Blower, air conditioning device, and refrigeration cycle device

Abstract

A blower including: a plurality of blades radially provided on the outer periphery of a rotary shaft; a ring part having a joint part connecting outer peripheral edges of the plurality of blades to each other and a suction end part that extends from the joint part to a suction side and that is curved in an outer peripheral direction; and a bell mouth arranged coaxially with the ring part, surrounding the ring part, and formed with a curved part curved in an inner peripheral direction.

Description

Blowers, air conditioners, and refrigeration cycle devices

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a blower, an air conditioner, and a refrigeration cycle device.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a propeller fan having a ring provided on the outer periphery of the fan so as to connect a plurality of blades, and a bell mouth arranged on the outer periphery of the ring.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-56022

[0004] The propeller fan of Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which both the bell mouth and the ring are curved outward, so the air drawn in by the fan flows back between the bell mouth and the ring, making it impossible to improve the blowing characteristics.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a blower, an air conditioner, and a refrigeration cycle device with improved air blowing characteristics.

[0006] The blower according to the present disclosure comprises a plurality of blades arranged radially on the outer periphery of a rotating shaft, a connecting portion connecting the outer peripheries of the plurality of blades to one another, a ring portion extending from the connecting portion toward the suction side and having a suction end portion curved in the outer periphery direction, and a bell mouth arranged coaxially with the ring portion, surrounding the ring portion, and having a curved portion curved in the inner periphery direction.

[0007] An air conditioning apparatus according to the present disclosure includes the above-described blower and a pair of heat exchangers surrounding opposing side surfaces of the blower.

[0008] In addition, the refrigeration cycle device according to the present disclosure includes the above-described blower, a pair of heat exchangers surrounding opposing sides of the blower, and a refrigerant circuit through which refrigerant circulates through the heat exchangers.

[0009] The blower, air conditioner, and refrigeration cycle apparatus according to the present disclosure include a suction end of the ring portion that is curved outwardly, and a curved portion of the bell mouth that is curved inwardly, thereby preventing air from re-entering between the ring portion and the bell mouth and from leaking to the outer periphery of the blades, thereby improving the blowing characteristics.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an air conditioning apparatus having an outdoor fan according to embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of a refrigeration cycle apparatus according to embodiment 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of an outdoor fan according to embodiment 1. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of an air conditioning apparatus having an outdoor fan according to embodiment 1. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of an outdoor fan according to a comparative example. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of an air conditioning apparatus having an outdoor fan according to embodiment 2.

[0011] An outdoor fan according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, components with the same reference numerals are identical or equivalent, and will be common throughout the following embodiments. The configurations of components shown throughout the specification are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. The size relationships between components in the drawings may differ from the actual size relationships. In the present embodiment, directional terms (e.g., "up," "down," "right," "left," "front," "rear," etc.) are used as appropriate to facilitate understanding, but these terms are for explanatory purposes and do not limit the present disclosure.

[0012] Embodiment 1 (Configuration of Air Conditioning Apparatus 1) Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an air conditioning apparatus 1 having an outdoor blower 10 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the outdoor blower 10 is used in, for example, a top flow outdoor unit, and constitutes the air conditioning apparatus 1. The outdoor blower 10 is an example of a blower. The outdoor blower 10 is housed inside a housing 111 of the air conditioning apparatus 1. The air conditioning apparatus 1 is used in, for example, a railway vehicle.

[0013] The housing 111 houses a pair of outdoor heat exchangers 20. The pair of outdoor heat exchangers 20 are disposed above a bottom plate 111a of the housing 111. The housing 111 is formed with an intake port 1a through which external air is drawn in and an outlet port 1b through which air is blown out to the outside.

[0014] (Configuration of refrigeration cycle apparatus 100) Fig. 2 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of the refrigeration cycle apparatus 100 according to Embodiment 1. The refrigeration cycle apparatus 100 is configured by circulating a refrigerant through an air conditioning apparatus 1. The refrigeration cycle apparatus 100 includes an outdoor heat exchanger 20, an indoor heat exchanger 50, a compressor 30, an expansion mechanism 40, and a four-way valve 46, which are components of the air conditioning apparatus 1, and has a refrigerant circuit 100a in which the components are connected by refrigerant piping 130. The compressor 30 compresses the refrigerant.

