the fixation part 60, movement of the spacer 50 to a space side on which the heat exchanger 13 is accommodated is restricted on the bottom plate 41.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to an outdoor unit and an air conditioner including the outdoor unit. [Background technology]

[0002] The outdoor heat exchanger disposed inside the housing of the outdoor unit may be made of, for example, aluminum or an aluminum alloy, while the housing of the outdoor unit, particularly the bottom plate on which the outdoor heat exchanger is placed, may be made of, for example, iron.

[0003] In this way, when the outdoor heat exchanger and the bottom plate are made of different metals and are in contact with each other, if water such as rainwater or condensed water is present between the two, the potential difference between the two may cause galvanic corrosion. When galvanic corrosion occurs, the metal with the higher ionization tendency (in the case of aluminum and iron, aluminum) corrodes.

[0004] Therefore, in order to prevent the occurrence of galvanic corrosion, there is an example in which a spacer made of an insulating material is placed between the bottom plate and the outdoor heat exchanger (see Patent Document 1 below). That is, by placing the outdoor heat exchanger on a spacer made of an insulating material placed on the bottom plate, contact between the outdoor heat exchanger and the bottom plate due to the outdoor heat exchanger's own weight or vibrations applied to the outdoor unit from the outside is prevented, and by ensuring insulation between the two, galvanic corrosion is prevented from occurring even when water is present inside the housing of the outdoor unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-084995 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The spacer in Patent Document 1 has faces that are not parallel to each other, and the position of the spacer relative to the bottom plate is determined by abutting these faces against the corners of the bottom plate. Therefore, the spacer is restricted by the bottom plate and does not move in the direction from the inside to the outside of the outdoor unit, which is the direction in which the spacer abuts against the bottom plate.

[0007] However, in Patent Document 1, the movement of the spacer in the direction from the outside to the inside of the outdoor unit is not restricted, so that when the outdoor unit is assembled, the spacer may be disposed between the outdoor heat exchanger and the bottom plate in a state where it is shifted inward from its original position. If the spacer is disposed in a state where it is shifted inward from its original position, the spacer may come out from between the outdoor heat exchanger and the bottom plate due to vibrations when the outdoor unit is transported or operated. If the spacer comes out from between the outdoor heat exchanger and the bottom plate, the outdoor heat exchanger may come into contact with the bottom plate due to the weight of the outdoor heat exchanger or vibrations applied to the outdoor unit from the outside. If water is present between the two in this state, galvanic corrosion may occur.

[0008] The present invention aims to provide an outdoor unit that prevents contact between the heat exchanger and the bottom plate caused by misalignment of the spacer, thereby suppressing the occurrence of galvanic corrosion, and an air conditioner equipped with such an outdoor unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] An outdoor unit according to one aspect of the present invention includes a heat exchanger made of metal, a bottom plate made of a metal different from that of the heat exchanger, and a spacer arranged between the heat exchanger and the bottom plate and made of an insulating material, the bottom plate having a fixing portion to which the spacer is fixed, the spacer having an attachment portion that clamps the fixing portion, and the spacer having a first side on which the attachment portion of the spacer is provided when the spacer is attached to the bottom plate, Bottom plateThe spacer has a third edge positioned opposite the corner, and a second edge continuing from the first edge and the third edge, and when the spacer is positioned at the corner of the bottom plate, the fixing portion is provided at only one location on either side of the corner of the bottom plate, and the mounting portion is attached to the fixing portion, thereby restricting movement of the spacer in the bottom plate toward the space in which the heat exchanger is housed.

[0010] An air conditioner according to one aspect of the present invention includes a heat exchanger made of metal, a bottom plate made of a metal different from that of the heat exchanger, and a spacer made of an insulating material and disposed between the heat exchanger and the bottom plate, the bottom plate having a fixing portion to which the spacer is fixed, the spacer having an attachment portion that clamps the fixing portion, and the spacer having a first side on which the attachment portion of the spacer is provided when the spacer is attached to the bottom plate, Bottom plate The outdoor unit has a third side positioned opposite the corner and a second side continuing from the first side and the third side, and when the spacer is positioned at the corner of the bottom plate, a fixing portion is provided only at one location on either side of the bottom plate that sandwiches the corner, and the mounting portion is attached to the fixing portion, thereby restricting movement of the spacer on the bottom plate toward the space in which the heat exchanger is housed, and an indoor unit that is installed indoors and forms a refrigeration circuit between the outdoor unit and the outdoor unit. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an outdoor unit that prevents contact between the heat exchanger and the bottom plate caused by misalignment of the spacer, thereby suppressing the occurrence of galvanic corrosion, and an air conditioner equipped with such an outdoor unit. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is an external perspective view of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which an outdoor heat exchanger is placed on a bottom plate inside an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is an oblique view showing a spacer arranged between a bottom plate and an outdoor heat exchanger when the outdoor heat exchanger is placed on the bottom plate inside an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 5] 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a spacer is disposed on a bottom plate inside an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a spacer according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a perspective view of a spacer according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 8] 8 is a perspective view of a spacer according to the embodiment of the present invention, shown from a different direction than the perspective view shown in FIG. 7. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a side view of a spacer according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a side view showing another aspect of the spacer according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing a part of the bottom plate according to the embodiment of the present invention, in which the periphery of a corner where a spacer is arranged is enlarged. FIG. [Figure 12] 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing a state in which the spacer according to the embodiment of the present invention is fixed to a bottom plate. FIG. [Figure 13] 13 is an enlarged perspective view showing a state in which the spacer according to the embodiment of the present invention is fixed to a bottom plate, and is a perspective view shown in a different direction from the perspective view shown in FIG. 12. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing a state in which the spacer according to the embodiment of the present invention is fixed to a bottom plate, as viewed from the side of the spacer; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] An air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of an air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an external perspective view of an outdoor unit 11 of the air conditioner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] An air conditioner 1 will be described using Figure 1. The air conditioner 1 is capable of heating and cooling operations, and is equipped with a refrigerant circuit 2 in which an indoor unit 5 placed indoors and an outdoor unit 11 installed outdoors are connected via refrigerant piping 3.

[0015] The outdoor unit 11 includes an outdoor heat exchanger 13, an outdoor blower 16 for blowing outdoor air to the outdoor heat exchanger 13, a compressor 12, an accumulator 19, a four-way valve 15, and an outdoor unit side expansion valve 14. The outdoor blower 16 is driven by a fan motor. The indoor unit 5 includes an indoor heat exchanger 7, and a blower 9 for blowing indoor air to the indoor heat exchanger 7.

[0016] The refrigerant circuit 2 is configured by connecting a compressor 12, a four-way valve 15, an outdoor heat exchanger 13, an outdoor unit side expansion valve 14, an indoor heat exchanger 7, and an accumulator 19 with refrigerant piping 3. The refrigerant piping 3 connecting the four-way valve 15 and the outdoor heat exchanger 13 becomes a gas side refrigerant piping 18, and the refrigerant piping 3 connecting the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the outdoor unit side expansion valve 14 becomes a liquid side refrigerant piping 17.

[0017] In an embodiment of the present invention, the outdoor heat exchanger 13 has a liquid side header 23 as a first header provided at one end side of the first heat exchange section 21, a gas side header 24 as a first header provided at one end side of the second heat exchange section 22, and a return header 25 as a second header provided at the other end side.

