JP7617419B2 - Air conditioner indoor unit - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an indoor unit for an air conditioner.

Patent Document 1 discloses an air conditioner that can sterilize a heat exchanger and a drain pan and can blow clean air into a room.
This air conditioner includes a heat exchanger housed in the housing of the indoor unit, a drain pan, a drain pump that discharges drain water accumulated in the drain pan, and an ozone water supply device that supplies ozone water to the heat exchanger and the drain pan. The air conditioner supplies ozone water from the ozone water supply device to the heat exchanger and the drain pan at regular intervals during operation of the indoor unit.

JP 2001-153393 A

The present disclosure provides an indoor unit for an air conditioner that can sterilize both the space to be conditioned by the air conditioner and the drain water while preventing the device from becoming too large.

The present disclosure relates to an indoor unit for an air conditioner, comprising a housing, a blower provided in the housing, a drain pan provided in the housing, a heat exchanger placed on the drain pan, and an electrostatic atomizer that generates a mist containing charged fine water particles, wherein one end of a tubular member through which the mist flows is connected to the electrostatic atomizer, and the other end of the tubular member is open toward the drain pan.

The present invention makes it possible to sterilize both the space to be conditioned by the air conditioner and the drain water while preventing the device from becoming too large.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an indoor unit. Plan view of the indoor unit from below with the decorative panel removed IV-IV cross-sectional view of FIG. Block diagram showing the control configuration of an air conditioner Flowchart showing the operation of an air conditioning device FIG. 13 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of an electrostatic atomizer according to a modified example. FIG. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view of an indoor unit according to a modified example. FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an indoor unit according to a second embodiment.

(The knowledge and other information that formed the basis of this disclosure)
At the time when the inventors came up with the idea of the present disclosure, there was technology available that was capable of sterilizing a drain pan in an air conditioner and blowing clean air into a room.
This air conditioner includes a heat exchanger housed in the housing of the indoor unit, a drain pan, a drain pump that discharges drain water accumulated in the drain pan, and an ozone water supply device that supplies ozone water to the heat exchanger and the drain pan. The air conditioner sterilizes the heat exchanger and the drain pan by supplying ozone water from the ozone water supply device to the heat exchanger and the drain pan at regular intervals while the indoor unit is operating.

However, in the conventional configuration, since a large amount of water is required, the ozone water supply device is a large device and is provided outside the housing of the indoor unit. Therefore, the inventors discovered a problem that the indoor unit becomes large, and in order to solve this problem, they came to form the subject of the present disclosure.
Therefore, the present disclosure provides an indoor unit for an air conditioner that can sterilize both the conditioned space air-conditioned by the air conditioner and drain water, while suppressing an increase in the size of the device.

Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, more detailed explanation than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanation of already well-known matters or duplicate explanation of substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid the following explanation becoming more redundant than necessary and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.
It should be noted that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. FIG.

[1-1. Configuration]
[1-1-1. Configuration of the indoor unit of the air conditioner]
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an indoor unit 10 of an air-conditioning apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the indoor unit 10.
The air conditioner 1 (FIG. 5) includes an indoor heat exchanger 30 housed in an indoor unit 10, and a refrigeration cycle formed by a compressor, a pressure reducing device, an outdoor heat exchanger, etc. housed in an outdoor unit 80 (FIG. 5), an expansion valve, a switching valve, etc. The air conditioner 1 performs so-called air conditioning operation, which is the air conditioning of the indoor space in which the indoor unit 10 is provided, by circulating a refrigerant through this refrigeration cycle.

As shown in Fig. 1, the indoor unit 10 of the air conditioning apparatus 1 of this embodiment is a so-called ceiling-embedded indoor unit capable of blowing air in four directions. As shown in Fig. 2, the indoor unit 10 is installed in a ceiling space 13 between a ceiling 11 of a building and a ceiling board 12 installed below the ceiling 11.
The indoor unit 10 includes a housing 14 formed in a box shape with an open bottom, and hanging hardware 18 is attached to the outer corners of the housing 14. The housing 14 is installed in a state in which it is suspended from the ceiling 11 by hanging bolts 15 connected to the hanging hardware 18. Inside the housing 14, a polystyrene foam insulating member 16 is disposed in contact with the inner surface of a side plate 17 of the housing 14 to prevent condensation on the side plate 17.

The outer surface of the indoor unit 10 is provided with a number of pipe connections 19 to which refrigerant pipes (not shown) are connected. The indoor unit 10 is connected to the outdoor unit 80 by refrigerant pipes connected to each of the pipe connections 19. The refrigeration cycle of the air conditioning device 1 is formed by connecting the indoor unit 10 and the outdoor unit 80 by the refrigerant pipes.

A hose connection part 9 to which a drain hose (not shown) is connected is provided on the outer surface of the indoor unit 10. Drain water generated inside the housing 14 is discharged to the outside of the housing 14 via this hose connection part 9.

A decorative panel 33 , which is a substantially rectangular flat plate, is attached to the lower surface of the housing 14 so as to cover the lower opening of the housing 14 .
An intake port 34, which is an opening communicating with the inside of the housing 14, is formed in the center of the decorative panel 33. An intake grill 35 covering the intake port 34 is detachably attached to the intake port 34 part of the decorative panel 33. A filter 36 for removing dust and the like in the air is provided on the housing 14 side of the intake grill 35.

Outside the intake port 34 of the decorative panel 33 and at positions along each side of the decorative panel 33, an outlet port 37, which is an opening for sending conditioned air into the room, is formed. Each outlet port 37 is provided with a flap 38, which is a plate-shaped member that opens and closes each outlet port 37 and changes the direction of the air from each outlet port 37.

A fan motor 21 is attached to the underside of the upper plate of the housing 14, and a rotating shaft 22 that is driven to rotate by the driving of the fan motor 21 is provided on the fan motor 21 so as to extend downward. A turbofan 23 is attached to the lower end portion of the rotating shaft 22, and the fan motor 21 and the turbofan 23 together constitute the blower 20.

