OUTDOOR MACHINE AND AIR CONDITIONER

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001]Embodiments of the present invention relate to an outdoor machine and an air conditioner.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002]An air conditioner is generally configured of an indoor machine installed indoors and an outdoor machine installed outdoors. A refrigerant circulates in a refrigeration circuit configured by connecting the indoor machine and the outdoor machine, and thus a temperature and a humidity in a room are adjusted.

[0003]A heat exchanger unit is disposed inside a housing of the outdoor machine, and performs heat exchange between the refrigerant circulating in the refrigeration circuit and outside air. Here, for example, in a heat pump type air conditioner, moisture in the outside air may adhere to the heat exchanger unit that functions as an evaporator during heating operation as frost. Since a heat exchange ability is degraded when the heating operation is performed in a state in which frost adheres to the heat exchanger unit, a frost removal operation of removing frost adhered to the heat exchanger unit is performed.

[0004]When such a frost removal operation is performed, frost adhered to the heat exchanger unit melts and becomes drain water. The drain water is dropped from the heat exchanger unit to a bottom plate of the outdoor machine and is discharged from the bottom plate to the outside of the outdoor machine through a discharge port provided in the bottom plate.

[0005]However, in the outdoor machine used in a low outside air temperature such as a cold area, the drain water may be refrozen on the bottom plate before being discharged to the outside of the outdoor machine. When the drain water is refrozen in this way, ice may grow without discharging the drain water, and the air conditioner may not be able to operate due to the ice coming into contact with the fan or the like.

[0006]Therefore, in the outdoor machine of the air conditioner used at a low outside air temperature, a base heater is disposed on the bottom plate, and the bottom plate is warmed by energizing the base heater to generate heat, thereby preventing the drain water from being refrozen.

[0007]In the outdoor machine of such an air conditioner, it is desirable that the base heater is fixed in a state of coming into contact with an upper surface of the bottom plate to easily warm the bottom plate. Therefore, for example, a fixing tool as illustrated in a technology described in PTL 1, which is shown below, is used.

CITATION LIST

Patent Literature

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Technical Problem

[0009]In the outdoor machine of the air conditioner of PTL 1 described above, in order to prevent the base heater from being shifted from a predetermined position or lifted from the upper surface of the bottom plate when vibration or the like occurs due to operation or transportation of the outdoor machine, the base heater is fixed to the bottom plate by, for example, screwing. Such a method of fixing the base heater to the bottom plate is suitable for the purpose of preventing the base heater from being shifted or lifted, but may not be appropriate from the viewpoint of workability.

[0010]For example, in terms of the function of the base heater, the base heater is also provided at a position facing a service panel with various devices interposed therebetween, which are disposed on a back side of the outdoor machine as viewed from a front surface of the outdoor machine where the service panel is provided, that is, inside the housing of the outdoor machine.

[0011]Therefore, in a case in which work such as replacement or inspection of the base heater is performed, when a worker tries to access the base heater disposed on the back side of the outdoor machine, the worker needs to put his/her hand in the base heater from the service panel on the foreside.

[0012]However, various devices are often densely disposed inside the housing of the outdoor machine due to a relationship of the space. Therefore, when the worker tries to access the base heater disposed on the back side of the outdoor machine, various devices disposed in front of the base heater are in the way.

[0013]Moreover, in a case in which the base heater is, for example, screwed, the worker has to access the base heater while holding a bulky tool such as a screwdriver and then remove a screw fixing the base heater.

[0014]An object of the present invention is to provide an outdoor machine and an air conditioner including a fixing tool that is able to easily attach and detach a base heater while ensuring reliable fixing of the base heater to a bottom plate.

Solution to Problem

[0015]An outdoor machine according to an aspect of the present invention includes a housing surrounded by an openable and closable front plate, a rear plate facing the front plate, and a side plate connecting the front plate and the rear plate; a heat exchanger unit disposed on a side of the rear plate; a base heater disposed between the heat exchanger unit and a base constituting a bottom surface of the housing, and fixed to the base; and a fixing tool configured to fix the base heater to the base, in which the fixing tool includes a two-way fixing tool configured to, in a case in which the base heater is fixed to the base, in a periphery of the base heater, come into contact with an upper portion on a side opposite to a lower portion in a case in which a side coming into contact with the base is the lower portion and a back portion on the side of the rear plate in portions connecting the lower portion and the upper portion, and to fix the base heater to the base, and a three-way fixing tool configured to, in a case in which the base heater is fixed to the base, in the periphery of the base heater, come into contact with portions other than the lower portion, and to fix the base heater to the base.

