BOOTH

Cross-Reference to Related Applications

This application is based on and claims priority under 35 USC 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-174313 filed Oct. 16, 2020.

Background
(i) Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a booth.

(ii) Related Art

An air-conditioning system for temperature regulation and ventilation of the inside space of a booth installed at a tollgate of a toll road is known. Such an air-conditioning system includes an air-conditioning indoor unit having a removable first filter and configured to blow air at a regulated temperature through a first air outlet. The air-conditioning system also includes an outside air intake unit having a removable second filter and configured to blow the outside air entering the booth from the outside of the booth, through a second air outlet. The air-conditioning indoor unit and the outside air intake unit are both disposed in the inside space of the booth (refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2017-106676).

A device attached to an outdoor unit of an air conditioner and configured to rotate a fan by using the air blown from the outdoor unit and to spray fins of a heat exchanger with cold water of a drain is also known (refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-42476).

SUMMARY

Aspects of non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure relate to diffusing the water vapor or the fog generated when the drainage flowing out from an outdoor unit or an indoor unit of a booth is vaporized.

Aspects of certain non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure address the above advantages and/or other advantages not described above. However, aspects of the non-limiting embodiments are not required to address the advantages described above, and aspects of the non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure may not address advantages described above.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a booth including an air-conditioning indoor unit configured to condition air in a space surrounded by a side wall, an air-conditioning outdoor unit disposed outside one face of the side wall so as to discharge exhaust toward the face and connected to the air-conditioning indoor unit, an atomizing device disposed below the air-conditioning outdoor unit and configured to vaporize condensed water generated in the air-conditioning indoor unit and the air-conditioning outdoor unit, and a blower configured to diffuse water vapor or fog generated from the atomizing device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a related part of the inner configuration of a booth according to the present exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating how the booth is installed;

FIGS. 3A to 3B illustrate the booth, that is, FIG. 3A is a partially sectional front view of the inner configuration of the booth, FIG. 3B is a side view of the booth as viewed from a position outside a second side-wall panel, and FIG. 3C is a plan view;

FIGS. 4A to 4C schematically illustrate the air circulation in the space of the booth;

FIG. 5 schematically illustrates the configuration of an air-conditioning outdoor unit;

FIGS. 6A to 6C illustrate how the air-conditioning outdoor unit is mounted on an installation portion;

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate an atomizing device, that is, FIG. 7A is a perspective view of the atomizing device and a drain pan, and FIG. 7B functionally illustrates how the condensed water is atomized in the atomizing device;

FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate the exhaust from the air-conditioning outdoor unit and the atomizing device;

FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate how a blower is mounted on an installation portion, that is, FIG. 9A is a plan view, and FIG. 9B is a side view;

FIGS. 10A and 10B schematically illustrate the water vapor or the fog generated around the atomizing device of the booth; and

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a reservation management system of the booth and operation control of the booth.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Next, the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawing, by way of an exemplary embodiment and specific examples below. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the exemplary embodiment and the specific examples.

Note that the drawings to be referred to in the following description are schematically illustrated, and note that, for example, dimensional ratios of constituents differ from those of actual constituents. For facilitating understanding, illustration of the members other than the members necessary for the description will appropriately be omitted.

(1) Overall Configuration of Booth

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a related part of the inner configuration of a booth 1 according to the present exemplary embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating how the booth 1 is installed. Hereinafter, the overall configuration of the booth 1 will be described with reference to the drawings.

As FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate, the booth 1 has a space having a box shape, as a whole, surrounded by a side wall. A desk 11, a chair 12, a monitor 13, a light 14, an electrical component box 15, and an air-conditioning indoor unit 16 of an air conditioner are disposed in the space, and an air-conditioning outdoor unit 17 of the air conditioner is disposed beside the space.

In the air-conditioned space formed in the booth 1, while sitting on the chair 12, a user is able to conduct various activities such as work and study at the desk 11 and in front of the monitor 13 and is able to obtain online services via a telecommunication line.

The booth 1 has a foundation portion 2 disposed on an installation surface FL, a floorboard portion 3 disposed on the foundation portion 2, a side-wall panel 4 arranged vertically on the foundation portion 2, a top panel 5 disposed on the side-wall panel 4, and casters 6 (illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B) disposed on a lower portion of the foundation portion 2.

