Air conditioner

Abstract

This air conditioner comprises: a housing in which an intake port for sucking in air is formed on a side, a blowout port for blowing out air that was sucked in from the intake port is formed at an upper part, and an air passage is formed between the intake port and the blowout port; a heat exchanger provided in the air passage; a blower provided in the air passage above the heat exchanger; and a fan guard that has screw holes into which screws are inserted on a front side end part and a rear side end part, and that covers an upper part of the blower. The housing has openings formed at a front surface upper part and a rear surface upper part. The housing comprises: upper end frames provided on the upper side of the respective openings, the upper end frames having, on an upper part thereof, screw holes into which screws are inserted; and upper side panels each having an eaves part protruding from an upper end to the blowout port side, the upper side panels covering the opening and the upper end frame at the front surface upper part, and the opening and the upper end frame at the rear surface end upper part, respectively. The front side end part of the fan guard is fixed with screws to the upper end frame provided on the front surface of the housing, and the rear side end part of the fan guard is fixed with screws to the upper end frame provided on the rear surface of the housing. The upper parts of the screws are covered by the eaves parts of the upper side panels.

Description

air conditioner

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioner equipped with a blower.

[0002] Conventionally, air conditioners equipped with a blower have been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses an air conditioner including a housing having an intake section formed laterally to draw in air and an outlet section formed upward to blow out the air drawn in from the intake section, with an air passage formed between the intake section and the outlet section, a heat exchanger disposed in the air passage, a fan unit disposed in the air passage above the heat exchanger, and a mounting member for attaching the fan unit to the housing. In this air conditioner, a machine chamber accommodating, for example, a compressor is formed in the lower part of the housing. A heat exchange chamber is formed above the machine chamber of the housing, accommodating the heat exchanger and having sides formed by panels. A cylindrical bell mouth is formed above the heat exchange chamber of the housing. The bell mouth is also formed with an outlet section for blowing air upward, and a fan is housed within the outlet section. A fan guard is attached to the bell mouth, covering the upper part of the fan, and the outer periphery of the fan guard is fixed to the bell mouth. That is, the fan guard that covers the upper part of the fan has its outer periphery fixed to a bell mouth that protrudes upward from a panel that forms the side surface of the heat exchange chamber of the housing.

[0003] International Publication No. 2017 / 094056

[0004] In Patent Document 1, screws are used to fasten the outer periphery of the fan guard to the bell mouth of the housing. The outer periphery of the fan guard is located outside the upper end of the bell mouth, which protrudes upward from the panel that forms the side of the heat exchange chamber of the housing, and the screws are fastened from the outside of the outer periphery of the fan guard so that the screws are horizontal relative to the bell mouth. In other words, the screw heads are exposed to the outside and are directly exposed to rainwater. This has led to the problem that the screws corrode, causing problems such as poor tightening, which can cause the screws to come loose and the fan guard to fly off.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an air conditioner that can suppress corrosion of screws while preventing the fan guard from flying off.

[0006] The air conditioner according to the present disclosure comprises a housing having an intake port formed at a side thereof for drawing in air and an outlet port formed at an upper portion thereof for blowing out the air drawn in from the intake port, with an air passage formed between the intake port and the outlet port, a heat exchanger provided in the air passage, a blower provided in the air passage above the heat exchanger, and a fan guard having screw holes at a front end and a rear end into which screws are inserted and covering the upper part of the blower, the housing having openings formed at an upper front surface and an upper rear surface thereof, and having screw holes at an upper portion into which the screws are inserted, The fan guard is provided with an upper frame on the upper side, and an upper panel having a canopy portion protruding from the upper end toward the air outlet side, and covering the opening and the upper frame at the upper part of the front surface, and the opening and the upper frame at the upper part of the rear surface, respectively. The front end of the fan guard and the upper frame provided on the front surface of the housing, and the rear end of the fan guard and the upper frame provided on the rear surface of the housing are each fixed with the screws, and the tops of the screws are each covered by the canopy portion of the upper panel.

[0007] According to the air conditioner according to the present disclosure, corrosion of the screws can be suppressed while the fan guard can be prevented from flying off.

