JP7582363B2 - Air conditioner outdoor unit - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an outdoor unit for an air conditioner that has a control board and a terminal block inside the housing.

In general, an outdoor unit of an air conditioner has, in a housing, refrigerant circuit components such as a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, and an outdoor fan, a control board that controls each of these refrigerant circuit components, and a terminal block to which primary wiring from the outside is connected on the lower side and secondary wiring from the control board is connected on the upper side in order to perform electrical communication between the control board and the indoor unit and to supply power to the control board. For example, FIG. 8 of Patent Document 1 discloses an outdoor unit having a terminal block in which multiple secondary terminals that can be pinched with fingers or tools to insert and remove the wiring terminals of the secondary wiring connected to the control board are arranged in a row in the left-right direction. In this type of outdoor unit, for example, when removing the control board from the housing for maintenance, the wiring terminals of the secondary wiring can be easily attached and detached from the terminal block by pinching them with fingers or tools.

Patent No. 7112163

Some outdoor units of air conditioners are equipped with two or more control boards. In the case of this type of outdoor unit, due to the installation space of the terminal block, it is assumed that the secondary terminals of the terminal block are arranged in multiple rows from front to back, and the wiring terminals of the secondary wiring of each control board are connected to the front and rear secondary terminals, respectively. In this case, for example, when performing maintenance on the control board, even if you try to remove only the rear secondary wiring from the terminal block, the wiring terminal of the front secondary wiring gets in the way. For this reason, even if you want to remove only the rear secondary wiring to remove the control board, it is necessary to remove some of the front secondary wiring or remove the terminal block itself from the outdoor unit before removing the rear secondary wiring, which leaves room for improvement in terms of workability.

The disclosed technology has been developed in consideration of the above, and aims to provide an outdoor unit for an air conditioner that can improve the ease of removing the control board.

One aspect of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner disclosed in this application comprises at least two control boards, a terminal block to which primary wiring introduced from the outside and secondary wiring respectively connected to the at least two control boards are connected, and a housing that houses the control boards and the terminal block, the terminal block having secondary wiring connection parts in which secondary terminals to which one end of each secondary wiring can be connected are arranged in a row from the front side to the back side, and the secondary wiring connected to the secondary terminal other than the frontmost terminal has the other end connected to the control board via a detachable part that can be detached.

According to one aspect of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner disclosed in this application, for example, it is possible to improve the workability when removing the control board during maintenance.

FIG. 1 is a circuit configuration diagram showing an example of a refrigerant circuit and a water circuit of an air conditioner according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the outdoor unit as viewed from the front side. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the outdoor unit as viewed from the rear side. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the outdoor unit. FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the electrical unit as viewed from the right front side of the outdoor unit. FIG. 6 is a partial enlarged view of a terminal of the electrical unit.

Below, an embodiment of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the disclosed technology is not limited to the embodiment. In addition, the embodiment shown below may be modified as appropriate within the scope that does not cause inconsistencies.

<Air conditioner configuration>
Fig. 1 is a circuit diagram showing an example of a refrigerant circuit and a water circuit of an air conditioner according to this embodiment. The air conditioner 1 includes an outdoor unit 2 and an indoor unit 3, which are connected by water piping to form a water circuit 4. The air conditioner 1 cools or heats a room (space) in which the indoor unit 3 is located by circulating cold water or hot water through the water circuits 4 of the outdoor unit 2 and the indoor unit 3. Note that, although Fig. 1 illustrates an example of the air conditioner 1 including one indoor unit 3, it may also include a plurality of indoor units 3 connected in parallel to the outdoor unit 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, the outdoor unit 2 has a compressor 11, a four-way valve 12, an outdoor heat exchanger 13, an outdoor expansion valve 14, a water-refrigerant heat exchanger 15, an accumulator 16, and an outdoor fan (fan) 17. The compressor 11, the four-way valve 12, the outdoor heat exchanger 13, the outdoor expansion valve 14, the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 15, and the accumulator 16 are connected by refrigerant piping 18 to form a refrigerant circuit 10. The refrigerant circuit 10 is completed inside the outdoor unit 2 to form a refrigeration cycle. In this embodiment, a refrigerant cooling device 24 is provided in the refrigerant circuit 10 between the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the outdoor expansion valve 14. The refrigerant cooling device 24 includes a part of the refrigerant piping 18 that is thermally connected to the control board, and cools the heat-generating components mounted on the control board by the cold heat of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant piping 18. In addition, a water piping 19 is connected to the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 15 in addition to the refrigerant piping 18. This water pipe 19 extends outside the outdoor unit 2 and is connected to the indoor unit 23 (described later) of the indoor unit 3 to form the water circuit 4.

