Outdoor unit of air-conditioning device

Abstract

This outdoor unit of an air-conditioning device comprises: a housing having a pair of housing side surface parts facing each other, in which one or more opening parts are formed; an outdoor heat exchanger having two heat exchange parts arranged along each of the pair of housing side surface parts in the housing; one or more centrifugal fans; a fan motor for rotationally driving the one or more centrifugal fans; and a casing in which the one or more centrifugal fans are housed, which is disposed in the housing, and in which suction ports are formed on both side surfaces facing the two heat exchange parts arranged along each of the pair of housing side surface parts. The fan motor is fixed to and supported by the casing.

Description

Air conditioning outdoor unit

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an outdoor unit of an air conditioner equipped with a fan.

[0002] An outdoor unit (hereinafter simply referred to as the outdoor unit) for an air conditioner has a rectangular housing in a plan view. The outdoor heat exchanger, which is typically L-shaped in a plan view, is divided into two I-shaped heat exchange sections that are arranged parallel to a pair of longitudinally extending side surfaces of the housing (see Patent Document 1). Each of the pair of longitudinally extending side surfaces of the housing has a plurality of openings that function as air intakes for the housing. By configuring and arranging the outdoor heat exchanger as described in Patent Document 1, a larger heat transfer area can be achieved compared to an L-shaped outdoor heat exchanger. The outdoor unit of Patent Document 1 also includes a fan housing (hereinafter also referred to as the casing) that houses two centrifugal fans. The casing is arranged within the housing so that the side surfaces with the air intakes face the pair of longitudinally extending side surfaces of the housing. In addition, in Patent Document 1, a support base that supports the centrifugal fan in a cantilevered manner is provided inside the housing, and one side of the fan motor in the axial extension direction is attached to the outdoor heat exchanger by the support base.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-173090

[0004] However, in a configuration in which the fan motor is attached to the outdoor heat exchanger or the side of the housing where the housing has an air intake, as in Patent Document 1, a fixing member (called a support in Patent Document 1) is required to secure the fan motor to the outdoor heat exchanger or the side of the housing. Because such a fixing member is provided between the outdoor heat exchanger or the side of the housing and the centrifugal fan in the air passage within the housing, the fixing member obstructs the flow of air into the centrifugal fan, increasing pressure loss. Furthermore, because the fixing member secures the fan motor to the outdoor heat exchanger or the side of the housing, dimensional tolerances must be considered to avoid interference between the fan motor and the outdoor heat exchanger or the side of the housing, which may result in the centrifugal fan being downsized. Therefore, the configuration in Patent Document 1 has the problem of reducing the airflow due to the fixing member used to attach the fan motor to the outdoor heat exchanger or the side of the housing.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in light of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an outdoor unit for an air conditioner that suppresses a reduction in air volume due to a structure for fixing a fan motor.

[0006] The outdoor unit of the air conditioning apparatus according to the present disclosure comprises a housing having a pair of opposing housing side sections each having one or more openings formed therein, an outdoor heat exchanger having two heat exchange sections arranged within the housing along each of the pair of housing side sections, one or more centrifugal fans, a fan motor that drives and rotates the one or more centrifugal fans, and a casing that houses the one or more centrifugal fans and is arranged within the housing and has intake ports formed on both sides facing the two heat exchange sections arranged along each of the pair of housing side sections, and the fan motor is fixed to and supported by the casing.

[0007] In the outdoor unit of the air conditioner according to the present disclosure, the fan motor is fixed and supported by the casing. This reduces pressure loss in the air passage within the casing compared to conventional configurations in which the fan motor is attached to the outdoor heat exchanger or the side of the casing, and also eliminates the need to downsize the centrifugal fan to avoid interference between the fan motor and the outdoor heat exchanger or the side of the casing. Therefore, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the reduction in airflow caused by a fixed fan motor structure compared to conventional configurations.

[0008] FIG. 6 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration inside the blower chamber in an outdoor unit of an air conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 1. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the blower unit of FIG. 1. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a fixing structure of a fan motor to a casing in the blower unit of FIG. 2. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the blower unit removed from the housing of FIG. 1. FIG. 10 is a side view of the upper part of the outdoor unit of FIG. 1 as viewed from the right side. FIG. 11 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration inside the blower chamber in an outdoor unit of an air conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 2. FIG. 12 is a rear view of the upper part of the blower unit of FIG. 6. FIG. 13 is a modified example of the blower unit of FIG.

[0009] Embodiments of an outdoor unit for an air conditioning system (hereinafter simply referred to as an outdoor unit) according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the present disclosure includes all possible combinations of the configurations shown in the following embodiments. In particular, the combinations of components are not limited to those in the respective embodiments; components described in one embodiment can be applied to another embodiment. The outdoor unit shown in the drawings is an example of an outdoor unit according to the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configuration shown in the drawings. In the following description, 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. Unless otherwise specified, these directional terms refer to the direction when the outdoor unit is viewed from the front (front side). In the drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same or equivalent parts, and this applies throughout the entire specification. In each drawing, the relative dimensional relationships or shapes of each component may differ from the actual ones.

