air conditioner

Abstract

To provide an air conditioner capable of suppressing leakage of light of an LED to an LED side on which light is turned off and suppressing damage of a wiring pattern on a circuit board on which LEDs are mounted.SOLUTION: An air conditioner includes a display section 8 that indicates operation information. The display section 8 includes: a circuit board 20; a plurality of light emitting devices 21 mounted to the circuit board 20; and a case part 22 disposed on a front surface side of the circuit board 20. The case part 22 includes: cylindrical light shielding walls 25 each in which a first opening part 29 opened at a front end and a second opening part 30 opened at a rear end and opposed to the light emitting device 21 are formed; and a light shielding member 40 that is disposed between the light shielding walls 25 and the circuit board 20 and in which third opening parts 44 each opposed to an opening of the second opening part 30 and fourth opening parts 45 each surrounding the light emitting device 21 are formed. A rear end of the light shielding wall 25 is disposed leaving a predetermined interval with respect to the front surface of the circuit board 20. The light shielding member 40 functions as a displacement absorption member for absorbing displacement of a distance between the rear end of the light shielding wall 25 and the circuit board 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and particularly to an air conditioner provided with a display unit for displaying air conditioning operation information.

Background Art

[0002] A plurality of LEDs (light emitting elements) are mounted on the display unit of the indoor unit of an air conditioner, and the operation state is transmitted to the user by the light emission of the LEDs. At this time, if the light of the LEDs is not of appropriate brightness, there is a risk that the user cannot correctly visually recognize the lighting of the LEDs. In addition, if the light of the lit LEDs leaks to the side of the unlit LEDs, there is a risk that the user may misrecognize that the LEDs that are actually not lit are lit. Since the height of the light emitting part and the light emission directivity characteristics differ depending on the type of LED, the problem that the light of the lit LEDs leaks to the side of the unlit LEDs may occur depending on the type of LED used.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for solving the problem that the light of the lit LEDs leaks to the side of the unlit LEDs by providing a substantially cylindrical light shielding wall having a light transmitting part opening to the front and a rear end opening surrounding the LEDs and closely contacting the circuit board side.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that, because the rear end opening of the light-shielding wall is in contact with the circuit board, vibrations during the assembly or transportation of the air conditioner may damage the wiring pattern on the circuit board due to the rear end opening of the light-shielding wall in contact with the circuit board, potentially preventing the LED from emitting light properly.

[0006] In view of the above issues, the object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner that, in a display unit equipped with multiple LEDs, suppresses the leakage of light from lit LEDs to the side of unlit LEDs, and also suppresses damage to the wiring patterns on the circuit board on which the LEDs are mounted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is an air conditioner equipped with a display unit for displaying air conditioning operation information, wherein the display unit comprises a circuit board on which electronic components are mounted, a plurality of light-emitting elements mounted on the front surface of the circuit board, and a case portion disposed on the front side of the circuit board, the case portion comprising a cylindrical light-shielding wall having a first opening that opens at its front end and a second opening that opens at its rear end and faces the light-emitting elements, and having a first communication hole that connects the openings of the first and second openings, and a light-shielding member disposed between the light-shielding wall and the circuit board, having a third opening that opens at the front so as to overlap the opening of the second opening when viewed from the first opening side, and a fourth opening that opens at the rear so as to surround the light-emitting elements, and having a second communication hole that connects the openings of the third and fourth openings, the rear end of the light-shielding wall is disposed at a predetermined distance from the front surface of the circuit board, and the light-shielding member functions as a displacement absorbing member that compensates for malfunctions caused by the displacement of the distance between the rear end of the light-shielding wall and the circuit board. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an air conditioner that suppresses the leakage of light from lit LEDs to the side of unlit LEDs in a display unit equipped with multiple LEDs, and also suppresses damage to the wiring patterns on the circuit board on which the LEDs are mounted. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is an external perspective view of the indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a front view of the display unit of an air conditioner according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a vertical cross-sectional view of the display unit of an air conditioner according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a vertical cross-sectional view of the display unit of an air conditioner according to the second embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a vertical cross-sectional view of the display unit of an air conditioner according to the third embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a vertical cross-sectional view of the display unit of an air conditioner according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a vertical cross-sectional view of the display unit of an air conditioner according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 8] This is an external perspective view of the indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the sixth embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The air conditioner according to this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, this embodiment does not limit the present invention.