[0015] The outdoor heat exchanger 20 is housed in the outdoor unit room 110 and exchanges heat between the refrigerant and outside air taken in by the operation of the outdoor blower 10. The indoor heat exchanger 50 is housed in the indoor unit room 120 and exchanges heat between the refrigerant and indoor air taken in by the operation of the indoor blower 60 through an intake port 1a provided in the ceiling.

[0016] The outdoor unit room 110 and the indoor unit room 120 form a housing 111, which is provided, for example, above the ceiling of the railway vehicle. The four-way valve 46 and the compressor 30 may be housed in, for example, a compressor room provided separately from the outdoor unit room 110 and the indoor unit room 120.

[0017] The refrigerant circuit 100a can selectively perform a cooling operation for cooling the indoor space and a heating operation for heating the indoor space by switching the refrigerant circulation direction using the four-way valve 46. The switching of the four-way valve 46 is performed by a control unit (not shown).

[0018] When performing cooling operation, the four-way valve 46 is set so that the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 30 circulates in the direction that leads to the outdoor heat exchanger 20, and the refrigerant circulates in the direction shown by the dashed arrow in Fig. 2. Therefore, the outdoor heat exchanger 20 functions as a condenser, and the refrigerant that has been decompressed and expanded by the expansion mechanism 40 is led to the indoor heat exchanger 50, which functions as an evaporator.

[0019] On the other hand, when heating operation is performed, the four-way valve 46 is set so that the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 30 circulates in a direction that leads to the indoor heat exchanger 50, and the refrigerant circulates in the direction indicated by the dashed arrow in Fig. 2. Therefore, the indoor heat exchanger 50 functions as a condenser, and the refrigerant that has been decompressed and expanded by the expansion mechanism 40 is led to the outdoor heat exchanger 20, which functions as an evaporator.

[0020] (Configuration of outdoor blower 10) Fig. 3 is a plan view of the outdoor blower 10 according to embodiment 1. In Fig. 3, arrow B indicates the direction of rotation. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of the air conditioning apparatus 1 having the outdoor blower 10 according to embodiment 1, showing a cross section taken along line A-A in Fig. 1. In Fig. 4, arrow C indicates the flow of air that has passed through the outdoor heat exchanger 20.

[0021] 4 , the outdoor blower 10 has a plurality of blades 101, a ring portion 102, and a bell mouth 106. The outdoor blower 10 draws in air, causes the air to flow in through an inlet 1a provided in a housing 111, passes through an outdoor heat exchanger 20, and forms an air path through which the air flows out through an outlet 1b provided in the housing 111.

[0022] Opposing sides of the outdoor blower 10 are covered by a pair of outdoor heat exchangers 20. The outdoor blower 10 is arranged so as to fit within a width G between the pair of outdoor heat exchangers 20.

[0023] The plurality of blades 101 are connected to a boss 105. The plurality of blades 101 extend radially from the outer periphery of the boss 105. The boss 105 is attached to a motor (not shown) via a drive shaft (not shown). The boss 105 rotates around a rotation axis O when driven by the motor. The plurality of blades 101 are driven to rotate by the motor via the boss 105. The plurality of blades 101 have a leading edge 101a which is an edge on the upstream side in the air flow, and a trailing edge 101b which is an edge on the downstream side in the air flow. For example, three blades 101 are provided.

[0024] The ring portion 102 is an annular portion arranged on the outer periphery of the plurality of blades 101. The ring portion 102 has an outer diameter of dimension L1. The ring portion 102 contains the plurality of blades 101. The plurality of blades 101 are housed inside the ring portion 102. The ring portion 102 rotates together with the plurality of blades 101. The ring portion 102 has a connecting portion 102a and a suction end portion 102b.

[0025] The joint portion 102a is a portion where the plurality of blades 101 are joined together. The joint portion 102a joins the outer peripheries of the plurality of blades 101 together.

