HK40004784B - Indoor machine and air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

Indoor unit and air conditioning device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an indoor unit and an air conditioner including the indoor unit, and more particularly to a structure for rectifying gas flow in the indoor unit.

Background Art

For example, an indoor unit of an air conditioner is disclosed that includes a diffuser portion that expands in height and width from an air outlet of a vortex casing to the vicinity of a heat exchanger (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior art literature

Patent Literature

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-117110

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

In previous ceiling-mounted indoor units, the width of the heat exchanger was larger than the width of the air outlet of the air supply unit. Consequently, the wind speed distribution across the heat exchanger was uneven across the width. This increased pressure loss in the heat exchanger, leading to reduced fan efficiency and increased noise. Furthermore, to miniaturize the indoor unit, the heat exchanger was tilted relative to the air outlet of the vortex-shaped casing. Consequently, the air outlet of the vortex-shaped casing was further away from the heat exchanger. Consequently, the airflow discharged from the fan was affected by the shape of the unit's air duct wall, leading to reduced fan efficiency and increased noise.

For example, by applying the technology described in Patent Document 1, the difference between the width of the blow-out port of the air supply unit and the width of the heat exchanger, and the distance from the fan outlet to the heat exchanger are shortened. However, in the expanded portion of the diffuser, the air path expands rapidly. As a result, it is difficult for the airflow to expand along the wall surface of the air path, and on the contrary, it becomes a cause of pressure loss. In addition, by providing a guide in the diffuser, the airflow is easily expanded. However, there is a problem that the improvement effect of the expansion of the diffuser cannot be fully obtained due to the pressure loss of the guide. In addition, in the blow-out air path of the vortex-type shell, the airflow in the space between adjacent vortex-type shells is turbulent. Therefore, vortices are easily generated, which becomes a cause of pressure loss.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an indoor unit and the like that achieves lower noise with higher efficiency.

Means for solving problems

In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the indoor unit of the present invention comprises: an air supply section, which houses an impeller with multiple blades in a shell having a rectangular air outlet; a heat exchanger, which exchanges heat with the gas delivered from the air supply section; and a guide section open on the side, the guide section having an upper guide member and a lower guide member, the upper guide member is arranged between the upper edge of the air outlet and the upper end of the heat exchanger to form a gas flow path, and the lower guide member is arranged between the lower edge of the air outlet and the lower end of the heat exchanger to form a gas flow path.

Furthermore, an air conditioning apparatus according to the present invention includes the above-mentioned indoor unit.

Effects of the Invention

According to the present invention, the air flowing from the air outlet of the air supply unit to the heat exchanger is rectified, thereby reducing pressure loss. Furthermore, the vortex region generated near the air outlet can be reduced. Furthermore, by opening the side, the velocity distribution of the air flowing into the heat exchanger can be made uniform. Consequently, higher efficiency and lower noise levels can be achieved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG1 is a schematic perspective view of an indoor unit according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the internal structure of the indoor unit according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG3 is a diagram (Part 1) illustrating the indoor unit of the air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG4 is a diagram (part 2) illustrating the indoor unit of the air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG5 is a perspective view of the air blowing unit 20 in the indoor unit of the air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG6 is a diagram illustrating an indoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram (Part 1) showing the shape of the rib 12 included in the guide portion 11 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG8 is a diagram (part 2) showing the shape of the rib 12 included in the guide portion 11 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG9 is a diagram illustrating an indoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

FIG10 is a diagram illustrating the air blowing unit 20 in the indoor unit of the air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

FIG11 is a diagram illustrating an indoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention.

FIG12 is a diagram illustrating an indoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention.

FIG13 is a diagram illustrating an indoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention.

FIG14 is a diagram illustrating an indoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 8 of the present invention.

FIG15 is a diagram illustrating the air blowing unit 20 in the indoor unit of the air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 9 of the present invention.

FIG16 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 10 of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, the indoor unit and the like of the embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings and the like. In the following drawings, the same reference numerals represent the same or equivalent components, which are common to the entire text of the embodiment described below. Moreover, the forms of the constituent elements shown throughout the specification are merely illustrative and are not limited to the forms described in the specification. In particular, the combination of constituent elements is not limited to the combination in each embodiment, and the constituent elements described in other embodiments can also be applied to other embodiments. In addition, in the following description, the upper side in the figure is described as the "upper side" and the lower side as the "lower side". Moreover, for ease of understanding, terms indicating directions (such as "right", "left", "front", "rear", etc.) are appropriately used, but are only used for explanation, and these terms do not limit the invention of this application. Moreover, in the drawings, the relationship between the sizes of the constituent elements is sometimes different from the actual ones.

