air conditioner

Abstract

To provide an air conditioner enabling an air filter to be detachably connected from a side surface direction of a unit body by using the existing unit body without providing a dedicated support rail.SOLUTION: An air conditioner includes: a suction port 21 provided on a rear surface of a casing 10; and an air filter 60 connected to the suction port 21 and trapping dust from air sucked into the casing 10. A pair of mounting flanges 42, 43 is provided to erect on outer sides of an upper edge part and a lower edge part of the suction port 21. The pair of mounting flanges 42, 43 includes a plurality of divided rails 44 spaced apart in a right / left direction of the suction port 21. An upper side part 63 and a lower side part 64 of the air filter 60 include first projecting parts 66 engaged with the plurality of divided rails 44. The first projecting parts 66 can be engaged with the plurality of divided rails 44 from a side surface direction of the casing 10. The air filter 60 is attached to / detached from the suction port 21 from the side surface direction of the casing 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a built-in air conditioner that is installed in the ceiling space of a building, sucks air, performs heat exchange, and blows it into a room through a blowing duct. This built-in air conditioner has a unit body installed in the ceiling space of a building, and houses an indoor heat exchanger and a blower inside. An intake port is provided on the lower surface or the back surface of the unit body, and a pair of support rails are detachably attached to opposite side portions at the peripheral edge of the intake port, and an air filter is detachably fitted into the pair of support rails from the side of the unit body.

[0003] According to the built-in air conditioner disclosed in Patent Document 1, the air filter can be removed from the unit body relatively easily by sliding it along the support rails. Also, after removing the dust adhering to the filter portion of the air filter, the air filter can be inserted in alignment with the support rails. Thus, the attachment and detachment of the air filter can be performed with relatively little effort.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, the built-in air conditioner disclosed in Patent Document 1 required a dedicated support rail for sliding the air filter, and this support rail had to be attached to the unit body. As a result, a separate component had to be prepared from the conventional unit body, which presented a challenge in reducing the cost and weight of the air conditioner.

[0006] In view of the above issues, the object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner that does not require a dedicated support rail and utilizes a conventional unit body, allowing an air filter to be detachably connected from the side of the unit body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is an air conditioner installed in the ceiling space of a building, comprising a unit body that houses an indoor heat exchanger and a blower inside, an air outlet for blowing air provided on the front of the unit body, an air intake port provided on the rear of the unit body, and an air filter connected to the air intake port that captures dust from the air drawn into the unit body, wherein a pair of mounting flanges are provided on the upper and lower edges of the air intake port, standing upright on the outside of the unit body, and a plurality of divided rails are provided on the pair of mounting flanges, spaced apart in the left-right direction of the air intake port, and engaging members are provided on the upper and lower edges of the air filter that engage with the plurality of divided rails, and the engaging members can be engaged with the plurality of divided rails from the side of the unit body, and the air filter is an air conditioner that can be attached to and detached from the air intake port from the side of the unit body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, an air conditioner is provided that does not require a dedicated support rail and utilizes a conventional unit body, allowing an air filter to be detachably connected from the side of the unit body. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1]This is a cross-sectional view showing the installation state of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an overall perspective view of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is an overall perspective view of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, with the air filter removed. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view of the rear side of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, with the air filter removed (cross-sectional view taken along arrow AA in Figure 3). [Figure 5] This is a perspective view of an air filter for an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view (viewed along arrow BB in Figure 5) of the air filter of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view of the rear side of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the rear side of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the rear side of an air conditioner according to another embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] An embodiment of the air conditioner according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, this embodiment does not limit the present invention.

[0011] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the installation state of the air conditioner according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is an overall perspective view of the air conditioner according to this embodiment. Figure 3 is an overall perspective view of the air conditioner with the air filter removed. [Examples]

[0012] The air conditioner 1 will be described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the installation state of the air conditioner 1 according to this embodiment, and the arrows in Figure 1 indicate the direction of air flow. The air conditioner 1 is a duct-type air conditioner used in the ceiling space 4, which is the back side of the ceiling panel 3 of the room 2, and is suspended from the ceiling structure by suspension bolts 5. An intake duct 6 for taking in air from the room 2 is connected to the rear of the air conditioner 1, and an outlet duct 7 for sending heat-exchanged air back into the room 2 is connected to the front of the air conditioner 1.

