Air conditioner indoor unit

Abstract

To improve user's comfort.SOLUTION: An indoor unit of an air conditioner includes: a housing having an air outlet for blowing out air; and a horizontal flap 30 which controls a vertical direction of the air blown out from the air outlet. The horizontal flap 30 has: a first flap 40 having a first plate part 41 which causes the air blown out from the air outlet to circulate along one surface; and a plate-like second flap 50 which causes the air blown out from the air outlet to circulate along one surface and is located closer to the air outlet side than the first plate part 41. The first flap 40 and the second flap 50 can change an angle formed between the one surface of the first plate part 41 and the one surface of the second flap 50.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Wall-mounted indoor units equipped with a flap that controls the vertical direction of air blown out from an air outlet formed in the housing are known (for example, Patent Document 1). The flap used in such indoor units has a fixed end that is fixed to the housing at the upstream end in the flow of blown air, and a free end (the end opposite the fixed end) that moves (swings) in the vertical direction to control the wind direction of the air blown out from the air outlet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5166582 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the indoor unit described above, the flap swings up and down to prevent the user from being exposed to wind for a long period of time, thereby reducing the user's discomfort. However, because the swing of the flap itself has a predetermined regularity, the wind guided by the flap also flows with regularity. When a user is exposed to such regular wind, they may experience a sensation different from natural wind (e.g., a sensation of artificial wind), which may reduce the user's comfort.

[0005] In addition, in the indoor unit described above, the flap that guides air from the air outlet is heated or cooled depending on the temperature of the air being blown out. As a result, the temperature difference between the air near the flap and the flap becomes large on the side opposite the air guide side. Therefore, for example, during cooling operation, condensation may occur on the opposite side.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide an indoor unit of an air conditioner that can improve user comfort. Another object of the present disclosure is to provide an indoor unit of an air conditioner that can suppress the occurrence of condensation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the indoor unit of the air conditioner of the present disclosure employs the following measures. An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a housing having an air outlet for blowing out air, and an air direction control unit that controls the vertical direction of the air blown out of the air outlet, wherein the air direction control unit comprises a first flap having a first plate portion that circulates the air blown out of the air outlet along one surface, and a plate-shaped second flap that circulates the air blown out of the air outlet along one surface and is positioned closer to the air outlet than the first plate portion, and wherein the angle between the one surface of the first plate portion and the one surface of the second flap is changeable between the first flap and the second flap. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve user comfort and also to suppress the occurrence of condensation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the indoor unit of the air conditioner of FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a side view of the horizontal flap of the air conditioner of FIG. 2, showing the closed state. [Figure 4] 3 is a perspective view of a horizontal flap of the air conditioner of FIG. 2, showing the closed state. [Figure 5]3 is a side view of the horizontal flap of the air conditioner of FIG. 2, showing the inclined state. [Figure 6] 3 is a perspective view of a horizontal flap of the air conditioner of FIG. 2, showing an inclined state. [Figure 7] 3 is a side view of the horizontal flap of the air conditioner of FIG. 2, showing the open state. [Figure 8] 3 is a perspective view of a horizontal flap of the air conditioner of FIG. 2, showing the open state. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing the positional relationship between the horizontal flap and the housing in the closed state. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing the positional relationship between the horizontal flap and the housing in an inclined state. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing the positional relationship between the horizontal flap and the housing in the open state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] An embodiment of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, FR indicates the front of the indoor unit 1, UP indicates the top of the indoor unit 1, and IN indicates the inside in the width direction. In the following description, the front-to-rear direction refers to the front-to-rear direction of the indoor unit 1, the rear of the indoor unit 1 refers to the direction of the wall to which the indoor unit 1 is fixed, and the front of the indoor unit 1 refers to the direction opposite to the rear. In addition, the width direction refers to the direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction and the up-down direction.

[0011] Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an indoor unit 1 of an air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the indoor unit 1. Note that in this embodiment, an example in which the present disclosure is applied to a wall-mounted indoor unit 1 will be described, but the type of indoor unit 1 is not limited to a wall-mounted type, and it goes without saying that the present disclosure can also be applied to other types of indoor units 1.

[0012] The indoor unit 1 has a housing 2 that is a rectangular parallelepiped with its width direction as its longitudinal direction. The housing 2 is made up of a base 3 that forms the rear side of the housing 2 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "rear side"), a front panel 4 that covers the front side of the base 3, an intake panel 6 that covers a front opening 5 of the front panel 4, and an exhaust grill 7 that is disposed between the front and bottom surfaces of the front panel 4. The indoor unit 1 is fixed to a wall by the base 3.