The compressor 11 is, for example, a high-pressure container type variable capacity compressor that can change the operating capacity, compresses the low-pressure gas refrigerant that it draws in, and discharges high-pressure gas refrigerant. A four-way valve 12 is connected to the refrigerant discharge side of the compressor 11, and an accumulator 16 is connected to the refrigerant suction side.

The four-way valve 12 is a valve for switching the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 10, and has a first port 12A to a fourth port 12D. The first port 12A is connected to the refrigerant discharge side of the compressor 11. The second port 12B is connected to one of the refrigerant inlets 13A of the outdoor heat exchanger 13. The third port 12C is connected to the refrigerant inlet side of the accumulator 16. And the fourth port 12D is connected to one of the refrigerant inlets 15A of the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 15.

The outdoor heat exchanger 13 may be, for example, a fin tube heat exchanger. The outdoor heat exchanger 13 exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the outside air taken into the outdoor unit 2 by the rotation of the outdoor fan 17. The other refrigerant inlet/outlet 13B of the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is connected to the other refrigerant inlet/outlet 15B of the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 15 via the outdoor expansion valve 14. When the air conditioner 1 is performing cooling operation, the outdoor heat exchanger 13 functions as a condenser to condense (liquefy) the gas refrigerant. When the air conditioner 1 is performing heating operation, the outdoor heat exchanger 13 functions as an evaporator to evaporate (vaporize) the liquid refrigerant.

The outdoor expansion valve 14 is provided between the other refrigerant inlet/outlet 13B of the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the other refrigerant inlet/outlet 15B of the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 15. The outdoor expansion valve 14 is, for example, an electronic expansion valve, and reduces the pressure (expands) of the liquid refrigerant passing through the outdoor expansion valve 14 by adjusting the valve opening.

The water-refrigerant heat exchanger 15 is, for example, a plate heat exchanger. The water-refrigerant heat exchanger 15 exchanges heat between the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant circuit 10 and the water circulating through the water circuit 4. When the air conditioner 1 is in cooling or defrosting operation, the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 15 functions as an evaporator to evaporate (vaporize) the liquid refrigerant. When the air conditioner 1 is in heating operation, the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 15 functions as a condenser to condense (liquefy) the gas refrigerant. The water-refrigerant heat exchanger 15 has a water inlet 15C and a water outlet 15D, and water piping 19 is connected to each of the water inlet 15C and the water outlet 15D to form a part of the water circuit 4. For example, a circulation pump 21 that circulates water through the water circuit 4 is provided on the water inlet 15C side, and an air vent valve 22 for venting air that has entered the water circuit 4 is provided on the water outlet 15D side.

The refrigerant inlet side of the accumulator 16 is connected to the third port 12C of the four-way valve 12, and the refrigerant outlet side is connected to the refrigerant inlet side of the compressor 11. The accumulator 16 is formed as a hollow pressure vessel, and separates the refrigerant that flows into it into gas refrigerant and liquid refrigerant, and allows only the gas refrigerant to be sucked into the compressor 11.

The outdoor fan 17 is disposed near the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and sends air toward the outdoor heat exchanger 13. Specifically, the outdoor fan 17 takes in outside air into the outdoor unit 2 through the intake port 44 and intake opening 46 described below, and releases the outside air that has exchanged heat with the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 13 to the outside of the outdoor unit 2 through the exhaust port 41 described below.

On the other hand, the indoor unit 3 has an indoor unit 23. For example, a floor heating device or a radiator is used as the indoor unit 23. One refrigerant inlet/outlet 23A of the indoor unit 23 is connected to the water outlet 15D of the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 15. The other refrigerant inlet/outlet 23B of the indoor unit 23 is connected to the water inlet 15C of the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 15 via the circulation pump 21. As a result, the indoor unit 23 is connected to the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 15 by the water piping 19 to form a water circuit 4, and the water circulating through this water circuit 4 dissipates or absorbs heat in the indoor unit 23, thereby heating or cooling the air-conditioned space in which the indoor unit 3 is installed.

<Operation during operation>
Next, a description will be given of the flow of refrigerant and the flow of water during operation of the air conditioner 1. Note that the dashed arrows in Fig. 1 indicate the flow of refrigerant during heating operation, and the solid arrows indicate the flow of refrigerant during cooling operation.

When the air conditioner 1 is in heating operation, the four-way valve 12 is switched so that the first port 12A is connected to the fourth port 12D and the second port 12B is connected to the third port 12C. This causes the refrigerant circuit 10 to operate in a heating cycle in which the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 15 functions as a condenser and the outdoor heat exchanger 13 functions as an evaporator.

