AIR CONDITIONER

Abstract

 The purpose of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner in which one side of a heat exchanger is rigidly supported by a resin bracket, wherein, by sufficiently maintaining the securing force between the heat exchanger and the resin bracket, separation of the heat exchanger due to physical shocks when the air conditioner is dropped during transport and the like can be prevented. Provided is an air conditioner in which at least one side section of a finned tube heat exchanger is rigidly supported via a resin bracket (8) disposed within a unit main body, wherein: the resin bracket (8) is provided with numerous long holes (13) in which hairpin sections of heat transfer tubes projecting from the side surface of the heat exchanger are inserted and supported; and designated long holes (13A-13E), selected from among the long holes (13), are each provided with a pair of latching hooks (16) that receive the hairpin sections of the heat exchanger by elastically deforming along both long sides during insertion and that latch to and support the hairpin sections from both sides.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioner in which a resin bracket is provided in a unit main body and at least one side portion of a heat exchanger is rigidly supported by the resin bracket.

Background Art

[0002] A wall-mounted air conditioner and the like have been known in the past. In the air conditioner, a bracket, which is integrally molded with a resin material so as to have a shape corresponding to the shape of the side surface of a finned tube heat exchanger, (hereinafter, referred to as a resin bracket) is rigidly installed on a base forming a unit main body and one side portion of the finned tube heat exchanger is rigidly supported by the resin bracket.

[0003] PTL 1 discloses an air conditioner. In this air conditioner, a plurality of insertion holes, which have the shape of a parallelogram and include standing walls provided therearound, are formed at a resin bracket, two sets of hairpin sections, which are disposed parallel to each other, are inserted into each insertion hole along two parallel sides, and latching hooks provided on the respective sides latch to the corresponding hairpin sections from one side and rigidly support one side portion of a heat exchanger.

[0004]  Further, PTL 2 discloses an air conditioner. In this air conditioner, one surface of a resin bracket is provided with grooves into which hairpin sections, which are arranged so as to form two parallel lines, can be inserted, the hairpin sections, which are arranged so as to form two parallel lines, are inserted into the grooves along outer walls and inner walls, a plurality of latching hooks provided along the outer walls latch to the corresponding hairpin sections from one side and rigidly support one side portion of a heat exchanger, and the shape of a tip of each latching hook latching to the inner peripheral side of the hairpin section is formed in the shape of an arc having substantially the same diameter as the inner peripheral side of the hairpin section.

Citation List

Patent Literature

[0005] 

[PTL 1] Japanese Patent No. 4042799

[PTL 2] Japanese Patent No. 5174530

Summary of Invention

Technical Problem

[0006] However, since the hairpin sections of the heat exchanger are inserted into the insertion holes or grooves of the resin bracket and elastically deformable latching hooks, which are provided along the insertion holes or the grooves, latch to the hairpin sections from one side and rigidly support the hairpin sections in the air conditioners disclosed in PTL 1 and PTL 2, there is no special problem during a normal operation, normal use, or transport but packaged air conditioners are often dropped during transport. In this case, there is a concern that the heat exchanger may be separated from the resin bracket due to physical shocks.

[0007]  In the past, measures for binding the heat exchanger and the resin bracket at a plurality of positions by tie-wrap bands or the like have been employed as measures for preventing the separation of the heat exchanger that is caused by physical shocks generated when the air conditioner is dropped during transport. However, there is a problem in that wasteful man-hours are required.

[0008] The invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the invention is to provide an air conditioner in which one side of a heat exchanger is rigidly supported by a resin bracket and which can prevent the separation of the heat exchanger, which is caused by physical shocks or the like generated when the air conditioner is dropped during transport, by sufficiently securing a fixing force between the heat exchanger and the resin bracket.

Solution to Problem

[0009] In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the air conditioner of the invention employs the following means.

[0010] That is, according to an aspect of the invention, there is provided an air conditioner in which a resin bracket is installed in a unit main body and at least one side portion of a finned tube heat exchanger is rigidly supported by the resin bracket. The resin bracket includes a plurality of long holes into which hairpin sections of heat transfer tubes protruding from a side surface of the heat exchanger are inserted and supported; and a pair of latching hooks, which receive the hairpin section of the heat exchanger while being elastically deformed during insertion of the hairpin section of the heat exchanger and latch to and support the hairpin section from both sides, are provided at a specific long hole, which is selected from the long holes, along both long side portions of the specific long hole.