[0018] Moreover, the outdoor heat exchanger 13 according to the embodiment of the present invention is formed in an L-shape when viewed from above, with the long side of the L-shape disposed at a position facing the rear surface of the housing and the short side of the L-shape disposed at a position facing the side surface of the housing. Furthermore, the outdoor heat exchanger 13 according to the embodiment of the present invention is formed of, for example, aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

[0019] In Fig. 1, the arrows shown by solid lines indicate the flow of refrigerant in the refrigerant piping 3 during cooling operation, and the arrows shown by dashed lines indicate the flow of refrigerant in the refrigerant piping 3 during heating operation. During cooling operation, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 12 into a high-temperature, high-pressure gas phase state flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 13 via the four-way valve 15 and the gas side refrigerant piping 18. The high-temperature, high-pressure gas phase refrigerant that flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 13 exchanges heat with the outside air blown by the outdoor blower 16 while flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 13, condenses into a liquid phase refrigerant, and flows out of the outdoor heat exchanger 13. The liquid phase refrigerant that flows out of the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is reduced in pressure when passing through the outdoor unit side expansion valve 14 via the liquid side refrigerant piping 17, becoming a gas-liquid two-phase state. The refrigerant that has been decompressed and is now in a two-phase gas-liquid state flows into the indoor heat exchanger 7, and while flowing through the indoor heat exchanger 7, it exchanges heat with the indoor air blown by the blower 9, evaporates, and becomes gas-phase refrigerant, which then flows out of the indoor heat exchanger 7. The gas-phase refrigerant that flows out of the indoor heat exchanger 7 returns to the compressor 12 via the accumulator 19, where it is compressed and becomes a high-temperature, high-pressure gas phase again.

[0020] In the case of heating operation, the refrigerant flows in the opposite direction to the cooling operation by the four-way valve 15. In the heating operation, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 12 into a high-temperature, high-pressure gas phase flows into the indoor heat exchanger 7. The high-temperature, high-pressure gas phase refrigerant that flows into the indoor heat exchanger 7 exchanges heat with the indoor air blown by the blower 9 while flowing through the indoor heat exchanger 7, dissipates heat, becomes a liquid phase refrigerant, and flows out of the indoor heat exchanger 7. The indoor air that exchanges heat with the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant passing through the indoor heat exchanger 7 is warmed. The liquid phase refrigerant that passes through the indoor heat exchanger 7 is decompressed and becomes a gas-liquid two-phase state when passing through the outdoor unit expansion valve 14. The decompressed gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 13 through the liquid side refrigerant piping 17. The refrigerant that flows through the outdoor heat exchanger 13 exchanges heat with the outdoor air blown by the outdoor blower 16 while flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 13, evaporates, and becomes a gas-state refrigerant. The gaseous refrigerant flowing out of the outdoor heat exchanger 13 returns to the compressor 12 via the gaseous refrigerant pipe 18 and the accumulator 19, where it is compressed into a high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous state.

[0021] Next, an outdoor unit 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Note that the vertical direction (up and down direction in the drawing) when the outdoor unit 11 is installed on a horizontal plane as in the outdoor unit 11 shown in Fig. 2 is defined as the Z direction, and the left and right direction when the outdoor unit 11 shown in Fig. 2 is viewed from a front panel 42 described below is defined as the X direction. Also, the direction perpendicular to both the Z direction and the X direction is defined as the Y direction (front and back direction).

[0022] In the following description, the top and bottom of the Z direction will be referred to as the Z direction top side or Z direction bottom side, and the left and right of the X direction will be referred to as the X direction left side and X direction right side, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 2. In addition, in the Y direction perpendicular to the Z direction and the X direction, the front side of the drawing will be referred to as the Y direction front side, and the opposite side will be referred to as the Y direction rear side. This also applies to Fig. 2 and the subsequent figures.

[0023] Furthermore, the outdoor unit described below will be exemplified by outdoor unit 11 having the shape shown in Fig. 2. However, the shape (aspect ratio) of outdoor unit 11 can be freely set depending on the size and number of various devices to be installed inside housing 6, in addition to the shape shown in Fig. 2 etc.

[0024] The outdoor unit 11 includes a box-shaped housing 6. The housing 6 has six surfaces: a top plate 40 located on the upper side in the Z direction, a bottom plate 41 on which the compressor 12, the outdoor heat exchanger 13, etc. are placed and which is made of iron, a front plate 42 located on the front side in the Y direction, a back plate 43 located on the rear side in the Y direction opposite the front plate 42, a left side plate 44 located on the left side of the front plate 42 in the X direction, and a right side plate 45 located on the right side of the front plate 42 in the X direction. Inlets (not shown) are formed in the back plate 43 and the left side plate 44. The L-shaped outdoor heat exchanger 13 is disposed so as to face the inlets formed in the back plate 43 and the left side plate 44.

[0025] Outside air taken in from the intake port by the rotation of the outdoor blower 16 flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 13 in the direction of the arrow shown on the rear side in the Y direction of the housing 6 or on the left side in the X direction. An outlet 46 is formed in the front plate 42 of the housing 6, and a fan guard 47 is attached to the outlet 46. As the outdoor blower 16 rotates, the air that has exchanged heat with the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is blown out from the outlet 46 to the front side of the housing 6 as shown by the arrow in FIG.

[0026] Next, the inside of the outdoor unit 11 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is placed on the bottom plate 41 inside the outdoor unit 11 of the air conditioner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. In the perspective view shown in Fig. 3, the members constituting the housing 6 other than the bottom plate 41 shown in Fig. 2 and the devices arranged inside the housing 6 are omitted, and only the outdoor heat exchanger 13 attached to the bottom plate 41 and the spacer 50 arranged between the bottom plate 41 and the outdoor heat exchanger 13 are drawn.

[0027] The outdoor heat exchanger 13 is formed in an L-shape, and the end of the long side of the L-shape of the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the end of the short side of the L-shape are connected to the bottom plate using fixing devices (not shown). On the other hand, the part where the long side and the short side of the L-shape are connected (hereinafter, this part is appropriately referred to as "bent part 13a") is not connected to the bottom plate 41. However, a spacer 50 (described later) is arranged between the bent part 13a of the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the bottom plate 41. In other words, the bent part 13a of the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is simply placed on the spacer 50 attached to the bottom plate 41.

[0028] As described above, the outdoor heat exchanger 13 in the embodiment of the present invention is made of aluminum or the like, while the bottom plate 41 is made of iron. In this way, the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the bottom plate 41 are made of different metals, and if water such as rainwater or condensed water is present between the two when they are in contact with each other, there is a possibility that galvanic corrosion will occur.

[0029] Therefore, by disposing a spacer 50 between the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the bottom plate 41, for example, the outdoor heat exchanger 13 moves downward in the Z direction due to its own weight, or when the outdoor unit 11 is subjected to an impact due to vibration or being dropped, some force is applied to the bottom plate 41, causing the bottom plate 41 to move upward in the Z direction, and so on, so that the two do not come into contact with each other. Therefore, the spacer 50 plays a role in preventing contact between the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the bottom plate 41 and in securing the distance between them.

[0030] Furthermore, since the spacer 50 contacts both the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the bottom plate 41, if the spacer 50 had electrical conductivity, galvanic corrosion would occur. Therefore, the spacer 50 is made of an insulating material. Note that various insulating materials, such as resin and rubber, can be used.

[0031] Fig. 4 shows a state in which a spacer 50 is disposed between the bottom plate 41 and the heat exchanger 13. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the spacer 50 disposed between the bottom plate 41 and the outdoor heat exchanger 13 with the outdoor heat exchanger 13 placed on the bottom plate 41 inside the outdoor unit 11 of the air conditioner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] 4, the spacer 50, which is hidden by the outdoor heat exchanger 13 in FIG. 3, is drawn with a dashed line. As will be described later, the spacer 50 in the embodiment of the present invention is fixed to the bottom plate 41 by mounting the mounting portion 52 to a fixing portion of the bottom plate 41. Then, the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is placed on the upper side of the spacer 50 in the Z direction. By placing the outdoor heat exchanger 13 on the spacer 50, the spacer 50 is disposed between the bottom plate 41 and the heat exchanger 13.

[0033] 5, the outdoor heat exchanger 13 shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 is omitted, and only the spacer 50 is attached to the bottom plate 41 inside the outdoor unit 11 of the air conditioner 1.

