WO2024105775A1 - Indoor unit of air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

This indoor unit of an air conditioner includes a housing forming an outer shell, and a heat exchanger unit that is disposed inside the housing and exchanges heat between a refrigerant and air. The heat exchanger unit includes: a plurality of heat transmission tubes through which a refrigerant flows and which include a plurality of straight sections extending in one direction and a bent section connecting the ends of the plurality of straight sections to each other; a plurality of fins into which the plurality of straight sections are inserted and which radiate heat; a side plate which serves as a side wall of a wind channel in which the air flows, the side plate having formed therein a heat transmission tube holding hole into which the bent section is inserted and held; and a gap closing component that closes a gap formed in the heat transmission tube holding hole and that covers the entire surface of the side plate.

Description

Air conditioner indoor unit

This disclosure relates to an indoor unit of an air conditioner in which an air passage is formed inside the housing.

　Conventionally, indoor units of air conditioners in which an air passage is formed inside a housing are known. Indoor units generally have a side plate provided at the end of the side where the bent portion of the heat transfer tube in the heat exchanger is located. The side plate is attached to the housing while supporting the heat exchanger, and constitutes part of the side wall of the air passage. The side plate is formed with a heat transfer tube holding hole into which the bent portion of the heat transfer tube is inserted, and has a locking claw that locks the bent portion of the heat transfer tube inserted into the heat transfer tube holding hole. In other words, the side plate holds the heat exchanger by locking the bent portion of the heat transfer tube inserted into the heat transfer tube holding hole with the locking claw. A gap is formed between the heat transfer tube holding hole in the side plate and the bent portion of the heat transfer tube inserted into the heat transfer tube holding hole.

Here, for example, an indoor unit of an air conditioner is known in which a cross-flow fan is provided downstream of a heat exchanger. The indoor unit has a housing with an intake port formed at the top and an exhaust port formed on the lower front side. Inside the housing, a fan having multiple blades and a heat exchanger arranged to surround the upstream side of the fan are housed. The heat exchanger has multiple heat transfer tubes having straight and bent parts, and multiple heat transfer fins arranged at predetermined intervals and into which the straight parts of the heat transfer tubes are inserted. In addition, between the intake port and the heat exchanger, a device or filter for collecting dust and cleaning the air is appropriately arranged. In the indoor unit, when the fan is driven, indoor air is sucked in from the intake port formed at the top of the housing, and the air that flows into the housing from the intake port flows into the heat exchanger through the filter. The air that flows into the heat exchanger then exchanges heat with the working medium flowing inside the heat transfer tube through the heat transfer tube and the heat transfer fins, and is then discharged into the room from the exhaust port by the fan.

In this way, the air passing through the heat exchanger is air that has been sucked in by the fan. When the indoor unit starts operating, air flows from the outside of the air passage to the inside of the air passage in the gap between the heat transfer tube holding hole in the side panel and the heat transfer tube. In other words, the air flows out of the air outlet after passing through the heat exchanger. Therefore, in indoor units where a fan is provided downstream of the heat exchanger, it is unlikely to be a problem even if air flows through the gap between the heat transfer tube holding hole in the side panel and the heat transfer tube.

Here, for example, an indoor unit of an air conditioner in which a fan is provided upstream of a heat exchanger is also known. The indoor unit has a housing with an intake port formed at the top and an exhaust port formed on the lower front side. Inside the housing, a fan provided downstream of the intake port and a heat exchanger provided downstream of the fan are housed. The heat exchanger has a plurality of heat transfer tubes having straight and bent portions, and a plurality of heat transfer fins arranged at a predetermined interval and into which the straight portions of the heat transfer tubes are inserted. In addition, a dust collecting and air cleaning device or a filter is appropriately arranged between the intake port and the heat exchanger. In the indoor unit, when the fan is driven, indoor air is sucked in from the intake port formed at the top of the housing. The air flowing in from the intake port flows through the filter into the fan, is sent to the heat exchanger side by the fan, and flows into the heat exchanger. The air flowing in the heat exchanger exchanges heat with the working medium flowing in the heat transfer tube through the heat transfer tube and the heat transfer fin, and is then discharged into the room from the exhaust port.

