GB2597004A

GB2597004A - Indoor unit of air conditioner

Info

Publication number: GB2597004A
Application number: GB2115355.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yokozeki Makoto; Yoshitake Nobusato; Watanabe Hideki; Gajina Kenji
Original assignee: Toshiba Carrier Corp
Current assignee: Toshiba Carrier Corp
Priority date: 2019-03-26
Filing date: 2019-03-26
Publication date: 2022-01-12
Anticipated expiration: 2039-03-26
Also published as: JP2023026668A; KR102644720B1; JPWO2020194556A1; GB202115355D0; JP7367239B2; KR20210134414A; GB2597004B; JP7210700B2; WO2020194556A1; CN113631870A; CN113631870B

Abstract

This indoor unit (1) of an air conditioner comprises: a unit body (2) that is installed in a ceiling space and configured by a heat exchanger (16) and a blower (21) being housed in a housing (5); and a ceiling panel (3) in which a suction port (35) for drawing in air from an indoor space and a blowout port (36) for blowing out conditioned air in one direction are arranged, and which covers the lower portion of the unit body. The blower has a fan case (28) that protrudes below the lower edge of the housing and surrounds the fan (27). The ceiling panel has: a first inclined portion (51) that covers the protruding portion (32) of the fan case protruding downward, and inclines upward, with the cover portion (3a) which covers the lowest portion (32a) of the protruding portion serving as a base end, to the leading end (51a) toward the side on which the blowout port is disposed; and a second inclined portion (52) that inclines upward, with the cover portion serving as the base end, to the leading end (52a) toward the side opposite from the side on which the blowout port is disposed.

Description

DESCRIPTION

INDOOR UNIT OF AIR CONDITIONER

Technical Field

Embodiments described herein relate generally to an indoor unit of a ceiling-mounted air conditioner. Background Art A ceiling-mounted air conditioner comprises an indoor unit Installed in a ceiling space of a building, and a ceiling panel attached to a lower end of the indoor unit. The inside of a housing of the indoor unit is partitioned into a heat exchange chamber and a blowing chamber. A heat exchanger which exchanges heat between a refrigerant and air is arranged in the heat exchange chamber. A blower is arranged in the blowing chamber. The blower comprises a fan motor and a fan unit. The fan unit comprises a fan rotated by the fan motor, and a fan case surrounding the fan. The ceiling panel is exposed inside a room to be air-conditioned while extending along a ceiling surface, and an edge portion which defines the contour of the ceiling panel is in contact with the ceiling surface.

Citation List Patent Literatures Patent Literature _: KR 10-0829133 B Patent Literature 2: JP 559-152308 U Summary of Invention Technical Problem As a measure to improve the blowing performance of the blower, for example, the fan case may be enlarged, and the amount of air blown from the fan to the heat exchanger may be increased. On the other hand, as a measure to improve the workability of the indoor unit, for example, the height of the housing may be reduced, and the installation space of the ceiling space may be reduced.

However, these measures conflict with each other, and both cannot be easily achieved together.

Therefore, conventionally, for example, in order not to increase the thickness of the ceiling panel, the fan case has been fitted in a frame of the housing or has been designed not to protrude from the frame of the housing as much as possible. Therefore, as the fan case is enlarged, the housing is enlarged accordingly.

Embodiments described herein aim to provide an air conditioner capable of improving the blowing performance of a blower and improving the workability of an indoor unit by reducing the thickness.

Solution to Problem According to one embodiment, there is provided an indoor unit of an air conditioner comprising a unit main body installed in a ceiling space, and housing a heat exchanger and a blower in a housing, and a ceiling panel having an inlet for taking in indoor space air and an outlet for blowing out temperature-controlled air in one direction, and covering a lower portion of the unit main body. The blower has a fan case protruding below a lower edge of the housing and surrounding a fan. The ceiling panel covers a protruding portion of the fan case protruding downward, and has a first inclined portion inclined upward from a cover portion covering a lowermost portion of the protruding portion to a leading end toward where the outlet is arranged, and a second inclined portion inclined upward from the cover portion to a leading end toward a side opposite to where the outlet is arranged. Brief Description of Drawings FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view *of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment when viewed from inside the room.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a state of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment where an intake grille is opened and shielding plates are removed when viewed from inside the room.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of a state of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment where the intake grille is opened.

FIG. 7 is an illustration showing a cross section of a temporary fixing mechanism in an arrow A41 portion of FIG. 4 in the arrow direction.

FIG. 9 is an illustration showing a cross section of a fixing mechanism in an arrow A42 portion of FIG. 4 in the arrow direction when a fixing piece is at a mounting position.

FIG. 9 is an illustration showing a cross section of the fixing mechanism in an arrow A43 portion of FIG. 4 in the arrow direction when the fixing piece is at the mounting position.

