EP2251616B1

EP2251616B1 - Air-conditioning indoor unit

Info

Publication number: EP2251616B1
Application number: EP09707656.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Tatsuhiko Akai; Junichi Nakanishi
Original assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
Priority date: 2008-02-05
Filing date: 2009-01-27
Publication date: 2014-03-12
Anticipated expiration: 2029-01-27
Also published as: JP2009210247A; EP2251616A4; JP2009210254A; EP2251616A1; JP4883050B2; CN101932887B; WO2009098972A1; JP4329881B1; ES2467967T3; JP2013253777A; JP5565515B2; JP4821807B2; JP2009210246A; CN101932887A; JP2009210256A; JP5570735B2

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a ceiling-mounted air conditioning indoor unit and particularly relates to an air conditioning indoor unit that has a filter cleaning function.

BACKGROUND ART

In the field of ceiling-mounted air conditioning indoor units, air conditioning indoor units that are equipped with a filter cleaning function such as described in patent document 1 ( JP-A No. 2007-40689 ), for example, are prevalent because they spare users the trouble of having to clean the filter. The air conditioning indoor unit described in patent document 1 ( JP-A No. 2007-40689 ) is a type that collects, in a dust box, dust that has been removed from the filter by a brush, and the user lowers the dust box from a body via a raising-and-lowering portion at an appropriate time and discards the dust that has been collected inside.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

However, the dust box moves together with the brush to clean the filter, so the dust box is incorporated in a moving mechanism that causes the dust box to move, and when the dust box is lowered, the moving mechanism is also lowered. For that reason, when the user discards the dust from the dust box, this is accompanied by work to remove the dust box from the moving mechanism, so from the standpoint of user-friendliness, there is the need for further improvement.
EP 1 741 992 A2 discloses an indoor unit and an air conditioner comprising a housing installed on a ceiling and an air inlet grill arranged to be highered and lowered for maintenance and a cleaning mechanism including a brush arranged to be moved back and forth in one direction in order to sweep across the surface of the air filter. A similar indoor unit and an air conditioner are also disclosed in JP 2007-225171 A .
It is an object of the present invention to provide a ceiling-mounted air conditioning indoor unit that is user-friendly and with which dust collected by filter cleaning can be easily discarded.

An air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to a first aspect of the present invention is a ceiling-mounted air conditioning indoor unit comprising a body, an up-and-down panel, a raising-and-lowering mechanism, a filter, a filter drive portion, a cleaning member, a cleaning member drive portion, and a dust box. The body has a suction port in its undersurface. The up-and-down panel closes the suction port at a time when operation is stopped and descends to a predetermined position at a time of maintenance. The raising and-lowering mechanism causes the up-and-down panel to move in an ascending direction and a descending direction. The filter removes dust included in air flowing in from the suction port. The filter drive portion causes the filter to move when cleaning the filter. The cleaning member causes the dust adhering to the filter to separate from the filter. The cleaning member drive portion causes the cleaning member to operate. The dust box is detachably attached to the up-and-down panel and collects the dust separated from the filter.
In this air conditioning indoor unit, the dust box is placed on the up-and-down panel, whereby the dust box can be lowered by the up-and-down panel, and it becomes possible to clean the dust box. Moreover, the weight of the up-and-down panel increases, it becomes difficult for the up-and-down panel to swing, and the at-rest posture of the up-and-down panel is stable.
An air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to a second aspect of the present invention is the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein at the time of maintenance, the dust box descends together with the up-and-down panel, and the cleaning member drive portion remains in the body.
In this air conditioning indoor unit, the cleaning member drive portion does not descend in accompaniment with the dust box, so at the time of maintenance, it is not necessary to detach the cleaning member drive portion from the up-and-down panel, and the work of detaching the dust box becomes easy.
An air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to a third aspect of the present invention is the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the second aspect of the present invention, wherein the filter and the filter drive portion also remain in the body.
In this air conditioning indoor unit, the cleaning member drive portion, the filter, and the filter drive portion do not descend in accompaniment with the dust box, so at the time of maintenance, it is not necessary to detach the cleaning member drive portion, the filter, and the filter drive portion from the up-and-down panel, and the work of detaching the dust box becomes easy. Further, the load acting on the raising-and-lowering mechanism is alleviated when the raising-and-lowering mechanism raises and lowers the up-and-down panel.
An air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to any of the first to third aspects of the invention, wherein the cleaning member is attached to the dust box.
In this air conditioning indoor unit, it becomes possible to modularize the cleaning member and the dust box, so assembly workability improves.
An air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the fourth aspect of the present invention, wherein the up-and-down panel has a holding member, a push-out member, and an operation member. The holding member holds the dust box in a predetermined position. The push-out member pushes out the dust box in a removal direction from the predetermined position. The operation member releases the holding of the dust box by the holding member and causes the push-out member to push out the dust box.
In this air conditioning indoor unit, release of the holding of the dust box by the holding member and the pushing-out of the dust box by the push-out member are performed by just operating the operation member, so the air conditioning indoor unit is user-friendly. Further, the push-out member causes the dust box to pop out in the removal direction, so the user can reliably recognize that the dust box is off of the up-and-down panel.
An air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the fifth aspect of the present invention, wherein the holding member includes a claw. The claw catches on the dust box when the dust box is placed in the predetermined position.
In this air conditioning indoor unit, when the dust box is attached to the up-and-down panel, the claw catches on the dust box and holds the dust box in the predetermined position. As a result, a situation where the up-and-down panel ascends without the dust box being held thereon is avoided.
An air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the sixth aspect of the present invention, wherein the push-out member causes the claw to move in a direction away from the dust box when the push-out member pushes out the dust box.
In this air conditioning indoor unit, the operation of pushing out the dust box and the operation of releasing the claw from the dust box are interlinked, so one-touch removal of the dust box can be realized, and maintainability improves.
An air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to an eighth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to any of the first to third aspects of the present invention, wherein the posture of the up-and-down panel going up and down in a state where there is no dust inside the dust box and the posture of the up-and-down panel going up and down in a state where dust fills the inside of the dust box are substantially the same posture.
In this air conditioning indoor unit, the posture of the up-and-down panel when it descends with dust collected inside the dust box and the posture of the up-and-down panel when it ascends with the inside of the dust box being empty are substantially the same posture, so a sense of stability in the operation of raising and lowering the up-and-down panel can be imparted to the user.
An air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to a ninth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the body further has an upper body and a lower body. In the lower body, there is included an undersurface panel that forms the outline of the suction port.
In this air conditioning indoor unit, when the up-and-down panel is closing the suction port, the undersurface panel and the up-and-down panel look as if they are integrated, so the design improves.
An air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to a tenth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the dust box doubles as a reinforcement material of the up-and-down panel.
In this air conditioning indoor unit, the dust box prevents warping of the up-and-down panel, so the use amount of the sheet metal member that has conventionally been used as a reinforcement material is reduced, which results in a reduction of material cost.
An air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to an eleventh aspect of the present invention is the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein at a time of operation, in order to allow air to flow in from the suction port, the up-and-down panel rotates together with the dust box about the neighborhood of one end of itself and opens the suction port. In the dust box, there is disposed an air resistance reducing structure that allows the air that is incoming to proceed smoothly in the direction of the filter.
In this air conditioning indoor unit, the air resistance of the dust box with respect to the sucked-in air decreases, and wind noise when the sucked-in air passes the dust box decreases.
An air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to a twelfth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the body further has a blowout port, a suction flow path, a blowout flow path, and a filter housing portion. The suction flow path leads inside from the suction port. The blowout flow path leads from the inside to the blowout port. The filter housing portion is positioned between the suction flow path and the blowout flow path and temporarily houses the filter moving thereto.
The suction port and the blowout port are placed spaced a predetermined distance apart from each other such that air exiting from the blowout port is not sucked into the suction port, so unused space is necessarily formed between the suction flow path and the blowout flow path. In this air conditioning indoor unit, that unused space is used as a temporary housing place for the filter, so it is not necessary to make the shape of the body larger or to make the suction port smaller in order to secure a housing place for the filter.
An air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, wherein the body further has a recessed portion that is disposed in a suction flow path forming wall forming the suction flow path and into which an end portion of the filter fits.
In this air conditioning indoor unit, the edge of the filter end portion and the neighborhood of the edge fit into the recessed portion, so the edge of the filter end portion and the neighborhood of the edge are not exposed to the suction flow path. As a result, air can pass through the inside of the suction flow path without being obstructed by the edge of the filter end portion and the neighborhood of the edge.
An air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein at a time of operation, the raising-and-lowering mechanism causes the up-and-down panel to move to a second predetermined position that is closer to the ceiling than the predetermined position away from the suction port, at a time of shutdown, the raising-and-lowering mechanism causes the up-and-down panel to move to a third predetermined position where the up-and-down panel closes the suction port, and at least the up-and-down panel that moves to the predetermined position is accompanied by the dust box.
In this air conditioning indoor unit, the dust box can be detached from the up-and-down panel in the maintenance position, and the work of discarding the dust collected in the dust box becomes easy, so the air conditioning indoor unit is user-friendly.