The foundation portion 2 is formed by joining four beam members to one another so as to form a rectangular shape corresponding to a bottom shape of the booth 1, and the foundation portion 2 is constituted by, for example, rectangular steel tubes.

The floorboard portion 3 is in contact with and supported by a floor-supporting member 2a protruding inward relative to the foundation portion 2. For example, the floorboard portion 3 is formed of structural plywood, which is a wooden board member, on which a floor mat is layered.

The side-wall panel 4 is constituted by a first side-wall panel 41 that forms a backside wall and has a first face, a second side-wall panel 42 and a third side-wall panel 43 that form a left-side wall and a right-side wall and have a second face and a third face, respectively, and a fourth side-wall panel 44 that forms a front-side wall and has a fourth face. The fourth side-wall panel 44 has an opening 44a that is to be an entrance, and the opening 44a is fitted with a door 45. In the present exemplary embodiment, the door 45 is a sliding door.

The top panel 5 is fixed to an upper end portion of the side-wall panel 4 so as to close an upper opening of the space formed by the side-wall panel 4, and the top panel 5 is constituted by, for example, structural plywood that is a wooden board member.

The casters 6 are disposed at four corners of the lower portion of the foundation portion 2. When the booth 1, which has been assembled in a factory or other sites, is installed at an installation site, the booth 1 is transported by, for example, a truck while placed on the truck bed, and, at the installation site, the booth 1 is installed on the installation surface FL by moving the booth 1 on the casters 6.

Inside the booth 1, the desk 11 is disposed on the floorboard portion 3 so as to be in contact with the third side-wall panel 43 that is on the right side as viewed from the fourth side-wall panel 44. Above the desk 11, the monitor 13, the light 14, and the electrical component box 15 are arranged, in this order, along the third side-wall panel 43 from the lower side to the upper side. The air-conditioning indoor unit 16 is disposed on an upper portion of the first side-wall panel 41 so that an air outlet thereof faces a region from the floorboard portion 3 to the fourth side-wall panel 44.

The air-conditioning outdoor unit 17 connected to the air-conditioning indoor unit 16 of the air conditioner is installed at the outside of the second side-wall panel 42, that is, on the left side as viewed from the fourth side-wall panel 44.

Below the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17, an atomizing device 18 that atomizes the condensed water discharged from the air-conditioning indoor unit 16 and the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17 and that discharges the condensed water, which has been atomized, into the atmosphere and a drain pan 19 are arranged, in this order, in the gravitational direction. Beside the atomizing device 18 and the drain pan 19, a blower 20 configured to diffuse the water vapor or the fog generated from the atomizing device 18 is disposed so that the blower 20 and the outer surface of the second side-wall panel 42 face one another at a predetermined angle (indicated by θ in FIG. 2).

The booth 1 configured as described above is able to be assembled in a factory or other sites, transported by, for example, a truck while placed on the truck bed, and installed on the installation surface FL at a predetermined installation site. Examples of such an installation site include an internal corner portion of a building frame as an example of an outside space in which passers-by and users of the booth 1 are mixed together, and the booth 1 may be installed at such an internal corner portion in a concourse space, a passageway, or other spaces formed between a subway station and a location at the ground.

Specifically, as FIG. 2 illustrates, the booth 1 is installed with respect to two wall surfaces: a first wall surface X and a second wall surface Y, which form an inner corner space, so that the third side-wall panel 43 faces the first wall surface X of the inner corner space and the first side-wall panel 41 faces the second wall surface Y of the inner corner space. By the booth 1 being installed in this way, the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17 disposed at the outside of the second side-wall panel 42 is located so as not to hinder passers-by from passing (indicated by arrow R in FIG. 2) without protruding in a passageway at the installation site of the booth 1.

The installation site is not limited to such an internal corner portion of a building frame, and it is possible to freely dispose the booth 1 in an outside space. In this case, the booth 1 has the inside space formed by the side-wall panel 4 and the air-conditioning outdoor unit at the outside of one side of the inside space, and the booth 1 has, in plan view, a rectangular shape, as a whole, having short sides and long sides. The booth 1 may be installed so that the face including the door 45 faces a passageway or a road with heavy foot traffic. The dimensions of the booth 1 in the depth direction, which are to be short sides, are decreased, and it is thereby possible to suppress the booth 1 from protruding toward a passageway so as not to hinder passers-by from passing.

