Air conditioner and radiant air conditioning system using the same

Abstract

To achieve downsizing of an air conditioner used in a radiation air conditioner.SOLUTION: An air conditioner includes: a housing having an air suction port and a ventilation port; a heat exchanger located between the air suction port and the ventilation port in the housing; a cross flow fan located between the heat exchanger and the ventilation port; and heat insulation materials which sandwich the cross flow fan and form a passage which guides air blown by the cross flow fan to the ventilation port. The air suction port is disposed on a front surface of the housing and the ventilation port is disposed on an upper surface of the housing. The heat insulation material may have: a first heat insulation material which comes around a back surface of the cross flow fan from the lower side of the housing and has a surface curving along an outer periphery of the cross flow fan so as to connect to the ventilation port; and a second heat insulation material which faces the first heat insulation material across the cross flow fan and is disposed so as to shield the air suction port from the ventilation port.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] One embodiment of the present invention relates to the structure of an air conditioner (hereinafter also referred to as an "air conditioner") and a radiant air conditioning apparatus using the same.

Background Art

[0002] Air-cooled heat pump type heating and cooling equipment used for household and some business purposes (also known as an air conditioner and abbreviated as an "air conditioner") is composed of an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, and cools (or warms) the air from the air outlet of the indoor unit. Radiant air conditioning devices of a radiation type that adjust the indoor temperature by means of a radiation panel cooled (or warmed) by water or air instead of blowing air whose temperature has been adjusted are disclosed (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] The radiant air conditioning device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has an air conditioner and a hollow case having a flat shape attached to the ceiling surface. The hollow case having a flat shape is composed of a moisture-permeable radiation panel and a heat insulation panel that face each other with a gap therebetween, and has a structure in which an air passage is formed in the gap between these two panels and air cooled (or warmed) from the air conditioner is blown.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Air conditioners used in homes and some commercial settings have an air intake on the top of the indoor unit and an air outlet on the lower front, and their appearance is designed to be aesthetically pleasing while also being functional. On the other hand, the air conditioner for the radiant air conditioning system disclosed in Patent Document 1 is placed near the ceiling, and because it flows temperature-controlled air between the insulation panel and the radiant panel, the relative positional relationship between the air outlet and intake differs from that of a normal air conditioner, which is problematic. In other words, the method of installing the air conditioner on the ceiling, as in the radiant air conditioning system disclosed in Patent Document 1, can be applied to newly constructed buildings, but it is unsuitable for installation in existing buildings. In radiant air conditioning systems, if the rotation speed of the cross-flow fan is reduced to reduce wind noise, the airflow decreases, which in turn reduces the amount of heat obtained from the heat exchanger, resulting in a decrease in cooling and heating capacity, which is problematic.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of these problems, and one of its objectives is to provide an air conditioner that can reduce wind noise while preventing a decrease in cooling and heating capacity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a housing having an air intake and an air outlet, a heat exchanger located inside the housing between the air intake and the air outlet, a cross-flow fan located between the heat exchanger and the air outlet, and an insulating material that sandwiches the cross-flow fan and forms a flow path that guides the air blown by the cross-flow fan to the air outlet. The air intake is located on the front of the housing, and the air outlet is located on the top surface of the housing.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the heat exchanger is positioned at an angle toward the front air intake with respect to the horizontal plane, and the heat exchanger may be tilted at an angle of 15 to 45 degrees. The enclosure may include a first insulating material that wraps around from the bottom of the enclosure to the back of the cross-flow fan and forms a flow path that curves along the outer circumference of the cross-flow fan so as to connect to the air outlet, and a second insulating material that faces the first insulating material with the cross-flow fan in between and is positioned to block the space between the air intake and the air outlet.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, there is a cover panel that covers the air intake port, and the cover panel may be positioned away from the housing so as to form a flow path through which air flows to the air intake port. The upper end of the cover panel may be positioned away from the housing to form an opening through which air flows, and the lower end of the cover panel may be positioned in contact with the housing.

