JP3864951B2 - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to the structure of an air conditioner.

  Conventionally, as an air conditioner having a panel at the air suction port, a blow grill that blows wind is provided below the front of the main body, and a front panel that opens and closes the air suction port is provided above the blow grill. There is a built-in opening / closing device that opens and closes the front panel in the front-rear direction (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  As another conventional example, as shown in FIG. 7, a front grill 12 is disposed in front of the air conditioner main body 11, and the front grill 12 serves as an air inlet to the internal wind circuit. A plurality of cross-shaped openings 12a were provided.

  Reference numeral 13 denotes a display unit that displays the operating state of the air conditioner body 11, above the up-and-down wind direction changing blade 15 provided at the wind outlet 14, and in the substantially central portion of the air conditioner body 11 in the width direction. The air conditioner main body 11 is provided in the exterior portion of the air conditioner main body 11 so that the air conditioner main body 11 can always be seen regardless of whether the air conditioner main body 11 is operating or stopped (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

As another conventional example, an air conditioner having a panel at the air inlet has a panel opening / closing drive mechanism in front of a curved heat exchanger (for example, a patent) Reference 3).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 04-084042 JP 2003-156228 A JP 2003-74896 A

  However, in the case of opening and closing the front panel as described above, since the front panel moves substantially horizontally in front of the blowout grill, the cool air blown from the upper part of the blowout grill during cooling operation is There is a problem in that it tends to be a turbulent flow at the lower end portion of the, and condensation easily occurs in the vicinity thereof.

  Further, in the case of the conventional example shown in FIG. 7, the cross-shaped opening 12a serving as an air suction port in the front grill 12 is uneven in shape, so that dust easily adheres and wiping is difficult. It was. In addition, a certain amount of opening area is indispensable to ensure a sufficient amount of air suction, and there are many design restrictions.

  Furthermore, since the display unit 13 is provided in the external part of the air conditioner main body 11 and is always exposed, even in a state where the operation of the air conditioner main body 11 is stopped, the portion has a high impact in design. It was difficult to achieve a clean and highly aesthetic design.

  In addition, a conventional air conditioner with a panel opening / closing drive mechanism in front of a heat exchanger that has a curved shape on the front side increases the depth of the main unit, and when installed on a wall, it has a design that feels tight It was difficult to achieve a thin, clean and highly aesthetic design.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and aims to provide an air conditioner that has a low-cost configuration, enhances the aesthetics of the air conditioner, and further reduces condensation at the lower end of the front panel. Is.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a front panel that can be opened and closed on the front surface of an air conditioner main body provided with an outlet, and when the operation of the main body is stopped, the lower end of the front panel is lower than the upper end of the outlet. In operation, the front panel moves forward and upward, and the lower end of the front panel is positioned higher than the upper end of the outlet. The front panel can be secured, the front panel has a high aesthetic design with no openings, and the surface has no irregularities such as crosspieces, so the front panel is hard to get dirty, and the cold air blown from the outlet hits the lower end of the front panel. It is difficult to prevent condensation.

  The air conditioner of the present invention can make the front panel a highly aesthetic design without an opening, and since there is no unevenness on the surface such as a crosspiece, it is hard to get dirty, and even when it gets dirty, it is easy to wipe It becomes. In addition, since the cold air blown from the blowout port is difficult to hit the lower end of the front panel, condensation can be prevented. In addition, the main body is thin, and the design can be highly aesthetic.

1st invention provides the front panel which can be opened and closed in the front surface of the air conditioner main body which equipped the inside with the wind circuit and blower outlets, such as a heat exchanger, a fan, and a blow-out grill, The lower end of the panel is positioned below the upper end of the outlet, and during operation, the front panel moves forward and upward, and the lower end of the front panel is positioned above the upper end of the outlet. The air inlet can be secured between the front panel and the main body, the front panel has a high aesthetic design with no openings, and the front panel has no unevenness such as a cross, so the front panel is difficult to get dirty. Condensation can be prevented because the cold air blown out from the mouth does not easily hit the lower end of the front panel. The display unit is arranged above the lower end of the closed front panel and at a position where it can be seen from the lower front when the front panel is opened, so that the display unit is not visible from the outside when the operation is stopped. As a result, it is possible to eliminate the obstructions in the design and improve the aesthetics of the air conditioner.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the main body and the front panel are connected by a pair of support tools, and at least one of the pair of support tools is pivotally supported by one end at the main body and the other end at the front panel. The first support plate and the second support plate are formed with one support plate, one end attached to the main body, and the other end attached to the front panel so as to be rotatable and slidable. The support plate is pivotally supported so that the structure of the support for moving the front panel forward and upward is simplified, and there are few failures, and the cost can be reduced and the weight can be reduced.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a panel driving device is disposed in a space surrounded by a heat exchanger whose upper part is inclined rearward and a front part and a top part of the air conditioner body, and the panel is located at the upper part of the body. One end is pivotally connected to the front panel and the other end is fixed to the shaft that is the pivot point for opening and closing the panel, and the gear unit facing the drive unit is fixed to the shaft that is the pivot point for opening and closing. The gear portion is connected to the panel driving device so that the panel can be moved up and down while being driven to open and close, the condensation at the lower end of the front panel can be prevented, and the body is thin. Is achieved, and the design can be made with high aesthetics.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In addition, about the same part as a prior art example, the description is abbreviate | omitted using the same code | symbol and a name.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view when the operation of the indoor unit main body 1 of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment of the present invention is stopped, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view during the operation. .

