JP7710175B2 - Air conditioner indoor unit - Google Patents

Description

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

In the indoor unit of an air conditioner, the drain pan and humidifier should be checked for dirt when the unit is first used and at regular intervals throughout the period of use.
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, ceiling-embedded air conditioners that allow dirt on the inside of a drain pan to be checked from below are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
This ceiling-mounted air conditioner has a storage section made of a transparent material in which drain water is stored in the drain sheet of the drain pan, and the storage section penetrates the foam material of the drain pan and is positioned in a position that is exposed to the inside of the room when the decorative panel is removed.

Furthermore, there is known an air conditioner that allows the dirt on the drain pan to be checked visually from diagonally above (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
This air conditioner has an opening provided on the side of the housing and a cover member that is removably attached to the opening to cover the opening, and when the cover member is removed from the opening, at least a portion of the drain pan diagonally downward can be seen through the opening in the housing.

Patent No. 509663 JP 2017-141971 A

However, in Patent Document 1, the storage section provided in the drain pan protrudes downward from the drain sheet by a large amount, and when a cap member is attached to the storage section from below, the amount of downward protrusion of the cap member becomes even greater. If the amount of protrusion becomes large in this way, it will lead to an increase in the size of the drain pan and will affect the air flow of the air conditioner.

Furthermore, in Patent Document 2, when checking the inside of the drain pan diagonally downward from the opening on the side of the housing, it is difficult to see inside the drain pan, making it difficult to adequately check for dirt inside the drain pan.
The present invention provides an indoor unit for an air conditioner that suppresses an increase in the size of a drain pan and the effect on the air flow around the drain pan, and also enables sufficient confirmation of dirt inside the drain pan.

The present invention is an indoor unit for an air conditioner that houses a heat exchanger, a blower, and a drain pan and has a water receiving section that collects drain water in the drain pan, the bottom wall of the water receiving section is formed to be transparent, a drain pan insulation member is provided below the bottom wall of the water receiving section, the drain pan insulation member has an opening through which the bottom wall of the water receiving section can be seen from below, and a cover member with an insulation member is removably fitted into the opening.

According to the present invention, by using a structure in which the lid member fits into the opening, it is possible to reduce the amount of downward protrusion of the bottom of the water receiving section, and in turn the bottom of the drain pan, while ensuring thermal insulation performance, and also to make it possible to clearly see any dirt on the water receiving section from below through the opening and the transparent bottom wall.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an internal structure of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an indoor unit according to a first embodiment, as viewed from below; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a drain pan according to a first embodiment; FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view showing a lower portion of the water receiving portion in the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a bottom view showing a lower portion of a water receiving portion in the first embodiment; 5. Cross-sectional view of line VV in FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a cover member is removed from the state shown in FIG. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a cover member according to a first embodiment; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing an example in which the opening and the cover member are provided below the drain pump. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a drain pan according to a second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a water receiving portion in the second embodiment; FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a cover member is removed from the state shown in FIG. 8 . FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a drain pan according to a third embodiment.

The first invention is an indoor unit of an air conditioning device that houses a heat exchanger, a blower, and a drain pan and has a water receiving section for collecting drain water in the drain pan, wherein the bottom wall of the water receiving section is formed transparent, a drain pan insulation member is provided below the bottom wall of the water receiving section, the drain pan insulation member has an opening through which the bottom wall of the water receiving section can be viewed from below, a lid member with an insulation member is removably fitted into the opening, a plate is provided on the underside of the insulation member of the lid member, and the plate has a flange portion that is formed wider than the edge of the opening.
This allows the cover member to be fitted into the opening, so that the bottom of the water receiving part, and therefore the bottom of the drain pan, can be prevented from protruding downward while maintaining heat insulation, and dirt on the water receiving part can be easily confirmed from below through the opening and the transparent bottom wall. Also, the flange can close the mating surface between the edge of the opening and the edge of the cover member, further improving the heat insulation effect and further preventing the leakage of condensation water.

A second invention is an indoor unit of an air conditioning device which has an intake grille that covers the indoor air intake port and can be opened and closed freely, and the opening is located in a position that is visible from the outside when the intake grille is open.
This allows the opening to be viewed from the outside by opening the intake grill, and dirt on the water receiving section can be easily confirmed through the opening and the transparent bottom wall.

A third invention is an indoor unit of an air conditioning apparatus in which the drain pan is provided with a drain cap that covers a drain hole provided in the bottom wall of the water receiving portion, and the drain cap is arranged over the opening.
This allows the cover member to insulate the drain cap and prevent the drain cap from falling off due to vibrations during transportation of the indoor unit or deterioration over time.

A fourth invention is an indoor unit of an air conditioning device, in which the edge of the opening is formed in a tapered shape that gradually opens downward, and the edge of the cover member is formed in a shape that follows the edge of the opening.
This allows the edge of the lid member to be pressed against the edge of the opening, thereby tightly adhering the edge of the lid member to the edge of the opening, eliminating gaps, improving the insulating effect, and preventing leakage of condensation water.

A fifth invention is an indoor unit of an air conditioning device in which the drain pan comprises a drain pan bottom wall arranged below the heat exchanger and a drain pan insulation member provided below the drain pan bottom wall, and a bottom wall of the water receiving section is provided in a part of the drain pan bottom wall, and the drain pan bottom wall is formed entirely transparent.
This makes it possible to easily check for dirt inside the drain pan, such as in the drain water passage other than within the water receiving portion, by providing openings in the drain pan side insulation member other than below the water receiving portion.

