Indoor unit of air conditioning device

Abstract

An indoor unit of an air conditioning device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises an indoor heat exchanger, a housing, and a refrigerant sensor. Refrigerant piping that can be connected to an outdoor unit is connected to one end of the indoor heat exchanger. The housing has a heat exchange chamber that accommodates the indoor heat exchanger and a portion of the refrigerant piping, an opening, and a lid part that covers the opening. The refrigerant sensor is attached to the lid part and detects refrigerant leaking from the indoor heat exchanger or the refrigerant piping to the heat exchange chamber.

Description

Air conditioning indoor unit

[0001] The present invention relates to an indoor unit of an air conditioner equipped with a refrigerant sensor for detecting refrigerant leakage.

[0002] Air conditioners that use a slightly flammable or flammable refrigerant determine whether or not there is a refrigerant leak based on the output signal of a refrigerant sensor that detects the concentration of the refrigerant. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an indoor unit of an air conditioner that has a built-in refrigerant sensor that detects refrigerant leaks.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-14962

[0004] The refrigerant sensor installed in the indoor unit is replaced whenever a refrigerant leak is detected. To do this, the indoor unit's housing is partially removed to expose the interior, and the refrigerant sensor is then removed and installed through the opening in the housing. However, the refrigerant sensor replacement work must be carried out in the limited space inside the housing, which makes it difficult to do.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an indoor unit for an air conditioner in which the refrigerant sensor can be easily replaced.

[0006] An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to one aspect of the present invention includes an indoor heat exchanger, a housing, and a refrigerant sensor. One end of the indoor heat exchanger is connected to a refrigerant pipe that can be connected to an outdoor unit. The housing has a heat exchange chamber that houses the indoor heat exchanger and a portion of the refrigerant pipe, an opening, and a lid that covers the opening. The refrigerant sensor is attached to the lid and detects refrigerant leaking from the indoor heat exchanger or the refrigerant pipe into the heat exchange chamber.

[0007] In the indoor unit, the refrigerant sensor is attached to a lid that covers the opening of the housing, so that the refrigerant sensor can be removed from the housing at the same time as removing the lid, making it easy to replace the refrigerant sensor.

[0008] The indoor unit may further include a drain pan. The drain pan is disposed in the heat exchange chamber and receives condensation water dripping from the indoor heat exchanger. The refrigerant sensor may be located below an upper end of the drain pan. By positioning the refrigerant sensor below an upper end of the drain pan, the refrigerant sensor can quickly detect when a refrigerant with a specific gravity greater than that of air, such as R32, overflows from the drain pan.

[0009] The heat exchange chamber may have a pipe housing portion provided on the side of the one end of the indoor heat exchanger and housing a part of the refrigerant pipe, and the opening may be provided in a part of the housing that forms the pipe housing portion. By disposing the refrigerant sensor in an area where there are many welds and where there is a relatively high possibility of refrigerant leakage, refrigerant leakage can be quickly detected.

[0010] The housing may have an air blowing surface having an air outlet and a pair of side surfaces located on both left and right sides of the air blowing surface, and the opening may be provided in one of the pair of side surfaces. The air blowing surface having the air outlet corresponds to the front surface of the housing when the indoor unit is installed horizontally, for example, in the attic, and corresponds to the top surface of the housing when the indoor unit is installed vertically, for example, on the floor. Since the side surfaces of the housing often provide a relatively large amount of working space, providing the opening in one of the side surfaces of the housing makes it easier to replace the refrigerant sensor.

[0011] The refrigerant piping may include a connecting piping section that penetrates the one side surface and has a piping connector that connects to a refrigerant piping that is connected to an outdoor unit. The lid may be located closer to the one side surface than the piping connector. This prevents interference between the lid and tools, such as wrenches, used when connecting the connecting piping section to the refrigerant piping, ensuring ease of installation of the indoor unit.

[0012] The lid portion may have a case portion that forms a space portion that communicates with the heat exchange chamber through the opening, and a flange portion provided around the case portion, and the refrigerant sensor may be housed in the space portion.

