The present invention relates to an air conditioner.
In Patent Literature 1, an air conditioner is disclosed in which a blower fan is included inside a main body, and an outlet air channel that is delimited by wall surfaces is formed downstream from the blower fan. An outlet port is disposed in a downstream portion of the outlet air channel. The outlet port is disposed on a lower surface and a front surface of the main body of the air conditioner.
Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent No. 3872012 (Specification) (See
An air conditioner that is disposed inside a target space as an indoor unit can expel conditioned air over a wide area of the target space due to an outlet port being disposed on a lower surface of the main body of the air conditioner in question, or so as to span the lower surface and a front surface of the main body.
However, the expulsion load of the air conditioner may change as a result of elapsed service life, for example. At the time of shipment of the air conditioner from the factory (beginning of service life), for example, the expulsion load is a relatively low load, and conditioned air is expelled stably over a wide area from an outlet port that occupies a portion of a lower surface of the main body or a portion of the lower surface and a portion of a front surface of the main body.
When a certain amount of service life has elapsed, on the other hand, ventilation resistance increases due to accumulation of dust, etc., arising, and the expulsion load becomes a relatively high load. If the expulsion load becomes a relatively high load, then the wind speed distribution of the air that is expelled from the blower fan may become unstable, and reverse flow may occur from the outlet port to the blower fan, which ultimately may lead to the formation of condensation. If the outlet port is spread over the lower surface and the front surface of the main body, in particular, then the wind speed distribution of the air that is expelled from the blower fan becomes even more unstable.
The present invention has been conceived in light of the above and an object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner that can reduce formation of condensation while having an outlet port that occupies a portion of a lower surface of a main body or a portion of the lower surface and a portion of a front surface of the main body.
In order to achieve the objective that is described above, an air conditioner according to the present invention includes: a main body that includes a suction port and an outlet port; a blowing portion that is disposed inside the main body; and a heat exchanging portion that is disposed inside the main body, wherein: the main body includes a front surface, a back surface, an upper surface, a lower surface, and a pair of side surfaces; the suction port is formed on any of the front surface, the upper surface, and the side surfaces; the outlet port is formed on at least the lower surface; an outlet air channel is upstream from the outlet port; a side of the outlet air channel near the front surface is delimited by a diffuser; and the diffuser includes a portion that diverges from an upstream portion imaginary straight line that constitutes a direction of extension of an upstream portion of the diffuser increasingly toward a downstream end of the diffuser when viewed from a side.
The air conditioner according to the present invention can reduce formation of condensation while having an outlet port that occupies a portion of a lower surface of a main body or a portion of the lower surface and a portion of a front surface of the main body.
Preferred embodiments of the air conditioner (indoor unit) according to the present invention will now be explained based on the accompanying drawings. Moreover, in the figures, identical numbering indicates identical or corresponding portions. Furthermore, existing outdoor units can be used.
As shown in
Furthermore, the air conditioner according to the present invention is not a “ceiling-recessed” air conditioner, but is an air conditioner in which a back surface of the main body is placed in contact with or close to a wall surface that delimits the air conditioning target space (a wall rather than a ceiling or a floor), and in which a front surface of the main body is oriented toward the air conditioning target space in question. To put it another way, the air conditioner according to the present invention does not have a suction port and an outlet port in a common plane as in ceiling-embedded types, and may be disposed alongside a wall surface that delimits the air conditioning target space, away from a central portion of the air conditioning target space.
The main body 1 is an approximately rectangular parallelepiped housing. Specifically, the main body 1 includes: a back surface 1c that faces the wall 11a of the room 11; a front surface 1a that is on an opposite side from the back surface 1c; an upper surface 1b; a lower surface 1d; and a pair of left and right side surfaces 1e.
In the air conditioner according to the present invention, at least one suction port is formed on any of the front surface, the upper surface, and the side surfaces of the main body, and an outlet port is formed so as to span at least a portion of the front surface of the main body and at least a portion of the lower surface. A specific example of the present embodiment will be further explained.
