WO2019162993A1 - Indoor unit for air conditioner and air conditioner comprising same indoor unit - Google Patents

Abstract

An indoor unit for an air conditioner comprises: an intake grill in which an inlet for gas inflow is formed; a decorative panel to which the intake grill is mounted and in which an outlet for gas outflow is formed; a case to which the decorative panel is mounted and that forms a channel between the inlet and the outlet; a fan that is disposed in the case opposite to the intake grill, that blows gas in from the inlet, and that blows gas out through the outlet; a heat exchanger that is disposed in the channel between the fan and the outlet in the case and that exchanges heat between refrigerant flowing therein and the gas; and a refrigerant detection sensor that detects refrigerant leaks. The intake grill is disposed lower than the heat exchanger, and the refrigerant detection sensor is installed lower than the heat exchanger and is disposed between the intake grill and the fan.

Description

Air conditioner indoor unit and air conditioner equipped with the indoor unit

The present invention relates to an indoor unit of an air conditioner including a gas sensor that detects refrigerant leakage, and an air conditioner including the indoor unit.

Some refrigerants used in conventional air conditioners are flammable. Therefore, when a flammable refrigerant leaks from an indoor unit or the like of an air conditioner, there is a risk of ignition of the refrigerant if the leaked refrigerant exceeds a certain concentration. Then, in order to detect the leakage of combustible refrigerant | coolants, such as R32 refrigerant | coolant, the indoor unit of the air conditioner which installed the temperature sensor in multiple places is proposed (for example, refer patent document 1). The indoor unit of the air conditioner of Patent Document 1 detects whether or not the refrigerant has leaked from the difference between the air temperature and the refrigerant temperature in the pipe.

JP 2016-191531 A

¡The temperature of the refrigerant flowing in the indoor unit of the air conditioner changes significantly depending on various operating conditions such as cooling, heating, or defrosting operation of the outdoor unit. Therefore, in the conventional technology that detects and reports the difference between the indoor air and the refrigerant temperature in the pipe, for example, the temperature difference between the refrigerant temperature that changes during the defrosting operation of the outdoor unit and the indoor temperature that does not change There is a risk of misdetection.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems. An air conditioner indoor unit having improved refrigerant detection accuracy when refrigerant leaks from the air conditioner indoor unit, and the room The air conditioner provided with the machine is provided.

An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the present invention includes a suction grill in which a suction port through which gas flows is formed, a decorative panel to which a suction grill is attached and a blowout port from which gas flows out, and a decorative panel is attached. A housing that forms an air passage between the suction port and the air outlet, and a blower that is disposed in the housing so as to face the suction grill, and that allows gas to flow in from the air inlet and gas to flow out from the air outlet And a heat exchanger that is disposed in an air path between the blower and the air outlet in the housing and exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the gas flowing inside, and a refrigerant detection sensor that detects leakage of the refrigerant. The grill is disposed below the heat exchanger, and the refrigerant detection sensor is disposed below the heat exchanger and is disposed between the suction grill and the blower.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the present invention, the suction grill is disposed below the heat exchanger, the refrigerant detection sensor is disposed below the heat exchanger, the suction grill and the blower It is arranged between. Therefore, during operation of the blower, even if the refrigerant leaked from the housing is diluted and refrigerant leakage cannot be detected instantaneously, the gas that flows out from the air outlet and flows in from the air inlet before the refrigerant concentration in the room reaches the combustible region The refrigerant contained in the can be detected by the refrigerant detection sensor. Further, when the blower is stopped, the refrigerant stays at the bottom of the casing, so that the refrigerant detection sensor can detect the refrigerant leakage. As a result, it is possible to improve the refrigerant detection accuracy when the refrigerant leaks from the indoor unit of the air conditioner.

It is a bottom view of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the indoor unit in FIG. 1. It is the bottom view which removed the suction grille of the indoor unit of FIG. It is a front view of the sensor holder installed in the indoor unit of the air conditioner which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a right view of the sensor holder of FIG. It is a left view of the sensor holder of FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view of the sensor holder of FIG. It is the disassembled perspective view seen from the other direction of the sensor holder of FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view of the sensor holder installed in the indoor unit of the air conditioner concerning Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is the disassembled perspective view seen from the other direction of the sensor holder installed in the indoor unit of the air conditioner concerning Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the air conditioner which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention.