[0013] The housing may further have a pair of first engaging portions that face each other across the opening, and the lid may further have a pair of second engaging portions that are provided on the flange and engage with the pair of first engaging portions. This allows the lid to be temporarily fixed to the opening, making the lid fixing operation easier.

[0014] At least one of the pair of first engaging portions may be a fitting hole provided in the housing portion, and at least one of the pair of second engaging portions may be a protrusion that fits into the fitting hole.

[0015] The lid may be fixed to the housing by screws via the flange.

[0016] The indoor unit may further include a control unit. The control unit is disposed inside the housing and determines whether or not a refrigerant leaks based on the detection signal of the refrigerant sensor. In this case, the case may further include a hook for hooking a portion of the wiring connecting the refrigerant sensor and the control unit through the opening. This prevents dew from flowing into the refrigerant sensor via the wiring and prevents excessive tension from acting on the refrigerant sensor.

[0017] The lid may further include a seal member provided on the flange and tightly fitted to the housing, thereby preventing refrigerant leaking into the housing from leaking out into the outside air through a connection between the lid and the opening, thereby ensuring reliable detection of the refrigerant by the refrigerant sensor.

[0018] According to the present invention, the refrigerant sensor can be easily replaced.

[0019] 14A is a perspective view showing an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, as seen from the top side. FIG. 14B is a top view showing the internal structure of the indoor unit. FIG. 14A is a perspective view showing one side of the indoor unit, as seen from the bottom side. FIG. 14B is a perspective view of essential parts showing the internal structure of the indoor unit. FIG. 14C is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the indoor unit shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 14B is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 5A. FIG. 14C is a side view of the indoor heat exchanger and the drain pan as seen from the second end of the indoor heat exchanger. FIG. 14D is a side view of the indoor heat exchanger and the drain pan as seen from the second end of the indoor heat exchanger. FIG. 14E is a side view of the indoor unit as seen with the cover member attached to the second end removed. FIG. 14F is a perspective view of the essential parts of the indoor unit as seen with the sensor unit removed. FIG. 14C is a perspective view of the sensor support of the sensor unit as seen with the sensor unit attached. FIG. 14D is a cross-sectional view of the essential parts of the indoor unit as seen with the sensor unit removed. Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating another modified example of the mounting position of the refrigerant sensor Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between the indoor heat exchanger and the drain pan when the indoor unit is a vertically placed type.

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0021] [Overall configuration of indoor unit] Fig. 1 is a perspective view from above showing an indoor unit 100 of an air conditioning apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a top view showing the internal structure, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view from below showing one side of the indoor unit 100. For ease of explanation, the upper panel 11 is shown in phantom lines (two-dot chain lines) in Fig. 1.

[0022] In each drawing, the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction are three axial directions that are perpendicular to each other, and indicate directions as seen from the indoor unit 100.

[0023] The indoor unit 100 of this embodiment is, for example, an indoor unit of a ceiling-embedded duct type air conditioner, and is installed in the attic of a house. The indoor unit 100 includes a housing 10. The housing 10 has a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape so that it can be installed in the attic. Hanging hooks 101 (see FIG. 1 ) are attached to the four corners of the housing 10 to hang the housing 10 from, for example, a structural slab in the attic using hanging bolts (not shown).

[0024] (Housing) The housing 10 has a top panel 11, a pair of side surfaces, a left side surface panel 12L (first side surface) and a right side surface panel 12R (second side surface), a bottom cover panel 13, and an attachment panel 14. A front surface 15 and a rear surface 16 of the housing 10 are open as air flow ports, with the front surface 15 formed as an air outlet surface having an air outlet 15a, and the rear surface 16 formed as an air intake port.

[0025] The interior of the housing 10 is divided into front and rear sections by a partition plate 20, with a heat exchange chamber 30 formed on one side, the front surface 15, and a blower chamber 40 formed on the other side, the rear surface 16. The bottom of the heat exchange chamber 30 is closed by a bottom cover panel 13. The bottom of the blower chamber 40 is closed by an attachment panel 14. As will be described later, a sensor unit 50 equipped with a refrigerant sensor 55 that detects refrigerant leaking into the heat exchange chamber 30 is provided on the left side panel 12L.