[0008] 10 is a circuit diagram showing an air conditioner according to embodiment 1. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an outdoor unit according to embodiment 1. FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing an enlarged view of the upper front surface of the outdoor unit shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which the upper front panel has been removed from the outdoor unit shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing an upper front panel according to embodiment 1. FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing an upper rear panel according to embodiment 1. FIG. 16 is a schematic side view showing an enlarged view of the upper vertical cross section of the outdoor unit according to embodiment 1. FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing an enlarged view of the portion viewed from arrow A in FIG. 7. FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing an enlarged view of the portion viewed from arrow C in FIG. 8. FIG. 17 is a schematic view showing an enlarged view of the portion viewed from arrow B in FIG. 7. FIG. 18 is a schematic view showing an enlarged view of the portion viewed from arrow D in FIG. 10. FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing an outdoor unit according to a modified example of embodiment 1.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of an air conditioner according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described below. Furthermore, in the following drawings, including FIG. 1, the size relationships between the components may differ from the actual size relationships. Furthermore, in the following description, terms indicating directions are used as appropriate to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure, but these terms are used only to explain the present disclosure and do not limit the present disclosure. Examples of terms indicating directions include "up," "down," "right," "left," "front," and "rear."

[0010] Embodiment 1. Figure 1 is a circuit diagram showing an air conditioner 1 according to embodiment 1. The air conditioner 1 is a device that conditions the air in a space to be air-conditioned, and as shown in Figure 1, includes an outdoor unit 2 and an indoor unit 3. The outdoor unit 2 is provided with, for example, a compressor 6, a flow path switching device 7, a heat exchanger 8, a blower 9, an expansion section 10, and a control box 13. The indoor unit 3 is provided with, for example, an indoor heat exchanger 11 and an indoor blower 12. However, the components of the outdoor unit 2 and the indoor unit 3 are not limited to those described above; for example, the expansion section 10 and the control box 13 may be provided in the indoor unit 3 rather than the outdoor unit 2.

[0011] The refrigerant circuit 4 is configured by connecting a compressor 6, a flow switching device 7, a heat exchanger 8, an expansion section 10, and an indoor heat exchanger 11 via refrigerant piping 5. The compressor 6 draws in refrigerant at low temperature and low pressure, compresses the drawn refrigerant, and discharges it at high temperature and high pressure. The compressor 6 is, for example, a capacity-controllable inverter compressor. The flow switching device 7 is, for example, a four-way valve, and switches the direction in which the refrigerant flows in the refrigerant circuit 4.

[0012] The heat exchanger 8 exchanges heat between, for example, outdoor air and the refrigerant. The heat exchanger 8 functions as a condenser during cooling operation and as an evaporator during heating operation. The expansion section 10 is a pressure reducing valve or expansion valve that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant to expand it. The expansion section 10 is, for example, an electronic expansion valve whose opening is adjustable.

[0013] The indoor heat exchanger 11 exchanges heat between, for example, indoor air and a refrigerant. The indoor heat exchanger 11 acts as an evaporator during cooling operation and as a condenser during heating operation. The indoor blower 12 is a device that sends indoor air to the indoor heat exchanger 11. The control box 13 is a box that houses a control board that controls the operation of the air conditioner 1.

[0014] (Operation Modes, Cooling Operation) Next, the operation modes of the air conditioner 1 will be described. First, the cooling operation will be described. In cooling operation, the refrigerant drawn into the compressor 6 is compressed by the compressor 6 and discharged in a high-temperature, high-pressure gas state. The high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 6 passes through the flow switching device 7 and flows into the heat exchanger 8, which functions as a condenser. In the heat exchanger 8, the refrigerant exchanges heat with outdoor air sent by the blower 9, condensing and liquefying. The condensed liquid refrigerant flows into the expansion section 10, where it expands and is decompressed to become a low-temperature, low-pressure, two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant. The two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant then flows into the indoor heat exchanger 11, which functions as an evaporator. In the indoor heat exchanger 11, the refrigerant exchanges heat with indoor air sent by the indoor blower 12, evaporating and gasifying. At this time, the indoor air is cooled, and the room is cooled. The evaporated refrigerant in a low-temperature, low-pressure gas state passes through the flow switching device 7 and is sucked into the compressor 6 .

