Refrigerant sensor unit

Abstract

To provide a refrigerant sensor unit capable of suppressing occurrence of malfunction of a refrigerant sensor.SOLUTION: A refrigerant sensor unit includes: a casing 12 mounted to a wall surface 101 of an indoor space 100 that is an air-conditioned space of an air conditioner 1; and a refrigerant sensor 60 accommodated in the casing 12. A first opening 30 communicating inside and outside of the casing 12 with each other is provided on a first side wall 22 forming one side surface of the casing 12, and the first opening 30 is provided at a position that is adjacent to and does not oppose to the refrigerant sensor 60.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerant sensor unit.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a refrigerant detection device that enables detection of refrigerant leaked into a plurality of rooms with a sensor fewer than the number of rooms to be detected. This refrigerant detection device includes a sensor capable of detecting the refrigerant enclosed in the refrigerant piping of an air conditioner, and a casing in which the sensor is housed. In the casing, a first opening that can communicate with the inside of the room and a second opening that can communicate with the inside of a quality that the first opening can communicate with are formed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present invention provides a refrigerant sensor unit capable of suppressing the occurrence of malfunction of a refrigerant sensor.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The refrigerant sensor unit in the present disclosure includes a housing attached to the wall surface of an indoor space that is an air-conditioned space of an air conditioner, a refrigerant sensor housed inside the housing, a sensor substrate provided with the refrigerant sensor, a notification element capable of notifying that the refrigerant sensor has detected refrigerant, and a notification element substrate to which the notification element is attached. In the housing side wall there is ,before provided a first opening that communicates the inside and the outside of the housing, The refrigerant sensor is provided adjacent to the first opening and facing the side wall,The sensor substrate is separate from the notification element substrate, is electrically connected to the notification element substrate, and is fixed by the engagement ribs of the housing. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] In the refrigerant sensor unit of this disclosure, static electricity passing through the first opening can be prevented from discharging to the refrigerant sensor. Therefore, malfunctions of the refrigerant sensor can be suppressed. In addition, by placing the refrigerant sensor near the first opening, leaked refrigerant can be detected quickly. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Diagram showing the arrangement of the refrigerant sensor unit according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] Perspective view of the refrigerant sensor unit [Figure 3] Perspective view of a refrigerant sensor unit with the sheet component omitted. [Figure 4] Rear view of the refrigerant sensor unit [Figure 5] Cross-sectional view obtained by cutting along plane V in Figure 2. [Figure 6] Cross-sectional view obtained by cutting along plane VI in Figure 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] At the time the inventors conceived of this disclosure, there was a refrigerant sensor unit that made it possible to detect refrigerant leaking into a room, which is the air-conditioned space of an air conditioning system, using a refrigerant sensor. Some of these refrigerant sensor units are of the so-called external type, installed in the air-conditioned space. This refrigerant sensor unit is electrically connected to the control unit of the indoor unit of the air conditioning system. Furthermore, this refrigerant sensor unit comprises a refrigerant sensor and a housing that protects the refrigerant sensor, and the housing is provided with an opening that connects the outside of the housing to the refrigerant sensor so that the refrigerant sensor can detect the refrigerant.

[0009] However, the harmonized space may contain people, and these people may bring their fingers or various objects close to the refrigerant sensor unit. If fingers or various objects that come close to the refrigerant sensor unit become charged with static electricity, there is a risk that static electricity may be discharged to the refrigerant sensor through an opening provided in the housing. The inventors discovered that this could cause the refrigerant sensor to malfunction, and in order to solve this problem, they have come to constitute the subject matter of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure provides a refrigerant sensor unit that can suppress the occurrence of malfunctions in the refrigerant sensor. 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. This is to avoid the following explanation becoming unnecessarily verbose and to facilitate understanding for those skilled in the art. 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) Embodiment 1 will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 6. In each figure, the symbol FR indicates the front of the refrigerant sensor unit 10 in a horizontal position, the symbol UP indicates the area above the refrigerant sensor unit, and the symbol RH indicates the area to the right of the refrigerant sensor unit. In the following description, each direction is along the direction of the refrigerant sensor unit 10.

