EP2202468A1

EP2202468A1 - Air conditioning apparatus

Info

Publication number: EP2202468A1
Application number: EP08764429A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Miki c/o Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha KAKIUCHI
Original assignee: Sharp Corp
Current assignee: Sharp Corp
Priority date: 2007-09-07
Filing date: 2008-05-21
Publication date: 2010-06-30
Anticipated expiration: 2028-05-21
Also published as: CN101688680B; EP2202468B1; JP4365432B2; CN101688680A; JP2009063260A; WO2009031341A1; EP2202468A4

Abstract

Problems to be Solved

To minimize a time required for initial operation by judging necessity of the initial operation depending on a panel position.

Means for Solution

On a cabinet 3, there is provided a wind guide panel 20, which covers a front surface of the cabinet 3 whereon a blow out port 5 is formed, the panel being capable of being opened both upwardly and downwardly. A position detecting sensor is provided for detecting that the wind guide panel 20 is in an initial state. When the position detecting sensor 90 detects that the wind guide panel 20 is in the initial state, the wind guide panel 20 is opened without performing the initial operation. When the wind guide panel 20 is not in the initial state, the initial operation is performed, and the wind guide panel 20 is opened after being brought into the initial state.

Description

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an air conditioner including in an indoor unit thereof a panel which is opened and closed according to cooling or heating operation.

Background Art

In an indoor unit of an air conditioner, a blow out port is formed on a front surface of a cabinet and warm air or cool air is blown out from the blow out port. According to a cooling or heating operation, a panel which opens and closes the blow out port opens and the direction of the blown out air is switched.
Here, there is described in Patent Document 1 an air conditioner that, when detecting a position of a rotating panel to stop the rotation, stops the panel at a predetermined position.

Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-206787

Disclosure of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

When the panel is opened at starting an operation in the above-described air conditioner, an initial operation for temporarily bringing the panel into an initial state is not performed. That is, since the panel is stopped at a predetermined position, the initial operation is not necessary.
However, in the case where a power source is cut off in operation or the panel is forcedly opened during stoppage, the panel sometimes is stopped while being opened. In this case, when the panel is opened together with the start of the operation, since the state of the panel is unknown, opening may not be performed normally. Thus, the initial operation is necessary.
In the initial operation, returning to the initial state is generally performed regardless of the state of the panel. At this time, the time of the initial operation is set longer than that for returning from the maximum opened state to the initial state so as to be able to return to the initial state reliably. Although the panel is returned to the initial state soon when the panel is in a state close to the initial state, the panel is not opened before the lapse of a set time. Thus, wasted time is spent.
In view of the above, the present invention aims to provide an air conditioner capable of minimizing a time required for the initial operation.

Means for Solving the Problems

In the present invention, a blow out port is formed on a front surface of a cabinet, a panel is provided for covering the front surface, the panel being capable of being opened both upwardly and downwardly with an upper or lower shaft as a center, a control apparatus which controls opening and closing of the panel according to an operation state and a position detecting sensor which detects a position at which the panel is opened are provided, and the control apparatus, when opening the panel, performs an initial operation for bringing the panel into an initial state based on a detection signal of the position detecting sensor.
At what position the panel is located is found by the position detecting sensor. The control apparatus device judges necessity of the initial operation by the position of the panel. That is, when the panel is in the initial state, the initial operation is not necessary. The initial operation may be performed only when being not in the initial state.
Thus, when the position detecting sensor detects that the panel is in the initial state, the control apparatus opens the panel without performing the initial operation. In this way, the position detecting sensor detects whether or not the panel is in the initial state and the control apparatus executes the initial operation when being not in the initial state is detected.
Then, when executing the initial operation, the control apparatus opens the panel after the position detecting sensor detects that the panel is brought into the initial state. When the panel is opened, the panel is necessarily returned to the initial state. Accordingly, it is possible to open the panel in the specified direction reliably.
Here, the initial state of the panel is when the panel is closed. Since the closed state of the panel may be detected, the position detecting sensor is arranged in the cabinet. Thereby, the position detecting sensor is not affected by external noise such as bungle due to an extraneous substance.

Effect of the Invention

According to the present invention, when an operation such as cooling or heating is started, if the initial operation is not necessary, the panel is able to be opened soon, and even if the initial operation is necessary, only minimum required initial operation is required to be performed. This makes it possible to start a cooling or heating operation instantly and to provide a user with a comfortable environment.

Brief Description of the Drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the indoor unit when a wind guide panel is closed.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the indoor unit when the wind guide panel is opened upwardly.
FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the indoor unit when the wind guide panel is opened upwardly.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the indoor unit when the wind guide panel is opened downwardly.
FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the indoor unit when the wind guide panel is opened downwardly.
FIG. 7 is a control block diagram of the air conditioner.
FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the indoor unit showing an opening and closing mechanism of the wind guide panel.
FIG. 9 is a view for describing movement of a switching portion in a restricting portion, where (a) shows an initial state, (b) shows the case of upward opening, and (c) shows the case of downward opening.
FIG. 10 is a view for describing movement of the restricting portion, where (a) shows an initial state, (b) shows the case of upward opening, and (c) shows the case of downward opening.
FIG. 11 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the indoor unit showing a moving portion when the wind guide panel is closed.
FIG. 12 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the indoor unit showing the moving portion when the wind guide panel is opened upwardly.
FIG. 13 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the indoor unit showing the moving portion when the wind guide panel is opened downwardly.
FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the restricting portion.
FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of the moving portion.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

3: cabinet
5: blow out port
20: wind guide panel
22: lower shaft
23: upper shaft
31: support material
32: rod
41: control apparatus
50: moving section
51: regulating section
52: upper hook
53: lower hook
54: changing section
55: linkage section
56: driving section
57: moving mechanism section
58: driving section
64: upper link material
65: lower link material
66: linkage plate
70: regulating motor
72: regulating groove
81: moving plate
86: opening and closing motor
90: position detecting sensor