[0015] (Operation Mode, Heating Operation) Next, the heating operation will be described. In the heating operation, the refrigerant drawn into the compressor 6 is compressed by the compressor 6 and discharged in a high-temperature, high-pressure gas state. The high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 6 passes through the flow switching device 7 and flows into the indoor heat exchanger 11, which functions as a condenser. In the indoor heat exchanger 11, the refrigerant exchanges heat with the indoor air sent by the indoor blower 12, condensing and liquefying. At this time, the indoor air is heated, and heating is performed in the room. The condensed liquid refrigerant flows into the expansion section 10, where it expands and decompresses to become a low-temperature, low-pressure, two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant. The two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant then flows into the heat exchanger 8, which functions as an evaporator. In the heat exchanger 8, the refrigerant exchanges heat with the outdoor air sent by the blower 9, evaporating and gasifying. The evaporated low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant passes through the flow switching device 7 and is drawn into the compressor 6.

[0016] The air conditioner 1 does not necessarily have to have the flow path switching device 7. In this case, the air conditioner 1 becomes a dedicated cooling machine or a dedicated heating machine.

[0017] (Outdoor unit 2) Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the outdoor unit 2 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the upper front surface of the outdoor unit 2 shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the outdoor unit 2 shown in Fig. 3 with the upper front surface panel 27 removed. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the upper front surface panel 27 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the upper rear surface panel 28 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the outdoor unit 2 has a housing 20, a heat exchanger 8, and a blower 9. The outdoor unit 2 is a top-blowing type in which air introduced from the blower 9 is blown out from above.

[0018] (Housing 20) The housing 20 has a box-like shape, with an air intake 20a formed on the side for drawing in air, an air outlet 20b formed on the upper side for blowing out the air drawn in through the air intake 20a, and an air passage formed between the air intake 20a and the air outlet 20b. In the first embodiment, the air intake 20a of the housing 20 is formed on both side surfaces and the rear surface of the housing 20, but this is not limited thereto. The housing 20 includes a bottom panel 21, four pillars 22, a front panel 23, a pair of upper side panels 24, an upper front frame 25, an upper rear frame 26 (see FIG. 10 described later), an upper front panel 27, an upper rear panel 28, and a fan guard 29. Hereinafter, the upper front frame 25 and the upper rear frame 26 are collectively referred to as the upper frame, and the upper front panel 27 and the upper rear panel 28 are collectively referred to as the upper panel.

[0019] The bottom panel 21 is a rectangular plate-like member placed on the floor. The pillars 22 are rod-like members extending upward from the four corners of the bottom panel 21. As shown in FIG. 4 , the pillars 22 have multiple (two in the first embodiment) screw holes 22a formed along the height (vertical) direction. Furthermore, a screw hole (not shown) is formed at the upper end of the pillar 22. The screw hole at the upper end of the pillar 22 is located at the same position as the screw 62 in FIG. 4 . As shown in FIG. 2 , the front panel 23 is a rectangular plate-like member covering the front surface. The front panel 23 is provided between the two pillars 22 on the front side so that it can be opened and closed during maintenance of the internal components of the outdoor unit 2.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 4 , a front opening 20c is formed in the upper front portion of the housing 20, and the upper front frame 25 is a rectangular plate-like member provided above the front opening 20c and constituting the upper end of the front surface of the housing 20. A plurality of (six in the first embodiment) screw holes 25a (see FIG. 9 , described later) are formed in the upper portion of the upper front frame 25 along the width (left-right) direction. The positions of the plurality of screw holes 25a in the upper portion of the upper front frame 25 are the same as the positions where the screws 61 in FIG. 4 are attached. Furthermore, screw holes (not shown) are formed in both left and right ends of the upper front frame 25. The positions of the screw holes in the both left and right ends of the upper front frame 25 are the same as the positions where the screws 62 in FIG. 4 are attached. A rear opening 20d (see FIG. 10 , described later) is formed in the upper rear portion of the housing 20, and the upper rear frame 26 is a rectangular plate-like member provided above the rear opening 20d and constituting the upper end of the rear surface of the housing 20. A plurality of (six in the first embodiment) screw holes 26a (see FIG. 11 described later) are formed along the width (left-right) direction in the upper part of the upper rear frame 26. Screw holes (not shown) are also formed in both left and right ends of the upper rear frame 26. A lower rear frame (not shown), which is a rectangular plate-like member, is provided below the rear opening 20d.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2 , the pair of upper side panels 24 are rectangular plate-like members provided on the upper side between the two pillars 22 on the side surfaces. As shown in FIG. 5 , the upper front panel 27 has a canopy portion 27c protruding from its upper end toward the rear side (i.e., toward the air outlet 20b), and is a rectangular plate-like member covering the front opening 20c and the upper front frame 25. The upper front panel 27 is provided between the two pillars 22 on the front side and between the upper front frame 25 and the front panel 23 so as to be openable and closable for maintenance of the blower 9. Furthermore, multiple (two in the first embodiment) screw holes 27a are formed in the height (up-down) direction at both left and right ends of the upper front panel 27. Furthermore, multiple (two in the first embodiment) screw holes 27b are formed in the width (left-right) direction at the lower end of the upper front panel 27. As shown in FIG. 6 , the upper rear panel 28 is a rectangular plate-like member having a canopy portion 28c that protrudes from its upper end toward the front side (i.e., toward the air outlet 20b) and covers the rear opening 20d and the upper rear frame 26. The upper rear panel 28 is openably and closably disposed between the two rear pillars 22 and between the upper rear frame 26 and the lower rear frame (not shown) so that it can be opened and closed during maintenance of the blower 9. Furthermore, a plurality of screw holes 28a (two in the first embodiment) are formed along the height (vertical) direction at both left and right ends of the upper rear panel 28. Furthermore, a plurality of screw holes 28b (two in the first embodiment) are formed along the width (horizontal) direction at the lower end of the upper rear panel 28.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 2, a heat exchanger 8 is provided below the upper side panel 24. A heat exchanger 8 is also provided below the upper rear panel 28. The fan guard 29 is a rectangular plate-like member that is fixed to the upper front frame 25 and the upper rear frame 26 and covers the top surface of the blower 9 and the housing 20. A plurality of (six in the first embodiment) screw holes 29a, 29b are formed in the front and rear ends of the fan guard 29 along the width (left-right) direction. The positions of the plurality of screw holes 25a in the front end of the fan guard 29 are the same as the positions where the screws 61 in Fig. 4 are attached.

