JP2013127363A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air conditioner that achieves energy savings without impairing the appearance thereof.SOLUTION: The air conditioner includes: an air inlet 4a provided at a front face of a housing of an indoor unit 1; an air outlet 5 provided in a lower part of the housing; an air blowing passage 6 connecting the air inlet 4a to the air outlet 5 inside the housing; a blower fan 7 disposed in the air blowing passage 6; and a movable panel 21 movable between a first position where the movable panel blocks the air inlet 4a, and a second position where the movable panel extends from an upper end of the air outlet 5 to extend an upper wall of the blowing passage 6, wherein the movable panel 21 is disposed in the second position when the air conditioner is activated. Thus, the air circulating along the movable panel 21 is reduced in speed thereof and the kinetic energy thereof is converted into a static pressure to diminish an increase in static pressure which is caused by the blower fan 7, thereby achieving energy savings.

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner that harmonizes and sends out air taken in from a room.

  Conventional air conditioners are disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3. These air conditioners have a movable panel that closes a suction port provided on the front surface of the casing of the indoor unit. When the air conditioner is driven, the movable panel can be moved to open the suction port and take in indoor air. Thereby, when the air conditioner is not used, the suction port can be covered with the movable panel to improve the aesthetics.

JP 2000-1111082 A JP 2005-147618 A JP 2005-188815 A

  In recent years, preservation of the global environment has been screamed, and further energy saving of so-called white goods is strongly desired. On the other hand, improvement of the living environment is also strongly desired, and it is necessary to simultaneously improve the aesthetics and design of the air conditioner. However, according to the conventional air conditioner described above, since the movable panel that closes the suction port is provided to improve the aesthetic appearance, the front of the suction port is shielded by the movable panel through a predetermined space even if the movable panel is moved during use. Is done. For this reason, there is a problem that intake air is insufficient and energy saving cannot be achieved.

  In view of the above problems, the inventor intends to save energy by performing sufficient intake, and at the same time save energy by efficiently recovering kinetic energy that is wastedly consumed by the air that is vigorously delivered from the outlet. The present inventors have found that it is possible to achieve the present invention.

  An object of this invention is to provide the air conditioner which can aim at energy saving, without impairing aesthetics.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention connects a suction port provided on the front surface of a housing of an indoor unit, a blowout port provided in a lower portion of the housing, and the suction port and the blowout port in the housing. Between the air blowing path, the air blowing fan arranged in the air blowing path, the first position that closes the suction port, and the second position that extends from the upper end of the air outlet and extends the upper wall of the air blowing path. And a movable panel that is movable.

  According to this configuration, the movable panel is disposed at the first position when the operation of the air conditioner is stopped. Thereby, the suction inlet distribute | arranged to the housing | casing front surface of an indoor unit is block | closed with a movable panel. When the operation of the air conditioner is started, the movable panel is arranged at the second position. Indoor air is taken into the housing from the suction port whose front surface is opened by the driving of the blower fan, circulates through the blower path, and conditioned air is sent out from the blower outlet. Since the movable panel extends from the upper end of the blower outlet and extends the upper wall of the blower path, the conditioned air flowing through the upper part of the blower path smoothly flows along the movable panel and is gradually decelerated. The movable panel may move automatically when the operation mode such as cooling operation or heating operation starts, or may be moved by a switching operation by the user.

  In the air conditioner having the above-described configuration, the present invention is characterized in that the air blowing path is inclined upward toward the front in the vicinity of the air outlet. According to this configuration, for example, in the cooling operation, the conditioned air is guided forward and upward by the upper wall of the blowing path, and is guided forward and upward along the movable panel. The conditioned air decelerated by the movable panel becomes a jet and reaches the ceiling of the room from the movable panel and sequentially travels through the wall surface facing the air conditioner, the floor surface, and the wall surface on the air conditioner side.

  In the air conditioner configured as described above, the movable panel can be disposed at a position where the suction port between the first position and the second position is opened. According to this configuration, the movable panel moves from the first position with a smaller movement amount than the second position, and the suction port is opened. As a result, the front of the suction port is shielded by the movable panel via a predetermined space, and exposure in the housing is suppressed.

  In the air conditioner having the above-described configuration, the present invention provides a panel frame that is pivotally supported by the housing below the suction port and is disposed on the front surface of the suction port and has an opening facing the suction port. The movable panel is arranged on the front surface of the panel frame and is pivotally supported at the upper end of the panel frame.

  According to this configuration, the panel frame pivotally supported at the lower end rotates integrally with the movable panel, and the movable panel is disposed at the second position. The movable panel rotates from the first position about the upper end, and the inside of the housing is exposed through the opening of the panel frame. Thereby, taking in and out of the air filter, cleaning, and the like are performed through the opening.

  According to the present invention, in the air conditioner having the above-described configuration, a protective member that is disposed on the back surface of the movable panel at the first position to close the suction port and interlocks with the movable panel is provided. When arranged at the position, the protective member moves with a movement amount smaller than that of the movable panel to open the suction port.

  According to this configuration, the movable panel and the protection member are integrally disposed at the first position and close the suction port. When the movable panel is arranged at the second position, the protective member moves with a smaller movement amount than the movable panel. For example, the movable panel and the protection member are pivotally supported at the lower end, and when the movable panel is rotated and disposed at the second position, the protection member rotates at a smaller rotation angle than the movable member. Thereby, the front surface of the suction port is opened, indoor air is taken into the housing, and conditioned air is sent out in a direction in which the upper wall of the ventilation path is extended along the movable panel. In addition, the front of the suction port is shielded by a protective member through a predetermined space, and exposure in the housing is suppressed.

