Indoor Unit of Air Conditioner

Abstract

An indoor unit of an air conditioner includes a casing body and a front panel. The casing body includes a blowout opening through which air blown out into a room passes and a first suction opening through which air taken in from the room passes. The front panel opens and closes at least one of the blowout opening and the first suction opening. A middle portion of the front panel changes between two or more stationary states, and the degree of curvature of the cross-sectionally seen shape of the middle portion in a first state is different from the degree of curvature of the cross-sectionally seen shape of the middle portion in a second state.

1 . An indoor unit of an air conditioner comprising: 
 a casing including a blowout opening through which air blown out into a room passes and a suction opening through which air taken in from the room passes; and    a front panel configured to open and close at least one of the blowout opening and the suction opening;    a first portion of the front panel being configured to change between two or more stationary states, and a degree of curvature of a cross-sectional shape of the first portion in a first state being different from a degree of curvature of a cross-sectional shape of the first portion in a second state.    
     
     
         2 . The indoor unit of  claim 1 , wherein 
 the front panel is constituted of one panel member.    
     
     
         3 . The indoor unit of  claim 1 , wherein 
 the first state is a state where the front panel is open and the first portion curves in an S shape.    
     
     
         4 . The indoor unit of  claim 1 , wherein 
 the first state is a state where the front panel is open and the first portion curves in a U shape.    
     
     
         5 . The indoor unit of  claim 1 , wherein 
 a flexibility of the first portion is higher than a flexibility of a second portion of the front panel.    
     
     
         6 . The indoor unit of  claim 5 , wherein 
 the first portion is thinner than the second portion.    
     
     
         7 . The indoor unit of  claim 5 , wherein 
 a material of the first portion is different from a material of the second portion.    
     
     
         8 . The indoor unit of  claim 1 , wherein 
 the first portion is formed by an elastomer.    
     
     
         9 . The indoor unit of  claim 1 , wherein 
 the first portion is formed by a fabric-like member.    
     
     
         10 . The indoor unit of  claim 1 , wherein 
 a degree of curvature of a vertical cross-sectional shape of the first portion in the first state is different from a degree of curvature of a vertical cross-sectional shape of the first portion in the second state.    
     
     
         11 . The indoor unit of  claim 1 , wherein 
 a degree of curvature of a transverse cross-sectional shape of the first portion in the first state is different from a degree of curvature of a transverse cross-sectional shape of the first portion in the second state.    
     
     
         12 . The indoor unit of  claim 1 , wherein 
 the front panel includes an open portion,    the casing further includes a convex portion corresponding to the open portion, and    in the second state, the convex portion of the casing is inserted into the open portion.    
     
     
         13 . The indoor unit of  claim 12 , wherein 
 in the first state, the open portion is hidden when seen in a front view.    
     
     
         14 . The indoor unit of  claim 12 , wherein 
 the first state is a state where the front panel is open,    the open portion is formed in the first portion, and    the first portion curves in an S shape in the first state.