air conditioning equipment

Abstract

To provide air conditioning equipment enabling suppression of an increase in the unevenness of temperature distribution in a room, and furthermore enabling the control to blow air to living bodies in the room.SOLUTION: The air conditioning equipment includes a plurality of air direction setting mechanisms, a temperature sensor, a living body sensor, and a control unit. Each of the plurality of air direction setting mechanisms can set the air direction of conditioned air to be blown into the room. The temperature sensor detects the temperature of a wall in the room. The living body sensor detects the position of bodies in the room. The control unit controls a part of the plurality of air direction setting mechanisms in such a manner that air is directed to the wall on the basis of the detection result of the temperature sensor, and also controls other portion of the plurality of air direction setting mechanisms in such a manner that air is directed to the bodies or directed to avoid the bodies on the basis of the detection result of the living body sensor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to an air conditioning apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, air conditioners equipped with an indoor unit and an outdoor unit have been known. Some air conditioners have a human detection sensor that detects whether a person is present in the room (room, indoors) where the indoor unit is installed, and a function that reflects the detection result in air flow control. For example, some air conditioners have a function that, when the presence of a person is detected in the room, blows air toward the person. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2020 / 075244 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In this type of air conditioner, when cold or warm air is blown toward people, the temperature distribution in the room can become increasingly uneven.

[0005] One example of a problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an air conditioning apparatus that can control the airflow to living organisms in a room while suppressing an increase in unevenness in the temperature distribution in the room. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An air conditioning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of airflow direction setting mechanisms, a temperature sensor, a biological sensor, and a control unit. The plurality of airflow direction setting mechanisms are each capable of setting the direction of airflow of conditioned air blown into a room. The temperature sensor detects the temperature of a wall in the room. The biological sensor detects a living organism in the room. The control unit controls some of the plurality of airflow direction setting mechanisms based on the detection result of the temperature sensor so that the airflow direction is toward the wall, and controls other parts of the plurality of airflow direction setting mechanisms based on the detection result of the biological sensor so that the airflow direction is toward or away from the living organism.

[0007] The air conditioner includes, for example, an indoor unit having the plurality of airflow direction setting mechanisms and installed in the room, and at least one of the temperature sensor and the biological sensor is installed in a position separate from the indoor unit in the room.

[0008] In the air conditioning device, for example, the control unit controls some of the multiple airflow direction setting mechanisms so that the airflow direction is directed toward an area of ​​the wall where the airflow direction can be set and where the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is the highest.

[0009] In the air conditioning device, for example, the control unit controls some of the multiple airflow direction setting mechanisms so that the airflow direction is toward the area of ​​the wall that has been previously set as the target for airflow and whose temperature detected by the temperature sensor is the highest.

[0010] The air conditioner includes, for example, a refrigerant circuit that conditions the air, and the control unit controls the refrigerant circuit in a dehumidification mode so that the temperature of the air blown into the room is lower than a set temperature.

[0011] The air conditioning apparatus includes, for example, an indoor unit. The indoor unit has the plurality of airflow direction setting mechanisms and a housing supporting the plurality of airflow direction setting mechanisms, and is installed in the room. The housing has two side walls and a connecting portion spanning the two side walls. The plurality of airflow direction setting mechanisms are provided on at least one of the side walls and on the connecting portion.

[0012] According to the air conditioning apparatus described above, it is possible to control the airflow to living organisms in the room while suppressing an increase in unevenness in the temperature distribution in the room. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exemplary schematic block diagram showing the general configuration of an air conditioning apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, and is an illustrative and schematic cross-sectional view showing the case where the vertical air direction vanes are in a closed state. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, and is an exemplary schematic cross-sectional view showing the case where the vertical air direction flap is in an open state. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exemplary schematic perspective view showing the configuration of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, and is an exemplary schematic cross-sectional view showing the case where the ventilation member is in an open state. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an exemplary schematic perspective view showing a ventilation member of the air conditioning apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an illustrative schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the generation of turbulence by a ventilation member of the air conditioning apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an exemplary schematic block diagram showing details of the indoor unit control unit of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9]FIG. 9 is an exemplary schematic side view showing a room in which an indoor unit according to the first embodiment is installed. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an exemplary schematic plan view showing a room in which an indoor unit according to the first embodiment is installed. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a front view exemplarily and schematically showing an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a side view exemplarily and schematically showing an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a front view exemplarily and schematically showing an airflow direction setting mechanism of an air conditioner according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram presenting and schematically showing an example of the flow of air blown out from the airflow direction setting mechanism of the air conditioner in the second embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is an exemplary schematic plan view showing a room in which an indoor unit according to the second embodiment is installed. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is an exemplary schematic side view showing a room in which an indoor unit according to a first modified example of the second embodiment is installed. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is an exemplary schematic plan view showing a room in which an indoor unit according to a second modified example of the second embodiment is installed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of an air conditioning apparatus according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification, components according to the embodiment and descriptions of the components may be described using multiple expressions. The components and their descriptions are merely examples and are not limited by the expressions in this specification. The components may also be identified by names different from those in this specification. Furthermore, the components may also be described using expressions different from those in this specification.

[0015] Furthermore, the drawings are schematic, and the dimensional relationships and ratios of elements may differ from reality. Furthermore, the drawings may contain parts with different dimensional relationships and ratios. Furthermore, in this specification, ordinal numbers are used only to distinguish between parts, members, locations, positions, directions, etc., and do not indicate order or priority.

[0016] First Embodiment FIG. 1 is an exemplary schematic block diagram showing the general configuration of an air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment, which is composed of an indoor unit 10 and an outdoor unit 100. As shown in FIG.

[0017] The air conditioning apparatus 1 has an operation terminal 94a, an indoor unit 10, and an outdoor unit 100. The indoor unit 10 is placed indoors, and the outdoor unit 100 is placed outside the room R. The operation terminal 94a receives operation instructions from a living organism CR present in the room R, and transmits commands to the indoor unit 10 in accordance with the received operation instructions. The living organism CR is, for example, a human being, a pet, etc. The operation terminal 94a is, for example, a remote controller. The operation terminal 94a may also be a smartphone or the like that runs on a dedicated application.

[0018] The indoor unit 10 of the air conditioning apparatus 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a radar 2, and detects a detection target present in the room in which the indoor unit 10 is installed. In this embodiment, the detection target particularly includes a living body CR, as well as furniture (chairs, sofas, beds, etc.) and walls that can be used by the living body CR. In other words, the radar 2 can also detect the size (room) and volume of the room in which the indoor unit 10 is installed. The living body CR is a human being, a pet, etc. The radar 2 is an example of a living body sensor. Note that the living body sensor is not limited to the radar 2.

[0019] In this embodiment, the air conditioning apparatus 1 (indoor unit 10) acquires information on living organisms CR among the detection targets detected by the radar 2, and determines a control mode to provide wind (conditioned air) suitable for the living organisms CR present in the room. For example, based on the detection results of the radar 2, the control unit of the indoor unit 10 (the indoor unit control unit 80 described below) can regard (determine) the detection target as a "living organism CR" if the detection target moves. When the detection target enters the room, the indoor unit 10 (radar 2) recognizes the detection target as a living organism CR upon detecting the entry motion, and reflects this in the control of the indoor unit 10. Furthermore, even if the detection target does not move within the room (the detection position does not change), if the detection target moves, for example, if the detection target detects the movement of the detection target or the behavior of part of the detection target, the indoor unit 10 (radar 2) recognizes the detection target as a living organism CR and reflects this in the control of the indoor unit 10. On the other hand, the indoor unit 10 (radar 2) considers objects that remain continuously stationary (for example, furniture, walls, etc.) to be non-living objects, and excludes them from the objects that are reflected in the control of the indoor unit 10. Note that the determination of whether or not a CR is a living object is not limited to this, and the shape or pulsation of the detection object may also be detected. In addition, other sensors, for example, an infrared sensor, may be provided, and the determination of whether or not a CR is a living object may be made based on the detection results of this sensor.