[0013] The air conditioner 1 comprises a box-shaped housing 10, which houses an indoor heat exchanger 11, a blower 12, and a drain pan 13. The interior of the housing 10 is divided by a partition plate 30 located midway in the front-to-back direction (left-to-right direction in Figure 1), with the heat exchanger chamber 31 located at the front and the blower chamber 32 at the rear. The heat exchanger chamber 31 houses the indoor heat exchanger 11 and the drain pan 13 located below the indoor heat exchanger 11. The drain pan 13 has a concave receiving tray 14 to receive the drain water generated by the indoor heat exchanger 11. The receiving tray 14 also has a drain hole 50. The drain hole 50 is closed by a lid (not shown). Note that the housing 10 refers to the unit body in this invention.

[0014] A blower 12 is located in the blower room 32. The blower 12 has a blower intake port and a blower outlet port (not shown), and an airflow is generated by the operation of the blower 12. When the blower 12 operates, it draws in room air from the blower intake port via the intake duct 6 and blows it out from the blower outlet port. The blower outlet port is connected to an opening in the partition plate 30 and sends air to the heat exchanger room 31. The airflow generated by the blower 12 passes through the indoor heat exchanger 11, and the airflow that has passed through the indoor heat exchanger 11 is sent to room 2 via the discharge duct 7. As the airflow passes through the indoor heat exchanger 11, it exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing through the indoor heat exchanger 11.

[0015] FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view of the air conditioner 1 as seen from above. In the housing 10 of the air conditioner 1 shown in FIG. 2, the directions are marked with arrows. In FIG. 2, among the three visible faces, the left face is referred to as the left side face or the left side, the face opposite to the left side face and not visible in FIG. 2 is referred to as the right side face or the right side, among the three visible faces, the right face is referred to as the rear face or the rear, the face opposite to the rear face and not visible in FIG. 2 is referred to as the front face or the front, among the three visible faces, the upper face is referred to as the upper face or the upper, and the face opposite to the upper face and not visible in FIG. 2 is referred to as the bottom face or the lower, and the following description will be made based on this.

[0016] The housing 10 is formed in a box shape and has a top plate 15 forming a rectangular upper surface, a bottom plate 16 forming a lower surface, a front plate 17 forming a front face, a rear plate 18 forming a rear face, a left side plate 19 forming a left side face, and a right side plate 20 forming a right side face. A suction port 21, which will be described later, is formed in the rear plate 18, and the suction duct 6 is connected thereto. Two air filters 60 for capturing dust from the air sucked into the housing 10 are attached to the suction port 21. Although not shown in the figure, an air outlet 22 to which the blow duct 7 is connected is formed in the front plate 17. Although shown by a dashed line in FIG. 2, a left opening 25 is formed in the left side plate 19, and a left opening lid 26 for closing the left opening 25 is detachably attached to the left side plate 19 by screws not shown in the figure. Similarly, a right opening (not shown) is formed in the right side plate 20, and a right opening lid (not shown) for closing the right opening is detachably attached to the right side plate 20 by screws not shown in the figure. The left opening 25 and the right opening are used for the maintenance of the indoor heat exchanger 11 and the maintenance of maintenance parts that require cleaning and maintenance.

[0017] FIG. 3 is an overall perspective view of the air conditioner 1 with the air filter 60 removed. A rectangular suction port 21 is formed over the entire area of the rear panel 18 of the housing 10. An upper edge portion 40 disposed at the upper edge of the suction port 21 is provided with an upper horizontal flange 42, and a lower edge portion 41 disposed at the lower edge of the suction port 21 is provided with a lower horizontal flange 43. Vertical flanges 53 are provided on a left edge portion 51 and a right edge portion 52 disposed on the left and right edges of the suction port 21. The upper horizontal flange 42 and the lower horizontal flange 43 indicate the mounting flanges in the present invention. The upper horizontal flange 42 stands upright in a direction from the upper edge portion 40 toward the outside of the housing 10. Similarly, the lower horizontal flange forty-three also stands upright in a direction from the lower edge portion 41 toward the outside of the housing 10. Further, the vertical flange 53 provided on the left edge portion 51 stands upright in a direction from the left edge portion 51 toward the outside of the housing 10. Similarly, the vertical flange 53 provided on the right edge portion 52 also stands upright in a direction from the right edge portion 52 toward the outside of the housing 10. The upper horizontal flange 42, the lower horizontal flange 43, and the left and right vertical flanges 53 serve as flanges for attaching the suction duct 6.