[0010] Embodiment 1. Fig. 1 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration inside the blower chamber F in an outdoor unit 100 of an air conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the blower unit 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the fixing structure of the fan motor 50 to the casing 30 in the blower unit 3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the blower unit 3 removed from the housing 100a in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a side view of the upper part of the outdoor unit 100 in Fig. 1 when viewed from the right side. The configuration of the outdoor unit 100 will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 5.

[0011] The outdoor unit 100 is connected to an indoor unit (not shown) by connecting piping to form a refrigeration cycle. In the drawing, the arrow X direction represents the width direction of the outdoor unit 100, the arrow Y direction represents the depth direction of the outdoor unit 100, and the arrow Z direction represents the height direction of the outdoor unit 100. The outline arrows shown in Fig. 1 represent the direction of air flow.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1 , the outdoor unit 100 has a housing 100a that forms an outer shell. The outdoor unit 100 also includes an outdoor heat exchanger 2 and a blower unit 3, which are provided within the housing 100a. Although not shown, the outdoor unit 100 also includes a compressor that compresses the refrigerant and a control device that controls the refrigeration cycle. The compressor is, for example, a variable-capacity inverter compressor. The outdoor heat exchanger 2 exchanges heat between the refrigerant and air. The blower unit 3 blows air to the outdoor heat exchanger 2. Specifically, the control device controls the compressor frequency and the rotation speed of the fan motor 50 of the blower unit 3.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 4, the housing 100a has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. As shown in Fig. 1, the housing 100a has a front panel 11 that forms the front surface, a left side panel 13 that forms the left side, a right side panel 14 that forms the right side, and a rear panel 12 that forms the rear surface. Also, as shown in Fig. 4, the housing 100a has a top plate 15 that forms the upper surface and a bottom plate 16 that forms the lower surface.

[0014] 1 and 4, the housing 100a includes an air-blowing chamber partition plate 17 that divides the interior of the housing 100a into two spaces. As shown in FIG. 4, the air-blowing chamber partition plate 17 is installed on the bottom plate 16 of the housing 100a and divides the interior of the housing 100a into a machine chamber M (see FIG. 1) that houses a compressor (not shown) and other components, and an air-blowing chamber F that houses the air-blowing unit 3 and other components. Although not shown, refrigerant piping and a control device are arranged in the machine chamber M. The control device is arranged above the compressor. As shown in FIG. 1, the outdoor heat exchanger 2 and other components are arranged in the air-blowing chamber F.

[0015] In the following, as shown in Figure 1, the explanation will be given assuming that the machine chamber M is formed on the left side inside the housing 100a and the ventilation chamber F is formed on the right side, but it is also possible to configure it so that the ventilation chamber F is formed on the left side and the machine chamber M is formed on the right side.

[0016] 1 , in a plan view, the air blower chamber F is a space surrounded by the air blower chamber partition plate 17 and right side panel 14, which are arranged on both sides in the width direction (arrow X direction), and the front panel 11 and rear panel 12, which are arranged on both sides in the depth direction (arrow Y direction). More specifically, the air blower chamber F is a space surrounded by the air blower chamber partition plate 17, the right side panel 14, and portions of the front panel 11 and rear panel 12 to the right of the air blower chamber partition plate 17. Hereinafter, the portion of the front panel 11 that defines the front side of the air blower chamber F will be referred to as the air blower chamber front portion 11f, and the portion of the rear panel 12 that defines the rear side of the air blower chamber F will be referred to as the air blower chamber rear portion 12f.

[0017] The air chamber front portion 11f and the air chamber rear portion 12f each have a plurality of openings that penetrate the interior and exterior of the housing 100a and function as air inlets 1a. Note that the air inlet 1a may be a single opening. While only three openings are shown in each of the air chamber front portion 11f and the air chamber rear portion 12f in FIGS. 1 and 4, multiple openings are assumed to be formed in the areas of the air chamber front portion 11f and the air chamber rear portion 12f that face the outdoor heat exchanger 2. Hereinafter, the opposing air chamber front portion 11f and the air chamber rear portion 12f, each having an air inlet 1a formed therein, may be collectively referred to as a pair of housing side portions 1.

[0018] In Figure 1, when viewed in a plane, the air blower chamber F has a rectangular shape that is long in the width direction (direction of arrow X) of the outdoor unit 100, and is configured so that an intake port 1a is provided on each of the air blower chamber front portion 11f and the air blower chamber back portion 12f, which extend in the longitudinal direction of the side surfaces that form the air blower chamber F.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1 , the outdoor heat exchanger 2 has a first heat exchange section 21 and a second heat exchange section 22 that face each other. The first heat exchange section 21 and the second heat exchange section 22 each have a gap through which air passes, and are configured as, for example, a fin-and-tube heat exchanger. In the air blowing chamber F, the first heat exchange section 21 is disposed along the air blowing chamber front section 11 f, and the second heat exchange section 22 is disposed along the air blowing chamber rear section 12 f. In a plan view, the I-shaped first heat exchange section 21 and the second heat exchange section 22 are disposed along a pair of housing side sections 1 that extend in the longitudinal direction of the air blowing chamber F, thereby enabling a larger heat transfer area than when the outdoor heat exchanger 2 is a single L-shaped heat exchanger.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 4, the blower unit 3 includes a casing 30 and one or more fan structures Sf housed in the casing 30. As shown in Fig. 1, each fan structure Sf includes one or more centrifugal fans 60 and a common fan motor 50 that rotationally drives the one or more centrifugal fans 60. Each fan structure Sf generates an airflow that passes through the first heat exchange section 21 and the second heat exchange section 22 by the rotation of the one or more centrifugal fans 60 (so-called impellers).

