Outdoor unit of an air conditioner

Abstract

To provide an outdoor unit excellent in assemblability and maintainability even when an electrical equipment box of the outdoor unit is enlarged as a whole.SOLUTION: An outdoor unit 1 for an air conditioner includes an air blowing fan room 20 arranged at the upper part of a casing 10, a machine room 30 arranged at the lower part of the casing 10, and an electrical equipment box 320 arranged on the front face 30a side of the machine room 30. In the outdoor unit 1 for the air conditioner, a front face 30a of the machine room 30 is partitioned into a left side front face part 300L and a right side front face part 300R by a support column 40 supporting the air blowing fan room, the electrical equipment box 320 is divided into a first electrical equipment box 321 arranged in the left side front face part 300L and a second electrical equipment box 322 arranged in the right side front face part 300R, and the first electrical equipment box 321 and the second electrical equipment box 322 are coupled to the support column 40.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, and more specifically, to an electrical component box mounted on the outdoor unit.

Background Art

[0002] An outdoor unit of an air conditioner often has a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped housing, and the interior of the housing is partitioned into a blower chamber in which a blower fan is housed and a machine chamber in which a heat exchanger and a compressor are housed.

[0003] In an upward-blowing type outdoor unit, an air outlet is provided on the top surface (upper surface) of the housing, the blower chamber is arranged at the upper part of the housing, and the machine chamber is arranged at the lower part of the housing. An electrical component box in which electrical components of the control system and the drive system are housed is also provided in the machine chamber.

[0004] The electrical component box is arranged on the front side where the service panel of the machine chamber is attached in consideration of maintainability. Usually, the electrical component box is rotatably supported via a hinge on a side pillar (side post) on the left or right side of the front side of the housing (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0005] By the way, in the case of a large outdoor unit in which, for example, two blower fans and two compressors, which require a large air conditioning capacity, are mounted, the number of electrical components and boards of the control system and the drive system is also approximately twice as many, so the electrical component box becomes large and the weight increases.

[0006] Then, it becomes difficult for one operator (single-person operation) to handle (attach and detach) the electrical component box, and the assemblability and maintainability of the electrical component box to the housing deteriorate. In addition, since the weight applied to the hinge also increases, there is a risk that it cannot be supported strongly.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0007]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an outdoor unit with good assemblability and maintainability even when the electrical component box is enlarged as a whole.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, a first aspect of the present invention is an outdoor unit of an air conditioner including a rectangular parallelepiped housing, a blower chamber having a blower fan is disposed above the housing, and a machine chamber in which at least a heat exchanger, a compressor, and an electrical component box are disposed is disposed below the housing, and the electrical component box is disposed on the front side of the machine chamber, wherein the front of the machine chamber is divided into a left side and a right side by a support column that supports the blower chamber, and the electrical component box is divided into a first electrical component box disposed between the left side of the front of the machine chamber and the support column and a second electrical component box disposed between the right side of the front of the machine chamber and the support column, and the first electrical component box and the second electrical component box are respectively connected to the support column Furthermore, both the first electrical component box and the second electrical component box are rotatably connected to the support column and is characterized in that.

[0011] A third aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the support column includes a front portion, a left side surface portion, and a right side surface portion, and the front portion is disposed inside the housing rather than a service panel that covers the machine chamber from the front side of the housing.

[0012] A fourth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the support column is formed of a single plate.

[0013] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the first electrical component box and the second electrical component box are each connected to the column via a hinge. One first hinge disposed on the right side of the first electrical component box has a rotation axis on the side of the left side surface and is disposed at a left fulcrum position provided closer to the front side of the machine room than the front surface. The other second hinge disposed on the left side of the second electrical component box has a rotation axis on the side of the right side surface and is disposed at a right fulcrum position provided closer to the front side of the machine room than the front surface. The left fulcrum position of the first hinge and the right fulcrum position of the second hinge are arranged symmetrically with respect to the column therebetween.

[0014] According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the first hinge has an upper hinge disposed on the upper part of the first electrical component box and a lower hinge disposed on the lower part. The second hinge has an upper hinge disposed on the upper part of the second electrical component box and a lower hinge disposed on the lower part. Each of the upper hinges and each of the lower hinges are each composed of a male hinge portion provided on the column and a female hinge provided on the electrical component box. Each of the male hinge portions has a cylindrical or columnar boss erected perpendicularly at the right fulcrum position and the left fulcrum position, and each of the female hinge portions is provided with a bearing hole fitted to the boss.

