Outdoor Unit Electric Component Box Cover for Liquid Entry Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Outdoor units for refrigeration apparatuses face challenges in suppressing the entry of liquid into electric component boxes while maintaining reliability and controlling costs, especially when high-voltage and low-voltage wires are drawn in proximity, leading to potential noise issues and increased costs due to separate countermeasures for each wire type.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a cover part that covers both openings for high-voltage and low-voltage wires on the outer face of the electric component box, preventing liquid entry while reducing the number of parts and costs, and includes a partition to separate the wires and prevent noise interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate countermeasures are taken for high-voltage wire and low-voltage wire openings, then liquid entry prevention is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines separate cover parts for high-voltage and low-voltage wire openings into a single integrated cover part. This cover part has a first opening for the high-voltage wire and a second opening for the low-voltage wire, both covered by the same protective structure. This merging reduces the number of parts, simplifies assembly, and lowers cost while maintaining liquid entry prevention for both wire types
Solution Approach 2:
The single cover part serves multiple functions: it protects both the high-voltage wire opening and the low-voltage wire opening from liquid entry, provides structural support, and maintains electrical insulation. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate cover parts for each wire type, reducing overall cost while ensuring reliable liquid entry prevention
2Device complexity
If low-voltage wire and high-voltage wire are drawn in proximity, then wiring complexity is reduced, but noise generation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cover part is segmented into distinct regions: a first opening for the high-voltage wire and a second opening for the low-voltage wire. These openings are positioned and configured to allow the wires to enter separately, maintaining spatial separation between the high-voltage and low-voltage wires. This segmentation prevents noise generation while keeping the overall wiring structure simple and integrated
Data Source
AI summary
An outdoor unit for a refrigeration apparatus includes: a casing that houses a plurality of devices including a first device and a second device; a plurality of electric components including a first electric component and a second electric component; an electric component box disposed in the casing and that houses the plurality of electric components; a first wire that carries a first voltage or current between the first electric component and the first device; a second wire that carries a second voltage or current between the second electric component and the second device; and a cover part that suppresses entry of liquid into the electric component box. The second voltage or current is lower than the first voltage or current.