AIR CONDITIONER

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an air conditioner equipped with a ceiling panel that is detachably installed in an indoor unit.

BACKGROUND

An air conditioner includes an indoor unit installed above a ceiling and a ceiling panel attached to a lower end of the indoor unit. The ceiling panel has a square frame and is fixed to a lower end of the indoor unit via panel fixing screws and fixing hangers provided at four corner portions of the frame. The corner portions of the frame are covered with removable corner covers (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Patent Document
[Patent Document 1]

- International Publication No. WO 2018/154765

In air conditioners of the related art, when oil or detergent floating in the air in a room to be subjected to air conditioning adheres to a ceiling panel, a chemical change between the oil or the detergent and a resin forming the ceiling panel causes minute cracks in the resin forming the ceiling panel. This phenomenon is referred to as crazing. When stress is applied to the resin in which such minute cracks have been generated, the resin is more likely to crack.

In a structure of the related art in which a ceiling panel is fixed to an indoor unit using panel fixing screws, when there is a gap between a corner cover and a corner portion, outside air can enter through the gap, and oil or detergent contained in the outside air adhere to the corner portion, thereby causing crazing in a resin forming the corner portion. As a result, cracks and damage are more likely to occur in the region of the corner portion where stress is applied by the panel fixing screws than during manufacturing, resulting in a problem that the lifespan and esthetic appearance of the ceiling panel deteriorate.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide an air conditioner that suppresses occurrence of crazing caused by adhesion of oil or detergent in the air to a region where screws of a ceiling panel are attached, and suppresses cracking and damage in the ceiling panel.

An air conditioner according to the present disclosure includes: an indoor unit that includes an air suction port and an air blowout port, accommodates a fan and an indoor heat exchanger therein, suctions air from the air suction port by operating the fan, and blows out the suctioned air from the air blowout port through the indoor heat exchanger; a panel that is attached to the indoor unit, and has a panel air suction port at a position where at least a portion of the panel overlaps the air suction port; an attachment portion that is provided around the panel air suction port of the panel, and to which screws for fixing the panel to the indoor unit are attached; a wall portion provided to protrude at a periphery of the attachment portion, and including a locked portion; and a lid portion that covers the screws, is locked to the wall portion, and seals the attachment portion, wherein the lid portion includes a locking portion engaging with the locked portion, and locking the lid portion to the wall portion. According to such a configuration, adhesion of oil, detergent, or the like floating in the air, which causes crazing to the attachment part is suppressed.

When an air conditioner of the present disclosure is used, a lid portion covers screws of a ceiling panel in an attachment part where the screws are attached, and seals the attachment part, and thus it is possible to isolate the attachment part from the outside air. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of crazing caused by adhesion of oil, detergent, or the like floating in the air to the attachment part and to suppress cracking and damage of the ceiling panel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A and 1B are perspective views showing an air conditioner in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the air conditioner in the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a panel, a filter, and a filter outer frame according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the panel and the filter outer frame according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the panel and the filter outer frame according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the panel according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7A is a front perspective view of the filter outer frame according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 7B is a rear perspective view of the filter outer frame according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8A is a perspective view of a region D1 of the filter outer frame according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 8B is a perspective view of the region D2 of the filter outer frame according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9A is a perspective view of a region C of the panel according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIGS. 9B and 9C are plan views of the region C of the panel according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are perspective views showing how to attach the filter outer frame to the panel according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a region B in a state where the filter outer frame is attached to the panel according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 is a plan view showing the region B in a state where the filter outer frame is attached to the panel according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 13A and 13B are cross-sectional views taken along line D-D of the panel and filter outer frame according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing an air conditioner in the embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, a configuration of an air conditioner according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, regarding reference numerals, those with the same numerals indicate the same or equivalent components, and the description thereof will be omitted or simplified as appropriate. This is common throughout the entire specification. The description of this specification is not limited to the following embodiment, and may be modified or omitted without departing from the spirit of this specification. In particular, the forms of the constituent elements shown in this specification are merely examples, and are not limited to the forms described in the specification. The drawings may represent the actual structures in a simplified manner. Furthermore, in the drawings, the size of each component and positional relationships between the components may differ from the actual ones.

Further, in the following description, terms expressing orientations (for example, “front”, “front side”, “before”, “rear”, “rear side”, “back”, “depth”, ““inside”, “outside”, and the like) are used as appropriate, but these terms refer to relative positional relationships between components and do not limit the content of the present disclosure. In addition, a “forward-backward direction” is a vertical direction when an air conditioner is installed in a usable state. In the front-back direction, a direction from the ceiling surface toward the indoor side is assumed to be a forward direction. The direction opposite to the front direction is a rearward direction. In addition, regarding terms such as “inside” and “outside”, when the air conditioner is installed in a usable condition and each component is viewed from the indoor side, a side close to the center is referred to as an “inside”, and a side closer to an end than the center is referred to as an “outside”.

First Embodiment

FIGS. 1A and 1B are perspective views showing the overall structure of an air conditioner 100 in a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the air conditioner 100 viewed from above the ceiling.

FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the air conditioner 100 viewed from the indoor side.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the air conditioner 100 viewed from the indoor side.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the air conditioner 100.

The air conditioner 100 according to this embodiment is installed with a portion thereof embedded in the ceiling.

The air conditioner 100 includes an indoor unit 1 that has built-in equipment for air circulation, temperature adjustment, and the like, and a panel 2 which is a ceiling panel detachably attached to the indoor unit 1.

