Air conditioning device

Abstract

To provide an air conditioning device that is compact and excellently silent while having high output.SOLUTION: An air conditioning device 100 comprises a plurality of fan units 2 each having a centrifugal fan 20 and a scroll casing 24. The fan units 2 are a first fan unit 2a and a second fan unit 2b arranged side by side in an air current direction in a main body, and the first fan unit 2a and second fan unit 2b have air discharge ports 31, 41 directed to a discharge port 12, and are so arranged that centrifugal fans 33, 43 rotate in opposite directions. Consequently, a flow path of air blown out of an upstream-side fan unit never becomes narrow because of a downstream-side fan unit even when fan units 2 are arranged side by side in the air flow direction, so an air blow path can be secured for the upstream-side fan, so that the air-conditioning device is compact and excellently silent.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioner that takes in indoor air through an air intake port by the rotation of a centrifugal fan and expels the air from an air outlet. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, many air conditioners have been proposed that use centrifugal fans as a blowing means for generating airflow. Centrifugal fans are characterized by being quieter than axial fans, and are therefore suitable for air conditioners used indoors, such as air purifiers, humidifiers, and dehumidifiers.

[0003] In recent years, there has been a demand for air conditioners that can be used in large spaces, and there is an increasing demand for high-output types with large airflow. However, when the diameter of the fan is increased or the fan speed is increased to increase the airflow, the noise generated also increases, and this causes a problem of loss of quietness. Therefore, there is a demand for a structure that allows operation at high output while suppressing noise generation.

[0004] As a solution to the above problems, a configuration that increases the number of fans has been proposed. Rather than increasing the output of a single fan, the desired output is obtained by combining multiple low-output fans. Since the noise levels of multiple fans are not additive, combining low-output fans ultimately results in lower noise levels.

[0005] Various examples have been presented regarding the arrangement of multiple fans. For example, in Patent Document 1, two fans are arranged in two tiers, one above the other, with the casings facing the same direction, and are offset in the depth direction to ensure an airflow path to the air outlet for each fan. In Patent Document 2, two fans are arranged in two tiers, one above the other, with the casings at different angles so that the air discharge directions do not overlap. By arranging two fans one above the other in this way, it is possible to reduce noise generation more than if a single high-output fan were used. In all of the examples, the fans rotate in the same direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-114302 A [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2018 / 236122 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, even in the above-mentioned example, there are still problems. When the fans are shifted in the depth direction as in Patent Document 1, the airflow paths of both the upper and lower fans are secured, so the generation of noise can be effectively suppressed, but the outer shape of the air conditioner extends in the depth direction by the amount of the shifted arrangement of the fans. On the other hand, when the fans are arranged at different angles as in Patent Document 2, the outer shape of the air conditioner can be made smaller, but the airflow path of the lower fan is narrowed by the upper fan, so the flow speed increases in the narrowed part, and there is a risk of the noise value worsening. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the arrangement of fans that achieves both compactness and quietness.

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and has an object to provide an air conditioner that is compact and quiet while having high output. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention provides a device having an air intake and an air outlet, An air conditioner including a plurality of fan units each having a centrifugal fan and a scroll casing in which the centrifugal fan is housed, The fan unit includes a first fan unit and a second fan unit arranged side by side in an airflow direction inside the main body, The first fan unit and the second fan unit are disposed in an air conditioner such that their air discharge ports face the air outlet and the centrifugal fans rotate in opposite directions.

[0010] In addition, the present invention provides a device for preventing the air from entering a main body having an air inlet and an air outlet, Four fan units each having a centrifugal fan and a scroll casing in which the centrifugal fan is housed; Two motors, each having a rotating shaft to which the fan unit is connected, The fan unit is disposed with an air outlet facing the air outlet, The motor includes an upper motor and a lower motor arranged side by side in the vertical direction, The fan unit connected to the upper motor and the fan unit connected to the lower motor are disposed in such a way that the centrifugal fans rotate in opposite directions. Effect of the Invention

[0011] The above-described configuration makes it possible to provide an air conditioner that is compact and quiet, while still providing high output. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a top view showing an example of a fan unit. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a fan unit. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioner according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the rotation direction of a centrifugal fan and an air blowing path in the air conditioner of the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram of an air conditioner according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an air conditioner according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram of an air conditioner according to a third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of an air conditioner according to a third embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram of an air conditioner according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of an air conditioner according to a fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be briefly described below, showing the operation of the present invention.

