Indoor unit of an air conditioner

Abstract

The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a heat exchanger, a housing, a fan, a cylindrical member, and a wind direction plate. The housing accommodates the heat exchanger and has an opening opposite to the heat exchanger. The fan generates an air flow for heat exchange by the heat exchanger. The wind direction plate adjusts the inclination of the air flow blown out from the blowout port. The cylindrical member has a blowout port for blowing the air flow into the indoor space, forms an air duct through which the air flow continuously passes from the opening side to the blowout port side, and has a pair of constricted portions that narrow the cross-sectional area of the blowout port side of the air duct from both sides in the transfer direction of the air duct compared to the cross-sectional area of the opening side.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to an indoor unit of an air conditioner. Background Art

[0002] Generally, an indoor unit of an air conditioner includes an air inlet, an air outlet, a heat exchanger, and a fan that generates an air flow from the inlet, through the heat exchanger, to the outlet.

[0003] The indoor space to be air-conditioned is adjusted to the most suitable temperature by the air flow (hereinafter referred to as the blown air) blown out from the outlet after temperature adjustment. To effectively adjust the temperature of the indoor space, it is preferable, for example, that the reach of the blown air is long and the air volume is large.

[0004] Prior Art Documents

[0005] Patent Documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: WO 2017 / 142026 Summary of the Invention

[0007] Technical Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0008] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an indoor unit of an air conditioner that can effectively balance extending the reach of the blown air and increasing the air volume.

[0009] Technical Means for Solving the Technical Problem

[0010] The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a heat exchanger, a housing, a fan, a cylindrical member, and a wind direction plate. The housing houses the heat exchanger and has an opening opposite to the heat exchanger. The fan generates an air flow of air that is heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger. The wind direction plate adjusts the inclination of the air flow blown out from the outlet. The cylindrical member has an outlet that blows the air flow into the indoor space, forms an air duct that allows the air flow to continuously pass from the opening side to the outlet side, and has a pair of constricted portions that narrow the cross-sectional area of the outlet side of the air duct compared to the cross-sectional area of the opening side, respectively, from both sides in the transfer direction of the air duct. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of an indoor unit according to an embodiment.

[0012] Figure 2 is along Figure 1 a schematic cross-sectional view of the indoor unit taken along line II-II in

[0013] Figure 3 is along Figure 1Schematic cross-sectional view of the indoor unit along line III-III in [].

[0014] Figure 4 Is a schematic perspective view of the indoor unit with the air outlet cover removed.

[0015] Figure 5 Is a schematic perspective view of the rotating unit. Detailed implementation mode

[0016] An implementation mode will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017] Figure 1 Is a schematic perspective view of the indoor unit 1 according to this implementation mode. The indoor unit 1 is connected to an outdoor unit including a compressor that compresses refrigerant and an outdoor heat exchanger etc. through a refrigerant pipe. An air conditioner with a refrigeration cycle is constituted by the indoor unit 1, the outdoor unit, the refrigerant pipe, etc. The air conditioner can switch between refrigeration operation and heating operation, for example. However, the air conditioner can also perform only refrigeration operation or heating operation.

[0018] In this implementation mode, as Figure 1 shown, the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are defined. These X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are orthogonal to each other. The Z direction is parallel to the vertical direction. In the following description, the Z direction is sometimes referred to as the upper direction, and the opposite direction is referred to as the lower direction.

[0019] The indoor unit 1 includes a housing 2 and an air outlet unit 4 having an air outlet 3 at the front end. The housing 2 includes a front panel 20, a front cover 21 disposed above the front panel 20, a back panel 22 opposite to the front panel 20 and the front cover 21, a pair of side panels 23, 24 opposite to each other, a bottom panel 25, and a top panel 26 opposite to the bottom panel 25. The indoor unit 1 can be provided with only one unit, or can be provided in a multi-stage stacked state in the Z direction by connecting the back panel 22 to, for example, a column of a building or a frame disposed along a wall surface. In addition, multiple indoor units 1 can be arranged in the X direction or can be provided at positions separated from each other.

