Indoor unit of an air conditioner

Abstract

To provide an indoor unit of an air conditioner suppressing an increase in size of a drain pan and influence to an air flow around the drain pan, and also capable of sufficiently confirming dirt inside the drain pan.SOLUTION: An indoor unit of an air conditioner houses a heat exchanger, a blower, and a drain pan, and is provided with a water receiving part where drain water is reserved in the drain pan. The bottom wall of the water receiving part is formed to be transparent, is provided with a drain pan heat insulation member below the bottom wall of the water receiving part. The drain pan heat insulation member is provided with an opening part through which the bottom wall of the water receiving part can be visually recognized from below. A lid member with a heat insulation member is detachably fitted to the opening part. A plate is installed on the lower surface of the heat insulation member of the lid member. The plate has a flange part formed to be wider than the edge part of the opening part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an indoor unit of an air conditioner.

Background Art

[0002] In the indoor unit of an air conditioner, it is required to inspect the dirt conditions of the drain pan and the humidifier at the start of use and at regular intervals during the use period. Conventionally, a ceiling-mounted air conditioner in which the dirt inside the drain pan can be confirmed from below is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This ceiling-mounted air conditioner is provided with a storage portion formed of a transparent member in which drain water is stored in a drain sheet of the drain pan. The storage portion penetrates the foam material of the drain pan and is disposed at a position where it appears on the indoor side when the decorative panel is removed.

[0003] Also, an air conditioner in which the dirt of the drain pan can be visually confirmed from obliquely above is known (see, for example, Patent Document 2). This air conditioner includes an opening provided on a side surface of the housing and a lid member detachably attached to the opening to close the opening. In a state where the lid member is removed from the opening, at least a part of the drain pan obliquely downward from the opening of the housing is visible.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in Patent Document 1, the storage part provided in the drain pan protrudes greatly downward from the drain sheet. Further, when a cap member is attached to the storage part from below, the amount of protrusion of the cap member downward becomes even larger. Thus, if the amount of protrusion becomes large, it will lead to an increase in the size of the drain pan and affect the air flow of the air conditioner.

[0006] Also, in Patent Document 2, when checking the inside of the drain pan obliquely downward from the opening on the side surface of the housing, the inside of the drain pan is difficult to visually recognize, and the dirt inside the drain pan cannot be sufficiently confirmed. The present invention provides an indoor unit of an air conditioner that suppresses an increase in the size of the drain pan and an influence on the air flow around the drain pan, and enables sufficient confirmation of dirt inside the drain pan.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] In an indoor unit of an air conditioner in which a heat exchanger, a blower, and a drain pan are housed, and the drain pan is provided with a water receiving part for storing drain water, the bottom wall of the water receiving part is formed transparently, and a drain pan heat insulating member is provided below the bottom wall of the water receiving part. The drain pan heat insulating member includes an opening through which the bottom wall of the water receiving part can be visually recognized from below, and a lid member with a heat insulating member is detachably fitted into the opening. It is an indoor unit of an air conditioner characterized by this.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, by adopting a structure in which the lid member is fitted into the opening, the bottom of the water receiving part, and thus the bottom of the drain pan, can have the amount of protrusion downward suppressed while ensuring heat insulation performance, and the dirt in the water receiving part can be sufficiently confirmed from below through the opening and the transparent bottom wall.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

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

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] A first invention is an indoor unit of an air conditioner in which a heat exchanger, a blower, and a drain pan are housed, and which is provided with a water receiving part for storing drain water in the drain pan. The bottom wall of the water receiving part is formed transparently, and a drain pan heat insulating member is provided below the bottom wall of the water receiving part. The drain pan heat insulating member is provided with an opening through which the bottom wall of the water receiving part can be visually recognized from below. A lid member with a heat insulating member is detachably fitted into the opening. A plate is provided on the lower surface of the heat insulating member of the lid member. The plate has a flange portion formed wider than the edge of the opening. It is an indoor unit of an air conditioner characterized by this. By adopting a structure in which the lid member is fitted into the opening, it is possible to suppress the downward protrusion amount of the bottom of the water receiving part and thus the bottom of the drain pan while ensuring heat insulation performance, and it is also possible to sufficiently check the dirt of the water receiving part from below through the opening and the transparent bottom wall. In addition, the flange part can block the mating surface between the edge of the opening and the edge of the lid member, further enhancing the heat insulation effect and preventing condensation water leakage more effectively.

[0011] A second invention is an indoor unit of an air conditioner, which is provided with a suction grill that can open and close to cover the suction port of indoor air, and the opening is provided at a position visible from the outside when the suction grill is open. Thereby, by opening the suction grill, the opening can be visually recognized from the outside, and the dirt of the water receiving part can be easily checked through the opening and the transparent bottom wall.

[0012] A third invention is an indoor unit of an air conditioner, which includes a drain cap provided on the drain pan to block the drain hole provided on the bottom wall of the water receiving part, and the drain cap is arranged at the opening. Thereby, the lid member can insulate the drain cap and prevent the drain cap from falling off due to vibration during transportation of the indoor unit or aging deterioration.

[0013] A fourth invention is an indoor unit of an air conditioner, in which the edge of the opening is formed in a tapered shape that gradually opens downward, and the edge of the lid member is formed in a shape along the edge of the opening. Thereby, by pressing the edge of the lid member against the edge of the opening, the edge of the lid member and the edge of the opening can be brought into close contact, eliminating the gap to enhance the heat insulation effect and prevent condensation water leakage.

