JP2006052937A - Indoor unit for air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an indoor unit for an air conditioner which is capable of suppressing the occurrence of excess or deficiency of the suction amount of air. <P>SOLUTION: This indoor unit 1 for an air conditioner comprises an indoor unit casing 2, a front panel 6, and a moving mechanism. The indoor unit casing 2 is provided with a first suction port 21. The front panel 6 is installed on the front of the indoor unit casing 2 and opens/closes the first suction port 21. The moving mechanism moves the front panel 6 to a closed state in which the front panel 6 closes the first suction port 21, to a first open state in which the front panel 6 opens the first suction port 21 after moving forward from the closed state, and to a second open state in which the front panel 6 opens the first suction port 22 to a greater degree after further moving forward from the first state. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an indoor unit of an air conditioner.

Some air conditioners include a front panel that opens and closes a suction port provided on the front surface of a casing. This front panel covers the suction port when the operation of the indoor unit of the air conditioner is stopped, so that the suction port can be concealed from the outside, and the design can be improved. Further, during the operation of the indoor unit of the air conditioner, the front panel is rotated and moved with the lower end as a fulcrum so that the front panel is inclined forward, and the suction port is opened to ensure air suction. (See Patent Document 1). Thereby, designability and ventilation performance can be made compatible.
JP-A-7-98129 (Fig. 1)

  However, in an indoor unit of an air conditioner, an appropriate suction amount often varies depending on the situation such as the content of operation. For example, in special operation such as “powerful operation” where the output of cooling or heating is increased when the room is rapidly cooled or heated, or “sleeping operation” where operation noise is suppressed during sleep, etc. A more suitable operation is possible when air is sucked in with a different amount of suction than the heating operation. However, in the air conditioner as described above, the front panel moves forward with the same opening degree regardless of the operation mode, so that there is a risk that the air intake amount will be excessive or insufficient. Explaining in the above example, since a powerful operation requires a larger amount of suction than in a normal operation, if the open / close panel is opened in the same way in the powerful operation and the normal operation, the suction amount in the powerful operation There is a fear that it is not possible to secure sufficient capacity due to shortage.

  The subject of this invention is providing the air conditioner which can suppress generation | occurrence | production of the excess and deficiency of the air suction amount.

An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a first invention includes a casing, a front panel, and a moving mechanism. The casing is provided with a suction port on the front surface. The front panel is provided on the front surface of the casing and opens and closes the suction port. The moving mechanism includes a closed state in which the front panel closes the suction port, a first open state in which the front panel moves forward from the closed state to open the suction port, and the front panel moves further forward from the first state. The front panel is moved to the second open state in which the suction port is further opened by moving. The moving mechanism moves the front panel in the first direction when the front panel is shifted from the closed state to the first open state. The moving mechanism moves the front panel in a second direction different from the first direction when the front panel is shifted from the first open state to the second open state.

In this air conditioner indoor unit, the front panel moves forward in two stages from the closed state in the closed state to open the inlet in two stages, the first open state and the second open state. be able to. Therefore, when a large amount of air suction is required, the front panel is set to the second open state, and when the amount of air suction is smaller than that of the second open state, the front panel is set to the first open state. can do. Thereby, in this air conditioner, generation | occurrence | production of excess and deficiency of the air suction amount can be suppressed. The front panel may be opened in three or more stages, not limited to the two stages of the first open state and the second open state.
Further, in this air conditioner indoor unit, the front panel moves in different directions when shifting from the closed state to the first open state and when shifting from the first open state to the second open state. To move in different motions. For this reason, the freedom degree of how to open can be improved rather than the case where a front panel moves to the same direction.

An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a second aspect of the present invention is the indoor unit of the air conditioner of the first aspect , wherein the moving mechanism moves the front panel when the front panel is shifted from the closed state to the first open state. Translate the panel. The moving mechanism rotates the front panel when the front panel is shifted from the first open state to the second open state.
In the indoor unit of this air conditioner, the front panel shifts from the closed state to the first open state by parallel movement, and shifts from the first open state to the second open state by rotational movement. For this reason, a suction opening can be opened still more by rotating from the state which opened the suction opening by parallel movement.

An air conditioner indoor unit according to a third aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner indoor unit of the second aspect , wherein the moving mechanism has a first support member, a second support member, and a motor. The first support members are respectively fixed to both side ends of the front panel and support the front panel. The second support member supports the first support member so as to be able to translate and rotate. The motor moves the first support member relative to the second support member.
In this air conditioner indoor unit, the first support member is moved relative to the second support member by a motor, and is translated and rotated. Thereby, the suction port can be opened in two stages by moving the front panel in parallel and rotating.

An air conditioner indoor unit according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner indoor unit of the third aspect , wherein the first support member extends substantially linearly in the front-rear direction and the rear end is curved downward. It has a slit part. In addition, the second support member has a support claw that is inserted into the slit portion and supports the first support member.