[0015] According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the axial length of the boss of the male hinge portion of the lower hinge is longer than the axial length of the boss of the male hinge portion of the upper hinge.

[0016] According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, a wiring routing portion for connecting wiring spanned between the first electrical component box and the second electrical component box is provided on the front surface of the column.

Advantages of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, even if the electrical component box is enlarged as a whole, an outdoor unit with good assemblability and maintainability is provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

Figure 17

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Next, some embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 17, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0020] 《Overall Configuration (Embodiment of Basic Configuration)》 First, referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, an outdoor unit 1 of an air conditioner according to the present embodiment (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as an outdoor unit) includes a rectangular parallelepiped housing 10. Since the outdoor unit 1 is an upward-blowing type, a blower chamber 20 is arranged at the upper part of the housing 10, and a machine chamber 30 is arranged at the lower part thereof.

[0021] The blower chamber 20 is surrounded by a front panel 231, a left side panel 232, a right side panel 233, a rear panel 234, and a top panel 235. Inside the blower chamber 20, two propeller fan type blower fans 210a and 210b are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. Further, fan guards 220a and 220b for the blower fans 210a and 210b are provided on the top panel 235 of the blower chamber 20. In FIG. 4, when the housing 10 is viewed from the front, the space in the blower chamber 20 where the left blower fan 210a (first blower fan) is arranged is referred to as the left blower chamber 20L, and the space where the right blower fan 210b (second blower fan) is arranged is referred to as the right blower chamber 20R.

[0022] The machine chamber 30 is a space surrounded by the front, left side, right side, and rear (back) surfaces. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the front 30a, right side 30b, and left side 30c of these are shown. Note that a bottom plate 301 serving as a base is arranged on the bottom surface of the machine chamber 30, and the upper surface of the machine chamber 30 communicates with the blower chamber 20.

[0023] Four service panels 311, 312, 313, and 314 that are removed during maintenance are provided on the front 30a of the machine chamber 30. When it is not necessary to distinguish these service panels 311 to 314, they are collectively referred to as a service panel 310.

[0024] Inside the machinery room 30, there are a compressor, a heat exchanger 36, etc. Although not shown in detail, in this embodiment, the heat exchanger 36 is arranged in a substantially U-shape (C-shape) in plan view from the left side surface 30c of the machinery room 30 to the back and the center of the housing 10 in accordance with the arrangements of the first blower fan 210a and the second blower fan 210b. This heat exchanger 36 has a symmetrical shape divided into two units on the left and right.

[0025] An electrical component box 320 is arranged at the upper part on the front 30a side of the machinery room 30. Fig. 3 shows a state where the electrical component box 320 is removed and the entire front 30a of the machinery room 30 is exposed.

[0026] This outdoor unit 1 is a large-sized outdoor unit used for a building multi-air conditioner (commercial multi-air conditioner), etc., and is equipped with two compressors, a first compressor 351 and a second compressor 352, as a heat source part 350 on the heat source side of the refrigeration cycle. In this embodiment, since the compressor is housed in a compressor storage box 353, it is not shown in the figure.

[0027] Also, the electrical component box 320 is large-sized and has a size covering the entire width from the left end 30L to the right end 30R of the front 30a of the machinery room 30. In this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the electrical component box 320 consists of two units, a first electrical component box 321 on the left side and a second electrical component box 322 on the right side.

[0028] At the center of the front 30a of the machinery room 30, a center pillar (a pillar arranged at the center) 40 having a predetermined width is erected to enhance the rigidity of the housing 10. The front 30a of the machinery room 30 is divided into the left side and the right side by the center pillar 40. The first electrical component box 321 is arranged on the left side of the front 30a of the machinery room 30 (between the left end 30L and the center pillar 40), and the second electrical component box 322 is arranged on the right side of the front 30a of the machinery room 30 (between the right end 30R and the center pillar 40). With the center pillar 40 having a predetermined width in between, the first electrical component box 321 and the second electrical component box 322 are arranged separately, and the influence of heat on each other is reduced.

