Indoor unit of air conditioning device

Abstract

Provided is an indoor unit of an air conditioning device capable of appropriately detecting refrigerant leakage by a refrigerant leakage sensor regardless of a direction in which a housing is disposed.　An indoor unit 1 of an air conditioning device comprises: a housing 10; a heat exchanger 41 and a blower, which are accommodated in the housing 10; a partition plate 21 that partitions the inside of the housing 10 into a heat exchanger chamber 23, in which the heat exchanger 41 is disposed, and a blower chamber 22, in which the blower is disposed; and a drain pan 40 for storing drain water from the heat exchanger 41. The drain pan 40 is provided with an inclined portion 46 inclined with respect to the partition plate at an end portion disposed adjacent to the partition plate 21. The partition plate 21 is provided with a refrigerant leakage sensor 60 for detecting a leaked refrigerant at a position adjacent to the inclined portion 46.

Description

Air conditioning indoor unit

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an indoor unit of an air conditioner.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an indoor unit for a refrigeration system that allows for the appropriate installation location of a gas sensor that detects refrigerant leakage. In this indoor unit, the gas sensor is installed above a drain pan in a side view, and the height H from the top of the drain pan to the gas sensor is set to satisfy the following relationship: L·W{C1·H1 / Q+C2·H / (Q-C3·L·H^(3 / 2))}≦90, where constants C1: 0.0067, C2: 0.01172, and C3: 0.000153, L [m]: length of the first wall surface of the drain pan 36, W [m]: length of the wall surface of the drain pan 36 that intersects with the first wall surface, H1 [m]: depth of the drain pan 36, and Q [m^3 / s]: refrigerant leakage flow rate.

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

[0004] The present disclosure provides an indoor unit for an air conditioner in which a refrigerant leak sensor can appropriately detect a refrigerant leak regardless of the direction in which the housing is placed.

[0005] This specification includes the entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-114844, filed on July 18, 2024. An indoor unit of an air conditioner in the present disclosure includes a housing, a heat exchanger and a blower housed in the housing, a partition plate that divides the interior of the housing into a heat exchanger chamber in which the heat exchanger is disposed and a blower chamber in which the blower is disposed, and a drain pan that stores drain water from the heat exchanger, wherein the drain pan has an inclined portion that is inclined relative to the partition plate at an end portion that is disposed adjacent to the partition plate, and the partition plate has a refrigerant leak sensor that detects leaked refrigerant at a position close to the inclined portion.

[0006] According to the present disclosure, the refrigerant leakage sensor can appropriately detect refrigerant leakage regardless of the orientation of the housing.

[0007] 1 is a perspective view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the indoor unit; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the indoor unit; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the indoor unit; FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the area indicated by V in FIG. 2; FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an indoor unit according to a modified example; and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an indoor unit according to another modified example.

[0008] (Findings that Form the Basis of the Present Disclosure) At the time the inventors arrived at the present disclosure, there was technology available for installing a refrigerant leak sensor in a predetermined position on the housing of an indoor unit of an air conditioner that is equipped with a refrigerant leak sensor to detect refrigerant leaks, which allows the indoor unit to detect refrigerant leaks early.

[0009] However, the inventors discovered a problem in that, when a housing that can be positioned in different directions, such as in a duct-type indoor unit, the refrigerant leak sensor may not be able to properly detect a refrigerant leak depending on the direction in which the housing is positioned. To solve this problem, the present disclosure provides an indoor unit for an air conditioner in which the refrigerant leak sensor can properly detect a refrigerant leak regardless of the direction in which the housing is positioned.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, more detailed description than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed description of already well-known matters or redundant description of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid unnecessary redundancy in the following description and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. Note that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0011] (Embodiment 1) Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 will be described using Figures 1 to 7. In the description, unless otherwise specified, directions such as front, back, left, right, and up and down are the same as the directions relative to the indoor unit 1 when it is installed and used so as to blow out conditioned air in a horizontal direction. Furthermore, the symbol LH shown in each figure indicates the left side of the indoor unit 1 when it is installed and used so that the indoor unit 1 blows out conditioned air in a horizontal direction, the symbol FR indicates the front of the indoor unit 1, and the symbol UP indicates the top of the indoor unit 1. In the indoor unit 1 in this installed state, the up and down direction coincides with the vertical direction, and the front, back, left, and right directions coincide with the horizontal direction.

