EP3982052A1

EP3982052A1 - Air conditioner

Info

Publication number: EP3982052A1
Application number: EP21199260.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Masanobu Wada; Masaru Yonezawa; Shu NAKAO
Original assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co Ltd
Current assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-10-09
Filing date: 2021-09-27
Publication date: 2022-04-13
Anticipated expiration: 2041-09-27
Also published as: EP3982052B1; JP2022062748A

Abstract

In an air conditioner of the present disclosure, support pieces each have cross-sectional area A0 on a connection surface between each of the support pieces and an auxiliary air deflector plate, and have cross-sectional area A1 on a surface parallel to a vertical air deflector plate, and at least one of the support pieces has a relationship of A0 > A1.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an air conditioner including a vertical air deflector plate that supports an auxiliary air deflector plate by a support piece.

2. Description of the Related Art

As illustrated in FIG. 4, PTL 1 discloses air conditioner 1 that sends air generated by rotation of cross flow fan 4 from blow-out port 7 into a room.
Air conditioner 1 includes upper air deflector plate 8a pivotally supported to be rotatable on an upper part between left and right side walls of blow-out port 7, and first auxiliary air deflector plate 8c supported on upper air deflector plate 8a by first support piece 8b. Air conditioner 1 further includes lower air deflector plate 9a pivotally supported to be rotatable on a lower part between the left and right side walls of blow-out port 7, and second auxiliary air deflector plate 9c supported on lower air deflector plate 9a by second support piece 9b. First auxiliary air deflector plate 8c is disposed substantially parallel to upper air deflector plate 8a with a predetermined gap therebetween. Second auxiliary air deflector plate 9c is disposed substantially parallel to lower air deflector plate 9a with a predetermined gap therebetween.

Citation List

Patent Literature

PTL 1: Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. H8-334255

SUMMARY

During cooling operation, the auxiliary air deflector plate is constantly exposed to cold air blown out from the blow-out port and has a low temperature. The present disclosure provides an air conditioner that suppresses heat conduction from the auxiliary air deflector plate to the vertical air deflector plate via the support piece. This air conditioner can prevent the vertical air deflector plate from being cooled and prevent dew condensation on a surface of the vertical air deflector plate exposed to indoor air even in an environment where humidity of the indoor air is high while maintaining high controllability of the blown air flow.
An air conditioner of the present disclosure has a fan inside and blows, from a blow-out port, air sucked by the fan from a suction port, the air conditioner including a vertical air deflector plate rotatably provided at the blow-out port, and an auxiliary air deflector plate connected in substantially parallel to the vertical air deflector plate via a plurality of support pieces, in which each of the plurality of support pieces has cross-sectional area A0 on connection surface S0 connected to the auxiliary air deflector plate, and has cross-sectional area A1 on surface S1 parallel to the vertical air deflector plate, and at least one support piece of the plurality of support pieces has a relationship of A0 > A1.
The air conditioner of the present disclosure includes the auxiliary air deflector plate disposed apart from the vertical air deflector plate with a predetermined gap. The air conditioner is intended to improve controllability of the blown air flow by pressing the blown air flow from a blow-out port downward with the auxiliary air deflector plate when controlling an air direction of the blown air flow in a floor surface direction. Regarding at least one of the support pieces, area A0 of connection surface S0 between the support piece and auxiliary air deflector plate and area A1 of the support piece on surface S1 parallel to an upper surface of the vertical air deflector plate satisfy A0 > A1. During cooling operation, the auxiliary air deflector plate is constantly exposed to cold air blown out from the blow-out port and has a low temperature. The support piece suppresses heat conduction from the auxiliary air deflector plate to the vertical air deflector plate, and alleviates cooling of the vertical air deflector plate. The air conditioner can suppress dew condensation on a surface of the vertical air deflector plate exposed to indoor air in an environment where humidity of the indoor air is high.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view illustrating an example of a configuration of an air conditioner according to a first exemplary embodiment;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating a vicinity of a blow-out port of the air conditioner according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating a vicinity of a blow-out port of an air conditioner according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a conventional air conditioner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments will be described in detail with appropriate reference to the drawings. Note that an unnecessarily detailed description may be omitted. For example, a detailed description of already well-known matters and a redundant description of substantially the same configuration may be omitted.
Note that the attached drawings and the following description are provided for those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter as described in the appended claims.