[0029] Both the first electrical component box 321 and the second electrical component box 322 have a box body with a rectangular side frame and a bottom plate and an open front. An electrical component box cover 321a is attached to the front of the first electrical component box 321, and an electrical component box cover 322a is attached to the front of the second electrical component box 322, respectively.

[0030] The electrical component box covers 321a and 322a are detachable. When these electrical component box covers 321a and 322a are removed, as shown in FIG. 5, the interiors of the first electrical component box 321 and the second electrical component box 322 are exposed. Note that a small window 321b for inspecting the internal control unit 50 is provided in the electrical component box cover 321a of the first electrical component box 321.

[0031] In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the front 30a of the machine room 30 is virtually divided into four surfaces in two rows and two columns, and service panels 310 are attached to each of them. The service panels 310 are four sheets, namely, a first service panel 311, a second service panel 312, a third service panel 313, and a fourth service panel 314. Among these, two sheets, the first service panel 311 and the second service panel 312, are service panels that cover the front 30a side of the electrical component boxes.

[0032] The first service panel 311 and the second service panel 312 have the same outer shape and size, and are arranged side by side on the left and right so as to cover the first electrical component box 321 and the second electrical component box 322 from the front 30a side of the machine room 30.

[0033] The third service panel 313 and the fourth service panel 314 are service panels that cover the front 30a side of the compressor 350 (the first compressor 351 and the second compressor 352). The third service panel 313 and the fourth service panel 314 also have the same outer shape and size, and are arranged side by side on the left and right so as to cover the first compressor 351 and the second compressor 352 from the front 30a side of the machine room 30. By removing the third service panel 313 and the fourth service panel 314, it is possible to touch the compressor 350 (the first compressor 351 and the second compressor 352).

[0034] That is, the front surface 30a of the machine room 30 is covered with four service panels, namely, the first service panel 311 for the electrical component box, the second service panel 312 for the electrical component box, the third service panel 313 for the machine room, and the fourth service panel 314 for the machine room. Each service panel 310 is screwed to the front surface 30a side of the machine room 30 at a total of four locations, namely, two locations on the left side and two locations on the right side.

[0035] FIG. 3 shows a state in which the four service panels 310 from the first to the fourth and the electrical component boxes 320 (the first electrical component box 321 and the second electrical component box 322) are removed to expose the inside of the machine room 30. In the machine room 30, the upwind side of the left blower room 20L is the left machine room 300L, and the upwind side of the right blower room 20R is the right machine room 300R. Note that the upwind side is the upstream side where air flows as seen from the blower room (blower fan), and the downwind side is the downstream side where air is sent out from the blower room (blower fan).

[0036] 《Cooling of Heat-Generating Components (First Embodiment)》 With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the configuration of the electrical component box 320 will be described. As described above, the outdoor unit 1 according to the present embodiment includes two compressors (the first compressor 351 and the second compressor 352) and two blower fans (the first blower fan 210a and the second blower fan 210b). Both the first compressor 351 and the second compressor 352 are variable-speed compressors with inverter control.

[0037] Therefore, as electrical components, it includes two inverter boards for driving the compressors (the first inverter board 511 and the second inverter board 512) and two fan driver boards for driving the blower fans (the first fan drive board 521 and the second fan drive board 522). Note that these fan driver boards are inverter boards for the fan motor.

[0038] The first inverter board 511 is for the first compressor 351, the second inverter board 512 is for the second compressor 352, the first fan driver board 521 is for the first blower fan 210a, and the second fan driver board 522 is for the second blower fan 210b.

[0039] For example, an IPM (Intelligent Power Module), which is a semiconductor device for power, is mounted on each of these boards 511, 512, 521, 522. The IPM generates heat when it operates. Also, two smoothing circuit boards (a first smoothing circuit board 531 and a second smoothing circuit board 532) including electrolytic capacitors are provided. The first smoothing circuit board 531 is for the first inverter board 511, and the second smoothing circuit board 532 is for the second inverter board 512. The electrolytic capacitors included in these smoothing circuit boards 531, 532 also generate heat due to the operation of the IPM.