FIG. 10 is an illustration showing a cross section of the fixing mechanism in an arrow A44 portion of FIG. 4 in the arrow direction when the fixing piece is at the mounting position.

FIG. 11 is an illustration showing a cross section of the fixing mechanism in the arrow A42 portion of FIG. 4 in the arrow direction when the fixing piece is at a demounting position.

FIG. 12 is an illustration showing a cross section of the fixing mechanism in the arrow A43 portion of FIG. 4 in the arrow direction when the fixing piece is at the demounting position.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the second embodiment.

Node for Carrying Out the Invention [First Embodiment] The first embodiment will be described hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state where a unit main body and a ceiling panel are separated from each other. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the indoor unit. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the indoor unit when viewed from inside the room. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a state of the indoor unit where an intake grille which will be described later is opened and shielding plates are removed when viewed from inside the room.

As shown in FIGS. I to 5, an indoor unit 1 of an air conditioner comprises a unit main body 2 installed in a ceiling space, and a ceiling panel 3 covering a lower portion of the unit main body 2. The ceiling space is, for example, a space defined between a beam in a ceiling of a building and a ceiling board.

The unit main body 2 is an element having an open bottom rectangular flat box shape, and is hung from the beam in the ceiling or the like via, for example, four hanging bolts 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, the unit main body 2 comprises a housing 5. The housing 5 has a depth dimension D, a width dimension W and a thickness dimension H. The depth dimension D of the housing 5 is less than the width dimension W. The thickness dimension H of the housing 5 is sufficiently less than the depth dimension D and the width dimension W. The housing 5 is composed of, for example, a thin metal plate such as a sheet metal material, and defines the contour of the unit main body 2. The housing 5 comprises a top plate 6, a first side plate 7, a second side plate 8, a third side plate 9 and a fourth side plate 10.

The top plate 6 spreads in a rectangular shape in the horizontal direction. The first side plate 7 and the second side plate 8 are hung from the short sides of the top plate 6, and are opposed to each other across a gap in the width direction of the housing 5.

The third side plate 9 and the fourth side plate 10 are hung from the long sides of the top plate 6, and are opposed to each other across a gap in the depth direction of the housing 5. These side plates 7, 8, 9 and 10 are connected so as to surround the top plate 6.

Hanging metal fittings 11 are fixed to the first side plate 7 and the second side plate 8. The hanging metal fittings 11 protrude from the first side plate 7 or the second side plate 8 In the width direction of the housing 5. Lower end portions of the hanging bolts 4 are connected to the hanging metal fittings 11. By adjusting the positions of nuts (not shown) screwed into the hanging bolts Lf it is possible to adjust the protruding height from the ceiling of the unit main body 2.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the housing 5 has a housing portion 12 defined by the top plate 6, the first side plate 7, the second side plate 8, the third side plate 9 and the fourth side plate 10. The housing 33 portion 12 is partitioned into two chambers, that is, a heat exchange chamber 14 and a blowing chamber 15 by a partition plate 13 extending in the width direction of the housing 5. The heat exchange chamber 14 and the blowing chamber 15 are arranged in the depth direction of the housing 5.

As shown in FIG. 3, a heat exchanger 16 and a drain pan 17 are housed in the heat exchange chamber 14. Inner surfaces of the top plate 6 and the third side plate 9 which face the heat exchange chamber 14 are covered with, for example, a heat insulating material 18 such as Styrofoam. Similarly, an inner surface of the second side plate 8 which faces the heat exchange chamber 14 is covered with another heat insulating material (not shown). A machine chamber (not shown) is formed in an end portion of the heat exchange chamber 14 which is adjacent to the first side plate 7. The machine chamber is an independent chamber separated from the heat exchange chamber 14, and houses, for example, various refrigeration cycle devices (all not shown) such as a drain pump, a refrigerant distributor and a plurality of refrigerant pipes therein.

The heat exchanger 16 comprises a plurality of heat radiation fins 19 and a plurality of heat transfer tubes 20 through which a refrigerant flows. The heat exchanger 16 extends in the width direction of the housing 5 between the second side plate 8 of the housing 5 and the machine chamber. The drain pan 17 is composed of, for example, a heat insulating material such as Styrofoam. The drain pan 17 supports the heat exchanger 16 from below so as to receive water droplets dripping from the heat exchanger 16, and surrounds the heat exchanger 16 in cooperation with the heat insulating material 18 and the other heat insulating material.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, the blowing chamber 15 houses a blower 21 therein. The blower 21 comprises a fan motor 22, a first fan unit 23 and a second fan unit 24.

The fan motor 22 has a rotary shaft 26 supported by a motor housing 25. The rotary shaft 26 includes a first shaft portion 26a protruding horizontally from one end of the motor housing 25 and a second shaft portion 26b extending horizontally from the other end of the motor housing 25. These shaft portions 26a and 26b are arranged coaxially with each other.