[0011] [1-1. Structure] Figure 1 shows the arrangement of the refrigerant sensor unit 10 according to this embodiment. The refrigerant sensor unit 10 in this embodiment is a refrigerant leak detection unit provided in the air conditioning system 1. The air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment includes a heat exchanger housed in an indoor unit 5 which is an indoor machine, a decompression device such as a compressor and an electronic expansion valve housed in an outdoor unit, and a refrigeration cycle formed by an outdoor heat exchanger etc. provided in the outdoor machine. In the air conditioner 1, the indoor space 100 which is the conditioned space is air-conditioned by circulating a refrigerant through this refrigeration cycle. The indoor space 100 is a space used by people.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, an outlet 6 of the indoor unit 5 is provided on the wall surface 101 of the indoor space 100. From the outlet 6, air air-conditioned by the air conditioner 1 in the indoor space 100 is ejected.

[0013] The air conditioner 1 includes a control unit. The control unit includes a computer having a processor such as a CPU or MPU, and a memory device such as a ROM or RAM. The control unit is connected via signal lines to an outdoor machine, each part forming a refrigeration cycle such as the indoor unit 5, and a refrigerant sensor unit 10 etc. The control unit receives various signals transmitted from each part of the air conditioner 1 via signal lines, and also transmits signals from the control unit to each part of the air conditioner 1. Thereby, the control unit controls the operation of each part of the air conditioner 1. Note that the control unit and each part of the air conditioner 1 may be connected not only by wire such as signal lines, but also wirelessly via a communication unit.

[0014] An operation unit 7 composed of a remote control, an operation panel etc. is connected to the control unit via signal lines. The operation unit 7 of the present embodiment is attached to the wall surface 101 of the indoor space 100. The operation unit 7 is provided with a display panel. The operation state of the operation unit 7 and the operation state of the air conditioner 1 are displayed on the display panel. The operation unit 7 can input temperature settings etc. That is, the operation unit 7 functions as an input unit.

[0015] In the present embodiment, the refrigerant used in the air conditioner 1 including the indoor unit 5 is, for example, a refrigerant having low flammability or flammability, such as a mixed refrigerant containing R410A, R32, or the like. Some of these refrigerants are of low flammability or flammability. When a refrigerant of low flammability or flammability leaks, it is required to suppress the leakage amount of the refrigerant so that the refrigerant concentration in the indoor space 100 does not reach the lower flammability limit (LFL). In particular, it is desirable to suppress the leakage amount of the refrigerant from the indoor unit 5 installed in the indoor space 100 or in its vicinity. In addition, these refrigerants used in the air conditioner 1 are gases having a specific gravity greater than that of air.

[0016] A refrigerant sensor unit 10 is disposed near the indoor unit 5. The refrigerant sensor unit 10 detects the concentration of the refrigerant in the indoor space 100 and emits an alarm sound to notify a person in the indoor space 100 of the refrigerant leakage. Further, the refrigerant sensor unit 10 detects the concentration of the refrigerant in the indoor space 100 and transmits a detection signal to the control unit via a signal line. The refrigerant sensor unit 10 of the present embodiment is connected to the control unit via the operation unit 7. Furthermore, the refrigerant sensor unit 10 can perform signal transmission and reception with the outside of the air conditioner 1, such as a management center, via a signal line. For example, the refrigerant sensor unit 10 can detect the concentration of the refrigerant in the indoor space 100 and transmit a detection signal to the management center via a signal line.

[0017] The refrigerant sensor unit 10 is attached to the wall surface 101. As described above, when the refrigerant used in the air conditioner 1 is a gas having a specific gravity greater than that of air, it is desirable that the refrigerant sensor unit 10 be installed at the lower part of the indoor space 100. The refrigerant sensor unit 10 of the present embodiment is attached at a position about 30 cm from the floor surface 102 of the indoor space 100.

[0018] The refrigerant sensor unit 10 is supplied with power from the commercial power supply via an outlet box 105 installed on the wall surface 101. Specifically, the refrigerant sensor unit 10 is mounted on the front of the outlet box 105, from which the front panel has been removed, and is electrically connected to the power supply line routed to the outlet box 105. This drives the refrigerant sensor unit 10.

