JP7570540B2 - Packaging Equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a packaging device.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a packaging device for packaging an outdoor unit of a refrigeration cycle device when storing or transporting the outdoor unit. Such a packaging device has a plate-shaped rear packaging material (protective plate) for protecting the heat exchanger exposed at the rear of the outdoor unit. In the packaging device of Patent Document 1, the rear packaging material is positioned by being sandwiched between two bottom cushioning materials (lower cushioning materials).

International Publication No. 2020/129241

In the above-mentioned packaging device, when the protective plate is arranged so as to be sandwiched between two lower cushioning materials as in Patent Document 1, the worker needs to pay close attention to two locations of the protective plate that are located apart from each other in the arrangement direction in which the two lower cushioning materials are lined up, i.e., both ends. This causes a problem in that the workability of attaching the protective plate to the lower box body of the packaging device on which the two lower cushioning materials are placed is poor.

This disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and one of its objectives is to provide a packaging device that can improve the ease of installing a protective plate to the lower box body.

One aspect of the packaging device according to the present disclosure is a packaging device for an outdoor unit equipped with a heat exchanger, comprising: two lower cushioning materials positioned at a distance from each other and on which the bottom of the outdoor unit is placed; a lower box body that opens upward and has a bottom plate portion on which the two lower cushioning materials are placed and side plate portions rising from the edges of the bottom plate portion; and a plate-shaped protective plate that protrudes from inside the lower box body above the lower box body and covers the heat exchanger from the rear side of the outdoor unit, the side plate portion having a rear plate portion extending in the arrangement direction in which the two lower cushioning materials are aligned, and a convex portion that protrudes into the interior of the lower box body is provided at the corner between the rear plate portion and the bottom plate portion, the protective plate having a concave portion into which the convex portion is inserted, and the concave portion having a pair of edges that sandwich the convex portion in the arrangement direction.

According to the present disclosure, the ease of installing the protective plate to the lower box body can be improved.

1 is a perspective view showing a packing device in an embodiment and an outdoor unit in a state packed by the packing device. FIG. 1 is a rear view of a packing device according to an embodiment and an outdoor unit packed by the packing device. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a part of the packaging device and an outdoor unit according to the embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a lower box body in the embodiment. 5 is a perspective view showing a part of the lower box body in the embodiment, and is an enlarged view of a V portion of the lower box body in FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a development view of a lower box body in the embodiment. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which a lower cushioning material and a protective plate are arranged in a lower box body according to an embodiment, as viewed from above. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the lower box body in the embodiment, taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 5 . FIG. 4 is a rear view of the protective plate according to the embodiment. 1 is a rear view of the outdoor unit with a lower box body and a protective plate arranged thereon in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a rear view of a part of the packaging device in the embodiment, and is an enlarged view of a portion XI in FIG. 10. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which a protective plate is attached to a lower box body in the embodiment. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a part of the packaging device in the embodiment, and is an enlarged view of a portion XIII in FIG. 12.

Below, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiment, and can be modified as desired within the scope of the technical ideas of the present disclosure. Also, in the following drawings, the scale and number of each structure may differ from the scale and number of the actual structure in order to make each configuration easier to understand.

The drawings also show the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis as appropriate. The X-axis shows one of the horizontal directions. The Y-axis shows the other of the horizontal directions. The Z-axis shows the vertical direction. In the following description, the horizontal direction along the X-axis is called the "front-rear direction X", the horizontal direction along the Y-axis is called the "left-right direction Y", and the vertical direction is called the "up-down direction Z". The front-rear direction X, the left-right direction Y, and the up-down direction Z are mutually perpendicular directions. The side of the up-down direction Z toward which the arrow of the Z-axis points (+Z side) is the upper side, and the opposite side of the up-down direction Z to the side toward which the arrow of the Z-axis points (-Z side) is the lower side. The front-rear direction X is the front-rear direction of the outdoor unit 100 described later, and the left-right direction Y is the left-right direction of the outdoor unit 100.

In the following description, the side in the front-rear direction X toward which the arrow on the X-axis points (+X side) is defined as the front side, and the side opposite to the side in the front-rear direction X toward which the arrow on the X-axis points (-X side) is defined as the rear side. The left-right direction Y is defined as the left-right direction when the outdoor unit 100 described below is viewed from the front (+X side). In other words, the side in the left-right direction Y toward which the arrow on the Y-axis points (+Y side) is defined as the left side, and the side opposite to the side in the left-right direction Y toward which the arrow on the Y-axis points (-Y side) is defined as the right side.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a packing device 1 in an embodiment and an outdoor unit 100 in a state where it has been packed by the packing device 1. Figure 2 is a rear view of the packing device 1 and the outdoor unit 100 in a state where it has been packed by the packing device 1. Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a part of the packing device 1 and the outdoor unit 100.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the outdoor unit 100 packed in the packaging device 1 is, for example, an outdoor unit of an air conditioner. As shown in Figure 3, the outdoor unit 100 is approximately rectangular parallelepiped. The outdoor unit 100 has an approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape that is elongated in the left-right direction Y when viewed in the up-down direction Z. The outdoor unit 100 has a housing 110, a heat exchanger 150, a blower (not shown), and a compressor (not shown).

