JP2009063260A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To minimize the time required in initial movement by judging necessity of initial movement in response to a panel position. <P>SOLUTION: An air guiding panel20 covering a front face formed with a blowout opening 5 is provided on a cabinet 3 such that it can be opened upward and downward. A position detection sensor 90 is provided for detecting that the air guiding panel 20 is in an initial state. When the position detection sensor 90 detects that the air guiding panel 20 is in the initial state, the air guiding panel 20 is opened without carrying out initial movement. If the air guiding panel 20 is not in the initial state, the initial movement is carried out, and the air guiding panel 20 is opened after it is in the initial state. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner having a panel that opens and closes in an indoor unit according to an air conditioning operation.

  In the indoor unit of the air conditioner, an air outlet is formed on the front surface of the cabinet, and hot air or cold air is blown out from the air outlet. A panel for opening and closing the air outlet is opened according to the air conditioning operation, and the direction of the blown air is switched.

Here, Patent Document 1 discloses an air conditioner that detects a position of a rotating panel and stops the panel at a predetermined position when the rotation is stopped.
JP 2002-206787 A

  In the above-described air conditioner, when the panel is opened at the start of operation, the initial operation for temporarily resetting the panel is not performed. That is, since the panel stops at a predetermined position, an initial operation is not necessary.

  However, if the panel is forcibly opened when the power is cut off or stopped during operation, the panel may stop while it is open. In this case, if the panel is opened at the start of operation, the state of the panel is not known, so there is a possibility that the panel will not be opened normally. Therefore, an initial operation is required.

  Normally, in the initial operation, the initial state is restored regardless of the state of the panel. At this time, the initial operation time is set to be longer than the time from the maximum open state to the return to the initial state so that the initial state can be surely returned. When the panel is close to the initial state, the panel immediately returns to the initial state, but the panel does not open until after a set time has elapsed. Therefore, wasted time is wasted.

  In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner that can minimize the time required for the initial operation.

  In the present invention, a blower outlet is formed in the front surface of the cabinet, and a panel is provided to cover the front surface. The panel can be opened both up and down around the upper and lower axes, and the opening and closing of the panel is controlled according to the operating state. A control device and a position detection sensor for detecting the open position of the panel are provided. When the panel is opened, the control device performs an initial operation for initializing the panel based on a detection signal of the position detection sensor. Is.

  The position detection sensor can tell the position of the panel. The control device determines the necessity of the initial operation from the position of the panel. That is, if the panel is in the initial state, the initial operation is not necessary. The initial operation only needs to be performed when not in the initial state.

  Therefore, when the position detection sensor detects that the panel is in the initial state, the control device opens the panel without performing the initial operation. Thus, the position detection sensor detects whether or not the panel is in the initial state, and the control device executes the initial operation when it is detected that the panel is not in the initial state.

  When the initial operation is executed, the control device opens the panel after it is detected by the position detection sensor that the panel is in the initial state. When the panel opens, it always returns to its initial state. Therefore, the panel can be opened reliably in the designated direction.

  Here, when the panel is closed, the panel is in the initial state. Since it is only necessary to detect that the panel is closed, the position detection sensor is arranged in the cabinet. Thus, the position detection sensor is not affected by external noise such as malfunction due to foreign matter.

  According to the present invention, when an operation such as cooling or heating is started, if the initial operation is unnecessary, the panel can be opened immediately, and even when the initial operation is necessary, only the minimum necessary initial operation is performed. That's okay. Thereby, the air conditioning operation can be started quickly, and a comfortable environment can be provided to the user.

  The indoor unit of the air conditioner of this embodiment is shown in FIGS. The indoor unit includes a heat exchanger 1 and an indoor fan 2, which are housed in a cabinet 3. The cabinet 3 is formed in a box shape having a depth longer than the height, and has a curved surface from the front surface to the bottom surface. A suction port 4 is formed on the upper surface of the cabinet 3, and an outlet 5 is formed on the curved surface.

  An air passage 6 extending from the suction port 4 to the blowout port 5 is formed inside the cabinet 3, and the heat exchanger 1 and the indoor fan 2 are disposed in the air passage 6. A filter 7 is disposed between the suction port 5 and the heat exchanger 1 to remove dust from the indoor air sucked from the suction port 4. A cleaning device 8 for cleaning the filter 7 is provided.

  The cleaning device 8 moves the filter 7 in the cabinet 3 to pass through the dust removing unit 9, and the dust removing unit 9 removes dust attached to the filter 7. A guide path 10 that is curved in a U shape in a side view is formed on the front side in the cabinet 3, and a moving unit including a motor and a gear reciprocates the filter 7 along the guide path 10. In the dust removing unit 9, the rotating brush 11 scrapes off dust from the passing filter 7, and a suction fan causes air to flow in a direction substantially parallel to the filter 7 (left and right direction), and the scraped dust is sucked and discharged. To do.

  An air guide panel 20 that opens and closes the air outlet 5 is provided on the curved surface of the cabinet 3. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the wind guide panel 20 can be opened both up and down, and an opening / closing mechanism for moving the wind guide panel 20 to open and close is provided.

  The wind guide panel 20 is formed by a single curved panel and covers the front surface of the cabinet 3. The width of the wind guide panel 20 is the same as the width of the cabinet 3, and is larger than the width of the air outlet 5. And the front panel 21 is formed in the front surface of the cabinet 3 so that it may become one step lower from the middle part of the front surface to the bottom surface. Thereby, a recessed part is formed in the whole width direction, and the wind guide panel 20 fits into the recessed part. An opening is formed in the front panel 21 that forms the recess, and this opening is the air outlet 5. Therefore, the wind guide panel 20 is positioned in front of the air outlet 5 and covers the air outlet 5 and the front panel 21 around the air outlet 5. At this time, the wind guide panel 20 is in the closed position shown in FIG.

