Air conditioner

Abstract

To provide an air conditioner reduced in power consumption to improve amenity.SOLUTION: An indoor unit includes: an indoor fan; a vertical wind direction blade changing a vertical wind direction of indoor air from a blowout port; a temperature sensor detecting an indoor temperature; and a control part. The control part executes a heating operation exhausting air heated by an indoor heat exchanger into a room through the blowout port, and executes a circulation operation circulating the indoor air by air blowing through the blowout port when the temperature is a set temperature or higher during the execution of the heating operation. The circulation operation reduces an air amount of the indoor air through the blowout port, moves the vertical wind direction of the indoor air through the blowout port forward during a prescribed first period, and increases the air amount of the indoor air through the blowout port after moving the vertical wind direction of the indoor air through the blowout port forward.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioner. [Background technology]

[0002] Some air conditioners that condition indoor air perform a circulator operation to move air that has accumulated near the ceiling to the floor. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an air conditioner that performs a circulator operation to move air that has accumulated near the ceiling to the floor when the temperature of the indoor space set by the user reaches or exceeds a predetermined threshold. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5289392 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The air conditioner described in Patent Document 1 still has room for improvement in terms of reducing power consumption and improving comfort.

[0005] The present disclosure provides an air conditioner that can reduce power consumption and improve comfort. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An air conditioner according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: An air conditioner having an outdoor unit and an indoor unit, The indoor unit includes: a housing provided with an intake port and an exhaust port for indoor air; an indoor fan disposed within the housing to form an airflow from the air inlet to the air outlet; an indoor heat exchanger located in the path of the airflow; A vertical airflow direction blade is disposed at the air outlet and changes the vertical airflow direction of the indoor air from the air outlet between a downward direction from the indoor unit toward the bottom and a forward direction from the indoor unit toward the front; A temperature sensor for detecting the indoor temperature; A control unit that controls the indoor fan and the vertical airflow blades; Equipped with The control unit is A heating operation is performed in which the vertical wind direction of the indoor air from the air outlet is set to an arbitrary direction between the downward direction and the forward direction, and the air heated by the indoor heat exchanger is discharged from the air outlet into the room. During the heating operation, when the air temperature detected by the temperature sensor is equal to or higher than a set temperature, a circulation operation is performed to circulate indoor air by blowing air from the air outlet. The circulation operation is The control unit reduces the volume of airflow of the indoor air from the air outlet and moves the vertical airflow direction of the indoor air from the air outlet forward during a predetermined first period; After the vertical wind direction of the indoor air from the air outlet is shifted forward, the control unit increases the air volume of the indoor air from the air outlet; Includes. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, an air conditioner capable of reducing power consumption and improving comfort is provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an air conditioner according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] An enlarged schematic diagram of the indoor unit of the air conditioner in Figure 1. [Diagram 3] A block diagram showing the internal configuration of the air conditioner of FIG. [Figure 4]FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the vertical airflow direction blades of the indoor unit of FIG. 2 are in a first direction; [Diagram 5] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the vertical airflow direction blades of the indoor unit of FIG. 2 are in a second direction; [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of indoor airflow during heating operation. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of indoor airflow during heating operation. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of indoor airflow during heating operation. [Figure 9] A time chart for explaining the flow of heating and circulation operations. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an air flow in a room during a circulation operation in the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an air flow in a room during a circulation operation in the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a time chart for explaining the flow of operations in the heating operation and the circulation operation in the second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an indoor unit according to a third embodiment. [Figure 14] Schematic diagram of the indoor unit in Figure 13 viewed from above [Figure 15] Schematic diagram of the indoor unit in Figure 13 viewed from above [Figure 16] Schematic diagram of the indoor unit in Figure 13 viewed from above [Figure 17] Schematic diagram of the indoor unit in Figure 13 viewed from above [Figure 18] A block diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner according to a third embodiment. [Figure 19] A time chart for explaining the flow of operations in the heating operation and the circulation operation in the third embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a room showing the airflow of indoor air in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 21] Schematic diagram of the room from a different angle as shown in Figure 20 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] (Background to this disclosure) When an air conditioner is used for heating operation, the heated air accumulates in the upper part of the room. This causes the temperature near the floor to be lower than that near the ceiling, which causes the user in the room to feel uncomfortable. Therefore, it has been considered to add a circulation function to the air conditioner and mix the air in the room to reduce the temperature unevenness in the room and eliminate the user's discomfort.

[0010] For example, the air conditioner described in Patent Document 1 compares the sensible temperature with the set temperature, and only when the sensible temperature is higher than the set temperature, operates as a circulator to automatically move air that has accumulated near the ceiling to the floor.

[0011] However, the air conditioner described in Patent Document 1 has the problem that the circulator operates with the compressor stopped, and therefore consumes a lot of power when the compressor is restarted. In addition, when the circulator operates with the compressor stopped, the air in the room is stirred while unheated air is blown out from the air conditioner, so the user is likely to feel cold air, and comfort is reduced.

[0012] Therefore, the present inventors have studied air conditioners that can reduce power consumption and improve comfort, and have arrived at the following invention.

