Technical field
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The present invention relates to an air conditioner that conditions the air introduced
inside and delivers the conditioned air throughout the room, and in particular, to an air
conditioner capable of discharging the air upward.
Background art
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Conventional air conditioners discharge the air in substantially horizontal and
downward directions. Therefore, when the air is continuously discharged under the condition
that the room temperature is around the set temperature, the user is constantly exposed to cold
wind or warm wind, thus causing a problem of user discomfort. Moreover, in the
dehumidifying and cooling modes, this condition decreases user's local body temperature,
thus imposing a health problem on the user.
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Accordingly, Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-232531 discloses an air
conditioner that can discharge the conditioned air in horizontal and downward directions, and
can discharge the conditioned air in an upward direction when the room temperature has
reached around the set temperature. Fig. 9 is a side cross section showing an example of the
indoor unit of an air conditioner that discharges the air in an upward direction.
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The indoor unit 1 disposed near a room ceiling R has a main body held by a cabinet 2
that is attached on the wall. A front panel 3 is removably attached to the cabinet 2. The front
panel 3 has an upper surface and a front surface provided with air inlets 4a and 4c,
respectively.
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An air outlet 5 in a substantially rectangular shape is provided in the space between the
lower end portion of the front panel 3 and the lower end portion of the cabinet 2. The air
outlet 5 extends in the width direction of the indoor unit 1. An air feed path 6 is formed inside
the indoor unit 1. The air feed path 6 leads to the air inlets 4a and 4c, and the air outlet 5. An
air feed fan 7 is disposed in the air feed path 6. Driving the air feed fan 7 causes the air
flowing through the air feed path 6 to be discharged through the air outlet 5.
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The air feed path 6 includes an upper wall 6a and a lower wall 6b. The upper wall 6a is
so tilted as to ascend forward near the air outlet 5. The lower wall 6b is so tilted as to descend
forward near the air outlet 5. Therefore, the air feed path 6 becomes gradually wider toward
the air outlet 5 that is located downstream. This structure allows conversion of the kinetic
energy of the air flowing through the air feed path 6 into static pressure. Thus, the load
imposed on the air feed fan 7 can be reduced to thereby increase the air volume.
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An air filter 8 is positioned so as to face the front panel 3. The air filter collects and
removes dust contained in the air that has been introduced through the air inlets 4a and 4c. An
indoor heat exchanger 9 is arranged in the air feed path 6, between the air feed fan 7 and the
air filter 8.
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The indoor heat exchanger 9 is connected to a compressor (not shown) disposed
outdoors. A refrigeration cycle is operated by driving the compressor. The operation of the
refrigeration cycle in the cooling mode cools down the indoor heat exchanger 9 to a
temperature lower than the ambient temperature. The operation of the refrigeration cycle in
the heating mode heats the indoor heat exchanger 9 to a temperature higher than the ambient
temperature. Drain pans 10 are provided below a front and a back portion of the indoor heat
exchanger 9. The drain pans 10 collect dew that drips from the indoor heat exchanger 9 in the
cooling and dehumidifying modes.
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The air outlet 5 includes transverse louvers 11a and 11b that face outward and that can
change the vertical discharge angle. The transverse louver 11a opens and closes the upper
region of the air outlet 5. The transverse louver 11b opens and closes the lower region of the
air outlet 5. The air discharge direction can be changed between a downward and an upward
direction by the transverse louvers 11a and 11b. Vertical louvers 12 are provided behind the
transverse louvers 11a and 11b. The vertical louvers 12 can change the horizontal discharge
angle.
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In the air conditioner provided with the above-mentioned structure, when the air
conditioner starts its operation, the air feed fan 7 is driven into rotation. A refrigerant fed from
an outdoor unit (not shown) flows into the indoor heat exchanger 9 to operate a refrigerant
cycle. The rotation of the air feed fan 7 draws the air into the indoor unit 1 through the air
inlets 4a and 4c. Dust contained in this air is removed by the air filter 8.
