JP7625580B2 - Wiring protection structure and indoor unit of air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a structure (wiring protection structure) for protecting wiring connecting a rotating mechanism and a non-rotating mechanism that does not move relative to the rotating mechanism, and an indoor unit of an air conditioner equipped with the wiring protection structure.

In general, an indoor unit of an air conditioner includes an air intake, an air outlet, an air outlet cover that covers the outer casing of the air outlet, a heat exchanger, a fan that generates an airflow that runs from the air intake through the heat exchanger to the air outlet, and a housing that houses the heat exchanger. The air outlet is provided with louvers that deflect the airflow (hereinafter referred to as blown air) that has been temperature-adjusted by the heat exchanger and is blown into the indoor space to be air-conditioned. In order to distribute the blown air throughout the indoor space and efficiently adjust the indoor temperature, the louvers are configured with multiple air direction plates. These air direction plates can be deflected by rotating around a rotating shaft using a drive mechanism.

In addition to deflecting the air deflector, by rotating and displacing the air deflector and its rotation axis in a circumferential direction around the central axis of the air outlet, it is possible to distribute the blown air more evenly throughout the indoor space and adjust the indoor temperature more efficiently. For example, if the rotating unit including the air outlet and the air deflector is rotatable relative to the housing and air outlet cover of the indoor unit, the wiring connected to the drive mechanism of the air deflector is arranged in the space between the rotating unit and the air outlet cover, connecting between the housing and the rotating unit. The wiring can be, for example, the lead wires of the motor, the signal wires and power wires of the control board, etc., and the number of wires is not important.

On the other hand, the rotating unit is a rotating mechanism that rotates relative to the air outlet cover, and the air outlet cover is a member that is attached to the housing and does not move (a component of the non-rotating mechanism relative to the rotating mechanism). For this reason, there is a risk that the wiring will become disoriented between the rotating unit and the air outlet cover when the rotating unit rotates, and may become dislocated from its original wiring position.

International Publication No. 2017/142026

The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a wiring protection structure that suppresses wiring disarray between a rotating mechanism and a non-rotating mechanism and protects the wiring connecting these components, and an indoor unit of an air conditioner equipped with the wiring protection structure.

A wiring protection structure for an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to one embodiment includes a rotating mechanism that rotates around a predetermined central axis, a non-rotating mechanism that does not move relative to the rotating mechanism , and a protective member through which wiring connecting the rotating mechanism and the non-rotating mechanism passes, and protects the wiring. The non-rotating mechanism includes a housing that houses a heat exchanger and a first tubular member that constitutes a flow path through which an airflow of air that has been heat exchanged in the heat exchanger passes. The rotating mechanism includes a blowing outlet that blows the airflow into an indoor space and an air deflector that adjusts the inclination of the airflow blown out from the blowing outlet, and includes a rotating unit that rotates relative to the housing around the central axis of the blowing outlet. The rotating unit includes a second tubular member that rotates relative to the first tubular member. The second tubular member, together with the first tubular member, constitutes a flow path through which the airflow passes, and has the blowing outlet at a tip side in the direction in which the airflow passes. The first and second cylindrical members are connected by a holding member such that the second cylindrical member is rotatable relative to the first cylindrical member, and the outer peripheral surface side of the first cylindrical member and the outer peripheral surface side of the second cylindrical member are covered by a cylindrical air outlet cover. The rotating unit rotates relative to the air outlet cover inside the air outlet cover. The protective member includes a wiring section and a folding section, and protects the wiring connecting the rotating unit and the holding member . The wiring section defines a wiring space for the wiring that is set to a span dimension larger than a span dimension of the wiring. The folding section folds the wiring section so that the folding position of the wiring section can be displaced in the rotation direction of the rotation mechanism. The folding section is configured to be bent in a direction that intersects both the circumferential direction and the radial direction with respect to the predetermined central axis.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an indoor unit according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the indoor unit taken along line II-II in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the indoor unit taken along line III-III in FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the indoor unit with the air outlet cover removed. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 4, which shows a schematic diagram of the wiring protection structure. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a coil spring, which is an example of a protective member in a wiring protection structure. FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of the movable guide member of the guide member. FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of the fixed side guide member of the guide member. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a schematic diagram of a wiring protection structure according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of an element part (link) of a chain, which is an example of a protective member in a wire protection structure. FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view of an element part (link) of a chain, which is an example of a protective member in a wire protection structure. FIG. 12 is a schematic plan view showing a state in which a series of links are connected to form a chain. FIG. 13 is a plan view that shows a schematic configuration in which the rotation angle of two connected pieces is minimum. FIG. 14 is a plan view that shows a schematic configuration in which the rotation angle of two connected pieces is at its maximum.

Several embodiments will now be described with reference to the drawings.
[First embodiment]
1 is a schematic perspective view of an indoor unit 1 according to a first embodiment. The indoor unit 1 is connected to an outdoor unit including a compressor for compressing a refrigerant and an outdoor heat exchanger through refrigerant piping. The indoor unit 1, the outdoor unit, the refrigerant piping, and the like constitute an air conditioner equipped with a refrigeration cycle. The air conditioner is capable of switching between cooling operation and heating operation, for example. However, the air conditioner may be capable of only performing cooling operation or heating operation.

