JP7535294B2 - Posture Control Device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a position maintaining device that maintains the position of a chamber, such as an outlet chamber, relative to the air conditioner body in an air conditioner in which the chamber is attached to the end of the air conditioner body.

Conventionally, air conditioners that are installed in a concealed state in a ceiling space are known (for example, Patent Document 1). Some air conditioners of this type include an air conditioner main body supported by hanging bolts or the like that hang down from a ceiling structure such as a ceiling slab, and an outlet chamber that is attached to an outlet section provided on one side of the air conditioner main body. For example, the air conditioner main body has an outlet sleeve that protrudes from the peripheral edge of the outlet, and the outlet chamber is provided with a connecting sleeve that is attached to the outlet sleeve. The outlet chamber is attached integrally to the side of the air conditioner main body by fitting the connecting sleeve inside or outside the outlet sleeve.

When the air conditioner starts operating, the fan installed inside the air conditioner body starts, and conditioned air is blown out from the air outlet into the blow-out chamber. Because the air pressure blown out from the air conditioner body is high, a large number of screws are driven circumferentially into the area where the blow-out sleeve and the connection sleeve overlap, fixing the blow-out chamber to prevent it from coming off the air conditioner body.

However, simply supporting the blow-out chamber with a number of screws driven into the connection sleeve will cause the ends of the blow-out chamber to sag under its own weight. To prevent this, in the past, hanging bolts or the like were attached to the sides and ends of the blow-out chamber, in the same way as the air conditioner body, to support the blow-out chamber in a suspended state, preventing the ends of the blow-out chamber from sagging and maintaining an appropriate posture relative to the air conditioner body.

JP 2019-207095 A

However, a structure that supports the blowing chamber with hanging bolts or the like has the following problems:

First, when installing the suspension bolts that support the blow-out chamber in a ceiling structure such as a ceiling slab, it is necessary to install anchors in the ceiling structure and attach the suspension bolts. At this time, it is necessary to install the anchors in appropriate positions depending on the size of the blow-out chamber and the installation position of the blow-out chamber in the ceiling space, which is inefficient. In addition, the installation work of the anchors and the installation work of the suspension bolts to the anchors are done at high altitudes, which also causes the problem of inefficient work.

Secondly, in addition to the blow-out chamber, an intake chamber may also be attached to the air conditioner body. The intake chamber is attached to the side of the air conditioner body opposite to the side to which the blow-out chamber is attached. In this case, the intake chamber is supported in a suspended state by a hanging bolt or the like, in the same way as the blow-out chamber, in order to prevent the end of the intake chamber from sagging. When the blow-out chamber and the intake chamber are attached to the air conditioner body, it is preferable that both the blow-out chamber and the intake chamber are attached in a substantially horizontal state relative to the air conditioner body. However, when trying to match the postures of the blow-out chamber and the intake chamber to the air conditioner body, the postures of the blow-out chamber and the intake chamber must be adjusted individually. Therefore, when the blow-out chamber and the intake chamber are attached to the air conditioner body, there is a problem that the work efficiency is particularly reduced.

Thirdly, when the blow-out chamber is supported by hanging bolts, the hanging bolts are installed between the ceiling structure and the blow-out chamber, and the space between the ceiling structure and the blow-out chamber cannot be effectively utilized. This creates the problem that it is not possible to place various pipes, etc., in the space above the blow-out chamber.

Fourthly, a duct connection section for connecting a duct such as a flexible duct is provided on the side of the blow-out chamber. If a hanging bolt is attached to a position near this duct connection section, the hanging bolt will get in the way when attaching the duct to the duct connection section. To prevent this, the hanging bolt is restricted from being attached to a position near the duct connection section, and the position where the hanging bolt can be attached is limited. Therefore, when attaching the hanging bolt to the blow-out chamber, the hanging bolt must be attached so as to avoid being near the duct connection section, which creates a problem of poor work efficiency.

The present invention was made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a posture maintaining device that can reduce the work required to properly position the chamber relative to the air conditioner body.

In order to achieve the above object, first, the present invention provides an attitude holding device (1) which is attached to an air conditioner (100) formed by fitting a connection sleeve (127) protruding from an end face of a blow-out chamber (120) into a blow-out sleeve (117) protruding from the peripheral edge of the blow-out port of the air conditioner body (110) to mount the blow-out chamber (120) to the air conditioner body (110), and by driving a plurality of screws (140) along the circumferential direction of the connection part between the blow-out sleeve (117) and the connection sleeve (127) , and which holds the attitude of the blow-out chamber (120) relative to the air conditioner body (110), and which faces the blow-out port of the blow-out chamber (120). and a connecting portion (4) which traverses the upper sides of the air conditioner body (110) and the blow-out chamber (120) to connect the first engagement portion (11) and the second engagement portion (21) to each other, generates tension between the first engagement portion (11) and the second engagement portion (21) to correct the sagging posture of the blow-out chamber (120), and holds the blow-out chamber (120) in a parallel posture to the air conditioner body (110).

Secondly, the present invention is characterized in that in the attitude holding device (1) having the above-mentioned first configuration, the connection part (4) is constituted by a bolt, the first engagement part (11) has a first connection part (12) that protrudes above the blow-out chamber (120) and has a hole (14) through which one end of the bolt is inserted, the second engagement part (21) has a second connection part (22) that protrudes above the air conditioner main body (110) and has a hole (24) through which the other end of the bolt is inserted, and nuts (5, 5) are attached to both ends of the bolt while the bolt is inserted through both the hole (14) provided in the first engagement part (11) and the hole (24) provided in the second engagement part (21), and tension is generated between the first engagement part (11) and the second engagement part (21) by tightening the nut (5).

