EP3805659A1 - Ceiling-embedded air conditioner - Google Patents
Ceiling-embedded air conditioner Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP3805659A1 EP3805659A1 EP19811986.9A EP19811986A EP3805659A1 EP 3805659 A1 EP3805659 A1 EP 3805659A1 EP 19811986 A EP19811986 A EP 19811986A EP 3805659 A1 EP3805659 A1 EP 3805659A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- air
- decorative panel
- unit
- panel
- blowing
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Pending
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Classifications
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F1/00—Room units for air-conditioning, e.g. separate or self-contained units or units receiving primary air from a central station
- F24F1/0007—Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units
- F24F1/0011—Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units characterised by air outlets
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F1/00—Room units for air-conditioning, e.g. separate or self-contained units or units receiving primary air from a central station
- F24F1/0007—Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units
- F24F1/0011—Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units characterised by air outlets
- F24F1/0014—Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units characterised by air outlets having two or more outlet openings
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F1/00—Room units for air-conditioning, e.g. separate or self-contained units or units receiving primary air from a central station
- F24F1/0007—Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units
- F24F1/0043—Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units characterised by mounting arrangements
- F24F1/0047—Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units characterised by mounting arrangements mounted in the ceiling or at the ceiling
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F13/00—Details common to, or for air-conditioning, air-humidification, ventilation or use of air currents for screening
- F24F13/02—Ducting arrangements
- F24F13/06—Outlets for directing or distributing air into rooms or spaces, e.g. ceiling air diffuser
- F24F13/065—Outlets for directing or distributing air into rooms or spaces, e.g. ceiling air diffuser formed as cylindrical or spherical bodies which are rotatable
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F13/00—Details common to, or for air-conditioning, air-humidification, ventilation or use of air currents for screening
- F24F13/20—Casings or covers
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F2221/00—Details or features not otherwise provided for
- F24F2221/14—Details or features not otherwise provided for mounted on the ceiling
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F2221/00—Details or features not otherwise provided for
- F24F2221/26—Details or features not otherwise provided for improving the aesthetic appearance
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a ceiling-embedded air conditioner, and in particular relates to a structure of an indoor unit.
- an outdoor unit installed outdoors and an indoor unit installed in an attic of an air-conditioning room are connected by gas pipes and liquid pipes to form a refrigerant circuit.
- the indoor unit has a box-type body unit embedded in an attic and a decorative panel disposed on the air-conditioning room side of the ceiling and mounted on the body unit.
- the body unit is provided with a U-shaped heat exchanger, a fan casing in the center of the heat exchanger, and a blower fan formed of a sirocco fan surrounded by the fan casing.
- the decorative panel is formed with a blowing port at the center and suction ports along three sides below the heat exchanger.
- the air drawn in through the suction ports is heat exchanged with refrigerant in the heat exchanger and can then be blown out through the blowing port in one direction.
- the distance between the blower fan and the surface of the heat exchanger is almost constant so that the airspeed and air volume of the air passing through the heat exchanger are less biased, and the heat exchanger can be used effectively to increase the heat exchange capacity.
- Patent Literature 1 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-213767
- the air blowing ports are often opened on the panel surface of the decorative panel, which poses a limitation on an ability to widen the blowing range of the conditioned air.
- an object of the present invention is to provide a ceiling-embedded air conditioner including an air blowing part which can blow out conditioned air over a wider area.
- the present invention provides a ceiling-embedded air conditioner including: a box-type body unit including a blower and a heat exchanger inside and disposed in an attic of an air-conditioning room; and a decorative panel mounted on a bottom surface of the above-described body unit along a ceiling surface of the above-described air-conditioning room, the above-described decorative panel including an air suction part and an air blowing part, wherein the above-described air blowing part comprises a movable blowing part on the above-described decorative panel side, the movable blowing part including a rotating unit that rotates around an axis that is normal to a virtual plane on a rear surface side of the above-described decorative panel that is parallel to a bottom surface of the above-described body unit to blow conditioned air delivered by the above-described blower along a panel surface of the above-described decorative panel.
- the above-described rotating unit has a truncated cone shape that protrudes from the panel surface of the above-described decorative panel toward the above-described air-conditioning room side and preferably includes an air blowing port that blows air delivered by the above-described blower along the above-described panel surface on a side surface of the above-described truncated cone.
- the above-described air blowing part further includes on the above-described decorative panel side a fixed blowing part that blows the conditioned air delivered by the above-described blower toward one specified side of the above-described decorative panel, and the above-described movable blowing part is disposed adjacent to the above-described fixed blowing part.
- the conditioned air can be blown out over a wider range.
- an outdoor unit (not illustrated) installed outdoors and an indoor unit 1 mounted on a ceiling T1 of an air-conditioning room R are connected by a gas pipe and a liquid pipe (both not illustrated) to form a refrigerant circuit.
- the indoor unit 1 of the present embodiment is a ceiling-embedded air conditioner having a box-type body unit 10 embedded into an attic T2, and a decorative panel 70 disposed on the air-conditioning room R side of the ceiling T1 and mounted on a bottom surface 101 of the same body unit 10, and in particular, is a ceiling-embedded air conditioner of an omnidirectional blowing type, which blows conditioned air over a wide range.
- the body unit 10 has a rectangular-shaped top panel 111 formed of sheet metal and a box-type outer body 11 formed from side plates 112, 113 extending downward from four sides of the top panel 111.
- Two mounting brackets 12 each are secured to two side plates 113 facing each other, with the side plate 112 being the side plate on the long side of the top panel 111 and the side plate 113 being the side plate on the short side of the top panel 111.
- the body unit 10 is installed in the attic T2 by suspending the mounting brackets 12 with a plurality of hanging bolts, not illustrated, which are fixed to the attic T2.
- the decorative panel 70 has a panel part 71 that forms a main body of the decorative panel 70, which is larger than the top panel 111 and has a rectangular shape, and a side wall portion 72 that is erected from a rear surface 70R of the panel part 71 to the body unit 10 side and is sized to fit, and mounted on, an opened bottom surface of the box-type outer body 11 (the bottom surface 101 of the body unit 10).
- the panel part 71 has an air suction part 73 squarely opened on the side of one side 70b located at the rear out of the long sides facing each other, and an air blowing part 74 on the side of the other side 70a located in front of the long side that faces the one side 70b.
- the direction of the top panel 111 will be described below as upper surface or above, the direction of the air-conditioning room R as bottom surface or below, the side of the air blowing part 74 as front surface or front, the side of the air suction part 73 as back surface side or rear, the side of the left short side 70c as left side surface or leftward, and the side of the right short side 70d as right side surface or rightward.
- the side wall portion 72 includes, as illustrated in Figure 10(a) , a frame 721 sized to enclose the air suction part 73 and the air blowing part 74 formed in a square shape along each side of the panel part 71 (long sides 70a, 70b, short sides 70c, 70d), and a beam 722 bridged between the short sides of the frame 721 (short sides 70c, 70d of the panel part 71), and is screwed integrally to the rear surface of the panel part 71 (decorative panel 70).
- the frame 721 and the beam 722 are both made of sheet metal, and the beam 722 is placed on a partitioning part 713 formed between the air suction part 73 and the air blowing part 74 of the panel part 71.
- the beam 722 when packing the decorative panel 70, the beam 722 is held down by a protrusion on the packing material side, and can thereby prevent damage due to impact such as when dropped.
- the beam 722 also provides a structure that can withstand a load applied in a direction parallel to a panel surface 70S of the decorative panel 70.
- the beam 722 may be bridged between the long sides 70a and 70b of the frame 721, depending on the shape and arrangement of the air suction part 73 and the air blowing part 74, or the like.
- the inner surface of the top panel 111 of the outer body 11 is provided with a heat insulating material 13 formed of a polystyrene foam having a thick plate thickness.
- a thin heat insulating sheet (not illustrated) is sufficient for the inner surface of the side plates 112, 113 of the outer body 11, instead of the heat insulating material 13.
- the center of the heat insulating material 13 is open and a part of the top panel 111 is exposed when viewed from below.
- a heat exchanger 20 and a fan unit 30 are fixed to the exposed part of the top panel 111.
- an electrical component box 14 containing electrical components (not illustrated) that control the indoor unit 1 is mounted on the outer surface on the right side surface of the outer body 11.
- the heat exchanger 20 is of a fin-tube type formed from a plurality of reed-shaped aluminum fins 23 arranged in parallel and a plurality of heat transfer tubes 22 penetrating the aluminum fins 23, and is provided with two heat exchanger sections, or a front heat exchanger section (first heat exchanger section) 20L on the left side in Figure 4 and a rear heat exchanger section (second heat exchanger section) 20R, on the right side also in Figure 4 as two heat exchanger sections separated from each other.
- first heat exchanger section first heat exchanger section
- second heat exchanger section second heat exchanger section
- the front heat exchanger section 20L and the rear heat exchanger section 20R are mounted on the top panel 111 so as to face each other.
- the front heat exchanger section 20L and the rear heat exchanger section 20R may be arranged parallel to each other almost perpendicular to the top panel 111, but are preferably assembled so as to slant downwards, in which the spacing (distance) on the upper end side is wider (longer) than the spacing (distance) on the lower end side as illustrated in Figure 4 , in order to keep the height dimensions low and to increase the heat exchange area.
- slanting upwards in which the spacing (distance) on the upper end side is narrower (shorter) than the spacing on the lower end side, is also applicable.
- both the left and right ends of the front heat exchanger section 20L and the rear heat exchanger section 20R are coupled respectively by coupling plates 21 and 21.
- the space inside the heat exchanger 20 functions as a blower chamber F with both the left and right ends blocked by the coupling plates 21, 21.
- a bottom surface of the heat exchanger 20 (a surface between lower ends of the front heat exchanger section 20L and the rear heat exchanger section 20R) is blocked by a drain pan 40, as described below.
- a first air suction chamber S1 is provided between the outer body 11 and the rear heat exchanger section 20R, and a second air suction chamber S2 is provided between the outer body 11 and the front heat exchanger section 20L.
- the first air suction chamber S1 is disposed directly above the air suction part 73, and the second air suction chamber S2 is communicated with the air suction part 73 via an air conduction path L described below.
- the fan unit 30 is located in the blower chamber F provided inside the heat exchanger 20.
- the fan unit 30 has sirocco fan type blower fans 31, a fan motor 36, a fan mount 311 (see Figure 3 ) which supports and fixes the blower fans 31 to the top panel 111, and a motor mount 361 (see Figure 3 ) which fixes the fan motor 36 to the top panel 111.
- the blower fan 31 includes a tubular impeller (sirocco fan) 32 provided with a plurality of blades, a spiral fan casing 34 housing the impeller 32, and a rotating shaft 35 coupled to the center of the impeller 32.
- blower fans 31 are optionally selected according to the required air conditioning capacity, but in the present embodiment, four fans are arranged coaxially side-by-side.
