Air conditioner

Abstract

This air conditioner has: a cooling unit that cools passing air using the heat of vaporization of water; and a tank unit for storing water. The tank unit has formed therein a water inlet into which water recovered from the cooling unit flows, a water outlet from which water supplied to the cooling unit flows out, and a trap section that has a first wall positioned between the water inlet and the water outlet and prevents the movement of water from the water inlet to the water outlet. A magnet is disposed in the trap section.

Description

air conditioner

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioner.

[0002] Evaporative cooling air conditioners are known that draw in indoor air, use the heat of vaporization of water to lower the ambient temperature, and then blow the cooled air out into the room, as shown in, for example, Patent Document 1. In the air conditioner of Patent Document 1, air flowing through the second flow path passes through multiple tubes of a sensible heat exchanger, and air flowing through the first flow path passes around the multiple tubes. As a result, heat is exchanged between the air flowing through the second flow path and the air flowing through the first flow path.

[0003] JP 2014-092338 A

[0004] However, in the air conditioner of Patent Document 1, no consideration is given to providing an air conditioner with higher usability.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide an air conditioner that is more useful.

[0006] An air conditioner according to one aspect of the present disclosure has a cooling unit that cools air passing through it using the heat of evaporation of water, and a tank unit that stores water, wherein the tank unit has a water inlet through which water recovered from the cooling unit flows in, a water outlet through which water supplied to the cooling unit flows out, and a trap section that has a first wall located between the water inlet and the water outlet and prevents water from moving from the water inlet to the water outlet, and a magnet is arranged in the trap section.

[0007] It is possible to provide a highly useful air conditioner.

[0008] 1 is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing an example configuration of an air conditioner according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the air conditioner. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a tank unit. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the tank unit (rear side). FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the tank unit (front side). FIG. 6 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the tank unit (VI-VI cross-sectional view in FIG. 3). FIG. 7 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the tank unit (VII-VII cross-sectional view in FIG. 3). FIG. 8 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the tank unit (VIII-VIII cross-sectional view in FIG. 3). FIG. 9 is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing an example arrangement of magnets. FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing an example configuration of a duct. FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of an example configuration of an elbow portion. FIG. 12 is a schematic plan view showing an example configuration of a base portion. FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view showing the engagement between the elbow portion and the base portion. FIG. 14 is a schematic perspective view showing the engagement between a rotation stop pawl and a base pawl.

[0009] (Embodiment 1) Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of an air conditioner 1 according to embodiment 1. The air conditioner 1 has a box-shaped main body 11, and is placed on the floor of a space to be air-conditioned, such as a factory, using casters provided on the bottom of the main body 11. The main body 11 includes a housing that forms the outer shell of the air conditioner 1, and various components, which will be described later, are housed within the main body 11. The placed state of the air conditioner 1 shown in FIG. 1 is shown from above, below, left, and right as a normal usage mode of the air conditioner 1. Note that FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a cross section taken along line I-I in FIG. 2, viewed from the left side of FIG. 2.

[0010] The air conditioner 1 includes a tank 7 consisting of a first tank 71 and a second tank 72 for storing water, a cooling unit 2 including an evaporative filter 21 and a heat exchanger 22, and the evaporative filter 21 uses the heat of vaporization of water supplied from the second tank 72 to lower the ambient temperature and cool the space to be air-conditioned, for example, an evaporative cooling type air conditioner 1. Furthermore, the air conditioner 1 uses the sensible heat and heat of vaporization of the water supplied from the second tank 72 to lower the ambient temperature and cool the space to be air-conditioned, using the heat exchanger 22. In other words, the heat exchanger 22 functions as a sensible heat exchanger that exchanges sensible heat between a first heat exchange passage 221 through which exhaust air flows and a second heat exchange passage 222 through which supply air flows.

[0011] The main body 11 of the air conditioner 1 is provided with an intake port 3 that draws in air from the space to be conditioned, and an intake air outlet 51 that blows out, as supply air, air that has passed through a cooling unit 2 including a heat exchanger 22 and an evaporative filter 21 and been cooled by the cooling unit 2 into the space to be conditioned. The main body 11 of the air conditioner 1 is further provided with an exhaust air outlet 43 that blows out, as exhaust air, air that has passed through the heat exchanger 22 and exchanged sensible heat with the water and the supply air.

[0012] The supply air outlet 51 and the exhaust air outlet 43 are provided on the top surface 100 of the main body 11. The air conditioner 1 is equipped with fans for transporting supply air and exhaust air, and the fans include an exhaust fan 61 that transports exhaust air and a supply air fan 62 that transports supply air. A cylindrical duct 52 may be arranged in the supply air outlet 51.

[0013] The intake fan 62 and the exhaust fan 61 may be, for example, centrifugal fans such as sirocco fans or propeller fans. The intake fan 62 is provided near the intake air outlet 51, and the exhaust fan 61 is provided near the exhaust air outlet 43. That is, if the air flow in the air conditioner 1 is such that the intake port 3 is the most upstream end and the intake air outlet 51 and the exhaust air outlet 43 are the most downstream ends, the intake fan 62 and the exhaust fan 61 are provided downstream in the air flow direction. By providing the intake air fan 62 and the exhaust fan 61 downstream, these fans function as so-called suction fans, and can maintain negative pressure within the air flow path in the air conditioner 1, i.e., the exhaust air flow path 4 and the intake air flow path 5. The exhaust air flow path 4 corresponds to the first flow path through which exhaust air flows. The intake air flow path 5 corresponds to the second flow path through which intake air flows.

[0014] The heat exchanger 22 includes a first heat exchange passage 221 through which air flows, and a second heat exchange passage 222 through which air flows that exchanges sensible heat with the air flowing through the first heat exchange passage 221, and functions as a sensible heat exchanger. The main body 11 of the air conditioner 1 has an exhaust passage 4 that communicates with the first heat exchange passage 221.

[0015] The supply air fan 62 and the exhaust air fan 61 share a single fan motor 6, and are connected to shafts provided at both ends of the fan motor 6. For example, a partition plate is provided between the supply air fan 62 and the exhaust air fan 61. This partition plate reliably prevents the supply air transported by the supply air fan 62 and the exhaust air transported by the exhaust fan 61 from mixing. The volumetric flow rate of air transported per unit time by the supply air fan 62 may be greater than the volumetric flow rate of air transported per unit time by the exhaust fan 61. By making the volumetric flow rate of the supply air fan 62 greater than the volumetric flow rate of the exhaust fan 61, the air conditioning capacity can be improved.

[0016] The fan motor 6 is located on the exhaust fan 61 side. Therefore, the partition plate is provided between the fan motor 6 and the supply fan 62. By providing the fan motor 6 on the exhaust fan 61 side in this way, the fan motor 6 can be cooled by the exhaust air transported by the exhaust fan 61. Therefore, the fan motor 6 can be efficiently cooled by utilizing the cold heat from the exhaust air without raising the temperature of the supply air transported by the supply fan 62.

[0017] The air conditioner 1 is provided with an intake passage 32, an air supply passage 5, and an exhaust passage 4 as air circulation paths. The intake passage 32 starts at the air intake port 3 and is connected to the heat exchanger 22 and a drain pan 91 located below the heat exchanger 22. That is, after the intake passage 32 passes through a dust collection filter 31 arranged to cover the air intake port 3, it branches into an exhaust passage 4 that communicates with the first heat exchange passage 221 of the heat exchanger 22, and an air supply passage 5 that communicates with the drain pan 91. The branching points correspond to the starting points of the exhaust passage 4 and the air supply passage 5.

