JP7348242B2 - air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to an air conditioner.

In an air conditioner that has an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, the indoor unit performs air conditioning processing such as heat exchange on the air sucked in from the room through the suction port, and sends the conditioned air that has been subjected to the air conditioning processing to the room. Blow out towards.

JP 2019-207164 Publication

Living organisms that exist indoors may move within the room. At this time, if the way the conditioned air is blown out from the indoor unit is fixed, living organisms present in the room may feel uncomfortable.

Embodiments of the present invention provide an air conditioner that can dynamically improve the comfort of living organisms present indoors.

An air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an indoor unit. The indoor unit includes a wind direction plate, a radar, and a control section. The wind direction plate adjusts the direction of the conditioned air blown into the room. The radar continuously detects the position of the living body within the room. In a first control mode, the control unit avoids a first movement toward the position of the detected living body and a position of the detected living body while tracking the position of the detected living body. The wind direction plate is controlled to perform one of the following actions:

The indoor unit further includes a receiving section that receives commands from the operating terminal. In the first control mode, when a command for a first operation mode is received, the control unit controls the wind direction plate to perform the first operation, and when a command for a second operation mode is received. If received, the wind direction plate is controlled to perform the second operation.

The indoor unit further includes an operating terminal that sends commands to the indoor unit. The operation terminal has a button for instructing on/off of use of the radar.

In a second control mode in which the wind deflector is controlled without using the radar, the control unit changes the control mode from the second control mode to the second control mode when a command to turn on the radar is received. Transition to the first control mode.

The radar detects movement of a living body within the room. In a second control mode in which the wind direction plate is controlled without using the radar, the control unit changes the control mode to the second control mode when the detected movement is a movement instructing to turn on use of the radar. 2 control mode to the first control mode.

When a plurality of living organisms are detected by the radar, the control unit identifies a living organism that satisfies a predetermined condition among the plurality of living organisms, and moves to the position of the identified living organism in the first control mode. The wind direction plate is controlled to perform either the first action of facing in the direction or the second action of facing in the direction avoiding the identified position of the living body.

The predetermined conditions include at least one of the following: being the closest to the indoor unit among the plurality of living organisms, and having the largest amount of movement among the plurality of living organisms.

The indoor unit further includes an operating terminal that sends commands to the indoor unit. The indoor unit further includes a receiving section that receives the command. The radar detects a living body operating the operating terminal. The predetermined condition includes that the living body operated the operating terminal.

The radar detects a living body making a gesture in the room and the gesture. The predetermined condition includes, in the case where the detected gesture is a gesture instructing to turn on use of the radar, that the detected gesture is a living body that made the gesture.

In the first control mode, when a first mode related to driving is instructed, the control unit performs the first operation and the first operation while tracking the position of the detected living body in a first position range. 2, and when a second mode of operation is instructed, the position of the detected living body is set to a second position narrower than the first position range. The wind direction plate is controlled to perform either the first operation or the second operation while tracking within a range.

The indoor unit is inserted into a part of a flow path of conditioned air blown into the room and can be switched between a closed position in which the aperture ratio of the part of the flow path is changed and an open position in which the insertion is released. The apparatus further includes a ventilation member configured. The first mode does not include a windless mode in which the ventilation member is switched to the closed position to blow out conditioned air into the room, and the second mode includes the windless mode.

The air conditioner further includes a heat exchanger and a fan that sends the conditioned air heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger to an outlet. The control unit changes the rotation speed of the fan depending on the distance to the living body detected by the radar.

According to the above air conditioner, for example, the radar continuously detects the position of the living body in the room, and the control unit tracks the position of the detected living body in the first control mode. The wind direction plate is controlled to perform either the operation or the second operation. In the first operation, the wind direction plate is controlled so that the wind direction is directed toward the position of the living body to be detected. In the second operation, the wind direction plate is controlled so that the wind direction is in a direction away from the position of the living body to be detected. This makes it possible to dynamically change the way the air conditioned air is blown out from the indoor unit according to the movement of living organisms living indoors, thereby improving the comfort of living organisms living indoors. can be improved.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the configuration of an indoor unit in an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration and operation of the indoor unit in the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration and operation of the indoor unit in the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration and operation of the indoor unit in the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a ventilation member in the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the operation of the ventilation member in the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the operation of the radar of the air conditioner according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing information detected by a radar of the air conditioner according to the embodiment. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of an operating terminal in an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a state transition diagram showing control modes of the air conditioner according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a top view showing wind control of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a side view showing the wind blower control of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a top view showing wind protection control of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a side view showing wind protection control of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a top view showing lock-on control using radar of an air conditioner according to a modification of the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a top view showing lock-on control using radar of an air conditioner according to a modification of the embodiment. The figure which shows the structure of the air conditioning apparatus based on the other modification of embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of an air conditioner according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment)
The air conditioner according to the embodiment may be configured as shown in FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an air conditioner.

The air conditioner 1 includes an operating terminal 94a, an indoor unit 10, and an outdoor unit 100. The indoor unit 10 is arranged inside the indoor RM, and the outdoor unit 100 is arranged outdoors. The operation terminal 94a receives an operation instruction from the living body CR existing in the indoor RM, and transmits a command to the indoor unit 10 in accordance with the accepted operation instruction. The biological CR is, for example, a human. The operation terminal 94a is, for example, a remote controller.

The indoor unit 10 includes a radar 2, a control section 3, a wind direction plate 4, and a wind direction plate 5. The control unit 3 performs air conditioning processing and control using the radar 2 in accordance with commands received from the operating terminal 94a. The control unit 3 has a radar control mode (first control mode) and a normal control mode (second control mode) as control modes. The radar control mode is a mode for performing control using the radar 2. The normal control mode is a mode for performing normal control without using the radar 2.

In the radar control mode, the radar 2 continuously detects the position of the living body CR in the indoor RM under the control of the control unit 3. While tracking the position of the detected living body CR, the control unit 3 performs a first movement in a direction toward the position of the detected living body CR and a second movement in a direction away from the position of the detected living body CR. The wind direction plates 4 and 5 are controlled to perform either of the following actions.

As a result, when the living body CR existing in the indoor RM moves through the indoor RM, the way the conditioned air is blown out from the indoor unit 10 can be dynamically changed according to the movement of the living body CR. The comfort of biological CR can be dynamically improved.

Specifically, the indoor unit 10 performs air conditioning processing on the air sucked in from the indoor RM through the suction port, and blows out the conditioned air that has been subjected to the air conditioning processing toward the indoor RM. Air conditioning processing includes, for example, endothermic processing, heating processing, dehumidification processing, humidification processing, ventilation processing, and air cleaning processing. Endothermic treatment, heating treatment, dehumidification treatment, humidification treatment, ventilation treatment, and air purification treatment are respectively performed in cooling operation mode, heating operation mode, dehumidification operation mode, and humidification as the operation modes (main operation modes) of the air conditioner 1. Compatible with driving mode, ventilation driving mode, and air purifying driving mode.

Note that the main operation mode can be arbitrarily combined with a control mode (radar control mode, normal control mode). In the radar control mode, the air conditioner 1 can take any of the cooling operation mode, heating operation mode, dehumidification operation mode, humidification operation mode, ventilation operation mode, and air purification operation mode. The same applies to the normal control mode.

In the air conditioning process, the humidification process may be omitted. At this time, the humidification operation mode may be omitted as the operation mode of the air conditioner 1.

The air conditioner 1 has a windless mode on (first mode) and a windless mode off (second mode) as auxiliary operation modes. The auxiliary operation mode can be arbitrarily combined with the control mode (radar control mode, normal control mode), and can be arbitrarily combined with the main operation mode. When the windless mode is on, when air is blown out from the indoor unit 10, two types of wind speeds are mixed to generate a turbulent flow that spreads over a wide area, creating a natural wind (so-called windless wind). .

The air conditioner 1 may have an automatic operation mode as an operation mode. The air conditioner 1 detects the temperature of the indoor RM using a temperature sensor (not shown). In the automatic operation mode, the air conditioner 1 operates in the heating operation mode if the detected temperature is higher than the set temperature, and operates in the heating operation mode if the detected temperature is lower than the set temperature.