- the blower fans 31 have the same structure, respectively.
- the fan motor 36 is fixed to the top panel 111 by the motor mount 361, and then two each of the blower fans 31 are coupled to each other at both ends of the fan motor 36 by a rotating shaft 35. Both ends of the rotating shaft 35 are fixed to the top panel 111 via bearing plates, not illustrated, for example, made of an L-shaped bracket. There is also a fan fixing section 341 (see Figure 4 ) at the upper part of the fan casing 34, which is fixed to the top panel 111 with screws.
- the fan casing 34 includes a housing section 342 that houses the impeller 32, and a tubular air-blowing section 343 that is formed continuously from the housing section 342 and extends downward beyond the lower end of the heat exchanger 20.
- a fan suction port 344 is circularly opened on the side surface of the housing section 342 to draw air into the impeller 32.
- the fan casing 34 may be formed by dividing the interior into upper and lower compartments by a plane parallel to the axis of the impeller 32 or may be formed by dividing the interior into left and right compartments by a plane perpendicular to the axis of the impeller 32 so that the impeller 32 can be housed inside.
- the housing section 342 and the air-blowing section 343 are continued to form an airflow path 33 for blown air H.
- the fan unit 30 is disposed with the internal space surrounded by the heat exchanger 20 as the blower chamber F, when the impellers 32 of the blower fans 31 rotate, negative pressure is created inside the blower chamber F, and thus the air from the air suction part 73 passes through the front heat exchanger section 20L and the rear heat exchanger section 20R, enters the blower chamber F, is sucked into the fan suction ports 344, and discharged to the peripheries of the impellers 32, and the discharged air is blown out along the airflow paths 33 in the fan casings 34 in one direction and blown out of the air blowing part 74 into the air-conditioning room R.
- a drain pan 40 is provided at the lower end of the heat exchanger 20 to receive drained water produced by the heat exchanger 20.
- the drain pan 40 is molded integrally with an insulating member 41 made of polystyrene foam and a resin-made drain sheet 42 provided on a surface facing the heat exchanger 20.
- the drain pan 40 is formed in a rectangular shape having a size that covers the opening surface of the lower end side of the heat exchanger 20 and is also a partitioning plate that partitions the blower chamber F from the air conduction path L described below.
- the drain pan 40 is provided with ventilation holes 43 through which the tubular air-blowing sections 343 of the fan unit 30 are fitted by the number corresponding to the number of the blower fans 31 (four in the present embodiment).
- the drain pan 40 is correspondingly small, and the area occupied by the drain pan 40 in the body unit 10 is small, so that the ventilation resistance by the drain pan 40 is also reduced and the ventilation area around the drain pan 40 is enlarged to enhance the ventilation efficiency.
- a flume section 45 is provided to receive the drained water produced by the heat exchanger 20. Since the condensation water generated on the outer side of the fan casing 34 during cooling operation can be received by the drain pan 40, it is preferable to provide waterproofing around the ventilation holes 43.
- the drain pan 40 may be provided with a drain pump and a drain hose for discharging the drained water, as well as a float switch, or the like, for the on-off controlling of the drain pump.
- the decorative panel 70 has the air blowing part 74 on one long side 70a side and the air suction part 73 on the other long side 70b side.
- the air blowing part 74 is in particular formed as a raised part 740 in which a portion of the panel part 71 is raised in a trapezoidal shape in a cross-section along the long side 70a toward the air-conditioning room R.
- the raised part 740 is ellipsoidal, which is a rectangular shape with rounded corners including two parallel lines of equal length and two semicircles, and has a side surface (peripheral surface) forming an inclined surface.
- the air blowing part 74 has a fixed blowing part 75 in the center portion of the raised part 740 and has movable blowing parts 77L, 77R on both left and right sides. When it is not necessary to distinguish between movable blowing parts 77L and 77R, they are collectively referred to as movable blowing part 77.
- the movable blowing part 77L has a truncated cone-shaped rotating unit 78L that rotates within a predetermined range of angles around the axis that is normal to a virtual plane on the rear surface 70R side of the decorative panel 70 parallel to the bottom surface 101 of the body unit 10.
- the movable blowing part 77R likewise has a truncated cone-shaped rotating unit 78R that rotates within a predetermined range of angles around the axis that is normal to a virtual plane on the rear surface 70R side of the decorative panel 70 parallel to the bottom surface 101 of the body unit 10.
- the virtual plane on the rear surface 70R side of the decorative panel 70 is also parallel to the ceiling surface T1 of the air-conditioning room R.
- rotating unit 78 Semicircular portions are formed at both ends of the raised part 740 by a portion of these rotating units 78L and 78R. When it is not necessary to distinguish between rotating units 78L and 78R, they are collectively referred to as rotating unit 78.
- a top surface (bottom surface) 751 of the fixed blowing part 75 and a top surface (bottom surface) 781 of the rotating unit 78 are always on the same plane, even when the rotating units 78 are in a rotated state, to improve the design.
- the fixed blowing part 75 is a trapezoidal shape in a cross-section, with a first air blowing port 754 opening on a side surface on the front long side (specified side) 70a side and facing the long side 70a, is provided with horizontal air vent deflectors 752 (see Figure 15 ) within a first air blowing port 754, and is provided with a vertical air vent deflector 753 on the opening surface of the first air blowing port 754.
- the movable blowing part 77 is provided with a second air blowing port 783 on a portion of the side surface of the rotating unit 78, and the second air blowing port 783 is provided with a vertical air vent deflector 782. Since the rotation of the rotating unit 78 changes the direction of the flow of air in the left and right directions, the movable blowing part 77 does not need a horizontal air vent deflector.
- the first air blowing port 754 of the fixed blowing part 75 and the second air blowing port 783 of the movable blowing part 77 are opened along the side surfaces having the same angle of inclination in order to give a sense of design unity to these air blowing ports 754 and 783.
- the movable blowing part 77 rotates between a first position where the second air blowing port 783 faces the long side 70a and a second position where the same faces the short sides 70c, 70d, and within this rotational range, the conditioned air sent from the blower fan 31 is blown out in the specified direction.
- the first air blowing port 754 and the second air blowing port 783 are linearly aligned.
- the dummy flaps 791 are also located on the same inclined surface as the first air blowing port 754 and the second air blowing port 783.
- Figure 12 and Figure 13 illustrate the state in which the left side movable blowing part 77L is in the first position and the right side movable blowing part 77R is in the second position facing the short side 70d.
- the indoor unit 1 is an omnidirectional (multi-directional) blowing type capable of blowing out conditioned air in all directions except in the direction of the long side 70b on the rear side.
- the portion other than the second air blowing port 783 is the side surface of a cone, thus providing a sense of continuity with the first air blowing port 754 in appearance.
- the basic shape of the air blowing part 74 an ellipsoidal ridge shape
- the first air blowing port 754 of the fixed blowing part 75 and the second air blowing port 783 of the movable blowing part 77 are formed on the side surface of a raised part 740 with a portion of the panel part 71 raised in a trapezoidal shape in a cross-section toward the air-conditioning room R side, so that conditioned air is blown out from the first air blowing port 754 and the second air blowing port 783 in an almost horizontal direction along the panel surface 70S of the decorative panel 70, allowing the conditioned air to spread farther away.
- the conditioned air is blown out of the first air blowing port 754 and the second air blowing port 783 at the same time, it is difficult to create a boundary between the air flow blown out of the first air blowing port 754 and the air flow blown out of the second air blowing port 783, so that the air-conditioning room R is uniformly conditioned.
- the first air blowing port 754 and the second air blowing port 783 may be opened in a vertical plane that is normal to the panel surface (or ceiling surface) of the decorative panel 70.
- the fixed blowing part 75 and the left and right movable blowing parts 77 are contained within the ellipsoidal raised part 740.
- the movable blowing part 77 can be rotated around an axis that is normal to the virtual plane on the rear surface 70R side of the decorative panel 70 parallel to the bottom surface 101 of the body unit 10, it may be simply an aspect in which the movable blowing parts 77 are disposed on both sides of the fixed blowing part 75 irrespective of the appearance, and this aspect is also included in the present invention.
- the partitioning plate unit 50 illustrated in Figure 14 is mounted on the rear surface 70R side of the decorative panel 70.
- the partitioning plate unit 50 includes, on its upper surface side (the surface side facing the drain pan 40), four ducts 51 (51a to 51d) which are each fitted to the four ventilation holes 43 (43a to 43d; see Figure 9 ) formed in the drain pan 40 and communicated with the air-blowing section 343 of the fan unit 30.
- the ventilation holes 43 (43a to 43d) are square holes, and the ducts 51 (51a to 51d) fitted thereto are square tubular shapes (the shape of a square tube), and the ducts 51 (51a to 51d) extend as square tubes to the rear surface 70R of the decorative panel 70.
- the ducts 51a and 51b are the ducts for the fixed blowing part 75, and as illustrated in Figure 15 , a central blowing unit 751 with one chamber 751a, which is allocated across the ducts 51a and 51b, is mounted on the lower surface side of the partitioning plate unit 50.
- the horizontal air vent deflectors 752 are provided in chamber 751a.
- the first air blowing port 754 is formed on the front surface side of the central blowing unit 751, and the vertical air vent deflector 753 is provided therein.
- a motor to drive the horizontal air vent deflectors 752 is disposed on the back surface of chamber 751a, and a motor to drive the vertical air vent deflector 754 is disposed beside the first air blowing port 754.
- the outer ducts 51c and 51d are ducts for the movable blowing part 77, and as illustrated in Figure 16 , a rotating unit 78L provided on the left side movable blowing part 77L is rotatably mounted on the lower end of the left side duct 51c, and a rotating unit 78R provided by the right side movable blowing part 77R is rotatably mounted on a lower end of the right side duct 51d.
- Both of the rotating units 78L and 78R are driven by a motor.
- the motor driving the rotating unit 78 is located within a motor cover 512, illustrated in Figure 14 beside the outer ducts 51c and 51d.
- the rotating units 78L, 78R can be rotated from the first position to a position of 90° or more, for example, 100° , as the second position, respectively.
- the short-circuit phenomenon in which the blown air is sucked into the air suction part 73 instead of being directed to the air-conditioning room R may occur.
- walls 711 are provided between the rotating units 78 and the air suction part 73, referring to Figure 11 to Figure 13 .
- the walls 711 are formed in the form of slopes that rise from portions of the panel part 71 around the rotating units 78 from the short sides 70c, 70d sides toward between the rotating units 78L, 78R and the air suction part 73 to the height of the top surfaces 781 of the rotating units 78 or to the height of the air suction part 73.
- ridge lines 711a of walls 711 are illustrated to be sloping.
- each wall 711 prevents the short-circuit phenomenon when the rotating unit 78 is rotated to near its maximum rotational position, and the blown air flow will reach farther away along a slope surface 712 of the wall 711.
