Indoor unit and air-conditioning apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016258649-A1
Application number	US-201415026998-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 6, 2014
Priority date	Dec 13, 2013
Publication date	Sep 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An indoor unit includes at least one air outlet including an inner air-passage wall and an outer air-passage wall located outwardly of the inner air-passage wall, and at least one outlet vane disposed in the air outlet. The outlet vane is rotated about a rotation axis and deflects air blown from the air outlet at an angle of rotation. While the indoor unit is in an operating state, the outer air-passage wall and the outlet vane define therebetween an outer air passage through which the blown air passes, and the inner air-passage wall and the outlet vane define therebetween an inner air passage through which the blown air passes. The outlet vane is rotatable to an upward position at which the outer air passage between the outer air-passage wall and the outlet vane is narrowed to have a higher air flow resistance than the inner air passage.

First claim

1 . An indoor unit comprising:
at least one air outlet having formed therein an inner air-passage wall and an outer air-passage wall located at outside of the inner air-passage wall, the outer air-passage wall being between an installation surface of the indoor unit and the inner air-passage wall; and at least one air flow direction louver disposed in the air outlet, the air flow direction louver being rotatable about a rotation axis and configured to deflect air blown from the air outlet by an angular position thereof in rotation, wherein while the indoor unit is in an operating state, the outer air-passage wall and the air flow direction louver define therebetween an outer air passage through which the blown air passes, and the inner air-passage wall and the air flow direction louver define therebetween an inner air passage through which the blown air passes, and the air flow direction louver is rotatable to an upward position, being the angular position, at which
the outer air passage between the outer air-passage wall and the air flow direction louver and
the inner air passage between the inner air-passage wall and the air flow direction louver
are narrowed, and the outer air-passage has a higher air flow resistance than the inner air passage.

2 . The indoor unit of claim 1 , wherein
the at least one air outlet includes a plurality of air outlets each being provided with the air flow direction louver; the indoor unit being configured to limit a number of the air flow direction louvers being at the upward position at a same time.

3 . The indoor unit of claim 1 , wherein when the indoor unit is in a non-operating state and the air flow direction louver closes the air outlet, the air flow direction louver and the inner air-passage wall form a clearance therebetween.

4 . The indoor unit of claim 1 , wherein
the at least one air outlet includes a plurality of air outlets and the at least one air flow direction louver includes a plurality of air flow direction louvers, and the indoor unit further includes
a human presence sensor configured to detect a presence or absence of a human, and when detecting the presence of a human, detecting a position of the human, and
a controller configured to determine at least one air flow direction louver to be at the upward position of the air flow direction louvers in accordance with a result of detection by the human presence sensor.

5 . The indoor unit of claim 1 , wherein the indoor unit has a ceiling-embedding structure configured to be concealed and installed in a ceiling of a room.

6 . An air-conditioning apparatus comprising:
the indoor unit of claim 1 ; an outdoor unit, and a refrigerant circuit including
a compressor configured to compress and discharge refrigerant and included in the outdoor unit,
a condenser configured to cause the refrigerant to condense by heat exchange,
an expansion device configured to reduce a pressure of the condensed refrigerant, and
an evaporator configured to exchange heat between the pressure-reduced refrigerant and air to cause the refrigerant to evaporate,
the compressor, the condenser, the expansion device and the evaporator being connected by pipes and provided to the indoor unit or the outdoor unit.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Tanaka Kenyu
• Takagi Masahiko
• Kurihara Makoto
• Kono Atsushi

Classifications

• F24F2120/12

  Position of occupants · CPC title

• F24F13/1413

  using more than one tilting member, e.g. with several pivoting blades (F24F13/15 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F24F2120/10

  Occupancy · CPC title

• F24F1/0047

  mounted in the ceiling or at the ceiling · CPC title

• F24F13/10

  movable, e.g. dampers · CPC title