A sixth invention is an indoor unit of an air conditioning apparatus, wherein the drainage hole of the water receiving portion is formed in a recess in the bottom wall of the water receiving portion, and the insulating member of the cover member has a cover member recess that accommodates the peripheral wall forming the recess and the drain cap.
This allows the shape of the lid member to match the shape of the peripheral wall of the recess and the shape of the drain cap, thereby improving the heat insulating effect.

A seventh invention is an indoor unit for an air conditioning apparatus, comprising an attachment portion at the opening extending from a bottom wall of the water receiving portion for attaching the lid member, and the lid member is attached to the attachment portion with screws.
This allows the edge of the lid member to be tightly attached to the edge of the opening by tightening the screws, eliminating gaps and improving the insulation effect while preventing the leakage of condensation water. It also allows the lid member to be made more compact.

An eighth invention is an indoor unit of an air conditioning device, in which the drain pan has a water collection section whose bottom wall is at the lowest position, the water collection section is positioned directly below the drain pump or near the drain pump, or directly below the float switch or near the float switch, and the opening and the cover member are provided below the water collection section.
This allows the condition of the drain pump or float switch, which are areas where drain water and dirt tend to accumulate, to be fully checked from below. In addition to the condition of the water reservoir, the condition of the drain pump or float switch can also be checked from below.

The ninth invention is an indoor unit of an air conditioning device that houses a heat exchanger, a blower, and a drain pan and has a water receiving section for collecting drain water in the drain pan, wherein the bottom wall of the water receiving section is formed transparent and has a peripheral wall-like reinforcing rib that protrudes downward, a drain pan insulation member is provided below the bottom wall of the water receiving section around the reinforcing rib, the reinforcing rib has an opening on the inside through which the bottom wall of the water receiving section can be viewed from below, and a lid member with an insulation member is removably fitted into the opening.
This allows the cover member to be fitted into the opening, so that the bottom of the water receiving part, and therefore the bottom of the drain pan, can be prevented from protruding downwards while maintaining heat insulation, and dirt on the water receiving part can be easily confirmed from below through the opening and the transparent bottom wall. In addition, the rigidity of the bottom wall of the water receiving part can be increased, and the heat insulation material of the cover member can be protected.

A tenth invention is an indoor unit for an air conditioner, in which an air layer is provided between a drain cap that closes a drain hole provided in the bottom wall of the water receiving portion and the insulating member of the lid member.
This improves the heat insulating performance of the drain pan.

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.

(First embodiment)
The first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG.
As shown in Fig. 1, the terms "upper", "lower", and "inner" and "outer" are used in the description based on an indoor unit 10 installed on the ceiling of the air conditioner. Also, the space into which conditioned air is blown out is referred to as the conditioned room.
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 an indoor unit body 14 and a decorative panel 30 that covers a lower opening of the indoor unit body 14.

The indoor unit body 14 includes a box-shaped housing 15 with an opening on almost the entire bottom surface. Inside the housing 15, the indoor unit body 14 includes a polystyrene foam insulating member 16, an indoor heat exchanger 17 as a heat exchanger, a blower 18, a drain pan 19 that receives drain water from the indoor heat exchanger 17, and a bell mouth 20 that rectifies the air drawn into the blower 18.
Hanging brackets 21 are attached to the corners of the outer surface of the housing 15. The indoor unit body 14 is installed in a suspended state from the ceiling 11 by connecting the hanging brackets 21 to hanging bolts 22 hanging down from the ceiling 11.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the indoor unit according to the first embodiment as viewed from below.
As shown in FIG. 2 , the decorative panel 30 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape in a plan view so as to cover the opening on the bottom surface of the indoor unit body 14 .
An intake port 31 that communicates with the bellmouth 20 is formed in the center of the decorative panel 30. An intake grill 32 that covers the intake port 31 is attached to the decorative panel 30 so as to be able to open and close freely around one side of the panel. A filter 33 is provided on the indoor unit body 14 side of the intake grill 32 to remove dust and other particles in the air.

Outer outlets 34 for sending conditioned air to the conditioned room are formed at positions outside the intake ports 31 of the decorative panel 30 and along each side of the outer periphery of the decorative panel 30. That is, the outlets 34 are provided along each side of the decorative panel 30, which is substantially rectangular in plan view, and air is blown out from the outlets 34 in four directions.
The air outlets 34 are each provided with a flap 35 capable of adjusting the air outlet direction.
The heat insulating members 16 are provided on the inner surfaces of the side plates 15 a and the top plate 15 b of the housing 15 to prevent condensation from occurring in the housing 15 .

The blower 18 is configured to include a fan motor 23 and a centrifugal fan 24. The fan motor 23 has a rotating shaft 23a extending downward, and the centrifugal fan 24 is fixed to the rotating shaft 23a. The fan motor 23 is disposed approximately in the center of the indoor unit 10 in a plan view, and is fixed to the top plate 15b of the housing 15.
The centrifugal fan 24 includes a disk-shaped main plate 24a fixed to the rotating shaft 23a, an annular shroud 24b disposed below the main plate 24a and substantially coaxially with the main plate 24a, and a plurality of blades 24c connecting the shroud 24b and the main plate 24a. The blades 24c are disposed at intervals in the circumferential direction of the main plate 24a.