[0016]Further, an air conditioner according to an aspect of the present invention includes an outdoor machine including a housing surrounded by an openable and closable front plate, a rear plate facing the front plate, and a side plate connecting the front plate and the rear plate, a heat exchanger unit disposed on a side of the rear plate, a base heater disposed between the heat exchanger unit and a base constituting a bottom surface of the housing, and fixed to the base, and a fixing tool configured to fix the base heater to the base, in which the fixing tool includes a two-way fixing tool configured to, in a case in which the base heater is fixed to the base, in a periphery of the base heater, come into contact with an upper portion on a side opposite to a lower portion in a case in which a side coming into contact with the base is the lower portion and a back portion on the side of the rear plate in portions connecting the lower portion and the upper portion, and to fix the base heater to the base, and a three-way fixing tool configured to, in a case in which the base heater is fixed to the base, in the periphery of the base heater, come into contact with portions other than the lower portion, and to fix the base heater to the base; and an indoor machine installed indoors and constituting a refrigeration circuit between the indoor machine and the outdoor machine.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

[0017]According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an outdoor machine and an air conditioner including a fixing tool capable of easily attaching and detaching a base heater while ensuring reliable fixing of the base heater to a bottom plate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0018]FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an entire outdoor machine of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019]FIG. 2 is a front view of the outdoor machine illustrating a state in which a service panel is removed to expose an electrical component box or the like in the outdoor machine according to the embodiment of the present invention;

[0020]FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating a state in which a base heater is attached to a bottom plate (base) of the outdoor machine according to the embodiment of the present invention;

[0021]FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the base heater is attached to the bottom plate (base) of the outdoor machine according to the embodiment of the present invention;

[0022]FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a two-way fixing tool by being enlarged according to the embodiment of the present invention;

[0023]FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating the base heater being fixed by the two-way fixing tool by being cut along a line M-M and enlarged in the plan view illustrated in FIG. 3;

[0024]FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating the base heater being fixed by a three-way fixing tool by being cut along a line N-N and enlarged in the plan view illustrated in FIG. 3;

[0025]FIG. 8 is an overall view illustrating an example of an entire jig used when attaching and detaching the base heater;

[0026]FIG. 9 is an enlarged view illustrating a front surface of the outdoor machine by being enlarged according to the embodiment of the present invention; and

[0027]FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram illustrating a configuration of an entire refrigeration circuit of the air conditioner including the outdoor machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0028]Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an entire outdoor machine 1 of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. In addition, FIG. 2 is a front view of the outdoor machine 1 illustrating a state in which a service panel 6 is removed to expose an electrical component box 10 or the like in the outdoor machine 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0029]As illustrated in FIG. 1, the outdoor machine 1 of the air conditioner has a large housing 2. When the outdoor machine 1 is installed on a horizontal plane, that is, in a case in which a vertical direction (Y direction indicating an up-down direction in the drawing) is referred to as a lengthwise direction and a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction (X direction indicating a right-left direction in the drawing) is referred to as a widthwise direction as in the outdoor machine 1 illustrated in FIG. 2, the housing 2 of the outdoor machine 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is formed such that a length in the lengthwise direction is longer than a width in the widthwise direction in an aspect ratio.

[0030]That is, regarding the outdoor machine described below, the outdoor machine 1 having the shape illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described as an example. However, for the outdoor machine 1, the size and shape (aspect ratio) can be freely set depending on the size and the number of various devices attached to the inside of the housing 2, in addition to the shape illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0031]In the following, as described above, a vertical direction will be referred to as the Y direction, and a horizontal direction will be referred to as the X direction for each direction of the up, down, left, and right. In addition, a front side of the drawing, that is, an outside of the outdoor machine 1 is appropriately referred to as the foreside, and an inside of the outdoor machine 1 on the opposite side is referred to as a back side. Further, a surface facing the front surface with various devices disposed inside the housing 2 interposed therebetween is a rear surface. Accordingly, a depth direction connecting the front surface and the rear surface is a Z direction.

[0032]An air intake port 3 for taking in air into the housing 2 is provided on a side surface of the housing 2. In addition, a heat exchanger unit 4 is disposed inside the housing 2 along the air intake port 3.