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings in some cases. However, the following embodiments are examples for explaining the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure to the following contents (e.g., the shape, dimensions, arrangement, etc. of each component). Positional relationships such as up, down, left, and right are based on the positional relationships shown in the drawings unless otherwise specified. Each figure described in the following embodiments is a schematic diagram, and the size and thickness ratios of each component in each figure do not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratios. Furthermore, the dimensional ratios of each element are not limited to the ratios shown in the drawings.

[0014] In the following description, when it is necessary to distinguish between multiple components, prefixes such as "first" and "second" are added to the names of the components. However, when the components can be distinguished from one another by the symbols added to them, the prefixes such as "first" and "second" may be omitted in consideration of readability of the text.

[0015] (Embodiment 1) [Overall configuration] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an air conditioner 10 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an enlarged view of an indoor unit 20 of the air conditioner 10 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of the air conditioner 10 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the vertical air direction blades 24 of the indoor unit 20 of Fig. 2 are in a first direction. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the vertical air direction blades 24 of the indoor unit 20 of Fig. 2 are in a second direction.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, an air conditioner 10 according to this embodiment includes an indoor unit 20 arranged in a room Rin to be air-conditioned, and an outdoor unit 30 arranged in an outdoor room Rout.

[0017] 1 and 3, the outdoor unit 30 is provided with an outdoor heat exchanger 32 that exchanges heat with outdoor air A2, and a fan 34 that draws the outdoor air A2 into the outdoor unit 30 and blows the outdoor air A2 after exchanging heat with the outdoor heat exchanger 32 out to the outdoor Rout. The outdoor unit 30 is also provided with a compressor 36, an expansion valve 38, and a four-way valve 40 that execute a refrigeration cycle with the indoor heat exchanger 23 and the outdoor heat exchanger 32.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the indoor unit 20 has a housing 21, an indoor fan 22, an indoor heat exchanger 23, a vertical airflow direction blade 24, a temperature sensor 25, and a control unit 26. The housing 21 of the indoor unit 20 is provided with an inlet 21a and an outlet 21b for the indoor air A1. The indoor fan 22 is disposed in the housing 21 and forms an airflow F1 from the inlet 21a to the outlet 21b. In other words, the indoor fan 22 draws the indoor air A1 from the inlet 21a into the indoor unit 20, and blows the indoor air A1 after heat exchange with the indoor heat exchanger 23 from the outlet 21b into the room Rin. The indoor heat exchanger 23 is disposed in the path of the airflow F1 formed by the indoor fan 22 and exchanges heat with the indoor air A1.

[0019] The indoor air A1 drawn into the indoor unit 20 by the indoor fan 22 exchanges heat with the indoor heat exchanger 23, and then is blown out from the air outlet 21b into the room Rin. The air outlet 21b is provided with a vertical airflow blade 24. The vertical airflow blade 24 can open and close the air outlet 21b and change the blowing direction of the indoor air A1 to the vertical direction by rotating along the arrow G1. The control unit 26 can rotate the vertical airflow blade 24 to set the position of the vertical airflow blade 24 to a first orientation that is downward so that the wind direction of the indoor air A1 shown in FIG. 4 is directed downward from the air outlet 21b. When the vertical airflow blade 24 is positioned in the first orientation, it is preferable that the vertical airflow blade 24 is positioned in an orientation that is -42 degrees or more and -38 degrees or less with respect to the horizontal direction. The control unit 26 can rotate the vertical airflow blades 24 to set the position of the vertical airflow blades 24 to a second orientation that is more upward than the first orientation so that the wind direction of the indoor air A1 shown in FIG. 5 is directed forward from the air outlet 21b. When the vertical airflow blades 24 are positioned in the second orientation, the vertical airflow blades 24 may be positioned at an angle of -18 degrees or more with respect to the horizontal direction. When the vertical airflow blades 24 are positioned in the second orientation, the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b is discharged upward more than when the vertical airflow blades 24 are positioned in the first orientation. More specifically, when the vertical airflow blades 24 are in the first orientation, the indoor air A1 is blown out from the air outlet 21b toward the bottom of the indoor unit 20. When the vertical airflow blades 24 are in the second orientation, the indoor air A1 is blown out from the air outlet 21b toward the front of the indoor unit 20. The control unit 26 can change the wind direction of the indoor air A1 between downward and forward by rotating the vertical air direction blades 24. Note that the downward direction includes not only the wind direction of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b being vertical, but also the wind direction of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b being slightly tilted forward from the vertical direction. Similarly, the forward direction includes not only the wind direction of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b being horizontal, but also the wind direction of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b being slightly tilted downward from the horizontal direction.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 4, when the vertical airflow direction blades 24 are in a first direction, the indoor air A1 is discharged from the air outlet 21b toward the bottom of the indoor unit 20. As shown in Fig. 5, when the vertical airflow direction blades 24 are in a second direction, the indoor air A1 is discharged from the air outlet 21b toward the front of the indoor unit 20.

[0021] 3, a temperature sensor 25 is disposed in the indoor unit 20. The temperature sensor 25 can detect the air temperature in the room Rin.