[0026] The suction end 102b extends from the connecting portion 102a toward the suction side. The suction end 102b is curved toward the outer periphery of the ring portion 102. In other words, the suction end 102b is curved so that the outer diameter increases the further it is from the connecting portion 102a. The suction end 102b follows the curvature of the ring portion 102.

[0027] The provision of the ring portion 102 acts as a wall for the air flow, preventing the air from leaking out from the outer periphery of the blades 101, and enabling the airflow to be concentrated without leakage at the outer periphery of the blades 101, where the peripheral velocity is higher than that of the inner periphery. In particular, in an environment of high external static pressure, the air volume is increased, making it possible to blow out air efficiently.

[0028] The plurality of blades 101, the ring portion 102, and the boss 105 are made of, for example, a synthetic resin. The plurality of blades 101, the ring portion 102, and the boss 105 are formed by, for example, injection molding. The plurality of blades 101, the ring portion 102, and the boss 105 may be integrally formed.

[0029] The bell mouth 106 is disposed coaxially with the ring portion 102. The bell mouth 106 surrounds the ring portion 102. Like the ring portion 102, the bell mouth 106 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin, and is formed by injection molding.

[0030] The bell mouth 106 has a fixed portion 106a and a curved portion 106b. The fixed portion 106a is annular and is fixed to, for example, the outdoor heat exchanger 20. The connecting portion 102a of the ring portion 102 is located inside the fixed portion 106a. The fixed portion 106a and the curved portion 106b are bent. The fixed portion 106a and the curved portion 106b may have shapes that follow the air flow and may be connected by a curved surface.

[0031] The curved portion 106b extends from the fixed portion 106a toward the suction side and is curved inward. In other words, the curved portion 106b is curved so that the outer diameter decreases the further it is from the fixed portion 106a. The curved portion 106b encloses the suction end 102b of the ring portion 102. The tip of the curved portion 106b is located closer to the rotation axis O than the suction end 102b of the ring portion 102. The curved portion 106b may extend toward the blowing side, i.e., downstream in the air flow, as it approaches the tip. Furthermore, the tip of the curved portion 106b may be located closer to the blowing side than the tip of the suction end 102b of the ring.

[0032] When air is drawn in by driving the outdoor blower 10, the outside air passes through the outdoor heat exchanger 20 in a direction intersecting the outdoor heat exchanger 20. As the air passes through the outdoor heat exchanger 20, it exchanges heat with the refrigerant circulating inside the outdoor heat exchanger 20. The air that has passed through the outdoor heat exchanger 20 is changed by the outdoor blower 10 from a direction intersecting the outdoor heat exchanger 20 to a direction parallel to the rotation axis O. The air whose direction has been changed is guided to the curved portion 106b of the bell mouth 106, then flows along the suction end 102b of the ring portion 102, and is drawn into the ring portion 102. The air drawn into the ring portion 102 passes through the multiple blades 101, is discharged from the multiple blades 101, and is exhausted to the outside.

[0033] The multiple blades 101 of the outdoor blower 10 are joined at their outer peripheral ends by a ring portion 102. Therefore, air passing through the multiple blades 101 does not leak from the outer peripheral ends of the multiple blades 101. Furthermore, the suction end 102b of the ring portion 102 is curved toward the outer periphery, and the curved portion 106b of the bell mouth 106 arranged on the outer periphery of the ring portion 102 is curved toward the inner periphery. Therefore, even if air discharged from the ring portion 102 flows between the ring portion 102 and the bell mouth 106, the air is blocked by the suction end 102b and the curved portion 106b, preventing it from flowing back toward the suction side of the ring portion 102. This allows for low input power and low noise of the outdoor blower 10.

[0034] Comparative Example Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the outdoor fan 10 according to a comparative example. In Fig. 5, arrow D indicates the flow of air re-entering the housing 111.

[0035] 5 , the outdoor blower 10 according to the comparative example is configured such that the ring portion 102 does not have an inlet end 102b, and the curved portion 106b of the bell mouth 106 is curved in the outer circumferential direction. If the ring portion 102 does not have an inlet end 102b, and the curved portion 106b of the bell mouth 106 is curved in the outer circumferential direction, the air discharged from the ring portion 102 will flow back and re-enter between the ring portion 102 and the bell mouth 106. If air re-enters the outdoor blower 10, this will result in lower input power and lower noise levels for the outdoor blower 10.

