Airflow control device

Abstract

To provide an airflow control device that can control indoor airflow with a simple configuration. [Solution] The airflow control device (40) includes a blower (41) that sends air from inside the building toward the ceiling, and a wind direction adjustment mechanism (45) that is attached to the ceiling (15) and collects the air sent by the blower (41) and blows the air toward any direction. The wind direction adjustment mechanism (45) includes a plurality of wall sections (46, 47, 48, 49) that protrude downward from the ceiling (15), and a movable part that allows the plurality of wall sections (46, 47, 48, 49) to be opened and closed.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an airflow control device, and particularly to an airflow control device disposed on a ceiling of a building. [Background Art]

[0002] Generally, a temperature difference occurs between living rooms and non-living rooms in a house. For example, in summer, although a living room such as a living room where an air conditioner performs cooling operation has a low temperature and is comfortable, non-living rooms such as corridors and entrances where no air conditioner is installed become high temperature, impairing comfort. In order to improve comfort in non-living rooms, it is conceivable to install an air conditioner in the non-living room, but this increases costs.

[0003] It is also conceivable to open a door between a living room and a non-living room to introduce conditioned air from the living room into the non-living room. As a method for introducing conditioned air from a living room into the non-living room, for example, a fan or the like is used. Examples of technologies disclosing such a fan include Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-257108 (Patent Document 1).

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses that a plurality of flat plate fins are attached to the ejection port side of a fan, and the blowing direction can be changed by manually adjusting each of the fins to a desired inclination angle. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-257108 [Summary of the Invention] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

[0006] The fan with adjustable airflow described in Patent Document 1 can be adjusted to a desired tilt angle, but it can only be changed up, down, left, and right, resulting in a limited range of change and inability to efficiently improve the temperature difference between living and non-living spaces. Furthermore, there was a need for technology that could control airflow within a room, not just the temperature difference between living and non-living spaces.

[0007] The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its objective is to provide an airflow control device that can control indoor airflow with a simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An airflow control device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a blower that sends air from inside a building toward the ceiling, and a wind direction adjustment mechanism mounted on the ceiling that collects the air sent out by the blower and ejects the air in any direction.

[0009] Preferably, the airflow adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of wall sections that protrude downward from the ceiling and concentrate air towards the ceiling, and a movable section that allows any of the plurality of wall sections to be opened and closed.

[0010] Preferably, the blower is a ceiling fan suspended from the ceiling.

[0011] Preferably, the building is a residence that includes living rooms and non-living rooms, and the living rooms are equipped with air conditioners that supply conditioned air.

[0012] Preferably, the airflow adjustment mechanism directs the air blown out by the fan towards a non-habitable room. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the airflow control device of the present invention, it is possible to control the airflow in a room with a simple configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a floor plan showing an example of the layout of the first floor of a house using an airflow control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a floor plan showing an example of the second-floor layout of a house using an airflow control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of an airflow control device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from a diagonally downward side. [Figure 4] This is a side view of an airflow control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a view of an airflow control device according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from directly below. [Figure 6] Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view taken from the line VI-VI, with (A) representing the normal state and (B) representing the operating state. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view showing the operation of an airflow control device according to an embodiment of the present invention, where (A) shows the state in which only the blower is operating, and (B) shows the state in which the airflow direction adjustment mechanism is also operating. [Figure 8] This figure shows the analysis space in the simulation; (A) shows the ceiling fan in operation, and (B) shows the airflow control device in this embodiment in operation. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will not be repeated.

[0016] <About the environment inside the house> Prior to describing the airflow control according to the present embodiment, an outline of the temperature environment of a general house will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The house 10 is, for example, a two-story house, and a plurality of rooms are arranged in the indoor space. Figure 1 shows an example of the floor plan of the first floor, and Figure 2 shows an example of the floor plan of the second floor. In Figures 1 and 2, the horizontal direction of arrow A1 indicates the width direction, and the vertical direction of arrow A2 indicates the depth direction.

