JP7540481B2 - Outdoor units and air conditioners - Google Patents

Description

The embodiment of the present invention relates to an outdoor unit and an air conditioner.

An air conditioner generally consists of an indoor unit that is installed indoors and an outdoor unit that is installed outdoors. The indoor temperature and humidity are regulated by circulating a refrigerant through a refrigeration circuit that is formed by connecting the indoor unit and the outdoor unit.

A heat exchanger unit is placed inside the housing of the outdoor unit, and heat is exchanged between the refrigerant circulating in the refrigeration circuit and the outside air. For example, in a heat pump type air conditioner, moisture in the outside air can turn into frost and adhere to the heat exchanger unit, which functions as an evaporator during heating operation. If heating operation is performed with frost on the heat exchanger unit, this will lead to a decrease in heat exchange capacity, so a defrosting operation is performed to remove the frost that has adhered to the heat exchanger unit.

When this defrosting operation is performed, the frost adhering to the heat exchanger unit melts and becomes drain water, which drips from the heat exchanger unit onto the bottom plate of the outdoor unit and is discharged from the bottom plate to the outside of the outdoor unit through a drain outlet provided in the bottom plate.

However, in outdoor units used in cold regions where the outside temperature is low, the drain water may refreeze on the bottom plate before it can be discharged outside the outdoor unit. If this happens, the ice may grow without the drain water being able to be discharged, and the ice may come into contact with the fan, preventing the air conditioner from operating.

Therefore, in outdoor units of air conditioners used in low outdoor temperatures, a base heater is placed on the bottom plate, and electricity is passed through the base heater to generate heat, warming the bottom plate and preventing the drain water from refreezing.

In such an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, it is desirable for the base heater to be fixed in contact with the upper surface of the bottom plate so that it can easily heat the bottom plate. For this reason, a fixing device such as that shown in the technology described in Patent Document 1 shown below is used.

JP 2004-069220 A

In the outdoor unit of the air conditioner of Patent Document 1 described above, the base heater is fixed to the bottom plate, for example by screwing, to prevent the base heater from shifting from a predetermined position or lifting up from the top surface of the bottom plate when vibrations, etc. occur due to operation or transportation of the outdoor unit. Although such a method of fixing the base heater to the bottom plate is suitable for the purpose of preventing the base heater from shifting or lifting up, it may not be appropriate from the viewpoint of workability.

For example, in terms of the function of the base heater, the base heater is also provided at the rear of the outdoor unit when viewed from the front where the service panel is located, that is, in a position opposite the service panel across the various devices placed inside the outdoor unit's housing.

Therefore, when work such as replacing or inspecting the base heater needs to be done, workers must reach in through the service panel at the front to access the base heater, which is located at the back of the outdoor unit.

However, due to space limitations, various devices are often placed close together inside the outdoor unit's housing, and when workers try to access the base heater located at the back of the outdoor unit, the various devices located in front of the base heater get in the way.

Furthermore, if the base heater is secured in place with screws, for example, the worker must access the base heater while carrying a bulky tool such as a screwdriver and then remove the screws securing the base heater.

The present invention aims to provide an outdoor unit and an air conditioner that are equipped with a fixing device that allows the base heater to be easily attached and detached while reliably fixing the base heater to the bottom plate.

The outdoor unit according to one aspect of the present invention includes a housing surrounded by an openable front panel, a rear panel facing the front panel, and a side panel connecting the front panel and the rear panel, a heat exchanger unit arranged on the rear panel side, a base heater fixed to the base between the heat exchanger unit and a base constituting the bottom surface of the housing, and a fixture for fixing the base heater to the base, the fixture comprising a two-way fixture that, when fixing the base heater to the base, comes into contact with an upper part opposite to the lower part of the periphery of the base heater when the side that comes into contact with the base is the lower part, and a rear part of the part connecting the lower part and the upper part that is on the rear panel side, and fixes the base heater to the base, and a three-way fixture that, when fixing the base heater to the base, comes into contact with the parts of the periphery of the base heater other than the lower part, and fixes the base heater to the base.