Preferred embodiment of the Invention

Figures 1 and 2 show an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a present embodiment. The indoor unit includes a heat exchanger 1 and an indoor fan 2 which are housed in a cabinet 3. The cabinet 3 is formed in a box shape which has a depth greater than its height and which has a curved surface extending from the front surface to the bottom surface. A suction port 4 is formed in the upper surface of the cabinet 3, and a blow-out port 5 is formed in the curved surface.
An air passageway 6 extending from the suction port 4 to the blow-out port 5 is formed in the inside of the cabinet 3, and the heat exchanger 1 and the indoor fan 2 are arranged in the air passageway 6. A filter 7 is arranged between the suction port 4 and the heat exchanger 1, so as to remove dust from the indoor air sucked from the suction port 4. A cleaning apparatus 8 which cleans the filter 7 is provided.
The filter 7 is moved by the cleaning apparatus 8 in the cabinet 3 so as to pass through a dust removing section 9. Thereby, the dust adhering to the filter 7 is removed in the dust removing section 9. A guide passage 10 curved in a U-shape in side view is formed on the front side in the cabinet 3, and a moving section, which is made of a motor and a gear, reciprocates the filter 7 along the guide passage 10. In the dust removing section 9, the dust is scraped by a rotating brush 11 from the filter 7 passing through the dust removing section 9. By a suction fan, air is made to flow in the direction substantially in parallel with the filter 7 (in the left and right direction), so that the scraped dust is sucked and discharged.
A wind guide panel 20 which opens and closes the blow-out port 5 is provided on the curved surface of the cabinet 3. As shown in Figures 3 to 6, the wind guide panel 20 is configured to be able to be upwardly and downwardly opened, and an opening and closing mechanism by which the wind guide panel 20 is moved to be opened and closed is provided.
The wind guide panel 20 is formed by one curved panel and covers the front surface of the cabinet 3. The width of the wind guide panel 20 is set to be the same as the width of the cabinet 3 and is set larger than the width of the blow-out port 5. Further, in the front surface of the cabinet 3, a front panel 21 is formed from the middle stage portion of the front surface to the bottom surface so as to be one stage lower than the front surface. Thereby, a recessed section is formed over the whole width direction so that the wind guide panel 20 can be fit into the recessed section. An opening is formed in the front panel 21 which forms the recessed section, and the opening serves as the blow-out port 5. Therefore, the wind guide panel 20 is located in front of the blow-out port 5, so as to cover the blow-out port 5 and the front panel 21 around the blow-out port 5. At this time, the wind guide panel 20 is held in a closed attitude as shown in Figure 2.
When the wind guide panel 20 is held in the closed attitude, gaps are formed between the cabinet 3 and the front and rear ends of the wind guide panel 20. As shown in Figures 4 and 6, when the wind guide panel 20 is opened and closed, the end section of the wind guide panel 20 is made to enter the gap. Thus, the wind guide panel 20 can be smoothly rotated without being brought into contact with the cabinet 3. Further, it is possible to prevent the leaking of the blown-out air by forming the front and rear end sections of the wind guide panel 20 in such a manner that the wind guide panel 20 is brought into contact with the cabinet 3 at the time when the wind guide panel 20 is fully upwardly or downwardly opened. In particular, in the case of cool air, it is possible to prevent dew condensation on the bottom surface side of the cabinet 3.
In this way, the outer surface of the wind guide panel 20 forms a smooth curved surface extending from the front surface to the bottom surface of the cabinet 3. That is, the wind guide panel 20 is formed as a member which configures a part of the front surface of the cabinet 3. In other words, a part of the panel of the cabinet 3 is used as the wind guide panel 20. Thereby, the wind guide panel 20 is formed into a long panel having a total length greater than that of the louver adopted in a conventional air conditioner.
The wind guide panel 20 is rotated about upper and lower shafts in the different directions, so as to thereby be opened in one of the upward and downward directions. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, at the time of cooling operation, the wind guide panel 20 is downwardly opened about the lower shaft 22. When held in the downwardly opened attitude, the wind guide panel 20 is connected to the lower wall of the blow-out port 5, so that a long nozzle is formed by the wind guide panel 20 and the upper wall of the blow-out port 5. The wind guide panel 20 guides the cool air in the obliquely upward direction so that the cool air is blown out toward the ceiling. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, at the time of heating operation, the wind guide panel 20 is upwardly opened about the upper shaft 23. When held in the upwardly opened attitude, the wind guide panel 20 covers the front of the blow-out port 5 and suppresses the flow of warm air blown out toward the front so as to guide the warm air toward the floor surface. Note that also at the initial stage of the cooling operation, the wind guide panel 20 is held in the upwardly opened attitude to allow the cool air to be blown out toward the floor surface, so that the rapid cooling is performed. As shown in Figure 2, at the non-operation time, the wind guide panel 20 is held in the closed attitude and covers the blow-out port 5 so as to be integrated with the cabinet 3.
Note that a wind direction plate 24 and an auxiliary louver (not shown) are provided in the blow-out port 5. The wind direction plate 24 changes its angle in the left and right direction so as to change the wind direction in the left and right direction. The auxiliary louver changes the vertical angle thereof according to the attitude of the wind guide panel 20 and thereby changes the vertical wind direction while rectifying the blown-out air.
In the wind guide panel 20 enlarged as described above, the sway and deflection can be easily caused. Thus, a peripheral wall for reinforcement is formed at both side edges on the inner surface of the wind guide panel 20 in the front and rear direction (short side direction). The peripheral wall is formed over the whole length in the left and right direction (long side direction). The peripheral wall is formed to have a hollow structure and can be thick. With such peripheral wall, the strength of the wind guide panel 20 can be increased, and the deflection of the wind guide panel 20 can be prevented. Further, the same peripheral wall for reinforcement is also formed at both side edges in the left and right direction. Therefore, the sway of the wind guide panel 20 can be prevented.
When the four-side edges of the wind guide panel 20 are reinforced by being thickened, the strength against deformation of the wind guide panel 20 can be increased, so that the size of the wind guide panel 20 can be increased. Further, the wind guide panel 20 is configured to be hardly deformed, and hence the curving degree of the wind guide panel 20 in the front and rear direction can be increased. Thereby, it is possible to easily perform the control of the air blowing direction at the time when the wind guide panel 20 is opened. That is, at the time of cooling operation, cool air can be guided toward the ceiling, so as to increase the reaching distance of the cool air. At the time of heating operation, warm air is guided toward the wall so as to reach the floor surface.