[0014] The fifth invention is an indoor unit of an air conditioner, wherein the drain pan includes a drain pan bottom wall disposed below the heat exchanger and a drain pan heat insulating member provided below the drain pan bottom wall. A part of the drain pan bottom wall constitutes the bottom wall of the water receiving portion, and the drain pan bottom wall is entirely formed transparently. By providing openings also in the drain pan side heat insulating members other than below the water receiving portion, dirt inside the drain pan such as the drain water passage other than inside the water receiving portion can be easily checked.

[0015] The sixth invention is an indoor unit of an air conditioner, wherein the drain hole of the water receiving portion is formed in a recessed portion of the bottom wall of the water receiving portion, and the heat insulating member of the lid member includes a lid member recess for accommodating a peripheral wall forming the recessed portion and the drain cap. By making the shape of the lid member conform to the shape of the peripheral wall of the recessed portion and the drain cap, the heat insulating effect can be enhanced.

[0016] The seventh invention is an indoor unit of an air conditioner, wherein the opening is provided with a mounting portion extending from the bottom wall of the water receiving portion for mounting the lid member, and the lid member is mounted on the mounting portion with screws. By tightening the screws, the edge of the lid member can be made to adhere more closely to the edge of the opening, eliminating gaps to enhance the heat insulating effect and prevent leakage of condensed water. Also, the size of the lid member can be reduced.

[0017] The eighth invention is an indoor unit of an air conditioner, wherein the drain pan includes a water storage portion where the bottom wall is at the lowest position. The water storage portion is disposed directly below or in the vicinity of the drain pump, or directly below or in the vicinity of the float switch, and the opening and the lid member are provided below the water storage portion. This makes it possible to sufficiently check the state near the drain pump or the float switch from below, where drain water and dirt tend to accumulate. Further, not only the state of the water reservoir portion but also the state of the drain pump or the float switch can be checked from below.

[0018] A ninth invention is an indoor unit of an air conditioner in which a heat exchanger, a blower, and a drain pan are housed, and which is provided with a water receiving portion for storing drain water in the drain pan. The bottom wall of the water receiving portion is formed to be transparent and is provided with a reinforcing rib in the shape of a peripheral wall protruding downward. A drain pan heat insulating member is provided below the bottom wall of the water receiving portion around the reinforcing rib. The reinforcing rib has an opening on the inner side through which the bottom wall of the water receiving portion can be visually recognized from below. A lid member with a heat insulating member is detachably fitted into the opening. By adopting a structure in which the lid member is fitted into the opening, it is possible to suppress the amount of protrusion downward while ensuring heat insulation performance at the bottom of the water receiving portion, and thus at the bottom of the drain pan. Further, the dirt in the water receiving portion can be sufficiently checked from below through the opening and the transparent bottom wall. Also, the rigidity of the bottom wall of the water receiving portion can be increased, and the heat insulating member of the lid member can be protected.

[0019] A tenth invention is an indoor unit of an air conditioner in which an air layer is provided between a drain cap that closes a drain hole provided in the bottom wall of the water receiving portion and the heat insulating member of the lid member. This can improve the heat insulation performance of the drain pan.

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, a more detailed description than necessary may be omitted. For example, a detailed description of well-known matters or a redundant description of substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid making the following description overly redundant and to facilitate the understanding of those skilled in the art. Note that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0021] (First Embodiment) Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. As shown in FIG. 1, the terms "upper and lower" and "inner and outer" are described with reference to the indoor unit 10 installed on the ceiling of the air conditioner. Also, the space where the conditioned air is blown out is defined as the conditioned room. The indoor unit 10 is installed in the ceiling space 13 between the ceiling 11 of the building and the ceiling board 12 installed below the ceiling 11. The indoor unit 10 includes an indoor unit main body 14 and a decorative panel 30 that covers the lower opening of the indoor unit main body 14.

[0022] The indoor unit main body 14 includes a box-shaped housing 15 with substantially the entire lower surface open. Inside the housing 15, the indoor unit main body 14 includes a heat insulating member 16 made of expanded polystyrene, an indoor heat exchanger 17 as a heat exchanger, a blower 18, a drain pan 19 that receives the drain water of the indoor heat exchanger 17, and a bellmouth 20 that rectifies the air sucked into the blower 18. Hanging brackets 21 are attached to the corners of the outer surface of the housing 15. The indoor unit main body 14 is installed in a suspended state from the ceiling 11 by connecting the hanging brackets 21 to the hanging bolts 22 hanging down from the ceiling 11.

[0023] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the indoor unit in the first embodiment as viewed from below. As shown in FIG. 2, the decorative panel 30 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape in plan view so as to cover the opening on the lower surface of the indoor unit main body 14. A suction port 31 communicating with the bellmouth 20 is formed in the central portion of the decorative panel 30. An intake grill 32 that covers the suction port 31 is attached to the decorative panel 30 so as to be openable and closable about one side thereof. A filter 33 for removing dust and the like in the air is provided on the side of the intake grill 32 facing the indoor unit main body 14.

[0024] Outside the suction port 31 of the decorative panel 30 and at positions along each side of the outer peripheral portion of the decorative panel 30, air outlets 34 for sending the air after air conditioning to the conditioned room are respectively formed. That is, the air outlets 34 are provided along each side of the decorative panel 30 which is substantially square in plan view, and air is blown out in four directions from the air outlets 34. The air outlets 34 are respectively provided with flaps 35 whose blowing directions can be adjusted. The heat insulating member 16 is provided on the inner surfaces of the side plate 15a and the top plate 15b of the housing 15 to prevent the occurrence of dew condensation in the housing 15.

