Air conditioner
The air conditioner addresses the challenge of uniform air distribution and reduced ventilation resistance and noise by using a diversion and rectifying unit to manage airflow from the second air duct, enhancing its performance and user experience.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2023194180
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-11-15
- Publication Date
- 2025-05-27
AI Technical Summary
Conventional wall-mounted air conditioner blowing devices face challenges in uniformly supplying air to the back side of a room while minimizing ventilation resistance and noise.
The air conditioner incorporates a diversion unit that diverts air from the second air duct in a direction intersecting the duct's extension, followed by a rectifying unit that rectifies the air flow, allowing for uniform air distribution into the room while reducing ventilation resistance and noise.
This configuration enables uniform air supply to the room, effectively suppressing ventilation resistance and noise, thereby improving the air conditioner's performance and user experience.
Smart Images

Figure 2025080846000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioner.
Background Art
[0002] Conventionally, an air conditioner is provided with a blowing device for supplying air that has been heat-exchanged under the floor into a room. It is known to provide two chamber portions having a group of through-holes for rectification in the blowing device (Patent Document 1).
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] By the way, the above-mentioned conventional blowing device is a so-called ceiling-suspended type device that blows air downward from the ceiling to the floor. However, in the case of a so-called wall-mounted type blowing device that is provided on a wall of a house and blows air from the wall toward the back side of the room, in order to make the air reach the back side of the room, it is necessary to reduce the blowing area to some extent to increase the wind speed. Therefore, if a group of through-holes is provided as in the above-mentioned conventional blowing device, there is a concern that the ventilation resistance and noise will become very large.
[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an air conditioner capable of uniformly supplying air into a room while suppressing ventilation resistance and noise.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0006] The air conditioner of the present disclosure includes a compressor that compresses a working refrigerant, a first heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between the working refrigerant and outside air, a first fan that sends the air from the first heat exchanger to the outside, a second heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between the working refrigerant and indoor air, a second fan that sends the indoor air to the second heat exchanger, an outdoor unit having these components, a suction unit that sucks indoor air by the second fan, a blowing unit that blows the air heat-exchanged by the second heat exchanger into the room, an indoor unit having these components, a first air duct that connects the suction unit and the second heat exchanger through a through-hole in a wall of a house, and a second air duct that connects the second heat exchanger and the blowing unit through the through-hole. The blowing unit includes a diversion unit that diverts the air from the second air duct in a first direction intersecting the extending direction of the second air duct, a rectifying unit that rectifies the air diverted by the diversion unit, and a blowing outlet that blows the air rectified by the rectifying unit into the room.
[0007] According to the present disclosure, the diversion unit diverts the air from the second air duct in a first direction intersecting the extending direction of the second air duct. As a result, the flow of the air from the second air duct spreads in the first direction. Next, the rectifying unit rectifies the air diverted by the diversion unit. Thereby, the flow direction of the air that has once diffused in the first direction by the diversion unit can be rectified into the blowing direction by the rectifying unit. Thereby, it is possible to uniformly supply air into the room while suppressing ventilation resistance and noise.
Advantages of the Invention
[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an air conditioner capable of uniformly supplying air into the room while suppressing ventilation resistance and noise.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0009]
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
[0010] Hereinafter, an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The air conditioner described below is merely one embodiment of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and additions, deletions, and changes are possible without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.
[0011] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an air conditioner 100 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration for realizing the refrigeration cycle in the air conditioner 100 of FIG. 1.
[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner 100 includes an outdoor unit 1 provided outside the house H, an indoor unit 2 provided inside the house H, a communication device 23 which is a remote communication device operated by a user, and a wireless router 24.
[0013] The outdoor unit 1 has a housing 3, a housing 4, a first fan 5, a first heat exchanger 6, a second heat exchanger 7, a second fan 8, a control device 9, an outdoor communication device 10, a power cord 11 corresponding to an electrical connector, and a power supply base (not shown). Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the outdoor unit 1 further has a compressor 12, a four-way valve 13, an expansion valve 14, and refrigerant pipes P1, P2, P3.
[0014] The housing 3 is arranged, for example, on the side of the wall portion 26 of the house H. Inside the housing 3, a first fan 5, a first heat exchanger 6, a control device 9, the power supply board, and an outdoor communication device 10 are housed. The power cord 11 is connected to the power supply board. By connecting the plug of the power cord 11 to an outdoor outlet, power is supplied to each component in the outdoor unit 1 via the power supply board. Note that at least one of the control device 9, the power supply board, and the outdoor communication device 10 may be housed in the housing 4.
[0015] The housing 4 is arranged, for example, on top of the housing 3. Inside the housing 4, a second heat exchanger 7 and a second fan 8 are housed. By arranging the second heat exchanger 7 inside the housing 4 of the outdoor unit 1 in this way, a drain hose for discharging the drain water generated in the second heat exchanger 7 becomes unnecessary.
