Air conditioning unit

Abstract

Provided is an air conditioning unit (31) that is installed in an air conditioning chamber (30) and conditions a plurality of habitable rooms independent of the air conditioning chamber (30), the air conditioning unit (31) comprising: a housing (32) that has a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface, a rear surface, and side surfaces, the housing (32) incorporating an air conditioner (33) therein; a blower (35) that blows air inside the housing (32) to the outside of the housing (32); and a branch chamber (70) that branches the air blown out from the blower (35) into the plurality of habitable rooms, the branch chamber (70) being provided with an installation surface (71) that abuts a wall surface (92) of the air conditioning chamber (30), a facing surface (72) that faces the installation surface (71), a branching surface (73) that connects to the installation surface (71) and the facing surface (72), an inflow port (74) for taking in air from the branching surface (73) to the interior of the branching chamber (70), and an outflow port (76) for allowing air to flow out from the branching surface (73) to the plurality of habitable rooms.

Description

air conditioning unit

[0001] The present disclosure relates to air conditioning units.

[0002] A central air conditioning unit such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known as an air conditioning unit for conditioning multiple rooms. Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which the central air conditioning unit and a branch chamber are connected by a conveying duct. The branch chamber and the multiple rooms are further connected by multiple branch conveying ducts, thereby conveying air supplied from the central air conditioning unit to the multiple rooms.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-51019

[0004] In Patent Document 1, the branch chamber is installed in the attic of the house. The rear of the central air-conditioning unit and the side of the branch chamber are connected by a transport duct. This configuration requires the transport duct to be bent once to route from the rear of the central air-conditioning unit to the attic, and then bent once more to connect to the side of the branch chamber in the attic.

[0005] In order to supply a sufficient amount of air into the branch chamber with a single transport duct, the transport duct generally has a larger cross-sectional area than the branch transport duct. Since the larger the cross-sectional area of ​​the air passage, the greater the pressure loss, it is preferable to configure the transport duct short. Furthermore, the fewer times the transport duct is bent, the less pressure loss can be reduced. For this reason, the air conditioning unit of Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in terms of reducing pressure loss.

[0006] The present disclosure provides an air conditioning unit that can reduce pressure loss.

[0007] An air conditioning unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an air conditioning unit installed in an air-conditioned room for conditioning a plurality of rooms independent of the air-conditioned room, the air conditioning unit comprising: a housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface, a back surface, and a side surface and incorporating an air conditioner; a blower that blows air from inside the housing to the outside of the housing; and a branch chamber that branches the air blown from the blower to the plurality of rooms. The branch chamber further comprises an installation surface abutting a wall surface of the air-conditioned room, an opposing surface facing the installation surface, a branch surface connecting the installation surface and the opposing surface, an inlet for taking air from the branch surface into the branch chamber, and an outlet for discharging air from the branch surface to the plurality of rooms.

[0008] Any combination of the above components, and conversion of the present disclosure into a method, device, system, recording medium, computer program, etc., are also valid aspects of the present disclosure.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, an air conditioning unit capable of reducing pressure loss can be provided.

[0010] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an air conditioning system including an air conditioning unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing components of a branch chamber according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of a flow rate adjusting section in the branch chamber of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a side view showing the configuration of an air conditioning unit in an air-conditioned room according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments are examples that embody the present disclosure and do not limit the technical scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, throughout all the drawings, identical components are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted from the second and subsequent drawings. Furthermore, in each drawing, detailed descriptions of each component that is not directly related to the present disclosure will be omitted.

[0012] 1 and 4, the configuration of an air conditioning system 1 including an air conditioning unit 31 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the air conditioning system 1. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the configuration of the air conditioning unit 31 in an air-conditioned room 30 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The air conditioning system 1 is an apparatus for air-conditioning a building having spaces such as living rooms 10 and air-conditioned rooms 30.

