JP3208315B2 - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner having a float switch for detecting a water level in a drain pan.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an indoor unit of this type of air conditioner, a drain pan is provided below a use side heat exchanger. This drain pan receives the condensed water dropped from the heat exchanger and discharges it to the outside through the drain hose. However, if the inside of the drain pan (especially the drain port) is clogged with dust or the like, the condensed water overflows. Put it out and stain the room.

In recent years, improvements have been made to attach a float switch to a drain pan so that a warning or the like is issued when the water level in the drain pan reaches a predetermined full water level.

The float switch has a main body provided with a contact, a flange formed apart from the lower end of the main body, and is loosely inserted between the lower end of the main body and the flange to drive the contact. It was composed of a float with a built-in magnet to be made, and a screw portion formed above the flange portion, and was usually attached to a predetermined position of a drain pan via a predetermined attachment.

[0005]

However, in the conventional mounting device, the screw portion of the float switch is screwed and screwed in until the flange portion comes into contact with the mounting device, so that the tightening torque by the screwing is reduced. Adjustment is difficult, and if too strong, the internal contacts may fail. In addition, since the fixture itself was attached to the drain pan with two screws, the assembling work was complicated.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional technical problem, and has as its object to provide an air conditioner to which a float switch can be easily and safely attached. .

[0007]

An air conditioner according to the present invention comprises:
A main body provided with contacts, a flange formed separately from the lower end of the main body, a float loosely inserted between the lower end of the main body and the flange to drive the contacts, and formed above the flange; A float switch comprising a set screw portion, and the float switch is provided with an attachment for attaching the float switch to the drain pan in the air conditioner for detecting a water level in a drain pan arranged below the heat exchanger. The mounting fixture includes a storage portion that is opened to one side and into which a flange portion is inserted, and a horseshoe-shaped fitting portion that opens in the same direction as the storage portion above the storage portion and has a pair of arms, The float switch is attached to the drain pan by fitting a screw portion to the horseshoe-shaped fitting portion.

According to the present invention, a fitting for mounting the float switch on the drain pan is provided with a storage portion opened on one side and a fitting portion opened above the storage portion in the same direction as the storage portion. Since the flange portion is inserted and the screw portion of the float switch is fitted to the fitting portion and the float switch is attached to the fixture, the respective parts of the float switch are housed or fitted from one of the fixtures. Only by doing so, it becomes possible to position the float switch in the storage portion and prevent the float switch from falling off in the fitting portion.

Therefore, the float switch can be attached to the fixture very easily. Further, since the screw portion is always held down at a constant pressure, it is possible to avoid inconveniences such as failure of the contact beforehand.

[0010] In the air conditioner according to the second aspect of the present invention, the drain pan includes a screw hole and a positioning engaging portion provided in parallel with the screw hole. It is provided with an engaged portion to be engaged, and a screw-through hole corresponding to the screw hole.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the above, the drain pan is provided with a screw hole and a positioning engaging portion provided in parallel with the screw hole, and the mounting member is provided with an engaging portion of the drain pan. Since the engaged portion to be engaged with the portion and the through hole for screwing corresponding to the screw hole are provided, the mounting tool can be attached to a predetermined position of the drain pan with one screw. Therefore, the workability of assembling the attachment and the float switch is remarkably improved.

[0012]

[0013]

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view of an indoor unit 1 of an air conditioner as an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
7 is a plan view of one side, FIG. 3 is a cutaway front view of the same part, FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional side view of a fixture 51 to which the float switch 28 is attached, FIG. 5 is a front view of the fixture 51, and FIG. Figure,
FIG. 7 shows respective longitudinal side views.

In each of the drawings, a use side heat exchanger 7 is attached to the center of the front surface of a steel plate frame 6 constituting the main body of the indoor unit 1, toward the left side toward the heat exchanger 7. On the right side, the electrical box 2 is mounted vertically between the right side surface 6A of the frame 6 and the right side surface 6A.

A cross flow fan 8 is mounted on the left and right above the heat exchanger 7, and the fan 8 is driven to rotate by a motor 8M mounted on the electrical box 2 side. A cross flow fan 9 is also mounted on the left and right below the lower part of the heat exchanger 7, and this fan 9 is also driven to rotate by a motor 9 </ b> M mounted on the electrical box 2 side.

The heat exchanger 7 is connected to a plurality of heat exchange fins 14 arranged at predetermined intervals between the left and right tubesheets 13 and a condensing unit (not shown) on the outdoor unit side, through which refrigerant flows. And a hot water pipe 12 connected to a boiler (not shown) on the outdoor unit side via a variable flow rate valve 10 and through which hot water flows. Each of the pipes 11 and 12 includes a tube sheet 13 and It is provided in a meandering manner through the heat exchange fins 14. In addition, this heat exchanger 7
A temperature sensor 18 and a humidity sensor 19 are attached by a fixture 17 to the right side of the front of the device.