In this embodiment, the X, Y, and Z directions are defined as shown in FIG. 1. The X, Y, and Z directions are perpendicular to each other. The Z direction is parallel to the vertical direction. In the following description, the Z direction is sometimes referred to as upward, the opposite direction as downward, and the Y direction as forward.

The indoor unit 1 includes a housing 2 and an air outlet unit 4 having an air outlet 3 at its tip. The housing 2 includes a front panel 20, a front cover 21 arranged above the front panel 20, a back panel 22 facing the front panel 20 and the front cover 21, a pair of side panels 23 and 24 facing each other, a bottom panel 25, and an upper panel 26 facing the bottom panel 25. The indoor unit 1 may be installed alone, or may be installed in a state where multiple layers are stacked in the Z direction by connecting the back panel 22 to a frame arranged along a pillar or wall of a building. In addition, multiple indoor units 1 may be lined up in the X direction, or may be installed at positions separated from each other.

The front panel 20, front cover 21 and rear panel 22 are parallel to the X-Z plane defined by the X and Z directions. The side panels 23, 24 are parallel to the Y-Z plane defined by the Y and Z directions. The bottom panel 25 and top panel 26 are parallel to the X-Y plane defined by the X and Y directions. In the example shown in Figure 1, the housing 2 is a flat rectangular parallelepiped whose width in the Y direction is much smaller than its widths in the X and Z directions. However, the shape of the housing 2 is not limited to this example.

The front cover 21 is disposed between the front plate 20 and the top plate 26 in the Z direction. The front cover 21 is attached to the front plate 20 with screws 211. For example, a pair of claws are provided on the back surface of the front cover 21, and these claws are hooked into mounting holes provided in the side plates 23, 24. In this structure, the front cover 21 can be attached and detached to other parts of the housing 2 by removing the screws 211. Note that the structure for making the front cover 21 detachable is not limited to the one exemplified here.

The air outlet unit 4 is provided with a cylindrical cover (hereinafter referred to as the air outlet cover) 40 that tapers toward the air outlet 3. The air outlet cover 40 covers the outer peripheral surface side of the first cylindrical member 92 and the second cylindrical member 31 described later, protects the components of the air outlet unit 4 including the air outlet 3 (such as the straightening plate 94, the first cylindrical member 92, and the second cylindrical member 31 described later), and improves the design of the appearance. The air outlet cover 40 is attached to the front plate 20 by at least the screw 41. As a result, the air outlet cover 40, together with the housing 2, constitutes a non-rotating mechanism that does not move with respect to the rotating unit 30 (rotating mechanism) described later. In the example shown in FIG. 1, a recess 42 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the air outlet cover 40, and a screw 41 is inserted into a through hole in the end face of the recess 42 on the housing 2 side. The outer contour line of the air outlet cover 40 is curved.

The air outlet unit 4 further includes a louver 5 provided at the air outlet 3. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the louver 5 is composed of three rotatable air direction vanes 51, 52, and 53. The number of air direction vanes is not limited to three, and the louver 5 may be composed of two or less or four or more air direction vanes. The air direction vanes 51, 52, and 53 adjust the inclination of the airflow blown out from the air outlet 3.

Figures 2 to 4 show a schematic configuration of the indoor unit 1. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of the indoor unit 1 with the air outlet cover 40 removed.
2 and 3, a heat exchanger 6 is disposed inside the housing 2. The heat exchanger 6 includes a plurality of heat transfer tubes 60 extending in the X direction, and a plurality of fins 61 connected to the heat transfer tubes 60. As shown in Fig. 2, the plurality of fins 61 have an elongated shape in the Z direction, and are arranged at intervals in the X direction.

The rear panel 22 is provided with refrigerant piping connection ports 62, 63 for connecting to the outdoor unit, and an intake port 27 facing the heat exchanger 6. For example, the connection port 62 is connected to the inlet of a flow path formed by each heat transfer tube 60, and the connection port 63 is connected to the outlet of the flow path.

A drain pan 64 is disposed below the heat exchanger 6 to receive condensation water generated in the heat exchanger 6. The condensation water accumulated in the drain pan 64 is discharged to the outside of the housing 2 through piping (not shown).

A mounting plate 70 parallel to the X-Z plane is disposed above the heat exchanger 6. The mounting plate 70 faces the front cover 21 and the back panel 22. A partition plate 71 parallel to the X-Y plane is connected to the lower end of the mounting plate 70. A heat insulating material 65 is disposed between the partition plate 71 and the heat exchanger 6. The mounting plate 70 and the partition plate 71 may be integrally formed by bending a single plate material into an L-shape, or may be separate plate materials. The mounting plate 70, the partition plate 71, the front cover 21 and the top panel 26 form a space S1 for accommodating the control unit 8.

The control unit 8 includes a control board 80 and various electronic components 81. The control board 80 is attached to the mounting plate 70. Each electronic component 81 is mounted on one side of the control board 80 that faces the front cover 21. The control unit 8 is connected to communication lines and power lines for communicating with a remote controller, outdoor unit, other indoor units, etc. installed outside the indoor unit 1. These communication lines and power lines extend to the outside of the indoor unit 1 through an insertion port provided in the back panel 22, for example.