Further, an inclined surface is formed on the tip side of the peripheral wall. The inner side surface of the peripheral wall is formed as the inclined surface. The outer side surface of the peripheral wall is formed into a vertical surface. When the wind guide panel 20 is held in the downwardly opened attitude, the blown-out cool air hits the peripheral wall positioned in the left and right direction, which may cause dew condensation on the peripheral wall. Thus, when the inner side surface of the peripheral wall is formed into the inclined surface, the cool air is made to flow along the inclined surface. The cool air is made to flow without staying at the peripheral wall, which makes it possible to prevent the dew condensation from being caused on the peripheral wall.
A heat insulating material 30 is provided on the inner surface of the wind guide panel 20 surrounded by the peripheral wall. The heat insulating material 30 is provided over the whole surface except for both the end sides in the left and right direction. The width of the heat insulating material 30 in the left and right direction is set larger than the width of the blow-out port 5. The surface of the heat insulating material 30 is formed into one surface. Therefore, there is no projection on the side of the inner surface of the wind guide panel 20, which inner surface faces the blow-out port 5, and hence the air flow cannot be hindered.
A support 31 is provided on both the left and right sides of the inner surface of the wind guide panel 20. The wind guide panel 20 is detachably attached to the support 31. The support 31 is attached to the cabinet 3 via a rod 32. That is, the wind guide panel 20 is detachably attached to the cabinet 3 via the rod 32.
As shown in Figure 5, a claw 33 which can be freely slid in the left and right direction is provided on both the left and right sides of the wind guide panel 20. The claw 33 faces the peripheral wall formed in the front and rear direction, and is urged by an urging member, such as a spring, toward the peripheral wall. The wind guide panel 20 is attached to the support 31 in such a manner that the support 31 is sandwiched between the claw 33 and the peripheral wall. The wind guide panel 20 can be removed from the support 31 by sliding the claw 33 in the direction away from the peripheral wall.
Note that the claw 33 may be provided at least on one side in the front and rear direction. In this case, on the other side, a pin is provided in one of the wind guide panel 20 and the support 31, and a hole is formed in the other in which the pin is not provided. The wind guide panel 20 is engaged with the support 31 by fitting the pin into the hole. When the claw 33 is provided on the one side, it is preferred to provide the pin on the rear side in consideration of workability. In this case, the user is able to attach and detach the wind guide panel 20, while looking at the claw 33 in the state where the wind guide panel 20 is held in the downwardly opened attitude. Therefore, the user is able to easily and surely attach and detach the wind guide panel 20 and is also able to perform the attaching and detaching operation while supporting the wind guide panel 20 with a single hand. Thus, it is possible to prevent the falling off of the wind guide panel 20.
The upper shaft 23 of the wind guide panel 20 is provided on the front side of the support 31, while the lower shaft 22 is provided on the rear side of the support 31. The upper and lower shafts 22 and 23 are arranged along the left and right direction, and both ends of the upper and lower shafts 23 and 22 are supported so as to be separated from the support 31. The upper and lower shafts 22 and 23 are located on the outside of the blow-out port 5 in the front-and-rear and left-and-right directions, and are located in front of the blow-out port 5. Therefore, the upper and lower shafts 22 and 23 do not impede the flow of the air blown out from the blow-out port 5.
Note that the support 31 may be integrated with the wind guide panel 20. The rod 32 is directly attached to the wind guide panel 20. In this case, when the rod 32 is detachably attached to the wind guide panel 20, the wind guide panel 20 can be detachably attached to the cabinet 3.
In the air conditioner, the outdoor unit (not shown) corresponding to the indoor unit is installed in an outdoor location. A compressor, a heat exchanger, a four way valve, an outdoor fan, and the like, are incorporated in the outdoor unit, and a refrigerating cycle 40 is formed by these components and the heat exchanger 1 on the indoor side. Further, as shown in Figure 7, a control apparatus 41 which controls the refrigerating cycle 40 is provided in the indoor unit. The control apparatus 41 made of a microcomputer controls the refrigerating cycle 40 to perform cooling and heating operation, on the basis of a user's instruction and detection signals of various sensors 42, such as temperature sensors which detect the room temperature and the outdoor air temperature. At this time, the control apparatus 41 opens and closes the wind guide panel 20 by controlling an opening and closing mechanism according to the cooling or heating operation. Further, the control apparatus 41 cleans the filter 7 by controlling the cleaning apparatus 8 periodically or according to the instruction from the user.
The opening and closing mechanism is configured, as shown in Figure 7, by a moving section 50 which brings the wind guide panel 20 close to and away from the cabinet 3, and a regulating section 51 which regulates the opening direction of the wind guide panel 20 at the time when the wind guide panel 20 is moved.
When the wind guide panel 20 is opened, the moving section 50 moves the wind guide panel 20 in the direction in which the wind guide panel 20 is separated from the cabinet 3. At this time, the regulating section 51 changes the opening direction of the wind guide panel 20 by allowing one of the upward and downward opening operations of the wind guide panel 20 and by regulating the other opening operation. When the downward opening operation is regulated, the wind guide panel 20 is upwardly opened. On the contrary, when the upward opening operation is regulated, the wind guide panel 20 is downwardly opened. When the wind guide panel 20 is closed, the wind guide panel 20 is moved by the moving section 50 in the direction of approaching the cabinet 3.
That is, the regulating section 51 regulates the opening direction by locking one of the upper shaft 23 and the lower shaft 22 to prevent the movement thereof. When the wind guide panel 20 is downwardly opened, the lower shaft 22 is locked to be rotatably supported, and the upper shaft 23 is released. When the wind guide panel 20 is upwardly opened, the upper shaft 23 is locked to be rotatably supported, and the lower shaft 22 is released.
Further, the regulating section 51 has a function to hold the wind guide panel 20 in the closed attitude. The wind guide panel 20 in the closed attitude is held close to the front panel 21 of the cabinet 3. At this time, the regulating section 51 locks the upper shaft 23 and the lower shaft 22. Even when an external force is applied to separate the wind guide panel 20, the wind guide panel 20 is not moved because both the shafts 22 and 23 are locked.
