JP5099038B2 - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a structure of an air conditioner including a front panel that opens and closes a front suction port of a unit body.

Nowadays, air conditioners are favored with designs that harmonize with the interior of the room where they are installed. For this reason, the main body color is a light color such as white or beige used for indoor wallpaper. In addition, the form is compact so that it can be installed anywhere, and the front is flat so that the interior does not give a sense of incongruity due to the presence of concavities and convexities due to suction bars and air outlets. Panels are becoming increasingly popular, and air outlets are often blocked by wind direction plates.

This air conditioner has a suction port on the upper surface and upper front part, a blower outlet on the lower front part, a unit main body that contains a heat exchanger and a blower fan inside, and is mounted on the front of the unit main body. An outer shell is constituted by a front panel that opens and closes the inlet and a wind direction plate that is attached to the outlet and opens and closes the outlet. During operation, the wind direction plate opens and the front panel on the front is moved forward and upward by the drive mechanism.Air is sucked in from the front suction port that is opened, and when the operation is stopped, the front panel and the wind direction plate are closed. With a flat shape with no irregularities, a design that harmonizes with the interior can be obtained. (For example, see Patent Document 1)
Moreover, the display apparatus which notifies an operation state by lighting of a light source is provided in the lower end part of a front surface suction inlet, and will be in the state exposed to the front surface when the front panel is fully opened. Since the front panel is located behind the front panel when it is half open or fully closed, a portion of the front panel facing the display device is subjected to a translucent process that transmits light. This display device is formed in a horizontally long shape and uses a prism as a whole so that the color changes in accordance with the operation mode. (For example, see Patent Document 1)
However, when the front panel is fully opened, the display device is exposed, which gives a sense of discomfort to the flat shape. Further, since the display device is located in the shaded portion of the front panel, it may be difficult to visually recognize depending on the place where the display is looked up.

In recent years, the display of the air conditioner not only informs the operating state by color, but also presents what informs the room temperature, electricity cost, CO2 emission amount, and wind direction range by letters and graphics. (For example, see Non-Patent Document 1)
The front panel of the air conditioner in this case is composed of a smooth surface formed of a translucent and milky white resin material, and a display device having a light source is disposed on the back side of the front panel, and the front panel has a surface. It displays the temperature and operating conditions in text and graphics like an illumination. Accordingly, since the display device does not appear on the surface even during operation, a flat shape without unevenness can be maintained. Moreover, since the surface of the front panel is used as a display surface, the display itself can be displayed in a large size, easily visible from anywhere in the room, and by displaying the driving state with characters and graphics, a display that can be understood at a glance by anyone can be obtained.

However, since the front panel has transparency, the display device disposed on the back side of the front panel may be slightly seen through when the operation is stopped. In order to solve this problem, it is necessary to lower the transparency of the front panel so that it does not penetrate, while the light source needs to have a high luminance, which increases the cost.
In addition, by bringing the display device equipped with a light source and the front panel closely, the light emitted from the light source reaches the surface of the front panel without being affected by the surroundings, and a clean display is obtained without blurring. If the front panel is moved forward, the display device and the front panel are separated from each other, so that the light is diffused before reaching the surface of the front panel.

Therefore, the front panel is movable to secure the amount of air sucked in, and the display part does not appear on the surface. There is a demand for an air conditioner having a display device with high performance.

As a method for realizing this, for example, a method of attaching the display device to the front panel side and moving the front panel and the display device together can be considered, but in this case, the weight of the front panel becomes heavy and the drive for moving the front panel is possible. This puts a burden on the device. In addition, when removing the front panel for maintenance such as cleaning, the wiring of the display device becomes an obstacle, and it takes time to clean up the wiring. Further, when the front panel is moved, the display device is vibrated, resulting in a risk of failure.

As another method, it is possible to move the display device to the front panel side and move it closer to the front panel in accordance with the front panel that moved during operation, but in this case, a drive device etc. is required to move the display device. Thus, the member cost increases.

In addition, there is a method of using a high-luminance light source in order to allow light to reach a front panel that is spaced apart while the display device is attached to the main body, but this requires power to emit light, resulting in increased power consumption.