Furthermore, an air conditioner according to one aspect of the present invention includes an outdoor unit that includes a housing surrounded by an openable front panel, a rear panel facing the front panel, and a side panel connecting the front panel and the rear panel, a heat exchanger unit arranged on the rear panel side, a base heater between the heat exchanger unit and a base constituting the bottom surface of the housing and fixed to the base, and a fixture that fixes the base heater to the base, the fixture being a two-way fixture that fixes the base heater to the base when the base heater is fixed to the base, and a three-way fixture that fixes the base heater to the base when the base heater is fixed to the base, and a three-way fixture that fixes the base heater to the base when the base heater is fixed to the base, and a housing that is installed indoors and forms a refrigeration circuit between the outdoor unit and the outdoor unit.

The present invention provides an outdoor unit and an air conditioner that are equipped with a fastener that allows the base heater to be easily attached and detached while ensuring secure fixation of the base heater to the bottom plate.

1 is a perspective view showing an entire outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a front view of an outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a service panel has been removed to expose an electrical component box and the like. 1 is a plan view showing a state in which a base heater is attached to a bottom plate (base) of an outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a base heater is attached to a bottom plate (base) in an outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing a two-way fastener according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the base heater fixed by a two-way fastener taken along line MM in the plan view shown in FIG. 3 . 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the base heater fixed by a three-way fastener taken along line N-N in the plan view shown in FIG. 3. FIG. FIG. 13 is an overall view showing an example of a jig used when attaching and detaching a base heater. 2 is an enlarged view showing the front of the outdoor unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing the configuration of an entire refrigeration circuit of an air conditioner including an outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an entire outdoor unit 1 of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a front view of the outdoor unit 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention with the service panel 6 removed to expose the electrical equipment box 10, etc.

As shown in Figure 1, the outdoor unit 1 of this air conditioner has a large housing 2. When the outdoor unit 1 is installed on a horizontal surface, i.e., as in the outdoor unit 1 shown in Figure 2, the vertical direction (Y direction indicating the up-down direction in the drawing) is defined as length, and the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction (X direction indicating the left-right direction in the drawing) is defined as width, the housing 2 of the outdoor unit 1 in the embodiment of the present invention is formed so that the vertical length is longer than the horizontal width in terms of aspect ratio.

In other words, the outdoor unit described below will be an outdoor unit 1 having the shape shown in Figures 1 and 2. However, in addition to the shapes shown in Figures 1 and 2, the size and shape (aspect ratio) of the outdoor unit 1 can be freely set depending on the size and number of various devices to be installed inside the housing 2.

In the following, as described above, the vertical direction and the horizontal direction will be described as the Y direction and the X direction, respectively, with respect to the up, down, left, and right directions. Furthermore, where appropriate, the front side of the drawing, i.e., the outside of the outdoor unit 1, will be referred to as the near side, and the opposite side, the inside of the outdoor unit 1, will be referred to as the far side. Furthermore, the surface that faces the front across the various devices arranged inside the housing 2 is the rear side. Therefore, the depth direction connecting the front and rear sides is the Z direction.

An air intake port 3 is provided on the side of the housing 2 to draw air into the housing 2. A heat exchanger unit 4 is also disposed inside the housing 2 along the air intake port 3.

In the outdoor unit 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the heat exchanger unit 4 is configured by stacking heat exchangers, which are U-shaped when viewed from above, in two tiers, one above the other, and are arranged along the inner circumferential surface of the housing 2. Note that the heat exchanger unit 4 in the outdoor unit 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention may have any configuration, and its shape and configuration may be selected as desired according to the specifications.

A fan 5 is disposed on the upper part of the housing 2, and an air outlet O is formed surrounding the fan 5. In other words, the outdoor unit 1 in the embodiment of the present invention is a so-called top-blowing outdoor unit.

According to this, in the outdoor unit 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, air is drawn into the housing 2 from the air intake 3 via the heat exchanger unit 4, and is exhausted from the air outlet O provided at the top of the housing 2 via the fan 5.

Air intakes 3 are formed on three of the four sides of the housing 2. The remaining side is provided with service panels 6, 6 that are opened and closed when performing maintenance on the compressor and other equipment and electrical components disposed inside the housing 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the case of the outdoor unit 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the service panels 6, 6 are made of metal plates and are divided into two parts, an upper part and a lower part, relative to the housing 2. In addition, each part is fixed to the housing 2 by, for example, screws so that it cannot be removed unless necessary.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the upper service panel 6 is removed, an electrical equipment box 10 is revealed, which is located inside the housing 2 and behind the service panel 6. The electrical equipment box 10 houses electrical equipment inside.