The first fan unit 23 and the second fan unit 24 are arranged with a gap so as to be opposed to each other across the fan motor 22. The first fan unit 23 and the second fan unit 24 each have a fan 27 and a fan case 28.

The fan 27 is composed as a cylindrical multi-blade fan (sirocco fan). The fan 27 of the first fan unit 23 is coaxially attached to a leading end portion of the first shaft portion 26a of the rotary shaft 26.

The fan 27 of the second fan unit 24 is coaxially attached to a leading end portion of the second shaft portion 26b of the rotary shaft 26.

Each fan case 28 has intake holes 29 and a nozzle portion 30. The intake holes 29 are open to the blowing chamber 15 on both sides along the axial direction of the fan 27. The nozzle portion 30 has an outlet 31 penetrating the partition plate 13 of the housing portion 12 and open to the heat exchange chamber 14. The outlet 31 has a horizontally long rectangular opening shape along the width direction of the housing 5. In addition, the outlet 31 of the first fan unit 23 and the outlet 31 of the second fan unit 24 are arranged with a gap in the width direction of the housing 5.

Each fan case 28 has a protruding portion 32 protruding below a lower edge of the housing 5, more specifically, lower edges of the first to fourth side plates 7, 8, 9 and 10.

When the fans 27 of the fan units 23 and 24 rotates, air in the blowing chamber 15 is taken into the fans 27 through the intake holes 29. The air taken into the fans 27 is discharged from outer peripheral portions of the fans 27 into the fan cases 28, and is blown out to the heat exchange chamber 14 through the outlets 31 of the nozzle portions 30.

The ceiling panel 3 is an element for covering the lower portion of the unit main body 2 from inside the room, and is postured along an unillustrated ceiling.

The ceiling panel 3 comprises a panel main body 33 and an intake grille 34. The panel main body 33 and the intake grille 34 each are formed of, for example, a synthetic resin material.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the panel main body 33 has a rectangular contour of greater than the depth dimension D and the width dimension W of the housing 5 along the ceiling, and covers an opening region of the housing 5. The opening region of the housing 5 is a region surrounded by lower ends of the first side plate 7, the second side plate 8, the third side plate 9 and the fourth side plate 10. Accordingly, the panel main body 33 covers and shields the drain pan 17, the fan motor 22 and the fan cases 28 housed in the housing portion 12.

The panel main body 33 has an inlet 35, an outlet 36 and handholes 37.

The inlet 35 has a horizontally long shape along the width direction of the housing 5, and is arranged so as to be opposed to the blowing chamber 13. Indoor space air is taken from the inlet 35 into the blowing chamber 15 when the fans 27 rotate.

The outlet 36 has a horizontally long shape along the width direction of the housing 5, and is arranged so as to be opposed to the heat exchange chamber 14.

The air blown out to the heat exchange chamber 14 through the outlets 31 when the fans 27 rotate is temperature-controlled by the heat exchanger 16, and is then blown out from the outlet 36 toward inside the room. In the present embodiment, the panel main body 33 has only one outlet 36, and the outlet 36 blows the temperature-controlled air in one direction which is the direction of the opening.

A flap 38 is attached to the outlet 36. The flap 38 is an element for changing the blowing direction of air blown out from the outlet 36 toward inside the room, and is rotatably supported by the panel main body 33. It is preferable that the flap 38 should be formed of the same material and have the same color as the panel main body 33 and the intake grille 34 in appearance. The flap 38 is a long and thin rectangular flat plate along the outlet 36, and is slightly smaller than the outlet 36 in both vertical and horizontal dimensions so that the flat 38 can open and close the outlet 36 without difficulty. However, the flap 38 is sized such that there is no noticeable gap between the outlet 36 and the flap 38 when the flap 38 closes the outlet 36.

The handholes 37 are openings for accessing the hanging bolts 4 from below when adjusting the protruding height from the ceiling of the unit main body 2. The handholes 37 are arranged at four corners of the panel main body 33, respectively, on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the inlet 33 and the outlet 36. Normally, handholes 37a located on both sides of the inlet 35 are shielded by the intake grille 34, and handholes 37b located on both outer sides of the outlet 36 are shielded by shielding plates 39. The shielding plates 39 are detachably attached to the panel main body 33.

The intake grille 34 is detachably attached to the panel main body 33 so as to cover the inlet 35 and the handholes 37a. The intake grille 34 has an intake portion 40 and dummy portions 41. The intake portion 40 has a lattice shape which is horizontally long along the width direction of the housing 5 and can take in indoor space air, and is arranged so as to be opposed to the inlet 35. The dummy portions 41 are arranged on both outer sides in the longitudinal direction of the intake portion 40 so as to sandwich the intake portion 40. The dummy portions 41 each are a plate-like body which cannot take in indoor space air, but a lower surface of the plate-like body has the same lattice shape as the intake portion 40.

