AU2016277641B2

AU2016277641B2 - Air conditioner

Info

Publication number: AU2016277641B2
Application number: AU2016277641A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Shingo Ito; Hironori Mori; Yoshinori Nunome
Original assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems Ltd
Current assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems Ltd
Priority date: 2015-12-25
Filing date: 2016-12-21
Publication date: 2018-03-15
Anticipated expiration: 2036-12-21
Also published as: AU2016277641A1; JP2017116217A; JP6667289B2; EP3184926A1

Abstract

A main body unit 3 having a main body drain pan 3A provided correspondingly to a heat exchanger, a drainage drain pan 13 connected to a drainage hose 13A arranged 5 below the main body unit 3 and connected to outside, and a gutter 3B that is formed to be connected to the main body drain pan 3A and feeds water of the drainage drain pan 13 from the rear side to a front side with respect to the main body drain pan 3A, are included; a downward protrusion 3Bc 10 is provided on a lower side of the gutter 3B; an upward protrusion 13D to be engaged with the downward protrusion 3Bc is provided at an inside bottom portion of the drainage drain pan 13; and a drainage port 3Ba of the gutter 3B is arranged anterior to the downward protrusion 3Bc and the 15 upward protrusion 13D in the drainage drain pan 13.

Description

DESCRIPTION

AIR CONDITIONER [0001] This application claims priority from Japanese 5 Patent Application No. 2015-254064 filed on 25 December

2015, the contents of which are to be taken as incorporated herein by this reference.

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

Background [0002] Conventionally, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2013-124855, an air conditioner has been disclosed, which includes: a main body unit (base main body), into which a heat exchanger, a fan, and the like are assembled; and an outlet assembly attached below the main body unit.

[0003] In this air conditioner, the main body unit has: a main body drain pan provided therein correspondingly to the heat exchanger; and a gutter provided on a side portion of the main body unit, the gutter being connected from the main body drain pan. The outlet assembly has a drainage drain pan provided therein, which receives water fed from the main body drain pan of the main body unit via the gutter. A drainage hose for discharging the water outside is connected to the drainage drain pan of the outlet assembly.

[0004] The discussion of the background to the invention included herein including reference to documents, acts, materials, devices, articles and the like is included to explain the context of the present invention. This is not to be taken as an admission or a suggestion that any of the material referred to was published, known or part of the

2016277641 25 Jan 2018 common general knowledge in Australia or in any other country as at the priority date of any of the claims. Summary [0005] In the main body unit, as illustrated in FIG. 5, a drainage port 103Ba of a gutter 103B is bent downward, and the main body unit is assembled with an outlet assembly 109, with a reverse side of the drainage port 103Ba being put on an outer edge 113C of a drainage drain pan 113 of the outlet assembly 109. Therefore, when water is collected in the drainage drain pan 113 and reaches up to the drainage port 103Ba of the gutter 103B, the water may rise and leak out to outside of the drainage drain pan 113 due to the capillary action between the reverse side of the gutter 103B and the outer edge 113C of the drainage drain pan 113.

[0006] It would therefore be desirable to ameliorate the above described problem and provide an air conditioner that enables prevention of water leakage from a drain pan.

[0007] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an air conditioner, comprising a main body unit that includes a main body drain pan provided to correspond to a heat exchanger; a drainage drain pan disposed below the main body unit and connected to a drainage hose connected to outside; and a gutter that is formed to be communicated with the main body drain pan and that feeds water of the drainage drain pan from a rear side to a front side with respect to the main body drain pan, wherein the gutter includes a downward protrusion formed therein, which protrudes downward toward the drainage drain pan, an upward protrusion is provided at an inside bottom portion of the drainage drain pan to engage with the downward protrusion, and a drainage port of the gutter is disposed anterior to the downward protrusion and the upward protrusion in the drainage drain pan.

2016277641 25 Jan 2018 [0008] According to this air conditioner, positioning between the main body unit and the drainage drain pan is able to be achieved by the engagement between the downward protrusion and the upward protrusion at the inside bottom portion of the drainage drain pan. By the drainage port of the gutter being arranged anterior to these downward protrusion and upward protrusion engaging with each other at the inside bottom portion of the drainage drain pan in the drainage drain pan, water fed from the drainage port of the gutter to the drainage drain pan is guided anterior to the engaged portion for positioning between the main body unit and the drainage drain pan in the drainage drain pan. Therefore, the water fed from the drainage port of the gutter to the drainage drain pan is able to be prevented from going along the engaged portion for positioning between the main body unit and the drainage drain pan and leaking out from the drainage drain pan.