[0017] As shown in Figure 1, the house 1 is generally substantially square in plan view, and the first floor of the house 10 is partitioned by wall portions 11 and 12 corresponding to the vertical direction and wall portions 13 and 14 corresponding to the horizontal direction. On the first floor of the house 10, a living-dining room 21 and a kitchen 22 are arranged on the wall portion 13 side. The living-dining room 21 and the kitchen 22 communicate with each other without a door. On the wall portion 14 side, an entrance 23, an entrance hall 24, a closet 25, a staircase 26, a washroom 27, a bathroom 28, and a toilet 29 are arranged.

[0018] As shown in Figure 2, on the second floor of the house 10, a private room 31 used as a main bedroom, a private room (Western-style room) 32, and a closet 33 are arranged on the wall portion 13 side. On the wall portion 14 side, two private rooms (Western-style rooms) 34, 35 and the staircase 26 are arranged. At a substantially central portion of the second floor, a toilet 36 and a corridor 37 leading to each room are arranged. The first floor and the second floor are connected by the staircase 26.

[0019] In the present embodiment, the term "living room" refers to a room that is continuously used for purposes such as residence, work, and recreation, and specifically includes living-dining rooms, private rooms such as the main bedroom and Western-style rooms, and the like. "Non-living room" refers to a room other than living rooms, and specifically includes rooms that are passed through to go to other rooms such as entrances, staircases, and corridors, as well as sanitary rooms such as washrooms, bathrooms, and toilets.

[0020] Returning to Figure 1, on the first floor of the house 10, the living / dining room 21, which is a habitable room, is equipped with an air conditioner 60 capable of both cooling and heating. The air conditioner 60 is typically a wall-mounted air conditioner, but it may also be a ceiling-mounted type, for example. Especially in summer, the air conditioner 60 is set to cooling mode in the living / dining room 21, so the room temperature becomes, for example, 26°C, which is a comfortable temperature. On the other hand, in the non-habitable rooms other than the living / dining room 21, such as the entrance hall 23, entrance hall 24, closet 25, staircase 26, and sanitary rooms 27, 28, and 29, there is no air conditioning, so the room temperature becomes 30°C or higher, which is an uncomfortable temperature.

[0021] As shown in Figure 2, in the second floor of the house 10, the master bedroom, private room 31, is equipped with an air conditioner 60 capable of heating and cooling. Since the occupants primarily sleep in private room 31, the air conditioner 60 is run in cooling mode, especially at night during the summer, bringing the room temperature to a comfortable 26°C. On the other hand, the other private rooms 32, 34, 35, the closet 33, and the corridor 37 are not air-conditioned, resulting in temperatures exceeding 30°C and becoming uncomfortably hot.

[0022] As explained above, the living rooms (living room / dining room 21 on the first floor and private rooms 31 on the second floor) have air conditioners 60 running, resulting in a comfortable room temperature. On the other hand, the non-living rooms adjacent to these living rooms 21 and 31 via doors 20 and 30 (entrance hall 24 on the first floor and corridor 37 on the second floor) are not air-conditioned and therefore become hot, creating a temperature difference between the living rooms 21 and 31 and the non-living rooms 24 and 37.

[0023] To eliminate the temperature difference between the living rooms 21 and 31 and the non-living rooms 24 and 37, one could consider installing air conditioners in the non-living rooms or keeping the doors 20 and 30 between the living rooms 21 and 31 and the non-living rooms 24 and 37 open at all times. However, installing air conditioners in the non-living rooms 24 and 37 would be costly. Also, keeping the doors to living rooms 21 and 31 open at all times is undesirable from the standpoint of privacy and soundproofing.

[0024] The inventors have diligently researched and discovered that by using the airflow control device 40 to blow conditioned air from living rooms 21 and 31 toward non-living rooms 24 and 37, the room temperature in non-living rooms 24 and 37 can be made to a comfortable temperature. Below, the airflow control device 40, which is capable of improving the temperature difference between living rooms 21 and 31 and non-living rooms 24 and 37, will be described in detail. In this embodiment, as an example of a room where the airflow control device 40 is installed, it is placed in the living / dining room 21 on the first floor and the private room 31 on the second floor.