[0010] A radiant air conditioning system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises an air conditioner provided with the cover panel described above, an insulating panel mounted on the ceiling surface so as to extend from above the air outlet of the air conditioner to the front of the housing, and radiant panels positioned opposite and separated from the insulating panel so as to form a flow path for the air blown out from the air outlet. Preferably, the air conditioner is mounted on a wall adjacent to the ceiling surface to which the insulating panel is attached. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, by providing insulation material inside the housing so as to sandwich the cross-flow fan, and forming a curved flow path through which air flows from an air intake on the front of the housing to an air outlet on the top, the heat exchanger and cross-flow fan can be compactly housed, the air conditioner can be made smaller, and it can be made so as not to give a sense of oppression even when mounted on a wall. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] The structure of an air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown, with (A) being a front view and (B) being a top view. [Figure 2] This shows a schematic cross-sectional structure of an air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This diagram illustrates the configuration of a heat exchanger used in an air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present invention, where (A) shows the configuration of a heat exchange unit and (B) shows the configuration of a heat exchanger in which heat exchange units are stacked. [Figure 4] A top view of a radiant air conditioning system according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 5] A side view of a radiant air conditioning system according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described below. In order to make the explanation clearer, the drawings may schematically represent the width, thickness, shape, etc. of each part compared to the actual embodiment, but these are merely examples and do not limit the interpretation of the present invention. In addition, in this specification and each drawing, elements similar to those described above in previously shown drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations may be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, the letters "1st" and "2nd" appended to each element are convenient indicators used to distinguish each element and have no further meaning unless specifically explained.

[0014] [First Embodiment] This embodiment shows the configuration of an air conditioning device (also referred to as "air conditioner" in this specification) used in a radiant air conditioning system. In this embodiment, the air conditioner refers to a device installed indoors and is equivalent to the indoor unit of an air conditioner used for household and some commercial purposes. An air conditioner includes a device equivalent to the outdoor unit of an air conditioner, but in this embodiment, the description of the device equivalent to the outdoor unit is omitted.

[0015] Figures 1(A) and 1(B) show the configuration of an air conditioner 102 according to one embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 1, (A) is a front view of the air conditioner 102, and (B) is a top view of the air conditioner 102.

[0016] The air conditioner 102 includes a housing 104 and a cover panel 110. An air intake 106 and an air outlet 108 are provided in the housing 104. A heat exchanger, a cross-flow fan, etc. (not shown) are housed in the housing 104. An air filter is provided at the air intake 106 to remove dust, dirt, etc. The air intake 106 is provided on the front surface of the housing 104, and the air outlet 108 is provided on the upper surface (ceiling side surface) of the housing 104. The air conditioner 102 operates such that air is sucked in from the air intake 106 by the rotation of the cross-flow fan, temperature adjustment is performed by the heat exchanger, and the temperature-adjusted air is blown out from the air outlet 108.

[0017] In a general air conditioner, an air intake is provided on the upper surface of the indoor unit, and an air outlet is provided below the front surface. That is, the indoor unit of the air conditioner has a configuration in which air is sucked in from the upper surface (ceiling side surface) of the main body, and the temperature-adjusted air is blown out from below the front surface. In contrast, the air conditioner 102 of the present embodiment has a configuration in which air is sucked in from the front surface of the housing 104, and the temperature-adjusted air is blown out from the upper surface (ceiling side surface). The air intake 106 is provided with a large frontage so as to occupy most of the front surface of the housing 104 so that the air resistance when sucking air is minimized.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1(A), when the air conditioner 102 is viewed from the front, the housing 104 has a horizontally long shape and has a height and depth for accommodating devices such as a heat exchanger and a cross-flow fan. When the air conditioner 102 is installed on an indoor wall, the front surface of the housing 104 faces the inside of the room. Since the air filter is exposed on the appearance when the air intake 106 is largely provided on the front surface of the housing 104, a cover panel 110 is provided to hide the air intake 106. The cover panel 110 is not provided in close contact with the housing 104, but a gap is formed between the cover panel 110 and the housing 104, and air is provided to flow into the air intake 106 through the gap.

[0019] In the examples shown in FIGS. 1(A) and (B), the surface opposite to the surface on which the cover panel 110 is provided is attached toward the wall. In this specification, the side to which the cover panel 110 is attached is referred to as the "front surface", and the direction in which the "front surface" faces may be referred to as the "front". And the opposite side of the cover panel 110 (the surface attached to the wall) is referred to as the "back surface", and the direction in which the "back surface" faces may be referred to as the "rear". Also, the surface between the front surface and the back surface and facing the ceiling side is referred to as the "upper surface", and the direction in which the "upper surface" faces is referred to as upward, and the surface between the front surface and the back surface and facing the floor side is referred to as the "lower surface", and the direction in which the "lower surface" faces is referred to as the "downward", and the surface between the front surface and the back surface and facing the left-right direction is referred to as the "side surface", and the direction in which the "side surface" faces may be referred to as the "sideway".

