Ceiling-mounted air conditioner

Abstract

To reduce the size and thickness of a body unit of an indoor machine, without deteriorating heat exchange efficiency of a heat exchanger.SOLUTION: A ceiling-embedded air conditioner has, as heat exchangers, two heat exchange units of a first heat exchange unit 20L and a second heat exchange unit 20R so as to separate from each other. The first heat exchange unit 20L and the second heat exchange unit 20R are arranged in a body unit so as to face each other. A space between the two heat exchange units is defined as a blower chamber F, and a blower 31 is arranged therein.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a ceiling-embedded type air conditioner, and more particularly to the structure of an indoor unit. [Background technology]

[0002] In ceiling-mounted air conditioners, an outdoor unit installed outdoors and an indoor unit installed above the ceiling of an air-conditioned room are connected by gas and liquid pipes to form a refrigerant circuit. The indoor unit has a box-shaped main unit embedded in the ceiling and a decorative panel that is placed on the air-conditioned room side of the ceiling and attached to the main unit.

[0003] As an example, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, a U-shaped heat exchanger is provided in the main unit, a fan casing is provided in the center of the heat exchanger, and a blower fan formed of a sirocco fan surrounded by the fan casing is provided. The decorative panel has an air outlet in the center and air inlets along the three sides below the heat exchanger.

[0004] The air drawn in through the intake port exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the heat exchanger and can be blown out in one direction from the outlet. By surrounding the blower fan with the heat exchanger, the distance between the blower fan and the surface of the heat exchanger becomes almost constant, and there is little deviation in the wind speed and volume of the air passing through the heat exchanger, making effective use of the heat exchanger and increasing the heat exchange capacity. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-213767 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In a ceiling-embedded air conditioner, usually, the heat exchanger is attached to the top plate inside the main body unit. However, when the heat exchanger has a bent portion bent in a U shape as in the above conventional example, the heat exchanger is attached to the top plate, which is the mounting surface, almost vertically and is difficult to tilt. Therefore, the heat exchange capacity cannot be increased. Further, since the height of the heat exchange portion inside the main body unit cannot be made lower than the vertical height of the heat exchanger, there is a problem that the apparatus cannot be miniaturized.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to increase the degree of freedom in arranging the heat exchanger inside the main body unit in a ceiling-embedded air conditioner, enable an increase in the area of the heat exchanger, and lower the height of the heat exchange portion inside the main body unit.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention includes a box-shaped main body unit that includes a blower and a heat exchanger inside and is disposed behind the ceiling of the air-conditioned room, and a decorative panel that is attached to the bottom surface of the main body unit along the ceiling surface of the air-conditioned room. In a ceiling-embedded air conditioner in which an air suction portion and an air blow-out portion are provided in the decorative panel, the heat exchanger has a first heat exchange portion and a second heat exchange portion in which both the upper ends and the lower ends are separated from each other. The first heat exchange portion and the second heat exchange portion are arranged inside the main body unit at the same height and facing each other. When the distance between the upper ends of the first heat exchange portion and the second heat exchange portion is L1 and the distance between the lower ends of the first heat exchange portion and the second heat exchange portion is L2, L1 > L2 or L1 < L2. A blower chamber is formed between the first heat exchange portion and the second heat exchange portion, the blower is arranged in the blower chamber, and a blower passage that communicates the blower chamber with the air blow-out portion is provided between the lower ends of the first heat exchange portion and the second heat exchange portion. And, The air intake section is disposed on the side of one of the first heat exchange section and the second heat exchange section, and an air guide path is formed between the main unit and the decorative panel from the air intake section to the other heat exchange section. It is characterized by that.

[0011] In addition, in the present invention, connecting plates are attached between the left end portions of the first heat exchange section and the second heat exchange section, and between the right end portions of the first heat exchange section and the second heat exchange section, and both left and right ends of the blower chamber are blocked by the connecting plates, and air sucked in from the air suction section flows into the blower chamber through each of the heat exchange sections. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, the degree of freedom in arranging the heat exchanger in the main unit is increased. In addition, the area of ​​the heat exchanger can be increased, and the height of the heat exchange section in the main unit can be reduced. Furthermore, the heat exchange capacity is improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an installation state of the ceiling embedded type air conditioner according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the ceiling-embedded type air conditioner. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the ceiling recessed type air conditioner. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 4 . [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 2 . [Figure 7] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 4. [Figure 8] FIG. 3 is a perspective cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 2 . [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of a main unit provided in the ceiling embedded type air conditioner. [Figure 10] FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing a decorative panel and a frame separated from each other, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view showing the decorative panel in a packaged state. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the decorative panel when operation is stopped, seen from the air-conditioning room side. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the decorative panel when in operation, seen from the air-conditioning compartment side. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of FIG. [Figure 14] 4 is a perspective view showing a partition unit attached to the rear side of the decorative panel. FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a central blowing unit attached to the partition plate unit. [Figure 16] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a rotation unit attached to the partition plate unit. [Figure 17] 1A is an exploded perspective view showing a frame supporting a partition plate unit, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing the frame disposed on the rear surface of a decorative panel. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing a fan unit and a movable blowing portion. [Figure 19] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a partition unit including a drive means for the rotation unit. [Figure 20] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a rotating unit to which a rotating ring is attached. [Figure 21] FIG. [Figure 22] FIG. [Diagram 23] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a portion of the partition plate unit including an opening in which the rotating ring is attached. [Figure 24] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a stabilizing seat for preventing lateral rattling of the rotating ring. [Diagram 25] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the stabilizer seat attached. [Figure 26] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a protrusion for preventing vertical rattling of the rotating ring. [Figure 27] FIG. [Figure 28] 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the function of the protrusion in providing lateral play to the rotating ring. FIG. [Figure 29] FIG. [Diagram 30] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the outer flange of the rotating ring with the seal mounted thereto. [Diagram 31] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an improved fan unit. [Diagram 32]FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, some embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail as examples based on the accompanying drawings, however, the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0015] The air conditioner according to the present invention has an outdoor unit (not shown) installed outdoors and an indoor unit 1 attached to the ceiling T1 of the air-conditioned room R, which are connected by gas pipes and liquid pipes (neither shown) to form a refrigerant circuit.