Hereinafter, an indoor unit 100 of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention and an air conditioner 200 including the indoor unit 100 will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings including FIG. 1, the relative dimensional relationship and shape of each component may be different from actual ones. In the following drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same or corresponding parts, and this is common throughout the entire specification. In addition, in order to facilitate understanding, terms representing directions (for example, “up”, “down”, “right”, “left”, “front”, “back”, etc.) are used as appropriate. For convenience of explanation, it is only described as such, and does not limit the arrangement and orientation of the apparatus or components.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
[Indoor unit 100]
FIG. 1 is a bottom view of an indoor unit 100 of an air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the indoor unit 100 of FIG. The X axis shown in the following drawings including FIG. 1 indicates the left-right width direction of the indoor unit 100, the Y axis indicates the front-rear direction of the indoor unit 100, and the Z-axis indicates the vertical direction of the indoor unit 100. . More specifically, in the X axis, the X1 side is the left side, the X2 side is the right side, the Y axis is the front side, the Y2 side is the rear side, the Z axis is the Z1 side is the upper side, and the Z2 side is the lower side. explain. Moreover, the positional relationship (for example, up-down relationship etc.) between each structural member in a specification is a thing when installing the indoor unit 100 in the state which can be used in principle. In the present embodiment, a four-way cassette type indoor unit 100 that is a ceiling-embedded type that can be embedded in the ceiling of a room and that has blowout ports 13c in four directions will be described. The indoor unit 100 is connected to an outdoor unit through a refrigerant pipe, and constitutes a refrigerant circuit that circulates the refrigerant and performs refrigeration, air conditioning, and the like. In addition, the refrigerant | coolant used for the indoor heat exchanger 30 of this indoor unit 100 is a refrigerant | coolant with a larger density than air. However, the refrigerant used for the indoor heat exchanger 30 of the indoor unit 100 is not limited to a refrigerant having a density higher than that of air, and may be the same as that of air or a refrigerant having a density lower than that of air. Good.

The indoor unit 100 supplies conditioned air to an conditioned space such as a room by using a refrigeration cycle that circulates refrigerant. First, the external configuration of the indoor unit 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the indoor unit 100 includes a housing 10 that houses the blower 20, the indoor heat exchanger 30, and the like. The housing 10 has a top plate 11 constituting a ceiling wall and side plates 12 constituting four side walls, front, rear, left and right, and the lower side (Z2 side) facing the room is open. A substantially rectangular decorative panel 13 is attached to the opening of the housing 10 in plan view.

The decorative panel 13 is a plate-like member, one side faces a mounted portion such as a ceiling and a wall, and the other side faces a room that is a target space for air conditioning. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an opening 13a that is a through hole is formed near the center of the decorative panel 13, and a suction grille 14 is attached to the opening 13a. The suction grill 14 is formed with a suction port 14a through which gas flows into the housing 10 from a room serving as an air-conditioning target space. A filter (not shown) for removing dust after passing through the suction grille 14 is disposed on the housing 10 side of the suction grille 14. The decorative panel 13 between the outer edge part 13b of the decorative panel 13 and the inner edge part that forms the opening part 13a is formed with an air outlet 13c through which gas flows out. The gas outlet 13 c is formed along each of the four sides of the decorative panel 13. Each air outlet 13c is provided with a vane 15 for changing the wind direction. The housing | casing 10 forms an air path between the suction inlet 14a and the blower outlet 13c in the inside of the housing | casing 10. FIG.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the indoor unit 100 of FIG. 1 with the suction grill 14 removed. Next, the internal configuration of the indoor unit 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. The indoor unit 100 includes a blower 20 that allows indoor gas to flow in from the suction port 14a and allows gas to flow out of the air outlet 13c into the room. The blower 20 is disposed facing the suction grille 14 in the housing 10. In addition, the blower 20 is disposed in the housing 10 such that the rotation axis is oriented in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction).

The indoor unit 100 is disposed in the air passage between the blower 20 and the air outlet 13c in the housing 10 and performs heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing inside the indoor heat exchanger 30 and the gas flowing through the air passage. A heat exchanger 30 is provided. The indoor heat exchanger 30 is disposed in the air path between the blower 20 and the air outlet 13c in the housing 10. The indoor heat exchanger 30 creates conditioned air by exchanging heat between the refrigerant flowing inside and the room air. The indoor heat exchanger 30 is, for example, a fin tube type heat exchanger, and is disposed so as to surround the blower 20 on the downstream side of the blower 20 in the gas flow. For example, when the indoor unit 100 of the present embodiment is applied to the air conditioner 200 described later, the indoor heat exchanger 30 functions as an evaporator during the cooling operation and functions as a condenser during the heating operation. The blower 20 and the indoor heat exchanger 30 are disposed in the casing 10 on the downstream side of the air with respect to the suction port 14a and on the upstream side of the air with respect to the air outlet 13c. In the indoor unit 100, the blower 20 is disposed above the suction grille 14, and the indoor heat exchanger 30 is disposed in the radial direction of the blower 20. Further, in the indoor unit 100, the suction grill 14 is disposed below the indoor heat exchanger 30.

Moreover, the indoor unit 100 has a bell mouth 16. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the bell mouth 16 is installed on the upstream side of the blower 20 on the air inflow side of the indoor unit 100. The bell mouth 16 rectifies the gas flowing from the suction port 14 a of the suction grill 14 and sends it to the blower 20.