Thirdly, the present invention is characterized in that, in the posture maintaining device (1) having the second configuration described above, it has a first flat plate portion (15) that connects the first engagement portion (11) and the first connection portion (12) and is arranged along the upper surface of the blowing chamber (120).

Fourthly, the present invention is characterized in that, in the posture maintaining device (1) having any one of the first to third configurations described above , it further comprises a spacer (30) arranged on the upper surface side of the portion where the blowing sleeve (117) and the connecting sleeve (127) overlap.

Fifthly, in the present invention, a first connection sleeve (127) protruding from an end face of a blow-out chamber (120) is fitted into a blow-out sleeve (117) protruding from the peripheral edge of a blow-out port provided at one end of the air conditioner body (110), whereby the blow-out chamber (120) is attached to the air conditioner body ( 110 ), and a plurality of screws (140) are driven in along the circumferential direction of a first connection portion between the blow-out sleeve (117) and the first connection sleeve (127) , and The intake chamber (130) is attached to the air conditioner body (110) by fitting a second connection sleeve (138) protruding from an end face of the intake chamber (130) into an intake sleeve (118) having a protruding peripheral portion of an intake port provided at the other end opposite to the one end, and a plurality of screws (140) are driven in along the circumferential direction of a second connection portion between the intake sleeve (118) and the second connection sleeve (138) to attach the intake chamber (130) to the air conditioner (100). a position holding device (1) for holding the position of the outlet chamber (120) and the intake chamber (130) relative to the air conditioner body (110), the position holding device (1) including a first engagement portion (11) that engages with an upper portion of an end face (120b) of the outlet chamber (120) opposite to a face facing the outlet port, a second engagement portion (21) that engages with an upper portion of an end face (130b) of the intake chamber (130) opposite to a face corresponding to the intake port, and a top surface of the air conditioner body (110) and a connecting portion (4) that crosses the side of the air conditioner (110) to interconnect the first engagement portion (11) and the second engagement portion (21), generates tension between the first engagement portion ( 11) and the second engagement portion (21) to correct the drooping posture of each of the blow-out chamber (120) and the intake chamber (130), and holds each of the blow-out chamber (120) and the intake chamber (130) in a parallel posture relative to the air conditioner body (110) .

Sixthly, the present invention provides a posture holding device (1) having the fifth configuration, characterized in that the connecting portion (4) is formed of a bolt, the first engagement portion (11) has a first connection portion (12) that protrudes above the blow-out chamber (120) and has a hole (14) through which one end of the bolt is inserted, the second engagement portion (21) has a second connection portion (22) that protrudes above the intake chamber (130) and has a hole (24) through which the other end of the bolt is inserted, and nuts (5, 5) are attached to both ends of the bolt while the bolt is inserted through both the hole (14) provided in the first engagement portion (11) and the hole (24) provided in the second engagement portion (22), and tension is generated between the first engagement portion (11) and the second engagement portion (21) by tightening the nut (5).

Seventh, the present invention provides a posture maintaining device (1) having the sixth configuration described above, characterized in that it has a first flat plate portion (15) that connects the first engagement portion (11) and the first connection portion (12) and is disposed along the upper surface of the blow-out chamber (120).

Eighth, the present invention is characterized in that, in the posture maintaining device (1) having any of the configurations as described above in terms of fifth to seventh , it further comprises a spacer (30) arranged on the upper surface side of each of the overlapping portions of the blow-out sleeve (117) and the first connecting sleeve (127) and the overlapping portion of the intake sleeve (118) and the second connecting sleeve (138).

This invention makes it possible to reduce the amount of work required to properly position the chamber relative to the air conditioner body, improving the efficiency of installing the air conditioner in the ceiling space.

1 is a perspective view showing an air conditioner in a state in which a posture maintaining device according to a first embodiment is assembled. FIG. 1 is a side view showing an air conditioner in a state in which a posture maintaining device of a first embodiment is assembled. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing a manner in which a first engagement member is attached to an air conditioner. FIG. 13 is an enlarged view showing a manner in which the second engagement member is attached to the air conditioner. FIG. 11A to 11C are diagrams showing a construction procedure for attaching the attitude holding device to an air conditioner. 11A to 11C are diagrams showing a construction procedure for attaching the attitude holding device to an air conditioner. 13 is a diagram showing an example in which a spacer is attached to the upper part of the connection part between the air conditioner body and the chamber. FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a spacer. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an air conditioner in a state in which a posture maintaining device according to a second embodiment is assembled. FIG. 11 is a side view showing an air conditioner in a state in which a posture maintaining device of a second embodiment is assembled. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of a first engagement member according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of a second engagement member according to a second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified example of the attitude holding device.

Below, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that in the drawings referred to below, the same reference numerals are used to designate common members, and redundant descriptions of those members will be omitted.

First Embodiment
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an air conditioner 100 in a state in which a posture holding device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention is installed. FIG. 2 is a side view of the air conditioner 100. The XYZ three-dimensional coordinate systems shown in these figures are coordinate systems in which the XY plane is the horizontal plane and the Z direction is the vertical direction, and are common to each other. The air conditioner 100 is a concealed type air conditioner installed in a ceiling space, and includes an air conditioner main body 110, an outlet chamber 120 integrally attached to one side of the air conditioner main body 110, and an intake chamber 130 attached to one side of the air conditioner main body 110 opposite to the side on which the outlet chamber 120 is attached. That is, the air conditioner main body 110 is disposed in a state sandwiched between the outlet chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130. In the following, for convenience, the X direction is the left-right direction of the air conditioner 100, and the Y direction is the front-rear direction of the air conditioner 100.

