JP2015230136A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air conditioner in which even when refrigerant leaks, an indoor side does not reach a combustible concentration.SOLUTION: An air conditioner includes: a first pipeline space that is arranged on the side surface of a heat exchanger, and stores a plurality of first pipelines containing a pipeline in which refrigerant circulates; and a second pipeline space that stores a plurality of second pipelines connected to the plurality of first pipelines and extending to an outdoor side, stores a communication passage being an exhaust gas passage for discharging leaked refrigerant to the outdoor side in leakage of refrigerant, and is connected to the first pipeline space.

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner.

  Conventionally, in a heat pump air conditioner equipped with a refrigeration cycle, when a refrigerant such as hydrocarbon or a refrigerant such as R32 is used, there is a possibility that the flammable concentration may be reached if the refrigerant leaks.

  For this reason, in a heat pump type air conditioner, it is desirable to detect the leakage of the refrigerant at an early stage and to take some measures so that the combustible concentration does not occur as much as possible.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, by utilizing the fact that the refrigerant has a greater specific gravity than air, by installing a refrigerant detection sensor near the air outlet on the lower side of the drain pan at the lower part of the machine room of the floor-mounted indoor unit, Detects refrigerant leakage from the heat exchanger and machine room and its surroundings.

  And if the leakage of a refrigerant | coolant is detected, an indoor air blower will be drive | operated and it will prevent diffusing a leakage refrigerant | coolant and becoming a combustible density | concentration.

Japanese Patent No. 3744330

  Usually, the refrigerant passes through the space where the indoor heat exchanger and the pipe connecting the heat exchanger are installed, as well as the space through which the connection pipe to the outdoor heat exchanger passes, and these are separated from each other. There are many cases.

  On the other hand, as a cause of refrigerant leakage, in heat exchangers, corrosion with the external atmosphere (moisture, acid content, etc.) is considered, and in the space where the pipe connecting the heat exchanger is installed, in addition to the corrosion, This may be due to defective brazing of the pipe connection part during manufacture.

  Further, in the space through which the connection pipe with the outdoor heat exchanger passes, it is conceivable that the connection failure at the time of construction of the flare portion connecting the connection pipes or that the pipe is easily bent when being bent in the room.

  In Patent Document 1, the space through which the connection pipe with the outdoor heat exchanger passes is not taken into consideration, and there is a risk that a region with a flammable concentration may be formed without detecting leakage.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner in which the indoor side does not reach a flammable concentration even if a refrigerant leaks.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a first piping space that houses a first plurality of pipes including a pipe that is arranged on a side surface of a heat exchanger and through which a refrigerant flows, and the first plurality of pipes. A second plurality of pipes connected to the pipe and extending to the outdoor side, and a communication path serving as a passage for exhausting the leaked refrigerant to the outdoor side when the refrigerant leaks. And a second piping space connected to the piping space.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, even if a refrigerant | coolant leaks, the indoor conditioner whose indoor side does not reach a combustible density | concentration can be provided.

It is the perspective view which looked at the indoor unit of the air conditioner which concerns on 1st Embodiment, and the outdoor unit from the perspective front direction, and is the figure which served as the whole figure. (A) is a perspective view at the time of seeing the indoor unit of the air conditioner which concerns on 1st Embodiment from a perspective back direction. (B) is XX arrow sectional drawing of Fig.2 (a). (C) is a YY arrow sectional view of Drawing 2 (a). It is sectional drawing at the time of seeing the left side from the partition which comprises the 1st piping space of an indoor unit when the air conditioner which concerns on 1st Embodiment is driving | operating. When the air conditioner which concerns on 1st Embodiment is driving | operating, it is a figure explaining the operation position of the left-right wind direction board of an indoor unit, and is sectional drawing at the time of seeing from the direction orthogonal to an air flow. It is a figure explaining the operation position of the right-and-left wind direction board of an indoor unit when the air harmony machine concerning a 1st embodiment detects refrigerant leakage, and is a sectional view at the time of seeing from the same direction as Drawing 4. It is sectional drawing at the time of seeing the left side from the partition which comprises the 1st piping space of an indoor unit, when the air conditioner which concerns on 1st Embodiment detects refrigerant | coolant leakage. It is a block diagram of the control mechanism in connection with the refrigerant | coolant leak detection of the air conditioner which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart of the refrigerant | coolant leak detection control of the air conditioner which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective view at the time of seeing the indoor unit of the air conditioner which concerns on the modification of 1st Embodiment from a perspective back direction.

Hereinafter, an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.
The refrigerant described below is used for both cooling / heating. Similarly, the term “refrigeration cycle” in the following description refers to a refrigeration cycle that can be used for cooling and / or heating.
For convenience of explanation, members common to the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted. The front, back, top, bottom, left and right direction axes shall be as described in each figure.
The air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor blower, a four-way valve, and an expansion valve, and the outdoor unit 17 installed outdoors shown in FIG. To FIG. 9 are connected to a floor-standing indoor unit 1 attached to the vicinity of the floor of the indoor wall surface via a power cable 40 (see FIG. 2B for details), pipes 13b and 13c, and the like. In this way, indoor air conditioning becomes possible. The indoor unit 1 is connected to, for example, a drain pipe 14 connected to the outdoor side.
Supplementally, the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention includes an indoor unit 1 arranged in a room that performs air conditioning and an outdoor unit 17 arranged outdoors. Between them, for example, electrical wiring such as pipes 13b and 13c through which the refrigerant flows and a power cable 40 (see FIG. 2B described later for details) are connected. Further, the indoor unit 1 is provided with a drain pipe 14 for draining drain water from the drain pan 5 to the outdoor side. By connecting these pipes / wirings to the indoor unit 1, the refrigerant is supplied to the heat exchanger 2 of the refrigeration cycle, and heat exchange between indoor heat and outdoor heat is performed by the refrigerant, and air conditioning is performed. Drain water is drained. The outdoor unit 17 includes a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and the like.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an indoor unit and an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to the first embodiment viewed from a perspective front direction, and also serves as an overall view.
The broken line indicates the outer shape of the indoor unit body structure, and the solid line indicates the internal structure of the indoor unit body structure. In addition, below, please also contrast FIG.2 (a)-FIG.2 (c) and FIG. 3 which are mentioned later suitably. 1 to 3, the same parts are all denoted by the same reference numerals. However, in order to simplify the drawing and make it easy to understand, some of the component parts may be omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the indoor unit 1 (floor type) according to the present embodiment includes a heat exchanger 2, a pipe 13 a connected to the side surface of the heat exchanger 2, and a first pipe space 4. And a drain pan 5 installed so as to cover at least the width of the heat exchanger 2 is housed in the lower part of the heat exchanger 2. The first piping space 4 is connected via a connection port 7 to a second piping space 8 whose details will be described later. The indoor unit 1 is connected to a plurality of pipes such as pipes 13b and 13c that exchange refrigerant with the drain pipe 14 and the outdoor unit 17. Hereinafter, the drain pipe 14 may also be referred to as a pipe for convenience.