[0033]In the outdoor machine 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the heat exchanger unit 4 is formed by stacking heat exchangers having a C-shape as seen from above in two stages, and is disposed along an inner peripheral surface of the housing 2. A configuration of the heat exchanger unit 4 in the outdoor machine 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention may be optional, and the shape and configuration thereof may be optionally selected according to the specifications.

[0034]A fan 5 is disposed at an upper part of the housing 2, and an air outlet port O is formed such that the fan 5 is surrounded. That is, the outdoor machine 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is a so-called up-blowing outdoor machine.

[0035]Accordingly, in the outdoor machine 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the air sucked in from the air intake port 3 into the inside of the housing 2 through the heat exchanger unit 4 is discharged from the air outlet port O provided at the upper part of the housing 2 via the fan 5.

[0036]The air intake port 3 is formed in three side surfaces of the four side surfaces of the housing 2. The service panels 6 and 6 that are opened and closed when performing maintenance of equipment such as a compressor, electrical components, and the like disposed inside the housing 2 are provided on the remaining one side surface.

[0037]As illustrated in FIG. 1, in the case of the outdoor machine 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the service panels 6 and 6 are formed of metal plates and are divided into two parts up and down with respect to the housing 2. In addition, for example, each of the service panels 6 and 6 is screwed to the housing 2 such that each of the service panels 6 and 6 cannot be removed from the housing 2 unless necessary.

[0038]As illustrated in FIG. 2, when the service panel 6 on the upper part side is removed, the electrical component box 10 that is inside the housing 2 and is disposed behind the service panel 6 appears. The electrical component box 10 houses electrical components therein.

[0039]Then, when the service panel 6 on the lower part side illustrated in FIG. 2 is opened, a compressor 71 or a refrigeration circuit unit 7 including pipes thereof and the like disposed inside the housing 2 appears. In the present invention, a specific configuration of the refrigeration circuit unit 7 is optional, and the configurations thereof can be freely configured according to specifications as long as the refrigeration circuit unit 7 is used as a refrigeration circuit for the air conditioner.

[0040]In addition, the refrigeration circuit unit 7 is placed on a bottom plate B (hereinafter, this bottom plate is referred to as a “base”) constituting a bottom surface of the housing 2, and is fixed to the base B by screwing or the like as appropriate. The base B constitutes a bottom portion of the housing 2.

[0041]Here, FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating a state in which a base heater BH is attached to the base B in the outdoor machine 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. In addition, FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the base heater BH is attached to the base B in the outdoor machine 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0042]In the base B according to the embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in FIG. 3, a lower side of the drawing is a front side on which the service panels 6 and 6 described above are provided. In addition, a side facing the front side with the various devices disposed on the base B interposed therebetween, that is, an upper side in the drawing corresponds to a rear side.

[0043]In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 1, in the housing 2, a front plate and a rear plate are connected by side plates, and a periphery of the base B is formed in the same shape as an outer shape of the housing 2. Therefore, in the outdoor machine 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the base B has a substantially quadrangular shape in which a lower right corner portion in FIG. 3 is cut out.

[0044]In the following description, in a case in which the base B is viewed as illustrated in FIG. 3, the lower side is referred to as a front side, a side facing the front side is referred to as a rear side, a side illustrated on the left side of the drawing is referred to as a left side, and an opposite side thereof is referred to as a right side, as appropriate.

[0045]Further, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the periphery of the base B is slightly raised in the Y direction, for example, such that the service panel 6 can be screwed. In addition, on an X-Z plane of the base B, for example, holes for fastening screws used for fixing the refrigeration circuit unit 7 placed on the base B and discharge ports for discharging drain water are provided.

[0046]The shape of the base B is not limited to the above-described shape, and any shape may be employed. In addition, each device placed on the base B and housed inside the housing 2 may be disposed in any manner, and the shape of the base B on the X-Z plane and the screw fastening hole or the like are determined in accordance with the disposition.

[0047]The base heater BH is used to warm the base B in order to prevent the drain water that has accumulated in the base B from being refrozen before being discharged. Therefore, the base heater BH is disposed between the heat exchanger unit 4 and the base B, and in the vicinity of the heat exchanger unit 4.

[0048]As described above, in the outdoor machine 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the heat exchanger unit 4 is disposed on the rear side and the two side surface sides inside the housing 2 excluding the front surface of the housing 2. Therefore, the base heater BH is also disposed on the base B in the vicinity of the heat exchanger unit 4 in accordance with the disposition of the heat exchanger unit 4.

