JPH076638B2 - Air conditioner housing - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial application] The present invention relates to a housing of an air conditioner,
In particular, the present invention relates to a housing that can be used in a ceiling-embedded cassette type air conditioner.

[Prior Art] As a housing for a conventional air conditioner of this type,
The technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 58-133722 can be mentioned.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a conventional air conditioner body.

In the figure, (1) is a housing made of a steel plate in which an indoor unit of an air conditioner is housed, (2) is a fan of the air conditioner, (3) is a motor for driving the fan (2), and (4).
Is a blade rotated by a motor (3), (5) is a heat exchanger arranged around the blower (2), and (6) is a drain pan arranged below the heat exchanger (5). (7) is a decorative panel exposed on the indoor side of the air conditioner, and has a suction port (8) for sucking indoor air and an outlet (9) for blowing air after heat exchange into the room. There is. Note that (1
0) is the ceiling surface.

The conventional air conditioner is configured as described above and installed in a state where it is embedded in the ceiling or the like. Then, according to each operating state of cooling or heating, the air sucked from the suction port (8) is cooled or heated by the heat exchanger (5), and is blown out from the outlet port (9) as cold air or warm air.

Usually, the blower (2), the heat exchanger (5), etc. of this air conditioner are integrally housed in the housing (1) as an indoor unit.

The housing of this type of air conditioner will be described below.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing a housing of a conventional air conditioner during assembly.

In the figure, (11) is a rectangular plate-shaped housing (1)
Is a top plate of which a flange (11a) is formed around the top plate. (12a) and (12b) are side plate members of the housing (1) having an L-shaped cross section, and two side plate members (12a)
The side plates (12) having a square tubular shape are formed by joining the parts (12b) and (12b) at both ends thereof with screws (13).
Then, with the screw (13), the flange (11
The box-shaped housing (1) is formed by joining a) to the upper edge of the side plate (12). The housing (1) is provided with an opening (14) on the side opposite to the top plate (11) to which the decorative panel (7) can be attached.

In addition to the rectangular box-like outer shape of the housing (1), there are many other shapes.

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing a housing of another conventional air conditioner during assembly.

In the figure, (15) is an octagonal plate-shaped top plate,
Similar to the top plate (11) shown, a flange (15a) is formed around the periphery. (16a) and (16b) are side plate members having a substantially U-shaped cross section, (17a) and (17b) are flat side plate members, and the side plate members (16a) and (16b) and the side plate members (17a) and (17a) 17b) and 17b) are joined to each other by screws (13) to form an octagonal tubular side plate (16). Then, use the screw (13) to attach the flange (15a) of the top plate (15) to the side plate (1
An octagonal box-shaped housing (1) is formed by joining the upper edge of (6). The side of the housing (1) opposite to the top plate (15) is also an opening (18).

As the housing of the conventional air conditioner, various shapes are used according to the shape of the indoor unit. In addition, in the housing of the air conditioner, top plates (11) and (15) and side plates (12) are provided in order to prevent condensation and ensure heat insulation.
There is also a type in which a heat insulating material is attached to the inner and outer wall surfaces of (16).

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Since the housing of the conventional air conditioner is configured as described above, when forming housings of various shapes, the side plates have an L-shaped cross section and a U-shaped cross section. , And the flat side plate member are appropriately combined, the number of parts for forming the side plate, and thus the number of parts of the entire housing, increases. In addition, along with this, the number of places where screws are screwed increases, and the work of attaching a heat insulating material for preventing dew condensation to each side plate member is very troublesome. Further, the side plate members need to be configured to be joined to each other, and the shape of the individual component parts may be complicated, resulting in an increase in the manufacturing man-hours and a decrease in the loading efficiency during component transfer. . In those cases, there is a problem that the final cost of the housing cannot be kept low.