The turbofan 23 includes a main plate 24 formed in an annular plate shape. A motor accommodating portion 25 having an inverted truncated cone shape that extends downward is formed in the center of the main plate 24.
The motor housing 25 houses the fan motor 21, and the rotating shaft 22 of the fan motor 21 extends downward and is connected to the bottom surface of the motor housing 25. The indoor unit 10 is configured to rotate the turbo fan 23 via the rotating shaft 22 by driving the fan motor 21 to rotate.

A shroud 26 is provided below the main plate 24, and the shroud 26 is formed in an annular shape with an arc-shaped circumferential surface. A plurality of blade members 27 are integrally formed between the main plate 24 and the inner circumferential surface of the shroud 26 and are arranged at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction.

A bellmouth 28 is disposed below the shroud 26, which straightens the air drawn into the housing 14 when the blower 20 is driven. The bellmouth 28 is formed in an annular shape that gradually expands in diameter from the blower 20 side toward the housing 14 side. The bellmouth 28 straightens the air drawn into the housing 14 when the blower 20 is driven.

Between the blower 20 and the heat insulating member 16, an indoor heat exchanger 30 is disposed so as to surround the sides of the blower 20 and is bent into a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view.
The indoor heat exchanger 30 functions as an evaporator of the refrigerant during cooling operation, and functions as a condenser of the refrigerant during heating operation. The indoor heat exchanger 30 exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the indoor air sucked into the inside of the housing 14, so as to cool the air in the air-conditioned room during cooling operation, and to heat the air in the room during heating operation.
The upper end of the indoor heat exchanger 30 is supported by and in contact with a heat insulating member 16 provided on the inner surface of the top surface of the housing 14 .

A drain pan 31 is disposed below the indoor heat exchanger 30 so as to correspond to the underside of the indoor heat exchanger 30. The drain pan 31 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape so as to cover substantially the entire lower opening of the housing 14. This drain pan 31 receives the drain water generated in the indoor heat exchanger 30. The drain pan 31 is formed of a heat insulating material, for example, polystyrene foam material. In addition, on the underside of the drain pan 31 (the surface side facing the decorative panel 33), a recess 39 recessed upward is provided in the center of the drain pan 31 in a plan view. Furthermore, a drain pan suction port 32, which is a substantially rectangular through hole, is formed approximately in the center of this recess 39.

The lower end of the bell mouth 28 is connected to the recess 39 that forms the periphery of the drain pan suction port 32. The drain pan suction port 32 is connected to the suction port 34. In other words, inside the housing 14, the suction port 34, the drain pan suction port 32, and the inside of the bell mouth 28 form a continuous air flow path.

In the indoor unit 10 of this embodiment, the blower 20 is driven to draw air from the indoor space through the intake port 34. After passing through the filter 36, the drawn air passes through the intake port 34 and the drain pan intake port 32 and then through the indoor heat exchanger 30 for heat exchange, and the conditioned air is sent as wind from the exhaust port 37 into the indoor space.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the indoor unit 10 viewed from below with the decorative panel 33 removed.
Next, the drain pan 31 will be described in detail.
The drain pan 31 is provided with a drain pan outlet 40 through which air blown out to the conditioned space passes, at a position overlapping with the outlet 37 outside the drain pan suction port 32. The drain pan outlet 40 is formed in a rectangular shape extending along the side plate 17 of the housing 14.

Furthermore, the upper surface side of the drain pan 31 (the surface side facing the top surface of the housing 14) is provided with a concave heat exchanger housing portion 41 in which the lower end portion of the indoor heat exchanger 30 is housed. The heat exchanger housing portion 41 is formed between the drain pan outlet 40 and the suction port 34, and is formed in the shape of a waterway that goes around the outer periphery of the drain pan 31.

The heat exchanger accommodating section 41 is provided with a receiving surface section 42 that abuts against the lower surface of the inner periphery of the indoor heat exchanger 30, and a drain water passage 43 that is formed on the outer side of the receiving surface section 42 and one step lower than the receiving surface section 42. The drain water passage 43 is located below the lower surface of the outer periphery of the indoor heat exchanger 30.
A drain pump 44 that discharges drain water stored in the drain pan 31 from the housing 14 is provided above the drain water passage 43 at a location located at one corner of the housing 14 and the drain pan 31 .

In a plan view, the drain channel 43 is formed in a rectangular shape that follows the underside of the indoor heat exchanger 30. The drain channel 43 has a highest point 45 at one of its four corners, where the position of the drain channel 43 is the highest. The drain channel 43 also has a lowest point 46 at one corner next to the corner with the highest point 45, where the position of the drain channel 43 is the lowest. The suction port of the drain pump 44 is located at the lowest point 46.

The drain waterway 43 has a first passage 47 that descends from the highest point 45 to the lowest point 46 which is the adjacent corner, and a second passage 48 that descends from the highest point 45 to the lowest point 46 via the other two corners.
The second passage 48 descends from the highest point 45 to the lowest point 46 at a gentler slope than the first passage 47 and over a longer path than the first passage 47 .
As shown by the dashed arrows in Figure 3, the drain water flows from the high point to the drain pump 44 at the lowest point 46 through the first passage 47 and the second passage 48, respectively, and is sucked out by the drain pump 44 and discharged outside the indoor unit 10.

In addition, the drain pump 44 is configured to be able to agitate the drain water stored in the drain pan 31.
A water level sensor 57 is provided adjacent to the drain pump 44. The water level sensor 57 detects the level of the drain water stored in the drain pan 31.

A drain outlet 49, which is a drain hole for discharging drain water, is provided at the lowest point 46 of the drain pan 31. The drain outlet 49 is provided immediately below the drain pump 44.
The exhaust port 49 is blocked by a rubber plug 50 that is detachable from the exhaust port 49. The rubber plug 50 is made of an ozone-resistant resin material. In the indoor unit 10, by removing the rubber plug 50 from the drain pan 31, the drain water accumulated in the drain pan 31 can be discharged from the exhaust port 49.