When the lower service panel 6 shown in FIG. 2 is opened, the refrigeration circuit unit 7 including the compressor 71 and its piping arranged inside the housing 2 is revealed. Note that in the present invention, the specific configuration of the refrigeration circuit unit 7 is arbitrary, and as long as it is used as a refrigeration circuit for an air conditioner, the configuration thereof can be freely configured according to the specifications.

These refrigeration circuit units 7 are placed on a bottom plate B (hereinafter, this bottom plate will be referred to as the "base") that constitutes the bottom surface of the housing 2, and are fixed to the base B by suitable screws or the like. The base B constitutes the bottom of the housing 2.

Here, FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the state in which the base heater BH is attached to the base B of the outdoor unit 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Also, FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the state in which the base heater BH is attached to the base B of the outdoor unit 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the base B of the embodiment of the present invention, the lower side of the drawing is the front side on which the above-mentioned service panels 6, 6 are provided, and the side opposite the front side across the various devices arranged on the base B, i.e., the upper side of the drawing, is the rear side.

As shown in FIG. 1, the front panel and rear panel of the housing 2 are connected by side panels, and the periphery of the base B is formed in the same shape as the outer contour of the housing 2. Therefore, in the outdoor unit 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the base B has a generally rectangular shape with the lower right corner cut out in FIG. 3.

In the following, when viewing base B as shown in Figure 3, the lower side will be referred to as the front side, the side opposite the front side as the rear side, the side shown on the left side of the drawing as the left side, and the opposite side as the right side, as appropriate.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the periphery of base B is slightly raised in the Y direction so that, for example, a service panel 6 can be screwed in. In addition, in the X-Z plane of base B, there are provided holes for fastening screws used to fasten, for example, a refrigeration circuit unit 7 placed on base B, and a drain port for draining drain water.

The shape of base B is not limited to the shape described above, and any shape may be adopted. Furthermore, the devices placed on and housed on base B inside housing 2 may be arranged in any manner, and the shape of base B on the X-Z plane, holes for screwing, etc. are determined according to the arrangement.

The base heater BH is used to heat the base B to prevent refreezing of the drain water that accumulates in the base B before being drained. Therefore, the base heater BH is disposed between the heat exchanger unit 4 and the base B, near the heat exchanger unit 4.

As described above, in the outdoor unit 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the heat exchanger units 4 are arranged on the rear side and two side sides of the interior of the housing 2, excluding the front side of the housing 2. Therefore, the base heater BH is also arranged on the base B in the vicinity of the heat exchanger units 4 according to their arrangement.

Specifically, in the outdoor unit 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3, the base heater BH extends from approximately the center of the left side when viewed from the front toward the Z direction (rear side), then extends along the back toward the right side in the X direction, and finally extends to the right side in the Z direction (near side).

As shown in FIG. 4, both ends of the base heater BH extend from the base B toward the Y direction (upward) and are connected to other devices (not shown). In addition, in the base heater BH according to the embodiment of the present invention, a thermostat S is connected near the end on the right side.

In addition, in Figures 3 and 4, a dot pattern is applied to the base heater BH to distinguish it from the base B. Similarly, the fixing device 8 of the base heater BH, which will be described later, is also applied with a dot pattern different from that of the base heater BH.

In this way, the base heater BH is routed over the base B, but the base heater BH is fixed to the base B by a number of fixing devices 8. The fixing devices 8 fix the base heater BH to the base B, preventing vibrations caused by improper fixing.

In the embodiment of the present invention, two types of fasteners are used as the fastener 8: a two-way fastener 81 and a three-way fastener 82. The three-way fastener 82 is divided into a first three-way fastener 821 and a second three-way fastener 822 due to differences in shape. When referring to the two-way fastener 81 and the three-way fastener 82 collectively, they will be referred to as "fastener 8" as before. When referring to the first three-way fastener 821 and the second three-way fastener 822 collectively, they will be referred to as "three-way fastener 82."

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the two-way fixture 81 is attached to the rear and/or back side of the housing 2 when viewed from the front, and is used to fix the part of the base heater BH that is located on the back side. On the other hand, the three-way fixture 82 is attached to the left or right side of the base B shown in Figure 3. More specifically, the first three-way fixture 821 is attached to the left side, and the second three-way fixture 822 is attached to the right side.

First, the two-way fixture 81 will be described. The two-way fixture 81 itself is fixed to the base B by means of screws or the like. However, when fixing the base heater BH, the two-way fixture 81 is formed in a so-called clip type so that the base heater BH can be freely attached and detached to the two-way fixture 81.

