Air conditioner

Abstract

An air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises an outdoor unit and an indoor unit. The indoor unit has an intake part that takes in indoor air with a second fan of the outdoor unit, and a blowout part (40) that blows out, to the indoors, air which has been subjected to heat exchange by a second heat exchanger of the outdoor unit. The air conditioner also comprises a first air duct (31) that connects the intake part and the second heat exchanger via a through hole in a wall part of a residence and a second air duct (32) that connects the second heat exchanger and the blowout part (40) via the through hole. The blowout part (40) has a flow branching part (41) that branches air from the second air duct (32) in a first direction (D1), a flow-rectifying part (42) that rectifies the flow of the branched air, and an outlet (43) that is for blowing the rectified air to the indoors.

Description

air conditioner

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioner.

[0002] Conventionally, air conditioners have been equipped with a blow-out device for supplying air that has undergone heat exchange under the floor into the room, and a type of air conditioner that has two chambers with a group of through holes for rectifying the airflow is known (Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent No. 6626550

[0004] The conventional air outlet devices described above are so-called ceiling-suspended devices that blow air downward from the ceiling toward the floor. For example, in the case of so-called wall-mounted air outlet devices that are installed on the wall of a house and blow air from the wall toward the back of the room, it is necessary to narrow the blowing area to some extent to increase the air velocity in order to ensure that the air reaches the back of the room. Therefore, providing a group of through holes as in the conventional air outlet devices described above raises concerns about significant ventilation resistance and noise.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure provides an air conditioner that can supply air evenly throughout a room while suppressing ventilation resistance and noise.

[0006] An air conditioner according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an outdoor unit having a compressor that compresses a working refrigerant, a first heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the working refrigerant and outdoor air, a first fan that sends air from the first heat exchanger to the outside, a second heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the working refrigerant and indoor air, and a second fan that sends indoor air to the second heat exchanger. The air conditioner also includes an indoor unit having an intake section that draws indoor air using the second fan and an outlet section that blows air that has undergone heat exchange in the second heat exchanger into the room. The air conditioner also includes a first air passage that connects the intake section and the second heat exchanger via a through hole in a wall of a house, and a second air passage that connects the second heat exchanger and the outlet section via a through hole. The blowing section has a diverting section that divertes air from the second air flow path in a first direction, a rectifying section that rectifies the air diverted by the diverting section, and an outlet that blows the air rectified by the rectifying section into the room.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an air conditioner that can supply air evenly throughout a room while suppressing ventilation resistance and noise.

[0008] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration for realizing a refrigeration cycle in the air conditioner of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a blow-out section. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the detailed configuration of a flow dividing section and a flow rectifying section. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing another example of the detailed configuration of a flow dividing section and a flow rectifying section. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing another example of the detailed configuration of a flow dividing section and a flow rectifying section.

[0009] Hereinafter, an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The air conditioner described below is merely one embodiment of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiment, and additions, deletions, and modifications are possible within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an air conditioner 100 according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration for realizing a refrigeration cycle in the air conditioner 100 of Fig. 1.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, the air conditioner 100 comprises an outdoor unit 1 installed outside the house H, an indoor unit 2 installed inside the house H, a communication device 23 which is a remote communication device operated by a user, and a wireless router 24.

[0012] The outdoor unit 1 includes a housing 3, a housing 4, a first fan 5, a first heat exchanger 6, a second heat exchanger 7, a second fan 8, a control device 9, an outdoor communication device 10, a power cord 11 corresponding to an electrical connector, and a power supply board (not shown). As shown in FIG. 2 , the outdoor unit 1 also includes a compressor 12, a four-way valve 13, an expansion valve 14, and refrigerant pipes P1, P2, and P3.

[0013] The housing 3 is disposed, for example, on the side of a wall 26 of the house H. The housing 3 contains a first fan 5, a first heat exchanger 6, a control device 9, the power supply board, and an outdoor communication device 10. A power cord 11 is connected to the power supply board. By connecting the plug of the power cord 11 to an outdoor outlet, power is supplied to each component of the outdoor unit 1 via the power supply board. Note that at least one of the control device 9, the power supply board, and the outdoor communication device 10 may be housed within the housing 4.

[0014] The housing 4 is disposed, for example, on top of the housing 3. A second heat exchanger 7 and a second fan 8 are housed inside the housing 4. By disposing the second heat exchanger 7 inside the housing 4 of the outdoor unit 1 in this way, a drain hose for discharging drain water generated in the second heat exchanger 7 is not required.

[0015] The compressor 12 compresses the working refrigerant. During cooling operation, the compressor 12 sends the working refrigerant to the first heat exchanger 6 via the four-way valve 13. During heating operation, the compressor 12 sends the working refrigerant to the second heat exchanger 7 via the four-way valve 13.