[0021] As shown in Fig. 4, the casing 30 has a box body 30d that is configured with opposing side surfaces each having an inlet 30a formed therein and a peripheral wall having an outlet 30b formed therein. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 4, the side surfaces of the box body 30d are a front surface 31 and a back surface 32, and the peripheral walls of the box body 30d are a top surface 35, a left side surface 33 (see Fig. 2), and a bottom surface 36. The right side surface of the box body 30d is open and functions as the air outlet 30b for the casing 30.

[0022] 2 and 4 , a bell mouth 30c is formed at each suction port 30a on the front surface 31 and rear surface 32 of the casing 30. The bell mouth 30c on the front surface 31 protrudes rearward and toward the center of the suction port 30a from the edge of the suction port 30a on the front surface 31. The bell mouth 30c on the rear surface 32 protrudes forward and toward the center of the suction port 30a from the edge of the suction port 30a on the rear surface 32.

[0023] 2, the fan motor 50 has a cylindrical motor body 51 and a motor shaft 52 rotatably supported by the motor body 51. One or more centrifugal fans 60 are attached to the motor shaft 52.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2 , the centrifugal fan 60 (so-called impeller) includes a main plate 62, multiple blades 61 extending from the main plate 62, and a shroud 63 sandwiching the multiple blades 61 between the main plate 62 and the shroud 63. The main plate 62 has a central hole through which the motor shaft 52 passes and a bowl-shaped hub 62a that protrudes from the hole toward the shroud 63. The multiple blades 61 are arranged circumferentially around the hub 62a. The shroud 63 is annular. The shroud 63 is attached to the end of each blade 61 opposite the end to which the main plate 62 is attached. The central hole in the main plate 62, through which the motor shaft 52 passes, is located at the center of rotation of the centrifugal fan 60. The shroud 63 protrudes such that its inner periphery is away from the main plate 62 and toward the center of rotation.

[0025] An example configuration of the blower unit 3 shown in Fig. 4 will be described below. The casing 30 has a partition wall 37 that divides the space inside the box body 30d into upper and lower spaces, and a fan structure Sf is housed in each of the upper and lower spaces divided by the partition wall 37. As shown in Fig. 2, each fan structure Sf includes one fan motor 50 having a motor shaft 52 and two centrifugal fans 60 arranged in the extension direction of the motor shaft 52 of the fan motor 50 (hereinafter referred to as the axial direction).

[0026] As shown in Fig. 4, two suction ports 30a are formed side by side in the height direction (arrow Z direction) on each of the front surface 31 and the rear surface 32 of the casing 30. As shown in Fig. 2, an upper fan structure Sf is disposed in the upper space inside the box body 30d so that the upper suction ports 30a formed on the front surface 31 and the rear surface 32 of the casing 30 face the shrouds 63 of the two centrifugal fans 60, i.e., so that the extension direction of the motor shaft 52 is along the front-to-rear direction (arrow Y direction). Furthermore, a lower fan structure Sf is disposed in the lower space inside the box body 30d so that the lower suction ports 30a formed on the front surface 31 and the rear surface 32 of the casing 30 face the shrouds 63 of the two centrifugal fans 60, i.e., so that the extension direction of the motor shaft 52 is along the front-to-rear direction (arrow Y direction).

[0027] 4, on the open right side surface of the casing 30, the portion above the partition wall 37 functions as an air outlet 30b for the upper fan structure Sf, and the portion below the partition wall 37 functions as an air outlet 30b for the lower fan structure Sf. In other words, an air passage above the partition wall 37 and an air passage below the partition wall 37 are formed inside the box body 30d of the casing 30.

[0028] The configuration of the blower unit 3 is not limited to the configuration shown in Fig. 4. For example, the blower unit 3 may be configured such that no partition wall 37 is provided inside the box body 30d of the casing 30, and only one fan structure Sf is arranged inside the box body 30d. Alternatively, the blower unit 3 may be configured such that two or more partition walls 37 are provided inside the box body 30d, and three or more fan structures Sf are arranged inside the box body 30d.

[0029] 4, the inner surface of the casing 30 located on the outer periphery of each fan structure Sf (hereinafter referred to as air passage peripheral wall surface 30i) guides the air flowing from the centrifugal fan 60 toward the outer periphery within the casing 30 to the air outlet 30b provided on the right side of the casing 30. Therefore, it is preferable that the portion of the air passage peripheral wall surface 30i, particularly the portion opposite to the side (right side) where the air outlet 30b is provided, be formed in a curved shape that fits along the fan structure Sf.