Therefore, the present invention can reduce the number of constituent parts of the housing of the air conditioner, simplify the shape of the individual parts and reduce the weight, and further reduce the final cost while ensuring a sufficient heat insulating effect. An object is to provide a housing of an air conditioner that can be kept low.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In the housing of the air conditioner according to the invention of claim 1, the side plate has a hollow thick portion and a thin wall portion integrally formed so as to be bendable between the thick portions. The hinge portion is formed into a flat plate shape and is bent into a cylindrical shape in conformity with the shape around the top plate.

A housing of an air conditioner according to a second aspect of the present invention is a support pillar in which side plates are arranged at predetermined positions around a top plate in a state of being separated from each other, and a heat insulating material arranged between adjacent support pillars. The plate-shaped side plate member is formed in a tubular shape.

[Operation] In the invention of claim 1, since the side plate has a flat plate shape before being assembled to the top plate, the stacking efficiency during transportation is improved. Further, since the side plate can be formed into a tubular shape by conforming to the peripheral shape of the top plate only by bending the hinge portion, the side plate assembling work becomes easy. Furthermore, the hollow thick part of the side plate exerts a heat insulating effect, and it is not necessary to attach another heat insulating material to the side plate.

According to the second aspect of the invention, since the side plate is made up of the support pillar and the plate-shaped side plate member before being assembled to the top plate, the loading efficiency during transportation is improved. Further, the side plate can be formed into a tubular shape only by supporting the side plate member between the supporting columns, and the side plate assembling work becomes easy. Furthermore, since the side plate member is made of a heat insulating material, it is not necessary to attach another heat insulating material to the side plate in order to obtain a heat insulating effect, the number of parts of the side plate is small, and the assembling work thereof is further facilitated.

[Examples] Examples of the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a state before assembly of a side plate of a housing of an air conditioner of a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a top plate and a side plate of the first embodiment during assembly. It is a figure.

In the drawings, the same reference numerals and symbols as those of the conventional example indicate the same or corresponding parts as those of the conventional example, and therefore, redundant description will be omitted here.

In FIG. 1, (20) is a side plate of a housing of an air conditioner, which is a flat plate in which a plurality of thick-walled portions (21) having a substantially trapezoidal cross section are integrally connected by a thin-walled mirror hinge portion (22). It is formed into a shape. That is, the thick part (21) is made hollow by blow molding a synthetic resin and has a predetermined thickness. In this embodiment, the side plate (20) has a thick wall portion (21a) serving as the rear wall, a thick wall portion (21b) serving as the left and right walls, and a thick wall so that the side plate (20) becomes a square tubular shape after assembly. It is composed of a portion (21c), and a pair of thick-walled portions (21d) and thick-walled portions (21e) which are front walls.

The facing side faces (21f) of the adjacent thick portions (21) are formed by the side plates (2
Prior to assembly (0), they are inclined to form a predetermined angle (approximately 90 degrees in this embodiment) with each other. Further, a connecting protrusion (23a) is integrally molded of synthetic resin on the side of the mirror hinge portion (22) of one thick portion (21d) that becomes the front wall, and the other thick portion (21a) that becomes the front wall ( A connection recess (23b) capable of overlapping and adhering to the connection projection (23a) is formed on the mirror hinge (22) side of 21e). Then, the connecting protrusion (2
3a) has a certain number of holes (24
a) is formed, and an insert nut (24b) to be screwed with the screw (13) is embedded in the connecting recess (23b) at a position corresponding to the fool hole (24a).

The mirror hinge part (22) is formed by integrally molding a synthetic resin between the adjacent thick parts (21), and the flexibility of the synthetic resin allows the mirror hinge part (22) to be bent with a predetermined bending force. There is. Then, the mirror hinge portions (22) are bent by an external force such as a hand, so that the facing side surfaces (21f) of the thick portion (21) are in close contact with each other. In a state where the side plate (20) is formed in a square tube shape, the lower end of the side plate (20) is opened to form an opening (25).

The number of the thick portions (21) and the angle of the facing side surface (21f) are appropriately changed according to the shape of the housing, that is, the shape of the side plate (20) after assembly.

Next, the assembling work of the housing of the air conditioner of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.