Implementation method 1.

Figure 1 is a perspective schematic diagram of an indoor unit according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Furthermore, Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the internal structure of the indoor unit according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The indoor unit according to Embodiment 1 is a device installed behind a ceiling, for example, to perform heating, cooling, humidification, and dehumidification of a target space, such as an air conditioner, humidifier, dehumidifier, or refrigeration device. Here, the indoor unit will be described as an air conditioner. Therefore, the gas used in the description is air.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the indoor unit of Embodiment 1 includes a casing 1. The casing 1 can have any shape. As an example, the casing 1 is a rectangular parallelepiped. The casing 1 includes an upper surface portion 1a, a lower surface portion 1b, and a side portion 1c. The side portion 1c has four surfaces. The indoor unit is divided into a main unit 15 and an air supply unit 16 by a partition plate 10 (described later). The main unit 15 and the air supply unit 16 are combined to form the indoor unit.

The housing blow-out port 2 is provided on one side of the side surface portion 1c of the housing 1. The shape of the housing blow-out port 2 can be any shape. Here, the shape of the housing blow-out port 2 is rectangular. In addition, the housing suction port 8 is provided on the side of the side surface portion 1c of the housing 1 on the side opposite to the surface having the housing blow-out port 2. The shape of the housing suction port 8 can be any shape. Here, the shape of the housing suction port 8 is rectangular. Although not particularly limited, for example, a filter for removing dust from the gas can also be provided at the housing suction port 8. Here, in the indoor unit, the surface on which the housing blow-out port 2 is provided is set as the front side (front). In addition, the direction that becomes up and down when viewed from the front side is set as the height direction or the up and down direction. In addition, the direction that becomes left and right is set as the width direction or the rotation axis direction, and the direction that becomes front and back is set as the front and back direction or the depth direction.

The housing 1 contains an air supply unit 20, a fan motor 4, and a heat exchanger 6. The heat exchanger 6 is arranged at a position serving as an air flow path from the air outflow side of the air supply unit 20 to the housing outlet 2. The heat exchanger 6 adjusts at least one of the temperature and humidity of the air sent out from the air supply unit 20. Here, the heat exchanger 6 is formed in a rectangular shape to match the shape of the housing outlet 2. There is no particular limitation on the structure, form, etc. of the heat exchanger 6. The heat exchanger 6 in embodiment 1 is not a special heat exchanger, and a well-known heat exchanger is used. For example, in the case of a fin-tube type heat exchanger, the air passing through the heat exchanger 6 is heat-exchanged with the refrigerant passing through the heat transfer tube (not shown) to adjust at least one of the temperature and humidity of the air.

The fan motor 4 and the air supply unit 20 constitute a blower. When supplied with power, the fan motor 4 is driven to rotate the fan 3 within the vortex-shaped casing 7. The fan motor 4 is supported, for example, by a motor support 4a fixed to the upper surface 1a of the casing 1. The fan motor 4 has a rotation axis X. The rotation axis X is arranged to extend parallel to the width direction of the side surface 1c, along the surface where the casing inlet 8 and the surface where the casing outlet 2 are provided.

The air supply unit 20 in embodiment 1 has one or more vortex-type casings 7. As shown in FIG2 , in the indoor unit of embodiment 1, there are two vortex-type casings 7. Moreover, a multi-blade centrifugal fan 3 and a bell mouth 5 are provided in each vortex-type casing 7. The fan 3 of the air supply unit 20 is mounted on the rotation axis X of the above-mentioned fan motor 4. In the indoor unit shown in FIG2 , the two fans 3 of each vortex-type casing 7 are mounted in parallel on the rotation axis X. Therefore, the two fans 3 and the vortex-type casing 7 are arranged in the width direction. Here, a case where the air supply unit 20 has two vortex-type casings 7 and fans 3 is described. However, the number of units provided is not limited.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the indoor unit of an air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Figure 3 shows the internal structure of the indoor unit from the top. Figure 4 shows the internal structure of the indoor unit as viewed along the rotation axis. Furthermore, Figure 5 is a perspective view of the air supply unit 20 in the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