The indoor unit 1 includes a housing 110, and hangers 3 are provided at respective corners of the housing 110. The indoor unit 1 is fixed above the ceiling by making hanging bolts 4 (not shown) installed on a beam or the like above the ceiling pass through the hangers 3 and then attaching nuts 5 (not shown) to the hanging bolts 4. When the indoor unit 1 is fixed above the ceiling, a lower surface portion 6 (shown in FIG. 2) of the housing 110 faces the indoor side. The indoor unit 1 has an air suction port 7, which is a substantially rectangular opening, on the lower surface portion 6 of the housing 110. The indoor unit 1 has an air blowout port 8, which is a substantially rectangular opening, on the lower surface portion 6 of the housing 110 to be spaced apart from the air suction port 7. The indoor unit 1 has a heat exchanger chamber 111 inside the housing 110 and includes an indoor heat exchanger 112 inside the heat exchanger chamber 111, the heat exchanger chamber 111 being connected to the air suction port 7 and the air blowout port 8, and the indoor heat exchanger 112 exchanging heat with the air and being provided to adjust the air to a set temperature. The indoor unit 1 includes a fan 113 in the heat exchanger chamber 111. The fan 113 suctions air from a target space (indoor) into the heat exchanger chamber 111 through the air suction port 7, makes the suctioned air pass through the indoor heat exchanger 112, and blows out the air whose temperature has been adjusted by the indoor heat exchanger 112 from the air blowout port 8.

A front side of the panel 2 in the front-back direction shown in FIG. 2 is assumed to be the front side of the panel 2. The panel 2 has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the front. The panel 2 is attached to the front side of the indoor unit 1 to cover the lower surface portion 6 of the indoor unit 1. In FIG. 2, a region within a dashed line that is a size smaller than the panel 2 is the lower surface portion 6. When the panel 2 is viewed in the direction shown in FIG. 2, a grille 10 is attached to the lower side of the panel 2. The grille 10 has a rectangular frame shape and includes a grille air suction port 11 which is a substantially rectangular opening. The grille 10 includes the grille air suction port 11 with a lattice-like grille lattice portion 11a. The panel 2 includes a panel air suction port 13, which is a substantially rectangular opening, inside the grille air suction port 11. Further, the panel air suction port 13 and the air suction port 7 substantially coincide with each other. In FIG. 2, the panel air suction port 13 and the air suction port 7 are shown by a common dashed line inside the grille air suction port 11. However, a positional relationship between the air suction port 7, the panel air suction port 13, and the grille air suction port 11 is not limited thereto. The panel air suction port 13 is located at a position corresponding to the air suction port 7 of the indoor unit 1, and at least portions thereof overlap each other in the front-back direction. In addition, the grille air suction port 11 is located at a position corresponding to the panel air suction port 13 and the air suction port 7, and at least a portion thereof overlaps the panel air suction port 13 and the air suction port 7 in the front-back direction.

When the panel 2 is viewed in the direction shown in FIG. 2, the panel 2 is provided with a panel air blowout port 12, which is a substantially rectangular opening, above the grille 10 at a distance from the grille 10. A wind direction vane 9 is attached to the panel air blowout port 12 to adjust the direction in which air is blown out. The panel air blowout port 12 is located at a position corresponding to the air blowout port 8 of the indoor unit 1, and at least portions thereof overlap each other in the front-back direction. The indoor unit 1 includes the air blowout port 8 closer to the center than the panel air blowout port 12 of the lower surface portion 6.

Indoor air to be subjected to air conditioning is taken into the indoor unit 1 through the grille air suction port 11, the panel air suction port 13, and the air suction port 7. From the air blowout port 8 and the panel air blowout port 12, air whose temperature and humidity have been adjusted by the indoor unit 1 is blown toward the indoor side.

FIG. 3 is a view showing the panel 2 in the same direction as in FIG. 2, with the grille 10 removed from the panel 2. In FIG. 3, the air suction port 7 and the panel air suction port 13 are indicated by a common dashed line. A filter outer frame 15 is detachably attached to the panel 2 to surround the panel air suction port 13. The filter outer frame 15 includes an outer frame attachment portion 18, a side surface portion 16 (shown in FIG. 5 and FIGS. 7A and 7B), and a plurality of support claws 17 extending substantially horizontally inward from the side surface portion 16. A filter 20 is detachably supported by the filter outer frame 15 via the support claws 17, and the air suction port 7 and the panel air suction port 13 are covered by the filter 20.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the panel 2 and the filter outer frame 15 in the same direction as in FIGS. 2 and 3. In FIG. 4, the grille 10 and filter 20 are removed from the panel 2.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the panel 2 and the filter outer frame 15 with the same configuration as in FIG. 4. The filter outer frame 15 includes a lid portion 30 (a first lid portion 31, a second lid portion 32, and a third lid portion 33) for covering an attachment portion 40 (a first attachment portion 41, a second attachment portion 42, and a third attachment portion 43) of the panel 2 to be described later.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the panel 2 in the same direction as in FIGS. 2 and 3. In FIG. 6, the grille 10, the filter outer frame 15, and the filter 20 are removed from the panel 2.

The panel 2 has the panel air suction port 13, and is provided with a suction port edge portion 25 along the panel air suction port 13 to surround the panel air suction port 13. The suction port edge portion 25 is a rectangular frame-like member having longitudinal directions on the right and left sides. The suction port edge portion 25 includes an upper suction port edge portion 25a, a lower suction port edge portion 25b, a right suction port edge portion 25c, and a left suction port edge portion 25d, which extend linearly along the panel air suction port 13. The terms “upper, lower, right, and left” used here refer to relative positional relationships between portions constituting the suction port edge portion 25 when the panel 2 is viewed in the direction shown in FIG. 6. Each of the portions 25a, 25b, 25c, and 25d of the suction port edge portion has a predetermined width in a lateral direction when the panel 2 is viewed from the front. The upper suction port edge portion 25a is provided on the panel air blowout port 12 side. The lower suction port edge portion 25b is provided at a position facing the upper suction port edge portion 25a with the panel air suction port 13 interposed therebetween. The right suction port edge portion 25c is provided between a right end portion of the upper suction port edge portion 25a and a right end portion of the lower suction port edge portion 25b. The left suction port edge portion 25d is provided between a left end portion of the upper suction port edge portion 25a and a left end portion of the lower suction port edge portion 25b.