[0020] In addition to the radar 2, the indoor unit 10 has an indoor unit control unit 80, up / down airflow direction vanes 25, left / right airflow direction vanes 29, and room temperature sensors 3A and 3B. The room temperature sensor 3A detects, for example, the temperature of the air near the air intake 32 of the indoor unit 10. The indoor unit control unit 80 controls each unit so that the temperature detected by the room temperature sensor 3A becomes the set temperature. The room temperature sensor 3B detects the temperature (temperature distribution) inside the room and the temperature (temperature distribution) of the walls of the room. The room temperature sensor 3B is, for example, an infrared sensor. The indoor unit control unit 80 controls the direction of the air blown out from the indoor unit 10 based on the detection result of the room temperature sensor 3B, for example. The indoor unit control unit 80 performs air conditioning processing in response to commands received from the operation terminal 94a, and also performs control in response to the living body CR detected using the radar 2. The indoor unit 10 has a "radar control mode" which is essentially automatic control based on the detection results by the radar 2, and a "normal control mode" in which the user controls (sets) the indoor unit 10 without using the radar 2 through operation using the operation terminal 94a.

[0021] In the "radar control mode," the radar 2 continuously or intermittently detects the position of a detection target (living organism CR) indoors under the control of the indoor unit control unit 80. The indoor unit control unit 80 tracks the position of the detected living organism CR and controls the up / down air deflectors 25, left / right air deflectors 29, ventilation members 26, etc. to blow air toward the living organism CR or, conversely, toward a position that avoids the living organism CR. The indoor unit control unit 80 controls the direction of the air (conditioned air) blown out from the indoor unit 10 by controlling the operation of the up / down air deflectors 25 and left / right air deflectors 29.

[0022] This allows the way in which conditioned air is blown out from the indoor unit 10 to be dynamically changed according to the movement of the living organism CR present within the detection area, thereby dynamically improving the comfort of the living organism CR present in the room.

[0023] Specifically, the indoor unit 10 performs air conditioning processing on air drawn in from the room through an air intake port, and blows the conditioned air that has undergone the air conditioning processing into the room. The air conditioning processing includes, for example, heat absorption processing (cooling), heating processing (heating), dehumidification processing, humidification processing, air blowing processing, and air cleaning processing. The heat absorption processing, heating processing, dehumidification processing, humidification processing, air blowing processing, and air cleaning processing correspond to the cooling operation mode, heating operation mode, dehumidification operation mode, humidification operation mode, air blowing operation mode, and air cleaning operation mode, which are the operation modes (main operation modes) of the air conditioner 1, respectively.

[0024] The main operation mode can be combined with the control modes (radar control mode, normal control mode) as appropriate. In the radar control mode, the air conditioning apparatus 1 (indoor unit 10) can be in any of the cooling operation mode, heating operation mode, dehumidification operation mode, humidification operation mode, fan operation mode, and air purification operation mode. In the radar control mode, the operation modes that can be combined are not limited to those mentioned above, and other operation modes can also be combined. The same applies to the normal control mode.

[0025] In the air conditioning process, the humidification process may be omitted. In this case, the humidification operation mode may be omitted as an operation mode of the air conditioner 1.

[0026] The indoor unit 10 has an auxiliary operation mode in which, when blowing out conditioned air, winds of two different flow speeds are mixed to generate turbulence that diffuses over a wide area, making the released wind an overall gentle wind flow (so-called windless (registered trademark) wind). The auxiliary operation mode can be combined as appropriate with the control modes (radar control mode, normal control mode), and can also be combined as appropriate with the main operation mode.

[0027] The indoor unit 10 may have an automatic operation mode as an operation mode. The indoor unit 10 detects the temperature of the room and the walls using a room temperature sensor 3A. In the automatic operation mode, the indoor unit 10 (indoor unit control unit 80) may operate in a heating operation mode if the detected temperature is higher than a set temperature, and may operate in a heating operation mode if the detected temperature is lower than the set temperature.

[0028] Air purification processes are performed using, for example, an ion emission method that releases ions into the air, an ultraviolet irradiation method that irradiates the interior of the indoor unit 10 with ultraviolet light to sterilize it, and a dust collection method that collects dust when indoor air is drawn into the indoor unit 10. Dust collection methods include, for example, a filter dust collection method and an electrostatic precipitator method. In a filter dust collection method, air is passed through a fine filter such as a HEPA filter to filter out and remove dust and other contaminants from the air. In an electrostatic precipitator method, contaminants such as dust contained in the drawn air are charged by high-voltage discharge and then adsorbed onto a dust collection unit (e.g., the heat exchanger 22 or a filter charged with the opposite polarity). The contaminants adsorbed to the heat exchanger 22 can be automatically discharged outdoors, for example, when condensation water formed on the surface of the heat exchanger is discharged.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1, in the air conditioner 1, the indoor unit 10 includes a radar 2, an indoor unit control unit 80, a room temperature sensor 3, a heat exchanger 22, a fan 23, a filter 24 (described below), upper and lower airflow direction vanes 25, left and right airflow direction vanes 29, ventilation members 26, a receiving device 94, and the like. The indoor unit control unit 80 constitutes a control unit 200 together with an outdoor unit control unit 180 of the outdoor unit 100. The heat exchanger 22 is included in a refrigerant circuit 201 through which a refrigerant flows. The indoor unit 10 also includes a first control circuit 81, a second control circuit 82, a third control circuit 83, a hood motor 84, an upper and lower airflow direction vane motor 85, a left and right airflow direction vane motor 86, a switching motor 87, and the like, all of which are controlled by the indoor unit control unit 80. Note that the configuration shown in FIG. 1 illustrates an example in which an air purification unit 4 that performs an electrostatic precipitator method as an air purification process is controlled by the indoor unit control unit 80.

[0030] The outdoor unit 100 also includes a heat exchanger 122, a fan 123, a four-way valve 124, a compressor 125, an outdoor unit control unit 180, a fourth drive circuit 181, a fifth drive circuit 182, a sixth drive circuit 183, a fan motor 184, a valve switching motor 185, a compressor motor 186, etc.

[0031] In the indoor unit 10, the fan 23 is disposed near the heat exchanger 22. The fan 23 guides air drawn in from the room through the air inlet of the indoor unit 10 to the heat exchanger 22, and also guides the conditioned air that has undergone heat exchange in the heat exchanger 22 to the air outlet of the indoor unit 10. The indoor unit control unit 80 drives the fan motor 84 using a first control circuit 81 to rotate the fan 23 around its rotation axis. The indoor unit control unit 80 is capable of changing the rotation speed of the fan 23.

[0032] The heat exchanger 22 has, for example, a flow path connected to a refrigerant pipe and a plurality of fins, and exchanges heat between the air drawn from inside the room and the refrigerant passing through the flow path.

