JP2011099609A - Indoor unit of air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve person's comfort by suppressing the direct blowing of air supplied from a supply opening to a person in starting a heating operation. <P>SOLUTION: This ceiling type indoor unit of an air conditioner capable of performing at least the heating operation includes a plurality of the supply openings 56a-56h, a plurality of horizontal flaps 57a-57h, a person detecting sensor 62, and a control section. From the plurality of supply openings 56a-56h, conditioned air is supplied to various air-conditioned areas A-D. The plurality of horizontal flaps 57a-57h are disposed on the plurality of supply openings 56a-56h, respectively, in a state that supply directions of the conditioned air are independently adjustable. The control section controls the plurality of horizontal flaps 57a-57h on the basis of a result of detection by the person detecting sensor 62. Furthermore, the control section controls the horizontal flap of the supply opening corresponding to an air-conditioned area where the person is detected, when the person detecting sensor 62 detects the presence of the person, thus suppressing direct air supply to the person. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

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

  Conventionally, a ceiling-mounted air conditioner in which air outlets are provided in a plurality of directions (4 directions, 8 directions, etc.), and members that can change the air direction of the conditioned air blown out from the air outlets are provided in the respective air outlets. There are indoor units. In such an indoor unit of an air conditioner, for example, as described in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-32887), in order to reduce the temperature difference in the room in consideration of human comfort, Some sensors detect the floor temperature.

  In the indoor unit of an air conditioner described in Patent Literature 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-32887), for example, when a heating operation is started, if there is an area where the floor temperature is low, conditioned air is supplied to the area. It is thought to blow out. However, if there is a person in the area, there is a concern that the relatively cold air at the start of the heating operation may directly hit the person and cause discomfort to the person. Therefore, it is considered desirable to perform air conditioning in consideration of the presence or absence of people in the room.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an indoor unit of an air conditioner that can suppress the direct application of air blown from a blower outlet to a person at the start of heating operation and improve the comfort of the person. There is to do.

  An air conditioner ceiling-mounted indoor unit according to a first aspect of the present invention is an air conditioner ceiling-mounted indoor unit capable of at least heating operation, and includes a plurality of outlets and a plurality of outlet direction adjusting members. And a human detection means and a control means. The plurality of air outlets blow out conditioned air toward different air-conditioning target areas. The plurality of blowing direction adjusting members are arranged at each of the plurality of blowing outlets, and can independently adjust the blowing direction of the conditioned air. The person detection means detects the presence or absence of a person in each air conditioning target area. The control means controls each of the plurality of blowing direction adjusting members based on the detection result of the human detection means. In addition, when the person detecting means detects the presence of a person in any of the air conditioning target areas at the start of the heating operation, the control means adjusts the outlet direction of the air outlet corresponding to the air conditioning target area in which the presence of the person is detected. Control members and suppress direct air flow to people.

  Here, for example, the ceiling installation type includes a ceiling embedded type and a ceiling hanging type. In addition, here, it is desirable to control the amount of conditioned air blown from the air outlet so as to become the maximum air amount or an air amount close thereto.

  In the ceiling-mounted indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the first aspect of the present invention, by controlling each of the plurality of blowing direction adjusting members based on the detection result of the human detection means, that is, at the start of the heating operation, The control means controls the blow direction adjusting member of the air outlet corresponding to the air-conditioning target area where the detection means detects the presence of the person, so that the air blown directly from the air outlet to the person (specifically, in the indoor unit) It is possible to suppress application of relatively cold air that is not completely temperature-controlled. Therefore, human comfort can be improved.

  An air conditioner ceiling-mounted indoor unit according to a second aspect of the present invention is an air conditioner ceiling-mounted indoor unit capable of at least heating operation, and includes a plurality of outlets and a plurality of outlet direction adjusting members. And a human detection means and a control means. The plurality of air outlets blow out conditioned air toward different air-conditioning target areas. The plurality of blowing direction adjusting members are arranged at each of the plurality of blowing outlets, and can independently adjust the blowing direction of the conditioned air. The person detection means detects the presence or absence of a person in each air conditioning target area. The control means controls each of the plurality of blowing direction adjusting members based on the detection result of the human detection means. In addition, when the heating unit is in the heating operation and the human detection unit detects the presence of a person in any of the air-conditioning target areas, the control unit includes a blow-out direction adjusting member for the air outlet corresponding to the air-conditioning target area in which the presence of the person is detected Control and suppress direct ventilation to people.

  Here, for example, the ceiling installation type includes a ceiling embedded type and a ceiling hanging type. In addition, for example, at the start of the heating operation, it is desirable to control the amount of conditioned air blown out from the air outlet so as to become the maximum air amount or an air amount close thereto.

  In the ceiling-mounted indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the second aspect of the present invention, during the heating operation, the person detecting means controls the outlet direction adjusting member of the outlet corresponding to the air-conditioning target area for detecting the presence of a person. It can suppress that the air which blows off from a blower outlet hits a person directly. In particular, at the start of heating operation, if the control means controls the outlet direction adjusting member of the outlet corresponding to the air-conditioning target area where the human detection means detects the presence of a person, the temperature is completely adjusted in the indoor unit. It is possible to suppress the application of relatively cold air to a person. As described above, human discomfort due to the draft can be suppressed, and human comfort can be improved.

  An air conditioner ceiling-mounted indoor unit according to a third aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner ceiling-mounted indoor unit according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, and is capable of further cooling operation, A fan is further provided. The blower fan can change the amount of conditioned air. The control means performs any one of the first control, the second control, and the third control. In the first control, when the human detection means detects the absence of a person in any one of the air-conditioning target areas, the amount of the conditioned air blown out to the air-conditioning target area where the presence of a person is detected is reduced. Control the blower fan. In the second control, when the human detection means detects the absence of a person in all the air-conditioning target areas, the driving ability is reduced or the driving is stopped. The third control calculates the activity state amount of the person in all air-conditioning target areas based on the detection result of the person detection means, and when the activity state amount is small, the amount of the conditioned air blown out from the plurality of outlets is The blower fan is controlled to decrease.

  Here, controlling the blower fan means, for example, controlling so as to reduce the rotational speed of the blower fan. In addition, the calculation of the human activity state quantity includes, for example, prediction of the human activity state quantity.

  In the ceiling-mounted indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the third aspect of the invention, it is possible to contribute to energy saving and cost saving by performing any one of the first control, the second control, and the third control. .

  An air conditioner ceiling-mounted indoor unit according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner indoor unit according to the third aspect of the present invention, wherein the control means performs the fourth control and / or the fifth control. In the fourth control, in the cooling operation, when the human detection unit detects the presence of a person in any one of the air-conditioning target areas, the conditioned air blown to the air-conditioning target area where the presence of the person is detected hits the person. The blowing direction adjusting member is controlled and the set temperature is raised. In the fifth control, when the human detection means detects the presence of a person in any of the air-conditioning target areas until the temperature of the air-conditioning target area becomes substantially stable after the start of the cooling operation, the presence of the person is detected. The outlet direction adjusting member of the outlet corresponding to the air conditioning target area is controlled so that the outlet direction continuously changes and the set temperature is raised.