  In the air conditioner having the above-described configuration, the present invention further includes an indoor heat exchanger disposed behind the suction port, and a drain receiver that collects condensation of the indoor heat exchanger, and the protection member or the movable member It is characterized in that the condensation of the panel is guided to the drain receiver. According to this configuration, the protective member comes into contact with intake air on the suction port side, and the movable panel comes into contact with exhaust air on the outlet side. For this reason, the protective member and the movable panel tend to have a temperature difference between the front and back, and condensation due to the temperature difference is collected in the drain receiver.

  In the air conditioner having the above-described configuration, the present invention is characterized in that a dew condensation preventing means for preventing dew condensation on the protective member or the movable panel is provided. According to this configuration, the protective member comes into contact with intake air on the suction port side, and the movable panel comes into contact with exhaust air on the outlet side. For this reason, the protective member and the movable panel tend to cause a temperature difference between the front and back surfaces, and condensation due to the temperature difference is prevented by the condensation prevention means.

  In the air conditioner configured as described above, the present invention is characterized in that the movable panel at the first position covers the upper portion of the casing.

  In the air conditioner having the above-described configuration, the crossing angle between the lower surface of the movable panel at the second position and the upper wall of the air flow path in the vicinity of the air outlet is set to 17 ° or less. .

  According to the present invention, since the movable panel can move between the first position where the suction port closes the suction port and the second position which extends from the upper end of the air outlet and extends the upper wall of the blowing path, the operation of the air conditioner is stopped. Sometimes the movable panel can be arranged at the first position to improve the aesthetics of the air conditioner. In addition, when the air conditioner is in operation, the movable panel is arranged at the second position, and the intake port is opened widely to improve the intake efficiency. At this time, the conditioned air along the upper wall of the ventilation path smoothly flows along the movable panel. Thereby, there is little disturbance of the airflow in the vicinity of a blower outlet, and the pressure loss accompanying it becomes small. In addition, the air along the movable panel is decelerated and kinetic energy is converted to static pressure. Therefore, the increase in static pressure by the blower fan can be reduced, and energy saving of the air conditioner can be achieved.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the air blowing path is inclined upward in the vicinity of the air outlet, the conditioned air decelerated by the movable panel becomes a jet and reaches the ceiling of the room from the movable panel to the air conditioner. The wall surface on the opposite side, the floor surface, and the wall surface on the air conditioner side are sequentially transmitted. Thereby, the airflow of conditioned air reaches every corner of the room, and the airflow greatly agitates the entire room. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a comfortable space with almost no direct wind by uniformizing the temperature distribution of the entire living area excluding a part of the indoor upper part.

  Further, according to the present invention, the movable panel can be disposed at a position where the suction port between the first position and the second position is opened, so that the movable panel is disposed at the second position to save energy. The user can select and switch between the case where the movable panel is arranged between the first position and the second position to improve aesthetics. Therefore, a highly convenient air conditioner can be obtained. In addition, when the conditioned air is sent in a direction not along the upper wall of the air blowing path, the movable panel can be arranged between the first position and the second position to improve the aesthetics.

  According to the present invention, since the movable panel is pivotally supported by the upper end of the panel frame pivotally supported by the casing below the suction port, the lower portion of the movable panel can be opened to easily replace the air filter and clean the casing. It can be carried out.

  Also, according to the present invention, the protective member that moves in a smaller amount of movement than the movable panel in conjunction with the movable panel is provided. Can be shielded with a protective member to improve aesthetics.

  Further, according to the present invention, the condensation of the protective member or the movable panel is guided to the drain receiver, so that the movable panel can be disposed at the second position where a temperature difference is formed between the front and back of the protective member and the movable panel.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the dew condensation preventing means for preventing the dew condensation on the protective member or the movable panel is provided, the movable panel can be arranged at the second position where a temperature difference is formed between the front and back of the protective member or the movable panel. it can.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the upper part of the housing is covered with the movable panel at the first position, the movable panel is installed to extend long forward at the second position. Therefore, the amount of static pressure converted by the deceleration of the airflow can be increased to further improve the energy saving effect.

  Further, according to the present invention, the crossing angle between the lower surface of the movable panel at the second position and the upper wall of the air blowing path in the vicinity of the air outlet is set to 17 ° or less. Can be moved along the movable panel.

Side surface sectional drawing which shows the state which has arrange | positioned the movable panel of the indoor unit of the air conditioner of 1st Embodiment of this invention in the 1st position. Side surface sectional drawing which shows the state which has arrange | positioned the movable panel of the indoor unit of the air conditioner of 1st Embodiment of this invention in the 2nd position. Side surface sectional drawing which shows the blower outlet vicinity of the indoor unit of the air conditioner of 1st Embodiment of this invention Side surface sectional drawing which shows the detail of the blower outlet vicinity of the indoor unit of the air conditioner of 1st Embodiment of this invention Side surface sectional drawing which shows the detail of the blower outlet vicinity of the indoor unit of the air conditioner of 1st Embodiment of this invention The figure which shows the relationship between the air volume of the ventilation fan of the indoor unit of the air conditioner of 1st Embodiment of this invention, and the input of a fan drive motor. The figure explaining the transition of the static pressure of the comparative example of the indoor unit of the air conditioner of 1st Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows transition of the static pressure of the comparative example of the indoor unit of the air conditioner of 1st Embodiment of this invention. The figure explaining transition of the static pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner of a 1st embodiment of the present invention. The figure which shows transition of the static pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner of 1st Embodiment of this invention. Side surface sectional drawing which shows the state which has arrange | positioned the movable panel of the indoor unit of the air conditioner of 1st Embodiment of this invention in the 3rd position. Side surface sectional drawing which shows the state which has arrange | positioned the movable panel of the indoor unit of the air conditioner of 1st Embodiment of this invention in the 4th position. Side surface sectional drawing which shows the state which has arrange | positioned the movable panel of the indoor unit of the air conditioner of 2nd Embodiment of this invention in the 1st position. Side surface sectional drawing which shows the state which has arrange | positioned the movable panel of the indoor unit of the air conditioner of 2nd Embodiment of this invention in the 2nd position. Side surface sectional drawing which shows the state which has arrange | positioned the movable panel of the indoor unit of the air conditioner of 2nd Embodiment of this invention in the 3rd position. Side surface sectional drawing which shows the state which has arrange | positioned the movable panel of the indoor unit of the air conditioner of 2nd Embodiment of this invention in the 4th position. Side surface sectional drawing which shows the state which has arrange | positioned the movable panel of the indoor unit of the air conditioner of 3rd Embodiment of this invention in the 1st position. Side surface sectional drawing which shows the state which has arrange | positioned the movable panel of the indoor unit of the air conditioner of 3rd Embodiment of this invention in the 2nd position.

