Air conditioning device

Abstract

To provide an air conditioner capable of suppressing collision of airflow suctioned into a suction port of a casing, and excellent in quietness.SOLUTION: An air conditioner comprises: a casing 10 having a suction port 101 and housing a fan 8 therein; an air guide passage 12 provided at the suction port 101 of the casing 10, having an air intake port 13 opening in a direction perpendicular to a rotational shaft 9a of the fan 8, and guiding air flowing in from the air intake port 13 to the suction port 101; and a rectification unit 16 arranged in the air guide passage 12, and having a tip extending toward the suction port 101. The air guide passage 12 is divided by a line X into a first region R1 on the same side as a rotation direction of the fan 8 when viewed from the air intake port 13, and a second region R2 on the opposite side thereto. The rectification unit 16 comprises a first rectification unit 161 provided in the first region R1, and a second rectification unit 162 provided in the second region R2. The second rectification unit 162 is arranged at a position farther from the air intake port 13 than the first rectification unit 161.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioner that takes in air by rotating a fan, performs humidification, temperature adjustment, purification, etc. on the air, and releases it into a room. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, air conditioners are known that perform humidification, temperature adjustment, purification, etc. on indoor air. Such air conditioners take in indoor air into the device by rotating a fan, and release the taken-in air into the room after humidifying, temperature adjusting, and purifying it. For example, the air conditioner is configured with a centrifugal fan that blows air in a direction intersecting with the rotation axis, and a casing that houses the fan and has an air intake and exhaust port.

[0003] If the air conditioner is a humidifier, it has internal parts such as a humidifying filter and a water tank, and depending on the arrangement of these internal parts, it may be difficult to take in air from the direction of the rotation axis of the centrifugal fan. In this case, for example, as in Patent Document 1, a ventilation structure can be used in which an air intake passage is provided in the casing that extends in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the centrifugal fan.

[0004] A straightening member for straightening the flow of the taken-in air is provided upstream of the fan in this air intake path. This straightening member can be shaped like a spindle, a large-R arc, a cylinder, or the like, and is installed approximately parallel to the side of the air intake flow path or inclined toward the air intake direction. By arranging the straightening member in this way, a stable air flow is formed near the air intake port of the casing, the air volume-pressure characteristics are improved, noise is reduced, and the motor power for driving the fan is reduced. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-121616 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, while the air in the air intake passage is straightened by the straightening member and flows into the fan, some of the air turns back at the downstream end of the air intake passage, generating a swirling flow. This swirling flow collides with the air flow that has passed through the straightening member, disrupting the air flow and causing an increase in noise levels.

[0007] The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an air conditioning unit that is quieter by optimizing the shape and arrangement of the straightening member to suppress the collision of the air flow sucked into the casing's air intake port. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention relates to a fan that rotates to the left or right around a rotation axis and blows air in a direction intersecting the rotation axis; a casing that houses the fan and has an intake port and a discharge port; an air guide section that has an air intake that is provided on the air intake side of the casing and opens in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, and that forms an air guide path that guides air that has flowed in from the air intake to the air intake; Located in the air guide passage , in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis The tip extends toward the intake port. At the same time, the air flow turned back downstream of the air guide passage is directed toward the air intake port. A rectifying unit and when the air guide duct is divided into two by a line that is parallel to the flow of air flowing from the air intake into the air guide duct and that passes through the rotation axis, the air guide duct is divided into a first region that is on the same side as the rotation direction of the fan as seen from the air intake, and a second region that is on the opposite side to the rotation direction of the fan as seen from the air intake, The rectifying unit includes a first rectifying unit provided in the first region and a second rectifying unit provided in the second region, The second airflow straightening unit is an air conditioner that is disposed at a position farther from the air intake than the first airflow straightening unit.