[0016] Examples of working refrigerants in the air conditioner 100 include flammable refrigerants such as isobutane and propane. The flammable refrigerant may be a carbon-based refrigerant such as propane or isobutane, which has a higher specific gravity than air, or a fluorocarbon-based refrigerant such as HFO1234yf or R32, or a mixture thereof, or may be a weakly flammable or slightly flammable refrigerant. The refrigerant may be a single refrigerant or a mixture of another type of refrigerant and a flammable refrigerant.

[0017] The first heat exchanger 6 exchanges heat between outside air and the working refrigerant. The air that has undergone heat exchange by the first heat exchanger 6 is sent to the outside by the first fan 5. A motor 5a that drives the first fan 5 is provided inside the housing 3. The first fan 5 is driven to rotate by the motor 5a based on instructions from the control device 9. In this embodiment, a propeller fan is exemplified as the first fan 5.

[0018] The second heat exchanger 7 exchanges heat between the working refrigerant and indoor air flowing in through an air transfer duct 30 (described later) using a second fan 8. A motor 8a for driving the second fan 8 is provided inside the housing 4. The second fan 8 is driven to rotate by the motor 8a based on instructions from a control device 9. In this embodiment, a sirocco fan is used as the second fan 8. A plurality of second fans 8 may be provided.

[0019] The control device 9 may be configured as a microcontroller including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and memory (ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory)) that stores a program, or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The control device 9 controls the operation of the compressor 12, the motor 5a of the first fan 5, and the motor 8a of the second fan 8. The outdoor communication device 10 also wirelessly communicates with the outside (e.g., a communication device 23) via a wireless router 24. The wireless communication between the outdoor communication device 10 and the communication device 23 is performed, for example, via Wi-Fi (registered trademark). By operating the communication device 23 indoors, a user can turn the power of the outdoor unit 1 on and off, switch between heating and cooling, set the temperature, etc.

[0020] The power supply board receives power to be supplied to the control device 9 via a power cord 11, and also receives power to be supplied to the motor 5 a, the motor 8 a, and the compressor 12. In this way, power is supplied to the control device 9, the motor 5 a, the motor 8 a, and the compressor 12.

[0021] The indoor unit 2 is provided, for example, at the upper part of the room of the house H. The indoor unit 2 is fixed to the upper part of a wall 26 of the house H. The indoor unit 2 has a housing 50 and a blowing unit 40, which will be described later. The housing 50 houses the blowing unit 40 and is provided with an intake unit 22 that draws in air from the room, and a housing outlet 21 through which the air blown out from the blowing unit 40 passes toward the room.

[0022] The intake section 22 draws in air from inside the house H using the second fan 8. The blowing section 40 blows the air that has been heat exchanged by the second heat exchanger 7 and is flowing through the air transport duct 30 (described later) into the room of the house H via the housing outlet 21.

[0023] Here, a first air flow path 31 is provided that connects the suction section 22 and the second heat exchanger 7 via a through hole 25 provided in a wall section 26 of the house H. Also, a second air flow path 32 is provided that connects the second heat exchanger 7 and the blow-out section 40 via the through hole 25. That is, the air conditioner 100 has the first air flow path 31 and the second air flow path 32. The first air flow path 31 and the second air flow path 32 are housed in a tubular air transport duct 30. The interior of the air transport duct 30 is divided along the air flow direction by a partition (not shown). As a result, the first air flow path 31 and the second air flow path 32 are formed inside the air transport duct 30.

[0024] The air transfer duct 30 has a small diameter section 30a that passes through the through hole 25 in the wall section 26 of the house H, and a large diameter section 30b that is located between the small diameter section 30a and the outdoor unit 1 and has a larger outer diameter than the small diameter section 30a. The first air flow passage 31 and the second air flow passage 32 are formed across the small diameter section 30a and the large diameter section 30b.

[0025] Next, the refrigerant circuit Rc, which is the flow path of the working refrigerant, will be described. The air conditioner 100 includes the refrigerant circuit Rc shown in FIG. 2. The refrigerant circuit Rc does not span both the outdoor unit 1 and the indoor unit 2, but is provided only in the outdoor unit 1. As shown in FIG. 2, in the refrigerant circuit Rc, the inlet of the compressor 12 is connected to one end of the second heat exchanger 7 (corresponding to the downstream end during cooling operation) by a refrigerant pipe P1. Furthermore, the outlet of the compressor 12 is connected to one end of the first heat exchanger 6 (corresponding to the upstream end during cooling operation) by a refrigerant pipe P2. A four-way valve 13, which switches the flow of the working refrigerant during cooling and heating operation, is inserted between the refrigerant pipe P1 and the refrigerant pipe P2. Furthermore, the other end of the first heat exchanger 6 (corresponding to the downstream end during cooling operation) is connected to the other end of the second heat exchanger 7 (corresponding to the upstream end during cooling operation) by a refrigerant pipe P3. An expansion valve 14 for reducing the pressure of the working refrigerant is inserted in the refrigerant pipe P3.

[0026] The compressor 12, the four-way valve 13, and the expansion valve 14 are housed, for example, in the housing 3. The refrigerant pipe P2 is housed, for example, in the housing 3, and the refrigerant pipes P1 and P3 are housed, for example, in the housings 3 and 4.

