CN111853934A

CN111853934A - Wind direction adjusting device and indoor unit of air conditioner

Info

Publication number: CN111853934A
Application number: CN202010326700.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 横关诚; 我科贤二; 日向野和广
Original assignee: Toshiba Carrier Corp
Current assignee: Toshiba Carrier Corp
Priority date: 2019-04-26
Filing date: 2020-04-23
Publication date: 2020-10-30
Anticipated expiration: 2040-04-23
Also published as: JP7258642B2; EP3739269A1; CN111853934B; EP3739269B1; JP2020180769A

Abstract

The invention provides a wind direction adjusting device which can protect horizontal blades, struts and the like and can improve durability, and an indoor unit of an air conditioner with the wind direction adjusting device. The wind direction adjusting device includes: a frame; a plurality of blade plates formed to be flat and elongated in a predetermined direction and arranged in parallel at predetermined intervals; a support member provided to the frame and supporting the blade plate; and a movable member that is rotatably coupled to each of the plurality of vane plates and is displaced relative to the support member. The vane plate has shaft portions arranged at predetermined intervals in the extending direction. The support member rotatably supports the shaft portion and has a bearing portion having a diameter larger than a shaft diameter of the shaft portion. The support member and the movable member have a positioning mechanism for positioning the movable member with respect to the support member in a state where the shaft portion is supported by the bearing portion.

Description

Wind direction adjusting device and indoor unit of air conditioner

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a device (wind direction adjusting device) for adjusting the direction of wind blown from a blowing device, and an indoor unit of an air conditioner including the wind direction adjusting device.

Background

For example, a floor-mounted air conditioner includes an indoor unit provided on a floor surface of a building. The indoor unit has a casing whose interior is partitioned into a heat exchange chamber and a blowing chamber. In the heat exchange chamber, a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and air is disposed. An air blowing device is disposed in the air blowing chamber. On the front side (the side facing the indoor space) of the casing, an air inlet and an air outlet are provided, respectively. Air in the indoor space is sucked into the air supply chamber from the suction port by the air blower and is discharged into the heat exchange chamber. The air blown out into the heat exchange chamber is subjected to temperature adjustment by the heat exchanger, and then blown out from the air outlet into the chamber.

The air outlet is provided with an air direction adjustment device that adjusts the direction (wind direction) of air blown into the room. The airflow direction adjusting device adjusts the airflow direction blown out from the air outlet by, for example, rotating the vane plate. For example, the horizontal blade is a flat plate parallel to a horizontal plane such as a floor surface, and adjusts the blowing angle of the wind with respect to the horizontal plane. Thereby, the temperature-adjusted air is blown out from the air outlet in the vertical direction (up-down direction) at a desired angle.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2005-61734

Patent document 2: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2018-185122

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem to be solved by the invention

As one example, the horizontal blade fixes its position and maintains a desired inclination angle by rotatably supporting a shaft portion provided to the horizontal blade at a support portion of a frame attached to the air outlet. In this way, the shaft portion and the support portion are structured to increase the load so as to have frictional resistance in the shaft portion. Specifically, a rubber tube or the like leading to the shaft portion is attached such that the shaft diameter of the shaft portion is larger than the diameter of the bearing portion of the support portion. Any of these structures has a structure in which internal stress is generated in the bearing portion of the support portion. Therefore, countermeasures are required to suppress the generation of such stress and to suppress the deterioration of the support portion over time, for example, the decomposition of a solvent in a soot atmosphere.

Further, if the support interval of the horizontal blades is widened by the support portion, shaking due to vibration due to the material of the horizontal blades, deflection due to the own weight of the horizontal blades, or the like may occur. In this case, for example, the horizontal blades can be restrained from wobbling, bending, or the like by the struts that support the horizontal blades at the middle of the support intervals provided in the support portion at the frame. However, when such a strut is provided, it is necessary to mitigate an impact applied from the outside to the strut itself, the frame, the horizontal blade, or the like via the strut.

An object of the present invention is to provide an air direction adjusting device that can protect horizontal blades, struts, and the like and can improve durability, and an indoor unit of an air conditioner provided with the air direction adjusting device.

Technical scheme for solving technical problem

According to an embodiment, an air direction adjusting device is a device that adjusts the direction of air blown out from an air blowing device, and includes: a frame; a plurality of blade plates that are formed flat, elongate in a predetermined direction, and are arranged in parallel at predetermined intervals; a support member that is provided to the frame and supports the blade plate; and movable members that are rotatably coupled to the plurality of blade plates, respectively, and that displace relative to the support member. The vane plate has shaft portions arranged at predetermined intervals in the extending direction. The support member rotatably supports the shaft portion and has a bearing portion having a diameter larger than a shaft diameter of the shaft portion. The support member and the movable member have a positioning mechanism that positions the movable member relative to the support member in a state where the shaft portion is supported by the bearing portion.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the embodiment shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view of an airflow direction adjustment device provided in an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view schematically showing the structures of the vane plate (horizontal vane), the support member, and the movable member of the wind direction adjustment device according to the embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing the structure of a support member provided at a frame of the wind direction adjustment device according to the embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a side view schematically showing an example of a state before a hook portion of a support member (3 rd support member) of the wind direction adjustment device according to the embodiment is hooked on a frame.

Fig. 7 is a side view schematically showing an example of a state in which a hook portion of a support member (3 rd support member) of the wind direction adjustment device according to the embodiment is hooked on a frame.

Fig. 8 is a side view schematically showing the structure of the support portion of the 1 st support member and the 2 nd support member of the wind direction adjustment device according to the embodiment.