[0023] 2, the heat exchangers 8 are provided between two pillars 22 on both side surfaces and the rear surface of the housing 20. That is, three heat exchangers 8 are provided, and they are arranged in a U-shape. Note that, although the first embodiment illustrates a case where three heat exchangers 8 are arranged in a U-shape, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the heat exchangers 8 may be arranged in a V-shape or in some other arrangement.

[0024] (Blower 9) Figure 7 is a schematic side view showing an enlarged upper portion of a vertical cross section of the outdoor unit 2 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 7, the blower 9 includes an impeller 30 and a bell mouth 40. The blower 9 is provided in a position surrounded by the upper front panel 27, the pair of upper side panels 24, and the upper rear panel 28 of the outdoor unit 2. In other words, the blower 9 is provided above the heat exchanger 8 in the vertical direction. As a result, air drawn in from the heat exchanger 8 below the outdoor unit 2 passes through the heat exchanger 8, enters the housing 20, and then passes through the upper blower 9 to be blown out from the top of the housing 20.

[0025] (Impeller 30) The impeller 30 is a member having a plurality of blades that is rotationally driven by a motor. The axis AX of the impeller 30 is aligned in the vertical direction.

[0026] (Bell mouth 40) As shown in Fig. 7, the bell mouth 40 is a cylindrical member that covers the outer periphery of the impeller 30 and rectifies the air introduced by the rotation of the impeller 30. The bell mouth 40 has an intake section 41 and an outlet section 42 provided above the intake section 41. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 4, a plurality of (two in the first embodiment) screw holes 40a are formed in the front surface of the lower end of the bell mouth 40. Similarly, a plurality of (two in the first embodiment) screw holes (not shown) are formed in the rear surface of the lower end of the bell mouth 40.

[0027] 7, suction section 41 is attached to the upper part of housing 20 and is a cylindrical member into which air introduced by the rotation of impeller 30 is drawn. The diameter of suction section 41 decreases from bottom to top. That is, the diameter of suction section 41 decreases from the upstream side to the downstream side of the air flow.

[0028] (Blowout Section 42) The blowout section 42 is a cylindrical member connected to the entire suction section 41 on the side where air introduced by the rotation of the impeller 30 is blown out. The blowout section 42 extends from the suction section 41 at a uniform inclination angle. This simplifies the shape. Furthermore, the blowout section 42 has a central portion 42c in the front-to-rear direction at the end opposite the suction section 41, which is recessed downward. In other words, the bellmouth 40 has a shape in which the upper end of the central portion 42c in the front-to-rear direction is recessed downward. Here, the fan guard 29 is originally a flat, rectangular plate-like member, but when fixed to the upper front frame 25 and the upper rear frame 26, the central portion 42c in the front-to-rear direction bends downward by approximately 7 to 8 mm due to its own weight. Therefore, taking into consideration the deflection of the fan guard 29, the bell mouth 40 is shaped so that the upper end of the central part 42c in the front-to-rear direction is recessed downward by approximately 7 mm to 8 mm, thereby preventing the fan guard 29 from coming into contact with the bell mouth 40.

