Air conditioning unit and refrigeration cycle device

Abstract

This air conditioning unit is provided with: a blower having a centrifugal fan provided with a rotating shaft, and a casing for accommodating the centrifugal fan; and a heat exchanger provided upon the blower. The casing is formed with: a suction port for sucking air into the casing; a blowout port for blowing out the sucked air; and at least one drainage part for guiding water falling from the heat exchanger in a drainage direction, which is a direction going away from the blowout port.

Description

Air conditioning unit and refrigeration cycle device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioning unit and a refrigeration cycle device that include a heat exchanger and a centrifugal blower.

[0002] Conventionally, air conditioning units such as outdoor units generally include a heat exchanger and a blower. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes an outdoor unit of an air conditioner that includes a U-shaped heat exchanger and a sirocco fan. In the outdoor unit of Patent Document 1, the sirocco fan is exposed and located in a region surrounded by the U-shape of the heat exchanger. The U-shaped heat exchanger is positioned to cover the sirocco fan.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-257794

[0004] In the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, in which a heat exchanger is disposed above a sirocco fan, water adhering to the heat exchanger may fall onto the sirocco fan when the heat exchanger functions as an evaporator. In Patent Document 1, because the sirocco fan is exposed, water dropping from the heat exchanger may adhere to components such as the blades, rotating shaft, and fan motor of the sirocco fan. The adhering water may cause rust on metal components, resulting in malfunction of the sirocco fan. This poses a problem in that water dropping from the heat exchanger onto the blower may cause malfunction of the blower.

[0005] The present disclosure is made in light of the above-mentioned problems, and provides an air conditioning unit and a refrigeration cycle device that, in a configuration in which a heat exchanger is arranged above a blower, can prevent malfunctions of the blower caused by water falling from the heat exchanger and adhering to the blower.

[0006] The air conditioning unit of the present disclosure comprises a blower having a centrifugal fan with a rotating shaft and a casing that houses the centrifugal fan, and a heat exchanger provided on the blower, and the casing is formed with an intake port that draws air into the inside of the casing, an outlet port that blows out the drawn air, and at least one drainage section that guides water that falls from the heat exchanger in a drainage direction away from the outlet port.

[0007] The refrigeration cycle device of the present disclosure includes a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, an expansion section, and an outdoor heat exchanger, and the compressor, indoor heat exchanger, expansion section, and outdoor heat exchanger are connected by refrigerant piping to form a refrigerant circuit, and the heat exchanger of the air conditioning unit is used as at least one of the indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, the blower has a casing, and the centrifugal fan is housed in the casing. This prevents water that falls from the heat exchanger from adhering to the centrifugal fan. Furthermore, a drainage section formed in the casing guides the fallen water away from the air outlet. This prevents water from entering the casing through at least the air outlet and adhering to the centrifugal fan. This prevents malfunctions of the blower caused by water that falls from the heat exchanger and adheres to the blower.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of an air conditioning unit according to embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the internal structure of the air conditioning unit according to embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the internal structure of the air conditioning unit according to embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a blower according to embodiment 1. FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a blower according to embodiment 2. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a blower according to embodiment 2. FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a blower according to embodiment 3. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a blower according to embodiment 3. FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a blower according to embodiment 4. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a blower according to embodiment 4. FIG. 11 is a circuit diagram showing a refrigeration cycle device according to embodiment 5.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of an air conditioning unit and a refrigeration cycle apparatus 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. Also, the size relationships between components in the following drawings, including FIG. 1, may differ from the actual size relationships.

[0011] Embodiment 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of an air conditioning unit 100 according to embodiment 1. The air conditioning unit 100 is a device equipped with a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between air and a heat medium such as a refrigerant or brine inside a housing 1. The air conditioning unit 100 is a device that is an outdoor unit, an indoor unit, or an outdoor unit and an indoor unit integrated together.

[0012] Hereinafter, directions when describing the air conditioning unit 100 will be described using the terms X direction, Y direction, and Z direction. The X direction and Y direction are directions along a horizontal plane, and the X direction and the Y direction are perpendicular to each other. The Z direction is a vertical direction. Furthermore, the mutually opposite directions of the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are indicated by directions X1 and X2, directions Y1 and Y2, and directions Z1 and Z2. Direction Z1 is upward, and direction Z2 is downward. Note that these terms indicating directions are used to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure and do not limit the present disclosure.

[0013] The housing 1 of the air conditioning unit 100 has side walls extending in the Z direction and a ceiling 3. The housing 1 of this embodiment is roughly a rectangular parallelepiped and has four side walls. In Fig. 1, the four side walls are indicated as side walls 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d, respectively. The housing 1 is made of sheet metal or the like.

