JP2006242428A - Indoor unit of air conditioner and control method of indoor unit of air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a control method of an indoor unit of an air conditioner for restraining reduction in comfortable feeling of a user when starting operation. <P>SOLUTION: An air-blowing part generates a flow of air blown off from a blowout port by being sucked from a first suction port. A horizontal flap is arranged so as to be capable of opening and closing the blowout port, and guides the air blown off from the blowout port in an opening state, and closes a part of the blowout port in a closing state. A front panel is arranged so as to be capable of opening and closing an opening formed between the edge of the blowout port and the horizontal flap of the closing state by closing a part of the blowout port by the horizontal flap. A control part starts suction port opening operation for moving so that the front panel opens the opening when the air-blowing part is stopped and the operation is started from an operation stopping state of closing the blowout port by the horizontal flap and the front pane, and starts the blowout port opening operation for moving so that the horizontal flap opens the blowout port after starting driving of the air-blowing part by starting the driving of the air-blowing part after starting the suction port opening operation. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an indoor unit for an air conditioner and a method for controlling the indoor unit for an air conditioner.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an air conditioner indoor unit has a casing provided with an inlet and an outlet, a flap that is provided at the outlet and guides air blown from the outlet during operation, and an air blower that is sucked from the inlet. Some have a blower that generates a flow of air blown from the outlet. In such an indoor unit of an air conditioner, when the operation is stopped, the blower is stopped and the flap is closed so that the air outlet is closed. When the operation is started after such an operation stop state, the air blower is driven after the flap moves so as to open the air outlet (see Patent Document 1).
JP 2001-004192 A

  In the initial operation at the start of the operation of the indoor unit of the air conditioner as described above, the air trapped inside the indoor unit in the operation stopped state is blown out toward the user as it is, thereby the user's comfort feeling May decrease. For example, there is a possibility that air that is not sufficiently warmed during the heating operation is blown out toward the user, or air that is not sufficiently cooled during the cooling operation is blown out toward the user. Or there exists a possibility that the air containing a smell may be blown out toward a user.

  The subject of this invention is providing the control method of the indoor unit of an air conditioner which can suppress the fall of a user's comfort feeling in the initial operation at the time of a driving | operation start, and the indoor unit of an air conditioner.

  An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a first aspect includes a casing part, a blower part, a flap, a panel member, and a control part. The casing part is provided with an inlet and an outlet. A ventilation part produces | generates the flow of the air suck | inhaled from a suction inlet and blown off from a blower outlet. The flap is provided so that the air outlet can be opened and closed, guides air blown from the air outlet in the open state, and closes a part of the air outlet in the closed state. The panel member is provided so that an opening formed between the edge of the air outlet and the flap in the closed state can be opened and closed by closing a part of the air outlet. Then, the control unit starts an opening opening operation in which the panel member moves to open the opening when the operation is started from the operation stop state in which the air blowing unit is stopped and the air outlet is closed by the flap and the panel member. Then, the driving of the air blowing section is started after the opening opening operation is started, and the air outlet opening operation in which the flap moves so as to open the air outlet is started after the driving of the air blowing section is started.

  In this indoor unit of an air conditioner, the panel member starts opening operation and the opening is opened at the start of driving of the air blowing unit. In this state, a part of the air outlet is closed by a flap. For this reason, since the air inside an indoor unit can go outside through an opening at the time of the drive start of a ventilation part, the passage of the air inside an indoor unit becomes good. Moreover, although air can come out outside through an opening, since the blower outlet is closed by the flap, the air blown out from the indoor unit at the start of driving of the blower section becomes difficult to hit the user. Thereby, in this indoor unit of an air conditioner, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the user's comfort in the initial operation at the start of operation.

An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a second invention is the indoor unit of the air conditioner of the first invention, and the panel member includes a first panel portion that covers the opening in the closed state, and a second panel that covers the suction port. Part. The panel member moves so as to open the opening and the suction port in the opening opening operation.
In this air conditioner indoor unit, the opening and the suction port are opened by the opening opening operation. For this reason, the passage of the air inside an indoor unit improves more at the time of the drive start of a ventilation part.

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 first panel part and the second panel part are integrated at a predetermined angle.
In this indoor unit of an air conditioner, opening and closing and opening and closing of the suction port can be performed by moving a panel member that is a single member. For this reason, control is easy and the number of parts can be reduced.

An air conditioner indoor unit according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner indoor unit of the first aspect, wherein the first panel portion and the second panel portion are separate members.
In this indoor unit of an air conditioner, the first panel unit and the second panel unit can perform different operations, and various opening / closing operations can be realized.
An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the indoor unit of the air conditioner of any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the control unit drives the blower unit before the opening opening operation is completed. Let it begin.

In the indoor unit of this air conditioner, driving of the air blowing unit is started after the opening opening operation is started and before the opening opening operation is completed. For this reason, the initial operation at the start of operation can be performed quickly.
An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the indoor unit of the air conditioner of the fifth aspect, wherein the panel member opens to the second opening degree in the opening opening operation. And a control part starts the drive of a ventilation part, when a panel member opens to 1st opening degree smaller than 2nd opening degree in opening opening operation | movement.

In the indoor unit of this air conditioner, when the panel member is opened to the first opening degree in the middle of the opening opening operation, the driving of the air blowing unit is started. For this reason, the initial operation at the start of operation can be performed quickly.
An indoor unit for an air conditioner according to a seventh aspect is the indoor unit for an air conditioner according to the sixth aspect, wherein the second opening is an opening at which the panel member is fully opened.

In the indoor unit of this air conditioner, when the panel member is opened to the first opening before being fully opened, the driving of the air blowing unit is started. For this reason, the initial operation at the start of operation can be performed quickly.
An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an eighth invention is the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the first to fourth inventions, and a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the air, and a heat exchanger And a temperature detector for detecting the temperature of the. And a control part starts the drive of a ventilation part, when opening opening operation is completed and the temperature of a heat exchanger reaches predetermined temperature.

In the indoor unit of this air conditioner, the driving of the air blowing unit is started when the opening opening operation is completed and the temperature of the heat exchanger reaches a predetermined temperature. For this reason, it can suppress that the air which was trapped inside the indoor unit in the operation stop state is blown out as it is.
An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is the indoor unit of the air conditioner of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the control unit sends air after the opening operation is completed and a predetermined time has elapsed. The drive of the part is started.

In the air conditioner indoor unit, the driving of the blower is started after the opening opening operation is completed and a predetermined time has elapsed. For this reason, it can suppress that the air which was trapped inside the indoor unit in the operation stop state is blown out as it is.
An indoor unit for an air conditioner according to a tenth aspect of the present invention is the indoor unit for an air conditioner according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, wherein the blower section has a blower fan. And a control part starts blower outlet opening operation, when the rotation speed of a ventilation fan reaches | attains 1st rotation speed.

  In this indoor unit of an air conditioner, the flap opening operation is started when the rotational speed of the blower fan reaches the first rotational speed. Therefore, when the driving of the blower fan is started, the flap does not start the air outlet opening operation and is in a state where the air outlet is closed. For this reason, it can suppress that the air which was trapped inside the indoor unit in the operation stop state is blown out toward the user.

An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an eleventh aspect of the invention is the indoor unit of the air conditioner of the tenth aspect, wherein the control unit changes the rotational speed of the blower fan from the first rotational speed after the start of the air outlet opening operation. Increase to 2 revolutions.
In this air conditioner indoor unit, the rotational speed of the blower fan increases stepwise before and after the start of the air outlet opening operation. For this reason, compared with the case where the rotation speed of a ventilation fan is increased to a 2nd rotation speed at a stretch after the start of blower outlet opening operation | movement, the initial operation | movement at the time of an operation start can be performed rapidly.