[0027] In the configuration of FIG. 2 , during cooling operation, the working refrigerant compressed by the compressor 12 is heated to a high temperature and pressure and passes through the first and second ports of the four-way valve 13 via the refrigerant pipe P2 before being sent to the first heat exchanger 6. In the first heat exchanger 6, the working refrigerant exchanges heat with the outside air, releasing heat, becoming a high-pressure liquid refrigerant and being sent to the expansion valve 14 via the refrigerant pipe P3. In the expansion valve 14, the working refrigerant is decompressed to a low-temperature, low-pressure two-phase refrigerant and then sent to the second heat exchanger 7 via the refrigerant pipe P3. In the second heat exchanger 7, the working refrigerant exchanges heat with the indoor air, absorbing heat and evaporating into a low-temperature gas refrigerant. This cools the indoor air, thereby cooling the room. The working refrigerant then passes through the third and fourth ports of the four-way valve 13 via the refrigerant pipe P1 before being returned to the compressor 12.

[0028] During heating operation, the working refrigerant compressed by the compressor 12 is heated to a high temperature and pressure and passes through the first and third ports of the four-way valve 13 via the refrigerant pipe P2 before being sent to the second heat exchanger 7. In the second heat exchanger 7, the working refrigerant exchanges heat with the indoor air, dissipating heat and cooling to become a high-pressure liquid refrigerant. This heats the indoor air, heating the room. The working refrigerant is then sent to the expansion valve 14 via the refrigerant pipe P3, where it is decompressed into a low-temperature, low-pressure two-phase refrigerant. The working refrigerant is then sent to the first heat exchanger 6 via the refrigerant pipe P3. In the first heat exchanger 6, the working refrigerant exchanges heat with the outside air and is evaporated. The working refrigerant then passes through the second and fourth ports of the four-way valve 13 via the refrigerant pipe P2 before being returned to the compressor 12.

[0029] Next, a detailed description will be given of the configuration of the blowout section 40 provided inside the housing 50 of the indoor unit 2. FIG.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 3 , the air outlet 40 includes a diverter 41, a straightener 42, and an outlet 43. The diverter 41 divertes air from the second air passage 32 into a first direction D1 perpendicular to the extension direction De of a portion of the second air passage 32. In this embodiment, "perpendicular" refers to a direction perpendicular to the extension direction De, but also includes a direction slightly offset due to fluctuations or the like. Specifically, "perpendicular" refers to a direction within 90 degrees ±5 degrees, preferably within 90 degrees ±3 degrees, and more preferably within 90 degrees ±1 degree. In this embodiment, the extension direction De is, for example, the front-to-rear direction of the indoor unit 2, and the first direction D1 is, for example, the left-to-right direction of the indoor unit 2. In this embodiment, the first direction D1 is illustrated as a direction perpendicular to the extension direction De, but the first direction is not limited thereto. The configuration of the diverter 41 will be described in detail below.

[0031] The diverter 41 has an extension 44, a plurality of branch flow path portions 45, and a plurality of end flow path portions 47. The extension 44 extends in a first direction D1. The second air flow path 32 of the air transfer duct 30 is connected to one end of the extension 44 in the first direction D1 (the left end in FIG. 3 ). On the other hand, the first air flow path 31 of the air transfer duct 30 is disposed so as to be located above the extension 44, and opens within the housing 50 shown in FIG. 1 .

[0032] A plurality of branch flow path sections 45, for example, six, are provided and arranged side by side along the first direction D1. The branch flow path sections 45 are arranged at approximately equal intervals in the first direction D1. The branch flow path sections 45 extend in a second direction D2 perpendicular to the first direction D1. In this embodiment, the second direction D2 is, for example, the up-down direction. Note that in this embodiment, the second direction D2 is illustrated as being perpendicular to the first direction D1, but the second direction is not limited to this and may be any direction intersecting the first direction D1. In addition, in this embodiment, the branch flow path sections 45 are arranged symmetrically on one side (e.g., left) and the other side (e.g., right) of the first direction D1, with respect to the midpoint of the extension section 44 in the first direction D1. That is, in this embodiment, the number of branch flow path sections 45 arranged on one side of the first direction D1 is the same as the number of branch flow path sections 45 arranged on the other side of the first direction D1. In this embodiment, the positions of the branch flow passage sections 45 arranged on one side in the first direction D1 and the positions of the branch flow passage sections 45 arranged on the other side in the first direction D1 are symmetrical with respect to the midpoint. Furthermore, each branch flow passage section 45 has a connecting section 45a connected to the extension section 44. The details of the connecting section 45a of the branch flow passage section 45 will be described later.

[0033] For example, two end flow channel portions 47 are provided, one at one end in the first direction D1 and the other at the other end in the first direction D1 of the extending portion 44. The positions of the end flow channel portions 47 arranged on one side in the first direction D1 and the position of the end flow channel portions 47 arranged on the other side in the first direction D1 are symmetrical with respect to the intermediate position. Note that the width of each end flow channel portion 47 (i.e., the dimension in the first direction D1) may be larger than the width of each branch flow channel portion 45.