In this way, the air passing through the heat exchanger is the air blown out from the fan. That is, the fan pushes air into the heat exchanger, and does not suck air from the downstream side of the heat exchanger. For this reason, there is a risk that some of the air that has passed through the heat exchanger will leak out of the air passage from the gap between the heat transfer tube holding hole in the side plate and the heat transfer tube. In this way, in an indoor unit of an air conditioner in which a fan is provided on the upstream side of the heat exchanger, the air after heat exchange may leak out of the air passage from the gap between the heat transfer tube holding hole in the side plate and the heat transfer tube, which may reduce the air conditioning performance of the indoor unit. In addition, when the indoor unit is performing cooling operation, the cold air after heat exchange leaks out of the air passage from the gap between the heat transfer tube holding hole in the side plate and the heat transfer tube. For this reason, in an indoor unit of an air conditioner in which a fan is provided on the upstream side of the heat exchanger, the cold air that leaks out of the air passage may cool, for example, the side part of the housing, causing condensation on the outer surface of the housing.

In order to solve this problem, Patent Document 1 discloses an indoor unit of an air conditioner that is provided with a gap-blocking part that covers part of the side panel. In Patent Document 1, the gap-blocking part covers part of the side panel, thereby preventing air from leaking out of the air passage from the gap between the heat transfer tube holding hole in the side panel and the heat transfer tube.

JP 2013-181733 A

As in Patent Document 1, there is a need to prevent air from leaking out of the air passage through the gap between the heat transfer tube retaining hole in the side panel and the heat transfer tube.

This disclosure has been made to solve the problems described above, and provides an indoor unit for an air conditioner that further prevents air from leaking outside the air passage.

The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the present disclosure comprises a housing forming an outer shell, and a heat exchanger unit provided inside the housing for exchanging heat between a refrigerant and air. The heat exchanger unit has a number of straight sections extending in one direction and bent sections connecting the ends of the straight sections, a number of heat transfer tubes through which a refrigerant flows, a number of fins into which the straight sections are inserted and which dissipate heat, a side panel having heat transfer tube holding holes into which the bent sections are inserted and which serve as side walls of the air passage through which air flows, and a gap closing part which closes the gaps formed in the heat transfer tube holding holes and covers the entire surface of the side panel.

According to the present disclosure, the gap-blocking parts cover the entire surface of the side panel. Therefore, all air that passes through the gap between the heat transfer tube holding hole in the side panel and the heat transfer tube is blocked by the gap-blocking parts and does not leak out of the air passage. In other words, air leakage out of the air passage can be further suppressed than before.

1 is a circuit diagram showing an air conditioner according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a top perspective view showing the indoor unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view showing the indoor unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the indoor unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing the design panel according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the indoor unit according to Embodiment 1 with the design panel removed. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing the indoor unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a heat exchanger unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the heat exchanger according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a part of the heat exchanger unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing the heat exchanger unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a side plate and a gap closing component according to the first embodiment. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the side plate and the gap closing component according to the first embodiment, as viewed from an angle different from that of FIG. 12 . 14 is an exploded perspective view of the side plate and the gap closing component according to the first embodiment, as viewed from an angle different from that of FIGS. 12 and 13. FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a mounting manner of a side plate and a gap closing component according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a mounting manner of a side plate and a gap closing component according to the first embodiment. 4 is a side cross-sectional view showing a side plate and a gap closing component according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing a portion of the heat exchanger unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing the heat exchanger unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view showing an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to Comparative Example 1. FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view showing an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to Comparative Example 1. FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view showing an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to Comparative Example 2. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a heat exchanger unit according to Comparative Example 2. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a side plate and a gap closing component according to Comparative Example 2.