The intake portion 40 has a lattice shape formed of longitudinally-continuous horizontal crosspieces 42a arranged at predetermined intervals and vertical crosspieces 42b intersecting the horizontal crosspieces 42a. On the other hand, the dummy portions 41 each have a lattice shape having horizontal crosspieces 42c which are longitudinally continuous along the horizontal crosspieces 42a of the intake portion 40 and are arranged at the same intervals as the horizontal crosspieces 42a of the intake portion 40. Accordingly, the intake portion 40 and the dummy portions 41 have the same lattice shape in which the horizontal crosspieces 42a and 42c are arranged at the same intervals along the longitudinal direction of the intake portion 40 in appearance.

A filter 43 is removably supported on an upper surface of the intake portion 40. The filter 43 extends in the longitudinal direction of the intake portion 40 so as to cover the inlet 35, and is divided into two as an example. These filters 43 are opposed to the fan cases 28 of the first fan unit 23 and the second fan unit 24, respectively. A filter element (not shown) for filtering indoor space air taken in from the intake portion 40 is attached to each filter 43.

The intake grille 34 turns on an outer edge 34a along the longitudinal direction with respect to the panel main body 33, and opens and closes the inlet 35 and the handholes 37a. The intake grille 34 has engaging pieces (not shown) which engage with engaging portions 33a of the panel main body 33. The engaging portions 33a are arranged at outer peripheral edges 35a and 37c of the inlet 35 and the handholes 37a. The engaging pieces are arranged at the outer edge 34a along the longitudinal direction of the intake grille 34. Since the engaging portions 33a and the engaging pieces are engaged with each other, as shown in FIG. 6, the intake grille 34 is hung from the panel main body 33 when opening and closing the inlet 35 and the handholes 37a. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of a state where the intake grille 34 is opened and hung.

In this state, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the handholes 37a can be exposed inside the room.

Therefore, the hanging metal fittings 11 and the hanging bolts 4 can be visually observed through the handholes 37a. Accordingly, it is possible to adjust the protruding height from the ceiling of the unit main body 2 by adjusting the positions of the nuts (not shown) screwed into the hanging bolts 4 from the handholes 37a. That is, for example, it is possible to shield the handholes 37a by the intake grille 34 without adding dedicated components for covering the handholes 37a, and it is possible to adjust the protruding height of the ceiling main body 2 simply by opening the intake grille 34.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the intake grille 34 comprises a temporary fixing mechanism 44. The temporary fixing mechanism 44 is a mechanism for temporarily fixing the intake grille 34 to the panel main body 33 such that the intake grille 34 shields the inlet 35 and the handholes 37a. Temporary fixing is defined as maintaining and stabilizing the posture of the intake grille 34 until the intake grille 34 is fixed to the panel main body 33. Temporary fixing makes the work of fixing the intake grille 34 to the panel main body 33 easier.

FIG. 7 shows the configuration of the temporary fixing mechanism 44. FIG. 7 is an illustration showing a cross section of the temporary fixing mechanism 44 in an arrow A41 portion of FIG. 4 in the arrow direction.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 7, the temporary fixing mechanism 44 has a temporary hanging hook 45 and a temporary hanging claw 46, and is arranged in a substantially central portion of an inner edge 34b along the longitudinal direction of the intake grille 34.

The temporary hanging hook 45 includes a base portion 45a, an arm portion 45b and a barb portion 45c, and is formed of, for example, synthetic resin material. The base portion 45a is a fixing portion to the panel main body 33, and is positioned and fixed to a fixing portion 33b on the upper surface side of the panel main body 33 by a screw 45d. The arm portion 45b hangs from the base portion 45a, and is inserted into a gap 40a between the adjacent horizontal crosspieces 42a in the intake portion 40. Accordingly, the arm portion 45b has the structure of a cantilever spring which flexurally deforms in the lateral direction of the intake portion 40 in the gap 40a from a connecting portion 45e with the base portion 45a. The barb portion 45c is provided at the leading end of the arm portion 45b, and hooks the temporary hanging claw 46 by an elastic restoring force due to the flexural deformation of the arm portion 45b. The barb portion 45c can be accessed from the gap 40a. Accordingly, it is possible to apply an external force from the barb portion 450 to the arm portion 45b against the elastic restoring force.

The temporary hanging claw 46 protrudes from one horizontal crosspiece 42a defining the gap 40a toward the barb portion 45c. The temporary hanging claw 46 is hooked on the barb portion 45c, and supports the intake grille 34 with respect to the panel main body 33. When the intake grille 34 is closed so as to shield the inlet 35 and the handholes 37a, the temporary hanging claw 46 is hooked on the barb portion 45c.

