EP2696147A1

EP2696147A1 - Air-conditioning indoor unit

Info

Publication number: EP2696147A1
Application number: EP12767226.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Masanao Yasutomi; Takahiro Okamoto
Original assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
Priority date: 2011-04-06
Filing date: 2012-03-21
Publication date: 2014-02-12
Also published as: CN103459934A; WO2012137600A1; JP5223976B2; CN103459934B; JP2012225636A; JP5131408B2; JP2012225645A; EP2696147A4

Abstract

It is a problem of the present invention to provide, in relation to an air conditioning indoor unit disposed with an air inlet adjacent to the rear side of an air outlet, an air conditioning indoor unit that suppresses the occurrence of air stagnation and prevents the occurrence of short-circuiting. In an air conditioning indoor unit (2), a first air inlet (21) is disposed, whereby air convection occurs as far as places that the air did not reach with conventional circulation methods and the occurrence of air stagnation is suppressed because the first air inlet (21) is opened when blowing out the air after air conditioning from an air outlet (19) horizontally or slightly obliquely upward. Further, short-circuiting is prevented because the air is blown out horizontally or slightly obliquely upward. Further, even when blowing out the air downward from the air outlet (19), the first air inlet (21) is opened because it is difficult for short-circuiting to occur when the volume of the outlet air is large.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an air conditioning indoor unit.

BACKGROUND ART

Patent citation 1 ( JP-A No. 2001-116346 ) discloses an air conditioning indoor unit having an upper portion air inlet in a front surface upper portion and an upper surface of a body and a lower portion air inlet in a bottom surface of the body. Flaps are rotatably attached in the upper portion air inlet, and an opening and closing plate is rotatably attached in the lower portion air inlet. Further, an air purification unit is mounted in a ventilation passage for air sucked in from the lower portion air inlet. According to patent citation 1, the opening and closing plate completely opens the lower portion air inlet in normal operation and closes the lower portion air inlet as needed while operation is shut down or in the case of performing maintenance such as cleaning an electric dust collector.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

In a general air conditioning indoor unit, the air inlet is positioned in an upper portion on the upper side of the air outlet; during cooling, for example, the air conditioning indoor unit blows the air after air conditioning out from the air outlet horizontally or slightly obliquely upward and sucks in the air from the air conditioning target space from the air inlet positioned in the upper portion on the upper side of the air outlet, so in the air conditioning target space, what is called "stagnation" occurs in sections where there is no or extremely little air convection.
In order to suppress air stagnation, the type disposed with an air inlet in a lower portion of the body such as disclosed in patent citation 1 is effective. However, in a case where there is an air inlet in the lower portion of the body, there is the concern that what is called short-circuiting, which is a phenomenon where the air blown out from the air outlet is directly sucked into the air inlet, will occur.
It is a problem of the present invention to provide, in relation to an air conditioning indoor unit disposed with an air inlet in a lower portion, an air conditioning indoor unit that suppresses the occurrence of air stagnation while preventing short-circuiting.