The indoor heat exchanger 17 is formed by bending a plate-like heat exchanger into a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view so as to surround substantially the entire blower 18 from the side.
The indoor heat exchanger 17 functions as a refrigerant evaporator during cooling operation and as a refrigerant condenser during heating operation. The indoor heat exchanger 17 is configured to exchange heat between the refrigerant and the indoor air drawn into the indoor unit body 14, thereby cooling the air in the air-conditioned room during cooling operation and heating the air in the room during heating operation.

The drain pan 19 is disposed below the indoor heat exchanger 17 so as to be able to receive the drain water 28 generated in the indoor heat exchanger 17. The drain pan 19 includes a heat insulating member 42 (see FIG. 2) made of polystyrene foam as a drain pan insulating member.
The drain pan 19 has a concave heat exchanger accommodating portion 41a formed in the shape of a waterway going around the indoor heat exchanger 17 and accommodating the lower end of the indoor heat exchanger 17. The heat exchanger accommodating portion 41a has a receiving surface portion 41b that abuts against the lower surface of the inner periphery of the indoor heat exchanger 17, and a drain water passage 41c formed on the outer periphery side of the receiving surface portion 41b and one step lower than the receiving surface portion 41b.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the drain pan in the first embodiment.
As shown in Figure 3, the drain pan 19 has a rectangular outline that follows the underside of the indoor heat exchanger 17 (see Figure 1) and is equipped with a bottom wall 41 made of resin as a drain pan bottom wall on which a heat exchanger accommodating section 41a is formed, and a polystyrene foam insulating member 42 arranged below and to the outside of the bottom wall 41.
The bottom wall 41 is entirely made of transparent resin and includes a heat exchanger housing portion 41a and a water receiving portion 41d connected to an end of a drain water passage 41c of the heat exchanger housing portion 41a. The drain water passage 41c is formed smoothly and continuously from a high portion to a low portion of the bottom wall 41, and the water receiving portion 41d in which the drain water 28 accumulates is formed at the end of the drain water passage 41c.

The drain water passage 41c and the water receiving portion 41d are located at the lowest position. The bottom wall 41 where the water receiving portion 41d is formed is referred to as a bottom wall 41w of the water receiving portion 41d.
The water receiving portion 41d is provided with a drain hole 41e for discharging accumulated drain water.
The drain hole 41e is closed by a detachable drain cap 26. The drain cap 26 is removed during various maintenance operations and when cleaning the drain pan 19, and drain water 28 is discharged.

4 and 5, an opening 42a formed in the heat insulating member 42 and a lid member 44 that covers the opening 42a are provided below the water receiving portion 41d of the drain pan 19. When the lid member 44 is removed, the water receiving portion 41d can be seen from below through the opening 42a. The lid member 44 constitutes a part of the drain pan 19.
2, the opening 42a and the cover member 44 are provided in a position that can be seen from below when the intake grill 32 is open. Specifically, the opening 42a and the cover member 44 are provided in the corner portions formed at the four corners of the drain pan 19 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, on the inner side of the air outlet 34 and on the outer side of the bell mouth 20.
The bottom wall 41, specifically the bottom wall 41w of the water receiving portion 41d, is formed transparent. Therefore, when the cover member 44 is removed, the inside of the water receiving portion 41d (i.e., the portion where drain water collects) can be seen from below the drain pan 19 through the transparent bottom wall 41w. The cover member 44 is attached in a position where it can be removed by opening the intake grill 32 (see FIG. 1). This allows dirt and the like inside the water receiving portion 41d to be checked without removing the drain pan 19 from the indoor unit body 14 (see FIG. 1). The opening 42a serves as an inspection window for checking the inside of the water receiving portion 41d.

A drain hole 41e is located within the opening 42a, and a drain cap 26 that covers the drain hole 41e and a plurality of boss portions 41g serving as mounting portions are formed on the bottom wall 41 so as to protrude downward around the drain hole 41e and the drain cap 26.
The cover member 44 is detachably attached to each boss portion 41 g of the bottom wall 41 by a plurality of screws 45 .

6, 7 and 8, the water receiving portion 41d is a portion for collecting the drain water 28, and includes a flat bottom portion 41h formed flat or substantially flat, and a recessed portion 41j formed in a part of the flat bottom portion 41h. A drain hole 41e is formed in the lower part of the recessed portion 41j. The recessed portion 41j and the drain hole 41e are formed in a bottom peripheral wall 41m which is a peripheral wall included in the water receiving portion 41d.
The heat insulating member 42 includes a thin portion 42m located below the water receiving portion 41d, and a thick portion 42n disposed around the water receiving portion 41d and formed thicker than the thin portion 42m.
An inner peripheral surface 42b of the opening 42a, which is the edge of the opening 42a, is formed in a tapered shape that gradually opens downward.

The boss portion 41g is formed to be the same height as the thickness T1 of the thin portion 42m or lower than the thickness T1 of the thin portion 42m, and has a screw hole 41n into which a screw 45 is screwed. The thickness T1 is, for example, 10 to 14 mm.
The drain cap 26 is made of rubber and comprises a cylindrical portion 26a that is fitted onto the inner circumferential surface 41k of the drain hole 41e, and a flange portion 26b that is integrally formed with one end of the cylindrical portion 26a.