[0025] The blower 18 is configured to include a fan motor 23 and a centrifugal fan 24. The fan motor 23 includes a rotating shaft 23a extending downward, and the centrifugal fan 24 is fixed to the rotating shaft 23a. The fan motor 23 is disposed substantially at the center of the indoor unit 10 in plan view and is fixed to the top plate 15b of the housing 15. The centrifugal fan 24 includes a disk-shaped main board 24a fixed to the rotating shaft 23a, an annular shroud 24b disposed substantially coaxially with the main board 24a below the main board 24a, and a plurality of blades 24c connecting the shroud 24b and the main board 24a. The blades 24c are arranged in a plurality at intervals in the circumferential direction of the main board 24a.

[0026] The indoor heat exchanger 17 is formed by bending a plate-shaped heat exchanger into a substantially square shape in plan view so as to surround substantially the whole of the blower 18 from the side. The indoor heat exchanger 17 functions as an evaporator of the refrigerant during the cooling operation and functions as a condenser of the refrigerant during the heating operation. The indoor heat exchanger 17 is configured to perform heat exchange between the indoor air sucked into the interior of the indoor unit main body 14 and the refrigerant, and can cool the air in the air-conditioned room during the cooling operation and heat the indoor air during the heating operation.

[0027] The drain pan 19 is disposed below the indoor heat exchanger 17 so as to receive the drain water 28 generated in the indoor heat exchanger 17. The drain pan 19 includes a heat insulating member 42 (see FIG. 2) as a drain pan heat insulating member made of styrofoam. The drain pan 19 includes a concave heat exchanger accommodating portion 41a that is formed in a water channel shape surrounding the indoor heat exchanger 17 and accommodates the lower end portion of the indoor heat exchanger 17. The heat exchanger accommodating portion 41a includes a receiving surface portion 41b that abuts against the lower surface of the inner peripheral portion of the indoor heat exchanger 17, and a drain water passage 41c that is formed one step lower than the receiving surface portion 41b on the outer peripheral side of the receiving surface portion 41b.

[0028] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the drain pan in the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the drain pan 19 is formed in a rectangular shape whose contour follows the lower surface of the indoor heat exchanger 17 (see FIG. 1), and includes a bottom wall 41 as a resin-made drain pan bottom wall in which the heat exchanger accommodating portion 41a is formed, and a heat insulating member 42 made of styrofoam disposed below and outside the bottom wall 41. The bottom wall 41 is entirely formed of a transparent resin, and includes the heat exchanger accommodating portion 41a and a water receiving portion 41d connected to the terminal end of the drain water passage 41c of the heat exchanger accommodating portion 41a. The drain water passage 41c is formed to be smoothly continuous from a high portion to a low portion of the bottom wall 41, and a water receiving portion 41d in which the drain water 28 accumulates is formed at the terminal end of the drain water passage 41c.

[0029] Among the drain water passage 41c and the water receiving portion 41d, the water receiving portion 41d is the lowest position. Here, the bottom wall 41 of the portion where the water receiving portion 41d is formed is defined as the bottom wall 41w of the water receiving portion 41d. The water receiving portion 41d is provided with a drain hole 41e for discharging the accumulated drain water. The drain hole 41e is blocked by a detachable drain cap 26. The drain cap 26 is removed during various maintenance operations and when cleaning the drain pan 19, and the drain water 28 is discharged.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, below the water receiving portion 41d of the drain pan 19, an opening 42a formed in the heat insulating member 42 and a lid member 44 for closing the opening 42a are provided. When the lid member 44 is removed, the water receiving portion 41d can be visually recognized from below through the opening 42a. The lid member 44 forms part of the drain pan 19. As shown in FIG. 2, the opening 42a and the lid member 44 are provided at positions where they can be visually recognized from below with the suction grill 32 open. Specifically, the opening 42a and the lid member 44 are provided at the corner portions formed at the four corners of the drain pan 19 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, inside the air outlet 34, and outside the bell mouth 20. The bottom wall 41, specifically the bottom wall 41w of the water receiving portion 41d, is formed transparently. Therefore, when the lid member 44 is removed, the inside of the water receiving portion 41d (i.e., the portion where the drained water accumulates) can be visually recognized from below the drain pan 19 through the transparent bottom wall 41w. The lid member 44 is attached at a position where it can be removed when the suction grill 32 (see FIG. 1) is opened. Thereby, without removing the drain pan 19 from the indoor unit main body 14 (see FIG. 1), the dirt inside the water receiving portion 41d can be confirmed. The opening 42a serves as a confirmation window for checking the inside of the water receiving portion 41d.

[0031] In the opening 42a, a drain hole 41e faces, and a drain cap 26 for closing the drain hole 41e and a boss portion 41g as a plurality of mounting portions formed on the bottom wall 41 so as to protrude downward around the drain hole 41e and the drain cap 26 are arranged. The lid member 44 is detachably attached to each boss portion 41g of the bottom wall 41 with a plurality of screws 45.

[0032] As shown in FIGS. 6, 7, and 8, the water receiving portion 41d is a portion for accumulating the drained water 28, and includes a flat bottom portion 41h formed flat or substantially flat, and a recessed portion 41j formed in a part of the flat bottom portion 41h. A drain hole 41e is formed in the lower part of the recessed portion 41j. The recessed portion 41j and the drain hole 41e are formed in a bottom peripheral wall 41m as a peripheral wall provided in the water receiving portion 41d. The heat insulation member 42 includes a thin-walled portion 42m located below the water receiving portion 41d and a thick-walled portion 42n disposed around the water receiving portion 41d and formed thicker than the thin-walled portion 42m. The inner peripheral surface 42b of the opening, which is the edge of the opening 42a, is formed in a tapered shape that gradually opens downward.

[0033] The boss portion 41g is formed at the same height as the thickness T1 of the thin-walled portion 42m or lower than the thickness T1 of the thin-walled portion 42m, and includes a screw hole 41n into which a screw 45 is screwed. The thickness T1 is, for example, 10 to 14 mm. The drain cap 26 is made of rubber and includes a cylindrical portion 26a fitted to the inner peripheral surface 41k of the drain hole 41e and a flange portion 26b integrally formed at one end of the cylindrical portion 26a.