Fig. 9 is a side view schematically showing the structure of a support portion of the 3 rd support member of the air direction adjustment device according to the embodiment.

Fig. 10 is a side view schematically showing the structure of a coupling portion of a movable member of an airflow direction adjustment device according to an embodiment.

Fig. 11 is a side view schematically showing an example of a state in which five horizontal blades connected to a connection portion are inclined upward at a maximum angle in the wind direction adjustment device according to the embodiment.

Fig. 12 is a side view schematically showing an example of a state in which five horizontal blades connected to a connection portion are inclined downward at a maximum angle in the wind direction adjustment device according to the embodiment.

Detailed Description

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to fig. 1 to 12.

In the present embodiment, an air direction adjusting device provided in an indoor unit of an air conditioner will be described as an example. The airflow direction adjustment device according to the present embodiment appropriately adjusts the airflow direction of the air (temperature-adjusted air) blown out from the indoor unit of the air conditioner.

Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner. Fig. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the indoor unit shown in fig. 1.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the indoor unit 1 of the air conditioner is of a rack type of a floor-mounted type, and is installed on a floor surface FL of a building, for example. In the air conditioner, an indoor unit 1 on the indoor side and an outdoor unit (not shown) on the outdoor side are connected to each other via a pipe through which a refrigerant circulates. This constitutes a refrigeration cycle in which refrigerant circulates between the indoor unit 1 and the outdoor unit.

The indoor unit 1 includes a casing 2. The housing 2 has a depth dimension D, a width dimension W, and a height dimension H. The depth dimension D of the housing 2 is smaller than the width dimension W. The height H of the housing 2 is sufficiently larger than the depth D and the width W. The casing 2 is a substantially box-shaped element made of a thin metal plate such as a metal plate material and defining an outer contour of the indoor unit 1, and is fixed to the floor surface FL by bolts (not shown) or the like via fixing metal fittings 20. The housing 2 includes a top plate 21, a bottom plate 22, a right side plate 23, a left side plate 24, a front plate 25, a rear plate 26, and a lower cover plate 27.

In the case 2, the top plate 21 defines an upper surface, the bottom plate 22 defines a lower surface, the right side plate 23 defines a right side surface, the left side plate 24 defines a left side surface, the front plate 25 defines a front surface, and the rear plate 26 defines a rear surface. In the present embodiment, the left and right sides are defined in a state of facing the front surface of the housing 2. The top plate 21 and the bottom plate 22 face each other at an interval in the height direction of the housing 2, the right side plate 23 and the left side plate 24 face each other at an interval in the width direction of the housing 2, and the front plate 25 and the rear plate 26 face each other at an interval in the depth direction of the housing 2. In the present embodiment, the bottom plate 22 faces the floor surface FL, and the rear plate 26 faces the wall surface WL.

The front panel 25 is provided with an operation unit 3 operated by a user. The user can start and stop the indoor unit 1, change the set temperature, and the like by operating the operation unit 3. The operation unit 3 includes buttons, switches, a display panel, and the like for these operations and confirmation thereof.

The indoor unit 1 includes a suction port 4 and a discharge port 5 on the front side of the casing 2. The suction port 4 is an opening portion through which air in the indoor space is sucked, and is disposed so as to be sandwiched between the lower cover plate 27 and the front plate 25 in the height direction. A plurality of vane plates (horizontal vanes) 41 are disposed in the suction port 4. The air outlet 5 is an opening portion for blowing out the temperature-adjusted air, and is disposed on the upper side in the height direction with the front plate 25 interposed therebetween. The air outlet 5 is provided with an airflow direction adjustment device 6 that adjusts the direction of air (wind) blown out into the indoor space. Details of the wind direction adjusting device 6 will be described later.

As shown in fig. 2, the indoor unit 1 includes a heat exchanger 7, a drain pan 8, a controller box 9, and an air blower 10. These components are housed in the casing 2, and are arranged in the order of the controller box 9, the drain pan 8, the heat exchanger 7, and the blower 10 from bottom to top in the height direction of the casing 2.

The heat exchanger 7 is arranged in a substantially lower half in the height direction of the casing 2 in a state where the upper end portion 7a is inclined toward the front plate 25 and the lower end portion 7b is inclined toward the rear plate 26. Fig. 2 shows an example of a configuration in which most of the heat exchanger 7 is opposed to the suction port 4. The heat exchanger 7 includes a plurality of fins 71 and a plurality of heat transfer tubes 72 through which a refrigerant flows. The fins 71 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the housing 2. The heat transfer pipe 72 extends in the arrangement direction of the fins 71. The inlet and outlet of the flow path formed by the heat transfer pipes 72 are connected to a refrigerant pipe (not shown). These refrigerant pipes are connected to the outdoor unit through a pipe hole of the casing 2.

The drain pan 8 is disposed below the heat exchanger 7 to receive water droplets dropped from the heat exchanger 7. As an example, the drain pan 8 is disposed between the lower end portion 7b of the heat exchanger 7 and the bottom plate 22 across between the right side plate 23 and the left side plate 24. The condensed water generated in the heat exchanger 7 is received by the drain pan 8 and is discharged to the outside of the casing 2 through a drain pipe (not shown).

The controller box 9 is disposed below the drain pan 8. The controller box 9 houses a control board for starting and stopping the indoor unit 1, changing the set temperature, and the like, a temperature sensor or a refrigerant leakage sensor, and a control board for these sensors, and the like.

The blower 10 includes a fan motor 11, a fan 12, and a fan housing 13.