  In FIG. 1, a heat exchanger 2, a fan 3, and a blowout grill 5 are arranged inside a main body 1. The blower outlet 5b that communicates with the blowout grill 5 and blows out cold air and / or hot air to the outside is provided with blades 6 for changing the vertical air direction that changes the direction of the blown air.

  On the front surface of the main body 1, a front panel 4 connected to the main body 1 by a support 7 that is rotationally driven by a driving device (not shown) is disposed. The front panel 4 is not provided with an air intake opening.

  As shown in FIG. 1, when the operation is stopped, the driving device rotates the support 7 in the direction to close the front panel 4 (counterclockwise), whereby the front panel 4 is closed and in close contact with the main body 1. At that time, the lower end 4a of the front panel 4 is located below the upper end 5a of the outlet 5b.

  During operation, as shown in FIG. 2, the driving device rotates the support 7 in the direction in which the front panel 4 opens (clockwise), so that the front panel 4 moves forward and upward, The lower end 4a of the front panel 4 is positioned above the upper end 5a of the outlet 5b by B.

  About the air conditioner comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement and an effect | action are demonstrated below.

  First, during operation, the front panel 4 moves forward and upward, and the rotation of the fan 3 causes indoor air to be sucked in through the front panel 4 positioned in front of the main body 1 and the gaps above, laterally, and below the main body 1. The heat exchanger 2 exchanges heat into cold air and warm air, passes through the blowout grill 5 and the blowout port 5b, changes the blowout angle by the up-and-down airflow direction changing blade 6, and blows out into the room.

  In the case of cooling, the cold air blown out from the blowout port 5b hits an obstacle in front of it and becomes a turbulent flow and is likely to generate condensation. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. Since the lower end 4a of the front panel 4 is positioned higher than the upper end 5a of the mouth 5b by the height B, the cold air hardly hits the lower end 4a and can prevent the formation of condensation.

  In addition, when the operation is stopped, as shown in FIG. 1, the lower end 4a of the front panel 4 is positioned below the upper end 5a of the outlet 5b by the height A. The upper end 5a is concealed and aesthetics can be enhanced.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, since no opening for taking in air is required in the front panel 4, dust does not accumulate, cleaning becomes easy, and an excellent design can be applied. become able to.

(Embodiment 2)
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition, about the same part as the said Example, the description is abbreviate | omitted using the same code | symbol and a name.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the indoor unit body 1 of the air conditioner, in which the opened front panel 4 is indicated by a solid line, and the closed front panel 4 is indicated by a two-dot chain line.

  FIG. 4 is a front view of the main body 1 when the operation is stopped.

  In FIG. 3, the display part 8 which displays the operating state of an air conditioner is arrange | positioned in the front part of the water-receiving tray part (not shown) of the blowing grill 5. As shown in FIG.

  And the said display part 8 is attached to the position which cannot be seen when the operation | movement of the main body 1 is stopped, and can be visually recognized from the front lower part during a driving | operation.

  Specifically, when the main body 1 is viewed from the front and lower arrow direction 9 when the operation is stopped, the lower end 8a of the display unit 8 is higher than the lower end 4a of the front panel 4 by a height C, and the front panel 4 is hidden. When the main body 1 is looked up from the front lower side during driving (the arrow direction 9), the lower end 8a of the display unit 8 is arranged below the lower end 4a of the front panel 4 by the height D, so the display unit 8 is easily visible from the front lower side.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, when the operation is stopped, the display unit 8 is concealed inside the front panel 4, so that the aesthetics of the air conditioner can be improved. it can.

(Embodiment 3)
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition, about the same part as the said Example, the description is abbreviate | omitted using the same code | symbol and a name.

  FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a pair of supporting tools 12 that connect the front panel 4 to the main body 1 and the mounting portion thereof in a state where the front panel 4 is opened.

  The support 12 includes a first support plate 14 provided with a shaft 14a pivotally supported at one end on the main body 1 and at the other end on the front panel 4, and a groove shape or one end provided on the main body 1. A second support plate provided with a shaft 15a rotatably and slidably mounted on a slot-shaped receiving portion A1b and a groove-shaped or slotted receiving portion B4b provided on the front panel 4 at the other end. 15, and the first support plate 14 and the second support plate 15 are rotatably connected to each other by a shaft 13 at a substantially central portion.

  11a is a gear A for integrally rotating the first support plate 14, and is rotated by the drive device 11 via a gear B11b.