<First Embodiment>
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Drawing 1 is a side sectional view showing the indoor unit of the air harmony machine of a 1st embodiment. The indoor unit 1 of the air conditioner has a main body held by a cabinet 2, and a front panel 3 is detachably attached to the cabinet 2. A cabinet of the indoor unit 1 is configured by the cabinet 2 and the front panel 3.

  The cabinet 2 is provided with a claw portion (not shown) on the rear side surface, and is supported by engaging the claw portion with a mounting plate (not shown) attached to the side wall W1 of the room. An air outlet 5 is provided in the gap between the lower end portion of the front panel 3 and the lower end portion of the cabinet 2. The air outlet 5 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape extending in the width direction of the indoor unit 1 and is provided facing the front lower side.

  The front center portion of the front panel 3 is formed substantially parallel to the side wall W1, and the front upper portion is formed on an inclined surface such that the upper side is the rear. Lattice-like suction ports 4 b and 4 c are provided on the inclined surface and the upper surface of the front upper portion of the front panel 3. Since the indoor unit 1 is arranged in the upper part of the room, the suction ports 4b and 4c are not easily seen by the user.

  A suction port 4 a made of an opening is provided in the front center portion of the front panel 3. The dimension in the height direction of the suction port 4a is close to the diameter of the blower fan 7 described later, and the horizontal dimension is formed to be close to the axial length of the blower fan 7. The front surface of the suction port 4 a is closed by the movable panel 21. Accordingly, the movable panel 21 is also set so that the height dimension is close to the diameter of the blower fan 7 and the horizontal dimension is close to the axial length of the blower fan 7.

  The lower end of the movable panel 21 is pivotally supported on the front panel 3 by a rotating shaft 22 disposed below the suction port 4a and immediately above the air outlet 5. As will be described in detail later, the movable panel 21 is rotated to a first position shown in FIG. 1, a second position shown in FIG. 2, a third position shown in FIG. 11, and a fourth position shown in FIG. Can be placed in each. The movable panel 21 is driven based on an instruction from the user or an instruction from a control unit (not shown) of the air conditioner, and is switched to the first to fourth positions.

  Further, the movable panel 21 is provided with dew condensation preventing means for preventing dew condensation. As the dew condensation preventing means, for example, the movable panel 21 may be formed of a heat insulating material, and an air layer or a hole may be provided in the movable panel 21. Further, a heat insulating material may be fixed to the movable panel 21.

  Inside the housing of the indoor unit 1, a blower path 6 that connects the inlets 4 a to 4 c and the outlet 5 is formed. A blower fan 7 that sends out air is disposed in the blower path 6. For example, a cross flow fan or the like can be used as the blower fan 7. The ventilation path 6 has a front guide portion 6 a that guides the air sent out by the blower fan 7 forward and downward. Further, the upper wall of the air blowing path 6 is an inclined surface 6 b that is inclined upward as it goes forward from the end of the front guide portion 6 a in the vicinity of the blowout port 5.

  The front guide 6a is provided with a vertical louver 12 that can change the blowing angle in the left-right direction. The blower outlet 5 is provided with a plurality of lateral louvers 11a and 11b that can change the blowout angle in the vertical direction to the upper front direction, the horizontal direction, the lower front direction, and the right lower direction. An air filter 8 that collects and removes dust contained in the air sucked from the suction ports 4 a to 4 c is provided at a position facing the front panel 3.

  An indoor heat exchanger 9 is disposed between the blower fan 7 and the air filter 8 in the blower path 6. The indoor heat exchanger 9 is connected to a compressor (not shown) arranged outdoors, and the refrigeration cycle is operated by driving the compressor. The indoor heat exchanger 9 is cooled to a temperature lower than the ambient temperature during the cooling operation by the operation of the refrigeration cycle. Further, during the heating operation, the indoor heat exchanger 9 is heated to a temperature higher than the ambient temperature.

  Between the indoor heat exchanger 9 and the air filter 8, a temperature sensor 61 for detecting the temperature of the sucked air is provided, and a control unit (non-control unit) for controlling the driving of the air conditioner is provided on the side of the indoor unit 1. (Shown) is provided. Drain pans 10 and 13 that collect condensation that has fallen from the indoor heat exchanger 9 during cooling or dehumidification are provided in the lower part of the front and rear of the indoor heat exchanger 9. Condensation generated on the movable panel 21 is guided to the drain pan 10 in front through the surface of the movable panel 21.

  In the air conditioner having the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 1, the upper lateral louver 11 a is arranged along the front panel 3 when the air conditioner is stopped. The lower horizontal louver 11b is disposed so as to connect the lower end of the horizontal louver 11a and the bottom surface of the cabinet 2. Thereby, the blower outlet 5 is obstruct | occluded and the beauty | look of the indoor unit 1 is not spoiled.