  The first piping space 4 is provided at, for example, the right end of the indoor unit 1 and received by an electrical component box 10 in which a control circuit or the like is stored, a piping 13 a connected to the side surface of the heat exchanger 2, and a drain pan 5. It is a space for accommodating a drain pipe 6 and the like for draining drain water.

  In the embodiment, the first piping space 4 is provided at the right end of the indoor unit 1. However, the first piping space 4 may be provided at the left end or may be provided at both ends.

  The drain pan 5 receives moisture generated when the heat exchanger 2 acts as an evaporator, and the accumulated moisture passes through the drain pipe 6 (the drain pipe 14 in the second pipe space 8). It is discharged outdoors.

  Here, the drain pipes 6 and 14 are preferably composed of, for example, a hose in consideration of handling properties, but are not limited thereto. For example, when the indoor unit 1 is a large-sized machine for business use, it may be configured with a metal pipe.

  The pipe 13a is a pipe connected so that the refrigerant flows through the inside of the air conditioner and the refrigerant is evenly distributed to the heat exchanger. The pipe 13a is connected to pipes 13b and 13c described later. That is, among the pipes 13b and 13c, the refrigerant flow pipe connected to the side surface of the heat exchanger 2 is described as the pipe 13a.

FIG. 2: is the perspective view which looked at the indoor unit of the air conditioner concerning 1st Embodiment from the perspective back direction. (B) is XX arrow sectional drawing of Fig.2 (a). (C) is a YY arrow sectional view of Drawing 2 (a).
As in FIG. 1, the broken line indicates the outer shape of the indoor unit body structure, and the solid line indicates the internal structure of the indoor unit body structure. Note that FIG. 1 and FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, pipes 13b and 13c for connecting to the outdoor unit 17, a drain pipe 14 for discharging the drain of the drain pan 5 to the outdoor side, and a power cable 40 ( In FIG. 2 (a), a second piping space 8 is provided to accommodate the description, which is not shown because it is complicated, and see FIG. 2 (b) for details. Here, the pipes 13b and 13c are pipes through which refrigerant flows. For example, the pipe from the outdoor unit 17 to the indoor unit 1 may be considered as 13b, and the pipe from the indoor unit 1 to the outdoor unit 17 may be considered as 13c. In addition, the gradient of the lowermost frame constituting the floor surface of the second piping space 8 is not particularly limited. However, it is desirable to ensure that drain water is drained to the outdoor side. Specifically, for example, it is desirable that a slight downward gradient be provided in the longitudinal direction of the indoor unit 1, that is, in the direction from the connection port 7 to the wall hole 16. This gradient is not particularly limited, but a downward gradient of 1/25 or more is generally preferable. Hereinafter, in the present embodiment, the lowermost frame constituting the floor surface of the second piping space 8 will be described as having such a downward slope.

  The second piping space 8 is connected to the first piping space 4 via the connection port 7. Further, the second piping space 8 accommodates a drain piping 14 that communicates with the drain piping 6 routed from the first piping space 4 through the connection port 7. That is, the second piping space 8 contains the piping 13 b and 13 c and the drain piping 14 that are routed through the connection port 7.

  The connection port 7 is provided at the right end of the second piping space 8, but if the first piping space 4 is the left end, the connection port 7 is connected to the left end of the second piping space 8. It may be provided. Moreover, if the 1st piping space 4 is the structure provided in both ends, the connection port 7 may be provided in the both ends of the 2nd piping space 8, ie, several places.

  In addition, the first piping space 4 and the second piping space 8 form a connected space connected by the connection port 7, and this space is separated by other partitions 3 and 9 in the main body of the indoor unit 1. It is separated from the space and does not touch the indoor space.

In the present embodiment, the first piping space 4 communicates with the outside, that is, the outdoor space, through a wall hole 16 provided in the left end position of the second piping space 8 toward the back surface. Yes. Therefore, the pipes 13a and 6 in the first pipe space 4 are routed to the outdoor side by a so-called horizontal pulling back method. However, it is not limited to such a configuration.
For example, a floor hole and a connection port are provided downward at the left end of the second piping space 8, and the pipes 13 a and 6 in the first piping space 4 are formed by a so-called horizontal pulling down method. It is good also as a structure pulled around outside (under the floor).
In addition, for example, a wall hole 16 communicating with the outdoor side toward the back side and a connection port at a position corresponding to the wall hole 16 as appropriate are provided in the housing on the indoor wall side below the first piping space 4. Thus, the first piping space 4 and the outdoor space may be directly communicated with each other without using the second piping space 8. In this case, the pipes 13a and 6 in the first pipe space 4 are routed to the outdoor side by a so-called direct pulling method.
In addition, a floor hole and a connection port are provided in the lower part of the first piping space 4 so as to face downward, and the pipes 13a and 6 in the first piping space 4 are connected to the outdoor side by a so-called subtraction method. It is good also as a structure pulled around to the floor.

  Moreover, although the partitions 3 and 9 are simply shown in the drawing for the sake of illustration, they may be configured by a plurality of parts or may be shared with other element parts.

