air conditioner

Abstract

To provide an air conditioner having improved safety during refrigerant leakage.SOLUTION: The air conditioner includes outdoor equipment having a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor fan, and an expansion mechanism, and indoor equipment having an indoor heat exchanger, and an indoor fan. The indoor equipment and the outdoor equipment are connected via an inner / outer connection pipe to form a refrigeration cycle circuit. The refrigeration cycle circuit uses combustible refrigerant, the inner / outer connection pipe has an indoor side connection pipe extending from the indoor equipment, and the indoor side connection pipe extends to the outside of the indoor equipment.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an air conditioner using a flammable refrigerant. This air conditioner includes a heat exchanger and electrical components inside a casing, and the electrical components are arranged above the heat exchanger.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure discloses an air conditioner with improved safety in case of leakage of a flammable refrigerant.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The air conditioner in the present disclosure includes an outdoor unit having a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor fan, and an expansion mechanism, an indoor unit having an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor fan, A mounting plate that can be attached to the indoor unit, and is provided with a refrigeration cycle circuit formed by connecting the indoor unit and the outdoor unit with an internal and external connection pipe. The refrigeration cycle circuit uses a flammable refrigerant, and the internal and external connection pipe has an indoor-side connection pipe extending from the indoor unit, and the indoor-side connection pipe extends to the outside of the indoor unit Furthermore, during the transport of the indoor unit, the mounting plate is characterized in that it holds the indoor-side connecting piping on the side opposite to the side facing the indoor unit.

Effects of the Invention

[0006] The air conditioner in the present disclosure can move the position where the indoor-side connection pipe and the outdoor-side connection pipe, where the refrigerant is likely to leak, are connected, away from the indoor unit and the interior. Therefore, the safety in case of leakage of a flammable refrigerant can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Schematic diagram showing the refrigeration cycle circuit of an air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 [Figure 2] Side view of the indoor unit according to Embodiment 1 [Figure 3] Side view of the indoor unit [Figure 4] Another complete side view of the indoor unit [Figure 5] Another complete side view of the indoor unit [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] (Knowledge and other information that formed the basis of this disclosure) At the time the inventors conceived this disclosure, the technology of air conditioners was required to switch to refrigerants with low global warming potential, such as isobutane and propane, from the perspective of mitigating climate change. Therefore, the industry had proposed safety measures in case of refrigerant leakage, given that refrigerants such as isobutane and propane are flammable. Under these circumstances, the inventors discovered that there was a problem with refrigerant leakage at the point where the indoor connection piping extending from the indoor unit connects to the piping extending from the outdoor unit, and the subject matter of this disclosure was formed in order to solve this problem. Therefore, this disclosure provides an air conditioner with improved safety in the event of a flammable refrigerant leak.

[0009] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, unnecessary details may be omitted. For example, detailed explanations of already well-known matters or redundant explanations of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. The attached drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand this disclosure and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0010] (Embodiment 1) [1-1. Overall Structure] Embodiment 1 will now be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the refrigeration cycle circuit of the air conditioner 1 according to Embodiment 1. In Figure 1, the air conditioner 1 comprises an indoor unit 10 and an outdoor unit 30. In the refrigeration cycle circuit of Figure 1, the air conditioner 1 circulates a flammable refrigerant such as isobutane or propane, and performs air conditioning such as heating or cooling for the space in which the indoor unit 10 is installed. Although devices such as accumulators that are not used in the explanation are not shown in Figure 1, the air conditioner 1 may have such devices.

[0011] The indoor unit 10 is installed inside a building or a mobile object such as a ship, and provides air conditioning to the room. The indoor unit 10 includes an indoor heat exchanger 11 and an indoor fan 13. The indoor heat exchanger 11 is, for example, a fin-tube type heat exchanger and has a flow path through which a refrigerant passes.

[0012] The indoor fan 13 is a cross-flow fan that blows air by rotating an impeller with a motor (not shown), for example. The indoor fan 13 draws indoor air into the indoor unit 10 and circulates it through the indoor heat exchanger 11, causing heat exchange between the refrigerant inside the indoor heat exchanger 11 and the drawn-in air. The air that has exchanged heat with the refrigerant then flows out of the indoor unit 10 again, and the room is air-conditioned.

[0013] The outdoor unit 30 comprises a compressor 31, a four-way valve 33, an outdoor heat exchanger 35, an outdoor fan 37, and an expansion mechanism 39. The compressor 31 is, for example, a sealed compressor that draws in gaseous refrigerant, compresses it, and discharges it toward the four-way valve 33. The four-way valve 33 can switch the flow paths of the refrigerant flowing into the compressor 31 and the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 31.