[0014] The present invention is an air conditioner having a plurality of fan units each having a centrifugal fan and a scroll casing in which the centrifugal fan is housed, the fan units having a first fan unit and a second fan unit arranged side by side in the air flow direction inside the main body, the first fan unit and the second fan unit are arranged so that the air outlet faces the air outlet direction and the rotation direction of the centrifugal fan is opposite. In other words, in order to reverse the rotation direction of the fan, the scroll casings of the first fan unit and the second fan unit are inverted. This makes it possible to avoid the flow path of the air blown out from the upstream fan unit being narrowed by the downstream fan unit even if the first fan unit and the second fan unit are arranged side by side in the air flow direction. Therefore, the air flow path of the upstream fan can be secured without arranging the fan units in a shifted manner, resulting in a compact and quiet air conditioner.

[0015] In addition, the air outlet is provided on the top surface of the main body, and the second fan unit is disposed vertically below the first fan unit. By disposing them in this manner, the air flow paths of the first and second fan units are formed in a straight line up to the air outlet, so noise generation in the air flow paths can be more effectively suppressed, improving quietness.

[0016] In addition, the diameters of the centrifugal fans of the first and second fan units are different. This allows the rotation speeds of the centrifugal fans to be different even if the motors that rotate each fan have the same output, making it possible to reduce the amplitude of vibration even if the fans resonate. In other words, there is no need to set the control of each motor individually, and simple control can be used to suppress vibration caused by resonance and reduce noise generation.

[0017] The air conditioner also includes four fan units and two motors with fan units connected to both ends of the rotating shaft, and the motors are composed of an upper motor and a lower motor arranged side by side in the vertical direction, and the fan unit connected to the upper motor and the fan unit connected to the lower motor are arranged so that the rotation direction of the centrifugal fan is opposite. This makes it possible to avoid the flow path of the air blown out from the upstream fan unit being narrowed by the downstream fan unit even if the motors are arranged side by side in the air flow direction, and therefore it is possible to ensure the air flow path of the upstream fan without arranging the fan units in a shifted manner. Therefore, it is possible to configure a high-output air conditioner with four fan units in a quiet and compact manner. EXAMPLES

[0018] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] (First embodiment) Fig. 1 is a top view showing an example of a fan unit, and Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a fan unit. The fan unit 2 includes a centrifugal fan 20 and a scroll casing 24 that houses the centrifugal fan 20. As shown in Fig. 2, a drive motor 13 that rotates the centrifugal fan 20 is connected to the fan unit 2.

[0020] The centrifugal fan 20 of this embodiment is a so-called sirocco fan having a substantially cylindrical shape, and a plurality of elongated blades 21 are arranged radially at predetermined intervals in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 14 of the drive motor 13. One end (the lower end in FIG. 2) of each blade 21 is attached to the outer edge of a disk 22, and the other end (the upper end in FIG. 2) of each blade 21 is attached to an annular support plate 23. The disk 22 is fixed at its center to the rotating shaft 14 of the drive motor 13, and the centrifugal fan 20 rotates about the rotating shaft 14 when the drive motor 13 is driven.

[0021] The scroll casing 24 is composed of a bottom plate 25, a peripheral wall plate 26 curved to surround the outer periphery of the centrifugal fan 2, and an upper plate 27 facing the bottom plate 25 through the peripheral wall plate 26, and has an inlet 28 for drawing air from the outside of the fan unit 2, and an outlet 29 for discharging the drawn air to the outside of the fan unit 2. In the figure, an example in which the drive motor 13 is fixed to the bottom plate 25 is shown, but the drive motor 13 may be attached to the inlet 28 side. R indicates the rotation direction of the centrifugal fan 20, and the rotation direction of the centrifugal fan 20 is determined to a predetermined direction depending on the shape of the scroll casing 24 (the direction in which the outlet 29 is provided). The arrow shown by the dashed line in the figure indicates the direction of wind flow in the scroll casing 24, and the air drawn from the inlet 28 is blown out from the inside to the outside of the centrifugal fan 20 in a direction intersecting the rotation axis 14, and then flows along the peripheral wall plate 26 and is discharged from the outlet 29.

