JP4582818B2 - Indoor unit of air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an indoor unit of, for example, a ceiling-embedded air conditioner, and more particularly to an improvement in a grounding structure for reducing a noise terminal voltage for an electrical component box.

  In an indoor unit of a general ceiling-embedded air conditioner, an indoor unit main body is composed of a sheet metal casing processed from a thin metal plate that is open at substantially the entire lower surface, and a heat insulating material incorporated into the inner surface of the casing. A heat exchanger, a blower, a drain pan, and the like are disposed inside the indoor unit main body.

  A decorative panel molded from a synthetic resin material and finished beautifully is attached to the lower part of the drain pan. An air outlet and a suction opening are opened in the decorative panel. A louver that determines the blowing direction of heat exchange air is attached to the blowout port, and a filter supported by a suction grille is fitted into the suction port.

  Between the drain pan and the decorative panel, an electric component box that houses electronic components and the like for electrically controlling the indoor unit is disposed. The drain pan is formed of, for example, a polystyrene foam material, and the electric component box is made of a sheet metal obtained by processing a thin metal plate. Therefore, the electrical component box cannot be attached to the drain pan as it is.

  For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-235176 describes one in which insert metal fittings made of sheet metal are embedded and integrated with each other when foaming a drain pan. A part of the insert fitting protrudes from the drain pan, and a screw hole is provided at the protruding portion. In addition, an insert connecting portion is provided in the electrical component box, and a technique is disclosed in which screws are inserted and fixed to these.

By the way, since the electrical component box is made of a metal material and accommodates the electrical component, it is necessary to take measures for reducing the noise terminal voltage. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-235176 does not have a description relating to the reduction of the noise terminal voltage, but in general, one end portion of a lead wire is connected to an electrical component box, and this midway portion is connected between the drain pan and the decorative panel. The other end is drawn out of the indoor unit and grounded to constitute a grounding wiring for reducing the noise terminal voltage.
In addition, the assembling work of the indoor unit is performed by reversing the indoor unit from the ceiling mounted state. In other words, the casing, which is the indoor unit main body, is placed on the work table with the upper surface of the casing facing down and the opening of the lower surface facing up, and the blower, heat exchanger, drain pan, and electrical component box are sequentially inserted from the opening to the inside. And install the makeup panel.

In making the grounding wiring, since the electrical component box is already attached, one end of the lead wire must be connected to the electrical component box by inserting a hand from the opening. At this time, it is necessary to avoid the blower, the heat exchanger, and the drain pan that are already installed, and to insert the lead wire and the work tool between them, which is very troublesome.
It is also possible to connect one end of the lead wire to the electrical component box in advance and insert the electrical component box into the casing for attachment. However, in this state, the lead wire hangs down from the electrical component box, and there is a risk of entanglement with a blower, a heat exchanger, or the like. It is necessary to route the middle part of the lead wire to a predetermined part, and in any case, the work is extremely troublesome.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an indoor unit of an air conditioner that eliminates the need for ground wiring work for reducing the noise terminal voltage when assembling an indoor unit and can improve the assembly workability.

  In order to satisfy the above object, the indoor unit of the air conditioner of the present invention accommodates an electrical component box, a heat exchanger, a drain pan and a blower inside the indoor unit body whose bottom surface is open, and a decorative panel on the bottom surface of the indoor unit body. The opening is closed, and the drain pan is provided with a first insert fitting for attaching and fixing the drain pan to the indoor unit main body and a second insert fitting for attaching and fixing the electric component box to the drain pan. The first insert fitting and the second insert fitting are integrally formed with respect to the drain pan while being in electrical contact with each other.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an indoor unit of a ceiling-embedded air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the indoor unit main body according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the indoor unit main body according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the indoor unit main body with the drain pan according to the same embodiment attached. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the indoor unit main body in a state where a bell mouth is further attached according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the indoor unit main body in a state where an electric component box is further attached according to the same embodiment. FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view of the indoor unit main body in a state where the electric component box according to the embodiment is attached. FIG. 8 is a partial plan view of the electrical component box according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view of the electrical component box according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view of the bell mouth according to the embodiment during normal use. FIG. 11 is a partial perspective view of the bell mouth according to the embodiment when the slit is cut. FIG. 12 is a partial perspective view of the bell mouth according to the embodiment when the electric component box for control is attached.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. (Note that components and components not labeled in the text are not shown. Also, in order to avoid the complexity of the figure, components and components may not be labeled. is there)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an indoor unit 1 of a ceiling-embedded air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention from the lower surface side, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the indoor unit body 2, and FIG. FIG.

