JPS597840A - Air flow direction shifting device for air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to miniaturize and to manufacture the air flow direction shifting device at low cost by a method wherein a flexible rotary control member made of a configuration storing alloy is provided in a blowout port of the air conditioner and the rotation of the air flow direction shifting vane is controled by the deformable, expansive and contractive actions of the flexible rotary member. CONSTITUTION:The flexible rotary member 10 comprizing the configuration storing alloy is provided in the blowout port 3 of the air conditioner 1 from which het exchanged air is blown out and the air flow direction shifting vane 8 is moved vertically or right and left by the deformable, expansive and contractive actions of the member 10. In other words, unlike the conventional device, it is made possible with the present device to shift the direction of an air flow without using a temperature detecting means and an automatic ventilating direction shifting mechanism so that the number of required parts of the device can be reduced and the device can be miniaturized and manufactured at low cost.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a wind direction changing device for an air conditioner.

Conventionally, air conditioner wind direction changing devices have either a structure in which the wind from the blower collides with each other to forcefully change the direction of the air, or a structure that applies the fluid element principle to create a separation phenomenon in the airflow, and the attraction effect that occurs at that time. There are two known structures: a structure in which the direction of air is changed by a motor or the like, and a structure in which the direction of air is changed by controlling a wind direction changing blade using a motor or the like.

There is also a structure that uses the rotational movement of a bimetal to change the direction of airflow as a wind direction change device, but this structure is made of bimetal, and delicate temperature control is difficult, making it difficult to maintain comfort, which is the lifeblood of air conditioning. It is difficult to obtain this, and the rotational driving force of the bimetal is small, making it very difficult to operate wind direction changing blades, etc.

On the other hand, in order to further improve the comfort of air conditioning, for example, warm air during heating is blown downward, and cold air during trench cooling is blown upward. If the wind direction changing device of (a) is adopted, a means to detect the blowout temperature and a mechanism to change the direction of the blowout air will be required, and problems such as an increase in assembly man-hours due to an increase in the number of parts and an increase in cost will arise. measures were required.

In order to solve these conventional problems, the present invention utilizes the properties of shape memory alloys such as nickel-titanium alloys to blow hot air downward and cold air upward, for example. Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive wind direction changing device that does not require a temperature detecting means and a switching mechanism for this purpose, thereby contributing to further downsizing of air conditioners.

Hereinafter, a case will be described in which the present invention is applied to a wind direction changing device of an air outlet in an indoor unit of a separate type air conditioner.

First, the schematic structure of an air conditioner will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

In the figure, 1 is an indoor unit main body, and a suction port 2 and a blowout port 3 are formed on the front surface. Reference numeral 4 denotes a ventilation passage formed in the indoor unit main body 1, which communicates with the suction port 2 and the air outlet 3, and inside which a heat exchanger 5 and a blower 6 constituting a well-known refrigeration cycle are disposed. ing. Reference numeral 7 denotes a water tray for the heat exchanger 5, which also serves as an air guide for the blower 6. These are similar to existing air conditioners, and are also equipped with an air filter, a front grill, a fan motor, etc., although not shown, as is well known. 8 is a wind direction changing blade, formed in the shape of a wing,
Both ends thereof are attached to opposite side walls of the air outlet 3 via a shaft or the like. A spring 9 has both ends fixed to the wind direction changing blade 8 and the water receiving tray/air guider 7, and urges the wind direction changing blade 8 to always be in a horizontal position.

Reference numeral 10 denotes a rotation control member made of a shape memory alloy and formed into a coil shape, and is fixed to the outlet 3.

This rotation control member 1074 is made of nickel-titanium alloy gold.
It is made of cadmium alloy, etc., and has a memorized shape that expands in the axial direction when heated and contracts in the 111 force direction when cooled.

This material is appropriately selected depending on the deformation speed. Further, the rotation control member 1° may be fixed to the wind direction changing blade 8.

Next, the wind direction changing operation will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

First, during cooling operation, air sucked in from the suction port 2 is cooled by the heat exchanger, and then blown out from the air outlet 3 by the blower 6. At this time, since the rotation control member 10 is cooled, it maintains a contracted state, and thus the cooling air is blown out in the direction of the arrow, that is, in the horizontal direction.

Furthermore, during heating, the air blown by the blower 6 is cold because the heat exchanger 5 is not heated at the start. Therefore, the rotation control member 1o is in a contracted state, and the direction of the air blown out is horizontal, which is the same as during cooling. and,
When the temperature of the heat exchange air increases and reaches the transformation temperature point of the shape memory metal, the coil-shaped rotation control member 1o extends in the axial direction and pushes up the wind direction changing blade 8, as shown in FIG. As a result, the air is blown in the direction of arrow B, that is, in the downward direction. However, the relationship between the pull force υ of the spring 9 and the axial pushing force of the rotation control member 1o is as follows.
There is a relationship between the force of the spring 9 and the force pushing up the shape memory alloy.

Therefore, the ideal "cold head, warm feet" effect in air conditioning can be achieved both during cooling and heating, and furthermore, there is no need for additional temperature detection means or a mechanism for changing the wind direction, reducing the number of parts and assembly man-hours. Each of these can be improved, and it can also be used to greatly reduce the size of air conditioners.

In this example, it is not clear whether the wind direction is changed by forcefully colliding the air with the wind direction changing blade or by using the principle of a fluid element, but in either case,
The shape memory alloy is rotated to rotate the wind direction changing blade, and the present invention can be implemented in any of these cases. Further, the air conditioner is not limited to a separate type, but may be an integrated type, and the same can be applied to a system type duct outlet.

Furthermore, in the previous embodiment, when heated, the coil-shaped rotation control member 1o extends in the axial direction and rotates the wind direction changing blade to change the hot air downward. Accordingly, the same effect can be expected even if the coiled shape memory alloy is stretched in the axial direction and the wind direction changing blade is rotated to blow the hot air downward.

As is clear from the above embodiments, the air conditioner air direction changing device according to the present invention includes an expansion/contraction rotation control member made of a shape memory alloy at the air outlet of the air conditioner through which heat-exchanged air is blown out. With this system, the wind direction changing blade rotates according to the high or low temperature of the blowing air and changes the blowing direction of the air, so there is no need for conventional temperature detection means or a mechanism to automatically change the blowing direction. The wind direction can be changed by changing the direction of the air, the number of parts can be reduced, and the wind direction changing device can be made small and inexpensively.Furthermore, the wind direction changing blade changes the hot air blowing direction upward and the cold air blowing downward. As a result, cold air is automatically blown upward and warm air is blown downward, achieving the ideal ``cold head and warm feet'' effect in air conditioning.Especially when heating, cold air is blown upward and cold drafts are prevented. It has various advantages, such as improved comfort.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an air conditioner equipped with a wind direction changing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the same air conditioner, and FIG. 3 is a view of the air conditioner during upward blowing. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of the same air conditioner at the time of downward blowing. 1... Indoor unit main body, 3... Air outlet, 6... Heat exchanger, 7... Water tray, 8
... Wind direction changing blade, 10 ... Rotating side bright member. Figure 1 Figure 2

Claims (1)

[Claims] A telescopic rotation control member made of a shape memory alloy is installed at the air outlet of the air conditioner through which heat-exchanged air is blown out, and the wind direction changing blades are rotated up and down or left and right by the deformation and expansion/contraction action of this telescopic rotation member. A device that changes the wind direction of an air conditioner to control.