JP3801190B2 - Air conditioner indoor unit - Google Patents

Description

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

Some air conditioners include an open / close panel that covers a suction port provided in a casing. This open / close panel covers the suction port when the operation of the indoor unit of the air conditioner is stopped, thereby concealing the suction port from the outside, and can improve the design of the indoor unit of the air conditioner. In addition, during operation of the indoor unit of the air conditioner, air suction is ensured by moving the open / close panel so as to open the air inlet. (See Patent Document 1). Thereby, designability and ventilation performance can be made compatible.
JP-A-7-98129 (Fig. 1)

  However, in the air conditioner as described above, the open / close panel only opens the suction port with a uniform opening, and it is difficult to secure an appropriate amount of air suction according to the operation. For example, in recent air conditioners, in addition to the normal cooling / heating operation mode, when the room is rapidly cooled or heated, "powerful operation" in which the output of cooling or heating is increased or during sleep, etc. There may be a case where one operation mode is selected from a plurality of operation modes, such as “good night operation” in which noise is suppressed. However, if the open / close panel is similarly opened even in such different operation modes, there is a possibility that appropriate operation may not be performed in each operation mode. Explaining in the above example, the required suction amount differs between the powerful operation and the normal operation, so if the open / close panel is opened in the same way in the powerful operation and the normal operation, the suction amount during the powerful operation is insufficient. May not be able to secure sufficient capacity. Or in order to ensure the ventilation capability required in a powerful driving | operation, the output of an air blower and the frequency of a compressor will be increased excessively, and there exists a possibility that power consumption may increase.

  The subject of this invention is providing the indoor unit of the air conditioner which can ensure the appropriate amount of air suction according to a driving | operation.

An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a casing provided with a suction port, an open / close panel, a moving mechanism, and a control unit. The open / close panel moves away from the casing to open the inlet, and moves closer to the casing to close the inlet. The moving mechanism moves the opening / closing panel so that the opening degree of the suction port , which is the size of the separation of the opening / closing panel from the casing , becomes a desired opening degree. The control unit can execute the air-conditioning operation in one operation mode selected from the plurality of operation modes, and controls the moving mechanism. And in a series of operation | movement in the selected one operation mode , the control part can change the opening degree of a suction inlet into a desired opening degree according to temperature change, air volume change, or progress of time. .
In the indoor unit of this air conditioner, the control unit can change the opening of the suction port to a desired opening. For this reason, a suction inlet can be opened to the suitable opening according to the driving | running of an air conditioner. As a result, it is possible to ensure an appropriate amount of air suction according to the operation.

An air conditioner indoor unit according to a second aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner indoor unit of the first aspect, wherein the control unit can control the moving mechanism to change the opening of the suction port in a plurality of stages. is there.
In the indoor unit of the air conditioner, the control unit can change the opening of the suction port in a plurality of stages. For this reason, a suction inlet can be opened to the suitable opening according to the driving | running of an air conditioner. As a result, it is possible to ensure an appropriate amount of air suction according to the operation.

An air conditioner indoor unit according to a third aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner indoor unit of the first aspect or the second aspect of the present invention, and further includes a blower controlled by the control unit. And the control part can change the opening degree of a suction inlet into a desired opening degree according to the air volume by an air blower.
In this indoor unit of an air conditioner, the opening degree of the suction port can be changed to a desired opening degree according to the air volume by the blower. For this reason, the amount of air suction suitable for the air volume by the blower can be secured.

  An air conditioner indoor unit according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner indoor unit of the first aspect or the second aspect, wherein the control unit opens the inlet with an opening corresponding to the selected operation mode. .

  In the indoor unit of the air conditioner, control is performed to open the suction port at an opening corresponding to the selected operation mode. For this reason, the suction port is not opened at the same opening degree regardless of the operation mode, but can be opened at the opening degree suitable for each operation mode. Thereby, in this indoor unit of an air conditioner, an appropriate operation can be performed in each of a plurality of operation modes.

An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a fifth aspect of the invention is the indoor unit of the air conditioner of the fourth aspect, wherein an instruction device for selecting one operation mode from a plurality of operation modes and instructing the control unit is provided. Further prepare. And a control part controls a moving mechanism, and opens a suction inlet by the opening degree corresponding to the operation mode instruct | indicated from the instruction | indication apparatus.
In the indoor unit of this air conditioner, control is performed so that the suction port is opened at an opening corresponding to the operation mode instructed from the instruction device. For this reason, the suction port is not opened at the same opening degree regardless of the operation mode, but can be opened at the opening degree suitable for each operation mode. Thereby, in this indoor unit of an air conditioner, an appropriate operation can be performed in each of a plurality of operation modes.