In the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the first aspect of the present invention, the dust box is placed on the up-and-down panel, whereby the dust box can be lowered by the up-and-down panel, and it becomes possible to clean the dust box. Moreover, the weight of the up-and-down panel increases, it becomes difficult for the up-and-down panel to swing, and the at-rest posture of the up-and-down panel is stable.
In the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the second aspect of the present invention, at the time of maintenance, it is not necessary to detach the cleaning member drive portion from the up-and-down panel, and the work of detaching the dust box becomes easy.
In the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the third aspect of the present invention, at the time of maintenance, it is not necessary to detach the cleaning member drive portion, the filter, and the filter drive portion from the up-and-down panel, and the work of detaching the dust box becomes easy. Further, the load acting on the raising-and-lowering mechanism is alleviated when the raising-and-lowering mechanism raises and lowers the up-and-down panel.
In the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it becomes possible to modularize the cleaning member and the dust box, so assembly workability improves.
In the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the fifth aspect of the present invention, release of the holding of the dust box by the holding member and the pushing-out of the dust box by the push-out member are performed by just operating the operation member, so the air conditioning indoor unit is user-friendly. Further, the push-out member causes the dust box to pop out in the removal direction, so the user can reliably recognize that the dust box is off of the up-and-down panel.
In the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the sixth aspect of the present invention, when the dust box is attached to the up-and-down panel, the claw catches on the dust box and holds the dust box in the predetermined position. As a result, a situation where the up-and-down panel ascends without the dust box being held thereon is avoided.
In the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the operation of pushing out the dust box and the operation of releasing the claw from the dust box are interlinked, so one-touch removal of the dust box can be realized, and maintainability improves.
In the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the posture of the up-and-down panel when it descends with dust collected inside the dust box and the posture of the up-and-down panel when it ascends with the inside of the dust box being empty are substantially the same posture, so a sense of stability in the operation of raising and lowering the up-and-down panel can be imparted to the user.
In the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the ninth aspect of the present invention, when the up-and-down panel is closing the suction port, the undersurface panel and the movable panel look as if they are integrated, so the design improves.
In the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the dust box prevents warping of the up-and-down panel, so the use amount of the sheet metal member that has conventionally been used as a reinforcement material is reduced, which results in a reduction of material cost.
In the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the air resistance of the dust box with respect to the sucked-in air decreases, and wind noise when the sucked-in air passes the dust box decreases.
In the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, that unused space is used as a temporary housing place for the filter, so it is not necessary to make the shape of the body larger or to make the suction port smaller in order to secure a housing place for the filter.
In the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, the edge of the filter end portion and the neighborhood of the edge fit into the recessed portion, so the edge of the filter end portion and the neighborhood of the edge are not exposed to the suction flow path. As a result, air can pass through the inside of the suction flow path without being obstructed by the edge of the filter end portion and the neighborhood of the edge.
In the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, the dust box can be detached from the up-and-down panel in the maintenance position, and the work of discarding the dust collected in the dust box becomes easy, so the air conditioning indoor unit is user-friendly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exterior perspective view of an air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2(a) is a side view of the air conditioning indoor unit at a time when operation is stopped, FIG 2(b) is a side view of the air conditioning indoor unit at a time of operation, and FIG 2(c) is a side view of the air conditioning indoor unit at a time of maintenance.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the air conditioning indoor unit.
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a body of the air conditioning indoor unit.
FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a lower body.
FIG. 6 is a plan view of an ornamental panel.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the ornamental panel as seen from direction A in FIG. 6.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the ornamental panel as seen from direction B in FIG. 6.
FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of a filter housing frame of a filter cleaning mechanism.
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the inside of the filter housing frame.
FIG. 11(a) is a cross-sectional view of a filter housing portion when filters are in a front housing portion, FIG 11(b) is a cross-sectional view of the filter housing portion when the filters are in a rear housing portion, and FIG. 11(c) is a cross-sectional view of the filter housing portion when removing the filters.
FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of a movable panel.
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the ornamental panel.
FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of a hinge coupling device.
FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of a raising-and-lowering device.
FIG. 16 is a view of the layout of parts inside the raising-and-lowering device.
FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a lock device.
FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a state where the movable panel has opened a suction port.
FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a state where the movable panel is descending.
FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a dust box and the movable panel after the dust box has been removed therefrom.
FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a removal mechanism.
FIG. 22 is an exploded perspective view of the removal mechanism.
FIG. 23 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a blowout port module.
FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the blowout port module.
FIG. 25 is a perspective view of a movable panel of an air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to a modification.
FIG. 26 is an enlarged view of portion C in FIG. 25.
FIG. 27 is a side view of a hinge.
FIG. 28 is a plan view of the hinge and a hinge coupling mechanism when the movable panel is closing the suction port.
FIG. 29 is a plan view of the hinge and the hinge coupling mechanism when the movable panel opens the suction port.
FIG. 30 is a plan view of the hinge and the hinge coupling mechanism when the movable panel is away from the suction port.
FIG. 31(a) is a cross-sectional view of the lower body, FIG. 31(b) is a partial cross-sectional view of the lower body immediately before the movable panel opens the suction port, and FIG. 31(c) is a partial cross-sectional view of the lower body immediately after the movable panel has opened the suction port.
FIG. 32(a) is a cross-sectional view of the lower body, FIG. 32(b) is a partial cross-sectional view of the lower body immediately after the movable panel has started descending, and FIG. 32(c) is a partial cross-sectional view of the lower body when the movable panel has descended.
FIG. 33(a) is a cross-sectional view after a panel lock portion has come out of a panel lock ring, FIG. 33(b) is a cross-sectional view when the panel lock portion is pushed by the panel lock ring and moves back, and FIG. 33(c) is a cross-sectional view when the panel lock portion has fitted into the panel lock ring.
FIG. 34 is a plan view of an end portion of the movable panel.
FIG. 35 is a front view of a hanging metal fitting coupled onto a distal end of wire of the raising-and lowering device.
FIG. 36(a) is a plan view of a hanging metal fitting coupling member to which the hanging metal fitting is coupled, and FIG. 36(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line X-X in FIG. 36(a).
FIG. 37(a) is a plan view of the hanging metal fitting coupling member immediately before the hanging metal fitting is coupled thereto, and FIG. 37(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line Y-Y in FIG. 37(a).
FIG. 38(a) is a plan view of a lock device, and FIG. 38(b) is a front view of the lock device.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The embodiment below is a specific example of the present invention and is not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is an exterior perspective view of an air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, an air conditioning indoor unit 2 is equipped with a body 20 that has a suction port 20a and a blowout port 20b in its undersurface, a movable panel 24 that opens and closes the suction port 20a, and a first blowing direction adjusting blade 52 that opens and closes the blowout port 20b. The suction port 20a and the blowout port 20b are adjacent but spaced a certain distance apart from each other to ensure that so-called short-circuiting-or a phenomenon where air that has been blown out from the blowout port 20b is sucked back into the suction port 20a-does not occur. The undersurface of the body 20 is covered by an ornamental panel 21 so that what is actually exposed to the ceiling surface is the ornamental panel 21, and the outlines of the suction port 20a and the blowout port 20b are formed by the ornamental panel 21.
FIG. 2(a) is a side view of the air conditioning indoor unit at a time when operation is stopped, FIG. 2(b) is a side view of the air conditioning indoor unit at a time of operation, and FIG. 2(c) is a side view of the air conditioning indoor unit at a time of maintenance. In FIGS. 2(a), 2(b), and 2(c), when the air conditioning indoor unit 2 is stopped, the movable panel 24 looks as if it is integrated with the ornamental panel 21. In FIG. 2(b), when the air conditioning indoor unit 2 runs, the movable panel 24 opens the suction port 20a, and the first blowing direction adjusting blade 52 opens the blowout port 20b. One end of the movable panel 24 is supported on the body 20 by hinges, and the movable panel 24 rotates and opens the suction port 20a.
Further, in FIG. 2(c), the movable panel 24 can descend to a maintenance position that the user can reach by hand in a state where the movable panel 24 is hung on wires 71 extending from the body 20. However, the movable panel 24 cannot descend to the maintenance position in a state where its one end is being supported on the body 20 by the hinges, so the movable panel 24 first closes the suction port 20a and then descends to the maintenance position after the support by the body 20 has been released.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the air conditioning indoor unit. In FIG. 3, the air conditioning indoor unit 2 is further equipped with filters 9, a filter cleaning mechanism 10, an indoor heat exchanger 12, an indoor fan 13, a drain pan 14, and a blowout port module 50. At the time of operation of the air conditioning indoor unit 2, the suction port 20a and the blowout port 20b open, the indoor fan 13 rotates, and air is sucked in from the suction port 20a.

(Indoor Heat Exchanger 12)

The indoor heat exchanger 12 has a shape where two heat exchangers are adjacent in different slanting postures; for convenience of description, the heat exchanger on the upper side will be called an upper heat exchanger 12a and the heat exchanger on the lower side will be called a lower heat exchanger 12b.
The upper end of the upper heat exchanger 12a is positioned in the upper portion of the inside of the body 20, and the angle at which the upper heat exchanger 12a slants from its upper end toward its lower end is set to be equal to or less than 45° with respect to a vertical line, so that condensation water reliably travels through the upper heat exchanger 12a toward the drain pan 14. For this reason, it is not necessary for the drain pan 14 to be placed below the entire upper heat exchanger 12a, and the drain pan 14 is placed only below the neighborhood of the lower end of the upper heat exchanger 12a.
The upper end of the lower heat exchanger 12b is placed in proximity to the lower end of the upper heat exchanger 12a, and the angle at which the lower heat exchanger 12b slants from its upper end toward its lower end exceeds 45° with respect to a vertical line. For this reason, there is the potential for condensation water to fall directly therefrom, so the drain pan 14 is placed below the entire lower heat exchanger 12b.
The upper heat exchanger 12a is set to a dimension longer than the lower heat exchanger 12b, and the lower end corner of the upper heat exchanger 12a is in proximity to the center of the upper end of the lower heat exchanger 12b. For this reason, this offsets the amount by which the upper heat exchanger 12a is made longer than the lower heat exchanger 12b.

(Indoor Fan 13)

The indoor fan 13 is a cross-flow fan, has a width dimension that is longer than its diameter, and sucks in air from a direction perpendicular to its axis of rotation, so the indoor fan 13 can suck in air from the single suction port 20a and blow out air to the single blowout port 20b. The air that has been sucked in passes through the filters 9 and the indoor heat exchanger 12 and enters the indoor fan 13. Hereinafter, the air flow path from the suction port 20a to the indoor fan 13 will be called a suction flow path 31a.
The air that has been blown out from the indoor fan 13 passes through the blowout port module 50 and is blown out from the blowout port 20b. In the blowout port 20b, there is placed the first blowing direction adjusting blade 52 that is a component of the blowout port module 50; the angle of inclination of the first blowing direction adjusting blade 52 is adjustable by a motor, and at the time when operation is stopped, the first blowing direction adjusting blade 52 closes the blowout port 20b. Hereinafter, the air flow path from the indoor fan 13 to the blowout port 20b will be called a blowout flow path (a second blowout flow path 41a and a first blowout flow path 51a). Between the indoor fan 13 and the drain pan 14 and on the second blowout flow path 41a side, there is disposed a tongue portion 15, and this tongue portion 15 prevents leakage of the blowout air and improves performance. Additionally, the lower end portion of the lower heat exchanger 12b is positioned below the tongue portion 15, so dead space can be effectively utilized in comparison to the conventional positional relationship between the tongue portion and the heat exchanger (e.g., see JP-A No. 10-205796 ). The tongue portion 15 is a member independent of the indoor fan 13 and the drain pan 14.

(Body 20)

