Blower device and indoor unit of air conditioning device

Abstract

To provide a blower device that can improve cooling efficiency, and to provide an indoor unit of an air conditioning device.SOLUTION: A blower device includes a centrifugal type blower 32, 132 and a motor 34 for driving the blower 32, 132. The blower 32, 132 includes an impeller 40 and a casing 50 for accommodating the impeller 40. The casing 50 is provided with: a first opening 51 that is open while facing the motor 34; and a second opening 53 that is positioned on an opposite side to the motor 34 while interposing the first opening 51 therebetween and open with a dimension that is smaller than the first opening 51.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a blower device and an indoor unit of an air conditioner. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an indoor unit of an air conditioner that is equipped with a centrifugal type blower and that reduces blower noise on the suction side of the indoor unit. The indoor unit of Patent Document 1 is an indoor unit for an air conditioner that includes a housing, a partition plate that separates the housing into an intake side and an exhaust side, a centrifugal blower provided on the intake side, and a heat exchanger provided on the exhaust side that exchanges heat with the air blown out from the blower, and air is drawn in from the surface of the housing that faces the intake section of the blower and from the underside of the housing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-112599 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a blower device and an indoor unit of an air conditioner that can improve cooling efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The blower device of the present disclosure comprises a centrifugal blower and a motor that drives the blower, the blower comprising an impeller and a casing that houses the impeller, and the casing is provided with a first opening that opens facing the motor, and a second opening that is located on the opposite side of the motor across the first opening and has an opening with dimensions smaller than the first opening.

[0006] The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the present disclosure includes a housing in which an air blowing chamber that houses the above-mentioned air blowing device and a heat exchange chamber that houses a heat exchanger are provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve cooling efficiency. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an indoor unit of an air conditioning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Bottom view of indoor unit [Figure 3] Perspective view of the indoor unit [Figure 4] Side view of the blower [Figure 5] Side view of the blower [Figure 6] Figure showing the measurement results of the relationship between diameter, motor temperature, and noise level [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a bottom view schematically illustrating an indoor unit according to a modified example of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] (Findings that formed the basis of this disclosure) At the time the inventors arrived at the idea of ​​the present disclosure, there was a technology in which an indoor unit of an air conditioner was provided with a blower device including a blower and a motor for driving the blower, and the air sent out from the blower was heat exchanged with a heat exchanger to air-condition the indoor space. In such a blower device, the blower and the motor are arranged side by side, and the motor is cooled by the air blown by the blower.

[0010] However, the inventors discovered a problem with conventional blower devices in that when the motor rotation speed is increased above a predetermined value, it is difficult to cool the motor using the air blown by the blower, and in order to solve this problem, they came up with the subject matter of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure provides a blower device and an indoor unit of an air conditioner that can improve cooling efficiency.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, unnecessary detailed description may be omitted. For example, detailed description of well-known matters or redundant description of substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid unnecessary redundancy in the following description and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. The accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0012] (Embodiment 1) Embodiment 1 will be described below using Figures 1 to 7. In the description, directions such as front, back, left, right, and up and down are the same as directions relative to the indoor unit of the air conditioner unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, the symbol FR shown in each figure indicates the front of the indoor unit 10 when the indoor unit 10 is installed and used in a flat-hanging state, the symbol UP indicates the top of the indoor unit 10, and the symbol LH indicates the left of the indoor unit 10. In the installed state of the indoor unit 10, the up and down direction coincides with the vertical direction, and the front, back, left, and right directions coincide with the horizontal direction. [1-1.Configuration] [1-1-1. Configuration of the indoor unit of the air conditioner] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an indoor unit 10 provided in an air conditioner 1, viewed from the front side. As shown in Fig. 1, the air conditioner 1 of this embodiment includes an indoor unit 10. The air conditioner 1 includes a refrigeration cycle formed by connecting a heat exchanger 38 housed in the indoor unit 10, a pressure reducing device such as a compressor and an electronic expansion valve housed in an outdoor unit, an outdoor heat exchanger, and the like with refrigerant piping. The air conditioner 1 is a so-called package air conditioner that conditions a specified space to be conditioned to a specified temperature by circulating a refrigerant through this refrigeration cycle. Note that the air conditioner 1 may also be a room air conditioner.

