Air Conditioner

Abstract

An air conditioner is disposed with partition members that partition a space on an upstream side of a heat exchanger from spaces on both sides of the heat exchanger where refrigerant pipes are installed.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an air conditioner disposed with a heat exchanger connected to a refrigerant pipe.

BACKGROUND ART

Conventionally, an air conditioner disposed with a heat exchanger that handles a sensible heat load and a latent heat load present in a room space in order to keep the room space in a comfortable environment has been proposed.

For example, in Patent Document 1, a floor-placed air conditioner indoor unit disposed with a fan and a heat exchanger inside is disclosed.

In this air conditioner indoor unit, the heat exchanger is disposed such that it cuts across a flow of air formed by the fan at the rear side of a front panel, and is attached inside in a state where it is slanted downward from the front side toward the deep side. Additionally, a flow of air is formed when the fan begins running, and heat exchange is performed between the air passing through the heat exchanger and refrigerant flowing through the heat exchanger. Thus, the air conditioner indoor unit can provide air-conditioned air to the inside of the room.

<Patent Document 1>

• • • JP-A No. 11-304177 (published on Nov. 5, 1999)

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

Problem That the Invention Is To Solve

However, the above-described conventional air conditioner indoor unit has the following problem.

That is, in the above-described air conditioner indoor unit, the heat exchanger can be exposed when the front panel is removed. However, there is the problem that, because the refrigerant pipe connected to the side surface of the heat exchanger has a small diameter and its structure is complex, dirt easily accumulates and it is difficult to clean the refrigerant pipe. Further, when water is applied to try to clean the heat exchanger, the water also becomes applied to electrical parts and the like disposed on the side of the heat exchanger, and there is the potential for drawbacks such as insulation failure to occur. For this reason, the heat exchanger cannot be cleaned with water even when the heat exchanger is dirty. Thus, it is difficult to say that the heat exchanger can always be kept clean.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioner capable of always keeping clean the internal configuration of a heat exchanger and the like.

Means for Solving the Problem

An air conditioner pertaining to a first invention comprises a fan unit, a heat exchanger, and a partition member. The fan unit forms a flow of air. The heat exchanger is disposed in the middle of the flow of air formed by the fan unit and performs heat exchange between refrigerant and the air. The partition member partitions a space on an upstream side of the heat exchanger in the flow of the air from a space where a pipe through which the refrigerant flows is disposed.

Here, the space on the upstream side of the heat exchanger and the space where the refrigerant pipe is disposed are partitioned from each other by the partition member.

Thus, even when the space on the upstream side of the heat exchanger is opened, it is difficult for the refrigerant pipe connected to the side of the heat exchanger to become dirty because the refrigerant pipe is separated from the space outside. For this reason, the refrigerant pipe connected to the side of the heat exchanger whose structure is complex and where it is easy for dirt to accumulate can be kept from becoming dirty.

An air conditioner pertaining to a second invention comprises the air conditioner of the first invention, wherein the partition member is disposed so as to partition the space on the upstream side of the heat exchanger in the flow of the air formed by the fan unit from the space where wiring, pipes, and electrical parts are installed.

Here, the partition member is disposed so as to partition, in addition to the space where the refrigerant pipe is disposed, the space on the upstream side of the heat exchanger from the space where electrical parts are installed. Thus, occurrences of drawbacks such as insulation failure resulting from electrical parts and the like becoming wet can be avoided even when the heat exchanger is cleaned with water.

An air conditioner pertaining to a third invention comprises the air conditioner of the first or second invention, further comprising a casing that houses inside the fan unit, the heat exchanger, and the partition member. Additionally, the casing includes an open panel that allows the space on the upstream side of the heat exchanger in the flow of the air formed by the fan unit to be exposed for performing maintenance of the heat exchanger

Here, the casing that houses inside the fan unit, the heat exchanger, and the partition member includes an open panel for performing maintenance of the heat exchanger.

Thus, the heat exchanger can be easily cleaned by opening the open panel and applying water to the heat exchanger.

An air conditioner pertaining to a fourth invention comprises the air conditioner of any one of the first to third inventions, wherein the partition member is disposed in the vicinity of a fin disposed on an end portion of plural fins disposed on the surface of the heat exchanger.

Here, the partition member is disposed in the vicinity of a fin disposed on an end portion of plural fins that the heat exchanger includes.

Thus, occurrences of drawbacks resulting from a refrigerant pipe and the like becoming wet with water can be avoided even when the heat exchanger is cleaned by applying water to the heat exchanger.