Various methods can be applied to the air cleaning process, and an electric dust collection method or a fan method may be applied. In the electrostatic precipitator method, dust is removed from the air by passing air charged with dust through a filter and adsorbing the dust to the oppositely charged filter. In the fan method, air is passed through a fine filter such as a HEPA filter, and the dust is filtered out by the filter, thereby removing dust from the air. Alternatively, the air cleaning process may be performed by releasing ions into the air, or by irradiating the inside of the casing of the air conditioner 1 with ultraviolet rays (UV) to sterilize the air. .

In the air conditioner 1 , the indoor unit 10 includes a fan 23 , a heat exchanger 22 , a ventilation member 6 , and a receiving device 94 in addition to the radar 2 , the control unit 3 , the wind direction plate 4 , and the wind direction plate 5 . The control unit 3 includes a control device 80 , a drive circuit 81 , a drive circuit 82 , a drive circuit 83 , a fan motor 84 , a wind direction plate motor 85 , a wind direction plate motor 86 , and a switching motor 87 . The outdoor unit 100 includes a fan 123, a heat exchanger 122, a four-way valve 124, a compressor 125, and a control section 103. The control unit 103 includes a control device 180, a drive circuit 181, a drive circuit 182, a drive circuit 183, a fan motor 184, a switching motor 185, and a motor 186.

In the indoor unit 10, the fan 23 is arranged near the heat exchanger 22. The fan 23 guides the air sucked from the indoor RM through the suction port of the indoor unit 10 to the heat exchanger 22, and also guides the conditioned air heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger 22 to the outlet of the indoor unit 10. The control unit 3 drives the fan motor 84 with the drive circuit 81 to rotate the fan 23 around the rotation axis. The control unit 3 can change the rotation speed of the fan 23.

Heat exchanger 22 can take various configurations. For example, heat exchanger 22 includes a plurality of fins and a refrigerant circuit (not shown) connected to the fins. A refrigerant circuit passes near the plurality of fins, and the plurality of fins are in thermal contact with the refrigerant circuit. The heat exchanger 22 causes the air sucked in from the indoor RM to exchange heat with the refrigerant.

In the outdoor unit 100, the fan 123 is arranged near the heat exchanger 122. Fan 123 rotates according to control by control unit 103. Thereby, the fan 123 sucks outside air and guides it to the heat exchanger 122, and discharges the outside air that has been heat exchanged with the heat exchanger 122 to the outside of the outdoor unit 100. The control unit 103 drives the fan motor 184 with the drive circuit 181 to rotate the fan 123 around the rotation axis. The control unit 3 can change the rotation speed of the fan 123 via the control unit 103.

Heat exchanger 122 can take a variety of configurations. For example, heat exchanger 122 includes a plurality of fins and a refrigerant circuit connected to the fins. A refrigerant circuit passes near the plurality of fins, and the plurality of fins are in thermal contact with the refrigerant circuit. The heat exchanger 122 exchanges heat with the refrigerant against the outside air.

The four-way valve 124 is arranged within the refrigerant circuit. The four-way valve 124 can switch the refrigerant flow path in the refrigerant circuit between the cooling side and the heating side according to control by the control unit 103. The control unit 103 can drive the switching motor 185 using the drive circuit 182 to switch the four-way valve 124 between the cooling side and the heating side. The control unit 3 can switch the four-way valve 124 between the cooling side and the heating side via the control unit 103.

Compressor 125 is arranged within the refrigerant circuit. The compressor 125 compresses the refrigerant and sends it out into the refrigerant circuit under the control of the control unit 3. The control unit 103 drives the motor 186 with the drive circuit 183, and causes the compressor 125 to perform a cycle operation of compressing the refrigerant. The control unit 3 can change the number of cycles of the compressor 125 (the number of times compression cycles are executed per unit time) via the control unit 103.

For example, in the air conditioner 1, the control unit 3 and the control unit 103 switch the four-way valve 124 to the cooling side in the cooling operation mode. The heat exchanger 22 performs heat absorption processing, causes the refrigerant to absorb heat from the air in the indoor RM, and blows out the heat-absorbed conditioned air to the indoor RM. The heat exchanger 122 performs heat radiation processing to release the heat absorbed by the refrigerant to the outside air.

Alternatively, in the air conditioner 1, the control unit 3 and the control unit 103 switch the four-way valve 124 to the heating side in the heating operation mode. The heat exchanger 122 performs endothermic treatment to cause the refrigerant to absorb heat from the outside air. Heat treatment is performed in the heat exchanger 22, the air in the indoor RM is heated with the heat absorbed by the refrigerant, and the heated conditioned air is blown out into the indoor RM.

The wind direction plates 4 and 5 each adjust the direction of the conditioned air blown into the room RM. Wind direction means the direction of the wind. In this specification, the control unit 3 directly controls the direction in which the wind direction plates 4 and 5 face, but the direction in which the wind direction plates 4 and 5 face and the direction of the wind immediately after being blown out from the air outlet of the indoor unit (wind direction) are treated as roughly matching. That is, the wind direction plates 4 and 5 can adjust the wind direction by the direction thereof, and the control unit 3 can control the wind direction by controlling the direction of the wind direction plates 4 and 5. Note that the directions of the plurality of wind direction plates 4 and 5 can be individually controlled. As a result, it is possible to blow out air whose wind direction is aligned in one direction from all the air outlets of the indoor unit 10, or to blow out air whose wind direction is aligned in one direction from the entire air outlet of the indoor unit 10, or from two or more of the air outlets of the indoor unit 10 that are partitioned by a plurality of wind direction plates 4, 5, etc. It is also possible to blow out two or more winds each with a different direction from the area.

The wind direction plate 4 can be switched between a closed position and an open position. The wind direction plate 4 closes the air outlet when switched to the closed position. The wind direction plate 4 opens the air outlet in a state where it is switched to the open position. With the air outlet open, the wind direction plates 4 and 5 adjust the direction of the conditioned air blown into the room RM. The wind direction plate 4 adjusts the direction of the conditioned air in the vertical direction. The wind direction plate 5 adjusts the direction of the conditioned air in the left and right directions.

For example, the wind direction plates 4, 5 may be configured as shown in FIGS. 2-4. FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the configuration of the indoor unit 10, with the wind direction plate 4 in the closed position. FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the configuration and operation of the indoor unit 10, and shows a state in which the wind direction plate 4 is in the open position. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration and operation of the indoor unit 10, and shows a state in which the wind direction plate 4 is in the open position. Hereinafter, the longitudinal direction of the indoor unit 10 will be referred to as the X direction, the height direction of the indoor unit 10 will be referred to as the Z direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X direction and the Z direction will be referred to as the Y direction.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the indoor unit 10 further includes a housing 21 and a filter 24 in addition to the configuration shown in FIG.

The housing 21 is formed into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in the X direction. Note that the housing 21 may be formed in other shapes. The casing 21 is hung, for example, on a wall of the indoor RM. The housing 21 has an upper surface 21a and a lower surface 21b. The upper surface 21a is provided at or near the upper end of the housing 21, and faces substantially upward. The lower surface 21b is provided at or near the lower end of the housing 21 and faces substantially downward.

The housing 21 is provided with a ventilation passage 31, an inlet 32, and an outlet 33. The ventilation path 31 is provided inside the housing 21 . The suction port 32 opens on the upper surface 21a of the housing 21, for example. The air outlet 33 opens on the lower surface 21b of the housing 21, for example. The suction port 32 and the blowout port 33 may be opened in other parts of the housing 21.

The indoor unit 10 can allow air to pass through the ventilation path 31. Wind is a flow of gas such as air. The suction port 32 is provided at one end of the ventilation passage 31 and communicates the ventilation passage 31 with the outside of the indoor unit 10 . The air outlet 33 is provided at the other end of the ventilation passage 31 and communicates the ventilation passage 31 with the outside of the indoor unit 10 . In other words, the ventilation passage 31 is provided between the suction port 32 and the air outlet 33 inside the housing 21 .

