Outdoor unit and air conditioner

Abstract

To provide an outdoor machine which can efficiently and surely cool an electrical component by sufficiently supplying taken atmospheric air to the electrical component being, in particular, a cooling object out of the electrical components accommodated in an electrical component box even if the electrical component box is arranged in any position in the outdoor machine, and an air conditioner.SOLUTION: An outdoor machine comprises a box body 2 and an electrical component box 10 arranged in the box body 2, being a clearance between air ventilation paths between an air take-in port I and an air blowout port O of the box body 2. The electrical component box 10 has an accommodation box 11 which is opened toward the outside of the box body 2 so as to be contactable with the electrical component which is accommodated from the outside of the box body 2, and a cover 12 for covering the accommodation box 11. An opening 121 for introducing air into the accommodation box 11 is formed at the cover 12, and the opening 121 is formed in a position opposing the electrical component which becomes a cooling object in the accommodation box 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to an outdoor unit and an air conditioner.

Background Art

[0002] An air conditioner generally includes an indoor unit installed indoors and an outdoor unit installed outdoors. The refrigerant circulates in a refrigeration circuit formed by connecting these indoor and outdoor units to adjust the indoor temperature and humidity.

[0003] Normally, inside the housing of the outdoor unit, an electrical component box equipped with a control board for controlling a compressor, a motor, etc. is housed. In the electrical component box, in addition to the control board on which various electronic components are mounted, electronic components such as transformers and relay switches (hereinafter, these are collectively referred to as "electrical components") are housed. However, since these electrical components generate heat, the heat must be released outside the electrical component box.

[0004] As one method of cooling such electrical components, for example, as described in Patent Document 1 shown below, cooling is performed by taking in outside air into the electrical component box. That is, a plurality of air inlets and air guide plates are provided at the bottom of the electrical component box, and the electrical components housed inside the electrical component box are cooled by flowing air from the bottom to the top of the electrical component box. Also, regarding the air inlets, the openings are restricted so as not to be larger than a predetermined size in order to prevent insects and small animals from entering.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, in the case of the cooling method described in Patent Document 1, for example, if the electrical components to be cooled are arranged in upper and lower sections within the electrical component box, the lower electrical components, which are initially exposed to outside air, will be sufficiently cooled, while the outside air will gradually warm up as it moves upwards. As a result, the electrical components located at the top will be exposed to air that is hotter than the outside air that is taken in, and there is a risk that they will not be adequately cooled.

[0007] Furthermore, if the electrical components box is located on top of the outdoor unit, the incoming outside air may not reach it effectively, potentially resulting in insufficient cooling. In addition, the limited size of the opening restricts the airflow velocity and volume of the outside air entering the electrical components box.

[0008] The present invention aims to provide an outdoor unit and an air conditioner that can efficiently and reliably cool electrical components by supplying sufficient outside air to the electrical components that are particularly targeted for cooling, regardless of the position of the electrical component box within the outdoor unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] An outdoor unit according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a housing, an electrical component box disposed inside the housing between the air intake and air outlet of the housing and housing electrical components, the electrical component box having a housing box that opens toward the outside of the housing so that the electrical components can be contacted from outside the housing, and a cover that covers the housing box, the cover having an opening for introducing air into the housing box, the opening being formed at a position facing the electrical components to be cooled inside the housing box. Furthermore, an air guide is provided that guides the air taken in from the air intake to the opening, and when there are multiple electrical components to be cooled, an opening is formed for each electrical component, and the air guide is formed so that air can be guided to each of the multiple openings formed for each electrical component. It is.