A leak detection sensor 50 is installed in the second piping space 8.
The leak detection sensor 50 monitors the gas concentration of the leaked refrigerant or the concentration of a gas component (for example, oxygen) that relatively decreases due to the refrigerant leaking, and the gas concentration of the refrigerant is a dangerous concentration (for example, the lower limit value of the flammable concentration). ) Is sent to the leak detection unit 110 (detailed later) of the control device 100.

  That is, the leak detection sensor 50 is configured by a gas sensor that directly detects vaporized refrigerant gas or oxygen gas contained in the air.

  Here, when the oxygen concentration in the air is measured, it can be approximated that the amount of decrease in the oxygen concentration is a portion that has been diluted by the refrigerant leakage. That is, since a negative correlation is recognized between the oxygen concentration and the leakage refrigerant concentration, the leakage refrigerant concentration can be detected by indirectly measuring the oxygen concentration.

  Further, since it is desired that the leakage detection sensor 50 be continuously monitored after installation, a configuration using a power supply device (for example, a lithium battery) different from the main body may be used.

  Here, the leak detection sensor 50 which is a gas sensor generally has aged deterioration. For this reason, it is desirable to provide a structure for easily removing and attaching like the cartridge by providing a handle or drawer for taking out the leakage detection sensor 50 in the housing so that the attachment and detachment can be easily performed.

  In addition, regarding the installation position of the leak detection sensor 50, as shown in FIG. 2A, in the present embodiment, it is a pipe connection portion of the pipes 13b and 13c described later in detail in the second pipe space 8. Although one place is provided in the vicinity of the flare portion 41, it may be provided in a place other than this, or may be provided in a plurality of places.

FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX in FIG.
The pipes 13b and 13c through which the refrigerant flows have a flare part 41 which is a pipe connection part. FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view including the flare 41 of the pipes 13b and 13c.

  As shown in FIG. 2B, the pipes 13 b and 13 c and the drain pipe 14 are arranged so as to be substantially parallel to each other along the longitudinal direction of the second pipe space 8. The pipes 13b and 13c are drawn apart from each other in FIG. 2B, but this is not a limitation. For example, the pipes 13b and 13c may be arranged such that the outer circumferences of the flare nuts of the flare portion 41 or the outer circumferences in the pipe radial direction are in contact with each other.

Further, the drain pipe 14 is laid so as to be in contact with a lowermost casing constituting the floor surface of the second pipe space 8, for example, on the lower side with respect to the pipes 13 b and 13 c.
By doing so, when the drain pipe 14 is pulled horizontally, the upper part is regulated by the pipes 13 b and 13 c and the lower part is regulated by the casing of the second pipe space 8.
Here, the lowermost casing constituting the floor surface of the second piping space 8 has a downward slope as described above in the horizontal pulling direction of the drain pipe 14, that is, from the connection port 7 toward the wall hole 16. Have. Therefore, if placed in this way, the positioning work at the time of horizontal drawing shaping of the drain pipe 14 can be facilitated, and the slope can be placed so as to surely have a downward slope.
In this way, the drain pipe 14 is configured to smoothly drain the drain water flowing through the drain pipe 14 to the outside of the room without collecting in the middle.

  In FIG. 2B, the drain pipe 14 is in contact with the floor surface of the second piping space 8 and is also in contact with the wall surface of the second piping space 8 on the side facing the indoor wall. . This is desirable because it makes positioning of the drain pipe 14 easier. However, the placement position of the drain pipe 14 in the short direction of the floor surface of the pipe space 8 is not particularly limited to this configuration. This is because if the floor surface of the second piping space 8 is not structured to be inclined in the short direction of the second piping space 8, it is considered that the drainage of drain water is not affected.

  The pipes 13b and 13c include the respective flare portions 41 (in the drawing, for example, a hexagonal shape of the flare nut), and the outer periphery of the pipes 13b and 13c extends from the inside to the outside in the order of the heat insulating material 30 for indoor unit piping and the heat insulating material 31 for cold insulation. They are completely covered so that they can be bundled together.

  In other words, the pipes 13b and 13c through which the refrigerant flows are encased so as to be bundled together by the heat insulating material 30 of one indoor unit pipe and the heat insulating material 31 of one cold insulation.

  At this time, the pipes 13 b and 13 c are bundled so that the position of the split part 32 of the heat insulating material 30 of the indoor unit pipe and the cold insulation heat insulating material 31 is, for example, upward. Further, the tape is stuck at a plurality of locations so as to block the split portion 32 from above, and the pipes 13b and 13c are insulated. That is, partial sticking is performed with tape in a state where the heat insulating material 30 and the heat insulating material 31 for cold insulation are opened upward.

Here, the reason why the position of the split portion 32 of the heat insulating material 30 of the indoor unit piping and the heat insulating material 31 for cold insulation is set upward will be described. When the refrigerant leaks from the pipes 13b and 13c, for example, the split portion 32 is provided so as to come downward, and the tapes at a plurality of locations are provided with the heat insulating material 30 and the cold insulation heat insulating material 31 of the indoor unit pipe opened downward. Suppose that was stuck.
At this time, for example, when a refrigerant having a higher specific gravity than air is used, the leaked refrigerant will settle, but the split portion 32 will be present at the settling destination. Then, the refrigerant leaks into the second piping space 8 from the portion of the split portion 32 that is not stuck with the tape. In other words, it is considered that the refrigerant is likely to leak into the second piping space 8 when the split portion 32 is provided so as to be downward as compared with the case where the split portion 32 is provided so as to be upward.
Therefore, when using a refrigerant whose specific gravity is heavier than air, it is desirable that the insulating material 30 of the indoor unit piping and the split portion 32 of the cold insulation heat insulating material 31 are secured with tape so that they are on the upper side. I can say that.
It should be noted that there is no significant inconvenience even if the refrigerant leaks from the split portion 32 into the second piping space 8, and details will be described later, but from the viewpoint of efficiently exhausting the leaked refrigerant to the outdoor side, the leakage A smaller amount is preferred.