The front panel 20 has an opening 29 that overlaps with the heat exchanger 6 in the Y direction. A fan 9 is arranged inside the air outlet cover 40, facing the heat exchanger 6 through the opening 29. The fan 9 generates an airflow whose temperature has been adjusted by heat exchange in the heat exchanger 6. The fan 9 is, for example, an axial fan, and includes a fan motor 90 and a plurality of blades 91 that rotate around an axis AX by the fan motor 90. In this embodiment, the axis AX is parallel to the Y direction.

The fan 9 is disposed inside a first cylindrical member 92 that is coaxial with the axis AX. The first cylindrical member 92 is fixed to the housing 2 and surrounds the opening 29 outside the housing 2 and inside the air outlet cover 40. At least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the first cylindrical member 92 is covered with a heat insulating material 93.

The louver 5 is disposed at the end of the second cylindrical member 31 coaxial with the axis AX. The air deflectors 51, 52, and 53 of the louver 5 are rotated by a drive mechanism 33 including, for example, a motor 34 (hereinafter referred to as the louver drive mechanism).

At least a portion of the outer peripheral surface 31a of the second cylindrical member 31 is covered with a heat insulating material 32. The air outlet 3 corresponds to an opening at the tip side of the second cylindrical member 31. In the example shown in Figures 2 and 3, the center of the air outlet 3 is on the axis AX (the central axis of the air outlet 3 coincides with the axis AX).

3 and 4, a louver drive mechanism 33 is provided on the outer peripheral surface 31a of the second cylindrical member 31. The louver drive mechanism 33 includes gears for changing the angle of the vanes 51, 52, and 53 by the driving force of the motor 34, and rotates the vanes 51, 52, and 53 to a predetermined inclination. The motor 34 is connected to the control board 80 by a predetermined wiring (motor lead wire).

The louver 5, the second tubular member 31, the heat insulating material 32, the louver drive mechanism 33, and the motor 34 constitute the rotating unit 30. The rotating unit 30 is held by the holding member 10 so that it can rotate around the axis AX. In this embodiment, the axis AX is the central axis when the rotating unit 30 rotates. The rotating unit 30 rotates within a range of 180° around the axis AX. The rotating range is within a range of 180° around the axis AX from a state in which the rotating unit 30 is positioned so that the rotation axes of the air deflectors 51, 52, and 52 are horizontal (parallel to the X-Y plane) (the state shown in FIG. 4; hereinafter referred to as the reference state). In other words, the rotating unit 30 rotates within a range in which the top and bottom are reversed from the reference state. However, the rotating range is not limited to this range.

Specifically, the holding member 10 connects the second cylindrical member 31 to the first cylindrical member 92 so that the second cylindrical member 31 can rotate relative to the first cylindrical member 92. The holding member 10 includes a motor 11. The motor 11, for example, meshes a gear provided at the end of the second cylindrical member 31 with a gear of a rotating shaft to send the gear in a circumferential direction centered on the axis AX. This causes the second cylindrical member 31 to rotate relative to the first cylindrical member 92. The second cylindrical member 31 may be manually rotatable. In this case, for example, three gears may be arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction centered on the axis AX and meshed with the gears to support the second cylindrical member 31 rotatably relative to the first cylindrical member 92. When rotating the rotating unit 30, the protrusion 311 is pinched and the rotating unit 30 is rotated by a desired amount in the circumferential direction centered on the axis AX. The protrusion 311 is an input portion provided on the periphery of the air outlet 3 of the second cylindrical member 31 and receives a force for rotating the rotating unit 30, and functions as a handle.

The first cylindrical member 92 and the second cylindrical member 31 constitute the air passage AD. The air passage AD is a flow path through which the air that has been heat exchanged (temperature-adjusted) in the heat exchanger 6 passes as an airflow by the rotation of the fan 9. The central axis of the air passage AD coincides with the axis AX. In the air passage AD, a straightening plate 94 is disposed between the fan 9 and the louver 5. The straightening plate 94 is supported by the first cylindrical member 92, and straightens out the turbulent airflow generated by the fan 9 so that it is approximately parallel to the axis AX. The straightening plate 94 has a honeycomb structure in which a large number of hexagonal openings are arranged, for example, but is not limited to this example. The first cylindrical member 92, the second cylindrical member 31, and the straightening plate 94 are included as components of the air outlet unit 4.

When the fan 9 rotates, an airflow is generated that passes through the air inlet 27, the heat exchanger 6, the air straightening plate 94, and the air outlet 3 in that order. During cooling operation, the heat exchanger 6 functions as an evaporator, and the air sucked in through the air inlet 27 is cooled. During heating operation, the heat exchanger 6 functions as a condenser, and the air sucked in through the air inlet 27 is warmed. The temperature-controlled airflow is straightened by the air straightening plate 94, and is blown out of the air outlet 3 into the indoor space in a direction according to the angle of the air direction plates 51, 52, and 53 of the louver 5.

The control unit 8 controls the rotation speed of the fan 9 based on information input from the outside and the intake temperature and exhaust temperature detected by a temperature sensor equipped in the indoor unit 1. The control unit 8 also controls the holding member 10 and the louver 5 based on wind direction setting information input from the outside. By rotating the rotating unit 30 with the holding member 10 and changing the angle of the wind direction vanes 51, 52, 53 of the louver 5, it is possible to blow air in various directions.