An air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to a first aspect of the present invention is an air conditioning indoor unit having at least two air inlets that suck in air from an air conditioning target space and an air outlet that blows the air after air conditioning out into the air conditioning target space, and the air conditioning indoor unit includes a body casing, a first air inlet opening and closing mechanism, and a control unit. In the body casing, a first air inlet is disposed in a lower portion and a second air inlet is disposed in a front portion and/or an upper portion. The first air inlet opening and closing mechanism adjusts the opening degree of the first air inlet. The control unit controls the first air inlet opening and closing mechanism. Moreover, the control unit deteremines the opening and closing of the first air inlet depending on the blow-out direction of the air.
"Stagnation" occurs when sucking in air with only the second air inlet positioned in the front portion and/or the upper portion of the body casing, for example, but in this air conditioning indoor unit, a change occurs in the air convection in the air conditioning target space and stagnation is eliminated as a result of the air being sucked in from the first air inlet positioned in the lower portion of the body casing.
If the first air inlet is open when the blow-out direction of the air is downward, so-called short-circuiting, which is a phenomenon where the outlet air is directly sucked into the first air inlet, occurs, the air no longer circulates, and air stagnation is also not eliminated. However, in this air conditioning indoor unit, short-circuiting can be prevented by closing the first air inlet when the blow-out direction of the air is downward, for example. Consequently, according to this air conditioning indoor unit, air stagnation can be eliminated or air convection can be maintained to suppress the occurrence of air stagnation while preventing short-circuiting.
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, and further includes an air outlet opening and closing mechanism that adjusts the blow-out angle of the air after air conditioning. The control unit adjusts the opening degree of the first air inlet to correspond to the blow-out angle of the air.
In this air conditioning indoor unit, short-circuiting, in which the outlet air is sucked into the first air inlet, occurs when the air is blown out directly downward from the air outlet, so the opening degree of the first air inlet is adjusted to correspond to the blow-out angle to thereby prevent short-circuiting.
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, wherein the first air inlet is adjacent to the rear side of the air outlet. The blow-out angle of the air after air conditioning is varied in an up-and-down direction, and the first air inlet is closed when the blow-out angle is substantially vertically downward. Thus, in this air conditioning indoor unit, the occurrence of short-circuiting is prevented.
An air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to any one of the first aspect to the third aspect, wherein the first air inlet opening and closing mechanism includes an opening and closing member and a drive unit. The opening and closing member opens and closes the first air inlet. The drive unit causes the opening and closing member to rotate. A rotating shaft of the opening and closing member is positioned near the air outlet. Further, when the opening and closing member has opened the first air inlet, the opening and closing member assumes an orientation in which part of the opening and closing member projects downward from the neighborhood of the edge of the first air inlet on the side nearer to the air outlet.
In a case where, for example, the attachment position of the air conditioning indoor unit is located directly above a curtain rod, the opening and closing member interferes with the curtain rod if the projecting dimension of the opening and closing member is too long, but in this air conditioning indoor unit, that concern is eliminated because only part of the opening and closing member projects. In this case, because the projecting dimension of the opening and closing member becomes shorter, there is the potential for the cutting-off of the air flow flowing out in the direction of the first air inlet from the air outlet to become insufficient and for short-circuiting to occur, so control that closes the first air inlet in a case where the blow-out direction is downward becomes particularly necessary.
An air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to any one of the first aspect to the third aspect, wherein the first air inlet opening and closing mechanism includes an opening and closing member and a drive unit. The opening and closing member opens and closes the first air inlet. A rotating shaft of the opening and closing member is positioned in the neighborhood of the edge of the first air inlet on the side farther away from the air outlet. When the opening and closing member has opened the first air inlet, the opening and closing member assumes an orientation in which its end portion nearer to the air outlet is lowered downward of the first air inlet.
In this air conditioning indoor unit, the air flow flowing out in the direction of the first air inlet from the air outlet ends up being sucked into the first air inlet, so at times other than when the momentum of the air-conditioned air exiting from the air outlet exceeds the suction force of the first air inlet, the opening and closing member closes the first air inlet to thereby prevent short-circuiting. Thus, although the first air inlet is configured to open to the air outlet side, air stagnation can be suppressed while preventing short-circuiting by opening and closing the first air inlet to correspond to the volume of the outlet air.
An air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the first aspect, wherein the control unit opens the first air inlet via the first air inlet opening and closing mechanism when the volume of the air is large notwithstanding the blow-out direction of the air being downward.
For example, when the difference between the set temperature and the temperature of the air conditioning target space is large during heating operation, the volume of the outlet air becomes larger, so it is difficult for short-circuiting to occur. That is, by opening and closing the first air inlet to correspond to the volume of the outlet air, air convection can be maintained to suppress the occurrence of air stagnation while preventing short-circuiting.
An air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the first aspect, wherein the control unit closes the first air inlet via the first air inlet opening and closing mechanism when the volume of the air is small notwithstanding the blow-out direction of the air being upward.
For example, when the difference between the set temperature and the temperature of the air conditioning target space is small during cooling operation, the volume of the outlet air becomes smaller, so there is the potential for the outlet air to be sucked into the first air inlet no matter if the blow-out direction of the air is horizontal or upward and for short-circuiting to occur. In such a case, short-circuiting is prevented by closing the first air inlet. That is, by opening and closing the first air inlet to correspond to the volume of the outlet air, air convection can be maintained to suppress the occurrence of air stagnation while preventing short-circuiting.
An air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to an eighth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the first aspect, and further includes a second air inlet opening and closing mechanism that adjusts the opening degree of the second air inlet. The control unit adjusts the opening degree of the second air inlet when it has opened the first air inlet.
In this air conditioning indoor unit, for example, in the case of a cross-flow fan in a wall-mounted air conditioning indoor unit, the principal flow is the flow from the air inlet in the front portion or the upper portion to the air outlet, so it becomes possible to suck in air from the first air inlet as a result of the opening degree of the second air inlet being adjusted so that the proper principal flow is produced.
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, wherein the control unit adjusts the opening degree of the first air inlet to correspond to the required air conditioning capacity.
In this air conditioning indoor unit, it becomes possible to adjust the opening degree of the first air inlet in correspondence to increases and decreases in the required air suction volume, so the first air inlet can be opened to handle times when a high capacity accompanied by an increase in the air suction volume is required.
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, and further includes opening degree selecting means that keeps an opening degree adjustment range of the first air inlet in a specific range. The control unit controls the operation of the first air inlet opening and closing mechanism on the basis of the range selected by the opening degree selecting means.
In this air conditioning indoor unit, for example, when there is a curtain rod or the like in proximity to the lower side of the first air inlet and the first air inlet cannot be physically opened and closed, or when one does not want the air conditioning indoor unit to suck in air from the window side of a curtain, the opening degree of the first air inlet can be restricted by selecting and storing a mode of opening and closing beforehand.