[0022] 3 is a schematic diagram of an air conditioner according to the first embodiment. The air conditioner 100 includes an intake port 11 for taking in air into the main body 1 and an outlet port 12 for discharging air to the outside of the main body 1, and includes a plurality of fan units 2 inside the main body 1. In this embodiment, the air conditioner 100 includes two fan units 2a and 2b. For the sake of explanation, structures other than the fan units 2a and 2b are omitted here, but the main body 1 may include other structures required for the air conditioner 100. For example, an air purification means, a humidification means, a dehumidification means, etc. are examples of such structures.

[0023] The two fan units 2a, 2b are arranged side by side with their rotation axes facing in the same direction along the airflow direction in the main body 1 from the air intake 11 to the air outlet 12. In FIG. 3, an airflow is generated in the main body 1 from the bottom to the top in the vertical direction as shown by the outlined arrow, and the fan units 2a, 2b are arranged so as to be in an upstream / downstream positional relationship with respect to the airflow. Note that the positions of the air intake 11 and the air outlet 12 are not limited to those shown in the figure, and therefore the airflow direction in the main body 1 may differ from that of this embodiment depending on the positions of the air intake 11 and the air outlet 12. Also, a plurality of air intakes 11 and air outlets 12 may be provided.

[0024] Of the two fan units 2a and 2b arranged side by side, the first fan unit 2a is on the downstream side in the air flow direction, and the second fan unit 2b is on the upstream side. In this embodiment, the two fan units 2a and 2b are arranged side by side in the vertical direction, so that the first fan unit 2a is on the upper side and the second fan unit 2b is on the lower side. Note that "arranged side by side in the vertical direction" is not limited to the case where the rotation axes are arranged on a straight line in the vertical direction. It is preferable to arrange them so that at least the rotation axis of one centrifugal fan is contained within the outer shape of the other centrifugal fan when viewed from above the main body 1. The first fan unit 2a and the second fan unit 2b are arranged with the air outlets 31 and 41 facing the direction of the air outlet 11 of the main body 1, and the first air flow path 32 is from the outlet 31 of the first fan unit 2a to the air outlet 12, and the second air flow path 42 is from the outlet 41 of the second fan unit 2b to the air outlet 12.

[0025] In FIG. 3, the rotation direction R1 of the centrifugal fan 33 of the first fan unit 2a is clockwise, and the rotation direction R2 of the centrifugal fan 43 of the second fan unit 2b is counterclockwise. That is, the first fan unit 2a and the second fan unit 2b are arranged so that the rotation directions of the centrifugal fans 33, 34 are opposite to each other. Therefore, the scroll casings 34, 44 of the first fan unit 2a and the second fan unit 2b are shaped as if they are inverted from left to right, and the positions of the discharge ports 31, 41 do not overlap in the vertical direction. This arrangement can prevent the second air flow path 42, which is the air flow path of the second fan unit 2b, from being narrowed by the first fan unit 2a, thereby suppressing the generation of noise in the air flow path. That is, even if the first fan unit 2a and the second fan unit 2b are arranged side by side in the air flow direction, the generation of noise can be suppressed, so that the air conditioner can be configured compactly.

[0026] Next, the arrangement of the fan unit 2 and the width of the airflow path will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the rotation direction of the centrifugal fan and the airflow path in the air conditioner of the first embodiment, where (a) shows a case where the rotation directions of the two centrifugal fans are different as in this embodiment, and (b) shows a case where the rotation directions of the two centrifugal fans are the same as in a conventional air conditioner. Note that Fig. 4(a) and Fig. 4(b) are the only difference between the first fan unit 2a being reversed from left to right, and there is no difference in the shape of the main body 1 of the air conditioner 100 or the fan unit 2 itself.

[0027] The outlet widths of the first airflow path 32 in (a) and (b) are indicated by arrows as W1a and W1b, and the outlet widths of the second airflow path 42 are indicated by arrows as W2a and W2b. For the first airflow path 32, W1a and W1b are the same. On the other hand, when comparing the second airflow path 42, it can be seen that the width of W2b is clearly narrower than that of W2a. In the case of (b) where the rotation directions of the centrifugal fans 33 and 43 are the same, the discharge ports 31 and 41 interfere with each other in the upper and lower fan units, and the scroll casing 34 of the upper first fan unit 2a becomes an obstacle to the airflow path of the lower second fan unit 2b, narrowing the path width. In contrast, when the rotation of the centrifugal fans 33, 43 is reversed (a), the outlets 31, 41 of the upper and lower fan units do not interfere with each other, so that the scroll casing 34 of the upper first fan unit 2a does not become an obstacle to the air flow path of the lower second fan unit 2b, and a wide path width can be ensured.