[0009] a humidifying unit having a water tank for storing water and generating humidified air; a fan provided above the humidifier and rotating to the left or right around a rotation axis to blow air in a direction intersecting the rotation axis; a casing that houses the fan and has an intake port and a discharge port; an air guide section provided on a side of the casing, having an air intake port communicating with the humidifier section, and forming an air guide path that guides the air flowing in from the air intake port to the air intake; Located in the air guide passage , in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis The tip extends toward the intake port. At the same time, the air flow turned back downstream of the air guide passage is directed toward the air intake port. A rectifying unit and when the air guide duct is divided into two by a line that is parallel to the flow of air flowing from the air intake into the air guide duct and that passes through the rotation axis, the air guide duct is divided into a first region that is on the same side as the rotation direction of the fan as seen from the air intake, and a second region that is on the opposite side to the rotation direction of the fan as seen from the air intake, The rectifying unit includes a first rectifying unit provided in the first region and a second rectifying unit provided in the second region, The second airflow straightening unit is an air conditioner that is disposed at a position farther from the air intake than the first airflow straightening unit. Effect of the Invention

[0010] The above-described configuration makes it possible to suppress collisions of the airflow sucked into the air intake port of the casing, resulting in an air conditioning device with excellent noise reduction. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is an external view of a humidifier, which is an example of an air conditioning device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a humidifier, which is an example of an air conditioning device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] 1 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of a humidifier, which is an example of an air conditioning device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing the configuration of the air conditioner of the present embodiment. [Diagram 5] 2 is a view of a fan cover seen from the air guide duct side in the air conditioner of the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the flow of air in an air guide duct. [Figure 7] 11 is a graph showing the relationship between the angle of contact between the rectifying portion and the auxiliary rectifying portion and the noise value. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be briefly described below, showing the operation of the present invention.

[0013] The present invention comprises a fan that rotates to the left or right about a rotation axis and blows air in a direction intersecting the rotation axis, a casing that houses the fan and has an intake port and an exhaust port, an air guide section that is provided on the intake port side of the casing outside and has an air intake that opens in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, forming an air guide path that guides air flowing in from the air intake to the intake port, and a straightening section that is provided within the air guide path and has a tip that extends toward the air intake, when the air guide path is divided into two by a line that is parallel to the flow of air flowing from the air intake to the air guide path and passes through the rotation axis, the air guide path is divided into a first region that is on the same side as the rotation direction of the fan as viewed from the air intake, and a second region that is on the opposite side to the rotation direction of the fan, and the straightening section comprises a first straightening section provided in the first region and a second straightening section provided in the second region, and the second straightening section is located at a position farther from the air intake than the first straightening section. As a result, the air flow that turns back downstream of the air guide duct becomes a vortex along the first and second straightening sections and heads toward the air intake. In addition, by locating the second straightening section farther from the air intake than the first straightening section, the second straightening section does not impede the flow of the vortex toward the air intake, and the air is smoothly guided to the air intake. This makes it possible to suppress collisions of air flows, resulting in an air conditioning device with excellent noise reduction.

[0014] The air conditioner further comprises a humidifier that generates humidified air, a fan that is provided above the humidifier and rotates to the left or right around a rotation axis to blow air in a direction intersecting the rotation axis, a casing that houses the fan and has an air intake and an exhaust port, an air guide section that is provided on the side of the casing and has an air intake that communicates with the humidifier, and forms an air guide path that guides air flowing in from the air intake to the air intake, and a straightening section that is provided within the air guide path and has a tip that extends toward the air intake, and when the air guide path is divided into two by a line that is parallel to the flow of air flowing from the air intake to the air guide path and passes through the rotation axis, the air guide path is divided into a first region that is on the same side as the rotation direction of the fan as viewed from the air intake, and a second region that is on the opposite side to the rotation direction of the fan, and the straightening section comprises a first straightening section provided in the first region and a second straightening section provided in the second region, and the second straightening section is provided in a position farther from the air intake than the first straightening section, i.e., the first straightening section is located at a lower position than the second straightening section. As a result, the air flow that turns back downstream of the air guide duct becomes a vortex along the first and second rectifying sections and heads toward the air intake. In addition, by locating the second rectifying section farther from the air intake than the first rectifying section, the vortex flow toward the air intake is not impeded, and the air is smoothly guided to the air intake. This makes it possible to suppress airflow collisions, resulting in an air conditioning device with excellent noise reduction.

