Indoor unit of an air conditioner

Abstract

To provide an indoor unit for an air conditioner that can suppress the occurrence of condensation on the upper and lower air deflector plates. [Solution] In the indoor unit 3 of an air conditioner 1, which has a housing in which a ventilation passage 28 is formed between an intake port 26 and an outlet port 27, a blower fan 12 arranged in the ventilation passage inside the housing to direct conditioned air to the outlet, a heat exchanger 11 arranged surrounding the blower fan, an upper and lower air deflector 30 that adjusts the vertical direction of the conditioned air blown out from the outlet, and a stabilizer 40 that forms a ventilation passage near the outlet, when the air conditioner is in operation, the conditioned air that has flowed over the surface of the stabilizer flows over the upper surface of the upper and lower air deflector and is blown out from the outlet.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an indoor unit of an air conditioner provided with an up-and-down air deflector for adjusting the up-and-down air direction of the conditioned air blown out from the air outlet.

Background Art

[0002] The indoor unit of an air conditioner is arranged in the ventilation path inside the housing, and includes a blower fan that flows the conditioned air taken in from the suction port to the air outlet that is open below the housing, and a heat exchanger arranged between the suction port of the ventilation path and the blower fan, and an up-and-down air deflector arranged near the air outlet for adjusting the up-and-down air direction of the conditioned air blown out from the air outlet (for example, the indoor unit of the air conditioner in Patent Document 1).

[0003] When adjusting the cold air blown out from the air outlet of the indoor unit downward during the cooling operation of the air conditioner, the inclination angle of the up-and-down air deflector is increased. As shown in FIG. 7 showing a conventional example, when the inclination angle of the up-and-down air deflector 60 increases, most of the cold air flowing from the ventilation path 61 hits the lower surface of the up-and-down air deflector 60 and flows downward, but almost no cold air from the ventilation path 61 flows on the upper surface of the up-and-down air deflector 60, and turbulence is likely to occur on the upper surface.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] When turbulence occurs on the upper surface of the up-and-down air deflector 60, there is a risk that the warm air in the room contacts the upper surface of the up-and-down air deflector 60, causing condensation on the upper surface of the up-and-down air deflector.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention was made to solve these problems, and aims to provide an indoor unit for an air conditioner that can suppress the occurrence of condensation on the upper and lower air deflector plates. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention relates to an indoor unit of an air conditioner, comprising: a housing having a ventilation passage formed between an intake port and an outlet port; a blower fan disposed in the ventilation passage within the housing and directing conditioned air to the outlet port; a heat exchanger disposed around the blower fan; upper and lower air deflectors for adjusting the vertical direction of the conditioned air blown out from the outlet port; and a stabilizer forming a ventilation passage near the outlet port. In this indoor unit, when the air conditioner is in operation, the conditioned air that has flowed over the surface of the stabilizer flows over the upper surface of the upper and lower air deflectors and is blown out from the outlet port. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the indoor unit of the air conditioner of the present invention, even if the inclination angle of the upper and lower air deflectors is increased in order to adjust the direction of the cold air blown out from the air outlet of the indoor unit downwards during cooling operation, condensation on the upper and lower air deflectors can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a refrigerant circuit diagram for an air conditioner according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing the indoor unit of the first embodiment of the present invention performing cooling operation, with the upper and lower air deflector plates rotating at their maximum tilt. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram showing the recessed area of ​​the stabilizer provided near the air outlet of the indoor unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram showing the state in which, during cooling operation, the cold air that has passed through the recessed area of ​​the stabilizer flows toward the upper and lower air deflectors of the first embodiment in the indoor unit of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the upper and lower air deflectors of the first embodiment are housed inside the recessed area of ​​the indoor unit of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram showing the state in the indoor unit of the second embodiment where, during cooling operation, the cold air that has passed through the recessed area of ​​the stabilizer flows toward the upper and lower air deflectors. [Figure 7] This diagram shows the state of turbulence that occurs when the upper and lower air deflectors are rotating at their maximum tilt in a conventional indoor unit. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments shown below illustrate devices and methods for realizing the technical idea of ​​the present invention, and the technical idea of ​​the present invention is not limited to the materials, shapes, structures, arrangements, etc. of the components described below. The technical idea of ​​the present invention can be modified in various ways within the technical scope defined by the claims described in the patent claims.