[0014] The four-way valve 33 switches the operation of the indoor unit 10 between cooling and heating by switching the flow path of the refrigerant. For example, when the four-way valve 33 directs the refrigerant flow in the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 1, the indoor unit 10 performs cooling operation. The outdoor heat exchanger 35 is, for example, a fin-tube type heat exchanger and has a flow path through which the refrigerant passes. The flow path of the outdoor heat exchanger 35 is connected to the four-way valve 33 and the expansion mechanism 39. The outdoor fan 37 is, for example, an axial-flow type blower and exchanges heat between the air outside the outdoor unit 30 and the refrigerant inside the outdoor heat exchanger 35. The expansion mechanism 39 is, for example, a capillary tube or an expansion valve and reduces the pressure of the refrigerant flowing inside.

[0015] The indoor unit 10 and the outdoor unit 30 are connected to each other by an indoor / outdoor connecting pipe 20 to form a refrigeration cycle circuit. The indoor / outdoor connecting pipe 20 comprises an indoor gas pipe 12a, an indoor liquid pipe 12b, an outdoor gas pipe 32a, and an outdoor liquid pipe 32b.

[0016] In the indoor unit 10, the indoor heat exchanger 11 is connected to the indoor gas pipe 12a and the indoor liquid pipe 12b. The indoor gas pipe 12a and the indoor liquid pipe 12b are refrigerant pipes through which refrigerant flows. The indoor gas pipe 12a and the indoor liquid pipe 12b together are defined as the indoor connection pipe 12. The indoor connection pipe 12 is directly connected to the indoor heat exchanger 11, for example, by brazing.

[0017] In the outdoor unit 30, the four-way valve 33 is connected to the indoor gas pipe 12a via the outdoor gas pipe 32a. Also, the expansion mechanism 39 is connected to the indoor liquid pipe 12b via the outdoor liquid pipe 32b. The outdoor gas pipe 32a and the outdoor liquid pipe 32b are refrigerant pipes through which refrigerant flows inside respectively. The outdoor gas pipe 32a and the outdoor liquid pipe 32b are collectively defined as the outdoor connection pipe 32. The outdoor connection pipe 32 may be directly connected to the four-way valve 33 and the expansion mechanism 39, or may be connected via a refrigerant pipe provided inside an outdoor unit not shown in the figure. That is, the outdoor connection pipe 32 may be attached to the outdoor unit 30 at the time of factory shipment of the outdoor unit 30, or may be attached to the outdoor unit 30 by an operator after installation of the outdoor unit 30.

[0018] The indoor connection pipe 12 and the outdoor connection pipe 32 are connected to each other by the gas pipe connection part 21a and the liquid pipe connection part 21b. The gas pipe connection part 21a and the liquid pipe connection part 21b are, for example, two-way valves or three-way valves. Thereby, the indoor unit 10 and the outdoor unit 30 are connected to each other, and the circulation of the refrigerant becomes possible.

[0019] [1-2. Configuration of Indoor Unit] [1-2-1. Configuration of Indoor Unit at the Time of Factory Shipment] FIG. 2 is a side view of the indoor unit 10, showing the indoor unit 10 at the time of factory shipment as viewed from the rear. Note that UP, LH, and FR described in each figure after FIG. 2 correspond to the upper, left, and front of the indoor unit 10 in the text, and the directions described in the text such as up and down, left and right, front and back, horizontal, and vertical are based on these. Also, the directions such as UP, LH, FR, and up and down, left and right, front and back, horizontal, and vertical described in each figure are set based on the installed indoor unit 10. For convenience of explanation, the indoor gas pipe 12a and the indoor liquid pipe 12b are shown as one pipe in the figures after FIG. 2, but actually two pipes extend along the same direction.

[0020] The indoor unit 10 has a housing 14 which is a roughly rectangular box, and houses an indoor heat exchanger 11 and an indoor fan 13 inside the housing 14. Inside the housing 14, the indoor unit 10 has electrical components 16 for controlling the indoor fan 13, etc. The housing 14 has an air outlet (not shown) on its front surface (not shown) facing forward. The indoor unit 10 blows air that has exchanged heat with the indoor heat exchanger 11 into the room through the air outlet.