When the compressor 11 is driven with the refrigerant circuit 10 in the above state, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 flows into the four-way valve 12 and flows from the four-way valve 12 into the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 15. The high-temperature gas refrigerant that flows into the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 15 is condensed by heat exchange with the water circulating in the water circuit 4 of the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 15 due to the operation of the circulation pump 21. Meanwhile, the water circulating in the water circuit 4 is heated by the refrigerant in the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 15 to become hot water. This hot water flows into the indoor unit 23 of the indoor unit 3 through the water piping 19 of the water circuit 4. Then, the hot water dissipates heat in the indoor unit 23, heating the room in which the indoor unit 3 is installed.

The liquid refrigerant condensed by heat exchange with water in the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 15 passes through the outdoor expansion valve 14 to be reduced in pressure, and then flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 13 via the refrigerant cooling device 24. The refrigerant that flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 13 evaporates by exchanging heat with the outside air that flows into the outdoor unit 2 by the rotation of the outdoor fan 17. The gas refrigerant that has evaporated in the outdoor heat exchanger 13 passes through the four-way valve 12 and the accumulator 16 in that order, and is sucked into the compressor 11 and compressed again.

When the air conditioner 1 is in cooling or defrosting operation, the four-way valve 12 is switched so that the first port 12A communicates with the second port 12B and the third port 12C communicates with the fourth port 12D. This causes the refrigerant circuit 10 to operate in a cooling cycle in which the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 15 functions as an evaporator and the outdoor heat exchanger 13 functions as a condenser.

When the compressor 11 is driven with the refrigerant circuit 10 in the above state, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 flows into the four-way valve 12, and from the four-way valve 12 flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 13. The high-temperature gas refrigerant that flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 13 condenses by exchanging heat with the outdoor air drawn into the outdoor unit 2 by the rotation of the outdoor fan 17. When defrosting operation is being performed, the frost that has formed in the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is melted by the heat of the refrigerant that flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 13.

The liquid refrigerant condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger 13 passes through the refrigerant cooling device 24, is depressurized by the outdoor expansion valve 14, and then flows into the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 15. The liquid refrigerant that flows into the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 15 evaporates by exchanging heat with the water circulating in the water circuit 4 of the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 15 by operating the circulation pump 21. Meanwhile, the water circulating in the water circuit 4 is cooled by the refrigerant in the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 15 to become cold water. This cold water flows into the indoor unit 23 of the indoor unit 3 through the water piping 19 of the water circuit 4. Then, the cold water absorbs heat from the air in the room in which the indoor unit 3 is installed, thereby cooling the room. When the defrosting operation is performed, the circulation pump 21 is stopped to stop the circulation of water in the water circuit 4 in order to suppress a drop in the indoor temperature.

The gas refrigerant that evaporates in the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 15 passes through the four-way valve 12 and the accumulator 16, and is sucked into the compressor 11 and compressed again.

<Outdoor unit structure>
Next, the appearance and internal structure of the outdoor unit 2 will be described. Fig. 2 is an external perspective view of the outdoor unit as viewed from the front side, and Fig. 3 is an external perspective view of the outdoor unit as viewed from the rear side. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the outdoor unit. Note that the directions such as front-rear, up-down, and left-right described below refer to the direction in which air is blown out from an air outlet 41 (described later) when the outdoor unit 2 is installed, as the front, and indicate the directions when the outdoor unit 2 is viewed from the front side.

2 and 3, the outdoor unit 2 has a rectangular box-shaped housing 30 whose left-right (width) dimension is greater than its front-rear (depth) dimension. The housing 30 has a bottom plate 31 arranged to face the installation surface, a top panel 32 arranged higher in the height direction than the bottom plate 31, and a side panel portion 33 that connects the bottom plate 31 and the top panel 32 and separates the inside and outside of the housing 30.

As shown in FIG. 4, the inside of the housing 30 is divided into a heat exchange chamber RA and a machine chamber RB by a partition plate 34 erected on the bottom plate 31. The heat exchange chamber RA houses the outdoor heat exchanger 13 on the rear side of the heat exchange chamber RA and the outdoor fan 17 on the front side. The outdoor heat exchanger 13 is bent in an L-shape when viewed from above (the top panel 32 side), and is supported by the bottom plate 31 along the rear side to the left side of the heat exchange chamber RA.

The outdoor fan 17 is attached to a pair of support members 35, 35 erected on the bottom plate 31. The outdoor fan 17 is a so-called axial flow fan, and the outdoor fan 17 is rotated by a fan motor (not shown) to draw outside air into the heat exchange chamber RA from the outside of the outdoor unit 2, i.e., from an intake port 44 (described later) formed on the rear side of the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and an intake opening 46 (described later) formed on the left side. Then, the air after heat exchange in the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is blown forward from an outlet 41 (described later) formed on the front side of the heat exchange chamber RA. In this way, the outdoor unit 2 is a front-blowout type outdoor unit that blows out air after heat exchange from the front side.

