JP6949194B2 - An indoor unit of an air conditioner and an air conditioner equipped with this indoor unit - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an indoor unit of an air conditioner provided with a gas sensor for detecting refrigerant leakage, and an air conditioner provided with the indoor unit.

Some refrigerants used in conventional air conditioners are flammable. Therefore, when a flammable refrigerant leaks from an indoor unit of an air conditioner or the like, there is a risk of ignition of the refrigerant if the leaked refrigerant exceeds a certain concentration. Therefore, in order to detect leakage of a flammable refrigerant such as R32 refrigerant, an indoor unit of an air conditioner in which temperature sensors are installed at a plurality of locations has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The indoor unit of the air conditioner of Patent Document 1 detects whether or not the refrigerant has leaked from the difference between the air temperature and the refrigerant temperature in the pipe.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-191531

The temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the indoor unit of the air conditioner changes significantly depending on various operating conditions such as during cooling, heating, or defrosting operation of the outdoor unit. Therefore, in the conventional technique of detecting the difference between the indoor air and the refrigerant temperature in the pipe and issuing a report, for example, the temperature difference between the refrigerant temperature that changes during the defrosting operation of the outdoor unit and the indoor temperature that does not change. There is a risk of false detection due to the difference in.

The present invention is for solving the above-mentioned problems, and is an indoor unit of an air conditioner having improved detection accuracy of the refrigerant when a refrigerant leaks from the indoor unit of the air conditioner, and an indoor unit of the air conditioner. It provides an air conditioner equipped with a machine.

In the indoor unit of the air exchanger according to the present invention, a suction grill having a suction port for gas inflow, a decorative panel to which a suction grill is formed and an air outlet from which gas flows out is formed, and a decorative panel are attached. A blower that forms an air passage between the suction port and the air outlet, and is arranged in the housing so as to face the suction grill, and allows gas to flow in from the suction port and outflow from the air outlet. A heat exchanger that is arranged in the air passage between the blower and the air outlet in the housing and exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing inside and the gas, a refrigerant detection sensor that detects the leakage of the refrigerant, and the refrigerant detection inside. The suction grill is provided with a box-shaped sensor holder in which the sensor is arranged and the refrigerant detection sensor is fixed in the housing, and a temperature sensor which is arranged in the sensor holder and detects the temperature of the gas flowing in from the suction port. It is located below the heat exchanger, the refrigerant detection sensor is located below the heat exchanger, and is located between the suction grille and the blower, and the sensor holder holds the refrigerant detection sensor. It has a first accommodating portion for accommodating and a second accommodating portion for accommodating a temperature sensor, and the space of the first accommodating portion and the space of the second accommodating portion are separated by a partition portion. Is composed of two plate portions that partition the space in which the refrigerant detection sensor is arranged and the space in which the temperature sensor is arranged, and a space is formed between the two plate portions . It is a thing.

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

It is a bottom view of the indoor unit of the air conditioner which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the indoor unit of FIG. It is the bottom view which removed the suction grill of the indoor unit of FIG. It is a front view of the sensor holder installed in the indoor unit of the air conditioner which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a right side view of the sensor holder of FIG. It is a left side view of the sensor holder of FIG. It is an exploded perspective view of the sensor holder of FIG. It is an exploded perspective view seen from the other direction of the sensor holder of FIG. It is an exploded perspective view of the sensor holder installed in the indoor unit of the air conditioner which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is an exploded perspective view seen from the other direction of the sensor holder installed in the indoor unit of the air conditioner which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the air conditioner which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention.

Hereinafter, the indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention and the air conditioner 200 provided with the indoor unit 100 will be described with reference to drawings and the like. In the following drawings including FIG. 1, the relative dimensional relationships and shapes of the constituent members may differ from the actual ones. Further, in the following drawings, those having the same reference numerals are the same or equivalent thereof, and this shall be common to the entire text of the specification. In addition, terms that indicate directions (for example, "top", "bottom", "right", "left", "front", "rear", etc.) are used as appropriate for ease of understanding. For convenience of explanation, it is described as such, and does not limit the arrangement and orientation of the device or component.