The housing 110 houses the heat exchanger 150, a blower (not shown), and a compressor (not shown) inside. The housing 110 is in the shape of a roughly rectangular box. A pair of legs 112 are provided on the bottom of the housing 110. The pair of legs 112 are arranged with a gap in the left-right direction Y. The pair of legs 112 protrude beyond the housing 110 on both sides in the front-rear direction X. The pair of legs 112 are placed on the lower cushioning material 20 described below.

In this embodiment, the portion of the outdoor unit 100 including the lower end portion of the housing 110 and the pair of legs 112 is the bottom 101 of the outdoor unit 100. Additionally, the portion of the outdoor unit 100 including the upper end portion of the housing 110 is the top surface 102 of the outdoor unit 100. Additionally, the portion of the housing 110 extending from the lower end portion to the upper end portion of the housing 110 in the vertical direction Z is the side wall portion 115 of the housing 110. The side wall portion 115 includes a rear wall portion 116 located on the rear side (-X side) of the walls constituting the housing 110.

The heat exchanger 150 exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing inside the heat exchanger 150 and the air passing through the heat exchanger 150. The heat exchanger 150 functions as, for example, an evaporator or a condenser. The heat exchanger 150 is arranged so as to be exposed to the outside of the housing 110 from an opening 116a formed in the rear wall portion 116 of the housing 110. In other words, the heat exchanger 150 is exposed on the rear side (-X side) of the housing 110. The opening 116a opens to the rear side. In this embodiment, the opening 116a is a rectangle that is long in the left-right direction Y.

Although not shown, the heat exchanger 150 has a pipe through which the refrigerant flows and a plurality of metal plates in which holes through which the pipes pass. The plurality of metal plates are arranged side by side at intervals. A portion of the plurality of metal plates is exposed to the rear side (-X side) of the outdoor unit 100 through the opening 116a. The thickness of the plurality of metal plates is relatively small. The thickness of the plurality of metal plates is, for example, about 0.01 mm or more and 0.1 mm or less. Therefore, during storage and transportation of the outdoor unit 100, until the outdoor unit 100 is installed in a determined position, it is necessary to protect the heat exchanger 150 so that the plurality of metal plates in the heat exchanger 150 are not deformed by impact from outside the outdoor unit 100.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the packaging device 1 is a packaging device that packages the above-mentioned outdoor unit 100. The packaging device 1 protects the outdoor unit 100 during storage, transportation, etc. The packaging device 1 has impact resistance that can protect the outdoor unit 100 from other members that come into contact with the outdoor unit 100 during storage, transportation, etc., and pressure resistance that can protect the outdoor unit 100 from pressure applied to the outdoor unit 100.

As shown in Figure 3, the packaging device 1 includes a lower box body 10, two lower cushioning materials 20, a protective plate 30, an upper box body 40, and an upper cushioning material 50. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the packaging device 1 further includes a cable tie 60. The lower box body 10, the protective plate 30, and the upper box body 40 are made of cardboard. The lower cushioning material 20 and the upper cushioning material 50 are made of, for example, polystyrene foam.

As shown in Figure 3, the lower box body 10 and the two lower cushioning materials 20 are located below the outdoor unit 100. The upper box body 40 and the upper cushioning materials 50 are located above the outdoor unit 100. The cable ties 60 are used to secure the lower box body 10 and the two lower cushioning materials 20 and the upper box body 40 and the upper cushioning materials 50 to the outdoor unit 100. In Figure 1, the number of cable ties 60 is three, but this is not limited to this. The number of cable ties 60 may be, for example, one or two, or four or more.

As shown in FIG. 3, the two lower cushioning materials 20 are positioned at a distance from each other in the left-right direction Y. That is, in this embodiment, the arrangement direction in which the two lower cushioning materials 20 are arranged is the left-right direction Y. The bottom 101 of the outdoor unit 100 is placed on the two lower cushioning materials 20. When the bottom 101 of the outdoor unit 100 is placed on the two lower cushioning materials 20, a pair of legs 112 of the bottom 101 of the outdoor unit 100 are supported by the two lower cushioning materials 20. Each of the two lower cushioning materials 20 is a flattened, approximately rectangular parallelepiped whose dimensions in the up-down direction Z are smaller than the dimensions in the front-back direction X and the left-right direction Y. Each of the two lower cushioning materials 20 is approximately rectangular with its length and width in the front-back direction X and the left-right direction Y when viewed in the up-down direction Z.

A groove 25 extending in the front-rear direction X is formed on the upper surface of each lower cushioning material 20 that faces the bottom 101 of the outdoor unit 100 in the up-down direction Z. A pair of legs 112 are fitted into the grooves 25 of each lower cushioning material 20.

Figure 4 is an oblique view showing the lower box body 10. Figure 5 is an oblique view showing a part of the lower box body 10, and is an enlarged view of the V portion of the lower box body 10 in Figure 4. Figure 6 is an exploded view of the lower box body 10. As shown in Figure 4, the lower box body 10 is box-shaped and opens upward. The lower box body 10 extends in the left-right direction Y. The lower box body 10 is a rectangular box shape that is long in the left-right direction Y and flat in the up-down direction Z. The lower box body 10 has a bottom plate portion 11 and a side plate portion 12.