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The air introduced into the indoor unit 1 is subjected to heat exchange conducted by the
indoor heat exchanger 9 so as to be cooled or heated. The conditioned air then passes through
the air feed path 6, and the horizontal direction of the conditioned air is controlled by the
vertical louver 12. The conditioned air is then discharged through the air outlet 5 by being
directed downward, as indicated by arrow A1, by the transverse louvers 11a and 11b that are
oriented downward, thereby achieving indoor air conditioning.
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In a stable state where the room temperature is stable, the transverse louvers 11a and
11b are oriented upward as shown in Fig. 10. This causes the conditioned air to be discharged
upward as indicated by arrow A2, thereby preventing cool air or warm air from constantly
hitting the user, which alleviates the user discomfort. Moreover, a decrease in the local body
temperature can be avoided.
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There is also known an air conditioner having an ion generator that generates ions in the
indoor unit 1, as disclosed in Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-89868. This air
conditioner discharges ions along with conditioned air through the air outlet 5, thereby
providing a relaxation effect and an air purification effect achieved by sterilization or the like.
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According to the above-mentioned conventional air conditioner shown in Figs. 9 and 10,
the air discharged through the air outlet 5 is directed downward or upward along the
transverse louvers 11a and 11b, respectively. When the air is discharged downward, as shown
in Fig. 9, the conditioned air does not flow along the upper wall 6a of the air feed path 6. Thus,
the air at room temperature is drawn by the air discharged in the direction shown by the arrow
A1, thus flowing into the air feed path 6 as indicated by an arrow B2.
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In this condition, the air that has flowed into the air feed path 6 stays in contact with the
upper wall 6a of the air feed path 6. This air is then cooled down to the dew-point temperature
by the conditioned air in the cooling and dehumidifying modes, thereby causing a problem of
condensation 99 occurring on the upper wall 6a of the air feed path 6.
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Similarly, when the air is discharged upward, as shown in Fig. 10, the conditioned air is
discharged in a direction indicated by arrow A2. Drawn by this air, the air at room
temperature flows into the air feed path 6 from the bottom as indicated by arrow B1.
Consequently, the air that has flowed into the air feed path 6 stays in contact with the lower
wall 6b of the air feed path 6, thereby causing a problem of dew condensation 99 occurring on
the lower wall 6b of the air feed path 6. The transverse louver 11b also encounters a problem
of condensation occurring on the surface thereof, because air at different temperatures makes
contact with the different surfaces of the transverse louver 11b.
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The air feed path 6 widens toward the air outlet 5. The conditioned air, therefore, flows
toward the air outlet 5 while radially widening. Thus, as shown in Fig. 9, when the air is
discharged downward, the air in the upper region of the air outlet 5 collides with the upper
transverse louver 11a, causing an increase in pressure loss.
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Similarly, when the air is discharged upward as shown in Fig. 10, the air in the lower
region of the air outlet 5 collides with the lower transverse louver 11b, causing an increase in
pressure loss. Furthermore, the collision causes the air flowing through the air feed path 6 to
separate from the upper wall 6a and the lower wall 6b. This decreases the flow area, so that
the conversion efficiency with which kinetic energy is converted into static pressure
deteriorates, thereby leading to a problem of reduced air volume being delivered by the air
feed fan 7.
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In an air conditioner that discharges ions along with conditioned air, the ions impact the
transverse louvers 11a and 11b, so that the ions lose their charge. This destroys or deactivates
the ions, leading to a problem of reduced volume of ions being emitted inside the room.
Disclosure of the invention
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It is an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioner capable of avoiding
condensation and also avoiding a decrease in air volume. It is another object of the present
invention to provide an air conditioner capable of avoiding a decrease in ion emission volume.
[Means for Achieving the Object]
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To achieve the above-mentioned object, according to the present invention, an air
conditioner for conditioning air introduced through an air inlet, changing a wind direction of
air flowing through an air feed path upward or downward by wind direction change means,
and then discharging the air through an air outlet is characterized in that the wind direction
change means uses a Coanda effect to change the wind direction of the air discharged through
the air outlet.