  When in the closed posture, a gap is formed between the front end and rear end of the wind guide panel 20 and the cabinet 3. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, when the wind guide panel 20 opens and closes, the end of the wind guide panel 20 enters the gap. The wind guide panel 20 can rotate smoothly without hitting the cabinet 3. Further, when the wind guide panel 20 is opened to the maximum in the upper opening or the lower opening, the front and rear ends of the wind guide panel 20 are formed so that the wind guide panel 20 contacts the cabinet 3. Prevents the wind from leaking. In particular, in the case of cold air, condensation on the bottom surface side of the cabinet 3 can be prevented.

  Thus, the outer surface of the wind guide panel 20 constitutes a smooth curved surface extending from the front surface to the bottom surface of the cabinet 3. That is, the wind guide panel 20 is a member constituting a part of the front surface of the cabinet 3. In other words, a part of the panel of the cabinet 3 is used as the wind guide panel 20. Thereby, the wind guide panel 20 becomes a long panel having a long overall length as compared with the louver employed in the conventional air conditioner.

  The wind guide panel 20 opens in either the upper or lower direction by rotating in different directions around the upper and lower axes. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the wind guide panel 20 opens downward around the lower shaft 22 during the cooling operation. In this downward opening posture, the wind guide panel 20 is connected to the lower wall of the air outlet 5, and a long nozzle is formed by the air guide panel 20 and the upper wall of the air outlet 5. The wind guide panel 20 guides the cool air obliquely upward, and the cool air blows out along the ceiling. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, it opens upward around the upper shaft 23 during heating operation. In this upward-opening posture, the air guide panel 20 shields the front of the air outlet 5, suppresses the warm air blown forward, and guides the warm air toward the floor surface. Even at the initial stage of the cooling operation, the air guide panel 20 is in the upwardly open posture, and the cool air is blown out in the direction of the floor surface to perform rapid cooling. As shown in FIG. 2, the wind guide panel 20 is closed when the operation is stopped, covers the air outlet 5, and is integrated with the cabinet 3.

  The air outlet 5 is provided with a wind direction plate 24 and an auxiliary louver (not shown). The wind direction plate 24 changes the wind direction in the left-right direction by changing the angle in the left-right direction. The auxiliary louver changes the vertical direction according to the posture of the wind guide panel 20 and changes the vertical direction while rectifying the blown wind.

  In the wind guide panel 20 enlarged as described above, twisting and bending are likely to occur. Therefore, on the inner surface of the wind guide panel 20, reinforcing peripheral walls are formed at both end edges on the front-rear direction (short direction) side. A peripheral wall is formed over the whole left-right direction (longitudinal direction). The peripheral wall has a hollow structure and can be thick. With such a peripheral wall, the strength of the wind guide panel 20 can be increased and bending can be prevented. Further, similar reinforcing peripheral walls are also formed at both end edges on the left and right direction sides. Therefore, twisting of the wind guide panel 20 can be prevented.

  In this way, by strengthening the four edges of the wind guide panel 20 by increasing the thickness, the strength against deformation of the wind guide panel 20 can be increased, and the size of the wind guide panel 20 can be increased. Moreover, since the wind guide panel 20 has a structure that is not easily deformed, it is possible to increase the degree of bending of the wind guide panel 20 in the front-rear direction, and it is easy to control the air blowing direction when the wind guide panel 20 is opened. . That is, during the cooling operation, the cool air can be guided toward the ceiling, and the reach distance of the cool air can be increased. During heating operation, warm air is guided toward the wall, and the warm air reaches the floor.

  In addition, an inclined surface is formed on the distal end side of the peripheral wall. The inner surface of the peripheral wall is an inclined surface. The outer surface is a vertical surface. When the wind guide panel 20 is in the downward opening posture, the blown cold air may hit the peripheral wall located in the left-right direction, and dew may be attached to the peripheral wall. Therefore, by using the inclined surface, the cold air flows along the inclined surface. The cold air flows without stopping and can prevent condensation on the surrounding wall.

  A heat insulating material 30 is provided on the inner surface of the wind guide panel 20 surrounded by the peripheral wall. The heat insulating material 30 is attached over the entire surface except for both end sides in the left-right direction. The width in the left-right direction of the heat insulating material 30 is set to be larger than the width of the air outlet 5. The surface of the heat insulating material 30 is flush. Therefore, there is no protrusion on the inner surface side of the air guide panel 20 facing the air outlet 5, and the flow of the wind is not hindered.

  Support members 31 are provided on both sides of the inner surface of the wind guide panel 20 in the left-right direction. The wind guide panel 20 is detachably attached to the support member 31. The support material 31 is attached to the cabinet 3 via a rod 32. That is, the wind guide panel 20 is attached to the cabinet 3 via the rod 32 and is detachable from the cabinet 3.

  As shown in FIG. 5, claws 33 that are slidable in the left-right direction are provided on both sides of the wind guide panel 20 in the left-right direction. The claw 33 is opposed to the peripheral wall formed in the front-rear direction and is urged toward the peripheral wall by an urging member such as a spring. The wind guide panel 20 is attached to the support member 31 by sandwiching the support member 31 between the claw 33 and the peripheral wall. The wind guide panel 20 can be removed from the support member 31 by sliding the claw 33 in the direction away from the peripheral wall.