[0013] The base 3 is integrally molded with a rear-side drain pan 8 that receives drain water flowing down from a second heat exchanger 17B that constitutes a later-described indoor heat exchanger 17, an air flow path wall 9 that forms an outlet flow path 20A for air blown out from a later-described crossflow fan 18, and a piping housing 11 that houses refrigerant piping 10. The front panel 4 has an intake grill 12 formed on its upper surface, and an intake panel 6 that is installed in front of the front opening 5 so as to be able to open and close upward around its upper part as a fulcrum, with an intake port 13 opening below it. Furthermore, an outlet grill 7 disposed between the front and bottom surfaces of the front panel 4 has an outlet port 14 that opens. The outlet port 14 is formed across substantially the entire width of the housing 2. That is, the outlet port 14 extends in the width direction.

[0014] Inside the housing 2, an air filter 15 and an air purification filter 16 are disposed along the front opening 5 of the front panel 4, including the air intake port 13, and the air intake grille 12. A plate-fin tube indoor heat exchanger 17 is disposed downstream in the ventilation duct 20. As shown in FIG. 2, this indoor heat exchanger 17 is divided into a first heat exchanger 17A disposed on the front side and a second heat exchanger 17B disposed on the rear side. Furthermore, the lower portion of the first heat exchanger 17A on the front side is bent in a dogleg shape. The upper ends of the first heat exchanger 17A and the second heat exchanger 17B are connected by a bracket 24.

[0015] The indoor heat exchanger 17, which is divided or folded into multiple pieces, is arranged so that its cross section is in an inverted V shape from the lower front side to the top and back sides within the housing 2. In other words, the first heat exchanger 17A arranged on the front side of the indoor heat exchanger 17 and the second heat exchanger 17B arranged on the back side are arranged so that their upper ends are close to each other and the distance between them gradually increases downward, forming a so-called inverted V shape.

[0016] The indoor heat exchanger 17 also has a plurality of tubes 17C through which a refrigerant flows and which extend in a predetermined direction (the longitudinal direction of the indoor unit 1), and a plurality of plate-shaped fins 17D which are provided perpendicular to the extension direction of the tubes 17C. The fins 17D are arranged parallel to one another at a predetermined distance apart. Each of the tubes 17C passes through a through-hole formed in the fins 17D.

[0017] A thin, cylindrical crossflow fan 18 is disposed in the ventilation duct 20 downstream of the indoor heat exchanger 17 so as to be rotatable about a central axis extending along the width direction. The crossflow fan 18 is formed, for example, by connecting a plurality of cylindrical impellers 18B, each having a plurality of blades 18A arranged annularly around the central axis, in a direction along the central axis. The crossflow fan 18 blows air drawn into the fan to the outside by rotating.

[0018] A stabilizer 19 molded integrally with the outlet grill 7 is disposed downstream and forward of the crossflow fan 18, and the stabilizer 19 and the air flow path wall 9 molded on the base 3 form an outlet flow path 20A leading to the outlet 14.

[0019] The outlet grille 7 is integrally molded with a front drain pan 21 that receives drain water flowing down from the first heat exchanger 17A that constitutes the indoor heat exchanger 17, together with a stabilizer 19. The outlet grille 7 is also rotatably provided with a plurality of vertical louvers (not shown) that adjust the direction of the temperature-controlled air blown out from the outlet 14 in the left-right direction. The outlet grille 7 is also rotatably provided with a horizontal flap (air direction control section) 30 that controls the direction of the temperature-controlled air blown out from the outlet 14 in the up-down direction.

[0020] Next, the horizontal flap 30 will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 2 to 11. Figs. 3, 4, and 9 illustrate a state in which the horizontal flap 30 closes the air outlet 14 (hereinafter referred to as the "closed state"). Figs. 5, 6, and 10 illustrate a state in which the first flap 40 and the second flap 50 are tilted relative to each other to open the air outlet 14 of the horizontal flap 30 (hereinafter referred to as the "inclined state"). Figs. 7, 8, and 11 illustrate a state in which the horizontal flap 30 opens the air outlet 14 more widely than in the inclined state (hereinafter referred to as the "open state"). Note that, for convenience of illustration, the top surface of the first flap 40 is omitted in Figs. 4, 6, and 8.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 2, the horizontal flap 30 is provided below the air outlet 14 and is fixed to the housing 2 by a support portion 44 (not shown). A drive shaft of a motor (not shown) is connected to a first flap 40 (described later) so that the horizontal flap 30 can be moved by the driving force of the motor. Specifically, the horizontal flap 30 can be moved by the driving force of the motor between a position where the air outlet 14 is closed (see Figs. 2 and 9) and a position where the air outlet 14 is open (see Figs. 10 and 11).