JP 2006-162138 A

"Mitsubishi Room Air Conditioner General Catalog 2009 Kirigamine" Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, October 2008, pages 1-4

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, the front panel is movable during operation to secure the amount of air sucked, and the display part does not appear on the surface, always during operation and during operation stop, An air with a highly visible display device that harmonizes with the interior with a flat shape with no irregularities, and displays temperature and driving conditions like letters and graphics as illumination on the front panel surface without increasing costs The purpose is to provide a harmony machine.

The present invention comprises a unit body provided with suction ports on the front upper surface and upper surface, and provided with a blower outlet on the lower front surface, a front panel attached to the unit body to open and close the front suction port, and the front suction port. In an air conditioner including a display device having a light source between the air outlets,
The unit main body includes a recess having the same width as the front panel between the lower end of the suction port at the upper front and the upper end of the blower outlet, and the display device has an upper end inclined forward in the recess. The front panel is closed by the driving means so as to cover the front suction port and the recess when the operation is stopped, and is moved obliquely upward and forward during operation, and its lower end is positioned in the recess. Thus, the main feature is that it is in close contact with the display device and has transparency at least at a portion in close contact with the display device.

  According to the present invention, the front panel of the air conditioner moves during operation and comes into close contact with the display device, so that the temperature and operation status can be projected on the surface of the front panel as characters and graphics like illumination. When the operation is stopped, the front panel and the display device are separated from each other, so that the display device can be prevented from being seen through the transparent front panel.

These are the perspective views at the time of the operation stop of this invention. These are sectional drawings at the time of the operation stop of the present invention. These are the perspective views at the time of the driving | operation of this invention. These are sectional views at the time of operation of the present invention. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the display device portion of FIG. 4. These are the perspective views at the time of the operation stop of the other Example of this invention. These are the perspective views at the time of the driving | operation of the other Example of this invention. These are sectional drawings at the time of operation stop of other examples of the present invention. These are sectional drawings at the time of operation of other examples of the present invention.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Further, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition, the same site | part etc. are shown with the same code | symbol, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 4, the air conditioner 1 includes a box-shaped unit main body 2 having an upper surface inlet 15 on the upper surface, a front inlet 16 on the upper front, and a blower outlet 17 on the lower front. The front panel 3 attached to the front surface of the unit main body 2 and the wind direction plate 10 attached to the air outlet 16 form an outer shell. Further, a casing 14 for supporting a heat exchanger 11, a blower fan 12, a filter 13, and an electrical component box (not shown) is provided in the unit main body 2. The blower fan 12 and the upper surface inlet 15 The suction air sucked from the front suction port 16 passes through the filter 13 and is heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger 11 to become cold air or warm air, and the wind direction plate 10 adjusts the air direction and enters the room from the air outlet 17 into the room. I am trying to send it out.

  The unit body 2 is provided with a recess 21 having the same lateral width as that of the front panel 3 between the lower end portion 16 a of the front suction port 16 and the upper end portion 17 a of the blowout port 17. The recess 21 includes an inclined surface 22 that is inclined rearward downward from the lower end portion 16a of the front suction port, and a lower end portion 31 of the front panel 3 that will be described later is rotated upward from the upper end portion 17a of the outlet. It is composed of a curved surface formed in accordance with the trajectory when moving. A display surface 44 of the display device 4 is disposed along the inclined surface 22 at the center in the left-right direction of the inclined surface 22.

A drive device 51 is provided in the unit main body 2, and a gear 52 connected to the drive device 51 by a connecting shaft 51 a is attached to the left and right upper ends, and the front panel 3 having one end connected to the gear 52. And a lower arm 55, one end of which is locked to a cushion mechanism 54 provided below the upper arm 53, protrudes from the unit body 2 when the front panel 3 is movable. .

The front panel 3 has a smooth surface and is integrated with the unit body 2 when operation is stopped. An edge 31 for reinforcing the shape is formed in the peripheral portion on the back side of the front panel 3.
The front panel 3 is formed of a resin material having milky white permeability. At the left and right upper ends of the rear surface of the front panel 3, an arm mounting portion 32 is provided for locking the upper arm 53 and the lower arm 55 with play.
Note that only the surface in close contact with the display device 4 may be formed to be thinner than the other portions and to have the property of transmitting light.