In this way, a driving source only for moving the wind guide panel 20 may be provided as the driving source for opening and closing the wind guide panel 20. Further, the driving source only needs to enable simple operation, such as reciprocating operation of the wind guide panel 20. Therefore, the moving section 50 can be formed into a simple mechanism which reciprocates the wind guide panel 20. Thereby, the opening and closing mechanism can be simplified and miniaturized.
As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the regulating section 51 includes a pair of upper and lower hooks 52 and 53 which respectively hold the upper and lower shafts 23 and 22, a changing section 54 which changes the opening direction by regulating the operation of each of the hooks 52 and 53, a linkage section 55 which enables the hooks 52 and 53 to be operated in association with each other, and a driving section 56 which drives the linkage section 55. As show in Figures 11 to 13, the moving section 50 includes the rod 32 which holds the wind guide panel 20, a moving mechanism section 57 which moves the rod 32 into and out of the cabinet 3, and a driving section 58 which drives the moving mechanism section 57.
A left and right pair of the regulating sections 51 are provided in the cabinet 3, and are arranged outside the blow-out port 5 in the left and right direction. As shown in Figure 14, the regulating section 51 is configured as a unit on a base plate 60. The base plate 60 is fixed to the inside of the cabinet 3.
The upper hook 52 and the lower hook 53 are respectively rotatably supported by fixed shafts 61 fixed to the base plate 60. Inlet/outlet ports 21a which respectively allow the hooks 52 and 53 to be projected and retracted are formed in the upper and lower portions of the front panel 21, respectively. The upper hook 52 is projected from the inlet/outlet port 21a, so as to hook the upper shaft 23 from the lower side. The upper shaft 23 is held by being sandwiched between a receiving base 62 formed in the front panel 21 and the upper hook 52. Similarly, the lower hook 53 is also projected from the inlet/outlet port, so as to hook the lower shaft 22 from the upper side, so that the lower shaft 22 is held by being sandwiched between a receiving base 63 and the lower hook 53.
The linkage section 55 mechanically connect the hooks 52 and 53 with each other by using a link mechanism, so as to enable each of the hooks 52 and 53 to be operated. Specifically, the linkage section 55 is configured by a pair of upper and lower links 64 and 65, and a linkage plate 66. The upper and lower links 64 and 65 connect the upper and lower hooks 52 and 53 to the linkage plate 66, respectively. That is, a shaft 64a is formed at one end of the upper link 64, so as to be fitted into a shaft hole of the upper hook 52. The upper hook 52 is rotatably supported at the one end of the upper link 64. The lower hook 53 is also similarly supported by the lower link 65.
The other end of the upper link 64 is rotatably attached to the linkage plate 66. The linkage plate 66 is formed into a fan-shaped gear, and gear teeth are formed on the circular arc surface of the linkage plate 66. The linkage plate 66 is rotatably supported by a fixed shaft 67 which is projectingly provided on the base plate 60. A pair of long grooves 68 are formed in the linkage plate 66, and other end shafts 64b and 65b of the upper and lower links 64 and 65 are fitted into the long grooves 68, respectively. Each of the long grooves 68 is extended in the radial direction from the fixed shaft 67 serving as the center. The other end shafts 64b and 65b of the links 64 and 65 are respectively made movable in the radial direction, so that a play is provided by each of the long grooves 68.
By the rotation of the linkage plate 66, the links 64 and 65 are respectively moved in association with each other between the fixed shafts 61 of the hooks 52 and 53 and the fixed shaft 67 of the linkage plate 66. Thereby, the hooks 52 and 53 can be rotated about the fixed shafts 61, respectively.
The driving section 56 is configured by a plurality of gears 69 and a regulating motor 70. The regulating motor 70 is provided on a mounting base 71 attached to the base plate 60. The motor shaft of the regulating motor 70 is fitted into the gear 69, so that the driving force of the regulating motor 70 is transmitted to the linkage plate 66 via the plurality of gears 69. When the regulating motor 70 is driven, the linkage plate 66 is rotated about the fixed shaft 67. Therefore, the two hooks 52 and 53 can be moved by one motor.
As shown in Figure 10, the changing section 54 guides the movement of each of the other end shafts 64b and 65b of the links 64 and 65. A regulating groove 72 is formed in the mounting base 71, and both the other end shafts 64b and 65b are fitted in the regulating groove 72. The movement of each of the hooks 52 and 53 is defined in such a manner that the links 64 and 65 are moved differently from each other by the regulating groove 72. That is, when one of the hooks 52 and 53 is moved, the other of the hooks 52 and 53 is regulated so as not to be moved. The changing section 54 defines the movement of the hooks 52 and 53 according to the opening direction.
The regulating groove 72 is formed approximately in a U-shape. The regulating groove 72 is configured by three grooves of an upper locking groove 72a, a neutral groove 72b, and a lower locking groove 72c, and the three grooves are continuously connected. The upper locking groove 72a is formed along a circular arc centering on the one end shaft 64a of the upper link 64. The lower locking groove 72c is formed along a circular arc centering on the one end shaft 65a of the lower link 65. The neutral groove 72b is formed along a circular arc centering on the fixed shaft 67 of the linkage plate 66.
As shown in Figures 9(a) and 10(a), when both the other end shafts 64b and 65b are located in the neutral groove 72b, the hooks 52 and 53 respectively hold the upper and lower shafts 22 and 23, so that both the shafts 22 and 23 are locked. The state at this time is assumed as an initial state. As shown in Figures 9(b) and 10(b), when the other end shafts 64b of the upper link 64 is located in the upper locking groove 72a, the upper shaft 23 is rotatably held by being sandwiched by the upper hook 52 so as to be locked. The lower hook 53 is separated from the lower shaft 22. As shown in Figures 9(c) and 10(c), when the other end shafts 65b of the lower link 65 is located in the lower locking groove 72c, the lower shaft 22 is rotatably held by being sandwiched by the lower hooks 53 so as to be locked. The upper hook 52 is separated from the upper shaft 23.
In the initial state, when the linkage plate 66 is rotated clockwise, the other end shaft 64b of the upper link 64 is moved along the upper locking groove 72a. The other end shaft 64b of the upper link 64 is moved in the circumferential direction with the one end shaft 64a as the center. The upper link 64 is not radially moved, and hence the one end shaft 64a is also not moved. Thereby, the upper hook 53 is not rotated. On the other hand, the other end shaft 65b of the lower link 65 is moved along the neutral groove 72b. The one end shaft 65a is moved by being pulled. The lower hook 52 is rotated clockwise. Thereby, as shown in Figures 9(b) and 10(b), the lock of the lower shaft 22 is released. In the initial state, when the linkage plate 66 is rotated counter clockwise, the lock of the upper shaft 23 is similarly released as shown in Figures 9(c) and 10(c).
Note that the control apparatus 41 drives the left and right regulating motors 70 so that the above described operations are synchronized with each other in the left and right regulating sections 51. A stepping motor is used as the regulating motor 70, so as to be normally and reversely rotated according to the opening direction. Thereby, the wind guide panel 20 is smoothly opened without being twisted at the right and left sides.