[0011] Figure 1 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of an air conditioner 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The air conditioner 1 of this embodiment comprises an outdoor unit 2 installed outdoors and an indoor unit 3 installed indoors. The outdoor unit 2 is equipped with an electronic expansion valve 5, an outdoor heat exchanger 6, a four-way valve 7, and a compressor 8, and is also provided with an outdoor fan 10 for exchanging heat in the outdoor heat exchanger 6 with the outside air drawn in and blowing out the air after heat exchange. The indoor unit 3 is equipped with an indoor heat exchanger 11, as well as a blower fan 12 that blows the air that has undergone heat exchange in the indoor heat exchanger 11 into the room.

[0012] In this embodiment, the air conditioner 1 has an electronic expansion valve 5, an outdoor heat exchanger 6, a four-way valve 7, a compressor 8, and an indoor heat exchanger 11 connected sequentially by piping to form a refrigerant circuit 17 through which the refrigerant circulates. It also includes control means 18 for controlling the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 5, switching the four-way valve 7, driving the compressor 8, driving the blower fan 12, and driving the air deflector, which will be described later. The control means 18 includes a storage unit that stores a program for controlling the air conditioner 1, and operates according to the program in the storage unit when the air conditioner 1 is in heating or cooling operation.

[0013] Next, the internal structure of the indoor unit 3, which constitutes the air conditioner 1 of this embodiment, will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 5. As shown in Figure 2, the indoor unit 3 is a wall-mounted indoor unit fixed to the wall surface 19 and has a box-shaped casing. The indoor unit 3 is fixed to the wall surface so that the longitudinal direction of the casing is horizontal. The casing of the indoor unit 3 has a back surface 20, a top surface 21, a front surface 22, a bottom surface 23, and left and right sides (not shown), and the back surface 20 is fixed to the wall surface 19. In Figure 2, the direction in which the indoor unit 3 protrudes from the wall surface is referred to as "front," and the opposite side is referred to as "rear." Also, the vertical direction is referred to as "up" and "down," and the direction perpendicular to the front-back direction and the up-down direction is referred to as the longitudinal direction.

[0014] Multiple intake ports 26 are formed on the top surface 21, and an outlet port 27 that opens in the longitudinal direction is formed on the bottom surface 23. The internal space of the housing 25 between the intake ports 26 and the outlet port 27 serves as a ventilation passage 28. In the ventilation passage 28, the cylindrical impeller 12a of the blower fan 12 is positioned with its rotation shaft 12b extending in the longitudinal direction. In the ventilation passage 28 between the intake port 26 and the blower fan 12, an indoor heat exchanger 11a is positioned at the front and an indoor heat exchanger 11b is positioned at the rear. Note that indoor heat exchangers 11a and 11b correspond to the heat exchangers of the present invention. The air outlet 27 is equipped with an auxiliary vertical air deflector 30 that changes the vertical direction of the conditioned air sent out from the blower fan 12, and a main vertical air deflector 33.

[0015] A plurality of connecting members 31 are fixed to the auxiliary upper and lower air deflectors 30 at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction, and a first rotating shaft 32 extending in the longitudinal direction penetrates and is fixed to these connecting members 31. A plurality of connecting members 34 are fixed to the main upper and lower air deflectors 33 at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction, and a second rotating shaft 35 extending in the longitudinal direction penetrates and is fixed to these connecting members 34. An air deflector rotation motor (not shown) is connected to the ends of the first and second rotating shafts 32 and 35. When set to a predetermined wind direction by remote control operation, the air deflector rotation motor is driven by drive control from the control means 18, and the first rotating shaft 32 and the second rotating shaft 35 rotate so that the auxiliary upper and lower air deflectors 30 and the main upper and lower air deflectors 33 are adjusted to a predetermined angle. That is, the auxiliary upper and lower air deflector 30 rotates such that one end 30a moves in the direction indicated by the broken line in FIG. 2 due to the rotation of the first rotating shaft 32. Further, the main upper and lower air deflector 33 rotates such that one end 33a and the other end 33b move in the direction indicated by the broken line in FIG. 2 due to the rotation of the second rotating shaft 35. Note that the auxiliary upper and lower air deflectors 30 and the main upper and lower air deflectors 33 are individually driven and controlled to be rotatable.

[0016] A drain pan 36 is provided below the indoor heat exchanger 11a, and at the lower part of this drain pan 36, there is an inner wall forming the ventilation path 28 near the air outlet 27, and a stabilizer 40 for guiding the conditioned air flowing from the blower fan 12 toward the air outlet 27 is provided. The stabilizer 40 is a resin inner wall extending in the longitudinal direction along the air outlet 27, and a recessed region 41 is formed at a position corresponding to the auxiliary upper and lower air deflectors 30.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 3, the recessed region 41 formed in the stabilizer 40 is a space that opens so as to be sandwiched between a front opening edge portion 42 and a rear opening edge portion 43. Three-dimensionally, a flat bottom 44 is provided between the front opening edge portion 42 and the rear opening edge portion 43, and it is a space that is recessed in the same shape along the longitudinal direction. When the depth of the recessed region 41 is D and the length in the front-rear direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the recessed region 41 (the distance between the front opening edge portion 42 and the rear opening edge portion 43) is L, it is set to a relationship of D / L > 0.15.

