Indoor unit

Abstract

An indoor unit according to the present invention comprises a housing that has a first air outlet and a second air outlet that blow air in different directions, a heat exchanger that is provided inside the housing so as to be opposite the first air outlet and the second air outlet, and a blocking part that blocks one of the first air outlet and the second air outlet.

Description

Indoor unit

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an indoor unit including a housing in which an air outlet through which air is blown out is formed.

[0002] Conventionally, indoor units of air conditioners have been known that include a housing formed with an air outlet through which air is blown out. Patent Document 1 discloses an indoor unit of an air conditioner that is installed in an attic space and includes a housing formed with a single air outlet opening. In the indoor unit of Patent Document 1, air is drawn in by a fan through an air intake opening formed on the rear side of the housing, and heat is exchanged with the air by a heat exchanger located downstream of the fan in the air flow. The air that has undergone heat exchange by the heat exchanger is blown out through an air outlet opening formed on the front side of the housing to condition the air in the room.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-48966

[0004] However, the indoor unit of the air conditioner disclosed in Patent Document 1 has only one air outlet and can only blow air in one direction. Indoor units such as those disclosed in Patent Document 1 are generally installed in dropped ceilings, where one part of the ceiling is lower than the other. In this case, changing the orientation of the indoor unit is considered in order to change the blowing direction of the outlet. However, if the depth of the dropped ceiling is narrow, it is difficult to change the orientation of the indoor unit, and therefore it is also difficult to change the blowing direction of the outlet. Therefore, there is a demand for an indoor unit that can switch the air blowing direction without changing the orientation of the indoor unit.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and provides an indoor unit that can switch the air blowing direction without changing the arrangement direction of the housing.

[0006] The indoor unit of the present disclosure comprises a housing in which a first air outlet and a second air outlet are formed, the first air outlet and the second air outlet being different in direction from each other, a heat exchanger provided inside the housing and positioned to face the first air outlet and the second air outlet, and a shielding section that shields either the first air outlet or the second air outlet.

[0007] According to the indoor unit of the present disclosure, the air blowing direction can be switched without changing the orientation of the housing.

[0008] Fig. 4 is a circuit diagram showing an air conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 1. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the installation position of an indoor unit according to embodiment 1. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing an indoor unit according to embodiment 1. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the indoor unit according to embodiment 1 when viewed from a direction different from that of Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a front view showing an indoor unit according to embodiment 1. Fig. 9 is a side view showing an indoor unit according to embodiment 1. Fig. 10 is a top view showing a case where a shielding portion is provided at a first air outlet in the indoor unit according to embodiment 1. Fig. 11 is a top view showing a case where a shielding portion is provided at a second air outlet in the indoor unit according to embodiment 1.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of an indoor unit according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described below. Furthermore, in the following drawings, including FIG. 1, the dimensional relationships between components may differ from the actual ones. Furthermore, in the following description, terms indicating directions are used as appropriate to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure, but these terms are for the purpose of explaining the present disclosure and do not limit the present disclosure. Examples of terms indicating directions include "up," "down," "right," "left," "front," and "rear."

[0010] Embodiment 1. Figure 1 is a circuit diagram showing an air conditioning apparatus 1 pertaining to embodiment 1. The air conditioning apparatus 1 is a device that conditions the air in a space to be air-conditioned, and as shown in Figure 1, is equipped with an outdoor unit 2 and an indoor unit 3. The outdoor unit 2 is equipped with, for example, a compressor 6, a flow path switching device 7, an outdoor heat exchanger 8, an outdoor blower 9, an expansion section 10, and a control box 50. The indoor unit 3 is equipped with, for example, a heat exchanger 11 and a blower 12.

[0011] The refrigerant circuit 4 is configured by connecting a compressor 6, a flow switching device 7, an outdoor heat exchanger 8, an expansion section 10, and a heat exchanger 11 via refrigerant piping 5. The compressor 6 draws in low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant, compresses it, and discharges it as high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant. The compressor 6 is, for example, a capacity-controllable inverter compressor. The flow switching device 7 switches the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 4 and is, for example, a four-way valve. The outdoor heat exchanger 8 exchanges heat between, for example, outdoor air and the refrigerant. The outdoor heat exchanger 8 functions as a condenser during cooling operation and as an evaporator during heating operation. The expansion section 10 is a pressure-reducing valve or expansion valve that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant and expands it. The expansion section 10 is, for example, an electronic expansion valve whose opening is adjustable.