  In addition, what is necessary is just to provide the nail | claw 33 in at least one side in the front-back direction. In this case, on the other side, either one of the wind guide panel 20 or the support material 31 is provided with a pin, and the other is formed with a hole. The wind guide panel 20 is engaged with the support member 31 by fitting the pins into the holes. When the claw 33 is provided on one side, the claw 33 is preferably provided on the rear side in consideration of workability. In this case, the user can attach and detach the wind guide panel 20 while looking at the nail 33 in a state where the wind guide panel 20 is in the downward opening posture. Therefore, the attachment / detachment operation can be easily and reliably performed, and the operation can be performed while supporting the wind guide panel 20 with one hand, so that the wind guide panel 20 can be prevented from falling.

  The upper shaft 23 of the wind guide panel 20 is provided on the front side of the support material 31, and the lower shaft 22 is provided on the rear side of the support material 31. The vertical shafts 22 and 23 are arranged along the left-right direction, and both ends are supported so as to be separated from the support material 31. The vertical shafts 22 and 23 are located outside the blower outlet 5 and in front of the blower outlet 5 in the front / rear and left / right directions. Therefore, the vertical shafts 22 and 23 do not disturb the flow of the wind blown out from the air outlet 5.

  The support material 31 may be integrated with the wind guide panel 20. The rod 32 is directly attached to the wind guide panel 20. In this case, the wind guide panel 20 can be attached to and detached from the cabinet 3 by detachably attaching the rod 32 to the wind guide panel 20.

  In the air conditioner, an outdoor unit (not shown) is installed outside the indoor unit. The outdoor unit includes a compressor, a heat exchanger, a four-way valve, an outdoor fan, and the like, and a refrigeration cycle 40 is formed by these and the indoor heat exchanger 1. And as shown in FIG. 7, the control apparatus 41 which controls the refrigerating cycle 40 is provided in an indoor unit. A control device 41 composed of a microcomputer controls the refrigeration cycle 40 based on a user instruction and detection signals of various sensors 42 such as a temperature sensor that detects a room temperature and an outside air temperature, and performs an air conditioning operation. At this time, the control device 41 controls the opening / closing mechanism according to the cooling / heating operation to open / close the wind guide panel 20. Further, the control device 41 cleans the filter 7 by controlling the cleaning device 8 periodically or in accordance with an instruction from the user.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the opening / closing mechanism includes a moving unit 50 that moves the wind guide panel 20 close to and away from the cabinet 3 and a regulating unit that regulates the opening direction of the wind guide panel 20 when the wind guide panel 20 moves. 51.

  When opening the wind guide panel 20, the moving unit 50 moves the wind guide panel 20 in a direction away from the cabinet 3. At this time, the restricting portion 51 allows the opening of either the upper opening or the lower opening and restricts the opening of the other to switch the opening direction of the wind guide panel 20. When the downward opening is restricted, the wind guide panel 20 opens upward. Conversely, when the upward opening is restricted, the wind guide panel 20 opens downward. When closing the wind guide panel 20, the moving unit 50 moves the wind guide panel 20 in a direction approaching the cabinet 3.

  That is, the restricting portion 51 restricts the opening direction by locking the upper shaft 23 or the lower shaft 22 so as not to move. When opening downward, the lower shaft 22 is locked and held rotatably, and the upper shaft 23 is opened. When opening upward, the upper shaft 23 is locked and held rotatably, and the lower shaft 22 is opened.

  Further, the restricting portion 51 has a function of holding the wind guide panel 20 in a closed posture. The closed wind guide panel 20 is close to the front panel 21 of the cabinet 3. At this time, the restricting portion 51 locks the upper shaft 23 and the lower shaft 22. Even if an external force is applied to pull the wind guide panel 20 apart, the wind guide panel 20 does not move because the shafts 22 and 23 are locked.

  As described above, a drive source only for moving the wind guide panel 20 may be provided as a drive source for opening and closing the wind guide panel 20. In addition, the drive source may be one that causes the wind guide panel 20 to perform a simple operation such as reciprocation. Therefore, the moving unit 50 for reciprocating the wind guide panel 20 can be a simple mechanism. Thereby, the opening / closing mechanism can be simplified, and the opening / closing mechanism can be downsized.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the restricting portion 51 restricts the operation of the pair of upper and lower hooks 52 and 53 that hold the upper and lower shafts 22 and 23 and switches the opening direction by restricting the operation of the hooks 52 and 53. An interlocking unit 55 that operates the hooks 52 and 53 in an interlocked manner and a drive unit 56 that drives the interlocking unit 55 are provided. As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the moving unit 50 includes a rod 32 that holds the wind guide panel 20, a moving mechanism unit 57 that moves the rod 32 in and out of the cabinet 3, and a drive unit 58 that drives the moving mechanism unit 57.

  The restricting portions 51 are provided in a pair of left and right inside the cabinet 3 and are disposed on the outer side in the left-right direction with respect to the air outlet 5. As shown in FIG. 14, the restricting portion 51 is configured on the base plate 60 and unitized. The base plate 60 is fixed inside the cabinet 3.

  The upper hook 52 and the lower hook 53 are rotatably supported by a fixed shaft 61 fixed to the base plate 60. The front panel 21 is formed with doorways 21a in which the hooks 52 and 53 appear and disappear, respectively. The upper hook 52 projects from the doorway 21a and hooks the upper shaft 23 from the lower side. The upper shaft 23 is sandwiched and held by the cradle 62 and the upper hook 52 formed on the front panel 21. Similarly, the lower hook 53 protrudes from the doorway, hooks the lower shaft 22 from the lower side, and sandwiches and holds the lower shaft 22 between the lower hook 53 and the receiving base 63.