An air conditioner pertaining to a fifth invention comprises the air conditioner of the fourth invention, wherein the partition member is disposed in the vicinities of fins disposed on both ends of plural fins disposed on the surface of the heat exchanger.

Here, the partition member is disposed in the vicinities of fins disposed on both ends of the heat exchanger.

Thus, the space where the refrigerant pipe and electrical wiring connected to the side surface of the heat exchanger are installed and the space on the upstream side of the heat exchanger can be reliably partitioned from each other, and occurrences of drawbacks can be avoided even when the heat exchanger is cleaned with water.

An air conditioner pertaining to a sixth invention comprises the air conditioner of any one of the first to fifth inventions, further comprising a drain pan that is disposed below the heat exchanger and receives drain water generated in the heat exchanger.

Here, a drain pan is disposed below the heat exchanger.

For this reason, the heat exchanger, which is particularly easy to become dirty, and the drain pan can be easily cleaned by cleaning them with water.

Effects of the Invention

According to the air conditioner pertaining to the first invention, it becomes possible to keep the refrigerant pipe, whose structure is complex and which is difficult to clean, from becoming dirty.

According to the air conditioner pertaining to the second invention, occurrences of drawbacks such as insulation failure resulting from electrical parts becoming wet can be avoided even when the heat exchanger is cleaned with water.

According to the air conditioner pertaining to the third invention, the heat exchanger can be easily cleaned by opening the open panel and applying water to the heat exchanger.

According to the air conditioner pertaining to the fourth invention, occurrences of drawbacks resulting from the refrigerant pipe and the like becoming wet with water can be avoided even when the heat exchanger is cleaned by applying water to the heat exchanger.

According to the air conditioner pertaining to the fifth invention, the space where the refrigerant pipe and electrical wiring connected to the side of the heat exchanger are installed and the space on the upstream side of the heat exchanger can be reliably partitioned from each other, and occurrences of drawbacks can be avoided even when the heat exchanger is cleaned with water.

According to the air conditioner pertaining to the sixth invention, the heat exchanger, which is particularly easy to become dirty, and the drain pan can be easily cleaned by cleaning them with water.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the internal configuration of an air conditioner indoor unit pertaining to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing the internal configuration of the air conditioner indoor unit of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view showing the configuration of the air conditioner indoor unit of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 (a) is a perspective view showing members around a heat exchanger with which the air conditioner indoor unit of FIG. 1 is disposed. (b) is a front view thereof.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an attachment structure of a partition plate installed inside the air conditioner indoor unit of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS

• 1 Casing
• 2 Heat Exchanger
• 2a Refrigerant Pipe
• 3 Fan (Fan Device)
• 4 Side Plate
• 5 Front Plate
• 6 Rear Plate
• 7 Top Plate
• 8 Bottom Plate
• 9 Air Inlet
• 10 Maintenance Panel
• 11 Air Outlet
• 12 Duct
• 13 Lower Frame
• 14 Upper Frame
• 15 Lock Portion
• 16 Attachment Plate
• 17 Fan Casing
• 17a Discharge Opening
• 17b Intake Opening
• 18 Fan Motor
• 19 Belt
• 20a Rotating Shaft
• 21 Pulley
• 22 Drain Pan
• 30a Partition Plate
• 30b Partition Plate
• 31 Middle Plate
• 32 Refrigerant Pipe, Electrical Wiring Through Portion
• 32a Through Hole
• 33 Fixing Member
• 34 Fixing Member
• 40 Refrigerant Pipe
• 41 Electrical Wiring Through Pipe
• 50 Air Conditioner Indoor Unit (Air Conditioner)
• A Space on Upstream Side of Heat Exchanger
• B Refrigerant Pipe, Electrical Wiring Installation Space
• C Refrigerant Pipe Installation Space
• F Fin

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

An air conditioner pertaining to an embodiment of the present invention is as follows when described using FIG. 1 to FIG. 5.

<Configuration of Entire Air Conditioner>

As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the air conditioner pertaining to the embodiment of the present invention is an air conditioner indoor unit (air conditioner) 50 that is placed on a floor, and is disposed with a rectangular parallelepiped casing 1, a heat exchanger 2 disposed such that it cuts across an air path inside the casing 1, and a fan 3 disposed above the heat exchanger 2.

It will be noted that the air conditioner indoor unit 50 is connected via a refrigerant pipe (reference numeral 40, etc., in FIG. 3) to an unillustrated air conditioner outdoor unit disposed outdoors, and a compressor and the like that configure a refrigerant circuit are housed in the air conditioner outdoor unit.