[0011] In an air conditioner in which hairpin sections of a heat exchanger are inserted into a plurality of long holes of a resin bracket and the heat exchanger is rigidly supported in a unit main body, there is a concern that the heat exchanger may be separated from the resin bracket due to physical shocks or the like generated when the air conditioner is dropped during transport. For this reason, a plurality of portions of the air conditioner are bound by tie-wrap bands. However, according to the aspect of the invention, the resin bracket, which rigidly supports at least one side portion of the finned tube heat exchanger, is provided with the plurality of long holes into which hairpin sections of heat transfer tubes protruding from the side surface of the heat exchanger are inserted and supported; and the pair of latching hooks, which receive the hairpin section of the heat exchanger while being elastically deformed during insertion of the hairpin section of the heat exchanger and latch to and support the hairpin section from both sides, are provided at a specific long hole, which is selected from the long holes, along both long side portions of the specific long hole. Accordingly, since the hairpin section is latched and supported from both sides by the pair of latching hooks that are provided along both long side portions of the specific long hole selected from the plurality of long holes, it is possible to prevent the hairpin sections from being separated from the long holes and to support the heat exchanger by reliably securing a force for fixing the heat exchanger to the resin bracket even when the heat exchanger is moved in a lateral direction. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the separation of the heat exchanger, which is caused by physical shocks generated when the air conditioner is dropped during transport, and to reduce assembling man-hours by reducing the number of portions that are bound by tie-wrap bands. Further, since the pair of latching hooks, which latch to and support the hairpin section from both sides, are installed at only the selected specific long hole, it is possible to prevent an assembly force, which is required to assemble the heat exchanger while elastically deforming the pair of latching hooks, from excessively increasing and to ensure ease of assembly.

[0012] Furthermore, in the air conditioner according to the aspect, a standing wall may be provided along the circumference of the specific long hole, and slit-like cuts may be formed on both sides of each latching hook, so that the pair of latching hooks are formed using a part of the standing wall.

[0013] According to the aspect, the standing wall is provided along the circumference of the specific long hole and the slit-like cuts are formed on both sides of each latching hook, so that the pair of latching hooks are formed using a part of the standing wall. Accordingly, the pair of latching hooks, which are provided along both long side portions of the specific long hole, can be formed integrally with the standing wall, which is provided around the specific long hole and serves as the surface for supporting the hairpin section, so as to be elastically deformable by forming the respective slit-like cuts. Accordingly, it is possible to easily form the pair of latching hooks, which can receive the hairpin section while being elastically deformed, at the specific long hole.

[0014]  Moreover, in any one of the above-mentioned air conditioners, outer surfaces, which latch to and support the hairpin section, of the pair of latching hooks may be formed in the shape of a curved surface along the curvature of an inner peripheral side of the hairpin section.

[0015] According to the aspect, since the outer surfaces, which latch to and support the hairpin section, of the pair of latching hooks are formed in the shape of a curved surface along the curvature of an inner peripheral side of the hairpin section, the inner peripheral side of the hairpin section can be supported by the outer surfaces of the pair of latching hooks. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent deformation and damage of the hairpin section by preventing the concentration of stress when a load is applied to the hairpin section.

[0016] Further, in any one of the above-mentioned air conditioners, inner surfaces, which come into contact with the hairpin section when the hairpin section is inserted, of the pair of latching hooks may be formed in the shape of a curved surface along the curvature of an outer peripheral side of the hairpin section.

[0017] According to the aspect, the inner surfaces, which come into contact with the hairpin section when the hairpin section is inserted, of the pair of latching hooks are formed in the shape of a curved surface along the curvature of an outer peripheral side of the hairpin section. Accordingly, when the heat exchanger is assembled to the resin bracket, the hairpin section is inserted into the specific long hole, the outer peripheral side of the hairpin section comes into contact with the inner surfaces of the pair of latching hooks, and the hairpin section is pushed into the specific long hole while elastically deforming the pair of latching hooks so as to push and open the pair of latching hooks. However, the outer peripheral side of the hairpin section can come into surface contact with the inner surfaces of the pair of latching hooks in that case. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent deformation and damage of the hairpin section by preventing the concentration of stress when a pushing force is applied to the hairpin section.

[0018] In addition, in any one of the above-mentioned air conditioners, at least one protruding portion, which is used to horizontally place the resin bracket, may be integrally molded on a surface of the resin bracket opposite to a surface of the resin bracket into which the heat exchanger is inserted.