Below, an embodiment of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment described below. Furthermore, in the following drawings, including FIG. 1, the size relationships of the components may differ from the actual ones. Furthermore, in the following description, terms indicating directions will be used as appropriate to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure, but these terms are for the purpose of explaining the present disclosure and do not limit the present disclosure. Examples of terms indicating directions include "up", "down", "right", "left", "front" and "rear".

Embodiment 1.
Fig. 1 is a circuit diagram showing an air conditioner 1 according to embodiment 1. The air conditioner 1 is a device that adjusts the air in an indoor space, and as shown in Fig. 1, includes an outdoor unit 2 and an indoor unit 3. The outdoor unit 2 includes, for example, a compressor 6, a flow path switching device 7, an outdoor heat exchanger 8, an outdoor blower 9, and an expansion section 10. The indoor unit 3 includes, for example, a heat exchanger unit 11 and a fan unit 12.

The refrigerant circuit 4 is configured by connecting the compressor 6, the flow path switching device 7, the outdoor heat exchanger 8, the expansion section 10, and the heat exchanger unit 11 with the refrigerant piping 5. The compressor 6 draws in refrigerant in a low-temperature and low-pressure state, compresses the drawn refrigerant, and discharges it as refrigerant in a high-temperature and high-pressure state. The compressor 6 is, for example, a capacity-controllable inverter compressor. The flow path switching device 7 switches the direction in which the refrigerant flows in the refrigerant circuit 4, and is, for example, a four-way valve. The outdoor heat exchanger 8 exchanges heat between, for example, outdoor air and the refrigerant. The outdoor heat exchanger 8 acts as a condenser during cooling operation and as an evaporator during heating operation. The expansion section 10 is a pressure reducing valve or an expansion valve that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant and expands it. The expansion section 10 is, for example, an electronic expansion valve whose opening is adjustable.

The heat exchanger unit 11 exchanges heat between, for example, indoor air and a refrigerant. The heat exchanger unit 11 acts as an evaporator during cooling operation and as a condenser during heating operation. The fan unit 12 is a device that sends indoor air to the heat exchanger unit 11.

(Operation mode, cooling operation)
Next, the operation modes of the air conditioner 1 will be described. First, the cooling operation will be described. In the cooling operation, the refrigerant sucked into the compressor 6 is compressed by the compressor 6 and discharged in a high-temperature, high-pressure gas state. The high-temperature, high-pressure gas state refrigerant discharged from the compressor 6 passes through the flow path switching device 7 and flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 8 acting as a condenser, where it is heat exchanged with the outdoor air sent by the outdoor blower 9, condensing and liquefying. The condensed liquid state refrigerant flows into the expansion section 10, where it is expanded and decompressed to become a low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant. The gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant then flows into the heat exchanger unit 11 acting as an evaporator, where it is heat exchanged with the indoor air sent by the fan unit 12, evaporating and gasifying. At this time, the indoor air is cooled, and cooling is performed in the room. The evaporated low-temperature, low-pressure gas state refrigerant passes through the flow path switching device 7 and is sucked into the compressor 6.

(Operation mode, heating operation)
Next, the heating operation will be described. In the heating operation, the refrigerant sucked into the compressor 6 is compressed by the compressor 6 and discharged in a high-temperature, high-pressure gas state. The high-temperature, high-pressure gas state refrigerant discharged from the compressor 6 passes through the flow path switching device 7 and flows into the heat exchanger unit 11 acting as a condenser, where it is heat-exchanged with the indoor air sent by the fan unit 12 and condensed to become a liquid. At this time, the indoor air is warmed, and heating is performed in the room. The condensed liquid state refrigerant flows into the expansion section 10, where it is expanded and decompressed to become a low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant. The gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant then flows into the exterior heat exchanger 8 acting as an evaporator, where it is heat-exchanged with the outdoor air sent by the exterior blower 9 and evaporated to become a gas. The evaporated low-temperature, low-pressure gas state refrigerant passes through the flow path switching device 7 and is sucked into the compressor 6.

The air conditioner 1 does not have to have a flow path switching device 7. In this case, the air conditioner 1 becomes a dedicated cooling unit or a dedicated heating unit.