An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention is the indoor unit of the air conditioner of the eleventh aspect of the present invention, wherein the flap opens to the fourth opening degree in the air outlet opening operation. And a control part increases the rotation speed of a ventilation fan from 1st rotation speed to 2nd rotation speed, when a flap opens to 3rd opening smaller than 4th opening in blower outlet opening operation | movement.
In this air conditioner indoor unit, the rotation speed of the blower fan increases when the flap is opened to the third opening degree in the middle of the air outlet opening operation. For this reason, compared with the case where the rotation speed of a ventilation fan is increased from 1st rotation speed after completion of blower outlet opening operation | movement, the initial operation | movement at the time of a driving | operation start can be performed rapidly.

An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention is the indoor unit of the air conditioner of the twelfth aspect of the present invention, wherein the fourth opening is an opening at which the flap is fully opened.
In the indoor unit of this air conditioner, the rotational speed of the blower fan increases when the flap is opened to the third opening before being fully opened. For this reason, the initial operation at the start of operation can be performed quickly.

  A control method for an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a fourteenth aspect of the invention includes a casing portion provided with a suction port and a blowout port, and a blower unit that generates a flow of air sucked from the suction port and blown out from the blowout port. A flap that opens and closes the air outlet, guides the air blown from the air outlet in the open state and closes a part of the air outlet in the closed state, and the flap closes a part of the air outlet. It is a control method of the indoor unit of an air conditioner provided with the panel member provided so that opening formed between the edge of an exit and the flap of a closed state can be opened and closed. This method for controlling an indoor unit of an air conditioner includes an opening opening operation start step, a blower drive starting step, and an outlet opening operation starting step. In the opening opening operation start step, the panel member moves so as to open the opening from the operation stop state in which the blower is stopped and the outlet and the opening are closed. In the air blower drive start step, the drive of the air blower is started after the opening opening operation is started. And in a blower outlet opening operation start step, the blower outlet opening operation which moves so that a flap opens a blower outlet is started after the drive of a ventilation part is started.

  In this control method for an indoor unit of an air conditioner, at the start of driving of the air blowing unit, the panel member starts an opening opening operation, and the opening is opened. In this state, a part of the air outlet is closed by a flap. For this reason, since the air inside an indoor unit can go outside through an opening at the time of the drive start of a ventilation part, the passage of the air inside an indoor unit becomes good. Moreover, although air can come out outside through an opening, since the blower outlet is closed by the flap, the air blown out from the indoor unit at the start of driving of the blower section becomes difficult to hit the user. Thereby, in the control method of the indoor unit of this air conditioner, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the user's comfort in the initial operation at the start of operation.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the first aspect of the invention, the air blown out from the indoor unit at the start of driving of the air blowing unit is less likely to hit the user, and therefore the reduction in the user's comfort in the initial operation at the start of operation is suppressed. be able to.
In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the second aspect of the invention, the opening and the suction port are opened by the opening opening operation, so that the passage of air inside the indoor unit is further improved when driving of the air blowing unit is started.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the third aspect of the invention, opening and closing and opening and closing of the suction port can be performed by moving a panel member that is a single member, so that control is easy and the number of parts is reduced. be able to.
In the indoor unit for an air conditioner according to the fourth aspect of the invention, the first panel unit and the second panel unit can perform different operations, and various opening / closing operations can be realized.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, after the opening opening operation is started and before the opening opening operation is completed, the driving of the air blowing unit is started, so that the initial operation at the start of the operation is quickly performed. Can do.
In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the sixth aspect of the invention, when the panel member is opened to the first opening degree during the opening opening operation, the driving of the air blower is started, so that the initial operation at the start of the operation is quickly performed. Can be done.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the seventh aspect of the invention, when the panel member is opened to the first opening before being fully opened, the driving of the air blower is started, so the initial operation at the start of operation can be quickly performed. It can be carried out.
In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the eighth aspect of the invention, since the opening of the air blower is started when the opening opening operation is completed and the temperature of the heat exchanger reaches a predetermined temperature, It is possible to prevent the air that has been trapped inside from being blown out as it is.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the ninth aspect of the invention, since the opening of the opening unit is completed and the driving of the air blowing unit is started after a predetermined time has elapsed, the air trapped inside the indoor unit in the operation stopped state It can suppress blowing out as it is.
In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the tenth aspect of the invention, when the blower fan starts driving, the flap does not start the air outlet opening operation and is in a closed state. It is possible to suppress the air trapped inside from being blown out toward the user.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the eleventh aspect of the invention, since the rotation speed of the blower fan increases stepwise before and after the start of the blowout opening operation, the rotation speed of the blower fan is increased at a stroke after the start of the blowout opening operation Compared with the case where the rotation speed is increased to the second rotational speed, the initial operation at the start of operation can be performed quickly.
In the indoor unit for an air conditioner according to the twelfth aspect of the invention, since the rotation speed of the blower fan increases when the flap is opened to the third opening degree in the middle of the blowout opening operation, the blower fan is completed after the blowout opening operation is completed. Compared with the case where the number of rotations is increased from the first number of rotations, the initial operation at the start of operation can be performed quickly.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the thirteenth aspect of the invention, the rotational speed of the blower fan increases when the flap is opened to the third opening before the flap is fully opened, so that the initial operation at the start of operation is quickly performed. Can do.
In the control method for an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the fourteenth aspect of the invention, the air blown out from the indoor unit at the start of driving of the air blower is less likely to hit the user. It is possible to suppress a decrease in the user's comfort in the initial operation at the start.

[First Embodiment]
<Overall configuration of air conditioner>
The structure of the air conditioner 100 concerning 1st Embodiment of this invention and the outline of a refrigerant circuit are shown in FIG.
This air conditioner 100 includes an indoor unit 1a attached to an indoor wall surface and the like, and an outdoor unit 101 installed outside the room.

The refrigerant circuit of the air conditioner 100 mainly includes an indoor heat exchanger 10 (heat exchanger), an accumulator 102, a compressor 103, a four-way switching valve 104, an outdoor heat exchanger 105, and an electric expansion valve 106.
The indoor heat exchanger 10 provided in the indoor unit 1a exchanges heat with the air that comes into contact therewith. In addition, the indoor unit 1a is provided with a blower fan 31 for sucking indoor air and passing the air through the indoor heat exchanger 10 to discharge the air into the room. The blower fan 31 is rotationally driven by a fan motor 32 provided in the indoor unit 1a. The detailed configuration of the indoor unit 1a will be described later.

  The outdoor unit 101 is connected to a compressor 103, a four-way switching valve 104 connected to the discharge side of the compressor 103, an accumulator 102 connected to the suction side of the compressor 103, and a four-way switching valve 104. An outdoor heat exchanger 105 and an electric expansion valve 106 connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 105 are provided. The electric expansion valve 106 is connected to the refrigerant pipe via the filter 107 and the liquid closing valve 108, and is connected to one end of the indoor heat exchanger 10 via this refrigerant pipe. The four-way switching valve 104 is connected to a refrigerant pipe via a gas closing valve 109, and is connected to the other end of the indoor heat exchanger 10 via this refrigerant pipe. The outdoor unit 101 is provided with an outdoor fan 110 for discharging the air after heat exchange in the outdoor heat exchanger 105 to the outside. The outdoor fan 110 is rotationally driven by an outdoor fan motor 111.

<Configuration of indoor unit>
The external appearance of the indoor unit 1a is shown in FIGS. FIG. 2 is a front view of the indoor unit 1a, and FIG. 3 is a side view of the indoor unit 1a. The indoor unit 1a includes an indoor unit casing 2, a blower unit 3 (see FIG. 4), a horizontal flap 5, a front panel 6a, a moving mechanism 7 (see FIG. 7), an indoor heat exchanger 10 (see FIG. 4), and a control unit. 8 (see FIG. 8) and a remote controller 9 (see FIG. 8).