[0025] <About the airflow control device> The airflow control device 40 according to this embodiment will be described in detail with further reference to Figures 3 to 6. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the airflow control device seen from the diagonally downward side, Figure 4 is a side view thereof, and Figure 5 is a view of it seen from directly below. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view seen from the line VI-VI in Figure 5, where (A) is the normal state and (B) is the operating state. For ease of understanding, the blower is shown with a dashed line in Figure 5, and its illustration is omitted in Figures 6(A) and 6(B).

[0026] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the airflow control device 40 according to this embodiment includes a blower 41 that sends air from the living rooms 21 and 31 toward the ceiling 15, and an airflow direction adjustment mechanism 45 that is attached to the ceiling 15, collects the air sent out by the blower 41, and blows the air toward any direction.

[0027] The blower 41 is typically a ceiling fan suspended from the ceiling 15. The blower 41 has a large airflow, for example, 2000 m³ 3 / h~3000m 3 It has an airflow of approximately / h. Specifically, the blower 41 includes a plurality of blades 42, a shaft 43 suspended from the ceiling 15 and rotatably supporting the blades 42, and a support 44 that supports the shaft 43 to the ceiling 15.

[0028] The wing portion 42 is a long member that extends radially outward from the central shaft portion 43. Although only two wing portions 42 are shown in the drawing, there may be three or more, and the number of wing portions 42 is not limited. As shown in Figure 4, the diameter D1 of the wing portion 42 is typically 100 cm, for example, between 90 cm and 110 cm. The shaft portion 43 extends vertically and is suspended from the ceiling 15 by a support portion 44. The tip (lower end) of the shaft portion 43 is rotatably supported by the wing portion 42.

[0029] As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the airflow adjustment mechanism 45 includes a plurality of wall sections 46, 47, 48, and 49 that protrude downward from the ceiling 15 and concentrate air toward the ceiling 15. As shown in Figure 5, the plurality of wall sections 46, 47, 48, and 49 are, for example, plate-shaped members that extend elongated in the longitudinal direction. The airflow adjustment mechanism 45 is formed in a substantially square shape when viewed from below towards the ceiling 15 by these plate members 46, 47, 48, and 49. The shape of this region 50 is not limited to a substantially square shape, and may be, for example, circular or polygonal.

[0030] As shown in Figure 4, the height H (projection dimension from the ceiling 15) of the multiple boards 46, 47, 48, and 49 is preferably between 10 cm and 20 cm. If the height H of the boards 46, 47, 48, and 49 is less than 10 cm, the air sent out from the blower 41 cannot be sufficiently concentrated, and if it exceeds 20 cm, it will affect the aesthetic appearance of the ceiling 15.

[0031] The longitudinal length D2 of the plate material 47 (46, 48, 49) is preferably greater than the diameter of the wing portion 42, for example, 95 cm or more and 115 cm or less. As shown in Figure 5, the region 50 enclosed by the plate materials 46, 47, 48, 49 is formed to be larger than the area of ​​the rotational trajectory of the wing portion 42. This allows almost all of the conditioned air from the living spaces 21, 31 sent from the wing portion 42 to be collected and received in region 50. This region 50 is the area where the conditioned air conditioned by the air conditioner 60 is collected.

[0032] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, columnar sections 51, 52, 53, and 54 are provided at one and the other longitudinal end of each of the four panels 46, 47, 48, and 49, respectively, projecting downward from the ceiling 15. In other words, the columnar sections 51, 52, 53, and 54 are located at the four corners of a roughly square area 50. Rod-shaped members 56, 57, 58, and 59 are fixed to the vertical center of each of the columnar sections 51, 52, 53, and 54 so as to be able to rotate. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6(A), the rod-shaped members 56, 57, 58, and 59 are fixed along the longitudinal direction of the four panels 46, 47, 48, and 49 at their vertical center. The rod-shaped members 56, 57, 58, and 59 are movable parts that allow any of the panels among the multiple panels to be opened and closed.