[0016] 1 to 3, the indoor unit 1 of this embodiment is a ceiling-embedded air conditioner having a box-shaped main unit 10 embedded in the attic space T2, and a decorative panel 70 disposed on the air-conditioned room R side of the ceiling T1 and attached to the bottom surface 101 of the main unit 10, and in particular is an omnidirectional ceiling-embedded air conditioner that blows out conditioned air over a wide area.

[0017] 3, main unit 10 has a rectangular top plate 111 made of sheet metal, and a box-shaped outer shell 11 formed of side plates 112, 113 extending downward from the four sides of top plate 111. The side plate on the longer side of top plate 111 is side plate 112, and the side plate on the shorter side is side plate 113. Two mounting brackets 12 are fixed to each of the two opposing side plates 113.

[0018] The main unit 10 is installed in the ceiling space T2 by suspending the mounting bracket 12 by a plurality of suspension bolts (not shown) fixed to the ceiling space T2.

[0019] The decorative panel 70 has a panel portion 71 that forms the rectangular main body of the decorative panel 70 which is larger than the top plate 111, and a side wall portion 72 that is erected from the back surface 70R of the panel portion 71 toward the main unit 10 and is attached to the open bottom surface of the box-shaped outer body 11 (bottom surface 101 of the main unit 10) to match its size.

[0020] The panel portion 71 has a square-shaped air intake portion 73 opening on one side 70b of the opposing long sides located at the rear, and an air outlet portion 74 on the other side 70a of the opposing long side located in front of the one side 70b.

[0021] 2, the direction of the top plate 111 will be referred to as the top surface or upward, the direction of the air-conditioned room R as the bottom surface or downward, the air blowing section 74 side as the front surface or forward, the air suction section 73 side as the back surface or rear, the left short side 70c side as the left side surface or left side, and the right short side 70d side as the right side surface or right side.

[0022] As shown in Figure 10(a), the side wall portion 72 has a frame 721 of a size sufficient to surround the air intake section 73 and the air outlet section 74, which are formed in a rectangular shape along each side (long sides 70a, 70b, short sides 70c, 70d) of the panel portion 71, and a beam 722 suspended between the short sides (sides of the panel portion 71 on the short sides 70c, 70d side) of the frame 721, and is screwed integrally to the rear surface of the panel portion 71 (decorative panel 70).

[0023] Both the frame 721 and the beams 722 are made of sheet metal, and the beams 722 are disposed on a partition section 713 formed between the air intake section 73 and the air outlet section 74 of the panel section 71 .

[0024] 10(b), when packaging the decorative panel 70, the beam 722 can be held down by the protruding piece on the packaging material side, thereby preventing damage due to impact when dropped, etc. Furthermore, by providing the beam 722, the decorative panel 70 can be structured to withstand a load applied in a direction parallel to the panel surface 70S of the decorative panel 70.

[0025] The beam 722 may be bridged between the long sides 70a, 70b of the frame 721 depending on the shapes and arrangements of the air inlet section 73 and the air outlet section 74, etc.

[0026] <Outer body> Next, the components housed in the main unit 10 will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 6. The inner surface of the top plate 111 of the outer body 11 is provided with a heat insulating material 13 made of thick polystyrene foam.

[0027] The inner surfaces of the side plates 112, 113 of the outer body 11 are provided with only a thin insulating sheet (not shown) without providing the insulating material 13. The center of the insulating material 13 is opened so that a part of the top plate 111 is exposed when viewed from below. The heat exchanger 20 and the fan unit 30 are fixed to this exposed part of the top plate 111.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 2, an electrical component box 14 that houses electrical components (not shown) for controlling the indoor unit 1 is attached to the outer surface of the right side of the outer body 11.

[0029] ≪Heat exchanger≫ The heat exchanger 20 is a fin-tube type formed of a number of rectangular aluminum fins 23 arranged in parallel and a number of heat transfer tubes 22 penetrating the aluminum fins 23, and has two heat exchange sections separated from each other: a front heat exchange section (first heat exchange section) 20L on the left side in Figure 4, and a rear heat exchange section (second heat exchange section) 20R on the right side in Figure 4.

[0030] The front heat exchange section 20L and the rear heat exchange section 20R are attached to the top plate 111 so as to face each other. The front heat exchange section 20L and the rear heat exchange section 20R may be arranged parallel to each other and approximately perpendicular to the top plate 111, but in order to keep the height small and increase the heat exchange area, they are preferably combined in an inverted V-shape in which the interval (distance) on the upper end side is wider (longer) than the interval (distance) on the lower end side, as shown in Fig. 4. Note that instead of the inverted V-shape, they may be arranged in a V-shape in which the interval (distance) on the upper end side is narrower (shorter) than the interval (distance) on the lower end side.

[0031] In either case, the left and right ends of the front heat exchange section 20L and the rear heat exchange section 20R are connected by connecting plates 21, 21, respectively. As a result, the space inside the heat exchanger 20 becomes a blower chamber F whose left and right ends are closed by the connecting plates 21, 21. The bottom surface of the heat exchanger 20 (the surface between the lower ends of the front heat exchange section 20L and the rear heat exchange section 20R) is closed by a drain pan 40, which will be described later.

[0032] In this way, since both the left and right ends of the front heat exchange section 20L and the rear heat exchange section 20R are blocked by the connecting plates 21, 21, all air sucked in from the air intake section 73 passes through the front heat exchange section 20L and the rear heat exchange section 20R, there is no unnecessary air flow, and the heat exchange capacity is further improved.