When fixing the base heater BH with the two-way fixing device 81, the side of the periphery of the base heater BH that contacts the base B is referred to as the lower part, and the side opposite the lower part is referred to as the upper part. Additionally, of the part connecting the lower part and the upper part, the front side on the front panel side is referred to as the front part, and the rear side on the back panel side is referred to as the rear part. The two-way fixing device 81 in the embodiment of the present invention contacts the upper part and rear part of the base heater BH and fixes the base heater BH to the base B.

Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing a two-way fastener 81 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 5, the back side (right side of the figure) is the rear side of the housing 2, and the front side (left side of the figure) is the front side of the base B (housing 2). When the two-way fastener 81 is fixed to the base B, the part that is located on the rear side of the housing 2 is provided with a screw hole 81a through which a screw used to fix the two-way fastener 81 to the base B can be passed.

On the other hand, when the two-way fixing device 81 is fixed to the base B, the portion located on the front side of the housing 2 is made an open end 81b so that the base heater BH can be attached when the base heater BH is fixed to the base B. Therefore, when attaching the base heater BH, the base heater BH can be fitted into the two-way fixing device 81 and fixed to the base B simply by moving it in the Z direction from the front side to the back side of the housing 2.

That is, when the base heater BH is fixed to the two-way fixing device 81, the base heater BH is pushed from the front side to the back side of the housing 2, so that the back portion of the base heater BH comes into contact with the open end 81b. As the base heater BH is further pushed in, the open end 81b moves toward the top in the Y direction, and the open end 81b further moves so as to overcome the base heater BH, so that the base heater BH is fixed to the base B by the two-way fixing device 81.

Therefore, when the base heater BH is not fixed and the two-way fixing device 81 is attached to the base B, the distance in the Y direction from the base B to the open end 81b is shorter than the distance from the contact surface of the base B of the base heater BH to the surface that contacts the open end 81b when the two-way fixing device 81 is fixed to the two-way fixing device 81.

Here, the state in which the base heater BH is fixed to the base B using the two-way fastener 81 will be further explained with reference to the drawings. Figure 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the base heater BH fixed by the two-way fastener 81, cut along line M-M in the plan view shown in Figure 3.

In FIG. 6, the right side is the rear side of the housing 2, and the left side is the front side of the housing 2. At the rear side of the housing 2, the two-way fixing device 81 is fixed to the base B by a screw via the screw hole 81a.

The base heater BH is fixed to the base B by a two-way fixture 81. In FIG. 6, a cross section of the base heater BH is visible, and the side that faces and comes into contact with the base B when fixed to the two-way fixture 81 is referred to as the lower part BH1. The part on the opposite side of the lower part BH1 in the vertical direction is referred to as the upper part BH2 of the base heater BH, the part on the front panel side of the part connecting the upper part BH2 and the lower part BH1 is referred to as the front part BH3, and the part on the rear side is referred to as the rear part BH4. In other words, for the front part BH3 and the rear part BH4, for example, the front side in the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction connecting the upper part BH2 and the lower part BH1 and in the depth direction connecting the front panel and the back panel is referred to as the front part BH3, and the rear side is referred to as the rear part BH4.

When fixing the base heater BH to the base B, the two-way fixing device 81 fixes the base heater BH to the base B by contacting two parts of the periphery of the base heater BH, excluding the lower part BH1 and the front part BH3. More specifically, the two-way fixing device 81 presses the upper part BH2 of the base heater BH and restricts the movement of the rear part BH4 toward the rear side.

In other words, when the base heater BH is fixed to the two-way fixture 81, the lower portion BH1 of the base heater BH is in contact with the base B. In addition, when the base heater BH is attached to the two-way fixture 81, the front portion BH3 facing the front side of the housing 2 is positioned on the open end 81b side of the two-way fixture 81. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the lower portion BH1 and the front portion BH3 of the base heater BH are not in contact with the two-way fixture 81.

In contrast, the rear part BH4 of the base heater BH, which moves from the front side to the rear side of the housing 2 when attached and is fitted into the two-way fastener 81, is fixed by the two-way fastener 81 by contacting the part that rises upward in the Y direction from the screw hole 81a of the two-way fastener 81 to the open end 81b. In other words, the movement of the rear part BH4 in the Z direction is restricted by the two-way fastener 81.