[0010] Furthermore, an air conditioner according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a housing, and an electrical component box located inside the housing, between the air intake and air outlet of the housing, in an air passage, for housing electrical components, wherein the electrical component box has a housing box that opens toward the outside of the housing so that the electrical components can be contacted from outside the housing, and a cover that covers the housing box, the cover having an opening for introducing air into the housing box, the opening being formed at a position facing the electrical components to be cooled inside the housing box. Furthermore, an air guide is provided that guides the air taken in from the air intake to the opening, and when there are multiple electrical components to be cooled, an opening is formed for each electrical component, and the air guide is formed so that air can be guided to each of the multiple openings formed for each electrical component. It comprises an outdoor unit and an indoor unit installed indoors, which forms a refrigeration circuit with the outdoor unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, regardless of the position of the electrical component box within the outdoor unit, it is possible to provide an outdoor unit and an air conditioner that can efficiently and reliably cool electrical components by supplying sufficient outside air to the electrical components that are particularly to be cooled among the electrical components housed in the electrical component box. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the entire outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a front view of an outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing the outdoor unit with the service panel removed and the electrical components box exposed. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the electrical component box cut along line AA. [Figure 4] Figure 2 shows a magnified view of the front of the electrical components box of the outdoor unit. [Figure 5] Figure 2 shows a magnified view of the front of the electrical components box of the outdoor unit. [Figure 6] Figure 2 is a magnified view of the front of the electrical components box shown in Figure 2, illustrating the flow of air introduced from outside the outdoor unit. [Figure 7]It is a circuit diagram showing the configuration of the entire refrigeration circuit of an air conditioner including an outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the entire outdoor unit 1 of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. Also, FIG. 2 is a front view of the outdoor unit 1 showing a state in which the service panel 6 is removed and the electrical component box 10 and the like are exposed in the outdoor unit 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the outdoor unit 1 of this air conditioner A has a large housing 2. That is, when the outdoor unit 1 is installed on a horizontal plane, as in the outdoor unit 1 shown in FIG. 2, when the vertical direction (the up and down direction in the drawing) is taken as the vertical and the direction orthogonal to the vertical direction (the left and right direction in the drawing) is taken as the horizontal, the housing 2 of the outdoor unit 1 in the embodiment of the present invention is formed such that the length in the vertical direction is longer than the width in terms of the aspect ratio.

[0015] That is, for the outdoor unit described below, the outdoor unit 1 having the shape shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2 is taken as an example. However, for the outdoor unit 1, in addition to the shape shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, its size and shape (aspect ratio) can be freely set according to the size and number of various devices installed inside the housing 2.

[0016] In the following, for each of the up, down, left, and right directions, the vertical direction will be described as the up and down direction, and the horizontal direction will be described as the left and right direction. Also, the front side of the drawing, that is, the outside of the outdoor unit 1 is taken as the front, and the inside of the outdoor unit 1 on the opposite side is taken as the back.

[0017] An air suction port 3 for taking air into the inside of the housing 2 is provided on the side surface of the housing 2. Also, a heat exchanger unit 4 is arranged inside the housing 2 along the air suction port 3.

[0018] In the outdoor unit 1 in the embodiment of the present invention, the heat exchanger unit 4 is formed by stacking heat exchangers formed in a U-shape when viewed from above in two upper and lower stages, and is arranged along the inner peripheral surface of the housing 2. Note that the configuration of the heat exchanger unit 4 in the outdoor unit 1 in the embodiment of the present invention may be arbitrary, and its shape and configuration may be arbitrarily selected according to the specifications.

[0019] A fan 5 is arranged at the upper part of the housing 2, and an air outlet O is formed so as to surround the fan 5. That is, the outdoor unit 1 in the embodiment of the present invention is a so-called upward blowing outdoor unit.

[0020] According to this, the air sucked into the interior of the housing 2 from the air inlet 3 through the heat exchanger unit 4 is exhausted from the air outlet O provided at the upper part of the housing 2 via the fan 5. Similarly, a part of the air introduced from the air intake I described later and passing through the electrical component box 10 is also exhausted to the outside of the outdoor unit 1 from the air outlet O.

[0021] Among the four side surfaces of the housing 2, air inlets 3 are formed at three locations, and service panels 6, 6 that are opened and closed when performing maintenance on devices and the like arranged inside the housing 2 are provided on the remaining one side surface.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, in the case of the outdoor unit 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the service panels 6, 6 are formed of metal plates and are vertically divided into two parts with respect to the housing 2. Further, for example, they are screwed so that each of them cannot be removed except when necessary with respect to the housing 2. An air intake I is formed in the upper service panel 6.

[0023] This air intake I is provided to take in outside air (air) necessary for cooling various electrical components housed in the electrical component box 10 as described later into the interior of the housing 2. The air intake I in the service panel 6 is formed in three slit shapes that extend long in the vertical direction.