[0026] The indoor unit 100 further includes an indoor heat exchanger 31, a drain pan 32, and a blower fan unit 41. The heat exchanger 31 and the drain pan 32 are disposed in the heat exchange chamber 30, and the blower fan unit 41 is disposed in the blower chamber 40.

[0027] (Blower Fan Unit) The blower fan unit 41 includes a blower fan 41a and a fan casing 41b that houses the blower fan 41a. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 , four blower fan units 41 are arranged in the blower chamber 40 at intervals in the left-right direction. The blower chamber 40 is further provided with a motor 42 that commonly drives the plurality of blower fan units 41. A sirocco fan is used as the blower fan 41a. The number of blower fan units 41 is not limited to four, and may be one, two, three, five or more.

[0028] The air outlet of each blower fan unit 41 faces the heat exchange chamber 30 via the partition plate 20. When the blower fan unit 41 is operating, indoor air is drawn in from the rear surface 16 of the housing 10, and the conditioned air that has exchanged heat with the refrigerant in the heat exchanger 31 is blown out from the air outlet 15a on the front surface 15 of the housing 10. Note that a refrigerant such as R32, which has a specific gravity greater than that of air, is used as the refrigerant.

[0029] (Indoor Heat Exchanger) The indoor heat exchanger 31 has a first end 311, which is its left end, provided with a refrigerant pipe 341 connected to an outdoor unit (not shown) (see FIG. 4), and a second end 312, which is its right end, provided with a folded pipe section 342 (see FIG. 7). The folded pipe section 342 is formed by bending the refrigerant pipe into a U-shape, but it may also be a U-shaped pipe joined to the second end 312 of the indoor heat exchanger 31 by welding or the like. The heat exchange chamber 30 has a pipe housing section 30P that houses the refrigerant pipe 341 located between the first end 311 of the indoor heat exchanger 31 and the left side panel 12L of the housing 10 (see FIG. 2).

[0030] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the main parts showing the internal structure of the indoor unit 100, Fig. 5A is a schematic side cross-sectional view as seen from the left, and Fig. 5B is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Fig. 5A. Fig. 6 is a side view of the indoor heat exchanger 31 and the drain pan 32 as seen from the second end 312 of the indoor heat exchanger 31, and Fig. 7 is a side view as seen in Fig. 6 with the cover member 33 attached to the second end 312 removed.

[0031] The indoor heat exchanger 31 is a rectangular heat exchanger with its longitudinal direction in the left-right direction, and is arranged in the heat exchange chamber 30 so as to slope downward from a front end 313 to a rear end 314, as shown in Fig. 5A. The front end 313 of the indoor heat exchanger 31 faces the drain pan 32 at a distance, and the rear end 314 of the indoor heat exchanger 31 is in contact with the drain pan 32. In this embodiment, if the cross-sectional shape of the heat exchange chamber 30 when the indoor unit 100 is viewed from the side is approximately rectangular, the indoor heat exchanger 31 is arranged along the diagonal of this rectangle.

[0032] The refrigerant piping 341 connected to the first end 311 of the indoor heat exchanger 31 includes a liquid refrigerant piping and a gas refrigerant piping. One end of each of the liquid refrigerant piping and the gas refrigerant piping is connected to the first end 311 of the indoor heat exchanger 31. The other ends of the liquid refrigerant piping and the gas refrigerant piping are formed as connecting piping sections 341L, 341G that protrude a predetermined length from the heat exchange chamber 30 to the outside of the housing 10 through the left side panel 12L of the housing 10. Pipe connectors VL, VG that are fastened to piping that communicates with the outdoor unit are attached to the ends of these connecting piping sections 341L, 341G, respectively.

[0033] (Drain Pan) The drain pan 32 receives condensation water dripping from the indoor heat exchanger 31 and is disposed below the indoor heat exchanger 31 (above the bottom cover panel 13). The drain pan 32 is formed with a length (width) greater than the length (width) of the indoor heat exchanger 31 in the left-right direction, and in this embodiment, the drain pan 32 is disposed across almost the entire width of the heat exchange chamber 30, including the piping housing portion 30P.