  In the air conditioner indoor unit, the first support member moves relative to the second support member in a state where the slit portion and the support claw are in contact with each other. At this time, if the support claw is moved rearward relative to the slit portion in a state where the support claw is in contact with the linear portion of the slit portion, the front panel is translated forward. And when a support nail | claw reaches | attains the curved part of a slit part, it will rotate and move so that the upper end of a front panel may incline ahead. In this way, in this indoor unit of an air conditioner, the front panel can be moved in two stages of parallel movement and rotational movement with a simple mechanism.

An indoor unit for an air conditioner according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the indoor unit for an air conditioner according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, further comprising a control unit and an instruction device. The control unit controls the moving mechanism. The instruction device is a device for selecting one operation mode from a plurality of operation modes and instructing the control unit. When the normal operation mode is instructed among the plurality of operation modes, the control unit controls the moving mechanism to shift the front panel to the first open state. In addition, when a special operation mode different from the normal operation mode is instructed among the plurality of operation modes, the control unit controls the moving mechanism to shift the front panel to the second open state.

  In the indoor unit of this air conditioner, the front panel shifts to the first open state when the normal operation mode is selected, and the front panel shifts to the second open state when the special operation mode is selected. For this reason, the opening degree of a suction inlet can be made into the opening degree according to an operation mode, and an appropriate driving | operation can be performed. The operation mode can be selected by a resident or the like by using the pointing device. For this reason, a resident etc. can also select the change in the external appearance of the indoor unit of an air conditioner by a front panel opening in steps.

An air conditioner indoor unit according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner indoor unit according to any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, wherein the one unit selected from a plurality of operation modes by controlling the moving mechanism It further has a control part which can perform air harmony operation in a mode. When the normal operation mode is selected from the plurality of operation modes, the control unit controls the moving mechanism to shift the front panel to the first open state. Among the plurality of operation modes, what is the normal operation mode? When a different special operation mode is selected, the moving mechanism is controlled to shift the front panel to the second open state.
In the indoor unit of this air conditioner, the front panel shifts to the first open state when the normal operation mode is selected, and the front panel shifts to the second open state when the special operation mode is selected. For this reason, the opening degree of a suction inlet can be made into the opening degree according to an operation mode, and an appropriate driving | operation can be performed.

An indoor unit for an air conditioner according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the indoor unit for an air conditioner according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the casing is further provided with an outlet. The front panel includes a first panel portion that covers the outlet and a second panel portion that is formed integrally with the first panel portion and covers the suction port.

  In the indoor unit of this air conditioner, in the closed state, the inlet and the outlet are closed by the integrated front panel. For this reason, it is possible to make it difficult to see the inlet and the outlet from the outside in the closed state, and it is possible to improve the aesthetics of the indoor unit of the air conditioner.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the first aspect, when a large amount of air suction is required, the front panel is set to the second open state, and the amount of air sucked may be smaller than that in the second open state. Can set the front panel to the first open state. Thereby, in this air conditioner, generation | occurrence | production of excess and deficiency of the air suction amount can be suppressed.
Further, the degree of freedom of opening can be improved as compared with the case where the front panel moves in the same direction.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the second aspect of the present invention, the suction port can be further opened by rotating from the state where the suction port is opened by parallel movement.
In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the third aspect of the invention, the first support member is moved relative to the second support member by the motor, and is translated and rotated. Thereby, the suction port can be opened in two stages by moving the front panel in parallel and rotating.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the fourth aspect of the invention, the first support member moves relative to the second support member in a state where the slit portion and the support claw are in contact, and the front panel moves in parallel and rotates. For this reason, in this indoor unit of an air conditioner, the front panel can be moved in two stages of parallel movement and rotational movement with a simple mechanism.
In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the fifth aspect of the invention, the opening of the suction port can be set to an opening corresponding to the operation mode, and an appropriate operation can be performed. Moreover, the resident etc. can also select the change in the external appearance of the indoor unit of an air conditioner by opening a front panel in steps.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the sixth aspect of the invention, the opening degree of the suction port can be set to an opening degree corresponding to the operation mode, and an appropriate operation can be performed.
In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, it is possible to make it difficult to see the inlet and the outlet from the outside in the closed state, and it is possible to improve the aesthetics of the indoor unit of the air conditioner.

  1 and 2 show an indoor unit 1 of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front view of the indoor unit 1 of the air conditioner, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the indoor unit 1 of the air conditioner. The indoor unit 1 of this air conditioner is a wall-mounted indoor unit that is attached to a wall surface in the room, and performs air conditioning such as indoor air conditioning. The indoor unit 1 of this air conditioner includes an indoor unit casing 2 (casing), a blower fan 3 (see FIG. 3), a fan motor 4 (see FIG. 7), a horizontal flap 5, a front panel 6 (front panel), and movement. A mechanism 7 (see FIG. 6), a control unit 8 (see FIG. 7), and a remote controller 9 (instruction device) (see FIG. 7) are provided.