Heat exchanger 22 is provided in ventilation passage 31 . The heat exchanger 22 exchanges heat with surrounding gas in the ventilation passage 31. Thereby, the heat exchanger 22 cools the air flowing through the ventilation path 31 during the cooling operation, and heats the air flowing through the ventilation path 31 during the heating operation.

The fan 23 is provided in the ventilation path 31. The fan 23 sends air from the suction port 32 to the blowout port 33 in the ventilation path 31 by rotating around a rotation axis Axf extending in the X direction. Thereby, the indoor unit 10 sucks indoor air into the ventilation path 31 from the suction port 32 and blows out the air (wind) in the ventilation path 31 from the outlet 33. Therefore, in this specification, the side of the ventilation passage 31 that is closer to the suction port 32 is referred to as upstream, and the side that is closer to the outlet 33 is referred to as downstream.

Fan 23 is located downstream of heat exchanger 22. Therefore, when the fan 23 generates wind, the air sucked in from the suction port 32 passes through the fins of the heat exchanger 22. Thereby, the air flowing through the ventilation path 31 exchanges heat with the heat exchanger 22.

The filter 24 is provided at the suction port 32 or near the suction port 32 in the ventilation path 31 . Filter 24 is located upstream of heat exchanger 22 . The filter 24 covers the suction port 32 from inside the housing 21 . For example, the filter 24 filters the air sucked in from the suction port 32 and captures dust in the air.

The wind direction plate 4 may include a plurality of wind direction plates 25A and 25B. The plurality of wind direction plates 25A and 25B are members that adjust the wind direction of conditioned air in the vertical direction, respectively, and are also called upper and lower louvers. The wind direction plate 25A forms a flow path C1 for conditioned air, and the wind direction plate 25B forms a flow path C2 for conditioned air. Each of the plurality of wind direction plates 25A and 25B has a shaft portion 41 and a plate portion 42.

The shaft portion 41 is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape extending in the X direction. The shaft portion 41 is rotatably supported by the housing 21 around a rotation axis Axl extending in the X direction. Note that each of the plurality of wind direction plates 25A and 25B has an individual rotation axis Axl. The plate portion 42 protrudes from the shaft portion 41 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis Axl. The plate portion 42 is formed into a substantially rectangular plate shape extending in the X direction.

The wind direction plate 25A is supported by a rotating shaft Axl, the wind direction plate motor 85 is controlled by the drive circuit 82, and the wind direction plate 25A is movable between a closed position Pc1 and an open position Po1. The wind direction plate 25B is supported by the rotating shaft Axl, the wind direction plate motor 85 is controlled by the drive circuit 82, and is movable between the closed position Pc2 and the open position Po2.

As shown in FIG. 2, the wind direction plate 25A, when switched to the closed position Pc1, closes the ventilation port C1, which is the outlet of the flow path C1. The wind direction plate 25B, when switched to the closed position Pc1, closes the ventilation port C2, which is the outlet of the second flow path. The ventilation port C1 and the ventilation port C2 form the air outlet 33 of the indoor unit 10.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the wind direction plate 25A opens the ventilation port C1 in a state where it is switched to the open position Po1. The wind direction plate 25B opens the ventilation port C2 while being switched to the open position Po1.

The opening position Po1 includes various positions where the wind direction plates 25A and 25B open a part of the air outlet 33. For example, the opening position Po1 includes a position where the wind direction plates 25A and 25B face substantially horizontally, a position where the wind direction boards 25A and 25B face downward, and a plurality of positions between these two positions, as shown in FIG. include. That is, the wind direction plates 25A and 25B are rotatable between a position facing substantially horizontally and a position facing downward.

The wind direction plates 25A and 25B located at the open position Po1 adjust the vertical direction (+Z direction and -Z direction) of the wind discharged from the air outlet 33 according to the direction of the wind direction plates 25A and 25B. That is, the indoor unit 10 emits wind in a substantially horizontal direction by oriented the wind direction plates 25A and 25B in a substantially horizontal direction as shown in FIG. On the other hand, since the wind direction plates 25A and 25B face downward, the indoor unit 10 emits wind downward.

The wind direction plate 5 is supported by a rotating shaft Ax2 (not shown), and a drive circuit 82 controls a wind direction plate motor 86, so that the wind direction plate 5 is movable between an open position at the −X side end and an open position at the +X side end. be.

The wind direction plate 5 may include a plurality of wind direction plates 29-1 to 29-k and 29-(k+1) to 29-2k. The plurality of wind direction plates 29-1 to 29-k, 29-(k+1) to 29-2k are members that respectively adjust the wind direction of the conditioned air in the left and right directions (-X direction and +X direction), and both the left and right louvers Called. Note that the directions of the -X side wind direction plates 29-1 to 29-k and the +X side wind direction plates 29-(k+1) to 29-2k may be independently controllable by the control unit 3.

The wind direction plates 29-1 to 29-k on the -X side are connected to a common rotation axis Ax2, and the drive circuit 82 controls the wind direction plate motor 86, so that the -X side end opening position and the +X side end opening position are controlled. It may also be possible to move all at once between. The wind direction plates 29-(k+1) to 29-2k on the +X side are connected to a common rotation axis Ax2, and the drive circuit 82 controls the wind direction plate motor 86, and the opening position of the -X side end and the opening position of the +X side end are controlled. It may be possible to collectively move between the positions.

The ventilation member 6 shown in FIG. 1 can be switched between a closed position and an open position. The ventilation member 6 is inserted into a part of the flow path of the conditioned air blown into the room RM while being switched to the closed position, and changes the aperture ratio of the part of the flow path. In the state where the ventilation member 6 is switched to the open position, the insertion into a part of the flow path is released (for example, it is evacuated from a part of the flow path), and the ventilation member 6 is removed based on the opening ratio of the part of the flow path. be returned.

In the air conditioner 1, the control unit 3 switches the ventilation member 6 to the closed position when the windless mode as the auxiliary operation mode is turned on. The ventilation member 6 is selectively inserted into the first flow path while being switched to the closed position to change the aperture ratio of the first flow path. The aperture ratio of the second channel is maintained as it was. The control unit 3 switches the ventilation member 6 to the open position when the no-wind mode as the auxiliary operation mode is canceled (when the no-wind mode is turned off). The ventilation member 6 is evacuated from the first flow path while being switched to the open position, and the aperture ratio of the first flow path is returned to the original value.

For example, the ventilation member 6 may be configured as shown in FIGS. 3 to 6. FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the configuration and operation of the indoor unit 10, showing a state in which the ventilation member 6 is in the open position. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration and operation of the indoor unit 10, with the ventilation member 6 in the open position. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration and operation of the indoor unit 10, with the ventilation member 6 in the closed position. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the ventilation member 6.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the ventilation member 6 is housed in the recess 21c of the casing 21 provided in the vicinity of the air outlet 33 while being switched to the open position Po2. The depression 21c is recessed from the inner surface 21d of the housing 21, which forms a part of the ventilation passage 31. The ventilation member 6 located at the open position Po2 is accommodated in the recess 21c, thereby being prevented from interfering with the wind flowing through the ventilation path C1.

As shown in FIG. 5, the ventilation member 6 is selectively inserted into the channel C1 while being switched to the closed position Pc2 to change the aperture ratio of the channel C1. The aperture ratio of the flow path C1 becomes smaller than before the ventilation member 6 is inserted. The ventilation member 6 includes a ventilation member 26A in which a plurality of ventilation ports 56 are arranged, as shown in FIG. The ventilation member 26A is supported by the shaft portion 51, the switching motor 87 is controlled by the drive circuit 83, and the ventilation member 26A is movable between the closed position Pc2 and the open position Po2. Then, when moving to the closed position Pc2, as shown in FIG. 7, the wind moving in the ventilation passage 31 by the fan 23 passes through the ventilation opening 56 and changes to wind W2a.