In the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the first aspect of the present invention, air stagnation can be eliminated or air convection can be maintained to suppress the occurrence of air stagnation while preventing short-circuiting.
In the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the second aspect of the present invention, the opening degree of the first air inlet is adjusted to correspond to the blow-out angle to thereby prevent short-circuiting.
In the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the third aspect of the present invention, the occurrence of short-circuiting is prevented.
In the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the fourth aspect of the present invention, there is the potential for short-circuiting to occur in a case where the cutting-off of the air flow flowing out in the direction of the first air inlet from the air outlet is insufficient, so short-circuiting is prevented beforehand by control that closes the first air inlet in a case where the blow-out direction is downward.
In the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the fifth aspect of the present invention, although the first air inlet is configured to open to the air outlet side, air stagnation can be suppressed while preventing short-circuiting by opening and closing the first air inlet to correspond to the volume of the outlet air.
In the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the sixth aspect or the seventh aspect of the present invention, by opening and closing the first air inlet to correspond to the volume of the outlet air, air convection can be maintained to suppress the occurrence of air stagnation while preventing short-circuiting.
In the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the eighth aspect of the present invention, it becomes possible to suck in air from the first air inlet as a result of the opening degree of the second air inlet being adjusted so that the proper principal flow is produced.
In the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the ninth aspect of the present invention, it becomes possible to adjust the opening degree of the first air inlet in correspondence to increases and decreases in the required air suction volume, so the first air inlet can be opened to handle times when a high capacity accompanied by an increase in the air suction volume is required.
In the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the opening degree of the first air inlet can be restricted by selecting and storing a mode of opening and closing beforehand.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of an air outlet and a first air inlet shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view of a second air inlet shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the air conditioning indoor unit in operation.
FIG. 5 is a side view of the area around an opening and closing plate stopped in various open positions.
FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view of the area around the first air inlet, in a closed state, of the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to a first modification.
FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view of the area around the first air inlet, in an open state, of the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the first modification.
FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view of the area around the first air inlet, in a closed state, of the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to a second modification.
FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of the area around the first air inlet, in an open state, of the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the second modification.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT

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.

(1) Configuration of Air Conditioning Indoor Unit 2

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional 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 a wall-mounted type and is equipped with a body casing 11, an indoor heat exchanger 13, an indoor fan 15, a bottom frame 17, a filter 25, and a control unit 41.
The body casing 11 has a front grille 11a, a front panel 11b, and a back plate 11c that form a three-dimensional space, and the indoor heat exchanger 13, the indoor fan 15, the bottom frame 17, the filter 25, and the control unit 41 are housed in that three-dimensional space. The front panel 11b covers the front of the front grille 11a, and the upper end of the front panel 11 b is rotatably supported on the front grille 11 a so that the front panel 11b can move in a hinged manner. Further, the body casing 11 is mounted on the wall via an attachment plate 11d.
The indoor heat exchanger 13 and the indoor fan 15 are attached to the bottom frame 17. The indoor heat exchanger 13 performs heat exchange with the air passing through it. Further, the indoor heat exchanger 13 has a shape of inverted V that is bent with both ends extending downward as seen in a side view, and the indoor fan 15 is positioned on the lower side of the indoor heat exchanger 13. The indoor fan 15 is a cross-flow fan, applies air taken in from the room to the indoor heat exchanger 13, causes the air to pass through the indoor heat exchanger 13, and thereafter blows the air out into the room.
An air outlet 19 is disposed in the lower surface portion of the body casing 11. A flap 291 that guides the air blown out from the air outlet 19 is rotatably attached in the air outlet 19. The flap 291 is driven by a motor and not only changes the blow-out direction of the air but can also open and close the air outlet 19. The air outlet 19 is connected to the interior of the body casing 11 by an outlet air passage 18, and the outlet air passage 18 is formed along the bottom frame 17 from the air outlet 19.
Moreover, a first air inlet 21 is disposed in the lower surface portion of the body casing 11 on the wall side of the air outlet 19. The first air inlet 21 is connected to the interior of the body casing 11 by an inlet air passage 16, and the inlet air passage 16 is formed along the bottom frame 17 from the first air inlet 21. That is, the inlet air passage 16 is adjacent to the outlet air passage 18 across the bottom frame 17.
The room air in the neighborhood of the first air inlet 21 is sucked, by the working of the indoor fan 15, into the indoor fan 15 via the first air inlet 21, the inlet air passage 16, the filter 25, and the indoor heat exchanger 13 and is blown out from the air outlet 19 via the outlet air passage 18 from the indoor fan 15.
The filter 25 is placed between the front grille 11a of the body casing 11 and the indoor heat exchanger 13. The filter 25 removes dirt and dust included in the air flowing in toward the indoor heat exchanger 13.
A second air inlet 22 is disposed in the front upper portion of the front grille 11a. The room air in the neighborhood of the second air inlet 22 is sucked, by the working of the indoor fan 15, into the indoor fan 15 via the second air inlet 22, the filter 25, and the indoor heat exchanger 13 and is blown out from the air outlet 19 via the outlet air passage 18 from the indoor fan 15.
The control unit 41 is housed in the front section of the body casing 11 and issues orders for controlling the number of rotations of the indoor fan 15, adjusting the opening degree of the air outlet 19, adjusting the opening degree of the first air inlet 21, and adjusting the opening degree of the second air inlet 22.

(2) Detailed Configuration

(2-1) Air Outlet 19 and Air Outlet Opening and Closing Mechanism 29

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of the air outlet and the first air inlet shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 2, the air outlet 19 is opened and closed by an air outlet opening and closing mechanism 29. The air outlet opening and closing mechanism 29 includes the flap 291, a spindle 292, and a flap drive motor 293.
The flap 291 is an arc-shaped plate that curves in such a way that its cross-sectional shape projects toward the outer side of the air outlet 19, and one width direction end of the flap 291 is in close proximity to the lower end of the bottom frame 17. The flap 291 is rotatable.
The spindle 292 is a shaft for allowing the flap 291 to rotate and is supported on a side wall of the body casing 11 intersecting an imaginary central axis of rotation.
The flap drive motor 293 is a stepping motor or a stepping motor with a built-in reduction gear mechanism, and a rotating shaft of the flap drive motor 293 is coupled to the spindle 292. When the state in which the flap 291 closes the air outlet 19 is taken as an origin position, the flap drive motor 293 causes the rotating shaft to rotate to correspond to the number of applied pulses so that the flap 291 rotates in the direction in which it opens the air outlet 19.