[Indoor unit casing]
As shown in FIG. 1, the indoor unit casing 2 has a rectangular shape that is long in the horizontal direction when viewed from the front, and as shown in FIG. 3, the indoor heat exchanger 10, the blower fan 3, the fan motor 4, and the illustrated figure. Contains control parts that do not. A front panel 6 is attached to the front surface of the indoor unit casing 2. The front panel 6 will be described in detail later. The indoor unit casing 2 is provided with a blowout port 20, a first suction port 21 (suction port), and a second suction port 22. FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the indoor unit 1.

  The air outlet 20 is an opening through which air blown into the room passes and is provided on the first casing surface 23. As shown in FIG. 2, the first casing surface 23 constitutes a front portion of the bottom surface of the indoor unit casing 2, and the outlet 20 is provided in the lower part of the indoor unit casing 2. The first casing surface 23 is inclined so that the front end is positioned upward. The outlet 20 has an elongated shape in the width W direction of the indoor unit casing 2 (longitudinal direction of the indoor unit casing 2, see FIG. 1), and the horizontal flap 5 is provided.

  The first suction port 21 shown in FIG. 3 is an opening through which air taken into the indoor unit casing 2 passes, and is provided on the second casing surface 24. As shown in FIG. 2, the second casing surface 24 forms the front surface, that is, the front surface of the indoor unit casing 2, and the first suction port 21 is provided on the front surface of the indoor unit casing 2. The second casing surface 24 has a substantially flat shape extending in the vertical direction, but is slightly inclined so that the upper end is positioned forward. The lower end of the second casing surface 24 is continuous with the upper end of the first casing surface 23, and the second casing surface 24 forms a predetermined angle with respect to the first casing surface 23. That is, the first casing surface 23 and the second casing surface 24 have a bent shape and form a relatively gentle angle of 90 degrees or more and less than 180 degrees.

The second suction port 22 is an opening through which air taken into the indoor unit casing 2 passes, and is provided on the top surface 25 of the indoor unit casing 2 as shown in FIG. 4. The second suction port 22 is configured by a plurality of slits extending in the width W direction of the indoor unit casing 2.
[Blower fan and fan motor]
The blower fan 3 shown in FIG. 3 is a cross-flow fan that is configured in a long and thin cylindrical shape and is arranged so that the central axis is parallel to the horizontal direction. Blades are provided on the peripheral surface of the blower fan 3, and the blower fan 3 rotates around the central axis to generate an air flow. This air flow is a flow of air that is taken in from the first suction port 21 and the second suction port 22 and blows out from the blowout port 20 through the indoor heat exchanger 10 into the room. The blower fan 3 is positioned approximately at the center of the indoor unit 1 in a side view.
The fan motor 4 (see FIG. 7) rotates the blower fan 3 around the central axis. The fan motor 4 is disposed coaxially with the blower fan 3 on the right side of the blower fan 3 in a front view of the indoor unit 1. The rotation speed of the blower fan 3 is controlled by a control unit 8 to be described later, and the amount of air blown by the blower fan 3 is controlled by the control unit 8.

[Horizontal flap]
The horizontal flap 5 is provided so that the blowout opening 20 can be freely opened and closed, and guides the air blown out from the blowout opening 20. The horizontal flap 5 has a substantially rectangular shape elongated in the width W direction of the indoor unit casing 2, and is provided at the outlet 20 so as to be rotatable about an axis parallel to the width W direction of the indoor unit casing 2. The horizontal flap 5 is rotationally driven by a flap motor 50 (see FIG. 7). The horizontal flap 5 has a slightly smaller shape than the outlet 20, but as shown in FIG. 5, a gap G is provided between the upper end of the horizontal flap 5 that closes the outlet 20 and the indoor unit casing 2. It has been. By providing this gap G, the horizontal flap 5 can be rotated with little restriction at the outlet 20. FIG. 5 is a front view of the indoor unit 1 with the front panel 6 removed.

[Front panel]
The front panel 6 is provided on the front surface of the indoor unit casing 2, moves away from the indoor unit casing 2, opens the first suction port 21, moves close to the indoor unit casing 2, and moves to the first suction The first suction port 21 is opened and closed by closing the port 21. Further, in the closed state, the front panel 6 covers at least a part of the indoor unit casing 2 and at least one end of the horizontal flap 5 that closes the outlet 20, and closes the first inlet 21 and the outlet 20. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the front panel 6 is located from the outside near the upper end forming the long side of the horizontal flap 5 and to the middle of the first casing surface 23 and the second casing surface 24. Overlap. Therefore, the front panel 6 covers the gap G between the upper end of the horizontal flap 5 and the outlet 20 in the closed state. The front panel 6 has a shape bent so as to follow the bending of the first casing surface 23 and the second casing surface 24 of the indoor unit casing 2. The front panel 6 has a shape longer than the outlet 20 in the width W direction of the indoor unit casing 2, and has a width W that is substantially the same as the width W of the indoor unit casing 2. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the front panel 6 does not have a seam extending in the vertical direction when viewed from the front. The front panel 6 has a first panel portion 61 and a second panel portion 62.