[0030] In the example of Figure 4, the space inside the box body 30d is divided into an upper air passage and a lower air passage by a single partition 37, so that the upper and lower halves of the inner surface 33i of the left side surface 33 of the casing 30 (see Figure 2) are each curved.

[0031] 2 is viewed from the rear, the bell mouth 30c on the back surface 32 is arranged to partially overlap with the shroud 63 of the centrifugal fan 60 that faces the back surface 32, and extends further inward than the inner circumferential end 63i of the shroud 63. Also, when the blower unit 3 in Fig. 2 is viewed from the front, the bell mouth 30c on the front surface 31 is arranged to partially overlap with the shroud 63 of the centrifugal fan 60 that faces the front surface 31, and extends further inward than the inner circumferential end 63i of the shroud 63.

[0032] In this way, by arranging the bell mouth 30c and the shroud 63 so that the inner circumferential end of the bell mouth 30c is located more inward than the inner circumferential end 63i of the shroud 63, it is possible to suppress airflow leaking from the gap between the casing 30 and the centrifugal fan 60. As a result, aerodynamic performance is improved.

[0033] 3, in the first embodiment, the fan motor 50 is a double-shaft fan motor in which both end portions 52e of the motor shaft 52 protrude from both sides of the motor body 51, and a centrifugal fan 60 is attached to each end portion 52e of the motor shaft 52. That is, the centrifugal fans 60 are disposed on both sides of the motor body 51.

[0034] 2, the fan motor 50 of each fan structure Sf is attached to the casing 30. That is, the fan structure Sf is supported by the casing 30. In the first embodiment, the casing 30 has a partition plate 41 disposed between the two centrifugal fans 60 of each fan structure Sf within the box body 30d, and the motor body 51 of the fan motor 50 is fixed to the casing 30 using the partition plate 41 as the fixing member 40. The motor body 51 is disposed in the space formed between the hubs 62a of the two centrifugal fans 60, whose main plates 62 face each other.

[0035] In a conventional configuration in which the fan motor 50 is attached to the outdoor heat exchanger 2, dimensional tolerances are required for the outdoor heat exchanger 2, the fan motor 50, and one or more centrifugal fans 60 arranged within the housing 100a of the outdoor unit 100, resulting in a large size of the housing 100a. However, if the fan motor 50 is housed within the casing 30 of the blower unit 3 as part of the fan structure Sf, as in the first embodiment, there is no need to consider dimensional tolerances for interference between the outdoor heat exchanger 2 and the fan motor 50. This makes it possible to enlarge the centrifugal fan 60 or reduce the size of the housing 100a.

[0036] 2, the partition plate 41 supports the motor body 51 so that the rotation plane of the centrifugal fan 60 in the height direction (arrow Z direction) and width direction (arrow X direction) is positioned opposite the air inlet 30a on the side surface (front surface 31 or rear surface 32) of the box body 30d that faces the centrifugal fan 60. The partition plate 41 is configured to support the fan motor 50 at approximately the center in its axial direction. The fan motor 50 is stabilized by being supported at its center of gravity.

[0037] 3, the partition plate 41 is formed of, for example, a plate-like member. The partition plate 41 is provided with a motor holding portion 41a that holds the motor main body 51, and the motor holding portion 41a is formed with a shaft hole 41h in which the motor shaft 52 is disposed. The motor holding portion 41a is, for example, a recess that accommodates at least a portion of the motor main body 51 as shown in FIG. 3, and the shaft hole 41h is formed in the bottom of this recess.

[0038] 3, fixing member 40 further includes a lid portion 43 and a fastener 42 such as a screw, and is configured to cover a portion of motor main body 51 housed in a recess that is motor holding portion 41a of partition plate 41, the portion being exposed from the recess, with lid portion 43. Lid portion 43 has a flange on its outer periphery, and the flange of lid portion 43 is fixed to partition plate 41 by fastener 42.

[0039] In the outdoor unit 100 shown in Fig. 1, the casing 30 supporting the fan motor 50 is fixed within the housing 100a so as not to move during normal operation of the outdoor unit 100. As shown in Fig. 4, since the casing 30 is installed within the housing 100a, the underside 36 of the casing 30 is preferably flat, and in Fig. 4, the casing 30 has a rectangular outer shape when viewed from the air intake side (front or rear). Note that the configuration of the casing 30 is not limited to the above configuration as long as it can accommodate one or more centrifugal fans 60 and can securely mount the fan motor 50 (see Fig. 2).

[0040] As shown in Fig. 4, the outdoor unit 100 preferably includes a sliding structure 9 for pulling the blower unit 3 out from inside the housing 100a to the outside. The sliding structure 9 is formed of, for example, a rail. The sliding structure 9 will be described below with reference to Figs. 1, 4, and 5.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 1, in the outdoor unit 100, the casing 30 is installed on the bottom plate 16 (see Fig. 4) of the housing 100a and is housed in the air blower chamber F. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the sliding structure 9 is provided on the housing 100a or on both the housing 100a and the casing 30. Specifically, the sliding structure 9 is provided on at least one of the lower surface of the top plate 15 and the upper surface of the bottom plate 16 of the housing 100a. Furthermore, when the sliding structure 9 is also provided on the casing 30, it is provided on at least one of the lower side of the upper surface 35 and the upper side of the lower surface 36 of the casing 30.