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

  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. 3, the first casing surface 23 constitutes a front portion of the bottom surface of the indoor unit casing 2, and the air outlet 20 is provided at 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 blower outlet 20 has an elongated shape in the width W direction of the indoor unit casing 2 (the longitudinal direction of the indoor unit casing 2, see FIG. 2), and the horizontal flap 5 is provided.

  The first suction port 21 shown in FIG. 4 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. 3, the second casing surface 24 constitutes 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. 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 part]
The blower unit 3 includes a blower fan 31 and a fan motor 32. The blower fan 31 shown in FIG. 4 is a cross-flow fan configured in a long and thin cylindrical shape and arranged so that the central axis is parallel to the horizontal direction. Blades are provided on the peripheral surface of the blower fan 31, and the blower fan 31 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 blower outlet 20 into the room through the indoor heat exchanger 10. The blower fan 31 is located approximately at the center of the indoor unit 1a in a side view.

The fan motor 32 (see FIGS. 1 and 8) drives the blower fan 31 to rotate about the central axis. The fan motor 32 is disposed coaxially with the blower fan 31 on the right side of the blower fan 31 in the front view of the indoor unit 1a. The rotation speed of the blower fan 31 is controlled by the control unit 8 described later, and the amount of air blown by the blower fan 31 is controlled by the control unit 8.
[Horizontal flap]
The horizontal flap 5 (flap) is provided so that the blower outlet 20 can be opened and closed, and guides the air blown from the blower outlet 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. 8). The horizontal flap 5 has a slightly smaller shape than the air outlet 20, and as shown in FIG. 6, the upper end of the horizontal flap 5 in a state where the air outlet 20 is closed and the edge of the upper side of the air outlet 20. A gap G1 (opening) is provided between them. That is, the horizontal flap 5 does not close the entire outlet 20, but closes a part of the outlet 20, and closes the entire outlet 20 together with a first panel portion 61a of the front panel a described later. The gap G1 is a very small opening compared to the air outlet, but by providing the gap G1, the horizontal flap 5 can be rotated at the air outlet 20 with little restriction. FIG. 6 is a front view of the indoor unit 1a with the front panel 6a removed.

[Front panel]
The front panel 6 a (panel member) 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, and moves closer to the indoor unit casing 2. The first suction port 21 is opened and closed by closing the first suction port 21. Further, in the closed state, the front panel 6 a 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 FIGS. 3 and 4, the front panel 6 a 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 6a covers the gap G1 between the upper end of the horizontal flap 5 and the air outlet 20 in the closed state. The front panel 6 a 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 a has a shape that is 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. 2, the front panel 6a does not have a seam extending in the vertical direction when viewed from the front. The front panel 6a has a first panel portion 61a and a second panel portion 62a.

The 1st panel part 61a is a part which covers the upper end of the horizontal flap 5 in the closed state of the front panel 6a, and the clearance gap formed between the upper end of the horizontal flap 5 of a closed state, and the edge of the upper side of the blower outlet 20 Close G1. The 1st panel part 61a comprises the lower part of the front panel 6a.
The 2nd panel part 62a is a part which covers the 1st inlet 21 in the closed state of the front panel 6a. The 2nd panel part 62a comprises the upper part of the front panel 6a.

The upper end of the first panel portion 61a and the lower end of the second panel portion 62a are continuous, and the first panel portion 61a and the second panel portion 62a are in the closed state of the front panel 6a and the first casing surface 23 and They are integrated at a predetermined angle along the second casing surface 24.
In addition, the front panel 6a is supported by first support members 71 at both ends (see FIG. 9). 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 6a moves as the first support members 71 move.

[Movement mechanism]
The moving mechanism 7 shown in FIG. 7 moves the front panel 6a so that the 1st inlet 21 is opened by desired opening degree. The moving mechanism 7 opens the first suction port 21 when the front panel 6a closes the first suction port 21 (the state shown in FIG. 10A) and the front panel 6a moves from the closed state to the front. In the first operating state (the state shown in FIG. 10B) and the second operating state in which the front panel 6a moves further forward from the first state to open the first suction port 21 further wide (see FIG. 10C). )), The front panel 6a is moved. When the front panel 6a shifts from the closed state to the first operation state, the front panel 6a moves in parallel, and when the front panel 6a shifts from the first operation state to the second operation state, the front panel 6a 6a rotates. When the front panel 6a is in the first operation state, the first suction port 21 is opened at the first operation opening. Further, when the front panel 6a is in the second operation state, the first suction port 21 is opened at the second operation opening which is a maximum opening larger than the first operation opening. The moving mechanism 7 includes a first support member 71, a second support member 72, and a panel drive motor 73 (see FIG. 8).

  The first support member 71 is a plate-like member that is fixed substantially vertically to the front panel 6a at the side edge of the front panel 6a and supports the front panel 6a, and is provided on each of the left and right ends of the front panel 6a. 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, a second slit portion 76, and a third slit portion 77 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. A first support claw 721 and a second support claw 722 are provided in the vicinity of the center portion 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. When the front panel 6a performs an opening / closing operation, the first support claw 721 and the second support claw 722 slide with respect to the first slit portion 75 and the second slit portion 76 and move the front panel 6a that moves back and forth. To support.

The panel drive motor 73 shown in FIG. 8 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. 8 receives an instruction from the remote controller 9 described later, and controls the panel drive motor 73, the fan motor 32, the flap motor 50, and the like of the moving mechanism 7 described above. Moreover, the indoor unit 1a includes a temperature sensor 52 (temperature detection unit) that detects the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 10, and can perform various operation controls based on the detected temperature. The operation mode in which the control unit 8 receives an instruction includes normal cooling / heating operation and powerful 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 32 to set the output from the blower fan 31 to the first air volume, and controls the panel drive motor 73 to control the front panel. 6a is made to transfer to a 1st driving | running state, and the 1st inlet 21 is opened by a 1st driving | running opening degree.
In addition, when receiving a powerful operation command, the control unit 8 controls the fan motor 32 to set the output of the blower fan 31 to a third air volume larger than the first air volume, and also controls the panel drive motor 73. Then, the front panel 6a is set to the second operation state, and the first suction port 21 is opened at the second operation opening degree.

When receiving the operation stop command, the control unit 8 controls the fan motor 32 to stop the blower fan 31, controls the flap motor to close the outlet 20, and controls the panel drive motor 73. The front panel 6a is closed.
[Remote controller]
The remote controller 9 is a device for a user or the like to instruct the operation content of the indoor unit, and the user 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 input such as on / off of the power supply of the indoor unit 1a, normal heating operation, normal cooling operation, powerful operation and other operation modes, temperature setting, timer setting, etc., and sends a command signal to the communication such as infrared communication. It transmits to the control part 8 by a means.

<Opening and closing operation>
Next, the opening / closing operation | movement of the front panel 6a is demonstrated in detail based on FIG. 9 and FIG.
In the closed state where the air outlet 20 is closed by the horizontal flap 5 and the first suction port 21 is closed by the front panel 6a, as shown in FIG. 9A, the first slit portion 75 of the first support member 71 The front end is close to the first support claw 721, the front end of the third slit 77 of the first support member 71 is close to the second support claw 722, and the front panel 6a is shown in FIG. Thus, while covering the 1st suction inlet 21, the upper end of the horizontal flap 5 is covered. In this closed state, the first panel portion 61a covers the upper end of the horizontal flap 5, the gap G1 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. The second panel portion 62a covers the second casing surface 24. The front panel 6 a has a bent shape, and in the closed state, the front panel 6 a is in a state of being 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, in the operation stop state of the indoor unit 1a, the part from the upper end of the horizontal flap 5 to the 1st inlet 21 is concealed from the outside.