  The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a sixth aspect of the invention is the indoor unit of the air conditioner of the fifth aspect of the invention, and further includes a blower controlled by the control unit. And when a 1st operation mode is instruct | indicated among several operation modes, a control part makes the output of an air blower 1st air volume, controls a moving mechanism, and opens a suction inlet by 1st opening degree. . In addition, when the second operation mode is instructed among the plurality of operation modes, the control unit sets the output of the blower to a second air volume smaller than the first air volume and controls the moving mechanism to set the suction port. Open at a second opening greater than the first opening.

  In this indoor unit of an air conditioner, in the second operation mode, the output of the blower is set to a second air volume that is smaller than the first air volume, so that the operation sound of the blower can be suppressed more than in the first operation mode. it can. Further, in the second operation mode, the suction port is opened at the second opening larger than the first opening, so that the pressure loss of the air sucked in than in the first operation mode can be reduced, and the air volume is low. The necessary air conditioning capability can be maintained. Thereby, in this air conditioner, it is possible to suppress the operation sound and prevent the air conditioning ability from decreasing.

The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the indoor unit of the air conditioner of the fifth aspect of the present invention, and further includes a blower controlled by the control unit. And when a 1st operation mode is instruct | indicated among several operation modes, a control part makes the output of an air blower 1st air volume, controls a moving mechanism, and opens a suction inlet by 1st opening degree. . In addition, when the third operation mode is instructed among the plurality of operation modes, the control unit sets the output of the blower to the first air volume and controls the moving mechanism so that the suction port is set to be more than the first opening. Open with a large second opening.
In the indoor unit of this air conditioner, in the third operation mode, the output of the blower is kept at the first air volume, and the suction port is opened at the second opening larger than the first opening. For this reason, the pressure loss of the sucked air can be reduced, and the wind noise caused by the sucked air can be suppressed.

An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an eighth aspect is the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the sixth aspect or the seventh aspect, wherein the second opening is an opening at which the suction port is opened to the maximum.
In this air conditioner indoor unit, the suction port is opened to the maximum by opening the suction port at the second opening. For this reason, the pressure loss of suction air can be reduced more.

  An indoor unit for an air conditioner according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is the indoor unit for an air conditioner according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, and further includes a blower controlled by the control unit. And when a 1st operation mode is instruct | indicated among several operation modes, a control part makes the output of an air blower 1st air volume, controls a moving mechanism, and opens a suction inlet by 1st opening degree. . In addition, when the fourth operation mode is instructed among the plurality of operation modes, the control unit sets the output of the blower to a third air volume larger than the first air volume and controls the moving mechanism to set the suction port. Open at a third opening greater than the first opening.

  In the indoor unit of this air conditioner, in the fourth operation mode, the output of the blower is set to a third air volume larger than the first air volume, and the suction port is opened at a third opening larger than the first opening. . For this reason, the pressure loss of the air sucked in can be reduced, and more air can be sucked in as the output of the blower increases. Thereby, in this air conditioner, a larger air conditioning capability can be ensured.

An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a tenth aspect is the indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the ninth aspect, wherein the third opening is an opening at which the suction port is opened to the maximum.
In this air conditioner indoor unit, the suction port is opened to the maximum by opening the suction port at the third opening. For this reason, the pressure loss of inhalation air can be reduced more and more air can be inhaled.

  An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention is the indoor unit of any one of the first to tenth aspects of the present invention, wherein the casing is further provided with a blowout port. The open / close panel includes a first panel portion that opens and closes the air outlet, and a second panel portion that is formed integrally with the first panel portion and opens and closes the air inlet. When the operation is stopped, the air inlet and the air outlet are provided. Close mouth and.

  In the indoor unit of this air conditioner, when the operation is stopped, the suction port and the blowout port are closed by the integral opening / closing panel. For this reason, it is possible to make it difficult to see the air inlet and the air outlet from the outside when the operation is stopped, and it is possible to improve the aesthetics of the indoor unit of the air conditioner. In addition, since the suction opening is opened and closed when the opening and closing panel that is large enough to close the suction opening and the blowout opening is separated from and close to the casing, the movement of the opening and closing panel corresponding to each operation mode is visually it is obvious. Thereby, in the indoor unit of this air conditioner, the effect of visually recognizing the operation mode instruction can be improved.