The fan 3 of the air supply unit 20 is an impeller that forms a flow of air that is sucked into the housing 1 from the housing suction port 8 and blown out from the housing outlet 2 to the target space. The fan 3 includes a main plate 3a, a side plate 3c, and a plurality of blades 3d. The main plate 3a is disc-shaped and includes a boss portion 3b at the center. The rotation axis X of the fan motor 4 is connected to the center of the boss portion 3b. The fan 3 rotates when driven by the fan motor 4. Here, the rotation direction of the fan 3 is the height direction (up and down direction). The side plate 3c is arranged opposite to the main plate 3a and formed in an annular shape. The hole in the ring in the side plate 3c serves as an inlet for air to flow in through the bell mouth 5. The plurality of blades 3d are arranged between the main plate 3a and the side plate 3c in a manner surrounding the rotation axis X. The plurality of blades 3d are arranged in the same shape as each other. The blades 3d are formed by forward-facing blades whose outer peripheral blade trailing edges are located further in the rotation direction than the inner peripheral blade leading edges.

The vortex-type casing (vortex casing) 7 accommodates the fan 3 and is arranged in a surrounding manner. Moreover, the vortex-type casing 7 rectifies the air blown out from the fan 3. The vortex-type casing 7 has a peripheral wall 7a extending along the outer peripheral end of the fan 3. Moreover, a tongue portion 7b is provided at one part of the peripheral wall 7a. The end portion of the portion protruding from the peripheral wall 7a with the portion of the tongue 7b as a base point becomes the fan outlet 7d. Through the rotation of the fan 3, the air flows toward the fan 3 and is sent out from the fan outlet 7d. Here, the fan outlet 7d is rectangular. The fan outlet 7d, which serves as the outlet of the air supply unit 20, opens toward the heat exchanger 6 and the outer shell outlet 2. Therefore, the air blown out from the air supply unit 20 basically flows in the direction of the heat exchanger 6 and the outer shell outlet 2.

At least one fan inlet 9 is provided on the side wall 7c of the vortex casing 7. Furthermore, a bell mouth 5 is provided at the fan inlet 9. The bell mouth 5 straightens the air flowing into the fan 3. The bell mouth 5 is located opposite the air inlet of the fan 3. A partition plate 10 separates the fan inlet 9 from the fan outlet 7d. The fan inlet 9 of the vortex casing 7 is located in the space on the side of the air supply unit 16, while the fan outlet 7d of the vortex casing 7 is located in the space on the side of the main unit 15.

The indoor unit in Embodiment 1 also includes a guide portion 11. The guide portion 11 serves as a wall that guides air discharged from the fan outlet 7d of the vortex casing 7 toward the heat exchanger 6. Guides are provided at the upper and lower edges in a height direction transverse to the rotational direction of the fan 3. In Embodiment 1, an upper guide 11a and a lower guide 11b are provided. The upper guide 11a and the lower guide 11b are not configured to extend the upper and lower edges of the fan outlet 7d in the direction of the fan outlet 7d. Instead, the upper and lower guides 11a and 11b are configured to extend from the upper and lower edges of the fan outlet 7d of the vortex casing 7 toward the upper and lower ends of the heat exchanger 6, respectively. Figure 5 shows the relationship between the fan outlet 7d and the end surface of the guide portion 11 when viewing the air supply unit 20 facing the fan outlet 7d. This allows the air discharged from the fan outlet 7d to be rectified while increasing the air volume. Furthermore, in the fan outlet 7d, the edge on the side (lateral side) in the height direction along the rotation direction of the fan 3 is not provided with a guide and is not extended, but is in an open state.

For example, when the sides are closed, it is advantageous to guide the air in a set direction. However, after the air along the wall comes out of the wall, it is blown out rapidly in the width direction. Therefore, the air flowing into the heat exchanger 6 has different wind speeds in the width direction, and the wind speed distribution becomes uneven. On the other hand, in the indoor unit of embodiment 1, the side walls are not extended in the guide portion 11, and the side is in an open state. Therefore, the air blown out from the fan outlet 7d of the vortex-shaped casing 7 expands uniformly in the width direction without stagnation, and the wind speed distribution of the air flowing into the heat exchanger 6 in the width direction can be expected to become uniform. Here, the material of the upper guide 11a and the lower guide 11b serving as the guide portion 11 is not limited. For example, it can also be made of a material such as foamed polystyrene. In addition, the shape of the guide portion 11 in the extension direction when it is extended toward the upper end portion and the lower end portion of the heat exchanger 6 can be any shape.