(2) Air Conditioning System

FIGS. 3A to 3B illustrate the booth 1, that is, FIG. 3A is a partially sectional front view of the inner configuration of the booth 1, FIG. 3B is a side view of the booth 1 as viewed from a position outside the second side-wall panel 42, and FIG. 3C is a plan view. FIGS. 4A to 4C schematically illustrate the air circulation in the space of the booth 1. FIG. 5 schematically illustrates the configuration of the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17. FIGS. 6A to 6C illustrate how the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17 is mounted on an installation portion. FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate the atomizing device 18, that is, FIG. 7A is a perspective view of the atomizing device 18 and the drain pan 19, and FIG. 7B functionally illustrates how the condensed water is atomized in the atomizing device 18. FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate the exhaust from the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17 and the atomizing device 18. FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate how the blower 20 is mounted on an installation portion, that is, FIG. 9A is a plan view and FIG. 9B is a side view. FIGS. 10A and 10B schematically illustrate the water vapor or the fog generated around the atomizing device 18 of the booth 1.

The booth 1 according to the present exemplary embodiment has the air-conditioning indoor unit 16, the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17, an intake port 43A provided in the third side-wall panel 43 on which the desk 11, the monitor 13, the light 14, and the electrical component box 15 are disposed, and a ventilation fan 30 provided in the top panel 5, and, in the booth 1, an air conditioning system is formed by the circulation of the cold air or warm air blown through the air outlet of the air-conditioning indoor unit 16 and the flow of the air sucked from the outside through the intake port 43A and discharged by the ventilation fan 30.

The configuration of the booth 1 is not limited to the present configuration and may further include an additional facility.

As FIG. 3A illustrates, the intake port 43A communicating with the outside is provided in the third side-wall panel 43 on the side on which the monitor 13, the light 14, and the electrical component box 15 that are to be heat sources are disposed. The intake port 43A is constituted by a first intake port 43Aa provided in the outer surface of the third side-wall panel 43 and a second intake port 43Ab provided in the inner surface of the third side-wall panel 43. In the horizontal direction, the first intake port 43Aa is provided near the center of the third side-wall panel 43, and the second intake port 43Ab is provided on the fourth side-wall panel 44 side relative to the first intake port 43Aa so as not to overlap the first intake port 43Aa.

As FIG. 3C illustrates, in the top panel 5, the ventilation fan 30 is provided at a position on the third side-wall panel 43 side and near the fourth side-wall panel 44.

Thus, as arrows A indicate in FIG. 4A and 4C, an airflow is formed in a manner such that outside air is taken in from the back side of the monitor 13 that is one of the heat sources, the air passes through the vicinity of the light 14 and the electrical component box 15 that are the other heat sources, and the air is discharged to the outside through the ventilation fan 30 provided in the top panel 5.

The monitor 13, the light 14, and the electrical component box 15 that are the heat sources are arranged, in this order, along the third side-wall panel 43 from the lower side to the upper side, and the heat from the heat sources may thereby be efficiently discharged outside the booth.

In contrast to the air-conditioning indoor unit 16 disposed in the space that the booth 1 has as described above, as FIGS. 3A to3C illustrate, the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17 connected to the air-conditioning indoor unit 16, the atomizing device 18, the drain pan 19, and the blower 20 are disposed at the outside of the second side-wall panel 42. The air-conditioning outdoor unit 17, the atomizing device 18, and the drain pan 19 are arranged, in this order, in the gravitational direction, and the blower 20 is disposed beside the atomizing device 18 and the drain pan 19 in the horizontal direction.

As arrows B indicate in FIGS. 4A to 4C, the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17 takes in air from the outside, the air that has been subjected to heat exchange is discharged toward an outer surface 42a of the second side-wall panel 42, and the air flows upward, downward, and sideward along the outer surface 42a of the second side-wall panel 42.

As arrows C indicate in FIGS. 4A to 4C, the atomizing device 18 sucks outside air through a partition wall 50, causes the condensed water, which has been atomized, to flow upward and sideward from the partition wall 50 as high-temperature and high-humidity exhaust, and discharges the condensed water, which has been atomized, to the outside.