[0024] Furthermore, the shape of the air intake I is not limited to a slit shape as shown in Figure 1, for example; it can be any shape. The size of the opening can also be freely set depending on how much airflow and air velocity is to be sent to cool the electrical components to be cooled, which are housed in the electrical component box 10.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2, removing the upper service panel 6 reveals the electrical component box 10 located inside the housing 2, behind the service panel 6. Opening the lower service panel 6 reveals the refrigeration circuit unit 7, which includes the compressor 71 and its piping, and is installed inside the housing 2.

[0026] In this invention, the specific configuration of the refrigeration circuit unit 7 is arbitrary, and as long as it is used as a refrigeration circuit for air conditioner A, its configuration can be freely configured according to the specifications.

[0027] The electrical component box 10 is rotatably supported on one side by a hinge on the frame of the housing 2, and the other side is configured to open and close freely like a hinged door as a free end.

[0028] Here, the electrical component box 10 includes, for example, a housing box 11, which is not visible in Figure 2, and has an opening on the front (the side shown in the front view of Figure 2), and a cover 12 that is attached to cover the opening on the front of the housing box 11.

[0029] In other words, the front of the electrical component box 10 (housing box 11) is open to the outside of the housing 2 so that the electrical components housed inside the electrical component box 10 can be accessed from outside the housing 2. Also, the bottom of the electrical component box 10 is partially open so that various cables such as power lines can be connected. Furthermore, the cover 12 is formed in a plate shape that is large enough to cover the front opening of the housing box 11.

[0030] As described above, opening the upper service panel 6 reveals the electrical component box 10, meaning that the back surface of the service panel 6 and the front surface of the cover 12 of the electrical component box 10 are positioned opposite each other.

[0031] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the electrical component box 10 shown in Figure 1, cut along line AA. In Figure 3, the left side is the front and the right side is the back. As described above, the cover 12 is positioned to cover the front of the housing box 11.

[0032] In the following, when the service panel 6 is attached to the housing 2, the surface facing the service panel 6 will be referred to as the front surface of the cover 12. Therefore, the side that is in contact with the housing box 11 and facing the electrical components housed inside the electrical component box 10 (housing box 11) is the back surface. On the other hand, the surface of the service panel 6 that faces the front surface of the cover 12 is the back surface.

[0033] As described above, the back surface of the service panel 6 and the front surface of the cover 12 of the electrical component box 10 are positioned facing each other, and a sealing material 14, which will be described later, is placed between them to form an air guide path. In addition, the lower part between the service panel 6 and the front surface of the cover 12, which face each other, is open and forms a drain port 8 that discharges water entering from the air intake I to the outside of the housing 2.

[0034] Figures 4 and 5 are enlarged views of the outdoor unit 1, showing a magnified view of the front of the electrical component box 10 shown in Figure 2. In Figures 4 and 5, the cover 12 of the electrical component box 10 is visible from the front, and as shown in Figure 3, a housing box 11 containing various electrical components is located behind it.

[0035] Here, "electrical components" refers to, as mentioned above, electronic components necessary for operating and controlling the outdoor unit 1, such as the power supply board and other control boards that supply power to the outdoor unit 1, filter boards, inverter boards, etc. Many of these electrical components generate heat during the operation of the outdoor unit 1, and heat countermeasures are extremely important in order for each electrical component to function properly.

[0036] Therefore, considering the relationship between the placement of the electrical component box 10 inside the enclosure 2 and the position where each electrical component is housed, as well as the amount of heat generated, cooling equipment such as a heat sink is provided on the back of the electrical component as needed.

[0037] On the other hand, there are cases where it is not possible to install cooling equipment due to space limitations, or where electrical components need cooling but do not require individual cooling equipment. In such cases, cooling is performed by introducing air into the electrical component box 10.

[0038] Therefore, in order to provide cooling with air, the cover 12 has an opening 121 that penetrates from its front surface to its back surface. Air is introduced through this opening 121 to the electrical components housed inside the electrical component box 10.

[0039] In the case of the cover 12 shown in Figure 4, openings 121 are formed in the upper right region RA and the lower left region LA. For example, a filter substrate is housed in the housing box 11 corresponding to the upper right region RA, and an inverter substrate is housed in the position corresponding to the lower left region LA.

[0040] Thus, the opening 121 is formed in a position facing the electrical component to be cooled. In other words, the electrical component to be cooled and the opening 121 are directly facing each other. Therefore, the introduced air is supplied directly to the electrical component, allowing for efficient cooling of the electrical component.