[0014] The housing 1 is formed with a housing air intake port 4 and a housing exhaust port 5, which are openings through which air passes. In the example of FIG. 1 , the housing air intake port 4 is formed in the side wall 2b, and the housing exhaust port 5 is formed in the side wall 2a. It is preferable that the housing air intake port 4 is formed in one of the mutually intersecting surfaces including the ceiling 3 and the side wall that constitute the housing 1, and the housing exhaust port 5 is formed in the other. Furthermore, the housing air intake port 4 may be further provided in one or more of the ceiling 3, the side wall 2c, and the side wall 2d. It is preferable that the housing air intake port 4 and the housing exhaust port 5 are provided with a grill to prevent foreign matter from entering.

[0015] Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the internal structure of the air conditioning unit 100 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the internal structure of the air conditioning unit 100 according to the first embodiment. Figs. 2 and 3 show components housed inside a housing 1 (see Fig. 1), and the housing 1 is not shown. A heat exchanger 10 and a blower 20 are provided inside the housing 1. In Fig. 2 and the subsequent figures, the direction of air flow is conceptually indicated by dashed arrows.

[0016] A blocking portion 8 that obstructs the passage of air may be provided around the heat exchanger 10, except for the area facing the outlet 26 of the blower 20. The area where the blocking portion 8 is provided is, for example, an area on the Y1 side of the heat exchanger 10 or an area on the Y2 side of the heat exchanger 10 in FIG. 2 , and FIG. 2 illustrates the blocking portion 8 located in the former area as an example. The blocking portion 8 is, for example, a metal plate. Although not shown, a heat exchanger separate from the heat exchanger 10 may be provided in the area except for the area facing the outlet 26 of the blower 20.

[0017] The heat exchanger 10 cools or heats the air by exchanging heat between the air and a heat medium such as a refrigerant or brine. When the heat medium is a refrigerant, the heat exchanger 10 functions as an evaporator or condenser of the refrigerant. In this embodiment, the heat exchanger 10 is formed in a U-shape and is positioned so that the open side of the U-shape faces downward.

[0018] The blower 20 is disposed inside the U-shaped heat exchanger 10 and passes air through the heat exchanger 10. The heat exchanger 10 is disposed around the blower 20 like a roof covering the blower 20 from above.

[0019] The heat exchanger 10 does not have to be U-shaped as long as it can be provided on the blower 20. For example, the heat exchanger 10 may be L-shaped so that the upper surface of the blower 20 faces one surface of the blower 20 on the X1 side or the X2 side.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 2, the blower 20 of this embodiment is disposed inside the heat exchanger 10 in all of the X, Y, and Z directions and does not protrude outside the heat exchanger 10. The blower 20 includes a centrifugal fan 21 and a casing 23 that houses the centrifugal fan 21. The blower 20 may be a single-suction blower that draws air from one direction, or a double-suction blower that draws air from two directions. Fig. 3 illustrates a double-suction blower 20.

[0021] The centrifugal fan 21 has a rotating shaft 22 and multiple blades, and rotates around the rotating shaft 22 connected to a motor (not shown), thereby blowing air in a centrifugal direction. The centrifugal fan 21 is a multi-blade centrifugal fan such as a sirocco fan or a turbofan. Compared to a propeller fan, the centrifugal fan 21 is less susceptible to a decrease in efficiency even when the static pressure acting on the centrifugal fan 21 increases, and therefore can suppress an increase in input power when the static pressure increases. In this embodiment, the centrifugal fan 21 is arranged so that the rotating shaft 22 extends horizontally. Furthermore, the rotating shaft 22 in this embodiment is arranged so that it extends in a direction intersecting the Y-Z plane.

[0022] The casing 23 includes an air inlet 24 and an outlet 26. When the blower 20 has a double-inlet configuration, as shown in FIG. 3 , the air inlet 24 includes a first air inlet 24a and a second air inlet 24b. The first air inlet 24a and the second air inlet 24b are formed in two opposing walls of the casing 23, sandwiching the centrifugal fan 21 between them. For ease of explanation, the positions of the first air inlet 24a and the second air inlet 24b are indicated by dashed lines in FIG. 3 . In this embodiment, the first air inlet 24a opens in the X1 direction, and the second air inlet 24b opens in the X2 direction, so that the first air inlet 24a and the second air inlet 24b face in opposite directions. The outlet 26 opens in a direction perpendicular to the opening direction of the first air inlet 24a and the second air inlet 24b, which in this embodiment is the Y2 direction. The casing 23 is arranged such that the first suction port 24a and the second suction port 24b each face the heat exchanger 10, and the air outlet 26 does not face any part of the heat exchanger 10. In the following description, unless there is a need to particularly distinguish between the first suction port 24a and the second suction port 24b, they will be referred to as suction port 24. In addition, the suction port of the blower 20 with a single suction port may also be referred to as suction port 24.

[0023] The details of the blower 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the blower 20 according to the first embodiment. In Fig. 4 and the subsequent figures, the flow direction of the water that falls from the heat exchanger 10 is conceptually indicated by solid arrows.