[0029] Fig. 8 is an enlarged schematic view of the portion viewed from arrow A in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is an enlarged schematic view of the portion viewed from arrow C in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is an enlarged schematic view of the portion viewed from arrow B in Fig. 7. Fig. 11 is an enlarged schematic view of the portion viewed from arrow D in Fig. 10. Next, a method for attaching the upper front frame 25, the upper rear frame 26, the fan guard 29, the upper front panel 27, and the upper rear panel 28 will be described.

[0030] First, the upper front frame 25 and the upper rear frame 26 are attached. The upper front frame 25 is positioned so that the screw holes (not shown) at both left and right ends thereof overlap with the screw holes (not shown) at the upper ends of the pillars 22. In this state, screws 62 are inserted into each of the overlapping screw holes so that the heads of the screws 62 are positioned on the front side, and the frame is rotated to secure the frame (see FIG. 4). The upper rear frame 26 is also positioned so that the screw holes (not shown) at both left and right ends thereof overlap with the screw holes (not shown) at the upper ends of the pillars 22. In this state, screws 62 are inserted into each of the overlapping screw holes so that the heads of the screws 62 are positioned on the front side, and the frame is rotated to secure the frame.

[0031] Next, the fan guard 29 is attached. The fan guard 29 is attached with the upper front frame 25 and the upper rear frame 26 fixed to the pillars 22 with screws. As shown in FIGS. 8 to 11 , the fan guard 29 is positioned above the upper front frame 25 and the upper rear frame 26 so that the multiple screw holes 29a at its front end overlap with the multiple screw holes 25a in the upper front frame 25, and the multiple screw holes 29b at its rear end overlap with the multiple screw holes 26a in the upper rear frame 26. In this state, screws 61 are inserted into the overlapping screw holes 29a and 25a, and the overlapping screw holes 29b and 26a, respectively, so that the heads of the screws 61 are positioned above the overlapping screw holes 29a and 25a, and the overlapping screw holes 29b and 26a, and then rotated to secure the fan guard 29. At this time, the fan guard 29 does not come into contact with the pair of upper side panels 24. This is to prevent rattle noises that may occur when the fan guard 29 comes into contact with the pair of upper side panels 24 when the outdoor unit 2 is in operation.

[0032] Next, the upper front panel 27 and the upper rear panel 28 are attached. The upper front panel 27 and the upper rear panel 28 are attached with the fan guard 29 fixed to the upper front frame 25 and the upper rear frame 26 with screws. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6 , the upper front panel 27 is positioned so that the multiple screw holes 27a at its left and right ends overlap with the multiple screw holes 22a in the two front-side columns 22, and so that the multiple screw holes 27b at its lower end overlap with the multiple screw holes 40a on the front surface of the lower end of the bell mouth 40, and as shown in FIGS. 8 to 11 , the eaves 27c covers the tops of the screws 61 inserted into the multiple screw holes 29a at the front end of the fan guard 29 (i.e., the heads of the screws 61). In this state, screws 60 are inserted into the overlapping screw holes 27a and 22a so that the heads of the screws 60 are positioned on the front side, and the panels are rotated to secure the panels in place. Similarly, a screw 63 is inserted into each of the overlapping screw holes 27b and 40a so that the head of the screw 60 is positioned on the front side, and then rotated and fixed (see FIG. 3).

[0033] The upper rear panel 28 is positioned so that the multiple screw holes 28a at its left and right ends overlap with the multiple screw holes 22a in the two rear pillars 22, the multiple screw holes 28b at its lower end overlap with the multiple screw holes (not shown) in the rear surface of the lower end of the bell mouth 40, and the eaves 28c cover the tops of the screws 61 (i.e., the heads of the screws 61) inserted into the multiple screw holes 29b at the rear end of the fan guard 29. In this state, screws 60 are inserted into the overlapping screw holes 28a and 22a so that the heads of the screws 60 are positioned on the rear side, and the screws are rotated to secure the panel. Similarly, screws 63 are inserted into the overlapping screw holes 28b and 22a so that the heads of the screws 60 are positioned on the rear side, and the screws are rotated to secure the panel.