[0049]Specifically, in the outdoor machine 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the base heater BH extends from the vicinity of substantially a center on the left side as viewed from the front surface toward the Z direction side (back side), extends therefrom toward the right side in the X direction along the rear surface, and extends to the Z direction side (foreside) on the right side as illustrated in FIG. 3, for example.

[0050]As illustrated in FIG. 4, both ends of the base heater BH extend from the base B to the Y direction side (upper side) and are connected to other devices (not illustrated). In addition, in the base heater BH according to the embodiment of the present invention, a thermostat S is connected to the vicinity of an end portion on the right side.

[0051]In FIGS. 3 and 4, the base heater BH is distinguished from the base B by applying a dot pattern to the base heater BH. In addition, the same applies to a fixing tool 8 of the base heater BH, which will be described later, in which a dot pattern different from the dot pattern of the base heater BH is applied.

[0052]As described above, the base heater BH is routed on the base B, but the base heater BH is fixed to the base B by a plurality of the fixing tools 8. The fixing tool 8 fixes the base heater BH to the base B and prevents occurrence of vibration caused by the base heater BH not being appropriately fixed.

[0053]As the fixing tool 8 according to the embodiment of the present invention, two types of fixing tools of a two-way fixing tool 81 and a three-way fixing tool 82 are used. In addition, the three-way fixing tool 82 is divided into a first three-way fixing tool 821 and a second three-way fixing tool 822 due to a difference in shape. When the two-way fixing tool 81 and the three-way fixing tool 82 are collectively represented, the two-way fixing tool 81 and the three-way fixing tool 82 are represented as the “fixing tool 8” as before. In addition, when the first three-way fixing tool 821 and the second three-way fixing tool 822 are collectively represented, the first three-way fixing tool 821 and the second three-way fixing tool 822 are represented as the “three-way fixing tool 82”.

[0054]As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the two-way fixing tool 81 is attached to the back side and/or the rear side of the housing 2 as viewed from the front side, and is used to fix a portion of the base heater BH that is disposed on the rear side. On the other hand, the three-way fixing tool 82 is attached to the left side or the right side of the base B illustrated in FIG. 3. More specifically, the first three-way fixing tool 821 is attached to the left side, and the second three-way fixing tool 822 is attached to the right side.

[0055]First, the two-way fixing tool 81 will be described. The two-way fixing tool 81 itself is fixed to the base B by screwing or the like. However, the two-way fixing tool 81 is formed in a so-called clip type such that the base heater BH can be freely attached to and detached from the two-way fixing tool 81 in a case of fixing the base heater BH.

[0056]Here, in a case in which the base heater BH is fixed by the two-way fixing tool 81, a side coming into contact with the base B is referred to as a lower portion, and a side opposite to the lower portion is referred to as an upper portion in a periphery of the base heater BH. In addition, a foreside of a portion connecting the lower portion and the upper portion to each other on the front plate side is referred to as a foreside portion, and a back side of the portion on the rear plate side is referred to as a back portion. The two-way fixing tool 81 according to the embodiment of the present invention comes into contact with the upper portion and the back portion of the base heater BH, and fixes the base heater BH to the base B.

[0057]FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating the two-way fixing tool 81 by being enlarged according to the embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 5, the back side (right side in the drawing) is the rear side of the housing 2, and the foreside (left side in the drawing) is the front side of the base B (housing 2). In a case in which the two-way fixing tool 81 is fixed to the base B, a screw hole 81a through which a screw used when the two-way fixing tool 81 is fixed to the base B is inserted is provided in a portion disposed on the rear side of the housing 2.

[0058]On the other hand, in a case in which the two-way fixing tool 81 is fixed to the base B, a portion disposed on the front side of the housing 2 is an open end 81b such that the base heater BH can be mounted when the base heater BH is fixed to the base B. Therefore, in a case in which the base heater BH is mounted, the base heater BH can be fitted to the two-way fixing tool 81 and fixed to the base B by simply moving the base heater BH in the Z direction from the front side of the housing 2 toward the rear side.

[0059]That is, when the base heater BH is fixed to the two-way fixing tool 81, the back portion of the base heater BH comes into contact with the open end 81b by pushing the base heater BH from the foreside toward the back side of the housing 2. As the base heater BH is further pushed, the open end 81b moves toward the upper part in the Y direction. Then, the base heater BH is fixed to the base B by the two-way fixing tool 81 by moving the open end 81b such that the open end 81b passes over the base heater BH.