In the lower space of the machine room RB, the compressor 11, accumulator 16, four-way valve 12 (FIG. 1), outdoor expansion valve 14 (FIG. 1), etc., which are part of the equipment (refrigerant circuit components) that constitute the refrigerant circuit 10, are arranged. The compressor 11 and accumulator 16 are fixed to the bottom plate 31. In the lower space of the machine room RB, the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 15, air vent valve 22, circulation pump (pump) 21, etc., which are part of the equipment (water circuit components) that constitute the water circuit 4, are arranged. In this embodiment, the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 15 is arranged near the corners of the back side and right side side in the lower space of the machine room RB (housing 30). In addition, an electrical unit 25 having electrical components for controlling the operation of the outdoor unit 2 and the indoor unit 3 is arranged in the upper space of the machine room RB. This electrical unit 25 includes at least a first control board 27 (one control board), a second control board (the other control board) 28, and a terminal (terminal block) 26, and is attached to a partition plate 34.

Next, the side panel section 33 will be described. The side panel section 33 is formed by combining multiple panel members. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the side panel section 33 includes a front panel 36, a rear panel 37, a right side panel 38, a left side panel 39, and a service panel 40. When the housing 30 is viewed from above, the front panel 36, the rear panel 37, the right side panel 38, and the left side panel 39 are each formed in an L-shape that includes two adjacent faces of the housing 30 and a corner portion sandwiched between these two faces.

Specifically, the front panel 36 is integrally formed with a first front portion 36A that forms part of the front surface of the housing 30, and a first left side portion 36B that forms part of the left side surface of the housing 30. The rear panel 37 is integrally formed with a first rear portion 37A that forms part of the rear surface of the housing 30, and a first right side portion 37B that forms part of the right side surface of the housing 30. The right side panel 38 is integrally formed with a second right side portion 38A that forms part of the right side surface of the housing 30, and a second front portion 38B that forms part of the front surface of the housing 30. The left side panel 39 is integrally formed with a second left side portion 39A that forms part of the left side surface of the housing 30, and a second rear portion 39B that forms part of the rear surface of the housing 30.

The first front portion 36A of the front panel 36 is disposed on the front side of the heat exchange chamber RA, and the second front portion 38B of the right side panel 38 is disposed on the front side of the machine chamber RB. The first front portion 36A and the second front portion 38B are disposed side by side on the left and right to form the front (first surface) of the housing 30. The first front portion 36A is formed with an air outlet 41 through which air that has been heat exchanged inside the heat exchange chamber RA is blown out. The air outlet 41 has, for example, a circular bell mouth 41A, and a part of the outdoor fan 17 is disposed within the bell mouth 41A. A mesh-like fan guard 42 that covers the air outlet 41 is provided in front of the front panel 36. The fan guard 42 is formed in an L-shape when the fan guard 42 is viewed from above, and is disposed along the first front portion 36A to the first left side portion 36B of the front panel 36. The fan guard 42 is fixed to the front panel 36 with a predetermined gap between the top end (upper end) 42A of the fan guard 42 and the top panel 32. In addition, a water shielding plate 43 extending in the left-right (width) direction is provided above the air outlet 41 in the first front portion 36A.

The first rear portion 37A of the rear panel 37 and the second rear portion 39B of the left side panel 39 are arranged side by side with a gap between them to form the rear of the housing 30. Between the first rear portion 37A and the second rear portion 39B, the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is exposed, and this exposed area becomes the suction port 44. A mesh-like finger guard 45 is provided behind the suction port 44. The first rear portion 37A is also arranged on the rear side of the machine room RB and faces the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 15 with a gap between them. An outside air intake port 48 that takes in air (outside air) into the machine room RB is formed at the bottom of the first rear portion 37A, and a rain cover 49 that covers the outside air intake port 48 is provided on the outside of the first rear portion 37A. The rain cover 49 has an opening 49A that is open on the bottom, and this opening 49A is connected to the outside air intake port 48.

The second right side portion 38A of the right side panel 38 and the first right side portion 37B of the rear panel 37 are arranged front to back with a gap between them, forming a right side surface that connects the front and rear of the housing 30. The above-mentioned service panel 40 is detachably arranged between the second right side portion 38A and the first right side portion 37B. By removing this service panel 40, it is possible to access the machine room RB, and maintenance of the electrical unit 25 and various circuit components can be easily performed.

The second left side portion 39A of the left side panel 39 and the first left side portion 36B of the front panel 36 are arranged side by side from front to back to form a left side surface that connects the front and rear surfaces of the housing 30. The second left side portion 39A faces a portion of the outdoor heat exchanger 13, and multiple intake openings 46 are formed in this second left side portion 39A.