[0011] Figure 1 is an external perspective view of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a front view of the display unit of the air conditioner according to this embodiment. [Examples]

[0012] The air conditioner 1 will be described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is an external perspective view of the indoor unit 2 of the air conditioner 1 in the first embodiment. The air conditioner 1 comprises an outdoor unit (not shown) installed outside and an indoor unit 2 installed inside a room such as a living room, and controls the temperature of the living room in which the indoor unit 2 is installed. The air conditioner 1 is operated by a remote control (not shown). The indoor unit 2 comprises a front air deflector 3, left and right side panels 4, a bottom panel 5, a ceiling panel and a rear panel (not shown in Figure 1), and has a box-shaped form with a longer width in the left-right direction than in the vertical direction. The indoor unit 2 shown in Figure 1 is a ceiling-mounted indoor unit that is suspended from the ceiling of the living room. An intake port 6, slightly smaller than the left-right width of the indoor unit 2, is located on the rear side of the bottom panel 5, and an intake grille 7 is provided across the opening of the intake port 6.

[0013] The air deflector 3, positioned on the front side, changes the direction of the air blown out from the indoor unit 2. Figure 1 shows the air deflector 3 in the closed position. When the air deflector 3 is opened, an outlet (not shown) from which temperature-controlled air is blown out appears. In other words, the air deflector 3 changes the direction of the blown air and closes the outlet when the air conditioner 1 is stopped.

[0014] A display unit 8 is provided in the space between the air intake 6 and the side panel 4 of the indoor unit 2 to display air conditioning operation information of the air conditioner 1. The display unit 8 displays the operating status of the indoor unit 2, which is operated by remote control, to the user.

[0015] Figure 2 is a front view of the display unit 8. The display unit 8 of the present embodiment includes three display lamp units 9. In Figure 2, the three display lamp units 9 are, in order from the left, the display lamp unit 9 indicating the timer operation state, the display lamp unit 9 indicating the operation state, and the display lamp unit 9 indicating the eco-mode operation state. In Figure 2, the shaded display lamp unit 9 indicates the lit state, indicating that the timer operation is not being performed and the unit is operating in the eco-mode. In the present embodiment, the display unit 8 includes three display lamp units 9, but it does not necessarily have to be limited to three, and at least two are sufficient. Above each of the display lamp units 9, characters "TIMER", "OPERATION", and "ECONOMY" for representing the settings and operation states of the air conditioner are shown.

[0016] Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the display unit 8 of the present embodiment. The lower side in Figure 3 indicates the front of the display unit 8, and the upper side indicates the rear of the display unit 8. Also, the front of the display unit 8 is the lower side in the indoor unit 2 in Figure 1.

[0017] The display unit 8 includes a circuit board 20 located on the rear side, a light-shielding member 40 located on the front side of the circuit board 20, a case portion 22 located on the front side of the light-shielding member 40, and a display sheet 10 located on the front side of the case portion 22. On the front surface of the display sheet 10, characters "TIMER", "OPERATION", and "ECONOMY" corresponding to the display lamp units 9 shown in Figure 2 are printed. The display sheet 10 has flexibility. Also, the display sheet 10 is translucent such that it allows light from the light-emitting element 21 described later to pass through, but the light-emitting element 21 cannot be seen from the front side of the display sheet 10.

[0018] On the front surface of the circuit board 20, three light-emitting elements 21 (LEDs), semiconductor elements and resistors (not shown) and other electronic components are mounted at predetermined intervals. Further, printed wiring as wiring for electrically connecting each light-emitting element 21 and each electronic component is printed on the circuit board 20. In FIG. 3, three light-emitting elements 21 are mounted on the circuit board 20, but it is not necessary to be limited to three, and two or more light-emitting elements 21 may be mounted adjacent to each other. The circuit board 20 is a part of the display unit 8 and is fixed to a base member (hereinafter referred to as the base member, not shown) by known fastening means such as screws.

[0019] The case portion 22 includes a case front wall 24 on the front side and a case outer wall 23 standing upright from the edge of the case front wall 24 toward the rear side, and has a box shape with the entire rear end open. The case portion 22 is a molded part made of synthetic resin produced by die molding, and the color is, for example, white. The case portion 22 is attached to the base member to which the circuit board 20 is fixed by known fastening means such as screws.

[0020] The case portion 22 includes a cylindrical light-shielding wall 25 integrally molded with the case front wall 24, and the number of the light-shielding walls 25 is three, the same as the number of the light-emitting elements 21. The cylindrical light-shielding wall 25 has a first opening 29 opening at the front end 27 and a second opening 30 opening at the rear end 28, and a first communication hole 26 communicating the opening of the first opening 29 and the opening of the second opening 30 is formed. The front end 27 of the light-shielding wall 25 is disposed on the case front wall 24, and the opening of the first opening 29 is formed in the case front wall 24. The front portion of the first opening 29 is covered by the display sheet 10. The portion of the display sheet 10 covering the first opening 29 becomes the display lamp portion 9 in FIG. 2.