The bottom plate portion 11 is a rectangular plate that is longer in the left-right direction Y than in the front-rear direction X when viewed in the up-down direction Z. The thickness direction of the bottom plate portion 11 is the up-down direction Z. The side plate portion 12 rises upward (in the +Z direction) from the edge of the bottom plate portion 11. The side plate portion 12 has a front plate portion 121, a rear plate portion 122, a left side plate portion 123, and a right side plate portion 124.

The front plate portion 121 rises upward from the front edge of the bottom plate portion 11. The rear plate portion 122 rises upward from the rear edge of the bottom plate portion 11. The front plate portion 121 and the rear plate portion 122 are each a substantially rectangular plate that is long in the left-right direction Y. The plate thickness direction of the front plate portion 121 and the plate thickness direction of the rear plate portion 122 are the front-rear direction X. The extension direction of the front plate portion 121 and the rear plate portion 122 is the arrangement direction in which the two lower cushioning materials 20 described above are aligned.

The left side plate portion 123 rises upward from the left edge of the bottom plate portion 11. The right side plate portion 124 rises upward from the right edge of the bottom plate portion 11. The left side plate portion 123 and the right side plate portion 124 are each a substantially rectangular plate that is long in the front-to-rear direction X. The plate thickness direction of the left side plate portion 123 and the right side plate portion 124 is the left-to-right direction Y.

Both ends of the front plate portion 121 in the left-right direction Y are connected to the front (+X) end of the right plate portion 124 and the front end of the left plate portion 123, respectively. Both ends of the rear plate portion 122 in the left-right direction Y are connected to the rear (-X) end of the right plate portion 124 and the rear end of the left plate portion 123, respectively.

As shown in Figure 6, the lower box body 10 is made of a single sheet of cardboard material. The lower box body 10 is made into a box shape that opens upward by folding a portion of the cardboard material. Specifically, the lower box body 10 is made by folding upward the portions of the cardboard material that make up the front plate portion 121, the rear plate portion 122, the left plate portion 123, and the right plate portion 124 with respect to the portion of the cardboard material that makes up the bottom plate portion 11. Figure 6 shows the front plate portion 121, the rear plate portion 122, the left plate portion 123, and the right plate portion 124 before they are folded.

Figure 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of the lower cushioning material 20 and the protective plate 30 arranged in the lower box body 10, viewed from above (+Z direction). In Figure 7, the lower cushioning material 20 is shown in schematic form. In Figure 7, a portion of the protective plate 30 located inside the lower box body 10 is shown in cross section. As shown in Figure 7, the two lower cushioning materials 20 described above are placed on the bottom plate portion 11 of the lower box body 10. The two lower cushioning materials 20 are arranged close to the left plate portion 123 and the right plate portion 124 so as to be spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction Y. Each lower cushioning material 20 is arranged so that one vertical side extending in the front-rear direction X is aligned with the left plate portion 123 or the right plate portion 124, and two horizontal sides extending in the left-right direction Y are aligned with the front plate portion 121 and the rear plate portion 122, respectively.

Although not shown in the figures, the bottom plate portion 11 may be provided with, for example, a holding portion that holds the positions of the two lower cushioning materials 20 described above. The holding portion may be constituted by, for example, a cut-out piece that is formed by cutting out a part of the bottom plate portion 11.

When viewed from above, there is a gap between the rear plate portion 122 and the two lower cushioning materials 20 large enough to insert the protective plate 30. In Fig. 7, there are also gaps between the front plate portion 121 and the two lower cushioning materials 20, and between the left side plate portion 123 and the right side plate portion 124 and the lower cushioning materials 20, but these gaps do not have to be present.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the lower box body 10, taken along line VIII-VIII in Figure 5. As shown in Figures 4, 5, and 8, a convex portion 14 that protrudes into the interior of the lower box body 10 is provided at the corner between the bottom plate portion 11 and the rear plate portion 122 of the lower box body 10. The convex portion 14 is connected to the upper surface of the bottom plate portion 11 facing upward and the inner surface of the rear plate portion 122 facing forward. The convex portion 14 is located in the center of the lower box body 10 in the left-right direction Y.

As shown in FIG. 7, in this embodiment, the convex portion 14 is located between the two lower cushioning materials 20 in the left-right direction Y. Note that "the convex portion 14 is located between the two lower cushioning materials 20 in the left-right direction Y" means that the position of the convex portion 14 in the left-right direction Y is included in the position in the left-right direction Y between the two lower cushioning materials 20, and the convex portion 14 does not have to be sandwiched in the left-right direction Y by the two lower cushioning materials 20. In FIG. 7, the convex portion 14 is located rearwardly shifted from the area between the two lower cushioning materials 20. Note that at least a part of the convex portion 14 may be located in the area between the two lower cushioning materials 20, for example. In other words, the convex portion 14 may have a part whose position in the front-rear direction X is the same as the position in the front-rear direction X of a part of the two lower cushioning materials 20.