The panel 2 includes the first attachment portion 41, the second attachment portion 42, and the third attachment portion 43 in the vicinity of the panel air suction port 13, the attachment portions being the attachment portions 40 to which fixtures 23 for fixing the panel 2 to the indoor unit 1 are attached.

FIG. 7A is a front perspective view of the filter outer frame 15.

FIG. 7B is a rear perspective view of the filter outer frame 15.

The filter outer frame 15 will be described using FIGS. 7A and 7B.

The filter outer frame 15 includes a rectangular frame-like outer frame attachment portion 18. The outer frame attachment portion 18 is attached to the suction port edge portion 25 of the panel 2 to surround the panel air suction port 13. The outer frame attachment portion 18 includes an upper outer frame attachment portion 18a, a lower outer frame attachment portion 18b, a right outer frame attachment portion 18c, and a left outer frame attachment portion 18d. The terms “upper side, lower side, right side, and left side” used here refer to relative positional relationship between portions constituting the outer frame attachment portion 18 when the outer frame attachment portion 18 is viewed in the direction shown in FIG. 4. The upper outer frame attachment portion 18a is provided on the panel air blowout port 12 side of the outer frame attachment portion 18. The lower outer frame attachment portion 18b is provided in the outer frame attachment portion 18 at a position facing the upper outer frame attachment portion 18a with the panel air suction port 13 interposed therebetween. The right outer frame attachment portion 18c is provided between a right end portion of the upper outer frame attachment portion 18a and a right end portion of the lower outer frame attachment portion 18b. The left outer frame attachment portion 18d is provided between a left end portion of the upper outer frame attachment portion 18a and a left end portion of the lower outer frame attachment portion 18b. Each of the portions 18a, 18b, 18c, and 18d of the outer frame attachment portion 18 extends substantially horizontally, and is formed to have a predetermined width in its lateral direction.

The filter outer frame 15 includes the side surface portion 16 that protrudes forward from the outer periphery of the outer frame attachment portion 18 with a predetermined width in the front-back direction and forms the outer surface of the filter outer frame 15, and the plurality of support claws 17 extending inward to be spaced apart from the outer frame attachment portion 18 at a predetermined distance in the front-back direction from a front end 16a (shown in FIG. 7A) of the side surface portion 16. The support claws 17 are located on a side closer to the front (on the near side when viewed from the indoor side) than the outer frame attachment portion 18. The filter outer frame 15 further includes a lattice-like lattice portion 22 that is connected to the outer frame attachment portion 18, is provided on the inner side of the outer frame attachment portion 18, and overlaps the panel air suction port 13 and the air blowout port 8 in the front-back direction.

The filter outer frame 15 includes a support piece 21 extending upward from the front end 16a of the side surface portion 16 at a predetermined distance in the front-back direction from the outer frame attachment portion 18. The support piece 21 supports the filter outer frame 15 on the panel 2, and determines the attachment position of the filter outer frame 15 in the front-back direction.

The filter 20 is sandwiched between the outer frame attachment portion 18 and the support claw 17, and the filter 20 is detachably attached to the filter outer frame 15. The filter 20 is a member for removing dust, oil, detergent, and the like from the air taken into the air conditioner 100.

The outer frame attachment portion 18 and side surface portion 16 of the filter outer frame 15 are covered and hidden from the indoor side by the grille 6 during normal use of the air conditioner 100, whereby improving the design of the air conditioner 100.

As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the filter outer frame 15 includes the first lid portion 31 at a lower right corner portion (region D1) of the outer frame attachment portion 18. Further, the filter outer frame 15 includes a second lid portion 32 at a position symmetrical to the first lid portion 31 along a center line A-A. The configuration of the second lid portion 32 is symmetrical to the configuration of the first lid portion 31 with respect to the line A-A, and thus description thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, the filter outer frame 15 includes a third lid portion 33 on the line A-A of the upper outer frame attachment portion 18a, the third lid portion 33 including a portion thereof protrudes inward.

FIG. 8A is an enlarged view of the first lid portion 31 and the surrounding region D1 in FIG. 7A. FIG. 8A is a diagram of the region D1 viewed from a different angle from that in FIG. 7A, and is a perspective view of the first lid portion 31 when viewed from the front side and center side of the filter outer frame 15.

FIG. 8B is an enlarged view of the first lid portion 31 and a surrounding region D2 in FIG. 7B.

The first lid portion 31 will be described using FIGS. 8A and 8B.

The first lid portion 31 includes a cover portion 35 and a cover wall portion 36. The cover portion 35 is a substantially rectangular plate-like member. The cover wall portion 36 is provided to protrude further rearward than a rear surface 35a of the cover portion 35. The rear surface 35a of the cover portion 35 is a surface that faces a first wall portion 61 of the first attachment portion 41 when the filter outer frame 15 is attached to the panel 2.

The upper left corner portion of the cover portion 35 protrudes further inward than the lower outer frame attachment portion 18b and the right outer frame attachment portion 18c. The cover portion 35 has a rounded upper left corner portion. The cover portion 35 has an upper end connected to the right outer frame attachment portion 18c, and a left end connected to the lower outer frame attachment portion 18b. The cover portion 35 is integrally formed continuously with the lower outer frame attachment portion 18b and the right outer frame attachment portion 18c, and constitutes a portion of the outer frame attachment portion 18. In other words, in this embodiment, a portion of the outer frame attachment portion 18 is used as the cover portion 35.