At the same time, the upper portion BH2 of the base heater BH also comes into contact with the two-way fixing device 81. That is, the two-way fixing device 81 presses the upper portion BH2 of the base heater BH downward in the Y direction toward the base B. In this way, the two-way fixing device 81 fixes the base heater BH to the base B by coming into contact with the upper portion BH2 and the rear portion BH4 of the base heater BH.

As a result, the base heater BH is fixed to the base B by the two-way fixing device 81 simply by pushing the base heater BH into the two-way fixing device 81. When fixing the base heater BH to the back side of the base B in this way, the base heater BH is fixed using the two-way fixing device 81 instead of the three-way fixing device 82, so there is no need to use screws to fix the base heater BH to the base B.

In addition, since the base heater BH is not screwed to the base B by the two-way fastener 81, when removing the base heater BH, it can be removed by simply moving it in the opposite direction (Z direction) from the rear side to the front side of the housing 2.

In contrast, when fixing the base heater BH to the base B using the three-way fixing device 82, the three-way fixing device 82 is placed over the top of the base heater BH and screwed to the base B. In other words, the base heater BH is fixed to the base B by being sandwiched between the three-way fixing device 82 and the base B.

The fact that this base heater BH is fixed to the base B using a three-way fastener 82 will be explained with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the base heater BH fixed with a three-way fastener 82, cut along line N-N in the plan view shown in FIG. 3.

As with the two-way fixing device 81 described in FIG. 6, the side of the periphery of the base heater BH is the lower part BH1, and the part opposite the lower part BH1 in the upward direction is the upper part BH2. However, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 7, the three-way fixing device 82 fixes the base heater BH to the base B by fixing three sides of the base heater BH other than the lower part BH1. Therefore, in FIG. 7, no reference numerals are given to the periphery other than the lower part BH1 and the upper part BH2.

That is, the three-way fixture 82 is positioned so as to cover the base heater BH downward in the Y direction from the upper part BH2 to the lower part BH1 of the base heater BH. Therefore, when the base heater BH is fixed to the base B, the three-way fixture 82 covers three parts around the base heater BH, excluding the lower part that contacts the base B. Then, by fixing the three-way fixture 82 to the base B with screws, the base heater BH is fixed to the base B so as to be sandwiched between the three-way fixture 82 and the base B.

Of the three-way fixing devices 82 in this embodiment of the present invention, the first three-way fixing device 821 is disposed on the left side of the base B. It fixes the base heater BH at a position on one end side of the base heater BH just before it rises in the Y direction, and at a position just after the base heater BH changes direction from the Z direction to the X direction.

On the other hand, the second three-way fixing device 822 is placed on the right side of the base B. It fixes the base heater BH at the other end of the base heater BH at a position just before it rises in the Y direction.

As explained above, when the two-way fixing device 81 is used, the base heater BH can be fixed to the base B without using fixing devices such as screws. However, it remains difficult for workers to access the two-way fixing device 81 located on the back side of the base B. Therefore, a dedicated jig is used when attaching and detaching the base heater BH to the two-way fixing device 81.

Figure 8 is an overall view showing an example of a jig J used when attaching and detaching the base heater BH to and from the two-way fastener 81. The jig J is formed in a thin, long plate shape, and is used by an operator holding one end of the jig J and inserting it from the front side to the rear side of the housing 2. Therefore, the longitudinal length of the jig J shown in Figure 8 is set to a length that allows the other end of the jig J to reach the two-way fastener 81 when an operator holds one end of the jig J and inserts it from the front side to the rear side of the housing 2.

In addition, at both longitudinal ends of the jig J, attachment/detachment parts J1 and J2 are formed to abut against the base heater BH when attaching or detaching the base heater BH to the two-way fixture 81. The attachment/detachment part J1 is used when fitting the base heater BH into the two-way fixture 81.

That is, when the worker fits the base heater BH into the two-way fixing device 81, the detachable part J1 contacts the front part BH3 of the base heater BH. Therefore, the detachable part J1 is provided with a push-in part J11 that is formed in a substantially semicircular shape, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, so that the detachable part J1 can contact the base heater BH without rattling when it comes into contact with the base heater BH.

Then, with the pushing portion J11 of the detachable portion J1 in contact with the front portion BH3 of the base heater BH shown in FIG. 6, the worker holds the detachable portion J2 side of the jig J and pushes it from the front side to the back side along the Z direction shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. This moves the rear portion BH4 of the base heater BH from the open end 81b side of the two-way fixing device 81 to the screw hole 81a side, and it is fitted into the two-way fixing device 81 and fixed to the base B.