- the wall 711 not only prevents the short-circuit phenomenon, but also functions as an air flow guiding surface that allows the blown air to reach farther away by being provided with a slope surface 712.
- the air blown from the first air blowing port 754 and the second air blowing port 783 flows along the panel surface of the decorative panel 70, so that a remaining panel surface 70S of the decorative panel 70, except for the air suction part 73, acts as an air flow guiding surface, including the slope surface 712 of the wall 711.
- the decorative panel 70 is mounted on the body unit 10 by fitting the side wall portion 72 into the bottom surface opening of the body unit 10 and screwing it in place.
- the air suction part 73 is disposed on the first air suction chamber S1 side, and at the time of this assembly, as indicated by arrows in Figure 6 , the air conduction path L is formed to guide part of air sucked from the air suction part 73 to between the bottom surface 40R of the drain pan 40 (see Figure 3 and Figure 9 ) and the rear surface 70R of the decorative panel 70 into the second air suction chamber S2.
- the raised part 740 including a fixed blowing part 75 and a movable blowing part 77 is provided on a decorative panel 70, and the first air blowing port 754 of the fixed blowing part 75 and the second air blowing port 783 of the movable blowing part 77 are formed on the side surface of the raised part 740, so that an air conduction path L larger in vertical width may be ensured between the drain pan 40 and the decorative panel 70.
- the air suction part 73 is disposed above the raised part 740 and included within the panel surface 70S of the decorative panel 70, so that the air suction part 73 is positionally close to the air conduction path L, and a portion of the air sucked from the air suction part 73 is easily directed to the second air suction chamber S2 side via the air conduction path L.
- the body unit 10 is first placed on an assembly table with the top panel 111 side of the outer body 11 down, and the heat insulating material 13 is fitted inside the outer body 11.
- the pre-assembled heat exchanger 20 (a heat exchanger coupling the front heat exchanger section 20L and the rear heat exchanger section 20R with a coupling plate 21) is then fixed to the top panel 111 via a predetermined mounting fixture, not illustrated, with a gas coupling pipe and a liquid coupling pipe (both not illustrated) of the pre-assembled heat exchanger 20 drawn out of the side plate 113.
- the pre-assembled fan unit 30 is then placed in the blower chamber F in the heat exchanger 20 and fixed to the top panel 111 via the motor mount 361 and the fan fixing section 341.
- the flume section 45 on the drain sheet 42 side of the drain pan 40 is fitted into the bottom surface of the outer body 11 in line with the lower ends of the heat exchanger sections 20L, 20R.
- the air-blowing sections 343 of the fan casings 34 are fitted to the ventilation holes 43 of the drain pan 40.
- the body unit 10 thus assembled and the decorative panels 70 are packed separately and transported to the installation site.
- the body unit 10 is installed in the attic T2 by being suspended with a plurality of hanging bolts previously embedded in the attic T2.
- the decorative panel 70 is installed from the air-conditioning room R side.
- the ducts 51 of the partitioning plate unit 50 are connected to the air-blowing sections 343 of the fan casings 34 through the ventilation holes 43 of the drain pan 40.
- the indoor unit 1 can be operated by connecting refrigerant piping, a power line and signal lines to the outdoor unit.
- the rotating units 78L, 78R of the movable blowing parts 77L, 77R have the second air blowing ports 783 facing in the same direction (on the long side 70a side) as the first air blowing port 754 of the fixed blowing part 75, as an initial position (first position), and the first air blowing port 754 and the second air blowing port 783 are both closed by the vertical air vent deflectors 782 and 753.
- a compressor and a fan motor of the outdoor unit (both not illustrated) and the fan motor 36 of the indoor unit 1 are then started to operate by a command of the remote controller (not illustrated) by the user or by the command of the air conditioning system.
- the blower fan 31 is rotated by operation of the fan motor 36.
- the rotation of the blower fan 31 blows out the air in the air-blowing section 343 of the blower fan 31, resulting in a negative pressure in the blower chamber F, so that the air K in the air-conditioning room R is drawn in from the air suction part 73 provided in the decorative panel 70.
- the air K drawn in from the air suction part 73 flows into the first air suction chamber S1 and also flows into the second air suction chamber S2 through the air conduction path L.
- the air in the first air suction chamber S1 passes through the rear heat exchanger section 20R, is heat exchanged with the refrigerant, and enters the blower chamber F.
- the air in the second air suction chamber S2 passes through the front heat exchanger section 20L, is heat exchanged with the refrigerant, and enters the blower chamber F.
- the air thus conditioned is delivered by rotation of the blower fans 31 from the air-blowing sections 343 of the fan casings 34 to the fixed blowing part 75 and the movable blowing parts 77 of the decorative panel 70 via the ducts 51.
- the conditioned air delivered to the fixed blowing part 75 is blown from the first air blowing port 754 toward the direction guided by the horizontal air vent deflectors 752 and the vertical air vent deflector 753.
- the conditioned air delivered to the movable blowing part 77 is blown out in the direction of rotation of the rotating unit 78 and in the direction guided by the vertical air vent deflector 782.
- the conditioned air can be supplied in many directions according to the user's requirements, except in the direction of the long side 70b on the rear side, where the air suction part 73 is located.
- the indoor unit 1 of the present embodiment has a partitioning plate unit 50 illustrated in Figure 14 on the rear surface 70R of the decorative panel 70, as previously described.
- the partitioning plate unit 50 is mounted on the air blowing part 74 of the decorative panel 70, but is large and heavy because of the fixed blowing part 75, the movable blowing part 77, and the like provided thereon.
- the frame 721 described in Figure 10 is provided on the rear side of the decorative panel 70 with the intention of preventing damage due to impact, such as when dropped.
- a frame 760 is provided to support the partitioning plate unit 50 on the rear surface 70R side of the decorative panel 70.
- the frame 760 includes, as a main frame, long side frames 761 and 762 disposed respectively along the long sides 70a and 70b of the decorative panel 70, and short side frames 763 and 764 disposed respectively along the short sides 70c and 70d of the decorative panel 70 between both ends of the long side frames 761 and 762.
- Two beams 765, 766 are bridged between the short side frame 763 and the short side frame 764.
- the long side frames 761 and 762, short side frames 763 and 764 and beams 765 and 766 are preferably made of sheet metal.
- the partitioning plate unit 50 is mounted on the decorative panel 70 so that the fixed blowing part 75 and the movable blowing part 77 thereof protrude to the air-conditioning room R side, and the opening 74a, which corresponds to the air blowing part 74, is formed along the long side 70a of the decorative panel 70.
- the beams 765 and 766 are disposed respectively on the side of the long side of the opening 74a where the air blowing part 74 is provided, and the partitioning plate unit 50 is supported by the beams 765 and 766 on the rear surface 70R side of the decorative panel 70.
- the partitioning plate unit 50 is mounted on the rear surface 70R of the decorative panel 70 with its three edges, a front edge 50a, a right side edge 50b and a left side edge 50c, surrounded by the long side frame 761 at the front and the short side frames 763 and 764 on the left and right, respectively, and fitted into the frame 760. As a result, the beams 765 and 766 are sandwiched between the partitioning plate unit 50 and the rear surface 70R of the decorative panel 70.
- the partitioning plate unit 50 can be mounted on the rear surface of the decorative panel 70 without causing deformation or distortion to the decorative panel 70.
- the fan unit 30 and the rotating unit 78 are connected via the partitioning plate unit 50 so that air can be circulated, but as illustrated in the exploded perspective view in Figure 19 , the partitioning plate unit 50 is provided with drive means 600 to rotate the rotating unit 78.
- the drive means 600 is provided in each of the rotating units 78L and 78R, but the configuration is the same.
- the drive means 600 is provided with a annular rotating ring 610 that is integrally coupled to an upper part of the rotating unit 78 and a motor unit 650 that rotates the rotating ring 610.
- the rotating ring 610 has a cylindrical part 611, and on the outer periphery of the cylindrical part 611, rack teeth 613 are formed along the arcuate surface of the outer periphery.
- the rack teeth 613 may be formed over the entire circumference of the cylindrical part 611 but need only be formed at least in a range that can realize the rotational range (the above-described range between the first position and the second position) of the rotating unit 78.
- a flange 614 is formed outward in a radial direction concentrically around the outer periphery of the cylindrical part 611.
- the flange 614 is hereafter referred to as an outer flange.
- a vent hole 612 having a square shape is formed to be communicated with the duct 51 (51c, 51d) for the movable blowing part.
- the motor unit 650 has a motor (preferably a stepper motor) 651 capable of forward and reverse rotation, a pinion gear 652 mounted on an output shaft 651a thereof, and a mount 653 for mounting, and the pinion gear 652 is mounted on a predetermined portion of a duct cover 630, which will be described later, so as to engage the rack teeth 613 of the rotating ring 610.
- a motor preferably a stepper motor
- pinion gear 652 mounted on an output shaft 651a thereof
- mount 653 for mounting and the pinion gear 652 is mounted on a predetermined portion of a duct cover 630, which will be described later, so as to engage the rack teeth 613 of the rotating ring 610.
- circular openings 520 are formed on both sides of the partitioning plate unit 50 into which the rotating rings 610 are fitted.
- a flange 521 is formed inward in a radial direction in a concentric manner.
- the flange 521 is hereafter referred to as an inner flange.
- the outer flange 614 When the rotating ring 610 is fitted into the opening 520, the outer flange 614 is positioned on the inner flange 521, and the outer flange 614 slides on the inner flange 521 as the rotating ring 610 rotates.
- the outer flange 614 and the inner flange 521 function as a kind of thrust bearing that bears an axial load of the rotating body.
- the duct cover 630 is covered to hold the rotating ring 610 down.
- the duct cover 630 is screwed to the partitioning plate unit 50.
- the ducts 51 (51c, 51d), that are connected to the ventilation holes 43 formed in the drain pan 40, are formed in the duct cover 630.
- the duct cover 630 is also formed with a base part 631 on which the motor unit 650 is mounted.
- the rear surface 630R of the duct cover 630 has an annular guide groove 635 formed therein and the cylindrical part 611 of the rotating ring 610 is fitted in the guide groove 635.
- the circular portion surrounded by the guide groove 635 on the rear surface 630R of the duct cover 630 is an inner bottom surface 633 at a height slightly lower than an edge 630a of the duct cover 630 in Figure 27 (a height slightly higher than the edge 630a in the cross-sectional view in Figure 28 ).
- the duct 51 (51c, 51d) is square in shape, but has ventilation area (cross-sectional surface area) progressively widened from the upper surface of the duct cover 630 to the inner bottom surface 633, and widened at the inner bottom surface 633 to an extent that the apex (corner) touches the annular guide groove 635, and the rotating ring 610 rotates along a circumscribed circle of the duct 51 on the inner bottom surface 633 side.