The air conditioning indoor unit 2 is equipped with the filter cleaning mechanism 10 above the movable panel 24, so the height dimension of the body 20 becomes larger in comparison to a standard air conditioning indoor unit that is not equipped with the filter cleaning mechanism 10. The air conditioning indoor unit 2 couples an extension frame to the body of a standard air conditioning indoor unit in order to utilize the body of a standard air conditioning indoor unit.
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the body of the air conditioning indoor unit. In FIG. 4, the body 20 is broadly divided into an upper body 26, a body extension frame 27, and a lower body 28. In the upper body 26, there are included Styrofoam that forms the suction flow path 31a and the second blowout flow path 41a shown in FIG. 3, the indoor heat exchanger 12, and the indoor fan 13. As for the assembly order of the body 20, the body extension frame 27 is coupled to the upper body 26, and the lower body 28 is coupled to the body extension frame 27. The body extension frame 27 is an intermediate member that interconnects the upper body 26 and the lower body 28; the outer shell of the body extension frame 27 is made of sheet metal and has a cuboid shape, and the body extension frame 27 has sufficient strength with respect to the weight increase of the lower body 28. In the lower body 28, there are placed the filter cleaning mechanism 10, the ornamental panel 21, and the blowout port module 50 shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the lower body. In FIG. 5, hinge coupling devices 6, raising-and-lowering devices 7, a filter housing frame 104 of the filter cleaning mechanism 10, the blowout port module 50, and a blowout port module case 50a are mounted on the upper surface of the ornamental panel 21. The movable panel 24 is mounted on the undersurface of the ornamental panel 21.
FIG. 6 is a plan view of the ornamental panel of the air conditioning indoor unit, FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the ornamental panel as seen from direction A in FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the ornamental panel as seen from direction B in FIG. 6. In FIG. 6, FIG. 7, and FIG. 8, the blowout port module 50 and the filter housing frame 104 of the filter cleaning mechanism 10 are placed along the lengthwise direction on the upper surface of the ornamental panel 21. The blowout port module 50 and the filter housing frame 104 are adjacent in the width direction of the ornamental panel 21.
Filter drive motors 104f are attached to both ends of the filter housing frame 104. The filter drive motors 104f cause a roller 102 to rotate via gears to cause the filters 9 to move. The raising-and-lowering devices 7 are placed in the neighborhood of both ends of the ornamental panel 21 so as to sandwich the filter housing frame 104. For convenience of description, the raising-and-lowering device 7 on the left side in the plan view of FIG. 6 will be called a first raising-and-lowering device 701, and the raising-and-lowering device 7 on the right side in the plan view will be called a second raising-and-lowering device 702.
The region around the second raising-and-lowering device 702 is narrow in comparison to the region around the first raising-and-lowering device 701, the second raising-and-lowering device 702 is in proximity to the filter housing frame 104 in a state where the second raising-and-lowering device 702 slants with respect to the width direction of the ornamental panel 21 in order to suppress occupying space, and as shown in FIG. 7, the filter drive motor 104f is positioned so as to occupy a gap in the center of the second raising-and-lowering device 702.
On the other hand, the region around the first raising-and-lowering device 701 is set to be wide in comparison to the region around the second raising-and-lowering device 702, and a brush drive motor 108f, a first blowing direction adjusting blade drive portion 57, a second blowing direction adjusting blade drive portion 58, and an electrical component box 40 (see FIG. 8) are, in addition to the filter drive motor 104f, placed in the region around the first raising-and-lowering device 701.

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the filter housing frame of the filter cleaning mechanism. In FIG. 9, the filters 9 in whose edges racks 101 are formed, the roller 102 that has pinion gears 102a, filter stabilizing plates 103 that prevent rising of the filters 9, and the filter housing frame 104 that forms a moving path of the filters 9 are attached to the filter housing portion.

(Filters 9)

The filters 9 have screen portions 9a and edge portions 9b that hold the peripheries of the screen portions 9a, and the filters 9 are placed on the front surface side of the indoor heat exchanger 12 as shown in FIG. 3 and remove dust from the air that has been taken in from the indoors. Thus, the filters 9 prevent dust floating in the air from contaminating the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 12. In the edge portions 9b of the filters 9, there are formed the racks 101 that mesh with the pinion gears 102a.

(Roller 102)

The roller 102 has the plural pinion gears 102a and a coupling shaft 102b that coaxially couples together the plural pinion gears 102a. The pinion gears 102a mesh with the racks 101 of the filters 9 and rotate to thereby cause the filters 9 to move horizontally.

(Filter Housing Frame 104)

The filter housing frame 104 has an upper frame 104a and lower frames 104b, and a filter housing portion is formed as a result of the upper frame 104a and the lower frames 104b being spaced a certain interval apart from each other and vertically superimposed. Further, in the upper frame 104a, there are formed motor housing portions 104c, and transmission gears 104d that mesh with the pinion gears 102a, drive gears 104e that drive the transmission gears 104d, and the filter drive motors 104f that cause the drive gears 104e to rotate are housed in the motor housing portions 104c.
Here, the details of the filter housing portion and the positional relationship of the filter drive motors 104f and the brush drive motor 108f with respect to the filter housing frame 104 will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the inside of the filter housing frame. In FIG. 10, the filter drive motors 104fand the brush drive motor 108f are indicated by two-dotted chain lines so that the positions of the filter drive motors 104f and the brush drive motor 108f with respect to the filter housing frame 104 become clear. The filter drive motors 104f and the brush drive motor 108f are positioned on both sides in the lengthwise direction of the filter housing frame 104-that is, above both sides in the lengthwise direction of the suction port 20a.
In FIG. 10, the drive gears 104e are coupled to rotating shafts of the filter drive motors 104f, and the transmission gears 104d mesh with these drive gears 104e. These transmission gears 104d cause the pinion gears 102a of the roller 102 to rotate. The filter housing portion comprises a front housing portion 105 and a rear housing portion 106, and the lengths of the front housing portion 105 and the rear housing portion 106 correspond to the lengths in the lengthwise direction of the filters 9.
FIG. 11 (a) is a cross-sectional view of the filter housing portion when the filters are in the front housing portion, FIG 11(b) is a cross-sectional view of the filter housing portion when the filters are in the rear housing portion, and FIG. 11(c) is a cross-sectional view of the filter housing portion when removing the filters. In FIGS. 11(a), 11(c), and 11(c), the front housing portion 105 has a linear front housing path 15a that serves as a path when the filters 9 move to the rear housing portion 106, and the rear housing portion 106 has a rear housing path 106a that leads the filters 9 moving thereto from the front housing portion 105.
As shown in FIG. 3, the terminal end portion of the front housing portion 105 fits into a recessed portion 32 that is recessed outward from the wall forming the suction flow path 31a, so that when the air conditioning indoor unit 2 is running, the edge portions 9b of the filters 9 are not exposed to the suction flow path 31a. Further, the rear housing portion 106 is positioned between the suction port 20a and the blowout port 20b and below the drain pan.
In the rear housing path 106a, there are a first curved region 106b and a second curved region 106c, and the first curved region 106b causes the filters 9 let out by the roller 102 to curve in a direction approaching the centers of the pinion gears 102a. The second curved region 106c causes the filters 9 to curve in the opposite direction of the first curved region 106b.
Further, the filters 9 are supported from below by filter holders 91, and when the user removes the filters 9 from the filter housing frame 104 for maintenance, the user rotates the filter holders 91 downward and removes the filters 9.

(Position Detection Switches 107)

In FIG 11, the filters 9 move inside the filter housing frame 104 and stop in predetermined positions. The positions where the filters 9 stop are detected by position detection switches 107. The position detection switches 107 are placed in the neighborhood of the terminal end of the front housing portion 105 and in the neighborhood of the terminal end of the rear housing portion 106. On the outer sides of the position detection switches 107, levers are mounted by hinges, and when external force is applied, the levers rotate and push buttons of the position detection switches 107.

(Brush 108)

As shown in FIG. 10, bristles 108a of the brush 108 are positioned on the opposite side of the roller 102 across the filters 9 and touch the filters 9. In other words, the roller 102 is on the upper side of the filters 9, and the brush 108 is below the filters 9. A final transmission gear 108c is coupled onto a rotating shaft of the bristles 108a, and a drive gear 108e is coupled to a rotating shaft of the brush drive motor 108f. This drive gear 108e and an intermediate transmission gear 108d mesh, and the intermediate transmission gear 108d and the final transmission gear 108c mesh.
Further, the brush 108 is positioned between the linear front housing path 105a and the curved rear housing path 106a, so when the filters 9 move between the front housing path 105a and the rear housing path 106a, the brush 108 can touch the entire screen portions 9a of the filters 9.
The meshing between the final transmission gear 108c and the intermediate transmission gear 108d is released when the movable panel 24 opens and when the movable panel 24 lowers, and the final transmission gear 108c moves together with the movable panel 24 and the brush 108. Additionally, when the movable panel 24 closes the suction port 20a, the final transmission gear 108c and the intermediate transmission gear 108d again mesh.
FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the movable panel, and in FIG. 12, the bristles 108a of the brush 108 are fixed to a rotating shaft 108b. The bristles 108a are fine bristles made of plastic, so they can enter into the screen holes of the filters 9 and reliably remove dust. The final transmission gear 108c is coupled to both ends of the rotating shaft 108b.

(Dust Box 109)

In FIG. 12, a dust box 109 has a dust intake port 109a in its upper portion on the side toward the blowout port 20b and supports the rotating shaft 108b via bearings 109b on both ends in the lengthwise direction of the dust intake port 109a. Moreover, a comb portion 109c that knocks the dust that the brush 108 has scraped off of the filters 9 off of the brush 108 is attached to the dust intake port 109a.
As shown in FIG. 2(b), the dust box 109 is attached toward the axis of rotation side of the movable panel 24, and the brush 108 is further toward the blowout port 20b on the end of the suction port 20a, so when the movable panel 24 rotates and opens the suction port 20a, the dust box 109 moves away from the filters 9 together with the brush 108 and does not obstruct the course of the sucked-in air. Further, in order to allow the air coming toward the dust box 109 to smoothly proceed toward the filters 9, a surface 109d of the dust box 109 facing the sucked-in air slants and reduces air resistance.
When the dust box 109 is fixed to the movable panel 24, the movable panel 24 is structurally reinforced by the dust box 109, so the use rate of the sheet metal member that had conventionally been used for reinforcement decreases.

(Operation of Cleaning the Filters 9)

In the air conditioning indoor unit 2, the filters 9 are automatically cleaned periodically by a control unit or by a remote controller when the user deems it necessary. The mechanism thereof will be described below.
In FIG. 11, the racks 101 of the filters 9 fit in the front housing path 105a, and one end of each of the racks 101 (hereinafter called first end portions 101a) meshes with the pinion gears 102a. When the roller 102 rotates, the rotation is transmitted from the pinion gears 102a to the racks 101, and the racks 101 of the filters 9 are conveyed toward the rear housing path 106a by the roller 102. The roller 102 continues rotating, whereby the first end portions 101a of the racks 101 reach the terminal end of the rear housing path 106a.
When the first end portions 101a of the racks 101 reach the terminal end of the rear housing path 106a, the first end portions 101 a cause the levers of the position detection switches 107 to rotate and switch ON the position detection switches 107. The control unit judges from ON signals outputted from the position detection switches 107 that the first end portions 101a of the racks 101 have reached the terminal end of the rear housing path 106a and causes the rotation of the roller 102 to stop. At this time, the entire racks 101 of the filters 9 fit in the rear housing path 106a, and the other end of each of the racks 101 (hereinafter called second end portions 101b) meshes with the pinion gears 102a.
In FIG. 3 and FIG. 11, when the filters 9 move, the dust that had adhered to the surfaces of the filters 9 is scraped off by the brush 108 and collected in the dust box 109. The brush 108 rotates at least during the period when the filters 9 are moving from the front housing path 105a to the rear housing path 106a, and the direction of rotation thereof is a direction counter to the traveling direction of the filters 9.
When the filters 9 move from the front housing path 105a to the rear housing path 106a and removal of the dust ends, the control unit causes the roller 102 to reversely rotate. The second end portions 101b of the racks 101 of the filters 9 mesh with the pinion gears 102a, so the rotation is transmitted from the pinion gears 102a to the racks 101 and the filters 9 are conveyed toward the front housing path 105a by the roller 102. The roller 102 continues reversely rotating, whereby the second end portions 101b of the racks 101 reach the terminal end of the front housing path 105a.
When the second end portions 101b of the racks 101 reach the terminal end of the front housing path 105a, the second end portions 101b cause the levers of the position detection switches 107 to rotate and switch ON the position detection switches 107. The control unit judges from ON signals outputted from the position detection switches 107 that the second end portions 101b of the racks 101 have reached the terminal end of the front housing path 105a and causes the rotation of the roller 102 to stop. At this time, the racks 101 of the filters 9 fit in the front housing path 105a, and the first end portions 101a of the racks 101 mesh with the pinion gears 102a.