  When the front panel 6a shifts from the closed state to the first operation 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 6a translates diagonally forward and upward as shown in FIG. 10B (see arrow A1). At this time, the first panel portion 61a moves obliquely forward and upward along the first casing surface 23, and the second panel portion 62a moves obliquely forward and upward so as to separate from the second casing surface 24. The front panel 6 a opens the air outlet 20 and the first air inlet 21. At this time, the first panel portion 61a moves to a position where the lower end exceeds the upper end of the air outlet 20, so that the first panel portion 61a does not hinder the air blowing from the air outlet 20, and the first panel portion 61a. Closes the lower part between the second panel portion 62a 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. Moreover, in this state, as shown in FIG. 11, the upper part between the 2nd panel part 62a and the 2nd casing surface 24 is opened, and the air taken in from the 1st inlet 21 can pass through. . In the first operation state, both side portions between the second panel portion 62a and the second casing surface 24 are closed by the first support member 71, and the first support member 71 serves as a blindfold plate. Thus, the interior of the indoor unit casing 2 is made invisible from the outside through the first suction port 21.

  Further, when the front panel 6a shifts from the first operation state to the second operation state, the first support member 71 has the first curved portion 752 of the first slit portion 75 as shown in FIG. 9C. 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. As a result, the first support member 71 rotates and the front panel 6a rotates and moves so that the upper end falls forward as shown in FIG. 10B (see arrow A2). At this time, the lower end of the first panel portion 61a remains at the position in the first operating state, and the front panel 6a rotates around the lower end of the first panel portion 61a, so that the upper end of the second panel portion 62a moves forward. Rotate towards Thereby, the upper part between the 2nd panel part 62a and the 2nd casing surface 24 is further opened, and the 1st suction inlet 21 is further opened, and becomes a 2nd driving | operation opening degree.

In addition, when the front panel 6a shifts from the second operation state to the first operation state, the front panel 6a rotates and moves opposite to the above. When returning to the closed state, the horizontal flap 5 rotates and closes the outlet 20, and then the front panel 6 a translates in the opposite 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.
<Initial operation at the start of operation>
Among the opening and closing operations as described above, the initial operation when the operation is started from the operation stop state in which the blower fan 31 is stopped and the first suction port 21 and the outlet 20 are closed is shown in FIGS. This will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 12 and 13 show a control flow by the control unit 8 in the initial operation, and FIG. 14 shows a timing chart of the operations of the blower fan 31, the horizontal flap 5, and the front panel 6a.

First, in the first step S1, it is determined whether there is an instruction to start operation. Here, it is determined whether or not an operation start command signal has been received from the remote controller 9.
When the operation start command signal is received, the suction port opening operation (opening operation) is started in the second step S2 (opening operation starting step). Here, the suction port opening operation is an operation in which the front panel 6a moves so as to open from the state in which the first suction port 21 is closed to the second opening. The second opening is the upper limit of the movable range of the front panel 6a, that is, the opening when the first suction port 21 is fully opened, and is the same as the second operation opening. When the operation start command signal is received, the compressor 103 of the outdoor unit 101 is also driven.

  After the inlet opening operation is started, it is determined in the third step S3 whether or not the opening degree of the front panel 6a has reached the first opening degree. When the opening degree of the front panel 6a reaches the first opening degree, the driving of the blower fan 31 is started in the fourth step S4 (blower unit drive start step). Here, the first opening is an opening smaller than the second opening in the fully open state. The blower fan 31 is driven after the suction port opening operation is started, in a state where the front panel 6a is opened to the second opening, that is, in the middle of the suction port opening operation in which the suction port opening operation is not completed. To start.

  When the driving of the blower fan 31 is started, it is determined in the fifth step S5 whether or not the rotational speed of the blower fan 31 has reached the first rotational speed. When the rotational speed of the blower fan 31 reaches the first rotational speed, the rotational speed of the blower fan 31 is held for a while in the sixth step S6. In the initial operation at the start of operation, the rotational speed of the blower fan 31 finally increases to the second rotational speed. Therefore, it can be said that the rotational speed of the blower fan 31 increases stepwise in the initial operation.

  Next, in the seventh step S7, it is determined whether or not the opening degree of the front panel 6a has reached the second opening degree. When the opening degree of the front panel 6a reaches the second opening degree, the inlet opening operation is stopped in the eighth step S8, and the outlet opening is started in the ninth step S9 (outlet opening operation start step). Operation starts. That is, the front panel 6a is fully opened to complete the suction port opening operation, and the blower opening operation is started when the blower fan 31 reaches a predetermined number of rotations after starting to drive. Here, the air outlet opening operation is an operation in which the horizontal flap 5 moves so as to open from the state in which the air outlet 20 is closed to the fourth opening degree. The fourth opening is the upper limit of the movable range of the horizontal flap 5, that is, the opening in a state where the first suction port 21 is fully opened.

  When the air outlet opening operation is started, it is determined in the tenth step S10 whether or not the opening degree of the horizontal flap 5 has reached the third opening degree. When the opening degree of the horizontal flap 5 reaches the third opening degree, the rotational speed of the blower fan 31 is increased in the eleventh step S11. Here, the rotational speed of the blower fan 31 held at the first rotational speed is driven to a higher rotational speed than the first rotational speed. The third opening is an opening smaller than the fourth opening in the fully open state. In other words, the rotation speed of the blower fan 31 is increased after the start of the air outlet opening operation and before the completion of the air outlet opening operation in which the horizontal flap 5 is opened to the third opening.

Then, in the twelfth step S12, it is determined whether or not the rotational speed of the blower fan 31 has reached the second rotational speed. When the rotational speed of the blower fan 31 reaches the second rotational speed, the rotational speed of the blower fan 31 is held at the second rotational speed in the thirteenth step S13.
During this time, the horizontal flap 5 continues the air outlet opening operation, and in the fourteenth step S14, it is determined whether or not the opening degree of the horizontal flap 5 has reached the fourth opening degree. When the opening degree of the horizontal flap 5 reaches the fourth opening degree, the fourth opening degree is maintained for a while, and then in the fifteenth step S, the horizontal flap 5 is opened to the fifth opening degree. The fifth opening is an opening corresponding to the set operation mode.

<Features>
(1)
In the indoor unit 1a of the air conditioner 100, after the operation start command signal is transmitted from the remote controller 9, the inlet opening operation is started without delay. For this reason, in the initial operation at the start of operation, it can be confirmed by the movement of the front panel 6a that the user or the like has successfully received the operation start command signal.

(2)
At the start of driving of the blower fan 31, it is before the start of the air outlet opening operation, and the air outlet 20 is closed by the horizontal flap 5. For this reason, the air trapped inside the indoor unit 1a while the operation of the indoor unit 1a is stopped is prevented from being blown into the room as it is.
At the start of driving the blower fan 31, the front panel 6a is in the process of opening the suction port, and the first suction port 21 and the gap G1 are opened. For this reason, the indoor air is taken into the indoor unit through the first suction port 21 and a flow that flows out from the gap G1 is generated, and the air inside the indoor unit 1a is agitated. Thereby, the smell and cold by the air which blows off into the room | chamber interior from the blower outlet opening operation start are relieved, and generation | occurrence | production of the discomfort to the user etc. by a smell and cold can be suppressed.

  Furthermore, even if stirring of the air inside the indoor unit 1a is promoted due to the presence of the gap G1, the air outlet 20 is closed by the horizontal flap 5, so that the air flow is less than when the air outlet 20 is fully open. The balloon is restricted. Thereby, the cooling or heating of the indoor heat exchanger 10 can be accelerated in the initial operation, and the room can be quickly cooled or heated.