[0012] [1-1. Configuration] [1-1-1. Configuration of the indoor unit] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an indoor unit 1 of an air conditioner according to the present embodiment. For ease of explanation, Fig. 1 shows the outline of an upper panel 18 with a two-dot chain line, and also shows the upper panel 18 in a see-through view.

[0013] The indoor unit 1 of this embodiment is an indoor unit included in an air conditioner. The air conditioner includes a refrigeration cycle formed by a heat exchanger 41 housed in the indoor unit 1, a pressure reducing device such as a compressor and an electronic expansion valve housed in the outdoor unit, and an outdoor heat exchanger. The air conditioner conditions a specified space to be conditioned by circulating a refrigerant through this refrigeration cycle. In this embodiment, the refrigerant used in the air conditioner including the indoor unit 1 is a slightly flammable or flammable refrigerant, such as a mixed refrigerant containing R410A or R32.

[0014] The indoor unit 1 is an indoor unit of a duct-type air conditioner that is installed in a ceiling space, inside a wall, under a floor, or the like. The indoor unit 1 is configured so that the arrangement direction of the air outlet can be changed depending on the installation location. For example, when air is to be blown horizontally, the indoor unit 1 is installed in a flat-hanging state with the air outlet located to the side, as shown in FIG. 1. When air is to be blown upward, the indoor unit 1 is installed in a vertical-hanging state with the air outlet located at the top. In the following description, the up-down direction refers to the up-down direction when the indoor unit 1 is installed in a flat-hanging state.

[0015] 1 and 2, the indoor unit 1 includes a housing 10 that is configured with a front wall 11, a rear wall 12, a right side wall 13, a left side wall 14, a bottom panel 15, and a top panel 18. An air outlet 16, which is a rectangular opening, is provided in the front wall 11 across the entire left-right direction.

[0016] The interior space of the housing 10 is divided into a fan chamber 22 and a heat exchanger chamber 23 by a partition plate 21. The partition plate 21 is a flat member having a predetermined length. The partition plate 21 is disposed so that its plane is perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction, and both ends of the longitudinal direction are connected to the approximate centers of the right wall 13 and the left wall 14, respectively.

[0017] The blower chamber 22 is provided with a fan motor 31 and two blower fans 35 that are connected to a drive shaft 33 of the fan motor 31 and driven by the fan motor 31. Note that the configuration in Fig. 1 is an example, and the number of fan motors 31 and blower fans 35 that the indoor unit 1 is equipped with is not limited. Each blower fan 35 in this embodiment is a sirocco fan. The fan motor 31 and the blower fans 35 correspond to the "blowers" in this disclosure.

[0018] The partition plate 21 is provided with a plurality of communication openings 25 that communicate with the blower chamber 22 and the heat exchanger chamber 23, and an air outlet 32 ​​of the blower fan 35 is joined to each of these communication openings 25. In addition, an air intake 34 of the blower fan 35 opens into the blower chamber 22.

[0019] In the fan chamber 22, a plurality of air intake openings 26 are provided in the rear wall 12 that covers the rear surface. These air intake openings 26 are through holes that connect the fan chamber 22 with the outside of the housing 10. Each of these air intake openings 26 is fitted with an air intake filter.

[0020] In the fan chamber 22, an electrical equipment box 36 is disposed adjacent to the right side wall 13. The electrical equipment box 36 houses a control board that controls each part of the indoor unit 1.

[0021] When the blower fan 35 operates, it draws air from the blower chamber 22 through the air intake port 34, causing outside air to flow into the blower chamber 22 through the air intake filter 27. This outside air is sent by the blower fan 35 to the heat exchanger chamber 23 through the communication opening 25 formed in the partition plate 21. In other words, the blower chamber 22 is the primary-side space of the blower fan 35, and the heat exchanger chamber 23 is the secondary-side space.

[0022] The front wall 11, the right side wall 13, and the left side wall 14 may be provided with a heat insulating material made of, for example, polystyrene foam at locations facing the heat exchanger chamber 23.

[0023] A drain pan 40 is installed on the entire portion of the bottom panel 15 facing the heat exchanger chamber 23. The drain pan 40 is a flat plate-shaped member that functions as a water receiving portion for receiving drain water generated in the heat exchanger chamber 23, and is made of, for example, polystyrene foam. The drain pan 40 covers the entire bottom panel 15 located in the heat exchanger chamber 23. In other words, the drain pan 40 forms the entire bottom surface of the heat exchanger chamber 23.