  Moreover, the movable panel 21 is arrange | positioned in the 1st position which plugs up the whole suction inlet 4a. Thereby, the inside of the housing | casing of the indoor unit 1 is not visually recognized via the suction inlet 4a, but aesthetics can be improved. The movable panel 21 may block a part of the suction port 4a at the first position. However, the aesthetics can be further improved by blocking the entire suction port 4a.

  When the air conditioner is started and a cooling operation is performed, for example, the lateral louvers 11a and 11b are arranged with the air outlet 5 opened, as shown in FIG. In addition, the movable panel 21 rotates and extends from the upper end of the blower outlet 5 and is disposed at a second position where the upper wall of the blower path 6 is extended. Since the upper wall of the air blowing path 6 is composed of an inclined surface 6b that is inclined upward in the vicinity of the air outlet 5, the movable panel 21 is arranged to extend forward and upward.

  The blower fan 7 is driven, the refrigerant from the outdoor unit (not shown) flows to the indoor heat exchanger 9, and the refrigeration cycle is operated. As a result, air is sucked into the indoor unit 1 from the suction ports 4 a to 4 c, and dust contained in the air is removed by the air filter 8. The air taken into the indoor unit 1 is cooled by exchanging heat with the indoor heat exchanger 9.

  The conditioned air cooled by the indoor heat exchanger 9 is regulated in the left-right direction and the up-down direction by the vertical louver 12 and the horizontal louvers 11a, 11b. And it is sent out indoors toward the front upper direction as shown by the arrow E along the movable panel 21. Thereby, the indoor unit 1 will be in the state of the front upper blowing which sends out conditioned air to the front upper direction.

  FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing details of the vicinity of the air outlet 5 at this time. The angle α formed by the upper wall 6c and the lower wall 6d of the front guide portion 6a of the air flow path 6 is formed at about 20 °, and the flow path area is gradually expanded. An angle β formed by the inclined surface 6b and the horizontal plane is formed to be 30 ° or less. An angle γ formed by the inclined surface 6b and the movable panel 21 is set to 17 ° or less. By setting the angle γ to 17 ° or less, the air flowing along the inclined surface 6b can be smoothly distributed along the movable panel 21 with a small pressure loss without being separated from the wall surface. In this embodiment, α = 20 °, β = 20 °, and γ = 0 °.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the surface which connects the upper wall 6c of the front guide part 6a and the inclined surface 6b is connected by the smooth curved surface 6e. At this time, the angle θ1 formed by the upper wall 6c of the front guide portion 6a and the inclined surface 6b is formed to be 17 ° or less. Thereby, the air along the upper wall 6c of the front guide portion 6a smoothly flows along the inclined surface 6b with a small pressure loss without leaving the wall surface.

  As shown in FIG. 5, at least one flat surface 6f may be provided between the upper wall 6c of the front guide portion 6a and the inclined surface 6b, and the end portions of the flat surface 6f may be connected by a smooth curved surface 6e. Also in this case, the angle θ2 formed by the upper wall 6c of the front guide portion 6a and the plane 6f and the angle θ3 formed by the plane 6f and the inclined surface 6b are formed to be 17 ° or less. When there are a plurality of planes 6f, the angles formed by the planes are all formed at 17 ° or less.

  In FIG. 3, the lower lateral louver 11b is arranged so as to be in non-contact with the lower wall 6d of the front guide portion 6a and partially overlap with the downstream end of the lower wall 6d in a direction perpendicular to the lower wall 6d. The The upper lateral louver 11a is arranged so as to divide the flow path between the movable panel 21 and the lateral louver 11b, the front of which is enlarged, at equal intervals. At this time, the upper and lower flow paths divided by the horizontal louver 11a have an angle formed by the upper wall and the lower wall of 17 ° or less.

  Three or more lateral louvers may be provided. Also in this case, similarly to the above, the lowermost horizontal louver is not in contact with the lower wall 6d of the front guide portion 6a and partially overlaps the downstream end of the lower wall 6d in a direction perpendicular to the lower wall 6d. Are arranged as follows. The other horizontal louvers except the lowermost level are arranged so as to divide the flow path between the movable panel 21 and the lowermost level horizontal louver at an equal interval. At this time, the angle formed by the upper wall and the lower wall of each flow path divided by each horizontal louver is 17 ° or less.

  The conditioned air sent into the room from the blowout port 5 along the movable panel 21 toward the front upper side reaches the ceiling surface S (see FIG. 2) of the room. Thereafter, the air is sucked into the indoor unit 1 through the Coanda effect sequentially from the ceiling surface S through the side wall facing the indoor unit 1, the floor surface, and the side wall W <b> 1 on the indoor unit 1 side (see FIG. 2).

  By doing so, the user is not always exposed to the cold wind or the warm wind, and the user's discomfort can be prevented and the comfort can be improved. Furthermore, health safety can be improved without locally lowering the user's body temperature during cooling. Further, since the air flow greatly agitates the entire room, the temperature distribution in the room becomes uniform near the set temperature. That is, a comfortable space can be obtained in which the entire living area of the user substantially matches the set temperature except for a part above the room, the temperature variation is small, and the direct wind hardly hits the user.

FIG. 6 shows the relationship between the air volume of the blower fan 7 and the input (power consumption) required by a fan drive motor (not shown) that drives the blower fan 7 when the air volume is sent out. The vertical axis represents the input (unit: W) of the fan drive motor, and the horizontal axis represents the air volume (unit: m ³ / min) of the blower fan 7.

