Patent Document

TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a wall-hung air conditioner, and more particularly to an air conditioner capable of safely discharging drain water outwards without adversely affecting electrical equipment, and having good assembly properties and maintenance properties. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     When an air conditioner (an indoor device) is operated in a cooling mode, moisture in the air is condensed to produce drain water in a heat exchanger provided therein. Generally, the drain water is received by a drain pan provided in a body cabinet, and discharged outdoors via a drain hose connected to a part of the drain pan. 
     A large amount of drain water is produced particularly in hot and humid areas such as coastal areas or Southeast Asia. Thus, some air conditioners are suggested such that a pump for discharging drain water is provided in a body cabinet to force the drain water out. 
     Japanese Patent Application publication No. 2002-130722 (related example 1) is an example. The example 1 describes that an air conditioner has a drain pump placed in a space formed between a fan body of a cross flow fan and a motor, provided in a body cabinet. Thereby, the need for a dedicated space for the drain pump is eliminated to save space, as one advantage. 
     On the other hand, when a drain pump is used, vibration of a pump motor therein may produce resonance together with a body cabinet to cause abnormal sounds. Japanese Patent Application publication No. 8-285305 (related example 2) is an example to solve the above problem. The example 2 describes that a drain pump is mounted to a body cabinet via a rubber isolator. Thereby, vibration of the drain pump is absorbed by the rubber isolator to effectively minimize abnormal sounds. 
     However, the method of the example 1 has the following problems. Specifically, the drain pump is placed near the motor of the cross flow fan or an electric part such as an electrical equipment box, and there is a risk of electrical leakage caused by drain water. 
     Further, the drain pump is placed on the back of an output shaft of the motor, and in order to remove the drain pump, the cross flow fan and a heat exchanger unit covering the fan must be removed, thus offering poor maintenance properties. 
     The method of the example 2 includes a cap-like rubber isolator covering a movable portion such as a pump motor, and is thus suitable for minimizing local vibration, but less effective against vibration caused by three-dimensional rotational motion. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is made to solve the above described problems, and has an object to provide an air conditioner capable of safely discharging drain water outwards, and having good assembly properties and maintenance properties. 
     In order to achieve the object, the invention provides an air conditioner including: a body cabinet that includes a base panel secured to an indoor wall surface via predetermined securing means, the base panel having first and second side plates that support a cross flow fan and a heat exchanger from both sides; a drain pan that receives drain water produced by the heat exchanger; and a drain pump unit that discharges the drain water collected by the drain pan outwards of the body cabinet, wherein an electrical equipment box including a control substrate is placed adjacent to the first side plate of the base panel, and the drain pump unit is placed adjacent to the second side plate. Thereby, the drain pump unit is placed opposite the electrical equipment with the heat exchanger therebetween, thus reliably preventing electrical leakage of the electrical equipment caused by drain water. Further, the electrical equipment is housed in an opposite space, thus increasing maintenance properties. 
     The drain pan has a drain passage formed into a trough shape along the heat exchanger, and a drain tank that stores the drain water collected through the drain passage, and an inlet port of the drain pump unit is connected to the drain tank. 
     Thereby, the collected drain water is stored in the drain tank without being brought to the electrical equipment, thus allowing the drain water to be reliably sucked by a drain pump. 
     The drain pan is integrally formed with the base panel, and the drain tank is provided beneath the drain pump unit placed on the side of the second side plate. Thereby, the drain passage and the drain tank are integrally formed with the base panel, thus allowing lower production costs in comparison with when they are separately formed, and allowing reliable control of a flow of the drain water. 
     A partition wall is provided between the drain passage and the drain tank, which are in communication with each other via a communication hole. Thereby, the drain water stored in the drain tank does not return to the drain passage, thus preventing the drain passage from being contaminated with dirty drain water. 
     A bottom of the drain tank is lower than the drain passage. Thereby, the drain water collected by the drain passage can be reliably stored in the drain tank. 