The indoor unit 10 includes an electrical box 52 that houses various electrical components such as a control board 51. The electrical box 52 is formed in a rectangular shape in a plan view.
The electrical equipment box 52 is attached to the lower end of the bellmouth 28. In detail, the electrical equipment box 52 is disposed inside the recess 39 and on the outer side within the ring of the bellmouth 28 in a plan view.

[1-1-2. Configuration of electrostatic atomizer]
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG.
4, the lower end of the bell mouth 28 is provided with a surface portion 53 that is substantially flush with the upper surface of the recess 39 of the drain pan 31, and an attachment portion 56 that is located outside the surface portion 53 and covers the lower surface of the recess 39 from below. The attachment portion 56 is attached to the lower surface of the recess 39.
The surface portion 53 has a cylindrical portion 54 that protrudes downward, and the inner periphery of this cylindrical portion 54 forms an opening 55 that connects the space in which the blower 20 is arranged to the space on the underside of the recess 39.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the indoor unit 10 is provided with an electrostatic atomizer 60 below the drain pan 31. The electrostatic atomizer 60 generates a mist containing charged fine water particles, which can suppress viruses, mold, allergy-causing substances, bacteria, etc. in the air and can also deodorize the air. The charged fine water particles contain active ingredients such as radicals that exert disinfecting and deodorizing effects.

The electrostatic atomizer 60 is disposed below the drain pan 31 and above the decorative panel 33. That is, the electrostatic atomizer 60 is disposed in the space K located between the drain pan 31 and the decorative panel 33.
The electrostatic atomizer 60 is disposed in the space K below the recess 39 at a position close to the drain pump 44 and the discharge port 49 in a plan view of the drain pan 31, i.e., close to the lowest point 46 of the drain pan 31.

This allows the electrostatic mist device 60 to be installed compactly by effectively utilizing the free space, space K. Furthermore, because the electrostatic mist device 60 is placed in space K outside the center of the bell mouth 28, it hardly interferes with the flow of air drawn into the indoor unit 10. Therefore, in the indoor unit 10, the electrostatic mist device 60 can be placed compactly while the blower 20 can efficiently draw in air.

In addition, since the electrostatic atomizer 60 is disposed below the drain pan 31, the electrostatic atomizer 60 is disposed at a location where the drain pan 31 is located between the electrostatic atomizer 60 and the indoor heat exchanger 30. As a result, the electrostatic atomizer 60 is insulated from the indoor heat exchanger 30 by the drain pan 31.
Therefore, the electrostatic atomization device 60 is prevented from being affected by the radiant heat from the indoor heat exchanger 30, and the occurrence of condensation in the electrostatic atomization device 60 is suppressed.
In addition, since the electrostatic atomizer 60 is disposed below the drain pan 31 , workers or the like can access the electrostatic atomizer 60 without removing the drain pan 31 .

The electrostatic mist 60 is covered by the suction grill 35 and the decorative panel 33, so the electrostatic mist 60 can be hidden from the space to be conditioned with a simple structure. Furthermore, in the indoor unit 10, workers can access the electrostatic mist 60 simply by removing the suction grill 35 or the decorative panel 33, making it easy to inspect or replace the electrostatic mist 60.

The electrostatic atomizer 60 comprises a discharge unit 61 that discharges electricity into a supplied liquid to generate a mist containing charged fine water particles, a liquid supply unit (not shown) that supplies liquid to the discharge unit 61, a power supply circuit (not shown) that generates a high voltage to be applied to the discharge unit 61, a box-shaped case 62 (main body) that houses the discharge unit 61 and the power supply circuit, etc., and a blowing unit 63 that expels air sucked into the case 62.

The case 62 of the electrostatic atomizer 60 is disposed in the space K below the recess 39 , along the inner edge of the recess 39 .
An inlet 64 for allowing air to flow into the inside of the case 62 is provided on the upper surface of the case 62. The inlet 64 is formed in a tubular shape extending upward, and is connected to the cylindrical portion 54 of the surface portion 53 of the bellmouth 28.
An outlet 65 for discharging air to the outside of the case 62 is provided on a side surface of the case 62 facing the inner edge of the recess 39, i.e., on a side surface facing the drain pan outlet 40. The outlet part 63 is connected to the side surface on which the outlet 65 is provided.

The discharge unit 61 includes a discharge electrode 66 and a counter electrode 67. In the discharge unit 61, a discharge occurs when a voltage is applied between the discharge electrode 66 and the counter electrode 67 by a power supply circuit.
The discharge electrode 66 is a columnar electrode whose tip extends toward the outlet 65. Liquid is supplied from a liquid supply unit to the discharge electrode 66. The liquid supplied to the discharge electrode 66 adheres to the surface of the discharge electrode 66 and is thereby retained.

The counter electrode 67 is an annular electrode disposed so as to face the tip of the discharge electrode 66. The counter electrode 67 is disposed inside the case 62, between the discharge electrode 66 and the outlet port 65.
A discharge opening 68 which is a through hole is provided approximately in the center of the discharge electrode 66. This discharge opening 68 is disposed so as to surround the discharge electrode 66 in a plan view of the discharge electrode 66, and is disposed at a position overlapping with the outlet port 65.

As described above, the discharge unit 61 electrostatically atomizes the liquid by generating a discharge in the discharge unit 61 .
More specifically, when a voltage is applied from the power supply circuit to the discharge unit 61, a discharge occurs between the discharge electrode 66 and the counter electrode 67. This causes the liquid held by the discharge electrode 66 to be electrostatically atomized. As a result, various components made of nanometer-sized charged fine water particles containing radicals are generated in the discharge unit 61.
In this case, an electron wind is generated in the discharge unit 61, flowing from the discharge electrode 66 toward the counter electrode 67. The charged fine water particles containing the components generated in the discharge unit 61 are discharged by the electron wind to the outside of the case 62 through the discharge opening 68 of the counter electrode 67 and the outlet 65.