The cover wall portion 36 includes a first cover wall portion 36a that protrudes further rearward than the upper end of the cover portion 35 and extends right and left, a second cover wall portion 36b that protrudes further rearward than the left end of the cover portion 35 and extends vertically, and a third cover wall portion 36c that is provided between the first cover wall portion 36a and the second cover wall portion 36b to have a curved surface and extend further rearward than the cover portion 35. The cover portion 35 and the cover wall portion 36 are integrally formed using a resin.

Similarly, the second lid portion 32 includes a cover portion 38 and a cover wall portion 65. Further, the third lid portion 33 includes a cover portion 39 and a cover wall portion 66. The cover portion 38 and the cover portion 39 are substantially rectangular plate-like members. A portion of the cover portion 39 is a member common to the upper outer frame attachment portion 18a. A portion of the cover portion 39 protrudes further inward than the upper outer frame attachment portion 18a. The cover wall portion 66 is provided along the outer edge of the cover portion 39 to have a U-shape having an inwardly curved shape and protrude toward the rear side.

The first lid portion 31 includes a guiding rib 85 that is provided to protrude further rearward than the rear surface 35a of the cover portion 35. The guiding rib 85 is constituted by two ribs extending substantially orthogonally to the first cover wall portion 36a and the second cover wall portion 36b, respectively. The guiding rib 85 is provided on the inner side of the cover portion 35 with a gap equal to or greater than the thickness of the first wall portion 61 from the cover wall portion 36. With such a structure, when the filter outer frame 15 is attached to the panel 2, the first wall portion 61 can be disposed between the cover wall portion 36 and the guiding rib 85, and the first lid portion 31 can be easily attached to the attachment portion 41 of the first lid portion 31.

The guiding rib 85 has a tapered surface 89 at one end of a rear end portion 88 facing the cover wall portion 36 in a direction in which the front-back width thereof decreases toward the cover wall portion 36. By providing the tapered surface 89 in the guiding rib 85, when the tip of the first wall portion 61 abuts on the tapered surface 89 at the time of attaching the filter outer frame 15 to the panel 2, the first wall portion 61 is guided between the cover wall portion 36 and the guiding rib 85 by the tapered surface 89. With such a configuration, the filter outer frame 15 can be smoothly positioned on the panel 2.

The first lid portion 31 includes a packing 98 on the rear surface 35a of the cover portion 35. The packing 98 has a rectangular frame shape and is provided along the four sides of the cover portion 35 between the cover wall portion 36 and the guiding rib 85. The packing 98 has a shape corresponding to the front end portion of the first wall portion 61, which will be described later.

Similarly, although not shown in the drawing, the second lid portion 32 includes a packing 96 provided in a rectangular frame shape on the rear surface 38a of the cover portion 38. The third lid portion 33 includes a packing 97 provided in a rectangular frame shape on a rear surface 39a of the cover portion 39.

When the filter outer frame 15 is attached to the panel 2, the packing 98 abuts on the first wall portion 61, and the first lid portion 31 and the attachment portion 41 form a hollow portion 80 therebetween to seal the first attachment portion 41.

Similarly, when the filter outer frame 15 is attached to the panel 2, the packing 96 comes into contact with a second wall portion 62, and the second lid portion 32 and the second attachment portion 42 form a sealed hollow portion 82 therebetween to seal the second attachment portion 42. In addition, when the filter outer frame 15 is attached to the panel 2, a packing 97 comes into contact with a third wall portion 63, and the third lid portion 33 and the third attachment portion 43 form a sealed hollow portion 83 therebetween to seal the third attachment portion 43. In the present disclosure, the first wall portion 61, the second wall portion 62, and the third wall portion 63 are collectively referred to as a wall portion 60.

The first lid portion 31 includes a first locking tool 71.

The first locking tool 71 is a substantially rectangular plate-like member, and is provided in the first lid portion 31 so that a portion thereof is embedded in an outer surface portion 37 constituted by the cover portion 35 and the second cover wall portion 36b. The longitudinal direction of the first locking tool 71 substantially coincides with the front-back direction when the filter outer frame 15 is attached to the panel 2. The first locking tool 71 includes a first handle portion 73 that protrudes further forward than the first lid portion 31, and a first fixing portion 75 that protrudes further rearward than the cover portion 35. The first fixing portion 75 extends toward the indoor unit 1 along one side surface of the wall portion 61 with the filter outer frame 15 attached to the panel 2. The first fixing portion 75 includes a first locking portion 77. The first locking portion 77 is provided on a surface 72a of the first fixing portion 75 which faces a first locked portion 53 (indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 9A) in a state where the filter outer frame 15 is attached to the panel 2. The first locking portion 77 is locked to the first locked portion 53 of a partitioning rib 46. In this embodiment, the first locking portion 77 is a claw 79. The first locked portion 53 is a stepped portion 58. The filter outer frame 15 is attached to the panel 2 by the claw 79 being locked to the stepped portion 58.

The first locking tool 71 includes a convex reinforcing portion 90 on a surface 71a opposite to the surface on which the claw 79 is provided. The reinforcing portions 90 are provided at two ends of the surface 71a in the longitudinal direction of the first locking tool 71 from the first handle portion 73 to the first fixing portion 75.

Since the first locking tool 71 includes the reinforcing portion 90, the durability of the locking tool 71 is improved, and when the first handle portion 73 is pressed with a finger, the finger is less likely to slip, and operability is improved. In addition, since the first fixing portion 75 is less likely to bend with respect to the first handle portion 73, the first fixing portion 75 can be easily moved by the user's operation of the handle portion 73, and the claw 79 can be easily released from the stepped portion 58. Further, the front-to-back width of the outer surface portion 37 is smaller than the others in the vicinity of the first locking tool 71, and thus a force when pressing the first handle portion 73 with a finger can be easily applied to the first fixing portion 75.