A pair of the moving sections 50 are provided on the left and right sides in the cabinet 3, so as to be arranged outside the regulating sections 51 in the left and right direction, respectively. As shown in Figures 11 to 13, the front end of the rod 32 is made to project to the outside from a vertically long hole 21b (see Figure 3) formed in the front panel 21. A support shaft 80 for attaching the rod 32 is provided on the support 31. The front end of the rod 32 is rotatably supported by the support shaft 80. The support shaft 80 is positioned so as to be shifted to the front side from the center in the front and rear direction. The rod 32 is formed to have a circular cross section. When the air hits the rod 32, the air is allowed to easily flow. Thus, even when cool air is blown to the rod 32, dew condensation hardly occurs. Further, the rod 32 is formed to have a hollow structure. Thereby, the weight of the rod 32 can be reduced while the strength of the rod 32 is maintained. As a result, it is possible to reduce the load of the motor to move the rod 32.
When the wind guide panel 20 is opened, the moving mechanism section 57 moves the front end of the rod 32 to the front side. When the wind guide panel 20 is closed, the moving mechanism section 57 moves the front end of the rod 32 to the rear side. The moving mechanism section 57 is formed as a moving plate 81 which is reciprocated while holding the rod 32. As shown in Figure 15, the moving plate 81 is formed into a fan-shape, and is rotatably supported by a fixed shaft 83 which is fixed to a base plate 82. The base plate 82 is fixed to the cabinet 3.
The moving section 50 is also configured as a unit similarly to the regulating section 51. Here, the regulating section 51 and the moving section 50 are arranged side by side in each of the spaces respectively provided on both the left and right sides of the cabinet 3. When both the regulating section 51 and the moving section 50 are configured as one unit, they can be handled as an opening and closing mechanism unit, so as to be easily attached. Further, the moving section 50 can be configured by a small number of components, so that the size and thickness of the unit can be reduced. Thereby, the opening and closing mechanism can be housed in a limited space, so that the width of the blow-out port 5 can be increased. When the width of the blow-out port 5 is increased, the blowing range of air in the width direction can be increased, and thereby it is possible to supply the air to all corners of a room.
The rear end of the rod 32 is rotatably attached to the vicinity of the front end of the moving plate 81 via a rotary shaft 84. A circular arc groove 85 is formed in the moving plate 81. The circular arc groove 85 is formed on a circular arc centering on the fixed shaft 83. A rack is formed in the circular arc groove 85. The driving section 58 is configured by an opening and closing motor 86, and a gear 87 attached to the motor shaft of the opening and closing motor 86. The gear 87 is inserted into the circular arc groove 85, so as to mesh with the rack.
When the opening and closing motor 86 is driven, the moving plate 81 is rotated about the fixed shaft 83 according to the rotation of the gear 87, so that the rod 32 is moved into and out of the front panel 21. When the wind guide panel 20 is held in the closed attitude as shown in Figure 11, the moving plate 81 is located in the rear side. Only the front end of the rod 32 is made to project from the front panel 21. This state is the initial state.
When the lock of the lower shaft 22 is released, and when the opening and closing motor 86 is driven, the moving plate 81 is rotated counterclockwise as shown in Figure 12. The rod 32 is pushed out, so that the front end of the rod 32 is moved to the front side. The wind guide panel 20 is rotated about the upper shaft 23, so as to be upwardly opened. Note that the opening and closing motor 86 is controlled so that the moving plate 81 is rotated by a fixed angle of, for example, 50 degrees.
When the lock of the upper shaft 23 is released, and when the opening and closing motor 86 is driven, the moving plate 81 is rotated counterclockwise as shown in Figure 13. The rod 32 is pushed out, so that the front end of the rod 32 is moved to the front side. The wind guide panel 20 is rotated about the lower shaft 22, so as to be downwardly opened. At this time, the wind guide panel 20 is opened so as to be downwardly moved, and hence the front end of the rod 32 is also moved to the front side while being gradually downwardly moved. Also in this case, the moving plate 81 is rotated by the fixed angle.
When the wind guide panel 20 is opened, and when the opening and closing motor 86 is driven to cause the moving plate 81 to rotate clockwise, the wind guide panel 20 is closed. By the rotation of the moving plate 81, the rear end of the rod 32 is moved to the rear side. The rod 32 is drawn into the cabinet 3. Thereby, the wind guide panel 20 is rotated about the upper shaft 23 or the lower shaft 22. The wind guide panel 20 is made to approach the cabinet 3, so as to be held in the closed attitude.
Note that the control apparatus 41 drives the opening and closing motors 86 on the left and right sides so that the above described operations in the left and right side moving sections 50 are synchronized with each other. A stepping motor is used as the opening and closing motor 86 and is normally and reversely rotated according to the opening and closing operations.
When the wind guide panel 20 is opened during the cooling or heating operation, one of the upper and lower shafts 22 and 23 of the wind guide panel 20 is locked. For example, when the wind guide panel 20 is held in the upwardly opened attitude, and when the wind guide panel 20 is pulled to cause an external force to be applied to the wind guide panel 20, one of the shafts (here, the upper shaft 23) is pushed. When the upper shaft 23 is pushed, the upper hook 52 is made to rotate counterclockwise. The upper link 64 is pushed in the shaft direction. The shaft direction is the direction which connects the one end and the other end of the upper link 64. The other end of the upper link 64 pushes the mounting base 71 through the regulating groove 72. At this time, the direction of the upper locking groove 72a, at which the other end of the upper link 64 is located, is substantially orthogonal to the shaft direction of the upper link 64. Since the mounting base 71 is fixed, the upper link 64 is not moved in the shaft direction. Further, the acting direction of the force from the upper link 64 is substantially orthogonal to the direction of the upper locking groove 72a. No force acts on the other end of the upper link 64 in the direction in parallel with the direction of the upper locking groove 72a. As a result, the upper link 64 is not moved along the upper locking groove 72a, so that the rotation of the upper hook 52 is prevented.
Thereby, the upper shaft 23 is firmly held by the upper hook 52. For this reason, even when an external force is applied to the opened wind guide panel 20, the upper shaft 23 is not separated from the upper hook 52.
Similarly, in the state where the wind guide panel 20 is held in the downwardly opened attitude, even when an external force is applied to the wind guide panel 20, the lower hook 53 is prevented from being rotated, so that the lower shaft 22 is not separated from the lower hook 53.