[0020] The front panel 20, the front cover 21, and the back panel 22 are parallel to the X-Z plane defined by the X direction and the Z direction. The side panels 23, 24 are parallel to the Y-Z plane defined by the Y direction and the Z direction. The bottom panel 25 and the top panel 26 are parallel to the X-Y plane defined by the X direction and the Y direction. Figure 1 In the shown example, the housing 2 is a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape with a width in the Y direction being sufficiently small relative to the widths in the X direction and the Z direction. However, the shape of the housing 2 is not limited to this example.

[0021] The front cover 21 is disposed between the front panel 20 and the top panel 26 in the Z direction. The front cover 21 is attached to the front panel 20 by screws 211. In addition, for example, a pair of claw portions are provided on the back surface of the front cover 21, and these claw portions are hooked into the mounting holes provided in the side panels 23 and 24. In the above configuration, by removing the screws 211, the front cover 21 is detachable from the other parts of the housing 2. In addition, the configuration for making the front cover 21 detachable is not limited to the configuration illustrated here.

[0022] The air outlet unit 4 includes a cylindrical cover (hereinafter referred to as the air outlet cover) 40 whose front end tapers toward the air outlet 3. The air outlet cover 40 covers the outer peripheral surface sides of the first cylindrical member 92 and the second cylindrical member 31 described later, protects the structural members (such as the rectifying plate 94, the first cylindrical member 92, and the second cylindrical member 31 described later) of the air outlet unit 4 including the air outlet 3, and improves the design of the appearance. The air outlet cover 40 is attached to the front panel 20 at least by screws 41. Figure 1 In the illustrated example, a concave portion 42 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the air outlet cover 40, and the screws 41 pass through the through holes provided in the end surface on the housing 2 side of the concave portion 42. The outer contour line of the air outlet cover 40 is a curved line.

[0023] The air outlet unit 4 further includes a louver 5 provided at the air outlet 3. Figure 1 In the illustrated example, the louver 5 is composed of three rotatable wind direction plates 51, 52, and 53. The number of wind direction plates is not limited to three, and the louver 5 may also be composed of two or less or four or more wind direction plates. The wind direction plates 51, 52, and 53 can adjust the inclination of the air flow blown out from the air outlet 3.

[0024] Figures 2 to 4 shows a schematic structure of the in-vehicle unit 1. Figure 2 is along Figure 1 a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Figure 3 is along Figure 1 a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of the in-vehicle unit 1 with the air outlet cover 40 removed.

[0025] As Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, a heat exchanger 6 is disposed inside the housing 2. The heat exchanger 6 includes a plurality of heat conduction tubes 60 extending in the X direction and a plurality of fins 61 connected to the heat conduction tubes 60. As Figure 2 shown, the plurality of fins 61 have a long strip shape in the Z direction and are arranged at intervals in the X direction.

[0026] On the back panel 22, connection ports 62 and 63 for refrigerant pipes used to connect to the outdoor unit and a suction port 27 facing the heat exchanger 6 are provided. For example, the inlet of the flow path formed by each heat conduction pipe 60 is connected to the connection port 62, and the outlet of this flow path is connected to the connection port 63.

[0027] Below the heat exchanger 6, a drain pan 64 for receiving the condensed water generated by the heat exchanger 6 is arranged. The condensed water accumulated in the drain pan 64 is discharged to the outside of the housing 2 through a pipe (not shown).

[0028] Above the heat exchanger 6, a mounting plate 70 parallel to the X-Z plane is arranged. The mounting plate 70 faces the front cover 21 and the back panel 22. The lower end of the mounting plate 70 is connected to a partition plate 71 parallel to the X-Y plane. An insulating material 65 is arranged between the partition plate 71 and the heat exchanger 6. The mounting plate 70 and the partition plate 71 can be integrally formed by bending a single plate into an L shape, or they can be separate plates. A space S1 for housing the control unit 8 is formed by the mounting plate 70, the partition plate 71, the front cover 21, and the top panel 26.

[0029] The control unit 8 includes a control substrate 80 and various electronic components 81. The control substrate 80 is mounted on the mounting plate 70. Each electronic component 81 is mounted on one surface of the control substrate 80 facing the front cover 21. The control unit 8 is connected to a remote controller provided outside the indoor unit 1, a communication line for communicating with the outdoor unit and other indoor units, etc., and a power line. These communication lines and power lines extend to the outside of the indoor unit 1 through insertion ports provided on the back panel 22, for example.