[0033] In the outdoor unit 100, the fan 123 is disposed near the heat exchanger 122. The fan 123 rotates in accordance with control by the outdoor unit control unit 180. As a result, the fan 123 draws in outside air and guides it to the heat exchanger 122, and also discharges the outside air that has undergone heat exchange in the heat exchanger 122 to the outside of the outdoor unit 100. The outdoor unit control unit 180 drives the fan motor 184 using a fourth drive circuit 181, causing the fan 123 to rotate around its rotation axis. The indoor unit control unit 80 can change the rotation speed of the fan 123 via the outdoor unit control unit 180.

[0034] The heat exchanger 122 has, for example, a flow path and a plurality of fins. The heat exchanger 122 is in thermal contact with the refrigerant circuit passing nearby. The heat exchanger 122 exchanges heat between the refrigerant passing through the flow path and the outside air.

[0035] The four-way valve 124 is included in the refrigerant circuit 201. The four-way valve 124 can switch the refrigerant flow path in the refrigerant circuit 201 between the cooling side and the heating side in accordance with control by the outdoor unit control unit 180. The outdoor unit control unit 180 drives a valve switching motor 185 with a fifth drive circuit 182, and can switch the four-way valve 124 between the cooling side and the heating side. The indoor unit control unit 80 can switch the four-way valve 124 between the cooling side and the heating side via the outdoor unit control unit 180.

[0036] The compressor 125 is included in the refrigerant circuit 201. The compressor 125 compresses and sends out the refrigerant by the outdoor unit control unit 180 under the control of the indoor unit control unit 80. The outdoor unit control unit 180 drives the compressor motor 186 using a sixth drive circuit 183, causing the compressor 125 to perform a cyclic operation of compressing the refrigerant. The indoor unit control unit 80 can change the number of cycles of the compressor 125 (the number of compression cycles performed per unit time) via the outdoor unit control unit 180.

[0037] For example, in the air conditioning apparatus 1, the control unit 200 (the indoor unit control unit 80 and the outdoor unit control unit 180) switches the four-way valve 124 to the cooling side in the cooling operation mode. Then, a heat absorption process is performed in the heat exchanger 22, causing the refrigerant to absorb heat from the indoor air, and the conditioned air with the absorbed heat is blown into the room. Then, a heat release process is performed in the heat exchanger 122, causing the heat absorbed by the refrigerant to be released into the outside air.

[0038] Alternatively, the air conditioner 1 switches the four-way valve 124 to the heating side in the heating operation mode by the control unit 200 (indoor unit control unit 80 and outdoor unit control unit 180). Then, heat exchanger 122 performs a heat absorption process, causing the refrigerant to absorb heat from the outside air. Then, heat exchanger 22 performs a heating process, heating the indoor air with the heat absorbed by the refrigerant, and blowing the heated conditioned air into the room.

[0039] The vertical airflow direction vanes 25 and the horizontal airflow direction vanes 29 each set (adjust) the direction of the conditioned air blown into the room. Airflow direction refers to the direction of the wind. In this specification, the indoor unit control unit 80 directly controls the direction of the vertical airflow direction vanes 25 and the horizontal airflow direction vanes 29, but the direction of the vertical airflow direction vanes 25 and the horizontal airflow direction vanes 29 is treated as roughly matching the direction of the wind immediately after it is blown out of the air outlet of the indoor unit 10. In other words, the vertical airflow direction vanes 25 and the horizontal airflow direction vanes 29 can set (adjust) the wind direction by their orientation, and the indoor unit control unit 80 can control the wind direction by controlling the orientation of the vertical airflow direction vanes 25 and the horizontal airflow direction vanes 29. Note that the orientation of the vertical airflow direction vanes 25 and the horizontal airflow direction vanes 29 can each be controlled individually. This allows air to be blown out in one direction from the entire air outlet of the indoor unit 10, and also allows two or more air streams with different directions to be blown out from two or more areas of the air outlet of the indoor unit 10 partitioned by upper and lower air direction vanes 25, left and right air direction vanes 29, etc.

[0040] The vertical air deflectors 25 can be switched between a closed position and an open position. When switched to the closed position, the vertical air deflectors 25 close the air outlet. When switched to the open position, the vertical air deflectors 25 open the air outlet. When the air outlet is opened by the operation of the vertical air deflectors 25, the vertical air deflectors 25 and the left and right air deflectors 29 set (adjust) the direction of the conditioned air blown into the room. The vertical air deflectors 25 set (adjust) the direction of the conditioned air in the vertical direction. The left and right air deflectors 29 set (adjust) the direction of the conditioned air in the left and right direction.

[0041] The structure of the indoor unit 10 will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 2 to 7. Figure 2 is an exemplary schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the indoor unit 10.

[0042] As described above, the indoor unit 10 has a heat exchanger 22, a fan 23, a filter 24, a plurality of vertical airflow direction vanes 25 (25A, 25B), a plurality of horizontal airflow direction vanes 29 (see FIGS. 1 and 4), a ventilation member 26, etc. inside the housing 21. The vertical airflow direction vanes 25, the horizontal airflow direction vanes 29, and the ventilation member 26 may also be referred to as louvers.

[0043] As shown in Figure 2 and subsequent drawings, for convenience, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are defined in this specification. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are perpendicular to one another. The X-axis is set along the width of the indoor unit 10. The Y-axis is set along the depth of the indoor unit 10. The Z-axis is set along the height of the indoor unit 10.

[0044] Furthermore, in this specification, the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are defined. The X direction is a direction along the X axis, and includes the +X direction indicated by the X axis arrow and the -X direction opposite to the X axis arrow. The Y direction is a direction along the Y axis, and includes the +Y direction indicated by the Y axis arrow and the -Y direction opposite to the Y axis arrow. The Z direction is a direction along the Z axis, and includes the +Z direction indicated by the Z axis arrow and the -Z direction opposite to the Z axis arrow. In this embodiment, the +Z direction is the upward direction, and the -Z direction is the downward direction.

[0045] The housing 21 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in the X direction. However, the housing 21 may be formed in other shapes. The housing 21 is hung, for example, on a wall of a building (indoors). The housing 21 has an upper surface 21a, a lower surface 21b, and two side surfaces 21e and 21f. The upper surface 21a is provided at or near the upper end of the housing 21 and faces substantially upward. The lower surface 21b is provided at or near the lower end of the housing 21 and faces substantially downward. The housing 21 also has two side walls 21h including the side surfaces 21e and 21f, and a connecting portion 21i spanning the two side walls 21h. The connecting portion 21i includes the upper surface 21a and the lower surface 21b.

[0046] The housing 21 is provided with an air passage 31, an inlet 32, and an outlet 33. The air passage 31 is provided inside the housing 21. The inlet 32 ​​opens, for example, to the top surface 21a of the housing 21. The outlet 33 opens, for example, to the bottom surface 21b of the housing 21. The inlet 32 ​​and the outlet 33 may open to other parts of the housing 21.

[0047] The indoor unit 10 can pass wind through the ventilation duct 31. Wind is a flow of gas such as air. The intake port 32 is provided at one end of the ventilation duct 31, and connects the ventilation duct 31 to the outside of the indoor unit 10. The outlet port 33 is provided at the other end of the ventilation duct 31, and connects the ventilation duct 31 to the outside of the indoor unit 10. In other words, the ventilation duct 31 is provided inside the housing 21, between the intake port 32 and the outlet port 33.

[0048] Heat exchanger 22 is provided in ventilation duct 31. Heat exchanger 22 exchanges heat with the surrounding gas in ventilation duct 31. As a result, heat exchanger 22 cools the air flowing through ventilation duct 31 during cooling operation, and heats the air flowing through ventilation duct 31 during heating operation.