[0012] The heat exchanger 11 exchanges heat between, for example, indoor air and a refrigerant. The heat exchanger 11 acts as an evaporator during cooling operation and as a condenser during heating operation. The blower 12 is a device that sends indoor air to the heat exchanger 11.

[0013] (Operation Modes, Cooling Operation) Next, the operation modes of the air conditioner 1 will be described. First, cooling operation will be described. In cooling operation, the refrigerant drawn into the compressor 6 is compressed by the compressor 6 and discharged in a high-temperature, high-pressure gas state. The high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 6 passes through the flow switching device 7 and flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 8, which functions as a condenser. In the outdoor heat exchanger 8, the refrigerant exchanges heat with outdoor air sent by the outdoor blower 9, condensing and liquefying. The condensed liquid refrigerant flows into the expansion section 10, where it expands and is decompressed to become a low-temperature, low-pressure, two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant. The two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant then flows into the heat exchanger 11, which functions as an evaporator. In the heat exchanger 11, the refrigerant exchanges heat with indoor air sent by the blower 12, evaporating and gasifying. At this time, the indoor air is cooled, and cooling is performed in the room. The evaporated refrigerant in a low-temperature, low-pressure gas state passes through the flow switching device 7 and is sucked into the compressor 6 .

[0014] (Operation Mode, Heating Operation) Next, the heating operation will be described. In the heating operation, the refrigerant drawn into the compressor 6 is compressed by the compressor 6 and discharged in a high-temperature, high-pressure gas state. The high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 6 passes through the flow path switching device 7 and flows into the heat exchanger 11, which functions as a condenser. In the heat exchanger 11, the refrigerant exchanges heat with the indoor air sent by the blower 12 and condenses to a liquid. At this time, the indoor air is heated, and heating is performed in the room. The condensed liquid refrigerant flows into the expansion section 10, where it expands and decompresses to become a low-temperature, low-pressure, two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant. The two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant then flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 8, which functions as an evaporator. In the outdoor heat exchanger 8, the refrigerant exchanges heat with the outdoor air sent by the outdoor blower 9 and evaporates to a gas. The evaporated low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant passes through the flow path switching device 7 and is drawn into the compressor 6.

[0015] The air conditioner 1 does not have to have the flow path switching device 7. In this case, the air conditioner 1 becomes a dedicated cooling machine or a dedicated heating machine.

[0016] (Indoor unit 3) Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the installation position of the indoor unit 3 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 2, the indoor unit 3 is attached, for example, to an attic space 14 above a ceiling 15 in a room 19. The ceiling 15 is, for example, a dropped ceiling 16 with one portion lower than the other. The indoor unit 3 is installed in the attic space 14 located above the dropped ceiling 16, and the upper end of the indoor unit 3 and the ceiling 15 are located at approximately the same height. The ceiling 15 and the dropped ceiling 16 are connected by a wall 13 extending in the height direction, and an outlet grill 17 is provided on the wall 13 so as to correspond to the first outlet 31 (see Figure 3) of the indoor unit 3.

[0017] Indoor intake air 18b flowing into the room 19 is taken into the attic space 14 through the outlet grille 17, and ceiling intake air 18d flowing into the attic space 14 is drawn into the indoor unit 3. The air drawn into the indoor unit 3 exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the heat exchanger 11 and is blown out as ceiling outlet air 18c into the attic space 14. The ceiling outlet air 18c passes through the outlet grille 17 and is blown out into the room 19 as indoor outlet air 18a.

[0018] Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the indoor unit 3 according to the first embodiment, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the indoor unit 3 according to the first embodiment as viewed from a different direction than that shown in Fig. 3. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the indoor unit 3 includes a housing 20, a blower 12, a control box 50, a heat exchanger 11, and a shielding section 40 (see Figs. 7 and 8).