The lid member 44 is composed of a lid insulating member 47 as an insulating member that is fitted into the opening 42 a, and a lid bottom wall 48 as a resin plate joined to a lower surface 47 a of the lid insulating member 47 .
The lid insulation member 47 includes a lid member recess 47b that accommodates the bottom peripheral wall 41m of the water receiving portion 41d and the drain cap 26, and a plurality of boss insertion holes 47c arranged around the lid member recess 47b and into which the boss portion 41g is inserted.

The bottom surface 47k of the cover member recess 47b is a portion that comes into contact with and presses the lower end surface 26c of the flange portion 26b of the drain cap 26 when the cover member 44 is attached to the bottom wall 41. By pressing the drain cap 26 from below with the cover member 44 in this manner, it is possible to prevent the drain cap 26 from shifting or tilting downward relative to the drain hole 41e due to vibration or the like, and to prevent leakage of the drain water 28.
In addition, when the lid member 44 is attached, the lid insulation member 47 consists of a flat plate portion 47d located below the flat bottom portion 41h, and a downward displacement portion 47e located below the recessed portion 41j and displaced downwardly relative to the flat plate portion 47d.

The downward displacement portion 47e protrudes downward further than the surrounding flat plate portion 47d. If the thickness of the cover member 44 is T2, the amount of downward protrusion of the cover member 44, including the downward displacement portion 47e, from the flat plate portion 47d is T2-T1. This protrusion amount T2-T1 is, for example, 5 to 8 mm and is smaller than T1 ((T2-T1)<T1).
In this embodiment, by fitting the lid member 44 into the opening 42a below the water receiving portion 41d, the amount of protrusion (T2-T1) of the lid member 44 from the heat insulating member 42 on the water receiving portion 41d side can be reduced.

The downward displacement portion 47e has a lower end surface 47f and a male tapered surface 47g formed around the lower end surface 47f. The flat plate portion 47d has a flat plate portion lower surface 47h that extends from the outer edge of the male tapered surface 47g to the periphery. The above-mentioned lower end surface 47f, male tapered surface 47g, and flat plate portion lower surface 47h constitute the lower surface 47a.

An outer peripheral surface 47j of the lid insulation member 47 is formed in a shape that fits along the inner peripheral surface 42b of the opening 42a, that is, in a tapered shape that gradually tapers upward.
By forming the outer peripheral surface 47j of the lid insulation member 47 in this manner, the outer peripheral surface 47j of the lid insulation member 47 can be brought into close contact with the opening inner peripheral surface 42b of the opening 42a.
As described above, by making the height of the boss portion 41g lower than the thickness T1 and setting the thickness T3 of the flat portion 47d of the lid insulation member 47 thicker than the thickness T1 (T3>T1), the flat portion 47d can be compressed when the screws 45 are tightened. At this time, the outer peripheral surface 47j of the lid insulation member 47 can be pressed against the opening inner peripheral surface 42b of the opening 42a, eliminating any gap between the opening inner peripheral surface 42b and the outer peripheral surface 47j, improving the sealing performance.

The lid bottom wall 48 is formed along the lower surface 47a of the lid insulation member 47, and includes a bottom wall 48a, a female tapered wall 48b and a flat portion lower wall 48c corresponding to the lower end surface 47f, the male tapered surface 47g and the flat portion lower surface 47h.
The flat portion lower wall 48c has a plurality of screw insertion holes 48d through which the screws 45 pass, and a flange portion 48e that protrudes outward beyond the outer peripheral surface 47j of the lid insulation member 47.
By making the flange portion 48e extend outward beyond the outer peripheral surface 47j in this manner, the flange portion 48e can close a gap that occurs at the joint between the opening inner peripheral surface 42b of the opening 42a and the outer peripheral surface 47j of the lid insulation member 47. This makes it possible to prevent condensation water from leaking out of the gap.

As described above, in this embodiment, in the indoor unit 10 of the air conditioner that houses the indoor heat exchanger 17, the blower 18, and the drain pan 19 and has a water receiving section 41d that collects drain water 28 in the drain pan 19, the bottom wall 41w of the water receiving section 41d is formed transparent, and an insulating member 42 is provided below the bottom wall 41w of the water receiving section 41d, and the insulating member 42 has an opening 42a that allows the bottom wall 41w of the water receiving section 41d to be viewed from below, and a lid member 44 with a lid insulating member 47 is removably fitted into the opening 42a.

With this configuration, the cover member 44 is fitted into the opening 42a, so that the bottom of the water receiving portion 41d, and therefore the bottom of the drain pan 19, can be prevented from protruding downward while maintaining heat insulation performance, and dirt on the water receiving portion 41d can be adequately confirmed from below through the opening 42a and the transparent bottom wall 41w. This allows the indoor unit 10 to be made smaller, and the bottom surface of the drain pan 19 becomes flatter, reducing the impact on the airflow of the indoor unit 10. Furthermore, the maintainability of the indoor unit 10 can be improved.

In the present embodiment, the drain pan 19 is provided with a drain cap 26 that closes the drain hole 41e provided in the bottom wall 41w of the water receiving portion 41d, and the drain cap 26 is disposed at the opening 42a.
According to this configuration, the cover member 44 can insulate the drain cap 26 and prevent the drain cap 26 from falling off due to vibrations during transportation of the indoor unit 10 or deterioration over time.

In addition, in this embodiment, the opening inner surface 42b serving as the edge of the opening 42a is formed in a tapered shape that gradually opens downward, and the outer surface 47j serving as the edge of the cover member 44 is formed in a shape that follows the opening inner surface 42b of the opening 42a.
According to this configuration, by pressing the edge of the cover member 44 against the edge of the opening 42a, the edge of the cover member 44 and the edge of the opening 42a can be brought into tight contact with each other, eliminating gaps, improving the insulating effect, and preventing leakage of condensation water.

In this embodiment, a lid bottom wall 48 is provided on the lower surface 47a of the lid insulation member 47 of the lid member 44, and the lid bottom wall 48 has a flange portion 48e that is formed wider than the edge of the opening 42a.
According to this configuration, the flange portion 48e can close the mating surface between the edge of the opening 42a and the edge of the cover member 44, thereby further improving the insulating effect and further preventing leakage of condensation water.

In addition, in this embodiment, the drain pan 19 has a bottom wall 41 arranged below the indoor heat exchanger 17 and an insulating member 42 provided below the bottom wall 41, and a bottom wall 41w of a water receiving portion 41d is provided in a part of the bottom wall 41, and the bottom wall 41 of the drain pan 19 is formed to be entirely transparent.
According to this configuration, by providing openings in the heat insulating member 42 other than below the water receiving portion 41d, dirt inside the drain pan 19, such as the drain water passage 41c other than within the water receiving portion 41d, can be easily checked.

In addition, in this embodiment, the drainage hole 41e of the water receiving portion 41d is formed in a recessed portion 41j of the bottom wall 41w of the water receiving portion 41d, and the lid insulation member 47 of the lid member 44 has a lid member recess 47b that accommodates the bottom peripheral wall 41m forming the recessed portion 41j and the drain cap 26.
According to this configuration, by matching the shape of the cover member 44 to the shape of the bottom peripheral wall 41m of the recessed portion 41j and the shape of the drain cap 26, the heat insulating effect can be improved.

The opening 42a is provided with a boss 41g that extends from the bottom wall 41w of the water receiving portion 41d and to which a lid member 44 is attached. The lid member 44 is attached to the boss 41g with a screw 45.
According to this configuration, by tightening the screws 45, the edge of the cover member 44 can be more firmly attached to the edge of the opening 42a, eliminating gaps and improving the insulation effect while preventing the leakage of condensation water. Also, the cover member 44 can be made more compact.

The above-mentioned openings 42a and lid members 44 may be provided in multiple locations that are visible from the outside when the suction grill 32 is open. The drain water passage 41c and the water receiving portion 41d are provided in locations that are visible from below, such as at the four corners of the drain pan 19 shown in Figures 3 and 4, and inside the air outlet 34 and outside the bell mouth 20.
The opening 42a and the cover member 44 may be provided in a location where dirt is likely to accumulate, such as the deepest part (water collecting part) of the drain pan 19 or a corner part of the drain pan 19 where the flow of water stagnates.
The opening 42a and the cover member 44 may be formed at a position where the antifungal and bactericidal material such as silver ions provided in the water receiving portion 41d or the drain water passage 41c can be visually confirmed. This allows the deterioration of the antifungal and bactericidal material to be visually confirmed, making it easy to know when to replace the antifungal and bactericidal material.
In addition, the opening 42a and the cover member 44 may be provided directly below or near the drain pump, directly below or near the float switch, near the drain cap 26, or near the drain outlet (for models with natural drainage).

Next, a modification of the first embodiment will be described.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing an example in which an opening 42 a and a cover member 44 are provided below the drain pump 27 .
The water receiving portion 41d is provided with a water collecting portion 41o in which the bottom wall 41w is at the lowest position so that the drain water 28 accumulated in the water receiving portion 41d can be collected in one place.
9, a drain pump 27 is provided around the water reservoir 41o. A suction port 27a of the drain pump 27 is disposed adjacent to the bottom surface of the water reservoir 41o.
The water reservoir 41o is provided with a float switch 29. The float switch 29 detects the water level of the drain water 28 accumulated in the water reservoir 41o, and is configured to turn on when a predetermined amount of the drain water 28 accumulates in the water reservoir 41o.
When the float switch 29 is turned ON, the drain pump 27 is operated to discharge the drain water 28 accumulated in the water reservoir 41o.

The bottom wall 41w of the water reservoir 41o is formed to be transparent. An opening 42a and a lid member 44 are provided below the water reservoir 41o.
This allows the condition of the area around the drain pump 27, where the drain water 28 is likely to accumulate and where dirt is likely to accumulate, to be easily checked from below by opening the suction grill 32. Also, by removing the lid member 44, it becomes possible to check not only the condition of the water reservoir 41o but also the condition of the drain pump 27 and the float switch 29 from below.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.
As shown in Figure 10, the drain pan 50 has a rectangular outline that follows the underside of the indoor heat exchanger 17 (see Figure 1) and is equipped with a bottom wall 51 made of resin as the bottom wall of the drain pan on which the heat exchanger accommodating section 41a (see Figure 2) is formed, and an insulating member 52 made of polystyrene foam arranged below and to the outside of the bottom wall 51.
The bottom wall 51 is entirely made of transparent resin, and includes a heat exchanger housing portion 41a and a water receiving portion 51d connected to an end portion of a drain water passage 41c (see FIG. 3) of the heat exchanger housing portion 41a.