[0042] 5, the sliding structure 9 is configured with a rail guide having an outer rail 92 and an inner rail 91 that slides within the groove of the outer rail 92. The outer rail 92 is provided below the upper surface 35 of the casing 30, and the inner rail 91 is provided on the lower surface of the top plate 15 of the housing 100a. While Fig. 5 illustrates the sliding structure 9 having two sets of rail guides each made up of the outer rail 92 and the inner rail 91, the number of sets of rail guides that make up the sliding structure 9 is not limited to two and may be, for example, one set.

[0043] The slide structure 9 (outer rail 92 and inner rail 91) extends in the longitudinal direction of the air chamber F (direction of arrow X), i.e., from the air chamber partition plate 17 to the right side panel 14, and guides the casing 30 to the outside of the housing 100a through the air outlet 1b of the right side panel 14. In the depth direction of the outdoor unit 100 (direction of arrow Y), the width of the air outlet 1b of the right side panel 14 is formed slightly larger than the width of the casing 30 so that the casing 30 can be pulled out.

[0044] Based on Fig. 1, the air flow in the outdoor unit 100 will be described with reference to Figs. 2 and 4. When the fan motor 50 is driven and the centrifugal fan 60 rotates, air is drawn into the housing 100a through the intake ports 1a formed in each of the pair of housing side sections 1 (front panel 11 and rear panel 12). The air drawn into the housing 100a passes through the outdoor heat exchanger 2 (first heat exchange section 21 and second heat exchange section 22) and enters the casing 30 of the blower unit 3 through the intake ports 30a formed in each of both side surfaces (front panel 31 and rear panel 32; see Fig. 2). The air that entered the casing 30 through the intake ports 30a has its direction of travel changed by approximately 90 degrees by the centrifugal fan 60 and is exhausted outward. The air exhausted from the centrifugal fan 60 to the outer periphery is guided to the air outlet 30b of the casing 30 by the air path peripheral wall surface 30i of the casing 30 (see Figure 4), and is blown out to the outside of the outdoor unit 100 through the air outlet 30b of the casing 30 and the air outlet 1b of the housing 100a.

[0045] As described above, the outdoor unit 100 of the air conditioning apparatus of the first embodiment includes a housing 100a having a pair of opposing housing side surfaces 1 with one or more openings (intake ports 1a) formed therein. The outdoor unit 100 also includes an outdoor heat exchanger 2 having two heat exchange units (first heat exchange unit 21 and second heat exchange unit 22) arranged along each of the pair of housing side surfaces 1 within the housing 100a. The outdoor unit 100 also includes one or more centrifugal fans 60, a fan motor 50 that drives the one or more centrifugal fans 60, and a casing 30 that houses the one or more centrifugal fans 60. The casing 30 is disposed within the housing 100a, and has intake ports 30a formed on both side surfaces (front surface 31 and rear surface 32) that face the two heat exchange units arranged along each of the pair of housing side surfaces 1. The fan motor 50 is fixed to and supported by the casing 30.

[0046] In this manner, in the present disclosure, the fan motor 50 is fixed and supported by the casing 30. Therefore, compared to conventional configurations in which the fan motor 50 is attached to the outdoor heat exchanger 2 or the side surface of the housing, an increase in pressure loss in the air path within the housing 100a due to the fixing member 40 of the fan motor 50 is suppressed. Also, there is no need to downsize the centrifugal fan 60 to avoid interference between the fan motor 50 and the outdoor heat exchanger 2 or the housing side surface 1 (front panel 11 or rear panel 12). Therefore, compared to conventional configurations, an increase in pressure loss is suppressed, and there is no need to downsize the centrifugal fan 60, so a decrease in air volume due to the structure for fixing the fan motor 50 (fixing member 40 in the present disclosure) can be suppressed.

[0047] Here, the heat transfer area can be increased by configuring the outdoor heat exchanger 2 with a first heat exchange section 21 and a second heat exchange section 22 facing each other and arranging these along a pair of side surfaces extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing 100a. However, in a conventional configuration in which the fan motor 50 is attached to the outdoor heat exchanger 2 or the side surface of the housing, if the air volume is significantly reduced by the fixing member (conventional support base), the heat exchange capacity cannot be exerted even if the heat transfer area can be increased by configuring the outdoor heat exchanger 2.

[0048] In the present disclosure, the one or more centrifugal fans 60 include two centrifugal fans 60, and the fan motor 50 is a double-shaft fan motor in which the two centrifugal fans 60 are arranged on either side of the motor body 51. The casing 30 has a box body 30d configured by a peripheral wall in which the air outlet 30b is formed and both side surfaces (front surface 31 and rear surface 32) in which the air inlet 30a is formed, and a partition plate 41 arranged between the two centrifugal fans 60 inside the box body 30d. The motor body 51 of the fan motor 50 is fixed to the partition plate 41 of the casing 30.

