Outdoor unit of heat pump cycle device

Abstract

An outdoor unit according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a housing, an outdoor heat exchanger, a fan, a compressor, an accumulator, and a suction pipe. The housing has a front panel having an air outlet, and a partition plate that partitions the inside of the housing into a fan chamber and a machine chamber. The outdoor heat exchanger is disposed on the rear side of the fan chamber. The fan is disposed in the fan chamber and forms a flow of air from the rear side toward the air outlet. The suction pipe connects the compressor and the accumulator. The compressor and the accumulator are sequentially disposed in the machine chamber from the front side toward the rear side of the housing. When viewed from the front side of the housing, an end of the outdoor heat exchanger on the machine chamber side is disposed closer to the fan chamber side than an end of the accumulator on the fan chamber side.

Description

Outdoor Unit for Heat Pump Cycle Device

[0001] The present invention relates to an outdoor unit for a heat pump cycle device including an accumulator.

[0002] An outdoor unit for a heat pump cycle device is known, in which a compressor, a four-way valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor expansion valve, a water-refrigerant heat exchanger, an accumulator, and an outdoor fan are arranged inside a housing. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that in order to prevent an increase in size of the outdoor unit, the accumulator is arranged in close proximity to the outdoor heat exchanger with a partition plate interposed therebetween.

[0003] Particularly, Patent Document 1 discloses that in order to increase the space of a machine room where a compressor, a four-way valve, and the like are arranged as much as possible, an end portion of a partition plate on the outdoor heat exchanger side is bent at a right angle toward the machine room side, and the accumulator is arranged at a corner portion of the machine room formed by the bent portion, thereby securing a space for arranging the water-refrigerant heat exchanger.

[0004] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2023-125274

[0005] In a heating cycle in which the outdoor heat exchanger functions as an evaporator, the configuration described in Patent Document 1 has a problem that icing easily progresses on the bottom of the accumulator or the surface of a suction pipe connected thereto (ice formed on the surface easily grows) for the following reason.

[0006] For example, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, the back side of the accumulator is blocked by the outdoor heat exchanger and the bent portion of the partition plate, so that the flow of air from the back side of the housing to the accumulator is blocked. As a result, air convection inside the machine room is stagnant, and for example, air warmed by heat radiation from the compressor is less likely to flow toward the accumulator side. Accordingly, under a condition where the outside air temperature is relatively low, condensed water (dew condensation water) frozen on the surface of the accumulator through which a low-temperature refrigerant flows and the suction pipe connected thereto is less likely to melt, and ice formed on the surface of the suction pipe easily grows.

[0007] Furthermore, the compressor, discharge pipe, and outside air are at a higher temperature than the accumulator and suction pipe during heating operation. Therefore, radiant heat from the surrounding equipment of the accumulator and suction pipe, or from the casing in contact with the outside air, acts to suppress ice formation on the accumulator and suction pipe. On the other hand, due to the influence of the outdoor heat exchanger, which functions as an evaporator, the temperature of the partition plate located close to the outdoor heat exchanger decreases, resulting in a small temperature difference with the accumulator and suction pipe. Consequently, the radiant heat from the partition plate cannot be expected to suppress ice formation on the accumulator and suction pipe.

[0008] As described in Patent Document 1, the accumulator and suction pipe are surrounded by partition plates and an outdoor heat exchanger, making it impossible to suppress ice formation or ice growth on the surface of the accumulator and suction pipe. As a result, for example, the bottom of the accumulator and the suction pipe may become integrated with the bottom of the machine room via icicles, which can cause increased vibrations as the compressor's vibrations are transmitted to the bottom of the outdoor unit, or the accumulator and suction pipe may be constrained by the icicles, making it easier for vibrations from the compressor to be transmitted without attenuation, resulting in damage to the accumulator and suction pipe or the generation of abnormal noises.