  In the ceiling-mounted indoor unit for an air conditioner according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to contribute to energy saving and cost saving by performing the fourth control and / or the fifth control.

  An air conditioner ceiling-mounted indoor unit according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner ceiling-mounted indoor unit according to the third aspect of the present invention, wherein the control means is any one of the human detection means during cooling operation. When the presence of a person is detected in the air-conditioning target area, the blow direction adjustment member of the air outlet corresponding to the air-conditioning target area where the presence of the person is detected is controlled to suppress direct air blowing to the person.

  In the ceiling-mounted indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, during the cooling operation, the person detecting means controls the outlet direction adjusting member of the outlet corresponding to the air-conditioning target area for detecting the presence of a person. It becomes possible to suppress the air blown from the blowout outlet from being directly blown to a person. Thereby, the discomfort of the person by a draft can be suppressed and a person's comfort can be improved.

  In the ceiling-mounted indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the first aspect of the invention, the air blown directly from the outlet (specifically, relatively cool air that is not completely temperature-controlled in the indoor unit) is applied to a person. Can be suppressed. Therefore, human comfort can be improved.

  In the ceiling-mounted indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the second aspect of the present invention, during the heating operation, the person detecting means controls the outlet direction adjusting member of the outlet corresponding to the air-conditioning target area for detecting the presence of a person. It can suppress that the air which blows off from a blower outlet hits a person directly. In particular, at the start of heating operation, if the control means controls the outlet direction adjusting member of the outlet corresponding to the air-conditioning target area where the human detection means detects the presence of a person, the temperature is completely adjusted in the indoor unit. It is possible to suppress the application of relatively cold air to a person. As described above, human comfort can be improved.

  The ceiling-mounted indoor unit for an air conditioner according to the third and fourth aspects of the invention can contribute to energy saving and cost saving.

  In the ceiling-mounted indoor unit for an air conditioner according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to suppress human discomfort due to the draft and improve human comfort.

The system diagram of the refrigerant circuit of an air conditioner. Schematic external view of indoor unit (the air outlet and horizontal flap are omitted). It is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of an indoor unit, Comprising: The figure corresponded in the III-III cross section of FIG. 4 (a horizontal flap is abbreviate | omitted). The schematic diagram when an indoor unit is seen from the bottom. The schematic diagram which shows the structure of the periphery of a flap motor. The schematic diagram which shows the detection range of the airflow of the blowing air (air-conditioning air) which blows off from each blower outlet, and a human detection sensor. The schematic diagram which shows the detection range of the human detection sensor in the side view of an indoor unit. The schematic diagram which shows the structure of a human detection sensor. The control block diagram of a control part. The expanded sectional view of the periphery of a horizontal flap for showing the fully closed state and downward blowing state of a horizontal flap. The expanded sectional view of the periphery of a horizontal flap for showing the horizontal blowing state of a horizontal flap. The schematic diagram when the indoor unit which concerns on 2nd Embodiment is seen from the bottom surface (four outlets). The schematic diagram (the eight outlets) when the indoor unit which concerns on 2nd Embodiment is seen from the bottom.

  Hereinafter, an air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are specific examples of the present invention and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

<First Embodiment>
<Configuration of air conditioner 1>
The air conditioner 1 is an apparatus used for air conditioning in a living room in a building by performing a vapor compression refrigeration cycle operation. As shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner 1 is mainly composed of one outdoor unit 2 installed outside a building, an indoor unit 4 installed inside a building room, an outdoor unit 2 and an indoor unit 4. Are provided with a liquid side refrigerant communication pipe 6 and a gas side refrigerant communication pipe 7. That is, the refrigerant circuit 10 of the air conditioner 1 is configured by connecting the outdoor unit 2, the indoor unit 4, the liquid side refrigerant communication pipe 6 and the gas side refrigerant communication pipe 7. Hereinafter, the configuration of the refrigerant circuit 10 of the air conditioner 1 will be described.

<Schematic configuration of the refrigerant circuit 10 of the air conditioner 1>
FIG. 1 is a system diagram of a refrigerant circuit 10 of the air conditioner 1.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerant circuit 10 of the air conditioner 1 has an indoor refrigerant circuit 10 a included in the indoor unit 4 and an outdoor refrigerant circuit 10 b included in the outdoor unit 2.

  The indoor refrigerant circuit 10a mainly includes an indoor heat exchanger 41. The indoor heat exchanger 41 is a cross fin type fin-and-tube heat exchanger composed of heat transfer tubes and a large number of fins.

  The outdoor refrigerant circuit 10b mainly includes a compressor 21, a four-way switching valve 22, an outdoor heat exchanger 23, an outdoor expansion valve 24, a liquid side closing valve 25, and a gas side closing valve 26. ing.

  The compressor 21 is a compressor whose operating capacity can be varied, and is a positive displacement compressor driven by a compressor motor 21m.

  The four-way switching valve 22 is a valve for switching the flow direction of the refrigerant, and is in a first state (see the solid line of the four-way switching valve 22 in FIG. 1) and a second state (the four-way switching valve 22 in FIG. 1). (See the broken line). In the first state, the discharge side of the compressor 21 and the gas side of the outdoor heat exchanger 23 are connected, and the suction side of the compressor 21 and the gas side of the indoor heat exchanger 41 are connected. That is, when the four-way switching valve 22 takes the first state, the refrigerant circuit 10 is in the cooling operation state. In the second state, the discharge side of the compressor 21 and the gas side of the indoor heat exchanger 41 (specifically, the gas side refrigerant communication pipe 7) are connected, and the suction side of the compressor 21 and the outdoor heat exchanger are connected. 23 gas sides are connected. That is, when the four-way selector valve 22 takes the second state, the refrigerant circuit 10 is in the heating operation state.

  The outdoor heat exchanger 23 is a cross fin type fin-and-tube heat exchanger composed of heat transfer tubes and a large number of fins. The outdoor heat exchanger 23 has a gas side connected to the four-way switching valve 22 and a liquid side connected to the liquid side refrigerant communication pipe 6. The outdoor heat exchanger 23 functions as a refrigerant condenser during the cooling operation, and functions as a refrigerant evaporator during the heating operation.

  The outdoor expansion valve 24 is an electric expansion valve connected to the liquid side of the outdoor heat exchanger 23 in order to adjust the pressure and flow rate of the refrigerant flowing in the outdoor refrigerant circuit 10b.

  The liquid side shutoff valve 25 and the gas side shutoff valve 26 are valves provided at connection ports with external devices and pipes (specifically, the liquid side refrigerant communication pipe 6 and the gas side refrigerant communication pipe 7). The liquid side closing valve 25 is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 23. The gas side closing valve 26 is connected to the four-way switching valve 22.

  The outdoor unit 2 has an outdoor fan 28. The outdoor fan 28 functions as a blower fan for sucking outdoor air into the outdoor unit 2, exchanging heat with the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 23, and then discharging the outdoor air. The outdoor fan 28 is a fan that is driven by the outdoor fan motor 28m and can vary the amount of outside air supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger 23.