[0020] FIG. 1(A) illustrates a structure in which the cover panel 110 is arranged to cover the front surface of the housing 104 and is attached to the housing 104 at four locations, up, down, left, and right, by the fasteners 120. There is no limitation on the type of the fasteners 120, and pins, hooks, screws, etc. can be used. Although not shown in detail in FIGS. 1(A) and (B), a hook mechanism 1201 may be used as the upper fastener 120 of the cover panel 110, and a push latch mechanism 1202 may be provided as the lower fastener 120. The cover panel 110 is not limited to the shape shown in FIGS. 1(A) and (B) as long as it can cover the air filter and form a flow path for introducing air into the air intake 106. FIGS. 1(A) and (B) have a size in which the width of the cover panel 110 substantially coincides with the width of the housing 104, but the width of the cover panel 110 may be wider than the width of the housing 104. The cover panel 110 may have a shape that covers, for example, a part of the front surface and the side surface of the housing 104.

[0021] FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional structure between A and B shown in FIGS. 1(A) and (B). Also, FIG. 2 shows the arrangement of the members constituting the radiation air conditioner together with the air conditioner 102 by a dashed line. Specifically, it shows a part of the heat insulation panel 154 (the first heat insulation panel 154a, the second heat insulation panel 154b) provided on the upper part of the air conditioner 102 and the radiation panel 156 provided opposite to the heat insulation panel 154.

[0022] The air conditioner 102 has an air intake 106 on the front of the housing 104 and an air outlet 108 on the top. The housing 104 houses equipment such as a heat exchanger 112, a cross-flow fan 114, and a motor 115 that rotates the cross-flow fan 114. An air filter 107 is attached to the air intake 106 to prevent dust and dirt from being drawn in. The heat exchanger 112 is positioned behind the air filter 107 attached to the air intake 106, and the cross-flow fan 114 is positioned behind the heat exchanger 112. Insulation material 124 is placed inside the housing 104. The insulation material 124 is positioned to surround the heat exchanger 112 and the cross-flow fan 114. A drain pan 116 is installed below the heat exchanger 112 to receive condensed water, and a drain hose 118 is provided to drain the water that accumulates in the drain pan 116. The drain pan 116 is provided so as to be housed within the insulation material 124, thereby preventing condensation from forming in the drain pan 116.

[0023] The cover panel 110 is attached to the housing 104 so as to cover the air intake port 106. The fasteners 120 for attaching the cover panel 110 to the housing 104 are preferably provided on the back surface of the cover panel 110 so as not to be visible. There are no limitations on the configuration of the fasteners 120, but for example, a hook mechanism 1201 may be used as the upper fastener 120 of the cover panel 110, and a push latch mechanism 1202 may be used as the lower fastener 120. The hook mechanism 1201 has a configuration in which a hook provided on the back surface of the cover panel 110 engages with a pin provided on the housing 104, and the push latch mechanism 1202 has a configuration in which a latch provided on the back surface of the cover panel 110 fits into a latch receiver provided on the housing 104. By using such fasteners 120 (hook mechanism 1201 and push latch mechanism 1202), the cover panel 110 can be attached to the housing 104 in a detachable manner. Magnets, screws, or the like may be used as fasteners 120, and the cover panel 110 may be detachably attached to the housing 104 by these fasteners 120.

[0024] The cover panel 110 is a plate-shaped component, with its lower side attached close to or in contact with the housing 104, and its upper side attached so as to tilt forward of the housing 104. This arrangement of the cover panel 110 creates a gap between it and the housing 104, and this gap forms a passage 128 through which air is introduced to the air intake port 106. In addition, the upper end of the cover panel 110 forms an opening 126 through which air flows in.