[0041] The opening 121 is formed to cover almost the entire area facing each individual electrical component to be cooled, which is housed inside the housing 11. This wide opening 121 allows air to be supplied to the entirety of each electrical component to be cooled, enabling more reliable cooling.

[0042] It should be noted that the opening is not formed by a single large hole, but rather by a collection of multiple small holes, as shown in the lower left region LA of Figure 5. Therefore, this collection of holes is also referred to as "opening 121." On the other hand, each individual small hole is referred to as "opening 121a" as appropriate.

[0043] Furthermore, a canopy 13 is provided above the opening 121 so as to cover the opening 121 in the left-right direction. This is to prevent water from entering the interior of the electrical component box 10 through the opening 121 as it falls from the top to the bottom of the cover 12 if water is drawn in along with the air from the air intake I.

[0044] Therefore, the canopy 13 is formed to protrude from the top downwards toward the front. Also, as shown in Figure 4, it is provided to cover the openings 121 in the upper right region RA and the lower left region LA where the openings 121 are formed.

[0045] Furthermore, the canopy 13 may cover the entire area of ​​the opening 121, as shown in Figure 4, or it may only cover the upper part. This is because, due to the shape of the canopy 13 described above, its lower end has a certain distance from the opening 121 so that water droplets do not enter the opening 121 when they drip down. Therefore, water droplets falling from the upper end to the lower end of the canopy 13 maintain this certain distance from the opening 121, reach the drain port 8, and are drained to the outside of the housing 2.

[0046] As described above, in the cover 12 of the embodiment of the present invention, the openings 121 formed in the upper right region RA and the lower left region LA are entirely covered by the eaves 13 and are not visible from the front, as is clear from Figure 4. Therefore, as shown in Figure 5, if, for example, the eaves 13 provided in the lower left region LA is removed, the multiple openings 121a that constitute the opening 121 formed in the lower left region LA become visible in the area that was covered by the eaves 13.

[0047] Furthermore, as is clear from Figures 4 and 5, sealing material 14 is provided on three sides of the cover 12, except for the bottom which is open to the service panel 6. Also, surrounding the opening 121 formed in the upper right region RA, a sealing material 14 is provided on the left side of the opening 121, running from top to bottom, and is shorter in length than the sealing material 14 located to its right.

[0048] Furthermore, a sealing material 14 is provided from left to right, branching off from a sealing material 14 provided on the left side of the cover 12, so as to surround the opening 121 formed in the lower left region LA. Another sealing material 14 is provided that wraps around to the right side of the opening 121 and extends from top to bottom, with a length shorter than the sealing material 14 located on its left side.

[0049] Since the sealing material 14 is provided on the surface of the cover 12, it protrudes in a convex shape toward the front when viewed from the surface. The amount of protrusion toward the front from the surface is greater than the distance between the surface of the cover 12 and the back surface of the service panel 6 when the service panel 6 is installed. Therefore, when the service panel 6 is installed, the sealing material 14 is compressed between the back surface of the service panel 6 and the surface of the cover 12.

[0050] The sealing material 14 used here is preferably a material that, when compressed, prevents either gas or liquid from passing through, such as rubber. Furthermore, a material that allows the degree of passage to be controlled according to the degree of compression can also be used.

[0051] By using such a material as the sealing material 14 and compressing the sealing material 14 between the cover 12 and the service panel 6 to prevent the passage of either gas or liquid, it can be used as an air guide to form a flow path for air (outside air) taken in from the air intake I of the service panel 6.

[0052] In other words, by changing the position, length, and orientation of the sealing material 14, the airflow rate directed to the opening 121 can be adjusted (controlled). Therefore, the airflow rate can be varied for each electrical component to be cooled, allowing for more efficient and reliable cooling of each component.

[0053] Furthermore, when positioning the sealing material 14, the canopy 13 provided above each opening 121 can be used as a guide. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, for example, the sealing material 14 is positioned in contact with the canopy 13 above the canopy 13 provided in the upper right region RA.

[0054] By positioning the sealing material 14 in this manner, even if warm, humid air is drawn in and hits the cover 12 or the sealing material, causing water droplets to form, the possibility of these droplets being sucked into the opening 121 can be reduced.