[0021] The indoor unit 10 has a rear surface 10a. The rear surface 10a is the surface facing the rear and is part of the indoor unit 10 and the housing 14. When the indoor unit 10 is installed indoors, the rear surface 10a is the surface that is attached to the installation surface such as the wall of the room via the mounting plate 18 described later. A groove 14b is formed in the rear surface 10a, which is recessed in the front and extends in the left-right direction. Multiple piping openings 14a are provided at the lower end of the groove 14b. Each piping opening 14a is an opening that is closed by a lid, and by removing the lid, the space inside the groove 14b and the outside of the indoor unit 10 are connected. The indoor side connecting piping 12 is configured to be routed from the groove 14b to the outside of the indoor unit 10 through the opening of the piping opening 14a when the lid is removed.

[0022] The rear surface 10a is approximately rectangular in shape when viewed from the rear, with a horizontal dimension of length W1 and a vertical dimension of length W2. In this embodiment 1, length W1 is greater than length W2. Therefore, the horizontal length W1 of the rear surface 10a is the length of the rear surface 10a in the longitudinal direction. Also, the vertical length W2 of the rear surface 10a is the length of the rear surface 10a in the short direction.

[0023] At the time of factory shipment, i.e., during transportation, a mounting plate 18 is attached to the back surface 10a of the indoor unit 10. The mounting plate 18 has a number of fixing holes 18a and claws 18b. The fixing holes 18a are holes that penetrate the mounting plate 18. When the indoor unit 10 is installed, the mounting plate 18 is fixed to the wall surface of the room, etc., by screws (not shown) via the fixing holes 18a. The claws 18b are shaped to protrude forward and hold the indoor unit 10 by engaging with the upper and lower edges of the housing 14. At the time of factory shipment of the indoor unit 10, the mounting plate 18 is fixed to the back surface 10a of the indoor unit 10 by the claws 18b engaging with the upper and lower edges of the housing 14.

[0024] As shown in Figure 2, when the indoor unit 10 is shipped from the factory, the indoor connection piping 12 is stored inside the outer circumference of the rear surface 10a in a curved state. As shown by the dashed line in Figure 2, the indoor connection piping 12 is pulled out to the outside of the housing 14 at the left side of the rear surface 10a and is pulled out between the rear surface 10a and the mounting plate 18. The indoor connection piping 12 is further secured to the mounting surface 18c of the mounting plate 18 by a belt 19. The mounting surface 18c is the surface that faces the wall or other mounting surface when the indoor unit 10 is installed indoors, and is the surface opposite to the surface facing the indoor unit 10. The belt 19 is attached to the mounting plate 18 via a fixing hole 18a. The belt 19 secures both the indoor connection piping 12 and the mounting plate 18 by tying them together.

[0025] Of the indoor connecting pipe 12, the portion that extends from the rear surface 10a to the outside of the housing 14, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 2, is defined as the extension portion 12c. The tip of the indoor connecting pipe 12 is defined as the tip portion 12d. Furthermore, the length of the indoor connecting pipe 12 is defined as the length between the extension portion 12c and the tip portion 12d. In this case, the length of the indoor connecting pipe 12 is at least twice the length W1. That is, the length of the indoor connecting pipe is at least twice the longitudinal width of the rear surface 10a.

[0026] [1-2-2. Indoor unit configuration during installation] Figure 3 is a side view of the indoor unit 10, showing the indoor unit 10 installed on a wall inside the room. As described above, the indoor unit 10 is installed on a mounting surface such as a wall inside the room via a mounting plate 18. As a result, the rear surface 10a is approximately parallel to the wall or other surface.

[0027] As shown in Figure 3, when the indoor unit 10 is installed, the indoor connection pipe 12 passes between the groove 14b and the mounting plate 18 and is pulled out to the outside of the indoor unit 10 from the pipe opening 14a. In this embodiment, the indoor connection pipe 12 that has been pulled out to the outside of the indoor unit 10 is pulled out to the outside through a hole H provided in the indoor wall and connects to the outdoor connection pipe 32 outside. This constitutes the indoor-outdoor connection pipe 20.

[0028] In this case, the pipe opening 14a through which the indoor connection piping 12 passes can be changed depending on the positional relationship between the hole H provided in the wall and the installation position of the indoor unit 10. For example, unlike in Figure 2, if the hole H is provided to the left of the indoor unit 10, the indoor connection piping 12 will be led out to the outside of the indoor unit 10 through the pipe opening 14a on the left. As described above, since the length of the indoor connection piping 12 is more than twice the width in the longitudinal direction of the back surface 10a, the indoor connection piping 12 can be led out to the outside of the indoor unit 10 regardless of which pipe opening 14a the indoor connection piping 20 passes through. Therefore, when the indoor unit 10 is installed, the position where the indoor connection piping 12 and the outdoor connection piping 32 are connected will be outside the indoor unit 10.