  An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention is the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to any of the first to eleventh aspects of the present invention, wherein the moving mechanism has a closed state in which the opening / closing panel closes the suction port, A first open state in which the open / close panel is moved forward from the closed state to open the suction port, and a second open state in which the open / close panel is further moved forward from the first state to open the suction port further wide. Move the open / close panel.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the first aspect of the invention, the suction port can be opened at an appropriate opening according to the operation of the air conditioner, and an appropriate amount of air intake according to the operation can be ensured. .
In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the second aspect of the invention, the control unit can change the opening of the suction port in a plurality of stages, and therefore opens the suction port to an appropriate opening according to the operation of the air conditioner. Can do. As a result, it is possible to ensure an appropriate amount of air suction according to the operation.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the third aspect of the invention, it is possible to secure an air suction amount suitable for the air volume by the blower.
In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the fourth aspect of the invention, the suction port is not opened at the same opening regardless of the operation mode, but can be opened at the opening suitable for each operation mode. Appropriate operation can be performed in each of the plurality of operation modes.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the fifth aspect of the invention, the suction port is not opened at the same opening regardless of the operation mode, but can be opened at the opening suitable for each operation mode. Appropriate operation can be performed in each of the plurality of operation modes.
In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, in the second operation mode, it is possible to suppress operation noise and prevent a decrease in air conditioning capability.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the seventh aspect, in the third operation mode, the pressure loss of the sucked air can be reduced, and the wind noise caused by the sucked air can be suppressed.
In the indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the eighth aspect of the invention, the suction port is opened to the maximum, so that the pressure loss of the suction air can be further reduced.

In the indoor unit for an air conditioner according to the ninth aspect of the present invention, a larger air conditioning capability can be ensured in the fourth operation mode.
In the indoor unit for an air conditioner according to the tenth aspect of the present invention, since the suction port is opened to the maximum in the fourth operation mode, more air can be sucked.
In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the eleventh aspect of the invention, it is possible to make it difficult to see the inlet and the outlet from the outside when the operation is stopped, and it is possible to improve the aesthetics of the indoor unit of the air conditioner. Moreover, the effect that the instruction | indication of a driving mode can be visually recognized can be improved.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The first panel portion 61 is a portion that covers the upper end of the horizontal flap 5 when the front panel 6 is closed. The first panel unit 61 constitutes the lower part of the front panel 6.
The second panel portion 62 is a portion that covers the first suction port 21 when the front panel 6 is closed. The second panel part 62 constitutes the upper part of the front panel 6.
The upper end of the first panel portion 61 and the lower end of the second panel portion 62 are continuous, and the first panel portion 61 and the second panel portion 62 are in the closed state of the front panel 6 and the first casing surface 23 and They are integrated at a predetermined angle along the second casing surface 24.
The front panel 6 is supported at both ends by first support members 71 (see FIG. 10). The two first support members 71 are provided at both end portions of the indoor unit casing 2 and are provided so as to be movable forward and backward. The front panel 6 moves as the first support members 71 move.

[Movement mechanism]
The moving mechanism 7 shown in FIG. 6 moves the front panel 6 so that the first suction port 21 is opened at a desired opening degree. The moving mechanism 7 opens the first suction port 21 by moving the front panel 6 from the closed state to the front when the front panel 6 is closed (the state shown in FIG. 9A). The first open state (the state of FIG. 9B) and the second open state in which the front panel 6 has moved further forward from the first state to open the first suction port 21 further (FIG. 9C). )), The front panel 6 is moved. When the front panel 6 shifts from the closed state to the first open state, the front panel 6 moves in parallel, and when the front panel 6 shifts from the first open state to the second open state, the front panel 6 6 rotates. When the front panel 6 is in the first open state, the first suction port 21 is opened at the first opening. Further, when the front panel 6 is in the second open state, the first suction port 21 is opened at the second opening that is the maximum opening larger than the first opening. The moving mechanism 7 includes a first support member 71, a second support member 72, and a panel drive motor 73 (see FIG. 7).