On the other hand, the detachable part J2 is used when removing the base heater BH from the two-way fixture 81. When removing the base heater BH from the two-way fixture 81, unlike when fitting it in, it is necessary to hook the jig J onto the base heater BH located on the screw hole 81a side of the two-way fixture 81 and pull it from the back side to the front side of the base B. For this reason, unlike the detachable part J1, the detachable part J2 is formed in a hook shape.

Then, with the removable part J2 hooked onto the fitting side of the base heater BH, the worker holds the removable part J1 side of the jig J and pulls it from the back side to the front side as shown in Figures 3 and 4. This moves the fitting side of the base heater BH from the screw hole 81a side of the two-way fixing device 81 to the open end 81b side, and it comes off from the two-way fixing device 81.

In this way, the worker holds the jig J and either end of it, and inserts and pushes or pulls the jig J from the front side to the back side of the base B to attach or detach the base heater BH to the two-way fixing device 81. Therefore, the base B is provided with a space (passage P) large enough for the worker to insert the jig J, which will be described next.

Here, Fig. 9 is an enlarged view showing the front of the outdoor unit 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. However, Fig. 9 mainly shows the lower part of the front of the housing 2, and shows the lower service panel 6 in a closed state with a part cut away.

As mentioned above, the refrigeration circuit unit 7 is located at the bottom of the outdoor unit 1, behind the service panel 6. The worker inserts the jig J in the Z direction through the passage P formed in the area surrounded by a circle in the cutout shown, to access the base heater BH installed on the back side of the base B.

If the position where the jig J contacts the base heater BH is too far away from the two-way fixture 81, excessive force may be applied to the base heater BH when pushing or pulling the base heater BH in the Z direction to attach or detach the base heater BH to or from the two-way fixture 81.

The housing 2 is therefore provided with a passage P between the front and rear sides as a space into which the jig J can be inserted when attaching or detaching the base heater BH. In other words, the passage P is provided at a position where the base heater BH can be fixed to the two-way fixing device 81 using the jig J.

Note that the jig J shown in FIG. 8 has a body portion that is formed in a straight line, so to speak, connecting the ends where the detachable portions J1 and J2 are formed. However, depending on the position of the refrigeration circuit unit 7, for example, that is placed on the base B, the shape of the body portion does not necessarily have to be formed in a straight line.

Next, we will explain air conditioner A, which uses the outdoor unit 1 described above. Air conditioner A is composed of an indoor unit 20 installed indoors and an outdoor unit 1 installed outdoors, and regulates the temperature and humidity inside the room by circulating a refrigerant through a refrigeration circuit C formed by connecting the indoor unit 20 and the outdoor unit 1.

In addition, the outdoor unit 1 in the embodiment of the present invention is a large outdoor unit that can be connected to multiple indoor units 20. However, the mechanism is the same even when the outdoor unit 1 and the indoor unit 20 are in a one-to-one relationship. Below, air conditioner A will be explained using Figure 10, which shows an example in which one outdoor unit 1 is connected to one indoor unit 20.

Figure 10 is a circuit diagram showing the configuration of the entire refrigeration circuit C of an air conditioner A equipped with an outdoor unit 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As described above, the air conditioner A is composed of an outdoor unit 1 and an indoor unit 20 connected to the outdoor unit 1.

In the indoor unit 20 shown by the dotted line in FIG. 10, an indoor heat exchanger 21 is provided that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the indoor air. Although only the indoor heat exchanger 21 is shown inside the indoor unit 20, the indoor unit 20 is also provided with other components that are normally included in the indoor unit 20, such as an indoor fan that blows the air that has been heat exchanged into the room and a control device that controls the indoor unit 20.

The outdoor unit 1 shown by the dashed line in Fig. 10 is equipped with a refrigeration circuit unit 7 as described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. The refrigeration circuit unit 7 includes a compressor 71, a heat exchanger unit 4, and an expansion valve 72, which are connected in sequence by piping.

In addition to the above-mentioned devices, the refrigeration circuit unit 7 is also connected to various valve mechanisms such as four-way valves and accumulators, but these are not shown in FIG. 10. Also, the control device that controls each device that makes up the outdoor unit 1 is provided inside the electrical equipment box 10 described above, but is similarly not shown.