[0025] Conventional household and some commercial air conditioners regulate room temperature by blowing out cool or warm air. In contrast, the air conditioner 102 according to this embodiment only needs to control the temperature by flowing air between the insulation panel 154 and the radiant panel 156, so a large airflow is not required. Therefore, even when an air passage 128 is formed between the cover panel 110 and the housing 104, it is not a problem if the passage is relatively narrow. A suitable distance between the cover panel 110 and the housing 104 can be 10 mm or more and 300 mm or less, for example, 20 mm or more and 300 mm or less, preferably 40 mm or more and 300 mm or less. For example, it is preferable that the cover panel 110 is positioned at a distance of about 20 mm to 40 mm from the housing 104 at the opening 126. If the distance between the cover panel 110 and the housing 104 is smaller than the above range and the distance is narrow, the air conditioner 102 will be overloaded and will have to increase its rotation speed in order to blow a predetermined amount of air onto the radiant panel. On the other hand, if the distance between the cover panel 110 and the housing 104 is increased beyond the above range, it will only enlarge the cover panel 110 and will not contribute to performance improvement, so this is undesirable. The cover panel 110 is positioned at the above-mentioned distance from the housing 104 to form the airflow path 128 that flows into the air intake port 106. At the same time, the air intake 106 can be hidden from view, so as not to give the viewer any sense of incongruity.

[0026] When the air conditioner 102 is operated, the cross-flow fan 114 rotates, and refrigerant gas is supplied to the heat exchanger 112 from an outdoor unit (not shown). As the cross-flow fan 114 rotates, as shown in Figure 2, (A) air flows in from the opening 126, (B) through the flow path 128 formed between the cover panel 110 and the housing 104, flows into the air intake port 106, passes through the air filter 107, and is drawn into the housing 104. The air drawn into the housing 104 is (C) heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger 112 located behind the air filter 107 to adjust its temperature, (D) is drawn into the cross-flow fan 114, and (E) the drawn-in air is discharged towards the air outlet 108.

[0027] Figure 3(A) shows a front view of the heat exchange unit 11201. The heat exchange unit 11201 has a structure in which a refrigerant pipe 11203 passes through a plurality of fins 11202 arranged at narrow intervals in the vertical direction. The heat exchange unit 11201 has the function of controlling the temperature of the air passing between the plurality of fins 11202 by conducting the temperature of the refrigerant to the plurality of fins 11202 by passing the refrigerant through the inside of the refrigerant pipe 11203. The heat exchanger 112 used in the air conditioner 102 of this embodiment has a configuration in which the heat exchange unit 11201 is stacked in multiple layers, as shown in Figure 3(B). For example, the heat exchanger 112 has a configuration in which the heat exchange units 11201a, 11201b, and 11201c are stacked in three layers. In this configuration, the heat exchanger 112 has a multi-layered structure of heat exchange units 11201, which increases the contact area of ​​the air passing through the heat exchanger 112 with the fins. This prevents a reduction in cooling and heating capacity even when the rotation speed of the cross-flow fan 114 is reduced to decrease the airflow and prevent wind noise. Preferably, the heat exchanger 112 has three or more layers of heat exchange units 11201. Furthermore, even when the heat exchange units 11201 are multi-layered in the heat exchanger 112, the wind pressure resistance is reduced at low wind speeds, allowing the rotation speed of the cross-flow fan 114 to be reduced without putting a load on the motor 115.

[0028] As shown in Figure 2, the heat exchanger 112 is not positioned vertically within the housing 104, but rather in a tilted position. Specifically, the top of the heat exchanger 112 is tilted towards the air intake 106 (forward).

[0029] The heat exchanger 112 is positioned at an angle of 15 to 45 degrees, for example 30 degrees, from a vertical position toward the air intake port 106 (forward). By positioning the heat exchanger 112 at such an angle, an airflow toward the cross-flow fan 114 can be formed, as schematically shown by the dotted arrow superimposed on the heat exchanger 112 in Figure 2.

[0030] The cross-flow fan 114 shown in Figure 2 has a cylindrical external shape when viewed in three dimensions, and has a structure in which blades are arranged axially along the outer circumference of the cylinder. The cross-flow fan 114 generates airflow by rotating such a cylindrical impeller around its axis with a motor 115. However, for example, if the cross-flow fan is rotated in a space with no airflow, it will not be possible to generate airflow in the intended direction. Therefore, the insulating material 124 forms a flow path through which air flows from the air intake 106 to the air outlet 108.

[0031] In this embodiment, the air conditioner 102 draws in air from the front and blows it out from the top, so a first insulation material 124a and a second insulation material 124b are provided inside the housing 104 so as to sandwich the cross-flow fan 114. The first insulation material 124a has a curved surface shape that wraps around from the bottom of the housing 104 to the rear of the cross-flow fan 114, curves along the outer circumference and connects to the air outlet 108, and the second insulation material 124b faces the first insulation material 124a with the cross-flow fan 114 in between, and forms a curved surface diagonally upward on the front side of the cross-flow fan 114. Furthermore, it is provided to block the space between the air intake port 106 and the air outlet port 108.