The side plate (20) retains a flat plate shape before assembly, and is loaded on a transportation vehicle or the like while being in a flat plate shape to be transported or carried into a factory or the like. Further, the side plate (20) is formed by bending the mirror hinge portions (22) at the time of assembly to form the thick portion (2).
The opposite side surfaces (21f) of (1) are brought into close contact with each other, the connecting projection (23a) and the connecting recess (23b) are brought into close contact with each other, and the screw (13) is inserted into the insert nut (24b) through the fool hole (21a). ) Is screwed and tightened to form a rectangular tube. That is, the side plate (20) has an external shape corresponding to that of the side plate (12) of the conventional example shown in FIG. 8 after assembly. After that, the top plate (11) is attached to the side plate (20) in the same manner as the conventional example shown in FIG.

At this time, the thick part (21) in the mirror hinge part (22)
Is about 90 degrees, that is, the angle of the facing side surface (21f) is about 90.
When the thick portions (21) are combined, the opposing side surfaces (21f) are in close contact with each other and no gap is formed inside the side plate (20). After the opposing side plates (21f) are in close contact with each other, the thick side (21) is in close contact with the opposing side plates (21f).
Subsequent bending is restricted by f), and the side plate (20) is securely held in the shape of a rectangular tube. Further, since the thick portion (21) has a hollow structure, the air layer in the hollow portion has a side plate (2).
0) Insulates inside and outside.

As described above, in the housing of the air conditioner of the first embodiment, the side plate (20) is formed between the thick portion (21) made hollow by blow molding synthetic resin and the thick portion (21). A thin-walled mirror hinge part (22) that is made of synthetic resin and can be bent to form a flat plate shape, and during assembly, the mirror hinge part (22) is bent to form an adjacent thick part. Close the side plates (21f) between the (21) and the side plates (21f).
Is formed by bending it into a square tubular shape in conformity with the shape around the top plate (11).

Therefore, in the first embodiment, the side plate (20) has a flat plate shape before being assembled to the top plate (11), so that the shape of the single component during transportation is simplified and the loading efficiency is improved. . Further, since the side plate (20) can be formed into a rectangular tube shape by simply bending the mirror hinge part (22) to match the peripheral shape of the top plate (11), the side plate (20) can be easily assembled. At the same time, unlike the conventional example, parts such as screws for assembling the side plate are unnecessary, the number of constituent parts of the side plate (20) is reduced, and the housing can be made lighter. Also, the side plate (2
The hollow thick part (21) of (0) exerts a heat insulating effect, and the side plate (2)
It is not necessary to attach other heat insulating material to 0). As a result, the final cost of the housing can be kept low while ensuring a sufficient heat insulating effect.

By the way, the thick portion (21) of the above-mentioned embodiment is made hollow by blow molding a synthetic resin, but it is not limited to this when carrying out the present invention, and the hollow portion As long as it has a heat insulating effect and functions as a side plate member that imparts a predetermined strength to the side plate (20). However, when the thick portion (21) is formed by blow molding synthetic resin, the thick portion (2)
The effect of 1) hollowing is easy and the weight of the side plate (20) can be reduced.

Further, the side plate (20) of the above embodiment is configured to have a square tubular shape after assembling, but when implementing the present invention,
The present invention is not limited to this, and the side plate may have a flat plate shape before assembling, and may have a cylindrical shape after being assembled so as to match the peripheral shape of the top plate. For example, the side plate may have another polygonal tubular shape.

Further, the side plate (20) of the above-described embodiment has the front wall composed of the pair of thick-walled portions (21d) and thick-walled portions (21e), but the present invention is not limited to this. Alternatively, the front wall may be formed of a single thick-walled portion, and the front wall and the right wall or the left wall may be joined by screws or the like.

Furthermore, the pair of front walls (21d) and (21e) of the side plate (20) of the above embodiment may be joined by joining means other than screws, such as an adhesive.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a state before assembling the side plates of the housing of the air conditioner of the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of the side plates of the second embodiment during assembly. .

In the figure, the same reference numerals and symbols as those of the first embodiment indicate the same or corresponding parts as those of the first embodiment.