[0019] According to the aspect, at least one protruding portion, which is used to horizontally place the resin bracket, is integrally molded on a surface of the resin bracket opposite to a surface of the resin bracket into which the heat exchanger is inserted. Accordingly, when the heat exchanger is assembled to the resin bracket, the resin bracket can be horizontally placed and the hairpin sections of the heat exchanger can be inserted and pushed into the specific long hole and can be latched and supported by the latching hooks. Therefore, it is possible to easily and stably assemble the heat exchanger to the resin bracket.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

[0020] According to the invention, since a hairpin section is latched and supported from both sides by a pair of latching hooks that are provided along both long side portions of a specific long hole selected from a plurality of long holes, it is possible to prevent the hairpin section from being separated from the long hole and to support the heat exchanger by reliably securing a force for fixing the heat exchanger to the resin bracket even when the heat exchanger is moved in a lateral direction. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the separation of the heat exchanger, which is caused by physical shocks or the like generated when the air conditioner is dropped during transport, and to reduce assembling man-hours by reducing the number of portions that are bound by tie-wrap bands. Further, since the pair of latching hooks, which latch to and support the hairpin section from both sides, are installed at only the selected specific long hole, it is possible to prevent an assembly force, which is required to assemble the heat exchanger while elastically deforming the pair of latching hooks, from excessively increasing and to ensure ease of assembly.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0021] 

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a heat exchanger is mounted on an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the heat exchanger and a resin bracket are assembled to each other.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the resin bracket.

Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to the cross-section taken along line A-A of Fig. 3 in a state in which the heat exchanger and the resin bracket are assembled to each other.

Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to the cross-section taken along line B-B of Fig. 3 in a state in which the heat exchanger and the resin bracket are assembled to each other.

Fig. 6 is a view corresponding to the cross-section corresponding to Fig. 4 illustrating a state in which the heat exchanger is assembled to the resin bracket. Description of Embodiments

[0022] An embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 6.

[0023] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a heat exchanger is mounted on an air conditioner according to this embodiment, Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the heat exchanger and a resin bracket are assembled to each other, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the resin bracket.

[0024] The air conditioner 1 includes a base 3 that forms a unit main body 2. A heat exchanger 4, an outlet assembly 7, a blower fan (not shown), a control box, and the like are assembled to the base 3 and a front cover and a front panel, which form the unit main body 2, are assembled to the base 3 so as to cover an upper surface, left and right side surfaces, and a front surface thereof.

[0025] The heat exchanger 4 is formed of a finned tube heat exchanger having a structure in which a plurality of plate-like fins 6 are arranged on a plurality of heat transfer tubes 5, which are arranged at a predetermined pitch, at predetermined intervals. The heat exchanger 4 includes a front-side heat exchanger 4A and a back-side heat exchanger 4B that are disposed in an "A" shape and are integrated with each other, and is adapted to be assembled into the unit main body 2 by brackets 8 and 9 that are rigidly installed on both left and right sides of the base 3. The blower fan (not shown) is provided in the internal space of the heat exchanger 4, and one end side of the blower fan is rotatably supported on a bearing portion 10 of the base 3 by a bearing, and the other end side thereof is connected to an output shaft of a motor 11 assembled to the bracket 9. In this embodiment, a crossflow fan is used as the blower fan.

[0026] The outlet assembly 7 includes a wind passage-forming member including a stabilizer, a drain pan for the front-side heat exchanger 4A that is molded integrally with the wind passage-forming member, a flap and a louver that adjust a wind direction and are assembled to the wind passage-forming member, and a motor that rotates the flap and the louver. Further, the control box is assembled to the right end portion of the base 3, and receives operation signal from a remote control and controls the operation of the air conditioner.

[0027] The bracket 8, which rigidly supports one side portion of the heat exchanger 4, is a bracket that is integrally molded with a resin material, such as an ABS resin or a PP resin, (hereinafter, referred to as a resin bracket), and includes a fixing substrate 12 that has a predetermined thickness corresponding to the shape of the side surface of the heat exchanger 4. The surface of the fixing substrate 12 facing one side of the heat exchanger 4 is formed of a flat surface, and a plurality of long holes 13 into which a plurality of hairpin sections 5A of the heat transfer tubes 5 laterally protruding from the side surfaces of the heat exchanger 4 can be inserted are formed at the flat surface so as to correspond to the arrangement of the hairpin sections 5A.