[0009] Advantageously, in the air conditioner, the downward protrusion and the upward protrusion are integrally formed of plural plate bodies intersecting one another .

[0010] According to this air conditioner, the strength of the engagement between the downward protrusion and the upward protrusion is able to be improved.

[0011] Advantageously, in the air conditioner, a closed space is provided at a lower side of the gutter.

[0012] According to this air conditioner, by the closed space, without provision of a heat insulating material, insulation effectiveness is able to be obtained and the number of parts is able to be reduced.

[0013] Advantageously, in the air conditioner, a contact plate that is positioned below the drainage port of the

2016277641 21 Dec 2016 gutter is provided on a bottom portion of the drainage drain pan.

[0014] According to this air conditioner, force of water going along the gutter and fed to the drainage drain pan of the outlet assembly is able to be reduced by the contact plate. As a result, the water fed to the drainage drain pan is able to be prevented from being splashed. Advantageous Effects of Invention [0015] According to the present invention, water leakage 10 from a drain pan is able to be prevented.

Brief Description of Drawings [0016] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of main parts of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of main parts of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged front sectional view of main parts of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of a 25 part of an air conditioner of a conventional example.

Description of Embodiments [0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment according to the present invention will be described in detail, based on the drawings. The present invention is not limited by this embodiment. Further, components in the embodiment described below include any component easily substitutable by those skilled in the art or any component substantially identical thereto.

2016277641 21 Dec 2016 [0018] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an air conditioner according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of main parts of the air conditioner according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of main parts of the air conditioner according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an enlarged front sectional view of main parts of the air conditioner according to the embodiment, and is an A-A cross sectional view of FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of a part of an air conditioner of a conventional example.

[0019] An air conditioner 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 is a wall hanging type air conditioner. This air conditioner 1 is configured by assembling together: a mounting plate 2 to be installed on a wall surface; a main body unit 3 to be attached to the mounting plate 2; a fan (cross flow fan) 4 to be assembled into the main body unit 3, and a driving motor 5 of the fan 4; a heat exchanger 6 to be assembled to the main body unit 3; a refrigerant piping 7 extended rearward from one side of the heat exchanger 6; a control box 8 to be assembled to the main body unit 3; an outlet assembly 9 to be assembled to the main body unit 3; a front cover 10 to be assembled to the main body unit 3 so as to cover a front surface, upper and lower surfaces, and left and right side surfaces of the respective devices assembled to the main body unit 3; an air filter 11A and a cleaning mechanism 11B for the air filter 11A, the air filter 11A and the cleaning mechanism 11B to be incorporated in the front cover 10; and a front panel 12 to be attached to the front cover 10 so as to cover a front surface of the front cover 10; and the like.

[0020] By the main body unit 3 being attached to the mounting plate 2 installed on the wall surface, the air

2016277641 21 Dec 2016 conditioner 1 is set up and supported, and the main body unit 3 has a main body drain pan 3A formed therein, which is arranged below a back side heat exchanger of the heat exchanger 6 that is formed by being bent in an inverted V shape. Drain generated by exchanging heat between the heat exchanger 6 and air drops on the main body drain pan 3A. The main body drain pan 3A is provided to correspond to the heat exchanger 6 so as to receive the drain dropped from the heat exchanger 6 disposed below a back-side heat exchanger of the heat exchanger 6. The cross flow fan 4 includes a cylindrical impeller arranged horizontally along an air duct of the main body unit 3, and is freely rotatably supported in the main body unit 3 via the driving motor 5.

[0021] The heat exchanger 6 is a fin and tube type heat exchanger that is formed by being bent in an inverted V shape, and the heat exchanger 6 is arranged to cover an upper surface and a front surface of the cross flow fan 4. The refrigerant piping 7 for circulating a refrigerant is extended rearward from the one side of the heat exchanger 6 Further, a drainage drain pan 13, a stabilizer 14 that forms an air duct of the cross flow fan 4, and the outlet assembly 9 provided with an outlet 15 or the like, the outlet 15 into which a louver, a flap, and the like for adjusting wind direction are incorporated, are installed below a front side heat exchanger of the heat exchanger 6.

