U.S. patent application number 14/830185 was filed with the patent office on 2016-02-25 for outdoor unit and air conditioner having the outdoor unit.
The applicant listed for this patent is Hitachi, Ltd.. Invention is credited to Taku IWASE, Erika KATAYAMA, Osamu WATANABE.
Application Number | 20160054011 14/830185 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 55348009 |
Filed Date | 2016-02-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160054011 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
KATAYAMA; Erika ; et
al. |
February 25, 2016 |
Outdoor Unit and Air Conditioner Having the Outdoor Unit
Abstract
The present invention provides an outdoor unit including: a
housing; an air blower that is disposed at an upper part of the
housing to supply air from the inside of the housing to the outside
of the housing; a heat exchanger that is disposed on a side of the
housing; and electric components that are disposed on a side of the
housing. A rotational axis of the air blower is inclined towards
the heat exchanger side relative to the vertical direction of the
housing, and an end of the air blower on a sucking side is disposed
at a position overlapped with the electric components in the height
direction.
Inventors: |
KATAYAMA; Erika; (Tokyo,
JP) ; IWASE; Taku; (Tokyo, JP) ; WATANABE;
Osamu; (Tokyo, JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Hitachi, Ltd. |
Tokyo |
|
JP |
|
|
Family ID: |
55348009 |
Appl. No.: |
14/830185 |
Filed: |
August 19, 2015 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
415/175 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F04D 29/5826 20130101;
F05D 2250/51 20130101; F24F 1/50 20130101; F04D 29/545 20130101;
F24F 1/22 20130101; F04D 25/166 20130101; F24F 1/38 20130101; F04D
29/601 20130101; F04D 25/08 20130101; F05D 2250/38 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F24F 1/46 20060101
F24F001/46; F24F 1/20 20060101 F24F001/20; F04D 29/58 20060101
F04D029/58; F04D 25/08 20060101 F04D025/08; F04D 29/42 20060101
F04D029/42; F24F 1/38 20060101 F24F001/38; F04D 17/08 20060101
F04D017/08 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 20, 2014 |
JP |
2014-167090 |
Claims
1. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner comprising: a housing; an
air blower that is disposed at an upper part of the housing to
supply air from the inside of the housing to the outside of the
housing; a heat exchanger that is disposed on a side of the
housing; and electric components that are disposed on a side of the
housing, wherein a rotational axis of the air blower is inclined
towards the heat exchanger side relative to the vertical direction
of the housing, and an end of the air blower on a sucking side is
disposed at a position overlapped with the electric components in
the height direction.
2. The outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1,
wherein the air blower is configured in such a manner that the
rotational axis of the air blower is inclined relative to the
vertical direction of the housing so that the electric components
are located on the lower side.
3. The outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1,
wherein a bell mouth is disposed around the air blower, a suction
port of the bell mouth is configured to be embedded inside the
housing, and an end of the bell mouth on the sucking side is
disposed at a position overlapped with the electric components in
the height direction.
4. The outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 3,
wherein the length of an arc of an enlarged part of the bell mouth
on the sucking side is longer on the electric component side than
on the heat exchanger side.
5. The outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1,
wherein plural air blowers are provided.
6. An air conditioner comprising: an indoor unit; and the outdoor
unit according to claim 1.
Description
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
[0001] The present application claims priority from Japanese Patent
application serial no. 2014-167090, filed on Aug. 20, 2014, the
content of which is hereby incorporated by reference into this
application.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to an outdoor unit with an air
blower, and an air conditioner having the outdoor unit.
[0003] Recently, there has been an increased demand for energy
saving in an air conditioner. As an outdoor unit of a large-size
air conditioner used for buildings and the like, there has been
known a structure in which air is sucked from a heat exchanger
whose three side surfaces of a housing are covered in a U-shape to
keep heat exchange performance to the inside of the housing, and
the air is discharged upward in the vertical direction from an air
blower disposed at an upper part of the housing. Further, in order
to improve maintainability and to secure safety, an electric
component box is disposed at an upper part on the side of the
housing where the heat exchanger is not disposed.