[0022] 3 to 8, the horizontal flap 30 includes a plate-shaped first flap 40 that allows the air (temperature-controlled air) blown out from the air outlet 14 to circulate along its upper surface, a plate-shaped second flap 50 that is surrounded by the first flap 40 and allows the air blown out from the air outlet 14 to circulate along its upper surface, and a connecting mechanism 60 that connects the first flap 40 and the second flap 50. The angle between the upper surface of the first flap 40 and the upper surface 50a of the second flap 50 is changeable between the first flap 40 and the second flap 50.

[0023] The first flap 40 integrally includes a first plate portion 41 disposed at the front end and extending in the width direction, a second plate portion 42 extending from one end of the first plate portion 41 in the width direction toward the air outlet 14 (rearward), a third plate portion 43 extending from the other end of the first plate portion 41 in the width direction toward the air outlet 14 (rearward), and two support portions 44 protruding upward from an upper surface 42a of the second plate portion 42 and an upper surface of the third plate portion 43. In other words, the first flap 40 has a so-called gate-like shape.

[0024] The first plate portion 41, the second plate portion 42, and the third plate portion 43 are provided so that their upper and lower surfaces are flush with each other. The first plate portion 41, the second plate portion 42, and the third plate portion 43 also allow the air blown out from the air outlet 14 to circulate along their upper surfaces.

[0025] The second plate portion 42 and the third plate portion 43 are spaced apart in the width direction. That is, a space S is formed between the second plate portion 42 and the third plate portion 43. A second flap 50 is disposed in the space S. A slit 45 is provided on each of the inner surface 42b of the second plate portion 42 and the inner surface 43b of the third plate portion 43 (the side surface facing the space S). Each slit 45 extends in the front-rear direction.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 4, 6, and 8, the first plate portion 41, the second plate portion 42, and the third plate portion 43 are hollow. The crank portion 63 and the second gear 62 of the connecting mechanism 60 (described later) are housed in the internal spaces of the second plate portion 42 and the third plate portion 43. The internal spaces of the second plate portion 42 and the third plate portion 43 are open at the top in the region where the crank portion 63 moves. This allows the second plate portion 42 and the third plate portion 43 to not hinder the movement of the crank portion 63. The internal spaces of the second plate portion 42 and the third plate portion 43 are open above the second gear 62. This allows the second plate portion 42 and the third plate portion 43 to not hinder the engagement between the second gear 62 and the first gear 61.

[0027] The support portion 44 is a plate-like member extending upward a predetermined distance from the outer ends of the upper surfaces of the second plate portion 42 and the third plate portion 43. The support portion 44 also extends upward a predetermined distance from the rear portions of the upper surfaces of the second plate portion 42 and the third plate portion 43. A through hole 44a is formed in the support portion 44, penetrating in the plate thickness direction. A drive shaft of a motor (not shown) is inserted through this through hole 44a. The support portion 44 and the drive shaft of the motor are fixed together via a first gear 61, which will be described later.

[0028] The second flap 50 is a plate-shaped member. The second flap 50 is disposed in the space S between the second plate portion 42 and the third plate portion 43. That is, the second flap 50 is disposed rearward (toward the air outlet 14) relative to the first plate portion 41. As shown in FIG. 4, the front end 50c of the second flap 50 is close to the rear end of the first plate portion 41 in the closed state. The rear end 50d of the second flap 50 protrudes rearward by a length L1 from the rear ends of the second plate portion 42 and the third plate portion 43 in the closed state. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8, the front end 50c of the second flap 50 is spaced a predetermined distance from the rear end of the first plate portion 41 in the open state. The rear end 50d of the second flap 50 protrudes rearward by a length L2 from the rear ends of the second plate portion 42 and the third plate portion 43 in the open state.

[0029] The thickness of the second flap 50 is approximately the same as the thickness of the first flap 40. In the open state and the closed state (i.e., when the angle between the first flap 40 and the second flap 50 is 0 degrees), the upper surface 50a of the second flap 50 is approximately flush with the upper surfaces of the first plate portion 41, the second plate portion 42, and the third plate portion 43. In the open state and the closed state, the second flap 50 causes the air blown out from the air outlet 14 to flow along the upper surface. In the inclined state, the second flap 50 causes a portion of the air blown out from the air outlet 14 to flow along the lower surface 50b (see FIG. 10 ).

[0030] Protrusions 51 protruding in the width direction are provided on both side surfaces 50e (widthwise end surfaces) of the second flap 50. Each protrusion 51 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The outer diameter of each protrusion 51 is slightly smaller than the vertical length of the slits 45 formed in the second plate portion 42 and the third plate portion 43. Each protrusion 51 is inserted through each slit 45. As a result, each protrusion 51 is engaged with the second plate portion 42 and the third plate portion 43 via each slit 45 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction. In other words, the second flap 50 is engaged with the first flap 40 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction.