A drainage hose 13A for draining water collected in the drainage drain pan 13 is attached to the drainage drain pan 13.

[0022] The control box 8 is fitted to a right side portion of the main body unit 3, and controls operation of the air conditioner 1 according to instructions from a remote controller. The front cover 10 covers the front

2016277641 21 Dec 2016 surface, upper and lower surfaces, and left and right side surfaces of the above described devices incorporated into the main body unit 3, and the front cover 10 has a suction grille 16 formed on an upper surface and a front surface of the front cover 10, the suction grille 16 for drawing in indoor air. In this suction grille 16, the air filter 11A, which collects dust in the indoor air drawn in via the suction grille 16, and the cleaning mechanism 11B, which automatically cleans the air filter 11A by removing the dust collected by the air filter 11A from a filter surface, are incorporated. Further, the front panel 12 is assembled to a front surface of the suction grille 16, such that the front panel 12 is able to be opened and closed around an upper portion of the front panel 12, the upper portion serving as a fulcrum.

[0023] In this air conditioner 1, the main body unit 3 has a gutter 3B formed therein, as illustrated in FIG. 2, in a right side portion, which is a side portion of the main body unit 3, and in which the driving motor 5 is provided in this embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 2 and

FIG. 3, a pair of wall plates 3Bw is disposed to face each other with a predetermined gap. The gap between lower portions of the wall plates 3Bw is filled with a gutter plate 3Bx which inclines from the rear side to the front side. The gutter 3B is provided to connect from the main body drain pan 3A such that the drain is dropped in the gap between the wall plates 3Bw. In the gutter 3B, a front end of the gutter plate 3Bx is formed as a drainage port 3Ba which drops toward the drainage drain pan 13 of the outlet assembly 9. Accordingly, water collected in the main body drain pan 3A flows from the rear side to the front side on the gutter plate 3Bx and discharger from the drainage port 3Ba toward the drainage drain pan 13. In other word, as

2016277641 21 Dec 2016 illustrated by arrowed line a in FIG. 2, the gutter 3B guides the water from the main body drain pan 3A to the drainage port 3Ba and discharges it. The water passing the drainage port 3Ba is discharged from the rear side to the front side with respect to the drainage drain pan 13.

[0024] In the main body 3, the gutter 3B has a closed space 3Bb formed on a lower side of the gutter 3B, and the closed space 3Bb is closed by being surrounded by plates forming the main body unit 3. Further, in the main body 3, the gutter 3B has a downward protrusion 3Bc formed therein, which protrudes to the rear of the drainage port 3Ba and downward from a lower plate of the closed space 3Bb. Furthermore, in the main body 3, a contact surface 3Bd is formed at the rear of the downward protrusion 3Bc and is directed to the downward protrusion 3Bc (forward).

[0025] The drainage drain pan 13 of the outlet assembly 9 has a protruding portion 13B which protrudes rearward at a position below the gutter 3B, as illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. The protruding portion 13B has a protruding peripheral wall 13Ba formed therein, which surrounds a side portion and a rear portion of the protruding portion 13B and extends from a peripheral wall 13C of the drainage drain pan 13. In this protruding portion 13B, an upward protrusion 13D is formed, which protrudes upward from a bottom portion of the protruding portion 13B, the bottom portion extending from the drainage drain pan 13. Further, the drainage drain pan 13 of the outlet assembly 9 has a contact plate 13E formed therein, which is provided on a bottom portion of the drainage drain pan 13, to stand at a fronter position than the upward protrusion 13D.

[0026] In the above described gutter 3B and drainage drain pan 13, as illustrated in FIG. 2, when the main body unit 3 and the outlet assembly 9 are combined together; the

2016277641 21 Dec 2016 contact surface 3Bd abuts against a rear surface of the protruding peripheral wall 13Ba at the rear of the protruding portion 13B, and the downward protrusion 3Bc abuts against a front side of the upward protrusion 13D.