Moreover, the indoor unit 100 includes an electrical component box 40 between the bell mouth 16 and the suction grille 14 in the housing 10. The electrical component box 40 is a box that is internally provided with a device such as a control device that controls the indoor unit 100. The device in the electrical component box 40 supplies power to the equipment of the indoor unit 100 and transmits and receives signals (communication). Further, the electrical component box 40 is provided with a control unit 80 that processes signals from a refrigerant detection sensor 50 and a temperature sensor 70 described later. The control unit 80 includes, for example, a storage unit that stores a program and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes processing according to the program. The control unit 80 may be provided in a sensor holder 60 described later. The electrical component box 40 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The electrical component box 40 is disposed in the opening 13a formed in the decorative panel 13 in a plan view when the ceiling is viewed from the indoor side, and the longitudinal direction of the electrical component box 40 forms one side of the opening 13a. It arrange | positions along the edge part of the decorative panel 13 to do. The electrical component box 40 is fixed in the housing 10 by a fixing member such as a screw, for example.

Moreover, the indoor unit 100 includes a refrigerant detection sensor 50 that detects leakage of the refrigerant. The refrigerant detection sensor 50 is formed in a cylindrical shape, for example. The refrigerant detection sensor 50 mainly uses a semiconductor for the gas sensitive element and outputs an output due to the oxygen concentration. For example, the resistance value generated when the metal oxide semiconductor comes into contact with the gas contained in the gas. Change is detected as gas concentration. The refrigerant detection sensor 50 may be driven by power supply from the indoor unit 100 or power supply from a local external power source where the indoor unit 100 is installed. When the refrigerant detection sensor 50 is not driven by power supply from the indoor unit 100 or an external power source, for example, a battery can be incorporated in the electrical component box 40 or the sensor holder 60.

The refrigerant detection sensor 50 is disposed below the indoor heat exchanger 30 and is disposed between the suction grill 14 and the blower 20. That is, the refrigerant detection sensor 50 is disposed at the bottom of the indoor unit 100 located below the bell mouth 16 and the indoor heat exchanger 30 as shown in FIG. Further, the refrigerant detection sensor 50 is disposed in the vicinity of the suction port 14 a formed in the suction grill 14. The reason why the refrigerant detection sensor 50 is disposed at the bottom of the indoor unit 100 located below the bell mouth 16 and the indoor heat exchanger 30 is that the vane 15 provided at the outlet 13c is stopped when the indoor unit 100 is stopped. Since the is closed, the refrigerant is less likely to leak from the housing 10. Therefore, it is desirable to arrange the refrigerant detection sensor 50 at the bottom of the indoor unit 100 where the casing 10 is filled with refrigerant and the leaked refrigerant accumulates. Further, the reason why the refrigerant detection sensor 50 is disposed in the vicinity of the suction port 14a formed in the suction grill 14 is that the refrigerant accumulated at the bottom of the indoor unit 100 is diluted by the inflowing air when the blower 20 is operated. Moreover, the refrigerant | coolant detection sensor 50 uses the semiconductor for a gas sensitive element, The detection of the leaked refrigerant | coolant becomes difficult from the characteristic of the sensor which outputs based on oxygen concentration. Therefore, when the blower 20 is in operation, the refrigerant is discharged into the room from the air outlet 13c, so that the refrigerant concentration in the room increases, and the air inlet 14a close to the indoor space can be detected when it is sucked from the air inlet 14a. It is because it is desirable to arrange | position in the vicinity. The vicinity of the suction port 14a is between the blower 20 and the suction grille 14 in the direction perpendicular to the mounted portion such as the ceiling (Z-axis direction), and more specifically, the bell mouth 16 and the suction port. Between the grill 14. Furthermore, the vicinity of the suction inlet 14a is a position within the opening 13a formed in the decorative panel 13 in a plan view when the ceiling is viewed from the indoor side. The refrigerant detection sensor 50 is disposed in the sensor holder 60. The refrigerant detection sensor 50 is excellent in serviceability because the sensor replacement work can be performed by removing the electrical box 40 from the housing 10 by removing the screw of the electrical box 40 to which the sensor holder 60 is attached. .

FIG. 4 is a front view of the sensor holder 60 installed in the indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a right side view of the sensor holder 60 of FIG. FIG. 6 is a left side view of the sensor holder 60 of FIG. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the sensor holder 60 of FIG. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the sensor holder 60 of FIG. 4 viewed from another direction. Next, the sensor holder 60 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6, the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis are axial directions when the sensor holder 60 is installed in the indoor unit 100. Further, in the following description, in the sensor holder 60, the connecting direction between the first housing portion 61 and the second housing portion 62 is referred to as a longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction), and the bottom portion 61a and the bottom portion formed in a plate shape. A direction perpendicular to 62a is referred to as a height direction (X-axis direction). Further, a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction) and the vertical direction (X-axis direction) is referred to as a short direction (Z-axis direction).