[0024] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the indoor unit 1 taken along plane II in Figure 1, viewed from the left. Plane II is a plane that is perpendicular to the left-right direction and passes between the blower fan 35, located on the left, and the refrigerant leakage sensor 60. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a heat exchanger 41 is disposed in the heat exchanger chamber 23. The heat exchanger 41 is a user-side heat exchanger that functions as an evaporator that evaporates the refrigerant supplied from the outdoor unit, or as a condenser that condenses the refrigerant.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 2, the heat exchanger 41 of this embodiment is a fin-and-tube type heat exchanger, and the heat exchanger 41 is formed in the shape of a long flat plate as a whole, with a plurality of metal fins 44 joined to copper refrigerant pipes 42.

[0026] The heat exchanger 41 is disposed so that its longitudinal direction is aligned with the left-right direction of the heat exchanger chamber 23. The upper edge of the heat exchanger 41 is supported along the entire longitudinal direction by a support member 17 provided at the front end of the top panel 18. The support member 17 may be formed of a thermal insulating material. The lower edge of the heat exchanger 41 is supported by a portion of the drain pan 40 located on the partition plate 21 side. Therefore, the heat exchanger 41 is disposed in the heat exchanger chamber 23 so that it is tilted from the front wall 11 toward the partition plate 21 as it moves from the upper edge to the lower edge. In other words, the heat exchanger 41 is disposed at an angle relative to the partition plate 21 in a side view of the indoor unit 1. As a result, one surface of the heat exchanger 41 faces the partition plate 21 and each air outlet 32, and the other surface faces the air outlet 16.

[0027] The airflow sent to the blower chamber 22 by the blower fan 35 exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant pipe 42 as it passes through the heat exchanger 41, mainly via the gaps between the fins 44, and is then exhausted from the outlet 16 formed in the front wall 11. An air supply duct installed in the ceiling space along with the indoor unit 1 may be connected to the outlet 16. The air supply duct is installed up to one or more spaces to be conditioned, and sends the air that has undergone heat exchange in the heat exchanger 41 to the spaces to be conditioned. A chamber may be provided between the outlet 16 and the air supply duct. The air intake opening 26 may open into the ceiling space where the indoor unit 1 is installed, or a duct or chamber that supplies air to the indoor unit 1 may be connected to the air intake opening 26. These chambers and ducts are installed in the ceiling space, for example, in the same manner as the indoor unit 1.

[0028] Next, the heat exchanger 41 will be described in detail. In this embodiment, the refrigerant pipes 42 are arranged to extend a predetermined length along the left-right direction of the heat exchanger 41 and are folded to form multiple rows along the width direction of the heat exchanger 41. Each fin 44 is arranged so that its longitudinal direction is perpendicular to the left-right direction of the heat exchanger 41, and the refrigerant pipes 42 penetrate these fins 44 from the side. Both ends of the refrigerant pipes 42 are connected to the piping connectors 19. That is, the refrigerant pipes 42 are connected to the outdoor unit via the piping connectors 19. Refrigerant sent from the outdoor unit flows into one end of the refrigerant pipes 42. The inflowing refrigerant flows through the entire heat exchanger 41 via the refrigerant pipes 42 and then flows out again to the outdoor unit from the other end of the refrigerant pipes 42.

[0029] Both ends of the heat exchanger 41 are provided with exposed refrigerant pipe portions where the refrigerant pipes 42 are exposed. These exposed refrigerant pipe portions include welded portions of the refrigerant pipes 42 and connection portions with other refrigerant pipes. In this embodiment, the bent portions of the refrigerant pipes 42 are exposed at the left end of the heat exchanger 41, and both ends of the refrigerant pipes 42, i.e., connection portions for connection to other refrigerant pipes, are exposed at the right end of the heat exchanger 41.

[0030] In the heat exchanger chamber 23, a plurality of pipe connections 19 are provided at positions close to the right side wall 13, with ends protruding outward from the housing 10. The pipe connections 19 include refrigerant pipes to which both ends of the refrigerant pipes 42, i.e., connection points for connection to other refrigerant pipes, are connected. The indoor unit 1 is connected to an outdoor unit provided in the air conditioner via inter-unit pipes connected to each of these pipe connections 19. The refrigeration cycle of the air conditioner is formed by connecting the indoor unit 1 and the outdoor unit via refrigerant pipes such as the pipe connections 19 and inter-unit pipes.