[0028] Furthermore, by providing the air outlet 12 on the upper surface of the main body 51 and arranging the second fan unit 2b vertically below the first fan unit 2a, the first air blowing path 32 and the second air blowing path 42 are formed in a straight line up to the air outlet 12, thereby more effectively suppressing noise generation in the air blowing paths.

[0029] The diameters of the centrifugal fans 33, 43 may be different between the first fan unit 2a and the second fan unit 2b. Separate motors are connected to the first fan unit 2a and the second fan unit 2b, but if multiple motors are provided, there is a risk of resonance. However, by making the fan rotation speeds different, the amplitude of vibration caused by resonance can be reduced. If the diameters of the centrifugal fans 33, 34 are different, the rotation speeds of the centrifugal fans 33, 34 can be changed even if the motor output is the same, so there is no need to set the control of each motor individually, and it is possible to suppress vibration caused by resonance and suppress noise generation with simple control.

[0030] As described above, the air conditioner 100 has the first fan unit 2a and the second fan unit 2b arranged side by side in the air flow direction, and the first fan unit 2a and the second fan unit 2b are arranged so that the air discharge ports 31, 41 face the direction of the air outlet 12, and the scroll casings 34, 44 are inverted so that the rotation directions of the centrifugal fans 33, 43 are opposite to each other. This makes it possible to prevent the flow path of the air blown out from the second fan unit 2b on the upstream side from being narrowed by the first fan unit 2a on the downstream side, even if the first fan unit 2a and the second fan unit 2b are arranged side by side in the air flow direction. Therefore, the upstream air flow path can be secured without arranging the fan units 2 in a shifted manner, resulting in a compact and quiet air conditioner.

[0031] Second embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 5, 6, and 7. Fig. 5 is a configuration diagram of an air conditioner of the second embodiment, and Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the air conditioner of the second embodiment. Also, Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the blower. The structure of the fan unit in this embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment, so a detailed description will be omitted. Also, an air purifier will be used as an example of an air conditioner for description.

[0032] Air purifier 200 has an intake port 511 for taking in air at the bottom of main body 51, and an outlet port 512 for discharging the taken-in air to the outside of main body 51 on the top surface of main body 51. As a result, an air flow is formed within main body 51 in a vertical direction from bottom to top.

[0033] Inside the air purifier 200, a prefilter 52, an electric dust collector 53, a dust collection filter 54, a deodorizing filter 55, and an air blower 56 are provided in this order from the upstream side in the air flow direction. The prefilter 52 is a filter that collects relatively large dust particles from the air taken in from the air intake 511, and may be made of, for example, a mesh-like member. The electric dust collector 53 is configured by alternately arranging an ionization electrode and a dust collection electrode, and applies a voltage between the ionization electrode and the dust collection electrode to charge the substance that has passed through the prefilter 52, and collects the charged substance in the dust collection electrode. The dust collection filter 54 collects particles that have not been collected by the electric dust collector 53 and fine substances such as viruses. The deodorizing filter 55 is, for example, a sheet-like or pleated filter made of activated carbon fiber, and purifies the air by adsorbing odorous components contained in the air. Blower section 56 includes a plurality of fan units 501 a , 501 b and motors 506 a , 506 b , and generates an airflow from intake port 511 to outlet port 512 by the rotation of centrifugal fan 502 .

[0034] Since a high voltage is applied to electric dust collecting unit 53, it is dangerous if a hand or the like comes into contact with it. Therefore, electric dust collecting unit 53 is disposed at a predetermined distance H from air intake 511 so that a hand does not come into contact with electric dust collecting unit 53 while air purifier 200 is turned on.

[0035] The air purifier 200 may have a configuration having only either the electric dust collector 53 or the dust collection filter 54. In the above-mentioned configuration using both the electric dust collector 53 and the dust collection filter 54, a dust sensor (not shown) that detects the dirt level of the air may be provided, and the electric dust collector 53 may be operated according to the detection status of the dust sensor. In other words, when the dirt level is high, the electric dust collector 53 is operated to capture substances in the air by both the electric dust collector 53 and the dust collection filter 54. This enhances the purification capacity and allows the air to be purified quickly.