Therefore, the gutter 3B and the drainage drain pan 13 are combined together such that the protruding peripheral wall 13Ba of the protruding portion 13B and the upward protrusion 13D are sandwiched between the contact surface 3Bd and the downward protrusion 3Bc in the gutter 3B. The drainage port 3Ba of the gutter 3B is arranged fronter than the upward protrusion 13D since the drainage port 3Ba is arranged fronter than the downward protrusion 3Bc. Further, the contact plate 13E of the drainage drain pan 13 is arranged below the drainage port 3Ba of the gutter 3B.

[0027] In such a configuration, as illustrated by arrowed line a in FIG. 2, the water in the main body drain pan 3A of the main body unit 3 is fed from the rear side to the front side with respect to the drainage drain pan 13 of the outlet assembly 9 from the drainage port 3Ba by going along the gutter 3B, and is discharged to outside of the air conditioner 1 via the drainage hose 13A from this drainage drain pan 13.

[0028] The air conditioner 1 of this embodiment includes: the main body unit 3, which has the main body drain pan 3A provided correspondingly to the heat exchanger 6; the drainage drain pan 13, to which the drainage hose 13A arranged below the main body unit 3 and connected with the outside is connected; and the gutter 3B which is formed to be connected with the main body drain pan 3A and which feeds the water of the main body drain pan 3A to the front side from the rear side with respect to the drainage drain pan 13; the downward protrusion 3Bc is provided on a lower side of the gutter 3B; the upward protrusion 13D to be

2016277641 21 Dec 2016 engaged with the downward protrusion 3Bc is provided at an inside bottom portion of the drainage drain pan 13; and the drainage port 3Ba of the gutter 3B is arranged anterior to the downward protrusion 3Bc and the upward protrusion 13D in the drainage drain pan 13.

[0029] According to this air conditioner 1, positioning between the main body unit 3 and the drainage drain pan 13 is able to be achieved by the engagement, at the inside bottom portion of the drainage drain pan 13, between the downward protrusion 3Bc and the upward protrusion 13D. By the drainage port 3Ba of the gutter 3B being arranged anterior to these downward protrusion 3Bc and upward protrusion 13D engaging with each other at the inside bottom portion of the drainage drain pan 13 in the drainage drain pan 13, the water fed from the drainage port 3Ba of the gutter 3B to the drainage drain pan 13 is guided anterior to the engaged portion for positioning between the main body unit 3 and the drainage drain pan 13 in the drainage drain pan 13. Therefore, the water fed from the drainage port 3Ba of the gutter 3B to the drainage drain pan 13 is able to be prevented from going along the engaged portion for positioning between the main body unit 3 and the drainage drain pan 13 and leaking out from the drainage drain pan 13.

[0030] As illustrated in FIG. 5, in the conventional air conditioner, the drainage port 103Ba of the gutter 103B is bent downward, and a main body unit 103 is assembled with the drainage drain pan 113 with a reverse side of the drainage port 103Ba put on the outer edge 113C of the drainage drain pan 113. Therefore, when water is collected in the drainage drain pan 113 and reaches up to the drainage port 103Ba of the gutter 103B, the water may rise and leak out from the drainage drain pan 113 due to the

2016277641 21 Dec 2016 capillary action between the reverse side of the gutter 103B and the outer edge 113C of the drainage drain pan 113. The air conditioner 1 of this embodiment is able to solve this problem.

[0031] Moreover, according to the air conditioner 1 of this embodiment, by the drainage port 3Ba of the gutter 3B being arranged anterior to than the downward protrusion 3Bc and the upward protrusion 13D in the drainage drain pan 13, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the downward protrusion 3Bc to be engaged with the drainage drain pan 13 is able to be formed with a width W2 smaller than a width WI of the gutter 3B. Conventionally, as illustrated in FIG. 5, since the gutter 103B is put on the outer edge 113C of the drainage drain pan 113, a dimension has to be ensured to put the gutter

103B on the outer edge 113C so as to prevent a water leakage from a side portion of the gutter 103B to an outside of the drainage drain pan 113. Accordingly, the gutter 103B itself is unable to be downsized to facilitate assemble. Therefore, according to the air conditioner 1 of this embodiment, the drainage port 3Ba of the gutter 3B is disposed anterior to the engaging portion of the downward protrusion 3Bc and the upward protrusion 13D in the drainage drain pan 13. The downward protrusion 3Bc and the upward protrusion 13D are used to position the main body unit 3 and the drainage drain pan 13. The downward protrusion 3Bc engaging the drainage drain pan 13 can have a width W2 smaller than ta width WI of the gutter 3B because a leakage of water fed from the drainage port 3Ba of the gutter 3B to the drainage drain pan 13 through the engaging portion to the outside of the drainage drain pan is prevented. Accordingly, since surplus widths W3 and W4 are provided on both sides of the downward protrusion 3Bc and these surplus widths W3 and W4 absorb the design