[0034] The rectifying section 42 rectifies the air diverted by the diverting section 41. The rectifying section 42 has a first rectifying component 42a and a second rectifying component 42b. The first rectifying component 42a is disposed upstream of the second rectifying component 42b. The lower ends (downstream ends) of the branch flow passages 45 and the lower ends (downstream ends) of the terminal flow passages 47 are connected to the first rectifying component 42a. The first rectifying component 42a is tapered from the upstream portion to the downstream portion in a side view (left side view or right side view). The second rectifying component 42b extends diagonally forward from the rear in a side view.

[0035] The air outlet 43 blows the air rectified by the airflow rectifying unit 42 into the room via the housing outlet 21 of the housing 50. The air outlet 43 is provided at the downstream end of the second airflow rectifying component 42b of the airflow rectifying unit 42. The air outlet 43 extends in the first direction D1.

[0036] Next, the detailed configuration of the flow dividing unit 41 and the flow rectifying unit 42 will be described. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the detailed configuration of the flow dividing unit 41 and the flow rectifying unit 42. Note that the areas other than the blackened areas in Fig. 4 indicate the internal space of the flow dividing unit 41 and the internal space of the flow rectifying unit 42. In Fig. 4, the lines (boundaries) indicating the internal spaces also indicate the components that form the internal spaces, and therefore, each component is considered to exist and is assigned a reference symbol. The same applies to Figs. 5 and 6 described below.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 4 , at least a portion of the connection portion 45a of the branch flow path section 45 is located at a different position from the other portions of the connection portion 45a in the second direction D2. Specifically, the connection portion 45a of the branch flow path section 45 has a first chamfered portion Rb located on one side in the first direction D1 and a second chamfered portion Rs located on the other side in the first direction D1. The first chamfered portion Rb and the second chamfered portion Rs are configured, for example, as rounded chamfers (chamfers in which the corners are machined into an arc shape). The radius of the first chamfered portion Rb is larger than the radius of the second chamfered portion Rs. In the connection portion 45a of the branch flow path section 45 located to the left (the side where the air transport duct 30 is provided) of the partition wall 42c (described below), the second chamfered portion Rs is located to the right of the first chamfered portion Rb in the first direction D1 (i.e., downstream (downwind) of the air flow in the first direction D1). On the other hand, at the connection portion 45a of the branch flow path portion 45 disposed to the right of the partition wall 42c, the second chamfered portion Rs is provided to the left of the first chamfered portion Rb in the first direction D1 (i.e., on the upstream side (upwind) of the air flow in the first direction D1). In this way, the size of the chamfered portion differs between the upwind and downwind sides of each connection portion 45a. However, this is not limited to the above, and at the connection portion 45a of the branch flow path portion 45 disposed to the right of the partition wall 42c, the second chamfered portion Rs may be provided to the right of the first chamfered portion Rb in the first direction D1.

[0038] In this way, by providing the first chamfered portion Rb and the second chamfered portion Rs, which have different chamfer sizes, on the connection portion 45a of the branch flow path portion 45, at least a portion of the entire connection portion 45a (e.g., at least a portion of the first chamfered portion Rb) can be positioned at a different position in the second direction D2 from other portions of the connection portion 45a (e.g., the second chamfered portion Rs). Therefore, at least a portion of the first chamfered portion Rb can be positioned downstream of the second chamfered portion Rs in the second direction D2. This allows the second chamfered portion Rs to guide the air flowing through the extension portion 44 toward the first chamfered portion Rb. This allows the air flowing through the extension portion 44 to be guided in the second direction D2 and more easily flow toward the downstream end of the branch flow path portion 45.

[0039] As shown in the figure, the flow straightening section 42 has a partition wall 42c positioned at the center of the flow straightening section 42 in the first direction D1. The partition wall 42c extends in the second direction D2. A plurality of flow straightening walls 48, 49 are provided within the flow straightening section 42. The flow straightening walls 48, 49 can be provided within the first flow straightening component 42a of the flow straightening section 42. For example, two flow straightening walls 48 are provided. One (e.g., the left) flow straightening wall 48 is disposed between one end flow path section 47 and the branch flow path section 45 adjacent to that end flow path section 47 in the first direction D1. The other (e.g., the right) flow straightening wall 48 is disposed between the other end flow path section 47 and the branch flow path section 45 adjacent to that end flow path section 47 in the first direction D1. This suppresses or prevents the flow straightening walls 48 from blocking the air after passing through the branch flow path section 45 and the end flow path section 47. The lower end of one of the flow straightening walls 48 is located to the left of the upper end in the first direction D1, and the lower end of the other flow straightening wall 48 is located to the right of the upper end in the first direction D1.

[0040] For example, two sets of straightening walls 49 (four in total) are provided. The straightening walls 49 of one set are arranged between one of the straightening walls 48 and the partition wall 42c in the first direction D1. The straightening walls 49 of the other set are arranged between the other of the straightening walls 48 and the partition wall 42c in the first direction D1. More specifically, each straightening wall 49 is arranged between two adjacent branch flow path portions 45 in the first direction D1. This makes it possible to suppress or prevent the straightening walls 49 from blocking the air that has passed through the branch flow path portions 45.