[0031] A partition wall 50 is provided in the heat exchanger chamber 23 to separate the pipe connection portion 19 from the heat exchanger 41. In this embodiment, the partition wall 50 is a plate-shaped member made of resin. The partition wall 50 is disposed so that its plane is perpendicular to the left-right direction, and one longitudinal end of the partition wall 50 is connected to the front wall 11. The partition wall 50 is connected to approximately the center of each of the right side wall 13 and the left side wall 14. The partition wall 50 has its plane disposed in the front-rear direction, and the other longitudinal end of the partition wall 50 is disposed at a predetermined distance from the partition plate 21.

[0032] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the indoor unit 1 taken along plane III in FIG. 1 , viewed from the left. Plane III is a plane perpendicular to the left-right direction and passing between the pipe connection portion 19 and the partition wall 50. As shown in FIG. 3 , a drain pump 52 is disposed in the heat exchanger chamber 23 to the right of the partition wall 50. The drain pump 52 is a pump device that pumps up drain water stored on the upper surface of the drain pan 40. A drain hose that connects the inside and outside of the housing 10 is connected to the drain pump 52, and the drain pump 52 pumps the pumped up drain water via the drain hose to the outside of the housing 10. In this embodiment, the drain pump 52 is located behind the pipe connection portion 19 and in front of the electrical box 36, with the partition plate 21 sandwiched between them.

[0033] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the indoor unit 1 taken along plane II in Figure 1, viewed from the left. Next, the drain pan 40 will be described in detail. As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the drain pan 40 has an inclined portion 46 at an end adjacent to the partition plate 21 in the front-to-rear direction. The inclined portion 46 is formed as a plate that continues from the end, with its rear end abutting the lower end of the partition plate 21 and rising obliquely upward as it extends forward. Therefore, as shown in Figure 4, the inclined portion 46 extends at an angle to form an acute angle with both the partition plate 21 and the upper surface 43 of the drain pan 40 when viewed from the left-to-right direction.

[0034] The upper end of the inclined portion 46 is located above the lower end of the heat exchanger 41 and below the air outlet 32. The inclined portion 46 has a first opposing surface 47 that faces the partition plate 21 and a second opposing surface 49 that faces the upper surface 43. The inclined portion 46 is formed across the entire left-right direction of the drain pan 40. As shown in FIG. 3 , the drain pump 52 is disposed at a position surrounded by the second opposing surface 49 and the upper surface 43.

[0035] Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the area indicated by V in Figure 2. A refrigerant leakage sensor 60 is provided in the heat exchanger chamber 23. As shown in Figure 5, the refrigerant leakage sensor 60 includes a sensor main body 61 that detects the refrigerant, and a sensor case 62 that houses the sensor main body.

[0036] The sensor main body 61 includes a sensor board 66 and a refrigerant leakage sensor element 68 mounted on the sensor board 66. The refrigerant leakage sensor element 68 of the present disclosure is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the refrigerant leakage sensor 60 detects a refrigerant leak by detecting the refrigerant with the refrigerant leakage sensor element 68.

[0037] The sensor case 62 of the present disclosure is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The refrigerant leakage sensor 60 is disposed in the heat exchanger chamber 23 by attaching the sensor case 62 to the partition plate 21 via a metal plate 64, which is a fixing member.

[0038] 1, 2, and 5, the refrigerant leakage sensor 60 is disposed on the front side of the fan motor 31, with the partition plate 21 sandwiched between them in the left-right direction of the partition plate 21. That is, the refrigerant leakage sensor 60 is disposed on the plane of the partition plate 21 in a position that follows the arrangement of the multiple air outlets 32 and is disposed between the multiple air outlets 32. The refrigerant leakage sensor 60 is disposed in a position close to the upper edge of each air outlet 32 ​​in the up-down direction of the partition plate 21 when viewed from the side of the housing 10.

[0039] As shown in Figure 4, the sensor case 62 and the refrigerant leakage sensor element 68 are positioned above the inclined portion 46, and the front surface of the sensor case 62 is positioned closer to the heat exchanger 41 in the front-to-rear direction than the inclined portion 46.