The air conditioner 100 is a box-shaped unit that is generally rectangular in plan view, and is an apparatus in which the air conditioner main body 110, the blow-out chamber 120, and the intake chamber 130 are assembled in series and integrally along the front-rear direction (Y direction). The air conditioner main body 110 has mechanical operating mechanisms such as a heat exchanger and a fan inside, and is heavier than the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130. The intake chamber 130 is attached to the intake side (rear side) of the air conditioner main body 110. The blow-out chamber 120 is connected to the blow-out side (front side) of the air conditioner main body 110. In other words, this air conditioner 100 is configured to suck in air from the intake chamber 130 provided on the rear side, exchange heat with the heat exchanger inside the air conditioner main body 110, and then blow out the heat-exchanged air from the blow-out chamber 120 provided on the front side. In addition, the air conditioner main body 110 is equipped with a filter unit 111 on the intake side (rear side), which has the function of purifying the air sucked in from the intake chamber 130.

In some cases, the intake chamber 130 is not connected to the intake side of the air conditioner main body 110. In that case, the air conditioner 100 draws in air from the ceiling space through the filter unit 111 provided on the intake side of the air conditioner main body 110, exchanges heat in the heat exchanger inside the air conditioner main body 110, and then blows out the heat-exchanged air from the blow-out chamber 120 provided on the front side.

The air conditioner body 110 is a box-shaped unit that is generally rectangular in plan view, and has two connection pieces 112, 112 on each of its left and right sides for connecting the lower ends of the hanging bolts 101 that hang down from a ceiling structure such as a ceiling slab. A total of four hanging bolts 101 are connected to the connection pieces 112, 112 on both left and right sides of the air conditioner body 110, and the air conditioner body 110 is supported in a suspended state in the ceiling space. In addition, a connection part 113 for attaching the blow-out chamber 120 is provided on the front end face of the air conditioner body 110, and the blow-out chamber 120 is attached to the connection part 113. In addition, a connection part 114 is provided on the rear end face of the air conditioner body 110, and the intake chamber 130 is attached to the connection part 114.

The blow-out chamber 120 is a box-shaped unit that is generally rectangular in plan view and smaller than the air conditioner body 110. The blow-out chamber 120 is attached to a connection part 113 provided on the front end face of the air conditioner body 110. As shown in FIG. 2, a number of screws 140 are driven circumferentially into the connection part 113 between the air conditioner body 110 and the blow-out chamber 120. These screws 140 allow the blow-out chamber 120 to be attached integrally with the air conditioner body 110 so that it does not come off.

The blow-out chamber 120 has at least one duct connection part 121 on the surrounding side surface. FIG. 1 shows an example in which a total of five duct connection parts 121 are provided on the surrounding side surface of the blow-out chamber 120. For example, the duct connection part 121 has a cylindrical sleeve shape. A duct such as a flexible duct for supplying conditioned air to the room is connected to this duct connection part 121. The blow-out chamber 120 is hollow inside and has a function of supplying air flowing in from the air conditioner main body 110 to a duct connected to the duct connection part 121 and a sound-proofing function. Therefore, the blow-out chamber 120 is extremely lightweight compared to the air conditioner main body 110.

The intake chamber 130 is also a box-shaped unit that is generally rectangular in plan view and smaller than the air conditioner body 110. The intake chamber 130 is attached to a connection portion 114 provided on the rear end face of the air conditioner body 110. As shown in FIG. 2, a number of screws 140 are also driven circumferentially into the connection portion 114 between the air conditioner body 110 and the intake chamber 130. These screws 140 allow the intake chamber 130 to be attached integrally with the air conditioner body 110 so that it does not come off.

The intake chamber 130 has at least one duct connection part 131 on the peripheral side, and is connected to a duct such as a flexible duct for supplying outside air to the air conditioner main body 110. Like the blow-out chamber 120, the intake chamber 130 is hollow inside and has the function of taking in outside air from a duct connected to the duct connection part 131 and supplying it to the air conditioner main body 110, as well as a sound-proofing function. Therefore, the weight of the intake chamber 130 is also extremely light compared to the air conditioner main body 110.

The attitude-maintaining device 1 of this embodiment is attached to the air conditioner 100 as described above, and maintains the attitude of the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 relative to the air conditioner main body 110. This attitude-maintaining device 1 is disposed, for example, in the front-to-rear direction (Y direction) along the top surface of the air conditioner 100, and is configured to maintain the attitude of each of the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 by engaging with both front-to-rear end portions of the air conditioner 100 (i.e., the end portion of the blow-out chamber 120 and the end portion of the intake chamber 130). The attitude-maintaining device 1 will be described in detail below.

Figure 1 illustrates an example in which two posture maintaining devices 1a, 1b are arranged on the air conditioner 100. These two posture maintaining devices 1a, 1b have the same configuration and the same function. These two posture maintaining devices 1a, 1b are attached to the air conditioner 100 at positions spaced a predetermined distance apart in the left-right direction, and maintain the posture of the outlet chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130, which are supported in a cantilevered state on the air conditioner main body 110, so that their ends do not droop. Note that the number of posture maintaining devices 1 attached to the air conditioner 100 is not limited to two, and may be one, or three or more.

