The present disclosure relates to an outdoor unit intended for an air-conditioning apparatus and including a compressor and a reactor, and to an air-conditioning apparatus.
In Patent Literature 1, an outdoor unit for an air-conditioning apparatus is disclosed in which an electrical substrate is enclosed by a box made of sheet metal, to block out heat radiated from a reactor. As a machine chamber of the outdoor unit is closed by the box, an electromagnetic sound emitted from the reactor is blocked out.
In the technique disclosed by Patent Literature 1, however, a space in the machine chamber that is below the electrical substrate is completely closed by the box. Such a situation causes a problem in that a space in the machine chamber is narrowed and limited. Moreover, the use of the box requires an increased amount of sheet metal, leading to another problem of cost increase.
The present disclosure is to solve the above problems and provides an outdoor unit intended for an air-conditioning apparatus, and an air-conditioning apparatus in each of which an electromagnetic sound of a reactor and an operating sound of a compressor are both reduced, the space in a machine chamber is not limited to be narrow, and a cost reduction is achieved.
An outdoor unit for an air-conditioning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a machine chamber, a compressor provided in and at a bottom of the machine chamber, a reactor provided in the machine chamber and higher than the compressor and configured to rectify an electric current to be supplied to the compressor, a peripheral soundproof material that extends as high as a position of the reactor and encloses the compressor, and an upper soundproof material that covers at least part of the reactor and is placed on the peripheral soundproof material.
An air-conditioning apparatus according to another embodiment of the present disclosure includes the above outdoor unit for an air-conditioning apparatus.
The outdoor unit for an air-conditioning apparatus and the air-conditioning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure each include the upper soundproof material that covers at least part of the reactor and is placed on the peripheral soundproof material. Therefore, the electromagnetic sound of the reactor and the operating sound of the compressor are both reduced, the space in the machine chamber is not limited to be narrow, and a cost reduction is achieved.
Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same reference signs denote the same or equivalent elements, which applies to the entirety of this specification. In sectional views, some of the elements are not hatched, considering visibility. The forms of the elements described in the entirety of this specification are only exemplary and are not limited to the described forms.
The outdoor unit 101 includes a compressor 105, a four-way valve 106, an outdoor heat exchanger 107, and an expansion valve 108.
The compressor 105 compresses refrigerant suctioned into the compressor 105 and discharges the refrigerant. The operating frequency of the compressor 105 may be changed arbitrarily by using a device such as an inverter circuit so that the amount of refrigerant to be discharged from the compressor 105 per unit time is allowed to be changed.
The four-way valve 106 is a valve that changes the flow of the refrigerant between, for example, a flow for a cooling operation and a flow for a heating operation.
The outdoor heat exchanger 107 exchanges heat between the refrigerant and outdoor air. In the cooling operation, the outdoor heat exchanger 107 is used as a condenser and condenses the refrigerant into liquid. In the heating operation, the outdoor heat exchanger 107 is used as an evaporator and evaporates the refrigerant into gas.
The expansion valve 108 is a flow control valve and decompresses the refrigerant to expand the refrigerant. When the expansion valve 108 is a device such as an electronic expansion valve, the opening degree of the expansion valve 108 is adjustable in accordance with an instruction issued by a device such as a controller, which is not illustrated.
The indoor unit 102 includes an indoor heat exchanger 109. The indoor heat exchanger 109 exchanges heat between, for example, air to be conditioned and the refrigerant. In the cooling operation, the indoor heat exchanger 109 is used as an evaporator and evaporates the refrigerant into gas. In the heating operation, the indoor heat exchanger 109 is used as a condenser and condenses the refrigerant into liquid.
The air-conditioning apparatus 100 is thus configured to perform the cooling operation and the heating operation by changing the flow of the refrigerant at the four-way valve 106 included in the outdoor unit 101.
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The compressor 105 is placed on the base 3 at the bottom of the machine chamber 9. The refrigerant that flows into the machine chamber 9 through the gas refrigerant pipe 103 or the liquid refrigerant pipe 104 flows through the suction muffler 12 and the pipe 11 into the compressor 105. The refrigerant is compressed by the compressor 105, flows through a discharge port of the pipe 11, and is sent to either the outdoor heat exchanger 107 or the indoor heat exchanger 109.