[0024] The casing 23 of the blower 20 has an internal air passage that rectifies the air blown out from the centrifugal fan 21. In this embodiment, the casing 23 is a scroll casing and has a peripheral wall 231 that surrounds the centrifugal fan 21. The peripheral wall 231 is a spiral wall that extends from a winding start portion 233 to a winding end portion 234. A cylindrical discharge portion 232 is provided between the winding start portion 233, the winding end portion 234, and the air outlet 26. Of the walls that make up the discharge portion 232, a flat wall that extends linearly and connects to the peripheral wall 231 at the winding end portion 234 is referred to as the upper wall 235a, and a flat wall that extends linearly and connects to the peripheral wall 231 at the winding start portion 233 is referred to as the lower wall 235b. The upper wall 235a and the lower wall 235b are collectively referred to as the flat wall 235. Observation of the series of peripheral wall 231 and flat wall 235 reveals that the curvature changes at end of turn 234 .

[0025] The casing 23 has a sidewall 236 connected to the flat wall 235 and the peripheral wall 231. The sidewall 236 has a first sidewall 236a and a second sidewall 236b that face each other across the centrifugal fan 21. The first sidewall 236a and the second sidewall 236b extend along the YZ plane. The suction port 24 is formed in the sidewall 236. In this embodiment, in a single-suction blower, the sidewall 236 in which the suction port 24 is formed is referred to as the first sidewall 236a. In a case where the blower 20 is a double-suction blower, the first suction port 24a is formed in the first sidewall 236a, and the second suction port 24b is formed in the second sidewall 236b. The first sidewall 236a and the second sidewall 236b, together with the upper wall 235a and the lower wall 235b, form the discharge portion 232.

[0026] In this embodiment, the casing 23 is arranged so that the spiral end portion 234 and the upper wall 235a are located higher than the spiral start portion 233 (see FIGS. 2 and 4). The upper wall 235a is inclined relative to the horizontal plane. In FIGS. 2 and 4, the upper wall 235a is illustrated as inclined downward from the air outlet 26 toward the peripheral wall 231. The upper wall 235a may be inclined downward toward either the first side wall 236a or the second side wall 236b.

[0027] In the air conditioning unit 100, water may adhere to the heat exchanger 10. For example, when the heat exchanger 10 functions as an evaporator, condensed water is generated and adheres to the heat exchanger 10. The water that adheres to the heat exchanger 10 falls onto the casing 23 of the blower 20 that is provided below the heat exchanger 10. In this embodiment, the upper wall 235a of the casing 23 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, so that the water slides down from the upper wall 235a due to gravity and is less likely to accumulate on the upper wall 235a.

[0028] 4, when the upper wall 235a is inclined downward toward the peripheral wall 231, water flows toward the peripheral wall 231 and slides down from the curved peripheral wall 231. Therefore, water that falls from the heat exchanger 10 is less likely to remain in the casing 23. Furthermore, water that falls onto the upper wall 235a is guided toward the peripheral wall 231, and therefore does not flow toward the outlet 26 and the inlet 24. Therefore, water can be prevented from entering the inside of the casing 23 from the outlet 26 and the inlet 24.

[0029] As described above, in this embodiment, the upper wall 235a is inclined downward toward the peripheral wall 231, thereby guiding water toward the peripheral wall 231. In other words, the upper wall 235a functions as a drainage section that guides water that has fallen from the heat exchanger 10 in the drainage direction, which is the direction toward the peripheral wall 231. Furthermore, the direction toward the peripheral wall 231 is the direction away from the air outlet 26. In this way, in this embodiment, the upper wall 235a, which functions as a drainage section, guides water in the direction away from the air outlet 26 as the drainage direction.

[0030] The effects of air conditioning unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 will be described below. Air conditioning unit 100 according to this embodiment includes a blower 20 having a centrifugal fan 21 with a rotating shaft 22 and a casing 23 that houses centrifugal fan 21, and a heat exchanger 10 provided on blower 20. Casing 23 is formed with an intake port 24 that draws air into casing 23, an outlet port 26 that blows out the drawn air, and at least one drainage portion that guides water that falls from heat exchanger 10 in a drainage direction away from outlet port 26. In this embodiment, upper wall 235a of casing 23 functions as at least one drainage portion.

[0031] According to the above configuration, because the centrifugal fan 21 is housed in the casing 23, water does not fall directly onto the centrifugal fan 21. Furthermore, water that falls from the heat exchanger 10 is drained away from the outlet 26, preventing water from entering the casing 23 through the outlet 26 and adhering to the centrifugal fan 21. In this manner, the air conditioning unit 100 of this embodiment prevents water from falling directly onto or adhering to the centrifugal fan 21, thereby preventing water from being scattered around by the centrifugal fan 21. Therefore, for example, if the centrifugal fan 21 and accessories of the blower 20 are made of metal, rust caused by water can be prevented. Therefore, the air conditioning unit 100 of this embodiment prevents malfunctions of the blower 20 caused by water that falls from the heat exchanger 10 and adheres to the blower 20.

