KR20140028191A - Indoor unit of air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is an improved indoor unit of an air conditioner, wherein the indoor unit is to improve a suction structure, a discharge structure, and an air flow path structure in the indoor unit in order to improve the operation efficiency of the indoor unit, in order to reduce the noise of the indoor unit, and in order to miniaturize the size of the indoor unit; and is to control the discharge direction of air discharged from the indoor unit in order to discharge the air to a wide indoor space. An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the present invention comprises: a housing including a front panel having multiple openings, and a rear panel coupled to the rear side of the front panel and having multiple inlets; at least one heat exchanger placed inside the housing; multiple mixed flow fan units including a diffuser having an outlet exposed to the front side of the front panel through the opening, a duct coupled to the diffuser and guiding air, which exchanges heat through the heat exchanger after sucked through the inlet, to the outlet, a mixed flow fan allowing the air to forcibly flow from the inlet to the outlet, and a driving motor driving the mixed flow fan; and multiple fixing frames arranged inside the housing and to which the ducts of the mixed flow fan units are coupled, wherein the ducts coupled to the fixing frames are able to rotate, and the mixed flow fan units coupled to the fixing frames discharge the air in respectively different discharge directions up and down.

Description

[0001] INDOOR UNIT OF AIR CONDITIONER [0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an indoor unit of an air conditioner, and more particularly to an air conditioner having improved suction, discharge, and flow path structures.

Generally, an air conditioner is equipped with a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, a blower fan, and the like, which removes dust and the like in the air while adjusting temperature, humidity, airflow, distribution and the like suitable for human activity by using a refrigeration cycle .

The air conditioner may be classified into a separate type air conditioner in which the indoor unit and the outdoor unit are separately installed, and an integrated air conditioner in which the indoor unit and the outdoor unit are installed together in one cabinet.

The indoor unit of the separate type air conditioner includes a heat exchanger for heat-exchanging the air sucked into the panel, and a blower fan that sucks the indoor air into the panel and blows the sucked air back into the room.

In general, a blower fan is disposed below the indoor unit of the separate air conditioner, and a heat exchanger and an air discharge port through which air is discharged are disposed above. The air sucked and blown by the blower fan moves to the upper part of the indoor unit, and the air moved to the upper part is discharged to the room via a heat exchanger and an air discharge port.

However, in the indoor unit having such a structure, since the blower fan and the heat exchanger are disposed up and down, respectively, there is a disadvantage in that the space utilization is not efficient.

In addition, since the air passing through the blowing fan must be discharged by moving to the upper part of the indoor unit, the flow path from the lower part of the indoor unit to the upper part is long, and the load on the blowing fan that blows the sucked air is large, which is inefficient in terms of energy utilization. However, there is a limit in increasing the air volume and the wind speed.

In addition, when the arrangement of the heat exchanger and the blower fan is narrowed in order to reduce the size of the indoor unit, the air-side resistance of the heat exchanger rises, resulting in a decrease in the performance of the blower fan and an increase in operating noise.

One aspect of the present invention provides an indoor unit of an air conditioner capable of increasing operation efficiency, reducing noise, and improving intake, discharge, and air flow path structures to realize miniaturization of size.

In addition, it provides an indoor unit of the improved air conditioner so that the air can be discharged to a large indoor space by adjusting the discharge direction of the air discharged from the indoor unit.

An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a housing including a front panel provided with a plurality of openings and a rear panel coupled to a rear side of the front panel and provided with a plurality of suction ports; At least one heat exchanger disposed inside the housing; A diffuser having a discharge port exposed to the front of the front panel through the opening, a duct coupled to the diffuser to guide air sucked through the suction port and heat exchanged through the heat exchanger to the discharge port, and the discharge port from the suction port A plurality of swirl fan units including a swirl fan for forcibly flowing the air and a driving motor for driving the swirl fan; And a fixing frame provided in a plurality of interiors of the housing, wherein the duct of the crossflow fan unit is rotatably coupled in a vertical direction, wherein the plurality of crossflow fan units have different discharge directions in the vertical direction. It is characterized in that coupled to the fixed frame to have.

The duct may be provided with a rotating shaft for allowing the duct to rotate in the vertical direction, and the fixing frame may be provided with a shaft support part for rotatably supporting the rotating shaft.

The duct may include a flow path forming part for forming a flow path of air so that air sucked by the crossflow fan flows to the discharge port, a back plate provided on a rear surface of the flow path forming part, and extending forward from the back plate. It may include an extension.

The extension part may include a first extension part extending to have an elliptical shape convex toward the outside from the upper and lower surfaces of the back plate, and a second extension part extending perpendicular to the back plate at both sides of the back plate. have.