[0060]Accordingly, a distance in the Y direction from the base B to the open end 81b in the two-way fixing tool 81 in a state in which the base heater BH is attached but not fixed to the base B is shorter than a distance from the contact surface of the base heater BH with the base B to the surface in contact with the open end 81b when the base heater BH is fixed to the two-way fixing tool 81.

[0061]Here, a state in which the base heater BH is fixed to the base B by using the two-way fixing tool 81 will be further described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating the base heater BH being fixed by the two-way fixing tool 81 by being cut along a line M-M and enlarged in the plan view illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0062]In FIG. 6, the right side is the back side of the housing 2, and the left side is the front side of the housing 2. On the back side of the housing 2, the two-way fixing tool 81 is fixed to the base B by a screw via the screw hole 81a (not illustrated).

[0063]Then, the base heater BH is fixed to the base B by the two-way fixing tool 81. In FIG. 6, a cross section of the base heater BH is visible, but a side facing and coming into contact with the base B when being fixed to the two-way fixing tool 81 is referred to as a lower portion BH1. Then, a portion on a side opposite to the lower portion BH1 in the up-down direction is referred to as an upper portion BH2 of the base heater BH, a portion on the front plate side among portions connecting the upper portion BH2 and the lower portion BH1 is referred to as a foreside portion BH3, and a portion on the back side is referred to as a back portion BH4. That is, for the foreside portion BH3 and the back portion BH4, for example, a foreside in a depth direction that is a direction orthogonal to the up-down direction connecting the upper portion BH2 and the lower portion BH1, and that connects the front plate and the rear plate is referred to as the foreside portion BH3, and a back side is referred to as the back portion BH4.

[0064]The two-way fixing tool 81 comes into contact with two portions in the periphery of the base heater BH excluding the lower portion BH1 and the foreside portion BH3 to fix the base heater BH to the base B. More specifically, the two-way fixing tool 81 presses the upper portion BH2 of the base heater BH and restricts the movement of the back portion BH4 to the back side.

[0065]That is, in a case in which the base heater BH is fixed to the two-way fixing tool 81, the lower portion BH1 of the base heater BH comes into contact with the base B. In addition, when the base heater BH is mounted on the two-way fixing tool 81, the foreside portion BH3 facing the front side of the housing 2 is disposed on the open end 81b side of the two-way fixing tool 81. Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the lower portion BH1 and the foreside portion BH3 of the base heater BH do not come into contact with the two-way fixing tool 81.

[0066]On the other hand, the back portion BH4 of the base heater BH, which moves from the front side to the back side of the housing 2 and is fitted to the two-way fixing tool 81 when being mounted, is fixed by the two-way fixing tool 81 by coming into contact with a portion that rises on the upper side in the Y direction from the screw hole 81a of the two-way fixing tool 81 to the open end 81b. That is, the back portion BH4 is restricted from moving in the Z direction by the two-way fixing tool 81.

[0067]In addition, the upper portion BH2 of the base heater BH also comes into contact with the two-way fixing tool 81 at the same time. That is, the two-way fixing tool 81 presses the upper portion BH2 of the base heater BH downward in the Y direction toward the base B. As described above, the two-way fixing tool 81 comes into contact with the upper portion BH2 and the back portion BH4 of the base heater BH to fix the base heater BH to the base B.

[0068]As a result, the base heater BH is fixed to the base B by the two-way fixing tool 81 only by pushing the base heater BH into the two-way fixing tool 81. In a case in which the base heater BH is fixed on the rear side of the base B in this way, the base heater BH is fixed by using the two-way fixing tool 81 instead of the three-way fixing tool 82. Therefore, it is not necessary to screw the base heater BH to the base B when the base heater BH is fixed.

[0069]In addition, since the base heater BH is not screwed to the base B by the two-way fixing tool 81 in this way, in a case in which the base heater BH is detached, the base heater BH can be detached only by conversely moving the base heater BH from the rear side toward the front side (in the Z direction) of the housing 2.

[0070]On the other hand, when the base heater BH is fixed to the base B by using the three-way fixing tool 82, the three-way fixing tool 82 is disposed by covering from the upper side of the base heater BH and is screwed to the base B. That is, the base heater BH is fixed to the base B such that the base heater BH is sandwiched between the three-way fixing tool 82 and the base B.