The indoor unit 1 of the air conditioner is inserted into a mounting opening provided on the ceiling board from the indoor side, and is suspended and fixed to a so-called ceiling back via a hanging bolt or the like, It is comprised from the lower part of the indoor unit main body 2, and the decorative panel 3 exposed to the indoor side from a ceiling board.
The indoor unit main body 2 is provided with a sheet metal casing 4 that is open at the entire bottom surface and is formed by processing a thin metal plate on the top surface and the side surface. A heat insulating material 5 molded using a polystyrene foam material or the like is attached to the inner peripheral surface of the casing 4, and the indoor unit main body 2 has a heat insulating structure.

  A blower 6 is disposed in the central portion of the casing 4, and an indoor heat exchanger 7 integrally formed in a square frame shape in plan view is attached so as to surround the blower 6. In addition, what consists of a pair of heat exchanger part formed in L shape by planar view as the indoor heat exchanger 7 may be used. A drain pump 9 is attached to the corner of the indoor unit body 2.

The opening on the lower surface of the casing 4 is closed by the decorative panel 3. The decorative panel 3 is, for example, molded from a synthetic resin material and is beautifully finished. The decorative panel 3 is exposed to the room from the ceiling plate and shields the gap between the peripheral surface of the indoor unit body 2 and the opening for mounting the ceiling plate. To do.
The blower 6 includes a fan motor M that is attached and fixed to the upper surface of the casing 4 by an appropriate means, and a fan F that is attached to the rotation shaft of the fan motor M. The fan F is a multi-blade type fan that blows air in the circumferential direction by sucking air from the direction of the rotation axis as it rotates.

The indoor heat exchanger 7 is disposed to face the circumferential direction that is the blowing direction of the fan F. The lower end portion of the indoor heat exchanger 7 is inserted into a rectangular frame-shaped drain pan 10 provided in the casing 4, and can receive drain water generated by the heat exchange action of the indoor heat exchanger 7. The drain pump 9 is attached so as to be immersed in the drain water in the drain pan 10.
A bell mouth 12 is provided between the decorative panel 3 and the blower fan F, and is surrounded by a drain pan 10. The bell mouth 12 has a horn-shaped converging portion 12a having a small diameter on the blower fan F side and a large diameter on the decorative panel 3 side, a flat portion 12b integrally provided on the large diameter side of the converging portion 12a, and one side of the flat portion 12b. The slit part 12c provided adjacent to the direction is provided.

An electrical component box 13 is attached to the flat portion 12 b of the drain pan 12. The electrical component box 13 includes a box body 14 that accommodates a control board having an open bottom surface and a control electrical component mounted therein, and a lid plate 15 that closes the bottom surface opening of the box body 14 so as to be openable and closable. Become. Both the box 14 and the cover plate 15 are made of sheet metal processed from a thin metal plate.
A fan guard 16 is attached to the converging portion 12a of the bell mouth 12 on the large diameter side. By providing this fan guard 16, even if the decorative panel 3 is removed in accordance with maintenance work, the hand F does not directly touch the fan F constituting the blower 6, and safety is ensured.

The decorative panel 3 includes a panel body 3A having a rectangular outer shape, and a rectangular suction port 17 is opened at the center. The suction port 17 is provided in an area shape substantially opposite to the inner surface of the drain pan 10, and a suction grill 18 for supporting the filter is detachably attached thereto.
The suction grill 18 shields the interior of the casing 4 from the suction port 17 while allowing the indoor air to flow through the suction port 17. At the time of maintenance, the filter can be removed together with the suction grill 18, and the filter and the suction grill 18 can be cleaned on the indoor floor.