- the airflow pressure changes in a rotating portion of the rotating unit 78.
- the airflow path is not even partially blocked, so that the pressure change in the rotating portion of the rotating unit 78 can be reduced.
- the structure of the coupling part (connecting part) between the rotating ring 610 and the duct 51 can be reduced in size.
- the rotating ring 610 does not have to touch the four apexes of the duct 51, for example, the rotating ring 610 can be made into a large circle that touches the two adjacent apexes of the duct 51 on the inner bottom surface 633 side, and can be rotated without reducing the ventilation area of the duct 51 (without blocking the duct in any part).
- the duct cover 630 is further covered with an exterior cover 640.
- This exterior cover 640 is one size larger than the duct cover 630, but may be omitted in some cases.
- the rotating ring 610 When changing the air blowing direction of the rotating unit 78, the rotating ring 610 is rotated in the opening 520 by the motor 651. It is necessary to prevent rattling of the rotating ring 610 from occurring during this rotation.
- the rattling can be horizontal direction (radial direction) rattling or vertical direction (axial direction) rattling.
- a stable seat 523 illustrated in Figure 24 , is used to prevent rattling in the horizontal direction (radial direction).
- the stable seat 523 has a seat portion 524 having a flat shape and a side wall portion 525 that rises almost vertically from one end of the seat portion 524, and an elastically deformable mounting leg 526 with a slot at a bottom of the seat portion 524.
- the side wall portion 525 is formed with an arcuate surface 525a along the outer peripheral edge 614a of the outer flange 614.
- the stable seats 523 are preferably formed of a low friction resin such as polyacetal (POM) and are provided at four locations at 90° intervals at the base of the inner flange 521 on the outer peripheral side as illustrated in Figure 23 in this example. As another example, provision at three locations at 120° intervals is also applicable. If the length of the stable seat 523 (the length along the circumferential direction of the inner flange 521) is long, provision at two locations is applicable.
- POM polyacetal
- the stable seat 523 is mounted on the inner flange 521 along the outer peripheral edge 614a of the outer flange 614 of the rotating ring 610.
- an engagement hole 522 may be drilled in the inner flange 521, and the mounting leg 526 may be pushed into the engagement hole 522 while being elastically deformed.
- a protrusion 616 is provided in the interior of the cylindrical body 611 of the rotating ring 610, as illustrated in Figure 26 .
- the vent holes 612 formed in the cylindrical part 611 are square in shape, so that there is an inner wall 617 in the cylindrical part 611 that forms each side of the square.
- a protrusion 616 is erected on the inner wall 617.
- the position of the protrusion 616 is at a position where it can contact the inner bottom surface 633 on the rear surface 630R of the duct cover 630 illustrated in Figure 27 .
- the inner bottom surface 633 is located along three sides of the square openings of the duct 51, while the protrusions 616 are located at four locations at 90° intervals, as illustrated in Figure 21 .
- the protrusion 616 since the three protrusions 616 are always on the provisional surface 633 regardless of which rotational position the rotating ring 610 is in, the protrusion 616 will not deviate from the inner bottom surface 633, but in order to reduce sliding frictional resistance, the smaller contact area per protrusion 616 to the inner bottom surface 633 preferably should be as small as possible.
- the protruding height of the protrusion 616 is the height at which the tip of the protrusion 616 contacts the inner bottom surface 633 when the rotating ring 610 is covered by the duct cover 630, as illustrated in Figure 28 .
- the rotating ring 610 is rotated in the opening 520 of the partitioning plate unit 50 by the motor 651.
- a sealing material 618 is provided on the inner surface of the outer flange 614 (on the surface side facing the inner flange 521).
- the sealing material 618 need only have moderate elasticity and heat insulation properties.
- a tape or sheet of fibers made of polyacetal for example, planted on a tape-shaped or sheet-shaped base material is preferably employed as a low friction fiber.
- a clearance between the inner flange 521 and the outer flange 614 can be set substantially on the order of 0 to 0.5 mm to prevent wind leakage. Also, the structure free from dew condensation is achieved. The sliding frictional resistance associated with the rotation of the rotating ring 610 can also be reduced.
- a boss 619 which is used to couple the rotating unit 78, is provided at a plurality of locations on the rear surface 610R side of the rotating ring 610.
- the blower fan 31 is fixed to the top panel 111 of the outer body 11 via the fan mount 311 in the fan casing 34, and the fan motor 36 is also fixed to the top panel 111 of the outer body 11 via its motor mount 361. This requires a large number of parts to be used and a high degree of accuracy in positioning the blower fan 31 and fan motor 36.
- Figure 31 and Figure 32 are a fan unit 30A with improvement in such points.
- a sirocco fan is preferably used as the blower fan 31, and the fan motor 36 is used as-is without any particular change required.
- the fan casing 34 of the blower fan 31 is divided into two compartments, a lower casing 371 and an upper casing 372, both of which are made of synthetic resin material, and the lower casing 371 includes a motor mount 373 of the fan motor 36 formed integrally.
- a bearing part that supports the blower fan 31 of the lower casing 371 and a bearing part that supports the fan motor 36 of the motor mount 373 are pre-centered when the motor mount 373 is integrally molded in the lower casing 371.
- the upper casing 372 may be secured to the lower casing 371 with a locking device 374 such as a snapping lock, for example.
- the blower fan 31 and the fan motor 36 may be coupled in advance, and by opening the upper casing 372, the blower fan 31 may be housed in the lower casing 371, and the fan motor 36 may be set on the motor mount 373, so that positioning (centering) of the blower fan 31 and the fan motor 36 is easily performed.
- Fixation of the outer body 11 to the top panel 111 does not have to be performed separately for the blower fan 31 and the fan motor 36, and all that is needed is to fix only the mounting part (not illustrated) provided on the lower casing 371 to the top panel 111.
- this fan unit 30A is unitized by the smallest unit, it is only necessary to select the number of units to be used according to the blown out air volume and size of the air blowing part or the like required by the air conditioner, and there is no need to design a fan unit (blower) dedicated to each model with a different air volume. With this fan unit 30A, the air volume can be adjusted individually, thus enabling more detailed air conditioning operation.
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Air Filters, Heat-Exchange Apparatuses, And Housings Of Air-Conditioning Units (AREA)
- Air-Flow Control Members (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates to a ceiling-embedded air conditioner, and in particular relates to a structure of an indoor unit.
- In a ceiling-embedded air conditioner, an outdoor unit installed outdoors and an indoor unit installed in an attic of an air-conditioning room are connected by gas pipes and liquid pipes to form a refrigerant circuit. The indoor unit has a box-type body unit embedded in an attic and a decorative panel disposed on the air-conditioning room side of the ceiling and mounted on the body unit.
- As an example, in the invention described in
Patent Literature 1, the body unit is provided with a U-shaped heat exchanger, a fan casing in the center of the heat exchanger, and a blower fan formed of a sirocco fan surrounded by the fan casing. The decorative panel is formed with a blowing port at the center and suction ports along three sides below the heat exchanger. - The air drawn in through the suction ports is heat exchanged with refrigerant in the heat exchanger and can then be blown out through the blowing port in one direction. With the heat exchanger surrounding the blower fan, the distance between the blower fan and the surface of the heat exchanger is almost constant so that the airspeed and air volume of the air passing through the heat exchanger are less biased, and the heat exchanger can be used effectively to increase the heat exchange capacity.
- Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.
2000-213767 - Even though at least one of the vertical air vent deflector and the horizontal air vent deflectors is provided in the air blowing ports, the air blowing ports are often opened on the panel surface of the decorative panel, which poses a limitation on an ability to widen the blowing range of the conditioned air.
- Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a ceiling-embedded air conditioner including an air blowing part which can blow out conditioned air over a wider area.
- In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a ceiling-embedded air conditioner including:
a box-type body unit including a blower and a heat exchanger inside and disposed in an attic of an air-conditioning room; and a decorative panel mounted on a bottom surface of the above-described body unit along a ceiling surface of the above-described air-conditioning room, the above-described decorative panel including an air suction part and an air blowing part, wherein
the above-described air blowing part comprises a movable blowing part on the above-described decorative panel side, the movable blowing part including a rotating unit that rotates around an axis that is normal to a virtual plane on a rear surface side of the above-described decorative panel that is parallel to a bottom surface of the above-described body unit to blow conditioned air delivered by the above-described blower along a panel surface of the above-described decorative panel. - In the present invention, the above-described rotating unit has a truncated cone shape that protrudes from the panel surface of the above-described decorative panel toward the above-described air-conditioning room side and preferably includes an air blowing port that blows air delivered by the above-described blower along the above-described panel surface on a side surface of the above-described truncated cone.
- According to a preferable aspect of the present invention, the above-described air blowing part further includes on the above-described decorative panel side a fixed blowing part that blows the conditioned air delivered by the above-described blower toward one specified side of the above-described decorative panel, and the above-described movable blowing part is disposed adjacent to the above-described fixed blowing part.
- According to the present invention, the conditioned air can be blown out over a wider range.
-
- [
Figure 1] Figure 1 is an explanatory drawing illustrating a state of installation of a ceiling-embedded air conditioner according to the present invention. - [
Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating the above-described ceiling-embedded air conditioner. - [
Figure 3] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the above-described ceiling-embedded air conditioner. - [
Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the A-A line ofFigure 2 . - [
Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the C-C line ofFigure 4 . - [
Figure 6] Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the B-B line ofFigure 2 . - [
Figure 7] Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the D-D line ofFigure 4 . - [
Figure 8] Figure 8 is a perspective cross-sectional view taken along the B-B line ofFigure 2 . - [
Figure 9] Figure 9 is a bottom surface side perspective view of the body unit provided in the above-described ceiling-embedded air conditioner. - [
Figure 10 ] (a) is a perspective view illustrating a decorative panel and a frame at a distance from each other, and (b) is a perspective view illustrating a packaged state of the decorative panel. - [
Figure 11] Figure 11 is a bottom view of the decorative panel viewed from the air-conditioning room side when an operation is stopped. - [
Figure 12] Fig. 12 is a bottom view of the decorative panel during operation viewed from the air-conditioning room side. - [
Figure 13] Figure 13 is a perspective view ofFigure 12 . - [
Figure 14] Figure 14 is a perspective view illustrating a partitioning plate unit to be mounted on a rear surface side of the decorative panel. - [
Figure 15] Figure 15 is a perspective view illustrating a central blowing unit to be mounted on the above-described partitioning plate unit. - [
Figure 16] Figure 16 is a perspective view illustrating a rotating unit to be mounted on the above-described partitioning plate unit. - [
Figure 17 ] (a) is an exploded perspective view illustrating the frame supporting the partitioning plate unit, and (b) is a perspective view illustrating the state in which the same frame is disposed on the rear surface of the decorative panel. - [
Figure 18] Figure 18 is an external perspective view illustrating a fan unit and a movable blowing part. - [
Figure 19] Figure 19 is an exploded perspective view of a partitioning plate unit including drive means of the rotating unit. - [
Figure 20] Figure 20 is a perspective view illustrating the rotating unit with a rotating ring attached thereto. - [
Figure 21] Figure 21 is a plan view illustrating a rotating ring. - [
Figure 22] Figure 22 is an exploded perspective view of a motor unit. - [
Figure 23] Figure 23 is a plan view illustrating a portion of the partitioning plate unit including an opening with the rotating ring mounted thereon. - [
Figure 24] Figure 24 is a perspective view illustrating a stable seat for preventing horizontal direction rattling of the rotating ring. - [
Figure 25] Figure 25 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a stable seat is mounted. - [
Figure 26] Figure 26 is a perspective view illustrating a protrusion for preventing vertical rattling of the rotating ring. - [
Figure 27] Figure 27 is a perspective view illustrating a rear surface side of a duct cover. - [
Figure 28] Figure 28 is a cross-sectional view illustrating function of horizontal rattling of the rotating ring by the protrusion. - [
Figure 29] Figure 29 is a bottom view illustrating the rotating ring. - [
Figure 30] Figure 30 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the outer flange of the rotating ring with a seal mounted thereon. - [
Figure 31] Figure 31 is a perspective view illustrating an improved fan unit. - [
Figure 32] Figure 32 is a plan view illustrating the above-described fan unit. - Some forms of implementing the present invention will be described in detail below as examples based on the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited thereto.