(First exemplary embodiment)

FIG. 1 is a sectional view illustrating an example of a configuration of air conditioner 100 according to a first exemplary embodiment. FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating a vicinity of a blow-out port of air conditioner 100 according to the first exemplary embodiment.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, air conditioner 100 includes body casing 103 including suction port 101 and blow-out port 102. Air conditioner 100 further includes heat exchanger 104, cross flow fan 105, stabilizer 106, and rear guider 107 (lower wall surface). Air conditioner 100 further includes vertical air deflector plate 108, a plurality of support pieces 109, and auxiliary air deflector plate 110. FIG. 1 shows only one of the plurality of support pieces 109. Vertical air deflector plate 108 is pivotally supported to be rotatable between left and right side walls (not shown) of the blow-out port 102. Vertical air deflector plate 108 is provided on an extension of rear guider (lower wall surface) 107 of blow-out port 102. Auxiliary air deflector plate 110 is supported on vertical air deflector plate 108 by the plurality of support pieces 109. Vertical air deflector plate 108 has an upper surface facing upward during operation of air conditioner 100.
Auxiliary air deflector plate 110 is disposed apart from the upper surface of vertical air deflector plate 108 with a predetermined gap. Air conditioner 100 further includes upper air deflector plate 111.
Similarly to vertical air deflector plate 108, each support piece 109 has a surface along a direction of the blown air. Each support piece 109 serves to mutually support vertical air deflector plate 108 and auxiliary air deflector plate 110, and also serves to rectify the blown air.
Each support piece 109 has a surface connected to vertical air deflector plate 108 and a surface connected to auxiliary air deflector plate 110.
A connection surface between each support piece 109 and auxiliary air deflector plate 110, that is, a surface that is parallel to auxiliary air deflector plate 110 and on which each support piece 109 is connected to auxiliary air deflector plate 110 is defined as connection surface S0. An area of a cross section of each support piece 109 at connection surface S0 is defined as cross-sectional area A0. A surface parallel to auxiliary air deflector plate 110 and other than connection surface S0 is defined as surface S1. An area of a cross section of each support piece 109 on surface S1 is defined as cross-sectional area A1. In at least one support piece of the plurality of support pieces 109, area A0 and area A1 have a relationship of A0 > A1. In all of the plurality of support pieces 109, area A0 and area A1 may have a relationship of A0 > A1.
During the cooling operation, auxiliary air deflector plate 110 is constantly exposed to cold air blown out from blow-out port 102 and has a low temperature. Since area A0 and area A1 have a relationship of A0 > A1, support pieces 109 have a large thermal resistance. Due to the large thermal resistance, support pieces 109 suppress heat conduction between auxiliary air deflector plate 110 and vertical air deflector plate 108. This can prevent vertical air deflector plate 108 from being cooled under the influence of auxiliary air deflector plate 110 having a low temperature. Air conditioner 100 can prevent dew condensation on the surface of vertical air deflector plate 108 exposed to the indoor air even in an environment where humidity of the indoor air is high while maintaining controllability of the blown air flow.
Each support piece 109 has upstream end 112 in a first direction along a flow of the air blown out from blow-out port 102. Surface S1 intersects upstream end 112 at first point 113. Surface S0 intersects upstream end 112 at second point 114. First point 113 is located downstream of second point 114 in the first direction. In other words, upstream end 112 (113) of support piece 109 on surface S1 is located downstream of upstream end 112 (114) of support piece 109 on connection surface S0 in a direction in which the blown air flows. Thus, while the heat conduction between auxiliary air deflector plate 110 and vertical air deflector plate 108 via support piece 109 is suppressed, a part of upstream end 112 of support piece 109 close to vertical air deflector plate 108 can be positioned at a place where an airflow speed of the blown air is relatively low. This can suppress support piece 109 from being cooled by the blow-out air at upstream end 112 of support piece 109 and suppress vertical air deflector plate 108 from being cooled as much as possible. As a result, dew condensation on the surface of vertical air deflector plate 108 exposed to the indoor air can be more effectively improved.