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This configuration allows conditioning of the air introduced through the air inlet. The
air then passes through the air feed path and is discharged, e.g., downward, through the air
outlet. Part of the air is discharged upward by the wind direction change means. The wind
direction of the air discharged upward is changed to the direction of the mainstream air by the
Coanda effect. The air feed path is structured such that its upper wall is so tilted as to ascend
forward. Therefore, the air feed path widens toward a downstream side thereof.
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When the conditioned air is discharged upward by the wind direction change means,
part of the air flows along the lower wall of the air feed path to be discharged through the
lower region of the air outlet. This air is drawn by the mainstream air, which is discharged
upward, by the Coanda effect so as to be directed upward. When the conditioned air is
discharged downward by the wind direction change means, part of the air flows along the
upper wall of the air feed path to be discharged through the upper region of the air outlet. This
air is drawn by the mainstream air, which is discharged downward, by the Coanda effect so as
to be directed downward.
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The wind direction change means can be easily achieved by the use of a plurality of
wind direction plates that are attached to the air outlet and of which directions can be changed.
When the air is discharged upward through the air outlet, the highest wind direction plate is
arranged at a standard position along the air flowing through the upper region of the air feed
path. This arrangement permits the air flowing through the upper region of the air feed path to
be directed in the extension direction from the wind direction plate. When the air is
discharged downward through the air outlet, the highest wind direction plate is so arranged as
to be increasingly close to the upper wall of the air feed path toward a downstream side
thereof starting from the standard position. This allows part of the air to flow along the upper
wall of the air feed path. Then this air is led into the room along the mainstream air that is
discharged downward.
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When the air is discharged downward through the air outlet, the lowest wind direction
plate is arranged at a standard position along the air flowing through the lower region of the
air feed path. This arrangement permits the air flowing through the lower region of the air
feed path to be direction in the extension direction from the wind direction plate. When the air
is discharged upward through the air outlet, the lowest wind direction plate is so arranged as
to be close to the lower wall of the air feed path toward a downstream side thereof starting
from the standard position. This arrangement allows part of the air to flow along the lower
wall of the air feed path. Then this air is led into the room along the mainstream air that is
discharged upward.
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It is preferable to provide three or more wind direction plates because this allows easy
control of the discharge direction of the mainstream with these wind direction plates
excluding the highest or lowest one. It is more preferable to provide three wind direction
plates because this allows easy control of the direction of each wind direction plate:
Brief description of drawings
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- [Fig. 1] A side cross section showing the indoor unit of an air conditioner
according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
- [Fig. 2] A side cross section showing how air is discharged downward by the
indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
- [Fig. 3] A side cross section showing how air is discharged upward by the indoor
unit of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
- [Fig. 4] A circuit diagram of a refrigeration cycle operated by the air conditioner
according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
- [Fig. 5] A plan view showing a remote controller for the air conditioner
according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
- [Fig. 6] A plan view showing the remote controller for the air conditioner
according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
- [Fig. 7] A side cross section showing how air is discharged downward by the
indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
- [Fig. 8] A side cross section showing how air is discharged upward by the indoor
unit of the air conditioner according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
- [Fig. 9] A side cross section showing how air is discharged downward by the
indoor unit of a conventional air conditioner.
- [Fig. 10] A side cross section showing how air is discharged upward by the indoor
unit of the conventional air conditioner.
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Best mode for carrying out the invention
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Embodiments of the present invention will be described hereinafter, with reference to
the accompanying drawings. For the sake of convenience, the same portions as those found in
the conventional air conditioner shown in Figs. 9 and 10 are identified with the same
numerals. Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an air conditioner according to a first
embodiment of the present invention.
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An indoor unit 1 of the air conditioner is disposed near a room ceiling R, and has a
main body held by a cabinet 2 that is attached on a room wall. A front panel 3 is removably
attached to the cabinet 2. The front panel 3 has an upper surface and a front surface provided
with air inlets 4a and 4c, respectively.