The sensor holder 60 is for fixing the refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the temperature sensor 70 in the housing 10 and for protecting the refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the temperature sensor 70 from dust and the like. In addition, when the detection unit 51 of the refrigerant detection sensor 50 is metal, the sensor holder 60 prevents contact between the human finger and the detection unit 51 so that the human finger is not touched during energization. The sensor holder 60 is a resin component such as PS (polystyrene). In the sensor holder 60, a refrigerant detection sensor 50 and a temperature sensor 70 are provided. By combining the refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the temperature sensor 70 in one sensor holder 60, only one cover is required to protect them. Further, the service sensor cover of the refrigerant detection sensor 50 can be shared with the temperature sensor 70. The sensor holder 60 is formed in a box shape. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the sensor holder 60 is fixed so as to be inserted into the side wall 40 a of the electrical component box 40 facing the air path between the suction port 14 a and the blower 20, and the refrigerant detection sensor 50. The temperature sensor 70 is arranged so as to protrude from the electrical component box 40. The sensor holder 60 is disposed in an opening 13a formed in the decorative panel 13 in a plan view when the ceiling is viewed from the room side. The sensor holder 60 is disposed between the suction grill 14 and the blower 20 in the direction perpendicular to the attached portion such as the ceiling (Z-axis direction), and more specifically, the suction grill 14 and the bell mouth. 16 is arranged. The sensor holder 60 is inserted into the electrical component box 40. By inserting the sensor holder 60 into the electrical component box 40, it is not necessary to route the lead wires connected to each sensor, and the distance between the lead wires can be shortened. If the lead wire is run in parallel with the power line or the like, there is a concern that noise is added to the output signal of the refrigerant detection sensor 50. By directly attaching the sensor holder 60 to the electrical component box 40, the distance between the lead wires is shortened, and noise in the output signal of the refrigerant detection sensor 50 can be suppressed.

As shown in FIG. 4, the sensor holder 60 has a first housing portion 61 and a second housing portion 62 along the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction). As shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the refrigerant detecting sensor 50 is accommodated in the first accommodating portion 61, and the temperature sensor 70 is accommodated in the second accommodating portion 62. The temperature sensor 70 is a thermistor, for example. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 9, each of the first housing portion 61 and the second housing portion 62 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the first housing portion 61 and the second housing portion 62 are integrally formed. ing. The bottom portion 61a of the first housing portion 61 and the bottom portion 62a of the second housing portion 62 are integrally formed in a plate shape, and a flat portion is formed between the bottom portion 61a and the bottom portion 62a on the outer peripheral surface. The size of the second storage portion 62 in the height direction (X-axis direction) is larger than the size of the first storage portion 61 in the height direction (X-axis direction). The side wall 61e in the short direction of the first housing part 61, the bottom part 61a, the top plate 61b, the side wall 62e in the short side direction of the second housing part 62, and the bottom part 62a are in the short side direction (Z-axis direction). It is divided into Therefore, the sensor holder 60 can be divided into two in the short side direction (Z-axis direction) with only the top plate 62b of the second housing portion 62 connected.

A through hole 61d is formed from the top plate 61b of the first housing 61 to the upper end of the side wall 61c. The refrigerant detection sensor 50 detects the gas flowing into the first accommodating portion 61 from the through hole 61d. The through hole 61d is formed in a slit shape. The through hole 61d is formed at an end portion on the opposite side (Y1 side) to the second accommodating portion 62 in the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction) of the top plate 61b. The through holes 61d are formed at both ends of the top plate 61b in the short direction (Z-axis direction). Furthermore, a plurality of through holes 61 d are formed in the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction) of the first housing portion 61. The width between the walls 61f of the sensor holder 60 forming the plurality of through holes 61d is smaller than the thickness of a human finger. Therefore, the through hole 61d is formed in a size that does not allow a human finger to penetrate. The width of the opening of the through hole 61d is defined so that the detection unit 51 of the refrigerant detection sensor 50 is not touched with bare hands. The sensor holder 60 is a resin part, and there is no problem even if it is touched by an operator. The plurality of through holes 61 d are formed at positions facing the refrigerant detection sensor 50. More specifically, the through hole 61d is opened only at a position where the cylindrical portion constituting the refrigerant detection sensor 50 can be seen. When wind comes from the suction port 14a, the wind needs to pass around the cylindrical portion. However, if the wind coming from the suction port 14a is excessively taken in, the opening area is set to the minimum necessary because a miscellaneous gas is issued. 7 and 8, the detection unit 51 of the refrigerant detection sensor 50 is disposed so as to face the top plate 61b. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when the sensor holder 60 is disposed in the housing 10, the detection unit 51 of the refrigerant detection sensor 50 is perpendicular to the gas flow from the suction port 14 a toward the blower 20. It faces and is arranged in a direction that does not oppose the direction of the air sucked into the housing 10. This is because the detection unit 51 of the refrigerant detection sensor 50 is not clogged by dust or the like contained in the gas sucked into the housing 10.