The fixing frame may include a first guide part provided to have an elliptical shape convex outward with the same curvature as the first extension part so that the duct does not interfere with the first extension part when the duct is rotated in the up and down direction, and the second It may include a second guide portion provided to be in close contact with the extension.

The rotating shaft may be provided on the second extension part, and the shaft support part may be provided on the second guide part.

The plurality of vortex fan units may include a first vortex fan unit spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the housing, a second vortex fan unit, and a third vortex fan unit, wherein the first vortex fan unit faces upward. The third swirl fan unit may be disposed to face downward and the second swirl fan unit may be disposed to face horizontally so that the plurality of swirl fan units may have a wide discharge range in the vertical direction. .

The plurality of vortex fan units include a first vortex fan unit spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the housing, a second vortex fan unit, and a third vortex fan unit, wherein the first vortex fan unit faces downward. The third swirling fan unit is disposed to face upward and the second swirling fan unit is disposed to face in a horizontal direction so that the plurality of swirling fan units can intensively discharge air toward one place. Can be prepared.

According to the embodiments of the present invention, since the indoor unit of the air conditioner is disposed in the inlet, the heat exchanger, the circulating fan, and the discharge port in a line, the air flow path structure is simplified, thus increasing the operating efficiency of the indoor unit and miniaturizing the size. Do.

In addition, each of the plurality of swirling fans may be disposed to have different discharge directions in the vertical direction to discharge the discharge to a large indoor space.

1 is a view showing the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a view showing the front of the indoor unit shown in FIG.
Figure 3 is a view showing a state in which the front panel of the indoor unit shown in Figure 1 separated.
Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of a part of the indoor unit shown in FIG.
5 is a view showing a state in which the duct rotatably coupled to the fixed frame shown in FIG.
Figure 6 is a view showing a state in which the duct is rotatably coupled to the fixed frame shown in FIG.
7 to 8 are cross-sectional views illustrating a plurality of crossflow fan units of the indoor unit illustrated in FIG. 1 having different discharge directions in the vertical direction.
9 is an enlarged view illustrating a central portion of FIGS. 7 to 8;

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a view showing the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a view showing the front of the indoor unit shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a front panel of the indoor unit shown in Figure 1 It is a figure which shows the separated state. Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of a part of the indoor unit shown in Figure 1, Figure 5 is a view showing a state in which the duct rotatably coupled to the fixed frame shown in Figure 4, Figure 6 is a fixed shown in Figure 5 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a plurality of crossflow fan units of the indoor unit illustrated in FIG. 1 have different discharge directions in the vertical direction. 9 is an enlarged view illustrating a central portion of FIGS. 7 to 8.

1 to 9, the indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner includes a housing 110 forming an exterior of the indoor unit 100, and a plurality of crossflows disposed inside the housing 110. The fan unit 120, the at least one heat exchanger 130 disposed at the rear of the plurality of crossflow fan units 120 inside the housing 110, and the rear surface of the housing 110. It is configured to include a plurality of suction ports 140.

The housing 110 includes a front panel 112 having a plurality of openings 112a formed therein so that a discharge port 121a of the slave fan unit 120 can be exposed forward and a rear panel 112 coupled to the rear of the front panel 112, (114). The plurality of openings 112a may be provided in a circular shape and at least two or more openings may be spaced apart in the up and down directions of the front panel 112.

The four-flow fan unit 120 includes a diffuser 121 forming the discharge port 121a, a driving motor 122 coupled to the rear surface of the diffuser 121, and a four-flow fan rotatably coupled to the driving motor 122. 123 and a duct 124 coupled to the rear surface of the diffuser 121 to form a flow path 124a through which air sucked by the swirling fan 123 is discharged to the discharge port 121a. do.

The diffuser 121 includes a circular disc plate 121b, a circular grille 121c coupled to the outer circumferential surface of the disc plate 121b, and a ring (not shown) formed between the disc plate 121b and the grille 121c. Ring-type discharge port 121a. The diffuser 121 is disposed in front of the current fan 123 so that air passing through the current fan 123 can be discharged to the front of the front panel 112 through the discharge port 121a.

The grill 121c includes a wing plate 121d and can control the direction and amount of air discharged through the discharge port 121a by adjusting the number, shape or arrangement angle of the wing plate 121d.

It is also possible to adjust the airflow direction and air volume of the air discharged through the discharge port 121a by reducing or increasing the radial width of the discharge port 121a by adjusting the interval between the disk plate 121b and the grille 121c, The diameter of the plate 121b may be adjusted to adjust the direction and amount of air discharged through the discharge port 121a.