[0031] Furthermore, crank portions 63, which will be described later, are engaged with both side surfaces 50e (end surfaces in the width direction) of the second flap 50, behind the protrusions 51. Specifically, the crank portions 63 are engaged so as to be rotatable about a central axis along the width direction.

[0032] The first flap 40 and the second flap 50 are connected by two connecting mechanisms 60: one connecting the second plate portion 42 of the first flap 40 to the second flap 50, and the other connecting mechanism 60 connecting the third plate portion 43 to the second flap 50. The two connecting mechanisms 60 have substantially the same structure, so only one of them will be described below, and the description of the other will be omitted.

[0033] The connecting mechanism 60 has a first gear 61 fixed to the rotation shaft of a motor (not shown), a second gear 62 meshing with the first gear 61, and a crank portion 63 fixed to the second gear 62. The connecting mechanism 60 moves the second flap 50 in accordance with the movement of the first flap 40.

[0034] The first gear 61 is provided inside the support portion 44 of the first flap 40. A motor drive shaft is fixed to the center of the first gear 61. That is, the first gear 61 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the motor drive shaft. The first gear 61 is also fixed to the support portion 44. The second gear 62 is provided below the first gear 61. The second gear 62 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the first gear 61. The gear ratio between the first gear 61 and the second gear 62 is 2:1. That is, the number of teeth of the first gear 61 is twice the number of teeth of the second gear 62. The relationship between the gear ratio and the rotation angle is expressed by the following equation (1).

[0035]

number

[0036] As can be seen from the above formula (1), when the first gear 61 rotates by a predetermined angle, the second gear 62 rotates by a rotation angle that is twice the predetermined angle.

[0037] One longitudinal end of the crank portion 63 is fixed to the second gear 62. The other longitudinal end of the crank portion 63 (the end opposite to the one end) is rotatably engaged with the side surface 50e of the second flap 50.

[0038] The indoor unit 1 is equipped with a control device (not shown), which controls the driving and stopping of the motor. The control device is composed of, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), and computer-readable storage media. A series of processes for realizing various functions is stored in, for example, a storage medium in the form of a program. The CPU reads this program into RAM and executes information processing and arithmetic operations to realize various functions. The program may be pre-installed in a ROM or other storage medium, provided in a state stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or distributed via wired or wireless communication means. Examples of computer-readable storage media include magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, and semiconductor memories.

[0039] Next, the operation of the horizontal flap 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. First, when the air conditioner indoor unit 1 is not operating, the horizontal flap 30 closes the air outlet 14. In this closed state, the top and bottom surfaces of the first flap 40 and the second flap 50 are flush with each other, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. That is, the angle formed between the top surface of the first flap 40 and the top surface of the second flap 50 is 0 degrees. 4, in the closed state, the front end 50c of the second flap 50 is close to the rear end of the first plate portion 41. The rear end 50d of the second flap 50 protrudes rearward by a length L1 from the rear ends of the second plate portion 42 and the third plate portion 43. In the closed state, the crank portion 63 is disposed substantially parallel to the first flap 40. In addition, the central axis of the crank portion 63 along the front-rear direction and the central axis of the first flap 40 along the front-rear direction overlap in a side view (see dashed dotted line C1 in FIG. 3). In addition, the crank portion 63 is disposed so that the fixed portion with respect to the second gear 62 is located rearward of the center.

[0040] When the motor is driven, the first gear 61 rotates due to the driving force from the motor. Because the first gear 61 is fixed to the first flap 40, the rotation of the first gear 61 causes the first flap 40 to rotate. Furthermore, as the first gear 61 rotates, the second gear 62 meshing with the first gear 61 rotates. In this embodiment, when the motor is driven from the closed state, the first gear 61 rotates in a manner that the teeth face downward at the front. Furthermore, because the second gear 62 meshes with the first gear 61, it rotates in the opposite direction to the first gear 61. In other words, the second gear 62 rotates in a manner that the teeth face upward at the front.

[0041] When the motor is driven in the closed state, the first flap 40 rotates with the rotation of the first gear 61 so that its front end faces downward (see arrow A in FIG. 5). Also, the crank portion 63 fixed to the second gear 62 rotates around the fixed portion with the second gear 62 so that its front end faces upward (see arrow B in FIG. 5). With the rotation of the first gear 61 and the second gear 62, the first flap 40 and the second flaps 50 move, and the first flap 40 and the second flaps 50 are inclined relative to each other, resulting in the inclined state shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The movement of the first flap 40 and the second flap 50 will be described in detail below.