[0034] The lid member 44 is composed of a lid heat insulation member 47 as a heat insulation member fitted into the opening 42a and a lid bottom wall 48 as a resin plate joined to the lower surface 47a of the lid heat insulation member 47. The lid heat insulation member 47 includes a lid member recess 47b that houses the bottom peripheral wall 41m of the water receiving portion 41d and the drain cap 26, and a plurality of boss portion insertion holes 47c disposed around the lid member recess 47b into which the boss portion 41g is inserted.

[0035] The bottom surface 47k of the lid member recess 47b is a portion that contacts and presses against the lower end surface 26c of the flange portion 26b of the drain cap 26 when the lid member 44 is attached to the bottom wall 41. In this way, by pressing the drain cap 26 from below with the lid member 44, it is possible to prevent the drain cap 26 from shifting downward or tilting with respect to the drain hole 41e due to vibration or the like, and to prevent leakage of the drained water 28. Also, the lid heat insulation member 47, in a state where the lid member 44 is attached, includes a flat plate portion 47d located below the flat bottom portion 41h and a downward displacement portion 47e located below the recessed portion 41j and displaced downward from the flat plate portion 47d.

[0036] The lower displacement portion 47e protrudes downward from the surrounding flat plate portion 47d. Assuming the thickness of the lid member 44 is T2, the downward protrusion amount of the lid member 44 including the lower displacement portion 47e from the flat plate portion 47d is T2 - T1. This protrusion amount T2 - T1 is, for example, 5 to 8 mm and is smaller than T1 ((T2 - T1) < T1). In the present embodiment, by fitting the lid member 44 into the opening 42a below the water receiving portion 41d, the protrusion amount (T2 - T1) of the lid member 44 from the heat insulating member 42 on the water receiving portion 41d side can be suppressed.

[0037] The lower displacement portion 47e includes a lower end surface 47f and a male tapered surface 47g formed around the lower end surface 47f. The flat plate portion 47d includes a flat plate portion lower surface 47h extending around from the outer edge of the male tapered surface 47g. The above-described lower end surface 47f, male tapered surface 47g, and flat plate portion lower surface 47h constitute the lower surface 47a.

[0038] The outer peripheral surface 47j of the lid heat insulating member 47 is formed in a shape that fits along the inner peripheral surface 42b of the opening of the opening 42a, that is, in a tapered shape that gradually tapers upward. By forming the outer peripheral surface 47j of the lid heat insulating member 47 in this way, the outer peripheral surface 47j of the lid heat insulating member 47 can be brought into close contact with the inner peripheral surface 42b of the opening of the opening 42a. As described above, when the height of the boss portion 41g is made lower than the thickness T1 and the thickness T3 of the flat plate portion 47d of the lid heat insulating member 47 is set to be thicker than the thickness T1 (T3 > T1), when each screw 45 is tightened, the flat plate portion 47d can be compressed. At this time, the outer peripheral surface 47j of the lid heat insulating member 47 can be pressed against the inner peripheral surface 42b of the opening of the opening 42a, and the gap between the inner peripheral surface 42b of the opening and the outer peripheral surface 47j can be eliminated to improve the sealing performance.

[0039] The lid bottom wall 48 is formed along the lower surface 47a of the lid heat insulating member 47 and includes a lowermost wall 48a, a female tapered wall 48b, and a flat plate portion lower wall 48c corresponding to the lower end surface 47f, male tapered surface 47g, and flat plate portion lower surface 47h. The lower wall 48c of the flat plate portion is provided with a plurality of screw insertion holes 48d through which screws 45 pass and a flange portion 48e that projects outward from the outer peripheral surface 47j of the lid heat insulating member 47. By projecting the flange portion 48e wider outside the outer peripheral surface 47j in this way, the gap formed at the joint between the inner peripheral surface 42b of the opening of the opening portion 42a and the outer peripheral surface 47j of the lid heat insulating member 47 can be blocked by the flange portion 48e. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the condensed water from leaking out through the gap.

[0040] As described above, in the present embodiment, in the indoor unit 10 of the air conditioner that houses the indoor heat exchanger 17, the blower 18, and the drain pan 19 and has a water receiving portion 41d for storing drain water 28 in the drain pan 19, the bottom wall 41w of the water receiving portion 41d is formed transparently, a heat insulating member 42 is provided below the bottom wall 41w of the water receiving portion 41d, the heat insulating member 42 includes an opening portion 42a through which the bottom wall 41w of the water receiving portion 41d can be visually recognized from below, and a lid member 44 with a lid heat insulating member 47 is detachably fitted into the opening portion 42a.

[0041] According to this configuration, by adopting a structure in which the lid member 44 is fitted into the opening portion 42a, it is possible to suppress the amount of protrusion downward while ensuring the heat insulation performance at the bottom of the water receiving portion 41d, and thus at the bottom of the drain pan 19. Also, the dirt in the water receiving portion 41d can be sufficiently confirmed from below through the opening portion 42a and the transparent bottom wall 41w. Thereby, the indoor unit 10 can be made smaller, the lower surface of the drain pan 19 becomes flatter, and the influence on the air flow of the indoor unit 10 can be suppressed. Also, the maintainability of the indoor unit 10 can be improved.

[0042] Further, in the present embodiment, the drain pan 19 is provided with a drain cap 26 that closes the drain hole 41e provided in the bottom wall 41w of the water receiving portion 41d, and the drain cap 26 is disposed in the opening portion 42a. According to this configuration, the lid member 44 can perform heat insulation of the drain cap 26 and prevent the drain cap 26 from falling off due to vibration during transportation of the indoor unit 10 or due to aging deterioration.