Embodiment 1.
[Indoor unit 100]
FIG. 1 is a bottom view of the indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the indoor unit 100 of FIG. The X-axis shown in the following drawings including FIG. 1 indicates the left-right width direction of the indoor unit 100, the Y-axis indicates the front-rear direction of the indoor unit 100, and the Z-axis indicates the vertical direction of the indoor unit 100. .. More specifically, the indoor unit 100 has the X1 side on the left side on the X axis, the X2 side on the right side, the Y1 side on the Y axis on the front side, the Y2 side on the rear side, the Z1 side on the Z axis on the upper side, and the Z2 side on the lower side. explain. Further, the positional relationship between the constituent members (for example, the vertical relationship, etc.) in the specification is, in principle, the one when the indoor unit 100 is installed in a usable state. In the present embodiment, a four-way cassette type indoor unit 100, which is a ceiling-embedded type that can be embedded in the ceiling of the room and has outlets 13c formed in four directions, will be described. The indoor unit 100 is connected to the outdoor unit by a refrigerant pipe, and constitutes a refrigerant circuit that circulates the refrigerant to perform refrigeration, air conditioning, and the like. As the refrigerant used in the indoor heat exchanger 30 of the indoor unit 100, a refrigerant having a density higher than that of air is used. However, the refrigerant used in the indoor heat exchanger 30 of the indoor unit 100 is not limited to a refrigerant having a density higher than that of air, and a refrigerant having the same density as or lower than that of air may be used. good.

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

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

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the indoor unit 100 of FIG. 1 with the suction grill 14 removed. Next, the internal configuration of the indoor unit 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. The indoor unit 100 has a blower 20 that allows the gas in the room to flow in from the suction port 14a and the gas to flow out into the room from the air outlet 13c. The blower 20 is arranged in the housing 10 so as to face the suction grill 14. Further, the blower 20 is arranged in the housing 10 so that the rotation axis faces the vertical direction (Z-axis direction).

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

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

Further, the indoor unit 100 includes an electric component box 40 between the bell mouth 16 and the suction grill 14 in the housing 10. The electrical component box 40 is a box provided inside with a device such as a control device for controlling the indoor unit 100. The device in the electrical component box 40 supplies electric power to the device of the indoor unit 100, and also transmits / receives (communicates) signals. Further, in the electrical component box 40, a control unit 80 that processes signals from the refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the temperature sensor 70, which will be described later, is arranged. The control unit 80 has, for example, a storage means for storing a program and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes processing according to the program. The control unit 80 may be provided in the sensor holder 60, which will be described later. The electrical component box 40 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The electrical component box 40 is arranged in the opening 13a formed in the decorative panel 13 in a plan view of the ceiling from the indoor side, and the longitudinal direction of the electrical component box 40 forms one side of the opening 13a. It is arranged along the edge of the decorative panel 13 to be used. The electrical component box 40 is fixed in the housing 10 by, for example, a fixing member such as a screw.

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

The refrigerant detection sensor 50 is installed below the indoor heat exchanger 30 and is arranged between the suction grill 14 and the blower 20. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerant detection sensor 50 is arranged at the bottom of the indoor unit 100 located below the bell mouth 16 and the indoor heat exchanger 30. Further, the refrigerant detection sensor 50 is arranged in the vicinity of the suction port 14a formed in the suction grill 14. The reason why the refrigerant detection sensor 50 is arranged at the bottom of the indoor unit 100 located below the bell mouth 16 and the indoor heat exchanger 30 is that the vane 15 provided at the air outlet 13c is provided when the indoor unit 100 is stopped. Is closed, so that the refrigerant does not easily leak from the inside of the housing 10. Therefore, it is desirable to arrange the refrigerant detection sensor 50 at the bottom of the indoor unit 100 in which the housing 10 is filled with the refrigerant and the leaked refrigerant is accumulated. Further, the reason why the refrigerant detection sensor 50 is arranged in the vicinity of the suction port 14a formed in the suction grill 14 is that the refrigerant accumulated in the bottom of the indoor unit 100 is diluted by the inflowing air during the operation of the blower 20. Further, the refrigerant detection sensor 50 uses a semiconductor as a gas-sensitive element, and the characteristic of the sensor that outputs an output due to the oxygen concentration makes it difficult to detect the leaked refrigerant. Therefore, when the blower 20 is operated, the refrigerant is discharged into the room from the outlet 13c, so that the concentration of the refrigerant in the room becomes high, and the suction port 14a close to the indoor space can be detected when the refrigerant is sucked from the suction port 14a. This is because it is desirable to be placed in the vicinity of. The vicinity of the suction port 14a is between the blower 20 and the suction grill 14 in the direction perpendicular to the mounted portion such as the ceiling (Z-axis direction), and more specifically, the bell mouth 16 and the suction port 14a. It is between the grill 14 and the grill 14. Further, the vicinity of the suction port 14a is a position in the opening 13a formed in the decorative panel 13 in a plan view of the ceiling from the indoor side. The refrigerant detection sensor 50 is arranged in the sensor holder 60. The refrigerant detection sensor 50 is excellent in serviceability because the sensor can be replaced by removing the screw of the electrical component box 40 to which the sensor holder 60 is attached and removing the electrical component box 40 from the housing 10. ..