[0042] When the motor is driven in the closed state and the first flap 40 rotates by an angle α1 from the closed state, the crank portion 63 rotates by an angle α2. As described above, the gear ratio between the first gear 61 and the second gear 62 is 2:1, so α2 is twice the angle α1. FIG. 5 illustrates a case where α1 = 30 degrees and α2 = 60 degrees. That is, the angle between the first flap 40 and the crank portion 63 is illustrated as 90 degrees. Note that C1 indicates the central axes of the crank portion 63 and the first flap 40 in the closed state. Furthermore, C2 indicates the central axis of the first flap 40, and C3 indicates the central axis of the crank portion 63.

[0043] When the crank portion 63 rotates, the second flap 50 also moves. At this time, because the protrusion 51 of the second flap 50 engages with the slit 45, the vertical movement of the protrusion 51 is restricted by the slit 45. Therefore, the second flap 50 moves rearward while rotating around the protrusion 51. Specifically, the second flap 50 rotates so that its rear end faces upward (see arrow C in FIG. 5). In other words, the second flap 50 rotates so that the angle β1 formed between the upper surface of the first flap 40 and the upper surface of the second flap 50 increases. Furthermore, the second flap 50 moves rearward so that the protrusion 51 aligns with the slit 45. As a result, the upper surfaces of the first flap 40 and the second flap 50 are no longer flush with each other, and a predetermined angle β1 is generated. In this way, the first flap 40 and the second flap 50 are inclined.

[0044] When the motor is further driven from the inclined state, the door enters the open state as shown in Figures 7 and 8. Specifically, as shown in Figure 7, when the rotation angle α1 of the first flap 40 (the angle between C1 and C2) relative to the closed state becomes 60 degrees, the rotation angle α2 of the crank portion 63 (the angle between C1 and C3) relative to the closed state becomes 120 degrees, and when the angle between the first flap 40 and the crank portion 63 becomes 180 degrees, the door enters the open state.

[0045] Furthermore, when the angle between the first flap 40 and the crank portion 63 changes from 90 degrees to 180 degrees, the second flap 50 rotates around the protrusion 51 so that its rear end faces downward. In other words, the second flap 50 rotates so that the angle β1 between the upper surfaces of the first flap 40 and the second flap 50 decreases. The second flap 50 also moves rearward so that the protrusion 51 is aligned with the slit 45. As a result, the upper surfaces of the first flap 40 and the second flap 50 become flush with each other, and the angle β1 becomes 0 degrees. In this way, the first flap 40 and the second flap 50 are in an open state. When the horizontal flap 30 is changed from the open state to the closed state, the motor is rotated in the reverse direction to perform the operation opposite to that described above.

[0046] 8, in the open state, the front end 50c of the second flap 50 is spaced a predetermined distance from the rear end of the first plate portion 41. The rear end 50d of the second flap 50 protrudes rearward by a length L2 beyond the rear ends of the second plate portion 42 and the third plate portion 43. The crank portion 63 is positioned such that the portion fixed to the second gear 62 is located forward of the center.

[0047] Next, the positional relationship between the horizontal flap 30 and the housing 2 in each state will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0048] In the closed state (see FIGS. 3 and 4), as shown in FIG. 9, the horizontal flap 30 is located below the air outlet 14. The horizontal flap 30 is inclined upward from the rear end to the front end. The horizontal flap 30 is positioned so that the angle formed between the first flap 40 and the second flap 50 and the air outlet 14 is sufficiently small. The free end (front end) of the first flap 40 is close to the housing 2 that forms the air outlet 14 (see FIG. 2). The rear end of the first flap 40 is spaced a predetermined distance from the lower end of the outlet grill 7 that forms the air outlet 14. In the closed state, the angle formed between the air outlet 14 and the upper surface of the first flap 40 is smallest.

[0049] In the inclined state (see FIGS. 5 and 6), as shown in FIG. 10, the front end of the first flap 40 of the horizontal flap 30 is spaced apart from the housing 2 that forms the air outlet 14. Furthermore, when changing from the closed state to the inclined state, the rear end 50d of the second flap 50 moves upward, so that in the inclined state, the underside of the second flap 50 faces the air outlet 14. As a result, a portion of the air blown out from the air outlet 14 (particularly, the air that has circulated near the air outlet grill 7 that defines the lower side of the air flow path 20A) is guided downward along the underside of the second flap 50, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 10. In detail, the air guided by the underside of the second flap 50 passes through the space S between the second plate portion 42 and the third plate portion 43 and heads downward.