  On the other hand, when using a refrigerant whose specific gravity is lighter than air, the position of the split portion 32 may be provided downward. The refrigerant whose specific gravity is lighter than air will rise. Therefore, if the split part 32 is provided so as to come downward, it is considered that the refrigerant is less likely to leak into the second piping space 8.

  Thus, when the heat insulating material 30 for the indoor unit piping and the heat insulating material 31 for cold insulation are attached to the pipes 13b and 13c while adjusting the position of the split portion 32, the heat insulating material 30 for the indoor unit piping and the pipes 13b and 13c are installed. There will be a gap between the two. This gap serves as a communication path 13d that leads from the indoor side to the outdoor side. The communication passage 13d mainly serves as an exhaust passage for the leaked refrigerant when the refrigerant leaks through the pipes 13b and 13c.

Further, when the leaked refrigerant reaches the second piping space 8, specifically, for example, the refrigerant leaks in the first piping space 4 and enters the second piping space 8 through the connection port 7. Consider the case of intrusion. Also in this case, as described above, the heat insulating material 30 of the indoor unit piping and the heat insulating material 31 for cold insulation have the split portion 32 and are partially stuck with tape.
That is, the space of the communication passage 13d and the space of the second piping space 8 are not completely airtight, and have a structure in which the leaked refrigerant can go back and forth.
Therefore, also in this case, that is, when the leaked refrigerant reaches the second piping space 8, the leaked refrigerant is not stuck with the tape, that is, the gap of the split portion 32 between the tape and the tape. Then, the air enters the communication passage 13d, which is an exhaust passage, and is exhausted to the outdoor side.

In addition, as shown in FIG.2 (b), the leak detection sensor 50 is installed in the vicinity of the flare part 41 among the 2nd piping spaces 8 (refer also to Fig.2 (a)).
The installation position of the leak detection sensor 50 is not particularly limited. However, the flare part 41 hits the connection part of the pipes 13b and 13c and is considered to be a place where the refrigerant may leak relatively. For this reason, for example, the leakage detection sensor 50 is installed in the inner space of the second piping space 8 and in the vicinity of the flare portion 41. In this case, the leakage refrigerant that has reached the second piping space 8 from the first piping space 4 via the connection port 7 and the communication path 13d → the split portion 32 → the second piping from the flare portion 41 of the piping 13b, 13c. The leaked refrigerant that has reached the space 8 and both can be detected by the single leak detection sensor 50, which is preferable.

  Further, the laying position of the power cable 40 inside the second piping space 8 is not particularly limited. In the present embodiment, the power cable 40 is laid, for example, on the upper surface of the heat insulating material 31 and at a position where the split portion 32 is not blocked. The reason why it is laid on the upper surface of the heat insulating material 31 is that it is installed with the intention that the facing space is maximized. In addition, the reason why the split portion 32 is not blocked is that when the split portion 32 is blocked, the airtight state inside the heat insulating material 31 for cold insulation is increased. This is because the leakage refrigerant between the communication path 13d and the second piping space 8 cannot smoothly go back and forth, and there is a possibility that the leakage of the leakage refrigerant to the outside of the room may be hindered.

  Next, a cross-sectional layout of piping and wiring when the wall hole 16 is viewed from the indoor side to the outdoor side will be described with reference to FIG. That is, FIG.2 (c) is a YY arrow sectional drawing of Fig.2 (a).

  As described above, the pipes 13b and 13c are encased in the heat insulating material 31 for cold insulation and the heat insulating material 30 for indoor unit pipes in the second pipe space 8 from the rightmost connection port 7 to the leftmost wall hole 16. It is pulled horizontally in the direction. Then, after laterally pulling to the vicinity of the wall hole 16, in order to pass through the wall hole 16, the direction is changed by bending in a right angle direction or the like.

  Here, the shape of the wall hole 16 is not particularly limited. For example, when a hole having a diameter of about φ = 65 mm is drilled in the indoor wall, the hole direction is an axial direction, and the hole is circular in an axial sectional view. It becomes. At this time, the wall hole 16 is preferably perforated so as to have a downward slope from the indoor side toward the outdoor side in consideration of drainage of drain water in the drain pipe 14.

  Next, the pipes 13b and 13c, the drain pipe 14, the power cable 40, and the like contained in the heat insulating material 31 for cold insulation and the heat insulating material 30 for indoor unit pipes, using a binding member, for example, a binding tape 18 are used. And then shape it so that it is entirely encased.

  At this time, for example, the heat insulating material 31 for cold insulation, the pipes 13b and 13c included in the heat insulating material 30 for indoor unit piping, and the drain pipe 14 are arranged in this order from top to bottom. This is bundled with the binding tape 18 so as to be entirely wrapped. That is, the position is shaped so that the drain pipe 14 is at the lowest position. This is a measure for ensuring the drainage of drain water flowing through the interior with the slope of the drain pipe 14 assured to be a downward slope. In this way, the wall hole 16 has a downward slope from the indoor side to the outdoor side as described above at the time of drilling. Therefore, the drain pipe 14 is reliably lowered by using this slope. Can be installed at. And the positioning at the time of shaping of the drain piping 14 using the binding tape 18 becomes easy.

The position of the power cable 40 is not particularly limited. For example, the power cable 40 is laid in a gap formed by the bundling tape 18, the drain pipe 14, and the cold insulation heat insulating material 31 as a place where the facing space becomes the largest. .
In the case of this embodiment, there are two gaps formed by the bundling tape 18, the drain pipe 14, and the heat insulation material 31 for cold insulation as viewed from the drain pipe 14. The power cable 40 may be laid in a gap on either the left or right side when viewed from the drain pipe 14. In other words, FIG. 2C is a diagram laid in the gap on the right side when viewed from the drain pipe 14, but this is merely an example, and is not limited to this example.