[0049] The fan 23 is provided in the ventilation passage 31. The fan 23 rotates around a rotation axis Axf extending in the X direction, thereby sending air from the air inlet 32 ​​to the air outlet 33 in the ventilation passage 31. As a result, the indoor unit 10 draws indoor air into the ventilation passage 31 through the air inlet 32 ​​and blows out the air (wind) in the ventilation passage 31 from the air outlet 33. For this reason, in this specification, the side of the ventilation passage 31 closer to the air inlet 32 ​​is referred to as the upstream side, and the side closer to the air outlet 33 is referred to as the downstream side.

[0050] The fan 23 is located downstream of the heat exchanger 22. Therefore, when the fan 23 generates airflow, the air drawn in through the air inlet 32 ​​passes through the fins of the heat exchanger 22. As a result, the air flowing through the ventilation passage 31 exchanges heat with the heat exchanger 22.

[0051] Filter 24 is provided at air inlet 32 ​​or near air inlet 32 ​​in ventilation duct 31. Filter 24 is located upstream of heat exchanger 22. Filter 24 covers air inlet 32 ​​from inside housing 21. Filter 24, for example, filters the air drawn in through air inlet 32 ​​and captures dust in the air. As described above, higher quality air purification can be achieved by configuring filter 24 with a HEPA filter or the like.

[0052] The vertical airflow direction flare 25 and the horizontal airflow direction flare 29 can be configured as shown in Figures 2 to 4. Figure 2 shows the vertical airflow direction flare 25 in a state where it is in the closed position Pc1 (sometimes referred to as the first closed position). Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration and operation of the indoor unit 10, showing the vertical airflow direction flare 25 in an open position Po1 (sometimes referred to as the first open position). Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration and operation of the indoor unit 10, showing the vertical airflow direction flare 25 in an open position and the horizontal airflow direction flare 29 visible.

[0053] The vertical air direction vane 25 may include multiple vertical air direction vanes 25A, 25B. The vertical air direction vanes 25A, 25B are components that set (adjust) the wind direction of the conditioned air in the vertical direction, and are also called vertical louvers. The vertical air direction vane 25A forms a first flow path C1 for the conditioned air, and the vertical air direction vane 25B forms a second flow path C2 for the conditioned air. The vertical air direction vanes 25A, 25B each have a shaft portion 41 and a plate portion 42.

[0054] The shaft portion 41 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape extending in the X direction. The shaft portion 41 is supported by the housing 21 so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis Axl extending in the X direction. The vertical airflow direction vanes 25A, 25B each have their own individual rotation axis Axl. The plate portion 42 protrudes from the shaft portion 41 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis Axl. The plate portion 42 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape extending in the X direction.

[0055] The vertical air direction flap 25A is supported by a rotary shaft Axl, and the vertical air direction flap motor 85 is controlled by the second control circuit 82, so that the vertical air direction flap 25A can move between a closed position Pc1 shown in Fig. 2 and an open position Po1 shown in Fig. 3. The vertical air direction flap 25B is supported by a rotary shaft Axl, and the vertical air direction flap motor 85 is controlled by the second control circuit 82, so that the vertical air direction flap 25B can move between the closed position Pc1 shown in Fig. 2 and an open position Po1 shown in Fig. 3.

[0056] 2, when the vertical airflow direction flare 25A is switched to the closed position Pc1, it closes the air outlet 33, which is the outlet of the first flow path C1. When the vertical airflow direction flare 25B is switched to the closed position Pc1, it closes the air outlet 33, which is the outlet of the second flow path C2. The first flow path C1 and the second flow path C2 form the air outlet 33 of the indoor unit 10.

[0057] 3 and 4, the vertical airflow direction flare 25A opens the first flow path C1 when switched to the open position Po1, and the vertical airflow direction flare 25B opens the second flow path C2 when switched to the open position Po1.

[0058] The open position Po1 includes various positions where the vertical airflow direction flap 25A, 25B open a portion of the air outlet 33. For example, the open position Po1 includes a position where the vertical airflow direction flap 25A, 25B faces substantially horizontally, a position where the vertical airflow direction flap 25A, 25B faces downward, and a plurality of positions between these two positions, as shown in Fig. 3. In other words, the vertical airflow direction flap 25A, 25B can rotate between a position where it faces substantially horizontally and a position where it faces downward.

[0059] The vertical airflow direction flap 25A, 25B positioned in the open position Po1 sets the vertical direction (+Z direction, -Z direction) of the airflow emitted from the air outlet 33 depending on the orientation of the vertical airflow direction flap 25A, 25B. That is, when the vertical airflow direction flap 25A, 25B are oriented substantially horizontally as shown in Fig. 3, the indoor unit 10 emits airflow in a substantially horizontal direction. On the other hand, when the vertical airflow direction flap 25A, 25B are oriented downward, the indoor unit 10 emits airflow downward.

[0060] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the vertical airflow direction vane 25A includes a plurality of (for example, two) vertical airflow direction vanes 25A1, 25A2. The two vertical airflow direction vanes 25A1, 25A2 are aligned in the left-right direction. The two vertical airflow direction vanes 25A are rotatable (movable) about the rotation axis Ax1 independently of each other. The two vertical airflow direction vanes 25A are driven by separate left-right airflow direction vane motors 86. In detail, in this embodiment, separate left-right airflow direction vane motors 86 are provided for the two vertical airflow direction vanes 25A1, 25A2 and the one vertical airflow direction vane 25B, respectively. That is, a plurality of left-right airflow direction vane motors 86 (for example, three) are provided.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 4, the left and right air deflectors 29 are supported by a rotation axis Ax2 (not shown) extending in the X direction, and the left and right air deflector motor 86 is controlled by the second control circuit 82, so that the left and right air deflectors 29 can move between a rotation position toward the -X side end and a rotation position toward the +X side end.

[0062] The left and right airflow direction vanes 29 may include multiple left and right airflow direction vanes 29-1 to 29-k, 29-(k+1) to 29-2k. The multiple left and right airflow direction vanes 29-1 to 29-k, 29-(k+1) to 29-2k are components that set (adjust) the direction of conditioned air in the left and right directions (-X direction, +X direction), respectively, and are also called left and right louvers. In this embodiment, the -X side left and right airflow direction vanes 29-1 to 29-k and the +X side left and right airflow direction vanes 29-(k+1) to 29-2k are driven independently by separate left and right airflow direction vane motors. That is, the directions of the -X side left and right airflow direction vanes 29-1 to 29-k and the +X side left and right airflow direction vanes 29-(k+1) to 29-2k can be controlled independently by the indoor unit control unit 80.

[0063] Left and right airflow direction vanes 29-1 to 29-k on the -X side may be connected to a common rotation axis Ax2 (not shown), and left and right airflow direction vanes 29-1 to 29-k may be controlled by second control circuit 82 through a left and right airflow direction vane motor 86, so that they can move together between an open position at the -X side end and an open position at the +X side end. Left and right airflow direction vanes 29-(k+1) to 29-2k on the +X side may be connected to a common rotation axis Ax2 (not shown), and left and right airflow direction vane motor 86 may be controlled by second control circuit 82, so that they can move together between an open position at the -X side end and an open position at the +X side end.

[0064] 4, the present embodiment is provided with a plurality of airflow direction setting mechanisms 202. The plurality of airflow direction setting mechanisms 202 includes an airflow direction setting mechanism 202A and an airflow direction setting mechanism 202B. The airflow direction setting mechanism 202A has an up / down airflow direction flap 25A1 on the -X side, left / right airflow direction flap 29-1 to 29-k on the -X side, and an up / down airflow direction flap motor 85 and a left / right airflow direction flap motor 86 that drive them. The airflow direction setting mechanism 202B has an up / down airflow direction flap 25A2 on the +X side, left / right airflow direction flap 29-(k+1) to 29-2k on the +X side, and an up / down airflow direction flap motor 85 and a left / right airflow direction flap motor 86 that drive them. Each of the plurality of airflow direction setting mechanisms 202 configured in this manner can set the airflow direction of the conditioned air blown into the room.