On the other hand, the air outlet 33 forming the flow path C2 is not provided with a ventilation member. The aperture ratio of the channel C2 is maintained as it was. In other words, the wind discharged from the flow path C2 becomes wind W1a (laminar flow) that does not pass through the ventilation member. As a result, the wind W2a passing through the ventilation member 26A provided in the flow path C1 and the wind W1a passing through the flow path C2 in which no ventilation member is provided are formed adjacent to each other.

In this case, the flow velocity of the wind W2a is high in accordance with the reduction in the aperture ratio of the flow path C1. Therefore, the wind W2a draws in the wind W1a. As a result, the wind W1a hits the wind W2a. In addition, the wind W2a that has transitioned to turbulent flow is diffused and hits the wind W1a that flows adjacent to the wind W2a. In this way, the wind W1a and the wind W2a having different flow speeds and conditions (laminar flow or turbulent flow) flow adjacent to each other and collide with each other. That is, the wind W1a that does not pass through the ventilation member and the wind W2a that passes through the ventilation member 26A (ventilation port 56) interfere with each other.

When the wind W1a and the wind W2a hit each other, for example, a lump of the wind W1a and the wind W2a is broken up, and the turbulent wind W2a is carried by the wind W1a. The wind W1a and the wind W2a cause such various interactions and generate a turbulent flow Ws that spreads over a wide area. As a result, the turbulent flow Ws discharged from the indoor unit 10 becomes closer to natural wind (so-called windless wind) than the wind immediately after discharged from the air outlet 33.

The radar 2 shown in FIG. 1 is capable of detecting the position and speed of the living body CR in the indoor RM. The radar 2 is a Doppler radar such as a millimeter wave radar or a microwave radar. The radar 2 includes a transmitter 2a, a receiver 2b, and a signal processor 2c. The radar 2 generates radio waves such as millimeter waves and microwaves in a signal processing section 2c, transmits them to the biological CR from a transmitting section 2a, and receives reflected waves from the receiving section 2b, and passes them to the signal processing section 2c. The radar 2 may be provided at any position in the indoor unit 10, but it is preferably provided at a position where it can easily detect the position and speed of the living body CR in the indoor RM. The radar 2 may be embedded at a position near the center in the X direction in the +Y side portion of the housing 21, as shown by broken lines in FIGS. 2 to 5.

The radar 2 is capable of detecting the position of the living body CR from the phase difference between the transmitted wave and the received wave in the signal processing unit 2c, as shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the operation of the radar. In FIG. 8, the position of the detected living body CR is indicated by a dot.

The radar 2 detects the target space and the position of the living body CR within the target space under the control of the control unit 3 . The radar 2 continuously transmits and receives radio waves to and from the living body CR, continuously detects the position of the living body CR, and continuously supplies the detection results to the control unit 3.

For example, the radar 2 detects an indoor RM having a length L1, a width W1, and an area L1×W1. According to the detection result of the radar 2, the control unit 3 identifies an indoor RM having a length L1, a width W1, and an area L1×W1 as a target space, as shown in FIG. 9(a), and assigns a space identifier SP1. Assign. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing information detected by radar 2. FIG. 9(a) shows information regarding space detected by radar 2, and FIG. Indicates information regarding CR.

The control unit 3 sets coordinates within the target space SP1. The radar 2 may detect the target space further including the height of the space. In this case, the volume of the target space can also be detected. In FIG. 8, the identified target space is shown as a rectangle, and the horizontal and vertical coordinates are shown. The radar 2 detects the position of the living body CR within the target space SP1 under the control of the control unit 3. The radar 2 detects the distance, horizontal angle, and vertical angle for each of the two biological CRs.

The control unit 3 assigns biometric identifiers ID1 and ID2 to the two biometric CRs, respectively, as shown in FIG. 9(b), according to the detection results of the radar 2. According to the detection results of the radar 2, the control unit 3 specifies the distance D1, horizontal angle θ1, and vertical angle α1 of the biological CR with ID1, and specifies the distance D2, horizontal angle θ2, and vertical angle α2 of the biological CR with ID2. do.

The control unit 3 converts the distance, horizontal angle, and vertical angle of the two living bodies CR into coordinates (horizontal coordinates and vertical coordinates) in the target space. The control unit 3 understands that two living bodies CR exist at the coordinates, as shown by dots in FIG. For each of the two biological bodies CR, the control unit 3 determines that coordinates that are spatially close to temporally consecutive detection results correspond to the same identifier even if the body CR moves.

When one living body CR is detected by the radar 2, the control unit 3 locks on to the detected living body CR. When a plurality of biological CRs are detected by the radar 2, the control unit 3 selects one biological CR from among the plurality of biological CRs according to a predetermined condition, and locks on to the selected biological CR. The control unit 3 can continuously recognize the position of the locked-on living body CR according to the continuous detection results of the radar 2. Thereby, the control unit 3 can track the locked-on living body CR.

Further, the radar 2 can detect the positions of multiple locations of the living body CR. The control unit 3 may assign a biological identifier to each collection of a plurality of spatially adjacent detection positions according to the detection results of the radar 2. In the case of FIG. 8, the control unit 3 specifies the positional relationship between the plurality of detection positions in the collection of the plurality of detection positions for each of the two biological bodies CR. Thereby, the control unit 3 can grasp the posture (for example, sitting on the floor, sitting on a chair, standing, lying down, crouching, etc.) of each of the two biological bodies CR.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the radar 2 is capable of detecting the speed of the biological CR by the Doppler effect based on the frequency difference (or wavelength difference) between the transmitted wave and the received wave in the signal processing unit 2c.

In the case of FIG. 8, the radar 2 further detects the speed of each of the two biological CRs. The control unit 3 specifies the speed v1 of the living body CR of ID1 and the speed v2 of the living body CR of D1, as shown in FIG. 9(b), according to the detection results of the radar 2. In FIG. 8, the speed of each living body CR specified by the control unit 3 is shown by the length of a line.

The receiving device 94 shown in FIG. 1 receives commands from the operating terminal 94a. The receiving device 94 supplies the received command to the control unit 3. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the operating terminal 94a may have a button for instructing on/off of the use of the radar. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the operating terminal 94a, and exemplifies the configuration when the operating terminal 94a is a remote controller.

The operation terminal 94a has a shape and dimensions suitable for operation by a living body CR, and has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped appearance. The operation terminal 94a has a plurality of buttons and a screen 949 on its operation surface. The plurality of buttons include, for example, a radar button 941, a cooling button 942, a heating button 943, an air purification button 944, a temperature setting button 945, a dehumidification button 946, a calm button 947, and a stop button 948.

The operating terminal 94a detects when the radar button 941, the cooling button 942, the heating button 943, the air purification button 944, the dehumidification button 946, the calm button 947, and the stop button 948 are pressed. Regarding the temperature setting button 945, the operation terminal 94a detects pressing of the △ button or the ▽ button. When the operation terminal 94a detects a press, it displays information on the command corresponding to the pressed button on the screen 949, and also transmits a signal (for example, an infrared signal or a wireless signal) indicating the command according to the pressed button. Send from the end.

When the operation terminal 94a detects the press of a button that instructs the use of the radar 2 to be turned on (for example, the press of the radar button 941), the command to turn on the use of the radar 2 is transmitted from the operation terminal 94a to the indoor unit 10. When the receiving device 94 receives a command to turn on the use of the radar 2, it supplies the command to the control unit 3.

When the operating terminal 94a detects the pressing of a button that commands the use of the radar 2 to be turned off (for example, pressing the stop button 948 or pressing the radar button 941 again), the command to turn off the use of the radar 2 is sent from the operating terminal 94a to the room. unit 10. When the receiving device 94 receives a command to turn off the use of the radar 2, it supplies the command to the control unit 3.

The control section 3 controls the indoor unit 10 in an integrated manner. As shown in FIG. 11, the control section 3 has a radar control mode and a normal control mode as control modes. FIG. 11 is a state transition diagram showing control modes of the air conditioner 1.