The posture holding device 1 comprises a first engagement member 2 that engages with the upper part of the end face 120b of the blow-out chamber 120 opposite the face 120a that faces the air conditioner main body 110, a second engagement member 3 that engages with the upper part of the end face 130b of the intake chamber 130 opposite the face 130a that corresponds to the air conditioner main body 110, and a connecting part 4 that crosses the upper surface side of the air conditioner main body 110 in the front-rear direction to connect the first engagement member 2 and the second engagement member 3 to each other and generate tension between the first engagement member 2 and the second engagement member 3.

The first engaging member 2 and the second engaging member 3 are formed, for example, from a metal plate. Both the first engaging member 2 and the second engaging member 3 have the same structure. The connecting portion 4 is formed, for example, from a long bolt that is a separate member from the first engaging member 2 and the second engaging member 3.

Figure 3 is an enlarged view showing the manner in which the first engagement member 2 is attached to the air conditioner 100. The first engagement member 2 has a first engagement portion 11 that engages with the upper portion of the end face 120b of the blow-out chamber 120 opposite the face facing the air conditioner body 110, and a first connection portion 12 that extends upward from the first engagement portion 11.

For example, a thin metal frame made of steel or the like is provided on the periphery of the end face 120b of the blow-out chamber 120. The first engagement portion 11 is arranged so as to be joined to the frame. The first engagement portion 11 is also provided with small diameter holes 13, 13 for driving screws 6, and the first engagement member 2 is fixed to the upper part of the end face 120b of the blow-out chamber 120 by driving the screws 6 into the frame through the holes 13, 13. However, it is also possible that no frame is provided on the periphery of the blow-out chamber 120, and the method of fixing the first engagement member 2 to the upper part of the end face 120b is the same.

The first connection part 12, which extends upward from the first engagement part 11, is arranged so as to protrude further upward from the upper surface of the blow-out chamber 120. A hole 14 is formed in this first connection part 12, through which one end 4a of the connecting part 4 is inserted. The connecting part 4, which is constituted by a bolt, has one end 4a of the bolt inserted into the hole 14, and a nut 5 is attached to the tip part protruding from the hole 14. As a result, the first engagement member 2 is connected to one end 4a of the connecting part 4 in a state where it is attached to the upper part of the end surface 120b of the blow-out chamber 120.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view showing the manner in which the second engagement member 3 is attached to the air conditioner 100. The second engagement member 3 has a second engagement portion 21 that engages with the upper portion of the end face 130b of the intake chamber 130 opposite the face facing the air conditioner body 110, and a second connection portion 22 that extends upward from the second engagement portion 21.

For example, the second engagement portion 21 is arranged so as to be joined to the upper edge of the intake chamber 130. If the intake chamber 130, like the blow-out chamber 120, is provided with a thin metal frame made of aluminum or the like on the periphery of the end face 130b, the second engagement portion 21 is arranged so as to be joined to that frame. This second engagement portion 21 is provided with small diameter holes 13, 13 for driving screws 6, and the second engagement member 3 is fixed to the upper part of the end face 130b of the intake chamber 130 by driving the screws 6 through the holes 13, 13.

The second connection part 22, which extends upward from the second engagement part 21, is positioned so as to protrude further upward from the upper surface of the intake chamber 130. A hole 24 is formed in this second connection part 22, through which the other end 4b of the connecting part 4 is inserted. The other end 4b of the connecting part 4, which is formed by a bolt, is inserted into the hole 24, and a nut 5 is attached to the tip part protruding from the hole 24. As a result, the second engagement member 3 is connected to one end 4a of the connecting part 4 in a state where it is attached to the upper part of the end surface 120b of the blow-out chamber 120.

Next, the construction procedure up to attaching the attitude holding device 1 to the air conditioner 100 will be described. Figures 5 and 6 are diagrams showing the construction procedure for attaching the attitude holding device 1. First, as shown in Figure 5(a), the blow-out chamber 120 is attached to the front side of the air conditioner main body 110, and the intake chamber 130 is attached to the rear side of the air conditioner main body 110.

The air conditioner body 110 has a blow-out sleeve 117 with the peripheral edge of the blow-out port protruding on the surface 115 facing the blow-out chamber 120. For example, the blow-out sleeve 117 is formed of a thin metal piece with a thickness of about 1 to 2 mm. The blow-out chamber 120 also has a connection sleeve (first connection sleeve) 127 attached to the surface 120a facing the air conditioner body 110 by fitting it inside or outside the blow-out sleeve 117. This connection sleeve 127 is also formed of a thin metal piece with a thickness of about 1 to 2 mm. The blow-out sleeve 117 and the connection sleeve 127 form the connection part 113. The blow-out chamber 120 is attached to the air conditioner body 110 by attaching the connection sleeve 127 so that it overlaps with the inside or outside of the blow-out sleeve 117.

The air conditioner body 110 also has an intake sleeve 118 with the peripheral portion of the intake port protruding from the surface 116 facing the intake chamber 130. For example, the intake sleeve 118 is formed of a thin metal piece with a thickness of about 1 to 2 mm, similar to the blowing sleeve 117. The intake chamber 130 also has a connection sleeve (second connection sleeve) 138 on the surface 130a facing the air conditioner body 110, which is fitted inside or outside the intake sleeve 118. This connection sleeve 128 is also formed of a thin metal piece with a thickness of about 1 to 2 mm. The intake sleeve 118 and the connection sleeve 128 form the connection portion 114. The intake chamber 130 is attached to the air conditioner body 110 by attaching the connection sleeve 128 so that it overlaps with the inside or outside of the intake sleeve 118.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5(b), screws 140 are driven into the connection 113 between the air conditioner main body 110 and the blow-out chamber 120, and screws 140 are also driven into the connection 114 between the air conditioner main body 110 and the intake chamber 130. This fixes the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 to the air conditioner main body 110. After driving the screws 140, it is preferable to wrap insulation around the connections 113 and 114. Wrapping insulation around them can prevent condensation from forming on the connections 113 and 114.