[0032] In the air conditioning unit 100 according to this embodiment, the casing 23 of the blower 20 is a scroll casing having a spiral-shaped peripheral wall 231 extending from a spiral start portion 233 to a spiral end portion 234. The scroll casing has an upper wall 235a extending from the spiral end portion 234 to the air outlet 26, a first side wall 236a in which the air inlet 24 is formed, and a second side wall 236b opposing the first side wall 236a. The casing 23 is disposed such that the spiral end portion 234 and the upper wall 235a are positioned above the spiral start portion 233. The upper wall 235a is inclined relative to the horizontal plane and functions as at least one drainage section.

[0033] According to the above configuration, water that falls from the heat exchanger 10 onto the upper wall 235a of the casing 23 is more likely to slide down the inclined upper wall 235a and is less likely to accumulate in the casing 23. This makes it possible to prevent deterioration of the casing 23 due to accumulated water. Furthermore, the upper wall 235a, which functions as a drainage section, guides water in a direction away from the air outlet 26 as a drainage direction. This makes it possible to prevent water from entering the inside of the casing 23 from the air outlet 26 and adhering to the centrifugal fan 21.

[0034] Furthermore, in the air conditioning unit 100 according to this embodiment, the upper wall 235a of the casing 23 of the blower 20 is inclined downward from the air outlet 26 toward the peripheral wall 231. With this configuration, water that falls from the heat exchanger 10 onto the upper wall 235a of the casing 23 easily slides down toward the peripheral wall 231. This prevents water from entering the inside of the casing 23 through the air outlet 26 and adhering to the centrifugal fan 21.

[0035] Embodiment 2 In the first embodiment, an example was shown in which the upper wall 235a of the casing 23, which is inclined relative to the horizontal plane, functions as a drainage portion of the casing 23. In this embodiment, an upper wall 235a that functions as a drainage portion in a manner different from that in the first embodiment will be described. Note that in this embodiment, the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

[0036] FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a blower 20A according to the second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a view illustrating a blower 20A according to the second embodiment. FIG. 6 illustrates the blower 20A as viewed from the Y2 side toward the Y1 direction. The blower 20A according to the present embodiment has an inclined portion 237 on the upper wall 235a. The inclined portion 237 is provided so as to cover the entire upper surface of the upper wall 235a and has an inclined surface that slopes downward toward the first side wall 236a and the second side wall 236b. The inclined portion 237 does not function as an air passage provided inside the casing 23A, but is a member provided on the upper wall 235a. The inclined portion 237 may be a solid member or a hollow member. Unlike the first embodiment, the upper wall 235a does not need to be inclined relative to a horizontal plane. FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the upper wall 235a as being provided horizontally.

[0037] In this embodiment, the surface of the inclined portion 237 that slopes downward toward the first side wall 236a is referred to as the first inclined surface 237a, and the surface of the inclined portion 237 that slopes downward toward the second side wall 236b is referred to as the second inclined surface 237b. FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate an example in which the inclined portion 237 has the first inclined surface 237a and the second inclined surface 237b. In this embodiment, the first inclined surface 237a and the second inclined surface 237b of the inclined portion 237 guide water toward the first side wall 236a and the second side wall 236b. In other words, the inclined portion 237 functions as a drainage portion that guides water that falls from the heat exchanger 10 in the drainage direction, with the direction toward the side wall 236 being the drainage direction. The direction toward the side wall 236 is different from the direction toward the air outlet 26 and can be said to be a direction away from the air outlet 26. In this way, in this embodiment, the inclined portion 237, which functions as a drainage portion, guides water in a direction away from the outlet 26 as the drainage direction, thereby preventing water from entering the inside of the casing 23A from the outlet 26 and adhering to the centrifugal fan 21.

[0038] Furthermore, although not shown in the present embodiment, if blower 20A is a single-suction blower and casing 23A does not have second suction port 24b, inclined portion 237 may have only second sloping surface 237b and not first sloping surface 237a. With this configuration, water is guided toward second side wall 236b, which does not have suction port 24. The direction toward second side wall 236b can be said to be a direction away from air outlet 26 and a direction away from suction port 24.

[0039] As described above, in the air conditioning unit 100 according to this embodiment, the casing 23A of the blower 20A is a scroll casing having a spiral-shaped peripheral wall 231 extending from the spiral start portion 233 to the spiral end portion 234. The scroll casing has an upper wall 235a extending from the spiral end portion 233 to the air outlet 26, a first side wall 236a in which the air inlet 24 is formed, and a second side wall 236b facing the first side wall 236a. The scroll casing is disposed such that the spiral end portion 234 and the upper wall 235a are located above the spiral start portion 233. The upper wall 235a is provided with an inclined portion 237 that slopes downward toward the second side wall 236b, and the inclined portion 237 functions as a drainage portion.