[0016] The compressor 12 compresses the working refrigerant. The compressor 12 sends out the working refrigerant to the first heat exchanger 6 via the four-way valve 13 during the cooling operation. Also, the compressor 12 sends out the working refrigerant to the second heat exchanger 7 via the four-way valve 13 during the heating operation.
[0017] Examples of the working refrigerant in the air conditioner 1 include flammable refrigerants such as isobutane and propane. The flammable refrigerant may be a carbon-based refrigerant such as propane or isobutane that is heavier than air, or a fluorocarbon refrigerant such as HFO1234yf or R32, or a mixed refrigerant thereof, and may be weakly flammable or slightly flammable. Note that the refrigerant may be a single refrigerant, or a mixed refrigerant of another type of refrigerant and a flammable refrigerant.
[0018] The first heat exchanger 6 performs heat exchange between the outside air and the working refrigerant. The air heat-exchanged by the first heat exchanger 6 is sent to the outside by the first fan 5. A motor 5a for driving the first fan 5 is provided inside the housing 3. The first fan 5 is rotationally driven by the motor 5a based on an instruction from the control device 9. Note that a propeller fan is exemplified as the first fan 5.
[0019] The second heat exchanger 7 performs heat exchange between the indoor air flowing in through the air conveyance duct 30 described later by means of the second fan 8 and the working refrigerant. A motor 8a for driving the second fan 8 is provided inside the housing 4. The second fan 8 is rotationally driven by the motor 8a based on an instruction from the control device 9. Note that a sirocco fan is exemplified as the second fan 8. Also, a plurality of second fans 8 may be provided.
[0020] The control device 9 can be configured by a microcontroller including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory (ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory)) storing programs, or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or the like. The control device 9 controls the operations of the compressor 12, the motor 5a of the first fan 5, and the motor 8a of the second fan 8. Also, the outdoor communication device 10 performs wireless communication with the outside (for example, the communication device 23) via the wireless router 24. The wireless communication between the outdoor communication device 10 and the communication device 23 is performed by, for example, Wifi (registered trademark). The user can turn on / off the power supply of the outdoor unit 1, switch between heating and cooling, and set the temperature, etc. by operating the communication device 23 indoors.
[0021] The above power supply base receives the power supplied to the control device 9 via the power cord 11 and also receives the power supplied to the motor 5a, the motor 8a, and the compressor 12. Thereby, power is supplied to the control device 9, the motor 5a, the motor 8a, and the compressor 12.
[0022] The indoor unit 2 is provided, for example, above the interior of the house H. The indoor unit 2 is fixed to the upper part of the wall portion 26 of the house H. The indoor unit 2 has a housing 50 and a blowing portion 40 described later. The housing 50 houses the blowing portion 40, and is provided with a suction portion 22 for sucking indoor air and a housing outlet 21 through which the air blown out from the blowing portion 40 passes toward the interior of the room.
[0023] The suction part 22 sucks in the air in the room of the house H by the second fan 8. Further, the blowing part 40 blows out the air that has been heat-exchanged by the second heat exchanger 7 and flows through the air conveyance duct 30 described below into the room of the house H through the above-mentioned housing outlet 21.
[0024] Here, a first air duct 31 is provided that connects the suction part 22 and the second heat exchanger 7 through a through-hole 25 provided in the wall part 26 of the house H. Also, a second air duct 32 is provided that connects the second heat exchanger 7 and the blowing part 40 through the through-hole 25. The first air duct 31 and the second air duct 32 are housed in a tubular air conveyance duct 30. The inside of the air conveyance duct 30 is partitioned by a partition part (not shown) along the air flow direction. Thereby, the first air duct 31 and the second air duct 32 are formed inside the air conveyance duct 30.
[0025] Also, the air conveyance duct 30 has a small-diameter part 30a that is passed through the through-hole 25 in the wall part 26 of the house H, and a large-diameter part 30b that is between the small-diameter part 30a and the outdoor unit 1 and has an outer diameter larger than that of the small-diameter part 30a. The above-mentioned first air duct 31 and second air duct 32 are formed across the small-diameter part 30a and the large-diameter part 30b.
[0026] Next, the refrigerant circuit, which is the flow path of the working refrigerant, will be described. The air conditioner 100 includes a refrigerant circuit Rc shown in FIG. 2. The refrigerant circuit Rc is not configured to span between the outdoor unit 1 and the indoor unit 2, and is provided only in the outdoor unit 1. As shown in FIG. 2, in the refrigerant circuit Rc, the inlet of the compressor 12 and one end of the second heat exchanger 7 (corresponding to the downstream end during cooling operation) are connected by a refrigerant pipe P1. Also, the outlet of the compressor 12 and one end of the first heat exchanger 6 (corresponding to the upstream end during cooling operation) are connected by a refrigerant pipe P2. A four-way valve 13 that switches the flow of the working refrigerant during cooling and heating operations is inserted between the refrigerant pipe P1 and the refrigerant pipe P2. Further, the other end of the first heat exchanger 6 (corresponding to the downstream end during cooling operation) and the other end of the second heat exchanger 7 (corresponding to the upstream end during cooling operation) are connected by a refrigerant pipe P3. An expansion valve 14 that decompresses the working refrigerant is inserted in the refrigerant pipe P3.