After the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 are attached to the front and rear sides of the air conditioner main body 110 as described above, the posture holding device 1 is then attached to the air conditioner 100. As shown in FIG. 6(a), when the blow-out chamber 120 is attached to the connection part 113 of the air conditioner main body 110 in a cantilevered state, the end of the blow-out chamber 120 (i.e., the end face 120b opposite to the surface attached to the air conditioner main body 110) hangs down and is inclined due to the weight of the blow-out chamber 120. Similarly, when the intake chamber 130 is attached to the connection part 114 of the air conditioner main body 110 in a cantilevered state, the end of the intake chamber 130 (i.e., the end face 130b opposite to the surface attached to the air conditioner main body 110) hangs down and is inclined. In other words, although the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 are lightweight, if they are simply attached in a cantilevered manner to the air conditioner body 110, they will sag due to their own weight.

When the ends of the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 sag, stress is concentrated at the lower part P of the connection parts 113, 114, which may cause damage such as dents and cracks in the walls of the air conditioner main body 110, the blow-out chamber 120, and the intake chamber 130 at the lower part P of the connection parts 113, 114. To prevent such damage, the posture holding device 1 holds the postures of the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 so that they are approximately parallel to the air conditioner main body 110.

As shown in FIG. 6(a), the posture holding device 1 is constructed by first attaching the first engaging member 2 to the upper part of the end face 120b of the blow-out chamber 120 using a screw 6, and attaching the second engaging member 3 to the upper part of the end face 130b of the intake chamber 130 using a screw 6. Then, one end 4a of the connecting part 4 formed by a bolt is inserted into the hole 14 of the first engaging member 2 and a nut 5 is attached to the tip, and the other end 4b of the connecting part 4 is inserted into the hole 24 of the second engaging member 3 and a nut 5 is attached to the tip. When the nuts 5, 5 attached to both ends of the connecting part 4 are not tightened and are in a temporary fixing state, the ends of the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 are still hanging down as shown in FIG. 6(a).

As shown in FIG. 6(a), when the posture holding device 1 is attached to the air conditioner 100, the worker attaches the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 attached to both ends of the connecting part 4, and tightens the nut 5 in the axial direction of the connecting part 4. When one of the two nuts 5, 5 is tightened, the distance between the two nuts 5, 5 gradually decreases. Accordingly, a tension F1 that pulls the first engaging member 2 and the second engaging member 3 attached to both ends of the connecting part 4 is generated between the first engaging member 2 and the second engaging member 3. This tension F1 acts as a force that lifts the end face 120b of the blow-out chamber 120 and the end face 130b of the intake chamber 130. Therefore, by tightening one of the two nuts 5, 5, the worker can adjust the posture of both the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 to a state approximately parallel to the air conditioner main body 110, as shown in FIG. 6(b). Then, when the orientation of the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 becomes approximately parallel to the air conditioner body 110, the tightening of one of the nuts 5 is finished and the work is completed. As a result, the orientation holding device 1 holds the orientation of the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 in a state approximately parallel to the air conditioner body 110.

When performing the above-mentioned posture adjustment work, the worker can easily recognize the state in which the upper surfaces of both the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 are approximately parallel to the upper surface of the air-conditioning unit body 110 by, for example, aligning the line of sight with the upper surface position of the air-conditioning unit body 110 and tightening one of the nuts 5. This has the advantage that the worker can easily adjust the posture of both the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 to a state approximately parallel to the air-conditioning unit body 110 by visual inspection.

In addition, when adjusting the posture of both the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 to a state approximately parallel to the air conditioner main body 110, the worker does not need to adjust the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 separately, but can adjust both the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 simultaneously by tightening one of the two nuts 5, 5, which is highly efficient. Therefore, when performing the posture adjustment work described above as high-altitude work with the air conditioner 100 suspended in the ceiling space by the hanging bolts 101, for example, the work can be performed efficiently.

In addition, the above-mentioned posture adjustment work can be performed as a floor work on the floor before the air conditioner 100 is suspended by the suspension bolts 101. When performed as floor work, it is possible to further improve work efficiency compared to work at height. In particular, by assembling the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 to the air conditioner main body 110 on the floor and adjusting the postures of the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 to a state approximately parallel to the air conditioner main body 110 in advance, when the air conditioner 100 is installed in the ceiling space, it is not necessary to attach the suspension bolts 101 to each of the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130. In other words, by connecting four hanging bolts 101 to the connecting pieces 112, 112 provided on both the left and right sides of the air conditioner body 110, the air conditioner 100 can be installed in the ceiling space, and there is no need to attach hanging bolts 101 to each of the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130, which are lighter than the air conditioner body 110. This makes it possible to reduce the labor required to install the hanging bolts 101 in a ceiling structure such as a ceiling slab.

For example, when performing posture adjustment work on the floor, as shown in FIG. 6(b), after adjusting the posture of the outlet chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 relative to the air conditioner main body 110, the air conditioner 100 can be lifted to a position near the ceiling structure using an elevator or the like, and the air conditioner 100 can be installed in the ceiling space by connecting the hanging bolts 101 to the connecting pieces 112 provided on both the left and right sides of the air conditioner main body 110.

However, even when adjusting the posture of the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 using the posture holding device 1 of this embodiment, a construction method in which a hanging bolt 101 is further attached to each of the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 may be adopted.