[0041] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4 , a plurality of thin plate bars 46 are provided within the rectifying section 42. The thin plate bars 46 can be provided within the second rectifying component 42b of the rectifying section 42. The plurality of thin plate bars 46 extend in the second direction D2. The plurality of thin plate bars 46 are arranged in a row in the first direction D1. A plurality of these rows are provided in the second direction D2. The first row L1 to the fourth row L4 are provided in the second direction D2 from the side closest to the air outlet 43. Of two rows adjacent to each other in the second direction D2, the thin plate bars 46 in one row are positioned differently in the first direction D1 from the thin plate bars 46 in the other row. In FIG. 4 , the thin plate bars 46 in rows L2 and L4 are positioned differently in the first direction D1 from the thin plate bars 46 in row L3. As a result, the thin plate bars 46 are arranged, for example, in a staggered pattern.

[0042] The thin plate bars 46 constituting the first row L1 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the first direction D1. The thin plate bars 46 constituting the second row L2 are positioned approximately the same as the thin plate bars 46 constituting the first row L1 in the first direction D1. Furthermore, the thin plate bars 46 constituting the second row L2 may be in contact with the thin plate bars 46 constituting the first row L1 in the second direction D2.

[0043] The thin plate bars 46 constituting the third row L3 are arranged at a predetermined interval in the first direction D1. Each thin plate bar 46 constituting the third row L3 is arranged between two adjacent thin plate bars 46 in the second row L2 in the first direction D1. In other words, each thin plate bar 46 in the third row L3 is not in the extension direction of each thin plate bar 46 in the second row L2. This makes it easier for air passing between two adjacent thin plate bars 46 in the third row L3 to collide with the thin plate bars 46 in the second row L2. This makes it easier for the air to be dispersed in the first direction D1. Furthermore, each thin plate bar 46 in the third row L3 is arranged at a distance from each thin plate bar 46 in the second row L2 in the second direction D2.

[0044] The thin plate bars 46 in the fourth row L4 are positioned approximately the same as the thin plate bars 46 in the first row L1 in the first direction D1. In other words, the thin plate bars 46 in the fourth row L4 are not aligned with the thin plate bars 46 in the third row L3. This makes it easier for air passing between two adjacent thin plate bars 46 in the fourth row L4 to collide with the thin plate bars 46 in the third row L3. This also makes it easier for the air to be dispersed in the first direction D1. Furthermore, the thin plate bars 46 in the fourth row L4 are spaced apart from the thin plate bars 46 in the third row L3 in the second direction D2. While FIG. 4 illustrates multiple rows, the first row L1 to the fourth row L4, this is not limiting and any number of rows may be used.

[0045] Next, another example of the flow dividing unit 41 and the rectifying unit 42 will be described. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing another example of the detailed configuration of the flow dividing unit 41 and the rectifying unit 142. Note that components in Fig. 5 that are assigned the same reference numerals as those in Fig. 4 described above are the same as those in Fig. 4, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0046] As shown in Figure 5, the diverter section 141 of this example has an extending section 144. This extending section 144 has a curved surface section 141a that is concavely formed on the upper side in the second direction D2 at the center in the first direction D1. The curved surface section 141a is formed in an arc shape in both the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. Six branch flow path sections 145, for example, are connected to the diverter section 141. The connection section 145a of each branch flow path section 145 is connected to the curved surface section 141a of the diverter section 141. The end flow path section 147 is equivalent to the end flow path section 47 described above.

[0047] The flow rectifying section 142 of this example has a partition wall 142c positioned at the center of the flow rectifying section 142 in the first direction D1. The partition wall 142c divides the flow rectifying section 142 into two sections. The partition wall 142c has arc-shaped sections 142d that curve from the lower end thereof toward the upper left and upper right, respectively. The lower ends of the three branch flow path sections 145 are connected to one of the divided sections of the flow rectifying section 142, and the lower ends of the three branch flow path sections 145 are also connected to the other section of the divided section of the flow rectifying section 142.

[0048] A plurality of thin plate bars 146 are provided on one side and the other side of the rectifying section 142. Each thin plate bar 146 is arranged near the air outlet 43. The plurality of thin plate bars 146 extend in the second direction D2. The plurality of thin plate bars 146 are longer in dimension in the second direction D2 than the above-mentioned thin plate bars 46. The plurality of thin plate bars 146 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the first direction D1. The plurality of thin plate bars 146 form a row L1 in the first direction D1. Note that a plurality of rows may be provided.