[0013] Here, the living space 10 is a space such as a room, living room, dining room, or kitchen, and is a space in a building where people live. While Fig. 1 shows a first living space 10a and a second living space 10b as examples, the number of living spaces 10 included in the building is not limited to two, and three or more living spaces may be provided as needed. Each of the living spaces 10 is equipped with a living space temperature sensor 11.

[0014] The room temperature sensor 11 is disposed in the room 10 and detects the temperature of the room 10. The room temperature sensor 11 is communicatively connected to a system controller 40 (described later) and outputs the detected temperature of the room 10 to the system controller 40.

[0015] The air-conditioning room 30 is a space independent of the living room 10, and is a space for adjusting the temperature and humidity of the air supplied to the living room 10. The air-conditioning room 30 is equipped with an air-conditioning room temperature sensor 37.

[0016] The air-conditioned room temperature sensor 37 is disposed in the air-conditioned room 30 and detects the temperature of the air conditioned in the air-conditioned room 30. The air-conditioned room temperature sensor 37 is communicatively connected to the system controller 40 and outputs the detected temperature of the air-conditioned room 30 to the system controller 40.

[0017] The living room 10 and the air-conditioned room 30 are connected to each other so that ventilation can be established, for example, by a duct or the like. In Fig. 1, the living room 10 and the air-conditioned room 30 are connected by a circulation air duct 54 and a supply air duct 56. For the sake of explanation, the air transported from the air-conditioned room 30 to the living room 10 by the supply air duct 56 will be referred to as supply air 66, and the air transported from the living room 10 to the air-conditioned room 30 by the circulation air duct 54 will be referred to as return air 64.

[0018] The air conditioning system 1 is configured by combining an air conditioning unit 31, a humidifier 36, a ventilation device 20, and a system controller 40.

[0019] The air conditioning unit 31 is a device that adjusts the temperature of air in the air-conditioned room 30. The air conditioning unit 31 includes a housing 32, an air conditioner 33, a blower 35, a filter 34, and a branch chamber 70.

[0020] The housing 32 is formed in a hollow box shape having a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface, a back surface, and sides, and constitutes the outer shell of the air conditioning unit 31. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 , at least the back surface of the housing 32 is installed so as to face a wall surface 92 of the air-conditioning room 30. Also, as shown in FIG. 4 , an opening 93 is provided in the housing 32 for taking in air from the air-conditioning room 30. Note that the opening 93 may be provided anywhere on the housing 32 as long as it can take in air from the air-conditioning room 30 into the housing 32, but it is preferable that the opening 93 can be provided from the upstream side of the air conditioner 33. In this embodiment, the opening 93 is located on the top surface of the housing 32, but it may also be located on the back surface, front surface, or side surface of the housing 32.

[0021] The air conditioner 33 is built into the housing 32 and conditions the air taken into the housing 32 from the air-conditioning room 30 .

[0022] The blower 35 is a fan that transports the air conditioned by the air conditioner 33 to the room 10 as supply air 66. The blower 35 is disposed downstream of the air conditioner 33.

[0023] The filter 34 is disposed inside the housing 32 between the air conditioner 33 and the blower 35. In other words, the filter 34 is disposed downstream of the air conditioner 33 and upstream of the blower 35. The filter 34 removes dirt, dust, and the like from the air before the air is transported by the blower 35 from the air-conditioned room 30 to the living room 10. By passing the air through the filter 34, the blower 35 can transport purified air to the living room 10.

[0024] The branch chamber 70 is disposed outside the housing 32 in the air-conditioning room 30, and branches the air blown out from the housing 32 to the multiple rooms 10. The housing 32 and the branch chamber 70 are connected by a duct 91 to allow ventilation. Note that the duct 91 may be connected in any manner as long as the air conditioned inside the housing 32 is transported to the branch chamber 70. For example, the duct 91 may be configured to connect the blower 35 and the branch chamber 70. In FIG. 1 , the branch chamber 70 branches the air path into an air supply duct 56a connecting to the first room 10a and an air supply duct 56b connecting to the second room 10b. Details of the branch chamber 70 will be described later.