[0009] Furthermore, while the ice that forms on the bottom of the accumulator and the suction pipe mentioned above will melt during the defrosting operation of the outdoor heat exchanger, if the ice has grown to the point where the icicles are large, some ice may remain even after the defrosting of the outdoor heat exchanger is complete. In addition, if the refrigerant used is one with a low specific heat ratio (the ratio of the specific heat at constant pressure to the specific heat at constant volume of the gaseous refrigerant), such as R290 (propane), the compressor discharge temperature will not rise easily during the defrosting operation, and some ice may remain on the bottom of the accumulator and the suction pipe even after the defrosting of the outdoor heat exchanger is complete.

[0010] In view of the above circumstances, the object of the present invention is to provide an outdoor unit for a heat pump cycle system that can suppress freezing or ice growth on the surface of the accumulator and suction pipe during heating operation at low ambient temperatures.

[0011] An outdoor unit of a heat pump cycle device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a housing, an outdoor heat exchanger, a blower, a compressor, an accumulator, and an intake pipe. The housing has a front panel having an air outlet and a partition plate that divides the interior into a blower room and a machine room. The outdoor heat exchanger is located on the rear side of the blower room. The blower is located in the blower room and forms an airflow from the rear side toward the outlet. The intake pipe connects the compressor and the accumulator. The compressor and the accumulator are arranged in the machine room in order from the front side to the rear side of the housing. When viewed from the front side of the housing, the machine room side end of the outdoor heat exchanger is located closer to the blower room than the blower room side end of the accumulator.

[0012] In the above-described outdoor unit, the compressor and the accumulator are arranged sequentially in the machine room from the front to the rear of the housing, and when viewed from the front of the housing, the end of the outdoor heat exchanger on the machine room side is positioned closer to the blower room than the end of the accumulator on the blower room side, so that the rear side of the accumulator is not blocked by the outdoor heat exchanger. As a result, the airflow from the rear of the housing to the accumulator is not obstructed, and for example, air heated by heat dissipation from the compressor can easily flow to the accumulator side, thereby suppressing ice formation or ice growth on the surface of the accumulator and suction pipe during heating operation at low outdoor temperatures.

[0013] The outdoor unit may further include a water-refrigerant heat exchanger. The water-refrigerant heat exchanger is located in the machine room and exchanges heat between the water drawn into the housing and the refrigerant. In this case, when viewed from the top of the housing, the accumulator may be located between the machine room side end of the outdoor heat exchanger and the water-refrigerant heat exchanger. This makes it easier for the air heated by the water-refrigerant heat exchanger to flow to the accumulator, thereby further suppressing ice formation or ice growth on the surface of the accumulator and suction pipe.

[0014] The suction pipe may have a bent portion that moves away from the machine room side end of the outdoor heat exchanger and towards the water refrigerant heat exchanger. This can suppress ice formation or ice growth on the surface of the suction pipe.

[0015] For example, if the bottom of the accumulator is located below the top of the compressor, and the suction pipe has a first end connected to the bottom of the accumulator and a second end connected to the top of the compressor, the bent portion can be a folded portion formed between the first end and the second end.

[0016] When viewed from the top surface of the housing, the shortest distance between the accumulator and the compressor may be smaller than the shortest distance between the accumulator and the machine room side end of the outdoor heat exchanger.

[0017] The refrigerant may be one whose specific heat ratio in saturated vapor at 10°C is less than 1.25. With this type of refrigerant, the discharge temperature of the compressor does not rise easily during defrosting operation, and even after defrosting of the outdoor heat exchanger is completed, unmelted ice tends to remain at the bottom of the accumulator and in the suction pipe that was formed during heating operation. With the above-mentioned outdoor unit, the air heated by the heat radiated from the compressor etc. flows more easily to the accumulator side, so even when this refrigerant is used, freezing or ice growth on the surface of the accumulator and suction pipe can be suppressed during heating operation at low outdoor temperatures.