[0029] Furthermore, if the length of the indoor connecting pipe 12 is approximately twice the length of the rear surface 10a in the longitudinal direction, in most cases the indoor connecting pipe 12 can be extended beyond hole H to the outside, as shown in Figure 3. In this case, the connection point between the indoor connecting pipe 12 and the outdoor connecting pipe 32 will be on the outside of hole H.

[0030] [1-3. Action, action] The following describes the actions that occur when refrigerant leakage occurs at the connection point between the indoor connecting pipe 12 and the outdoor connecting pipe 32 in the air conditioner 1 configured as described above.

[0031] As described above, the length of the indoor connection pipe 12 is more than twice the width of the longitudinal side of the back surface 10a, and it is led out to the outside of the indoor unit 10 through the pipe opening 14a. Therefore, the connection point of the indoor connection pipe 12 and the outdoor connection pipe 32 where refrigerant leakage occurs is outside the indoor unit 10. Consequently, even if refrigerant leaks at the connection point of the indoor connection pipe 12 and the outdoor connection pipe 32, the leaked refrigerant will not accumulate inside the indoor unit 10. This prevents the refrigerant from burning due to ignition sources such as the motor of the indoor fan 13 or electrical components 16.

[0032] Furthermore, as mentioned above, since the length of the indoor connection pipe 12 is more than twice the length of the rear surface 10a in the longitudinal direction, in most cases the indoor connection pipe 12 can be extended beyond the hole H to the outside. Therefore, the connection point between the indoor connection pipe 12 and the outdoor connection pipe 32, where refrigerant leakage occurs, is located outside. This prevents the leaked refrigerant from accumulating indoors and suppresses the combustion of the refrigerant.

[0033] [1-4. Effects, etc.] As described above, in this embodiment, the system comprises an outdoor unit 30 having a compressor 31, an outdoor heat exchanger 35, an outdoor fan 37, and an expansion mechanism 39, and an indoor unit 10 having an indoor heat exchanger 11 and an indoor fan 13. The indoor unit 10 and the outdoor unit 30 are connected by an indoor-outdoor connecting pipe 20 to form a refrigeration cycle circuit. The refrigeration cycle circuit uses a flammable refrigerant, and the indoor-outdoor connecting pipe 20 has an indoor-side connecting pipe 12 extending from the indoor unit 10, with the indoor-side connecting pipe 12 extending to the outside of the indoor unit 10.

[0034] With this configuration, if refrigerant leaks from the outdoor end of the indoor connection pipe 12, the leaked refrigerant will not accumulate inside the indoor unit 10. Therefore, it is possible to suppress combustion or explosion of the refrigerant inside the indoor unit 10 or in the indoor space due to ignition by an ignition source, thereby improving the safety of the air conditioner 1.

[0035] Furthermore, in the air conditioner 1, the length of the indoor connection piping 12 is at least twice the length W1 in the longitudinal direction on the back surface 10a of the indoor unit 10.

[0036] With this configuration, the indoor connection pipe 12 can, in most cases, be routed to the outside. Therefore, refrigerant leaking from the outdoor end of the indoor connection pipe 12 does not accumulate inside the room. As a result, combustion of the refrigerant can be suppressed. Furthermore, even if the indoor connection pipe 12 cannot be routed to the outside, since the indoor connection pipe 12 is sufficiently long, it is possible to prevent leaked refrigerant from approaching the indoor fan 13, etc. As a result, combustion of the leaked refrigerant can be suppressed. Consequently, the safety of the air conditioner 1 is improved.

[0037] During transport of the indoor unit 10, the indoor side connecting pipe 12 is positioned on the inside of the outer circumference of the rear surface 10a.

[0038] With this configuration, even if the indoor connection piping 12 is longer than the longitudinal length W1 of the rear surface 10a, the indoor unit 10 can be transported compactly. Therefore, it is possible to achieve both improved safety in the air conditioner 1 and improved transportability of the air conditioner 1.

[0039] The indoor unit 10 is equipped with a removable mounting plate 18, and when transporting the indoor unit 10, the mounting plate 18 holds the indoor side connection piping 12 on the mounting surface 18c opposite to the surface facing the indoor unit 10.

[0040] This configuration allows the indoor connection piping 12 to be kept compact without the need for new components, and enables the indoor unit 10 to be transported compactly. Therefore, it is possible to achieve both improved safety in the air conditioner 1 and improved transportability of the air conditioner 1.