[0018] The detailed structure is shown in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 3, four divided rails 44 for attaching the air filter 60 are provided at intervals in the left-right direction on the upper horizontal flange 42. Four divided rails 44 for attaching the air filter 60 are also provided at intervals in the left-right direction on the lower horizontal flange 43. The divided rails 44 provided on the upper horizontal flange 42 and the divided rails 44 provided on the lower horizontal flange 43 are arranged so as to be in the same position in the left-right direction. In the present embodiment, four divided rails 44 are provided on the upper horizontal flange 42 and four divided rails 44 are provided on the lower horizontal flange 43, but it is sufficient that two or more are provided respectively. Further, the divided rails 44 provided on the upper horizontal flange 42 and the divided rails 44 provided on the lower horizontal flange 43 are arranged so as to be in the same position in the left-right direction. However, for example, they may be arranged so as to be in alternate positions in the left-right direction.

[0019] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the AA arrow in Figure 3, showing the rear side of the air conditioner 1 with the air filter 60 removed, viewed from the left. The divided rail 44 provided on the upper horizontal flange 42 located on the rear panel 18 of the housing 10 has a pair of support pieces 46 arranged in the front-rear direction and facing each other. The pair of support pieces 46 on the upper horizontal flange 42 stand upright from the upper horizontal flange 42. The pair of support pieces 46 on the upper horizontal flange 42 form a first concave portion 45 formed in the shape of a groove. That is, the divided rail 44 provided on the upper horizontal flange 42 has a first concave portion 45 formed in the shape of a groove. Similarly, the divided rail 44 provided on the lower horizontal flange 43 located on the rear panel 18 of the housing 10 has a pair of support pieces 46 arranged in the front-rear direction and facing each other. The pair of support pieces 46 on the lower horizontal flange 43 stand upright from the lower horizontal flange 43. A pair of support pieces 46 on the lower lateral flange 43 form a first recessed portion 45 with a grooved shape. That is, the divided rail 44 provided on the lower lateral flange 43 is provided with a first recessed portion 45 with a grooved shape. The first recessed portions 45 formed on the divided rail 44 provided on the upper lateral flange 42 and the lower lateral flange 43 respectively become rails into which the air filter 60 can be inserted from the left side plate 19 or the right side plate 20 of the housing 10.

[0020] The pair of support pieces 46 on the upper lateral flange 42 are formed by cutting and bending a portion of the upper lateral flange 42. As a result, a rectangular opening (not shown) is formed between the pair of support pieces 46 on the upper lateral flange 42. Similarly, the pair of support pieces 46 on the lower lateral flange 43 are formed by cutting and bending a portion of the lower lateral flange 43. Since the upper lateral flange 42 and the lower lateral flange 43 have openings for cutting and bending the support pieces 46 as described above, there is a risk that the strength of the flange may be weakened. However, in this embodiment, the dividing rails 44 provided on the upper lateral flange 42 and the lower lateral flange 43 are not formed continuously but are arranged at intervals, so the strength of the flange can be ensured. In addition, since the upper and lower pairs of support pieces 46 are formed by cutting and bending from the upper lateral flange 42 and the lower lateral flange 43, respectively, the dividing rails 44 provided on the upper lateral flange 42 and the lower lateral flange 43 are formed integrally with the upper lateral flange 42 and the lower lateral flange 43, respectively. Therefore, the assembly process can be made more efficient compared to attaching the rails to the casing afterwards.

[0021] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the air filter 60. In this embodiment, two air filters 60 are attached to the housing 10, but the two air filters 60 have the same structure. The air filter 60 comprises a rectangular filter frame 61 as an outer frame and a filter section 62 attached to the filter frame 61. The filter frame 61 is made of elastically deformable resin. The filter frame 61 is composed of four sides: an upper side 63, a lower side 64, and left and right vertical sides 73. Openings for attaching the filter section 62 are formed inside the upper side 63, lower side 64, and left and right vertical sides 73. The filter section 62 is attached to the openings formed inside the filter frame 61. The filter section 62 has the function of capturing and removing dust from the air in the room 2 sent from the intake duct 6.