Next, the flow of air when the fan 3 of the air supply unit 20 is rotated will be described. When power is supplied, the fan motor 4 is driven and the fan 3 rotates. When the fan 3 rotates, air from, for example, a room to be air-conditioned flows into the housing 1 from the housing intake port 8. The air sucked into the housing 1 passes through the fan intake port 9 of the vortex-type casing 7 and is guided by the bell mouth 5 to flow into the fan 3. Furthermore, the air flowing into the fan 3 is blown out in the radial direction and outward of the fan 3. The air blown out from the fan 3 passes through the interior of the vortex-type casing 7 and is blown out from the fan outlet 7d of the vortex-type casing 7. The blown air passes through the heat exchanger 6. The air supplied to the heat exchanger 6 undergoes heat exchange and humidity adjustment while passing through the heat exchanger 6. Then, the air is blown out of the housing 1 from the housing outlet 2.

Here, in the indoor unit of embodiment 1, the air blown out from the fan outlet 7d of the vortex-type casing 7 flows along the guide portion 11. By providing the guide portion 11 extending to the heat exchanger 6, the flow of the blown air in the depth direction is not affected by the shape of the casing 1 and reaches the heat exchanger 6 without being separated from the upper guide member 11a and the lower guide member 11b. In addition, the air blown out from the fan outlet 7d expands uniformly with respect to the width direction. Therefore, it is possible to achieve uniform wind speed. As described above, the influence of the shape of the casing 1 can be suppressed. In addition, for example, near the partition plate 10 and the fan outlet 7d, it is possible to suppress the air from becoming a vortex.

As described above, according to the vortex-type shell 7 of embodiment 1, the wind speed passing through the heat exchanger 6 is made uniform, and the vortex area near the fan outlet 7d is suppressed, thereby reducing the pressure loss caused by the turbulence of the air flow, and achieving high efficiency and low noise based on the improvement of air volume and static pressure effect.

Implementation method 2.

Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating an indoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Fig. 6 shows the internal structure of the indoor unit from the top. Next, the indoor unit according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described based on Fig. 6 .

The indoor unit of the above-mentioned embodiment 1 is provided with an upper guide 11a and a lower guide 11b at the upper and lower parts of the blow-out port of the vortex-type casing 7, and the air blown out from the vortex-type casing 7 is guided to the upper and lower ends of the heat exchanger 6. The indoor unit of embodiment 2 has a concave and convex wall surface of the air path in the guide portion 11 extending from the vortex-type casing 7. Here, ribs 12 are provided in the guide portion 11. The ribs 12 in Figure 6 are in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. Here, the ribs 12 of embodiment 2 are provided along the depth direction of the air flowing due to the rotation of the fan 3. Therefore, the air flowing from the vortex-type casing 7 toward the heat exchanger 6 can be further rectified along the wall surface of the guide portion 11. Here, ribs 12 are provided, but they can also be grooves, for example.

FIG7 and FIG8 illustrate the shape of ribs 12 included in guide portion 11 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG6 shows rectangular parallelepiped ribs 12, but this shape is not limited. For example, as shown in FIG7 , streamlined ribs 12 may also be used. Furthermore, as shown in FIG8 , arc-shaped ribs 12 may also be used.

As described above, the indoor unit of Embodiment 2 includes ribs 12 on the guide portion 11, thereby rectifying the flow of air in the guide portion 11. This provides, in addition to the effects described in Embodiment 1, the ability to suppress airflow separation in the air passage on the outlet side of the vortex-shaped casing 7. This reduces pressure loss, enabling improved efficiency and noise reduction through improvements in air volume and static pressure.

Implementation method 3.

Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating an indoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. Fig. 9 shows the internal structure of the indoor unit from the top. Next, the indoor unit according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described based on Fig. 9 .

The indoor unit of Embodiment 1 is provided with guide portions 11 at the upper and lower portions of the air outlet of the vortex casing 7. The air blown out of the vortex casing 7 is guided to the upper and lower ends of the heat exchanger 6. The walls of the guide portions 11 in the indoor unit of Embodiment 1 are parallel in the depth direction from the fan air outlet 7d side toward the heat exchanger 6 side.