[0036] Furthermore, the outer diameters of the multiple blades 101 of the outdoor blower 10 according to the comparative example are set to a dimension L2 that is smaller than the dimension L1. The air-blowing efficiency of the outdoor blower 10 improves as the outer diameters of the multiple blades 101 relative to the width G between the pair of outdoor heat exchangers 20 increase. However, because the multiple blades 101 are surrounded by the bell mouth 106, the outer diameters of the multiple blades 101 are set to be smaller than the fixed portion 106a of the bell mouth 106.

[0037] For this reason, when the curved portion 106b of the bellmouth 106 is curved in the circumferential direction, the fixed portion 106a of the bellmouth 106 is set to be smaller than the outer diameter of the curved portion 106b of the bellmouth 106. Furthermore, the outer diameter at the tip of the curved portion 106b is set to be smaller than the width G so as not to obstruct the air passage. Therefore, when the curved portion 106b of the bellmouth 106 is configured to be curved in the circumferential direction, the outer diameter of the multiple blades 101 relative to the width G cannot be increased, and is set to a dimension L2 that is smaller than dimension L1.

[0038] In contrast, when the curved portion 106b of the bellmouth 106 is curved inward, the curved portion 106b of the bellmouth 106 does not obstruct the airflow path, and the fixed portion 106a of the bellmouth 106 can be expanded to the same as the width G. This allows the outer diameter of the multiple blades 101 to be set to a dimension L1 that is larger than the dimension L2. Therefore, by curving the curved portion 106b of the bellmouth 106 inward, the dimension L1 of the outer diameter of the multiple blades 101 relative to the installation width G can be expanded, and the amount of air blown by the outdoor fan 10 can be increased.

[0039] The outdoor blower 10 according to the first embodiment described above includes the suction end 102b of the ring portion 102 that is curved outwardly, and the curved portion 106b of the bell mouth 106 that is curved inwardly. The ring portion 102 connects the outer peripheries of the plurality of blades 101, preventing air from leaking from the outer periphery of the plurality of blades 101. Even if air discharged from the ring portion 102 flows between the ring portion 102 and the bell mouth 106, the air is blocked by the suction end 102b and the curved portion 106b, preventing it from flowing back to the suction side of the ring portion 102. This improves the blowing characteristics of the outdoor blower 10, and enables the outdoor blower 10 to achieve lower input power and lower noise.

[0040] Furthermore, the tip of the curved portion 106b of the bell mouth 106 is located closer to the rotation axis O than the suction end 102b of the ring portion 102, and the ring portion 102 is enclosed within the bell mouth 106. This prevents air from re-entering the outdoor heat exchanger 20 from between the ring portion 102 and the bell mouth 106, and prevents air from leaking from the outer periphery of the multiple blades 101.

[0041] Furthermore, since the curved portion 106b of the bell mouth 106 extends from the suction side of the bell mouth 106, the air that has passed through the outdoor heat exchanger 20 does not leak from the outer periphery of the multiple blades 101, and can be reliably passed through the multiple blades 101 and discharged.

[0042] Furthermore, according to the air conditioner 1 pertaining to embodiment 1, the air that has passed through the pair of heat exchangers surrounding the opposing side surfaces of the outdoor blower 10 and has had its course changed is guided by the bell mouth 106 and ring portion 102 of the outdoor blower 10, and is then discharged by the outdoor blower 10. This prevents the air discharged from the ring portion 102 from flowing back to the suction side of the ring portion 102, improving the air blowing characteristics of the outdoor blower 10 and enabling the air conditioner 1 to have lower input power and lower noise.

[0043] Embodiment 2. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an air conditioning apparatus 1 having an outdoor fan 10 according to embodiment 2. The outdoor fan 10 according to embodiment 2 differs from embodiment 1 in the configuration of the curved portion 106b of the bell mouth 106. In embodiment 2, parts that are common to embodiment 1 are given the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted, and the following description will focus on the differences from embodiment 1.