[0019] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the refrigerant sensor unit 10. As shown in Figure 2, the refrigerant sensor unit 10 comprises a housing 12. This housing 12 is formed in the shape of a flat rectangular parallelepiped with an internal space 13 (Figure 5). When the refrigerant sensor unit 10 is installed in the interior space 100, the housing 12 is installed on the wall surface 101 with the rear wall 20, which has the largest flat surface among its sides, facing the wall surface 101. In this case, the first side wall 22, located on the opposite side of the rear wall 20, is positioned facing the interior space 100. That is, the first side wall 22 is positioned on the front of the housing 12.

[0020] The refrigerant sensor unit 10 is mounted on the wall surface 101 such that the longitudinal direction of the housing 12 is aligned with the horizontal direction. Hereinafter, the refrigerant sensor unit 10 mounted in this manner will be referred to as the horizontal position. When the refrigerant sensor unit 10 is placed horizontally, a pair of second side walls 26 located in the longitudinal direction of the housing 12 are positioned as the sides, and one of the pair of third side walls 28 of the housing 12 is positioned as the bottom surface of the housing 12.

[0021] Furthermore, the refrigerant sensor unit 10 is formed to be mountable on the wall surface 101 such that the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the housing 12 (the vertical direction in each figure) aligns with the horizontal direction. Hereinafter, the refrigerant sensor unit 10 mounted in this manner will be referred to as the vertical position. This allows the refrigerant sensor unit 10 to change its mounting state according to the shape of the outlet box 105 and the condition of the indoor space 100.

[0022] When the refrigerant sensor unit 10 is in a vertical position, a pair of third side walls 28 located perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the housing 12 are positioned as the sides, and one of the pair of second side walls 26 of the housing 12 is positioned as the bottom surface of the housing 12.

[0023] A thin sheet member 14 is attached to approximately the center of the first side wall 22 of the housing 12. In this embodiment, the sheet member 14 is made of resin and has a thickness of about 0.2 mm. However, it is not limited to this, and the sheet member 14 may be made of any material and thickness as long as it enables the refrigerant sensor unit 10 to emit a predetermined amount of notification sound. Two sound-emitting holes 40, which are through holes, are provided side by side near the center of the sheet member 14.

[0024] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the refrigerant sensor unit 10 with the sheet member 14 omitted. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the first side wall 22 is provided with a pair of first openings 30, which are through holes. These first openings 30 are provided through the first side wall 22 and the sheet member 14. In other words, these first openings 30 connect the internal space 13 of the housing 12 to the outside when the sheet member 14 is attached. The pair of first openings 30 are arranged along the vertical direction of the housing 12 at a predetermined interval. Furthermore, these first openings 30 are positioned close to one of the second side walls 26.

[0025] A rectangular through-hole 32 is provided approximately in the center of the first side wall 22. This through-hole 32 connects the internal space 13 of the housing 12 to the outside. A recess 34 is provided in the first side wall 22 at a position adjacent to the insertion hole 32. This recess 34 has a groove shape that is recessed from the outer surface of the first side wall 22 to the internal space 13 of the housing 12 by a predetermined depth. One end of the recess 34 is connected to the insertion hole 32, and it is formed to extend from the insertion hole 32 along the longitudinal direction of the first side wall 22 by a predetermined length.

[0026] Both the through hole 32 and the recess 34 are covered by the sheet member 14 from the front side of the housing 12. That is, the first side wall 22 is provided with a cavity 36 formed when the recess 34 is covered by the sheet member 14. Furthermore, two sound-emitting holes 40 are positioned on the front side of the other end of the recess 34. As a result, the internal space 13 of the housing 12 is connected to the outside of the housing 12 by the through-hole 32, the cavity 36, and the sound-emitting holes 40.

