Ventilation – Having inlet airway – Including specific air distributor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-23
2002-01-15
Joyce, Harold (Department: 3749)
Ventilation
Having inlet airway
Including specific air distributor
C454S319000, C454S321000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06338676
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air conditioner and, more particularly, to rectification of an airflow in an air conditioner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As shown in
FIG. 9
which is a cross-sectional view showing an air conditioner, when conditioned air whose temperature is conditioned by an air conditioner is blown out of a blowing-out port
19
, a pressure loss generally occurs in the blown-out air passing through a blown-out air duct reaching the blowing-out port
19
by the influence of vertical air flowing direction adjusting vanes
4
or lateral air flowing direction adjusting vanes
21
. Furthermore, if a rotating speed of a cross-flow fan
22
having a function of generating the blown-out air of the conditioned air decreases, the blown-out air becomes turbulent or a quantity of the blown-out air is reduced. This prevents the blown-out air from flowing along the vertical air flowing direction adjusting vanes
4
positioned in front of the cross-flow fan
22
so as to separate the blown-out air from the vanes
4
, thereby causing dew condensation. In order to alleviate or prevent such a phenomenon, a jumper mount
1
shown in a cross-sectional view of
FIG. 10
or a baffle plate
2
shown in a cross-sectional view of
FIG. 11
has been conventionally fixed in the structure of the blowing-out port.
A purpose of the jumper mount
1
is to blown out air along the vertical vanes
4
by changing a main stream advancing direction of the blown-out air flowing along a casing of a unit box
3
defining a back wall of the blown-out air duct, thereby reducing the contact of the vertical vanes
4
cooled by the blown-out air with outside air so as to prevent any dew condensation. Another purpose is to direct the main stream advancing direction of the blown-out air in a certain direction so as to suppress turbulence, so that dew condensation in the vicinity of the blowing-out port
19
caused by the turbulence due to a decrease of air quantity which is caused by reducing the rotating speed of the cross-flow fan
22
for generating the blown-out air.
However, since the jumper mount
1
is brought into direct contact with the blown-out air, it is cooled by the air, so that dew condensation occurs at an end face
5
of the jumper mount
1
which is in contact with the outside air. Consequently, it is necessary to attach a member having a water retaining property such as a flocked tape to the end face
5
.
In the meantime, the baffle plate
2
reduces the blowing-out area of the blowing-out port
19
so as to partly increase an air quantity and allow the blown-out air to further flow over a portion of the vertical vane
4
where dew condensation occurs. Similarly to the jumper mount
1
for reducing separation of the blown-out air, the baffle plate
2
is the technique for reducing the dew condensation.
However, since the baffle plate
2
increases the blown-out air
18
but decreases the blown-out air
17
, as shown in
FIG. 11
, the outside air flows into the structure of the blowing-out port from the upper part of the port where the blown-out air
17
is decreased. Accordingly, since the baffle plate
2
in direct contact with the blown-out air is cooled in the air, dew condensation at an end face
6
of the baffle plate
2
is caused. Therefore, also in this case, it is necessary to attach a member having a water retaining property such as a flocked tape to the end face
6
, like in the case of the jumper mount
1
.
In this way, although the prior art can resultantly reduce or prevent the phenomenon of the dew condensation with respect to the blowing-out port in the air conditioner, the dew condensation occurs at other portions in turn, so that it is necessary to attach a member having a water retaining property such as a flocked tape or to additionally attach other parts known as prior arts, thus raising the problem of an increase in the number of component parts.
In the meanwhile,
FIG. 19
is a side cross-sectional view showing a conventional window type air conditioner which is installed on a wall. In
FIG. 19
, reference numeral
31
designates a casing of the air conditioner, the inside of which is divided into an exterior side and an interior side by a partition plate
32
;
33
, an exterior suction port through which exterior air is sucked from the exterior of a room;
34
, an exterior blowing-out port, through which air is blown out to the exterior of the room;
35
, an interior suction port, through which interior air is sucked from the interior of the room;
36
, an interior blowing-out port, through which air is blown out to the interior of the room;
37
, an exterior heat exchanger disposed in the vicinity of the exterior blowing-out port
34
inside the casing
31
;
38
, an interior heat exchanger disposed in the vicinity of the interior suction port
35
inside the casing
31
;
39
, an electric motor for blowing, disposed on the exterior side;
40
, an axial fan interposed between the exterior heat exchanger
37
and the electric motor
39
and connected to the electric motor
39
;
40
a
, a blade fixing portion (i.e., a boss), to which a blade of the axial fan
40
is fixed;
41
, a sirocco fan interposed between the interior heat exchanger
38
and the electric motor
39
and connected to the electric motor
39
;
42
, a fan cover disposed around the axial fan
40
; and
43
, a compressor constituting a refrigerant cycle together with the exterior heat exchanger
37
and the interior heat exchanger
38
.
In the air conditioner such constituted as described above, the electric motor
39
drives to rotate the axial fan
40
on the exterior side, so as to suck the exterior air through the exterior suction port
33
. The exterior air is sucked into the axial fan
40
, and then, is blown out of the exterior blowing-out port
34
through the exterior heat exchanger
37
.
Moreover, the electric motor
39
drives to rotate the sirocco fan
41
on the interior side, so as to suck the interior air through the interior suction port
35
. The interior air is sucked into the sirocco fan
41
through the interior heat exchanger
38
, and then, is blown out of the interior blowing-out port
36
.
In the conventional air conditioner such constituted as described above, the exterior heat exchanger
37
is greater in size than the outer diameter of the axial fan
40
, and further, the exterior heat exchanger
37
and the axial fan
40
are arranged in close proximity to each other. Consequently, inflowing air at the fin tips of the exterior heat exchanger
37
placed apart from the outer diameter of the axial fan
40
flows as illustrated in FIG.
20
. That is, an angle &thgr; between the fin and the inflowing airflow is large, thus raising the problems that the inflowing air is liable to be separated from the fins and noise is likely to occur.
Additionally, since no air flows at the rear end
50
of the boss
40
a
of the axial fan
40
, the inflowing air flows into the fin tips facing the boss
40
a
with a large inflowing angle, thereby raising problems similar to those described above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been accomplished in an attempt to solve the above problems observed in the prior art. An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner in which an airflow inside the air conditioner is rectified with simple configuration, thus maintaining blowing performance and preventing dew condensation or suppressing noise.
According to the present invention, an air conditioner having an air duct through which temperature-conditioned air reaches a blowing-out port, comprises a rectifying mechanism having a blown-out air passage therein, for rectifying a flow of the conditioned air toward a predetermined flowing direction. Thus, it is possible to produce the effect of rectifying air with simple configuration while maintaining the blowing performance.
The rectifying mechanism may supply the conditioned air in a predetermined quantity or more to a wall surface defining the air duc
Fukazawa Hiroshi
Ishikawa Hiroaki
Kitamura Jun
Kondou Masakazu
Murayama Takahiro
Joyce Harold
Mitsubishi Denki & Kabushiki Kaisha
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
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