As shown in FIG. 5, the display device 4 includes a printed circuit board 41, a light source 42 including a plurality of LEDs arranged uniformly, and a light source box 43 that houses the light source 42 and diffuses light. A part of the inclined surface 22 is opened, and the display surface 44 is slightly protruded from the inclined surface 22 so that the upper end of the display surface 44 is inclined forward from the rear side. Note that a diffusion sheet 45 may be attached to the display surface 44.
The light source 42 may be a single-color LED, but by adopting a two-color or three-color LED, the operation status is displayed with different colors such as “red” for heating operation and “blue” for cooling operation, for example. Alternatively, the display may be varied, for example, by adopting a display that moves by blinking the light source while the filter clean or the like is operating.

Further, in FIG. 5, an ultra-small chip LED is adopted, and by arranging a plurality of LEDs in parallel, display variations increase, and display capable of providing more detailed information becomes possible. For example, in the lighting display example of the display device 4 shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of 5-row horizontal 3-chip LED assemblies are horizontally arranged in parallel, and one character is displayed for each aggregate. “ECO 20.5 ° C.” and 20.5 degrees driving state in the eco mode are shown. The display device 4 can also display various information such as “6h ¥ 30” and “SLEEP TIMER”.
The display device 4 is not limited to a single LED element, and may display numbers and characters such as a 7-segment LED and a full-segment LED. Alternatively, the illustration and characters may be emitted by performing printing so that only the illustrations and characters desired to be displayed on the diffusion sheet 45 are transparent and the other portions are shielded from light.

In the above configuration, when the air conditioner 1 starts operation by a signal from a remote controller, the upper arm 53 is moved by the power of the driving device 51, and the front panel 3 is moved forward and upward. At this time, the lower arm 55 restrains the lower end portion of the front panel 3 so that it does not move forward, but rises rearward along the recess 21. When the upper end of the front panel 3 is moved to the maximum and the front suction port 16 is fully opened, a part of the lower rear portion of the front panel 3 that rises rearward along the recess 21 is connected to the display device 4. Get closer. At this time, the cushion mechanism 54 can make optimum contact even if there are variations in parts and fittings.
When the front panel 3 and the display device 4 are in close contact with each other, the display device 4 turns on the LED in accordance with the driving situation, so that the lit light reaches the surface of the close contact front panel 3 having transparency. The user can visually recognize a clear display.

Further, when the operation of the air conditioner 1 is stopped, the front panel 3 returns to a position where it is integrated with the unit main body 2, thereby forming a shape having no irregularities and being designed to blend into a clean room.
Further, since the front panel 3 completely covers the front suction port 16 and the concave portion 21, the concave portion 21 is blocked from light and light from a window. Further, the front panel 3 is connected to the display device 4. By separating, even if a part of the front panel 3 is molded thin, the display device 4 is not seen through the surface of the front panel 3, and a high-quality design can be maintained.

  By the way, although the display of Example 1 presupposes that it lights at the time of a driving | running, the display which notifies a reservation timer etc. is needed also at the time of driving | operation stop. In that case, a specific color is emitted, and the display is blurred but spread over a wide area, so that it becomes an ambient display and can be recognized by the user.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the front panel of the air conditioner is movable during operation and is in close contact with the display device. The image can be projected like an illumination, and when the operation is stopped, the front panel is separated from the display device, thereby preventing the display device from being seen through the transparent front panel.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 9, the air conditioner 1 according to the second embodiment has a box shape in which an upper surface inlet 15 is provided on the upper surface, a front inlet 16 is provided on the upper front surface, and an air outlet 17 is provided on the lower front surface. The unit body 2, the front panel 3 mounted on the front surface of the unit body 2, and the wind direction plate 10 attached to the air outlet 16 form an outer shell. Since the internal mechanism is the same as that of the first embodiment, it is omitted.

  The left and right end portions 24 and the lower surface 25 on the front side of the unit main body 2 are formed in a shape that is beaten by a uniform unit main body side arc 23 from the upper end and the upper end portion 17a of the air outlet 17 in a side view. The end portion 24 is provided with a guide portion 26 having the same curvature as the unit main body side arc 23. Around the front suction port 16 of the unit main body 2 swells more than the left and right end portions 24, and an inclined surface 22 is formed so as to be connected to the front panel lower surface 25 formed by the unit main body side arc 23. Yes. A display surface 44 of the display device 4 is disposed at the center in the left-right direction of the inclined surface 22 so that the upper end is inclined forward.

  A driving device 51 is provided in the unit main body 2, and a gear 52 connected to the driving device 51 through a connecting shaft is attached to the upper left and right ends.