The side panel portion 33 of the housing 30 is provided with multiple handles 51, 52, and 53 for transporting the outdoor unit 2. These handles 51 to 53 are each located near the corners of the housing 30.

Next, the electrical unit 25 will be described. Figure 5 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the electrical unit as seen from the right front side of the outdoor unit. As shown in Figure 5, the electrical unit 25 includes a first control board 27, a second control board 28, and a terminal 26, and is mainly disposed in the upper space of the machine room RB. The terminal 26 is a device to which primary side wiring 55, which serves as a power supply line introduced from the outside into the housing 30, secondary side wiring 56 which supplies power to the first control board 27, and secondary side wiring 57 which supplies power to the second control board 28 are connected.

In this embodiment, the first control board 27 is a main control board that controls the operation of the outdoor fan 17 and the refrigerant circuit components, and the second control board 28 is a water circuit control board that controls the operation of the water circuit components. The first control board 27 is mounted with electronic components such as a microcomputer that constitute a part of the control circuit, electronic components for operating switches such as those that constitute the setting circuit, and low-voltage electronic components (also called low-voltage components) such as LEDs that constitute the display circuit, and multiple high-voltage electronic components (also called high-voltage components) that constitute the rest of the control circuit and perform power conversion. These high-voltage components include electronic components such as ICs of an inverter circuit for driving the compressor 11, and generate more heat than the above-mentioned low-voltage components. In addition, unlike the first control board 27, the second control board 28 has almost no high-voltage components mounted thereon. Therefore, the second control board 28 is mainly mounted with low-voltage components that generate less heat than the high-voltage components. As a result, the second control board 28 is a board that consumes less power than the first control board 27.

In this embodiment, the second control board 28 is disposed along the front surface of the housing 30 constituting the machine room RB, i.e., along the second front portion 38B (see FIG. 2) of the right side panel 38. The second control board 28 is held by a second control board holder 61 that is formed in a rectangular plate shape and is larger in size than the second control board 28. The second control board holder 61 is a plate-shaped member, and one end 61A of the second control board holder 61 is fixed to the upper front portion of the partition plate 34. This partition plate 34 is provided extending in the front-rear direction from the front to the rear of the housing 30. The second control board holder 61 extends in the left-right direction within the machine room RB, in other words, perpendicular to the partition plate 34.

One end 71A of a first support member 71 is fixed to the other end 61B of the second control board holding portion 61. This first support member 71 is a plate-shaped member that extends in the front-rear direction within the machine room RB, in other words, perpendicular to the second control board holding portion 61. The first support member 71 is disposed facing the partition plate 34 with a gap between them. The first support member 71 also has a bent portion 71B whose upper portion is bent toward the partition plate 34.

The first control board 27 is disposed along the top surface of the housing 30, i.e., the top panel 32 (see FIG. 2). In this embodiment, the first control board 27 is disposed on the upper part of the partition plate 34, straddling the heat exchange chamber RA and the machine chamber RB, with the surface on which the electronic components are mounted facing downward. Specifically, a second support member 72 extending toward the heat exchange chamber RA is fixed to the upper part of the partition plate 34. The first control board 27 is fixed to the second support member 72 and the bent portion 71B of the first support member 71 described above, via a first control board holding portion (not shown) that holds the first control board 27. As a result, the first control board 27 is disposed perpendicular to the second control board 28.

As described above, the second control board 28 consumes less power than the first control board 27. In other words, the first control board 27 consumes more power than the second control board 28 and generates more heat than the second control board 28. In this embodiment, a fin-shaped heat sink 73 exposed in the heat exchange chamber RA is fixed to the second support member 72 that supports the first control board 27, and this heat sink 73 is thermally connected to the first control board 27. This allows the first control board 27 (especially the high-voltage components) to be cooled via the heat sink 73 by operating the outdoor fan 17.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the first control board 27 is arranged along the top panel 32 (top surface) of the housing 30, and the second control board 28 is arranged along the second front portion 38B (front surface) of the right side panel 38 of the housing 30. Therefore, the first control board 27 and the second control board 28 are appropriately arranged in the machine chamber RB while minimizing interference between the refrigerant circuit components and the water circuit components in the machine chamber RB. Furthermore, by arranging the first control board 27 and the second control board 28 vertically, it is possible to maximize the space for installing the pipes and the like that make up the refrigerant circuit 10 without increasing the size of the housing of the outdoor unit 2.