[0034] The drain pan 32 has a rectangular dew-receiving surface 32A with its longitudinal direction extending in the left-right direction, and a peripheral wall portion 32B that surrounds the dew-receiving surface 32A. The peripheral wall portion 32B forms the outer peripheral wall of the drain pan 32, and its upper end is located above the dew-receiving surface 321.

[0035] The height of the peripheral wall 32B varies depending on the position on the outer periphery of the drain pan 32, and the upper end of the peripheral wall 32B that forms the rear end 324 of the drain pan 32 is located higher than the upper ends of the other peripheral wall portions (the peripheral wall portions 32B that form the left end 321, right end 322, and front end 323 of the drain pan 32) (see FIG. 4). Also, the upper end of the peripheral wall 32B that forms the left end 321 of the drain pan 32 that faces the left side panel 12L to which the sensor unit 50 is attached is formed lower than the other peripheral wall portions (the peripheral wall portions 32B that form the right end 322, front end 323, and rear end 324 of the drain pan 32).

[0036] 5A and 5B, the dew receiving surface 32A has a guide surface portion 32A1 and a flow path portion 32A2. The guide surface portion 32A1 is formed as an inclined surface that slopes downward from the front end portion 323 toward the rear end portion 324 of the drain pan 32. The flow path portion 32A2 is formed in an area of ​​the dew receiving surface 32A on the rear end portion 324 side of the drain pan 32 so as to extend in the left-right direction of the drain pan 32.

[0037] The guide surface 32A1 is located above the flow path 32A2 and is an inclined surface that slopes downward toward the flow path 32A (see FIG. 5A ). As a result, condensation water dropping from the indoor heat exchanger 31 and refrigerant (which has a specific gravity greater than that of air) leaking from the indoor heat exchanger 31 are guided along the guide surface 32A1 to the flow path 32A.

[0038] The flow path portion 32A2 is formed at the lowest position on the dew-receiving surface 32A and accommodates the rear end portion 314 of the indoor heat exchanger 31. The flow path portion 32A2 is further formed as an inclined surface that slopes downward from the right end portion 322 (right side panel 12R of the housing 10) of the drain pan 32 toward the left end portion 321 (left side panel 12L of the housing 10) (see FIG. 5B ). As a result, the condensed water and the refrigerant (which has a specific gravity greater than that of air) leaking from the indoor heat exchanger 31 pass through the flow path portion 32A2 and are guided to the left side panel 12L where the sensor unit 50 is provided.

[0039] A drain opening 325 communicating with the flow path 32A2 is provided on the rear end 324 side of the left end 321 of the drain pan 32 (see FIG. 4). The drain opening 325 is connected to a drain port DP provided in the left side panel 12L of the housing 10 via a drain pipe (not shown), and drain water is discharged to the outside of the housing 10 via the drain port DP (see FIGS. 2 and 3).

[0040] (Cover Member) The indoor unit 100 further includes a cover member 33 that covers the second end 312 of the indoor heat exchanger 31. As shown in Figures 6 and 7 , the cover member 33 covers the second end 312 of the indoor heat exchanger 31 as well as the return piping portion 342 provided at this second end 312. The cover member 33 is positioned inward (on the dew-receiving surface 32A side) of the peripheral wall portion 32B of the drain pan 32 (see Figure 6 ).

[0041] For example, if the return pipe section 342 is formed by welding to the second end 312 of the indoor heat exchanger 31, there is a risk of refrigerant leaking from the welded section. Also, even if the return pipe section 342 is formed by folding back the refrigerant pipe, if a tool or the like accidentally hits and scratches the pipe itself during work, the crack may become larger due to minute vibrations during operation, leading to leakage.