[0033] In addition, in the space between the heat exchanger 20 and the outer shell 11, a first air suction chamber S1 is provided between the outer shell 11 and the rear heat exchange section 20R, and a second air suction chamber S2 is provided between the outer shell 11 and the front heat exchange section 20L. The first air suction chamber S1 is disposed directly above the air suction section 73, and the second air suction chamber S2 communicates with the air suction section 73 via an air guide passage L, which will be described later.

[0034] <Blower fan> The fan unit 30 is disposed in a blower chamber F provided inside the heat exchanger 20. The fan unit 30 includes a sirocco fan type blower fan 31, a fan motor 36, a fan mounting base 311 (see FIG. 3) that supports the blower fan 31 and fixes it to the top plate 111, and a motor mounting base 361 (see FIG. 3) that fixes the fan motor 36 to the top plate 111.

[0035] The blower fan 31 has a cylindrical impeller (sirocco fan) 32 equipped with a plurality of blades, a spiral fan casing 34 that houses the impeller 32 , and a rotating shaft 35 that is connected to the center of the impeller 32 .

[0036] The number of blower fans 31 is arbitrarily selected depending on the required air conditioning capacity, but in this embodiment, four blower fans 31 are arranged side by side on the same axis. Each blower fan 31 has the same structure.

[0037] In the fan unit 30, the fan motor 36 is fixed to the top plate 111 by a motor mounting base 361, and then two blower fans 31 are connected to each end of the fan motor 36 by a rotating shaft 35. Both ends of the rotating shaft 35 are fixed to the top plate 111 via a bearing plate (not shown) made of, for example, an L-shaped metal fitting. In addition, the upper part of the fan casing 34 also has a fan fixing part 341 (see FIG. 4), which is fixed to the top plate 111 with screws.

[0038] The fan casing 34 has an accommodation section 342 that accommodates the impeller 32, and a cylindrical blower section 343 that is formed by continuing from the accommodation section 342 and extending downward beyond the lower end of the heat exchanger 20. A circular fan inlet 344 that takes in air to the impeller 32 is opened on the side surface of the accommodation section 342.

[0039] The fan casing 34 may be divided into upper and lower parts along a plane parallel to the axis of the impeller 32 so as to accommodate the impeller 32 therein, or may be divided into left and right parts along a plane perpendicular to the axis of the impeller 32. Inside the fan casing 34, the accommodation section 342 and the blowing section 343 are continuous to form the air passage 33 for the blown air H.

[0040] As described above, in this embodiment, the fan unit 30 is arranged in an internal space surrounded by the heat exchanger 20, which serves as the blower chamber F. Therefore, when the impeller 32 of the blower fan 31 rotates, the inside of the blower chamber F becomes negative pressure, and air from the air intake section 73 passes through the front heat exchange section 20L and the rear heat exchange section 20R into the blower chamber F, is sucked into the fan intake port 344 and discharged around the impeller 32. The discharged air is blown out in one direction along the air passage 33 in the fan casing 34, and is blown out from the air outlet section 74 into the air-conditioning chamber R.

[0041] <Drain pan> A drain pan 40 for receiving drain water generated in the heat exchanger 20 is provided at the lower end of the heat exchanger 20. The drain pan 40 is formed by integrally forming a polystyrene foam insulating member 41 and a resin drain sheet 42 provided on the surface facing the heat exchanger 20.

[0042] The drain pan 40 is formed in a rectangular shape large enough to cover the opening surface on the lower end side of the heat exchanger 20, and also serves as a partition plate separating the blower chamber F from an air guide passage L described below. The drain pan 40 is provided with ventilation holes 43 into which the cylindrical blower parts 343 of the fan unit 30 are fitted, the number of which corresponds to the number of blower fans 31 (four in this embodiment).

[0043] As described above, the heat exchanger 20 has the front heat exchange section 20L and the rear heat exchange section 20R arranged in an inverted V shape, with the bottom surface being narrower than the top surface. As a result, the drain pan 40 is smaller, the area occupied by the drain pan 40 within the main unit 10 is smaller, the ventilation resistance caused by the drain pan 40 is also reduced, and the ventilation area around the drain pan 40 is expanded, resulting in improved ventilation efficiency.

[0044] A gutter portion 45 is provided on the drain sheet 42 side of the drain pan 40 to receive drain water generated in the heat exchanger 20. Since condensation water generated on the outer surface side of the fan casing 34 during cooling operation is received by the drain pan 40, it is preferable to perform a waterproofing treatment around the ventilation holes 43.

[0045] Although not shown, the drain pan 40 may be provided with a drain pump and a drain hose for discharging drain water, as well as a float switch for controlling the on / off of the drain pump.

[0046] <Decorative Panel> The configuration of the decorative panel 70 will be described with reference to Figures 11 to 13. The decorative panel 70 has an air blowing section 74 on one long side 70a and an air suction section 73 on the other long side 70b, and the air blowing section 74 is formed as a raised section 740 formed by raising a part of the panel section 71 along the long side 70a toward the air-conditioned room R with a trapezoidal cross section.

[0047] According to this embodiment, the raised portion 740 is an ellipse that is a rounded rectangle consisting of two parallel lines of equal length and two semicircles, and the side (periphery) presents an inclined surface. The air blowing section 74 has a fixed blowing section 75 in the center of the raised portion 740, and is provided with movable blowing sections 77L, 77R on both the left and right sides. When there is no need to distinguish between the movable blowing sections 77L, 77R, they are collectively referred to as the movable blowing section 77.

[0048] 16, the movable blowing section 77L has a truncated cone-shaped rotation unit 78L that rotates within a predetermined angle range about an axis perpendicular to a virtual plane on the back surface 70R of the decorative panel 70 that is parallel to the bottom surface 101 of the main unit 10. Similarly, the movable blowing section 77R has a truncated cone-shaped rotation unit 78R that rotates within a predetermined angle range about an axis perpendicular to a virtual plane on the back surface 70R of the decorative panel 70 that is parallel to the bottom surface 101 of the main unit 10. The virtual plane on the back surface 70R of the decorative panel 70 is also parallel to the ceiling surface T1 of the air-conditioned room R.