  The interlocking unit 55 uses the link mechanism to mechanically connect the hooks 52 and 53 so that the hooks 52 and 53 can operate. Specifically, the interlocking portion 55 includes a pair of upper and lower link members 64 and 65 and an interlocking plate 66. The upper and lower link members 64 and 65 connect the upper and lower hooks 52 and 53 and the interlocking plate 66, respectively. That is, a shaft 64 a is formed at one end of the upper link member 64, and the one end shaft 64 a is fitted into the shaft hole of the upper hook 52. The upper hook 52 is rotatably supported at one end of the upper link member 64. The same applies to the lower link member 65 and the lower hook 53.

  The other end of the upper link member 64 is rotatably attached to the interlocking plate 66. The interlocking plate 66 is a sector gear, and teeth are formed on its arc surface. The interlocking plate 66 is rotatably supported by a fixed shaft 67 protruding from the base plate 60. A pair of long grooves 68 are formed in the interlocking plate 66, and the other end shafts 64 b and 65 b of the upper and lower link members 64 and 65 are fitted into the long grooves 68. Each long groove 68 extends in the radial direction about the fixed shaft 67. The other end shafts 64 b and 65 b of the link members 64 and 65 are movable in the radial direction, and play is provided by the long grooves 68.

  By the rotation of the interlocking plate 66, the link members 64 and 65 move in conjunction between the fixed shaft 61 of the hooks 52 and 53 and the fixed shaft 67 of the interlocking plate 66. As a result, the hooks 52 and 53 can rotate around the fixed shaft 61.

  The drive unit 56 includes a plurality of gears 69 and a restriction motor 70. A restriction motor 70 is provided on the mounting table 71 attached to the base plate 60. A gear 69 is fitted on the motor shaft of the restriction motor 70, and the driving force of the restriction motor 70 is transmitted to the interlocking plate 66 via the plurality of gears 69. When the regulation motor 70 is driven, the interlocking plate 66 rotates around the fixed shaft 67. Therefore, the two hooks 52 and 53 can be moved by one motor.

  As illustrated in FIG. 10, the switching unit 54 guides the movement of the other end shafts 64 b and 65 b of the link members 64 and 65. A restriction groove 72 is formed in the mounting table 71, and the other end shafts 64 b and 65 b are fitted into the restriction groove 72. The movement of the hooks 52 and 53 is determined by the movement of the link members 64 and 65 differently by the restriction groove 72. That is, when one hook 52, 53 moves, the other hook 52, 53 is restricted and does not move. The switching unit 54 determines the movement of the hooks 52 and 53 according to the opening direction.

  The regulation groove 72 is formed in a substantially U shape. The restriction groove 72 includes three grooves, that is, an upper lock groove 72a, a neutral groove 72b, and a lower lock groove 72c, and the three grooves are continuously connected. The upper lock groove 72 a is formed along an arc centered on the one end shaft 64 a of the upper link member 64. The lower lock groove 72 c is formed along an arc centered on one end shaft 65 a of the lower link member 65. The neutral groove 72 c is formed along an arc centered on the fixed shaft 67 of the interlocking plate 66.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 (a) and 10 (a), when the other end shafts 64b and 65b are provided in the neutral groove 72b, the hooks 52 and 53 hold the vertical shafts 22 and 23, respectively. , 23 are locked. This state is the initial state. As shown in FIGS. 9B and 10B, when the upper lock groove 72a has the other end shaft 64b of the upper link member 64, the upper hook 52 sandwiches the upper shaft 23 and holds it rotatably. The upper shaft 23 is locked. The lower hook 53 is detached from the lower shaft 22. As shown in FIGS. 9C and 10C, when the lower link member 65 has the other end shaft 65b in the lower lock groove 72c, the lower hook 53 sandwiches the lower shaft 22 and holds it rotatably. The lower shaft 22 is locked. The upper hook 52 is detached from the upper shaft 23.

  When the interlocking plate 66 rotates clockwise in the initial state, the other end shaft 64b of the upper link member 64 moves along the upper lock groove 72a. The other end shaft 64b of the upper link member 64 moves in the circumferential direction around the one end shaft 64a. Since the upper link member 64 does not move in the radial direction, the one end shaft 64a also does not move. Therefore, the upper hook 53 does not rotate. On the other hand, the other end shaft 65b of the lower link member 65 moves along the neutral groove 72b. The one end shaft 65a is pulled and moved. The lower hook 53 rotates clockwise. Accordingly, as shown in FIGS. 9B and 10B, the lower shaft 22 is unlocked. When the interlocking plate 66 rotates counterclockwise in the initial state, the upper shaft 23 is similarly unlocked as shown in FIGS. 9 (c) and 10 (c).

  Note that the control device 41 drives the left and right regulating motors 70 so that the above operation is synchronized in the left and right regulating units 51. The regulation motor 70 uses a stepping motor and is rotated forward and backward according to the opening direction. Thereby, the wind guide panel 20 opens smoothly without twisting from side to side.

  The moving unit 50 is provided in a pair of left and right inside the cabinet 3 and is disposed on the outer side in the left-right direction than the restricting unit 51. As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the front end of the rod 32 protrudes outward from a vertically long hole 21 b (see FIG. 3) formed in the front panel 21. A support shaft 80 for attaching the rod 32 is provided on the support member 31. The front end of the rod 32 is rotatably supported by the support shaft 80. The support shaft 80 is eccentrically positioned closer to the front side than the center in the front-rear direction. The rod 32 has a circular cross section. When the wind hits, it becomes easy for the wind to flow along the surface, so that it is hard to condense even if cold wind is blown. Further, the rod 32 has a hollow structure. As a result, the weight can be reduced while maintaining the strength, and the load on the motor that moves the rod 32 can be reduced.