[0065] The ventilation member 26 shown in FIG. 2 can be switched between a closed position Pc2 (sometimes referred to as a second closed position) and an open position Po2 (sometimes referred to as a second open position). The ventilation member 26 can be positioned in the closed position Pc2, which covers at least a portion of the air outlet 33 (first flow path C1) opened by the vertical air direction flap 25A positioned in the open position Po1. The ventilation member 26 has an inner surface facing the air passage 31 in the closed position Pc2 and an outer surface facing the outside in the closed position Pc2, and is provided with at least one ventilation port 56 opening to the inner and outer surfaces. In the closed position Pc2, the ventilation member 26 can form a first air outlet flow path (first flow path C1) through which air sent by the fan 23 is discharged to the outside through the ventilation port 56, and a second air outlet flow path (second flow path C2) adjacent to the first air outlet flow path (first flow path C1) through which air is discharged to the outside without passing through the ventilation port 56. That is, when the ventilation member 26 is switched to the closed position Pc2, it is inserted into a part of the flow path of the conditioned air blown into the room, and changes the opening ratio of that part of the flow path.

[0066] When the ventilation member 26 is switched to the open position Po2, it is released from a portion of the flow path (for example, retracted from a portion of the flow path), and the opening ratio of the portion of the flow path is returned to the original value.

[0067] In the air conditioner 1, when the air conditioning apparatus 1 enters the windless mode as an auxiliary operation mode, the indoor unit control unit 80 switches the ventilation member 26 to the closed position Pc2. With the ventilation member 26 switched to the closed position Pc2, it is selectively inserted into the first flow path C1 to change the opening ratio of the first flow path C1. Meanwhile, the opening ratio of the second flow path C2, which is opened and closed by the vertical air direction flap 25B where the ventilation member 26 is not present, remains the same. When the windless mode as an auxiliary operation mode is canceled, the indoor unit control unit 80 switches the ventilation member 26 to the open position Po2. With the ventilation member 26 switched to the open position Po2, it is retracted from the first flow path C1, and the opening ratio of the first flow path C1 is returned to its original state.

[0068] For example, ventilation member 26 can be opened and closed between an open position Po2 shown in Fig. 3 and a closed position Pc2 shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of ventilation member 26.

[0069] 3, when the ventilation member 26 is switched to the open position Po2, it is housed in a recess 21c of the housing 21 provided near the air outlet 33. The recess 21c is recessed from the inner surface 21d of the housing 21 that forms part of the ventilation passage 31. When the ventilation member 26 is located at the open position Po2, being housed in the recess 21c prevents the ventilation member 26 from obstructing the air flowing through the first flow path C1.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 5, the ventilation member 26 is inserted into the first flow path C1 while switched to the closed position Pc2, changing the aperture ratio of the first flow path C1. The aperture ratio of the first flow path C1 becomes smaller than before the ventilation member 26 was inserted. As shown in FIG. 6, the ventilation member 26 is a member having a plate-shaped plate portion 52 and a plurality of ventilation holes 56 arranged on the plate portion 52. The ventilation member 26 is supported by a shaft portion 51, and a switching motor 87 is controlled by a third control circuit 83, so that the ventilation member 26 can move between the closed position Pc2 and the open position Po2. When the ventilation member 26 is moved to the closed position Pc2, as shown in FIG. 7, the air moved within the ventilation passage 31 by the fan 23 passes through the ventilation holes 56 and changes into air W2a.

[0071] On the other hand, the ventilation member 26 is not provided at the outlet 33 that forms the second flow path C2. The aperture ratio of the second flow path C2 is maintained as it is. In other words, the wind discharged from the second flow path C2 becomes wind W1a (laminar flow) that does not pass through the ventilation member 26. As a result, the wind W2a that passes through the ventilation member 26 provided in the first flow path C1 and the wind W1a that passes through the second flow path C2 where the ventilation member 26 is not provided are formed adjacent to each other.

[0072] In this case, the flow speed of the wind W2a increases as the opening ratio of the first flow path C1 decreases. Therefore, the wind W2a draws in the wind W1a. As a result, the wind W1a hits the wind W2a. Furthermore, the wind W2a that has transitioned to turbulent flow diffuses and hits the wind W1a flowing adjacent to the wind W2a. In this way, the winds W1a and W2a, which have different flow speeds and states (laminar flow or turbulent flow), flow next to each other and hit each other. In other words, the wind W1a that does not pass through the ventilation member 26 (ventilation opening 56) and the wind W2a that has passed through the ventilation member 26 (ventilation opening 56) interfere with each other.

[0073] When the wind W1a and the wind W2a collide with each other, for example, chunks of the wind W1a and the wind W2a are broken up, and the turbulent wind W2a is carried by the wind W1a. The wind W1a and the wind W2a interact in various ways, generating a turbulent flow Ws (mixed wind) that diffuses over a wide area. As a result, the turbulent flow Ws emitted from the indoor unit 10 is closer to natural wind (so-called wind without a wind-like sensation) than the wind immediately after being emitted from the air outlet 33. In this case, the ventilation member 26 only needs to be formed in either the first flow path C1 or the second flow path C2, which contributes to suppressing an increase in the number of parts, a complex configuration of the indoor unit 10, and cost increases. Furthermore, the ventilation member 26 has a simple structure including only the ventilation opening 56, which contributes to suppressing an increase in cost and a decrease in the strength of the ventilation member 26.

[0074] Returning to FIG. 1, the radar 2 can detect the position, movement speed, angle, and shape (height from the floor, etc.) of a detection target (e.g., a living organism CR) in a room. The radar 2 is a Doppler radar such as an ultrasonic radar, a millimeter-wave radar, a microwave radar, or a lidar. The radar 2 has a transmitter 2a, a receiver 2b, and a signal processor 2c. The radar 2 generates radio waves such as millimeter waves and microwaves, sound waves, and light in the signal processor 2c and transmits them into the room from the transmitter 2a. The receiver 2b receives reflected waves reflected by a detection target (living organism CR) that may be present in the room and passes them to the signal processor 2c. The radar 2 is provided anywhere on the front surface of the housing 21 of the indoor unit 10, but it is preferable to provide the radar 2 in a position that makes it easy to detect the position of the detection target (living organism CR) in the room. The radar 2 may be embedded in a position near the center in the X direction on the +Y side of the housing 21, as shown by the dotted lines in FIGS. 2 to 5. It is desirable that the transmitter 2a and receiver 2b are exposed from the surface of the housing 21, as shown in Fig. 4. The detection process by the radar 2 will be described in detail later.

[0075] FIG. 8 is an exemplary schematic block diagram showing details of the indoor unit control section 80 of the indoor unit 10 (air conditioner 1) configured as described above.

[0076] The CPU constituting the indoor unit control unit 80 reads out a control program installed and stored in a non-volatile storage device such as a ROM, and realizes modules that execute various controls and arithmetic processing in accordance with the program. The indoor unit control unit 80 includes modules such as an operation mode control unit 80a, a drive circuit control unit 80b, a radar control unit 80c, an air purification control unit 80f, a wind control unit 80g, and a temperature monitoring unit 80h. Each of these modules may be configured as hardware. Furthermore, each module may be integrated or divided according to function.