  Hereinafter, a specific structure of the indoor unit 4 will be described.

<Structure of indoor unit 4>
FIG. 2 is a schematic external view of the indoor unit 4 (the outlets 56a to 56h and the horizontal flaps 57a to 57h are omitted). FIG. 3 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the indoor unit 4 and corresponds to a section taken along the line III-III of FIG. 4 (horizontal flaps 57c and 57h are omitted). FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram when the indoor unit 4 is viewed from below. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the structure around the flap motor 57m. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the airflow of the blown air (air-conditioned air) blown out from each of the blowout ports 56 a to 56 h and the detection range of the human detection sensor 62.

  The indoor unit 4 is a ceiling-mounted air conditioner installed on the ceiling R (see FIG. 3) in the living room. Specifically, the indoor unit 4 is a ceiling-embedded air conditioner that is installed by being embedded in an opening 71 (see FIG. 3) opened in the ceiling R. The indoor unit 4 is not limited to a ceiling-embedded air conditioner, and may be a ceiling-suspended air conditioner that is suspended from the ceiling R.

  The indoor unit 4 mainly includes a casing 50 that houses various components as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The casing 50 includes a casing body 50a having a box shape with a substantially square shape in plan view and an open lower surface, and a decorative panel 50b that covers the lower surface of the casing body 50a.

  The casing body 50a constitutes the upper surface and side surfaces of the casing 50, and has a substantially square top plate 51 and a side plate 52 extending downward from the outer peripheral edge of the top plate 51 in plan view.

  The decorative panel 50b is a plate-like member having a substantially square shape in plan view. The decorative panel 50b is larger than the top plate 51 of the casing body 50a in plan view. The decorative panel 50b is attached to the lower end portion of the side plate 52 of the casing body 50a, and is attached along the ceiling R so that the outer peripheral edge portion of the upper surface abuts against the lower surface of the ceiling R. That is, the lower surface of the decorative panel 50b is exposed in the room when the decorative panel 50b is attached to the casing body 50a.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the decorative panel 50 b is formed with a substantially square inlet 53 at a substantially central portion thereof. The suction port 53 is an opening for sucking room air into the casing 50. As shown in FIG. 2, the decorative panel 50 b has a lattice-shaped suction panel 54 for covering the suction port 53 at a substantially central portion thereof. That is, the room air flows into the suction port 53 via the suction panel 54. As shown in FIG. 3, a filter 55 for removing floating substances such as dust contained in room air is disposed above the suction panel 54.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, the decorative panel 50 b has a plurality of (eight in this case) outlets 56 a to 56 h formed on the outer peripheral edge thereof. The plurality of air outlets 56 a to 56 h are formed so as to surround the suction port 53 and the suction panel 54. The plurality of outlets 56a to 56h are openings for blowing out the conditioned air whose temperature is adjusted by various components in the casing 50 into the living room (specifically, the air-conditioning target areas A to D). Here, the two air outlets 56a and 56b, the two air outlets 56c and 56d, the two air outlets 56e and 56f, and the two air outlets 56g and 56h are respectively provided in the plan view. It is formed along the side (4 sides in total).

  Here, the air-conditioning target areas A to D refer to areas where air-conditioned air blown out from each of the plurality of outlets 56a to 56h is to be air-conditioned, as shown in FIGS. Here, air-conditioning target area A corresponds to two air outlets 56a and 56b, air-conditioning target area B corresponds to two air outlets 56c and 56d, and air-conditioning target area C includes two air outlets 56a and 56b. It corresponds to the outlets 56e and 56f, and the air-conditioning target area D corresponds to the two outlets 56g and 56h.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the decorative panel 50 b can be horizontally covered with substantially all of the outlets 56 a to 56 h via a connecting pin 59 (see FIG. 10 and FIG. 11) described later. Flap 57a-57h is provided corresponding to each blower outlet 56a-56h. Here, since eight outlets are formed, eight horizontal flaps are provided so as to correspond to the eight outlets 56a to 56h, respectively. The horizontal flaps 57a to 57h will be described in detail later.

  An indoor temperature sensor 61 (see FIGS. 1 and 9) that detects the temperature of indoor air flowing into the casing 50 (that is, the indoor temperature) is provided in the vicinity of the suction port 53.

  In addition, the decorative panel 50b is provided with a human detection sensor 62 as human detection means for detecting the presence or absence of a person in the air-conditioning target areas A to D corresponding to the plurality of outlets 56a to 56h. A specific configuration of the human detection sensor 62 will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 3, an indoor heat exchanger 41, an indoor fan 42 (corresponding to a blower fan), and a drain pan 43 are accommodated in the casing 50.

  The indoor heat exchanger 41 is disposed inside the inner peripheral edge of the casing main body 50a along the inner peripheral edge, and is disposed so as to have a substantially rectangular shape in which a gap is formed at one place in plan view. ing. The indoor heat exchanger 41 is arranged so as to surround the indoor fan 42. The liquid side refrigerant communication pipe 6 and the gas side refrigerant communication pipe 7 are connected to one of both ends of the indoor heat exchanger 41 across the gap.

  The indoor fan 42 functions as a blower fan for sucking the air in the room into the indoor unit 4 and exchanging heat with the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 41 and then supplying the air into the room as supply air. The indoor fan 42 is a fan that is arranged at a substantially central portion of the casing main body 50a and can vary the amount of air supplied to the indoor heat exchanger 41. The indoor fan 42 is a so-called turbo fan, and includes an indoor fan motor 42m and an impeller 42a that is connected to a rotation shaft of the indoor fan motor 42m and is driven to rotate. Further, below the indoor fan 42, a bell mouth 42b for guiding the indoor air flowing into the casing 50 from the suction port 53 to the lower part of the indoor fan 42 is provided. The indoor fan 42 can be rotationally driven by the indoor fan motor 42 m and send out the indoor air sucked from the suction port 53 to the outside in the radial direction of the indoor fan 42.

  The drain pan 43 is disposed below the indoor heat exchanger 41. The drain pan 43 has a role of receiving dew condensation water generated by condensation of moisture in the air in the indoor heat exchanger 41.

<Configuration of horizontal flaps 57a to 57h>
As shown in FIG. 4, the horizontal flaps 57a to 57h are provided so as to correspond to the air outlets 56a to 56h, respectively. The horizontal flaps 57a to 57h are plate-like members elongated in the longitudinal direction of the air outlets 56a to 56h formed in the decorative panel 50b, respectively, and can be rotated around the longitudinal axis of the air outlets 56a to 56h. . Specifically, the horizontal flaps 57a to 57h are rotatable between a fully closed state described later and a downward blowing state described later. The horizontal flaps 57a to 57h are rotatable around the longitudinal axis of the air outlets 56a to 56h, thereby making it possible to adjust the direction in which the conditioned air is blown from the air outlets 56a to 56h. And the function of opening and closing the air outlets 56a to 56h.