[0055] Furthermore, even if water passes through the sealant 14 due to its compression, the water that has passed through the sealant 14 will travel down the canopy 13 and be discharged to the outside of the housing 2 through the drain 8.

[0056] Furthermore, the arrangement of the air duct, that is, the arrangement of the sealing material 14, is not limited to the arrangements shown in Figures 4 and 5, for example. Therefore, the position and length of the sealing material 14 can be freely set according to the arrangement of the electrical components to be cooled inside the electrical component box 10 and the position of the opening 121 formed to match that arrangement.

[0057] However, although the placement of the sealing material 14 can be freely set, a downward-facing (extending vertically) sealing material 14 is necessary to drain moisture and water contained in the intake air to the electrical components to be cooled, in order to prevent this from being introduced.

[0058] Here, the arrows shown in Figure 3 above indicate the flow of air taken in from the service panel 6, that is, from outside the housing 2 of the outdoor unit 1, through the air intake I into the housing 2.

[0059] Figure 6 is a magnified view of the front of the outdoor unit 1, as shown in Figure 2, and is a schematic diagram illustrating the airflow introduced from outside the outdoor unit 1. The arrows in Figure 6 indicate the airflow of the air taken in from the air intake I in the space partitioned between the surface of the cover 12 and the back surface of the service panel 6.

[0060] In other words, in the outdoor unit 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, outside air taken in from the air intake I of the service panel 6 is taken into the interior of the housing 2 as shown by the arrow in the center of Figure 3. Then it enters the upper left region CA, which includes the central area of ​​the cover 12 in Figures 4 and 5. That is, the airflow shown by the arrow in Figure 3 passes through the service panel 6 and enters the upper left region CA, which is the space partitioned by the back surface of the service panel 6 and the front surface of the cover 12, and is surrounded by the sealing material 14.

[0061] This upper left region CA is partially open, but is generally surrounded on all four sides by the sealing material 14. As mentioned above, the sealing material 14 used here becomes very impermeable to air and water when compressed. Therefore, to air and water, the sealing material 14 is essentially like a wall, and thus the sealing material 14 plays the role of an air duct.

[0062] Therefore, with the sealing material 14 positioned as shown in Figures 4 to 6, the air entering the upper left region CA will, from the open portion (open part) of region CA, partly head toward the opening 121 formed in the upper right region RA, and the remainder head toward the opening 121 formed in the lower left region LA.

[0063] Of course, since the drain port 8 mentioned above is also open, air entering the upper left area may be exhausted to the outside of the housing 2 through this port. However, as described above, in the outdoor unit 1 in the embodiment of the present invention, the fan 5 located at its top exhausts air to the outside of the outdoor unit 1 through the air outlet O, so the inside of the housing 2 is under negative pressure.

[0064] Therefore, the air that enters the upper left region flows into the opening 121 formed in the upper right region RA or the lower left region LA, and is introduced into the interior of the electrical component box 10.

[0065] The air introduced into the electrical component box 10 cools the electrical components in question. The air, which has become warm from cooling the electrical components, is then exhausted to the outside of the outdoor unit 1, for example, through the air outlet O.

[0066] As described above, the electrical component box 10 in this embodiment of the present invention is positioned in the air passage between the air intake I and the air outlet O. The electrical component box 10 is positioned in this location inside the housing 2 of the outdoor unit 1, and the opening 121 for introducing air into the electrical component box 10 faces directly towards the electrical component to be cooled, and is formed in a region where the introduced air hits the entire electrical component. Therefore, by supplying sufficient outside air, the cooling of the electrical component can be reliably achieved.

[0067] Furthermore, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 6, the air taken into the upper left region CA is supplied so as to be distributed to either the opening 121 formed in the upper right region RA or the opening 121 formed in the lower left region LA.

[0068] Therefore, as mentioned above, the air that has been cooled and warmed up is not used to cool another electrical component; instead, fresh air is always supplied to each electrical component being cooled. This also ensures that each electrical component being cooled is reliably cooled.

[0069] Furthermore, as mentioned above, water may be drawn in along with air through the air intake I. As shown in Figures 4 to 6, a sealing material 14 extends downward from the left side of the opening 121 formed in the upper right region RA, or from the right side of the opening 121 formed in the lower left region LA, respectively, connecting to the sealing material 14 that extends to the left and right.