The first panel portion 61 is a portion that covers the upper end of the horizontal flap 5 when the front panel 6 is closed. The first panel unit 61 constitutes the lower part of the front panel 6.
The second panel portion 62 is a portion that covers the first suction port 21 when the front panel 6 is closed. The second panel part 62 constitutes the upper part of the front panel 6.
The upper end of the first panel portion 61 and the lower end of the second panel portion 62 are continuous, and the first panel portion 61 and the second panel portion 62 are in the closed state of the front panel 6 and the first casing surface 23 and They are integrated at a predetermined angle along the second casing surface 24.

The front panel 6 is supported at both ends by first support members 71 (see FIG. 10). The two first support members 71 are provided at both end portions of the indoor unit casing 2 and are provided so as to be movable forward and backward. The front panel 6 moves as the first support members 71 move.
[Movement mechanism]
The moving mechanism 7 shown in FIG. 6 moves the front panel 6 so that the first suction port 21 is opened at a desired opening degree. The moving mechanism 7 opens the first suction port 21 by moving the front panel 6 from the closed state to the front when the front panel 6 is closed (the state shown in FIG. 9A). The first open state (the state of FIG. 9B) and the second open state in which the front panel 6 has moved further forward from the first state to open the first suction port 21 further (FIG. 9C). )), The front panel 6 is moved. When the front panel 6 shifts from the closed state to the first open state, the front panel 6 moves in parallel, and when the front panel 6 shifts from the first open state to the second open state, the front panel 6 6 rotates. When the front panel 6 is in the first open state, the first suction port 21 is opened at the first opening. Further, when the front panel 6 is in the second open state, the first suction port 21 is opened at the second opening that is the maximum opening larger than the first opening. The moving mechanism 7 includes a first support member 71, a second support member 72, and a panel drive motor 73 (motor) (see FIG. 7).

  The first support member 71 is a plate-like member that is fixed to the front panel 6 at a side end thereof substantially perpendicularly to the front panel 6 and supports the front panel 6. Provided. The upper end of the first support member 71 is inclined so that the front side is located above and the rear side is located below, and a rack gear 74 that engages with a second pinion gear 79 described later follows the upper end of the first support member 71. Is provided. In addition, a first slit portion 75 (slit portion), a second slit portion 76, and a third slit portion 77 (slit portion) are provided in the central portion of the first support member 71. The first slit portion 75, the second slit portion 76, and the third slit portion 77 are slits that penetrate through both surfaces of the first support member 71, respectively. Like the first support member 71, the front side is positioned upward and the rear side is The shape is inclined so as to be positioned below. The first slit portion 75 includes a linear portion 751 that linearly extends from the rear lower side to the front upper side, and a curved portion 752 that is continuous with the rear end of the linear portion 751 and is slightly recessed downward. The second slit portion 76 and the third slit portion 77 have the same shape as the first slit portion 75. The second slit portion 76 is located below the first slit portion 75, and the third slit portion 77 is located below the second slit portion 76. Moreover, the 1st slit part 75, the 2nd slit part 76, and the 3rd slit part 77 are each arrange | positioned in parallel.

  The 2nd support member 72 is a member which supports the 1st support member 71 so that translation and rotation are possible, and is attached to the inner side of the right side of indoor unit casing 2, and the inner side of the left side, respectively. The second support member 72 has a first pinion gear 78 and a second pinion gear 79 that are screwed together. The first pinion gear 78 transmits the rotation of the panel drive motor 73 to the second pinion gear 79. The second pinion gear 79 transmits the rotation transmitted from the first pinion gear 78 to the rack gear 74 described above. Also, a first support claw 721 (support claw) and a second support claw 722 (support claw) are provided near the center of the second support member 72. The first support claw 721 has a cylindrical shape protruding from the surface of the second support member 72 and is inserted into the first slit portion 75 of the first support member 71. The first support claw 721 is engaged with the first slit portion 75 to support the first support member 71. Similarly to the first support claw 721, the second support claw 722 has a cylindrical shape protruding from the surface of the second support member 72, and is inserted into the third slit portion 77 of the first support member 71. The second support claw 722 is engaged with the third slit portion 77 and supports the first support member 71. The first support claw 721 and the second support claw 722 slide the front panel 6 that slides back and forth with respect to the first slit portion 75 and the second slit portion 76 when the front panel 6 performs an opening / closing operation. To support.