The fan motor 11 is arranged such that the rotation shaft extends in the depth direction of the housing 2. Wherein the fan motor may also be configured such that the rotation shaft extends in the width direction of the housing 2. The fan 12 is configured as a cylindrical multi-blade fan (a sirocco fan), and is attached coaxially with the rotation shaft. The fan housing 13 has a suction port 13a and a discharge port 13 b. The suction hole 13a is open toward the front side in the depth direction of the casing 2 (the axial direction of the fan 12). The discharge hole 13b opens upward in the height direction of the casing 2 (the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the fan 12).

When the fan 12 is rotated, air flows along the flow path K passing through the intake port 4, the heat exchanger 7, the fan case 13, and the blow-out port 5. In the flow path K, the air sucked into the indoor space inside the casing 2 from the suction port 4 exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing through the heat transfer pipe 72 when passing through the fans 71 of the heat exchanger 7, and the temperature of the air is adjusted. The temperature-adjusted air passes through the fan casing 13 via the intake hole 13a and the discharge hole 13b, and is blown out from the air outlet 5 into the indoor space.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the indoor unit 1 includes an airflow direction adjustment device 6 at the air outlet 5. The airflow direction adjusting device 6 is a device that adjusts the direction of the temperature-adjusted air (airflow) blown out from the air outlet 5 into the indoor space.

Fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the wind direction adjustment device 6. As shown in fig. 3, the wind direction adjustment device 6 includes a frame 61, a plurality of vane plates 62, a support member 63, and a movable member 64.

The frame 61 is a frame-shaped element surrounding the air outlet 5 of the indoor unit 1, and is formed of, for example, a metal plate. The frame 61 is configured to surround the air outlet 5 in a rectangular shape by the

vertical frame portions

611 and 612 and the

horizontal frame portions

613 and 614, and is fixed to the casing 2 by bolts (not shown) or the like. The vertical frame portion 611 stands in the height direction of the housing 2 along the right side plate 23, and the vertical frame portion 612 stands in the height direction of the housing 2 along the left side plate 24. The

horizontal frame portions

613 and 614 are elongated in the width direction of the housing 2 with the horizontal frame portion 613 positioned on the upper side and the horizontal frame portion 614 positioned on the lower side.

The vane plate 62 is a flat element for defining the wind direction. The blade plate 62 includes a 1 st blade plate 621 that defines a wind direction in the 1 st direction, and a 2 nd blade plate 622 that defines a wind direction in the 2 nd direction intersecting the 1 st direction. In the present embodiment, the 1 st direction is a height direction (vertical direction) of the housing 2, and the 2 nd direction is a width direction (horizontal direction) of the housing 2. Therefore, the 1 st blade 621 defines the wind direction corresponding to the vertical direction, and the 2 nd blade 622 defines the wind direction corresponding to the horizontal direction.

The 1 st blade plate (hereinafter, referred to as a horizontal blade) 621 is formed of, for example, a synthetic resin such as an ABS resin. In the present embodiment, five horizontal blades 621 extend in the width direction of the casing 2 and are arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval. The extension of each horizontal blade 621 is substantially the same as the interval between the right side plate 23 and the left side plate 24 of the casing 2. These horizontal blades 621 are linked by the movable member 64 and are interlocked. The linkage of the horizontal blades 621 is described below. The number of the horizontal blades 621 is not particularly limited, and may be four or less or six or more. In the case of four or less, the case where the horizontal blade 621 is only one is also included.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view schematically showing the structure of the horizontal blade 621. As shown in fig. 4, the horizontal blade 621 has a shaft portion 65 supported by the support member 63. The shaft portions 65 are disposed at predetermined intervals in the extending direction of the horizontal blades 621. In the present embodiment, the shaft portions 65(65a, 65b, 65c) are disposed in three places, i.e., the right end portion vicinity 62a, the left end portion vicinity 62b, and the intermediate portion vicinity 62c of the horizontal blade 621 in the extending direction, as an example. The axial center of the shaft portion 65 coincides with the extending direction of the horizontal blade 621. The three portions are formed with notch portions 66. The notches 66a, 66b, and 66c are gaps obtained by cutting the right end portion vicinity 62a, the left end portion vicinity 62b, and the middle portion vicinity 62c of the horizontal blade 621 from the rear edge portion 621b to the front of the front edge portion 621 a.

Shaft portions

65a, 65b, and 65c are provided at contact portions of the notches 66a, 66b, and 66c, respectively.

Further, a notch portion 66d continuous with the notch portion 66c is formed in the vicinity 62c of the intermediate portion of the horizontal blade 621. The notch 66d is a space obtained by further cutting a part of the left edge 66e of the notch 66c along the rear edge 621 b. A shaft portion 67 is provided at an edge of the notch portion 66 d. The shaft portion 67 is a columnar projection (sleeve) for connecting the horizontal blade 621 and the movable member 64 (details will be described later). The axial center of the shaft portion 67 coincides with the extending direction of the horizontal blade 621.