[0036] In addition, since the air blowing section 56 is provided downstream of the dust collecting section (electric dust collecting section 53, dust collecting filter 54), clean air from which dust has been removed passes through the air blowing section 56, the adhesion of dirt to the air blowing section 56 is suppressed.

[0037] Next, the blower 56 will be described in more detail.

[0038] The blower 56 is composed of four fan units 501a, 501b and two motors 506a, 506b. The motor is a double-shaft motor with fan units connected to both ends of the rotating shaft, and one motor and two fan units connected to both ends constitute a blower unit U (U1, U2). The combination of the four fan units 501a, 501b enables high-power air purification operation while suppressing the noise level generated by the rotation of the centrifugal fan 502.

[0039] Fan units 501a and 501b are configured with centrifugal fan 502 and scroll casing 503 that houses centrifugal fan 502, and as shown in Fig. 7, air inlet 504 formed in scroll casing 503 is disposed to face motors 506a and 506b. In the figure, the air flow is indicated by arrows, and air taken into main body 51 by the rotation of centrifugal fan 502 passes around motors 506a and 506b and flows into fan units 501a and 501b from inlet 504, and motors 506a and 506b are cooled by this air flow.

[0040] The blower unit U includes an upper unit U1 consisting of a motor 506a and two fan units 501a, and a lower unit U2 consisting of a motor 506b and two fan units 501b. The upper unit U1 and the lower unit U2 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction (height direction) with the rotation shafts of the motors 506a and 506b extending in the width direction of the main body. By arranging the blower units U in the height direction, the depth of the main body 51 can be shortened, and the installation area can be reduced.

[0041] Among the four fan units 501a and 501b, the fan unit 501a connected to both ends of the motor 506a and constituting the upper unit U1 is the first fan unit, and the fan unit 501b connected to both ends of the motor 506b and constituting the lower unit U2 is the second fan unit. The first fan unit 501a and the second fan unit 501b are arranged with the air outlet 505 facing the direction of the air outlet 512 of the main body 51, and the first air flow path 32 is from the outlet 505 of the first fan unit 501a to the air outlet 512, and the second air flow path 42 is from the outlet 505 of the second fan unit 501b to the air outlet 512.

[0042] In FIG. 6, the rotation direction of the centrifugal fan 502 of the first fan unit 501a is indicated by R1, and the rotation direction of the centrifugal fan 502 of the second fan unit 501b is indicated by R2. The first fan unit 501a and the second fan unit 501b are arranged so that the rotation directions of the centrifugal fans 502 are opposite to each other. Therefore, the scroll casing 503 of the first fan unit 501a and the second fan unit 502b are shaped as if the left and right sides of the scroll casing 503 are inverted, and the positions of the discharge ports 505 do not overlap in the vertical direction. This arrangement can prevent the second air flow path 42, which is the air flow path of the second fan unit 501b, from being narrowed by the first fan unit 501a, thereby suppressing the generation of noise in the air flow path. In other words, since the generation of noise can be suppressed even when the first fan unit 501a and the second fan unit 501b are arranged vertically, the depth dimension of the main body 51 is minimized, and the air conditioner can be configured compactly.

[0043] Also in this embodiment, the diameter of the centrifugal fan 502 may be different between the first fan unit 501a and the second fan unit 501b. If the diameter is different, the rotation speed of the centrifugal fan 502 can be changed even if the output of the motors 506a, 506b is the same, so that the amplitude of vibration due to resonance can be suppressed small with simple control.

[0044] Third embodiment Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 8 and 9. Fig. 8 is a configuration diagram of an air conditioner of the third embodiment, and Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the air conditioner of the third embodiment. In this embodiment, an air purifier will be used as an example of an air conditioner. Note that the means for purifying air is the same as in the second embodiment, but the arrangement of each part inside the main body is different.

[0045] Air purifier 300 has an air intake 511 at the bottom of main body 51 for taking in air, and an air outlet 512 at the top of main body 51 for discharging the taken-in air to the outside of main body 51. As a result, an air flow is formed within main body 51 in a vertical direction from bottom to top.

[0046] Inside the air purifier 300, a pre-filter 52, a blower 56, an electric dust collector 53, a dust collection filter 54, and a deodorizing filter 55 are provided in this order from the upstream in the air flow direction. The air purification process is the same as in the second embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0047] Electric dust collecting unit 53 is provided downstream of blower unit 56, and is disposed at a predetermined distance H (see the second embodiment for H) or more from air intake 511. Therefore, since there is no need to separately provide distance H to ensure safety as in air purifier 200 of the second embodiment, the height of main body 51 can be reduced.