In the indoor unit of Embodiment 3, the wall of the guide portion 11 is shaped to expand in the width (lateral direction) of the sidewall 7c from the air outlet side toward the heat exchanger 6 side. Therefore, the air flowing out of the swirl casing 7 can be sufficiently expanded. Furthermore, the velocity distribution of the air passing through the heat exchanger 6 in the width direction can be further uniformed.

Here, the outer peripheral portion that expands in the sidewall direction may be gradually expanded in an arc shape, for example. In addition, the angle when expanding may be rapidly expanded, and the shape is not limited.

As described above, in the indoor unit of Embodiment 3, the wall of the guide portion 11 has a shape that expands in the direction of the side wall 7c from the air outlet side toward the heat exchanger 6 side. This makes it possible to even out the widthwise distribution of the wind speed of air passing through the heat exchanger 6. Therefore, in addition to the effects described in Embodiment 1, eddy flow regions can be suppressed in the air passage on the air outlet side of the vortex-shaped casing 7. Consequently, it is possible to achieve higher efficiency and lower noise levels due to improvements in air volume and static pressure effects.

Implementation method 4.

Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating the air blowing unit 20 in the indoor unit of the air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. Next, the indoor unit according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention will be described based on Fig. 10 .

The upper guide 11a and lower guide 11b of the guide portion 11 in the indoor unit of Embodiment 4 have lateral inclined portions 11c, which serve as inclined portions with inclined lateral ends. The lateral inclined portions 11c are formed by, for example, bending the lateral ends of the upper guide 11a and lower guide 11b. Figure 10 shows the relationship between the fan outlet 7d and the end surface of the guide portion 11, when viewing the air supply unit 20 from the direction facing the fan outlet 7d.

Here, in the guide portion 11 of Embodiment 4, the side is not closed by the side inclined portion 11c, but is in an open state. Furthermore, the side inclined portion 11c is not perpendicular to the height direction but is inclined. This is because if the side ends were configured vertically, the flow of air expanding in the width direction would be hindered, and the wind speed of the air flowing into the heat exchanger 6 might not be uniform. The inclination angle α is preferably 50° or less.

The inclination angle α, length, etc. of the lateral inclined portion 11c of the upper guide 11a and the lower guide 11b can be the same or different. Furthermore, the shape is not particularly limited. Alternatively, either the upper guide 11a or the lower guide 11b may have the lateral inclined portion 11c.

As described above, the air conditioning apparatus of Embodiment 4 has the lateral inclined portions 11c on the upper guide 11a and the lower guide 11b, thereby reducing airflow separation in the direction of the side wall 7c. Therefore, in addition to the effects described in Embodiments 1 to 3, pressure loss can be further reduced, and higher efficiency and lower noise levels can be achieved, such as increased air volume and static pressure effects.

Implementation method 5.

Fig. 11 is a diagram illustrating an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention. Fig. 11 shows the internal structure of the indoor unit from the width direction side. Next, the air conditioner according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention will be described based on Fig. 11 .

For example, in the air conditioning apparatus of Embodiment 1, as shown in FIG5 , the guide portion 11 is integrally mounted on the vortex casing 7. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. In particular, when at least one of the upper guide member 11a and the lower guide member 11b of the guide portion 11 is shaped so as to expand in the direction of the side wall 7c from the air outlet side toward the heat exchanger 6 side, as in Embodiment 3, the guide portion 11 cannot pass through the partition plate 10 when manufacturing the indoor unit. Therefore, the portion serving as the guide portion 11 is mounted after the tongue portion 7b of the vortex casing 7 is passed through the partition plate 10. In addition, it is also difficult to form the air supply unit 20 as an integral unit.

Therefore, in the air conditioning apparatus of Embodiment 5, a guide portion 11 is attached to the inner wall of the casing 1, particularly on the inner wall of the casing 1 on the side of the main unit 15, and the guide portion 11 is accommodated on the side of the main unit 15. Furthermore, when the main unit 15 is assembled with the air supply unit 16, the tongue portion 7b is joined to the guide portion 11. Alternatively, the guide portion 11 may be formed integrally with the partition plate 10 or the like.

As described above, according to the air conditioning apparatus of Embodiment 5, by forming the guide portion 11 in advance on the main body unit 15 side, the indoor unit that achieves the effects of Embodiments 1 to 4 can be easily assembled.

Implementation method 6.