As shown in fig. 3, the 2 nd blade plate (hereinafter, referred to as a vertical blade) 622 is formed of, for example, the same metal plate as the frame 61 or the like. In the present embodiment, four vertical blades 622 extend in the height direction of the housing 2 and are arranged in parallel with each other at a predetermined interval. The extension of each vertical blade 622 is substantially the same as the vertical height of the

vertical frame parts

611 and 612 of the frame 61. These vertical blades 622 are pivotally supported by the upper and

lower shaft portions

622a, 622b on the

horizontal frame portions

613, 614, respectively, and are linked by a link mechanism LM so as to be interlocked. The link mechanism LM is operated by the actuator 14 (see fig. 2) so that the inclination angle of the vertical blade 622 is synchronously changed. The inclination angle of the vertical blade 622 is defined as the degree of inclination of the vertical blade 622 to the left and right in the depth direction of the casing 2, that is, in the direction of blowing out the temperature-adjusted air.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing the structure of the support member 63. As shown in fig. 3 and 5, the support member 63 is provided on the frame 61 to rotatably support the blade plate 62, specifically, the horizontal blade 621. The support member 63 is a stationary member facing the movable member 64, and is an element fixed to the frame 61 and maintained in a stationary state. In the present embodiment, the support member 63 is formed of a synthetic resin such as an ABS resin, and includes three support members 631, 632, and 633. The horizontal blade 621 is supported by three points by the three support members 631, 632, 633.

The 1 st support member 631 and the 2 nd support member 632 are formed as a pair. The 1 st support member 631 is provided on the vertical frame portion 611, and supports the right end portion vicinity 62a of the horizontal blade 621. The 2 nd support member 632 is provided on the vertical frame portion 612 and supports the left end portion vicinity 62b of the horizontal blade 621.

The 3 rd support member 633 is a support column provided to the frame 61, and is bridged between the cross frames 613 and 614. In the present embodiment, a 3 rd supporting member 633 is erected between substantially middle portions of the

lateral frame portions

613 and 614 in parallel with the

vertical frame portions

611 and 612. That is, the 3 rd supporting member 633 is disposed substantially in the middle between the 1 st supporting member 631 and the 2 nd supporting member 632 disposed at a predetermined interval. Therefore, the 3 rd support member 633 supports the intermediate portion vicinity 62c of the horizontal blade 621.

The upper and lower ends of the 3 rd supporting member 633 are assembled to the frame 61, respectively. The upper end portion is one end portion facing the direction in which the

lateral frame portions

613 and 614 extend, and the lower end portion is the other end portion facing the direction in which the

lateral frame portions

613 and 614 extend. A screw seat portion 634 is provided at an upper end portion of the 3 rd support member 633. The screw seat 634 is a 1 st assembled portion of the 3 rd support member 633 opposing the frame 61. The upper end portion of the 3 rd supporting member 633 is assembled to the lateral frame portion 613 of the frame 61 by fastening the fixing screw 635 to the screw seat portion 634. Therefore, the upper end portion of the 3 rd supporting member 633 and the frame 61 are assembled in a state of being incapable of relative displacement.

On the other hand, as shown in fig. 5 to 7, a hook portion 636 hooked to the lateral frame portion 614 of the frame 61 is provided at a lower end portion of the 3 rd supporting member 633. The hook 636 is a 2 nd assembled part of the 3 rd supporting member 633 facing the frame 61. The cross frame 614 has a hanging piece 614a hung on the hook 636. Fig. 6 is a side view schematically showing an example of a state before the hook portion 636 is caught by the horizontal frame portion 614. Fig. 7 is a side view schematically showing an example of a state in which the hook portion 636 is caught by the horizontal frame portion 614.

As shown in fig. 3 and 5, a recess 614b defining a hook position of the hook portion 636 is formed in the tab 614 a. The recessed portion 614b is a notch in a substantially middle portion in the longitudinal direction of the tab 614a (the extending direction of the cross frame portion 614). The lower end of the 3 rd supporting member 633 is assembled to the lateral frame portion 613 of the frame 61 by hooking the hook portion 636 to the recess 614 b. Therefore, even when the lower end portion of the 3 rd supporting member 633 and the frame 61 are assembled, the lateral frame portion 614 is in a state of being able to flex upward. In other words, the lower end portion of the 3 rd supporting member 633 and the frame 61 are assembled in a relatively displaceable state.

The support member 63 has a support portion 68 that rotatably supports the shaft portion 65 of the horizontal blade 621. Fig. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing the structure of the support portion 68. As shown in fig. 4 and 5, the support portion 68 has a projection 68a projecting forward, and a claw 68b provided at the projecting end of the projection 68 a. The claw 68b is a bearing portion of the shaft portion 65 in the support portion 68. That is, the claw 68b corresponds to a bearing portion in the support member 63.

Fig. 8 is a side view schematically showing the structure of the support portion 68 in the 1 st support member 631 and the 2 nd support member 632. As shown in fig. 4, 5, and 8, the

projections

681a and 682a of the 1 st support member 631 and the 2 nd support member 632 are formed in a columnar shape into which the notch portions 66a and 66b of the horizontal blade 621 can be fitted. The

claws

681b and 682b are formed as a pair from the projecting ends of the

projections

681a and 682a, respectively, and extend curvedly with a predetermined curvature. The space between the pair of claws 681b and the space between the pair of claws 682b are open forward.

These open spaces (distance D1 shown in fig. 8) are smaller (narrower) than the shaft diameters (distance D2 shown in fig. 8) of the

shaft portions

65a and 65 b. The shaft portion 65a is supported between the pair of claws 681b while entering between them to elastically deform the pair of claws 681b and thereby expand the open space (D1). Similarly, the shaft portion 65b is supported between the pair of claws 682b while entering between them while elastically deforming the pair of claws 682b to expand the open space (D1). When the

shaft portions

65a and 65b enter, the pair of

claws

681b and 682b elastically return, respectively, and the

shaft portions

65a and 65b are prevented from coming off between the pair of claws 681b and between the pair of claws 682 b.