[0013] The indoor unit 10 is a so-called ceiling-suspended indoor unit. The indoor unit 10 is installed in a so-called flat-suspended state, with the opening from which conditioned air is blown out positioned to the side, and blows air horizontally.

[0014] Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the indoor unit 10. For ease of explanation, in Fig. 2, the filter 14 is indicated by a two-dot chain line. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the indoor unit 10 includes a housing 12 formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. An outlet 11, which is an opening for blowing out conditioned air, is provided on the front surface of the housing 12. An intake 13, which is an opening, is provided on the lower surface of the housing 12 at a location on the rear side, and the intake 13 is covered by a pair of filters 14. The housing 12 is provided with a fixing bracket 16. The indoor unit 10 is fixed to the ceiling or the like via this fixing bracket 16.

[0015] The internal space of the housing 12 is divided by a partition plate 20 into an air blowing chamber 21 located on the front side and a heat exchange chamber 23 located on the rear side of the housing 12. The partition plate 20 is a flat member having a predetermined length. The partition plate 20 is disposed so that its plane is perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction, and both ends in the longitudinal direction are connected to the left and right side surfaces of the housing 12. The partition plate 20 is provided with a communication opening 25, which is a through hole that connects the air blowing chamber 21 and the heat exchange chamber 23. In the partition plate 20 of the present embodiment, two communication openings 25 are provided side by side along the longitudinal direction of the partition plate 20.

[0016] The blower chamber 21 accommodates the blower device 30. The blower device 30 includes two blowers 32 and a motor 34. The blowers 32 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. The motor 34 is arranged between the two blowers 32 in the left-right direction.

[0017] 3 is a perspective view of the indoor unit 10 viewed from below. In FIG. 3, the filter 14 is omitted. The blower 32 is a centrifugal blower. As shown in Fig. 3, in this embodiment, the blower 32 is a so-called sirocco fan. The blower 32 includes an impeller 40 and a casing 50 in which the impeller 40 is housed. 2, the casing 50 includes a scroll section 52 in which the impeller 40 is housed, and a cylindrical duct section 57 extending from the scroll section 52. The duct section 57 has a discharge opening 59 at the tip thereof located opposite the scroll section 52, which is an opening through which air sent out by the rotation of the impeller 40 is discharged. The blower 32 is attached to the partition plate 20 by inserting the tip of the duct portion 57 into the communication opening 25. Therefore, the discharge opening 59 is disposed in the heat exchange chamber .

[0018] The motor 34 is a prime mover that rotates the impeller 40. The motor 34 is attached to the partition plate 20 via a support member 36. The motor 34 includes a drive shaft 35. The drive shaft 35 extends from the motor 34 to both the left and right sides along the left-right direction and is connected to each of the blowers 32.

[0019] A heat exchanger 38 is disposed in the heat exchange chamber 23. The heat exchanger 38 is a user-side heat exchanger that functions as an evaporator or gas cooler that evaporates the refrigerant supplied from the outdoor unit, or as a condenser that condenses the refrigerant. The heat exchanger 38 of this embodiment is a so-called fin-and-tube heat exchanger. The heat exchanger 38 is formed long overall, with multiple metal fins joined to bent copper refrigerant pipes. Refrigerant sent from the outdoor unit flows into one end of this refrigerant pipe. The refrigerant flows through the entire heat exchanger 38 via the refrigerant pipe and then flows out again to the outdoor unit from the other end of the refrigerant pipe.