Accordingly, the intake grille 34 is temporarily fixed to the panel main body 33. When the intake grille 34 is opened so as to open the inlet 35 and the handholes 37a, the arm portion 45b is tilted in a direction of separating the barb portion 45c from the temporary hanging claw 46, and the barb portion 45c is unhooked from the temporary hanging claw 46.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the intake grille 34 comprises fixing mechanisms 47 in addition to the temporary fixing mechanism 44. The fixing mechanisms 47 each are a mechanism for fixing the intake grille 34, which is temporarily fixed by the temporary fixing mechanism 44, to the panel main body 33. According to the fixing mechanisms 47, the intake grille 34 is positioned and fixed to the panel main body 33 while shielding the inlet 35 and the handholes 37a.

FIGS. 8 to 12 show the configuration of the fixing mechanism 47. FIGS. 8 and 11 each are an illustration showing a cross section of the fixing mechanism 47 in an arrow A42 portion of FIG. 4 in the arrow direction.

FIGS. 9 and 12 each are an illustration showing a cross section of the fixing mechanism 47 in an arrow A43 portion of FIG. 4 in the arrow direction. FIG. 10 is an illustration showing a cross section of the fixing mechanism 47 in an arrow A44 portion of FIG. 4 in the arrow direction.

As shown in FIGS. 8 to 12, the fixing mechanism 47 is a mechanism for fixing the intake grille 34, which is temporarily fixed by the temporary fixing mechanism 44, to the panel main body 33. According to the fixing mechanism 47, the intake grille 34 is positioned and fixed to the panel main body 33 while shielding the inlet 35 and the handholes 37a. The fixing mechanism 47 has a fixing piece 48, a piece base 49 and a fixing screw 50, and is arranged in the dummy portion 41.

The fixing piece 48 includes a first piece portion 48a, a second piece portion 48b, a third piece portion 48c, a fourth piece portion 48d and a fifth piece portion 48e, and is formed of, for example, the same synthetic resin material as the dummy portion 41. The fixing piece 48 is fitted in a region surrounded by the intake portion 40, the dummy portion 41 and the panel main body 33.

The first piece portion 48a is a plate-like body which is substantially flush with the dummy portion 41, and extends with substantially the same dimension as the width dimension of the dummy portion 41 in the longitudinal direction of the intake grille 34. The first piece portion 48a has the same lattice shape as the dummy portion 41, and a lower surface portion thereof has horizontal crosspieces 42d which are continuous with the horizontal crosspieces 42a of the intake portion 40 at the same intervals as the horizontal crosspieces 42c of the dummy portion 41.

Accordingly, the appearance of the first piece portion 48a is substantially assimilated with the intake portion 40 and the dummy portion 41.

The second piece portion 48b is a plate-like body standing from one long edge of the first piece portion 48a, and has guide holes 48f having a rectangular opening shape. Guide shafts 41b protruding from the dummy portion 41 are removably inserted into the guide holes 48f. Accordingly, the fixing piece 48 is positioned in an appropriate posture with respect to the dummy portion 41, and is slidably positioned between one end to the other end of the guide hole 48f. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, a position where one end 48g of the guide hole 48f and the guide shaft 41b are in contact with each other defines the mounting position of the fixing piece 48 with respect to the dummy portion 41. At the mounting position, the end faces of the first piece portion 48a and the second piece portion 48b are in contact with a contact surface 40b of the intake portion 40. FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 each show a state where the fixing piece 48 is at the mounting position. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11, a position where the other end 48h of the guide hole 48f and the guide shaft 41b are in contact with each other defines the demounting position of the fixing piece 48 with respect to the dummy portion 41.

At the demounting position, the end faces of the first piece portion 48a and the second piece portion 48b are both separated from the contact surface 40b of the intake portion 40. FIGS. 11 and 12 each show a state where the fixing piece 48 is at the demounting position.

The third piece portion 48c is a plate-like body continuous with the second piece portion 48b. The third piece portion 48c stands and bends from the standing end of the second piece portion 48b, and extends in a direction in which the fixing piece 48 slides to the mounting position. As shown in FIG. 11, a gap 48i is formed between the third piece portion 48c and the second piece portion 48b. That is, the third piece portion 48c protrudes like a hook from the second piece portion 48b.

As shown in FIG. 10, the fourth piece portion 48b is a plate-like body continuous with the first piece portion 48a. The fourth piece portion 48b stands and bends from one short edge of the first piece portion 48a, and extends in a direction in which the fixing piece 48 is slid to the mounting position. The fourth piece portion 48d is concavely and upwardly continuous with respect to the first piece portion 48a.