[0040] According to the above configuration, water that falls from the heat exchanger 10 into the casing 23A slides down the inclined portion 237 that slopes downward toward the second side wall 236b, making it less likely to accumulate in the casing 23A. This prevents the casing 23A from being deteriorated by accumulated water. Furthermore, the inclined portion 237, which functions as a drainage portion, guides water in a direction away from the air outlet 26 as a drainage direction. This prevents water from entering the casing 23 through the air outlet 26 and adhering to the centrifugal fan 21.

[0041] Furthermore, in the above configuration, if the second side wall 236b does not have the second suction port 24b formed therein, the water is guided by the inclined portion 237, which functions as a drainage portion, in a direction away from the outlet 26 and the suction port 24. This prevents water from entering the inside of the casing 23A through the outlet 26 and the suction port 24 and adhering to the centrifugal fan 21.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, although not shown, the inclined portion 237 may be inclined downward from the air outlet 26 toward the peripheral wall 231. In such a configuration, even if the upper wall 235a is provided horizontally, water that falls from the heat exchanger 10 into the casing 23A tends to slide down toward the peripheral wall 231, just as in the case where the upper wall 235a is inclined downward from the air outlet 26 toward the peripheral wall 231. This further prevents water from entering the inside of the casing 23A through the air outlet 26 and adhering to the centrifugal fan 21.

[0043] Embodiment 3. In embodiment 1, the upper wall 235a functions as a drainage portion of the casing 23, and in embodiment 2, the inclined portion 237 provided on the upper wall 235a functions as a drainage portion. In this embodiment, a horizontal convex portion 238 provided on the side wall 236 and functioning as a drainage portion will be described. Note that in this embodiment, differences from embodiment 1 will be mainly described.

[0044] FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a blower 20B according to a third embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a blower 20B according to the third embodiment. FIG. 8 illustrates the blower 20B as viewed from the Y2 side toward the Y1 direction. In the blower 20B according to the present embodiment, a lateral protrusion 238 is provided on a side wall 236 of a casing 23B. The lateral protrusion 238 is provided above the suction port 24 in a convex shape that protrudes from the side wall 236 toward the outside of the casing 23B. When the blower 20B has a dual suction port, as shown in FIG. 8, the lateral protrusion 238 has a first lateral protrusion 238a provided above the first suction port 24a and a second lateral protrusion 238b provided above the second suction port 24b. The first lateral protrusion 238a is provided in a convex shape in the X1 direction from the first side wall 236a, and the second lateral protrusion 238b is provided in a convex shape in the X2 direction from the second side wall 236b. In the following description, unless there is a need to particularly distinguish between the first lateral protrusion 238a and the second lateral protrusion 238b, they will be referred to as lateral protrusion 238. The lateral protrusion 238 does not function as an air passage provided inside the casing 23B, but is a member provided on the side wall 236. The lateral protrusion 238 may be a solid member or a hollow member.

[0045] The lateral protrusion 238 is provided on the Z1 side of the suction port 24. The lateral protrusion 238 is provided on a part or all of the upper side of the suction port 24. FIG. 7 illustrates the lateral protrusion 238 having an elliptical shape with an upper edge 239 that is an upwardly convex curve and a lower edge that is a downwardly convex curve. An end 240 in the Y direction of the upper edge 239 of the lateral protrusion 238 is located outside the suction port end 25 in the Y direction of the suction port 24. In other words, the Y1-side end 240a of the upper edge 239 of the lateral protrusion 238 is located closer to the peripheral wall 231 than the suction port end 25a on the Y1 side of the suction port 24, and the Y2-side end 240b of the upper edge 239 of the lateral protrusion 238 is located closer to the air outlet 26 than the suction port end 25b on the Y2 side of the suction port 24. In the present disclosure, the horizontal distance between end 240a and end 240b of lateral convex portion 238 may be referred to as horizontal length L2 of lateral convex portion 238. Furthermore, the horizontal distance between suction port end 25a and suction port end 25b of suction port 24 may be referred to as horizontal length L1 of suction port 24. Note that lateral convex portion 238 only needs to have an upper edge 239 that is an upwardly convex curve, and the lower edge does not have to be a downwardly convex curve. For example, lateral convex portion 238 may have a semicircular shape in which upper edge 239 is an upwardly convex curve and the lower edge is a straight line.

[0046] In this embodiment, lateral protrusion 238 protrudes outward from casing 23B, and therefore functions as a drainage portion that guides water in a direction away from air outlet 26 as a drainage direction. Furthermore, end 240a of lateral protrusion 238 is located closer to Y1 than inlet end 25a of suction port 24, and end 240b of lateral protrusion 238 is located closer to Y2 than inlet end 25b of suction port 24. Therefore, water flowing along lateral protrusion 238 is guided in a direction away from suction port 24. In other words, lateral protrusion 238 guides water in a direction away from air outlet 26 and a direction away from suction port 24 as a drainage direction.