While the air conditioner 1 is stopped, when the operating terminal 94a detects the press of a button that instructs to turn on the use of the radar 2 (for example, pressing the radar button 941), the instruction to turn on the use of the radar 2 is issued to the operating terminal 94a. from there to the indoor unit 10. Upon receiving the command to turn on the use of the radar 2, the control unit 3 changes the control mode from "stop" to the radar control mode in response to the command to turn on the use of the radar 2.

When the operating terminal 94a detects that a button for normal operation (for example, the cooling button 942, the heating button 943, the air purifying button 944, or the dehumidifying button 946) is pressed while the air conditioner 1 is stopped, a command for normal operation is sent to the operating terminal 94a. from there to the indoor unit 10. When the control unit 3 receives the command for normal operation, it changes the control mode from "stop" to the normal control mode in accordance with the command for normal operation.

In the normal control mode, when the operation terminal 94a detects the press of a button that instructs the use of the radar 2 to be turned on (for example, the press of the radar button 941), the command to turn on the use of the radar 2 is transmitted from the operation terminal 94a to the indoor unit 10. sent to. When receiving the instruction to turn on the use of the radar 2, the control section 3 changes the control mode from the normal control mode to the radar control mode in response to the instruction to turn on the use of the radar 2.

In the radar control mode, when the operation terminal 94a detects the press of a button that commands the use of the radar 2 to be turned off and the normal operation on to be turned on (for example, the radar button 941 is pressed again), the command to turn off the use of the radar 2 and turn on the normal operation is issued. It is transmitted from the operation terminal 94a to the indoor unit 10. When receiving the command to turn off the use of the radar 2 and turn on the normal operation, the control unit 3 changes the control mode from the radar control mode to the normal control mode in response to the command to turn off the use of the radar 2 and turn on the normal operation.

In the radar control mode, when the operation terminal 94a detects the pressing of the button for turning off the use of the radar 2 and stopping the operation (for example, pressing the stop button 948), a command to turn off the use of the radar 2 and stop the operation is sent from the operation terminal 94a indoors. unit 10. The control unit 3 changes the control mode from the radar control mode to "stop" in response to a command to turn off the use of the radar 2 and stop operation.

In the normal control mode, when the operation terminal 94a detects a press of a stop button (for example, a press of the stop button 948), a command to stop the operation is transmitted from the operation terminal 94a to the indoor unit 10. The control unit 3 changes the control mode from the normal control mode to "stop" in response to the command to stop operation.

The control unit 3 continuously receives detection results from the radar 2 in the radar control mode. In the radar control mode, the control unit 3 controls the wind direction plates 4 and 5 to perform either the first operation or the second operation while tracking the position of the living body CR in the indoor RM. The first operation is an operation in which the wind direction plates 4 and 5 face in the direction toward the position of the living body CR. The control by the control unit 3 that causes the wind direction plates 4 and 5 to perform the first operation is also called wind control. The second operation is an operation in which the wind direction plates 4 and 5 face in a direction away from the position of the living body CR. The control by the control unit 3 that causes the wind direction plates 4 and 5 to perform the second operation is also called wind protection control.

In addition, whether the control unit 3 controls the wind direction plates 4 and 5 to perform the first operation or the second operation in the radar control mode is determined in advance by the control unit 3 through the operation terminal 94a. May be set.

The control by the control unit 3 that causes the wind direction plates 4 and 5 to perform the first operation (wind exposure control) is performed, for example, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. FIG. 12 is a top view showing the wind control of the indoor unit of the air conditioner, and FIG. 13 is a side view showing the wind control of the indoor unit of the air conditioner. FIGS. 12(a) to 12(d) illustrate temporal changes in the wind exposure control in an XY top view. FIGS. 13(a) to 13(d) illustrate the temporal transition of wind exposure control in a YZ side view.

As shown in FIGS. 12(a) and 13(a), the operating terminal 94a is operated by the living body CR, and for example, the radar button 941 is pressed. In response, a command to turn on the use of the radar 2 is transmitted from the operating terminal 94a to the indoor unit 10, and is received by the receiving device 94 of the indoor unit 10. The control section 3 of the indoor unit 10 sets the control mode to the radar control mode.

Note that the cooling button 942 may be further pressed. In response, a cooling operation command is transmitted from the operating terminal 94a to the indoor unit 10, and is received by the receiving device 94 of the indoor unit 10. The control section 3 of the indoor unit 10 changes its operation mode to the cooling operation mode while maintaining the radar control mode.

As shown in FIGS. 12(b) and 13(b), the control section 3 of the indoor unit 10 detects the position of the living body CR in the indoor RM using the radar 2 in response to the control mode being changed to the radar control mode. Detect. The control unit 3 recognizes that one living body CR in the indoor RM has been detected by the radar 2, and locks on to the living body CR as a tracking target. As shown in FIG. 12(b), the radar 2 detects that the living body CR is present at a planar position P12b on the −X side and near the center in the Y direction in the room RM. Further, the radar 2 detects that the living body CR is sitting on the floor, as shown in FIG. 13(b). The radar 2 supplies detection results to the control unit 3. As shown in FIG. 12(b), the control unit 3 controls the wind direction plate 5 to face in the direction toward the plane position P12b in the XY top view according to the detection result of the radar 2, and Blow out the conditioned air as shown. As shown in FIG. 13(b), the control unit 3 controls the wind direction plate 4 to move to a height position corresponding to the posture of the living body CR (for example, the face of the living body CR) in YZ side view according to the detection result of the radar 2. position) to face the direction toward P13b, and blow out the conditioned air as shown by the dashed-dotted arrow. Note that the height position at which the conditioned air is blown out can be set to any position, such as the body or the feet. The dashed-dotted arrow indicates the main flow of conditioned air. Thereby, the direction of the wind blown out from the indoor unit 10 can be controlled so that it hits the living body CR.

As shown in FIGS. 12(c) and 13(c), the control unit 3 of the indoor unit 10 uses the radar 2 to detect the position of the living body CR in the indoor RM following FIGS. 12(b) and 13(b). Detect. As shown in FIG. 12(c), the radar 2 detects that the living body CR is present at a planar position P12c near the center in the X direction and the center in the Y direction in the indoor RM. Further, the radar 2 detects that the living body CR is sitting on a chair, as shown in FIG. 13(c). The radar 2 supplies detection results to the control unit 3. As shown in FIG. 12(c), the control unit 3 controls the wind direction plate 5 to face in the direction toward the plane position P12c in the XY top view according to the detection result of the radar 2, and Blow out the conditioned air as shown. As shown in FIG. 13(c), the control unit 3 controls the control unit 3 to move the wind direction plate 4 to a height position corresponding to the posture of the living body CR (for example, the face of the living body CR) in a YZ side view according to the detection result of the radar 2. (position P13c) and blow out the conditioned air as shown by the dashed-dotted arrow. Thereby, the direction of the wind blown out from the indoor unit 10 can be controlled so that it hits the living body CR while the locked-on living body CR is tracked.

As shown in FIGS. 12(d) and 13(d), the control section 3 of the indoor unit 10 uses the radar 2 to detect the position of the living body CR in the indoor RM following FIGS. 12(c) and 13(c). Detect. As shown in FIG. 12(d), the radar 2 detects that the living body CR is present at a plane position P12d on the +X side and +Y side in the indoor RM. Further, the radar 2 detects that the living body CR is in a standing posture, as shown in FIG. 13(d). The radar 2 supplies detection results to the control unit 3. As shown in FIG. 12(d), the control unit 3 controls the wind direction plate 5 to face in the direction toward the plane position P12d in the XY top view according to the detection result of the radar 2, and Blow out the conditioned air as shown. As shown in FIG. 13(d), the control unit 3 controls the control unit 3 to move the wind direction plate 4 to a height position corresponding to the posture of the living body CR (for example, the face of the living body CR) in a YZ side view according to the detection result of the radar 2. position) to face the direction toward P13d, and blow out the conditioned air as shown by the dashed-dotted arrow. Thereby, the direction of the wind blown out from the indoor unit 10 can be controlled so that it hits the living body CR while the locked-on living body CR is tracked.