(Devices Associated with Operation of the Movable Panel 24)

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the ornamental panel. As shown in FIG 13, on the surface on the ceiling side of the ornamental panel 21, the hinge coupling devices 6 and lock devices 8 are placed in addition to the raising-and-lowering devices 7. The detailed structures of the hinge coupling devices 6, the raising-and-lowering devices 7, and the lock devices 8 will be described in order below.

(Hinge Coupling Devices 6)

The hinge coupling devices 6 rotatably support one end of the movable panel 24 when the air conditioning indoor unit 2 runs and release the support of the one end of the movable panel 24 when the movable panel 24 is lowered to the maintenance position.
FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective diagram of the hinge coupling devices. In FIG. 14, each of the hinge coupling devices 6 has a rotating member 61, a slide member 62, a first pin 63, a pinion gear 64, a motor 65, a fixing member 66, a second pin 67, and screws 68. The rotating member 61 is a U-shaped solid body, and a rod-shaped support shaft 61a projects outward from an end surface. Moreover, a shaft hole 61b is formed in one end portion of the rotating member 61.
In the slide member 62, there are formed a rack 62a that meshes with the pinion gear 64 and arms 62b that sandwich both ends of the shaft hole 61 b in the rotating member 61. Moreover, in the arms 62b, there is formed a first slide hole 62c, and in the neighborhood of the base of the rack 62a, there is formed a second slide hole 62d. The motor 65 is a stepping motor and causes the pinion gear 64 to rotate. The motor 65 has through holes 65a through which the screws 68 pass.
In the fixing member 66, there are formed a slide space 66a that slidably holds the slide member 62, a gear space 66b into which the pinion gear 64 is inserted, and screw holes 66c into which the screws 68 are screwed. Moreover, in the walls that form the slide space 66a, there are formed a first through hole 66d and a second through hole 66e.
The slide member 62 is placed in the slide space 66a in the fixing member 66, and the rotating member 61 is placed in the slide member 62 such that the shaft hole 61b in the rotating member 61 is sandwiched between the arms 62b of the slide member 62. The first pin 63 is inserted from one end of the first through hole 66d in the fixing member 66, passes through the first slide hole 62c in the slide member 62 and the shaft hole 61b in the rotating member 61, and reaches the other end of the first through hole 66d.
The second pin 67 is inserted from one end of the second through hole 66e, passes through the second slide hole 62d in the slide member 62, and reaches the other end of the second through hole 66e. As a result, the slide member 62 can move horizontally in the slide space along the first pin 63 and the second pin 67, and the rotating member 61 can rotate about the first pin 63.

(Operation of the Hinge Coupling Devices 6)

In FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, when the motors 65 cause the pinion gears 64 to rotate, motive force is transmitted to the racks 62a meshing with the pinion gears 64, the slide members 62 slide along the first pins 63, and the rotating members 61 move in the direction of the movable panel 24 or in the opposite direction in accompaniment with the movement of the slide members 62. Here, for convenience of description, rotation of the motors 65 to move the rotating members 61 in the direction where the rotating members 61 become coupled to the movable panel 24 will be called forward rotation, and rotation of the motors 65 to move the rotating members 61 in the direction where the coupling between the rotating members 61 and the movable panel 24 becomes released will be called reverse rotation.
In the end portion of the movable panel 24, there are disposed support holes 24c (see FIG. 12) that confront the support shafts 61a of the rotating members 61, and when the motors 65 forwardly rotate such that the support shafts 61 a are inserted in the support holes 24c in the movable panel 24, coupling between the rotating members 61 and the movable panel 24 becomes established, and the movable panel 24 can rotate about the first pins 63.
On the other hand, when the motor 65 reversely rotates such that the support shafts 61a come out of the support holes 24c in the movable panel 24, the coupling between the rotating members 61 and the movable panel 24 is released, and the movable panel 24 cannot rotate about the first pins 63.

(Raising-and-Lowering Devices 7)

FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of the raising-and-lowering devices. In FIG. 15, each of the raising-and-lowering devices 7 has a wire 71, a pulley 72, a bobbin 73, a take-up gear 74, a drive gear 75, a raising-and-lowering motor 76, a switch 77, and a case 78.
The pulley 72 comprises a pulley portion 72a and a cam portion 72b that are integrally molded, and the pulley portion 72a supports the wire 71 and rotates in accompaniment with the movement of the wire 71. The cam portion 72b comprises a small diameter curved surface, a large diameter curved surface, and a flat surface that interconnects both of those curved surfaces.
The bobbin 73 takes up the wire 71. The take-up gear 74 is coaxially coupled to and integrally rotates with the bobbin 73. The drive gear 75 meshes with the take-up gear 74 and causes the bobbin 73 to rotate.
The raising-and-lowering motor 76 is a stepping motor and causes the drive gear 75 to rotate. The speed of the raising-and-lowering motor 76 is controlled by a number of pulses supplied from the control unit. The control unit has a built-in CPU, memory, and motor drive circuit and is placed in another position away from the raising-and-lowering device 7. The control unit is electrically connected to the raising-and-lowering motor 76 by a wire harness.
The switch 77 is a micro switch having a lever 77a and is switched ON as a result of the lever 77a being pushed. The lever 77a always touches the cam portion 72b of the pulley 72 and is pushed when it confronts the large diameter curved surface of the cam portion 72b. The switch 77 is also electrically connected to the control unit by a wire harness.
The case 78 is divided into a support case 78a and a cover 78b. On the support case 78a, there are formed a first shaft 79a that supports the pulley 72, a second shaft 79b that supports the bobbin 73 and the take-up gear 74, and a third shaft 79c that supports the switch 77. The cover 78b covers and protects each of the parts supported on the support case 78a.

(Operation of the Raising-and-Lowering Devices 7)

FIG. 16 is a view of the layout of parts inside each of the raising-and-lowering devices. In FIG. 16, when the raising-and-lowering devices 7 let out the wires 71, the raising-and-lowering motors 76 cause the drive gears 75 to rotate in direction CCW and cause the take-up gears 74 to rotate in direction CW. Thus, the bobbins 73 rotate in the direction where they let out the wires 71.
On the other hand, when the raising-and-lowering devices 7 take up the wires 71, the raising-and-lowering motors 76 cause the drive gears 75 to rotate in direction CW and cause the take-up gears 74 to rotate in direction CCW. Thus, the bobbins 73 rotate in the direction where they take up the wires 71. The let-out amount and the take-up amount of the wires are proportional to the amount of rotation of the raising-and-lowering motors 76, and the let-out amount and the take-up amount of the wires 71 are controlled as a result of the control unit controlling the number of pulses it supplies to the raising-and-lowering motors 76.
The movable panel 24 is coupled to the distal ends of the wires 71, so there is always tension in the wires 71, and when the wires 71 are let out or when the wires 71 are taken up, the pulley portions 72a rotate because of frictional force with the wires 71. At this time, the cam portions 72b also rotate, so the switches 77 issue ON signals when the levers 77a confront the large diameter curved surfaces of the cam portions 72b and issue OFF signals when the levers 77a confront the small diameter curved surfaces. While the pulleys 72 are rotating, the ON signals and the OFF signals are alternately generated, and these signals are all inputted to the control unit.
However, when the wires 71 become slack and there is no longer any tension in the wires 71 due to some reason, for example, such as when the movable panel 24 lands on a table or the like and stops before reaching a predetermined let-out amount when the wires 71 are let out to lower the movable panel 24 for maintenance, the frictional force between the wires 71 and the pulley portions 72a diminishes and the pulleys 72 stop. For this reason, either one of the ON signal or the OFF signal is continuously outputted from the switches 77. At this time, the control unit presumes that the movable panel 24 has stopped due to some obstacle because the signals from the switches 77 are constant while the raising-and-lowering motors 76 are rotating and immediately causes the raising-and-lowering motors 76 to stop.

(Lock Devices 8)

What supports the movable panel 24 on the body 20 when the movable panel 24 is closing the suction port 20a are the hinge coupling devices 6 and the raising-and-lowering devices 7. The air conditioning indoor unit 2 is further equipped with the lock devices 8 so that the movable panel 24 does not fall even when, due to an unforeseen reason, the hinge coupling devices 6 malfunction and release the support of the movable panel 24 and the wires 71 of the raising-and-lowering devices 7 end up becoming slack.
FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the lock devices. In FIG. 17, each of the lock devices 8 has a movable body 81, a first holding portion 82, a second holding portion 83, a motor 84, and a spring 85. The movable body 81 has a square column shape, with a slanted surface 811 being formed on one end thereof, a rack 81a that meshes with a predetermined gear being formed on a long side surface 812 whose total length is a maximum length, and a hollow portion 81b being formed below the rack 81a. The movable body 81 is held in a state where it is movable in the first holding portion 82 with the long side surface 812 facing vertically up.
The first holding portion 82 is a box with a cuboid shape whose upper surface and one side surface are open, with a guide groove 82a being formed in the bottom surface and with the movable body 81 moving horizontally along that guide groove 82a. Both ends of the guide groove 82a are sandwiched by walls 821 and 822, and in the one wall 821, there is formed a through port 82b through which the movable body 81 passes. A wall 823 is adjacent to the walls 821 and 822 that sandwich both ends of the guide groove 82a, and in the wall 823, there is formed a plate-shaped projection 82c that projects in the direction orthogonal to the guide groove 82a. When the movable body 81 is being held in the first holding portion 82, the slanted surface 811 is always positioned outside the first holding portion 82 and the rack 81a is always positioned inside the first holding portion 82. Additionally, the plate-shaped projection 82c of the first holding portion 82 penetrates the hollow portion 81 b of the movable body 81.
The wall 823 fixes the motor 84 and rotatably supports a pinion gear 84a that is coupled to a rotating shaft of the motor 84. The pinion gear 84a meshes with the rack 81 a of the movable body 81 to configure a rack & pinion mechanism. In the hollow portion 81 b of the movable body 81, there is housed the spring 85. The spring 85 is a compression coil spring and is sandwiched between an end portion of the hollow portion 81 b and the plate-shaped projection 82c.
The second holding portion 83 is a solid body in which a guide hole 83a through which the movable body 81 passes is formed, and the second holding portion 83 is installed on the movable panel 24. On the upper surface of the second holding portion 83, there is formed a smoothly curved surface 831.