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress ice formation or ice growth on the surface of the accumulator and suction pipe during heating operation at low ambient temperatures.

[0019] This is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of an outdoor unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the above outdoor unit. This is a plan view showing the internal structure of the above outdoor unit. This is a side view of the main part of the machine room in the above outdoor unit. This is a perspective view of the main part of the above machine room. This is an enlarged plan view showing the main part of the above machine room. This is a plan view showing the internal structure of an outdoor unit according to a comparative example.

[0020] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0021] [Overall Configuration] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the outdoor unit 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the outdoor unit 1, and Figure 3 is a plan view showing the internal structure of the outdoor unit 1.

[0022] In each figure, the front-to-back direction refers to the depth direction of the outdoor unit 1 when the front panel portion 10F of the outdoor unit 1 is facing forward, and the left-to-right direction and up-and-down direction refer to the width direction and height direction as viewed from the outdoor unit 1 when the outdoor unit 1 is facing forward, respectively.

[0023] The outdoor unit 1 includes a metal housing 10 (outdoor unit housing) that forms the outer casing of the outdoor unit 1. The housing 10 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape having a top plate portion 10T, a bottom plate portion 10B, a front panel portion 10F, a rear panel portion 10R, and a pair of side panel portions 10S1 and 10S2. The front panel portion 10F corresponds to the front panel of the housing 10.

[0024] As shown in Figure 2, the housing 10 has a partition plate 13 that divides the inside of the housing 10 into a machine room 11 and a blower room 12. The machine room 11 houses a compressor 3, an accumulator 6, a four-way valve 2, a water-refrigerant heat exchanger 9, a circulation pump 16, and an expansion valve (not shown). The blower room 12 houses an outdoor heat exchanger 5, an outdoor fan 5F (blower), and the like.

[0025] On the rear side of the housing 10, an intake port 101 (see Figures 2 and 3) is provided for drawing air from outside the outdoor unit 1 into the blower chamber 12 by the rotation of the outdoor fan 5F. The intake port 101 is formed between the rear panel portion 10R and the side panel portion 10S2. On the front side of the housing 10, an outlet port 102 (see Figure 1) is provided for blowing air from the blower chamber 12 to the outside of the outdoor unit 1 by the rotation of the outdoor fan 5F. In other words, the outdoor fan 5F creates an airflow from the rear side of the housing 10 toward the outlet port 102. A fan guard 17 is provided in front of the outlet port 102 so as to cover the outlet port 102.

[0026] Inside the housing 10 is an electrical components box 14, which houses a control board that controls the operation of the compressor 3 and the outdoor fan 5F. The electrical components box 14 is positioned across the upper part of the machine room 11 and the upper part of the blower room 12, straddling the partition plate 13. The electrical components box 14 is a rectangular box, and its bottom is fixed to the upper part of the motor mounting base 15, which is positioned vertically from the bottom (bottom plate portion 10B) of the blower room 12 and mounts the motor 5M of the outdoor fan 5F (see Figure 2). The electrical components box 14 is positioned between the outdoor heat exchanger 5 and the outdoor fan 5F in the air passage (the air passage connecting the intake port 101 and the outlet port 102) formed between the intake port 101 and the outlet port 102.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, the outdoor heat exchanger 5 is an L-shaped heat exchanger having a main body portion 5a positioned facing the intake port 101 of the housing 10, and a side portion 5b facing the side portion 10S2. Although not shown in the figure, an intake port is also provided on the side portion 10S2. The outdoor heat exchanger 5 is configured as a so-called cross-fin tube type, in which a plurality of heat transfer tubes parallel to the left-right direction of the housing 10 and a plurality of heat sinks perpendicular to the heat transfer tubes (parallel to the up-down direction of the housing 10) intersect at right angles to each other.