The specific shape of the convex portion 14 may be any shape. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the convex portion 14 in this embodiment extends in the left-right direction Y. The convex portion 14 has a front plate portion 141 and an upper plate portion 142. The front plate portion 141 protrudes upward from the bottom plate portion 11. The front plate portion 141 is a rectangular plate that is long in the left-right direction Y. The plate thickness direction of the front plate portion 141 is the front-rear direction X. The upper plate portion 142 protrudes forward from the rear plate portion 122. The upper plate portion 142 is a rectangular plate that is long in the left-right direction Y. The plate thickness direction of the upper plate portion 142 is the up-down direction Z. The upper end portion of the front plate portion 141 and the front end portion of the upper plate portion 142 are connected. In this embodiment, the convex portion 14 consists of the front plate portion 141 and the upper plate portion 142. The front plate portion 141 and the upper plate portion 142 form the protrusion 14 into a hollow rectangular prism shape whose longitudinal direction is the left-right direction Y.

As shown in Figure 8, the height dimension H2 of the convex portion 14 in the up-down direction Z and the depth dimension L2 of the convex portion 14 in the front-rear direction X are equal to each other. The height dimension H2 and the depth dimension L2 may be different from each other. The length dimension W2 of the convex portion 14 in the left-right direction Y shown in Figure 7 is greater than the height dimension H2 and the depth dimension L2 of the convex portion 14 shown in Figure 8.

As shown in Figures 4, 5, and 8, the protrusion 14 in this embodiment is a cut-and-raised portion formed by cutting and raising a part of the bottom plate portion 11 and a part of the rear plate portion 122 toward the inside of the lower box body 10. A method for forming the protrusion 14 will be described below.

To form the protrusion 14, as shown in Fig. 6, a pair of slits 143 are formed in a sheet of cardboard material that constitutes the lower box body 10. The pair of slits 143 each penetrate the cardboard material and extend in the front-rear direction X so as to intersect with the boundary between the bottom plate portion 11 and the rear plate portion 122. The pair of slits 143 are positioned with a gap between them in the left-right direction Y.

Next, in the plate-shaped cardboard material before being assembled into the lower box body 10, the boundary between the bottom plate portion 11 and the rear plate portion 122 is folded in a valley fold as viewed from above, except for the portion located between the pair of slits 143, and the boundary between the bottom plate portion 11 and the rear plate portion 122 is folded in a mountain fold as viewed from above. As a result, as shown in Figures 4, 5, and 8, the portion of the bottom plate portion 11 located between the pair of slits 143 and the portion of the rear plate portion 122 located between the pair of slits 143 are cut and raised to form the protrusion 14. The cut and raised part of the bottom plate portion 11 constitutes the front plate portion 141. The cut and raised part of the rear plate portion 122 constitutes the upper plate portion 142. The thus formed protrusion 14 appears as if the corner between the bottom plate portion 11 and the rear plate portion 122 is recessed from the outside, as shown in Figures 1 and 3.

7, the length dimension W2 of the convex portion 14 is smaller than the dimension of the lower box body 10 in the left-right direction Y. The length dimension W2 of the convex portion 14 is also smaller than the width dimension W1 of the protective plate 30 in the left-right direction Y. The length dimension W2 of the convex portion 14 is also equal to or smaller than the distance D1 between the two lower cushioning materials 20 in the left-right direction Y. This makes it possible to prevent the convex portion 14 from interfering with the two lower cushioning materials 20. The length dimension W2 of the convex portion 14 may be long enough to hold the protective plate 30 by the convex portion 14. The length dimension W2 of the convex portion 14 may be, for example, 1/5 or more of the width dimension W1 of the protective plate 30.

The height dimension H2 and depth dimension L2 of the convex portion 14 shown in FIG. 8 are preferably dimensions that make it easy to cut and raise a part of the corrugated cardboard material shown in FIG. 6 to make the convex portion 14 when the sheet of the corrugated cardboard material shown in FIG. 6 is folded and assembled into the lower box body 10. The height dimension H2 and depth dimension L2 of the convex portion 14 are preferably dimensions that do not interfere with the bottom 101 of the outdoor unit 100 placed on the lower box body 10. The height dimension H2 of the convex portion 14 is smaller than the height dimension H1 of the rear plate portion 122 in the vertical direction Z. In this embodiment, the height dimension H2 of the convex portion 14 is 1/2 or more of the height dimension H1 of the rear plate portion 122 in the vertical direction Z. The upper limit value of the height dimension H2 of the convex portion 14 may be set to a dimension that does not interfere with the bottom 101 of the outdoor unit 100 placed on the lower box body 10, for example. The depth dimension L2 of the protrusion 14 may be equal to the height dimension H2 of the protrusion 14 .

Figure 9 is a view of the protective plate 30 from the rear (-X direction). Figure 10 is a view of the lower box body 10 and protective plate 30 arranged relative to the outdoor unit 100, viewed from the rear (-X direction). Figure 11 is a view of part of the packaging device 1 from the rear, and is an enlarged view of part XI in Figure 10. Figure 12 is an oblique view showing the protective plate 30 attached to the lower box body 10. Figure 13 is an oblique view of part of the packaging device 1, and is an enlarged view of part XIII in Figure 12.