[0027] The compressor 12, the four-way valve 13, and the expansion valve 14 are housed, for example, in the housing 3. Further, the refrigerant pipe P2 is housed, for example, in the housing 3, and the refrigerant pipes P1 and P3 are housed in the housings 3 and 4.
[0028] In the configuration of FIG. 2, during the cooling operation, the working refrigerant compressed by the compressor 12 is heated to a high temperature and high pressure, passes through the first port and the second port of the four-way valve 13 via the refrigerant pipe P2, and then is sent to the first heat exchanger 6. In the first heat exchanger 6, the working refrigerant exchanges heat with the outside air and dissipates heat, becoming a high-pressure liquid refrigerant, and is sent to the expansion valve 14 via the refrigerant pipe P3. In the expansion valve 14, the working refrigerant is depressurized to become a low-temperature and low-pressure two-phase refrigerant, and then is sent to the second heat exchanger 7 via the refrigerant pipe P3. In the second heat exchanger 7, the working refrigerant exchanges heat with the indoor air and absorbs heat, evaporating and vaporizing to become a low-temperature gas refrigerant. At this time, since the indoor air is cooled, the room can be cooled. Further, the working refrigerant passes through the third port and the fourth port of the four-way valve 13 via the refrigerant pipe P1 and then is returned to the compressor 12.
[0029] On the other hand, during the heating operation, the working refrigerant compressed by the compressor 12 is heated to a high temperature and high pressure, passes through the first port and the third port of the four-way valve 13 via the refrigerant pipe P2, and then is sent to the second heat exchanger 7. In the second heat exchanger 7, the working refrigerant exchanges heat with the indoor air and dissipates heat, being cooled to become a high-pressure liquid refrigerant. At this time, since the indoor air is heated, the room can be heated. Then, the working refrigerant is sent to the expansion valve 14 via the refrigerant pipe P3, and is depressurized by the expansion valve 14 to become a low-temperature and low-pressure two-phase refrigerant. Further, the working refrigerant is sent to the first heat exchanger 6 via the refrigerant pipe P3. In the first heat exchanger 6, the working refrigerant exchanges heat with the outside air and evaporates and vaporizes. Then, the working refrigerant passes through the second port and the fourth port of the four-way valve 13 via the refrigerant pipe P2 and then is returned to the compressor 12.
[0030] Subsequently, the configuration of the blowing section 40 provided in the housing 50 of the indoor unit 2 will be described in detail. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the blowing section 40.
[0031] As shown in FIG. 3, the blowing portion 40 includes a flow dividing portion 41, a rectifying portion 42, and a blowing outlet 43. The flow dividing portion 41 divides the air from the second air duct 32 in a first direction D1 orthogonal to the extending direction De of a part of the second air duct 32. The extending direction De is, for example, the front-rear direction of the indoor unit 2, and the first direction D1 is, for example, the left-right direction of the indoor unit 2. Hereinafter, the configuration of the flow dividing portion 41 will be described in detail.
[0032] The flow dividing portion 41 includes an extending portion 44, a plurality of branched flow path portions 45, and a plurality of end flow path portions 47. The extending portion 44 extends in the first direction D1. The second air duct 32 of the air conveyance duct 30 is connected to one end (the left end in FIG. 3) of the extending portion 44 in the first direction D1. On the other hand, the first air duct 31 of the air conveyance duct 30 is arranged so as to be positioned above the extending portion 44 and is opened in the housing 50 of FIG. 1.
[0033] For example, six branched flow path portions 45 are provided and arranged in parallel along the first direction D1. Each branched flow path portion 45 is arranged at substantially equal intervals in the first direction D1. Each branched flow path portion 45 extends in a second direction D2 orthogonal to the first direction D1. The second direction D2 is, for example, the vertical direction. Further, each branched flow path portion 45 is symmetrically arranged on one side (for example, the left side) and the other side (for example, the right side) of the first direction D1 with respect to the intermediate position of the extending portion 44 in the first direction D1. That is, the number of branched flow path portions 45 arranged on one side of the first direction D1 is the same as that of the branched flow path portions 45 arranged on the other side of the first direction D1. Also, the positions of the branched flow path portions 45 arranged on one side of the first direction D1 and the positions of the branched flow path portions 45 arranged on the other side of the first direction D1 are symmetric with respect to the intermediate position. Furthermore, each branched flow path portion 45 has a connecting portion 45a connected to the extending portion 44. Details of the connecting portion 45a of the branched flow path portion 45 will be described later.