(3)
Since the gap G1 is formed when the horizontal flap 5 closes the air outlet 20 and the front panel 6a is opened, the horizontal flap 5 is generated by driving the blower fan 31 even when the horizontal flap 5 closes the air outlet 20. Airflow escape route is secured. For this reason, internal air can be stirred effectively and the smell and cold of the air trapped inside can be reduced.

Even if the blower fan 31 is driven and air is blown out from the gap G1, the blower outlet 20 is closed by the horizontal wrap 5, so that the air blown out from the gap G1 is prevented from being blown directly to the user. Is done.
Furthermore, since this gap G1 is smaller than the blower outlet 20, it is more uncomfortable to the user or the like due to odors or cold air than when the blower fan 31 is driven with the blower outlet 20 opened. Occurrence can be sufficiently suppressed.
[Second Embodiment]
In the second embodiment, the indoor unit 1a of the air conditioner 100 performs a cold air prevention operation that can prevent the generation of cold air more strongly and an odor prevention operation that can prevent the generation of unpleasant odor more strongly at the start of operation. Perform in initial operation. The cold air prevention operation warms the air inside the indoor unit 1a by driving the compressor 103 and increasing the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 10 before starting to drive the blower fan 31. In the odor prevention operation, the compressor 103 is driven to start the indoor heat exchanger 10 at a low temperature before the blower fan 31 starts to be driven, thereby causing condensation in the indoor heat exchanger 10. Odor generation can be prevented by adsorbing the odor component contained in the air inside the indoor unit 1a to moisture generated by condensation.

  In the initial operation at the start of operation in the first embodiment, the driving of the blower fan 31 is started in the middle of the suction port opening operation, but in this embodiment, the suction port opening operation is performed as shown in FIG. Is completed and the blower fan 31 starts to be driven when the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 10 reaches a predetermined temperature. Here, the controller 8 determines whether or not the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 10 detected by the temperature sensor 52 after completion of the suction opening operation has reached a predetermined temperature, and the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 10 is determined. When the predetermined temperature is reached, driving of the blower fan 31 is started. Note that the compressor 103 has started to be driven since the operation start command signal has been received, and the temperature adjustment of the indoor heat exchanger 10 has been started.

The timing for starting the inlet opening operation and the timing for increasing the rotational speed of the blower fan 31 are the same as in the first embodiment. Other configurations and controls are the same as those in the first embodiment.
In such an indoor unit 1a of the air conditioner 100, when the horizontal flap 5 moves and the outlet 20 is opened, the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 10 has already reached a predetermined temperature. Here, when the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 10 is high, the air blown into the room from the blower outlet 20 is warmed by the indoor heat exchanger 10 and then blown into the room. Thereby, it can suppress more that cold wind blows off indoors at the time of an operation start. Further, when the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 10 is low, condensation is generated on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 10, and the odor components in the air inside the indoor unit 1a are absorbed by the generated water droplets. Can do. Thereby, it can suppress more that an unpleasant odor generate | occur | produces at the time of a driving | operation start.

Instead of determining whether or not the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 52 reaches a predetermined temperature, it may be determined whether or not an elapsed time after receiving the operation start instruction signal has reached a predetermined time. . That is, since the drive of the blower fan 31 is not started until the elapsed time reaches a predetermined time even after the suction opening operation is completed, the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 10 can reach the predetermined temperature during this period. The same effects as described above can be obtained. Note that the measurement of elapsed time is not limited to when the operation start instruction signal is received, but may be when the compressor 103 starts to be driven or when the suction port opening operation starts.
[Third Embodiment]
In the above embodiment, the front panel 6a is configured by an integral panel, but the front panel 6b (panel member) may be configured by a plurality of separate panels as in the indoor unit 1b illustrated in FIG. Good.

<Configuration of front panel>
The front panel 6b covers substantially the entire front surface of the indoor unit casing 2, as shown in FIG. The front panel 6b covers the blower outlet 20 and the first suction port 21 in a front view, and opens and closes the blower outlet 20 and the first suction port 21. The front panel 6b is a panel aggregate in which a plurality of seamless panels are aggregated, and includes a first panel portion 61b, a second panel portion 62b, and a third panel portion 63b.

<First panel part>
The 1st panel part 61b is arrange | positioned so that the blower outlet 20 may be opened and closed below the front surface of the indoor unit casing 2, and is provided so that the blower outlet 20 may be covered. Here, the blower outlet 20 is provided from the front lower part of the indoor unit casing 2 to the front part of the bottom face, the first panel portion 61b opens and closes the front of the blower outlet 20, and the horizontal flap 5 is the blower outlet. The lower part of 20 is opened and closed. That is, the 1st panel part 61b and the horizontal flap 5 do not open and close the whole blower outlet 20, respectively, but the 1st panel part 61b and the horizontal flap 5 each open and close a part of the blower outlet 20, and the 1st panel The entire outlet 20 is opened and closed by both the part 61 b and the horizontal flap 5. The first panel portion 61b is supported in the vicinity of both left and right ends so as to be movable in the vertical direction by a moving mechanism (not shown), and opens and closes the air outlet 20. The 1st panel part 61b is a rectangular flat plate-shaped member which does not have a joint, and has the width | variety substantially the same as the width W of the indoor unit casing 2 in front view. The front side of the first panel portion 61b is formed in a smooth and generally flat shape without openings such as irregularities and holes. When the blower outlet 20 is closed, the first panel 61b is in a state parallel to the vertical direction as shown in FIGS. 16 (a) and 17 (a). Moreover, in this state, the 1st panel part 61b has a larger projection area than the blower outlet 20 in front view. Therefore, the 1st panel part 61b completely covers the lower part of the front surface of the indoor unit casing 2 including the air outlet 20 when the air outlet 20 is closed. The first panel portion 61b is formed of a transparent resin mixed with particles having luminance such as pearl particles, and has a transparent resin layer mixed with particles. And the coating layer in which the color, the pattern, etc. were represented was provided in the back side of the transparent resin layer. This paint layer is formed by coating from the back side of the first panel portion 61b. Thus, the 1st panel part 61b has a high designability, and functions as a design panel which raises the designability of the indoor unit 1b by arrange | positioning in the front surface which is easy to touch a user's eyes.

<Second panel part>
The second panel portion 62 b is disposed above the front surface of the indoor unit casing 2 so as to be movable so as to open and close the first suction port 21, and is provided so as to cover the first suction port 21. The second panel portion 62b is supported in the vicinity of both left and right ends so as to be movable in the front-rear direction by a moving mechanism (not shown), and moves away from the first suction port 21 to open the first suction port 21 and The first suction port 21 is closed by moving so as to approach the suction port 21. The 2nd panel part 62b is a rectangular flat plate-shaped member which does not have a joint, and has the width | variety substantially the same as the width W of the indoor unit casing 2 containing the 1st inlet 21 in front view. The front side of the second panel portion 62b is formed in a smooth, generally flat shape without openings such as irregularities and holes. When the first suction port 21 is closed, the second panel 62b is in a state parallel to the vertical direction as shown in FIGS. 16 (a) and 17 (a). Moreover, the 2nd panel part 62b has a larger projection area than the 1st suction inlet 21 in front view. Accordingly, the second panel portion 62b completely covers the upper half of the front surface of the indoor unit casing 2 including the first suction port 21 when the first suction port 21 is closed. Similarly to the first panel portion 61b, the second panel portion 62b is formed of a transparent resin mixed with particles having luminance such as pearl particles, and has a transparent resin layer mixed with particles. Yes. And the coating layer in which the color, the pattern, etc. were represented was provided in the back side of the transparent resin layer. This paint layer is formed by painting from the back side of the second panel portion 62b. Thus, the 2nd panel part 62b has a high designability, and functions as a design panel which raises the designability of the indoor unit 1b by arrange | positioning on the front surface which is easy to touch a user's eyes.