[0034] 5, the peripheral portion of the bottom surface 41a is raised upward in the Z direction to form the rising portion 41b. By forming the rising portion 41b, the bottom plate 41 as a whole becomes box-shaped with an open upper side (upper side in the Z direction). Each device such as the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is housed in a space surrounded by the rising portion 41b on the bottom surface 41a.

[0035] In the following description, the side of the rising portion 41b facing the space in which the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and other devices are housed is referred to as the "first surface F1". Meanwhile, the surface opposite to the first surface F1 is referred to as the "second surface F2". That is, the surface of the rising portion 41b facing the inside of the housing 6 is the first surface F1, and the surface facing the outside of the housing 6 is the second surface F2. Even if the rising portion 41b is not formed on the bottom plate 41 as in the embodiment of the present invention, the surface facing the space in which the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is housed is the first surface F1, and the opposite surface corresponds to the second surface F2. In this case, the surface on which the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and other devices are placed is the first surface F1, and the back surface thereof, that is, the surface facing the installation surface, is the second surface F2.

[0036] 5 shows the entire spacer 50 attached to the bottom plate 41, which was only partially visible in FIG. 3, because the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is not drawn. As described above, the spacer 50 is disposed between the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the bottom plate 41, and serves to ensure the distance and insulation between them so that galvanic corrosion does not occur between them. Therefore, the spacer 50 in the embodiment of the present invention is disposed above the bottom plate 41 in the Z direction and inside the housing 6.

[0037] The bottom surface 41a of the bottom plate 41 is not formed flat, but is formed with projections and recesses so that, for example, condensed water dripping from the top to the bottom of the outdoor heat exchanger 13 will collect at a lower location, and so that equipment such as the outdoor heat exchanger 13 that should not come into contact with condensed water can be installed at a higher location.

[0038] 5, the spacer 50 in the embodiment of the present invention is disposed on the left side in the X direction, when the outdoor unit 11 is viewed from the front, at a corner of the bottom plate 41 on the rear side in the Y direction. As described above, the spacer 50 is disposed in such a position because it contacts the underside of the bent portion 13a of the outdoor heat exchanger 13 to support the outdoor heat exchanger 13.

[0039] (Spacer 50) The spacer 50 will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 6 to 10. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the spacer 50 according to the embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 6, for ease of understanding, the long side 41c on the rear side in the Y direction of the bottom plate 41 and the short side 41d on the left side in the X direction are each partially shown by dashed lines. Therefore, the dashed lines in Fig. 6 are shown merely for convenience and do not show the state in which the spacer 50 is fixed to the bottom plate 41. Similarly, for ease of understanding, the outdoor heat exchanger 13 (bent portion 13a) placed on the spacer 50 is shown by a dashed line.

[0040] The spacer 50 is fixed to the bottom plate 41 by mounting a mounting portion 52 (described later) to a fixing portion 60 of the bottom plate 41. Hit The mounting portion 52 of the spacer 50, which will be described later, is attached to the fixing portion 60 of the bottom plate 41 so as to sandwich the fixing portion 60. By attaching the spacer 50 to the bottom plate 41 in this manner, movement of the spacer 50 to the space side in which the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is accommodated in the bottom plate 41, that is, to the space surrounded by the rising portion 41b of the bottom plate 41, is restricted.

[0041] 6, the spacer 50 according to the embodiment of the present invention is a modified hexagon having a first side 50a to a sixth side 50f. Of the six sides of the spacer 50, the first side 50a faces the long side 41c on the rear side in the Y direction of the bottom plate 41 and is arranged so as to be parallel to each other. The second side 50b faces the short side 41d on the left side in the X direction of the bottom plate 41 and is arranged so as to be parallel to each other. Therefore, "one side" of the bottom plate 41 in claim 2 corresponds to the long side 41c of the bottom plate 41 here, and "the other side" corresponds to the short side 41d of the bottom plate 41 here.

[0042] Therefore, the third side 50c located between the first side 50a and the second side 50b is disposed at a position facing a corner 41e formed by the contact between the long side 41c on the rear side in the Y direction and the short side 41d on the left side in the X direction of the bottom plate 41. Note that, as shown in FIG. 6, none of the first side 50a to the third side 50c contacts the long side 41c or the short side 41d.

[0043] Furthermore, since the first side 50a to the third side 50c are positioned in such positions, the fourth side 50d parallel to the first side 50a, the fifth side 50e parallel to the second side 50b, and the sixth side 50f parallel to the third side 50c are positioned further inside the housing 6 than the first side 50a to the third side 50c, i.e., on the side of the space in which the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is housed.

[0044] The mounting surface 51 surrounded by the first side 50a to the sixth side 50f of the spacer 50 is an area on which the folded portion 13a of the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is placed when the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is attached to the bottom plate 41, as shown by the dashed line in Fig. 4 or the dashed line in Fig. 6. Therefore, the mounting surface 51 is approximately parallel to the bottom surface 41a of the bottom plate 41 with which the mounting surface 51 comes into contact. In this way, the spacer 50 is disposed between the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the bottom plate 41 to prevent the outdoor heat exchanger 13 from coming into contact with the bottom plate 41.

[0045] The spacer 50 has a mounting portion 52 on a first side 50a. The mounting portion 52 is a portion that is attached to a fixing portion 60 of the bottom plate 41, which will be described in detail later with reference to Fig. 11, when the spacer 50 is fixed to the bottom plate 41. The mounting portion 52 clamps the fixing portion 60, whereby the spacer 50 is attached to the bottom plate 41.

[0046] Details of the spacer 50 will be described below with reference to Fig. 7 and Fig. 8. Fig. 7 is an external perspective view of the spacer 50 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 8 is an external perspective view of the spacer 50 according to the embodiment of the present invention, shown from a different direction than that shown in Fig. 7.

[0047] The mounting part 52 includes a base part 52a that rises continuously from the placement surface 51 upward in the Z direction at the first side 50a and is formed along the first surface F1 of the rising part 41b in a state in which the mounting part 52 is attached to the fixing part 60. The mounting part 52 also includes a facing part 52b that is disposed at a position opposite to the base part 52a and is formed along the second surface F2 of the rising part 41b in a state in which the mounting part 52 is attached to the fixing part 60, and an arm part 52c that connects one end of the base part 52a and one end of the facing part 52b.

[0048] As described above, the base 52a rises from the mounting surface 51 along the first surface F1 of the rising portion 41b. In addition, the first side 50a of the spacer 50 on which the mounting portion 52 is formed is not in contact with the long side 41c on the Y-direction rear side. Therefore, when the spacer 50 is fixed to the bottom plate 41, the base 52a faces the first surface F1.

[0049] 7 and 8, the opposing portion 52b is disposed at a position opposing the base portion 52a. When the spacer 50 is fixed to the bottom plate 41, the long side 41c on the Y-direction rear side is disposed between the base portion 52a and the opposing portion 52b, so that the opposing portion 52b faces the second surface F2 of the rising portion 41b.

[0050] The two arm portions 52c connect the base portion 52a and the opposing portion 52b at one end 52aa of the base portion 52a and one end 52ba of the opposing portion 52b. Specifically, as shown in Figs. 6 to 8, the arm portion 52c extends from the base portion 52a in an arch shape toward the outside as viewed from the mounting surface 51, that is, toward the outside of the space in the bottom plate 41 in which the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is accommodated, and connects to one end 52ba of the opposing portion 52b.

