Antenna unit and refrigeration cycle device

Abstract

An antenna unit according to the present disclosure is mounted to a plate body of a housing of an outdoor unit and comprises: a fixing unit which includes a support member and a nut member and is fixed to the plate body; a case fixed to the fixing unit; an antenna board; and a cable connected to the antenna board. The support member includes: a support tube section which has a tubular shape about a center axis and is inserted into a mounting hole of the plate body; and a flange section extending toward a radially outside from the support tube section with respect to the center axis to contact an inner surface of the plate body. The nut member includes a first female thread section provided on an inner circumferential surface thereof. The support tube section includes: a first male thread section provided on an outer circumferential surface thereof to fit to the first female thread section; and a second female thread section provided on an inner circumferential surface thereof. The case includes: an opposing plate section opposing the plate body; and a fixing tube section which has a tubular shape protruding from the opposing plate section toward the plate body side and includes a second male thread section provided on an outer circumferential surface thereof to fit to the second female thread section. The cable is guided to an inside of the housing through the inner side of the fixing tube section and the mounting hole.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an antenna unit and a refrigeration cycle device.

Background Art

[0002] A refrigeration cycle device provided with an antenna unit for wireless communication with an external base station is known. Patent Document 1 discloses an air conditioner in which an antenna unit is attached to the housing of an outdoor unit and wireless communication is performed with a base station by the antenna unit.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the air conditioner of Patent Document 1, a magnet is provided on the back surface of the antenna unit, and the antenna unit can be attached to an arbitrary position of the housing. However, on the other hand, in the air conditioner of Patent Document 1, a part of the cable connecting the antenna unit and the outdoor unit is exposed to the outside, so that the design property of the appearance of the outdoor unit is impaired, and there is a problem that the cable is exposed to rainwater and sunlight and is likely to deteriorate.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, one object of the present disclosure is to provide an antenna unit that suppresses the exposure of a cable, and a refrigeration cycle device including such an antenna unit.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One embodiment of the antenna unit according to the present disclosure is an antenna unit attached to a plate body that constitutes a part of the housing of an outdoor unit of a refrigeration cycle device, comprising: a fixing part having a support member and a nut member and fixed to the plate body; a case disposed outside the housing and fixed to the fixing part; an antenna substrate disposed inside the case; and a cable connected to the antenna substrate, wherein the support member is cylindrical with a central axis and has a support cylinder portion inserted into a mounting hole in the plate body, and a flange portion extending radially outward from the support cylinder portion with respect to the central axis and in contact with the inner surface of the plate body, the nut member has a first female thread portion provided on its inner circumferential surface and in contact with the outer surface of the plate body, and the support cylinder portion has a first male thread portion provided on its outer circumferential surface that engages with the first female thread portion, and a second female thread portion provided on its inner circumferential surface, A plurality of second elastic pieces are cantilevered at one end in the axial direction of the central axis and are spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the central axis, and a plurality of second support columns are arranged between the second elastic pieces in the circumferential direction. The case has a facing plate portion that faces the plate, and a fixed cylindrical portion that is cylindrical and protrudes from the facing plate portion toward the plate, with a second male screw portion on its outer circumference that engages with the second female screw portion. The cable is guided into the interior of the housing through the inside of the fixed cylindrical portion and the mounting hole. The second female thread portion is provided on the radially inward-facing surface of the plurality of second elastic pieces, and the radially outward-facing surface of the second elastic piece is located radially inward than the radially outward-facing surface of the second support column. ru.

[0007] One embodiment of the refrigeration cycle device according to this disclosure comprises the above-described antenna unit, the outdoor unit to which the antenna unit is attached, an indoor unit, and a circulation path section for circulating refrigerant between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide an antenna unit that suppresses cable exposure, and a refrigeration cycle apparatus equipped with such an antenna unit. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of the refrigeration cycle device according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is an antenna unit according to the embodiment and a perspective view of the antenna unit. [Figure 3] This is an exploded perspective view of the second machine room cover and antenna unit of the embodiment. [Figure 4] This is an exploded perspective view of the support member, nut member, and seal bush of the embodiment. [Figure 5] This is an exploded perspective view of the support member, nut member, and seal bush of the embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view of the antenna unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] This is an enlarged view of region VII in Figure 6, and is a cross-sectional view showing the first male thread portion and the first female thread portion of the embodiment. [Figure 8] This is an enlarged view of region VIII in Figure 6, and is a cross-sectional view showing the second male thread portion and the second female thread portion of the embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view showing the first male thread portion and the first female thread portion of Modified Example 1. [Figure 10] This is a cross-sectional view showing the second male thread portion and the second female thread portion of modified example 2. [Figure 11] This is a perspective view of the support member in modified example 3. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the scope of this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described below and can be modified at will within the scope of the technical concept of this disclosure. Furthermore, in the following drawings, the scale and number of components in each structure may differ from those in the actual structure in order to make the configurations easier to understand.

[0011] Furthermore, the drawings show the X, Y, and Z axes as appropriate. The X axis indicates the front-to-back direction of the outdoor unit in the following embodiment. The Y axis indicates the width direction of the outdoor unit, which is perpendicular to the front-to-back direction. The Z axis indicates the vertical direction. The front-to-back direction, width direction, and vertical direction are all perpendicular to each other. In the front-to-back direction, the side in which the X-axis arrow points (+X side) is the front of the outdoor unit, and the side opposite to the side in which the X-axis arrow points (-X side) is the rear of the outdoor unit. The width direction is the left-to-right direction of the outdoor unit. The left-to-right direction is the left-to-right direction when viewing the outdoor unit in the following embodiment from the front (+X side). That is, in the left-to-right direction, the side in which the Y-axis arrow points (+Y side) is the right side, and the side opposite to the side in which the Y-axis arrow points (-Y side) is the left side. In the vertical direction, the side in which the Z-axis arrow points (+Z side) is the upper side, and the side opposite to the direction in which the Z-axis arrow points (-Z side) is the lower side. Furthermore, in this specification, the front-facing surface of each part may be simply called the front surface, and the rear-facing surface may be called the rear surface.

[0012] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of the refrigeration cycle device 100 in an embodiment. In this embodiment, the refrigeration cycle device 100 is an air conditioner. As shown in Figure 1, the refrigeration cycle device 100 comprises an outdoor unit 10, an indoor unit 20, a circulation path section 18, and an antenna unit 30. The outdoor unit 10 is located outdoors. The indoor unit 20 is located indoors. The outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 are connected to each other by a circulation path section 18 through which the refrigerant 19 circulates.

[0013] The refrigeration cycle device 100 can adjust the temperature of the indoor air by performing heat exchange between the refrigerant 19 flowing in the circulation path section 18 and the indoor air where the indoor unit 20 is arranged. Examples of the refrigerant 19 include fluorine-based refrigerants or hydrocarbon-based refrigerants with a low global warming potential (GWP: Global Warming Potential). Examples of the refrigerant 19 include any single refrigerant such as R1234yf, R1234ze, R32, or R290, or a mixed refrigerant of any two or more of these, or a mixed refrigerant of any of these and another refrigerant. Further, examples of the refrigerant 19 include a mixed refrigerant containing R1132(E) or a mixed refrigerant containing R1123. Further, examples of the refrigerant 19 include a mixed refrigerant such as R516A, R445A, R444A, R454C, R444B, R454A, R455A, R457A, R459B, R452B, R454B, R447B, R447A, R446A, or R459A.

[0014] The outdoor unit 10 includes a housing 11, a compressor 12, a heat exchanger 13, a flow rate adjustment valve 14, a blower fan 15, a four-way valve 16, and a control unit 17. Inside the housing 11, the compressor 12, the heat exchanger 13, the flow rate adjustment valve 14, the blower fan 15, the four-way valve 16, and the control unit 17 are accommodated.

[0015] The compressor 12, the heat exchanger 13, the flow rate adjustment valve 14, and the four-way valve 16 are provided in a portion of the circulation path section 18 located inside the housing 11. The compressor 12, the heat exchanger 13, the flow rate adjustment valve 14, and the four-way valve 16 are connected by a portion of the circulation path section 18 located inside the housing 11.

[0016] The four-way valve 16 is provided at a portion of the circulation path section 18 that is connected to the discharge side of the compressor 12. The four-way valve 16 can reverse the direction of the refrigerant 19 flowing in the circulation path section 18 by switching a part of the path in the circulation path section 18. When the path connected by the four-way valve 16 is the path indicated by the solid line in the four-way valve 16 of FIG. 1, the refrigerant 19 flows in the circulation path section 18 in the direction indicated by the solid line arrow in FIG. 1. On the other hand, when the path connected by the four-way valve 16 is the path indicated by the broken line in the four-way valve 16 of FIG. 1, the refrigerant 19 flows in the circulation path section 18 in the direction indicated by the broken line arrow in FIG. 1.

[0017] The indoor unit 20 includes a housing 21, a heat exchanger 22, a blower fan 23, and a control device 24. Inside the housing 21, the heat exchanger 22, the blower fan 23, and the control device 24 are accommodated. The indoor unit 20 can perform a cooling operation for cooling the air in the room where the indoor unit 20 is disposed and a heating operation for heating the air in the room where the indoor unit 20 is disposed.

[0018] When the indoor unit 20 is in the cooling operation, the refrigerant 19 flowing in the circulation path section 18 flows in the direction indicated by the solid line arrow in FIG. 1. That is, when the indoor unit 20 is in the cooling operation, the refrigerant 19 flowing in the circulation path section 18 circulates so as to pass through the compressor 12, the heat exchanger 13 of the outdoor unit 10, the flow rate adjustment valve 14, and the heat exchanger 22 of the indoor unit 20 in this order and return to the compressor 12. In the cooling operation, the heat exchanger 13 in the outdoor unit 10 functions as a condenser, and the heat exchanger 22 in the indoor unit 20 functions as an evaporator.

[0019] On the other hand, when the indoor unit 20 is in the heating operation, the refrigerant 19 flowing in the circulation path section 18 flows in the direction indicated by the broken line in FIG. 1. That is, when the indoor unit 20 is in the heating operation, the refrigerant 19 flowing in the circulation path section 18 circulates so as to pass through the compressor 12, the heat exchanger 22 of the indoor unit 20, the flow rate adjustment valve 14, and the heat exchanger 13 of the outdoor unit 10 in this order and return to the compressor 12. In the heating operation, the heat exchanger 13 in the outdoor unit 10 functions as an evaporator, and the heat exchanger 22 in the indoor unit 20 functions as a condenser.

[0020] <Outdoor unit> Figure 2 is a perspective view of the outdoor unit 10 and the antenna unit 30 attached to the outdoor unit 10. The housing 11 of the outdoor unit 10 is a roughly rectangular box shape composed of multiple panels 11P. Inside the housing 11 are a fan room 10A where a blower fan 15 and the like are located, and a machine room 10B where a compressor 12 and a control unit 17 and the like are housed. The machine room 10B is located to the right (+Y side) of the fan room 10A.