[0027] Figure 4 is a rear view of the refrigerant sensor unit 10. One of the second side walls 26 is provided with a pair of second openings 31, which are through holes. These second openings 31 connect the internal space 13 of the housing 12 to the outside. The pair of second openings 31 are arranged at a predetermined interval along the vertical direction of the housing 12. More specifically, in this embodiment, the pair of second openings 31 are provided at the corners of the housing 12, which are formed by one of the second side walls 26 and the rear wall 20 that forms the back of the housing 12. That is, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, the pair of second openings 31 open toward one side and the rear of the housing 12 when the refrigerant sensor unit 10 is placed horizontally. As described above, a pair of first openings 30 are provided in close proximity to the second side wall 26 on which these second openings 31 are located.

[0028] A wiring insertion hole 35 is provided approximately in the center of the rear wall 20, through which various wires such as power supply lines and signal lines are inserted. Furthermore, the rear wall 20 is provided with multiple mounting holes 37. These mounting holes 37 are for attaching the housing 12 to the outlet box 105. The housing 12 is attached to the outlet box 105 by fastening fastening members such as screws, which are inserted through the mounting holes 37, to fastening parts of the outlet box 105 such as screw holes.

[0029] These mounting holes 37 are all formed in an elongated shape to accommodate dimensional tolerances and the positional configuration of the refrigerant sensor unit 10. In addition, the multiple mounting holes 37 are provided so that the refrigerant sensor unit 10 can be positioned in either a vertical or horizontal orientation.

[0030] Furthermore, the rear wall 20 is provided with multiple mounting holes 37, each with a different position and shape, to accommodate screw holes of different outlet box 105 standards. For example, as shown in Figure 4, each mounting hole 38 corresponds to the screw holes of the outlet box 105 standard in Germany, France, Spain, etc. Also, each mounting hole 39 corresponds to the screw holes of the outlet box 105 standard in Italy. Note that the mounting holes 37 shown in Figure 4 are just examples, and may be formed in positions and shapes according to predetermined standards.

[0031] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along plane V in Figure 2. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along plane VI in Figure 2. Note that the sheet member 14 is omitted in Figure 6. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the housing 12 is provided with an internal space 13.

[0032] The internal space 13 is provided with ribs 21 and 23 that rise from the rear wall 20 and the first side wall 22. Both of these ribs 21 and 23 extend along the vertical direction of the housing 12. The ends of each of these ribs 21 and 23 abut each other. As a result, the internal space 13 is divided into two spaces along the longitudinal direction of the housing 12 by these ribs 21 and 23. Each of the ribs 21 and 23 is interrupted by a predetermined width at approximately the center in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the housing 12. This provides a rectangular communication opening 19 that connects the two spaces separated by the ribs 21 and 23.

[0033] These ribs 21 and 23 are both positioned closer to one of the second side walls 26 than to the center in the longitudinal direction of the housing 12. As a result, the internal space 13 is divided into two spaces of different sizes along the longitudinal direction of the housing 12 by these ribs 21 and 23. Hereinafter, the smaller space, that is, the space located on one side of the second side wall 26, will be referred to as the sensor room 15. The larger space, that is, the space located on the other side of the second side wall 26, will be referred to as the control room 17.

[0034] A control unit 18 is provided in the control room 17. This control unit 18 comprises a flat circuit board 50 and various electronic components mounted on the circuit board 50. The circuit board 50 is placed in the control room 17 with its flat surface facing the rear wall 20 and the first side wall 22. In this embodiment, the circuit board 50 is fixed to the first side wall 22 at a predetermined distance from the first side wall 22 by fastening members such as screws.

[0035] An insulating sheet 52 is provided on the side of the circuit board 50 facing the back wall 20. This prevents the operator from touching the circuit board 50 and causing a discharge to occur on the circuit board 50 during maintenance work on the refrigerant sensor unit 10. In addition, terminal blocks 54 to which signal lines are connected, a CPU, and other components are provided on the back wall 20 side of the circuit board 50.

[0036] A buzzer device 56 is provided on the surface of the circuit board 50 facing the first side wall 22. The buzzer device 56 is an electronic component that emits a notification sound. This buzzer device 56 has a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape and is inserted through the insertion hole 32. The upper surface of the buzzer device 56 inserted through the insertion hole 32 is covered by the sheet member 14 when viewed from the front of the housing 12, and is positioned at a distance from the sheet member 14.