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An air outlet 5 in a substantially rectangular shape is provided in the space between the
lower end portion of the front panel 3 and the lower end portion of the cabinet 2. The air
outlet 5 extends in the width direction of the indoor unit 1. An air feed path 6 is formed inside
the indoor unit 1. The air feed path 6 leads to the air inlets 4a and 4c, and the air outlet 5. An
air feed fan 7 is disposed in the air feed path 6. Driving the air feed fan 7 causes the air
flowing through the air feed path 6 to be discharged through the air outlet 5.
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The air feed path 6 includes an upper wall 6a and a lower wall 6b. The upper wall 6a is
so tilted as to ascend forward near the air outlet 5. The lower wall 6b is so tilted as to descend
forward near the air outlet 5. Therefore, the air feed path 6 becomes gradually wider toward
the air outlet 5 that is located downstream. This structure allows conversion of the kinetic
energy of the air flowing through the air feed path 6 into static pressure. Thus, the load
imposed on the air feed fan 7 can be reduced to thereby increase the air volume.
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An air filter 8 is positioned so as to face the front panel 3. The air filter 8 collects and
removes dust contained in the air that has been introduced through the air inlets 4a and 4c. An
indoor heat exchanger 9 is arranged in the air feed path 6 between the air feed fan 7 and the
air filter 8.
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Drain pans 10 are provided below a front and a back portion of the indoor heat
exchanger 9. The drain pans 10 collect dew that drips from the indoor heat exchanger 9 in the
cooling and dehumidifying modes. An ion generator 30 that generates ions is provided
adjacent to the front-side of the drain pan 10. The ion generator 30 has a discharge surface
30a that faces the air feed path 6.
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The air outlet 5 includes transverse louvers 11a and 11b that face outward and that can
change the vertical discharge angle. The transverse louver 11a opens and closes the upper
region of the air outlet 5. The transverse louver 11b opens and closes the lower region of the
air outlet 5. The air discharge direction can be changed between a downward and an upward
direction by the transverse louvers 11a and 11b. Vertical louvers 12 are provided behind the
transverse louvers 11a and 11b. The vertical louvers 12 can change the horizontal discharge
angle.
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Fig. 4 is a circuit diagram showing the refrigeration cycle operated in the air conditioner.
An outdoor unit (not shown) is connected to the indoor unit 1 of the air conditioner, and
includes a compressor 62, a four-way selector valve 63, an outdoor heat exchanger 64, an air
feed fan 65, and a valve mechanism 66. The compressor 62 has one end thereof connected to
the outdoor heat exchanger 64 through the four-way selector valve 63 by a refrigerant pipe 67.
The compressor 62 has the other end thereof connected to the indoor heat exchanger 9
through the four-way selector valve 63 by the refrigerant pipe 67. The outdoor heat exchanger
64 is connected to the indoor heat exchanger 9 through the valve mechanism 66 by the
refrigerant pipe 67.
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When the cooling mode is started, the compressor 62 is driven and the air feed fan 7 is
rotated. As a result, a refrigeration cycle 68 is created, in which a refrigerant passes from the
compressor 62 through the four-way selector valve 63, the outdoor heat exchanger 64, the
valve mechanism 66, the indoor heat exchanger 9, and the four-way selector valve 63 back to
the compressor 62.
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In the cooling mode, the operation of the refrigeration cycle 68 cools down the indoor
heat exchanger 9 to a temperature lower than the ambient temperature. In the heating mode,
the four-way selector valve 63 is switched to rotate the air feed fan 65, thereby circulating the
refrigerant in the direction reverse to the above-mentioned direction. As a result, the indoor
heat exchanger 9 is heated to a temperature higher than the ambient temperature.
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Fig. 5 shows a remote controller 31 that can communicate with the indoor unit 1. The
remote controller 31 includes a display 35 that displays the room temperature, the operation
condition, etc., and an operation portion 36 provided with various control buttons. An
operation stop button 37 provided on the operation portion 36 switches on and off the air
conditioner. The operation portion 36 is also provided with a switch button 38, an upward-downward
wind direction button 32. The switch button 38 makes switching among cooling,
heating, and dehumidifying modes.