A through hole 62d is formed from the top plate 62b of the second housing portion 62 to the side wall 62c. The through hole 62d is formed in a slit shape. The through hole 62d is formed on the tip side from the central portion 62g in the height direction (X-axis direction) in the height direction (X-axis direction) of the side wall 62c. A plurality of through holes 62d are formed along the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction) of the top plate 62b. The through holes 62d are respectively formed at both ends of the top plate 62b in the short direction (Z-axis direction). The width between the walls 62f of the sensor holder 60 that forms the plurality of through holes 62d is smaller than the thickness of a human finger. Therefore, the through hole 62d is formed in a size that does not allow human fingers to penetrate. The plurality of through holes 62d are formed at positions facing the temperature sensor 70. The temperature sensor 70 is disposed in the sensor holder 60, detects the temperature of the gas flowing into the second accommodating portion 62 from the through hole 62d, and detects the temperature of the gas flowing in from the suction port 14a.

The second accommodating portion 62 is formed with a substantially rectangular parallelepiped bulging portion 64b bulging in the height direction (X-axis direction) from the outer wall surface of the bottom portion 62a. The sensor holder 60 is fixed to the electrical component box 40 as shown in FIG. 3 by inserting the bulging portion 64 b into the side wall 40 a of the electrical component box 40. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, an opening 64b2 is formed at the tip 64b1 of the bulging portion 64b. The bulging portion 64b is formed with a through hole 64b3 that communicates the opening 64b2 and the internal space of the bulging portion 64b. A cable for connecting the refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the control unit 80 accommodated in the electrical component box 40 or a cable for supplying power to the refrigerant detection sensor 50 is disposed in the through hole 64b3.

Next, the operation of the indoor unit 100 will be described. In the indoor unit 100, when the blower 20 is driven, the indoor air is sucked from the suction port 14a and cleaned by the filter, passes through the bell mouth 16 and flows into the impeller of the blower 20, and from between the plurality of blades. It flows out to the outer peripheral side of the impeller. The air that has flowed out of the impeller is cooled or heated by heat exchange with the refrigerant that circulates inside the indoor heat exchanger 30, and is blown into the room from the outlet 13 c as cold air or hot air. At this time, if the refrigerant is leaking, the refrigerant is blown into the room from the outlet 13c, and the blown refrigerant is sucked in from the suction port 14a. The refrigerant detection sensor 50 detects the presence of the refrigerant when the refrigerant leaking into the room is sucked. On the other hand, in the indoor unit 100, when the operation of the blower 20 is stopped, the refrigerant is filled in the casing 10 and the leaked refrigerant is accumulated even if the refrigerant leaks from any pipe in the casing 10. The refrigerant detection sensor 50 disposed at the bottom of the indoor unit 100 that detects the refrigerant detects the refrigerant.

As described above, in the indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner, the suction grill 14 is disposed below the indoor heat exchanger 30, and the refrigerant detection sensor 50 is installed below the indoor heat exchanger 30. And disposed between the suction grill 14 and the blower 20. In general, when the blower 20 is operated, the refrigerant leaking from the inside of the housing 10 may be diluted, and the refrigerant leakage may not be detected instantaneously. However, even in that case, before the refrigerant concentration in the room reaches the combustible region, the refrigerant detection sensor 50 can detect the refrigerant contained in the gas that flows out from the outlet 13c and flows in from the inlet 14a. Further, the refrigerant stays at the bottom of the housing 10 when the blower 20 is stopped, so that the refrigerant detection sensor 50 can detect the refrigerant leakage. Therefore, the indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner can improve the refrigerant detection accuracy when the refrigerant leaks. As a result, the indoor unit 100 can realize a safe air conditioner so that the refrigerant detection sensor 50 detects refrigerant leakage and does not reach the lower limit ignition concentration.

Moreover, in the indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner, the detection unit 51 of the refrigerant detection sensor 50 is installed so as to be perpendicular to the gas flow from the suction port 14a toward the blower 20. Therefore, the refrigerant detection sensor 50 is arranged in a direction that does not face the direction of the air sucked into the housing 10. As a result, it is possible to suppress clogging of the detection unit 51 of the refrigerant detection sensor 50 due to dust or the like contained in the gas sucked into the housing 10.

The indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner has a box-shaped sensor holder 60 that fixes the refrigerant detection sensor 50 in the housing 10, and the refrigerant detection sensor 50 is arranged in the sensor holder 60. Therefore, the refrigerant detection sensor 50 can be disposed below the indoor heat exchanger 30 in the housing 10 and can be disposed between the suction grill 14 and the blower 20. Further, the refrigerant detection sensor 50 can protect against accumulation of dust and the like. Moreover, when the detection part 51 of the refrigerant | coolant detection sensor 50 is a metal, a human finger and the detection part 51 can be prevented from contacting so that an operator's finger may not touch at the time of electricity supply.

Further, in the indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner, the sensor holder 60 is disposed between the suction grill 14 and the blower 20. Therefore, as described above, the refrigerant detection sensor 50 improves the detection accuracy of the refrigerant when the indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner leaks the refrigerant, while protecting from dust or preventing contact with the worker. Can be made. As a result, the indoor unit 100 can realize a safe air conditioner so that the refrigerant detection sensor 50 detects refrigerant leakage and does not reach the lower limit ignition concentration.

The indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner has an electrical component box 40 provided with a control device for controlling the indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner, and the sensor holder 60 is fixed to the side wall 40 a of the electrical component box 40. Has been. The refrigerant detection sensor 50 is excellent in serviceability because the sensor replacement work can be performed by removing the electrical box 40 from the housing 10 by removing the screw of the electrical box 40 to which the sensor holder 60 is attached. .

In the indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner, a plurality of through holes 61d are formed in the sensor holder 60 at positions facing the refrigerant detection sensor 50, and each of the sensor holders 60 that form the plurality of through holes 61d is formed. The width between the walls 61f is smaller than the thickness of a human finger. Therefore, when the detection part 51 of the refrigerant | coolant detection sensor 50 is a metal, a human finger and the detection part 51 can be prevented from contacting so that an operator's finger may not touch at the time of electricity supply.

The indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner further includes a temperature sensor 70 that detects the temperature of the gas flowing in from the suction port 14 a, and the temperature sensor 70 is disposed in the sensor holder 60. Therefore, the indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner can also measure the temperature, and can further improve the accuracy of various measurements such as detection of refrigerant leakage, for example.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of sensor holder 60 installed in indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view seen from another direction of the sensor holder 60 installed in the indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Parts having the same configuration as that of the indoor unit 100 in FIGS. 1 to 8 are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. The indoor unit 100 of Embodiment 2 is demonstrated using FIG.9 and FIG.10. As described above, the refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the temperature sensor 70 are provided in the sensor holder 60. The refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the temperature sensor 70 are separated within one sensor holder 60. Here, for example, the refrigerant detection sensor 50 applies a voltage to the gas sensitive body to promote a chemical reaction, but the temperature of the gas sensitive body reaches a temperature of 300 ° C. to 400 ° C. Therefore, the indoor unit 100 according to the second embodiment is configured so that the refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the temperature sensor 70 are within the sensor holder 60 so that the detection temperature of the temperature sensor 70 that detects the temperature of the air sucked from the room is not affected. A partition 63 is provided between them. In the sensor holder 60, the space of the first housing portion 61 and the space of the second housing portion 62 are blocked by the partition portion 63. The partition part 63 is comprised from the two board | plates of the board part 63a and the board part 63b which divide | segment the space where the refrigerant | coolant detection sensor 50 is arrange | positioned, and the space where the temperature sensor 70 is arrange | positioned. The plate part 63a and the plate part 63b constituting the partition part 63 are arranged so as to face each other, and a space is formed between the plates. In addition, the partition part 63 is not a structure in which a space is formed between the plate part 63a and the plate part 63b, but may be formed of a single plate in which the plate part 63a and the plate part 63b are integrated. Good.

As described above, in the indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner, the sensor holder 60 has the space of the first housing part 61 and the space of the second housing part 62 blocked by the partition part 63. Therefore, the indoor unit 100 can prevent the temperature sensor 70 from affecting the temperature detected by the refrigerant detection sensor 50 in the sensor holder 60.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
[Air conditioner 200]
FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of an air conditioner 200 according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. The indoor unit 100 used in the air conditioner 200 according to Embodiment 3 is the same as the indoor unit 100 shown in FIGS. 1 to 10 of Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2. The air conditioner 200 according to Embodiment 3 performs air conditioning by heating or cooling the room by moving heat between the outside air and the room air via the refrigerant. The air conditioner 200 according to Embodiment 3 includes an outdoor unit 150 and an indoor unit 100. In the air conditioner 200, an outdoor unit 150 and the indoor unit 100 are connected by a refrigerant pipe 300 and a refrigerant pipe 400, and a refrigerant circuit in which the refrigerant circulates is configured. The refrigerant pipe 300 is a gas pipe through which a gas phase refrigerant flows, and the refrigerant pipe 400 is a liquid pipe through which a liquid phase refrigerant flows. Note that a gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant may flow through the refrigerant pipe 400. In the refrigerant circuit of the air conditioner 200, the compressor 31, the flow path switching device 32, the outdoor heat exchanger 33, the expansion valve 34, and the indoor heat exchanger 30 are sequentially connected via a refrigerant pipe. In addition, the refrigerant | coolant used for this air conditioner 200 is a refrigerant | coolant with a larger density than air. However, the refrigerant used in the air conditioner 200 is not limited to a refrigerant having a density higher than that of air, and a refrigerant having the same density as that of air or a density lower than that of air may be used.