In the present disclosure, the various components generated by the discharge in the discharge unit 61 are, for example, charged microparticle liquid containing OH radicals, OH radicals, O2 radicals, negative ions, positive ions, ozone, or nitrate ions. These components are the basis for providing useful effects related to air purification, drain water purification, etc., such as sterilization, deodorization, moisturization, freshness preservation, or virus inactivation.

The blowing portion 63 is a tubular member that is formed into a tubular shape and extends outward from the outer surface of the case 62 .
One end 70 of the blowing portion 63 is connected to the side surface of the case 62 facing the drain pan outlet 40 so that an opening 72 provided at the end 70 is continuous with the outlet 65 .

Here, a concave groove portion 69 is provided on the lower surface of the drain pan 31 and is perpendicular to the second passage 48 of the drain water passage 43 in a plan view of the drain pan 31 .
The blowing portion 63 extending outward from the outer surface of the case 62 is housed in the groove portion 69. While being housed in the groove portion 69, the blowing portion 63 extends along the groove portion 69 and is drawn out to the drain pan blowing port 40.

The blowing portion 63 drawn out to the drain pan outlet 40 extends upward (toward the top surface of the housing 14) along the edge located on the recessed portion 39 side of the drain pan outlet 40. In other words, the blowing portion 63 drawn out to the drain pan outlet 40 extends along the thickness direction of the drain pan 31.

The edge portion of the drain pan outlet 40 located on the recess 39 side is a side wall 79 that forms the side wall portion of the heat exchanger housing 41 and the drain water channel 43. The side wall 79 is provided to stand from the upper surface side of the drain pan 31 toward the top surface side of the housing 14.
The outlet portion 63 extended to the drain pan outlet 40 extends along the outer surface of the side wall 79 toward the upper part of the side wall 79 .

The blowing portion 63 extending above the side wall 79 is bent toward the indoor heat exchanger 30 at a length dimension such that it does not come into contact with the indoor heat exchanger 30. Furthermore, the blowing portion 63 bent toward the indoor heat exchanger 30 extends toward the upper surface of the drain pan 31 along the outer surface of the indoor heat exchanger 30.
Therefore, the blowing portion 63 is provided in a state where it is bent in a U-shape above the side wall 79 in a side view.

The other end 71 of the blowing portion 63 is disposed between the side wall 79 and the indoor heat exchanger 30 in a plan view of the drain pan 31, and is disposed above the drain water passage 43. In addition, an opening 73 provided in the end 71 is disposed facing the bottom surface of the drain water passage 43. That is, the other end 71 of the blowing portion 63 opens toward the bottom surface of the drain water passage 43.
The end 71 is formed in a so-called diagonally cut shape in a side view, approaching the upper surface of the drain pan 31 from the side wall 79 toward the indoor heat exchanger 30. That is, an edge 74 located on the indoor heat exchanger 30 side of the end 71 is formed to extend further toward the drain pan 31 than an edge 75 located on the side wall 79 side.

[1-1-3. Configuration of control unit]
Next, the control configuration in this embodiment will be described.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the air conditioning apparatus 1.
3, the air conditioning apparatus 1 includes a control board 51. The control board 51 includes a computer having a processor such as a CPU or an MPU, and memory devices such as a ROM or a RAM, and functions as a control unit that controls each part of the air conditioning apparatus 1. Note that the control board 51 may be realized by multiple processors or semiconductor chips.

The control board 51 controls each part of the air conditioning device 1 .
The control board 51 includes a communication unit 58 that transmits and receives signals, either wired or wirelessly, to and from each part of the air conditioning apparatus 1. As a result, the control board 51 receives signals transmitted from each part of the air conditioning apparatus 1, and transmits signals to each part of the air conditioning apparatus 1, thereby controlling the operation of each part that forms the refrigeration cycle of the air conditioning apparatus 1.

The control board 51 controls the driving of the fan motor 21, the driving of the compressor of the outdoor unit 80, and the opening and closing of expansion valves and switching valves (not shown) provided in various parts.
In this way, the control board 51 controls the refrigeration cycle of the air conditioner 1. In this way, the control board 51 causes the air conditioner 1 to perform cooling operation, heating operation, fan operation, and stop operation.
Furthermore, the control board 51 is configured to be able to determine whether or not each part of the air conditioning device 1 is operating.

The control board 51 controls the driving of the electrostatic atomization device 60. In this embodiment, the control board 51 drives the electrostatic atomization device 60 when the air conditioning device 1 is performing cooling operation or heating operation.
Furthermore, when the control board 51 stops the operation of the air conditioning apparatus 1, it drives the electrostatic atomization device 60 for a predetermined time.
In addition, the control board 51 is configured to be able to determine whether each part of the electrostatic atomization device 60 is operating or not.

The control board 51 controls the driving of the drain pump 44. The control board 51 acquires the detection value of the water level sensor 57 via the communication unit 58. When the detection value becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the control board 51 drives the drain pump 44 to discharge the drain water outside the housing 14.
Furthermore, when the air conditioner 1 is not operating and the electrostatic atomization device 60 is operating, the control board 51 drives the drain pump 44 to agitate the drain water.

The control board 51 includes a memory unit 59 that stores various data related to the operation of the air conditioning device 1, such as the operating mode of the air conditioning device 1 and the operating time of the electrostatic atomizer 60 when the air conditioning device 1 is stopped.

[1-2. Operation]
The operation of the air conditioning apparatus 1 configured as above will now be described.

[1-2-1. Operation of air conditioner]
When the air conditioning system 1 is operating, the compressor of the outdoor unit 80 is driven, and the compressor compresses the refrigerant sealed inside the refrigeration cycle consisting of each pressure reduction device, outdoor heat exchanger, etc., expansion valve, switching valve, etc., and each refrigerant piping, etc., and sends the refrigerant to the indoor heat exchanger 30 via each refrigerant piping.
In the indoor unit 10 , the blower 20 is driven, and air within the indoor space is introduced into the indoor unit 10 through the suction grille 35 and the filter 36 .