[0034] A plurality of end flow path portions 47 are provided, for example, two, and are provided at one end and the other end of the extending portion 44 in the first direction D1. The position of the end flow path portion 47 arranged on one side in the first direction D1 and the position of the end flow path portion 47 arranged on the other side in the first direction D1 are symmetric with respect to the intermediate position. Note that the width of each end flow path portion 47 (that is, the dimension in the first direction D1) may be larger than the width of each branch flow path portion 45.
[0035] The rectifying portion 42 rectifies the air shunted by the shunting portion 41. The rectifying portion 42 has a first rectifying component portion 42a and a second rectifying component portion 42b. The first rectifying component portion 42a is arranged upstream of the second rectifying component portion 42b. The lower ends (downstream ends) of each branch flow path portion 45 and the lower ends (downstream ends) of each end flow path portion 47 are connected to the first rectifying component portion 42a. The first rectifying component portion 42a is formed in a tapered shape from the upstream portion to the downstream portion in a side view (left side view or right side view). Also, the second rectifying component portion 42b extends obliquely forward from the rear in a side view.
[0036] The air outlet 43 blows out the air rectified by the rectifying portion 42 into the room through the housing outlet 21 of the housing 50. The air outlet 43 is provided at the downstream end of the second rectifying component portion 42b of the rectifying portion 42. The air outlet 43 extends in the first direction D1.
[0037] Subsequently, the detailed configurations of the shunting portion 41 and the rectifying portion 42 will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the detailed configurations of the shunting portion 41 and the rectifying portion 42. Note that the regions other than the blackened regions in FIG. 4 show the internal spaces of the shunting portion 41 and the rectifying portion 42. In FIG. 4, since the line (boundary line) showing the internal space is also a line showing the components forming the internal space, reference numerals are assigned assuming that each component exists. The same applies to FIGS. 5 and 6 described later.
[0038] As shown in FIG. 4, at least a part of all parts of the connecting portion 45a of the branched flow path portion 45 is located at a position different from that of the other parts of the connecting portion 45a in the second direction D2. Specifically, the connecting portion 45a of the branched flow path portion 45 has a first chamfered portion Rb located on one side in the first direction D1 and a second chamfered portion Rs located on the other side in the first direction D1. The first chamfered portion Rb and the second chamfered portion Rs are formed, for example, by R chamfering (chamfering in which the corners are cut into an arc shape). The size of R of the first chamfered portion Rb is larger than the size of R of the second chamfered portion Rs. With reference to the partition wall 42c described later, in the connecting portion 45a of the branched flow path portion 45 arranged on the left side (the side where the air conveyance duct 30 is provided), the second chamfered portion Rs is provided on the right side of the first chamfered portion Rb in the first direction D1 (that is, on the downstream side (downwind) of the air flow in the first direction D1). On the other hand, with reference to the partition wall 42c, in the connecting portion 45a of the branched flow path portion 45 arranged on the right side, the second chamfered portion Rs is provided on the left side of the first chamfered portion Rb in the first direction D1 (that is, on the upstream side (upwind) of the air flow in the first direction D1). Thus, the sizes of the chamfered portions are different between the upwind and downwind in each connecting portion 45a. However, it is not limited to the above, and in the connecting portion 45a of the branched flow path portion 45 arranged on the right side with reference to the partition wall 42c, the second chamfered portion Rs may be provided on the right side of the first chamfered portion Rb in the first direction D1.
[0039] In this way, by providing the first chamfered portion Rb and the second chamfered portion Rs with different chamfer sizes in the connecting portion 45a of the branched flow path portion 45, at least a part of all parts of the connecting portion 45a (for example, at least a part of the first chamfered portion Rb) can be positioned at a position different from that of the other parts (for example, the second chamfered portion Rs) of the connecting portion 45a in the second direction D2. For this reason, at least a part of the first chamfered portion Rb can be positioned on the downstream side of the second chamfered portion Rs in the second direction D2. Thereby, the air flowing through the extending portion 44 can be guided toward the first chamfered portion Rb by the second chamfered portion Rs. As a result, the air flowing through the extending portion 44 is induced in the second direction D2 and easily flows toward the downstream end of the branched flow path portion 45.
[0040] Also, as shown in the figure, the rectifying unit 42 has a partition wall 42c positioned at the center in the first direction D1 of the rectifying unit 42. The partition wall 42c extends in the second direction D2. A plurality of rectifying walls 48, 49 are provided in the rectifying unit 42. The rectifying walls 48, 49 can be provided in the first rectifying component 42a of the rectifying unit 42. For example, two rectifying walls 48 are provided. One (e.g., the left) rectifying wall 48 is disposed between one end flow path portion 47 and the branch flow path portion 45 adjacent to the end flow path portion 47 in the first direction D1. The other (e.g., the right) rectifying wall 48 is disposed between the other end flow path portion 47 and the branch flow path portion 45 adjacent to the end flow path portion 47 in the first direction D1. Thereby, it is possible to suppress or prevent the rectifying wall 48 from blocking the air after passing through the branch flow path portion 45 and the end flow path portion 47. Also, the lower end of one rectifying wall 48 is positioned to the left of the upper end in the first direction D1, and the lower end of the other rectifying wall 48 is positioned to the right of the upper end in the first direction D1.