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The upward-downward wind direction button 32 changes the orientation of the
transverse louvers 11a and 11b to permit the user to set a desired wind direction. In this case,
it is preferable that downward-forward discharge and upward-forward discharge be
alternatively selected by operating the upward-downward wind direction button 32, which
makes it easy to recognize the operation of the remote controller 31.
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A different name may be given to the upward-downward wind direction button 32.
Indicating on or near this button the effect provided by the button clearly tells the function
carried out by the button, offering improved convenience. As shown in Fig. 6, sliding a cover
31a located at the lower portion exposes an operation portion 36a that permits manual setting
of detailed operations.
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Fig. 2 shows how air is discharged downward by the air conditioner provided with the
above-mentioned structure. When the air conditioner starts its operation, the air feed fan 7 is
driven into rotation. A refrigerant fed from the outdoor unit (not shown) flows into the indoor
heat exchanger 9 to start a refrigerant cycle. The rotation of the air feed fan 7 introduces the
air into the indoor unit 1 through the air inlets 4a and 4b. Dust contained in this air is removed
by the air filter 8. The ion generator 30 is driven to emit ions from the discharge surface 30a
into the air feed path 6.
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The air introduced into the indoor unit 1 is subjected to heat exchange conducted by the
indoor heat exchanger 9 so as to be cooled down or heated. The conditioned air then passes
through the air feed path 6, and the horizontal direction of the conditioned air is controlled by
the vertical louvers 12. The lower transverse louver 11b is arranged at a standard position
substantially parallel with the air flowing through the lower region of the air feed path 6. This
arrangement allows the air flowing through the lower region of the air feed path 6 to be led in
the extension direction from the transverse louver 11b.
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The upper transverse louver 11a is arranged with such a tilt that the upper transverse
louver 11a is increasingly close to the upper wall 6a of the air feed path 6 toward a
downstream side thereof relative to the air flow passing through the upper region of the air
feed path 6. A large amount of air passes through the substantially central region of the air
feed path 6, thus resulting in a large angle being formed between the air flow and the
transverse louver 11a. Therefore, the air is discharged not along the transverse louver 11a but
in the direction of air flow in which the air has been traveling before reaching the air outlet 5.
This causes the mainstream of a large proportion of the air flowing through the air feed path 6
to be discharged in the direction of the air flow that passes through the substantially central
region and the lower region, as shown by arrow A1.
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The air passing through the upper region of the air feed path 6 is directed by the
transverse louvers 11a to be discharged along the upper wall 6a of the air feed path 6. Here,
since the mainstream air is discharged through the air outlet 5 in the direction indicated by the
arrow A1, a small amount of air passes through between the upper wall 6a and the transverse
louver 11a. Thus the discharged air is drawn by the mainstream (A1) due to the Coanda effect
so that the discharged air is led in the direction of the mainstream as indicated by arrow A4.
This results in downward discharge of the conditioned air along with ions, thereby achieving
air conditioning of the room while providing air purification and relaxation effects.
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When the indoor temperature is stable, the upper transverse louver 11a is arranged at a
standard position substantially parallel with the air flowing through the upper region of the air
feed path 6, as shown in Fig. 3. This arrangement allows the air flowing through the upper
region of the air feed path 6 to be led in the extension direction from the transverse louver 11a.
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The lower transverse louver 11b is arranged with such a tilt that the lower transverse
louver 11b is increasingly close to the lower wall 6b of the air feed path 6 toward a
downstream side thereof relative to the air flow passing through the lower region of the air
feed path 6. A large amount of air passes through the substantially central region of the air
feed path 6, thus resulting in a large angle being formed between the air flow and the
transverse louver 11b. Therefore, the air is discharged not along the transverse louver 11b but
in the direction of air flow in which the air has being traveling before reaching the air outlet 5.
This causes the mainstream of a large proportion of the air flowing through the air feed path 6
to be discharged in the direction of the air flow that passes through the substantially central
region and the upper region, as shown by arrow A2.