  In the figure, K1 indicates a case where the movable panel 21 is arranged at the second position as shown in FIG. In the figure, K2 and K3 are shown side by side for comparison, and K2 shows a state where the movable panel 21 is removed from the state of K1 (see FIG. 7). K3 shows the state (refer FIG. 11) which has arrange | positioned the movable panel 21 in the 3rd position which open | releases the suction inlet 4a between the 1st position and the 2nd position from the state of K1. The suction port 4a is shielded from the front through a predetermined space by the movable panel 21 at the third position as in the prior art.

  By comparing K1 and K2, the effect of extending the upper wall (inclined surface 6b) of the blowing path 6 by the movable panel 21 can be grasped. By comparing K2 and K3, the demerit due to the pressure loss of the suction port 4a at the third position can be grasped.

  According to the figure, the case where the movable panel 21 is arranged at the second position (K1) is less than the case where the movable panel 21 is removed (K2) and the case where the movable panel 21 is arranged at the third position (K3). It can be driven by input (power consumption). When the noise at the same air volume was compared for K1, K2, and K3, K1 was about 2 dB lower than K2 and K3.

  7-10 is a figure explaining the difference in the power consumption of the ventilation fan 7 when the movable panel 21 is arrange | positioned in a 2nd position (K1), and the case where the movable panel 21 is removed (K2). FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of the indoor unit 1 schematically showing the state of K2. FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically showing the transition of the static pressure of the airflow flowing through the interior of the indoor unit 1. The vertical axis shows the static pressure of the airflow, and the horizontal axis shows the direction of airflow. .

  When the blower fan 7 is driven, external air whose static pressure is equal to the atmospheric pressure is sucked into the housing of the indoor unit 1 to generate an air flow. The airflow flows through the suction ports 4 a to 4 c, the indoor heat exchanger 9, and the air blowing path 6. When the airflow flows through the indoor heat exchanger 9, the air is harmonized and becomes conditioned air. At this time, pressure losses ΔPa, ΔPb, and ΔPc are generated by the air resistances of the suction ports 4 a to 4 c, the indoor heat exchanger 9, and the blower path 6. As a result, the static pressure of the airflow decreases while flowing through the air blowing path 6 and becomes atmospheric pressure−ΔPa−ΔPb−ΔPc. Note that the pressure loss of the air filter 8 and other parts will be omitted.

  Furthermore, when the air flow sent out from the air outlet 5 exits the air outlet 5, a pressure loss ΔPd1 associated with the disturbance of the air current occurs. That is, the air flow sent out from the blower outlet 5 is ejected into the surrounding air suddenly without the upper, lower, left and right wall surfaces of the air blowing path 6 existing so far. At that time, the surrounding air is moved slowly by giving kinetic energy to the surrounding air due to the viscosity of the air. Therefore, the airflow sent from the blower outlet 5 is deprived of kinetic energy by the surrounding air and eventually becomes the same static pressure as the atmospheric pressure. Since this phenomenon is performed at once as soon as the airflow is sent out from the blowout port 5, the airflow in the vicinity of the blowout port 5 is greatly disturbed, resulting in a pressure loss.

  For this reason, it is necessary for the blower fan 7 to raise the sum of the static pressure drop due to the pressure loss (ΔPa + ΔPb + ΔPc + ΔPd1) all at once. Accordingly, the static pressure increase ΔP0 by the blower fan 7 must be equivalent to the total static pressure decrease (ΔPa + ΔPb + ΔPc + ΔPd1).

  The product (ΔP0 × Q) of the static pressure increase ΔP0 and the flow rate Q of air to flow is the work of the blower fan 7. When the static pressure increase by the blower fan 7 is smaller than the total static pressure drop (ΔP0 <ΔPa + ΔPb + ΔPc + ΔPd1), the blower fan 7 cannot circulate the desired air volume to the indoor heat exchanger 9. Therefore, sufficient air conditioning cannot be performed.

  On the other hand, FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 show the case of K1 in which the movable panel 21 is arranged at the second position. FIG. 9 is a side sectional view of the indoor unit 1 schematically showing the state of K1. FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing the transition of the static pressure state of the airflow flowing through the interior of the indoor unit 1 as in FIG. 8. The vertical axis shows the static pressure of the airflow, and the horizontal axis shows the airflow. The blowing direction is shown.

  When the blower fan 7 is driven, external air whose static pressure is equal to the atmospheric pressure is sucked into the housing of the indoor unit 1 and airflow is generated as described above. At this time, pressure losses ΔPa, ΔPb, and ΔPc are generated by the air resistances of the suction ports 4 a to 4 c, the indoor heat exchanger 9, and the blower path 6. As a result, the static pressure of the airflow decreases while flowing through the air blowing path 6 and becomes atmospheric pressure−ΔPa−ΔPb−ΔPc.

  On the other hand, the pressure loss ΔPd2 of the airflow sent from the outlet 5 is smaller than the pressure loss ΔPd1 in the case of FIG. That is, since the movable panel 21 is disposed at the second position extending the upper wall of the blower path 6, the airflow sent from the blower outlet 5 can be smoothly moved from the upper wall (inclined surface 6b) of the blower path 6. 21. For this reason, the kinetic energy is not rapidly taken away by the surrounding air, and the amount of kinetic energy taken by the surrounding air is small.

  Moreover, since the whole airflow sent out from the blower outlet 5 follows the movable panel 21 by the Coanda effect, the flow along the lower wall 6d of the ventilation path 6 is also influenced by this. For this reason, the airflow is not diffused all at once, but gradually diffused from the lower side of the airflow into the surrounding air to become the same static pressure as the atmospheric pressure. Therefore, there is little disturbance of the airflow in the vicinity of the outlet 5, and the accompanying pressure loss ΔPd2 is reduced.