[0041] (Other embodiments) As described above, Embodiment 1 has been explained as an example of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology in this disclosure is not limited to this and can be applied to embodiments that have been modified, replaced, added, or omitted. Therefore, other embodiments will be described below as examples.

[0042] In Embodiment 1, as shown in Figure 2, the indoor connection piping 12 is described as being arranged in a curved state on the inside of the outer circumference of the back surface 10a of the indoor unit 10 at the time of factory shipment, but this is just one example. For example, as shown in Figure 4, when transporting the indoor unit 10, the indoor connection piping 12 may be arranged in a spiral shape with a diameter equal to the length W2 of the shorter side of the back surface 10a. In this case as well, the indoor connection piping 12 is fixed to the mounting plate 18 via a belt 19. At this time, the indoor connection piping 12 is arranged on the inside of the outer circumference of the back surface 10a of the indoor unit 10.

[0043] With this configuration, a longer indoor connection pipe 12 can be placed inside the outer circumference of the rear surface 10a, compared to the arrangement of the indoor connection pipe 12 shown in Figure 2. Therefore, it is possible to achieve both improved safety in the air conditioner 1 and improved portability of the air conditioner 1.

[0044] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, when transporting the indoor unit 10, the indoor connection piping 12 may be arranged in an ellipse with the vertical direction (short side) being the minor axis S and the horizontal direction (long side) being the major axis L, with the ellipse arranged in a helical shape. In this case as well, the indoor connection piping 12 is fixed to the mounting plate 18 via the belt 19. At this time, the indoor connection piping 12 is positioned on the inner side of the outer circumference of the back surface 10a of the indoor unit 10.

[0045] With this configuration, a longer indoor connection pipe 12 can be placed inside the outer circumference of the rear surface 10a, compared to the arrangement of the indoor connection pipe 12 shown in Figure 2. Therefore, it is possible to achieve both improved safety in the air conditioner 1 and improved portability of the air conditioner 1.

[0046] In the above embodiment, the long axis direction of the back surface 10a was the horizontal direction and the short axis direction was the vertical direction, but this is just one example. For example, the vertical direction may be the long axis direction of the back surface 10a. Also, the indoor unit 10 is not limited to being installed on a wall in the room, but may be installed on the ceiling or the like. [Industrial applicability]

[0047] This disclosure is applicable to air conditioners. Specifically, it is applicable to household and commercial air conditioners that use flammable refrigerants. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1. Air conditioner 10 Indoor unit 10a back 11 Indoor heat exchanger 12 Indoor connection piping 12a Indoor gas pipe 12b Indoor liquid pipe 12c Drawer section 12d Tip 13 Indoor fan 14 cabinets 14a Pipe opening 14b Groove 16 Electrical components 18 Mounting plate 18a Fixing hole 18b Nail 18c Mounting surface 19 belts 20 Internal and external connecting piping 21a Gas pipe connection 21b Liquid pipe connection 30 Outdoor unit 31 Compressor 32 Outdoor connection piping 32a Outdoor gas pipe 32b Outdoor liquid pipe 33 Four-way valve 35 Outdoor heat exchanger 37 Outdoor fan 39. Expansion Mechanism H hole L long axis S Short axis W1 Length W2 Length

Claims

1. An outdoor unit having a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor fan, and an expansion mechanism, An indoor unit having an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor fan, The indoor unit is equipped with a removable mounting plate, The indoor unit and the outdoor unit are connected by internal-to-external connecting piping to form a refrigeration cycle circuit. The aforementioned refrigeration cycle circuit uses a flammable refrigerant, The aforementioned indoor-outdoor connecting piping includes an indoor-side connecting piping extending from the indoor unit. The aforementioned indoor connection piping extends to the outside of the indoor unit. During the transport of the indoor unit, the mounting plate holds the indoor-side connecting piping on the side opposite to the side facing the indoor unit. An air conditioner characterized by the following features.

2. The length of the indoor connection piping is at least twice the length of the longitudinal direction on the back of the indoor unit. The air conditioner according to feature 1.

3. During the transport of the indoor unit, the indoor side connecting pipe is positioned on the inside of the outer circumference on the rear side. The air conditioner according to feature 2.

4. During the transport of the indoor unit, the indoor side connecting piping is arranged spirally in a circle whose diameter is the length of the shorter side of the back of the unit. The air conditioner according to feature 3.

5. During the transport of the indoor unit, the indoor side connecting piping is arranged in an ellipse with the short side of the back as the minor axis and the long side as the major axis, and the ellipse is arranged in a spiral shape. The air conditioner according to feature 3.

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