In this way, when the entire piping / wiring such as the pipes 13b and 13c, the drain pipe 14, and the power cable 40 enclosed in the heat insulating material 31 with the binding tape 18 is encased, from the indoor side to the outdoor side. The communication path 13d which goes to can be formed in three places.
Specifically, “the gap between the heat insulating material 30 of the indoor unit pipe and the pipes 13b and 13c”, “the gap between the binding tape 18, the power cable 40, the drain pipe 14, and the heat insulating material 31 for cold insulation”, “the binding tape 18”. And “the gap between the drain pipe 14 and the heat insulating material 31 for cold insulation”.
Any of these communication passages 13d is used as an exhaust passage for leaking refrigerant when the refrigerant leaks through the pipes 13b and 13c.
For example, the “gap between the heat insulating material 30 of the indoor unit pipes and the pipes 13b and 13c” serves as an exhaust passage for the refrigerant leaked mainly by the flare 41 of the pipes 13b and 13c.
The “gap between the binding tape 18, the power cable 40, the drain pipe 14, and the cold insulation 31” and the “gap between the binding tape 18, the drain pipe 14 and the cold insulation 31” are, for example, the first The refrigerant leaking inside the piping space 4 becomes an exhaust passage when the second piping space 8 is filled through the connection port 7. In addition, the second refrigerant space 8 is filled with leaked refrigerant from the “gap between the heat insulating material 30 of the indoor unit piping and the piping 13b, 13c” through the insulating material split portion 32 (see FIG. 2B) and the like. In this case, it becomes an exhaust passage.

That is, when the refrigerant leaks in any part of the indoor unit 1, it is possible to connect via any one of these communication paths 13d without providing a dedicated pipe for exhausting the leaked refrigerant to the outside of the room. The structure is such that the leakage refrigerant is exhausted to the outside of the room.
However, regarding the exhaust efficiency, the “gap between the heat insulating material 30 of the indoor unit pipe and the pipes 13b and 13c” is “the gap between the binding tape 18, the power cable 40, the drain pipe 14, and the heat insulating material 31 for cold insulation”. And “a gap between the bundling tape 18, the drain pipe 14, and the heat insulating material 31 for cold insulation” has a structure that facilitates exhaust.
This is because the latter two examples include the bundling tape 18 in the configuration content, and the former heat insulating materials 30 and 31 are less likely to collapse. That is, since the former is less likely to collapse, the flow resistance of the communication path 13d can be reduced.

In addition, after shaping the piping / wiring with the binding tape 18 in this way, it is inserted into the wall hole 16 and the gap including the inside of the wall hole 16 is inserted as shown in the hatched area of FIG. It is desirable to perform a putty filling process on the part so that rainwater, the outside air, pests and the like do not leave room for invasion, and to seal completely.
In this way, if the gap formed by the binding tape 18 and the inner peripheral surface of the wall hole 16 is completely putty and sealed, high-humidity air or odor inside or outside the wall will enter the indoor side. It can be said that it is preferable because it can prevent exposure and odor.
Moreover, in this putty filling sealing work, it is desired to ensure sealing by appropriately using a protective pipe and a piping bush together.

In addition, after the piping / wiring is shaped with the binding tape 18 and inserted into the wall hole 16 and pulled out to the outside of the room, a distance sufficient to prevent the refrigerant to be exhausted from returning to the indoor unit 1. 2 is extended to the outdoor side, and then the state shown in FIG. 2C, that is, the bundling state enclosed by the bundling tape 18 is released.
By doing in this way, "the clearance gap between the bundling tape 18, the power cable 40, the drain pipe 14, and the heat insulation 31" and "the bundling tape 18, the drain pipe 14, and the heat insulation in the communication path 13d". What is formed in the “gap with 31” is released to the atmosphere at a position sufficiently separated so that the leaked refrigerant does not flow back through the communication path 13d and return to the inside of the indoor unit 1.

Further, in the communication path 13d, “a gap between the heat insulating material 30 of the indoor unit pipe and the pipes 13b and 13c”.
What is formed in the above is that when the binding tape 18 is unwound, the internal leakage refrigerant is released into the outside air through the portion of the split portion 32 that is not stuck with the tape as described above.

  Incidentally, the pipes 13b and 13c are connected to the outdoor unit 17 because they are pipes through which the refrigerant flows. On the other hand, regarding the drain pipe 14, it is only necessary that drain water can be drained at any of the outdoor sides. For example, the drain pipe 14 may be drained to the outside at the position where the binding tape 18 is unwound as described above. (See Figure 1)

With the above configuration, even if the refrigerant leaks in any of the indoor units 1, the leaked refrigerant is exhausted into the outside air through the communication path 13d.
This mechanism is as follows. That is, when the refrigerant leaks, a large vaporization pressure is applied to the leaked portion. This vaporization pressure propagates one after another and acts to push out the leaked refrigerant remaining in the communication passage 13d one after another to the outdoor side. In this way, natural exhaust of the leaked refrigerant into the outside air is performed.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view when the left side is viewed from the partition 3 of the indoor unit when the air conditioner according to the first embodiment is in operation.

  The air sucked by the suction force of the blower 20 of the indoor unit 1 according to the present embodiment enters the heat exchanger 2 through the filter 21 through the indoor air intake.

  At this time, the heat of the refrigerant is absorbed, and in the cooling operation, the air is cooled, and in the heating operation, the air is warmed and led to the outlet on the air flow path 15, and the left and right wind direction plates 11 on the upstream side and the downstream side. 12 and the upper and lower upper and lower wind direction plates 22 and 23, the wind direction is adjusted and sent into the room.

  That is, the direction of the blown-out air can be freely changed by the up and down wind direction plates 22 and 23 and the left and right wind direction plates 11 and 12. The air flow path 15 can be closed so that no wind blows out (details will be described later).

  In addition, the upper and lower upper and lower wind direction plates 22 and 23 face each other during operation and are held together in a state where the air flow path 15 is not blocked. When the operation is stopped, the lower vertical wind direction plate 23 rotates so as to wrap the upper vertical wind direction plate 22 inside the indoor unit, and the air flow path 15 is blocked.