The air introduced into the indoor unit 10 flows through the drain pan suction port 32 and the inside of the bell mouth 28, and in the indoor heat exchanger 30, is heat exchanged with the refrigerant that has flowed into the indoor heat exchanger 30. Thereafter, the air introduced into the indoor unit 10 has its direction adjusted by the flap 38, and is blown out into the indoor space through the outlet 37. In this way, the air conditioning device 1 conditions the air in the indoor space.
The refrigerant that has exchanged heat in the indoor heat exchanger 30 flows through a pipe into an expansion valve, and then further flows through a pipe into the outdoor heat exchanger.

[1-2-2. Operation of electrostatic atomizer]
The air blown by the blower 20 flows as shown by the arrows in Fig. 4. Most of the air sucked into the interior of the housing 14 by the blower 20 passes through the indoor heat exchanger 30 as shown by the arrow S1, undergoes heat exchange in the indoor heat exchanger 30, and is blown out into the space to be conditioned through the drain pan outlet 40 and the outlet 37 provided in the decorative panel 33.

In the present embodiment, the surface portion 53 of the bell mouth 28 is substantially flush with the recess 39 of the drain pan 31, so that air flows smoothly along the outer surface (outer side) of the bell mouth 28 and into the indoor heat exchanger 30, efficiently exchanging heat with the indoor heat exchanger 30. Furthermore, the air flowing along the outer surface of the bell mouth 28 is efficiently directed to the opening 55 of the surface portion 53 and the cylindrical portion 54, as shown by the arrow S2.
In this manner, a portion of the air sucked into the housing 14 is sent out to the blower 20 and flows through the opening 55 of the bell mouth 28 , and enters the inside of the case 62 of the electrostatic atomizer 60 through the inlet 64 .

Here, when the air conditioner 1 starts operating, the electrostatic atomizer 60 also starts operating, and generates mist containing charged fine water particles inside the case 62 .
When the air sent out by blower 20 flows into case 62, mist containing charged microparticle water is mixed with the air inside case 62. The air mixed with the mist is caused to flow to blowing section 63 by the blowing force of blower 20 as shown by arrow S3, and is blown out from opening 73 at the other end 71 of blowing section 63.

Most of the air mixed with the mist blown out from the opening 73 has been heat exchanged in the indoor heat exchanger 30, as shown by the arrow S1, and merges with the air with a larger volume and blowing force.
As a result, in the air conditioning device 1, the air blown into the conditioned space is mixed with air mixed with mist by the blowing force of the blower 20, and the air is sterilized while the air containing the mist is efficiently distributed throughout the conditioned space.

As described above, the end 71 is formed in a so-called diagonally cut shape, and the edge 74 located on the indoor heat exchanger 30 side of the end 71 extends further toward the drain pan 31 than the edge 75 located on the side wall 79 side. That is, the opening 73 of the end 71 opens toward the side wall 79, in other words, diagonally downward.
As a result, the opening 73 of the end portion 71 is shielded by the edge portion 74 from the air having a larger volume of air that has been heat exchanged in the indoor heat exchanger 30 and a larger blowing force, as indicated by the arrow S1. Therefore, in the blowing portion 63, the air having a larger volume of air that has been heat exchanged in the indoor heat exchanger 30 and a larger blowing force, as indicated by the arrow S1, is prevented from entering through the opening 73. In addition, in the blowing portion 63, the air mixed with mist is prevented from flowing back toward the case 62.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, the electrostatic atomizer 60 is disposed close to one of the four corners of the drain pan 31, which is formed in a rectangular shape along the underside of the indoor heat exchanger 30 in a plan view of the drain pan 31. That is, the electrostatic atomizer 60 is disposed close to one of the four corners of the housing 14. At such a corner, the air blown by the blower 20 indicated by the arrow S1 tends to stagnate, slowing down the flow rate. As a result, the air that has been heat exchanged by the indoor heat exchanger 30 indicated by the arrow S1 is prevented from entering the blowing section 63 through the opening 73.

In addition, the electrostatic mist device 60 is positioned close to the lowest point 46 of the drain pan 31. Therefore, when drain water is stored in the drain pan 31, the electrostatic mist device 60 can more reliably supply mist to the drain water.

Some of the air mixed with the mist blown out from the opening 73 does not join the air that has undergone heat exchange in the indoor heat exchanger 30, but is blown out to a specified location in the drain water channel 43. The air mixed with the blown out mist then dissolves in the drain water stored in the drain water channel 43. Furthermore, the mist that has dissolved in the drain water at a specified location in the drain water channel 43 diffuses throughout the drain water stored in the drain water channel 43. As a result, in the indoor unit 10, the drain water stored in the drain pan 31 is sterilized by the various components contained in the mist.

Furthermore, even when the air conditioning unit 1 is stopped operating, the electrostatic atomization device 60 can send mist containing the generated charged fine particle water from the case 62 to the blowing section 63 by the electronic wind generated when electrostatically atomizing the liquid.
As a result, the mist containing the charged fine particle water is blown out to a predetermined position in the drain water passage 43 and dissolves in the drain water stored in the drain water passage 43. As a result, in the indoor unit 10, the drain water stored in the drain pan 31 is more reliably sterilized by the various components contained in the mist.
In this way, since the indoor unit 10 of the air conditioning apparatus 1 sterilizes the drain water using the electrostatic atomization device 60, there is no need to install a new drain water sterilization device, and the indoor unit 10 and the air conditioning apparatus 1 can be prevented from becoming larger.

[1-2-3. Sterilization operation of drain water of air conditioner]
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the air conditioning apparatus 1.
The sterilization operation of the drain water of the air conditioner 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

When the air conditioner 1 starts operating (step SA1), the control board 51 drives the electrostatic atomizer 60 (step SA2). After that, the control board 51 determines whether the air conditioner 1 is operating, in particular, whether the indoor unit 10 has stopped operating (step SA3).
When the control board 51 determines that the indoor unit 10 has stopped operating (step SA3: YES), it drives the drain pump 44 to agitate the drain water stored in the drain pan 31 (step SA4).
As a result, in the indoor unit 10, the entire drain water stored in the drain pan 31 is stirred, and the mist containing the charged fine particle water sent out from the electrostatic atomization device 60 is more reliably diffused and dissolved in the entire drain water.