That is, in the state in which the wind guide panel 20 is opened, even when an external force is applied, it is possible to prevent the lock from being released in such a manner that the direction of one of the links 64 and 65 is made orthogonal to the direction of the regulating groove 72. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of the state in which the shaft of the wind guide panel 20 is separated from the cabinet 3 and thereby the opened wind guide panel 20 is hung down by being supported by the rod 32.
Further, when the wind guide panel 20 is held in the closed attitude, the upper shaft 23 and the lower shaft 22 are locked and held by the hooks 52 and 53, respectively. Therefore, the wind guide panel 20 is not easily separated from the cabinet 3. Further, the wind guide panel 20 in the closed attitude is held as a part of the front panel of the cabinet 3. Thus, the wind guide panel 20 is not hooked by an external object and hence is not unexpectedly separated from the cabinet 3.
Further, in the opening and closing mechanism, the upper and lower hooks 52 and 53 are mechanically connected to each other so as to be driven by the one regulating motor 70. This prevents the operation timings of the hooks 52 and 53 from being shifted from each other, so that the shafts 22 and 23 can be surely locked and opened. Therefore, the situation in which the lock of the respective shafts 22 and 23 is simultaneously released may not occur, and hence the reliability of opening and closing operation can be improved.
Meanwhile, when the wind guide panel 20 is maximally opened, the moving amount of the rod 32 is fixed regardless of the opening direction. However, the front end of the rod 32 is positioned to be eccentric with respect to the wind guide panel 20. Thus, as shown in Figures 4 and 6, the opening angle at the time when the wind guide panel 20 is upwardly opened is different from the opening angle at the time when the wind guide panel 20 is downwardly opened. The upwardly opening angle is set larger than the downwardly opening angle. That is, the opening angle is increased as the distance from the center to the fulcrum is reduced at the time when the wind guide panel 20 is opened. The center is the upper shaft 23 or the lower shaft 22, and the fulcrum is the position of the front end of the rod 32. Since the rod 32 is attached closer to the upper shaft 23, the upwardly opening angle is set large, and the downwardly opening angle is set small.
The wind guide panel 20 is downwardly opened at the time of cooling operation. However, when the downwardly opening angle is large, the wind guide panel 20 is set below the horizontal line. This causes the cool air to flow in the horizontal direction, and does not cause the air to flow toward the ceiling. The reaching distance of the cool air is reduced, and the cool air directly hits a person. Therefore, in the case where the wind guide panel 20 is downwardly opened, it is preferred to reduce the opening angle. The wind guide panel 20 is upwardly opened at the time of heating operation. However, when the opening angle is small, the outlet of the warm air is narrowed. The warm air, which is returned after hitting the wind guide panel 20, has no place to escape, and hence collides with the blown-out warm air, so as to thereby disturb the flow of the warm air. As a result, the velocity of the air blown out toward the floor surface is reduced, so as to prevent the warm air from reaching the floor surface.
In this way, efficient air delivery cannot be performed at the time of cooling and heating operation, so that the cooling and heating performance cannot be maximally exhibited. However, as described above, when the upwardly opening angle is set large, and when the downwardly opening angle is set small, the cool air can be blown out toward the ceiling at the time of cooling operation, and the outlet of the warm air is increased at the time of heating operation so that a smooth flow of the warm air can be formed. Therefore, the maximum capacity of the air conditioner can be fully exhibited.
In the air conditioner, the cooling or heating operation is performed on the basis of an instruction generated when the user operates the remote controller, or is performed when the set time of the timer is reached. The control apparatus 41 controls the refrigerating cycle 40 and the opening and closing of the wind guide panel 20. At this time, the control apparatus 41 operates the moving section 50 and the regulating section 51 in association with each other.
When performing the cooling or heating operation, the control apparatus 41 turns on and off the driving of the regulating motor 70 and the opening and closing motor 86 according to a predetermined timing. That is, the respective motors 70 and 86 are sequence-controlled.
In addition, the control apparatus 41 judges whether or not to perform the initial operation prior to start of the operation. That is, the control apparatus 41 determines the position of the wind guide panel 20 at the time when the operation is stopped. When the wind guide panel 20 is not set in the initial state, the control apparatus 41 operates, as the initializing operation, the moving section 50 and the regulating section 51 so that the wind guide panel 20 is set in the initial state. When the operation is started, and when the wind guide panel 20 is set in the initial state, the control apparatus 41 starts the operation without performing the initializing operation. Note that the state in which the wind guide panel 20 is held in the closed attitude is the initial state, and that the opening angle of the wind guide panel 20 is associated with the states of the respective members of the moving section 50 and the regulating section 51.
Description will be given for necessity of the initial operation to bring the wind guide panel 20 into the initial state prior to start of an operation. It is assumed that for some reason the operation is stopped in a state where the indoor unit is in the upward opened state as shown in FIG. 4. In this state, when an instruction to start the operation with downward opening is received, if shifting to the operation of downward opening soon without performing the initial operation, such a situation is caused that the locking of the upper shaft 23 by the upper hook 52 is released and the wind guide panel 20 comes off the cabinet 3 to be suspended by being supported by the rod 32 while being left in a state where the lower shaft 22 can not be locked by the lower hook 53. In order to avoid such a situation, the initial operation is performed. At the same time, the initial operation is also necessary to open the wind guide panel 20 at a desired degree of opening when shifting to the opening operation.
As shown in FIG. 11, a position detecting sensor 90 for detecting the position at which the wind guide panel 20 is opened is provided in the moving section 50. Note that, the position detecting sensors 90 are provided in the right and left moving sections 50. The position detecting sensor 90 is a limit switch. The position detecting sensor 90 is attached to the base plate 82 of the moving portion 50 in the cabinet 3. The position detecting sensor 90 is arranged so as to be closer to the moving plate 81 which is in the initial state. When being in the initial state, the rod 32 attached to the moving plate 81 comes in contact with the position detecting sensor 90. Accordingly, the position detecting sensor 90 detects that the wind guide panel 20 is in the initial state, that is, the closed posture.