Next, we will explain the wiring protection structure that protects the wiring connecting the rotating unit 30 and the holding member 10. In the indoor unit 1, the rotating unit 30 is a rotating mechanism that rotates around the axis AX. The holding member 10 is fixed to the housing 2 via the first cylindrical member 92, and is one of the components of the non-rotating mechanism that does not move relative to the rotating unit 30. The lead wire 1a (see Figure 6) that connects the motor 34 and the control board 80 is a wiring that connects the rotating unit 30 and the holding member 10.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 4, and shows the wiring protection structure 100. The wiring protection structure 100 includes a protection member 101 for passing the lead wire 1a therethrough to protect it, and a guide member 102 for holding the protection member 101.
The protective member 101 is a member that continues from one end to the other end along the wiring path of the lead wire 1a, and has a wiring portion 1b and a folded portion 1c. FIG. 6 shows the protective member 101 in a schematic manner. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the protective member 101 is a coil spring (helical spring) 103. The coil spring 103 is formed by winding a wire, for example, a metal wire 300, and continues in a spiral shape from one end 103a to the other end 103b, and is capable of elastic deformation such as bending and stretching. The metal wire 300 has strength (rigidity) and durability that can protect the lead wire 1a wired in the internal space wound in a spiral shape when the rotating unit 30 rotates. As long as it has such strength (rigidity) and durability, the wire of the coil spring 103 may be made of resin or the like.

The wiring portion 1b is a portion of the protective member 101 that defines the space (wiring space) through which the wiring passes. In the coil spring 103, the portion in which the metal wire 300 is wound in a spiral shape to form a continuous internal space, in other words, the spirally wound metal wire 300, corresponds to the wiring portion 1b. The lead wire 1a is wired through the wiring portion 1b, that is, the internal space (wiring space) defined by the spirally wound metal wire 300. Therefore, when the coil spring 103 elastically deforms, the lead wire 1a wired to the wiring portion 1b also changes to an equivalent shape accordingly. Specifically, the folding position of the lead wire 1a changes.

The wiring portion 1b defines an internal space with a dimension across (for example, inner diameter) larger than the dimension across (for example, outer diameter) of the lead wire 1a. In other words, the coil spring 103 has a predetermined gap (play) between the lead wire 1a passing through the wiring portion 1b and the metal wire 300 wound in a spiral shape corresponding to the wiring portion 1b. Therefore, the lead wire 1a wired in the wiring space of the wiring portion 1b is in a state where it can be relatively displaced within the wiring space without being in close contact with the metal wire 300.

The folded portion 1c is a portion of the coil spring 103 where the wiring portion 1b is bent and folded back. The lead wire 1a is folded back at the folded portion 1c and wired into the internal space of the wiring portion 1b. The folded portion 1c folds back the wiring portion 1b so that the folding position of the wiring portion 1b can be displaced in the rotation direction of the rotating unit 30. The rotation direction of the rotating unit 30 is the direction in which the rotating unit 30 rotates relative to the air outlet cover 40, and corresponds to the circumferential direction centered on the axis AX (hereinafter simply referred to as the rotation direction).

In this embodiment, the metal wire 300 is elastically deformed, and the folded portion 1c displaces the folded position of the wiring portion 1b in the rotation direction. The folded portion 1c displaces the folded position of the wiring portion 1b between a position before one end 103a of the coil spring 103 (specifically, the wiring portion 1b) and a position before the other end 103b. In other words, the wiring portion 1b has a length such that at the starting point of the rotation distance (rotatable range) of the rotating unit 30, the one end 103a is located before the folded portion 1c in the rotation direction, and at the end point of the rotation distance, the other end 103b is located before the folded portion 1c in the rotation direction.

The guide member 102 holds the wiring portion 1b and determines the displacement direction of the folded portion 1c, in other words, the folded position of the wiring portion 1b. In other words, the wiring portion 1b is held in its posture within the range in which the guide member 102 exists, and the folded position is determined. The displacement direction of the folded portion 1c is approximately the same as the rotation direction. In this embodiment, the guide members 102 are provided in pairs on the rotating unit 30 and the holding member 10, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 5, one guide member 102 is a rotating side guide member (hereinafter referred to as movable side guide member 2a) provided on the rotating unit 30. The movable side guide member 2a fixes one end 103a of the wiring portion 1b. In contrast, the other guide member 102 is a non-rotating side guide member (hereinafter referred to as fixed side guide member 2b) provided on the holding member 10 and does not move relative to the movable side guide member 2a. In other words, the fixed side guide member 2b is provided on a part of the holding member 10, and the holding member 10 is configured to also serve as the fixed side guide member 2b. The fixed side guide member 2b fixes the other end 103b of the wiring portion 1b.

Figure 7 shows a schematic configuration of the movable side guide member 2a. As shown in Figures 2, 5 and 7, the movable side guide member 2a is an arc-shaped member along the rotation direction, and is provided on the outer periphery of the heat insulating material 32 that covers the outer periphery of the second cylindrical member 31. In the example shown in Figures 4 and 5, the movable side guide member 2a is arranged over almost the upper half of the second cylindrical member 31. The movable side guide member 2a holds the wiring part 1b (in short, the coil spring 103) along the holding surface 21a and the holding walls 22a and 23a. The holding surface 21a is a curved surface that is curved concavely with a curvature approximately equal to the curvature of the spiral of the metal wire 300 wound in a spiral shape. The holding wall 22a stands up from the inner peripheral edge of the holding surface 21a, and the holding wall 23a stands up from the outer peripheral edge of the holding surface 21a and faces the holding wall 22a. The peripheral surfaces of the holding walls 22a, 23a are flat, but may be concavely curved with a curvature substantially equal to the curvature of the spiral of the spirally wound metal wire 300. In the movable guide member 2a, the space surrounded by the holding surface 21a and the holding walls 22a, 23a defines the holding space for the wiring portion 1b. A part of the holding space (the portion facing the fixed guide member 2b, hereinafter referred to as the open portion 24a) is open.