[0040] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, heat sinks 54 are attached to the back surfaces of the respective boards 511, 512, 521, 522 to dissipate heat from the heat-generating components.

[0041] According to the present embodiment, the inverter boards (the first inverter board 511 and the second inverter board 512) having heat-generating components, the fan driver boards (the first fan driver board 521 and the second fan driver board 522), and the smoothing circuit boards (the first smoothing circuit board 531 and the second smoothing circuit board 532) are collectively arranged in the second electrical component box 322 (corresponding to the second electrical component box in claim 1) on the windward side of the second blower fan 210b.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 6, at least the second electrical component box 322 is provided with an air inlet portion 320a at the lower part and an air outlet portion 320b at the upper part. Due to the operation of the second blower fan 210b, air flows into the second electrical component box 322 from the air inlet portion 320a toward the air outlet portion 320b (see the arrow in FIG. 6). Note that an air inlet portion 320a may be provided downward and an air outlet portion 320b may be provided upward also on the side of the first electrical component box 321.

[0043] In this embodiment, a control unit 50 for controlling the operation of the first blower fan 210a, the second blower fan 210b, the first compressor 351, the second compressor 352, etc. is provided on the side of the first electrical component box 321. A microcomputer, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), or the like may be used for the control unit 50. The control unit 50 may be provided on the side of the second electrical component box 322.

[0044] For example, when the temperature of the space where the indoor unit is installed reaches near the set temperature or when the number of operating indoor units decreases, the control unit 50 enters a one-fan operation mode in which only one of the first blower fan 210a and the second blower fan 210b operates. In this one-fan operation mode, the control unit 50 always selects the blower fan 210b that hits the windward side of the second electrical component box 322.

[0045] As a result, air surely flows through the heat sink 54 on the back surface of the inverter boards (the first inverter board 511, the second inverter board 512) and the fan driver boards (the first fan driver board 521, the second fan driver board 522) that are intensively arranged in the second electrical component box 322, and each is effectively cooled. In this case, since the fan driver board 521 of the first blower fan 210a that becomes the operation stop side during the one-fan operation mode does not generate heat, it may be provided on the side of the first electrical component box 321 instead of the side of the second electrical component box 322.

[0046] In addition, when the inverter boards (the first inverter board 511, the second inverter board 512) and the fan driver boards (the first fan driver board 521, the second fan driver board 522) having each heat-generating component are intensively arranged on the side of the first electrical component box 321, the blower fan 210a on the windward side of the first electrical component box 321 is selected during the one-fan operation mode.

[0047] Further, the compressors need to operate alternately to prevent the bias of the refrigeration oil. Therefore, the board on which the inverter board for driving the compressors is mounted needs to be arranged directly below the blower fan that operates during the one-fan operation.

[0048] Regarding the arrangement of each substrate in the electrical component box 320, it is preferable that the smoothing circuit boards (the first smoothing circuit board 531 and the second smoothing circuit board 532) are arranged at the upper part inside the electrical component box, and the inverter boards (the first inverter board 511 and the second inverter board 512) and the fan driver boards (the first fan driver board 521 and the second fan driver board 522) are arranged below them.

[0049] By arranging them in this way, the distance between the inverter boards (the first inverter board 511 and the second inverter board 512) and the compressors (the first compressor 351 and the second compressor 352) becomes shorter, so the wiring work becomes easier. Also, the heat sinks 54 of the inverter boards (the first inverter board 511 and the second inverter board 512) and the fan driver boards (the first fan driver board 521 and the second fan driver board 522) are not exposed to the air that has been heated by cooling the smoothing circuit boards (the first smoothing circuit board 531 and the second smoothing circuit board 532). Therefore, the inverter boards and the fan driver boards, which generate more heat than the smoothing circuit boards, can be effectively cooled.

[0050] Also, a mode of providing a partition plate between the high-temperature region due to heat-generating components and the other low-temperature regions is also effective in preventing heat transfer. As described above, the first electrical component box 321 and the second electrical component box 322 are separated by the center pillar 40, and the influence of heat on each other is reduced. Also, the distance is increased by the right side plate 321R of the first electrical component box 321 and the left side plate 322L of the second electrical component box 322. Thereby, the air flowing through the first electrical component box 321 and the second electrical component box 322 also easily flows up and down.