- In an air conditioner according to the present invention, an outdoor unit (not illustrated) installed outdoors and an
indoor unit 1 mounted on a ceiling T1 of an air-conditioning room R are connected by a gas pipe and a liquid pipe (both not illustrated) to form a refrigerant circuit. - Referring to
Figure 1 to Figure 3 , theindoor unit 1 of the present embodiment is a ceiling-embedded air conditioner having a box-type body unit 10 embedded into an attic T2, and adecorative panel 70 disposed on the air-conditioning room R side of the ceiling T1 and mounted on abottom surface 101 of thesame body unit 10, and in particular, is a ceiling-embedded air conditioner of an omnidirectional blowing type, which blows conditioned air over a wide range. - Referring to
Figure 3 , thebody unit 10 has a rectangular-shapedtop panel 111 formed of sheet metal and a box-typeouter body 11 formed fromside plates top panel 111. Twomounting brackets 12 each are secured to twoside plates 113 facing each other, with theside plate 112 being the side plate on the long side of thetop panel 111 and theside plate 113 being the side plate on the short side of thetop panel 111. - The
body unit 10 is installed in the attic T2 by suspending themounting brackets 12 with a plurality of hanging bolts, not illustrated, which are fixed to the attic T2. - The
decorative panel 70 has apanel part 71 that forms a main body of thedecorative panel 70, which is larger than thetop panel 111 and has a rectangular shape, and aside wall portion 72 that is erected from arear surface 70R of thepanel part 71 to thebody unit 10 side and is sized to fit, and mounted on, an opened bottom surface of the box-type outer body 11 (thebottom surface 101 of the body unit 10). - The
panel part 71 has anair suction part 73 squarely opened on the side of oneside 70b located at the rear out of the long sides facing each other, and anair blowing part 74 on the side of theother side 70a located in front of the long side that faces the oneside 70b. - In the
indoor unit 1 inFigure 2 , the direction of thetop panel 111 will be described below as upper surface or above, the direction of the air-conditioning room R as bottom surface or below, the side of theair blowing part 74 as front surface or front, the side of theair suction part 73 as back surface side or rear, the side of the leftshort side 70c as left side surface or leftward, and the side of the rightshort side 70d as right side surface or rightward. The same applies to each of the parts. - The
side wall portion 72 includes, as illustrated inFigure 10(a) , aframe 721 sized to enclose theair suction part 73 and theair blowing part 74 formed in a square shape along each side of the panel part 71 (long sides short sides beam 722 bridged between the short sides of the frame 721 (short sides - The
frame 721 and thebeam 722 are both made of sheet metal, and thebeam 722 is placed on apartitioning part 713 formed between theair suction part 73 and theair blowing part 74 of thepanel part 71. - In this configuration, as illustrated in
Figure 10(b) , when packing thedecorative panel 70, thebeam 722 is held down by a protrusion on the packing material side, and can thereby prevent damage due to impact such as when dropped. Thebeam 722 also provides a structure that can withstand a load applied in a direction parallel to apanel surface 70S of thedecorative panel 70. - The
beam 722 may be bridged between thelong sides frame 721, depending on the shape and arrangement of theair suction part 73 and theair blowing part 74, or the like. - Next, referring to
Figure 3 to Figure 6 , the parts housed in thebody unit 10 will be described. The inner surface of thetop panel 111 of theouter body 11 is provided with aheat insulating material 13 formed of a polystyrene foam having a thick plate thickness. - A thin heat insulating sheet (not illustrated) is sufficient for the inner surface of the
side plates outer body 11, instead of theheat insulating material 13. The center of theheat insulating material 13 is open and a part of thetop panel 111 is exposed when viewed from below. Aheat exchanger 20 and afan unit 30 are fixed to the exposed part of thetop panel 111. - As illustrated in
Figure 2 , anelectrical component box 14 containing electrical components (not illustrated) that control theindoor unit 1 is mounted on the outer surface on the right side surface of theouter body 11. - The
heat exchanger 20 is of a fin-tube type formed from a plurality of reed-shapedaluminum fins 23 arranged in parallel and a plurality ofheat transfer tubes 22 penetrating thealuminum fins 23, and is provided with two heat exchanger sections, or a front heat exchanger section (first heat exchanger section) 20L on the left side inFigure 4 and a rear heat exchanger section (second heat exchanger section) 20R, on the right side also inFigure 4 as two heat exchanger sections separated from each other. - The front
heat exchanger section 20L and the rearheat exchanger section 20R are mounted on thetop panel 111 so as to face each other. The frontheat exchanger section 20L and the rearheat exchanger section 20R may be arranged parallel to each other almost perpendicular to thetop panel 111, but are preferably assembled so as to slant downwards, in which the spacing (distance) on the upper end side is wider (longer) than the spacing (distance) on the lower end side as illustrated inFigure 4 , in order to keep the height dimensions low and to increase the heat exchange area. Instead of slanting downwards, slanting upwards, in which the spacing (distance) on the upper end side is narrower (shorter) than the spacing on the lower end side, is also applicable. - In any case, both the left and right ends of the front
heat exchanger section 20L and the rearheat exchanger section 20R are coupled respectively by couplingplates heat exchanger 20 functions as a blower chamber F with both the left and right ends blocked by thecoupling plates heat exchanger section 20L and the rearheat exchanger section 20R) is blocked by adrain pan 40, as described below. - In this manner, since both the left and right ends of the front
heat exchanger section 20L and the rearheat exchanger section 20R are blocked by thecoupling plates air suction part 73 passes through the frontheat exchanger section 20L and the rearheat exchanger section 20R, and thus the heat exchange capacity is further enhanced without wasted air flow. - In the interval between the
heat exchanger 20 and theouter body 11, a first air suction chamber S1 is provided between theouter body 11 and the rearheat exchanger section 20R, and a second air suction chamber S2 is provided between theouter body 11 and the frontheat exchanger section 20L. The first air suction chamber S1 is disposed directly above theair suction part 73, and the second air suction chamber S2 is communicated with theair suction part 73 via an air conduction path L described below. - The
fan unit 30 is located in the blower chamber F provided inside theheat exchanger 20. Thefan unit 30 has sirocco fantype blower fans 31, afan motor 36, a fan mount 311 (seeFigure 3 ) which supports and fixes theblower fans 31 to thetop panel 111, and a motor mount 361 (seeFigure 3 ) which fixes thefan motor 36 to thetop panel 111. - The
blower fan 31 includes a tubular impeller (sirocco fan) 32 provided with a plurality of blades, aspiral fan casing 34 housing theimpeller 32, and arotating shaft 35 coupled to the center of theimpeller 32. - The number of
blower fans 31 is optionally selected according to the required air conditioning capacity, but in the present embodiment, four fans are arranged coaxially side-by-side. Theblower fans 31 have the same structure, respectively. - In the
fan unit 30, thefan motor 36 is fixed to thetop panel 111 by themotor mount 361, and then two each of theblower fans 31 are coupled to each other at both ends of thefan motor 36 by a rotatingshaft 35. Both ends of therotating shaft 35 are fixed to thetop panel 111 via bearing plates, not illustrated, for example, made of an L-shaped bracket. There is also a fan fixing section 341 (seeFigure 4 ) at the upper part of thefan casing 34, which is fixed to thetop panel 111 with screws. - The
fan casing 34 includes ahousing section 342 that houses theimpeller 32, and a tubular air-blowingsection 343 that is formed continuously from thehousing section 342 and extends downward beyond the lower end of theheat exchanger 20. Afan suction port 344 is circularly opened on the side surface of thehousing section 342 to draw air into theimpeller 32. - The
fan casing 34 may be formed by dividing the interior into upper and lower compartments by a plane parallel to the axis of theimpeller 32 or may be formed by dividing the interior into left and right compartments by a plane perpendicular to the axis of theimpeller 32 so that theimpeller 32 can be housed inside. In the interior of thefan casing 34, thehousing section 342 and the air-blowingsection 343 are continued to form anairflow path 33 for blown air H. - As described above, in the present embodiment, since the
fan unit 30 is disposed with the internal space surrounded by theheat exchanger 20 as the blower chamber F, when theimpellers 32 of theblower fans 31 rotate, negative pressure is created inside the blower chamber F, and thus the air from theair suction part 73 passes through the frontheat exchanger section 20L and the rearheat exchanger section 20R, enters the blower chamber F, is sucked into thefan suction ports 344, and discharged to the peripheries of theimpellers 32, and the discharged air is blown out along theairflow paths 33 in thefan casings 34 in one direction and blown out of theair blowing part 74 into the air-conditioning room R. - A
drain pan 40 is provided at the lower end of theheat exchanger 20 to receive drained water produced by theheat exchanger 20. Thedrain pan 40 is molded integrally with an insulatingmember 41 made of polystyrene foam and a resin-madedrain sheet 42 provided on a surface facing theheat exchanger 20. - The
drain pan 40 is formed in a rectangular shape having a size that covers the opening surface of the lower end side of theheat exchanger 20 and is also a partitioning plate that partitions the blower chamber F from the air conduction path L described below. Thedrain pan 40 is provided withventilation holes 43 through which the tubular air-blowingsections 343 of thefan unit 30 are fitted by the number corresponding to the number of the blower fans 31 (four in the present embodiment). - As described above, as the
heat exchanger 20 includes the frontheat exchanger section 20L and a rearheat exchanger section 20R arranged so as to slant downwards, and thus the bottom surface is narrower than the upper surface, thedrain pan 40 is correspondingly small, and the area occupied by thedrain pan 40 in thebody unit 10 is small, so that the ventilation resistance by thedrain pan 40 is also reduced and the ventilation area around thedrain pan 40 is enlarged to enhance the ventilation efficiency. - On the
drain sheet 42 side of thedrain pan 40, aflume section 45 is provided to receive the drained water produced by theheat exchanger 20. Since the condensation water generated on the outer side of thefan casing 34 during cooling operation can be received by thedrain pan 40, it is preferable to provide waterproofing around the ventilation holes 43. - Although not illustrated, the
drain pan 40 may be provided with a drain pump and a drain hose for discharging the drained water, as well as a float switch, or the like, for the on-off controlling of the drain pump. - Referring to
