Air-conditioning-device indoor unit

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an indoor unit including: a load detector for detecting a heavy-load area to bear a relatively heavy air-conditioning load during a heating mode of operation and a light-load area to bear a lighter air-conditioning load than the heavy-load area from a perimeter zone of a space to be air-conditioned; and an air volume adjuster for setting the volume of air blown toward the light-load area to be lower than that of air blown toward the heavy-load area in a horizontal blowing mode. This allows the entire room, including the perimeter zone, to be air-conditioned efficiently during the heating mode of operation with temperature non-uniformity reduced in the room.

1 . An air conditioner indoor unit comprising a casing mounted on a ceiling of a space to be air-conditioned, the casing having a plurality of air outlets configured to blow air in multiple blowing directions in a horizontal blowing mode, wherein
 the indoor unit further comprises:   a load detector configured to detect a heavy-load area to bear a relatively heavy air-conditioning load during a heating mode of operation and a light-load area to bear a lighter air-conditioning load than the heavy-load area from a perimeter zone of the space to be air-conditioned;   an air volume adjuster configured to perform an air volume adjustment operation such that a smaller volume of air is blown toward the light-load area than toward the heavy-load area in the horizontal blowing mode; and   an operation controller including an air volume controller configured to control the air volume adjustment operation by the air volume adjuster.   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioner indoor unit of  claim 1 , wherein
 the air volume controller performs control that allows a greater volume of air to be blown toward the heavy-load area during the air volume adjustment operation in the horizontal blowing mode than during an operation in which air is blown uniformly in all directions.   
     
     
         3 . The air conditioner indoor unit of  claim 1 , wherein
 the air volume adjuster is configured as airflow direction adjusting vanes provided for the air outlets, and   the air volume controller sets the area of a gap between respective opening edges of the air outlets through which air is blown toward the light-load area and respective peripheral edges of the airflow direction adjusting vanes to be smaller than the area of a gap between the respective opening edges of the air outlets through which the air is blown toward the heavy-load area and the respective peripheral edges of the airflow direction adjusting vanes by adjusting an angle of the airflow direction adjusting vanes during the air volume adjustment operation.   
     
     
         4 . The air conditioner indoor unit of  claim 1 , wherein
 the operation controller is configured to select the horizontal blowing mode from a plurality of blowing modes.   
     
     
         5 . The air conditioner indoor unit of  claim 1 , comprising
 an input device allowing a user to indicate whether or not there is any wall surface in the space to be air-conditioned, wherein   the air volume controller performs control that restricts the air blowing direction to a direction leading to the wall surface during the air volume adjustment operation in the horizontal blowing mode.   
     
     
         6 . The air conditioner indoor unit of  claim 2 , wherein
 the air volume adjuster is configured as airflow direction adjusting vanes provided for the air outlets, and   the air volume controller sets the area of a gap between respective opening edges of the air outlets through which air is blown toward the light-load area and respective peripheral edges of the airflow direction adjusting vanes to be smaller than the area of a gap between the respective opening edges of the air outlets through which the air is blown toward the heavy-load area and the respective peripheral edges of the airflow direction adjusting vanes by adjusting an angle of the airflow direction adjusting vanes during the air volume adjustment operation.   
     
     
         7 . The air conditioner indoor unit of  claim 2 , wherein
 the operation controller is configured to select the horizontal blowing mode from a plurality of blowing modes.   
     
     
         8 . The air conditioner indoor unit of  claim 3 , wherein
 the operation controller is configured to select the horizontal blowing mode from a plurality of blowing modes.   
     
     
         9 . The air conditioner indoor unit of  claim 6 , wherein
 the operation controller is configured to select the horizontal blowing mode from a plurality of blowing modes.   
     
     
         10 . The air conditioner indoor unit of  claim 2 , comprising
 an input device allowing a user to indicate whether or not there is any wall surface in the space to be air-conditioned, wherein   the air volume controller performs control that restricts the air blowing direction to a direction leading to the wall surface during the air volume adjustment operation in the horizontal blowing mode.   
     
     
         11 . The air conditioner indoor unit of  claim 3 , comprising
 an input device allowing a user to indicate whether or not there is any wall surface in the space to be air-conditioned, wherein   the air volume controller performs control that restricts the air blowing direction to a direction leading to the wall surface during the air volume adjustment operation in the horizontal blowing mode.   
     
     
         12 . The air conditioner indoor unit of  claim 4 , comprising
 an input device allowing a user to indicate whether or not there is any wall surface in the space to be air-conditioned, wherein   the air volume controller performs control that restricts the air blowing direction to a direction leading to the wall surface during the air volume adjustment operation in the horizontal blowing mode.   
     
     
         13 . The air conditioner indoor unit of  claim 6 , comprising
 an input device allowing a user to indicate whether or not there is any wall surface in the space to be air-conditioned, wherein   the air volume controller performs control that restricts the air blowing direction to a direction leading to the wall surface during the air volume adjustment operation in the horizontal blowing mode.   
     
     
         14 . The air conditioner indoor unit of  claim 7 , comprising
 an input device allowing a user to indicate whether or not there is any wall surface in the space to be air-conditioned, wherein   the air volume controller performs control that restricts the air blowing direction to a direction leading to the wall surface during the air volume adjustment operation in the horizontal blowing mode.   
     
     
         15 . The air conditioner indoor unit of  claim 8 , comprising
 an input device allowing a user to indicate whether or not there is any wall surface in the space to be air-conditioned, wherein   the air volume controller performs control that restricts the air blowing direction to a direction leading to the wall surface during the air volume adjustment operation in the horizontal blowing mode.   
     
     
         16 . The air conditioner indoor unit of  claim 9 , comprising
 an input device allowing a user to indicate whether or not there is any wall surface in the space to be air-conditioned, wherein   the air volume controller performs control that restricts the air blowing direction to a direction leading to the wall surface during the air volume adjustment operation in the horizontal blowing mode.