The terminal 26 is fixed to the first support member 71 via the terminal holding portion 62. The terminal holding portion 62 is formed, for example, in a tray shape, and includes a protruding portion 62A protruding toward the partition plate 34 side and a holding portion 62B connected to the lower end of the protruding portion 62A. The holding portion 62B is formed as a downwardly inclined surface from the protruding portion 62A toward the service panel 40 side, and holds the terminal 26. The protruding portion 62A is fixed to the first support member 71 and has an opening 62A1 formed in the protruding portion 62A. The opening 62A1 is located above the terminal 26 on the terminal holding portion 62, and is an opening through which the secondary side wiring 56, 57 connected to the terminal 26 passes.

In this way, in this embodiment, the terminal 26 is arranged along the side of the housing 30 that constitutes the machine room RB, i.e., along the second right side portion 38A of the right side panel 38 and the service panel 40. Therefore, by removing the service panel 40, an operator can perform various tasks on the terminal 26.

Next, the terminal 26 will be described. FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged view of the terminal of the electrical unit. As shown in FIG. 6, the terminal 26 includes a terminal body 80 made of an insulating resin molded body, a primary wiring connection part 81 to which the primary wiring is connected, secondary wiring connection parts 82 and 83 to which the secondary wiring is connected, and a conductive plate 84 that electrically connects the primary wiring connection part 81 and the secondary wiring connection parts 82 and 83. Here, the primary wiring connection part 81 is connected to the primary wiring introduced from outside the housing 30, and the secondary wiring connection part 82 is connected to the secondary wiring extending to each component within the housing 30.

The primary wiring connection parts 81 are arranged independently in a plurality of (six in the example of FIG. 6) in the horizontal direction on the lower side of the terminal body 80, and are provided with terminal screws fastened to one end of the conductive plate 84. In FIG. 6, for convenience of explanation, the case where the wiring is connected and the case where it is not connected are illustrated side by side. The primary wiring 55 is, for example, a single-phase AC power line including a primary live wiring 55L and a primary neutral wiring 55N. Terminals 90 are attached by crimping to one end of the primary live wiring 55L and the primary neutral wiring 55N, respectively, and these terminals 90 are connected to the primary wiring connection part 81 by fastening the terminal screws. The primary wiring 58 in FIG. 6 is a so-called earth wire, and is connected to the primary wiring connection part 81 via a terminal 90 provided at one end, similar to the primary wiring 55.

The secondary wiring connection parts 82, 83 are arranged independently in a horizontal direction on the upper side of the terminal body 80 (six in the example of FIG. 6), and correspond one-to-one to the primary wiring connection parts 81. The vertically arranged primary wiring connection parts 81 and secondary wiring connection parts 82 are electrically connected via a conductive plate 84. In FIG. 6, for convenience of explanation, the case where the wiring is connected and the case where it is not connected are illustrated side by side. The secondary wiring connection part 82 has a plurality of secondary terminals 82A, 82B arranged from the front side to the back side (two in the example of FIG. 6). Here, the front side refers to the side closer to the observer (operator) when the terminal 26 fixed to the first support member 71 is viewed from the right side of the housing 30, and the back side refers to the side farther from the observer. The vertically arranged secondary terminals 82A, 82B are electrically connected and are given the same voltage. The secondary terminals 82A and 82B are so-called male terminals that are formed in a flat plate shape and stand on the other end of the conductive plate 84.

The secondary wiring 56 is a single-phase AC power line including a secondary live wiring 56L and a secondary neutral wiring 56N. Similarly, the secondary wiring 57 is a single-phase AC power line including a secondary live wiring 57L and a secondary neutral wiring 57N. An insert terminal 92 is attached to one end of each of the secondary live wirings 56L, 57L and the secondary neutral wirings 56N, 57N by crimping. The insert terminal 92 is a so-called female terminal, also called a Faston terminal (registered trademark). By inserting these insert terminals 92 into the secondary terminals 82A, 82B, the secondary wirings 56, 57 are connected to the secondary wiring connection portion 82. In this embodiment, the secondary wiring 56 is connected to the secondary terminal 82A on the most front side, and the secondary wiring 57 is connected to the secondary terminal 82B on the far side (other than the most front side). In FIG. 6, there is one secondary terminal 82B at the rear, but there may be two or more. Also, the secondary wiring connection part 83 in FIG. 6 is configured with a terminal screw that is fastened to one end of the conductive plate 84, similar to the primary wiring connection part 81. A secondary wiring 59 (so-called earth wire) having a terminal 90 at one end is connected to this secondary wiring connection part 83.

Now, in a configuration in which the secondary terminals 82A, 82B of the terminal 26 are arranged from the front side to the back side, and the plug-in terminals 92 of the secondary wirings 56, 57 are inserted and connected to these secondary terminals 82A, 82B, for example, during maintenance of the control board, it is generally necessary to disconnect the electrical connection between the control board and the terminal 26 by removing the secondary wirings 56, 57 from the terminal 26. In this case, for example, even if one tries to remove only the plug-in terminal 92 of the back secondary wiring 57 from the secondary terminal 82B of the terminal 26, the plug-in terminal 92 of the front secondary wiring 56 gets in the way. For this reason, even if one wants to remove only the back secondary wiring 57 in order to remove the control board, it is necessary to remove part of the front secondary wiring 56 or remove the terminal 26 itself from the outdoor unit 2 before removing the back secondary wiring 57, and there is a demand for improved workability.