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

The sensor holder 60 fixes the refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the temperature sensor 70 in the housing 10, and protects the refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the temperature sensor 70 from dust and the like. Further, when the detection unit 51 of the refrigerant detection sensor 50 is made of metal, the sensor holder 60 prevents the human finger from coming into contact with the detection unit 51 so that the human finger does not touch it when energized. The sensor holder 60 is a resin component such as PS (polystyrene). A refrigerant detection sensor 50 and a temperature sensor 70 are installed side by side in the sensor holder 60. By combining the refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the temperature sensor 70 in one sensor holder 60, only one cover is required to protect them. Further, the cover of the service component of the refrigerant detection sensor 50 can be shared with the temperature sensor 70. The sensor holder 60 is formed in a box shape. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the sensor holder 60 is fixed by being inserted into the side wall 40a of the electrical component box 40 facing the air passage between the suction port 14a and the blower 20, and is fixed to the refrigerant detection sensor 50. The temperature sensor 70 and the temperature sensor 70 are arranged so as to project from the electrical component box 40. The sensor holder 60 is arranged in the opening 13a formed in the decorative panel 13 in a plan view of the ceiling from the indoor side. Further, the sensor holder 60 is arranged between the suction grill 14 and the blower 20 in the direction perpendicular to the mounted portion such as the ceiling (Z-axis direction). More specifically, the suction grill 14 and the bell mouth It is arranged between 16 and 16. The sensor holder 60 is inserted into the electrical component box 40. By inserting the sensor holder 60 into the electrical component box 40, it is not necessary to route the lead wires connected to each sensor, and the distance between the lead wires can be shortened. If the lead wire runs in parallel with the power supply line or the like, there is a concern that noise may be added to the output signal of the refrigerant detection sensor 50. By directly attaching the sensor holder 60 to the electrical component box 40, the distance between the lead wires can be shortened, and noise in the output signal of the refrigerant detection sensor 50 can be suppressed.

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

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

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

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

Next, the operation of the indoor unit 100 will be described. When the blower 20 is driven in the indoor unit 100, the air in the room is sucked from the suction port 14a, cleaned by the filter, passed through the bell mouth 16 and flows into the impeller of the blower 20, and is transmitted from between the plurality of blades. It flows out to the outer peripheral side of the impeller. The air flowing out of the impeller is cooled or heated by heat exchange with the refrigerant flowing inside the indoor heat exchanger 30, becomes cold air or hot air, and is blown into the room from the outlet 13c. At this time, if the refrigerant is leaking, the refrigerant is blown into the room from the outlet 13c, and the blown refrigerant is sucked from the suction port 14a. Then, the refrigerant detection sensor 50 detects the presence of the refrigerant when the refrigerant leaked into the room is sucked. On the other hand, in the indoor unit 100, when the operation of the blower 20 is stopped, no matter which pipe in the housing 10 leaks the refrigerant, the housing 10 is filled with the refrigerant and the leaked refrigerant accumulates. The refrigerant detection sensor 50 arranged at the bottom of the indoor unit 100 detects the refrigerant.

As described above, in the indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner, the suction grill 14 is arranged below the indoor heat exchanger 30, and the refrigerant detection sensor 50 is installed below the indoor heat exchanger 30. At the same time, it is arranged between the suction grill 14 and the blower 20. Generally, when the blower 20 is in operation, the refrigerant leaked from the inside of the housing 10 is diluted, and the refrigerant leak may not be detected instantly. However, even in that case, the refrigerant detection sensor 50 can detect the refrigerant contained in the gas flowing out from the outlet 13c and flowing in from the suction port 14a before the refrigerant concentration in the room reaches the combustible region. Further, when the blower 20 is stopped, the refrigerant stays at the bottom of the housing 10, so that the refrigerant detection sensor 50 can detect the refrigerant leakage. Therefore, the indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner can improve the detection accuracy of the refrigerant when the refrigerant leaks. As a result, the indoor unit 100 can realize a safe air conditioner so that the refrigerant detection sensor 50 detects the leakage of the refrigerant and does not reach the lower limit ignition concentration.

