Indoor unit
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge of providing a refrigerant sensor in a limited space within an indoor unit housing, particularly when the size of the housing is reduced or the electrical box is enlarged, is addressed.
Innovation Solution
The refrigerant sensor is positioned on a side wall extending along the longitudinal direction of the housing, with a placement space provided for the piping connecting portion, allowing the sensor to be integrated efficiently within the limited space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the housing size is reduced or the electrical box is enlarged, then the space utilization is improved, but the space available for placing the refrigerant sensor becomes limited
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigerant sensor is mounted on the front wall which extends along the longitudinal direction of the housing, utilizing the longitudinal dimension rather than consuming lateral space. This allows the sensor to be positioned in a direction that does not conflict with the reduced housing size or enlarged electrical box, effectively using unused spatial dimension for sensor placement
2Area of stationary object
If the refrigerant sensor is placed in the limited space, then the space utilization is improved, but the accessibility for maintenance becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The front wall on which the refrigerant sensor is mounted is designed to be removable or detachable, creating a localized access path. This allows the sensor to be mounted in a space-efficient location while maintaining easy accessibility for maintenance, as the front wall can be removed to provide direct access to the sensor without requiring the entire housing to be disassembled
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is an indoor unit capable of placing a refrigerant sensor in a limited space. An indoor unit 100 includes a housing 101 that houses inside a heat exchanger 120 including a refrigerant pipe, and a blower fan 115, the heat exchanger 120 includes a piping connecting portion that connects, to each other, refrigerant pipings through which a refrigerant flows, in the housing 101, a placement space S2 in which the piping connecting portion is placed, and a front wall 101a are provided, the front wall surrounding the placement space S2, the front wall extending along a longitudinal direction of the housing 101, and on the front wall 101a, a refrigerant sensor 180 that detects the refrigerant is provided.