[0032] As shown in Figure 2, in a cross-sectional view, a first thermal insulation material 124a and a second thermal insulation material 124b are provided so as to sandwich the cross-flow fan 114, thereby forming an airflow path from the air intake port 106 to the air outlet port 108. More specifically, the first thermal insulation material 124a and the second thermal insulation material 124b form an intake port 12401 on the air intake port 106 side of the cross-flow fan 114, and an outlet port 12402 on the air outlet port 108 side. The surface of the flow path formed by the first thermal insulation material 124a and the second thermal insulation material 124b may be reinforced with a coating material such as resin. By forming the intake port 12401 and the outlet port 12402 with the first thermal insulation material 124a and the second thermal insulation material 124b, and rotating the cross-flow fan 114 counterclockwise, the air that has flowed into the air intake port 106 can be discharged from the air outlet port 108. In other words, by forming a bent airflow path with the first insulation material 124a and the second insulation material 124b, and by placing the cross-flow fan 114 in the bent portion of this airflow path, it is possible to blow air with different air inflow and outflow directions.

[0033] The insulation material 124 (first insulation material 124a and second insulation material 124b) is made from a variety of materials. The insulation material 124 (first insulation material 124a and second insulation material 124b) is formed from, for example, expanded polystyrene (expanded styrene), expanded polyurethane, ABS resin, resin, ethylene-propylene-diene rubber, glass wool, rock wool, gypsum, or an insulation material formed by combining multiple types of these insulation materials. Examples of dienes include 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene, dicyclopentadiene, and 1,4-hexadiene. The outer surfaces of the first insulation material 124a and the second insulation material 124b may be covered with a coating material made of resin such as ABS resin or metal, and the inner surface facing the cross-flow fan 114 may also be covered with a similar coating material.

[0034] The first insulation material 124a and the second insulation material 124b form an insulated space, and an airflow path is formed inside the housing 104 so that air drawn in from the front of the housing 104 is blown out from the top. Furthermore, because the cover panel 110 is provided, the air intake (opening 126) for air flowing into the air intake port 106 is located relatively close to the top surface of the housing 104. For this reason, in conventional household and some commercial air conditioners, a so-called short circuit in air circulation occurs, where air blown out from the air outlet 108 flows into the opening 126. However, as shown in Figure 2, an airflow path is formed beyond the air outlet 108, sandwiched between the insulation panel 154 and the radiating panel 156, thus preventing excessive short circuits in air circulation.

[0035] In a radiant air conditioning system, the radiant panel 156 converts the thermal energy from the cooled or heated air blown from the air conditioner 102 into infrared radiation. The opening 126 formed by the cover panel 110 is directed toward the radiant panel 156 and is located close to it. Since the indoor air flows into the air intake 106 passing near the cooled or heated radiant panel 156, the air flowing into the air intake 106 can be cooled or heated. Furthermore, the parts of the cover panel 110 and housing 104 facing the radiant panel 156 are cooled or heated by the action of the radiant panel 156, thereby cooling or heating the air flowing into the air intake 106 from the opening 126. As a result, compared to a system with a constant heat exchanger 112 capacity, the temperature of the air blown out from the air outlet 108 can be lower during cooling operation and higher during heating operation. As a result, there is no need to enlarge the heat exchanger 112 to increase its capacity, and the size of the housing 104 can be reduced.

[0036] In this embodiment, the air conditioner 102 is provided with an insulating material 124 sandwiching the cross-flow fan 114 inside the housing 104, and the air intake port 106 provided on the front of the housing 104 By forming a curved airflow path through which air flows from the top surface to the air outlet 108, the heat exchanger 112 and cross-flow fan 114 can be compactly housed, enabling a smaller air conditioner 102 and preventing a feeling of oppression even when mounted on a wall. Furthermore, even when using a heat exchanger 112 with multiple layers of heat exchange units 11201, when blowing air at a low wind speed to avoid wind noise, the wind pressure resistance is reduced, allowing the rotation speed of the cross-flow fan 114 to be reduced without putting a load on the motor 115 that drives the cross-flow fan 114.