[0018] The wall between the front end of the bottom 44 and the front opening edge 42 is formed as an inclined surface 45 that slopes forward from the bottom 44 toward the front opening edge 42. The angle θ formed between the inclined surface 45 and the surface 40a of the stabilizer 40 where the recessed area 41 is not formed is set to 200° < θ < 270°. Although the inclined surface 45 in FIG. 3 is formed as a flat surface, it may have a curved surface shape. On the wall between the rear opening edge 43 and the rear end of the bottom 44, a step portion 46 having substantially the same dimensions as the thickness T1 of the auxiliary vertical air deflector 30 in the height direction is formed.

[0019] Next, FIG. 4 shows the flow of cold air inside the indoor unit 3 when the cooling operation is selected by remote control operation or the like and the direction of the air-conditioning air (cold air) blown out from the air outlet 27 is set to be the most downward. At this time, the auxiliary vertical air deflector 30 and the main vertical air deflector 33 arranged at the air outlet 27 are rotated to the maximum inclination so that the direction of the cold air is adjusted to be the most downward. The air sucked in from the suction port 26 of the indoor unit 3 and flowing into the ventilation path 28 exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing through the pipes when passing through the indoor heat exchanger 11 and is cooled, and is blown out into the room as cold air from the air outlet 27 by the rotation of the impeller 12a of the blower fan 12.

[0020] Here, the auxiliary vertical air deflector 30 rotated to the maximum inclination is arranged in a state where the other end 30b overlaps the recessed area 41 in the front-rear direction. That is, when a straight line is drawn upward from the other end 30b in FIG. 4, it is arranged at a position where the straight line hits the recessed area 41. Further, the auxiliary vertical air deflector 30 at this time is arranged in a state where the front opening edge 42 of the recessed area 41 overlaps in the front-rear direction. That is, when a straight line is drawn downward from the front opening edge 42 in FIG. 4, it is arranged at a position where it hits the auxiliary vertical air deflector 30. Note that the rear end of the vertical air deflector described in the present invention corresponds to the other end 30b of the auxiliary vertical air deflector 30.

[0021] The cool air that flows from the blower fan 12 to the main upper and lower air deflector 33 hits the main upper and lower air deflector 33, which has rotated to its maximum tilt, changing its direction downwards, and is then blown into the room from the outlet 27. The cool air that flows from the blower fan 12 to the auxiliary up-and-down air deflector 30 hits the lower surface 30D of the auxiliary up-and-down air deflector 30, which has rotated to its maximum tilt, changing its direction downwards, and is then blown into the room from the outlet 27.

[0022] The cool air flowing from the blower fan 12 along the stabilizer 40 flows forward along the bottom 44 of the recessed area 41 and then flows downward along the inclined surface 45. The auxiliary upper and lower air deflector 30 is positioned such that its other end 30b overlaps with the recessed area 41 in the front-to-back direction, and also overlaps with the front opening edge 42 of the recessed area 41 in the front-to-back direction. Therefore, the cool air, whose flow has been changed to a downward direction along the inclined surface 45, flows towards the auxiliary upper and lower air deflector 30. The cool air that flows out of the recessed area 41 then hits one end 30a of the upper surface 30U of the auxiliary upper and lower air deflector 30 and is then blown into the room from the outlet 27.

[0023] Next, Figure 5 shows the auxiliary upper and lower air deflector 30 housed inside the recessed area 41 by a different fan motor drive control than that used for the main upper and lower air deflector 33. The auxiliary upper and lower air deflector 30 is housed inside the recessed area 41 with one end 30a in contact with the stepped portion 46 as the first rotation axis 32 rotates counterclockwise. At this time, the downward-facing surface of the auxiliary upper and lower air deflector 30 becomes approximately flush with the surface 40a of the stabilizer 40.