[0043] In addition, in the present embodiment, the inner peripheral surface 42b of the opening 42a as the edge of the opening 42a is formed in a tapered shape that gradually opens downward, and the outer peripheral surface 47j as the edge of the lid member 44 is formed in a shape along the inner peripheral surface 42b of the opening 42a of the opening 42a. According to this configuration, by pressing the edge of the lid member 44 against the edge of the opening 42a, the edge of the lid member 44 and the edge of the opening 42a can be brought into close contact with each other, eliminating gaps, enhancing the heat insulation effect, and preventing the leakage of condensed water.

[0044] In addition, in the present embodiment, a lid bottom wall 48 is provided on the lower surface 47a of the lid heat insulation member 47 of the lid member 44, and the lid bottom wall 48 has a flange portion 48e formed wider than the edge of the opening 42a. According to this configuration, the flange portion 48e can block the mating surface between the edge of the opening 42a and the edge of the lid member 44, further enhancing the heat insulation effect and further preventing the leakage of condensed water.

[0045] In addition, in the present embodiment, the drain pan 19 includes a bottom wall 41 disposed below the indoor heat exchanger 17 and a heat insulation member 42 provided below the bottom wall 41. A bottom wall 41w of a water receiving portion 41d is provided in a part of the bottom wall 41, and the bottom wall 41 of the drain pan 19 is entirely formed transparently. According to this configuration, by providing openings also in the heat insulation member 42 other than below the water receiving portion 41d, dirt inside the drain pan 19 such as the drain water passage 41c other than inside the water receiving portion 41d can be easily confirmed.

[0046] In addition, in the present embodiment, the drain hole 41e of the water receiving portion 41d is formed in a recessed portion 41j of the bottom wall 41w of the water receiving portion 41d, and the lid heat insulation member 47 of the lid member 44 includes a lid member recess 47b that houses the bottom peripheral wall 41m forming the recessed portion 41j and the drain cap 26. According to this configuration, by matching the shape of the lid member 44 to the shape of the bottom peripheral wall 41m of the recessed portion 41j and the drain cap 26, the heat insulation effect can be enhanced.

[0047] Further, the opening 42a is provided with a boss portion 41g that extends from the bottom wall 41w of the water receiving portion 41d and to which the lid member 44 is attached, and the lid member 44 is attached to the boss portion 41g with screws 45. According to this configuration, by tightening the screws 45, the edge portion of the lid member 44 can be made to adhere more closely to the edge portion of the opening 42a, eliminating gaps to enhance the heat insulation effect and prevent leakage of condensed water. Also, the size of the lid member 44 can be reduced.

[0048] Note that a plurality of the above-described openings 42a and lid members 44 may be provided at positions visible from the outside with the suction grill 32 open. As positions where the drain water passage 41c and the water receiving portion 41d can be confirmed from below, they are formed at the corner portions formed at the four corners of the drain pan 19 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and inside the air outlet 34, outside the bell mouth 20. The openings 42a and the lid members 44 may be provided at positions where dirt tends to accumulate, for example, at the deepest part (water storage portion) of the drain pan 19 or at the corner portions of the drain pan 19 where the flow of water stagnates. Also, the openings 42a and the lid members 44 may be formed at positions where antifungal and bactericidal materials such as silver ions provided in the water receiving portion 41d or the drain water passage 41c are visible. Thereby, since the degree of deterioration of the antifungal and bactericidal materials can be visually confirmed, the replacement timing of the antifungal and bactericidal materials can be easily grasped. Also, the openings 42a and the lid members 44 may be provided directly below or in the vicinity of the drain pump, directly below or in the vicinity of the float switch, or in the vicinity of the drain cap 26 or in the vicinity of the drain outlet (for models with natural drainage).

[0049] Next, a modification of the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing an example in which the opening 42a and the lid member 44 are provided below the drain pump 27 below the drain pump. The water receiving portion 41d includes a water storage portion 41o where the bottom wall 41w is at the lowest position so that the drain water 28 accumulated in the water receiving portion 41d can be collected at one location. As shown in Fig. 9, a drain pump 27 is provided around the water reservoir portion 41o. The suction port 27a of the drain pump 27 is arranged so as to be close to the bottom surface of the water reservoir portion 41o. In addition, a float switch 29 is provided in the water reservoir portion 41o. The float switch 29 detects the water level of the drain water 28 accumulated in the water reservoir portion 41o, and is configured such that the float switch 29 is turned ON when a predetermined amount of drain water 28 accumulates in the water reservoir portion 41o. When the float switch 29 is turned ON, the drain pump 27 is operated to discharge the drain water 28 accumulated in the water reservoir portion 41o.

[0050] The bottom wall 41w of the water reservoir portion 41o is formed transparently. Below the water reservoir portion 41o, an opening 42a and a lid member 44 are provided. As a result, the drain water 28 can be easily accumulated, and the state near the drain pump 27 where dirt can be easily accumulated can be easily confirmed from below by opening the suction grill 32. Further, by removing the lid member 44, not only the state of the water reservoir portion 41o but also the state of the drain pump 27 and the state of the float switch 29 can be confirmed from below.

[0051] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. As shown in Fig. 10, the drain pan 50 is formed in a rectangular shape whose contour follows the lower surface of the indoor heat exchanger 17 (see Fig. 1), and includes a bottom wall 51 as a resin-made drain pan bottom wall in which a heat exchanger housing portion 41a (see Fig. 2) is formed, and a heat insulating member 52 made of styrofoam disposed below and outside the bottom wall 51. The bottom wall 51 is entirely formed of a transparent resin, and includes a heat exchanger housing portion 41a and a water receiving portion 51d connected to the terminal end of the drain water passage 41c (see Fig. 3) of the heat exchanger housing portion 41a.