The lateral width of the front panel 3 is the same width as the unit main body 2 and has a smooth and gently swelled surface, and the rear side is a front panel side arc 33 which is the same as the unit main body side arc 23 in a side view. Is formed.
On the back side of the front panel 3, there is an attachment piece 34 extending inward, and a rack 56 that meshes with the gear 52 is provided on the attachment piece 34.
The front panel 3 is formed of a resin material having milky white permeability. Note that only the surface that is in close contact with the display device 4 may be formed thinner than the other portions to have the property of transmitting light.

  The front panel 3 is attached by fitting the mounting piece 34 into the guide portion 26 of the unit main body 2 from above and meshing the gear 52 and the rack 56. The front panel 3 is attached to the unit main body 2. Can be held. Moreover, when removing the said front panel 3 for a maintenance etc., it can remove by pulling up the front panel 3. FIG.

In the above configuration, when the operation of the air conditioner 1 is started by a signal from the remote controller, the wind direction plate 10 is opened, the driving device 51 is driven, the gear 52 starts to rotate, and the rack 56 meshes with the gear 52. The mounting piece 34 and the front panel 3 which are integral with each other are movable upward along the guide portion. The joint of the unit main body 2 and the front panel 3 is formed by the same unit main body side arc 23 and front panel side arc 33 so that the front panel 3 does not have a gap along the unit main body 2. Will slide upwards.
Further, when the front panel 3 slides upward, an air intake port 16b communicating with the front suction port 16 is formed between the unit 2 main body, and air can be taken in.
Further, a part of the lower back of the front panel 3 comes into close contact with the display device 4. When the front panel 3 and the display device 4 are in close contact with each other, when the LED is turned on in accordance with the operating condition of the display device 4, the light that is lit reaches the surface of the close contact front panel 3 having transparency. Thus, the user can visually recognize the clear display.

In addition, when the air conditioner 1 is stopped, the front panel 3 returns to a position where it is integrated with the unit main body 2, thereby forming an integrated shape without unevenness, and a design that melts into a clean room. Become.
Further, since the front panel 3 completely covers the front suction port 16 and the lower surface 25, the display device 4 is blocked from illumination and light from windows, and the front panel 3 is separated from the display device 4. Thus, even if a part of the front panel 3 is formed with a thin wall, the display device 4 is not seen through the surface of the front panel 3 and the aesthetic appearance can be maintained.

  As described above, the present invention eliminates the need for a suction bar on the surface of the front panel 3 and can form a smooth surface, and even if there is no suction bar, the air intake port 16b is opened during operation, thereby harmonizing with the interior. Can hold the design. Further, even during operation, the front panel 3 slides upward along the unit main body 2 without a gap, so that no gap is generated at the joint between the front panel 3 and the unit main body 2. The front suction port, the internal filter, and the drive mechanism are not visually recognized from the side surface or the lower side, and the aesthetic appearance can be maintained. In particular, the front panel can be moved during operation and brought into close contact with the display device, so that the temperature and operation status can be projected on the surface of the front panel as characters and graphics like illumination without increasing costs. The front panel and the display device are separated from each other at the time of stoppage, so that the display device can be prevented from being seen through from the transparent front panel.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Air conditioner 16 Front inlet 17 Outlet 18 Wind direction board 2 Unit main body 21 Recessed part 22 Recessed part Inclined surface 3 Front panel 32 Arm attachment part 4 Display device 41 Printed circuit board 42 Light source 43 Light source box 44 Display surface 45 Diffusion sheet 51 Drive device 52 Gear 53 Upper arm 54 Cushion mechanism 55 Lower arm 56 Rack

Claims (1)

A unit main body having suction ports on the upper front surface and upper surface, and a blower outlet on the lower front surface, a front panel attached to the unit main body to open and close the front suction port, a front suction port and the blower outlet In an air conditioner equipped with a display device having a light source in between,
The unit main body includes a recess having the same width as the front panel between the lower end of the suction port at the upper front and the upper end of the blower outlet, and the display device has an upper end inclined forward in the recess. The front panel is closed by the driving means so as to cover the front suction port and the recess when the operation is stopped, and is moved obliquely upward and forward during operation, and its lower end is positioned in the recess. The air conditioner is characterized in that the air conditioner is in close contact with the display device and has permeability at least at a portion in close contact with the display device.

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