[0028] A plurality of standing walls (rib walls) 14, which are used as surfaces for supporting the hairpin sections 5A or used to secure the stiffness and strength of the fixing substrate 12 and have a predetermined height, are molded integrally with the outer surface of the fixing substrate 12 (the side surface of the fixing substrate 12 opposite to the side where the heat exchanger is assembled) along the circumferences of the plurality of long holes 13 into which the hairpin sections 5A of the heat exchanger 4 are inserted or along the peripheral portion or the like of the fixing substrate 12.

[0029] The standing wall 14 is provided along the entire circumference of each of specific long holes 13 selected from the plurality of long holes 13, that is to say, three long holes 13A, 13B, and 13C corresponding to three hairpin sections 5A, which are arranged in a vertical direction, of the hairpin sections 5A of a middle line among the hairpin sections 5A of the front-side heat exchanger 4A, which are arranged so as to form three lines in a front-back direction, and two long holes 13D and 13E corresponding to two hairpin sections 5A, which are positioned on the lowermost side, of the hairpin sections 5A of two lines, which are positioned on the back side, among the hairpin sections 5A of the back-side heat exchanger 4B that are arranged so as to form three lines in the front-back direction. The standing wall 14 is provided along only one side of a long side portion of each of the other long holes 13.

[0030] Two slit-like cuts 15 are formed at predetermined intervals on each of portions, which are provided along both long side portions, of the standing wall 14, which is provided along the entire circumference of each of the specific long holes 13A to 13E. Accordingly, a pair of latching hooks 16, which are elastically deformable and face each other, are provided between the two pairs of slit-like cuts 15 of each of the long holes 13A to 13E. The pair of latching hooks 16, which are provided on both sides of each of the long holes 13A to 13E, latch to and support the hairpin section 5A of the heat exchanger 4, which is inserted into each of the long holes 13A to 13E, from both sides.

[0031] As shown in Figs. 4 to 6, outer surfaces 16A, which latch to and support the hairpin section 5A, of the pair of latching hooks 16, which are provided at each of the long holes 13A to 13E, are formed in the shape of a curved surface along the curvature of an inner peripheral side 5B of the hairpin section 5A. Further, when the hairpin section 5A is inserted and pushed into each of the long holes 13A to 13E and is latched and supported by the pair of latching hooks 16, inner surfaces 16B of the pair of latching hooks 16 with which an outer peripheral side 5C of the hairpin section 5A comes into contact are formed in the shape of a curved surface along the curvature of an outer peripheral side 5C of the hairpin section 5A.

[0032] Accordingly, the hairpin section 5A of the heat exchanger 4 is latched and supported by the curved surfaces, which are along the curvature of the inner peripheral side 5B of the hairpin section 5A, of the outer surfaces 16A of the pair of latching hooks 16. Furthermore, when the hairpin section 5A is inserted and pushed into each of the long holes 13A to 13E and is latched and supported by the pair of latching hooks 16 while the pair of latching hooks 16 are elastically deformed, the outer surface 16A of the hairpin section 5A can be pushed into the long hole while coming into surface contact with the inner surfaces 16B, which are formed of curved surfaces along the curvature of the outer peripheral side 5C of the hairpin section 5A, of the pair of latching hooks 16.

[0033]  Further, a latching hook 17, which latches to and supports the hairpin section 5A from only one side, is provided at the standing wall 14 that is provided along one side of the long side of each of the other long holes 13 except for the long holes 13A to 13E. Meanwhile, it goes without saying that the outer and inner surfaces of the latching hook 17 may be formed so as to have the same structure as the outer and inner surfaces 16A and 16B of the latching hook 16. Furthermore, fixing boss portions 18, which are used to fasten and fix the resin bracket 8 to the base 3 forming the unit main body 2 by screws or the like, are molded integrally with the resin bracket 8 at two upper and lower positions close to the rear end of the fixing substrate 12.

[0034] Moreover, at least one protruding portion 19, which is used to horizontally place the resin bracket 8, is molded integrally with the resin bracket 8 at a vertically intermediate position close to the front end of the fixing substrate 12; the resin bracket 8 is horizontally placed by the protruding portion 19 or the like so that the surface of the resin bracket 8 on which the standing wall 14, the latching hooks 16 and 17, the fixing boss portions 18, and the protruding portion 19 are provided faces downward; the hairpin sections 5A of the heat exchanger 4 are inserted into the long holes 13 and 13A to 13E; and the hairpin sections 5A are pushed into the long holes while the latching hooks are elastically deformed up to positions where the hairpin sections 5A are latched and supported by the latching hooks 16 and 17. Accordingly, the heat exchanger 4 and the resin bracket 8 can be integrally assembled to each other as shown in Fig. 2.