Thus, it is possible to prevent the vaporized high-humidity exhaust from entering the space that the booth 1 has through the first intake port 43Aa taking in outside air.

As arrows D indicate in FIGS. 4B and 4C, the blower 20 blows air toward the outer surface 42a of the second side-wall panel 42 at a predetermined angle θ to diffuse the water vapor or the fog in the vicinity of the atomizing device 18 and the drain pan 19. Blown air D from the blower 20 is mostly discharged, with high-humidity exhaust C from the atomizing device 18, toward the second wall surface Y (refer to FIG. 2) on the opposite side to a passageway, and a portion of the blown air D is discharged upward with exhaust B from the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17. Thus, such exhaust air is prevented from being blown onto passers-by in the vicinity of the booth 1.

As FIG. 5 illustrates, the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17 includes a compressor 171 configured to circulate refrigerant (such as a chlorofluorocarbon) between the air-conditioning indoor unit 16 and the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17, an outdoor heat exchanger 172 configured to exchange heat between the circulated refrigerant and outside air, and an outdoor heat exchanger fan 173. The air-conditioning outdoor unit 17 is connected to the air-conditioning indoor unit 16 via refrigerant pipes 174. Regarding the outdoor heat exchanger 172, outside air is caused to pass around the outdoor heat exchanger 172 and is discharged to the outside by an air-blowing function of the outside heat exchanger fan 173.

The air-conditioning outdoor unit 17 is mounted on an installation base 70 with vibration-proof rubber portions 71, as an example of elastic members, therebetween. The installation base 70 is to be an installation portion and is located at a position below a position at which the center of gravity of the booth 1 divides the height from the installation surface F1 to the top panel 5 into two parts. As FIG. 6A illustrates, the vibration-proof rubber portions 71 are disposed at division positions S1 and S2 between which a center of gravity G1 of the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17 in the gravitational direction is located at the exact middle. As FIG. 6C illustrates, each of the vibration-proof rubber portions 71 is held between an installation board 17c of the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17 and the installation base 70.

Regarding the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17, the compressor 171 having a heavy weight is disposed beside the outdoor heat exchanger 172 and the outdoor heat exchanger fan 173, and the center of gravity G1 of the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17 is thereby biased to the compressor side. Thus, by disposing, with respect to the installation board 17c of the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17, the vibration-proof rubber portions 71 at the division positions S1 and S2 between which the center of gravity G1 of the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17 in the gravitational direction is located at the exact middle, the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17 is prevented from leaning in operation, the condensed water during a heating operation is suppressed from remaining, the vibration-proof rubber portions 71 are suppressed from being nonuniformly deteriorated, and the vibration of the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17 is prevented from being transmitted to the booth 1.

As FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate, the atomizing device 18 is a condensed water-processing device having a tank 181, an ultrasonic transducer 182, a fan motor 183, an intake port 184, an exhaust port 185, and a drain connection portion 186. The condensed water generated in the air-conditioning indoor unit 16 and generated, during the heating operation, in the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17 is processed by the ultrasonic transducer 182 atomizing the condensed water discharged from the air-conditioning indoor unit 16 and the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17 and by the fan motor 183 blowing to discharge the condensed water in an atomized state into the atmosphere and causing the condensed water to be vaporized. Note that the atomizing device 18 is not limited to an ultrasonic type and may be, for example, an evaporation type.

As FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate, the partition wall 50 to be as an air passage is connected to the atomizing device 18. The partition wall 50 has an outside air intake port 51 connected to the intake port 184 of the atomizing device 18 through which outside air is sucked by using the fan motor 183, and the partition wall 50 also has an exhaust-receiving port 52 connected to the exhaust port 185 of the atomizing device 18. As arrows C indicate, the partition wall 50 receives the high-humidity exhaust discharged through the exhaust port 185 of the atomizing device 18, causes the exhaust to flow upward and sideward with the exhaust B from the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17, and discharges the exhaust to the outside.

Although the blower 20 is not particularly limited as long as air at a certain airflow rate is supplied, the blower 20 may supply 500 m³/H or more of air to reliably diffuse the water vapor or the fog generated in the atomizing device 18. In particular, the airflow rate of such air to be supplied may be sufficient to enable the velocity of the air blown by the blower 20 and flowing along the outer surface 42a of the second side-wall panel 42 to be higher than the maximum velocity of the air discharged from the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17 and flowing along the outer surface 42a of the second side-wall panel 42.