  A connecting pin 59 (see FIGS. 10 and 11) is connected to the outer portions of the horizontal flaps 57a to 57h in the longitudinal direction. The connecting pin 59 is rotatably supported by the decorative panel 50b. Therefore, the horizontal flaps 57a to 57h can be rotated by the connecting pin 59.

  In addition, flap motors 57m (four in total) are arranged at substantially the center of the two outlets formed along the four sides of the decorative panel 50b. And the horizontal flaps 57a-57h are connected with the drive shaft 157 (refer FIG. 5) of the flap motor 57m so that it may correspond to the blower outlets 56a-56h, respectively. That is, corresponding horizontal flaps 57a to 57h are arranged on both sides of each flap motor 57m. Therefore, the horizontal flaps 57a to 57h can be driven independently via the connecting pin 59 and the drive shaft 157 of the flap motor 57m. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the two horizontal flaps located on both sides of each flap motor 57m are connected by a first shaft 160 to which a gear 158 and an electromagnetic clutch 159 are attached. The gear 158 is connected to the drive shaft 157 of the flap motor 57m. Thus, the two horizontal flaps connected to the first shaft 160 receive the driving force from the flap motor 57m via the gear 158 and the drive shaft 157 of the flap motor 57m. The electromagnetic clutch 159 has a function of transmitting or interrupting the driving force from the flap motor 57 m via the gear 158 to the first shaft 160. With such a configuration, the two horizontal flaps positioned on both sides of each flap motor 57m cannot be driven simultaneously, and only one of them is driven. That is, at the same time, the driving force from each flap motor 57m is transmitted to only one of the two horizontal flaps located on both sides of each flap motor 57m.

  In addition, although the structure using the electromagnetic clutch 159 is taken here, it is not restricted to this, The structure which does not use the electromagnetic clutch 159 may be sufficient. In this case, the two horizontal flaps positioned on both sides of each flap motor 57m can be driven simultaneously.

<Configuration of human detection sensor 62>
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a detection range of the human detection sensor 62 in a side view of the indoor unit 4. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the human detection sensor 62.

  The human detection sensor 62 (corresponding to human detection means) is an infrared sensor, and is provided at a position where it can be arranged at the lower part of the decorative panel 50b. The human detection sensor 62 detects the presence / absence of a person in the room based on a change in infrared radiation energy radiated from the object. Then, the human detection sensor 62 transmits the detection result to the control unit 9.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the human detection sensor 62 has a substantially circular shape when viewed from the bottom, and as shown in FIG. 8, an opening 62 a for allowing the infrared light receiving element to receive infrared rays is formed. Yes. The opening 62a can be rotated 360 °, and the opening 62a is located at a position where the presence or absence of a person in each of the air-conditioning target areas A to D can be detected. The presence / absence of a person in ~ D can be detected. That is, the human detection sensor 62 detects the presence or absence of a person in each of the air-conditioning target areas A to D by rotating the opening 62a.

  Note that the detection range of the human detection sensor 62 is, as shown by the hatched portion in FIG. 6, in the bottom view, when detecting the presence or absence of a person in any air conditioning target area A to D, each detection angle α , Β, γ, Δ are in a range of about 90 °. Further, the detection range of the human detection sensor 62 is a range in which the detection angle ε is about 135 ° in a side view as shown by the hatched portion in FIG.

  The opening 62a may be covered with a transmissive member or the like that allows the infrared light receiving element to receive infrared light.

<Configuration of control unit 9>
FIG. 9 is a control block diagram of the control unit 9.

  The control part 9 as a control means of the various apparatuses in the air conditioner 1 is comprised from a microcomputer. As shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 9 mainly includes an indoor control unit 9a and an outdoor control unit 9b. The indoor control unit 9a is connected to various sensors 61 and 62, and receives a detection signal from the various sensors 61 and 62 and a remote controller (not shown) for operating the indoor unit 4. Exchange of control signals and the like, and exchange of control signals and the like through the transmission line with the outdoor control unit 9b. Then, the indoor control unit 9a includes various devices of the indoor unit 4 (for example, an indoor fan motor 42m for driving the indoor fan 42 and a plurality of flap motors 57m for driving the horizontal flaps 57a to 57h (see FIG. 4). )) Control the operation. The outdoor control unit 9b is connected to various sensors (for example, an outdoor temperature sensor 63 (see also FIG. 1) for detecting the outdoor temperature) that are arranged in the outdoor unit 2, and the like. Reception of the detection signal, exchange of a control signal and the like through the transmission line with the indoor control unit 9a, and the like are performed. The outdoor control unit 9b controls operations of various devices of the outdoor unit 2 (for example, a compressor motor 21m for driving the compressor 21 and an outdoor fan motor 28m for driving the outdoor fan 28). The outdoor fan motor 28m and the indoor fan motor 42m are driven by the supply of electric power via an inverter device (not shown), and by varying the frequency (that is, the rotational speed). The air volumes of the outdoor fan 28 and the indoor fan 42 can be varied. Each of the flap motors 57m is driven by receiving electric power via an inverter device (not shown), and each flap motor 57m can be driven by varying the frequency (that is, the rotational speed). The horizontal flaps 57a to 57h corresponding to the motor 57m can be driven.

<Operation of the air conditioner 1>
Hereinafter, the operation of the air conditioner 1 will be described. The operation of the air conditioner 1 includes a cooling operation and a heating operation. The cooling operation and the heating operation are operations for controlling various devices of the outdoor unit 2 and the indoor unit 4 in accordance with the operation load of the indoor unit 4. Hereinafter, the operation | movement in each driving | operation of the air conditioner 1 is demonstrated using FIG. The following operation is performed by the control unit 9.

(1) Cooling operation During cooling operation, the four-way switching valve 22 takes the first state (see the solid line portion of the four-way switching valve 22 shown in FIG. 1). That is, the discharge side of the compressor 21 is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 23 and the suction side of the compressor 21 is connected to the indoor heat exchanger 41.

  In this state, when the compressor 21, the outdoor fan 28, and the indoor fan 42 are activated, the low-pressure refrigerant is sucked into the compressor 21 and compressed to become a high-pressure refrigerant. The high-pressure gas refrigerant is sent to the outdoor heat exchanger 23 via the four-way switching valve 22 and is condensed by exchanging heat with the outdoor air supplied by the outdoor fan 28. The condensed high-pressure refrigerant is decompressed by the outdoor expansion valve 24 to become a low-pressure refrigerant, and is sent to the indoor unit 4 via the liquid-side closing valve 25 and the liquid-side refrigerant communication pipe 6.

  The low-pressure refrigerant sent to the indoor unit 4 is sent to the indoor heat exchanger 41. In the indoor heat exchanger 41, air and heat that flow into the casing 50 from the living room through the air inlet 53 by the indoor fan 42. Evaporate with exchange. At this time, the air that has flowed into the casing 50 becomes conditioned air that has been cooled by being deprived of heat by the refrigerant. Then, the cooled conditioned air is blown out into the living room through the air outlets 56a to 56h. The evaporated low-pressure refrigerant is sent to the outdoor unit 2 via the gas-side refrigerant communication pipe 7, and again sucked into the compressor 21 via the gas-side closing valve 26 and the four-way switching valve 22. .