[0024] Next, the operation and effects of the air conditioner 1 of the first embodiment will be described. Assume that when the air conditioner 1 is in cooling operation, the auxiliary upper and lower air deflector 30 is rotated to its maximum tilt so that the direction of the cool air is adjusted to be as far downward as possible. The cool air flowing from the blower fan 12 along the surface of the stabilizer 40 flows along the bottom 44 and inclined surface 45 of the recessed area 41, changing to a flow toward the upper surface 30U of the auxiliary upper and lower air deflector 30. As a result, the cool air hits the upper surface 30U of the auxiliary upper and lower air deflector 30 and flows, preventing turbulence from occurring on the upper surface 30U, and thus preventing warm indoor air from coming into contact with the upper surface 30U, thereby suppressing condensation on the auxiliary upper and lower air deflector 30.

[0025] Furthermore, by setting the relationship between the depth D of the recessed area 41 and the length L in the front-to-back direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the recessed area 41 to D / L > 0.15, the amount of cold air flowing over the upper surface 30U of the auxiliary upper and lower air deflector 30 can be increased, further suppressing the occurrence of condensation on the auxiliary upper and lower air deflector 30. If the depth D of the recessed area 41 is reduced so that D / L falls below 0.15, the length of the inclined surface 45 in the cross-sectional view becomes smaller, and the amount of cold air directed towards the upper surface 30U of the auxiliary upper and lower air deflector 30 decreases, making it easier for condensation to occur on the auxiliary upper and lower air deflector 30.

[0026] Furthermore, by setting the angle θ between the inclined surface 45 of the recessed region 41 and the surface 40a of the stabilizer 40 where the recessed region 41 is not formed to 200° < θ < 270°, it is possible to further suppress the occurrence of condensation on the auxiliary upper and lower air deflectors 30. If the angle θ is, for example, 300°, turbulence may occur on the surface 40a of the stabilizer 40, causing warm indoor air to come into contact with it and potentially resulting in condensation. Also, if θ is less than 200°, the Coanda effect will occur in the cold air that tries to flow from the inclined surface 45 along the surface 40a of the stabilizer 40, so there is a risk that the cold air necessary to prevent condensation will not flow toward the upper surface 30U of the auxiliary upper and lower air deflectors 30.

[0027] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the auxiliary up and down air deflector 30 can be stored inside the recessed area 41. Therefore, when the auxiliary up and down air deflector 30 is stored and the system is operated, the auxiliary up and down air deflector 30 does not become an obstacle that narrows the air passage of the outlet 27, and sufficient airflow can be ensured. In addition, since the auxiliary up and down air deflector 30 is stored so that the downward-facing surface of the auxiliary up and down air deflector 30 is substantially flush with the surface 40a of the stabilizer 40, vibration of the auxiliary up and down air deflector 30 due to collision with the cold air flowing along the surface 40a of the stabilizer 40 can be prevented.

[0028] Here, Figure 6 shows the internal structure of the indoor unit 3 of a second embodiment, which is different from the first embodiment shown in Figures 2 to 5. In Figure 6, the same reference numerals are used for components identical to those in the first embodiment, and their descriptions are omitted. Note that the main upper and lower air deflector 33 is not shown in Figure 6. Also, Figure 6 does not show the connecting member 31 and the first rotation shaft 32 shown in the first embodiment for rotating the auxiliary upper and lower air deflector 50 of this embodiment.

[0029] The auxiliary upper and lower air deflector 50 of this embodiment has the same shape as the auxiliary upper and lower air deflector 30 of the first embodiment. When rotated to its maximum inclination so that the direction of the cold air is adjusted to be as far downward as possible, the other end 50b overlaps the recessed area 41 in the front-rear direction, and is positioned so that its position in the front-rear direction overlaps the front opening edge 42 of the recessed area 41. The auxiliary up-and-down air deflector 50 of this embodiment differs from the auxiliary up-and-down air deflector 30 of the first embodiment in that the other end 50b of the auxiliary up-and-down air deflector 50 of this embodiment is positioned inside the recessed area 41. In other words, the auxiliary up-and-down air deflector 50 of this embodiment is closer to the recessed area 41 than the auxiliary up-and-down air deflector 30 of the first embodiment.

[0030] During cooling operation of the air conditioner 1, the cool air flowing from the blower fan 12 along the stabilizer 40 flows along the bottom 44 and inclined surface 45 of the recessed area 41, and then its flow is changed to one toward the upper surface 50U of the auxiliary upper and lower air deflector 50. In this case, since the upper surface 50U of the auxiliary upper and lower air deflector 50 in this embodiment is close to the inclined surface 45 of the recessed area 41, most of the cool air that has passed through the recessed area 41 hits the upper surface 50U of the auxiliary upper and lower air deflector 50 and flows toward it, thereby reliably preventing the generation of turbulence on the upper surface 30U. As a result, the warm air in the room does not come into contact with the upper surface 50U, and thus it is possible to suppress the occurrence of condensation on the auxiliary upper and lower air deflector 50.