[0033] Specifically, the rod-shaped members 56, 57, 58, and 59 are provided so as to be rotatable. Therefore, by rotating the rod-shaped members 56, 57, 58, and 59, the plate members 46, 47, 48, and 49 can be opened and closed. Specifically, the plate members 46, 47, 48, and 49 can be in a closed state with vertical extension and an open state with horizontal extension. Figure 6(A) shows the closed state of the plate members 46, 47, and 48, and Figure 6(B) shows the open state of the plate member 49.

[0034] These panels 46, 47, 48, and 49 can be opened and closed at any point and are operated manually, for example, using a remote control. In Figure 6(B), one of the panels 46, 47, 48, and 49 is shown open, but multiple panels can be opened simultaneously.

[0035] <Regarding the operation of the airflow control device> The operation of the airflow control device 40 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 7. Figure 7 is a perspective view from a diagonally downward side illustrating the operation of the airflow control device, where (A) shows the state with only the blower operating and (B) shows the state with the wind direction adjustment mechanism also operating.

[0036] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, for example, in summer, the air conditioners 60 are running in cooling mode in living rooms 21 and 31, resulting in a comfortable temperature. In contrast, in non-living rooms 24 and 37 adjacent to living rooms 21 and 31, there are no air conditioners 60 and the doors 20 and 30 are closed, resulting in a high and uncomfortable temperature. The airflow control device 40 of this embodiment is operated in such conditions. Various methods can be considered for operating the airflow control device 40, but as an example, a method using remote control operation will be described.

[0037] First, doors 20 and 30 are opened manually. Next, the remote control is operated to activate the blower 41, as shown in Figure 7(A), to blow the conditioned air from rooms 21 and 31 towards the ceiling 15. Then, as shown in Figure 7(B), with the blower 41 still running, the panel 48 facing the doors 20 and 30 is opened. Specifically, the remote control is used to rotate the rod-shaped member 58, displacing the panel 48 from a vertically extending state to a horizontally extending state. As a result, only panel 48 opens while panels 46, 47, and 49 remain closed, allowing the conditioned air from rooms 21 and 31 to be blown out towards panel 48.

[0038] Figure 8 shows the analysis space in the simulation, where (A) shows the ceiling fan in operation and (B) shows the airflow control device in this embodiment in operation. The simulation was performed using the thermal fluid analysis software Flow Designer, targeting the analysis spaces shown in Figures 7(A) and 7(B).

[0039] Figures 8(A) and 8(B) differ in whether a general ceiling fan 110 or the airflow control device 40 of this embodiment is used; all other configurations are the same. The area to the left of the partition wall 100 is the living room 101, and the area to the right is the non-living room 102. The conditions in the simulations for Figures 8(A) and 8(B) are an area of ​​36 tatami mats, a height of 2.7 m, and a ceiling fan airflow of 160 m³. 3The value is / min). Note that the ceiling fan 110 in Figure 8(A) and the ceiling fan used as a blower in the airflow control device 40 in Figure 8(A) are assumed to be the same. In this simulation, the airflow distribution (wind speed) at FL+100mm is shown. An opening 103 is provided in the center of the partition wall 100, and this opening 103 is shown as an open door. In addition, the two sides on the opening 103 side, shown by the dashed lines in Figure 8(B), are assumed to be open.

[0040] As shown in Figure 8(A), in the case of a typical ceiling fan 110, there is no directionality of airflow, and the conditioned air in the living room 101 hardly enters the non-living room 102 through the opening 103.

[0041] In contrast, as shown in Figure 8(B), in the airflow control device 40 of this embodiment, when the ceiling fan is operated with the two sides located on the opening 103 side open, the air from the living room 101 flows from the opening 103 to the non-living room 102. In this way, the airflow control device 40 of this embodiment can efficiently send the conditioned air from the living room 101 to the non-living room 102.