(2) Heating operation Next, the heating operation in the normal operation mode will be described.

  During the heating operation, the four-way switching valve 22 takes the second state (see the broken line portion of the four-way switching valve 22 shown in FIG. 1). That is, the discharge side of the compressor 21 is connected to the indoor heat exchanger 41 and the suction side of the compressor 21 is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 23.

  In this state, when the compressor 21, the outdoor fan 28, and the indoor fan 42 are activated, the low-pressure refrigerant is sucked into the compressor 21 and compressed to become high-pressure refrigerant, and the four-way switching valve 22, the gas side closing valve 26, and It is sent to the indoor unit 4 via the gas side refrigerant communication pipe 7.

  The high-pressure refrigerant sent to the indoor unit 4 is sent to the indoor heat exchanger 41. In the indoor heat exchanger 41, air and heat that flow into the casing 50 from the living room through the air inlet 53 by the indoor fan 42. It is condensed after exchange. At this time, the air that has flowed into the casing 50 becomes conditioned air that is heated by being heated by the refrigerant. The heated conditioned air is blown out into the living room via the blowout ports 56a to 56h. The condensed high-pressure refrigerant is sent to the outdoor unit 2 via the liquid side refrigerant communication pipe 6.

  The high-pressure refrigerant sent to the outdoor unit 2 is reduced in pressure by the outdoor expansion valve 24 via the liquid-side closing valve 25, becomes low-pressure refrigerant, and flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 23. The low-pressure refrigerant flowing into the outdoor heat exchanger 23 is evaporated by exchanging heat with the outdoor air supplied by the outdoor fan 28. The evaporated low-pressure refrigerant is again sucked into the compressor 21 via the four-way switching valve 22.

  Next, the operation of the horizontal flaps 57a to 57h will be described.

<Operation of horizontal flaps 57a to 57h>
FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the periphery of the horizontal flaps 57a to 57h for showing the fully closed state and the downward blowing state of the horizontal flaps 57a to 57h. FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the periphery of the horizontal flaps 57a to 57h for showing the horizontal blowing state of the horizontal flaps 57a to 57h.

  The horizontal flaps 57a to 57h are driven by the control unit 9 controlling the flap motors 57m (here, four) based on the detection result of the human detection sensor 62. The horizontal flaps 57a to 57h can take at least four states. The four states are a fully closed state, a downward blowing state, a horizontal blowing state, and an intermediate state.

  The horizontal flaps 57a to 57h are controlled by the control unit 9 so as to take a fully closed state when the indoor unit 4 is in a stopped state. The fully closed state of the horizontal flaps 57a to 57h means that the horizontal flaps 57a to 57h cover substantially the entire outlets 56a to 56h, respectively, as shown by the solid line portion in FIG. Specifically, a state is adopted in which the gap between each of the air outlets 56a to 56h and each of the horizontal flaps 57a to 57h is minimized. That is, a state is adopted in which the first end portions 58a to 58h of the horizontal flaps 57a to 57h are closest to the ceiling R. The horizontal flaps 57a to 57h are integrated with the decorative panel 50b in the fully closed state. Thereby, in the fully closed state of the horizontal flaps 57a-57h, the design property of the indoor unit 4 can be improved.

  In the downward blowing state, the horizontal flaps 57a to 57h take a state where the blowing direction of the conditioned air conditioned in the casing 50 is blown out substantially vertically downward as shown by the broken line portion in FIG. Specifically, a state is adopted in which the gap between each of the air outlets 56a to 56h and each of the horizontal flaps 57a to 57h is maximized. In other words, the first end portions 58a to 58h of the horizontal flaps 57a to 57h are in a state where they are farthest from the ceiling R.

  In the horizontal blowing state, the horizontal flaps 57a to 57h take a state in which the conditioned air blown in the casing 50 is blown out in a substantially horizontal direction as shown in FIG. Here, the substantially horizontal orientation means an orientation in which the inclination angle θ of the horizontal flaps 57a to 57h with respect to the horizontal plane of the ceiling R (see FIG. 3) is in the range of 8 ° to 12 °.

  In the intermediate state, the horizontal flaps 57a to 57h are in such a state that the conditioned air blown in the casing 50 is blown in a direction in which the angle is between the downward blowing state and the fully closed state. take.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the horizontal flaps 57a to 57h during the cooling operation of the indoor unit 4 and the operation of the horizontal flaps 57a to 57h during the heating operation of the indoor unit 4 will be described separately.

(1) Operation of horizontal flaps 57a to 57h during cooling operation The control unit 9 takes into account the comfort of a person existing in the air-conditioning target areas A to D, and the human detection sensor 62 is one of the air-conditioning target areas A to D. When the presence of a person is detected, the detection signal is received, and the horizontal flaps of the two air outlets corresponding to the air-conditioning target area where the presence of the person is detected are controlled to be in a horizontal blowing state. To do. That is, the control unit 9 controls each of the plurality of horizontal flaps 57a to 57h based on the detection result of the human detection sensor 62.

  Thereby, when a person exists in air-conditioning object area AD, it can suppress that a person hits a wind directly (direct ventilation to a person). Therefore, the discomfort caused by the draft of the person existing in the air conditioning target areas A to D can be suppressed, and the comfort of the person can be improved.

  On the other hand, in the air conditioning target area where the absence of a person is detected among the air conditioning target areas A to D, the control unit 9 controls the horizontal flaps 57a to 57h to be in an intermediate state.

(2) Operation of horizontal flaps 57a to 57h during heating operation Conventionally, air outlets are provided in a plurality of directions (for example, four directions and eight directions), and the conditioned air blown out from the air outlets is provided at each air outlet. There are ceiling-mounted indoor units that are provided with a horizontal flap that can change the wind direction. Some indoor units detect the floor temperature with a sensor in order to reduce the temperature difference in the room. In such an indoor unit, for example, during heating operation, it is considered that conditioned air is blown out to an area where the floor temperature is detected to be low. However, if there is a person in the area, the air that has not been completely temperature-controlled in the indoor unit (relatively cold air) is blown into the living room, and that air hits the person in the area. There is a concern that the person may feel uncomfortable.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, even when the heating operation of the indoor unit 4 is started, the control unit 9 controls the state taken by the horizontal flaps 57a to 57h based on the detection result of the human detection sensor 62.

  Specifically, when the person detection sensor 62 detects the presence of a person in all air-conditioning target areas A to D at the start of the heating operation, the control unit 9 receives the detection signal and receives all the air-conditioning targets. Each of the horizontal flaps arranged at each of the two outlets corresponding to the areas A to D is controlled so as to be in a horizontal blowing state. Here, the control may be further performed so that the air volume of the indoor fan 42 is maximized (specifically, the rotational speed of the indoor fan motor 42m is controlled to be maximized).