The interior of the electrical box 2 is made of a hard synthetic resin and is vertically long. An operation panel 21 is mounted on the upper end of the electrical box 2, and a circuit board 22 on which control circuit parts are mounted below the operation panel 21. A circuit board 23 to which circuit components are mounted is mounted, and a terminal board 24 for power supply and a terminal board 26 for signal are mounted at the lower end.

On the lower side of the heat exchanger 7, a drain pan 27 made of hard resin is provided on the left and right. The drain pan 27 receives the condensed water dropped from the heat exchanger 7 during the cooling operation and the dry operation, and the drain pan 27 has a float switch 28 for detecting fullness due to clogging as described later in detail. A drain hose 29 is connected to a drain port 27A of the drain pan 27 and pulled out rearward.

An indoor unit cover 31 is attached to the frame 6 from the front so as to cover up these components. The heat exchanger 7 is provided at the center of the front surface of the cover 31.
A slit-shaped suction port 32 is formed in front of the suction port 32, and a filter 33 is provided between the suction port 32 and the heat exchanger 7.
Is interposed. The filter 33 is held by the cover 31 so that it can be pulled out and inserted upward.

Upper and lower outlets 36, 37 are formed on the front surface of the cover 31 above and below the inlet 32, respectively. The upper and lower outlets 36, 37 are formed in the outlets 36, 37, respectively. Each is movably mounted.
Upper and lower flaps 41 and 42 for adjusting the upper and lower blowing directions are attached to the upper and lower outlets 36 and 37, respectively, and these upper and lower flaps 41 and 42 are driven by flap motors 43 and 44 at the right ends.

With the above configuration, during the cooling operation, the heat exchanger 7
A pressurized refrigerant is supplied to the refrigerant pipe 11 from the condensing unit of the outdoor unit, and the refrigerant pipe 11 exerts a cooling function by an endothermic effect generated by evaporation. During this cooling operation, the motor 8M is operated, and the cool air exchanged with the heat exchanger 7 is sucked by the upper fan 8 and the lower fan 9 of the heat exchanger 7, and is blown into the room through the upper outlet 36 and the lower outlet 37. Is done.

The operation of the compressor of the condensing unit and the operation of the motors 8M and 9M are controlled based on the temperature-sensitive operation of the temperature sensor 18 (control by the control device on the substrate 22 and the control device on the outdoor unit side). Maintain the temperature at the set temperature.

Next, during the heating operation, hot water is supplied from the boiler of the outdoor unit to the hot water pipe 12 of the heat exchanger 7 to exert a heating effect. During this heating operation, the motors 8M, 9
M is operated, and the warm air that has exchanged heat with the heat exchanger 7 is sucked by the upper rear fan 8 and the lower rear fan 9 of the heat exchanger 7 and blown into the room from the upper outlet 36 and the lower outlet 37. .

The operation of the variable flow rate valve 10 for controlling the amount of hot water supplied to the heat exchanger 7 and the operation of the motors 8M and 9M are controlled by the temperature sensor 1
8 (control by a control device on the substrate 22 or a control device on the outdoor unit side) based on
Maintain the room temperature at the set temperature.

In the dry operation, both the refrigerant and the hot water are supplied to the heat exchanger 7. This dry operation is controlled based on the detection operation of the humidity sensor 19 (control by the control device on the substrate 22 or the control device on the outdoor unit side), thereby maintaining the indoor humidity at the set humidity.

Here, the float switch 28 includes a main body 52 provided with a contact (not shown),
A hexagonal flange 54 formed above and spaced apart from a stopper 53 at the lower end of the magnet, and a float with a built-in magnet that is loosely inserted between the stopper 53 and the flange 54 to drive the contact point. And a screw portion 57 formed above the flange portion 54, and a lead wire 58 connected to the contact point is drawn out from the upper surface of the screw portion 57.

On the other hand, the mounting member 51 is formed of a hard synthetic resin, and as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, a storage part 61 opened on one side, and located above and in the same direction as the storage part 61. A horseshoe-shaped fitting portion 62 having a pair of arms 62A, 62A that are open to the front, a small hole-shaped engaged portion 64 provided side by side at the rear, and a larger through-hole 63. I have.

The inner surface of the storage portion 61 has a hexagonal shape in which the flange portion 54 of the float switch 28 is stored almost exactly, and the central portion is open vertically. The inner size of the upper fitting portion 62 is set to a size in which the screw portion 57 of the float switch 28 can be substantially tightly stored, the arms 62A, 62A have a certain elasticity, and the tip interval between them is It is set slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the portion 57. The thickness around the through hole 63 is set smaller than the thickness around the engaged portion 64.

On the other hand, the drain port 27A of the drain pan 27
An opening is formed at the lower right end of the rear wall 27B of the drain pan 27. Inside the upper edge of the rear wall 27B, a screw hole 71 is formed on the right side, and a pin-shaped protruding engaging portion 72 is formed on the left side. A peripheral portion 71A of the screw hole 71 is flat, and a base 72A of the engaging portion 72 extends outward, and is formed in a cross at the same height as the peripheral portion 71A.