[0050] In the open state (see FIGS. 7 and 8), as shown in FIG. 11, the front end of the first flap 40 of the horizontal flap 30 is spaced far from the housing 2, which defines the air outlet 14. The rear end 50d of the second flap 50 is close to the outlet grill 7. That is, the distance L3 between the rear end 50d of the second flap 50 and the outlet grill 7 is short. The angle between the top surface of the first flap 40 and the top surface of the second flap 50 is 0 degrees, so the first flap 40 and the second flap 50 are arranged in a straight line in a side view. Therefore, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 11, a portion of the air blown out from the air outlet 14 (particularly, the air that has flowed near the outlet grill 7, which defines the lower side of the air flow path 20A) continuously moves to the top surface of the second flap 50 and flows along the top surface of the second flap 50. That is, the air blown out from the air outlet 14 can be smoothly guided by the second flap 50. In addition, in the open state, the angle formed between the air outlet 14 and the upper surface of the first flap 40 is the largest.

[0051] According to this embodiment, the following advantageous effects are achieved. In this embodiment, the angle formed between the upper surface of the first plate portion 41 and the upper surface of the second flap 50 can be changed. As a result, the air blown out from the air outlet 14 and whose vertical direction is controlled by the horizontal flap 30 flows along two surfaces at different angles. By guiding the air along two surfaces at different angles in this way, the regularity of the guided air flow can be reduced compared to, for example, guiding the air along a single surface. Therefore, the sensation of the user receiving the air can be made closer to the sensation of receiving natural wind. This can improve user comfort.

[0052] Furthermore, by changing the angle between the upper surface of the first plate portion 41 and the upper surface of the second flap 50 to create an inclined state, the air outlet 14 and the lower surface of the second flap 50 can be made to face each other. By making the air outlet 14 and the lower surface of the second flap 50 face each other, the air blown out from the air outlet 14 can be circulated along the other surface of the second flap 50. As a result, for example, during cooling operation, the air blown out from the air outlet 14 can be circulated along the other surface of the second flap 50, thereby lowering the temperature of the air near the lower surface of the second flap 50 and reducing the temperature difference between the second flap 50 and the air in its vicinity. This can suppress condensation on the lower surface of the second flap 50. Furthermore, during heating operation, the warm air blown out from the air outlet 14 can be guided downward. This allows the room to be heated appropriately.

[0053] In this embodiment, the second flap 50 is provided between the second plate portion 42 and the third plate portion 43 of the first flap 40. This makes it possible to more suitably reduce the regularity of the air flow guided by the horizontal flap 30. This makes the user's sensation of receiving air closer to the sensation of receiving natural wind, further improving user comfort.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the horizontal flap 30 opens the air outlet 14, the distance between the air outlet 14 and the second flap 50 can be reduced. Specifically, in the open state, the rear end 50d of the second flap 50 protrudes by a length L2 beyond the rear end of the first flap 40. This reduces the distance L3 between the rear end 50d of the second flap 50 and the outlet grill 7. This makes it easier for the air blown out from the air outlet 14 to reach the upper surface of the second flap 50. This ensures that the air blown out from the air outlet 14 can be reliably guided by one surface of the second flap 50. This increases the distance over which the air from the crossflow fan 18 is continuously guided, allowing the air to be sufficiently accelerated, thereby improving air blowing performance.

[0055] In addition, in this embodiment, in the closed state, the angle formed between the upper surface of the first flap 40 and the upper surface of the second flap 50 is 0 degrees. This makes it possible to increase the projected area of ​​the upper surface of the first plate portion 41 and the upper surface of the second flap 50 combined (the projected area when viewing the plate surface of the first flap 40 or the second flap 50). Therefore, the air outlet 14 can be closed in an appropriate manner.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in an open state in which the plate surface of the first flap 40 and the air outlet 14 form a predetermined angle, the angle formed by one surface of the first plate portion 41 and one surface of the second flap 50 is 0 degrees. As a result, the air guided by one surface of the second flap 50 is continuously guided by one surface of the first plate portion 41. Therefore, the air blown out from the air outlet 14 can be guided by both the first flap 40 (more specifically, the first plate portion 41) and the second flap 50. This increases the distance over which the blown out air is guided, improving air blowing performance.

[0057] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second flap 50 moves in accordance with the movement of the first flap 40 due to the connecting mechanism 60. That is, the first flap 40 and the second flap 50 move in conjunction with each other. Therefore, it is possible to move both the first flap 40 and the second flap 50 with one motor. Therefore, the configuration can be simplified compared to when a drive source is provided for each of the first flap 40 and the second flap 50.