[0025] The humidifier 36 is provided outside the housing 32 and humidifies the air taken into the air-conditioned room 30. In other words, the humidifier 36 is provided upstream of the air conditioner 33 and humidifies the air before it is taken into the housing 32. In this embodiment, the humidifier 36 is provided outside the housing 32, but it may be built into the housing 32 as long as it can humidify the air upstream of the air conditioner 33.

[0026] The ventilation device 20 is a device that exchanges air inside a building with air from the outside. The ventilation device 20 is connected to, for example, the exterior wall of a building and takes in outside air 60 from outside the building by rotating a fan. The ventilation device 20 guides the outside air 60 to the air-conditioned room 30 via the outside air duct 50 and the circulation air duct 54. In other words, the ventilation device 20 causes the outside air 60 to flow into the circulation air duct 54. Note that the outside air 60 may also be configured to flow directly into the air-conditioned room 30 without flowing into the circulation air duct 54. The ventilation device 20 also exhausts air from the living room 10 as exhaust air 62 by rotating the fan. The ventilation device 20 guides the exhaust air 62 to the outside of the building via the exhaust air duct 52. This configuration exchanges air inside the building with air from the outside. Note that, while FIG. 1 shows an example in which air is directly exhausted from the first living room 10a and the second living room 10b, the configuration is not limited to this. For example, the exhaust airflow path 52 may be configured to exhaust air from a common space that is in ventilation communication with the first living room 10 a and the second living room 10 b. In other words, a portion of the air flowing through the circulation airflow path 54 may be considered as air from the living room 10 and discharged.

[0027] The system controller 40 is a controller that controls the entire air conditioning system 1. The system controller 40 has a computer system with a processor and memory. The processor executes a program stored in the memory, causing the computer system to function as a control unit. The system controller 40 may be provided by being recorded on a non-volatile recording medium such as a memory card, or may be provided via a telecommunications line such as the Internet.

[0028] The system controller 40 is installed in, for example, the first living room 10a, and controls the devices that make up the air conditioning system 1 based on setting information input and set by the user and information sent to the system controller 40 from the living room temperature sensor 11a and the air-conditioned room temperature sensor 37. In this embodiment, the system controller 40 is installed in the first living room 10a as an example, but the system controller 40 may be installed anywhere as long as it is capable of controlling the air conditioning system 1.

[0029] For example, in controlling the air conditioning system 1, when a user operates the air conditioning system 1, the system controller 40 acquires the indoor target temperature set by the user as setting information. Here, the indoor target temperature is a temperature at which the user feels comfortable. Furthermore, the system controller 40 acquires the temperature in each room 10 from the room temperature sensor 11a (11b). Also, the system controller 40 acquires the temperature of the air-conditioned room 30 from the air-conditioned room temperature sensor 37. The system controller 40 determines the control conditions of the air-conditioning unit 31 based on the indoor target temperature, the temperature of each room 10, and the temperature of the air-conditioned room 30.

[0030] In this way, the air conditioning system 1 is controlled based on setting information such as the indoor target temperature input and set by the user and information acquired from various sensors such as the room temperature sensor 11a.

[0031] Next, the structure of the branch chamber 70 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the main components of the branch chamber 70. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a flow rate adjusting unit 78, which will be described later.

[0032] The branch chamber 70 is used to distribute the air supplied by the blower 35 to multiple rooms by branching the air that flows into it into multiple branches. Because the conditioned air flows into the branch chamber 70, it is preferable that the branch chamber 70 be made of a heat-insulating material (such as polystyrene foam). However, if heat insulation is not required, materials other than polystyrene foam, such as resins such as polypropylene or sheet metal, may also be used.