Fig. 9 is a side view schematically showing the structure of the support portion 68 in the 3 rd support member 633. As shown in fig. 4, 5, and 9, in the 3 rd supporting member 633, a protrusion 683a is formed to be fitted into the notch portion 66c of the horizontal blade 621. The projection 683a is formed to include three legs P1, P2, and P3 and a beam portion G bridging these legs P1, P2, and P3. The leg portions P1, P2, and P3 are connected to the 3 rd support member 633 via the upper, lower, and intermediate portions of the 3 rd support member 633. The claw 683b extends curvedly from the projecting end of the projection 683a with a predetermined curvature. Further, at the projecting end of the projection 683a, a ridge 683c is provided which narrows a space between the projecting end and the leading end of the pawl 683 b.

The claw 683b and the ridge 683c are open upward. The open interval (distance D4 shown in fig. 9) is smaller (narrower) than the shaft diameter (distance D5 shown in fig. 9) of the shaft portion 65 c. The shaft portion 65c enters and is supported between the claw 683b and the ridge 683c while elastically deforming the claw 683b to expand the opening space (D4). After the shaft portion 65c enters, the claws 683b elastically recover, thereby suppressing the shaft portion 65c from coming off between the claws 683b and the bulge 683 c.

As shown in fig. 5, in the present embodiment, the three support members 631, 632, 633 each have five support portions 68. Thus, the three support members 631, 632, 633 can support the five horizontal blades 621, respectively.

As described above, the support portion 68 has the claw 68b as the bearing portion of the shaft portion 65. The diameter of the claw 68b is larger than the shaft diameter of the shaft portion 65. Fig. 8 and 9 each show an example of these modes. As shown in fig. 8, the diameter (D3) of the pair of claws 681b is larger than the shaft diameter (D2) of the shaft 65a, and the diameter (D3) of the pair of claws 682b is larger than the shaft diameter (D2) of the shaft 65 b. As shown in fig. 9, the diameter (D6) of the pawl 683b is larger than the shaft diameter (D5) of the shaft portion 65 c.

Since the diameter of the claw 68b is larger than the shaft diameter of the shaft portion 65, stress is less likely to occur in the claw 68b, i.e., in the bearing portion of the support portion 68, in response to the force with which the shaft portion 65 presses the claw 68 b. On the other hand, the claw 68b rotatably supports the shaft portion 65. Therefore, in order to rotatably support the shaft portion 65 without easily causing stress on the claws 68b, the difference between the diameter of the claws 68b and the shaft diameter of the shaft portion 65 is adjusted to, for example, about 0.1mm to 0.5 mm. This generates a gap of about 0.2mm between the claw 68b and the shaft 65.

As shown in fig. 3, the movable member 64 is an element that is linked to each of the plurality of blade plates 62, specifically, the five horizontal blades 621 in an interlocking manner. The movable member 64 is an element that displaces relative to the support member 63. The movable member 64 is formed of a material having high elasticity, flexibility, and oil resistance. In the present embodiment, the movable member 64 is formed of a synthetic resin such as polypropylene as one example.

As shown in fig. 4, the movable member 64 includes a main body 64a and a coupling portion 64 b.

The main body 64a is formed in a plate shape and is a movable piece that is displaced with respect to the 3 rd support member 633. The main body 64a is shorter than the 3 rd supporting member 633 in the height direction (vertical direction) of the housing 2, and is entirely continuous at or above the maximum interval of the horizontal blades 621. The maximum interval of the horizontal blades 621 is an interval between the highest and lowest of five horizontal blades 621 arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval (an interval between the horizontal blade U and the horizontal blade L shown in fig. 3). Thus, the main body 64a is configured to be able to connect five horizontal blades 621. In the present embodiment, the main body portion 64a is disposed on the left side of the 3 rd supporting member 633 as an example. Therefore, the body portion 64a is displaced in the vicinity 62c of the intermediate portion of the horizontal blade 621. The main body 64a may be disposed on the right side of the 3 rd supporting member 633.

Fig. 10 is a side view schematically showing the structure of the coupling portion 64 b. As shown in fig. 3, 4, and 10, the coupling portion 64b is provided in the main body portion 64a, couples the horizontal blade 621, and is a portion for integrating with the coupling portion 64 b. In the present embodiment, the coupling portion 64b has three through

holes

64c, 64d, and 64e and slits 64f and 64g connecting these through holes. They penetrate the body portion 64a in the plate thickness direction, respectively. The through hole 64c is a hole for inserting the shaft portion 67 of the horizontal blade 621, and corresponds to a bearing portion of the shaft portion 67 in the main body portion 64a (i.e., the movable member 64).

The horizontal blade 621 is coupled to the coupling portion 64b by inserting the through hole 64c into the shaft portion 67. The diameter (bore diameter) of the through hole 64c is larger than the axial diameter of the shaft portion 67. Therefore, stress is less likely to occur in the through hole 64c against the force with which the shaft portion 67 presses the peripheral surface of the through hole 64 c. On the other hand, the through-hole 64c may support the shaft 67 in a rotatable manner and may also support the shaft in a non-rotatable state (the state shown in fig. 11 and 12 described below). Therefore, the difference between the diameter (bore diameter) of the through hole 64c and the shaft diameter of the shaft portion 67 is adjusted so as to be smaller than the difference between the diameter of the claw 68b and the shaft diameter of the shaft portion 65. In short, the diameter (bore diameter) of the through hole 64c and the axial diameter of the shaft portion 67 may be set so that stress is not substantially generated against the force with which the shaft portion 67 presses the circumferential surface of the through hole 64 c. For example, they are set to be substantially equal, or the diameter of the through hole 64c is set to be slightly larger than the axial diameter of the shaft portion 67.