[0022] 3, a control unit 26 is disposed in the indoor unit 20. The control unit 26 controls the indoor fan 22 and the vertical airflow direction blades 24 to control a series of operations for drawing the indoor air A1 into the indoor unit 20 and discharging the indoor air A1 that has exchanged heat with the indoor heat exchanger 23 from the air outlet 21b.

[0023] In this embodiment, the control unit 26 executes a heating operation in which the indoor air A1 warmed by the indoor heat exchanger 23 is discharged from the air outlet 21b to the room Rin. During the heating operation, the control unit 26 sets the wind direction of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b to any direction between the downward direction shown in Fig. 4 and the forward direction shown in Fig. 5. That is, during the heating operation, the control unit 26 sets the position of the vertical air direction blades 24 to any position between the first direction and the second direction.

[0024] In this embodiment, the control unit 26 executes a circulation operation in which the indoor air A1 is circulated by blowing air from the air outlet 21b. The control unit 26 executes the circulation operation when the air temperature detected by the temperature sensor 25 is equal to or higher than the set temperature for the heating operation during the heating operation. That is, the control unit 26 executes the circulation operation after the air in the room Rin has been sufficiently warmed by the heating operation.

[0025] The flow of operations in the heating operation and the circulation operation will be described with reference to Figs. 6 to 9. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the airflow of the room Rin during the heating operation. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the airflow of the room Rin during the circulation operation. Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the airflow of the room Rin during the circulation operation. Fig. 9 is a time chart for explaining the flow of operations in the heating operation and the circulation operation. Fig. 9(a) is a time chart showing the relationship between the direction of the vertical air direction blades 24 and the passage of time. Fig. 9(b) is a time chart showing the relationship between the volume of the room air A1 from the air outlet 21b and the passage of time. Fig. 9(c) is a time chart showing the relationship between the temperature of the room Rin and time.

[0026] When the air temperature of the room Rin reaches the set temperature by performing the heating operation, the control unit 26 performs the circulation operation. During the circulation operation, the indoor air A1 that has been heated by heat exchange with the indoor heat exchanger 23 is discharged from the air outlet 21b. That is, the control unit 26 performs the circulation operation while the compressor 36 is operating. In the circulation operation, first, the control unit 26 moves the vertical airflow blades 24 in the second direction to reduce the air volume of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b. That is, the control unit 26 reduces the air volume while changing the wind direction of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b to forward. At this time, the movement of the vertical airflow blades 24 is performed during a predetermined first period. When the vertical airflow blades 24 are moved in the second direction, the control unit 26 increases the air volume of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b. After that, the control unit 26 keeps the vertical airflow direction blades 24 in the second direction for a predetermined period of time to increase the air volume from the air outlet 21b. When the predetermined period has elapsed, the circulation operation ends, and the control unit 26 executes the heating operation again.

[0027] The operation of the heating and circulation modes will be described in more detail below.

[0028] As described above, the control unit 26 sets the vertical airflow blades 24 to an arbitrary position between the first direction and the second direction to perform the heating operation. By the control unit 26 setting the position of the vertical airflow blades 24 to a position between the first direction and the second direction, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, it is possible to generate an airflow AF1 that gradually descends from the indoor unit 20 toward the front. During the heating operation, the control unit 26 can set the vertical airflow blades 24 to an arbitrary position based on the temperature of the room Rin detected by the temperature sensor 25, a user's setting, etc. During the heating operation, the control unit 26 can set the air volume of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b to an arbitrary value. The air volume of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b during the heating operation is controlled based on the user's setting, etc., similar to the vertical airflow blades 24. The example of FIG. 9 shows that the heating operation is performed until time t1. Figure 9(a) shows that the vertical air direction blades 24 are in a position between the first orientation and the second orientation, and Figure 9(b) shows that the volume of indoor air A1 from the outlet 21b is between Low and High.

[0029] When the heating operation is performed, the temperature of the room Rin gradually rises as shown in FIG. 9(c). When the temperature of the room Rin detected by the temperature sensor 25 reaches the set temperature of the heating operation at time t1, the control unit 26 performs the circulation operation. The circulation operation is performed during the heating operation. That is, even during the circulation operation, the room air Rin drawn into the indoor unit 20 is warmed by heat exchange with the indoor heat exchanger 23. Therefore, even during the circulation operation, the room air A1 discharged from the air outlet 21b is warmed air. The circulation operation includes moving the vertical air direction blades 24 in the second direction during a predetermined first period and increasing the volume of the room air from the air outlet 21b.