The casing 1 is configured by a pair of side plates 4 and 4, a front plate 5 that is attached between the front ends of the side plates 4 and 4, a rear plate 6 that is attached between the rear ends of the side plates 4 and 4, a top plate 7, and a bottom plate 8. Further, glass wool covered by an aluminum sheet is installed as a heat insulator on the inner surfaces of the side plates 4 and 4, the rear plate 6, and a later-described maintenance panel (open panel) 10. The inside of the air conditioner indoor unit 50 can be easily cleaned by a method such as spraying the inside with water and then wiping the water off with a cloth because the heat insulator absorbs virtually no water and has excellent resistance to abrasion.

As shown in FIG. 2, the heat exchanger 2 is disposed at the rear side of the later-described maintenance panel 10 such that the heat exchanger 2 cuts across the flow of air formed by the fan 3. Further, the heat exchanger 2 is attached inside the casing 1 in a state where the heat exchanger 2 is slanted downward toward the deep side from the front side of an opening that appears when the maintenance panel 10 is removed. A lower frame 13 for supporting the heat exchanger 2 is locked to lock portions 15 and 15 formed on both rear ends of the side plates 4 and 4. An upper frame 14 is fixed by screws in a state where it has been locked to an attachment plate 16 formed in the vicinity of both front end edges of the side plates 4 and 4. Moreover, the heat exchanger 2 includes, at both its left and right end portions, partition plates (partition members) 30a and 30b disposed so as to partition a space A on an upstream side of the heat exchanger 2 in the air path formed by the fan 3 (this will be referred to simply as the upstream side of the heat exchanger 2 below) from a later-described refrigerant pipe/electrical wiring installation space B and a refrigerant pipe installation space C (see FIG. 4(b)). The partition plates 30a and 30b will be described in detail at a later stage.

As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the fan 3 is attached to the upper portion of the air conditioner indoor unit 50 and includes a scroll-type fan casing 17, a fan motor 18, a belt 19, a pulley 21 (drive unit), and an unillustrated fan rotor (sirocco fan).

The fan casing 17 includes discharge openings 17a, which discharge air in the direction of the top plate 7 (a duct 12), and intake openings 17b, which take in air from both sides in the direction of a rotating shaft 20a of the fan rotor. Additionally, the fan 3 transmits the rotational drive force of the fan motor 18 to the rotating shaft 20a via the pulley 21 and the belt 19, causes the fan rotor housed in the fan casing 17 to rotate, and discharges from the discharge openings 17a the air taken in from the intake openings 17b.

The pair of side plates 4 form an outer enclosure at the sides of the air conditioner indoor unit 50 and support the fan motor 18 and the rotating shaft 20a of the fan 3 from both sides. Further, the side plates 4 include the lock portions 15 that are formed as a result of the rear end portion edges of the side plates 4 being cut inward.

An air inlet 9 is formed in the middle portion, with respect to the vertical direction, of the front plate 5, and the maintenance panel 10, whose lower end portion serves as a pivot center, is disposed such that it covers the air inlet 9 and may be freely opened and closed. The maintenance panel 10 is opened when performing maintenance and the like such as cleaning the heat exchanger 2.

The rear plate 6 ordinarily forms an outer enclosure at the side disposed near a wall when the air conditioner indoor unit 50 is installed.

An air outlet 11 is formed in the top plate 7. The air outlet 11 is connected to a duct 12 that guides the air-conditioned air such that the air is blown out from a desired place.

An unillustrated electromagnetic valve attached to a refrigerant pipe 40 connected to the heat exchanger, various electrical parts, and a lower drain pan are placed on the bottom plate 8 between the bottom plate 8 and a middle plate 31 that forms the space A on the upstream side of the heat exchanger 2.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a drain pan 22 for collecting drain water falling down from the heat exchanger 2 is disposed below the heat exchanger 2 with a slanted orientation such that the front side of the drain pan 22 is positioned high and such that the rear side of the drain pan 22 is positioned low. Additionally, the air conditioner indoor unit 50 is disposed with a drain guide pipe 23, which guides the drain water from the lower end portion of the heat exchanger 2 to the drain pan 22, and a drain discharge opening 24, through which the drain water is discharged to the outdoors.