[0077] The operation mode control unit 80a switches between the "radar control mode" and "normal control mode" described above as the operation modes of the indoor unit 10, and switches between cooling operation mode, heating operation mode, dehumidification operation mode, humidification operation mode, fan operation mode, air purification operation mode, etc. These switching operations are performed based on a command signal from the operation terminal 94a operated by the user, or automatically based on the detection results of the radar 2.

[0078] The drive circuit control unit 80b controls the first control circuit 81, the second control circuit 82, and the third control circuit 83 based on the operation mode switched by the operation mode control unit 80a and the position of the living body CR included in the detection target present in the room, and controls the operation of the fan 23, the upper and lower air deflectors 25, the left and right air deflectors 29, and the ventilation member 26.

[0079] The radar control unit 80c controls the transmission and reception of the radar 2 (transmitter 2a, receiver 2b), and also controls the signal processor 2c to obtain analysis results (detection results) of the transmitted waves and received waves. The radar 2 may enable detection processing after the indoor unit 10 is started up by operation of the operation terminal 94a, or may always wait in standby mode regardless of the start-up of the indoor unit 10, and, for example, when it detects movement (motion) of an object (detection target) in an initially set room, it may start up normally to obtain information such as the presence or absence of a detection target, the number of detection targets, and shape information of the detection target.

[0080] The air purification control unit 80f controls whether or not to perform air purification processing in room R, the efficiency of air purification, etc., depending on the detection status of living organisms CR in room R. The air purification control unit 80f controls the air purification unit 4 and performs air control processing using, for example, an electrostatic precipitator. As described above, the air purification unit 4 is equipped with a high-voltage discharge unit and the like to charge contaminants such as dust contained in the air drawn in through the air inlet 32. In this case, the air purification control unit 80f controls the fan motor 84 via the first control circuit 81 to adjust the strength of the fan 23, thereby adjusting the amount of air drawn in through the air inlet 32 ​​and thereby adjusting the air purification efficiency.

[0081] The airflow control unit 80g controls the direction and quality of the air (e.g., air-conditioned air, heated air, etc.) blown out from the air outlet 33 according to the presence of a detection target (living organism CR) in the room R that can be detected by the radar 2. The airflow control unit 80g controls the vertical airflow direction flap motor 85 via the second control circuit 82 to control the left-right position of the vertical airflow direction flap 25. The airflow control unit 80g also controls the left-right airflow direction flap motor 86 via the left-right airflow direction flap motor 86 to control the left-right position of the left-right airflow direction flap 29. The airflow control unit 80g can appropriately change the direction (arrival position) of the air blown out from the air outlet 33 by controlling the directions of the vertical airflow direction flap 25 and the left-right airflow direction flap 29 in combination. That is, the airflow control unit 80g can control multiple airflow direction setting mechanisms 202 to set the direction of the air blown out from the air outlet 33.

[0082] For example, the airflow control unit 80g controls one of the airflow direction setting mechanisms 202 (one of the airflow direction setting mechanisms 202A and 202B) based on the detection result of the room temperature sensor 3B (temperature sensor) so that the airflow direction is directed toward the wall of the room. For example, during cooling operation, the airflow control unit 80g controls one of the airflow direction setting mechanisms 202 so that the airflow direction is directed toward a relatively high-temperature wall. During heating operation, the airflow control unit 80g controls one of the airflow direction setting mechanisms 202 so that the airflow direction is directed toward a relatively low-temperature wall. Furthermore, based on the detection result of the radar 2 (biological sensor), the airflow control unit 80g controls another of the airflow direction setting mechanisms 202 (the other of the airflow direction setting mechanisms 202A and 202B) so that the airflow direction is directed toward or away from the living body CR. For example, the airflow control unit 80g controls the airflow direction setting mechanism 202 so that the airflow always hits the living body CR, thereby improving the feeling of coolness during cooling control, for example. Conversely, the wind control unit 80g can find a position where the living body CR is not present (absence area) and control the wind direction setting mechanism 202 to prevent the wind from blowing on the living body CR, thereby reducing the discomfort caused by direct wind blowing. Note that the wind control unit 80g may periodically change the direction of the wind to alternately create a state where the living body CR is blown and a state where the living body CR is not blown.

[0083] An example of controlling the airflow direction by the airflow control unit 80g will be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. Figure 9 is an exemplary schematic side view showing a room in which the indoor unit of the embodiment is installed. Figure 10 is an exemplary schematic plan view showing a room in which the indoor unit of the embodiment is installed.

[0084] As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, a room R (space) in which the indoor unit 10 is installed is surrounded by multiple walls RW. The multiple walls RW include a ceiling wall RW1, a floor wall RW2, and multiple standing walls RW3 to RW6. In the example of FIGS. 9 and 10, the indoor unit 10 is attached to the standing wall RW3. The standing wall RW5 has a base portion RWa provided with a window RWb (opening) and a window glass RWc fitted in the window RWb. In this case, the room temperature sensor 3B detects the temperatures (wall surfaces) of at least the ceiling wall RW1, the floor wall RW2, and the standing walls RW4 to RW6. The room temperature sensor 3B may also detect the temperature of the standing wall RW3. The targets for which the airflow direction setting mechanism 202 sets the airflow direction are the floor wall RW2 and the standing walls RW4 to RW6. The targets for which the airflow direction setting mechanism 202 sets the airflow direction may also include other walls (ceiling wall RW1 and standing wall RW3).

[0085] In such a room R, for example, during the daytime in summer, sunlight increases the amount of heat in the window glass RWc, causing the temperature of the window glass RWc and, ultimately, the temperature of the standing wall 5 to rise. As an example, if the detection result of the room temperature sensor 3B indicates that the temperature of the window glass RWc of the standing wall RW5 is the highest among the multiple walls RW, the airflow control unit 80g performs the following control. That is, the airflow control unit 80g controls the airflow direction setting mechanism 202B so that the airflow direction of the airflow direction setting mechanism 202B, which is closer to the standing wall RW5, is directed toward the area of ​​the standing wall RW5 with the highest temperature (for example, the window glass RWc). This makes it possible to lower the temperature of the sensible heat of the window glass RWc. That is, it is possible to cool the heat source for the room R, namely, the sensible heat of the window glass RWc of the standing wall RW5.

[0086] Furthermore, the wind control unit 80g controls the wind direction setting mechanism 202A so that the wind direction of the wind direction setting mechanism 202A is directed toward the living body CR, based on the detection result of the radar 2. Note that the wind control unit 80g may also control the wind direction setting mechanism 202A so that the wind direction of the wind direction setting mechanism 202A is directed toward the living body CR and away from the living body CR, based on the detection result of the radar 2.

[0087] Here, in the dehumidification mode, the control unit 200 controls the refrigerant circuit so that the temperature of the air blown into the room R is lower than the temperature set by the operation terminal 94a. In this case, in the example of FIGS. 9 and 10, the air drawn into the indoor unit 10 is cooled and dehydrated by heat exchange in the heat exchanger 22. The cooled air is then blown toward the vertical wall RW5 (window glass RWc), where it is heated by hitting the vertical wall RW5 (window glass RWc), and then diffused into the room R. This dehumidifies the air in the room R. That is, so-called reheat dehumidification is performed. This reheat dehumidification uses the sensible heat of the wall RW, thereby suppressing increases in electricity costs. Furthermore, since the air from which moisture has been removed by the heat exchanger 22 of the indoor unit 10 can be heated by the relatively high-temperature vertical wall RW, dehumidification can be performed without excessively lowering the temperature in the room R. The temperature of the blown-out cool air may be adjusted according to the temperature of the vertical wall RW5. Furthermore, when the temperature of the standing wall RW5 drops due to the cold air hitting it, the wind direction is set so that the wind is blown out onto the other walls RW that are at higher temperatures.