[0048] The blower 56 is composed of four fan units 501a, 501b and two motors 506a, 506b. The motor is a double-shaft motor with fan units connected to both ends of the rotating shaft, and one motor and two fan units connected to both ends constitute a blower unit U (U1, U2). The combination of the four fan units 501a, 501b enables high-power air purification operation while suppressing the noise level generated by the rotation of the centrifugal fan 502.

[0049] The blower unit U includes an upper unit U1 consisting of a motor 506a and two fan units 501a, and a lower unit U2 consisting of a motor 506b and two fan units 501b. The upper unit U1 and the lower unit U2 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction (height direction) with the rotation shafts of the motors 506a and 506b extending in the width direction of the main body. By arranging the blower units U in the height direction, the depth of the main body 51 can be shortened, and the installation area can be reduced.

[0050] Among the four fan units 501a and 501b, the fan unit 501a connected to both ends of the motor 506a and constituting the upper unit U1 is the first fan unit, and the fan unit 501b connected to both ends of the motor 506b and constituting the lower unit U2 is the second fan unit. The first fan unit 501a and the second fan unit 501b are arranged with the air outlet 505 facing the direction of the air outlet 512 of the main body 51, and the first air flow path 32 is from the outlet 505 of the first fan unit 501a to the air outlet 512, and the second air flow path 42 is from the outlet 505 of the second fan unit 501b to the air outlet 512.

[0051] In FIG. 9, the rotation direction of the centrifugal fan 502 of the first fan unit 501a is indicated by R1, and the rotation direction of the centrifugal fan 502 of the second fan unit 501b is indicated by R2. The first fan unit 501a and the second fan unit 501b are arranged so that the rotation directions of the centrifugal fans 502 are opposite to each other. Therefore, the scroll casing 503 of the first fan unit 501a and the second fan unit 502b are shaped as if the left and right sides of the scroll casing 503 are inverted, and the positions of the discharge ports 505 do not overlap in the vertical direction. This arrangement can prevent the second air flow path 42, which is the air flow path of the second fan unit 501b, from being narrowed by the first fan unit 501a, thereby suppressing the generation of noise in the air flow path. In other words, since the generation of noise can be suppressed even when the first fan unit 501a and the second fan unit 501b are arranged vertically, the depth dimension of the main body 51 is minimized, and the air conditioner can be configured compactly.

[0052] Furthermore, the diameter of the centrifugal fan 502 may be different between the first fan unit 501a and the second fan unit 501b. If the diameter is different, the rotation speed of the centrifugal fan 502 can be changed even if the output of the motors 506a, 506b is the same, so that the amplitude of vibration due to resonance can be suppressed small with simple control.

[0053] (Fourth embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10 and Fig. 11. Fig. 10 is a configuration diagram of an air conditioner of the fourth embodiment, and Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the air conditioner of the fourth embodiment. In this embodiment, an air purifier will also be used as an example of an air conditioner.

[0054] Air purifier 400 has an intake port 511 for taking in air on the rear surface of main body 51, and an outlet port 512 for discharging the taken-in air to the outside of main body 51 on the top surface of main body 51.

[0055] Inside the air purifier 400, a pre-filter 52, a dust collection filter 54, a deodorizing filter 55, and an air blower 56 are provided in this order from the side closest to the air intake 511. By providing the air intake 511 on the rear surface of the main body 51, the area of ​​the air intake 511 can be made large, and therefore the collection area of ​​the dust collection filter 54 can also be made large. Therefore, although an electric dust collection section is not provided in this embodiment, the collection ability can be increased by increasing the area of ​​the dust collection filter 54. In this case, for example, a HEPA filter can be used as the dust collection filter 54.

[0056] The blower 56 is composed of four fan units 501a, 501b and two motors 506a, 506b. The motor is a double-shaft motor with fan units connected to both ends of the rotating shaft, and one motor and two fan units connected to both ends constitute a blower unit U (U1, U2). The combination of the four fan units 501a, 501b enables high-power air purification operation while suppressing the noise level generated by the rotation of the centrifugal fan 502.

[0057] The blower unit U includes an upper unit U1 consisting of a motor 506a and two fan units 501a, and a lower unit U2 consisting of a motor 506b and two fan units 501b. The upper unit U1 and the lower unit U2 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction (height direction) with the rotation shafts of the motors 506a and 506b extending in the width direction of the main body. By arranging the blower units U in the height direction, the depth of the main body 51 can be shortened, and the installation area can be reduced.