[0021] With the case portion 22 attached to the base member on which the circuit board 20 is fixed, the opening of the second opening 30 is positioned to face the light-emitting element 21 mounted on the front of the circuit board 20. The rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 is positioned at a predetermined distance from the front of the circuit board 20. This predetermined distance is sufficient to prevent the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 from coming into contact with the printed wiring located on the front of the circuit board 20 and damaging it due to vibrations during the assembly or transportation of the indoor unit 2.

[0022] The cylindrical light-shielding wall 25 is tapered, with its outer and inner diameters gradually increasing from the rear end 28 to the front end 27. Since the light from the light-emitting element 21 spreads with a predetermined angle of direction, tapering the cylindrical light-shielding wall 25 guides the light from the light-emitting element 21 to the display sheet 10 over a wide area. In this embodiment, the outer and inner diameters gradually increase from the rear end 28 to the front end 27, but the inner diameter may be tapered, and the outer diameter may remain the same from the rear end 28 to the front end 27.

[0023] A sheet-like light-shielding member 40 is placed between the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 and the front surface of the circuit board 20. The light-shielding member 40 has a third opening 44 that opens to the front surface 42 opposite the opening of the second opening 30, and a fourth opening 45 that opens to the rear surface 43 and surrounds the light-emitting element 21. A second communication hole 41 is formed that connects the opening of the third opening 44 and the fourth opening 45. The second communication hole 41 is a hole of the same diameter extending from the third opening 44 to the fourth opening 45. The third opening 44 only needs to be positioned to overlap the second opening 30 when viewed from the side of the first opening 29, and it is even better if it includes the entire second opening 30. The number of second communication holes 41 is 3, the same as the number of light-emitting elements 21. Since the light-shielding member 40 has a fourth opening 45 surrounding the light-emitting element 21 and a third opening 44 facing the opening of the second opening 30, light from the light-emitting element 21 is guided through the second communication hole 41 to the first communication hole 26 of the light-shielding wall 25, and can illuminate the indicator lamp section 9 that covers the first opening 29.

[0024] The diameter of the third opening 44 is set to be larger than the diameter of the second opening 30. This prevents the light-shielding member 40 from obstructing the light emitted from the light-emitting element 21 toward the display sheet 10.

[0025] The light-shielding member 40 is, for example, black in color, and the brightness of the light-shielding member 40 is lower than the brightness of the light-shielding wall 25. The light-shielding member 40 is also elastic, and its hardness is lower than that of the light-shielding wall 25. The light-shielding member 40 also has thermal insulation properties, and its thermal insulation properties are higher than those of the light-shielding wall 25. The thickness of the light-shielding member 40 in the front-rear direction, i.e., the distance between the front surface 42 of the light-shielding member 40 and the rear surface 43 of the light-shielding member 40 (for example, 2.0 mm), is greater than the distance between the opening of the second opening 30, which is the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25, and the front surface of the circuit board 20 (for example, 0.3 mm), so that the light-shielding member 40 is in contact with the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall and the front surface of the circuit board 20, respectively, and is positioned in a compressed state.

[0026] Since a light-shielding member 40 with a hardness less than that of the light-shielding wall 25 is placed between the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 and the front surface of the circuit board 20, even if the distance between the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 and the front surface of the circuit board 20 is displaced due to vibrations during the assembly or transportation of the indoor unit 2, the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 will not damage the printed wiring located on the front surface of the circuit board 20. The light-shielding member 40 functions as a displacement-absorbing member that absorbs the displacement of the distance between the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 and the front surface of the circuit board 20. In other words, the light-shielding member 40 is a displacement-absorbing member that compensates for malfunctions caused by the displacement of the distance between the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 and the front surface of the circuit board 20. Furthermore, the thickness of the light-shielding member 40 in the front-to-back direction is greater than the distance between the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 and the front surface of the circuit board 20. As a result, the light-shielding member 40 is compressed and positioned between the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall and the front surface of the circuit board 20, respectively, so that the light from the light-emitting element 21 is guided to the first communication hole 26 of the light-shielding wall 25 without leakage. In addition, the color of the light-shielding member 40 is black, and the brightness of the color of the light-shielding member 40 is lower than the brightness of the color of the light-shielding wall 25. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the leakage of light from the light-emitting element 21 through the light-shielding wall 25.

[0027] Next, we show the display unit 8 of the air conditioner 1 according to the second embodiment. Figure 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the display unit 8 according to the second embodiment. In Figure 4, the lower side indicates the front of the display unit 8, and the upper side indicates the rear of the display unit 8. Also, the front of the display unit 8 is the lower side in the indoor unit 2 shown in Figure 1. In Figure 4, components common to the display unit 8 of the first embodiment are indicated by the same reference numerals used for the display unit 8 of the first embodiment. Note that in Figure 4, for convenience, only one light-emitting element 21 and one light-shielding wall 25 are shown, but as with Figure 3 used to describe the first embodiment, multiple light-emitting elements 21 and light-shielding walls 25 are provided adjacent to each other.