(Operation of the Lock Devices 8)

In FIG. 17, the movable bodies 81 are in a state where they are held in the first holding portion 82 and the second holding portion 83, and when the motors 84 cause the pinion gears 84a to rotate in direction CCW in that state, the rotational motion of the pinion gears 84a is converted into linear motion by the racks 81a, and the movable bodies 81 slide toward the walls 822. When the movable bodies 81 move a predetermined distance, the movable bodies 81 move out of the guide holes 83a in the second holding portions 83. The second holding bodies 83 not holding the movable bodies 8 are allowed to move in the vertical direction, so the second holding bodies 83 do not impede the descent of the movable body 24.
The distance between the side surfaces of the hollow portions 81b and the plate-shaped projections 82c becomes shorter because of the movement of the movable bodies 81, so the springs 85 are compressed and store repulsive force. While electrical power is being supplied to the motors 84, the motors 84 rotate counter to the increasing repulsive force of the springs 85, but when electrical power is no longer supplied to the motors 84, the motors 84 reversely rotate because of the repulsive force of the springs 85, and the movable bodies 81 return to their former positions.
When the movable panel 24 is not descending and the second holding portions 83 are not moving, the movable bodies 81 enter the guide holes 83a in the second holding portions 83. On the other hand, when the movable panel 24 is descending and the second holding portions 83 are moving, the second holding portions 83 stand by on the trajectory on which they return. Then, when the movable panel 24 ascends and closes the suction port 20a, the second holding portions 83 touch their curved surfaces 831 on the slanted surfaces 811 of the movable bodies 81, push aside the movable bodies 81, and return.
The movable bodies 81 pushed by the second holding portions 83 move horizontally and compress the springs 85. When the second holding portions 83 completely return, the movable bodies 81 penetrate the guide holes 83a in the second holding portions 83. As a result, the movable bodies 81 impede the descent of the movable panel 24.

(Opening and Closing Operation of the Movable Panel 24)

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a state where the movable panel has opened the suction port. In FIG. 18, when the lock devices 8 release their lock and the raising-and-lowering devices 7 let out the wires 71 in a state where the hinge coupling devices 6 couple the movable panel 24, the movable panel 24 descends because of its own weight. However, because the end portion of the movable panel 24 is coupled to the hinge coupling devices 6, the movable panel 24 rotates about its end portion in the direction where the movable panel 24 opens the suction port 20a.
On the other hand, when the raising-and-lowering devices 7 take up the wires 71, the movable panel 24 ascends, but because the end portion of the movable panel 24 is coupled to the hinge coupling devices 6, the movable panel 24 rotates about its end portion in the direction where the movable panel 24 closes the suction port 20a. When the movable panel 24 completely closes the suction port 20a, the lock devices 8 lock the movable panel 24.

(Operation of Raising and Lowering the Movable Panel 24)

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a state where the movable panel is descending. In FIG. 19, when the hinge coupling devices 6 release their coupling with the end portions of the movable panel 24 and the lock devices 8 release their locking of the movable panel 24 and the raising-and-lowering devices 7 let out the wires 71, the movable panel 24 descends because of its own weight. On the other hand, when the raising-and-lowering devices 7 take up the wires 71, the movable panel 24 ascends, and when the movable panel 24 completely closes the suction port 20a, the lock devices 8 lock the movable panel 24.
The movable panel 24 is hung on two wires and descends together with the dust box 109, so the total weight of the movable panel 24 including the dust box 109 increases, and the posture of the movable panel 24 does not become unstable because of the indoor air flow. However, when dust collects disproportionately inside the dust box 109, the center of gravity of the movable panel 24 shifts. For this reason, in the present embodiment, the dimension and position of the dust box 109 on the movable panel 24 are set such that the posture of the movable panel 24 when dust fills the inside of the dust box 109 and the posture of the movable panel 24 when the inside of the dust box 109 is empty are substantially the same posture.
Specifically, the total length in the lengthwise direction of the dust box 109 is set to be equal to or greater than 1/2 the total length in the lengthwise direction of the movable panel 24. Further, the total length in the widthwise direction of the dust box 109 is set to be equal to or greater than 1/3 the total length in the widthwise direction of the movable panel 24. Additionally, the dust box 109 is placed toward the axis of rotation when the movable panel 24 rotates.

When the dust that has collected inside the dust box 109 is to be discarded, the dust box 109 is detached from the movable panel 24 of the air conditioning indoor unit 2. However, because the dust box 109 is attached to the movable panel 24, which the user cannot reach by hand, the user lowers the movable panel 24 to the maintenance position, which the user can reach by hand, and then detaches the dust box 109 from the movable panel 24. The details of the mechanism by which the movable panel 24 is lowered have been described in the section about the operation of raising and lowering the movable panel 24, so description thereof will be omitted, and here the method of detaching the dust box 109 from the descended movable panel 24 will be described.
FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the dust box and the movable panel after the dust box has been removed therefrom. In FIG. 20, in the movable panel 24, there is formed a housing portion 24a in which the dust box 109 is housed. When FIG. 20 is seen from the front, a first push-out portion 110 of a removal mechanism is placed on the left side end portion, and a second push-out portion 210 of the removal mechanism is placed on the right side end portion.
FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the removal mechanism, and FIG. 22 is an exploded perspective view of the removal mechanism. In FIG. 21, the removal mechanism comprises the first push-out portion 110, the second push-out portion 210, and a transmission portion 310. The first push-out portion 110 has a button 151, and when the user pushes this button 151, the first push-out portion 110 pushes out the neighborhood of one end of the dust box 109 above the movable panel 24 and, at the same time, the second push-out portion 210 pushes out the neighborhood of the other end of the dust box 109 above the movable panel 24.
As shown in FIG. 22, the first push-out portion 110, the second push-out portion 210, and the transmission portion 310 are assembled out of plural parts. In FIG. 22, the first push-out portion 110 includes a first cam member 111, a first positioning member 121, a first cover 131, a first plate spring 141, the button 151, and a coil spring 161. The second push-out portion 210 includes a second cam member 211, a second positioning member 221, a second cover 231, and a second plate spring 241. The transmission portion 310 includes a transmission member 311, an adjustment screw 313, and a connection member 314.

(Associated Members of First Push-Out Portion 110)

(First Cam Member 111)

The first cam member 111 is a resin part where a hook 112, a receiving cam 113, a pushing cam 114, a connection portion 115, and a shaft 116 are integrally molded, and the first cam member 111 has three functions. The first function of the first cam member 111 is the function of holding the dust box 109 in the housing portion 24a, so that when the dust box 109 is mounted in the housing portion 24a, the hook 112 fits in a recessed portion 109e (see FIG. 20) disposed in both ends of the dust box 109 and prevents the dust box 109 from projecting upward. In other words, the hook 112 functions as a holding member that holds the dust box 109.
The second function of the first cam member 111 is the function of pushing out the dust box 109 from the housing portion 24a, so that when the receiving cam 113 is pushed by the button 151, the pushing cam 114 rotates about the shaft 116 and pushes out the end portion of the dust box 109 above the housing portion 24a. In other words, the pushing cam 114 functions as a push-out member that pushes out the dust box 109.
The third function of the first cam member 111 is the function of pulling the transmission member 311; one end of the transmission member 311 catches in a hole 115a disposed in the connection member 115, and when the connection member 115 rotates about the shaft 116, the transmission member 311 is pulled.

(First Positioning Member 121)

The first positioning member 121 is a resin part where a case 122, a button case 123, and an attachment plate 124 are integrally molded, and the first positioning member 121 has three functions. The first function of the first positioning member 121 is the function of holding the first cam member 111, and the case 122 rotatably supports the shaft 116 of the first cam member 111 via a bearing 125. However, the case 122 surrounds the pushing cam 114 of the first cam member 111, so the first cam member 111 cannot rotate in a counterclockwise direction.
The second function of the first positioning member 121 is the function of holding the button 151 and the coil spring 161. In the wall surface of the button case 123, there is disposed a guide groove 123a that supports the button 151 such that the button 151 is reciprocally movable therein, and in the center of the button case 123, there is disposed a support rod 123b that supports the coil spring 161. The coil spring 161 is sandwiched between and compressed by the button case 123 and the button 151, so repulsive force arises in the button 151.
The third function of the first positioning member 121 is the function of fixing the first push-out portion 110 to the movable panel 24, and the first positioning member 121 is fastened by a screw to the housing portion 24a via an attachment hole 124a in the attachment plate 124.

(First Cover 131)

The first cover 131 is a resin part where a dividing wall 132 and a spring case 133 are integrally molded, and the first cover 131 has two functions. The first function of the first cover 131 is the function of partitioning the end portion of the housing portion 24a in which the dust box 109 is housed and the movable panel 24, so that when the dust box 109 is removed from the housing portion 24a, the dividing wall 132 blocks the end portion of the housing portion 24a and prevents the inside of the movable panel 24 from being able to be seen from the outside. The second function of the first cover 131 is the function of holding the first plate spring 141, and the spring case 133 in which the first plate spring 141 is housed is disposed in the substantial center of the dividing wall 132.

(First Plate Spring 141)

The first plate spring 141 is a part shaped out of a stainless steel plate for a spring and has the function of pushing in the lengthwise direction and fixing the dust box 109. Because of the first plate spring 141, rattling of the dust box 109 in the housing portion 24a is prevented.

(Button 151)

The button 151 is a resin part where an operation portion 152 and a guide portion 153 are integrally molded, and the button 151 has the function of causing the first cam member 111 to rotate. On the surface of the operation portion 152, there are displayed characters indicating to the user that the button is a push button. The guide portion 153 fits together with the button case 123 of the first positioning member 121, so that reciprocal linear motion is allowed. When the operation portion 152 is pushed, the guide portion 153 travels straightly, pushes the receiving cam 113 of the first cam member 111, and causes the first cam member 111 to rotate about the shaft 116.
On a predetermined place of the guide portion 153, there is disposed a claw 153a that snap-fits together with the guide groove 123a in the button case 123. The claw 153a is allowed to move along the lengthwise direction of the guide groove 123a.

(Coil Spring 161)

The coil spring 161 is a part shaped in a coil out of a stainless steel wire for a spring and has the function of causing force in the opposite direction of the pushing direction to act on the button 151. The coil spring 161 is compressed by the button case 123 and the guide portion 153 of the button 151 after being inserted onto the support rod 123b of the button case 123, so repulsive force arises in the button 151.

(Associated Members of Second Push-Out Portion 210)

(Second Cam Member 211)

The second cam member 211 is a resin part where a hook 212, a pushing cam 214, a connection portion 215, and a shaft 216 are integrally molded, and the second cam member 211 has two functions. The first function of the second cam member 211 is the function of holding the dust box 109 in the housing portion 24a, so that when the dust box 109 is mounted in the housing portion 24a, the hook 212 fits in the recessed portion 109e (see FIG. 20) disposed in both ends of the dust box 109 and prevents the dust box 109 from projecting upward. In other words, the hook 212 functions as a holding member that holds the dust box 109.
The second function of the second cam member 211 is the function of pushing out the dust box 109 from the housing portion 24a, so that when the connection portion 215 is pulled by the transmission member 311, the pushing cam 214 rotates about the shaft 216 and pushes out the end portion of the dust box 109 outside the housing portion 24a. In other words, the pushing cam 214 functions as a push-out member that pushes out the dust box 109.
The connection portion 215 is a circular column that extends in a direction parallel to the shaft 216, and the center of the shaft 216 and the center of the connection portion 215 are a predetermined distance apart from each other. When the second cam member 211 rotates, the connection portion 215 draws a circular arc about the shaft 216.

(Second Positioning Member 221)

The second positioning member 221 is a resin part where a case 222 and an attachment plate 224 are integrally molded, and the second positioning member 221 has two functions. The first function of the second positioning member 221 is the function of holding the second cam member 211, and the case 222 rotatably supports the shaft 216 of the second cam member 211 via a bearing 225. However, the case 222 surrounds the pushing cam 214 of the second cam member 211, so the second cam member 211 cannot rotate in a clockwise direction.
The second function of the second positioning member 221 is the function of fixing the second push-out portion 210 to the housing portion 24a, and the second positioning member 221 is fastened by a screw to the housing portion 24a via an attachment hole 224a in the attachment plate 224.