[0022] The upper edge portion 63 is provided with a first convex portion 66 that can be inserted into a dividing rail 44 provided on the upper lateral flange 42 from the side direction of the housing 10, and the first convex portion 66 is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the upper edge portion 63. The first convex portion 66 is the engaging member in the present invention. The first convex portion 66 has a guide portion 67 and a support portion 68 along the longitudinal direction of the upper edge portion 63. In this embodiment, there are three guide portions 67 and six support portions 68, with three support portions 68 forming one set, one set of support portions 68 arranged between three guide portions 67, and one set of guide portions 67 and one set of support portions 68 arranged alternately on the upper edge portion 63. Each set of support portions 68 is arranged to overlap the position of the dividing rail 44 when the air filter 60 is attached to the housing 10.

[0023] Although not shown in Figure 5, the lower edge portion 64 is also provided with a first convex portion 66 that can be inserted into a dividing rail 44 provided on the lower lateral flange 43 from the side direction of the housing 10, and the first convex portion 66 is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the lower edge portion 64. The first convex portion 66 of the lower edge portion 64 is also an engaging member in the present invention. The first convex portion 66 has a guide portion 67 and a support portion 68 along the longitudinal direction of the lower edge portion 64. In this embodiment, there are three guide portions 67 and six support portions 68, with three support portions 68 forming one set, one set of support portions 68 being arranged between three guide portions 67, and one set of guide portions 67 and one set of support portions 68 being arranged alternately on the lower edge portion 64. Each set of support portions 68 is arranged to overlap the position of the dividing rail 44 when the air filter 60 is attached to the housing 10. Furthermore, the segmented rail 44 is also provided in the conventional main unit as an engagement part for attaching the air filter 60 in the front-to-back direction.

[0024] The longitudinal dimensions of a pair of guide portions 67 and support portions 68 are longer than the longitudinal dimensions of the divided rail 44, and are positioned so that when the air filter 60 is inserted from the left side plate 19 or the right side plate 20 of the housing 10, either the guide portion 67 or the support portion 68 engages with at least one of the divided rails 44. Therefore, when the air filter 60 is inserted from the left side plate 19 or the right side plate 20 of the housing 10, the guide portion 67 and the support portion 68 do not come off the divided rail 44 in the front-rear direction, and the air filter 60 can be smoothly inserted into the divided rail 44.

[0025] Next, the cross-sectional structure of the air filter 60 will be described using Figure 6. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the BB arrow in Figure 5, and is a cross-sectional view at the position where the guide portion 67 of the air filter 66 is located. The air filter 60 has an upper portion 63 and a lower portion 64, and the filter portion 62 is located between the upper portion 63 and the lower portion 64. The upper portion 63 is provided with a first convex portion 66, which is formed to be convex upward from the upper portion 63. The first convex portion 66 provided on the upper portion 63 has a guide portion 67 shown in Figure 6 and a support portion 68 which is not shown in Figure 6. The guide section 67 includes a vertical piece 70 that rises upward from near the rear end in the front-rear direction of the upper edge 63, a horizontal piece 71 that is positioned parallel to the upper edge 63 in the front-rear direction from the tip of the vertical piece 70, and a reinforcing rib 72 that connects the upper edge 63, the vertical piece 70, and the horizontal piece 71 and reinforces the vertical piece 70 and the horizontal piece 71. The reinforcing rib 72 is formed so as not to interfere with the support piece 46 of the divided rail 44 when the air filter 60 is inserted from the left side plate 19 or the right side plate 20 of the housing 10, and when the air filter 60 is attached to the housing 10.

[0026] Similarly, the lower edge portion 64 is provided with a first convex portion 66, which is formed to be convex downward from the lower edge portion 64. The first convex portion 66 on the lower edge portion 64 has a guide portion 67 shown in Figure 6 and a support portion 68 not shown in Figure 6. The guide portion 67 includes a vertical piece 70 that rises downward from near the rear end in the front-rear direction of the lower edge portion 64, a horizontal piece 71 that is arranged parallel to the lower edge portion 64 in the front-rear direction from the tip of the vertical piece 70 toward the front, and a reinforcing rib 72 that connects the lower edge portion 64, the vertical piece 70 and the horizontal piece 71 and reinforces the vertical piece 70 and the horizontal piece 71. The reinforcing rib 72 is formed so as not to interfere with the support piece 46 of the divided rail 44 when inserting the air filter 60 from the right side plate 19 or left side plate 20 of the housing 10, and when the air filter 60 is attached to the housing 10.