As shown in Figure 9, the protective plate 30 is formed in a plate shape with the plate thickness direction being the front-to-rear direction X. The protective plate 30 is formed in a rectangular shape having sides extending in the up-down direction Z and sides extending in the left-right direction Y when viewed in the front-to-rear direction X. As shown in Figure 10, the protective plate 30 covers the heat exchanger 150 from the rear side of the outdoor unit 100.

The protective plate 30 is disposed relative to the lower box body 10 so as to protrude upward from inside the lower box body 10 relative to the lower box body 10. Specifically, the portion of the protective plate 30 located inside the lower box body 10, i.e., the lower end of the protective plate 30, is disposed overlapping the inside of the rear plate portion 122, i.e., the front side (+X side) in the front-rear direction X. As shown in FIG. 7, the lower end of the protective plate 30 is sandwiched and held between the rear plate portion 122 and two lower cushioning materials 20 placed on the bottom plate portion 11 of the lower box body 10 in the front-rear direction X. More specifically, both ends of the lower end of the protective plate 30 in the left-right direction Y are sandwiched and held between each of the two lower cushioning materials 20 and the rear plate portion 122.

The gap between the rear plate portion 122 and the lower cushioning material 20 in the front-rear direction X may be, for example, equal to or smaller than the thickness dimension of the protective plate 30. When considering the ease of inserting the protective plate 30 between the rear plate portion 122 and the lower cushioning material 20, the gap between the rear plate portion 122 and the lower cushioning material 20 may be larger than the thickness dimension of the protective plate 30. However, it is preferable that the difference between the gap between the rear plate portion 122 and the lower cushioning material 20 and the thickness dimension of the protective plate 30 is small. The difference between the gap between the rear plate portion 122 and the lower cushioning material 20 and the thickness dimension of the protective plate 30 may be, for example, about 1 mm or more and 2 mm or less.

10, the width dimension W1 of the protective plate 30 in the left-right direction Y is equal to or smaller than the width dimension of the lower box body 10 in the left-right direction Y. The width dimension W1 of the protective plate 30 is greater than the width dimension W0 of the heat exchanger 150 in the left-right direction Y. When viewed in the front-rear direction X, both edges of the protective plate 30 in the left-right direction Y are located outside in the left-right direction Y of both edges of the heat exchanger 150 in the left-right direction Y. The upper edge of the protective plate 30 is located above the upper end of the heat exchanger 150. The lower edge of the protective plate 30 is located below the lower end of the heat exchanger 150. In other words, when viewed in the front-rear direction X, the entire heat exchanger 150 overlaps with the protective plate 30.

As shown in FIG. 9, the protective plate 30 has a recess 31. The recess 31 is formed at the lower end of the protective plate 30 and opens downward of the protective plate 30. The recess 31 penetrates the protective plate 30 in the front-rear direction X. As shown in FIGS. 10 to 13, the protrusion 14 of the lower box body 10 is inserted into the recess 31 of the protective plate 30. The recess 31 has a pair of edges 31a, 31b that sandwich the protrusion 14 in the left-right direction Y when the protrusion 14 is inserted into the recess 31. When the protrusion 14 of the lower box body 10 is inserted into the recess 31 of the protective plate 30, the edges 31a, 31b of the recess 31 abut against the protrusion 14 in the left-right direction Y, thereby suppressing the movement of the protective plate 30 in the left-right direction Y relative to the lower box body 10.

As shown in Figure 11, the recess 31 is formed in a shape corresponding to the protrusion 14 when viewed in the front-rear direction X. That is, the recess 31 extends in the left-right direction Y like the protrusion 14 when viewed in the front-rear direction X. Specifically, the recess 31 is formed in a rectangular shape with the left-right direction Y as the longitudinal direction when viewed in the front-rear direction X. That is, the length dimension W3 of the recess 31 in the left-right direction Y is greater than the height dimension H3 of the recess 31 in the up-down direction Z. The length dimension W3 of the recess 31 is the distance between the pair of edges 31a, 31b of the recess 31.

In this embodiment, the height dimension H3 and length dimension W3 of the recess 31 are set so as not to interfere with the protrusion 14 of the lower box body 10. Specifically, the height dimension H3 of the recess 31 is equal to or greater than the height dimension H2 of the protrusion 14. In addition, the length dimension W3 of the recess 31 is equal to or greater than the length dimension W2 of the protrusion 14.

10 and 11, the length dimension W3 of the recess 31 is set so that the heat exchanger 150 is not exposed rearward even if the protective plate 30 moves in the left-right direction Y with the protrusion 14 inserted in the recess 31 relative to the lower box body 10. Specifically, in the left-right direction Y, the difference between the length dimension W3 of the recess 31 and the length dimension W2 of the protrusion 14 is equal to or less than the difference between the width dimension W1 of the protective plate 30 and the width dimension W0 of the heat exchanger 150. The difference between the length dimension W3 of the recess 31 and the length dimension W2 of the protrusion 14 is the value obtained by subtracting the length dimension W2 of the protrusion 14 from the length dimension W3 of the recess 31. The difference between the width dimension W1 of the protective plate 30 and the width dimension W0 of the heat exchanger 150 is the value obtained by subtracting the width dimension W0 of the heat exchanger 150 from the width dimension W1 of the protective plate 30.