[0088] The temperature monitoring unit 80h controls the operation mode control unit 80a based on the temperature (room temperature) provided by the room temperature sensor 3, and can perform at least cooling control (control of the heat exchange mode) regardless of operation of the operation terminal 94a. For example, if the radar 2 detects a living CR in room R and the temperature monitoring unit 80h detects that the room temperature is outside a predetermined temperature range, for example, 32°C or higher, the indoor unit 10 starts cooling control regardless of operation of the operation terminal 94a. For example, even if the living CR is a child, infant, or pediatrician and is unable to determine an appropriate room temperature or operate the operation terminal 94a, or even if the living CR is an adult and is unable to determine an appropriate room temperature or operate the operation terminal 94a due to illness, the temperature in room R (indoor) can be maintained at an appropriate level. In particular, automatic cooling control is effective in preventing heatstroke and other problems (reducing the burden on the living CR). When a living organism CR is detected and the room temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature, the temperature monitoring unit 80h cooperates with the airflow control unit 80g to blow air toward the detected living organism CR for a predetermined time after the start of cooling control, thereby efficiently lowering the body temperature, and after the predetermined time has elapsed, the airflow direction may be changed to a direction where the living organism CR is not present or the control may be switched to windless control. In this case, the temperature burden on the living organism CR can be effectively reduced, and after it is determined that the burden on the living organism CR has been reduced, a more comfortable environment in the room R can be more easily provided for the living organism CR.

[0089] The temperature monitoring unit 80h may be configured to automatically execute heating control (control of the heat exchange mode) when the room temperature falls below a predetermined temperature. In this case, as with the cooling control, it is possible to automatically maintain a comfortable room temperature.

[0090] As described above, the air conditioning apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes multiple airflow direction setting mechanisms 202, a room temperature sensor 3B (room temperature sensor 3B), a radar 2 (biological sensor), and a control unit 200. The multiple airflow direction setting mechanisms 202 are each capable of setting the direction of airflow of conditioned air blown into room R. The room temperature sensor 3B detects the temperature of the wall RW in room R. More specifically, the room temperature sensor 3B detects the temperature of the wall surface of the wall RW. The radar 2 detects living organisms CR in room R. The control unit 200 controls some of the multiple airflow direction setting mechanisms 202 based on the detection result of the room temperature sensor 3B so that the airflow direction is toward the wall RW. Furthermore, the control unit 200 controls other parts of the multiple airflow direction setting mechanisms 202 based on the detection result of the radar 2 so that the airflow direction is toward the living organism CR or away from the living organism CR.

[0091] According to this configuration, the airflow direction of some of the plurality of airflow direction setting mechanisms 202 is directed toward the wall RW, and the airflow direction of other parts of the plurality of airflow direction setting mechanisms 202 is directed toward or away from the living organism CR. Therefore, it is possible to control the airflow toward the living organism CR in the room R while suppressing an increase in unevenness in the temperature distribution in the room R.

[0092] In the air conditioning device 1, for example, the control unit 200 controls some of the multiple airflow direction setting mechanisms 202 so that the airflow direction is directed toward an area of ​​the wall RW where the airflow direction can be set and where the temperature detected by the room temperature sensor 3B is the highest (for example, the window glass RWc).

[0093] With this configuration, the increase in unevenness in the temperature distribution within the room R can be further suppressed.

[0094] The air conditioner 1 includes, for example, a refrigerant circuit 201. The refrigerant circuit 201 conditions air. In the dehumidification mode, the control unit 200 controls the refrigerant circuit 201 so that the temperature of the air blown into the room R is lower than a set temperature.

[0095] With this configuration, the dehumidifying efficiency in the room R can be improved.

[0096] Next, a modified example of the first embodiment will be described. In this modified example, the control unit 200 controls some of the multiple airflow direction setting mechanisms 202 so that the airflow direction is directed toward the area of ​​the wall RW that has been set as the airflow target in advance and that has the highest temperature detected by the room temperature sensor 3B (for example, the window glass RWc). The airflow target is, for example, the vertical walls RW4 to RW6. In this case, even if the ceiling wall RW1 or the floor wall RW2 has the highest temperature among the walls RW, the ceiling wall RW1 and the floor wall RW2 are not the airflow target, so the airflow direction is not set toward the ceiling wall RW1 or the floor wall RW2. Note that the airflow target may include the ceiling wall RW1 and the floor wall RW2.

[0097] According to this configuration, the processing of wind direction control by the control unit 200 can be easily simplified.

[0098] <Second embodiment> Figure 11 is a front view exemplarily and schematically showing the indoor unit 10 of the air conditioning apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment. Figure 12 is a side view exemplarily and schematically showing the indoor unit 10 of the air conditioning apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment.

[0099] As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the multiple airflow direction setting mechanisms 202 of the indoor unit 10. The airflow direction setting mechanisms 202 of this embodiment are punker louvers. The punker louvers can change the airflow direction up, down, left, or right of the punker louvers. The airflow direction setting mechanisms 202 are distributed among the two side walls 21g, 21h and the connecting section 21i of the housing 21 of the indoor unit 10. The airflow direction setting mechanisms 202 provided on the side walls 21g, 21h can set the airflow direction within a range that includes the side (left or right) of the housing 21. The airflow direction setting mechanism 202 provided on the connecting section 21i can set the airflow direction within a range that includes the front of the housing 21. Each of the multiple airflow direction setting mechanisms 202 is also provided with a blower fan 220 (see FIG. 14). This allows the airflow volume to be adjusted for each airflow direction setting mechanism 202. For example, the amount of airflow may be increased as the temperature of the area increases. When the temperature of the living body CR is relatively high (for example, when the living body CR is in a flushed state), the amount of airflow to the living body CR may be increased, and when the temperature of the living body CR is relatively low (for example, when the living body CR is sleeping), the amount of airflow to the living body CR may be decreased. Note that the air blower fan 220 does not need to be provided individually for each airflow direction setting mechanism 202, and a single common fan (for example, a fan similar to the fan 23 in the first embodiment) may be provided, and the opening of the airflow direction setting mechanism 202 (punker louver) may be adjustable.

[0100] The airflow direction setting mechanism 202 has a support part 205 and a louver part 210 rotatably (positionally changeable) supported by the support part 205. A motor for driving the airflow direction setting mechanism 202 is provided for each of the airflow direction setting mechanisms 202.

[0101] Figure 13 is a front view showing, exemplarily and schematically, the airflow direction setting mechanism 202 of the air conditioning apparatus 1 in the second embodiment. Figure 14 is a diagram showing, exemplarily and schematically, an example of the flow of air blown out from the airflow direction setting mechanism 202 of the air conditioning apparatus 1 in the second embodiment.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 13, the louver portion 210 of the airflow direction setting mechanism 202 has an outer cylindrical portion 211, an inner cylindrical portion 212, and multiple plate portions 213. The inner cylindrical portion 212 is located inside the outer cylindrical portion 211. The multiple plate portions 213 extend radially from the inner cylindrical portion 212 to the outer cylindrical portion 211. Air passing through the cylindrical holes 212a of the inner cylindrical portion 212 becomes turbulent. This can generate a turbulent flow. Furthermore, air passing through the spaces 213a between the plate portions 213 becomes a laminar flow. When the turbulent airflow and the laminar airflow meet, the airflow diffuses and moves over a larger surface area, allowing air to be blown over a wider area. The airflow is shown in FIG. 14.