Next, the control board 51 determines whether or not the air conditioning apparatus 1 has started operation, and in particular whether or not the indoor unit 10 is maintaining a state in which it has stopped driving (step SA5).
When the control board 51 determines that the indoor unit 10 is still stopped (step SA5: YES), it determines whether a predetermined time has passed since the indoor unit 10 stopped driving (step SA6). In other words, the control board 51 determines whether a sufficient time has passed for the electrostatic atomization device 60 to sterilize the entire drain water stored in the drain pan 31.

When the control board 51 determines that a predetermined time has elapsed since the indoor unit 10 stopped operating (step SA5: YES), it stops operating the electrostatic atomizer 60 and the drain pump 44 (step SA7). Then, the control board 51 drives the fan motor 21 to cause the air conditioner 1 to perform air blowing operation.
As a result, in the air conditioning apparatus 1, when the electrostatic atomization device 60 generates mist containing charged fine particle water, the ozone that is generated at the same time can be discharged from inside the indoor unit 10 and the conditioned space.

After driving the fan motor 21, the control board 51 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the fan motor 21 started to drive (step SA9). In other words, it determines whether a sufficient time has elapsed for the generated ozone to be exhausted from the inside of the indoor unit 10 and the conditioned space.
When the control board 51 determines that a predetermined time has elapsed since the indoor unit 10 stopped driving (step SA9: YES), it stops driving the fan motor 21 (step SA10).

If it is determined in step SA5 that the indoor unit 10 is not maintaining a stopped state, i.e., that the indoor unit 10 has started to operate (step SA5: NO), the agitation of the drain water by the drain pump 44 is stopped.

[1-3. Effects, etc.]
As described above, in the present embodiment, the air conditioning apparatus 1 includes the housing 14, the blower 20 provided in the housing 14, the drain pan 31 provided in the housing 14, the indoor heat exchanger 30 placed on the drain pan 31, and the electrostatic atomizer 60 that generates mist containing charged fine particle water. One end 70 of the blowing section 63 through which the mist flows is connected to the electrostatic atomizer 60, and the other end 71 of the blowing section 63 opens toward the drain pan 31.
As a result, in the air conditioner 1, the mist containing components capable of sterilizing the drain water, generated by the electrostatic atomizer 60, is supplied to the drain water stored in the drain pan 31. Therefore, the indoor unit 10 of the air conditioner 1 does not need to be provided with a new drain water sterilization device, and the air blown into the conditioned space and the drain water can be sterilized while preventing the indoor unit 10 and the air conditioner 1 from becoming larger.

In this embodiment, the other end 71 of the blowing section 63 may be formed in an oblique cut shape, and the edge 74 located on the indoor heat exchanger 30 side may be closer to the drain pan 31 than the edge 75 located on the opposite side of the indoor heat exchanger 30.
As a result, the opening 73 of the end portion 71 is shielded by the edge portion 74 from the air that has undergone heat exchange in the indoor heat exchanger 30. For this reason, in the blowing portion 63, the air that has undergone heat exchange in the indoor heat exchanger 30 is prevented from entering through the opening 73.

In the present embodiment, the electrostatic atomizer 60 may be provided upstream of the indoor heat exchanger 30 in the flow of air generated inside the housing 14 by driving the blower 20 .
As a result, in the air conditioning device 1, the air that has undergone heat exchange in the indoor heat exchanger 30 is prevented from being blown to the electrostatic atomization device 60. Therefore, the electrostatic atomization device 60 is prevented from being affected by the heat of the indoor heat exchanger 30.

In the present embodiment, a drain pan 31 may be disposed between the electrostatic atomization device 60 and the indoor heat exchanger 30 .
As a result, the electrostatic atomization device 60 is insulated from the indoor heat exchanger 30 by the drain pan 31. Therefore, the electrostatic atomization device 60 is prevented from being affected by radiant heat from the indoor heat exchanger 30.

In the present embodiment, drain pan 31 is formed with drain outlet 49 for discharging drain water, and drain outlet 49 is blocked by rubber plug 50. Rubber plug 50 may be formed of an ozone-resistant material.
This makes it possible to prevent the rubber plug 50 from being deteriorated by ozone that is generated simultaneously when the electrostatic atomizer 60 generates a mist containing charged fine water particles.

In the present embodiment, the air conditioning apparatus 1 may include a control board 51 that causes the electrostatic atomization device 60 to generate mist.
This allows the control board 51 to control the electrostatic atomizer 60 to generate mist in accordance with the operating conditions of the air conditioning apparatus 1. Therefore, the control board 51 can cause the electrostatic atomizer 60 to more effectively sterilize the drain water.

In the present embodiment, the control board 51 may intermittently drive the electrostatic atomizer 60 while the air conditioning operation is stopped.
As a result, the control board 51 drives the electrostatic atomizer 60 for a predetermined time period during which the electrostatic atomizer 60 can sterilize all of the drain water stored in the drain pan 31. Therefore, in the air conditioning device 1, the drive time of the electrostatic atomizer 60 can be shortened while reliably sterilizing all of the drain water stored in the drain pan 31.

The control board 51 controls the drain pump 44 to be driven intermittently while the air conditioning operation is stopped.
As a result, in the indoor unit 10, the entire drain water stored in the drain pan 31 is agitated. Therefore, in the indoor unit 10, the mist containing the charged fine particle water sent out from the electrostatic atomization device 60 can be more reliably diffused and dissolved in the entire drain water.

[1-4. Modifications]
Next, a modification of this embodiment will be described.
FIG. 7 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of an electrostatic atomizer 60 according to a modified example.
7, in this modification, the other end 90 of the blowing section 63 is disposed at a position extending upward beyond the side wall 79. A branching section 91 is provided at the end 90. The branching section 91 is a tubular member extending toward both sides of the end 90 along the extension direction of the drain water channel 43.
A space outlet end 92 and a water channel outlet end 93 are provided on both ends of the branch portion 91 .