[0027] The structure of the support portion 68 is shown in Figure 8, where the first convex portion 66 provided on the lower lower edge portion 64 is the support portion 68. The structure of the support portion 68 is substantially the same as that of the guide portion 67, but the difference from the guide portion 67 is that it does not have a horizontal piece 71. The support portion 68 includes a vertical piece 70 that rises outward from the rear end side in the front-rear direction of the lower edge portion 64, and a reinforcing rib 80 that connects the lower edge portion 64 and the vertical piece 70 and reinforces the vertical piece 70. The support portion 68 provided on the upper upper edge portion 63 has the same structure as the support portion 68 provided on the lower lower edge portion 64, so its explanation is omitted.

[0028] The reinforcing ribs 71 of the guide portion 67 and 80 of the support portion 68 of the first convex portion 66 are formed so as not to interfere with the support piece 46 of the divided rail 44 when the air filter 60 is inserted from the left side plate 19 of the housing 10 and when the air filter 60 is attached to the housing 10. Furthermore, unlike the guide portion 67, the support portion 68 does not have a lateral piece 71. In addition, the filter frame 61 is made of elastically deformable resin. Therefore, the air filter 60 can be attached to the divided rail 44 not only from the direction of the left side plate 19 or the right side plate 20 of the housing 10, but also by pushing it into the divided rail 44 from the rear side of the housing 10 and deforming it.

[0029] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the rear side of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing the position where the guide portion 67 is located and the air filter 60 is attached to the intake port 21. When the air filter 60 is attached to the intake port 21, the first convex portion 66, which serves as a support portion 68, engages with the first concave portion 45 of the divided rail 44. As a result, the air filter 60 can be attached to the intake port 21 without coming off in the front-rear direction.

[0030] Figure 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the rear side of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. The upper part of Figure 8 is a cross-section at the position where the guide portion 67 is located, and the lower part is a cross-section at the position where the support portion 68 is located.

[0031] First, a cross-section of the air filter 60 in which the guide portion 67 provided on the upper edge portion 63 of Figure 8 is engaged with the divided rail 44 provided on the upper lateral flange 42 will be described. The upper edge portion 63 of the air filter 60 shows the cross-section of the guide portion 67, which is the first convex portion 66 that acts as an engaging member to engage with the first concave portion 45 of the divided rail 44 provided on the upper lateral flange 42. The guide portion 67 provided on the upper edge portion 63 is equipped with a vertical piece 70, a horizontal piece 71, and a reinforcing rib 72, and the reinforcing rib 72 is formed so as not to interfere with the support piece 46 that constitutes the first concave portion 45.

[0032] Next, a cross-section of the state in which the support portion 68 provided on the lower edge portion 64 of Figure 8 is engaged with the divided rail 44 provided on the lower lateral flange 43 will be described. The divided rail 44 is provided on the lower lateral flange 43 provided on the lower edge portion 41 of the intake port 21. In Figure 8, a cross-section of the divided rail 44 provided on the lower lateral flange 43 is shown. On the lower edge portion 64 of the air filter 60, a cross-section of the support portion 68, which is the first convex portion 66 that acts as an engaging member that engages with the first concave portion 45 of the divided rail 44, is shown. The support portion 68 provided on the lower edge portion 64 is equipped with a vertical piece 70 and a reinforcing rib 80, and the reinforcing rib 80 is formed so as not to interfere with the support piece 46 that constitutes the first concave portion 45.

[0033] The reinforcing ribs 72 of the guide portion 67 and the reinforcing ribs 80 of the support portion 67, provided on the upper edge 63 and lower edge 64 of the air filter 60, are formed so as not to interfere with the support pieces 46 that constitute the first concave portion 45 of the divided rail 44, provided on the upper lateral flange 42 and lower lateral flange 43, respectively. Therefore, the air filter 60 can be inserted into the housing 10 from the left side plate 19 or the right side plate 20 and slid in the left-right direction to be attached to the housing 10. Furthermore, the support portion 67 provided on the upper edge 63 and lower edge 64 of the air filter 60 has vertical pieces 70 and reinforcing ribs 80 but no horizontal pieces 71. Also, since the filter frame 61 is made of elastically deformable resin, the air filter 60 can be deformed by pushing it in the front-rear direction, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 8, and fitted into the divided rail 44.