2016277641 21 Dec 2016 errors, the facility of assembly between the main body unit 103 and the drainage drain pan 113 is able to be improved. [0032] Further, in the air conditioner 1 of this embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, each of the downward protrusion 3Bc and the upward protrusion 13D is integrally formed of plural plate bodies intersecting one another.

[0033] The downward protrusion 3Bc includes a plate body 3Bcl abutting the upward protrusion 13D for engagement and a plate body 3Bc2 disposed to cross and to mate with the plate body 3Bc2. Thus, the plate body 3Bc2 becomes a reinforcing member when engaged with the upward protrusion 13D. The upward protrusion 13D includes a plate body 3D1 abutting the downward protrusion 3Bc for engagement and a plate body 3D2 disposed to cross and to mate with the plate body DI. Thus, the plate body 3D2 becomes a reinforcing member when engaged with the downward protrusion 3Bc. Accordingly, according to this air conditioner 1, the strength of the engagement between the downward protrusion

3Bc and the upward protrusion 13D is able to be improved.

[0034] Further, the air conditioner 1 of this embodiment has the closed space 3Bb on the lower side of the gutter 3B [0035] According to this air conditioner 1, without provision of a heat insulating material, insulation effectiveness is able to be obtained by the closed space 3Bb and the number of parts is able to be reduced. Conventionally, as illustrated in FIG. 5, since the gutter 103B is put on the outer edge 113C of the drainage drain pan 113, this closed space 3Bb is unable to be provided.

[0036] Further, in the air conditioner 1 of this embodiment, the contact plate 13E positioned below the drainage port 3Ba in the gutter 3B is provided on the bottom portion of the drainage drain pan 13.

2016277641 21 Dec 2016 [0037] According to this air conditioner 1, force of water going along the gutter 3B and fed to the drainage drain pan 13 of the outlet assembly 9 is able to be reduced by the contact plate 13E. As a result, the water fed to the drainage drain pan 13 is able to be prevented from being splashed.

[0038] Where the terms comprise, comprises, comprised or comprising are used in this specification (including the claims) they are to be interpreted as specifying the presence of the stated features, integers, steps or components, but not precluding the presence of one or more other features, integers, steps or components, or group thereof.

Reference Signs List [0038] 1 AIR CONDITIONER

MAIN BODY UNIT

3A	MAIN BODY	DRAIN PAN
3B	GUTTER
3Ba	DRAINAGE	PORT
3Bb	CLOSED SPACE
3Bc	DOWNWARD	PROTRUSION
3Bd	CONTACT	SURFACE

HEAT EXCHANGER

OUTLET ASSEMBLY

DRAINAGE DRAIN PAN

13A DRAINAGE HOSE

13B PROTRUDING PORTION

13Ba PROTRUDING PERIPHERAL WALL

13C PERIPHERAL WALL

13D UPWARD PROTRUSION

13E CONTACT PLATE

2016277641 25 Jan 2018

Claims

The claims defining the invention are as follows:

1. An air conditioner, comprising:

a main body unit that includes a main body drain pan provided to correspond to a heat exchanger;

5 a drainage drain pan disposed below the main body unit and connected to a drainage hose connected to outside; and a gutter that is formed to be communicated with the main body drain pan and that feeds water of the drainage drain pan from a rear side to a front side with respect to

10 the main body drain pan, wherein the gutter includes a downward protrusion formed therein, which protrudes downward toward the drainage drain pan, an upward protrusion is provided at an inside bottom portion of the drainage drain pan to engage with the

15 downward protrusion, and a drainage port of the gutter is disposed anterior to the downward protrusion and the upward protrusion in the drainage drain pan.
2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the

20 downward protrusion and the upward protrusion are integrally formed of plural plate bodies intersecting one another .
3. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein

25 a closed space is provided at a lower side of the gutter.
4. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a contact plate that is positioned below the drainage port of the gutter is provided on a bottom portion

30 of the drainage drain pan.

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