The electrical substrate 13 performs operations such as power supply to relevant components. The reactor 14 is fixed to the partition 10. The reactor 14 is positioned higher than the compressor 105. The reactor 14 rectifies an electric current to be supplied to the compressor 105. The reactor 14 has connecting terminals 14a projecting from the upper surface of the reactor 14 and to which wires extracted from the electrical substrate 13 are connected. The position of the reactor 14 only needs to be higher than or equal to the position of the compressor 105.
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The peripheral soundproof material 21 does not necessarily need to be made of a single sheet and may be made of a plurality of separate materials that are stacked on or joined to one another, for example. The peripheral soundproof material 21 may have projections and depressions, which increase sound absorbency, on the inner surface of the peripheral soundproof material 21. The material of the peripheral soundproof material 21 may be any of the following, for example: sound-absorbing, sound-reducing, and sound-blocking materials such as a sheet, a board, urethane, sponge, fabric, and glass wool, preferably with heat resistance. The peripheral soundproof material 21 only needs to reach the height where the reactor 14 is positioned.
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The upper soundproof material 22 has a cut 22a outlined around the connecting terminals 14a projecting from the upper surface of the reactor 14. The upper soundproof material 22 is placed such that the cut 22a is fitted around the connecting terminals 14a and the upper soundproof material 22 covers part of the upper surface of the reactor 14 and does not cover the connecting terminals 14a projecting from the upper surface of the reactor 14.
The upper soundproof material 22 only needs to cover at least part of the upper surface of the reactor 14. Alternatively, the upper soundproof material 22 only needs to cover at least part, such as the peripheral face, of the reactor 14.
The upper soundproof material 22 is made of a single sheet. At least a topmost layer of the upper soundproof material 22 is made of a rubber material. The upper soundproof material 22 is made of a material that is denser than the peripheral soundproof material 21.
The upper soundproof material 22 does not necessarily need to be made of a single sheet and may be made of a plurality of separate materials that are stacked on or joined to one another, for example. The upper soundproof material 22 may include a thick material used as a portion by which the reactor 14 is enclosed, with the other portion made of thin materials, for example. Furthermore, the upper soundproof material 22 may have a number of chips sprinkled on and pasted to the upper soundproof material 22 with pieces of tape or sheets. The upper soundproof material 22 may have projections and depressions, which increase sound absorbency, on the inner surface of the upper soundproof material 22. The material of the upper soundproof material 22 may be any of the following, for example: sound-absorbing, sound-reducing, and sound-blocking materials such as a sheet, a board, urethane, sponge, fabric, and glass wool, preferably with heat resistance. Regarding the material of the upper soundproof material 22, at least one of layers of the upper soundproof material 22 is preferably waterproof over the entirety face of the upper soundproof material 22 to prevent the entry of dew water. The upper soundproof material 22 may be integrated with the peripheral soundproof material 21 to form, for example, a sheet in which the upper soundproof material 22 and the peripheral soundproof material 21 are continuous with each other.
<Partition 10 to which Reactor 14 is Fixed>
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The cooling mechanism may be configured in another manner. The cooling mechanism may be a device such as a heat sink provided on a face of the partition 10 that faces the heat exchanger chamber 8.
First, the peripheral soundproof material 21 is placed such that the peripheral soundproof material 21 encloses the compressor 105. Subsequently, the upper soundproof material 22 is placed over the compressor 105, which is enclosed by the peripheral soundproof material 21, and part of the reactor 14.
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The tips of the connecting terminals 14a of the reactor 14 may be bent toward the upper side U and made to project from the through holes 22b.