[0020] The heat exchanger 38 is disposed so that its longitudinal direction is along the left-right direction of the heat exchange chamber 23. The heat exchanger 38 is disposed in this manner so that one side surface positioned in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction faces the partition plate 20, and the other side surface faces the discharge port 11. As a result, the refrigerant pipes of the heat exchanger 38 extend along the longitudinal direction of the partition plate 20, and the planes of the fins are aligned so that they are perpendicular to the left-right direction. The indoor unit 10 may be equipped with a plurality of heat exchangers. These heat exchangers may be arranged arbitrarily in the heat exchange chamber 23.

[0021] [1-1-2. Configuration of the blower] Next, the blower 30 will be described. Fig. 4 is a side view of blower 32 as viewed from the motor 34 side. In Fig. 4, side plate 55 located on the left side of casing 50 and an end ring provided on impeller 40 are omitted, and first opening 51 and bell mouth 56 are indicated by dashed lines. 3 and 4, impeller 40 of blower 32 includes main plate 42 that is disk-shaped in plan view. An end of drive shaft 35 is connected to center 41 of the plane of main plate 42 so as to be perpendicular to the plane. Center 41 corresponds to the center of rotation of impeller 40.

[0022] A plurality of blades 44 extending upright in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the main plate 42 are arranged on both sides of the main plate 42 along the entire peripheral edge of the plane of the main plate 42. Each of the blades 44 is formed in a plate shape extending substantially parallel to the drive shaft 35. Each of the blades 44 has one longitudinal end connected to the main plate 42 and the other end connected to an end ring, which is a plate-like member formed in an annular shape in a plan view. Therefore, the impeller 40 is formed in a cylindrical shape as a whole.

[0023] As shown in Figure 4, in a plan view of the main plate 42, each of the blades 44 is arranged so that one end 45, located in a direction intersecting the plate thickness direction and the longitudinal direction, is adjacent to the peripheral edge of the main plate 42, and the other end 47 is close to the drive shaft 35. Each of the blades 44 is arranged so as to be inclined in the circumferential direction of the main plate 42 from the end 47 toward the end 45 in a plan view of the main plate 42. Each of the blades 44 is formed so that the plate thickness becomes thinner from the end 47 toward the end 45 in a plan view of the main plate 42, and is also formed so as to be curved in the circumferential direction of the main plate 42 from the end 47 toward the end 45. Each of the blades 44 is curved so as to protrude in the opposite direction to the rotation direction R of the impeller 40 in a plan view of the main plate 42.

[0024] The impeller 40 formed in this manner rotates around the drive shaft 35 as its rotation axis, drawing air into the space surrounded by each of the blades 44 from the direction in which the drive shaft 35 extends, and sending the air outward from the impeller 40 along the radial direction of the main plate 42.

[0025] The scroll portion 52 of the casing 50 accommodates the impeller 40 inside in a rotatable state. The scroll portion 52 includes a pair of side plates 55 that cover the impeller 40 from both the left and right sides along the drive shaft 35, and a peripheral plate 54 that covers the impeller 40 from the radial direction of the impeller 40.

[0026] When viewed from the left and right, the peripheral plate 54 is formed in a spiral shape with the radius increasing spirally from the bottom to the rear and from the rear to the front, centered at the center 41, along the rotation direction of the impeller 40. In this embodiment, the peripheral plate 54 is formed using the expansion ratio of an Archimedes' spiral. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the peripheral plate 54 may be formed using various types of spirals, such as an algebraic spiral such as a hyperbolic spiral, a logarithmic spiral, or an involute curve.

[0027] In the casing 50 , the air delivered by the impeller 40 flows in the direction of rotation of the impeller 40 and along the peripheral plate 54 .

[0028] Each of the side plates 55 is formed in the shape of a plate having a flat surface. Of the pair of side plates 55, the side plate 55 that is positioned opposite the motor 34 is provided with a first opening 51, which is a through-hole that penetrates the side plate 55 in the plate thickness direction. The first opening 51 connects the inside and outside of the casing 50 and functions as an air vent that allows air to enter the inside of the casing 50 as the impeller 40 rotates. As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, the blower 32 located on the left side has a first opening 51 provided in the side panel 55 located on the right side, and the blower 32 located on the right side has a second opening 53 provided in the side panel 55 located on the left side.