(Outdoor unit 150)
The outdoor unit 150 includes a compressor 31, a flow path switching device 32, an outdoor heat exchanger 33, and an expansion valve 34. The compressor 31 compresses and discharges the sucked refrigerant. Here, the compressor 31 may include an inverter device, and may be configured to change the capacity of the compressor 31 by changing the operating frequency by the inverter device. In addition, the capacity | capacitance of the compressor 31 is the quantity of the refrigerant | coolant sent out per unit time. The flow path switching device 32 is a four-way valve, for example, and is a device that switches the direction of the refrigerant flow path. The air conditioner 200 can realize a heating operation or a cooling operation by switching the flow of the refrigerant using the flow path switching device 32 based on an instruction from a control device (not shown).

The outdoor heat exchanger 33 performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and the outdoor air. The outdoor heat exchanger 33 functions as an evaporator during heating operation, exchanges heat between the low-pressure refrigerant flowing from the refrigerant pipe 400 and the outdoor air, and evaporates and vaporizes the refrigerant. The outdoor heat exchanger 33 functions as a condenser during the cooling operation, and exchanges heat between the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 31 that has flowed in from the flow path switching device 32 side and the outdoor air. Allow to condense and liquefy. The outdoor heat exchanger 33 is provided with an outdoor blower 36 in order to increase the efficiency of heat exchange between the refrigerant and the outdoor air. The outdoor blower 36 may be attached with an inverter device and change the fan motor speed to change the rotational speed of the fan. The expansion valve 34 is a throttle device (flow rate control means), functions as an expansion valve by adjusting the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the expansion valve 34, and adjusts the pressure of the refrigerant by changing the opening degree. For example, when the expansion valve 34 is configured by an electronic expansion valve or the like, the opening degree is adjusted based on an instruction from a control device (not shown) or the like.

(Indoor unit 100)
The indoor unit 100 includes an indoor heat exchanger 30 that performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and room air, and an indoor blower 37 that adjusts the flow of air through which the indoor heat exchanger 30 performs heat exchange. The indoor heat exchanger 30 functions as a condenser during heating operation, performs heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing in from the refrigerant pipe 300 and the indoor air, condenses and liquefies the refrigerant, and enters the refrigerant pipe 400 side. Spill. The indoor heat exchanger 30 functions as an evaporator during the cooling operation, performs heat exchange between the refrigerant that has been brought into a low pressure state by the expansion valve 34 and the indoor air, and causes the refrigerant to take heat of the air to evaporate. Vaporize and flow out to the refrigerant pipe 300 side. The indoor blower 37 is provided so as to face the indoor heat exchanger 30. The operating speed of the indoor blower 37 is determined by user settings. An inverter device may be attached to the indoor blower 37 to change the rotational speed of the fan by changing the operating frequency of the fan motor.

[Operation example of air conditioner 200]
Next, a cooling operation operation will be described as an operation example of the air conditioner 200. The high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant compressed and discharged by the compressor 31 flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 33 via the flow path switching device 32. The gas refrigerant that has flowed into the outdoor heat exchanger 33 is condensed by heat exchange with the outside air blown by the outdoor blower 36, becomes a low-temperature refrigerant, and flows out of the outdoor heat exchanger 33. The refrigerant flowing out of the outdoor heat exchanger 33 is expanded and depressurized by the expansion valve 34 to become a low-temperature and low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant. The gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flows into the indoor heat exchanger 30 of the indoor unit 100, evaporates by heat exchange with the indoor air blown by the indoor blower 37, and becomes a low-temperature and low-pressure gas refrigerant. Flows out of 30. At this time, the indoor air absorbed by the refrigerant and cooled is converted into conditioned air (blowing air) and blown out from the air outlet 13c of the indoor unit 100 into the room (air-conditioned space). The gas refrigerant flowing out of the indoor heat exchanger 30 is sucked into the compressor 31 via the flow path switching device 32 and compressed again. The above operation is repeated.