[0051] 《Opening and Closing Mechanism of Electrical Component Box (Second Embodiment)》 Next, with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10, the opening and closing mechanism of the electrical component box 320 (the first electrical component box 321 and the second electrical component box 322) will be described.

[0052] In the outdoor unit 1 according to the present embodiment, as the electrical component box 320 has become larger, the electrical component box 320 is divided into a first electrical component box 321 and a second electrical component box 322. However, the following configuration is adopted to improve the assemblability (attachability / detachability) and maintainability with respect to the housing 10.

[0053] As described above, the front surface 30a of the machine room 30 is divided into the left side and the right side by the center pillar 40. The first electrical component box 321 on the left side is disposed on the left side of the front surface 30a of the machine room 30, and the second electrical component box 322 on the right side is disposed on the right side of the front surface 30a of the machine room 30. However, the right frame (right side) 321R of the first electrical component box 321 and the left frame (left side) 322L side of the second electrical component box 322 are each connected to the center pillar 40 via a hinge so as to be openable / closable and detachable.

[0054] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the center pillar 40 is a U-shaped pillar including a front portion (front surface portion) 40F, a left side surface portion 40L, and a right side surface portion 40R. Referring to FIG. 3, the front portion 40F is disposed inside the housing 10 at a predetermined interval with respect to the front surface 30a of the machine room 30. That is, the center pillar 40 is disposed at a position one step deeper than the front surface 30a of the machine room 30.

[0055] As will be described later, this is for passing the connection wiring 329 (see FIG. 12) that electrically connects the first electrical component box 321 and the second electrical component box 322 through the front portion 40F side of the center pillar 40 without protruding from the front surface 30a of the machine room 30.

[0056] Among the hinges shown in FIG. 10, the first hinge 6 on the right frame 321R side of the first electrical component box 321 has its rotation shafts (bosses 612, 632) on the side of the left side surface portion 40L of the center pillar 40 (left side in FIG. 8), and is disposed at a specific left fulcrum position 60a closer to the front surface 30a of the machine room 30 than the front portion 40F of the center pillar 40.

[0057] On the other hand, the other second hinge 7 disposed on the left frame 322 side of the second electrical component box 322 has its rotation axes (bosses 712, 732) on the side (right side in FIG. 8) of the right side surface 40R of the center pillar 40 and at a specific right fulcrum position 70a closer to the front 30a of the machine room 30 than the front surface 40F of the center pillar 40.

[0058] The left fulcrum position 60a of the first hinge 6 and the right fulcrum position 70a of the second hinge 7 are symmetric with respect to the center pillar 40 inside the front 30a of the machine room 30.

[0059] In this way, by setting the left fulcrum position 60a of the first hinge 6 and the right fulcrum position 70a of the second hinge 7 at the specified positions, the first electrical component box 321 and the second electrical component box 322 can be opened and closed without trouble at positions close to each other by the center pillar 40.

[0060] Next, a specific configuration of the first hinge 6 on the right frame 321R side of the first electrical component box 321 will be described. The first hinge 6 includes a first upper hinge 6U disposed between the right frame 321R of the first electrical component box 321 and the left side surface 40L of the center pillar 40 and at the upper part therebetween, and a first lower hinge 6L disposed between the right frame 321R of the first electrical component box 321 and the left side surface 40L of the center pillar 40 and at the lower part therebetween.

[0061] The first upper hinge 6U is composed of a combination of a male hinge portion 61 and a female hinge portion 62. The male hinge portion 61 includes a tongue piece portion 611 that projects horizontally (in the left direction in FIGS. 8 and 9) from the left side surface 40L of the center pillar 40 (parallel to the bottom plate 301 of the housing 10), and a cylindrical or columnar boss 612 erected vertically on the upper surface of the tongue piece portion 611.

[0062] The female hinge portion 62 has a hinge piece 621 that projects horizontally from the right frame 321R of the first electrical component box 321 so as to overlap the tongue piece portion 611, and a bearing hole 622 that fits into the boss 612 is formed in the hinge piece 621.