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view showing the indoor unit 3 according to the first embodiment, FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view showing the indoor unit 3 according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the indoor unit 3 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the indoor unit 3 comprises a housing 20, a design panel 30, a fan unit 12, a bottom net 50, and a heat exchanger unit 11. As shown in FIG. 4, hereinafter, the side to which the mounting portion is attached is referred to as the upper direction, and the side to be air-conditioned is referred to as the lower direction. In addition, the side inside the housing 20 where the heat exchanger unit 11 is arranged is referred to as the front direction, and the side inside the housing 20 where the fan unit 12 is arranged is referred to as the rear direction. Of the sides other than the front direction and the rear direction, one is referred to as the left direction, and the other is referred to as the right direction.

(Housing 20)
The housing 20 is a box-shaped metal sheet that is attached to a mounting portion (not shown) such as a wall or a ceiling. The housing 20 has a top plate portion 21 that is attached to the mounting portion, and four side portions 22 that extend downward from the top plate portion 21. That is, the housing 20 has an opening at a portion that faces the top plate portion 21. The top plate portion 21 is rectangular, and has a plurality of holes 21a formed therein that are used for purposes such as mounting to the mounting portion. The side portions 22 are plate-shaped members that extend downward from the four sides of the top plate portion 21. A plurality of holes into which the refrigerant pipes 5 and the like are inserted are formed in some of the four side portions 22.

(Design Panel 30)
5 is a bottom view showing the design panel 30 according to the first embodiment. The design panel 30 is, for example, a rectangular plate-like member, and is attached to an opening of the housing 20 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 to close the opening. As shown in FIG. 5, the design panel 30 is formed with an inlet 31 and an outlet 32. The inlet 31 is about half the size of the entire design panel 30, and is a portion where air is sucked into the inside of the housing 20 by the fan unit 12. A lattice-shaped grill 33 is attached to the inlet 31. The outlet 32 is formed smaller than the inlet 31, and is a portion where the air sucked from the inlet 31 by the fan unit 12 and then heat-exchanged in the heat exchanger unit 11 is blown out to the outside of the housing 20.

(Fan unit 12)
Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the indoor unit 3 according to the first embodiment with the design panel 30 removed, and Fig. 7 is a side cross-sectional view showing the indoor unit 3 according to the first embodiment. The fan unit 40 sends air to the heat exchanger unit 11, and is provided directly above the air inlet 31 formed in the design panel 30 as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The fan unit 12 is upstream of the heat exchanger unit 11 in the air flow. As shown in Fig. 7, the fan unit 12 has a fan 41 and a bell mouth 42. Two fans 41 are arranged in the left-right direction, and each is disposed in the bell mouth 42. The bell mouth 42 houses the fan 41 and forms an air passage 15 through which air passes when the fan 41 is driven (see Fig. 11).

(Bottom net 50)
4, the bottom net 50 is a plate-shaped member provided with a net between the design panel 30 and the fan unit 12. The bottom net 50 prevents a user from touching the moving parts of the fan 41 when the user opens the grill 33 of the design panel 30. The bottom net 50 is fixed to the housing 20 with screws.

(Heat exchanger unit 11)
Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the heat exchanger unit 11 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4, the heat exchanger unit 11 is provided inside the housing 20 and exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the air. As shown in Fig. 7, the heat exchanger unit 11 is provided directly above the air outlet 32 formed in the design panel 30. The heat exchanger unit 11 is downstream of the fan unit 12 in the air flow. As shown in Fig. 8, the heat exchanger unit 11 has a heat exchanger 70, a side plate 80, a gap closing part 90, and a drain pan 61.

(Heat exchanger 70)
Fig. 9 is a side view showing a heat exchanger 70 according to the first embodiment, and Fig. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing a part of a heat exchanger unit 11 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 9 and Fig. 10, the heat exchanger 70 has a plurality of heat transfer tubes 71 and a plurality of fins 74. The plurality of heat transfer tubes 71 are tubes through which a refrigerant flows, and are, for example, circular tubes with a circular cross section. Each of the plurality of heat transfer tubes 71 has a straight portion 72 and a bent portion 73.