Figure 11 to Figure 13 , the configuration of thedecorative panel 70 will be described. Thedecorative panel 70 has theair blowing part 74 on onelong side 70a side and theair suction part 73 on the otherlong side 70b side. Theair blowing part 74 is in particular formed as a raisedpart 740 in which a portion of thepanel part 71 is raised in a trapezoidal shape in a cross-section along thelong side 70a toward the air-conditioning room R. - According to the present embodiment, the raised
part 740 is ellipsoidal, which is a rectangular shape with rounded corners including two parallel lines of equal length and two semicircles, and has a side surface (peripheral surface) forming an inclined surface. Theair blowing part 74 has a fixed blowingpart 75 in the center portion of the raisedpart 740 and hasmovable blowing parts movable blowing parts part 77. - Referring in conjunction with
Figure 16 , themovable blowing part 77L has a truncated cone-shapedrotating unit 78L that rotates within a predetermined range of angles around the axis that is normal to a virtual plane on therear surface 70R side of thedecorative panel 70 parallel to thebottom surface 101 of thebody unit 10. Themovable blowing part 77R likewise has a truncated cone-shapedrotating unit 78R that rotates within a predetermined range of angles around the axis that is normal to a virtual plane on therear surface 70R side of thedecorative panel 70 parallel to thebottom surface 101 of thebody unit 10. The virtual plane on therear surface 70R side of thedecorative panel 70 is also parallel to the ceiling surface T1 of the air-conditioning room R. - Semicircular portions are formed at both ends of the raised
part 740 by a portion of theserotating units rotating units rotating unit 78. - As can be seen from the perspective view of
Figure 13 , a top surface (bottom surface) 751 of the fixed blowingpart 75 and a top surface (bottom surface) 781 of the rotatingunit 78 are always on the same plane, even when therotating units 78 are in a rotated state, to improve the design. - The fixed blowing
part 75 is a trapezoidal shape in a cross-section, with a firstair blowing port 754 opening on a side surface on the front long side (specified side) 70a side and facing thelong side 70a, is provided with horizontal air vent deflectors 752 (seeFigure 15 ) within a firstair blowing port 754, and is provided with a verticalair vent deflector 753 on the opening surface of the firstair blowing port 754. - The
movable blowing part 77 is provided with a secondair blowing port 783 on a portion of the side surface of the rotatingunit 78, and the secondair blowing port 783 is provided with a verticalair vent deflector 782. Since the rotation of the rotatingunit 78 changes the direction of the flow of air in the left and right directions, themovable blowing part 77 does not need a horizontal air vent deflector. The firstair blowing port 754 of the fixed blowingpart 75 and the secondair blowing port 783 of themovable blowing part 77 are opened along the side surfaces having the same angle of inclination in order to give a sense of design unity to theseair blowing ports - While the air blowing direction of the fixed blowing
part 75 is in the direction of thelong side 70a, themovable blowing part 77 rotates between a first position where the secondair blowing port 783 faces thelong side 70a and a second position where the same faces theshort sides blower fan 31 is blown out in the specified direction. - As illustrated in
Figure 11 , when themovable blowing part 77 is in the first position, the firstair blowing port 754 and the secondair blowing port 783 are linearly aligned. In this case, it is desirable to providedummy flaps air blowing port 754 in order to create the appearance that the firstair blowing port 754 and the secondair blowing port 783 are continuous. The dummy flaps 791 are also located on the same inclined surface as the firstair blowing port 754 and the secondair blowing port 783. -
Figure 12 andFigure 13 illustrate the state in which the left sidemovable blowing part 77L is in the first position and the right sidemovable blowing part 77R is in the second position facing theshort side 70d. By themovable blowing part 77 being configured to be rotatable, theindoor unit 1 is an omnidirectional (multi-directional) blowing type capable of blowing out conditioned air in all directions except in the direction of thelong side 70b on the rear side. - As illustrated in
Figure 12 andFigure 13 , even if the secondair blowing port 783 of the movable blowing part 77 (77L) is rotated to the second position facing the short sides, the portion other than the secondair blowing port 783 is the side surface of a cone, thus providing a sense of continuity with the firstair blowing port 754 in appearance. In other words, even if themovable blowing part 77 is rotated, the basic shape of the air blowing part 74 (an ellipsoidal ridge shape) is maintained. - According to the present embodiment, the first
air blowing port 754 of the fixed blowingpart 75 and the secondair blowing port 783 of themovable blowing part 77 are formed on the side surface of a raisedpart 740 with a portion of thepanel part 71 raised in a trapezoidal shape in a cross-section toward the air-conditioning room R side, so that conditioned air is blown out from the firstair blowing port 754 and the secondair blowing port 783 in an almost horizontal direction along thepanel surface 70S of thedecorative panel 70, allowing the conditioned air to spread farther away. - Also, although the conditioned air is blown out of the first
air blowing port 754 and the secondair blowing port 783 at the same time, it is difficult to create a boundary between the air flow blown out of the firstair blowing port 754 and the air flow blown out of the secondair blowing port 783, so that the air-conditioning room R is uniformly conditioned. - Unlike the above-described embodiment, the first
air blowing port 754 and the secondair blowing port 783 may be opened in a vertical plane that is normal to the panel surface (or ceiling surface) of thedecorative panel 70. - In the above-described embodiment, the fixed blowing
part 75 and the left and rightmovable blowing parts 77 are contained within the ellipsoidal raisedpart 740. However, as long as themovable blowing part 77 can be rotated around an axis that is normal to the virtual plane on therear surface 70R side of thedecorative panel 70 parallel to thebottom surface 101 of thebody unit 10, it may be simply an aspect in which themovable blowing parts 77 are disposed on both sides of the fixed blowingpart 75 irrespective of the appearance, and this aspect is also included in the present invention. - On the
rear surface 70R side of thedecorative panel 70, apartitioning plate unit 50 illustrated inFigure 14 is mounted. Referring in conjunction with the precedingFigure 4 ,Figure 9 , etc., thepartitioning plate unit 50 includes, on its upper surface side (the surface side facing the drain pan 40), four ducts 51 (51a to 51d) which are each fitted to the four ventilation holes 43 (43a to 43d; seeFigure 9 ) formed in thedrain pan 40 and communicated with the air-blowingsection 343 of thefan unit 30. - In the present embodiment, the ventilation holes 43 (43a to 43d) are square holes, and the ducts 51 (51a to 51d) fitted thereto are square tubular shapes (the shape of a square tube), and the ducts 51 (51a to 51d) extend as square tubes to the
rear surface 70R of thedecorative panel 70. - Two of these
ducts 51a, 51b on the inner side are fitted to thecorresponding ventilation holes ducts corresponding ventilation holes - The
ducts 51a and 51b are the ducts for the fixed blowingpart 75, and as illustrated inFigure 15 , acentral blowing unit 751 with onechamber 751a, which is allocated across theducts 51a and 51b, is mounted on the lower surface side of thepartitioning plate unit 50. - The horizontal
air vent deflectors 752 are provided inchamber 751a. The firstair blowing port 754 is formed on the front surface side of thecentral blowing unit 751, and the verticalair vent deflector 753 is provided therein. - Although not illustrated, a motor to drive the horizontal
air vent deflectors 752 is disposed on the back surface ofchamber 751a, and a motor to drive the verticalair vent deflector 754 is disposed beside the firstair blowing port 754. - The
outer ducts movable blowing part 77, and as illustrated inFigure 16 , arotating unit 78L provided on the left sidemovable blowing part 77L is rotatably mounted on the lower end of theleft side duct 51c, and arotating unit 78R provided by the right sidemovable blowing part 77R is rotatably mounted on a lower end of theright side duct 51d. - Both of the
rotating units unit 78 is located within amotor cover 512, illustrated inFigure 14 beside theouter ducts - In the present embodiment, the rotating
units air suction part 73 instead of being directed to the air-conditioning room R may occur. - To prevent such phenomenon,
walls 711 are provided between therotating units 78 and theair suction part 73, referring toFigure 11 to Figure 13 . - In the present embodiment, the
walls 711 are formed in the form of slopes that rise from portions of thepanel part 71 around the rotatingunits 78 from theshort sides rotating units air suction part 73 to the height of thetop surfaces 781 of therotating units 78 or to the height of theair suction part 73. InFigure 11 to Figure 13 ,ridge lines 711a ofwalls 711 are illustrated to be sloping. - In this configuration, each
wall 711 prevents the short-circuit phenomenon when the rotatingunit 78 is rotated to near its maximum rotational position, and the blown air flow will reach farther away along aslope surface 712 of thewall 711. In other words, thewall 711 not only prevents the short-circuit phenomenon, but also functions as an air flow guiding surface that allows the blown air to reach farther away by being provided with aslope surface 712. - According to the present embodiment, the air blown from the first
air blowing port 754 and the secondair blowing port 783 flows along the panel surface of thedecorative panel 70, so that a remainingpanel surface 70S of thedecorative panel 70, except for theair suction part 73, acts as an air flow guiding surface, including theslope surface 712 of thewall 711. - As explained earlier, the
decorative panel 70 is mounted on thebody unit 10 by fitting theside wall portion 72 into the bottom surface opening of thebody unit 10 and screwing it in place. In the present embodiment, theair suction part 73 is disposed on the first air suction chamber S1 side, and at the time of this assembly, as indicated by arrows inFigure 6 , the air conduction path L is formed to guide part of air sucked from theair suction part 73 to between thebottom surface 40R of the drain pan 40 (seeFigure 3 andFigure 9 ) and therear surface 70R of thedecorative panel 70 into the second air suction chamber S2. - In the air conduction path L, the air proceeding towards the second air suction chamber S2 passes between the
ducts bottom surface 40R of thedrain pan 40 corresponding to theducts Figure 9 . - In this
indoor unit 1, as illustrated inFigure 4 andFigure 6 above, the raisedpart 740 including a fixed blowingpart 75 and amovable blowing part 77 is provided on adecorative panel 70, and the firstair blowing port 754 of the fixed blowingpart 75 and the secondair blowing port 783 of themovable blowing part 77 are formed on the side surface of the raisedpart 740, so that an air conduction path L larger in vertical width may be ensured between thedrain pan 40 and thedecorative panel 70. - Referring to