[0042] In this embodiment, the interior of the cover member 33 functions as a guide path that guides refrigerant leaking from the second end 312 of the indoor heat exchanger 31 or the refrigerant piping (return piping portion 342) connected thereto toward the dew-receiving surface 32A of the drain pan 32. The lower end of the cover member 33 has an opening that guides the refrigerant flowing through the guide path onto the drain pan 32 (flow path portion 32C). Because the cover member 33 is attached to the second end 312 of the indoor heat exchanger 31, which is disposed at an angle relative to the drain pan 32, the guide path is formed by an inclined surface that guides the leaked refrigerant toward the interior of the drain pan 32 (dew-receiving surface 32A). The refrigerant guided from the cover member 33 to the interior of the drain pan 32 passes through the flow path portion 32A2 and is guided to the left side panel 12L on which the sensor unit 50 is provided.

[0043] The cover member 33 is disposed outside the air flow path in the indoor heat exchanger 31. The air flow path is the path through which air sent out from the indoor fan 31 passes through the indoor heat exchanger 31, and corresponds to the shaded area W in Fig. 2. By disposing the cover member 33 outside the air flow path (area W), it is possible to prevent noise and ventilation resistance that may be generated by the cover member 33 being located inside the air flow path.

[0044] Furthermore, at least a portion of the cover member 33 is located below the upper end of the peripheral wall portion 32B. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6, the lower end portion 33B of the cover member 33 is located below the upper end 32U of the peripheral wall portion 32B at the right end portion 322 of the drain pan 32. This ensures that leaked refrigerant is guided to the drain pan 32. The area of ​​the cover member 33 located below the upper end 32U of the peripheral wall portion 32B is not particularly limited, as long as at least the lower end portion 33B is located below the upper end of the peripheral wall portion 32B.

[0045] (Sensor Unit) The indoor unit 100 further includes a sensor unit 50 that detects refrigerant leaking into the heat exchange chamber 30 from the indoor heat exchanger 31, the refrigerant pipe 341, or the return pipe portion 342. The sensor unit 50 is attached to the left side panel 12L of the housing 10, as shown in FIG.

[0046] 8 is a perspective view of the left side panel 12L of the housing 10, showing the state when the sensor unit 50 is removed. The left side panel 12L has an opening 12w that opens the heat exchange chamber 30 to the outside, at a location where the sensor unit 50 is attached. The size and shape of the opening 12w are not particularly limited, and in this embodiment, the opening 12w is formed to be large enough to accommodate the sensor support 52 (see FIG. 12) that supports the refrigerant sensor 55.

[0047] Figure 9 is a perspective view of the outer surface side of the sensor unit 50, Figure 10 is a perspective view of the inner surface side, Figure 11 is a perspective view of the sensor support body 52 in the sensor unit 50, Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the indoor unit 100 at the mounting portion of the sensor unit 50, and Figure 13 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the opening 12w when the sensor unit 50 is removed.

[0048] The sensor unit 50 includes a cover 51 and a sensor support 52 .

[0049] The lid portion 51 is attached to the left side panel 12L to form a part of the housing 10 (left side panel 12L). The lid portion 51 has a case portion 511 that forms a space portion 51s that communicates with the heat exchange chamber 30 through the opening portion 12w, and a flange portion 512 provided around the periphery of the case portion 511.

[0050] The case 511 is a rectangular box with an open surface facing the left side panel 12L. The flange 512 is provided parallel to the up-down and front-rear directions of the housing 10 along the open surface of the case 511, and has screw insertion holes 51a at any position on the flange 512 through which screws for fixing the lid 51 to the left side panel 12L are inserted.

[0051] The sensor support 52 is housed in the space 51s of the case 511 and supports a sensor board 56 on which a refrigerant sensor 55 and its peripheral components (electronic components) 57 are mounted. As shown in FIG. 11 , the sensor support 52 has a housing 521 that houses the sensor board 56 and a pair of holding claws 522, 523, and 526 that hold the sensor board 52 housed in the housing 521. The sensor support 52 has a pair of engaging claws 524 on both sides facing each other in the front-to-rear direction of the housing 10 that engage with engaging holes 514 (see FIG. 9 ) provided in the case 511. The sensor support 52 is fixed to the lid 51 by the engagement between the engaging claws 524 and the engaging holes 514.