[0049] A part of the rotating units 78L, 78R forms a semicircular portion at each end of the raised portion 740. When there is no need to distinguish between the rotating units 78L, 78R, they will be collectively referred to as the rotating units 78.

[0050] As can be seen from the oblique view of Figure 13, the top surface (bottom surface) 751 of the fixed blowing section 75 and the top surface (bottom surface) 781 of the rotating unit 78 are always on the same plane even when the rotating unit 78 is rotating, thereby improving the design.

[0051] The fixed blowing section 75 has a trapezoidal cross section, and a first air blowing outlet 754 is opened on the side facing the front long side (specific side) 70a, and a left-right air deflector 752 (see Figure 15) is provided within the first air blowing outlet 754, and an up-down air deflector 753 is provided on the opening surface of the first air blowing outlet 754.

[0052] The movable blowing section 77 has a second air outlet 783 in a portion of the side surface of the rotating unit 78, and the second air outlet 783 is provided with an up-down air deflector 782. Because the air direction in the left-right direction can be changed by rotating the rotating unit 78, the movable blowing section 77 does not require a left-right air deflector. Note that the first air outlet 754 of the fixed blowing section 75 and the second air outlet 783 of the movable blowing section 77 are opened along side surfaces having the same inclination angle in order to give a sense of unity in design to these air outlets 754, 783.

[0053] The air blowing direction of the fixed blowing section 75 is in the direction of the long side 70a, whereas the movable blowing section 77 rotates between a first position where the second air blowing outlet 783 faces the long side 70a and a second position where it faces the short sides 70c, 70d, and within this rotation range, blows out conditioned air sent by the blower fan 31 in a predetermined direction.

[0054] 11, when the movable blowing portion 77 is in the first position, the first air blowing outlet 754 and the second air blowing outlet 783 are aligned in a straight line. In this case, in order to give the appearance that the first air blowing outlet 754 and the second air blowing outlet 783 are continuous, it is preferable to provide dummy flaps 791, 791 on both sides of the first air blowing outlet 754. The dummy flaps 791 are also arranged on the same inclined surface as the first air blowing outlet 754 and the second air blowing outlet 783.

[0055] 12 and 13 show a state in which the left-side movable blowing section 77L is in a first position, and the right-side movable blowing section 77R is in a second position facing the short side 70d. In this way, because the movable blowing section 77 is rotatable, this indoor unit 1 is an omnidirectional (multi-directional) blowing type that can blow conditioned air in all directions except the direction of the rear long side 70b.

[0056] 12 and 13, even if the second air blowing outlet 783 of the movable blowing part 77 (77L) is rotated to the second position facing the short side, the portion other than the second air blowing outlet 783 is the side surface of the cone, so that a sense of continuity with the first air blowing outlet 754 can be obtained in appearance. In other words, even if the movable blowing part 77 is rotated, the basic shape of the air blowing part 74 (oval protruding shape) is maintained.

[0057] According to this embodiment, the first air outlet 754 of the fixed blowing section 75 and the second air outlet 783 of the movable blowing section 77 are formed on the side of a raised portion 740, which is formed by raising a portion of the panel section 71 into a trapezoidal cross-section toward the air-conditioned room R. This allows the conditioned air to be blown out from the first air outlet 754 and the second air outlet 783 in an approximately horizontal direction along the panel surface 70S of the decorative panel 70, thereby enabling the conditioned air to spread over greater distances.

[0058] In addition, conditioned air is blown out simultaneously from the first air outlet 754 and the second air outlet 783, but a boundary is unlikely to form between the air flow blown out from the first air outlet 754 and the air flow blown out from the second air outlet 783, allowing for even harmonious air to be achieved throughout the air-conditioned room R.

[0059] Unlike the above embodiment, the first air outlet 754 and the second air outlet 783 may be opened in a vertical plane perpendicular to the panel surface (or the ceiling surface) of the decorative panel 70.

[0060] In addition, in the above embodiment, the fixed blowing section 75 and the left and right movable blowing sections 77 are contained within the oval raised section 740, but as long as the movable blowing section 77 is rotatable about an axis perpendicular to a virtual plane on the back surface 70R of the decorative panel 70 that is parallel to the bottom surface 101 of the main unit 10, the movable blowing section 77 may simply be arranged on both sides of the fixed blowing section 75, regardless of the external appearance, and such an embodiment is also included in the present invention.

[0061] A partition plate unit 50 shown in Fig. 14 is attached to the rear surface 70R of the decorative panel 70. Referring to Figs. 4, 9, etc., the partition plate unit 50 has, on its upper surface (the surface facing the drain pan 40), four ducts 51 (51a-51d) that fit into four ventilation holes 43 (43a-43d; see Fig. 9) formed in the drain pan 40, respectively, and communicate with the blower section 343 of the fan unit 30.

[0062] In this embodiment, the ventilation holes 43 (43a to 43d) are square holes, and the ducts 51 (51a to 51d) that fit into them are angular tubular (square tubular). These ducts 51 (51a to 51d) extend to the rear surface 70R of the decorative panel 70 as angular tubular shapes.

[0063] Of these, the two inner ducts 51a and 51b are fitted into the corresponding ventilation holes 43a and 43b, respectively, and the two ducts 51c and 51d arranged on the outside are fitted into the corresponding ventilation holes 43a and 43b, respectively.

[0064] Ducts 51a and 51b are ducts for fixed blowing section 75, and as shown in FIG. 15, a central blowing unit 751 having one chamber 751a allocated across ducts 51a and 51b is attached to the lower surface side of partition unit 50.

[0065] Inside chamber 751a, left and right air deflectors 752 are provided. Also, on the front side of central blowing unit 751, first air outlet 754 is formed, and up and down air deflectors 753 are provided inside it.

[0066] Although not shown, a motor for driving left / right air deflector 752 is disposed on the rear surface of chamber 751a, and a motor for driving up / down air deflector 754 is disposed beside first air outlet 754.