[0037] The sensor chamber 15 houses the detection unit 16. The detection unit 16 comprises a refrigerant sensor 60, a sensor board 62 on which the refrigerant sensor 60 is mounted, and connection terminals 64 extending from the sensor board 62.

[0038] The refrigerant sensor 60 is a sensor component that detects refrigerant. This refrigerant sensor 60 has a cylindrical shape and is mounted on the flat sensor substrate 62 so that its longitudinal direction is upright from the upper surface of the sensor substrate 62.

[0039] The sensor substrate 62 is placed in the sensor chamber 15 with its flat surface facing the rear wall 20 and the first side wall 22. In this embodiment, the circuit board 50 is fixed to the first side wall 22 at a predetermined distance from the first side wall 22 by engaging with a plurality of engagement ribs 25 that are provided rising from the first side wall 22. In this case, the end of the refrigerant sensor 60 rising from the sensor substrate 62 is positioned at a predetermined distance from the first side wall 22. The connection terminal 64 extends from the end of the sensor board 62 toward the control room 17 and is connected to the circuit board 50 via the communication opening 19. This electrically connects the detection unit 16 to the control unit 18.

[0040] The pair of first openings 30 and the pair of second openings 31 described above are all provided in the housing 12 at positions corresponding to the sensor chamber 15. In other words, the pair of first openings 30 and the pair of second openings 31 connect the sensor chamber 15 to the outside of the housing 12.

[0041] The refrigerant sensor 60 and the sensor substrate 62 are positioned between the pair of first openings 30 in a front view of the housing 12, in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the housing 12. In other words, the refrigerant sensor 60 and the sensor substrate 62 are positioned so as not to face either of the pair of first openings 30. Furthermore, the refrigerant sensor 60 and the sensor substrate 62 are positioned in the longitudinal direction of the housing 12, and in a front view of the housing 12, at approximately the same position as the pair of first openings 30. That is, the refrigerant sensor 60, the sensor substrate 62, and the pair of first openings 30 are arranged on the same straight line in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the housing 12. For this reason, the refrigerant sensor 60 is positioned adjacent to the pair of first openings 30.

[0042] The refrigerant sensor 60 and the sensor substrate 62 are positioned between the pair of second openings 31 in a side view of the housing 12, in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the housing 12. In other words, the refrigerant sensor 60 and the sensor substrate 62 are positioned so as not to face either of the pair of second openings 31. Furthermore, as described above, since the pair of second openings 31 are both located in the housing 12 at positions corresponding to the sensor chamber 15, the refrigerant sensor 60 is positioned adjacent to the pair of second openings 31.

[0043] [1-2. Operation] The operation of the refrigerant sensor unit 10, configured as described above, will be explained below. In the air conditioning system 1, refrigerant may leak into the indoor space 100 via the indoor unit 5. In this embodiment, since the refrigerant used in the air conditioning system 1 is a gas with a higher specific gravity than air, the refrigerant that leaks into the indoor space 100 accumulates in the indoor space 100, accumulating on the floor surface 102. If refrigerant continues to leak into the indoor space 100, the refrigerant accumulated on the floor surface 102 will eventually flow into the sensor chamber 15 of the refrigerant sensor unit 10 through the first openings 30 and the second openings 31.

[0044] The refrigerant sensor 60 detects the concentration of refrigerant flowing into the sensor chamber 15. The refrigerant sensor unit 10 activates the buzzer device 56 when the concentration of refrigerant detected by the refrigerant sensor 60 exceeds a predetermined value. When the buzzer device 56 is activated, an alarm sound is emitted, which alerts the refrigerant sensor unit 10 to a person in the indoor space 100 that refrigerant is leaking.

[0045] Furthermore, the refrigerant sensor unit 10 detects the concentration of refrigerant in the indoor space 100 and transmits a detection signal to the control unit via a signal line. Upon receiving the detection signal, the control unit causes various parts of the air conditioning system 1 to perform operations related to refrigerant leakage prevention, such as displaying a predetermined information on the display panel of the operation unit 7 or causing the indoor unit 5 to perform a fan operation. In this way, the air conditioning system 1 aims to suppress the rise in refrigerant concentration in the indoor space 100.