According to Embodiment 1, the outdoor unit 101 for the air-conditioning apparatus 100 includes the machine chamber 9. The outdoor unit 101 for the air-conditioning apparatus 100 includes the compressor 105 provided in and at the bottom of the machine chamber 9. The outdoor unit 101 for the air-conditioning apparatus 100 includes the reactor 14 provided in the machine chamber 9 and higher than or equal to the compressor 105 and configured to rectify an electric current to be supplied to the compressor 105. The outdoor unit 101 for the air-conditioning apparatus 100 includes the peripheral soundproof material 21 that extends as high as the position of the reactor 14 and encloses the compressor 105. The outdoor unit 101 for the air-conditioning apparatus 100 includes the upper soundproof material 22 that covers at least part of the reactor 14 and is placed on the peripheral soundproof material 21.
In such a case, the peripheral soundproof material 21 extends as high as the position of the reactor 14 and encloses the compressor 105. Furthermore, the upper soundproof material 22 covers at least part of the reactor 14 and is placed on the peripheral soundproof material 21. That is, at least part of the reactor 14 and the compressor 105 are enclosed by the peripheral soundproof material 21 and the upper soundproof material 22. Therefore, the electromagnetic sound emitted from the reactor 14 and the operating sound emitted from the compressor 105 are both reduced. Furthermore, as there is no need to enclose the space below the electrical substrate 13 by a box made of sheet metal, that is, as no box is provided, the machine chamber 9 is not limited to be narrow. Moreover, as no box made of sheet metal is used, a cost reduction is achieved. Thus, the electromagnetic sound of the reactor 14 and the operating sound of the compressor 105 are both reduced, the space in the machine chamber 9 is not limited to be narrow, and a cost reduction is achieved.
According to Embodiment 1, the upper soundproof material 22 covers at least part of the upper surface of the reactor 14.
In such a case, at least part of the upper surface of the reactor 14 and the compressor 105 are enclosed by the peripheral soundproof material 21 and the upper soundproof material 22. Therefore, the electromagnetic sound emitted from the reactor 14 and the operating sound emitted from the compressor 105 are both reduced further. In addition, the heat radiated from the reactor 14 toward the electrical substrate 13 provided above the reactor 14 is reduced by the upper soundproof material 22.
According to Embodiment 1, the connecting terminals 14a to which the wires extracted from the electrical substrate 13 are connected project from the upper surface of the reactor 14. The upper soundproof material 22 has the cut 22a outlined around the connecting terminals 14a. The upper soundproof material 22 is placed such that the cut 22a is fitted around the connecting terminals 14a and the upper soundproof material 22 covers part of the upper surface of the reactor 14 and does not cover the connecting terminals 14a projecting from the upper surface of the reactor 14.
In such a case, the upper soundproof material 22 covers the portion of the upper surface of the reactor 14 and does not cover the connecting terminals 14a. Therefore, the electromagnetic sound emitted from the reactor 14 and the operating sound emitted from the compressor 105 are both reduced much further. In addition, the heat radiated from the reactor 14 toward the electrical substrate 13 provided above the reactor 14 is reduced further by the upper soundproof material 22.
According to Embodiment 1, the upper soundproof material 22 covers the entirety of the upper surface of the reactor 14.
In such a case, the upper soundproof material 22 covers the entirety of the upper surface of the reactor 14. Therefore, the electromagnetic sound emitted from the reactor 14 and the operating sound emitted from the compressor 105 are both blocked out. In addition, the heat radiated from the reactor 14 toward the electrical substrate 13 provided above the reactor 14 is blocked out by the upper soundproof material 22.
According to Embodiment 1, the peripheral soundproof material 21 has the upper end portions 21a that are at a uniform height and the other upper end portion that is at a height different from the uniform height. The other upper end portion is the portion where the reactor 14 is present. The upper soundproof material 22 is placed on the upper end portions 21a of the peripheral soundproof material 21 that are at the uniform height, and is not placed on the other upper end portion of the peripheral soundproof material 21 that is at a height different from the uniform height and where the reactor 14 is present.
In such a case, the upper soundproof material 22 is allowed to be placed stably on the peripheral soundproof material 21. Thus, the sound-blocking performance exerted by the peripheral soundproof material 21 and the upper soundproof material 22 is improved. Therefore, the electromagnetic sound emitted from the reactor 14 and the operating sound emitted from the compressor 105 are both reduced.