[0067] The outer ducts 51c, 51d are ducts for the movable blowing section 77, and as shown in FIG. 16, a rotating unit 78L provided for the left-side movable blowing section 77L is rotatably attached to the lower end of the left-side duct 51c, and a rotating unit 78R provided for the right-side movable blowing section 77R is rotatably attached to the lower end of the right-side duct 51d.

[0068] Both the rotating units 78L and 78R are driven by a motor. The motor that drives the rotating unit 78 is disposed in a motor cover 512 shown beside the outer ducts 51c and 51d in FIG.

[0069] In this embodiment, the rotating units 78L, 78R can each rotate to a second position, which is an angle of more than 90°, for example 100°, from the first position. However, if they are rotated to such a position, there is a risk of a short circuit phenomenon occurring, in which the blown air is sucked into the air suction section 73 instead of being directed toward the air-conditioning room R.

[0070] In order to prevent this, a wall 711 is provided between the rotation unit 78 and the air suction portion 73, as shown in Figs.

[0071] In this embodiment, the wall 711 is formed in a slope shape that rises from the short sides 70c, 70d of a portion around the rotation unit 78 of the panel portion 71 toward between the rotation units 78L, 78R and the air suction portion 73 to the height of the top surface 781 of the rotation unit 78 or the height of the air suction portion 73. In Figures 11 to 13, it is shown that the ridge line 711a of the wall 711 is sloped.

[0072] According to this, wall 711 prevents the short circuit phenomenon when rotating unit 78 is rotated to near the maximum rotation position, and the blown air flow reaches a greater distance along slope surface 712 of wall 711. In other words, wall 711 not only prevents the short circuit phenomenon, but also functions as an air flow guide surface that allows the blown air to reach a greater distance by providing slope surface 712.

[0073] According to this embodiment, the air blown out from the first air outlet 754 and the second air outlet 783 flows along the panel surface of the decorative panel 70, so that the remaining panel surface 70S of the decorative panel 70, excluding the air suction section 73, acts as an airflow guide surface, including the slope surface 712 of the wall 711.

[0074] As explained above, the decorative panel 70 is attached to the main unit 10 by fitting the side wall portion 72 into the bottom opening of the main unit 10 and screwing it. In this embodiment, the air suction portion 73 is disposed on the first air suction chamber S1 side, and during this assembly, as shown by the arrow in Fig. 6, an air guide channel L is formed between the bottom surface 40R of the drain pan 40 (see Figs. 3 and 9) and the rear surface 70R of the decorative panel 70 to guide a portion of the air sucked in from the air suction portion 73 to the second air suction chamber S2.

[0075] Within this air guide passage L, air heading toward the second air suction chamber S2 passes between the ducts 51, 51, but in order to ensure a larger ventilation volume, a recess 46 that enlarges the cross-sectional area of ​​the ventilation passage L is formed in the bottom surface 40R of the drain pan 40 corresponding to the area between the ducts 51, 51, as shown in Figure 9.

[0076] Furthermore, in this indoor unit 1, as shown in Figures 4 and 6 above, a raised portion 740 including a fixed blowing portion 75 and a movable blowing portion 77 is provided on the decorative panel 70, and a first air outlet 754 of the fixed blowing portion 75 and a second air outlet 783 of the movable blowing portion 77 are formed on the side surface of the raised portion 740, thereby making it possible to ensure an air guide path L with a larger vertical width between the drain pan 40 and the decorative panel 70.

[0077] Also, referring to Figures 4 and 6, when viewed from inside the air-conditioned room R, the air intake section 73 is positioned above the raised portion 740 and included within the panel surface 70S of the decorative panel 70, so that the air intake section 73 is positioned closer to the air guide duct L, and some of the air sucked in through the air intake section 73 is more likely to flow toward the second air intake chamber S2 via the air guide duct L.

[0078] <Assembly> Next, assembly of the indoor unit 1 will be described. First, the top plate 111 side of the outer body 11 of the main unit 10 is placed on an assembly table, and the heat insulating material 13 is fitted inside the outer body 11. Then, with the gas connection pipe and liquid connection pipe (both not shown) of the assembled heat exchanger 20 (a heat exchanger in which the front heat exchange section 20L and the rear heat exchange section 20R are connected by a connection plate 21) pulled out from the side plate 113, the heat exchanger 20 is fixed to the top plate 111 via a predetermined mounting fixture (not shown). After that, the assembled fan unit 30 is placed in the blower chamber F in the heat exchanger 20 and fixed to the top plate 111 via the motor mounting base 361 and the fan fixing part 341.

[0079] Next, the gutter portion 45 on the drain sheet side of the drain pan 40 is aligned with the lower ends of the heat exchange portions 20L, 20R and fitted into the bottom surface of the outer body 11. At this time, the blower portion 343 of the fan casing 34 is fitted into the ventilation hole 43 of the drain pan 40.

[0080] The main unit 10 and the decorative panel 70 assembled as described above are individually packaged and transported to the installation site. The main unit 10 is installed in the ceiling space T2 by hanging it from a plurality of hanging bolts that have been embedded in the ceiling space T2 in advance.

[0081] Then, the decorative panel 70 is attached from the side of the air-conditioned room R. At this time, the duct 51 of the partition unit 50 is connected to the blower section 343 of the fan casing 34 through the ventilation hole 43 of the drain pan 40. Then, although not shown, the indoor unit 1 can be operated by connecting the refrigerant piping, the power supply line, and the signal line to the outdoor unit.

[0082] <Driving> When the indoor unit 1 is stopped, as shown in FIG. 11, the rotating units 78L, 78R of the movable blowing sections 77L, 77R are in an initial position with their second air outlets 783 facing in the same direction (towards the long side 70a) as the first air outlet 754 of the fixed blowing section 75 (first position), and both the first air outlet 754 and the second air outlet 783 are closed by the upper and lower air direction vanes 782, 753.