[0015] Furthermore, by providing an auxiliary rectifying section whose tip extends toward the air intake on the air intake side of the first rectifying section or the second rectifying section in at least one of the first and second regions, it is possible to rectify the air flowing in from the air intake so that it is directed toward the air intake. Furthermore, by having the tip of the auxiliary rectifying section come into contact with the tip of the first rectifying section or the second rectifying section at an angle of 50 degrees or less, it is possible to more effectively reduce noise. EXAMPLES

[0016] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a humidifier will be described as an example of an air conditioner. Note that the air conditioner is not limited to a humidifier, and may be any device that adjusts the air in a room, such as an air purifier, a heater, or a combination of these.

[0017] 1 is an external view of a humidifier, which is an example of an air conditioner according to this embodiment. The humidifier is provided with an operation unit 2 having various buttons for instructing the operation of the humidifier, and an outlet 3 for blowing out humidified air generated inside the device, on the top surface of a main body 1. A water supply tank 4 for supplying water is provided detachably so as to constitute a part of the exterior of the main body 1.

[0018] Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a humidifier, which is an example of an air conditioner of this embodiment, and Fig. 3 is an internal configuration diagram of a humidifier, which is an example of an air conditioner of this embodiment. At the bottom of the main body 1 of the humidifier, there are arranged a water tank 51 that stores a certain amount of water supplied from a water supply tank 4, and a humidifying filter 52 that is disposed in the water tank 51 and absorbs the water stored in the water tank 51 to moisten it. The water tank 51 and the humidifying filter 52 constitute the humidifying section 5. Furthermore, an intake port 6 that takes in air into the main body 1 is provided on the back side of the main body 1.

[0019] Moreover, above the humidifying filter 52, a blower 7 that generates an air flow within the main body 1 is provided. The blower 7 is made up of a fan 8 and a motor 9 that drives the fan 8. The fan 8 in this embodiment is a so-called sirocco fan that is substantially cylindrical in shape, and a plurality of blade pieces 81 that are elongated in the axial direction of a rotation shaft 9a of the motor 9 are arranged radially at predetermined intervals around the rotation shaft 9a. The fan 8 rotates around this rotation shaft 9a, and blows air in a direction that intersects with the rotation shaft 9a.

[0020] The blower 7 is attached to the main body 1 via a casing 10. The casing 10 houses the fan 8 therein and has an intake port 101 for drawing in air and an exhaust port 102 that communicates with the air outlet 3 of the main body 1 and discharges the drawn air. Details of the casing 10 will be described later. As shown in FIG. 2, an air guide section 11 is provided outside the air intake port 101 of the casing 10, and the air guide section 11 forms an air guide passage 12, which is a flow path of air heading toward the air intake port 101.

[0021] The air guide section 11 is constituted by one surface 1a of the exterior constituting the main body 1 of the humidifier and a part of the casing 10, and has an air intake 13 at its lower end that opens in a direction perpendicular to the rotation shaft 9a of the fan 8. With this configuration, air flowing in from the air intake 13 passes through the air guide path 12 and is guided to the air intake 101 of the casing 10.

[0022] In the above-mentioned configuration, when the fan 8 is rotated by the drive of the motor 9, air flowing in from the intake port 101 of the casing 10 is discharged from the exhaust port 102. This air flow blows air into the ventilation passage that runs from the intake port 6 on the back of the main body 1 to the exhaust port 3 on the top. In addition, upstream of the humidifying filter 52 in the ventilation passage, a hot air heater 18 is provided for heating the air introduced from the intake port 6 to turn it into hot air. Therefore, the air in the room taken in from the intake port 6 is heated by the hot air heater 18, and becomes humidified air when it passes through the humidifying filter 52 that has sucked up water from the water tank 51 and is moistened with it, and the air is released into the room from the exhaust port 3, whereby the air is humidified.

[0023] Furthermore, by arranging the components constituting the humidifier as described above, the space within the main body 1 can be used efficiently, resulting in a small-sized humidifier with excellent humidifying capacity.