Fixed portions 25a, 26a are provided at both ends of the movable side guide member 2a to the second cylindrical member 31. The fixed portion 25a fixes one end of the movable side guide member 2a to the second cylindrical member 31, and the fixed portion 26a fixes the other end of the movable side guide member 2a to the second cylindrical member 31. The fixed portion 25a also fixes one end 103a of the wiring portion 1b. The other end 103b of the wiring portion 1b extends from the open portion 24a to the outside of the movable side guide member 2a.

The holding surface 21a and the holding walls 22a and 23a are provided with a plurality of ribs 27a at predetermined intervals at several points in the circumferential direction. The ribs 27a are continuous protrusions (stripe) that rise from the holding surface 21a and the holding walls 22a and 23a in a direction intersecting the rotation direction. The ribs 27a are capable of engaging with the metal wire 300 wound in a spiral shape. Therefore, when the rotating unit 30 rotates, the ribs 27a sequentially engage with the metal wire 300 and function as a slip prevention for the wiring portion 1b (in short, the coil spring 103) in the movable side guide member 2a. In the example shown in Figures 4 and 5, the holding surface 21a has an opening 28a in a part thereof, but the opening 28a can be omitted.

Figure 8 shows a schematic configuration of the fixed side guide member 2b. As described above, in this embodiment, the fixed side guide member 2b is provided as part of the holding member 10, and the holding member 10 is configured to also serve as the fixed side guide member 2b. As shown in Figures 2, 5 and 8, the holding member 10 is an annular member aligned along the rotation direction.

The fixed side guide member 2b is provided over almost the upper half of the front side of the holding member 10. As a result, in the standard state shown in Figures 4 and 5, the fixed side guide member 2b partially overlaps the movable side guide member 2a when viewed from the front. In other words, in the rotational range of the rotation unit 30 in the rotation direction, the fixed side guide member 2b is arranged so that at least a portion of it can face the movable side guide member 2a. In the example shown in Figure 8, the fixed side guide member 2b is divided into two structures, but it may be one continuous structure or may be divided into three or more structures.

The fixed side guide member 2b holds the wiring part 1b (specifically, the coil spring 103) along the holding surface 21b and the holding walls 22b and 23b. The holding surface 21b is a flat surface, but may be a curved surface that is curved concavely with a curvature approximately equal to the curvature of the spiral of the metal wire 300 wound in a spiral shape. The holding wall 22b stands up from the inner peripheral edge of the holding surface 21b, and the holding wall 23b stands up from the outer peripheral edge of the holding surface 21b and faces the holding wall 22b. The peripheral surfaces of the holding walls 22b and 23b are flat surfaces, but may be curved concavely with a curvature approximately equal to the curvature of the spiral of the metal wire 300 wound in a spiral shape. In the fixed side guide member 2b, the space surrounded by the holding surface 21b and the holding walls 22b and 23b defines the holding space of the wiring part 1b. A part of the holding space (a portion facing the movable guide member 2a, hereinafter referred to as an open portion 24b) is open.

The fixed guide member 2b has a fixed portion 25b at one end. The fixed portion 25b fixes the other end 103b of the wiring portion 1b. One end 103a of the wiring portion 1b extends from the open portion 24b to the outside of the fixed guide member 2b.

A plurality of ribs 26b are provided at predetermined intervals at several locations in the circumferential direction on the holding surface 21b and the holding walls 22b and 23b. The ribs 26b are continuous protrusions (stripe) that rise from the holding surface 21b and the holding walls 22b and 23b in a direction intersecting with the rotation direction. The ribs 26b are capable of engaging with the metal wire 300 wound in a spiral shape. Therefore, when the rotating unit 30 rotates, the ribs 26b engage with the metal wire 300 and function as a slip prevention device for the wiring portion 1b (simply, the coil spring 103) in the movable side guide member 2a.

Thus, according to this embodiment, one end 103a of the coil spring 103 is fixed to the movable guide member 2a, and the other end 103b is fixed to the fixed guide member 2b. Therefore, when the rotating unit 30 rotates, the coil spring 103 elastically deforms in response to the rotation of the rotating unit 30. At this time, the wiring portion 1b bends and expands and contracts freely while being held by the guide member 102 (the movable guide member 2a and the fixed guide member 2b), and the folded portion 1c is displaced along the rotation direction.

In response to bending and stretching of wiring portion 1b and displacement of folded portion 1c, lead wire 1a also changes to a shape equivalent to wiring portion 1b and is folded back at the position of folded portion 1c. In other words, even when rotating unit 30 rotates, lead wire 1a is wired in the internal space defined by wiring portion 1b, i.e., spirally wound metal wire 300, and does not come out of the internal space. Therefore, when rotating unit 30 rotates, it is possible to prevent the position of lead wire 1a from becoming unstable between rotating unit 30 and holding member 10.