[0030] In the circulation operation, the control unit 26 first moves the vertical airflow blades 24 to the second direction during a predetermined first period. The predetermined first period is a period between times t1 and t2 shown in FIG. 9, and is, for example, a period of 5 seconds or more and 30 seconds or less. That is, the control unit 26 moves the position of the vertical airflow blades 24 to the second direction shown in FIG. 5 so that the airflow from the air outlet 21b changes from airflow AF1 to airflow AF2 between times t1 and t2, as shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 9(a). By changing the direction of the vertical airflow blades 24 over a period of about 5 to 30 seconds, rather than changing it suddenly, the discomfort of the user can be reduced. The airflow AF2 is the flow of air from the air outlet 21b toward the front of the indoor unit 20. At this time, the control unit 26 reduces the volume of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b, as shown in FIG. 9(b). The volume of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b can be reduced, for example, by lowering the rotation speed of the indoor fan 22. By reducing the volume of air discharged from the air outlet 21b while the vertical airflow blades 24 are moving in the second direction, the discomfort felt by the user of the room Rin due to the wind hitting them can be reduced. In the example of FIG. 9, the volume of air is lowered to Low between time t1 and t2. In this embodiment, when the volume of air is Low, the rotation speed of the indoor fan 22 is about 600 rpm to about 700 rpm. When the vertical airflow blades 24 are positioned in the second direction, the indoor air A1 discharged from the air outlet 21b should have a wind direction at an angle of less than 34 degrees downward from the horizontal direction. By discharging the indoor air A1 at an angle of less than 34 degrees downward from the horizontal direction, the air in the room Rin can be more efficiently stirred.

[0031] After moving the vertical airflow direction blades 24 in the second direction, the control unit 26 increases the air volume of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b. In the example of FIG. 9, the air volume is increased from Low to High between time t2 and t3. In this embodiment, when the air volume is High, the rotation speed of the indoor fan 22 is about 700 rpm to about 1200 rpm. The control unit 26 can increase the air volume of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b by, for example, increasing the rotation speed of the indoor fan 22. At this time, the control unit 26 may increase the rotation speed of the indoor fan 22 in a stepwise manner. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the rotation speed of the indoor fan 22 may be increased at a rate of, for example, 100 rpm / 10 seconds between time t2 and time t3. For example, when increasing the rotation speed of the indoor fan 22 from low (e.g., about 700 rpm) to high (e.g., about 900 rpm), the control unit 26 increases the rotation speed of the indoor fan 22 stepwise over 20 seconds. By increasing the rotation speed of the indoor fan 22 stepwise, it is possible to reduce the discomfort of the user caused by the increase in the blowing noise accompanying the increase in the air volume.

[0032] Between time t3 and t4 shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 26 maintains the air volume of the indoor air A1 from the outlet 21b at High while positioning the vertical airflow blades 24 in the second direction. The time from t3 to t4 may be, for example, 20 seconds or more and 60 seconds or less. In this case, as shown in FIG. 8, the indoor air A1 is discharged from the outlet 21b toward the wall surface arranged in front of the indoor unit 20. By setting the air volume of the indoor air A1 from the outlet 21b to High, as shown by the arrow C1, the indoor air A1 discharged from the outlet 21b hits the wall surface in front and generates an air flow toward the floor. Furthermore, as shown by the arrow C2, the air that hits the floor flows along the floor, and hits the wall surface on which the indoor unit 20 is arranged and generates an air flow toward the ceiling. In this way, the indoor air A1 is circulated in the room Rin along the arrows C1 and C2, so that the air in the room Rin can be agitated.

[0033] After the control unit 26 increases the volume of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b, the control unit 26 maintains the state in which the vertical air direction blades 24 are positioned in the second direction and the volume of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b is increased from time t3 to time t4. By operating the unit with the vertical air direction blades 24 in the second direction and the volume of the air increased, the air in the room Rin can be sufficiently agitated.

[0034] After time t4, the control unit 26 returns the vertical air direction blades 24 to an arbitrary position between the first orientation and the second orientation, sets the air volume of the indoor air A1 from the outlet 21b to an arbitrary value, ends the circulation operation, and performs heating operation.

[0035] [effect] According to the above-described embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0036] The air conditioner 10 has an outdoor unit 30 and an indoor unit 20. The indoor unit 20 includes a housing 21, an indoor fan 22, an indoor heat exchanger 23, a vertical airflow blade 24, a temperature sensor 25, and a control unit 26. The housing 21 is provided with an inlet 21a and an outlet 21b for the indoor air A1. The indoor fan 22 is disposed in the housing 21 and forms an airflow from the inlet 21a to the outlet 21b. The indoor heat exchanger 23 is located in the path of the airflow. The vertical airflow blade 24 is disposed at the outlet 21b and changes the vertical airflow direction of the indoor air A1 from the outlet 21b between a downward direction from the indoor unit 20 downward and a forward direction from the indoor unit 20 forward. The temperature sensor 25 detects the air temperature in the room Rin. The control unit 26 controls the indoor fan 22 and the vertical airflow blade 24. The control unit 26 executes a heating operation and a circulation operation. In the heating operation, the vertical airflow direction blades are placed at an arbitrary position between the first direction and the second direction, and air heated by the indoor heat exchanger 23 is discharged from the outlet 21b to the room Rin. The circulation operation includes the control unit 26 shifting the vertical airflow direction of the indoor air A1 from the outlet 21b forward during a predetermined first period. The circulation operation includes the control unit 26 increasing the air volume of the indoor air A1 from the outlet 21b after shifting the vertical airflow direction of the indoor air A1 from the outlet 21b forward.