[0049] In this way, the partition plate 41 (i.e., the fixing member 40) separates the air passages of the two centrifugal fans 60 and fixes the fan motor 50 to the casing 30, resulting in an efficient structure. Furthermore, both the fan motor 50 and the partition plate 41, which is the fixing member 40, can be housed within the casing 30. Therefore, compared to a conventional configuration in which a fixing member (support base) is provided outside the casing 30 but inside the housing 100a, it is possible to further reduce pressure loss in the air passage within the housing 100a and also to reduce the size of the outdoor unit 100.

[0050] Each of the one or more centrifugal fans 60 has an annular shroud 63, and a bell mouth 30c is formed at the suction port 30a on each of both side surfaces (front surface 31 and rear surface 32) of the casing 30. The shroud 63 and the bell mouth 30c facing the shroud 63 are arranged such that the inner circumferential end of the bell mouth 30c is located more inward than an inner circumferential end 63i of the shroud 63.

[0051] By providing the bell mouth 30c and the shroud 63 in this manner, it is possible to suppress airflow leaking from the gap between the casing 30 and the centrifugal fan 60, thereby improving aerodynamic performance.

[0052] In addition, a slide structure 9 is provided in the housing 100a, or in both the housing 100a and the casing 30, for pulling out the casing 30, which houses one or more centrifugal fans 60 and has a fan motor 50 fixed thereto, from the inside of the housing 100a to the outside.

[0053] This makes it easy to pull out the blower unit 3 to the outside of the housing 100a using the slide structure 9, and facilitates maintenance of the fan motor 50 even when the fan motor 50 is fixed to the casing 30. In addition, the outdoor unit is easy to assemble.

[0054] The housing 100a has a top plate 15 that forms the upper surface and a bottom plate 16 that forms the bottom surface, and the sliding structure 9 is provided on at least one of the lower surface of the top plate 15 and the upper surface of the bottom plate 16 of the housing 100a. In this case, the casing 30 itself can be configured to be pulled out along the sliding structure 9 of the housing 100a, and the sliding structure 9 can be simplified.

[0055] Embodiment 2 Fig. 6 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration inside the blower chamber F in the outdoor unit 100 of an air conditioner according to Embodiment 2. Fig. 7 is a rear view of the upper portion of the blower unit 103 in Fig. 6. Based on Figs. 6 and 7 and with reference to Figs. 1, 3 and 4, the outdoor unit 100 of Embodiment 2 will be described. In Embodiment 2, the configuration of the fan motor 150 differs from that in Embodiment 1. Note that in Embodiment 2, components that have the same functions and actions as those in Embodiment 1 are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0056] 6 , in the second embodiment, the fan motor 150 is a single-shaft fan motor in which one end 152e of the motor shaft 152 protrudes from one side of the motor body 51. Two centrifugal fans 60 are connected to and attached to the end 152e protruding from the motor shaft 152. In other words, two centrifugal fans 60 are arranged on one side of the motor body 51.

[0057] In the second embodiment, the fan motor 150 of each fan structure Sf is also attached to the casing 130. That is, the fan structure Sf is supported by the casing 130. However, in the second embodiment, the casing 130 has a fixing member 140 provided on one of both side surfaces (the front surface 31 and the rear surface 32) of the box body 30d, and the fixing member 140 fixes the motor body 51 of the fan motor 150 to the box body 30d of the casing 130. That is, the fan motor 150 is supported by the casing 130 in a cantilevered manner. Furthermore, even in the configuration in which the fan motor 150 is supported in a cantilevered manner as in the second embodiment, the fan motor 150 may be fixed to the side surface (the front surface 31 or the rear surface 32) of the box body 30d by the fixing member 140 so that the entire fan motor 150 is enclosed within the casing 130.

[0058] In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the fan motor 150 is attached to the casing 130 of the blower unit 103, so that the dimensional tolerance for interference between the outdoor heat exchanger 2 (see Figure 1) and the fan motor 50 can be reduced compared to the conventional case.

[0059] In the following description, it is assumed that the fixing member 140 is provided on the rear surface 32 of the box body 30d as shown in Fig. 6. However, the fixing member 140 may also be provided on the front surface 31 of the box body 30d.

[0060] 6 and 7 , the fixing member 140 supports the motor body 51 so that the rotation plane of each centrifugal fan 60 in the height direction (arrow Z direction) and width direction (arrow X direction) is positioned opposite the air inlet 30a on the side surface (front surface 31 or rear surface 32) of the box body 30d that faces the centrifugal fan 60. The fixing member 140 is configured to support the fan motor 150 at its rear end in the axial direction (i.e., the motor body 51). Two centrifugal fans 60 are attached to a portion (end 152e) of the motor shaft 152 that protrudes forward from the motor body 51.