[0052] The sensor board 56 is connected via wiring (not shown) to a control unit 70 (see FIG. 8) installed inside the housing 10. The control unit 70 controls the operation of each part of the indoor unit 100, such as the motor 42 that drives the blower fan unit 41, and determines whether or not there is a refrigerant leak based on the detection signal from the refrigerant sensor 55.

[0053] 11 , the sensor support 52 has a hook portion 525 that hooks a portion of the wiring connecting the control unit 70 and the sensor substrate 56. The hook portion 525 is formed, for example, in a clamp shape that can clamp the wiring. The hook portion 525 functions as a trap that captures dew that flows along the wiring to the sensor substrate 56, and also stably holds the wiring connected to the sensor substrate 56.

[0054] Providing the hook portion 525 on the sensor support body 52 in this manner prevents dew from flowing along the wiring onto the sensor board 56 and prevents excessive tension from acting on the sensor board 56. The hook portion 525 may be provided in the vicinity of the sensor board 56, or may be attached to the case portion 511 as a separate part from the sensor support body 52.

[0055] The left side panel 12L of the housing 10 has a fitting hole 121 and a hook member 122 provided at positions facing each other in the vertical direction with the opening 12w in between. The fitting hole 121 and the hook member 122 correspond to a first engagement portion that engages with the lid portion 51. The fitting hole 121 is a slot that extends along the front-to-rear direction of the housing 10, and the hook member 122 is L-shaped and is attached to the outer surface of the left side panel 12 (see FIGS. 12 and 13 ).

[0056] The flange portion 512 has a protrusion 53 and an engagement piece 54. The protrusion 53 and the engagement piece 54 correspond to the second engagement portion that engages with the first engagement portion. The protrusion 53 is provided on the inner surface (the surface facing the left side panel 12L; the same applies below) of the flange portion 512 located at the top of the case portion 51, and is formed in a plate shape that can be fitted into the fitting hole 121. The engagement piece 54 is an end (lower end) of the flange portion 512 located at the bottom of the case portion 51, and is a plate portion that can be engaged with the hook member 122.

[0057] A seal member 58 for tightly fitting the lid 51 to the left side panel 12L is attached to the inner surface of the flange 512. The seal member 58 is a plate- or sheet-shaped member made of an elastic material such as synthetic rubber or a synthetic resin material such as foamed urethane. In this embodiment, the seal member 58 is divided and arranged at multiple locations on the inner surface of the flange 512, but this is not limiting and the seal member 58 may be integrally formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the inner surface of the flange 512.

[0058] The engagement between the first and second engaging portions allows the cover 51 to be temporarily fastened to the left side panel 12L before being fixed with the screws. This prevents excessive tension from acting on the wiring connected between the control unit 70 and the sensor board 56 even if the cover 51 is accidentally dropped during installation or removal.

[0059] Furthermore, since the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion are arranged in positions that face each other in the vertical direction across the opening 12w, the same effect as described above can be obtained even when the indoor unit 100 is manufactured with the indoor unit 100 upside down.

[0060] The refrigerant sensor 55 is attached to the space 51s of the lid 51 via the sensor board 56 and the sensor support 52, and is positioned inside the left side panel 12L. As shown in Figure 2, the sensor unit 50 (lid 51) is positioned closer to the left side panel 12L than the pipe connections VL and VG. This prevents interference between the lid 51 and tools such as wrenches used when connecting the refrigerant pipes at the pipe connections VG and VL, ensuring ease of installation of the indoor unit.

[0061] The space 51s of the lid 51 communicates with the heat exchange chamber 30 through the opening 12w. Therefore, refrigerant leaking from the outdoor heat exchanger 31 or the refrigerant pipes 341, 342 into the heat exchange chamber 30 is detected by the refrigerant sensor 55 through the opening 12w.

