OUTDOOR UNIT FOR AIR-CONDITIONING APPARATUS

Provided is an outdoor unit for an air-conditioning apparatus, including: a casing having an opening formed at a rear surface side thereof; and a heat exchanger having a flat surface region formed into a planar shape, and being accommodated in the casing so that the flat surface region is exposed through the opening formed at the rear surface side of the casing. A side edge portion of the opening formed at the rear surface side is formed at a position opposed to the flat surface region, and is bent toward the heat exchanger side so as to narrow a gap between the side edge portion and the heat exchanger.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an outdoor unit for an air-conditioning apparatus, and more particularly, to an outer shell structure of an outdoor unit.

BACKGROUND ART

To downsize an outdoor unit for an air-conditioning apparatus while securing a heat exchange amount, there is proposed an L-shaped heat exchanger having an L-shape in cross section. The L-shaped heat exchanger is generally accommodated in a casing so as to be opposed to one side surface of the outdoor unit and a surface of the outdoor unit having an air inlet formed therein (air inlet-side surface). The outdoor units for an air-conditioning apparatus of recent years may have such a structure that the air inlet is formed in a rear surface thereof and a panel opposed to the air inlet is omitted, thereby exposing the heat exchanger to the outside.

In such an outdoor unit, a gap is formed between a side edge portion (edge portion) of the casing and a curved surface portion of the heat exchanger, and a finger or the like may enter the gap or come into contact with the side edge portion of the rear panel. To prevent the entry of the finger or the like into the gap, there is proposed a method of bending the side edge portion of the rear panel (see, for example, Patent Literature 1). Patent Literature 1 discloses that the side edge portion of the rear panel, which is opposed to the curved surface portion, is bent inward (toward the heat exchanger side), to thereby narrow the gap formed between the side edge portion of the rear panel and the heat exchanger.

CITATION LIST

Patent Literature

Patent Literature 1: JP 2012-87996 A

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Technical Problem

By the way, there is a demand to develop a common structure for a bottom plate of the casing so that an L-shaped heat exchanger and a flat heat exchanger may be mounted in the same way. When the flat heat exchanger is mounted on a panel having a side edge portion positioned at a curved surface portion of the heat exchanger as described in Patent Literature 1, a gap is formed between the panel and the heat exchanger. Therefore, there is a demand for a structure capable of securing safety even when the flat heat exchanger as well as the L-shaped heat exchanger is mounted.

The present invention has been made to solve the problem described above, and it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide, among other outdoor units on which an L-shaped heat exchanger or a flat heat exchanger may be mounted in the same way, an outdoor unit for an air-conditioning apparatus, which is capable of securing safety irrespective of whether the L-shaped heat exchanger or the flat heat exchanger is mounted.

Solution to Problem

According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an outdoor unit for an air-conditioning apparatus, including: a casing having an opening formed at a rear surface side thereof; and a heat exchanger having a flat surface region formed into a planar shape, and being accommodated in the casing so that the flat surface region is exposed through the opening formed at the rear surface side of the casing. A side edge portion of the opening formed at the rear surface side is formed at a position opposed to the flat surface region, and is bent toward the heat exchanger side.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

According to the outdoor unit for an air-conditioning apparatus of the one embodiment of the present invention, the side edge portion of the casing is formed at a position opposed to the flat surface region of the heat exchanger, and is also bent inward. Thus, the safety can be secured irrespective of whether the L-shaped heat exchanger or the flat heat exchanger is mounted.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT

Now, an outdoor unit for an air-conditioning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is described in detail with reference to the drawings.FIG. 1is a schematic perspective view illustrating the outdoor unit for an air-conditioning apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, andFIG. 2is a perspective view illustrating an example of a casing100A of an outdoor unit100ofFIG. 1. The outdoor unit100for an air-conditioning apparatus ofFIG. 1is enclosed by the casing100A, which is constructed of a top panel1, an outer panel2, a side panel3, and a bottom plate4. The top panel1, the outer panel2, and the side panel3are assembled onto the bottom plate4. Flanges are formed on upper parts of the outer panel2and the side panel3, and the top panel1is fixed to those flanges. A flange is similarly formed on the bottom plate4, and the outer panel2and the side panel3are fixed to this flange with bolts or the like.