In FIG. 10, the protective plate 30 is disposed relative to the outdoor unit 100 so that the center of the protective plate 30 in the left-right direction Y coincides with the center of the heat exchanger 150 in the left-right direction Y. Therefore, the distance D2 from the end of the heat exchanger 150 in the left-right direction Y to the end of the protective plate 30 in the left-right direction Y is (width dimension W1-width dimension W0)/2 on both sides in the left-right direction Y. Also, in FIG. 11, the protective plate 30 is disposed relative to the lower box body 10 so that the center of the recess 31 in the left-right direction Y coincides with the center of the protrusion 14 in the left-right direction Y. Therefore, the distance D3 from the end of the protrusion 14 in the left-right direction Y to the edges 31a, 31b of the recess 31 in the left-right direction Y is (length dimension W3-length dimension W2)/2 on both sides in the left-right direction Y. The distance D3 is smaller than the length dimension W2 of the protrusion 14. The distance D3 is 1/2 or less of the length dimension W2 of the protrusion 14.

The center of the protective plate 30 in the left-right direction Y may be shifted in the left-right direction Y relative to the center of the heat exchanger 150 in the left-right direction Y. That is, the distance D2 on both sides in the left-right direction Y may be different from each other. The center of the recess 31 in the left-right direction Y may be shifted in the left-right direction Y relative to the center of the protrusion 14 in the left-right direction Y. That is, the distance D3 on both sides in the left-right direction Y may be different from each other.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the upper box body 40 is box-shaped and opens downward. The upper box body 40 extends in the left-right direction Y. The upper box body 40 is a rectangular box shape that is long in the left-right direction Y and flat in the up-down direction Z. The upper box body 40 has a top plate portion 41 that is a rectangular plate that is long in the left-right direction Y, and a side plate portion 42 that protrudes downward from an edge of the top plate portion 41. The top plate portion 41 and the side plate portion 42 of the upper box body 40 are formed in the same way as the bottom plate portion 11 and the side plate portion 12 of the lower box body 10, except for the convex portion 14.

The upper cushioning material 50 is arranged within the upper box body 40. Two upper cushioning materials 50 are arranged with a gap between them in the left-right direction Y. The two upper cushioning materials 50 are placed on both ends of the top surface 102 of the outdoor unit 100 in the left-right direction Y. As shown in FIG. 2, the upper end of the protective plate 30 is located inside the upper box body 40. Although not shown in the figure, the upper end of the protective plate 30 is sandwiched and held between the rear portion of the side plate portion 42 of the upper box body 40 and the upper cushioning material 50 arranged within the upper box body 40.

Next, an example of the work of packaging the outdoor unit 100 using the packaging device 1 of this embodiment will be described. A worker who packages the outdoor unit 100 using the packaging device 1 first places two lower cushioning materials 20 on the bottom plate portion 11 of the lower box body 10. The two lower cushioning materials 20 are arranged with a gap between them in the left-right direction Y. The two lower cushioning materials 20 are also arranged so that a gap is formed between them and the rear plate portion 122 of the lower box body 10. The two lower cushioning materials 20 may be fixed to the lower box body 10, for example.

Next, the worker places the outdoor unit 100 on the two lower cushioning materials 20. The worker also attaches the protective plate 30 to the lower box body 10. At this time, the worker inserts the lower end of the protective plate 30 into the inside of the lower box body 10, and inserts the convex portion 14 of the lower box body 10 into the concave portion 31 of the protective plate 30. The worker also inserts both ends of the lower end of the protective plate 30 in the left-right direction Y into the gap between the rear plate portion 122 of the lower box body 10 and the two lower cushioning materials 20. As a result, the protective plate 30 is positioned in a state where it protrudes upward from the inside of the lower box body 10. The part of the protective plate 30 that protrudes upward from the lower box body 10 covers the heat exchanger 150 of the outdoor unit 100 from the rear side. The work of attaching the protective plate 30 may be performed after the outdoor unit 100 is placed on the lower cushioning material 20, or may be performed before the outdoor unit 100 is placed on the lower cushioning material 20.

Then, the worker places the upper cushioning material 50 on the top surface 102 of the outdoor unit 100. Furthermore, the worker places the upper box body 40 on the outdoor unit 100 so that the upper cushioning material 50 is inside the upper box body 40. The upper cushioning material 50 may be fixed in the upper box body 40 in advance. When the upper cushioning material 50 and the upper box body 40 are placed on the outdoor unit 100, the upper end of the protective plate 30 is inserted into the gap between the side plate portion 42 of the upper box body 40 and the upper cushioning material 50. After attaching the upper box body 40, the worker fixes the lower box body 10 and the two lower cushioning materials 20, the upper box body 40, and the upper cushioning material 50 to the outdoor unit 100 with multiple cable ties 60. With the above, the packaging work of the outdoor unit 100 using the packaging device 1 is completed.