However, if the tension F1 generated in the connecting portion 4 during the above-mentioned posture adjustment operation pulls the first engaging member 2 and the second engaging member 3 too much, then stress will concentrate at the upper portion of the connecting portions 113, 114, which may cause damage such as dents and cracks in the walls of the air conditioner body 110, the blow-out chamber 120, and the intake chamber 130 at the upper portion of the connecting portions 113, 114. Therefore, if one of the two nuts 5, 5 is tightened too much, it may result in poor installation. In order to prevent such poor installation, it is preferable to place a spacer 30 on the upper portion of the connecting portions 113, 114, as shown in FIG. 7.

Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the spacer 30. The spacer 30 is a metal member formed, for example, in a U-shape when viewed from the side, and has a pair of vertical plate parts 31, 32 standing at a predetermined interval W, and a bottom plate part 33 connecting the lower parts of the vertical plate parts 31, 32. The spacer 30 is arranged so that the bottom surface of the bottom plate part 33 is joined to the upper surface side of the part where the blow-out sleeve 117 and the connection sleeve 127 overlap at the connection part 113, or the upper surface side of the part where the intake sleeve 118 and the connection sleeve 138 overlap at the connection part 114. The length of the bottom plate part 33, which determines the interval W between the pair of vertical plate parts 31, 32, is formed to match the length of the connection parts 113, 114. Note that when the lengths of the connection parts 113, 114 are different from each other, it is preferable to use a spacer 30 according to each length.

When the spacer 30 is positioned on the upper side of the connection portion 113, the pair of vertical plate portions 31, 32 are positioned to join the end face 115 of the air conditioner body 110 and the end face 120a of the blow-out chamber 120, which face each other. In this case, the pair of vertical plate portions 31, 32 prevent the gap between the end face 115 of the air conditioner body 110 and the end face 120a of the blow-out chamber 120 from becoming smaller, so that over-tightening of the nut 5 can be suppressed when the posture adjustment work is performed.

When the spacer 30 is disposed on the upper surface side of the connection portion 114, the pair of vertical plate portions 31, 32 are disposed so as to join to the end surface 116 of the air conditioner body 110 and the end surface 130a of the intake chamber 130, which face each other. In this case, too, the pair of vertical plate portions 31, 32 prevent the gap between the end surface 116 of the air conditioner body 110 and the end surface 130a of the intake chamber 130 from becoming small, so that over-tightening of the nut 5 can be suppressed when the posture adjustment work is performed.

As shown in FIG. 8, the bottom plate portion 33 is provided with holes 34 for inserting the screws 140 that are driven into the connecting portions 113 and 114. When driving the screws 140 into the connecting portions 113 and 114, it is preferable to drive the screws 140 into the connecting portions 113 and 114 together with the bottom plate portion 33 through the holes 34. This allows the spacer 30 to be fixed to the connecting portions 113 and 114.

In this way, the posture holding device 1 of this embodiment is attached to an air conditioner 100 in which the blow-out chamber 120 is attached to one end of the air conditioner body 110 and the intake chamber 130 is attached to the other end, and is a device that holds the posture of the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 relative to the air conditioner body 110. The posture holding device 1 is equipped with a first engagement member 2 having a first engagement portion 11 that engages with the upper part of the end face 120b opposite to the face of the blow-out chamber 120 facing the air conditioner body 110, a second engagement member 3 having a second engagement portion 21 that engages with the upper part of the end face 130b opposite to the face of the intake chamber 130 corresponding to the air conditioner body 110, and a connecting portion 4 that crosses the upper surface of the air conditioner body 110 to connect the first engagement portion 11 and the second engagement portion 21 to each other and generate tension between the first engagement portion 11 and the second engagement portion 21.

With this configuration, the work of adjusting the position of the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 relative to the air conditioner main body 110 to the appropriate position is much simpler than in the past, and the work efficiency can be significantly reduced. In addition, the position maintaining device 1 having the above configuration has the advantage that the cost of maintaining the position of the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 can be reduced compared to the past, since the position maintaining device 1 can adjust the position of the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 with a simple structure.

In the above, the case where the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 are attached to both ends of the air conditioner body 110 have been mainly exemplified. However, as already mentioned, there are cases where only the blow-out chamber 120 is attached to the air conditioner body 110. When the blow-out chamber 120 is attached to the air conditioner body 110 and the intake chamber 130 is not attached, the posture holding device 1 may be configured such that the first engagement portion 11 of the first engagement member 2 is engaged with the upper portion of the end surface 120b opposite to the surface of the blow-out chamber 120 facing the air conditioner body 110, and the second engagement portion 21 of the second engagement member 3 is engaged with the upper portion of the end surface 116 opposite to the surface on which the air conditioner body 110 has the blow-out port. In this case, the connecting portion 4 of the posture holding device 1 may be configured to connect the first engaging portion 11 and the second engaging portion 21 to each other across the upper surfaces of the air conditioner main body 110 and the blow-out chamber 120, and generate tension between the first engaging portion 11 and the second engaging portion 21. With this configuration, the posture holding device 1 can easily adjust the posture of the blow-out chamber 120 relative to the air conditioner main body 110, and can hold the adjusted posture of the blow-out chamber 120.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing an air conditioner 100 in a state in which a posture maintaining device 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is installed. Fig. 2 is a side view of the air conditioner 100. The configuration of the air conditioner 100 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is the same as that described in the first embodiment.

In this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, an example is shown in which two attitude maintaining devices 1a, 1b are arranged for the air conditioner 100. However, this is not limited to this, and the number of attitude maintaining devices 1 attached to the air conditioner 100 may be one, or three or more.