In the figure, (26) is a sheet-like heat insulating material having substantially the same size as the side plate (20), and is attached to the side of the side plate (20) on the mirror hinge portion (22) side by adhesion or the like. Further, a half punched perforation (26a) is formed at a position corresponding to the mirror hinge portion (22) of the heat insulating material (26). Further, in the heat insulating material (26), at a position corresponding to the fool hole (24a) of the engaging projection (23a), similarly, a fool hole (27) is formed.
a) has been formed.

The housing of the air conditioner of the second embodiment is assembled in the same manner as in the first embodiment. At this time, the side plate (20)
Before being assembled to the top plate (11), since it has a flat plate shape,
The shape of the side plate (20) at the time of transportation can be simplified and the stacking efficiency thereof can be improved. In addition, at the time of assembly, the side plate (20) can be formed into a square tube shape by matching the shape around the top plate (11) simply by bending the mirror hinge part (22). Therefore, the side plate (20) can be assembled. The work is facilitated, and parts such as screws for assembling the side plate unlike the conventional example are not required, the number of constituent parts of the side plate (20) can be reduced, and the weight of the housing can be reduced. In addition, the hollow thick part (2
1) exerts a heat insulating effect, and the heat insulating material (26) exerts a further heat insulating effect in addition to the thick portion (21). As a result, the final cost of the housing can be kept low while ensuring a sufficient heat insulating effect. Further, due to the perforations (26a) provided in the heat insulating material (26), the heat insulating material (26) does not prevent the bending of the mirror hinge part (22) when the side plate (20) is formed into a rectangular tube shape. None, like the first embodiment,
The mirror hinge part (22) can be bent easily. Then, in order to obtain a further heat insulating effect, it is only necessary to attach one sheet-shaped heat insulating material (26) to the flat plate-shaped side plate (20). The attaching work is easier than the case where the heat insulating material is attached.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the housing of the air conditioner of the third embodiment of the present invention during assembly, and FIG. 6 is an X- line in FIG.
It is sectional drawing by X-ray.

In the figure, (29) is an octagonal plate-shaped top plate, and has flanges (29a) on each side of its outer periphery. Reference numeral (30) is a support column formed in a rod shape as a strength member having a predetermined strength by aluminum extrusion molding or synthetic resin molding, and a pair of substantially U-shaped support pieces (31) and (32) are predetermined. It has a cross-sectional shape that is joined so as to intersect at an angle. The inner surface of each support piece (31, 32) forms support recesses (31a) and (32a) having a substantially U-shaped cross section that extends in the length direction of the support column (30). In addition, latching claws (31b) and (32b) projecting inwardly facing each other are formed at both widthwise ends of each supporting piece (31, 32), and at the upper end of the supporting column (30). Has a female screw portion (not shown). The support column (30) is fixed to the lower surface of each corner of the top plate (29) by screwing a screw (13) into a female screw portion.

(41) is provided between the adjacent support columns (30) and is made of a hard heat insulating material whose both end edges are press-fitted and fixed in the support recesses (31a) and (32a) of the support columns (30). It is a flat plate-shaped side plate member. The side plate member (41) is a supporting column (30)
While being press-fitted into the support recesses (31a) and (32a), the entire lengths of the hooks (31b) and (32b) bite into both the inner and outer surfaces of the side plate member (41) so that the side plate member (41). The latch prevents the side plate member (41) from coming off the support column (30), and exhibits a sealing effect between the support column (30) and the side plate member (41). The side plate member (41) constitutes a side plate (40) together with the support column (30). Further, (51) is a drain pan having a substantially U-shaped cross section, which is fixed by fixing means such as screws corresponding to the entire circumference of the lower end of the side plate (40) to improve the strength of the entire housing and to make the side plate (40 ) Condensation and drips are collected.

Next, the assembling work of the housing of the air conditioner of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.