[0052] Among the drain water passage 41c and the water receiving part 51d, the water receiving part 51d is the lowest part and is the part where the drain water accumulates. Here, the bottom wall 51 of the part where the water receiving part 51d is formed is defined as the bottom wall 51w of the water receiving part 51d. The water receiving part 51d is provided with a drain hole 51e for discharging the accumulated drain water. The drain hole 51e is blocked by a detachable drain cap 26. The drain cap 26 is removed during various maintenance operations and when cleaning the drain pan 50, and the drain water is discharged.

[0053] On the lower surface 51f of the bottom wall 51w of the water receiving part 51d, a reinforcing rib 51p protruding downward is integrally formed in a peripheral wall shape surrounding the drain hole 51e, and an opening 51r is formed by the inner peripheral surface 51q of the reinforcing rib 51p. The opening 51r is blocked by a lid member 54 that forms a part of the drain pan 50. The lid member 54 is detachably attached to the bottom wall 51w. The bottom wall 51, specifically, the bottom wall 51w of the water receiving part 51d, is formed transparently. Therefore, when the lid member 54 is removed, the inside of the water receiving part 51d (i.e., the part where the drain water accumulates) can be visually recognized through the transparent bottom wall 51w from below the drain pan 50. Thereby, dirt inside the water receiving part 51d can be confirmed. The opening 51r serves as a confirmation window for checking the inside of the water receiving part 51d.

[0054] FIG. 11 shows a state of the water receiving part 51d viewed obliquely from below. As shown in FIG. 11, a reinforcing rib 51p is provided at the lower part of the water receiving part 51d, an opening 51r is provided inside the reinforcing rib 51p, and the state inside the water receiving part 51d can be visually recognized through the opening 51r and the bottom wall 51w. Thus, by providing the reinforcing rib 51p in the water receiving part 51d, the rigidity of the bottom wall 51w can be increased. Inside the opening 51r, a bottom peripheral wall 51m in which the drain hole 51e is formed and a plurality of boss parts 41g arranged around the bottom peripheral wall 51m project integrally downward from the bottom wall 51w. The plurality of boss parts 41g are parts for attaching the lid member 54 (see FIG. 10) with screws 45 (see FIG. 7).

[0055] As shown in FIG. 10, inside the opening 51r, a bottom peripheral wall 51m, a drain cap 26 fitted to the bottom peripheral wall 51m, and a plurality of boss portions 41g (see FIG. 11) are arranged. The water receiving portion 51d includes a flat bottom portion 51h formed flat or substantially flat, and a recessed portion 51j formed in a part of the flat bottom portion 51h. A drain hole 51e is located below the recessed portion 51j. The recessed portion 51j and the drain hole 51e are formed in the bottom peripheral wall 51m. The heat insulating member 52 has a thin portion 52m located below the water receiving portion 51d formed to have the same thickness T1 as the thin portion 42m of the water receiving portion 41d shown in FIG. 6. The reinforcing rib 51p is formed to have the same height T1 as the thickness T1 of the thin portion 52m. The inner peripheral surface 51q of the reinforcing rib 51p is formed in a tapered shape that gradually opens downward.

[0056] The boss portion 41g (see FIG. 11) is formed to have the same height as the height T1 of the reinforcing rib 51p or lower than the height T1 of the reinforcing rib 51p, and a screw 45 (see FIG. 7) is screwed into the screw hole 41n (see FIG. 11) to fasten the lid member 54. The drain cap 26 has a cylindrical portion 26a fitted to the inner peripheral surface 51k of the drain hole 51e, and a flange portion 26b applied to the lower end surface 51s of the bottom peripheral wall 51m.

[0057] The lid member 54 is composed of a lid heat insulating member 57 as a heat insulating member fitted to the opening 51r, and a lid bottom wall 58 as a resin plate joined to the lower surface 57a of the lid heat insulating member 57. The lid heat insulating member 57 includes a lid member recess 57b that houses the bottom peripheral wall 51m of the water receiving portion 51d and the drain cap 26, and a plurality of boss portion insertion holes 47c (see FIG. 7) arranged around the lid member recess 57b into which the boss portions 41g are inserted.

[0058] In FIGS. 10 and 12, the bottom surface 57k of the lid member recess 57b is a portion that is close to the lower end surface 26c of the flange portion 26b of the drain cap 26 with a gap therebetween in a state where the lid member 54 is attached to the bottom wall 51. In this way, by arranging the lid member 54 close to the drain cap 26 from below, it is possible to suppress the drain cap 26 from being greatly displaced downward or tilted with respect to the drain hole 51e due to vibration or the like, and prevent leakage of the drain water 28 (see FIG. 6).

[0059] The lid heat insulating member 57, in a state where the lid member 54 is attached, includes a flat plate portion 57d located below near the reinforcing rib 51p of the flat bottom portion 51h, and a downward displacement portion 57e located near and below the recess 51j of the flat bottom portion 51h and displaced downward from the flat plate portion 57d. The downward displacement portion 57e includes a lower end surface 57f and a peripheral surface 57g rising from the outer peripheral edge of the lower end surface 57f. The flat plate portion 57d includes a flat plate portion lower surface 57h extending around from the upper edge of the peripheral surface 57g. The above-described lower end surface 57f, peripheral surface 57g, and flat plate portion lower surface 57h constitute the lower surface 57a.