The space outlet end 92 has approximately the same shape as the end 71, and is bent in a U-shape toward the indoor heat exchanger 30 with a length dimension that does not abut the indoor heat exchanger 30, and extends toward the bottom surface of the drain water passage 43 along the outer surface of the indoor heat exchanger 30. An opening 94 provided in the space outlet end 92 is positioned opposite the bottom surface of the drain water passage 43.

In addition, the space outlet end 92 is formed in a so-called diagonal cut shape in a side view, approaching the top surface of the drain pan 31 as it moves from the side wall 79 side toward the indoor heat exchanger 30 side. Therefore, the edge 95 located on the indoor heat exchanger 30 side of the space outlet end 92 is formed to extend further toward the drain pan 31 side than the edge 96 located on the side wall 79 side.

The water channel outlet end 93, like the space outlet end 92, is bent into a U-shape toward the indoor heat exchanger 30 with a length dimension that does not abut the indoor heat exchanger 30, and extends along the outer surface of the indoor heat exchanger 30 toward the bottom surface further than the drain water channel 43. The tip of this water channel outlet end 93 extends to a position closer to the bottom surface of the drain water channel 43 than the tip of the space outlet end 92. An opening 97 provided in the water channel outlet end 93 is disposed opposite the bottom surface of the drain water channel 43.
Further, the diameter W1 of the space outlet end 92 is formed to be longer than the diameter W2 of the water channel outlet end 93.

Fig. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an indoor unit 10 according to a modified example. In Fig. 8, the same parts as in Fig. 4 are given the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. In Fig. 8, the water channel outlet end portion 93 is indicated by a two-dot chain line for the sake of convenience of description.
As shown in Fig. 8, the air blown by the blower 20 flows as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 8. The mist containing charged fine particle water generated by the electrostatic atomization device 60 is blown to the blowing section 63 by the blowing force of the blower 20 as indicated by the arrow S3. The mist that flows through the blowing section 63 branches at the branching section 91 into a space blowing end 92 and a water channel blowing end 93, and is blown out from openings 94, 97 that each of them has.

The mist blown out from the space blowing end 92 joins the air that has been heat exchanged in the indoor heat exchanger 30. In this way, in the air conditioning device 1, the air blown out into the conditioned space is mixed with the air mixed with the mist by the blowing force of the blower 20, and the air containing the mist is efficiently distributed throughout the conditioned space.

Meanwhile, the water channel outlet end 93 is blown out to a specified location in the drain water channel 43. The air mixed with the blown out mist is then dissolved in the drain water stored in the drain water channel 43. As a result, in the indoor unit 10, the drain water stored in the drain pan 31 is sterilized by the various components contained in the mist.

The tip of the water channel outlet end 93 extends to a position closer to the bottom surface of the drain water channel 43 than the tip of the space outlet end 92. This allows the mist blown out from the water channel outlet end 93 to reach the drain water channel 43 without being swept away by the air that has been heat exchanged in the indoor heat exchanger 30. Therefore, the air conditioning device 1 can more reliably sterilize the drain water stored in the drain pan 31 even when the air conditioning device 1 is performing various operations.

Furthermore, the diameter W1 of the space outlet end 92 is formed longer than the diameter W2 of the water channel outlet end 93. This allows the electrostatic atomizer 60 to supply a larger amount of mist from the air that has been heat exchanged in the indoor heat exchanger 30 than from the drain water channel 43. In this manner, in this modified example, by forming two outlet ends 92, 93 and further varying the diameters W1, W2 of each outlet end 92, 93, it is possible to sterilize the air blown into the conditioned space and the drain water while adjusting the flow rate of the mist blown out.

(Embodiment 2)
Hereinafter, the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
[2-1. Configuration of electrostatic atomizer]
Fig. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view that shows a schematic configuration of the indoor unit 100 according to the present embodiment. In Fig. 9, the same parts as those in Fig. 4 are given the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.
As shown in FIG. 7 , the indoor unit 100 according to the second embodiment differs from the indoor unit 10 according to the first embodiment at least in that the electrostatic atomization device 160 is attached to the top surface of the housing 14 inside the housing 14.

The electrostatic atomizer 160, like the electrostatic atomizer 60, is equipped with a discharge unit 61 that discharges electricity into a supplied liquid to generate a mist containing charged fine water particles, a liquid supply unit (not shown) that supplies liquid to the discharge unit 61, a power supply circuit (not shown) that generates a high voltage to be applied to the discharge unit 61, a box-shaped case 62 (main body) that houses the discharge unit 61 and the power supply circuit, etc., and a blowing unit 163 that expels air sucked into the case 62.

As described above, the electrostatic atomizer 160 is attached to the top surface of the housing 14 through the insulating member 16 provided inside the housing 14, with the top surface of the case 62 being inside the housing 14. The electrostatic atomizer 160 is disposed between the blower 20 and the indoor heat exchanger 30 in a plan view of the housing 14.
The case 62 is provided with an inlet 164 for allowing air to flow into the inside of the case 62. The inlet 164 is provided on a side surface of the case 62 facing the blower 20.
Further, the case 62 has an outlet 65 provided on a side surface facing the indoor heat exchanger 30 .

The blowing portion 163 is a tubular member formed in a tubular shape that extends outward from the outer surface of the case 62 .
One end 170 of the blowing portion 63 is connected to the side surface of the case 62 facing the drain pan outlet 40 so that an opening 72 provided at the end 70 is continuous with the outlet port 65 .

Here, the insulating member 16 abutting the upper edge of a predetermined portion of the indoor heat exchanger 30 is provided with an insertion hole 169 that is perpendicular to the extension direction of the second passage 48 of the drain water channel 43 and the longitudinal direction of the indoor heat exchanger 30 when viewed in a plan view of the housing 14.
As described above, since the heat insulating member 16 is made of so-called expanded polystyrene, it is possible to easily form the insertion holes 169 in the heat insulating member 16 .