<Configuration Around Space On Upstream Side of Heat Exchanger>

As shown in FIG. 4(a), the partition plate 30a is disposed such that it partitions the space A on the upstream side of the heat exchanger 2 inside the casing 1 from the refrigerant pipe/electrical wiring installation space B where a refrigerant pipe 2a on the side surface of the heat exchanger 2 and where the refrigerant pipe 40 and an electrical wiring through pipe 41 that penetrate a later-described refrigerant pipe/electrical wiring through portion 32 are installed. Additionally, the partition plate 30a is disposed upright from the middle plate 31 toward the vicinity of an endmost fin of plural fins F attached to the surface of the heat exchanger 2.

As shown in FIG. 4(b), the partition plate 30b is disposed parallel to the partition plate 30a and upright from the middle plate 31 toward the vicinity of an end portion (end portion opposite from the partition plate 30a) of the fins F attached to the surface of the heat exchanger 2, such that the partition plate 30b partitions the space A on the upstream side of the heat exchanger 2 from the space C where the refrigerant pipe 2a exposed at the side surface of the heat exchanger 2 is disposed (this space will be called the refrigerant pipe installation space C below).

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the partition plates 30a and 30b are fixed with respect to the middle plate 31 using fixing members 33 and are fixed by screws with respect to the heat exchanger 2 using fixing members 34. The fixing members 33 and 34 are L-shaped members, and plural screw holes are formed therein. Additionally, the partition members 30a, 30b are fixed with respect to the middle plate 31 and the heat exchanger 2 by screwing screws into these screw holes. Further, the fixing member 33 that fixes the partition member 30a disposed on the right when seen from the maintenance panel 10 is attached in an L-shaped state, and the fixing member 33 that fixes the partition member 30b disposed on the left side is attached in an inverted L-shaped state.

The middle plate 31 is a member for partitioning the space where the heat exchanger 2 is installed from the space therebelow where electrical parts and the like are installed, and an unillustrated temperature sensor is disposed on the middle plate 31 in the vicinity of the center portion of the space A on the upstream side of the heat exchanger 2.

As shown in FIG. 4(a), the refrigerant pipe/electrical wiring through portion 32 forms the refrigerant pipe/electrical wiring installation space B together with the partition member 30a and the side plate 4, and through holes 32a that allow the refrigerant pipe 40 and the electrical wiring through pipe 41 to be passed therethrough are formed in the refrigerant pipe/electrical wiring through plate 32. It will be noted that the refrigerant pipe/electrical wiring through plate 32 is a portion further to the right side of the middle plate 31 than the partition plate 30a when seen from the maintenance panel 10.

<Characteristics of Present Air Conditioner Indoor Unit>

(1)

In the air conditioner indoor unit 50 of the present embodiment, the heat exchanger 2 is exposed to the front when the maintenance panel 10 is removed. Additionally, the space A on the upstream side of the exposed heat exchanger 2 and the spaces B and C on the sides of the heat exchanger 2 are partitioned from each other by the partition members 30a and 30b.

Ordinarily, it is preferable to clean a heat exchanger of this configuration by applying water to it because the heat exchanger can be cleaned extremely efficiently and the applied water can be discharged to the outside via a drain pan installed below the heat exchanger. However, in this case, when water is applied to the heat exchanger, there has been the potential for electrical parts and the like around the heat exchanger to become wet and for drawbacks to occur. For this reason, conventionally, it has been difficult to clean the heat exchanger by applying water to it.

Given this, the air conditioner indoor unit 50 of the present embodiment is disposed with the partition members 30a and 30b that partition the space A on the upstream side of the heat exchanger 2 from the spaces B and C on both sides of the heat exchanger 2 where electrical parts and the like are installed, so that occurrences of drawbacks in electrical parts and the like may be avoided even when the heat exchanger 2 is cleaned using water.

Thus, it becomes possible to clean the heat exchanger 2 by applying water to the heat exchanger 2 because the water applied to the heat exchanger 2 can be prevented from being applied to the electrical parts and the like.

Further, in regard to the refrigerant pipes 2a and 40 connected to the side surface of the heat exchanger 2, although it is easy for dirt to accumulate because pipes with small diameters are incorporated therein and their structures are complex, it can be made difficult for dirt to accumulate on the refrigerant pipes 2a and 40 because the partition members 30a and 30b are disposed and their edges with the outside are cut.

(2)

The air conditioner indoor unit 50 of the present embodiment is disposed with the maintenance panel that allows the heat exchanger 2 to be exposed to the outside as part of the casing 1 configuring the outer enclosure.

Thus, the heat exchanger 2 can be easily cleaned in a state where the maintenance panel 10 has been removed to expose the heat exchanger 2.

(3)

In the air conditioner indoor unit 50 of the present embodiment, the partition members 30a and 30b are attached in the vicinities of both ends of the fins F plurally attached to the surface of the heat exchanger 2.