[0033] The branch chamber 70 is formed in a hollow box shape having an installation surface 71, an opposing surface 72, and multiple branch surfaces 73. Here, the opposing surface 72 is positioned opposite the installation surface 71. The branch surfaces 73 are positioned so as to connect each side of the installation surface 71 with each side of the opposing surface 72. In other words, multiple branch surfaces 73 are positioned between the installation surface 71 and the opposing surface 72. For ease of explanation, the branch surface 73 on which an inlet 74 (described below) is provided is referred to as the branch surface 73a below. When the opposing surface 72 is viewed from the front, the branch surfaces are referred to as the branch surfaces 73b, 73c, and 73d clockwise from the branch surface 73a. The branch chamber 70 includes a main duct connection portion 75, an inlet 74, a branch duct connection portion 77, an outlet 76, a detachable opening 80, a flow rate adjustment portion 78, a control portion 90, a fixing portion 81, and a fixing bracket 82.

[0034] The main duct connection part 75 is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape and is a protrusion that protrudes outward from the branching surface 73. By connecting the main duct connection part 75 and the housing 32 with a duct 91, the air blown out from the blower 35 is taken into the branching chamber 70 through the inlet 74. In this embodiment, the main duct connection part 75 is provided on the branching surface 73a and is positioned at a position shifted toward the branching surface 73d from the center of the branching surface 73a.

[0035] The inlet 74 is an opening for taking air into the inside of the branch chamber 70 from the branch surface 73 a, and is an opening provided at the tip of the protrusion of the main duct connection part 75. Air flows from the tip of the protrusion of the main duct connection part 75 through the inside of the hollow cylindrical shape, and thus flows into the inside of the branch chamber 70 from the branch surface 73 a.

[0036] The branch duct connector 77 is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape and is a protrusion that protrudes outward from the branch surface 73. By connecting the branch duct connector 77 to each room 10 via a duct (corresponding to the supply air passage 56), air taken into the branch chamber 70 can be transported from the branch surface 73 to each room 10. At least one branch duct connector 77 is provided on each branch surface 73. In this embodiment, one branch duct connector 77 is provided on the branch surface 73a, and two branch duct connectors 77 are provided on each of the branch surfaces 73b, 73c, and 73d. Here, the branch duct connector 77 provided on the branch surface 73a is referred to as the branch duct connector 77a. The two branch duct connectors 77 provided on the branch surface 73b are referred to as the branch duct connector 77b and the branch duct connector 77c. The two branch duct connectors 77 provided on branch surface 73c are referred to as branch duct connectors 77d and 77e, and the two branch duct connectors 77 provided on branch surface 73d are referred to as branch duct connectors 77f and 77g.

[0037] Branch duct connection portion 77a is disposed at a position shifted toward branch surface 73b from the center of branch surface 73a. Branch duct connection portion 77b is disposed at a position shifted toward branch surface 73a from the center of branch surface 73b. Branch duct connection portion 77c is disposed at a position shifted toward branch surface 73c from the center of branch surface 73b. Branch duct connection portion 77d is disposed at a position shifted toward branch surface 73b from the center of branch surface 73c. ​​Branch duct connection portion 77e is disposed at a position shifted toward branch surface 73d from the center of branch surface 73c. ​​Branch duct connection portion 77f is disposed at a position shifted toward branch surface 73c from the center of branch surface 73d. Branch duct connection portion 77g is disposed at a position shifted toward branch surface 73a from the center of branch surface 73d.

[0038] The outlets 76 are openings for discharging air from inside the branch chamber 70 to each of the rooms 10 connected via ducts (corresponding to the air supply ducts 56), and are openings provided at the tip of the protrusion of the branch duct connector 77. The air that flows out from the branch surface 73 by passing through the inside of the hollow cylindrical shape of the branch duct connector 77 is transported to the rooms 10 through the air supply ducts 56. The same number of outlets 76 as the number of branch duct connectors 77 are provided. Note that it is not necessary to connect ducts to all of the outlets 76. Unused outlets 76 may be closed by attaching removable covers to the outlets 76.