The drain water passage 41c and the water receiving portion 51d are located at the lowest position, and are the portion where the drain water accumulates. Here, the bottom wall 51 where the water receiving portion 51d is formed is referred to as a bottom wall 51w of the water receiving portion 51d.
The water receiving portion 51d is provided with a drain hole 51e for discharging accumulated drain water.
The drain hole 51e is closed by a detachable drain cap 26. The drain cap 26 is removed during various maintenance operations and when cleaning the drain pan 50, and the drain water is discharged.

A reinforcing rib 51p protruding downward is integrally formed on the lower surface 51f of the bottom wall 51w of the water receiving portion 51d in the shape of a peripheral wall surrounding the drain hole 51e, and an opening 51r is formed by an inner peripheral surface 51q of the reinforcing rib 51p. The opening 51r is closed by a lid member 54 constituting a part of the drain pan 50. The lid member 54 is detachably attached to the bottom wall 51w.
The bottom wall 51, more specifically, the bottom wall 51w of the water receiving portion 51d is formed to be transparent. Therefore, when the cover member 54 is removed, the inside of the water receiving portion 51d (i.e., the portion where the drain water accumulates) can be seen through the transparent bottom wall 51w from below the drain pan 50. This allows dirt and the like inside the water receiving portion 51d to be checked. The opening 51r serves as an inspection window for checking the inside of the water receiving portion 51d.

FIG. 11 shows the water receiving portion 51d as viewed from diagonally below.
11, a reinforcing rib 51p is provided at the bottom of the water receiving portion 51d, and an opening 51r is provided in the reinforcing rib 51p, so that the state inside the water receiving portion 51d can be visually confirmed through the opening 51r and the bottom wall 51w. In this way, by providing the reinforcing rib 51p in the water receiving portion 51d, the rigidity of the bottom wall 51w can be increased.
Within the opening 51r, a bottom peripheral wall 51m having a drainage hole 51e formed therein and a plurality of bosses 41g arranged around the bottom peripheral wall 51m protrude downward integrally from the bottom wall 51w. The bosses 41g are used to attach a cover member 54 (see FIG. 10) with screws 45 (see FIG. 7).

As shown in FIG. 10, a bottom peripheral wall 51m, a drain cap 26 fitted to the bottom peripheral wall 51m, and a plurality of bosses 41g (see FIG. 11) are arranged within the opening 51r.
The water receiving portion 51d includes a flat bottom portion 51h formed flat or substantially flat, and a recessed portion 51j formed in a part of the flat bottom portion 51h. A drain hole 51e is located below the recessed portion 51j. The recessed portion 51j and the drain hole 51e are formed in the bottom peripheral wall 51m.
In the heat insulating member 52, a thin portion 52m located below the water receiving portion 51d is formed to have the same thickness T1 as the thin portion 42m of the water receiving portion 41d shown in Fig. 6. The reinforcing rib 51p is formed to have the same height T1 as the thickness T1 of the thin portion 52m.
An inner peripheral surface 51q of the reinforcing rib 51p is formed in a tapered shape that gradually opens downward.

The boss portion 41g (see Figure 11) is formed to be the same height as the height T1 of the reinforcing rib 51p or lower than the height T1 of the reinforcing rib 51p, and the screw 45 (see Figure 7) is screwed into the screw hole 41n (see Figure 11) to fasten the cover member 54.
The drain cap 26 has a cylindrical portion 26a fitted onto an inner peripheral surface 51k of the drain hole 51e, and a flange portion 26b abutting against a lower end surface 51s of the bottom peripheral wall 51m.

The lid member 54 is composed of a lid insulation member 57 as an insulating member that is fitted into the opening 51 r, and a lid bottom wall 58 as a resin plate joined to a lower surface 57 a of the lid insulation member 57 .
The lid insulation member 57 includes a lid member recess 57b that accommodates the bottom peripheral wall 51m of the water receiving portion 51d and the drain cap 26, and a plurality of boss insertion holes 47c (see Figure 7) arranged around the lid member recess 57b and into which the boss portion 41g is inserted.

10 and 12, the bottom surface 57k of the cover member recess 57b is adjacent to the lower end surface 26c of the flange portion 26b of the drain cap 26 across a gap when the cover member 54 is attached to the bottom wall 51. In this way, by arranging the cover member 54 adjacent to the drain cap 26 from below, it is possible to prevent the drain cap 26 from shifting or tilting significantly downward relative to the drain hole 51e due to vibration or the like, and to prevent leakage of the drain water 28 (see FIG. 6).

When the lid member 54 is attached, the lid insulation member 57 consists of a flat plate portion 57d located below the flat bottom portion 51h and near the reinforcing rib 51p, and a downward displacement portion 57e located below the recessed portion 51j of the flat bottom portion 51h and near the recessed portion 51j, and displaced downwardly below the flat plate portion 57d.
The downward displacement portion 57e includes a lower end surface 57f and a peripheral surface 57g that is raised from the outer periphery of the lower end surface 57f. The flat plate portion 57d includes a flat plate portion lower surface 57h that extends from the upper edge of the peripheral surface 57g. The lower end surface 57f, the peripheral surface 57g, and the flat plate portion lower surface 57h described above constitute the lower surface 57a.