[0028] The end 51 of the outdoor heat exchanger 5 on the machine room 11 side is positioned facing the machine room 11 (see Figure 3), and the U-shaped pipes and refrigerant piping connected to this end 51, as well as the liquid distributors and gas distributors connected to the refrigerant piping, are located in the machine room 11.

[0029] Figure 4 is a side view of the main part of the machine room 11, Figure 5 is a perspective view of the main part of the machine room 11, and Figure 6 is an enlarged top view of the main part of the machine room 11.

[0030] As shown in Figure 6, the compressor 3 and the accumulator 6 are arranged in the machine room 11 in order from the front side to the rear side of the housing 10.

[0031] The compressor 3 is installed on the bottom plate 10B via the compressor mounting base 4. The compressor 3 is a variable-capacity compressor with a variable operating capacity. The discharge port of the compressor 3 is connected to the four-way valve 2 via a discharge pipe (not shown). The suction port of the compressor 3 is connected to the accumulator 6 via a suction pipe 7.

[0032] The accumulator 6 is installed on the bottom plate portion 10B via the accumulator mounting base 8 (see Figures 4 and 5). The accumulator 6 has a cylindrical shape and is installed on the accumulator mounting base 8 with its axis oriented in the vertical direction.

[0033] As shown in Figure 3, the accumulator 6 is located in the machine room 11 on the blower room 12 side (near the partition plate 13), and is positioned in front of the machine room 11 beyond the machine room 11 side end 51 of the outdoor heat exchanger 5. The accumulator 6 is positioned opposite the compressor 3 at a distance and opposite the rear panel portion 10R that forms the machine room 11 at a distance.

[0034] In this embodiment, the accumulator 6 is positioned closer to the machine room 11 than the machine room 11 side end 51 of the outdoor heat exchanger 5 when viewed from the front side of the housing 10. In other words, when viewed from the front side of the housing 10, the machine room 11 side end 51 of the outdoor heat exchanger 5 is positioned closer to the blower room 12 than the blower room 12 side end of the accumulator 6.

[0035] That is, as shown in Figure 6, when the end of the accumulator 6 on the fan chamber 12 side is taken as point A, and the end 51 of the outdoor heat exchanger 5 on the machine chamber 11 side is taken as point B, there is a gap G between point A and point B in the left-right direction of the housing 10. This means that the accumulator 6 and the outdoor heat exchanger 5 are each positioned so as not to overlap in the front-rear direction of the housing 10 (so as not to obstruct the air flow from the rear to the accumulator 6 by the outdoor heat exchanger 5). The size of the gap G is not particularly limited and should be greater than 0. However, the outdoor heat exchanger 5 and the accumulator 6 may be positioned at a location where point A and point B overlap in the front-rear direction of the housing 10 (G=0), as long as the airflow taken in from the rear side of the housing 10 is not obstructed.

[0036] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, when viewed from the top surface of the housing 10, the accumulator 6 is positioned such that the shortest distance D1 between the accumulator 6 and the compressor 21 is smaller than the shortest distance D2 between the accumulator 6 and the end 51 of the outdoor heat exchanger 5 on the machine room 11 side. Here, distance D1 refers to the shortest distance between the outer surface of the accumulator 6 and the outer surface of the compressor 21, and distance D2 refers to the shortest distance between the outer surface of the accumulator 6 and the front corner of the end 51 of the outdoor heat exchanger 5.

[0037] On the other hand, the water refrigerant heat exchanger 9 is located in the corner of the machine room 11, which is formed between the rear panel portion 10R and the side panel portion 10S1. In this embodiment, the accumulator 6 is located between the water refrigerant heat exchanger 9 and the machine room 11 side end 51 of the outdoor heat exchanger 5 (see Figures 3 and 6).

[0038] The water refrigerant heat exchanger 9 is a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 21 (primary refrigerant) and the secondary refrigerant (water) circulating in the secondary refrigerant circuit. The secondary refrigerant circuit is connected to a hot water supply system that uses water as a heat transfer medium as the secondary refrigerant, or a heating system that has floor heating panels. In this embodiment, the water refrigerant heat exchanger 9 and the circulation pump 16 that circulates the secondary refrigerant (water) are located in the machine room 10 of the outdoor unit 1 (see Figure 3).