(2-2) First Air Inlet 21

The first air inlet 21 is positioned between the lower end of the bottom frame 17 and the lower end of the back plate 11c. As shown in FIG. 1, the first air inlet 21 is part of the entrance of the inlet air passage 16 and is an opening having a predetermined width from the lower end of the back plate 11c toward the lower end of the bottom frame 17.
The section of the entrance of the inlet air passage 16 between the first air inlet 21 and the lower end of the bottom frame 17 is covered by a blocking plate 33. The reason for this is because the inlet air passage 16 and the outlet air passage 18 are adjacent to one another across the bottom frame 17 and there is the potential for some of the outlet air to pass in such a way as to graze the lower end of the bottom frame 17 and head into the entrance of the inlet air passage 16, so the blocking plate 33 is for preventing this. By placing the blocking plate 33, the substantial entrance of the inlet air passage 16 can be moved away to the first air inlet 21.

(2-3) First Air Inlet Opening and Closing Mechanism 31

A first air inlet opening and closing mechanism 31 is installed in the first air inlet 21. The first air inlet opening and closing mechanism 31 includes an opening and closing plate 311, a hinge 312, a link 313, and a drive motor 314.
The opening and closing plate 311 is of a size that can fit into the first air inlet 21 and close off the first air inlet 21. The opening and closing plate 311 is rotatable, and an imaginary central axis of rotation thereof is positioned in the neighborhood of the corner of the bottom frame 17 and the blocking plate 33.
The hinge 312 is the support point on which the opening and closing plate 311 rotates, and the hinge 312 is disposed on a wall of the body casing 11 intersecting the imaginary central axis of rotation. The hinge 312 and the opening and closing plate 311 are coupled together by the link 313.
A slit-like escape portion (not illustrated) is formed in the blocking plate 33 along the path traveled by the link 313 so that the link 313 does not interfere with the blocking plate 33 when the link 313 rotates together with the opening and closing plate 311.
The drive motor 314 is a stepping motor or a stepping motor with a built-in reduction gear mechanism, and a rotating shaft of the drive motor 314 is coupled to the hinge 312. When the state in which the opening and closing plate 311 closes the first air inlet 21 is taken as an origin position, the drive motor 314 causes the rotating shaft to rotate to correspond to the number of applied pulses so that the opening and closing plate 311 rotates in the direction in which it opens the first air inlet 21.

(2-4) Second Air Inlet 22 and Second Air Inlet Opening and Closing Mechanism 32

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view of the second air inlet shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 3, the second air inlet 22 is disposed from the position of the front grille 11a opposing the upper end of the front panel 11b to the center of the top surface. Further, the second air inlet 22 is opened and closed by a second air inlet opening and closing mechanism 32. The second air inlet opening and closing mechanism 32 includes a sliding opening and closing plate 322, a pinion gear 324, a pinion drive motor 325, and a guide 326.
The sliding opening and closing plate 322 is a curvable resin plate, and a rack gear 323 is formed on both ends of the surface thereof opposing the filter 25 (see FIG. 1). Further, the pinion gear 324, which meshes with the rack gear 323, is placed on the lower side of the sliding opening and closing plate 322. The pinion gear 324 is rotatably supported on a side wall of the body casing 11.
The pinion drive motor 325 is a stepping motor or a stepping motor with a built-in reduction gear mechanism, and a rotating shaft of the pinion drive motor 325 is coupled to a central shaft of the pinion gear 324. When the state in which the sliding opening and closing plate 322 closes the second air inlet 22 is taken as an origin position, the pinion drive motor 325 causes the rotating shaft to rotate to correspond to the number of applied pulses to thereby cause the sliding opening and closing plate 322 to slidingly move in the direction in which it opens the second air inlet 22.
The guide 326, which forms a path along which the sliding opening and closing plate 322 slidingly moves, is disposed on a side wall of the body casing 11. In FIG. 3, the guide 326 is indicated by long dashed double-short dashed lines so that the sliding opening and closing plate 322 and the guide 326 can be distinguished from one another.

(3) Operation

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the air conditioning indoor unit in operation. In FIG. 4, the first air inlet 21 and the second air inlet 22 are open. In the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the present embodiment, a cross-flow fan is employed for the indoor fan 15, so the principal flow is the air flow flowing from the second air inlet 22 to the air outlet 19 and there is practically no air intake even if just the first air inlet 21 is opened. Consequently, when the first air inlet 21 is open, the second air inlet 22 is also open.

(3-1) Adjustment of Opening Degree of First Air Inlet 21 by Opening and Closing Plate 311

FIG. 5 is a side view of the area around the opening and closing plate stopped in various open positions. In FIG. 5, the opening and closing plate 311 can stop in arbitrary positions between the closed position and position A. For convenience of description, position A is an open position to which the opening and closing plate 311 has rotated 135° in the clockwise direction from the closed position, position B is an open position to which the opening and closing plate 311 has rotated 60° in the clockwise direction from the closed position, and position C is an open position to which the opening and closing plate 311 has rotated 30° in the clockwise direction from the closed position. In position C, the volume of air sucked in from the first air inlet 21 is more restricted than in position B.