  Further, when the human detection sensor 62 detects the absence of a person in all the air-conditioning target areas A to D, the control unit 9 receives the detection signal and receives two detection air signals corresponding to all the air-conditioning target areas A to D. Control is performed so that each of the horizontal flaps arranged at each outlet is in a downward blowing state, and the air volume of the indoor fan 42 is maximized (that is, air conditioning blown from the outlets 56a to 56h). High-speed heating control is performed so that the amount of air is maximized).

  Further, when the human detection sensor 62 detects the presence of a person in any of the air-conditioning target areas A to D and detects the absence of a person in any of the air-conditioning target areas A to D (for example, the air-conditioning target area A, (When detecting that there is a person in C and detecting that there is no person in the air-conditioning target areas B and D), the control unit 9 performs control so that the air volume of the indoor fan 42 is maximized. 2 corresponding to the air-conditioning target area in which each of the horizontal flaps arranged at the two air outlets corresponding to the air-conditioning target area whose presence is detected is in a horizontal blowing state and the absence of a person is detected. Each of the horizontal flaps arranged at the two outlets is controlled so as to be in a downward blowing state. That is, in the air conditioning target areas A to D, when there is an air conditioning target area where no person exists, not only the control of the horizontal flaps 57a to 57h but also the air volume control of the indoor fan 42 is performed. In addition, it is not restricted to what controls the air volume of the indoor fan 42 to become the maximum, You may control so that the air volume of the indoor fan 42 may become the air volume close | similar to the maximum.

  As described above, air conditioning control can be performed in consideration of the presence of a person in the living room. Therefore, in the air-conditioning target area where a person exists, direct air blowing to the person can be suppressed. Therefore, human discomfort due to the draft can be suppressed, and human comfort can be improved.

  In the air-conditioning target area where the absence of a person is detected, the heated air-conditioned air can be spread quickly throughout the space in the air-conditioning target area by performing high-speed heating control. Therefore, the person who enters the air-conditioning target area is warmed from the feet, and comfort is improved.

  Here, when the heating operation is started, an arbitrary time T (time) (preliminarily stored in the memory) after a control command for starting the heating operation by a person operating a remote controller or the like is transmitted to the control unit 9. Until it is over).

  Here, from the start of the heating operation (specifically, when an arbitrary time T has passed since the start of the heating operation) until the temperature of the air-conditioning target area becomes substantially stable, Even after the temperature has become substantially stable, the control unit 9 performs substantially the same control as at the start of the heating operation. That is, in the air-conditioning target area where the presence of a person is detected, the control unit 9 causes each of the horizontal flaps of the two outlets corresponding to the air-conditioning target area to be in a horizontal blowing state. In the air-conditioning target area where non-existence is detected, each of the horizontal flaps of the two outlets corresponding to the air-conditioning target area is controlled so as to be in a downward blowing state. Thereby, it can suppress that air-conditioning air hits a person directly, and can suppress the discomfort of the person by a draft. Therefore, human comfort can be improved. In this case, the air volume control of the indoor fan 42 may not be performed.

<Characteristics of the air conditioner 1 according to the first embodiment>
In the air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment, a plurality of outlets 56a for blowing out the conditioned air whose temperature is adjusted in the casing 50 toward the different air-conditioning target areas A to D on the decorative panel 50b of the indoor unit 4, respectively. 56h is formed. A plurality of horizontal flaps 57a to 57h (corresponding to the blowing direction adjusting member) that can be independently adjusted to correspond to the plurality of outlets 56a to 56h, respectively. Is arranged. In addition, a human detection sensor 62 (corresponding to human detection means) that detects the presence / absence of a person in each of the air conditioning target areas A to D is disposed below the decorative panel 50b.

  And the control part 9 which controls various apparatuses of the air conditioner 1 is based on the detection result (the presence or absence of the person in air-conditioning object area AD) of the several air flaps 57a-57h. Adjustment of the angle, that is, adjustment of the blowing direction of the conditioned air blown out from the outlets 56a to 56h.

  In an air-conditioning target area where a person is present, by setting the horizontal flap of the air outlet corresponding to the air-conditioning target area to a horizontal blowing state, relatively cool air that has not yet been completely temperature-controlled in the indoor unit 4 is It is possible to suppress the air from being blown. Thereby, a person's comfort can be improved.

  In an air-conditioning target area where no person is present, the horizontal flap of the air outlet corresponding to the air-conditioning target area can be heated from the space under the foot by setting the horizontal flap to a downward blowing state.

  Moreover, the control part 9 is controlled so that the air volume of the indoor fan 42 becomes the maximum, when there exists an air-conditioning object area where a person does not exist among air-conditioning object areas AD. Therefore, in the air-conditioning target area where no person exists, the temperature of the air-conditioning target area can be increased more quickly.

  As described above, in the air conditioner 1 (specifically, the indoor unit 4) of the present embodiment, the air conditioning target areas A to D correspond to the air conditioning target areas A to D depending on the presence or absence of people in the air conditioning target areas A to D. By independently controlling the horizontal flaps of the air outlets, it is possible to adjust the blowing direction of the conditioned air blown from the air outlets 56a to 56h for each of the air outlets 56a to 56h. Therefore, human comfort can be improved by finely controlling the blowing direction of the conditioned air blown from the blowout ports 56a to 56h.

<Modification of the air conditioner 1 according to the first embodiment>
(A)
The control unit 9 may further perform control in consideration of energy saving and cost saving in addition to the control described in the above embodiment.

  First, for example, the control unit 9 detects the absence of a person when the person detection sensor 62 detects the absence of a person in any of the air conditioning target areas A to D during the heating operation or the cooling operation. First air volume reduction control (to the first control), the air volume of the indoor fan 42 is reduced so that the amount of conditioned air blown into the air-conditioning target area is reduced (specifically, the rotational speed of the indoor fan motor 42m is reduced). Equivalent). This contributes to energy saving and cost saving. Here, the first air volume reduction control is performed to reduce the amount of conditioned air blown out to the air-conditioning target area where the absence of a person is detected, but this is not a limitation. For example, when a damper (not shown) capable of changing the amount of conditioned air blown out from the air outlets 56a to 56h by adjusting the opening degree is provided in the vicinity of the air outlets 56a to 56h. The controller 9 may control the amount of conditioned air blown out to the air-conditioning target area where the absence of a person is detected by adjusting the opening of the damper. In this case, the amount of conditioned air blown into the air-conditioning target area can be changed for each air-conditioning target area without performing the air volume control of the indoor fan 42.

  Next, for example, when the human detection sensor 62 detects the absence of a person in all of the air-conditioning target areas A to D during the heating operation or the cooling operation, the control unit 9 reduces the operation capability of the indoor unit 4. Ability saving control (corresponding to the second control) may be performed. When there is no person in the room, reducing the driving ability of the indoor unit 4 can contribute to energy saving and cost saving.

  In addition, the control unit 9 is not limited to this, and the control unit 9 performs an operation stop control (second control) for stopping the operation of the indoor unit 4 when the human detection sensor 62 detects the absence of a person in all the air conditioning target areas A to D. May correspond). This also contributes to energy saving and cost saving as described above.