In addition, because the lead wire 1a is folded back at the position of the folded back portion 1c which is displaced along the rotation direction, the folding back position of the lead wire 1a, i.e., the bending position, can be changed sequentially. This means that the bending positions of the lead wire 1a do not need to be concentrated at a specific point, and problems such as breakage of the lead wire 1a can be prevented.

In other words, the lead wire 1a connecting the rotating unit 30 and the holding member 10 is prevented from moving wildly between them when the rotating unit 30 rotates, and the lead wire 1a can be wired in a desired shape within a desired range. This allows the lead wire 1a to be appropriately protected.

In addition, the movable guide member 2a is provided with a rib 27a, and the fixed guide member 2b is provided with a rib 26b. Therefore, when the rotating unit 30 rotates, even if the wiring portion 1b is bent or expanded, the ribs 27a and 26b can be sequentially engaged with the metal wire 300. This prevents the wiring portion 1b from slipping on the guide member 102 (the movable guide member 2a and the fixed guide member 2b), and the wiring portion 1b can be reliably held by the guide members 2a and 2b. Therefore, for example, when the rotating unit 30 rotates, the coil spring 103 can be prevented from falling off the guide members 2a and 2b.

Furthermore, by configuring the wiring protection structure 100 with the coil spring 103 and the guide members 2a, 2b, the wiring protection structure 100 can be made to have a simple configuration with a small number of parts, and costs can also be reduced.

As described above, in the wire protection structure 100 of this embodiment, the protective member 101 is the coil spring 103, but the protective member 101 is not limited to the coil spring 103. Hereinafter, another embodiment of the protective member 101 will be described as a second embodiment.

Second Embodiment
9 is a schematic diagram of a wire protection structure 200 according to a second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the basic configuration of the indoor unit other than the wire protection structure 200 is similar to that of the first embodiment (FIGS. 1 to 8). Therefore, the same reference numerals are used in the drawings to designate the same or similar configurations as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in Figure 9, in the wiring protection structure 200 of this embodiment, the protection member 101 is a chain 104. As will be described in detail later, because the range of motion of the chain 104 is limited, the wiring protection structure 200 does not include a member equivalent to the guide member 102 (Figures 7 and 8). However, the wiring protection structure 200 may include a specified member that holds the chain 104 and determines its folding position.

The chain 104 is formed by connecting a number of element parts (hereinafter referred to as links) 400. In the example shown in FIG. 9, these links 400 have the same shape. However, the chain may be formed by connecting several types of links with different shapes. In this embodiment, the links 400 are made of resin, but they may also be made of metal, etc. In either case, the links 400 are formed of a material that has the strength (rigidity) and durability to protect the lead wire 1a wired in the internal space (part of the wiring section 1b) when the rotating unit 30 rotates, as described below.

Figures 10 and 11 show the schematic configuration of the top 400. Figure 10 is an oblique view, and Figure 11 is a plan view. As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the top 400 is configured with seven plate-shaped pieces 401 to 407.

The first piece 401 and the second piece 402 each define an inner circumferential surface (curved surface) along the rotation direction of the top 400. The first piece 401 and the second piece 402 are curved pieces with different curvatures by the thickness (the height of the step portions 401a and 402a described later). The third piece 403 and the fourth piece 404 each define an outer circumferential surface (curved surface) along the rotation direction of the top 400. The third piece 403 and the fourth piece 404 are curved pieces with different curvatures by the thickness (the height of the step portions 403a and 404a described later). The curvatures of the third piece 403 and the fourth piece 404 are smaller than the curvatures of the first piece 401 and the second piece 402.

The first piece 401 and the third piece 403 face each other at a constant interval. The first piece 401 has a step portion 401a that narrows the opposing distance with the third piece 403 by the thickness. The third piece 403 has a step portion 403a that narrows the opposing distance with the first piece 401 by the thickness. The second piece 402 and the fourth piece 404 face each other at a constant interval that is narrower than the opposing distance between the first piece 401 and the third piece 403. The second piece 402 has a step portion 402a that is raised by the thickness and continues with the step portion 401a. The fourth piece 404 has a step portion 404a that is raised by the thickness and continues with the step portion 403a. The first piece 401 and the second piece 402 are continuous via the step portions 401a and 402a. The third arm 403 and the fourth arm 404 are continuous with each other via steps 403a and 404a.

The fifth piece 405 and the sixth piece 406 each define a surface (flat surface) on one side of the top 400 in the Y direction (extension direction of the axis AX). The fifth piece 405 is bridged between the first piece 401 and the third piece 403. The sixth piece 406 is bridged between the second piece 402 and the fourth piece 404. The seventh piece 407 defines a surface (flat surface) on the other side of the top 400 in the Y direction. The seventh piece 407 is bridged between the continuous part between the first piece 401 and the second piece 402 and the continuous part between the third piece 403 and the fourth piece 404. The fifth piece 405 and the sixth piece 406 face the seventh piece 407 at a fixed interval.