5, in this embodiment, the secondary wiring 57 connected to the rear secondary terminal 82B has a connector (detachable part) 95 at the other end, and this connector 95 is detachable from the connector connection part 281 formed on the second control board 28. By removing the connector 95 from the connector connection part 281 formed on the second control board 28, the electrical connection between the second control board 28 and the terminal 26 can be released. This connector connection part 281 is provided at one of the four corners of the second control board 28, that is, near the fixing part 61A where the second control board 28 is fixed to the second control board holding part 61. Since the rigidity of the second control board 28 is higher at this fixing part than at other positions, by providing the connector connection part 281 near the fixing part, the deflection of the second control board 28 when the connector 95 is attached or detached can be suppressed. In addition, in this embodiment, the secondary wiring 57 is connected to the secondary terminal 82B at the rear of the terminal 26, so it is not easy to attach or detach the secondary wiring 57 to or from the terminal 26. On the other hand, the secondary wiring 57 has a connector 95 at the other end, so that the secondary wiring 57 can be easily connected or detached from the second control board 28 by attaching or detaching this connector 95. Therefore, for example, by removing the right side panel 38 of the housing 30, the second control board 28 and the connector 95 are exposed, so that the connector 95 can be easily attached or detached from the second control board 28.

In this embodiment, the other end of the secondary wiring 56 connected to the frontmost secondary terminal 82A is connected to the first control board 27 by soldering. This soldering is also called board-in-wire, and the other end of the secondary wiring 56 is connected to a hole on the printed circuit formed on the first control board 27 by soldering. This soldering connection allows the power supplied to the first control board 27, i.e., the current flowing through the secondary wiring 56, to be larger than that of a connector connection. Furthermore, the soldering connection allows the space for the connection between the first control board 27 and the secondary wiring 56 to be smaller, which allows the first control board 27 to be made smaller. However, since the other end of the secondary wiring 56 is fixed to the hole on the printed circuit by soldering, it cannot be easily removed.

On the other hand, one end of the secondary wiring 56 is connected to the front-most secondary terminal 82A via a plug-in terminal 92. The plug-in terminal 92 can be easily removed from the front-most secondary terminal 82A, making it easy to perform maintenance on the first control board 27.

As described above, the outdoor unit 2 of the air conditioner 1 in this embodiment comprises at least two control boards, namely the first control board 27 and the second control board 28, a terminal 26 to which the primary side wiring 55 introduced from the outside, the secondary side wiring 56 connected to the first control board 27, and the secondary side wiring 57 connected to the second control board 28 are connected, and a housing 30 that accommodates the first control board 27, the second control board 28, and the terminal 26. The terminal 26 comprises a secondary side wiring connection section 82 in which a secondary side terminal 82A to which a plug-in terminal 92 provided at one end of the secondary side wiring 56 can be connected and a secondary side terminal 82B to which a plug-in terminal 92 provided at one end of the secondary side wiring 57 can be connected are arranged side by side from the front side to the back side, and the secondary side wiring 57 connected to the secondary side terminal 82B other than the frontmost terminal is connected at the other end to the second control board 28 via a detachable connector 95. This allows the connector 95 provided at the other end of the secondary wiring 57 to be easily attached and detached to and from the second control board 28 when it is desired to remove the second control board 28 to which the secondary wiring 57 is connected at the rear side (other than the frontmost side).

In the outdoor unit 2 of the air conditioner 1 according to this embodiment, the secondary wiring 56 connected to the front-most secondary terminal 82A has the other end connected to the first control board 27 by soldering. This means that the secondary wiring 56 cannot be easily removed from the first control board 27, but only the front-most secondary wiring 56 can be easily removed from the terminal 26. Furthermore, with a soldered connection, the power supplied to the first control board 27, i.e., the current flowing through the secondary wiring 56, can be made larger than with a connector connection. Furthermore, with a soldered connection, the space required for the connection between the first control board 27 and the secondary wiring 56 can be made smaller, which allows the first control board 27 to be made smaller.

In the outdoor unit 2 of the air conditioner 1 according to this embodiment, the secondary side wiring 56 that is soldered is connected to the first control board 27, and the secondary side wiring 57 that is connected via a connector 95 is connected to the second control board 28 that consumes less power than the first control board 27. In this way, although connector connections are generally not suitable for supplying large amounts of power compared to soldering, it is possible to supply sufficient power to the second control board 28 via the secondary side wiring 57, and it is possible to realize a configuration in which the secondary side wiring 57 can be easily attached and detached to the second control board 28.