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

The 2nd support member 72 is a member which supports the 1st support member 71 so that translation and rotation are possible, and is attached to the inner side of the right side of indoor unit casing 2, and the inner side of the left side, respectively. The second support member 72 has a first pinion gear 78 and a second pinion gear 79 that are screwed together. The first pinion gear 78 transmits the rotation of the panel drive motor 73 to the second pinion gear 79. The second pinion gear 79 transmits the rotation transmitted from the first pinion gear 78 to the rack gear 74 described above. A first support claw 721 and a second support claw 722 are provided in the vicinity of the center portion of the second support member 72. The first support claw 721 has a cylindrical shape protruding from the surface of the second support member 72 and is inserted into the first slit portion 75 of the first support member 71. The first support claw 721 is engaged with the first slit portion 75 to support the first support member 71. Similarly to the first support claw 721, the second support claw 722 has a cylindrical shape protruding from the surface of the second support member 72, and is inserted into the third slit portion 77 of the first support member 71. The second support claw 722 is engaged with the third slit portion 77 and supports the first support member 71. The first support claw 721 and the second support claw 722 slide the front panel 6 that slides back and forth with respect to the first slit portion 75 and the second slit portion 76 when the front panel 6 performs an opening / closing operation. To support.
The panel drive motor 73 shown in FIG. 7 is rotationally driven under the control of the control unit 8. The panel drive motor 73 transmits rotation to the first pinion gear 78 to move the first support member 71 relative to the second support member 72.

[Control unit]
The control unit 8 shown in FIG. 7 receives an instruction from the remote controller 9 described later, and controls the panel drive motor 73, the fan motor 4, the flap motor 50, and the like of the moving mechanism 7 described above. The operation mode in which the control unit 8 is instructed includes normal cooling / heating operation, sleep operation, and powerful operation. The sleep operation is an operation mode in which the operation sound such as the driving sound of the fan motor 4 and the wind noise of the intake air is reduced and the room is kept quieter than the normal cooling / heating operation. The powerful operation is an operation mode in which the cooling / heating capacity is increased more quickly than the normal cooling / heating operation to quickly cool / heat the room.

When receiving a normal cooling / heating operation mode command, the control unit 8 controls the fan motor 4 to set the output from the blower fan 3 to the first air volume, and controls the panel drive motor 73 to control the front panel. 6 is shifted to the first open state, and the first suction port 21 is opened at the first opening.
When the control unit 8 receives a sleep operation command, the control unit 8 controls the fan motor 4 so that the output from the blower fan 3 becomes a second air volume smaller than the first air volume, and controls the panel drive motor 73. Then, the front panel 6 is shifted to the second open state, and the first suction port 21 is opened at the second opening.

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

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

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

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

Further, when the front panel 6 shifts from the first open state to the second open state, the first support member 71 has the first curved portion 752 of the first slit portion 75 as shown in FIG. The curved portion 772 of the third slit portion 77 is engaged with the support claw 721 and moves so as to be engaged with the second support claw 722. Thereby, the first support member 71 rotates and the front panel 6 rotates and moves so that the upper end of the front panel 6 falls forward as shown in FIG. 9B (see arrow A2). At this time, the lower end of the first panel portion 61 remains at the position in the first open state, and the front panel 6 rotates around the lower end of the first panel portion 61, so that the upper end of the second panel portion 62 is forward. Rotate towards Thereby, the upper part between the 2nd panel part 62 and the 2nd casing surface 24 is further opened, and the 1st suction inlet 21 is further opened, and becomes 2nd opening degree.
In addition, when the front panel 6 shifts from the second open state to the first open state, the front panel 6 rotates and moves opposite to the above. When the operation of the indoor unit 1 is stopped, the horizontal flap 5 rotates and closes the outlet 20, and then the front panel 6 translates in the reverse direction to the first suction port from the upper end of the horizontal flap 5. The parts up to 21 are again hidden from the outside.

<Features>
(1)
In the indoor unit 1 of the air conditioner, the portion from the upper end of the horizontal flap 5 to the first suction port 21 is concealed by the front panel 6 when the operation is stopped. For this reason, the relatively large gap G for enabling the horizontal flap 5 to turn is difficult to see from the outside. Thereby, in the indoor unit 1 of this air conditioner, the aesthetics are improved such that the interior is improved.