The control by the control unit 3 that causes the wind direction plates 4 and 5 to perform the second operation (wind avoidance control) is performed, for example, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. FIG. 14 is a top view showing wind protection control of the indoor unit of the air conditioner, and FIG. 15 is a side view showing wind protection control of the indoor unit of the air conditioner. FIGS. 14(a) to 14(d) illustrate temporal changes in wind protection control in an XY top view. FIGS. 15(a) to 15(d) illustrate temporal changes in wind protection control in a YZ side view.

As shown in FIGS. 14(a) and 15(a), the operating terminal 94a is operated by the living body CR, and for example, the radar button 941 is pressed. In response, a command to turn on the use of the radar 2 is transmitted from the operating terminal 94a to the indoor unit 10, and is received by the receiving device 94 of the indoor unit 10. The control section 3 of the indoor unit 10 sets the control mode to the radar control mode.

Note that the cooling button 942 may be further pressed. In response, a cooling operation command is transmitted from the operating terminal 94a to the indoor unit 10, and is received by the receiving device 94 of the indoor unit 10. The control section 3 of the indoor unit 10 changes its operation mode to the cooling operation mode while maintaining the radar control mode.

As shown in FIGS. 14(b) and 15(b), the control section 3 of the indoor unit 10 detects the position of the living body CR in the indoor RM using the radar 2 in response to the control mode being changed to the radar control mode. Detect. The control unit 3 recognizes that one living body CR in the indoor RM has been detected by the radar 2, and locks on to the living body CR as a tracking target. As shown in FIG. 14(b), the radar 2 detects that the living body CR is present at a planar position P12b on the −X side and near the center in the Y direction in the indoor RM. Further, the radar 2 detects that the living body CR is sitting on the floor, as shown in FIG. 15(b). The radar 2 supplies detection results to the control unit 3. As shown in FIG. 14(b), the control unit 3 controls the wind direction plate 5 to face in a direction (for example, +X direction) avoiding the plane position P12b in an XY top view according to the detection result of the radar 2. The conditioned air is blown out as shown by the dashed-dotted arrow. As shown in FIG. 15(b), the control unit 3 controls the control unit 3 to move the wind direction plate 4 to a height position corresponding to the posture of the living body CR (for example, the face of the living body CR) in YZ side view according to the detection result of the radar 2. position) P13b so as to face in a direction away from P13b (for example, +Z side direction), and conditioned air is blown out as shown by the dashed-dotted arrow. The dashed-dotted arrow indicates the main flow of conditioned air. Thereby, the direction of the wind blown out from the indoor unit 10 can be controlled so that it does not hit the living body CR.

As shown in FIGS. 14(c) and 15(c), the control unit 3 of the indoor unit 10 uses the radar 2 to detect the position of the living body CR in the indoor RM following FIGS. 14(b) and 15(b). Detect. As shown in FIG. 14(c), the radar 2 detects that the living body CR is present at a planar position P12c near the center in the X direction and the center in the Y direction in the indoor RM. Further, the radar 2 detects that the living body CR is sitting on a chair, as shown in FIG. 15(c). The radar 2 supplies detection results to the control unit 3. As shown in FIG. 14(c), the control unit 3 controls the wind direction plate 5 to face in a direction away from the plane position P12c (for example, on the +X side) in an XY top view according to the detection result of the radar 2. The wind direction plate 5 is controlled so that it faces in the +X direction, and the wind direction board 5 on the -X side faces in the -X direction, and the conditioned air is blown out as shown by the dashed-dotted arrow. As shown in FIG. 15(c), the control unit 3 moves the wind direction plate 4 to a height position corresponding to the posture of the living body CR (for example, the face of the living body CR) in YZ side view according to the detection result of the radar 2. position) P13c so as to face in a direction away from P13c (for example, +Z side direction), and conditioned air is blown out as shown by the dashed-dotted arrow. Thereby, while the locked living body CR is tracked, the wind direction can be controlled so that the wind blown out from the indoor unit 10 does not hit the living body CR.

As shown in FIGS. 14(d) and 15(d), the control unit 3 of the indoor unit 10 uses the radar 2 to detect the position of the living body CR in the indoor RM following FIGS. 14(c) and 15(c). Detect. As shown in FIG. 14(d), the radar 2 detects that the living body CR is present at a plane position P12d on the +X side and +Y side in the indoor RM. Further, the radar 2 detects that the living body CR is in a standing posture, as shown in FIG. 15(d). The radar 2 supplies detection results to the control unit 3. As shown in FIG. 14(d), the control unit 3 causes the wind direction plate 5 to face in a direction (for example, the -X direction) avoiding the plane position P12d in an XY top view according to the detection result of the radar 2. The conditioned air is blown out as shown by the dashed-dotted arrow. As shown in FIG. 15(d), the control unit 3 controls the control unit 3 to move the wind direction plate 4 to a height position corresponding to the posture of the living body CR (for example, the face of the living body CR) in YZ side view according to the detection result of the radar 2. position) P13d so that it faces in the direction (-Z direction), and the conditioned air is blown out as shown by the dashed-dotted arrow. Thereby, while the locked living body CR is tracked, the wind direction can be controlled so that the wind blown out from the indoor unit 10 does not hit the living body CR.

Note that the control unit 3 can arbitrarily set the avoidance direction in the wind avoidance control. The wind avoidance control may be control such that the wind direction is in a direction that avoids the position of the biological CR in the horizontal direction, or control such that the wind direction is in a direction that avoids the position of the biological CR in the vertical direction. Alternatively, the control may be such that the wind direction is in a direction that avoids the position of the living body CR in the vertical and horizontal directions.

As described above, in the present embodiment, in the air conditioner 1, the radar 2 continuously detects the position of the living body CR in the indoor RM. In the radar control mode, the control unit 3 controls the wind direction plates 4 and 5 to perform either the first operation or the second operation while tracking the position of the detected living body CR. That is, even if the living body CR moves, the wind direction plates 4 and 5 are controlled according to the current position of the living body CR. In the first operation, the wind direction plates 4 and 5 are controlled so that the wind direction is directed toward the position of the living body CR to be detected. In the second operation, the wind direction plates 4 and 5 are controlled so that the wind direction is in a direction away from the position of the living body to be detected. As a result, when the living body CR existing in the indoor RM moves through the indoor RM, the way the conditioned air is blown out from the indoor unit 10 can be dynamically changed according to the movement of the living body CR. The comfort of biological CR can be dynamically improved.

In addition, although the embodiment illustrates the case where the indoor unit 10 has one radar 2, the indoor unit 10 may have a plurality of radars. In this case, since the indoor unit 10 detects the position of the living body CR using a plurality of radars, the accuracy of position detection can be easily improved.

Note that whether the control unit 3 controls the wind direction plates 4 and 5 to perform the first operation or the second operation in the radar control mode may be specified on the operating terminal 94a. . The operation terminal 94a is provided with a button for selecting wind control or wind protection control, and when the operation terminal 94a detects that the button is pressed, a command for wind control or wind protection control is sent from the operation terminal 94a to the room. It may also be sent to unit 10. Alternatively, the operation terminal 94a is provided with a button operation method (for example, pressing multiple buttons simultaneously) for selecting wind protection control or wind protection control, and the operation terminal 94a detects execution of the button operation method. At this time, a command for wind protection control or wind protection control may be transmitted from the operation terminal 94a to the indoor unit 10. The control unit 3 can determine which of the first operation and the second operation to perform, depending on the received instruction among the instruction for wind protection control and the instruction for wind protection control. As a result, in radar control mode, it is possible to control the wind direction specified by the living CR while tracking the position of the detected living CR, dynamically improving the comfort of the living CR existing in the indoor RM. can.