Further, the outer panel2has such a shape that a front surface portion2A, a side surface portion2B, and a rear surface portion2C are molded integrally with each other. In this case, the rear surface portion2C is configured to cover a part of a rear surface side of the casing100A, and an opening100B for exposing a heat exchanger10is formed at the rear surface side of the casing100A. Note that, to enhance ventilation of the heat exchanger10, the width of the opening100B is set larger than the width of the rear surface portion2C.

The casing100A has such a structure that an L-shaped heat exchanger10having a flat surface region10a,a curved surface region10b,and a side surface region10cas illustrated inFIGS. 2 to 5and a flat heat exchanger210formed only of a flat surface region as illustrated inFIGS. 6 to 8may be mounted in the same way. That is, the casing100A has a common structure so that the L-shaped heat exchanger10and the flat heat exchanger210may be mounted on the bottom plate4in the same way. Now, description is separately given of a case where the L-shaped heat exchanger10is mounted and a case where the flat heat exchanger210is mounted.

First, description is given of the case where the L-shaped heat exchanger10is mounted as the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit100.FIG. 3is a schematic perspective view illustrating an internal structure of the outdoor unit100having the L-shaped heat exchanger10mounted thereon, andFIG. 4is a schematic top view illustrating the internal structure of the outdoor unit100ofFIG. 3. As illustrated inFIGS. 3 and 4, the inner part of the outdoor unit100is partitioned by a separator5into a fan chamber WR and a machine chamber MR. A compressor6, a refrigerant pipe7, an electrical component box (control box)8, and the like are arranged at the machine chamber MR side, whereas the L-shaped heat exchanger10, a fan11, and the like are provided at the fan chamber WR side. Note that, the compressor6and the L-shaped heat exchanger10are mounted on the bottom plate4.

The compressor6is configured to suck a refrigerant, compress the refrigerant into a high-temperature and high-pressure state, and to send the refrigerant into a refrigerant circuit through the refrigerant pipe7. The electrical component box (control box)8is configured to accommodate control means for controlling an operation of the outdoor unit100.

The L-shaped heat exchanger10is configured to exchange heat between outdoor air and the refrigerant. The L-shaped heat exchanger10functions as an evaporator during a heating operation, and as a condenser during a cooling operation. The L-shaped heat exchanger10includes, for example, heat transfer pipes for allowing the refrigerant to pass therethrough, and fins for increasing the area of heat transfer between the outdoor air and the refrigerant flowing through the heat transfer pipes. In addition, the L-shaped heat exchanger10has the flat surface region10a,the curved surface region10b,and the side surface region10c.In the casing100A, the flat surface region10aof the L-shaped heat exchanger10is exposed through the opening100B formed at the rear surface side of the casing100A, and the side surface region10cof the L-shaped heat exchanger10is arranged so as to be opposed to the side surface portion2B of the outer panel2. Note that, ventilation holes2X for enhancing ventilation of air to the side surface region10care formed in the side surface portion2B (seeFIGS. 1 and 2). Note that, a clearance is secured between the side surface portion2B of the outer panel2and the side surface region10cof the L-shaped heat exchanger10, to thereby prevent contact therebetween. Further, at a front surface side of the L-shaped heat exchanger10, the fan11for sending air is held by a fan holding portion20.

FIG. 5Ais a schematic view illustrating a region on the periphery of the rear surface portion of the outdoor unit100ofFIG. 4, andFIG. 5Bis a schematic view illustrating a region on the periphery of a side edge portion2D ofFIG. 5A. As illustrated inFIGS. 5A and 5B, the side edge portion2D of the opening100B formed at the rear surface side is bent toward the flat surface region10aside of the L-shaped heat exchanger10, to thereby narrow a gap between the side edge portion2D and the flat surface region10aof the L-shaped heat exchanger10. Specifically, a clearance between the rear surface portion2C and the flat surface region10ais set so that the rear surface portion2C and the flat surface region10aare arranged away from each other by a distance D1, whereas a distance D10between the side edge portion2D and the flat surface region10ais shorter than the distance D1(D1>D10). Note that, the bending part is formed so that the distance D10ranges, for example, from 5 mm to 10 mm. Further, the ventilation is enhanced as the area in which the rear surface portion2C and the flat surface region10aare opposed to each other is smaller, and hence the side edge portion2D may be formed at a boundary10xbetween the flat surface region10aand the curved surface region10b.