[0046] The control unit may also receive a detection signal from the refrigerant sensor unit 10 and determine whether or not a refrigerant leak is occurring in the indoor space 100. Furthermore, the control unit may control the buzzer device 56. Furthermore, the refrigerant sensor unit 10 may determine whether or not a refrigerant leak is occurring in the indoor space 100. In addition, the refrigerant sensor unit 10 may be capable of displaying a predetermined information on the display panel of the operation unit 7, or causing the indoor unit 5 to perform a fan operation or the like.

[0047] As described above, in the refrigerant sensor unit 10, the refrigerant sensor 60 and the sensor substrate 62 are positioned so as not to face either of the pair of first openings 30, but adjacent to the pair of first openings 30. As a result, even if a person using the indoor space 100 brings their statically charged fingers or various objects close to the refrigerant sensor unit 10, the discharge of static electricity to the refrigerant sensor 60 and the sensor substrate 62 through the pair of first openings 30 is suppressed. Therefore, even if the refrigerant sensor unit 10 is placed in the indoor space 100, malfunctions of the refrigerant sensor unit 10 are suppressed.

[0048] Similarly, in the refrigerant sensor unit 10, the refrigerant sensor 60 and the sensor substrate 62 are positioned so as not to face either of the pair of second openings 31, but adjacent to the pair of second openings 31. This prevents static electricity from being discharged to the refrigerant sensor 60 and the sensor substrate 62 through the pair of second openings 31.

[0049] Furthermore, as described above, the refrigerant sensor unit 10 is formed so that it can be mounted on the wall surface 101 in a vertical position. In this case, one of the second side walls 26 is positioned at the bottom surface of the housing 12. That is, a pair of second openings 31 are positioned at the bottom surface of the housing 12. This allows refrigerant accumulated on the floor surface 102 to flow into the sensor chamber 15 more quickly, and the refrigerant sensor 60 can detect refrigerant leakage more quickly. Furthermore, since the pair of second openings 31 are positioned facing downwards, dust and other debris are prevented from entering the internal space 13 through these second openings 31.

[0050] As described above, when the buzzer device 56 is activated, the notification sound emitted by the buzzer device 56 travels through the cavity 36 and is emitted to the outside of the housing 12 from the two sound emission holes 40. In other words, the cavity 36 functions as a flow path for the notification sound of the buzzer device 56. Furthermore, since the recess 34 and the buzzer device 56 are covered by the thin sheet member 14, a portion of the notification sound emitted by the buzzer device 56 is transmitted through the sheet member 14 to the outside of the housing 12. As a result, the refrigerant sensor unit 10 can emit a notification sound at a sufficient volume.

[0051] Furthermore, in the refrigerant sensor unit 10, the buzzer device 56 is positioned so as not to face either of the two sound vents 40, but adjacent to each sound vent 40. This prevents static electricity from being discharged to the buzzer device 56 through the two sound vents 40.

[0052] The internal space 13 of the housing 12 is divided into a sensor chamber 15 and a control chamber 17 by ribs 21 and 23. As a result, the space around the refrigerant sensor 60 is limited to the sensor chamber 15, making it easier for the concentration of refrigerant flowing in through each of the first openings 30 and each of the second openings 31 to increase. Therefore, when refrigerant flows into the internal space 13, the refrigerant sensor 60 can quickly detect refrigerant leakage. In addition, when refrigerant flows into the internal space 13, contact of the refrigerant with the circuit board 50 is suppressed.

[0053] [1-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, in this embodiment, the refrigerant sensor unit 10 comprises a housing 12 attached to the wall surface 101 of the indoor space 100, which is the air-conditioned space of the air conditioning device 1, and a refrigerant sensor 60 housed inside the housing 12. A first opening 30 is provided in the first side wall 22 that forms one side of the housing 12, allowing the inside and outside of the housing 12 to communicate. The first opening 30 is located adjacent to the refrigerant sensor 60, but not facing it.