The first piece 401 has a through hole 401b, and the third piece 403 has a through hole 403b of the same diameter as the through hole 401b. As shown in FIG. 11, the through holes 401b and 403b are arranged so that the straight line L1 connecting their centers passes through the center point C. The center point C is an arbitrary point on the axis AX. The second piece 402 has an axis 402b, and the fourth piece 404 has an axis 404b of the same diameter as the axis 402b. As shown in FIG. 11, the axes 402b and 404b are arranged so that the straight line L2 connecting their centers passes through the center point C. In addition, the axes 402b and 404b have an axis diameter slightly smaller than the hole diameter of the through holes 401b and 403b so that they are inserted into the through holes 401b and 403b and supported rotatably. The length (height) of the shafts 402b, 404b is approximately the thickness of each piece 402, 404, and is approximately equal to the step (height) of the stepped portions 401a, 403a.

The first piece 401 has a curved portion 401c at one corner of the end opposite the step portion 401a. The third piece 403 has a curved portion 403c at one corner of the end opposite the step portion 403a. The curved portions 401c, 403c are curved with the same curvature along the periphery of the through holes 401b, 403b. The second piece 402 has a curved portion 402c at the end opposite the step portion 402a. The fourth piece 404 has a curved portion 404c at the end opposite the step portion 404a. The curved portions 402c, 404c are curved with the same curvature along the circumferential surface of the shafts 402b, 404b.

The links 400 having such a configuration are connected as shown in FIG. 12 by inserting the shaft 402b into the through hole 401b and the shaft 404b into the through hole 403b in order between adjacent links. A series of chains 104 are formed by connecting a plurality of links 400. Each straight line L1 connecting the centers of the through holes 401b and 403b of each link 400 constituting the chain 104, and each straight line L2 connecting the centers of the shafts 402b and 404b, all intersect at the center point C. As a result, the chain 104 is formed continuously from one end 104a to the other end 104b in an arc shape along the rotation direction. One end 104a of the chain 104 is fixed to the second cylindrical member 31, and the other end 104b is fixed to the holding member 10. The fixing method may be any method such as fixing via a fixing tool such as a screw or a bracket.

By connecting multiple links 400, a continuous internal space is formed, defined by the seven pieces 401-407 of each link 400. In the chain 104, the part where multiple links 400 are connected to form a continuous internal space, in short, the multiple connected links 400, corresponds to the wiring section 1b. The lead wire 1a is wired through the wiring section 1b, that is, the internal space (wiring space) of the multiple connected links 400 (in other words, the chain 104).

13 and 14 show the connection state of the top 400. In the illustrated example, the shaft 404b (402b) of one top 400b is inserted into the through hole 403b (401b) of the other top 400a. As a result, the tops 400a and 400b rotate relatively around the shaft 404b (402b). FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example in which the rotation angle of the two connected tops 400a and 400b is minimum. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example in which the rotation angle of the two connected tops 400a and 400b is maximum. As an example, the rotation angle is the angle at which the other top 400b is inclined relative to the one top 400a in the two connected tops 400a and 400b (angle θ as shown in FIG. 14).

That is, the two tops 400a, 400b rotate relatively between the minimum rotation angle position shown in Fig. 13 and the maximum rotation angle position shown in Fig. 14. In other words, the rotational range of the two tops 400a, 400b is between the minimum rotation angle (θ is approximately 0°) shown in Fig. 13 and the maximum movable angle (θ is approximately 90°) shown in Fig. 14. Because of the curved portion 403c (401c), the two tops 400a, 400b rotate in the rotational range without interference between the end 403d (401d) of top 400a and the step portion 404a (402a) of top 400b. Furthermore, since the two pieces 400a, 400b have the curved portion 404c (402c), the two pieces 400a, 400b can rotate within the rotatable range without interference between the step portion 403a (401a) of the piece 400a and the fourth piece 404 (second piece 402) of the piece 400b.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 13, the end 403d (401d) of the top 400a and the step portion 404a (402a) of the top 400b interfere with each other, preventing further rotation of the tops 400a and 400b. The end 403d (401d) is located on the opposite side of the third piece 403 (first piece 401) from the step portion 403a (401a), and is an end having a curved portion 403c (401a).

In contrast, in the embodiment shown in Figure 14, side portion 403e (401e) of top 400a and step portion 404a (402a) of top 400b interfere with each other, preventing further rotation of tops 400a and 400b. Side portion 403e (401e) is one of the two sides of third piece 403 (first piece 401) that is continuous with curved portion 403c (401a).

That is, the end portion 403d (401d), the side portion 403e (401e), and the step portion 404a (402a) are restricting portions that limit the relative rotation of adjacent pieces 400a, 400b to the range of possible rotation.

Thus, according to this embodiment, the two adjacent connected pieces 400a, 400b rotate relatively around the axis 404b (402b), so the internal space of the pieces 400a, 400b (part of the wiring section 1b) changes shape within the range of their rotational range. That is, the wiring section 1b of the chain 104, which is formed by connecting a plurality of pieces 400, changes shape within the range in which the rotational ranges of the adjacent pieces 400 are successive in sequence. Therefore, when the rotating unit 30 rotates, the folded section 1c of the chain 104 is displaced along the rotation direction. In other words, the folded position of the wiring section 1b changes along the rotation direction. At this time, in response to the folded position of the wiring section 1b, that is, the displacement of the folded section 1c, the lead wire 1a also changes shape to the same shape as the wiring section 1b (in short, the chain 104) and is folded back at the position of the folded section 1c.

Therefore, even if the rotating unit 30 rotates, the lead wire 1a is wired to the wiring section 1b, that is, the internal space of the connected pieces 400, and therefore does not come out of the internal space. Therefore, when the rotating unit 30 rotates, the position of the lead wire 1a between the rotating unit 30 and the holding member 10 can be prevented from becoming unstable.