[0037] With such a configuration, an air conditioner is provided that can reduce power consumption and improve comfort. In the above-described embodiment, since the circulation operation is performed during the heating operation, the air in the room Rin can be agitated by the warmed indoor air A1 discharged from the air outlet 21b of the indoor unit 20. Therefore, the circulation operation can be performed without lowering the room temperature, so that power consumption can be reduced. In addition, since the air in the room Rin can be agitated by the warmed indoor air A1, it is possible to reduce discomfort caused by exposure to cold air by the user.

[0038] During heating operation, heated air tends to accumulate near the ceiling, which may cause the temperature near the floor to drop. In this embodiment, after the temperature in the room Rin reaches the set temperature during heating operation, the circulation operation is performed using the air that has been heated by heat exchange with the indoor heat exchanger 23, thereby preventing the user in the room Rin from losing comfort due to cold air.

[0039] The control unit 26 may increase the rotation speed of the indoor fan 22 to increase the volume of the indoor air A1 blown from the outlet 21b.

[0040] With this configuration, the volume of the indoor air A1 blown from the outlet 21b can be easily increased.

[0041] The control unit 26 may increase the rotation speed of the indoor fan 22 in stages.

[0042] With this configuration, it is possible to reduce discomfort caused by increased blowing noise accompanying an increase in the air volume.

[0043] The outdoor unit 30 includes a compressor 36, and the control unit 26 may execute the circulation operation with the compressor 36 operating.

[0044] With such a configuration, the power consumption of the air conditioner 10 can be reduced.

[0045] In the above embodiment, the volume of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b is increased by increasing the rotation speed of the indoor fan 22, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the volume of the air may be increased by using a damper or the like that controls the volume of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b.

[0046] In the above embodiment, an example in which the rotation speed of the indoor fan 22 is increased stepwise has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The control unit 26 may increase the rotation speed of the indoor fan 22 stepwise or suddenly.

[0047] (Embodiment 2) A second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 12. In the second embodiment, the same or equivalent configurations as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals. In the second embodiment, descriptions that overlap with those in the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0048] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the airflow of the room Rin during the circulation operation in the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the airflow of the room Rin during the circulation operation in the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a time chart for explaining the operation flow of the heating operation and the circulation operation in the second embodiment. FIG. 12(a) is a time chart showing the relationship between the direction of the vertical air direction blades 24 and the passage of time. FIG. 12(b) is a time chart showing the relationship between the air volume of the room air A1 from the air outlet 21b and the passage of time. FIG. 12(c) is a time chart showing the relationship between the air temperature of the room Rin and time.

[0049] The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the circulation operation further includes, after increasing the volume of the indoor air from the outlet 21b, decreasing the volume of the indoor air A1 from the outlet 21b by the control unit 26, and shifting the wind direction of the indoor air A1 from the outlet 21b downward for a predetermined second period. The second embodiment also differs from the first embodiment in that the circulation operation further includes, after shifting the wind direction of the indoor air A1 from the outlet 21b downward, increasing the volume of the indoor air from the outlet 21b by the control unit 26. The configuration of the air conditioner 10 is the same as that of the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0050] In this embodiment, the control unit 26 performs the circulation operation with the vertical airflow blades 24 in the second direction, and then moves the vertical airflow blades 24 to the first direction to perform the circulation operation. Note that in FIG. 12, the control up to time t14 is the same as the heating operation and the circulation operation control in the first embodiment.

[0051] After performing the circulation operation by increasing the air volume with the vertical airflow blades 24 in the second direction, the control unit 26 moves the vertical airflow blades 24 from the second direction to the first direction as shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 12(a) to change the airflow AF2 from the air outlet 21b to the airflow AF3. That is, the airflow direction from the air outlet 21b is changed from forward to downward. The airflow AF3 is the air flow from the air outlet 21b toward the lower part of the indoor unit 20. At this time, the control unit 26 moves the vertical airflow blades from the second direction to the first direction during a predetermined second period. The predetermined second period is a period between times t14 and t15 shown in FIG. 12, and is, for example, a period of 5 seconds or more and 30 seconds or less. As in the case of moving the vertical airflow blades 24 to the second direction, the vertical airflow blades 24 are moved to the first direction over a period of 5 to 30 seconds, thereby reducing the discomfort of the user. At this time, the control unit 26 reduces the airflow rate of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b, as shown in FIG. 12(b). In the example of FIG. 12, the airflow rate is reduced to Low between time t14 and t15.

[0052] After moving the vertical airflow direction blades 24 in the first direction, the control unit 26 increases the air volume of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b. In the example of FIG. 12, the air volume is increased from Low to High between time t15 and time t16. The control unit 26 can increase the air volume of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b, for example, by increasing the rotation speed of the indoor fan. At this time, the control unit 26 may increase the rotation speed of the indoor fan 22 in a stepwise manner. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12(b), the rotation speed of the indoor fan may be increased at a rate of, for example, 100 rpm / 10 seconds between time t15 and time t16.