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The air passing through the lower region of the air feed path 6 is directed by the
transverse louver 11b to be discharged along the lower wall 6a of the air feed path 6. Here,
since the mainstream air is discharged through the air outlet 5 in the direction indicated by the
arrow A2, a small amount of air passes through between the lower wall 6b and the transverse
louver 11b. Thus the discharged air is drawn by the mainstream (A2) due to the Coanda effect
so that the discharged air is led in the direction of the mainstream as indicated by arrow A5.
This prevents the user from being constantly exposed to cold wind or warm wind, thus
alleviating the user discomfort and also avoiding a decrease in his or her local body
temperature.
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According to this embodiment, when the conditioned air is discharged downward, the
upper transverse louver 11a is so tilted as to be increasingly close to the upper wall 6a of the
air feed path 6 toward a downstream side thereof relative to the air flow passing through the
upper region of the air feed path 6. Thus, the upper air in the air feed path 6 flows in contact
with the upper wall 6a. As a result, air at room temperature does not flow along the upper wall
6a through the air outlet 5 as shown by arrow B2 (see Fig. 2), thus preventing condensation
from occurring on the upper wall 6a.
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Similarly, when the conditioned air is discharged upward, the lower transverse louver
11b is so tilted as to be increasingly close to the lower wall 6b of the air feed path 6 toward a
downstream side thereof relative to the air flow passing through the lower region of the air
feed path 6. Thus, the lower air in the air feed path 6 flows in contact with the lower wall 6b.
As a result, air at room temperature does not flow along the lower wall 6b through the air
outlet 5 as shown by arrow B1 (see Fig. 3), thus preventing condensation from occurring on
the lower wall 6b.
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In Fig. 2, the air in the upper region of the air feed path 6 attempts to flow upward along
the upper wall 6a of the air feed path 6; therefore, the amount of air blocked by the upper
transverse louver 11a is small. Similarly, in Fig. 3, the air in the lower region of the air feed
path 6 attempts to flow through the air feed path 6 downward; therefore, the amount of air
blocked by the lower transverse louver 11b is small.
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This can alleviate the collision between the air flows and the transverse louvers 11a and
11b, and also can avoid the diminishing of the flow area of the air discharged through the air
outlet 5 so as to efficiently convert kinetic energy into static pressure. This in turn can avoid
the lowering of the air volume offered by the air conditioner. In addition, ion loss can be
avoided, thus improving sterilization and relaxation effects.
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Fig. 5 is a side cross section of indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a second
embodiment of the invention. For the sake of convenience, the same portions as those found
in the first embodiment described above and shown in Figs. 1 to 4 are identified with the same
numerals. In this embodiment, three transverse louvers 11a, 11b, and 11c are arranged side by
side vertically at an air outlet 5. The other portions are the same as in the first embodiment.
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When the air conditioner starts its operation, an air feed fan 7 is driven into rotation. A
refrigerant fed from an outdoor unit (not shown) flows into an indoor heat exchanger 9 to
operate a refrigerant cycle. The rotation of the air feed fan 7 permits air to be sucked into an
indoor unit 1 through air inlets 4a and 4c. Dust contained in this air is removed by an air filter
8. An ion generator 30 is driven to emit ions from a discharge surface 30a into an air feed path
6.
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The air introduced into the indoor unit 1 is subjected to heat exchange conducted by the
indoor heat exchanger 9 so as to be cooled or heated. The conditioned air then passes through
the air feed path 6, and the horizontal direction of the conditioned air is controlled by vertical
louvers 12. The middle and lower transverse louvers 11c and 11b are arranged at their
respective standard positions substantially parallel with the air flowing through the middle
and lower regions, respectively, of the air feed path 6. This arrangement allows the air
flowing through the middle and lower regions of the air feed path 6 to be led in the extension
directions from the transverse louvers 11c and 11b, respectively.
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The upper transverse louver 11a is arranged with such a tilt that the upper transverse
louver 11a is increasingly close to an upper wall 6a of the air feed path 6 toward a
downstream side thereof relative to the air flow passing through the upper region of the air
feed path 6. A large amount of air passes through between the transverse louvers 11c and 11a,
thus resulting in a large angle being formed between the air flow and the transverse louver
11a. Therefore, the air is discharged not along the transverse louver 11a but in the direction of
air flow in which the air has been traveling before reaching the air outlet 5. This causes the
mainstream of a large proportion of the air flowing through the air feed path 6 to be
discharged in the direction of the air flow that passes through the substantially central region
and the lower region, as shown by arrow A1.