[0021] The multiple panels 11P include a front panel 11a, a rear panel 11d, a top panel 11e, a first machine room cover 11f, and a second machine room cover 11g. The front panel 11a covers the fan room 10A from the front. The rear panel 11d covers the fan room 10A and the machine room 10B from the rear. The top panel 11e covers the fan room 10A and the machine room 10B from above.

[0022] An opening 11b is provided in the front panel 11a. A fan grille 11G is attached to the front panel 11a to cover the opening 11b. A blower fan 15 is positioned opposite the opening 11b and blows air from the opening 11b toward the front of the chassis 11.

[0023] The first machine room cover 11f and the second machine room cover 11g are located to the right (+Y side) of the front panel 11a. The first machine room cover 11f and the second machine room cover 11g cover the machine room 10B from the front and right sides. The first machine room cover 11f and the second machine room cover 11g are each composed of a plate perpendicular to the front-to-back direction and a plate perpendicular to the left-to-right direction. The first machine room cover 11f is larger in the vertical direction than the second machine room cover 11g. The first machine room cover 11f is located above the second machine room cover 11g. The installer of the outdoor unit 10 performs the piping connection work to the compressor 12 and the wiring connection work to the control unit 17 with the first machine room cover 11f open. The second machine room cover 11g is located below the first machine room cover 11f and at the lower end of the housing 11. The antenna unit 30 is fixed to the second machine room cover 11g.

[0024] The second machine room cover 11g has a first plate 11h and a second plate 11i that are connected to each other. The first plate 11h is perpendicular to the front-to-back direction. The second plate 11i is perpendicular to the left-to-right direction. The right end of the first plate 11h and the front end of the second plate 11i are connected to each other. The first plate 11h and the second plate 11i are formed by bending a single plate material into an L-shape. In the following description, of the pair of surfaces of the first plate 11h, the surface facing the inside side (-X side) of the housing 11 is called the inner surface 11p, and the surface facing the outside side (+X side) of the housing 11 is called the outer surface 11q.

[0025] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the second machine room cover 11g and the antenna unit 30. The first plate 11h and the second plate 11i are provided with multiple notches 11j and 11k, respectively. The multiple notches 11j and 11k include notches 11j for piping and notches 11k for wiring. The notches 11j for piping are provided to form holes for passing piping through by punching them out. The notches 11k for wiring are provided to form holes for passing wiring through by punching them out. The second machine room cover 11g is provided with multiple notches 11j for piping and multiple notches 11k for wiring. The installer selects one of the multiple notches 11j for piping and multiple notches 11k for wiring and passes piping and wiring through the holes formed by punching them out.

[0026] <Antenna Unit> The antenna unit 30 transmits and receives wireless signals. The antenna unit 30 transmits information such as the operating status of the refrigeration cycle device 100 to an external base station. The antenna unit 30 also receives signals transmitted from the external base station for remotely controlling the refrigeration cycle device 100. In this embodiment, the antenna unit 30 is mounted on the outdoor unit 10. The antenna unit 30 is fixed to a mounting hole 11t formed by punching out one of the multiple wiring notches 11k.

[0027] According to the antenna unit 30 of this embodiment, no special structure is required to attach the antenna unit 30 to the outdoor unit 10. Therefore, the structure of the housing 11 of the outdoor unit 10 can be simplified, and the refrigeration cycle device 100 can be provided at a low cost. Furthermore, the structure of the housing 11 to which the antenna unit 30 is attached can be made common with the structure of the housing of other products that do not have the antenna unit 30, thereby reducing the cost of the product.

[0028] The wiring notches 11k are provided on various surfaces of the housing 11 so that the direction of wiring can be appropriately selected according to the installation situation of the outdoor unit 10. According to this embodiment, by appropriately selecting the wiring notches 11k for mounting the antenna unit 30, the antenna unit 30 can be installed facing the base station. This makes it possible to smoothly perform wireless communication between the antenna unit 30 and the base station. In this embodiment, the mounting hole 11t for mounting the antenna unit 30 is provided on the first plate body 11h which is perpendicular to the front-rear direction. However, the mounting hole 11t for mounting the antenna unit 30 may be provided on a plate body perpendicular to the left-right direction (for example, the second plate body 11i). Furthermore, the mounting hole 11t for mounting the antenna unit 30 may be provided on a plate body perpendicular to the up-down direction (for example, the top panel 11e in Figure 2).

[0029] The antenna unit 30 includes a fixing part 30F, a seal bush 60, a case 70, an antenna substrate 31, and a cable 32. The fixing part 30F also includes a support member 40 and a nut member 50.

[0030] As shown in Figure 1, the antenna board 31 is connected to the control unit 17 of the outdoor unit 10 via a cable 32. In this embodiment, the antenna board 31 is controlled by the control unit 17 of the outdoor unit 10. The antenna board 31 transmits and receives radio signals to and from an external base station. A radiator (not shown) composed of a copper foil pattern that transmits or receives radio waves is provided on the surface of the antenna board 31. As shown in Figure 3, the antenna board 31 is arranged inside the case 70. The antenna board 31 is arranged parallel to the surface of the first plate 11h to which the antenna unit 30 is attached.

[0031] Cable 32 connects the antenna board 31 and the control unit 17 of the outdoor unit 10. Cable 32 is connected to the antenna board 31 inside the case 70. Cable 32 is also connected to the control unit 17 inside the housing 11. Cable 32 is guided from inside the case 70 to inside the housing 11 through the mounting hole 11t.

[0032] Figures 4 and 5 are exploded perspective views of the support member 40, the nut member 50, and the seal bush 60. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the antenna unit 30. In Figure 6, the structure of the connection between the antenna substrate 31 and the cable 32 is shown in a schematic representation.

[0033] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the support member 40, the nut member 50, and the seal bush 60 are cylindrical in shape with a common central axis J. In the following description, the axial direction of the central axis J may be simply referred to as the "axial direction," the radial direction with respect to the central axis J may be simply referred to as the "radial direction," and the circumferential direction around the central axis J may be simply referred to as the "circumferential direction." In this embodiment, the axial direction coincides with the front-to-back direction (X-axis direction). In the following description, the front side (+X side) of the axial direction may be referred to as the axial side, and the rear side (-X side) may be referred to as the other axial side. For an object placed in front of the housing 11, the axial side is the direction away from the housing 11, and the other axial side is the direction towards the housing 11.

[0034] As shown in Figure 4, the nut member 50 has a cylindrical shape centered on the central axis J. The nut member 50 has a plurality of first elastic pieces 52, a plurality of first support portions 53, and a first annular portion 54. The first elastic pieces 52 and the first support portions 53 are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction to form a cylindrical shape. The nut member 50 of this embodiment has three first elastic pieces 52 and three first support portions 53. The circumferential dimension of each first support portion 53 is sufficiently larger than the circumferential dimension of each first elastic piece 52. The first annular portion 54 is located on one axial side (+X side) of the first elastic pieces 52 and the first support portions 53.

[0035] The first support column 53 is plate-shaped and extends axially, with a roughly arc-shaped cross-section centered on the central axis J. Multiple first support columns 53 are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction. A first elastic piece 52 is also placed between the first support columns 53 that are aligned in the circumferential direction. The end of the first support column 53 on one axial side (+X side) is connected to the first annular column 54. The first support column 53 has an inner surface 53a facing radially inward and an outer surface 53b facing radially outward. A tapered portion 53t is provided at the end of the outer surface 53b on one axial side (+X side). The diameter of the outer surface 53b decreases as it moves toward one axial side (+X side) in the tapered portion 53t.

[0036] The first elastic piece 52 is a plate-like shape extending axially with a substantially arc-shaped cross-section centered on the central axis J. First support portions 53 are arranged on both sides of the first elastic piece 52 in the circumferential direction. One end of the first elastic piece 52 on the axial side (+X side) is connected to the first annular portion 54. The first elastic piece 52 is cantilevered to the first annular portion 54 at one end in the axial direction. The first elastic piece 52 is elastically deformable in a direction that moves the other end on the axial side (-X side) radially outward when subjected to a force directed radially outward. The first elastic piece 52 has an inner surface 52a facing radially inward and an outer surface 52b facing radially outward. A first female thread portion 56 extending spirally around the central axis J is provided at one end of the inner surface 52a on the axial side (+X side). That is, the first female thread portion 56 is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the nut member 50. Furthermore, the helical shape of the first female thread portion 56 provided on each of the multiple first elastic pieces 52 arranged in the circumferential direction is formed along the same helical curve. The diameter of the valley of the first female thread portion 56 is the same as or smaller than the inner diameter of the support cylinder portion 41 in terms of diameter compared to the inner surface 53a of the first support portion 53. Therefore, when the first female thread portion 56 is screwed to the first male thread portion 45, which will be described later, contact between the inner surface 53a of the first support portion 53 and the first male thread portion 45 can be suppressed.

[0037] The radial thickness of the first elastic piece 52 is smaller than the thickness of the first support portion 53. Therefore, the radial rigidity of the first elastic piece 52 is lower than that of the first support portion 53. In other words, the first elastic piece 52 is easily elastically deformed in the radial direction. Also, the outer surface 42b of the first elastic piece 52 is located radially inward from the outer surface 43b of the first support portion 53. Therefore, between adjacent first support portions 53 in the circumferential direction, on the radially outward side of the first elastic piece 52, Elastic deformation Space is provided to accommodate this.

[0038] The first annular portion 54 is an annular shape centered on the central axis J. The first annular portion 54 is located at the axial end (+X side) of the nut member 50. The first annular portion 54 connects multiple first support portions 53 that are arranged in the circumferential direction.

[0039] As shown in Figure 4, the support member 40 has a cylindrical support tube portion 41 centered on the central axis J, and a flange portion 48 connected to the other axial end (-X side) of the support tube portion 41.

[0040] The support cylinder portion 41 has a plurality of second elastic pieces 42, a plurality of second support columns 43, and a second annular portion 44. The second elastic pieces 42 and the second support columns 43 are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction to form a cylindrical shape. The support member 40 of this embodiment has three second elastic pieces 42 and three second support columns 43. The circumferential dimension of each second support column 43 is sufficiently larger than the circumferential dimension of each second elastic piece 42. The second annular portion 44 is located on one axial side of the second elastic pieces 42 and the second support columns 43.

[0041] The second support column 43 is plate-shaped and extends axially, with a substantially arc-shaped cross-section centered on the central axis J. Multiple second support columns 43 are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction. Second elastic pieces 42 are also arranged between the second support columns 43 that are aligned in the circumferential direction. One end of the second support column 43 on the axial side (+X side) is connected to the second annular portion 44. The other end of the second support column 43 on the axial side (-X side) is connected to the flange portion 48. The second support column 43 has an inner surface 43a facing radially inward and an outer surface 43b facing radially outward. A first male threaded portion 45 is provided at the other end of the inner surface 43a on the axial side (-X side), extending spirally around the central axis J. That is, the first male threaded portion 45 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the support cylinder portion 41. Furthermore, the spiral shape of the first male thread portion 45, which is provided on each of the multiple second support portions 43 arranged in the circumferential direction, is formed along the same spiral curve.