[0034] Next, we will describe how to insert the air filter 60 when inserting it from the left side plate 19 or the right side plate 20 of the housing 10. In this embodiment, an upper horizontal flange 42, a lower horizontal flange 43, and left and right vertical flanges 53 are provided around the periphery of the intake port 21, but first we will describe the case in which the left and right vertical flanges 53 are not provided.

[0035] If the left and right vertical flanges 53 are not provided, when inserting the air filter 60 from the left side plate 19 or the right side plate 20 of the housing 10, there is nothing to obstruct it. One of the two air filters 60 is inserted from either the left side plate 19 or the right side plate 20 of the housing 10 with the guide portion 67 of the first convex portion 66 engaged with the first concave portion 45 of the split rail 44, with the air filter 60 parallel to the rear plate 18, and pushed in to the predetermined position. The guide portion 67 acts as a slide rail, allowing the air filter to be pushed in by sliding. Once the first air filter 60 is pushed in to the predetermined position, the second air filter 60 is inserted from the other side of the housing 10 with the air filter 19 or the right side plate 20, with the air filter 60 parallel to the rear plate 18, with the guide portion 67 of the first convex portion 66 engaged with the first concave portion 45 of the split rail 44, and pushed in to the predetermined position to complete the process.

[0036] Next, we will describe how to insert the air filter 60 from the left side plate 19 or the right side plate 20 of the housing 10 in the case where the intake port 21 is provided with left and right vertical flanges 53, as in this embodiment. Because the intake port 21 is provided with left and right vertical flanges 53, it is not possible to insert the air filter 60 from the left side plate 19 or the right side plate 20 of the housing 10 by engaging the guide portion 67 of the first convex portion 66 with the first concave portion 45 of the dividing rail 44 while the air filter 60 is parallel to the rear plate 18. Therefore, the air filter 60 is positioned at an angle to the rear plate 18, rather than parallel, so as to go over the vertical flanges 53, and the guide portion 67 of the first convex portion 66 is engaged with the first concave portion 45 of the dividing rail 44. Next, while pressing the air filter 60 against the rear plate 18, the guide portion 67 is inserted into the first concave portion 45 of the dividing rail 44. Since the filter frame 61 is made of elastically deformable resin, the air filter 60 can be inserted by angling it with respect to the rear plate 18, allowing it to pass over the vertical flange 53, and pressing the air filter 60 against the rear plate 18, thereby engaging the guide portion 67 of the first convex portion 66 with the first concave portion 45 of the divided rail 44.

[0037] Next, an air conditioner 81 of another embodiment will be described using Figure 9. The only difference from the air conditioner 1 of the first embodiment is that the configuration of the air filter 82 of the other embodiment differs from the configuration of the air filter 60 of the first embodiment; other components, including the housing 10, are the same. Components identical to those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0038] The divided rail 44 provided on the upper lateral flange 42 located on the rear panel 18 of the housing 10 has a pair of support pieces 46 that are arranged in the front-rear direction and face each other. The pair of support pieces 46 stand upright from the upper lateral flange 42 toward downward. The pair of support pieces 46 constitute a second convex portion 47 that is formed in a convex shape. That is, the divided rail 44 provided on the upper lateral flange 42 has a second convex portion 47 that is formed in a convex shape. Similarly, the divided rail 44 provided on the lower lateral flange 43 located on the rear panel 18 of the housing 10 has a pair of support pieces 46 that are arranged in the front-rear direction and face each other. The pair of support pieces 46 provided on the lower lateral flange 43 stand upright from the lower lateral flange 43. The pair of support pieces 46 constitute a second convex portion 47 that is formed in a convex shape. That is, the divided rail 44 provided on the lower lateral flange 43 has a second convex portion 47 that is formed in a convex shape. The second convex portion 47 of the divided rail 44 becomes a rail into which the air filter 60 can be inserted from the left side plate 19 or the right side plate 20 of the housing 10.