[0037] [Second Embodiment] This embodiment shows an example of a radiant air conditioning system 100 using the air conditioner 102 shown in the first embodiment. The following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0038] Figure 4 shows a plan view of the radiant air conditioning unit 100 as seen from the ceiling, and Figure 5 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the radiant air conditioning unit 100. The following explanation will refer to both of these figures. Note that since the radiant air conditioning unit 100 is installed on the wall and ceiling surfaces, the structure shown in Figure 4 is not directly visible.

[0039] The radiant air conditioning system 100 includes an air conditioner 102, an insulating panel 154, and a radiant panel 156. The air conditioner 102 is mounted to the wall 202 by mounting brackets 122. The air conditioner 102 has an air intake 106 facing the front of the housing 104 and an air outlet 108 facing the top (ceiling side). A cover panel 110 is attached to the front of the housing 104 so as to cover the air intake 106, so that the air intake 106 is not visible when the air conditioner 102 is installed on the wall 202.

[0040] The air conditioner 102 is mounted on the wall 202, and the insulation panel 154 is mounted on the ceiling 204. The insulation panel 154 may be divided into multiple sections before being mounted on the ceiling. For example, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, it may be divided into three sections: a first insulation panel 154a above the air conditioner 102, a second insulation panel 154b in front of it, and a third insulation panel 154c further in front of that.

[0041] The air conditioner 102 is mounted on the wall 202 such that a predetermined gap is formed between it and the ceiling 204. The first insulation panel 154a is inserted into the gap between the air conditioner 102 and the ceiling 204 and mounted so that its tip protrudes forward from the air conditioner 102. The second insulation panel 154b is provided based on the position of the first insulation panel 154a, and then the third insulation panel 154c is provided. The first insulation panel 154a is held in place while inserted between the air conditioner 102 and the ceiling 204, and the second insulation panel 154b and the third insulation panel 154c are attached by fasteners 152 that are pre-installed on the ceiling. The fasteners 152 are metal frames positioned to abut the tip of the first insulation panel 154a and are attached to the ceiling 204 in front of the air conditioner 102. By attaching the fastener 152 with the tip of the first insulation panel 154a as a reference, the positions of the second insulation panel 154b and the third insulation panel 154c can be aligned with the first insulation panel 154a, allowing them to be assembled to form a single continuous insulation panel 154.

[0042] As shown in the inset of Figure 5, the first insulation panel 154a is composed of a flat plate portion 15401a that abuts against the ceiling 204 and a side wall portion 15402a that surrounds the outer periphery of the flat plate portion, and has a structure in which air from the air outlet 108 flows into the space enclosed by the flat plate portion and the side wall. There is no side wall in front of the first insulation panel 154a, so that the air blown out from the air outlet 108 flows out forward. The second insulation panel 154b and the third insulation panel 154c are similarly composed of a flat plate portion and a side wall portion, with side walls provided on both sides of the flat plate portion, and no side walls provided in front of or behind the flat plate portion connected to the first insulation panel 154a.

[0043] The insulation panels 154 (first insulation panel 154a, second insulation panel 154b, third insulation panel 154c) are configured to include, for example, an insulating material such as expanded polystyrene (styrofoam), expanded polyurethane, resin, glass wool, rock wool, or gypsum, or an insulating material that combines multiple types of these insulating materials. The insulation panels 154 (first insulation panel 154a, second insulation panel 154b, third insulation panel 154c) are attached to the ceiling surface by fasteners 152 attached to the ceiling surface.

[0044] The radiant panel 156 is provided to cover the entirety of the second insulation panel 154b and the third insulation panel 154c. The radiant panel 156 is, for example, made of cloth and has a structure stretched over the frame so as to spread out in a flat shape. Such a radiant panel 156 is detachably attached to the fastener 152 by mounting members 158 (first mounting member 158a, second mounting member 158b).

[0045] An airflow path is formed between the side walls of the first insulation panel 154a, the second insulation panel 154b, and the third insulation panel 154c and the radiant panel 156, through which air is blown out from the air outlet 108. The air that flows between the side walls of the first insulation panel 154a, the second insulation panel 154b, and the third insulation panel 154c and the radiant panel 156 flows out in front of the third insulation panel 154c. The radiant air conditioning system 100 flows cooled or heated air supplied from the air conditioner 102 into this airflow path, converting the thermal energy of the air into infrared rays at the radiant panel 156, and directly cooling or heating objects or living beings placed below the radiant panel 156 through the effect of infrared rays. The radiant air conditioning system 100 does not directly adjust the room temperature using only cooled or heated air, but also directly cools or heats the target object through the action of the radiant panel 156. Therefore, even if the airflow volume of the air blown from the air conditioner 102 is small, it can still provide sufficient air conditioning.