[0054] This prevents static electricity from being discharged to the refrigerant sensor 60 and the sensor substrate 62 through the pair of first openings 30. Therefore, even when the refrigerant sensor unit 10 is placed in the indoor space 100, malfunctions of the refrigerant sensor 60 are suppressed.

[0055] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a second opening 31 is provided in the second side wall 26, which is different from the first side wall 22. The second opening 31 is provided in a position adjacent to the refrigerant sensor 60 but not facing it, and the second side wall 26 may be positioned on the bottom surface or one side surface of the housing 12 when the housing 12 is attached to the wall surface 101. As a result, the refrigerant sensor unit 10 can be installed in a way that suits the shape of the outlet box 105 and the condition of the indoor space 100. Therefore, the refrigerant sensor unit 10 can accommodate a wider variety of installation conditions and can be installed in a way that allows for more reliable detection of refrigerant leaks.

[0056] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the housing 12 is provided with a buzzer device 56 that emits an alarm sound, and the housing 12 is provided with a sound vent 40 that connects the inside and outside of the housing 12 and emits the alarm sound to the outside of the housing 12, and the sound vent 40 may be provided in a position adjacent to the buzzer device 56 but not facing it. This prevents static electricity from being discharged to the buzzer device 56 through the two sound vents 40. Therefore, even when the refrigerant sensor unit 10 is placed in the indoor space 100, malfunctions of the buzzer device 56 are suppressed.

[0057] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the housing 12 may be provided with a cavity 36 through which a notification sound is transmitted, by connecting the buzzer device 56 and the sound emission hole 40. As a result, the buzzer device 56 is positioned adjacent to the sound vents 40 but not facing them. Therefore, the discharge of static electricity to the buzzer device 56 through the two sound vents 40 is suppressed.

[0058] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a thin sheet member 14 is attached to the first side wall 22 of the housing 12, and a recess 34 is provided in the first side wall 22. The recess 34 is positioned adjacent to the buzzer device 56, and the cavity 36 may be formed by the recess 34 and the sheet member 14 covering the recess 34. As a result, a portion of the notification sound emitted by the buzzer device 56 is transmitted through the sheet member 14 to the outside of the housing 12. Therefore, the refrigerant sensor unit 10 can emit a notification sound at a sufficient volume.

[0059] (Other embodiments) As described above, the above embodiments have been explained as examples of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology in this disclosure is not limited to these embodiments and can be applied to embodiments that have been modified, replaced, added, or omitted. Furthermore, it is possible to create new embodiments by combining the components described in the above embodiments. Therefore, other embodiments are illustrated below.

[0060] In the above embodiment, a pair of first openings 30 and a pair of second openings 31 are provided in the first side wall 22 and one of the second side walls 26, respectively. However, the design is not limited to this, and a third opening may be provided in one of the third side walls 28.

[0061] This third opening connects the sensor chamber 15 to the outside of the housing 12. The third opening is located adjacent to the refrigerant sensor 60, but not directly opposite it. This prevents static electricity from being discharged to the refrigerant sensor 60 and the sensor substrate 62 through the third opening. Therefore, even when the refrigerant sensor unit 10 is placed in the indoor space 100, malfunctions of the refrigerant sensor 60 are prevented.

[0062] The third side wall 28, on which this third opening is provided, is located at the bottom when the refrigerant sensor unit 10 is placed horizontally. As a result, refrigerant accumulating on the floor surface 102 flows more quickly into the sensor chamber 15, enabling the refrigerant sensor 60 to detect refrigerant leakage more quickly, while also preventing dirt, dust, and other debris from entering the internal space 13 through the third opening. Furthermore, the third side wall 28, on which the third opening is provided, is located on the side when the refrigerant sensor unit 10 is positioned vertically.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the refrigerant sensor 60 and the sensor substrate 62 are positioned close to one of the second side walls 26 and approximately in the center of the housing 12 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the housing 12. However, the refrigerant sensor 60 and the sensor substrate 62 may be positioned so as to be close to one of the second side walls 26 and close to one of the third side walls 28 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the housing 12.