[0035]  According to this embodiment, the following effects are obtained from the structure having been described above.

[0036] When the fixing boss portions 18 and the like of the resin bracket 8 and the bracket 9, which are assembled to both left and right end portions of the heat exchanger 4, are fastened and fixed to the base 3, which forms the unit main body 2, at a plurality of portions, the heat exchanger 4 is assembled. Further, the resin bracket 8 is horizontally placed so that the surface of the fixing substrate 12 on which the standing walls 14, the latching hooks 16 and 17, the fixing boss portions 18, and the protruding portion 19 are provided faces downward; the hairpin sections 5A of the heat exchanger 4 are inserted and pushed into the long holes 13 and 13A to 13E; and the hairpin sections 5A are latched and supported by the latching hooks 16 and 17. Accordingly, the resin bracket 8 is integrally assembled to the heat exchanger 4.

[0037] When the heat exchanger 4 and the resin bracket 8 are assembled to each other, as shown in Fig. 6, the outer peripheral side 5C of the hairpin section 5A, which is inserted into each of the long holes 13A to 13E, comes into surface contact with the inner surfaces 16B of the pair of latching hooks 16 first as shown by a broken line and is pushed into each of the long holes 13A to 13E while elastically deforming the pair of latching hooks 16 so as to push and open the pair of latching hooks 16. Then, when the hairpin section 5A passes through the pair of latching hooks 16, and the latching hooks 16 elastically return to original positions, the inner peripheral side 5B of the hairpin section 5A is latched and supported by the outer surfaces 16A as shown by a solid line.

[0038]  As described above, the hairpin section 5A of the heat exchanger 4 is latched and supported at the position of each of the selected five specific long holes 13A to 13E from both sides by the pair of latching hooks 16 that are provided at the long side portion of each of the specific long holes, and the hairpin section 5A is latched and supported at the position of each of the other long holes 13 from one side by the latching hook 17 that is provided at one long side of each of the other long holes. Accordingly, it is possible to latch to and support the hairpin section 5A by reliably securing a fixing force with respect to the resin bracket 8.

[0039] Further, it is possible to assemble the heat exchanger 4 to the base 3 so as to sufficiently prevent the separation of the heat exchanger 4, which is caused by physical shocks or the like generated when the air conditioner is dropped during transport, by binding the hairpin section 5A and the resin bracket 8 with a tie-wrap band at one position close to the fixing boss portion 18 where the resin bracket 8 is fixed to the base 3, as necessary.

[0040] According to this embodiment, in this way, it is possible to reliably prevent the separation of the heat exchanger 4, which is caused by physical shocks generated when the air conditioner 1 is dropped during transport, and to reduce assembling man-hours by reducing the number of portions that are bound by tie-wrap bands. Further, since the latching hooks 16, which latch to and support the hairpin section 5A of the heat exchanger 4 from both sides, are installed at only the selected specific long holes 13A to 13E, it is possible to prevent an assembly force, which is required to assemble the heat exchanger 4 while elastically deforming the latching hooks 16, from excessively increasing and to ensure the easiness of assembly.

[0041] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the standing wall 14 is provided along the circumference of each of the long holes 13 and 13A to 13E and the slit-like cuts 15 are formed on both sides of each latching hook, so that the pair of latching hooks 16 are formed using a part of the standing wall 14. For this reason, the pair of latching hooks 16, which are provided along both long side portions of each of the long holes 13A to 13E, can be formed integrally with the standing wall 14, which is provided around each of the long holes 13A to 13E and serves as the surface for supporting the hairpin section 5A, so as to be elastically deformable by forming the respective slit-like cuts 15. Accordingly, it is possible to easily form the pair of latching hooks 16, which can receive the hairpin section 5A while being elastically deformed, at each of the long holes 13A to 13E.

[0042] Further, since the outer surfaces 16A, which latch to and support the hairpin section 5A, of the pair of latching hooks 16 are formed in the shape of a curved surface along the curvature of the inner peripheral side 5B of the hairpin section 5A, the inner peripheral side 5B of the hairpin section 5A can be supported by the outer surfaces 16A of the pair of latching hooks 16. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the deformation and damage of the hairpin section 5A by preventing the concentration of stress when a load is applied to the hairpin section 5A.