[0051] When the spacer 50 is fixed to the bottom plate 41, the fixing portion 60 on the long side 41c of the rising portion 41a of the bottom plate 41 enters between the base portion 52a and the facing portion 52b, and the arm portion 52c is disposed so as to climb over the long side 41c (rising portion 41b). Since the base portion 52a and the facing portion 52b are connected by the arm portion 52c, the base portion 52a faces the first surface F1 and the facing portion 52b faces the second surface F2, so that the base portion 52a and the facing portion 52b sandwich the fixing portion 60 from both sides.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 6 to Fig. 8, two arm portions 52c according to the embodiment of the present invention are formed at a distance from each other along the long side 41c on the Y-direction rear side of the bottom plate 41. Since the two arm portions 52c, 52c are formed in this manner, a first gap portion 52d is formed between the two arm portions 52c, 52c. In addition, a rectangular second gap portion 52e is formed below the base portion 52a so as to penetrate the mounting surface 51 and the base portion 52a.

[0053] As described later, the distance between the first rib 52f of the base 52a in contact with the first surface F1 and the second rib 52g of the facing portion 52b in contact with the second surface F2 is smaller than the plate thickness of the long side 41c of the fixing portion 60. Therefore, when the mounting portion 52 is mounted to the fixing portion 60, the arm portions 52c, 52c are deformed to spread the base 52a and the facing portion 52b apart. Note that the first gap 52d and the second gap 52e are formed in the mounting portion 52, which makes the entire mounting portion 52 more likely to deform elastically, and therefore makes it easier for the base 52a and the facing portion 52b to be spread apart.

[0054] Furthermore, when the arm portions 52c, 52c are opened toward the opposing portion 52b, the one end 52aa of the base portion 52a is pulled toward the opposing portion 52b, and the mounting surface 51 side of the base portion 52a is deformed outward. Therefore, the portion of the base portion 52a continuing from the mounting surface 51 is also deformed. At this time, the second gap portion 52e is formed in this portion, so that the base portion 52a of the mounting portion 52 can be easily deformed with less force.

[0055] Since the first gap 52d and the second gap 52e are provided in this manner, it becomes easier to attach the mounting portion 52 to the fixing portion 60, and the entire spacer 50 can be easily fixed to the bottom plate 41.

[0056] In the spacer 50 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the second gap 52e is formed below the first gap 52d, but as long as the second gap 52e is formed below the base 52a, the position where the second gap 52e is formed does not necessarily have to be below the first gap 52d. Also, a plurality of second gaps 52e may be provided.

[0057] Furthermore, since the second gap 52e is formed from the lower part of the base 52a to the opposing surface 51, condensed water generated in the outdoor heat exchanger 13 placed on the mounting surface 51 can be drained to the bottom plate 41 without remaining in the spacer 50.

[0058] In the spacer 50 according to the embodiment of the present invention, holes such as the second gap 52e are provided not only in the lower part of the base 52a but also in the lower parts of the second side 50b and the third side 50c. This improves the drainage of condensed water generated in the outdoor heat exchanger 13.

[0059] The mounting portion 52 includes two first ribs 52f, 52f formed in a convex shape from the base portion 52a toward the first surface F1 of the rising portion 41b on the outer side of each arm portion 52c. That is, the first ribs 52f are formed on the outer side opposite to the side where the first gap portions 52d are provided in the arm portions 52c, 52c.

[0060] In other words, as shown in FIG. 6, on the first side 50a of the spacer 50, when viewed from the corner 41e of the bottom plate 41, the first rib 52f, the arm portion 52c, the first gap portion 52d, the arm portion 52c, and the first rib 52f are arranged in that order, and the arm portions 52c, 52c are arranged sandwiched between the two first ribs 52f, 52f.

[0061] As shown in Fig. 6 to Fig. 9, the first rib 52f is formed in a convex shape from the base 52a toward the first surface F1 of the rising portion 41b, has a cross section of a substantially triangular shape, and protrudes toward the rear side in the Y direction. The first rib 52f is provided with a contact portion 52fa that contacts the first surface F1 of the fixing portion when the mounting portion 52 is mounted to the fixing portion 60. The first rib 52f has a smaller protrusion amount toward the first surface F1 on the lower side in the Z direction closer to the placement surface 51 than the contact portion 52fa on the upper side in the Z direction that contacts the first surface F1. The first rib 52f is inclined so that the protrusion amount gradually increases from the lower side in the Z direction toward the contact portion 52fa.

[0062] Similarly to the base 52a, the first rib 52f rises from the mounting surface 51 along the first surface F1 of the rising portion 41b and protrudes toward the rear surface in the Y direction as it moves upward in the Z direction. Since the first rib 52f is formed in this shape, when the spacer 50 is fixed to the fixing portion 60, the first rib 52f comes into contact with the first surface F1 of the fixing portion 60, and the fixing portion 60 is sandwiched between the first rib 52f and the second rib 52g described next.

[0063] 8, a second rib 52g having a substantially rectangular cross section that protrudes from the facing portion 52b toward the second surface F2 of the rising portion 41b is formed on one end 52ba of the facing portion 52b of the mounting portion 52, and the second rib 52g protrudes toward the front side in the Y direction. The second rib 52g is provided with a contact portion 52ga that comes into contact with the second surface F2 of the fixing portion when the mounting portion 52 is mounted to the fixing portion 60. The amount of protrusion of the contact portion 52ga toward the second surface F2 toward the front side in the Y direction is smaller than the amount of protrusion of a claw portion 52h described later.

[0064] 6 and 9, the second rib 52g is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape and protrudes from the facing portion 52b toward the front side in the Y direction, so that when the spacer 50 is fixed to the fixed portion 60, the second rib 52g comes into contact with the second surface F2 of the fixed portion 60 and sandwiches the fixed portion 60 together with the first rib 52f. Note that, in the embodiment of the present invention, the second rib 52g is provided at only one location on the facing portion 52b, but multiple second ribs 52g may be provided.

[0065] Here, the positional relationship in the front-rear direction in the Y direction between the first rib 52f and the second rib 52g will be described. Fig. 9 is a side view of a spacer 50 according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the right side in the X direction. In Fig. 9, the left side of the drawing corresponds to the inside of the long side 41c of the bottom plate 41 (the side of the space in which the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the like are accommodated) when the spacer 50 is attached to the bottom plate 41, and the right side of the drawing corresponds to the outside of the long side 41c of the bottom plate 41.

[0066] In FIG. 9, since the spacer 50 is viewed from the right side in the X-direction, the first rib 52f, which is the furthest from the corner 41e, is visible at the front, and in FIG. 9, the arm portion 52c and the second rib 52g (opposing portion 52b) are visible in the order from the first rib 52f toward the back of the drawing (approaching the corner 41e).

[0067] When the mounting portion 52 is mounted to the fixing portion 60, the first rib 52f contacts the first surface F1 on the long side 41c of the bottom plate 41, and the second rib 52g contacts the second surface F2 on the long side 41c of the bottom plate 41. Fig. 9 shows the spacer 50 alone before the mounting portion 52 is mounted to the fixing portion 60, and the position of the contact portion 52fa of the first rib 52f with the first surface F1 in the spacer 50 and the position of the contact portion 52ga of the second rib 52g with the second surface F2 are equal in the Y direction shown in Fig. 9, i.e., in the direction perpendicular to the first surface F1 and the second surface F2.

[0068] That is, in the Y direction of Fig. 9, the position of the contact portion 52fa of the first rib 52f with the first surface F1 and the position of the contact portion 52ga of the second rib 52g with the second surface F2 are aligned. In Fig. 9, a dashed line is drawn in the Z direction, and the position of the contact portion 52fa of the first rib 52f with the first surface F1 and the position of the contact portion 52ga of the second rib 52g with the second surface F2 are aligned at the position of this dashed line. That is, the dimension of the interval between the first rib 52f and the second rib 52g in the Y direction of Fig. 9 is zero.

[0069] The relationship between the first rib 52f and the second rib 52g in the mounting portion 52 of the spacer 50 in the embodiment of the present invention is as described above, and is therefore smaller than the plate thickness dimension of the fixing portion 60. Therefore, when the mounting portion 52 is mounted to the fixing portion 60, the fixing portion 60 can be firmly sandwiched between the first rib 52f and the second rib 52g.