[0019] (Housing 20) The housing 20 is a rectangular box-shaped body that is rectangular in top view. The housing 20 has a bottom plate 21, a front plate 22, side plates 23, a first back plate 24, a second back plate 25, a first top plate 26, and a second top plate 27. The bottom plate 21 forms the bottom surface of the housing 20 and has a rectangular shape that is long in the width direction. The portion of the bottom surface of the housing 20 where the bottom plate 21 is not provided forms an intake port 30 through which air is drawn.

[0020] The front panel 22 is a rectangular member extending upward from the front side of the portion that forms the suction port 30. The side panel 23 extends upward from the widthwise end of the portion that forms the suction port 30 and is connected to the side edge of the front panel 22, constituting one side of the housing 20. The side panel 23 is a rectangular member that is long in the depth direction. The first back panel 24 is a rectangular member that extends upward from the rear side of the portion that forms the suction port 30 and is connected to the side edge of the side panel 23. The second back panel 25 is a rectangular member that extends upward from the rear edge of the bottom panel 21. The first back panel 24 and the second back panel 25 constitute the back of the housing 20. The first top panel 26 connects the upper edge of the front panel 22, the upper edge of the side panel 23, and the upper edge of the first back panel 24. The first top panel 26 is a square member. The second top plate 27 is a rectangular member that extends horizontally from the upper edge of the second back plate 25. The first top plate 26 and the second top plate 27 form the top surface of the housing 20.

[0021] An air blowing chamber 28 and a heat exchange chamber 29 are formed inside the housing 20. The air blowing chamber 28 is a space surrounded by the front panel 22, the side panels 23, the first back panel 24, and the first top panel 26, and houses the control box 50 and the blower 12. The heat exchange chamber 29 is a space surrounded by the bottom panel 21, the second back panel 25, and the second top panel 27, and houses the heat exchanger 11. The bottom surface of the air blowing chamber 28 is open, and as described above, forms the air inlet 30 through which air is drawn. Note that the air inlet 30 may also be formed on the top surface of the air blowing chamber 28. In other words, the air inlet 30 may be formed on either the top or bottom of the housing 20.

[0022] FIG. 5 is a front view showing the indoor unit 3 according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a side view showing the indoor unit 3 according to the first embodiment. The front and side surfaces of the heat exchange chamber 29 are open, and each of them forms a first air outlet 31 through which air is blown out and a second air outlet 32 ​​through which air is blown out. As shown in FIG. 5, the first air outlet 31 is formed on the front side of the housing 20. As shown in FIG. 6, the second air outlet 32 ​​is formed on the side surface of the housing 20. In this way, the first air outlet 31 and the second air outlet 32 ​​blow out air in different directions. Note that, although the first embodiment illustrates a case in which two air outlets are formed, three or more air outlets may be formed.

[0023] 3 and 4, the blower 12 is, for example, a large-diameter sirocco fan, and is provided in the blower chamber 28. The blower 12 is disposed so as to draw air through an intake port 30 formed in the bottom surface of the housing 20. That is, the blower 12, which is a sirocco fan, is disposed in the blower chamber 28 with its casing facing sideways.

[0024] 3 and 4, the control box 50 is a rectangular box that houses a control unit (not shown) that controls each device of the air conditioning apparatus 1. The control box 50 is provided in the air blower chamber 28, closer to the front than the blower 12. The front side of the control box 50 is the front panel 22, and by removing the front panel 22, it is possible to perform maintenance on the control unit inside the control box 50.

[0025] (Heat Exchanger 11) As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the heat exchanger 11 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and is provided in the heat exchange chamber 29. In the first embodiment, the heat exchanger 11 is erected perpendicular to the bottom surface of the heat exchange chamber 29. However, the heat exchanger 11 may be provided at an angle to the vertical or bent midway. The heat exchanger 11 is disposed to face both the first air outlet 31 and the second air outlet 32. For example, the heat exchanger 11 is disposed in the heat exchange chamber 29 so as to extend from the end of the first air outlet 31 opposite the second air outlet 32 ​​to the end of the second air outlet 32 ​​opposite the first air outlet 31. In the first embodiment, the heat exchanger 11 is disposed on a straight line connecting two diagonally opposite corners of the heat exchange chamber 29. The position where the heat exchanger 11 is installed can be changed as appropriate as long as the air sent from the blower 12 is configured to be entirely heat exchanged in the heat exchanger 11 .