On the basis of a detection signal of the position detecting sensor 90, the control apparatus 41 determines whether or not the wind guide panel 20 is set in the initial state. When the operation is stopped, the wind guide panel 20 is normally held in the closed attitude, and hence the moving section 50 and the regulating section 51 are set in the initial state. At this time, when being in the initial state is detected, the control apparatus 41 does not execute the initial operation.
However, in the case of being not in the initial state for any reason, the control apparatus 41 judges not to be in the initial state by the detection signal of the position detecting sensor 90. Then, the control apparatus 41 performs the initial operation to bring into the initial state forcibly.
Conventionally, it is configured such that the time period during which the wind guide panel 20 is changed from the maximum opened state (fully opened state) to the closed state (initial state) is stored as the initialization time period, and that when the cooling or heating operation is started, the initializing operation of closing the wind guide panel 20 is necessarily performed during the initialization time period, and then the normal operation, such as the cooling or heating operation, is performed. However, in such conventional initializing operation, even when the wind guide panel 20 is set in the initial state at the time of starting such operation as cooling or heating operation, the initializing operation is necessarily performed during the initialization time period, and hence it takes a time until the operation is shifted to the normal operation of cooling or heating operation.
As in the present embodiment, when the position detecting sensor 90 is provided, it is possible to detect, at the time of starting the operation, whether or not the wind guide panel 20 is set in the initial state. Thus, when the wind guide panel 20 is set in the initial state at the time of starting the operation, it is possible to perform the cooling or heating operation without performing the initializing operation.
In addition, when the wind guide panel 20 is not in the initial state at starting an operation, the initial operation is performed, and the initial operation is finished at the time when the position detecting sensor 90 detects to be in the initial state and it is possible to shift to cooling operation or heating operation. In addition, although the initial operation is performed even if the wind guide panel 20 is not in a maximum opened state but in the slightly opened state or the middle opened state, the initial operation is finished at the time when the position detecting sensor 90 detects to be in the initial state, thus making it possible to shift to cooling operation or heating operation even without performing the initial operation until reaching the initialization time. For example, even when the initialization time is 30 seconds, if the position detecting sensor 90 detects to be in the initial state 15 seconds later after the initial operation is started, the initial operation is stopped to shift to a normal operation. In this case, a time to perform the initial operation is made shorter by 15 seconds than in the conventional manner.
As described above, by using the detection result from the position detecting sensor 90, it is possible to reduce a time required for the initial operation and to shift to a normal operation immediately.
The opening operation of the wind guide panel 90 for performing a normal operation is not performed but only the initial operation is performed until the position detecting sensor 90 detects that the wind guide panel 20 is in the initial state.
Note that, when the position detecting sensor 90 does not detect that the wind guide panel 20 is brought into the initial state even after the initial operation has been performed for a predetermined time, there is a possibility that the wind guide panel 20 can not be closed by the auxiliary louver (not shown) obstructing. In such a case, the opening operation is firstly performed only for a required time to bring into the fully opened state from the initial state so that the wind guide panel 20 is temporarily brought into the fully opened state. At this time, one of the shafts 22 and 23 which is currently held is kept held and changing of the shafts 22 and 23 to be held is not performed. This is because, if the held shaft is changed, there is a possibility that the locking of both the upper shaft 23 and the lower shaft 22 of the wind guide panel 20 is released and the wind guide panel 20 is suspended by being supported by the rod 32. The auxiliary louver is brought into the closed state after the wind guide panel 20 is brought into the fully opened state. Then, the wind guide panel 20 is caused to perform the closing operation for the initialization time to be returned to the initial state. Even after performing the operation, when the position detecting sensor 90 can not detect that the wind guide panel 20 is brought into the initial state, the control apparatus 41 performs an error display as a malfunction. Note that, although the wind guide panel 20 has been in the fully opened state in the above description, it is not necessarily required to bring into the fully opened state and the wind guide panel 20 may be opened until at least the auxiliary louver becomes rotatable.
Note that, in the case where a socket of an air conditioner is connected to a commercial power source for the first time or the case where electrical conduction to an air conditioner is temporarily cut off due to blackout or the like, it is necessary to bring the not-shown auxiliary louver into the closed state. First, the wind guide panel 20 is opened until at least the auxiliary louver becomes rotatable (may be, of course, opened to the fully opened state), and after bringing the auxiliary louver into the closed state, the wind guide panel 20 is brought into the initial state.
In the initial state, the moving plate 81 is positioned on the rear side in the moving section 50 as shown in Figure 11. In the regulating section 51, the other end shafts 64b and 65b of the upper and lower links 64 and 65 are located in the neutral groove 72b as shown in Figures 8 and 10 (a). At this time, the wind guide panel 20 takes the closed state and the upper shaft 23 and the lower shaft 22 are locked at the same time. Thereafter, according to a cooling or heating operation, the control apparatus 41 releases either one of locking of the upper shaft 23 and the lower shaft 22 to open the wind guide panel 20.
When the heating operation is started, the control apparatus 41 first drives the regulating motor 70 of the regulating section 51. By the driving, the linkage plate 66 is rotated clockwise. The upper link 64 is rotated about the one end. The other end shaft 65b of the lower link 65 is moved along the neutral groove 72b, and thereby the lower link 65 is pulled up. The lower hook 53 is rotated clockwise, so that the lock of the lower shaft 22 is released.
The control apparatus 41 drives the opening and closing motor 86 of the moving section 50 with a slight delay from the timing of starting the regulating motor 70. The timing of starting the opening and closing motor 86 is set after the lower hook 53 is separated from the lower shaft 22. That is, the control apparatus 41 stops the regulating motor 70, when a predetermined first timing is reached. The first timing is a timing determined according to the time period until the other end shaft 64b of the upper link 64 reaches the end of the upper locking groove 72a as shown in Figure 10(b). After stopping the regulating motor 70, the control apparatus 41 drives the opening and closing motor 86.