At that time, the wiring portion 1b is deformable within a range in which the rotational ranges of adjacent links 400 are continuous in sequence. Therefore, the deformable range of the wiring portion 1b, and more specifically, the chain 104, can be limited within this range. This makes it possible to stop the wildness (repulsion) of the lead wire 1a within the deformable range of the chain 104. In other words, the lead wire 1a connecting the rotating unit 30 and the holding member 10 is prevented from wildness between the two when the rotating unit 30 rotates, and the lead wire 1a can be wired within a desired range and in a desired form. This makes it possible to appropriately protect the lead wire 1a.

In addition, the chain 104 is constructed by connecting multiple links 400 of the same shape. Therefore, compared to a case where a chain is constructed by connecting several different types of links, for example, the cost of molds can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost of the chain 104 can also be suppressed.

Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as set forth in the claims.

1...indoor unit, 1a...lead wire, 1b...wiring section, 1c...folded section, 2...housing, 2a...guide member (movable side guide member), 2b...guide member (fixed side guide member), 3...air outlet, 4...air outlet unit, 5...louver, 6...heat exchanger, 8...control section, 9...fan, 10...holding member, 21a, 21b...holding surface, 22a, 22b, 23a, 23b...holding wall, 24a, 24b...opening section, 25a, 25b, 26a...fixed section, 26b, 27a...rib, 28a...opening, 30...rotating unit, 31... Second cylindrical member, 32...insulating material, 33...louver driving mechanism, 34...motor, 40...air outlet cover, 51, 52, 53...air deflector, 90...fan motor, 91...blade, 92...first cylindrical member, 94...air straightening plate, 100, 200...wiring protection structure, 101...protective member, 102...guide member, 103...coil spring (helical spring), 104...chain, 300...metal wire, 400, 400a, 400b...link, AD...air path, AX...axis, C...center point, L1, L2...straight line connecting centers, θ...tilt angle.

Claims (9)

A wiring protection structure comprising: a rotation mechanism that rotates around a predetermined central axis; a non-rotation mechanism that does not move relative to the rotation mechanism ; and a protection member through which wiring connecting the rotation mechanism and the non-rotation mechanism passes, the protection member protecting the wiring,
the non-rotating mechanism includes a housing that houses a heat exchanger, and a first cylindrical member that defines a flow path through which an airflow of air that has been heat exchanged in the heat exchanger passes;
the rotating mechanism includes a rotating unit having an air outlet for blowing the airflow into an indoor space and an air direction plate for adjusting an inclination of the airflow blown out from the air outlet, the rotating unit rotating with respect to the housing around a central axis of the air outlet,
the rotating unit has a second cylindrical member that rotates relative to the first cylindrical member,
the second tubular member defines a flow path through which the airflow passes together with the first tubular member, and has the air outlet on a tip side in a direction in which the airflow passes,
The first and second cylindrical members are connected by a holding member such that the second cylindrical member is rotatably connected to the first cylindrical member, and an outer peripheral surface side of the first cylindrical member and an outer peripheral surface side of the second cylindrical member are covered with a cylindrical air outlet cover,
The rotating unit rotates relative to the air outlet cover inside the air outlet cover,
the protective member includes a wiring portion that defines a wiring space for the wiring, the wiring space being set to a dimension across the wiring that is larger than a dimension across the wiring, and a folding portion that folds back the wiring portion so that a folding position of the wiring portion can be displaced in a rotation direction of the rotation mechanism, and protects the wiring that connects between the rotation unit and the holding member;
The folded portion is configured to be bent in a direction intersecting both a circumferential direction and a radial direction with respect to the predetermined central axis. the rotating mechanism includes a movable guide member that holds the wiring portion and determines a folding position of the wiring portion,
the non-rotating mechanism includes a fixed guide member that holds the wiring portion and determines a folding position of the wiring portion,
The wire protection structure according to claim 1 , wherein the fixed guide member is disposed so that at least a portion of the fixed guide member faces the movable guide member in a rotatable range of the rotation mechanism. The wiring portion is continuous from one end to the other end,
the movable guide member fixes the one end of the wiring portion,
The wire protection structure according to claim 2 , wherein the fixed guide member fixes the other end of the wire portion. The wiring protection structure according to claim 3 , wherein the folded portion displaces a folded position of the wiring portion between a position in front of the one end of the wiring portion and a position in front of the other end of the wiring portion. The wire protection structure according to claim 2 , wherein the movable guide member and the fixed guide member each have a protrusion that engages with the wire portion in the rotation direction. The wire protection structure according to claim 1 , wherein the protective member is a coil spring made of a wire material wound continuously in a spiral shape. The wiring protection structure according to claim 1 , wherein the protection member is configured by connecting a plurality of element parts having the same shape along the rotation direction. The wire protection structure according to claim 7 , wherein the element parts are connected to each other so as to be rotatable relative to the adjacent element parts, and each element part has a restricting portion that restricts the relative rotation between the adjacent element parts within a predetermined range. The wiring protection structure according to claim 1 , which protects the wiring ,
The rotating unit has a drive mechanism for changing the angle of the wind direction plate,
The housing has a control unit that controls the drive mechanism,
The wiring connects the drive mechanism and the control unit.
Air conditioner indoor unit.

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