Air outlets 19 are provided along each side of the inlet 17. Each air outlet 19 has an extremely elongated shape in the longitudinal direction with respect to the width direction, and is provided at four locations. Each blower outlet 19 is provided facing the gap between the outer surface of the drain pan 10 and the heat insulating material 5 attached to the inner surface of the casing 4, and is bent outwardly.
A louver R of a louver mechanism is attached to each air outlet 19 and guides heat exchange air to a wide area around the decorative panel 3. At the four corners of the panel main body 3A, rectangular height adjustment openings 20 are provided, and a decorative corner panel 21 is detachably attached to the height adjustment openings 20.

On the other hand, the casing 4 is suspended by four suspension bolts suspended from the beams constituting the ceiling. More specifically, a hanging bracket 22A that protrudes outward in the horizontal direction is attached to a corner portion on the side surface of the casing 4, and a suspension bolt is inserted into a long hole d provided in the hanging bracket 22A. A nut is screwed onto the nut.
As a result, the suspension fitting 22A is placed on the upper surface of the nut, and the casing 4 is suspended by the suspension bolts at four locations. Further, the height of the casing 4 can be adjusted by adjusting the screwing position of the nut with respect to the hanging bolt. This operation is performed by removing the decorative corner panel 21 and inserting a tool into the height adjusting opening 20.

22 A of said hanging metal fittings consist of the bending piece part which protrudes in a horizontal direction in the upper end part of the metal fitting main body 22 formed in the substantially U shape. The metal fitting body 22 is attached to the casing 4 by means such as spot welding. Further, the lower end portion of the metal fitting body 22 also has a piece that is bent in the horizontal direction, and this is referred to as an attachment metal fitting 22B.
Therefore, the mounting bracket 22B is integrally formed with the casing 4 together with the hanging bracket 22A. The mounting bracket 22B is for mounting and fixing the decorative panel 3 and the drain pan 10 to the casing 4, and details of these mounting operations will be described later.

A part of each of the first insert fitting 24 and the second insert fitting 25 is exposed on the lower surface of the drain pan 10. That is, a part of the first insert fitting 24 and the second insert fitting 25 is supported in the mold of the drain pan 10 and is embedded (inserted) in the drain pan 10 together with foam molding.
The first insert fitting 24 is for attaching and fixing the drain pan 10 to the casing 4. The second insert fitting 25 is for attaching the bell mouth 12 and the electrical component box 13 to the drain pan 10. Details of these mounting operations will be described later.

In the indoor unit 1 of the ceiling-embedded air conditioner configured as described above, when the blower 6 is driven, the air is sucked into the suction port 17 through the suction grille 18 and the filter. And it is guided by the bell mouth 12 and is sucked in from the rotational axis direction of the blower 6 and blown out in the circumferential direction.
The indoor air blown out in the circumferential direction is circulated through the indoor heat exchanger 7 to be heat-exchanged, and is changed into cold air during the cooling operation and is changed into warm air during the heating operation. The heat exchange air is guided along the gap between the indoor heat exchanger 7 and the heat insulating material 5 and is blown into the room through a plurality of air outlets 19 formed in the decorative panel 3.

Accordingly, the heat exchange air is uniformly blown out from the indoor unit 1 of the air conditioner attached to the ceiling plate to the room, and the air conditioning operation for the room is efficiently performed.
Next, the assembly structure of the indoor unit body 2 will be described in detail.
4 is a plan view of the casing 4 with the drain pan 10 attached thereto, FIG. 5 is a plan view of the bell mouth 12 attached thereto, FIG. 6 is a plan view of the electrical component box 13 attached, and FIG. 7 is shown in FIG. It is a partial perspective view of the electrical component box 13 and its peripheral part.