[0070] By positioning the sealing material 14 in this manner, not only can the aforementioned airflow be controlled, but the water taken in can also be guided to the bottom of the cover 12 and ultimately drained to the outside of the housing 2 through the drain port 8.

[0071] Furthermore, since the sealing material 14 is positioned in contact with the upper part of the canopy 13, even if water droplets pass through the sealing material 14 from this area, they will be drained to the outside of the housing 2 through the drain port 8 via the canopy 13.

[0072] Next, we will describe the air conditioner A that uses the outdoor unit 1 described above. Air conditioner A consists of an indoor unit 20 installed inside the room and an outdoor unit 1 installed outside the room. The indoor unit 20 and the outdoor unit 1 are connected, and the refrigerant circulates within the refrigeration circuit C, thereby regulating the temperature and humidity of the room.

[0073] In this embodiment of the present invention, the outdoor unit 1 is a large outdoor unit that can be connected to multiple indoor units 20. However, the mechanism is the same even when there is a one-to-one relationship between the outdoor unit 1 and the indoor units 20. The air conditioner A will be explained below using Figure 7, which shows an example where one indoor unit 20 is connected to one outdoor unit 1.

[0074] Figure 7 is a circuit diagram showing the configuration of the entire refrigeration circuit C of an air conditioner A equipped with an outdoor unit 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As described above, the air conditioner A consists of an outdoor unit 1 and an indoor unit 20 connected to the outdoor unit 1.

[0075] Figure 7 shows an indoor unit 20, indicated by a dotted line, which contains an indoor heat exchanger 21 that performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and the indoor air. Although only the indoor heat exchanger 21 is shown in the indoor unit 20, it is also equipped with other components typically found in an indoor unit 20, such as an indoor fan that blows the heat-exchanged air into the room and a control device that controls the indoor unit 20.

[0076] As explained using Figures 1 and 2, the outdoor unit 1, shown by the dashed line in Figure 7, is equipped with a refrigeration circuit unit 7. The refrigeration circuit unit 7 consists of a compressor 71, a heat exchanger unit 4, and an expansion valve 72, which are sequentially connected by piping.

[0077] In addition to the equipment mentioned above, the refrigeration circuit unit 7 also includes various valve mechanisms such as four-way valves and accumulators, but these are not shown in Figure 7. Furthermore, the control device that controls each component of the outdoor unit 1 is located inside the electrical equipment box 10, as described above, but it is also not shown in Figure 7.

[0078] The outdoor unit 1 and the indoor unit 20 are connected by piping through which the refrigerant flows, forming a refrigeration circuit C. Specifically, the piping is connected so that the indoor heat exchanger 21 of the indoor unit 20 is located between the compressor 71 and the expansion valve 72 of the outdoor unit 1, and the refrigerant flows in the order of compressor 71, indoor heat exchanger 21, expansion valve 72, or in the order of expansion valve 72, indoor heat exchanger 21, compressor 71.

[0079] Here, we will explain the operation of air conditioner A using refrigeration circuit C, taking cooling operation as an example. For example, when air conditioner A is in cooling operation, as shown by the arrows in Figure 7, the refrigerant circulates through refrigeration circuit C in the following order: compressor 71 in outdoor unit 1, heat exchanger unit 4, expansion valve 72, indoor heat exchanger 21 in indoor unit 20, and then back to compressor 71 in outdoor unit 1.

[0080] In other words, the refrigerant, which has been compressed to a high temperature and pressure in the compressor 71 of the outdoor unit 1, is supplied to the heat exchanger unit 4. In the heat exchanger unit 4, the high temperature and pressure refrigerant exchanges heat with the air supplied by the rotation of an outdoor fan (not shown), and the refrigerant releases heat into the outside air. Then, some or all of the refrigerant condenses to become a low temperature and pressure refrigerant.

[0081] The refrigerant, now at a low temperature and low pressure, exits the heat exchanger unit 4 and is depressurized after passing through the expansion valve 72. Subsequently, the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant is supplied to the indoor heat exchanger 21, where heat exchange takes place with the surrounding air.

