Outdoor unit of an air conditioner

Abstract

An outdoor unit of an air conditioner which is partitioned into a fan chamber disposed with a fan and a machine chamber other than the fan chamber and in which a heat-emitting part is disposed includes a casing and a impermeable plate. The casing is disposed inside the fan chamber, is disposed with openings, and houses inside the heat-emitting part. The impermeable plate employs a structure where the impermeable plate is disposed in the casing between a position where the openings are disposed and a position where the heat-emitting part is housed, and through which it is more difficult for water to pass than air. Thus, the outdoor unit of the air conditioner is configured to improve the effect of cooling a heat-emitting part while preventing water from coming into contact with the heat-emitting part.

1 . An outdoor unit of an air conditioner the outdoor unit comprising: 
 a fan chamber having a fan disposed therein;    a machine chamber separated from the fan chamber;    a casing disposed inside the fan chamber, with the casing having at least one openings;    a heat-emitting part housed inside of the casing; and    an impermeable plate disposed in the casing between a position where the openings is disposed and a position where the heat-emitting part is housed, the impermeable plate being further configured and arranged to obstruct passage of water with more difficulty than for air to pass through the opening to the heat-emitting part.    
   
   
       2 . The outdoor unit according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the casing is disposed in an upper portion of the fan chamber.    
   
   
       3 . The outdoor unit according to  claim 1 , further comprising 
 an electrical parts unit disposed inside the machine chamber for disposing electrical parts other than the heat-emitting part.    
   
   
       4 . The outdoor unit according to  claim 3 , wherein 
 the casing is disposed inside the fan chamber at a side that is opposite from the machine chamber.    
   
   
       5 . The outdoor unit according to  claim 1 , further comprising 
 a fan base configured and arranged in the fan chamber with the fan supported on the fan base and the casing is attached to the fan base.    
   
   
       6 . The outdoor unit according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the impermeable plate includes a protruding portions that protrudes in a direction away from the heat-emitting part toward the openings in the casing, and    the protruding portions of the impermeable plate is arranged such a water-stopping holes is formed at a lower end of the protruding portion that allows a space in a vicinity of the heat-emitting part and a space in a vicinity of the openings of the casing to be communicated in a vertical direction.    
   
   
       7 . The outdoor unit according to  claim 6 , wherein 
 the openings in the casing is an intake ports that takes in air from outside of the casing to inside the casing, and    the casing further includes a discharge port that discharges air passing through the water-stopping holes in the impermeable plate to the outside of the casing.    
   
   
       8 . The outdoor unit according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the heat-emitting part is disposed at a position with a predetermined height from a bottom surface of the casing.    
   
   
       9 . The outdoor unit according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the heat-emitting part is a reactor that is configured to be used in an inverter circuit for conducting air-conditioning control.    
   
   
       10 . The outdoor unit according to  claim 2 , further comprising 
 an electrical parts unit disposed inside the machine chamber for disposing electrical parts other than the heat-emitting part.    
   
   
       11 . The outdoor unit according to  claim 10 , wherein 
 the casing is disposed inside the fan chamber at a side that is opposite from the machine chamber.    
   
   
       12 . The outdoor unit according to  claim 2 , wherein 
 the casing is disposed inside the fan chamber at a side that is opposite from the machine chamber.    
   
   
       13 . The outdoor unit according to  claim 2 , further comprising 
 a fan base configured and arranged in the fan chamber with the fan supported on the fan base and the casing attached to the fan base.    
   
   
       14 . The outdoor unit according to  claim 2 , wherein 
 the impermeable plate includes a protruding portion that protrudes in a direction away from the heat-emitting part toward the opening in the casing, and    the protruding portion of the impermeable plate is arranged such a water-stopping hole is formed at a lower end portion of the protruding portion that allows a space in a vicinity of the heat-emitting part and a space in a vicinity of the opening of the casing to be communicated in a vertical direction.    
   
   
       15 . The outdoor unit according to  claim 14 , wherein 
 the opening in the casing is an intake port that takes in air from outside of the casing to inside the casing, and    the casing further includes a discharge port that discharges air passing through the water-stopping holes in the impermeable plate to the outside of the casing.    
   
   
       16 . The outdoor unit according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the heat-emitting part is disposed at a position with a predetermined height from a bottom surface of the casing.    
   
   
       17 . The outdoor unit according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the heat-emitting part is a reactor that is configured to be used in an inverter circuit for conducting air-conditioning control.    
   
   
       18 . The outdoor unit according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the impermeable plate is a part of an internal casing having at least one additional impermeable plate, with the additional impermeable plate being disposed in the casing between a position where an additional opening is disposed and a position where the heat-emitting part is housed such that the additional impermeable plate is further configured and arranged to obstruct passage of water with more difficulty than for air to pass through the additional opening to the heat-emitting part.    
   
   
       19 . The outdoor unit according to  claim 18 , wherein 
 the impermeable plate and the additional impermeable plate each includes a protruding portion that protrudes in a direction away from the heat-emitting part toward the opening and the additional opening in the casing, respectively, and    the protruding portions of the impermeable plate and the additional impermeable plate are arranged such water-stopping holes are formed at lower end portions of the protruding portions that allow a space in a vicinity of the heat-emitting part and a space in a vicinity of the opening and the additional opening of the casing to be communicated in a vertical direction.    
   
   
       20 . The outdoor unit according to  claim 19 , wherein 
 the opening and the additional opening in the casing are intake ports that take in air from outside of the casing to inside the casing, and    the casing further includes a discharge port that discharges air passing through the water-stopping hole in the impermeable plate to the outside of the casing.