     The base panel further has a support plate that supports the drain pump unit, and the drain pump unit is cantilevered on the back of the base panel via the support plate. Thereby, the drain pump unit is cantilevered on the back of the base panel, thus offering higher assembly properties and maintenance properties. 
     The support plate is mounted to the second side plate. Thereby, the drain pump unit can be efficiently incorporated by being mounted via the second side plate, without increasing unnecessary mounting members. 
     The air conditioner further includes a first bracket mounted on the side of the support plate, and a second bracket mounted on the side of the drain pump unit, and the first bracket and the second bracket are connected via a vibration isolation member. Thereby, the pump unit is mounted to the support plate via the vibration isolating member, thus allowing vibration caused by the pump motor to be effectively absorbed by the vibration isolation member. 
     The support plate further has a guide plate for mounting the drain pump unit to the support plate via the first bracket, and the guide plate has a guide hole that receives a part of the vibration isolation member. Thereby, the first bracket is mounted along the guide plate provided on the support plate, thus allowing the pump unit to be easily positioned and secured. 
     The guide plate has a screw hole for securing the first bracket, and a screw is threaded into the screw hole to mount the drain pump unit to the body cabinet from the front. This offers good assembly properties and disassembly properties, and increases productivity. 
     A securing plate that holds a part of a pipe drawn from the drain pump unit stands on the first bracket, the securing plate has a drawing hole through which the drain pipe is drawn outwards, and the support plate also has a drawing hole in a position opposite the drawing hole. This allows the drain pipe from the drain pump unit to be properly placed, and allows simplification of a discharge passage outwards of the device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic sectional view of an internal structure of an air conditioner according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a state where a heat exchanger is removed from a base panel; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of a state where an internal structure of the base panel is disassembled; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the base panel; 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged perspective view of a state where a drain pump unit is mounted to the base panel; 
         FIG. 6A  is a perspective view of a support plate; 
         FIG. 6B  is a perspective view of the drain pump unit; and 
         FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view of the drain pump unit. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Now, an embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.  FIG. 1  is a schematic sectional view of an internal structure of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the invention. The air conditioner (an indoor device) includes a body cabinet  100  mounted to an indoor wall surface via an unshown mounting fitting. 
     The body cabinet  100  includes a base panel  200  having a vertical mounting surface  201  held in a hung manner by a mounting fitting, a top panel  300  extending from a top edge of the base panel  200  toward a side opposite the wall surface, and a bottom panel  310  extending from a bottom edge of the base panel toward a tip of the base panel  200 . The base panel  200 , the top panel  300 , and the bottom panel  310  are molded components made of resin. 
     The top panel  300  is a facing plate that covers an upper half from a top end of the base panel  200  as shown in  FIG. 1 , and has, along a front surface thereof, an air inlet  301  for taking indoor air into the body cabinet  100  in a grille shape. The air inlet  301  is formed in a surface opposite a fan housing portion  210  between side plates  250  and  260  (see FIG.  2 ). 
     A filter  320  for removing dust in the air is placed on the back of the top panel  300  (the side of the body cabinet  100 ). In this embodiment, the filter  320  is removably provided in the base panel  200 . In the invention, any configuration of the top panel  300  can be selected. 
     The bottom panel  310  is a facing plate formed so as to be warped to cover a bottom end toward an upper portion of the base panel  200 , and has a tip engaging a tip of the top panel  300 . 
     The bottom panel  310  has an opening  311  for opening an air outlet  220  of the base panel  200  outwards. In the invention, any configuration of the bottom panel  310  can be selected. 
     The body cabinet  100  houses a cross flow fan  400  and a heat exchanger  500  or the like. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 2  to  4 , in the base panel  200 , the fan housing portion  210  extends along the width thereof, on a center of which the cross flow fan  400  is hung. In the fan housing portion  210 , a fan casing  211 , which produces negative pressure to cause wind when the cross flow fan  400  is driven, is formed into an arcuate surface shape along an outer peripheral surface of the cross flow fan  400 . 