The outer peripheral surface 57j of the cover insulation member 57 is formed in a shape that fits along the inner peripheral surface 51q of the reinforcing rib 51p, that is, in a tapered shape that gradually tapers upward.
By forming the outer peripheral surface 57j of the lid insulation member 57 in this manner, the outer peripheral surface 57j of the lid insulation member 57 can be brought into close contact with the inner peripheral surface 51q of the reinforcing rib 51p.
As described above, if the height of the boss portion 41g is made lower than the thickness T1, the flat plate portion 57d can be compressed when the screws 45 are tightened. At this time, the outer peripheral surface 57j of the lid insulation member 57 can be pressed against the inner peripheral surface 51q of the reinforcing rib 51p, eliminating any gap between the inner peripheral surface 51q and the outer peripheral surface 57j, improving the sealing performance.

For example, without providing reinforcing ribs 51p, an opening is formed directly in the insulating member 52, the periphery of the opening is made into a tapered inner circumferential surface, and the outer circumferential surface 57j of the lid insulating member 57 is directly applied to this inner circumferential surface. Compared to this structure, in this embodiment, wear and damage to the periphery of the opening of the insulating member 52 and the outer circumferential surface 57j of the lid insulating member 57 can be prevented, and the lid insulating member 57 can be protected.

The lid bottom wall 58 is formed along the lower surface 57a of the lid insulation member 57, and includes a bottom wall 58a, a peripheral wall 58b and a flat portion lower wall 58c corresponding to the lower end surface 57f, the peripheral surface 57g and the flat portion lower surface 57h.
The flat portion lower wall 58c has a plurality of screw insertion holes 48d (see FIG. 7) through which the screws 45 pass, and a flange portion 58e that protrudes outward beyond the outer circumferential surface 57j of the lid insulation member 57.
By making the flange portion 58e extend outward from the outer peripheral surface 47j in this manner, the flange portion 58e can close the gap that occurs at the joint between the inner peripheral surface 51q of the reinforcing rib 51p and the outer peripheral surface 57j of the lid insulation member 57 from below. Also, the flange portion 58e can be brought into contact with the entire circumferential direction of the lower end surface 51t of the reinforcing rib 51p. This can prevent condensed water from leaking out from the gap.

As described above, in this embodiment, in the indoor unit 10 of the air conditioner that houses the indoor heat exchanger 17, the blower 18, and the drain pan 50, and has a water receiving section 51d that collects drain water 28 (see FIG. 6) in the drain pan 50, the bottom wall 51w of the water receiving section 51d is formed transparent and has a peripheral wall-like reinforcing rib 51p that protrudes downward, a heat insulating member 52 is provided below the bottom wall 51w of the water receiving section 51d around the reinforcing rib 51p, the reinforcing rib 51p has an opening 51r on the inside through which the bottom wall 51w of the water receiving section 51d can be seen from below, and a lid member 54 with a lid insulating member 57 is removably fitted into the opening 51r.

With this configuration, the lid member 54 is fitted into the opening 51r, so that the bottom of the water receiving portion 51d, and therefore the bottom of the drain pan 50, can be prevented from protruding downward while maintaining heat insulation performance, and dirt on the water receiving portion 51d can be adequately confirmed from below through the opening 51r and the transparent bottom wall 51w. In addition, the rigidity of the bottom wall 51w of the water receiving portion 51d can be increased, and the lid insulation member 57 of the lid member 54 can be protected.

Third Embodiment
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In the third embodiment, the same components as those in the first and second embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.
13, the drain pan 60 includes a bottom wall 51 and a heat insulating member 52. An opening 51r of the bottom wall 51 is closed by a lid member 64 that constitutes a part of the drain pan 60. The lid member 64 is detachably attached to the bottom wall 51w.
The lid member 64 is composed of a lid insulating member 67 as an insulating member that is fitted into the opening 51 r, and a lid bottom wall 68 as a resin plate joined to a lower surface 67 a of the lid insulating member 67 .
The lid insulation member 67 includes a lid member recess 67b that accommodates the bottom peripheral wall 51m of the water receiving portion 51d and the drain cap 26, and a plurality of boss insertion holes 47c (see Figure 7) that are arranged around the lid member recess 67b and into which the boss portion 41g (see Figure 11) is inserted.

When the lid member 64 is attached to the bottom wall 51, the bottom surface 57k of the lid member recess 67b is separated from the lower end surface 26c of the flange portion 26b of the drain cap 26 via an air layer 70 having a thickness T4. By providing the air layer 70 between the drain cap 26 and the lid insulation member 67 in this manner, the insulation effect between the drain cap 26 and the lid insulation member 67 can be improved.
Furthermore, when the thickness of the drain cap 26 is T5, the thickness T4 is set smaller than the thickness T5 (T4<T5), and preferably, the thickness T4 is set equal to or smaller than half the thickness T5 (T4≦T5/2). This prevents the drain cap 26 from coming off the drain hole 51e even if it moves downward relative to the drain hole 51e due to vibration or the like, as shown by the two-dot chain line, and prevents leakage of the drain water 28 (see FIG. 6).