  Further, the flow passage area is gradually enlarged by the front guide portion 6a of the air blowing path 6, and the flow passage area is gradually enlarged by the inclined surface 6b, the movable panel 21, and the lateral louver 11b. For this reason, even after the airflow is sent to the outside from the blower outlet 5, the airflow smoothly flows along the movable panel 21 while gradually expanding the basin area.

  At this time, since the horizontal louvers 11a and 11b are arranged as shown in FIG. 3 described above, the flow path of the airflow that circulates at the lowest side of the airflow sent from the air outlet 5 is gradually enlarged. Next, the flow path of the airflow that circulates through the central portion of the airflow sent from the outlet 5 is gradually expanded. Finally, the flow path of the airflow that circulates on the uppermost side of the airflow sent from the outlet 5 is gradually expanded. Accordingly, the flow velocity of the airflow decreases gradually and smoothly from the lower side.

  When the flow velocity of the airflow decreases smoothly, the static pressure of the airflow increases according to Bernoulli's equation known in the field of hydrodynamics. That is, the flow velocity (kinetic energy) of the airflow is converted into static pressure (potential energy). Accordingly, before the kinetic energy of the airflow sent from the outlet 5 is taken away by the surrounding air or the airflow is disturbed, a part thereof is converted into a static pressure to obtain a static pressure increase ΔP2.

  Accordingly, the blower fan 7 needs to increase at a stretch the amount obtained by subtracting the static pressure increase ΔP2 from the total static pressure decrease due to the pressure loss (ΔPa + ΔPb + ΔPc + ΔPd2). For this reason, the static pressure increase ΔP1 by the blower fan 7 becomes ΔPa + ΔPb + ΔPc + ΔPd2−ΔP2.

  Therefore, the required static pressure increase ΔP1 is smaller by ΔP2 + ΔPd1−ΔPd2 than the static pressure increase ΔP0 required for the blower fan 7 in the case of FIG. As a result, the work of the blower fan 7 is reduced by (ΔP2 + ΔPd1−ΔPd2) × Q. Therefore, the input (power consumption) of the fan drive motor can be reduced by this amount to save energy.

  As described above, since the wind speed is gradually and gradually reduced from the lower side of the airflow to convert it to static pressure, there is a loss in converting the airflow velocity (kinetic energy) to static pressure (positional energy). small. For this reason, the conversion efficiency for converting the flow velocity into the static pressure is extremely improved, and a large amount of kinetic energy can be converted into the static pressure.

  FIG. 11 is a side sectional view showing a state in which the movable panel 21 is disposed at a third position where the suction port 4a between the first position and the second position is opened. The movable panel 21 moves from the first position with a smaller rotation angle than the second position and is arranged at the third position. Thereby, the front of the suction inlet 4a is shielded by the movable panel 21 through a predetermined space, and the exposure inside the housing is suppressed.

  As a result, the user can select and switch between the case where the movable panel 21 is arranged at the second position to save energy and the case where the movable panel 21 is arranged at the third position to improve aesthetics. it can. Therefore, a highly convenient air conditioner can be obtained. Further, when the conditioned air is sent in a direction not along the upper wall of the blower path 6, the movable panel 21 can be arranged at the third position to improve the aesthetics.

  FIG. 12 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state in which the movable panel 21 is disposed at the fourth position where the suction port 4a is further opened from the second position. The movable panel 21 moves from the first position with a larger rotation angle than the second position, and is disposed at a fourth position where the open end is disposed below the rotation shaft 22. Thereby, the front surface of the front panel 3 is widely opened, and the air filter 8 can be easily taken out and cleaned or replaced. Moreover, the inside of the housing | casing of the indoor unit 1 can be cleaned easily. Therefore, the movable panel 21 constitutes an open panel that can open the front surface of the housing, clean the inside of the housing, and take in and out the air filter 8 disposed in the housing.

  An air filter cleaning means for automatically cleaning the air filter 8 may be provided in the space between the front panel 3 or the movable panel 21 and the indoor heat exchanger 9. In this case, by arranging the movable panel 21 at the fourth position, maintenance of the air filter cleaning means can be easily performed.

  According to the present embodiment, between the first position where the movable panel 21 closes the suction port 4a and the second position where the upper wall (the inclined surface 6b) extends from the upper end of the blower outlet 5 and extends. Since it is movable, when the operation of the air conditioner is stopped, the movable panel 21 can be arranged at the first position to improve the aesthetics of the air conditioner.

  In addition, when the air conditioner is in operation, the movable panel 21 is disposed at the second position, and the suction port 4a is widely opened to improve the intake efficiency. At this time, the conditioned air along the upper wall of the blowing path 6 smoothly flows along the movable panel 21. Thereby, there is little disturbance of the airflow in the blower outlet 5 vicinity, and pressure loss (DELTA) Pd2 accompanying it becomes small. In addition, the air along the movable panel 21 is decelerated and the kinetic energy is converted into static pressure, and the blower fan 7 is assisted by the static pressure increase ΔP2. In other words, a part of the kinetic energy that was conventionally taken away by the surrounding air is converted to static pressure and can be used for work for blowing air. Therefore, the static pressure rise by the blower fan 7 can be reduced, and energy saving of the air conditioner can be achieved.

  Note that the suction port 4a has a higher intake efficiency when the opening area is larger. For this reason, as shown in the above-mentioned FIG. 1, it is formed by opening substantially the entire front center portion of the front panel 3 from just above the outlet 5 to the upper part of the casing of the indoor unit 1. Thereby, the movable panel 21 is formed so as to cover substantially the entire front center portion of the front panel 3 and extend to the upper part of the housing. As a result, since the movable panel 21 is installed to extend forward in the second position, the amount of static pressure converted by the deceleration of the airflow can be increased, and the energy saving effect can be further improved.