[0030] The front panel 20 has an opening 29 that overlaps the heat exchanger 6 in the Y direction. Inside the air outlet cover 40, a fan 9 facing the heat exchanger 6 through the opening 29 is arranged. The fan 9 generates an air flow of the air whose temperature has been adjusted by heat exchange through the heat exchanger 6. The fan 9 is, for example, an axial flow fan, including a fan motor 90 and a plurality of blades 91 that rotate around the axis AX by the fan motor 90. In this embodiment, the axis AX is parallel to the Y direction.

[0031] The fan 9 is arranged inside a first cylindrical member 92 coaxial with the axis AX. The first cylindrical member 92 surrounds the opening 29 on the outside of the housing 2 and the inside of the air outlet cover 40. At least a part of the outer peripheral surface of the first cylindrical member 92 is covered with an insulating material 93.

[0032] The louver 5 is arranged at the end of a second cylindrical member 31 coaxial with the axis AX. The wind direction plates 51, 52, and 53 of the louver 5 rotate, for example, through a drive mechanism (hereinafter referred to as the louver drive mechanism) 33 including a motor 34. Among them, the wind direction plates 51, 52, and 53 can be rotated manually.

[0033] At least a part of the outer peripheral surface 31a of the second cylindrical member 31 is covered with a heat insulating material 32. The air outlet 3 corresponds to an opening on the front end side of the second cylindrical member 31. Figure 2 and Figure 3 In the illustrated example, the center of the air outlet 3 is located on the axis AX (the central axis of the air outlet 3 coincides with the axis AX).

[0034] As Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, a louver driving mechanism 33 is provided in the outer peripheral surface 31a (a recess 310 described later) of the second cylindrical member 31. The louver driving mechanism 33 includes gears or the like for changing the angles of the wind direction plates 51, 52, 53 by the driving force of the motor 34, and rotates the wind direction plates 51, 52, 53 to a specified inclination.

[0035] The louver 5, the second cylindrical member 31, the heat insulating material 32, the louver driving mechanism 33, and the motor 34 constitute a rotating unit 30. The rotating unit 30 is rotatably held about the axis AX by a holding mechanism 10.

[0036] Specifically, the holding mechanism 10 rotatably connects the second cylindrical member 31 to the first cylindrical member 92. The holding mechanism 10 includes, for example, an annular gear provided at an end portion (a base end portion 31b described later) of the second cylindrical member 31, and the gear is transmitted in the circumferential direction about the axis AX by the motor 11, thereby rotating the second cylindrical member 31 relative to the first cylindrical member 92. The second cylindrical member 31 can also be manually rotated. In this case, for example, three gears can be arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction about the axis AX and meshed with each other, thereby supporting the second cylindrical member 31 in a rotatable manner relative to the first cylindrical member 92.

[0037] The first cylindrical member 92 and the second cylindrical member 31 constitute an air duct AD. The air duct AD is a flow path through which the air that has undergone heat exchange (temperature adjustment) by the heat exchanger 6 becomes an air flow and passes through due to the rotation of the fan 9. The central axis of the air duct AD coincides with the axis AX. In the air duct AD, a rectifying plate 94 is disposed between the fan 9 and the louver 5. The rectifying plate 94 is supported by the first cylindrical member 92 and adjusts the turbulent air flow just generated by the fan 9 to be substantially parallel to the axis AX. The rectifying plate 94 has, for example, a honeycomb structure in which a plurality of hexagonal openings are arranged, but is not limited to this example. The first cylindrical member 92, the second cylindrical member 31, and the rectifying plate 94 are included in the structural members of the air outlet unit 4.

[0038] When the fan 9 rotates, an air flow is generated that sequentially passes through the suction port 27, the heat exchanger 6, the rectifying plate 94, and the blow-out port 3. During the cooling operation, the heat exchanger 6 functions as an evaporator, and the air sucked in from the suction port 27 is cooled. During the heating operation, the heat exchanger 6 functions as a condenser, and the air sucked in from the suction port 27 is heated. The temperature-adjusted air flow is rectified by the rectifying plate 94 and blown out from the blow-out port 3 into the indoor space in a direction corresponding to the angles of the wind-direction plates 51, 52, 53 of the louver 5.