The driving motor 122 is coupled to the rear surface of the disc plate 121b so as to rotate the turntable fan 123 such that the rotational axis 122a thereof is disposed in a direction toward the rear panel 114. [

The circulating fan 123 is disposed between the diffuser 121 and the heat exchanger 130 to suck the air exchanged heat in the heat exchanger 130 to be discharged through the discharge port 121a, and the driving motor 122 Hub 123a coupled to the rotation shaft 122a of the (), and a plurality of wings 123b coupled to the outer circumferential surface of the hub 123a.

The diameter of the hub 123a is provided to gradually decrease in the direction toward which the rotation shaft 122a of the drive motor 122 faces, that is, toward the rear panel 114, and thus the outer circumferential surface of the hub 123a is inclined. Virtual through the center of the rotation axis 122a of the tangential L1 and the drive motor 122 in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the hub 123a so that the intake air is inclined toward the discharge port 121a by the swirling fan 123 The angle α that the straight line Lc meets may be greater than or equal to 10 degrees and less than or equal to 40 degrees.

At least three of the wings 123b are equally spaced along the outer circumferential surface of the hub 123a. The blade 123b forms a pressure gradient in the forward and backward directions of the extruder fan 123 in the process of rotating together with the hub 123a to form a constant air flow.

The shortest distance d is preferably 20 mm or more and 50 mm or less when the shortest distance between one end of the blade 123b and the heat exchanger 130 disposed behind the turbulence fan unit 120 is 'd'. If the shortest distance d is less than 20 mm, the gap between the extruder fan 123 and the heat exchanger 130 becomes narrow, suction resistance is generated, operation noise becomes large, and when the shortest distance d exceeds 50 mm, The interval between the fan 123 and the heat exchanger 130 is widened and the air exchanged with the heat through the heat exchanger 130 may not be sucked into the gas fan 123 smoothly.

The duct 124 is formed in a circular shape surrounding the drift fan 123 and has a flow path forming unit 124a which forms a flow path of air so that the air sucked by the drift fan 123 flows to the discharge port 121a. The rear plate 124b provided on the rear surface of the flow path forming unit 124a and extension parts 124c and 124d extending forward from the rear plate 124b for sealing with the fixing frame 150 may be included. Can be. The extension parts 124c and 124d may include a first extension part 124c extending so as to have an elliptical shape convex toward the outside from the upper and lower surfaces of the rear plate 124b, and the rear plate (from both sides of the rear plate 124b). And a second extension portion 124d extending perpendicular to 124b, wherein the second extension portion 124d has a rotating shaft to allow the duct 124 to be rotatably coupled to the fixed frame 150 in the vertical direction. 124e may be provided.

The fixed frame 150 is provided in the housing 110 to install the heat exchanger 130 and the duct 124, and is fixed to the housing 110. The fixed frame 150 may have a substantially rectangular frame shape, and the air heat exchanged through the heat exchanger 130 may be guided to the duct 124 through the fixed frame 150.

The fixing frame 150 may include guide parts 150a and 150b that are in close contact with the extension parts 124c and 124d of the duct 124 to seal the duct 124. The guide parts 150a and 150b are convex outward with the same curvature as the first extension part 124c so that the duct 124 does not interfere with the first extension part 124c of the duct 124 when the duct 124 rotates in the vertical direction. It may include a first guide portion 150a provided to have an elliptic shape, and a second guide portion 150b provided to be in close contact with the second extension portion 124d. A shaft support part 150c may be provided to rotatably support the rotation shaft 124e provided in the 124.

Coupling of the fixed frame 150 and the duct 124, the shaft support portion provided in the second guide portion 150b of the fixed frame 150 to the rotating shaft 124e provided in the second extension portion 124d of the duct 124 After coupling to 150c, the duct 124 may be fixed using the fixing member F so that the duct 124 is fixed to the fixing frame 150 while the duct 124 is rotated in a desired rotational direction.

The flow path forming portion 124a is formed to be inclined side by side with the hub 123a so that the suction air can be inclined toward the discharge port 121a by the swirling fan 123, and the side surface of the flow path forming portion 124a and It is preferable that the angle formed between the tangent line L2 in contact with the imaginary straight line passing through the rotation center of the swirling fan 123 and the straight line Lp parallel to each other is not less than 5 degrees and not more than 15 degrees. The diffuser 121 is fixedly coupled to the front of the inlet of the flow path forming portion 124a.

The duct 124 may be rotatably coupled to the fixed frame 150 fixed to the housing 110 and then rotated in a desired direction.