  The movement mechanism unit 57 moves the front end of the rod 32 forward when opening the wind guide panel 20 and moves backward when closing the wind guide panel 20. The moving mechanism unit 57 is a moving plate 81 that holds the rod 32 and reciprocates. As shown in FIG. 15, the moving plate 81 is formed in a fan shape and is rotatably supported by a fixed shaft 83 fixed to the base plate 82. The base plate 82 is fixed with respect to the cabinet 3.

  The moving unit 50 is also unitized in the same manner as the regulating unit 51. Here, the restricting portion 51 and the moving portion 50 are arranged side by side in the left and right spaces of the cabinet 3. If both are made into one unit, it can be handled as an opening / closing mechanism unit, and attachment work becomes easy. Moreover, since the moving part 50 can be comprised with few components, size reduction and thickness reduction of a unit are realizable. As a result, the opening / closing mechanism can be accommodated in a limited space, and the width of the outlet 5 can be increased. If it becomes the big blower outlet 5, the ventilation range of the width direction will become wide, and it can deliver a wind to every corner of a room.

  The rear end of the rod 32 is rotatably attached to the vicinity of the front end of the moving plate 81 via a rotation shaft 84. An arc groove 85 is formed in the moving plate 81. The arc groove 85 is formed on an arc centered on the fixed shaft 83. A rack is formed in the arc groove 85. The drive unit 58 includes an opening / closing motor 86 and a gear 87 attached to the motor shaft. The gear 87 is inserted into the arc groove 85 and meshes with the rack.

  When the opening / closing motor 86 is driven, the moving plate 81 rotates around the fixed shaft 83 as the gear 87 rotates, and the rod 32 moves in and out of the front panel 21. As shown in FIG. 11, when the wind guide panel 20 is in the closed posture, the moving plate 81 is located on the rear side. Only the front end of the rod 32 protrudes from the front panel 21. Such a state is an initial state.

  When the lower shaft 22 is unlocked and the open / close motor 86 is driven, the movable plate 81 rotates counterclockwise as shown in FIG. The rod 32 is pushed out, and the front end moves forward. The wind guide panel 20 rotates around the upper shaft 23 and opens upward. The opening / closing motor 86 is controlled so that the movable plate 81 rotates by a certain angle, for example, 50 degrees.

  When the upper shaft 23 is unlocked and the open / close motor 86 is driven, the movable plate 81 rotates counterclockwise as shown in FIG. The rod 32 is pushed out, and the front end moves forward. The wind guide panel 20 rotates around the lower shaft 22 and opens downward. At this time, since the wind guide panel 20 is opened so as to be lowered, the front end of the rod 32 moves forward while gradually lowering. Also in this case, the movable plate 81 rotates by a certain angle.

  When the wind guide panel 20 is open, the open / close motor 86 is driven, and when the moving plate 81 rotates clockwise, the wind guide panel 20 is closed. As the moving plate 81 rotates, the rear end of the rod 32 moves backward. The rod 32 is drawn into the cabinet 3. Along with this, the wind guide panel 20 rotates around the upper shaft 23 or the lower shaft 22. The wind guide panel 20 approaches the cabinet 3 and takes a closed posture.

  The control device 41 drives the left and right opening / closing motors 86 so that the above operation is synchronized in the left and right moving units 50. The opening / closing motor 86 uses a stepping motor and is rotated forward and backward according to the opening / closing.

  During the air conditioning operation, when the wind guide panel 20 is open, one of the vertical shafts 22 and 23 is locked in the wind guide panel 20. For example, when the wind guide panel 20 is in the upward opening posture and the wind guide panel 20 is pulled and an external force is applied, one of the shafts (here, the upper shaft 23) is pushed. When the upper shaft 23 is pushed, the upper hook 52 tries to rotate counterclockwise. The upper link member 64 is pushed in the axial direction. The axial direction is a direction connecting one end and the other end of the upper link member 64. The other end of the upper link member 64 pushes the mounting table 71 through the restriction groove 72. At this time, the direction of the upper lock groove 72a where the other end of the upper link member 64 is located and the axial direction of the upper link member 64 are substantially orthogonal. Due to the mounting table 71 being fixed, the upper link member 64 does not move in the axial direction. The direction in which the force from the upper link member 64 acts is substantially orthogonal to the direction of the upper lock groove 72a. A force in a direction parallel to the direction of the upper lock groove 72 a does not act on the other end of the upper link member 64. Thereby, the upper link material 64 does not move along the upper lock groove 72a, and the rotation of the upper hook 52 is prevented.

  As a result, the upper shaft 23 is firmly held by the upper hook 52. Therefore, even if an external force is applied to the open air guide panel 20, the upper shaft 23 does not come off from the upper hook 52.

  Even when the wind guide panel 20 is in the downward opening posture, even if an external force is applied to the wind guide panel 20, the lower hook 53 is prevented from rotating and the lower shaft 22 does not come off the lower hook 53.

  That is, even when an external force is applied when the air guide panel 20 is open, the locks can be prevented from being released by making the directions of the link members 64 and 65 and the restriction groove 72 orthogonal to each other. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the axis of the air guide panel 20 is detached from the cabinet 3 and the open air guide panel 20 is supported by the rod 32 and hangs.

  When the wind guide panel 20 is in the closed posture, the upper shaft 23 and the lower shaft 22 are locked and held by hooks 52 and 53, respectively. Therefore, the air guide panel 20 is not easily detached from the cabinet 3. Moreover, since the air guide panel 20 in the closed posture is a part of the front panel of the cabinet 3, an external object is not caught and the axis is not unexpectedly removed.