When the opening and closing motor 86 is driven, the moving plate 81 is rotated counterclockwise. The rod 32 is pushed out to the front side, so that the wind guide panel 20 is moved in the direction away from the cabinet 3. The wind guide panel 20 is opened about the upper shaft 23. When the wind guide panel 20 is opened at a set opening angle, the control apparatus 41 stops the opening and closing motor 86. Note that the opening angle is calculated from the number of steps of the opening and closing motor 86.
The control apparatus 41 drives the opening and closing motor 86 for a fixed time period, and stops the opening and closing motor 86 when a second timing is reached. At this time, the opening angle reaches the maximum opening angle as shown in Figure 12. The wind guide panel 20 is held in the upwardly opened attitude, so that the warm air is blown out toward the floor surface.
Also, in the case of the cooling operation, the control apparatus 41 controls the regulating motor 70 and the opening and closing motor 86 at the same timing. However, the regulating motor 70 is rotated in the direction opposite to the direction at the time of the heating operation. The opening and closing motor 86 is rotated in the same direction as the direction at the time of the heating operation.
When the opening and closing motor 86 is driven for the fixed time period, and when the second timing is reached, the opening and closing motor 86 is stopped. At this time, the opening angle reaches the maximum opening angle as shown in Figure 13. The wind guide panel 20 is held in the downwardly opened attitude, so that the cool air is blown out toward the ceiling.
At the time of starting the cooling operation, the rapid cooling is performed. At this time, the wind guide panel 20 is first upwardly opened so as to be held in the upwardly opened attitude. Thereafter, the wind guide panel 20 is closed so as to be held in the closed attitude, and the upper and lower shafts 22 and 23 are once locked. Then, the wind guide panel 20 is downwardly opened so as to be held in the downwardly opened attitude. Thereby, when the opening direction of the opened wind guide panel 20 is changed, at least one of the shafts 22 and 23 is always locked and held. This prevents the state in which both the shafts 22 and 23 are simultaneously released. Thus, it is possible to prevent the coming off of the wind guide panel 20 during opening and closing of the wind guide panel 20.
When the cooling or heating operation is ended, the control apparatus 41 first drives the opening and closing motor 86. The rod 32 is pulled back, so that the wind guide panel 20 is made to approach the cabinet 3. The control apparatus 41 stops the opening and closing motor 86 when a predetermined third timing is reached. At this time, as shown in Figure 11, the wind guide panel 20 is held in the closed attitude, and the moving plate 81 is positioned on the rear side. That is, the third timing is a timing which is determined according to the time when the moving plate 81 is returned to the initial state. Note that the position detecting sensor 90 detects that the moving plate 81 is returned to the initial state. The third timing may also be set according to the detection timing.
Then, the control apparatus 41 drives the regulating motor 70. For example, when the heating operation is performed, the state shown in Figure 10 (b) is changed to the state shown in Figure 10 (a). The lower hook 53 is rotated, so that the lower shaft 22 is locked. The control apparatus 41 stops the regulating motor 70 when a predetermined fourth timing is reached. The fourth timing is a timing which is determined according to the time period during which the other end shaft 65b of the lower link 65 is moved from the connecting position between the upper locking groove 72a and the neutral groove 72b, to reach the connecting position between the neutral groove 72b and the lower locking groove 72c.
Note that the present invention is not limited to the above described embodiments, but numerous modifications and changes can be obviously made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The upper hook and the lower hook are provided in the wind guide panel, and the upper shaft and the lower shaft are provided in the cabinet. The upper and lower shafts are made movable, and each of the upper and lower hooks is configured as a bearing having an insertion hole for the shaft. The wind guide panel is rotatably held by the shaft being inserted into the insertion hole of the hook. When the wind guide panel is held in the closed attitude, the upper and lower shafts are fitted into the upper and lower hooks, respectively. When the wind guide panel is upwardly opened, the upper shaft is held as it is, and the lower shaft is moved so as to be separated from the lower hook. When the wind guide panel is downwardly opened, the shafts are set in the opposite state.
Further, a chuck for grasping the upper shaft or the lower shaft may also be used instead of the hook. Each of the shafts is locked and held by being grasped by the chuck. When each of the shafts is separated from the chuck, the lock of each of the shafts is released. When the portion of the chuck, which portion grasps the shaft, is formed into a circular shape, each of the shafts can be rotatably held.
A position detecting sensor may be provided with respect to a rod. In addition, the position detecting sensor may detect a position of the wind guide panel directly and not only a contact-type sensor such as a limit switch but also a non-contact type sensor such as an optical sensor or a camera may be used.
A pair of right and left position detecting sensors may be provided with respect to right and left moving portions. Thereby, in the case where, even if the initial state of the wind guide panel is detected on one side, the initial state is not detected on the other side, the moving portion is operated only on the other side so that the wind guide panel is returned to a normal state from a twisted state.

Claims

An air conditioner, wherein
a blow out port is formed on a front surface of a cabinet,
a panel is provided for covering the front surface, the panel being capable of being opened both upwardly and downwardly with an upper or a lower shaft as a center,
a control apparatus which controls opening and closing of the panel according to an operation state and a position detecting sensor which detects a position at which the panel is opened are provided, and
the control apparatus, when opening the panel, performs an initial operation for bringing the panel into an initial state based on a detection signal of the position detecting sensor.
The air conditioner as defined in claim 1, wherein when the position detecting sensor detects that the panel is in the initial state, the control apparatus opens the panel without performing the initial operation.
The air conditioner as defined in claim 2, wherein the position detecting sensor detects whether or not the panel is in the initial state, and when being not in the initial state is detected, the control apparatus executes the initial operation.
The air conditioner as defined in claim 3, wherein when executing the initial operation, the control apparatus opens the panel after the position detecting sensor detects that the panel is brought into the initial state.
The air conditioner as defined in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the initial state of the panel is when the panel is closed.
The air conditioner as defined in claim 5, wherein the position detecting sensor is arranged in the cabinet and detects that the panel is closed.