[0060] The outer peripheral surface 57j of the lid heat insulating member 57 is formed in a shape that fits along the inner peripheral surface 51q of the reinforcing rib 51p, that is, in a tapered shape that gradually tapers upward. In this way, by forming the outer peripheral surface 57j of the lid heat insulating member 57, the outer peripheral surface 57j of the lid heat insulating member 57 can be brought into close contact with the inner peripheral surface 51q of the reinforcing rib 51p. As described above, when the height of the boss portion 41g is made lower than the thickness T1, when each screw 45 is tightened, the flat plate portion 57d can be compressed. At this time, the outer peripheral surface 57j of the lid heat insulating member 57 can be pressed against the inner peripheral surface 51q of the reinforcing rib 51p, eliminating the gap between the inner peripheral surface 51q and the outer peripheral surface 57j and improving the sealing performance.

[0061] For example, without providing the reinforcing rib 51p, an opening is directly formed in the heat insulating member 52, and the peripheral edge of the opening is formed as a tapered inner peripheral surface, and the outer peripheral surface 57j of the lid heat insulating member 57 is directly applied to this inner peripheral surface. Compared with this structure, in the present embodiment, wear and damage to the peripheral edge of the opening of the heat insulating member 52 and the outer peripheral surface 57j of the lid heat insulating member 57 can be prevented, and the lid heat insulating member 57 can be protected.

[0062] The lid bottom wall 58 is formed along the lower surface 57a of the lid heat insulating member 57, and includes a lowermost wall 58a, a peripheral wall 58b, and a flat plate portion lower wall 58c corresponding to the lower end surface 57f, the peripheral surface 57g, and the lower surface 57h of the flat plate portion. The flat plate portion lower wall 58c includes a plurality of screw insertion holes 48d (see FIG. 7) through which the screws 45 pass, and a flange portion 58e that projects outward beyond the outer peripheral surface 57j of the lid heat insulating member 57. By thus widely projecting the flange portion 58e outward beyond the outer peripheral surface 47j, the gap formed at the mating portion between the inner peripheral surface 51q of the reinforcing rib 51p and the outer peripheral surface 57j of the lid heat insulating member 57 can be blocked from below by the flange portion 58e. Further, the flange portion 58e can be applied to the entire circumferential direction of the lower end surface 51t of the reinforcing rib 51p. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the condensed water from leaking out from the above gap.

[0063] As described above, in the present embodiment, in the indoor unit 10 of the air conditioner that houses the indoor heat exchanger 17, the blower 18, and the drain pan 50 and includes a water receiving portion 51d for storing drain water 28 (see FIG. 6) in the drain pan 50, the bottom wall 51w of the water receiving portion 51d is formed transparently and includes a peripheral wall-shaped reinforcing rib 51p that protrudes downward. A heat insulating member 52 is provided below the bottom wall 51w of the water receiving portion 51d around the reinforcing rib 51p. The reinforcing rib 51p includes an opening 51r inside that allows the bottom wall 51w of the water receiving portion 51d to be visible from below. A lid member 54 with a lid heat insulating member 57 is detachably fitted into the opening 51r.

[0064] According to this configuration, by adopting a structure in which the lid member 54 is fitted into the opening 51r, the bottom of the water receiving portion 51d, and thus the bottom of the drain pan 50, can have the amount of downward protrusion suppressed while ensuring heat insulation performance. Also, the dirt in the water receiving portion 51d can be sufficiently checked from below through the opening 51r and the transparent bottom wall 51w. Further, the rigidity of the bottom wall 51w of the water receiving portion 51d can be increased, and the lid heat insulation member 57 of the lid member 54 can be protected.

[0065] (Third Embodiment) Next, the third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the third embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment and the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted. As shown in FIG. 13, the drain pan 60 includes a bottom wall 51 and a heat insulation member 52. The opening 51r of the bottom wall 51 is closed by a lid member 64 that forms a part of the drain pan 60. The lid member 64 is detachably attached to the bottom wall 51w. The lid member 64 includes a lid heat insulation member 67 as a heat insulation member fitted into the opening 51r, and a lid bottom wall 68 as a resin plate joined to the lower surface 67a of the lid heat insulation member 67. The lid heat insulation member 67 includes a lid member recess 67b that houses the bottom peripheral wall 51m of the water receiving portion 51d and the drain cap 26, and a plurality of boss portion insertion holes 47c (see FIG. 7) that are arranged around the lid member recess 67b and into which the boss portion 41g (see FIG. 11) is inserted.

[0066] The bottom surface 57k of the lid member recess 67b is separated from the lower end surface 26c of the flange portion 26b of the drain cap 26 by an air layer 70 having a thickness T4 in a state where the lid member 64 is attached to the bottom wall 51. Thus, by providing the air layer 70 between the drain cap 26 and the lid heat insulation member 67, the heat insulation effect between the drain cap 26 and the lid heat insulation member 67 can be enhanced. Also, when the thickness of the drain cap 26 is T5, the thickness T4 is made smaller than the thickness T5 (T4 < T5), preferably, the thickness T4 is made half or less of the thickness T5 (T4 ≦ T5 / 2). Thereby, even if the drain cap 26 moves downward with respect to the drain hole 51e due to vibration or the like as indicated by the two-dot chain line, it does not come off from the drain hole 51e, and leakage of the drain water 28 (see FIG. 6) can be prevented.

[0067] The lid heat insulating member 67 includes a flat plate portion 57d located below near the reinforcing rib 51p of the flat bottom portion 51h in a state where the lid member 64 is attached, and a downward displacement portion 67e located near the recessed portion 51j of the flat plate portion 57d and below the recessed portion 51j and displaced downward from the flat plate portion 57d. The downward displacement portion 67e includes a lower end surface 57f and a peripheral surface 67g raised from the outer peripheral edge of the lower end surface 57f. The above-described lower end surface 57f, peripheral surface 67g, and the lower surface 57h of the flat plate portion constitute the lower surface 67a. The lid bottom wall 68 is formed along the lower surface 67a of the lid heat insulating member 67, and includes a lowermost wall 58a, a peripheral wall 68b, and a lower wall 58c of the flat plate portion corresponding to the lower end surface 57f, the peripheral surface 67g, and the lower surface 57h of the flat plate portion.