     Fan mounting portions  212  and  213  for supporting the cross flow fan  400  are provided in both ends of the fan housing portion  210 , and the cross flow fan  400  is bearing mounted, at both ends thereof, between the fan mounting portions  212  and  213  along and apart from the fan casing  211 . 
     A motor resting portion  214  on which a fan motor (not shown) of the cross flow fan  400  is rested is formed on one fan mounting portion  213 . The motor resting portion  214  is formed into an arc shape along an outer peripheral surface of the fan motor. 
     In the invention, the cross flow fan  400  and the fan motor thereof are arbitrary components, and conventional ones can be applied. Thus, detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted. 
     Also with reference to  FIG. 1 , the air outlet  220  for blowing the wind caused by the cross flow fan  400  out of the body cabinet  100  is provided in a lower central portion of the base panel  200 . 
     The air outlet  220  extends along the fan housing portion  210 , and near an outlet portion thereof, a vertical wind direction plate  221  that vertically divides airflow and a lateral wind direction plate  222  that laterally divides the airflow are provided. The wind direction plates  221  and  222  are pivoted on the base panel  220 , and turn on a pivot by an unshown driving motor. 
     A diffuser  223  that changes a blowing direction of the air between in a cooling operation and in a warming operation is provided in the outlet portion of the air outlet  220 . The diffuser  223  is also pivotably driven by the unshown driving motor, and has a maximum angle of aperture counterclockwise in a rapid operation. 
     A drain pan  230  that receives the drain water produced by a heat exchanger  500  is integrally formed with the base panel  200 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 4 , the drain pan  230  includes a front drain passage  231  that receives drain water produced by a front heat exchanger unit  510 , and a back drain passage  232  that receives drain water produced by a back heat exchanger unit  520 , and the drain passages  231  and  232  are formed symmetrically with respect to the fan housing portion  210 . 
     The front drain passage  231  and the back drain passage  232  are in communication with each other via a side drain passage  233  formed on a side of the fan mounting portion  212 , and the drain water collected by the back drain passage  232  flows into the left of the front drain passage  231  through the side drain passage  233 . 
     In the embodiment, a waterproof rib  234  stands on the right (i.e. the side where an electrical equipment box is housed) of the back drain passage  232 , and the waterproof rib  234  blocks the flow of the drain water into a space on the side of the electrical equipment box. 
     The base panel  200  also has a drain tank  240  that stores the drain water collected through the drain passages  231  to  233 . The drain tank  240  is formed on the left of the fan mounting portion  212 , and formed into a bath tab shape with an open top surface. The drain tank  240  is formed beneath a below described drain pump unit  600 . 
     The drain tank  240  is separated from the front drain passage  231  by the partition wall  241 , and in communication with the front drain passage  231  via a communication hole  242  formed in the partition wall  241 . Thereby, the partition wall  241  is provided to prevent backflow of the drain water stored in the drain tank  240  to the front drain passage  231 . This also prevents dust or the like floating on the drain water from returning to the front drain passage  231  through the communication hole  242 . 
     A bottom of the drain tank  240  is preferably lower than a receiving surface of the front drain passage  231 . A permissible water level surface of the drain tank  240  is preferably higher than that of the front drain passage  231 . 
     This allows the drain water to reliably fall into the drain tank  240 , and prevents an increase in water level of the drain tank  240  to causes leakage of the stored drain water, even if the front drain passage  231  is filled with the drain water. 
     After the cross flow fan  400  is mounted to the fan housing portion  210  of the base panel  200 , the fan mounting portions  212  and  213  are covered with bearing covers  250  and  260 . In the embodiment, the bearing cover  260  housing the motor also serves as a holding cover of the fan motor. 