[0047] As described above, in air conditioning unit 100 according to this embodiment, first side wall 236a of casing 23B of blower 20B has lateral protrusion 238 formed thereon, protruding outward from casing 23B, in the region between upper wall 235a and air inlet 24 in the vertical direction. Lateral protrusion 238 functions as at least one drainage section.

[0048] According to the above configuration, water that falls from the heat exchanger 10 into the casing 23B and adheres to the first side wall 236a, and water that flows down from the upper wall 235a to the first side wall 236a, flows along the lateral protrusions 238 that protrude outward from the casing 23B. Because the lateral protrusions 238 protrude outward from the casing 23B, the water that flows along the lateral protrusions 238 falls due to gravity and is prevented from flowing toward the air outlet 26. This prevents water from entering the casing 23B from the air outlet 26 and adhering to the centrifugal fan 21.

[0049] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, upper edge 239 of lateral convex portion 238 is an upwardly convex curve, and horizontal length L2 is greater than horizontal length L1 of suction port 24. With this configuration, water flowing along lateral convex portion 238 slides down from end 240 of the curve of upper edge 239. At this time, because horizontal length L2 of lateral convex portion 238 is greater than horizontal length L1 of suction port 24, water is prevented from flowing toward suction port 24 located below lateral convex portion 238. This prevents water from entering casing 23B from suction port 24 and adhering to centrifugal fan 21.

[0050] Embodiment 4 In the third embodiment, an example was shown in which the horizontal convex portion 238 provided on the side wall 236 functions as a drainage portion. In this embodiment, a horizontal convex portion 248 that functions as a drainage portion provided on the side wall 236 and is different from the horizontal convex portion 238 according to the third embodiment will be described. Note that in this embodiment, the differences from the first and third embodiments will be mainly described.

[0051] FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a blower 20C according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a blower 20C according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 10 illustrates the blower 20C as viewed from the Y2 side toward the Y1 direction. The blower 20C according to this embodiment has a lateral protrusion 248 on the side wall 236 of the casing 23C. The lateral protrusion 248 is provided above the suction port 24 in a convex shape that protrudes from the side wall 236 toward the outside of the casing 23C. When the blower 20C has a dual suction port, as shown in FIG. 10, the lateral protrusion 248 has a first lateral protrusion 248a provided above the first suction port 24a and a second lateral protrusion 248b provided above the second suction port 24b. The first lateral protrusion 248a is provided in a convex shape in the X1 direction from the first side wall 236a, and the second lateral protrusion 248b is provided in a convex shape in the X2 direction from the second side wall 236b. In the following description, unless there is a need to particularly distinguish between the first lateral protrusion 248a and the second lateral protrusion 248b, they will be referred to as lateral protrusions 248.

[0052] The lateral protrusion 248 is provided on the Z1 side of the suction port 24. The lateral protrusion 248 is provided on a part or all of the upper side of the suction port 24. The lateral protrusion 248 is a plate-shaped drainage channel that slopes downward as it moves away from the air outlet 26 and closer to the peripheral wall 231. An end 250 of the lateral protrusion 248 in the Y direction is located outside the Y-direction suction port end 25 of the suction port 24. In other words, the Y1-side end 250a of the lateral protrusion 248 is located closer to the peripheral wall 231 than the Y1-side suction port end 25a of the suction port 24, and the Y2-side end 250b of the lateral protrusion 248 is located closer to the air outlet 26 than the Y2-side suction port end 25b of the suction port 24. In the present disclosure, the horizontal distance between the end 250a and the end 250b of the lateral protrusion 248 may be referred to as the length L3 of the lateral protrusion 248.

[0053] 9 illustrates a lateral protrusion 248 provided in the side wall 236 in the region between the upper wall 235a and the air inlet 24. The end 250b of the lateral protrusion 248 is located higher than the end 250a, i.e., on the Z1 side, and therefore slopes downward from the end 250b toward the end 250a. In other words, the lateral protrusion 248 slopes downward as it moves away from the air outlet 26 and closer to the peripheral wall 231. Although not shown, the end 250b of the lateral protrusion 248 may be located at the portion where the upper wall 235a and the side wall 236 are connected, and the end 250a may be located at the portion where the side wall 236 and the peripheral wall 231 are connected.