[0039] The upper edge 63 of the air filter 60 is provided with a second recessed portion 74 that can be inserted into a divided rail 44 provided on the upper lateral flange 42 from the side direction of the housing 10. Multiple second recessed portions 74 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the upper edge 63. The second recessed portions 74 are the engaging members in this invention. When the air filter 60 is attached to the housing 10, the second recessed portions 74 are positioned to overlap with the position of the divided rail 44. Similarly, the lower edge 64 is provided with a second recessed portion 74 that can be inserted into a divided rail 44 provided on the lower lateral flange 43 from the side direction of the housing 10. Multiple second recessed portions 74 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the lower edge 64. The second recessed portions 74 of the lower edge 64 are also the engaging members in this invention. When the air filter 60 is attached to the housing 10, the second recessed portions 74 are positioned to overlap with the position of the divided rail 44.

[0040] In other embodiments of the air conditioner 81, the upper horizontal flange 42 and lower horizontal flange 43 located on the rear panel 18 of the housing 10 are provided with a divided rail 44 having a second convex portion 47 formed in the shape of a convex ridge, and the upper edge 63 and lower edge 64 of the air filter 60 are provided with a second concave portion 74, so that the air filter 60 can be inserted into the housing 10 from the left side panel 19 or the right side panel 20 and attached to the housing 10.

[0041] As described above, by reusing the split rail 44 that is originally provided in the unit and providing a guide section 67 on the air filter 60, it is possible to slide the air filter 60 left and right to attach and detach it.

[0042] Although the above description has been made with reference to a limited number of embodiments, the scope of the rights is not limited to those embodiments, and modifications of the embodiments based on the above disclosure will be obvious to those skilled in the art. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0043] 1...Air conditioner, 10...Housing, 11...Indoor heat exchanger, 12...Blower, 13...Drain pan, 15...Top plate, 16...Bottom plate, 17...Front plate, 18...Rear plate, 19...Left side plate, 20...Right side plate, 21...Intake, 22...Outlet, 25...Left opening, 26...Left opening cover, 27...Right opening, 28...Right opening cover, 30...Partition plate, 31...Heat exchanger chamber, 32...Blower chamber, 40...Upper edge, 41...Lower edge, 42...Upper horizontal flange, 43...Lower horizontal flange, 44 ...Divided rail, 45...First concave section, 46...Support piece, 47...Second concave section, 51...Left edge section, 52...Right edge section, 53...Vertical flange, 60...Air filter, 61...Filter frame, 62...Filter section, 63...Upper edge section, 64...Lower edge section, 66...First convex section, 67...Guide section, 68...Support section, 70...Vertical piece, 71...Horizontal piece, 72...Reinforcement rib, 73...Vertical edge section, 74...Second concave section, 80...Reinforcement rib, 81...Air conditioner, 82...Air filter, 90...Air conditioner, 91...Air filter

Claims

1. The unit is installed in the ceiling space of the building and houses the indoor heat exchanger and blower inside, An air outlet for blowing air is provided on the front of the unit body, and an air intake port is provided on the rear of the unit body, The unit comprises an air filter connected to the aforementioned intake port, which captures dust from the air drawn into the unit body, A pair of mounting flanges are provided on the upper and lower edges of the suction port, standing upright on the outside of the unit body, and by cutting and bending a part of the mounting flanges to form an opening in the pair of mounting flanges, a plurality of divided rails are provided, each having a plurality of pairs of opposing support pieces spaced apart in the left-right direction of the suction port. The upper and lower edges of the air filter are provided with engaging members that engage with a plurality of the divided rails. The engaging member is capable of engaging with a plurality of the dividing rails from the side direction of the unit body, The air filter is characterized in that it can be attached to and detached from the intake port from the side of the unit body.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that the left-right dimension of the engaging member is longer than the left-right dimension of one of the dividing rails, and when the air filter is attached to the intake port, the engaging member engages with at least one of the dividing rails.

3. The dividing rail is provided with a first concave portion that forms a recess, and the engaging member is provided with a first convex portion that is formed in a convex shape. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that when the air filter is attached to the intake port, the first convex portion engages with the first concave portion.

4. The dividing rail is provided with a second convex portion formed in a convex shape, and the engaging member is formed in a concave shape and is provided with a second concave portion. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that when the air filter is attached to the intake port, the second convex portion engages with the second concave portion.

5. A pair of vertical flanges for attaching a suction duct are provided on the left and right edges of the aforementioned suction port, rising upright on the outside of the unit body. The air filter comprises an elastically deformable filter frame, and the engaging member is provided on the filter frame. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the filter frame is deformable over the vertical flange when the engaging member is engaged with at least one of the multiple divided rails which are spaced apart in the left-right direction.

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