[0040] A slit-shaped opening 63 that connects the inside and outside of the sensor case 62 is provided on the front side of the sensor case 62. The opening 63 may be provided anywhere on the sensor case 62, such as on the bottom or rear surface of the sensor case 62. The shape of the opening 63 is not limited to a slit shape, and may be any shape, such as a mesh shape, as long as it is a through-hole that connects the inside and outside of the sensor case 62.

[0041] The opening 63 is positioned closer to the heat exchanger 41 than the inclined portion 46. As a result, in the case of refrigerant leakage from the heat exchanger 41 or its surroundings in the indoor unit 1, the leaked refrigerant enters the sensor case 62 through the opening 63 without being obstructed by the inclined portion 46. This allows the indoor unit 1 to detect refrigerant leakage more quickly. The opening 63 corresponds to the "opening" in this disclosure.

[0042] 2 and 5 , in the refrigerant leakage sensor 60 of the present disclosure, wiring 69, which is a power supply line and a signal line connected to a sensor board 66, extends from the right side surface of the sensor case 62. The wiring 69 is routed along the partition plate 21 and inserted into an insertion hole 29, which is a through-hole provided in the partition plate 21, from the heat exchanger chamber 23 to the blower chamber 22, and then connected to the control board of the electrical box 36.

[0043] The refrigerant leak sensor 60 is attached to the partition plate 21 via a metal plate 64. The metal plate 64 is bent so that an edge 65 adjacent to the wiring 69 is bent away from the metal plate 64. This prevents the wiring 69 from coming into contact with the edge 65 and being cut or worn when, for example, connecting the wiring 69 or performing other wiring routing work in the indoor unit 1, and also reinforces the metal plate 64, allowing the metal plate 64 to more reliably support the refrigerant leak sensor 60.

[0044] [1-2. Operation] The following describes the operation of the indoor unit 1 configured as described above. In the indoor unit 1, refrigerant may leak from the heat exchanger 41, welded portions of the refrigerant pipes 42, or connections to other refrigerant pipes such as the pipe connection portion 19.

[0045] In this embodiment, the refrigerant leakage sensor 60 is disposed in the heat exchanger chamber 23 at a location above the inclined portion 46 of the partition plate 21. As a result, when the indoor unit 1 is installed in a vertically suspended state, the partition plate 21 is disposed below the heat exchanger 41 and the pipe connection portion 19 in the heat exchanger chamber 23. For this reason, the refrigerant leakage sensor 60 is disposed in a position where leaked refrigerant is likely to accumulate.

[0046] Furthermore, when the indoor unit 1 is installed in a flat-hanging state, the refrigerant leakage sensor 60 is positioned above the inclined portion 46 and at a position closer to the heat exchanger 41 and the pipe connection portion 19 than the inclined portion 46. As a result, when the indoor unit 1 is installed in a flat-hanging state, the refrigerant leakage sensor 60 is positioned above the first opposing surface 47 of the inclined portion 46 where leaked refrigerant is likely to accumulate, and at a position where it is not shielded from the heat exchanger 41 by the inclined portion 46.

[0047] In this way, whether the indoor unit 1 is installed vertically or horizontally, the refrigerant leak sensor 60 is positioned so that it can properly detect a refrigerant leak. [1-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, in this embodiment, the indoor unit 1 includes a housing, a heat exchanger 41 and a blower housed in the housing, a partition plate 21 that divides the interior of the housing into a heat exchanger chamber 23 in which the heat exchanger 41 is located and a blower chamber 22 in which the blower fan 35 is located, and a drain pan 40 that stores drain water from the heat exchanger 41. The drain pan 40 has an inclined portion 46 that is inclined relative to the partition plate 21 at an end adjacent to the partition plate 21. The refrigerant leak sensor 60 is provided on the partition plate 21 at a position close to the inclined portion 46. As a result, whether the indoor unit 1 is installed vertically or horizontally, the refrigerant leak sensor 60 is positioned so that it can properly detect a refrigerant leak. Therefore, the refrigerant leakage sensor 60 can appropriately detect refrigerant leakage whether the indoor unit 1 is installed in a vertically suspended state or a flat suspended state.

[0048] As in the present embodiment, the refrigerant leakage sensor 60 includes a refrigerant leakage sensor element 68 and a sensor case 62 that houses the refrigerant leakage sensor element 68, and the sensor case 62 may be provided with an opening 63 in a position facing the heat exchanger 41. As a result, in the indoor unit 1, if refrigerant leaks from the heat exchanger 41 or its surroundings, the leaked refrigerant will enter the sensor case 62 through the opening 63 without being obstructed by the slope 46. This allows the indoor unit 1 to detect refrigerant leakage more quickly.