In the outdoor unit 2 of the air conditioner 1 according to this embodiment, the housing 30 houses an outdoor fan 17 that blows air to the outside, and if the surface of the housing 30 on which the air outlet 41 is formed is considered the front surface, the second control board 28 connected via the connector 95 is arranged along the front surface, and the first control board 27 connected by soldering is arranged along the top surface of the housing 30. With this configuration, the second control board 28 and the connector 95 can be easily attached and detached from the second control board 28 by removing the right side panel 38 of the housing 30, thereby exposing the second control board 28 and the connector 95.

In the outdoor unit 2 of the air conditioner 1 according to this embodiment, the housing 30 houses a compressor 11 that compresses the refrigerant, an outdoor expansion valve 14 that controls the amount of refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit 10, a four-way valve 12 that switches the refrigerant circuit 10 to a cooling circuit or a heating circuit, and a circulation pump 21 that circulates water through the water circuit 4. The second control board 28 connected via the connector 95 is equipped with electronic components that control at least the circulation pump 21, and the first control board 27 connected by soldering is equipped with electronic components that control at least the compressor 11, the outdoor expansion valve 14, and the four-way valve 12. With this configuration, the devices that make up the refrigerant circuit 10 and the water circuit 4 housed in the machine room RB of the housing 30 can be controlled by separate control boards. Therefore, the control board can be prevented from becoming larger by being multifunctional, and the control board can be appropriately arranged inside the machine room.

Although one embodiment of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner in the present disclosure has been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, in this embodiment, the configuration is provided with two control boards, the first control board 27 and the second control board 28, but a configuration having three or more control boards may be used. In this case, the secondary side terminals provided on the terminal 26 are also arranged in three from the front side to the back side, and the control board connected to the secondary side terminal at the front side becomes one control board, and the multiple control boards connected to the secondary side terminals other than the front side become the other control boards. Also, in this embodiment, a connector has been described as an example of a detachable part, but a configuration with a plug-in terminal may be used as long as it is detachable from the control board.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Air conditioner 2 Outdoor unit 3 Indoor unit 4 Water circuit 13 Outdoor heat exchanger 15 Water-refrigerant heat exchanger 17 Outdoor fan (fan)
21 Circulation pump (pump)
25 Electrical unit 26 Terminal (terminal block)
27 First control board (one control board)
28 Second control board (the other control board)
30 Housing 55 Primary side wiring 56, 57 Secondary side wiring 61 Second control board holding portion 62 Terminal holding portion 80 Terminal body 81 Primary side wiring connection portion 82 Secondary side wiring connection portion 82A, 82B Secondary side terminal 90 Terminal 92 Insertion terminal 95 Connector (detachable portion)
RA Heat exchange room RB Machine room

Claims (2)

at least two control boards, a terminal block to which primary wiring introduced from the outside and secondary wiring respectively connected to the at least two control boards are connected, and a housing that houses the control boards and the terminal block;
The terminal block includes a secondary wiring connection portion in which secondary terminals to which one ends of the secondary wirings can be respectively connected are arranged from the front side to the back side,
the other end of the secondary wiring connected to the secondary terminal other than the frontmost terminal is connected to the control board via a detachable part ,
the other end of the secondary wiring connected to the secondary terminal on the nearest side is connected to the control board by soldering;
An outdoor unit for an air conditioner, characterized in that the secondary side wiring that is soldered is connected to one of the control boards, and the secondary side wiring that passes through the detachable part is connected to the other control board that consumes less power than the one of the control boards . at least two control boards, a terminal block to which primary wiring introduced from the outside and secondary wiring respectively connected to the at least two control boards are connected, and a housing that houses the control boards and the terminal block;
The terminal block includes a secondary wiring connection portion in which secondary terminals to which one ends of the secondary wirings can be respectively connected are arranged from the front side to the back side,
the other end of the secondary wiring connected to the secondary terminal other than the frontmost terminal is connected to the control board via a detachable part,
the other end of the secondary wiring connected to the secondary terminal on the nearest side is connected to the control board by soldering;
The housing accommodates a compressor that compresses a refrigerant, an expansion valve that controls the amount of refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit, a four-way valve that switches the refrigerant circuit between a cooling circuit and a heating circuit, and a pump that circulates water through a water circuit,
the other control board connected via the detachable portion is mounted with electronic components for controlling at least the pump;
an expansion valve and a four-way valve, the expansion valve being connected to the control board by soldering and having electronic components mounted thereon for controlling at least the compressor, the expansion valve and the four-way valve ;

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