  The panel drive motor 73 shown in FIG. 7 is rotationally driven under the control of the control unit 8. The panel drive motor 73 transmits rotation to the first pinion gear 78 to move the first support member 71 relative to the second support member 72.

[Control unit]
The control unit 8 shown in FIG. 7 receives an instruction from the remote controller 9 described later, and controls the panel drive motor 73, the fan motor 4, the flap motor 50, and the like of the moving mechanism 7 described above. The operation mode in which the control unit 8 is instructed includes normal cooling / heating operation, sleep operation, and powerful operation. The sleep operation is an operation mode in which the operation sound such as the driving sound of the fan motor 4 and the wind noise of the intake air is reduced and the room is kept quieter than the normal cooling / heating operation. The powerful operation is an operation mode in which the cooling / heating capacity is increased more quickly than the normal cooling / heating operation to quickly cool / heat the room.
When receiving a normal cooling / heating operation mode command, the control unit 8 controls the fan motor 4 to set the output from the blower fan 3 to the first air volume, and controls the panel drive motor 73 to control the front panel. 6 is shifted to the first open state, and the first suction port 21 is opened at the first opening.
When the control unit 8 receives a sleep operation command, the control unit 8 controls the fan motor 4 so that the output from the blower fan 3 becomes a second air volume smaller than the first air volume, and controls the panel drive motor 73. Then, the front panel 6 is shifted to the second open state, and the first suction port 21 is opened at the second opening.

Further, when receiving a command for a powerful operation, the control unit 8 controls the fan motor 4 to set the output of the blower fan 3 to a third air volume larger than the first air volume, and also controls the panel drive motor 73. Then, the front panel 6 is set to the second open state, and the first suction port 21 is opened at the second opening.
When receiving the operation stop command, the control unit 8 controls the fan motor 4 to stop the blower fan 3, controls the flap motor to close the outlet 20, and controls the panel drive motor 73. The front panel 6 is closed.

[Remote controller]
The remote controller 9 is a device for a resident or the like to instruct the operation content of the indoor unit. The resident or the like can input the operation content to the remote control 9 using a plurality of operation buttons provided on the remote control 9. it can. The remote controller 9 receives commands such as on / off of the power supply of the indoor unit 1, normal heating operation, normal cooling operation, sleep operation, powerful operation, operation mode selection, temperature setting, timer setting, etc. It transmits to the control part 8 by communication means, such as.

<Opening and closing operation>
Next, the opening / closing operation | movement of the front panel 6 is demonstrated in detail based on FIG. 8 and FIG.
When the operation of the indoor unit 1 of the air conditioner is stopped, the air outlet 20 is closed by the horizontal flap 5 and the front panel 6 is closed. In the closed state, as shown in FIG. 8A, the front end of the first slit portion 75 of the first support member 71 and the first support claw 721 are close to each other, and the third slit portion 77 of the first support member 71 The front end and the second support claw 722 are close to each other, and the front panel 6 covers the first suction port 21 and the upper end of the horizontal flap 5 as shown in FIG. In this closed state, the first panel portion 61 covers the upper end of the horizontal flap 5, the gap G between the upper end of the horizontal flap 5 and the outlet 20, and the vicinity of the outlet 20 of the first casing surface 23. Further, the second panel unit 62 covers the second casing surface 24. The front panel 6 has a bent shape. When the front panel 6 is in a closed state, the front panel 6 is close to the first casing surface 23 and the second casing surface 24 along the first casing surface 23 and the second casing surface 24. . Thereby, when the operation of the indoor unit 1 is stopped, a portion from the upper end of the horizontal flap 5 to the first suction port 21 is concealed from the outside.

  When the front panel 6 shifts from the closed state to the first open state, the first support member 71 has a first support claw at the rear end of the straight portion 751 of the first slit portion 75 as shown in FIG. The rear end of the linear portion 771 of the third slit portion 77 moves in the direction approaching the second support claw 722 in proximity to 721. At this time, the straight portion 751 of the first slit portion 75 slides with respect to the first support claw 721, and the straight portion 771 of the third slit portion 77 slides with respect to the second support claw 722. As a result, the first support member 71 translates diagonally forward and upward, and the front panel 6 translates diagonally forward and upward as shown in FIG. 9B (see arrow A1). At this time, the first panel 61 moves diagonally forward and upward along the first casing surface 23 and the second panel 62 moves diagonally forward and upward away from the second casing surface 24. The front panel 6 opens the outlet 20 and the first inlet 21. At this time, the first panel unit 61 moves to a position where the lower end exceeds the upper end of the outlet 20 so that the first panel 61 does not hinder the blowing from the outlet 20, and the first panel 61 Closes the lower part between the second panel portion 62 and the second casing surface 24. And the blower outlet 20 is opened when the horizontal flap 5 which had closed the blower outlet 20 rotates. Further, in this state, as shown in FIG. 10, the upper part between the second panel portion 62 and the second casing surface 24 is open, and the air taken in from the first suction port 21 can pass through. . In the first open state, both side portions between the second panel portion 62 and the second casing surface 24 are closed by the first support member 71, and the first support member 71 serves as a blind plate. Thus, the inside of the indoor unit casing 2 is made invisible from the outside through the first suction port 21.