Figure 12 illustrates an indoor unit of an air conditioning system according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention. Figure 12 shows the internal structure of the indoor unit from the top. In Embodiments 1 to 5 described above, the upper guide 11a and lower guide 11b of the guide portion 11 are attached to each vortex-type casing 7. However, this is not limiting. For example, a common upper guide 11a and lower guide 11b may be attached to multiple vortex-type casings 7.

In the above-mentioned first to fifth embodiments, the heat exchanger 6 is described as a fin-tube heat exchanger, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a humidifying element that drips water may be used as the heat exchanger to humidify the air.

Implementation method 7.

Figure 13 illustrates an indoor unit of an air conditioning system according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention. Figure 13 shows the internal structure of the indoor unit as viewed along the rotation axis. In the indoor unit according to Embodiment 1, as shown in Figure 4 , in the guide portion 11 that forms the air flow path from the fan outlet 7d to the heat exchanger 6, the upper guide 11a, a wall having a guide surface on its upper side for guiding air, has a linear shape in the direction extending toward the heat exchanger 6.

The indoor unit of Embodiment 7 includes an upper guide 11d in place of the upper guide 11a. As shown in FIG13 , the shape of the upper guide 11d in the extension direction is convex downward from the fan outlet 7d toward the heat exchanger 6. Therefore, the guide surface of the upper guide 11d wall is a curved surface that warps from the bottom toward the top as it extends from the fan outlet 7d toward the heat exchanger 6.

As in the indoor unit of Embodiment 7, an upper guide 11d having a downwardly convex shape is provided midway from the fan outlet 7d toward the heat exchanger 6. This allows the wall surface to extend continuously through the fan outlet 7d and the upper guide 11d. This reduces the rapid expansion loss of air blown out of the fan outlet 7d.

Furthermore, in the indoor unit of Embodiment 7, the upper guide 11d has a downwardly convex shape in its extended direction, thereby guiding the air discharged from the fan outlet 7d upward. As shown in Figure 13 , when the vortex casing 7 is swirling in the direction of fan rotation (counterclockwise in Figure 13 ), the upper edge of the fan outlet 7d is oriented downward from the horizontal. In the indoor unit of Embodiment 7, even if the upper edge of the fan outlet 7d is oriented downward from the horizontal, the upper guide 11d can guide the air upward along the wall surface and deliver it to the upper end of the heat exchanger 6. Therefore, compared to a case where there is no upper guide surface, the deviation in the wind speed distribution toward the heat exchanger 6 can be kept smaller.

Implementation method 8.

Figure 14 illustrates an indoor unit of an air conditioning system according to Embodiment 8 of the present invention. Figure 14 shows the internal structure of the indoor unit as viewed along the rotation axis. In the indoor unit according to Embodiment 1, as shown in Figure 4 , in the guide portion 11 that forms the air flow path from the fan outlet 7d to the heat exchanger 6, the lower guide 11b, a wall having a guide surface on its lower side for guiding air, has a linear shape in the direction extending toward the heat exchanger 6.

The indoor unit of Embodiment 8 includes a lower guide 11e in place of the lower guide 11b. As shown in FIG14 , the extended shape of the lower guide 11e is convex downward from the fan outlet 7d toward the heat exchanger 6. Therefore, the guide surface of the wall of the lower guide 11e is curved, curving from the bottom toward the top, as it extends from the fan outlet 7d toward the heat exchanger 6.

As in the indoor unit of Embodiment 8, a lower guide 11e having a downwardly convex shape in the extension direction is provided midway from the fan outlet 7d toward the heat exchanger 6. This allows the wall surface to extend continuously through the fan outlet 7d and the lower guide 11e. This reduces the rapid expansion loss of air blown out of the fan outlet 7d.

Furthermore, in the indoor unit of Embodiment 8, the lower guide 11e has a downwardly convex shape in its extended direction, thereby guiding the air discharged from the fan outlet 7d upward. As shown in Figure 14 , when the vortex casing 7 is swirling in the direction of fan rotation (counterclockwise in Figure 14 ), the lower edge of the fan outlet 7d is oriented downward relative to the direction toward the heat exchanger 6. In the indoor unit of Embodiment 8, even if the lower edge of the fan outlet 7d is oriented downward relative to the direction toward the heat exchanger 6, the lower guide 11e can guide the air upward along the wall surface and discharge it toward the lower end of the heat exchanger 6. Therefore, compared to a case where there is no lower guide surface, the deviation in the wind speed distribution toward the heat exchanger 6 can be kept smaller.