[0041] For example, two sets (a total of four) of rectifying walls 49 are provided. The rectifying walls 49 related to one set are disposed between one rectifying wall 48 and the partition wall 42c in the first direction D1. The rectifying walls 49 related to the other set are disposed between the other rectifying wall 48 and the partition wall 42c in the first direction D1. More specifically, each rectifying wall 49 is disposed between two adjacent branch flow path portions 45 in the first direction D1. Thereby, it is possible to suppress or prevent the rectifying wall 49 from blocking the air after passing through the branch flow path portion 45.
[0042] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of thin plate bars 46 are provided in the rectifying section 42. The thin plate bars 46 can be provided in the second rectifying component 42b of the rectifying section 42. The plurality of thin plate bars 46 extend in the second direction D2. The plurality of thin plate bars 46 are arranged in a row in the first direction D1. A plurality of such rows are provided in the second direction D2. From the side closer to the air outlet 43 in the second direction D2, the first to fourth rows L1 to L4 are provided. Among two adjacent rows in the second direction D2, the positions of the thin plate bars 46 in one row and the thin plate bars 46 in the other row are different in the first direction D1. In FIG. 4, the positions of the thin plate bars 46 in rows L2 and L4 are different from the positions of the thin plate bars 46 in row L3 in the first direction D1. Thereby, each thin plate bar 46 is arranged, for example, in a staggered pattern.
[0043] Each thin plate bar 46 constituting the first row L1 is arranged at a predetermined interval in the first direction D1. Each thin plate bar 46 constituting the second row L2 is substantially the same as the position of each thin plate bar 46 constituting the first row L1 in the first direction D1. Also, each thin plate bar 46 constituting the second row L2 may be in contact with each thin plate bar 46 constituting the first row L1 in the second direction D2.
[0044] Each thin plate bar 46 constituting the third row L3 is arranged at a predetermined interval in the first direction D1. Each thin plate bar 46 constituting the third row L3 is arranged between two adjacent thin plate bars 46 of the second row L2 in the first direction D1. That is, each thin plate bar 46 of the third row L3 is not in the extending direction of each thin plate bar 46 of the second row L2. Thereby, the air that has passed between two adjacent thin plate bars 46 of the third row L3 is likely to collide with the thin plate bars 46 of the second row L2. As a result, the air is likely to be dispersed in the first direction D1. Also, each thin plate bar 46 of the third row L3 is arranged at a distance from each thin plate bar 46 of the second row L2 in the second direction D2.
[0045] Each thin plate bar 46 constituting the fourth column L4 is substantially the same as the position of each thin plate bar 46 constituting the first column L1 in the first direction D1. That is, each thin plate bar 46 of the fourth column L4 is not in the extending direction of each thin plate bar 46 of the third column L3. Thereby, the air that has passed between two adjacent thin plate bars 46 of the fourth column L4 is likely to collide with the thin plate bars 46 of the third column L3. As a result, the air is likely to be dispersed in the first direction D1. Also, each thin plate bar 46 of the fourth column L4 is spaced apart from each thin plate bar 46 of the third column L2 in the second direction D2. In FIG. 4, the first column L1 to the fourth column L4 are provided as a plurality of columns, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of columns can be arbitrarily set.
[0046] Subsequently, another example of the flow dividing portion 41 and the flow straightening portion 42 will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the flow dividing portion 141 and the flow straightening portion 142. In FIG. 5, the components having the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 4 described above are the same as those in FIG. 4, and thus the description thereof is omitted.
[0047] As shown in FIG. 5, the flow dividing portion 141 of this example has an extending portion 144. This extending portion 144 has a curved surface portion 141a formed in a concave shape on the upper side in the second direction D2 at the central portion in the first direction D1. The curved surface portion 141a is formed in an arc shape in both the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. For example, six branch flow path portions 145 are connected to the flow dividing portion 141. The connection portion 145a of each branch flow path portion 145 is connected to the curved surface portion 141a of the flow dividing portion 141. The end flow path portion 147 is equivalent to the end flow path portion 47 described above.
[0048] The flow straightening portion 142 of this example has a partition wall 142c positioned at the center in the first direction D1 of the flow straightening portion 142. The flow straightening portion 142 is divided into two by the partition wall 142c. The partition wall 142c has arc-shaped portions 142d that curve upward to the left and upward to the right starting from its lower end. The lower ends of three branch flow path portions 145 are connected to one of the divided flow straightening portions 142, and the lower ends of three branch flow path portions 145 are also connected to the other of the divided flow straightening portions 142.