  Further, when the front panel 6 shifts from the first open state to the second open state, the first support member 71 has the first curved portion 752 of the first slit portion 75 as shown in FIG. The curved portion 772 of the third slit portion 77 is engaged with the support claw 721 and moves so as to be engaged with the second support claw 722. Thereby, the first support member 71 rotates and the front panel 6 rotates and moves so that the upper end of the front panel 6 falls forward as shown in FIG. 9B (see arrow A2). At this time, the lower end of the first panel portion 61 remains at the position in the first open state, and the front panel 6 rotates around the lower end of the first panel portion 61, so that the upper end of the second panel portion 62 is forward. Rotate towards Thereby, the upper part between the 2nd panel part 62 and the 2nd casing surface 24 is further opened, and the 1st suction inlet 21 is further opened, and becomes 2nd opening degree.

  In addition, when the front panel 6 shifts from the second open state to the first open state, the front panel 6 rotates and moves opposite to the above. When the operation of the indoor unit 1 is stopped, the horizontal flap 5 rotates and closes the outlet 20, and then the front panel 6 translates in the reverse direction to the first suction port from the upper end of the horizontal flap 5. The parts up to 21 are again hidden from the outside.

<Features>
(1)
In the indoor unit 1 of the air conditioner, the portion from the upper end of the horizontal flap 5 to the first suction port 21 is concealed by the front panel 6 when the operation is stopped. For this reason, the relatively large gap G for enabling the horizontal flap 5 to turn is difficult to see from the outside. Thereby, in the indoor unit 1 of this air conditioner, the aesthetics are improved such that the interior is improved.
Further, when the front panel 6 as described above is not provided, it is necessary to reduce the gap G so that the gap G is not exposed to the front. In this case, the horizontal flap 5 is rotated. You can limit the direction. Therefore, in the indoor unit 1 of this air conditioner, such a restriction on the rotation direction of the horizontal flap 5 is relaxed.
(4)
In the indoor unit 1 of the air conditioner, the first air inlet 21 is opened at the second opening and the air volume is reduced to the second air volume during the night operation. Thereby, the rotation speed of the blower fan 3 can be suppressed, and the operation sound can be reduced. Moreover, the pressure loss of the air suction is reduced by increasing the opening degree to the second opening degree. As a result, it is possible to reduce the operation noise and maintain the air conditioning capability before the opening degree is changed.

(5)
In the indoor unit 1 of the air conditioner, in the powerful operation, the first suction port 21 is opened at the second opening and the air volume is increased to the third air volume. Thereby, an air conditioning capability can be increased. In addition, by reducing the pressure loss due to air suction, the air conditioning capacity required for powerful operation is reduced depending on the rotational speed of the blower fan 3 and the frequency of the compressor, which is lower than when the powerful operation is performed at the first opening. Can be output. Thereby, an increase in driving sound and power consumption can be prevented.
Moreover, at the time of a powerful driving | operation, the front panel 6 will be in the 2nd open state, and the front panel 6 will be in the state which protruded largely ahead. For this reason, the effect which visually appeals to the resident etc. that powerful driving is performed arises.

(4)
In the indoor unit 1 of this air conditioner, the front panel 6 has a bent shape. Then, when the operation is started, the front panel 6 covering the outlet 20 moves linearly and obliquely upward to the position where the outlet 20 is opened, whereby the outlet 20 is opened and the first panel portion 61 is opened. However, the lower end between the second panel portion 62 and the second casing surface 24 is closed. Further, when the front panel 6 shifts from the first open state to the second open state and the opening degree is further increased, the front panel 6 rotates around the lower end, so that the first panel portion 61 is The state which plugs up the lower end between the 2 panel part 62 and the 2nd casing surface 24 is maintained. For this reason, in the first open state and the second open state, the air blown out from the blowout port 20 passes through the lower portion between the second panel portion 62 and the second casing surface 24 and again from the first suction port 21. It is possible to prevent a short circuit from being sucked. Thereby, the fall of the air conditioning capability of an indoor unit by a short circuit and dew can be prevented.
Further, since a short circuit is prevented, the front panel 6 can be moved relatively large, and a large area of the opening provided in the upper portion between the second panel portion 62 and the second casing surface 24 is ensured. Can do.