[0063] The first lower hinge 6L is composed of a combination of a male hinge portion 63 and a female hinge portion 64. The male hinge portion 63 includes a tongue piece portion 631 that horizontally protrudes from the left side surface portion 40L of the center pillar 40 in the lateral direction (leftward in FIGS. 8 and 9), and a cylindrical or columnar boss 632 that stands vertically on the upper surface of the tongue piece portion 631.

[0064] The boss 612 of the first upper hinge 6U and the boss 632 of the first lower hinge 6L are both coaxially arranged at the left fulcrum position 60a.

[0065] The female hinge portion 64 has a hinge piece 641 that horizontally protrudes from the right side frame 321R of the first electrical component box 321 so as to overlap with the tongue piece portion 631, and a bearing hole 642 that fits into the boss 632 is formed in the hinge piece 641.

[0066] Next, the second hinge 7 on the left side frame 322L side of the second electrical component box 322 will be described. The second hinge 7 includes a second upper hinge 7U disposed at the upper part closer to the blower chamber 20 between the left side frame 322L of the second electrical component box 322 and the right side surface portion 40R of the center pillar 40, and a second lower hinge 7L disposed at the lower part closer to the bottom plate 301 side between the left side frame 322L of the second electrical component box 322 and the right side surface portion 40R of the center pillar 40.

[0067] The second upper hinge 7U is composed of a combination of a male hinge portion 71 and a female hinge portion 72. The male hinge portion 71 includes a tongue piece portion 711 that horizontally protrudes from the right side surface portion 40R of the center pillar 40 in the lateral direction (rightward in FIGS. 8 and 9), and a cylindrical or columnar boss 712 that stands vertically on the upper surface of the tongue piece portion 711.

[0068] The female hinge portion 72 has a hinge piece 721 that horizontally protrudes from the left side frame 322L of the second electrical component box 322 so as to overlap with the tongue piece portion 711, and a bearing hole 722 that fits into the boss 712 is formed in the hinge piece 721.

[0069] The second lower hinge 7L is composed of a combination of a male hinge portion 73 and a female hinge portion 74. The male hinge portion 73 includes a tongue piece portion 731 that horizontally protrudes in a lateral direction (rightward in FIGS. 8 and 9) from the right side surface 40R of the center pillar 40, and a cylindrical or columnar boss 732 that stands vertically on the upper surface of the tongue piece portion 731.

[0070] The boss 712 of the second upper hinge 7U and the boss 732 of the second lower hinge 7L are both arranged coaxially at the right fulcrum position 70a.

[0071] The female hinge portion 74 has a hinge piece 741 that horizontally protrudes from the left side frame 322L of the second electrical component box 322 so as to overlap with the tongue piece portion 731, and a bearing hole 742 that fits into the boss 732 is formed in the hinge piece 741.

[0072] In this embodiment, the male hinge portion 61 of the first upper hinge 6U and the male hinge portion 71 of the second upper hinge 7U are integrally formed with the attachment fitting 410 and are fixed to the front portion 40F of the center pillar 40 via the bracket 411.

[0073] Also, the male hinge portion 63 of the first lower hinge 6L and the male hinge portion 73 of the second lower hinge 7L are integrally formed with the attachment fitting 420 and are fixed to the front portion 40F of the center pillar 40 via the attachment fitting 420. In FIG. 10, the reference numeral 421 is a receiving fitting for locking a part of the service panels 311 and 312 for the electrical component boxes.

[0074] By adopting such hinges (the first hinge 6, the second hinge 7), as shown in FIG. 7, during maintenance, the first electrical component box 321 and the second electrical component box 322 can be appropriately opened with the center pillar 40 side as a fulcrum.

[0075] Further, by lifting the first electrical component box 321 and removing the bearing holes 622 and 642 from the bosses 612 and 632, the first electrical component box 321 can be removed. Similarly, to remove the second electrical component box 321, lift the second electrical component box 322 and remove the bearing holes 722 and 742 from the bosses 712 and 732.

[0076] Taking the first electrical component box 321 as an example to explain the mounting method, by fitting the bearing holes 622 and 642 to the bosses 612 and 632, the first electrical component box 321 can be rotatably (openable and closable) mounted to the center pillar 40. However, it is preferable that the axial length of the lower boss 632 is longer than the axial length of the upper boss 612.