[0018] The first heat exchange flow path 221 and the second heat exchange flow path 222 in the heat exchanger 22 are configured by stacking multiple membrane members and spacers alternately. Adjacent spacers in the stacking direction are arranged with their longitudinal directions rotated 90 degrees relative to each other, and adjacent spacers separated by the same membrane member intersect with each other, so that the first heat exchange flow path 221 and the second heat exchange flow path 222 are perpendicular to each other, and a cross flow is formed between the supply air flowing through the second heat exchange flow path 222 and the exhaust air flowing through the first heat exchange flow path 221.

[0019] Sensible heat exchange occurs between the supply air flowing through the air supply path and the exhaust air flowing through the exhaust path through each of the stacked membrane members. The stacking direction of these stacked membrane members is perpendicular to the respective path directions of the air supply path and the exhaust path. That is, in this embodiment, the path direction of the air supply path is from front to back, and the path direction of the exhaust path is from bottom to top, whereas the stacking direction is the front-to-back direction, which is perpendicular to both the left-right and up-down directions.

[0020] The first heat exchange passage 221 through which the exhaust air flows constitutes a part of the exhaust passage 4 that is connected to the exhaust air outlet 43. The second heat exchange passage 222 through which the supply air flows constitutes a part of the supply air passage 5 that is connected to the supply air outlet 51. The second heat exchange passage 222 through which the supply air flows connects the heat exchangers 22 in the front-to-rear direction, while the first heat exchange passage 221 through which the exhaust air flows connects the heat exchangers 22 in the up-down direction, i.e., the vertical direction. In this way, the second heat exchange passage 222 and the first heat exchange passage 221 are perpendicular to each other.

[0021] The intake air that has passed through the intake passage 32 flows into the second heat exchange passage 222 of the heat exchanger 22 and, after passing through the drain pan 91, into the first heat exchange passage 221 of the heat exchanger 22. As a result, the intake air that has passed through the intake passage 32 is divided into supply air that flows into the second heat exchange passage 222 and exhaust air that flows into the first heat exchange passage 221. In other words, the second heat exchange passage 222 and the first heat exchange passage 221 provided in the heat exchanger 22 form a flow dividing mechanism that divides the intake air.

[0022] A dust collection filter 31 is provided between the air inlet 3 and the inlets of the first heat exchange flow path 221 and the second heat exchange flow path 222. The dust collection filter 31 may be configured as one unit with a cover that is detachably attached to the main body 11. By providing the dust collection filter 31, dust in the intake air drawn in through the air inlet 3 can be captured, and adhesion of dust to the air flow path within the air conditioner 1 can be suppressed.

[0023] A drain pan 91 is provided below the inlet of the first heat exchange passage 221 in the heat exchanger 22. The exhaust gas that has passed through the drain pan 91 flows into the heat exchanger 22 from the inlet of the first heat exchange passage 221. Therefore, the exhaust passage 4 includes the space between the drain pan 91 and the inlet of the first heat exchange passage 221.

[0024] The exhaust air that flows into the heat exchanger 22 from the inlet of the first heat exchange flow path 221 flows out to the outside of the heat exchanger 22 from the outlet of the first heat exchange flow path 221. The outlet of the first heat exchange flow path 221 is formed in the upper part of the heat exchanger 22. An exhaust fan 61 for transporting the exhaust air is disposed above the outlet of the first heat exchange flow path 221 formed in the upper part of the heat exchanger 22. The exhaust air transported by the exhaust fan 61 is blown out from the exhaust outlet 43.

[0025] The second heat exchange passage 222 is provided linearly in a region where a cross flow with the first heat exchange passage 221 is formed. That is, the outlet at the end of the second heat exchange passage 222 is provided on the side surface of the heat exchanger 22 opposite to the side surface on which the inlet of the second heat exchange passage 222 is provided. In the illustrated example, the second heat exchange passage 222 is provided linearly from the front surface to the rear surface of the heat exchanger 22.

[0026] In the flow direction of the supply air, an evaporation filter 21 is provided at the end of the second heat exchange passage 222 of the heat exchanger 22, i.e., downstream of the outlet of the second heat exchange passage 222. The evaporation filter 21 is provided in the supply air passage 5, between the heat exchanger 22 and the supply air fan 62.

[0027] The vaporization filter 21 is provided with one surface of the rectangular filter element facing the side surface of the heat exchanger 22 on which the outlet of the second heat exchange flow path 222 is provided. The air intake flow path 5 from the vaporization filter 21 to the air intake outlet 51 extends upward from the vaporization filter 21. An air intake fan 62 for transporting the air is disposed downstream of the air intake flow path 5 from the vaporization filter 21 to the air intake outlet 51. The air intake fan 62 is provided above the vaporization filter 21. The air intake transported by the air intake fan 62 is blown out from the air intake outlet 51 into the space to be air-conditioned.

[0028] As described above, the air conditioner 1 includes the tank 7 that stores water to be supplied to the evaporative filter 21 and the heat exchanger 22, and the tank 7 includes a first tank 71 and a second tank 72. The first tank 71 is, for example, a rectangular box and is disposed below the evaporative filter 21 and the drain pan 91. Two first tanks 71 may be mounted on the main body 11 of the air conditioner 1.

[0029] The second tank 72 has, for example, a rectangular box shape and is disposed below the first tank 71. The capacity of the second tank 72 may be smaller than the capacity of the first tank 71. The first tank 71 functions as a main tank that stores water supplied from a water supply or the like. The second tank 72 functions as a sub-tank that stores water supplied from the first tank 71 when the first tank 71 and the second tank 72 are installed inside the main body 11 of the air conditioner 1. The water stored in the second tank 72 is supplied to the heat exchanger 22 and the evaporative filter 21 included in the cooling unit 2.

[0030] The second tank 72 stores the recovered water via a recovery water channel 9 for recovering water remaining in the cooling unit 2. The second tank 72 and a drain pan 91 are connected via the recovery water channel 9. The evaporation filter 21 and the heat exchanger 22 are disposed above the drain pan 91. The drain pan 91 recovers water that has been supplied from the second tank 72 to the evaporation filter 21 and the first heat exchange flow path 221 of the heat exchanger 22 and remains in a liquid state without being evaporated.

[0031] A second tank side shut-off valve is disposed in the second tank 72, and a main body side shut-off valve is disposed in the main body 11, and these second tank side shut-off valve and main body side shut-off valve are both opened when joined together. The second tank 72 and the pump are connected via a supply water passage 8, and the second tank side shut-off valve and the main body side shut-off valve are disposed in the supply water passage 8 between the second tank 72 and the pump. The pump may be disposed in the supply water passage 8 or at the lowest part. By driving the pump, water in the second tank 72 is transported via the supply water passage 8.

[0032] The pump is connected to a controller, such as a microcomputer, via a communication line, and is driven or stopped based on a control signal output from the controller. The controller may be disposed as a control board inside the exhaust flow path 4 located above the main body 11. Alternatively, the controller may be configured as a microcomputer mounted on a power supply board.