<Third panel section>
The third panel portion 63b is disposed between the first panel portion 61b and the second panel portion 62b. The third panel portion 63b has a rectangular shape having no seam when viewed from the front. The 3rd panel part 63b has the width W substantially the same as the indoor unit casing 2, and has the length substantially the same as the 1st panel part 61b in an up-down direction. The front side of the third panel 63b is formed in a smooth, generally flat shape without openings such as irregularities and holes. As shown in FIG. 17A, the third panel portion 63 b is fixed to the left and right side surfaces of the indoor unit casing 2 in the vicinity of the left and right ends, and the front portion of the third panel portion 63 b is the indoor unit casing 2. It arrange | positions so that the clearance gap may be separated in the front-back direction with respect to the front surface. That is, a gap is formed behind the front portion of the third panel portion 63b with the indoor unit casing 2. This gap is formed to be slightly larger than the thickness of the first panel portion 61b disposed below, and is a space for accommodating the first panel portion 61b that moves to open the air outlet 20 (FIG. 17c). The third panel 63b is molded from an opaque resin material.

  Thus, in the state which closed the blower outlet 20, the 1st panel part 61b completely covered the lower part of the front surface of the indoor unit casing 2 containing the blower outlet 20, and the 2nd panel part 62b is the 1st suction inlet. In the state where 21 is closed, the upper part of the front surface of the indoor unit casing 2 including the first suction port 21 is completely covered. In addition, the first panel portion 61b, the second panel portion 62b, and the third panel portion 63b are arranged side by side, and are substantially flat rectangles when the air outlet 20 and the first air inlet 21 are closed. Are arranged so as to constitute a plane. The front panel 6b constituted by the first panel portion 61b, the second panel portion 62b, and the third panel portion 63b is configured so that substantially the entire front surface of the indoor unit 1b is in a state where the air outlet 20 and the first suction port 21 are closed. Only the joint formed at the boundary between the first panel portion 61b, the second panel portion 62b, and the third panel portion 63b appears in the front view. That is, only the joint extending in the horizontal direction formed by the boundary between the first panel portion 61b and the third panel portion 63b and the boundary between the second panel portion 62b and the third panel portion 63b appears in a front view. Further, the first panel portion 61b, the second panel portion 62b, and the third panel portion 63b are parallel to the vertical direction, and the front panel 6b is arranged in the vertical direction when the air outlet 20 and the first suction port 21 are closed. A flat surface parallel to the direction is formed. In the indoor unit 1b of the air conditioner 100, the front panel 6b has such a flat shape, thereby improving the aesthetic appearance.

<Opening and closing operation>
Next, the opening / closing operation | movement of the front panel 6b is demonstrated in detail based on FIG.
In the closed state of the front panel 6b, the first panel portion 61b and the second panel portion 62b close the air outlet 20 and the first suction port 21, and as shown in FIG. 17 (a), the first panel portion 61b. The second panel portion 62b and the third panel portion 63b are arranged so as to be aligned substantially in a straight line in a side view parallel to the vertical direction. Moreover, the front side of the 1st panel part 61b, the 2nd panel part 62b, and the 3rd panel part 63b is substantially flat. The horizontal flap 5 is positioned so as to be parallel to the horizontal plane in the closed state, and constitutes the bottom surface of the indoor unit 1b parallel to the horizontal plane (see FIG. 16). In the closed state, the horizontal flap 5 is separated from the front end of the horizontal flap 5 by the edge of the upper side of the outlet 20, and an opening G <b> 2 is formed between the front end of the horizontal flap 5 and the edge of the upper side of the outlet 20. Is formed. And the blower outlet 20 is closed when the 1st panel part 61b covers this opening G2 from the front.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 17B, the first panel 61b is translated upward in the vertical direction, and the opening G2 is opened. When the first panel portion 61b moves upward in the vertical direction, the upper end of the first panel portion 61b is inserted into the gap behind the third panel portion 63b. When the first panel 61b moves further upward, the first panel 61b is accommodated in the gap between the third panel 63b and the indoor unit casing 2, as shown in FIG. It will be in the state hidden behind 3 panel part 63b. That is, substantially the entire first panel portion 61b is overlapped with the third panel portion 63b.

  In addition, the second panel 62b moves in conjunction with the movement of the first panel 61b. At this time, as shown in FIG. 17B, the second panel portion 62b moves forward and rotates around an axis parallel to the left-right direction in the front view. The second panel 62b rotates around its lower end so that its upper end is inclined forward. As shown in FIG. 17C, the second panel portion 62b further moves to form a gap between the indoor unit casing 2 and the second panel portion 62b. Thereby, the 1st inlet 21 is opened. Then, air is sucked from the gap between the upper end of the second panel portion 62b and the indoor unit casing 2, and air is sucked into the indoor unit 1b from the first suction port 21.

As described above, when the front panel 6b moves and the opening G2, that is, the front portion of the outlet 20 and the first inlet 21 are opened, the horizontal flap 5 has a blowing angle corresponding to the set operation mode. The lower part of the outlet 20 is opened by rotating.
When the operation of the indoor unit 1b is stopped, the first panel portion 61b and the second panel portion 62b move in the reverse direction to the above, and the front panel 6b returns to a flat state. Moreover, the horizontal flap 5 moves so that it may become parallel to a horizontal surface, and closes the downward direction of the blower outlet 20. FIG.

<Initial operation at the start of operation>
In the initial operation at the start of the operation of the indoor unit 1b, an opening opening operation is performed in which the first panel portion 61b moves to open the opening G2 instead of the suction opening opening operation in the first embodiment. Note that the first panel portion 61b and the second panel portion 62b do not necessarily need to move at the same time. From the viewpoint of improving the flow of air through the opening G2, the first panel portion 61b remains closed. The panel unit 61b may move so as to open the opening G2.

Further, the movement of the horizontal flap 5, the driving of the blower unit 3 and other operations in the air outlet opening operation are the same as those in the first embodiment and the second embodiment.
<Features>
Also in this indoor unit 1b, as in the first embodiment, in the initial operation at the start of operation, it is confirmed by the movement of the second panel unit 62b that the user has received the operation start command signal safely. Can do.

Further, the opening opening operation in which the first panel portion 61b moves so as to open the opening G2, the driving of the air blowing portion 3, and the air outlet opening operation in which the horizontal flap 5 moves so as to open the air outlet 20 are the same as in the first embodiment. By performing the same timing as in the second embodiment, the same effects as in the first embodiment and the second embodiment can be obtained.
Further, in the indoor unit 1b, the front panel 6b covers the entire front surface of the indoor unit 1b when the operation is stopped. The front panel 6b forms a flat surface parallel to the vertical direction. For this reason, when the operation of the indoor unit 1b is stopped, only the flat front panel 6b appears in the field of view of the user or the like in the front view. Further, only the seam extending in the horizontal direction (horizontal direction) that is a boundary between the first panel portion 61b, the second panel portion 62b, and the third panel portion 63b appears on the surface of the front panel 6b, and other seams appear. Absent. Therefore, in this indoor unit 1b, the seam extending in the vertical direction (vertical direction) does not appear in the front view, and the seam extending in the horizontal direction is also minimal. For this reason, in the indoor unit 1b of the air conditioner 100, the appearance of the operation stop state of the indoor unit 1b in the front view is harmonized with the wall surface of the room, and the aesthetic appearance is improved.
[Fourth Embodiment]
In the third embodiment, the front panel 6b is composed of three panels, but the front panel 6c may be composed of two panels as in the indoor unit 1c shown in FIG. Hereinafter, the configuration of the front panel 6c in the indoor unit 1c of the air conditioner 100 and the operation of the front panel 6c at the start of operation will be described. About another structure and the timing of operation | movement of the front panel 6c, it is the same as that of the indoor unit 1b which concerns on 2nd Embodiment.