[0039] The detachable opening 80 is a rectangular through-hole through which a flow rate adjuster 78 (described later) is detachably inserted into the branch chamber 70. The detachable opening 80 is provided on the opposing surface 72 near each outlet 76. The detachable opening 80 may be provided directly on the opposing surface 72 or, for example, on the branch duct connector 77 corresponding to each outlet 76. Even in this case, the detachable opening 80 is preferably provided at a position on the cylindrical shape of the branch duct connector 77 corresponding to the opposing surface 72. Here, the position corresponding to the opposing surface 72 refers to a position visible when viewed from the front from the opposing surface 72 side. In this embodiment, the detachable opening 80 is provided in a fixing part 79 for fixing the branch duct connector 77 to the branch surface 73. The fixing part 79 has a hollow rectangular shape as shown in FIG. 2 , and the detachable opening 80 is located on a surface that is substantially flush with the opposing surface 72. Such a configuration is also included in the detachable opening 80 being located on the opposing surface 72 side.

[0040] The flow rate adjuster 78 is a member that adjusts the flow rate of air flowing out from the outlet 76. In other words, the flow rate adjuster 78 adjusts the amount of air delivered to the living room 10. The flow rate adjuster 78 is detachably fixed to the branch chamber 70 by being inserted into the detachable opening 80. The flow rate adjuster 78 includes an electrical component 84 and an opening / closing mechanism 85.

[0041] 3 , the electrical equipment section 84 has a hollow rectangular shape and is provided with a detachable cover on the opposite side of the opening / closing mechanism section 85 (described later). An electric motor is disposed inside the hollow rectangular shape of the electrical equipment section 84. In addition, the electrical equipment section 84 is provided with protruding rectangular sealing ribs 83 on both widthwise side surfaces thereof. When the flow rate adjuster 78 is attached to the detachable opening 80, the sealing ribs 83 protrude outward beyond the longitudinal ends of the rectangular shape of the detachable opening 80.

[0042] The opening / closing mechanism 85 includes a rotating shaft 86 , a wind stopper plate 87 , and a holding portion 88 .

[0043] The rotating shaft 86 has a cylindrical shape and is connected to the rotating shaft of an electric motor inside the electrical equipment section 84 , and transmits the rotational force of the electric motor to the wind stopper plate 87 .

[0044] The wind stopper plate 87 is a circular plate that can be rotated by rotation of the rotation shaft 86 from 0 degrees, in which it is parallel to the holding portion 88 , to 90 degrees, in which it is perpendicular to the holding portion 88 .

[0045] The holding portion 88 is a portion for holding the wind stopper plate 87, and is located further outward from the outer edge of the wind stopper plate 87, surrounding the wind stopper plate 87 and having a plate-like U-shaped outer shape. That is, the holding portion 88 is formed into a U-shape by an arc-shaped frame on the opposite side of the electrical component part 84 and two parallel bars on the electrical component part 84 side.

[0046] 2, the control unit 90 is a hollow rectangular parallelepiped with an openable / closable lid, and is fixed to the opposing surface 72 of the branching chamber 70. The control unit 90 is positioned so that each side surface of the hollow rectangular shape of the control unit 90 is parallel to each branching surface 73. The control unit 90 and the flow rate adjustment unit 78 are electrically connected, and the flow rate adjustment unit 78 adjusts the angle of the wind stopper 87. In other words, when the electric motor rotates by a predetermined angle in response to a command from the control unit 90, the wind stopper 87 connected via the rotating shaft 86 rotates, and the amount of air passing through the outlet 76 can be adjusted.