[0062] When refrigerant leaks from the indoor heat exchanger 31, the refrigerant pipe 341, or the return pipe portion 342, the leaked refrigerant (hereinafter also referred to as leaked refrigerant) accumulates inside the drain pan 32. When the amount of leaked refrigerant exceeds the height of the upper end of the peripheral wall portion 32B of the drain pan 32, the leaked refrigerant flows over the peripheral wall portion 32B of the drain pan 32 and onto the bottom cover panel 13 that forms the bottom of the heat exchange chamber 30. In this embodiment, the height of the peripheral wall portion 32B of the drain pan 32 facing the left side panel 12L is formed lower than the other portions of the peripheral wall portion 32B, so that the refrigerant overflowing from the drain pan 32 is collected on the left side panel 12L side (pipe housing portion 30P).

[0063] 12 , the refrigerant sensor 55 is mounted on the sensor board 56 so as to face the opening 12w provided in the left side panel 12L in the space 51s of the lid 51. The refrigerant sensor 55 is installed at a height lower than the upper end of the peripheral wall 32B of the drain pan 32 that faces the left side panel 12L. This allows the refrigerant sensor 55 to quickly detect leaked refrigerant that has overflowed from the drain pan 32 into the heat exchange chamber 30.

[0064] Furthermore, the refrigerant sensor 55 is mounted on the lid 51 with the sensor support 53 positioned below the opening 12w. This allows for faster refrigerant detection when a refrigerant with a higher specific gravity than air, such as R32, is used, as the refrigerant concentration below the opening 12w is higher.

[0065] Furthermore, the sensor unit 50 is provided with a seal member 58 that fits tightly against the left side panel 12L. This prevents the refrigerant that flows out from the heat exchange chamber 30 to the opening 12w from leaking out from the connection with the sensor unit 50, allowing the refrigerant that reaches the opening 12w to be reliably detected by the refrigerant sensor 55. This also prevents dust and condensed water from entering the sensor unit 50 from outside, ensuring the reliability of the refrigerant sensor 55.

[0066] According to this embodiment, the refrigerant sensor 55 is attached to the cover 51, and therefore, by removing the cover 51 from the left side panel 12L, the refrigerant sensor 55 can be removed from the housing 10. This makes it easy to replace the refrigerant sensor 55, improving workability in limited spaces such as above the ceiling.

[0067] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the flow path portion 32A2 of the drain pan 32 is inclined downward from the right side panel 12R side toward the left side panel 12L side of the housing 10, so that leaking refrigerant from an area away from the refrigerant sensor 55 (the second end 312 of the indoor heat exchanger 31) can be guided to the refrigerant sensor 55 via the flow path portion 32A2, thereby shortening the time required to detect the leaking refrigerant.

[0068] The indoor unit 100 further includes a guide member 35 that guides refrigerant that has overflowed from the drain pan 32 to the sensor unit 50. Fig. 14A is a perspective view of the pipe housing 30P, Fig. 14B is a perspective view of the pipe housing 30P in Fig. 14A with the guide member 35 attached thereto removed, and Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the pipe housing 30P with the guide member 35 attached, as viewed from the left side panel 12L side.

[0069] The guide member 35 is positioned between the first end 311 of the indoor heat exchanger 31 and the left side panel 12L (piping accommodating section 30P) and is intended to guide leaked refrigerant overflowing from the drain pan 32 to the refrigerant sensor 55 in the opening 12w.

[0070] 15 , the guide member 35 is composed of two members, a first guide member 351 and a second guide member 352, but may also be composed of a single member. The guide member 35 covers the first end 311 of the indoor heat exchanger 31 from its front end to its rear end. The second guide member 352 has a side wall portion 352a that guides leaking refrigerant that has overflowed from the peripheral wall portion 32B of the drain pan 32 toward the sensor unit 50. This guides the leaking refrigerant to the opening 12w where the sensor unit 50 is installed, allowing the refrigerant sensor 55 to quickly detect the leaking refrigerant.

[0071] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and that various modifications can be made.

[0072] For example, in the above embodiments, an indoor unit of a ceiling-embedded duct type air conditioning device has been described as an example, but this is not limited to this and the invention can also be applied to other indoor units such as ceiling-suspended indoor units and duct type indoor units that are exposed to the indoor space.