[0053] Between times t16 and t17 shown in FIG. 12, the control unit 26 positions the vertical airflow direction blades 24 in the first direction and maintains the air volume of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b at High. In this case, as shown in FIG. 11, the indoor air A1 is discharged from the air outlet 21b toward the floor surface. By setting the air volume of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b to High, as shown by the arrow C3, the indoor air A1 discharged from the air outlet 21b hits the floor surface and generates an air flow toward the wall surface in front of the indoor unit 20. Furthermore, the air flow of the arrow C3 hits the wall surface and flows upward along the wall surface, and an air flow toward the ceiling is generated as shown by the arrow C4. In this way, the indoor air A1 is circulated in the room Rin along the arrows C3 and C4, so that the air in the room Rin can be agitated.

[0054] As described above, in this embodiment, the air in the room Rin is agitated by the air flow along the arrows C1 and C2 in Fig. 8, and then the air in the room Rin is agitated by the air flow along the arrows C3 and C4 in Fig. 11. By changing the position of the vertical air direction blades 24, the air flow during circulation operation can be changed, allowing for more efficient agitation and reducing temperature unevenness in the air in the room Rin.

[0055] After the control unit 26 increases the volume of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b, the control unit 26 maintains the state in which the vertical air direction blades 24 are positioned in the first direction and the volume of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b is increased from time t16 to time t17. By operating the unit with the vertical air direction blades 24 in the second direction and the volume of the air increased, the air in the room Rin can be sufficiently agitated.

[0056] After time t17, the control unit 26 returns the vertical air direction blades 24 to an arbitrary position between the first orientation and the second orientation, sets the air volume of the indoor air A1 from the outlet 21b to an arbitrary value, ends the circulation operation, and performs heating operation.

[0057] [effect] According to the above-described embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0058] The circulation operation includes increasing the volume of the indoor air A1 from the outlet 21b, and then decreasing the volume of the indoor air A1 from the outlet 21b and shifting the wind direction of the indoor air A1 from the outlet 21b downward for a predetermined second period by the control unit 26. The circulation operation includes increasing the volume of the indoor air A1 from the outlet 21b by the control unit 26, and then shifting the wind direction of the indoor air A1 from the outlet 21b downward.

[0059] With this configuration, the air in the room Rin can be more efficiently agitated, and temperature unevenness in the room Rin can be suppressed, thereby improving the comfort of the user.

[0060] (Embodiment 3) A third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 13 to Fig. 19. In the third embodiment, the same or equivalent configurations as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals. In the third embodiment, descriptions that overlap with those in the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0061] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an indoor unit 20A according to the third embodiment. FIGS. 14 to 17 are schematic diagrams showing the indoor unit 20A of FIG. 13 viewed from above. FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner 10A according to the third embodiment. FIG. 19 is a time chart for explaining the flow of operations in the heating operation and the circulation operation in the third embodiment. FIG. 19(a) is a time chart showing the relationship between the direction of the vertical air direction blades 24 and the passage of time. FIG. 19(b) is a time chart showing the relationship between the direction of the horizontal air direction blades 27 and the passage of time. FIG. 19(c) is a time chart showing the relationship between the air volume of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b and the passage of time. FIG. 19(d) is a time chart showing the relationship between the temperature of the room Rin and time. The third embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the indoor unit 20A has the horizontal air direction blades 27.

[0062] As shown in Fig. 14 to Fig. 17, the indoor unit 20A has a plurality of left and right airflow direction blades 27 arranged side by side in the left and right direction of the air outlet 21b. The plurality of left and right airflow direction blades 27 change the air direction from the air outlet 21b in the left and right direction. As shown in Fig. 13 to Fig. 17, each left and right airflow direction blade 27 is formed in a plate shape.

[0063] For example, as shown in FIG. 14, when each left-right airflow direction blade 27 is arranged so that its main surface is approximately perpendicular to the left-right direction of the air outlet 21b, indoor air A1 is discharged from the air outlet 21b toward the front of the indoor unit 20A.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 15, when each left-right air direction blade 27 is arranged so that its main surface is inclined to the left with respect to the left-right direction of the air outlet 21b, the indoor air A1 is discharged from the air outlet 21b to the right of the front of the indoor unit 20A.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 16, when each left-right air direction blade 27 is arranged so that its main surface is inclined to the right relative to the left-right direction of the air outlet 21b, the indoor air A1 is discharged from the air outlet 21b to the left of the front of the indoor unit 20A.

[0066] 18, the left-right airflow blade 27 is controlled by the control unit 26, similar to the up-down airflow blade 24. The control unit 26 controls the left-right airflow blade 27 to change the wind direction of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b in the left-right direction.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 19, when the heating operation is started and until the air temperature in the room Rin reaches the set temperature, the control unit 26 controls the left-right air direction blades 27 so that the left-right wind direction of the indoor air A1 swings between the right direction shown in FIG. 15 and the left direction shown in FIG. 16.