[0071]The fixing of the base heater BH to the base B by using the three-way fixing tool 82 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating the base heater BH being fixed by the three-way fixing tool 82 by being cut along a line N-N and enlarged in the plan view illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0072]In addition, regarding the periphery of the base heater BH, similarly to the case in which the two-way fixing tool 81 is described with reference to FIG. 6, a side coming into contact with the base B is referred to as the lower portion BH1, and a side opposite to the lower portion BH1 in the upward direction is referred to as the upper portion BH2. However, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 7, the three-way fixing tool 82 fixes the base heater BH to the base B by fixing three directions other than the lower portion BH1 of the base heater BH. Therefore, in FIG. 7, the periphery other than the lower portion BH1 and the upper portion BH2 is not denoted by a reference numeral.

[0073]That is, the three-way fixing tool 82 is disposed such that the three-way fixing tool 82 covers the base heater BH downward in the Y direction from the upper portion BH2 toward the lower portion BH1 of the base heater BH. Therefore, in a case in which the base heater BH is fixed to the base B, the three-way fixing tool 82 covers three portions in the periphery of the base heater BH excluding the lower portion coming into contact with the base B. Then, the base heater BH is fixed to the base B such that the base heater BH is sandwiched between the three-way fixing tool 82 and the base B by fixing the three-way fixing tool 82 to the base B by screwing.

[0074]In the three-way fixing tool 82 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the first three-way fixing tool 821 is disposed on the left side of the base B. Then, the base heater BH is fixed at a position immediately before the base heater BH rises in the Y direction on one end side of the base heater BH and at a position immediately after the base heater BH changes the direction from the Z direction to the X direction.

[0075]On the other hand, the second three-way fixing tool 822 is disposed on the right side of the base B. Then, the base heater BH is fixed at a position immediately before the base heater BH rises in the Y direction on the other end side of the base heater BH.

[0076]As described above, in a case in which the two-way fixing tool 81 is used, the base heater BH can be fixed to the base B without using a fixing tool such as a screw. However, the access to the two-way fixing tool 81 disposed on the rear side of the base B is still difficult for the worker. Therefore, in a case in which the base heater BH is attached to and detached from the two-way fixing tool 81, a dedicated jig is used.

[0077]FIG. 8 is an overall view illustrating an example of an entire jig J used when the base heater BH is attached to and detached from the two-way fixing tool 81. The jig J is formed in a thin long plate shape, and is used by the worker holding one end portion of the jig J and inserting the jig J from the front side of the housing 2 toward the rear side. Therefore, the length of the jig J in a longitudinal direction illustrated in FIG. 8 is set to a length such that the other end portion of the jig J can reach the two-way fixing tool 81 when the worker holds one end portion of the jig J and inserts the jig J from the front side of the housing 2 to the rear side.

[0078]In addition, attachment/detachment portions J1 and J2 that abut against the base heater BH when the base heater BH is attached to and detached from the two-way fixing tool 81 are formed at both end portions of the jig J in the longitudinal direction. The attachment/detachment portion J1 is used when the base heater BH is fitted to the two-way fixing tool 81.

[0079]That is, when the worker fits the base heater BH to the two-way fixing tool 81, the worker brings the attachment/detachment portion J1 into contact with the foreside portion BH3 of the base heater BH. Therefore, the attachment/detachment portion J1 is provided with, for example, a pushing portion J11 formed in a substantially semicircular shape as illustrated in FIG. 8 such that the attachment/detachment portion J1 can come into contact with the base heater BH without being loose when coming into contact with the base heater BH.

[0080]Then, the worker holds the jig J on an attachment/detachment portion J2 side in a state in which the pushing portion J11 of the attachment/detachment portion J1 comes into contact with the foreside portion BH3 of the base heater BH illustrated in FIG. 6, and pushes the jig J from the front side to the rear side along the Z direction illustrated in FIG. 3 or FIG. 4. Accordingly, the back portion BH4 of the base heater BH is moved from the open end 81b side of the two-way fixing tool 81 to the screw hole 81a side, is fitted to the two-way fixing tool 81, and is fixed to the base B.

[0081]On the other hand, the attachment/detachment portion J2 is used when the base heater BH is detached from the two-way fixing tool 81. In a case in which the base heater BH is detached from the two-way fixing tool 81, unlike the case of being fitted, it is necessary to hook the jig J with the base heater BH located on the screw hole 81a side of the two-way fixing tool 81 and pull the jig J from the rear side to the front side of the base B. Therefore, the attachment/detachment portion J2 is formed in a hook shape unlike the attachment/detachment portion J1.