[0028] The cylindrical light-shielding wall 25 has a first opening 29 that opens at its front end 27 and a second opening 30 that opens at its rear end 28, and a first communication hole 26 is formed that connects the opening of the first opening 29 and the opening of the second opening 30. The cylindrical light-shielding wall 25 is tapered, with its outer and inner diameters gradually increasing from the rear end 28 to the front end 27. The opening of the second opening 30 is positioned to face the light-emitting element 21 mounted on the front surface of the circuit board 20. The rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 is positioned at a predetermined distance from the front surface of the circuit board 20.

[0029] A sheet-like light-shielding member 40 is placed between the light-shielding wall 25 and the front surface of the circuit board 20. The light-shielding member 40 has a third opening 44 that overlaps with the opening of the second opening 30 and opens to the front surface 42 when viewed from the side of the first opening 29, and a fourth opening 45 that opens to the rear surface 43 and surrounds the light-emitting element 21. A second communication hole 41 is formed that connects the opening of the third opening 44 and the opening of the fourth opening 45. The third opening 44 only needs to include the entirety of the second opening 30 when viewed from the side of the first opening 29. The inner diameter of the second communication hole 41 formed in the light-shielding member 40 is larger than the outer diameter of the rear end 28 of the cylindrical light-shielding wall 25. Furthermore, with the case portion 22 attached to the base member on which the circuit board 20 is fixed, the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 is inserted into the second communication hole 41 without contacting the light-shielding member 40.

[0030] The rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 is positioned at a predetermined distance from the front surface of the circuit board 20, and the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 is inserted into the second communication hole 41 formed in the light-shielding member 40 without contacting the light-shielding member 40. Therefore, even if the distance between the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 and the front surface of the circuit board 20 is displaced due to vibrations during the assembly of the indoor unit 2 or during the transportation of the indoor unit 2, the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 will not come into contact with the printed wiring arranged on the front surface of the circuit board 20, and the printed wiring will not be damaged. In other words, the light-shielding member 40 functions as a displacement absorbing member that compensates for malfunctions caused by the displacement of the distance between the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 and the front surface of the circuit board 20. Furthermore, although the inner diameter of the second communication hole 41 formed in the light-shielding member 40 is larger than the outer diameter of the rear end 28 of the cylindrical light-shielding wall 25, the cylindrical light-shielding wall 25 is tapered, with the outer and inner diameters gradually increasing from the rear end 28 to the front end 27. Therefore, light from the light-emitting element 21 can be guided to the first communication hole 26 of the light-shielding wall 25 with almost no leakage. In the first embodiment, the light-shielding member 40 was elastic and had less hardness than the light-shielding wall 25. However, in the second embodiment, the light-shielding member 40 does not come into contact with the light-shielding wall 25, so it is not necessarily required that it have less hardness than the light-shielding wall 25.

[0031] Next, we show the display unit 8 of the air conditioner 1 according to the third embodiment. Figure 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the display unit 8 according to the third embodiment. In Figure 5, the lower side indicates the front of the display unit 8, and the upper side indicates the rear of the display unit 8. Also, the front of the display unit 8 is the lower side in the indoor unit 2 shown in Figure 1. In Figure 5, components common to the display unit 8 of the first embodiment are indicated by the same reference numerals used for the display unit 8 of the first embodiment. Note that in Figure 5, for convenience, only one light-emitting element 21 and one light-shielding wall 25 are shown, but as with Figure 3 used to describe the first embodiment, multiple light-emitting elements 21 and light-shielding walls 25 are provided adjacent to each other.

[0032] The cylindrical light-shielding wall 25 has a first opening 29 that opens at its front end 27 and a second opening 30 that opens at its rear end 28, and a first communication hole 26 is formed that connects the opening of the first opening 29 and the opening of the second opening 30. The opening of the second opening 30 is positioned to face the light-emitting element 21 mounted on the front surface of the circuit board 20. The rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 is positioned at a predetermined distance from the front surface of the circuit board 20.

[0033] A sheet-like light-shielding member 40 is placed between the light-shielding wall 25 and the front surface of the circuit board 20. The light-shielding member 40 has a third opening 44 that overlaps with the opening of the second opening 30 and opens to the front surface 42 when viewed from the side of the first opening 29, and a fourth opening 45 that opens to the rear surface 43 and surrounds the light-emitting element 21, and a second communication hole 41 is formed that connects the opening of the third opening 44 and the opening of the fourth opening 45. Note that the third opening 44 only needs to include the entirety of the second opening 30 when viewed from the side of the first opening 29.