[0077] According to this, first, the lower bearing hole 642 is fitted to its corresponding boss 632, and then the upper bearing hole 622 is fitted to its corresponding boss 612. Compared with the case where the two upper and lower bearing holes 622 and 642 are simultaneously fitted to the bosses 612 and 632, the fitting operation becomes easier.

[0078] 《Routing of Connection Wiring Spanning between Electrical Component Boxes (Third Embodiment)》 As described above, as the electrical component box 320 is divided into the first electrical component box 321 and the second electrical component box 322, connection wiring will be spanned between the first electrical component box 321 and the second electrical component box 322. For the convenience of wiring work and maintenance, it is preferable to secure a wiring path on the front portion 40F of the center pillar 40. Therefore, with reference to FIGS. 11 to 17, the configuration will be described.

[0079] First, as shown in FIG. 11, as a preferred embodiment, a curtain plate 430 is attached to the front portion 40F of the center pillar 40. The curtain plate 430 also serves as a decorative plate. When viewed from the front 30a of the machine room 30, it has a width that covers the gap G (see FIG. 8) between the right frame 321R of the left first electrical component box 321 and the left side surface portion 40L of the center pillar 40 and the gap G (see FIG. 8) between the left frame 322L of the right second electrical component box 322 and the right side surface portion 40R of the center pillar 40.

[0080] Next, when pulling out the connection wiring from the electrical component box, providing an opening in the electrical component box cover of the electrical component box may allow rainwater to enter, so it is not preferable to provide an opening in the electrical component box cover facing the service panels 311, 312 (310).

[0081] Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, on the side of the first electrical component box 321, a lead-out portion 330 of the connection wiring 329 is formed in the right frame 321R thereof. Also, on the side of the second electrical component box 322, a lead-out portion 330 of the connection wiring 329 is formed in the left frame 322L thereof.

[0082] According to this embodiment, the lead-out portion 330 of the first electrical component box 321 is formed as a notch groove 331 formed in a part of the front end side of the right frame 321R thereof. Similarly, the lead-out portion 330 of the second electrical component box 322 is formed as a notch groove 332 formed in a part of the front end side of the left frame 322L thereof.

[0083] In this embodiment, the notch grooves 331 and 332 are each formed as one large notch. However, as shown in FIG. 7, two notch grooves 331 and 332 may be formed respectively. The number of notch grooves 331 and 332 provided is arbitrary.

[0084] On the front surface of the curtain plate 430, the space between the notch grooves 331 and 332 is used as a routing portion 440 of the connection wiring 329. As described above, since the front portion 40F of the center pillar 40 is recessed inside the housing 10 from the front surface 30a of the machine room 30, even if the curtain plate 430 is provided, the connection wiring 329 can pass in front of the front portion 40F of the center pillar 40 without protruding from the front surface 30a of the machine room 30.

[0085] Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14 together, a wiring cover 450 is placed over the wiring routing portion 440. The wiring cover 450 has a size that covers the notch groove 331 on the side of the first electrical component box 321 and the notch groove 332 on the side of the second electrical component box 322 (a size that straddles between the notch grooves 331 and 332).

[0086] In this embodiment, since the wiring cover 450 is made of sheet metal, both ends 451, 451 of the wiring cover 450 are folded back to the front side so that the cut ends do not touch the connection wiring 329 and prevent damage to the connection wiring 329 due to the cut portion.

[0087] According to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, a wiring pressing member 411 for the connection wiring 329 is provided in the wiring routing portion 440. Further, as shown in FIG. 15, a wiring pressing member 453 for the connection wiring 329 is also provided on the back surface 542 side of the wiring cover 450. The wiring pressing members 411 and 453 are preferably made of an elastic material such as sponge. As the wiring cover 450 is attached to the wiring routing portion 440, the connection wiring 329 is clamped by the wiring pressing members 411 and 453. Note that one of the wiring pressing members 411 and 453 may be omitted. As a more preferred aspect, a heat insulating material 454 for dew condensation countermeasure is provided on the back surface 452 side of the wiring cover 450.

[0088] Referring also to FIG. 16, in the wiring routing portion 440, both ends 451 of the wiring cover 450 are pressed by the electrical component box cover 321a of the first electrical component box 321 and the electrical component box cover 322a of the second electrical component box 322, thereby enhancing the sealing property.