FIG. 9A is a perspective view showing the first attachment portion 41 of the panel 2 and its surroundings (a region C in FIG. 6), and is a diagram showing a state where the filter outer frame 15 is not attached to the panel 2.

FIG. 9B is a plan view of FIG. 9A.

FIG. 9C is a diagram showing a state where a screw 24 is not attached to the first attachment portion 41 in the configuration of FIG. 9B.

The first attachment portion 41 of the panel 2 will be described using FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C.

The suction port edge portion 25 is provided with the first attachment portion 41 for attaching the panel 2 to the indoor unit 1 at the lower right corner. The first attachment portion 41 is located between the lower suction port edge portion 25b and the right suction port edge portion 25c, and is connected to the lower suction port edge portion 25b and the right suction port edge portion 25c. The first attachment portion 41 is a substantially rectangular member in plan view. The first attachment portion 41 is integrally formed using a resin continuously with the lower suction port edge portion 25b and the right suction port edge portion 25c. The upper left corner of the first attachment portion 41 protrudes further inward than the inner edges of the lower suction port edge portion 25b and the right suction port edge portion 25c.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the suction port edge portion 25 includes the second attachment portion 42 for attaching the panel 2 to the indoor unit 1 at the lower left corner portion. The second attachment portion 42 is located between the lower suction port edge portion 25b and the left suction port edge portion 25d, and is connected to the lower suction port edge portion 25b and the left suction port edge portion 25d. The second attachment portion 42 is a substantially rectangular member in plan view. The second attachment portion 42 is integrally formed using a resin continuously with the lower suction port edge portion 25b and the left suction port edge portion 25d. The upper right corner portion of the second attachment portion 42 protrudes further inward than the inner edges of the lower suction port edge portion 25b and the left suction port edge portion 25d.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the suction port edge portion 25 includes the third attachment portion 43 for attaching the panel 2 to the indoor unit 1 at a center portion right and left of the upper suction port edge portion 25a. A portion of the third attachment portion 43 is a member common to the upper suction port edge portion 25a. The third attachment portion 43 has a substantially rectangular shape with a portion protruding further inward than the inner edge of the upper suction port edge portion 25a. The third attachment portion 43 is integrally formed using a resin continuously with the upper suction port edge portion 25a.

The first attachment portion 41, the second attachment portion 42, and the third attachment portion 43 each have a screw hole 44, and the screws 24, which are the fixtures 23 for fixing the panel 2 to the indoor unit 1, are attached to the screw holes 44.

The suction port edge portion 25 (not shown) comes into contact with the indoor unit 1 when the panel 2 is fixed to the indoor unit 1 with the screws 24 attached to the first attachment portion 41, the second attachment portion 42, and the third attachment portion 43, respectively.

The panel 2 includes a panel peripheral wall 27 that extends further forward than the outer periphery of the suction port edge portion 25. The panel peripheral wall 27 is provided in a square cylindrical shape on the outer periphery of the suction port edge portion 25. The panel peripheral wall 27 has a shape that expands forward. The suction port edge portion 25 is located between the panel peripheral wall 27 and the panel air suction port 13. The panel peripheral wall 27 is constituted by an upper panel peripheral wall 27a (shown in FIG. 10A) provided on the outer edge of the upper suction port edge portion 25a, a lower panel peripheral wall 27b provided on the outer edge of the lower suction port edge portion 25b, and a right panel peripheral wall 27c provided on the outer edge of the right suction port edge portion 25c, and a left panel peripheral wall 27d (shown in FIG. 10A) provided on the outer edge of the left suction port edge portion 25d. The panel 2 has an insertion opening 28 (shown in FIG. 10A), which is an opening into which a protrusion 19 (not shown) of the filter outer frame 15 is inserted, on each of the right and left sides of the center line A-A on the upper panel peripheral wall 27a.

The panel 2 includes a grille attachment surface portion 26 to surround the panel peripheral wall 27. The grille attachment surface portion 26 is a surface portion that is covered with the grille 10 when the grille 10 is attached to the panel 2. The panel 2 includes, on one side of the grille attachment surface portion 26, a pair of grille attachment portions 95 which pivotally support the grille 10 so that the grille 10 can be opened and closed, and rotate the grille 10.

The panel 2 includes a plurality of flat plate-like supporting ribs 29 extending further forward than a front surface 25e of the suction port edge portion 25. The plurality of supporting ribs 29 are provided with a predetermined width in the front-back direction with respect to the front surface 25e. The plurality of supporting ribs 29 are also connected to the panel peripheral wall 27 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the panel peripheral wall 27. The suction port edge portion 25, the panel peripheral wall 27, and the plurality of supporting ribs 29 are continuously integrally formed using a resin. The front end of the panel peripheral wall 27 is located further forward than the front end of the supporting rib 29. A rear surface 15a of the filter outer frame 15 (not shown, corresponding to the rear surface of the outer frame attachment portion 18) abuts on the front end of the supporting rib 29, and thus the position of the filter outer frame 15 in the front-back direction with respect to the panel 2 is determined. The filter outer frame 15 is attached to the inside of the panel peripheral wall 27.

The first attachment portion 41 has the screw hole 44, and the panel 2 is attached to the indoor unit 1 by screwing the screw 24 into the screw hole 44 and a screw opening (not shown) formed in the indoor unit 1. The screw 24 includes a washer-like screw head 24a. In a state where the screw 24 is attached to the screw hole 44, a region where the first attachment portion 41 is covered with the screw 24 when the panel 2 is viewed from the front is referred to as a screw attachment region 45. The partitioning rib 46 is provided at a periphery 41c of the first attachment portion 41 to surround the screw attachment region 45 and protrude forward. In other words, the partitioning rib 46 is provided at the periphery of the first attachment portion 41 to surround the screw 24 and protrude forward.