As in the first embodiment, the posture holding device 1 includes a first engagement member 2 that engages with the upper part of the end face 120b of the blow-out chamber 120 opposite the face 120a that faces the air conditioner body 110, a second engagement member 3 that engages with the upper part of the end face 130b of the intake chamber 130 opposite the face 130a that corresponds to the air conditioner body 110, and a connecting portion 4 that crosses the upper surface side of the air conditioner body 110 in the front-rear direction to connect the first engagement member 2 and the second engagement member 3 to each other and generate tension between the first engagement member 2 and the second engagement member 3. However, the posture holding device 1 of this embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the shape of the first engagement member 2 and the second engagement member 3.

Figure 11 is an enlarged view of the first engagement member 2 in the second embodiment. The first engagement member 2 has a first engagement portion 11 that engages with the upper portion of the end face 120b of the blow-out chamber 120 opposite the face facing the air conditioner body 110, a first connection portion 12 that protrudes further upward from the upper face of the blow-out chamber 120, and a first flat plate portion 15 that is disposed along the upper face of the blow-out chamber 120 and connects the first engagement portion 11 and the first connection portion 12.

The first engagement portion 11 has small diameter holes 13, 13 for driving in the screws 6, and the screws 6 are driven into the end face 120b of the blow-out chamber 120 through the holes 13, 13, thereby fixing the first engagement member 2 to the upper part of the end face 120b of the blow-out chamber 120.

The first flat plate portion 15 has one end connected to the upper end of the first engagement portion 11, bent at a substantially right angle from the first engagement portion 11, and extends toward the air conditioner body 110. For example, the first flat plate portion 15 extends toward the air conditioner body 110 while being joined to the upper surface of the blow-out chamber 120. The first flat plate portion 15 is bent at a substantially right angle at a predetermined position on the upper surface of the blow-out chamber 120, extending inward from the end portion, and is connected to the first connection portion 12. Therefore, the first connection portion 12 protrudes upward from the upper surface of the blow-out chamber 120 at a predetermined position extending inward from the position of the end surface 120b of the blow-out chamber 120 into the blow-out chamber 120.

The first connection part 12 has a hole 14 through which one end 4a of the connecting part 4, which is made of a bolt, is inserted. One end 4a of the connecting part 4, which is made of a bolt, is inserted into the hole 14, and a nut 5 is attached to the tip part protruding from the hole 14. As a result, the first engagement member 2 is connected to one end 4a of the connecting part 4 in a state where it is engaged with the upper part of the end face 120b of the blow-out chamber 120.

Figure 12 is an enlarged view of the second engagement member 3 in the second embodiment. The second engagement member 3 has a second engagement portion 21 that engages with the upper portion of the end face 130b of the intake chamber 130 opposite the face facing the air conditioner body 110, a second connection portion 22 that protrudes further upward from the top face of the intake chamber 130, and a second flat plate portion 25 that is disposed along the top face of the intake chamber 130 and connects the second engagement portion 21 and the second connection portion 22.

The second engagement portion 21 has small diameter holes 23, 23 for driving in the screws 6, and the screws 6 are driven into the end face 130b of the intake chamber 130 through the holes 23, 23, thereby fixing the second engagement member 3 to the upper part of the end face 130b of the intake chamber 130.

The second flat plate portion 25 has one end connected to the upper end of the second engagement portion 21, bent at a substantially right angle from the second engagement portion 21, and extends toward the air conditioner body 110. For example, the second flat plate portion 25 extends toward the air conditioner body 110 while being joined to the upper surface of the intake chamber 130. The second flat plate portion 25 is bent at a substantially right angle at a predetermined position on the upper surface of the intake chamber 130, extending inward from the end portion, and is connected to the second connection portion 22. Therefore, the second connection portion 22 protrudes upward from the upper surface of the intake chamber 130 at a predetermined position extending inward from the position of the end surface 130b of the intake chamber 130 into the intake chamber 130.

The second connection part 22 has a hole 24 through which the other end 4b of the connecting part 4, which is made of a bolt, is inserted. The other end 4b of the connecting part 4, which is made of a bolt, is inserted into the hole 24, and a nut 5 is attached to the tip part protruding from the hole 24. As a result, the second engagement member 3 is connected to the other end 4b of the connecting part 4 in a state where it is engaged with the upper part of the end face 130b of the intake chamber 130.

In this manner, in the posture holding device 1 of this embodiment, the first engaging member 2 and the second engaging member 3 each have a bent shape, and as shown in FIG. 10, the first connecting portion 12 to which one end 4a of the connecting portion 4 is connected can be provided at a position closer to the center of the upper surface of the blow-out chamber 120, and the second connecting portion 22 to which the other end 4b of the connecting portion 4 is connected can be provided at a position closer to the center of the upper surface of the intake chamber 130. Therefore, when both ends 4a, 4b of the connecting portion 4 are connected to the first connecting portion 12 and the second connecting portion 22, respectively, the posture holding device 1 can be attached to the air conditioner 100 in a state in which both ends 4a, 4b of the connecting portion 4 do not protrude outward beyond the end faces 120b, 130b of the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, even if the first engagement member 2 is attached to a position immediately above the duct connection portion 121, the end 4a of the connecting portion 4 does not get in the way and interfere with the work of attaching the duct to the duct connection portion 121. In other words, by using the posture holding device 1 of this embodiment, the length of the connecting portion 4 can be shortened, so there is an advantage that the connecting portion 4 does not protrude in the front-to-rear direction of the air conditioner 100 and the work of attaching the duct to the duct connection portion 121 can be performed smoothly. The same is true when the second engagement member 3 is attached to a position immediately above the duct connection portion 131 of the intake chamber 130.