[0039] The control unit 8 controls the rotational speed of the fan 9 based on information input from the outside, the suction temperature and the blow-out temperature detected by the temperature sensors provided in the indoor unit 1, etc. In addition, the control unit 8 controls the holding mechanism 10 and the louver 5 based on the set information of the wind direction input from the outside. The rotation unit 30 is rotated by the holding mechanism 10, and the angles of the wind-direction plates 51, 52, 53 of the louver 5 are changed, so that air can be blown in various directions.

[0040] Next, the structure of the second cylindrical member 31 that constitutes the air duct AD together with the first cylindrical member 92 will be described.

[0041] As Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, the first cylindrical member 92 corresponds to the upstream portion of the air duct AD and constitutes the air duct from the opening 29 of the front panel 20 to the rectifying plate 94 (hereinafter referred to as the first air duct AD1). In contrast, the second cylindrical member 31 corresponds to the downstream portion of the air duct AD and constitutes the air duct from the rectifying plate 94 to the blow-out port 3 (hereinafter referred to as the second air duct AD2). The first air duct AD1 and the second air duct AD2 communicate with each other via the rectifying plate 94. In the second air duct AD2, the air flow is deflected in a direction corresponding to the angles of the wind-direction plates 51, 52, 53 of the louver 5.

[0042] Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of the rotation unit 30. In Figure 5 it, the louver 5 and the second cylindrical member 31 among the elements provided in the rotation unit 30 are shown. In the example shown in Figure 5 , the wind-direction plates 51, 52, 53 of the louver 5 are in a state of being opened parallel to the axis AX.

[0043] The first air duct AD1 is configured as a straight cylindrical shape with almost a constant cross-sectional area in the X-Z plane (a plane perpendicular to the axis AX). That is, the cross-sectional area (opening area) on the opening 29 side of the first air duct AD1 is almost the same as the cross-sectional area on the rectifying plate 94 side. In contrast, the second air duct AD2 is configured as a tapered shape with a narrowed cross-sectional area (slowly changing) downstream in the X-Z plane. That is, the cross-sectional area on the blow-out port 3 side of the second air duct AD2 is smaller than the cross-sectional area on the rectifying plate 94 side, or more straightforwardly, smaller than the cross-sectional area of the first air duct AD1.

[0044] Therefore, as Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 5 shown, the base end portion 31b on the side of the rectifying plate 94 of the second cylindrical member 31 is a large-diameter portion, and the front end portion 31c on the side of the air outlet 3 is a small-diameter portion, and the intermediate portion 31d therebetween becomes a reduced-diameter portion whose inner diameter gradually decreases from the base end portion 31b to the front end portion 31c.

[0045] The base end portion 31b has a flange 311. The flange 311 is a flange located on the large-diameter side of the second cylindrical member 31 and forms a part of the holding mechanism 10. A plurality of engaging teeth 312 are formed around the entire outer peripheral edge of the flange 311. These plurality of engaging teeth 312 form an annular gear and engage with the engaging teeth (not shown) of the electric motor 11.

[0046] The front end portion 31c has a flange 313. The flange 313 is a flange located on the small-diameter side of the second cylindrical member 31 and extends in the diameter-expanding direction around the entire outer peripheral edge of the front end portion 31c. The outer diameter dimension of the flange 313 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter dimension of the front end portion 40a of the air outlet cover 40 so that there is no obstacle when the second cylindrical member 31 rotates relative to the first cylindrical member 92. Among them, the outer diameter dimension of the flange 313 is set so that there is no obvious gap between the flange 313 and the front end portion 40a of the air outlet cover 40 when looking at the indoor unit 1 from the front.