In the metal fitting body 22, the base end portions of the upper hanging metal fitting 22A and the lower mounting metal fitting 22B are formed to have the same width dimension, and are provided to face each other vertically. The suspension fitting 22A is provided with a long hole d for inserting a suspension bolt. A part of the attachment fitting 22B protrudes so as not to face the long hole d.
The decorative panel 3 is attached to the casing 4 by superimposing the corner portion of the decorative panel 3 on the protruding portion of the mounting bracket 22B, and inserting and fixing the fixing screw into the screw holes provided to each other. Accordingly, the protruding portion of the mounting bracket 22 does not hinder the height adjustment work for the hanging bolt of the hanging bracket 22A.

The first insert fitting 24 and the second insert fitting 25 are each made of sheet metal obtained by bending a thin metal plate. As described above, the insert metal fittings 24 and 25 are inserted when the drain pan 10 is foamed and most of the insert metal fittings 24 and 25 are embedded in the drain pan 10, but a part is exposed from the drain pan 10 as shown by hatching in FIGS. 4 to 6. To do.
Only the first insert fitting 24 in the lower right corner portion shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 is different in shape from the first insert fitting 24 in other corner portions. The first insert metal fittings 24 in the other corner portions excluding the first insert metal fittings 24 have the same shape and size.

The second insert fitting 25 is attached only to the upper left and right parts of FIGS. 4 to 6 and does not exist in the right upper and lower parts. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view showing only the side on which the second insert fitting 25 is attached.
In any of the first insert fittings 24, a part projects outward from the corner portion of the drain pan 10 so as to face the base end portions of the suspension fitting 22A and the attachment fitting 22B. The screw holes provided to each other communicate with each other in a state in which the protruding portion of the first insert metal fitting 24 is aligned with the base end portion of the attachment metal fitting 22B.

The first insert fitting 24 provided in the drain pan 10 is attached to the attachment fitting 22 </ b> B at the lower end of the casing 4 by inserting and fixing the fixing screw into each screw hole. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the drain pan 10 is attached and fixed to the casing 4.
The first insert fitting 24 in the lower right corner portion of FIGS. 4 to 6 includes a pair of rectangular exposed portions g spaced apart from the drain pan 10 protruding portion. The other first insert fitting 24 includes a horizontally long exposed portion h in parallel with the protruding portion of the drain pan 10. These exposed portions g and h are provided with holes, which are engaging holes for engaging with the pins that hold the first insert fitting 24 when the drain pan 10 is foam-molded.
In the first left and right first insert fittings 24 shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, there is a circular exposed portion i adjacent to the horizontally long exposed portion h. The exposed portion i is provided with a fixing screw 26 as shown in FIG. The fixing screw 26 fixes protrusions provided on the first insert fitting 24 and the second insert fitting 25 to each other.

That is, a part of each of the first insert fitting 24 and the second insert fitting 25 protrudes inside the drain pan 10, overlaps with each other, and is in close contact. These projecting portions are provided with screw holes communicating with each other, and the fixing screw 26 is inserted and screwed therein. Accordingly, a part of each of the insert fittings 24 and 25 is firmly fixed to each other.
The second insert fitting 25 on the upper side shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 and on the right side shown in FIG. 7 is attached at a different angle from the attachment direction of the first insert fitting 24. Also, the second insert fitting 25 on the lower side shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 and on the left side shown in FIG. 7 is attached along the attachment direction of the first insert fitting 24.

As described above, the two second insert fittings 25 used here are formed in exactly the same size and shape although the mounting postures with respect to the first insert fitting 24 are different from each other. The exposed portion of the second insert fitting 25 is provided with a plurality of screw holes and a holding hole at the time of insert processing.
As shown in FIG. 5, when the flat portion 12 b of the bell mouth 12 is aligned with the portion where the second insert fitting 25 of the drain pan 10 is exposed, the screw hole provided in the bell mouth flat portion 12 b becomes the second insert fitting 25. It communicates with the screw hole. The bell mouth 12 can be attached and fixed to the drain pan 10 by inserting a fixing screw into these screw holes and screwing them.