[0047] In this embodiment, the control unit 90 is fixed to a fixing portion 81 provided on the opposing surface 72 of the branch chamber 70. The fixing portion 81 has a U-shape with a surface parallel to the opposing surface 72, and the control unit 90 is fixed to this surface parallel to the opposing surface 72. In this way, indirect fixing to the opposing surface 72 is also included in fixing the control unit 90 to the opposing surface 72 side.

[0048] The fixing bracket 82 is a bracket for fixing the branch chamber 70 to the wall surface of the air-conditioning room 30. The fixing bracket 82 is plate-shaped with a U-shaped opening (a so-called U-cut) for a bolt to pass through, and is provided on the same plane as the installation surface 71. The branch chamber 70 can be fixed to the wall surface of the air-conditioning room 30 by passing a bolt through the fixing bracket 82 with the installation surface 71 of the branch chamber 70 abutting against the wall surface of the air-conditioning room 30. The fixing bracket 82 is provided, for example, one at each of the four corners corresponding to the box shape of the branch chamber 70.

[0049] Next, the positional relationship between the housing 32 and the branch chamber 70 in the air-conditioned room 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a side view showing the configuration of the air-conditioning unit 31 installed in the air-conditioned room 30. For the sake of explanation, the left side of Fig. 4 is referred to as the front side of the housing 32 (the side facing the surface 72 of the branch chamber 70), and the right side of Fig. 4 is referred to as the back side of the housing 32 (the side facing the installation surface 71 of the branch chamber 70).

[0050] 4 , the housing 32 houses an air conditioner 33, a filter 34, and a blower 35. The housing 32 is disposed at a predetermined distance from a wall surface 92 of the air-conditioning room 30 that faces the rear surface of the housing 32. Here, the predetermined distance is a distance that allows a portion of the branch chamber 70 to be positioned between the rear surface of the housing 32 and the wall surface 92 of the air-conditioning room 30. Therefore, the rear surface of the housing 32 and the wall surface 92 of the air-conditioning room 30 are disposed at a distance that is at least equal to or greater than the width between the installation surface 71 and the opposing surface 72 of the branch chamber 70.

[0051] The branch chamber 70 is fixed with its installation surface 71 abutting against a wall surface 92 of the air-conditioning room 30. Here, since the branch chamber 70 is fixed to the wall surface of the air-conditioning room 30 that faces the back surface of the housing 32, the facing surface 72 of the branch chamber 70 can be seen from the front side of the air-conditioning room 30. In addition, the branch chamber 70 is arranged so that the branch surface 73a of the multiple branch surfaces 73 faces the floor surface of the air-conditioning room 30. In other words, the inlet 74 provided on the branch surface 73a is arranged to be located at the bottom of the branch chamber 70.

[0052] In this fixed state, the air outlet of the blower 35 and the air inlet 74 can be connected by a duct 91, allowing the air conditioned inside the housing 32 to flow into the inside of the branch chamber 70.

[0053] In the past, as in Patent Document 1, the branch chamber was placed in the attic of a house, and the back of the central air conditioning unit and the side of the branch chamber were connected by a transport duct. Because of this configuration, the transport duct had to be bent once to run from the back of the central air conditioning unit to the attic of the house, and then bent again to connect to the side of the branch chamber in the attic of the house.

[0054] In the configuration of this embodiment, the branch chamber 70 is disposed in the air-conditioning room 30, which is the same space as the air-conditioning unit 31, and the installation surface 71 is fixed in a state in contact with the wall of the air-conditioning room 30 that faces the back surface of the housing 32. With this configuration, there is no need to route the duct 91 up to the ceiling, so the duct 91 can be shorter than before. Furthermore, because the inlet 74 is positioned lower in the branch chamber 70, the duct 91 only needs to be bent once to connect from the back surface of the housing 32 to the inlet 74, as shown in FIG. 4. The duct 91 connecting the air-conditioning unit 31 and the branch chamber 70 can be shorter than before, and the number of bends in the duct 91 can be reduced, making it possible to reduce pressure loss compared to before.