The heat exchanger 130 is disposed between the main fan unit 120 and the inlet 140 to absorb heat from the air introduced through the inlet 140 or to transfer the heat to the air introduced through the inlet 140. The heat exchanger 130 includes a tube 132 and a header 134 coupled at the upper and lower sides of the tube 132.

The number of heat exchangers 130 disposed in the indoor unit 100 may be one or plural. That is, the same number of heat exchangers 130 as the number of the plurality of the slave fan units 120 may be disposed behind the slave fan unit 120 to correspond to the plurality of slave fan units 120, One heat exchanger 130 having a size corresponding to both of the extruded fan unit 120 may be disposed. Further, the heat exchanging capacity of the heat exchanger 130 need not be all the same. That is, one of the plurality of heat exchangers 130 having a relatively small heat exchange capacity may be disposed behind the corresponding one of the two or more fan fans 120, and the other one having a relatively large heat exchange capacity may include two or more fan fans 120 It is also possible to arrange it on the rear side of the unit 120.

The suction port 140 is provided on the rear panel 114 disposed at the rear of the heat exchanger 130 to guide the air outside the indoor unit 100 into the indoor unit 100. The suction port 140 may have the rear panel 114 disposed on at least one portion of an upper surface, a side surface, and a rear surface of the rear panel 114.

As with the heat exchanger 130, the number of the suction ports 140 provided on the rear panel 114 may be one or more. The number of intake ports 140 equal to the number of the plurality of the slave fan units 120 may be provided on the rear panel 114 so as to correspond to the plurality of the slave fan units 120, One inlet 140 may be provided on the rear panel 114, all of which have a size corresponding to both of them. The plurality of suction ports 140 need not be all the same size. That is, it is also possible that one of the plurality of suction ports 140 is disposed behind the corresponding one of the two slave fan units 120, and the other is disposed behind the corresponding two or more slave fan units 120 .

As illustrated in FIG. 9, air introduced into the housing 110 through the inlet 140 may absorb or lose heat while passing through the heat exchanger 130. The air exchanged in heat through the heat exchanger 130 is sucked by the sucker fan 123 and discharged to the outside of the housing 110 through the duct 124 and the discharge port 121a. At this time, the angle formed by the direction of the air sucked into the entrained fan 123 and the direction of the air discharged through the discharge port 121a is about 15 to 60..

The indoor unit 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of hydrostatic fan units 120, a plurality of heat exchangers 130, and a plurality of inlets 140. For convenience of description, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the plurality of vortex fan units 120, the plurality of heat exchangers 130, and the plurality of suction ports 140 are disposed up, down, and down in the longitudinal direction of the indoor unit 100. The arrangement arrange | positioned is demonstrated to an example.

The plurality of vortex fan units 120 include a first vortex fan unit 120a, a second vortex fan unit 120b, and a third vortex fan unit 120c that are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the indoor unit 100. do. The plurality of heat exchangers 130 may include a first heat exchanger 130a and a second heat exchanger 130b spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the indoor unit 100 between the four-flow fan unit 120 and the suction port 140. And a third heat exchanger 130c. The plurality of suction ports 140 include a first suction hole 140a, a second suction hole 140b, and a third suction hole 140c that are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the indoor unit 100 at the rear of the heat exchanger 130. do.

The first flow fan unit 120a, the first heat exchanger 130a, and the first suction opening 140a are arranged in parallel with each other, and the second flow fan unit 120b, the second heat exchanger 130b, and the first The two suction ports 140b are arranged in parallel with each other in a lower portion of the first suction fan unit 120a, the first heat exchanger 130a, and the first suction hole 140a, and the third suction fan unit 120c, The third heat exchanger 130c and the third suction port 140c are arranged in parallel with each other at a lower portion of the second flow fan unit 120b, the second heat exchanger 130b, and the second suction port 140b, respectively.

As described above, the plurality of vortex fan units 120a, 120b, and 120c, the plurality of heat exchangers 130a, 130b, and 130c disposed in the longitudinal direction of the indoor unit 100, and the plurality of suction ports 140a, respectively. Since 140b and 140c are arranged in a row in front and rear, the width of the indoor unit can be configured to be slim, and the flow path formed between the suction port 140 and the discharge port 121a is shortened, so that the operation efficiency of the indoor unit 100 is reduced. On the other hand, noise is reduced.

As illustrated in FIGS. 7 to 8, the plurality of swirling fan units 120a, 120b, and 120c may be arranged to have different discharge directions in the vertical direction.