  Moreover, the control part 9 may perform driving | operation stop control, after performing capability saving control.

  Furthermore, for example, the control unit 9 determines the amount of human activity state (the number of persons) based on the detected amount of people in all the air-conditioning target areas A to D detected by the human detection sensor 62 during heating operation or cooling operation. When the activity state quantity is small, the second air quantity reduction control for reducing the air quantity of the indoor fan 42 so that the quantity of the conditioned air blown out from the plurality (all) of the outlets 56a to 56h is reduced. (Corresponding to the third control) may be performed. Here, the calculation includes prediction. The second air volume reduction control contributes to energy saving and cost saving. In this case as well, the amount of conditioned air blown out from the plurality (all) of the outlets 56a to 56h is reduced by performing the second air volume reduction control. When a damper is provided in the vicinity of 56a to 56h, the control unit 9 adjusts the opening degree of the damper so that the amount of conditioned air blown from all the outlets 56a to 56h decreases. May be.

(B)
The control unit 9 may perform the following control in addition to the control described in the modification (A) during the cooling operation.

  For example, in the cooling operation, when the human detection sensor 62 detects the presence of a person in any of the air conditioning target areas A to D, the control unit 9 performs air conditioning that is blown out to the air conditioning target area where the presence of the person is detected. Controls the state of the horizontal flap so that the air hits a person (for example, controls the horizontal flap to be in a downward blowing state) and performs the first sensation temperature lowering control (corresponding to the fourth control) to raise the set temperature May be. Here, by controlling the horizontal flaps 57a to 57h so that the conditioned air hits the person, the temperature of the person's sensation can be lowered. Thereby, the preset temperature of the indoor unit 4 can be raised. Therefore, it contributes to energy saving and cost saving.

  Next, for example, after the start of the cooling operation, the control unit 9 causes the temperature of the air-conditioning target areas A to D to be in a substantially stable state after an arbitrary time T2 (time) (previously stored in the memory) has elapsed. When the human detection sensor 62 detects the presence of a person in any one of the air-conditioning target areas A to D, the horizontal flap of the air outlet corresponding to the air-conditioning target area where the presence of the person is detected is Second sensible temperature lowering control (corresponding to fifth control) may be performed to control the blowing direction of the conditioned air to be blown continuously and to increase the set temperature. Here, it can be expected to improve the temperature unevenness in the air-conditioning target area by controlling so that the blowing direction of the conditioned air blown from the blowout port continuously changes. Moreover, since it becomes possible to apply air-conditioned air to a person, it can also be expected to reduce the temperature of the person's experience. Therefore, it contributes to energy saving and cost saving.

  Further, the control unit 9 may perform the first body temperature drop control and the second body temperature drop control in any combination without considering the above-described factors over time during the cooling operation.

(C)
Further, the configuration of the indoor heat exchanger 41 has been described as having a rectangular shape in which a gap is formed in one place in a plan view and arranged along the inner peripheral edge of the casing body 50a. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the indoor heat exchanger 41 is not integrally formed, and may be configured to be divided into four so as to be along the four sides of the casing body 50a.

  In such an indoor unit having the indoor heat exchanger 41 divided into four, the temperature of the conditioned air blown from each outlet (ie, the outlet temperature) for each outlet corresponding to each of the four sides of the casing body 50a. ) Can be changed. That is, the temperature of the conditioned air blown out to the air conditioning target areas A to D can be changed for each of the air conditioning target areas A to D.

  Further, during the cooling operation, the temperature of the conditioned air blown out from the air outlet corresponding to the air-conditioning target area where the human detection sensor 62 detects the absence of a person is set as another air outlet (the human detection sensor 62 is present in the presence of a person). It is possible to perform capability saving control for making the temperature higher than the temperature of the conditioned air blown out from the air outlet corresponding to the air-conditioning target area. Further, during the heating operation, the temperature of the conditioned air blown out from the air outlet corresponding to the air-conditioning target area where the human detection sensor 62 detects the absence of a person is set as another air outlet (the human detection sensor 62 is present in the presence of a person). It is possible to perform capability saving control that lowers the temperature of the conditioned air that is blown out from the air outlet corresponding to the air-conditioning target area).

  That is, when the human detection sensor 62 detects the absence of a person in any of the air-conditioning target areas A to D, the control unit 9 blows out from the air outlet corresponding to the air-conditioning target area where the absence of a person is detected. It is possible to control the temperature of the conditioned air to be increased during the cooling operation and decreased during the heating operation. This contributes to energy saving and cost saving.

(D)
In the above-described embodiment, it has been described that the presence or absence of a person in each of the air-conditioning target areas A to D is detected by rotating the opening 62a of the human detection sensor 62, but the present invention is not limited to this.

  For example, the presence / absence of a person in each air conditioning target area A to D may be detected by rotating the infrared light receiving element itself of the human detection sensor 62 and directing it to each air conditioning target area A to D.

  In the present embodiment, one human detection sensor 62 is arranged, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a plurality of human detection sensors 62 may be provided. For example, by providing four human detection sensors 62 on the decorative panel 50b and directing infrared light receiving elements in the respective directions of the air conditioning target areas A to D, the presence or absence of a person in each of the air conditioning target areas A to D is detected. May be.

(E)
In the above embodiment, the purpose is to perform air conditioning on the four air conditioning target areas A to D, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the above embodiment, there are eight outlets, and eight horizontal flaps are provided so as to correspond to each of the eight outlets. Further, with the above-described configuration, the two horizontal flaps positioned on both sides of each flap motor 57m can be driven one by one. Therefore, the air-conditioning target area may be set more finely than the above-described embodiment, that is, so as to be divided so as to correspond to the eight outlets and the eight horizontal flaps. In this case, it becomes possible to control the finer wind direction (the direction in which the conditioned air is blown out from the air outlet), and it is possible to improve human comfort.

Second Embodiment
Next, the second embodiment will be described. In the following description, components common to the first embodiment, such as the decorative panel 50b, are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.
The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment will be briefly described. In the first embodiment, the eight blowout ports 56a to 56h are formed in the decorative panel 50b, but in the second embodiment, As shown in FIG. 12, four air outlets 256 a to 256 d are formed on the decorative panel 50 b. Therefore, along with this point, the configuration of the four horizontal flaps 257a to 257d provided so as to correspond to each of the four outlets 256a to 256d is slightly different. The control is the same as in the first embodiment.

  The four air outlets 256a to 256d are formed in the decorative panel 50b so as to surround the suction port 53 and the suction panel 54 and to be along the four sides of the decorative panel 50b. Each of the four outlets 256a to 256d has a substantially rectangular shape elongated in the direction in which each side extends. As with the first embodiment, these air outlets 256a to 256d blow out the conditioned air whose temperature is adjusted by various components in the casing 50 into the living room (specifically, the air-conditioning target areas A to D). It has the role of opening for.