[0046] As shown in Figure 4, the radiant panel 156 is positioned so that at least a portion of it overlaps the cover panel 110 in a plan view. Also, as shown in Figure 5, the opening 126 formed by the cover panel 110 is provided relatively close to the radiant panel 156. As explained in the first embodiment, the indoor air flows into the air intake 106 passing near the cooled or heated radiant panel 156, thus cooling or heating the air flowing into the air intake 106. Furthermore, the cover panel 110 and a portion of the housing 104 that are close to the radiant panel 156 are cooled or heated by the action of the radiant panel 156, so they can indirectly cool or heat the air flowing into the air intake 106. This airflow is realized by the configuration of the air conditioner 102 shown in the first embodiment. As a result, compared when the capacity of the heat exchanger 112 is constant, the temperature of the air blown out from the air outlet 108 can be lower during cooling operation and higher during heating operation. In other words, a large temperature difference can be maintained between the air blown out from the air outlet 108 and the indoor air, allowing for a smaller heat exchanger 112. As a result, when the air conditioner 102 is installed on a wall, the size that protrudes downward from above (towards the ceiling) can be reduced, thus suppressing the feeling of being cramped. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 100: Radiant air conditioning unit, 102: Air conditioner, 104: Housing, 106: Air intake, 108: Air outlet, 110: Cover panel, 112: Heat exchanger, 11201: Heat exchange unit, 11202: Fins, 11203: Refrigerant pipe, 114: Cross-flow fan, 115: Motor, 116: Drain pan, 118: Drain hose, 120: Fastener, 1201: Hook mechanism, 1202: Push latch mechanism, 122: Mounting bracket, 124: Insulation material, 152: Fixing device, 154: Insulation panel, 154a: First insulation panel, 154b: Second insulation panel, 154c: Third insulation panel, 15401a: Flat plate section, 15402a: Side wall section, 156: Radiant panel, 158: Mounting member, 158a: First mounting member, 158b: Second mounting member, 202: Wall, 204: Ceiling

Claims

1. A housing having an air intake and an air outlet, Inside the housing, a heat exchanger between the air intake and the air outlet, A cross-flow fan between the heat exchanger and the air outlet, The system includes a heat insulating material that sandwiches the cross-flow fan and forms a flow path that guides the air blown by the cross-flow fan to the air outlet, The air intake port is located on the front of the housing, and the air outlet is located on the top surface of the housing. The air intake, the heat exchanger, and the cross-flow fan are arranged in the front-to-back direction of the housing. An air conditioner characterized in that air taken in from the air intake flows linearly through the heat exchanger to the cross-flow fan, and is blown out from the air outlet by the cross-flow fan.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger is positioned at an angle from a vertical position toward the air intake port.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the heat exchanger is composed of a heat exchange unit through which a refrigerant pipe is passed, and the heat exchange unit is arranged in three or more layers.

4. The aforementioned insulating material, A first thermal insulation material having a surface that curves along the outer circumference of the cross-flow fan, wrapping around from the lower side of the housing to the back of the cross-flow fan and connecting to the air outlet, A second insulating material is positioned opposite the first insulating material with the cross-flow fan in between, and is arranged to block the space between the air intake and the air outlet. An air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, having the following features.

5. It has a cover panel that covers the air intake port, The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cover panel is arranged away from the housing so as to form a flow path through which air flows to the air intake.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 5, wherein the upper end of the cover panel is provided to form an opening into which air flows in away from the housing, and the lower end of the cover panel is provided to be in contact with the housing.

7. An air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 6, An insulating panel extends from above the air outlet of the air conditioner to the front of the housing and is attached to the ceiling surface, A radiating panel is positioned opposite and at a distance from the insulating panel so as to form a flow path for the air blown out from the aforementioned air outlet, A radiant air conditioning system characterized by having the following features.

8. The radiant air conditioning system according to claim 7, wherein the air conditioner is mounted on a wall adjacent to the ceiling on which the insulation panel is attached.

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