[0039] In this embodiment, a refrigerant is used as the primary refrigerant in which the specific heat ratio (ratio γ: Cp / Cv) of the constant-pressure molar specific heat Cp to the constant-volume molar specific heat Cv of the gaseous refrigerant) in saturated vapor at 10°C is less than 1.25. Examples of this type of refrigerant include R290 (specific heat ratio γ: 1.24), R1234yf (specific heat ratio γ: 1.17), and R454C (specific heat ratio γ: 1.24).

[0040] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the compressor 3 and the accumulator 6 are connected by a suction pipe 7. The suction pipe 7 has a first end 7a connected to the bottom 6a of the accumulator 6 and a second end 7b connected to the top of the compressor 3.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 4, the bottom portion 6a of the accumulator 6 is located lower than the upper portion 3b of the compressor 3, and the suction pipe 7 has a bent portion 7c folded back in a U-shape between a first end 7a and a second end 7b. As shown in FIG. 6, the bent portion 7c is bent in a direction approaching the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 9 while moving away from the end 51 of the outdoor heat exchanger 5 on the machine room 11 side.

[0042] When the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 9 functions as a condenser in the primary refrigerant circuit, the outdoor heat exchanger 5 functions as an evaporator, and high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 flows through the primary-side flow path of the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 9. Since the bent portion 7c of the suction pipe 7 is bent in a direction approaching the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 9 while moving away from the end 51 of the outdoor heat exchanger 5 on the machine room side, air warmed by the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 9, which has a higher temperature than the outdoor heat exchanger 5, easily flows to the bent portion 7c.

[0043] [Comparative Example] FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the internal structure of an outdoor unit 1A according to a comparative example. In this outdoor unit 1A, a machine room 11A and a blower room 12A are partitioned by a partition plate 13A inside a housing 10A. The end of the partition plate 13A on the outdoor heat exchanger 5A side is bent at a right angle toward the machine room 11A side, and an accumulator 6A is arranged at the corner of the machine room 11A formed by the bent portion. Except for the partition plate 13A described above, the structure is the same as that of the outdoor unit 1 in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] In the outdoor unit 1A described above, during a heating cycle in which the outdoor heat exchanger 5A functions as an evaporator, icing tends to progress on the surface of the bottom of the accumulator 6A or the suction pipe connected thereto (the portion corresponding to the bent portion 7c shown in FIG. 5) for the following reason, that is, ice formed on the surface tends to grow.

[0045] For example, in the outdoor unit 1A, the rear side (upper side in Figure 7) of the accumulator 6A is blocked by the end 51A on the machine room 11A side of the outdoor heat exchanger 5A and the bent portion of the partition plate 13A, thus blocking the airflow from the rear side of the housing 10A to the accumulator 6A. As a result, air convection inside the machine room 11A is stagnant, and air heated by heat radiated from, for example, the compressor 3A or the water refrigerant heat exchanger (not shown in Figure 7) does not easily flow to the accumulator 6A. Consequently, under conditions where the outside air temperature is relatively low, ice frozen on the surface of the accumulator 6A and the suction pipe connected to it does not easily melt, and ice formed on the surface of the suction pipe tends to grow.

[0046] Furthermore, due to the influence of the outdoor heat exchanger 5A, which functions as an evaporator, the temperature of the partition plate 13A, which is located close to the outdoor heat exchanger 5A, decreases. As a result, the temperature difference between the partition plate 13A and the accumulator 6A and the suction pipe becomes small, and therefore, the radiant heat from the partition plate 13A cannot be expected to suppress ice formation on the accumulator 6A and the suction pipe.