A front surface grill 6 is mounted to the front surface la of the main body 1. The front surface grill 6 is formed so as to have a flat surface that is flat in a vertical direction (a height direction) and in a lateral direction (a width direction). A first suction port 2a for sucking indoor air into the air conditioner 100 has an opening in a central portion in a main body height direction of the front surface grill 6. The suction port 2a extends along the front surface grill 6 in the width direction, and has an opening that has a length that corresponds to a length in a width direction of at least a heat exchanger 7 (described below). Moreover, the opening of the suction port 2a may be longer than the length in the width direction of the heat exchanger 7. An airflow guiding wall 6a is disposed downstream from the suction port 2a. A front surface side of a flow channel downstream from the suction port 2a is formed by a rear surface of the front surface grill 6, and a back surface side of the flow channel downstream from the suction port 2a is formed by the airflow guiding wall 6a. The airflow guiding wall 6a extends horizontally from the front surface grill 6 toward the back surface above the suction port 2a, then bends partway along and extends downward. In other words, the airflow guiding wall 6a is formed so as to have an L-shaped cross section that has: a horizontal surface 6a1 that extends so as to be perpendicular to the flat surface of the front surface grill 6; and a downward surface 6a2 that extends parallel to the flat surface of the front surface grill 6. Furthermore, the suction port 2a is disposed within a range H below an upper end of a crossflow fan 8 (described below) and above than an upper end of a stabilizer 9 (described below) in the main body height direction.
A grill-shaped second suction port 2b for sucking indoor air into the air conditioner 100 is formed on an upper surface 1b of the main body 1.
An outlet port 3 for supplying conditioned air inside a room is formed on the lower surface 1d and the front surface 1a of the main body 1. The outlet port 3 is formed so as to span the lower surface 1d and the front surface 1a of the main body 1. To put it another way, the outlet port 3 is spread continuously so as to occupy a region on a front portion of the lower surface 1d of the main body 1 and a region on a lower portion of the front surface 1a of the main body 1. The outlet port 3 has an opening only on the lower surface 1d and the front surface 1a of the main body 1, and does not have an opening on the upper surface 1b, the back surface 1c, or the left and right side surfaces 1e.
A crossflow fan (a blowing portion) 8 that has an impeller 8a, and a guiding wall 10 are installed inside the main body 1. The crossflow fan 8 is disposed between a suction flow channel E1 and an expulsion flow channel E2, and sucks air in through the suction ports 2a and 2b, and expels the air out through the outlet port 3. The guiding wall 10 extends continuously downward from behind the crossflow fan 8, and directs the air that has been expelled from the crossflow fan 8 to the outlet port 3.
Also installed inside the main body 1 are: a filter (a ventilation resisting body) 5 that removes dust from the air that is sucked in through the suction ports 2a and 2b; a heat exchanger (a heat exchanging portion and ventilation resisting body) 7 that generates conditioned air by transmitting warmth or coldness of a refrigerant to the air; and a stabilizer 9 that partitions the suction flow channel E1 and the expulsion flow channel E2.
Together with a diffuser 3a that is formed on a lower surface of the stabilizer 9, the guiding wall 10 forms part of the expulsion flow channel E2 that constitutes the outlet air channel 3b. Specifically, the outlet air channel 3b on a side near the front surface 1a of the main body 1 is delimited by the diffuser 3a, and the outlet air channel 3b on a side near the back surface 1c of the main body 1 is delimited by the guiding wall 10, the outlet air channel being formed by the facing diffuser 3a and guiding wall 10. The guiding wall 10 forms a spiral surface from the crossflow fan 8 to the outlet port 3.
A filter 5 is formed so as to have a mesh shape, for example, and removes dust from the air that is sucked in through the suction ports 2a and 2b. The filter 5 is disposed downstream from the suction ports 2a and 2b and upstream from the heat exchanger 7 within the air channel from the suction port 2a and 2b to the outlet port 3. The filter 5 extends forward from above the heat exchanger 7.
The heat exchanger 7 (the indoor heat exchanger) functions as an evaporator to cool the air during cooling operation, and functions as a condenser (a radiator) to warm the air during heating operation. Within the air channel from the suction ports 2a and 2b to the outlet port 3 (a central portion inside the main body 1), this heat exchanger 7 is disposed downstream from the filter 5 and upstream from the crossflow fan 8. Moreover, in
The heat exchanger 7 is connected to an outdoor unit that may have conventional features such as including a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, and a throttling apparatus, etc., to constitute a refrigeration cycle. Furthermore, a cross fin fin-and-tube heat exchanger that is constituted by a heat exchanging tube and a plurality of fins, for example, can be used as the heat exchanger 7.