(3-1-1) Adjustment of Opening Degree of First Air Inlet 21 during Cooling Operation

During cooling operation, a conventional air conditioning indoor unit blows the air after air conditioning out from the air outlet horizontally or slightly obliquely upward and sucks in the air from the air conditioning target space from the air inlet positioned in the upper portion on the upper side of the air outlet, so in the air conditioning target space, it is easy for what is called "stagnation" to occur in sections where there is no or extremely little air convection.
However, the first air inlet 21 that can be opened and closed is disposed, whereby air convection occurs as far as places that the air did not reach with conventional circulation methods and the occurrence of air stagnation is suppressed because the first air inlet 21 is opened when blowing out the air after air conditioning from the air outlet 19 horizontally or slightly obliquely upward. Further, short-circuiting (the phenomenon where the air-conditioned air blown out from the air outlet 19 is directly sucked into the first air inlet 21) is prevented because the air is blown out horizontally or slightly obliquely upward.
On the other hand, even in a case where the air-conditioned air has been blown out from the air outlet 19 horizontally or slightly obliquely upward, the potential for short-circuiting to occur is high when the set temperature Ts and the temperature Tr of the air conditioning target space are close to one another because the air volume becomes smaller, and in that case the first air inlet 21 is closed because there is the concern that opening the first air inlet 21 will lead to a decline in capacity.
Further, when the difference (Ts - Tr) between the set temperature Ts and the temperature Tr of the air conditioning target space becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the volume of the outlet air becomes larger and the momentum of the air-conditioned air exiting from the air outlet 19 exceeds the suction force of the first air inlet 21, so the air-conditioned air is blown out in a direction away from the first air inlet 21 and it is difficult for short-circuiting to occur.
Thus, when Ts - Tr is equal to or greater than the predetermined value even if the air-conditioned air is being blown out downward, an ideal flow of the air-conditioned air can be realized while moving the opening and closing plate 311 to position B or position C to thereby adjust the opening degree of the first air inlet 21. In this way, in the present embodiment, the occurrence of air stagnation can be suppressed while preventing the occurrence of short-circuiting.
When the direction of the outlet air is downward and the difference between the set temperature Ts and the temperature Tr of the air conditioning target space is less than the predetermined value, the air volume is small and it is easy for short-circuiting to occur, so the opening and closing plate 311 is moved to the closed position so that the first air inlet 21 is closed. Thus, short-circuiting is avoided.

(3-1-2) Adjustment of Opening Degree of First Air Inlet 21 during Heating Operation

Generally, during heating operation, the flow of air is such that the air-conditioned air that has been heated is blown out downward, produces convection in the air conditioning target space, and is sucked in from the air inlet in the front upper portion. In the present embodiment, the second air inlet 22 corresponds to the conventional air inlet in the front upper portion, so the conventional flow of the air-conditioned air can be realized with the first air inlet 21 being kept closed.
Further, when the air-conditioned air is being blown out downward, it is preferred that the first air inlet 21 be kept closed also in order to avoid short-circuiting because opening the first air inlet 21 leads to short-circuiting.
However, when one wishes to raise the heating capacity, it is necessary to adjust the opening degree of the first air inlet 21 to increase the volume of inlet air in a case where a sufficient volume of inlet air is not obtained with just the second air inlet 22.
At that time, when the difference (Ts - Tr) between the set temperature Ts and the temperature Tr of the air conditioning target space becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value, it is difficult for short-circuiting to occur because the volume of the outlet air becomes larger and the momentum of the air-conditioned air exiting from the air outlet 19 exceeds the suction force of the first air inlet 21.
Thus, when Ts - Tr is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the heating capacity can be raised by moving the opening and closing plate 311 to position B or position C to thereby adjust the opening degree of the first air inlet 21.

(3-1-3) Adjustment of Opening Degree of First Air Inlet 21 to Correspond to Blow-out Angle

In addition, the control unit 41 can adjust the opening degree of the first air inlet 21 to correspond to the blow-out angle of the outlet air. For example, because the first air inlet 21 is positioned on the rear side of the air outlet 19, the control unit 41 may also reduce the opening degree of the first air inlet 21 by causing the opening and closing plate 311 to rotate in such a way that the position of the opening and closing plate 311 moves closer to the closed position the closer the blow-out angle of the air-conditioned air blown out from the air outlet 19 is to a downward-most limit.
In a case where, at a certain point in time, the blow-out direction of the air-conditioned air blown out from the air outlet 19 becomes horizontal and position of the opening and closing plate 311 has been position B in FIG. 5, the control unit 41 causes the position of the opening and closing member 311 to move to position C or a position between position C and the closed position as the flap 291 moves closer to a vertically downward position.

(3-1-4) Adjustment of Opening Degree of First Air Inlet 21 to Correspond to Capacity