[0058] Among the four fan units 501a and 501b, the fan unit 501a connected to both ends of the motor 506a and constituting the upper unit U1 is the first fan unit, and the fan unit 501b connected to both ends of the motor 506b and constituting the lower unit U2 is the second fan unit. The first fan unit 501a and the second fan unit 501b are arranged with the air outlet 505 facing the direction of the air outlet 512 of the main body 51, and the first air flow path 32 is from the outlet 505 of the first fan unit 501a to the air outlet 512, and the second air flow path 42 is from the outlet 505 of the second fan unit 501b to the air outlet 512.

[0059] In FIG. 11, the rotation direction of the centrifugal fan 502 of the first fan unit 501a is indicated by R1, and the rotation direction of the centrifugal fan 502 of the second fan unit 501b is indicated by R2. The first fan unit 501a and the second fan unit 501b are arranged so that the rotation directions of the centrifugal fans 502 are opposite to each other. Therefore, the scroll casing 503 of the first fan unit 501a and the second fan unit 502b are shaped as if the left and right sides of the scroll casing 503 are inverted, and the positions of the discharge ports 505 do not overlap in the vertical direction. This arrangement can prevent the second air blowing path 42, which is the air blowing path of the second fan unit 501b, from being narrowed by the first fan unit 501a, thereby suppressing the generation of noise in the air blowing path. In other words, since the generation of noise can be suppressed even when the first fan unit 501a and the second fan unit 501b are arranged vertically, the depth dimension of the main body 51 is minimized, and the air conditioner can be configured compactly.

[0060] Furthermore, the diameter of the centrifugal fan 502 may be different between the first fan unit 501a and the second fan unit 501b. If the diameter is different, the rotation speed of the centrifugal fan 502 can be changed even if the output of the motors 506a, 506b is the same, so that the amplitude of vibration due to resonance can be suppressed small with simple control.

[0061] As described above, the air purifiers 200, 300, and 400, which are examples of air conditioners, are equipped with four fan units 501a and 501b and two motors 506a and 506b, each of which has a fan unit connected to both ends of a rotating shaft. The first fan unit 501a connected to the motor 506a on the upper side in the vertical direction and the second fan unit 501b connected to the motor 506b on the lower side are arranged so that the rotation direction of the centrifugal fan 502 is opposite. This makes it possible to avoid the first fan unit 501a narrowing the flow path of the air blown out from the second fan unit 501b even if the motors 506a and 506b are arranged side by side in the air flow direction, so that the upstream air flow path can be secured without displacing the fan units 501a and 501b. Therefore, a high-output air conditioner equipped with four fan units can be configured to be quiet and compact. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1 Main unit 2 Fan Unit 2a 1st Fan Unit 2b Second fan unit 11 Air Intake 12 Air outlet 20, 33, 43 Centrifugal fan 24, 34, 44 Scroll casing 29, 31, 41 outlet 51 Main unit 501a 1st Fan Unit 501b 2nd Fan Unit 502 Centrifugal Fan 503 Scroll Casing 505 Discharge port 506a Motor (upper motor) 506b motor (lower motor) 511 Air Intake 512 Air outlet

Claims

1. The main body has an intake port and an exhaust port. An air conditioner including a plurality of fan units each having a centrifugal fan and a scroll casing in which the centrifugal fan is housed, The fan unit includes a first fan unit and a second fan unit arranged side by side in an air flow direction inside the main body, The first fan unit and the second fan unit have air outlets facing the air outlet and are arranged such that the centrifugal fans rotate in opposite directions.

2. The air outlet is provided on an upper surface of the main body, 2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the second fan unit is disposed vertically below the first fan unit.

3. 3. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the first fan unit and the second fan unit have centrifugal fans with different diameters.

4. The main body has an intake port and an exhaust port. Four fan units each having a centrifugal fan and a scroll casing in which the centrifugal fan is housed; Two motors, each having a rotating shaft to which the fan unit is connected, The fan unit is disposed with an air outlet facing the air outlet, The motor includes an upper motor and a lower motor arranged side by side in the vertical direction, The fan unit connected to the upper motor and the fan unit connected to the lower motor are arranged such that the centrifugal fans rotate in opposite directions.

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