Alternatively, in the radar control mode, whether the control unit 3 controls the wind direction plates 4 and 5 to perform the first operation or the second operation depends on the moving speed and direction of the living body CR. may be determined. For example, the control unit 3 may turn on the wind control when the biological CR approaches the radar 2 at a predetermined speed or higher, or may turn on the wind control when the biological CR approaches the radar 2, depending on the detection result of the radar 2. The wind protection control may be turned on when the vehicle moves away from the vehicle at a predetermined speed or higher. As a result, in the radar control mode, it is possible to control the wind direction according to the movement of the living body CR while tracking the position of the detected living body CR, so the comfort of the living body CR existing in the indoor RM can be controlled. can be improved.

Alternatively, whether the control unit 3 controls the wind direction plates 4 and 5 to perform the first operation or the second operation in the radar control mode may be determined in advance for each driving mode. good.

In the radar control mode, when the operation terminal 94a detects a press of a button that commands the first operation mode, the command for the first operation mode is transmitted from the operation terminal 94a to the indoor unit 10. Upon receiving the command for the first operation mode, the receiving device 94 supplies the command to the control unit 3 . The first operation mode is, for example, cooling operation, heating operation, or ventilation operation. In the radar control mode, when the operation terminal 94a detects a press of a button that instructs the second operation mode, a command for the second operation mode is transmitted from the operation terminal 94a to the indoor unit 10. When receiving the command for the second operation mode, the receiving device 94 supplies the command to the control unit 3 . The second operation mode is, for example, dehumidification operation, humidification operation, or air purification operation. In the radar control mode, when the command for the first operation mode is received, the control unit 3 controls the wind direction plates 4 and 5 to perform the first operation. In the radar control mode, when the command for the second operation mode is received, the control unit 3 controls the wind direction plates 4 and 5 to perform the second operation. As a result, in the radar control mode, it is possible to control the wind direction according to the driving mode while tracking the position of the detected living CR, so it is possible to dynamically improve the comfort of the living CR existing in the indoor RM. .

Alternatively, in the radar control mode, the control unit 3 may change the position range tracked by the radar 2 depending on the auxiliary driving mode. In the radar control mode, if the command to turn on the calm mode as the auxiliary operation mode is not received, the control unit 3 sets the indoor RM (first position range) to the target space SP1, as in the embodiment. The position (and speed) of the living body CR is detected within SP1. Thereby, the control unit 3 can perform control such as wind protection control or wind protection control while locking on to and tracking the living body CR within the target space SP1.

On the other hand, when the operation terminal 94a detects that the no-breeze button 947 is pressed, a command to turn on the no-breeze mode is transmitted from the operation terminal 94a to the indoor unit 10. In the radar control mode, upon receiving a command to turn on the windless mode as an auxiliary operation mode, the control unit 3 specifies a space (second position range) near the indoor unit 10 in the indoor RM as a target space. When the windless mode is on, considering that the wind blown from the indoor unit 10 does not easily reach far, it is appropriate to set a space close to the indoor unit 10 as the target space. For example, the control unit 3 specifies the half area on the −Y side of the indoor RM in FIG. 12(a) as the target space, and as shown in FIG. (<W1) and an identifier SP2 of a space having an area L2×W2 (<L1×W1). Then, like the embodiment, the control unit 3 continuously detects the position (and speed) of the living body CR within the target space SP2. As a result, the control unit 3 can perform control such as wind protection control or wind protection control while locking onto and tracking the living body CR within the narrower target space SP2 considering that the windless mode is on. can.

Further, in the radar control mode, the control unit 3 may change the rotation speed of the fan 23 according to the distance to the living body CR detected by the radar 2. The control unit 3 may increase the rotation speed of the fan 23 so that the farther the living body CR is, the stronger the wind is, according to the detection result of the radar 2.

For example, in the case of wind control shown in FIGS. 12(b) and 13(b), the control unit 3 determines the XY distance from the radar 2 to the horizontal position P12b and the The distance to the living body CR is determined according to the difference between the position P13b and the Z height. The control unit 3 rotates the fan 23 at a rotation speed corresponding to the determined distance, and blows out conditioned air at an air volume indicated by the length of the dashed-dotted arrow. The same applies to the cases shown in FIGS. 12(c) and 13(c), and the cases shown in FIG. 12(d) and FIG. 13(d).

Alternatively, in the case of wind avoidance control shown in FIGS. 14(b) and 14(b), the control unit 3 determines the XY distance from the radar 2 to the horizontal position P12b and the The distance to the living body CR is determined according to the difference between the position P13b and the Z height. The control unit 3 rotates the fan 23 at a rotation speed corresponding to the determined distance, and blows out conditioned air at an air volume indicated by the length of the dashed-dotted arrow. The same applies to the cases shown in FIGS. 14(c) and 14(c), and the cases shown in FIG. 14(d) and FIG. 14(d).

As a result, in the radar control mode, it is possible to control the air volume according to the distance to the living body CR while tracking the position of the detected living body CR, so the comfort of the living body CR existing in the indoor RM can be dynamically adjusted. can be improved.

Further, in the radar control mode, when a plurality of biological CRs are detected by the radar 2, the control unit 3 identifies a biological CR that satisfies a predetermined condition among the plurality of biological CRs, and locks to the specified biological CR. It may be turned on to perform controls such as wind protection control or wind protection control. At this time, the predetermined conditions may be conditions as shown in FIG. 16 or 17. 16 and 17 are top views showing lock-on control using the radar 2 of the air conditioner 1 according to a modification of the embodiment, respectively.

In the case of FIG. 16(a), when the command to turn on the use of the radar 2 is received by the receiving device 94 from the operation terminal 94a, the control unit 3 uses the radar 2 to locate and operate the plural living bodies CR1 to CR3 in the indoor RM. The position of the terminal 94a is detected. According to the detection result of the radar 2, the control unit 3 identifies the living body CR1 that is spatially closest to the operating terminal 94a among the plural living bodies CR1 to CR3, and locks onto the living body CR1. From this point on, as shown in FIG. 16(b), the control unit 3 performs control such as wind control while tracking the living body CR1.

In the case of FIG. 16(c), when the command to turn on the use of the radar 2 is received by the receiving device 94 from the operating terminal 94a, the control unit 3 uses the radar 2 to determine the positions of the plural living bodies CR1 to CR3 in the indoor RM. The distance to living organisms CR1 to CR3 is detected. According to the detection results of the radar 2, the control unit 3 identifies the living body CR2 that is spatially closest to the radar 2 (or the indoor unit 10) among the plural living bodies CR1 to CR3, and locks to the living body CR2. Turn on. From this point on, as shown in FIG. 16(d), the control unit 3 performs control such as wind control while tracking the living body CR2.

Alternatively, a predetermined detection pattern of the radar 2 corresponding to a command to turn on the use of the radar 2 is registered in advance in the control unit 3 . The control unit 3 uses the radar 2 to detect the gestures of the living body in the room, determines whether the pattern of the detected gestures matches a predetermined detection pattern, and if it matches, can identify that a command has been given to turn on the radar 2. . In response to this, the control unit 3 can change the control mode to the radar control mode. Thereby, even if the living body CR is unaccustomed to operating the operating terminal 94a, it is possible to issue a command to turn on the radar 2.

In the case of FIG. 17A, when the radar 2 detects a gesture command to turn on the use of the radar 2, the control unit 3 detects the position of the living body CR1 that made the gesture using the radar 2. The control unit 3 locks on to the living body CR1 that has performed the gesture according to the detection result of the radar 2. From this point on, as shown in FIG. 17(b), the control unit 3 performs control such as wind control while tracking the living body CR1.

In the case of FIG. 17(c), when the command to turn on the use of the radar 2 is received by the receiving device 94 from the operation terminal 94a, the control unit 3 uses the radar 2 to determine the positions of the plural living bodies CR1 to CR3 in the indoor RM. The amount of motion of the living organisms CR1 to CR3 is detected. The amount of movement may be the amount of movement per unit time or the speed of movement at the moment of detection. In FIG. 17(c), the amount of movement of each living body CR1 to CR3 is shown by the distance from the position shown by the broken line to the position shown by the solid line (the distance traveled in a predetermined time as shown by the broken line arrow). According to the detection result of the radar 2, the control unit 3 identifies the living organism CR3 with the largest amount of movement among the plurality of living organisms CR1 to CR3, and locks onto the living organism CR3. From this point on, as shown in FIG. 17(d), the control unit 3 performs control such as wind control while tracking the living body CR3. In addition to the control illustrated in FIG. 17(c), the control unit 3 performs control to lock on to the living body with the largest amount of momentum among the living organisms approaching the radar 2, according to the detection results of the radar 2. You may.