  Moreover, in this opening / closing mechanism, the upper and lower hooks 52 and 53 are mechanically connected to each other and are driven by one motor 70. Therefore, the operation timings of the hooks 52 and 53 are not shifted, and the shafts 22 and 23 can be reliably locked and released. Therefore, the situation where the lock | rock of each axis | shaft 22 and 23 is cancelled | released simultaneously cannot occur, and the reliability of opening / closing operation | movement can be improved.

  By the way, when the wind guide panel 20 is opened to the maximum, the moving amount of the rod 32 is constant regardless of the opening direction. However, since the position of the front end of the rod 32 with respect to the wind guide panel 20 is eccentric, the opening angle is different between the upper opening and the lower opening as shown in FIGS. The opening angle when opening upward is larger than the opening angle when opening downward. That is, the closer the distance from the center to the fulcrum when opening, the greater the opening angle. The center is the upper shaft 23 or the lower shaft 22, and the fulcrum is the position of the front end of the rod 32. Since the rod 32 is attached near the upper shaft 23, the opening angle of the upper opening is large and the opening angle of the lower opening is small.

  During cooling operation, it opens downward, but if the opening angle is large, the wind guide panel 20 is lowered below the horizontal line. With this, the cold air flows in the horizontal direction, and no air flow toward the ceiling occurs. The reach of cold air is shortened, and cold air hits people directly. Therefore, in the case of downward opening, it is desirable to reduce the opening angle. During heating operation, it opens upward, but if the opening angle is small, the outlet of the hot air becomes narrow. The warm air that has returned to the wind guide panel 20 has no escape, collides with the blown warm air, and the flow is disturbed. As a result, the wind speed blown out toward the floor surface is weakened, and the hot air does not reach the floor surface.

  In this way, efficient air blowing cannot be performed during the cooling / heating operation, and the ability cannot be maximized. However, as described above, by increasing the opening angle of the upper opening and decreasing the opening angle of the lower opening, the cooling air can be blown out toward the ceiling during the cooling operation, and the hot air outlet is opened during the heating operation. It becomes wider and a smooth hot air flow can be formed. Therefore, the maximum capacity of the air conditioner can be exhibited without regret.

  In the air conditioner, the cooling / heating operation is performed according to an instruction when the user operates the remote controller or when a timer setting time is reached. The control device 41 controls the refrigeration cycle 40 and controls the opening and closing of the wind guide panel 20. At this time, the control device 41 links the moving unit 50 and the regulating unit 51.

  When the air conditioning operation is performed, the control device 41 turns on and off the driving of the restriction motor 70 and the opening / closing motor 86 according to a predetermined timing. That is, the motors 70 and 86 are sequence-controlled.

  Further, the control device 41 determines whether or not to perform an initial operation prior to the start of operation. That is, the control device 41 determines the position of the wind guide panel 20 when the operation is stopped, and operates the moving unit 50 and the regulating unit 51 so as to be in the initial state as the initial operation when not in the initial state. At the start of operation, when in the initial state, the operation is started without performing the initial operation. The initial state is when the wind guide panel 20 is in the closed position, and the opening angle of the wind guide panel 20 and the states of the members of the moving unit 50 and the regulating unit 51 are related.

  Prior to the start of operation, the necessity for the initial operation for setting the air guide panel 20 to the initial state will be described. For some reason, it is assumed that the operation is stopped while the indoor unit is in the upwardly opened state as shown in FIG. In this state, when an instruction to start the operation with the downward opening is received, the initial operation is not performed, and if the operation immediately proceeds to the downward opening operation, the hook 52 remains in a state where the lower shaft 22 cannot be locked by the hook 53. As a result, the shaft 23 is unlocked, and the wind guide panel 20 is separated from the cabinet 3 and supported by the rod 32 to be hung. In order to avoid such a situation, an initial operation is performed. At the same time, the initial operation is necessary to open the wind guide panel 20 at a desired opening when the operation is shifted to the opening operation.

  As shown in FIG. 11, a position detection sensor 90 for detecting the open position of the wind guide panel 20 is provided in the moving unit 50. The position detection sensor 90 is provided on the left and right moving units 50. The position detection sensor 90 is a limit switch. The position detection sensor 90 is attached to the base plate 82 of the moving unit 90 in the cabinet 3. The position detection sensor 90 is disposed so as to be close to the moving plate 81 in the initial state. When in the initial state, the rod 32 attached to the moving plate 81 contacts the position detection sensor 90. Therefore, the position detection sensor 90 detects that the wind guide panel 20 is in the initial state, that is, in the closed posture.

  The control device 41 determines whether or not it is in the initial state based on the detection signal of the position detection sensor 90. Normally, when the operation is stopped, the wind guide panel 20 is in a closed posture, and the moving unit 50 and the regulating unit 51 are in an initial state. At this time, when it is detected that the control device 41 is in the initial state, the control device 41 does not execute the initial operation.

  However, for some reason, when not in the initial state, the control device 41 determines that it is not in the initial state based on the detection signal from the position detection sensor 90. Therefore, the control device 41 performs an initial operation and forcibly sets the initial state.

  Conventionally, the time until the wind guide panel 20 is in the most open state (fully open state) to the closed state (initial state) is stored as an initialization time, and during the initialization time at the start of cooling or heating operation The initial operation of closing the wind guide panel 20 is always performed, and the wind guide panel 20 is securely closed, and then normal operations such as cooling and heating are performed. However, in such a conventional initial operation, the initial operation is always performed during the initialization time even if it is in the initial state at the start of the cooling operation or the heating operation, so that the normal operation of the cooling operation or the heating operation is performed. It took time to move on.