(5)
In the indoor unit 1 of this air conditioner, the trajectory of the front panel 6 changes in two stages, a linear shape and an arc shape, depending on the shape of the slit portions 75 and 77 in which two types of shapes are combined as described above. For this reason, it is not necessary to provide a complicated mechanism, and the opening degree of the front panel 6 can be adjusted only by pulse-controlling one panel drive motor 73.

(6)
From the viewpoint of the beauty of the indoor unit 1 of the air conditioner, the closed state has the highest interior property and the beauty is high as described above. And the external shape of the indoor unit 1 of an air conditioner changes, and interior property falls, so that the opening degree of the 1st suction inlet 21 is large. For this reason, the second open state has the lowest aesthetics, and the first open state has a higher aesthetics than the second open state. In the indoor unit 1 of this air conditioner, the state of the front panel 6 can be selected from the closed state, the first open state, and the second open state by instructing the operation mode from the remote controller 9. For this reason, the resident etc. can also select the external shape of the indoor unit 1 of an air conditioner from a viewpoint of aesthetics by selecting an operation mode.

<Other embodiments>
(1)
In the sleep operation in the above embodiment, the control unit 8 controls the fan motor 4 to set the output of the blower fan 3 to the first air volume and controls the panel drive motor 73 to open the first suction port 21 to the second position. You may perform control which opens at a time. In the case of this control, the air volume by the blower fan 3 is the same first air volume as that in the normal cooling / heating operation, but the first suction port 21 is opened larger, so that the wind noise of the intake air is reduced and the operation sound is reduced. Reduced.

(2)
In the above embodiment, the length of the lower end of the front panel 6 is shortened for smooth opening and closing operation, and the vicinity of the lower end of the horizontal flap 5 is not covered by the front panel 6. However, from the viewpoint of improving aesthetics, the front panel 6 may cover the entire horizontal flap 5.
On the contrary, the front panel 6 in the closed state may cover the widest possible range of the first inlet 21 and the outlet 20 from the viewpoint of aesthetics, but does not necessarily cover all of the first inlet 21 and the outlet 20. It is not restricted to what covers completely, What is necessary is just to cover at least one part of the 1st inlet 21 and the blower outlet 20.
Further, the closed front panel 6 is in a state in which the first outlet 20 is closed, but is not necessarily limited to a completely sealed state, and does not exclude a case where the front panel 6 is opened at a slight opening degree.

(4)
In the above embodiment, the second opening is the maximum opening of the first suction port 21, but the second opening is not the maximum opening and the first suction port 21 can be opened with a larger opening. It may be. For example, the first suction port 21 may be opened larger than the second opening degree in other operation modes, filter maintenance, or front panel 6 removal. Further, even when the second opening is the maximum opening, the front panel 6 may be provided with some play so that it can be manually opened larger than the second opening.

(5)
Another operation mode different from the operation mode in the above embodiment may be instructed from the remote controller 9, and an operation mode selected from the viewpoint of the beauty of the indoor unit 1 of the air conditioner may be provided. For example, the night operation mode selected when the resident is sleeping and the appearance of the indoor unit 1 is not concerned, or when the resident is absent in the room and the appearance of the indoor unit 1 is not concerned An unattended operation mode for performing ventilation or the like may be selectable. When such an operation mode is selected, the front panel 6 is in the second open state. Since this is an operation mode selected when a resident or the like does not care about the appearance of the indoor unit 1, the first suction port 21 is opened widely to reduce the rotation speed of the fan motor 4 and the frequency of the compressor, thereby reducing power consumption. Can be reduced.

(6)
In the above embodiment, the front panel 6 changes from the closed state to the two open states of the first open state and the second open state, but may change to three or more open states. One suction port 21 may be opened in three or more stages.
Moreover, in said embodiment, although the 1st inlet 21 is opened by the same 2nd opening degree at the time of a powerful driving | operation and the night driving | running | working, you may open at a different opening degree.
Furthermore, in said embodiment, although the 1st inlet 21 is opened by the same opening degree in the same operation mode, the opening degree of the 1st inlet 21 may be adjusted in the same operation mode. Thereby, a finer opening degree adjustment according to the driving situation is possible.

(7)
In the above embodiment, the front panel 6 moves in two modes of parallel movement and rotational movement, but the mode of movement is not limited to these. Further, when the front panel 6 shifts from the closed state to the first open state, the trajectory of the front panel 6 does not have to be strictly linear, and may be slightly curved. Furthermore, when the front panel 6 shifts from the first open state to the second open state, the trajectory of the front panel 6 does not have to be strictly an arc shape, and may be a curved shape that is not an arc shape.