Further, in the radar control mode, the control unit 3 may change the number of cycles of the compressor 125 (see FIG. 1) according to the number of biological CRs detected by the radar 2.

For example, in the case of wind protection control shown in FIG. 12(a), when a command to turn on the radar 2 is received by the receiving device 94 from the operating terminal 94a, the control unit 3 controls the use of the radar 2 to control one indoor RM. It is detected that there is a living CR, and the air conditioning load is specified to be LD1. The control unit 3 controls the compressor 125 via the control unit 103 so that the number of cycles of the compressor 125 becomes CY1 in response to the air conditioning load being LD1. Further, the control unit 3 sets the control mode to the radar control mode, and thereafter performs the same control as in the embodiment.

The air conditioner 1 has main operation modes (cooling operation mode, heating operation mode, dehumidification operation mode, humidification operation mode, ventilation operation mode, air purification operation mode), control modes (radar control mode, normal control) as modes. mode), auxiliary operation mode (no wind mode on, no wind mode off), and rapid mode (a mode that increases fan rotation speed, compressor cycle speed, or both). The air conditioner 1 can arbitrarily combine the rapid mode with a control mode, a main operation mode, and an auxiliary operation mode. For example, in the case of cooling operation mode x radar control mode (wind avoidance control on) x calm mode off x rapid mode on, the air conditioner 1 increases the indoor RM temperature at a faster rate than usual while avoiding wind. to control. Furthermore, in the case of cooling operation mode x radar control mode (wind fan control on) x calm mode off x rapid mode on, the air conditioner 1 performs control to selectively cool the locked-on living body CR.

Further, in the case shown in FIG. 16(a), when a command to turn on the use of the radar 2 is received by the receiving device 94 from the operating terminal 94a, the control unit 3 causes the radar 2 to detect three living bodies CR1 to CR3 in the indoor RM. It is detected that the air conditioning load is LD2 (>LD1). The control unit 3 controls the compressor 125 via the control unit 103 so that the number of cycles of the compressor 125 becomes CY2 (>CY1) in response to the air conditioning load being LD2. Further, the control unit 3 sets the control mode to the radar control mode, and thereafter performs the same control as described above.

In addition, in the lock-on control illustrated in FIGS. 16 and 17, when the control unit 3 detects a small animal such as a baby, it may remove the small animal from the lock-on target.

Furthermore, the operating terminal 194a that sends commands to the indoor unit 10 may also be a portable information terminal as shown in FIG. The portable information terminal is, for example, a smartphone or a personal computer. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner 201 according to another modification of the embodiment. The air conditioner 201 has an operation terminal 194a instead of the operation terminal 94a (see FIG. 1), and further includes an access point 200, a network NT, and a server SV. Indoor unit 10, access point 200, and server SV are communicably connected to each other via network NT. The network NT is a communication line that allows wide area communication, and can use a wired communication line and/or a wireless communication line. The operating terminal 194a and the access point 200 are communicably connected to each other via a wireless communication line such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

The operating terminal 194a has an application program AP for generating commands corresponding to the operating terminal 94a downloaded from the server SV via the network NT and installed in advance. When the operating terminal 194a receives a command to start the application program AP from the living body CR, the operating terminal 194a starts the application program AP and displays on the screen a plurality of button objects corresponding to the plurality of buttons on the operating terminal 94a. Although not shown, the plurality of button objects include, for example, a radar button object, a cooling button object, a heating button object, an air freshening button object, a temperature setting button object, a dehumidification button object, a calm button object, and a stop button object.

When the operation terminal 194a detects the press of a button that instructs the use of the radar 2 to be turned on (for example, the press of a radar button object), the command to turn on the use of the radar 2 is transmitted from the operation terminal 194a via the access point 200 and the network NT. Sent to server SV. The server SV transmits a command to turn on the use of the radar 2 to the indoor unit 10 via the network NT. When the indoor unit 10 receives a command to turn on the use of the radar 2, it supplies the command to the control unit 3. In response to this, the control unit 3 changes the control mode to radar control mode.

When the operating terminal 194a detects the press of a button that commands the use of the radar 2 to be turned off (for example, pressing the stop button object or pressing the radar button object again), the command to turn off the use of the radar 2 is accessed from the operating terminal 194a. It is sent to the server SV via the point 200 and the network NT. The server SV transmits a command to turn off the use of the radar 2 to the indoor unit 10 via the network NT. When the indoor unit 10 receives a command to turn off the use of the radar 2, it supplies the command to the control unit 3. In response to this, the control unit 3 can change the control mode from the radar control mode to the normal control mode.

In this air conditioner 201, commands can be transmitted from the operating terminal 194a even when the access point 200 is located outdoors. For example, the control mode of the indoor unit 10 can be changed to the radar control mode or from the radar control mode to the normal control mode by remote control.

Although several embodiments of the invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and gist of the invention as well as within the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

1,201 air conditioner, 2 radar, 3 control unit, 4,5 wind direction plate, 6 ventilation member, 10 indoor unit, 22 heat exchanger, 23 fan, 94a, 194a operation terminal, 125 compressor

Claims (9)

Equipped with an indoor unit,
The indoor unit is
A wind direction plate that adjusts the direction of the conditioned air blown into the room;
a radar that detects the position of a living body in the room;
In a first control mode, while tracking the position of the detected living body by the radar, a first operation in a direction toward the position of the detected living body or a direction away from the position of the detected living body; a control unit that controls the wind direction plate to perform at least one of the second operations directed toward the wind direction;
has
In the first control mode, when a plurality of living organisms are detected by the radar, at least one of the first operation and the second operation is performed on the living organism closest to the indoor unit among the plurality of living organisms. Perform one of the actions,
The radar detects movement of a living body in the room,
In a second control mode in which the wind direction plate is controlled without using the radar, the control unit changes the control mode to the second control mode when the detected movement is a movement instructing to turn on use of the radar. 2 control mode to the first control mode.
Air conditioner. The indoor unit further includes a receiving section that receives commands from an operating terminal,
In the first control mode, when a command for a first operation mode is received, the control unit controls the wind direction plate to perform the first operation, and when a command for a second operation mode is received. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioning apparatus controls the wind direction plate to perform the second operation when the air conditioner is received. further comprising an operation terminal that transmits a command to the indoor unit,
The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the operation terminal has a button for instructing on/off of use of the radar. 4. The control unit according to claim 3, wherein when a command to turn on the use of the radar is received in the second control mode, the control unit transitions the control mode from the second control mode to the first control mode. The air conditioner described. further comprising an operation terminal that transmits a command to the indoor unit,
The indoor unit further includes a receiving section that receives the command,
The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the radar detects a living body operating the operating terminal. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the radar detects a living body making a gesture in the room and the gesture. In the first control mode, when a first mode related to driving is instructed, the control unit performs the first operation and the first operation while tracking the position of the detected living body in a first position range. 2, and when a second mode of operation is instructed, the position of the detected living body is set to a second position narrower than the first position range. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the air-directing plate is controlled to perform either the first operation or the second operation while tracking the air conditioner within a range. The indoor unit is
A ventilation member configured to be switchable between a closed position where the ventilation member is inserted into a part of the flow path of the conditioned air blown into the room and changes the aperture ratio of the part of the flow path, and an open position where the insertion is released. Furthermore,
The first mode does not include a windless mode in which the ventilation member is switched to the closed position to blow out conditioned air into the room,
The air conditioner according to claim 7 , wherein the second mode includes the windless mode. a heat exchanger;
a fan that sends the conditioned air heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger to the outlet;
Furthermore,
The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein the control unit changes the rotation speed of the fan depending on the distance to the living body detected by the radar.

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