(Second Cover 231)

The second cover 231 is a resin part where a dividing wall 232 and a spring case 233 are integrally molded, and the second cover 231 has two functions. The first function of the second cover 231 is the function of partitioning the end portion of the housing portion 24a in which the dust box 109 is housed and the movable panel 24, so that when the dust box 109 is removed from the housing portion 24a, the dividing wall 232 blocks the end portion of the housing portion 24a and prevents the inside of the movable panel 24 from being able to be seen from the outside. The second function of the second cover 231 is the function of holding the second plate spring 241, and the spring case 233 in which the second plate spring 241 is housed is disposed in the substantial center of the dividing wall 232.

(Second Plate Spring 241)

The second plate spring 241 is a part shaped out of a stainless steel plate for a spring and has the function of pushing and the fixing the dust box 109 in the lengthwise direction. Because of the second plate spring 241, rattling of the dust box 109 in the housing portion 24a is prevented.

(Associated Members of Transmission Portion 310)

The transmission portion 310 interconnects the first cam member 111 and the second cam member 211 such that the displacement of the first cam member 111 of the first push-out portion 110 is transmitted to the second cam member 211 of the second push-out portion 210. The transmission portion 310 comprises the transmission member 311 and adjusting means 312, and the adjusting means 312 includes the adjustment screw 313 and the connection member 314.

(Transmission Member 311)

The transmission member 311 is a part made out of a stainless steel wire, with one end portion 311a being coupled to the first cam member 111 of the first push-out portion 110 and another end portion 311b being indirectly coupled to the second cam member 211 of the second push-out portion 210. The end portion 311 a is bent such that it catches in the hole 115a in the connection portion 115. The end portion 311b is threaded in order to allow the adjustment screw 313 to be screwed thereto.
The distance between the first cam member 111 and the second cam member 211 varies per product, so the worker screws the adjustment screw 313 onto the end portion 311b, finely adjusts the distance from the end portion 311a to the adjustment screw 313, and fits the adjustment screw 313 into the connection member 314 after adjustment of the distance is completed.

(Adjustment Screw 313)

The adjustment screw 313 is a part made out of brass and comprises a hexagonal column-shaped screw body 313a in the center of which is disposed a screw hole 313b that is threaded along the axial direction. The end portion 311b of the transmission member 311 is screwed into this screw hole 313b.

(Connection Member 314)

The connection member 314 is a resin part where a holding portion 315 and a connection portion 316 are integrally molded, and the connection member 314 has the function of coupling together the second cam member 211 and the transmission member 311. The holding portion 315 is disposed with a recessed portion that touches the plural outside surfaces of the screw body 313a such that the holding portion 315 can hold the adjustment screw 313. In the present embodiment, the shape of the recessed portion is formed such that the recessed portion touches four of the outside surfaces of the adjustment screw 313 in order to prevent spinning of the adjustment screw 313. However, the shape of the recessed portion is not limited to this; for example, even when the recessed portion is formed in a cuboid shape, it can prevent spinning of the adjustment screw 313.
The connection portion 316 projects in a cantilever manner from a predetermined end surface of the holding portion 315, and circular claws are disposed on the distal end portion thereof. The claws snap-fit into coupling holes disposed in the connection portion 215 of the second cam member 211. When the transmission member 311 is pulled by the first cam member 111, the connection member 314 pulls the connection portion 215 of the second cam member 211. At this time, the second cam member 211 rotates about the shaft 216, and the pushing cam 214 pushes the end portion of the dust box 109.
When the second cam member 211 rotates, the connection portion 215 moves while drawing a circular arc about the shaft 216, so the coupling holes and the claws slide each other. The coupling holes and the claws have the relationship of shaft holes and shafts that fit together, so they do not pry each other.

(Operation of Detaching and Operation of Attaching the Dust Box 109)

In FIG. 19, the user pushes the button 151 to detach the dust box 109 from the housing portion 24a. When the button 151 is pushed, the receiving cam 113 is pushed, the first cam member 111 rotates, and the pushing cam 114 pushes one end of the dust box 109.
When the first cam member 111 rotates, the connection portion 115 pulls the transmission member 311, so the second cam member 211 is pulled and rotates, and the pushing cam 214 pushes the other end of the dust box 109.
At the same time that both ends of the dust box 109 are pushed, the hook 112 of the first cam member 111 and the hook 212 of the second cam member 211 move away from the recessed portions 109e (see FIG. 20) of the dust box 109, and the dust box 109 projects outward from the housing portion 24a. In other words, the button 151 functions as an operation member that causes the hooks 112 and 212 and the pushing cams 114 and 214 to operate. The user can easily recognize that the dust box 109 is out of the movable panel 24.
On the other hand, when the dust box 109 is to be attached to the housing portion 24a, the user pushes the dust box 109 into the housing portion 24a, whereby the hook 112 of the first cam member 111 and the hook 212 of the second cam member 211 fit into the recessed portions 109e (see FIG. 20) of the dust box 109 and hold the dust box 109 in the housing portion 24a.
As described above, the dust box 109 can be detached from the movable panel 24 by just pushing the button 151, and the dust box 109 becomes locked to the movable panel 24 by just pushing the dust box 109 into the housing portion 24a of the movable panel 24, so the dust box 109 is user-friendly.

FIG. 23 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the blowout port module, and FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the blowout port module. In FIG. 23 and FIG. 24, the blowout port module 50 is a module where a first blowout flow path forming wall portion 51, the first blowing direction adjusting blade 52, a second blowing direction adjusting blade 53, long blade support members 54, rectangular blade support members 55, and a heat-insulating member 56 are modularized.

(First Blowout Flow Path Forming Wall Portion 51)

The first blowout flow path forming wall portion 51 forms the first blowout flow path 51a that is positioned in the terminal end portion of the air flow path and leads to the blowout port 20b. The first blowout flow path forming wall portion 51 has a resinous seal member adhesion surface 511 in its portion facing the terminal end of a second blowout flow path forming wall portion 41 (see FIG 3) that forms the second blowout flow path 41a, and a seal member 59 is adhered thereto. The width dimension of the seal member adhesion surface 511 is set to be equal to or greater than 3 mm.
The first blowout flow path forming wall portion 51 further has an outer wall 512 and an inner wall 513, which extend in the direction of the blowout port 20b from the seal member adhesion surface 511, and a flange 514, which extends in the horizontal direction from the terminal end of the outer wall 512. The outer wall 512 and the inner wall 513 are a predetermined distance apart from each other, and a heat-insulating air layer 51 b (see FIG. 23) is formed between the outer wall 512 and the inner wall 513. The flange 514 is positioned on the opposite side of the suction port 20a across the blowout port 20b and doubles as a reinforcement plate of the ornamental panel 21.

(First Blowing Direction Adjusting Blade 52)

The first blowing direction adjusting blade 52 is positioned in the neighborhood of the blowout port 20b and has two long blades 52a and 52b that extend parallel to the lengthwise direction of the blowout port 20b. The long blades 52a and 52b are coupled to the first blowout flow path forming wall portion 51 by the long blade support members 54, and support portions 54a and 54b of the long blade support members 54 rotate about an axis parallel to the lengthwise direction of the blowout port 20b and adjust the angle of inclination of the long blades 52a and 52b. However, when the air conditioning indoor unit 2 is stopped, the long blades 52a and 52b close the blowout port 20b.

(Second Blowing Direction Adjusting Blade 53)

The second blowing direction adjusting blade 53 is positioned upstream of the first blowing direction adjusting blade 52 and has plural rectangular blades 53a and one drive shaft 53b. The rectangular blades 53a are coupled to the first blowout flow path forming wall portion 51 by the rectangular blade support members 55 and are arranged parallel to the lengthwise direction of the blowout port 20b at predetermined intervals. Further, the plural rectangular blades 53a are interconnected by the drive shaft 53b and swing about an axis orthogonal to the lengthwise direction of the blowout port 20b as a result of the drive shaft 53b reciprocally moving in the lengthwise direction.

(First Blowing Direction Adjusting Blade Drive Portion 57)

The first blowing direction adjusting blade drive portion 57 is positioned on an extension line of the first blowing direction adjusting blade 52 outside the first blowout flow path forming wall portion 51. The first blowing direction adjusting blade drive portion 57 has inside a stepping motor (not shown) and a transmission gear (not shown) that transmits the rotation of that stepping motor to the long blade support members 54.

(Second Blowing Direction Adjusting Blade Drive Portion 58)

The second blowing direction adjusting blade drive portion 58 is positioned on an extension line of the drive shaft 53b of the second blowing direction adjusting blade 53 outside the first blowout flow path forming wall portion 51. The second blowing direction adjusting blade drive portion 58 has inside a stepping motor (not shown) and a transmission gear (not shown) that transmits the rotation of that stepping motor to the drive shaft 53b.

(1)

In the air conditioning indoor unit 2, the dust box 109 that collects dust removed at the time of filter cleaning is detachably placed on the movable panel 24. The dust box 109 can be lowered together with the movable panel 24, and it is possible to clean the dust box 109. Further, the brush 108 that removes the dust in the filters 9 is attached to the dust box 109, and the brush 108 can also be cleaned at the time of cleaning of the dust box 109.
Further, the intermediate transmission gear 108d, the drive gear 108e, the brush drive motor 108f, the filters 9, and the roller 102 do not descend, so the load acting on the raising-and-lowering devices 7 is alleviated, and the work of detaching the dust box 109 in the maintenance position also becomes easy.

(2)

Further, because the dust box 109 is placed on the movable panel 24, the dust box 109 prevents warping of the movable panel 24. Moreover, the weight of the movable panel 24 increases because of the dust box 109, it is difficult for the movable panel 24 to swing, and the at-rest posture of the movable panel 24 is stable.

(3)

In the air conditioning indoor unit 2, the dust box 109 can be detached from the movable panel 24 by just pushing the button 151. At that time, the dust box 109 pops out in the removal direction, so the user can reliably recognize that the dust box 109 is off of the movable panel 24.
Further, when the dust box 109 is placed in the predetermined position, the hooks 112 and 212 catch on the dust box 109, so a situation where the movable panel ascends without the dust box 109 being held thereon is avoided. When the button 151 is pushed, the dust box is pushed out while the hooks 112 and 212 are caused to move in a direction away from the dust box, so one-touch removal of the dust box is realized.

(4)

In the air conditioning indoor unit 2, the posture of the movable panel 24 when it descends with dust collected inside the dust box 109 and the posture of the movable panel 24 when it ascends with the inside of the dust box 109 being empty are substantially the same posture, so a sense of stability in the operation of raising and lowering the movable panel 24 can be imparted to the user.

(5)

In the air conditioning indoor unit 2, the surface 109d of the dust box 109 facing the sucked-in air is a slanted surface, so the air resistance of the dust box 109 with respect to the sucked-in air decreases, and wind noise when the sucked-in air passes through the dust box 109 decreases.