  By providing the position detection sensor 90 as in the present embodiment, it is possible to detect whether or not the wind guide panel 20 is in the initial state at the start of operation. Thereby, when the wind guide panel 20 is in the initial state at the start of operation, the cooling operation and the heating operation can be performed without performing the initial operation.

  Further, when the wind guide panel 20 is not in the initial state at the start of operation, the initial operation is performed, and when the position detection sensor 90 detects that it is in the initial state, the initial operation is terminated and the cooling operation or the heating operation is started. be able to. In addition, the initial operation is performed even when the wind guide panel 20 is not fully opened but is slightly opened or opened to the middle, but when the position detection sensor 90 detects that it is in the initial state. Since the initial operation is terminated, it is possible to shift to the cooling operation or the heating operation without performing the initial operation until the initialization time is reached. For example, even if the initialization time is 30 seconds, when it is detected that the position detection sensor 90 is in the initial state 15 seconds after the initial operation is started, the initial operation is stopped and the normal operation is started. In this case, the time for performing the initial operation is shortened by 15 seconds compared with the conventional case.

  As described above, by using the detection result from the position detection sensor 90, the time required for the initial operation can be reduced, and the normal operation can be promptly started.

  Until the position detection sensor 90 detects that the wind guide panel 20 is in the initial state, the opening operation for performing the normal operation of the wind guide panel 90 is not performed, and only the initial operation is performed.

  If the position detection sensor 90 does not detect that the wind guide panel 20 is in the initial state even after the initial operation has been performed for a predetermined time, an auxiliary louver (not shown) interferes with the wind guide panel 20. It may not be closed. In such a case, first, an opening operation is performed for a time required to make the fully open state from the initial state, and the air guide panel 20 is once fully opened. At this time, one of the currently held shafts 22 and 23 is held, and the held shafts 22 and 23 are not switched. If the holding shaft is switched, the locks of the upper shaft 23 and the lower shaft 22 of the wind guide panel 20 are separated from each other, and the wind guide panel 20 may be supported by the rod 32 and hang down. Because there is. After the wind guide panel 20 is fully opened, the auxiliary louver is closed. Thereafter, the wind guide panel 20 is closed during the initialization time to return to the initial state. If the position detection sensor 90 cannot detect that the wind guide panel 20 is in the initial state even after performing this operation, the control device 41 displays an error as a malfunction. In the above description, the wind guide panel 20 is fully opened. However, the wind guide panel 20 is not necessarily required to be fully opened. The wind guide panel 20 may be opened at least until the auxiliary louver is rotatable.

  In addition, when the outlet of the air conditioner is first connected to a commercial power supply, or when the energization of the air conditioner is temporarily interrupted due to a power failure or the like, it is necessary to close an auxiliary louver (not shown). First, the wind guide panel 20 is opened at least until the auxiliary louver can be rotated (of course, it may be opened to the fully open state), the auxiliary louver is closed, and then the wind guide panel 20 is set to the initial state.

  In the initial state, in the moving unit 50, as shown in FIG. 11, the moving plate 81 is at the rear position. In the restricting portion 51, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10 (a), the other end shafts 64b and 65b of the upper and lower link members 64 and 65 are positioned in the neutral groove 72b. At this time, the wind guide panel 20 is in a closed posture, and the upper shaft 23 and the lower shaft 22 are simultaneously locked. Thereafter, according to the cooling / heating operation, the control device 41 unlocks either the upper shaft 23 or the lower shaft 22 and opens the air guide panel 20.

  When the heating operation is started, the control device 41 first drives the regulation motor 70 of the regulation unit 51. By this driving, the interlocking plate 66 rotates clockwise. The upper link member 64 rotates around one end. The lower link member 65 is pulled up by the other end shaft 54b of the lower link member 65 moving along the neutral groove 72b. The lower hook 53 rotates clockwise, and the lower shaft 22 is unlocked.

  The control device 41 drives the opening / closing motor 86 of the moving unit 50 with a slight delay from the activation timing of the regulation motor 70. The start timing of the opening / closing motor 86 is after the lower hook 53 is separated from the lower shaft 22. That is, the control device 41 stops the restriction motor 70 when the predetermined first timing is reached. As shown in FIG. 10B, the first timing is a timing determined according to the time until the other end shaft 64b of the upper hook member 64 reaches the end of the upper lock groove 72a. After stopping the regulation motor 70, the control device 41 drives the opening / closing motor 86.

  By driving the opening / closing motor 86, the moving plate 81 rotates counterclockwise. The rod 32 is pushed forward, and the wind guide panel 20 moves in a direction away from the cabinet 3. The wind guide panel 20 opens around the upper shaft 23. When the set opening angle is reached, the control device 41 stops the opening / closing motor 86. The opening angle is calculated from the number of steps of the opening / closing motor 86.

  The control device 41 drives the open / close motor 86 for a predetermined time, and stops the open / close motor 86 at the second timing. At this time, the maximum opening angle as shown in FIG. 12 is reached. The wind guide panel 20 is in a downward opening posture, and warm air is blown out toward the floor surface.

  Also in the cooling operation, the control device 41 controls the restriction motor 70 and the opening / closing motor 86 at the same timing. However, the regulation motor 70 is rotated in the opposite direction to that during the heating operation. The opening / closing motor 86 is rotated in the same direction.

  The opening / closing motor 86 stops at the second timing when it is driven for a certain time. At this time, the maximum opening angle as shown in FIG. 13 is reached. The wind guide panel 20 is in the upward opening posture, and the cold wind is blown out toward the ceiling.