[0049] A plurality of thin plate bars 146 are provided on one side and the other side of the rectifying section 142. Each thin plate bar 146 is disposed in the vicinity of the air outlet 43. The plurality of thin plate bars 146 extend in the second direction D2. The plurality of thin plate bars 146 are longer in dimension in the second direction D2 than the above-described thin plate bar 46. The plurality of thin plate bars 146 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the first direction D1. The plurality of thin plate bars 146 form a column L1 in the first direction D1. Note that a plurality of columns may be provided.
[0050] In this example, as described above, the connection portion 145a of each branch flow path portion 145 is connected to the curved surface portion 141a. Therefore, at least a part of the connection portion 145a of one branch flow path portion 145 is at a different position in the second direction D2 from the connection portion 145a of the other branch flow path portion 145. Specifically, in FIG. 5, among the connection portions 145a of the three branch flow path portions 145 connected to one side (for example, the left side) of the rectifying section 142, at least a part of the connection portion 145a located on the left side is positioned downstream in the second direction D2 with respect to the connection portion 145a located in the middle. Also, among the connection portions 145a of the three branch flow path portions 145 connected to one side (for example, the left side) of the rectifying section 142, at least a part of the connection portion 145a located in the middle is positioned downstream in the second direction D2 with respect to the connection portion 145a located on the right side. As a result, the air flowing from the second air duct 32 through the extending portion 144 is more likely to flow into the branch flow path portion 145 located at a position away from the air conveyance duct 30. Thereby, the air from the flow dividing section 141 is substantially evenly dispersed in the first direction D1 and is more likely to flow into the rectifying section 142. The same applies to the connection portions 145a of the three branch flow path portions 145 connected to the other side (for example, the right side) of the rectifying section 142.
[0051] Furthermore, another example of the flow dividing section 41 and the rectifying section 42 will be given. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the flow dividing section 141 and the rectifying section 242. Note that in FIG. 6, components having the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 5 described above are the same as those in FIG. 5, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.
[0052] As shown in FIG. 6, the rectifying section 242 of this example has a partition wall 242c positioned at the center of the rectifying section 142 in the first direction D1. The rectifying section 242 is divided into two by the partition wall 242c. The partition wall 242c has arcuate portions 242d that curve upward and leftward and upward and rightward respectively starting from its lower end. The lower ends of the three branch flow path sections 145 are connected to one of the divided rectifying sections 242, and the lower ends of the three branch flow path sections 145 are also connected to the other of the divided rectifying sections 242.
[0053] A plurality of thin plate bars 46 are provided on one side and the other side of the rectifying section 242. The plurality of thin plate bars 46 form a column in the first direction D1. A plurality of such columns are provided in the second direction D2. Specifically, the first column L1 to the fifth column L5 are provided in the second direction D2 starting from the side closer to the air outlet 43. Each thin plate bar 46 constituting the first column L1 is arranged at a predetermined interval in the first direction D1.
[0054] Each thin plate bar 46 constituting the second column L2 is arranged at a predetermined interval in the first direction D1. Each thin plate bar 46 constituting the second column L2 is arranged between two adjacent thin plate bars 46 of the first column L1 in the first direction D1. That is, each thin plate bar 46 of the second column L2 is not in the extending direction of each thin plate bar 46 of the first column L1. Thereby, the air that has passed between two adjacent thin plate bars 46 of the second column L2 is likely to collide with the thin plate bars 46 of the first column L1. Thereby, the air is likely to be dispersed in the first direction D1. Also, each thin plate bar 46 of the second column L2 is arranged at a distance from each thin plate bar 46 of the first column L1 in the second direction D2.
[0055] Each thin plate bar 46 constituting the third column L3 is arranged at a predetermined interval in the first direction D1. Among the plurality of thin plate bars 46 constituting the third column L3, each thin plate bar 46 provided on one side (for example, the left side) of the rectifying portion 242 divided by the partition wall 242c is inclined so that its lower end is positioned closer to the partition wall 242c in the first direction D1 than its upper end. Also, among the plurality of thin plate bars 46 constituting the third column L3, each thin plate bar 46 provided on the other side (for example, the right side) of the rectifying portion 242 divided by the partition wall 242c is inclined so that its lower end is positioned closer to the partition wall 242c in the first direction D1 than its upper end. Further, each thin plate bar 46 of the third column L3 is spaced apart from each thin plate bar 46 of the second column L2 in the second direction D2. Note that each thin plate bar 46 constituting the fourth column L4 is the same as each thin plate bar 46 constituting the third column L3.
[0056] Each thin plate bar 46 constituting the fifth column L5 is arranged at a predetermined interval in the first direction D1. Each thin plate bar 46 constituting the fifth column L5 is arranged between two adjacent thin plate bars 46 of the fourth column L4 in the first direction D1, respectively. Thereby, the air that has passed between two adjacent thin plate bars 46 of the fifth column L5 is likely to collide with the thin plate bars 46 of the fourth column L4. As a result, the air is likely to be dispersed in the first direction D1. Also, each thin plate bar 46 of the fifth column L5 is spaced apart from each thin plate bar 46 of the fourth column L4 in the second direction D2. Further, among the thin plate bars 46 constituting the fifth column L5, the thin plate bars 46 in the extending direction of each branch flow path portion 145 have a longer dimension in the second direction D2 than the other thin plate bars 46. Thereby, the air that has passed through the branch flow path portion 145 is likely to collide with the thin plate bars 46 immediately after passing through and be dispersed in the first direction D1. In FIG. 6, the first column L1 to the fifth column L5 are provided as a plurality of columns, but it is not limited thereto, and the number of columns can be arbitrarily set.