[0043] Furthermore, the inner surfaces 16B, which come into contact with the hairpin section 5A when the hairpin section 5A is inserted, of the pair of latching hooks 16 are formed in the shape of a curved surface along the curvature of the outer peripheral side 5C of the hairpin section 5A. For this reason, when the heat exchanger 4 is assembled to the resin bracket 8, the hairpin section 5A is inserted into each of the long holes 13A to 13E, the outer peripheral side 5C of the hairpin section 5A comes into contact with the inner surfaces 16B of the pair of latching hooks 16, and the hairpin section 5A is pushed into each of the long holes 13A to 13E while elastically deforming the pair of latching hooks 16 so as to push and open the pair of latching hooks 16. However, the outer peripheral side 5C of the hairpin section 5A can come into surface contact with the inner surfaces 16B of the pair of latching hooks 16 in that case. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the deformation and damage of the hairpin section 5A by preventing the concentration of stress when a pushing force is applied to the hairpin section 5A.

[0044] Moreover, in this embodiment, at least one protruding portion 19, which is used to horizontally place the resin bracket 8, is integrally molded on the surface of the resin bracket 8 opposite to the surface of the resin bracket 8 into which the heat exchanger 4 is inserted. Accordingly, when the heat exchanger 4 is assembled to the resin bracket 8, the resin bracket 8 can be horizontally placed and the hairpin sections 5A of the heat exchanger 4 can be inserted and pushed into the long holes 13 and 13A to 13E of the resin bracket 8 and can be latched and supported by the latching hooks 16 and 17. Therefore, it is possible to easily and stably assemble the heat exchanger 4 to the resin bracket 8.

[0045] Meanwhile, the invention is not limited to the embodiment and can be appropriately modified without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the number of specific long holes 13A to 13E where the pair of latching hooks 16 are provided is limited to five in the embodiment. However, it goes without saying that the number of specific long holes 13A to 13E is not limited to five, and the number of specific long holes 13A to 13E may be appropriately set according to the size of the heat exchanger 4, the number of the hairpin sections 5A, a pushing force that is required to assemble the resin bracket 8, a force that rigidly holds the heat exchanger 4 by the resin bracket 8, and the like.

[0046] Further, the shape of the heat exchanger 4 is also not limited to a shape in which the front-side heat exchanger 4A and the back-side heat exchanger 4B are disposed in an "A" shape as in the embodiment, and it goes without saying that various shapes can be employed as the shape of the heat exchanger 4. Accordingly, the shape of the resin bracket 8 is also modified into various shapes so as to correspond to the shape of the heat exchanger 4.

Reference Signs List

[0047] 

1:

air conditioner

2:

unit main body

3:

base

4:

heat exchanger

5:

heat transfer tube

5A:

hairpin section

5B:

inner peripheral side

5C:

outer peripheral side

8:

resin bracket

13:

long hole

13A, 13B, 13C, 13D, 13E:

specific long hole

14:

standing wall

15:

slit-like cut

16:

pair of latching hooks

16A:

outer surface

16B:

inner surface

19:

protruding portion

Claims

1. An air conditioner in which a resin bracket is installed in a unit main body and at least one side portion of a finned tube heat exchanger is rigidly supported by the resin bracket,
wherein the resin bracket includes a plurality of long holes into which hairpin sections of heat transfer tubes protruding from a side surface of the heat exchanger are inserted and supported, and
a pair of latching hooks, which receive the hairpin section of the heat exchanger while being elastically deformed during insertion of the hairpin section of the heat exchanger and latch to and support the hairpin section from both sides, are provided at a specific long hole, which is selected from the long holes, along both long side portions of the specific long hole.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1,
wherein a standing wall is provided along the circumference of the specific long hole, and
slit-like cuts are formed on both sides of each latching hook, so that the pair of latching hooks are formed using a part of the standing wall.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2,
wherein outer surfaces, which latch to and support the hairpin section, of the pair of latching hooks are formed in the shape of a curved surface along the curvature of an inner peripheral side of the hairpin section.

4. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
wherein inner surfaces, which come into contact with the hairpin section when the hairpin section is inserted, of the pair of latching hooks are formed in the shape of a curved surface along the curvature of an outer peripheral side of the hairpin section.

5. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
wherein at least one protruding portion, which is used to horizontally place the resin bracket, is integrally molded on a surface of the resin bracket opposite to a surface of the resin bracket into which the heat exchanger is inserted.

Drawing