When the lid member 64 is attached, the lid insulation member 67 consists of a flat plate portion 57d located below the flat bottom portion 51h and near the reinforcing rib 51p, and a downward displacement portion 67e located below the recessed portion 51j of the flat plate portion 57d and near the recessed portion 51j, and displaced downwardly below the flat plate portion 57d.
The downward displacement portion 67e includes a lower end surface 57f and a peripheral surface 67g that is raised from the outer periphery of the lower end surface 57f. The lower end surface 57f, the peripheral surface 67g, and the flat plate portion lower surface 57h constitute the lower surface 67a.
The lid bottom wall 68 is formed along the lower surface 67a of the lid insulation member 67, and includes a bottom wall 58a, a peripheral wall 68b and a flat portion lower wall 58c corresponding to the lower end surface 57f, the peripheral surface 67g and the flat portion lower surface 57h.

As described above, in this embodiment, an air layer 70 is provided between the drain cap 26 that closes the drain hole 51e provided in the bottom wall 51w of the water receiving portion 51d and the lid insulation member 67 of the lid member 64.
According to this configuration, the heat insulating performance of the drain pan 60 can be improved.

Although the present invention has been described based on the first, second and third embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. These are merely examples of one embodiment of the present invention, and therefore any modification and application is possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
In each embodiment, the entire bottom wall 41, 51 of the drain pan 19, 50, 60 is made transparent, but this is not limited thereto, and only the bottom wall 41w, 51w of the water receiving portion 41d, 51d of the bottom wall 41, 51 may be made transparent.

As shown in FIG. 6 of the first embodiment, the opening 42a of the insulating member 42 has an inner peripheral surface 42b, which is an edge of the opening 42a, formed in a tapered shape. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the inner peripheral surface 42b of the opening may be formed in a surface that is perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to the lower surface of the insulating member 42.
In addition, the lid insulation member 47 is provided with the downward displacement portion 47e that is displaced downward from the flat plate portion 47d, but this is not limited to the above, and the entire lid insulation member 47 may be made into a flat plate portion 47d without providing the downward displacement portion 47e.

In addition, in the third embodiment shown in FIG. 13, a reinforcing rib 51p is provided on the bottom wall 51. However, as in the first embodiment, a tapered opening inner surface 42b (see FIG. 13) may be formed in the thin-walled portion 52m of the heat insulating member 52 to provide an opening 42a without providing a reinforcing rib 51p.
This not only provides an air layer 70 between the drain cap 26 and the lid member 64, but also further enhances the insulating effect by directly contacting the outer peripheral surface 57j of the lid insulation member 67 of the lid member 64 with the opening inner peripheral surface 42b.

The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the present invention has a structure for periodically inspecting the drain pan, which prevents the drain pan from becoming too large and limits its effect on the air flow around the drain pan, and can be suitably used as an indoor unit of an air conditioner that allows sufficient confirmation of dirt inside the drain pan.

10 Indoor unit 17 Indoor heat exchanger (heat exchanger)
18 Blower 19, 50, 60 Drain pan 26 Drain cap 27 Drain pump 29 Float switch 30 Decorative panel 32 Intake grill 41, 51 Bottom wall (drain pan bottom wall)
41c Drain water passage 41d, 51d Water receiving portion 41e, 51e Drain hole 41g Boss portion (mounting portion)
41j, 51j: recess 41m, 51m: bottom peripheral wall (peripheral wall)
41w, 51w: Bottom wall of water receiving section 42, 52: Insulating member (drain pan insulating member)
42a, 51r Opening 44, 54, 64 Lid member 45 Screw 47, 57, 67 Lid insulation member (insulation member)
47b, 57b, 67b Lid member recess 48, 58, 68 Lid bottom wall (plate)
51p Reinforcement rib 70 Air layer

Claims (8)

An indoor unit of an air conditioner that houses a heat exchanger, a blower, and a drain pan, and has a water receiving portion for storing drain water in the drain pan,
The bottom wall of the water receiving section is formed to be transparent, and a drain pan insulation member is provided below the bottom wall of the water receiving section, and the drain pan insulation member has an opening through which the bottom wall of the water receiving section can be viewed from below, and a cover member with an insulation member is removably fitted into the opening,
An indoor unit for an air conditioning apparatus, characterized in that a plate is provided on the underside of the insulating member of the cover member, the plate having a flange portion that is formed wider than the edge of the opening. An intake grille that covers the indoor air intake port is provided so that it can be opened and closed freely.
2. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the opening is provided at a position visible from the outside when the intake grille is in an open state. The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the drain pan is provided with a drain cap that closes a drain hole provided in the bottom wall of the water receiving portion, and the drain cap is disposed at the opening. An indoor unit for an air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the edge of the opening is tapered so as to open gradually downward, and the edge of the lid member is formed in a shape that conforms to the edge of the opening. The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the drain pan comprises a drain pan bottom wall disposed below the heat exchanger, the drain pan insulation member disposed below the drain pan bottom wall, the bottom wall of the water receiving section is provided on a part of the drain pan bottom wall, and the drain pan bottom wall is entirely formed transparent. The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 3, characterized in that the drain hole of the water receiving portion is formed in a recess in the bottom wall of the water receiving portion, and the insulating member of the lid member has a lid member recess that accommodates the peripheral wall that forms the recess and the drain cap. An indoor unit for an air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the opening is provided with an attachment part extending from the bottom wall of the water receiving part to which the lid member is attached, and the lid member is attached to the attachment part with a screw. The drain pan has a water collecting portion whose bottom wall is at the lowest position,
The water reservoir is disposed immediately below the drain pump or in the vicinity of the drain pump, and immediately below the float switch or in the vicinity of the float switch,
3. The indoor unit for an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the opening and the cover member are provided below the water reservoir.