In this state, the bell mouth 12 is provided with a through-hole portion 27 that is opposed to a screw hole provided in the second insert fitting 25 and is larger than the diameter of the screw hole. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, when the box body 14 of the electrical component box 13 is aligned with the bell mouth flat part 12 b, the through hole part 27 faces the screw hole k provided in the box body 14.
Therefore, a fixing screw is inserted from the screw hole k of the box body 14 into the screw hole of the second insert fitting 25 through the through-hole portion 27 of the bell mouth 12 and screwed. Thus, the box body 14 can be attached to the drain pan 10 via the bell mouth 12. The screw hole k is formed by drawing the bottom portion of the box body 14 in a stepped manner, thereby increasing the strength of the bottom portion of the box body 14.

In the vicinity of the screw hole k of the box body 14, a relief protrusion m that protrudes upward is provided. These escape projections m are in a position facing the head of a fixing screw for attaching the bell mouth 12 to the second insert fitting 25 in a state in which the box 14 is in close contact with the bell mouth 12. That is, it is a so-called escape for the screw head.
The electrical component box 13 is assembled by housing the control board in the box 14 and attaching the cover plate 15. Then, the indoor unit 2 is formed by attaching the fan guard 16 and attaching the decorative panel 3 to the indoor unit body 2 as described above. What is necessary is just to carry this indoor unit 2 in the installation site, and to hang it with a suspending bolt.

  As described above, the sheet metal electrical component box 13 is attached to the sheet metal second insert fitting 25 by using the fixing screw, so that they are electrically connected to each other. The first insert fitting 24 and the second insert fitting 25, which are made of sheet metal, are inserted into the drain pan 10 and are in an electrically conductive state with their protrusions contacting each other.

  Further, the protruding portions of the first insert fitting 24 and the second insert fitting 25 are fixed to each other by a fixing screw 26. Accordingly, the insert fittings 24 and 25 are inserted into the drain pan 10, but are more reliably electrically connected to each other by the fixing screw 26.

  The first insert fitting 24 and the mounting bracket 22B made of sheet metal are attached and fixed via fixing screws, and are electrically connected to each other. The mounting bracket 22B is formed in the lower part of the metal plate body 22 made of sheet metal, and the hanging bracket 22A is formed in the upper part thereof. Therefore, the mounting bracket 22B and the hanging bracket 22A are in an electrically conductive state.

  The metal fitting body 22 provided with the hanging metal fittings 22A and the attachment metal fittings 22B is fixedly attached to the casing 4 made of sheet metal, and is electrically conductive as a whole. The suspension fittings 22A are suspended by metal suspension bolts and are electrically connected to each other. The suspension bolt is provided on a beam or the like constituting the ceiling and is in a grounded state.

  Therefore, by assembling the indoor unit main body 2 and attaching the decorative panel 3, the indoor unit 1 is completed as a product. An earth path is formed from 13 to the first and second insert fittings 25, 25, the casing 4, the suspension bolt, and the like.

  Therefore, by adopting the configuration as in the present embodiment, a lead wire for grounding wiring for reducing the noise terminal voltage as in the conventional case is not required, and the cost of components can be reduced. It is possible to omit the work of connecting the battery to the electrical component box, thereby improving the workability and helping to reduce the cost.

  In addition, since the 1st insert metal fitting 24 and the 2nd insert metal fitting 25 were not united but separated, the attachment position can be changed according to the design specification with respect to the drain pan 10. That is, if a plurality of first insert fittings 24 and second insert fittings 25 are prepared, the present invention can be applied to drain pans having other shape structures.

  Next, the box body 14 constituting the electric component box 13 will be described in detail.

  FIG. 8 is a plan view of a part of the box body 14 in which the electrical components housed therein are omitted, and FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the electrical components housed in the same portion of the box body 14.

  The electrical component box 13 has a rectangular shape that is longer in the longitudinal direction than in the width direction. A terminal base 28 is attached to the bottom of one side of the box body 14. In other words, the terminal block base 28 is attached in an inclined state from the bottom of the box body 14 to the side edge, and has a double structure with a gap between the bottom of the box body 14 and the terminal block base 28. .