[0082]Then, the worker holds the attachment/detachment portion J1 side of the jig J in a state in which the attachment/detachment portion J2 is hooked on the side where the base heater BH is fitted, and pulls the jig J from the rear side illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 to the front side. Accordingly, the side on which the base heater BH is fitted is moved from the screw hole 81a side of the two-way fixing tool 81 to the open end 81b side, and is disengaged from the two-way fixing tool 81.

[0083]In this way, the worker holds the jig J and holds any one end of the jig J, and inserts and pushes or pulls the jig J from the front side of the base B to the rear side, thereby attaching and detaching the base heater BH to and from the two-way fixing tool 81. Therefore, the base B is provided with a space (passage P) into which the worker can insert the jig J sufficiently as described below.

[0084]Here, FIG. 9 is an enlarged view illustrating the front surface of the outdoor machine 1 by being enlarged according to the embodiment of the present invention. However, in FIG. 9, a lower part of the front surface of the housing 2 is mainly illustrated, and a part thereof is illustrated by being cut out in a state in which the service panel 6 on the lower side is closed.

[0085]The refrigeration circuit unit 7 is disposed on the back side of the service panel 6 at the lower part of the outdoor machine 1 as described above. The worker accesses the base heater BH installed on the rear side of the base B by inserting the jig J in the Z direction from the passage P formed in a region surrounded by a circular shape of a portion illustrated in a cutout.

[0086]Here, when the position where the jig J comes into contact with the base heater BH is a position too far from the two-way fixing tool 81, the base heater BH may be subjected to an excessive force when the base heater BH is pushed or pulled in the Z direction in a case in which the base heater BH is attached to and detached from the two-way fixing tool 81.

[0087]Therefore, the housing 2 is provided with the passage Pas a space in which the jig J can be inserted when attaching and detaching the base heater BH between the front side and the rear side. That is, the passage P is provided at a position where the base heater BH can be fixed to the two-way fixing tool 81 by using the jig J.

[0088]In the jig J illustrated in FIG. 8, a so-called body portion that connects the respective end portions where the attachment/detachment portions J1 and J2 are formed is formed in a linear shape. However, depending on the disposition position of the refrigeration circuit unit 7, for example, which is disposed on the base B, the shape of the body portion may not be necessarily formed in the linear shape.

[0089]Next, an air conditioner A using the outdoor machine 1 described above will be described. The air conditioner A is configured of an indoor machine 20 installed indoors and the outdoor machine 1 installed outdoors, and adjusts a temperature and humidity indoors by circulating a refrigerant in a refrigeration circuit C configured by connecting the indoor machine 20 and the outdoor machine 1.

[0090]The outdoor machine 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is a large outdoor machine that can be connected to a plurality of indoor machines 20. However, the mechanism is the same even in a case in which the outdoor machine 1 and the indoor machine 20 are in a one-to-one relationship. Hereinafter, the air conditioner A will be described with reference to FIG. 10, and in FIG. 10, a case in which one indoor machine 20 is connected to one outdoor machine 1 is exemplified.

[0091]FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram illustrating a configuration of the entire refrigeration circuit C of the air conditioner A including the outdoor machine 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. As described above, the air conditioner A is configured of the outdoor machine 1 and the indoor machine 20 connected to the outdoor machine 1.

[0092]An indoor heat exchanger 21 that performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and indoor air is provided in the indoor machine 20 illustrated by a dotted line in FIG. 10. Although only the indoor heat exchanger 21 is illustrated, for example, an indoor fan that blows air subjected to heat exchange to the indoor space, a control device that controls the indoor machine 20, and the like, usually included in the indoor machine 20, are included in the indoor machine 20.

[0093]As described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the outdoor machine 1 illustrated by a broken line in FIG. 10 includes the refrigeration circuit unit 7. The compressor 71, the heat exchanger unit 4, and an expansion valve 72 are sequentially connected to the refrigeration circuit unit 7 by pipes.

[0094]In addition to the above-described devices, various valve mechanisms such as four-way valves, and devices such as accumulators are connected as devices constituting the refrigeration circuit unit 7, but these are not illustrated in FIG. 10. In addition, a control device that controls each device constituting the outdoor machine 1 is provided inside the electrical component box 10 described above, but is not illustrated similarly.