  In the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 6, when the operation is stopped, the first support plate 14 is rotated counterclockwise by the gears A, B 11a, and 11b that are rotationally driven by the drive device 11, and the second support plate is rotated. The shafts 15a at both ends of the slide 15 slide while rotating and move away from each other in the vertical direction so that the first support plate 14 and the second support plate 15 overlap, and the front panel 4 is It can be brought into close contact with the main body 1.

  Further, during operation, when the first support plate 14 is rotated clockwise by the drive device 11 via the gear B11b and the gear A11a, the shafts 15a at both ends of the second support plate 15 approach in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 5, the first and second support plates 14 and 15 are opened.

At this time, since the rotation center of the shaft 14a on the main body 1 side of the first support plate 14 is fixed, the front panel 4 can be moved forward and upward from the main body 1.
As described above, according to this embodiment, the structure of the support 12 is a simple structure including two parts, and the cost can be reduced.

  In addition, in the said Example, although the axis | shaft provided in the both ends of the 2nd support plate 15 was received by the groove | channel or long hole-shaped receiving part B and A provided in the front panel 14 and the main body 1 side, it is a reverse structure. That is, it is needless to say that the same effect can be obtained even if grooves or elongated holes B and A are provided at both ends of the second support plate 15 and a shaft is provided on the front panel 14 and the main body 1 side. No.

(Embodiment 4)
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition, about the same part as the said Example, the description is abbreviate | omitted using the same code | symbol and a name.

  The driving device 11 is engaged with a heat exchanger whose upper side is inclined rearward inside the front surface portion and the top surface portion of the main body 1.

  The support 12 includes a first support plate 14 provided with a shaft 14a pivotally supported at one end on the main body 1 and at the other end on the front panel 4, and a groove shape or one end provided on the main body 1. A second support plate provided with a shaft 15a rotatably and slidably mounted on a slot-shaped receiving portion A1b and a groove-shaped or slotted receiving portion B4b provided on the front panel 4 at the other end. 15, and the first support plate 14 and the second support plate 15 are rotatably connected to each other by a shaft 13 at a substantially central portion.

  11a is a gear A for integrally rotating the first support plate 14, and is rotated by the drive device 11 via a gear B11b.

  In the above configuration, the driving device 11 is disposed on the inner side of the most uppermost portion and the foremost portion of the heat exchanger, and the shaft 14a is disposed substantially above the driving device, so that the gear B11b is rotated during operation. Then, the drive is transmitted to the gear A11a that is connected first, the shaft 14a is rotated, and the support plate 14 is further rotated clockwise to move the panel 4 upward. By arranging the components in this way, the drive mechanism can be reduced in size, the main body 1 can be made thinner, and a clean and highly aesthetic design can be achieved.

  As described above, the air conditioner according to the present invention can make the front panel a highly aesthetic design without an opening, and has no surface irregularities such as a crosspiece. In addition, wiping and cleaning are easy, and since the cold air blown out from the blowout port is difficult to hit the lower end of the front panel, it is possible to prevent condensation, so that it can also be applied to applications such as houses that require high interior properties.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view when the operation of the air conditioner in Embodiment 1 of the present invention is stopped. Cross section during operation of the air conditioner Cross-sectional view of an air conditioner according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention Front view when the air conditioner is shut down The enlarged view of the support tool of the air conditioner in Embodiment 3 of this invention Cross section when the air conditioner is shut down Front view of conventional air conditioner

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body 4 Front panel 4a Lower end 5 Outlet grill 5a Upper end 5b Outlet 8 Display part 11 Drive apparatus 12 Support tool 14 1st support plate 15 2nd support plate

Claims (4)

In an air conditioner having a wind circuit such as a heat exchanger, a fan, a blow grill, and a blow opening and upper and lower blades , a front panel that can be opened and closed is provided on the front of the air conditioner body, and when the operation of the body is stopped, The lower end of the front panel is located below the upper end of the outlet, and the lower end of the front panel is substantially in contact with the upper ends of the upper and lower blades. During operation, the front panel moves forward and upward, and the front panel A lower end of the air conditioner is located above the upper end of the outlet. A display unit for displaying the operation state of the main body is provided on the front surface of the main body, and the display unit is disposed above the lower end of the closed front panel and at a position where the front panel can be viewed from the lower front when the front panel is opened. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein A main body and a front panel are connected by a pair of support tools, and at least one of the pair of support tools, a first support plate pivotally supported by one end at the main body and the other end at the front panel, respectively, One end is formed on the main body, and the other end is formed on a second support plate that is pivotably and slidably mounted on the front panel, and the first support plate and the second support plate are further rotated. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioner is freely pivotally supported. A heat exchanger whose upper part is inclined rearward, a panel driving device disposed in a space surrounded by the three sides of the front part and the top part of the air conditioner body, And a gear part facing the drive device and a support member fixed to a shaft whose one end is pivotally connected to the front panel and the other end is a pivot for opening and closing the panel, and the gear part. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioner is arranged so as to be connected to the panel driving device.

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