  In particular, as shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of terminal blocks 29, a cord fixture 30 and the like are mounted on the terminal block base 28, and ground marks 31 are attached to positions between these mounting components. Further, a screw insertion hole 32 made of a burring hole is provided in the vicinity of the ground mark 31, and the screw hole k is provided at the bottom of the box body 14 facing the hole.

  A notch 33 is provided at the corner of the box 14 and from the mounting position of the terminal base 28 to the bottom of the box 14. When the box 14 is attached, when the fixing screw is inserted into the screw insertion hole 32 of the terminal block base 28 and the screw is accidentally dropped, the screw j may be taken out from the notch 33.

  After the indoor unit body 2 is suspended by the suspension bolts and the necessary height position adjustment work is completed, the suction grill 18 and the filter are removed to expose the electrical component box 13. Further, the cover plate 15 of the electrical component box 13 is removed, and the electrical components and the terminal block 29 etc. accommodated in the box body 14 are exposed.

  At least an electric power or signal lead wire terminal is attached to the terminal block 29, and an operation of electrically connecting the lead wire to the control electrical component is performed. These operations are performed with the electrical component box 13 looking up, but the terminal block base 28 is inclined and attached to the bottom of the box body 14 so that the operation is easy and the workability is improved. Is obtained.

  Next, the description regarding the bell mouth 12 is given.

  10 to 12 are perspective views of a part of the bell mouth 12 during normal use, when the slit portion is cut, and when the control electric component box is attached.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the bell mouth 12 is provided with the slit portion 12c having a rectangular cut. If a certain amount of strong force is applied to the slit portion 12c, a part of the bell mouth 12 is broken, but it is not broken during normal use and remains as it is. Therefore, the air volume at the time of use as the bell mouth 12 is ensured.

  For example, in the case of an optional specification such as increasing the number of indoor units with respect to the outdoor unit, it is necessary to additionally attach a control electrical component box 40 having a control board. At this time, as shown in FIG. 11, a certain amount of strong force is applied to the slit portion 12c to remove the end side portion from the slit portion 12c (when the slit portion is cut).

  In this state, a plurality of ribs 35 provided in parallel are exposed at a certain interval on the extension of the flat portion 12b. The leading ends of the ribs 35 have a narrow gap with the flat portion 12b plate surface, and the lead wires 36 can be pressed by the ribs 35 by inserting the lead wires 36 into the gaps.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 12, a control electrical component box 40 stored as an option is prepared, and this is opposed to the rib 35, and is fitted into the slit portion 12c after being cut out. Further, the control branch component box 40 is screwed and fixed to the bell mouth 12 using a fixing screw (when the control electric component box is attached).

That is, the optional control electrical component box 40 can be attached without increasing the number of components by a simple operation of simply cutting the slit portion 12c. The rib 35 includes a pedestal for the control electric component box 40 and a guide for the lead wire 36, and can easily meet optional specifications.
Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as it is, and can be embodied by modifying the constituent elements without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. Various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the above-described embodiments.

  According to the present invention, the grounding wiring work for reducing the noise terminal voltage at the time of assembling the indoor unit becomes unnecessary, and the assembling workability can be improved.

Claims (3)

An indoor unit main body that houses an electrical component box, a heat exchanger, a drain pan, and a blower while the lower surface opens.
A decorative panel that closes the opening on the lower surface of the indoor unit body;
A first insert fitting provided on the drain pan for attaching and fixing the drain pan to the indoor unit body; and a second insert fitting for attaching and fixing the electric component box to the drain pan. Equipped,
The indoor unit of an air conditioner, wherein the first insert fitting and the second insert fitting are electrically connected to each other and are integrally formed with the drain pan.   The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein a part of each of the first insert fitting and the second insert fitting is overlapped, and the overlapping portion is fixed with a fixing screw.   The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein a bell mouth is attached and fixed to the second insert fitting.

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