[0073] In the above embodiment, the refrigerant sensor 55 is positioned opposite the opening 12w in the left side panel 12L (see FIG. 12), but the position of the refrigerant sensor 55 is not particularly limited as long as it is in communication with the opening 12w, and the refrigerant sensor 55 may be positioned above the opening 12w, for example, as shown in FIG. 16. Furthermore, the refrigerant sensor 55 may be positioned closer to the inside of the housing 10 (toward the heat exchange chamber 30) than the opening 12w, as shown in FIG. 17.

[0074] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the indoor unit 100 has been described as a horizontally installed type, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the indoor unit may be used as a vertically installed indoor unit installed vertically on the floor. In this case, the air outlet 15a is formed on the top surface of the housing 10. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 18 , the inner surface of the lowermost peripheral wall portion 32B4 of the drain pan 32 functions as a flow path portion 32A2 that guides leaking refrigerant to the refrigerant sensor 55.

[0075] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10...Housing 12L...Left side panel (first side portion) 12R...Right side panel (second side portion) 12w...Opening 15a...Air outlet 30...Heat exchange chamber 31...Indoor heat exchanger 32...Drain pan 32A...Dew receiving surface 32A1...Guide surface portion 32A2...Flow path portion 32B...Peripheral wall portion 33...Cover member 35...Guide member 41...Blower fan unit 50...Sensor unit 51...Cover body 52...Sensor support 55...Refrigerant sensor 100...Indoor unit

Claims

1. An indoor unit for an air conditioner comprising: an indoor heat exchanger connected to one end of a refrigerant pipe connectable to an outdoor unit; a heat exchange chamber in which the indoor heat exchanger and part of the refrigerant pipe are arranged, a housing having an opening and a lid that covers the opening; and a refrigerant sensor attached to the lid that detects refrigerant leaking from the indoor heat exchanger or the refrigerant pipe into the heat exchange chamber.

2. An indoor unit for an air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising a drain pan disposed in the heat exchange chamber for receiving condensation water dripping from the indoor heat exchanger, and the refrigerant sensor is positioned below the upper end of the drain pan.

3. An indoor unit for an air conditioner as described in claim 2, wherein the heat exchange chamber has a piping housing section that is provided on the side of the one end of the indoor heat exchanger and that houses a part of the refrigerant piping, and the opening section is provided in a part of the housing that forms the piping housing section.

4. An indoor unit for an air conditioner as described in claim 3, wherein the housing has an air blowing surface having an air outlet and a pair of side sections located on both sides of the air blowing surface in the left-right direction, and the opening is provided in one of the pair of side sections.

5. An indoor unit for an air conditioner as described in claim 4, wherein the refrigerant piping includes a connecting piping section having a piping connection section that penetrates through the one side surface section and connects to a refrigerant piping that is connected to an outdoor unit, and the lid section is located closer to the one side surface section than the piping connection section.

6. An indoor unit for an air conditioner as described in claim 1, wherein the cover has a case portion that forms a space that communicates with the heat exchange chamber through the opening, and a flange portion provided around the periphery of the case portion, and the refrigerant sensor is housed in the space.

7. An indoor unit for an air conditioning device as described in claim 6, wherein the housing further has a pair of first engaging portions that face each other across the opening, and the lid further has a pair of second engaging portions that are provided on the flange portion and engage with the pair of first engaging portions.

8. An indoor unit for an air conditioning device as described in claim 7, wherein at least one of the pair of first engaging portions is a fitting hole provided in the housing portion, and at least one of the pair of second engaging portions is a protrusion that fits into the fitting hole.

9. An indoor unit for an air conditioner according to claim 7, wherein the cover is fixed to the housing with screws via the flange.

10. An indoor unit for an air conditioner as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a control unit disposed inside the housing and configured to determine the presence or absence of refrigerant leakage based on the detection signal of the refrigerant sensor, and the case further having a hook portion for hooking a portion of the wiring connecting the refrigerant sensor and the control unit through the opening.

11. An indoor unit for an air conditioner according to claim 6, wherein the cover further has a sealing member provided on the flange portion and adapted to fit tightly against the housing.

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