Further, the control unit 41 can adjust the opening degree of the first air inlet 21 to correspond to the capacity required of the air conditioning indoor unit. Generally, when the air-conditioned air blown out from the air outlet 19 has momentum, it is difficult for the air-conditioned air to be sucked into the first air inlet 21. The air-conditioned air that is blown out has momentum at times when the air volume is large, and ordinarily these are times when the air conditioning load of the air conditioning target space is large and capacity is required. Consequently, it is preferred that the opening degree of the first air inlet 21 be adjusted to correspond to the required capacity.
For example, when the user has raised the set temperature during heating operation, a capacity corresponding to the amount of the increase in the set temperature is required of the air conditioning indoor unit, the operating frequency of the inverter compressor (not illustrated) in the outdoor unit increases, the rotation of the indoor fan 15 also increases, and the volume of inlet air also increases. At this time, in a case where the volume of the air sucked into the air conditioning indoor unit is insufficient with just the volume of air sucked in from the second air inlet 22, the control unit 41 adjusts the opening degree of the first air inlet 21 to supplement the insufficient inlet air.
As the volume of air supplementing the inlet air becomes larger, the volume of the air-conditioned air blown out from the air outlet 19 also becomes larger and the air-conditioned air has more momentum, so it is difficult for short-circuiting to occur even if the opening degree of the first air inlet 21 is increased.
In other words, as the volume of air supplementing the inlet air becomes smaller, the volume of the air-conditioned air blown out from the air outlet 19 also becomes smaller and the air-conditioned air has no momentum, but because the opening degree of the first air inlet 21 also becomes smaller, the momentum with which the air is sucked in also becomes smaller and it is difficult for short-circuiting to occur.
By employing a method where the opening degree of the first air inlet 21 is adjusted to correspond to the required capacity as described above, for example, it suffices for the control unit 41 to control the rotational amount of the opening and closing plate 311 to correspond to the number of rotations of the indoor fan 15, and from the standpoint of control, adjusting the opening degree is easy to perform.

(3-1-5) Adjustment of Opening Degree of First Air Inlet 21 to Correspond to Installation Conditions

Moreover, the control unit 41 has opening degree selecting means that restricts the rotational range of the opening and closing plate 311 to keep the opening degree adjustment range of the first air inlet 21 in a specific range. For example, when there is a curtain rod in close proximity to the lower side of the first air inlet 21 and the first air inlet 21 cannot be physically opened and closed, or when one does not want the air conditioning indoor unit to suck in air from the window side of a curtain, the opening degree of the first air inlet 21 can be restricted by selecting and storing a mode of opening and closing beforehand.
The control unit 41 avoids short-circuiting by controlling the operation of the flap 291 while controlling the operation of the opening and closing plate 311 on the basis of the range selected by the opening degree selecting means. Specifically, an orientation of the flap 291 that blows out the air-conditioned air downward is avoided.

(3-2) Adjustment of Opening Degree of Second Air Inlet 22 by Sliding Opening and Closing Plate 322

In the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the present embodiment, the principal flow is the air flow flowing from the second air inlet 22 to the air outlet 19, and when the first air inlet 21 is open, the second air inlet 22 is also open, but it is preferred that adjustment of the opening degree of the second air inlet 22 also be allowed (with the exception of the closed state).
For example, in a state in which the opening and closing plate 311 is in position A and the flow of air is stable at an ideal flow of air with no occurrence of short-circuiting of the air-conditioned air, moving the sliding opening and closing plate 322 of the second air inlet 22 in the closing direction to reduce the opening degree of the second air inlet 22 can better restrict the volume of the inlet air without disrupting the stable state of the flow of the air than rotating the opening and closing plate 311 to reduce the opening degree of the first air inlet 21 when one wants to restrict the volume of the inlet air.
While the operation of the air conditioning indoor unit 2 is shut down, the sliding opening and closing plate 322 is stored on the underside of the top surface of the body casing 11 in order to keep the second air inlet 22 open. The reason for this is because, during shutdown, dust accumulates in the section where the second air inlet 22 opposes the ceiling surface, so if the sliding opening and closing plate 322 were to close the second air inlet 22, there would be the potential for dust accumulated on the upper surface of the sliding opening and closing plate 322 to be scraped off and fall inside the body casing 11 when the sliding opening and closing plate 322 opens; therefore, storing the sliding opening and closing plate 322 as described above prevents this from happening. By keeping the sliding opening and closing plate 322 open even when operation is shut down, dust accumulates on the filter, so the dust is suppressed from falling into the interior of the body casing 11.
Further, because the sliding opening and closing plate 322 is stored on the underside of the top surface of the body casing 11 while the sliding opening and closing plate 322 is opening the second air inlet 22, it is more difficult for dust to accumulate on the sliding opening and closing plate 322 than in a state in which the sliding opening and closing plate 322 is visible through the top surface of the body casing 11, and a situation where dust falls down toward the floor due to vibration when the sliding opening and closing plate 322 moves in the closing direction is also suppressed.

(4) Characteristics

(4-1)

In the air conditioning indoor unit 2, the first air inlet 21 is disposed, whereby air convection occurs as far as places that the air did not reach with conventional circulation methods and the occurrence of air stagnation is suppressed because the first air inlet 21 is opened when blowing out the air after air conditioning from the air outlet 19 horizontally or slightly obliquely upward. Further, short-circuiting is prevented because the air is blown out horizontally or slightly obliquely upward.
Further, even when blowing out the air after air conditioning downward from the air outlet 19, the first air inlet 21 is opened because it is difficult for short-circuiting to occur when the difference (Ts - Tr) between the set temperature Ts and the temperature Tr of the air conditioning target space is large and the volume of the outlet air is large.
On the other hand, when Ts - Tr is small, it is easy for short-circuiting to occur because the volume of the outlet air is also small, but short-circuiting does not occur because the first air inlet 21 is closed.

(4-2)

In the air conditioning indoor unit 2, the indoor fan 15 is a cross-flow fan and the principal flow is the flow from the second air inlet 22 to the air outlet 19, so it becomes possible to suck in air from the first air inlet 21 as a result of the opening degree of the second air inlet 22 being adjusted so that the proper principal flow is produced.

(4-3)

In the air conditioning indoor unit 2, the opening degree of the first air inlet 21 is adjusted to correspond to the blow-out angle of the air blown out from the air outlet 19 to thereby prevent short-circuiting.