[0061] As shown in Fig. 7, the fixing member 140 is formed, for example, from a plate-like member. The fixing member 140 has a motor holding portion 140a in the approximate center that holds the motor main body 51 (see Fig. 6), a fixing portion 140b that is fixed to the outer periphery of the suction port 30a on the back surface 32 of the box body 30d, and a connecting portion 140c that connects the motor holding portion 140a and the fixing portion 140b. The motor holding portion 140a may have any configuration as long as it can hold the motor main body 51. For example, as shown in Fig. 3, the motor holding portion 140a may have a configuration in which a portion of the motor main body 51 is accommodated in a recess and a lid portion 43 is fixed with fasteners 42 such as screws.

[0062] As shown in Fig. 7, a through hole 145 is formed in the connection portion 140c to minimize obstruction of the airflow caused by the fan structure Sf. In Fig. 7, when viewed from the back of the blower unit 103, the fixing member 140 has a rectangular shape that is long in the width direction (direction of arrow X), and the left and right ends of the fixing member 140 each serve as fixing portions 140b, which are fixed to the back surface 32 of the casing 30 by screws or the like (not shown). In the height direction (direction of arrow Z), the width Hf of the fixing member 140 is smaller than the opening width Ho of the suction port 30a, and the fixing member 140 is open at the top and bottom at the suction port 30a.

[0063] The shape and orientation of the fixing member 140 are not limited to those described above. For example, when the fixing member 140 is rectangular, the longitudinal direction of the fixing member 140 may be aligned with the height direction (arrow Z direction), and the upper and lower ends of the fixing member 140 may each serve as fixing portions 140b. Alternatively, for example, the fixing member 140 may be circular, and the outer periphery of the fixing member 140 may serve as fixing portion 140b. Even in this case, obstruction of the airflow can be minimized by providing a plurality of through holes 145 in the connection portion 140c between the central motor holding portion 140a and the outer periphery fixing portion 140b.

[0064] 6, the casing 130 has a partition plate 141 disposed within the box body 30d between the two centrifugal fans 60 of each fan structure Sf. The partition plate 141 has a shaft hole 141h through which the motor shaft 152 is disposed. By providing the partition plate 141, the air passages of the two centrifugal fans 60 can be separated.

[0065] In the above example of the second embodiment, each fan structure Sf is defined as including one fan motor 150 and two centrifugal fans 60. However, each fan structure Sf may include one fan motor 150 and one centrifugal fan 60. In the second embodiment, the fan motor 150 is fixed by a fixing member 140 to either the front surface 31 or the back surface 32 of the box body 30d, where the air inlet 30a is provided. Therefore, the partition plate 141 of the second embodiment, which corresponds to the partition plate 41 of the first embodiment, may be omitted. In a configuration in which multiple fan structures Sf are provided within the casing 130 as shown in FIG. 4, the fixing member 140 may be provided individually for each fan motor 150, or the fixing members 140 of the multiple fan motors 150 may be configured so as to be continuous with each other. When the fixing members 140 of multiple fan motors 150 are configured to be continuous with each other, the fixing member 140 can be configured, for example, from a single plate-like member extending in the height direction (arrow Z direction) along the back surface 32 or front surface 31 of the box body 30d.

[0066] In a configuration in which each fan structure Sf includes one fan motor 150 and one centrifugal fan 60, the shroud 63 is arranged to face the front surface 31 or the back surface 32 of the casing 130 when the fan structure Sf is housed in the casing 130. The shroud 63 and the bell mouth 30c facing the shroud 63 in one centrifugal fan 60 constituting the fan structure Sf are preferably arranged such that the inner circumferential end of the bell mouth 30c is located more inward than the inner circumferential end 63i of the shroud 63.

[0067] FIG. 8 shows a modified example of the blower unit 103 shown in FIG. 8. In the modified example shown in FIG. 8, the outer surface 133o of the portion of the peripheral wall of the casing 130 facing the air outlet 30b (left side surface 133) is formed in a shape that follows the curved inner surface 33i. In a configuration in which two fan structures Sf, one above the other, are arranged within the casing 130 as shown in FIG. 4, the outer surface 133o of the left side surface 133 facing the air outlet 30b in the peripheral wall has curved upper and lower halves, similar to the inner surface 33i of the left side surface 133. Note that FIG. 8 shows only the upper half of the blower unit 103.

[0068] As described above, in the outdoor unit 100 of the air conditioner according to the second embodiment, the fan motor 150 is fixed to and supported by the casing 130, just as in the first embodiment. Therefore, in the second embodiment, just like the first embodiment, an effect is obtained in that a reduction in air volume due to a structure in which the fan motor 150 is fixed can be suppressed compared to the conventional configuration.

[0069] In the second embodiment, the fan motor 150 is a single-shaft fan motor in which one or more centrifugal fans 60 are arranged on one side of the motor body 51. The casing 130 has a box body 30d that is composed of a peripheral wall in which the air outlet 30b is formed and both side surfaces (front surface 31 and rear surface 32), and a fixing member 140 that is provided on one of the both side surfaces of the box body 30d and that fixes the motor body 51 of the fan motor 150.