The multiple straight sections 72 are straight tubes that extend in one direction, for example in the left-right direction. The multiple straight sections 72 are arranged side by side in the up-down direction. Furthermore, the multiple straight sections 72 are arranged side by side in the depth direction consisting of the front and back directions. The multiple bent sections 73 are U-shaped members with a circular cross section that connect the ends of the straight sections 72. The multiple bent sections 73 are also arranged side by side in the up-down direction and depth direction, like the straight sections 72. The multiple fins 74 are plate-shaped members into which the multiple straight sections 72 are inserted and which dissipate heat. The multiple fins 74 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction.

(Side plate 80)
FIG. 11 is a bottom view showing the heat exchanger unit 11 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view showing the side plate 80 and the gap closing part 90 according to the first embodiment. The view surrounded by a circle on the right side of FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of the heat transfer tube holding hole 81. As shown in FIG. 11, the side plate 80 is a plate-shaped member provided at both ends in the left-right direction of the heat exchanger 70. That is, the heat exchanger unit 11 has two side plates 80. The side plate 80 becomes a part of the side wall of the air passage 15 through which the air sent to the fan unit 12 flows. As shown in FIG. 12, the side plate 80 has a plurality of heat transfer tube holding holes 81 into which the bent portion 73 of the heat transfer tube 71 is inserted and held. In addition, the side plate 80 has protruding claws 82 at the upper end and the lower end of each of the both ends. That is, the side plate 80 has four claws 82. The number of claws 82 is not limited to four. The side plate 80 also has a plurality of piping claws 83. The piping claws 83 are used to attach the bent portions 73 of the heat transfer tubes 71 to the side plate 80. A gap is formed between the heat transfer tube holding holes 81 in the side plate 80 and the bent portions 73 of the heat transfer tubes 71 inserted into the heat transfer tube holding holes 81.

(Gap closing part 90)
Fig. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the side plate 80 and the gap closing part 90 according to the first embodiment, seen from an angle different from that of Fig. 12, and Fig. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the side plate 80 and the gap closing part 90 according to the first embodiment, seen from an angle different from that of Figs. 12 and 13. The gap closing part 90 is a substantially fan-shaped plate-like member to which the side plate 80 is attached, and is attached to the housing 20. As shown in Figs. 13 and 14, the gap closing part 90 has a substantially rectangular recessed accommodation part 91 into which the side plate 80 is inserted, and the side plate 80 is inserted and accommodated in the accommodation part 91. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 11, the surface of the gap closing part 90 and the surface of the side plate 80 are flush with each other.

In this way, the gap closing part 90 covers the entire surface of the side plate 80. That is, the gap closing part 90 closes the gap formed in the heat transfer tube holding hole 81 formed in the side plate 80. The gap closing part 90, together with the side plate 80, becomes part of the side wall of the air passage 15 through which the air sent to the fan unit 12 flows. The gap closing part 90 is formed with a convex shape 92 that engages with the tab 82 of the side plate 80. The convex shapes 92 are formed at the upper and lower ends of the accommodation portion 91 of the gap closing part 90. That is, four convex shapes 92 are formed on the side plate 80. Note that the number of convex shapes 92 is not limited to four.

The convex shape 92 is formed with a guide portion 93 that guides the entry of the claw 82. The guide portion 93 is wide at the entrance side where the claw 82 enters, and narrows toward the back. This makes it easier for the claw 82 to enter. In this embodiment 1, the upper edge and side edge of the gap closing part 90 are in close contact with the upper edge and side edge of the side plate 80, and a gap is formed between the lower edge of the gap closing part 90 and the lower edge of the side plate 80. This allows water droplets generated between the gap closing part 90 and the side plate 80 to fall through the gap into the drain pan 61 located below. The lower edge of the gap closing part 90 may be in close contact with the lower edge of the side plate 80.