[0049] In this example, as described above, the connection portion 145a of each branch flow path portion 145 is connected to the curved surface portion 141a. Therefore, at least a portion of the connection portion 145a of one branch flow path portion 145 is located at a different position in the second direction D2 from the connection portions 145a of the other branch flow path portions 145. Specifically, in FIG. 5 , of the connection portions 145a of the three branch flow path portions 145 connected to one side (e.g., the left side) of the rectifying portion 142, at least a portion of the connection portion 145a located on the left is located downstream of the connection portion 145a located in the middle in the second direction D2. Furthermore, of the connection portions 145a of the three branch flow path portions 145 connected to one side (e.g., the left side) of the rectifying portion 142, at least a portion of the connection portion 145a located in the middle is located downstream of the connection portion 145a located on the right in the second direction D2. This allows the air flowing from the second air flow passage 32 via the extension portion 144 to easily flow to the branch flow passage portion 145 located away from the air transport duct 30. This allows the air from the diverter portion 141 to be dispersed approximately evenly in the first direction D1 and to easily flow to the rectifier portion 142. The same applies to the connection portion 145a of the three branch flow passage portions 145 connected to the other side (for example, the right side) of the rectifier portion 142.

[0050] Further, another example of the flow dividing unit 41 and the rectifying unit 42 will be given. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing another example of the detailed configuration of the flow dividing unit 41 and the rectifying unit 42. Note that components in Fig. 6 that are assigned the same reference numerals as those in Fig. 5 described above are the same as those in Fig. 5, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0051] As shown in Figure 6, the flow rectifying section 242 of this example has a partition wall 242c located at the center of the flow rectifying section 242 in the first direction D1. The partition wall 242c divides the flow rectifying section 242 into two sections. The partition wall 242c has arc-shaped sections 242d that curve from the lower end thereof toward the upper left and upper right, respectively. The lower ends of the three branch flow path sections 145 are connected to one of the divided flow rectifying sections 242, and the lower ends of the three branch flow path sections 145 are also connected to the other divided flow rectifying section 242.

[0052] A plurality of thin plate bars 46 are provided on one side and the other side of the flow straightening section 242. The plurality of thin plate bars 46 are arranged in a row in the first direction D1. A plurality of these rows are arranged in the second direction D2. Specifically, a first row L1 to a fifth row L5 are arranged from the side closest to the air outlet 43 in the second direction D2. The thin plate bars 46 that make up the first row L1 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the first direction D1.

[0053] The thin plate bars 46 constituting the second row L2 are arranged at a predetermined interval in the first direction D1. Each thin plate bar 46 constituting the second row L2 is arranged between two adjacent thin plate bars 46 in the first row L1 in the first direction D1. In other words, each thin plate bar 46 in the second row L2 is not in the extension direction of each thin plate bar 46 in the first row L1. This makes it easier for air passing between two adjacent thin plate bars 46 in the second row L2 to collide with the thin plate bars 46 in the first row L1. This makes it easier for the air to be dispersed in the first direction D1. Furthermore, each thin plate bar 46 in the second row L2 is arranged at a distance from each thin plate bar 46 in the first row L1 in the second direction D2.

[0054] The thin plate bars 46 constituting the third row L3 are arranged at a predetermined interval in the first direction D1. Of the thin plate bars 46 constituting the third row L3, those on one side (e.g., the left side) of the flow straightening section 242 divided by the partition wall 242c are inclined so that their lower ends are closer to the partition wall 242c in the first direction D1 than their upper ends. Furthermore, of the thin plate bars 46 constituting the third row L3, those on the other side (e.g., the right side) of the flow straightening section 242 divided by the partition wall 242c are inclined so that their lower ends are closer to the partition wall 242c in the first direction D1 than their upper ends. Furthermore, the thin plate bars 46 in the third row L3 are spaced apart from the thin plate bars 46 in the second row L2 in the second direction D2. The same applies to the thin plate bars 46 constituting the fourth row L4.

[0055] The thin plate bars 46 constituting the fifth row L5 are arranged at a predetermined interval in the first direction D1. Each thin plate bar 46 constituting the fifth row L5 is arranged between two adjacent thin plate bars 46 in the fourth row L4 in the first direction D1. This makes it easier for air passing between two adjacent thin plate bars 46 in the fifth row L5 to collide with the thin plate bars 46 in the fourth row L4. This makes it easier for the air to be dispersed in the first direction D1. Furthermore, each thin plate bar 46 in the fifth row L5 is spaced apart from each thin plate bar 46 in the fourth row L4 in the second direction D2. Furthermore, among the thin plate bars 46 constituting the fifth row L5, the thin plate bars 46 located in the extension direction of each branch flow path section 145 are longer in the second direction D2 than the other thin plate bars 46. This makes it easier for air passing through the branch flow path section 145 to collide with the thin plate bars 46 immediately after passing through and be dispersed in the first direction D1. In FIG. 6, the first column L1 to the fifth column L5 are provided as a plurality of columns, but the number of columns is not limited to this and can be set arbitrarily.