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

Further, the indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner has a box-shaped sensor holder 60 for fixing the refrigerant detection sensor 50 in the housing 10, and the refrigerant detection sensor 50 is arranged in the sensor holder 60. Therefore, the refrigerant detection sensor 50 can be installed in the housing 10 below the indoor heat exchanger 30 and can be arranged between the suction grill 14 and the blower 20. Further, the refrigerant detection sensor 50 can protect from the accumulation of dust and the like. Further, when the detection unit 51 of the refrigerant detection sensor 50 is made of metal, it is possible to prevent the contact between the human finger and the detection unit 51 so that the operator's finger does not touch when the power is turned on.

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

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

Further, in the indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner, the sensor holder 60 is formed with a plurality of through holes 61d at positions facing the refrigerant detection sensor 50, and each of the sensor holders 60 forming the plurality of through holes 61d. The width between the walls 61f is smaller than the thickness of a human finger. Therefore, when the detection unit 51 of the refrigerant detection sensor 50 is made of metal, the contact between the human finger and the detection unit 51 can be prevented so that the operator's finger does not touch when the power is turned on.

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

Embodiment 2.
FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the sensor holder 60 installed in the indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the sensor holder 60 installed in the indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner according to the second embodiment of the present invention as viewed from another direction. Parts having the same configuration as the indoor unit 100 of FIGS. 1 to 8 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. The indoor unit 100 of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. As described above, the refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the temperature sensor 70 are provided side by side in the sensor holder 60. The refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the temperature sensor 70 are separated in one sensor holder 60. Here, the refrigerant detection sensor 50 applies a voltage to the gas-sensitive body to promote the chemical reaction, for example, and the temperature of the gas-sensitive body reaches a temperature of 300 ° C. to 400 ° C. Therefore, the indoor unit 100 of the second embodiment has the refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the temperature sensor 70 in the sensor holder 60 so as not to affect the detection temperature of the temperature sensor 70 that detects the temperature of the air sucked from the room. A partition 63 is provided between them. In the sensor holder 60, the space of the first accommodating portion 61 and the space of the second accommodating portion 62 are blocked by the partition portion 63. The partition portion 63 is composed of two plates, a plate portion 63a and a plate portion 63b, which partition the space in which the refrigerant detection sensor 50 is arranged and the space in which the temperature sensor 70 is arranged. The plate portion 63a and the plate portion 63b constituting the partition portion 63 are arranged so as to face each other, and a space is formed between the plates. The partition portion 63 is not configured such that a space is formed between the plate portion 63a and the plate portion 63b, but may be formed by a single plate in which the plate portion 63a and the plate portion 63b are integrated. good.

As described above, in the indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner, the sensor holder 60 has the space of the first accommodating portion 61 and the space of the second accommodating portion 62 blocked by the partition portion 63. Therefore, the indoor unit 100 can prevent the influence of the refrigerant detection sensor 50 in the sensor holder 60 on the detection temperature of the temperature sensor 70.

Embodiment 3.
[Air conditioner 200]
FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing the configuration of the air conditioner 200 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The indoor unit 100 used in the air conditioner 200 according to the third embodiment is the same as the indoor unit 100 shown in FIGS. 1 to 10 of the first and second embodiments. The air conditioner 200 according to the third embodiment heats or cools the room by transferring heat between the outside air and the air in the room via a refrigerant to perform air conditioning. The air conditioner 200 according to the third embodiment includes an outdoor unit 150 and an indoor unit 100. In the air conditioner 200, the outdoor unit 150 and the indoor unit 100 are connected by a refrigerant pipe 300 and a refrigerant pipe 400 to form a refrigerant circuit in which a refrigerant circulates. The refrigerant pipe 300 is a gas pipe through which a gas phase refrigerant flows, and the refrigerant pipe 400 is a liquid pipe through which a liquid phase refrigerant flows. A gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant may flow through the refrigerant pipe 400. In the refrigerant circuit of the air conditioner 200, the compressor 31, the flow path switching device 32, the outdoor heat exchanger 33, the expansion valve 34, and the indoor heat exchanger 30 are sequentially connected via the refrigerant pipe. As the refrigerant used in the air conditioner 200, a refrigerant having a density higher than that of air is used. However, the refrigerant used in the air conditioner 200 is not limited to a refrigerant having a density higher than that of air, and a refrigerant having the same density as that of air or having a density lower than that of air may be used.