The through

holes

64d and 64e are long holes that are disposed on both sides of the through hole 64c in the continuous direction (vertical direction) of the main body portion 64 a. The through

holes

64d and 64e are connected to the through hole 64c via

slits

64f and 64 g. The through

holes

64d, 64e and the

slits

64f, 64g enlarge the diameter of the through hole 64c when the shaft portion 67 is inserted, and are provided as deformed regions that allow the shaft portion 67 to be smoothly inserted into the through hole 64 c. These 64d, 64e, 64f, and 64g also function as deformation regions for smoothly rotating the shaft portion 67 inserted into the through hole 64c by expanding the diameter of the through hole 64c when the shaft portion 67 is rotated, and for supporting the shaft portion 67 by the through hole 64c by restoring the diameter of the through hole 64c when the shaft portion is not rotated.

Fig. 11 and 12 are side views schematically showing a state in which the horizontal blade 621 is coupled to the coupling portion 64 b. As shown in fig. 11 and 12, in the present embodiment, the main body 64a includes five coupling portions 64 b. The horizontal blades 621 are coupled to the five coupling portions 64b, respectively, so that the horizontal blades 621 are coupled to the five horizontal blades 621 via the main body portion 64a in an interlocking manner.

As shown in fig. 4 and 10 to 12, the supporting member 63 and the movable member 64 have a positioning mechanism 69. The positioning mechanism 69 is a mechanism for positioning the movable member 64 with respect to the supporting member 63 in a state where the shaft portion 65 of the horizontal blade 621 is supported by the claw 68b of the supporting portion 68.

The positioning mechanism 69 includes a positioning portion 69a and a positioned portion 69b positioned by the positioning portion 69 a. The positioning portion 69a and the positioned portion 69b are provided such that one is the supporting member 63 and the other is the movable member 64. In the present embodiment, as an example, the positioning portion 69a is provided as the 3 rd supporting member 633, and the positioned portion 69b is provided as the main body portion 64a of the movable member 64.

As shown in fig. 5 and 9 to 12, the positioning portion 69a includes a flexible piece 691 and a positioning piece 692.

The flexible sheet 691 is configured to expand the rear surface 633a of the 3 rd supporting member 633 rearward, and functions as a spring piece. That is, the flexible piece 691 is configured to be slightly elastically deformable in the front-rear direction. This causes the flexible piece 691 to generate a pressing force against the positioning piece 692 toward the positioning guide 693 of the positioning portion 69b described below. In the present embodiment, the flexible sheet 691 has a trapezoidal outer contour when viewed from the left side in plan view, as an example, but this embodiment is not limited thereto.

The positioning piece 692 is a protruding piece that protrudes forward to the left from the flexible piece 691 and protrudes parallel to the horizontal plane. The positioning piece 692 is a projection of the positioning portion 69a, and the positioned portion 69b (specifically, a positioning guide 693 described below) is pressed by the pressing force generated by the flexible piece 691. The horizontal plane is, for example, a plane parallel to the floor surface FL and is a reference plane for positioning in the positioning mechanism 69. In the present embodiment, the positioning piece 692 protrudes leftward so that the main body portion 64a is disposed on the left side of the 3 rd supporting member 633. In short, the positioning piece 692 may protrude toward the arrangement side of the main body portion 64a facing the 3 rd supporting member 633.

As shown in fig. 10 to 12, the positioned portion 69b includes a positioning guide 693, a restricting piece 694, and a through hole 695.

The positioning guide 693 is formed in an arc-shaped peripheral portion formed on the rear portion 641a of the main body 64a, and is formed in a wave shape in which the peaks M and the valleys V are alternately continuous when viewed in a left plan view. The front end 692a of the positioning piece 692 is fitted into the valley V to restrict the position of the movable member 64 with respect to the 3 rd supporting member 633. That is, the positioning guide 693 is a guide that restricts the position of the movable member 64 with respect to the positioning piece 692 along wavy lines in which the peaks M and the valleys V are alternately continuous. At this time, the front ends 692a of the positioning pieces 692 resist the force that presses the positioning guides 693, thereby crossing the peaks M adjacent to the valleys V. At this time, a predetermined size (click feeling) is generated as a change in the pressing force to the positioning guide 693.

The adjacent valleys V are arranged with each other according to the step (change angle) of the inclination angle of the horizontal blade 621. In other words, the peaks M and the valleys V are arranged according to the rotation angle of the horizontal blades 621 about the shaft portion 65. The inclination angle of the horizontal blade 621 is defined as the blowing direction of the temperature-adjusted air, that is, the degree of upward and downward inclination of the horizontal blade 621 with respect to the horizontal plane. As shown in fig. 10, in the present embodiment, the horizontal blade 621 is configured to be tiltable at four-step tilt angles upward from a horizontal plane serving as a reference surface, and tiltable at three-step tilt angles downward from a horizontal plane serving as a reference surface. Therefore, the valley V corresponding to the horizontal plane (the valley V0 shown in fig. 10) is defined as a boundary, and four valleys V are disposed above and three valleys V are disposed below.

In the present embodiment, as an example, the changing angle of the horizontal blades 621, in other words, the arrangement interval of the valleys V in the positioning guide 693 toward the circumferential direction is fixed. Here, the changing angle of the horizontal blade 621 may be different, not fixed, or may be different between the upward direction and the downward direction. Further, the number of steps of the inclination angle of the horizontal blade 621 may also be made uniform in the upward direction and the downward direction.