[0068] In this embodiment, the control unit 26 performs the same control as in the first embodiment with respect to the vertical airflow blades 24 and the airflow rate of the indoor air A1. That is, as shown in FIG. 19(a), when the air temperature of the room Rin reaches the set temperature during the heating operation, the control unit 26 moves the vertical airflow blades 24 to the second direction between time t21 and time t22. Also, between time t21 and time t22, the control unit 26 lowers the airflow rate of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b to Low. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 19(b), the control unit 26 swings the horizontal airflow blades 27 left and right until time t22. After moving the vertical airflow blades 24 to the second direction, the control unit 26 increases the airflow rate of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b to High between time t22 and time t23.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 19(b), after the vertical airflow direction blade 24 is moved to the second direction, that is, after time t22, the control unit 26 tilts the direction of the horizontal airflow direction blade 27 toward the center in the horizontal direction of the air outlet 21b as shown in FIG. 17. More specifically, among the multiple horizontal airflow direction blades 27, the horizontal airflow direction blade 27a located to the left of the center of the air outlet 21b is positioned so that the main surface is tilted to the left with respect to the horizontal direction of the air outlet 21b. Furthermore, among the multiple horizontal airflow direction blades 27, the horizontal airflow direction blade 27b located to the right of the center of the air outlet 21b is positioned so that the main surface is tilted to the right with respect to the horizontal direction of the air outlet 21b. By tilting the direction of the horizontal airflow direction blade 27 toward the center in the horizontal direction of the air outlet 21b, as shown in FIG. 17, the indoor air A1 is discharged from the air outlet 21b toward the center in the horizontal direction of the indoor unit 20A. Then, after performing circulation operation for a predetermined time, at time t24, the control unit 26 changes the vertical air direction blades 24 to an arbitrary position between the first orientation and the second orientation, swings the horizontal air direction blades 27, and further sets the air volume of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b to an arbitrary value, and performs heating operation again.

[0070] [effect] According to the above-described embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0071] The indoor unit 20A further includes a plurality of left-right airflow direction blades 27 arranged in a row in the left-right direction of the air outlet 21b and changing the wind direction of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b in the left-right direction. When increasing the volume of the indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b, the control unit 26 tilts the orientation of the plurality of left-right airflow direction blades 27 toward the center of the left-right direction of the air outlet 21b.

[0072] With this configuration, when the indoor air A1 is blown out from the air outlet 21b toward the front of the indoor unit 20A, the left-right air direction blades 27 are tilted toward the center in the left-right direction to converge the airflow toward the front of the indoor unit 20. By converging the airflow toward the front, the heated indoor air A1 from the air outlet 21b can reach the front wall surface of the indoor unit 20A more quickly, and the air in the room Rin can be mixed efficiently.

[0073] (Embodiment 4) A fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 20 and Fig. 21. In the fourth embodiment, the same or equivalent configurations as those in the third embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals. In the fourth embodiment, descriptions that overlap with those in the third embodiment will be omitted.

[0074] Fig. 20 is a schematic diagram of the room Rin showing the airflow of the indoor air A1 in the fourth embodiment. Fig. 21 is a schematic diagram of the room Rin when Fig. 20 is viewed from a different angle. The fourth embodiment differs from the fourth embodiment in that the control unit 26 sets the direction of the left-right air direction blades based on the arrangement of the furniture 100 arranged in the room. The configuration of the indoor unit 20A is the same as that of the third embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0075] In this embodiment, while the circulation operation is being performed, the control unit 26 sets the direction of the left / right airflow direction blades 27 based on the arrangement of furniture placed in the room Rin. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 20, the control unit 26 controls the left / right airflow direction blades 27 to face in a direction where no furniture 100 is placed, in order to avoid furniture 100 placed near the wall in front of the indoor unit 20A.

[0076] The position of the furniture 100 in the room Rin may be set in advance by the user, for example. Alternatively, the control unit 26 may determine that the furniture is located in a place in the user's room Rin where the user is often present, based on a detection value of a motion sensor or the like.

[0077] By orienting the left-right airflow direction blades 27 in a direction where the furniture 100 is not arranged, the airflow AF4 from the indoor unit 20A is formed while avoiding obstacles such as the furniture 100. In this case, as shown in FIG. 21, the air in the room Rin circulates along the arrows C5 and C6. Therefore, when the air in the room Rin is stirred during the circulation operation, it is possible to suppress the obstruction of the air flow. Therefore, the air in the room Rin can be efficiently stirred.

[0078] [effect] According to the above-described embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0079] The control unit 26 sets the direction of the left-right airflow direction blades 27 based on the arrangement of the furniture 100 arranged in the room Rin.

[0080] With this configuration, an airflow can be formed that avoids furniture and other objects that act as obstacles when mixing the indoor air Rin, thereby improving the circulation effect.

[0081] (Outline of the embodiment) (1) The air conditioner disclosed herein is an air conditioner having an outdoor unit and an indoor unit, the indoor unit comprising a housing provided with an indoor air intake and exhaust, an indoor fan disposed within the housing and forming an airflow from the intake to the exhaust, an indoor heat exchanger located in the path of the airflow, a vertical airflow blade disposed at the exhaust and changing the vertical airflow direction of the indoor air from the exhaust between downward, moving downward from the indoor unit, and forward, moving forward from the indoor unit, a temperature sensor for detecting the indoor air temperature, and a control unit for controlling the indoor fan and the vertical airflow blade, the control unit being configured to change the vertical airflow direction of the indoor air from the exhaust between downward and forward. and performs a heating operation in which air heated by the indoor heat exchanger is discharged into the room from the outlet, and when the air temperature detected by the temperature sensor during the heating operation is equal to or higher than the set temperature, performs a circulation operation in which the indoor air is circulated by blowing air from the outlet, and the circulation operation includes: reducing the volume of the indoor air from the outlet by the control unit, and shifting the vertical wind direction of the indoor air from the outlet forward during a predetermined first period; and increasing the volume of the indoor air from the outlet by the control unit after shifting the vertical wind direction of the indoor air from the outlet forward.