(Outdoor unit 150)
The outdoor unit 150 includes a compressor 31, a flow path switching device 32, an outdoor heat exchanger 33, and an expansion valve 34. The compressor 31 compresses and discharges the sucked refrigerant. Here, the compressor 31 may be provided with an inverter device, or may be configured so that the capacity of the compressor 31 can be changed by changing the operating frequency by the inverter device. The capacity of the compressor 31 is the amount of refrigerant delivered per unit time. The flow path switching device 32 is, for example, a four-way valve, which switches the direction of the refrigerant flow path. The air conditioner 200 can realize a heating operation or a cooling operation by switching the flow of the refrigerant by using the flow path switching device 32 based on an instruction from the control device (not shown).

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

(Indoor unit 100)
The indoor unit 100 includes an indoor heat exchanger 30 that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the indoor air, and an indoor blower 37 that adjusts the flow of air that the indoor heat exchanger 30 exchanges heat with. The indoor heat exchanger 30 acts as a condenser during the heating operation, exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing in from the refrigerant pipe 300 and the indoor air, condenses the refrigerant and liquefies it, and moves it to the refrigerant pipe 400 side. Let it flow out. The indoor heat exchanger 30 acts as an evaporator during the cooling operation, exchanges heat between the refrigerant put into a low pressure state by the expansion valve 34 and the indoor air, and causes the refrigerant to take away the heat of the air and evaporate it. It is vaporized and discharged to the refrigerant pipe 300 side. The indoor blower 37 is provided so as to face the indoor heat exchanger 30. The operating speed of the indoor blower 37 is determined by the user's setting. An inverter device may be attached to the indoor blower 37 to change the operating frequency of the fan motor to change the rotation speed of the fan.

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

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

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

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

10 housing, 11 top plate, 12 side plate, 13 decorative panel, 13a opening, 13b outer edge, 13c outlet, 14 suction grill, 14a suction port, 15 vanes, 16 bell mouth, 20 blower, 30 indoor heat exchanger , 31 compressor, 32 flow path switching device, 33 outdoor heat exchanger, 34 expansion valve, 36 outdoor blower, 37 indoor blower, 40 electrical parts box, 40a side wall, 50 refrigerant detection sensor, 51 detector, 60 sensor holder, 61 1st accommodating part, 61a bottom, 61b top plate, 61c side wall, 61d through hole, 61e side wall, 61f wall, 62 2nd accommodating part, 62a bottom, 62b top plate, 62c side wall, 62d through hole, 62e side wall, 62f Wall, 62g central part, 63 partition part, 63a plate part, 63b plate part, 64b bulge, 64b1 tip, 64b2 opening, 64b3 through hole, 70 temperature sensor, 80 control unit, 100 indoor unit, 150 outdoor unit , 200 air conditioners, 300 refrigerant pipes, 400 refrigerant pipes.

Claims (7)

A suction grill with a suction port for gas to flow in,
A decorative panel to which the suction grill is attached and an outlet through which the gas flows out is formed.
A housing to which the decorative panel is attached and forming an air passage between the suction port and the air outlet,
A blower which is arranged in the housing so as to face the suction grill, allows the gas to flow in from the suction port, and discharges the gas from the outlet.
A heat exchanger, which is arranged in the air passage between the blower and the air outlet in the housing and exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing inside and the gas.
A refrigerant detection sensor that detects the leakage of the refrigerant and
A box-shaped sensor holder in which the refrigerant detection sensor is arranged inside and the refrigerant detection sensor is fixed in the housing,
A temperature sensor arranged in the sensor holder and detecting the temperature of the gas flowing in from the suction port, and a temperature sensor.
With
The suction grill
It is located below the heat exchanger and
The refrigerant detection sensor is
It is installed below the heat exchanger and between the suction grill and the blower.
The sensor holder is
The first accommodating portion accommodating the refrigerant detection sensor and
A second accommodating portion accommodating the temperature sensor and
Have,
The space of the first accommodating portion and the space of the second accommodating portion are separated by a partition portion .
The partition is
It is composed of two plate portions that partition the space in which the refrigerant detection sensor is arranged and the space in which the temperature sensor is arranged, and a space is formed between the two plate portions. The indoor unit of the air conditioner. The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit of the refrigerant detection sensor is installed so as to face a right angle to the flow of the gas from the suction port to the blower. The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sensor holder is arranged between the suction grill and the blower. It also has an electrical box with a control device inside to control the indoor unit of the air conditioner.
The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sensor holder is fixed to the side wall of the electrical component box. The sensor holder is formed with a plurality of through holes at positions facing the refrigerant detection sensor.
The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the width between the walls of the sensor holder forming the plurality of through holes is smaller than the thickness of a human finger. The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the housing is arranged in the ceiling. An air conditioner including the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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