[0047] In addition, as Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 5 shown, the second cylindrical member 31 has a necking portion 31e that further reduces the cross-sectional area of the second air duct AD2. The necking portion 31e is a portion that protrudes from a part of the inner peripheral surface 31f of the second cylindrical member 31 into the second air duct AD2 and narrows the second air duct AD2 by an amount corresponding to the protruding amount. Through the necking portion 31e, the cross-sectional area on the side of the air outlet 3 of the second air duct AD2 is narrower than that on the side of the rectifying plate 94, that is, straightforwardly speaking, narrower than the cross-sectional area on the side of the opening 29. In the present embodiment, a pair of necking portions 31e are formed and arranged at positions symmetric with respect to the axis AX, so that the second air duct AD2 is narrowed in parallel from both sides in the transfer direction (radial direction). The axis AX corresponds to the central axis of the cross-section of the second air duct AD2 in the X-Z plane.

[0048] The shape of the pair of necking portions 31e is defined by a first side e1, a second side e2, a third side e3, a fourth side e4, a fifth side e5, and a sixth side e6.

[0049] The first side e1 is the side portion that linearly connects two points on the circumference defining the outline of the air outlet 3 when looking at the indoor unit 1 from the front. The first side e1 of the pair of constricted portions 31e becomes the linear portion of these constricted portions 31e. The second side e2 is the side portion that is parallel to the axis AX and joins the inner peripheral surface 31f from one end of the first side e1. The third side e3 is the side portion that is parallel to the axis AX and joins the inner peripheral surface 31f from the other end of the first side e1 and is parallel to the second side e2. The fourth side e4 is the side portion that connects the second side e2 and the third side e3 at the end opposite to the continuous end of the first side e1 and is parallel to the first side e1. The fifth side e5 is the side portion that is continuous along the inner peripheral surface 31f from one end of the fourth side e4. The sixth side e6 is the side portion that is continuous along the inner peripheral surface 31f from the other end of the fourth side e4.

[0050] The first to fourth sides e1 to e4 define a flat surface 315. In other words, the flat surface 315 includes the first to fourth sides e1 to e4. The flat surface 315 is a face portion that protrudes in a quadrilateral shape facing the second air duct AD2. In other words, it is a face portion that makes the outer peripheral surface 31a of the second cylindrical member 31 recess in a quadrilateral shape. The flat surface 315 is a pair of mounting surfaces 315a, 315b for mounting the wind direction plates 51, 52, 53. The mounting surfaces 315a, 315b face each other in a direction ( Figure 5 the X direction in the illustrated example) that intersects the arrangement direction of the wind direction plates 51, 52, 53. For example, the mounting surfaces 315a, 315b are planes having three mounting holes (not shown) arranged in the arrangement direction of the wind direction plates 51, 52, 53. The shaft portions 54 of the wind direction plates 51, 52, 53 are respectively inserted into the mounting holes. The shaft portions 54 are provided to protrude one each from the wind direction plates 51, 52, 53 to both sides in the X direction.

[0051] As described above, the louver drive mechanism 33 is provided on the outer peripheral surface 31a of the second cylindrical member 31 at a position corresponding to the constricted portion 31e. Specifically, the louver drive mechanism 33 is arranged on the outer peripheral surface 31a side of the constricted portion 31e, that is, the portion recessed from the outer peripheral surface 31a (hereinafter referred to as the recessed portion 310). That is, the constricted portion 31e is configured to have the recessed portion 310. In the present embodiment, the recessed portion 310 is the portion obtained by observing the constricted portion 31e protruding into the second air duct AD2 from the outer peripheral surface 31a side, and corresponds to the portion where the two substantially coincide in the second cylindrical member 31.

[0052] In Figure 4In the illustrated example, the louver drive mechanism 33 is disposed in the recess 310 on the back side of the mounting surface 315b. However, the louver drive mechanism 33 may also be disposed in the recess 310 on the back side of the mounting surface 315a. Additionally, only one of the pair of necked portions 31e may have the recess 310. In the case where one recess 310 is omitted, the necked portion 31e may be in a form in which the portion corresponding to the recess 310 is filled with the base material of the second cylindrical member 31. As Figure 3 shown, the heat insulating material 32 is interposed between the recess 310 and the louver drive mechanism 33.

[0053] A part of the flange 313 and the front surface 31s of the necked portion 31e are provided with protrusions 314 protruding forward. The front surface 31s of the necked portion 31e is the surface surrounded by the periphery of the air outlet 3 and the first side e1. The protrusions 314 are arranged to form a pair at positions point-symmetric with respect to the axis AX. However, the number of the protrusions 314 is not particularly limited. As Figure 1 、 Figures 3 to 5 shown in the example, it may be two, or more than three or only one. For example, the protrusions may be provided only on one of the pair of necked portions 31e.