[0042] The second elastic piece 42 is a plate-like structure extending axially with a substantially arc-shaped cross-section centered on the central axis J. Second support columns 43 are arranged on both sides of the second elastic piece 42 in the circumferential direction. One end of the second elastic piece 42 on the axial side (+X side) faces the second annular portion 44 in the axial direction via a gap. The other end of the second elastic piece 42 on the axial side (-X side) is connected to the flange portion 48. The second elastic piece 42 is cantilevered to the flange portion 48 at one end in the axial direction. The second elastic piece 42 is elastically deformable in a direction that moves the end on the axial side (+X side) radially outward when subjected to a force directed radially outward. The second elastic piece 42 has an inner surface 42a facing radially inward and an outer surface 42b facing radially outward. A second female thread portion 46 is provided at one end of the inner surface 42a on the axial side (+X side), extending spirally around the central axis J. In other words, a second female thread portion 46 is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the support cylinder portion 41. The spiral shape of the second female thread portion 46 provided on each of the multiple second elastic pieces 42 arranged in the circumferential direction is formed along the same spiral curve. The diameter of the valley of the second female thread portion 46 is the same as or smaller than the inner diameter of the support cylinder portion 41 on the inner surface 43a of the second support column portion 43. Therefore, when the second female thread portion 46 is screwed to the second male thread portion 77 (see Figure 6), which will be described later, contact between the inner surface 43a of the second support column portion 43 and the second male thread portion 77 can be suppressed.

[0043] The radial thickness of the second elastic piece 42 is smaller than the thickness of the second support portion 43. The outer surface 42b of the second elastic piece 42 is located radially inward from the outer surface 43b of the second support portion 43. Therefore, a space is provided between adjacent second support portions 43 in the circumferential direction, on the radially outer side of the second elastic piece 42, to allow for elastic deformation of the second elastic piece 42.

[0044] The second annular portion 44 is an annular shape centered on the central axis J. The second annular portion 44 is located at the end of the support cylinder portion 41 on one axial side (+X side). The second annular portion 44 connects multiple second support columns 43 that are arranged in the circumferential direction.

[0045] The flange portion 48 is plate-shaped and perpendicular to the central axis J. The flange portion 48 is disc-shaped with the central axis J as its center. The flange portion 48 extends radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the support cylinder portion 41.

[0046] As shown in Figure 6, the support member 40 is inserted into the mounting hole 11t of the first plate body 11h from the inside A1 side of the housing 11. The outer diameter of the support cylinder portion 41 is smaller than the diameter of the mounting hole 11t. The outer diameter of the flange portion 48 is larger than the diameter of the mounting hole 11t. The support cylinder portion 41 is positioned inside the mounting hole 11t. One end of the support cylinder portion 41 on the axial side (+X side) is positioned on the outside A2 of the housing 11. On the other hand, the other end of the support cylinder portion 41 on the axial side (-X side) and the flange portion 48 are positioned inside A1 of the housing 11. The surface of the flange portion 48 facing one axial side (+X side) is in contact with the inner surface 11p of the first plate body 11h.

[0047] The nut member 50 is attached to the support member 40 from the outside A2 side of the housing 11. The first male threaded portion 45 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the support cylinder portion 41 engages with the first female threaded portion 56 provided on the inner circumferential surface of the nut member 50. As the first male threaded portion 45 is tightened into the first female threaded portion 56, the other axial end face 50b of the nut member 50 (-Y side) comes into contact with the outer surface 11q of the first plate body 11h. As a result, the nut member 50 and the flange portion 48 sandwich the first plate body 11h from both axial sides, and the support member 40 and the nut member 50 are fixed to the first plate body 11h.

[0048] As shown in Figure 4, the seal bush 60 has a cylindrical bush body portion 61 centered on the central axis J, and a bottom portion 62 that protrudes radially inward from one end of the bush body portion 61 on the axial side (+X side). The seal bush 60 is made of an elastic material such as rubber or elastomer resin.

[0049] As shown in Figure 6, the seal bush 60 is connected to the nut member 50 ofThe seal bush 60 surrounds the cable 32 from the radially outside. That is, the seal bush 60 surrounds the outer circumferential surface of the cable 32. A tapered portion 61t is provided at one end of the inner circumferential surface 61a of the bush body 61 on one axial side (+X side). The diameter of the inner circumferential surface 61a decreases as it moves toward one axial side (+X side) in the tapered portion 53t. The thickness of the bush body 61 is increased in the radial direction in the portion where the tapered portion 61t is provided on the inner circumferential surface 61a. The tapered portion 61t of the bush body 61 faces the tapered portion 53t of the nut member 50.

[0050] The bottom portion 62 is plate-shaped with a central axis J at its center. The bottom portion 62 is provided with a circular bottom hole 62h centered on the central axis J. The cable 32 is passed through the bottom hole 62h. The bottom portion 62 covers one axial end face (+X side) of the nut member 50. The bottom portion 62 is positioned between the nut member 50 and the case 70.

[0051] The seal bush 60 has a first end face 60a facing the other axial side (-X side) and a second end face 60b facing the one axial side (+X side). The first end face 60a contacts the outer surface 11q of the first plate 11h. On the other hand, the second end face 60b contacts the case 70. As shown in Figure 5, the first end face 60a is an annular surface centered on the central axis J. The first end face 60a is provided with a first groove 60p extending in an annular shape around the central axis J. As shown in Figure 4, the second end face 60b is an annular surface centered on the central axis J. The second end face 60b is provided with a second groove 60q extending in an annular shape around the central axis J.

[0052] As shown in Figure 6, the case 70 is positioned on the outside A2 of the housing 11. The antenna substrate 31 is housed inside the case 70. The case 70 has a support plate member 71 and a lid member 79 that are connected to each other. The support plate member 71 supports the antenna substrate 31 from the other axial side (-X side). On the other hand, the lid member 79 covers the antenna substrate 31 from one axial side (+X side).

[0053] The support plate member 71 has an opposing plate portion 72 facing the first plate body 11h in the axial direction, a fitting rib 75 and a plurality of support boss portions 76 protruding from the opposing plate portion 72 in one axial direction (+X side), and a fixing cylinder portion 73 and a guard cylinder portion 74 protruding from the opposing plate portion 72 in the other axial direction (-X side).

[0054] The opposing plate portion 72 is plate-shaped and extends perpendicular to the central axis J. The opposing plate portion 72 is provided with an insertion hole 72h that penetrates the opposing plate portion 72 in the axial direction. The insertion hole 72h is circular with the central axis J as its center. The opposing plate portion 72 has an opposing surface 72a that faces the other axial side (-X side) and faces the outer surface 11q of the first plate body 11h with a gap between them. The cable 32 is passed through the insertion hole 72h. The cable 32 is pulled out from the case 70 to the outside through the insertion hole 72h.

[0055] The fitting rib 75 extends along the outer edge of the opposing plate portion 72. The fitting rib 75 is provided along the entire length of the outer edge of the opposing plate portion 72. The lid member 79 is fitted onto the outer surface of the fitting rib 75. The outer surface of the fitting rib 75 and the inner surface of the lid member 79 are joined by bonding means such as adhesive, welding, or screw fastening. The support boss portion 76 is cylindrical and extends in the axial direction.

[0056] An antenna substrate 31 is mounted on the end face of the support boss portion 76 on one axial side (+X side). The antenna substrate 31 is screw-fixed to the end face of the support boss portion 76 by screws (not shown). The antenna substrate 31 may also be fixed to the support boss portion 76 by means of heat scribing or other methods.

[0057] The fixed cylinder portion 73 is cylindrical with a central axis J. The fixed cylinder portion 73 extends axially from the inner edge of the insertion hole 72h. The cable 32 is passed through the inside of the fixed cylinder portion 73. A second male thread portion 77 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the fixed cylinder portion 73. The second male thread portion 77 engages with the second female thread portion 46. As a result, the fixed cylinder portion 73 is fixed to the support cylinder portion 41. In other words, the case 70 is fixed to the fixed portion 30F on the outside A2 of the housing 11.

[0058] As the second male thread portion 77 is tightened into the second female thread portion 46, the opposing plate portion 72 moves toward the first plate body 11h. As a result, the distance between the opposing surface 72a of the opposing plate portion 72 and the outer surface 11q of the first plate body 11h decreases, and the seal bush 60 is compressed in the axial direction. In addition, the bottom portion 62 of the seal bush 60 is compressed between the opposing surface 72a of the opposing plate portion 72 and the end face of the nut member 50 on one axial side (+X side).

[0059] The guard cylinder portion 74 is cylindrical with a central axis J. The guard cylinder portion 74 surrounds the fixed cylinder portion 73 from the radially outer side. The guard cylinder portion 74 also surrounds the seal bush 60 from the radially outer side. As a result, the guard cylinder portion 74 protects the seal bush 60 from sunlight and wind and rain, and suppresses deterioration of the seal bush 60.

[0060] Figure 7 is an enlarged view of area VII in Figure 6. As described above, the first male thread portion 45 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the support cylinder portion 41 and the first female thread portion 56 provided on the inner circumferential surface of the nut member 50 mesh with each other.

[0061] The cross-sectional shape of the threads of the first male thread portion 45 is approximately a right triangle. The threads of the first male thread portion 45 have a first thread surface 45a and a second thread surface 45b that face opposite each other in the axial direction. The first thread surface 45a is the surface that faces one side in the axial direction (+X side). The second thread surface 45b is the surface that faces the other side in the axial direction (-X side). The first thread surface 45a and the second thread surface 45b approach each other as they move toward the tip side of the thread (i.e., radially outward). In a cross-section passing through the central axis J, the first thread surface 45a is inclined toward the other side in the axial direction as it moves radially outward. In a cross-section passing through the central axis J, the second thread surface 45b is perpendicular to the central axis J.

[0062] The cross-sectional shape of the threads of the first female thread portion 56 is approximately a right triangle. The threads of the first female thread portion 56 have a third thread surface 56a and a fourth thread surface 56b that face opposite each other in the axial direction. The third thread surface 56a is the surface that faces the other side in the axial direction (-X side). The fourth thread surface 56b is the surface that faces the one side in the axial direction (+X side). The third thread surface 56a and the fourth thread surface 56b approach each other as they move toward the tip side of the thread (i.e., radially inward). In a cross-section passing through the central axis J, the third thread surface 56a is inclined toward one side in the axial direction as it moves radially inward. In a cross-section passing through the central axis J, the second thread surface 45b is perpendicular to the central axis J.