(4-4)

In the air conditioning indoor unit 2, it becomes possible to adjust the opening degree of the first air inlet 21 in correspondence to increases and decreases in the required air suction volume, so the first air inlet 21 can be opened to handle times when a high capacity accompanied by an increase in the air suction volume is required.

(4-5)

In the air conditioning indoor unit 2, the first air inlet 21 is adjacent to the rear side of the air outlet 19 and the blow-out angle of the air is varied in the up-and-down direction. The first air inlet 21 is closed when the blow-out angle of the air is vertically downward, so the occurrence of short-circuiting is prevented.

(4-6)

In the air conditioning indoor unit 2, when the opening and closing plate 311 cannot be physically opened or closed, or when one does not want the air conditioning indoor unit to suck in air from the window side of a curtain, the opening degree of the first air inlet 21 can be restricted by selecting and storing, with the opening degree selecting means, a mode of opening and closing beforehand.

(5) Modifications

(5-1) First Modification

FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view of the area around the first air inlet, in a closed state, of the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to a first modification. Further, FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view of the area around the first air inlet, in an open state, of the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the first modification. In FIG. 6A, the first air inlet opening and closing mechanism 31 is installed in the first air inlet 21. The first air inlet opening and closing mechanism 31 includes the rotary opening and closing plate 311 and a drive motor 318 that causes the opening and closing plate 311 to rotate.
The opening and closing plate 311 is of a size that can fit into the opening of the first air inlet 21 and close off the first air inlet 21. A rotating shaft 317 of the opening and closing plate 311 is positioned on the upper side of both lengthwise direction end portions of the first air inlet 21. The opening and closing plate 311 and the rotating shaft 317 are coupled together by a hinge link 319.
Further, in the closed position in which the opening and closing plate 311 closes the first air inlet 21, the rotating shaft 317 is positioned on the upper side of the opening and closing plate 311 and nearer to the air outlet 19 than the width direction center of the opening and closing plate 311. Thus, when the rotating shaft 317 rotates 90° in the clockwise direction in FIG. 6A, the opening and closing plate 311 assumes a vertical orientation in which the outer surface thereof is in close proximity to the front edge (the edge on the side nearer to the air outlet 19) of the first air inlet 21.
As a result, as shown in FIG. 6B, the opening and closing plate 311 projects vertically downward a little from the first air inlet 21. The projecting dimension is preferably equal to or less than half the width direction dimension of the opening and closing plate 311. The reason for this is because, in a case where the attachment position of the air conditioning indoor unit 2 is located directly above a curtain rod, the opening and closing plate 311 will interfere with the curtain rod if the projecting dimension of the opening and closing plate 311 is too long.
In this case, because the projecting dimension of the opening and closing plate 311 is small, there is the potential for the cutting-off of the air flow flowing out in the direction of the first air inlet 21 from the air outlet 19 to become insufficient and for short-circuiting to occur. Thus, short-circuiting is prevented beforehand by control that closes the first air inlet 21 in a case where the blow-out direction is downward.

(5-2) Second Modification

FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view of the area around the first air inlet, in a closed state, of the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to a second modification. Further, FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of the area around the first air inlet, in an open state, of the air conditioning indoor unit pertaining to the second modification. In FIG. 7A, the first air inlet opening and closing mechanism 31 is installed in the first air inlet 21. The first air inlet opening and closing mechanism 31 includes an opening and closing plate 411, a hinge 412, a link 413, and a drive motor 414.
The opening and closing plate 411 is of a size that can fit into the opening of the first air inlet 21 and close off the first air inlet 21. The opening and closing plate 411 is rotatable, and an imaginary central axis of rotation thereof is positioned in the neighborhood of the edge of the first air inlet 21 on the side farther away from the air outlet 19.
The hinge 412 is the support point on which the opening and closing plate 411 rotates, and the hinge 412 is disposed on a wall of the body casing 11 intersecting the imaginary central axis of rotation. The hinge 412 and the opening and closing plate 411 are coupled together by the link 413.
The drive motor 414 is a stepping motor or a stepping motor with a built-in reduction gear mechanism, and a rotating shaft of the drive motor 414 is coupled to the hinge 412. When the state in which the opening and closing plate 411 closes the first air inlet 21 is taken as an origin position, the drive motor 414 causes the rotating shaft to rotate to correspond to the number of applied pulses so that the opening and closing plate 411 rotates in the direction in which it opens the first air inlet 21. At this time, the opening and closing plate 411 assumes an orientation in which its end portion on the side nearer to the air outlet 19 is lowered downward of the first air inlet 21.
In this case, the air flow flowing out in the direction of the first air inlet 21 from the air outlet 19 flows along the surface of the blocking plate 33 and ends up being sucked into the first air inlet 21. Thus, during normal cooling operation in which the air-conditioned air is blown out from the air outlet 19 horizontally or slightly obliquely upward, the first air inlet 21 is opened to suppress the occurrence of air stagnation, but when the air volume is small (e.g., when the set temperature Ts and the temperature Tr of the air conditioning target space are close to one another), it is easy for short-circuiting to occur, so the opening and closing plate 411 closes the first air inlet 21 to prevent short-circuiting.
On the other hand, during heating operation, the air-conditioned air that has been heated is blown out downward, and opening the first air inlet 21 will lead to short-circuiting, so the first air inlet 21 is kept closed also in order to avoid this. However, when the difference (Ts - Tr) between the set temperature Ts and the temperature Tr of the air conditioning target space becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value, it is difficult for short-circuiting to occur because the volume of the outlet air becomes larger and the momentum of the air-conditioned air exiting from the air outlet 19 exceeds the suction force of the first air inlet 21. Thus, when Ts - Tr is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the heating capacity can be raised by opening the first air inlet 21.