The restricting tabs 694 restrict such that the highest valley V (valley VU shown in fig. 10) and the lowest valley V (valley VL shown in fig. 10) of the positioning guide 693 do not exceed the positioning tabs 692. The limiter tab 694 has an upper limiter tab 694u continuous with the valley VU and a lower limiter tab 694l continuous with the valley VL. The upper restriction tabs 694u contact the positioning tabs 692 fitted into the valleys VU, and restrict the relative positions with the positioning tabs 692 (the state shown in fig. 11). The lower restriction tabs 694l contact the positioning tabs 692 fitted into the valleys VL, and restrict the relative positions with the positioning tabs 692 (the state shown in fig. 12).

The through hole 695 penetrates the main body portion 64a in the plate thickness direction. The through hole 695 is an elongated hole curved in an arc shape along the positioning guide 693 when viewed in a left plan view. The through hole 695 is provided as a deformation region that causes the positioning guide 693 to flex when the front end 692a of the positioning piece 692 crosses the peak M against a force that presses the positioning guide 693. That is, the positioning guide 693 pressed by the front end 692a is deflected toward the through hole 695, so that the front end 692a of the positioning piece 692 easily moves over the peak M.

When the inclination angle of the horizontal blade 621 is changed, any one of the five horizontal blades 621 is gripped and pressed upward or downward to rotate. Since the five horizontal blades 621 are connected to each other by the movable member 64, the remaining horizontal blades 621 rotate in conjunction with the rotating horizontal blades 621. Thereby, the five horizontal blades 621 can be inclined at a desired inclination angle in a stepwise manner. In fig. 11, an example of a state where five horizontal blades 621 are inclined upward at a maximum angle is shown. In contrast, fig. 12 shows an example of a state in which five horizontal blades 621 are inclined downward at a maximum angle.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the diameter of the claw 68b is set to be larger than the shaft diameter of the shaft portion 65 of the horizontal blade 621. Since the claws 68b are bearing portions of the shaft portion 65, it is possible to suppress the generation of internal stress in the bearing portions when the shaft portion 65 is rotatably supported. This can protect the bearing portion and suppress deterioration with time, thereby improving durability.

Further, the supporting member 63 and the movable member 64 have a positioning mechanism 69. According to the positioning mechanism 69, the movable member 64 can be positioned at a desired position with respect to the supporting member 63. According to the movable member 64, a plurality of (five in the present embodiment) horizontal blades 621 can be linked to each other. Therefore, the horizontal blades 621 can be positioned at a desired inclination angle while suppressing the generation of internal stress in the bearing portion. In this case, all the horizontal blades 621 can be tilted in synchronization without individually rotating the plurality of horizontal fins 621, and thus the work can be made efficient.

Further, the positioning mechanism 69 is provided as a mechanism whereby the positioning pieces 692 are fitted into the valleys V of the positioning guides 693 in accordance with the inclination angle of the horizontal blades 621. Therefore, before the valley V is embedded, when the positioning piece 692 crosses the adjacent peak M, a predetermined size feeling (click feeling) can be generated. Therefore, the user can be made to recognize that the horizontal blade 621 is positioned at a desired tilt angle by the sense of sizing. This can improve the reliability of the work.

The movable member 64 is formed of a synthetic resin such as polypropylene, and therefore, can improve elasticity, flexibility, and oil resistance. Therefore, even in the case where a load is generated at the movable member 64 when positioned with respect to the supporting member 63, it is possible to have durability against the generated load. For example, even when the indoor unit 1 continues to operate under a soot atmosphere, generation of solvent decomposition or the like in the movable member 64 can be suppressed.

Further, the horizontal blade 621 is formed of synthetic resin such as ABS resin. Therefore, the blade plate is excellent in workability and can be reduced in weight as compared with a blade plate made of a metal plate or the like. On the other hand, deflection or vibration may occur in the horizontal blade 621 due to its own weight, pressure (wind pressure) of blown wind, or the like. In the present embodiment, the 3 rd supporting member 633 is provided as a center pillar of the frame 61, and the supporting portion 68 of the 3 rd supporting member 633 supports the vicinity 62c of the intermediate portion of the horizontal blade 621. Therefore, the workability of the horizontal blades 621 can be improved, the weight can be reduced, and the deflection and vibration of the horizontal blades 621 can be suppressed.

The 3 rd supporting member 633 is assembled to the frame 61 in a state where the upper end portion of the 3 rd supporting member 633 cannot be displaced relative to the frame 61 and the lower end portion can be displaced relative to the frame 61. Therefore, even when an impact acts from the outside via the 3 rd supporting member 633, the impact can be released and relaxed by the relative displacement with the frame 61. Alternatively, even when vibration is generated at the 3 rd supporting member 633 due to wind pressure received by the horizontal blade 621, the vibration can be absorbed by the same displacement to be relaxed. Thereby, the 3 rd supporting member 633, the frame 61, the horizontal blade 621, and the like can be protected from the above-described impact, vibration, and the like. For example, even when the 3 rd supporting member 633, the movable member 64, and the horizontal blade 621 are made of resin, they can be protected from impact or the like to improve durability.