[0083] Then, in response to a command from a remote controller (not shown) by a user or a command from the air conditioning system, the compressor and fan motor (neither shown) of the outdoor unit and the fan motor 36 of the indoor unit 1 start operating.

[0084] In the indoor unit 1, the blower fan 31 rotates due to the operation of the fan motor 36. As the blower fan 31 rotates, air in the blower section 343 of the blower fan 31 is blown out, creating negative pressure in the blower chamber F, and air K in the air-conditioned room R is sucked in through the air suction section 73 provided in the decorative panel 70.

[0085] 6, air K sucked in through the air suction section 73 flows into the first air suction chamber S1 and also flows into the second air suction chamber S2 through the air guide passage L. The air in the first air suction chamber S1 passes through the rear heat exchange section 20R, exchanges heat with the refrigerant, and enters the blower chamber F. Similarly, the air in the second air suction chamber S2 passes through the front heat exchange section 20L, exchanges heat with the refrigerant, and enters the blower chamber F.

[0086] The air conditioned in this manner is blown out by the rotation of the blower fan 31 from the blower section 343 of the fan casing 34 via the duct 51 towards the fixed blower section 75 and the movable blower section 77 of the decorative panel 70 .

[0087] The conditioned air sent to fixed blowing section 75 is blown out from first air outlet 754 in a direction guided by left-right air deflector 752 and up-down air deflector 753. In addition, the conditioned air sent to movable blowing section 77 is blown out in the rotation direction of rotation unit 78 and a direction guided by up-down air deflector 782.

[0088] The rotation of the rotation units 78L, 78R can be controlled individually, so that conditioned air can be supplied in multiple directions, except for the direction of the rear long side 70b where the air intake section 73 is located, according to the user's request.

[0089] <Partition unit support structure> As explained above, the indoor unit 1 according to this embodiment is provided with the partition plate unit 50 shown in Fig. 14 on the rear surface 70R of the decorative panel 70. The partition plate unit 50 is attached to the air blowing section 74 of the decorative panel 70, but since a fixed blowing section 75, a movable blowing section 77, etc. are provided, the partition plate unit 50 is large and heavy.

[0090] The frame 721 described in Figure 10 is provided on the back surface of the decorative panel 70 to prevent damage due to impact when dropped, etc., but here, as shown in Figure 17, a frame 760 is provided on the back surface 70R side of the decorative panel 70 to support the partition unit 50.

[0091] As shown in Figure 17(a), the frame 760 has, as a main frame, long side frames 761, 762 respectively arranged along the long sides 70a, 70b of the decorative panel 70, and short side frames 763, 764 respectively arranged along the short sides 70c, 70d of the decorative panel 70 between both ends of the long side frames 761, 762.

[0092] Two beams 765, 766 are bridged between the short-side frames 763 and 764. It is preferable that the long-side frames 761, 762, the short-side frames 763, 764, and the beams 765, 766 are all made of sheet metal.

[0093] As shown in Figure 17 (b), an opening 74a which becomes the air blowing section 74 is formed along the long side 70a of the decorative panel 70, and the partition plate unit 50 is attached so that its fixed blowing section 75 and movable blowing section 77 protrude toward the air-conditioned room R.

[0094] The beams 765, 766 are respectively disposed on the long side of the opening 74a in which the air blowing section 74 is provided, and the partition plate unit 50 is supported by the beams 765, 766 on the rear surface 70R side of the decorative panel 70.

[0095] The partition unit 50 is mounted on the rear surface 70R of the decorative panel 70 in a state where the partition unit 50 is fitted into the frame 760 such that the three edges thereof, the front edge 50a, the right edge 50b, and the left edge 50c, are surrounded by the front long-side frame 761 and the left and right short-side frames 763, 764. As a result, the beams 765, 766 are sandwiched between the partition unit 50 and the rear surface 70R of the decorative panel 70.

[0096] According to this, the partition plate unit 50 can be mounted on the rear surface of the decorative panel 70 without causing deformation or distortion to the decorative panel 70.

[0097] <Configuration of movable blowing unit> As shown in Fig. 18, the fan unit 30 and the rotation units 78 (78L, 78R) are connected via the partition unit 50 so that air can circulate therebetween, and as shown in the exploded perspective view of Fig. 19, the partition unit 50 is provided with a driving means 600 that rotates the rotation unit 78. The driving means 600 is provided in each of the rotation units 78L, 78R, but has the same configuration.

[0098] 20 and 21, the driving means 600 includes an annular rotating ring 610 that is integrally connected to the upper part of the rotating unit 78, and a motor unit 650 that rotates the rotating ring 610.

[0099] The rotating ring 610 has a cylindrical portion 611, and rack teeth 613 are formed along the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 611 along the arc surface of the outer periphery. The rack teeth 613 may be formed around the entire circumference of the cylindrical portion 611, but it is sufficient that they are formed in a range that realizes at least the rotation range of the rotating unit 78 (the range between the first position and the second position described above).

[0100] A flange 614 is formed concentrically on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 611 facing radially outward. Hereinafter, this flange 614 is referred to as an outer flange. Inside the cylindrical portion 611, a vent hole 612 is formed in a rectangular shape that communicates with duct 51 (51c, 51d) for the movable blowing portion.

[0101] As shown in FIG. 22, the motor unit 650 has a motor (preferably a stepping motor) 651 capable of forward and reverse rotation, a pinion gear 652 attached to the output shaft 651a, and an attachment mount 653, and is attached to a predetermined portion of a duct cover 630 described later so that the pinion gear 652 meshes with rack teeth 613 of the rotating ring 610.

[0102] 19 and 23, a circular opening 520 into which a rotating ring 610 is fitted is formed on both sides of the partition unit 50. A flange 521 is formed concentrically on the inner periphery of the opening 520 facing radially inward. Hereinafter, this flange 521 will be referred to as an inner flange.

[0103] When the rotating ring 610 is fitted into the opening 520, the outer flange 614 is placed on the inner flange 521, and as the rotating ring 610 rotates, the outer flange 614 slides on the inner flange 521. The outer flange 614 and the inner flange 521 function as a kind of thrust bearing that receives the axial load of the rotating body.