[0047] In this way, in the outdoor unit 1A, the accumulator 6A and the suction pipe are surrounded by the partition plate 13A and the end 51A of the outdoor heat exchanger 5A, so it is not possible to suppress the freezing or growth of ice on the surface of the accumulator 6A and the suction pipe. As a result, for example, the bottom of the accumulator 6A and the suction pipe may be connected to the bottom of the machine room 11A via icicles, which can cause vibrations from the compressor 3A to be transmitted to the bottom of the outdoor unit 1A, increasing the vibrations and making the noise caused by the vibrations louder. Alternatively, because the accumulator 6A and the suction pipe are constrained by icicles, vibrations from the compressor 3A are more easily transmitted without attenuation, which can result in damage to the accumulator 6A and the sound-absorbing pipe.

[0048] Additionally, ice formation at the bottom of the accumulator 6A and the suction pipe melts during the defrosting operation of the outdoor heat exchanger 5A. However, if the ice has continued growing to form large icicles, there is a possibility that some ice will remain unmelted even after the defrosting of the outdoor heat exchanger 5A is completed. Furthermore, when the refrigerant used is a refrigerant with a small specific heat ratio (the ratio of the constant-pressure specific heat to the constant-volume specific heat of the gas refrigerant) such as R290 (propane), the discharge temperature is less likely to rise due to the decrease in the density of the refrigerant sucked into the compressor 3A during the defrosting operation. Therefore, even after the defrosting of the outdoor heat exchanger 5A is completed, ice formed at the bottom of the accumulator 6A and on the suction pipe during the heating operation is likely to remain unmelted.

[0049] [Operation of this Embodiment] In contrast, in the outdoor unit 1 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the compressor 3 and the accumulator 6 are sequentially arranged in the machine room 11 from the front side to the back side of the casing 10. When viewed from the front side of the casing 10, the end 51 of the outdoor heat exchanger 5 on the machine room 11 side is arranged closer to the blower room 12 side than the end of the accumulator 6 on the blower room 12 side.

[0050] As a result, the back side of the accumulator 6 is not blocked by the outdoor heat exchanger 5 or the partition plate 13, so the air flow from the back side of the casing 10 to the accumulator 6 is not blocked, and the air flow inside the machine room 11 is not obstructed. Consequently, the air heated by the heat dissipated from the compressor 3 and the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 9 easily flows to the accumulator 6 side, and ice formation or ice growth on the surfaces of the accumulator 6 and the suction pipe 7 during heating operation under low outdoor temperature is suppressed.

[0051] As described above, ice formation or ice growth on the surfaces of the accumulator 6 and the suction pipe 7 is suppressed, so it is possible to avoid, for example, the bottom of the accumulator 6 and the suction pipe 7 integrating with the bottom of the machine room 11A via icicles. This prevents the vibration of the compressor 3 from propagating to the bottom of the outdoor unit 1 and causing increased vibration, and also prevents the vibration from the compressor 3 from being transmitted without attenuation due to the accumulator 6 and the suction pipe 7 being restrained by icicles, thus avoiding damage to the accumulator 6 and the suction pipe 7 and the generation of abnormal noise.

[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when viewed from the top surface of the housing 10, the accumulator 6 is positioned between the end 51 on the machine room 11 side of the outdoor heat exchanger 5 and the water refrigerant heat exchanger 9. This allows air heated by the water refrigerant heat exchanger 9 to flow easily to the accumulator 6, and also allows it to receive radiant heat from the water refrigerant heat exchanger 9. This further suppresses ice formation or ice growth on the surfaces of the accumulator 6 and the suction pipe 7.

[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the accumulator 6 is positioned such that, when viewed from the top surface of the housing 10, the shortest distance D1 between the accumulator 6 and the compressor 21 is smaller than the shortest distance D2 between the accumulator 6 and the end 51 on the machine room 11 side of the outdoor heat exchanger 5 (see Figure 6).