[0029] 4, first opening 51 is formed in a circular shape centered on central portion 41 when viewed from the left-right direction. First opening 51 is formed with a diameter r1 that allows it to take in a larger amount of air when impeller 40 rotates and to send air to scroll portion 52 in the circumferential direction from impeller 40. In blower 32, because first opening 51 is formed with diameter r1, each of end portions 45 of blades 44 is exposed to the outside through first opening 51 when viewed from the left-right direction.

[0030] The first opening 51 is surrounded by an annular bell mouth 56 provided in the side plate 55. The bell mouth 56 straightens the air that enters the inside of the casing 50 through the first opening 51. The bell mouth 56 is provided around the entire periphery of the first opening 51, continues from the flat surface of the side plate 55, and has a tapered shape that decreases in diameter as it approaches the inside of the casing 50. The tip of the bell mouth 56, which is located on the inside of the casing 50, extends to a position adjacent to the end 45 of the impeller 40.

[0031] Fig. 5 is a side view of blower 32 as viewed from the side opposite to the side facing motor 34. In Fig. 5, side plate 55 located on the left side of casing 50 and an end ring provided on impeller 40 are omitted, and second opening 53 and bell mouth 58 are indicated by dashed lines. 5, of the pair of side plates 55, the side plate 55 located on the opposite side of the motor 34 across the impeller 40 is provided with a second opening 53, which is a through-hole that penetrates the side plate 55 in the plate thickness direction. The second opening 53 provides communication between the inside and outside of the casing 50 and functions as an air vent through which air enters the inside of the casing 50 as the impeller 40 rotates. In other words, the blower 32 is a so-called double-suction blower in which openings through which air is drawn are provided in the casing 50 on both sides of the impeller 40 along the extension direction of the drive shaft 35.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, the fan 32 located on the right side has a second opening 53 provided in the side panel 55 located on the left side, and the fan 32 located on the left side has a second opening 53 provided in the side panel 55 located on the right side.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 5, second opening 53 is formed in a circular shape centered on central portion 41 when viewed from the left-right direction. Second opening 53 is formed with a diameter r2 that is smaller than diameter r1. Specifically, second opening 53 is formed so that the reduction ratio of diameter r2 to diameter r1 is 80% or more. In blower 32, because second opening 53 is formed with diameter r2, blade 44 is entirely covered by side panel 55 when viewed from the left-right direction and is not exposed to the outside.

[0034] The second opening 53 is surrounded by an annular bell mouth 58 provided in the side plate 55. The bell mouth 58 rectifies the air that enters the inside of the casing 50 through the first opening 51. The bell mouth 58 is provided around the entire periphery of the second opening 53, continues from the flat surface of the side plate 55, and has a tapered shape that decreases in diameter as it approaches the inside of the casing 50. The tip of the bell mouth 56 located on the inside of the casing 50 extends to a position adjacent to the end 45 of the impeller 40. The blades 44 are arranged outside the bell mouth 56 when viewed from the left and right direction, or at positions where each of the end portions 45 overlaps the outer circumferential edge of the bell mouth 56.

[0035] In this way, in the blower device 30, when viewed from the direction in which the drive shaft 35 extends, the second opening 53, which opens on the opposite side of the motor 34 across the impeller 40, is formed to have a smaller diameter than the first opening 51, which opens opposite the motor 34. As a result, in each of the blowers 32, more air flows into the larger-diameter first openings 51 than into the smaller-diameter second openings 53. As a result, in the blower chamber 21, more air flows around the motors 34 provided adjacent to each of the first openings 51.