[0063] When the support cylinder portion 41 is inserted into the nut member 50, the first threaded surface 45a and the third threaded surface 56a face each other. When the installer pushes the support cylinder portion 41 into the nut member 50, the first threaded surface 45a and the third threaded surface 56a come into contact with each other and exert axial reaction forces on each other. The first threaded surface 45a is inclined to be radially outward as it moves in the direction from which it receives force from the third threaded surface 56a in the axial direction (-X side). The third threaded surface 56a is inclined to be radially inward as it moves in the direction from which it receives force from the first threaded surface 45a in the axial direction (+X side). The first threaded surface 45a and the third threaded surface 56a are pressed against each other in the axial direction, and thus receive forces on opposite sides in the radial direction. In other words, the second support column 43 of the support cylinder 41, on which the first threaded surface 45a is provided, receives a radially inward force from the third threaded surface 56a. The first elastic piece 52, on which the third threaded surface 56a is provided, receives a radially outward force from the first threaded surface 45a. The first elastic piece 52 has lower rigidity compared to the second support column 43 and is more easily elastically deformed radially outward. Therefore, when the installer moves the nut member 50 axially to the other side (-X side) relative to the support cylinder 41, the first elastic piece 52 elastically deforms radially outward, causing the first female thread 56 to overcome the first male thread 45. Furthermore, the first female thread 56 and the first male thread 45 can be engaged without rotating the nut member 50. According to this embodiment, the procedure for attaching the nut member 50 to the support member 40 during the installation of the antenna unit 30 to the outdoor unit 10 can be simplified. Furthermore, after attaching the nut member 50 to the support member 40, the support member 40 and the nut member 50 can be fastened together by rotating the nut member 50 and the support member 40 relative to each other, sandwiching the first plate body 11h between them. This allows the support member 40 to be firmly fixed to the first plate body 11h.

[0064] In this embodiment, the first elastic piece 52 is provided on the nut member 50. The first elastic piece 52 is provided with a first female thread portion 56, and elastically deforms radially outward when the nut member 50 is attached to the support member 40. However, the first elastic piece may also be provided on the support cylinder portion. In this case, the first elastic piece is provided with a first male thread portion, and elastically deforms radially inward when the nut member is attached to the support member. That is, either the support cylinder portion or the nut member may be cantilevered at one end in the axial direction so as to be elastically deformable, and may have a plurality of first elastic pieces arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the central axis J. Furthermore, either the first male thread portion or the first female thread portion may be provided on the surface of the first elastic piece facing one side in the radial direction.

[0065] With the first male thread portion 45 and the first female thread portion 56 engaged, the second thread surface 45b and the fourth thread surface 56b face each other. When attempting to pull the nut member 50 out of the support cylinder portion 41 from the state in which the nut member 50 is attached to the support cylinder portion 41, the second thread surface 45b and the fourth thread surface 56b come into contact with each other and exert axial reaction forces. In this embodiment, the second thread surface 45b and the fourth thread surface 56b are perpendicular to the central axis J in a cross-section passing through the central axis J. Therefore, the axial force is not converted to the radial direction, and elastic deformation of the first elastic piece 52 radially outward is unlikely to occur. According to this embodiment, it is possible to suppress the nut member 50 from easily detaching from the support member 40. The installer rotates the nut member 50 and the support member 40 relative to each other to detach the nut member 50 from the support member 40.

[0066] In this embodiment, the case in which the second thread surface 45b and the fourth thread surface 56b are perpendicular to the central axis J in a cross-section passing through the central axis J has been described. However, even when the second thread surface 45b and the fourth thread surface 56b are inclined at an angle close to 90° with respect to the central axis J, a certain effect can be obtained in which the elastic deformation of the first elastic piece 52 is suppressed when the nut member 50 is pulled out from the support cylinder portion 41.

[0067] In this embodiment, the inclination angles of the first thread surface 45a, second thread surface 45b, third thread surface 56a, and fourth thread surface 56b with respect to the central axis J in a cross-section passing through the central axis J are defined as the first inclination angle θ1, the second inclination angle θ2, the third inclination angle θ3, and the fourth inclination angle θ4, respectively. In this embodiment, the first inclination angle θ1 and the third inclination angle θ3 are angles smaller than 90°. Also, the second inclination angle θ2 and the fourth inclination angle θ4 are both 90°. Therefore, the first inclination angle θ1 is smaller than the second inclination angle θ2. Also, the third inclination angle θ3 is smaller than the fourth inclination angle θ4. In this embodiment, the first male thread portion 45 and the first female thread portion 56 come into contact with each other at relatively small inclination angles when the support cylinder portion 41 is inserted into the nut member 50, making it easy to elastically deform the first elastic piece 52 in the radial direction. On the other hand, when the nut member 50 is pulled out of the support cylinder 41, the first male thread portion 45 and the first female thread portion 56 come into contact with surfaces that have a relatively large inclination angle, making it difficult to elastically deform the first elastic piece 52. According to this embodiment, it is possible to easily attach the nut member 50 to the support member 40 while suppressing the nut member 50 from easily detaching from the support member 40.

[0068] In this embodiment, the first inclination angle θ1 and the third inclination angle θ3 are equal to each other. Therefore, the first thread surface 45a and the third thread surface 56a are in surface contact and slide against each other, allowing the first elastic piece 52 to be smoothly elastically deformed. However, the first inclination angle θ1 and the third inclination angle θ3 do not necessarily have to be equal.

[0069] Figure 8 is an enlarged view of region VIII in Figure 6. As described above, the second male thread portion 77 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the fixed cylinder portion 73 and the second female thread portion 46 provided on the inner circumferential surface of the support cylinder portion 41 mesh with each other.

[0070] The cross-sectional shape of the threads of the second male thread portion 77 is approximately a right triangle. The threads of the second male thread portion 77 have a fifth thread surface 77a and a sixth thread surface 77b that face opposite each other in the axial direction. The fifth thread surface 77a is the surface that faces the other side in the axial direction (-X side). The sixth thread surface 77b is the surface that faces the one side in the axial direction (+X side). The fifth thread surface 77a and the sixth thread surface 77b approach each other as they move toward the tip side of the thread (i.e., radially outward). In a cross-section passing through the central axis J, the fifth thread surface 77a is inclined toward one side in the axial direction as it moves radially outward. In a cross-section passing through the central axis J, the sixth thread surface 77b is perpendicular to the central axis J.

[0071] The cross-sectional shape of the threads of the second female thread portion 46 is approximately a right triangle. The threads of the second female thread portion 46 have a seventh thread surface 46a and an eighth thread surface 46b that face opposite each other in the axial direction. The seventh thread surface 46a is a surface that faces one side in the axial direction (+X side). The eighth thread surface 46b is a surface that faces the other side in the axial direction (-X side). The seventh thread surface 46a and the eighth thread surface 46b approach each other as they move toward the tip side of the thread (i.e., radially inward). In a cross-section passing through the central axis J, the seventh thread surface 46a is inclined toward the other side in the axial direction as it moves radially inward. In a cross-section passing through the central axis J, the sixth thread surface 77b is perpendicular to the central axis J.

[0072] When inserting the fixing cylinder portion 73 into the support cylinder portion 41, the fifth threaded surface 77a and the seventh threaded surface 46a face each other. When the installer pushes the fixing cylinder portion 73 into the fixing cylinder portion 73, the fifth threaded surface 77a and the seventh threaded surface 46a come into contact with each other and exert axial reaction forces on each other. The fifth threaded surface 77a is inclined to be radially outward as it moves in the direction from which it receives force from the seventh threaded surface 46a in the axial direction (+X side). The seventh threaded surface 46a is inclined to be radially inward as it moves in the direction from which it receives force from the fifth threaded surface 77a in the axial direction (-X side). The fifth threaded surface 77a and the seventh threaded surface 46a are pressed against each other in the axial direction, and thus receive forces on opposite sides in the radial direction. That is, the fixing cylinder portion 73 on which the fifth threaded surface 77a is provided receives a radially inward force from the seventh threaded surface 46a. Furthermore, the second elastic piece 42, on which the seventh threaded surface 46a is provided, receives a radially outward force from the fifth threaded surface 77a. The second elastic piece 42 has lower rigidity compared to the fixed cylinder portion 73 and is easily elastically deformed radially outward. Therefore, when the installer moves the fixed cylinder portion 73 axially to the other side (-X side) relative to the fixed cylinder portion 73, the second elastic piece 42 elastically deforms radially outward, causing the second female thread portion 46 to overcome the second male thread portion 77. In addition, the second female thread portion 46 and the second male thread portion 77 can be engaged without rotating the fixed cylinder portion 73. According to this embodiment, the procedure for attaching the fixed cylinder portion 73 to the support member 40 during the installation of the antenna unit 30 to the outdoor unit 10 can be simplified. After attaching the fixed cylinder portion 73 to the support member 40, the seal bush 60 can be compressed axially by rotating the fixed cylinder portion 73 and the support member 40 relative to each other. As a result, as shown in Figure 6, the first end face 60a of the seal bush 60 can be brought into close contact with the first plate body 11h, and the second end face 60b of the seal bush 60 can be brought into close contact with the opposing plate portion 72.

[0073] As shown in Figure 6, the first end face 60a of the seal bush 60 surrounds the mounting hole 11t when viewed from the axial direction. The second end face 60b of the seal bush 60 surrounds the insertion hole 72h when viewed from the axial direction. According to this embodiment, since the first end face 60a and the second end face 60b are in close contact with the first plate body 11h and the opposing plate portion 72, respectively, it is possible to suppress the intrusion of moisture into the inside of the seal bush 60. This prevents moisture from reaching the inside of the mounting hole 11t and the insertion hole 72h. In addition, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of moisture to the cable 32 passing inside the seal bush 60, thereby suppressing deterioration of the cable 32.

[0074] In this embodiment, the first groove 60p provided on the first end face 60a of the seal bush 60 is annular in shape, surrounding the mounting hole 11t when viewed from the axial direction. The second groove 60q provided on the second end face 60b of the seal bush 60 is annular in shape, surrounding the insertion hole 72h when viewed from the axial direction. That is, the first groove 60p and the second groove 60q each surround the cable 32 when viewed from the axial direction. The outer surface 11q of the first plate body 11h and the opposing surface 72a of the opposing plate portion 72 each have fine irregularities. Therefore, even when the seal bush 60 is pressed against the outer surface 11q and the opposing surface 72a, a fine gap may be formed between the seal bush 60 and the outer surface 11q and the opposing surface 72a. When moisture such as rainwater reaches the boundary between the seal bush 60 and the outer surface 11q and the opposing surface 72a, this rainwater may seep into the inside of the seal bush 60 through the minute gaps by capillary action. By providing a first groove 60p on the first end surface 60a, moisture seeping radially inward through the minute gap between the first end surface 60a and the outer surface 11q can be captured in the first groove 60p. Similarly, by providing a second groove 60q on the second end surface 60b, moisture seeping radially inward through the minute gap between the second end surface 60b and the opposing surface 72a can be captured in the second groove 60q. According to this embodiment, by providing the first groove 60p and the second groove 60q on the seal bush 60, it is possible to suppress the intrusion of moisture into the interior of the seal bush 60, and the cable 32 can be protected from moisture. Furthermore, the amount of moisture trapped in the first groove 60p and the second groove 60q is so small that it evaporates and is discharged outside the grooves as gas.

