Indoor unit of air-conditioning apparatus

Abstract

An indoor unit includes a casing having an air inlet and four air outlets arranged in a lower surface portion such that the four air outlets surround four sides of the air inlet, and direction members adjusting a lateral angle of air blown through the air outlets. When the direction member of the first air outlet is in a state for blowing the air toward the second air outlet, the direction member of the second air outlet is in a state for blowing the air toward the first air outlet, the direction member of the third air outlet is in a state for blowing the air toward the fourth air outlet, and the direction member of the fourth air outlet is in a state for blowing the air toward the third air outlet.

1 . An indoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus, the indoor unit comprising:
 a casing having an air inlet and four air outlets arranged in a lower surface portion of the casing such that the four air outlets surround four sides of the air inlet; and   a lateral air flow direction member swingably disposed in each of the air outlets, the lateral air flow direction member adjusting a lateral angle of air blown through the air outlet,   wherein when one of the air outlets is defined as a first air outlet, one of the air outlets next to the first air outlet is defined as a second air outlet, an other one of the air outlets next to the first air outlet is defined as a third air outlet, the air outlet facing the first air outlet across the air inlet is defined as a fourth air outlet, and when the lateral air flow direction member in the first air outlet is in a state for blowing the air toward the second air outlet, the lateral air flow direction member in the second air outlet is in a state for blowing the air toward the first air outlet, the lateral air flow direction member in the third air outlet is in a state for blowing the air toward the fourth air outlet, and the lateral air flow direction member in the fourth air outlet is in a state for blowing the air toward the third air outlet.   
     
     
         2 . The indoor unit of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the indoor unit has an operation mode in which the lateral air flow direction members are swung,   wherein when the lateral air flow direction member in the first air outlet is in the state for blowing the air toward the second air outlet in this operation mode, the lateral air flow direction member in the second air outlet is in the state for blowing the air toward the first air outlet, the lateral air flow direction member in the third air outlet is in the state for blowing the air toward the fourth air outlet, and the lateral air flow direction member in the fourth air outlet is in the state for blowing the air toward the third air outlet, and   wherein when the lateral air flow direction member in the first air outlet is in a state for blowing the air toward the third air outlet in this operation mode, the lateral air flow direction member in the third air outlet is in a state for blowing the air toward the first air outlet, the lateral air flow direction member in the second air outlet is in a state for blowing the air toward the fourth air outlet, and the lateral air flow direction member in the fourth air outlet is in a state for blowing the air toward the second air outlet.   
     
     
         3 . The indoor unit of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a human body position detector that detects a human body position,   wherein the lateral air flow direction member in the first air outlet is in a state for blowing the air toward an area including the human body position detected by the human body position detector and the area is one of areas into which an air-conditioned space is divided.   
     
     
         4 . The indoor unit of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a vertical air flow direction member swingably disposed in each of the air outlets, the vertical air flow direction member adjusting a vertical angle of the air blown through the air outlet.   
     
     
         5 . The indoor unit of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of air sucked into the casing through the air inlet,   wherein the lateral air flow direction member in each of the air outlets is retained at an intermediate position of a swing range until the temperature detected by the temperature sensor reaches or falls below a prescribed temperature in a cooling operation of the indoor unit.   
     
     
         6 . The indoor unit of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a vertical air flow direction member swingably disposed in each of the air outlets, the vertical air flow direction member adjusting a vertical angle of the air blown through the air outlet,   wherein the vertical air flow direction member disposed in each of the air outlets is retained at an angle at which the vertical air flow direction member extends along part of the air outlet in which the vertical air flow direction member is disposed until the temperature detected by the temperature sensor reaches or falls below the prescribed temperature.   
     
     
         7 . The indoor unit of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a humidity sensor that detects a humidity of air sucked into the casing through the air inlet,   wherein the lateral air flow direction member in each of the air outlets is retained at an intermediate position of a swing range until the humidity detected by the humidity sensor reaches or falls below a prescribed humidity in a cooling operation of the indoor unit.   
     
     
         8 . The indoor unit of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a vertical air flow direction member swingably disposed in each of the air outlets, the vertical air flow direction member adjusting a vertical angle of the air blown through the air outlet,   wherein the vertical air flow direction member disposed in each of the air outlets is retained at an angle at which the vertical air flow direction member extends along part of the air outlet in which the vertical air flow direction member is disposed until the humidity detected by the humidity sensor reaches or falls below the prescribed humidity.   
     
     
         9 . The indoor unit of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a fan that causes air in an air-conditioned space to be sucked into the casing through the air inlet; and   a heat exchanger that causes the air sucked into the casing to exchange heat with refrigerant flowing through the heat exchanger,   wherein the casing includes
 a main body having an open lower portion and receiving the fan and the heat exchanger, 
 an attachment member covering the lower portion of the main body and including part of the air inlet and parts of the air outlets, and 
 a decorative panel covering a lower portion of the attachment member and including part of the air inlet and parts of the air outlets, 
   wherein the vertical air flow direction members are arranged in the parts of the air outlets included in the decorative panel, and   wherein the lateral air flow direction members are arranged in the parts of the air outlets included in the attachment member.   
     
     
         10 . The indoor unit of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a fan that causes air in an air-conditioned space to be sucked into the casing through the air inlet; and   a heat exchanger that causes the air sucked into the casing to exchange heat with refrigerant flowing through the heat exchanger,   wherein the casing includes
 a main body having an open lower portion and receiving the fan and the heat exchanger, 
 a decorative panel covering the lower portion of the main body and including the air inlet and the air outlets, and 
   wherein the vertical air flow direction members and the lateral air flow direction members are arranged in the air outlets included in the decorative panel.