Indoor unit of air-conditioning apparatus

Abstract

An indoor unit includes a lateral airflow adjusting unit that adjusts in a lateral direction, the angle of air that is blown from an air outlet. The lateral airflow adjusting unit includes a plurality of lateral airflow adjusting plates that are arranged in a blowout flow passage at defined intervals in the lateral direction, and a drive device that includes a drive motor and swings the plurality of lateral airflow adjusting plates with power generated by the drive motor. The blowout flow passage causes a heat exchanger and the air outlet to communicate with each other. A casing of the indoor unit includes an accommodating chamber that is isolated from the blowout flow passage and communicates with a suction flow passage that causes an air inlet and the heat exchanger to communicate with each other. The drive motor is accommodated in the accommodating chamber.

1 . An indoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus, comprising:
 a casing having an air inlet and an air outlet that are provided as openings formed in a lower surface portion of the casing;   a fan housed in the casing and configured to suck air in an air-conditioned space from the air inlet into the casing and blow the air from the air outlet;   a heat exchanger housed in the casing and configured to cause heat exchange to be performed between refrigerant that flows in the heat exchanger and the air sucked into the casing; and   a lateral airflow adjusting unit configured to adjust in a lateral direction, an angle of the air that is blown from the air outlet,   wherein in the casing, a suction flow passage and a blowout flow passage are provided, the suction flow passage causing the air inlet and the heat exchanger to communicate with each other, the blowout flow passage causing the heat exchanger and the air outlet to communicate with each other,   the lateral airflow adjusting unit includes
 a plurality of lateral airflow adjusting plates arranged in the blowout flow passage at defined intervals in the lateral direction, and 
 a drive device including a drive motor and configured to swing the plurality of lateral airflow adjusting plates with power generated by the drive motor, 
   the casing includes an accommodating chamber that is isolated from the blowout flow passage and communicates with the suction flow passage, and   the drive motor is accommodated in the accommodating chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The indoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the accommodating chamber is located between the blowout flow passage and the suction flow passage as the casing is viewed from the lower surface portion. 
     
     
         3 . The indoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the accommodating chamber is provided at a corner of the casing as the casing is viewed from the lower surface portion. 
     
     
         4 . The indoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the lateral airflow adjusting unit includes a heat insulating material between a component located in a region that communicates with the blowout flow passage and a component located in a region that communicates with the suction flow passage. 
     
     
         5 . The indoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the lateral airflow adjusting unit includes a support base configured to support the plurality of lateral airflow adjusting plates in such a manner as to enable the plurality of lateral airflow adjusting plates to be swung, and
 a coupling member configured to couple the plurality of lateral airflow adjusting plates to the drive device,   the drive device is attached to the support base, and   the lateral airflow adjusting unit is configured such that the support base is removably attached to the casing and thus the plurality of lateral airflow adjusting plates, the support base, the coupling member, and the drive device are removable from the casing, with the plurality of lateral airflow adjusting plates, the support base, the coupling member, and the drive device assembled as a single body.   
     
     
         6 . The indoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the casing includes
 an indoor unit body including a first suction flow passage that forms part of the suction flow passage and a first blowout flow passage that forms part of the blowout flow passage, the indoor unit body housing the fan and the heat exchanger,   a lateral airflow casement attached to a lower portion of the indoor unit body, and including a second suction flow passage and a second blowout flow passage, the second suction flow passage forming part of the suction flow passage and communicating with the first suction flow passage, the second blowout flow passage forming part of the blowout flow passage and communicating with the first blowout flow passage, and   a decorative panel attached to a lower portion of the lateral airflow casement, and including the air inlet, a third suction flow passage, a third blowout flow passage, and the air outlet, the third suction flow passage forming part of the suction flow passage and communicating with the second suction flow passage and the air inlet, the third blowout flow passage forming part of the blowout flow passage and communicating with the second blowout flow passage and the air outlet,   the accommodating chamber is provided in the lateral airflow casement, and   the plurality of lateral airflow adjusting plates of the lateral airflow adjusting unit are arranged in the second blowout flow passage of the lateral airflow casement.   
     
     
         7 . The indoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 6 , further comprising a vertical airflow adjusting plate provided in the third blowout flow passage in such a manner as to be swingable and configured to adjust in a vertical direction, an angle of the air that is blown from the air outlet.