A vertical wind directing vane 4a and lateral wind directing vanes 4b are disposed in the outlet air channel 3b. The lateral wind directing vanes 4b are disposed pivotably between the vertical wind directing vane 4a and the crossflow fan 8. The vertical wind directing vane 4a adjusts a vertical component of the air that is blown out from the crossflow fan 8, and the lateral wind directing vanes 4b adjust the direction of the air that is blown out from the crossflow fan 8 to the left and right. The vertical wind directing vane 4a and the lateral wind directing vanes 4b are driven so as to be pivoted independently from each other.
The vertical wind directing vane 4a has a convex shape in which an upper surface and a lower surface of the vertical wind directing vane 4a both protrude downward relative to attitude during a horizontal blowing operation.
The stabilizer 9 partitions the suction flow channel E1 and the expulsion flow channel E2 as described above, and is disposed below the heat exchanger 7 as shown in
The stabilizer 9 has: a tongue portion 9a that separates the suction flow channel E1 and the expulsion flow channel E2, a draining pan 9b that temporarily stores water from droplets that drip down from the heat exchanger 7; and the diffuser 3a. The diffuser 3a is formed on the lower surface of the stabilizer 9 as described above, and functions as an upper wall surface (a front surface-side wall surface) of the outlet air channel 3b of the outlet port 3.
The upstream portion 3a1 of the diffuser 3a has a rectilinear portion in a side view. In the side view in
The downstream portion 3a2 of the diffuser 3a has a rectilinear portion when viewed from a side. If a direction of extension of the rectilinear portion of the downstream portion 3a2 of the diffuser 3a is a downstream portion imaginary straight line S2, then the downstream portion imaginary straight line S2 is lower than the upstream portion imaginary straight line S1. The diffuser 3a is bent or curved at a portion 3a3 of the diffuser 3a that is positioned between the upstream portion 3a1 and the downstream portion 3a2.
In addition, a length A of the rectilinear portion of the downstream portion 3a2 of the diffuser 3a that is shown in
It is preferable for the angle α that is formed between the upstream portion imaginary straight line S1 and the downstream portion imaginary straight line S2 to be 5 degrees through 40 degrees.
In an air conditioner according to the present Embodiment 1 that is configured in the above manner, because a diffuser has a portion that diverges from an upstream portion imaginary straight line that is a direction of extension of an upstream portion of the diffuser increasingly downstream thereon, flow of expelled air along a wall surface in a downstream portion of the diffuser (the downstream portion of the diffuser) can be accelerated. Because of that, reverse flow from an outlet port to a blower fan can be reduced even during relatively heavy expulsion loads such as ventilation resistance increasing due to dust depositing on a filter that is disposed near suction ports, for example. In other words, reverse flow from the outlet port to the blower fan can be reduced, and formation of condensation can also be reduced even during relatively heavier expulsion loads than immediately after factory shipment while still being able to expel conditioned air over a wide area of a target space due to the outlet port spanning across a front surface and a lower surface of a main body.
Because an outlet air channel is constituted by a diffuser and a guiding wall that face each other, flow is stabilized by ensuring a flow channel that functions as a duct, enabling air to be blown stably with respect to changes in environment such as changes in ventilation resistance due to upper and lower flaps being movable, and changes in ventilation resistance due to dust blockage on a filter, etc.
Another advantage is that noise from the fan that is reflected by the guiding wall is actively reflected below the main body of the air conditioner by the downstream portion of the diffuser, suppressing noise emission toward a front surface of the air conditioner, and enabling noise reduction.
By making a length A of the rectilinear portion of the downstream portion 3a2 of the diffuser 3a a length that is greater than or equal to half of a length B of a chord that joins the upstream end 4a1 and the downstream end 4a2 of the vertical wind directing vane 4a, flow between the diffuser 3a and the vertical wind directing vane 4a is stabilized, enabling controllability of wind direction to be improved.