Accordingly, an extending end portion 48j of the fourth piece portion 48d is positioned so as to be recessed above the appearance decorative surface of the lattice-like intake grille 34. The appearance decorative surface is composed of the horizontal crosspieces 42c of the dummy portion 41 and the horizontal crosspieces 42a of the intake portion 40. The extending end portion 48j is bifurcated, and sandwiches the screw shaft 50a of the fixing screw 50 when the fixing piece 48 is slid to the mounting position.

As shown in FIGS. 6, 8 and 11, the fifth piece portion 48e is a plate-like body continuous like a wall with the first piece portion 48a and the second piece portion 48b. The fifth piece portion 48e is substantially flush with an outer surface 41c of the dummy portion 41 along the lateral direction of the intake grille 34 when the fixing piece 48 is slid to the mounting position.

As shown in FIGS. 8 to 12, the piece base 49 includes a first piece portion 49a, a second piece portion 49b, a third piece portion 49c, a fourth piece portion 49d, a fifth piece portion 49e, a sixth piece portion 49f, a seventh piece portion 49g, an eighth piece portion 49f and a ninth piece portion 491, and is formed of, for example, the same synthetic resin material as the intake portion 40. The piece base 49 is fixed to the intake portion 40.

The first piece portion 49a is a plate-like body which engages with the third piece portion 48c of the fixing piece 48, and extends toward the gap 481 in the longitudinal direction of the intake grille 34. As shown In FIG. 8, when the fixing piece 48 is slid to the mounting position, the first piece portion 49a is inserted into the gap 481 and is engaged with the third piece portion 48c of the fixing piece 48. Accordingly, the fixing piece 48 is positioned at the intake portion 40. That is, the first piece portion 49a protrudes like a hook engageable with the third piece portion 48c from the main body portion of the piece base 49 composed of the second piece portion 49b to the ninth piece portion 49i. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11, when the fixing piece 48 is slid to the demounting position, the first piece portion 49a is withdrawn from the gap 48i and is disengaged from the third piece portion 48c of the fixing piece 48.

As shown in FIGS. 8 to 12, the second piece portion 49b is a plate-like body standing from an edge of the first piece portion 49a on a side opposite to where the first piece portion 49a is inserted into the gap 481. The third piece portion 49c is a plate-like body extending substantially parallel to the first piece portion 49a from a standing end of the second piece portion 49b. The fourth piece portion 49d is a plate-like body hanging from an extending end of the third piece portion 49c. The fifth piece portion 49e is a plate-like body continuous like a wall with the first piece portion 49a and the second piece portion 49b. The sixth piece portion 49f is a plate-like body continuous like a wall with the second piece portion 49b, the third piece portion 49c and the fourth piece portion 49d. The seventh piece portion 49g is a plate-like body extending substantially parallel to the first piece portion 49a from an extending end of the fourth piece portion 49d. The eighth portion 49h is a platelike body standing from an extending end of the seventh piece portion 49g. The ninth piece portion 49i is a plate-like body continuous like a wall with the seventh piece portion 49g and the eighth piece portion 49h. The seventh piece portion 49g, the eighth piece portion 49h and the ninth piece portion 49i are fixing portions of the piece base 49 to the intake portion 40.

As shown in FIG. 10, the fixing screw 50 fixes the fixing piece 48 to the panel main body 33. More specifically, the fourth piece portion 48d of the fixing piece 48 positioned at the intake portion 40 is fixed to a fixing base 33c of the panel main body 33 by the fixing screw 50. A state where the fixing piece 48 is positioned at the intake portion 40 is a state where the first piece portion 49a is inserted into the gap 481 and is engaged with the third piece portion 48c of the fixing piece 48 and the extending end portion 48j of the fourth piece portion 48d sandwiches the screw shaft 50a of the fixing screw 50. The fixing base 33c is a portion constituting a partition which separates the inlet 35 and the handhole 37a of the panel main body 33. When the fixing screw 50 is tightened, the fourth piece portion 48d is fasten to the fixing base 33c, and the intake grille 34 is positioned and fixed to the panel main body 33 via the fixing piece 48. On the contrary, when the fixing screw 50 is loosened, the fourth piece portion 48d is unfastened from the fixing base 33c, and the fixing piece 48 can be slid to the demounting position as shown in FIG. 11.

Therefore, it is necessary to loosen the fixing screw 50 when opening and closing the inlet 35 and the handhole 37a of the panel main body 33. That is, it is possible to prevent the user from touching the fan motor 22, the fan 27 and the like of the housing 5 without using a predetermined tool for loosening the fixing screw SO. In addition, the fixing screw 50 can be accessed from the gap 40a of the intake portion 40.