[0036] The duct portion 57 of the casing 50 is formed in a rectangular cylindrical shape. The left and right sides of the duct portion 57 are continuous with the side plates 55, and the top and bottom sides of the duct portion 57 are continuous with the peripheral plate 54. Duct portion 57 extends in a direction intersecting the side circumferential surface of impeller 40. Air sent out by impeller 40 is blown out from the inside of casing 50 to the outside through discharge opening 59. The duct portion 57 functions as a flow path for sending the air flowing along the peripheral plate 54 to the heat exchange chamber 23 .

[0037] [1-2. Operation] The operation of the indoor unit 10 configured as above will be described below. In the indoor unit 10 of the air conditioner 1, the motor 34 is driven to rotate, causing each of the impellers 40 to rotate. As a result, air is drawn into the casing 50 and the interior of the impeller 40 from the first opening 51 and the second opening 53. After being sent out in the centrifugal direction, the air flows in the rotation direction of the impeller 40 and along the peripheral plate 54, flows through the duct portion 57, and is then blown out into the heat exchange chamber 23 via the discharge opening 59. The air blown out into the heat exchange chamber 23 undergoes heat exchange in the heat exchanger 38 to become conditioned air, which is then discharged from the discharge port 11 into the space to be conditioned.

[0038] As described above, each of the blowers 32 is formed so that the second opening 53, which opens on the opposite side of the motor 34 across the first opening 51, has a smaller diameter than the first opening 51, which opens facing the motor 34. This allows more air to flow around the motor 34 in the blower device 30, improving the cooling efficiency of the motor 34. Therefore, in the blower device 30 and the indoor unit 10, the rotation speed of the motor 34 can be increased to increase the air volume and improve air blowing performance.

[0039] [1-3. Indoor unit experiment] Next, an experiment conducted by the inventors to analyze the relationship between the structure of the casing 50 of the blower 32 in this embodiment and the cooling efficiency of the motor 34 will be described. The inventors used the indoor unit 10 to change the diameter dimension r2 of the second opening 53 so that it was smaller than the diameter dimension r1 of the first opening 51, and measured the temperature of each part of the motor 34 at each diameter dimension r2. In this experiment, two housings 12 with different dimensions were used, and the temperatures of the various parts of the motor 34 at each of the radial dimensions r2 were measured.

[0040] As a result of the above-described experiments, the inventors have found that, regardless of the dimensions of the housing 12, the temperature rise of each part of the motor 34, such as the main winding and auxiliary winding, is suppressed as the diameter dimension r2 is reduced. In other words, the inventors have found that, in the air blower 30, the cooling efficiency of the motor 34 can be improved by reducing r2, and the temperature rise associated with driving the motor 34 can be suppressed.

[0041] Next, based on the above results, the inventors increased the tap, which is the air volume stage of the blower device 30, from the conventional H tap to an HH tap, and increased the rotation speed of the motor 34 and the air volume of the blower 32. In this experiment, the rotation speed of the motor 34 at the H tap was 837 rpm. The rotation speed of the motor 34 at the HH tap was 945 rpm. The inventors used the blower 30 in the HH tap and increased the rotation speed of the motor 34 as the diameter r2 of the second opening 53 became smaller than the diameter r1 of the first opening 51. The inventors measured the amount of air drawn into the casing 50 and the noise level for each diameter r2.

[0042] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the measurement results of the relationship between the diameter r2 of the second opening 53 and the temperature and noise level of the motor 34. In Fig. 7, the horizontal axis represents the reduction rate (%) of the diameter r2 relative to the diameter r1, the vertical axis on the right represents the temperature (°C) of the motor 34, and the vertical axis on the left represents the noise level (dBA) of the fan 32. 6, in the blower device 30, the temperature rise of the motor 34 is suppressed as the diameter r2 is reduced. The inventors have found that, as shown by point P1, when the diameter r2 is 90% or less of the diameter r1, the temperature of the motor 34 can be suppressed to 100 degrees or less. The inventors have found that when the diameter r2 is about 85% of the diameter r1, the temperature of the motor 34 can be kept below 100°C even when the rotation speed is increased to about 30 rpm. This has led the inventors to find that, even when the diameter r2 is reduced in the blower device 30, the cooling efficiency is improved, making it possible to increase the rotation speed of the motor 34 and increase the air volume of the blower 32.