[0004] As representative means for realizing energy saving in the
outdoor unit of an air conditioner, the followings are conceivable:
(1) ventilation resistance inside the housing is reduced; (2) the
wind velocity distribution of the air passing through the heat
exchanger is reduced to improve the heat exchange efficiency; and
(3) the non-uniformity of the wind velocity distribution to the air
blower is suppressed to improve the efficiency of the air
blower.
[0005] However, in a conventional top blowing-type outdoor unit,
the ventilation resistance is increased by the electric component
box disposed near the air blower, and a load on the air blower is
increased. Thus, the power consumption is disadvantageously
increased. Further, the electric component box disposed near the
air blower blocks a flow of air, and the wind velocity distribution
on the sucking side of the air blower becomes nonuniform.
[0006] In Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No.
2011-137610, an electric component box and an air blower are
disposed at positions overlapped with each other in the height
direction. In such a structure, the flow of air sucked by the air
blower does not pass through the vicinity of the electric component
box, and the ventilation resistance becomes small. Thus, the wind
velocity distribution on the sucking side of the air blower is
uniformed.
[0007] However, the air blower is located close to a heat exchanger
on the side opposite to the electric component box, and thus the
air is intensively sucked near the air blower. Accordingly, the
wind velocity distribution inside the heat exchanger becomes
nonuniform. When the wind velocity distribution inside the heat
exchanger becomes nonuniform, the heat exchange efficiency is
lowered. In addition, the ventilation resistance of the heat
exchanger is increased. Further, in the structure in which the air
is sucked from the side surfaces and discharged upward in the
vertical direction, the ventilation resistance is increased due to
a vertically-bent air flow (hereinafter, referred to as "bent
flow"), and the power consumption is increased.
[0008] In Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No.
Hei 11 (1999)-264626, an air blower is disposed obliquely relative
to the vertical direction of a housing. The air blower is obliquely
inclined, so that the amount of air sucked from a lower part of a
heat exchanger is increased, and the wind velocity distribution
inside the heat exchanger is uniformed. Further, the air sucked
from a side surface is discharged obliquely upward. Accordingly,
the bent angle of the bent flow is moderated, and the ventilation
resistance is reduced.
[0009] However, in the structure of Japanese Unexamined Patent
Application Publication No. Hei 11 (1999)-264626 in which the air
blower is obliquely disposed, if an electric component box is
disposed at an upper part of the housing, the ventilation
resistance is increased. Accordingly, in the structure adopted in
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. Hei 11
(1999)-264626 in which a machine room storing a compressor, an
accumulator, and an electric component box and a heat exchange room
storing a heat exchanger are stored in a housing while separated in
the vertical direction, a support member for supporting the heat
exchange room located at an upper part of the housing is increased,
resulting in a cost increase. Further, the electric component box
is stored in the machine room located at a lower part of the
housing, and thus the maintainability is deteriorated. In addition,
the unit is likely to be affected by a puddle of rainwater and
moisture, leading to deterioration in safety.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] An object of the present invention is to improve the heat
exchange efficiency and to reduce the ventilation resistance of a
heat exchanger by uniforming the wind velocity distribution inside
the heat exchanger. Further, another object of the present
invention is to obtain an air conditioner with an outdoor unit that
suppresses a flow of air around an electric component box to reduce
the ventilation resistance while securing the safety and
maintainability of the electric component box.
[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is
provided an outdoor unit including: a housing; an air blower that
is disposed at an upper part of the housing to supply air from the
inside of the housing to the outside of the housing; a heat
exchanger that is disposed on a side of the housing; and electric
components that are disposed on a side of the housing. A rotational
axis of the air blower is inclined towards the heat exchanger side
relative to the vertical direction of the housing, and an end of
the air blower on a sucking side is disposed at a position
overlapped with the electric components in the height
direction.
[0012] According to the outdoor unit of the present invention, the
heat exchange efficiency can be improved and the ventilation
resistance of the heat exchanger can be reduced by uniforming the
wind velocity distribution inside the heat exchanger. Further, the
ventilation resistance can be reduced by suppressing a flow of air
around the electric component box while securing the safety and
maintainability of the electric component box.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of an outdoor unit of
an air conditioner for showing a first embodiment of the present
invention;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view for showing a
representative conventional configuration;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of an outdoor unit of
an air conditioner for showing a second embodiment of the present
invention;
[0016] FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the outdoor unit
of an air conditioner for showing the second embodiment of the
present invention while viewed from the discharge side of an air
blower;
[0017] FIG. 5 is an external perspective view of the outdoor unit
of an air conditioner for showing the second embodiment of the
present invention while viewed from the heat exchanger side;
[0018] FIG. 6 is a top view of an outdoor unit of an air
conditioner for showing a third embodiment of the present
invention;
[0019] FIG. 7 is an external perspective view of the outdoor unit
of an air conditioner for showing the third embodiment of the
present invention in a state where a housing cover is removed;
[0020] FIG. 8 is a side cross-sectional view of an outdoor unit of
an air conditioner for showing a fourth embodiment of the present
invention; and
[0021] FIG. 9 is an external perspective view of an outdoor unit of
an air conditioner for showing a fifth embodiment of the present
invention while viewed from the discharge side of an air
blower.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0022] An outdoor unit of the present invention includes: a
housing; an air blower that is disposed at an upper part of the
housing to supply air from the inside of the housing to the outside
of the housing; a heat exchanger that is disposed on a side of the
housing; and electric components that are disposed on a side of the
housing. The rotational axis of the air blower is inclined towards
the heat exchanger side relative to the vertical direction of the
housing, and an end of the air blower on the sucking side is
disposed at a position overlapped with the electric components in
the height direction. According to the outdoor unit of the present
invention, the heat exchange efficiency can be improved and the
ventilation resistance of the heat exchanger can be reduced by
uniforming the wind velocity distribution inside the heat
exchanger. Further, the ventilation resistance can be reduced by
suppressing a flow of air around the electric component box while
securing the safety and maintainability of the electric component
box. Specifically, the air can be easily sucked from a lower part
of the heat exchanger by the effect of inclination of the air
blower. Thus, the wind velocity distribution inside the heat
exchanger is uniformed, and the heat exchange efficiency is
improved. Further, the air heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger is
discharged, from the air blower, obliquely upward (the direction
apart from the heat exchanger) relative to the vertical direction
on the side where the heat exchanger is not disposed. Thus, the air
hardly flows in from the heat exchanger again, and the heat
exchange efficiency can be advantageously improved. Further, the
air is sucked from the side surface inside the housing, and is
discharged obliquely upward relative to the vertical direction.
Accordingly, the bent angle of the bent flow is moderated, and the
ventilation resistance inside the housing is reduced. The diameter
of the propeller of the air blower is limited in the short side
direction of the side of the housing. However, since a large space
can be secured by the effect of the oblique arrangement of the air
blower, the diameter of the propeller of the air blower can be
increased. The efficiency of the air blower at the time of the same
air volume is improved by increasing the diameter of the propeller
of the air blower, and the energy saving can be realized. Further,
the electric component box and a wing end of the air blower on the
sucking side are located at positions overlapped with each other in
the height direction. Accordingly, the flow of air around the
electric component box can be suppressed, and the ventilation
resistance can be reduced. In addition, the wind velocity
distribution of the air blower on the sucking side is uniformed,
and thus the efficiency of the air blower can be improved.
First Embodiment
[0023] A first embodiment of the present invention will be
described using FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. A configuration of an outdoor
unit 10 of an air conditioner according to the present invention is
shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of the
outdoor unit. The air conditioner is configured using the outdoor
unit 10 and an indoor unit (not shown) which are connected to each
other through a refrigerant pipe. Cooling and heating operations
are performed by carrying heat using a refrigerant.
[0024] The outdoor unit 10 mainly includes an air blower 101, a
motor 103, a clamp 104 for supporting the motor, a heat exchanger
105, a compressor 106, an accumulator 107, and an electric
component box 108 that stores electric components for controlling
the compressor, the accumulator, and the air blower.
[0025] The flow of air inside the outdoor unit 10 is shown using
thick line arrows in FIG. 1. The heat of the air flowing in from
the heat exchanger 105 is exchanged with the refrigerant delivered
from the compressor 106 to the heat exchanger 105, and the
temperature is changed. The air with the changed temperature is
discharged from the outdoor unit 10 through the air blower 101
rotated by the motor 103.
[0026] The effect of the outdoor unit according to the present
invention will be described in comparison with FIG. 2 for showing a
conventional configuration. In the conventional configuration of
FIG. 2, the air flowing in from the heat exchanger 105 located on a
side of a housing is discharged upward in the vertical direction by
the air blower 101, and thus the bent angle of the bent flow
becomes nearly 90.degree. inside the housing of the outdoor unit
10, causing an increase in ventilation resistance.
[0027] On the other hand, in the configuration of the present
invention shown in FIG. 1, the rotational axis of the air blower
101 is disposed while inclined from the vertical direction so as to
face the heat exchanger. Thus, the air flowing in from the heat
exchanger 105 smoothly flows to reach the air blower 101. Since the
bent angle of the bent flow becomes moderate, the ventilation
resistance inside the housing is reduced.
[0028] Further, the heat-exchanged air discharged upward in the
vertical direction is sucked into the heat exchanger 105 again in
the conventional configuration, and the efficiency of the heat
exchange has been deteriorated.
[0029] However, as shown by the arrows showing the flow of air on
the discharge side of the air blower 101 illustrated in FIG. 1 in
the present invention, the air discharged from the air blower 101
flows obliquely upward in the direction opposite to the sucking
surface of the heat exchanger 105, and thus the flow sucked into
the inside of the housing through the heat exchanger again can be
suppressed.
[0030] Next, attention will be paid to the flow around the electric
component box 108. In the conventional configuration shown in FIG.
2, the velocity of the air around the electric component box 108
disposed near the air blower 101 is fast, and the electric
component box 108 blocks the flow of air reaching the air blower
101, thus causing an increase in ventilation resistance. Further,
since the electric component box 108 blocks the flow, the wind
velocity distribution in a cross section on the sucking side of the
air blower 101 becomes nonuniform.
[0031] However, as shown in FIG. 1, the heat exchanger 105 is
disposed on the side of the housing in the extended direction of
the rotational axis of the air blower 101 on the sucking side, and
the air blower 101 and the electric component box 108 are disposed
while overlapped with each other in the height direction.
Accordingly, the air can be guided to the air blower 101 so as not
to flow around the electric component box, and the ventilation
resistance and the wind velocity distribution inside the housing
can be advantageously uniformed. Since the ventilation resistance
is reduced and the wind velocity distribution is uniformed, the
power consumption of the air blower at the time of the same air
volume can be reduced, and energy saving can be realized.
Second Embodiment
[0032] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be
described using FIG. 3 to FIG. 5. FIG. 3 shows a side
cross-sectional view of the outdoor unit, FIG. 4 shows an external
perspective view viewed from the discharge side of the air blower,
and FIG. 5 shows an external perspective view viewed from the heat
exchanger side. A bell mouth 301 that effectively guides the smooth
flow of air to suppress a vortex is disposed around the air blower
101. Further, these constitutional components are covered with a
housing cover 102. The sucking side of the bell mouth 301 is
embedded inside the housing, and the bell mouth is disposed at a
position overlapped with the electric component box 108 in the
height direction.
[0033] In this case, the electric component box 108 is disposed at
an upper part of the housing along the housing cover 102 on the
side where the heat exchanger 105 is not disposed, as shown in FIG.
3 and FIG. 4. Therefore, a worker is not required to crouch to
maintain the inside of the electric component box 108 by removing
the housing cover 102, and the maintainability can be enhanced.
[0034] Since the air is intensively sucked around the air blower
101 in the conventional configuration of FIG. 2, the wind velocity
distribution of the air passing through the inside of the heat
exchanger 105 becomes nonuniform.
[0035] However, a sucking air passage is widened by the bell mouth
301 that is obliquely embedded inside the housing in the
configuration of the present invention shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 5.
Accordingly, the wind velocity distribution in the width direction
of the heat exchanger 105 is uniformed. Further, the sucking side
of the rotational axis of the air blower 101 is inclined towards
the heat exchanger 105. Thus, the amount of air sucked from a lower
part of the heat exchanger 105 is increased, and the wind velocity
distribution inside the heat exchanger 105 in the height direction
is uniformed. The wind velocity distribution of the heat exchanger
105 is uniformed, and thus the efficiency of the heat exchange is
improved. In addition, an input of the air blower 101 is reduced
due to the reduction of the ventilation resistance of the heat
exchanger 105, and energy saving effects can be obtained. Further,
the sucking side of the bell mouth is disposed at a position
overlapped with the electric component box in the height direction,
and thus the flow of air around the electric component box is
suppressed. Accordingly, the ventilation resistance inside the
housing can be reduced, and the wind velocity distribution on the
sucking side of the air blower can be advantageously uniformed.
[0036] In this case, as a representative configuration of the heat
exchanger 105, a U-shaped heat exchanger that sucks the air from
three surfaces among the side surfaces of the housing is adopted as
shown in FIG. 5. However, the heat exchanger 105 is not limited to
this shape, but may be shaped so as to suck the air from one
surface, two surfaces, or four surfaces.
Third Embodiment
[0037] Next, a third embodiment of the present invention in which
the shape of the heat exchanger 105 is changed will be described
using FIG. 6 and FIG. 7. FIG. 6 is a top view, and FIG. 7 is an
external perspective view in which the housing cover is
removed.
[0038] As described above, the shape of the heat exchanger 105 is
not limited to the U-shape in which the air is sucked from three
surfaces. For example, the heat exchanger 105 may be shaped so as
to suck the air from four surfaces as shown in FIG. 7. In this
case, for example, the electric component box 108 is disposed on
the side of the housing where the heat exchanger 105 is not
located.
[0039] The rotational axis of the air blower 101 is disposed while
inclined towards the heat exchanger 105. The area of the bell mouth
301 on the sucking side is enlarged, and thus the wind velocity
distribution in the width direction of the heat exchanger 105 that
sucks the air from four surfaces can be uniformed. Further, the
amount of air sucked from a lower part of the heat exchanger 105 is
increased by the effect of inclination of the air blower 101, and
the wind velocity distribution of the heat exchanger 105 in the
height direction can be uniformed. Further, the bell mouth 301 and
the electric component box 108 are overlapped with each other in
the height direction to suppress the flow of air around the
electric component box. Accordingly, the ventilation resistance
inside the housing can be reduced, and the wind velocity
distribution on the sucking side of the air blower can be
advantageously uniformed.
Fourth Embodiment
[0040] Next, a fourth embodiment in which the shape of the bell
mouth is changed will be described using FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a side
cross-sectional view of the outdoor unit.
[0041] It is not necessary for an enlarged part on the sucking side
of the bell mouth 301 to be symmetrical with respect to the
rotational axis of the air blower 101 between the side of the heat
exchanger 105 and the side of the electric component box 108. For
example, the length of an arc 801 of the enlarged part at the
suction port of the bell mouth 301 on the side of the electric
component box 108 can be increased as shown in FIG. 8, and the
length of an arc 802 of the enlarged part at the suction port of
the bell mouth 301 on the side of the heat exchanger 105 can be
reduced. By adopting such a shape, the amount of air sucked from a
lower part of the heat exchanger 105 can be increased, which is an
object of the top blowing-type outdoor unit 10. In addition, the
wind velocity distribution of the heat exchanger 105 in the height
direction can be reduced.
Fifth Embodiment
[0042] Next, a fifth embodiment in which two air blowers 101 are
used will be described using FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is an external
perspective view viewed from the discharge side of the air blowers
101.
[0043] The electric component box 108 is disposed at the position
similar to the case in which one air blower is used, and the
maintainability and safety are secured. The efficiency of the air
blowers in the same air volume can be enhanced similarly to the
effect of enlarging the diameters of propellers by using two air
blowers 101, and the energy saving can be realized. Further, wing
ends of the air blowers 101 on the sucking side are overlapped with
the electric component box 108 in the height direction. Thus, the
flow of air around the electric component box can be suppressed,
and the ventilation resistance inside the housing can be
reduced.
[0044] In FIG. 9, the rotational axes of the air blowers 101 are
parallel to each other. However, it is not necessary for the
rotational axes of the plural air blowers 101 to be parallel to
each other as long as the rotational axes of the air blowers 101
are inclined towards the heat exchanger 105 relative to the
vertical direction and are overlapped with the electric component
box 108 in the height direction.
* * * * *