The outdoor unit 1 and the indoor unit 20 are connected by piping through which the refrigerant flows, forming a refrigeration circuit C. That is, the piping is connected so that the indoor heat exchanger 21 of the indoor unit 20 is placed between the compressor 71 and the expansion valve 72 of the outdoor unit 1, and the refrigerant flows in the order of the compressor 71, indoor heat exchanger 21, and expansion valve 72, or the expansion valve 72, indoor heat exchanger 21, and compressor 71.

Here, the operation of air conditioner A using refrigeration circuit C will be explained using cooling operation as an example. For example, when air conditioner A is performing cooling operation, as shown by the arrows in Figure 10, the refrigerant circulates through refrigeration circuit C in the following order: compressor 71 provided in outdoor unit 1, heat exchanger unit 4, expansion valve 72, indoor heat exchanger 21 provided in indoor unit 20, and compressor 71 in outdoor unit 1 again.

That is, the refrigerant compressed in the compressor 71 of the outdoor unit 1 to a high temperature and high pressure is supplied to the heat exchanger unit 4. In the heat exchanger unit 4, the high temperature and high pressure refrigerant exchanges heat with the wind supplied by the rotation of an outdoor fan (not shown), and the refrigerant dissipates heat into the outside air. Then, some or all of the refrigerant condenses to become a low temperature and high pressure refrigerant.

The low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant thus obtained leaves the heat exchanger unit 4 and is then decompressed by passing through the expansion valve 72. The low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant is then supplied to the indoor heat exchanger 21, where it exchanges heat with the surrounding air.

The refrigerant evaporates through heat exchange in the indoor heat exchanger 21, and the air drawn into the indoor heat exchanger 21 is cooled and then supplied to the room by the indoor fan to cool the room. The low-pressure refrigerant that has absorbed heat through heat exchange then returns to the compressor 71, repeating the previous refrigeration cycle.

On the other hand, for heating operation, the refrigerant circulates inside the refrigeration circuit C in the opposite direction to the arrows shown in Figure 10, and the refrigerant condenses in the indoor heat exchanger 21, heating the room.

By adopting the configuration described above, it is possible to provide an outdoor unit and an air conditioner that are equipped with a fastener that allows the base heater to be easily attached and detached while ensuring secure fixation of the base heater to the bottom plate.

In particular, among the fixing devices for the base heater, the fixing device placed on the back side of the base (housing) is a two-sided fixing device with an open front side, so that the base heater can be securely fixed even on the back side, which is difficult for workers to reach, while also being easy to attach and remove.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but is merely one example of the present invention. In the implementation stage, the components can be modified without departing from the gist of the invention, and various modifications and improvements can be made to the above-described embodiment. Furthermore, various inventions can be created by appropriately combining multiple components disclosed in the above-described embodiment.

For example, some components may be deleted from all of the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, components across different embodiments may be combined as appropriate, and such modified or improved forms may also be included in the present invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims.

Up to this point, the fixing device 8 has been described for the outdoor unit 1 in the embodiment of the present invention, assuming that the outdoor unit 1 has a housing 2 of the size shown in Figures 1 to 4. Therefore, for example, if the housing 2 becomes larger and the base B becomes larger than the base B in the embodiment of the present invention, the number of two-way fixing devices 81 and three-way fixing devices 82 will be increased as appropriate to fix the base heater BH to the base B.

However, even if the number of fixing devices 8 is increased, the two-way fixing device 81 is placed on the rear side of the base B. On the other hand, if there is enough space on the rear side of the base B for an operator to fix the base heater BH to the base B, the three-way fixing device 82 may be used even on the rear side of the base B.

In addition, in the outdoor unit 1 in the embodiment of the present invention described so far, it was assumed that the base heater BH would be fixed to the base B using three-sided fasteners 82 on the left and right sides of the base B.

However, this does not mean that two-way fasteners 81 cannot be used on both sides of base B, and in some cases two-way fasteners 81 can be used instead of three-way fasteners 82 in these positions.

On the other hand, however, it is not appropriate to use two-way fasteners 81 for all of the fasteners 8. This is because, as mentioned above, the other end of the two-way fasteners 81 is formed as an open end 81b. If all of the fasteners were two-way fasteners 81, there is a possibility that the base heater BH may come off the base B due to vibrations of the outdoor unit 1, etc.