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The air passing through the upper region of the air feed path 6 is directed by the
transverse louvers 11a to be discharged along the upper wall 6a of the air feed path 6. Here,
since the mainstream air is discharged through the air outlet 5 in the direction indicated by the
arrow A1, a small amount of air passes through between the upper wall 6a and the transverse
louver 11a. Thus the discharged air is drawn by the mainstream (A1) due to the Coanda effect
so that the discharged air is led in the direction of the mainstream as indicated by arrow A4.
This results in downward discharge of the conditioned air along with ions, thereby achieving
air conditioning of the room while providing air purification and relaxation effects.
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When the indoor temperature is stable, the upper and middle transverse louvers 11a and
11c are arranged at their respective standard positions substantially parallel with the air
flowing through the upper and middle regions, respectively, of the air feed path 6, as shown in
Fig. 8. This arrangement allows the air flowing through the upper and middle regions of the
air feed path 6 to be led in the extension direction from the transverse louvers 11a and 11c,
respectively.
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The lower transverse louver 11b is arranged with such a tilt that the lower transverse
louver 11b is increasingly close to a lower wall 6b of the air feed path 6 toward a downstream
side thereof relative to the air flow passing through the lower region of the air feed path 6. A
large amount of air passes through between the transverse louvers 11c and 11b, thus resulting
in a large angle being formed between the air flow and the transverse louver 11b. Therefore,
the air is discharged not along the transverse louver 11b but in the direction of air flow in
which the air has been traveling before reaching the air outlet 5. This causes the mainstream
of a large proportion of the air flowing through the air feed path 6 to be discharged in the
direction of the air flow that passes through the substantially central region and the upper
region, as shown by arrow A2.
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The air passing through the lower region of the air feed path 6 is directed by the
transverse louver 11b to be discharged along the lower wall 6a of the air feed path 6. Here,
since the mainstream air is discharged through the air outlet 5 in the direction indicated by the
arrow A2, a small amount of air flows through between the lower wall 6b and the transverse
louver 11b. Thus the discharged air is drawn by the main stream (A2) due to the Coanda
effect so that the discharged air is led in the direction of the mainstream as indicated by arrow
A5.
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This embodiment offers the same effects as does the first embodiment. The two
transverse louvers excluding either the highest transverse louver 11a or the lowest transverse
louver 11b can control the wind direction of the air discharged through the air outlet 5. The
first embodiment -has difficulties in controlling the wind direction of the mainstream air,
because a slight change in the direction of a transverse louver causes a great change in the
wind direction. The second embodiment, however, achieves easy control of the mainstream
direction. The wind direction can be more easily controlled than in the first embodiment, even
when four or more transverse louvers are provided. The control becomes more complicated
when four or more transverse louvers are used. Thus, it is particularly preferable to provide
three transverse louvers.
Industrial applicability
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According to the present invention, wind direction change means uses the Coanda
effect to change the wind direction of the air discharged through an air outlet. This allows the
conditioned air to make contact with the wall surface of an air feed path near the air outlet
during its discharge, thus avoiding condensation occurring on the wall surface of the air feed
path.
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Moreover, the present invention can alleviate the impact between the air flow and the
wind direction change means. Further, the invention can avoid the diminishing of the flow
area of the air discharged through the air outlet to efficiently convert kinetic energy into static
pressure, thus avoiding the lowering of the air volume provided by the air conditioner. In the
case where an ion generator is provided, ion loss can be avoided, thus improving sterilization
and relaxation effects.
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According to the present invention, the wind direction change means can be formed by
a plurality of wind direction plates. The use of two of the three wind direction plates,
excluding either the highest wind direction plate or the lowest wind direction plate, allows
easy control of the wind direction of the air discharged through the air outlet so as to change
the wind direction by the Coanda effect. Furthermore, the use of three wind direction plates
can make easy direction control.