Before being assembled, the side plate (30) is composed of a flat side plate member (41) and a rod-shaped support column (30), and is loaded on a transportation vehicle or the like to be transported or carried into a factory or the like. In addition, the side plate (40) fixes the support column (30) to the lower surface of each corner of the top plate (29) with the screw (13) at the time of assembly, and the side plate member (41) is provided between the adjacent support columns (30). It is formed into an octagonal tubular shape by arranging and pressing both side edge portions into the support concave portions (31a) and (32a) by press fitting. At this time, the latch claw (31b)
And the entire length of (32b) bites into both the inner and outer surfaces of the side plate member (41) to hook the side plate member (41). Therefore, the side plate member (41) is prevented from coming off the support column (30), and the latching claws (31b) and (32b) seal the support column (30) and the side plate member (41). Be effective. After assembly, the side plate (40) has an external shape corresponding to that of the side plate (16) of the conventional example shown in FIG. Then, the drain pan (51) is fixed to the lower end of the side plate (40) to form the housing of the third embodiment. As described in the conventional example, the indoor unit of the air conditioner is housed in the housing after assembly and is embedded in the ceiling or the like.

Next, the operation of the air conditioner in which the indoor unit is housed in the housing will be described.

The air conditioner embedded in the ceiling or the like cools or heats the air sucked from the suction port (8) with the heat exchanger (5) according to each operating state of cooling or heating, and uses it as cold air or hot air. It blows out from the outlet (9). At this time, the drainage that has condensed and dropped inside the housing of the air conditioner is
It is collected in the drain pan (51) fixed to the lower end of (0) and is naturally evaporated. In addition, the hooks (31) of the support pillar (30)
Since b) and (32b) bite into both the inner and outer surfaces of the side plate member (41) to be locked, and exhibit a sealing effect, the air after heat exchange is retained by the hook claws (31b) and (32b). It does not leak to the outside of the housing through the space between the side plate member (41) and is blown out to the indoor side without reducing the heat exchange efficiency of the air conditioner.

Furthermore, since the side plate (40) is formed by combining a plurality of side plate members (41) made of a flat plate heat insulating material and supporting them by the supporting columns (30) as strength members, the weight of the side plate (40) is reduced. In addition to reducing the number of heat treatments, a sufficient heat insulating effect can be obtained without requiring special work such as attaching a side plate member to a side plate as in the conventional example.

As described above, in the housing of the air conditioner according to the third embodiment, the side plate (40) is provided on the lower surface of the corner portion of the top plate (29) as a supporting column as a strength member which is arranged in a state of being separated from each other ( 30)
And a side plate member (41) made of a flat plate-shaped heat insulating material which is disposed between the adjacent support columns (30) and is press-fitted and supported in the support recesses (31a) and (31b) of the support columns (30). It is formed into an octagonal cylinder.

Therefore, in the third embodiment described above, since the side plate (40) is made up of the rod-shaped support column (30) and the flat plate-shaped side plate member (41) before being assembled to the top plate (29), the side plate during transportation. The shapes of the components of (40) can be simplified, and the loading efficiency thereof can be improved. Further, the side plate (40) can be formed in an octagonal tube shape only by press-fitting and supporting the side plate member (41) between the support columns (30), and the side plate (40) can be easily assembled, as in the conventional example. Parts such as screws for assembling the side plate are not required, the number of constituent parts of the side plate (40) is reduced, and the housing can be made lighter. Further, since the side plate member (41) is made of a heat insulating material, the weight of the side plate (40) can be further reduced, and it is not necessary to attach another heat insulating material to the side plate (40) to obtain a heat insulating effect. The structure of the side plate (40) is simplified, and the assembling work thereof is further facilitated. As a result, the final cost of the housing can be kept low while ensuring a sufficient heat insulating effect.

By fixing the drain pan (51) to the entire circumference of the lower end of the side plate (40), the strength of the entire housing can be improved and the dew from the housing can be prevented.