[0089] As described above, according to the third embodiment, in the outdoor unit of the air conditioner in which the electrical component box is divided into two, a first electrical component box and a second electrical component box, with the center pillar in between, the connection wiring spanned between the electrical component boxes can pass through the front side of the center pillar, and by forming the lead-out portion of the connection wiring on the side frame on the side facing the center pillar of each electrical component box, an electrical component box with high sealing property that can prevent intrusion of rainwater and the like and external combustion can be obtained.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0090] 1 Outdoor unit 10 Housing 20 Blower chamber 210 Blower 220 Fan guard 30 Machinery Room 30a Front of Machinery Room 310(311~314) Service Panel 320 Electrical Component Box 321 First Electrical Component Box 321a First Electrical Component Box Cover 322 Second Electrical Component Box 322a Second Electrical Component Box Cover 329 Connecting Wiring 330 Lead-out Part 331,332 Notch Groove 350 Heat Source Part (Compressor) 351 First Heat Source Part (First Compressor) 352 Second Heat Source Part (Second Compressor) 40 Center Pillar 40F Front Part 40L Left Side Part 40R Right Side Part 411,453 Wiring Clamping Member 440 Wiring Routing Part 450 Wiring Cover 50 Control Unit 511,512 Inverter Board 521,522 Fan Driver Board 531,532 Smoothing Circuit Board 54 Heat Sink 6,7 Hinge 6U,7U Upper Hinge 6L,7L Lower Hinge 60a,70a Fulcrum Position 61,63,71,73 Male Hinge Part 62,64,72,74 Female Hinge Part 612,632,712,732 Boss (Rotation Axis) 622,642,722,742 Bearing Hole

Claims

1. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner, comprising a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped housing, in which a blower chamber having a blower fan is arranged at the upper part of the housing, and a machine room in which at least a heat exchanger, a compressor and an electrical component box are arranged is arranged at the lower part of the housing, and the electrical component box is arranged on the front side of the machine room, wherein the front of the machine room is divided into a left side and a right side by a column supporting the blower chamber, and the electrical component box is divided into a first electrical component box arranged between the left side of the front of the machine room and the column, and a second electrical component box arranged between the right side of the front of the machine room and the column, and the first electrical component box and the second electrical component box are each connected to the column, and further, both the first electrical component box and the second electrical component box are rotatably connected to the column. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner characterized by this.

2. The column according to claim 1, wherein the column includes a front portion, a left side surface portion, and a right side surface portion, and the front portion is arranged inside the housing rather than a service panel that covers the machine room from the front side of the housing. Outdoor unit of the described air conditioner.

3. The outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the column is formed of a single plate.

4. The first electrical component box and the second electrical component box are each connected to the column via a hinge, and one first hinge arranged on the right side of the first electrical component box has a rotation axis on the side of the left side surface portion and closer to the front side of the machine room than the front portion. It is arranged at a left fulcrum position provided, and the other second hinge arranged on the left side of the second electrical component box has a rotation axis on the side of the right side surface portion and closer to the front side of the machine room than the front portion. It is arranged at a right fulcrum position provided, and the left fulcrum position of the first hinge and the right fulcrum position of the second hinge are arranged at symmetric positions with respect to the column interposed therebetween. Outdoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 2, characterized by this.

5. The first hinge has an upper hinge disposed at the upper part of the first electrical component box and a lower hinge disposed at the lower part thereof. The second hinge has an upper hinge disposed at the upper part of the second electrical component box and a lower hinge disposed at the lower part thereof. Each of the upper hinges and each of the lower hinges are each composed of a combination of a male hinge portion provided on the support column and a female hinge portion provided on the electrical component box. Each of the male hinge portions has a cylindrical or columnar boss erected perpendicularly to the right fulcrum position and the left fulcrum position. Each of the female hinge portions is provided with a bearing hole that fits into the boss. The outdoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 4, characterized in that

6. The outdoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 5, characterized in that the axial length of the boss of the male hinge portion of the lower hinge is longer than the axial length of the boss of the male hinge portion of the upper hinge.

7. The outdoor unit of the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a wiring routing portion for connection wiring spanning between the first electrical component box and the second electrical component box is provided on the front portion of the support column.

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