[0044] As shown in Figure 6, the curved portion 106b of the bell mouth 106 extends from the fixed portion 106a of the bell mouth 106 toward the blowing side and is curved inward. The curved portion 106b is connected to the fixed portion 106a of the bell mouth 106 by a curved surface. The curved portion 106b encloses the ring portion 102 from the blowing side opposite the suction end 102b. The tip of the curved portion 106b is located closer to the rotation axis O than the suction end 102b of the ring portion 102. In addition, the tip of the curved portion 106b is located closer to the rotation axis O than the joining portion 102a of the ring portion 102.

[0045] Air drawn in by the outdoor blower 10 is adjusted by the suction end 102b of the ring portion 102 and flows in, passing through the multiple blades 101 before being discharged. On the outlet side of the outdoor blower 10, the space between the ring portion 102 and the bell mouth 106 is blocked by the curved portion 106b of the bell mouth 106, and the air discharged from the ring portion 102 is blocked by the curved portion 106b. This prevents the air discharged from the outdoor blower 10 from flowing back toward the suction side of the ring portion 102. This reduces the input power and noise of the outdoor blower 10. The fixed portion 106a and the curved portion 106b of the bell mouth 106 are not limited to being connected by a curved surface and may have a bent shape, for example, but it is preferable that the shape be in line with the air flow.

[0046] Furthermore, the outer diameter of the multiple blades 101 is dimension L3, which is larger than dimension L1. If the curved portion 106b of the bellmouth 106 extends toward the outlet side and is curved inward, there is no interference between the suction end 102b of the ring portion 102 and the curved portion 106b of the bellmouth 106. Therefore, the dimension L3 of the outer diameter of the ring portion 102 relative to the width G between the pair of heat exchangers is increased, and by further increasing the outer diameters of the multiple blades 101, the air blowing characteristics can be improved.

[0047] According to the outdoor blower 10 according to the second embodiment described above, the curved portion 106b of the bell mouth 106 extends from the discharge side of the bell mouth 106. This prevents air that has passed through the outdoor heat exchanger 20 from passing between the ring portion 102 and the bell mouth 106 and re-entering the outdoor heat exchanger 20.

[0048] 1 Air conditioning device, 1a Intake port, 1b Outlet port, 10 Outdoor blower, 20 Outdoor heat exchanger, 30 Compressor, 40 Expansion mechanism, 46 Four-way valve, 50 Indoor heat exchanger, 60 Indoor blower, 100 Refrigeration cycle device, 100a Refrigerant circuit, 101 Blade, 101a Leading edge, 101b Trailing edge, 102 Ring portion, 102a Joint portion, 102b Suction end, 105 Boss, 106 Bell mouth, 106a Fixing portion, 106b Curved portion, 110 Outdoor unit chamber, 111 Housing, 111a Bottom plate, 120 Indoor unit chamber, 130 Refrigerant piping.

Claims

1. A blower comprising: a plurality of blades arranged radially on the outer periphery of a rotating shaft; a connecting portion connecting the outer peripheries of the plurality of blades to one another; a ring portion extending from the connecting portion to the suction side and having an suction end portion curved in the outer periphery; and a bellmouth arranged coaxially with the ring portion, surrounding the ring portion, and having a curved portion curved in the inner periphery.

2. The blower according to claim 1, wherein the tip of the curved portion of the bell mouth is located closer to the rotary shaft than the suction end of the ring portion.

3. A blower according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the curved portion of the bell mouth extends from the suction side of the bell mouth.

4. A blower as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the curved portion of the bell mouth extends from the discharge side of the bell mouth.

5. An air conditioner comprising: a blower according to any one of claims 1 to 4; and a pair of heat exchangers surrounding opposing sides of the blower.

6. A refrigeration cycle device comprising: a blower according to any one of claims 1 to 4; a pair of heat exchangers surrounding opposing sides of the blower; and a refrigerant circuit through which a refrigerant circulates that flows through the heat exchangers.

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