By the way, the support pillar (30) of the above-mentioned embodiment is provided with the support recess (31
a) and (32a) are configured so that both side edge portions of the side plate member (41) are housed and latched by the latching claws (31b) and (32b). Is not limited to this, the predetermined strength is given to the housing, air leakage from the housing is prevented, and the side plate member (4
Anything that functions to support 1) may be used. For example,
It is also possible that the supporting piece is not provided with the latching claws (31b) and (32b) but has a cross-sectional shape that narrows toward the opening end, and the side plate member (41) is tightly locked by the elasticity of the supporting piece. is there. Further, it is possible to support the side plate member (41) on the support column (30) by other engagement means such as adhesion.

Further, although the side plate (40) of the above-mentioned embodiment is configured to have an octagonal tubular shape after assembly, when implementing the present invention,
The present invention is not limited to this, and the side plate may be formed of a support column and a plate-shaped side plate member before assembling, and may have a tubular shape after being assembled to match the peripheral shape of the top plate. . For example, the side plate may have another polygonal tubular shape.

[Advantages of the Invention] As described above, in the housing of the air conditioner according to the invention of claim 1, the side plate is a thin-walled body formed integrally with the hollow thick-walled portion and the thick-walled portion so as to be bendable. It is formed in a flat plate shape from the hinge portion of, and is bent in a cylindrical shape in conformity with the peripheral shape of the top plate. Therefore, since the side plate has a flat plate shape before being assembled to the top plate, the loading efficiency during transportation is improved. Further, since the side plate can be formed into a tubular shape by conforming to the peripheral shape of the top plate only by bending the hinge portion, the side plate assembling work becomes easy. Furthermore, the hollow thick part of the side plate exerts a heat insulating effect, and it is not necessary to attach another heat insulating material to the side plate. As a result, the number of constituent parts of the housing of the air conditioner can be reduced, the shape of individual parts can be simplified and the weight can be reduced, and the final cost can be kept low while securing a sufficient heat insulating effect. Is possible.

In the housing of the air conditioner according to the invention of claim 2, the side plates are support pillars arranged at predetermined positions around the top plate in a state of being separated from each other, and heat insulation arranged and supported between the adjacent support pillars. A tubular side plate member made of a material is formed into a tubular shape. Therefore, since the side plate is made up of the supporting pillar and the plate-shaped side plate member before being assembled to the top plate, the loading efficiency during transportation is improved. Further, the side plate can be formed into a tubular shape only by supporting the side plate member between the supporting columns, and the side plate assembling work becomes easy. Furthermore, since the side plate member is made of a heat insulating material, it is not necessary to attach another heat insulating material to the side plate in order to obtain a heat insulating effect, the number of parts of the side plate is small, and the assembling work thereof is further facilitated. As a result, the number of constituent parts of the housing of the air conditioner can be reduced, the shape of individual parts can be simplified and the weight can be reduced, and the final cost can be kept low while securing a sufficient heat insulating effect. Is possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a state before assembly of a side plate of a housing of an air conditioner of a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a top plate and a side plate of the first embodiment during assembly. Figure, third
FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state before assembly of a side plate of a housing of an air conditioner of a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a side plate of a second embodiment during assembly, and FIG. Is a perspective view showing the appearance of the housing of the air conditioner of the third embodiment of the present invention during assembly, FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is a conventional air conditioner body. Sectional drawing showing
FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing a housing of a conventional air conditioner during assembly, and FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing a housing of another conventional air conditioner during assembly. In the figure, 11: top plate, 20: side plate 21: thick part 22: mirror hinge part (hinge part) 29: top plate, 30: support pillar 40: side plate, 41: side plate member. In the drawings, the same reference numerals and symbols indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An air conditioner comprising: a top plate; and a hollow thick wall portion and a side plate that divides the thick wall portion and has a bendable thin hinge portion formed into a substantially flat plate shape. In the housing, an air conditioner housing, wherein the side plate is bent in a tubular shape so as to match the shape of the periphery of the top plate. 2. A plate-shaped side plate member made of a top plate, support columns arranged at predetermined positions around the top plate and spaced apart from each other, and a heat insulating material disposed between adjacent support columns. A housing of an air conditioner, wherein the side plate member is formed into a cylindrical shape to form a side plate.