[0070] As described above, when the mounting portion 52 is mounted on the fixing portion 60, Hit The arm portion 52c is deformed so that the base portion 52a and the opposing portion 52b are spread apart. Therefore, after the mounting portion 52 is mounted to the fixed portion 60, a force (restoring force) acts to return the deformed arm portion 52c to its original state. This restoring force causes the first rib 52f to press the first surface F1 and the second rib 52g to press the second surface F2 in the directions opposite to each other. This action enables the mounting portion 52 to firmly clamp the fixed portion 60.

[0071] Furthermore, the dimension of the gap in the Y direction between the first rib 52f and the second rib 52g shown in Fig. 9 may be a negative dimension. That is, the position of the contact portion 52fa of the first rib 52f with the first surface F1 and the position of the contact portion 52fg of the second rib 52g with the second surface F2 shown in the side view of the spacer 50 in Fig. 9 overlap in the Z direction.

[0072] Such a positional relationship will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a side view showing another aspect of a spacer 50 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the spacer 50 shown in Fig. 10, the amount of protrusion of the first rib 52f' toward the rear side in the Y direction and the amount of protrusion of the second rib 52g' toward the front side in the Y direction are different from the amount of protrusion of the first rib 52f toward the rear side in the Y direction and the amount of protrusion of the second rib 52g toward the front side in the Y direction in the spacer 50 shown in Fig. 9, and both are larger amounts of protrusion.

[0073] Here, the dashed line drawn in the Z direction in Fig. 9 is drawn as it is in Fig. 10. In other words, the position shown by the dashed line is the position where the contact portion 52fa of the first rib 52f with the first surface F1 and the contact portion 52ga of the second rib 52g with the second surface F2 in Fig. 9 are aligned. Looking at Fig. 10, the first rib 52f' protrudes toward the rear side in the Y direction beyond the dashed line. Similarly, the second rib 52g' protrudes toward the front side in the Y direction beyond the dashed line.

[0074] Therefore, the position of the contact portion 52f'a of the first rib 52f' with the first surface F1 and the position of the contact portion 52g'a of the second rib 52g' with the second surface F2 are not aligned on the dashed line. In other words, the distance between the first rib 52f' and the second rib 52g' in the Y direction in Fig. 10 is a negative dimension. Therefore, in Fig. 10, the position of the contact portion 52f'a of the first rib 52f' with the first surface F1 and the position of the contact portion 52g'a of the second rib 52g' with the second surface F2 overlap.

[0075] In this way, by the first rib 52f and the second rib 52g overlapping in the Y direction, the fixing portion 60 can be clamped more firmly than when the spacing dimension in the opposing direction between the first rib 52f and the second rib 52g is zero.

[0076] The positional relationship between the first rib 52f and the second rib 52g described above is the positional relationship in the spacer 50 before the spacer 50 is fixed to the bottom plate 41. When the spacer 50 is fixed to the bottom plate 41, the first ribs 52f, 52f and the second rib 52g sandwich the fixing portion 60, and therefore the dimension of the gap between the first rib 52f and the second rib 52g in the opposing direction is at least the plate thickness of the rising portion 41b.

[0077] In addition, since the first rib 52f contacts the first surface F1 and the second rib 52g contacts the second surface F2 to clamp the long side 41c of the rising portion 41b, the spacing dimension in the Y direction shown in Figures 9 and 10 need not be equal to or less than 0 as described above, but may be greater than 0 as long as it is smaller than the plate thickness of the long side 41c.

[0078] 6 and 9, in the mounting portion 52, below the second rib 52g, a claw portion 52h is formed, which protrudes from the facing portion 52b toward the base portion 52a from the opposing portion 52b to a greater extent than the second rib 52g. The claw portion 52h is formed in a substantially triangular shape when viewed from the front (X direction) in FIG. 9, and protrudes toward the front side in the Y direction, i.e., toward the space side in the bottom plate 41 in which the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the like are accommodated. More specifically, a tip portion 52ha of the claw portion 52h protrudes beyond the second rib 52g.

[0079] In this way, the claw portion 52h and the second rib 52g protrude in the same direction, but as is particularly clear in Fig. 9, the amount of protrusion of the tip portion 52ha is greater than that of the second rib 52g. Because of this configuration, the tip portion 52ha of the claw portion 52h fits into a fitting hole 63 formed in the fixing portion 60, which will be described later.

[0080] Once the claw portion 52h is fitted into the fitting hole 63, the upper portion of the claw portion 52h in the Z direction penetrates the fitting hole 63 and protrudes toward the accommodation space of the outdoor heat exchanger 13, etc. in the bottom plate 41. Therefore, when the mounting part 52 is mounted to the fixing part 60, the upper portion of the claw portion 52h in the Z direction comes into contact with the fitting hole 63, so that the upward movement of the spacer 50 in the Z direction is restricted.

[0081] As described above, the outdoor heat exchanger 13 in the embodiment of the present invention is made of aluminum or the like, while the bottom plate 41 is made of iron. In this way, the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the bottom plate 41 are made of different metals, and if water such as rainwater or condensed water is present between the two when they are in contact with each other, there is a possibility that galvanic corrosion will occur.

[0082] Therefore, by disposing a spacer 50 between the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the bottom plate 41, for example, the outdoor heat exchanger 13 moves downward in the Z direction due to its own weight, or when the outdoor unit 11 is subjected to an impact due to vibration or being dropped, some force is applied to the bottom plate 41, causing the bottom plate 41 to move upward in the Z direction, and so on, so that the two do not come into contact with each other. Therefore, the spacer 50 prevents the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the bottom plate 41 from coming into contact with each other.

[0083] Furthermore, since the spacer 50 contacts both the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the bottom plate 41, if the spacer 50 had electrical conductivity, galvanic corrosion would occur. Therefore, the spacer 50 is made of an insulating material. Note that various insulating materials, such as resin and rubber, can be used.

[0084] (Bottom plate 41) Next, a description will be given of the fixing portion 60 of the bottom plate 41 to which the spacer 50 described above is attached. Fig. 11 is an enlarged perspective view showing a part of the bottom plate 41 according to the embodiment of the present invention, in which the periphery of the corner portion 41e where the spacer 50 is arranged is enlarged.

[0085] The bottom plate 41 is formed with a fixing portion 60 to which the mounting portion 52 of the spacer 50 is attached. As is clear from Fig. 11, the fixing portion 60 is provided on the long side 41c of the rising portion 41b. The mounting portion 52 of the spacer 50 is attached to the fixing portion 60, whereby the spacer 50 is fixed to the bottom plate 41.

[0086] The fixing part 60 has two hook parts 61. The two arm parts 52c are disposed on these hook parts 61 when the mounting part 52 is mounted on the fixing part 60. The hook parts 61 are formed according to the number of the arm parts 52c of the spacer 50.

[0087] 11, the two hook portions 61 are formed on the long side 41c of the bottom plate 41 along the X direction at a distance corresponding to the spacing dimension of the arm portions 52c. A protrusion 62 is formed between the two hook portions 61 so as to protrude upward in the Z direction beyond the hook portions 61.

[0088] The two hook portions 61 are formed so as to be recessed downward in the Z direction from the upper end of the long side 41c. This is because, as described above, the arm portion 52c is placed on the hook portion 61, and when the arm portion 52c is placed on the hook portion 61, as will be described later, the mounting portion 52, and therefore the spacer 50, can be restricted from moving in the X direction along the long side 41c of the bottom plate 41.

[0089] Therefore, the height of the two hook portions 61 in the Z direction needs to be sufficient to regulate the movement of the spacer 50 described above, and one example of this is when the highest part on the upper side of the arm portion 52c in the Z direction is aligned with the upper end of the long side 41c on the rear side of the bottom plate 41 in the Y direction.