<Configuration of front panel>
The indoor unit 1 c includes a front panel 6 c (panel member) that covers substantially the entire front surface of the indoor unit casing 2. The front panel 6c is a panel assembly in which two seamless panels are assembled, and includes a first panel portion 61c and a second panel portion 62c.
The first panel portion 61 c is disposed below the front surface of the indoor unit casing 2. The first panel 61c is supported by a moving mechanism (not shown) so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and opens and closes the air outlet 20. The 1st panel part 61c opens and closes the front of the blower outlet 20 similarly to the 1st panel part 61b of 3rd Embodiment, and the horizontal flap 5 opens and closes the downward direction of the blower outlet 20. FIG. Similarly to the third embodiment, the horizontal flap 5 is spaced from the front end of the horizontal flap 5 and the upper edge of the outlet 20 in the closed state. An opening G3 is formed between the edges. And the blower outlet 20 is closed when the 1st panel part 61c covers this opening G3 from the front. This 1st panel part 61c is a rectangular flat member without a joint, and has the width | variety substantially the same as the width W of the indoor unit casing 2 in front view. In the state where the air outlet 20 is closed, the first panel portion 61c is in a state parallel to the vertical direction as shown in FIG. Moreover, in this state, the 1st panel part 61c has a larger projection area than the blower outlet 20 in front view. Therefore, the 1st panel part 61c completely covers the lower part of the front of the indoor unit casing 2 including the air outlet 20 in the state where the air outlet 20 is closed.

  The second panel portion 62 c is disposed above the front surface of the indoor unit casing 2. The second panel 62c is supported by a moving mechanism (not shown) so as to be movable, and opens and closes the first suction port 21. The 2nd panel part 62c is a rectangular flat plate-shaped member which does not have a joint, and has the width | variety substantially the same as the width W of the indoor unit casing 2 containing the 1st inlet 21 in front view. When the first suction port 21 is closed, the second panel portion 62c is in a state parallel to the vertical direction as shown in FIG. Moreover, the 2nd panel part 62c has a larger projection area than the 1st inlet 21 in front view. Accordingly, the second panel portion 62c completely covers the upper half of the front surface of the indoor unit casing 2 including the first suction port 21 when the first suction port 21 is closed.

  Thus, in the state which closed the blower outlet 20, the 1st panel part 61c completely covered the lower part of the front of the indoor unit casing 2 containing the blower outlet 20, and the 2nd panel part 62c is the 1st suction inlet. In the state where 21 is closed, the upper part of the front of the indoor unit casing 2 including the first suction port 21 is completely covered. Moreover, the 1st panel part 61c and the 2nd panel part 62c are arrange | positioned along with the upper and lower sides, and comprise the substantially flat rectangular plane in the state which the blower outlet 20 and the 1st suction inlet 21 were closed. Placed in. The front panel 6c configured by the first panel portion 61c and the second panel portion 62c covers substantially the entire front surface of the indoor unit 1c when the air outlet 20 and the first suction port 21 are closed, and the first panel portion Only the seam formed at the boundary between 61c and the second panel portion 62c appears in front view. That is, in the front panel 6c, only the joint extending in the horizontal direction formed by the boundary between the first panel portion 61c and the second panel portion 62c appears in the front view.

<Opening and closing operation>
Next, the opening / closing operation | movement of the front panel 6c is demonstrated in detail based on FIG.
In the closed state of the front panel 6c, the first panel portion 61c and the second panel portion 62c close the opening G3 and the first suction port 21, and as shown in FIG. The second panel portion 62c is arranged in a line substantially parallel to the vertical direction in a side view. Moreover, the surface of the 1st panel part 61c and the 2nd panel part 62c is substantially flat.

Next, the 1st panel part 61c and the 2nd panel part 62c move, and the opening G3 and the 1st inlet 21 are opened.
As shown in FIG. 19 (b), the second panel portion 62 c moves forward so as to be separated from the first suction port 21, and rotates around an axis parallel to the left-right direction in the front view. The second panel portion 62c rotates around the vicinity of the lower end so that the upper end is inclined forward. As shown in FIG. 19C, the second panel portion 62c further moves to form a gap between the indoor unit casing 2 and the second panel portion 62c. Thereby, the 1st inlet 21 is opened. Then, air is sucked from the gap between the upper end of the second panel portion 62 c and the indoor unit casing 2, and air is sucked into the indoor unit casing 2 from the first suction port 21. In the state where the second panel portion 62c opens the first suction port 21, the upper end of the second panel portion 62c is inclined forward and the upper end is inclined rearward. Further, in this state, the second panel portion 62c is disposed so as not to interfere with the air outlet 20. That is, the lower end of the second panel portion 62c is positioned above the air outlet 20 so as not to obstruct the blowout from the air outlet 20.

  The first panel unit 61c also moves in conjunction with the movement of the second panel unit 62c. As shown in FIG. 19 (b), the first panel portion 61c translates vertically upward to open the opening G3. When the first panel unit 61c moves upward in the vertical direction, the upper end of the first panel unit 61c is inserted between the second panel unit 62c moved forward and the front surface of the indoor unit casing 2. That is, the upper end of the first panel portion 61c is inserted into the gap behind the second panel portion 62c. When the first panel portion 61c moves further upward, the first panel portion 61c is accommodated in the gap between the second panel portion 62c and the indoor unit casing 2, as shown in FIG. That is, the whole or part of the first panel portion 61c is overlapped with the second panel portion 62c. The first panel portion 61c moves in the state of being close to the front surface of the indoor unit casing 2. The first panel 61c and the indoor unit casing 2 are preferably not in contact with each other during the movement of the first panel 61c from the viewpoint of preventing scratches due to rubbing. The first panel 61c and the indoor unit casing 2 More preferably, a gap of about 1 mm to 2 mm is provided between the two. Thus, when the front panel 6c moves and the opening G3, that is, the front portion of the blower outlet 20 and the first suction port 21 are opened, the horizontal flap 5 is set to the set operation mode as in the third embodiment. The lower part of the outlet 20 is opened by rotating and moving so as to have a corresponding outlet angle.

In the operation stop state of the indoor unit 1c, the first panel portion 61c and the second panel portion 62c move in the reverse direction to return to a flat state. Moreover, the horizontal flap 5 moves so that it may become parallel to a horizontal surface, and closes the downward direction of the blower outlet 20. FIG.
<Initial operation at the start of operation>
In the initial operation at the start of the operation of the indoor unit 1c, an opening opening operation is performed in which the first panel portion 61c moves to open the opening G3 instead of the suction opening opening operation in the first embodiment. The movement of the horizontal flap 5 and the driving of the blower unit 3 and other operations in the air outlet opening operation are the same as those in the first embodiment and the second embodiment.

<Features>
Also in this indoor unit 1c, as in the third embodiment, in the initial operation at the start of operation, it is confirmed by the movement of the second panel unit 62c that the user has received the operation start command signal safely. Can do.
Further, the opening opening operation in which the first panel portion 61c moves so as to open the opening G3, the driving of the air blowing portion 3, and the air outlet opening operation in which the horizontal flap 5 moves so as to open the air outlet 20 are the same as in the first embodiment. By performing the same timing as in the second embodiment, the same effects as in the first embodiment and the second embodiment can be obtained.