According to this embodiment, a convex portion 14 that protrudes into the inside of the lower box body 10 is provided at the corner between the bottom plate portion 11 and the rear plate portion 122 of the lower box body 10 that opens upward. In addition, the plate-shaped protective plate 30 that covers the heat exchanger 150 from the rear side of the outdoor unit 100 has a concave portion 31 into which the convex portion 14 is inserted. The concave portion 31 has a pair of edges 31a, 31b that sandwich the convex portion 14 in the left-right direction Y. Therefore, when attaching the protective plate 30 to the lower box body 10, the convex portion 14 provided on the lower box body 10 is inserted into the concave portion 31 of the protective plate 30, thereby preventing the protective plate 30 from moving in the left-right direction Y relative to the lower box body 10. In other words, the protective plate 30 can be positioned relative to the lower box body 10 in the left-right direction Y.

When positioning the protective plate 30 relative to the lower box body 10, the worker only needs to focus on the location where the protrusion 14 on the lower box body 10 is inserted into the recess 31 on the protective plate 30. In other words, when positioning the protective plate 30, the worker does not need to focus on two locations on the protective plate 30 that are located apart from each other as in the conventional method. Therefore, the ease of mounting the protective plate 30 relative to the lower box body 10 can be improved.

The positioning of the protective plate 30 relative to the lower box body 10 is achieved by inserting the convex portion 14 provided on the lower box body 10 into the concave portion 31 of the protective plate 30. Therefore, unlike the case where the protective plate 30 is positioned in the left-right direction Y by, for example, two lower cushioning materials 20, the width dimension W1 of the protective plate 30 in the left-right direction Y does not depend on the distance D1 between the two lower cushioning materials 20. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the width dimension W1 of the protective plate 30 from being excessively longer than the width dimension W0 of the heat exchanger 150. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the protective plate 30 from becoming unnecessarily large in the left-right direction Y.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the convex portion 14 provided on the lower box body 10 is a cut-and-raised portion formed by cutting and raising a part of the bottom plate portion 11 and a part of the rear plate portion 122. In other words, the convex portion 14 is formed by a part of the lower box body 10. Therefore, it is not necessary to prepare a separate member to form the convex portion 14. Therefore, the number of components of the packaging device 1 can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost of the packaging device 1 can be reduced.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the protrusion 14 provided on the lower box body 10 is located between the two lower cushioning materials 20 in the left-right direction Y. This makes it possible to prevent the protrusion 14 from interfering with the lower cushioning material 20 while preventing the dimension of the lower box body 10 in the front-to-rear direction X from becoming larger than in the case where the protrusion 14 is disposed opposite the lower cushioning material 20 in the front-to-rear direction X, for example.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the portion of the protective plate 30 located inside the lower box body 10, i.e., the lower end of the protective plate 30, is held between the rear plate portion 122 and the two lower cushioning materials 20. Therefore, the protective plate 30 can be held in the front-to-rear direction X in which the rear plate portion 122 and the lower cushioning materials 20 are aligned. Therefore, the protective plate 30 can be positioned relative to the lower box body 10 in the left-right direction Y and the front-to-rear direction X by the convex portion 14 and the two lower cushioning materials 20.

In addition, by being able to hold the protective plate 30 in the front-rear direction X, the protective plate 30 attached to the lower box body 10 can be suitably prevented from falling in the plate thickness direction of the protective plate 30, i.e., in the front-rear direction X. This suitably prevents the position of the upper end of the protective plate 30 from shifting in the front-rear direction X when the lower end of the protective plate 30 is attached inside the lower box body 10. Therefore, in the packaging operation of the outdoor unit 100 using the packaging device 1, when the top surface 102 of the outdoor unit 100 is packaged using the upper cushioning material 50 and the upper box body 40 after the lower end of the protective plate 30 is attached to the lower box body 10, the upper end of the protective plate 30 can be easily attached to the upper box body 40.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the difference between the length dimension W3 of the recess 31 in the left-right direction Y and the length dimension W2 of the protrusion 14 in the left-right direction Y is equal to or less than the difference between the width dimension W1 of the protective plate 30 in the left-right direction Y and the width dimension W0 of the heat exchanger 150 in the left-right direction Y. Therefore, even if the protective plate 30 moves in the left-right direction Y relative to the lower box 10 with the protrusion 14 provided on the lower box 10 inserted into the recess 31 of the protective plate 30, it is possible to prevent a part of the heat exchanger 150 from being exposed to the rear without being covered by the protective plate 30.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the convex portion 14 provided on the lower box body 10 and the concave portion 31 of the protective plate 30 are shaped to extend long in the left-right direction Y. As a result, the protective plate 30 can be stably positioned relative to the lower box body 10 compared to when the convex portion 14 and the concave portion 31 are shaped to be short in the left-right direction Y. For example, when the convex portion 14 is made of corrugated cardboard as in this embodiment, the length dimension W2 of the convex portion 14 in the left-right direction Y is long, making it easy to ensure the rigidity of the convex portion 14 in the left-right direction Y. Therefore, even if one of the pair of edges 31a, 31b of the concave portion 31 arranged in the left-right direction Y hits the convex portion 14, the deformation of the convex portion 14 can be suitably suppressed. As a result, the protective plate 30 can be suitably suppressed from being misaligned in the left-right direction Y relative to the lower box body 10. Therefore, the protective plate 30 can be suitably positioned relative to the lower box body 10.