[0043] 6, in blower device 30, as radial dimension r2 is reduced, the noise level of blower 32 increases. The inventors have found that, as shown by point P2, when radial dimension r2 is 80% or more of radial dimension r1, the noise level of blower 32 can be kept below 52 dBA. The inventors have found that when the diameter dimension r2 is approximately 85% of the diameter dimension r1, the noise level of the blower 32 can be kept below 52 dBA even if the rotation speed is increased by approximately 30 rpm.

[0044] From the above experimental results, the inventors have found that when the diameter dimension r2 is 80% or more of the diameter dimension r1, the increase in noise level can be suppressed to a predetermined value or less, while improving the cooling efficiency. Furthermore, it was found that when the diameter dimension r2 is 80% or more and 90% or less of the diameter dimension r1, the noise level and the temperature rise caused by driving the motor 34 can be suppressed to a predetermined value or less. Furthermore, we have found that when the diameter dimension r2 is 80% or more and 85% or less of the diameter dimension r1, it is possible to improve the cooling efficiency, which allows the rotation speed of the motor 34 to be increased, while suppressing the increase in noise level to below a predetermined value.

[0045] In this way, in the blower device 30, the diameter dimension r2 of the second opening 53 is formed to be 80% or more of the diameter dimension r1 of the first opening 51, thereby suppressing the temperature rise of the motor 34, increasing the rotation speed of the motor 34, and suppressing a decrease in the air flow rate of the blower 32. In addition, in the blower device 30, the diameter dimension r2 of the second opening 53 is formed to be 80% or more of the diameter dimension r1 of the first opening 51, so that even when the rotation speed of the motor 34 is increased, an increase in noise levels can be suppressed.

[0046] [1-4. Effects, etc.] As described above, in the present embodiment, the blower device 30 and the indoor unit 10 include a centrifugal blower 32 and a motor 34 that drives the blower 32. The blower 32 includes an impeller 40 and a casing 50 that houses the impeller 40. The casing 50 is provided with a first opening 51 that opens facing the motor 34, and a second opening 53 that is located on the opposite side of the first opening 51 from the motor 34 and has an opening with dimensions smaller than that of the first opening 51. As a result, in each of the blowers 32, more air flows into the larger-diameter first openings 51 than into the smaller-diameter second openings 53. Therefore, in the blower device 30, more air flows around the motors 34 provided adjacent to each of the first openings 51, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the motors 34.

[0047] As in the present embodiment, the impeller 40 includes a plurality of blades 44. The first opening 51 may be formed with a dimension that allows at least a portion of the blades 44 to be exposed to the outside of the casing 50 through the first opening 51, and the second opening 53 may be formed with a dimension that prevents the blades 44 from being exposed to the outside of the casing 50 through the second opening 53. As a result, in blower device 30, first openings 51 are formed with a diameter dimension r1 that allows them to take in a larger amount of air, and second openings 53 are formed with a diameter dimension r2 that allows them to guide air so that a relatively larger amount of air is taken in toward first openings 51. As a result, in blower device 30, more air flows around motors 34 that are provided adjacent to each of first openings 51, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of motors 34.

[0048] As in this embodiment, second opening 53 may be formed with a diameter that is 80% or more of the diameter of first opening 51. As a result, in the blower device 30, it is possible to suppress a rise in temperature of the motor 34, increase the rotation speed of the motor 34, and increase the amount of air blown by the blower 32. Therefore, in the blower device 30, even when the rotation speed of the motor 34 is increased, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the amount of air drawn into the casing 50 and an increase in noise levels.