Furthermore, in this indoor unit 1c, the front panel 6c covers the entire front surface of the indoor unit 1c when the operation is stopped. The front panel 6b forms a flat surface parallel to the vertical direction. For this reason, when the operation of the indoor unit 1c is stopped, only the flat front panel 6c appears in the field of view of the user or the like in the front view. Further, only the seam extending in the horizontal direction (horizontal direction) that is the boundary between the first panel portion 61c and the second panel portion 62c appears on the surface of the front panel 6c, and no other seams appear. Therefore, in this indoor unit 1c, the seam extending in the vertical direction (vertical direction) does not appear in the front view, and the seam extending in the horizontal direction is also minimal. For this reason, in this indoor unit 1c, the appearance when the operation of the indoor unit 1c is stopped in front view and the wall surface of the room are harmonized, and the aesthetic appearance is improved.
[Other Embodiments]
In the above embodiment, the second opening is a state in which the front panel 6a is fully opened, but is not limited to the limit position of the movable range of each member, and may be the limit of the moving range in each operation mode. . Further, the second opening may be a predetermined opening that is not in a fully open state. The same applies to the fourth opening.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention has an effect of suppressing a decrease in user comfort in the initial operation at the start of operation, and is useful as an air conditioner indoor unit and an air conditioner indoor unit control method.

The block diagram of the refrigerant circuit of the indoor unit of an air conditioner. The front view of the indoor unit concerning 1st Embodiment. The side view of the indoor unit concerning 1st Embodiment. Side surface sectional drawing of the indoor unit concerning 1st Embodiment. The external appearance perspective view of the indoor unit concerning 1st Embodiment. The front view of an indoor unit in the state where the front panel was removed. The figure which shows the structure of a moving mechanism. The control block diagram of an indoor unit. The figure which shows operation | movement of the moving mechanism at the time of the movement of a front panel. The figure which shows the opening / closing operation | movement of a front panel. The external appearance perspective view of the indoor unit in the state where the front panel opened. The figure which shows the control flow of the initial stage operation at the time of a driving | operation start. The figure which shows the control flow of the initial stage operation at the time of a driving | operation start. The figure which shows the timing chart of the initial stage operation at the time of the driving | operation start which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The figure which shows the timing chart of the initial stage operation at the time of the driving | operation start which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. The front view and side sectional drawing of the indoor unit which concern on 3rd Embodiment. The figure which shows the opening / closing operation | movement of the front panel of the indoor unit which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. The front view and side surface sectional drawing of the indoor unit which concern on 4th Embodiment. The figure which shows the opening / closing operation | movement of the front panel of the indoor unit which concerns on 4th Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

1a, 1b, 1c Indoor unit 2 Indoor unit casing (casing part)
3 Blower 5 Horizontal flap (Flap)
6a, 6b, 6c Front panel (panel member)
8 Control unit 10 Indoor heat exchanger (heat exchanger)
20 Air outlet 21 1st inlet (inlet)
31 Blower 52 Temperature sensor (temperature detector)
61a, 61b, 61c 1st panel part 62a, 62b, 62c 2nd panel part G1 Gap (opening)
G2, G3 opening S2 second step (opening opening operation starting step)
S4 4th step (air blower drive start step)
S9 9th step (air outlet opening operation start step)

Claims (14)

A casing part (2) provided with an inlet (21) and an outlet (20);
A blower unit (3) that generates a flow of air that is sucked in from the suction port (21) and blown out from the blowout port (20);
The air outlet (20) is provided to be openable and closable, and guides the air blown out from the air outlet (20) in the open state, and closes a part of the air outlet (20) in the closed state (5). )When,
When the flap (5) closes a part of the outlet (20), an opening (G1-G3) is formed between the edge of the outlet (20) and the flap (5) in the closed state. Panel members (6a-6c) provided to be openable and closable,
When the operation is started from the operation stop state in which the air blowing section (3) is stopped and the air outlet (20) is closed by the flap (5) and the panel member (6a-6c), the panel member ( 6a-6c) starts the opening operation to move so as to open the opening (G1-G3), starts driving the air blower (3) after the opening operation starts, and the flap (5) A control unit (8) for starting an air outlet opening operation that moves so as to open the air outlet (20) after starting the driving of the air blowing unit (3);
An air conditioner indoor unit (1a-1c). In the closed state, the panel member (6a-6c) includes a first panel portion (61a-61c) that covers the opening (G1-G3), and a second panel portion (62a-62c) that covers the suction port (21). In the opening opening operation, the opening (G1-G3) and the suction port (21) are moved so as to open.
The indoor unit (1a-1c) of the air conditioner according to claim 1. The first panel part (61a) and the second panel part (62a) are integrated at a predetermined angle.
The indoor unit (1a) of the air conditioner according to claim 2. The first panel part (61b, 62c) and the second panel part (62b, 62c) are separate members.
The indoor unit (1b, 1c) of the air conditioner according to claim 1. The control unit (8) starts driving the air blowing unit (3) before the opening opening operation is completed.
The indoor unit (1a-1c) of the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4. In the opening operation, the panel member (6a-6c) opens to the second opening,
The controller (8) starts driving the blower (3) when the panel member (6a-6c) is opened to a first opening smaller than the second opening in the opening operation.
The indoor unit (1a-1c) of the air conditioner according to claim 5. The second opening is an opening at which the panel member (6a-6c) is fully opened.
The indoor unit (1a-1c) of the air conditioner according to claim 6. A heat exchanger (10) for exchanging heat between the refrigerant and air;
A temperature detector (52) for detecting the temperature of the heat exchanger (10);
Further comprising
The controller (8) starts driving the blower (3) when the opening operation is completed and the temperature of the heat exchanger (10) reaches a predetermined temperature.
The indoor unit (1a-1c) of the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The controller (8) starts driving the blower (3) after the opening opening operation is completed and a predetermined time has elapsed.
The indoor unit (1a-1c) of the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The blowing section (3) has a blowing fan (31),
The controller (8) starts the outlet opening operation when the rotational speed of the blower fan (31) reaches the first rotational speed.
The indoor unit (1a-1c) of the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 9. The controller (8) increases the rotational speed of the blower fan (31) from the first rotational speed to the second rotational speed after the start of the air outlet opening operation,
The indoor unit (1a-1c) of the air conditioner according to claim 10. In the opening opening operation, the flap (5) opens to the fourth opening,
The controller (8) sets the rotational speed of the blower fan (31) to the first rotational speed when the flap (5) is opened to a third opening smaller than the fourth opening in the air outlet opening operation. From 2 to the second rotational speed,
The indoor unit (1a-1c) of the air conditioner according to claim 11. The fourth opening is an opening at which the flap (5) is fully opened.
The indoor unit (1a-1c) of the air conditioner according to claim 12. The casing part (2) provided with the suction inlet (21) and the blower outlet (20), and the ventilation part which produces | generates the flow of the air suck | inhaled from the said suction inlet (21) and blown off from the said blower outlet (20) (3) and the air outlet (20) is provided so as to be openable and closable. In the open state, air blown from the air outlet (20) is guided, and in the closed state, a part of the air outlet (20) is closed. An opening formed between a flap (5) and an edge of the outlet (20) and the flap (5) in a closed state by closing a part of the outlet (20) by the flap (5) A control method of an indoor unit (1a-1c) of an air conditioner provided with a panel member (6a-6c) provided to be capable of opening and closing (G1-G3),
The panel member (6a-6c) is opened to the opening (G1-G3) from the operation stop state in which the blower (3) is stopped and the outlet (20) and the opening (G1-G3) are closed. Opening opening operation start step (S2) for starting an opening opening operation that moves so as to open
A blower drive start step (S4) for starting the drive of the blower (3) after the opening opening operation is started;
An air outlet opening operation starting step (S9) for starting an air outlet opening operation in which the flap (5) moves so as to open the air outlet (20) after starting the driving of the air blowing section (3);
The control method of the indoor unit (1a-1c) of an air conditioner provided with this.

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