(6) Other Embodiments

Recent rooms (air conditioning target spaces) have sometimes come to have smaller loads, and after the room has become warm to a certain extent during heating operation, performing an operation that changes the blow-out angle of the air blown out from the air outlet 19 to an upward direction to circulate the air in the entire room is also conceivable.
Therefore, for example, in a case where the difference (Ts - Tr) between the set temperature Ts and the temperature Tr of the air conditioning target space has become less than the predetermined value during heating operation, control that changes the blow-out angle of the air blown out from the air outlet 19 to a horizontal direction or a more upward direction than a horizontal direction and opens the first air inlet 21 may also be performed.
Because of this, air convection occurs along the ceiling, walls, and floor of the air conditioning target space and the air is sucked in from the first air inlet 21, so it becomes possible to circulate the air in the entire room during heating operation.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

As described above, according to the present invention, even when an air inlet is adjacent to the rear side of an air outlet, the outlet air is suppressed from being directly sucked in, so the present invention is useful for a wall-mounted air conditioning indoor unit.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

2: Air Conditioning Indoor Unit
11: Body Casing
19: Air Outlet
21: First Air Inlet
22: Second Air Inlet
29: Air Outlet Opening and Closing Mechanism
31: First Air Inlet Opening and Closing Mechanism
32: Second Air Inlet Opening and Closing Mechanism
41: Control Unit
311, 411: Opening and Closing Members
318, 414: Drive Units

CITATION LIST

Patent Citation 1: JP-A No. 2001-116346

Claims

An air conditioning indoor unit (2) having at least two air inlets that suck in air from an air conditioning target space and an air outlet (19) that blows the air after air conditioning out into the air conditioning target space, the air conditioning indoor unit comprising:
a body casing (11) in which a first air inlet (21) is disposed in a lower portion and a second air inlet (22) is disposed in a front portion and/or an upper portion;

a first air inlet opening and closing mechanism (31) that adjusts the opening degree of the first air inlet (21); and

a control unit (41) that controls the first air inlet opening and closing mechanism (31),

wherein the control unit (41) determines the opening and closing of the first air inlet (21) depending on the blow-out direction of the air.
The air conditioning indoor unit (2) according to claim 1, further comprising an air outlet opening and closing mechanism (29) that adjusts the blow-out angle of the air after air conditioning, wherein the control unit (41) adjusts the opening degree of the first air inlet (21) to correspond to the blow-out angle of the air.
The air conditioning indoor unit (2) according to claim 2, wherein the first air inlet (21) is adjacent to the rear side of the air outlet (19), the blow-out angle of the air after air conditioning is varied in an up-and-down direction, and the first air inlet (21) is closed when the blow-out angle is substantially vertically downward.
The air conditioning indoor unit (2) according to any one of claim 1 to claim 3, wherein
the first air inlet opening and closing mechanism (31) includes an opening and closing member (311) that opens and closes the first air inlet (21) and a drive unit (318) that causes the opening and closing member (311) to rotate,
a rotating shaft of the opening and closing member (311) is positioned near the air outlet (19), and
when the opening and closing member (311) has opened the first air inlet (21), the opening and closing member (311) assumes an orientation in which part of the opening and closing member (311) projects downward from the neighborhood of the edge of the first air inlet (21) on the side nearer to the air outlet (19).
The air conditioning indoor unit (2) according to any one of claim 1 to claim 3, wherein
the first air inlet opening and closing mechanism (31) includes an opening and closing member (411) that opens and closes the first air inlet (21) and a drive unit (414) that causes the opening and closing member (411) to move,
a rotating shaft of the opening and closing member (411) is positioned in the neighborhood of the edge of the first air inlet (21) on the side farther away from the air outlet (19), and
when the opening and closing member (411) has opened the first air inlet (21), the opening and closing member (411) assumes an orientation in which its end portion nearer to the air outlet (19) is lowered downward of the first air inlet (21).
The air conditioning indoor unit (2) according to claim 1, wherein the control unit opens the first air inlet (21) via the first air inlet opening and closing mechanism (31) when the volume of the air is large notwithstanding the blow-out direction of the air being downward.
The air conditioning indoor unit (2) according to claim 1, wherein the control unit closes the first air inlet (21) via the first air inlet opening and closing mechanism (31) when the volume of the air is small notwithstanding the blow-out direction of the air being upward.
The air conditioning indoor unit (2) according to claim 1, further comprising a second air inlet opening and closing mechanism (32) that adjusts the opening degree of the second air inlet (22), wherein the control unit (41) adjusts the opening degree of the second air inlet (22) when it has opened the first air inlet (21).
The air conditioning indoor unit (2) according to claim 1, wherein the control unit (41) adjusts the opening degree of the first air inlet (21) to correspond to the required air conditioning capacity.
The air conditioning indoor unit (2) according to claim 1, further comprising opening degree selecting means that keeps an opening degree adjustment range of the first air inlet (21) in a specific range, wherein the control unit (41) controls the operation of the first air inlet opening and closing mechanism (31) on the basis of the range selected by the opening degree selecting means.