According to Embodiment 1, the outdoor unit 101 for the air-conditioning apparatus 100 includes the partition 10 that separates the inside of the outdoor unit 101 into the machine chamber 9 and the heat exchanger chamber 8. The reactor 14 is fixed to the partition 10.
In such a case, a process of setting the reactor 14 and laying wires related to the setting of the reactor 14 is done before the housing 1 of the outdoor unit 101 is covered, making the manufacturing of the outdoor unit 101 easy.
According to Embodiment 1, the partition 10 has the cooling holes 10a, used as the cooling mechanism, in the back face at the region in which the reactor 14 is fixed.
In such a case, the reactor 14 is cooled from the back through the cooling holes 10a. Therefore, even when the reactor 14 generates heat in the space enclosed by the peripheral soundproof material 21 and the upper soundproof material 22, the reactor 14 is cooled, preventing heat accumulation.
According to Embodiment 1, the cooling mechanism includes the cooling holes 10a provided in the back face at the region in which the reactor 14 is fixed, the cooling holes 10a each extending through the partition 10.
In such a case, the reactor 14 is cooled from the back through the cooling holes 10a provided in the partition 10. Therefore, even when the reactor 14 generates heat in the space enclosed by the peripheral soundproof material 21 and the upper soundproof material 22, the reactor 14 is cooled with a simple configuration, preventing heat accumulation.
According to Embodiment 1, the partition 10 extends in the direction of airflow A and is bent at the bent portion 10b, around the region in which the reactor 14 is fixed, such that the face of the partition 10 toward the machine chamber 9 projects and only the region in which the reactor 14 is fixed is flat as the flat portion 10c.
In such a case, the air flowing in the direction of airflow A for heat exchange in the outdoor unit 101 is easily blown to part of the reactor 14 at in the region in which the reactor 14 is fixed, that is, the bent portion 10b where the partition 10 is bent. Therefore, the reactor 14 is cooled efficiently by the air flowing in the outdoor unit 101. Furthermore, as the partition 10 includes the flat portion 10c only in the region in which the reactor 14 is fixed, the reactor 14 is allowed to be easily fixed to the partition 10.
According to Embodiment 1, the peripheral soundproof material 21 is made of a single sheet.
In such a case, the peripheral soundproof material 21 is made simple.
According to Embodiment 1, the peripheral soundproof material 21 includes the overlap 21e where the inner lateral end portion 21c and the outer lateral end portion 21d overlap each other at an area beside the compressor 105.
In such a case, as the inner lateral end portion 21c and the outer lateral end portion 21d of the peripheral soundproof material 21 overlap each other, the sound-blocking performance is improved.
According to Embodiment 1, the upper soundproof material 22 is made of a single sheet.
In such a case, the upper soundproof material 22 is made simple.
According to Embodiment 1, the upper soundproof material 22 includes at least one layer made of a rubber material.
In such a case, dew water forming in the machine chamber 9 is prevented from running down through the upper soundproof material 22. Therefore, the durability of mechanical components provided in the space enclosed by the peripheral soundproof material 21 and the upper soundproof material 22 is increased.
According to Embodiment 1, the upper soundproof material 22 is made of a material that is denser than the peripheral soundproof material 21.
In such a case, the sound-blocking performance and waterproof performance of the upper soundproof material 22 is improved.
According to Embodiment 1, the air-conditioning apparatus 100 includes the outdoor unit 101 for air-conditioning apparatus 100.
In such a case, in the air-conditioning apparatus 100 including the outdoor unit 101 for the air-conditioning apparatus 100, the electromagnetic sound of the reactor 14 and the operating sound of the compressor 105 are both reduced, the space in the machine chamber 9 is not limited to be narrow, and a cost reduction is achieved.
This application is a U.S. national stage application of International Application No. PCT/JP2019/008121, filed on Mar. 1, 2019, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/JP2019/008121 | 3/1/2019 | WO | 00 |