[0033] The pump is connected to the vaporization filter 21 and the heat exchanger 22 via a supply water passage 8. Therefore, the second tank 72 is connected to the vaporization filter 21 and the heat exchanger 22 via the pump and the supply water passage 8. The supply water passage 8 branches into multiple passages near the vaporization filter 21 and the heat exchanger 22. In this embodiment, the supply water passage 8 branches into four passages, and one of the branches is connected to the water supply body 23 of the vaporization filter 21. The water supply body 23 supplies water to the vaporization filter 21.

[0034] Of the four branched supply water channels 8, three of the supply water channels 8 are connected to three sensible heat exchanger water supply sections 25 located above the outlet of first heat exchange flow path 221 of heat exchanger 22. Each of the three sensible heat exchanger water supply sections 25 supplies water to first heat exchange flow path 221 of heat exchanger 22.

[0035] The water supplied from the water supply passage 8 is temporarily held in the water supply body 23 provided above the vaporization filter 21, drips onto the vaporization filter 21 through holes provided in the water supply body 23, and permeates into the vaporization filter 21. In other words, the water supply body 23 arranged above the vaporization filter 21 corresponds to the vaporization filter water supply section through which the water supplied to the vaporization filter 21 flows. The water supplied from the water supply passage 8 drips into the inside of the first heat exchange flow path 221 of the heat exchanger 22 via the sensible heat exchanger water supply section 25 provided above the heat exchanger 22.

[0036] A pump provided in the supply water passage 8 transports water from the second tank 72 to the evaporative filter 21 and the heat exchanger 22, and the water that does not evaporate in the evaporative filter 21 and the heat exchanger 22 and remains in liquid form is temporarily collected in the drain pan 91 by gravity, and is returned from the drain pan 91 to the second tank 72 via the recovery water passage 9. In other words, a water circulation passage is formed by the second tank 72, the supply water passage 8, the cooling unit 2, and the recovery water passage 9. When the amount of water stored in the second tank 72 falls below a predetermined value, water is supplied from the first tank 71 to the second tank 72.

[0037] The first tank 71 is disposed above the second tank 72 with the water supply tube portion provided on the bottom surface facing downward. The first tank 71 may be detachably attached to the main body 11, for example, and may be stored inside the main body 11 after being removed from the main body 11 and refilled with tap water or the like. The volume of the first tank 71 is larger than the volume of the second tank 72. In this embodiment, two first tanks 71 are provided, and the total volume of the two first tanks 71 is larger than the volume of the second tank 72. The number of first tanks 71 is not limited to two, and may be one or three or more.

[0038] Water supplied from the second tank 72 drips into the first heat exchange flow path 221 through the sensible heat exchanger water supply unit 25 provided above the heat exchanger 22. That is, the first heat exchange flow path 221 is a mixture of exhaust gas flowing from bottom to top and water dripping from the sensible heat exchanger water supply unit 25 and flowing from top to bottom. The water stored in the second tank 72 is water recovered from the evaporative filter 21 and is cooled by the heat of vaporization. Therefore, the temperature of the water supplied from the second tank 72 is lower than the temperature of the exhaust gas immediately after it flows into the first heat exchange flow path 221. The exhaust gas exchanges sensible heat with the water dripping from the sensible heat exchanger water supply unit 25, i.e., is cooled by the water. Each exhaust path constituting the first heat exchange flow path 221 is composed of a plate member with a nonwoven fabric attached to its surface, functioning as a membrane member. The water dripping from sensible heat exchanger water supply section 25 adheres to the nonwoven fabric, increasing the surface area of ​​the water in contact with the exhaust gas. As a result, some of the water dripping from sensible heat exchanger water supply section 25 evaporates, and the heat of evaporation further cools the exhaust gas.

[0039] The exhaust air flowing through the first heat exchange flow path 221 of the heat exchanger 22 and the supply air flowing through the second heat exchange flow path 222 cross each other, and sensible heat is exchanged between the supply air and the exhaust air. As described above, the exhaust air flowing through the first heat exchange flow path 221 is cooled by water supplied from the second tank 72, and the supply air is cooled by the exhaust air cooled by water supplied from the second tank 72. Furthermore, the supply air may be cooled by the sensible heat or latent heat of vaporization of water attached to a membrane member that forms the exhaust path constituting the first heat exchange flow path 221, using the membrane member as a heat transfer member.

[0040] The supply air that has passed through the outlet of the second heat exchange flow path 222 of the heat exchanger 22 flows into the supply air flow path 5 that runs from the heat exchanger 22 to the supply air outlet 51. In the supply air flow path 5, a vaporization filter 21 is provided downstream of the heat exchanger 22, and the supply air passes through the vaporization filter 21.

[0041] Water supplied from the second tank 72 drips onto the evaporative filter 21 via the water supply body 23 provided above the evaporative filter 21. Because negative pressure is maintained within the air intake flow path 5, the water supplied from the second tank 72 is sucked into the interior of the evaporative filter 21 through holes provided in the bottom surface 2323 of the water supply body 23 and permeates into the evaporative filter 21. The water that permeates the evaporative filter 21 is promoted to evaporate as the supply air passes through the evaporative filter 21, and evaporates, i.e., evaporates into water vapor, which is then contained in the supply air. The heat of evaporation cools the supply air, lowering its temperature. The cooled supply air is blown out by the supply air fan 62 from the supply air outlet 51 into the space to be air-conditioned.

[0042] With this configuration, the supply air blown into the conditioned space can be cooled in two stages, including primary cooling by the heat exchanger 22 and secondary cooling by the evaporative filter 21. Therefore, the temperature of the supply air can be further reduced compared to, for example, a direct evaporation method that uses only the evaporative filter 21.

[0043] The exhaust air that flows into the first heat exchange flow path 221 of the heat exchanger 22 is mixed with water dripping from the sensible heat exchanger water supply section 25 and transported toward the outlet of the first heat exchange flow path 221 located above the heat exchanger 22. Because the first heat exchange flow path 221 extends from below to above the heat exchanger 22, the exhaust air mixed with the water supplied from the sensible heat exchanger water supply section 25 flows from below to above the heat exchanger 22. The sensible heat exchanger water supply sections 25 are elongated and arranged in parallel in the short direction. The exhaust air that passes through the outlet of the first heat exchange flow path 221 passes between the sensible heat exchanger water supply sections 25 arranged in parallel in this manner, reaches the exhaust fan 61, and is then blown out from the exhaust outlet 43.

[0044] 2 is a perspective view showing the exterior of the air conditioner 1. The main body 11 of the air conditioner 1 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and has an upper surface 100, a lower surface 105, and side surfaces. The side surfaces include a first side surface 101, a second side surface 102, a third side surface 103, and a fourth side surface 104 located on the front, rear, left, and right sides. In this embodiment, the first side surface 101 corresponds to the front surface. The second side surface 102 corresponds to the right surface. The third side surface 103 corresponds to the rear surface. The fourth side surface 104 corresponds to the left surface.

[0045] The top surface 100 is formed with an intake air outlet 51 to which a duct 52 is attached, and an exhaust air outlet 43. A removable opening is formed in a first side surface 101, which corresponds to the front surface, and a cover is detachably attached to cover the removable opening. A dust collection filter 31 is disposed integrally with the cover. A lever is disposed above the removable opening, which is operated when removing the heat exchanger case from the main body 11. A passage opening is formed below the removable opening on the first side surface 101, through which the first tank 71 and the second tank 72 are stored. A first tank housing section that houses the first tank 71 and a second tank housing section that houses the second tank 72 are formed at the back of the opening.