[0090] When the mounting portion 52 is mounted on the fixed portion 60, the arm portion 52c is placed on the hook portion 61, and the protrusion 62 of the fixed portion 60 is inserted into the first gap portion 52d of the spacer 50.

[0091] Although the protrusion 62 is provided by forming the two hook portions 61, if the hook portions 61 can restrict the movement of the spacer 50 in the X direction, the protrusion 62 does not have to be provided. Therefore, the position (height) of the upper end portion in the Z direction of the protrusion 62 does not necessarily have to be aligned with the position (height) of the upper side in the Z direction of the long side 41c. However, by providing the protrusion 62 and inserting it into the first gap portion 52d of the mounting portion 52, the movement of the spacer 50 in the X direction can be further restricted.

[0092] A fitting hole 63 is formed below the protruding portion 62. When the mounting portion 52 of the spacer 50 is mounted to the fixing portion 60 of the bottom plate 41, the claw portion 52h of the mounting portion 52 is fitted into the fitting hole 63. As described above, the claw portion 52h protrudes further than the second rib 52g toward the space side of the bottom plate 41 in which the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the like are accommodated. The fitting hole 63 is formed in the fixing portion 60 so as to penetrate the long side 41c of the rising portion 41b, and therefore the claw portion 52h penetrates and fits into the fitting hole 63.

[0093] That is, when mounting the mounting part 52 to the fixed part 60, for example, the mounting part 52 is moved from the upper side of the fixed part 60 in the Z direction toward the lower side in the Z direction. Then, when the claw part 52h reaches the fitting hole 63, the claw part 52h moves from the rear side in the Y direction to the front side in the Y direction as shown in Fig. 8. By fitting the claw part 52h into the fitting hole 63, the worker can know that the spacer 50 is properly attached to the bottom plate 41, and the upward movement of the spacer 50 in the Z direction can be restricted.

[0094] 11, the fitting hole 63 is formed in a rectangular shape that is approximately a square. However, the shape is not necessarily like this, and the fitting hole 63 may have any shape that allows the claw portion 52h to be fitted therein.

[0095] (Fixing of spacer 50 to bottom plate 41) Next, the mounting portion 52 and the fixing portion 60 described above will be described with reference to Figs. 12 to 14 in a state where the mounting portion 52 is attached to the fixing portion 60. Fig. 12 is an enlarged perspective view showing a state where the spacer 50 according to the embodiment of the present invention is fixed to the bottom plate 41. Fig. 13 is an enlarged perspective view showing a state where the spacer 50 according to the embodiment of the present invention is fixed to the bottom plate 41, and is a perspective view shown from a different direction from the perspective view shown in Fig. 12. Fig. 14 is an enlarged perspective view showing a state where the spacer 50 according to the embodiment of the present invention is fixed to the bottom plate 41, and is an enlarged perspective view showing a state where the spacer 50 is viewed from the right side in the X direction.

[0096] 12 to 14, for ease of explanation, the direction from the inside to the outside of the bottom plate 41 in the Y direction is indicated by "arrow A", and the direction from the outside to the inside of the bottom plate 41 in the Y direction is indicated by "arrow B".

[0097] When the spacer 50 is fixed to the bottom plate 41, first, the first rib 52f and the second rib 52g of the mounting portion 52 interfere with (contact) the Z-direction upper end of the long side 41c on which the fixing portion 60 is provided. When the mounting portion 52 is pressed into the fixing portion 60 so as to move downward in the Z direction, the contact portion 52fa of the first rib 52f contacts the first surface F1. Also, the contact portion 52ga of the second rib 52g contacts the second surface F2.

[0098] At this time, the arm portion 52c is elastically deformed, and the opposing portion 52b moves in the direction of the arrow A. The arm portion 52c can move easily in this manner because the first gap portion 52d makes it easier for the arm portion 52c to elastically deform.

[0099] At this time, the base 52a does not stay still at all, but because the second gap 52e is formed below the base 52a, one end 52aa of the base 52a moves toward the opposing portion 52b, and the lower portion of the base 52a where the base 52a continues from the mounting surface 51 moves toward the space accommodating the outdoor heat exchanger 13. The base 52a can move easily because the second gap 52e makes it easy to elastically deform.

[0100] In this manner, the arm portion 52c is pushed open, for example, in the directions of the arrows A and B shown in Figures 12 to 14. That is, the base portion 52a and the facing portion 52b are pushed open in the direction away from each other. The reason why the arm portion 52c is pushed open is because, as described above, the original spacing dimension between the first rib 52f and the second rib 52g is smaller than the plate thickness of the long side 41c, and the first rib 52f and the second rib 52g, which are in such a positional relationship, ride up onto the first surface F1 and the second surface F2 of the long side 41c, respectively.

[0101] In this state, the mounting portion 52 is pushed downward in the Z direction from the upper side to the lower side until the arm portion 52c of the spacer 50 contacts the hook portion 61. At this time, the long side 41c enters between the base portion 52a and the facing portion 52b.

[0102] 9, the first rib 52f has a smaller protrusion amount toward the first surface F1 at a lower side in the Z direction closer to the placement surface 51 than at a contact portion 52fa with the first surface F1 at an upper side in the Z direction. The first rib 52f is inclined so that the protrusion amount gradually increases from the lower side in the Z direction toward the contact portion 52fa. Therefore, when the mounting portion 52 moves from the upper side in the Z direction to the lower side in the Z direction, the mounting portion 52 can be moved smoothly downward in the Z direction without getting caught on the long side 41c on the rear side in the Y direction.

[0103] 9, the claw portion 52h also has a tip portion 52ha protruding from the second rib 52g on the front side in the Y direction and is substantially triangular when viewed in the X direction, and when the mounting portion 52 is mounted to the fixed portion 60, a slope connecting the tip portion 52ha and the lower end of the claw portion 52h comes into contact with the long side 41c of the fixed portion 60. Therefore, the mounting portion 52 can be smoothly moved downward in the Z direction without the claw portion 52h getting caught on the long side 41c on the rear side in the Y direction.

[0104] As described above, the first rib 52f is substantially triangular, and the portion where the mounting part 52 enters first when the mounting part 52 is attached to the fixed part 60 has a smaller protrusion amount, and the portion where the mounting part 52 enters later has a larger protrusion amount, and the protrusion amount between the two gradually increases due to the inclination. Also, the second rib 52g is substantially rectangular, and the end face facing the fixed part 60 contacts the second surface F2. Therefore, when the mounting part 52 is attached to the fixed part 60, the end face of the second rib 52g is aligned with the second surface F2 of the fixed part 60, and the mounting part 52 is pushed downward by the inclined portion below the contact part 52fa of the first rib 52f, so that the mounting part 52 can be smoothly attached to the fixed part 60.

[0105] When the mounting portion 52 is pushed into the fixed portion 60 until the arm portion 52c abuts against the hook portion 61 and the claw portion 52h fits into the fitting hole 63, and the mounting portion 52 is attached to the fixed portion 60, the two arm portions 52c, 52c are disposed in the hook portions 61, 61 of the fixed portion 60. In addition, the convex portion 62 formed between the two hook portions 61, 61 fits into a first gap portion 52d formed between the two arm portions 52c, 52c disposed side by side in the X direction.

[0106] As described above, the claw portion 52h of the mounting portion 52 protrudes from the opposing portion 52b toward the front side in the Y direction (the direction of arrow B). When the mounting portion 52 is mounted to the fixed portion 60, the mounting portion 52 is pushed into the fixed portion 60 and the claw portion 52h reaches the position of the fitting hole 63, and then the claw portion 52h is inserted into the fitting hole 63 of the fixed portion 60 in the direction of arrow B. FIG. 14 shows a state in which the claw portion 52h penetrates the fitting hole 63.