(8)
In the above embodiment, the opening degree of the first suction port 21 is adjusted according to the operation mode selected by the user by the remote controller 9, but it is automatically selected by the control unit 8 as in automatic operation or the like. The opening degree of the first suction port 21 may be adjusted according to the operation mode. For example, the operation mode is automatically changed when the indoor unit 1 of the air conditioner is activated and when the predetermined time has elapsed after activation, and the opening degree of the first suction port 21 is changed according to the changed operation mode. May be changed.

(9)
In the above embodiment, the opening degree of the first suction port 21 is adjusted corresponding to each operation mode. However, the opening degree of the first suction port 21 is changed as a series of operations in one operation mode. May be. For example, in a certain operation mode, the opening degree of the first suction port 21 may be changed according to a change in temperature, a change in air volume, a lapse of time, and the like.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention has an effect capable of suppressing the occurrence of excess or deficiency in the amount of air sucked and is useful as an indoor unit for an air conditioner.

The front view of the indoor unit of an air conditioner. The side view of the indoor unit of an air conditioner. III-III sectional drawing in FIG. The external appearance perspective view of the indoor unit of an air conditioner. The front view of the indoor unit of the air conditioner from which the front panel was removed. The figure which shows the structure of a moving mechanism. The control block diagram of the indoor unit of an air conditioner. The figure which shows operation | movement of the moving mechanism at the time of opening / closing operation | movement. The figure which shows operation | movement of the front panel at the time of opening / closing operation | movement. The external appearance perspective view of the indoor unit of the air conditioner in a 1st open state.

Explanation of symbols

1 Air conditioner indoor unit 2 Indoor unit casing (casing)
6 Front panel (front panel)
7 Moving mechanism 8 Control unit 9 Remote control (indicating device)
20 Outlet 21 First suction port (suction port)
61 1st panel part 62 2nd panel part 71 1st support member 72 2nd support member 73 Panel drive motor (motor)
75 First slit (slit)
77 Third slit (slit)
721 First support claw (support claw)
722 Second support claw (support claw)

Claims (8)

A casing (2) provided with a suction port (21) on the front surface;
A front panel (6) provided on the front surface of the casing (2) for opening and closing the suction port (21);
A closed state in which the front panel (6) closes the suction port (21), and a first open state in which the front panel (6) moves forward from the closed state to open the suction port (21). And a moving mechanism for moving the front panel (6) to a second open state in which the front panel (6) is moved further forward from the first state and the suction port (21) is further opened. 7) and
An air conditioner indoor unit (1) comprising: The moving mechanism (7) moves the front panel (6) in the first direction when moving the front panel (6) from the closed state to the first open state, thereby moving the front panel (6). ) Is moved from the first open state to the second open state, the front panel (6) is moved in a second direction different from the first direction.
The indoor unit (1) of the air conditioner according to claim 1. When moving the front panel (6) from the closed state to the first open state, the moving mechanism (7) moves the front panel (6) in parallel to move the front panel (6) to the first panel. When shifting from the first open state to the second open state, the front panel (6) is rotated.
The indoor unit (1) of the air conditioner according to claim 2. The moving mechanism (7)
A first support member (71) that is fixed to both ends of the front panel (6) and supports the front panel (6);
A second support member (72) that supports the first support member (71) in a translational and rotational manner;
A motor (73) for moving the first support member (71) relative to the second support member (72);
Having
The indoor unit (1) of the air conditioner according to claim 3. The first support member (71) has a slit portion (75, 77) extending substantially linearly in the front-rear direction and having a rear end curved downward.
The second support member (72) includes support claws (721, 722) that are inserted into the slit portions (75, 77) and support the first support member (71).
The indoor unit (1) of the air conditioner according to claim 4. A control unit (8) for controlling the moving mechanism (7);
An instruction device (9) for selecting one of the plurality of operation modes and instructing the control unit (8);
Further comprising
When the normal operation mode is instructed among the plurality of operation modes, the control unit (8) controls the moving mechanism (7) to shift the front panel (6) to the first open state. When a special operation mode different from the normal operation mode is instructed among the plurality of operation modes, the moving mechanism (7) is controlled to shift the front panel (6) to the second open state. ,
The indoor unit (1) for air conditioning according to any one of claims 1 to 5. A control unit (8) that controls the moving mechanism (7) and is capable of performing an air-conditioning operation in one operation mode selected from a plurality of operation modes;
The control unit (8) controls the moving mechanism (7) to shift the front panel (6) to the first open state when the normal operation mode is selected from the plurality of operation modes. When a special operation mode different from the normal operation mode is selected from among the plurality of operation modes, the moving mechanism (7) is controlled to shift the front panel (6) to the second open state. ,
The indoor unit (1) for air conditioning according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The casing (2) is further provided with an outlet (20),
The front panel (6) includes a first panel (61) that covers the outlet (20), and a second panel that is integrally formed with the first panel (61) and covers the suction port (21). Part (62),
The indoor unit (1) for an air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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