In addition, in this embodiment, the convex portion 14 and the concave portion 31 used to position the protective plate 30 are formed from paper such as corrugated cardboard. Therefore, the convex portion 14 and the concave portion 31 can be formed more easily than when the convex portion 14 and the concave portion 31 are formed from a member made of polystyrene foam such as the lower cushioning material 20. This point will be explained below.

When forming the convex portions 14 and the concave portions 31 in a polystyrene foam member, it is necessary, for example, to change the shape of the molding die used to mold the polystyrene foam member, or to cut the molded polystyrene foam to form the convex portions 14 and the concave portions 31. This may increase the cost and time required to manufacture the packaging device 1. In addition, if the molding die used to mold the polystyrene foam member to form the convex portions 14 and the concave portions 31 has a complex shape, there is a risk that the molding accuracy of the member produced by the molding die will decrease.

In contrast, when the convex portions 14 and the concave portions 31 are formed from a paper product such as cardboard, the convex portions 14 and the concave portions 31 can be easily formed by simple processes such as cutting a part of the paper product to form a slit and folding a part of the paper product. Therefore, compared to the case where the convex portions 14 and the concave portions 31 are formed from the above-mentioned polystyrene foam member, the convex portions 14 and the concave portions 31 can be formed at low cost and in a short time. Furthermore, even if the shape of the paper product becomes complex by forming the convex portions 14 and the concave portions 31, the complex shape can be easily formed.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and the following configurations and methods may also be adopted.

The number of protrusions provided on the lower box body and the recesses of the protective plate into which the protrusions are inserted are not limited to one each, and may be, for example, two or more each. In this case, the multiple protrusions and multiple recesses are arranged side by side at intervals in the arrangement direction of the two lower cushioning materials (left-right direction Y), for example.

The protrusion provided on the lower box body is not limited to being disposed between the two lower cushioning materials in the arrangement direction of the two lower cushioning materials (left-right direction Y), but may be disposed, for example, at the same position as a part of at least one of the two lower cushioning materials in the arrangement direction. In other words, at least a part of the protrusion may be disposed in a position adjacent to the lower cushioning material in a direction perpendicular to both the arrangement direction and the up-down direction (front-back direction X).

The protrusion provided on the lower box body is not limited to being formed by a part of the lower box body, but may be a member separate from the lower box body. In this case, it is sufficient to fix the member forming the protrusion to the lower box body.

The packaging device in the present disclosure may be a packaging device for packaging outdoor units, and may be a packaging device for packaging outdoor units used for any purpose. The outdoor unit packaged by the packaging device may be an outdoor unit of a refrigeration cycle device other than an air conditioner, such as a heat pump water heater.

The configurations and methods described in this specification can be combined as appropriate within the limits that do not contradict each other.

1...packaging device, 10...lower box body, 11...bottom plate portion, 12...side plate portion, 122...rear plate portion, 14...protruding portion (raised portion), 30...protective plate, 31...recessed portion, 31a, 31b...edge, 100...outdoor unit, 101...bottom portion, 150...heat exchanger, W0...width dimension (dimension of heat exchanger in arrangement direction), W1...width dimension (dimension of protective plate in arrangement direction), W2...length dimension (dimension of protruding portion in arrangement direction), W3...length dimension (dimension of recessed portion in arrangement direction), X...front-rear direction, Y...left-right direction (arrangement direction)

Claims (6)

A packaging device for an outdoor unit equipped with a heat exchanger,
Two lower cushioning materials positioned at an interval from each other and on which the bottom of the outdoor unit is placed;
a lower box body having a bottom plate portion on which the two lower cushioning materials are placed and a side plate portion rising from an edge portion of the bottom plate portion and opening upward;
a plate-shaped protective plate that protrudes from inside the lower box body and above the lower box body and covers the heat exchanger from the rear side of the outdoor unit;
Equipped with
The side plate portion has a rear plate portion extending in an arrangement direction in which the two lower cushioning materials are arranged,
a protrusion protruding into the lower box body is provided at a corner between the rear plate and the bottom plate,
the protective plate has a recess into which the protrusion is inserted,
The recess has a pair of edges that sandwich the protrusion in the arrangement direction. The packaging device according to claim 1, wherein the convex portion is a cut-and-raised portion formed by cutting and raising a part of the rear plate portion and a part of the bottom plate portion. A packaging device as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the convex portion is positioned between the two lower cushioning materials in the arrangement direction. A packaging device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a portion of the protective plate located inside the lower box body is held between the rear plate portion and the two lower cushioning materials. A packaging device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the difference between the dimensions of the recesses in the arrangement direction and the dimensions of the protrusions in the arrangement direction is equal to or less than the difference between the dimensions of the protective plate in the arrangement direction and the dimensions of the heat exchanger in the arrangement direction. A packaging device as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the convex portion and the concave portion extend in the arrangement direction.

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