[0082] (2) In the air conditioner of (1), the control unit may increase the volume of indoor air blown from the air outlet by increasing the rotation speed of the indoor fan.

[0083] (3) In the air conditioner of (2), the control unit may increase the rotation speed of the indoor fan in stages.

[0084] (4) In any one of the air conditioners of (1) to (3), the circulation operation may further include: after increasing the volume of indoor air from the outlet, reducing the volume of indoor air from the outlet by the control unit and moving the vertical air direction of the indoor air from the outlet downward for a predetermined second period; and after moving the vertical air direction blades downward, increasing the volume of indoor air from the outlet by the control unit.

[0085] (5) In any one of the air conditioners of (1) to (4), the indoor unit may further include a plurality of left-right air direction blades arranged in a row on the left and right of the air outlet and changing the direction of the indoor air from the air outlet in the left-right direction, and the control unit may tilt the direction of the plurality of left-right air direction blades toward the center of the left-right direction of the air outlet when increasing the volume of indoor air from the air outlet.

[0086] (6) In any one of the air conditioners (1) to (4), the indoor unit may further include a left-right air direction blade arranged at the air outlet to change the direction of the indoor air from the air outlet in a left-right direction, and the control unit may set the direction of the left-right air direction blade based on the arrangement of furniture placed in the room.

[0087] (7) In the air conditioner of any one of (1) to (6), the outdoor unit may include a compressor, and the control unit may perform a circulation operation while the compressor is operating. [Industrial Applicability]

[0088] The present disclosure can be applied to air conditioners capable of performing heating operation and circulation operation. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 10, 10A Air conditioner 20, 20A indoor unit 21 Case 21a Intake port 21b Air outlet 22 Indoor fan 23 Indoor heat exchanger 24 Vertical airflow vane 25 Temperature Sensor 26 Control Unit 27 Left and right wind vane 30 Outdoor unit 100 Furniture

Claims

1. An air conditioner having an outdoor unit and an indoor unit, The indoor unit includes: a housing provided with an intake port and an exhaust port for indoor air; an indoor fan disposed within the housing to form an airflow from the air inlet to the air outlet; an indoor heat exchanger located in the path of the airflow; A vertical airflow direction blade is disposed at the air outlet and changes the vertical airflow direction of the indoor air from the air outlet between a downward direction from the indoor unit toward the bottom and a forward direction from the indoor unit toward the front; A temperature sensor for detecting the indoor temperature; A control unit that controls the indoor fan and the vertical airflow blades; Equipped with The control unit is A heating operation is performed in which the vertical wind direction of the indoor air from the air outlet is set to an arbitrary direction between the downward direction and the forward direction, and the air heated by the indoor heat exchanger is discharged from the air outlet into the room. When the air temperature detected by the temperature sensor during the heating operation is equal to or higher than a set temperature, a circulation operation is performed to circulate indoor air by blowing air from the air outlet. The circulation operation is The control unit reduces the volume of airflow of the indoor air from the air outlet and moves the vertical airflow direction of the indoor air from the air outlet forward during a predetermined first period; After the vertical wind direction of the indoor air from the air outlet is shifted forward, the control unit increases the air volume of the indoor air from the air outlet; Including, Air conditioner.

2. The control unit increases the rotation speed of the indoor fan to increase the volume of indoor air blown from the air outlet. The air conditioner according to claim 1.

3. The control unit increases the rotation speed of the indoor fan in a stepwise manner. The air conditioner according to claim 2.

4. The circulation operation is After increasing the volume of airflow of the indoor air from the air outlet, the control unit reduces the volume of airflow of the indoor air from the air outlet and moves the vertical wind direction of the indoor air from the air outlet downward during a predetermined second period; After shifting the vertical wind direction of the indoor air from the air outlet downward, increasing the air volume of the indoor air from the air outlet by the control unit; Further comprising: The air conditioner according to claim 1.

5. The indoor unit further includes a plurality of left-right airflow direction vanes arranged in a row in a left-right direction of the air outlet and changing a wind direction of the indoor air from the air outlet in a left-right direction, When increasing the volume of indoor air from the air outlet, the control unit tilts the orientations of the plurality of left and right air direction blades toward a center in the left and right direction of the air outlet. The air conditioner according to claim 1.

6. The indoor unit further includes a left-right airflow direction vane that is disposed at the air outlet and changes the wind direction of the indoor air from the air outlet in a left-right direction, The control unit sets the direction of the left and right airflow direction blades based on the arrangement of furniture arranged in the room. The air conditioner according to claim 1.

7. The outdoor unit includes a compressor, The control unit executes the circulation operation while the compressor is operating. An air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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