  When the blower fan 7 is composed of a cross flow fan, the length of the upper wall surface of the flow path (comprising the blow path 6 and the movable panel 21) on the downstream side of the cross flow fan is set to 1. It should be 5 times or more. Thereby, it is possible to sufficiently recover the kinetic energy until the flow velocity of the air sent from the cross flow fan becomes sufficiently low. Therefore, the energy saving effect can be further improved.

  Further, the movable panel 21 has the upper surface in contact with the air before conditioning at the second position and the lower surface in contact with the air after conditioning. For this reason, a temperature difference occurs between the front and back surfaces, and condensation tends to occur. However, the movable panel 21 can be arranged at the second position by providing the condensation prevention means. In addition, even if condensation occurs on the movable panel 21, it is guided to the drain receiver 10, so that the movable panel 21 can be arranged at the second position.

Second Embodiment
Next, FIG. 13 is a side sectional view showing the indoor unit of the air conditioner of the second embodiment. For convenience of explanation, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as those in the first embodiment shown in FIGS. In this embodiment, a panel frame 24 is provided so as to overlap the rear of the movable panel 21, and the movable panel 21 and the panel frame 24 constitute an open panel assembly. Other parts are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  The lower end of the panel frame 24 is pivotally supported on the front panel 3 by a rotating shaft 22 disposed below the inlet 4 a and immediately above the outlet 5. The panel frame 24 is provided with an opening 24a having substantially the same size as the suction port 4a provided in the front center portion of the front panel 3. The movable panel 21 is pivotally supported at the upper end of the panel frame 24 by a rotating shaft 23. Moreover, the suction inlet 4a is formed from right above the blower outlet 5 to the housing | casing upper part of the indoor unit 1, and the movable panel 21 is extended and formed to the upper part of a housing | casing so that the whole opening part 24a may be covered.

  Similar to the first embodiment, the movable panel 21 is driven based on an instruction from a user or an instruction from a control unit (not shown) of the air conditioner. Thereby, it can rotate around the rotation shaft 22 integrally with the panel frame 24 and can be arranged at the first position shown in FIG. 13, the second position shown in FIG. 14, and the third position shown in FIG. It is like that. Further, the movable panel 21 is manually separated from the panel frame 24 and rotated around the rotation shaft 23 so that it can be disposed at the fourth position shown in FIG. The movable panel 21 may be driven based on an instruction from the user or an instruction from the control unit to rotate about the rotation shaft 23.

  In the air conditioner configured as described above, as shown in FIG. 13, the movable panel 21 is disposed at a first position that covers the entire inlet 4 a when the operation of the air conditioner is stopped. Thereby, the inside of the housing | casing of the indoor unit 1 is not visually recognized via the suction inlet 4a, but aesthetics can be improved. The movable panel 21 may block a part of the suction port 4a at the first position.

  When the operation of the air conditioner is started and the cooling operation is performed, for example, as shown in FIG. 14, the movable panel 21 rotates and extends from the upper end of the outlet 5 to extend the upper wall of the blowing path 6. Placed in position. Thereby, similarly to 1st Embodiment, the static pressure rise by the ventilation fan 7 can be made small, and the energy saving of an air conditioner can be achieved.

  As shown in FIG. 15, when the movable panel 21 is disposed at a third position where the suction port 4a between the first position and the second position is opened, the front of the suction port 4a is interposed through a predetermined space. Exposure in the housing is suppressed by shielding with the movable panel 21. As a result, the user can select and switch between the case where the movable panel 21 is arranged at the second position to save energy and the case where the movable panel 21 is arranged at the third position to improve aesthetics. it can. Therefore, a highly convenient air conditioner can be obtained.

  As shown in FIG. 16, when the movable panel 21 is placed in the fourth state by opening the lower end of the movable panel 21 forward and upward, the front surface of the front panel 3 is widely opened. Thereby, the inside of a housing | casing, the removal / insertion of the air filter 8 distribute | arranged in a housing | casing, etc. can be performed. An air filter cleaning means (not shown) for automatically cleaning the air filter 8 may be provided.

  According to this embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained, and when the movable panel 21 is arranged at the fourth position, the inside of the housing is opened downward, so that the inside of the housing is cleaned. And the air filter 8 can be taken in and out more easily.

<Third Embodiment>
Next, FIG. 17 is a side sectional view showing the indoor unit of the air conditioner of the third embodiment. For convenience of explanation, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as those in the first embodiment shown in FIGS. In the present embodiment, a protective member 27 is provided so as to be overlapped behind the movable panel 21. Other parts are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  As with the movable panel 21, the lower end of the protection member 27 is pivotally supported on the front panel 3 by a rotation shaft 22. The suction port 4a is formed from just above the blower outlet 5 to the upper part of the casing of the indoor unit 1, and the movable panel 21 and the protective member 27 are formed to extend to the upper part of the casing so as to cover the entire opening 24a. ing.

  Similar to the first embodiment, the movable panel 21 is driven based on an instruction from a user or an instruction from a control unit (not shown) of the air conditioner. Thereby, it can arrange | position at the 1st position shown in FIG. 17, and the 2nd position shown in FIG. 18, respectively. Further, when the movable panel 21 is rotated, the protection member 27 is rotated at an angle smaller than that of the movable panel 21 in conjunction with the movable panel 21, and the suction port 4a is opened.

  The protective member 27 is formed of a heat-insulating member such as a resin in which a plurality of hollow fine glass beads are kneaded. The protective member 27 may be formed by insert molding a heat insulating material inside. Further, the protective member 27 may be hollow molded. Moreover, you may form the protection member 27 with a material with low heat conductivity. Further, a heat insulating material may be fixed to the surface of the protective member 27 on the suction port 4a side. That is, the protection member 27 may have a configuration other than the above as long as it is formed of a member having heat insulation properties. Thereby, the dew condensation preventing means for preventing the dew condensation on the protection member 27 is configured. Further, the dew condensation generated on the protective member 27 is guided to the drain pan 10 in front of the protective member 27 along the surface.