[0058] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second flap 50 is moved rearward via the crank portion 63. This allows the movement trajectory of the second flap 50 to be smaller than when, for example, the second flap 50 is moved rearward so as to rotate around the rear end 50d of the second flap 50. This makes it less likely for the second flap 50 to interfere with other components. This allows the position of the second crank to be changed even in a small space.

[0059] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. For example, in the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the rear end 50d of the second flap 50 is spaced apart from the outlet grill 7 in the open state, but the rear end 50d of the second flap 50 may be configured to abut against the outlet grill 7 in the open state. With this configuration, the air blown out from the outlet 14 can more easily reach one surface of the second flap 50, and therefore the air blown out from the outlet 14 can be more reliably guided by one surface of the second flap 50. This can further improve the air blowing performance.

[0060] In addition, in this embodiment, an example has been described in which the gear ratio between the first gear 61 and the second gear 62 is 2:1, but the gear ratio is not limited to this. For example, other ratios may be used. Furthermore, the number of teeth of the first gear 61 may be smaller than the number of teeth of the second gear 62. Furthermore, the gear ratio may be 1:1.

[0061] The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the present embodiment described above can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0062] An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a housing (2) having an air outlet (14) for blowing out air, and an air direction control unit (30) for controlling the vertical direction of the air blown out of the air outlet (14), wherein the air direction control unit (30) comprises a first flap (40) having a first plate portion (41) for circulating the air blown out of the air outlet (14) along one surface, and a plate-shaped second flap (50) for circulating the air blown out of the air outlet (14) along one surface and positioned closer to the air outlet (14) than the first plate portion (41), wherein the angle between the one surface of the first plate portion (41) and the one surface of the second flap (50) is changeable between the first flap (40) and the second flap (50).

[0063] In the above configuration, the angle formed between one surface of the first plate portion and one surface of the second flap can be changed. As a result, the air blown out from the air outlet and whose vertical direction is controlled by the airflow direction control unit flows along two surfaces at different angles. By guiding the air along two surfaces at different angles in this way, the regularity of the guided air flow can be reduced compared to, for example, guiding the air along a single surface. Therefore, the user's sensation of receiving air can be made closer to the sensation of receiving natural wind. This can improve user comfort. Furthermore, by changing the angle between one surface of the first plate portion and one surface of the second flap, the air outlet can be made to face the other surface of the second flap (the surface opposite to the one surface). By making the air outlet face the other surface of the second flap, the air blown out from the air outlet can be made to flow along the other surface of the second flap. As a result, for example, during cooling operation, the air blown out from the air outlet can be made to flow along the other surface of the second flap, thereby lowering the temperature of the air near the underside of the second flap and reducing the temperature difference between the second flap and the air near it. Therefore, condensation on the underside of the second flap can be suppressed.

[0064] In an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the air outlet (14) extends in a predetermined direction, the first flap (40) has a second plate portion (42) extending from one end of the first plate portion (41) in the predetermined direction toward the air outlet (14), and a third plate portion (43) extending from the other end of the first plate portion (41) in the predetermined direction toward the air outlet (14) and positioned at a distance from the second plate portion (42), and the second flap (50) is provided between the second plate portion (42) and the third plate portion (43).

[0065] In the above configuration, the second flap is provided between the second and third plates of the first flap. This can more effectively reduce the irregularity of the airflow guided by the airflow direction control unit. This makes the user's sensation of receiving air closer to the sensation of receiving natural wind, further improving user comfort.

[0066] In an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the end of the second flap (50) on the air outlet (14) side is positioned closer to the air outlet (14) in an open state in which the air direction control unit (30) opens the air outlet (14) than in a closed state in which the air direction control unit (30) closes the air outlet (14).

[0067] With the above configuration, when the airflow direction control unit opens the air outlet, the distance between the air outlet and the second flap can be reduced. This makes it easier for the air blown out from the air outlet to reach one side of the second flap. Therefore, the air blown out from the air outlet can be reliably guided by one side of the second flap. This improves air blowing performance. Furthermore, when the airflow direction control unit opens the air outlet, the end of the second flap on the air outlet side may be close to or in contact with the air outlet. This configuration makes it easier for the air blown out from the air outlet to reach the one surface of the second flap, so that the air blown out from the air outlet can be more reliably guided by the one surface of the second flap. This further improves air blowing performance. The state in which the airflow direction control unit closes the air outlet may be, for example, a state in which the angle between one face of the first plate unit and the air outlet is sufficiently small, and the state in which the airflow direction control unit opens the air outlet may be a state in which the angle between one face of the first plate unit and the air outlet is a predetermined angle.

[0068] In an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, in the closed state, the angle formed between the one surface of the first plate portion (41) and the one surface of the second flap (50) is 0 degrees, and in the open state, in which the one surface of the first plate portion (41) and the air outlet (14) form a predetermined angle, the angle formed between the one surface of the first plate portion (41) and the one surface of the second flap (50) is 0 degrees.