Next, a heating operation operation will be described as an operation example of the air conditioner 200. The high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant compressed and discharged by the compressor 31 flows into the indoor heat exchanger 30 of the indoor unit 100 via the flow path switching device 32. The gas refrigerant that has flowed into the indoor heat exchanger 30 is condensed by heat exchange with room air blown by the indoor blower 37, becomes a low-temperature refrigerant, and flows out of the indoor heat exchanger 30. At this time, the indoor air that has received heat from the gas refrigerant and has been warmed becomes conditioned air (blowing air) and is blown out from the air outlet 13c of the indoor unit 100 into the room (air-conditioning target space). The refrigerant flowing out of the indoor heat exchanger 30 is expanded and depressurized by the expansion valve 34 to become a low-temperature and low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant. This gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 33 of the outdoor unit 150, evaporates by heat exchange with the outside air blown by the outdoor blower 36, and becomes a low-temperature and low-pressure gas refrigerant to the outdoor heat exchanger 33. Spill from. The gas refrigerant flowing out of the outdoor heat exchanger 33 is sucked into the compressor 31 via the flow path switching device 32 and compressed again. The above operation is repeated.

As described above, when the air conditioner 200 includes the indoor unit 100 according to the first or second embodiment, the air conditioner 200 having the effects of the first or second embodiment can be obtained. Since the air conditioner 200 according to the third embodiment includes the indoor unit 100 according to the first or second embodiment, the air conditioner is safe so that the refrigerant detection sensor 50 detects the refrigerant leakage and does not reach the lower limit ignition concentration. 200 can be realized.

The embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the first to third embodiments, and various modifications can be made. For example, in the first embodiment, the through hole 61d and the through hole 62d are formed in a slit shape, but a plurality of circular through holes having an opening diameter smaller than the thickness of a human finger are provided. May be. Moreover, although the indoor unit 100 demonstrated the thing of the four-way cassette type which forms the blower outlet 13c in four directions, if the blower outlet 13c is formed in one or more directions, such as one direction or two directions, Good. Further, the indoor unit 100 has been described with respect to the ceiling-embedded type, but the indoor unit 100 is not limited to the ceiling-embedded type, and may be, for example, a wall-mounted type.

10 casing, 11 top plate, 12 side plate, 13 decorative panel, 13a opening, 13b outer edge, 13c outlet, 14 suction grille, 14a inlet, 15 vane, 16 bell mouth, 20 blower, 30 indoor heat exchanger , 31 compressor, 32 flow path switching device, 33 outdoor heat exchanger, 34 expansion valve, 36 outdoor blower, 37 indoor blower, 40 electrical component box, 40a side wall, 50 refrigerant detection sensor, 51 detection unit, 60 sensor holder, 61 1st accommodating part, 61a bottom part, 61b top plate, 61c side wall, 61d through hole, 61e side wall, 61f wall, 62 second accommodating part, 62a bottom part, 62b top plate, 62c side wall, 62d through hole, 62e side wall, 62f Wall, 62g center, 63 partition, 63a plate, 63b plate, 64b Bulged portion, 64b1 tip, 64 b 2 opening, 64B3 through hole, 70 a temperature sensor, 80 control unit, 100 indoor unit, 150 outdoor unit, 200 air conditioner, 300 a refrigerant pipe, 400 refrigerant pipe.

Claims (10)

A suction grille formed with a suction port through which gas flows,
A decorative panel to which the suction grille is attached and an outlet from which the gas flows out is formed;
A housing that is mounted with the decorative panel and forms an air passage between the suction port and the outlet;
A blower that is disposed in the housing so as to face the suction grille, allows the gas to flow in from the suction port, and causes the gas to flow out from the air outlet.
A heat exchanger that is disposed in the air path between the blower and the outlet in the housing and exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing in the interior and the gas;
A refrigerant detection sensor for detecting leakage of the refrigerant;
With
The suction grille is
Arranged below the heat exchanger,
The refrigerant detection sensor is
An indoor unit of an air conditioner that is installed below the heat exchanger and disposed between the suction grille and the blower. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit of the refrigerant detection sensor is installed at a right angle to the gas flow from the suction port toward the blower. A box-shaped sensor holder for fixing the refrigerant detection sensor in the housing;
The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the refrigerant detection sensor is disposed in the sensor holder. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein the sensor holder is disposed between the suction grill and the blower. It further has an electrical component box provided with a control device for controlling the indoor unit of the air conditioner,
The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the sensor holder is fixed to a side wall of the electrical component box. In the sensor holder, a plurality of through holes are formed at positions facing the refrigerant detection sensor,
The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein a width between the walls of the sensor holder that forms the plurality of through holes is smaller than a thickness of a human finger. A temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the gas flowing from the suction port;
The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the temperature sensor is disposed in the sensor holder. The sensor holder is
A first housing for housing the refrigerant detection sensor;
A second housing for housing the temperature sensor;
Have
The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 7, wherein the space of the first housing part and the space of the second housing part are blocked by a partitioning part. The air conditioner indoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the casing is arranged in a ceiling. An air conditioner comprising the air conditioner indoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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