[0042] The airflow control device 40 of this embodiment includes a blower 41 and a wind direction adjustment mechanism 45 installed on the ceiling 15 that collects the air blown out by the blower 41 and blows the air in any direction. Therefore, it can control the airflow in a room with a simple configuration. Furthermore, since the blower 41 is installed in the living rooms 21 and 31, and air conditioning is provided in the living rooms 21 and 31 by the air conditioner 60, the conditioned air can be efficiently blown towards the non-living rooms 24 and 37, thereby reducing the temperature difference between the living rooms 21 and 31 and the non-living rooms 24 and 37.

[0043] <Regarding variations> In the above embodiment, a method was described in which the doors 20 and 30 are opened and operated (manually) with a remote control before activating the airflow control device 40, but all of these operations may be performed automatically. Specifically, the airflow control device 40 may further include a temperature detection unit that detects the room temperature of the living rooms 21 and 31 and the room temperature of the non-living rooms 24 and 37, a calculation unit that calculates the difference in room temperature detected by the temperature detection unit, and a control unit that controls the operation of the blower 41 and the airflow adjustment mechanism 45 according to the difference in room temperature calculated by the calculation unit.

[0044] For example, if the difference between the room temperature of living rooms 21 and 31 and the room temperature of non-living rooms 24 and 37 is detected to be, for example, 5°C or more, the doors 20 and 30 between living rooms 21 and 31 and non-living rooms 24 and 37 will open automatically, the airflow control device 40 will operate automatically, and when the temperature difference between living rooms 21 and 31 and non-living rooms 24 and 37 becomes, for example, 2°C or less, or after a predetermined time has elapsed, the airflow control device 40 will stop and the doors 20 and 30 will close automatically.

[0045] Furthermore, while the blower 41 in this embodiment was typically a ceiling fan suspended from the ceiling 15, it is not limited to a ceiling fan as long as it is a blower that directs conditioned air from the living rooms 21 and 31 toward the region 50 within the airflow adjustment mechanism 45.

[0046] In this embodiment, the airflow adjustment mechanism 45 was described as blowing conditioned air from the living rooms 21 and 31 towards the non-living rooms 24 and 37, but it may be directed in any direction other than the non-living rooms 24 and 37. For example, during transitional seasons such as spring or autumn when air conditioning is not needed, and there is no wind, even if the windows are opened, outside air can be brought in by opening at least two windows of the house 10 and blowing the air from the living rooms 21 and 31 towards one of the windows, thereby creating an airflow inside the room and bringing in outside air through the other window.

[0047] In the above embodiment, an example of operating the airflow control device 40 in the summer was described, but it goes without saying that it can also be operated in other seasons.

[0048] The airflow control device 40 in the above embodiment is installed in the living rooms 21 and 31 of the house 10, but it may also be installed in other living rooms or non-living rooms. Furthermore, it may be installed in a building that is not inhabited by people, such as a factory or commercial facility, rather than in a house 10.

[0049] Although embodiments of this invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, this invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments. Various modifications and variations can be made to the illustrated embodiments within the same scope as this invention, or within the scope of equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 10 House, 15 Ceiling, 20, 30 Door, 21, 31 Living room, 24, 37 Non-living room, 40 Airflow control device, 41 Blower (ceiling fan), 45 Wind direction adjustment mechanism, 46, 47, 48, 49 Board material (wall section), 56, 57, 58, 59 Rod-shaped member (movable part), 60 Air conditioner.

Claims

1. A fan that directs the air inside the building towards the ceiling, An airflow control device comprising a wind direction adjustment mechanism mounted on the ceiling, which collects the air blown out by the blower and ejects the air in any direction.

2. The airflow control device according to claim 1, wherein the airflow direction adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of wall sections that protrude downward from the ceiling and concentrate the air towards the ceiling, and a movable section that allows any of the plurality of wall sections to be opened and closed.

3. The airflow control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the blower is a ceiling fan suspended from the ceiling.

4. The aforementioned building is a residence that includes living rooms and non-living rooms. The airflow control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an air conditioner that supplies conditioned air is installed in the aforementioned room.

5. The airflow control device according to claim 4, wherein the airflow direction adjustment mechanism directs the air blown out by the blower toward the non-habitable room.

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