In addition, by forming the front surface grill 6 so as to be vertically flat, dust is less likely to attach to the surface of the front surface grill 6, enabling it to be kept clean. Furthermore, by forming the front surface grill 6 so as to be laterally flat, air channel depth is identical across a width direction of the main body 1, enabling the crossflow fan 8 and the heat exchanger 7 to be mounted inside the main body 1 at a high density, thereby enabling fan blowing performance and heat exchanging performance to be improved.
By making the airflow guiding wall 6a so as to have an L-shaped cross section, only the downward surface 6a2 is visible inside the air intake apertures 2a in a front view, improving decorative design because a flat surface is visible at a deepest position in a depth direction. Because a buffer area for suction flow is formed at a corner portion between the horizontal surface 6a1 and the downward surface 6a2, suction air is not parallel to a wall surface, making dust less likely to attach. Furthermore, if noise from the crossflow fan 8, etc., that is generated inside the main body 1 propagates out of the suction ports 2a, because the upper surface (the horizontal surface 6a1) of the airflow guiding wall 6a is formed so as to be horizontal, noise that is reflected outside is reduced, enabling reduced noise to be ensured.
In addition, by making an opening of the suction ports 2a a length that corresponds to a length of a width direction of the heat exchanger 7, the air that has been sucked in through the suction ports 2a can exchange heat effectively at the heat exchanger 7. Furthermore, if the opening of the suction port 2a is made longer than the length of the width direction of the heat exchanger 7, then suction pressure loss can be reduced due to the aperture area of the suction ports 2a being increased.
By disposing the suction ports 2a within a range H in the main body height direction that is described above, ventilation resistance is reduced because air is sucked in through a position near the crossflow fan 8, improving blowing efficiency. By supplying the air that has been sucked in through the suction ports 2a to the fan circulating flow, throughflow is stabilized, reducing fluctuations in the amount of blowing and maintaining quality even if changes in load arise due to dust depositing on the filter, or due to differences between heating and cooling. In addition, it is unnecessary to drive the front surface grill 6 to open the suction ports 2a, making it compact, reducing changes in configuration during operation, and enabling feelings of user discomfort to be suppressed. Furthermore, the front surface grill 6 is a shape that is divided into top and bottom at a central portion in the main body height direction, and because height dimensions are equal on an upper portion side and a lower portion side of the front surface grill 6, and strength is equal on the upper portion side and the lower portion side, making it unlikely to bend, and enabling quality to be maintained.
Next, Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be explained using
In the example that is depicted in
As shown in
Similar or identical working effects to those in Embodiment 1 can also be achieved using Embodiment 2 or the like, and in particular formation of condensation can be reduced while having an outlet port that occupies a portion of the lower surface and a portion of the front surface of the main body.
Next, Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be explained using
In the example depicted in
First, in the configuration that is shown in
In the configuration that is shown in
Similar or identical working effects to those in Embodiment 1 can also be achieved using Embodiment 3 or the like, and in particular formation of condensation can be reduced while having an outlet port that occupies a portion of the lower surface and a portion of the front surface of the main body. Because the distance between the upstream portion of the diffuser and the downstream portion of the guiding wall widens toward a downstream end, the fan expulsion flow is expanded in a vicinity of the fan expulsion region 8b, and is made uniform in a height direction of the outlet port. As a result thereof, flow is stabilized, and more stable blowing is enabled relative to ventilation resistance increases due to dust blockage of the filter, enabling improvements in quality.
Next, Embodiment 4 of the present invention will be explained using
In the example depicted in
As shown in
Similar or identical working effects to those of Embodiment 1 above can also be achieved using Embodiment 4 or the like.
Finally, the contents of the present invention have been explained in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, but it is self-evident that various modified configurations can be adopted by any person skilled in the art based on the basic technical concepts and teachings of the present invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/JP2014/078200 | Oct 2014 | JP | national |
This application is a U.S. national stage application of PCT/JP2015/072226 filed on Aug. 5, 2015, which claims priority to International Application No. PCT/JP2014/078200 filed on Oct. 23, 2014, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/JP2015/072226 | 8/5/2015 | WO | 00 |