[0049] As in the present embodiment, the opening 63 may be positioned closer to the heat exchanger 41 than the inclined portion 46. As a result, in the indoor unit 1, if refrigerant leaks from the heat exchanger 41 or its surroundings, the leaked refrigerant will enter the sensor case 62 through the opening 63 without being obstructed by the inclined portion 46. This allows the indoor unit 1 to detect refrigerant leakage more quickly.

[0050] As in the present embodiment, the refrigerant leak sensor 60 is provided by attaching the sensor case 62 to the partition plate 21 via a metal plate 64, and a wiring 69 is connected to the refrigerant leak sensor 60. The end of the metal plate 64 that is close to the wiring 69 may be bent in a direction away from the wiring 69. This prevents the wiring 69 from coming into contact with the edge 65 and being cut or worn when, for example, connecting the wiring 69 or performing other wiring routing work on the indoor unit 1, and also reinforces the metal plate 64, allowing the metal plate 64 to more reliably support the refrigerant leak sensor 60.

[0051] (Other Embodiments) As described above, the first embodiment has been described as an example of the technology disclosed in the present application. However, the technology in the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can also be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made. Furthermore, it is also possible to combine the components described in the first embodiment above to create new embodiments. Therefore, other embodiments will be described below as examples.

[0052] 6 is a cross-sectional view of the indoor unit 1 according to a modified example of the present disclosure, taken along plane II in FIG. 1 , viewed from the left. As shown in FIG. 6 , in this modified example, the lower ends of the sensor case 62 and the refrigerant leakage sensor element 68 are positioned below the upper end of the inclined portion 46. As a result, the lower ends of the sensor case 62 and the refrigerant leakage sensor element 68 are positioned between the first opposing surface 47 and the partition plate 21. This positions the sensor case 62 and the refrigerant leakage sensor element in a position where at least a portion of the leaked refrigerant is likely to accumulate. Therefore, whether the indoor unit 1 is installed vertically or horizontally, the refrigerant leakage sensor 60 can properly detect refrigerant leakage.

[0053] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the indoor unit 1 according to another modified example of the present disclosure, taken along plane II in Figure 1, viewed from the left. As shown in Figure 7, in this modified example, a retaining hole 168, which is a through-hole provided in the partition plate 21, is provided. The refrigerant leak sensor 60 is attached to the partition plate 21 by being inserted into the retaining hole 168. This reduces the number of parts in the indoor unit 1 that are required to hold the refrigerant leak sensor 60, and allows the refrigerant leak sensor 60 to be positioned lower in the vertical direction.

[0054] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate the technology of the present disclosure, and various modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. may be made within the scope of the claims or their equivalents.

[0055] (Additional Notes) The above description of the embodiments discloses the following techniques.

[0056] (Technology 1) An indoor unit for an air conditioner, comprising: a housing; a heat exchanger and a blower housed in the housing; a partition plate dividing the interior of the housing into a heat exchanger chamber in which the heat exchanger is disposed and a blower chamber in which the blower is disposed; and a drain pan for storing drain water from the heat exchanger, wherein the drain pan has an inclined portion at an end portion disposed adjacent to the partition plate that is inclined relative to the partition plate, and the partition plate has a refrigerant leak sensor disposed close to the inclined portion for detecting leaked refrigerant. According to this, the refrigerant leak sensor is positioned so that it can properly detect refrigerant leaks whether the indoor unit is installed vertically or flat. Therefore, the refrigerant leak sensor can properly detect refrigerant leaks whether the indoor unit is installed vertically or flat.

[0057] (Technology 2) In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to Technology 1, the refrigerant leak sensor includes a refrigerant leak sensor element and a sensor case that houses the refrigerant leak sensor element, and the sensor case has an opening located opposite the heat exchanger. This allows the leaked refrigerant to enter the sensor case through the opening without being obstructed by the sloped portion, enabling the indoor unit to detect refrigerant leaks more quickly.