[0095]The outdoor machine 1 and the indoor machine 20 are connected to each other by a pipe through which the refrigerant flows, and the refrigeration circuit C is configured. That is, the pipe is connected such that the indoor heat exchanger 21 of the indoor machine 20 is provided between the compressor 71 and the expansion valve 72 of the outdoor machine 1, and the refrigerant flows in the order of the compressor 71, the indoor heat exchanger 21, and the expansion valve 72, or in the order of the expansion valve 72, the indoor heat exchanger 21, and the compressor 71.

[0096]Here, an operation of the air conditioner A using the refrigeration circuit C will be described by taking a cooling operation as an example. For example, in a case in which the air conditioner A is in the cooling operation, as illustrated by arrows in FIG. 10, the refrigerant circulates in the refrigeration circuit C in the order of the compressor 71, the heat exchanger unit 4, and the expansion valve 72, provided in the outdoor machine 1, the indoor heat exchanger 21 provided in the indoor machine 20, and the compressor 71 of the outdoor machine 1, again.

[0097]That is, the refrigerant compressed in the compressor 71 of the outdoor machine 1 and having a high temperature and a high pressure is supplied to the heat exchanger unit 4. In the heat exchanger unit 4, air (outside air) supplied by an outdoor fan (not illustrated) rotating and the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant are subjected to heat exchange, and the refrigerant radiates heat to the outside air. Then, a part or all of the refrigerant is condensed to be a low-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant.

[0098]The refrigerant having a low temperature and high pressure is depressurized by passing through the expansion valve 72 after leaving the heat exchanger unit 4. Thereafter, the refrigerant having a low temperature and a low pressure is supplied to the indoor heat exchanger 21, and heat exchange is performed between the refrigerant and surrounding air in the indoor heat exchanger 21.

[0099]By the heat exchange by the indoor heat exchanger 21, the refrigerant evaporates, the air sucked into the indoor heat exchanger 21 is cooled, and the indoor fan supplies the air to the indoors, whereby the indoors is cooled. Then, the low-pressure refrigerant that absorbs heat by the heat exchange returns to the compressor 71, and the refrigeration cycle described above is repeated.

[0100]On the other hand, in a heating operation, the refrigerant circulates inside the refrigeration circuit C in the order opposite to the arrows illustrated in FIG. 10, and the refrigerant is condensed in the indoor heat exchanger 21, and thereby indoor heating is performed.

[0101]By employing the configuration as described above, it is possible to provide the outdoor machine and the air conditioner including the fixing tool capable of easily attaching and detaching the base heater while ensuring reliable fixing of the base heater to the bottom plate.

[0102]In particular, in a case in which the fixing tool disposed on the rear side of the base (housing) among the fixing tools of the base heater is set as the two-way fixing tool of which the front side is open, the base heater can be easily attached and detached while being reliably fixed even on the rear side that is difficult for the worker to reach.

[0103]The embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments. Various modifications or improvements can be made in the embodiments, and such modifications and improvements can be encompassed by the present invention. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of components disclosed in the above-described embodiments.

[0104]For example, some components may be removed from all the components described in the embodiments. Furthermore, components of different embodiments may be appropriately combined, and an aspect in which such changes or improvements are made may also be included in the present invention. The embodiments and the modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

[0105]So far, the fixing tool 8 has been described on the premise that the outdoor machine 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes the housing 2 having a size illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4. Therefore, for example, in a case in which a base B is larger than the base B according to the embodiment of the present invention as the housing 2 becomes larger, the base heater BH is fixed to the base B by appropriately increasing the number of the two-way fixing tools 81 or the three-way fixing tools 82.

[0106]However, even in a case in which the number of the fixing tools 8 is increased, the two-way fixing tool 81 is disposed on the rear side of the base B. On the other hand, in a case in which a space for the worker to perform the fixing work of the base heater BH to the base B is secured on the rear side of the base B, the three-way fixing tool 82 may be used even on the rear side of the base B.

[0107]In addition, in the outdoor machine 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention described above, it is assumed that the base heater BH is fixed to the base B using the three-way fixing tool 82 on the left and right sides of the base B.

[0108]However, this does not mean that the two-way fixing tool 81 cannot be used on both side surfaces of the base B, and in some cases, the two-way fixing tool 81 can also be used instead of the three-way fixing tool 82 at these positions.

[0109]However, on the other hand, it is not appropriate to make all the fixing tools 8 the two-way fixing tool 81. As described above, since the other end side of the two-way fixing tool 81 is formed as the open end 81b, the base heater BH may be disengaged from the base B due to the vibration of the outdoor machine 1 or the like when making all of the fixing tools 8 the two-way fixing tool 81.

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