However, a head portion 50b of the fixing screw 50 is located at a position recessed above the appearance decorative surface of the lattice-like intake grille 34. Therefore, it is possible to make the head portion 50b of the fixing screw 50 unnoticeable in appearance without adding another component such as a screw cap. As shown in FIG. 3, in the present embodiment, the ceiling panel 3 has a first inclined portion 51 and a second inclined portion 52. The ceiling panel 3 covers the protruding portion 32 of the fan case 28.

The first inclined portion 51 TS inclined upward from a portion (hereinafter referred to as a cover portion) 3a in which the ceiling panel 3 covers a lowermost portion 32a of the protruding portion 32 to a leading end 51a toward where the outlet 36 is arranged.

The first inclined portion 51 includes a panel inclined portion 33d which is a part of the panel main body 33 and a grille first portion 34c which is a part of the intake grille 34 as main elements. The first inclined 33 portion 51 also includes a panel frame portion 33e which is a part of the panel main body 33 and the flap 38 as components. The panel frame portion 33e is a flame portion of the panel main body 33 to which the intake grille 34, the flap 38 and the shielding plate 39 are attached. In addition, the grille first portion 34c is composed of parts of the intake portion 40 and the dummy portion 41.

The second inclined portion 52 is inclined upward from the cover portion 3a to a leading end 52a toward a side opposite to where the outlet 36 is arranged. That is, the second inclined portion 52 is inclined toward the other side of the cover portion 3a from the first inclined portion 51. The second inclined portion 52 includes a grille second portion 34d as a main element.

The second inclined portion 52 also includes the panel frame portion 33e as a component. The grille second portion 34d is a part of the intake grille 34 which remains after the grille first portion 34c included in the first inclined portion 51 is excluded. The grille second portion 34d includes parts of the intake portion and the dummy portion 41 which remain after parts constituting the grille first portion 34c are excluded.

The cover portion 3a corresponds to a lowermost portion of the ceiling panel 3. Therefore, the ceiling panel 3 is formed substantially flat in appearance by the first inclined portion 51 on one side and the second inclined portion 52 on the other side in the depth direction of the housing 5 of the cover portion 3a which is the lowermost portion. The inclination angles of the first inclined portion 51 and the second inclined portion 52 with respect to the horizontal plane may be set according to the degree of protrusion of the protruding portion 32 of the fan case 28. These inclination angles may be the same as each other or different from each other.

In order for the ceiling panel 3 to have such a configuration, the panel main body 33 has a panel inclined portion 33d arranged on the outlet 36 side across the cover portion 3a. In addition, the intake grille 34 is bent at the cover portion 3a into the grille first portion 34c and the grille second portion 34d. Furthermore, as is the case with the intake grille 34, the filter 43 is bent at a support portion 43c at the cover portion 3a into a filter first portion 43a and a filter second portion 43b.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, a thickness H51 in the vertical direction of the leading end 51a of the first inclined portion 51 is less than a thickness H52 of the leading end 52a of the second inclined portion 52. The leading end 51a of the first inclined portion 51 is defined by a first panel frame portion 33f of the panel frame portion 33e. The first panel frame portion 33f is a longitudinal portion of the panel frame portion 33e located where the flap 38 and the shielding plate 39 are attached. The leading end 52a of the second inclined portion 52 is defined by a second panel frame portion 33g of the panel frame portion 33e. The second panel frame portion 33g is a longitudinal portion of the panel frame portion 33e located where the intake grille 34 is attached. That is, the first panel frame portion 33f is flatter than the second panel frame portion 33g. The dimensional ratio of the thickness H51 and the thickness H52 may be set according to the inclination angles of the first inclined portion 51 and the second inclined portion 52 with respect to the horizontal plane, in other words, the degree of protrusion of the protruding portion 32 of the fan case 28.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the protruding portion 32 of the fan case 28 is covered with the ceiling panel 3 having the first inclined portion 51 and the second inclined portion 52. Therefore, while the fan case 28 can be enlarged and the amount of air blown from the fan 27 can be increased, the thickness dimension H of the housing 5 can be suppressed. Since the thickness dimension H of the housing 5 can be suppressed, the thickness of the indoor unit 1 can be reduced, and a ceiling pocket size which is a factor in the restriction on the installation of the indoor unit 1 in the ceiling space can be reduced. As a result, the workability during the installation of the indoor unit 1 in the ceiling space can be improved. In addition, also when the fan case 29 is enlarged to the maximum so that the amount of air blown from the fan 27 is increased, the ceiling panel 3 can be designed to have a reduced thickness. Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the thickness H51 of the leading end 51a of the first inclined portion 51 (the first panel frame portion 33f) is less than the thickness H52 of the leading end 52a of the second inclined portion 52 (the second panel frame portion 33g). The leading end 51a is located where the outlet 36 is arranged with respect to the cover portion 3a which is the lowermost portion of the ceiling panel 3, and the leading end 52a is located on the opposite side. Therefore, since the indoor unit 1 is installed such that the leading end 51a faces inside the room and the leading end 52a faces the wall in the indoor space, the thickness H51 of the leading end 51a noticeable to the user can be made less than the thickness H52 of the leading end 52a. Accordingly, the entire ceiling panel 3 can be designed to look thin in appearance.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the intake grille 34 is bent at the cover portion 3a into the grille first portion 34c and the grille second portion 34d. However, the intake grille 34 may not be bent as described above. The following describes the second embodiment in which the intake grille is substantially flat in appearance without being bent.