  Therefore, when the operation is stopped, the lower vertical wind direction plate 23 mainly blocks the air flow path 15 among the upper and lower vertical wind direction plates 22 and 23. However, it is generally desirable to ensure the pivotability of the lower vertical wind direction plate 23 in the vicinity of the pivot axis, and a slight gap is provided. Therefore, merely closing the lower vertical wind direction plate 23 is not sufficient to completely block leakage of the leaked refrigerant into the room. Therefore, in the present invention, it is considered that the left and right wind direction plates 11 and 12 are controlled to block the air flow path 15 using the left and right wind direction plates 11 and 12.

  In the second piping space 8, the refrigerant reciprocates between the drain piping 14 communicating with the drain piping 6 and the indoor unit 1 and the outdoor unit 17 for draining drain water accumulated in the drain pan 5. A plurality of pipes / wirings such as the refrigerant pipes 13b, 13c are passed.

  Further, since the second piping space 8 is surrounded by the partitions 3 and 9 and the wall surface of the installed room, as described above, this portion becomes the exhaust passage to the outside of the leaked refrigerant, that is, the communication passage 13d. (See also FIG. 2 (b)). There is a slight gap between each of the partitions 3 and 9 and the wall surface, but the amount of the leaked refrigerant passes through the gap is small, and the small amount of leaked refrigerant that has passed through the gap Since the indoor space is wide, the flammable concentration does not reach the indoor side after passing through.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operating positions of the left and right wind direction plates of the indoor unit when the air conditioner according to the first embodiment is in operation, and is a cross-sectional view when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the air flow It is. Arrows indicate the direction of air flow.

  The left and right wind direction plates 11 and 12 move integrally with the left and right wind direction plates 11 and 12 around at least one rotation axis P. A plurality of sheets are installed.

  All the left and right wind direction plates 11 and 12 can be set at a predetermined angle around P by the control device 100 (described later in detail).

  FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the operating positions of the left and right wind direction plates of the indoor unit when the air conditioner according to the first embodiment detects refrigerant leakage, and a cross section when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the air flow. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when the air conditioner of the present embodiment detects refrigerant leakage, the left and right wind direction plates 11, 12 are in contact with and overlapped with the ends of the adjacent left and right wind direction plates 11, 12 as operation stop positions. Move. Accordingly, the air flow path 15 can be reliably blocked by the left and right wind direction plates 11 and 12 regardless of the structure of the lower vertical wind direction plate 23.

  Thus, if refrigerant leakage occurs in the first piping space 4 and the second piping space 8, the left and right wind direction plates 11 and 12 are controlled even if the leakage refrigerant flows into the air flow path 15. Therefore, the flow can be completely interrupted.

  FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view when the left side is viewed from the partition 3 of the indoor unit when the air conditioner according to the first embodiment detects refrigerant leakage.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the outlets (same as the air flow path 15) are closed by the left and right wind direction plates 11 and 12. At this time, the upper vertical wind direction plate 22 and the lower vertical wind direction plate 23 may be closed.

  Next, in the air conditioner configured as described above, an operation from leakage to detection at the time of refrigerant leakage will be described.

First, in FIG. 7, the block diagram of the control mechanism in connection with the refrigerant | coolant leak detection of the air conditioner which concerns on 1st Embodiment is shown.
In the present embodiment, the control device 100 includes a leak detection unit 110 and a leak alarm unit 120.

  Detection signals from one or a plurality of (1, 2,..., N) leakage detection sensors 50 are input to the leakage detection unit 110.

  That is, when viewed from the control device 100, one or a plurality (1, 2,..., N) of leakage detection sensors 50 corresponding to the input side constitute leakage detection means.

  At this time, when the leak detection unit 110 analyzes the input signal, that is, the gas concentration of the gas to be detected and determines that the refrigerant is leaking, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the upstream side -Control the direction of each of the left and right wind direction plates 11 and 12 on the downstream side and the upper and lower wind direction plates 22 and 23 on the upper side and the lower side so as to block the air flow path 15.

  That is, when viewed from the control device 100, the upstream / downstream left / right wind direction plates 11, 12 corresponding to the output side, and the upper / lower up / down wind direction plates 22, 23 do not reach the flammable concentration due to refrigerant leaking indoors. Thus, the combustible concentration reducing means is configured.

  In addition, when the leakage detection unit 110 detects the leakage of the refrigerant, the leakage warning unit 120, for example, the terminal device 61 of the maintenance management service center 60, the mobile terminal device 71 of the user at the outside place 70, via the wired / wireless network NWK, The fact that the refrigerant has leaked is notified / notified to the portable terminal device 81 of a predetermined registration destination 80 such as a relative.

  In addition, the leak alarm unit 120 uses a siren or buzzer provided in the indoor unit 1 to notify the occurrence of an abnormality due to sound, and causes the operation lamp 95 to blink with a predetermined light emission pattern, or an emergency has occurred. It is also possible to make known the occurrence of abnormalities due to light, such as determining a predetermined color to be used in advance and switching to that color.

  Next, a control flow of refrigerant leakage detection control of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  While the indoor unit 1 of the air conditioner is in operation or stopped, the leak detection unit 110 receives the concentration signal of the leak detection sensor 50, and monitors and determines whether or not the refrigerant is leaking ( Step S10). That is, it is assumed that the leakage detection unit 110 of the present embodiment is constantly executing the refrigerant leakage detection flow regardless of the operating state of the indoor unit 1 of the air conditioner.

  If it is determined No in step S10, that is, if it is determined that the refrigerant is not leaking, the refrigerant leakage determination in step S10 is performed again after a predetermined time interval.

  If it is determined Yes in step S10, that is, if the refrigerant is leaking, in step S20, the leak detection unit 110 causes the left and right wind direction plates 11 and 12 on the upstream side and the downstream side to be as shown in FIG. The air flow path 15 is shut off by closing the state, and the leaked refrigerant is shut out so as not to leak into the room.

  At this time, when the indoor unit 1 of the air conditioner is in operation until immediately before a leak is detected, an operation of closing the upper and lower airflow direction plates 22 and 23 may be performed as an emergency treatment. .