[0070] In this case, the fixing member 140 only needs to be provided on either of the two side surfaces (front surface 31 and back surface 32) of the casing 130 on which the intake port 30a is formed, so it is easier to install the fixing member 140 in the casing 130 than when it is provided inside the casing 130.

[0071] The fixing member 140 also has a central motor holding portion 140a to which the motor main body 51 is fixed. The fixing member 140 also has a fixing portion 140b fixed to the edge of the suction port 30a on one of the two side surfaces of the box body 30d on which the fixing member 140 is provided, and a connecting portion 140c connecting the motor holding portion 140a and the fixing portion 140b. The fixing member 140 is made of a plate-like member. A through hole 145 is formed in the connecting portion 140c.

[0072] As a result, even if the fixing member 140 is provided on the front surface 31 or back surface 32 of the casing 130 to facilitate installation of the fixing member 140, the opening area of ​​the intake port 30a can be secured by the through hole 145, and the reduction in air volume due to the fixing member 140 can be minimized.

[0073] 1 Housing side portion, 1a Intake port, 1b Outlet port, 2 Outdoor heat exchanger, 3 Blower unit, 9 Sliding structure, 11 Front panel, 11f Blower chamber front portion, 12 Rear panel, 12f Blower chamber rear portion, 13 Left side panel, 14 Right side panel, 15 Top plate, 16 Bottom plate, 17 Blower chamber partition plate, 21 First heat exchange portion, 22 Second heat exchange portion, 30 Casing, 30a Intake port, 30b Outlet port, 30c Bell mouth, 30d Box body, 30i Air passage peripheral wall surface, 31 Front surface, 32 Rear surface, 33 Left side surface, 33i Inner surface, 35 Upper surface, 36 Lower surface, 37 Partition wall, 40 Fixing member, 41 Partition plate, 41a Motor holding portion, 41h Shaft hole, 42 Fixing device, 43 Lid portion, 50 Fan motor, 51 Motor body, 52 Motor shaft, 52e End portion, 60 Centrifugal fan, 61 Blade, 62 Main plate, 62a Hub, 63 Shroud, 63i Inner peripheral end, 91 Inner rail, 92 Outer rail, 100 Outdoor unit, 100a Housing, 103 Blower unit, 130 Casing, 133 Left side surface, 133o Outer surface, 140 Fixing member, 140a Motor holding portion, 140b Fixing portion, 140c Connection portion, 141 Partition plate, 141h Shaft hole, 145 Through hole, 150 Fan motor, 152 Motor shaft, 152e End portion, F Blower chamber, Hf Width, Ho Opening width, M Machine chamber, Sf Fan structure.

Claims

1. An outdoor unit for an air conditioning device comprising: a housing having a pair of opposing housing side portions each having one or more openings formed therein; an outdoor heat exchanger having two heat exchange portions arranged within the housing along each of the pair of housing side portions; one or more centrifugal fans; a fan motor for driving and rotating the one or more centrifugal fans; and a casing which houses the one or more centrifugal fans, the casing being disposed within the housing and having suction ports formed on both sides facing the two heat exchange portions arranged along each of the pair of housing side portions, the fan motor being fixed to and supported by the casing.

2. An outdoor unit for an air conditioning apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more centrifugal fans include two centrifugal fans, the fan motor is a double-shaft fan motor in which the two centrifugal fans are arranged on either side of a motor body, the casing has a box body formed by a peripheral wall having an air outlet and both side surfaces, and a partition plate arranged between the two centrifugal fans within the box body, and the motor body of the fan motor is fixed to the partition plate of the casing.

3. An outdoor unit for an air conditioning apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the fan motor is a single-shaft fan motor in which the one or more centrifugal fans are arranged on one side of the motor body, and the casing has a box body constituted by a peripheral wall having an air outlet formed therein and both side surfaces, and a fixing member provided on either of the both side surfaces of the box body for fixing the motor body of the fan motor.

4. An outdoor unit for an air conditioning apparatus as described in claim 3, wherein the fixing member is made of a plate-like material and has a central motor holding portion to which the motor body is fixed, a fixing portion fixed to the edge of the suction port on one of the two side surfaces of the box body on which the fixing member is provided, and a connecting portion connecting the motor holding portion and the fixing portion, and a through hole is formed in the connecting portion.

5. An outdoor unit for an air conditioning apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein each of the one or more centrifugal fans has a circular shroud, a bell mouth is formed at the suction port on each of both side surfaces of the casing, and the shroud and the bell mouth opposing the shroud are arranged such that the inner end of the bell mouth is located more inward than the inner end of the shroud.

6. An outdoor unit for an air conditioning apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the housing, or both the housing and the casing, are provided with a slide structure for pulling the casing, in which the one or more centrifugal fans are housed and to which the fan motor is fixed, from inside to outside the housing.

7. An outdoor unit for an air conditioning apparatus as described in claim 6, wherein the housing has a top plate that forms the upper surface and a bottom plate that forms the bottom surface, and the sliding structure is provided on at least one of the underside of the top plate and the upper surface of the bottom plate in the housing.

Images