As described above, the side edge portion2D of the rear surface portion2C of the outer panel2is bent toward the flat surface region10aside so as to narrow the gap between the side edge portion2D and the L-shaped heat exchanger10. As a result, entry of a finger or the like into the gap can be prevented, thereby being capable of securing safety. Further, the side edge portion2D is bent inward, and thus the safety can be secured without a need to coat the side edge portion2D with a resin or the like even when the side edge portion2D has a burr or the like.

Next, description is given of the case where the flat heat exchanger210is mounted as the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit100.FIG. 6is a schematic perspective view illustrating an internal structure of the outdoor unit100having the flat heat exchanger210mounted thereon, andFIG. 7is a schematic top view illustrating the internal structure of the outdoor unit100ofFIG. 1. Note that, inFIGS. 6 and 7, parts having the same structure as those of the outdoor unit100ofFIGS. 3 to 5are represented by the same reference symbols, and description thereof is therefore omitted herein.

InFIGS. 6 and 7, the flat heat exchanger210is formed into a flat plate shape, and is arranged at the rear surface side of the casing100A so as to extend up to a connection portion (corner portion) between the side surface portion2B and the rear surface portion2C. Note that, the flat heat exchanger210may secure performance of an apparatus of a type having low heating and cooling capacity, and hence the flat heat exchanger210is mounted on the outdoor unit100. On the other hand, the L-shaped heat exchanger10is mounted on an apparatus of a type required to have high heating and cooling capacity.

In this case, the flat heat exchanger210is arranged on the bottom plate4at the same position as the position where the flat surface region of the L-shaped heat exchanger10is arranged. Thus, the distance between the flat heat exchanger210and the side edge portion is equal to the distance between the flat surface region10aof the L-shaped heat exchanger10and the side edge portion2D. Thus, even when the bottom plate4has a common structure so that the L-shaped heat exchanger10or the flat heat exchanger210is mounted on the outdoor unit100in the same way, the gap is narrowed by the bending part of the side edge portion2D, resulting in a gap corresponding to the distance D10(=5 mm to 10 mm approximately) that the finger or the like does not enter.

Note that, when the flat heat exchanger210is mounted inside the outdoor unit100, as illustrated inFIG. 8, it is preferred that the side surface portion2B be formed into a flat plate shape with all the ventilation holes2X being closed so as to prevent entry of foreign matter into the casing100A. Those two types of side surface portion2B or rear surface portion2C are manufactured by controlling, in a molding step, formation of the ventilation holes2X while using the same mold.

According to the embodiment described above, the side edge portion2D of the opening100B formed in the rear surface is formed at the position opposed to the flat surface region10a,and is also bent toward the flat surface region10aside so as to narrow the gap between the side edge portion2D and the flat surface region10a.As a result, the safety can reliably be secured even when the bottom plate4has a common structure so that any one of the heat exchangers10and210of different types is mounted. Further, when the L-shaped heat exchanger10is mounted, as long as the side edge portion2D is formed at the boundary10xbetween the flat surface region10aand the curved surface region10bof the L-shaped heat exchanger10, the area closed by the rear surface portion2C can be minimized.

The embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above. For example,FIG. 2illustrates the case where the front surface portion2A, the side surface portion2B, and the rear surface portion2C of the outer panel2are molded integrally with each other, but the front surface portion2A, the side surface portion2B, and the rear surface portion2C may be assembled onto the bottom plate4in a state of being formed separately from each other. Also in this case, the side edge portion2D of the rear surface portion2C is arranged at the position opposed to the flat surface region10aof the L-shaped heat exchanger10.

Further,FIG. 5Billustrates the case where the side edge portion2D is folded once, but the side edge portion2D may be folded twice, or the folding part may be formed into such a U-shape that the folding part is curved out of contact with the rear surface portion2C.

Still further,FIGS. 1 to 8illustrate the case where the rear surface portion2C side is formed into a flat plate shape, but ventilation holes may be formed so as to enhance ventilation.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST