Airflow direction control device for air conditioning indoor unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9593864-B2
Application number	US-201214354556-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2012
Priority date	Oct 31, 2011
Publication date	Mar 14, 2017
Grant date	Mar 14, 2017

Abstract

An air-conditioning indoor unit causes a flow of air blown out from a blow-out port to be diverted in a predetermined direction due to the Coand{hacek over (a)} effect. The air-conditioning indoor unit includes an airflow direction adjustment vane varying a blowout angle of blown air relative to a horizontal plane, a Coand{hacek over (a)} vane turning the blown air into a Coand{hacek over (a)} airflow along a bottom surface, and a control unit. The Coand{hacek over (a)} vane is provided in proximity to the blow-out port. The control unit executes an airflow direction automatic switching mode automatically switching between a Coand{hacek over (a)} effect use state in which the blown air is turned into a Coand{hacek over (a)} airflow along a predetermined surface and diverted in the predetermined direction, and a normal state in which the Coand{hacek over (a)} airflow is not created. The airflow direction adjustment vane and the Coand{hacek over (a)} vane having incline angles relative to a horizontal plane that are variable.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An airflow direction control device for an air-conditioning indoor unit capable of causing a flow of blown air blown out from a blow-out port to be diverted in a predetermined direction due to the Coand{hacek over (a)} effect, the airflow direction control device comprising:
a first driving unit configured to drive an airflow direction adjustment vane of the air conditioning indoor unit, the airflow direction adjustment vane being arranged and configured to vary a blowout angle of blown air relative to a horizontal plane;
a second driving unit configured to drive a Coand{hacek over (a)} vane of the air conditioning indoor unit, the Coand{hacek over (a)} vane being arranged and configured to turn the blown air into a Coand{hacek over (a)} airflow along a bottom surface thereof, the Coand{hacek over (a)} vane being provided in proximity to the blow-out port; and
a control unit configured to control the first driving unit and the second driving unit and to vary incline angles of the airflow direction adjustment vane and the Coand{hacek over (a)} vane relative to a horizontal plane,
the control unit being configured to control the first driving unit and the second driving unit so as to execute an airflow direction automatic switching mode that automatically switches between
a Coand{hacek over (a)} effect use state in which the blown air is turned into a Coand{hacek over (a)} airflow along the bottom surface of the Coand{hacek over (a)} vane and diverted in the predetermined direction, and
a normal state in which the Coand{hacek over (a)} airflow is not created,

in the airflow direction automatic switching mode, the control unit being configured to keep the airflow direction adjustment vane stationary in a predetermined stationary position and to perform control to repeat a first operation and a second operation alternately,
the first operation being to vary the incline angle of the Coand{hacek over (a)} vane in a predetermined vertical range so that the Coand{hacek over (a)} vane moves closer to the airflow direction adjustment vane and crosses a boundary between an area in which the Coand{hacek over (a)} effect use state occurs and an area in which the normal state occurs, the area in which the Coand{hacek over (a)} effect use state occurs and the area in which the normal state occurs being set in advance relative to the airflow direction adjustment vane stationary in the predetermined stationary position,
the second operation being to vary the incline angle of the Coand{hacek over (a)} vane in a predetermined vertical range such that the Coand{hacek over (a)} vane moves away from the airflow direction adjustment vane and crosses the boundary after the first operation.

2. The airflow direction control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the control unit is further configured to swing the Coand{hacek over (a)} vane in the airflow direction automatic switching mode to switch between the Coand{hacek over (a)} effect use state and the normal state.

3. The airflow direction control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the control unit is further configured to irregularly switch between the Coand{hacek over (a)} effect use state and the normal state in the airflow direction automatic switching mode.

4. The airflow direction control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the control unit is further configured to regularly switch between the Coand{hacek over (a)} effect use state and the normal state in the airflow direction automatic switching mode.

5. The airflow direction control device according to claim 1 , further comprising
a person position detection sensor arranged and configured to detect a position of a person,
in the airflow direction automatic switching mode, the airflow direction of the blown air being toward a floor in the normal state, and
the airflow direction being determined based on a detection signal from the person position detection sensor.

6. The airflow direction control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the control unit is configured to shift the direction of the blown air when a number of cycles of varying the incline angle of the Coand{hacek over (a)} vane reaches a predetermined number.

7. The airflow direction control device according to claim 1 , wherein
in the Coand{hacek over (a)} effect use state, a rear end of the Coand{hacek over (a)} vane is at a lower height than when operation has stopped and the rear end of the Coand{hacek over (a)} vane enters into the flow of the blown air.

8. The airflow direction control device according to claim 1 , wherein
in the airflow direction automatic switching mode, the control unit varies the incline angle of the Coand{hacek over (a)} vane so that the Coand{hacek over (a)} vane repeatedly crosses between a predetermined position in an upper region outside of the blowing path and a predetermined position inside of the blowing path.

9. The airflow direction control device according to claim 8 , wherein
in the airflow direction automatic switching mode, the control unit varies the incline angle of the Coand{hacek over (a)} vane so that the Coand{hacek over (a)} vane repeatedly moves between a predetermined position at which a height position of a rear end portion of the Coand{hacek over (a)} vane is higher than a height position of an upper end of the blow-out port and a predetermined position at which the height position of the rear end portion of the Coand{hacek over (a)} vane is lower than the height position of the upper end of the blow-out port.

10. An airflow direction control device for an air-conditioning indoor unit capable of causing a flow of blown air blown out from a blow-out port to be diverted in a predetermined direction due to the Coand{hacek over (a)} effect, the airflow direction control device comprising:
a first driving unit configured to drive an airflow direction adjustment vane arranged and configured to vary a blowout angle of blown air relative to a horizontal plane;
a second driving unit configured to drive a Coand{hacek over (a)} vane arranged and configured to turn the blown air into a Coand{hacek over (a)} airflow along a bottom surface thereof, the Coand{hacek over (a)} vane being provided in proximity to the blow-out port; and
a control unit configured to control the first driving unit and the second driving unit and to vary incline angles of the airflow direction adjustment vane and the Coand{hacek over (a)} vane relative to a horizontal plane,
the control unit being configured to control the first driving unit and the second driving unit so as to execute an airflow direction automatic switching mode that automatically switches between
a Coand{hacek over (a)} effect use state in which the blown air is turned into a Coand{hacek over (a)} airflow along the bottom surface of the Coand{hacek over (a)} vane and diverted in the predetermined direction, and
a normal state in which the Coand{hacek over (a)} airflow is not created,

in the airflow direction automatic switching mode, the control unit being configured to keep the Coand{hacek over (a)} vane stationary in a predetermined stationary position and to perform control to repeat a first operation and a second operation alternately,
the first operation being to vary the incline angle of the airflow direction adjustment vane in a predetermined vertical range so that the airflow direction adjustment vane moves closer to the Coand{hacek over (a)} vane and crosses a boundary between an area in which the Coand{hacek over (a)} effect use state occurs and an area in which the normal state occurs, the area in which the Coand{hacek over (a)} effect use state occurs and the area in which the normal state occurs being set in advance re

Assignees

• Yasutomi Masanao
• Kamada Masashi
• Daikin Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Yasutomi Masanao
• Kamada Masashi

Classifications

• F24F2221/28

  using the Coanda effect · CPC title

• F24F13/08 Primary

  Air-flow control members, e.g. louvres, grilles, flaps or guide plates (F24F7/013, F24F13/06 take precedence) · CPC title

• F24F2001/0048

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F24F1/0011

  characterised by air outlets · CPC title

• F24F11/0078

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic