U.S. patent application number 16/620250 was filed with the patent office on 2020-05-21 for air-conditioning outdoor unit.
The applicant listed for this patent is Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. Invention is credited to Hiroyuki JINNAI, Toshiyuk KUBONO, Hidetomo NAKAGAWA, Akinori SAKABE.
Application Number | 20200158353 16/620250 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 65272163 |
Filed Date | 2020-05-21 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200158353 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
NAKAGAWA; Hidetomo ; et
al. |
May 21, 2020 |
AIR-CONDITIONING OUTDOOR UNIT
Abstract
An air-conditioning outdoor unit includes a compressor having a
plurality of terminals each including a plurality of conductive
pins. The outdoor unit includes a plurality of lead wire groups
provided for the respective terminals and each including a
plurality of lead wires connecting a control board to the plurality
of conductive pins, and a plurality of different end connectors
provided for the respective lead wire groups and each attached to
an end portion of the lead wire group adjacent to the plurality of
conductive pins. The lead wire groups are each connected by the end
connector to the plurality of conductive pins and cut into two
parts at a given point in a longitudinal direction. The two parts
of the lead wire group are detachably coupled together at the given
point by a pair of relay connectors. A length from the control
board to the given point and a length from the given point to the
end connector differ from one lead wire group to another.
Inventors: |
NAKAGAWA; Hidetomo; (Tokyo,
JP) ; SAKABE; Akinori; (Tokyo, JP) ; KUBONO;
Toshiyuk; (Tokyo, JP) ; JINNAI; Hiroyuki;
(Tokyo, JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation |
Tokyo |
|
JP |
|
|
Family ID: |
65272163 |
Appl. No.: |
16/620250 |
Filed: |
February 13, 2018 |
PCT Filed: |
February 13, 2018 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/JP2018/004829 |
371 Date: |
December 6, 2019 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24F 13/20 20130101;
F24F 1/08 20130101; F24F 11/89 20180101; F24F 11/88 20180101; F24F
1/20 20130101; F24F 1/22 20130101; F24F 2013/202 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F24F 1/22 20060101
F24F001/22; F24F 11/89 20060101 F24F011/89; F24F 11/88 20060101
F24F011/88; F24F 1/08 20060101 F24F001/08 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 8, 2017 |
JP |
PCT/JP2017/028712 |
Claims
1. An air-conditioning outdoor unit including a compressor having a
plurality of terminals each including a plurality of conductive
pins, the air-conditioning outdoor unit comprising: a plurality of
lead wire groups provided for the respective terminals, the lead
wire groups each including a plurality of lead wires connecting a
control board to the plurality of conductive pins; and a plurality
of different end connectors provided for the respective lead wire
groups, the end connectors each being attached to an end portion of
the lead wire group adjacent to the plurality of conductive pins,
wherein the lead wire groups are each connected by the end
connector to the plurality of conductive pins and cut into two
parts at a given point in a longitudinal direction, the two parts
of the lead wire group are detachably coupled together at the given
point by a pair of relay connectors, and a length from the control
board to the given point and a length from the given point to the
end connector differ from one lead wire group to another.
2. The air-conditioning outdoor unit of claim 1, wherein the pair
of relay connectors includes a male connector and a female
connector, and placement of the male connector and the female
connector differs from one lead wire group to another.
3. An air-conditioning outdoor unit including a compressor having a
plurality of terminals each including a plurality of conductive
pins, the air-conditioning outdoor unit comprising: a plurality of
lead wire groups provided for the respective terminals, the lead
wire groups each including a plurality of lead wires connecting a
control board to the plurality of conductive pins; and a plurality
of different end connectors provided for the respective lead wire
groups, the end connectors each being attached to an end portion of
the lead wire group adjacent to the plurality of conductive pins,
wherein the lead wire groups are each connected by the end
connector to the plurality of conductive pins and cut into two
parts at a given point in a longitudinal direction, the two parts
of the lead wire group are detachably coupled together at the given
point by a pair of relay connectors; and the pair of relay
connectors includes a male connector and a female connector, and
placement of the male connector and the female connector differs
from one lead wire group to another.
4. The air-conditioning outdoor unit of claim 1, wherein a
combination of colors of the plurality of lead wires differs from
one lead wire group to another, or a color of the plurality of lead
wires all having a same color differs from one lead wire group to
another.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to an outdoor unit of an
air-conditioning apparatus (hereinafter referred to as
"air-conditioning outdoor unit") that prevents wiring mistakes in
the assembly process.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] A compressor included in an air-conditioning outdoor unit
has a configuration where a container of the compressor contains an
electric motor including a stator and a rotor, a compression
mechanism configured to compress refrigerant, and a main shaft
configured to transmit torque of the electric motor to the
compression mechanism. The compressor of this type has a glass
terminal that is disposed to pass through the container. The glass
terminal is for supplying power from outside the container to the
rotor of the electric motor (see, e.g., Patent Literature 1). In
the technique disclosed in Patent Literature 1, a plurality of lead
wires connected to the glass terminal are connected through a
cluster block to respective conductive pins in the glass terminal.
Cluster blocks of different colors are used here to prevent wiring
mistakes.
CITATION LIST
Patent Literature
[0003] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application
Publication No. 2011-229221
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
Technical Problem
[0004] Even though the cluster blocks of different colors are used,
it is still possible to connect the cluster blocks to any
conductive pins. That is, the technique described above requires
improvement because it is not good enough to reliably prevent
wiring mistakes.
[0005] The present invention has been made to address the issue
described above. An object of the present invention is to provide
an air-conditioning outdoor unit that can physically prevent wiring
mistakes.
Solution to Problem
[0006] An air-conditioning outdoor unit according to an embodiment
of the present invention is an air-conditioning outdoor unit that
includes a compressor having a plurality of terminals each
including a plurality of conductive pins. The air-conditioning
outdoor unit includes a plurality of lead wire groups provided for
the respective terminals and each including a plurality of lead
wires connecting a control board to the plurality of conductive
pins, and a plurality of different end connectors provided for the
respective lead wire groups and each attached to an end portion of
the lead wire group adjacent to the plurality of conductive pins.
The lead wire groups are each connected by the end connector to the
plurality of conductive pins and cut into two parts at a given
point in a longitudinal direction. The two parts of the lead wire
group are detachably coupled together at the given point by a pair
of relay connectors. A length from the control board to the given
point and a length from the given point to the end connector differ
from one lead wire group to another.
Advantageous Effects of Invention
[0007] The present invention makes it possible to physically
prevent wiring mistakes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an
air-conditioning outdoor unit according to Embodiment 1 of the
present invention.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an upper part of a
compressor included in the air-conditioning outdoor unit according
to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
[0010] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating how the
compressor and a control board included in the air-conditioning
outdoor unit according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention are
connected to each other.
[0011] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the compressor
illustrated in FIG. 3.
[0012] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a modification example of
the air-conditioning outdoor unit according to Embodiment 1 of the
present invention.
[0013] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating how the
compressor and the control board included in an air-conditioning
outdoor unit according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention are
connected to each other.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
Embodiment 1
[0014] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an
air-conditioning outdoor unit according to Embodiment 1 of the
present invention.
[0015] As illustrated in FIG. 1, a housing of an air-conditioning
outdoor unit 1 is composed of a bottom 2, a front shell 3 having an
L-shape in plan view and extending from the front to the left side,
an upper shell 5 forming a top face, and a side shell 4 forming the
right side. The front shell 3 has an air outlet 3a opening at the
front and an air inlet (not shown) opening on the left side. The
housing contains, in the internal space above the bottom 2, a heat
exchanger 8, a compressor 10, and a fan 6 that sends air into the
heat exchanger 8. The heat exchanger 8 is disposed on the bottom 2
in such a manner as to cover substantially the entire back-side
opening of the housing. The housing also contains a motor (not
shown) that drives the fan 6, a motor mount 7 that secures the
motor in place, and a connecting pipe 9. The connecting pipe 9 is
configured to connect the heat exchanger 8 to the compressor 10. A
control board 20 that controls the overall operation of the outdoor
unit 1 is disposed above the compressor 10.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an upper part of the
compressor included in the air-conditioning outdoor unit according
to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
[0017] The compressor 10 includes therein a compressor motor (not
shown). The compressor motor is a three-phase motor that includes
windings of three phases, U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase. The upper
part of a container 10a of the compressor 10 has, at two points, a
glass terminal 11a and a glass terminal 11b that pass through the
container 10a of the compressor 10. Hereinafter, the glass terminal
11a and the glass terminal 11b may be collectively referred to as
glass terminals 11. The glass terminals 11 are for supplying power
from the control board 20 outside the container 10a to a stator of
the compressor motor.
[0018] The glass terminal 11a includes three conductive pins 12.
The three conductive pins 12 are each connected to one end portion
of a corresponding one of the windings of U-phase, V-phase, and
W-phase of the compressor motor in the container 10a. The glass
terminal 11a thus includes a total of three conductive pins 12 for
the respective U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase as a set. The glass
terminal 11b similarly includes three conductive pins 13, and the
three conductive pins 13 are each connected to one end portion of a
corresponding one of the windings of U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase
of the compressor motor in the container 10a. The glass terminal
11b thus includes a total of three conductive pins 13 for the
respective U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase as a set. This
configuration enables supply of power to the compressor motor.
[0019] The conductive pins 12 of the glass terminal 11a have a
cylindrical pin shape. The conductive pins 13 of the glass terminal
11b are each composed of a cylindrical pin and a terminal
connecting plate 13a attached to the cylindrical pin.
[0020] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating how the
compressor and the control board included in the air-conditioning
outdoor unit according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention are
connected to each other. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of
the compressor illustrated in FIG. 3.
[0021] A lead wire group 31 and a lead wire group 32, each
including three lead wires, are each connected at one end portion
thereof to the control board 20. A cluster block 14 serving as an
end connector is attached to the other end portion of the lead wire
group 31. The cluster block 14 is detachably connected to the
conductive pins 12 of the glass terminal 11a. Flag-shaped terminals
15, serving as an end connector, are attached to the respective
other end portions of the lead wires of the lead wire group 32. The
flag-shaped terminals 15 are detachably connected to the respective
conductive pins 13 of the glass terminal 11b. The configuration
described above enables electrical connection between the control
board 20 and the compressor 10. While not illustrated in detail in
FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the flag-shaped terminals 15 each have an
insertion portion into which the terminal connecting plate 13a is
inserted. Inserting the terminal connecting plate 13a into the
insertion portion enables connection between the flag-shaped
terminal 15 and the conductive pin 13.
[0022] The cluster block 14 is made of resin, and the flag-shaped
terminals 15 are made of metal. As illustrated in FIG. 4, a
terminal sleeve 16 is mounted on the flag-shaped terminal 15. To
prevent fires caused by spark discharge resulting from poor contact
between the conductive pin 13 and the flag-shaped terminal 15, a
flame-resistant material is used to form the terminal sleeve 16.
Although FIG. 4 only shows the terminal sleeve 16 mounted on one of
the flag-shaped terminals 15, every flag-shaped terminal 15 has the
terminal sleeve 16 mounted thereon.
[0023] The air-conditioning outdoor unit of Embodiment 1 is
configured such that by a winding switching unit (not shown) on the
control board 20, the connection of the compressor motor can be
switched between a Y-connection and a A-connection. The
Y-connection is a connection structure that provides better
efficiency when the rotation speed of the compressor motor is low,
whereas the A-connection is a connection structure that provides
better efficiency when the rotation speed of the compressor motor
is high. Specifically, the winding switching unit is formed by a
relay. With the winding switching unit that switches the connection
of the compressor motor in accordance with the operating condition
as described above, the outdoor unit of Embodiment 1 can improve
energy saving performance. The technique that allows the connection
of the compressor motor to be switched between the Y-connection and
the A-connection is a known technique, and the winding switching
unit can be configured using this known technique.
[0024] In the type of compressors where no switching of the
connection mode takes place, a total of three conductive pins that
are connected to the respective windings of U-phase, V-phase, and
W-phase of the compressor motor are arranged together in a single
glass terminal. In the type of compressors where the connection
mode is switched as in Embodiment 1, however, the windings of
U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase of the compressor motor each need to
be connected at both end portions of the winding to the winding
switching unit of the control board 20. Since this requires a total
of six conductive pins, two glass terminals, each having a set of
three conductive pins connected to the U-phase, V-phase, and
W-phase as described above, are arranged in the upper part of the
container 10a.
[0025] The lead wire group 31 is determined, in the circuit
configuration, to be connected to the glass terminal 11a.
Similarly, the lead wire group 32 is determined, in the circuit
configuration, to be connected to the glass terminal 11b. The lead
wire group 31 is connected, on one side thereof adjacent to the
control board 20, to the U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase through the
winding switching unit, and is connected, on the other side thereof
adjacent to the compressor 10, to the glass terminal 11a using the
cluster block 14. The lead wire group 32 is connected, on one side
thereof adjacent to the control board 20, to the U-phase, V-phase,
and W-phase through the winding switching unit, and is connected,
on the other side thereof adjacent to the compressor 10, to the
glass terminal 11b using the flag-shaped terminals 15.
[0026] If the lead wire group 31 and the lead wire group 32 are too
long, it is difficult to assemble them. Therefore, as illustrated
in FIG. 3, the lead wire group 31 and the lead wire group 32 are
each cut into two parts at a given point in the longitudinal
direction. The lead wire group 31 has, at the given point, a pair
of relay connectors 33 detachable from each other, and the two
parts of the lead wire group 31 can be detachably coupled together
by the pair of relay connectors 33. The pair of relay connectors 33
is composed of a male connector 33a and a female connector 33b.
[0027] The lead wire group 32 is similarly cut into two parts at a
given point in the longitudinal direction. The lead wire group 32
has, at the given point, a pair of relay connectors 34 detachable
from each other, and the two parts of the lead wire group 32 can be
detachably coupled together by the pair of relay connectors 34. The
pair of relay connectors 34 is composed of a male connector 34a and
a female connector 34b.
[0028] If the lead wire group 31 and the lead wire group 32 are
mistakenly connected to the glass terminal 11b and the glass
terminal 11a, respectively, the switching between the Y-connection
and the A-connection is not properly made. Embodiment 1 provides
the following configuration to prevent such a wiring mistake. Of
the two parts into which the lead wire group 31 is cut, one
adjacent to the control board 20 is referred to as a lead wire
group 31a, and the other adjacent to the compressor 10 is referred
to as a lead wire group 31b. Similarly, of the two parts into which
the lead wire group 32 is cut, one adjacent to the control board 20
is referred to as a lead wire group 32a, and the other adjacent to
the compressor 10 is referred to as a lead wire group 32b.
[0029] The lead wire group 31 and the lead wire group 32 are now
compared. Of the lead wire groups adjacent to the control board 20,
the lead wire group 31a is longer in length than the lead wire
group 32a. Of the lead wire groups adjacent to the compressor 10,
the lead wire group 31b is shorter in length than the lead wire
group 32b. That is, the lead wires on both sides of the pair of
relay connectors 33 for one lead wire group differ in length from
the lead wires on both sides of the pair of relay connectors 34 for
the other lead wire group.
[0030] With this configuration, it is physically impossible to make
wiring mistakes. That is, assume that the lead wire group 31b and
the lead wire group 32b, which are adjacent to the compressor 10,
are connected to the glass terminal 11a and the glass terminal 11b,
respectively, and also assume that the coupling at the pair of
relay connectors 33 and the coupling at the pair of relay
connectors 34 are not yet made. The glass terminal 11a and the
glass terminal 11b differ in the shape of the conductive pins 12
and the conductive pins 13. Therefore, when connecting the lead
wire group 31b and the lead wire group 32b, which are adjacent to
the compressor 10, to the glass terminals, the assembly worker can
uniquely identify, at a glance, which of the cluster block 14 and
the flag-shaped terminals 15 should be connected to which of the
glass terminals. That is, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the cluster
block 14 for the lead wire group 31b is connected to the glass
terminal 11a, and the flag-shaped terminals 15 for the lead wire
group 32b are connected to the glass terminal 11b.
[0031] Then assume, in this state, that the lead wire group 31a and
the lead wire group 32a adjacent to the control board 20 are
coupled, at the respective pairs of relay connectors, to the lead
wire group 31b and the lead wire group 32b adjacent to the
compressor 10. In this case, the male connector 33a for the lead
wire group 31a can be coupled to the female connector 34b for the
lead wire group 32b. However, the lead wire group 32a is too short
to allow the male connector 34a to be coupled to the female
connector 33b for the lead wire group 31a. Thus, a wiring mistake
is prevented here.
[0032] As described above, in Embodiment 1, the lead wire groups
are each cut into two parts at a given point in the longitudinal
direction, and the two parts of the lead wire group are detachably
coupled together at the given point. Then, the length from the
control board 20 to the given point and the length from the given
point to the end connector in one lead wire group differ from those
in the other lead wire group. This makes it possible to physically
prevent wiring mistakes.
[0033] Also, one lead wire group has the cluster block 14 as an end
connector, whereas the other lead wire group has the flag-shaped
terminals 15 as an end connector. Accordingly, the glass terminal
11a and the glass terminal 11b differ in the shape of the
conductive pins. This can prevent the cluster block 14 and the
flag-shaped terminals 15 from being connected to wrong glass
terminals. Also, it is possible to uniquely identify at a glance
which of the cluster block 14 and the flag-shaped terminals 15
should be connected to which of the glass terminals 11. This is
effective in reducing the assembly time.
[0034] The terminal sleeves 16, which are used to prevent fires as
described above, also serve the function of facilitating attaching
and detaching of the flag-shaped terminals 15 to and from the
conductive pins 13. That is, by varying at least the color or shape
of the terminal sleeve 16 for each of the flag-shaped terminals 15,
it is possible to prevent wiring mistakes in connecting the
flag-shaped terminals 15 to the conductive pins 13.
[0035] The air-conditioning outdoor unit according to the present
invention is not limited to the structure illustrated in the
drawings mentioned above, and can be variously modified without
departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the
lead wire group 31 and the lead wire group 32 may differ in the
color of the lead wires, or may differ in the color of the pair of
relay connectors. With reference to FIG. 5, a configuration will be
described in which the colors of the lead wires differ from one
lead wire group to another.
[0036] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a modification example of
the air-conditioning outdoor unit according to Embodiment 1 of the
present invention. In FIG. 5, the lead wires of different colors
are represented by lines of different thicknesses and types. In
this modification example, each lead wire group has a different
color combination of lead wires. That is, for example, the lead
wire group 31 is formed by a combination of a black lead wire
(thick solid line) 31A, a blue lead wire (thin solid line) 31B, and
a red lead wire (thick dotted line) 31C, whereas the lead wire
group 32 is formed by a combination of a black lead wire (thick
solid line) 32A, a white lead wire (thin dot-and-dash line) 32B,
and a red lead wire (thick dotted line) 32C.
[0037] Thus, by varying the color combination of lead wires for
each lead wire group, it is possible to more visually identify a
connection destination and prevent wiring mistakes. In this
example, the color combination of lead wires is varied for each
lead wire group. Alternatively, for example, the color of all the
lead wires of the lead wire group 31 may be black and the color of
all the lead wires of the lead wire group 32 may be red; that is,
the color of lead wires all having the same color may be varied for
each lead wire group.
Embodiment 2
[0038] Embodiment 2 differs from Embodiment 1 in wiring-mistake
preventing structure provided at the pair of relay connectors.
Differences between Embodiment 2 and Embodiment 1 will be primarily
described here. Configurations not described in Embodiment 2 are
the same as those in Embodiment 1.
[0039] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating how the
compressor and the control board included in an air-conditioning
outdoor unit according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention are
connected to each other.
[0040] In Embodiment 1 described above, the lead wire group 31 and
the lead wire group 32 have the pair of relay connectors 33 and the
pair of relay connectors 34, respectively, that have the same
placement of the male connector and the female connector. In
Embodiment 2, on the other hand, the lead wire group 31 and the
lead wire group 32 differ in the placement of the male connector
and the female connector. That is, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the
lead wire group 31 has the male connector and the female connector
placed adjacent to the control board 20 and the compressor 10,
respectively, whereas the lead wire group 32 has the male connector
and the female connector placed adjacent to the compressor 10 and
the control board 20, respectively.
[0041] With this configuration, it is impossible to make such a
wiring mistake as connecting the lead wire group 31a to the lead
wire group 32b connected to the glass terminal 11b, because their
connectors are both male connectors. Also, by checking whether the
relay connector is of the male or female type, it is easy to
identify which of the lead wire group 31a and the lead wire group
32a should be connected to which of the lead wire group 31b and the
lead wire group 32b. This can reduce assembly time and improve
assembly performance.
[0042] As described above, in Embodiment 2, the lead wire group 31
and the lead wire group 32 differ in the placement of the male type
and the female type in the pair of relay connectors. With this
configuration, it is physically impossible to make a wrong
connection in the pair of relay connectors, and it is possible to
prevent wiring mistakes. Also, the connection destination can be
visually identified easily, and improved assembly performance is
achieved.
[0043] The configuration illustrated in FIG. 6 employs the
technique of Embodiment 1, where the lengths on both sides of the
pair of relay connectors 33 in one lead wire group differ from the
lengths on both sides of the pair of relay connectors 34 in the
other lead wire group. However, the feature of Embodiment 2 is
basically that the lead wire group 31 and the lead wire group 32
differ in the placement of the male type and the female type in the
relay connectors, and Embodiment 2 does not necessarily need to
employ the technique of Embodiment 1. That is, the length from the
control board 20 to a given point (where the lead wire group is
cut) and the length from the given point to the end connector in
one lead wire group may be the same as those in the other lead wire
group. Even in this case, it is still possible, with the technique
of Embodiment 2, to prevent wiring mistakes. The configuration of
varying the color combination of three lead wires for each lead
wire group, or the configuration of varying the color of three lead
wires of the same color for each lead wire group, as described in
the modification example of Embodiment 1, may be applied to
Embodiment 2.
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST
[0044] 1 outdoor unit, 2 bottom, 3 front shell, 3a air outlet, 4
side shell, 5 upper shell, 6 fan, 7 motor mount, 8 heat exchanger,
9 connecting pipe, 10 compressor, 10a container, 11 glass terminal,
11a glass terminal, 11b glass terminal, 12 conductive pin, 13
conductive pin, 13a terminal connecting plate, 14 cluster block, 15
flag-shaped terminal, 16 terminal sleeve, 20 control board, 31 lead
wire group, 31a lead wire group, 31b lead wire group, 32 lead wire
group, 32a lead wire group, 32b lead wire group, 33 relay
connector, 33a male connector, 33b female connector, 34 relay
connector, 34a male connector, 34b female connector
* * * * *