  In the air conditioner configured as described above, as shown in FIG. 17, the movable panel 21 is disposed at a first position that covers the entire suction port 4 a when the air conditioner is stopped. Thereby, the inside of the housing | casing of the indoor unit 1 is not visually recognized via the suction inlet 4a, but aesthetics can be improved. The movable panel 21 and the protection member 27 may block a part of the suction port 4a at the first position.

  When the air conditioner is started and the cooling operation is performed, for example, as shown in FIG. 18, the movable panel 21 rotates and extends from the upper end of the outlet 5 to extend the upper wall of the blower path 6. Placed in position. Thereby, similarly to 1st Embodiment, the static pressure rise by the ventilation fan 7 can be made small, and the energy saving of an air conditioner can be achieved. At this time, since the rotation angle of the protection member 27 is smaller than that of the movable panel 21, the front of the suction port 4a is shielded by the protection member 27 through a predetermined space, and the exposure inside the housing is suppressed.

  Further, the movable panel 21 and the protective member 27 are further rotated from the state shown in FIG. 18 so that the inside of the housing can be cleaned and the air filter 8 can be taken in and out. Accordingly, the movable panel 21 and the protection member 27 constitute an open panel.

  According to the present embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained, and the exposure inside the indoor unit can be suppressed by the protective member 27 when the air conditioner is driven, so that the aesthetic appearance can be further improved. At this time, the front of the suction port 4a is shielded by the protective member 27 through a predetermined space, and the pressure loss of the suction port 4a becomes larger than that in the first embodiment. However, by disposing the movable panel 21 at the second position, it is possible to reduce the increase in static pressure of the blower fan 7 and to save energy.

  Further, when the movable panel 21 is arranged at the second position, the lower surface of the movable panel 21 comes into contact with the conditioned air, and the upper surface of the protection member 27 comes into contact with the unconditioned air. For this reason, the movable panel 21 and the protection member 27 are likely to cause dew condensation due to a temperature difference between the front and back sides, but the dew condensation preventing means is provided on each of the movable panel 21 and the protection member 27, so that the movable panel 21 can be arranged at the second position. In addition, even if dew condensation occurs on the movable panel 21 and the protection member 27, the movable panel 21 can be disposed at the second position because it is guided to the drain receiver 10.

  In the first to third embodiments, the movable panel 21 is rotated about the rotation shaft 22 and moved. However, the movable panel 21 includes sliding movement by guides such as gears, cams, and links. May be movable.

  Although the air conditioner according to the present invention has been described with reference to the first to third embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and may be implemented with appropriate modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. can do.

  According to this invention, it can utilize for the air conditioner provided with the movable panel which covers a suction inlet.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Indoor unit 2 Cabinet 3 Front panel 4a-4c Inlet 5 Outlet 6 Air supply path 6a Front guide part 6b Inclined surface 7 Blower fan 8 Air filter 9 Indoor heat exchanger 10, 13 Drain pan 11a, 11b Horizontal louver 12 Vertical louver 21 Movable panel 22, 23 Rotating shaft 24 Panel frame 24a Opening 27 Protective member 61 Temperature sensor

Claims (5)

A suction port provided on the front surface of the housing of the indoor unit;
An air outlet provided in the lower part of the housing;
An air passage that has a front guide portion that guides air forward and downward, and connects the suction port and the air outlet in the housing;
An inclined surface that is inclined upward as it goes forward from the end of the front guide portion continuously in front of the upper wall of the front guide portion;
A blower fan disposed in the blower path;
A movable panel movable between a first position that closes the suction port and a second position that extends from near the upper end of the inclined surface and extends the inclined surface forward and upward;
And the lower portion of the movable panel is substantially flush with the inclined surface at the second position. A suction port provided on the front surface of the housing of the indoor unit;
An air outlet provided in the lower part of the housing;
A blower path that connects the suction port and the outlet in the housing and inclines upward toward the front in the vicinity of the outlet,
A blower fan disposed in the blower path;
A movable panel that is movable between a first position that closes the suction port and a second position that extends from the upper end of the air outlet and extends the upper wall of the air flow path forward and upward;
And the lower portion of the movable panel is substantially flush with the downstream portion of the upper wall of the air flow path at the second position. Provided with the air direction variable portion provided in the air flow path to vary the air direction of the air outlet vertically.
When sending the conditioned air toward the upper front, the movable panel is moved to the second position, and the conditioned air is regulated by the wind direction variable portion so that the wind direction of the conditioned air becomes the upper front. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the conditioned air is sent along a front upper direction along the air conditioner. The wind direction variable portion includes a first wind direction plate provided to face the upper wall of the air flow path, and a second wind direction plate provided below the first wind direction plate,
When the movable panel moves to the second position, the air flow path that flows between the upper wall of the air flow path and the first wind direction plate and the space between the first wind direction plate and the second wind direction plate. The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein the first and second wind direction plates are arranged so that the flow path of the flowing airflow is gradually enlarged toward the downstream. The wind direction variable portion includes a first wind direction plate provided to face the upper wall of the air flow path, and a second wind direction plate provided below the first wind direction plate,
When the movable panel moves to the second position, the front end of the second wind direction plate is arranged in front of the rear end of the first wind direction plate, and between the first wind direction plate and the second wind direction plate. The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein the air conditioner is gradually enlarged as the flow path of the airflow flowing through the airstream goes downstream.