[Second Embodiment] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of an indoor unit la of the second embodiment. The indoor unit la of the second embodiment is different from the indoor unit 1 of the first embodiment in the configuration of a ceiling panel 53. The other configuration of the indoor unit la is the same as the indoor unit 1. Therefore, the same constituent elements as the indoor unit 1 are denoted by the same reference numbers in the

drawings, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

As shown in FIG. 13, the ceiling panel 53 comprises a panel main body 54 and an intake grille 55. In addition, the ceiling panel 53 has a first inclined portion 56 and a second inclined portion 57.

The first inclined portion 56 is inclined upward from the cover portion 3a to a leading end 56a toward where the outlet 36 is arranged. The first inclined portion 56 is primarily composed of a panel inclined portion 54a which is a part of the panel main body 54, and does not include the intake grille 55.

The second Inclined portion 57 is inclined upward from the cover portion 3a to a leading end 57a toward a side opposite to where the outlet 36 is arranged. That is, the second inclined portion 57 is inclined toward the other side of the cover portion 3a from the first inclined portion 56. The second inclined portion 57 includes the entire intake grille 55, that is, the entire intake portion and the entire dummy portion as main elements.

Therefore, as is the case in the first embodiment, the panel main body 54 has the panel inclined portion 54a on the outlet 36 side across the cover portion 3a. On the other hand, the intake grille 55 is not bent at the cover portion 3a or is not arranged on the outlet 36 side across the cover portion 3a. As is the case with the intake grille 55, a filter 58 is not bent or is not arranged on the outlet 36 side across a support portion 58a at the cover portion 3a.

According to the present embodiment, when the indoor unit la is installed such that the leading end 56a (the first panel frame portion 33f) faces inside the room and the leading end 57a (the second panel frame portion 33g) faces the wall in the indoor space, and when viewed from the indoor space, the lattice form of the intake grille 55 is hidden behind the panel inclined portion 54a. Therefore, unlike the grille first portion 34c of the first embodiment, the lattice form is not exposed inside the room. Therefore, when viewed from the indoor space, the panel inclined portion 54a not having a lattice shape is exposed inside the room, and consequently the ceiling panel 53 can be designed to be flat and slim in appearance.

While the first and second embodiments of the invention have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Indeed, the novel embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are Intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the invention.

Reference Signs List 1...Indoor unit, 2.-.Unit main body, 3...Ceiling panel, 3a Cover portion, 5--Housing, 16..-Heat exchanger, 21...Blower, 27...Fan, 28...Fan case, 32...Protruding portion of fan case, 32a.--Lowermost portion of protruding portion, 35...Inlet, 36...Outlet, 51...First inclined portion, 51a.. .Leading end of first inclined portion, 52-..second inclined portion, and 52a-Leading end of second inclined portion.

Claims

CLAIMS1. An indoor unit of an air conditioner comprising: a unit main body installed in a ceiling space, and housing a heat exchanger and a blower in a housing; and a ceiling panel having an inlet for taking in indoor space air and an outlet for blowing out temperature-controlled air in one direction, and covering a lower portion of the unit main body, wherein the blower has a fan case protruding below a lower edge of the housing and surrounding a fan, and the ceiling panel covers a protruding portion of the fan case protruding downward, and has a first inclined portion inclined upward from a cover portion covering a lowermost portion of the protruding portion to a leading end toward where the outlet is arranged, and a second inclined portion inclined upward from the cover portion to a leading end toward a side opposite to where the outlet is arranged.
2. The indoor unit of the air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the ceiling panel has a panel main body having the inlet and the outlet, and an intake grille having a lattice shape and covering the inlet, the first inclined portion includes a part of the panel main body and a part of the intake grille, and the second inclined portion includes a part of the intake grille which remains after the part included in the first inclined portion is excluded.
3. The indoor unit of the air conditioner of claim 2, wherein the intake grille supports a filter to which a filter element is attached, and the filter is bent along both the first inclined portion and the second inclined portion.
4. The indoor unit of the air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the ceiling panel has a panel main body having the inlet and the outlet, and an intake grille having a lattice shape and covering the inlet, and the second inclined portion includes the entire intake grille.
5. The indoor unit of the air conditioner of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a thickness in a vertical direction of the leading end of the first inclined portion is less than that of the leading end of the second inclined portion.