Thus, the space A on the upstream side of the heat exchanger 2 and the refrigerant pipe/electrical wiring installation space B and the refrigerant pipe installation space C can be partitioned from each other, and occurrences of drawbacks resulting from water being applied to the refrigerant pipes 2a and 40 can be avoided even when the heat exchanger 2 is cleaned with water.

(4)

In the air conditioner indoor unit 50 of the present embodiment, the drain pan 22 is disposed below the heat exchanger 2 that is cleaned with water.

Thus, water applied in order to clean the heat exchanger 2 can be discharged to the outside via the drain pan 22. Thus, cumbersome work such as wiping off water after the heat exchanger 2 has been cleaned with water becomes unnecessary.

OTHER EMBODIMENTS

An embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within a range that does not depart from the gist of the invention.

(A)

In the above-described embodiment, an example was described where the partition plates 30a and 30b were disposed on both the left and right ends of the heat exchanger 2. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

For example, just the partition plate 30a may be disposed without disposing the partition plate 30b.

However, it is preferable to dispose the partition plates 30a and 30b at both the left and right ends of the heat exchanger because, when the partition plates 30a and 30b are disposed at both the left and right ends as in the above-described embodiment, water can be prevented from being applied to the refrigerant pipe installation space C also in addition to the refrigerant pipe/electrical wiring installation space B.

(B)

In the above-described embodiment, an example was described where the partition members 30a and 30b were disposed in the vicinities of the end portions of the fins F of the heat exchanger 2. However, in regard to the disposition of the partition members 30a and 30b, the present invention is not limited to this.

For example, the partition members 30a and 30b may also be disposed further inward than the end portions of the heat exchanger 2. However, in consideration of cleaning the entire heat exchanger 2 with water, it is preferable for the partition members 30a and 30b to be disposed at both the left and right ends of the heat exchanger 2, that is, in the vicinities of the end portions of the fins F.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The air conditioner of the present invention provides the effect that a heat exchanger can be cleaned with water without adversely affecting refrigerant pipes and electrical parts, so it is widely applicable with respect to an air conditioner including an open portion that allows the heat exchanger to be exposed.

Claims

1. An air conditioner comprising:

a fan unit that forms a flow of air;

a heat exchanger disposed in a middle of the flow of air formed by the fan unit and configured to perform heat exchange between a refrigerant and the air; and

a partition member arranged to partition a space on an upstream side of the heat exchanger in the flow of the air from a space where a pipe through which the refrigerant flows is disposed.

2. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the partition member is disposed so as to partition the space on the upstream side of the heat exchanger in the flow of the air formed by the fan unit from the space where wiring, pipes, and electrical parts are installed.

3. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 1, further comprising

a casing configured to house the fan unit, the heat exchanger, and the partition member, the casing including an open panel that allows the space on the upstream side of the heat exchanger in the flow of the air formed by the fan unit to be exposed for performing maintenance of the heat exchanger.

4. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the partition member is disposed in a vicinity of a fin disposed on an end portion of plural fins disposed on a surface of the heat exchanger.

5. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 4, wherein

the partition member is disposed in a vicinity of fins disposed on both ends of plural fins disposed on the surface of the heat exchanger.

6. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 1, further comprising

a drain pan disposed below the heat exchanger and configured to receive drain water generated in the heat exchanger.

7. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 2, further comprising a casing configured to house the fan unit, the heat exchanger, and the partition member, the casing including an open panel that allows the space on the upstream side of the heat exchanger in the flow of the air formed by the fan unit to be exposed for performing maintenance of the heat exchanger.

8. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 2, wherein

the partition member is disposed in a vicinity of a fin disposed on an end portion of plural fins disposed on a surface of the heat exchanger.

9. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 2, further comprising

a drain pan disposed below the heat exchanger and configured to receive drain water generated in the heat exchanger.

10. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 3, wherein

the partition member is disposed in a vicinity of a fin disposed on an end portion of plural fins disposed on a surface of the heat exchanger.

11. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 3, further comprising

a drain pan disposed below the heat exchanger and configured to receive drain water generated in the heat exchanger.

12. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 7, wherein

the partition member is disposed in a vicinity of a fin disposed on an end portion of plural fins disposed on a surface of the heat exchanger.

13. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 4, further comprising

a drain pan disposed below the heat exchanger and configured to receive drain water generated in the heat exchanger.

14. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 5, further comprising

a drain pan disposed below the heat exchanger and configured to receive drain water generated in the heat exchanger.