15 and 16 are perspective views showing the mounting manner of the side plate 80 and the gap closing part 90 according to the first embodiment. Next, the mounting manner of the side plate 80 and the gap closing part 90 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the side plate 80 is disposed above the gap closing part 90, and the claws 82 of the side plate 80 face the convex shape 92 of the gap closing part 90. When the claws 82 of the side plate 80 enter the convex shape 92 of the gap closing part 90, the claws 82 are guided by the guide portions 93 of the gap closing part 90 and enter the back of the convex shape 92. When the tip of the claws 82 reaches the backmost part of the convex shape 92, the claws 82 engage with the convex shape 92, and the gap closing part 90 is attached to the side plate 80.

Figure 17 is a side cross-sectional view showing the side plate 80 and gap closing part 90 according to embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 17, when the gap closing part 90 is attached to the side plate 80, the claws 82 are caught in the convex shapes 92 and cannot be easily removed. In this way, the gap closing part 90 and the side plate 80 are fixed by a snap fit that does not provide a relatively high degree of adhesion. This eliminates the need for screws, which allows for a reduction in the number of parts and therefore a reduction in material costs. In addition, the labor time can be reduced, which allows for a reduction in labor costs.

(Drain pan 61)
4, the drain pan 61 is a container into which the lower end of the gap closing part 90 is inserted below the heat transfer tube 71 to receive frost that has adhered to the heat transfer tube 71. The heat exchanger 70 is surrounded by the housing 20, the side plate 80, the gap closing part 90, and the drain pan 61. The lower end of the gap closing part 90 is inserted into the drain pan 61, which improves the assembly of the heat exchanger unit 11 and improves the dew collection performance.

(Air passage 15)
Fig. 18 is a side cross-sectional view showing a part of the heat exchanger unit 11 according to the first embodiment. Next, the air passage 15, which is a passage for the air flowing by the fan unit 12, will be described. As shown in Fig. 11, the air blows in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the heat transfer tube 71 of the heat exchanger 70 extends, forming the air passage 15. That is, as shown in Fig. 18, the joint 95 between the side plate 80 and the gap closing part 90 exists within the air passage 15. Therefore, even if the gap between the side plate 80 and the gap closing part 90 is not completely closed, it is possible to suppress the air from leaking to the outside of the air passage 15.

FIG. 19 is a bottom view showing the heat exchanger unit 11 according to the first embodiment. As described above, a gap is formed between the heat transfer tube holding hole 81 in the side plate 80 and the bent portion 73 of the heat transfer tube 71 inserted into the heat transfer tube holding hole 81. As shown in FIG. 19, even if the air passing through the heat exchanger 70 passes through the gap and exits the side plate 80 to the outside, it hits the gap closing part 90. The air that hits the gap closing part 90 turns around and passes through the gap again to return to the inside of the side plate 80. In this way, the air that leaks from the gap between the heat transfer tube holding hole 81 and the bent portion 73 returns into the air passage 15.

According to the first embodiment, the gap closing part 90 covers the entire surface of the side plate 80. Therefore, all air that passes through the gap between the heat transfer tube holding hole 81 of the side plate 80 and the heat transfer tube 71 is blocked by the gap closing part 90 and does not leak out of the air passage 15. That is, air leakage out of the air passage 15 can be suppressed more than ever before. Therefore, a decrease in air conditioning capacity can be suppressed. In addition, since air does not leak out of the air passage 15, when the indoor unit 3 is performing cooling operation, cold air can be suppressed from cooling the housing 20. Therefore, condensation can be suppressed on the outer surface of the housing 20. In addition, in the first embodiment, air leakage to the outside can be suppressed even if no sealant is used in the contact portion between the gap closing part 90 and the side plate 80. In addition, the gap closing part 90 is attached to the side plate 80 by engaging the claws 82 provided on the side plate 80 with the convex shape 92 formed on the gap closing part 90. This makes it possible to prevent air leakage to the outside without having to screw the side panel 80 and the gap-blocking part 90 together.