Figure 4 andFigure 6 above, as viewed from inside the air-conditioning room R, theair suction part 73 is disposed above the raisedpart 740 and included within thepanel surface 70S of thedecorative panel 70, so that theair suction part 73 is positionally close to the air conduction path L, and a portion of the air sucked from theair suction part 73 is easily directed to the second air suction chamber S2 side via the air conduction path L. - Next, the assembly of the
indoor unit 1 will be described. Thebody unit 10 is first placed on an assembly table with thetop panel 111 side of theouter body 11 down, and theheat insulating material 13 is fitted inside theouter body 11. The pre-assembled heat exchanger 20 (a heat exchanger coupling the frontheat exchanger section 20L and the rearheat exchanger section 20R with a coupling plate 21) is then fixed to thetop panel 111 via a predetermined mounting fixture, not illustrated, with a gas coupling pipe and a liquid coupling pipe (both not illustrated) of thepre-assembled heat exchanger 20 drawn out of theside plate 113. Thepre-assembled fan unit 30 is then placed in the blower chamber F in theheat exchanger 20 and fixed to thetop panel 111 via themotor mount 361 and thefan fixing section 341. - Next, the
flume section 45 on thedrain sheet 42 side of thedrain pan 40 is fitted into the bottom surface of theouter body 11 in line with the lower ends of theheat exchanger sections sections 343 of thefan casings 34 are fitted to the ventilation holes 43 of thedrain pan 40. - The
body unit 10 thus assembled and thedecorative panels 70 are packed separately and transported to the installation site. Thebody unit 10 is installed in the attic T2 by being suspended with a plurality of hanging bolts previously embedded in the attic T2. - Then, the
decorative panel 70 is installed from the air-conditioning room R side. At this time, theducts 51 of thepartitioning plate unit 50 are connected to the air-blowingsections 343 of thefan casings 34 through the ventilation holes 43 of thedrain pan 40. Although not illustrated, theindoor unit 1 can be operated by connecting refrigerant piping, a power line and signal lines to the outdoor unit. - When the
indoor unit 1 is stopped, as illustrated inFigure 11 , the rotatingunits movable blowing parts air blowing ports 783 facing in the same direction (on thelong side 70a side) as the firstair blowing port 754 of the fixed blowingpart 75, as an initial position (first position), and the firstair blowing port 754 and the secondair blowing port 783 are both closed by the verticalair vent deflectors - A compressor and a fan motor of the outdoor unit (both not illustrated) and the
fan motor 36 of theindoor unit 1 are then started to operate by a command of the remote controller (not illustrated) by the user or by the command of the air conditioning system. - In the
indoor unit 1, theblower fan 31 is rotated by operation of thefan motor 36. The rotation of theblower fan 31 blows out the air in the air-blowingsection 343 of theblower fan 31, resulting in a negative pressure in the blower chamber F, so that the air K in the air-conditioning room R is drawn in from theair suction part 73 provided in thedecorative panel 70. - Referring to
Figure 6 , the air K drawn in from theair suction part 73 flows into the first air suction chamber S1 and also flows into the second air suction chamber S2 through the air conduction path L. The air in the first air suction chamber S1 passes through the rearheat exchanger section 20R, is heat exchanged with the refrigerant, and enters the blower chamber F. Similarly, the air in the second air suction chamber S2 passes through the frontheat exchanger section 20L, is heat exchanged with the refrigerant, and enters the blower chamber F. - The air thus conditioned is delivered by rotation of the
blower fans 31 from the air-blowingsections 343 of thefan casings 34 to the fixed blowingpart 75 and themovable blowing parts 77 of thedecorative panel 70 via theducts 51. - The conditioned air delivered to the fixed blowing
part 75 is blown from the firstair blowing port 754 toward the direction guided by the horizontalair vent deflectors 752 and the verticalair vent deflector 753. The conditioned air delivered to themovable blowing part 77 is blown out in the direction of rotation of the rotatingunit 78 and in the direction guided by the verticalair vent deflector 782. - Since the rotation of the
rotating units long side 70b on the rear side, where theair suction part 73 is located. - The
indoor unit 1 of the present embodiment has apartitioning plate unit 50 illustrated inFigure 14 on therear surface 70R of thedecorative panel 70, as previously described. Thepartitioning plate unit 50 is mounted on theair blowing part 74 of thedecorative panel 70, but is large and heavy because of the fixed blowingpart 75, themovable blowing part 77, and the like provided thereon. - The
frame 721 described inFigure 10 is provided on the rear side of thedecorative panel 70 with the intention of preventing damage due to impact, such as when dropped. However, here, as illustrated inFigure 17 , aframe 760 is provided to support thepartitioning plate unit 50 on therear surface 70R side of thedecorative panel 70. - As illustrated in
Figure 17(a) , theframe 760 includes, as a main frame, long side frames 761 and 762 disposed respectively along thelong sides decorative panel 70, and short side frames 763 and 764 disposed respectively along theshort sides decorative panel 70 between both ends of the long side frames 761 and 762. - Two
beams short side frame 763 and theshort side frame 764. The long side frames 761 and 762, short side frames 763 and 764 andbeams - As illustrated in
Figure 17(b) , thepartitioning plate unit 50 is mounted on thedecorative panel 70 so that the fixed blowingpart 75 and themovable blowing part 77 thereof protrude to the air-conditioning room R side, and theopening 74a, which corresponds to theair blowing part 74, is formed along thelong side 70a of thedecorative panel 70. - The
beams opening 74a where theair blowing part 74 is provided, and thepartitioning plate unit 50 is supported by thebeams rear surface 70R side of thedecorative panel 70. - The
partitioning plate unit 50 is mounted on therear surface 70R of thedecorative panel 70 with its three edges, afront edge 50a, aright side edge 50b and aleft side edge 50c, surrounded by thelong side frame 761 at the front and the short side frames 763 and 764 on the left and right, respectively, and fitted into theframe 760. As a result, thebeams partitioning plate unit 50 and therear surface 70R of thedecorative panel 70. - In this configuration, the
partitioning plate unit 50 can be mounted on the rear surface of thedecorative panel 70 without causing deformation or distortion to thedecorative panel 70. - As illustrated in
Figure 18 , thefan unit 30 and the rotating unit 78 (78L, 78R) are connected via thepartitioning plate unit 50 so that air can be circulated, but as illustrated in the exploded perspective view inFigure 19 , thepartitioning plate unit 50 is provided with drive means 600 to rotate therotating unit 78. The drive means 600 is provided in each of therotating units - Referring in conjunction with
Figure 20 and Figure 21 , the drive means 600 is provided with a annularrotating ring 610 that is integrally coupled to an upper part of the rotatingunit 78 and amotor unit 650 that rotates therotating ring 610. - The
rotating ring 610 has acylindrical part 611, and on the outer periphery of thecylindrical part 611, rackteeth 613 are formed along the arcuate surface of the outer periphery. Therack teeth 613 may be formed over the entire circumference of thecylindrical part 611 but need only be formed at least in a range that can realize the rotational range (the above-described range between the first position and the second position) of the rotatingunit 78. - A
flange 614 is formed outward in a radial direction concentrically around the outer periphery of thecylindrical part 611. Theflange 614 is hereafter referred to as an outer flange. In the interior of thecylindrical part 611, avent hole 612 having a square shape is formed to be communicated with the duct 51 (51c, 51d) for the movable blowing part. - As illustrated in
Figure 22 , themotor unit 650 has a motor (preferably a stepper motor) 651 capable of forward and reverse rotation, apinion gear 652 mounted on anoutput shaft 651a thereof, and amount 653 for mounting, and thepinion gear 652 is mounted on a predetermined portion of aduct cover 630, which will be described later, so as to engage therack teeth 613 of therotating ring 610. - Referring to
Figure 19 andFigure 23 ,circular openings 520 are formed on both sides of thepartitioning plate unit 50 into which the rotatingrings 610 are fitted. On the inner periphery of theopening 520, aflange 521 is formed inward in a radial direction in a concentric manner. Theflange 521 is hereafter referred to as an inner flange. - When the
rotating ring 610 is fitted into theopening 520, theouter flange 614 is positioned on theinner flange 521, and theouter flange 614 slides on theinner flange 521 as therotating ring 610 rotates. Theouter flange 614 and theinner flange 521 function as a kind of thrust bearing that bears an axial load of the rotating body. - After the
rotating ring 610 is fitted into theopening 520, theduct cover 630 is covered to hold therotating ring 610 down. Theduct cover 630 is screwed to thepartitioning plate unit 50. - As described above, the ducts 51 (51c, 51d), that are connected to the ventilation holes 43 formed in the
drain pan 40, are formed in theduct cover 630. Theduct cover 630 is also formed with abase part 631 on which themotor unit 650 is mounted. - As illustrated in
Figure 27 , therear surface 630R of theduct cover 630 has anannular guide groove 635 formed therein and thecylindrical part 611 of therotating ring 610 is fitted in theguide groove 635. The circular portion surrounded by theguide groove 635 on therear surface 630R of theduct cover 630 is aninner bottom surface 633 at a height slightly lower than anedge 630a of theduct cover 630 inFigure 27 (a height slightly higher than theedge 630a in the cross-sectional view inFigure 28 ). - The duct 51 (51c, 51d) is square in shape, but has ventilation area (cross-sectional surface area) progressively widened from the upper surface of the
duct cover 630 to theinner bottom surface 633, and widened at theinner bottom surface 633 to an extent that the apex (corner) touches theannular guide groove 635, and therotating ring 610 rotates along a circumscribed circle of theduct 51 on theinner bottom surface 633 side. - In an airflow path from the
fan unit 30 to the secondair blowing port 783 of the rotatingunit 78, the airflow pressure changes in a rotating portion of the rotatingunit 78. However, by rotating therotating ring 610 along the circumscribed circle of theduct 51 on theinner bottom surface 633 side as described above, the airflow path is not even partially blocked, so that the pressure change in the rotating portion of the rotatingunit 78 can be reduced. Also, the structure of the coupling part (connecting part) between therotating ring 610 and theduct 51 can be reduced in size. - The
rotating ring 610 does not have to touch the four apexes of theduct 51, for example, therotating ring 610 can be made into a large circle that touches the two adjacent apexes of theduct 51 on theinner bottom surface 633 side, and can be rotated without reducing the ventilation area of the duct 51 (without blocking the duct in any part). - Referring again to
Figure 19 , according to the present embodiment, theduct cover 630 is further covered with anexterior cover 640. Thisexterior cover 640 is one size larger than theduct cover 630, but may be omitted in some cases. - When changing the air blowing direction of the rotating