[0075] In this embodiment, the second elastic piece 42 is provided on the fixed cylindrical portion 73. The second elastic piece 42 is also provided with a second female thread portion 46, which elastically deforms radially outward when the fixed cylindrical portion 73 is attached to the support member 40. However, the second elastic piece 42 may also be provided on the fixed cylindrical portion. In this case, the second elastic piece 42 is provided with a first male thread portion, which elastically deforms radially inward when the fixed cylindrical portion is attached to the support member. That is, either the support cylindrical portion or the fixed cylindrical portion may be cantilevered at one end in the axial direction so as to be elastically deformable, and may have a plurality of second elastic pieces 42 arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the central axis J. Furthermore, either the second male thread portion or the second female thread portion may be provided on the surface of the second elastic piece 42 facing one side in the radial direction.

[0076] In this embodiment, the first elastic piece 52 is provided on the nut member 50 to which the first female thread portion 56 of the first male thread portion 45 and the first female thread portion 56 that mesh with each other is provided. Furthermore, the second elastic piece 42 is provided on the support cylinder portion 41 to which the second female thread portion 46 of the second male thread portion 77 and the second female thread portion 46 that mesh with each other is provided. That is, in this embodiment, the elastic piece is provided on the female thread portion side in both meshing configurations. However, the elastic piece may be provided on the male thread portion side in one meshing configuration and on the female thread portion side in the other meshing configuration. Furthermore, the elastic piece may also be provided on the male thread portion side in both meshing configurations. In addition, in this embodiment, the first elastic piece 52 and the second elastic piece 42 are provided on different members, but they may also be provided on the same member, the support cylinder portion 41. However, by providing the first elastic piece 52 and the second elastic piece 42 on different members, it is possible to suppress an extreme decrease in the strength of the member on which the elastic piece is provided, compared to the case where they are provided on the same member.

[0077] With the second male thread portion 77 and the second female thread portion 46 engaged, the sixth thread surface 77b and the eighth thread surface 46b face each other. When attempting to pull the fixed cylinder portion 73 out of the support cylinder portion 41 from the state in which the fixed cylinder portion 73 is attached to the support cylinder portion 41, the sixth thread surface 77b and the eighth thread surface 46b come into contact with each other and exert axial reaction forces on each other. In this embodiment, the sixth thread surface 77b and the eighth thread surface 46b are perpendicular to the central axis J in a cross-section passing through the central axis J. Therefore, the axial force is not converted to the radial direction, and elastic deformation of the second elastic piece 42 radially outward is unlikely to occur. According to this embodiment, it is possible to suppress the fixed cylinder portion 73 from easily detaching from the support member 40. The installer rotates the fixed cylinder portion 73 and the support member 40 relative to each other to detach the fixed cylinder portion 73 from the support member 40.

[0078] In this embodiment, the case described was that the sixth thread surface 77b and the eighth thread surface 46b are perpendicular to the central axis J in a cross-section passing through the central axis J. However, even when the sixth thread surface 77b and the eighth thread surface 46b are inclined at an angle close to 90° with respect to the central axis J, the effect of suppressing the elastic deformation of the second elastic piece 42 when the fixed cylinder portion 73 is pulled out from the fixed cylinder portion 73 can still be obtained.

[0079] In this embodiment, the inclination angles of the fifth thread surface 77a, sixth thread surface 77b, seventh thread surface 46a, and eighth thread surface 46b with respect to the central axis J in a cross-section passing through the central axis J are defined as the fifth inclination angle θ5, the sixth inclination angle θ6, the seventh inclination angle θ7, and the eighth inclination angle θ8, respectively. The fifth inclination angle θ5 and the seventh inclination angle θ7 in this embodiment are angles smaller than 90°. Also, the sixth inclination angle θ6 and the eighth inclination angle θ8 in this embodiment are both 90°. Therefore, the fifth inclination angle θ5 is smaller than the sixth inclination angle θ6. Also, the seventh inclination angle θ7 is smaller than the eighth inclination angle θ8. In this embodiment, the second male thread portion 77 and the second female thread portion 46 come into contact with each other at relatively small inclination angles when the fixing cylinder portion 73 is inserted into the fixing cylinder portion 73, making it easy to elastically deform the second elastic piece 42 in the radial direction. On the other hand, when the fixing cylinder portion 73 is pulled out of the fixing cylinder portion 73, the second male thread portion 77 and the second female thread portion 46 come into contact with each other at relatively large angles of inclination, making it difficult to elastically deform the second elastic piece 42. According to this embodiment, it is possible to easily attach the fixing cylinder portion 73 to the support member 40, while preventing the fixing cylinder portion 73 from easily detaching from the support member 40.

[0080] As shown in Figure 4, the circumferential dimension of the first elastic piece 52 is defined as the first dimension W1. The dimension between the second support portions 43 arranged in the circumferential direction is defined as the second dimension W2. In this embodiment, the first dimension W1 is larger than the second dimension W2. The first female thread portion 56 provided on the inner surface 52a of the first elastic piece 52 engages with the first male thread portion 45 provided on the outer surface 43b of the second support portion 43. The first male thread portion 45 is interrupted between the second support portions 43 arranged in the circumferential direction. Therefore, when the second dimension W2 between the second support portions 43 is larger than the first dimension W1 of the first elastic piece 52, the first elastic piece 52 is positioned between the second support portions 43 arranged in the circumferential direction. In this state, the first elastic piece 52 fits radially outward of the second elastic piece 42, and since no threads are formed on the outer surface 42b of the second elastic piece 42, the first female thread portion 56 of the first elastic piece 52 does not engage with the first male thread portion 45. According to this embodiment, the first dimension W1 is larger than the second dimension W2. Therefore, even when the nut member 50 is positioned at any rotational position relative to the support cylinder portion 41, at least a part of the first elastic piece 52 overlaps with the second support column portion 43 in the radial direction. As a result, regardless of the rotational position of the nut member 50, engagement between the first female thread portion 56 of the first elastic piece 52 and the first male thread portion 45 of the second support column portion 43 can be ensured. Consequently, the nut member 50 can be securely screwed to the support member 40, and the fixing portion 30F can be securely fixed to the first plate body 11h.

[0081] <Installation Instructions> Next, the installation process for attaching the antenna unit 30 to the casing 11 of the outdoor unit 10 will be explained. As shown in Figure 3, the antenna unit 30 of this embodiment is attached to the second machine room cover 11g of the housing 11. The installer removes the second machine room cover 11g from the outdoor unit 10, attaches the antenna unit 30 to the second machine room cover 11g, and then attaches the second machine room cover 11g to the outdoor unit 10. As a preliminary step to the installation of the antenna unit 30, the case 70 is assembled. At this time, the cable 32 is connected and the antenna board 31 is housed inside the case 70. The cable 32 is then pulled out to the outside of the case 70 through the insertion hole 72h (see Figure 6) of the case 70.

[0082] The installation process for the antenna unit 30 includes a first fixing step of fixing the support member 40 to the first plate 11h of the second machine room cover 11g, a seal bush installation step of attaching the seal bush 60 to the support member 40, and a second fixing step of fixing the case 70 to the support member 40.

[0083] In the first fixing process, the installer first inserts the support cylinder portion 41 of the support member 40 into the mounting hole 11t of the first plate body 11h from the inside of the housing 11, and brings the flange portion 48 into contact with the inner surface 11p. Next, the nut member 50 is attached to the support cylinder portion 41 that protrudes from the outer surface 11q of the first plate body 11h relative to the mounting hole 11t. In this procedure, the installer inserts the tip of the support cylinder portion 41 into the inside of the nut member 50, and further pushes the nut member 50 toward the first plate body 11h, moving the nut member 50 axially toward the other side (-X side). As a result, the first elastic piece 52 of the nut member 50 intermittently deforms elastically, and the first female thread portion 56 overcomes the first male thread portion 45, so that the nut member 50 is attached to the support member 40. The installer then rotates the nut member 50 to tighten the first female thread portion 56 onto the first male thread portion 45. As a result, the end face 50b on the other axial side (-X side) of the nut member 50 comes into contact with the outer surface 11q of the first plate body 11h, and the first plate body 11h is sandwiched between the flange portion 48 of the support member 40 and the nut member 50. Through the above procedure, the support member 40 is fixed to the first plate body 11h.

[0084] In the seal bush installation process, the installer attaches the seal bush 60 to the nut member 50 by placing the seal bush 60 over the nut member 50. This places the seal bush 60 in a state where it is supported by the support member 40.

[0085] In the second fixing process, the installer first passes the cable 32 extending from the case 70 through the support cylinder 41. This allows the cable 32 to pass through the mounting hole 11t. Next, the fixing cylinder 73 of the case 70 is fixed to the support cylinder 41. In this procedure, the installer inserts the tip of the fixing cylinder 73 into the inside of the support cylinder 41 and then pushes the case 70 toward the first plate 11h, moving the fixing cylinder 73 axially toward the other side (-X side). This causes the second elastic piece 42 of the support cylinder 41 to intermittently deform elastically, allowing the second female thread 46 to overcome the second male thread 77 and attach the case 70 to the support member 40. The installer then rotates the support member 40 and the case 70 relative to each other to tighten the second male thread 77 into the second female thread 46. This compresses the seal bush 60 by sandwiching it between the opposing surface 72a of the case 70 and the outer surface 11q of the first plate 11h. Through these steps, the case 70 is fixed to the support member 40. As a result, the antenna unit 30 is fixed to the first plate 11h.

[0086] Next, the installer attaches the first plate 11h, to which the antenna unit 30 is fixed, to the outdoor unit 10. Furthermore, the installer opens the first machine room cover 11f and connects the cable 32 to the control unit 17 (see Figure 1) of the outdoor unit 10. By completing these steps, the installation of the antenna unit 30 to the outdoor unit 10 is complete.

[0087] <Example 1> The first male thread portion 145 and the first female thread portion 156 of Modification 1, which can be adopted in the above-described embodiment, will be explained with reference to Figure 9. Components identical to those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0088] Similar to the embodiment described above, the first male thread portion 145 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the support cylinder portion 41. The first female thread portion 156 is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the nut member 50. The first female thread portion 156 is also provided on the first elastic piece 52 provided on the nut member 50. The first male thread portion 145 and the first female thread portion 156 interlock with each other.

[0089] In this modified example, the cross-sectional shape of the threads of the first male thread portion 145 is an isosceles triangle. The threads of the first male thread portion 145 have a first thread surface 145a and a second thread surface 145b that face opposite each other in the axial direction. The first thread surface 145a is a surface that faces one side in the axial direction (+X side). The second thread surface 145b is a surface that faces the other side in the axial direction (-X side). In a cross-section passing through the central axis J, the first thread surface 145a is inclined in a direction that is positioned on the other side in the axial direction as it extends radially outward. In a cross-section passing through the central axis J, the second thread surface 145b is inclined in a direction that is positioned on one side in the axial direction as it extends radially outward. That is, in a cross-section passing through the central axis J, the first thread surface 145a and the second thread surface 145b are inclined in a direction that is positioned closer to each other in the axial direction as they extend radially outward.