Specifically, V(D)≥1.15V(B) may be satisfied at a position (point P in FIG. 1) on the backside of the booth 1 at which exhaust is discharged toward the second wall surface Y (refer to FIGS. 1 and 2) on the opposite side to the passageway. Here, V(D) is the velocity of the air blown by the blower 20, and V(B) is the velocity of the exhaust from the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17. Thus, even if the air-blowing performance of the blower 20 is decreased to some extent (for example, by 15%), the water vapor or the fog generated when condensed water is vaporized may be diffused.

As FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate, the blower 20 is mounted on an installation base 80 with a support base 21 therebetween. The support base 21 is rotatable in response to the rotation driving of a motor M with a support shaft 22 as a rotation center. The support base 21 is controlled so as to rotate in the clockwise direction and in the counterclockwise direction in some angle range. Thus, the blower 20 is swingable in the rotation range of the support base 21 (refer to arrow R1 in FIG. 9A).

In addition, the support base 21 is movable in the right-and-left direction with respect to the installation base 80 (refer to arrow R2 in FIG. 9B). Thus, the distances between the blower 20 and the atomizing device 18 and between the blower 20 and the drain pan 19 change in the movement range of the support base 21.

As FIGS. 3A to 3C illustrate, a harness HN2 for the blower 20 is drawn from the electrical component box 15 and through a cap CP so as to extend along the upper surface of the top panel 5, routed along the outer surface 42a of the second side-wall panel 42 while being bundled with a harness NH1 for the atomizing device 18 by, for example, tie-wraps TW, and held at a bottom portion of the second side-wall panel 42 in the gravitational direction (indicated by Q in FIGS. 3A and 3B). The harnesses HN1 and HN2 are routed as described above, and the airflow blown from the blower 20 may thereby be hardly blocked.

Note that the harness HN2 for the blower 20 may be routed along the underside of the floorboard portion 3 of the booth 1.

As FIG. 10A schematically illustrates, the high-humidity exhaust C discharged from the atomizing device 18 that processes condensed water as described above is mostly discharged to the outside with the exhaust B discharged from the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17. However, when the outdoor heat exchanger fan 173 of the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17 is stopped, as FIG. 10B schematically illustrates, a rising airflow is not formed only by exhaust being naturally discharged from the partition wall 50, and the high-humidity exhaust C may stay in the vicinity of the atomizing device 18 and the drain pan 19.

Regarding the booth 1 according to the present exemplary embodiment, the blower 20 is disposed beside the atomizing device 18 and the drain pan 19 in the horizontal direction and blows air toward the atomizing device 18 and the drain pan 19 to diffuse water vapor or fog that tends to stay.

(3) Operations and Functions of Blower

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a reservation management system of the booth 1 and operation control of the booth 1.

The booth 1 becomes available by booking a reservation, and reservation information is managed by a reservation management server 100, which is connected to a network NW, receiving the reservation information from subscriber terminals SP operated by subscribers. Regarding the booth 1 connected to the network NW, a system controller 60 acquires the reservation information including, for example, a reservation time and a vacant time of the booth 1 via a communication section 61.

The system controller 60 includes a processor constituted by a central processing unit (CPU) configured to provide various management functions through execution of a program, a read only memory (ROM) as a storage area storing, for example, a basic input output system (BIOS), and a random access memory (RAM) used as a program execution area, and the system controller 60 controls the operations of, for example, the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17, the atomizing device 18, and the blower 20.

An air-conditioning outdoor unit fan controller 62 controls the ON/OFF state of the outdoor heat exchanger fan 173 of the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17. An atomizing device controller 63 controls energization to the ultrasonic transducer 182 of the atomizing device 18 and controls the ON/OFF state of the fan motor 183. A blower operation controller 64 controls a swinging operation and a moving operation of the support base 21 of the blower 20. A blower airflow rate controller 65 controls the ON/OFF state of the blower 20 and performs multistage controls of an airflow rate.