[0057] As described above, according to the air conditioner 100 of the present embodiment, the air from the second air duct 32 is diverted in the first direction D1 by the diversion section 41. As a result, the flow of air from the second air duct 32 spreads in the first direction D1. Next, the rectifying section 42 rectifies the air diverted by the diversion section 41. Thereby, the flow direction of the air that has once diffused in the first direction D1 by the diversion section 41 can be rectified by the rectifying section 42 into the blowing direction. As a result, air can be uniformly supplied into the room while suppressing ventilation resistance and noise. Further, the indoor unit 2 is not provided with an electric plug or an electrically driven device, and only the housing 50 that is provided with the suction section 22 and the housing outlet 21 and houses the blowing section 40 is provided, so that the configuration of the indoor unit 2 can be simplified. Thereby, it is possible to suppress more than before that the design and aesthetic sense in the room are impaired by the arrangement of the indoor unit 2, and it is possible to improve the degree of freedom in installing the indoor unit 2.
[0058] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present disclosure. For example, it is as follows.
[0059] In the above embodiment, the second air duct 32 of the air conveyance duct 30 is connected to one end (left end) in the first direction D1 of the extending portion 44 of the diversion section 41, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the second air duct 32 may be connected to the other end (right end) in the first direction D1 of the extending portion 44. Alternatively, the second air duct 32 may be connected to the central portion in the first direction D1 of the extending portion 44.
[0060] Further, in the above embodiment, each branch flow path section 45 is symmetrically arranged on one side and the other side in the first direction D1 with respect to the intermediate position in the first direction D1 of the extending portion 44, but this does not exclude the possibility of arranging them asymmetrically.
[0061] In the above embodiment, the partition wall 42c is provided in the rectifying unit 42 to divide the rectifying unit 42 into two parts in the first direction D1. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the partition wall 42c is not an essential component. That is, the rectifying unit 42 may not be divided.
[0062] In the above embodiment, the housing 4 is arranged on the housing 3. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the housing 4 may be arranged below the housing 3. Alternatively, the housing 4 may be arranged on the side of the housing 3.
[0063] In the above embodiment, the wireless communication between the outdoor communication device 10 and the communication device 23 is performed by Wifi (registered trademark). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, it may be performed by Bluetooth (registered trademark) or the like. In this case, the wireless router 24 becomes unnecessary.
[0064] In the above embodiment, two housings (the housing 3 and the housing 4) are provided in the outdoor unit 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and each component may be housed in one housing.
[0065] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the communication device 23 is exemplified by a remote communication device (remote controller). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other communication devices such as a smartphone may be used as the communication device 23.
[0066] (Supplementary Note) According to the description of the above embodiments, the following techniques are disclosed.
[0067] (Technology 1) A compressor that compresses the working refrigerant, a first heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the working refrigerant and the outside air, a first fan that sends the outside air to the first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the working refrigerant and the indoor air, a second fan that sends the indoor air to the second heat exchanger, an outdoor unit having these components, a suction part that sucks indoor air by the second fan, and a blowing part that blows out the air heat-exchanged by the second heat exchanger into the room, an indoor unit having these components, a first air duct that connects the suction part and the second heat exchanger through a through-hole in the wall of the house, and a second air duct that connects the second heat exchanger and the blowing part through the through-hole, the blowing part having a flow splitting part that splits the air from the second air duct in a first direction intersecting the extending direction of the second air duct, a rectifying part that rectifies the air split by the flow splitting part, and a blowing outlet that blows out the air rectified by the rectifying part into the room, an air conditioner.
[0068] With this configuration, the flow splitting part splits the air from the second air duct in a first direction intersecting the extending direction of the second air duct. As a result, the flow of the air from the second air duct spreads in the first direction. Next, the rectifying part rectifies the air split by the flow splitting part. As a result, the flow direction of the air that has once diffused in the first direction by the flow splitting part can be rectified by the rectifying part into the blowing direction. Thereby, air can be uniformly supplied into the room while suppressing ventilation resistance and noise.
[0069] (Technology 2) The flow splitting part has an extending part that extends in the first direction, and a plurality of branched flow path parts that are arranged in parallel in the first direction, extend in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and are connected to the extending part. Each of the connection parts has a first chamfered part arranged on the upstream side in the second direction, and a second chamfered part arranged on the downstream side in the second direction and having a size different from that of the first chamfered part. The air conditioner according to Technology 1.