[0054] In this embodiment, lateral protrusion 248 protrudes outward from casing 23C and therefore functions as a drainage portion that guides water in the direction away from air outlet 26 as the drainage direction. Furthermore, lateral protrusion 248 is inclined downward from end 250b to end 250a, so water is guided toward peripheral wall 231. That is, lateral protrusion 2478 functions as a drainage portion that guides water that has fallen from heat exchanger 10 in the drainage direction, with the direction toward peripheral wall 231 as the drainage direction. Furthermore, end 250a of lateral protrusion 248 is located closer to Y1 than inlet end 25a of suction port 24, and end 250b of lateral protrusion 248 is located closer to Y2 than inlet end 25b of suction port 24. Therefore, water flowing along lateral protrusion 248 is guided in the direction away from suction port 24. In other words, the horizontal convex portion 248 guides water in a direction away from the air outlet 26 and away from the air inlet 24 as a drainage direction.

[0055] As described above, in air conditioning unit 100 according to the present embodiment, first side wall 236a of casing 23C of blower 20C has lateral protrusion 248 formed thereon, protruding outward from casing 23C, in the region between upper wall 235a and air inlet 24 in the vertical direction. Lateral protrusion 248 functions as at least one drainage section.

[0056] According to the above configuration, water that falls from the heat exchanger 10 into the casing 23C and adheres to the first side wall 236a, and water that flows down from the upper wall 235a to the first side wall 236a, flows along the lateral protrusions 248 that protrude outward from the casing 23C. Because the lateral protrusions 248 protrude outward from the casing 23C, the water that flows along the lateral protrusions 248 falls due to gravity and is prevented from flowing toward the air outlet 26. This prevents water from entering the interior of the casing 23B from the air outlet 26 and adhering to the centrifugal fan 21.

[0057] Furthermore, horizontal protrusion 248 according to the present embodiment slopes downward the further it is from air outlet 26 and the closer it is to peripheral wall 231, and horizontal length L3 is greater than horizontal length L1 of air inlet 24. With this configuration, water flowing along horizontal protrusion 248 slides down toward peripheral wall 231. At this time, because horizontal length L3 of horizontal protrusion 248 is greater than horizontal length L1 of air inlet 24, water is prevented from flowing toward air inlet 24 located below horizontal protrusion 248. Therefore, water can be prevented from entering casing 23C from air outlet 26 and air inlet 24 and adhering to centrifugal fan 21.

[0058] Furthermore, in this embodiment, one end 250b of lateral protrusion 248 is located at the connection between top wall 235a and first side wall 236a, and the other end 250a is located at the connection between peripheral wall 231 and first side wall 236a. With this configuration, water is more likely to flow along lateral protrusion 248 from top wall 235a toward peripheral wall 231, and water is prevented from flowing toward outlet 26 and inlet 24. This prevents water from entering casing 23C through outlet 26 and inlet 24 and adhering to centrifugal fan 21.

[0059] Embodiment 5 In this embodiment, an example of a refrigeration cycle apparatus to which an air conditioning unit 100 including the fans 20 to 20C described in Embodiments 1 to 4 is applied will be described. Fig. 11 is a circuit diagram showing a refrigeration cycle apparatus 200 according to Embodiment 5. The refrigeration cycle apparatus 200 includes a compressor 201, an indoor heat exchanger 202, an expansion section 203, an outdoor heat exchanger 204, and a refrigerant flow switching valve 206, which are connected by refrigerant piping 205 to form a refrigerant circuit.

[0060] The compressor 201 draws in a refrigerant in a low-temperature and low-pressure state, compresses the drawn refrigerant, and discharges the refrigerant in a high-temperature and high-pressure state. The compressor 201 is, for example, a capacity-controllable inverter compressor.

[0061] The indoor heat exchanger 202 exchanges heat between a heat medium on the load side, such as indoor air, and a refrigerant. The indoor heat exchanger 202 functions as an evaporator during cooling operation and as a condenser during heating operation.

[0062] The expansion section 203 is a pressure reducing valve or an expansion valve that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant and expands it.

[0063] The outdoor heat exchanger 204 exchanges heat between the outdoor air and the refrigerant. The outdoor heat exchanger 204 functions as a condenser during cooling operation and as an evaporator during heating operation.

[0064] Refrigerant flow path switching valve 206 switches the destination of the refrigerant discharged from compressor 201 between indoor heat exchanger 202 and outdoor heat exchanger 204. During cooling operation, refrigerant flow path switching valve 206 connects the discharge side of compressor 201 to outdoor heat exchanger 204 and connects the suction side of compressor 201 to indoor heat exchanger 202. During heating operation, refrigerant flow path switching valve 206 connects the discharge side of compressor 201 to indoor heat exchanger 202 and connects the suction side of compressor 201 to outdoor heat exchanger 204.

[0065] Air conditioning unit 100 equipped with blowers 20 to 20C described in Embodiments 1 to 4 is used as at least one of an indoor unit equipped with indoor heat exchanger 202 and an outdoor unit equipped with outdoor heat exchanger 204. When air conditioning unit 100 is an indoor unit, heat exchanger 10 provided in air conditioning unit 100 functions as indoor heat exchanger 202. When air conditioning unit 100 is an outdoor unit, heat exchanger 10 provided in air conditioning unit 100 functions as outdoor heat exchanger 204. In either case, water dropping from heat exchanger 10 can be prevented from entering casings 23 to 23C of blowers 20 to 20C and adhering to centrifugal fan 21, thereby preventing malfunctions of blowers 20 to 20C.