(3.1) Normal Operation of Blower

The blower 20 blows air without regard to the ON/OFF state of the outdoor heat exchanger fan 173 of the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17 and stops blowing air when the operation of the atomizing device 18 is stopped, and the blower 20 thereby diffuses reliably the water vapor or the fog generated when condensed water is vaporized.

(3.2) Detection Operation of Blower

The blower 20 starts blowing air when stop of the outdoor heat exchanger fan 173 of the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17 is detected via the air-conditioning outdoor unit fan controller 62. Thus, water vapor or fog may be diffused, even if the outdoor heat exchanger fan 173 of the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17 is stopped and the water vapor or the fog may thereby stay in the vicinity of the atomizing device 18 and the drain pan 19. Note that the electric power consumed through the operation of the blower 20 may be suppressed by the blower 20 blowing air only when stop of the outdoor heat exchanger fan 173 of the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17 is detected.

The booth 1 includes a water vapor/fog detector SR1. The water vapor/fog detector may be a water vapor/fog sensor that detects whether the outside air introduced into the sensor is saturated water vapor by utilizing an impedance change or may be a camera enabling direct capture of the image of the fog in the vicinity of the atomizing device 18 and the drain pan 19.

The system controller 60 may cause the blower 20 to start blowing air based on the detection information from the water vapor/fog detector SR1 disposed in the vicinity of the atomizing device 18 and the drain pan 19. Water vapor or fog may be diffused by directly detecting generation of the water vapor or the fog.

The system controller 60 acquires reservation information of the booth 1 via the communication section 61 and controls the blower 20 to start blowing air when, after the use of the booth 1 is finished, the air-conditioning indoor unit 16 is expected to be stopped and the outdoor heat exchanger fan 173 of the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17 is expected to be stopped. Thus, the water vapor or the fog generated when condensed water is vaporized may be diffused, even if the outdoor heat exchanger fan 173 of the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17 is stopped after the air-conditioning indoor unit 16 is used.

(3.3) Control of Air Direction and Airflow Rate of Blower

The system controller 60 controls the swinging operation of the support base 21 of the blower 20 via the blower operation controller 64 and changes periodically the direction of the airflow blown into the vicinity of the atomizing device 18 and the drain pan 19.

For example, when the blower 20 faces the outer surface 42a of the second side-wall panel 42, the airflow blown by the blower 20 merges the exhaust (B in FIGS. 4A to 4C) discharged from the air-conditioning outdoor unit 17 to form an air passage along the outer surface 42a of the second side-wall panel 42. When the blower 20 faces the atomizing device 18, the airflow blown by the blower 20 forms an air passage directly to the atomizing device 18. Thus, water vapor or fog may be diffused uniformly. The blower 20 may perform a swinging operation continuously or in a predetermined cycle after starting to blow air.

The system controller 60 controls the moving operation of the support base 21 of the blower 20 via the blower operation controller 64 and changes the distances between the blower 20 and the atomizing device 18 and between the blower 20 and the drain pan 19. For example, when the blower 20 is close to the atomizing device 18 and the drain pan 19, the airflow rate and the air velocity in the vicinity of the atomizing device 18 and the drain pan 19 increase, and water vapor or fog may thereby be efficiently diffused.

The system controller 60 performs multistage controls of the airflow rate of the blower 20 via the blower airflow rate controller 65 and changes the amount of the air to be blown, in accordance with the amount of the water vapor or the fog detected by the water vapor/fog detector SR1. For example, when the amount of the detected water vapor or fog is large, the water vapor or the fog may be diffused uniformly by increasing the airflow rate. When the amount of the detected water vapor or fog is small, electric power may be suppressed from being consumed, by decreasing the airflow rate.

The system controller 60 controls the airflow rate of the air blown by the blower 20, via the blower airflow rate controller 65, and changes the amount of the air to be blown, by discharging the air to be blown in a pulsatile manner in accordance with the amount of the water vapor or the fog detected by the water vapor/fog detector SR1. For example, when the amount of the detected water vapor or fog is large, the water vapor or the fog may be diffused uniformly by air being blown in a pulsatile manner. When the amount of the detected water vapor or fog is small, electric power may be suppressed from being consumed, by widening a discharge interval.

The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the disclosure and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the disclosure for various embodiments and with the various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the disclosure be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.

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Priority Claims (1)