[0104] After the rotating ring 610 is fitted into the opening 520, a duct cover 630 is placed to hold the rotating ring 610. The duct cover 630 is fixed to the partition unit 50 with screws.

[0105] As described above, the duct cover 630 is formed with the duct 51 (51c, 51d) that connects to the ventilation holes 43 formed in the drain pan 40. Also, the duct cover 630 is formed with the base portion 631 on which the motor unit 650 is attached.

[0106] 27, a circular guide groove 635 into which the cylindrical portion 611 of the rotating ring 610 fits is formed on the back surface 630R of the duct cover 630. The circular portion surrounded by the guide groove 635 on the back surface 630R of the duct cover 630 forms an inner bottom surface 633 that is slightly lower than the edge 630a of the duct cover 630 in Fig. 27 (slightly higher than the edge 630a in the cross-sectional view of Fig. 28).

[0107] Duct 51 (51c, 51d) is rectangular, but its ventilation area (cross-sectional area) gradually expands from the top surface of duct cover 630 toward inner bottom surface 633, and at inner bottom surface 633, the apex (corner) expands to a size that contacts annular guide groove 635, and rotating ring 610 rotates along the circumscribing circle of duct 51 on the inner bottom surface 633 side.

[0108] In the ventilation passage from fan unit 30 to second air outlet 783 of rotary unit 78, the air pressure changes in the rotating part of rotary unit 78, but by rotating rotating ring 610 along the circumscribed circle of duct 51 on the inner bottom surface 633 side as described above, the air passage is not even partially blocked, so it is possible to reduce the pressure change in the rotating part of rotary unit 78. In addition, the structure of the connecting part (joint part) between rotating ring 610 and duct 51 can be made compact.

[0109] In addition, the rotating ring 610 does not have to be in contact with the four vertices of the duct 51. For example, the rotating ring 610 may be a large circle in contact with two adjacent vertices of the duct 51 on the inner bottom surface 633 side, and may be rotated without reducing the ventilation area of ​​the duct 51 (without blocking any part of the duct).

[0110] 19 again, according to this embodiment, an exterior cover 640 is further placed over the duct cover 630. This exterior cover 640 is slightly larger than the duct cover 630, but may be omitted in some cases.

[0111] When changing the air blowing direction of the rotary unit 78, the rotary ring 610 rotates in the opening 520 by the motor 651. During this rotation, it is necessary to prevent rattling of the rotary ring 610. This rattling includes rattling in the horizontal direction (radial direction) and rattling in the vertical direction (axial direction).

[0112] First, in order to prevent rattling in the lateral direction (radial direction), stabilizing seat 523 shown in Fig. 24 is used. Stabilizing seat 523 has a planar seat portion 524 and a side wall portion 525 rising almost vertically from one end of seat portion 524, and a slotted elastically deformable mounting leg 526 is provided at the bottom of seat portion 524. Side wall portion 525 has an arcuate surface 525a formed along outer peripheral edge 614a of outer flange 614.

[0113] Stabilizing seats 523 are preferably formed from a low-friction resin such as polyacetal (POM), and in this example, as shown in Fig. 23, are provided at four locations at 90° intervals on the base of the outer periphery side of inner flange 521. As another example, they may be provided at three locations at 120° intervals. Furthermore, if the length of stabilizing seats 523 (the length along the circumferential direction of inner flange 521) is long, they may be provided at two locations.

[0114] The stabilizing seat 523 is attached to the inner flange 521 so as to fit along the outer peripheral edge 614a of the outer flange 614 of the rotating ring 610. To attach the stabilizing seat 523, as shown in FIG. 25, an engagement hole 522 is drilled in the inner flange 521, and the mounting leg 526 is pushed into this engagement hole 522 while elastically deforming it.

[0115] In this way, by providing stabilizing seats 523 in contact with outer peripheral edge 614a of outer flange 614 at a plurality of locations on inner flange 521, rattling of rotatable ring 610 in the lateral direction (radial direction) can be prevented.

[0116] Next, in order to prevent rattling in the vertical direction (axial direction), protrusions 616 are provided inside cylinder 611 of rotating ring 610, as shown in Fig. 26. As described above, air hole 612 formed in cylinder 611 is rectangular, and therefore, inside cylinder 611, there are inner walls 617 that form each side of the rectangle. Protrusions 616 are provided upright on inner walls 617.

[0117] The position of the protrusion 616 is a position where it can come into contact with the inner bottom surface 633 on the back surface 630R of the duct cover 630 shown in Fig. 27. In this example, the inner bottom surface 633 is disposed along three sides of the rectangular opening of the duct 51, whereas the protrusions 616 are provided at four locations at 90° intervals as shown in Fig. 21.

[0118] According to this, regardless of the rotational position of the rotating ring 610, the three protrusions 616 are always on the inner fixed surface 633, so that the protrusions 616 will not come off the inner bottom surface 633. However, in order to reduce sliding friction resistance, it is preferable that the contact area of ​​each protrusion 616 with the inner bottom surface 633 be as small as possible.

[0119] 28, the protruding height of the protruding piece 616 is set to a height at which the tip of the protruding piece 616 abuts against the inner bottom surface 633 when the duct cover 630 is placed on the rotating ring 610.

[0120] In this way, by providing a protrusion 616 inside the cylindrical body 611 of the rotating ring 610 that abuts against the inner bottom surface 633 on the back surface 630R of the duct cover 630, rattling of the rotating ring 610 in the vertical direction (axial direction) can be prevented.

[0121] As described above, the rotating ring 610 rotates within the opening 520 of the partition unit 50 by the motor 651, but measures must be taken to prevent air leakage from the gap between the inner flange 521 on the opening 520 side and the outer flange 614 on the rotating ring 610 side, and to prevent condensation, especially during cooling operation.