Next, in step S30, the leak detection unit 110 blocks any activation command.
This is because a user who has not obtained the point regarding the circumstances of the stoppage of operation uses an operation switch or a remote controller (not shown) provided in the main body of the indoor unit 1 of the air conditioner to start the operation again. May be sent.

  At this time, if the obstructed airflow direction plates 11, 12, 22, and 23 are opened by mistake according to the command, the leaked refrigerant will flow into the room. It is a treatment.

  Next, the leakage warning unit 120 uses light and sound to change the light emission pattern and color of the operation lamp 95, or to sound a warning sound with a siren or a buzzer, for example, to warn / warn the user in the room. (Step S40).

In addition, the leakage warning unit 120 notifies leakage information via a LAN or the like (step S50). At this time, for example, when the leak detection sensors 50 are installed at a plurality of places, the sensor position where the leak is detected first may be notified as the leak location together.
In this way, the leakage detection control flow is terminated.

  The operations from step S20 to step S50 described above are not necessarily limited to being performed in this order. Moreover, it is preferable that the time lag of execution of each step is as small as possible. Therefore, a configuration in which all these steps are performed simultaneously, that is, simultaneously, that is, instantaneously may be employed.

(Action / Effect)
The actions and effects of the first embodiment are summarized as follows.
For example, when leakage occurs in the pipe 13a connected to the side surface of the heat exchanger 2 during the operation of the air conditioner or during the operation stop, the leaked refrigerant is stored in the first pipe space 4 or the second pipe 2a. In the piping space 8, the communication path 13d formed including a plurality of pipes is filled.

  At this time, the excess refrigerant leaked through the drain pan 5 flows into the outlet (same as the air flow path 15), but the upstream and downstream right and left wind direction plates 11 and 12 block the air flow path 15. Closed.

  For this reason, it does not flow any more, but is discharged from the drain pan 5 to the outside of the room, that is, outdoors through the drain pipes 6 and 14 without flowing out of the indoor unit, that is, into the room.

  In addition, the refrigerant in the first piping space 4 and the second piping space 8 passes through the communication passage 13d formed in a gap between components inserted into the wall hole 16 (see FIG. 2) such as piping and heat insulating material. Through the outside, that is, to the outside.

  At this time, the refrigerant blown into the first piping space 4 and the second piping space 8 is placed inside the indoor unit 1 in a state in which the upper, lower, left and right wind direction plates 11, 12, 22, 23 are closed. Vaporizing pressure is applied. Therefore, the leaked refrigerant is naturally exhausted to the outdoor side one after another in the form of being pushed to this vaporization pressure.

  The leak detection sensor 50 provided near the flare 41 in the second piping space 8 transmits a leak occurrence signal to the control device 100 immediately after detecting the refrigerant.

  In addition, after receiving the leakage occurrence signal, the control device 100 can be prevented from being activated even if an activation signal is received from an operation switch or a remote controller. As described above, this is because a user who does not obtain the point about the operation stoppage of the indoor unit 1 performs the start-up operation, the wind direction plate moves accordingly, and the leaked refrigerant does not flow into the room. .

  In addition, the control device 100 performs warning and warning using light and sound, for example, the operation lamp 95 and the siren / buzzer 90, and information such as the occurrence of a leak or a leak location by the maintenance management service center 60, Notification can be made to the user 70, the predetermined registration destination 80, and the like. As a result, it is possible to respond quickly.

  In addition, you may make it the electrical component box 10, the 1st piping space 4, and the 2nd piping space 8 have an explosion-proof structure, respectively. With the explosion-proof structure, even if refrigerant leakage occurs, the leaked refrigerant stays in the piping space 8 or the portion of the first piping space 4 excluding the electrical component box 10 and does not flow out indoors. Therefore, it is more preferable.

  As described above, by applying the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide an air conditioner that does not leak to the indoor side and reach the flammable concentration on the indoor side even if the refrigerant leaks.

  Note that the specific gravity of the refrigerant to be used is not particularly limited, but in the case of the present embodiment, the electrical component box 10 in which the control circuit and the like are housed in the upper portion of the first piping space 4 as described above. is there. For this reason, for example, it is more suitable if the specific gravity is heavier than air.

  The reason why a refrigerant having a higher specific gravity than air is more desirable than a refrigerant having a lower specific gravity than air is that the refrigerant having a lower specific gravity than air does not settle when it leaks and vaporizes and diffuses upward, for example, This is because it is easy to reach the electrical component box 10 in the upper part of the piping space 4.

  In addition, when the position of the electrical component box 10 is changed, a refrigerant having a lighter specific gravity than air may be used.

(Modification)
In the first embodiment, a gas sensor is used as the leak detection sensor 50 to directly detect the refrigerant gas concentration or indirectly calculate the refrigerant gas concentration from the oxygen concentration.

On the other hand, in the indoor unit 1B according to the modification of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the leakage detection sensor 55 is configured by a pressure sensor. This is because when the refrigerant leaks from the pipe, the internal pressure in the first pipe space 4 or the second pipe space 8 changes abruptly due to the vaporization pressure of the leaked refrigerant. To do.
The installation location of the leakage detection sensor 55 is, for example, installed at the right end of the internal space of the second piping space 8, that is, near the connection port 7. About points other than these, it is the same as that of 1st Embodiment.

  Here, the reason for installing the leakage detection sensor 55 in the vicinity of the connection port 7 in the internal space of the second piping space 8 is that the first piping is used by using one leakage detection sensor 55. This is because the change in the gas pressure of the leaked refrigerant in both the space 4 and the second piping space 8, that is, the vaporization pressure of the leaked refrigerant can be detected efficiently.

  Specifically, for example, if the refrigerant leaks in the first piping space 4, the vaporization pressure of the leaked refrigerant directly propagates to the leak detection sensor 55 provided near the connection port 7, and the refrigerant leaks. It can be detected.