[0026] (Shielding section 40) Fig. 7 is a top view showing a case where a shielding section 40 is provided at the first air outlet 31 in the indoor unit 3 according to Embodiment 1. The shielding section 40 is a rectangular member that shields either the first air outlet 31 or the second air outlet 32. The shielding section 40 is made of sheet metal, but may be made of other members. As shown in Fig. 7, when the shielding section 40 is provided so as to shield the first air outlet 31, the air that has passed through the heat exchanger 11 is blown out into the room from the second air outlet 32.

[0027] Fig. 8 is a top view showing a case where a shielding portion 40 is provided at the second air outlet 32 ​​in the indoor unit 3 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 8, when the shielding portion 40 is provided so as to shield the second air outlet 32, the air that has passed through the heat exchanger 11 is blown out from the first air outlet 31 into the room.

[0028] As described above, the shielding portion 40 is a detachable member that shields either the first air outlet 31 or the second air outlet 32. Although the first embodiment illustrates a case in which the shielding portion 40 is manually attached or detached, the shielding portion 40 may be attached or detached automatically by providing a sliding portion or the like on the housing 20. Furthermore, if three or more air outlets are formed, multiple shielding portions 40 are required. In this case, the shielding portion 40 may shield multiple of the three or more air outlets and leave one air outlet open, or may leave two or more air outlets open.

[0029] According to the first embodiment, the shielding portion 40 blocks either the first air outlet 31 or the second air outlet 32. Here, the first air outlet 31 and the second air outlet 32 ​​each have a different air outlet direction. In this way, the air outlet direction can be changed depending on whether the first air outlet 31 or the second air outlet 32 ​​is blocked. Therefore, the indoor unit 3 can switch the air outlet direction without changing the arrangement direction of the housing 20.

[0030] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Air conditioning apparatus, 2 Outdoor unit, 3 Indoor unit, 4 Refrigerant circuit, 5 Refrigerant piping, 6 Compressor, 7 Flow path switching device, 8 Outdoor heat exchanger, 9 Outdoor blower, 10 Expansion section, 11 Heat exchanger, 12 Blower, 13 Wall, 14 Attic space, 15 Ceiling, 16 Dropped ceiling, 17 Outlet grille, 18a Indoor outlet air, 18b Indoor intake air, 18c Ceiling outlet air, 18d Ceiling intake air, 19 Indoor, 20 Housing, 21 Bottom plate, 22 Front plate, 23 Side plate, 24 First back plate, 25 Second back plate, 26 First top plate, 27 Second top plate, 28 Air blowing chamber, 29 Heat exchange chamber, 30 Intake port, 31 First outlet, 32 Second outlet, 40 Shielding section, 50 control box.

Claims

1. An indoor unit comprising: a housing in which a first air outlet and a second air outlet are formed, the directions in which air is blown out from the first air outlet and the second air outlet being different; a heat exchanger provided inside the housing and arranged to face the first air outlet and the second air outlet; and a shielding portion that shields either the first air outlet or the second air outlet.

2. The indoor unit according to claim 1, wherein the housing has a rectangular shape in a top view, and a heat exchange chamber is formed inside the housing, the first air outlet being formed on the front side and the second air outlet being formed on the side.

3. The indoor unit according to claim 2, wherein the heat exchanger is provided in the heat exchange chamber so as to extend from an end portion on the side opposite to the second air outlet side at the first air outlet to an end portion on the side opposite to the first air outlet side at the second air outlet.

4. The indoor unit according to claim 3, wherein the heat exchanger is arranged on a straight line connecting two diagonally located corners among the four corners of the heat exchange chamber.

5. The indoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a blower provided inside the housing for sending air to the heat exchanger, the blower being arranged to suck air from a suction port formed in the vertical direction of the housing.

6. The indoor unit according to claim 5, wherein a blower chamber in which the blower is provided is formed inside the housing, and a control box having a control portion for controlling devices is provided in the blower chamber.

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