Further, when the front panel 6 as described above is not provided, it is necessary to reduce the gap G so that the gap G is not exposed to the front. In this case, the horizontal flap 5 is rotated. You can limit the direction. Therefore, in the indoor unit 1 of this air conditioner, such a restriction on the rotation direction of the horizontal flap 5 is relaxed.
(4)
In the indoor unit 1 of the air conditioner, the first air inlet 21 is opened at the second opening and the air volume is reduced to the second air volume during the night operation. Thereby, the rotation speed of the blower fan 3 can be suppressed, and the operation sound can be reduced. Moreover, the pressure loss of the air suction is reduced by increasing the opening degree to the second opening degree. As a result, it is possible to reduce the operation noise and maintain the air conditioning capability before the opening degree is changed.

(5)
In the indoor unit 1 of the air conditioner, in the powerful operation, the first suction port 21 is opened at the second opening and the air volume is increased to the third air volume. Thereby, an air conditioning capability can be increased. In addition, by reducing the pressure loss due to air suction, the air conditioning capacity required for powerful operation is reduced depending on the rotational speed of the blower fan 3 and the frequency of the compressor, which is lower than when the powerful operation is performed at the first opening. Can be output. Thereby, an increase in driving sound and power consumption can be prevented.

Moreover, at the time of a powerful driving | operation, the front panel 6 will be in the 2nd open state, and the front panel 6 will be in the state which protruded largely ahead. For this reason, the effect which visually appeals to the resident etc. that powerful driving is performed arises.
(4)
In the indoor unit 1 of this air conditioner, the front panel 6 has a bent shape. Then, when the operation is started, the front panel 6 covering the outlet 20 moves linearly and obliquely upward to the position where the outlet 20 is opened, whereby the outlet 20 is opened and the first panel portion 61 is opened. However, the lower end between the second panel portion 62 and the second casing surface 24 is closed. Further, when the front panel 6 shifts from the first open state to the second open state and the opening degree is further increased, the front panel 6 rotates around the lower end, so that the first panel portion 61 is The state which plugs up the lower end between the 2 panel part 62 and the 2nd casing surface 24 is maintained. For this reason, in the first open state and the second open state, the air blown out from the blowout port 20 passes through the lower portion between the second panel portion 62 and the second casing surface 24 and again from the first suction port 21. It is possible to prevent a short circuit from being sucked. Thereby, the fall of the air conditioning capability of an indoor unit by a short circuit and dew can be prevented.

Further, since a short circuit is prevented, the front panel 6 can be moved relatively large, and a large area of the opening provided in the upper portion between the second panel portion 62 and the second casing surface 24 is ensured. Can do.
(5)
In the indoor unit 1 of this air conditioner, the trajectory of the front panel 6 changes in two stages, a linear shape and an arc shape, depending on the shape of the slit portions 75 and 77 in which two types of shapes are combined as described above. For this reason, it is not necessary to provide a complicated mechanism, and the opening degree of the front panel 6 can be adjusted only by pulse-controlling one panel drive motor 73.

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

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

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

Further, the closed front panel 6 is in a state in which the first outlet 20 is closed, but is not necessarily limited to a completely sealed state, and does not exclude a case where the front panel 6 is opened at a slight opening degree.
(4)
In the above embodiment, the second opening is the maximum opening of the first suction port 21, but the second opening is not the maximum opening and the first suction port 21 can be opened with a larger opening. It may be. For example, the first suction port 21 may be opened larger than the second opening degree in other operation modes, filter maintenance, or front panel 6 removal. Further, even when the second opening is the maximum opening, the front panel 6 may be provided with some play so that it can be manually opened larger than the second opening.

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

(6)
In the above embodiment, the front panel 6 changes from the closed state to the two open states of the first open state and the second open state, but may change to three or more open states. One suction port 21 may be opened in three or more stages. That is, the control part 8 should just be able to change the opening degree of the 1st inlet 21 into the desired opening degree of several steps, and is not restricted to two steps of said embodiment.

Moreover, in said embodiment, although the 1st inlet 21 is opened by the same 2nd opening degree at the time of a powerful driving | operation and the night driving | running | working, you may open at a different opening degree.
Furthermore, in said embodiment, although the 1st inlet 21 is opened by the same opening degree in the same operation mode, the opening degree of the 1st inlet 21 may be adjusted in the same operation mode. Thereby, a finer opening degree adjustment according to the driving situation is possible.

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

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

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

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention has an effect of ensuring an appropriate air intake amount according to operation, and is useful as an indoor unit for an air conditioner.