[0082] Through heat exchange by the indoor heat exchanger 21, the refrigerant evaporates, and the air drawn into the indoor heat exchanger 21 is cooled and supplied to the room by the indoor fan, thus cooling the room. The low-pressure refrigerant that has absorbed heat through heat exchange returns to the compressor 71, and the refrigeration cycle is repeated.

[0083] On the other hand, for heating operation, the refrigerant circulates inside the refrigeration circuit C in the reverse order of the arrows shown in Figure 7, and the room is heated by the condensation of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 21.

[0084] By using an outdoor unit with the configuration described above, or an air conditioner having such an outdoor unit, regardless of the location of the electrical component box within the outdoor unit, it is possible to efficiently and reliably cool the electrical components, especially those that require cooling, by supplying sufficient outside air to the electrical components housed in the electrical component box.

[0085] In the explanation so far, we have described an example in which an air guide is formed with a sealing material and the air drawn in is guided to an opening formed in the area where electrical components requiring cooling are located. However, in addition to this method of using an air guide, it is also possible to control the airflow rate of the introduced air by changing the size of the opening 121a, for example.

[0086] In other words, until now, the size of the individual openings 121a formed in the upper right region RA and the lower left region LA has not been specifically mentioned, and it has been assumed that the size of all openings 121a is equal. However, even among electrical components that are the same to be cooled, some components generate more heat and therefore require more powerful cooling than others.

[0087] Therefore, the degree of cooling required for each electrical component to be cooled is determined, and for electrical components requiring stronger cooling, the size of the opening 121a formed opposite that electrical component is made larger than the openings 121a formed opposite other electrical components. By creating this difference in the size of the openings 121a, the amount of air introduced to the target electrical component can be changed.

[0088] Furthermore, regarding the method of changing the size of such an opening 121a, it is possible to cool electrical components using only this method, or to cool electrical components in combination with a method that controls various conditions such as airflow, wind speed, and air direction using an air guide.

[0089] It should be noted that this invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but rather represents an example of the present invention. In the implementation stage, the components can be modified and materialized without departing from the spirit of the invention, and various changes or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. Furthermore, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining the multiple components disclosed in the above embodiments.

[0090] For example, some components may be removed from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, components from different embodiments may be combined as appropriate, and such modified or improved forms may also be included in the present invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and essence of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 1...Outdoor unit, 2...Housing, 3...Air intake, 4...Heat exchanger unit, 5...Fan, 6...Service panel, 7...Refrigeration circuit unit, 71...Compressor, 72...Expansion valve, 8...Drain outlet, 10...Electrical components box, 11...Housing box, 12...Cover, 121...Opening, 121a...Opening, 13...Canopy, 14...Sealing material, CA...Upper left area, I...Air intake, O...Air outlet, LA...Lower left area, RA...Upper right area

Claims

1. The casing and The enclosure includes an electrical component box for housing electrical components, which is located inside the enclosure, between the air intake and air outlet of the enclosure, and positioned between the air passage. The electrical component box comprises a housing that opens toward the outside of the housing so that the electrical component can be accessed from outside the housing, and a cover that covers the housing. The cover has an opening for introducing the air into the interior of the housing, the opening is positioned opposite the electrical components to be cooled inside the housing, and an air guide is provided to guide the air taken in from the air intake to the opening. An outdoor unit characterized in that, when there are multiple electrical components to be cooled, the openings are formed for each electrical component, and the air guides are formed to guide the air so as to be distributed to the multiple openings formed for each electrical component.

2. The housing has a service panel that is located outside the cover and covers the cover, The outdoor unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the air intake is formed in the service panel.

3. The outdoor unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the air guide is formed so as to be able to adjust the amount of air guided to the plurality of openings.

4. The outdoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the air guide passage is formed of a water-impermeable sealing material.

5. The outdoor unit according to claim 4, characterized in that the air guide passage leads the water to be discharged from the drain port to the outside of the housing.

6. The outdoor unit according to claim 5, characterized in that the drain port is formed between the cover and a service panel that is outside the cover and covers the cover.

7. The outdoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that when the opening is formed for each of the electrical components to be cooled, the size of the opening differs for each of the electrical components.

8. The outdoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the outdoor unit is an upward-blowing outdoor unit.

9. An outdoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 8, An indoor unit installed inside the building and forming a refrigeration circuit with the outdoor unit, An air conditioner equipped with [a specific feature].

Images