[0107] In particular, since the protrusion amount of the claw portion 52h is greater than the protrusion amount of the second rib 52g, when the mounting portion 52 is mounted to the fixing portion 60, for example, the mounting portion 52 moves downward in the Z direction while the claw portion 52h contacts the second surface F2. Then, when the claw portion 52h reaches the fitting hole 63, the claw portion 52h moves in the direction of the arrow B.

[0108] The worker attaching the spacer 50 to the bottom plate 41 previously felt resistance as the claw portion 52h moved while in contact with the second surface F2 when the claw portion 52h was being fitted into the fitting hole 63, but when the claw portion 52h reaches the fitting hole 63, the resistance disappears and the worker can feel that the claw portion 52h has been fitted into the fitting hole 63. By getting the feeling that the part is fitting into the intended place, the worker can grasp that the spacer 50 has been properly attached to the bottom plate 41.

[0109] 14, when the claw portion 52h fits into the fitting hole 63, the upper portion of the claw portion 52h in the Z direction penetrates the fitting hole 63 and protrudes toward the space in the bottom plate 41 that accommodates the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the like. Therefore, as described above, the upward movement of the spacer 50 in the Z direction is restricted.

[0110] In this manner, it is considered that the claw portion 52h contacts the second surface F2 while the mounting portion 52 is moving from the upper side in the Z direction to the lower side in the Z direction on the fixed portion 60. On the other hand, the second rib 52g does not contact the second surface F2 while the mounting portion 52 is moving because the second rib 52g protrudes less toward the second surface F2 than the claw portion 52h. The second rib 52g finally contacts the second surface F2 when the mounting portion 52 is mounted on the fixed portion 60 and the claw portion 52h is inserted into the fitting hole 63.

[0111] When the mounting portion 52 is mounted on the fixed portion 60, the base portion 52a and the opposing portion 52b, which have been spaced apart from each other due to elastic deformation, attempt to return to their original positions. However, the fixed portion 60 of the bottom plate 41 is sandwiched between the base portion 52a and the opposing portion 52b. Therefore, they cannot return to their original positions by the amount of the thickness of the rising portion 41b of the bottom plate 41.

[0112] At this time, a force is applied to the fixed part 60 to return the base part 52a and the facing part 52b to their original positions. That is, the first ribs 52f, 52f come into contact with the first surface F1 of the fixed part 60, and a force acts to press the base part 52a via the first rib 52f in the direction of the arrow A. The second rib 52g comes into contact with the second surface F2 of the fixed part 60, and a force acts to press the facing part 52b via the second rib 52g in the direction of the arrow B. Therefore, the mounting part 52 sandwiches the fixed part 60, and forces are applied in the opposing directions, that is, to the rear side in the Y direction (the direction of the arrow A) and the front side in the Y direction (the direction of the arrow B).

[0113] As described above, when the spacer 50 is attached to the fixing portion 60 of the bottom plate 41, the arm portion 52c is disposed in the hook portion 61. As described with reference to FIG. 11, the hook portion 61 is formed so as to be recessed downward in the Z direction from the upper end of the long side 41c of the bottom plate 41. Therefore, both ends in the X direction of the long side 41c of the hook portion 61 (one end indicated by reference characters 61a, 61a in FIG. 11) are formed so as to rise upward in the Z direction. Similarly, the other ends 61b, 61b of the hook portion 61 forming the protrusion 62 are also formed so as to rise upward in the Z direction.

[0114] Therefore, when the arm portion 52c is placed on the hook portion 61, one ends 61a, 61a of the hook portion 61 rise up toward the upper side in the Z direction on the outer side in the X direction of the arm portion 52c. Therefore, the movement of the arm portion 52c in the X direction at the long side 41c on the rear side in the Y direction is restricted.

[0115] In the spacer 50 according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the mounting portion 52 is mounted to the fixed portion 60, the protrusion 62 formed by the other ends 61b, 61b of the hook portion 61 is inserted into the first gap 52d formed between the two arm portions 52c, 52c. Therefore, the other ends 61b, 61b of the hook portion 61 also restrict the movement of the arm portion 52c in the X direction on the long side 41c.

[0116] In the above-described embodiment, the mounting part 52 has two arm parts 52c, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of arm parts may be one or three or more. In the case of one arm part, the arm part is less likely to be elastically deformed when mounting the mounting part 52 to the fixed part 60 than when two arm parts are provided, and therefore the fixed part 60 can be more firmly sandwiched between the first rib 52f of the base part 52a and the second rib 52g of the opposing part 52b after the mounting part 52 is mounted to the fixed part 60. In addition, if three or more arm parts are provided, the arm part is more likely to be elastically deformed than when two arm parts are provided, and the mounting part 52 can be easily mounted to the fixed part 60. In addition, when there is one arm portion, the first gap portion 52d is not provided, and therefore the convex portion 62 of the fixing portion 60 described in the embodiment of the present invention is not necessary. Also, when there are three or more arm portions, two or more first gap portions 52d are provided, and therefore two or more convex portions 62 are required.

[0117] As described above, by mounting the mounting portion 52 to the fixing portion 60, the movement of the spacer 50 in the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction is restricted. Therefore, particularly before the bent portion 13a of the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is placed on the mounting surface 51 of the spacer 50 and in a state in which the spacer 50 is simply attached to the bottom plate 41, it is possible to prevent the spacer 50 from moving toward the inside of the bottom plate 41 as indicated by the large arrows in Fig. 12 and Fig. 13.

[0118] Furthermore, because the bottom plate 41 restricts the movement of the spacer 50 toward the space housing the outdoor heat exchanger 13, it is possible to prevent the spacer 50 from slipping out from between the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the bottom plate 41 even when the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is placed on the spacer 50. This makes it possible to avoid the occurrence of galvanic corrosion caused by contact between the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the bottom plate 41, which are made of different metals.

[0119] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but is merely an example of the present invention. In the implementation stage, the components can be modified without departing from the gist of the invention, and various modifications and improvements can be made to the above-described embodiment. In addition, various inventions can be created by appropriately combining multiple components disclosed in the above-described embodiment.

[0120] For example, some of the components shown in the embodiment may be deleted. Furthermore, components from different embodiments may be appropriately combined, and such modified or improved forms may also be included in the present invention. Such embodiments and modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims.

[0121] For example, the spacer 50 in the embodiment of the present invention has a modified hexagonal shape, but the spacer may have any shape as long as it can perform the functions described above when placed between the outdoor heat exchanger and the bottom plate.

[0122] In the spacer according to the embodiment of the present invention, the mounting portion is formed on the first side of the spacer so as to be fixed to the long side of the rear side of the bottom plate in the Y direction. However, the position of the mounting portion is not limited to this position, and for example, the mounting portion may be formed on the second side of the spacer and be attached to a fixing portion formed on the short side on the left side of the bottom plate in the X direction.

[0123] In this way, the mounting portion of the spacer may be located on either the first side or the second side, but the mounting portion is located at one place on the spacer. This is because, for example, if mounting portions are located at two places on the first side and the second side, it becomes difficult to tolerate variations in the processing of the spacer or the bottom plate.

[0124] In addition, in the above, an example in which galvanic corrosion occurs has been described in which the bottom plate 41 is made of iron and the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy. However, the above description applies when the metal constituting the bottom plate 41 and the metal constituting the outdoor heat exchanger 13 are different and are a combination in which galvanic corrosion may occur.

[0125] In other words, if mounting portions are provided in multiple places on the spacer, it may not be possible to mount it on the fixed portion, or if it is forcibly mounted, localized force may be applied to the spacer, which may result in the spacer being damaged, for example, while the outdoor unit is being transported.