[0049] (Other embodiments) As described above, the first embodiment has been described as an example of the technology disclosed in the present application. However, the technology in the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made. Furthermore, it is also possible to combine the components described in the first embodiment above to create new embodiments. Therefore, other embodiments will be exemplified below.

[0050] Fig. 6 is a bottom view that schematically shows an indoor unit 110 according to a modified example. In Fig. 7, the same parts as those in Figs. 2 to 5 are given the same reference numerals and their explanation will be omitted. A modified example of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to FIG. 7, the indoor unit 110 of this modified example includes a housing 112 that houses the blower device 130. The blower device 130 includes three fans 132. In the blower device 130, two fans 132 are arranged on either side of the motor 34 along the drive shaft 35, and another fan 132 is provided further to the left of the fan 132 located on the left side of the motor 34.

[0051] The blower 132 includes a casing 50, and the casing 50 has a first opening 51 formed in each of its side panels 55. Each of the fans 132 is provided with a plate-shaped shielding member 60. The shielding member 60 is provided with a shielding opening 61, which is a through-hole that penetrates in the plate thickness direction. The shielding opening 61 is formed in a circular shape with a diameter dimension r2 in a plan view.

[0052] In each of the blowers 132, the shielding member 60 is attached to a side panel 55 located on the opposite side of the motor 34 across a first opening 51 that opens facing the impeller 40 and the motor 34. The shielding member 60 is attached to the side panel 55 so that the center of the shield opening 61 is positioned at approximately the same position as the center part 41 when viewed from the left and right direction.

[0053] As a result, in each of the blowers 132, the first opening 51 located on the opposite side of the motor 34 across the first opening 51 that opens to face the impeller 40 and the motor 34 is shielded by the shielding member 60. For this reason, in each of the casings 50 of the blowers 132, an opening having approximately the same dimensions as the second opening 53 is provided at a location located on the opposite side of the motor 34 across the first opening 51 that opens to face the impeller 40 and the motor 34. Furthermore, in the blower device 130 and the indoor unit 110, more air flows around the motor 34, and the cooling efficiency of the motor 34 can be improved. Furthermore, even if the blower device 130 and the indoor unit 110 are equipped with a blower 132 in which a pair of openings for taking in air have approximately the same diameter, by attaching the shielding member 60, more air can be circulated around the motor 34.

[0054] The shielding member 60 may be attached to the two fans 132 arranged on both sides of the motor 34, but may not be attached to the other fan 132 located further to the left of the fan 132 located on the left side of the motor 34. In this case, the fan device 130 and the indoor unit 110 can suppress a decrease in the amount of air drawn into the other fans 132, and can also suppress an increase in noise.

[0055] In the above-described embodiment, the blower device 30 includes two blowers 32, but may include three or more blowers 32 as shown in a modified example. For example, the blower device 30 may include one blower 32. Also for example, the blower device 30 may include two or more motors 34.

[0056] In the above-described embodiment, the blower 32 is a sirocco fan, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be, for example, a turbo fan.

[0057] In the above-described embodiment, the indoor unit 10 is a ceiling-suspended indoor unit, but it is not limited to this and may be various types of indoor units such as a duct type or a wall-mounted type. Furthermore, for example, the indoor unit 10 may be configured to be able to send air in a predetermined direction depending on the installation location, such as being installed in a vertically suspended state and sending air upward.

[0058] In the above-described embodiment, the air conditioner 1 is a packaged air conditioner, but is not limited to this and may be any of various air conditioners such as a ventilation system, a humidity controller, a humidifier, an air purifier, or the like.

[0059] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate the technology of the present disclosure, and various modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. may be made within the scope of the claims or their equivalents.

[0060] (Addendum) The above description of the embodiments discloses the following techniques.