[0056] As described above, in the air conditioner 100 of this embodiment, the air from the second airflow path 32 is diverted in the first direction D1 by the diverter 41. This causes the air flow from the second airflow path 32 to expand in the first direction D1. Next, the rectifier 42 rectifies the air diverted by the diverter 41. This allows the rectifier 42 to rectify the flow direction of the air that was once diverted in the first direction D1 by the diverter 41 into the blowing direction. This allows the air conditioner 100 to uniformly supply air indoors while reducing ventilation resistance and noise. Furthermore, the indoor unit 2 does not include an electrical plug or electrically driven device. It only includes a housing 50 that includes the intake section 22, the housing outlet 21, and the blowing section 40. This simplifies the configuration of the indoor unit 2. This reduces the impairment of the design and aesthetic appeal of the room due to the placement of the indoor unit 2 compared to conventional designs and improves the flexibility of installation of the indoor unit 2.

[0057] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. For example, the following modifications are possible.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the second air flow passage 32 of the air transfer duct 30 is connected to one end (left end) of the extension portion 44 of the diverter portion 41 in the first direction D1, but this is not limited thereto, and the second air flow passage 32 may be connected to the other end (right end) of the extension portion 44 in the first direction D1. Alternatively, the second air flow passage 32 may be connected to the center of the extension portion 44 in the first direction D1.

[0059] In addition, in the above embodiment, each branch flow path section 45 is arranged symmetrically on one side and the other side of the first direction D1 based on the midpoint in the first direction D1 of the extension section 44, but this does not exclude an asymmetric arrangement.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the partition wall 42c is provided in the flow rectifying section 42 to divide the flow rectifying section 42 into two sections in the first direction D1, but this is not limiting, and the partition wall 42c is not an essential component. In other words, the flow rectifying section 42 does not have to be divided.

[0061] In addition, in the above embodiment, the housing 4 is disposed above the housing 3, but this is not limitative, and the housing 4 may be disposed below the housing 3. Alternatively, the housing 4 may be disposed to the side of the housing 3.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the wireless communication between the outdoor communication device 10 and the communication device 23 is performed by Wi-Fi (registered trademark), but this is not limited to this and may be performed by, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc. In this case, the wireless router 24 is not required.

[0063] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the outdoor unit 1 is provided with two housings (housing 3 and housing 4), but this is not limiting, and each component may be housed in a single housing.

[0064] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a remote communication device (remote controller) is exemplified as the communication device 23, but the present invention is not limited to this, and other communication devices such as a smartphone may also be used as the communication device 23.

[0065] (Additional Notes) The above description of the embodiments discloses the following techniques.

[0066] (Technology 1) An air conditioner of Technology 1 includes an outdoor unit having a compressor that compresses a working refrigerant, a first heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the working refrigerant and outdoor air, a first fan that sends air from the first heat exchanger to the outside, a second heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the working refrigerant and indoor air, and a second fan that sends indoor air to the second heat exchanger. The air conditioner also includes an indoor unit having an intake section that draws indoor air using the second fan and an outlet section that blows air that has undergone heat exchange in the second heat exchanger into the room. The air conditioner also includes a first air flow path that connects the intake section and the second heat exchanger via a through hole in a wall of the house, and a second air flow path that connects the second heat exchanger and the outlet section via a through hole. The blowing section has a diverting section that divertes air from the second air flow path in a first direction, a rectifying section that rectifies the air diverted by the diverting section, and an outlet that blows the air rectified by the rectifying section into the room.

[0067] With this configuration, the air from the second airflow path is diverted in the first direction by the diverter. This causes the air flow from the second airflow path to expand in the first direction. Next, the rectifier rectifies the air diverted by the diverter. This allows the flow direction of the air that was once diverted in the first direction by the diverter to be rectified in the blowing direction by the rectifier. This allows air to be supplied uniformly throughout the room while suppressing ventilation resistance and noise.

[0068] (Technology 2) In an air conditioner of Technology 2, in the air conditioner described in Technology 1, the diverter section has an extending section extending in a first direction and a plurality of branch flow path sections arranged in parallel in the first direction, each having a connecting section extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction and connected to the extending section. Each connecting section of the plurality of branch flow path sections has a first chamfered section arranged upstream in the second direction, and a second chamfered section arranged downstream in the second direction and having a size different from that of the first chamfered section.

[0069] With this configuration, the extension portion causes air from the second air flow passage to spread in the first direction. Furthermore, each branch flow passage portion splits the air that spreads in the first direction at the extension portion toward the rectifying portion. In this case, since the second chamfered portion of the connection portion is positioned differently from the first chamfered portion of the connection portion in the second direction, it becomes easier for one of the first chamfered portion and the second chamfered portion to guide the air toward the other. This allows air to flow smoothly into each branch flow passage portion.

[0070] (Technology 3) In an air conditioner of Technology 3, in the air conditioner described in Technology 1, the diverter section has an extending section extending in a first direction and a plurality of branch flow path sections arranged in parallel in the first direction, each of which has a connecting section extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction and connected to the extending section, and at least a portion of the connecting section of one of the plurality of branch flow path sections is located at a different position in the second direction from the connecting sections of other branch flow path sections of the plurality of branch flow path sections.