[0034] 9 and 11, gaps G are formed between the top of the screws 61 and the eaves portion 27c of the upper front panel 27, and between the top of the screws 61 and the eaves portion 28c of the upper rear panel 28. Although not shown, cushioning materials are provided between the upper front panel 27 and the upper front frame 25, and between the upper rear panel 28 and the upper rear frame 26.

[0035] As described above, the upper front frame 25, the upper rear frame 26, the fan guard 29, the upper front panel 27, and the upper rear panel 28 are attached. In this manner, the tops of the screws 61 that secure the fan guard 29 are covered by the eaves 27c of the upper front panel 27 or the eaves 27c of the upper rear panel 28, respectively. This prevents the heads of the screws 61 from being exposed to the outside and being directly exposed to rainwater, thereby preventing corrosion of the screws 61. Furthermore, the tops of the screws 61 that secure the fan guard 29 are covered by the eaves 27c of the upper front panel 27 or the eaves 28c of the upper rear panel 28. This prevents the screws 61 and the fan guard 29 from flying off even if the screws 61 come loose. Furthermore, a gap G is formed between the top of the screw 61 and the eaves portion 27c of the upper front panel 27, and between the top of the screw 61 and the eaves portion 28c of the upper rear panel 28. Here, when the outdoor unit 2 is operating, if the screw 61 is not loosened, the screw 61 does not contact the upper front panel 27 or the upper rear panel 28, and no rattle noise occurs. However, if the screw 61 loosens and comes into contact with the upper front panel 27 or the upper rear panel 28, rattle noise occurs. Therefore, by forming the gap G, it is possible to tell when the screw 61 has loosened. This gap G is set to 1.8 mm to 3.2 mm so that if the screw 61 is not loosened, the screw 61 does not contact the upper front panel 27 or the upper rear panel 28, and if the screw 61 is loosened, the screw 61 comes into contact with the upper front panel 27 or the upper rear panel 28. Furthermore, buffer materials are provided between the upper front panel 27 and the upper-end front frame 25, and between the upper rear panel 28 and the upper-end rear frame 26, so that the paint is not scraped off due to vibration and friction when the outdoor unit 2 is in operation.

[0036] Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing an outdoor unit 2A according to a modified example of Embodiment 1. In Embodiment 1, the outdoor unit 2 is described as having two fans 9 as shown in Fig. 2, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the outdoor unit 2A may have one fan 9 as shown in Fig. 12.

[0037] As described above, the air conditioner 1 according to the first embodiment includes a housing 20 having an air intake 20a formed on the side for drawing in air and an air outlet 20b formed on the upper side for blowing out the air drawn in through the air intake 20a, with an air passage formed between the air intake 20a and the air outlet 20b, a heat exchanger 8 provided in the air passage, a blower 9 provided in the air passage above the heat exchanger 8, and a fan guard 29 having screw holes 29a, 29b at the front and rear ends for inserting screws 61 and covering the upper side of the blower 9. The housing 20 also includes openings formed on the upper front and rear sides, upper frames having screw holes at the top for inserting screws 61, and upper panels having eaves protruding from the upper ends toward the air outlet 20b, and covering the openings and upper frame at the upper front side and the openings and upper frame at the upper rear side, respectively. In addition, the front end of the fan guard 29 and the upper end frame provided on the front surface of the housing 20, and the rear end of the fan guard 29 and the upper end frame provided on the rear surface of the housing 20 are each fixed with screws 61, and the tops of the screws 61 are each covered by the eaves of the upper panel.

[0038] In the air conditioner 1 according to embodiment 1, the front end of the fan guard 29 and the upper frame provided on the front surface of the housing 20, and the rear end of the fan guard 29 and the upper frame provided on the rear surface of the housing 20, are respectively fastened with screws 61, and the tops of the screws 61 are covered by the eaves of the upper panel. That is, because the tops of the screws 61 are covered by the eaves of the upper panel, the tops of the screws 61 are prevented from being exposed to the outside and being directly exposed to rainwater, thereby preventing corrosion of the screws 61. Furthermore, because the tops of the screws 61 are covered by the eaves of the upper panel, even if the screws 61 come loose, the eaves prevent the screws 61 and the fan guard 29 from flying off. Therefore, corrosion of the screws 61 is prevented while preventing the fan guard 29 from flying off.