[0122] 29 and 30, in this example, a sealant 618 is provided on the inner surface of outer flange 614 (the surface facing inner flange 521). The sealant 618 only needs to have appropriate elasticity and heat insulation, but since it is rubbed against inner flange 521 as rotatable ring 610 rotates, it is preferable to use a tape or sheet having low-friction fibers, for example, polyacetal fibers (in most cases, short fibers) implanted in a tape- or sheet-shaped substrate.

[0123] This makes it possible to prevent wind leakage by substantially setting the clearance between inner flange 521 and outer flange 614 to about 0 to 0.5 mm. It is also possible to achieve a structure that does not cause condensation. In addition, the sliding friction resistance caused by the rotation of rotating ring 610 can also be reduced.

[0124] As shown in FIG. 29, bosses 619 used for connecting rotary unit 78 are provided at multiple locations on rear surface 610R of rotary ring 610.

[0125] <Fan unit configuration> 3, the blower fan 31 is fixed to the top plate 111 of the outer body 11 via a fan mounting base 311 provided on the fan casing 34, and the fan motor 36 is also fixed to the top plate 111 of the outer body 11 via a motor mounting base 361. This requires a large number of parts, and also requires high precision in positioning the blower fan 31 and the fan motor 36.

[0126] 31 and 32 show a fan unit 30A improved in this respect. In this embodiment as well, a sirocco fan is preferably used as the blower fan 31, and the fan motor 36 can be used as is without any particular modification.

[0127] In this fan unit 30A, the fan casing 34 of the blower fan 31 is divided into two parts, a lower casing part 371 and an upper casing part 372, both made of synthetic resin material, and a motor mounting base 373 of the fan motor 36 is integrally formed in the lower casing part 371.

[0128] A bearing portion of the casing lower part 371 that supports the blower fan 31 and a bearing portion of the motor mounting base 373 that supports the fan motor 36 (both not shown) are centered in advance when the motor mounting base 373 is integrally molded with the casing lower part 371. The casing upper part 372 may be fastened to the casing lower part 371 by a fastener 374 such as a snap lock.

[0129] With this fan unit 30A, the blower fan 31 and fan motor 36 are connected in advance, the upper casing part 372 is opened, the blower fan 31 is stored in the lower casing part 371, and the fan motor 36 is set on the motor mounting base 373, so that the positioning (centering) of the blower fan 31 and the fan motor 36 can be easily performed.

[0130] Furthermore, there is no need to fix the blower fan 31 and the fan motor 36 separately to the top plate 111 of the outer body 11; it is sufficient to fix only the mounting portion (not shown) provided on the casing lower part 371 to the top plate 111.

[0131] In addition, because this fan unit 30A is unitized into the smallest unit, the number of units to be used can be selected according to the required blowing air volume and the size of the air blowing part of the air conditioner, eliminating the need to design dedicated fan units (blower) for each model with a different air volume. With this fan unit 30A, the air volume can be adjusted individually, allowing for more precise air conditioning operation. [Explanation of symbols]

[0132] 1: Indoor unit 10: Main unit 11: Outer body 111: Tabletop 112, 113: Side plate 12: Mounting bracket 13: Insulation 20: Heat exchanger 20L: Front heat exchange section 20R: Rear heat exchange section 21: Connecting plate 30: Fan unit 31: Blower fan 32: Impeller 33: Air duct 34: Fan casing 343: Blower 35: Rotation axis 36: Fan motor 371: Lower casing 372: Casing top 373: Motor mounting stand 40: Drain pan 43: Ventilation hole 45: Hibe 50: Partition unit 51(51a~51d):Duct 520: Opening 521: Inner flange 523: Stable seat 600: Driving means 610: Rotating ring 611: Cylindrical part 612: Ventilation hole 613: Rack teeth 614: Outer flange 616: Protrusion 618: Sealing materials 630: Duct cover 633: Inner bottom surface 635: Guide groove 70: Decorative panel 70a, 70b: Long side 70c, 70d: Short side 71: Panel section 71a: Panel body 71b: Side panel 711: Wall 712: Slope surface 72: Side wall 721,760: Frame 722,765,766: Beam 73: Air intake section 74: Air outlet 740: Ridge 75;Fixed blowout part 751: Central blowing unit 754: First air outlet 77(77L,77R): Movable blowing part 78(78L,78R): Rotating unit 783: Second air outlet R:Air conditioned room T1: Ceiling T2: Attic F: Blower room S1, S2: Air suction chamber L:Air guide path

Claims

1. A ceiling-embedded air conditioner including a box-shaped main unit that includes a blower and a heat exchanger and is placed above the ceiling of an air-conditioned room, and a decorative panel that is attached to a bottom surface of the main unit so as to fit along the ceiling surface of the air-conditioned room, the decorative panel being provided with an air intake section and an air blowing section, the heat exchanger has a first heat exchange section and a second heat exchange section whose upper ends and lower ends are both separated, the first heat exchange section and the second heat exchange section are arranged in the main unit so as to face each other at the same height, when the distance between the upper ends of the first heat exchange section and the second heat exchange section is L1 and the distance between the lower ends of the first heat exchange section and the second heat exchange section is L2, L1 > L2 or L1 < L2, a blower chamber is formed between the first heat exchange section and the second heat exchange section, the blower is arranged in the blower chamber, and an air passage communicating the blower chamber with the air blowing section is provided between the lower ends of the first heat exchange section and the second heat exchange section, A ceiling-embedded air conditioner characterized in that the air intake section is arranged on the side of either the first heat exchange section or the second heat exchange section, and an air guide path leading from the air intake section to the other heat exchange section is formed between the main unit and the decorative panel.

2. A ceiling-embedded air conditioner as described in claim 1, characterized in that connecting plates are attached between the left end portions of the first heat exchange section and the second heat exchange section and between the right end portions of the first heat exchange section and the second heat exchange section, both left and right ends of the blower chamber are blocked by the connecting plates, and air sucked in from the air suction section flows into the blower chamber through each of the heat exchange sections.

Images