Implementation method 9.

Figure 15 illustrates the air supply unit 20 in the indoor unit of an air conditioner according to Embodiment 9 of the present invention. Figure 15 shows the relationship between the fan outlet 7d and the end surface of the guide portion 11, when the air supply unit 20 is viewed facing the fan outlet 7d. Next, the indoor unit according to Embodiment 9 of the present invention will be described based on Figure 15.

In the guide portion 11 of the indoor unit of Embodiment 9, when viewing the air supply unit 20 from the direction facing the fan outlet 7d, the upper guide 11a and the lower guide 11b are arc-shaped. Therefore, the upper guide 11a and the lower guide 11b have curved surfaces. Because the upper and lower guides 11a and 11b are arc-shaped, their side portions are tilted vertically. The tilted portions of the upper and lower guides 11a and 11b prevent the sides from being completely covered, leaving them open.

Regarding the degree of curvature, such as the curvature of the curved surfaces of the upper guide 11a and the lower guide 11b, the upper guide 11a and the lower guide 11b may be curved to the same degree or to different degrees. Furthermore, the shape is not particularly limited. Alternatively, either the upper guide 11a or the lower guide 11b may be arc-shaped.

As described above, the air conditioning apparatus of Embodiment 9 includes the laterally inclined arc-shaped upper guide 11a and lower guide 11b, thereby reducing lateral airflow separation. This reduces pressure loss caused by airflow turbulence, enabling improved efficiency and reduced noise levels through increased air volume and static pressure. Furthermore, pressure loss can be further reduced, enabling improved efficiency and reduced noise levels through increased air volume and static pressure.

Implementation method 10.

FIG16 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an air conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 10 of the present invention. In Embodiment 10, an air conditioning apparatus including the indoor units described in Embodiments 1 to 9 will be described. The air conditioning apparatus of FIG16 includes an outdoor unit 100 and an indoor unit 200. The outdoor unit 100 and the indoor unit 200 are connected by refrigerant piping, forming a refrigerant circuit through which the refrigerant circulates. Within the refrigerant piping, the pipe through which gaseous refrigerant (gas refrigerant) flows is designated as gas piping 300, and the pipe through which liquid refrigerant (liquid refrigerant, also in the case of a two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant) flows is designated as liquid piping 400.

The indoor unit 200 includes a load-side heat exchanger 201 and a load-side blower 202. The load-side heat exchanger 201, similar to the heat exchanger 6 in Embodiments 1 to 9, performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and the air. For example, during heating operation, the load-side heat exchanger 201 functions as a condenser, exchanging heat between the refrigerant flowing in from the gas pipe 300 and the air, condensing the refrigerant into a liquefied state (or converting it into a gas-liquid two-phase state) and flowing it out to the liquid pipe 400. On the other hand, during cooling operation, it functions as an evaporator, exchanging heat between the refrigerant, which has been reduced in pressure by the throttle device 105, and the air, causing the refrigerant to absorb heat from the air, evaporating and vaporizing, and flowing it out to the gas pipe 300.

Furthermore, the indoor unit 200 is provided with a load-side blower 202 that regulates the flow of air in order to efficiently exchange heat between the refrigerant and the air. The load-side blower 202 has the same function as the blower unit 20 including the fan 3 and the like in Embodiments 1 to 9. The load-side blower 202 is driven to rotate at a speed determined, for example, by the user's air volume setting.

On the other hand, in Embodiment 10, the outdoor unit 100 includes a compressor 101 , a four-way valve 102 , an outdoor heat exchanger 103 , an outdoor blower 104 , and a throttle device (expansion valve) 105 .

Compressor 101 compresses and discharges the drawn-in refrigerant. Compressor 101 is equipped with an inverter device, etc., and by arbitrarily changing the operating frequency, the capacity of compressor 101 (the amount of refrigerant delivered per unit time) can be finely varied. Four-way valve 102 switches the refrigerant flow between cooling and heating operations based on instructions from a control device (not shown).