[0069] In the above configuration, when the airflow direction control unit closes the air outlet, the angle between one surface of the first plate and one surface of the second flap is 0 degrees. This makes it possible to increase the projected area of ​​the combined surface of the first plate and one surface of the second flap. This allows the air outlet to be closed in an optimal manner. Furthermore, in the above configuration, when the plate surface of the first flap and the air outlet form a predetermined angle, the angle formed by one surface of the first plate portion and one surface of the second flap is 0 degrees. As a result, the air guided by one surface of the second flap is continuously guided by one surface of the first plate portion. Therefore, the air blown out from the air outlet can be guided by both the first flap (more specifically, the first plate portion) and the second flap. This increases the distance over which the blown air is guided, improving air blowing performance.

[0070] An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a connecting mechanism (60) that connects the first flap (40) and the second flap (50), and the connecting mechanism (60) moves the second flap (50) in response to movement of the first plate portion (41).

[0071] In the above configuration, the second flap moves in accordance with the movement of the first flap due to the connecting mechanism. That is, the first flap and the second flap move in conjunction with each other. Therefore, both the first flap and the second flap can be moved with one drive source. This simplifies the configuration compared to when separate drive sources are provided for the first flap and the second flap. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1: Indoor unit 2: Housing 3: Bass 4: Front panel 5: Front opening 6: Intake panel 7: Exhaust grill 8: Rear drain pan 9: Air flow path wall 10: Refrigerant piping 11: Pipe housing 12: Intake grill 13: Intake port 14:Air outlet 15: Air filter 16: Air purification filter 17:Indoor heat exchanger 17A: 1st heat exchanger 17B:Second heat exchanger 17C: Tube 17D: Fins 18: Cross flow fan 18A: Blade 18B: Impeller 19: Stabilizer 20:Ventilation path 20A: Outlet flow path 21: Front drain pan 24: Bracket 30: Horizontal flap (wind direction control unit) 40: First flap 41: 1st plate part 42:Second plate part 42a:Top surface 42b:Inner surface 43: 3rd plate part 43b: Inside surface 44: Support part 45: Slit 50: Second flap 50a:Top surface 50b: Bottom surface 50c: Front end 50d: rear end 50e: Side 51:Protrusion 60:Connection mechanism 61: 1st gear 62: 2nd gear 63: Crank section

Claims

1. a housing having an air outlet provided at a downstream end of an air outlet flow path through which air flows, and for blowing out the air that has flowed through the air outlet flow path; a wind direction control unit that controls the vertical direction of the air blown out from the air outlet, The airflow direction control unit is a first flap having a first plate portion that allows the air blown out from the air outlet to flow along one surface; a plate-shaped second flap that allows the air blown out from the air outlet to flow along one surface; and The first flap and the second flap are configured so that an angle formed between the one surface of the first plate portion and the one surface of the second flap can be changed, When the state in which the airflow direction control unit with the angle set to 0 degrees closes the air outlet is defined as a closed state, and when the state in which the airflow direction control unit with the angle set to 0 degrees opens the air outlet is defined as an open state, The second flap in the open state is located closer to the air outlet than the first plate portion, When the upstream end of the second flap in the open state in the air flow direction is considered to be the rear end, the rear end of the second flap in the open state is located closer to the air outlet than the rear end of the second flap in the closed state.

2. The air outlet extends in a predetermined direction, The first flap has a second plate portion extending from one end of the first plate portion in the predetermined direction toward the air outlet, and a third plate portion extending from the other end of the first plate portion in the predetermined direction toward the air outlet and disposed spaced apart from the second plate portion, The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the second flap is provided between the second plate portion and the third plate portion.

3. An indoor unit of an air conditioner as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein in the closed state, the angle formed between the one surface of the first plate portion and the one surface of the second flap is 0 degrees, and in the open state, where the one surface of the first plate portion and the air outlet form a predetermined angle, the angle formed between the one surface of the first plate portion and the one surface of the second flap is 0 degrees.

4. a connecting mechanism that connects the first flap and the second flap, The connecting mechanism includes: a first gear fixed to the first flap; a second gear that meshes with the first gear; a crank portion having one end fixed to the second gear and the other end rotatably engaged between the rear end of the second flap and a front end opposite the rear end; a protrusion protruding from each side surface of the second flap in the predetermined direction near the front end thereof; slits formed in the second plate portion and the third plate portion of the first flap, extending along the extending direction of the second plate portion and the third plate portion, and in which the protrusions of the second flap are slidably engaged; and The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the second flap is moved in response to movement of the first flap.

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