Air conditioner

Abstract

An indoor unit (Z 1 ) has a casing ( 1 ) which is embedded or suspended in/from a ceiling ( 50 ), and an indoor panel ( 2 ) which is provided on a lower side of the casing ( 1 ) and installed in an indoor exposed state. The indoor panel ( 2 ) is provided with an air inlet ( 3 ), a plurality of air outlets ( 4 ) which surround the air inlet ( 3 ) in a rectangular shape and have a rectangular shape. An infrared sensor ( 15 ) is provided on an exposed portion of the indoor panel ( 2 ). The indoor unit (Z 1 ) further has an airflow changing unit ( 52 ) for changing characteristics of airflow blown out from each of the air outlets ( 4 ), and a control unit ( 53 ) for controlling the airflow changing unit ( 52 ) based on output information of the infrared sensor ( 15 ).

1 . An air conditioner comprising: 
 a casing ( 1 ) embedded or suspended in/from a ceiling ( 50 );    an indoor panel ( 2 ) provided on a lower side of said casing ( 1 ), said indoor panel ( 2 ) being provided with an air inlet ( 3 ) and a plurality of air outlets ( 4 ), said air outlets ( 4 ) surrounding a rectangular periphery of said air inlet ( 3 ) and each having a rectangular shape, said indoor panel ( 2 ) being installed in an indoor exposed state;    an infrared sensor ( 15 ) provided on an exposed portion of said indoor panel ( 2 );    an airflow changing unit ( 52 ) for changing characteristics of an airflow blown out from each or said air outlet ( 4 ); and    a control unit ( 53 ) for controlling said airflow changing unit ( 52 ) based on output information from said infrared sensor ( 15 ).    
     
     
         2 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein said infrared sensor ( 15 ) is provided between said air outlets ( 4 ,  4 ).  
     
     
         3 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein said infrared sensor ( 15 ) is provided on a peripheral edge of said air outlet ( 4 ).  
     
     
         4 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , further comprising a scanning mechanism ( 20 ) for scanning said infrared sensor ( 15 ).  
     
     
         5 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 a plurality of said infrared sensors ( 15 ) are provided correspondingly to said air outlets ( 4 ,  4 , . . . ),    said infrared sensors ( 15 ) are non-scanning type infrared sensors for detecting their respective constant ranges as an object to be detected.    
     
     
         6 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of temperature sensors or temperature/humidity sensors ( 16 ) are provided in vicinities of said air outlets ( 4 ) in an inside portion of said air inlet ( 3 ) on the indoor panel ( 12 ) or in an inside portion of said air inlet ( 3 ) in said casing ( 1 ).  
     
     
         7 . The air conditioner according to  claim 6 , further comprising: 
 a scanning mechanism ( 20 ) for scanning said infrared sensor ( 15 );    a judging unit ( 18 ) for calculating a heat load based on output information from said temperature sensors or temperature/humidity sensors ( 16 ) and judging whether the heat load is not less than a predetermined load for each of said temperature sensors or temperature/humidity sensors ( 16 ); and    a stopping unit ( 18 ) for, when the judgment is made that the heat load is not less than the predetermined load in a not less than predetermined proportion of said temperature sensors or temperature/humidity sensors ( 16 ), stopping an operation of said scanning mechanism ( 20 ).    
     
     
         8 . The air conditioner according to  claim 6 , further comprising a correcting unit ( 18 ) for anticipating an object temperature in a blowout direction of an airflow from said air outlets ( 4 ) based on the output information from said temperature sensors or temperature/humidity sensors ( 16 ) and correcting a detected temperature of said infrared sensor ( 15 ) based on the anticipated object temperature.  
     
     
         9 . The air conditioner according to  claim 6 , wherein said infrared sensor ( 15 ) detects a position of a person in a room and said temperature sensors or temperature/humidity sensors ( 16 ) detect a temperature of a sucked air from the room.  
     
     
         10 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein said airflow changing units ( 52 ) includes: 
 an air capacity distributing mechanism ( 10 ) for changing a distributing ratio of a blowout air capacity between said air outlets ( 4 ,  4 , . . . );    first flaps ( 12 ) for changing a blowout direction of an airflow in a direction of a long side of each of said outlets ( 4 );    a second flap ( 13 ) for changing a blowout direction of an airflow in a direction of a short side of said each air outlet ( 4 ); and    driving mechanisms ( 29 ,  30 ,  31 ) for driving said air capacity distributing mechanism ( 10 ), said first flaps ( 12 ) and said second flap ( 13 ) independently at said each air outlet ( 4 ).    
     
     
         11 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein said airflow changing unit ( 52 ) includes: 
 an air capacity distributing mechanism ( 10 ) for changing a distributing ratio of a blowout air capacity between said air outlets ( 4 ,  4 , . . . );    first flaps ( 12 ) for changing a blowout direction of an airflow in a direction of a long side of said each air outlet ( 4 );    a second flap ( 13 ) for changing a blowout direction of an airflow in a direction of a short side of said each air outlet ( 4 );    driving mechanisms ( 29 ,  30 ) for driving said air capacity distributing mechanism ( 10 ) and said first flaps ( 12 ) independently at said each air outlet ( 4 ); and    a driving mechanism ( 31 ) for driving said second flaps ( 13 ,  13 , . . . ) of said air outlets ( 4 ,  4 , . . . ) in an interlocking manner.    
     
     
         12 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 a plurality of blowout passages ( 14 ) each continued to said each air outlet ( 4 ) are provided in said casing ( 1 ),    said airflow changing unit ( 52 ) includes: 
 an air capacity distributing mechanism ( 10 ) provided on said each blowout passage ( 14 ) for changing a distributing ratio of a blowout air capacity between said air outlets ( 4 ,  4 , . . . );  
 first flaps ( 12 ) provided on said each blowout passage ( 14 ) for changing a blowout direction of an airflow in a direction of a long side of said each air outlet ( 4 );  
 a driving mechanism ( 29 ) provided on one end of the direction of the long side of said each air outlet ( 4 ) in said each blowout passage ( 14 ), said driving mechanism ( 29 ) for driving said each air capacity distributing mechanism ( 10 ); and  
 a driving mechanism ( 30 ) provided on the other end of the direction of the long side of said each air outlet ( 4 ) in said blowout passage ( 14 ), said driving mechanism ( 30 ) for driving said each first flap ( 12 ).  
   
     
     
         13 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 a plurality of blowout passages ( 14 ) each continued to said each air outlet ( 4 ) are provided in said casing ( 1 ),    said airflow changing unit ( 52 ) is provided in said each blowout passage ( 14 ), and has an air capacity distributing mechanism ( 10 ) for increasing/decreasing an opening area of said each blowout passage ( 14 ) so as to change a distributing ratio of a blowout air capacity between said air outlets ( 4 ,  4 , . . . ),    said air capacity distributing mechanism ( 10 ) includes: 
 a pair of shutters ( 11 ,  11 ) provided on both sides of a direction of a short side of said each air outlet ( 4 ) in said each blowout passage ( 14 ), said shutters ( 11 ,  11 ) being freely tilted simultaneously with a movement to an upper stream side of an airflow direction of said blowout passage ( 14 ); and  
 a driving mechanism ( 29 ) for moving said shutters ( 11 ,  11 ) to both ends of said blowout passage ( 14 ) at the time of an operation for enlarging the opening area of said blowout passage ( 14 ), and moving said shutters ( 11 ,  11 ) to the upper stream side of said blowout passage ( 14 ) at the time of an operation for reducing the opening area of said blowout passage ( 14 ).