The techniques described in the embodiments of the present invention may also be configured as follows.
(1) a housing surrounded by an openable front panel, a rear panel facing the front panel, and a side panel connecting the front panel and the rear panel;
A heat exchanger unit disposed on the side of the back panel;
a base heater between the heat exchanger unit and a base constituting a bottom surface of the housing and fixed to the base;
a fixing device for fixing the base heater to the base,
The fixture includes:
a two-way fastener that, when fixing the base heater to the base, comes into contact with an upper portion of the periphery of the base heater opposite to the lower portion when the side that comes into contact with the base is defined as a lower portion, and a rear portion of a portion connecting the lower portion and the upper portion that is on the side of the back panel, and fixes the base heater to the base;
and a three-sided fastener that contacts a portion of the periphery of the base heater other than the lower portion when the base heater is fixed to the base, and fastens the base heater to the base.
(2) The outdoor unit according to (1) above, wherein the two-way fastener is disposed on the rear panel side of the base.
(3) The heat exchanger unit is disposed on the rear plate and the plurality of side plates inside the housing,
The outdoor unit described in (1) or (2) above, wherein the two-way fastener is arranged on the side of the back panel of the base, and the three-way fastener is arranged on the side of the side panel of the base.
(4) The base heater is attached to the two-way fixture using a jig,
the housing has a passage between the front panel and the rear panel into which the jig can be inserted when attaching or detaching the base heater,
The outdoor unit according to (2) or (3) above, wherein the two-way fastener is disposed in the vicinity of an insertion tip of the jig when the jig is inserted through the passage.
(5) An outdoor unit according to any one of (1) to (4) above;
An indoor unit that is installed indoors and forms a refrigeration circuit between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit;
An air conditioner equipped with:

1: Outdoor unit, 2: Housing, 3: Air intake, 4: Heat exchanger unit, 5: Fan, 6: Service panel, 7: Refrigeration circuit unit, 71: Compressor, 72: Expansion valve, 8: Fixture, 81: Two-way fixture, 82: Three-way fixture, 821: First three-way fixture, 822: Second three-way fixture, 10: Electrical equipment box, 20: Indoor unit, 21: Indoor heat exchanger, A: Air conditioner, B: Base (bottom plate), BH: Base heater, C: Refrigerant circuit, J: Fixture, J1: Detachable part, J2: Detachable part, P: Passage (space), S: Thermostat, O: Air outlet

Claims (7)

a housing surrounded by an openable front panel, a rear panel facing the front panel, and a side panel connecting the front panel and the rear panel;
A heat exchanger unit disposed on the side of the back panel;
a base heater between the heat exchanger unit and a base constituting a bottom surface of the housing and fixed to the base;
a fixing device for fixing the base heater to the base,
The fixture includes:
a two-way fastener that, when fixing the base heater to the base, comes into contact with an upper portion of the periphery of the base heater opposite to the lower portion when the side that comes into contact with the base is defined as a lower portion, and a rear portion of a portion connecting the lower portion and the upper portion that is on the side of the back panel, and fixes the base heater to the base;
a three-sided fastener that comes into contact with a portion of the periphery of the base heater other than the lower portion when the base heater is fixed to the base, and fastens the base heater to the base;
An outdoor unit comprising: The outdoor unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the two-way fastener is disposed on the rear panel side of the base. the heat exchanger unit is disposed inside the housing on a side of the rear plate and on a side of the plurality of side plates,
2. The outdoor unit according to claim 1, wherein the two-way fastener is disposed on a side of the base facing the rear panel, and the three-way fastener is disposed on a side of the base facing the side panel. the heat exchanger unit is disposed inside the housing on a side of the rear plate and on a side of the plurality of side plates,
3. The outdoor unit according to claim 2, wherein the two-way fastener is disposed on a side of the base facing the rear panel, and the three-way fastener is disposed on a side of the base facing the side panel. The base heater is attached to the two-way fixture using a jig;
the housing has a passage between the front panel and the rear panel into which the jig can be inserted when attaching or detaching the base heater,
3. The outdoor unit according to claim 2, wherein the two-way fastener is disposed in the vicinity of an insertion tip of the jig when the jig is inserted through the passage. The base heater is attached to the two-way fixture using a jig;
the housing has a passage between the front panel and the rear panel into which the jig can be inserted when attaching or detaching the base heater,
4. The outdoor unit according to claim 3, wherein the two-way fastener is disposed in the vicinity of an insertion tip of the jig when the jig is inserted through the passage. An outdoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
An indoor unit that is installed indoors and forms a refrigeration circuit between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit;
An air conditioner equipped with:

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