[0055] Furthermore, as described above, the housing 32 is disposed at a predetermined distance from the wall surface of the air-conditioning room 30 that faces the rear surface of the housing 32. Therefore, the branch chamber 70 can be disposed so that the inlet 74 is located between the rear surface of the housing 32 and the wall surface of the air-conditioning room. In other words, the inlet 74 can be disposed below the top surface of the housing 32. With this configuration, the duct 91 can be further shortened compared to when the inlet 74 is disposed above the top surface of the housing 32.

[0056] Furthermore, it is preferable that the branch chamber 70 be positioned so that the outlet 76 is located above the top surface of the housing 32. This configuration allows an operator to reach above the top surface of the housing 32 to attach or detach the duct connecting the branch chamber 70 to the room 10, improving the ease of installation of the air conditioning unit 31. Although seven outlets 76 are provided in this embodiment, not all of them need to be located above the top surface. It is sufficient that at least the outlets 76 to which the duct connecting the branch chamber 70 to the room 10 is attached are located above the top surface of the housing 32. In FIG. 4, as an example, the outlet 76a is located below the top surface of the housing 32, and the outlets 76b to 76g are located above the top surface of the housing 32. The outlets 76a to which no duct is connected are covered to prevent air from flowing into the air-conditioned room 30.

[0057] Furthermore, it is preferable that the branch chamber 70 is disposed so that the attachment / detachment openings 80 are located above the top surface of the housing 32. Since all of the attachment / detachment openings 80 are provided on the opposing surface 72, when pulling out the flow rate adjustment units 78 attached to the attachment / detachment openings 80 to the front side, an operator can reach out from above the top surface of the housing 32 and pull them out, improving maintenance. Note that in this embodiment, seven flow rate adjustment units 78 are provided corresponding to the outlets 76, but all of them do not need to be located above the top surface. It is sufficient that at least the flow rate adjustment units 78 corresponding to the outlets 76 to which the duct connecting the branch chamber 70 and the living room 10 is attached are located above the top surface of the housing 32.

[0058] Furthermore, it is preferable that the branch chamber 70 is disposed so that the control unit 90 is located above the top surface of the housing 32. Because the control unit 90 is provided on the opposing surface 72, when an operator removes the control unit 90, the operator can reach out from above the top surface of the housing 32 and remove it, which improves maintainability.

[0059] In this embodiment, the humidifier 36 is provided separately from the air conditioning unit 31. The humidifier 36 is disposed on the top surface of the housing 32, and is preferably disposed with a predetermined distance between the humidifier 36 and the facing surface 72 of the branch chamber 70, as shown in FIG. 4 . Here, the predetermined distance is at least the width from the tip of the holding portion 88 of the flow rate adjuster 78 to the electrical component portion 84. In other words, the distance between the humidifier 36 and the facing surface 72 of the branch chamber 70 is equal to or greater than the longitudinal width of the flow rate adjuster 78. This configuration can prevent the humidifier 36 from colliding with the flow rate adjuster 78 when the flow rate adjuster 78 is removed from the attachment / detachment opening 80 with the humidifier 36 installed.

[0060] An outline of one aspect of the present disclosure is as follows.

[0061] (Item 1) An air conditioning unit (31) that is installed in an air-conditioning room (30) and conditions a plurality of living rooms (10) independent of the air-conditioning room (30), comprising: a housing (32) having a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface, a back surface, and a side surface, and incorporating an air conditioner (33); a blower (35) that blows air inside the housing (32) to the outside of the housing (32); and a branch chamber (70) that branches the air blown out from the blower (35) to the plurality of living rooms (10), wherein the branch chamber (70) has: an installation surface (71) that abuts against a wall surface (92) of the air-conditioning room (30); an opposing surface (72) that faces the installation surface (71); and a branch surface (73) that connects the installation surface (71) and the opposing surface (72). The air conditioning unit (31) comprises: an inlet (74) for taking air into the inside of the branch chamber (70) from the branch surface (73); and an outlet (76) for discharging air from the branch surface (73) to the plurality of rooms (10).