[0090] In this modified example, the cross-sectional shape of the threads of the first female thread portion 156 is an isosceles triangle. The threads of the first female thread portion 156 have a third thread surface 156a and a fourth thread surface 156b that face opposite each other in the axial direction. The third thread surface 156a is the surface that faces the other side in the axial direction (-X side). The fourth thread surface 156b is the surface that faces the one side in the axial direction (+X side). In a cross-section passing through the central axis J, the third thread surface 156a is inclined in a direction that is positioned on one side in the axial direction as it moves radially inward. In a cross-section passing through the central axis J, it is inclined in a direction that is positioned on the other side in the axial direction as it moves radially inward. That is, in a cross-section passing through the central axis J, the third thread surface 156a and the fourth thread surface 156b are inclined in a direction that is positioned closer to each other in the axial direction as they move radially outward.

[0091] In a cross-section passing through the central axis J, the inclination angles of the first thread surface 145a, the second thread surface 145b, the third thread surface 156a, and the fourth thread surface 156b with respect to the central axis J are defined as the first inclination angle θ11, the second inclination angle θ12, the third inclination angle θ13, and the fourth inclination angle θ14, respectively. In this modified example, the first inclination angle θ11, the second inclination angle θ12, the third inclination angle θ13, and the fourth inclination angle θ14 are equal to each other.

[0092] In this modified example, when the support cylinder portion 41 is inserted into the nut member 50, the first male thread portion 145 and the first female thread portion 156 come into contact at the first thread surface 145a and the third thread surface 156a, and receive forces from each other on opposite radial directions. As a result, the first elastic piece 52 elastically deforms radially outward, and the first female thread portion 156 overcomes the first male thread portion 145. Similarly, in this modified example, when the nut member 50 is pulled out of the support cylinder portion 41, the first male thread portion 145 and the first female thread portion 156 come into contact at the second thread surface 145b and the fourth thread surface 156b, and receive forces from each other on opposite radial directions. As a result, the first elastic piece 52 elastically deforms radially outward, and the first female thread portion 156 overcomes the first male thread portion 145. According to this modified version, the first elastic piece 52 is easily elastically deformed radially both when inserting the support cylinder portion 41 into the nut member 50 and when withdrawing the nut member 50 from the support cylinder portion 41. According to this modified version, both attaching and detaching the nut member 50 from the support member 40 can be easily performed.

[0093] In this modified example, the first inclination angle θ11 and the second inclination angle θ12 are equal to each other. Also, the third inclination angle θ13 and the fourth inclination angle θ14 are equal to each other. Therefore, the reaction force received by the installer from the nut member 50 is the same when inserting the support cylinder portion 41 into the nut member 50 and when pulling the nut member 50 out of the support cylinder portion 41. However, the first inclination angle θ11 and the second inclination angle θ12 may be set to different angles, and the third inclination angle θ13 and the fourth inclination angle θ14 may be set to different angles. This allows for adjusting the ease of insertion and removal by changing the reaction force received by the installer from the nut member 50 when inserting the support cylinder portion 41 into the nut member 50 and when pulling the nut member 50 out of the support cylinder portion 41. By reducing the first inclination angle θ11 and the third inclination angle θ13, the reaction force when inserting the support cylinder portion 41 into the nut member 50 is reduced. On the other hand, by reducing the second inclination angle θ12 and the fourth inclination angle θ14, the reaction force when pulling the nut member 50 out of the support cylinder portion 41 is reduced.

[0094] <Modification 2> The second male thread portion 177 and the second female thread portion 146 of Modification 2, which can be adopted in the above-described embodiment, will be explained with reference to Figure 10. Components identical to those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0095] Similar to the embodiment described above, the second male thread portion 177 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the fixed cylinder portion 73. The second female thread portion 146 is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the support cylinder portion 41. The second female thread portion 146 is also provided on the second elastic piece 42 provided on the support cylinder portion 41. The second male thread portion 177 and the second female thread portion 146 mesh with each other.

[0096] In this modified example, the cross-sectional shape of the threads of the second male thread portion 177 is an isosceles triangle. The threads of the second male thread portion 177 have a fifth thread surface 177a and a sixth thread surface 177b that face opposite each other in the axial direction. The fifth thread surface 177a is a surface that faces one side in the axial direction (+X side). The sixth thread surface 177b is a surface that faces the other side in the axial direction (-X side). In a cross-section passing through the central axis J, the fifth thread surface 177a is inclined in a direction that is positioned on one side in the axial direction as it extends radially outward. In a cross-section passing through the central axis J, the sixth thread surface 177b is inclined in a direction that is positioned on the other side in the axial direction as it extends radially outward. That is, in a cross-section passing through the central axis J, the fifth thread surface 177a and the sixth thread surface 177b are inclined in a direction that is positioned closer to each other in the axial direction as they extend radially outward.

[0097] In this modified example, the cross-sectional shape of the threads of the second female thread portion 146 is an isosceles triangle. The threads of the second female thread portion 146 have a seventh thread surface 146a and an eighth thread surface 146b that face opposite each other in the axial direction. The seventh thread surface 146a is the surface that faces the other side in the axial direction (-X side). The eighth thread surface 146b is the surface that faces one side in the axial direction (+X side). In a cross-section passing through the central axis J, the seventh thread surface 146a is inclined in a direction that is located on the other side in the axial direction as it moves radially inward. In a cross-section passing through the central axis J, it is inclined in a direction that is located on one side in the axial direction as it moves radially inward. That is, in a cross-section passing through the central axis J, the seventh thread surface 146a and the eighth thread surface 146b are inclined in a direction that is located on one side in the axial direction as they move radially outward.

[0098] In a cross-section passing through the central axis J, the inclination angles of the fifth thread surface 177a, the sixth thread surface 177b, the seventh thread surface 146a, and the eighth thread surface 146b with respect to the central axis J are defined as the fifth inclination angle θ15, the sixth inclination angle θ16, the seventh inclination angle θ17, and the eighth inclination angle θ18, respectively. In this modified example, the fifth inclination angle θ15, the sixth inclination angle θ16, the seventh inclination angle θ17, and the eighth inclination angle θ18 are equal to each other.

[0099] In this modified example, when inserting the fixed cylinder portion 73 into the support cylinder portion 41, the second male thread portion 177 and the second female thread portion 146 come into contact at the fifth thread surface 177a and the seventh thread surface 146a, receiving forces from each other on opposite radial directions. As a result, the second elastic piece 42 elastically deforms radially outward, causing the second female thread portion 146 to move over the second male thread portion 177. Similarly, when withdrawing the support cylinder portion 41 from the fixed cylinder portion 73, the second male thread portion 177 and the second female thread portion 146 come into contact at the sixth thread surface 177b and the eighth thread surface 146b, receiving forces from each other on opposite radial directions. As a result, the second elastic piece 42 elastically deforms radially outward, causing the second female thread portion 146 to move over the second male thread portion 177. According to this modified example, the second elastic piece 42 is easily elastically deformed radially both when inserting the fixed cylinder portion 73 into the support cylinder portion 41 and when withdrawing the support cylinder portion 41 from the fixed cylinder portion 73. According to this modified example, both attaching and detaching the case 70 from the support member 40 can be easily performed.

[0100] In this modified example, the fifth inclination angle θ15 and the sixth inclination angle θ16 are equal to each other. Also, the seventh inclination angle θ17 and the eighth inclination angle θ18 are equal to each other. Therefore, the reaction force received by the installer from the support cylinder 41 is the same when inserting the fixed cylinder 73 into the support cylinder 41 and when pulling the support cylinder 41 out of the fixed cylinder 73. However, the fifth inclination angle θ15 and the sixth inclination angle θ16 may be different angles, and the seventh inclination angle θ17 and the eighth inclination angle θ18 may be different angles. This allows for adjusting the ease of insertion and removal by changing the reaction force received by the installer from the case 70 when inserting the fixed cylinder 73 into the support cylinder 41 and when pulling the support cylinder 41 out of the fixed cylinder 73. By making the fifth inclination angle θ15 and the seventh inclination angle θ17 smaller, the reaction force when inserting the fixed cylinder 73 into the support cylinder 41 is reduced. On the other hand, by reducing the sixth inclination angle θ16 and the eighth inclination angle θ18, the reaction force when pulling the fixed cylinder portion 73 out of the support cylinder portion 41 is reduced.

[0101] <Variation 3> Figure 11 is a perspective view of the support member 240 of Modification 3, which can be adopted in the above-described embodiment. Components that are the same as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0102] The support member 240, similar to the embodiment described above, has a support cylinder portion 41 centered on the central axis J and a flange portion 48 connected to the other axial end (-X side) of the support cylinder portion 41. In this modified example of the support member 240, two projections 249 are provided on the surface of the flange portion 48 facing the other axial side (-X side). The two projections 249 are plate-shaped and extend in the radial direction. According to this modified example, the provision of projections 249 on the flange portion 48 allows the installer to grasp the projections 249 and rotate the support member 240, thereby improving the work efficiency of the installation work. In this modified example, the case in which two projections 249 are provided on the flange portion 48 has been described, but three or more projections 249 may be provided on the flange portion 48. The multiple protrusions 249 only need to project outwards from the other axial side (-X side) of the flange portion 48 and be arranged in a circumferential direction with respect to the central axis J.

[0103] <Summary> As shown in Figure 1, the antenna unit 30 of the above-described embodiment is attached to a first plate 11h which constitutes part of the housing 11 of the outdoor unit 10 of the refrigeration cycle device 100. As shown in Figure 6, the antenna unit 30 has a fixing part 30F, a case 70, an antenna substrate 31, a case 70, and a cable 32. The fixing part 30F has a support member 40 and a nut member 50 and is fixed to the first plate 11h. The case 70 is located outside A2 of the housing 11 and is fixed to the fixing part 30F. The antenna substrate 31 is located inside the case 70. The cable 32 is connected to the antenna substrate 31. The support member 40 is cylindrical with a central axis J and has a support cylinder portion 41 which is inserted into a mounting hole 11t of the first plate 11h, and a flange portion 48 which extends radially outward from the support cylinder portion 41 and contacts the inner surface 11p of the first plate 11h. The nut member 50 has a first female thread portion 56 provided on its inner circumferential surface and contacts the outer surface 11q of the first plate body 11h. The support cylinder portion 41 has a first male thread portion 45 provided on its outer circumferential surface that engages with the first female thread portion 56, and a second female thread portion 46 provided on its inner circumferential surface. The case has an opposing plate portion 72 and a fixing cylinder portion 73. The opposing plate portion 72 faces the first plate body 11h. The fixing cylinder portion 73 is cylindrical and protrudes from the opposing plate portion 72 toward the first plate body 11h, and has a second male thread portion 77 on its outer circumferential surface that engages with the second female thread portion 46. The cable 32 is guided into the interior A1 of the housing 11 through the inside of the fixing cylinder portion 73 and the mounting hole 11t. With this configuration, the case 70 can be fixed to the first plate body 11h via the fixing portion 30F. Furthermore, the attachment of the fixing part 30F to the first plate body 11h and the attachment of the case 70 to the fixing part 30F are both done by screw fixing. This simplifies the process of fixing the antenna unit 30 to the outdoor unit 10. Also, with this configuration, the antenna unit 30 can be directly fixed to the mounting hole 11t. As a result, the cable 32 can be directly guided to the mounting hole 11t via the fixing cylinder part 73 of the case 70, and the cable 32 is less likely to be exposed to the outside. Therefore, the aesthetic appearance of the outdoor unit 10 with the antenna unit 30 attached is not impaired by the exposure of the cable 32. In addition, the cable 32 can be protected from sunlight and wind and rain, suppressing deterioration of the cable 32 and improving the reliability of the antenna unit 30.