[0024] Next, the detailed structure of the casing 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is an exploded view showing the configuration of the air conditioner of this embodiment. The casing 10 is formed by combining a fan cover 14 and a motor cover 15. The fan 8 is housed between the fan cover 14 and the motor cover 15, and the motor 9 is attached to the back surface of the motor cover 15. The motor cover 15 has a peripheral wall plate 151 that is curved so as to surround the outer periphery of the fan 8. The air sucked in from the intake port 101 is blown out from the inside to the outside of the fan 8 in a direction intersecting the rotation axis 9a, and then flows along the peripheral wall plate 151 and is discharged from the discharge port 102.

[0025] The fan cover 14 constitutes a part of the air guide section 11, and abuts against one surface 1a of the exterior to form an air guide path 12 therebetween. The fan cover 14 is provided with an air intake port 101, and also has a straightening section 16 that straightens the flow of air that has flowed into the air guide path 12 from the air intake port 13.

[0026] 5 is a view of the fan cover from the air guide duct side in the air conditioner of this embodiment. In this embodiment, the fan 8 rotates clockwise as shown by the arrow in the figure when viewed from the illustrated direction. The fan cover 14 is provided with a first rectifying section 161 and a second rectifying section 162, and both the first rectifying section 161 and the second rectifying section 162 are arranged so that their tips extend toward the air intake 101.

[0027] The air guide passage 12 can be divided into a first region R1 and a second region R2 by a line X. The line X is a virtual line that is parallel to the flow of air flowing into the air guide passage 12 from the air inlet 13 and passes through the rotation axis 9a of the fan 8. When the air guide passage 12 is divided into two by this X, the side that is the same as the rotation direction of the fan 8 as seen from the air inlet 13 is the first region R1, and the side that is opposite to the rotation direction of the fan 8 as seen from the air inlet 13 is the second region R2. In this embodiment, the fan 8 rotates clockwise, so the right side of the line X is the first region R1, and the opposite left side is the second region R2. A first rectifying section 161 is provided in the first region R1, and a second rectifying section 162 is provided in the second region R2.

[0028] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the air flow in the air guide duct. In the air guide duct 12, the air flowing in from the air inlet 13 flows directly into the intake port 101, while a part of the air turns back at the downstream end of the air guide duct 12 to generate a flow toward the intake port 101 in a vortex manner. As a result, a vortex in the rotation direction of the fan 8 and a vortex in the opposite rotation direction exist on the downstream side of the air guide duct 12, and if this continues, the flow directly toward the intake port 101 and the vortex collide with each other to generate turbulence, which causes noise. Therefore, in order to prevent the collision of the air flows, the air guide duct 12 is provided with a first rectifying section 161 and a second rectifying section 162. The air flow that turns back downstream of the air guide duct 12 becomes a vortex along the first rectifying section 161 and the second rectifying section 162 and flows toward the intake port 101, so that the vortex is smoothly guided to the intake port 101, and the generation of turbulence due to the collision of the air flows can be prevented.

[0029] The second rectifier 162 is disposed at a position farther from the air intake 13 than the first rectifier 161, that is, in the humidifier, the first rectifier 161 is disposed at a lower position than the second rectifier 162. In this embodiment, the fan 8 rotates clockwise, and a larger airflow is formed in the first region R1, which is the same direction as the rotation of the fan 8, than in the second region R2, and the position where this airflow swirls is lower in the first region R1. If the airflow collides with the rectifier 16 before swirling, turbulence will be generated there. Therefore, the position of the first rectifier 161, which is the rectifier 16 in the first region R1, is lowered so as not to interfere with the flow of the vortex. As a result, the vortex can be smoothly guided to the air intake 101, effectively suppressing the generation of noise.

[0030] The flow straightening portions 16 have a curved or bent shape in order to align the vortex currents, and the height of the positions of the flow straightening portions 16 is determined based on the lowest position of each flow straightening portion 16. In other words, the lower end L1 of the first flow straightening portion 161 is disposed at a position lower than the lower end L2 of the second flow straightening portion 162.

[0031] In addition, in the second region R2, an auxiliary flow straightening section 17 is provided closer to the air intake 13 than the second flow straightening section 162. The auxiliary flow straightening section 17 has a tip that extends toward the air intake 101, and is disposed so that the tip of the auxiliary flow straightening section 17 and the tip of the second flow straightening section 162 come into contact with each other. By providing the auxiliary flow straightening section 17 in this manner, it is possible to straighten the air that has flowed in from the air intake 13 so that it is directed toward the air intake 101. In addition, the angle at which the tips of the second flow straightening section 162 and the auxiliary flow straightening section 17 come into contact with each other is preferably 50 degrees or less.