The partitioning rib 46 includes a first partitioning rib 46a provided at an upper end 41a of the first attachment portion 41 in a right-left direction, a second partitioning rib 46b provided at a left end 41b of the first attachment portion 41 in an up-down direction, and a third partitioning rib 46c connected to the first partitioning rib 46a and the second partitioning rib 46b and having a curved surface. Further, the lower panel peripheral wall 27b in contact with the first attachment portion 41 has a first panel wall portion 50 that is convex inward in the thickness direction of the lower panel peripheral wall 27b along the first attachment portion 41. The right panel peripheral wall 27c in contact with the first attachment portion 41 has a second panel wall portion 51 (a portion on the left of a dashed line portion of the panel peripheral wall 27 in FIGS. 13A and 13B) which is convex inward in the thickness direction of the right panel peripheral wall 27c along the first attachment portion 41. The widths in the front-back direction of the partitioning rib 46, the first panel wall portion 50, and the second panel wall portion 51 are substantially the same.

The first attachment portion 41 has a notch 47 that is cut inward from a point on the upper end 41a of the first attachment portion to a point on the left end 41b of the first attachment portion. The partitioning rib 46 has a concave portion 48 that is provided in the first attachment portion 41 along the notch 47, and protrudes forward with a predetermined width in the front-back direction. A connection portion between the upper end of the concave portion 48 and the first partitioning rib 46a is chamfered. The partitioning rib 46 has a support surface portion 56 extending substantially horizontally on the outer side (a side opposite to the screw attachment region 45, on the left side) of the first attachment portion 41 with respect to the front end of the concave portion 48. The shape of the support surface portion 56 substantially matches a region cut out by the notch 47. The outer edge of the support surface portion 56 comes into contact with the first partitioning rib 46a, the second partitioning rib 46a, and the third partitioning rib 46c.

The partitioning rib 46, the concave portion 48, the support surface portion 56, the first panel wall portion 50, and the second panel wall portion 51 constitute a cylindrical first wall portion 61. The first wall portion 61 is provided to surround the first attachment portion 41, and protrude further forward than the periphery thereof. The first attachment portion 41 and the first wall portion 61 are integrally formed using a resin.

A stepped portion 58 is formed by the support surface portion 56 and the second partitioning rib 46b connected to the support surface portion 56 and located on the front side. The stepped portion 58 is a locked portion 55 for locking the claw 79, which is a first locking portion 77 of the filter outer frame 15. The widths in the front-back direction of the stepped portion 58 and the packing 98 substantially match a distance from the claw 79 to the cover portion 35.

Furthermore, the panel 2 includes the second attachment portion 42 and the second wall portion 62 at positions symmetrical to the first attachment portion 41 with respect to the center line A-A. The second wall portion 62 is provided to surround the second attachment portion 42, and protrude further forward than the periphery thereof. Configurations of the second attachment portion 42 and the second wall portion 62 are symmetrical to the first attachment portion 41 and the first wall portion 61 with respect to the line A-A, and thus the description thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, the panel 2 includes the third attachment portion 43 and the third wall portion 63 that partially protrude inward on the line A-A of the upper suction port edge portion 25a. A portion of the third attachment portion 43 protrudes toward the inside of the suction port edge portion 25. The third wall portion 63 has a cylindrical shape, and is provided to surround the third attachment portion 43 and protrude further forward than the periphery thereof.

FIG. 9C is a diagram showing a configuration in which the screw 24 is removed from the first attachment portion 41 in FIG. 9B. A support structure 49 that supports the screw 24 is provided in the screw attachment region 45, and has a structure protruding forward. The support structure 49 includes a plurality of circular ribs 49a having different radii, which are provided concentrically around the screw hole 44, and a connecting rib 49b that connects the circular ribs 49a. When the support structure 49 is provided in the first attachment portion 41, stress generated in a portion of the support structure 49 which comes into contact with the screw head 24a is dispersed by the support structure 49 at the time of attaching the screw 24 to the first attachment portion 41, and thus cracking of the first attachment portion 41 due to the contact with the screw 24 is suppressed.

The screw attachment region 45 and the screw 24 are covered with the first wall portion 61 when the first wall portion 61 is attached to the first attachment portion 41. The screw attachment region 45 and the screw 24 are sealed by the first wall portion 61 when the first wall portion 61 is attached to the first attachment portion 41. The same applies to the screw attachment region 45 and the screw 24 provided in the second attachment portion 42 and the third attachment portion 43.

The shapes of the attachment portion 40 and the lid portion 30 in this embodiment are not limited thereto, and an ellipse, a circle, or a polygon other than a substantially rectangular shape can be appropriately adopted.

A procedure of attaching the filter outer frame 15 to the panel 2 will be described.

A user faces the panel 2 in a direction shown in FIG. 4, and holds the right and left ends of the filter outer frame 15 in a direction shown in FIG. 4 with his or her right and left hands, respectively. Then, the support piece 21 of the filter outer frame 15 is tilted toward the panel 2 side, the filter outer frame 15 is moved in a direction indicated by an arrow on the right side of FIG. 10A, and the protrusion 19 is inserted into the insertion opening 28 of the panel 2. Next, the filter outer frame 15 is moved in a direction indicated by an arrow on the left side of FIG. 10A such that the filter outer frame 15 fits inside the panel peripheral wall 27. At this time, the claw 79, which is the first locking portion 77 included in the first locking tool 71 provided in the first lid portion 31 of the filter outer frame 15, is locked to the stepped portion 58, which is the first locked portion 53, and the first lid portion 31 is attached to the first wall portion 61 and the first attachment portion 41. Similarly, a claw 80, which is the second locked portion included in the second locking tool 72 provided in the second lid portion 32, is locked to a stepped portion 59 which is a second locked portion 54, and the second lid portion 32 is attached to the second wall portion 62 and the second attachment portion 42. In this manner, the filter outer frame 15 is attached to the panel 2.