(6)

In the air conditioning indoor unit 2, the rear housing portion 106 of the filters 9 is placed between the suction flow path 31a and the second blowout flow path 41 a. As a result, it is not necessary to make the shape of the body larger or to make the suction port 20a smaller in order to secure the rear housing portion 106.

(7)

In the air conditioning indoor unit 2, the recessed portion 32 into which the end portions of the filters 9 fit is disposed in a suction flow path forming wall portion 31, and the edge portions 9b of the filters 9 fit into this recessed portion 32, so the edge portions 9b of the filters 9 are not exposed to the suction flow path 31a. As a result, air can pass through the inside of the suction flow path 31a without being obstructed by the edge portions 9b of the filters 9. Further, the recessed portion 32 serves as a guide when the filters 9 return to the front housing portion 105 from the rear housing portion 106, so the filters 9 can reliably return.

(8)

In the air conditioning indoor unit 2, the raising-and-lowering devices 7 cause the movable panel 24 to move to an open position at a time of operation and cause the movable panel 24 to move to a closed position at a time of shutdown, so at the time of shutdown, the suction port 20a is completely closed, and the inside of the air conditioning indoor unit 2 is not exposed through the suction port 20a.

(9)

In the air conditioning indoor unit 2, the raising-and-lowering devices 7 hoist the movable panel 24 at two points and cause the movable panel 24 to move, and when the movable panel 24 moves between the closed position and the open position, the end portions of the movable panel 24 are supported. As a result, a situation where the movable panel 24 swings unstably due to ceiling vibration or the wind pressure of the sucked-in air is prevented.

Next, a modification of the embodiment described above will be described with reference to the drawings. The same reference numerals will be given to portions shared in common with those in the embodiment described above, and description of those portions will be omitted. FIG. 25 is a perspective view of a movable panel of an air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the modification, and FIG. 26 is an enlarged view of portion C in FIG. 25.

(Hinges 530)

In FIG. 25, a movable panel 524 is rotatably supported on the ornamental panel 21 by hinges 530. As shown in FIG. 26, each of the hinges 530 has a horizontal rod portion 531 that extends in the horizontal direction, a lever 532 that extends vertically from the horizontal rod portion 531, and hooks 533 that bend in a hook-like manner from end portions of the lever 532, and the hinge 530 is at rest in a state where the horizontal rod portion 531 is up.
FIG. 27 is a side view of the hinge. In FIG. 27, the hinge 530 further has a rotating shaft portion 534 that serves as the center of rotation of the movable panel 524. Spring force acts on the hinge 530 such that the hinge 530 falls over in direction D because of a spring inside the movable panel 524.

(Hinge Coupling Mechanism 760)

FIG. 28 is a plan view of the hinge and a hinge coupling mechanism when the movable panel is closing the suction port, FIG. 29 is a plan view of the hinge and the hinge coupling mechanism when the movable panel opens the suction port, and FIG. 30 is a plan view of the hinge and the hinge coupling mechanism when the movable panel is away from the suction port.
In FIG. 28, a hinge coupling mechanism 760 includes hinge receivers 761 and 762, a slide member 764, a motor 765, a hinge detection lever 766, and a hinge detection switch 767. The hinge receivers 761 and 762 have rotating shafts 761a and 762a and receiving portions 761b and 762b that receive the horizontal rod portion 531 of the hinge 530. The receiving portions 761b and 762b can rotate about the rotating shafts 761a and 762b.
The slide member 764 has positioning projections 764a and 764b, pushing portions 764c and 764d, a rack 764e, and a manual operation portion 764f. The positioning projection 764a touches the hinge receiver 761 and the positioning projection 764b touches the hinge receiver 762 to prevent swinging of the hinge receivers 761 and 762. The pushing portions 764c and 764d push the hinge receivers 761 and 762 to ensure that the receiving portions 761 b and 762b do not receive the horizontal rod portion 531 of the hinge 530 when the slide member 764 moves in direction E. The rack 764e meshes with a pinion gear 765a of the motor 765 and converts the rotation of the pinion gear 765a into horizontal movement of the slide member 764.
A cam 782 of a panel lock mechanism 780 is integrally molded on an end portion of the slide member 764. The cam 782 has a cam surface 782a for causing a panel lock lever 781 to rotate. The cam surface 782a includes an operation cam surface, which causes the panel lock lever 781 to rotate when the cam 782 moves together with the slide member 764, and an at-rest cam surface, which causes the panel lock lever 781 to be at rest in a rotated position. That is, when the slide member 764 moves an amount corresponding to the range of the operation cam surface, the panel lock lever 781 rotates, but the hinge receiver 761 and the slide member 764 do not touch, so the hinge receiver 761 does not rotate. At this time, the locked state of the movable panel 524 is released, but the coupled state between the hinge 530 and the movable panel 524 is not released. However, when the slide member 764 exceeds the amount corresponding to the range of the operation cam surface and moves as far as an amount corresponding to the range of the at-rest cam surface, the hinge receiver 761 and the slide member 764 touch, so the hinge receiver 761 rotates. At this time, the coupled state between the hinge 530 and the movable panel 524 is also released in a state where the locked state of the movable panel 524 is released.
The manual operation portion 764f is disposed on an end portion of the slide member 764 and is used when manually causing the slide member 764 to move. The manual operation portion 764f is used when the motor 765 fails and the user wants to release the locked state of the movable panel 524 or wants to release the coupled state between the hinge 530 and the movable panel 524.
The hinge detection lever 766 has a rotating shaft portion 766a, a hinge detection portion 766b, and a switch operation portion 766c. The hinge detection portion 766b and the switch operation portion 766c are located in mutually opposite positions across the rotating shaft portion 766a, and when the hinge detection portion 766b touches the hinge 530 and is pushed, the switch operation portion 766c rotates about the rotating shaft portion 766a and pushes the hinge detection switch 767. At this time, the hinge detection switch 767 switches ON.
In FIG. 29, when the movable panel 524 descends in order to open the suction port 20a, the hinge 530 moves in direction F because of spring force, so both ends of the horizontal rod portion 531 of the hinge 530 are held in the receiving portions 761b and 762b of the hinge receivers 761 and 762. At this time, the hinge detection lever 766 does not touch the hinge 530, so the switch operation portion 766c rotates in the direction away from the hinge detection switch 767, and the hinge detection switch 767 switches OFF.
In FIG. 30, when the slide member 764 moves in direction E, the pushing portions 764c and 764d push the hinge receivers 761 and 762, so the receiving portions 761b and 762b come out of the descending trajectory of the hinge 530. As a result, both ends of the horizontal rod portion 531 of the hinge 530 are not held in the receiving portions 761b and 762b, so the movable panel 524 descends without rotating.

(Operation of Opening and Closing the Movable Panel 524)

FIG. 31 (a) is a cross-sectional view of the lower body, FIG. 31 (b) is a partial cross-sectional view of the lower body immediately before the movable panel opens the suction port, and FIG. 31(c) is a partial cross-sectional view of the lower body immediately after the movable panel has opened the suction port. In FIG. 28 and FIG. 31(a), in the space below the horizontal rod portion 531 of the hinge 530, the hinge receivers 761 and 762, which receive the horizontal rod portion 531, and projecting portions 763 that touch the hooks 533 project from the ornamental panel 21. When the movable panel 524 is closing the suction port 20a, the hooks 533 touch the projecting portions 763, so the horizontal rod portion 531 is at rest in a state where it has rotated in a clockwise direction about the rotating shaft portion 534. At this time, the horizontal rod portion 531 and the hinge receivers 761 and 762 do not yet touch.
In FIG. 29 and FIG. 31(b), when the movable panel 524 descends, the horizontal rod portion 531 catches on the hinge receivers 761 and 762 and stops. When the movable panel 524 continues descending, the horizontal rod portion 531 is restrained by the hinge receivers 761 and 762, so the movable panel 524 and the hinge 530 try to move apart. However, because the movable panel 524 and the hinge 530 are coupled together by the rotating shaft portion 534, as shown in FIG. 31(c), the movable panel 524 rotates about the rotating shaft portion 534.
On the other hand, operation when the movable panel 524 closes the suction port 20a is the opposite of operation when the movable panel 524 opens the suction port 20a, and by causing the movable panel 524 to ascend, the operation goes from the state of FIG. 31(a) through the state of FIG. 31(b) to the state of FIG. 31(c).

(Operation of Raising and Lowering the Movable Panel 524)

FIG. 32(a) is a cross-sectional view of the lower body, FIG. 32(b) is a partial cross-sectional view of the lower body immediately after the movable panel has started descending, and FIG. 32(c) is a partial cross-sectional view of the lower body when the movable panel has descended. In FIG. 28 and FIG. 32(a), in the space below the horizontal rod portion 531 of the hinge 530, the hinge receivers 761 and 762, which receive the horizontal rod portion 531, and the projecting portions 763 that touch the hooks 533 project from the ornamental panel 21. When the movable panel 524 is closing the suction port 20a, the hooks 533 touch the projecting portions 763, so the horizontal rod portion 531 is at rest in a state where it has rotated in a clockwise direction about the rotating shaft portion 534. At this time, the horizontal rod portion 531 and the hinge receivers 761 and 762 do not yet touch.
In FIG. 30 and FIGS. 32(b) and 32(c), the slide member 764 moves in direction E, and the pushing portions 764c and 764d push the hinge receivers 761 and 762, so the receiving portions 761b and 762b are out of the descending trajectory of the hinge 530, and when the hinge 530 descends, both ends of the horizontal rod portion 531 are not held in the receiving portions 761b and 762b, and the movable panel 524 can descend without rotating.
On the other hand, operation when the movable panel 524 closes the suction port 20a is the opposite of operation when the movable panel 524 opens the suction port 20a, and by causing the movable panel 524 to ascend, the operation goes from the state of FIG. 32(a) through the state of FIG. 32(b) to the state of FIG. 32(c).

(Panel Lock Mechanism 780)

In FIG. 28, the panel lock mechanism 780 includes the panel lock lever 781, the cam 782, a panel lock ring 783, a lock detection switch 784, and a spring 785. The cam 782 is fixed to an end portion of the slide member 764 of the hinge coupling mechanism 760 and has the cam surface 782a.
The panel lock lever 781 has a rotating shaft portion 781a, a cam touching portion 781 b, and a panel lock portion 781c. The cam touching portion 781b and the panel lock portion 781c are located in mutually opposite positions across the rotating shaft portion 781a. The cam touching portion 781b rotates about the rotating shaft portion 781a by following the cam surface 782a, and the panel lock portion 781c rotates about the rotating shaft portion 781a.
The panel lock ring 783 is disposed in the neighborhood of the hinge 530 of the movable panel 524, and the panel lock portion 781c of the panel lock lever 781 is inserted therein. The spring 785 applies spring force in the direction where the panel lock portion 781c is inserted into the panel lock ring 783.
As shown in FIG. 28, when the movable panel 524 is closing the suction port 20a, the slide member 764 of the hinge coupling mechanism 760 is stopped, so the cam 782 cannot cause the cam touching portion 781b to operate. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 30, when the slide member 764 moves in direction E, the cam 782 causes the cam touching portion 781b to rotate, so the panel lock portion 781c rotates about the rotating shaft portion 781a and comes out of the panel lock ring 783.
FIG. 33(a) is a cross-sectional view after the panel lock portion has come out of the panel lock ring, FIG. 33(b) is a cross-sectional view when the panel lock portion is pushed by the panel lock ring and moves back, and FIG. 33(c) is a cross-sectional view when the panel lock portion has fitted into the panel lock ring. In FIGS. 33(a), 33(b), and 33(c), when the movable panel 524 returns from the state of FIG. 32(c) to the state of FIG. 32(a), the upper portion of the panel lock ring 783 pushes the distal end of the panel lock portion 781c. The distal end of the panel lock portion 781c is slanted, so component force works in the compression direction of the spring 785, and the panel lock portion 781c moves back while compressing the spring 785. Then, when the panel lock ring 783 returns to its former position, the panel lock portion 781c is pushed by the spring 785 and is inserted into the hole in the panel lock ring 783.