In the present embodiment, the positioning mechanism 69 (the positioning portion 69a and the positioned portion 69b) is disposed above the middle position of the height of the 3 rd supporting member 633 and the main body portion 64 a. Accordingly, when the horizontal blade 621 is supported by the support member 63, it is possible to easily determine the vertical direction and prevent an operation error such as assembling in a vertically reversed manner.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the above embodiments are provided as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. These novel embodiments may be implemented in other various forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and modifications are included in the gist of the scope of the present invention, and are included in the invention described in the scope of claims and the scope equivalent thereto.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the indoor unit 1 of the air conditioner is of the floor standing type, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the indoor unit may be a ceiling-mounted type, a wall-mounted type, or the like. Further, the application target of the wind direction adjusting device is not limited to the air conditioner. For example, the wind direction adjusting device can be applied to various devices and apparatuses that require adjustment of the wind direction, such as an air blowing device, a fan device, an air cleaner, and the like that blow air without temperature adjustment. Further, the wind direction adjusting device may also be adapted to adjust the direction of exhaust air in an outdoor unit of the air conditioner.

Description of the reference symbols

1 … indoor unit, 2 … casing, 5 … air outlet, 6 … air direction adjusting device, 7 … heat exchanger, 8 … drain pan, 9 … controller box, 10 … air blower, 61 … frame, 611, 612 … vertical frame, 613, 614 … horizontal frame, 614a … downward hanging piece, 614b … concave part, 62 … blade plate, 621, … first 1 blade plate (horizontal blade), 622 … second 2 blade plate (vertical blade), 63(631, 632, 633) … supporting member, 634 … screw seat part, 635 … fixing screw, 636 … hook part, 64 … movable member, 64a … main body part, 64b …, connecting part 64c … through hole, 65(65a, 65b, 65c), 67 …, 68 … supporting part, 68a (681a, 682a, 683a) …, 68b (681b, 3669 b), 3669 a positioning part mechanism, … b positioning part and 3669 b positioning part, 691 … flexible sheet, 692 … positioning sheet, 693 … positioning guide, 694(694l, 694u) … restriction sheet, 695 … through hole, FL … floor surface, WL … wall surface, D2, D5 … axial diameter, D3, D6 … diameter, M … peak, V, V0, VU, VL … valley.

Claims

1. An airflow direction adjustment device that adjusts a direction of air blown out from an air blowing device, comprising:

A frame;

a plurality of blade plates that are formed flat, elongate in a predetermined direction, and are arranged in parallel at predetermined intervals;

a support member provided to the frame and supporting the blade plate; and

a movable member that rotatably couples the plurality of blade plates to each other and displaces with respect to the support member,

the vane plate has shaft portions arranged at predetermined intervals in an extending direction,

the support member rotatably supports the shaft portion and has a bearing portion having a diameter larger than a shaft diameter of the shaft portion,

the support member and the movable member have a positioning mechanism that positions the movable member with respect to the support member in a state where the shaft portion is supported by the bearing portion.

2. The wind direction adjustment device of claim 1,

the positioning mechanism has: a positioning portion provided on one of the support member and the movable member; and a positioned portion provided on the other of the support member and the movable member, and positioned by the positioning portion,

The positioning portion includes a protrusion that presses the positioned portion,

the positioned portion includes a guide that specifies a position of the movable member with respect to the protrusion along a wavy line in which peaks and valleys alternately continue.

3. The wind direction adjustment device of claim 2,

the guide has peaks and valleys arranged corresponding to a rotation angle of the vane plate around the shaft portion.

4. Wind direction adjustment device according to claim 2 or 3,

the support member includes: a 1 st support member and a 2 nd support member, the 1 st support member and the 2 nd support member being disposed with a predetermined interval therebetween; and a 3 rd supporting member, the 3 rd supporting member being arranged substantially in the middle of the interval between the 1 st supporting member and the 2 nd supporting member,

the positioning portion is provided to the 3 rd supporting member,

the positioned portion is provided on the movable member that displaces with respect to the 3 rd supporting member.

5. The wind direction adjustment device of claim 4,

the 3 rd support member is erected between a pair of frame portions disposed opposite to each other of the frame,

a 1 st assembling portion is provided at one end portion of the 3 rd supporting member in the spanning direction, the 1 st assembling portion being assembled to one of the pair of frame portions so as to be displaceable with respect to the frame,

A 2 nd assembling portion is provided at the other end portion of the 3 rd supporting member in the spanning direction, and the 2 nd assembling portion is assembled to the other of the pair of frame portions so as to be displaceable with respect to the frame.

6. An indoor unit of an air conditioner, comprising:

a housing;

a heat exchanger housed in the casing;

a blower device that blows air whose temperature has been adjusted by the heat exchanger; and

the airflow direction adjustment device according to claim 1, which is an airflow direction adjustment device that adjusts an airflow direction of air blown out from the air blowing device.

7. An indoor unit of an air conditioner, comprising:

a housing;

a heat exchanger housed in the casing;

the airflow direction adjustment device according to claim 2, which is an airflow direction adjustment device that adjusts an airflow direction of air blown out from the air blowing device.

8. An indoor unit of an air conditioner, comprising:

a housing;

A heat exchanger housed in the casing;

the airflow direction adjustment device according to claim 3, which is an airflow direction adjustment device that adjusts an airflow direction of air blown out from the air blowing device.

9. An indoor unit of an air conditioner, comprising:

a housing;

a heat exchanger housed in the casing;

the airflow direction adjustment device according to claim 4, which is an airflow direction adjustment device that adjusts an airflow direction of air blown out from the air blowing device.

10. An indoor unit of an air conditioner, comprising:

a housing;

a heat exchanger housed in the casing;

the airflow direction adjustment device according to claim 5, which is an airflow direction adjustment device that adjusts an airflow direction of air blown out from the air blowing device.