[0058] (Technology 3) The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to Technology 2, wherein at least a portion of the sensor case is disposed on the opposite side of the heat exchanger across the inclined portion. As a result, at least a portion of the sensor case is disposed in a position where leaked refrigerant is likely to accumulate. Therefore, whether the indoor unit is installed vertically or horizontally, the refrigerant leakage sensor can properly detect refrigerant leakage.

[0059] (Technology 4) The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to Technology 2 or Technology 3, wherein at least a portion of the refrigerant leak sensor element is disposed on the opposite side of the heat exchanger, across the inclined portion. This positions at least a portion of the refrigerant leak sensor element in a position where leaked refrigerant is likely to accumulate. Therefore, whether the indoor unit is installed vertically or horizontally, the refrigerant leak sensor can properly detect refrigerant leaks.

[0060] (Technology 5) The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to Technology 2, wherein the opening is positioned closer to the heat exchanger than the inclined portion. As a result, if refrigerant leaks from the heat exchanger or its surroundings, the leaked refrigerant will enter the sensor case through the opening without being obstructed by the inclined portion. This allows the indoor unit to detect refrigerant leakage more quickly.

[0061] (Technology 6) The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to any one of Technologies 2 to 5, wherein the refrigerant leakage sensor is provided by attaching the sensor case to the partition plate via a metal plate, wiring is connected to the refrigerant leakage sensor, and an end of the metal plate that is close to the wiring is bent in a direction away from the wiring. This prevents the wiring from coming into contact with the edge of the metal plate and being cut or worn when, for example, running the wiring, and reinforces the metal plate, allowing the metal plate to more reliably support the refrigerant leakage sensor.

[0062] (Technology 7) The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to any one of Technologies 2 to 5, wherein the refrigerant leak sensor is attached to the partition plate by inserting the sensor case into an opening provided in the partition plate. This reduces the number of parts in the indoor unit that hold the refrigerant leak sensor, and allows the refrigerant leak sensor to be positioned lower in the vertical direction.

[0063] The present disclosure is suitably applicable to indoor units of air conditioners that use flammable refrigerants.

[0064] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 indoor unit 10 housing 11 front wall 12 rear wall 13 right side wall 14 left side wall 15 bottom panel 16 air outlet 17 support member 18 top panel 19 piping connection portion 21 partition plate 22 blower chamber 23 heat exchanger chamber 25 communication opening 26 air intake opening 27 air intake filter 29 insertion hole 31 fan motor 32 air outlet 33 drive shaft 34 air intake 35 blower fan 36 electrical box 40 drain pan 41 heat exchanger 42 refrigerant pipe 43 top surface 44 fin 46 inclined portion 47 first opposing surface 49 second opposing surface 50 partition wall 52 drain pump 60 refrigerant leak sensor 61 sensor body 62 sensor case 63 Opening (opening) 64 Metal plate 65 Edge 66 Sensor substrate 68 Refrigerant leakage sensor element 69 Wiring 168 Retaining hole

Claims

1. An indoor unit for an air conditioning system comprising: a housing; a heat exchanger and a blower housed in the housing; a partition plate that divides the interior of the housing into a heat exchanger chamber in which the heat exchanger is disposed and a blower chamber in which the blower is disposed; and a drain pan that collects drain water from the heat exchanger, wherein the drain pan has an inclined portion that is inclined relative to the partition plate at an end that is disposed adjacent to the partition plate, and the partition plate has a refrigerant leak sensor that detects leaked refrigerant at a position close to the inclined portion.

2. An indoor unit for an air conditioning system as described in claim 1, wherein the refrigerant leakage sensor comprises: a refrigerant leakage sensor element; and a sensor case that houses the refrigerant leakage sensor element, and the sensor case has an opening at a position opposite the heat exchanger.

3. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the sensor case is disposed on the opposite side of the inclined portion from the heat exchanger.

4. An indoor unit for an air conditioner according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein at least a portion of the refrigerant leakage sensor element is arranged on the opposite side of the inclined portion from the heat exchanger.

5. The indoor unit for an air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the opening is positioned closer to the heat exchanger than the inclined portion.

6. An indoor unit for an air conditioning system as described in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the refrigerant leakage sensor is provided by attaching the sensor case to the partition plate via a metal plate, wiring is connected to the refrigerant leakage sensor, and the end of the metal plate that is close to the wiring is bent in a direction away from the wiring.

7. An indoor unit for an air conditioner according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the refrigerant leakage sensor is attached to the partition plate by inserting the sensor case into an opening provided in the partition plate.

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