[0034] The outer circumference 32 of the cylindrical light-shielding wall 25 has a small outer diameter portion 36 formed at the rear end and a large outer diameter portion 35 that is located at the front end of the small outer diameter portion 36 and has a larger diameter than the small outer diameter portion 36. The outer diameter of the small outer diameter portion 36 is smaller than the inner diameter of the second communication hole 41 formed in the light-shielding member 40, and the outer diameter of the large outer diameter portion 35 is larger than the inner diameter of the second communication hole 41 formed in the light-shielding member 40. With the case portion 22 attached to the base member to which the circuit board 20 is fixed, the small outer diameter portion 36 of the light-shielding wall 25, which is the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25, is inserted into the second communication hole 41 without contacting the light-shielding member 40. In addition, the large outer diameter portion 35 of the light-shielding wall 25 is tapered, with the outer diameter and inner diameter gradually increasing towards the front end 27.

[0035] The rear end 28 is positioned at a predetermined distance from the front surface of the circuit board 20, and the small outer diameter portion 36 of the light-shielding wall 25 is inserted into the second communication hole 41 formed in the light-shielding member 40 without contacting the light-shielding member 40. Therefore, even if the distance between the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 and the front surface of the circuit board 20 is displaced due to vibrations during the assembly or transportation of the indoor unit 2, the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 will not come into contact with the printed wiring arranged on the front surface of the circuit board 20, and the printed wiring will not be damaged. In other words, the light-shielding member 40 functions as a displacement absorbing member that compensates for malfunctions caused by the displacement of the distance between the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 and the front surface of the circuit board 20. Furthermore, the outer diameter of the large outer diameter portion 35 is formed to be larger than the inner diameter of the second communication hole 41 formed in the light-shielding member 40. Therefore, light attempting to pass through the gap between the light-shielding wall 25 and the light-shielding member 40 is blocked by the large outer diameter portion 35, so that light from the light-emitting element 21 can be guided to the first communication hole 26 of the light-shielding wall 25 without leakage. In the first embodiment, the light-shielding member 40 was elastic and had less hardness than the light-shielding wall 25, but in the third embodiment, the light-shielding member 40 does not come into contact with the light-shielding wall 25, so it is not necessarily required that it have less hardness than the light-shielding wall 25.

[0036] Next, we show the display unit 8 of the air conditioner 1 according to the fourth embodiment. Figure 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the display unit 8 according to the fourth embodiment. In Figure 6, the lower side indicates the front of the display unit 8, and the upper side indicates the rear of the display unit 8. Also, the front of the display unit 8 is the lower side in the indoor unit 2 shown in Figure 1. In Figure 6, components common to the display unit 8 of the first embodiment are indicated by the same reference numerals used for the display unit 8 of the first embodiment. Note that in Figure 6, for convenience, only one light-emitting element 21 and one light-shielding wall 25 are shown, but as with Figure 3 used to describe the first embodiment, multiple light-emitting elements 21 and light-shielding walls 25 are provided adjacent to each other.

[0037] The cylindrical light-shielding wall 25 has a first opening 29 that opens at its front end 27 and a second opening 30 that opens at its rear end 28, and a first communication hole 26 is formed that connects the opening of the first opening 29 and the opening of the second opening 30. The light-shielding wall 25 is cylindrical with the first communication hole 26. The opening of the second opening 30 is positioned to face the light-emitting element 21 mounted on the front surface of the circuit board 20. The rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 is positioned at a predetermined distance from the front surface of the circuit board 20.

[0038] A sheet-like light-shielding member 40 is placed between the light-shielding wall 25 and the front surface of the circuit board 20. The light-shielding member 40 has a third opening 44 that overlaps with the opening of the second opening 30 and opens to the front surface 42 when viewed from the side of the first opening 29, and a fourth opening 45 that opens to the rear surface 43 and surrounds the light-emitting element 21. A second communication hole 41 is formed that connects the opening of the third opening 44 and the opening of the fourth opening 45. The third opening 44 only needs to include the entirety of the second opening 30 when viewed from the side of the first opening 29. The inner diameter of the second communication hole 41 formed in the light-shielding member 40 is larger than the outer diameter of the rear end 28 of the cylindrical light-shielding wall 25. Furthermore, with the case portion 22 attached to the base member on which the circuit board 20 is fixed, the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 is inserted into the second communication hole 41 without contacting the light-shielding member 40.