[0066] The components constituting blowers 20 to 20C described in embodiments 1 to 4 may be combined as appropriate within the scope of their compatibility. For example, the inclined portion 237 of casing 23A of blower 20A shown in embodiment 2 may be provided on top wall 235a of casing 23 of blower 20 shown in embodiment 1. Furthermore, casing 23 of blower 20 shown in embodiment 1 and casing 23A of blower 20A shown in embodiment 2 may be combined with horizontal protrusion 238 shown in embodiment 3 and horizontal protrusion 248 shown in embodiment 4, respectively.

[0067] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Housing, 2a Side wall, 2b Side wall, 2c Side wall, 2d Side wall, 3 Ceiling, 4 Housing air intake port, 5 Housing air exhaust port, 8 Blocking portion, 10 Heat exchanger, 20 Blower, 20A Blower, 20B Blower, 20C Blower, 21 Centrifugal fan, 22 Rotating shaft, 23 Casing, 23A Casing, 23B Casing, 23C Casing, 24 Intake port, 24a First intake port, 24b Second intake port, 25 Intake port end, 25a Intake port end, 25b Intake port end, 26 Outlet, 100 Air conditioning unit, 200 Refrigeration cycle device, 201 Compressor, 202 Indoor heat exchanger, 203 Expansion portion, 204 Outdoor heat exchanger, 205 Refrigerant piping, 206 Refrigerant flow path switching valve, 231 peripheral wall, 232 discharge portion, 233 winding start portion, 234 winding end portion, 235 flat wall, 235a upper wall, 235b lower wall, 236 side wall, 236a first side wall, 236b second side wall, 237 inclined portion, 237a first inclined surface, 237b second inclined surface, 238 lateral convex portion, 238a first lateral convex portion, 238b second lateral convex portion, 239 upper edge, 240 end portion, 240a end portion, 240b end portion, 248 lateral convex portion, 248a first lateral convex portion, 248b second lateral convex portion, 250 end portion, 250a end portion, 250b end portion.

Claims

1. An air conditioner unit comprising: a centrifugal fan having a rotating shaft; a casing that houses the centrifugal fan; and a heat exchanger provided above the blower, wherein the casing has a suction port for sucking air into the inside of the casing, a blowout port for blowing out the sucked air, and at least one drain part for guiding water that has dropped from the heat exchanger in a direction away from the blowout port as a drainage direction.

2. The casing is a scroll casing having a spiral peripheral wall extending from a start winding portion to an end winding portion, the scroll casing having an upper wall extending from the end winding portion to the blowout port, a first side wall in which the suction port is formed, and a second side wall facing the first side wall, and the scroll casing is arranged such that the end winding portion and the upper wall are located above the start winding portion, and the upper wall is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane and functions as the at least one drain part. The air conditioner unit according to claim 1.

3. The casing is a scroll casing having a spiral peripheral wall extending from a start winding portion to an end winding portion, the scroll casing having an upper wall extending from the end winding portion to the blowout port, a first side wall in which the suction port is formed, and a second side wall facing the first side wall, and the scroll casing is arranged such that the end winding portion and the upper wall are located above the start winding portion, and an inclined portion inclined downward toward the second side wall is provided on the upper wall, and the inclined portion functions as the at least one drain part. The air conditioner unit according to claim 1.

4. The upper wall is inclined downward from the blowout port toward the peripheral wall. The air conditioner unit according to claim 2 or 3.

5. A horizontal convex portion protruding to the outside of the casing is formed in a region between the upper wall and the suction port in the vertical direction on the first side wall, and the horizontal convex portion functions as the at least one drain part. The air conditioner unit according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. The upper edge of the horizontal convex portion is a curve convex upward, and the horizontal length is longer than the horizontal length of the suction port. The air conditioner unit according to claim 5.

7. The air-conditioning unit according to claim 5, wherein the horizontal convex portion is inclined downward so as to be away from the air outlet and closer to the peripheral wall, and the horizontal length thereof is longer than the horizontal length of the suction port.

8. The air-conditioning unit according to claim 7, wherein one end of the horizontal convex portion is located at a portion where the upper wall and the first side wall are connected, and the other end is located at a portion where the peripheral wall and the first side wall are connected.

9. A refrigeration cycle device comprising a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, an expansion portion, and an outdoor heat exchanger, wherein the compressor, the indoor heat exchanger, the expansion portion, and the outdoor heat exchanger are connected by refrigerant pipes to form a refrigerant circuit, and the heat exchanger of the air-conditioning unit according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is used as at least one of the indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger.

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