[0054] The protrusion 314 is an input portion to which a force for rotating the second cylindrical member 31 is applied when the second cylindrical member 31 is manually rotated relative to the first cylindrical member 92, and functions as a handle. When rotating the second cylindrical member 31, the protrusion 314 can be pinched to rotate the second cylindrical member 31 in the circumferential direction by a desired amount about the axis AX. In Figure 1 、 Figures 3 to 5 the illustrated example, the protrusion 314 is in a form extending linearly along the radial direction of the air outlet 3, but is not limited to the illustrated form. For example, the form of the protrusion may also be columnar (sleeve), etc. Or, if the second cylindrical member 31 can be rotated, it may be a concave form such as a hole or a groove instead of a protrusion. In this case, fingers, jigs, etc. are hooked on these holes, grooves, etc. to rotate the second cylindrical member 31.

[0055] In addition, in the present embodiment, in the air outlet unit 4, at least the portion exposed to the atmosphere (external air) is formed of a crystalline resin. As an example, each member constituting the air outlet unit 4, specifically, the air outlet cover 40, the wind direction plates 51, 52, 53, the rectifying plate 94, the first cylindrical member 92, and the second cylindrical member 31 are all formed of a crystalline resin. As the crystalline resin, for example, polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), etc. can be applied, but are not limited to these examples. In addition, in addition to the above members, the blades 91 of the fan 9, the housing of the fan motor 90, etc. can also be formed of a crystalline resin. Alternatively, the base of each of these members can be formed of a material different from the crystalline resin, and the base can be coated with the crystalline resin.

[0056] According to the structure of the indoor unit 1 described above, after temperature adjustment, through the air duct AD, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the air volume of the air flow (hereinafter referred to as the blown air) blown out from the air outlet 3, and to increase the reach of the blown air.

[0057] That is, in the present embodiment, in the air duct AD, the first cylindrical member 92 constituting the first air duct AD1 is configured as a straight cylindrical shape with an almost constant cross-sectional area in the X-Z plane (a plane perpendicular to the axis AX). In contrast, the middle portion 31d of the second cylindrical member 31 constituting the second air duct AD2 is a reduced-diameter portion, and the cross-sectional area in the X-Z plane is configured to become narrower (slowly change) toward the downstream, in a shape with a tapered front end. Therefore, the cross-sectional area (opening area) on the opening 29 side of the first air duct AD1 can be set to a desired size to ensure the air volume of the blown air. At the same time, since the cross-sectional area on the air outlet 3 side of the second air duct AD2 communicating with the first air duct AD1 can be made smaller than the cross-sectional area of the first air duct AD1, the reach of the blown air can be extended.

[0058] In addition, the second cylindrical member 31 has a necking portion 31e that further reduces the cross-sectional area of the second air duct AD2 with a tapered front end, so that the reach of the blown air can be further extended. Thereby, it is possible to effectively balance the extension of the reach of the blown air and the increase in the air volume. Therefore, it is possible to effectively adjust the temperature of the indoor space to be air-conditioned.

[0059] In addition, by having the necking portion 31e, a recess 310 is formed in the second cylindrical member 31, and the louver drive mechanism 33 is arranged in the recess 310. Therefore, the recess 310 does not become a dead corner, and an appropriate arrangement space for the louver drive mechanism 33 can be ensured. Thereby, the louver drive mechanism 33 can be arranged without ensuring an excessive space between the outer peripheral surface 31a of the second cylindrical member 31 and the air outlet cover 40.

[0060] Furthermore, since the louver drive mechanism 33 does not protrude into the second air duct AD2, the louver drive mechanism 33 does not obstruct the ventilation of the blown air. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the louver drive mechanism 33 from affecting the reach distance and the air volume as the ventilation resistance of the blown air.