[0062] (Item 2) The air conditioning unit (31) according to Item 1, wherein the branch chamber (70) is arranged so that the outlet (76) is located above the top surface of the housing (32).

[0063] (Item 3) The air conditioning unit (31) according to Item 1, wherein the housing (32) is disposed at a predetermined distance from a wall surface (92) of the air conditioning chamber (30) that faces the rear surface, and the inlet (74) is located between the rear surface and the wall surface (92) of the air conditioning chamber (30).

[0064] (Item 4) The air conditioning unit (31) according to Item 1, wherein the branch chamber (70) includes a flow rate adjusting section (78) that adjusts the amount of air flowing out from the outlet (76), and a detachable opening (80) that allows the flow rate adjusting section (78) to be inserted into the branch chamber (70) from the opposing surface (72), and the detachable opening (80) is located above a top surface of the housing (32).

[0065] (Item 5) The air conditioning unit according to Item 4, wherein the branch chamber (70) includes a control unit (90) that controls the flow rate adjustment unit (78), and the control unit (90) is located on the opposing surface (72) side and above a top surface of the housing (32).

[0066] The air conditioning unit according to the present disclosure can be applied as an air conditioning system for air conditioning multiple rooms.

[0067] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Air conditioning system 10 Living room 10a First living room 10b Second living room 11 Living room temperature sensor 20 Ventilation device 30 Air-conditioned room 31 Air conditioning unit 32 Housing 33 Air conditioner 34 Filter 35 Fan 36 Humidifier 37 Air-conditioned room temperature sensor 40 System controller 50 Outdoor air duct 52 Exhaust air duct 54 Circulation air duct 56 Supply air duct 60 Outdoor air 62 Exhaust air 64 Return air 66 Supply air 70 Branch chamber 71 Installation surface 72 Opposing surface 73 Branch surface 74 Inlet 75 Main duct connection portion 76 Outlet 77 Branch duct connection portion 78 Flow rate adjustment portion 79 Fixing part 80 Detachable opening 81 Fixing portion 82 Fixing metal fitting 83 Sealing rib 84 Electrical equipment section 85 Opening / closing mechanism section 86 Rotating shaft 87 Wind stopper plate 88 Holding section 90 Control section 91 Duct 92 Wall surface 93 Opening

Claims

1. An air conditioning unit that is installed in an air conditioning room and conditions multiple rooms independent of the air conditioning room, comprising: a housing having a top, bottom, front, back, and sides and incorporating an air conditioner; a blower that blows air inside the housing to the outside of the housing; and a branch chamber that branches the air blown out from the blower to the multiple rooms, wherein the branch chamber has: an installation surface that abuts a wall surface of the air conditioning room; an opposing surface that faces the installation surface; a branch surface that connects the installation surface and the opposing surface; an inlet for taking air from the branch surface into the inside of the branch chamber; and an outlet for discharging air from the branch surface to the multiple rooms.

2. An air conditioning unit as described in claim 1, wherein the branch chamber is positioned so that the outlet is located above the top surface of the housing.

3. An air conditioning unit as described in claim 1, wherein the housing is positioned at a predetermined distance from the wall of the air conditioning room facing the rear surface, and the inlet is located between the rear surface and the wall of the air conditioning room.

4. An air conditioning unit as described in claim 1, wherein the branch chamber comprises a flow rate adjusting section that adjusts the amount of air flowing out of the outlet, and a detachable opening that allows the flow rate adjusting section to be inserted into the branch chamber from the opposing surface, and the detachable opening is located above the top surface of the housing.

5. An air conditioning unit as described in claim 4, wherein the branch chamber is provided with a control unit that controls the flow rate adjustment unit, and the control unit is located on the opposing surface side and above the top surface of the housing.

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