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

Explanation of symbols

1 Air conditioner indoor unit 2 Indoor unit casing (casing)
3 Blower fan (blower)
6 Front panel (Open / close panel)
7 Moving mechanism 8 Control unit 9 Remote control (indicating device)
20 Outlet 21 First suction port (suction port)
61 1st panel part 62 2nd panel part

Claims (12)

A casing (2) provided with a suction port (21);
An opening / closing panel (6) that moves away from the casing (2) to open the suction port (21), moves closer to the casing (2) and closes the suction port (21);
A moving mechanism (7) for moving the open / close panel (6) so that the opening degree of the suction port (21) , which is the magnitude of separation of the open / close panel from the casing (2) , becomes a desired opening degree. When,
A control unit (8) capable of performing an air-conditioning operation in the one operation mode selected from a plurality of operation modes, and controlling the moving mechanism (7);
With
In the series of operations in the selected one operation mode, the control unit (8) sets a desired opening degree of the suction port (21) according to temperature change, air volume change, or passage of time . Can be changed to the opening,
Air conditioner indoor unit (1). The control unit (8) can control the moving mechanism (7) to change the opening of the suction port (21) in a plurality of stages.
The indoor unit (1) of the air conditioner according to claim 1. A blower (3) controlled by the control unit (8);
The control unit (8) can change the opening of the suction port (21) to a desired opening according to the air volume by the blower (3).
The indoor unit (1) of the air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2. The control unit opens the suction port (21) at an opening corresponding to the selected operation mode.
The indoor unit (1) of the air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2. An instruction device (9) for selecting one operation mode from the plurality of operation modes and instructing the control unit (8);
The control unit (8) controls the moving mechanism (7) to open the suction port (21) at an opening corresponding to the operation mode instructed from the instruction device (9).
The indoor unit (1) of the air conditioner according to claim 4. A blower (3) controlled by the control unit (8);
When the first operation mode is instructed among the plurality of operation modes, the control unit (8) sets the output of the blower (3) as a first air volume and controls the moving mechanism (7). The suction port (21) is opened at the first opening, and when the second operation mode is instructed among the plurality of operation modes, the output of the blower (3) is smaller than the first air volume. 2 air volume and control the moving mechanism (7) to open the suction port (21) at a second opening larger than the first opening;
The indoor unit (1) of the air conditioner according to claim 5. A blower (3) controlled by the control unit (8);
When the first operation mode is instructed among the plurality of operation modes, the control unit (8) sets the output of the blower (3) as a first air volume and controls the moving mechanism (7). The suction port (21) is opened at the first opening, and when the third operation mode is instructed among the plurality of operation modes, the output of the blower (3) is set to the first air volume and the Controlling the moving mechanism (7) to open the suction port (21) at a second opening larger than the first opening;
The indoor unit (1) of the air conditioner according to claim 5. The second opening is an opening at which the suction port (21) is opened to the maximum.
The indoor unit (1) for an air conditioner according to claim 6 or 7. A blower (3) controlled by the control unit (8);
When the first operation mode is instructed among the plurality of operation modes, the control unit (8) sets the output of the blower (3) as a first air volume and controls the moving mechanism (7). The suction port (21) is opened at the first opening, and when the fourth operation mode is instructed among the plurality of operation modes, the output of the blower (3) is larger than the first air volume. The air volume is set to 3 and the moving mechanism (7) is controlled to open the suction port (21) at a third opening larger than the first opening.
The indoor unit (1) of the air conditioner according to claim 5. The third opening is an opening at which the suction port (21) is opened to the maximum.
The indoor unit (1) for an air conditioner according to claim 9. The casing (2) is further provided with an outlet (20),
The open / close panel (6) is formed integrally with the first panel portion (61) for opening and closing the outlet (20) and the first panel portion (61), and the first panel portion (61) for opening and closing the suction port (21). Two panel parts (62), and closes the inlet (21) and the outlet (20) in the operation stop state,
The indoor unit (1) of the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 10.   The moving mechanism (7) includes a closed state in which the open / close panel (6) closes the suction port (21), and a state in which the open / close panel (6) moves forward from the closed state to the suction port (21). ) Is opened to the first open state, and the open / close panel (6) is further moved forward from the first state to open the suction port (21) to the second open state. 6) Move,
The indoor unit (1) for an air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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