[0039] The rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 is positioned at a predetermined distance from the front surface of the circuit board 20, and the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 is inserted into the second communication hole 41 formed in the light-shielding member 40 without contacting the light-shielding member 40. Therefore, even if the distance between the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 and the front surface of the circuit board 20 is displaced due to vibrations during the assembly of the indoor unit 2 or during the transportation of the indoor unit 2, the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 will not come into contact with the printed wiring arranged on the front surface of the circuit board 20, and the printed wiring will not be damaged. In other words, the light-shielding member 40 functions as a displacement absorbing member that compensates for malfunctions caused by the displacement of the distance between the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 and the front surface of the circuit board 20. Furthermore, although the inner diameter of the second communication hole 41 formed in the light-shielding member 40 is larger than the outer diameter of the rear end 28 of the cylindrical light-shielding wall 25, the difference between the inner diameter of the second communication hole 41 and the outer diameter of the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 is small, so light from the light-emitting element 21 can be guided to the first communication hole 26 of the light-shielding wall 25 with almost no leakage. In the first embodiment, the light-shielding member 40 was elastic and had less hardness than the light-shielding wall 25, but in the fourth embodiment, the light-shielding member 40 does not come into contact with the light-shielding wall 25, so it is not necessarily required that it have less hardness than the light-shielding wall 25.

[0040] Next, we show the display unit 8 of the air conditioner 1 according to the fifth embodiment. Figure 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the display unit 8 according to the fifth embodiment. In Figure 7, the lower side indicates the front of the display unit 8, and the upper side indicates the rear of the display unit 8. Also, the front of the display unit 8 is the lower side in the indoor unit 2 shown in Figure 1. In Figure 7, components common to the display unit 8 of the first embodiment are indicated by the same reference numerals used for the display unit 8 of the first embodiment. Note that in Figure 7, for convenience, only one light-emitting element 21 and one light-shielding wall 25 are shown, but as with Figure 3 used to describe the first embodiment, multiple light-emitting elements 21 and light-shielding walls 25 are provided adjacent to each other.

[0041] The cylindrical light-shielding wall 25 has a first opening 29 that opens at the front end 27 and a second opening 30 that opens at the rear end 28, and a first communication hole 26 is formed that communicates with the opening of the first opening 29 and the opening of the second opening 30. The cylindrical light-shielding wall 25 is tapered, with the outer diameter and inner diameter gradually increasing from the rear end 28 to the front end 27. The opening of the second opening 30 is positioned to face the light-emitting element 21 mounted on the front surface of the circuit board 20. The rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 is positioned at a predetermined distance from the front surface of the circuit board 20. In this embodiment, the outer diameter and inner diameter are tapered, with the outer diameter gradually increasing from the rear end 28 to the front end 27, but the inner diameter may be tapered, with the outer diameter remaining the same from the rear end 28 to the front end 27.

[0042] A sheet-like light-shielding member 40 is placed between the light-shielding wall 25 and the front surface of the circuit board 20. The light-shielding member 40 has a third opening 44 that overlaps with the opening of the second opening 30 and opens to the front surface 42 when viewed from the side of the first opening 29, and a fourth opening 45 that opens to the rear surface 43 and surrounds the light-emitting element 21, and a second communication hole 41 is formed that connects the opening of the third opening 44 and the opening of the fourth opening 45. Note that the third opening 44 only needs to include the entirety of the second opening 30 when viewed from the side of the first opening 29. The second communication hole 41 formed in the light-shielding member 40 has a large-diameter hole portion 46 that communicates with the opening of the third opening 44, and a small-diameter hole portion 47 that is smaller in diameter than the large-diameter hole portion 46 and communicates with the opening of the fourth opening 45 on the rear side of the large-diameter hole portion 46. The inner diameter of the large-diameter hole portion 46 is larger than the outer diameter of the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25, and the inner diameter of the small-diameter hole portion 47 is smaller than the outer diameter of the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25. With the case portion 22 attached to the base member on which the circuit board 20 is fixed, the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 is inserted into the large-diameter hole portion 46 of the second communication hole 41 without contacting the light-shielding member 40.

[0043] The rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 is positioned at a predetermined distance from the front surface of the circuit board 20, and the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 is inserted into the large-diameter hole 46 of the second communication hole 41 formed in the light-shielding member 40 without contacting the light-shielding member 40. Therefore, even if the distance between the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 and the front surface of the circuit board 20 is displaced due to vibrations during the assembly of the indoor unit 2 or during the transportation of the indoor unit 2, the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 will not come into contact with the printed wiring arranged on the front surface of the circuit board 20, and the printed wiring will not be damaged. In other words, the light-shielding member 40 functions as a displacement absorbing member that compensates for malfunctions caused by the displacement of the distance between the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 and the front surface of the circuit board 20. Furthermore, the inner diameter of the large-diameter hole 46 of the second communication hole 41 formed in the light-shielding member 40 is larger than the outer diameter of the rear end 28 of the cylindrical light-shielding wall 25, but the inner diameter of the small-diameter hole 47 of the second communication hole 41 is smaller than the outer diameter of the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25. Therefore, light from the light-emitting element 21 can be guided to the first communication hole 26 of the light-shielding wall 25 without leakage. In the first embodiment, the light-shielding member 40 was elastic and had less hardness than the light-shielding wall 25, but in the fifth embodiment, the light-shielding member 40 does not come into contact with the light-shielding wall 25, so it is not necessarily required that it have less hardness than the light-shielding wall 25.