FIGS. 20 and 21 are both side cross-sectional views showing an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to Comparative Example 1. As shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, the indoor unit 103 of Comparative Example 1 has a fan 140 provided downstream of a heat exchanger 170. The indoor unit 103 has a housing 120 with an intake port 131 formed at the top and an exhaust port 132 formed on the lower front side. The housing 120 contains a fan 140 having multiple blades and a heat exchanger 170 arranged to surround the upstream side of the fan 140.

The heat exchanger 170 has a plurality of heat transfer tubes 171 having straight portions and bent portions, and a plurality of heat transfer fins 174 arranged at a predetermined interval and into which the straight portions of the heat transfer tubes 171 are inserted. In addition, a dust collecting and air cleaning device or filter is appropriately arranged between the intake port 131 and the heat exchanger 170. In the indoor unit 103, when the fan 140 is driven, indoor air is sucked in from the intake port 131 formed at the top of the housing 120, and the air that flows into the housing 120 from the intake port 131 flows into the heat exchanger 170 through the filter. The air that flows into the heat exchanger 170 exchanges heat with the working medium flowing inside the heat transfer tubes 171 through the heat transfer tubes 171 and the heat transfer fins 174, and is then discharged into the room from the air outlet 132 by the fan 140.

As in Comparative Example 1, the air passing through the heat exchanger 170 is air sucked in from the fan 140. When the indoor unit 103 starts operating, air flows from the outside of the air passage to the inside of the air passage in the gap between the heat transfer tube holding hole in the side plate and the heat transfer tube 171. That is, after passing through the heat exchanger 170, the air flows out from the air outlet 132. Therefore, in an indoor unit 103 in which the fan 140 is provided downstream of the heat exchanger 170, it is unlikely to be a problem even if air flows in the gap between the heat transfer tube holding hole in the side plate and the heat transfer tube 171.

FIG. 22 is a side cross-sectional view showing an indoor unit 203 of an air conditioner according to Comparative Example 2, and FIG. 23 is a perspective view showing a heat exchanger unit 211 according to Comparative Example 2. As shown in FIGS. 22 and 23, the indoor unit 203 of Comparative Example 2 has a fan 240 provided upstream of a heat exchanger 270. The indoor unit 203 has a housing 220 with an air inlet 231 formed at the top and an air outlet 232 formed on the lower front side. The housing 220 contains the fan 240 provided downstream of the air inlet 231 and the heat exchanger 270 provided downstream of the fan 240.

The heat exchanger 270 has a plurality of heat transfer tubes 271 having straight portions and bent portions, and a plurality of heat transfer fins 274 arranged at a predetermined interval and into which the straight portions of the heat transfer tubes 271 are inserted. In addition, between the intake port 231 and the heat exchanger 270, a dust collecting and air cleaning device or a filter is appropriately arranged. In the indoor unit 203, when the fan 240 is driven, indoor air is sucked in from the intake port 231 formed on the upper part of the housing 220. The air flowing in from the intake port 231 passes through a filter and flows into the fan 240, and is sent to the heat exchanger 270 side by the fan 240 and flows into the heat exchanger 270. The air flowing in to the heat exchanger 270 exchanges heat with the working medium flowing in the heat transfer tube 271 through the heat transfer tube 271 and the heat transfer fins 274, and is then discharged into the room from the air outlet 232.

As in Comparative Example 2, the air passing through the heat exchanger 270 is air blown out from the fan 240. That is, the fan 240 pushes air into the heat exchanger 270, and does not suck air from the downstream side of the heat exchanger 270. For this reason, some of the air that has passed through the heat exchanger 270 may leak out of the air passage 15 from the gap between the heat transfer tube holding hole 281 of the side plate 280 and the heat transfer tube 271. In this way, in the indoor unit 203 of the air conditioner in which the fan 240 is provided on the upstream side of the heat exchanger 270, the air after heat exchange leaks out of the air passage 15 from the gap between the heat transfer tube holding hole 281 of the side plate 280 and the heat transfer tube 271. This may cause a decrease in the air conditioning performance of the indoor unit 203.