If the air conditioner 100 is not equipped with an intake chamber 130, the second engagement member 3 may be the one described in the first embodiment.

In addition, in this embodiment, it is more preferable to provide the spacer 30 described in the first embodiment on the upper surface side of the connection parts 113 and 114.

Other than the above-mentioned points, this embodiment is the same as the contents described in the first embodiment. Therefore, the posture holding device 1 of this embodiment has the same effect as the effect described in the first embodiment.

(Modification)
Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to those described in the above embodiments. In other words, the present invention includes various modified versions of the above embodiments.

For example, in the above embodiment, the connecting portion 4 is configured by a bolt. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the posture-holding device 1 may be one in which the first engaging portion 11, the second engaging portion 21, and the connecting portion 4 are integrally formed. Such a posture-holding device 1 is formed, for example, by bending both ends of a strip-shaped metal plate. Even in the posture-holding device 1 shown in FIG. 13, the first engaging portion 11 and the second engaging portion 21 provided at both ends of the connecting portion 4 prevent the blow-out chamber 120 and the intake chamber 130 from sagging and maintain the posture.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 (1a, 1b)... Attitude holding device, 2... First engaging member, 3... Second engaging member, 4... Connecting part, 11... First engaging part, 12... First connecting part, 15... Third 1 flat plate part, 21... second engaging part, 22... second connecting part, 25... second flat plate part, 30... spacer, 100... air conditioner, 110... air conditioner main body, 120... blowing chamber, 130... intake chamber.

Claims (8)

A posture holding device is attached to an air conditioner by fitting a connection sleeve protruding from an end face of a blow-out chamber into a blow-out sleeve protruding from the peripheral edge of an air outlet of the air conditioner body, the blow-out chamber being attached to the air conditioner body, and a plurality of screws being driven in along the circumferential direction of a connection portion between the blow-out sleeve and the connection sleeve, the posture holding device being attached to the air conditioner and holding the posture of the blow-out chamber relative to the air conditioner body,
A first engagement portion that engages with an upper portion of an end surface of the blow-out chamber opposite to a surface facing the blow-out port;
A second engagement portion that engages with an upper portion of an end surface of the air conditioner body opposite to the surface on which the air outlet is provided;
a connecting portion that connects the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion to each other across the upper surface sides of the air conditioner body and the blowout chamber, generates tension between the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion to correct the sagging posture of the blowout chamber, and holds the blowout chamber in a posture parallel to the air conditioner body;
A posture maintaining device comprising: The connecting portion is constituted by a bolt,
The first engagement portion has a first connection portion protruding above the blow-out chamber and having a hole through which one end of the bolt is inserted,
The second engagement portion has a second connection portion protruding above the air conditioner main body and having a hole through which the other end of the bolt is inserted,
The attitude-maintaining device according to claim 1, characterized in that the bolt has nuts attached to both ends while being inserted through both a hole provided in the first engagement portion and a hole provided in the second engagement portion, and tension is generated between the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion by tightening the nuts. The attitude holding device according to claim 2, characterized in that it has a first flat plate portion that connects the first engagement portion and the first connection portion and is disposed along the upper surface of the blow-out chamber. 4. The attitude holding device according to claim 1, further comprising a spacer disposed on an upper surface side of an overlapping portion of the blowing sleeve and the connecting sleeve. a first connecting sleeve protruding from an end face of a blow-out chamber is fitted into a blow-out sleeve having a protruding peripheral portion of a blow-out port provided at one end of the air-conditioning body, the blow-out chamber is attached to the air-conditioning body, a plurality of screws are driven in a circumferential direction of a first connecting portion between the blow-out sleeve and the first connecting sleeve, and a second connecting sleeve protruding from an end face of the intake chamber is fitted into an intake sleeve having a protruding peripheral portion of an intake port provided at the other end opposite to the one end, and a position holding device is attached to the air-conditioning body formed by driving a plurality of screws in a circumferential direction of a second connecting sleeve between the intake sleeve and the second connecting sleeve, and holds the position of the blow-out chamber and the intake chamber relative to the air-conditioning body,
A first engagement portion that engages with an upper portion of an end surface of the blow-out chamber opposite to a surface facing the blow-out port;
a second engagement portion that engages with an upper portion of an end surface of the intake chamber opposite to a surface corresponding to the intake port;
a connecting portion that traverses an upper surface side of the air conditioner body to connect the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion to each other, generates tension between the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion to correct the sagging postures of each of the blow-out chamber and the intake chamber, and holds each of the blow-out chamber and the intake chamber in a posture parallel to the air conditioner body;
A posture maintaining device comprising: The connecting portion is constituted by a bolt,
The first engagement portion has a first connection portion protruding above the blow-out chamber and having a hole through which one end of the bolt is inserted,
the second engagement portion has a second connection portion that protrudes above the intake chamber and has a hole through which the other end of the bolt is inserted,
The posture-maintaining device described in claim 5, characterized in that the bolt has nuts attached to both ends while being inserted through both a hole provided in the first engagement portion and a hole provided in the second engagement portion, and tension is generated between the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion by tightening the nuts. The attitude holding device according to claim 6, characterized in that it has a first flat plate portion that connects the first engagement portion and the first connection portion and is disposed along the upper surface of the blow-out chamber. The posture maintaining device described in any one of claims 5 to 7, further comprising spacers arranged on the upper surface side of each of the overlapping portions of the blowing sleeve and the first connecting sleeve, and the overlapping portions of the intake sleeve and the second connecting sleeve.

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