[0054] By positioning the accumulator 6 closer to the compressor 3 rather than the outdoor heat exchanger 5, it can receive heat radiation from the compressor 3, heat transfer through convection of air heated by the compressor 3, and radiant heat from the compressor 3, thereby further suppressing ice formation or ice growth on the surface of the accumulator 6 and suction pipe 7.

[0055] On the other hand, since the bent portion 7c of the suction tube 7 is located closer to the surface of the bottom plate portion 10B of the housing 10 than the accumulator 6, if the bent portion 7c freezes, icicles are likely to grow between the bent portion 7c and the bottom plate portion 10B.

[0056] Therefore, in this embodiment, the bent portion 7c of the suction pipe 7 is formed to bend away from the machine room side end 51 of the outdoor heat exchanger 5 and towards the water refrigerant heat exchanger 9, as shown in Figure 6. As a result, during heating operation, air heated by the water refrigerant heat exchanger 9, which is heated by the temperature of the discharged refrigerant from the compressor 3 flowing through the primary refrigerant side flow path of the water refrigerant heat exchanger 9, flows to the bent portion 7c, and also receives radiant heat from the water refrigerant heat exchanger 9, thereby suppressing ice formation on the surface of the bent portion 7c. This suppresses the formation of ice columns between the bent portion 7c and the bottom plate portion 10B.

[0057] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and can be modified in various ways.

[0058] For example, in the embodiments described above, an outdoor unit of a heat pump cycle system equipped with a water refrigerant heat exchanger was used as an example, but of course, the present invention is not limited to this, and can also be applied to an outdoor unit of a heat pump cycle system that does not have a secondary refrigerant circuit.

[0059] 1...Outdoor unit 3...Compressor 5...Outdoor heat exchanger 5F...Outdoor fan 6...Accumulator 7...Intake pipe 7c...Bend 9...Water refrigerant heat exchanger 10...Housing 11...Machine room 12...Blower room 13...Partition plate 51...End (on the machine room side of the outdoor heat exchanger)

Claims

1. An outdoor unit of a heat pump cycle system comprising: a housing having a front panel with an air outlet and a partition plate that divides the interior into a blower room and a machine room; an outdoor heat exchanger disposed on the rear side of the blower room; a blower disposed in the blower room and forming an airflow from the rear side toward the air outlet; a compressor; an accumulator; and a suction pipe connecting the compressor and the accumulator, wherein the compressor and the accumulator are sequentially disposed in the machine room from the front side toward the rear side of the housing, and when viewed from the front side of the housing, the end of the outdoor heat exchanger on the machine room side is located closer to the blower room than the end of the accumulator on the blower room side.

2. An outdoor unit of a heat pump cycle device according to claim 1, further comprising a water-refrigerant heat exchanger disposed in the machine room for heat exchange between water drawn into the housing and a refrigerant, wherein, when viewed from the top surface of the housing, the accumulator is disposed between the machine room side end of the outdoor heat exchanger and the water-refrigerant heat exchanger.

3. An outdoor unit of a heat pump cycle device according to claim 2, wherein the suction pipe has a bent portion that moves away from the end of the outdoor heat exchanger on the machine room side and moves closer to the water refrigerant heat exchanger.

4. An outdoor unit of a heat pump cycle device according to claim 3, wherein the bottom of the accumulator is located below the top of the compressor, the suction pipe has a first end connected to the bottom of the accumulator and a second end connected to the top of the compressor, and the bent portion is a folded portion formed between the first end and the second end.

5. An outdoor unit of a heat pump cycle device according to claim 1, wherein, when viewed from the top surface of the housing, the shortest distance between the accumulator and the compressor is smaller than the shortest distance between the accumulator and the machine room side end of the outdoor heat exchanger.

6. An outdoor unit of a heat pump cycle system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the refrigerant is a refrigerant having a specific heat ratio of less than 1.25 in saturated vapor at 10°C.

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