  For example, even when the refrigerant leaks in the second piping space 8, a leakage detection sensor provided in the vicinity of the connection port 7 through the plurality of communication paths 13d (see also FIG. 2B). As the vaporization pressure of the leaked refrigerant propagates to 55, the refrigerant leak can be detected.

  Incidentally, in this modification, it is used that the propagation speed of the vaporization pressure of the refrigerant is much faster than the moving speed of the refrigerant gas itself. That is, in the first embodiment, since the leak detection sensor 50 is a gas sensor, it is necessary to capture the gas itself, and it is desired that the leak detection sensor 50 be installed as close as possible to a location where leakage is likely to occur. On the other hand, since the pressure sensor is used for the leak detection sensor 55 in this modification, even if it is installed at a position away from the leak location, the vaporization pressure propagates quickly, and there is no problem in refrigerant leak detection. is there.

  A plurality of leakage detection sensors 55 may be provided inside the second piping space 8. In this case, the other leakage detection sensor 55 may be provided on the end side facing the connection port 7, for example.

  Even if comprised in this way, there can exist an effect similar to 1st Embodiment. Furthermore, as these modifications, a temperature sensor may be used as the leakage detection sensor 57 (see FIG. 9).

  Incidentally, when a temperature sensor is used, the fact that the saturated vapor pressure when the leaked refrigerant is vaporized is proportional to the temperature. That is, when refrigerant leakage occurs, the temperature rapidly decreases due to decompression and expansion, and this may be used as a trigger for leakage detection.

  Furthermore, a configuration in which a plurality of different types of leakage detection sensors 50, 55, and 57 are mixed and used together may be employed.

  The above-described embodiment has been described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, and is not necessarily limited to the one having all the described configurations.

  For example, in FIG. 7, the configuration in which the leak detection unit 110 and the leak alarm unit 120 are provided in the control device 100 has been described. However, these are configured separately and are connected to each other via a communication line (not shown). May be.

  That is, the control lines and information lines indicate what is considered necessary for the explanation, and not all control lines and information lines are necessarily shown. Actually, it may be considered that almost all the components are connected to each other.

  In addition, a part of the configuration of one embodiment can be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment, and a part or all of the configuration of another embodiment can be added to the configuration of one embodiment. It is.

  In addition, it is possible to add, delete, and replace other configurations for a part of the configuration of each embodiment.

1, 1B indoor unit 2 heat exchanger 3 partition of air flow path and first piping space 4 first piping space 5 drain pan 6 drain piping (first plurality of piping)
7 Connection port (of first piping space and second piping space) 8 Second piping space 9 Partition of second piping space 10 Electrical component box 11 Left and right wind direction plates (left and right wind direction plates)
12 Upstream left and right wind direction plates (left and right wind direction plates)
13a piping (piping through which refrigerant flows), (first plurality of piping)
13b, 13c piping (piping through which refrigerant flows), (second plurality of piping)
13d communication passage 14 drain piping (second plural piping)
15 Air flow path (indoor space)
16 Wall hole (connection port connecting the first and second piping spaces and the outdoor space)
17 Outdoor unit 18 Bundling tape (Bundling member)
20 Blowers (cross-flow fans, etc.)
21 Filter 22 Upper vertical wind direction plate 23 Lower vertical wind direction plate 30 Heat insulation material (heat insulation material) for indoor unit piping
31 Heat insulation for cold insulation (heat insulation)
32 Split 40 Power cable (wiring)
41 Flare 50, 55, 57 Leak detection sensor (sensor)
60 Maintenance management service center 70 User on the go 80 Predetermined registration destination 90 Siren / buzzer 95 Operation lamp 100 Control device 110 Leakage detection unit 120 Leakage alarm unit NWK network P (left and right wind direction plate) rotating shaft

Claims (9)

A first piping space that houses a first plurality of pipes including a pipe that is arranged on a side surface of the heat exchanger and through which the refrigerant flows;
A second plurality of pipes connected to the first plurality of pipes and extending to the outdoor side are accommodated, and a communication path serving as an exhaust passage for the leaked refrigerant to the outdoor side is accommodated when the refrigerant leaks. A second piping space connected to the first piping space;
An air conditioner comprising: The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein a partition is provided in each of the first piping space and the second piping space so as to be separated from an indoor space. 2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the leakage refrigerant is exhausted to the outdoor side through the first piping space and the second piping space. Among the second plurality of pipes extending to the outdoor side, pipes through which the refrigerant flows are covered with one or a plurality of heat insulating materials, and the communication path is formed inside the heat insulating materials. ,
The portion of the wall hole that connects the indoor side and the outdoor side is characterized in that a part of the gap between the wall hole and the heat insulating material that covers the pipe through which the refrigerant flows is putty-filled. The air conditioner according to claim 1. A first piping space that houses a first plurality of pipes including a pipe that is arranged on a side surface of the heat exchanger and through which the refrigerant flows;
A plurality of second pipes connected to the first plurality of pipes and extending to the outdoor side;
The first piping space communicates with the outdoor side through a wall hole,
Among the second plurality of pipes, pipes through which the refrigerant flows are covered with one or a plurality of heat insulating materials, and the inside of the heat insulating material is exhausted to the outdoor side of the leaked refrigerant when the refrigerant leaks. An air conditioner characterized in that a communication passage serving as a service passage is formed. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein a sensor for detecting leakage of the refrigerant is installed inside the second piping space. When the sensor detects leakage of the refrigerant, it further includes a control device that operates the two plates of the adjacent right and left wind direction plates so that their ends overlap each other and blocks the air flow path. The air conditioner according to claim 6, wherein the air conditioner is characterized. When the sensor detects leakage of the refrigerant with the sensor, the control device notifies the maintenance management service center, a user on the go, a predetermined registration destination of the leakage information, and a warning or warning by light or sound. The air conditioner according to claim 7, wherein: The portion of the wall hole connecting the indoor side and the outdoor side is characterized in that a part of a gap between the wall hole and the heat insulating material that covers the pipe through which the refrigerant flows is putty-filled. The air conditioner according to claim 5.

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