Next, a method of hanging the movable panel 524 with the wires 71 of the raising-and-lowering devices 7 will be described. FIG. 34 is a plan view of the end portion of the movable panel. In FIG. 34, a hanging metal fitting to which the distal end of the wire 71 of the raising-and-lowering device 7 is coupled is attached in the neighborhood of the end portion of the movable panel 524.

(Hanging Metal Fitting 708)

FIG. 35 is a front view of the hanging metal fitting coupled to the distal end of the wire of the raising-and-lowering device. In FIG. 35, the hanging metal fitting 708 has an upper ring 708a and a lower ring 708b. The upper ring 708a and the lower ring 708b are integrally molded by processing a metal wire in the shape of the Arabic number 8. The wire 71 of the raising-and-lowering device 7 is connected to the upper ring 708a of the hanging metal fitting 708, and the lower ring 708b is coupled to a predetermined member of the movable panel 524.

(Hanging Metal Fitting Coupling Member 570)

FIG. 36(a) is a plan view of a hanging metal fitting coupling member to which the hanging metal fitting is coupled, and FIG. 36(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line X-X in FIG. 36(a). In FIG. 36(b), for reference, a state where the hanging metal fitting 708 is coupled is indicated by a two-dotted chain line. In FIGS. 36(a) and 36(b), a hanging metal fitting coupling member 570 includes a case 571, a slide lever 572, and a spring 573.
The case 571 has a flange 571a, and the flange 571a is attached by screws to a predetermined position of the movable panel 524. The case 571 further has an opening 571b into which the lower ring 708b of the hanging metal fitting 708 is inserted, a groove 571c that guides the lower ring 708b inside from the opening 571b, and a guide portion 571d that serves as a guide when the slide lever 572 moves.
The slide lever 572 is a member that moves in a direction intersecting the groove 571c in the case 571 and has a rib 572a that the user can take with his/her fingers. The slide lever 572 further has a projection 572b that supports the spring 573 on the surface on the opposite side of the rib 572a. The spring 573 is a compression coil spring whose inside is supported on the projection 572b and whose outside is surrounded by the guide portion 571d of the case 571 and the slide lever 572.
The slide lever 572 further has an inner cover 572c that closes the opening 571b in the case 571 from inside. Usually, the slide lever 572 is pushed toward the flange 571a by the spring force of the spring 573, so the inner cover 572c closes the opening 571b.
FIG. 37(a) is a plan view of the hanging metal fitting coupling member immediately before the hanging metal fitting is coupled thereto, and FIG. 37(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line Y-Y in FIG. 37(a). In FIG. 37(b), for reference, a state where the hanging metal fitting 708 is inserted is indicated by a two-dotted chain line. In FIGS. 37(a) and 37(b), when the slide lever 572 is moved in the direction away from the flange 571a, the inner cover 572c opens the opening 571b in the case 571, so it becomes possible to insert the hanging metal fitting 708 from the opening 751b.
The hanging metal fitting 708 can enter inside along the groove 571c. The length of the groove 571c corresponds to a length into which the lower ring 708b of the hanging metal fitting 708 completely fits, so the lower ring 708b is completely housed inside the case 571. When the slide lever 572 is returned to its former position after the lower ring 708b is housed inside the case 571, the inner cover 572c fits into the lower ring 708b, so the lower ring 708b does not come out of the case 571.

(Dust Box Lock Device 580)

In FIG. 34, a dust box lock device 580 is attached to the side of the region where the dust box 109 is mounted. The dust box lock device 580 fixes the dust box 109 such that the dust box 109 does not come off of the movable panel 524.
FIG. 38(a) is a plan view of the dust box lock device, and FIG. 38(b) is a front view of the dust box lock device. In FIGS. 38(a) and 38(b), the dust box lock device 580 includes a lock bar 581, a housing 582 that supports the lock bar 581, and a lock spring 583 that causes the lock bar 581 to project from the housing 582.
On the upper portion of the lock bar 581, there is formed an operation rib 581a that the user can take with his/her fingers. When the user uses his/her fingers to move the operation rib 581a in direction G in FIG. 38(b), the lock bar 581 moves while compressing the lock spring 583. Then, when the user releases his/her hand, the lock lever 581 is returned to its former position by the force of the lock spring 583.

In the air conditioning indoor unit 2, even when the function of causing the movable panel 524 to be at rest remarkably drops because of failure of the raising-and-lowering devices 7 or the like, the panel lock lever 781 of the panel lock mechanism 780 fits into the panel lock ring 783 of the movable panel 524, so a situation where the movable panel 524 descends on its own from the suction port 20a is avoided. Further, the panel lock lever 781 can be moved toward the panel lock ring 783 by just the spring 785, so even when the motor 765 does not operate due to failure of the electrical system, the movable panel 524 can be reliably restrained.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

As described above, according to the present invention, the dust box can be easily separated from the filter cleaning mechanism and lowered, so the invention is useful also in the field of raising-and-lowering devices that lower particular parts from devices installed in high places.

EXPLANATION OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS

2: Air Conditioning Indoor Unit
7: Raising-and-Lowering Device
9: Filter
20: Body
20a: Suction Port
20b: Blowout Port
21: Ornamental Panel (Undersurface Panel)
24: Movable Panel (Up-and-Down Panel)
26: Upper Body
28: Lower Body
31a: Suction Flow Path
32: Recessed Portion
41a, 51a: Blowout Flow Paths
102: Roller (Filter Drive Portion)
106: Filter Housing Portion
108: Brush (Cleaning Member)
108d: Intermediate Transmission Gear (Cleaning Member Drive Portion)
108e: Drive Gear (Cleaning Member Drive Portion)
108f: Brush Drive Motor (Cleaning Member Drive Portion)
109: Dust Box
109d: Surface (Air Resistance Reducing Structure)
112, 212: Hooks (Holding Members, Claws)
114, 214: Pushing Cams (Pushing Members)
141, 241: Plate Springs (Holding Members)
151: Button (Operation Member)
311: Transmission Member (Operation Member)

Patent Document 1: JP-A No. 2007-40689

Claims

A ceiling-mounted air conditioning indoor unit (2) comprising:
a body (20) that has a suction port (20a) in its undersurface;

an up-and-down panel (24) that is arranged to descend to a predetermined position at a time of maintenance;

a raising-and-lowering mechanism (7) that is arrangd to cause the up-and-down panel (24) to move in an ascending direction and a descending direction;

a filter (9) that is arranged to remove dust included in air flowing in from the suction port (20a);

a cleaning member (108) that is arranged to cause the dust adhering to the filter (9) to separate from the filter (9);

a cleaning member drive portion (108d, 108e, 108f) that is arranged to cause the cleaning member (108) to operate; and

a dust box (109) that is attached to the up-and-down panel (24) and is arranged to collect the dust separated from the filter (9),

characterized in that:
the up-and-down panel (24) is arranged to close the suction port (20a) at a time when operation is stopped;

the dust box (109) is detachably attached to the up-and-down panel (24); and

the ceiling-mounted air conditioning unit (2) further comprises:
a filter drive portion (102) that is arranged to cause the filter (9) to move when cleaning the filter (9);
The air conditioning indoor unit (2) according to claim 1, wherein at the time of maintenance, the dust box (109) descends together with the up-and-down panel (24), and the cleaning member drive portion (108d, 108e, 1080 remains in the body (20).
The air conditioning indoor unit (2) according to claim 2, wherein the filter (9) and the filter drive portion (102) also remain in the body (20).
The air conditioning indoor unit (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cleaning member (108) is attached to the dust box (109).
The air conditioning indoor unit (2) according to claim 4, wherein the up-and-down panel (24) has
a holding member (112, 141, 212, 24 1) that holds the dust box (109) in a predetermined position (24a),
a push-out member (114, 214) that pushes out the dust box (109) in a removal direction from the predetermined position (24a), and
an operation member (151,311) that releases the holding of the dust box (109) by the holding member (112, 141, 212, 241) and causes the push-out member (114, 214) to push out the dust box (109).
The air conditioning indoor unit (2) according to claim 5, wherein the holding member (112, 141, 212, 241) includes a claw (112, 212) that catches on the dust box (109) when the dust box (109) is placed in the predetermined position (24a).
The air conditioning indoor unit (2) according to claim 6, wherein the push-out member (114, 214) causes the claw (112, 212) to move in a direction away from the dust box (109) when the push-out member (114, 214) pushes out the dust box (109).
The air conditioning indoor unit (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the posture of the up-and-down panel (24) going up and down in a state where there is no dust inside the dust box (109) and the posture of the up-and-down panel (24) going up and down in a state where dust fills the inside of the dust box (109) are substantially the same posture.
The air conditioning indoor unit (2) according to claim 1, wherein
the body (20) further has an upper body (26) and a lower body (28), and
in the lower body (28), there is included an undersurface panel (21) that forms the outline of the suction port (20a).
The air conditioning indoor unit (2) according to claim 1, wherein the dust box (109) doubles as a reinforcement material of the up-and-down panel (24).
The air conditioning indoor unit (2) according to claim 1, wherein
at a time of operation, in order to allow air to flow in from the suction port (20a), the up-and-down panel (24) rotates together with the dust box (109) about the neighborhood of one end of itself and opens the suction port (20a), and
in the dust box (109), there is disposed an air resistance reducing structure (109d) that allows the air that is incoming to proceed smoothly in the direction of the filter (9).
The air conditioning indoor unit (2) according to claim 1, wherein the body (20) further has
a blowout port (20b),
a suction flow path (31a) that leads inside from the suction port (20a),
a blowout flow path (41a, 51a) that leads from the inside to the blowout port (20a), and
a filter housing portion (106) that is positioned between the suction flow path (31a) and the blowout flow path (41a, 51a) and temporarily houses the filter (9) moving thereto.
The air conditioning indoor unit (2) according to claim 12, wherein the body (20) further has a recessed portion (32) that is disposed in a suction flow path forming wall forming the suction flow path (31a) and into which an end portion of the filter (9) fits.
The air conditioning indoor unit (2) according to claim 1, wherein
at a time of operation, the raising-and-lowering mechanism (7) causes the up-and-down panel (24) to move to a second predetermined position that is closer to the ceiling than the predetermined position away from the suction port (20a),
at a time of shutdown, the raising-and-lowering mechanism (7) causes the up-and-down panel (24) to move to a third predetermined position where the up-and-down panel (24) closes the suction port (20a), and
at least the up-and-down panel (24) that moves to the predetermined position is accompanied by the dust box (109).