[0064] As a result, when the refrigerant sensor unit 10, which has a third opening, is positioned horizontally, the refrigerant accumulated on the floor surface 102 flows more quickly into the sensor chamber 15, and the refrigerant sensor 60 can detect refrigerant leakage more quickly.

[0065] In the embodiment described above, the buzzer device 56 is exposed to the outside of the housing 12 through the insertion hole 32 and covered by the sheet member 14. However, it is not limited to this, and the entire device may be covered by the housing 12. In this case, the housing 12 is provided with sound-emitting holes in a position that is not directly opposite to the buzzer device 56 but adjacent to it.

[0066] Since the embodiments described above are for illustrative purposes only, various modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc., can be made within the claims or their equivalents. [Industrial applicability]

[0067] This disclosure is applicable to refrigerant sensor units installed in the air-conditioned space of an air conditioning system. Specifically, this disclosure is applicable to refrigerant sensor units, etc., that are installed outside the indoor unit of an air conditioning system and attached to the indoor space that the air conditioning system air-conditions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1. Air conditioning system 10 Refrigerant Sensor Unit 12 cabinets 13 Interior space 14 Sheet material 22 First side wall 26. Second side wall 28 Third side wall 30 First opening 31. Second opening 34 recess 36 Cavity 40 Sound emission hole 56 Buzzer device 60 Refrigerant Sensor 100 Indoor space 101 Wall surface 102 Floor surface

Claims

1. An air conditioning system enclosure that is mounted on the wall of the indoor space which is the air-conditioned space, A refrigerant sensor housed inside the aforementioned housing, A sensor substrate on which the refrigerant sensor is provided, A notification element capable of notifying that the refrigerant sensor has detected a refrigerant, A notification element substrate on which the aforementioned notification element is attached, Equipped with, A first opening is provided in the side wall of the housing, which connects the inside and outside of the housing. The refrigerant sensor is provided adjacent to the first opening and facing the side wall, The sensor substrate is separate from the notification element substrate, is electrically connected to the notification element substrate, and is fixed by the engagement ribs of the housing. A refrigerant sensor unit characterized by the following features.

2. The first opening is provided in the first side wall which is the side wall of the housing, A second opening is provided in the second side wall, which is different from the first side wall. The second opening is provided in a position adjacent to the refrigerant sensor but not facing it. The second side wall is positioned to be the bottom surface or one side surface of the housing when the housing is attached to the wall surface. The refrigerant sensor unit according to feature 1.

3. A third opening is provided in the first side wall, the second side wall, and a third side wall that is different from the first side wall. The third opening is provided in a position adjacent to the refrigerant sensor but not facing it. The third side wall is positioned on the bottom surface or one side surface of the housing. The refrigerant sensor unit according to claim 2, characterized in that it is as described above.

4. When the housing is attached to the wall surface, at least one of the second side wall and the third side wall is formed to be positioned on the bottom surface. The refrigerant sensor is positioned close to at least one of the second side wall and the third side wall. The refrigerant sensor unit according to claim 3, characterized in that it is as described above.

5. When the housing is attached to the wall surface, both the second side wall and the third side wall are formed to be positioned on the bottom surface. The refrigerant sensor is positioned close to at least one of the second side wall and the third side wall. The refrigerant sensor unit according to claim 3, characterized in that it is as described above.

6. The aforementioned enclosure is equipped with a buzzer device that emits an alert sound. The housing is provided with a sound vent that connects the inside and outside of the housing and emits the notification sound to the outside of the housing. The sound emission hole is provided in a position adjacent to the buzzer device but not facing it. A refrigerant sensor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it is as described above.

7. The housing is provided with a cavity through which the buzzer device and the sound emission hole are connected, and the notification sound flows. The refrigerant sensor unit according to feature 6.

8. A thin sheet material is attached to one side of the aforementioned housing. One of the aforementioned sides is provided with a recess, The recess is positioned adjacent to the buzzer device. The cavity is formed by the recess and the sheet member that covers the recess. The refrigerant sensor unit according to feature 7.

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