(Second exemplary embodiment)

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating a vicinity of a blow-out port of air conditioner 200 according to a second exemplary embodiment. In FIG. 3, elements common to those in the first exemplary embodiment are denoted by common reference numerals.
A surface on which support piece 209 is connected to auxiliary air deflector plate 110 is defined as connection surface S0. A length in an air direction (first direction) of support piece 209 on connection surface S0 is defined as length L0. A surface parallel to auxiliary air deflector plate 110 other than S0 is defined as surface S2. A length of support piece 209 in the air direction (first direction) on surface S2 is defined as length L2. Length L0 and length L2 have a relationship of L0 = L2.
Support piece 209 has a width in a direction (second direction) perpendicular to the air direction, that is, a width along a longitudinal direction of vertical air deflector plate 108. This width continuously decreases from connection surface S0 toward surface S2. A width of support piece 209 on connection surface S0 is defined as first width W0. A width of support piece 209 on surface S2 is defined as second width W2. First width W0 and second width W2 have a relationship of W0 > W2.
An area of support piece 209 on connection surface S0 is defined as cross-sectional area A0. An area of support piece 209 on surface S2 is defined as cross-sectional area A2. Area A0 and area A2 have a relationship of A0 > A2.
Since area A0 and area A2 have a relationship of A0 > A2, support piece 209 has a large thermal resistance. Support piece 209 is constantly exposed to the cold air blown out from blow-out port 102 during cooling. Support piece 209 is cooled by the cold air and has a low temperature. However, support piece 209, which has a large thermal resistance, can suppress the heat conduction to vertical air deflector plate 108 as much as possible. As a result, dew condensation on the surface of vertical air deflector plate 108 exposed to the indoor air can be more effectively improved.
The width of support piece 209 may discontinuously change between connection surface S0 and surface S2.
Support piece 209 has upstream end 212. Surface S2 intersects upstream end 212 at first point 213. Surface S0 intersects upstream end 212 at second point 214. First point 213 may be at the same position as second point 214 in the first direction. Alternatively, first point 213 may be located downstream of second point 214. In other words, upstream end 212 (213) of support piece 209 on connection surface S2 may be located downstream of upstream end 212 (214) of support piece 209 on connection surface S0.
The present disclosure can reduce the risk of dew condensation on the surface of the vertical air deflector plate exposed to the indoor air in an environment where the humidity of the indoor air is high while maintaining high controllability of the blown air flow, and thus is suitable for use in domestic air conditioning and commercial air conditioning.

Claims

An air conditioner having a fan inside and being configured to blow, from a blow-out port, air sucked by the fan from a suction port, the air conditioner comprising:
a vertical air deflector plate rotatably provided at the blow-out port; and

an auxiliary air deflector plate connected in substantially parallel to the vertical air deflector plate via a plurality of support pieces, wherein

each of the plurality of support pieces has a cross-sectional area A0 on a connection surface S0 connected to the auxiliary air deflector plate, and has a cross-sectional area A1 on a surface S1 parallel to the vertical air deflector plate, and

at least one support piece of the plurality of support pieces has a relationship of A0 > A1.
The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the vertical air deflector plate is provided on an extension of a lower wall surface of the blow-out port.
The air conditioner according to claim 1 to 2, wherein
the at least one support piece of the plurality of support pieces has an upstream end in a first direction along a flow of air blown out from the blow-out port,

the surface S1 intersects the upstream end at a first point,

the connection surface S0 intersects the upstream end at a second point, and

the first point is located downstream of the second point in the first direction.
The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein
the at least one support piece of the plurality of support pieces has a first width in a second direction on the surface S0, the second direction being perpendicular to a first direction along a flow of the air blown out from the blow-out port, and has a second width in the second direction on a surface S2 parallel to the auxiliary air deflector plate, and

the first width is larger than the second width.