[0061] (Technology 1) A blower device comprising: a centrifugal blower; and a motor that drives the blower; the blower comprises an impeller and a casing that houses the impeller; the casing is provided with a first opening that opens facing the motor, and a second opening that is located on the opposite side of the motor with the first opening in between and has an opening with dimensions smaller than the first opening. With this, in each blower, more air flows into the larger-diameter first opening than into the smaller-diameter second opening, which allows more air to flow around the motors located adjacent to each first opening, improving the cooling efficiency of the motors.

[0062] (Technology 2) The impeller includes a plurality of blades, the first opening is formed with dimensions that allow at least a portion of the blades to be exposed to the outside of the casing through the first opening, and the second opening is formed with dimensions that prevent the blades from being exposed to the outside of the casing through the second opening. According to this, in the blower device, the first openings are formed with a diameter dimension that allows them to take in more air, and the second openings are formed with a diameter dimension that allows them to guide air so that relatively more air is taken in toward the first openings. As a result, in the blower device, more air flows around the motors provided adjacent to each of the first openings, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the motors.

[0063] (Technology 3) The blower device described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the second opening is located on the opposite side of the motor across the first opening, and is formed by an opening having the same dimensions as the first opening, at least partially shielded by a shielding member attached to the casing. According to this, even if the blower device has a pair of openings for taking in air that have approximately the same diameter, the attachment of the shielding member allows more air to flow around the motor, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the motor.

[0064] (Technique 4) The blower according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second opening is formed with a diameter that is 80% or more of the diameter of the first opening. This allows the blower device to suppress a rise in motor temperature, increase the motor rotation speed, and increase the amount of air blown by the blower. Therefore, even when the motor rotation speed is increased, the blower device can suppress a decrease in the amount of air drawn into the casing and an increase in noise levels.

[0065] (Technical Aspect 5) An indoor unit of an air conditioner, comprising a housing in which an air blowing chamber in which the air blowing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is housed, and a heat exchange chamber in which a heat exchanger is housed. This allows the indoor unit of the air conditioner to obtain the same effects as the above-mentioned blower device. [Industrial Applicability]

[0066] The present disclosure is applicable to air conditioners equipped with centrifugal fans, specifically to ceiling-mounted duct-type indoor units, ceiling-suspended indoor units, wall-mounted indoor units, and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 1. Air conditioning equipment 10, 110 Indoor unit 11 Discharge port 12, 112 enclosure 13 Air intake 14 Filters 16 Fixing bracket 20 Divider 21 Ventilation room 23 Heat exchange room 25 Communication opening 30, 130 Blower 32, 132 blower 34 Motor 35 drive shaft 36 Support member 38 Heat exchanger 40 Impeller 41 Center 42 Main plate 44 Feather 45, 47 End 50 casing 51 First opening 52 Scroll section 53 Second Opening 54 Surrounding plate 55 Side plate 56, 58 Bellmouth 57 Duct section 59 Discharge opening 60 Shielding member 61 Shielding opening 69 Heat exchanger R Rotation direction r1, r2 diameter dimensions

Claims

1. A centrifugal type blower; a motor that drives the blower; Equipped with The blower is An impeller and a casing that houses the impeller; Equipped with The casing includes: a first opening facing the motor; a second opening located on the opposite side of the motor across the first opening and having a smaller opening size than the first opening; will be established Blower.

2. The impeller comprises a plurality of blades; the first opening is formed with a dimension such that at least a portion of the blade is exposed to the outside of the casing through the first opening, The second opening is formed with a size such that the blades are not exposed to the outside of the casing through the second opening. The blower device according to claim 1 .

3. The second opening is located on the opposite side of the motor across the first opening, and is provided by an opening having the same dimensions as the first opening, and at least a portion of the opening being shielded by a shielding member attached to the casing. The blower device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The second opening is formed with a diameter that is 80% or more of the diameter of the first opening. The blower device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. an air blowing chamber in which the air blowing device according to claim 1 or 2 is housed; a heat exchange chamber in which a heat exchanger is housed; The housing is provided with Indoor unit of an air conditioning unit.

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