[0044] In the above embodiment, an indoor unit 2 was shown that is a ceiling-mounted type suspended from the ceiling of a living room, with the display unit 8 located in the space between the air intake 6 and the side panel 4 of the indoor unit 2. Next, as a sixth embodiment, an air conditioner 50 in which the display unit 8 is located near the air outlet will be described.

[0045] The air conditioner 50 shown in Figure 8 is a floor-standing type indoor unit 51 in which the indoor unit is installed on the floor. The indoor unit 51 has an intake port 6 on its front panel that is slightly smaller in width than the left-right width of the indoor unit 51. An air outlet 11 from which temperature-controlled air is blown out is located on the top surface of the indoor unit 51. The air outlet 11 is slightly smaller in width than the left-right width of the indoor unit 51. A display unit 8 is located on the front of the indoor unit 51, directly below the air outlet 11. The display unit 8 has the same structure as the display unit 8 in the embodiment described above, so its description is omitted.

[0046] During cooling operation, cooled air is blown out from the outlet 11, and during heating operation, heated air is blown out from the outlet 11. In the indoor unit 51, the display unit 8 is located directly below the outlet 11, so the heat from the air blown out from the outlet 11 is easily transferred to the display unit 8. Since the light-emitting element 21 generally has temperature characteristics, its luminosity changes due to the influence of heat. Also, if the air blown out from the outlet 11 is cooled air, there is a concern about condensation. The heat from the air blown out from the outlet 11 is transferred to the light-emitting element 21 through the housing of the indoor unit 51, the case part 22 of the display unit 8, the light-shielding wall 25, the light-shielding member 40, and the circuit board 20. However, as shown in the embodiment described above, the light-shielding member 40 has heat-insulating properties, and the heat-insulating properties of the light-shielding member 40 are higher than those of the light-shielding wall 25. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the influence of the heat from the air blown out from the outlet 11 on the light-emitting element 21. Furthermore, if the display unit 8 is positioned sufficiently far from the air outlet, as in the indoor unit 2 shown in the first embodiment, the thermal insulation performance of the light-shielding member 40 may be the same as that of the light-shielding wall 25.

[0047] The air conditioner 1 described in the above embodiment is an air conditioner equipped with an indoor unit 2 for controlling the temperature of a living room, and a display unit 8 is provided on the indoor unit 2 of the air conditioner 1. However, an air conditioner equipped with a display unit 8 does not necessarily have to be an air conditioner equipped with an indoor unit. For example, the display unit 8 may be provided on a humidifier that humidifies the room in which it is installed, or on a dehumidifier that dehumidifies the room in which it is installed. Humidifiers and dehumidifiers also fall under the category of air conditioners shown in this embodiment.

[0048] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment described an embodiment in which the light-shielding member 40 is in the form of a sheet and a plurality of second communication holes 41 are formed in the sheet-shaped light-shielding member 40, the light-shielding member 40 does not have to be in the form of a sheet, and it may be an individual light-shielding member provided for each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 21 arranged on the circuit board 20, with the second communication holes 41 formed in the individual light-shielding member.

[0049] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, an embodiment was described in which the light-shielding wall 25 and the light-shielding member 40 are molded separately, and the light-shielding member 40 is placed between the light-shielding wall 25 and the circuit board 20. However, for example, an embodiment in which the light-shielding wall 25 and the light-shielding member 40, which has a lower hardness than the light-shielding wall 25, are molded as a single unit is also acceptable.

[0050] Furthermore, in the sixth embodiment, a display unit 8 for displaying air conditioning operation information of the air conditioner 1 was described as being located directly below the air outlet 11 of the indoor unit 51, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, as shown in the first embodiment, the display unit 8 may be located at a distance from the air outlet 11.

[0051] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the thickness of the light-shielding member 40 in the front-rear direction, that is, the distance between the front surface 42 of the light-shielding member 40 and the rear surface 43 of the light-shielding member 40, is longer than the distance between the opening of the second opening 30, which is the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25, and the front surface of the circuit board 20, and the light-shielding member 40 is positioned between the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall and the front surface of the circuit board 20 in a compressed state. However, the thickness of the light-shielding member 40 in the front-rear direction, that is, the distance between the front surface 42 of the light-shielding member 40 and the rear surface 43 of the light-shielding member 40, may be the same as the distance between the opening of the second opening 30, which is the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25, and the front surface of the circuit board 20.