  Here, in the second embodiment, the air-conditioning target area A corresponds to the air outlet 256a, the air-conditioning target area B corresponds to the air outlet 256b, and the air-conditioning target area C corresponds to the air outlet 256c. The air conditioning target area D corresponds to the air outlet 256d.

  Similarly to the first embodiment, the horizontal flaps 257a to 257d can cover substantially all of the outlets 256a to 256d, and are respectively in the longitudinal direction of the outlets 256a to 256d formed in the decorative panel 50b. It is an elongated plate-like member. Further, the horizontal flaps 257a to 257d are rotatable around the longitudinal axis of the outlets 256a to 256d. The horizontal flaps 257a to 257d perform the same operations (such as possible states) as the horizontal flaps 57a to 57h in the first embodiment.

  A connecting pin 59 is connected to the outer portion in the longitudinal direction of the horizontal flaps 257a to 257d (specifically, one end of the outer portion in the longitudinal direction). The connecting pin 59 is rotatably supported by the decorative panel 50b. Therefore, the horizontal flaps 257a to 257d can be rotated by the connecting pin 59. The drive pin 157 of the flap motor 57m is connected to the connection pin 59. Therefore, the horizontal flaps 257a to 257d can be driven independently via the connecting pin 59 and the drive shaft 157 of the flap motor 57m.

  With the configuration as described above, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained. That is, air conditioning control can be performed in consideration of human comfort in each of the air conditioning target areas A to D.

  In addition, the structure of 2nd Embodiment is not restricted to this, As shown in FIG. 13, in addition to the blower outlets 256a-256d, the makeup | decoration panel 50b is shown in the corner | angular part in the substantially square shape of the suction inlet 54. As shown in FIG. Short-side outlets 256e to 256h provided at corresponding positions may be formed. At this time, the blower outlets 256a to 256d and the short side blower outlets 256e to 256h are formed on the decorative panel 50b so as to be alternately arranged along the side. In addition, a horizontal flap (not shown) may be arrange | positioned so that it may correspond to each in the short side blower outlets 256e-256h, and it is not necessary to arrange | position.

  In this case, since the conditioned air whose temperature is adjusted in the casing 50 is blown out toward the corresponding air-conditioning target area via the short side outlets 256e to 256h, a wider range of air-conditioning control is possible. It is possible to improve human comfort. In addition, when the horizontal flaps are provided at the short side outlets 256e to 256h, it is possible to control the wind direction more finely and to improve the comfort of the person.

  The present invention is useful because it can suppress direct application of conditioned air to a person at the start of heating operation and improve the comfort of the person.

1 Air conditioner 4 Indoor unit (ceiling installation type indoor unit)
9 Control means (control unit)
42 Indoor fans (fans)
56a-56h Air outlet 57a-57h Horizontal flap (blowing direction adjusting member)
62 Person detection sensor (person detection means)
256a to 256d Air outlets 256e to 256h Air outlets 257a to 257d Horizontal flaps (air outlet direction adjusting members)
A to D Air-conditioning area

JP 2007-32887 A

Claims (5)

A ceiling-mounted indoor unit (4) of an air conditioner (1) capable of at least heating operation,
A plurality of outlets (56a to 56h, 256a to 256d, 256e to 256h) for blowing out conditioned air toward different air conditioning target areas (A to D),
A plurality of blowing direction adjusting members (57a to 57h, 257a to 257d) that are arranged at each of the plurality of outlets (56a to 56h, 256a to 256d) and that can independently adjust the blowing direction of the conditioned air. When,
Human detection means (62) for detecting the presence or absence of a person in each of the air-conditioning target areas (A to D);
Control means (9) for controlling each of the plurality of blowing direction adjusting members (57a to 57h, 257a to 257d) based on the detection result of the person detecting means (62);
With
The control means (9) detects the presence of a person when the person detection means (62) detects the presence of a person in any of the air-conditioning target areas (A to D) at the start of the heating operation. Controlling the blowing direction adjusting member of the outlet corresponding to the air-conditioning target area to suppress direct air blowing to a person,
The ceiling-mounted indoor unit (4) of the air conditioner (1). A ceiling-mounted indoor unit (4) of an air conditioner (1) capable of at least heating operation,
A plurality of outlets (56a to 56h, 256a to 256d, 256e to 256h) for blowing out conditioned air toward different air conditioning target areas (A to D),
A plurality of blowing direction adjusting members (57a to 57h, 257a to 257d) that are arranged at each of the plurality of outlets (56a to 56h, 256a to 256d) and that can independently adjust the blowing direction of the conditioned air. When,
Human detection means (62) for detecting the presence or absence of a person in each of the air-conditioning target areas (A to D);
Control means (9) for controlling each of the plurality of blowing direction adjusting members (57a to 57h, 257a to 257d) based on the detection result of the person detecting means (62);
With
The control means (9) detects the presence of a person when the person detection means (62) detects the presence of a person in any of the air-conditioning target areas (A to D) during the heating operation. Controlling the outlet direction adjusting member of the outlet corresponding to the air-conditioning target area, and suppressing direct ventilation to a person,
The ceiling-mounted indoor unit (4) of the air conditioner (1). In addition, it is possible to perform cooling operation,
A blower fan (42) capable of changing the amount of the conditioned air;
The control means (9)
During the cooling operation or the heating operation,
When the person detecting means (62) detects the absence of a person in any of the air-conditioning target areas (A to D), the amount of conditioned air blown to the air-conditioning target area where the absence of a person is detected A first control for controlling the blower fan (42) so as to decrease
When the human detection means (62) detects the absence of a person in all the air-conditioning target areas (A to D), the second control for reducing the driving capacity or stopping the driving;
Based on the detection result of the person detection means (62), the activity state amount of the person in all the air-conditioning target areas (A to D) is calculated, and when the activity state amount is small, a plurality of the outlets (56a -56h) 3rd control which controls the said ventilation fan (42) so that the quantity of the conditioned air blown off from may decrease,
Do one of the following:
The indoor unit (4) of the air conditioner (1) according to claim 1 or 2. The control means (9)
During the cooling operation, when the person detecting means (62) detects the presence of a person in any of the air-conditioning target areas (A to D), the person is blown out to the air-conditioning target area where the presence of a person is detected. 4th control which controls the said blowing direction adjustment member and raises preset temperature so that conditioned air may hit a person,
And / or
The person detection means (62) is present in any one of the air-conditioning target areas (A to D) until the temperature of the air-conditioning target area (AD) becomes substantially stable after the start of the cooling operation. When the air flow is detected, the blow direction adjustment member of the air outlet corresponding to the air conditioning target area where the presence of a person is detected is controlled so that the blow direction changes continuously, and the set temperature is raised. control,
I do,
The ceiling-mounted indoor unit (4) of the air conditioner (1) according to claim 3. The control means (9) detects the presence of a person when the person detection means (62) detects the presence of a person in any of the air-conditioning target areas (A to D) during the cooling operation. Controlling the blowing direction adjusting member of the outlet corresponding to the air-conditioning target area, and suppressing direct ventilation to a person,
The ceiling-mounted indoor unit (4) of the air conditioner (1) according to claim 3.

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