[0070] With this configuration, the air from the second air passage spreads in the first direction by the extending portion. Further, by each branch passage portion, the air that has spread in the first direction at the extending portion is diverted toward the rectifying portion. In this case, since the second chamfered portion of the connecting portion is at a position different from that of the first chamfered portion of the connecting portion in the second direction, it becomes easier to guide the air from one of the first chamfered portion and the second chamfered portion to the other. As a result, the air can be smoothly introduced into each branch passage portion.
[0071] (TECHNOLOGY 3) The diverting portion includes an extending portion extending in the first direction, and a plurality of branch passage portions arranged in parallel in the first direction, extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and connected to the extending portion. At least a part of one of the connecting portions is at a position different from that of the other connecting portions in the second direction. The air conditioner according to TECHNOLOGY 1.
[0072] With this configuration, the air from the second air passage spreads in the first direction by the extending portion. Further, by each branch passage portion, the air that has spread in the first direction at the extending portion is diverted toward the rectifying portion. In this case, since at least a part of one of the connecting portions is at a position different from that of the other connecting portions in the second direction, the air dispersed in the first direction by the extending portion after passing through the second air passage can be made to flow into the branch passage portion on the front side (that is, the branch passage portion arranged at a position close to the second air passage) and the branch passage on the rear side (that is, the branch passage portion arranged at a position far from the second air passage) of each branch passage portion arranged in parallel in the first direction substantially evenly. As a result, the air can be smoothly and substantially evenly introduced into each branch passage portion.
[0073] (TECHNOLOGY 4) Each of the plurality of branch passage portions is symmetrically arranged on one side and the other side in the first direction. The air conditioner according to TECHNOLOGY 2 or 3.
[0074] With this configuration, regardless of which end of the extending portion in the first direction the second air passage is connected to, the air from the second air passage can be introduced into the extending portion without bias. As a result, the degree of freedom in installing the second air passage with respect to the extending portion increases.
[0075] (TECHNOLOGY 5) The rectifying unit has a plurality of thin plate bars arranged in a row in the first direction, and a plurality of the rows are provided in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The air conditioner according to any one of Technologies 1 to 4.
[0076] With this configuration, by providing a plurality of rows including a plurality of thin plate bars in the second direction, it becomes easier to disperse the air in the first direction as it goes downstream. As a result, the air can be blown out from the air outlet substantially evenly in the first direction.
Explanation of Signs
[0077] 1 Outdoor unit 2 Indoor unit 5 First fan 6 First heat exchanger 7 Second heat exchanger 8 Second fan 9 Control device 10 Outdoor communication device 11 Power cord 12 Compressor 22 Suction part 23 Communication equipment 24 Wireless router 25 Through hole 26 Wall part 31 First air duct 32 Second air duct 40 Blowing part 41 Shunt part 42 Rectifying unit 43 Air outlet 44, 144 Extension part 45, 145 Branch flow path part 45a, 145a Connection part 46, 146 Thin plate bar 100 Air conditioner D1 First direction D2 Second direction De Extension direction H House L1, L2, L3, L4, L5 Row
Claims
1. a compressor that compresses a working refrigerant; a first heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between the working refrigerant and outside air; a first fan that sends air from the first heat exchanger to the outside; a second heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between the working refrigerant and indoor air; an outdoor unit having a second fan that sends the indoor air to the second heat exchanger; a suction part that sucks indoor air by the second fan; an indoor unit having a blowing part that blows out air heat-exchanged by the second heat exchanger into the room; a first air duct that connects the suction part and the second heat exchanger through a through-hole in a wall of a house; a second air duct that connects the second heat exchanger and the blowing part through the through-hole; the blowing part includes: a diversion part that diverts air from the second air duct in a first direction; a rectifying part that rectifies the air diverted by the diversion part; an air conditioner having a blowing outlet that blows out the air rectified by the rectifying part into the room.
2. the diversion part includes: an extending part that extends in the first direction; a plurality of branched flow path parts that are arranged in parallel in the first direction, extend in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and are connected to the extending part; each of the connecting parts has a first chamfered part arranged on the upstream side in the second direction and a second chamfered part arranged on the downstream side in the second direction and having a size different from that of the first chamfered part. The air conditioner according to claim 1.
3. the diversion part includes: an extending part that extends in the first direction; a plurality of branched flow path parts that are arranged in parallel in the first direction, extend in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and are connected to the extending part; at least a part of one of the connecting parts is in a different position from the other connecting parts in the second direction. The air conditioner according to claim 1.
4. each of the plurality of branched flow path parts is symmetrically arranged on one side and the other side in the first direction. The air conditioner according to claim 2 or 3.
5. the rectifying part has a plurality of thin plate bars arranged in a row in the first direction; a plurality of the rows are provided in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and the positions of the thin plate bars of one of the adjacent two rows in the first direction are different from those of the thin plate bars of the other row. The air conditioner according to claim 1.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Residential air conditioning equipment
JP6626550B1