[0126] The techniques described in the embodiments of the present invention may also be configured as follows. (1) A heat exchanger formed of a metal; A bottom plate made of a metal different from that of the heat exchanger; a spacer disposed between the heat exchanger and the bottom plate and made of an insulating material; the bottom plate has a fixing portion to which the spacer is fixed, The spacer has an attachment portion that holds the fixed portion, The spacer includes a first side on which the mounting portion of the spacer is provided when the spacer is mounted on the bottom plate, and Bottom plate a third side disposed at a position opposite to a corner portion, and a second side continuing from the first side and the third side, The spacer is Marking angle the fixing portion is provided at only one location on either side of the corner of the bottom plate, and the mounting portion is attached to the fixing portion, thereby restricting movement of the spacer on the bottom plate toward the space in which the heat exchanger is housed. (2) When the spacer is attached to the bottom plate, the second side of the spacer is aligned with one side of the bottom plate on which the fixing portion is provided. The aboveThe outdoor unit according to (1) above, characterized in that the outdoor unit is disposed opposite the other side continuing across the corner with a space therebetween. (3) The outdoor unit described in (1) above, characterized in that the bottom plate has a first surface facing the space and a second surface opposite the first surface, and the mounting portion is mounted by sandwiching the first surface and the second surface of the fixing portion. (4) The outdoor unit described in (3) above, wherein the mounting portion has a shape that sandwiches the fixing portion from both the first surface and the second surface so as to cover the fixing portion. (5) The mounting portion is a base portion formed along the first surface of the fixing portion; a facing portion disposed at a position facing the base portion and formed along the second surface of the fixing portion; an arm portion connecting one end of the base portion and one end of the opposing portion; The outdoor unit according to any one of (2) to (4) above, comprising: (6) The outdoor unit according to (5) above, wherein at least two of the arm portions are provided, and a first gap portion is provided between the two arm portions. (7) The outdoor unit according to (5) or (6) above, further comprising a second gap below the base. (8) The mounting portion is a first rib formed on an outer side of the arm portion and protruding from the base portion toward the first surface of the fixing portion; a second rib formed at one end of the facing portion and protruding from the facing portion toward the second surface of the fixed portion; The outdoor unit according to any one of (5) to (7) above, comprising: (9) The outdoor unit according to (8) above, wherein the distance between the first rib and the second rib in the opposing direction is smaller than the thickness of the fixing portion. (10) The outdoor unit described in (8) above, characterized in that when attached to the fixing portion, the position of the contact portion of the first rib that contacts the first surface of the bottom plate and the position of the contact portion of the second rib that contacts the second surface of the bottom plate are equal in a direction perpendicular to the direction penetrating the first surface and the second surface. (11) The outdoor unit according to any one of (1) to (10) above, wherein a rising portion is formed on the peripheral portion of the bottom plate, and the fixing portion is provided on the rising portion. (12) An outdoor unit as described in any one of (7) to (11) above, characterized in that the fixing portion has a hook portion, and when the spacer is attached to the fixing portion, the arm portion is positioned on the hook portion. (13) The outdoor unit described in (12) above, characterized in that the hook portions are formed in accordance with the number of the arm portions of the spacer, and the fixing portion has a protrusion formed between a plurality of the hook portions and inserted into the first gap portion of the spacer. (14) A claw portion is formed below the second rib and has a larger protruding dimension than the second rib from the facing portion toward the base portion, The outdoor unit according to any one of (8) to (13) above, wherein the fixing portion is formed with a fitting hole into which the claw portion fits. (15) An outdoor unit according to any one of (1) to (14) above; An indoor unit that is installed indoors and forms a refrigeration circuit between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit; An air conditioner equipped with: [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 1...air conditioner, 2...refrigerant piping, 3...refrigerant piping, 5...indoor unit, 6...casing, 7...indoor heat exchanger, 9...blower, 11...outdoor unit, 12...compressor, 13...outdoor heat exchanger, 14...outdoor unit side expansion valve, 15...four-way valve, 16...outdoor blower, 17...liquid side refrigerant piping, 18...gas side refrigerant piping, 19...accumulator, 20...heat exchange section, 21...first heat exchange section, 22...second heat exchange section, 23...liquid side header, 24...gas side header, 25...folded header, 40...top plate, 41...bottom plate, 41a...bottom surface, 41b...rising section, 41c...long side on rear side in Y direction, 41d...X direction, 41e...corner, 42...front panel, 43...rear panel, 44...left side panel, 45...right side panel, 46...air outlet, 47...fan guard, 50...spacer, 51...mounting surface, 52...mounting portion, 52a...base, 52aa...one end of base, 52b...opposing portion, 52ba...one end of opposing portion, 52c...arm portion, 52d...first gap, 52e...second gap, 52f...first rib, 52g...second rib, 52h...claw portion, 60...fixing portion, 61...hook portion, 62...projection, 63...fitting hole, A...direction, B...direction, F1...first surface, F2...second surface

Claims

1. A heat exchanger formed of a metal; A bottom plate made of a metal different from that of the heat exchanger; a spacer disposed between the heat exchanger and the bottom plate and made of an insulating material; the bottom plate has a fixing portion to which the spacer is fixed, The spacer has an attachment portion that holds the fixed portion, the spacer includes a first side on which the mounting portion of the spacer is provided when the spacer is mounted to the bottom plate, a third side disposed at a position facing a corner of the bottom plate, and a second side continuous with the first side and the third side, This outdoor unit is characterized in that, when the spacer is positioned at the corner, the fixing portion is provided at only one location on either side of the corner, and the mounting portion is attached to the fixing portion, thereby restricting movement of the spacer on the bottom plate toward the space in which the heat exchanger is housed.

2. The outdoor unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the spacer is attached to the bottom plate, the second side of the spacer is arranged opposite to and with a space between one side of the bottom plate on which the fixing portion is provided and the other side that is continuous with the corner portion.

3. The outdoor unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the bottom plate has a first surface facing the space and a second surface opposite the first surface, and the mounting portion is mounted by sandwiching the first surface and the second surface of the fixing portion.

4. The outdoor unit according to claim 3 , wherein the mounting portion has a shape that sandwiches the fixing portion from both the first surface and the second surface so as to cover the fixing portion.

5. The mounting portion is a base portion formed along a first surface of the fixing portion; a facing portion disposed at a position facing the base portion and formed along a second surface of the fixing portion; an arm portion connecting one end of the base portion and one end of the opposing portion; The outdoor unit according to claim 1 , further comprising:

6. The outdoor unit according to claim 5 , wherein at least two of the arm portions are provided, and a first gap portion is provided between the two arm portions.

7. The outdoor unit according to claim 5, further comprising a second gap below the base.

8. The mounting portion is a first rib formed on an outer side of the arm portion and protruding from the base portion toward the first surface of the fixing portion; a second rib formed at one end of the facing portion and protruding from the facing portion toward the second surface of the fixing portion; The outdoor unit according to claim 5, further comprising:

9. 9. The outdoor unit according to claim 8, wherein a distance between the first rib and the second rib in the opposing direction is smaller than a thickness of the fixing portion.

10. The outdoor unit according to claim 8, characterized in that when attached to the fixing portion, the position of a contact portion of the first rib that contacts the first surface of the bottom plate and the position of a contact portion of the second rib that contacts the second surface of the bottom plate are equal in a direction perpendicular to the first surface and the second surface.

11. The outdoor unit according to claim 1 , wherein a rising portion is formed on a peripheral portion of the bottom plate, and the fixing portion is provided on the rising portion.

12. The fixing portion has a hook portion, The outdoor unit according to claim 11, wherein an arm portion is disposed on the hook portion when the spacer is attached to the fixing portion.

13. The outdoor unit according to claim 12, characterized in that the hook portions are formed in accordance with the number of the arm portions of the spacer, and the fixing portion has a protrusion formed between the plurality of hook portions and inserted into a first gap portion of the spacer.

14. A claw portion is formed below the second rib and has a larger protruding dimension than the second rib from the facing portion toward the base portion, The outdoor unit according to claim 8, wherein the fixing portion is formed with a fitting hole into which the claw portion fits.

15. An outdoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 14, An indoor unit that is installed indoors and forms a refrigeration circuit between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit; An air conditioner equipped with:

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