From one of the attachments 51 having such a structure, the storage portion 6
1, the flange portion 54 of the float switch 28 is inserted, and the screw portion 57 of the float switch 28 is fitted into the fitting portion 62 while simultaneously expanding the arms 62A, 62A. In this state, the collar portion 54 is stored almost exactly in the storage portion 61,
The screw part 57 is held in the fitting part 62.

That is, just by storing or fitting each part of the float switch 28 from one of the mounting members 51, the float switch 28 is positioned in the storage part 61, and the float switch 28 is dropped in the fitting part 62. Can be prevented, so that the float switch 28 can be attached to the fixture 51 very easily. Further, since the screw portion 57 is always pressed from the arm portions 62A, 62A with a constant pressure, it is possible to avoid inconvenience such as failure of the contact inside the main body 52.

After attaching the float switch 28 to the fixture 51 in this manner, the engaging portion 72 of the drain pan 27 is inserted into the engaged portion 64 of the fixture 51 as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIGS. Then, the through holes 63 are screwed with the screws 73 so as to correspond to the screw holes 71.

As described above, since the attachment 51 can be attached to the predetermined position of the drain pan 27 with one screw 73, the workability of assembling the attachment 51 and the float switch 28 is remarkably improved. In particular, since the thickness around the through hole 63 of the attachment 51 is set smaller than the thickness around the engaged portion 64, the periphery of the through hole 63 of the attachment 51 is around the screw hole 71 of the drain pan 27. The height in contact with the portion 71A is such that the area around the engaged portion 64 is the base 7 of the engaging portion 72 of the drain pan 27.
It is higher than the height that contacts 2A.

Accordingly, since the area around the engaged portion 64 of the mounting tool 51 is always pressed against the base 72A of the drain pan 27 by screwing, the engaged section 64 of the mounting tool 51 is screwed. The floating of the portion is effectively prevented, and the mounting tool 51 and the float switch 28 can be accurately and stably mounted in a fixed position.

In this state, the float 56 of the float switch 28 enters the drain pan 27 from above. And
For example, when the level of the condensed water in the drain pan 27 rises due to clogging of the drain port 27A, the float 56 floats, and closes the internal contact when the predetermined level is full. By closing (ON) the contact, the air conditioner performs a predetermined alarm operation,
Prevent indoor flooding.

[0037]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, there is provided a fitting for attaching a float switch to a drain pan, the fitting having an opening on one side and a flange inserted therein, A horseshoe-shaped fitting portion that is open in the same direction as the storage portion and has a pair of arms,
Since the float switch is attached to the drain pan by fitting a screw portion to the horseshoe-shaped fitting portion, simply storing or fitting each of the components of the float switch from one of the mounting tools, The float switch is positioned in the storage portion, and it is possible to prevent the float switch from falling off at the fitting portion where the screw portion is fitted.

Therefore, the float switch can be attached to the fixture very easily. Further, since the screw portion is always held down at a constant pressure, it is possible to avoid inconveniences such as failure of the contact beforehand.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the above, the drain pan is provided with a screw hole and a positioning engaging portion juxtaposed with the screw hole, and the mounting tool is provided with the drain pan. Since the engaged portion with which the engaging portion is engaged and the through hole for screwing corresponding to the screw hole are provided, the mounting tool can be attached to a predetermined position of the drain pan with one screw. Therefore, the workability of assembling the attachment and the float switch is remarkably improved.

[0040]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of one side of a drain pan.

FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway front view of one side of a drain pan.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional side view of a mounting tool to which a float switch is mounted.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the attachment.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a fixture.

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional side view of a mounting tool.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Indoor unit 7 User side heat exchanger 27 Drain pan 28 Float switch 51 Attachment 52 Main body 54 Flange 56 Float 57 Screw part 61 Storage part 62 Fitting part 63 Through hole 64 Engaged part 71 Screw hole 72 Engagement part

Continuation of front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) F24F 1/00 361

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A main body provided with a contact, a flange formed apart from a lower end of the main body, and a float inserted between the lower end and the flange of the main body to drive the contact. When,
An air conditioner for detecting a water level in a drain pan disposed below a heat exchanger by using the float switch, the float switch including a screw portion formed above the flange portion; A horseshoe provided with an opening on one side and into which the flange is inserted, and a pair of arms opened above and in the same direction as the housing. Shape fitting
A mating portion, and the screw portion is fitted into the horseshoe-shaped fitting portion.
The float switch allows the
An air conditioner characterized by being attached to a pan . 2. The drain pan includes a screw hole, and a positioning engaging portion provided in parallel with the screw hole. The mounting tool includes an engaged portion with which the engaging portion is engaged, and a screw. The air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising a screw hole corresponding to the hole.