In addition, the outdoor heat exchanger 103 performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and the air (outdoor air). For example, during heating operation, it functions as an evaporator, performing heat exchange between the low-pressure refrigerant flowing in from the liquid piping 400 and the air, causing the refrigerant to evaporate and gasify. In addition, during cooling operation, it functions as a condenser, performing heat exchange between the refrigerant compressed in the compressor 101 and flowing in from the four-way valve 102 side and the air, causing the refrigerant to condense and liquefy. An outdoor air blower 104 is provided on the outdoor heat exchanger 103. For the outdoor air blower 104, the operating frequency of the fan motor 4 can also be arbitrarily changed by an inverter device to slightly change the rotation speed of the fan. In addition, the air supply unit 20 in embodiments 1 to 9 can also be used for the outdoor air blower 104. The throttling device 105 is provided to adjust the pressure of the refrigerant, etc. by changing the opening.

As described above, the air conditioning apparatus of Embodiment 10 includes the indoor units described in Embodiments 1 to 9, and thus can achieve higher efficiency and lower noise levels due to improvements in air volume and static pressure effects.

In the above-mentioned embodiments, the contents of the present invention are specifically described with reference to the preferred embodiments. However, it is obvious that based on the basic technical ideas and teachings of the present invention, those skilled in the art can adopt various modifications.

Industrial applicability

While the indoor units of the present invention are described in Embodiments 1 to 10 above as being applied to air conditioners, the present invention is not limited to these devices and can also be applied to other refrigeration cycle devices such as refrigeration devices and water heaters that form a refrigerant circuit and perform cooling, dehumidification, humidification, and the like.

Description of Reference Numerals

1 Housing; 1a Upper surface; 1b Lower surface; 1c Side; 2 Housing air outlet; 3 Fan; 3a Main board; 3b Boss; 3c Side panel; 3d Blade; 4 Fan motor; 4a Motor support; 5 Bell mouth; 6 Heat exchanger; 7 Vortex housing; 7a Peripheral wall; 7b Tongue; 7c Side wall; 7d Fan air outlet (air outlet); 8 Housing air inlet; 9 Fan air inlet; 10 Partition plate; 11 Guide; 11a, 11d Upper 11a, 11e lower guide members; 11c lateral inclined portion (inclined portion); 12 ribs; 15 main unit; 16 air supply unit; 20 air supply portion; 100 outdoor unit; 101 compressor; 102 four-way valve; 103 outdoor heat exchanger; 104 outdoor air blower; 105 throttling device; 200 indoor unit; 201 load-side heat exchanger; 202 load-side air blower; 300 gas piping; 400 liquid piping.

Claims (12)

1. An indoor unit, comprising: The air supply section houses an impeller with multiple blades within a casing having an outlet. A heat exchanger that exchanges heat with the gas supplied from the air supply section; and The guide section is open on the side and has an upper guide member and a lower guide member. The upper guide member is disposed between the upper edge of the outlet and the upper end of the heat exchanger to form a gas flow path, and the lower guide member is disposed between the lower edge of the outlet and the lower end of the heat exchanger to form a gas flow path. When the air supply section is viewed in relation to the outlet, at least one of the upper guide and the lower guide has a curved surface that is arc-shaped in the lateral direction. 2. The indoor unit according to claim 1, wherein, At least one of the upper guide and the lower guide has a rib extending from the outlet side along the heat exchanger side. 3. The indoor unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, At least one of the upper guide and the lower guide is in a shape that expands in the lateral direction from the outlet toward the heat exchanger. 4. The indoor unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, At least one of the upper guide and the lower guide has an inclined portion with a lateral end tilt. 5. The indoor unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The upper guide member of the guide section has a wall with a curved surface that warps toward the upper end of the heat exchanger. 6. The indoor unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The lower guide member of the guide section has a wall with a curved surface that warps toward the lower end of the heat exchanger. 7. The indoor unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein it comprises: The main unit housing the heat exchanger; and An air supply unit that houses the air supply section. The guide section is installed inside the main body unit. 8. The indoor unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The air supply unit is configured such that multiple housings are arranged side-by-side facing each other with the heat exchanger. 9. The indoor unit according to claim 8, wherein, For a plurality of said housings, an upper guide and a lower guide are provided. 10. The indoor unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The upper edge of the blow-out port is located lower than the upper end of the heat exchanger in the vertical direction, and the upper guide of the guide portion has a wall with a curved surface that warps toward the upper end of the heat exchanger. 11. The indoor unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The lower edge of the blow-out port is located above the lower end of the heat exchanger in the vertical direction, and the lower guide of the guide portion has a wall with a curved surface that is warped and convex downward toward the lower end of the heat exchanger. 12. An air conditioning unit comprising an indoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 11.