[0103] Fig. 15 is an exemplary schematic plan view showing a room R in which an indoor unit 10 according to the second embodiment is installed. As shown in Fig. 15, in this embodiment, the indoor unit 10 is attached to a standing wall RW5. In addition, a room temperature sensor 3B is installed in a position separate from the indoor unit 10 in the room R. As an example, the room temperature sensor 3B is attached to a standing wall RW6.

[0104] The example in FIG. 15 shows a case where the detection result of the room temperature sensor 3B indicates that the temperature of the window glass RWc of the vertical wall RW5 is the highest among the multiple walls RW. The airflow control unit 80g performs the following control. Specifically, the airflow control unit 80g controls the airflow direction setting mechanism 202B so that the airflow direction of the airflow direction setting mechanism 202 closest to the vertical wall RW5 (the airflow direction setting mechanism 202 of the side wall 21h) is directed toward the vertical wall RW5. This reduces the sensible heat temperature of the window glass RWc. Furthermore, based on the detection result of the radar 2, the airflow control unit 80g controls the airflow direction setting mechanisms 202 so that the airflow direction of one or more of the other airflow direction setting mechanisms 202 is directed toward the living organism CR. Note that the airflow control unit 80g may also control the other airflow direction setting mechanisms 202 so that the airflow direction of the airflow direction setting mechanism 202 is directed toward the living organism CR and away from the living organism CR, based on the detection result of the radar 2.

[0105] As described above, in this embodiment, the indoor unit 10 has a plurality of airflow direction setting mechanisms 202 and a housing 21 that supports the plurality of airflow direction setting mechanisms 202, and is installed in room R. The housing 21 has two side walls 21g, 21h and a connecting portion 21i that spans the two side walls 21g, 21h. The plurality of airflow direction setting mechanisms 202 are provided on the side walls 21g, 21h and the connecting portion 21i. Note that the airflow direction setting mechanism 202 may be provided on only one of the side walls 21g, 21h.

[0106] With this configuration, the air blown out from the indoor unit 10 can be sent to a wide range in the room R. Therefore, the increase in unevenness in the temperature distribution in the room R can be further suppressed.

[0107] Fig. 16 is an exemplary schematic side view showing a room R in which an indoor unit 10 according to a first modified example of the second embodiment is installed. As shown in Fig. 16, in this embodiment, the indoor unit 10 is attached to a standing wall RW4. Also, a room temperature sensor 3B is installed at a position separate from the indoor unit 10 in the room R. As an example, the room temperature sensor 3B is attached to the standing wall RW3.

[0108] In the dehumidification mode, the control unit 200 controls the refrigerant circuit 201 so that the temperature of the air blown into room R is lower than the temperature set by the operation terminal 94a. In this case, in the example of FIG. 16, the air drawn into the indoor unit 10 is cooled and moisture is removed by heat exchange in the heat exchanger 22. The cooled air is then blown out toward the ceiling wall RW1, where it is heated as it hits the ceiling wall RW1 and diffused into room R. In this way, the air in room R is dehumidified.

[0109] As described above, in this modified example, at least one of the room temperature sensor 3B and the radar 2 (for example, the room temperature sensor 3B) is installed in a position in the room R separate from the indoor unit 10.

[0110] This configuration improves the degree of freedom in installing the room temperature sensor 3B. For example, the room temperature sensor 3B can be installed in a location where its detection range can cover substantially the entire room R (a wide range). This improves the detection accuracy of the room temperature sensor 3B.

[0111] In addition, both the room temperature sensor 3B and the radar 2 may be installed at a position separate from the indoor unit 10 in the room R, or the radar 2 may be installed at a position separate from the indoor unit 10 in the room R.

[0112] FIG. 17 is an exemplary schematic plan view showing a room R in which an indoor unit 10 according to a second modified example of the second embodiment is installed. As shown in FIG. 17, in this modified example, the multiple walls RW of the room R include a ceiling wall RW1, a floor wall RW2, and multiple standing walls RW3 to RW6, as well as standing walls RW7 and RW8. The indoor unit 10 is attached to the standing wall RW5. In addition, a room temperature sensor 3B is installed in a position separate from the indoor unit 10 within the room R. As an example, one room temperature sensor 3B is attached to the standing wall RW6, and the other room temperature sensor 3B is provided on the standing wall RW3. In this modified example, the room temperature and the temperature of the walls RW can be determined from the detection results of both room temperature sensors 3B.

[0113] In the above-described embodiment, the description has been given assuming, for example, a residential air conditioning apparatus 1, but the configuration of this embodiment can be similarly applied to various types of air conditioning apparatus 1. For example, the configuration of this embodiment can also be applied to a commercial (store, etc.) air conditioning apparatus, and similar effects can be obtained.

[0114] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above embodiments can be implemented in various forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The above embodiments are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as within the scope of the inventions and their equivalents as set forth in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0115] 1...air conditioning device, 2...radar (biometric sensor), 3B...room temperature sensor (temperature sensor), 10...indoor unit, 21...casing, 21g, 21h...side walls, 21i...connecting section, 200...control section, 201...refrigerant circuit, 202, 202A, 202B...air direction setting mechanism, R...room, RW...wall, RW1...ceiling wall, RW2...floor wall, RW3 to RW8...standing wall, RWc...window glass (area).

Claims

1. a plurality of airflow direction setting mechanisms each capable of setting the direction of the conditioned air blown into the room; a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of a wall inside the room; a biological sensor that detects a living body in the room; a control unit that controls some of the plurality of airflow direction setting mechanisms based on the detection result of the temperature sensor so that the airflow direction is directed toward the wall, and controls other parts of the plurality of airflow direction setting mechanisms based on the detection result of the biological sensor so that the airflow direction is directed toward the living body or away from the living body; Equipped with the control unit controls the part of the plurality of airflow direction setting mechanisms so that the airflow direction is directed toward an area of ​​the wall where the airflow direction can be set and where the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is the highest. Air conditioning equipment.

2. a plurality of airflow direction setting mechanisms each capable of setting the direction of the conditioned air blown into the room; a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of a wall inside the room; a biological sensor that detects a living body in the room; a control unit that controls some of the plurality of airflow direction setting mechanisms based on the detection result of the temperature sensor so that the airflow direction is directed toward the wall, and controls other parts of the plurality of airflow direction setting mechanisms based on the detection result of the biological sensor so that the airflow direction is directed toward the living body or away from the living body; Equipped with The control unit controls some of the plurality of airflow direction setting mechanisms so that the airflow direction is directed toward an area of ​​the wall that has been set as an airflow target in advance and that has the highest temperature detected by the temperature sensor. Air conditioning equipment.

3. an indoor unit having the plurality of airflow direction setting mechanisms and installed in the room; The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the temperature sensor and the biological sensor is installed in a position separate from the indoor unit in the room.

4. a refrigerant circuit for conditioning the air; The control unit controls the refrigerant circuit in a dehumidification mode so that the temperature of the air blown into the room is lower than a set temperature. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

5. an indoor unit having the plurality of airflow direction setting mechanisms and a housing supporting the plurality of airflow direction setting mechanisms, the indoor unit being installed in the room; the housing has two side walls and a connecting portion extending between the two side walls, The plurality of airflow direction setting mechanisms are provided on at least one of the side walls and the connecting portion. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

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