5 to 6, since the duct 124 is rotatably coupled to the fixed frame 150 in the left and right directions, each of the plurality of crossflow fan units 120a, 120b, and 120c is mutually disposed in the left and right directions. It may be arranged to have a different discharge direction so that the air discharged into the indoor space can be discharged to a wider range.

As shown in FIG. 7, the first swirl fan unit 120a is disposed to face upward, the third swirl fan unit 120c is disposed to face downward, and the second swirl fan unit 120b is disposed. Is disposed to face in the horizontal direction may be provided so that the plurality of crossflow fan unit (120a, 120b, 120c) has a wide discharge range in the vertical direction.

In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the first swirling fan unit 120a is disposed to face downward, and the third swirling fan unit 120c is disposed to face upward. 120b) may be disposed to face in a horizontal direction so that the plurality of four-flow fan units 120a, 120b, and 120c may discharge air intensively toward one place.

In the above description of the indoor unit of the air conditioner with reference to the accompanying drawings, a specific shape and direction were mainly described, but various modifications and changes are possible by those skilled in the art, and such modifications and changes are included in the scope of the present invention. Should be interpreted as

100: indoor unit 110: housing
112: front panel 112a: opening
114: rear panel 120, 120a, 120b, 120c: crossflow fan unit
121: diffuser 121a: discharge port
121b: disc plate 121c: grill
121d: wing plate 122: drive motor
122a: drive motor rotation shaft 123: vortex fan
123a: Hub 123b: Wings
124: duct 124a: flow path forming portion
124b: rear plate 124c: first extension
124d: second extension 124e: rotating shaft
130, 130a, 130b, 130c: heat exchanger 132: tube
134: header 140, 140a, 140b, 140c: inlet
150: fixed frame 150a: first guide portion
150b: second guide portion 150c: shaft support portion
F: Fixing member

Claims (8)

A housing including a front panel having a plurality of openings and a rear panel coupled to a rear of the front panel and having a plurality of suction ports;
At least one heat exchanger disposed inside the housing;
A diffuser having a discharge port exposed to the front of the front panel through the opening, a duct coupled to the diffuser to guide air sucked through the suction port and heat exchanged through the heat exchanger to the discharge port, and the discharge port from the suction port A plurality of swirl fan units including a swirl fan for forcibly flowing the air and a driving motor for driving the swirl fan; And
A plurality of fixing frames provided inside the housing, the ducts of the crossflow fan unit being rotatably coupled in a vertical direction;
/ RTI >
The plurality of four-flow fan unit is coupled to the fixed frame to each have a different discharge direction in the vertical direction, the indoor unit of the air conditioner. The method of claim 1,
The duct is provided with a rotating shaft for allowing the duct to rotate in the vertical direction, the fixed frame is provided with a shaft support for rotatably supporting the rotating shaft, the indoor unit of the air conditioner. 3. The method of claim 2,
The duct may include a flow path forming part for forming a flow path of air so that air sucked by the crossflow fan flows to the discharge port, a back plate provided on a rear surface of the flow path forming part, and extending forward from the back plate. Indoor unit of the air conditioner, characterized in that it comprises an extension. The method of claim 3, wherein
The extension part includes a first extension part extending so as to have an elliptical shape convex outwardly from the upper and lower surfaces of the back plate, and a second extension part extending perpendicular to the back plate at both sides of the back plate. The indoor unit of the air conditioner characterized by the above. 5. The method of claim 4,
The fixing frame may include a first guide part provided to have an elliptical shape convex outward with the same curvature as the first extension part so that the duct does not interfere with the first extension part when the duct is rotated in the up and down direction, and the second Indoor unit of an air conditioner, characterized in that it comprises a second guide portion provided in close contact with the extension. The method of claim 5, wherein
The second extension portion is provided with the rotary shaft, the second guide portion is provided with the shaft support portion, the indoor unit of the air conditioner. The method of claim 1,
The plurality of vortex fan units may include a first vortex fan unit spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the housing, a second vortex fan unit, and a third vortex fan unit, wherein the first vortex fan unit faces upward. And the third swirling fan unit is disposed to face downward and the second swirling fan unit is disposed to face in the horizontal direction so that the plurality of swirling fan units have a wide discharge range in the vertical direction. Indoor unit of air conditioner. The method of claim 1,
The plurality of vortex fan units include a first vortex fan unit spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the housing, a second vortex fan unit, and a third vortex fan unit, wherein the first vortex fan unit faces downward. The third swirling fan unit is disposed to face upward and the second swirling fan unit is disposed to face in a horizontal direction so that the plurality of swirling fan units can intensively discharge air toward one place. An indoor unit of an air conditioner, characterized in that provided.

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