[0031] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the auxiliary upper and lower air deflector 50 is rotated to its maximum inclination so that the direction of the cold air is adjusted to be as far downward as possible, the other end 50b is positioned inside the recessed region 41. As a result, most of the cold air that passes through the recessed region 41 hits the upper surface 50U of the auxiliary upper and lower air deflector 50, reliably preventing turbulence. This prevents warm indoor air from coming into contact with the upper surface 50U, further suppressing condensation on the auxiliary upper and lower air deflector 50. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 1. Air conditioner 2 Outdoor unit 3 Indoor unit 5. Electronic expansion valve 6 Outdoor heat exchanger 7. Four-way valve 8 Compressor 10 Outdoor fan 11,11a,11b Indoor heat exchanger 12. Blower fan 12a Impeller 12b Rotation axis 17 Refrigerant Circuit 18 Control means 19 Wall surface 20 Back side 21 Top surface 22 Front 23 Bottom 26 Inlet 27 Air outlet 28 Ventilation duct 30 Auxiliary upper and lower wind direction plates 30a One end of auxiliary upper and lower wind deflector 30b Other end of auxiliary up / down wind deflector 30U Auxiliary Up / Down Airflow Plate Top Surface 30D Lower surface of auxiliary upper and lower wind direction plate 33 Main Up / Down Wind Direction Plates 31,34 Connecting members 32. First rotation axis 35. Second rotation axis 36 Drain pan 40 Stabilizer 40a surface 41 Recessed area 42 Front opening edge 43 Rear opening edge 44 bottom 45 Slope 46 Stepped section 50 Auxiliary upper and lower wind direction plates 50b Other end of auxiliary up / down wind deflector 50U Auxiliary Up / Down Airflow Plate Top Surface

Claims

1. An indoor unit of an air conditioner having a housing in which a ventilation passage is formed between an intake port and an outlet port, a blower fan disposed in the ventilation passage within the housing for directing conditioned air to the outlet port, a heat exchanger disposed around the blower fan, an upper and lower air deflector for adjusting the vertical direction of the conditioned air blown out from the outlet port, and a stabilizer that forms the ventilation passage near the outlet port, The stabilizer has recessed regions formed at corresponding positions on the upper and lower wind deflectors. When the upper and lower air deflectors are rotated to their maximum tilt so that the direction of the conditioned airflow is adjusted to be as far downward as possible, By aligning the front opening edge of the recessed region, which is closest to the air outlet, with the upper and lower air deflector plates in the front-to-back direction, An indoor unit of an air conditioner, characterized in that, during operation of the air conditioner, the conditioned air that flows over the surface of the stabilizer flows over the upper surface of the upper and lower air deflector plates and is blown out from the air outlet.

2. When the upper and lower air deflectors are rotated to their maximum tilt so that the direction of the conditioned airflow is adjusted to be as far downward as possible, The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that the rear end of the upper and lower air deflector, which is on the upstream side in the direction of the air conditioner's airflow, is positioned to overlap with the recessed area in the front-rear direction.

3. The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the wall extending from the bottom of the recessed area to the front opening edge is formed as an inclined surface that slopes forward as it approaches the front opening edge from the bottom.

4. When the upper and lower air deflectors are rotated to their maximum tilt so that the direction of the conditioned airflow is adjusted to be as far downward as possible, The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 3, characterized in that the conditioned air flowing along the inclined surface of the recessed region changes to a flow toward the tip of the upper surface of the upper and lower air deflector plates.

5. The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 4, characterized in that the angle θ between the inclined surface of the recessed region and the surface continuous with the front opening edge where the recessed region is not formed is set to 200° < θ < 270°.

6. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the depth D of the recessed region and the length L in the front-to-back direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the recessed region are set to a relationship of D / L > 0.

15.

7. The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the upper and lower air deflectors can be housed inside the recessed area.

8. When the upper and lower air deflectors are rotated to their maximum tilt so that the direction of the conditioned airflow is adjusted to be as far downward as possible, The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the rear end of the upper and lower air deflector, which is on the upstream side in the direction of the air conditioner's airflow, is located inside the recessed area.

9. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the upper and lower air deflectors are auxiliary upper and lower air deflectors that rotate around a first rotation axis along the longitudinal direction of the air outlet and are positioned near the recessed area of ​​the stabilizer, and a main upper and lower air deflector is positioned near the auxiliary upper and lower air deflectors that rotates around a second rotation axis along the longitudinal direction of the air outlet and adjusts the vertical direction of the conditioned air blown out from the air outlet.

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