[0039] Furthermore, in the air conditioner 1 according to embodiment 1, the front end of the fan guard 29 is positioned above the upper frame provided on the front surface of the housing 20, and the screws 61 are inserted into the screw holes in the fan guard 29 and the upper frame so that the heads of the screws 61 are positioned above, and the rear end of the fan guard 29 is positioned above the upper frame provided on the rear surface of the housing 20, and the screws 61 are inserted into the screw holes in the fan guard 29 and the upper frame so that the heads of the screws 61 are positioned above.

[0040] According to the air conditioner 1 according to the first embodiment, the same effects as those described above can be obtained.

[0041] Furthermore, in the air conditioner 1 according to the first embodiment, a gap G is formed between the top of each screw 61 and the eaves portion of the upper panel.

[0042] According to the air conditioner 1 according to the first embodiment, by forming the gap G, it is possible to detect when the screw 61 has loosened.

[0043] Furthermore, in the air conditioner 1 according to Embodiment 1, the blower 9 is provided with an impeller 30 that is rotationally driven by a motor and has a plurality of blades, and a cylindrical bell mouth 40 that covers the outer periphery of the impeller 30 and straightens the air. The bell mouth 40 has a shape in which the upper end of a central portion 42c in the front-to-rear direction is recessed downward.

[0044] According to the air conditioner 1 of embodiment 1, the bell mouth 40 has a shape in which the upper end of the central portion 42c in the front-to-rear direction is concave downward, thereby preventing the fan guard 29 from coming into contact with the bell mouth 40.

[0045] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Air conditioner, 2 Outdoor unit, 2A Outdoor unit, 3 Indoor unit, 4 Refrigerant circuit, 5 Refrigerant piping, 6 Compressor, 7 Flow path switching device, 8 Heat exchanger, 9 Blower, 10 Expansion section, 11 Indoor heat exchanger, 12 Indoor blower, 13 Control box, 20 Housing, 20a Air intake, 20b Air outlet, 20c Front opening, 20d Rear opening, 21 Bottom panel, 22 Pillar section, 22a Screw hole, 23 Front panel, 24 Upper side panel, 25 Upper front frame, 25a Screw hole, 26 Upper rear frame, 26a Screw hole, 27 Upper front panel, 27a Screw hole, 27b Screw hole, 27c Eaves section, 28 Upper rear panel, 28a Screw hole, 28b Screw hole, 28c Eaves portion, 29 fan guard, 29a screw hole, 29b screw hole, 30 impeller, 40 bell mouth, 40a screw hole, 41 suction portion, 42 blowing portion, 42c center portion, 60 screw, 61 screw, 62 screw, 63 screw, AX shaft, G gap.

Claims

1. a housing having an air intake port formed on a side thereof for sucking in air, an air outlet formed on an upper side thereof for blowing out the air sucked through the air intake port, and an air passage formed between the air intake port and the air outlet; a heat exchanger provided in the air passage; a blower provided in the air passage above the heat exchanger; a fan guard having screw holes at a front end and a rear end for receiving screws and covering an upper portion of the blower; The housing includes: There are openings at the top of the front and back. an upper end frame having screw holes at an upper portion thereof into which the screws are inserted and provided above each of the openings; an upper panel having an eave portion protruding from an upper end toward the air outlet, the upper panel covering the opening and the upper end frame at the upper front surface and the opening and the upper end frame at the upper rear surface, the front end of the fan guard and the upper end frame provided on the front surface of the housing, and the rear end of the fan guard and the upper end frame provided on the rear surface of the housing are fixed together with the screws, The tops of the screws are covered by the eaves of the upper panel. Air conditioner.

2. the front end of the fan guard is disposed above the upper frame provided on the front surface of the housing, and the screws are inserted into the screw holes of the fan guard and the upper frame so that the heads of the screws are positioned above; The rear end of the fan guard is disposed above the upper frame provided on the rear surface of the housing, and the screws are inserted into the screw holes of the fan guard and the upper frame so that the heads of the screws are positioned above. The air conditioner according to claim 1.

3. A gap is formed between the top of the screw and the eaves of the upper panel.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The blower is an impeller that is rotationally driven by a motor and has a plurality of blades; a cylindrical bell mouth that covers the outer periphery of the impeller and rectifies the air, The bell mouth is The upper end of the center in the front-to-rear direction is recessed downward. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2.