When the filter outer frame 15 is removed from the panel 2, the user faces the panel 2 and the filter outer frame 15 in the direction shown in FIG. 4, and puts a finger of the right hand on the inner surface (left side surface 71a) in the right-left direction of the first handle portion 73 of the first locking tool 71 in the filter outer frame 15. Further, the user puts a finger of the left hand on the inner surface (right side surface 72a) in the left-right direction of the second handle portion 74 of the second locking tool 72. Next, the user simultaneously presses the first handle portion 73 and the second handle portion 74 outward (to the right in the first handle portion 73 and to the left in the second handle portion 74). At this time, the first locking tool 71 is moved to the position indicated by a dashed line 71′ in FIG. 13A, the first fixing portion 75 and a second fixing portion 76 are moved to a side opposite to the direction in which they are pressed, the claw 79 is removed from the stepped portion 58 of the first attachment portion 41, and the claw 80 is removed from the stepped portion 59 of the second attachment portion 42. In other words, by moving the first handle portion 73 toward the first attachment portion 41 side, the first locking portion 77 is unlocked from the first locked portion 53. The same applies to the second handle portion 74. After the claws 79 and 80 are removed from the stepped portions 58 and 59, respectively, the user holds lower right and left corner portions of the filter outer frame 15 while pressing the first handle portion 73 and the second handle portion 74 with his or her fingers, and moves the filter outer frame 15 forward. At this time, since the protrusion 19 of the filter outer frame 15 is inserted into the insertion opening 28 of the panel 2, the lower side of the filter outer frame 15 is inclined forward. Finally, the user pulls out the protrusion 19 of the filter outer frame 15 from the insertion opening 28 of the panel 2. The filter outer frame 15 is removed from the panel 2 through the above operations.

In the above-described operations of attaching the filter outer frame 15 to the panel 2 and removing the filter outer frame 15 from the panel 2, separate parts such as screws for attaching the filter outer frame 15 to the panel 2 are not required. Thus, a screw tightening tool, a screw tightening operation, and the like are not required, and the filter outer frame 15 can be easily attached to the panel 2 when the air conditioner 100 is assembled.

Alternatively, the filter outer frame 15 can be easily removed from the indoor unit 1 and attached to the panel 2 during maintenance of the filter outer frame 15.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the first attachment portion 41 and the first lid portion 31 in a state where the filter outer frame 15 is attached to the panel 2 (corresponding to a region B in FIG. 4). When the panel 2 is viewed from the front, the partitioning rib 46 is located inside the cover portion 35 rather than the cover wall portion 36. The claw 79 is locked to the stepped portion 58.

FIG. 12 is a plan view of FIG. 11.

FIGS. 13A and 13B are cross-sectional views taken along line E-E in FIG. 12 in the front-back direction. The line E-E is a cross-sectional line in the right-left direction which passes through the screw 24 and the screw hole 44. In FIG. 13A, the filter 20 is removed from the filter outer frame 15. In FIG. 13B, the filter 20 is attached to the filter outer frame 15.

The stepped portion 58 and the claw 79 will be described using FIGS. 13A and 13B. In FIGS. 13A and 13B, a portion behind a line F of the panel 2 corresponds to the first attachment portion 41. The concave portion 48 is provided along the notch 47 formed in the first attachment portion 41. The front end of the concave portion 48 is connected to the support surface portion 56, and the support surface portion 56 extends toward a side opposite (left side) to the screw attachment region 45, and the second partitioning rib 46b is provided to extend forward from the left end of the support surface portion 56. The stepped portion 58 is formed by the support surface portion 56 and the second partitioning rib 46b. The screw 24 is screwed into the screw hole 44, and fixes the first attachment portion 41 and the indoor unit 1 (housing 110). The first attachment portion 41, the screw 24, and the screw hole 44 are covered with the lid portion 31. Although FIGS. 13A and 13B show a structure in which the tip of the screw 24 is included in the indoor unit 1 (housing 110), the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and a structure in which the screw 24 penetrates the indoor unit 1 may be adopted. Even in this case, the indoor unit 1 (housing 110) is formed of a metal, and thus no cracks or damage will occur on the indoor unit 1 side due to crazing. The claw 79 is locked to the stepped portion 58 in a state where the filter outer frame 15 is attached to the panel 2. Further, the packing 98 provided on the rear surface 35a of the cover portion 35 abuts on the first wall portion 61.

The claw 79 has an inclined surface 84 on the first locked portion 53 side of the lower end portion, the inclined surface 84 being inclined upward as it goes toward the first locked portion 53 side. Since the claw 79 has the inclined surface 84, when the tip of the first wall portion 61 abuts on the inclined surface 84 at the time of attaching the filter outer frame 15 to the panel 2, the claw 79 is guided to the outside of the first wall portion 61 (in the direction away from the first attachment portion 41) by the inclined surface 84, and thus the filter outer frame 15 is smoothly attached to the panel 2.

In a state where the filter outer frame 15 is attached to the panel 2, an overlapping margin between the claw 79 and the support surface portion 56 in the front-back direction is, for example, between 2 mm and 3 mm. With such a configuration, the first locking tool 71 can be moved to the position indicated by the dashed line 71′ in FIG. 13A by operating the first handle portion 73 while securing the ability of locking between the claw 79 and the stepped portion 58, and the claw 79 can be easily removed from the stepped portion 58. Furthermore, the concave portion 48 and the claw 79 are spaced apart from each other in the right-left direction. With such a configuration, removal of the claw 79 from the support surface portion 56 and deterioration in the ability of locking of the claw 79 to the first wall portion 61 are suppressed by the abutting between the concave portion 48 and the claw 79.