[0104] In the antenna unit 30 of the above-described embodiment, either the support cylinder portion 41 or the nut member 50 is cantilevered at one end in the axial direction and has a plurality of first elastic pieces 52 arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction. A first male thread portion 45 or a first female thread portion 56 is provided on the surface of the plurality of first elastic pieces 52 facing one side in the radial direction. With this configuration, when an installer pushes the support cylinder portion 41 into the nut member 50, one of the first male thread portion 45 or the first female thread portion 56 overcomes the other and the first elastic piece 52 elastically deforms to the other side in the radial direction. As a result, the first male thread portion 45 and the first female thread portion 56 can be engaged without rotating the nut member 50 relative to the support cylinder portion 41, thereby simplifying the installation work. In the above embodiment, the first elastic piece 52 is provided on the nut member 50, and the "surface facing one radial side of the first elastic piece" is the inner surface 52a of the first elastic piece 52. A first female thread portion 56 is provided on the inner surface 52a. When the first elastic piece 52 is provided on the support cylinder portion 41, the "surface facing one radial side of the first elastic piece" is the outer surface of the first elastic piece, and a first male thread portion is provided on this outer surface.

[0105] In the antenna unit 30 of the above-described embodiment, either the support cylinder portion 41 or the nut member 50 has a plurality of first support portions 53 arranged between the first elastic pieces 52 in the circumferential direction. The surface of the first elastic piece 52 facing the other radial side is located radially to one side of the surface of the first support portion 53 facing the other radial side. With this configuration, space can be secured in the region on the radially other side of the first elastic piece 52, between the first support portions 53 arranged in the circumferential direction, for the first elastic piece 52 to elastically deform radially to the other side.

[0106] As shown in Figure 7, in the antenna unit 30 of the above-described embodiment, the threads of the first male thread portion 45 have a first thread surface 45a facing outward (+X side) of the housing 11 in the axial direction, and a second thread surface 45b facing inward (-X side) of the housing 11 in the axial direction. The threads of the first female thread portion 56 have a third thread surface 56a facing inward (-X side) of the housing 11 in the axial direction, and a fourth thread surface 56b facing outward (+X side) of the housing 11 in the axial direction. In a cross-section passing through the central axis J, the first inclination angle θ1 of the first thread surface 45a with respect to the central axis J is smaller than the second inclination angle θ2 of the second thread surface 45b with respect to the central axis J. In a cross-section passing through the central axis J, the third inclination angle θ3 of the third thread surface 56a with respect to the central axis J is smaller than the fourth inclination angle θ4 of the fourth thread surface 56b with respect to the central axis J. With this configuration, when inserting the support cylinder portion 41 into the nut member 50, the first male thread portion 45 and the first female thread portion 56 come into contact with surfaces that have relatively small inclination angles, making it easy to elastically deform the first elastic piece 52 in the radial direction. On the other hand, when pulling the nut member 50 out of the support cylinder portion 41, the first male thread portion 45 and the first female thread portion 56 come into contact with surfaces that have relatively large inclination angles, making it difficult to elastically deform the first elastic piece 52. Therefore, with this configuration, it is possible to easily attach the nut member 50 to the support member 40 while suppressing the easy detachment of the nut member 50 from the support member 40. This makes it possible to provide an antenna unit 30 that facilitates installation work while suppressing easy detachment and enhancing security performance. Furthermore, a configuration may be adopted in which the relative magnitudes of the first inclination angle θ1 and the second inclination angle θ2 are reversed, and the relative magnitudes of the third inclination angle θ3 and the fourth inclination angle θ4 are reversed. In this case, rotation of the nut member 50 is essential when fixing the nut member 50 to the support member 40, while the nut member 50 can be detached from the support member 40 by pulling it out.

[0107] As shown in Figure 9, in the modified antenna unit 30 of the 2nd example, the threads of the first male thread portion 145 have a first thread surface 145a facing outward (+X side) of the housing 11 in the axial direction, and a second thread surface 145b facing inward (-X side) of the housing 11 in the axial direction. The threads of the first female thread portion 156 have a third thread surface 156a facing inward (-X side) of the housing in the axial direction, and a fourth thread surface 156b facing outward (+X side) of the housing 11 in the axial direction. In a cross-section passing through the central axis J, the first thread surface 145a and the second thread surface 145b are inclined in a direction that approaches each other in the axial direction as they move radially outward. In a cross-section passing through the central axis J, the third thread surface 156a and the fourth thread surface 156b are inclined in a direction that approaches each other in the axial direction as they move radially inward. With this configuration, when the first male thread portion 145 and the first female thread portion 156 make contact at the first thread surface 145a and the third thread surface 156a, and when the second thread surface 145b and the fourth thread surface 156b make contact, they exert reactive forces on each other in opposite radial directions. Therefore, when inserting the support cylinder portion 41 into the nut member 50, and when pulling the nut member 50 out of the support cylinder portion 41, the first elastic piece 52 can be elastically deformed radially, making it possible to easily attach and detach the nut member 50 to and from the support member 40.

[0108] As shown in Figure 6, in the antenna unit 30 of the above-described embodiment, one of the fixed cylinder portion 73 or the support cylinder portion 41 is cantilevered at one end in the axial direction and has a plurality of second elastic pieces 42 that are spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the central axis J. A second male thread portion 77 or a second female thread portion 46 is provided on the surface of the plurality of second elastic pieces 42 facing one side in the radial direction. With this configuration, when an installer pushes the fixed cylinder portion 73 into the support cylinder portion 41, one of the second male thread portion 77 or the second female thread portion 46 overcomes the other and the second elastic piece 42 elastically deforms to the other side in the radial direction. As a result, the second male thread portion 77 and the second female thread portion 46 can be engaged without rotating the support cylinder portion 41 relative to the fixed cylinder portion 73. In the above embodiment, the second elastic piece 42 is provided on the support cylinder portion 41, and the "surface facing one radial side of the second elastic piece" is the inner surface 42a of the second elastic piece 42. A second female thread portion 46 is provided on the inner surface 42a. When the second elastic piece 42 is provided on the fixed cylinder portion 73, the "surface facing one radial side of the second elastic piece" is the outer surface of the second elastic piece, and a second male thread portion is provided on this outer surface.

[0109] In the antenna unit 30 of the above-described embodiment, either the fixed cylinder portion 73 or the support cylinder portion 41 has a plurality of second support portions 43 arranged between the second elastic pieces 42 in the circumferential direction. The surface of the second elastic piece 42 facing the other radial side is located radially to one side of the surface of the second support portion 43 facing the other radial side. With this configuration, space can be secured in the region on the radially other side of the second elastic piece 42, between the second support portions 43 arranged in the circumferential direction, for the second elastic piece 42 to elastically deform radially to the other side.

[0110] As shown in Figure 8, in the antenna unit 30 of the above-described embodiment, the threads of the second male thread portion 77 have a fifth thread surface 77a facing the inside side (-X side) of the housing 11 in the axial direction, and a sixth thread surface 77b facing the outside side (+X side) of the housing 11 in the axial direction. The threads of the second female thread portion 46 have a seventh thread surface 46a facing the outside side (+X side) of the housing 11 in the axial direction, and an eighth thread surface 46b facing the inside side (-X side) of the housing 11 in the axial direction. In a cross-section passing through the central axis J, the fifth inclination angle θ5 of the fifth thread surface 77a with respect to the central axis J is smaller than the sixth inclination angle θ6 of the sixth thread surface 77b with respect to the central axis J. In a cross-section passing through the central axis J, the seventh inclination angle θ7 of the seventh thread surface 46a with respect to the central axis J is smaller than the eighth inclination angle θ8 of the eighth thread surface 46b with respect to the central axis J. With this configuration, when inserting the fixed cylinder portion 73 into the support cylinder portion 41, the second male thread portion 77 and the second female thread portion 46 come into contact with surfaces that have relatively small inclination angles, making it easy to elastically deform the second elastic piece 42 in the radial direction. On the other hand, when pulling the fixed cylinder portion 73 out of the support cylinder portion 41, the second male thread portion 77 and the second female thread portion 46 come into contact with surfaces that have relatively large inclination angles, making it difficult to elastically deform the second elastic piece 42. Therefore, with this configuration, it is possible to easily attach the case 70 to the support member 40 while suppressing the case 70 from easily detaching from the support member 40. This makes it possible to provide an antenna unit 30 that facilitates installation work while suppressing easy detachment and enhancing security performance. Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which the relative magnitudes of the first inclination angle θ1 and the second inclination angle θ2 are reversed, and the relative magnitudes of the third inclination angle θ3 and the fourth inclination angle θ4 are reversed. In this case, rotation of the case 70 is essential when fixing the case 70 to the support member 40, while the case 70 can be detached from the support member 40 by pulling it out.

[0111] As shown in Figure 10, in the modified antenna unit 30 of the third example, the threads of the second male thread portion 177 have a fifth thread surface 177a facing the inside side (-X side) of the housing 11 in the axial direction, and a sixth thread surface 177b facing the outside side (+X side) of the housing 11 in the axial direction. The threads of the second female thread portion 146 have a seventh thread surface 146a facing the outside side (+X side) of the housing 11 in the axial direction, and an eighth thread surface 146b facing the inside side (-X side) of the housing 11 in the axial direction. In a cross-section passing through the central axis J, the fifth thread surface 177a and the sixth thread surface 177b are inclined in a direction that approaches each other in the axial direction as they move radially outward. In a cross-section passing through the central axis J, the seventh thread surface 146a and the eighth thread surface 146b are inclined in a direction that approaches each other in the axial direction as they move radially inward. With this configuration, when the second male thread portion 177 and the second female thread portion 146 come into contact at the fifth thread surface 177a and the seventh thread surface 146a, and when the sixth thread surface 177b and the eighth thread surface 146b come into contact, they exert reactive forces on each other in opposite radial directions. Therefore, when inserting the fixed cylinder portion 73 into the support cylinder portion 41, and when pulling the fixed cylinder portion 73 out of the support cylinder portion 41, the first elastic piece 52 can be elastically deformed radially, making it easy to attach and detach the case 70 to and from the support member 40.