[0071] With this configuration, the extension portion causes air from the second air flow passage to spread in the first direction. Furthermore, each branch flow passage portion diverts the air spread in the first direction by the extension portion toward the rectifying portion. In this case, since at least a portion of one connection portion is located at a different position in the second direction relative to the other connection portions, air that passes through the second air flow passage and is dispersed in the first direction by the extension portion can be approximately evenly distributed between the near-side branch flow passage portion (i.e., the branch flow passage portion located closer to the second air flow passage) and the far-side branch flow passage (i.e., the branch flow passage portion located farther from the second air flow passage) of each branch flow passage portion arranged in parallel in the first direction. This allows air to flow smoothly and approximately evenly into each branch flow passage portion.

[0072] (Technology 4) In the air conditioner of Technology 4, in the air conditioner described in Technology 2 or 3, each of the plurality of branch flow passages is symmetrically arranged on one side and the other side in the first direction.

[0073] With this configuration, regardless of whether the second air flow path is connected to one end or the other end of the extension portion in the first direction, air from the second air flow path can be caused to flow into the extension portion evenly, thereby increasing the flexibility in installing the second air flow path relative to the extension portion.

[0074] (Technology 5) In an air conditioner of Technology 5, in the air conditioner described in any one of Technologies 1 to 4, the rectifying section has a plurality of thin plate bars arranged in rows in a first direction. The rows are arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and the thin plate bars in one of two adjacent rows are positioned in a different position in the first direction from the thin plate bars in the other row.

[0075] With this configuration, by providing multiple rows each including multiple thin plate bars in the second direction, it becomes easier to disperse the air in the first direction as it moves downstream, allowing the air to be blown out from the outlet approximately evenly in the first direction.

[0076] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 outdoor unit 2 indoor unit 3 housing 4 housing 5 first fan 5a motor 6 first heat exchanger 7 second heat exchanger 8 second fan 8a motor 9 control device 10 outdoor communication device 11 power cord 12 compressor 13 four-way valve 14 expansion valve 21 housing outlet 22 suction section 23 communication equipment 24 wireless router 25 through hole 26 wall section 30 air conveying duct 30a small diameter section 30b large diameter section 31 first air flow path 32 second air flow path 40 blowing section 41 flow dividing section 42 rectifying section 42a first rectifying section 42b second rectifying section 42c partition wall 43 blowing outlet 44 extension section 45 branch flow path section 45a connection section 46 thin plate crosspiece DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 47 End flow path section 48 Straightening wall 49 Straightening wall 50 Housing 100 Air conditioner 141 Dividing section 141a Curved surface section 142 Straightening section 142c Partition wall 142d Arc-shaped section 144 Extension section 145 Branching flow path section 145a Connection section 146 Thin plate crosspiece 147 End flow path section 242 Straightening section 242c Partition wall 242d Arc-shaped section D1 First direction D2 Second direction De Extension direction H House L1 First row L2 Second row L3 Third row L4 Fourth row L5 Fifth row P1 Refrigerant pipe P2 Refrigerant pipe P3 Refrigerant pipe Rb First chamfered section Rc Refrigerant circuit Rs Second chamfered section

Claims

1. An outdoor unit having: a compressor for compressing a working refrigerant; a first heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the working refrigerant and outside air; a first fan for sending air from the first heat exchanger to the outside; a second heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the working refrigerant and indoor air; and a second fan for sending the indoor air to the second heat exchanger; an indoor unit having: an intake section for drawing in indoor air by the second fan; and a blowing section for blowing out air that has been heat exchanged by the second heat exchanger into the room; a first air flow passage connecting the intake section and the second heat exchanger via a through hole in a wall of a house; and a second air flow passage connecting the second heat exchanger and the blowing section via the through hole, wherein the blowing section has: a diverting section for diverting air from the second air flow passage in a first direction; and a rectifying section for rectifying the air diverted by the diverting section. an air outlet that blows the air rectified by the air flow rectification section into a room.

2. The air conditioner described in claim 1, wherein the branch section has an extension section extending in the first direction, and a plurality of branch flow path sections arranged in parallel in the first direction, each of which has a connection section extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction and connected to the extension section, and the connection section of each of the plurality of branch flow path sections has a first chamfered section arranged on the upstream side in the second direction, and a second chamfered section arranged on the downstream side in the second direction and having a size different from that of the first chamfered section.

3. The air conditioner described in claim 1, wherein the branch section has an extension section extending in the first direction and a plurality of branch flow path sections arranged in parallel in the first direction, each of which has a connection section extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction and connected to the extension section, and at least a portion of the connection section of one of the plurality of branch flow path sections is in a different position in the second direction relative to the connection sections of other branch flow path sections of the plurality of branch flow path sections.

4. An air conditioner as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein each of the plurality of branch flow passages is disposed symmetrically on one side and the other side of the first direction.

5. The air conditioner described in claim 1, wherein the straightening section has a plurality of thin plate battens arranged in a row in the first direction, the rows are arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and the thin plate battens in one of two adjacent rows are positioned in the first direction differently from the thin plate battens in the other row.

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