unit 78, therotating ring 610 is rotated in theopening 520 by themotor 651. It is necessary to prevent rattling of therotating ring 610 from occurring during this rotation. The rattling can be horizontal direction (radial direction) rattling or vertical direction (axial direction) rattling. - First, a
stable seat 523, illustrated inFigure 24 , is used to prevent rattling in the horizontal direction (radial direction). Thestable seat 523 has aseat portion 524 having a flat shape and aside wall portion 525 that rises almost vertically from one end of theseat portion 524, and an elasticallydeformable mounting leg 526 with a slot at a bottom of theseat portion 524. Theside wall portion 525 is formed with anarcuate surface 525a along the outerperipheral edge 614a of theouter flange 614. - The
stable seats 523 are preferably formed of a low friction resin such as polyacetal (POM) and are provided at four locations at 90° intervals at the base of theinner flange 521 on the outer peripheral side as illustrated inFigure 23 in this example. As another example, provision at three locations at 120° intervals is also applicable. If the length of the stable seat 523 (the length along the circumferential direction of the inner flange 521) is long, provision at two locations is applicable. - The
stable seat 523 is mounted on theinner flange 521 along the outerperipheral edge 614a of theouter flange 614 of therotating ring 610. To attach thestable seat 523, however, as illustrated inFigure 25 , anengagement hole 522 may be drilled in theinner flange 521, and the mountingleg 526 may be pushed into theengagement hole 522 while being elastically deformed. - Thus, by providing
stable seats 523 on theinner flange 521 side in contact with the outerperipheral edge 614a of theouter flange 614 at a plurality of locations, the horizontal direction (radial direction) rattling of therotating ring 610 can be prevented. - Next, to prevent vertical direction (axial direction) rattling, a
protrusion 616 is provided in the interior of thecylindrical body 611 of therotating ring 610, as illustrated inFigure 26 . As described above, the vent holes 612 formed in thecylindrical part 611 are square in shape, so that there is aninner wall 617 in thecylindrical part 611 that forms each side of the square. Aprotrusion 616 is erected on theinner wall 617. - The position of the
protrusion 616 is at a position where it can contact theinner bottom surface 633 on therear surface 630R of theduct cover 630 illustrated inFigure 27 . In this example, theinner bottom surface 633 is located along three sides of the square openings of theduct 51, while theprotrusions 616 are located at four locations at 90° intervals, as illustrated inFigure 21 . - In this way, since the three
protrusions 616 are always on theprovisional surface 633 regardless of which rotational position therotating ring 610 is in, theprotrusion 616 will not deviate from theinner bottom surface 633, but in order to reduce sliding frictional resistance, the smaller contact area perprotrusion 616 to theinner bottom surface 633 preferably should be as small as possible. - The protruding height of the
protrusion 616 is the height at which the tip of theprotrusion 616 contacts theinner bottom surface 633 when therotating ring 610 is covered by theduct cover 630, as illustrated inFigure 28 . - Thus, by providing a
protrusion 616 inside thecylindrical body 611 of therotating ring 610 that contacts theinner bottom surface 633 on therear surface 630R of theduct cover 630, the vertical direction (axial direction) rattling of therotating ring 610 can be prevented. - As described above, the
rotating ring 610 is rotated in theopening 520 of thepartitioning plate unit 50 by themotor 651. However, it is necessary to take measures to prevent wind leakage from the gap between theinner flange 521 on theopening 520 side and theouter flange 614 on therotating ring 610 side, and to prevent dew condensation, especially during cooling operation. - Therefore, in this example, as illustrated in
Figure 29 andFigure 30 , a sealingmaterial 618 is provided on the inner surface of the outer flange 614 (on the surface side facing the inner flange 521). The sealingmaterial 618 need only have moderate elasticity and heat insulation properties. However, because of being rubbed against theinner flange 521 as therotating ring 610 rotates, a tape or sheet of fibers made of polyacetal (often short fibers), for example, planted on a tape-shaped or sheet-shaped base material is preferably employed as a low friction fiber. - In this configuration, a clearance between the
inner flange 521 and theouter flange 614 can be set substantially on the order of 0 to 0.5 mm to prevent wind leakage. Also, the structure free from dew condensation is achieved. The sliding frictional resistance associated with the rotation of therotating ring 610 can also be reduced. - As illustrated in
Figure 29 , aboss 619, which is used to couple therotating unit 78, is provided at a plurality of locations on therear surface 610R side of therotating ring 610. - In the
fan unit 30 described in the precedingFigure 3 , theblower fan 31 is fixed to thetop panel 111 of theouter body 11 via thefan mount 311 in thefan casing 34, and thefan motor 36 is also fixed to thetop panel 111 of theouter body 11 via itsmotor mount 361. This requires a large number of parts to be used and a high degree of accuracy in positioning theblower fan 31 andfan motor 36. -
Figure 31 andFigure 32 are afan unit 30A with improvement in such points. In the embodiment here also, a sirocco fan is preferably used as theblower fan 31, and thefan motor 36 is used as-is without any particular change required. - In this
fan unit 30A, thefan casing 34 of theblower fan 31 is divided into two compartments, alower casing 371 and an upper casing 372, both of which are made of synthetic resin material, and thelower casing 371 includes amotor mount 373 of thefan motor 36 formed integrally. - A bearing part that supports the
blower fan 31 of thelower casing 371 and a bearing part that supports thefan motor 36 of the motor mount 373 (both illustrations are omitted) are pre-centered when themotor mount 373 is integrally molded in thelower casing 371. The upper casing 372 may be secured to thelower casing 371 with alocking device 374 such as a snapping lock, for example. - With the
fan unit 30A, theblower fan 31 and thefan motor 36 may be coupled in advance, and by opening the upper casing 372, theblower fan 31 may be housed in thelower casing 371, and thefan motor 36 may be set on themotor mount 373, so that positioning (centering) of theblower fan 31 and thefan motor 36 is easily performed. - Fixation of the
outer body 11 to thetop panel 111 does not have to be performed separately for theblower fan 31 and thefan motor 36, and all that is needed is to fix only the mounting part (not illustrated) provided on thelower casing 371 to thetop panel 111. - Since this
fan unit 30A is unitized by the smallest unit, it is only necessary to select the number of units to be used according to the blown out air volume and size of the air blowing part or the like required by the air conditioner, and there is no need to design a fan unit (blower) dedicated to each model with a different air volume. With thisfan unit 30A, the air volume can be adjusted individually, thus enabling more detailed air conditioning operation. - Reference Signs List
-
- 1:
- Indoor unit
- 10:
- body unit
- 11:
- outer body
- 111:
- top panel
- 112, 113:
- side plate
- 12:
- mounting bracket
- 13:
- heat insulating material
- 20:
- heat exchanger
- 20L:
- front heat exchanger section
- 20R:
- rear heat exchanger section
- 21:
- coupling plate
- 30:
- fan unit
- 31:
- blower fan
- 32:
- impeller
- 33:
- airflow path
- 34:
- fan casing
- 343:
- air-blowing section
- 35:
- rotating shaft
- 36:
- fan motor
- 371:
- lower casing
- 372:
- upper casing
- 373:
- motor mount
- 40:
- drain pan
- 43:
- ventilation hole
- 45:
- flume section
- 50:
- partitioning plate unit
- 51 (51a-51d):
- duct
- 520:
- opening
- 521:
- inner flange
- 523:
- stable seat
- 600:
- drive means
- 610:
- rotating ring
- 611:
- cylindrical part
- 612:
- vent hole
- 613:
- rack teeth
- 614:
- outer flange
- 616:
- protrusion
- 618:
- sealing material
- 630:
- duct cover
- 633:
- inner bottom surface
- 635:
- guide groove
- 70:
- decorative panel
- 70a, 70b:
- long side
- 70c, 70d:
- short side
- 71:
- panel part
- 71a:
- panel main body
- 71b:
- side panel
- 711:
- wall
- 712:
- slope surface
- 72:
- side wall portion
- 721, 760:
- frame
- 722, 765, 766:
- beam
- 73:
- air suction part
- 74:
- air blowing part
- 740:
- raised part
- 75;
- fixed blowing part
- 751:
- central blowing unit
- 754:
- first air blowing port
- 77 (77L, 77R):
- movable blowing part
- 78 (78L, 78R):
- rotating unit
- 783:
- second air blowing port
- R:
- air-conditioning room
- T1:
- ceiling
- T2:
- attic
- F:
- blower chamber
- S1, S2:
- air suction chamber
- L:
- air conduction path
Claims (3)
- A ceiling-embedded air conditioner including:
a box-type body unit including a blower and a heat exchanger inside and disposed in an attic of an air-conditioning room; and a decorative panel mounted on a bottom surface of the body unit along a ceiling surface of the air-conditioning room, the decorative panel including an air suction part and an air blowing part, wherein
the air blowing part comprises a movable blowing part on the decorative panel side, the movable blowing part including a rotating unit that rotates around an axis that is normal to a virtual plane on a rear surface side of the decorative panel that is parallel to a bottom surface of the body unit to blow conditioned air delivered by the blower along a panel surface of the decorative panel. - The ceiling-embedded air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the rotating unit has a truncated cone shape protruding from the panel surface of the decorative panel to the air-conditioning room side, and includes an air blowing port that blows conditioned air delivered by the blower along the panel surface on a side surface of the truncated cone.
- The ceiling-embedded air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the air blowing part further includes on the decorative panel side a fixed blowing part that blows the conditioned air delivered by the blower toward one specified side of the decorative panel, and the movable blowing part is disposed adjacent to the fixed blowing part.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP2018104520A JP6756988B2 (en) | 2018-05-31 | 2018-05-31 | Ceiling embedded air conditioner |
PCT/JP2019/010747 WO2019230128A1 (en) | 2018-05-31 | 2019-03-15 | Ceiling-embedded air conditioner |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP3805659A1 true EP3805659A1 (en) | 2021-04-14 |
EP3805659A4 EP3805659A4 (en) | 2022-03-02 |
Family
ID=68697536
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP19811986.9A Pending EP3805659A4 (en) | 2018-05-31 | 2019-03-15 | Ceiling-embedded air conditioner |
Country Status (6)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20210207818A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP3805659A4 (en) |
JP (1) | JP6756988B2 (en) |
CN (1) | CN112204316B (en) |
AU (1) | AU2019278063A1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2019230128A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN214415871U (en) * | 2020-12-09 | 2021-10-19 | 深圳市安拓浦科技有限公司 | Wall-mounted air purifier |
CN114017649A (en) * | 2021-11-09 | 2022-02-08 | 深圳市华远高科科技有限公司 | Embedded display screen with pull safeguard function |
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JP2019211099A (en) | 2019-12-12 |
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