[0112] As shown in Figure 4, in the antenna unit 30 of the above-described embodiment, the nut member 50 has a plurality of first elastic pieces 52 that are cantilevered at one end in the axial direction and spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the central axis J. The support cylinder portion 41 has a plurality of second support portions 43 that are spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the central axis J, and a plurality of second elastic pieces 42 that are positioned between the second support portions 43 and cantilevered at one end in the axial direction. The first female thread portion 56 is provided on the radially inward-facing surface of the first elastic piece 52. The first male thread portion 45 is provided on the radially outward-facing surface of the second support portion 43. The first circumferential dimension W1 of the first elastic piece 52 is greater than the second dimension W2 between the circumferentially aligned second support portions 43. With this configuration, no matter what rotational position the nut member 50 is positioned in relative to the support cylinder portion 41, at least a portion of the first elastic piece 52 overlaps the second support portions 43 in the radial direction. This ensures that the first female thread portion 56 and the first male thread portion 45 engage regardless of the rotational position of the nut member 50.

[0113] As shown in Figure 6, the antenna unit 30 of the above-described embodiment includes a cylindrical seal bush 60 that surrounds the outer surface of the cable 32 and is sandwiched between the first plate 11h and the opposing plate portion 72. With this configuration, the seal bush 60 can prevent moisture from reaching the outer surface of the cable 32, thereby suppressing deterioration of the cable 32 caused by moisture.

[0114] In the antenna unit 30 of the above-described embodiment, the seal bush 60 has a first end face 60a that contacts the first plate body 11h and a second end face 60b that contacts the opposing plate portion 72. The first end face 60a is provided with an annular first groove 60p that surrounds the cable 32 when viewed from the axial direction. The second end face 60b is provided with an annular second groove 60q that surrounds the cable 32 when viewed from the axial direction. With this configuration, moisture attempting to penetrate the boundary between the seal bush 60 and the first plate body 11h and the opposing plate portion 72 can be captured by the first groove 60p and the second groove 60q, thereby preventing water from entering the inside of the case 70.

[0115] In the antenna unit 30 of the above-described embodiment, the case 70 has a guard cylinder portion 74 that protrudes from the opposing plate portion 72 toward the first plate body 11h. The guard cylinder portion 74 surrounds the seal bush from the radially outer side. With this configuration, the guard cylinder portion 74 can protect the seal bush 60 from sunlight and wind and rain, and suppress deterioration of the seal bush 60.

[0116] The refrigeration cycle device 100 of the above-described embodiment comprises the antenna unit 30, an outdoor unit 10 to which the antenna unit 30 is attached, an indoor unit 20, and a circulation path section 18 for circulating refrigerant between the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20. With this configuration, a refrigeration cycle device 100 that performs wireless communication with an external base station can be provided.

[0117] Although embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, this disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments described above. For example, in the embodiments described above, the case in which the antenna unit is attached to the front of the outdoor unit was described, but the antenna unit may be attached to other surfaces such as the side, back, or top of the outdoor unit. Also, in the embodiments and their modifications described above, the case in which the cross-sectional shape of each screw thread is triangular was described, but the cross-sectional shape of the screw thread may also be trapezoidal. In the embodiments described above, the case in which the flange portion extends radially outward from the entire circumference in the circumferential direction relative to the support cylinder portion was described, but the flange portion may extend radially outward from multiple locations spaced apart in the circumferential direction relative to the support cylinder portion. In the embodiments described above, the number of first elastic pieces and the number of second elastic pieces are both 3 and coincide with each other, but there may be multiple first elastic pieces and second elastic pieces, and their numbers may differ from each other. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0118] 10…Outdoor unit, 11,21…Housing, 11h…First plate (plate), 11p…Inner surface, 11q…Outer surface, 11t…Mounting hole, 18…Circulation path section, 19…Refrigerant, 20…Indoor unit, 30…Antenna unit, 30F…Fixing section, 31…Antenna substrate, 32…Cable, 40,240…Support member, 41…Support cylinder section, 42…Second elastic piece, 43…Second support column section, 45,145…First male thread section, 45a,145a…First thread surface, 45b,145b…Second thread surface, 46,146…Second female thread section, 46a,146a…Seventh thread surface, 46b,146b…Eighth thread Thread surface, 48...Flange section, 50...Nut member, 52...First elastic piece, 53...First support column section, 56,156...First female thread section, 56a,156a...Third thread surface, 56b,156b...Fourth thread surface, 60...Seal bush, 60a...First end face, 60b...Second end face, 60p...First groove section, 60q...Second groove section, 70...Case, 72...Opposite plate section, 73...Fixed cylinder section, 74...Guard cylinder section, 77,177...Second male thread section, 77a,177a...Fifth thread surface, 77b,177b...Sixth thread surface, 100...Refrigeration cycle device, A1...Internal, A2...External, J...Central axis

Claims

1. An antenna unit attached to a plate that constitutes part of the casing of the outdoor unit of a refrigeration cycle system, A fixing part having a support member and a nut member and fixed to the plate body, A case that is placed outside the housing and fixed to the fixing part, An antenna board placed inside the aforementioned case, The antenna board is connected to a cable, The aforementioned support member is A support cylinder portion that is cylindrical with respect to the central axis and is inserted into the mounting hole of the plate body, It has a flange portion that extends radially outward from the support cylinder portion with respect to the central axis and contacts the inner surface of the plate body, The nut member has a first female threaded portion provided on its inner circumferential surface and contacts the outer surface of the plate body, The aforementioned support cylinder portion is A first male thread portion is provided on the outer circumferential surface and engages with the first female thread portion, A second female thread portion is provided on the inner circumferential surface, A plurality of second elastic pieces are cantilevered at one end in the axial direction of the central axis and are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the central axis, It has a plurality of second support columns arranged between the second elastic pieces in the circumferential direction, The aforementioned case is, The plate body and the opposing plate portion, It has a cylindrical fixed cylinder portion that protrudes from the opposing plate portion toward the plate body side, and has a second male thread portion on its outer circumferential surface that engages with the second female thread portion, The cable is guided into the interior of the housing through the inside of the fixing cylinder and the mounting hole. The second female thread portion is provided on the radially inward-facing surface of the plurality of second elastic pieces. The radially outward-facing surface of the second elastic piece is located radially inward-facing than the radially outward-facing surface of the second support column. Antenna unit.

2. The support cylinder portion or the nut member, one of them, is cantilevered at one end in the axial direction and has a plurality of first elastic pieces that are spaced apart in the circumferential direction. The surface of the plurality of first elastic pieces facing one side in the radial direction is provided with the first male thread portion or the first female thread portion. The antenna unit according to claim 1.

3. The support cylinder portion or the nut member, one of the two, has a plurality of first support columns arranged between the first elastic pieces in the circumferential direction, The surface of the first elastic piece facing the other side in the radial direction is located on one side in the radial direction than the surface of the first support portion facing the other side in the radial direction. The antenna unit according to claim 2.

4. The threads of the first male thread portion have a first thread surface facing outward from the housing in the axial direction and a second thread surface facing inward from the housing in the axial direction. The threads of the first female thread portion have a third thread surface facing inward towards the housing in the axial direction, and a fourth thread surface facing outward towards the housing in the axial direction. In a cross-section passing through the central axis, the inclination angle of the first thread surface with respect to the central axis is smaller than the inclination angle of the second thread surface with respect to the central axis. In a cross-section passing through the central axis, the inclination angle of the third thread surface with respect to the central axis is smaller than the inclination angle of the fourth thread surface with respect to the central axis. The antenna unit according to claim 2.

5. The threads of the first male thread portion have a first thread surface facing outward from the housing in the axial direction and a second thread surface facing inward from the housing in the axial direction. The threads of the first female thread portion have a third thread surface facing inward towards the housing in the axial direction, and a fourth thread surface facing outward towards the housing in the axial direction. In the cross-section passing through the central axis, the first thread surface and the second thread surface are inclined in a direction that brings them closer to each other in the axial direction as they extend radially outward. In a cross-section passing through the central axis, the third thread surface and the fourth thread surface are inclined in a direction that brings them closer to each other in the axial direction as they move radially inward. The antenna unit according to claim 2.

6. The threads of the second male thread portion have a fifth thread surface facing inward towards the housing in the axial direction, and a sixth thread surface facing outward towards the housing in the axial direction, The threads of the second female thread portion have a seventh thread surface facing outward from the housing in the axial direction and an eighth thread surface facing inward from the housing in the axial direction. In a cross-section passing through the central axis, the inclination angle of the fifth thread surface with respect to the central axis is smaller than the inclination angle of the sixth thread surface with respect to the central axis. In a cross-section passing through the central axis, the inclination angle of the seventh thread surface with respect to the central axis is smaller than the inclination angle of the eighth thread surface with respect to the central axis. The antenna unit according to claim 1.

7. The threads of the second male thread portion have a fifth thread surface facing inward towards the housing in the axial direction, and a sixth thread surface facing outward towards the housing in the axial direction, The threads of the second female thread portion have a seventh thread surface facing outward from the housing in the axial direction and an eighth thread surface facing inward from the housing in the axial direction. In the cross-section passing through the central axis, the fifth thread surface and the sixth thread surface are inclined in a direction that brings them closer to each other in the axial direction as they extend radially outward. In the cross-section passing through the central axis, the seventh thread surface and the eighth thread surface are inclined in a direction that brings them closer to each other in the axial direction as they move radially inward. The antenna unit according to claim 1.

8. The nut member has a plurality of first elastic pieces that are cantilevered at one end in the axial direction and are spaced apart in the circumferential direction. The first female thread portion is provided on the surface of the first elastic piece facing radially inward, The first male thread portion is provided on the radially outward-facing surface of the second support column portion, The circumferential dimension of the first elastic piece is greater than the distance between the second support portions that are aligned in the circumferential direction. The antenna unit according to claim 1.

9. The cable is provided with a cylindrical seal bush that surrounds the outer surface of the cable and is sandwiched between the plate body and the opposing plate portion. The antenna unit according to claim 1.

10. The aforementioned seal bush is The first end surface that contacts the plate body, It has a second end face that contacts the opposing plate portion, The first end face is provided with an annular first groove that surrounds the cable when viewed from the axial direction, The second end face is provided with an annular second groove that surrounds the cable when viewed from the axial direction. The antenna unit according to claim 9.

11. The case has a guard cylinder portion that protrudes from the opposing plate portion toward the plate body side, The guard cylinder portion surrounds the seal bush from the radially outer side. The antenna unit according to claim 9.

12. An antenna unit according to any one of claims 1 to 11, The outdoor unit to which the antenna unit is attached, Indoor unit and The system includes a circulation path section for circulating refrigerant between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit. Refrigeration cycle device.

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