24 is a diagram showing a side plate 280 and a gap closing part 290 according to Comparative Example 2. When the indoor unit 203 is performing cooling operation, the cold air after heat exchange leaks out of the air passage 15 from the gap between the heat transfer tube holding hole 281 of the side plate 280 and the heat transfer tube 271. For this reason, in the indoor unit 203 of the air conditioner in which the fan 240 is provided on the upstream side of the heat exchanger 270, the cold air leaking out of the air passage 15 may cool, for example, the side portion of the housing 220, causing condensation on the outer surface of the housing 220. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 24, the indoor unit 203 is provided with a gap closing part 290 that covers a part of the side plate 280. However, since the gap closing part 290 covers only a part of the side plate 280, the air after heat exchange may still leak out of the air passage 15 from the gap between the heat transfer tube holding hole 281 of the side plate 280 and the heat transfer tube 271.

In contrast, in the indoor unit 3 of the present embodiment 1, the gap closing part 90 covers the entire surface of the side plate 80, so all air that passes through the gap between the heat transfer tube holding hole 81 in the side plate 80 and the heat transfer tube 71 is blocked by the gap closing part 90 and does not leak out of the air passage 15. Therefore, even when the indoor unit 3 is performing cooling operation, the cold air does not cool the housing 20. This makes it possible to suppress condensation from forming on the outer surface of the housing 20.

1 Air conditioner, 2 Outdoor unit, 3 Indoor unit, 4 Refrigerant circuit, 5 Refrigerant piping, 6 Compressor, 7 Flow switching device, 8 Outdoor heat exchanger, 9 Outdoor blower, 10 Expansion section, 11 Heat exchanger unit, 12 Fan unit, 15 Air passage, 20 Housing, 21 Top plate section, 21a Hole, 22 Side section, 30 Design panel, 31 Intake port, 32 Outlet port, 33 Grill, 40 Fan unit, 41 Fan, 42 Bell mouth, 50 Bottom net, 61 Drain pan, 70 Heat exchanger, 71 Heat transfer tube, 72 Straight section, 73 Bent section, 74 Fin, 80 Side plate, 81 heat transfer tube holding hole, 82 claw, 83 piping claw, 90 gap closing part, 91 storage section, 92 convex shape, 93 guide section, 95 joint, 103 indoor unit, 120 housing, 131 intake port, 132 outlet port, 140 fan, 170 heat exchanger, 171 heat transfer tube, 174 heat transfer fin, 203 indoor unit, 211 heat exchanger unit, 220 housing, 231 intake port, 232 outlet port, 240 fan, 270 heat exchanger, 271 heat transfer tube, 274 heat transfer fin, 280 side plate, 281 heat transfer tube holding hole, 290 gap closing part.

Claims (7)

A housing constituting an outer shell;
a heat exchanger unit provided inside the housing for exchanging heat between a refrigerant and air;
The heat exchanger unit comprises:
A plurality of heat transfer tubes each having a plurality of straight portions extending in one direction and a bent portion connecting ends of the plurality of straight portions, the heat transfer tubes having a refrigerant flowing therethrough;
A plurality of fins into which the plurality of straight portions are inserted to dissipate heat;
a side plate having a heat transfer tube holding hole into which the bent portion is inserted and held, the side plate serving as a side wall of an air passage through which air flows;
a gap closing part that closes a gap formed in the heat transfer tube holding hole and covers the entire surface of the side plate. The gap closing part is
The indoor unit for an air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the side plate is in intimate contact with an upper edge and a side edge of the side plate. The indoor unit for an air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a gap is formed between a lower edge of the gap blockage component and a lower edge of the side plate. The gap closing part is
The indoor unit for an air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the side plate is in intimate contact with a lower edge portion of the side plate. The heat exchanger unit comprises:
The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a drain pan into which a lower end of the gap closing part is inserted below the heat transfer tube and which receives dew that has adhered to the heat transfer tube. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the gap closing part is attached to the side plate by engaging a claw provided on the side plate with a convex shape formed on the gap closing part. The indoor unit for an air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the gap closing component is attached to the housing.

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