     The bearing covers  250  and  260  are mounted to the fan mounting portions  212  and  213  to also function as the side plates  250  and  260  that partition a space in the body cabinet  100  with the cross flow fan  400  therebetween. 
     The heat exchanger  500  is rested on tops of the side plates  250  and  260  in a spanning manner. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the heat exchanger  500  includes two heat exchanger units  510  and  520  combined into a substantially lambda (Λ) shape, and is secured to the base panel  200  by a screw so as to cover the cross flow fan  400 . 
     One heat exchanger unit  510  (the front heat exchanger unit) is placed in a forward slanting position from a top of the cross flow fan  400  toward the front drain passage  231 . The other heat exchanger unit  520  is placed in a backward slanting position from the top of the cross flow fan  400  toward the back drain passage  232 . 
     The heat exchanger units  510  and  520  are integrated via a connection plate  530  at the top. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the drain pump unit  600  is placed on the side of one side plate  250  among the side plates interposing the cross flow fan  400 . On the other hand, an electrical equipment box  270  is placed on the side of the other side plate  260 . In the invention, the electrical equipment box  270  and the drain pump unit  600  are preferably placed opposite with the cross flow fan  400  therebetween. 
     Specifically, in order to avoid influences on the electrical equipment box  270  by the drain water produced by the heat exchanger  500  as much as possible, the electrical equipment box  270  and the pump unit  600  are preferably placed as far away as possible from each other. 
     The electrical equipment box  270  has a housing  271  made of resin, and is secured to the base panel  200  by a screw via the housing  271 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the drain pump unit  600  is secured to the side plate  250  of the base panel  200  (on the side opposite the electrical equipment box  270 ) via a support plate  610  in order to discharge the drain water stored in the drain tank  240  outwards. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6A , the support plate  610  includes a first support plate member  611  secured along the side plate  250 , and a second support plate member  612  integrally formed with one end side (a wall surface side) of the first support plate member  611 , and the first and the second support plate members  611  and  612  are formed of one metal plate substantially perpendicularly bent. 
     The first support plate member has a securing hole  611   a  secured to a screw hole (not shown) of the side plate  250  via a securing screw (not shown), and in this embodiment, has three securing holes  611   a.    
     The first support plate member  611  has a tongue  611   b  hung on the side plate  250  for more stable securing to the side plate  250 , and in this embodiment, has two tongues  611   b . The tongue  611   b  is formed by substantially perpendicularly bending a part of the first support plate member  611  toward the side plate  250 . 
     A guide slit  611   c  for guiding the support plate  610  to a proper securing position on the side plate  250  is formed on a joining portion between the first support plate member  611  and the second support plate member  612 . The guide slit  611   c  is brought to fit over a guide rib  251  (see  FIG. 5 ) provided on the side plate  250  to guide the support plate  610 . In the embodiment, the guide slit  611   c  is formed in a slanting direction. 
     The second support plate member  612  vertically stands along the wall surface of the base panel  200 , and has, in an upper central portion thereof, a drawing hole  612   a  through which a drain hose drawn from the drain pump unit  600  is drawn to the back of the base panel  200 . 
     A bottom end of the second support plate member  612  extends to a top of the drain tank  240  of the base panel  200 . 
     A third support plate member  613  substantially perpendicular to the wall surface (horizontal to a floor) is formed on the second support plate member  612 . The third support plate member  613  is integrally formed with a bottom end of the first support plate member  611 , and is bent substantially perpendicularly to an opposing surface between the first support plate member  611  and the second support plate member  612 . 
     The third support plate member  613  has a guide hole  613   a  on which a part of a vibration insulation member  660  mounted to the drain pump unit  600  is rested. The guide hole  613   a  is formed by cutting out a portion from a front end to a center of the third support plate member  613  in an arch shape, and the center side is formed into an arc shape. 
     The third support plate member  613  has a flange  613   b  formed by substantially perpendicularly bending a part thereof, and in this embodiment, has two flanges  613   b . The flanges  613   b  each have a screw hole  613   c  for securing the drain pump unit  600 . 
     Next, with reference to  FIGS. 6B and 7 , a configuration of the drain pump unit  600  will be described. The drain pump unit  600  includes a pump  620  that discharges the drain water, and a bracket  630  for securing the pump  620  to the support plate  610 . 
     The pump  620  has a driving motor  621  in an upper portion thereof, and an output shaft of the driving motor  621  is connected to a pump body  622  placed in a lower portion. An inlet port  623  to be inserted into the drain tank  240  is formed on a bottom of the pump body  622 . An outlet port  624  is formed on a side of the pump body  622 . 
     A drain hose  625  is inserted into the outlet port  624 . The drain hose  625  is formed of a U-shaped rubber hose. The other end of the drain hose  625  is connected to a joint  626  to be connected to an unshown main line of the drain hose. 
     A cylindrical connecting portion  626   a , into a center of which the drain hose  625  is inserted, stands on the joint  626 . A connecting port (not shown) to which a drain hose placed on the back of the base panel  200  is connected is formed on the back of the joint  626  (the side opposite the cylindrical connecting portion  626   a ). 
     The pump  620  further has a float switch  627  connected to unshown control means. The float switch  627  is independently held inside the bracket  630 , and a float  627   a  at a tip falls into the drain tank  240 . When the drain water stored in the drain tank  240  reaches a predetermined level, the float switch  627  detects the amount of water by the float portion  627   a  floating, to send a detection signal to a control unit. 
     With reference to  FIG. 7 , the bracket  630  has a first bracket  640  secured to the support plate  610  and a second bracket  650  holding the pump  620 , and they are connected via the vibration insulation member  660 . 
     The first bracket  640  includes a first bracket plate  641  placed on the third support plate member  613  of the support plate  610 , a second bracket plate  642  vertically standing from one end of the wall surface side of the first bracket plate  641 , and a third bracket plate  643  hung from a left edge of the first bracket plate  641 . 
     The first bracket plate  641  is a base plate horizontally formed along the third support plate member  613 , and has, in a center thereof, a locking hole  641   a  into which one bushing  661  formed on the vibration insulation member  660  is locked. 
     The second bracket plate  642  is a securing plate that is placed parallel to the second support plate member  612  as shown in  FIG. 5 , and to which the joint  626  of the pump unit  600  is secured as shown in FIG.  6 B. 
     The second bracket plate  642  has a notch  642   b  through which the connecting port on the back of the joint  626  is drawn. The notch  642   b  is formed into a U shape from an upper end of the second bracket plate  642 . The second bracket plate  642  has a screw hole  642   c  for screw securing, and in the embodiment, has two screw holes  642   c  with the notch  642   b  therebetween. 
     The third bracket plate  643  is a protection plate that is placed parallel to the side plate  250  as shown in  FIG. 5 , and protects a side opposite the side plate  250  of the pump unit  630  as shown in FIG.  6 B. 
     The third bracket plate  643  has a cut and raised piece  643   a  formed by cutting and raising a part thereof. The cut and raised piece  643   a  is substantially perpendicularly cut and raised from the third bracket plate  643  toward the side plate  250 , and has two locking nails  643   b  at a tip thereof. The float switch  627  of the pump unit  630  is hung on the locking nails  643   b.    
     Next, the second bracket  650  will be described. The second bracket  650  includes a fourth bracket plate  651  placed parallel to the first bracket plate  641  of the first bracket  640 , a fifth bracket plate  652  hung from a front edge of the fourth bracket plate  651 , and a sixth bracket plate  653  vertically formed from a bottom edge of the fifth bracket plate  652  toward the support plate  610 . 
     For the second bracket  650 , one metal plate is substantially perpendicularly bent along two phantom bending lines to provide a π-shaped section by the fourth to the sixth brackets  651  to  653 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , the fourth bracket plate  651  is a base plate that is placed parallel to the first bracket plate  641 , and connected to the first bracket  640  via the vibration insulation member  660 . 
     The fourth bracket plate  651  has, in a center thereof, a locking hole  651   a  into which the vibration insulation member  660  is fitted. The locking hole  651   a  is a square hole into which a bushing  662  of the vibration insulation member  660  is locked. 
     The fifth bracket plate  652  is a protection plate that is substantially perpendicularly bent from a front end of the fourth bracket plate  651 , and protects the pump unit  630  therein from the front as shown in FIG.  6 B. The fifth bracket plate  652  has an opening  652   a  for weight reduction and visual check of the inside. 
     The sixth bracket plate  653  is a support plate that is formed by substantially perpendicularly bending a bottom end of the fifth bracket plate  652  toward the support plate  610 , and supports the pump unit  630 . 
     The sixth bracket plate  653  has two opposing holding nails  653 , and as shown in  FIG. 6B , the pump motor  621  of the pump unit  630  is hung, at a lower side thereof, between the holding nails  653   a.    
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , the vibration insulation member  660  is an elastic cylinder made of synthetic resin or rubber, and has, in a center thereof, an absorption hole  663  that absorbs deformation. 
     A bushing  661  to be locked into the locking hole  651   a  of the second bracket  650  is formed on the bottom end of the vibration insulation member  660 . Likewise, the bushing  662  to be locked into the locking hole  641   a  of the first bracket  640  is formed on the top end of the vibration insulation member  660 . 
     The bushings  661  and  662  are annular grooves formed inwardly from an outer periphery of the vibration insulation member  660 , and the first bracket  640  and the second bracket  650  are held along and between the grooves to connect the brackets  640  and  650 . 
     Next, an example of a mounting procedure for mounting the drain pump unit  600  to the base panel  200  will be described. First, the support plate  610  is mounted to the base panel  200 . 
     When the support plate  610  is mounted, the guide slit  611   c  formed in the first support plate member  611  of the support plate  610  is brought to fit over the guide rib  251  provided on the side plate  250  to determine a position and an angle. 
     With this state kept, the screw (not shown) is threaded into the screw hole provided in the side plate  250  from the securing hole  611   a  of the first support plate member  611 . Thereby, the support plate  610  is cantilevered on the side surface of the side plate  250 . 
     Next, the pump unit  600  is mounted to the support plate  610 . The pump unit  600  is in a state where the bracket  630  is in advance integrally assembled with the pump  620  as shown in FIG.  6 B. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 6A and 6B , when the pump unit  600  is mounted, the first bracket plate  641  of the first bracket  640  is slid, at a lower surface thereof, from the tip of the third support plate member  613  of the support plate  610 , and the second bracket plate  642  abuts against the flange  613   b  cut and raised from the third support plate member  613 . 
     In this abutting state, the screw hole  613   c  in the flange  613   b  and the screw hole in the second bracket plate  642  are secured by a screw (or a bolt and a nut). Further, the screw hole  613   c  in the flange  613   b  formed on the front end of the third support plate member  613  and an unshown screw hole formed in the front surface of the second bracket plate  642  are secured by a screw, and thus the pump unit  600  is cantilevered on the support plate  610 . 
     Thereby, the pump unit  600  is held on the base panel  200  via the support plate  610  and the bracket  630 , with higher vibration insulation properties. 
     After the pump unit  600  is mounted, the unshown main line of the drain hose is connected to the joint  626  through the drawing hole  612  of the support plate  610  to connect the drain hose and the pump unit  600 . 
     The preferable embodiment of the invention has been described with reference to the attached drawings, but the invention is not limited to the embodiment. The technical scope of the invention includes various variations or modifications that could be made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technical idea described in claims.

Technology Category: f