[0046] By removing the cover from the main body 11, the heat exchanger 22 housed in the heat exchange case is exposed through the detachable opening so as to be visible from the outside of the main body 11. A gripping portion is formed on the heat exchange case, and the heat exchange case can be pulled out from the main body 11 by gripping the gripping portion.

[0047] The first tank 71 and the second tank 72 are configured to be able to be pulled out from the main body 11, just like the heat exchanger case. That is, the first side surface 101 of the main body 11 is formed with an attachment / detachment opening used when attaching / detaching the heat exchanger case, and a passage opening used when attaching / detaching the first tank 71 and the second tank 72. By forming both the attachment / detachment opening and the passage opening on the first side surface 101, which is the front surface of the main body 11, in this way, it is possible to improve the ease of operation by an operator.

[0048] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the tank unit. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view (rear side) of the tank unit. FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view (front side) of the tank unit. In this embodiment, the second tank 72 functions as a tank unit that captures iron powder and the like contained in the water recovered from the cooling unit 2. In this embodiment, the first tank 71 and the second tank 72 are separate structures, but the first tank 71 and the second tank 72 may be integrated into one unit. In this case, the integrated tank of the first tank 71 and the second tank 72 also functions as a tank unit. In the following description, the tank unit will be described as the second tank 72.

[0049] The second tank 72, which functions as a tank unit, includes a top lid 73 and a box body 74 with an opening formed at the top. The top lid 73 engages with the box body 74 while covering the opening of the box body 74. A water inlet 731 is formed in the top lid 73, and water recovered from the cooling unit 2 flows into the second tank 72 through the water inlet 731. That is, an end of a recovery water channel 9 extending from a drain pan 91 is inserted into the water inlet 731 of the top lid 73. The water inlet 731 of the top lid 73 may be composed of a plate portion that receives water flowing out from the end of the recovery water channel 9 and a through-hole through which the water received by the plate portion passes. The top lid 73 also has a through-hole through which water from the first tank 71 flows in.

[0050] The box body 74 includes a water outlet 741, a trap unit 700, and a weir 76. The water outlet 741 is formed in a side plate that forms the outer shell of the box body 74, and includes a through-hole that penetrates the side plate and a tubular portion that communicates with the through-hole. The water outlet 741 is connected to the supply water channel 8, and the water that flows out from the water outlet 741 is supplied to the cooling unit 2 via the supply water channel 8.

[0051] A weir 76 is formed to surround the water outlet 741. The weir 76 is formed to protrude from the bottom surface of the box body 74. The height of the weir 76, i.e., the length of protrusion from the bottom surface, may be set to ¼ to ⅕ of the depth of the box body 74, and may be shorter than the height of the wall that constitutes the trap section 700. In the water flow in the second tank 72, the weir 76 is located downstream of the trap section 700.

[0052] The trap section 700 is disposed close to the side plate opposite the side plate on which the water outlet 741 is formed, and is spaced apart from the water outlet 741. The trap section 700 is constituted by a first wall 701 and a second wall 702 formed to protrude from the bottom surface of the box body 74, and includes a magnet 7020 disposed on the outer periphery 7022 of the second wall 702.

[0053] The first wall 701 includes a base wall 7010, a first opposing wall 7011, and a second opposing wall 7012 opposing the first opposing wall 7011. The second wall 702 and the first wall 701 are contiguous, i.e., the second wall 702 is contiguous with the opposing first opposing wall 7011 and second opposing wall 7012 so as to form, for example, right-angled corners. The second wall 702 and the base wall 7010 are opposed to each other. In the opposing second wall 702 and base wall 7010, the distance from the water outlet 741 to the second wall 702 is greater than the distance from the water outlet 741 to the base wall 7010. In other words, the base wall 7010 is disposed between the water outlet 741 and the second wall 702.

[0054] The base wall 7010 is connected to the opposing first opposing wall 7011 and second opposing wall 7012. In this way, the trap section 700 is configured as a rectangular frame in a plan view by the base wall 7010, the first opposing wall 7011, the second wall 702, and the second opposing wall 7012, which are connected in a clockwise direction. The base wall 7010, the first opposing wall 7011, the second wall 702, and the second opposing wall 7012 are formed to protrude from the bottom surface of the box body 74, and the protruding length, i.e., the height from the bottom surface, may be set to half or more of the depth of the box body 74.

[0055] The trap unit 700, which is configured as a frame in a plan view, divides the box 74 into a trap internal liquid chamber 751 and a trap external liquid chamber 752. More specifically, the box 74 is divided into the trap internal liquid chamber 751 and the trap external liquid chamber 752 by the base wall 7010, the first opposing wall 7011, and the second opposing wall 7012, which constitute the first wall 701. Water flowing in through the water inlet 731 of the top lid 73 flows into the interior of the trap unit 700, i.e., into the trap internal liquid chamber 751. The water that flows into the trap internal liquid chamber 751, which is inside the trap unit 700, flows into the trap external liquid chamber 752 through an opening 7013 formed in the trap unit 700. The water that flows into the trap external liquid chamber 752 flows out of the second tank 72 from a water outlet 741 formed in the trap external liquid chamber 752, which is outside the trap unit 700.

[0056] A water inlet 731 formed in the top lid 73 is located above the trap section 700. That is, in a plan view with the top lid 73 placed on the box body 74, the water inlet 731 of the top lid 73 is located in a trap liquid chamber 751, which is inside the trap section 700 of the box body 74. In this case, the water inlet 731 is positioned closer to the base wall 7010 than to the second wall 702. That is, the distance from the water inlet 731 to the second wall 702 is greater than the distance from the water inlet 731 to the base wall 7010.

[0057] A rectangular opening 7013 is formed in the first opposing wall 7011 at a location where it connects to the second wall 702. The first opposing wall 7011 and the second wall 702 are connected to each other, and a corner is formed by these connected first opposing wall 7011 and second wall 702. The opening 7013-1 in the first opposing wall 7011 is formed along the corner, and as a result, the second wall 702 is disposed adjacent to the opening 7013-1 in the first opposing wall 7011.

[0058] A rectangular opening 7013-2 is formed in the second opposing wall 7012 at a location where it joins with the second wall 702. The second opposing wall 7012 and the second wall 702 are joined, and a corner is formed by the second opposing wall 7012 and the second wall 702. The opening 7013-2 in the second opposing wall 7012 is formed along the corner, and as a result, the second wall 702 is disposed adjacent to the opening 7013-2 in the second opposing wall 7012.

[0059] The opening 7013 is formed so that the longitudinal direction of the opening 7013 is the up-down direction, i.e., perpendicular to the bottom surface of the box body 74. In other words, in the rectangular opening 7013, the length in the vertical direction relative to the bottom surface of the box body 74 is greater than the length in the horizontal direction relative to the bottom surface of the box body 74.

[0060] The cross-sectional path area of ​​the opening 7013-1 in the first opposing wall 7011 and the cross-sectional path area of ​​the opening 7013-2 in the second opposing wall 7012 are formed to be approximately the same. The sum of the cross-sectional path areas of the openings 7013-1 in the first opposing wall 7011 and 7013-2 in the second opposing wall 7012 is larger than the cross-sectional path area of ​​the water inlet 731. By making the sum of the cross-sectional path areas of the openings 7013-1 in the first opposing wall 7011 and 7013-2 in the second opposing wall 7012 larger than the cross-sectional path area of ​​the water inlet 731, it is possible to prevent water from overflowing from the trap internal liquid chamber 751 to the trap external liquid chamber 752 without passing through the opening 7013.

[0061] The second wall 702 is connected at both ends to the first opposing wall 7011 and the second opposing wall 7012, respectively, and in this embodiment, the left end of the second wall 702 is connected to the first opposing wall 7011, and the right end of the second wall 702 is connected to the second opposing wall 7012. In this case, the inner periphery 7021 of the second wall 702 is continuous with the inner periphery of the first opposing wall 7011 and further with the inner periphery of the second opposing wall 7012. The space surrounded by the inner periphery 7021 of the second wall 702, the inner periphery of the first opposing wall 7011, the inner periphery of the second opposing wall 7012, and the inner periphery of the base wall 7010 constitutes a trap liquid chamber 751.

[0062] FIG. 6 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the tank unit (a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 3). FIG. 7 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the tank unit (a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 3). FIG. 8 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the tank unit (a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 3). At the location where the second wall 702 and the first wall 701 are connected, a rectangular plate-shaped magnet 7020 is disposed in close contact with the outer periphery 7022 of the second wall 702. At the location where the second wall 702 and the first wall 701 are connected, an opening 7013 is formed in the first wall 701. Therefore, the second wall 702 is disposed adjacent to the opening 7013, and a magnet 7020 is disposed on the outer periphery 7022 of the second wall 702 adjacent to the opening 7013.

[0063] A magnet 7020-1 is arranged on the outer periphery 7022 of the second wall 702 adjacent to the opening 7013-1 of the first opposing wall 7011. A magnet 7020-2 is arranged on the outer periphery 7022 of the second wall 702 adjacent to the opening 7013-2 of the second opposing wall 7012. In this manner, the magnets 7020 are arranged on both ends of the outer periphery 7022 of the second wall 702 that are connected to the first opposing wall 7011 or the second opposing wall 7012. Therefore, the magnet 7020 may not be arranged on the outer periphery near the center of the second wall 702. Although the magnet 7020 is arranged on the outer periphery 7022 of the second wall 702 adjacent to the opening 7013, this is not limiting and the magnet 7020 may be arranged on the inner periphery 7021 of the second wall. Alternatively, the magnet 7020 may be disposed on the surface of or inside the first opposing wall 7011 or the second opposing wall 7012 adjacent to or near the opening 7013. Alternatively, the magnet 7020 may be disposed on the surface of or inside the bottom surface of the trap liquid chamber 751 adjacent to or near the opening 7013. By disposing the magnet 7020 in a location where water flows through the opening 7013, the magnet 7020 can efficiently capture iron powder and the like contained in the water passing through the opening 7013.

[0064] 9 is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing an example of the arrangement of the magnet 7020. The magnet 7020 is arranged in close contact with the outer periphery 7022 of the second wall 702. The first wall 701 and the second wall 702 are connected to each other, and an opening 7013 is formed by cutting out a portion of the first wall 701 where it connects to the second wall 702. In other words, the opening 7013 is formed in the cut-out portion of the first wall 701 and in the inner periphery 7021 surface of the second wall 702.

[0065] The magnetic force of magnet 7020 disposed on outer periphery 7022 of second wall 702 passes through second wall 702 and acts on magnetic materials such as iron powder contained in water passing through opening 7013. Rectangular opening 7013 is formed with its longitudinal direction aligned with the up-down direction, and therefore the magnetic force of magnet 7020 acts in the short direction of opening 7013. This makes it possible to make the distance between magnet 7020 and the water passing through opening 7013 relatively short, thereby preventing the magnetic force from attenuating.

[0066] With this configuration, the second tank 72 functions as a tank unit that captures iron powder and the like contained in the water recovered from the cooling unit 2. A water inlet 731 formed as a through-hole is formed in the top lid 73, and the water recovered from the cooling unit 2 flows into the box body 74 of the second tank 72 through the water inlet 731. The water inlet 731 is formed in the top lid 73 so as to be located inside the trap portion 700, i.e., above the trap liquid chamber 751, and the water that passes through the water inlet 731 flows into the trap portion 700, i.e., into the trap liquid chamber 751.

[0067] Water that has flowed into the trap internal liquid chamber 751 passes through the opening 7013-1 in the first opposing wall 7011 or the opening 7013-2 in the second opposing wall 7012 and flows into the trap external liquid chamber 752. The openings 7013-1 in the first opposing wall 7011 and the openings 7013-2 in the second opposing wall 7011 are formed at the locations where the first opposing wall 7011 and the second opposing wall 7012 are connected to the second wall 702. Therefore, the distance from the opening 7013 to the second wall 702 is shorter than the distance from the opening 7013 to the base wall 7010. The water inlet 731 is positioned between the opposing second wall 702 and the base wall 7010, close to the base wall 7010. This allows the distance from the water inlet 731 to the opening 7013-1 in the first opposing wall 7011 or the opening 7013-2 in the second opposing wall 7012 to be relatively long depending on the inter-surface distance between the opposing second wall 702 and the base wall 7010. By lengthening the distance from the water inlet 731 to the opening 7013 in this way, the flow rate of the water can be reduced, which can tend to cause iron powder and the like contained in the water to settle.

[0068] Water flowing in from the water inlet 731 and flowing along the bottom surface of the box body 74 flows toward the second wall 702 arranged adjacent to the opening 7013. The water flowing toward the second wall 702 collides with the inner periphery 7021 of the second wall 702, or flows along the inner periphery 7021 of the second wall 702 toward either end that is connected to the first opposing wall 7011 or the second opposing wall 7012. As a result, the water flowing in from the water inlet 731 traces an L-shaped trajectory and passes through the opening 7013-1 in the first opposing wall 7011 that is connected to the second wall 702, or the opening 7013-2 in the second opposing wall 7012. A magnet 7020 is arranged on the outer periphery 7022 of the second wall 702 arranged adjacent to the opening 7013, and the magnet 7020 can capture iron powder and the like contained in the water.

[0069] Water that flows into the trap unit 700 from the water inlet 731, i.e., into the trap internal liquid chamber 751, passes through the opening 7013 and flows into the trap external liquid chamber 752. At this time, the water that flows into the trap internal liquid chamber 751 flows along the inner periphery 7021 surface of the second wall 702 and then passes through the opening 7013. As the water flows along the inner periphery 7021 surface of the second wall 702, the magnetic force of the magnet 7020 arranged on the outer periphery 7022 surface of the second wall 702 acts on magnetic materials such as iron powder contained in the water. As a result, the iron powder and the like are attracted to the magnet 7020 and adhere to the inner periphery 7021 surface of the second wall 702 where the magnet 7020 is arranged.

[0070] By making the water flowing in from the water inlet 731 trace an L-shaped path in this way, the flow velocity of the water is further reduced, which tends to cause iron particles and other particles contained in the water to settle. Furthermore, the centrifugal force generated when the water flow direction bends and forms an L-shaped path causes the iron particles and other particles contained in the water to be pushed outward. By pushing the iron particles and other particles outward in this way, the distance between the iron particles and the magnet 7020 disposed on the outer periphery 7022 of the second wall 702 can be shortened, allowing the iron particles and other particles contained in the water to be efficiently captured.

[0071] The openings 7013 include an opening 7013-1 in the first opposing wall 7011 and an opening 7013-2 in the second opposing wall 7012, i.e., a plurality of openings 7013 are formed. Therefore, the path cross-sectional area of ​​each opening 7013 can be made relatively small, preventing the size of the openings 7013 from increasing, and preventing the distance between the water passing through the openings 7013 and the magnet 7020 from increasing. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first opposing wall 7011 and the second opposing wall 7012 face each other in the left-right direction, so even if the air conditioner 1 equipped with the second tank 72 is tilted to the left or right, water can pass through the opening 7013 on the tilted side.

[0072] Water that passes through the opening 7013-1 in the first opposing wall 7011 or the opening 7013-2 in the second opposing wall 7012 flows into the trap external liquid chamber 752. The water that flows into the trap external liquid chamber 752 flows toward the water outlet 741. The water outlet 741 is located on the opposite side of the second wall 702 when the base wall 7010 is used as the reference point. Water that flows into the trap external liquid chamber 752 from the opening 7013 adjacent to the second wall 702 flows from the second wall 702 toward the base wall 7010 and then reaches the water outlet 741. Therefore, in the water flow in the second tank 72, water that passes through the opening 7013 from the water inlet 731, which is the most upstream, traces a U-shaped trajectory before reaching the water outlet 741. By flowing water inside the second tank 72 so as to form a U-shaped trajectory in this way, the flow rate of the water can be reduced.

[0073] A weir 76 is formed to surround the water outlet 741. Therefore, the water that reaches the water outlet 741 exceeds the weir 76, but at this time, the flow rate of the water is sufficiently reduced, and the iron particles and the like contained in the water tend to further settle. Therefore, even if there are iron particles and the like that are not captured by the magnet 7020 when passing through the opening 7013, the iron particles and the like can be blocked by the weir 76.

[0074] To facilitate understanding, the flow of water is indicated by a dashed line WF in FIG. 3 . In this embodiment, the tank unit is formed with a water inlet 731 and a water outlet 741. As indicated by the dashed line WF in FIG. 3 , water recovered from the cooling unit 2 flows in through the water inlet 731 and flows out through the water outlet 741. The tank unit is provided with a trap section 700 having a first wall 701 that prevents water from moving from the water inlet 731 to the water outlet 741. Therefore, the water flowing from the water inlet 731 to the water outlet 741 is prevented from moving by the first wall 701 of the trap section 700, i.e., the first wall 701 functions as a baffle for the water. Furthermore, because a magnet 7020 is disposed in the trap section 700, even if the water contains magnetic materials such as iron powder, the iron powder can be attracted to the magnet 7020 and captured. At this time, the trap section 700 prevents the movement of water, thereby slowing the water flow rate and allowing the magnet 7020 to efficiently attract iron particles and the like. By attracting and capturing iron particles and the like in the tank unit in this way, the iron particles and the like can be prevented from entering the supply water passage 8. The second tank 72, which functions as a tank unit, is configured to be detachable from the main body 11 of the air conditioner 1. Therefore, when the second tank 72 is removed from the main body 11, the iron particles and the like that have adhered to the inside of the second tank 72 can be shaken off and discharged to the outside of the main body 11.

[0075] In this embodiment, the tank unit is partitioned by a first wall 701 into a trap internal liquid chamber 751 and an external liquid chamber 752. An opening 7013 is formed in the first wall 701, and the trap internal liquid chamber 751 and the external liquid chamber 752 communicate with each other via the opening 7013. Therefore, water flowing from the water inlet 731 to the water outlet 741 always passes through the opening 7013, as indicated by the dashed line WF in Figure 3. This allows the water that has flowed in from the water inlet 731 to flow from the opening 7013 toward the water outlet 741 while the flow of water is slowed by the trap section 700.

[0076] In this embodiment, the magnet 7020 is disposed adjacent to the opening 7013 , so that iron powder and the like can be reliably attached to the water flowing from the water inlet 731 to the water outlet 741 .

[0077] In this embodiment, the trap unit 700 has a first wall 701 and a second wall 702 connected to the first wall 701, and a base wall 7010 of the first wall 701 is configured to face the second wall 702. In this configuration, the water inlet 731 is disposed above the base wall 7010, and the opening 7013 is disposed adjacent to the second wall 702. Therefore, the inter-surface distance between the opposing wall surfaces of the second wall 702 and the base wall 7010 can be set to the distance from the water inlet 731 to the opening 7013. In addition, water flowing in from the water inlet 731 reaches the second wall 702 and then passes through the opening 7013 along the second wall 702, thereby reducing the flow rate of the water and allowing the magnet 7020 to efficiently attach iron powder and the like.

[0078] In this embodiment, trap unit 700 has opening 7013 at a position away from water outlet 741 relative to water inlet 731, so that the water conduction path connecting water inlet 731, opening 7013, and water outlet 741 can be U-shaped. By making the water conduction path connecting water inlet 731, opening 7013, and water outlet 741 U-shaped in this way, the water flow rate can be reduced, and iron powder and the like can be efficiently attached by magnet 7020.

[0079] In this embodiment, the tank unit has a first wall 701 and a second wall 702 connected to the first wall 701, and the second wall 702 is disposed adjacent to the opening 7013. In this case, the magnet 7020 is disposed on the outer periphery 7022 of the second wall 702 adjacent to the opening 7013, so that even if the water passing through the opening 7013 contains magnetic material such as iron powder, the iron powder can be attracted to and captured by the magnet 7020. Furthermore, because the magnet 7020 is disposed on the outer periphery 7022 of the second wall 702, the iron powder will adhere to the inner periphery 7021 of the second wall 702, and therefore the iron powder can be brushed off relatively easily.

[0080] In this embodiment, the opening 7013 is rectangular and has a longitudinal side and a lateral side. The magnet 7020 is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the opening 7013, so the distance between the water flowing through the opening 7013 and the magnet 7020 can be the length of the lateral side of the opening 7013, which can be a relatively short distance. The magnetic force of the magnet 7020 weakens inversely proportional to the square of the distance. By keeping the distance between the water flowing through the opening 7013 and the magnet 7020 relatively short, the magnet 7020 can efficiently attract iron powder and the like. On the other hand, the opening 7013 can have a large longitudinal area, which reduces unnecessary obstruction of the water flow.

[0081] In this embodiment, multiple openings 7013 are formed, which reduces the size of the openings 7013. Therefore, water can be made to pass through the openings 7013 and flow within the range of the magnetic force of the magnet 7020.

[0082] In this embodiment, the first wall 701 constituting the trap section 700 includes a first opposing wall 7011 and a second opposing wall 7012. The openings 7013 are formed in each of the first opposing wall 7011 and the second opposing wall 7012. Therefore, even if the air conditioner 1 is tilted, water can pass through the opening 7013-1 formed in the first wall 701 on the tilted side, i.e., the opening 7013-2 formed in either the first opposing wall 7011 or the second opposing wall 7012.

[0083] In this embodiment, the water that has passed through opening 7013 flows over the bottom surface of the tank unit and flows out from water outlet 741. At this time, a dam 76 that protrudes from the bottom surface is provided at a location on the bottom surface between opening 7013 and water outlet 741. Therefore, even if the water that has passed through opening 7013 contains iron powder or the like, the iron powder or the like can be blocked by dam 76, and the iron powder or the like can be efficiently prevented from being contained in the water that flows out from water outlet 741.

[0084] Fig. 10 is a schematic side view showing an example of the configuration of duct 52. Fig. 11 is a schematic see-through view showing an example of the configuration of elbow portion 522. Fig. 12 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the configuration of base portion 523. A cylindrical duct 52 is disposed in air supply / air outlet 51 formed on upper surface 100 of main body 11. Duct 52 has a circular cylindrical shape, includes a bellows portion 521 and an elbow portion 522, and is attached to base portion 523 that is disposed in air supply / air outlet 51 formed on upper surface 100 of main body 11.

[0085] The bellows portion 521 has a long, cylindrical shape and is configured to bend freely. The bellows portion 521 constitutes the tip of the duct 52. The elbow portion 522 has a circular cylindrical shape that is bent, for example, by approximately 60° with respect to the vertical direction of the upper surface 100 of the main body 11. The elbow portion 522 fits to the bellows portion 521 by covering and enclosing the outer periphery of the bellows portion 521 at one end, and fits to the base portion 523 by covering and enclosing the outer periphery of the base portion 523 at the other end. The base portion 523 has a circular cylindrical shape and is connected to the air supply outlet 51, i.e., is fixed to the upper surface 100 of the main body 11.

[0086] The elbow portion 522 includes a rotation stopper pawl 5221 and an attachment pawl 5222. When the elbow portion 522, which has a bent cylindrical shape, is divided into an upper part and a lower part of the bent portion, the rotation stopper pawl 5221 and the attachment pawl 5222 are formed below the bent portion.

[0087] Three mounting claws 5222 are formed on the inner surface of the elbow portion 522, at equal intervals along the circumferential direction. That is, the mounting claws 5222 may be formed on the inner surface of the elbow portion 522 at intervals of approximately 120° along the circumferential direction. The mounting claws 5222 protrude from the inner surface of the elbow portion 522 and are rectangular. The longitudinal direction of the rectangular mounting claws 5222 is aligned with the circumferential direction of the inner surface of the cylindrical elbow portion 522. The lateral direction of the rectangular mounting claws 5222 is aligned with the axial direction of the inner surface of the cylindrical elbow portion 522.

[0088] Rotation stop pawls 5221 are formed on the inner surface of the elbow portion 522 above the mounting pawls 5222. The rotation stop pawls 5221 are formed only above two of the three mounting pawls 5222 that are located in the bending direction of the elbow portion 522.

[0089] When the bending direction of the elbow portion 522 is set to the front side of the elbow portion 522, the rotation stop pawl 5221 is formed only on the front side of the elbow portion 522, and not on the rear side of the elbow portion 522. A bellows portion 521 is attached to the tip of the elbow portion 522. In this case, the bellows portion 521 is tilted toward the bending direction of the elbow portion 522, and the weight of the bellows portion 521 is applied in the bending direction of the elbow portion 522, i.e., on the front side of the elbow portion 522. In contrast, because the rotation stop pawl 5221 is formed biased toward the front side of the elbow portion 522, the weight of the bellows portion 521 is applied to the front side of the elbow portion 522, causing the elbow portion 522 to tilt further forward along the bending direction. As a result, the attachment pawl 5222 arranged on the front side and the base pawl 5233, which will be described later, come into reliable contact with each other, thereby preventing the elbow portion 522 from rotating.

[0090] The rotation stop pawl 5221 is formed to protrude from the inner surface of the elbow portion 522 and is U-shaped. That is, the rotation stop pawl 5221 includes a long side portion that runs along the circumferential direction of the inner surface of the elbow portion 522, and short side portions that run along the axial direction of the inner surface of the elbow portion 522 and are continuous with both ends of the long side at right angles. Each short side portion protrudes from both ends of the long side along the axial direction of the inner surface of the elbow portion 522. The protruding tip of each short side portion, i.e., the protruding end, faces downward, i.e., toward the mounting pawl 5222. The protruding end of the short side portion may be formed in a trapezoidal shape with corners removed.

[0091] The positions on the inner surface of the elbow portion 522 where the rotation stop pawls 5221 and the attachment pawls 5222 are formed are included in an area that overlaps with the outer surface of the base portion 523 when the base portion 523 is inserted into the elbow portion 522. In other words, the rotation stop pawls 5221 and the attachment pawls 5222 are formed on the inner surface of the elbow portion 522 that faces the outer surface of the base portion 523 when the base portion 523 is inserted into the elbow portion 522.

[0092] The base portion 523 includes an annular protrusion 5231, a slit portion 5232, and a base claw 5233. The annular protrusion 5231 is formed along the circumferential direction on the outer surface of the circular cylindrical base portion 523. The annular protrusion 5231 protrudes from the outer surface of the base portion 523 and is formed linearly along the circumferential direction.

[0093] Three slits 5232 are formed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction in the annular protrusion 5231. The slits 5232 are formed by cutting out the protruding portion of the annular protrusion 5231, which protrudes from the outer surface of the base portion 523 and is formed linearly along the circumferential direction. The three slits 5232 may be formed at 120° intervals along the circumferential direction in the annular protrusion 5231 formed on the outer surface of the base portion 523.

[0094] Therefore, the three slits 5232 formed on the outer surface of the base portion 523 are at the same circumferential angle as the three mounting claws 5222 formed on the inner surface of the elbow portion 522, and the three slits 5232 and the three mounting claws 5222 are located at corresponding circumferential positions. The circumferential length of the slits 5232 is longer than the longitudinal length of the mounting claws 5222 of the elbow portion 522. Therefore, by placing the elbow portion 522 over the base portion 523 from above, when the upper part of the base portion 523 is inserted from the lower part of the elbow portion 522, the three slits 5232 are aligned circumferentially with the three mounting claws 5222, allowing the mounting claws 5222 to pass through the slits 5232 and be positioned below the annular protrusion 5231.

[0095] After the mounting claw 5222 is positioned below the annular protrusion 5231, the elbow portion 522 can be rotated in the axial direction relative to the base portion 523 to move the mounting claw 5222 to a position away from the slit portion 5232. At this time, the annular protrusion 5231 is positioned above the mounting claw 5222, and when the elbow portion 522 moves upward, the mounting claw 5222 interferes with or comes into contact with the annular protrusion 5231, thereby preventing the elbow portion 522 from coming off the base portion 523.

[0096] A plurality of base claws 5233 are formed at equal intervals around the entire circumferential area of ​​the annular protrusion 5231. Each of the base claws 5233 protrudes from the upper side surface of the annular protrusion 5231 in the axial direction around the outer periphery of the base portion 523. That is, the base claws 5233 formed protruding from the side surface of the annular protrusion 5231 protrude upward, i.e., toward the tip of the duct 52. The tip of the base claw 5233, i.e., the protruding end, may be trapezoidal in shape with corners removed. The plurality of base claws 5233 are formed at equal intervals around the entire circumferential area of ​​the annular protrusion 5231, and the distance between adjacent base claws 5233 is set to be approximately the same as the distance between the short sides of the U-shaped rotation stop claw 5221.

[0097] FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view showing the engagement between the elbow portion 522 and the base portion 523. FIG. 14 is a schematic perspective view showing the engagement between the rotation stop pawl 5221 and the base pawl 5233. The elbow portion 522 and the base portion 523 are engaged by inserting the base portion 523 into the inside of the elbow portion 522. That is, the outer diameter of the outer periphery of the base portion 523 is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the inner periphery of the elbow portion 522, and the elbow portion 522 is engaged with the base portion 523 so as to be rotatable in the axial direction. When the elbow portion 522 and the base portion 523 are engaged in this manner, an opposing or overlapping region is created between the inner surface of the elbow portion 522 and the outer surface of the base portion 523.