[0052] Furthermore, in the second to fifth embodiments, the case portion 22 is attached to the base member to which the circuit board 20 is fixed, and the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 is inserted into the second communication hole 41 without contacting the light-shielding member 40. However, the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, in the case portion 22 is attached to the base member to which the circuit board 20 is fixed, the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 is not inserted into the second communication hole 41. However, vibrations during the assembly of the indoor unit 2 or during the transportation of the indoor unit 2 may cause the distance between the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 and the front surface of the circuit board 20 to be displaced, and the rear end 28 of the light-shielding wall 25 may be inserted into the second communication hole 41 without contacting the light-shielding member 40.

[0053] Although the above description has been made with reference to a limited number of embodiments, the scope of the rights is not limited to those embodiments, and modifications of the embodiments based on the above disclosure will be obvious to those skilled in the art. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0054] 1...Air conditioner, 2...Indoor unit, 3...Air deflector, 4...Side panel, 5...Bottom panel, 6...Intake port, 7...Intake grille, 8...Display unit, 9...Indicator lamp unit, 10...Display sheet, 20...Circuit board, 21...Light-emitting element, 22...Case unit, 23...Case outer wall, 24...Case front wall, 25...Light-shielding wall, 26...First communication hole, 27...Front end, 28...Rear end, 29...First opening, 30...Second opening, 31...Peripheral wall, 35...Large outer diameter section, 36...Small outer diameter section, 40...Light-shielding member, 41...Second communication hole, 42...Front, 43...Rear, 44...Third opening, 45...Fourth opening, 46...Large diameter hole section, 47...Small diameter hole section

Claims

1. In an air conditioner equipped with a display unit that displays air conditioning operation information, The display unit includes a circuit board on which electronic components are mounted, Multiple light-emitting elements mounted on the front surface of the circuit board, The circuit board comprises a case portion positioned on the front side, The case portion has a first opening at its front end and a second opening at its rear end facing the light-emitting element, and a cylindrical light-shielding wall is formed in which a first communication hole is formed that connects the opening of the first opening and the opening of the second opening, The light-shielding member is disposed between the light-shielding wall and the circuit board and has a third opening that overlaps with the opening of the second opening and opens to the front when viewed from the first opening side, and a fourth opening that opens to the rear and surrounds the light-emitting element, and has a second communication hole formed therein that connects the opening of the third opening and the opening of the fourth opening, The rear end of the light-shielding wall is positioned at a predetermined distance from the front surface of the circuit board. The light-shielding member functions as a displacement-absorbing member that compensates for malfunctions caused by displacement of the distance between the rear end of the light-shielding wall and the circuit board. The air conditioner is characterized in that the light-shielding member has thermal insulation properties and is made of a material that has higher thermal insulation properties than the light-shielding wall.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that the light-shielding member has less hardness than the light-shielding wall.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 2, characterized in that the front surface of the light-shielding member is in contact with the rear end of the light-shielding wall, and the rear surface of the light-shielding member is in contact with the circuit board.

4. The distance between the front surface of the light-shielding member and the rear surface of the light-shielding member is The air conditioner according to claim 3, characterized in that the light-shielding member is longer than the distance between the rear end of the light-shielding wall and the circuit board, and is compressed and positioned between the rear end of the light-shielding wall and the circuit board.

5. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the diameter of the opening of the third opening is greater than the diameter of the opening of the second opening.

6. The inner diameter of the second communication hole formed in the light-shielding member is larger than the outer diameter of the rear end of the cylindrical light-shielding wall, and the rear end of the light-shielding wall is inserted into the second communication hole formed in the light-shielding member without contacting the light-shielding member. The second communication hole formed in the light-shielding member has a large-diameter hole portion that communicates with the opening of the third opening, and a small-diameter hole portion that is smaller in diameter than the large-diameter hole portion and is located on the rear side of the large-diameter hole portion that communicates with the opening of the fourth opening, wherein the inner diameter of the large-diameter hole portion is larger than the outer diameter of the rear end of the light-shielding wall, and the inner diameter of the small-diameter hole portion is smaller than the outer diameter of the rear end of the light-shielding wall. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that the rear end of the light-shielding wall is inserted into the large-diameter hole without contacting the light-shielding member.

7. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the brightness of the color of the light-shielding member is lower than the brightness of the color of the light-shielding wall.

8. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the display unit is provided in the indoor unit of the air conditioner.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 8, characterized in that the indoor unit has an outlet from which temperature-controlled air is blown out, and the display unit is provided near the outlet.

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