[0061] A protrusion (handle) 314 is provided on a part of the flange 313, and the handle 314 extends to the necking portion 31e. Therefore, it is possible to configure a large and easily operable handle 314 without separately providing a dedicated space for configuring the handle 314. Therefore, the second cylindrical member 31 can rotate smoothly, and the operability can be improved. As a result, not only can the inclination deviation generated by the louver drive mechanism 33 be changed, but also the circumferential position of the louver 5 (wind direction plates 51, 52, 53) centered on the axis AX can be changed, and the blown air can be blown out in the best direction to the indoor space to be air-conditioned.

[0062] In the present embodiment, the air outlet cover 40, the wind direction plates 51, 52, 53, the rectifying plate 94, the first cylindrical member 92, and the second cylindrical member 31 constituting the air outlet unit 4 are all formed of a crystalline resin. Each of these members is made of a crystalline resin such as polypropylene, for example, so it is easy to process and the mass productivity can be improved. In addition, since the crystalline resin has high tolerance to oil mist, coating solvents, etc., the air outlet unit 4 and even the indoor unit 1 can be used for a long time even in an environment where these components are contained in the atmosphere.

[0063] As described above, several embodiments of the present invention have been described, but these embodiments are presented only as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These new embodiments can be implemented in various other ways, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the scope of the claims and its equivalents.

[0064] Reference Numeral Explanation

[0065] 1 Indoor unit, 2 Housing, 3 Air outlet, 4 Air outlet unit, 5 Louver, 6 Heat exchanger, 8 Control unit, 9 Fan, 10 Holding mechanism, 30 Rotating unit, 31 Second cylindrical member, 31a Outer peripheral surface, 31b Base end portion, 31c Front end portion, 31d Intermediate portion, 31e Necked-down portion, 31f Inner peripheral surface, 31s Front surface, 310 Recess, 311 Flange, 312 Engaging teeth, 313 Flange, 314 Projection (handle), 315 Flat surface, 316a, 316b Mounting surface, 32 Heat insulating material, 33 Louver drive mechanism, 34 Electric motor, 40 Air outlet cover, 40a Front end portion, 51, 52, 53 Wind direction plates, 90 Fan motor, 91 Blades, 92 First cylindrical member, 94 Rectifying plate, AD Air duct, AD1 First air duct, AD2 Second air duct, AX Axis.

Claims

1. An indoor unit of an air conditioner, characterized in that, Comprising: A heat exchanger; A housing that houses the heat exchanger and has an opening opposite to the heat exchanger; A fan that generates an air flow for heat exchange in the heat exchanger; A cylindrical member having a blow-out port for blowing out the air flow into an indoor space and constituting a duct that allows the air flow to continuously pass from the opening side to the blow-out port side; A wind direction plate that adjusts the inclination of the air flow blown out from the blow-out port; And A drive mechanism that rotates the wind direction plate to a specified inclination; The cylindrical member includes: a first cylindrical member that constitutes a duct through which the air flow for heat exchange in the heat exchanger passes; And a second cylindrical member that, together with the first cylindrical member, constitutes the duct through which the air flow passes, has the blow-out port on the front end side in the direction in which the air flow passes, and rotates relative to the first cylindrical member; The second cylindrical member has a pair of constricted portions that narrow the cross-sectional area of the blow-out port side of the duct compared to the cross-sectional area of the opening side, respectively, from both sides in the transfer direction of the duct; At least one of the pair of constricted portions has a recess that departs from the outer peripheral surface of the second cylindrical member and projects into the duct; The drive mechanism is disposed in the recess.

2. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein The pair of constricted portions have linear portions that parallelly reduce the cross-sectional area of the blow-out port side of the duct from both sides in the transfer direction of the duct.

3. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein The pair of constricted portions have flat mounting surfaces on which the wind direction plate is mounted, and the mounting surfaces include the linear portions as one side.

4. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein It includes a holding mechanism that rotatably holds the second cylindrical member relative to the first cylindrical member about the central axis of the blow-out port, At least one of the pair of constricted portions has an input portion to which a force for rotating the second cylindrical member is applied.

5. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, Comprising: A cover that covers the outer peripheral surface sides of the first cylindrical member and the second cylindrical member; And A rectifying plate that rectifies the air flow, At least the portions of the first cylindrical member, the second cylindrical member, the wind direction plate, the rectifying plate, and the cover that are exposed to the atmosphere are formed of a crystalline resin.

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