In this embodiment, the screw 24 and the first attachment portion 41 are covered with the first lid portion 31, and sealed by the first lid portion 31. For this reason, crazing of the first attachment portion 41 to which the screws 24 for fixing the panel 2 to the indoor unit 1 are attached is suppressed, and cracking and damage of the panel 2 in the first attachment portion 41 can be suppressed. For this reason, in the panel 2 of the present disclosure, the first attachment portion 41 to which the screw 24 is attached can be provided in the vicinity of the panel air suction port 13 where a flow of indoor air is large. Additionally, in the past, fixing hangers are interposed between the screws 24 and the first attachment portion 41 in order to suppress cracks and damage to the panel 2, but such metal plates are no longer necessary, which leads to a reduction in the number of parts.

In this embodiment, the first attachment portion 41, the second attachment portion 42, and the third attachment portion 43 are covered with the first lid portion 31, the second lid portion 32, and the third lid portion 33, respectively, and are sealed. Crazing of the first attachment portion 41, the second attachment portion 42, and the third attachment portion 43 to which the screws 24 are attached is suppressed, and cracking of the panel 2 at these parts can be suppressed. For this reason, in the panel 2 of the present disclosure, a plurality of attachment portions to which the screws 24 are attached can be provided in the vicinity of the panel air suction port 13 where a flow of indoor air is large. Further, even when a plurality of attachment portions are provided in the vicinity of the panel air suction port 13, countermeasures against crazing can be taken by attaching a lid to each of the attachment portions.

In this embodiment, a portion of the suction port edge portion 25 of the panel 2 is used as the first attachment portion 41. For this reason, the number of members for providing the first attachment portion 41 can be reduced as compared with other cases.

In this embodiment, a portion of the panel peripheral wall 27 is used as the first wall portion 61 provided in the first attachment portion 41. For this reason, the number of members for sealing the first attachment portion 41 can be reduced as compared with a case where the first wall portion 61 is constituted by an independent member.

In this embodiment, the first lid portion 31 is provided in the filter outer frame 15. For this reason, the number of members used in the air conditioner 100 can be reduced as compared with a case where the first lid portion 31 is constituted by an independent member. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the filter outer frame 15 is attached to the panel 2, and the first lid portion 31 is attached to the first attachment portion 41, and thus assemblability of the air conditioner 100 is improved as compared with a case where the first lid portion 31 is constituted by an independent member. Effects similar to those described above can also be obtained when a plurality of lid portions are attached to a plurality of attachment portions.

In this embodiment, the first lid portion 31 includes the first locking tool 71 which is a substantially rectangular plate-like member, and the first handle portion 73 that is included in the first locking tool 71 and protrudes further forward than the cover portion 35 is operated, and thus the claw 79 included in the first locking tool 71 can be removed from the stepped portion 58 provided on the panel 2, thereby improving the workability of removing the filter outer frame 15.

In this embodiment, the first locking tool 71 and the second locking tool 72 are provided at both ends of one longitudinal side of the filter outer frame 15. For this reason, the user can operate the first locking tool 71 and the second locking tool 72 while holding both the right and left ends of the filter outer frame 15, and thus it is easier to remove the filter outer frame 15 from the panel 2 as compared with other cases.

The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment described above, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the first wall portion 61 of the first attachment portion 41 is constituted by the partitioning rib 46, the lower panel peripheral wall 27b, and the right panel peripheral wall 27c. However, the shape of the first wall portion 61 is not limited, and the first wall portion 61 can be changed to other shapes as long as the packing 98 provided in the first lid portion 31 and the first wall portion 61 abut on each other when the filter outer frame 15 is attached to the panel 2, and the substantially sealed hollow portion 80 isolated from the outside is formed by the first attachment portion 41, the first wall portion 61, and the first lid portion 31. The same applies to the shapes of the second wall portion 62 and the third wall portion 63.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the first attachment portion 41 and the cover portion 35 have a substantially rectangular shape, but the shape is not limited thereto. The first attachment portion 41 and the cover portion 35 can be changed to other shapes as long as the first lid portion 31 and the first wall portion 61 abut on each other when the filter outer frame 15 is attached to the panel 2, and the substantially sealed hollow portion 80 isolated from the outside is formed by the first attachment portion 41, the first wall portion 61, and the first lid portion 31. The same applies to the second attachment portion 42, the third attachment portion 43, the second lid portion 32, and the third lid portion 33.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, a configuration has been adopted in which the attachment portions 40 are provided at three locations, that is, the right and left corner portions of the suction port edge portion 25 of the panel 2, and the center portion between the right and left center portions of the upper suction port edge portion 25a, and the filter outer frame 15 includes three lid portions 60 at locations corresponding to the attachment portions 40. However, this embodiment is not limited thereto, and the air conditioner 100 includes four or more attachment portions in the panel 2, and the filter outer frame 15 or a member separate from the filter outer frame 15 may include four or more lid portions corresponding to the attachment portions. Alternatively, as long as the panel 2 can be stably fixed to the indoor unit 1, the number of attachment portions and the number of lid portions may be set to two or one.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the first lid portion 31 is attached to the first attachment portion 41 by hooking and locking the claw 79 included in the first locking tool 71 to the stepped portion 58 included in the first wall portion 61, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The claw 79 and the stepped portion 58 can be changed to other shapes as long as the packing 98 provided in the first lid portion 31 and the first wall portion 61 abut on each other when the filter outer frame 15 is attached to the panel 2, and the substantially sealed hollow portion 80 isolated from the outside is formed by the first attachment portion 41, the first wall portion 61, the packing 98, and the first lid portion 31.

For example, a structure may be adopted in which the first wall portion 61 has a flat side surface instead of the stepped portion 58, has a recessed portion on the side surface, and a protrusion such as a convex portion provided in the first locking tool 71 is fitted to the recessed portion.

AIR CONDITIONER

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