[0068] As described above, in the present embodiment, an air layer 70 is provided between the drain cap 26 that closes the drain hole 51e provided in the bottom wall 51w of the water receiving portion 51d and the lid heat insulating member 67 of the lid member 64. According to this configuration, the heat insulation performance of the drain pan 60 can be improved.

[0069] Although the present invention has been described based on the first embodiment, the second embodiment, and the third embodiment, the present invention is not limited to each of these embodiments. Since it is merely an example of one embodiment of the present invention, it can be arbitrarily changed and applied without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In each embodiment, the entire bottom walls 41, 51 of the drain pans 19, 50, 60 are made transparent, but not limited thereto, and only the bottom walls 41w, 51w of the water receiving portions 41d, 51d among the bottom walls 41, 51 may be made transparent.

[0070] Also, as shown in FIG. 6 of the first embodiment, the inner peripheral surface 42b of the opening 42a of the heat insulating member 42 at the edge is tapered, but it is not limited to this, and the inner peripheral surface 42b of the opening may be a surface perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the lower surface of the heat insulating member 42. Also, a downward displacement portion 47e that is displaced downward from the flat plate portion 47d is provided on the lid heat insulating member 47, but it is not limited to this, and the entire lid heat insulating member 47 may be a flat flat plate portion 47d without providing the downward displacement portion 47e.

[0071] Also, in FIG. 13 of the third embodiment, the reinforcing rib 51p is provided on the bottom wall 51, but similar to the first embodiment, without providing the reinforcing rib 51p, a tapered inner peripheral surface 42b of the opening (see FIG. 13) may be formed in the thin portion 52m of the heat insulating member 52 to provide the opening 42a. Thereby, in addition to providing the air layer 70 between the drain cap 26 and the lid member 64, by directly applying the outer peripheral surface 57j of the lid heat insulating member 67 of the lid member 64 to the inner peripheral surface 42b of the opening, the heat insulating effect can be further enhanced.

Industrial Applicability

[0072] The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the present invention relates to a structure for periodically inspecting the drain pan, and can be suitably used as an indoor unit of an air conditioner that suppresses the enlargement of the drain pan and the influence on the air flow around the drain pan, and enables sufficient confirmation of the dirt in the drain pan.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0073] 10 Indoor unit 17 Indoor heat exchanger (heat exchanger) 18 Blower 19, 50, 60 Drain pan 26 Drain cap 27 Drain pump 29 Float switch 30 Decorative panel 32 Suction grill 41, 51 Bottom wall (drain pan bottom wall) 41c Drain water passage 41d, 51d Water receiving part 41e, 51e Drain hole 41g Boss part (mounting part) 41j, 51j Depression part 41m, 51m Bottom peripheral wall (peripheral wall) 41w, 51w Bottom wall of water receiving part 42, 52 Heat insulating member (drain pan heat insulating member) 42a, 51r Opening 44, 54, 64 Cover member 45 Screw 47, 57, 67 Cover heat insulating member (heat insulating member) 47b, 57b, 67b Cover member recess 48, 58, 68 Cover bottom wall (plate) 51p Reinforcing rib 70 Air layer

Claims

1. In an indoor unit of an air conditioner that houses a heat exchanger, a blower, and a drain pan, and has a water receiving portion for storing drain water in the drain pan, the bottom wall of the water receiving portion is formed transparently, a drain pan heat insulating member is provided below the bottom wall of the water receiving portion, the drain pan heat insulating member has an opening through which the bottom wall of the water receiving portion can be visually recognized from below, and a lid member with a heat insulating member is detachably fitted into the opening. A plate is provided on the lower surface of the heat insulating member of the lid member, and the plate has a flange portion formed wider than the edge of the opening. The indoor unit of the air conditioner is characterized by this.

2. An intake grill that covers the intake port of indoor air is provided so as to be openable and closable. The opening is provided at a position where it can be visually recognized from the outside when the intake grill is open. The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to Claim 1 is characterized by this.

3. The drain pan is provided with a drain cap that closes a drain hole provided in the bottom wall of the water receiving portion, and the drain cap is disposed in the opening. The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 is characterized by this.

4. The edge of the opening is formed in a tapered shape that gradually opens downward, and the edge of the lid member is formed in a shape along the edge of the opening. The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to any one of Claims 1 to 3 is characterized by this.

5. The drain pan includes a drain pan bottom wall disposed below the heat exchanger and the drain pan heat insulating member provided below the drain pan bottom wall. A part of the drain pan bottom wall constitutes the bottom wall of the water receiving portion, and the drain pan bottom wall is entirely formed transparently. The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 is characterized by this.

6. The drain hole of the water receiving portion is formed in a recessed portion of the bottom wall of the water receiving portion, and the heat insulating member of the lid member has a lid member recess for accommodating the peripheral wall forming the recessed portion and the drain cap. The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to Claim 3 is characterized by this.

7. The opening is provided with a mounting portion that extends from the bottom wall of the water receiving portion for mounting the lid member, and the lid member is mounted to the mounting portion with screws. The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to any one of Claims 1 to 6 is characterized by this.

8. The drain pan includes a water reservoir portion where the bottom wall is at the lowest position. The water reservoir portion is disposed directly below or in the vicinity of the drain pump, or directly below or in the vicinity of the float switch. The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the opening and the lid member are provided below the water reservoir portion.

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