[0032] FIG. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between the noise value and the angle of contact between the rectifier section (second rectifier section) and the auxiliary rectifier section. The further to the right and lower the noise value, the lower the noise value, which indicates superior quietness. As can be seen from the graph, when the contact angle was between 10 and 50 degrees, there was no significant difference in the noise value, but when the contact angle was 60 degrees, the noise value clearly increased. This shows that noise can be effectively reduced by setting the contact angle to 50 degrees or less.

[0033] In the present embodiment, the auxiliary rectifier 17 is provided only in the second region R2, but the auxiliary rectifier 17 may be provided in the first region R1. By providing the auxiliary rectifier 17 in at least one of the first region R1 and the second region R2, the effect of reducing noise can be obtained.

[0034] The arrangement of the casing 10 in the humidifier is not limited to this embodiment. Therefore, depending on the arrangement of the casing 10, it may be possible to configure the fan 8 to rotate counterclockwise as viewed from the air guide duct 12. In this case, the left side of the line X is the first region R1, and the right side is the second region R2. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 5 Humidification section 51 Aquarium 8 Fans 9a Rotation axis 10 Casing 101 Air intake 102 Discharge port 11 Airflow section 12 Air guide path 13 Air Intake 16 Rectifier 161 First rectifier 162 Second rectifier 17 Auxiliary rectifier R1 First area R2 second area

Claims

1. A fan that rotates to the left or right around a rotation axis and blows air in a direction intersecting the rotation axis; a casing that houses the fan and has an intake port and a discharge port; an air guide section that has an air intake that is provided on the air intake side of the casing and opens in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, and that forms an air guide path that guides air that has flowed in from the air intake to the air intake; a straightening section that is disposed in the air guide passage, the tip of which in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis extends toward the air intake port, and the straightening section directs the air flow that has turned back downstream of the air guide passage toward the air intake port. when the air guide duct is divided into two by a line that is parallel to the flow of air flowing from the air intake into the air guide duct and that passes through the rotation axis, the air guide duct is divided into a first region that is on the same side as the rotation direction of the fan as seen from the air intake, and a second region that is on the opposite side to the rotation direction of the fan as seen from the air intake, The rectifying unit includes a first rectifying unit provided in the first region and a second rectifying unit provided in the second region, An air conditioning apparatus, wherein the second airflow straightening section is disposed at a position farther from the air intake than the first airflow straightening section.

2. a humidifying unit having a water tank for storing water and generating humidified air; a fan provided above the humidifier and rotating to the left or right around a rotation axis to blow air in a direction intersecting the rotation axis; a casing that houses the fan and has an intake port and a discharge port; an air guide section provided on a side of the casing, having an air intake port communicating with the humidifier section, and forming an air guide path that guides the air flowing in from the air intake port to the air intake; a straightening section that is disposed in the air guide passage, the tip of which in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis extends toward the air intake port, and the straightening section directs the air flow that has turned back downstream of the air guide passage toward the air intake port. when the air guide duct is divided into two by a line that is parallel to the flow of air flowing from the air intake into the air guide duct and that passes through the rotation axis, the air guide duct is divided into a first region that is on the same side as the rotation direction of the fan as seen from the air intake, and a second region that is on the opposite side to the rotation direction of the fan as seen from the air intake, The rectifying unit includes a first rectifying unit provided in the first region and a second rectifying unit provided in the second region, An air conditioning apparatus, wherein the second airflow straightening section is disposed at a position farther from the air intake than the first airflow straightening section.

3. At least one of the first region and the second region is provided with an auxiliary airflow straightening portion on the air intake side of the first airflow straightening portion or the second airflow straightening portion, the auxiliary airflow straightening portion having a tip extending toward the air intake port, 3. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein a tip of the auxiliary airflow straightening portion is in contact with a tip of the first airflow straightening portion or a tip of the second airflow straightening portion at an angle of 50 degrees or less.

Images