The blowing portion 163 extending from the case 62 is inserted into this insertion hole 169 and extends from the blower 20 side of the indoor heat exchanger 30 to the drain pan outlet 40 side.
The blowing portion 163 extends along the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 30 toward the upper surface of the drain pan 31. The other end 171 of the blowing portion 163 is disposed between the side wall 79 and the indoor heat exchanger 30 in a plan view of the drain pan 31, and is disposed above the drain water passage 43. An opening 173 provided in the end 171 is disposed opposite the bottom surface of the drain water passage 43. That is, the other end 171 of the blowing portion 63 opens toward the bottom surface of the drain water passage 43.

The end 171 is formed in a so-called diagonal cut shape in a side view, approaching the top surface of the drain pan 31 as it moves from the side wall 79 side toward the indoor heat exchanger 30 side. In other words, the edge 174 located on the indoor heat exchanger 30 side of the end 171 is formed to extend further toward the drain pan 31 side than the edge 175 located on the side wall 79 side.

[2-2. Operation of electrostatic atomizer, etc.]

In this embodiment, the air blown by blower 20 flows as indicated by the arrows in FIG.
As indicated by arrow S4, a portion of the air blown by blower 20 flows into case 62 of electrostatic atomizer 60 through inlet 164.
When the air sent out by blower 20 flows into case 62, mist containing charged microparticle water is mixed with the air inside case 62. The air mixed with the mist is caused to flow to blowing section 163 by the blowing force of blower 20 as shown by arrow S5, and is blown out from opening 173 at the other end 171 of blowing section 163.

Most of the air mixed with the mist blown out from the opening 73 has been heat exchanged in the indoor heat exchanger 30, as shown by the arrow S1, and merges with the air with a larger volume and blowing power.

As described above, the end portion 171 is formed in a so-called oblique cut shape.
As a result, the opening 173 at the end 171 is shielded by the edge 174 from the air that has been heat exchanged in the indoor heat exchanger 30 indicated by the arrow S1, thereby preventing the air that has been heat exchanged in the indoor heat exchanger 30 indicated by the arrow S1 from entering through the opening 173.

In addition, some of the air mixed with the mist blown out from the opening 173 does not join the air that has undergone heat exchange in the indoor heat exchanger 30, but is blown out to a specified location in the drain water passage 43. The air mixed with the blown out mist then dissolves in the drain water stored in the drain water passage 43, and diffuses throughout the drain water stored in the drain water passage 43. As a result, in the indoor unit 10, the drain water stored in the drain pan 31 is sterilized by the various components contained in the mist.

In this way, the indoor unit 10 of the air conditioning device 1 sterilizes the drain water using the electrostatic mist generation device 60, making it possible to sterilize the air blown into the conditioned space and the drain water while preventing the indoor unit 10 and the air conditioning device 1 from becoming larger.
In addition, in this embodiment, the length of the blowing section 163, i.e., the mist flow path, can be shortened by providing the electrostatic atomizer 160 on the top surface of the housing 14. As a result, in the indoor unit 100, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the effectiveness of the components effective for sterilization contained in the air blown into the conditioned space and the mist blown into the drain water.
In addition, when an operator inspects the indoor unit 100, the drain pan 31 can be easily removed.

Other Embodiments
As described above, the first and second embodiments have been described as examples of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology in this disclosure is not limited to these, and can be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made. In addition, it is also possible to combine the components described in each of the above embodiments to create a new embodiment.

For example, although the electrostatic atomizer 60, 160 is described as having one blowing section 63, 163, multiple blowing sections 63, 163 may be provided. In this case, one of the multiple blowing sections 63, 163 blows mist into the drain water passage 43, and the other blows mist into the air that has been heat exchanged in the indoor heat exchanger 30.

For example, the indoor unit 10 of the air conditioner 1 may be provided with both the electrostatic mist device 60 and the electrostatic mist device 160. In this case, for example, only the blowing portion 163 may extend toward the drain water passage 43, and the blowing portion 63 may be formed to face the drain pan outlet 40.

As described above, the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the present invention can be suitably used as an indoor unit of an air conditioner that can sterilize both the air blown into the conditioned space and the drain water.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Air conditioner 10, 100 Indoor unit 14 Housing 20 Blower 30 Indoor heat exchanger 31 Drain pan 43 Drain waterway 44 Drain pump 49 Discharge port 50 Rubber plug 51 Control board (control unit)
60, 160: Electrostatic atomizer 62: Case 63: Blowing part (tubular member)
70, 170 End 71, 171 End 74, 95, 174 Edge 75, 96, 175 Edge 90 End 92 Space blowing end (end)
93 Waterway outlet end (end)

Claims (8)

A housing and
A blower provided in the housing;
A drain pan provided in the housing;
A heat exchanger placed on the drain pan;
and an electrostatic atomizer that generates a mist containing charged fine water particles.
One end of a tubular member through which the mist flows is connected to the electrostatic atomizer,
the other end of the tubular member is open toward the drain pan. The other end of the tubular member is formed into an oblique cut shape,
The indoor unit for an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein an edge portion located on the heat exchanger side is closer to the drain pan than an edge portion located on the opposite side to the heat exchanger. 3. The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the electrostatic atomizer is provided upstream of the heat exchanger in a flow of air generated inside the housing by driving the blower. The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the drain pan is disposed between the electrostatic atomization device and the heat exchanger. The drain pan is provided with a drain hole for draining drain water.
The drain hole is closed by a rubber plug,
The indoor unit for an air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the rubber plug is made of an ozone-resistant material. The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a control unit that causes the electrostatic atomization device to generate mist. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 6 , wherein the control unit intermittently drives the electrostatic atomizer while an air conditioning operation is stopped. a drain pump that discharges the drain water stored in the drain pan to the outside of the housing,
The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the control unit drives the drain pump intermittently while an air conditioning operation is stopped.

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