[0098] An annular protrusion 5231 is formed in the overlapping region on the outer surface of the base portion 523, and a slit 5232 and a base claw 5233 are formed in the annular protrusion 5231. A rotation stop claw 5221 and an attachment claw 5222 are formed in the overlapping region on the inner surface of the elbow portion 522.

[0099] The slits 5232 of the base portion 523 and the mounting claws 5222 of the elbow portion 522 are both formed, for example, at 120° intervals in the circumferential direction, and by aligning the base portion 523 when inserting it into the elbow portion 522, the mounting claws 5222 pass through the slits 5232 and are positioned below the annular protrusion 5231. The mounting claws 5222 positioned below the annular protrusion 5231 come into contact with a step formed around the entire circumferential circumference on the inner surface of the base portion 523, and can move circumferentially along the step.

[0100] When the mounting claw 5222 of the elbow portion 522 is in contact with the step portion of the base portion 523, the rotation stop claw 5221 of the elbow portion 522 engages with the base claw 5233 of the base portion 523. The U-shaped rotation stop claw 5221 has long sides and short sides that are continuous with both ends of the long sides at right angles, and the tip of each short side is located between two adjacent base claws 5233.

[0101] The tip of the short side of rotation stop pawl 5221 and the tip of base pawl 5233 both form a trapezoidal shape with the corners cut off, and have tapered portions formed at a predetermined taper angle with respect to the axial direction of duct 52. When rotation stop pawl 5221 and base pawl 5233 engage with each other, the tapered portions of rotation stop pawl 5221 and base pawl 5233 come into contact with each other, and this engagement restricts or limits the rotation of elbow portion 522, i.e., elbow portion 522 to which bellows portion 521 is attached, relative to base portion 523.

[0102] The distance between the tips of the short sides of rotation stop pawl 5221 is set to be approximately the same as the distance between the tips of adjacent base pawls 5233. Therefore, when rotation stop pawl 5221 and base pawl 5233 engage, the tips of the short sides of rotation stop pawl 5221 come into contact with the tips of adjacent base pawls 5233, and rotation stop pawl 5221 and base pawl 5233 come into contact at these two points. Therefore, even if a stress that rotates elbow portion 522 in the axial direction is applied to elbow portion 522 by the supply air blown out from bellows portion 521, the rotation of elbow portion 522 can be efficiently restricted or limited in response to the rotational stress.

[0103] The rotation stop pawl 5221 of the elbow portion 522 is formed on the front side, which is the bending direction of the elbow portion 522. The weight of the bellows portion 521 attached to the elbow portion 522 is applied toward the bending direction, and the weight of the bellows portion 521 can press the rotation stop pawl 5221 of the elbow portion 522 against the base pawl 5233 of the base portion 523. As a result, even if stress is applied to the elbow portion 522 to rotate it in the axial direction, the rotation of the elbow portion 522 can be further efficiently restricted or limited in response to the rotational stress.

[0104] When the elbow portion 522 and the base portion 523 are engaged, a gap is formed between the mounting claw 5222 of the elbow portion 522 and the annular protrusion 5231 of the base portion 523. This gap allows the mounting claw 5222 of the elbow portion 522 to move toward the tip of the duct 52 in the axial direction, i.e., to move upward. Therefore, when an operator of the air conditioner 1 applies axial rotational stress to the bellows portion 521 attached to the elbow portion 522, the mounting claw 5222 of the elbow portion 522 moves upward, and the rotation stop claw 5221 also moves upward, disengaging the rotation stop claw 5221 from the base claw 5233. In other words, the rotation stop claw 5221 can move circumferentially beyond the tip of the base claw 5233. This allows the bellows portion 521 attached to the elbow portion 522 to rotate to a desired position.

[0105] Multiple claims may be combined with each other regardless of the form of reference. Multiple dependent claims may be included in the claims, depending on multiple claims. Multiple dependent claims may be included in a multiple dependent claim. If multiple dependent claims are not included in a multiple dependent claim, this does not limit the number of multiple dependent claims that are included in a multiple dependent claim.

[0106] The embodiments disclosed herein are to be considered as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above meaning, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0107] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Air conditioner 11 Main body (housing) 100 Top surface 101 First side surface (front surface) 102 Second side surface (right surface) 103 Third side surface (rear surface) 104 Fourth side surface (left surface) 105 Bottom surface 2 Cooling unit 21 Evaporative filter 22 Heat exchanger (sensible heat exchanger) 221 First heat exchange flow path 222 Second heat exchange flow path 23 Water supply body 25 Water supply section for sensible heat exchanger 3 Intake port 31 Dust collection filter 32 Intake flow path 4 Exhaust flow path (first flow path) 43 Exhaust air outlet 5 Air supply flow path (second flow path) 51 Air supply air outlet 52 Duct 521 Bellows portion 522 Elbow portion 5221 Rotation stop claw 5222 Mounting claw 523 Base portion 5231 Annular convex portion 5232 Slit portion 5233 Base claw 6 Fan motor 61 Exhaust fan 62 Air supply fan 7 Tank 71 First tank 72 Second tank (tank unit) 73 Top cover 731 Water inlet 74 Box body 741 Water outlet 700 Trap portion 701 First wall 7010 Base wall 7011 First opposing wall 7012 Second opposing wall 7013 Opening 702 Second wall 7020 Magnet 7021 Inner circumference of second wall 7022 Outer circumference of second wall 751 Trap internal liquid chamber 752 Trap external liquid chamber 76 Weir 8 Supply water channel 9 Recovery water channel 91 Drain pan

Claims

1. An air conditioner comprising: a cooling unit that cools air passing through it using the heat of evaporation of water; and a tank unit that stores water, wherein the tank unit is formed with a water inlet through which water recovered from the cooling unit flows in, a water outlet through which water supplied to the cooling unit flows out, and a trap section that has a first wall located between the water inlet and the water outlet and prevents water from moving from the water inlet to the water outlet, and wherein a magnet is disposed in the trap section.

2. An air conditioner as described in claim 1, wherein the tank unit is divided into a trap internal liquid chamber and a trap external liquid chamber by the first wall, and an opening is formed in the first wall to connect the trap internal liquid chamber and the trap external liquid chamber.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the magnet is disposed adjacent to the opening.

4. An air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the trap section has a second wall connected to the first wall, the water inlet is located above the first wall, and the opening is located adjacent to the second wall.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the trap portion has the opening at a position away from the water outlet with respect to the water inlet.

6. An air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the trap section has a second wall connected to the first wall, the second wall is disposed adjacent to the opening, and the magnet is disposed on the outer periphery of the second wall.

7. An air conditioner according to claim 6, wherein the opening is rectangular, and the magnet is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the opening.

8. An air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of the openings are formed.

9. An air conditioner as described in claim 2, wherein the first wall constituting the trap section includes a first opposing wall and a second opposing wall opposing the first opposing wall, and the opening is formed in each of the first opposing wall and the second opposing wall.

10. An air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein a weir is formed protruding from the bottom surface of said tank unit at a location midway between said opening and said water outlet.

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