  In the cooling operation, rapid cooling is performed at the start of operation. At this time, the wind guide panel 20 is first opened upward to assume an upward opening posture. Thereafter, the wind guide panel 20 is closed to a closed posture, and the upper and lower shafts 22 and 23 are once locked. And the wind guide panel 20 opens downward and becomes a downward opening attitude | position. Thereby, when changing the opening direction of the open wind guide panel 20, at least one of the shafts 22, 23 is always locked and held. Therefore, the state where both the shafts 22 and 23 are opened simultaneously does not occur. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the wind guide panel 20 from being detached while the wind guide panel 20 is opened and closed.

  When the air conditioning operation is finished, the control device 41 first drives the opening / closing motor 86. The rod 32 is pulled back and the wind guide panel 20 approaches the cabinet 3. The control device 41 stops the opening / closing motor 86 when the predetermined third timing is reached. At this time, as shown in FIG. 11, the air guide panel 20 is in a closed posture, and the moving plate 81 is in the rear position. That is, the third timing is a timing determined according to the time when the movable plate 81 returns to the initial state. The position detection sensor 90 detects that the movable plate 81 has returned to the initial state. The third timing may be in accordance with this detection timing.

  Thereafter, the control device 41 drives the restriction motor 70. For example, when heating operation is performed, the state changes from the state shown in FIG. 10B to the state shown in FIG. The lower hook 53 rotates and the lower shaft 22 is locked. The control device 41 stops the regulating motor 70 when the predetermined fourth timing is reached. The fourth timing is determined according to the time until the other end shaft 65b of the lower link member 65 reaches the connection position between the neutral groove 72b and the lower lock groove 72c from the connection position between the upper lock groove 72a and the neutral groove 72b. It is the timing.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, Of course, many corrections and changes can be added to the said embodiment within the scope of the present invention. An upper hook and a lower hook are provided on the wind guide panel, and an upper shaft and a lower shaft are provided on the cabinet. The upper and lower shafts are movable, and the upper and lower hooks are bearings having shaft insertion holes. When the shaft is fitted into the insertion hole of the hook, the wind guide panel is rotatably held. When the wind guide panel is in the closed posture, the upper and lower shafts are fitted into the upper and lower hooks, respectively. When the wind guide panel is opened upward, the upper shaft remains as it is, and the lower shaft moves and leaves the lower hook. When opening downward, the reverse state occurs.

  Further, instead of the hook, a chuck that holds the upper shaft or the lower shaft may be used. Each axis is locked and held by the chuck gripping each axis. The lock is released when the chuck releases each axis. By making the part which grips the shaft of the chuck circular, each shaft can be held rotatably.

  The position detection sensor may be provided for the rod. Further, the position detection sensor may directly detect the position of the wind guide panel, and is not limited to a contact sensor such as a limit switch, but may be a non-contact sensor such as an optical sensor or a camera.

  The position detection sensors may be provided in a pair of left and right with respect to the left and right moving units. As a result, even if the initial state of the wind guide panel is detected on one side, but the initial state is not detected on the other side, the moving unit is operated only on the other side, so that the wind guide panel is turned into a normal state. Can be restored.

The perspective view of the indoor unit of the air conditioner of this invention Schematic sectional view of the indoor unit when the air guide panel is closed Perspective view of the indoor unit when the wind guide panel is opened upward Schematic sectional view of the indoor unit when the wind guide panel is opened upward Perspective view of the indoor unit when the wind guide panel is opened downward Schematic sectional view of the indoor unit when the wind guide panel opens downward Air conditioner control block diagram Schematic sectional view of the indoor unit showing the opening and closing mechanism of the wind guide panel It is a figure for demonstrating a motion of the switching part in a control part, (a) is an initial state, (b) is at the time of upper opening, (c) is at the time of downward opening It is a figure for demonstrating a motion of a control part, (a) is an initial state, (b) is at the time of upward opening, (c) is at the time of downward opening Schematic sectional view of the indoor unit showing the moving part when the wind guide panel is closed Schematic sectional view of the indoor unit showing the moving part when the wind guide panel is opened upward Schematic sectional view of the indoor unit showing the moving part when the wind guide panel is opened downward Exploded perspective view of the restriction part Exploded perspective view of moving part

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 Cabinet 5 Outlet 20 Wind guide panel 22 Lower shaft 23 Upper shaft 31 Support material 32 Rod 41 Control apparatus 50 Moving part 51 Control part 52 Upper hook 53 Lower hook 54 Switching part 55 Interlocking part 56 Drive part 57 Moving mechanism part 58 Drive Portion 64 Upper link material 65 Lower link material 66 Interlocking plate 70 Restriction motor 72 Restriction groove 81 Moving plate 86 Opening / closing motor 90 Position detection sensor

Claims (6)

A blower outlet is formed on the front surface of the cabinet, and a panel is provided to cover the front surface, the panel can be opened both up and down around the upper and lower axes, and a control device that controls the opening and closing of the panel according to the operating state, A position detection sensor for detecting a position where the panel is open, and when the panel is opened, the control device performs an initial operation for initializing the panel based on a detection signal of the position detection sensor. A featured air conditioner. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein when the position detection sensor detects that the panel is in an initial state, the control device opens the panel without performing an initial operation. The position detection sensor detects whether or not the panel is in an initial state, and the control device executes an initial operation when it is detected that the panel is not in an initial state. Air conditioner. The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein when the initial operation is performed, the control device opens the panel after the position detection sensor detects that the panel is in an initial state. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the panel is in an initial state when the panel is closed. The air conditioner according to claim 5, wherein the position detection sensor is disposed in the cabinet and detects that the panel is closed.

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